Behind the Thick Framed Glass

Pairing(s): KaiShin/KaiCon

Summary: Above the thick framed glasses there was one Edogawa Conan. Glasses that deemed to be normal from almost everyone, but to Edogawa Conan it held so much more. It was hiding much more of his identity that he had kept for a long time. Because behind his thick framed glasses, there was one Kudo Shinichi hiding from the spotlight.

Warning(s): Shitty grammar, OOC, mild language, Shounen-ai

…

"Thanks for the hard work as usual, Conan-kun." Satou-keiji flashed him a grin while Conan laughed nervously at her enthusiasm. How long had this been going anyway? Him, stumbling on dead bodies seemingly every day from the past, how long was it again? Ah yes, it's been two years. Two years since Shinichi left for a 'big' case and Edogawa Conan was born.

"I've got to go, Satou-keiji, Takagi-keiji. Later!" He nodded and jogged up to catch up to the bus. He looked at his wrist watch and cursed internally. He was late again. Ran would probably be furious if he was to come late again. He heard a muffled goodbye from Satou and Takagi, and smiled. He nodded though his back was moving far away from them.

Slowly, he slowed down his pace. The bus was coming, he thought. As he saw where the sign was, he sighed in relief. At least he wasn't late for the bus. He jogged up, walking to nearby bench while waiting for the bus to come. Suddenly, someone bumped into him before he even sat on the bench. Slowly raising his head, the man already had gone from his sight. Tsking, he watched the man go. Feeling something was missing, he reached for his eyes.

His glasses were gone.

He looked down and saw how his glasses were broken. Ugh, he thought, he really needed to ask Professor Agasa to at least strengthen his glasses. Sure he had spare glasses, but still it's a hassle to just go and ask every time to just get the pair of glasses. It wasn't like he needed it, of course he didn't. He has a 20/20 vision, a perfect one at that. But the risks, the risk of discovering were lying behind those thick framed glasses. He realized.

He relied too much from his father's old glasses.

Waiting for the bus, he sighed. The kids were nowhere to be seen during the murder scene earlier because Haibara had asked them earlier to help her out to prepare the curry since they were all going to eat there anyway. Conan of course refused since he wasn't fond of cooking anyway. He was just a taster, so he excused himself saying that there's a new mystery book from the store which he was sure wasn't really a total lie.

Then, bam! Someone dropped dead before he even entered the store. For a kid, he didn't even bat an eyelash when he saw the man dropped in front of him, but no one saw that or no one paid attention since there was a man crouching, coughing, until it all subsided before even Conan decided to do a first aid method. He regretted, after all he wasn't able to help the man. He wasn't able to save the man from the death, but… He wondered sometimes, why had even bother saving someone? Then he proceeded to shake his head, looking up to the sky, and smiled wistfully. And said to himself,

"You're a detective, you idiot."

Oh yeah, he almost forgot. He was once a high school detective, a famous one at that. He still was a detective, but in the guise of a kid named Edogawa Conan that he only came up with when Mouri Ran cornered him. It was stupid, but seriously, nothing always went well when he was involved anyway. But he reasoned out to himself, of course nothing goes right. He was a detective after all.

A trouble magnet, he added.

Realizing that he was thinking too much, he waited for the bus. Still, why was the bus so slow anyway? He reached for his backpack and opened it, revealing the mystery book he bought earlier. He was really trying not to read this today because he had school and he couldn't afford to stay up late because of this body, but he couldn't help it. He was a mystery otaku, as Ran dubbed his older self.

He slowly opened the book, readying his eyes for some action, until the bus came. Damn, he thought as he grudgingly closed his book again, and waited for the bus to stop where he was sitting. When the bus stopped, Conan didn't think much, and dropped the coins for his fare. He walked inside, sitting on the nearby window from the far back. He saw a young man, sitting not too far away from him, and Conan thought he saw the resemblance of his old self from the guy, but quickly shrugged it off.

He leaned his head next to the window, looking at everything while a smile pasted on his face. How long has it been? Two years? Two years of pursuing men in black that turned him into a little kid. Two years of wishing he could say to Ran, "Hey Ran, it's me Shinichi." He wondered what reaction he would get if his childhood friend would know. That he was Shinichi, that Conan who never left her side was her childhood friend all along. That she was waiting for like forever when he was beside her all the time.

He would sure go limp.

He didn't want her to know, he didn't want her to give up on him, but all the more, he was asking a lot more. He was asking Ran to give up her happiness to wait for him. He wanted to return, to return and asked for her hand, but for the past two years, he couldn't help but ask, "Am I the same person anymore?" Was he the one Ran was expecting or was he now a completely different person? A person that hid on one thick framed glass that one Edogawa Conan always wore.

He didn't know, yet he was afraid to ask. To know fully that he wasn't the same obnoxious High School Detective of the East anymore. He was once Edogawa Conan, and once he got his full body back (if he ever had the chance, though he believed in Haibara's excellency he couldn't help but feel hopeless every time he saw his childhood friend, Ran cried in front of him. It wasn't as easy as he thought) he wasn't sure if wouldn't miss being a kid. He believed in Haibara's brain, he really did, but for some reason, once he looked at himself in front of the mirror. He couldn't help himself but asked, "Hey, is that you Shinichi or Conan?" It was a depressing thought, but he couldn't shake it off. Never would, and would forever imprint on his genius mind.

"Hey kid," startled from the voice, he turned his head. And he was right, the man contained so much resemblance from his older self, ah forget it, the man could even pass as his twin. He looked suspiciously at the young man, searching for any necessities, and he was surprised because he couldn't read the man at all. As if he was wearing a mask. A mask that was much stronger than his well-crafter thick framed glass.

"Yes, onii-san?" he asked in a child-like manner he was supposed to appear. But the second his blue eyes landed on the man's indigo eyes, he swore there was amusement and grimaced hiding in there, but it quickly was gone as it appeared.

"You seem lonely," the man remarked. Before Conan could say that it was nothing, the man flashed a knowing grin that Conan had thought he once saw before, and startled when the man offered him a rose. A white rose? He raised his brow and waited for the man to talk, and as he predicted the man spoke. Flashing him again that stupid grin that he couldn't place where he had seen, the man mocked a bow from his seat, and said.

"Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. Nice to meet you, ojou-chan." Conan felt his eyes twitched. He was a boy, a guy no less for Pete's sake. He was not a lady! And he was sure of that. Glaring at the man, that a kid should never have done, the man simply ignored him, and insisted Conan on taking the white rose. Grudgingly, he took the rose, but didn't utter any word. He tucked the rose inside his backpack and proceeded to look at the scenery.

"You know, it's a common courtesy to tell someone your name when somebody introduced themselves to you." A teasing tone startled him from his thoughts. Conan glared, or tried to but the man seemed to be genuine to it. He sighed and relented, somewhat.

"Edogawa Conan, a detective." He said, not looking at those eyes. For some reason, he felt those eyes pierced through his own soul. As if they were seeing what other people could not. As if they were seeing who the person behind his thick framed glasses that he always relied on too much. But that's impossible, only he himself knew who Kudo Shinichi was. Even Hattori Heiji, his best friend, or even Haibara Ai couldn't understand who was behind the mask. Who was he hiding from all the people, no one could understand. No one besides himself could understand what the difference between Edogawa Conan and Kudo Shinichi was.

"Oohh. You're a detective?" the man cooed. Somehow, Conan could feel his vein popped. Someone, only someone in this world could make him lose his calm. And that impossible since that person was as mysterious as heck, he wouldn't run around the city like this, and the fact that he was approaching his said 'rival' that was most unlikely.

"Yes, yes onii-san." He answered, more sternly than he had imagined. The man flashed him a knowing grin, was this man an idiot?! Conan felt his heart race, somehow this situation aggravated him. He looked away and stared at the window. The man now known as Kuroba Kaito scooted over to Conan's side. Taking a look at the city his tantei-kun was looking, he smiled sadly.

He knew fair well that this meeting would lead him discovered, but never once he hesitated in helping his tantei-kun. Somewhat he was afraid, afraid that his tantei-kun would turn him in. But how do you call it? Ah, right. He has his trust. He knew that tantei-kun would never sink that low. He once thought it was ironic for a thief who had been doing his night job completely hiding his true identity behind the monocle and his hat to trust someone. And to think that that someone was a detective, he laughed heartlessly after that. He trusted someone who could outwit him as he also outwitted the other. It was a unique bond that they only had when they were standing edge to edge on the rooftop.

Soccer balls, card guns, stun gun watch, every time he had heists he was waiting for those. The excitement, oh the fun when tantei-kun looked at him with those piercing blue eyes. He soon realized that once he was planning a heist, all he could think of was tantei-kun. The predatory smirk that could send a Kaitou Kid on the edge, the deadly soccer balls that could literally send him from far the ground. Those were the moments he was reminiscing whenever he crafted a heist. A heist that he was sure would entertain the chibified tantei.

Tantei-kun was different. He was different from the rest. He would break the law without hesitation, well almost, to pursue his one big truth. He was a detective living up by his name without exactly naming himself as once a high school detective, Kudo Shinichi. He was different, sterner, calm, and took greatly at the scene without causing a fuss. He was a detective that not only went for justice, but also wanted to reveal the truth. Kaito knew that, once he landed his eyes on the chibified detective, he knew he was different.

And that excited Kaito even more.

He once thought that detectives were nothing but pricks that mercilessly went after criminal to take them behind the bars. Whether they were injured or not, nothing mattered. All of their concerns were concentrated on living up with their name. To say that, once they captured the criminal, then only that time they would take a good look at what happened. As if saying that criminal lives were nothing but wrong. But once he saw tantei-kun in action, he couldn't help but smile.

He actually saved a murderer.

It was a little known fact that only Hattori Heiji, Haibara Ai, and now Kaitou Kid or Kuroba Kaito had secretly observed. Kaito was a little baffled when he learned that fact. Weren't detectives only live up for their names? He once asked, but when he got injured, and got himself shot. He wasn't surprised when tantei-kun hurriedly took his side. Offering him reassurance, applying first aid kit with that serious look on his blue eyes behind those thick frame glasses, he spoke.

"N-nice evening, huh, tantei-kun?" he teased, but all he got was a stern look while tantei-kun proceeded to check his wounds. Luckily, it only hit his leg, and nothing more. He saw how tantei-kun sighed in relief, and Kaito was a little more concern. Wasn't he going to arrest him since he was all injured and weak? But all he got was smile.

"No one deserves to die, KID. Even a criminal such as yourself." He said while his eyes darted off to where the sniper came from. Kaito took a great look at his tantei-kun's eyes, thinking or searching if there was a lie underneath to catch him off guard, but he didn't see anything. Just pure, pure look of worry and concern, he chuckled earning himself a weird look from his tantei-kun.

"You're weird, tantei-kun." He said, and tantei-kun scoffed still searching for the sniper. That was when Kaito really had a genuine smile appeared on his lips. A smile that he had never had for a long time since his dad had died from a supposedly stage accident. He thought, "Yes, definitely tantei-kun is different."

"You know, it's so wrong to stare." Kaito started when he heard the kid's voice. Ah, he was reminiscing so much. Seeing the lights from the city down here on the ground made him remember. Remember the great fact that he was Kaitou Kid. That he not only enjoyed the spotlights, the rush, the fun of messing with the task force and Nakamori-keibu, but also the fact that once he had his heists, he got his tantei-kun's full attention. It was all well-reserved just for him. Just for him, and no one else's.

"Ah, my apologies ojou-chan. The city is just lovely to ignore." He said. Trying very hard to hide his amusement as he felt tantei-kun twitched. It was fun, he mused, to see that tantei-kun could lose his cool. And he was damn proud that he was the only one who could do that. After all, even a murderer couldn't even surprise the chibified detective. And for some reason, Kaito sadly smiled. Tantei-kun never get his rests, always stumbling with dead bodies, kidnapping, robberies, and then how Mouri Ran would cry in front of his eyes while complaining how 'Kudo Shinichi' was always missing.

It was a saddening fact.

Sure, he had the detective's attention when he was at his heists, but Kaito wanted more. For some reason, he wanted the detective all for himself. And he soon realized that. Kuroba Kaito was anything but dense. He was sharp and intelligent, much smarter than his tantei-kun would know. He was completely aware of the fact that he, dared he say it, liked the detective of the East. He wasn't even sure how on earth that happened, but when he soon realized that he had fallen, he knew he had it bad.

After all, tantei-kun already has Mouri Ran.

But once, he saw the little changes. He decided to dropped by (stalked actually) to see how tantei-kun lived his life as a kid. The childish acts tantei-kun did the whole day were more than enough to throw Kaito off. It was the most frightening event he had ever seen. Sure he was amused as to how tantei-kun could pull that off since he was a serious calm detective before, but once he landed his eyes on tantei-kun, he grimaced. He didn't want to hear those chirping sounds anymore. It could lead him to nightmares, and he was sure he didn't need any of that anymore.

But once he followed tantei-kun (thank God he hasn't noticed his presence yet or he completely ignored since he wasn't there for harm, Kaito didn't know) up to Mouri Tantei Agency, he could see the changes. The way he interacted with Mouri Ran, it was different than before. His blue eyes always softened whenever they landed on Ran's face, but now it held nothing but a fond, longing, regret, but Kaito couldn't see where the usual love was. He could see tantei-kun's eyes very clearly because of his trained dove, Momoko. And Kaito only saw how tantei-kun would shake his head as if he was regretting something he thought. Ah, Kaito thought, he still has his chance.

"You know if you've noticed I'm leaving. So, bye nii-san!" Conan chirped startling Kaito from his dream land once again. He didn't want to look at the person's face, not wanting to memorize the thief's face. For him, he felt like he had done a crime. He couldn't risk the trust that the thief had given him. After all, he treasured the thief as much he treasured he didn't know. And he just knew. He just knew that the thief was important to him, and that even sent him on the edge. Why would he care for a criminal?

Sure, the thief was a less criminal-y (if that's even a word) than most of the criminals he had laid his eyes on. He would never admit that he enjoyed the thief's heists, but for all he knew the thief already know anyway. Then, there's this policy of his of no-one-gets-hurt. And then the thief despised criminals as much Conan despised murders. And Conan was sure that in different circumstances he would really like to be friends with the man behind that monocle and hat. But still… he was a thief that Conan must catch, but the thought of putting him behind the bars made Conan's stomach ached. He didn't feel right.

He hadn't felt right.

Rearranging his glasses as he walked, he turned to look at his back. There he saw the young man inside the bus. He silently cursed, stopping his tracks to let the man catch up to him. Oh, Conan would surely scold the thief for this. What on earth was he doing anyway? Why was he revealing himself to him? To a detective who wanted to catch him no less? Has the thief gone mad? He didn't look like it. Ah, but Conan was sure the thief wouldn't get away with this. If he would be like that, then the thief probably was insane. Not that Conan ever expected the thief to be normal anyway, but still… He was a detective!

"You idiot!" He exclaimed as soon as the thief caught up to him. He didn't care if he got strange looks. The only thing he cared for the moment was the thief being an idiot. Sure, he really wanted to know who the person behind that annoying monocle of his, but still. He didn't want to know it this way. He wanted to reveal the thief with his own hard work, to reveal him during his heists, not some random meeting inside the bus. Seriously, was he even thinking at all? Ah, the thought just made Conan's hair white.

"What?" Kaito somewhat mockingly affronted as he heard the chibi's voice. As expected of tantei-kun, he thought. Well, he was dropping hints anyway. But still, to reprimand him like this he couldn't help but smile. Really, the detective was so much different than the others who had been chasing him for years. If it was that bastard Hakuba, he was sure he was going behind the bars immediately. Sure, Hakuba was a good detective if Kaito may say so himself. But tantei-kun was much different.

He saw how the teen worked. He even saw how the three detectives work. Tantei-han was more like tantei-kun but tantei-kun was careful while tantei-han was bashful. Almost destroying the evidence as Hakuba had said, but tantei-han and tantei-kun held so much resemblance. They were both after the truth, but they both cared for human beings. They acted rash, yes, but they did that because they wanted to save the victim. To save them from the brink of death, instead of just standing around and preserved the crime scene. Hakuba, well, he treated crime scenes as much as he treated puzzles which in return irritated tantei-han even more. Kaito could understand, after all he didn't like the blond either.

He was a prat half-Brit.

"What do you think you're doing, showing yourself like this? Are you crazy? Are you insane? What if I decided to turn you in right here and now? You idiot, what were you thinking?!" Kaito listened patiently as tantei-kun ranted about his idiocy. He was enjoying himself, all right. The grin pasted on his face was an indication, but tantei-kun was too busy to catch that. Kaito made an 'ahem' and tilted his head innocently.

"What are talking about, kid?" Conan felt his vein popped. This seriously needed to stop, so he dragged the thief to who knows where, and decided to confront him and knock some sense to his mind. Seriously, Conan was starting to think if he was trying to scold a child. And who was the child in here in the first place? Sure, he wasn't really a child, but still.

"What are you doing here, Kid?!" Conan snarled as soon as they reached the narrow street. He was seriously going to get in trouble with Ran, but he needed to knock some sense into this thief's mind. What if he started revealing himself to anyone who was chasing him? What if he started to reveal himself to Hakuba? Or even worse to Nakamori-keibu? The media would surely fly all over the country if that happens.

"As much as I appreciate the thought of you thinking of me as Kaitou Kid, I'm sorry to say but I'm not him. He's my idol, but I'm seriously honest that I'm not him." Kaito did his best to keep his amusement to himself, but to look at the distress tantei-kun was having he couldn't let it slip from his poker face. It was the funniest night he had ever had. Tantei-kun's horrified look as he realized it was him was the most promising event of the night. Oh, he would surely remember this.

"You idiot, do you think I would fall for that? One, you were dropping hints showing me that annoying smirk of yours. And then, what the hell do you take me for? An idiot? Do you really think that I would believe such nonsense of having two look alike of mine?! Kid is proven to imitate me without his mask, and then you showed up saying that you were ugh, forget it. You're insane!" Conan walked off, but Kaito caught his wrist.

"Oh come one, tantei-kun. I was just having a little fun." Kaito took the opportunity to hug the detective like a teddy bear. He had been waiting to do this, but he didn't want to end his life sooner either. Soon, he realized that the detective was squirming from his hold, but he wasn't going to let the opportunity past his grasp. He was once again alone with the detective, and without disguises at that. He let down his tantei-kun on the ground, but held him firm. Tantei-kun scowled but said nothing. Kaito hummed, thinking of things he wanted to do. But first he wanted to do the thing he had wanted to do since the day he learned that Edogawa Conan was none other than Kudo Shinichi.

He removed his glasses.

The only thing that separated Conan's alter ego from his older self, the glasses he had always worn. Never had he removed his glasses when it wasn't needed and for the thief to remove from his face, well he felt like he was stripped. Conan glared at the thief who only grinned in return. Then he said,

"For now, we won't have to restrain ourselves, 'ne? Wouldn't you agree tantei-kun? For now, you are Shinichi and I am Kaito, leave our alter egos, and enjoy yourself." The thief smiled at his tantei-kun who was eyeing himself suspiciously. He sighed and shook his head. If tantei-kun wasn't like this, well Kaito would never pay attention to him anyway. He liked tantei-kun, more than a mere detective that always had foiled his plans. He liked tantei-kun because he was Edogawa Conan and at the same time Kudo Shinichi. Living with different alias wasn't new to Kaito since he was living in that kind of secret life too. And he liked tantei-kun, well because he was tantei-kun.

So, he decided he wanted a day off. He wanted a day off from all the pressure. The pressure of being Kaitou Kid, the annoyance of being the center of Hakuba's annoying accusations, the pain he felt when his only best friend hated his alter ego and for once, he wanted to rest. He wanted some rest, to at least feel that he wasn't different than before. That he was still Kuroba Kaito, an aspiring magician that wished to be greater than his dad someday.

And he wanted to spend that day with the person who could understand him the most.

Conan silently followed, he had no choice anyway. Since the thief was holding his hand firmly that it almost hurt. But he was confused, though a bit happy. That there would be someone out there that could understand the boundaries between Conan and Shinichi, two people in one, but still separated by one thick framed glass. It felt surreal and strange that he would feel safe in the arms of a criminal, but he wanted to rest. At least to take his mind off things, for he knew he was tired. Deadly tired.

As soon as Conan found himself walking with Kid, he felt happy somehow. He felt complete, a sense of completeness that he hadn't felt since the day he wore his father's old glasses. How long was he hiding from the spotlight? How long was he waiting, patiently anticipating from the signs of the crows? It's been two years already and most of his friends moved on. Most of them stored him in their memories and moved on with their lives. Ran was the same thing, she was slowly moving on. She wasn't sounding so irritated and enthusiastic whenever he called her from the phone. She sounded tired, tired as he was.

He realized, everyone was moving on, and he was left with his father's glasses.

His thoughts flew by but stopped when he felt a grip from his tiny hands. He looked at the thief who smiled reassuringly down at him. And he couldn't help but smile back. Why was the thief even doing this? He knew that the thief was risking his freedom with this event, but Conan wanted to think nothing else but feel thankful. The thief appreciated him as much as he appreciated the other. It was somewhat a complicated relationship that they both unconsciously built. Perhaps, he was friends with the thief all along. A thought that sent smile on his lips, oh the irony.

Soon, Conan found himself walking in some amusement park. Thankfully it wasn't Tropical Land where he was shrunk. The thief was considerate, he thought. A smile tugging from the corner of his lips, he knew. He was grateful, all right. That the thief would know something about him others would never bother to know. That he would bother to spend time with him even if he was risking his own freedom. And Conan felt grateful, almost wanting him to cry, but he would never. The last time he cried was when his mother released him, which was the day he was born.

The thief showed him around. Mascots, shows, rides, booths, and everything a person would typically see in one amusement park. Conan suppressed a smile when he saw the thief showing a little magic show from the kids walking by. Conan would never admit it but the thief was actually good, no he was at a professional level. If he thought of switching careers, he was sure the thief would succeed. Not that Conan would ever admit that. The thief already had his high belief to himself, no need to compliment him that much.

After seemed like hours, they ended up sitting together inside the Ferris wheel. Conan or rather Shinichi didn't feel strange or his life in danger when he didn't feel his glasses from his eyes. For now, he was Shinichi, a once teenage detective that cared deeply for his childhood friend. For now he was Shinichi, and he was Conan at the same time. For now, the glasses that separated the two were now one. For long a time, Shinichi had never felt this relax before. He looked at the thief sitting across him, and he was trying not to fidget. So, he swallowed his pride and said.

"Thank you… Kaito." He said, while his head ducked low. He was embarrassed but he wasn't regretting it. After all, his father had thought him to be grateful and be thankful at everything. To be able to suppress the gratefulness by words, and he was sure he didn't regret it the moment the thief smiled at him softly. It sent a tingling pain on his stomach, but it didn't hurt. It felt kind of nice.

Kaito looked at his tantei-kun and couldn't help himself but think that his tantei-kun was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his whole life. He wasn't even sure if he was being narcissist or not since he was practically identical with his tantei-kun. But he decided he was not. Tantei-kun's blue eyes were just damn beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off.

Kaito would surely be dead after he did this, but still, it's worth the risk. So, he slowly scooted over in his tantei-kun's side, while tantei-kun was busy looking at the lights, and slowly wrapped his arms around the chibified detective's waist, almost immediately startling the detective in question, but that didn't stop there. Kaitou pulled the detective out from his seat and let the detective sat on his lap. For a long minute, he just smelled the detective's smooth masculine smell. And unconsciously ran his fingers through tantei-kun's soft black hair which caused the detective to whimper from the sudden touch.

They both relaxed.

Kaito then proceeded to make the detective face him, and he smiled softly. Almost pleadingly that the detective had to nod, Kaito beamed. And he slowly, slowly steadily closed the distance separating their lips. When their lips touched, Kaito felt magical. As if there was something called like a spark. He smiled, grinning almost even when he felt his tantei-kun relaxed from his hold. He wanted to do something more, but they were both inside a Ferris wheel and he didn't want to cause a commotion, so he closed his eyes, feeling the moment before he pulled away.

He rustled tantei-kun's hair and smiled softly, almost lovingly as he caressed his tantei-kun's face. They were soft, he mused, softer than he had imagined it would be. Soon, they reached the ground, Shinichi still in Kaito's hold. It was perfect, they both thought.

Once they got out from the amusement park, Kaito offered Shinichi a ride home. Which in return, a stammering Shinichi said yes, his face almost red as tomato. Scratch that, it was redder than any red fruit or vegetable. Kaito happily took Shinichi's hand, intertwining it with his own as he looked softly to his tantei-kun. Perhaps, it wouldn't be today when they would meet face to face. But for once, this relaxation day, Kaito decided it was worth it. Because…

He was able to crack Shinichi's thick framed glasses.