Time is Running (Kaishin)

I'm not Only into Women you know?

Shinichi let out the loudest sigh he had ever produced before sprinting after him.

What a fucking heist. This was a disaster today.

***

"What was that all about?!" the sleuth hissed, still mad at his friend. Kaito, causally walking next to him with his arms crossed behind his head, only gave him a shrug.
"Adrenaline patches a friend gave me for emergencies. Seems to work just fine~"
"Kuroba Kaito I am going to-"
"Kill me, yes yes, we already went over that. Put on a new CD, Shin-chan."
Kaito stopped and turned to him with a wide grin.
"I had fun today. And... thanks for saving me."

Shinichi paused, anger deflating like a balloon within him.

"...yea yea..." the sleuth grumbled, turning away, only for Kaito to start giggling and wrapping his arm around Shinichi's shoulders.
"Mahh, don't be so sour! Tomorrow's another day."
"Tomorrow is your friend's birthday," Shinichi corrected him and for a moment, he could see Kaito's smile fall before his pokerface slapped back in place.
"Yeah. Her birthday..."

For a few steps, there was silence between these two, before Shinichi finally opened his mouth again. Weirdly it was rather hesitant.
"Kuroba, I... would appreciate you not flirting with me like this anymore."
A little surprised, Kaito stopped dead in his tracks, forcing Shinichi to stop as well.
"Flirting?"
"Kuroba... you keep telling me how nice I look in your costume, and all those weird things you suddenly seem to notice in the moment."
"Shin-chan, that's not flirting, that's observations, and they're all true~"
"Kuroba stop."

Shinichi's hands clenched into fists as he stared Kaito down.
"I mean it, Kuroba. I'm setting a boundary right now and if you want me to be in your life beyond KID, beyond detective and thief, you will not step over it. Do you understand me?"
Blinking three times, Kaito stood there, dumbfounded. He had not expected that, if he was being honest.
"...if it means so much to you, it's fine with me. May I ask why?"
The two began walking again, the tensed air around them somewhat relaxing again.
"It makes me uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable...? I'm so sorry, that wasn't my intention."
"I know it's not your intention, it never is, but you do and say so many things that people can take the wrong way. Especially the constant flirting. Kuroba if you flirt with someone, you should be serious about it."
"But I am."

Shinichi rolled his eyes and turned around, slowly getting annoyed again, but hesitated when he saw Kaito's expression. There was no goofy smile, there was no pokerface, his expression was just... neutral.
"I don't think you get what I'm saying. I'm telling you, you should only flirt with people when you mean to flirt with them."
"But... I do."
"Kuroba I swear-"
"Shinichi, I do think you're handsome. And beautiful. And I love your sapphire coloured eyes. And the way you just radiate confidence in every step you take."
"You're doing it again."
Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.
"Just... forget it. If you can't do me this one favor-"
"Shinichi I-"
"Shut up. Just... shut up. I'm going home."

Shinichi turned around, heading with fast steps down the sidewalk, leaving a rather surprised Kaito behind. That surprise quickly turned into annoyance as the thief got back into motion, and ran to catch up with Shinichi.
"Shinichi wait!"
"Kuroba I said I'm going home, leave me be."
"You're completely getting this wrong!"
"Leave. Me. Be."
"Shinichi I'm-... Shinichi I'm not only into women, you know...!"

Kudo heels dug into the sidewalk as he stopped. Slowly, he turned around, eying the somewhat flustered Kuroba. Well that was certainly a new sight.
"...what did you just say...?"
Kaito took a second to catch his breath, he was still pretty exhausted and that adrenaline patch was beginning to leave him hanging.
"Shinichi I'm not just into women. I meant every word I said to you. I'm not... doing this just for funsies, or just because I want to mock you."
"You're saying you... like men."
"Yes."
"You like me."
Kaito hesitated, cheeks turning red.
"W-well, you are very attractive, and while I'm not making myself much hopes since you're still a guy, and you got your karate friend... I like you, Shinichi, you're very much my type."

Kaito stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair, exhaling little deeper.
"I'm flirting with you because I like you. You could call it a crush, even. I feel a connection to you that is different to anybody else, even if we mostly just curse at each other and are in each other's way."
Shinichi kept quiet, this was a little much at once. He took a small step closer, reaching out, his hand settling on Kaito's cheek.
"...you're honest with me."
"100 percent."
"Why are you deciding to tell me this now all of a sudden? Why not sooner?"

Kaito let out a halfhearted laugh.
"I've been on a search for a mystical gemstone that grants immortality while making myself a white coloured target practice for snipers, and now I have a timer on my arm that could count to anything down from me falling down the stairs to dying to finding a pencil under my bed. I... haven't exactly had the mindset for dating the past couple of years."
He took a deep breath.
"But I don't want to lose you over some silly argument just because I don't play with open cards, Shinichi."
"I'm... going to be honest, that was the last thing I expected to you say."

Kaito gave him a shrug, before slowly starting to walk again. The sleuth followed along, and Kaito pleasantly noticed he didn't seem opposed to his company anymore.
"Shinichi, I... I am not going to flirt with you anymore, if that is your boundary, I'm fine with that. But I want you to know and understand that I mean what I say."
Shinichi fell silent for a long time, not answering him. Kaito wasn't all too pushy about it, especially about this, and especially after such a chaotic day.

"My boundary is... don't flirt with me if you don't mean it."

His voice was quiet, very quiet, Kaito almost overheard it. But it was all the thief needed.

"You're saying I..."
"J-just... don't suddenly attack me with it..."
Kaito looked up to see a bit of embarrassment on his company's face, and the moonlight from above illuminated just the tiniest bit of red on his cheeks. He finally started laughing before wrapping his arms around Shinichi's chest, pulling him close against himself, hugging him tightly.
"I'll continue on then~"

Shinichi's flustered protests weren't quite as convincing as before this time.