Part I. Seed
Winter Cherry
{Deception}
The world is a garden, Kudou Shinichi realizes quietly. Both literally and figuratively, the world around him is teeming with life that he is only able to feel distantly.
"Ouch," Ran winces, one day on the way home from school. They are fifteen and still friends like they have always been and the sun feels warm on their faces as it sets over the river bank.
He is about to ask her 'What's wrong?' when he sees it. Sprouting indiscreetly from the skin of her knee is flowers. His mouth clicks closed.
"Oh," Ran breathes in wonder. Her hands flutter delicately over the soft petals, as if afraid that touching them would cause them to disappear. "They must have scraped their knee again," she says, laughing lightly with affectionate eyes.
The 'they' she mentions is clear.
Unsticking his tongue from the roof of his mouth, Shinichi heaves a sigh. "Your soulmate is a klutz, Ran. You're always blooming."
She giggles helplessly at his irritation, straightening up and falling back into step with him. "Everyone blooms at some point," she says. Even you, Shinichi hears, and it leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He hates her unnecessary concern. "I just happen to do it more often than most."
'Blooming.'
A term used to define the moment when flowers abruptly sprout from under a person's skin in the same location where their soulmate has been wounded.
Shinichi holds back another sigh, remembering the lectures they have received ever since they started middle school.
"Don't be scared, it's natural," their teachers said.
Now a third-year middle school student, he has yet to bloom even once. Ran has bloomed countless times already - so have his other classmates. From skinned knees to broken arms, he has seen plenty of different flowers by now. They even have the language of flowers, hanakotoba, integrated into their Japanese courses, so that 'everyone can track down their soulmates.'
He has not bloomed.
And he does not want to.
As young as he is, it does not take Shinichi long to see the ugliness hiding under the leaves of the garden. He has a lot of time to think, as someone who has not bloomed and as a detective. He sees what their society, what the adults, are all hiding.
"She died instantly," Megure-keibu says gravely, his shoulders sagging as if under the weight of the tiny apartment they are standing in.
There has been a murder.
Of course there has - that is the only reason Shinichi would be here - but there is no mystery to solve. Not anymore.
The woman's body is carefully covered and taken away, her husband's body following soon after. Takagi-keiji stands near the wall, tense with the reality in front of his eyes, but Shinichi cannot even muster the will to flinch.
"It will have to be reported as a murder-suicide," Megure-keibu murmurs, gently ushering the both of them out of the home. "I'm sorry you got involved, Kudou-kun."
He shakes his head. "It isn't anyone's fault."
In this world, death often comes in pairs.
Originally, Shinichi had suspected a young woman in the neighboring apartment, but upon reviewing the results of the fingerprint test on the murder weapon, among other factors, the answer was clear; Miyamura Hayate, obsessed with the idea that her husband and soulmate, Miyamura Inosuke, had an affair with the aforementioned neighboring young lady, pulled a gun on him. The bullet pierced Inosuke's heart at point-blank range.
She must have known what was going to happen, Shinichi thought silently to himself as Takagi-keiji gave him a ride home.
The flowers that had sprouted from her chest were lemon blossoms.
'Fidelity in love.'
A bitter smile pulls at Shinichi's lips. She must have known that, too.
By the time he is bowing in thanks to Takagi-keiji for the ride home, the sun is dipping below the horizon. As usual, the windows of the Kudou residence are dark. He shuts the gate and steps into the house, absentmindedly sending a reply to a text Ran sent a few hours back.
"The flower that blooms is not your own," he remembers his teacher's voice, seeming to echo through the dark, empty corridors of his home. "They represent your soulmate's character. That is why learning hanakotoba is so important - it will help you tremendously in the future."
During the first year of soulmate and hanakotoba lessons, Shinichi grew increasingly uncomfortable. He started to wonder if he was 'normal.' After all, he hurt himself all the time during soccer practice - surely, his soulmate has bloomed already. Why hasn't he?
Sometime in the middle of his second year, a thought crossed his mind as he stared listlessly outside the window next to him, tuning out another soulmate lecture in favor of watching the rare sight of snowfall in Tokyo.
What if I don't even have a soulmate in the first place?
From that moment onwards, it was as if Shinichi had freed himself from the chains of the system, flinching away in disgust at the blatant romanticism. Dying together with one's soulmate is 'beautiful.' Hurting one's self in front of the person suspected as being their soulmate is 'okay.' Blooming actually hurts when it happens but 'it's a rite of passage.' Falling in love with anyone other than one's soulmate is 'blasphemous.' Flowers should not be hidden, but 'shown off.'
Shinichi stands still in the empty house. Everyone smiles when they see their soulmate's flowers, he fumes silently, anger and disgust rolling in his stomach like clothes in a dryer.
Don't they know their soulmate is in pain?
Part II. Sprout
Chrysanthemum
{You're a Wonderful Friend}
Shinichi yawns, blinking away the last tugs of sleep at his eyes.
"Geez," Ran huffs, turning around in her seat. "You should stop staying up so late to read, you mystery otaku. We're not kids anymore."
He grins boyishly at that, not bothering with a reply because she is right. They are high-schoolers now, not children too stubborn to go to bed at night, but they both know he will not listen to her good advice so easily - Sherlock Holmes is much too interesting for that. Instead, he takes the chance he has now during their self-study to discuss another topic.
"Are we still going to Tropical Land tomorrow?"
"Of course!" she says immediately, face scrunching up. "Why wouldn't we?"
Shinichi gives her a knowing look. "Because your dad doesn't like me that much."
Her lips part in surprise. "Shinichi!" she breathes. "Don't tell me you've been taking him seriously this whole time?"
He laughs, neither confirming nor denying her guess. "You're the one who comes crying to me every time he acts out."
Ran blushes pink with indignation, but before she gets a chance to retort, the boy sitting just right of Shinichi simpers slyly in their direction. "Hyuu, hyuu~" he pretends to whistle teasingly. "Don't tell me Kudou is the bad-boy type of boyfriend?"
The pair of childhood friends pause in confusion. Shinichi is first to realize what their conversation must have sounded like; a troubled couple facing a disapproving father. Ran's earlier blush darkens in understanding a moment later.
"We're not dating," Shinichi says smoothly.
"Nakamichi-kun… we're not soulmates," Ran says carefully. This is not the first time they have been in this situation.
Nakamichi blinks, running a hand through his short, light-colored hair in confusion. "You're not?"
The room begins to quiet as the classmates around them catch onto the conversation.
"We're not," Shinichi confirms.
Nakamichi turns pink in the face, embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry. My bad."
Ran shakes her head softly. "It's okay, you didn't go to middle school with us so of course you didn't know."
Ishikawa stands up, his seat scraping noisily on the floor. He laughs as he prances over to them, slinging an arm around Nakamichi's shoulders. "Wow, I think everyone in here thought you guys were together! Thanks for being our scapegoat, Nakamichi," he says, sneering. Nakamichi sinks further into his seat, effectively shaking Ishikawa off. His ears are a miserable pink.
Ishikawa pays him no mind, smoothly turning his attention to Ran, prowling towards her like a predator hunting its prey. "If that's the case, maybe Mouri-chan would like to go out with me?"
At this, the classroom goes dead silent. Ran stares, wide-eyed, up at Ishikawa, cornered in her seat. Shinichi barely manages to school his expression, his knee almost knocking up against the underside of his desk.
"I wouldn't if I were you," he says lightly, tone flat with disinterest as he rests his chin in his palm. "Ran's a karate champion, you know."
They do not know. After all, this is only the first term. Anyone who did not attend Teitan Middle with them would not know a thing. Nevertheless, Ishikawa pushes on, smirking.
"Who wouldn't want to date such a strong, beautiful girl?"
Ran's blush returns full-force, but only out of embarrassment that Ishikawa wants to do this in front of the entire class.
"Bro stop it, don't you see she's uncomfortable?" Nakamichi grinds out, swallowing down his previous humiliation.
Blinking innocently, Ishikawa makes sure to keep his gaze trained on Ran. "Is that true?"
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Ran opens her mouth to speak but cannot seem to find her voice. "I…"
She's too surprised, Shinichi notes.
"We could be soulmates," Ishikawa points out, tone deliberate. "I never thought to check because of Kudou, but…"
Shinichi's expression twists with disgust. "Who'd want to be soulmates with someone like you," he mutters under his breath. Louder, "And if you're not?"
Ishikawa's shoulders drop slightly, as if annoyed that he has to look away from Ran in order to address him. "If we're not, what?"
"Soulmates," Shinichi replies. "Then what?"
To the surprise of everyone in the room, Ishikawa only smiles. "Practice, of course."
"'Prac… tice?'" Ran echoes, as if the word is foreign to her.
"That's right," Ishikawa says, lighting up as he turns back to her. "It would be embarrassing if you met your soulmate but didn't know how to kiss, right? You can practice with me-"
Shinichi stands with such force that his chair clatters and falls back. The sound has everyone's eyes on him but he pays them no mind as he rushes Ishikawa and grabs a fistful of his uniform.
"Woah, woah," Ishikawa laughs. "What's the matter, Kudou? Did I say something wrong?"
Seething, Shinichi replies, "I thought I heard you incorrectly, so I'd like you to repeat that one more time."
"Shinichi!" Ran gasps, concerned, at the same time that Nakamichi lets out "Kudou!" in shock.
Ishikawa juts his chin up with a sneer. "I said she could practice being in a relationship with me."
"Practice what, exactly?" Shinichi presses, eyes narrowing.
At this, Ishikawa finally shows his true colors, leering obviously in Ran's direction. "You know what I mean, don't you, Ran-cha-"
Shinichi's fist flies across his cheek before he can finish.
"Don't call her that."
Ishikawa's unconscious body hits the classroom floor with a thud amidst the surprised and concerned shouts of his classmates, a few gasps of excitement acting as an accompaniment to a disorganized concerto. Ran jumps out of her seat, taking hold of his other arm, but Shinichi brings his fist in front of him, regarding the classroom with a heated stare.
"I may not be Ran's soulmate," he says. "And Ishikawa might have had a point considering you're free to date whoever you want regardless of what people say, but anyone who says disgusting shit like practice to Ran again will end up like this," he gives Ishikawa a very deliberate, very disgusted glance. Then, as if a switch is flipped on his mood, Shinichi suddenly smirks down at his best friend. "Except I won't be your opponent."
She gives the classroom a heated stare of her own. "Inchou, please let our homeroom teacher know Shinichi and I are heading home for the day." Her tone is stony and clipped. "We don't feel very well, you see."
The class representative yelps at the attention, nodding immediately in agreement. She rises to her feet as she brings the classroom back under control, appointing the class health aide and a volunteer to carry Ishikawa to the infirmary. She pauses, abruptly, her gaze caught by something on one of her classmates' desks. "Tell them he got hit by a ball," the representative instructs them grimly as Shinichi and Ran gather their things. "That he fainted as a result. The school won't let it go if they find out the truth."
The sliding doors of their classroom slam shut with finality. The pair of childhood friends expertly sneak out of the school - thanks to Shinichi's previous escapades - silent and tense.
Their quiet is disturbed just as they leave through a service entrance at the back of the school, with Ran heaving a stressed sigh. "We're so lucky Sonoko skipped self-study today."
Shinichi lets out a bark of laughter in surprise, cutting himself off immediately after. They blink at each other. Then, as the ridiculousness of the situation catches up to them, they fall into fits of breathless, painful laughter all the way home.
Part III. Seedling
Yellow Geranium
{Unexpected Meeting}
Several long months as Conan, and rather than granting his wish to return to his original body, the universe gives him what he least wants.
He blooms.
It happens in the middle of the night, jolting his now much more sensitive body awake from dead sleep. In the past, fear for his very life had never trained his senses the way it has after meeting them.
Occhan snores loudly in the puny bedroom.
Sighing, Shinichi lugs his tiny body into the bathroom between the two bedrooms of the apartment, hoping to look at the flowers before they dissolve into particles and disappear into the air. He flicks the light on, shutting the door quietly before hefting himself atop the closed toilet seat.
The flowers are sprouting from his side.
A small part of him sighs in relief at the realization that he does have a soulmate after all, that maybe he has been blooming in his sleep for years now.
He squashes it down.
Violet. The flowers are a startling violet in color, but the center of their petals fade into white.
A star, Shinichi thinks to himself, his hand cupping the five-petaled flowers gently.
As much as he hates the endless hanakotoba and soulmate lectures that were integrated into his courses, he has to admit they prove useful, now. At the same time, however, he is glad he does not have to face them anymore, as Conan, in Teitan Elementary School. The thought brings with it a realization.
He digs his phone out of his pajama pockets, having taken it with him to use as a flashlight through the dark corridor of the Mouri household. It rings twice before the person on the other end of the line picks up.
"It better be important, Kudou-kun."
"Haibara…" he shifts uncomfortably on the toilet seat, reality catching up with him. "I just…"
"Kudou-kun?" the little scientist prompts, concern creeping into her tone.
"I bloomed," he says helplessly, knowing that delaying his words any more would only cause her anxiety.
For a long moment, there is silence on the other end of the line. "…I see."
Frustration immediately floods his system. "Haibara, aren't we supposed to start blooming once we hit puberty?" he hisses, pressing her for answers. "Why am I blooming as a seven-year-old child?"
He can almost hear her rolling her eyes. "I don't actually know,Kudou-kun. There is still so much to learn about how the apotoxin affects those who survive its lethal poison. It's not as if there was a test subject available during…"
She trails off, but Shinichi knows she is referencing her parents' time in the laboratories of the Organization, testing and retesting. He falls silent, unsure of what to say next. Luckily, Haibara seems to push aside her memories.
"I can't be sure until I perform a few tests, but based on what we've done so far… I would hypothesize that though you have de-aged outwardly, internally, you have not changed much at all. Your brain, for example, which still retains its adult intelligence and memories."
Shinichi relaxes, accepting the explanation for what it is; half-assed, and an attempt to calm him. "Alright, I get it."
"Good," she says firmly. "Now go back to sleep, Kudou-kun," she yawns sleepily. "Don't you have somewhere important to be tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Goodnight, Haibara."
"Goodnight."
By the time he hangs up, the flowers in his side have disappeared. He stares at his lock screen distantly. The date and time stare back as passively as always.
4:12 AM on March 31st.
Part IV. Plant
Daffodil
{Respect}
His relationship with International Criminal #1412, better known as Kaitou KID, is strained at best and nonexistent at its worst. The thief, notorious for his phantom-like ability to slip out of everyone's grasp, is nothing but a petty, Arsene Lupin ripoff to Shinichi. And after their conversation on Haido City Hotel's rooftop back in April… well, he is sure the feeling is mutual.
That does not stop cold fear from gripping his heart when Kaitou KID, who is supposed to use his phantom-like ability to slip out of everyone's grasp, is shot out of the sky.
"That person was-!" Conan chokes out at the ocean's bank, out of breath from their chase. He turns quickly, hoping to catch another glimpse of that silhouette one more time, but it is no use.
Instead, he turns his attention to the shore. Scattered along the dark ground are a shattered monocle, an injured dove he immediately picks up, and… the heist target. He cradles the miserable bird, whose pristine white feathers have been stained in blood, eyes searching both the sky and the sea.
For Kaitou KID to leave the egg behind… What happened must have been out of his calculations, he thinks grimly.
Making his decision, he cradles the little bird as gently as he possibly can. He will have to deliver the egg to the authorities, this time. Tonight's showdown has been interrupted, but KID will most definitely try again.
At that time… Conan smiles.
Ran, he knows, has the same bleeding heart as he does when it comes to animals, and so there are zero issues with making the dove a small home in their shared cabin inside the enormous cruise ship. She gently cleans its wounds as best as she can, Conan coaching her from the sidelines using whatever information he can find online. Then, with delicate fingers, she wraps the broken wing in bandages.
"There you are," Ran breathes, expelling her stress and finally relaxing. "I think it'll be okay!" she says brightly to him. "What a relief, huh?"
"Yes!" Conan chirps.
With that, the matter is taken care of. And though he would like to pretend taking in the injured bird is done simply out of the kindness of his heart, he cannot deny the useful role it plays in the case or in his investigation about KID.
Days later, the case is concluded with a tad more danger than he would have liked, but a relieved sigh escapes him when he thinks of Scorpion locked away in prison. The dove he and Ran have taken care of over the duration of their cruise is…
Sitting in that basket like it lives here now, he mentally rolls his eyes.
What he does not expect that night, after finally returning home safely to the Mouri Detective Agency, is the distinct feeling of having missed an opportunity. The bird itself had seemed like a lead in learning more about the thief - like a living clue - but in the end, he had not learned much at all.
That is until Ran has him cornered in Kogoro's offices.
"Ran…" he begins, smiling bitterly. "The truth is, I-"
"…Shinichi," she interrupts breathlessly, and Conan realizes she is no longer looking at him.
Leaning casually against the door frame into the office is none other than… himself.
"Wha-?!" he croaks, shocked.
Ran wipes her tears away. "Is that really you, Shinichi?!"
The fake Shinichi pouts and the experience is incredibly surreal to Conan. "What kind of 'hello' is that? And here I thought I'd check in on you after I heard you got caught up in some case…"
This is impossible… Conan gasps, scrambling for an explanation. Because if there isn't one, if that person is Shinichi, then…
Panic nearly wraps its strangling hands around his heart, but a possibility pings into existence in his mind, then a motive. Before he can say a word, however, Ran dashes towards the imposter, scolding him loudly for never giving her a call. Conan winces as the faux Shinichi parrots some sort of excuse, but the situation does not have a chance to escalate further as Ran notices the soaked blazer of his uniform and dashes upstairs for fresh clothing.
The imposter watches her go for a moment, eyes disgustingly soft in his opinion, before turning and heading down to the cold, rainy streets below the detective agency. Conan accepts the unspoken invitation.
"Hold on, Kaitou KID." He keeps his hands tucked into his pockets. "You had me completely fooled. I never suspected you were disguised as Shiratori-keiji on that cruise ship."
KID does not turn around to face him, but Shinichi can still read the amusement in the line of his shoulders. A sharp whistle sounds, and suddenly, the dove he had hoped would lead him to something like this flies out of the Mouri Detective Agency through an open window. He smiles internally, satisfied.
"You knew something would happen on that ship," Shinichi begins as the bird lands on its owner's shoulder. The internationally-wanted thief does not spare him a single glance as he strolls onto the wet street.
"I wasn't certain," KID finally says, and another bird appears from his sleeve. He places it on his free shoulder, walking farther and farther away from Shinichi. "But I bugged the ship's phone line anyway."
"Another thing," Shinichi says as dove after dove poofs into existence and digs talons into KID's clothes. "You tried to steal the egg so you could return it to Natsumi-san, its true owner," he claims boldly. This is his one chance to see if his deductions are correct, after all. "You knew that Kosaka Kiichi-san made it and that he was known as 'The Last Wizard of the Century.' That's why you used that title in your advance notice."
"Ohh~?" KID smiles, continuing his little show. "Anything else you've realized?" he asks.
Shinichi smirks.
"Do you mean how Natsumi-san's great grandmother was Maria, the third daughter of Tzar Nikolai II?"
KID pauses, his ever-present smile dropping in favor of an expressionless look, and for the first time since this entire charade began, he finally meets Shinichi's gaze.
Silence.
The detective plows on, undisturbed and perhaps even a little proud. A dove on KID's arm flutters its wings restlessly as Shinichi's tone falls into something a little more delicate. Nevertheless, he continues until his own show is complete.
"And like this, all of the mysteries are solved," Shinichi says, but there is not a single hint of triumph in his voice. Now is not the time.
Immediately, KID turns his head to look at him over his shoulder. "I have one piece of advice for you," he says lightly, raising his palms in the air, several of the doves flapping their wings at the movement. "There are some mysteries in the world that are best left alone."
Shinichi closes his eyes. Essentially, he's telling me to keep quiet about this. "…Certainly," he agrees with a shrug, eyes open as a small smile touches his lips. "It may be best to leave this particular mystery as it is."
KID chuckles through his nose. "Then, can you solve this mystery, Great Detective?" Shinichi blinks at the title. "Why did I come here as Kudou Shinichi to help you, a dangerous foe?"
"Shinichi!" Ran calls as she barrels down the stairs, hugging the clothing she has borrowed from her father's closet to her chest.
KID snaps his fingers, and with that, the doves on his body suddenly take flight, the thief disappearing as if he had never been there at all.
Shinichi sighs internally, watching the birds fly off into the night sky. Ran stands by his side, stunned silent. Snowy white feathers fall along with the drizzling raindrops. Dumbass, he mentally replies. That's no mystery at all. He reaches up and catches a feather between his thumb and the first knuckle of his forefinger.
You only came here as thanks for taking care of that little guy, right?
And as Ran finally ushers him back inside, he cannot help but think that perhaps Kaitou KID is not so bad of a person after a-
Yeah, no, he mentally checks himself. Still nothing but a petty thief.
Nevertheless, there is a shift in the air. A mutual acknowledgment, a silent understanding. Kudou Shinichi is not the arrogant critic he was originally thought to be, and Kaitou KID is…
A dumbass, probably.
Part V. Bud
Tuberose
{Dangerous Pleasure}
Shinichi chuckles dryly as Senior Advisor Suzuki Jirokichi roars with victorious laughter, which fills the circular hall. Nakamori-keiji and Kogoro first exchange dubious glances, then gape as the ceiling above them shifts. Before their eyes is the target of tonight's heist, the Blue Wonder, settled firmly on a golden plank.
So that's what's going on here… Conan smirks to himself as Suzuki explains the mechanism he has in store to protect the jewel this time. There is a buzz of anticipation in the air, but more importantly, he can feel it thrumming through him.
He has not had the opportunity to challenge KID since the Gathering of Detectives in the Twilight Mansion, after all. It is Suzuki's first time challenging the thief like this, and the Senior Advisor has thus far treated him like any other child and guest, but… if he can get away from them all to confront KID one-on-one…
He smirks.
The thrill of excitement inside of him only grows stronger when he finally pulls the tarp down in the passenger seat of Jirokichi's bike and reveals himself, cutting off the thief's victorious laughter.
"What's so funny, Kaitou KID?"
He resists the urge to roll his eyes at the feeble attempt KID makes to deny the accusation while simultaneously praising himself. To every question the thief asks, Conan answers perfectly, rising to the test. KID smiles, finally ripping off his disguise.
"Exactly like the name 'Blue Wonder,' the miracle of the sky!"
Conan pauses, wristwatch aimed at the thief. "The sky?" he echoes. "The 'blue' in Blue Wonder comes from the sea."
KID spares him a glance but keeps his eyes trained on the road. "Same thing, isn't it? The ocean is blue because it reflects the sky." The thief grins at him. "Like detectives and phantom thieves. We may be opposites, but we're both committed to opening the doors leading to the secrets people keep, using the 'key' called curiosity."
Hah? What is this moron doing, trying to have a moment all by himself?
"Dumbass," Conan instantly retorts. "The sea and the sky are blue because of the refraction and the diffusion of light. They're blue for a completely different reason, so don't mix them up!" Then, as flatly as he can, "As proof of that, puddles aren't blue."
KID may have just rolled his eyes behind those biker goggles. "You really can't dream, can you?"
"You can't find the truth if you're always dreaming," he huffs. What a romantic.
When KID finally tries to do him dirty by detaching his passenger seat from the motorbike, Conan returns the favor as best as he can in the moment. Even after the flames catch up to the bike and the thief gets away, even after Ran coddles him and takes him home, the night's events linger in his mind.
Safe in bed, being lulled to sleep by Cello Concerto No. 2 'Occhan's Snoring,' Conan remains awake, staring up at the ceiling as his memories play on the walls.
In the end, that guy only came to retrieve the jewel as a response to Suzuki's challenge, he yawns. No, he probably thought of it as an invitation.
"Like detectives and phantom thieves."
KID's expression flashes through his mind. The smile that time had been genuine, not the signature manic grin he has seen thus far.
"We may be opposites, but we're both committed to opening the door leading to people's truths, using the 'key' called curiosity."
Conan snorts. "Yeah, right," he mutters under his breath. "You're getting too comfortable, stupid thief."
Still, there is a feeling glowing somewhere deep inside of him. Embers of something he cannot quite put his finger on. KID's smiles tonight had not been lost on him - especially that last one, as if he were bidding the tiny detective farewell.
Maybe…
And just 'maybe,' alright?
KID had just as much fun as he did tonight.
Part VI. Blossom
Freesia
{Trust}
He is falling.
He is falling - fast - and screaming, but his voice is being snatched right out of his throat by the relentless, icy grip of the wind.
The sky. He had never realized how cold it is in the sky.
His heart is going haywire inside of his chest with panic and fear, but all he can think about is the airship above him, growing farther and farther away by the second. If he does not get a grip, if he does not do something, he will certainly die in this tiny body, never to return to his life as Kudou Shinichi again.
He closes his eyes.
He closes his eyes, then spreads his limbs out as far as he can, hoping to slow his fall by even just a moment. With his weight, he will fall much more slowly to the ground than, say, an adult.
And that is what he is counting on.
The next moment could have lasted an eternity or a second, but once it passes, there is a hand clamping tightly around his leg, pulling him. Arms wrap around him, hugging him to a broad chest. Shinichi screws his eyes shut tighter.
Then, his stomach drops for a second time.
He relaxes, finally opening his eyes, aware that KID has rescued him using the hang glider.
"To think they would throw you out of a window…" KID says above him, now that the wind has quieted its screams in their ears. "What now, Great Detective? Don't tell me you'll give up here."
"No way, that's not an option!" Conan snaps, his sense of indignation finally catching up with him from where he must have left it behind up in the clouds. "Return to the airship right now!" he demands, thrashing.
At this, KID's arms squeeze tighter around him as he takes over the situation. "Don't be unreasonable," he complains. "My hang glider doesn't have an engine." Then, grinning, "Just consider yourself lucky to be alive!"
And with that, the glider catches a shift in the wind, Conan shouting in surprise as his body is yanked around yet again.
Once they land safely somewhere out of sight, the pair of unlikely comrades break apart briefly, reconvening with their allies. Well, Conan calls Hattori about the airship's destination in Osaka while KID makes friends with… a goat. It is after they catch sight of a police helicopter passing overhead that they are able to come up with a plan.
"Where are we going to find Kudou Shinichi-" KID sits down next to him. "Given that you are Kudou Shinichi?"
"I'm saying," Conan returns his tone. "Please disguise as me."
Once he is able to wrestle KID into an agreement, the thief changes into his disguise, and the pair head toward the location of the police helicopter (not without saying goodbye to the goat). It is on the trek there that KID brings up another topic.
"You…" he starts reluctantly, not meeting Conan's gaze. He scratches his cheek, and it is at that moment that Shinichi realizes, for the first time, that the thief has already shown many sides of himself to him - like this one. "Knew I would save you?"
Conan tenses awkwardly, his eyes flitting over to KID once before he blurts, "Moron. Of course." As he stuffs his hands into his pockets, a serious expression overcomes Shinichi. "Earlier, you called what you do your 'job,' but no matter how important it is to you, you've never killed anyone." Then, looking at the thief straight on, "Or let anyone die in front of you if you could help it." A small smile tugs at Shinichi's lips as he shrugs. "Well, it was like that during the Star Sapphire heist, too."
Though, at that time, you were trying to keep your distance from me.
KID opens his mouth as if to say something, but it is Shinichi's turn to be embarrassed. He looks away, unintentionally mimicking that cheek-scratching body language. "But still, thanks, I guess."
For catching me.
A strange, unreadable expression falls over KID's face - his face, maybe that is why he cannot understand it - for just a moment, before being replaced by a smile.
Shinichi has another realization, then, that he has seen KID's real smile many times.
"You're welcome."
But, well, this feeling is ruined after KID abuses his disguise to try and steal a kiss from Ran.
Yeah, still just a dumbass, Conan rolls his eyes.
Part VII. Bouquet
Marguerite
{Faith}
This is the first time, in all of his interactions with KID since their give-and-take relationship has been established, that Shinichi has ever felt doubt creep into the edges of his mind.
Calm down, he tells himself. Use your reasoning, not your emotions. You can't find the truth like this.
"In the end, he is a thief. To accomplish his goals, he'll do anything."
At the sound of those words, the entire room goes still. Suzuki's elite team, the police officers, museum staff… everyone fixes their eyes on the speaker, a blonde police officer from New York. He stares back at them all resolutely.
"Even if he has to kill."
Several people in the room flinch, but in the next moment, the expert appraising the fifth Sunflowers, Natsumi, raises her head with a sigh. As she reports the results of her evaluation, Conan retreats into his thoughts.
KID has never lied about his advance notices before…
"That won't be necessary, Director."
"What are you saying?!" the museum director demands just as Conan looks up, his attention drawn by their tones.
"The painting you have here is real, I can assure you of that," the police officer replies, smiling. He pushes the director and his assistant aside, then finally, reveals himself as KID.
Gasps run through the entire room, but before anyone can jump into action, KID shoots off his card gun, effectively destroying the museum surveillance equipment. As the room fills with dark smoke, the thief targets the two members of Suzuki's 'samurai' nearest to the painting.
When KID kicks the door down and dashes out of the room to commence his escape among screams that the Sunflowers has been stolen, Conan races after him, his mind spinning.
Everything feels as if it has gone out of control when KID escapes, leaving behind a card demanding payment in exchange for the painting.
But why did KID change like this? Conan wonders as the adults in the room discuss the demand. There has to be a reason. Otherwise, you…
Memories come to the forefront of his mind, like bubbles to the surface of ramune in the summer. KID protecting him. KID pouting. KID smiling, genuinely smiling. KID holding a heist, risking himself, just to save Suzuki's dog, Lupin.
Shinichi's hands curl into fists. I…
I don't want to believe that you would do these things. Not without a reason.
Soaked and shivering, Conan gathers his wits about him. "You knew who the culprit was all along?"
"Yeah," KID grunts, lifting an unconscious Ran into his arms. He is disguised as Kudou Shinichi - the only disguise he could use to come into this fortress of a museum. "I knew that if the fake sunflowers decorating the hallways were lit on fire, the museum's water storage tank would be the perfect tool to put it out."
"Which means the culprit is the person who suggested decorating the halls with the fake sunflowers in the first place," Conan declares, putting his glasses on.
"Yeah," KID grins. Then, teasingly, "You finally figured it out!"
Conan shoots him an annoyed look. I wouldn't have needed to if you had just told me what was going on sooner, moron. But before he can say as much, KID announces it is time to escape this place.
"Oi, how are we going to make it out?" Conan asks, running after him. Thinking back on the museum's security system, all of the exits have been sealed. There is also the damage caused by the sudden fire and flood to consider as well.
"If we follow this tunnel, we'll make it to the first floor's exit," KID explains. "I'm hoping we can get out through the elevator's shaft from there."
"What were you really planning to do?"
"Huh?"
"For your escape!" Conan clarifies. KID looks back at him and smirks as he goes on, "There's no way you didn't have an escape route planned originally."
The thief turns his gaze forward again. "I have an exit prepared at the back of the cave. If I fly from there, I can get out pretty quickly, but with you and this charming lady right here, it won't work."
Shinichi's expression twists. "KID…" he lets out, touched.
I knew it… The sinking feeling in his chest, the one that has been plaguing him since this case began, finally releases its hold. Relief floods his system. There's no way someone like you, who takes such great risks to save others, could be the culprit.
"By the way," Conan says suddenly, "If you knew the criminal's plan all along, why didn't you stop it?"
"I knew their plan because I stole it from their computer in advance, but there was still the possibility that they had an accomplice. When I tried to stop the blackout earlier, Charlie-keiji found and chased me." Conan's shoulders fall, but then KID is looking at him again, smiling pointedly, "I could have stopped the culprit's plan if a certain someone had figured out the code I left sooner."
Shinichi huffs, "Well sorry about that!"
KID carefully sets Ran's unconscious body down, leaning her against the walls of the tunnel. Shinichi checks on her condition as KID retrieves a suitcase prepared in advance, which apparently stores his tools.
"I'll go on ahead and see if we can escape through the elevator shaft," KID says. He turns, then tosses something through the air, which Shinichi catches. When he opens his hands, it is revealed to be one of the earpieces given out to Suzuki's elite team of experts. "Why don't you spend that time catching our criminal?"
"I got it," Shinichi nods, righting the item into its place in his ear.
"It will be a hassle if they end up having anymore tricks up their sleeve!" he says, then, with a flutter, removes his disguise. With his KID costume in place, he poses for a second and then smirks confidently at his little detective.
Shinichi smirks back.
"Yeah."
Part VIII. Offering
Phlox
{Our Souls are United}
"How long have you known?"
Light from a vending machine dances on the side of KID's face. He is not dressed in his usual attire, but in dark street clothes, with a hat covering his eyes. There is a smirk on his face as he cracks open a can of lemonade.
"Hmm," he begins thoughtfully. "Since the airship case?"
Shinichi's shoulders fall with a sigh as he too cracks open a can, this one full of iced coffee. "That long?"
KID makes a sound of agreement, but then his lips twist into a pout. "It was hard, you know! The wound on your cheek was only a scratch, but it was enough to make me bloom. I was lucky to be hiding behind the display!"
"Well sorry about that," Shinichi rolls his eyes. But then in the next moment, he pauses.
"A warrior's medal," KID says, removing the seals on a bandaid. He sticks it onto Conan's face, smiling, and for some reason…
There is something else - something more - in his expression.
Shinichi blushes in realization, a fist coming to his mouth as he turns away from the thief. You just accepted it right there?
"Huh?" KID lets out curiously at the action.
"Nothing," Shinichi replies instantly, coughing into his fist awkwardly.
KID fixes him with a smile, letting him off the hook for now. "Either way, I was surprised when you called me out here." Then, slowly, the stretch of his mouth falls into something more contemplative. "As yourself, no less."
Shinichi tucks his hands into his pockets with a shrug. "The truth is, I wanted to talk to you about it as soon as we came back from Singapore, but I…" A hand comes up to hover at his stomach. Shinichi looks into his open palm. "This is a conversation I want to have as myself, not as Conan."
The line of KID's shoulders softens. "I got it," he says gently, not pushing any further. "Speaking of Singapore…"
"Yeah," he replies immediately, answering the unasked question.
"As I thought," KID chuckles weakly. "I was panicking, you know."
"Well…" Shinichi begins slowly. "At the time you were shot, I had just left the safe room I was investigating with Occhan since Rachel's body…" KID's lips thin at the mention of the corpse that he had nearly taken the fall for. "A few moments sooner, and I would have bloomed in front of everyone."
'Arthur' stuffs his hands in his pockets, having been kicked out of the room where multiple crimes have taken place by Kogoro. He tries not to let his annoyance show on his face, knowing he cannot sneak back in past those two guards standing by the door with his flimsy connections.
Instead of annoyance, however, something darker comes over his expression as he treks down the hall. 'You've been completely set up, haven't you, KID?'
At that moment, an unfamiliar tingling sensation bursts into existence in his left shoulder, growing in strength so quickly that he stumbles. It lasts for only a second, the pain that rises in him becoming almost unbearable, before abruptly dying as if nothing had happened at all.
His breath catches in his throat as he looks down at himself.
"Flowers," he gasps, his voice just above a whisper.
Shinichi sighs at the memory. "It would have been quite a spectacle. A seven-year-old child blooming, that is."
"Well sorry about that," KID huffs, parroting him from earlier. "But then again…" he drops his annoyance. "I thought for sure you would say something on that rooftop."
"Ow, ow, ow!" KID hisses noisily, shirtless and seated on the cold concrete of the hospital roof. There are medical supplies strewn all about him, likely stolen during his time disguised downstairs. He is still wearing the pants of a janitor's uniform.
"…You took a lot of damage, huh," Conan calls from the shadows, out of sight.
"This much is nothing," KID scoffs in response.
He could come out.
He could come out of the shadows and walk right up to KID like it is nothing, right now.
But…
Conan reaches up to his own shoulder. There is a hole in his shirt where he had bloomed not even an hour ago, and here is KID, tending to a wound in the same spot. The timing is not lost on him. Neither is the meaning of the flowers that had burst forth. The clematis flowers he had first seen on that fateful night… the night before he had met KID on a rooftop like this one…
Shinichi smiles, his expression the picture of humorous acceptance before he looks up at the thief once more. "Come with me."
"Huh?" KID lets out, straightening from his comfortable lean against the vending machines. Before he can ask anything else, Shinichi is already walking away. "Oi!"
He waits a beat for the thief to catch up, and side by side they take to the streets. "I gave you a moment to patch yourself up," Shinichi reminds him. "But I couldn't resist going to you anyway."
KID chuckles at that. "As expected of a detective - you can't help but pry."
"The one who ran away at that time was you."
The thief lets out a surprised sound from the back of his throat. Shinichi has stopped in the road, his tone firm. A moment passes as they look at each other - the detective's stare relentless - before KID surrenders. "…That's right. I chickened out. The second you got too close, I put my suit on."
To his surprise, Shinichi only deadpans. "Dumbass," he says, not pulling his punches. "If I had wanted to reveal your identity, I would have done so in the hotel room, with all the chances I had. Your snoring is atrocious, by the way."
"I was always disguised as you in there!"
Shinichi snorts. "As if that was enough."
KID opens his mouth again as if to retort but then falls silent. The sky above them has changed dramatically over the course of their conversation, from a late afternoon sky to the edges of twilight. But even as it darkens… somehow, their path seems bright.
For a long time, Shinichi does not speak. It is during this silence that KID sneaks glances at him, his heart beginning to do strange things in his chest. I haven't met the Great Detective as himself since… the Clock Tower heist, I think. With the person himself, walking and breathing and talking by his side… 'Kudou Shinichi' is alive. He is no longer simply a convenient disguise or a distant identity belonging to his favorite critic.
KID looks away, hoping the low sunlight will disguise his reddening cheeks. He looks mature.
"Have you ever wondered what your flowers look like?" Shinichi asks, interrupting his train of thought.
"What?! Oh, yes!" the thief squeaks, answering without thinking. He twitches when Shinichi fixes him with a look that says, What's gotten into you this time?
"They're clematis flowers," the detective says slowly, letting him go.
"Really?" KID blinks. "What kind?"
"The kind most fitting for a Magician in the Moonlight," Shinichi answers, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Hah?" The thief's tone falls flat with confusion. He takes a moment to think, flipping through his near-encyclopedic knowledge of flowers and hanakotoba. "Ahh, the etoile violette variation? It's the only clematis that references the night sky."
"Correct," Shinichi tilts his head. As they round a corner together, something in his expression shifts. "…Up until I became Conan, I had never seen your flowers."
"Eh?!" KID's mouth falls open.
"It doesn't surprise me anymore," Shinichi says, shaking his head. "You were already on the level of a professional acrobat by high school - if you got hurt enough for me to bloom, it was during your night job."
A fist comes up to KID's mouth in realization. "Then…"
"I don't know for sure," Shinichi shrugs. "Maybe I bloomed in my sleep. Maybe I didn't start blooming until you became KID. There is still so much modern science doesn't know about the soulmate system." A smile suddenly ghosts over his lips. "Not that you get hurt often enough in the first place," he chuckles. "But that isn't my point."
KID tries not to show how much Shinichi's blatant compliments affect him. "What do you mean?" he asks instead.
"True, I never saw your flowers before I became Conan, but I never wanted to, either." Once more Shinichi stops in his tracks, but this time, they are on a concrete path away from the suburbs. The wind carries the scent of salt with it. "At one point, I sincerely believed I didn't have a soulmate at all."
He is smiling, with the twilight purple sky behind him and the world dyed in pink sunlight, but his eyes are not.
KID is silent for a long moment, searching the detective's face. Then, he mirrors Shinichi's earlier smile of acceptance. "…I was different," he admits. "Your flowers have always reassured me."
"Why?" Shinichi asks, surprised as the thief walks past him.
"You have Mouri-chan by your side, right? I have someone like that, too." KID does not turn around to face him. "I was heartbroken when I realized she wasn't my soulmate in middle school." Shinichi flashes back to his own disappointment and jealousy over Ran. "But your gladiolus flowers assured me you were out there, somewhere, waiting for me. And when I took up KID's mantle, I thought, just maybe…" He tilts his head back, looking at Shinichi with an expression that tugs at his chest. "I would meet you."
"Oi, oi," Shinichi sweatdrops, chuckling nervously. "You're being quite talkative tonight. Is it really okay to be telling me all of this?"
KID flashes him his signature mega-grin in reply. "Take me where you wanted to go, Great Detective."
Shinichi laughs lightly at that. "Got it."
Before long, they find themselves on a sandy beach. It is far too late in the summer for there to be any guests, so they have the place to themselves, for now. The ambiance of the twilight sky, which dyes the pure white sand a blushing pink, also causes the water to twinkle and sparkle sweetly. There is a rocky path off to one side that stretches out like a natural pier, and Shinichi jogs towards it.
"What's that?" KID asks, a smile tugging at his lips as the detective returns with a bag. Did he prepare something beforehand?
"I don't believe in soulmates."
KID's stomach drops.
He meets Shinichi's gaze hastily, wondering for a brief moment if this is a rejection, but the detective's eyes are clear, pinning him in place.
"I don't agree with this romanticizing society, either," Shinichi declares firmly. "But, well…" To KID's immense fascination, a blush rapidly rises to his face. He scratches a cheek awkwardly. "I can't deny that the matchup this time was - coincidentally, alright? - spot on."
"Wha-" KID gapes, red quickly filling his cheeks as well. "Meitantei…"
"That's why," Shinichi plows on, afraid he will lose his nerve if he loses this momentum. With shaking hands, he reaches into the bag and pulls out a thin stick. The thief's gaze is instantly glued to it, and understanding comes over him when Shinichi brings out a lighter next.
"I'll give you this flower instead."
A sparkler.
It hisses noisily between them, the sparks flying off into the air. The soft glow of the firework emphasizes Shinichi's earnest and embarrassed expression. With the backdrop of a heart-capturing twilight sky behind him, it is, in his mind, the perfect picture.
KID's hand trembles as he reaches out, delicately, and accepts the 'flower.'
"I…" He can hardly rip his gaze away from the sparkler long enough to look into Shinichi's face. This is a symbol, isn't it? You're not choosing to believe in soulmates, you're choosing to believe in me.
He swallows thickly, and, with slow movements, reaches up to the hat on his head. Shinichi stands there, stunned, as KID removes it, revealing a face much like his own.
A touched expression.
Shinichi smiles. Geez… his flowers are too accurate.
KID's eyes are a gorgeous violet, shining with emotion.
"Nice to meet you," the young man in front of him murmurs, a wobbly smile dancing over his lips.
"I'm Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire."