Falling Up

Shinichi isn't falling in love with Kaito.

He decides this as he watches Kaito sketching out a blueprint of the Ekoda Art Gallery, eyebrows creased in concentration as he makes tentative little marks. His fingers are long and slender, belying their strength and agility, and tightly raveled around one of Shinichi's pens. The end of the pen strays to his mouth, and he chews on it absently for half a second before realizing what he's doing and pulls it back out to send Shinichi an apologetic look.

The detective shakes his head with a smile meaning it's fine on his face, and Kaito reciprocates by ducking his head in slight awkwardness. He turns back to the paper on the desk, and Shinichi leans on one elbow to watch as he continues to observe.

Kaito flattens out the paper with his left hand (a little idiosyncrasy Shinichi has noticed over time) and jots down a note beside one of the rooms. The pen draws near his lips once more before he crosses out the note and scowls down at the diagrams.

Underneath the warm light of Kaito's desk lamp, Kaito's skin almost glows, a few shades livelier than Shinichi's own pale complexion. Shinichi silently draws the jagged chocolate shapes Kaito's bangs make against his forehead with his eyes, just barely touching the tops of his eyebrows. He traces the familiar curve of his lips, dipping down to sweep over Kaito's jawline and down his neck, into the top of his shirt.

He's truly flawless.

Kaito, appearing to realize Shinichi is mentally composing a sonnet about him, whips around to stare at Shinichi curiously. "What are you doing?"

Shinichi lifted his face off his palm and beams at him. "Just admiring you."

"Right," Kaito says slowly, as if he doesn't believe him. Shinichi almost misses the slight pink that rises in Kaito's ears, and he hides a smirk.

The magician clears his throat, setting down his pen. "Well, I'm going to take a break now," he declares, stretching. He stands up and glances at Shinichi questioningly. "Do you want anything?"

Other than you? Shinichi thinks. No.

Aloud, he simply tells him, "I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Kaito nods. "Be right back." His footsteps fade off as he leaves for the kitchen.

With a soft sigh, Shinichi picks up the pen Kaito had been using. It's still a little warm. He feels a little pathetic that this makes him happy and sets it down hurriedly.

Shinichi isn't falling in love with Kaito.

Falling implies plummeting to a lower place.

Being in love with Kaito is the exact opposite.

Kaito returns at that point, carrying a cup of coffee and a bottle of juice. When Shinichi quirks an eyebrow at him, confused, Kaito coughs awkwardly and hands him the coffee.

"I thought you might want it," is all he says, and Shinichi just nods, a little stunned. He takes a sip of the coffee and finds it perfectly adjusted for him, just a hint of sugar and otherwise black.

He wonderingly looks up at Kaito, who's sitting down, and Kaito catches his gaze and smiles.

Smiles breathtakingly beautifully.

Shinichi suddenly feels like the floor has dropped out from underneath him.

Well, he thinks as Kaito refocuses his attention on the blueprint, maybe he is falling for Kaito.

(But he's pretty sure he's falling up.)

Just some soft fluff to cool off after the last two days.

Anyway, if you stuck through all the way to here, congratulations! We have reached the end of Ficlet February~!

Hopefully you've enjoyed this little project. I'm pretty surprised I managed to get all the way here, to be honest.

Thank you for reading, my darlings! Have a fabulous March! /wink

- Luna