SaguShin || DCMK || SaguShin || Sunset Secrets || SaguShin || DCMK || SaguShin

Title: Sunset Secrets – How Shinichi Gained Another Ally

Fandom: Detective Conan / Magic Kaito

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Gosho Aoyama for he created the awesomeness that is Kaitou KID. Ah, and Detective Conan, too. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/f, fluff, secret reveal

Main Pairing: Saguru/Shinichi

DC/MK Characters: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hakuba Saguru, Hattori Heiji

Summary: Saguru thought something was off about Conan when he first met him. He did his research and had a good hunch, but it only got confirmed during the Detective Koushien.

Sunset Secrets

How Shinichi Gained Another Ally

Edogawa Conan was not a normal child. He was bright, brilliant – more capable than the grown-up detectives around them as they made their way out of the death-trap of the Sunset Mansion. An intriguing mystery for Saguru to solve. His mind itched to figure him out.

Kaitou KID took off with his hang-glider and for once, Saguru found his mind occupied with an entirely different mystery than the thief. As soon as he got home, he threw himself into his research.

Edogawa Conan, who had moved in with Mouri Kogoro, as his charge. It was downright impossible to find anything about him before that move. But after? He was all over the news, involved in one case after the other. They were solved by the so-called Sleeping Kogoro usually, but some were solved by the Deduction Queen Suzuki Sonoko, who was not a teen detective at all and who just so happened to share this strange sleep-disease that Mouri had, but displaying it only rarely. The thing they had in common was Edogawa Conan, around when both happened. Conan, who had already made his name as the KID Killer – more efficient at chasing KID into a corner than even Saguru was, which was incredibly impressive and a slight kick to Saguru's ego.

There was something off about Conan. He would be outstandingly intelligent for an adult, but for an eight year old boy? The fact that he kept playing his own intelligence down was probably the most suspicious one. Making a cute noise and drawing adults' attention to have them then figure it out, claiming that it was all Mouri, that he was just curious or observing or any such excuse. If the kid just owned his intelligence, then Saguru would have an easier time accepting the child prodigy as just that. Yet it seemed as though Conan was hiding something.

Rather quickly into his research did he stumble over the name Kudou Shinichi. Supposedly, Conan was his cousin, had learned his passion for detective work and Sherlock Holmes from Kudou. The Heisei Holmes. Saguru had heard that name often before, of course he had. Both, as a teen detective living in Tokyo, and as a fellow Holmes enthusiast. Saguru let that distract him from his research on Conan, following a hunch. Just one image search was enough to baffle him.

Even as cousins, the similarities between Kudou and Conan were ridiculous. He dug deeper, searching for childhood pictures of Kudou, which were easy enough to find considering how famous his parents were – pictures of the entire family dating back to when Kudou was the same age as Conan were easy to find. Saguru took pictures of them both and had them analyze, thanks to his connections. They were identical. The bone-structure, shape of his face and nose and eyes. That was more than just family resemblance. Saguru didn't understand how this was possible, but he had it there, black on white. Edogawa Conan and Kudou Shinichi were the same person.

For a while, Saguru didn't know what to do with this at all. Until his housekeeper got a call about a Detective Koushien and about Saguru being the replacement for Kudou Shinichi. Something about that drew him in, made him curious enough to accept the invitation, hoping it might lure Conan in too – perhaps the invitation to Kudou had reached Conan somehow and miffed him enough to make his way there. His hunch proved correct as he laid eyes on Conan on the island.

Conan came with Hattori Heiji, a teen detective Saguru had heard nothing but good things about. Naively, Saguru thought they could become friends. He seemed to have been misinformed; Hattori was brash, hotheaded and impossibly rude. He acted defensive from the moment Saguru said 'hello'. Meanwhile, Conan was perfectly polite and Saguru found himself pleased to be remembered by him. He thought to test the boy, just a little bit. Nudge him to seize his reaction.

"It seems that I am not an appropriate representative of the East," offered Saguru.

"You got that right," Hattori glared nastily at Saguru.

"Then how about this?" Saguru slowly approached Conan. "I'll take the role of 'guest from abroad', and let Edogawa Conan-kun here be the East's representative."

Saguru rested a gentle hand on Conan's shoulder, the boy startling into surprise. He wasn't used to being acknowledged. People kept underestimating him. Saguru was not going to make that mistake, even if his deduction proved to be incorrect due to being impossible.

"This boy is surprisingly good at deduction," offered Saguru with a smile. "I think he's even better than that Kudou Whoever-kun."

His eyes trailed down to Conan to see his reaction and Saguru felt strangely validated by the unimpressed deadpan Conan offered him. A real child aspiring to become a detective, who proclaimed to try and follow 'his Shinichi-nii-chan's footsteps' would be honored by such a compliment, or quickly supply Shinichi's first name. Instead, Conan looked personally offended.

Throughout the investigation, Conan proved to be insightful and rational, more so than Hattori, that much was for sure. The detective of the west proved to be a thorough disappointment. Conan, however, proved to be more and more intriguing. As the case was solved and a boat came to pick them up, Hattori was momentarily distracted by a brunette girl and Saguru used that opportunity to speak to Conan, well-aware the child's guardian was nearing them too.

"I know you are not who you say you are, Kudou Shinichi," whispered Saguru.

Conan froze and stared up at him with wide eyes. "I... I don't know what you're talking about, Saguru-nii-chan! Shinichi-nii-chan is my cousin. My idol. I couldn't possibly be him."

"I don't know how it is possible," conceded Saguru with a small nod. "But I am sure of it. I'd like to understand. Perhaps I can help you, Kudou-kun. Come and see me, if you're ready to trust me."

He slipped a card with his personal information into Conan's pocket before boarding the boat.

/break\

"Yer not actually considering that posh bastard's offer, are ya, Kudou?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes at Hattori and shifted his phone to be between his ear and shoulder. He pulled the card out of his pocket, turning it over curiously as he sat down in the train.

"I don't see why not," admitted Shinichi. "You know. You figured it out after two meetings too. Other teen detectives are the bane of my existence, it seems. But you also proved to be a helpful ally. I think he could be too. I saw what he's capable of now."

"Just... be careful, yeah?" Hattori sounded concerned, making Shinichi huff.

"I'm always careful, Hattori," Shinichi hung up before Hattori could argue with him.

He'd given it a lot of consideration in the past days, talked it through with Haibara too. Argued that he could be a helpful source of information and that he already figured it out. Denying it further might alienate Hakuba and make him a potential threat. Haibara didn't like it either, but she allowed him to go. Finally in Ekoda, Shinichi made his way to the address on the card and knocked.

"Hakuba-kun. I think we need to talk," stated Shinichi in a dry voice when Hakuba opened himself.

The blonde looked oddly pleased as he stepped aside and led Shinichi inside. This was going to be a very long conversation and Shinichi really hoped it would pay off.

/break\

Hakuba Saguru became one of his most reliable allies and he did prove to be an important source of information, seeing as he had been investigating the Black Organization himself already – assassins who regularly attended KID's heists, trying to kill the Phantom Thief. They pooled their information and resources and worked together and with their combined strength, the two and their backup actually managed the impossible. They took down the Black Organization. And they became friends along the way. Much like Hattori, this detective had made space for himself in Shinichi's life. Unlike with Hattori, Shinichi developed feelings much stronger than friendship for the blonde.

He became a source of solace to Shinichi. To Ran and Mouri, a convenient babysitter of Conan's. To Conan, a place he could retreat to to be Shinichi and to talk about Holmes. Some days, he would simply curl together in the library at the Hakuba Mansion and read. Hakuba became a good friend and so much more and it took Shinichi a long time to figure out what it meant. What it meant that he no longer felt jealous when Ran was holding Sera's hand or smiling at her. What it meant that he kept thinking about Hakuba more often nowadays and feeling warm when Hakuba smiled at him.

Only during the take-down of the Black Organization, when Shinichi got shot at and Hakuba was the one to shield him with his body, when Hakuba nearly died... only then did Shinichi understand.

Hakuba got hospitalized and Shinichi kept his distance, out of guilt for the injury and confusion about his own feelings. Edogawa Conan went back home and Kudou Shinichi returned. And he decided that he would not live this third chance being a coward. He'd used the convenient truth that he had been in a grade schooler's body to hide from his own feelings, but he was no longer a child and he had already lost two years of his life to this case. He should not waste any more time.

By now, Hakuba had been released from the hospital, which suited Shinichi well too. He wasn't keen on semi-public confessions. Straightening up, he took a deep breath as he knocked on the Hakuba door, having texted Hakuba a quick are you home on his way here.

"Hello, Watson," Shinichi smiled as the hawk circled him and landed on his shoulder.

Another friend he had made. The hawk looked curious by his new-found size and Shinichi chuckled as he caressed the bird. Moments later, the door opened and Hakuba stood in front of him.

"Kudou-kun. I... Your lack of communication since the take-down felt... peculiar," Hakuba stepped aside to let him in and led the way toward the library. "Though I am aware you kept tabs on me."

Of course he was. Shinichi flushed brightly, trying to hide it by turning his face.

"I... had a lot to deal with, planning my... departure and return. I've... returned," offered Shinichi. "Which... I'm glad we can finally officially meet. Hello, I'm Kudou Shinichi. It's a pleasure."

Hakuba smiled at him bemused. "It is indeed. I have waited for this moment for months now."

Shinichi made a small noise as both sat down. "Then I hope... what I came here to tell you won't... take away from that, Hakuba-kun. I... seem to have... developed romantic feelings for you. And I was wondering if, now that I am no longer in a child's body, you might... go on a date with me."

The blonde detective blinked repeatedly, before he chuckled fondly. "You seem to have developed romantic feelings for me? I've come to that deduction weeks ago, Kudou-kun. You are terrible at hiding a crush. I too wanted to wait for you to... regain your real body before asking you out. It's why I was waiting for you at the hospital and found myself disappointed you didn't visit."

"Oh," Shinichi blushed – and blushed even brighter when Hakuba daringly kissed him. "Oh."

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: This story was brought to you by: Me watching the Detective Koushien and finding Saguru's behavior during it ENTIRELY suspicious. It is VERY rare that anyone trusts Conan and his deductions THIS quickly and takes him THAT seriously and you're trying to tell me that Saguru has heard of Hattori Heiji but doesn't know Shinichi's first name? C'mon. That seems fake. I am so convinced that Saguru had figured Shinichi out by that point