Author's Note: Of all the fics why this one? Well... it helps that I just have to edit the chapters, and since I remembered it was my anniversary all of yesterday- I didn't really have a lot of time to write an entirely new chapter for one of my other fics. I should have updates... someday... in the relative future. Maybe Gosho will give us something to work with and I'll get back to them.

Disclaimer: I still hold no claim to Magic Kaito nor it's characters.

They'd traded numbers and promised to call one another as it grew late. Funny how she'd forgotten the rest of her schedule as she sat and chatted with him, and stranger still how easy it was to slip back into old habits.

She asked him if he'd stop by for dinner later the week, and to her surprise he even agreed. Apparently Jii had talked him into staying in Ekoda for a while, take a break from his magic shows and the heists for at least a month or two (so Kaito said). Aoko couldn't help but wonder how well he must've been doing be able to take a vacation like that, she was lucky if she managed two sneak off for a couple weeks once in awhile.

They began falling into old patterns, and her common boring life suddenly had a catalyst that let everything boil over again. She found herself going out to dinners, movies, theatre… dragged out for a meteor shower that happened to come by at two am or pulled into the middle of a rain storm because he could. Sometimes he'd just stop by her apartment and annoy her for hours, but as the weeks turned into months it was Kaito who would sneak over.

Kaito showing up on her doorstep.

Kaito who met her places.

For whatever reason, she never ever got to see where Kaito lived. .

She guessed it wasn't that odd. They weren't dating or anything like that or at least she didn't think they were. Not that it really mattered, but there was definitely no intimacy. No romance. Kaito's teasing remarks? Yes. Kaito courting her? No.

More often than not Kaito reminded her more of a skittish cat than a human. It was one of the small changes she discovered as she spent more and more time with him. Hours of chatting, and she still wasn't certain what he'd been up to the last couple years. He'd talk about anything and everything except his travels.

KID was never brought up.

Ever.

Magic shows. Heists. Everything stayed vague, and he never mentioned any friends from afar. She sometimes wondered in if he even interacted with other people unless they were stage hands, fans, for a heist, or Jii.

And every now and then, when they'd brush against each other of if she got too close? Sometimes she thought she saw a hint of worry dart in his eyes, and in the next second a shower of rose petals would burst out, or fireworks, or some other phenomenon that would end with him half way across the room and chatting away like nothing had ever happened.

Yet it was nice to have him back in her life, and even with the changes and worries he brought with him she never realized how much she missed him until she realized how right it was to chase him away as she baked a batch of cookies, or when she managed to snag his shoulder and fall asleep on her couch next to him watching old movies.

Even if he was gone the next morning.

But it was one morning when her house was particularly messy that she decided she was going to go to his place for once. She pried the information out of Jii, made a batch of some sweets, and that evening left a good hour before he was suppose to show to surprise him.

At worse? He had a wife he wasn't telling her about.

At best? It just rivaled her place as far as messes went, and she'd spend most of the evening cleaning.

After all, a few days earlier she'd found a roses and a note for on her desk that she knew he'd put their for ambiguity's sake. She still couldn't get away from the teasing and it only got worse when he shown up later to come fetch her for dinner. Regardless of how many times she told them she wasn't dating the dashing magician, they were quite dedicated in their belief.

Of course that wasn't really the part that bothered it her (although it might have bothered her far less if it were actually true). The biggest problem she had with the situation was the way that everyone seemed to believe he was several years older than her. More than once the ladies had asked her about her "gentleman caller" and regardless of how many times she told them they went to high school together few believed her.

She almost spilled her entire cup of coffee when one of the women called him "dignified."

At least she hadn't seen anymore of those damned grey hairs pop up.

By the time she walked to his apartment (apparently it was less than a mile awhile) she was beginning to have her doubts on whether this had been that great of an idea. He was obviously doing well in the business given where he was living, the apartment building was one of those she'd walk by almost every day but never dreamed of setting foot in.

A whisper in her mind asked Maybe he just doesn't want to be seen with you?

Another part of her mind battled back Yeah… and maybe he's playing kept boy for some heiress?

The more rational part just reminded her that Kaito had never been all that great at housekeeping.

She knocked several times to no response. She was half ready to walk away when she heard a muffled shout in the apartment, "I'm coming! Who is it? Jii?"

"It's me!" she called back clutching at the bag holding the snacks and questioning more than ever her wisdom at her choice.

The door was halfway open when it stopped all at once, "Aoko?" There was something in his voice she couldn't quite detect.

"Yeah."

"Oh… Ah… Here… Come in give me a sec-" the door finished opening and she caught a glimpse of his back before he disappeared into another room. "I'll be right back! Just make yourself at home!"

She looked around feeling her eyebrows creep upward.

The place was immaculate. Compared to her cluttered hovel, his place might as well be a palace. The style was European, and utilized every inch of the space. There was a type of loft/second floor thing where a spiral staircase led. There were at least two doors up there, as well as three rooms (not including the kitchen and dining room) below. Frankly the place looked built for a family of five.

She set the bag on the coffee table and took out the container of sweets. As she sat down on the couch she picked up a few of the papers strewn on the table. Articles concerning theories about KID seemed to be sorted together, and she flipped through them briefly. On a whole she had ignored articles on KID, in the same way her and Kaito never really talked about the subject, but these were different from the ones she was use to. A few in English and several from all parts of Japans, other countries she couldn't even make out… a whole collection of KID's exploits. .

She flipped through the headlines:

KID More and More Daring!

Near Miss for the Japanese Lupin!

KID Taking on a Darker Side?

Kaitou KID Almost Shot!

1412 the New Daredevil?

KID Heists Grow Increasingly Dangerous

How Many Heists Before the Last?

KID Falls

All the headlines seemed to be the same, the increasing risk associated with the KID heists. One picture went as far as capturing Kaito nearly slamming into the pavement after one of his stunts.

"Oh. You found those."

The papers fell from her hands as she shot up to see Kaito behind her.

She hadn't heard him enter, but than she really shouldn't have expected to. She gave him a sheepish grin and grabbed one of the articles to wave in front of him, "Kaito you're not being reckless are you?"

The grin was another one of those that didn't reach his eyes. She watched they stayed emotionless as he darted in front of her to steal the articles away and shove them in a drawer. "When haven't I been reckless? I'm still hanging out with you after all, and if teasing an Inspector's daughter doesn't fall into that category I don't know what to tell you. "

"I suppose so," she said watching him put the articles away. "Still, you should be more careful. You can't get yourself killed because of a hang up on your glider, not when my father still has to catch you."

"Of course," but this time she didn't even buy the thin smile that sat on his lips.

The silence was going to drive her crazy, so she held up the sweets she'd brought and looked around, "Why don't you let me go put these in your kitchen? If you'd be so kind as to point me the way we can break into them after you've given me a tour of this penthouse you have here."

"No problem! I can take them!" He tried to grab them from her like he had the articles, but this time she stood her ground and pulled them back.

"Oh no you don't! You'll eat the entire container," she said before catching sight of what looked like a stove. "If you won't show me I'll find it myself."

She heard Kaito sigh behind her as she finally found the kitchen, another thing that was immaculate. "I wish I could keep my kitchen as clean as you," she muttered as she set the tray down. It looked as though it'd never been used, without so much as a spot to show someone had ever cooked in it.

She took out a second container and turned to the refrigerator, "So they don't go bad-" she said opening the door.

He darted forward trying to take them from her, "Ah I can-"

She stared at the inside of the thing confused. Like the kitchen it might as well have never been used, except for a few stray items that had possibly been kept there for the past century or two. More accurately there was nothing edible inside. Milk that had completed it's cycle into turning to cheese. Cheese that was on its way to being a fully fledged Chia pet…

She turned to stare at Kaito.

"…What on earth? Do you not eat?" she turned to prod his side but he slipped away before it ever landed. "We're getting groceries later before you starve mister."

He let out an elongated sigh, "Come on Aoko, I eat out more than I cook."

"Uh huh-" she closed the fridge and peeked into the equally empty freezer before he had a chance to stop her. Ignoring his protests she started looking through the cupboards, "Kaito you don't even have instant ramen! What do you think you're doing? Turning into a ghost?"

He sighed and reached across to pull her arm down, "Idiot most of the time I'm not even home. I come here to sleep, and there's no point in keeping the place stocked when I can just go downstairs to the convenient store."

"Kaito you always had ice cream in your fridge. I don't even see a freezer burnt pint!"

She almost bought the grin he flashed at her, "Maybe I grew up?"

"I'd believe you more if you didn't eat all mine-" she said with a sigh.

He looked at her innocently, "I promise. I just don't spend enough time here to bother stocking up. Scouts honor."

She didn't really buy the story, but then what was she suppose to think? "Regardless we're getting you some fruits or veggies or even some snacks on my way home or next time I'm making you take me to a sushi bar."

Thankfully that threat still seemed to put the fear of life in him.

"Alright," when he saw she didn't quite buy it he sighed, "Alright I promise. Deal? Next time we're out you can take me grocery shopping. It'll probably just go bad, but if it makes you happy we'll pick something up. I need some chocolate anyway."

She thought she saw a bit of his old smile reflected in her face as she nodded, "It's a deal. Now… I want a full tour!"

He led her out of the kitchen into the rest of the apartment (if it could accurately be called an apartment). The second floor held two guest rooms he said he left open for Jii and his mom. There was an office where he did most of the desk work, as a small room acting as a library. She even got a smile out of him once he led her to the final room connected to his bedroom. It opened onto the balcony, and held his magic tricks, as well as she figured his hidden KID stuff. She suspected it had been the master bedroom once upon a time, but here was at least one room that looked as though it wasn't just one of those apartments you decorated for show.

Roses climbed along the balcony wall, and every type of color sprouted from the pots along the railing. She turned to him in awe, "This is amazing Kaito, and why would you ever spend your time at my place?"

He looked uncomfortable, "Yours is cozier. I'm not even certain why I got this place at all. Well I guess Jii found it for me technically, and I didn't really care too much at the time. It might as well be just another hotel room for all I care.."

"You've got to be joking me-" she wondered if he really had cracked. "This is beautiful! I'm coming back to make you dinner later this week Kaito and don't even consider trying to tell me no." He managed a smile, but she felt hers drop at the way he wouldn't quite meet her eyes, "You're… you're not mad I made Jii tell me where it was, are you? I wanted to get revenge for what you pulled last week at work, since you never invited me up-"

He gave her a weak smile, "No. I'm just a bit surprised that's all. So you like it?"

"Yeah. Love it-" she smiled at him. "Though I do admit I thought it would be a bit messier. Makes my place look like a complete pigsty."

He shook his head, "Naw, it's Aoko. I feel like mine is something from a museum sometimes. You can see the rooms I spend the most time in" he pointed out as with a nod to the bedroom and his work room.

She laughed, "Suppose so. Although how you'd entertain any guests with that pantry I'm not really all that sure." She narrowed her eyes at him and he grinned mischievously.

"Take out is a wonder. Whole picnic baskets, with a bottle of wine including- no work needed and no mess-" he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, "Cheat."

"We can try it sometime, of course I forgot, you just loooveee the kitchen…" he said as one of the cookies from her tray sprung up in his hands as he popped it in his mouth. "Aldtough-" he said through a full mouth, "Dey're…" he swallowed licking his finger tips, "Reeeaaalllly good. So I'm no complaining."

"I cook, you let me come over here sometimes so I don't have to worry about cleaning for once?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

He sighed stretching out in his chair with a snort, "You win."

And like that… back to normal.

Author's Note: There's more. There's always more. Maybe I'll even get it out before next year. If it's any consolation (and I know it isn't) I actually wrote nothing except papers this last semester, but given school's done for good… who knows.