Notes: Hope you guys enjoy chapter 6!

Summary: Kaito receives the information on the disc he'd stolen from Pisco.

Kaito is in the middle of teaching his students about isotopes when his phone buzzes in his pocket. It's on silent, and he leaves it – how can he expect his students not to text in class if he's doing the same? – forcing himself to wait until he's handed out worksheets.

He can't help but wonder who it is.

Aoko giving him an update on her work schedule, telling him whether she'll make it home for dinner tonight? Or something more interesting like Koizumi and Hakuba breaking into the disc he'd killed a man to receive.

…Or something more fun, much more sinister. An order from Kudo perhaps, requesting his help gathering information, or taking out those who've gotten too close. Maybe today is finally the day he shoots that grey-haired detective that Kudo always calls Gin…

Or maybe not.

Part of being KID, the disguises element, is knowing how a person thinks. He needs to be able to convincingly become another person, and so… that skill tells him that if anyone's going to kill Gin, it'll be Kudo himself.

Oh well, Kaito thinks, I can live with that. There will be other alcohols to set alight.

Still – he is curious. And it's that curiosity that forces him to start the worksheets a little sooner than he'd originally planned. It's nothing major, not really, his student's will just have to do a little extra searching in their workbooks for the answers.

And as soon as they're working, eyes reading through the questions Kaito has prepared, he sits at his desk, turns on his monitor to check his emails, and pulls his phone from his pocket.

Hakuba.

He is not sure whether to sigh, because he's got another text message from Hakuba Saguru of all people on his phone now, or whether to be excited. There is a disc filled with information ready for him to pick up, blackmail to be stored in his head.

The text message reads as:

Akako has invited you and Aoko-kun to dinner. Hopefully the two of you will be able to make such an event.

Either there's something on the disc that Hakuba wants to talk to him about, or there is some need to be discreet with handing the disc over. Either way, Kaito will have to be on his guard.

Another text buzzes on his phone. This time, it's Aoko. Ordering him not to stay too late at work – hypocrite – because they've been invited to dinner. He sends a response feigning curiosity, then another with hesitation, a wish to do anything but have dinner with Hakuba.

Still, he accepts. Sends a message back to Hakuba with 'Aoko has informed me I must come, no matter my own wishes.'

It sounds the way he wants it to. Something he doesn't want to take part in, but is being forced to attend by a particularly stubborn fiancée. It's the perfect cover – a fiancée dragging her unwilling fiancé to dinner with old school friends.

He gets a text message from Kudo nearer the end of the evening, demanding an update on the disc. It's a short text that goes to his KID phone, a burner that only has one contact in.

"Well, well," Kaito mutters to himself, reading the words over and over, lips pulling upwards at the impatience from the other man. "Someone seems to be thrown off by this turn of events."

He can't fault Kudo for it. Part of being high up in such an empire means that there's further to fall. And Kaito, stood on the outskirts, just a hire for such an organisation to use, he's not the one who'll fall.

"Well," Kaito says to himself, after he's parked outside the house he and Aoko share. "It's nothing worth worrying himself over."

Whatever may come from this disc, Kaito's certain Kudo will find a way to deal with it. He sends a text in response, says that he'll get the disc to him tomorrow.

Kudo might not think it's good enough, but… oh well. Let the man be anxious, nervous about the lack of information at his fingertips – such a controlled individual needs to feel helpless every once in a while.

He pulls open the door, feels the wind crash against his arms before making his way towards the house. Aoko's car is parked next to his, having beaten him home for what feels like the first time in forever.

Features softening at the entire idea of Aoko and her presence, Kaito locks the car, making his way towards the entrance to his humble abode.

The door is unlocked, another indicator that Aoko's home. They're paranoid enough of people getting inside – or rather, Aoko's worried KID will steal away into their house one night to teach her a lesson on why she should drop the case – so it's only ever open when the other is expected home within the following ten minutes.

His fiancée pokes her head into the hallway from the sitting room as Kaito makes his way indoors, bringing essays that require marking in with him. He'll read over them later, once he's home from work, marking each one until he's certain Aoko's fallen asleep for the night.

Then – he'll have time to look over the disc Hakuba will give him. Maybe make a copy of his own, if Hakuba hasn't already done it for him.

"You're home!" Aoko says, offering him a smile as she offers a wave. Then, "you brought your marking home again…"

Kaito offers his most charming smile. "I would have marked them at work, but somebody needed me home earlier today."

Aoko scrunches her nose. "Fine, fine. You win. Thanks for getting home to me so early."

Sometimes, Kaito looks at her and remembers her as she was as a teenager. Speaking in illeisms, constantly in third person to mask her lack of confidence. She's more confident now… Kaito likes to think it's because of her presence on the KID task force.

Searching for a known assassin has made her braver. Made her face things she never would have if not for the case.

Kaito's done that for her – it's because of him she's braver now.

"Anything for you," Kaito says, entering the sitting room where Aoko stands, depositing the paperwork on the table. "Even if that anything does include forcing myself to sit through a meal with Hakuba."

Aoko lets out a groan. It's half amused, half irritated that he's bringing it up again, for what probably seems like the hundredth time this month. She says, "why, I'm so lucky to have such a charming fiancé."

Kaito offers her a wide smile. He says, "as long as you understand how lucky you are."

She hits him on the shoulder. A playful tap that warns him to watch his ego. Too late, Kaito thinks, his ego is already out of control, even he knows it. The fun part is trying to convince himself not to let anyone else realise.

"Okay, okay," he says, lifting both hands up in mock surrender, "I give. I'm the lucky one, don't arrest me."

Aoko offers a smile. She says, "alright, just this once I won't. Maybe if you get ready for this dinner, I'll let you off next time as well."

A get out of jail free card? If only it would be easily transferred over to his life as KID. That would be extremely effective, Kaito thinks to himself. Not that he'd ever need it.

"Of course," Kaito says, pecking a kiss against her cheek, "anything to not be arrested."

Later, after twenty minutes of small talk, sharing work stories they've not had time to share prior, Kaito parks his car in a side street, outside the house Hakuba shares with Koizumi.

It's a lot smaller than Kaito would have expected from the two, especially after seeing the size of their family homes. Kaito isn't sure though – either it's a front that they've put on to fool people as to where they really live or owning both a bar and a casino has punched a hole through their pockets that not even their inheritance can afford.

Either way, despite the size, it's a nice house.

"You ready for dinner?" Aoko asks, in a tone that implies she's expecting Kaito to remain polite no matter whether he's actually ready or not.

"Of course, I am," Kaito responds, plucking up his keys and opening the door. It's not going to take too much effort to get along with Hakuba, or Koizumi, despite the fact that he doesn't really want to.

Well… He'll be fine acting friendly with Koizumi. It's more Hakuba he's got his issues with. And yet even now, he knows that he's going to have to go off with the other to receive the disc.

Tsk.

As much as his curiosity is gnawing at his nervous system, sending chills and bringing speculation to his mind every moment, Kaito really doesn't want to have such a conversation with Hakuba.

And he's going to have to trust in the two that they won't poison both him and Aoko with their food. Not that Akako would ever try to poison Aoko, not with the creepy obsession she seems to have in keeping the girl safe.

"Come on then," Aoko says, dragging him indoors, as if he's a dog on a leash. The idea of dogs reminds Kaito of Kudo and his own dog, the Osakan one who always gets on his nerves with every word he barks.

Oh well, Kaito thinks, smoothing his expression over and wishing the irritation away. There are no dogs here, he can remain perfectly calm for now.

"Of course," Kaito says, a feeling of excitement rolling in his stomach, a dark energy coiling around his spine like a snake, "let's get this evening started, shall we?"

Akako is the one to open the door.

Her gaze lands on Kaito for a second, before moving straight to Aoko. Like all the other times they've visited, Akako has only eyes for Aoko. It's a weird thing, Kaito thinks, how much the witch seems to favour Aoko over everyone else he's seen her interact with.

A fond smile pulls the woman's lips up, as she invites them both in. She says, "Aoko-chan, it's so nice to see you again."

Creepy.

Not that Kaito's going to say anything about it while Aoko's present. He'll leave the scathing remarks he wants to speak for when he's wearing his KID persona, for when they're alone and he can warn Akako to back off from his fiancée.

"Oh, Kaito-kun, I suppose it's okay to see you as well."

Kaito offers his driest smile. He says, "It's always a please to see that the townspeople haven't melted you yet, Akako."

Aoko punches him lightly in the arm. "Don't be rude."

"Yes Kuroba, I'd appreciate it if you were polite for the duration of dinner."

It's Hakuba. The bastard, and yet, Kaito bites his tongue and keeps himself from any scathing responses. He doesn't want any passive aggressive responses from Hakuba when there's information waiting to be transferred over to him.

"Fine," Kaito tuts, shakes his head. "If she hasn't melted yet, I suppose she won't at all."

"Right," Hakuba responds, and there's a gleam in his eye. Amusement, or fondness of his own, the same expression he'd worn years before when he'd gained his proof of Kaito being KID. "Well, let's head inside. I've got a bottle of Bordeaux Aoko-san, it's something to die for. Come, you'll have to try it."

Kaito forces himself through dinner, and later, as Aoko claims responsibility for helping Akako wash the dishes – well, Kaito supposes filling the dishwasher counts for Aoko – he finds himself alone with Hakuba.

Never as situation he enjoys.

"So," Hakuba says, as he leans back in his chair. "That disc. We managed to unlock it after noon."

His expression goes dark for a moment, and he lifts his hand into his pocket, pulling out said disc, and handing it towards Kaito.

"What's that expression for?" Kaito scowls, "don't start thinking you can keep information away from me, not on this."

Hakuba shakes his head. "I wouldn't try to. Keeping information from you when you'll just as easily gain the information from the disc?"

Kaito glances at it. On the paper are scribbled letters – roman alphabet, not kanji – the password to open the disc. Despite them telling Kaito it'd take time to gain the password, they've still unlocked it quicker than expected.

He picks the disc up, gingerly, and puts it into his coat pocket.

From the kitchen, he can hear Aoko's bright laughter. Kaito imagines it wouldn't be so bright if she were to realise all her trusted friends are criminals working against the very force in which she resides.

"What's so bad about this disc then," Kaito says, "for you to get such an expression on your face?"

Hakuba taps his fingers against the rim of his wine glass, swirls the liquid in the glass and takes a sip. He says, "there's nothing about you per say, although there's a profile about KID. Standard information, some minor links questioning if certain murders are you or the organisation."

"That's not what you're worried about." Kaito says. It's not like Hakuba to beat around the bush, straying from the information at hand. Yet something has him ruffled – if only a tiny bit.

"They know that there's someone with ties to the police working for the organisation," Hakuba says. "The Osakan police commissioner, the dog's father, keeps changing his attempts to capture Kudo's men when they're sending goods up to Osaka. And yet they're quite ineffective."

Kaito takes a moment to try the information on his tongue. So, Kudo's bodyguard will be part of the organisation's downfall? Filtering information he's no doubt received from his father, or other Osakan contacts.

"It's not just him causing the problems," Hakuba says, "it's also the way the police protocols are being used against the police themselves. They can't catch the organisation without using certain laws, and by the time those required laws are gathered, the organisation is long gone. It's brought them around to thinking that there must be someone with astute knowledge of the law."

Kaito nods his head. "Someone like a police official."

"Exactly."

Which would leave Hakuba feeling worried. Because if people are doing internalised checks of the police, it won't just lead them to lower end members of the organisation, but rather to Kudo and his dog.

"Well, that's certainly no good for Kudo and his followers." Kaito tilts his head. "It makes me glad I just work with him, not as a subordinate."

Hakuba lets out a scoff. At Kaito's raised eyebrow, he shakes his head. "I'd just suggest you be on guard, Kudo's reign may fall one day, and he's clearly capable of trading your name for a better prison sentence."

No, Kaito doesn't imagine Kudo would do something like that. His dog would, maybe, but not Kudo Shinichi.

"I doubt it," Kaito says. "I'd be more suspicious of you turning me in than him."

For a second, Hakuba's expression twists into something even Kaito, with his expertise at reading people, can't read. Then, it settles on irritation. He says, "Kudo would have a lot of incentive – he's overseen things, yes, but you've actually committed the crimes."

"Right."

"And don't forget," Hakuba says now, expression darkening, voice bordering on a whisper, "that I didn't turn you in when you killed your first victim. Turning you in now would mean turning myself in for obstruction of justice."

"What a situation I've put you in Hakuba," Kaito says. There is no apology there, no sympathy for what he might have stolen from the boy who'd once wished to be a detective.

"Not at all," a smile, something that would have sent shivers down Kaito's spine if he hadn't seen the expression before, "I'm exactly where I want to be, Kaito."

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