Assassins, Detectives, and the Mafia

Rats and Bodies

Kokichi traces the doorframe contemplatively, violet eyes glazed over with thought.

It's too late. It's too late and Shuichi isn't home.

He was supposed to be home hours ago!

"You're going to wear a hole into the floor if you keep pacing."

Kaito leans easily against Kokichi's wall, spiky hair eclipsing narrowed eyes.

"Seriously. They'll be fine."

Something in Kaito's voice tells Kokichi that he doesn't quite mean it, and his eyes narrow.

"So now you decide to care?" Kokichi smiles. "You didn't cry when Rantaro died, but now you're so concerned?"

"That's not it and you know it."

"Ohh, I understand now!" Kokichi's eyes light up with childish glee as he snaps his fingers, walking over to sit on the bed. "You're worried about Maki, aren't you?"

"I'm worried about you!" Kaito shouts, slamming his fist into the wall for emphasis. "You haven't been the same since Rantaro died! You're... darker. More dangerous."

"Well, it could be... because I killed Rantaro." Kokichi's hair brushes the floor as he leans off the bed upside-down, eyes sparkling playfully.

"You... you...!"

Shock courses hot through Kaito's veins as Kokichi quirks his mouth into a small little smirk.

"Or I could be lying. But really, what do you think?"

"You're insane," Kaito growls, hand clenching into a fist. "You're actually insane."

"Am I?" Kokichi sing-songs, crawling back atop the bed to shuffle a deck of cards. "Hmm... I don't think so."

"It wasn't you, was it?"

Kaito traces contemplative circles on a notepad, doodling something that looks almost like stars.

"Maaaaaybe it was," Kokichi smirks. "Maaaaaybe it wasn't."

Kaito closes his eyes, and for a moment, he can imagine Rantaro's final moments - clawing at the scarf for breath, whispering his final words with the last dregs of hope left in his lungs-

"Kokichi."

The Ultimate Leader reclines easily against the headrest, face utterly impassive. "That's what you think he said, isn't it?"

"Ghk-"

"I know how you think, Kaito." Kokichi's eyes narrow as he tugs his cap lower, effectively removing any chance Kaito had of reading him. "You think I did it."

Kaito's not exactly sure how to think at this point, actually. On the one hand, Kokichi did say that he did, but on the other, it's hard to tell whether or not Kokichi's lying.

Add that to how Kokichi's confusing on a normal day when they're not talking about Rantaro and Kaito's pretty certain that his mind is going to be stuck spinning in circles.

"Am I confusing you?"

Kokichi leans against the window, moonlight silhouetting his lithe form.

"How did-"

"You're easy to read. You wear everything on your sleeve."

Kokichi presses a hand to his chest, forcing him out of the room. The light of the hallway casts long shadows as he smirks playfully, and flips a playing card across his knuckles.

"Pick a card, any card."

Suddenly, there's a deck fanned out in front of him, all flipped down so that only the grey backs are visible.

"Wha- no, Kokichi-"

"Fine. Suit yourself."

Kokichi's mouth curls into a pout and he throws the playing cards into the air. Kaito can see some of their faces - the five of hearts, four of clubs, nine of spades, jack of diamonds-

The Ultimate Leader holds the ace of spades proudly in his face, smirking devilishly.

"Seems like luck just isn't in the cards for you... or her."

Without another word, Kokichi pulls the door shut, leaving a befuddled Kaito in the hall, cards scattered around him like feathers to a bird.