Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan!

The first time they met they were at the park.

Shinichi was out with Ran, his long time childhood friend. The two were searching for a suitable spot for their picnic or, more precisely, Ran was. They had just about scoured the whole park in the short thirty minutes they had been there, but she had yet to make a decision and as time continued to tick away the high school detective was growing just the slightest bit agitated. His stomach was starting to grumble too and lugging around the heavy basket, packed full with their lunch, was getting tiresome.

He came to a stop on the stone path and placed the basket beside him, taking a moment to rest and stretch his tired arms as Ran hurried on ahead. He really hoped she would make up her mind and soon or else he was going to eat the food right then and there without her.

As he stretched, blue eyes lazily scanned the scenery around him. It was a lovely day; there was plenty of sun with the occasional stray cloud. A bit warm for his taste but it made the breeze all the more refreshing. The park itself was rather busy—which was surprising since it was a weekday—however, most of the people at his location were concentrated in one large area nearby and as he watched the group burst into cheers and applause.

Whatever had their attention must be entertaining. Curious he picked up the basket and gravitated over, lingering at the edge of the crowd. He saw a young male, not that much older than himself, standing on a bench. He was grinning, juggling a set of plastic balls in his hands and he had a dove on each shoulder.

A magician?

Shinichi's brow scrunched up even as he frowned. While he didn't have a problem with magic it lost a certain appeal when you knew how it was being done; it had never been hard for him to figure out the secrets behind such frivolous tricks.

He was about to turn away when the teen looked in his direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment and Shinichi swore the magician's smile seemed to grow bigger.

Tossing the four balls into the air the magician snapped his fingers. The items exploded, showering the area in confetti as four doves materialized out of thin air, hovering where the balls had been.

The detective's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise as the birds took to the crowd, flapping and swooping over the heads of the spectator's head's earning several "oohs" and "ahhs" from the group even as a few ducked reflexively to the spectacle.

Shinichi's surprise quickly morphed into bemusement, however, as he suddenly found himself a part of the show. The four doves had made a beeline for him, taking up residence on his shoulders and head. They then began cooing and pecking at his hair much to his chagrin and the amusement of the performer and his spectators.

The magician hopped from the bench an arm extended towards the detective. "It seems my birds have taken a liking to you good sir." He chirped, trying to look embarrassed.

The act didn't fool Shinichi who frowned back at him as laughter washed over the crowd and he felt his cheeks burning.

"Here. Let me help you." The magician continued and put his fingers to his lips. At the whistle the birds took flight once more and the detective started to relax.

That is until he felt something moving around in his clothes. Before he had the chance to even think the area exploded with even more doves as they burst out from under his shirt and jacket. Surprised, Shinichi dropped the basket and raised his arms to defend against sudden flock.

Cursing at his mistake he quickly looked down, reaching out a hand in hopes of catching it before the contents of their meal landed all over the ground.

However, rather than seeing pile of food like he expected, he found the magician crouched before him. In his arms was their lunch and he was looking sheepishly up at the detective.

"Sorry about that." He said, this time looking truly embarrassed as he stood.

"It's okay." Shinichi mumbled as accepted the basket, taking the moment to look at the teen across from him. He was dressed in casual clothes, his unruly brown hair falling in wisps over his forehead. The most intriguing part was those wide blue eyes that seemed to have flecks of violet hidden within.

It was here that Shinichi came to a realization.

This street performer was... good looking.

When magician titled his head, an eyebrow raising, Shinichi realized that he was staring. He quickly looked away, turning his attention to the basket in his arms and lifted the lid to make sure everything was all right. That is when he felt a hand on his shoulder and the detective dared to lift his head.

"Aww. Look. He is embarrassed! Here, lets give him a round of applause for being a good sport!" The magician said cheerfully, turning back to the crowd as he patted Shinichi's shoulder. The detective frowned.

Never mind. He was not cute at all!

As the spectators happily applauded Shinichi blushed, fidgeting in his spot as the warmth from the hand seemed to seep through his clothes and into his skin. The teen performer then flicked his wrist, a red rose appearing in his hand. He deftly slipped it into the front pocket of Shinichi's jacket and returned to his spot on the bench.

"Now for my next trick..."

The detective didn't get to hear the rest as another voice drew his attention. He turned to see Ran rushing towards him, lavender eyes wide with concern and relief, the picnic blanket cradled in her arms.

"Shinichi!" She gasped coming to a stop in front of him, "Why are you all the way back here?" A pause, "And where did that rose come from?"

He blinked and removed the thorn-free flower. "Sorry. I got distracted."

Her brow creased as she studied him and he resisted the urge to flinch because he knew exactly what she was thinking: She thought he had run off without saying anything to her. Part of his chest clenched at the idea of making her worry like that again. Fortunately Shinichi had promised her (as well as himself) that he was not going to run off on cases and leave her behind like he did before.

And he intended to keep it this time.

That still didn't alleviate all of her worry though and his eyes softened as he watched her mask the concern behind smile.

"I thought you didn't like magic shows." She said, looking behind him at the magician who was currently pulling colored fabric from his sleeve.

"I don't." He commented as he slipped the rose behind her ear.

She blushed, reaching up a hand to gently touch the flower. "You were trying to figure out the tricks weren't you?" She remarked, leaning slightly to one side so her long brown hair fell over her shoulder.

Shinichi smiled, "Something like that..."

"Geez, Shinichi. I just can't leave you alone, can I?" Ran giggled as she looped her arm in his and pointed down the path. "Come on. I found the perfect spot!"

"Took you long enough." He joked, causing her to elbow him in the ribs.

The two shared a laugh and as he let his friend drag him away, Shinichi sent one final look over his shoulder. His heart skipped a beat when he caught those indigo eyes watching him one final time. The look was very brief though, averting almost the instant Shinichi had turned and he shook his head.

It had to be his imagination. Right?