Case 11 – Circus

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Shinichi wrote in the last answer on his calculus homework and shoved it over into the pile with his completed physics, Japanese, and English assignments. With a sigh, he reached for his history homework and Kaito sat up abruptly from where he'd been lying on Shinichi's bed.

"I think it's time you took a break," he proclaimed, hopping up to slip his arms around Shinichi from behind and drag him back, chair and all, away from his desk.

"I missed more than two and half years of school, Kaito," Shinichi argued, though he didn't fight Kaito's hold. "It took a lot of connections and promises to get me back in, and if I'm going to graduate when I'm actually supposed to, I've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Seems kind of ridiculous," Kaito muttered. "Everybody knows you're a genius, and you clearly have the knowledge and skill set you need to succeed in both your chosen profession and in life in general. Why is graduating high school so important?"

"Of all the things in our lives that could be called ridiculous, I don't think high school really ranks," Shinichi said with a smirk, glancing over his shoulder at Kaito.

"Hm? Like what then?"

Shinichi thought for a few moments. "Like that guy who had plastic surgery to make himself look like me so he could frame me for a crime."

"…The weirdest stuff happens to you," Kaito said, accepting it. "What else should I know about?"

"Happens to me?" Shinichi countered incredulously. "You had a witch in your high school class!"

"Oh, is this a competition?" He let Shinichi go and Shinichi spun the chair around to see the laughter in Kaito's eyes. He crossed his arms and shrugged. "I once drove a car through a window on the observation deck of the Tohto Tower," he stated matter-of-factly.

"…Would a car fit through those windows–?"

"I made it fit," Kaito said with a wicked grin. "Come on; what have you got?"

"Heh, okay. I saved Two-Mix from a fire."

"I saved a princess from boredom. Although, as I recall, I'd say the weirder thing might be that you ended up on stage with Two-Mix, Edogawa-san." Kaito grinned as Shinichi's face went bright red. "I assume the two were related incidences."

"You were at that concert," Shinichi interpreted, ducking his head slightly and covering his face with a hand.

"Sure was!"

"Okay. Fine. Yes, that was me. We will never speak of this again."

"Whatever you say~!" Kaito said, still grinning broadly. "Well then, what else?"

Shinichi pushed out a sigh, leaning back in the chair again. "Okay. I got trapped in a virtual world by an artificial intelligence."

Kaito's eyebrows rose up, but he nodded thoughtfully. "I got kidnapped by a mad scientist who tried to replace me with a robot. It was… disturbing."

"Wow… You got kidnapped? I'd love to meet the guy who managed to get the better of you."

"Hey, I was just starting out, give me a break."

"Heh, all right. Raised a sunken pirate ship."

"Hey, me too!" Kaito said.

"No kidding? What are the odds…"

Kaito went to the bed again and sat down. "Well, like you said, our lives are just sort of ridiculous."

"True enough." He cast a sidelong glance at Kaito and said with a smirk, "Got turned into a six-year-old."

"…Yeah, that was pretty weird; I got nothing on that," Kaito said and Shinichi laughed. Kaito watched him with satisfaction. It was rare that Shinichi could talk about his time as Conan without something of a bitter, fearful cloud hovering over him, but little by little it seemed he was healing.

"Okay, how 'bout this one," Shinichi said. "Saved an airship from fake bio-terrorists."

Kaito grinned. "That was a fun one, wasn't it?"

"Your idea of fun is seriously twisted, you know that?" Shinichi laughed.

"Hey, as far as I can figure, our lives are gonna keep throwing us these crazy situations – I might as well enjoy it." His expression shifted a little, taking on the slightly manic edge of the KID grin and Shinichi rolled his eyes, shaking his head but still smiling.

"Hey… I've been meaning to ask," he said. "I've been thinking lately about what Hakuba-kun said at the Noda mansion. About how the Organization's been really active lately? Do you think there's a reason?"

To Shinichi's surprise, Kaito's expression turned suddenly sheepish and he laughed a little. "Maybe…"

"…What did you do," Shinichi said.

"No! It's just… I had been pulling a lot more heists than usual. I think it made them nervous." He shifted a little under Shinichi's scrutinizing gaze.

"More heists, huh? So, should they be nervous?" he asked.

"What?"

"Why the extra heists?"

"Oh…" Kaito's eyes edged away from Shinichi. "Heh, no reason really–"

"No way," Shinichi shot back, leaning forward in his chair. Kaito made the mistake of glancing back over at him and met his eyes – intense and unyielding. He couldn't look away. "You have a reason. Tell me."

"…Geez, enough already," he eventually said, his face warming. "I was worried about you. After that mess at that Organization compound… I guess I was just kind of hoping you'd show up, you know?"

Shinichi blinked and sat back again slightly, eyes wide, but he never looked away from Kaito.

"…Quit staring, would you?" Kaito muttered, his face completely red now.

Shinichi blinked again, clearly pulled from some engrossing thought, and his face softened with a small smile. "Hey," he said, spinning his chair back around and reaching for his homework again, taking the pressure off of Kaito. "There's something I need to take care of at the police station after school tomorrow, okay? I'll probably be back late."

This time it was Kaito blinking bemusedly before he realized he'd been showing up at Shinichi's house so often and just expecting him to be there… He got up, coming up behind Shinichi again silently and leaning over his shoulder to place a light kiss on his cheek. He stayed close, smiling at the faint blush he'd caused, and murmured, "Thanks for letting me know."