Kaito felt his breath hitch and all but ran to him. “Hakuba!”
Hakuba paused, glancing back with a carefully raised brow, not willing to let that hope spring up in him again- not so soon. If anyone was to keep a level head, it would be him. For now. “Yes, Kuroba-kun?"
He shuddered and glared and the mention of fish. “I’m pretty much good with anything and six sounds great.”
Laughing again, Hakuba all but sauntered to the doorway, shaking his head. “Splendid. I’ll see you then, Kuroba-kun.” As much as he was wary to just leave so soon after everything that had happened, there was no way that he could deny that they both could use some time to themselves, either.
Besides, he really hated wearing jeans.
He chuckled. “Sounds great.” and because he wanted to say tomorrow he waited and thought about it before answering. “Is in four days good? There is still some stuff I have to take care of and I have to work.”
“Yes, I think that should do quite nicely. Around six, perhaps? I can have dinner ready for us.” Hakuba pushed up from the bed and stood, stretching his arms out in front of him with a yawn. “I remember that you have an aversion to fish, but I can’t recall if you’ve any other dietary restrictions or preferences, other than for the sweets."
With a laugh, he looked back at him, grinning. "Do let me know if you have any requests.”
“So I’ll be the first?~” He smirked.
He was a little shocked. He hadn’t ever expected the detective to invite him over at all much less this soon into their …. friendship? It wasn’t like he didn’t know the Hakuba Manor. He had been in there thousands of times. ‘To know thine enemy’ and all. It was just going to be hilarious to actually walk through the front door. Blinking he placed a placed a hand to his chest and blinked. It was hot and his heart was racing just slightly. Excited? About being invited in to Hakuba’s home?
No, it was being welcomed by him. To know that he was willing to share the same space that he could relax completely in with him. To let him share that personal side that no one else has. Kaito relaxed and smiled at him.
“Thank you.”
Hakuba laughed, mostly in spite of himself as he looked away toward the door, sheepish and wincing. “Yes, I suppose so. I was never really good at making friends, you understand, and I had a distinct disadvantage here in Japan…” He hefted a sigh. “Ah, anyway, just pick an evening and I’m yours."
themoonlightthief reblogged your post and added:
The moment he heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching the windows, Kaitou brightened, ips tugging into a small grin of relief as he waited, a little impatiently, for Hakuba to tug them open.
“…Hello, detective.” A slightly sheepish chuckle left the thief’s throat and he slid past the blond and into his bedroom without even so much as waiting for an invitation – not that he ever did that anyway, but. That was besides the point and there were more important matters to pay attention to right now.
Like magical gems and the apparent existence of curses.
He glanced around the dark room, hands idly – and a little nervously – playing with his cape. They just really needed something to do and rubbing his tailwasn’t exactly—
…Let’s just say he’d already tried it and he wasn’t quite sure what to think of how that had felt.
“—No,” Kaitou finally replied, grin a little more forced as he turned to look at Hakuba again, fingers curling into the white fabric. “Not…exactly.” He paused. “…What do you know about magic, detective? Not sleight of hand or illusions, but…real magic?”
The question surprised him more than anything else; Hakuba was used to Kaitou Kid doing whatever he pleased, particularly when it came to the detective, but magic? Real magic? He wondered if it was some sort of a joke. Hesitantly, he closed the windows and slipped the latch in place before turning to face him, one brow rising.
"Well… I did date Koizumi-san for a month or so…” Thirty two days, 15 hours, seven minutes, 24 seconds, precisely. “I don’t know if you recall that, but during that time, I did happen to learn quite a bit about witches and curses, demons, summoned servants, and something about spiders…” Hakuba frowned at the memory; he’d entirely lost count of how many spiders he’d had to carefully extract from the manor by Akako’s request, setting them outside in the grass.
“But, more to the point, I can tell you that love potions are evil and ill-advised.” He paused. “Are you saying that you’ve… been bewitched? Is this Koizumi-san’s doing?!”
Wait, people actually wear deerstalkers? Is this guy some kind of wannabe Sherlock Holmes? For not entirely employment related reasons— he has to admit his curiosity is peaked by the strange attire unfamiliar to Gravity Falls— Dipper approaches the man who’d just entered the Mystery Shack.
—— “Are you looking for something?”
“Yes, actually…”
The person in question adjusted his cap with a bit of a grimace; wondering at once how he’d be perceived by people not intimately familiar with the homage. Did Americans read Doyle? With the comforting jab easing his self-consciousness, Hakuba forced a small, professional smile as he nodded to the boy, reaching into his inner jacket pocket for the little black notebook that he kept there.
“My name is Saguru… James Hakuba, and I am a detective working on behalf of Scotland Yard to investigate some… particularities about the area. Would you have time to answer a handful of questions, young man?”
Send me “Here, kitty kitty!” and my muse will grow cat ears and a tail and adopt the mannerisms of a cat/kitten for the entirety of a thread!
The rustling sound of leaves made the tail sticking out of the waist of his pants flick nervously and Kaitou glanced around, quickly, the feline ears sitting on top of his head twitching as he listened.
…Nothing.
Just the wind, then.
It didn’t quite ease the uncertainty and slight paranoia bubbling in his chest though and he turned back towards the window, silently hoping Hakuba had already made it home. The heist had ended a little less than an hour ago, but who knew how pissed Nakamori had been or if he’d forced the blond to stay behind or if—
He knocked on the window, ears perking for any sound of movements from within the house.
Fortunately for the thief and the detective, Hakuba had been able to deflect most of the anger on the rest of the team with a few carefully chosen words that dripped with a sort of ‘I told you this would happen, you again refused to listen, and unless you want me to present you a detailed list of every single one of your errors, with time stamps, then I suggest you turn around and WALK AWAY’ air. The icy glare he’d used had helped, of course, but it was definitely the presence that mattered most.
It would cost him later, but Hakuba really just wanted to get home.
After setting his keys down on the end table near the door to his lavish bedroom, Hakuba paused and glanced toward the window. Tapping…? Kid usually just let himself in, didn’t he? Then again, it was quite soon after the heist, but… who else would come rapping at his window?
Musing over thoughts of Poe, Hakuba made his way to the window without even removing his overcoat, far too comfortable in the layers to give it up until absolutely necessary. He’d left the lights off, but he didn’t need light to see that there was a person waiting there for him, so familiar in silhouette that even his tired eyes knew at once who it was. Without hesitation, he unlocked the windows and pulled them open with a smile.
“Welcome, my little raven,” he said, far too amused with himself to notice, until 3.8 seconds later, that something was amiss. Then he blinked, tilting his head to one side as the smile faded into a craggy line of confusion. “…Are you cosplaying?”
Once upon a time (earlier today), meitanteiosaka’s mun and I discussed an AU in which Hakuba was a shape-shifting gryphon/detective, tasked with the honor of going to Japan to slay the evil demon known as Spider. While there, he met Heiji, a shape-shifting tiger/detective beastie. The Koushien went as well as could be expected (just like the show, only with more being at each other’s throats), and the end result was a heck of a lot of residual anger and a serious need to posture.
Thus, months later, Hakuba finally decides to challenge Heiji to a BATTLE. Over text messages, no less. The following is the hypothetical transcript of the transpiring challenge:
–
Hakuba: [text] I am coming to visit.
Heiji: [text] who is this
Hakuba: [text] The REAL Detective of the WEST
pause
Heiji: [text] who
Hakuba: [text] HAKUBA SAGURU
Heiji: [text] FUCK YA YER NOT TH’ REAL DETECTIVE OF TH’ WEST
Hakuba: [text] YES I AM AND YOU CANNOT CONTEST THAT GEOGRAPHICALLY
Heiji: [text] KANSAI IS WESTERN JAPAN, ASSHOLE
Hakuba: [text] YES BUT I AM REFERRING TO THE GREATER WEST – I RULE ALL OF EUROPE
Heiji: [text] seriously doubt that. ya couldn’t rule a small house
Hakuba: [text] Oh just you wait, Hattori Heiji…. JUST YOU WAIT.
Heiji: [text] why’re ya comin’ here
Hakuba: [text] TO DEFEAT YOU IN BATTLE
Heiji: [text] bring it. yer gonna lose, just so ya know
Hakuba: [text] I SINCERELY DOUBT THAT, TORA-CHAN
Heiji: [text] DROP TH’ CHAN, PRICK
Hakuba: [text] TO-RA-CHA-N
Heiji: [text] UNGODLY UNION OF A BIRD AN’ HOUSECAT
Hakuba: [text] YOU WILL EAT THOSE WORDS YOU USELESS TABBY
Heiji: [text] I’LL FEED YA YER OWN TAIL
Hakuba: [text] I’LL TURN YOU TO BUTTER FOR MY PANCAKES
Heiji has to pause on that one because what?
seriously what?
Hakuba looks to Kaito
Hakuba: I think the challenging is going well~ he seems game to fight
Kaito: that’s…..good?
Hakuba: very successful banter indeed~
Heiji: [text] I’LL TURN YA INTA GLUE
Hakuba: [text] YOU’LL MAKE AN EXCELLENT THROW RUG FOR THE GARAGE
Heiji: [text] I’LL MOUNT YER HEAD IN MY OFFICE
Hakuba: [text] THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY YOU’D EVER GET TO MOUNT ANYTHING
Heiji: [text] AN’ YET YA’D STILL BE TH’ ONE GETTIN’ MOUNTED
Hakuba GASPS at his phone
Kaito: were you slighted?
not looking up from his homework
Hakuba: !!!!! HE IS ….. ..!!!!! SUCH A BRUTE
Kaito: you’re both acting like kids
Hakuba: I AM GOING TO DESTROY HIM
Kaito: yeah, kind of a problem with that
Hakuba: [text] YOU ONLY WISH YOU COULD BE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOMETHING AS GLORIOUS AS MYSELF
Hakuba: I won’t really KILL him just… teach him a LESSON
Kaito: you’re still a detective. upholder of the law. you shouldn’t be getting into fights just /because/
Hakuba: It’s not ////just because////, it’s for HONOUR
Hakuba: HE INSULTED ME
Heiji: [text] mighty big ego ya got there. I’d prolly just use ya as a paperweight
Kaito: and I’m sure you’re insulting him right back
Hakuba: well of course, but at least I’m not doing it in front of OTHER DETECTIVES
Hakuba: [text] We’ll see about that, HATTORI HEIJI. BE PREPARED FOR BATTLE THIS WEEKEND.
Heiji: [text] OH I WILL
Kaito: yeah. just regular citizens
Hakuba: no, I’m doing it over text
Hakuba: you see, over the phone, only he is privy to the messages
Heiji: [text] WASH YER PRETTY LI’L NECK, HAKUBA, ‘CAUSE I’M GONNA RIP THOSE FEATHERS FROM YER ASS
Hakuba: [text] I think that you may also need to rethink your plan of dropping out of school; your understanding of anatomy could use some work.
pause
Heiji: [text] yer ignorance of common phrases astounds me
Hakuba: [text] you do recall that I’m a european gryphon, yes? or do you need to work on your geography as well?
Heiji: [text] yer still half Japanese. thought ya’d at least know some of yer heritage
Hakuba: [text] Perhaps I’ll think about residency here to do just that after I have defeated you
Heiji: [text] ya WISH
Hakuba: [text] I don’t need wishes; I forge my own destiny. I look forward to destroying yours.
Hakuba: Kuroba
Kaito: ye~s?
Hakuba: if someone says to wash your pretty little neck, are they referring to washing your neck before being beheaded?
Kaito: yep
Hakuba: And is that related to execution or the slaughtering of a chicken?
Kaito: uh, execution
Hakuba: Ah. All right, then.
Heiji: [text] yanno I’d say yer ego’s bigger than yer dick, but that ain’t difficult ta do
Hakuba: ….Kuroba
Kaito: hm?
Hakuba: it is generally ill-advised to send photos of one’s genitalia to your adversaries in this country, is it not?
Kaito: …..yes. yes it is. please tell me that it’s not like that in England
Hakuba: no, it’s thought of as quite childish there, as well
Kaito: are you guys seriously insulting each other’s….?
Hakuba: HE JUST DID
Hakuba: DO YOU SEE WHY I NEED TO DEFEAT HIM?!
Kaito: I see why you both need to stop fighting
Hakuba: and pray tell why is that
Kaito: because you are /children/
Hakuba: well, technically, yes
Kaito: fine
Kaito: you know what
Kaito: go have your fight. I’m going to be grabbing a crepe or something in the meantime
Heiji: [text] betcha don’t even got th’ balls ta come ta Osaka, pretty bird~
Hakuba: [text] I’ve already booked the hotel, tora-chan.
Hakuba: [text] you may want to be careful when speaking of anatomical comparison; after all, the national average for your country doesn’t afford much hope for you~
Heiji’s going ‘FUCK’
Heiji: [text] are ya sayin’ ya’d like ta show me yers? sorry Hakuba, but I ain’t interested
Hakuba: [text] you were the one who brought it up, RIVAL HATTORI HEIJI! But no, you are not worthy, anyway.
Hakuba: he’s so crude
Hakuba: I surely must defeat him
Kaito: you keep telling yourself that
Hakuba: he keeps talking about his…!
Kaito: mmhm
Hakuba: disgusting, honestly
Kaito’s only half-listening
Hakuba looks at his phone in despair
Heiji isn’t responding, he’s calling Shinichi to COMPLAIN LOUDLY
The teen nearly bit back the haughty laugh he guffawed at such a statement. “I’m flattered ya’d place me above yer doc. I’m surprised ya still even listen ta him considerin’ ya wear ash like cologne.”
He knows that might prod a self-conscious air instead of a light and jovial one, but he’s also more well-known for his blunt sincerity. Still, it provokes him into some brief silence lest he say anything more tactless, gaze nursing the drink his other hand occupied. “… Yeah, jus’ a bit. Damn shame that it’s that colour, ya know. Poison augh’a be a colour less enticin’.”
“Mmm… but if the poison were less enticing,” Hakuba hummed, eyes narrowing in their own amber reflection in the light. “…less would succumb to temptation and fall, which would be quite the pity, don’t you think? After all, what is life without sin?"
The detective shifted his gaze to the other, expression settling into a comfortable air of challenge. The ever-constant edge of rivalry and undertone of aggression was something of a comfort to him, and one of his favorite little details of their relationship. Whatever it was.
”…you needn’t be so cruel about the cigarettes, though. Or my doctor. He’s quite attractive, you know.“
Kaito looked at him and smiled. A small little smile that showed just a little bit of tooth and crinkled around the eyes. That was his real smile and that was some thing he didn’t get to do often. “That sounds a lot better than being alone.”
He was glad of it; it made it so much easier to let just a little bit more of the tension go, and Hakuba laughed again, shoulders hunching as he shrugged, suddenly bashful. As with most things Kuroba, the smile was infectious. “Good. I’ll… have you come over some time soon, then. Actually…”
Hakuba shifted onto his hip to pull out his mobile, flipping open the calendar application. “I have a case to work on this afternoon, but I’m free most evenings this week if you’d like to, ah, come over… It seems somewhat odd to me now that I’d never invited you before, but I guess I never really invited anyone… ever… so…"
