Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Sky Colored Eyes

21: Still Time

He had thought about it for hours. Half that time he had spent trying to come up with reasons as to why Kaito had even extended the invitation. He had turned the matter over and over, picking at it and prodding at it, but he still didn't have an answer. Unless, of course, he was wrong and Kaito wasn't Kaitou KID after all. He wasn't sure why, but that answer just didn't feel right.

And yet wouldn't that be for the best? He should just accept that as the most logical answer and be happy that his new friend wasn't the international thief Shinichi had suspected him of being after all. It would be a good thing. Right? Yeah, it would definitely be a good thing.

So why did he feel so reluctant to just go with it?

He groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. This was getting him nowhere. He felt like a hamster running on a wheel.

In the end, he'd decided to go because it seemed like the only way he was ever going to get any answers. Even a new set of questions would be a welcome change at this point.

So here he was, waiting in his living room for Kaito to come pick him up. He had put on the thickest jacket he could find and found a mask so that he wouldn't go around coughing germs onto other people. The cough had come after the fever receded like it had been waiting in line. Now his entire solar plexus ached when he breathed. He didn't feel woozy anymore though, so he figured it was time to start getting some fresh air and move around a bit. Add a giant bag of lemon-flavored cough drops and he was set.

It was almost like the heist had been timed to coincide with the upswing of his recovery.

Hearing sounds from outside the door, he rose from the couch and hurried to open it. He was too late, however, as the door swung open before he could reach it to admit a grinning Kaito.

"I see you're ready to go," he remarked, looking Shinichi up and down. "Shall we be on our way then?"

"Can't you knock for once in your life?" Shinichi grumbled. He shuffled over to put his shoes on. It felt almost weird to be wearing them again. It had literally been days since he'd last set foot outside his apartment.

"Have you eaten?" Kaito asked as they made their way down to the street.

"I had some soup."

"Just soup, huh? Let me know if you get hungry then. Don't want you making yourself sick again when you've only just started getting better." Coming to a stop by a motorcycle parked in front of the apartment building, the magician handed his companion a helmet.

Shinichi blinked down at the protective headpiece then up at Kaito. "Aren't we taking the train?"

"Didn't you solve the notice? The location is a little outside the city. The place is some kind of private estate. It'll be much easier to get there if we have our own ride. Besides, my mom recently got me this as a gift. It'd be a terrible shame not to use it."

"Uh, how recently exactly?" Shinichi eyed the rather spotless vehicle with a growing sense of mistrust. It looked very new indeed.

Kaito must have picked up on the direction of his thoughts since he put on a wounded look. "Don't you trust me?"

"I don't know. I've never seen you drive."

"Hey, that really hurts," Kaito complained, though there was laughter in his eyes, belying his words. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent driver. Do you need to see my license?" Not waiting for an answer, he flicked his wrist, pulling said license from thin air and handing it to Shinichi.

The detective examined the card a bit dubiously. It looked authentic enough.

"So?" Kaito prompted.

Shinichi sighed and handed the card back to him before putting on the helmet. Kaito's satisfied smirk at the gesture did not make him feel any safer.

Contrary to his fears, the trip to the estate went smoothly. They had timed their trip well so they didn't meet too much traffic. When they neared the estate itself, however, they found their progress slowed by a sudden increase of cars, several of which were clearly police vehicles.

"Looks like there's going to be a big crowd tonight," said Kaito. He cast an eye over the cars waiting in line to be allowed into the estate's expansive parking lot. The police had set up shop by the entrance and were inspecting every vehicle before letting it pass.

Shinichi nodded. KID was going to be thrilled.

Owned by a wealthy businessman with an interest in art and music, the Amezuki Estate had been converted some years ago from a lavish, family mansion into a combination gallery and music hall. The place showcased work from all over the world. In addition, the place offered a dozen private studios for an artist residency program funded by the Amezuki family.

"Amezuki-san said when he opened the place to the public that he wished to inspire artists to grow and reach even greater heights by bringing together the best that the world had to offer," Kaito explained as he guided the bike through the lot in search of an open parking space. "He also wanted to encourage people to learn to understand and appreciate all different forms of art by all kinds of artists and the way that they can bring people together. That's why, when he heard of this collection going on tour, he approached the owner about displaying the collection here at the estate as part of its trip around Japan."

"It sounds like you did your research," Shinichi observed.

The magician laughed. "I like to be prepared. As I said before, information is valuable."

"There's an open space over there."

"I see it."

A few minutes later, they were walking up the long, flagstone path leading to the main gallery doors. It wound through lush groves and neat, green lawns. Deep flowerbeds added a dash of color, highlighting the beauty and depth of the landscape even in the muted, blue gray light of the evening. The path itself branched again and again, weaving in and around the grounds like a web holding it all together. A steady stream of visitors was wandering along these paths. Their quiet conversations hummed in the air like excited hummingbirds.

"There're still two hours until the time of the heist. Do you want to take a look around the gallery first? Or did you want to go straight to the jewelry exhibit?"

"I'd like to see the jewelry exhibit first," Shinichi said after a moment's thought. "I don't think the police are going to let any civilians near it later if they can help it. And I'd rather not get caught up in the mob when they come stampeding to see KID."

Kaito laughed. "Good point. So jewels first then the gallery. When it gets closer to time, we can see about getting spots on one of the balconies overlooking the outdoor exhibition area. That way we'll have a good view without suffering the sardine treatment."

Shinichi nodded and let Kaito lead the way. The magician seemed to know exactly where he was going. He navigated the maze of paths with the confidence of familiarity, barely pausing at all at the crossroads. Shinichi chewed his lower lip, blue eyes taking all this in.

"Have you been here before?" he asked.

"I've come to a few of their concerts. There was also this paper art exhibition here last year that was pretty cool."

"Ah." So it would make sense that the magician knew his way around. Relieved, Shinichi picked up his pace to catch up with Kaito's longer stride.

X

They had completed their circuit of the outdoor exhibition and were on their way inside when Shinichi spotted two familiar figures standing on a parallel path. "Isn't that Aoko and Hakuba-san?"

Kaito followed his gaze and snorted. "Yeah. Figures they'd be here."

Shinichi made to cross the lawn, but a hand caught his arm. He looked up at Kaito questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"You're going the wrong way. The gallery entrance is this way."

"I was going to go say hello."

"Oh come on, we see them every day at school. Besides," Kaito added, moving to wrap an arm around Shinichi's shoulders and lowering his head to murmur into the detective's ear. "I want tonight to be just for the two of us."

Shinichi's jaw dropped as he flushed bright red, all thoughts of Hakuba and Aoko evaporating like water off hot concrete. What in the world…? At a complete loss as to what to say, he didn't react when Kaito resumed walking, pulling him along.

Inside, the gallery was all warm light and glitter. Every hall and room was a feast for the eyes. And at the heart of it all lay a ballroom complete with fully laden banquet table and live, string quartet. They had just launched into a rendition of Vivaldi's Spring. The song flitted over the heads of the guests and drifted down the gallery halls. The familiar melody brought a smile to Shinichi's lips. The musicians performing the piece were good.

Seeing that his companion was beginning to relax, Kaito cleared his throat. "I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"Can I just have a little of whatever you get?"

"Sure. Wait here." With that, Kaito disappeared into the crowd.

The detective turned his attention back to the musicians, fully intent on enjoying the live performance. It would have been perfect if he hadn't bumped into someone as he turned.

"Sorry," he said quickly then stopped, eyes widening.

The person he'd bumped into stared back, her face displaying the same surprise he felt. It was Suzuki Sonoko, and that meant… Sure enough, there, standing just behind her petit friend, was Mouri Ran.

"Shinichi?" she said in surprise.

"Kudo," Sonoko gasped at almost exactly the same time.

Shinichi swallowed. His throat had gone dry. "Ran. Sonoko."

And that was all any of them could think of to say. The three of them just stood there looking at each other—or rather the girls looked at Shinichi and he gazed back. Awkward didn't begin to cover it. Around them the rest of the visitors ebbed and flowed, completely oblivious to the tension. Shinichi envied their ignorance.

It was Ran who broke the silence first. "So…how have you been?" she asked.

"I've been okay," he replied automatically. Seeing the way Ran's gaze flickered to his mask, he added, "I just have a bit of a cold. What about you?"

"I've been pretty normal. Sorry to hear about your cold."

"It's just a normal cold. Nothing big."

"That's good then."

Snapping out of her surprised daze, Sonoko's shoulders straightened and her eyebrows drew together. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were only interested in murder cases."

"Sonoko," Ran hissed, placing a hand on her friend's arm. "He's probably helping the police." Her gaze swept over Shinichi's face, and for a moment it seemed to him that she was looking at someone else—perhaps at a memory or some ghost of her own creation.

What was she thinking, he wondered. Was she recalling how Conan had always been interested in Kaitou KID heists? Or perhaps she was thinking about that time before a heist when "Shinichi" had come in and Conan had insisted he was KID in disguise. This time though, she would know what had been going on. Strange how the same memories could become completely new ones because you learned one simple truth that you had not known back then.

"You shouldn't push yourself when you're sick though," she added as an after thought, a hint of that big sister tone he hadn't heard in months creeping into her voice of its own accord.

"Don't worry about it," a new voice said as a young man with a head of wild, dark brown hair appeared beside Shinichi. He had a plate piled high with thick slices of brownie in his hands and a toothpaste commercial grin stretched across his face. "He's here with me, and we're only here to watch. So he won't be running off after any bad guys or falling into any more rivers. Isn't that right, Shinichi?"

"…"

Sonoko gaped. "What the… You have a brother?!"

"Er, no." Hadn't she known him long enough not to have to ask that? "This is Kuroba Kaito. He's—"

"I'm his friend. We go to school together," Kaito cut in before Shinichi could finish. Stepping smoothly past Shinichi, he bowed. The detective noted that he didn't offer them roses like he usually did when introducing himself to girls, but that was probably because he was still holding onto his brownies. "And you two would be…?"

"I'm Suzuki Sonoko, and this is Mouri Ran," Sonoko said. She examined this energetic new arrival with interest before nodding to herself. He looked like a good candidate so far. She cast a sly look at her best friend before turning back to Kaito. "Hey, are you seeing anyone?"

The magician raised an eyebrow at the rather sudden inquiry. "Pardon?"

"Do you have a girlfriend," Sonoko persisted.

"Not at the moment."

"And you're not a detective of some kind?"

Now he laughed. "Heavens no. I'm a magician."

"Great! In that case, why don't you show Ran around the gallery? It's her first time here, and I'm not all that great at the whole show and tell thing."

Ran turned red. "Wha—Sonoko!" she protested. Honestly. Ever since it had become apparent that she and Shinichi weren't going to be dating, her friend had redoubled her efforts to "help" Ran find someone. The taller girl appreciated the thought, but it was embarrassing as anything, and, well, she really wasn't interested in getting into a relationship right now. In some ways, she supposed she had discovered that she just wasn't ready. She had spent two years worrying over and waiting for a person that she discovered didn't exist. The discovery had shocked and unsettled her. After all, she had thought she knew him—thought she understood him. But the truth was that she hadn't really known him at all. If she had learned anything these past few months, it was that there was still much she did not know about herself and the people in her life. The world was much more complex than she had ever realized it could be. This new knowledge had left her feeling adrift on the tides of reality, a skiff searching for solid land. She needed to find her bearings and choose a direction for herself before she could move on with her own life. She had tried explaining this to Sonoko, but her friend had interpreted her admittedly less than eloquent explanation as Ran being "hung up on that detective geek" and in need of new dating experiences that would no doubt flower into a wonderful relationship that would make everything better.

Not being of quite the same mind about the healing powers of romance as Sonoko was, and feeling that her current turmoil was not romantic in nature at all but personal, Ran did her best to persuade Sonoko not to continue setting her up on dates. Her words had thus far fallen on deaf ears though. But really, she would have thought even Sonoko would have more tact than to start matchmaking here. Didn't she find it awkward at all? But that was Sonoko for you.

She glanced up and accidentally met Shinichi's eyes. Their gazes held, one searching and the other uncertain.

"Unfortunately, this is my first time here too," Kaito was saying. He was radiating sincerity. Shinichi couldn't help but notice that he was contradicting his own words from earlier. So either Kaito was lying now or he had been lying then. Both deliveries sounded so sincere that it was just a little alarming to know one had to be a lie. "We could all go together," the magician went on to offer. It wasn't exactly part of his plans, but he also couldn't pass up such a golden opportunity to gather information both about Shinichi and about Tantei-kun.

Shinichi could all but see the wheels turning in Sonoko's head. Her gaze swiveled from Kaito to Ran to Shinichi and back again. Then she nodded. It was a short, sharp, decisive gesture not so much aimed at any of her companions but at the world or perhaps some invisible order of the universe.

"Sure. We have to watch the time though. I want to be able to get a good spot before KID-sama comes."

Kaito perked up. "Oh, so you're a KID fan? In that case, I know just where to start. One of the collections that came in with the jewels is currently in the main gallery upstairs. It's supposed to be full of all sorts of funky trick furniture and ornamentation."

Ran fell back despite Sonoko's urging as the whole group began to move towards the stairs with Kaito leading the way. She snuck a glance at Shinichi (who was currently nibbling on a brownie from Kaito's plate). For a while, she had been angry at him, not just for the lies but for completely toppling all her expectations of the way things ought to be and making her feel like a fool. But after she'd calmed down, she'd admitted to herself that it wasn't really anyone's fault. Life happened. Things changed. And if she hadn't seen the changes coming, well, who could? Seeing Shinichi now without the bias of her own disappointment and confusion, she could see the tired shadow in his eyes that hadn't been there before. The soul behind those eyes was much older than it had been, and she thought that perhaps she wasn't the only one who had been blindsided by fate.

The thought settled in her chest, and she felt strangely as though a weight she hadn't realized she was carrying had suddenly fallen away. Like so many of the little truths that were so essential to reality, this piece of knowledge seemed so obvious now that she had discovered it. She wasn't the only one who'd had her world turned upside down. She wasn't the only one who'd been hurting.

"Shinichi?"

Starting nervously at the sound of his name being spoken by that voice, Shinichi glanced around at the girl who had been his best friend then his sister before it all shattered to reveal that they were really only strangers where it mattered. He didn't know what he expected to see in her face—anger, contempt, sorrow, maybe even pity. He had earned them all, he knew. But instead the eyes that caught his were calm, thoughtful eyes.

"You should come back sometimes," she said. It wasn't a reprimand or even an invitation. It was a peace offering.

Surprised and maybe a little less anxious if a little more confused, Shinichi managed a small, uncertain smile. "I guess."

X

"Why do they make you uncomfortable?"

Shinichi stiffened almost imperceptibly. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just noticed that you seemed kind of uneasy when we were talking to them. You kept looking away from them. Then the whole time we were in the gallery, you barely said two words together."

Shinichi winced. Had it really been that obvious?

"It's nothing really," he said, looking down. "We just… You remember how I had to move to Ekoda because I missed too much school over the last few years, right?"

"Yeah. Teitan wouldn't let you get away with it, so you came to us instead."

Shinichi winced. "Don't make it sound like I committed some kind of crime," he grumbled. "It was just… Well, Ran and I used to be close—I guess a lot like you and Aoko-san. But some…things happened, and we didn't part on the best of terms."

"Ah, well, I'm sorry I didn't know. If I had, I wouldn't have invited them along with us to the gallery."

"No, no, it was okay. I…I'm glad you did." Shinichi looked away, blue eyes soft and distant. It hadn't been much of a reunion, and it certainly wasn't how he'd imagined a run-in with his old life would be, but…seeing Ran and Sonoko here tonight had broken the invisible wall he now knew he'd been keeping between himself and his past. He'd moved in order to get a clean start, but somewhere in the back of his mind he had still been in Beika, trapped by his regrets and his mistakes. In his mind, Beika was where all the shadows still lived in anguish and sorrow, guilt and despair. But then his past had come walking up to him, and time had resumed. He could see it clearly now. The way that the world turned. Life moved forward, waiting for no one, and that was why the living could do the same. They—he—just had to allow himself to do so.

It was so simple yet infinitely complex.

Kaito studied the play of emotions across his detective's face, wondering at the thoughts that they were hiding. It was a shame that he couldn't actually read minds no matter what he liked to make other people believe. But he didn't have time to think about that now. He had a heist to execute. A show just for his lovely companion who was going to remember this night for the rest of eternity!

Mentally rubbing his hands together, Kaito towed Shinichi through the crowds and out onto one of the gallery's large, elegantly constructed balconies. It was a shame that he hadn't been able to fish any information out of the Mouri girl and her friend before they'd had to go their separate ways, but he had bigger plans for tonight. On normal days, the balcony was a place for relaxation where artists often came to draw or just sit and listen to the songs of the wind. Tonight, however, it was serving as a box seat for all those eager for a good view of the heist. Circling around a young couple with two excited little children, Kaito led Shinichi past a statue of an angel that separated a corner of the balcony from the rest to form a private alcove.

From this vantage point, they could see the entire outdoor exhibition area spread out below them in ring upon ring of glittering display cases. With the hour of the heist drawing near, the police had ordered all visitors to clear the area and set up a perimeter. Shinichi thought he caught a glimpse of Sonoko amidst the spectators packed right up against the task force's boundary.

"Looks like we're a bit early," Kaito mused, checking his watch. "I'll go throw away this plate then. Wait here, okay?"

Shinichi watched the magician go before turning back to the scene below. Hakuba had just arrived. He had ducked past the police and was now making his own circuit of the jewelry exhibition.

Shinichi frowned faintly. Kaito had been gone for rather a long time for someone who was only going to throw away the trash. Moving over to the statue, he peered around it. As if on cue, Kaito emerged from the doors leading back into the building. The magician had two cups in hand. Ah, so he'd gone back for more refreshments. That would explain the delay.

Kaito chose that moment to look up. Indigo eyes met blue across the balcony—

And the world exploded in black smoke.

TBC