Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

Kaito wanted so bad to push him back, to punch his lights out for forcing himself on him but it felt way too good and it had been so long since he was held by someone. As Hakuba’s hand trailed over his spine and side he arch towards him. He shivered as the soft press of his fingers brushed along his sensitive scars. He felt the detective shift and he shifted with him so they fit better. 

That was one thing he notice through the fog that they fit. He hadn’t been able to find something like this when he was active. That was months ago and he was getting exceedingly frustrated with himself and Hakuba was … everything he looked for, physically, in a partner but this was still Hakuba. ‘You’re Kaitou KID’ Hakuba.

Its all a mask isn’t it, Hakuba?

The realization that the detective was always wearing a mask brought forth more emotions than he wanted for the other. His hands stopped pushing, trembled then wrapped them selves in his lapel.

It was a mask. Everything was a lie. Everything but this, this stolen moment. This expression of feeling that he’d kept bottled up for so many months, out of fear, out of caution, out of feelings of inadequacy. Hakuba knew that Kaito would never return his feelings, but for that brief moment he could almost swear that he was kissing him back. Almost. 

He wanted it to be real. Something in him screamed with red warning flags waving furiously in his mind, but he kept kissing him anyway. Kissed him over, and over again, fighting for control of himself, of the situation, of his life. Each kiss was a little more desperate, a little more heated, a little more feverish, as if it would somehow tell Kaito exactly what was in his heart and in his mind. As if it would make things all right.

Hakuba’s hand moved between them, up and over his chest, over the scarf, back to his neck and then to his face, cupping his cheek. He so badly wanted to hold him, to love him, to protect him. But as those thoughts came through, it began to show in the way that he kissed, too. There was no loss of passion, but his hands held him carefully, his lips moved more fully, each caress meaning something that he couldn’t bring himself to say. 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

Now he dropped the bags and pushed against the other and realized that Hakuba wasn’t moving. He couldn’t breathe and was slowly falling into a haze thanks to those fingers at the base of his skull. He slipped his eyes closed and moaned quietly all the while his pushes becoming weaker.

With a shudder, Hakuba pressed deeper, lips caressing with a sense of urgency and purpose. His fingers sought the warmth of Kaito’s scalp, gently threading through his hair, other hand making its way to his shoulder, then around to his spine, right up until he felt the brick against the back of his hand. He moved it to Kaito’s side, palm analyzing the thin fabric of the coat while he tilted his head, finding a better angle to work his mouth against.

They’d known each other for nearly two years, and he’d spent the entire time chasing him. At heists, at banter in class, at keeping up with his life. He’d harbored feelings for at least half of that time, but had vowed to never express them. He didn’t date his classmates. He didn’t date anyone. 

It was dangerous for so many reasons, not the least of which being that this was Kaitou Kid that he was kissing in this dark alleyway, and neither of them could afford to get caught. Hakuba was always so, so careful.

So careful.

…but that was part of why it was so liberating. 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

“What the hell are you doing?! LET ME GO!” Kaito shouted and nearly dropped the bags in a desperate attempt to claw and bite at the hand on him.

He did not take to being man handled unless he wanted it and said when and certainly not in some dark alley way where no one can see you to help just in case. Not that he thought the detective would try anything, it was just a precaution that was wise to take. 

December 24th, Last Year (“I Can Explain!”)

“Thank god one of you had sense.”

“Well…!”

“You do realize what that looked like, right? You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”

Hakuba frowned, folding his arm over his chest again while setting his mobile on the floor so that he could stretch his other arm. “As I said, he’s not the murdering type." 

"So, to recap, my six foot tall foreign, broad-shouldered, angry-looking, potentially racist and nationalistic client dragged a young, vulnerable, and defenseless Japanese kid into a dark alley…”

“You’re making it sound a lot worse than it is.”

“…to make out with them.”

“Uh.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong.”

“…Uh.”

“God help me, you’re such a disaster.”

Please, Jones, let me finish!”

“If you can somehow turn this into a case of not dubious consent, I will fly out to London tonight and personally deliver a fruitbasket to your home for Christmas.”

“Uh. Well…”

The Previous Week (“In Retrospect, Not a Good Idea”)

That… that was not the attention that he wanted or needed. “Kuroba-kun!” He hissed, trying in vain to keep his cool. It wasn’t working.

Hakuba let go of Kaito, glanced back out to the crowd, which was largely obscured by the wall and the deep shadows, and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated and embarrassed and still oh so intrigued.

But mostly, he was panicked. There were people out there. Paparazzi. Rabid fan girls. Stalkers. Friends of his father and co-workers and oh god if anyone from school… and Kuroba wasn’t keeping his god-damned poker face in tact and…

Before he even knew what was happening, Hakuba stepped right up against him and kissed him. Not the same sort of kiss from before – chaste and cute and teasing on the forehead – but a deep and passionate kiss right on the lips. One that didn’t stop

Somewhere, in those seconds, he shed the weight of the supply bags, leaving them in the snow in favor of grasping the other teen. One hand went for his shoulder, then to the back of his head, the other went for the scarf, pulling him closer, eyes closed as he kissed him. 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

Kaito flinched at the sudden out burst and looked at the said tree. It was gaudy and way over the top but he was far to used to it by now to really care. As Hakuba continued to complain he felt his temper flare again. He couldn’t even find watching the detective’s mittens flying threw the sir and landing in the gutter funny like it normally would.  

“Okay, Now look here, its not wrong, its just different! You don’t see me going to your country and pointing out everything that is different or weird or not how YOUR used to! So would you stop degrading everything in Japan!”  He shouted and earned a few head turns and stares but he just ignored them and stood there feet planted, red faced, and panting. 

December 24th, Last Year (“Brief and Unnecessary Comments from the Agent”)

“You are so insensitive. It serves you right.”

“…anyway, regardless if the validity of your statement…” Hakuba continued.

Last Week (“A Case of Chronic ‘Foot In Mouth’ Disease”)

If the yelling hadn’t gotten Hakuba to stop in his tracks, words evaporating in his mouth like his breath in the cold air, the stares certainly did. The detective became all too aware that, yes, they had attracted attention, and now the both of them were possibly even redder than the god-awful ‘Christmas’ tree. 

But it wasn’t just the attention, either– those staring eyes, judging gazes, and critical whispers that Hakuba knew were circulating among the crowd. That he hated enough, yes, and felt the embarrassment spark every sense of panic and adrenaline response in him. And that made him notice something else. 

There was nothing more attractive to a rowdy bullshitting detective than to be called out on said bullshit. Kaito did this often. And here he was, standing in the snow with messier, wilder hair, red-faced and handsome and screaming at him for being such an ass and it was somehow just as glorious as it was terrifying. 

He hated it. He loved it. And Hakuba found himself nodding, bowing, and reaching to grab Kaito’s arm without any further delay to drag him, bodily, toward the closest, darkest alleyway. 

“You’re right, you’re right, I’m so sorry, please accept my apologies, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just got caught up in the moment, and god, you’re so right…”

December 24th, Last Year (“Skepticism At Work”)

“…did you really apologize or are you just saying that to make yourself look better?”

“No!” Hakuba said, sitting up just a bit too fast, very narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the piano. “I really did say all of those things! I panicked! And he was right! I never disputed that!”

“So how do you get by, admitting that you’re a hypocrite, but not… changing, exactly?”

The detective sighed, flopping right back over again onto his back. “My life is a very difficult and complicated one, Jones…" 

If only Hakuba could see the deadpan expression on his agent’s face at that moment…  

"What did Kuroba think about being dragged into the dark alleyway by the foreign blond who looks like a predatory college student?”

“Ah, well…" 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

Kaito was just done. He slapped a hand to his forehead and felt his face burn even more. All he could do was nod stupidly, try to walk on jelly knees and pray that was going to make it to school with out anything else happening. 

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For a few moments, the pair walked in silence. Hakuba’s cheeks burned redder than they should have, but it wasn’t from the cold. Even though it was getting colder and colder. They needed to get back to school. Soon, they could drop off the stupid supplies, Hakuba could get his scarf back, and then they could part ways. He had a plane to catch tomorrow. A plane home. To London. Where things weren’t terrible.

Once the sea of holiday shoppers had changed to an entirely new group, Hakuba let his pace slow so that he could walk nearly side-by-side with Kaito. How he had let himself show such affection in public, and for another boy, and his classmate no less, he wasn’t sure. Hopefully no one saw it.

Hopefully. 

But as they walked, Hakuba became increasingly worried. 

December 24th, Last Year (“Jones Interrupts The Present For More Commentary”)

“I want to… chastise you or something, but as usual, you’ve already taken the words right out of my mouth.”

“Yes, I know! It was ridiculous! How could I be so careless?”

Jones frowned, glancing at the photos in his inbox again. “I think that’s because you were in one of your moods, which happens from time to time.”

“Moods?”

“Where you get unnecessarily chatty and cocky and, well, obnoxious.”

Obnoxious?”

“Yes. Also, I know that isn’t the full story, so get on with it.”

Hakuba pursed his lips, pulling his hand back again. “What if I were to play you Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, no. 2, instead?”

“Wh… What?”

“Yes, what if I were to play for you instead.”

Silence. 

“Well?”

Jones looked into his empty coffee cup, then got up from his desk, moving the cellphone to his other shoulder. “Don’t be a tease. Just give me the story.”

“But I’m very good at piano. Not as good as my mum, of course, but she was a concert pianist, you know, and–”

“My. God. Saguru. Just. Tell. Me. The. STORY.”

“I already told you that I kissed him.”

Jones crossed the small space of his tiny Tokyo living room to pour more coffee, which by now had gotten cold, and let the quiet hang in the air. He knew that conventional politeness wouldn’t allow his client to stay silent for long. He counted, though not quite so accurately as Hakuba might have, the seconds that passed before the detective continued. Anxiously.

“All right, all right, though I really do think that you’re missing out. I could have played you something from Tchaikovsky, too, for the holiday season… Something from Nutcracker.

"Uh huh.” Jones took comfort in the fact that Hakuba was probably pouting, now. 

“Just what was in the photos you received?”

“Alleyway. You. Pressing someone against a brick wall.”

“…bloody hell.”

“That’s right. Bloody-fucking-hell. Continue?”

“…we walked in silence for a ways, me mortified, he… well, I don’t know what he was feeling. Probably hatred. Hatred and loathing and something scathing, like… schemes for… murder or… well, not murder, he’s not really the murdering type, you know? But certainly anger.”

Jones got out a packet of manufactured ‘better-for-you-but-still-causes-cancer’ sugar, and tsked. “This isn’t sounding good for you, you know.”

“Let me finish. Please.”

“Yes. Please.” 

“And… then, well, and then, I saw another Christmas tree display and…”

“Did you make fun of it?”

“WELL IT DIDN’T MAKE ANY SENSE!”

“Explain.”

One Week Earlier (“I Just Can’t Believe Japan, Can you?”)

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“My god.” Hakuba stopped abruptly, snapped from his previous thoughts at the sight of the abomination before them. In the square up ahead was a tree– a tall, gaudy “Christmas” tree, with hearts all over it. Bright, neon, flashing hearts in red and white and pink. “Do they think that this is Valentine’s Day?! NO! It’s CHRISTMAS!”

The detective stomped his foot and turned back to Kaito, shaking his head in a sudden resurgence of frustration. “CHRISTMAS. CHRIST. MASS. Crīstes mæsse!" 

Fists clenching, he waved his hands, so frustrated, so livid that although his movement was limited by the heavy bags on his arms, his mittens – which he’d COMPLETELY forgotten to put back on – went sailing into the gutter. 

"This is not a lover’s holiday! GOD it’s not even technically a… well, I mean, when you get the original pagan… but… THE POINT IS, it is NOT VALENTINE’S DAY!" 

He paused, expression turning completely cold as he lowered his voice, which dripped with utter hatred as he turned to look back at the tree. ”…not that Valentine’s Day is done correctly here, either, is it?“ 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

He tried to shy away from the touch, from the warmth but couldn’t find the strength in his legs. Out of all the places he could have touch, it had to be the back of his neck. Wait …WAIT. Never mind any place Hakuba Saguru shouldn’t be touching him at all. He bow his head away from the other’s gaze in a failed attempt to hide his red cheeks and ears.

“Shut the hell up, Hakuba,” It was supposed to come out as a threat. He intended it to come out that way. Instead it sounded like a breathy whine and Kaito was kicking himself in the head for it.

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“Yes, yes, right, right,” came Hakuba’s flippant reply. Once he made sure that he’d thoroughly rubbed Kaito’s cheeks, then ears, he adjusted Kaito’s collar, then retied the scarf as if nothing were wrong. “There." 

And then he did something that even he didn’t expect, leaning in to place the smallest of kisses on Kaito’s forehead.

Blinking, he pulled back, glanced around, and then stepped once to the side, then over to where he’d set the school bags down without further comment, picking them up out of the snow, eyes wide, expression frozen in rabbit-panic.  

He gave a cough. "Ahem. L-let’s go.”

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

“Fuck you.” He hissed again.

He glared up at the other frustrated with the whole day. Kaito couldn’t look up at him when the finger dug at the snow. When Hakuba hit a sensitive spot on his neck his shivered violently and blushed. He froze too scared to jump back and hit ice and too … he whimpered. This real wasn’t his day.

“Oh come now.” Hakuba took a moment to take his mittens off with his teeth, setting the bags down so that he could better help with the wet and the cold. “Just hold still, let me help." 

He untied the scarf and pulled it off to shake it out, then draped it over Kaito’s shoulder to run bare fingers through his damp hair–

December 24th, Last Year ("Jones Interrupting in the Present”)

“Is this where you get to the making out?”

Hakuba blinked. “Pardon?”

Jones sighed with all of the patience that his years as an agent had granted him. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your ability to spin a yarn, Saguru, but… the point of this story?”

“I’m getting to that!”

“So far, you’re just making yourself sound just as much the ass as they say.”

“Who says that?!”

There was a pause as Jones considered whether ‘everyone’ was an acceptable answer to give his client or not. “Let’s just say that not everyone has fallen for your boyish charm and good looks.”

“Hmf.”

“Go on.”

“So there I was, getting the snow out of my classmate’s hair, as, honestly, that’s the only way to avoid the chill really setting in, because once the dampness–”

“…yes. I know. So you were fondling Kuroba’s hair.”

“Not fondling…”

“I was promised a good makeout story, Saguru. I’m dying here.”

“I’m…! What?!”

“I’m listening." 

The detective waited for a moment, wondering if he should even bother to continue with the impatient man… but ultimately, the story was far too good to keep to himself. Especially since he’d already put so much work into it. He went back to tracing the drawings on the underside of the piano idly. "My hands were warm from the mittens, so I ultimately put them around his neck for a moment to warm him up…”

Back To One Week Earlier (“Where Hakuba Is NOT Fondling Kuroba’s Hair OR Neck”)

Palms flat against Kaito’s neck, Hakuba tilted his head to look him over, still far too amused at the whole situation to stop snickering. He turned his hands over to press the backs of them, next, then drew them up to Kaito’s red cheeks. 

“You’re almost as rosy as I am. It’s cute." 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

“Being a pompous ass hole.” He hissed and half turned away from him. Disgusted and cold he moved to start back down to the school. It was if the weather also had a vendetta against him as the wind kicked up and shifted the snow on the roofs. He took about three steps before that disturbed snow slipped and fell onto his head and down his collar.

Standing there in surprise he felt his anger bubble up to its near limit. “I hate the cold!” 

Oh. Oh dear. 

Hakuba bit his lip HARD to hold back the snickers that were building up inside of him. He’d just opened his mouth to reply to the ‘asshole’ comment, but instead snorted and hurried to Kaito’s side to start brushing the snow off of his head and shoulders, digging with mittens to get it off of his neck as quickly as possible. “I can see why. You’re usually much more graceful than this, Kuroba-kun…”

Then he laughed, unable to hold it back as he tried to shake Kaito’s coat out for him. “Could it be that your one true weakness is the cold~? Huzzah, I’ve finally found a surefire way to defeat you!" 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

Now he was just getting offended. “Its not the scarf, you jerk! Its that fact that you’re … you’re!” He made a strangled noise in his throat and struggled not to throw the bags at him.

“Do you practice this in front of a mirror or something?” He glared.

It was just so charming to see Kaito so flustered and upset. Occasions where he could tease him to this point were few and far between, and Hakuba made sure to take advantage whenever he could. It never evened the score, but it made him feel a little better, at any rate. 

The question, though, had Hakuba raising a brow, smile turning to a challenging smirk. “Practice what? Being so charming~?" 

Blond Humbug

smokebombsandmirrors:

He absolutely refused to hear the compliments in the snide comments. He also denied himself the comfort of burying his face into to warmth that it provide do that would cause him to owe the detective a favor and that was something Kaito didn’t want to have dangled over his head.

“Hakuba.” He barked short and terse with just enough bite that normally cause whoever he did it to stop what ever they were doing. “I don’t want this …this ….THING!”

December 24th, Last Year (The “Present”)

“So you tied your burberry scarf into a bow around your classmate’s neck, when he didn’t want it, after insulting him.”

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“It was a perfectly reasonable thing to do.”

“Right. Go on.”

Hakuba checked his watch again, making sure that there was still time – of which there was plenty – then heaved a sigh, closing his eyes again. “So he told me that he didn’t want it, but of course he did, who would turn down a burberry?”

One Week Earlier (“‘This Thing’ that Kaito allegedly doesn’t want being a cashmere burberry scarf worth roughly $435”)

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“Of course you want it,” Hakuba said, snickering. “Who would turn down a burberry? Even temporarily?” It was almost as if the half-brit weren’t even affected by Kaito’s bite; he was just in that sort of mood.

Despite all of the warning signs, he reached out to pat Kaito’s cheek, since he clearly wasn’t moving out of the way. "Come now, Kuroba-kun~! Be a good sport. Or do I need to lend you my mittens, too?“