[Feb 28] [Magic Kaito] Time's Facade

[fyliwionvilyaer.livejournal.com]

Title: Time’s Façade
Author: Fyliwion
Fandom: Magic Kaitou
Pairing: Aoko/Kaito
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Gosho doesn’t spend enough time on pairings to write this… I do.. I just fiddle with his characters.



He lost track of time after awhile. The years went by so steadily, and calmly for that matter. Often he forgot what season it was, year it was. He would bounce from place to place and paid little attention to anyone area.

He never stayed more than a couple years.

So it was he finally chose to return to Japan. He wore a disguise even knowing most people would be long gone, after all there might be someone’s child or grandchild who might’ve seen a picture. The last thing he needed was to stumble into an ancient individual who happened to go to high school with him.

He chose a young half-European man, a little modeled after Hakuba perhaps. The blond hair fitted well with his blue eyes, and he came in under the pretense of show work. Modeling perhaps? It made for a good excuse at least, and was close enough to his real work- or what of it he was able to do.

Ekoda looked nearly the same. Schools were in the same place, and while a few more buildings had popped up, or names had been changed- for the most part the area seemed untouched by the hand. He’d been to other locations that he could barely recognize after five or ten years, but cities so often remained unchanged. Time had simply gleaned over her, and there were all his favorite spots. A park around the corner, his high school, and one of the last places the clock tower. There he paused the longest, taking his time as he just sat underneath the shadow of the building he knew had many more years to come. His lips curved in a smile when he heard one mother tell a story to her little girl about the charming thief who stole the tower so many years ago.

In some ways it seemed like a lifetime ago, but then perhaps it was really.

Aoko’s home he visited last. The walk was still on the way to his house, which he’d managed to keep after several legal loopholes he’d jumped through. He couldn’t bring himself to sell it even knowing the dangers. He later sold it to himself under a false identity, and in another decade or so he’d sell it to himself again, this time he’d probably allow for a “Kuroba” who happened to be the grandson of “Kuroba Kaito.”

Aoko’s house was there as well. He guessed the people who bought it were fond of it, or perhaps Aoko’s children lived there. He didn’t really know. He was a coward and he knew it, but he didn’t think he could bear seeing her after so many years- and he hadn’t really had much news out of Japan.

He considered walking up to the door and knocking, a flight of fancy that ran through him as he stared up at where her room sat, but he didn’t dare. Silly to consider really, and though he had little to lose exactly he wasn’t quite sure what he’d do if the door opened to a frail old woman with bright blue eyes.

Probably drop on one knee and grovel for forgiveness.

But it was far more likely the door would open to reveal a young girl that looked just like her, probably a daughter or granddaughter who would simply be smitten by the young “model” at their door. Well he could easily pass as young enough, but he didn’t really trust himself in that situation.

He dragged himself away before something could happen which he’d regret.

He found his way to a small restaurant not very far from their that looked like it would have a full bar. It wasn’t as though he had the intention of getting drunk, on the contrary, his tolerance seemed to be nearly limitless over the years- but sometimes a drink could at least calm his nerves, it seemed to do more than food would by any rate.

He was half way through his first drink and waiting for his meal, when he first noticed the woman at the bar staring at him. The lady seemed to be from out of town, or at least her manner of dress led him to believe at least Tokyo, if not Europe or America. Her hair was streaked, and he wondered by the color if she might be part European like he was playing to be. What really caught his attention though was the moment she caught his eye.

Her blue eyes nearly caused him to simply ask for his bill and leave.

When she started to walk towards him, he really did consider it. The last thing he really needed was to be faced with Aoko’s daughter, or perhaps she was Hakuba’s? Maybe both if fate was really feeling spiteful today. At best? She was simply a woman looking to talk to the dashing man eating alone, except Kaito wasn’t really feeling like being chatty.

Too late.

“You look lonely,” said the woman with a smile. “All the lovely little restaurants in the area, and you chose the one where everyone and their cousin seems to come as a couple?”

He had to admit she was good, whoever the lovely lady was. “Ah but you see miss, this happens to have a full bar, and I couldn’t be quite sure about the others. I thought since this looked presentable I’d run that risk.” He gave her a smirk, but kept his poker face well in place.

“Hmmm that’s true. Quite an excellent full bar as well-” he saw her smile a bit wider, “One of the reasons I came as well…” He was suddenly aware of a silence between them and he knew what the lady was going to ask next, “I… It’s not to often I see someone similar to myself around here- half-Japanese that is- would it be alright if perhaps I joined you? I promise my company is not too terrible-”

He wanted to let out a long sigh, but on the other hand she seemed to have enough of a sense of humor. Something kept him their as well, something in her mannerisms or looks that kept him there. Perhaps she would be a decent distraction from his earlier thoughts, after all he’d have more than enough time to be alone with them later.

“That would be fine… Miss-?”

She seemed to think for a half second, and he saw her lips pull up into a quick smirk as she said, “Hakuba Shiroko,” and like that she was walking across the room to grab her purse as Kaito reconsidered running from the building.

It wasn’t like he’d be in trouble, or that it was particularly terrible having dinner with apparently Hakuba’s daughter- it was more like he didn’t really want to deal with this. He also still had a suspicion on the girls mother (those eyes were too uncannily similar) and well… you couldn’t exactly flirt with the daughter of the woman you loved.

It was like a bad shoujo.

Finally the woman returned, still smirking at him, and he found himself downing the rest of his drink. As she slid into the chair across from him he gave her the self same smile as before as she asked, “May I ask the name of the gentleman?”

He considered being stupid and claiming “Kuroba” something just to see if she’d heard of him, but his senses got the better of him. He also became aware that if she though of asking where he was staying, the Kuroba house might not be the best of choices.

“Takahashi Kyo-”

“A pleasure-” she told him with a nod of the head. “I admit I thought I might have seen you around here before, though I’m not familiar with your name so perhaps I was wrong.”

“I’ve dabbled a little in show business,” he told her with a shrug. “Perhaps that’s why?”

She looked skeptical, and tossed her hair a little, “Maybe.”

He didn’t get around to his interrogation until after dessert. Dinner chat was nice, and he admitted the girl seemed intelligent and had he not been twice her age- regardless of looks- he might have gone so far as to ask her on a date.

Well he couldn’t really afford to commit anyway.

Instead he decided he had to know, or at least bring up the subject. He didn’t want to wait until later if he could at least have found out how they were doing. Probably on their death beds, but that wasn’t the point- the point was he had a source of knowledge and only a real idiot would pass it up.

Thus as they were finishing their after dinner drinks he finally asked, “So I’m curious. Are you the daughter of Hakuba Saguru? You know- the famous detective who use to chase after that thief Kaitou KID?” He forced a sheepish grin, “I talked to someone who had been at his heist when I was little, they claimed he seemed to have true magic- especially given that he seems immortal as well…” Talk about truth there. He’d bring out KID every now and then, sometimes if he found out a reason to, or sometimes just from sheer boredom.

It always boggled the press.

The woman gave a laugh and he saw her nodding, “Yes… I suppose you could say that- There aren’t that many Hakuba’s floating around this part of Ekoda. I get teased sometimes by those who knew him best, what with my last name being from him and my mother having chosen my first-”

….. The irony was not lost to him. Ha ha. White Child. Lovely. Well alight to be fair her fathers full name did imply “White Steed,” but still-

Of course he might be jumping to conclusion, “So… who was his wife then? I never heard about her I should say, rather I was always more interested in stories concerning the heists….”

The woman gave a nostalgic smile, “My mother? Oh her name was Nakamori Aoko-”

The coffee froze at his lips, and it took all the power he had not to drop it. As it was he was aware his hand was shaking slightly as he set it down on the saucer, “…The Inspector’s daughter?”

“Yes…”

“Right. I guess I shouldn’t pry but-”

The girl shook her head, “No it’s alright. She… well it was several years ago and there was an accident. The injuries were irreversible-” she sighed. “I’ve had some time to deal with it-”

“Oh. Well… you have my condolences…”

“Thank you.”

Funny how he was able to smile, but then he knew he expected it. It had been decades, and so much could happen in such a little time.

The girl seemed quite after she told him strangely enough. It was as though she was trying to figure something our, or perhaps regretting what she told the young man. He tried to force himself to look happier than he was, except the news was still fresh.

He wished he could ask what had happened without being completely unpropitious.

Perhaps it was that which he thought would finally have her leave, he knew he had suddenly seemed quite odd by the news, so he wondered if that was what surprised him when the woman asked, “I know this may seem… bold… but I was wondering if you might be up for a walk? I’m not sure if you have other plans, but I would like to talk a little longer-”

He caught the hint of what she wasn’t saying… Though he wondered what the woman wanted to tell him in private. Kaito was similar to a cat in that regard though, and curiosity always got the better of him… it was how he got in his life’s predicament in the first place.

“Alright…” he told the woman with a nod. “I have time enough to spare-”

“Thank you-”

Which was exactly how he found himself walking along a park back near the clock tower. He guessed it was his own fault given their location, and things could have been worse. They could have been walking near his house, or even Aoko’s.

The girl was as silent as he was as they walked through the deserted sidewalk. He threw her a couple glances trying to figure out what she was thinking, but her poker face was nearly as good as his own.

He kept looking away when her eyes touched on him as well, it was too odd to see Aoko reflecting in that foreign face.

Finally they were standing along a veranda that gave a beautiful view of the tower he’d taken so long ago, the girl said quite soberly, “You know- KID stole that years ago… they say it’s the only reason it hasn’t been torn down and built over. One of the largest tourist attractions in town- though I suppose you know this…”

He was suddenly wary. He wondered if perhaps Hakuba knew about Pandora, and suddenly he had a paranoia that all of Hakuba’s children were now trained from infancy to catch him. Well it had been a long time since he had a challenge. If the girl suspected so be it…

“Yes I’d heard that-” he told her with a smile. “They’ve also said that’s why he did it too…”

She nodded as she suddenly moved to sit down on a bench overlooking the scene. Finally she looked over at the man, and Kaito found himself taken aback. The expression she held was nothing like the somewhat flirtatious woman he’d met at the café-

Rather this woman looked… looked…

He couldn’t place his finger on it.

The woman met his eyes for a brief second before looking away, “Kaito- Why did you flee like that?”

Kaito prided himself in being a nice grounded individual. He was also quite proud that he had one of the best poker faces in the world; however, there was absolutely nothing he could say in response to that .

He took two step backs and the incredulousness was written all over his face. The girl’s voice changed near completely, and her blue eyes were no longer innocent, but held the same years his own reflected.

“What? What are you-”

The woman gave a long sigh and shook her head, “What do you think Kaito?”

He didn’t quite know what to say. Unless of course she meant Kaitou- and perhaps because she was foreign? “If you’re implying I’m KID-”

“…No I’m implying you’re Kuroba Kaito, who is KID, and who is currently in quite a bit of hot water.”

His eyes narrowed, “If you’re father-”

She let out a frustrated sigh and lunged off the bench, “Do I have to take off the wig you idiot? I thought you at least would have picked up at the parts where I had to glue the lace on, even if I did use the bangs to hide it! Though I don’t think the wig cap, and what I had to do to keep all my hair flat under this is very flattering. However it that’s what it takes for you to believe me-” She started to pull out pins from her hair, before he was to her side and reached for her hand.

“No… no… I.. Well I don’t think I believe you just yet- it’s too crazy. I mean… You should be, and you don’t look-”

“I should be eighty, and do you have any idea how much make up I had to put on to try to give myself this look? I feel like a frosted cake, and I didn’t really think I got you that good. I had a better teacher in disguise than I thought-” she saw him still staring at her dumbfounded and she laughed, “What? You think I could really go gallivanting around as myself? It took less than a year to realize I was going to have to do something about the whole thing, though to be frank I was hoping you would have been the one to teach me.”

He was still staring at her completely lost and shaking his head, “How- I… You weren’t…”

The look she gave him was so achingly Aoko there was no way he could imagine it being anyone else, “You took off fast enough didn’t you? Did you even consider how long you were passed out? Kaito what was I suppose to do? They told me what that damned stone would do, but do you think I was going to take the risk and then- what? Leave you? We’re not all as stupid as you are.”

“…How do I know…”

She sighed, “Lets see. I met you for the first time down at the clock tower when you handed me a flower. Later we went to school together, you’re terrified of fish, I found out about KID our senior year of high school, and you first found Pandora second year of college-” her eyes never left him. “I was the one who poured them down your throat- who helped you drink them because you were going to die except you passed out moments later. Do you think I didn’t realize what it would do to you?”

“…I thought…”

“That what? It’d be better not to see me? That I’d hate you because Dad got shot that night? Kaito I didn’t want to lose you to!” He wondered how he couldn’t have seen it now. There was the faintest traces of where her wig was on her hairline, and as he looked at her face there was little doubt that it belonged to Aoko, not some relation to her.

Except that it had been almost sixty years, and what did you say to someone sixty years later? Even if you did have all of eternity to make it up. They were still human’s after all…

“I-”

“I searched for you-” she told him fiercely. “I searched all over, but I could never get to you fast enough. For a while I almost thought I had you during those spur of the moment heists you went off on, except Kaito was never around. I almost caught hold of you in Paris, but that was the night you were almost caught and I didn’t want to risk leading the police to you.” She sighed, “I figured eventually you’d move back here, so I came into town about a year ago-”

“…Hakuba Shiroko?”

She had the decency to blush and looked away, “Actually it’s Jiroku Shiroko, I thought it was you when I saw you at the table, not to mention I’ve gotten pretty good at seeing the lace fronts on wigs- Best part about being a woman-” she smirked and teased the front of her hair, “Bangs.”

“… you saw through my disguise?”

“I wasn’t sure… not until you started talking. I could tell you didn’t think anyone would recognize you, and well I admit I’m still pretty upset that you didn’t search me out.”

“…I didn’t know you were the one who had me drink Pandora…” he whispered. “I thought-”

She nodded and looked away, “I’m just as selfish you know…”

He shook his head in disbelief again, “It’s really you?”

She laughed and nodded, “Yes Kaito. It’s really me… now if it’s alright with you can we leave this park and go back to your place? I looked up some stuff, and I’m fairly certain through the deed that it still belongs to you- presuming you’re Ichihara Kyo?”

He grinned, “Well I wasn’t about to tell a child of Hakuba’s that name. Last thing I needed them to do was look me up, find out I was living in the Kuroba house, and then try to arrest me. Not to mention who knows how long it would take to get the rights to my house back…”

Aoko smirked, “Would you have really flirted as much if I had been… my… well own daughter?” She was teasing him and he could tell.

“…I was half expecting we were out here so you could arrest me… And did you really have to say you were dead? Aoko I was ready to run out of that restaurant-”

She let out a soft sigh and reached for his hand, “I realized that after I said it… I guess I shouldn’t have, but when you didn’t recognize me…” she scowled, “I’m still angry with you. I was certain someone was going to comment on my looks before I managed to find a good teacher for disguise, ended up finding a lady who studied under your dad years ago. Kudo Yukiko?”

Kaito laughed, “Ahhh that old lady-” he nodded, “She’s quite a fair hand with disguise. Makes sense why it was so hard to see through yours.”

Aoko took his hand and gave it a squeeze, “Come one. We’re going to have to do some cleaning in your house, unless you’ve been having someone dust for you.”

“Haven’t been there in over a decade-” he said smirking. “I did have a couple people check up on it for me, so I know its not completely vandalized but-”

She rolled her eyes, “Or we could have you sleep on my couch, which I think might be the better choice.”

He couldn’t resist as he said with a grin, “What? Here you are inviting yourself over and-”

“…Kaito… we have what looks like an eternity stuck together. You can spend a few nights on the couch, and I still haven’t forgiven you for the last half of a century you spent playing hide and go seek with me-” She tugged his hand, “I’ll forgive you later, but for now your on the couch mister.”

“Yessum…” he did wrap his arm around her though and place his face against her hair. Taking a deep breath he let out a laugh, “Hakuba Shiroko????”

“….Oh shuttup…” she muttered, except he was pleased to see the blush scattering across her cheeks, and in his free hand he pushed a rose into her hair.

Suddenly time looked like a much sweeter individual, and perhaps eternity wouldn’t be all that bad.