It's a morning in late spring when Kaito finds Shuichi with most offensively, a cup of coffee.
"You promised me you'd try stopping," Kaito points out Shuichi's mug as he walks into the room.
"People are frustrating." Shuichi smiles guiltily, though he continues nursing the drink.
Kaito raises an eyebrow, "Bro, what? It's 6:30 in the morning."
"I'm leaving to meet Kirigiri for a bit." Shuichi explains with a yawn, and sips more of the coffee. "Though, she's not the frustrating one. Not right now, anyway."
Kaito shrugs, remembering the purple-haired detective Shuichi worked with regularly and gushed about from time to time.
"Not right now? I didn't know you were capable of ever finding her frustrating."
"Surprise. She's an amazing detective beyond words but we've been co-workers for 4 years now." Shuichi says, punctuating the sentence with another yawn. "I need a bit more sleep. 10 minutes?"
Kaito hums in agreement, knowing his boyfriend was one of the easiest people ever to wake up.
Shuichi doesn't give another word, and slowly walks back to their bedroom. After a beat, Kaito decides to follow him, knowing Shuichi had a bad habit of never sleeping.
Once Shuichi's in bed, he sleepily turns to Kaito standing by the doorway. "Oh and ’Aito? I'll stop nagging you to clean for a week if you'd do one thing for me."
"Huh? What's it?"
"Arrange something to drag Maki into, and leave getting Kirumi to come up to me.”
Dragging people to events was easy enough for Kaito so he quickly agrees, and shuts the lights.
Just then, Shuichi's phone charging on the nearby ledge pings and shows a new message.
Maki! :) : please.
Kaito chuckles. So that's who had been frustrating his boyfriend so early in the morning.
---
It's early summer when the three of them meet up for the first time in months. Kaito had gone on his first mission to space last year, and the last time they’d all been like this was welcoming him back to Earth. Then Maki, Shuichi or Kaito all got busy with conflicting schedules and it was two at most who were able to meet.
Maki sits back done with her 100 and some extra push-ups, sipping her water as she waits for Kaito and then Shuichi who's currently on 88. A gigantic improvement from when Kaito had first dragged them outside the dorms way back in the killing game.
“How have you been, Maki Roll?” Kaito smiles.
“Fine. The orphanage is going well. We have some new kids who badly want to meet you two.”
“I still can’t believe you tell them about us.”
“Of course I do, Spacehead,” Maki scoffs before continuing. “You’re an astronaut, Shuichi’s a detective who has solved multiple cold cases. It’s perfect for kid’s stories.”
“Hey! It’s good for more than that too!”
“I’m done,” Shuichi says, sitting up. “What’s this about new kids? I thought you were at capacity.”
“Keyword: were. Two babies got adopted, and one little kid. So we have two more babies and a teenager.”
“Ah, how are they like?”
“In order: Sleepy, weepy, and likes Buzzfeed Unsolved too much.”
“Oh, ain’t Buzzfeed Unsolved the one with those dark crime cases?” Kaito points out.
“Some occult too,” Shuichi says teasingly, earning himself one of Kaito’s frowns before the astronaut continued.
“When we visit, let’s have a story night! I can teach the younger kids about space or the constellations and Shuichi can tell the older kids about some of those types of cases!”
“Ah, I’d be willing but…” Shuichi trails off.
“I thought your talent was good for more than that,” Maki teases, picking up off Shuichi.
“Wait! It is, I’m just saying!”
Maki and Shuichi promptly burst into laughter, Kaito soon following.
“Not what I was going to say, Maki. I think you’ll be happy about the actual news though.” Shuichi giggles, still clutching his stomach.
“Hm?” Maki questions, looking at the two.
“Oh!” Kaito exclaims. “Right! I’m not sure when it is cuz’ Shuichi’s leaving for a case soon, but we planned a small gathering with our class! Toujo, Akamatsu, Yumeno and Chabashira are available no matter when. The rest depend on the date.”
“I see. I’ll make time then. The orphanage visit is in the air then?” Maki notes with a small smile. Most definitely not for the prospect of seeing a certain former classmate.
“Mhm, until I get back.”
She catches Shuichi’s eye and mouths a thank you, which he returns with a smile and a thumb in Kaito’s direction.
The night fell into easy conversation after that as the three friends caught up.
---
Shuichi returns in the middle of autumn, another solved case to add to both his and Kirigiri’s reputation. A classified case, one that had been, to Maki’s knowledge, somewhat dangerous. And had ended up requiring Shuichi and Kirigiri to go abroad to chase down more evidence.
Specifically them, Maki couldn’t understand why for the life of her.
“Shuichi’s transfer flight from South Korea was delayed, they took off an hour ago. He’s got wifi on the plane for 45 minutes.” Kaito tells her, reading off his phone.
Maki nods. If she remembered correctly, the flight was about 2 hours, which was fine. There was no shortage of things to do in Haneda airport. Including napping.
“I’ll buy us some snacks.” Kaito says, which Maki knows is just a cover to walk around the place for a bit. She nods, and asks for anything strawberry before nodding off.
She wakes up promptly, an hour later, and startles Kaito who seemingly had been about to shake her awake.
“Ok, geez. He landed. Immigration time.” He says, holding some sign with purple glitter and planets that said his boyfriend’s name in Japanese and English, and Maki nods, not questioning since when he’d even had that sign.
He hands her some pink bottled thing. Strawberry-berry juice, whatever the label even meant by that, and they join the rest of the families clamoring right at the International Arrivals gate.
It’s not long before she gets to see her best friend’s face again, his face happily breaking out of the crowd with Kyoko Kirigiri following close behind.
“BRO!” Kaito exclaims, immediately lifting him high in the air, and spinning him around when the two reached them.
“Hey, Harukawa.” Kyoko said with a small smile.
“Kirigiri. How was the flight? Is anyone with you?” Maki asks, returning the smile as she looks around for familiar faces, either resembling the taller girl, or old survivors from season 1..
“It was smooth, and no. Well, I asked them not to come.” The girl says with a chuckle.
“Ah, why not? Would you like a ride home?”
“Knowing my friends, if I asked one to meet me, all would’ve come. Even Togami and Fukawa. Best not to. As for a ride I’m fine, I’ll take the train-- Saihara, not in public.”
The two girls quite nearly (nearly) burst into laughter , leading the boys to break apart early, though still holding hands and come join them.
“Hey, Maki,” Shuichi smiles, warmly extending his arms. Maki accepts the hug gratefully, having not heard from him since he’d left Japan.
“So, what you missed, Saihara: I was just telling Harukawa about my friends, planes, and trains.” Kyoko mentions, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
“Haha.” Shuichi emphasizes. “Your luggage is coming with us though, right? I’ll return it at work.”
“Don’t come in too early, I’m taking a break. You should too. We definitely need it.”
Kaito catches Maki’s eye with a worried look, she simply shook her head, watching the two.
“I won’t. But if I come in, and you’re not there yet, I’m leaving the luggage in your office.”
“That’s fine,” Kyoko shrugs, “Let me just lock it.”
“Ah... was it not already locked?” Shuichi deadpans. Gloved hands freeze in the air, hovering over one of the suitcases behind the group.
“Kirigiri…”
---
“It’s a bit cold.” Kirumi mentions, wrangling her fingers, a habit she shared with her brother.
“I told you it would be.” Maki frowns, concern set in her features. “You can have my jacket, if you want.”
“No, thank you. It’s my du--” Kirumi quickly cut herself off. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Old habits die hard, I’d know.”
“They do.” Kirumi confirms before turning away, her cheeks stained with red. “I do not want your jacket, but may I hold your hand, Maki?”
“Of course, babe.” Maki offers and clasps Kirumi’s free hand. The maid smiles.
It’s been 5 years since Maki and Kirumi had run into each other on the street, and Maki had asked Shuichi to arrange some way for them to meet again, realizing she had no way of contacting the maid herself.
4 years since the two of them started dating.
“I’m grateful you came to that party.” she tells Kirumi, who softly smiles down at her, knowing exactly what she was referring to.
“Me too. Thank you for making Shuichi and Momota organize it.”
“Not a problem,” I’d been so desperate to see you again, Maki thinks, but instead she says “Let’s enjoy the night, okay?”
“That sounds great to me.”
Maki grins, and takes a last look at the map she had on her phone, and memorizes the next few turns, before suddenly running, pulling Kirumi down the street with her as laughter peels out of both girls, as they leave their footprints in the snow.
“Later,” Kirumi pauses to take a deep breath as they reach the restaurant Maki had booked. “Later, let’s have a snowball fight.”
“Alright, I’m beating you, though.” Maki jokes.
“We’ll see about that.” Kirumi looks at her, eyes crinkling in silent laughter as she writes down their names on the arrival form.