On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Disclaimer: Works of Meitantei Conan and Magic Kaito belong to Gosho Aoyama-sensei. Lyrics were taken from the 1909 Austin version.
A/N: My Shinichi suddenly sounded so...OOC...-_-;;
9 Ladies Dancing
Shinichi yawned again inside the grand ballroom of some five star hotel that he did not bother to remember the name for. As soon as his parents returned that afternoon, and not too soon after he returned himself from that outing to the Beika Shrine then the subsequent cafe, his parents appeared with fanfare. His mother hugged him the moment she laid eyes on him in the library. His father just stood at the entrance and smirked as Shinichi turned blue from his mother's hug. They insisted he accompany them to the New Years Ball that his father had been invited to, his mother quickly began tearing up when Shinichi was just suggesting he might not go ("Shin-chan~ are you really that cruel and heartless to leave your parents on their own for New Year, a day of celebration as a family? Especially since we missed Christmas together?" "'Kaa-san, you were the one to not come back for Christmas. It's hardly my fault." "But Shin-chan, we're here now." The conversation continued in much the same line until Shinichi relented and began digging his closet for his formal suit).
Every guest had wanted to talk to either one of the three Kudos that evening, his father was off to the side by the refreshments table, cornered by both men and women of all ages. They looked really eager and his father looked to be enjoying himself as he regaled them with his tales. His mother was closer to the dancing floor, men flocked around her and were no doubt commenting on her beauty. She laughed that joyous tone, as she bathed in the compliments. Shinichi himself had only managed to escape a group of overly eager females that kept pushing themselves onto him. He now stood by a pillar in a dim corner, hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately, his mother caught his eye and quickly excused herself to approach Shinichi.
"'Kaa-san, shouldn't you be over there with your fans?" He nodded to the group of males still staring in their direction.
"Nonsense, how can a mother leave her son when said son looked like he was overwhelmed?" She said in a motherly tone that was not often heard by Shinichi. She reached up to brush away a few strands of fringe to have a good look at his tired eyes.
"I'm fine 'kaa-san. I'm just…" He was trying to figure out how best to not sound to whiny. "I guess I'm just tired. I've had a long day today."
"I would have guessed seeing as Ran-chan would likely have dragged you out of the house this morning." She kept sweeping her eyes across the room, as though looking for someone in particular.
"She told you that?" Shinichi wondered how much his childhood friend divulged and how much his mother was able to speculate from said information.
"She didn't, but I know these things." She smiled proudly before gripping onto Shinichi's arms. "Now accompany me. There's a friend I want to say hi to."
Obediently, Shinichi let his mother cling onto him (whereas he would usually try to dislodge it as quick as possible). They came up towards a well dressed, classy woman standing with a French man.
"Chikage-chan!" Yukiko called out when they were within hearing distance. The woman looked over and her eyes quickly glistened with happiness.
"Yukiko-chan!" She was quick to dismiss her companion and hugged his mother, giving her the customary French greeting. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you or Yuusaku-kun in a while. And this must be your son!"
"Yes," she turned to nudge Shinichi forward, who offered a handshake. "Shin-chan, Chikage-chan is a good friend of ours. By the way, where is your escort?"
"A bit stuck at work I'm afraid." She sighed, "I might have miscalculated a bit when I threatened..."
"Oh pish-posh. Your threats are generally quite tame. I still remember the time when you threatened your husband when he sprang that prank inside the house. Is the mark still here?"
The two women continued to chat and reminisce as Shinichi stood dutifully at the side. Somehow, the features on his mother's friend is quite familiar, yet he wasn't able to place it on a singular face. He deduced he might have seen her in passing but by the way the conversation is going, he doubts she lives in Beika.
Just when Shinichi was about to suggest he would go and grab them all drinks, and hopefully sparing himself of any further gossip (they were veering into the dangerous territory of whether Shinichi was dating and whether there were potential dating partners), a soft feminine voice called in their direction.
"I'm sorry I'm late 'kaa-san." The timbre of the voice was one he heard just earlier in the day. "Tanaka-san was trying to con me into staying for tomorrow, something about the sudden increase in customers, then blackmailing me. Really, I have no wish to go back. Not when all the girls were pestering me about beauty regime and makeup advice."
"Kuroba?" It was the second time of the day when he said the name.
"Well, this is a surprise." Chikage was the one to recover. "I didn't know the two of you knew each other."
"We met at a cafe." Both said at the same time, before Shinichi felt embarrassed and turned away. The magician was still wearing his female costume, the maid outfit consisting of a black one-piece dress, only without the apron. He seemed to have swapped out the flat sole shoes to a pair of low heels, his hair (wig) that had been held in a ponytail is now let down with a small clip holding it at the side. The small amount of makeup had definitely been refreshed with a new coat of blush, more glittery eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick to match the occasion.
"I thought you had a son Chikage-chan." His mother looked between the newly arrived magician and Shinichi. She had a strange smile on her face as he noted the intense look on Shinichi's face.
"I do. Kaito is currently being punished for what he did a few days ago." She glared at her son. "So to make up for it, he was told to help out at a friend's shop for the day. Of course, this meant he had to look the part to not stand out inside the shop."
"It was a maid cafe! 'Kaa-san, you do not put your son to work the floor at a maid cafe." The magician groaned.
"You deserve it."
"You don't have to take away my change of clothes as well."
Shinichi had to wince, now he fully understood the evilness of the magician's mother and swore not to get on the woman's bad side.
"It'll serve as good practice for you."
"So," his mother intruded into the conversation before it degenerated into a mother-son argument. "What should we call you when you're dressed like that?"
Both mother and son looked at her with confusion.
"I don't think it would be good to call you by your actual name like this. Heavens, who knows what sorts of impression you'll make."
"You know, Yukiko-chan, why don't I leave the naming to you." There was mischief in her eyes.
"Let's see…" She placed a finger on her chin, tapping it gently as she considered her options. She then looked meaningfully at Shinchi before coming to the conclusion. "How about Edogawa Irine? Older sister to Edogawa Conan." She smiled conspiratorially with Shinichi.
"Edogawa Conan? Is he a relative of yours?"
Shinichi held back the groan, he knew Conan would come back to haunt him sometime. Though he was expecting blackmail rather than outright mentioning of him in a public setting. He chanced a glance over at the magician, who looked somewhat confused but at the same time it was as though he recognised the name as he glanced towards Shinichi in much the same way his mother had not moments before.
"Conan-kun is the nephew of the grandfather of the cousin of the daughter of the brother of my uncle. Basically a distant relative who's currently living in States right now with his parents. I'm sure he wouldn't mind adding someone else to his family." She grinned at Shinichi. "Now, shouldn't you be a good escort Shin-chan?"
"What?" Shinichi snapped his head towards his mother.
"You're going to be Irine-chan's escort for the evening, which means you should take her out for a dance."
Shinichi was about to open his mouth to protest but there looking between the magician and the two ladies in front of him, he decided his sanity was better off bringing the magician out to the dance floor. Like a gentleman, he offered his arm.
"Then...I guess we'll go?" He asked the magician.
"Meitantei, am I that offensive to you?" He sighed but still taking the arm and leaning it, acting much like the character her was dressed at. Shinichi had to notice the softness of the black fabric and even though he knew his current companion was definitely male, he did feel something soft as the magician leaned in. Gulping, he tried to tame his hormones from acting up (the magician was an extremely believable female).
"N...o...no." He stuttered, nearly biting his tongue. There was just something in the tone when the magician addressed him that reminded him of the moon and the midnight sky. Carefully (why did he have to be careful? He really did not know) he took the magician by the hand, noticing the softness of flesh, and led him (her?) out to the slow waltz.
During that single song, they both felt their mothers' intense gaze on them and both had not wanted to head back too early for fear of teasing. Instead, when the orchestra finished their playing, they decided to retreat to the balcony and hide away from their mothers.
"..." It was awkward for Shinichi to stand next to the magician as he was dressed as such and he wanted to start a conversation but wasn't sure what to say.
"Am I that offensive? Looking like this?" There was pain in the magician's voice.
"What? NO!" Shinichi had to admit, it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the look (he actually appreciated too much) but rather, he wasn't sure how to react to the magician.
Beside him, the magician sighed. "It's not like I wanted to be here and all that, but 'kaa-san insisted and as I've alluded to earlier, she has a mean streak."
"I've noticed."
"Then why is it you seemed to be avoiding my face when we talk?" He demanded, standing somewhat menacingly in front of Shinichi. "If I don't look offensive to you, if you have no problems with me like this, then why are you avoiding my eyes?"
Shinichi could not say that it was because he felt too drawn by that face, that look, and those eyes that he had to avoid them. Lest he wanted to see the same face superimposed onto the magician when they meet as themselves again under the normal setting. Nor did he want to say how the current situation reminds him of a past situation between himself (as Conan) and a certain magician-thief. Biting his lips, he settled for a generic, and possibly safe, answer. "Because I don't want to offend you?"
"Ha?"
"Because it would seem strange if I said something that I shouldn't when you're looking like that and you might find it disrespectful…" Shinichi added in a mutter.
"And why would I do that?" The magician relaxed his pose and settled back by Shinichi's side. Shinichi was grateful as this particular positioning allows him to actually look at the magician from the corners of his eyes without the magician noticing (and why did he want to do that? Solely to appreciate the view?)
"I...don't know."
There was a moment of silence between them before the magician burst out into a giggle, then into a full blown laugh.
"Oh, Meitantei." He tugged at Shinchi's arm that had been resting on the balcony baluster, leading it to wrap around his own waist. Shinichi tensed as the magician leaned in, acting much like those romance movies that Shinichi watched with Ran and Sonoko where the heroine of the movie would then sigh and proclaim something of great importance.
Shinichi dared to actually look at the magician at his side, to look up at the face, and noticed the softening of the eyes.
"I don't usually dress like this though. You've seen me as I am. This is just something I'm quite good at if I may say so myself." He admitted. "Besides, I need to act the part if I'm dressed for the part. That's what all good performers should do."
Somehow, those words seemed to be implying something else. It was as though the magician was hinting to a large secret, one that had been floating around in Shinichi's mind for a while now ever since he met the magician in that cafe.
"You...you're…"
"I'm?" The expectant tone and look from the magician made Shinichi hesitate. What if he was wrong in his assumption? The bell tolled in the distance and both turned towards the sound, breaking whatever spell that was cast over Shinichi.
"Nothing. Just…" Shinichi considered his next words carefully. "Did your mother teach you this skill?"
Again, his companion (escort?) laughed in a way that reminded Shinichi of the twinkling stars and began telling Shinichi how his father had taught him the strangest thing. Shinichi found he quite actually enjoy the tone of voice, even if it sounded a bit strange knowing his partner was distinctly male. But he found he could appreciate the effort placed into making a fictitious character real. However, he could not seem to stop drawing a parallel between the skills of his current magician partner and a certain magician that shows up underneath the moonlight.
