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Shiori fluttered rapidly before floating down to Hakuba squawking. Landing on the pillows he nibbled at the cloth then went for the fingers. Squawking loudly again the small bird gave him it version of a glare.

Hakuba halted in his step to let the bird posture, raising a brow at its antics. “Well, now, aren’t you territorial? And, god, so very cute.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he carefully shifted the blankets and pillows to free a hand, which he brought to Shiori, finger out like a perch. “Will you step up for me?”

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The perfect way to describe walking into Kaito’s bedroom was: organized chaos. An old desk was shoved into the right corner and was covered in files, research books, a sleek black desktop, a thin silver laptop, jars filled with gears, tiny screws, tiny rods and other miscellaneous hard wear, tools, gloves, decks of cards of different types, styles and sizes, and the occasional piece of jewlery.

Next to the desk was the bed or what was supposed to be a bed it was more like a mound of pillow and blankets that was pushed up against under the open window. At the foot of the bed was an open burgundy trunk filled with props, more files, books, more gloves, more tools. A tall full length mirror was shoved into the corner behind crates and boxes. A dresser and tall standing floor lamp was pushed up against the left wall by the door. Posters and picture littered the walls in a strange collage of his favorite bands and his life.

A full portrait of Kuroba Toichi marked the only thing on the left wall.

Shiori chirped loudly from the ceiling fan and watched Hakuba intently. 

It was fascinating. Every inch Kuroba Kaito. Hakuba wanted to take his time exploring it, touching and studying, really learning who Kaito was… but it was becoming very late. He glanced at his pocket watch, then wrist watch, and gave a small moan. It was almost five in the morning; no wonder he was so exhausted. 

He went to the blanket nest and pulled two pillows from the pile, along with a larger blanket near the top, dragging it backward to get it out from the tangled mess. The bird call got his attention, though, and Hakuba glanced up to offer a nod in greeting. “Hullo, there… don’t mind me; just borrowing some beddage for your master.”

Gathering it all up in his arms, he made his way back toward the hallway, hoping that Shiori wasn’t as pillow hungry as he’d been led to believe… 

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He nodded. “Bedroom. Upstairs first door to the left. Be careful Shiori might be in there, he tends to hog pillows.”

He yawned and stretched out like a cat in one long move that brought his arms over his head and shifted the shirt up slightly. Shiori was a male Diamond dove and temperamental at best Kaito only used him for comedy cause he always did what he wanted. It caused some pretty good scenes when done right. 

“I’ll be sure to watch out for that…” Hakuba said, a little distracted as he watched the other teen stretch on the couch. It took him a couple of seconds to remember what he was doing, and he pulled away with a hard swallow, chiding himself for looking a little too long. Yes, he was tired, and yes, he was a little inebriated, but it was no excuse.

Up the stairs he went, following the directions to the aforementioned bedroom. The pathway was littered with dangerous temptation – so much to see and explore! – but he did his best to ignore it in favor of, hopefully, getting some sleep soon. That didn’t stop him from looking around the bedroom – KUROBA KAITO/KAITOU KID’S BEDROOM! – as he quietly padded barefoot to the bed, watching out for the foretold Shiori as he went for the pillows. Two would be sufficient, wouldn’t they?

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He had laid down and was starting to get comfortable when Hakuba spoke to him again. His head lolled up and he gave him a sleepy smile. The offer was so tempting not because it would put him into his bed but because it put in Hakuba’s arms briefly.

“I … I think I’d better stay down here, thank you though." He tried to keep the dejection out of his voice when he spoke and sort of succeeded. 

Hakuba looked him over, then glanced toward the stairs, contemplating. "If you’re certain…” he said, though he didn’t sound at all convinced. “It really wouldn’t be any trouble, and I need to go upstairs, anyway, if I’m to use a guest room… I don’t think that I trust myself driving in this state.”

Really, he shouldn’t have been driving at all that night, but he had a difficult time listening to his conscience when in situations rife with anxiety. 

“Or… at least let me help you get a little more comfortable. Do you have a blanket or pillow I can fetch for you?”

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He paused on the top step just a few above the other and looked back at him. It touched him that Hakuba wanted to help; had some how always wanted to help him. It dawn on him the earlier comment:

“I wouldn’t ignore a cry for help, Kuroba-kun… just who do you think that I am, anyway?”

Yes, it did include those he helped but …it included him. It included him. Just maybe there was some thing mutual. Moving on pure emotions he took one step down, leaned over and pressed his lips to the detective cheek just under the corner of his eye.

Lifting he walked back up the step to go, finally get to his spot on the couch.

Wh-

The detective froze again when Kuroba leaned close, refusing to move backward, but not meeting him, either. And as much as he wanted to wince because he didn’t know what was coming, he couldn’t look away. Then there it was – a simple, sweet gesture that left Hakuba red in the face all over again and speechless once more. 

He stood there for a few seconds after Kaito left, attempting to sort out the muddled thoughts in his head, but came up with nothing. Just the reminder that Kuroba was drunk, that things had been stressful, and that there was the high possibility that Kaito wouldn’t remember anything the next morning.

So he followed, coming to a halt near the couch with an expression of concern. “Are you all right here on the couch? Can I help you upstairs? I… ah, I could carry you, if you like. It wouldn’t be a problem…”

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“You don’t have to look so horrified ….I just ….” He started as the shocked expression came across Hakuba’s face then shook his head. The was no point in saying what he wanted to say. What he had been wanting to say for a while now. Hakuba wouldn’t understand nor accept it. He was still human and needed people but his need for Hakuba seemed to be so much stronger than what he had ever felt before. The other balanced him out and provided a great foundation for him. Hakuba kept him from slipping so many times before with just the little acts of persistence.

Kaito sighed and started to head back up stairs with his hand on the railing to take his weight off his thigh which was starting to throb painfully. “Come on up and I’ll show you the way.

Horrified? Had he looked horrified? It wasn’t what Hakuba had intended, but he supposed he could imagine. Grimacing at his own foolishness, he followed up the stairs without comment – at least for the first few steps. But once Kaito was on the main level, he hefted a sigh.

“Kuroba-kun… I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for you to think that I felt burdened or anything. Honestly, I… I’m touched that you called me. That you asked for my help.”  He continued up, holding onto the handrail to support his fatigued body. “It means a great deal to me. I… I always hoped I’d be of service to you one day…" 

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“Okay! That’s it!! I called you because you are the only person I have. The only one I can trust. I’m sorry that it was so late. I’m sorry that I inconvenienced you but DAMN IT I need you.” He shouted and yanked the door open. Warm air blasted him in the face and he walked into the concrete room. Opening the steel door he welcome the flames licks and tossed the bag inside. As it burn the door was closed and he went back to Hakuba. 

“I need you … ” Kaito said again tired. Covering his the side of his face with his hand.  "I’m tired.“

He began to head back up stairs towards the living room. Just before exiting the room he turned back to Hakuba. “I’m sorry, thank you. There’s a guest bedroom up stairs if you want to use that.”

I need you.

Hakuba felt the words long before he heard them, realized what Kuroba was trying to say. It was as if the heat from the incinerator tore through him, too, stealing his breath and his thoughts, and everything else all at once. The detective was left staring at the other boy, mouth open in speechless surprise. 

Apologies, confessions, vulnerabilities… It took a few seconds for Hakuba to remember that none of this was a dream. It was real, and Kuroba was drunk off his ass and in pain. Emotions ran close to the surface in tumultuous waters; they’d nearly knocked Hakuba over. 

He watched helplessly as Kuroba walked past him, started up the stairs, trying to sort out in his mind what he was supposed to do with all of this feeling that overwhelmed him. Finally, a few seconds later, he gave a nod, following after. "Y-yes… thank you, Kuroba-kun, that would be appreciated.”

What should he say about the rest of it? Anything? Nothing? He felt so entirely lost. Everything was changing. 

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He looked back at Hakuba then turned away and open the door. The small room broke off into two more rooms, a small bathroom and a darker one with a large iron door that said: caution: HIGH TEMPEATURE.

“There’s an incinerator through here. Its still a bit warm so hand me the stuff that needs to disappear and I’ll put it in” He said and held out his hand for the bloody instruments.

Hakuba offered the bag of rubbish that he’d gathered, frown fixed on his face though he was relieved that there was such a simple and effective solution to their problem. “Thank you,” he said, then pursed his lips in a bit of a pout. “You know, if those stitches pop, I’ll be convinced that you don’t even care that I got out of bed at god-even-knows-what-time-in-the-morning-it is, drove all the way over here without even properly getting dressed, to work on you… honestly, Kuroba-kun…”

Hands free, he leaned against the wall, feeling everything weigh on him again- not the least of which being the drowsiness. 

“I’m so tired I can’t even recall the time… let’s get you to bed as soon as the evidence has been destroyed, all right?”

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“Right …” He stood gingerly and felt the world teeter a bit. Shaking his head some he manage to walk a bit. “You can bring them down here.”

He didn’t wait to see if the detective was following just started to move. He went down a small narrow hall, through an even narrower stair case to a heavy metal door. Entering a quick combination on the keypad the door lock slnck open and he limped inside. 

The whole room was inky black but Kaito knew this room well. He had practically lived down here when he first started as KID and begun training with Jii. Flipping on the light a dim almost candle like flicker began in one spot then worked its way around the room.

In the area they were standing in it looked like a small apartment. Bar/ kitchenette to the right and a small living room to the left. Book and files were every where. There were also a lot of trunks and magic paraphernalia litter about the rooms in an organized chaos. Sit on the coffee table was KID hat, cape and monocle along with a black harness and Kaito’s traditional card gun.

Kaito moved towards the door near the kitchen and went through.

“Ah- K-Kuroba-kun!” Hakuba followed after, stumbling past the coffee table while very nearly tripping over his own bag of supplies in the process. They’d moved too quickly and the wine rattled his head, but he was determined to keep up, struggling to memorize the layout of the house in the process. 

When they got to the main room in the basement, Hakuba found himself stopped, looking around with wide, curious eyes. “What is this… place?” he asked, not realizing that Kaito had continued on until after, shaking his head to clear it as he returned to his pursuit. 

“Didn’t I tell you, not five minutes ago – actually, three minutes, seventeen seconds.. something.. … something, anyway – I told you to go easy on your leg, or you’ll pop the stitches, Kuroba-kun!”

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There was a slight twitch from his thigh. A simple reaction from not being touched in so long. Kaito glanced at him briefly then looked back to the wall but for the most part there was hardly a reaction. If Hakuba held him in the same place as those he randomly helped then that was an answer for Kaito.

Friends? No they couldn’t even be called that. They were acquaintances at best or on that teetering edge of being polite or comfortable. It was unbearable. Especially after wanting this for a couple of years now. Closing his eyes he struggled to accept his fate and loss but … 

He liked him.

Once the bandage was deemed acceptable and his work done, Hakuba pulled back to clean up the supplies on the coffee table. “You’ll be all right… but I want you to be careful with your leg for a couple of days. Please don’t tear the stitches- I’m not a cosmetic surgeon. Actually, I’m not a surgeon at all, and I’m assuming that you don’t wish to go to the hospital…”

He laughed, then, tiredly, and pushed the rest of his supplies- sans trash -into the duffel. “Where can I dispose of this, incidentally? I don’t particularly think that my having your blood in my things would be helpful for preserving your identity…" 

When he glanced back to wait for the answer, he frowned. Kuroba really did look miserable… hiding it or not, it felt wrong. The detective reached a hand for his shoulder, gently laying it there. 

"It’s all right…”