A/N: Just want to take this moment to thank my lovely reviewers. I love you guys dearly. Truly, I do. *wibble*
I feel like I want to apologize for the purple prose, but uh, it's well placed, methinks (and rather mild). I CAN write spice properly, I promise, it's just not the right place nor time. XD
Without further ado, the next installment of Folded Wings.
Silk. Unmistakably so, slick and smooth, with that wild shine that seemed to wink at you under the right light. It was silk. A brilliant, inviting, and intense shade of azure. It soothed over him, and it sent shivers all up and down his spine. Almost alive, it was warm, and very nearly breathed across his skin. Slowly, he felt himself wrapped in it, slinking over and underneath him, and he felt himself cradled in it, much like a hammock. It was comfortable, thrilling, exotic, and enticing all at once.
It was also incredibly familiar, only he could not pin down the reason why. His mind was hazy around the edges, and frankly, he did not want to try too hard to think at the moment. Not with how it was moving over his-
"Ba'aro." Oh. That voice. He knew it.
Abruptly, the warmth receded, causing him to furrow his brow. Just as he was getting familiar, too. Were they taking his cover away? His eyes slanted open, squinting against the bright onslaught of light. No, too bright, his head hurt. One hand reached up to cover his right eye, hoping in vain to cast enough of a shadow to see.
"No, not quite right."
Kaito blinked blearily against the dazzle. It was echoing again. That voice. The one he knew, but shouldn't know. The one familiar, but has never heard himself. A set of sounds he has only ever heard from inside his own head or through the means of a voice modulator.
Blindly, he reached out, grasping for a hold, hoping to pull that silk cover back, to give his eyes a rest, to calm him, and comfort him with its warmth once more. He wanted back into the darkness, a place where everything was invisible, no matter how hard you looked - himself included.
"Ba'aro, open your eyes." Irritation lined each syllable, and he flinched against it. It terrified him. That light was too bright, too intense. He was bare.
He flinched again when his world exploded in a flurry of feathers. The white coalesced into a small, but wicked smile. "There you are." It was different now. No, this one he knew well. He stared, and found himself eye to eye with someone very familiar. The grin softened, and the look became fond. "I've been waiting, you know."
And then he felt himself consumed, melting into that sapphire heat once more, only this time it was more focused. It slid over and around him, and when his eyes could finally see again, he found Tantei-kun holding him close. It was tight. Burning hot. Incredible. Those piercing eyes came up to look at him, and by all that he could swear, they were looking through him, down to his core. His gut clenched in response to the movement, and he wanted to claw against the light in frustration. Quietly, almost a whisper, he heard it. It was breathy, full of untold emotions, and sent shivers through him. He felt hot breath coasting over his ear. It could only be described as a bedroom voice, but spoken in that disconcerting child timbre.
"Kaito." The ground beneath him vanished.
He awoke with a start, fingers trembling as they gripped his covers. The world around him tipped, and he had to spend several moments keeping himself upright, completely disoriented. Silver gray light filtered in through his window, and it made it even more difficult to discern reality from his dream. His heart hammered in his chest, indigo eyes flicking back and forth in the darkness. He was… alone?
Falling back against his pillow, he rested an arm across his eyes, and slowed his breathing. Right. Dream. His shoulders sagged further into the mattress when he felt a familiar pulsing tension between his legs and the traces of a tingling reminder to a primal kind of satisfaction. He groaned in annoyance. A dream. Shifting his leg, he grimaced as the wetness pooled against him slid over his skin, leaving cool, slimy trails. Ugh, it was a mess.
Kaito sighed, sitting up again, and glared down his frame at the blankets bunched in his lap. If looks could kill, the covers would have shriveled up into a flaming little ball of foxfire before snuffing out with a muted sputter. Too tired and irritated to feel embarrassed, he flung the sheets aside and sent a calculating glance at his boxers. Even in the dim light, he could see the large, darkened patches staining the fabric. There was no way he could continue sleeping in those - they were shamefully saturated. Clearly, he had been holding back, and his body decided to let it all out in one go. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
Turning his eyes to the sheets, he was relieved to see them relatively unscathed. Well, that made cleanup a million times easier. Kaito pushed his heels over the edge of the bed, and pulled himself up, grimacing again. The wetness stuck to his skin, and with the exposure to the air, was now cooling at a rapid rate. It was incredibly uncomfortable. He immediately shucked them off, and shuddered against the cool air. His own heady scent wafted up and invaded his senses, but he willed himself to ignore it. It was yet another reminder of what had just happened, something he was unwilling to analyze at the moment.
Dropping the soiled boxers into a small pile of laundry to be washed, he grabbed a fresh pair from his drawer, and with it in hand, made his way under the cover of darkness to the bathroom. A small click, and the bathroom door was locked behind him.
He paused when his reflection caught his eye. Blinking, he stared for a moment, then turned to face himself head on. It was surprising, because his face was still lightly flushed, and he hadn't even realized it. More importantly though, was that similarity. Oh, he'd known it before. He'd even taken advantage of it on more than one occasion. But with that dream still fresh in his mind and the dim lighting, it struck an odd chord in him. The longer he stared, the more fleeting that initial impression became, and soon he was merely seeing his own face looking back at him.
Kaito shook his head in an effort to clear the cobwebs, and proceeded to wash himself clean of the evidence of the dream. Hands on auto-pilot, he succumbed to the mechanical motions of cleaning himself, and his mind wandered.
While hard to admit, the truth remained that Kaito had not had anything like that happen to him since he was thirteen years old. He was a dutiful teenage boy, and had no problem attending to his physical needs. On the contrary, he was a teenage boy full of vim and vigor, with a healthy appreciation for the more "physical" things in life. The fact it happened at all had to indicate that he was slacking in his attention.
All things considered, it really was not an erotic dream. Dizzy, hot, oh gods- so tight. No. Of course not. Not really. The problem lay in the subject, because it was likely that very same subject that was causing him to lose his focus. Before he'd known it, Tantei-kun was beginning to consume his thoughts, and starting to interfere with more than just his heists. He was even finding him in his dreams, making his mental hiding spots pretty sparse. It was strange, considering things like that.
His motions paused. He was at a strange impasse. Kaito knew that this meant a strong impression had been made on him. Disregarding the context, no, mustn't think too hard on that, he would not have dreamt about someone who was of no consequence. He stared at the wall, in consideration. Tantei-kun was always someone he enjoyed being around. Somehow, though, now Kaito felt he shouldn't be teasing him quite so much. It was giving him the oddest sense of foreboding, something he normally paid no attention to. It almost felt like something invisible was creeping up on him, only he did not quite know what. It set his self-preservation senses tingling.
His last encounter with Tantei-kun left another sharp effect on him. He was really trying hard. From what he could tell, he's considered things at length. By comparison, Kaito was taking things by the seat of his pants, and only now were things finally starting to sink in. Tantei-kun was seriously going at him. He had a renewed sense of respect for the guy. Guilt had washed over him out of nowhere when he saw the clear anguish cross over Tantei-kun's features at the mention of his diminutive state. Something serious had to have happened to cause that kind of expression. There was a story there, something more than just an odd shrink spurt. It was painful, whatever it was, and it made him feel bad.
On the other hand, he was a thief, and Tantei-kun was just that - a detective. He had promised to take him head on, and Kaito had promised the same in return. There was something very dichotomous there, only he couldn't quite figure out what. He wasn't a detective; he did not think like one. If he tried to mull this one around, he had a sneaking suspicion it just might drive him mad. With a twist of his wrist, the water cut off, and he set the washcloth aside. A quick dry-off, and he was soon in his fresh pair of boxers and heading back to his room.
He let out a soft sigh as he sank onto the edge of his bed. His eyes rested on the source of the red glimmer shining against his desk. The scarab had been a false alarm, and while it did emit a red glow, it was nothing unnatural. Moreover, nothing special occurred when he held it under the light of the full moon. It made his heart heavy to have another failure, but he could cross it off his list of suspicious jewels. Now that he'd ascertained it was nothing but a regular shiny trinket, it could be returned.
The problem now was how to get it returned. Thoughts of the detective filtered back into his mind. Tantei-kun had been there, at that heist. He could give it to him, and he knew it would eventually find its rightful place back with its owner. To be honest, he did not want to go anywhere near that man ever again. It was as good a reason as any to avoid the owner, even though he knew Nakamori-keibu could do just the same. He just preferred Tantei-kun's company, no matter how fleeting an encounter it probably would be. So yes, Tantei-kun would do just fine. With a half-formed sleepy grin, he flopped back onto his bed, and slid his eyes shut. It did not take long for him to sink back into the inky blackness of unconsciousness.
Several hours later, he found himself once more being interrupted from his dreams.
"Onii-san?" Light and bubbly, cute, and super girly. If a color had to be assigned to the voice, he would choose bubblegum pink. He cracked one eye open to find a young girl staring up at him curiously. He lifted his head, blinked, then grinned at her. A small pink rose materialized in his hand, and he presented it to her. Pink for pink.
"Hello there, ojou-san."
Small fingers came to take the paper flower, and she looked at it in awe. Lifting her head, she smiled brightly, and hopped onto the bench next to him. "I'm so sorry to wake you up." Her legs swung in carefree arcs, too short to reach the ground. The sun had passed to a low angle, and speckled the ground with lengthening shadows. Kids hollered at each other, running past with sticks in hand, and several more were laughing as they braved the height of the slides. A few left deep indentions in the sand, shoe and butt sized, depending on their agility. School had let out, and the park playground was now flooded with children.
A quick glance at his watch, and he gave her another grin, this time a bit embarrassed. "No, I'm glad you did. I'm waiting for somebody. I'd hate to miss them, because I was snoozing."
Giggling, she turned wide eyes on him. "I'm waiting for someone, too!" Her look turned into one of concern. "You look really tired, though. Are you okay? My mom says if I don't get enough sleep at night, then I'll be super tired during the day. That is why bedtime was made."
Kid angled his head to the side, a small grin passing by his lips. "Your mom would be right. It's just a dream that's been bothering me."
"Oh no, was it a nightmare?" She looked positively aghast, and he chuckled in spite of himself.
"No, not exactly." Her eyes were glimmering, almost overflowing with innocence. Kid wondered mildly if he could ever really be able to mimic something so unerringly pure. "It was a… good dream." She was way to young to understand the complexities of teenage boys.
This time it was her turn to tilt her head, and she looked a bit perplexed. "If it was a good dream, then why is it bothering you?"
He let his gaze move over to the swarming chaos of children nearby. "Hmm. Because somebody I know was in it."
"Is it somebody you don't like?"
"Ah no, it's not like that. You could actually call us friends."
"So then if it was a good dream, and it was about a friend…" She was still looking confused. He slumped his shoulders a bit, and gave a wry smile. Now then, how to put this delicately, and as vaguely as possible so that a child might understand? Kid took in a deep breath, and considered his words.
"This was the kind of dream you're only supposed to have about someone you really like."
Blinking, she paused to consider his words. She then leveled him with a straight look. "Well, then doesn't that mean you like your friend?"
Kid stared, and an unease began crawling up his spine. "Ojou-san, perhaps I should mention that this friend of mine is a boy."
The comprehension was so easy to trace in her features. Her cheeks grew pink, and her mouth formed into a small "o". She turned her gaze down to the hands that still cradled the rose in her lap. "Oh." She fiddled with her fingers, before whipping her head back up. "But my friend says that sometimes boys like boys and girls like girls." Really, who was she hanging around that was telling her these things? She nodded her head, as if affirming things to herself, then looked at him sternly.
"It's okay. Even though it's a boy you like, I promise I won't make fun of you."
What? Somehow the conversation had spiraled completely out of control. "Ojou-san, that's not quite-"
"Ayumi-chan! There you are!" And again, that unease drilled a firm little hole into his spine. The voice from his dream came rushing back full-force, There you are, and as his eyes flit up, he saw the face that matched it. Tantei-kun stopped in front of the two, grinning, and trying to catch his breath. "Sorry I'm late, I had something to drop off. Where're the other guys?" Oh gods, he was breathy. And flushed. Same inflection, same everything.
Piercing blue eyes moved over to regard him, and Kid had to fight an impulsive blush of intense shame from creeping up his face. Even that same color of azure. They gave him a quick, critical once over, before vanishing behind an all too familiar childish façade. Blink, and it would have been missed. He felt grateful he'd had the foresight to disguise himself for this little excursion, because he hadn't intended to meet so abruptly. The latex mask would probably do a good job of hiding the color in his face. It was one thing to react to circumstances, something else entirely to formulate one subconsciously.
"I told them to go on ahead, and hold a spot in line." She was absolutely beaming.
"What, even Haibara?" He muttered the sentence in near silence and sighed, trying to veil his irritation. Haibara, the girl who seemed to be on par with Tantei-kun's maturity. Somehow, Kid just knew she was the one feeding thoughts into the girl's head. He gave her a weak smile before turning his attention back to Kid. "Thanks for waiting with her, onii-san."
Ayumi bounced to the ground, and grinned. Her eyes were wide, and eager. "That's okay - we were waiting together. He gave me a rose!" And at that, she presented the flower in front of her for appraisal. Kid leaned over smiling, and conjured a blue one for him. He looked momentarily unimpressed, but politely took it with a muttered thanks. Ayumi squealed, and shot a bright smile at Kid, before drawing her gaze back to the paper rose. "It's the same color as your eyes!"
"Didn't want him to feel left out." Kid leaned back against the bench. Tantei-kun was eyeing the paper flower sharply, probably trying to figure out the trick. It merely made Kid grin.
"We were just talking about dreams. Conan-kun, have you had any dreams with Ayumi-chan in them?" Kid nearly choked. That was all kinds of wrong. For his part, Tantei-kun looked at her as if she'd sprouted a third eyeball.
Kid shifted a bit, looking at her. It was plain as day she had a tremendous crush on Tantei-kun. She was leaning a bit forward, eyes sparkling and focused on her friend. His gaze shifted to the one in question, and almost grinned. Tantei-kun was clearly not comfortable under the scrutiny. It would also seem he was quite aware of the poor girl's feelings. "Uh, I'm not quite sure. I dream about a lot of people." Kid internally applauded. Nice vague answer, Tantei-kun!
The reply did seem to disappoint her, but with the liveliness of a child, almost immediately passed it out of her mind. Ayumi steered her conversation to Kid this time. "Onii-san was just telling me that he's tired because of a good dream that is bothering him. Something about a dream you only have about people you really like? He says it's because it was about a friend." Amused blue eyes turned on him, an eyebrow crooked just the slightest bit, and practically obscured by the rim of those fake glasses.
Was there a hole he could crawl up into and die? Because really, he wished he could do so. That sickeningly sweet smile shot up at him as Tantei-kun spoke, but Kid wasn't fooled for a second. "You should confess to her, already." The deeper the hole, the better.
Ayumi looked over. "Oh no, his friend is a boy." Really, really deep. Her eyes went back to Kid, and Tantei-kun gave a choked little sputter and look of surprise. "Is he the one you're waiting for?"
Kid raised a hand up, in effort to refute the non-stop implications spewing from her mouth. That couldn't be right. No. Really. "He is the one I'm waiting for, but…" Well, he was already here.
"Ayumi-chan, I think we should probably let onii-san think about his dream on his own." Yes. Please. She frowned at him, and sent another concerned look Kid's way. Tantei-kun was giving him a surprisingly apologetic look. That sent his insides rolling, because the situation was just absurd. Tantei-kun. Apologizing to him. For talking about his "good dream", which just so happened to star said detective. All while totally oblivious. He could hit his head against a wall right about then. The universe had to be playing some cosmic joke on him.
Ayumi's lips pursed, and she gave another stern look. "Okay. But it's okay to like boys!" From the corner of his eye, he could see Tantei-kun lightly smacking his forehead with a palm.
"I'll keep that in mind." A weak smile her way, and she beamed.
"Take care of yourself, onii-san!" She waved, and the two of them set off at a fair clip. Kid watched them until they turned a corner and vanished around a row of bushes.
He let his head hang down, exhausted. How Tantei-kun managed to deal with that every single day was a complete mystery. A soft sigh passed his lips, then his head shot up, eyes wide. He'd forgotten! Slumping against the bench, he groaned this time, and rubbed fingers roughly through his hair. The whole point was to sneak the scarab into Tantei-kun's clothing, but with the distracting topic of conversation, it had completely slipped his mind. Something was seriously wrong with him.
The sun glared into his eyes when he finally raised his head again. He still needed to get the jewel to the Mouri's. Dragging up to his feet, the soles of his shoes scraped noisily against the sidewalk. Several stray pieces of gravel lay across the path, sliding away under his feet as he walked. On the bright side, at least he was already near the detective agency.
He had barely made it to the edge of the park when a great commotion and a few high-pitched screams echoed in the air. Distant and quiet, they only carried this way due to the wind. Even so, the wind itself had nearly drowned it out. Glancing back over his shoulder, he could see a small flock of birds in the distance taking to the sky in fright, and narrowed his eyes. A couple of people running by had harried looks on their faces, and were quickly gathering up their respective children.
"We've got to go, someone's been killed!"
Kid let his eyes drop into a deadpan. Somehow, he was just not surprised. That was the direction Tantei-kun had run off to. Why did it feel like he just narrowly avoided another disaster? He was just debating whether or not he should make his way over to possibly lend a hand when the screech of police sirens passed right by him. A collection of slamming doors, and the officers ran towards, then around him. He'd jumped, and nearly fled out of sheer instinct. Instead, he tottered and hopped on one foot out of their way. Kid was way too accustomed to running away from the police.
He stared after them, watching as they disappeared into the distance. To be honest, he was a bit amazed at how quickly the entire thing happened. Perhaps Beika was far too used to this kind of a thing? Shaking his head, he turned, and made his way out of the park. Tantei-kun was there, and he could trust that he would bring the culprit to justice.
Meanwhile, he had a detective agency to stake out, and as if erasing the black cloud he'd fled from, he got a stroke of good luck when it came into sight. He could see the tail-end of her hair swishing as Mouri Ran turned around the bend, walking away from her home. Disguising as her would be easier than trying to elbow his way in as a delivery guy, or a potential customer. It just meant he would need to check if her plans would be long or short-lived.
Kid made his way to the nearest corner, then donned his mask and costume, adjusted his stance, and effectively became Mouri Ran. It was no lie when Tantei-kun accused him of liking to disguise as a girl. If properly pulled off, it was one of the greatest of pranks a guy could play. With a smile, he went up the agency's stairwell, and popped his head through the doorway. The older detective, Mouri Kogorou, lifted his head, and gave her a curious look.
"I thought you left."
"I forgot something, so I came back." He grunted, and shuffled a few papers into his jacket, before standing and walking towards the door.
"I'm on my way now, so make sure to lock up behind you." He reached over, grabbing a tan trench coat that had been draped on a shelf near the entrance.
Kid raised an internal eyebrow. The guy actually worked his own cases? So far as he had seen, Tantei-kun was always at his heels doing the important detective-y things. And that trench coat? What was he trying to be, a spy agent? It wasn't even cold or raining outside.
He nodded when Mouri turned to look at him. "Okay, be careful." Another grunt, and then he was gone. Kid blinked at the closed door, then slowly, a grin took form. He was alone, at Tantei-kun's home. From what he could tell, this level looked like nothing but a regular office. The stairwell outside the door continued upward, so Kid figured that must be where the living area was.
Slipping out, he stepped up to the top landing, and after picking the lock, let himself inside. Leaving his shoes at the foyer, he turned the corner, and found himself in a small, cozy living space. He grinned, and put on a pair of gloves. This would be interesting.
The first thing he noticed was the small piece of paper sitting on the small table in the living room. Picking it up, it explained the reason for Ran's absence, and gave assurances she would return soon to make supper. She had gone shopping for groceries, so that gave him perhaps thirty minutes, possibly an hour before she would return. He slipped the paper into his pocket, as a precaution. It would be returned, once he was leaving. He stared at the pillow seats, wondering for a moment who sat where. Which one did Tantei-kun sit at?
Turning his head, he found the kitchen (which he decided against exploring, on the off chance there might be… undesirables there), and around the hallway, past the bathroom, were the bedrooms. Kid hesitated at the doorway to what looked like a shared room for both detectives. A niggling sense was making him a little uncomfortable, since his usual intrusions were into commercial buildings, not personal homes. The homes he did break into for his heists were typically all large enough to feel like a museum anyway. The small scale of this place made it feel very intimate. This was the place Tantei-kun slept. Did he dream, as well? Of him?
Kid slid the door closed at that. The jewel. He was here to return the jewel.
Toeing back into his shoes, he only paused long enough to wipe the doorknob clean, then headed back downstairs. Wiping that one clean as well, he let himself back into the office. He turned his gaze around the space. A small kitchenette occupied the corner, but it was otherwise a professional looking space. The desk was a mess, but that seemed to suit Mouri's personality. A small restroom situated itself around the corner. Pretty utilitarian.
His eyes passed over the middle of the main room. He figured that Tantei-kun probably sat in one of the couches, facing the coffee table. If Kid had wanted to eavesdrop in that situation, that would be the place he would have made himself comfortable. The table was probably the best place to leave the jewel. Eyeing the desk, he was a bit worried it would just get accidentally lost there. Should he leave a note?
"I'm home!" The door creaked slightly as it opened, and there in the doorway stood Tantei-kun.
Kid whipped around and blinked at him in surprise, before quickly secreting his gloves back into his pockets. Wasn't he supposed to be off playing with his friends? "Welcome back! I wasn't expecting you to come back so soon."
His head ducked, sheepishly. "There was a case, and the show got cancelled. We were going to go to Agasa-hakase's place, but he actually had some work to do. We decided to just meet up again tomorrow."
Kid willed his heart to slow, nodded his head, then smiled as an afterthought. "That's too bad. Well, it is getting kind of late, and it is a school night." It would make slipping away more difficult, but since there was that note the real Mouri Ran left behind, he could use the same excuse. He would just need to be quick about it, since she had already been gone for a little while. Kid was beginning to regret taking his free time to explore.
"You reminded me, I have some homework to do, but I left it upstairs! Be right back!" He shot up a bright smile, then trotted out of the room. A few seconds later, and the phone began ringing, causing him to groan internally. Kid walked to the desk, pulling the notepad closer. He wasn't sure he could mimic her handwriting based on one note alone, but if he didn't pick up and Tantei-kun came back in the middle of the answering machine recording, it would be suspicious, especially if the one calling was Mouri Ran herself.
Using one hand, he flicked the hair away from his shoulder, and cradled the handset against his ear. "Hello, Mouri Detective Agency."
"Yo, Ran!" He nearly dropped the phone. Today was proving a mini-nightmare. He knew mixing in with Tantei-kun was inevitably asking for trouble. Yet somehow, every single time, he was surprised.
"S-Shin'ichi?" Kid tilted his head, and gave a surreptitious glance over his shoulder towards the doorway. It wasn't entirely surprising to find it slightly cracked open. Was this how Tantei-kun normally made his phone calls? He was almost as daring as Kid!
"I know it's been a while, but I've been busy. I've still got this big case, and well…" Case? Did that have something to do with his shrinkage? Tantei-kun was a very good detective. If this was a case, and he was still tiny for this amount of time, it had to be incredible to remain unsolved for that long. Then there was his adamant secrecy and that pained expression from before. An uneasy feeling began to grow, and his throat tightened.
No, he had to be Mouri Ran right now. Dredging up all his encounters with her while disguised as Kudou, he formulated a mental image. Breathing in deeply, he raised his voice and forced his adrenaline into tight focus. "You should have called earlier! I was so worried when I hadn't heard anything!"
A deep chuckle resonated from the phone. "Sorry, sorry."
Kid huffed. "You will just have to make it up to me, and no pulled punches! I won't let you off easy."
He could practically hear Tantei-kun grin. "I'll add it to my list of things to do when I get back."
"You better not forget. It's been so long, already."
"Ba'aro, you know I won't forget. Once I get back, ask me anything, okay? I promise I'll come back, but it will have to wait until after I finish this case. Until then, I'll call as often as I can."
His voice noticeably softened, and Kid's fingers tightened around the handset. Something was pooling in his chest, and catching in his throat. If asked, he wouldn't have been able to place a name to it, only that it was increasingly persistent. That nebulous presence irritated him. "Okay. I'll hold you to that one, for sure."
"Right. Listen, I heard from Conan-kun, you got to go riding on an airship, right?"
His gut clenched again. The place where everything started turning crazy. This was all Tantei-kun's fault! "Yes! I went together with Conan-kun and his friends. It was actually one of Sonoko's relatives who invited us. You should have seen it, it was amazing!"
"I can imagine!" Of course he can. He was there. "See any aliens up there?"
"Shin'ichi!" Laughter filtered through the headset at him. "Geez. It was really nice. But it was also pretty scary. I thought I'd become infected with that bacteria that was all over the news. I thought…" Kid trailed off, lips drawn down into a frown. He'd been worried then, too. Tantei-kun was prone to danger, after all. He thought he could take care of things without getting hurt, and ever since then, it's been weighing on his mind. Such a small body, he clearly did not know his own limits.
"Ran?" His voice sounded a bit concerned, and that feeling was pinching in his chest again. Now was not the time to be analyzing it. Topic change, topic change.
"Oh, and Kid was there, and he was pretending to be you. I was really surprised! I thought you had run off to become a thief."
"Wha-? Oi, Ran, give me more credit, would ya?" He broke out into another laugh, before continuing. "I heard from Conan-kun that he was there, but he didn't tell me anything about that."
Kid tilted his head, curiously. She didn't tell him that? "I really thought it was you! He had me completely convinced, too."
"Well, he is Kid. He's probably one of, if not the best at disguising that I've ever come across."
"You've met with Kid?" Bewildered, he stared at the desk. Had he? As Kudou Shin'ichi? Kid certainly didn't remember it.
"Er. Y-yea, you remember. Uh, right! That clock tower heist I told you about?" Kid blinked. Well, he remembered that one, because it was the first one he very nearly was captured. Things made a whole lot more sense now, if it was Tantei-kun directing the task force. That would also explain the déjà vu he felt on occasion.
"Oh, right. Yes, I remember. With the fake diamonds and mystery code."
Conan frowned at his phone. That last particular bit of information was never given to the public, and he didn't remember telling Ran about it. As far as people knew, Kaitou Kid had "stolen" the hands of the clock as promised, and the ones intending to commit insurance fraud were arrested. The code was still sitting in police custody, unsolved.
He had no reason to translate it for anybody, since it prevented the tower from being torn down. Not that it mattered in the end, seeing as the owner went to jail, but that was beside the point. He hadn't told her that, had he? He used to not have any interest in thieves to begin with, it was just that particular case was a bit unique. More play than anything, he was offhand about it, and really did not go into much detail. At the time, he was more interested in riding in a police helicopter. Kid's heist was just incidental, really.
Shifting, he peeked through the opening, and looked at Ran's back. As far as he could tell, she was acting normal, but he hadn't really been home for very long. Plus, Kid was just as he had said. An amazing disguise artist. Conan narrowed his eyes in consideration.
"Speaking of codes, you remember the one we found in the school library? The one Kid wrote?" He watched as Ran shifted, and cradled the phone closer to her ear.
"Of course. What about it?" This prompted another frown. He hadn't found out the message was from Kid until he discovered the note again as Conan.
"That kid in glasses told me that him and his friends recently found it there, stuffed behind a book. Hard to believe it was there for this many years. It's been what, ten years?" Ran's shoulders stiffened.
"Really? For something to last that long, it must have been hidden really well!"
"It was, apparently. It was so well hidden, actually, that I imagine it was probably done on purpose. I did not find out it was a message from Kid until I found it again and deciphered the final clue." The door creaked, and Conan stepped into the office. He glared at the fake Ran, and snapped his phone shut.
"Nice to know you could be stumped that long over a riddle." Ran's voice disappeared into the lower rumblings he could identify as Kid's. The tension sank out of his shoulders and they slumped in a half-shrug of acknowledgement. Conan had called the bluff and won.
"It was a complicated one, not meant for mere children."
Kid set the phone back into its cradle, not looking in his direction. Conan mentally grumbled a bit when he took a cloth to wipe it free of prints. It would be a lie to say he had not been hoping some would be left behind. "Well, you aren't exactly a mere child, Tantei-kun."
"I was at the time. I hadn't realized the riddle was not intended for me." Dropping his hand, he stuffed the phone back into the rear pocket of his shorts. Warily, he edged forward, giving himself a clear shot should the need arise. A non-committal hum was his reply, and Conan frowned. He was beginning to notice Kid did that a lot. It was so open to interpretation, and it drove his logical facilities crazy.
His muscles tensed when Kid reached into a pocket, pulling out a suspicious white lump of fabric. But instead of turning to Conan, he placed it on the desk, and folded out the edges. His movements were slow and meticulous. From his vantage he caught the bright glint of gold and red, and the reason for Kid's visit suddenly became clear. He shot his eyes back up, watching him carefully.
Something worried him, because he was not smiling. The familiar leer and playful gaze would have looked out of place on Ran's face, but the lack of reaction was a cause for concern. Conan was aware of Kid's feelings, and for him to be like this, there had to be a reason. Was it the phone conversation? A wince resonated inside, as he realized he had been treating Kid with the care he normally reserved for Ran. His gaze lowered, abashed.
"It's incredible, isn't it?" The waning sunlight shone off the intricate golden wings, and reflected in uneven patterns against the desk. The red of the ruby gave it a warm glow. Kid was quiet after that, and they both watched the jewel for a moment in silence. It was an uncomfortable kind of lull, and Conan's eyes slid back over to Kid. When it became clear he would not say anything further, Conan finally spoke up.
"But it's not what you're looking for." It was more a statement than anything, and the lack of response was a veritable confirmation. Kid turned his head to look at him, eyes notably darker and far more piercing than Ran's. They spoke volumes, and contained recognition for him. For Kudou Shin'ichi. Those were the thief's eyes, not his childhood friend's, and the inconsistency did not sit well in his stomach. Conan flitted his eyes back to the scarab to avoid the gaze.
Again, the surging curiosity threatened to consume him. More than anything, he wanted to find more clues that made up the puzzle known as Kaitou Kid. Something important, something vital was missing. He desperately wanted to fill that void. All he knew at that point was that Kid was looking for a jewel. Judging by his history, looking for one within a certain size range, and with some sort of history or story behind it. Something with an unknown danger factor. Due to the continued haphazard search, Kid clearly was not sure what the jewel he was searching for looked like exactly. Conan did not know what the defining factor was that Kid used to decide if a jewel was the one he wanted or not, but seeing as he inevitably returned each and every one, he had no interest in anything except for the one he was ultimately after.
What was so special about it? Why did he need to go about stealing with such flair to find it? He was certainly drawing a lot of attention to himself. Was he trying to lure the owner out? What use would that be, if it's being hidden away? Wouldn't they go even more into hiding? Moreover, his criteria wasn't even all that clear. Not unless said owner knew Kid, and was trying to hide from him, instead. But that would mean Kid knew the owner, too, and shouldn't have to be on this wild goose chase. Unless he didn't know the owner. If that was the case, then it would have something to do with the previous Kid, someone Conan was sure had to be a different person. That brought on a whole new slew of questions, such as who the original Kid was, and what their relationship to the current one was.
There were too many things Conan still did not know the answers to, and somehow, he felt that if he could just get one vital bit of information, then maybe he could understand him better. The only thing he could glean was that Kid was absolutely brilliant, had a penchant for making mischief, and wasn't really a bad guy from what he could tell. He would dare to say that he was actually fond of him. He was interesting, mysterious, and one of the rare few who could meet him on an intellectual level. If anything, Kid was no ordinary thief, and had ulterior motives. That much was clear from the beginning. Conan did not do well with having unsolved mysteries hanging over his head. They bugged him relentlessly. Kid was becoming a huge presence in his life, just by being infuriating. He had nestled himself quite deeply now that matters of the heart were at stake.
He stared intently at the jeweled insect, as if demanding for it to rear up and spill its secrets. A frown grew, as the scarab refused to give up any answers. "Kid." From the corner of his eye, he could see Kid tilt his head a bit in question. So many things he wanted to say, but his pride did not allow any of them to pass his lips. A clue. He wanted a clue. His eyes flitted back to Kid's, who were watching him rather impassively. Once more, Ran's face surprised him, and he let his eyes keep moving to the side, focusing instead on his shoulder. He racked his brain for a question that he might actually get an honest answer for. "Is this dangerous for you?"
The question itself struck him as odd. Belatedly, he realized that could have meant any number of things, ranging from being arrested for grand larceny, to having his life threatened, to his feelings for a certain shrunken detective. It then dawned on him that he was actually worried. He couldn't place exactly where the worry stemmed from, however. Perhaps it was from all those things.
Conan chanced another look, and was pleased to see a good measure of surprise on Kid's face. After a short pause, he replied. "Probably as dangerous for me as it is for you."
He bit the inside of his cheek. It was an appropriately vague answer, but a basic concession that yes, Kid was in some kind of dangerous situation. He was well aware of the very obvious danger of him being an internationally wanted thief. If Kid was replying to that aspect, he probably would have given a cocky assurance of his invincibility. So that left only an immediate threat to his life, or flirting with someone who by all rights should be his enemy. Judging by past warnings, he was leaning towards physical danger. If this was the case, then why was he being so pompous about his thefts? Only one reason came to mind. But the question was why?
Conan wanted to test the waters.
Blue eyes came up to look at Kid again. As sharp as ever, Kid was watching him under a cool, emotionless mask. Even for Ran, the lack of expression was strange. It unnerved him, because something was telling him that things were not quite right. It was almost like he was carefully considering something important. He forced himself to keep looking at the eyes behind the Ran disguise. Mulling the words around in his mind before speaking, he watched for Kid's reaction. "You're trying to lure someone out, aren't you? Someone who wants to get rid of you. The gem you're after, that's the key."
A flicker passed through his eyes, and almost imperceptibly, his nostrils flared. Interestingly, it was precisely because Kid was disguised as Ran that he was able to even notice the slight movement. Anyone else, and it might have slipped past him. His eyes narrowed. He was definitely onto something.
Kid's eyes narrowed in turn. His posture changed, and Conan noticed it was a more closed off position. That trademark smirk plastered itself on his lips, and suddenly, "Ran" was barely recognizable. The lilt in his voice was almost hollow, and again, if he hadn't been on the lookout for it, it would have slipped his notice. "Tantei-kun, it's quite rude to ask a magician about their secrets. I won't be giving you any hints about my next target."
Conan pursed his lips. Kid was on the defensive again, and he didn't like it. "That's not-, no, I'm…" Worried. For someone like Kid to take such a serious risk, it couldn't be any ordinary threat. This must be the Trouble he always sensed. He let out an irritated sigh, and brought a hand up to his temple to ease the tension building there. "I'm trying to understand."
"Ever the critic, I see. You'll just have to wait and see." Off-hand, and he knew exactly where he was going with it. Kid was diverting.
"You are infuriating." This prompted a genuine grin, and Conan gave one in return. He let his shoulders relax, not sure when they had grown tense to begin with. It felt good to see Kid smiling again. Oddly, it felt far more natural, more normal, and almost like a smile belonged on his face, Ran's features notwithstanding. Even more so, it reminded himself to smile every single time, like some kind of contagion.
"I like to keep my detectives on their toes."
"Ba'aro. With all the prancing around you do, you don't need to worry about something like that." Another grin, wider this time.
"It's better than dancing lessons. But if you'd rather prefer, I'm sure I can manage."
"I dance well enough, thank you."
"Not enough to catch me, though."
"That remains to be seen."
"I sincerely doubt it." Kid had his full-blown grin on by then, and it contrasted all the more against his disguise. It was really disconcerting, but Conan could not stop the smirk that tugged at his own lips. The tension from earlier had dissipated into thin air.
"Try not to be too surprised then when I defeat you."
"Oh, but I do love a good surprise. You'll just have to prove it to me, then." Smooth and natural, a perfectly enticing invitation. Kid was looking smug, and Conan wanted to rear up to meet the challenge right then and there. He was debating rushing forward, but then Kid was moving.
The pleated skirt he wore fluttered, but his footfalls were silent as he stepped away from the desk. Just slightly, his lips were parted, and Conan could sense mischief in the air. He was getting closer, and the only thing Conan could think of was that Kid seemed to have no concept of personal space, and it had an uncanny ability to knock him off balance.
Conan held an earnest hand out, warding him off. "Don't you dare k-kiss me with that face, Kid." That really was not what he had intended to say - the words just sort of tumbled out in a blurt. He'd meant for it to be a growl, but came out with a light stutter, and again his cheeks were growing pink. Damnit. But he would not tolerate Ran's face of all people. Absolutely not.
Kid paused and looked at him, amusement tickling the corners of his mouth. He just knew he was struggling to not laugh. For a moment, Conan wondered if he should just forget about the remorse he had felt earlier. But, prudently, Kid actually passed him by, giving him only a light touch on the head and a short hum for a reply. A familiar floral musk passed by in his wake, and Conan wondered why he had never noticed it before. It seemed so obvious, now.
Conan turned and followed partway, keeping wary eyes on Kid in case he decided to do anything. He pursed his lips. There was still something important to say. "Kid." He turned his head, already halfway down the stairs. Serious blue eyes regarded him. "I will capture you. But until then, be careful."
A flash of white, and Kid was grinning. "I always am." And then he was gone.
He released a sigh, and turned his attention back into the office, eyeing the red scarab sitting on Oji-san's desk. Stepping over, he hopped onto the desk chair and looked at it more carefully. He had seen it at the heist, but not so closely. The sunlight was captured in the facets, and reflected off the golden wings, bouncing back into the ruby, and casting a red glow. It was a work of art, and an interesting use of the gold's properties. The white cloth used to wrap the scarab had a cheeky Kid caricature embroidered in one corner, and Conan let out a small snort. He never knew Kid took up needlepoint.
Pulling the corners of the cloth back over the ruby to protect it from dust and fingerprints, he picked up the phone and called the police to report the gem had been returned. Not that he didn't trust Occhan to properly return it, he just had doubts he would do so in a timely manner, especially with him off on yet another adulterer spy case. He also felt that Kid had returned the gem to him, and not to Oji-san. Somehow, it felt like his duty to return the thing himself.
Nakamori-keibu was not too thrilled to see Conan, but as far as their meetings went, it was actually quite brief. After assuring the inspector that he had not touched the ruby, and had properly handled it, he surrendered the jewel to the authorities. A quirked eyebrow was all he gave to the Kid-signed cloth, before stuffing the entire thing into an evidence bag, and shoving it into his jacket. With a flippant wave of the hand, he turned, and left.
Conan watched him leave, a bit bemused. He was expecting to have to give an account of his encounter with Kid, and even ruminated over a short little cover story filled with several half-truths. Finally, he shrugged, and attributed it to the fact Nakamori-keibu probably did not want to run into Occhan, as the two of them got along as well as cats and dogs. That, or in a moment of lucidity, he had realized that it would be useless information anyway, and would not contribute to capturing Kid. He was willing to bet it was the former.
Ultimately, after the patrol cars had all driven off, he found himself enjoying a rare bit of peace and quiet. With a grin, he slunk upstairs, and made himself comfortable.
The sound of the door and plastic rustling were ample warning for him to stow away his most recent mystery novel, and replace it with a more age-appropriate chapter book he was supposed to be reading for a book report. His eyes flitted up, when her familiar silhouette came into view. Yes, definitely not Kid's eyes - this was Ran. "Welcome back, Ran-neechan!" She carried a few crinkling bags of groceries in her hands - more than usual. He tilted his head in question. "You bought a lot!"
Ran practically beamed down at him. "We just got paid today, so we'll be having a big supper, tonight. I hope you're ready!" He chimed his approval, and distantly hoped Occhan would not blow the money on yet another inane Okino Yoko figurine or waste it on pachinko. Honestly, the money was supposed to last longer than a week. "Oh good, I'm so glad." He glanced back up at her quizzically, and found she had a look of relief.
"Ran-neechan?"
"You seemed to have something on your mind, and felt like you were avoiding me, so I was a bit afraid I had done something to upset you. You look like you're in a better mood. Everything is alright now, right?" She looked down at him again, worried. His chest clenched. Managing a small little smile, he nodded.
Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded back. "Alright. Otou-san came back with me, but he's downstairs, finishing up some paperwork. I know you're probably pretty hungry, but it will take a little while for me to get supper ready. You can snack on this in the meantime. I know you're a big fan, so I bought it just for you." Rustling in one of the bags, she dragged out a small box of Kamen Yaiba brand animal crackers. Conan took the box with another forced smile.
"Unh, thanks!" With another smile cast over her shoulder, she disappeared into the kitchen. He sighed, dropping the suspiciously sweet looking box of cookies (no way were those mere crackers) on the table, and sat Indian-style at his spot. Elbow propped on the edge, he rested his chin in his palm, and watched her legs with half-lidded eyes as she bustled around, making preparations.
He hadn't thought she'd noticed. Granted, she had an uncanny ability to root out his moodiness as Shin'ichi, but he thought as a kid things might be a bit different. In fact, he had a bit of pride for his acting. Her maternal inclinations were almost frighteningly accurate, and she made things really tricky sometimes at crime scenes. Then again, as he leveled a deadpan at the brightly colored box in front of him, maybe not entirely accurate.
And then again, thank the gods it wasn't entirely accurate, because there was no telling what kind of storm would pass through if Ran was even suspicious that Kaitou Kid had eyes for him. Worse yet, that he had already been subjected to not one, but two kisses. His first kiss had been with Ran, also as Conan. What troubled him, however, was just how different that was from the other two. He let his arm fall down, and crossing them over the table, rested his head against a forearm. He could feel his cheeks growing warm.
He felt guilty. Especially after the most recent heist, he'd avoided eye contact with her. Looking at her usually instilled guilt in him, but it had suddenly become several times more magnified. This was no longer about just blowing her off, not being able to meet her as Shin'ichi anymore, or returning her worried voice mails. This was something else, something he still did not clearly grasp. And for all his mind-picking, there was only one shaky reason he could come up with. His face buried into the crook of his elbow, cheeks burning.
He'd liked it.