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Shades of Grey: Blurring the Lines
by Icka! M. Chif

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Hakuba looked up at the large two-story building with curiosity. It triggered familiarity in the back of his head for some reason, but he couldn't connect why it appeared familiar when he was positive that he had never been here before.

Which just added to the general confusion today, really, because he wasn't quite sure why he was here anyway. Other than the fact that Aoko had been -very- insistent about his accompanying her after school, once she had established the fact that he had no plans for after school.

An insistent Aoko was a highly disturbing thing to be around. Terrifying even. He had gone without much complaint, much to his chagrin.

By the way Aoko went for the key in the loose brick instead of pulling it from her key ring, this obviously was not her house. Which in all honesty was confusing but a minor relief. He couldn't think of any reason for her to invite him, alone, into her house. Well, any good logical reason.

"C'mon." Aoko slipped her shoes off at the door and put on the house scuffs with an air of familiarity. Not her house then, but one she visited on a frequent basis. Still puzzled, he did the same and followed her down the hallways and up the stairs to the second floor. The house was clean, he noted absently, with a definite woman's touch to the décor.

She slowed and paused as she reached the end of the hallway, motioning for silence as she reached for a doorknob and carefully eased the door open, pausing when it was about half way open.

A sound like a large annoyed cat came from inside the room. A very large cat.

"That's rude!" Aoko's posture straightened as she opened the door and stormed in with her usual fire. "I do not sound like a herd of elephants marching up the stairs!"

A second scratching sound, followed by a snickering yowl.

"Elephants are not quieter!"

"Keh."

Aoko's response as she pulled books out of her bag and set them on the bed was unintelligible and most likely something she had picked up from her father. Hakuba didn't dwell on it too deeply.

Instead, he focused on the room's other occupant, who was sitting up and moving sluggishly like a zombie from a cheap horror flick.

Looking much like a zombie from a cheap horror flick as well. Random red patterns ran across pale skin on the verge of grey-green, dark smudges under deep-sunk eyes and sweat-slicked hair that limply spiked in every direction. The large worn off-white tee-shirt stretched out at the collar revealing shadowed collarbones, loose sleeves trailing into thin but sinewy arms and hands that usually flowed like liquid mercury but instead moved like limp worn out rags.

Hakuba could honestly say that he'd never seen Kuroba look so terrible.

He was confident in his relationship with the Kaitou Kid, such as it was. He enjoyed time spent with the thief, be it in the form of intellectual challenges, word games or activities of a more carnal nature.

His relationship with the Kid's other side however... 'Nonexistent' came to mind. He saw Kuroba practically every day in the classroom, but they rarely interacted other than various taunts, usually about intelligance, the lack there of or the Kaitou Kid. It was... grating, that's what it was.

As far as he could figure, the darker haired boy had split his personality, or mind, into two separate beings. There was Kuroba and then there was the Kid. Except for when they crossed over, one personality bleeding slightly into the other. Sometimes when the Kid was winding down from a heist, Hakuba would get flashes of how Kuroba acted when he was relaxed. However, pushing Kuroba brought a different set of reactions than the Kid's. Much more violent for one thing.

But there was still absolutely no question in his mind that Kuroba was the Kid and Kid was Kuroba.

And Hakuba didn't just want the Kid. He wanted the person behind the Kid as well, the complete person.

Sometimes he wondered if he was greedy.

Sometimes he wondered what the hell he was doing.

Kuroba spotted him, pausing in mid-taunt, his mouth partly open as he squeaked an inquiry.

Hakuba squashed the first thing that came to mind, mainly being a taunt that he had a valid excuse to be out of class, which he bit back. For one thing, he -knew- why Kuroba was often out of class. And for another thing, he was not going to get into a verbal sparring match with someone who was ill and could only squeak in response. It was un-chivalrous and beneath his dignity.

"Aoko-kun dragged me along." He said simply.

Enlightenment dawned on Kuroba's face and he nodded, an expression clearly stating that he'd been there before and understood it well.

"Yeah, well, we have tests coming up." Aoko grumbled. "So Kaito -can't- miss anymore school work or his scores are really going to suffer. And since I don't know the material nearly well enough to explain it and Hakuba's got the highest grades in class..." She trailed off hopefully.

"I was brought along to act as a tutor." Hakuba deduced.

Aoko gave him large blue hopeful puppy-dog eyes.

He caved. He knew he caved. That did not mean he had to show that he caved. Externally at least. "For future reference, I would prefer to be asked in advance before my services are offered." He said in as lofty of a manner as possible.

Aoko and Kuroba exchanged looks that clearly read 'softie'. He grumbled and pretended to ignore them. He had a reputation to maintain. 'Stick up the arse' and all that rot as Kuroba had so blithely put it several times.

He changed the topic. "I am assuming what ever ailment you are currently suffering from, it is not contagious?"

Both Aoko and Kuroba shook their heads. Kuroba squeaked again, Aoko translated. "Allergies."

"Allergies?" With the amount of roses and various flowers that Kuroba pulled out of his clothing on a regular basis?

Kuroba shot a dirty glare in Aoko's direction, firmly pointing where the blame rested. "I told you I was sorry!" she shot back "How many times do I need to say it?!"

The resulting grumble was untranslatable as well, although Aoko picked up the pillow and whacked him for it. "-and no, I don't care if you're the sick, injured one here!" she snapped.

Oh... kay... "Pardon?"

Another pointed look in Aoko's direction, followed by a gusty sigh on her part. "You know how Kaito freaks out around fish?" She asked, putting the pillow she'd been hitting him with behind his back to help him sit up against the headboard. Kuroba gave her a nasty look for uttering the 'F-word' in front of him even as he passively assisted her shifting the pillows around.

"Yes. Quite emphatically in fact."

"Yeah, well." She shifted nervously. "Turns out he's allergic to them. Violently. Deadly too. I didn't know, and he didn't know I'd put some in this recipe I was trying. A couple of bites and... "

Kuroba made an exaggerated choking/up-chucking motion. With the pasty complexion and the hideous red hives, it looked morbidly realistic.

"I see..." There really didn't seem to be much he could comment about that, so he shrugged and lifted up his bookbag. "In that case, if Kuroba-kun has recovered enough to work on some homework, shall we proceed?"

"Keh." Kuroba grumped, but folded his legs towards himself so they had room to join him on the bed. It was a tight squeeze, Aoko partly leaning against Kuroba as the books were scattered around the middle.

Tutoring Aoko and Kuroba was not as terrible an experience as he had originally feared. Aoko was far from imbecilic and Kuroba required little to no assistance. What difficulties he did have were mostly points of clarification, small notes jotted down on the side. Although Hakuba did note that Kuroba was pacing himself to Aoko's slower speed.

They made it through history, science and language at a fairly decent rate before Aoko decided a break was called for and went downstairs to avail herself of the Kurobas' kitchen.

Leaving him with a silent Kuroba.

Kuroba looked at him.

He looked at Kuroba.

Kuroba did not look entirely comfortable with the situation either. Of course, it could have merely been the fact his hives were itching.

But it was also painfully similiar to the times that he and the Kid would sprawl out on his bed with heist notes between them. The difference between there and here being that he could actually reach out and -touch- the Kid, that was friendly and warm and companionable.

This was not. This was awkward, prickly and anything other than comfortable.

This sucked. Big time.

"You look like hell," He said conversationally.

Kuroba grunted in agreement.

That was the extent of thier conversation until Aoko came back. Tea was served, along with some soft chocolate-covered biscuits that made Kuroba light up. They were a bit sweet for his taste, but Hakuba had long since resigned himself to the fact he was not made to handle as much sugar as Kid-Kuroba could.

Kuroba-Kid?

... It was so much easier with just the Kid ...

Aoko suggested math homework next, which he most gratefully agreed to. The need for conversation faded as they worked on the problems.

At least until he got to the answer of one of the problems and found himself smirking.

"-Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three." Hakuba muttered quietly to himself "Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe-" He trailed off as he realised that both Kuroba and Aoko were looking at him oddly.

He cleared his throat, fighting the urge to shift nervously. "Yes?"

"'Holy Hand Grenade'-?" Aoko echoed, clearly puzzled, her expression plainly asking if he'd lost his mind.

"It's a quote from a movie." He explained. "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail."

"Never heard of it." Behind her, Kuroba seconded this opinion.

Hakuba looked at them in surprise. "You have never seen 'Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail'? The Killer Bunny, Flight Velocity of an Unladen Sparrow, Castle Anthrax, Huge Tracts of Land, The Black Knight and all that?"

Kuroba shook his head as Aoko gave him a disbelieving look. "Noo..."

"You poor, deprived people." He sighed regretfully. "We must remedy this. I have a copy at my house that you shall have to come over and watch once everyone is healthy again."

Aoko and Kuroba exchanged looks, a hesitant grin growing on her face and an amused look on his face. "Okay," Aoko agreed for both of them. "It's a deal."

He nodded in return, then ducked his head under the pretence of working on homework once more to hide the pleased smile on his face. It faded slightly as he realised that he had -just invited them over to his house-. To watch a movie no less.

He had just invited someone who was the -Kaitou Kid- to come over and watch -Monty Python-.

Oh, dear...

He was not going to think about the trouble that was going to cause, he was not going to think about what Kid could come up with from watching Monty Python, he was not going to...

Math.

Math good.

He might as well attempt to chop down the tallest tree in the forest with a herring...

The rest of the time passed blessedly fast, only part of his mind focused on the schoolwork in front of him, the rest occupied with exploding rabbits, catapulting cows, coconuts, social repression, and people in black who refused to die and threatened to gnaw the ankles off the Kid. Then Aoko was collecting dishes and admonishing Kuroba to get more sleep, drink plenty of fluids, don't scratch too much --at which Kuroba had turned a fun shade of pink-- and that she'd see him tomorrow.

Hakuba was not sure if he was included in that arrangement, so he nodded once in a silent farewell and turned to leave.

"'ey," Kuroba squeaked, catching his attention.

Hakuba paused, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"How d'ya keep a blond in suspense fer twenty-four hours?" It was obviously painful to get the words out, but the wicked grin on Kuroba's face belied the discomfort.

"I am not precisely sure..." Hakuba slowly admitted, sensing a trap. "How?"

"Tell ya t'morrow." Kuroba smiled and waved farewell.

"Very well." Fair enough, he could wait a day for the answer to the question. And it meant that either Kuroba would be school, or he'd be welcome back to the Kuroba residence. "I shall inquire then." he agreed, turning and walking out the door.

He was several steps down the hall before it hit him. "HEY!"

-fin-

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