Mikau: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for joining me for Caught Up In You! This one's got a similar feel to Chained at the Ankle to it. Mostly because the characters are in the same stage of their lives (nineteen, in college, living in the dorms, etcetera). Fair warning: Kaito in this fic is a little zany…like he downed a sack of sugar before this. I hope you enjoy his kookiness and Shinichi's exasperation and fast-growing fondness. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd know for sure who the heck Subaru-san really is already. As of yet, I'm still not quite caught up on the anime, am further behind on the manga, and am just enjoying the fan theories.

…

Swept Away

"Why am I here again?" Kaito sighed, futzing with his bowtie. He much preferred his Kid uniform to this nondescript black suit he was wearing to the Tokyo PD's New Year's party.

"Making Aoko-kun happy," Hakuba helpfully reminded, handing Kaito a Shirley Temple.

"Thanks," the magician mumbled. "Do you know why she was so insistent that I come to this shindig? I get why you're here, and I get why she's here, but why is my presence necessary?"

"It is traditional for couples to kiss at the stroke of midnight," Hakuba groaned, taking a sullen sip of his own drink.

Kaito's eyes went as wide as the circumference of his glass, and he nearly dropped it. "Crap. She gonna try and kiss me!"

The detective rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Yes, most probably." His tone carried an undercurrent of "Let's not rub it in, shall we?"

Kaito about-faced, headed for the exit. "Tell her I suddenly got the flu or pneumonia or diabetes or something and had to go home."

Saguru grabbed Kaito's shoulder firmly and pulled the magician back. "May I take this opportunity to inform you of how much I utterly despise you treating her as if she were stupid?"

"Duly noted," Kaito sighed.

"She would never believe any of that, and you, Kuroba, are staying right here and facing her like a man," Hakuba snorted as Kaito shrank like a puppy that had been scolded, ears flattening and tail curling up between his legs.

"But—" Kaito started but froze, forgetting whatever it was he had been about to say as an entrancingly familiar cowlick caught his eye. "…Tantei-kun…"

Saguru blinked, raising an eyebrow at the sudden stupid expression on his friend's face. "Sorry?"

It wasn't often that Kuroba's mental faculties shut down. Perhaps he had seen a fish? But the onset of this stupid spell did not coincide with the usual high-pitched shrieks and attempts to scale furniture, nearby trees, telephone poles, or even sometimes other human beings that occurred whenever Kuroba was faced with his phobia.

"That's Kudo Shinichi." Finally the magician was speaking in complete, logical sentences.

Saguru turned to look, and, sure enough, Kudo Shinichi was helping himself to some of the finger sandwiches and cheesecake bites from the buffet table. "So it is. And?"

Kaito's eyes never left the so-called "Heisei Holmes" even as he asked Hakuba, "When did Meitantei…when did Kudo-kun…get back?"

The blonde shrugged, sipping in disinterest at his ginger ale. "A little over a month ago. He's been keeping his involvement in cases on the down-low, though. It's strange, if you ask me. Before, he appeared in the paper all of the time. He fed off of the attention, just like a certain someone I know, but now…something's happened to him. He's different now. I suspect he was involved with something nasty…. I'm not quite sure I want to dig any deeper to find out what exactly, though."

"He's been back a month?" Finally Kaito did look away, frowning deeply at Saguru. "But…he hasn't been to a single Kid heist—I mean…I haven't seen him at the ones I've attended; have you?"

Hakuba shrugged. "No. Why should he? He never did before."

Kaito almost retorted that his Tantei-kun would never miss a chance to match wits with his great rival the Moonlight Magician, but he caught himself. It was true: Kudo Shinichi had never been in the habit of attending heists.

"Why?" Saguru pressed, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Have I come to bore you, Kuroba? Do you need more of a mental challenge? Or do you fancy him and just want his attention?"

Kaito's body betrayed him as his face shone scarlet. "I'm not Kid," he managed to get in a proper denial.

Saguru pursed his lips, realizing that his jesting had hit the mark and that that mark was a bit of a sore spot for his companion. "Oh. Sorry. Well…shall I introduce you? I doubt he's ever formally met Kuroba Kaito…. Or would you rather not take the risk of him knowing you as you?"

"I'm NOT Kid," Kaito hissed, shrinking up again, shoulders rising to meet his ears in embarrassment.

Saguru rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. I know. Kuroba, if I were going to have you arrested off the street, I would have done it by now. The only way you're being carted off to the slammer is if I catch you decked out in white with a stolen jewel in your hands, and you know that. We've been friends for three bloody years now, so drop the act. Do you want me to introduce you to the cute boy or not?"

"No," Kaito mumbled, straightening himself up and finally looking Saguru properly in the eye. He sighed, giving his friend a weak grin. "Thanks, Hakuba. I'll do it myself. Could you maybe run interference with Aoko for me?"

Saguru returned the smile and nodded. "Don't worry. I'll distract her. I was planning on wooing her anyway, picking up the pieces of her broken heart after you turned her down tonight. I might as well get a head start."

"I know I don't have to tell you—heck, you treat her better than I do—but be good to her," Kaito commanded. "She's like my sister."

Saguru's smile broadened and he nodded in understanding. "You have my word, Kuroba. I'll treasure her…if she ever comes around to returning my feelings."

"She'd better," Kaito snorted under his breath. "So far you're the only bastard I've found that's worthy of her. I'm not giving my baby sister to some sleazewad."

"I understand that your use of 'bastard' is affectionate and that your belief that I deserve Aoko-kun is the highest honor, so I thank you most humbly for your compliment, Kuroba." Hakuba dipped at the waist into a bow. Coming up, he smirked. "Good luck with your own crush."

Kaito held up his glass, and Saguru tapped his own to it. "Cheers. I'm gonna need lots of it." He turned before he could think better of it and walked right for Kudo Shinichi, now pouring himself a glass of the police department's God-awful coffee (motor oil).

Kaito waited until the detective set down the coffee pot so that Shinichi didn't burn himself if Kaito happened to startle him with his greeting. Kaito took a deep breath. "Excuse me."

"Yes?" Shinichi turned, half expecting to find himself in the way of some other coffee junkie just looking to get their fix. He wasn't expecting there to be a red rose in his face upon turning around. He blinked several times, looking from the flower to the young man holding it out. "Can I…help you?"

Kaito smiled charismatically, teeth shining like they were straight out of a whitening clinic's commercial. "I'm Kuroba Kaito. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kaito motioned for Shinichi to take the flower.

Shinichi blinked at it again. "Yeah…Kudo Shinichi. Nice to meet you. Now, if you'll excuse me." With a slight bow he turned to leave.

"Hey. Wait!" Kaito protested, following Shinichi as the detective made a move towards the couches in the corner by the gorgeous glass door leading out of the ballroom and onto the balcony.

Shinichi frowned, confused as to what this had to do with him. "Sorry. Can I help you with something, Kuroba-san?"

"Kaito," Kaito urged. "You can just call me 'Kaito'. Great party, huh?"

Shinichi pursed his lips as his eyebrows pinched together. Just who was this weirdo? "Uh…I'm actually not much of a party person. I'm a bit of an introvert."

"You didn't used to be," Kaito chuckled softly, setting his empty glass down on a waiter's tray as he passed by. "I remember seeing you on the news and in the papers a lot when we were fifteen/sixteen. You used to be quite the extrovert, but I can understand you becoming more withdrawn."

Shinichi's frown deepened. "You a fan or something?"

"Something." Kaito shrugged. "Hakuba's the one that really follows your work. I think he's half jealous and partially in awe of you. Uh, Hakuba Saguru, the Superintendent's son, that is. He's my…I'm not quite sure. My roommate, best friend, and handler, I guess."

Shinichi nodded curtly in an "uh-huh" fashion. "What are you, a wild animal or something? Who has a handler?"

"I do," Kaito chuckled, heading over to sit on the couch that Shinichi had been making his way towards.

Surprisingly, Shinichi followed of his own accord and sat down next to Kaito (albeit a few feet away, but…).

"If you knew me, you'd know that I need a handler. I've actually got two. Nakamori Aoko, the Inspector's daughter, is my other one. They keep me in line most of the time." Kaito winked, stealing one of the cheesecake bites off of Shinichi's plate.

The detective glared rusty shivs at Kaito, but Kaito pressed his luck and popped the cheesecake bite into his mouth.

He held it between his teeth and somehow managed to smirk. "You're more than welcome to come in after it."

Shinichi glared harder. "No thank you. I lack a pair of gloves for once, and my precious cheesecake is already contaminated."

Kaito chewed and swallowed, putting on what he thought to be a cute pout. "You do know I meant you could come after it with your tongue, right?"

"Are you flirting with me?" Shinichi stared at him blandly, not sure if he should be appalled or what exactly he should be feeling at the moment.

"Yep," Kaito confirmed, glad that Shinichi didn't seem disgusted just yet.

"Where are your handlers now?" Shinichi snorted, setting down his coffee cup and moving his plate to his other hand, further away from Kaito and possible future attacks. "They're letting you run amuck."

"You haven't seen 'amuck' yet," Kaito tittered. "Hakuba's keeping Aoko away from me…and trying to court her in the process. Aoko's gonna try and kiss me when it turns midnight. Will you protect me, Shin-chan?"

Shinichi's face turned the exact deep purpley red shade of a plum. "Don't call me that! My mom calls me that. And who ever gave you permission to use my first name?"

Kaito made sad puppy-dog eyes at his intended and begged sweetly, "Oh please, pretty please, won't you protect me and defend my honor and purity, Shin'chi?"

The color of Shinichi's blush darkened and spread all the way up to the tips of his ears. Kaito thought he could even see Shinichi's scalp flushing. "NO! And don't call me that either!"

"But, Shinichi!" Kaito whined, scooting over to Shinichi's side and placing his hands on Shinichi's thigh. "She's going to ravish me! You'd really let her take me and do lewd, unspeakable things to my pure, innocent body?!"

"Get off, you nut job," Shinichi grumbled, shrugging Kaito off and inching away. "You're more than capable of protecting yourself from some girl."

"No I'm not!" Kaito replied in a tearful wail, almost going into his falsetto. "Trust me, Nakamori Aoko is her father's daughter through and through. She'd break me in two over her knee and bellow me into submission until my eardrums burst. Plus, she's got mad skills with a mop. You've got to save me, Shinichi!"

"What do you want me to do?" Shinichi rolled his eyes, not believing that he was going along with this. Why was he still sitting here with this lunatic anyway? Why didn't he get up and leave? Nothing was keeping him here.

"When she comes over here, grab me and try to inhale my tonsils. I think that will give her the picture." Kaito nodded sagely.

Shinichi's mouth dropped open. "NO! Geez. No. Just…no. Are you sure you're not some crazy fanboy?"

Kaito smiled innocently. "Oh, I'm not your fan. I'm more of a critic of your work…when it comes to Kid-sama, at least."

Shinichi's eyes widened and then narrowed, his interest piqued. It was something about the wording. "Kid's?"

Kaito nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah. I'm a huuuge fan of Kaitou 1412. Well…technically, I'm a fan of the first one, the original, but this one nowadays is pretty cool too."

Shinichi somehow got the feeling that he shouldn't say anything to the effect of "a thief's a thief" or something like that. The way this strange guy talked about Kaitou 1412…there was reverence, fondness, and awe there, as if he were talking about something sacred.

Shinichi nodded. "Hey, Kuroba—"

"—Kaito."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Hey, Kuro—"

"—Kaito," the magician corrected again.

Shinichi sighed. "Hey, Kaito."

"Yeah, Shin-chan?" Kaito smiled warmly.

Shinichi shook his head, giving up. He could tell that Kuroba was one of those people that you just shouldn't bother fighting on certain things. "Kaito, why are you talking to me?"

"'Cause it'd be kind of awkward if we just stared at each other and didn't say anything." Kaito smiled mischievously.

Shinichi gave a short laugh, smiling softly in return. "Yeah, okay, but why me? Why'd you pick me to impose yourself upon?"

"'Cause you're the most worthwhile person in this entire ballroom." Kaito's grin turned small and soft.

Shinichi found his cheeks turning a muted peachy pink at the sincerity with which Kaito replied. "Thank you," was the only thing he could think to say.

"Thank you for being fascinating. I'd die of boredom—or, more likely, I'd stir up a lot of trouble—at this party if you weren't here. Thanks for obliging me."

Shinichi shrugged his left shoulder nonchalantly. "You're not too bad once you get past the pure insanity. I don't mind humoring you a bit. You remind me of the Sho—of some of my friends."

"Yay!" Kaito sang in celebration, throwing his arms around Shinichi and nuzzling the detective. "We're friends!"

"Stop! Stop that! No, we are not!" Shinichi yelped, trying to shove Kaito off. "Man, what is wrong with you?"

"I'm just so happy that you like me too, Shin-chan!" Kaito giggled, pulling back and beaming.

Shinichi's face raced through the red to blue spectrum, turning all shades of scarlet, fuchsia, and maroon along the way. "I don't! I never said that!"

"You said I wasn't too bad," Kaito reminded. "That means you like me!"

Shinichi resisted the urge to beat his head against the wall. "That's it. I need some fresh air." He pushed himself up off of the couch and headed for the balcony.

Kaito, of course, tagged along like Shinichi's shadow. "Look at the moon and the stars, Shin-chan! It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

Shinichi sighed, wishing that the crazy person hadn't followed him. "Yeah. Yeah, absolutely gorgeous."

"Shinichi, look at it," Kaito chided. "It's beautiful even here in the middle of polluted Tokyo where the lights are too bright and most of the stars are drowned out. Really look at it and see how breathtaking it is. You have to stop and enjoy the beauty in the little things…or else you'll get bogged down with all of the evil and death you deal with day in and day out. Look at it, will ya?"

Shinichi looked up and had to admit that Kaito was right. The view of the night sky was stunning. Everything felt still and peaceful. The air was cold and crisp, and there was a soft breeze blowing, licking at Shinichi's lapel and coattails. The stars were glimmering above them, and the moon was a little less than three quarters of the way full. It truly was breathtaking.

The detective turned to look at his companion to admit his defeat, but the sight of Kaito's face in profile bathed in moonlight made his heart do a funny mix of a jumping jack and a tailspin. He could feel it fluttering around his ribcage. Shinichi blinked, narrowing his gaze to stare intently at Kaito.

"What's up?" Kaito turned to face Shinichi, cocking his head to the side. "Something wrong, Shin-chan?"

"You're…very familiar for some reason. You look…we've met before, haven't we?"

"Have we?" Kaito chuckled, leaning against his forearms on the balcony and looking back out at the lovely Tokyo night sky above them. "I don't know. I think you'd have a better recollection of meeting someone as devastatingly handsome as me."

"You have a point," Shinichi hummed. "I'd remember meeting you."

"Oh, Shin-chan!" Kaito pretended to swoon. "You do think I'm handsome!"

Shinichi rolled his eyes and grumbled, "No. I meant I'd remember meeting someone as ANNOYING as you."

"That's mean, Shin-chan," Kaito pouted, looking back up at the sky. "You hurt my feelings."

Shinichi was about to just blow it off, making some crack comment, but…Kaito actually did look a little hurt. "Sorry," he muttered.

It was quiet for a moment before Kaito smiled and chuckled, "It's okay. I am being pretty obnoxious, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Shinichi sighed. "Why are you pretending to be such a pain in the first place? You're not really like this…. At least not all the time, right?"

Kaito shrugged, gripping the balcony rail and leaning back. "Nah. I can be an atrocious brat sometimes, but…I'd like to think that for the most part I'm pretty likeable." He hesitantly turned to smile at Shinichi. "Really, I just wanted you to pay attention to me."

"Why?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow in suspicion at Kaito.

Kaito shrugged again, a goofy grin on his lips. "Who knows? You're interesting. I've been curious about you for a while…. I've really just wanted an opportunity to talk to you like this." No police, no running, no Organization, just two bored teens too smart for their own good. "To get to know you better."

"How can you know me 'better' if this is the first time we've meet?" Shinichi inquired neutrally, but his suspicion was piqued. "The way you phrased it, it makes it sounds like we already knew each other."

Kaito waved Shinichi's inquiries away, mentally kicking himself for letting his guard down like a dunce around the pretty boy. "Like I said before, I've known about you because of Hakuba's interest in you and your involvement with Kid-sama. I guess what I should have said was that I wanted to get to know you personally."

"No." Shinichi frowned, taking a step closer. "I haven't been in the papers for the past two years. There hasn't been anything for Hakuba to be interested in for a long time now…. And Kudo Shinichi has never had any public involvement with the Kaitou Kid. That was Edogawa Conan."

Kaito blinked, rapidly scanning his memory. Well look at that. Shit. You blew your cover in less than fifteen minutes just because you were too busy staring into those gorgeous cerulean eyes and drooling to pay attention to what you were letting come out of your mouth.

"It makes sense, though. I can understand why you would make that mistake." Shinichi reached out and wrapped his hand around Kaito's wrist. "After all…you were always able to see past those enormous glasses. To you, I was always me, no matter what size I was. Isn't that right, Kid?"

Kaito didn't know what to do. He should probably be fleeing right now, but that would only cement his guilt. Maybe he could still try to talk his way out of this?

He frowned in confusion, tipping his head to the side and blinking innocently. "What? Shinichi, what are you talking about?"

Shinichi's grip tightened, and he reached out and took Kaito's other wrist too. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kid. Why are you here?"

"Shinichi, you're hurting me," Kaito whined, pulling back, but not trying to get away. "Look, I'm sorry if I got something wrong, but all I know about you I learned from Hakuba's old stash of newspaper articles and what he tells me. When he comes home from heists, he always talks about how you, Kudo Shinichi, were there. He told me about how you've been coming these past few years, even though you weren't appearing in the papers anymore. He talks about how you always get in his way and trip him up and how one time you even sleep-darted him by mistake when you were aiming for Kid-sama. And then there was the one time that you hit him with your fast-inflating soccer ball and the time when you were all at that Karasuma or whatever mansion thing and Kid got away and how you guys met during that Lavender Mansion case…even though that didn't have anything to do with Kid-sama, but, seriously, I'm not Kid-sama. I only thought you were involved in catching him because Hakuba told me you were, so will you let me go already?" Kaito pleaded, hoping to the gods that Shinichi would buy it.

Shinichi's gaze narrowed at the thought that maybe it was Hakuba that knew his secret. Somewhere down in his gut he felt that, no. This was Kid. It had to be. It all made sense. Shinichi knew that face illuminated and, at the same time, obscured by moonlight. Shinichi knew this particular brand of annoyance and frustration that Kaito was dredging up in him; it was the same feeling he got when dealing with a certain phantom thief. It all fit. That face, the slip-up…

Shinichi smiled sheepishly and slowly released his grip. "Sorry, Kaito. You remind me a lot of the guy, and when you said…Never mind. It's not important. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Kaito nodded, gently rubbing his wrists. "It's okay. Hakuba accused me of being Kid-sama at first too. Sometimes I think he still believes that I am, even though he's handcuffed himself to me during heists before. I'm kind of used to the accusations. Let's just start over, okay? I'm Kuroba Kaito. It's nice to meet you." Kaito pulled out his charismatic smile one more time and made a rose appear. He tentatively held it out to Shinichi.

The detective smiled, finally taking the flower and tucking it into his breast pocket. "Kudo Shinichi. The pleasure's all mine. So…tell me a little bit about yourself?"

Kaito smiled, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the balcony railing again. "There's not much to tell. I'm studying theatre and engineering right now with a minor in psychology. I'm a student at Beika University, and I live in the dorms with my obnoxiously British best friend/handler Hakuba Saguru. I'm going to be the best magician of all time. I'm going to surpass them all…Houdini, Kid, even my father, Kuroba Touichi. Right now I'm just an amateur, but…I've got potential."

Shinichi nodded. "I've heard about your father. My mom's an actress—Kudo Yukiko—and she studied the art of disguise under Kuroba-san. Isn't that crazy? It really is a small world. What about your mom? What does she do?"

Kaito grinned sheepishly. "I think she's a corporate spy or something. She works for a big company, and they're always sending her to different countries. She's been doing that for as long as I can remember…after Dad was murdered, at least. Before that…we were a family. We traveled together. I…" Kaito readjusted his poker face smile. "It was a little lonely growing up, but I had people that cared about me. I was fine. I am fine."

Shinichi came in closer and leaned on the railing beside Kaito. "I know what that's like…growing up without much parental supervision, fending for yourself, being alone a lot. My dad's a writer, and my mom's an actress. They're always flitting around the globe, living an exotic life on a perpetual honeymoon. I've been living more or less alone since middle school. It can be rough at times, can't it?"

"Yeah," Kaito chuckled softly, a twinge of remorse in his voice. "You seem to have turned out fine, though."

"Pft." Shinichi stifled a full-out laugh. "I can't tell you how much trouble I've gotten myself into. I'm very independent, but…there were a lot of times I just wished that my parents were around to help me out, to ask advice of…just to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I'm sure you know what that's like." Shinichi grimaced, reaching out and placing his hand on top of Kaito's. "But here I am complaining when I can just pick up a phone and call them pretty much whenever. It must have been so hard for you, Kaito."

Kaito nodded, trying his hardest to hold back tears, to hold his poker face together. "You have no idea."

"You turned out just fine, though," Shinichi comforted. "I think your father would be proud of you."

"I wonder about that," Kaito whispered, trying to shut the pain out, trying to focus on the warmth of Shinichi's hand on top of his own.

"No. I know he'd be proud, Kaito," Shinichi assured. "You're a good man. You're noble and passionate. You've got a weird sense of humor sometimes, but you're very witty and exceptionally entertaining. You're gentle and considerate, and you've got a strong sense of justice…funny enough as that is to say, but…I can tell. I know you have a reason for doing what you do. I may not always agree with your methods, but…you're a good man, Kaito."

Kaito blinked, suddenly confused. Shinichi didn't know Kuroba Kaito well enough to make that judgment. Those words of encouragement would be better suited directed at Kid, but…he thought they'd cleared up that little misunderstanding earlier. Did that mean…did Shinichi think that Kid was a good man? We're they okay? Was Shinichi not going to turn Kaito in? Did he know Kaito's secret but just not care?

"What do you mean?" Kaito chuckled defensively. "You've only known me twenty minutes. How do you know what I'm like?"

Shinichi shrugged, stepping back a little now that Kaito seemed to be feeling better. "I just feel like we've known each other a lot longer, that's all. I'm a good judge of character, though. Detectives can tell these things, but…if you'd rather I get to know you better before I give you my opinion, we could always spend some time together, and then I'll let you know if I still think you're a good person."

Kaito blinked stupidly. Had Shinichi just…? "Shin-chan, are you asking me out on a date?" Kaito squealed in an annoying, fangirl-esq tone.

Shinichi's face turned magenta and he began to sputter. "N-No! You idiot. Just coffee!"

"That sounds like a date," Kaito goaded.

"Well, it's not," Shinichi grumbled. "I just want to see you again and talk and stuff, so…"

"I want to see you again too." Kaito smiled and replied in all seriousness.

It kind of took Shinichi's breath away. Only just a little, though.

In the distance, the clock tower began to toll midnight.

Kaito beamed, leaning in and pecking Shinichi on the cheek.

Shinichi's face burned as his heart palpitated and his stomach lurched. "What the hell was that for?" he choked as his hand flew to his face.

Kaito grinned. "You're supposed to kiss someone at midnight on New Year's, right? Happy New Year, Shinichi!"

"You're supposed to kiss the person you love! Not just anyone!" Shinichi growled in exasperation, hand still covering the spot where Kaito's lips had touched.

"But I do love you," Kaito pouted, making sad puppy eyes at Shinichi. "And I thought you loved me too, Shin-chan. You asked me to go out with you, after all."

Shinichi face palmed, finally letting his other hand fall away from the spot Kaito had kissed. "I cannot believe that this is the first conversation of the year I'm having. God. 2014 is going to suck."

"How can you say that!" Kaito gasped, hanging off of Shinichi's arm. "Your year started off with a kiss from me! This is going to be the best year of your entire life!"

Shinichi sighed, surrendering to the insanity. He knew from his past experiences with Kid that you just couldn't fight the crazy, so it was better to just go with the flow. "You win, Kaito. When do you want to go on our first not-date?"

"Tomorrow morning!" Kaito announced, squeezing Shinichi's arm to his chest and beaming brightly, shaming the stars overhead with the sheer amount of light he was emitting. "I'll come over to your house and pick you up at eight-thirty! Switch phone numbers with me!"

Reluctantly, Shinichi pulled out his phone, set it to transfer data and then touched his phone's sensor to the sensor on Kaito's.

"Just don't send me any weird messages," Shinichi sighed.

Kaito smirked like a shark. "Why of course I'll be sure to text you hourly, Shin-chan!"

Shinichi debated banging his head against the stone balcony railing. "No."

Kaito began to stick out his bottom lip and widen his eyes in "sad puppy-dog". "But, Shin-chan, I'm insecure. How else am I supposed to be certain of the strength of our love if we're not in constant contact?"

Shinichi's eyebrow began to twitch. Just what the hell was he doing out on this balcony with this weirdo that was more likely than not the Kaitou Kid? He could leave at any time, really. Why was he just standing here and taking this nonsense? He should be walking away. Undoubtedly, Kaito would just follow him, but…

"No," he repeated. "Just…no. There is no strength of our love. There is no love. There is no 'us'. You're insane."

"B-But…" Kaito stepped in closer, invading Shinichi's personal space to the max as he wrapped his arms around Shinichi's neck and plastered his body to the detective's, hanging off of Shinichi. "But we kissed and then you confessed your undying love for me and proposed!"

Shinichi attempted to extract himself from the magician's embrace, struggling to push away. "That never happened!"

"And just what are you going to do if I get pregnant?" Kaito demanded, looking outraged. "I hope you'll step up and take responsibility."

Shinichi blinked. "You're being ridiculous. Stop pretending to be annoying. I'm already paying attention to you. You have my full and undivided attention, Kaito, so cut the theatrics, will you?"

"You're no fun," Kaito chuckled, slowly untangling his arms from around Shinichi's person. "But you'll meet me for coffee tomorrow at eight-thirty?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes and begrudgingly smiled. "Yes. Eight-thirty. Coffee. I know a great café only a block from my house. Okay? Are we okay now?"

Kaito nodded. "Un! Do they serve chocolate brownies there?"

Shinichi blinked. "Uh…Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"And hot cocoa?" Kaito looked at him expectantly, holding his breath and crossing his fingers.

Shinichi's brow furrowed as he tried to remember. "Yes. That one I know for sure they have. Ayumi got some last time we went."

Kaito's body would have started emitting flames of jealousy had he not known that Ayumi was around eight or nine years old. "'Ayumi'? Is that your girlfriend's name, Shin-chan?" Kaito faked ignorance.

Shinichi blushed even as he cringed. "Ayumi's not my girlfriend," he quickly assured.

"Look at you blushing!" Kaito teased, striving to push Shinichi to the edge in order to get the reaction and thus the information that he really wanted. "She is your girlfriend! You're just embarrassed. I bet you two are all lovey-dovey in private! Shin-chan's got a girlfriend. Shin-chan's got a girlfriend," Kaito sang like a six year-old.

"I do not!" Shinichi finally snapped. "And even if I did, it wouldn't be Ayumi. Ayumi's just a little kid that I'm sort of friends with. Geez."

Bingo and Hallelujah!

Kaito blinked innocently. "You really don't have a girlfriend, Shinichi? I would have thought for sure that you would. I mean…you're super popular. You've got your own fanclub for crying out loud."

Shinichi shook his head, looking sadly out at the Tokyo skyline. "There was a girl I liked, but…I'm no good for her. She's just too amazing a person, so…even though I did like her…I gave her up for her own good. She's better off with someone that can treat her right and give her everything she deserves. Now…I still love her to pieces, but…she's just…more like my sister than anything."

Kaito nodded knowingly, placing a supportive hand on Shinichi's forearm. "Yeah. I know what you mean. The same thing happened to me and Aoko. It hurts to let them go, but…you're so noble, Shinichi."

"Tch. Hardly," the detective laughed bitterly, turning to smile at Kaito. "And you're not noble?"

Kaito shook his head. "I'm selfish and ugly. I pray to God you don't see as we get to know each other better, but I don't have a noble bone in my body."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "You sure? I think you might be wrong on that one. After all, you've got two hundred and six chances. At least one of them has to be noble, and I'm betting it's the one right here." Shinichi poked the rib directly over Kaito's heart.

Kaito closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "You give me too much credit."

"I think in the past that I haven't given you enough credit," Shinichi mused. Kid was quite a bit different than Shinichi had expected. He had never looked too hard at the phantom thief in the past once the heist was over and done with, and Shinichi never would have considered Kid a lonely child, most probably inheriting a cherished father's legacy.

"What do you mean?" Kaito's eyes slowly slid open to gaze at Shinichi in puzzlement.

"Nothing." Shinichi shook his head with a smile. "So…you and Aoko-san didn't work out, but…do you like anyone now, Kaito?" Shinichi attempted to steer the conversation back to a cheerier topic.

Kaito smirked, wrapping his arms around Shinichi's neck once more. "Just you of course, Shin-chan!"

Shinichi found himself rolling his eyes again as his cheeks fluctuated between cherry red and cotton candy pink. "Seriously, you little buffoon."

"I was being serious," Kaito whined, surprised that Shinichi wasn't trying to evade Kaito's touch. "I've only got eyes for you. What about you, Shin-chan? Do you like anyone right now?"

Shinichi sighed, resting one hand on Kaito's hip for lack of anywhere else to put it—it wasn't like he could cross his arms with Kaito right there, in his space—while he raised the other hand and poked Kaito in the nose repeatedly. "If I say yes, are you going to track them down and terrorize them, you crazy stalker fanboy?"

Kaito smiled angelically. "Now why would I do that?"

"I just get the feeling that you'd eliminate all obstacles between us in the way of our love…or something like that," Shinichi replied airily.

"That depends." Kaito's smile was getting more toothy, sharper by the second. "Are there any obstacles between us, getting in the way of our love?"

Shinichi shook his head, his finger coming to a rest on the tip of Kaito's nose. "No, Kaito. I don't like anyone right now."

"Good." Kaito tilted his head so that his lips touched Shinichi's finger in a butterfly kiss. "Then there's room in your heart for me."

"Right." Shinichi shook his head in disbelief. Was this seriously happening? How could such an off-the-wall individual exist, and why was Shinichi seriously considering befriending him? What drew Shinichi to this Kuroba Kaito? "…What were we talking about before things got silly?"

"Our date tomorrow," Kaito supplied helpfully, rocking back and forth on his heels.

Shinichi's hand dropped to Kaito's other hip. "Right. The not-date. Like I was saying, yeah. I'm sure they have hot chocolate. Why do you ask?"

"I don't actually like coffee." Kaito smirked.

Shinichi's expression slowly sank like so many melted clocks. "Kaito, if you don't like coffee, we can always just—"

"—No," Kaito cut in, smiling contentedly. "I want to go to the café with you. We can do whatever you were going to suggest instead next time, but this time I want to have a coffee date. Eight-thirty tomorrow. Promise?"

Shinichi frowned, biting his lower lip. "Yeah, I guess. Whatever you want, Kaito, but—"

"—Kaito?" A third party broke into their private world of stars and moonlight.

"Aoko-kun, you shouldn't—" followed along after her as Hakuba came to a stop just in the doorway leading out to the balcony. "Oh. Sorry for the intrusion. We're interrupting it seems." Hakuba bowed awkwardly, taking Aoko by the shoulders and attempting to lead her away.

She stood fixed to the spot, staring in disbelief at the man she loved in the arms of another man. "Kaito?" she called again, almost pleading. She looked darling in her little blue cocktail dress, hair all done up, almost like that porcelain doll in the shop window that no one had ever gotten for her when she was seven.

"Hey guys," Kaito chuckled sheepishly, reluctantly letting his arms drop from around Shinichi's neck and turning to greet his friends. "What's up?"

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably, quickly taking his hands and shoving them in his pockets, hoping no one had seen him with his hands on Kaito's hips but knowing that they had. He did his best to play it cool, hoping they wouldn't make anything of it.

Hakuba was the one that spoke up first. "Uh…well…Aoko-kun and I have been looking for you all evening, Kuroba. Admittedly, Aoko-kun wanted to check here first, but I stupidly deduced that this would be the last place we'd find you. But low and behold, this is the last place we checked, and here you are. With Kudo-kun no less." Hakuba turned and bowed sheepishly to Shinichi. "I do hope he hasn't been bothering you, Kudo-kun. He's a very strange one—no sense of shame or others' personal space, I'm afraid—so I'm very sorry if he's been any inconvenience. I only took my eyes off of him for a second, and…"

Shinichi bowed back slightly. "No worries. Kaito's been no trouble at all. I've enjoyed his company," Shinichi begrudgingly admitted, but then he thought better of his word choice. What with the compromising position he and Kaito had been caught in, they might misinterpret Shinichi's "enjoyment" of Kaito's company. He quickly sought to correct this. "I mean, we were just hanging out and talking, right, Kaito?" He looked nervously to Kaito for corroboration.

The magician smiled broadly and nodded, taking Shinichi by the elbow and leading him over to the other two. "Yep! Hakuba, you already know Shin-chan, but Aoko, I want to introduce you two. Nakamori Aoko, this is my new friend, Kudo Shinichi. Aoko, Shinichi. Shinichi, Aoko."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nakamori-san." Shinichi smiled, bowing to the beautiful young lady that reminded him slightly of Ran.

Aoko bowed back, swallowing a few times before finding her voice. "I-It's nice meeting you too, Kudo-kun. S-Sorry. Please excuse me." She bowed again and suddenly bolted, taking off at a run in those unstable high heels.

Kaito sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "She's going to break an ankle running in those things. Hakuba, you wanna take this one, or do you think I should go after her?"

"If you're seriously asking for my opinion, I believe you should be the one to go after her." Hakuba shrugged in defeat, sighing heavily. "I've been doing my best all evening, but she couldn't care less about my presence or a thing I have to say…. However, if you'd like to spend some more time with Kudo-kun, I'd gladly go after her myself. I know how you've always been interested in meeting him."

"I'll go," Kaito volunteered. "I've been meaning to have a chat with her for a while now, and now's as good a time as any. Besides, Shin-chan and I are meeting for a coffee date tomorrow morning, so we'll have plenty of time then to pick up where we left off and continue 'just hanging out and talking'. We'll see what happens with Aoko, but would you be able to take her home for me if I don't get her there?"

"You need to ask?" Hakuba snorted.

"Right," Kaito chuckled, poking his friend's cheek. "Thanks, Haku-chan."

"Of course. Just text me and let me know." Saguru rolled his eyes with a fond smile for his obnoxious roommate.

Kaito turned to Shinichi and paused awkwardly, smiling sheepishly. "So…I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Shinichi assured, himself shifting unnaturally. He felt like he should do something…like a manly bro-hug or a kiss on the cheek or something was in order. "Good night, Kaito." For some reason he found himself not wanting Kaito to go.

"Good night, Shin-chan," Kaito chuckled, lingering. He was reluctant to leave, knowing it would be a good few hours before he saw the detective again.

Hakuba cleared his throat, attempting not to look at the awkward teenagers making eyes at each other.

That brought Kaito out of his haze, reminding him that he had a job to do. He smiled at Shinichi again and waved, slowly backing away. He turned to Hakuba. "Thanks again for your help tonight with…everything. I'll see you back home."

"Yes, yes. Get going already." Saguru rolled his eyes, unable to feel any real annoyance at his best friend. Years of exposure to Kaito had raised his patience and tolerance level considerably.

"Right." Kaito turned again and quickly leaned in to press a ghost of a kiss to Shinichi's cheek before darting off after Aoko on feather-light feet.

Shinichi blinked stupidly, watching Kaito's retreating back. He cupped his hand to his quickly reddening cheek.

Saguru simply rolled his eyes once more for good measure. At least things seemed to be working out for the magician. Kaito was kind of like that, though…irresistible. Saguru had never had any real doubt that Kaito would win Kudo over. He hadn't imagined the other detective would become smitten so quickly, but it wasn't unheard of. Falling for Kaito was sudden. It was like a flash flood, coming out of nowhere and carrying you away, dragging you down, whirling your body round and round at its whim until you were dizzy and disoriented, wondering where the hell all that had come from…. Or so he'd heard and pieced together from many a fangirl victim of Kaito's. Saguru himself had no personal knowledge of the Kaito phenomenon. Well…true, he himself had suddenly woken up one day worrying about an international criminal and going so far as to protect him at the expense of his own sense of morals, but…

Hakuba looked at the star-struck Shinichi and laughed softly. The poor fool didn't even know what had hit him yet.

The sound of Hakuba's snicker brought Shinichi back to the present, making the poor detective almost jump out of his skin. "That wasn't—! I—! He wasn't seriously—! It's not a date!" Shinichi rushed to defend himself.

Saguru smiled with just a touch of smug in his expression. "Of course not. Kuroba's like that."

Shinichi cleared his throat and straightened his suit jacket and tie. "Right. Yeah. I just…" He bit his lip and snuck a sideways glance at his fellow detective. "So…that was the Kaitou Kid, right?"

Saguru had been around Kaito long enough to have picked up a bit of a poker face of his own. He raised an eyebrow at Shinichi as if he thought the other young man were a bit touched in the head. "That was Kuroba Kaito, Kid's biggest fan. I made that mistake too in the beginning, but I can assure you that Kuroba's name has been cleared numerous times. I've even gone so far as to handcuff him to me during heists, but Kid still comes all the same, and Kuroba never leaves my side."

Shinichi pursed his lips. "Right. I wonder about that."

"Don't," Saguru advised, a bit of a bite to his voice, like a dog growling in warning: "Come no closer…least you desire to face my teeth."

Shinichi nodded, knowing when to back off.

"…And what if Kuroba were Kid?" Saguru inquired, hoping his voice carried a tone of indifference and nonchalance. "What then?"

Shinichi began to squirm. "…Kaito's not…he's not a bad person…and neither is Kid, even though Kid does illegal stuff, so…as long as he's not in the process of doing anything illegal…we can be friends…. Isn't that how your own reasoning works, Hakuba-kun? You have a keen sense of justice too. Is that how you reconcile things?"

Saguru shrugged, arms out at his sides and palms up. "Who knows? IF Kuroba were Kid, I imagine I would follow a very similar course of reasoning…but Kuroba is not Kid."

"Right," Shinichi readily agreed. "Of course…." Shinichi began to squirm like the gradeschooler he had once been not too long ago as silence fell over the duo.

Hakuba reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch to check the time and then his phone to make sure there were no messages from Kaito needing assistance.

"So…" Shinichi bit his lip. "You're Kaito's best friend, right?"

"Best male friend, yes." Hakuba gave him a quizzical glance.

"So…you would know if he liked anyone right now." Shinichi blushed, not believing that he was even asking about this. He didn't even know why he was so curious, but for some reason he just had to know.

"Theoretically." Hakuba's lips began to turn up in a smirk.

Shinichi shuffled his feet, mumbling in embarrassment, "I asked him earlier, but you know Kaito. He wasn't being serious. He said he liked me when I asked him if there was anyone he liked now. Uh…do you know…? I mean…does he like anyone right now?"

Hakuba smiled as pleasantly as a pit viper. "You're asking me if you have any competition," the blonde surmised.

"No!" Shinichi vehemently denied it, but his heart was fluttering around again. He'd have to see a doctor; he was too young to be developing a heart condition, but with all of the strain it'd gone through as Conan… "I mean…it's not like I'm asking because…I mean, I'm not gay or anything. I just…I just…I'm curious is all. So…does Kaito like anyone right now?" He could tell his cheeks were clown nose red; he could feel them burn.

Hakuba continued to smirk. "I'll tell you this: you have no competition at the moment; however, that does not mean that there is nothing standing between you and Kuroba. Kuroba Kaito is my best friend, and if you should hurt him, I would be most unhappy. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are not the only one who is rich and influential. Tread cautiously, Kudo-kun."

Shinichi nodded, chewing absentmindedly on the insides of his cheeks.

At that moment, Hakuba's phone dinged, signaling that he had a text. Hakuba looked down at his mobile and frowned deeply. "Right. Off I go, then." He cast Shinichi one more look. "Do be good to him. I have to say that I'm most impressed by your work and I believe we'd make good friends, if given the opportunity to get to know one another a little better, so…I'd really hate to have to kill you and make it look like the work of some…I don't know…underground crime syndicate or something. Happy New Year, Kudo-kun. Good night."

Shinichi bowed his head slightly as Hakuba turned to leave. "Thanks, Hakuba-kun. The same to you."

Hakuba raised a hand and waved as he walked away, leaving Shinichi alone on the balcony with the stars and the moon and his thoughts.

It was funny. Earlier Shinichi had been comfortable out in the winter air, but now, without Kaito, it was cold. Had the magician really radiated so much heat, or had Shinichi really been that distracted by Kaito that he hadn't noticed that it was freezing out here?

Shinichi sighed. He was all out of sorts, disoriented. It was like he'd had the earth pulled out from under him and now he was spinning every which way out in space. What had happened? One minute he'd been getting coffee thinking about how the party sucked and he felt awkward and he'd really rather be at home curled up on his couch with a tangerine, a cup of coffee, and a good book with the Red White Song Battle going in the background. He'd been mentally cursing the way Megure-keibu had looked at him with big expectant eyes and asked if he were coming a sixth time after Shinichi had made fuzzy excuses and vaguely hinted that he wouldn't the five times before that. He'd been getting a cup of coffee, praying that the night would go by quickly when suddenly…Kaito.

That stupid thief had always been so illusive and enigmatic before. A rare, worthy opponent, a challenging puzzle, both a physical and mental workout. And now…now there was Kaito so full of mysteries himself, and yet, at the same time, open and honest and vulnerable for those few minutes where he'd let Shinichi in, taken off the mask and just been a lonely boy who missed his idolized father and wanted his mother's reassuring presence in his life. That glimpse at a young man who was determined to overcome his hardships and fulfill his dreams was like a powerful narcotic to the detective, and Shinichi didn't know why.

Kuroba Kaito had been freaking annoying most of the evening. Why was Shinichi so drawn to him? Why did Shinichi want to text him and make sure his talk with Nakamori Aoko had gone okay? Why did he suddenly care so much about what Kaito was feeling, what kind of face he was making? Was Kaito okay? Was he sad? Had he made it home okay? Was he crying? Did he still love that Aoko girl? Why did it matter so damn much? Even though Shinichi had known Kid for years now, the existence known as Kaito was brand new to Shinichi. Kid's personal life had never really concerned him. Why was it so important now?

And why was Shinichi so anxious for morning to come so that he could see Kaito again?

Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly, placing his palms on both cheeks where Kaito's lips had brushed his skin. They burned as if Kaito's lips had been a hot branding iron, leaving an indelible mark behind.

Next his hands moved to rest above his heart which was skipping in his chest, beating madly, so loud he could hear it pumping.

He looked down at his hands and scowled at his heart. "Stop that," he commanded, but his heart seemed to have a mind of its own. With every beat it sang, "Kai-to. Kai-to. Kai-to." making him blush dark crimson.

"Seriously," he hissed. "That clown's just messing with you. He's not serious. I know you've been lonely lately what with Ran out of the picture, but you shouldn't get so desperate that you'll fall for the first person to show an interest in you. Now stop it."

But his heart didn't stop. It continued to sing happily in his chest for the rest of the night at the slightest thought of Kaito. And everything reminded him of Kaito.

He even went so far as to try socializing to try to distract himself, but as he talked to Takagi-keiji and Satou-keiji, in the back of his mind there was the question: "Do Kaito and I look good together? Would we make as cute a couple as them? Is it weird because we're both guys?"

Megure-keibu walked him around and introduced him to some of the higher ups that he didn't already know, but Shinichi was busy thinking about what Kaito's favorite food might be. He seemed to like sweet stuff what with the stealing of Shinichi's cheesecake bite and him mentioning brownies and hot chocolate when they were talking about the café. Maybe Shinichi would have to expand his cooking repertoire a little?

And then at one o'clock, Chiba-keiji was trying to tell him and a few others a story about a lost cat and a burglary that he'd stumbled upon during another case. Somehow the two were connected, but Shinichi wasn't too sure. He'd been having trouble concentrating because he was busy thinking about how in seven hours and thirty minutes he'd be seeing Kaito again, and they'd be going on their…on their not-date.

God, what was wrong with him?

Shinichi didn't stay too much longer after that. After all, he had to go home and agonize about what he was going to wear and what he was going to say before he could drift off to sleep.

One of the officers drove him home, noting that he seemed "out of it". It might have been Satou-keiji. Or had it been Shiratori? Hm. All Shinichi knew was that at the time he had been contemplating Kaito's hair and if he styled it like that on purpose or if he just woke up fabulous with that tussled look that one would think had taken at least twenty minutes to perfect. Did Kaito get hat hair?

Once he was home and in bed, ready to conk out for the night, he was slightly annoyed to find that he wouldn't be getting a decent night's sleep for his not-date with Kaito the following morning because thoughts of Kaito wouldn't shut off in his mind, allowing it to rest.

He began to wonder if Kaito were still awake. What was Kaito's room like? Oh. It was a dorm, wasn't it? That he shared with Hakuba. Hakuba knew what Kaito's sleeping face looked like. Hakuba had probably watched Kaito wake up and had been the first thing that Kaito had seen in the morning. Hmmmmm.

Maybe he should invite Kaito over for a sleepover? Friends did that, right? He'd had sleepovers with the Shounen Tanteidan before. Grownups didn't really have sleepovers, though, did they? What did Kaito wear to sleep? Did he sleep on his back or stomach or side or maybe curled up in a cute little ball? Did Kaito snore?

Sometime around the part where Shinichi was wondering if Kaito had a security blanket or some kind of stuffed animal he slept with, Shinichi managed to fall asleep, but even his dreams were Kaito-infested.

Kid invited him to a Wonderland-style tea party where both Kaito and Kid pestered and teased and flirted and did everything in their power to rile him up.

Shinichi woke up at seven forty-eight, thinking, "What. The hell." Everything since the moment the previous night when Kaito had entered his life had been kind of like that. What the hell? It was like getting hit in the face by an airbag. What the hell? What had happened?

Though, now that he'd had some halfway decent sleep, he was thinking more clearly (or so he thought, at least). He realized this reaction he was having to Kuroba Kaito. It was the same response he had to an intriguing case. He got so focused on the case that it was the only thing he thought about. He forgot to eat and sleep because he was so wrapped up in the case. It absorbed him, digging its nails into him and not letting go until he had taken it apart, dissected it, and analyzed it under a lens. Only did it let up once he knew it intimately, understanding all of its sides and curves and angles.

Kuroba Kaito was the same way. He was Shinichi's newest obsession. Shinichi was like a hound on the scent. Kaito was a riddle to unravel, a puzzle to piece together. It was obsession, not love, as he had first feared. He wasn't smitten. He wasn't infatuated. This wasn't attraction he felt. He wasn't taken by Kaito. This wasn't love.

Or so he thought as he tore through his closet in a panic, finding that he had nothing to wear on his not-date. He wanted to look good, gosh darn it!

But it wasn't love.

Or so he told himself as he washed his hair a second time, just so that the cinnamon fragrance would be stronger. Surely Kaito liked cinnamon. It probably reminded him of a cinnamon bun or something. Maybe Shinichi should switch to more of a sugary scent? They were selling things like gingerbread and Santa's cookies and sugar plum scents after the holidays, weren't they? Maybe Kaito would like that.

But he wasn't thinking about changing fragrances to Kaito's preference because he hoped to lure Kaito in and entice him to come closer and take a sniff or anything. Because Shinichi wasn't in love.

Or so he insisted as he paced in and out of the living room, through the foyer, into the library, and back again as the clock advanced so slowly. He pleaded with the timepiece to move a little faster. He wanted to see Kaito, and the wait was just killing him.

But it wasn't because he was in love or anything.

Or so he tried to convince himself, but…the door opened, and there was Kaito.

Shinichi's heart did a backflip, and the bottom dropped out of his stomach. His stupid heart began crooning cheesy old love songs, speeding up the tempo in time with its incessant beating. Shinichi's legs felt weak, and he could feel a stupid happy grin spreading across his face. His eyes tried to burn Kaito's image into his retinas as Shinichi consciously had to remind himself to breathe.

"Hey there! Morning, Shin-chan!" Kaito chuckled, grinning joyously.

"Hey," Shinichi returned, savoring Kaito's presence.

But…it wasn't love…was it?

…

Mikau: So there you have it. I can't help feeling like this could use another chapter. What do you think? First of all, did you like it? Was it humorous or just lame? ^.^; What was your favorite part? Anything you didn't like? And now, would you be interested in seeing Kaito's conversation with Aoko, Hakuba and Kaito talking after they both get home that night, and then the not-date between Kaito and Shinichi? I think I could whip up one more chapter, but after that, that's it. ^.^; What do you think? Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, guys! Thanks for your support, and thanks in advance for your reviews! I always appreciate you taking the time to share with me what you thought! Take care!