The Hallow's Eve Mishap

[Aeyra 260]

It's not yet on ff.net (I'm too lazy to post- will soon), but I figured I'd post it here first! As promised to my dear Azu-chan, it's KaiAka, since it's your fav coupling. Of course, according to the title, there has to be a mishap, right? For an idea of what I think the boys look like in their costumes, see my drawing called Hallow's Eve Mishap. Please comment! Hope you all enjoy! And happy birthday Chelsea!!!

The Hallow's Eve Mishap

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At Kaito's House

"So, Hakuba," started Kaito, smiling as he looked over at his friend/rival, almost bouncing up and down. "Have you decided on your Halloween party costume yet?"

"I'm just wearing my Sherlock Holmes outfit," replied Saguru grumpily, reading 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' on Kaito's bed, ruffling his neat honey-blond hair as he yawned in boredom. "Why are you making such a fuss over this anyways? It's not like you'll have to do anything complicated, right? You're just going as Kaitou Kid."

"Bzzt!" buzzed Kaito, clicking his tongue in disappointment as he shook his head, completely into his frivolous acting. "You should know I'm more creative than that. I'm actually going as something that’s actually Halloween themed. Besides, what if someone realized I was the real thing? Come on, Hakuba, you should wear something other than that junky old plaid detective suit."

"It's not junky!" exclaimed Hakuba, slamming his book down and sitting up angrily. “It’s one of my favorite uniforms! I wear it to about half of my cases!” Kaito rolled his eyes at his friend’s outburst, a wide grin stretching across his face.

“And over half of us are trying our best not to laugh at how ridiculous you look in that old thing,” commented Kaito with his usual energy, watching Saguru’s face flush in embarrassment. “Seriously, Hakuba, how about you get your creativity cap on and think of something original and fun for once? Trust me- it’s what you need.”

“I never really wanted to go to that stupid Halloween dance anyways,” he protested, grumpily settling back onto the bed, though it was obvious he was no longer focused on his book as he leafed aimlessly through the pages. “What’s the point? It’s just like a normal party plus costumes, and I’m not one for dressing up as a ghost or something. I bet you think that’s even lamer than my detective outfit.”

Kaito looked as if he were in deep thought, scratching his chin before smiling deviously, and then said, “Then how about we liven things up a little, Hakuba?” His eyes twinkled with a form of enigmatic mischief, and Saguru looked back at him warily, knowing full well what dangers could be in store for him.

“What are you planning, Kuroba?” he asked, cautiously scanning Kaito’s extremely happy face for hints. “I swear, if it involves dyeing my hair blue again I am going to-“

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.” Saguru visibly relaxed. He had experienced Kaito’s pranks more than one time too many. “I have a bet for you.”

That got him interested. “Does it involve me catching you as Kaitou Kid? We’re long overdue for another battle,” he replied almost a little too eagerly. Kaito knew that even if he was caught, Saguru would let him go. You don’t betray friends, so basically it’d be like letting go of a butterfly after you caught it. It was merely for bragging rights-something Saguru didn’t have.

“Nope. It’s about Aoko and Akako,” Kaito said, examining Saguru to see his reaction, and from what he saw there, he was pleased.

“Go on,” replied the other boy, eyes gleaming with curiosity at his friend’s newest idea. Hopefully it wouldn’t be a disaster like usual.

“I like Aoko, and you like Akako. This is the bet. Whichever guy can get the girl he likes to kiss him at the party first wins,” he offered, wondering how his classy rival would reply. “How’s that? I would say no forced kissing, but we’re both gentlemen, so I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“What do we win?”

“I haven’t decided that part yet,” explained Kaito, deviously looking towards Saguru, a glint of evil in his azure irises. “But perhaps…” He paused purposely, drawing out the moment, letting the words sink in. “The winner gets to do whatever they want to the loser the next day.”

“No way I’m agreeing to that!” protested Saguru, storming up to Kaito like an angry bull, sounding a little more like a child than the ferocious growls he was aiming for. “You’ll just end up pranking me and if I won, I’d have nothing to do to you. You know that I’m not turning you into the police.”

“Then, if you win, you get to tell me to do whatever you want. Like, a day’s worth of servitude or making myself look like a total idiot.” Saguru snorted, rolling his eyes. He already felt that Kaito made himself look like an idiot every day with all that magic pizzazz and his utter nonsense. “Now are you happy?”

“Sure. Let’s shake on it. Whoever gets their girl first wins.” They shook hands, gripping each other’s fingers tightly as Kaito’s blue fiery eyes met the cold, hard steel of Saguru’s, both determined, both filled with the energy to win. In one breath, they simultaneously declared, “The game’s on.”

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Meanwhile… At Aoko’s House

“Akako-chan, what are you wearing to the Halloween Dance tomorrow?” asked Aoko curiously to her friend who was sitting on the bed, tapping her fingers against the bedsheet in boredom. “Are you going to be a witch?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Akako gave her almost-violet hair a flip as she sat apathetically on Aoko’s bed, voice completely monotone. “It seems pointless if you ask me. Why should I go to a dance when Halloween is the day where I can get closest to Lucifer? It’s not often I get this kind of opportunity you know.”

Aoko chuckled weakly; still unsure about exactly what her friend was talking about. Sometimes Akako made talking to the devil sound like a joke, but she always seemed so serious about it… As if it was real. “Come on, Akako-chan! It’s just one night. Besides, I’m pretty sure your dear Hakuba-kun is going too! Even if he doesn’t want to, Kaito’ll definitely drag him there no matter what!”

“I don’t care about that cocky detective,” answered Akako in a flat tone, but a small blush came onto her cheeks, contradicting her reply. If only Aoko really knew about exactly which one of the two guys she really did like. She wouldn’t admit it to her though- the knowledge belonged to her and her alone. Only she possessed that knowledge. “I just want to stay home.”

“Don’t be such a wet blanket!” complained Aoko, heading towards her closet, opening the door eagerly. “If you don’t have a costume, I can lend you one of mine.” She paused, and then her face lit up with inspiration as she fished through the clothes. “Akako-chan, how about we wear matching costumes? I have two Frankenstein’s Bride outfits, and they have a veil that completely covers our faces! We could switch places for the night and trick everyone!”

“Do I have to?” inquired Akako, sounding extremely bored, yawning for emphasis. “It still sounds extremely unentertaining. Besides, people could still tell who we were from our voices! We’d be found out in two seconds.”

“Not with these little things!” Aoko ravaged through her closet once more until she found two small devices that resembled miniature-microphones with little knobs on the sides. They were tiny- hardly bigger than a fingernail. Akako stared at them curiously, wondering what kind of trick these little contraptions could do. “Kaito gave them to me for my birthday. By adjusting these two things here, you can switch between genders, and change the tones. Watch, Akako-chan!”

“Oy, Hakuba!” Akako looked for the sound, Kaito’s voice, and then realized it had come from Aoko, who was grinning deviously at her friend. “See? Didn’t I tell you?”

“That sounded exactly like Kuroba-kun!” she exclaimed, taking one of the microphones from Aoko. “Let me try to imitate Hakuba-kun’s then…”

After a couple of experimental attempts, she managed to say, “Kuroba!” Her brown-red eyes brightened with enthusiasm as it came out nearly perfectly, just a tiny difference between her and the real thing. “Aoko-chan, these are really cool! I bet we could even trick those boys into thinking we were one another!” Now she was enthusiastic as well.

“Don’t you think?” Aoko took out the costumes she had mentioned before, intricate lace around the sleeves and chest. “My older cousin came over a couple of years ago, and my dad made me wear the same thing as her. I think they’ll still fit; we’ll just have to make a few adjustments. The veil’s rather thick, but you can still see through it perfectly. It’s almost like a mask. Try it on for size. I’ll change in the bathroom.”

Akako took the long, skillfully tattered white dress from Aoko who left the room after handing it to her, and examined it over before slipping out of her shirt and skirt. I wonder what Kuroba-kun’ll think of this outfit… she mused, imagining his expression once she revealed her identity, a surprised ‘oh’ and a laugh. It’s kind of showy… I wonder what kind of parent would buy their young teenage daughter something like this…

The dress was slim, accenting her skinny figure, with a ‘v’ shape down her chest, just keeping from revealing her breasts. The sleeves were puffy, going only a quarter of the way down her arms, shining in the light. There was glitter over the dress, and it went down past her knees, barely reaching the floor, scraping it by less than a sixteenth of an inch. Putting on the veil, she noticed that it was still possible to tell who was underneath if one looked hard enough. That would blow their guise in an instant.

A knock from the door captured her attention as she turned around. “Akako-chan, can I come in?” rang Aoko’s voice from outside.

“Yeah, I’m finished.” Aoko opened the door, looking nearly identical to the other girl except for the obvious difference in hair color and her eyes. “It looks nice on you, Aoko-chan.”

“It looks great on you as well!” complimented Aoko, grabbing Akako’s wrists to pull her closer and closely observe the costume, peering at her face. “But, I can kind of see through your veil and tell it’s you. Do you have any ideas?”

“How about we make masquerade masks like they do in old movies? Kind of like ‘Romeo and Juliet’! If we put our hair up so they can’t see the color, it’ll do the trick and it’ll be impossible to tell us apart. When they hear the voices, they’ll be completely fooled!” suggested Akako, starting to enjoy their mischievous plot, letting out a creepy cackle. “I have a couple of masks like that at home for my witch-crafting. Let’s meet again tomorrow here so we can prepare together.”

“You got it!” replied Aoko, eyes twinkling with excitement, a devious smile set in place. “This time we can finally prank Kaito! He’s had it coming to him for a long time!”

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Halloween Party

“So, Hakuba,” started Kaito, spinning around to show off his black cape, embedded with sparkling onyx colored stones. The inside was dark crimson red, like blood, matching the smudged trail of vermillion that ran from his mouth to his chin. “What do I look like?” Smiling deviously, pointed teeth bared, he stared at his friend mischievously.

“Judging from the fangs, you’re a vampire, aren’t you?” guessed Saguru, wondering what prank Kaito had in mind for him this time- his expression nearly confirmed that there was something in store. It would be just like Kaito to ridicule him in front of the entire school. Hopefully he hadn’t snuck into his house and messed with his costume beforehand. “But why does your cape have shining jewels? Aren’t vampires creatures of the night? You don’t look as evil with those that on.”

“I put my own special twist on it. After all, I like standing out!” he shouted, his usual show-off self, drawing attention from nearby people. In a quieter voice, he added just to Hakuba, winking, “After all, a phantom thief’s job is to be flashy and ostentatious! Otherwise, the job would be no fun at all!”

Rolling his eyes, Saguru motioned to his own costume, dark blue silk-like cloth that reached down to the floor, glitter thrown across it like stars in the night sky, fake silver-hued armor covering his chest, arms, and legs, even including a scabbard strung onto a belt around his waist. “Better than Sherlock Holmes? What do you think, Kuroba?”

“A knight,” mumbled Kaito, looking it up and down. “Not bad, not bad, Hakuba. I thought it would be much worse. How’d you get such a cool costume in just two days? It looks better than most store-bought.” It was true- the material itself looked much too pricey and exquisite. It really resembled the fantasies of a handsome knight’s shining armor- almost majestic. One would almost expect him to draw out his sword to protect his princess.

“I have connections in England,” he explained smugly, his usual arrogance following him even here. “Those people are really amazing. As soon as I said I wanted a costume, they came up with this brilliant design. I’m definitely winning tonight’s bet. There’s no way I’m letting you get ahead today.”

“As if,” laughed Kaito, rolling his eyes almost in comical despair. “A Phantom Thief always wins, Hakuba. How many times have you managed to beat me? I think the number is zero, aren’t I right? Besides, I can steal anything, even if it’s a girl’s heart!”

“I wasn’t even there for over half of your heists. Otherwise I’d have caught you a dozen times or more. I only got back from London a month ago. Anyways, I even brought a gift back from London for Akako-chan.” He pulled out a fingernail-sized deep purple amethyst out of a hidden pocket in his costume, the jewel glinting in the dull light. “And don’t even think of stealing it. I’ve already checked it. It doesn’t shine red.”

“It’s too small to hold Pandora,” examined Kaito, taking the jewel in his hands and scanning it. “This must have cost you quite a bit. But isn’t it a little early in your relationship? Neither of you have even said anything. In fact, I doubt she knows you like her at all.” The jewel had an intricate gold border, vines of ivy crawling up and down the royal violet. “I wouldn’t steal your present. I’m not that inconsiderate.” He tossed it back, chuckling. “Perhaps I should have brought some sort of gift for Aoko? Perhaps,” he fished into his pocket, searching for something. “This would do?”

A crystalline rose lay in his hand, pristine and undamaged, but it looked so fragile that a single touch would shatter it into pieces. It looked like it was frozen, beauty completely undisturbed by a layer of thin ice. Stunning. Saguru was wordless, wondering exactly what it was in the other teenager’s hand.

“My father taught me the trick,” whispered Kaito, fondling it gently. “It’s colored glass, reinforced by clear crystal. I made it myself. Still not as good as my old man though.” His blue eyes misted over as he recalled his father carefully melding together the vibrant shards in the basement with him, and then glazing it with a nearly transparent layer of melted crystals.

“It’s one of the ways I won over your mother,” said Kuroba Toichi, turning over the figure in the light, a habit he found hard to shake off. “She’s always liked this kind of thing. In fact, I give one to her on each of our anniversaries, so she can remember the way I proposed to her, with a crystal flower. It’s a Kuroba tradition. Maybe in the future, you’ll be making one for your girlfriend.”

“Ew!” replied Kaito, sticking out his tongue immaturely, being only four years old. “I’m never gonna have a girlfriend! Girls are icky!” He pretended to retch up vomit to emphasize his disgust. “They have cooties!”

“Trust me, Kaito,” his father laughed, rubbing his son’s messy hair and disorganizing the locks even more than they already were. “Almost all boys your age think that way. But who knows? One day, you might be whistling a different tune. There has to be one girl out there that’ll catch your eye. If you think you know the one, give her a rose and see how it goes.” With a wink, Toichi turned back to his work.

There has to be one girl out there that’ll catch your eye, mused Kaito, staring dubiously into space. It had to be Aoko, didn’t it? She was his childhood friend, he played perverted jokes on her, and so he obviously liked her, right? Though something didn’t seem quite right. It had never felt like she had ‘caught his eye’ as his late father had described it so many years ago. Who else could you like, Kaito? he thought, shaking his head with a smile. Aoko’s always been the only one, hasn’t she?

“Kuroba,” murmured Saguru, leaning over to whisper in his distracted friend’s ear, gloved hand muffling the words. “They’re here. Are you ready to start? Because I sure am.” His voice was even more eager than it was at a heist- the prize he’d receive was a lot better than merely satisfaction.

“Where?” asked Kaito, scanning the crowd, trying to find Aoko’s familiar face in the darkness of the school gym, lit up by only one disco light in the middle of the ceiling, the multi-colored lights flying throughout the large room, different shades of magenta, green, and blue, one of them eventually landing on glimmering, exquisite masks, like large butterflies with jeweled wings.

The two girls walked slowly, the dirty white dresses scraping the ground as they walked in black, simultaneously pausing in front of the two teens, watching their expressions change as they looked them up and down, and their blushes as they realized exactly how revealing the clothing was. Aoko- the actual one- gave an obnoxious smirk to hide her shaking laughter, tidying her opaque veil to make sure none of the incriminating chocolate brown would be revealed. “What’s up, you two?” she chuckled, doing her best to imitate Akako. “Speechless?” She let out a long cackle, the sound drawing attention from all corners of the gymnasium.

“Erm, no, just surprised, Koizumi,” replied Kaito, his left eye twitching from the cackle. “Didn’t expect you’d still be so energetic even after school. Or so loud.” He stuck his finger into his ear, as if trying to dig something out. “I think I’m going to be half-deaf for the rest of the night.”

“Don’t exaggerate, Ku- I mean, Kaito!” Akako corrected herself, almost messing up their trick. “Akako-chan’s just excited, that’s all!” It feels so weird to be talking about myself… she thought. Kaito turned to her and smiled, causing her to blush deeply. Hopefully the mask and pale white make-up covered it up.

“Akako-kun,” said Hakuba, approaching the one who he thought was Akako. He held out his hand, blue eyes filled with mystery, deep and unreadable. “May I have this dance?”

The song was nice and slow, reminding Kaito of a middle-age waltz except with an eerie tone filling the background. There was an ominous keening, as if someone had been pressing too hard on the bow of a violin while playing, but he knew it was just to add atmosphere. Following Hakuba’s lead, he smiled and took ‘Aoko’s’ hand. “Shall we?” His eyes twinkled with excitement, Poker Face slipping a little bit. Something felt different about this.

A different sort of adrenaline- competition mixed with romance. A different emotion running through him- could it be love? Strange, he’d never felt this strongly in front of Aoko before, but it was what he had been waiting to experience, this rush of fire. I will win this, Hakuba, he thought, smirking at the other boy who was already joyously waltzing. Just wait and see.

“Wait, Kai-“ squeaked Akako, surprised by the sudden turn of events, turning crimson, almost fighting Kaito’s tight, warm grip on her wrist. She’d been prepared for seeing him, but to dance with him? Slow dance? Pressed close to each other like the others were starting to do?

“Hush, Aoko,” whispered Kaito, putting his pointer finger to her lips, sealing them. “Just enjoy the moment, ‘kay? We’re here to enjoy ourselves.” He spun her around, letting the dress sparkle as she smiled back. Maybe this wasn’t part of the plan, but it was fun. “How are my leading skills?”

“Well, I’ve never danced this kind of thing before, so they must be pretty good if we’re waltzing like this already,” she remarked sarcastically, letting him guide her in the steps, the rhythm, the music that she knew she’d never forget. For just one night, she got to know how Aoko felt every day, close to Kaito, the tenderness between them. She wished- she wished so badly she was Aoko. That was one of the reasons she’d agreed to switch places. “I am doing okay, right?”

“Perfectly,” he replied, placing his mouth dangerously close to her ear, and the cool breath tickled her like a chilly fall breeze- refreshing. “Better than Hakuba and Koizumi-kun over there.” He gave his trademark grin as he gestured towards the somewhat clumsy pair, despite Hakuba’s efforts help the girl. “They’re tripping over each other.”

Akako giggled, wondering how Aoko was feeling about their swap. Was she having as much fun as she was? Based on the laughter that emanated from the two, they must have. I wonder… mused Akako, thinking of Halloween’s magic. If my dreams can come true… But it would be wrong to destroy their relationship…

“Hmm?” Kaito’s head was cocked to one side, fangs lopsided in his mouth. “Something wrong, Aoko? You’ve been staring over there for a while now.” He adjusted the plastic, pressing it upwards again. “Of course with this, you’ll pay more attention to me, right?” With a flash of bright light and pink smoke, doves and playing cards flew out of Kaito’s suit, along with black and red roses. “Whaddaya think? I had to dye these things to make ‘em this black.”

“They’re really pretty!” exclaimed Akako, letting go of her usual cold self, and feeling completely natural in Aoko’s warm, careless demeanor. She picked one up and stroked the delicate petals in her hands, no trace of ink coming off onto her fingers. “It looks so natural!”

The people around them gaped in shock- especially those who unfortunately weren’t (or is it fortunately) classmates with the notorious prankster Kuroba Kaito. Flower petals littered the ground, and his doves flew around, grazing heads and hair by inches before they returned. Kaito snickered- this kind of magic was so fun. Everyone had their eyes on him for his next move. Unfortunately, so did the school principal.

“Kuroba-kun,” he said, storming right up to the smiling teen. “Stop playing all these magic tricks! Now clean it up immediately or leave!” A small vein was noticeable on his forehead, and students laughed as the thief coolly defended himself.

“Come on!” assuaged Kaito, holding his hands up into the air. “It’s not that big a deal. ‘sides, everybody loves these tricks. And, it’s not that hard to clean up.” With a flick of his fingers, everything vanished into midair. A huge gasp of admiration rose from the gathering crowd. “See, sensei?”

“Oh- um- well,” he stuttered, stammering out each syllable. “Fine, carry on. But no more of that nonsense!”

“Sheesh, you’d think he’d have a sense of humor at least,” murmured Kaito, on the verge of breaking out into a fit of laughter. “I’m surprised he didn’t mention that’s my third ‘offense’ this week. I’ll bet he likes watching me too.”

Another slow, romantic song came on, and Kaito stared gently at Akako, still believing that she was Aoko- the girl he thought he loved. Cupping her chin in his hand, he asked, “One more?” His tone was so smooth, like silk, and she found herself replying in a way that she never knew she could.

“I’d dance with you forever if I could, Kaito.” Once this is over, what’ll he say? This is going a little too far for a prank… If he knows I’ve been tricking him this whole time, what’ll happen? Why does it already feel so darn right to say ‘Kaito’? she pondered, worrying about the possible consequences.

“Then,” he paused, let out a shaky breath of hesitation that was not like him, closing his eyes before he continued. “Aoko, do you love me?”

How could she reply? She certainly had no right to answer for her friend. But the answer balanced precariously on the tip of her tongue, and came tumbling down. “I love you, Kaito.” It was true for both of them- her and Aoko. So very, very true. She glanced over at where Aoko stood- the other girl hadn’t noticed how close she and Kaito were, how dangerously, dangerously close. She was joking around with Hakuba, both of them smiling and laughing.

“In that case, I feel this would definitely be allowed, wouldn’t it?” He leaned forward, pulling her closer to him with his arms wrapped around her waist, binding them together.

“Kai-Kaito,” Akako squealed, completely unprepared for his sudden actions. “Don- Wait!” I have to tell him- I have to tell him! Otherwise, he and Aoko and both going to absolutely kill me! However, her mouth seemed incapable of saying the words she wanted to utter, instead closing as he pressed his lips to hers.

What kind of static electricity, fire, and magic passed through at that very second was almost indescribable. It was like lightning had just struck, the world around them had disappeared into a fiery inferno, leaving only them. And magic- well, it was obviously there. It was in their synchronized heartbeats, their hunger, and their spirits melding into one.

The outside world was forgotten- they didn’t hear the shocked exclamations, the loud ‘Oh my god’s and especially not Aoko’s, “Wait, what are you doing?!” It was just them, fingers locked together, desire, and love, so much, so much. It didn’t feel one-sided- not to Akako. She could wipe away the thoughts that told her his kiss was meant for Aoko, not her. That she wasn’t supposed to be enjoying this kiss.

She felt guilty, but she let the joy take it away, at least keep it away until it was over. She wanted it to last forever, never stop, this rush, this torrent. And at the rate it was going, it felt like it never would. It was eternity.

She didn’t feel her mask, her glittering butterfly masquerade, slide off of her face as Kaito knocked it off with his hands, reaching to caress her face, but she was aware of what happened next, when they parted and opened their eyes again.

Kaito stared thunderstruck at the girl in front of him, face burning, unable to believe what he had just done. His voice was hardly even a whisper as he put his hand over his mouth, muffling what little noise he was making as he whispered, “Akako.”

[mabel 59]

I. Am. Speechless. I. Love. It.

[hopes 237]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I READ IT ON FF.NET AND I LOVED IT!! KEEP IT UP!!

[Misaki-chan 164]

It's very good! I wonder what will happen now... Is this a one shot?

[IdentityUnknown 216]

CLIFFHANGER!!! BAD AEYRA!!!

Awesome story. Except...*wants HakuAkako*.

[Aeyra 260]

I. Am. Speechless. I. Love. It.

Thanks! I tried my best!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I READ IT ON FF.NET AND I LOVED IT!! KEEP IT UP!!

I hope it was a great B-day present! ^0^

It's very good! I wonder what will happen now... Is this a one shot?

No, it's a two-shot. I just haven't written part two yet. *chuckles weakly* Thanks!

CLIFFHANGER!!! BAD AEYRA!!!

Awesome story. Except...*wants HakuAkako*.

I think Chelsea wanted KaiAka... Out of those peoples, I personally prefer HakuKai myself, but any pairing of the boys with the girls there works with me I guess. Thanks! (I know, I'm so evil! Cliffhanger!)

[mabel 59]

*jumping* make more! make more!

[hopes 237]

...ARE YOU EVER GOING TO FINISH THIS?!?!?!

[Aeyra 260]

...ARE YOU EVER GOING TO FINISH THIS?!?!?!

Over the summer because I haven't had much time. I was also afraid I'd accidentally turn it HakuKai if I didn't pay attention for a second.

[hopes 237]

Over the summer because I haven't had much time. I was also afraid I'd accidentally turn it HakuKai if I didn't pay attention for a second.

D: Aw... Well, when it's written, I'll read!!