Author's Notes: This will be my collection of Detective Conan/Magic Kaito oneshots and drabbles that I've written for the livejournal community manycases1truth. These are either challenge themes or ficswap ones, so they vary from serious to parody/crack. Enjoy!

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Title: Salt and Pepper
Rating: PG
FicSwap Challenge: An Eri x Kogoro story, with mention of a salt and pepper shaker.
Notes: Written for LJ user candy--chan!

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It was a trap and they, much to their chagrin, had realized it too late. Like two cornered animals in a cage, they eyed each other warily. Could they trust their fellow captive? Was it safe to rely on them for assistance or should their only focus be on their own survival?

Hoping to find any loophole that might allow escape, he'd spotted the blinking light of the answering machine. Yes- he thought to himself- that just might be the very key to free him from this metaphorical prison.

Offering a nervous smile to the other occupant of the room, the dark-haired man pressed the message playback button and hoped for anything in it that might save him.

"A reminder- for those who might be listening- that you both said you'd do anything for me- anything at all- to help me celebrate. As you can probably see, I have taken you up on that offer. There are instructions on the kitchen table. Follow them and no one gets hurt."

The man exchanged a glance with the woman standing by the door. The voice said it all- and they knew, they were indeed indebted to that person. Begrudgingly, they realized that the only way out of this situation was to cooperate. Cautiously watching each other's moves, they made their way to the table where the note laid out.

"Should I...read it?" He asked. The woman rolled her eyes.

"Don't you have to be asleep to do any sort of logical deduction; or am I just lucky enough to see you actually use your detective skills while awake?"

"Ouch...," He winced, she was out for blood tonight. But, not about to let her win- he chuckled to himself.

"Oh I'd love to deduce this, but it's rather hard to read with my eyes closed. So, shall I?"

She motioned with her hand for him to continue; he cleared his throat and began to read.

"You've made it this far without killing each other- good. I have a few little requests of you- they're simple really- and I'm sure if you play nice you'll find them very easy to do. First, you are both not to leave the premises until I return. Second, it would be nice to have dinner ready- but I'm not going to press the issue. I know neither of you are that good at cooking..." He paused as they both muttered their annoyance with that statement. Clearing his throat, and holding back any snide comments that the cooking-remark was obviously intended for her, the detective read the last line, "Thanks again for offering to celebrate my latest karate championship win with me, Mom and Dad. I'll be home around six. Love, Ran."

Eyeing the kitchen behind them, Kisaki Eri and Mouri Kogoro both clearly had the same thing in mind...

"So we're going to make dinner?"

"Or we're going to blow something up trying to..." He replied, offering Eri a smile.

They'd been separated a little over ten years, but they could actually agree on this one issue; and to let their daughter think that they were both incapable of cooking a simple meal for her- was something they both couldn't stand. It was due to that very reason that the two called a truce and began to poke about the kitchen for supplies.

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Delegate- she always had to delegate... Kogoro grumbled to himself after Eri, using some fancy lawyer-tactics, managed to talk him into making the main dish while she got away with just baking some cookies.

Flipping through a cookbook and picking out a stew that didn't look too complicated, he glanced at her across the kitchen.

Her hair was coming loose from her bun and a bit of flour was smudged on her cheek as she mixed the ingredients in a bowl.

Kogoro smiled to himself, taking the risk as he spoke up, "Your apron string's undone."

"I thought I made it clear to you that you are to be cooking. I don't see where staring at my posterior is cooking," Eri shot back, glad that her back was too him so he didn't notice her blush.

Turning back to his own bowl of ingredients, Kogoro frowned as the recipe called for a tsp of pepper. Reaching for the pepper shaker, he fished around in the drawer and pulled out the first measuring spoon he saw. "Hmm...this says tsbp on it. Must have them labeled wrong. Ah well..."

Letting his mind drift back to more important issues, the difference between a tsp and a tbsp long forgotten, Kogoro once again glanced over at Eri.

It was times like this, that he actually missed her. A lot. Sure, she might have conned him into doing the bulk of the meal but, he reasoned like any great detective would, that that was merely her subtle way of admitting that perhaps she couldn't cook the stew as well as he could. Eri was indeed infamous for her lack of culinary skills, while Kogoro could at least get by.

Eri, on the other hand, knew he was watching her. Ever since the day they'd met- she always had a special feeling prick at her senses when his eyes were on her. Long ago she might have called it fate and him her soul mate- now she just called it a big, bumbling, annoyance.

But he was managing to be rather pleasant given the circumstances. True, she'd talked him into cooking the stew because she sorely hoped he'd mess up and then they could both be the parent who was infamous for their lack of cooking skill. But as she walked over to the cabinet to get some sugar, she couldn't help but notice the small little smile that had crept unto his face. A smile, she very much knew, that Kogoro only got when thinking about her.

Opening the cabinet, she noticed the plastic containers filled with supplies. Eyes catching sight of the brown powder that was surely brown sugar, Eri grabbed the container full of white powder next to it and closed the doors. Little did she know, that behind the container she choose was another container labeled 'sugar.'

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It was almost six, and tensions were growing high. The stew, and the cookies for that matter, by smell alone actually seemed to have turned out okay. Now all they had to do was wait for Ran to arrive.

Eri stood at the sink, scrubbing the bowls she'd used clean. She could once again feel him behind her, watching her.

"You know- Ran usually lets me at least lick the spoon," He muttered, his tone barely hiding his mischievous streak.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't think you would want to taste any of my horrible cooking," Eri whirled around, intending to glare him down. Instead she found herself face to face with him.

"When did he get this close behind me? I didn't even notice..."

They both fell silent as they realized their proximity. It was like dating all over again- the increased beating of the heart, the silence that fell over the room as they both waited, perhaps even hoped, that the other would make a move. Despite all appearances that they'd been separated for ten years, in that moment no one would have guessed.

Kogoro pressed his luck, leaning forward just a small bit- as if to test the dangerous waters he knew he was getting into.

Eri swallowed hard, her mind rattling off all logical reasons why she should be moving- away- from the man in front of her.

"Don't you dare let him kiss you! You'll be letting that good-for-nothing just waltz right back into your life if he does. And the last thing you need to deal with is this sorry-excuse for a detective with his womanizing, drinking and boisterous attitude. That's why all detectives are nothing but lazy...horrible... unscrupulous..."

Her mind trailed off as it began to lose its battle with her body, her head slowly leaning forward despite her brain's loud protests against it.

"Well, one little kiss wouldn't hurt right?" A little voice in her head reasoned.

And before either of them could talk themselves out of it, they'd found their lips meeting in a haphazard kiss.

Things had not changed as much as it seemed.

He practically laughed on finding out that she still let his hand on her back support her the moment he placed it there.

She absently giggled at the tickle of his mustache against her face. He'd not had it but in a few lazy streaks in the past when he'd forgotten to shave. It was...a refreshing little memory.

But before either could think much more on it- a delighted exclamation broke the silence.

"I knew it! I knew if I left you two alone you'd make up!" Ran's voice cut in.

The two broke apart like embarrassed teens caught by their parents and tried to hide their flustered expressions. Ran just continued to grin while Conan stood beside her.

Clearing her throat, Eri quickly regained her composure.

"Ran, it's really not nice to set us up as if you're some terrorist holding us captive."

"Um...yah!" Kogoro piped in, not wanting to seem anymore rattled than Eri was, "Next time just do your usual nonsense of arranging to meet both of us at the same time or something."

Ran smiled, "So- what's for dinner? Take out, pizza- or are we just going out to eat?"

"Actually, we made something," Kogoro continued, grinning proudly as he lifted up his stew.

"We both cooked one part of the meal," Eri added, pulling out a tray of cookies.

Their daughter's face fell, "Wait a minute- you actually cooked? That wasn't part of the plan!"

The two adults frowned, looking to the table. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ran and Conan begrudgingly took a seat.

"Kogoro and Eri cooking? This can't be good..." Conan thought to himself. Ran, he noticed, seemed equally concerned.

In a few minutes, the food was set out before them and Kogoro finished it up by bringing in the salt and pepper shakers.

"There you go, season to taste."

Warily taking a bite, Ran winced.

"Tousan, how much pepper did you put in this?"

He shrugged, "What the recipe said. A tablespoon of it."

Ran's eyes widened, "A tablespoon? Are you sure it wasn't a tsp?"

"Yah, that's what it was. A tsp."

Eri shook her head, setting down a spoon and drinking a glass of water to get the taste of pepper out of her mouth, "A tsp is a teaspoon. A tsbp is a tablespoon. They're completely different."

Kogoro's face fell, as he steeled himself and took a bite. Recoiling at the taste, he laughed nervously.

"Okay okay, honest mistake. Not like you've never done something like that- Eri."

"I'm certain my cookies are just fine, thank you very much."

But the look on Conan's face begged to differ.

"Conan-kun, are you okay?"

He offered an awkward smile, "Ran-neechan- I think something's wrong with these sugar cookies."

Ran took a bite, grimacing as she did, "I think they're more like salt cookies..."

Kogoro shot Eri a gloating look, while she took a bite and met with the same salty taste as the rest of them.

"I must have gotten it mixed up with the sugar..."

"Sugar and salt are completely different," Kogoro retorted. The two started to glare at each other.

"Okay okay, that's all right. Why don't we just go out to eat? Hmm?" Ran suggested, standing and hoping to placate her parents.

"Come on, they were doing so well..."

"I suppose we will. Because even if we could do without cookies for desert, someone destroyed the main dish as well..." Eri replied.

Kogoro 'hmphed,' "We can order in. I have things to do."

"Oh, some big case?" Eri asked, noticing him walk across the room to pick something up.

His hand closed around the remote and he clicked the TV on.

"A concert by a very famous person- who I did solve a case for!"

Ran growled, "Otousan! Don't you..."

But before she could finish, the TV was on and Yoko was on the screen. Eri sighed.

"Ran, Conan- perhaps we can just have dinner alone? It looks like someone hasn't changed a bit."

Not about to let all her planning go to waste, Ran stormed over and gripped her Father's arm.

"Otousan, come on. You can kiss Mom again instead of the TV. We're going..." He opened his mouth to protest, but Ran glared, "Now."

Looking back at the ruined dinner as she ushered the group out the door, Ran shook her head as her eyes noticed the small salt and pepper shakers sitting on the table.

Glancing between her parents as they childishly glared and bickered, Ran sighed, "Salt and pepper indeed..."

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