His eyes keep sliding shut, despite the cold air around him. His stupid child body and the stupid enforced bedtime schedule has made staying up until midnight for New Years after a long, emotionally draining, case-filled day feel like he’s pulled back to back all-nighters for some case or another. Shinichi used to be able to skip a night of sleep no problem. Being a child again ruins pretty much everything once again. Shinichi blinks awake once more, yawning.
Beside him, Hattori nudges him in the ribs. “C’mon it’s not that bad.”
“It’s late,” Shinichi grumbles, sounding exactly like the child he resembles.
“Not that late. It’s only eleven fifty, Kudo.”
“Shh!” Shinichi says out of habit. Hattori only rolls his eyes. Shinichi glances at where Ran and Kazuha are still lingering near the door, half listening to the New Year’s Eve music show that Mouri had playing on TV. Naturally, Yoko had sung earlier. Now it is a J-pop band Shinichi can’t recognize as they wait for the last few minutes of the old year to be over. “I don’t see the point in staying up late when we’re getting up in a few hours to watch the sun rise.”
“It’s the principle of things,” Hattori says. “Ya gotta be with the people you care about, end and start together, y’know?”
“It’s not like we’re close enough to a temple to hear them ring the bells.”
“That’s what TV is for.”
Shinichi closes his eyes again. “Why are you and Kazuha here anyway? Instead of with your families? New Year is a time for family.”
“And friends,” Hattori says lightly. “And all things ya want to hold onto.”
Shinichi grunted. “In the West, New Years is a party time where you celebrate being alive. And kind of a date night.”
“Well we’re not in the West,” Hattori says. “Though I can get behind the celebratin’ life part.”
“There’s also kissing at the stroke of midnight.”
“Ya trying to tell me somethin’ Kudo?” Hattori asks with a lopsided grin.
Shinichi gives him a tired glare. “I’m trying to figure out why you’re over here with me when you could be over there with Kazuha.”
“So yer telling me ta kiss Kazuha,” Hattori concludes, still grinning.
“I’m saying she’s the one you want to spend the year with so you should probably go over there instead of watching me fall asleep sitting up,” Shinichi grumbles. “I’m not exactly great company right now.”
“But maybe I want to keep ya company,” Hattori says. “And I see Kazuha every day. Maybe this year I wanna spend more time with you.”
Shinichi gives him an unimpressed look.
Hattori clicks his tongue. He glances at the girls laughing at something on their phones and leans close. “Look, Kudo. You’re right. I like Kazuha and I like being around her. But if ya think I don’t feel anything for you, yer more stupid than I thought.”
Shinichi blinks, wonders if he’s interpreting that the way it was intended. “Excuse me?” He’s awake all of a sudden, shock and confusion giving him a little burst of adrenaline.
There’s a faint blush on Hattori’s cheeks and, yes, it was intended to be romantic. “What? Ya don’t think I come to Tokyo a couple times a month just ta solve crimes with ya and talk about mystery novels do ya? I mean even Kazuha noticed how much I call you.”
Shinichi gapes at him for a long moment before his jaw clicks shut. “Oh.” Another moment passes as he tries to wrap his head around it. “Wait. Actually romantic—?”
Hattori shoots the girls another look before cupping Shinichi’s face in one of his hands. Somehow this more than anything is a reminder that Hattori is the age Shinichi’s supposed to be while Shinichi’s stuck tiny. “What do you think, idiot?”
“But I’m little!”
“I like you for your brain not yer body, Kudo.” Hattori leans back away, flicking Shinichi in the forehead.
Shinichi rubs the spot. He’s not tired now. He’s not sure how he could be tired when Hattori just dropped all that on him. “You sure have a funny way of showing it,” he mutters.
“I like being with you. I like solving cases and visiting tourist spots or just sitting around like this with ya. Yer the one I think to call if I see something cool or run across something challenging.” He shrugs. “I want all the time you’ll give me, Kudo.”
“Oh,” Shinichi repeats.
“Ya don’t haveta give an answer,” Hattori says, turning back to look at dark, city streets. “Just don’t go sending me away, okay?”
For a split second, Shinichi wonders why Hattori would ever think Shinichi would send him away. Then common sense kicks back in. “Don’t be stupid,” Shinichi says. “You’re one of my best friends.”
“Huh. Good to know.” Hattori smiles and back in the doorway the girls start counting down to the new year. On the TV, bells begin to ring. Mouri sings off key and drunk some unrecognizable song and Ran and Kazuha laugh together. “Happy New Year, Kudo.”
“Happy New Year,” Shinichi echoes right before they’re caught up in Ran and Kazuha’s New Year well wishes and cheerful hugs.
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