DISCLAIMER: Magic Kaito is the respective creation and property of Gosho Aoyama.

AUTHOR: Melpomene-the-Tragic-Parody

MAIN CHARACTERS: Kaito Kuroba, Aoko Nakamori (featuring Toichi Kuroba)

CHAPTER: #17

TITLE: Heart by Heart

INSPIRED BY: ~ Heart by Heart, by Demi Lovato ~

~M.K~

Magical arts evolved in innumerable forms, and each was an illustration of splendor that could only unfurl in its own time. Performances demanded precision and dedication for making any night shine, but certain situations defied the expectations of reality. From a day into its night, slithers of wonder bound together for a performance that no human could seamlessly predict and enact. Fondly, Toichi recalled a particular night where witty, zealous impulses had transformed his life forever. Transcendent and surreal, witnessing this particular magic unfold in the hearts of others was spectacular.

This day proved to be another such feat.

When Toichi commanded the stage, daring one routine after another, every so often, his attention was often stolen by the little rascal who bobbed up and down in eager anticipation. The little magician had always been riveted and wholly enamored with the workings of the craft. Chikage had surmised that their son was the accumulative success of both their dynamic talents. Toichi had little reason to doubt that under careful instruction and introspective honing, Kaito Kuroba would be a man to dazzle the world.

Then, to his great amusement, he found that more than one form of magic had bloomed into existence.

Young Kaito had been under the care of Jii, and in these cases, Toichi sympathized with his old friend, confidant, and apprentice. There had been no doubt that Jii was a capable, clever man who proved to be a crucial ally in opposing the suspicious workings of that duplicitous man called Snake. Yet, amid their evening spectacles on-stage and in public, Jii had been confronted by an unforeseen conundrum. That would have worried Toichi had he not already deduced the location of his current suspect. In terminology alone, he knew Yusaku Kudo would enjoy the interpretation of his son's intrepid flight from Jii's supervision.

"A thousand apologizes, Toichi-sama," Jii lamented, his head bowed in shame. "Kaito-botchama was—"

"—up to his usual trickeries," Toichi ended, imagining how his eight-year-old protégé reveled in his disappearing act game so that he could play unopposed. "I suppose it can't be helped now. Best to find him before Beika's the victim of unsuspected mayhem."

Preoccupied with learning any trick to perfection, Kaito's disgruntlement at what he perceived to be a form of confinement (which included childminding) spurred him to wander around to his content. It had begun to worry Chikage as their son was exceptional in many ways, but she sensed it might have had more to do with his loneliness. In Kaito's eyes, magic was his true friend as other children could not match his advancing intellect and vigor. She had had half a mind to introduce Kaito to Yukiko's son, Shinichi, who might have made a respectable friend. However, Toichi had seen the youngest Kudo in action. The boys would enact an unpredictable battle of wits that neither set of parents could disengage if they ever became playmates.

Thankfully, Kaito was still a child that Toichi could predict, even if he could outmaneuver several adults thrice his age. Wandering the busy streets of Beika during the afternoon constricted the possible locations that his puckish son would visit. Between lunchtime and the current hour, his appetite would have spiked for something sweet, as it always did when he had forgotten the pack of sliced fruit that Chikage had packed for him; currently, it hung over Jii's shoulder. After a brief span of two separate café inspections, the two men encountered a waitress who had recalled a boy of Kaito's unruly description with a small purchase of chocolate cannoli. That suggested that he would search for a scenic spot to eat his delectable treat.

"Jii-san, you shouldn't be so tense," Toichi assured his frazzled friend as they marked the cherry blossom trees from their list. The other man had bought another fresh cup of coffee to aid his adrenaline, but Toichi was not about to test his boundaries. "Kaito may be reckless, but he's also quite clever. He may yet notice us before we find him."

Jii sighed softly against his second. "He's quite the handful," he admitted, his lips quirked in mild amusement and exasperation. "At my age, he offers more of a challenge than any training that we have undergone."

Toichi chuckled at his surprisingly accurate assessment. Some days, he and Chikage had been mystified whenever their mischievous offspring took an unprecedented detour from their expectations. This idea was proven once again when the two men ambled passed the old clock tower hangout, only to halt at the sound of a familiar voice.

"…never tells his secrets! Ke-ke-ke-ke!"

Eyeing one another thoughtfully, the two men breathed out a small sigh of relief. It seemed as though they had finally located their impish little protégé with time to spare. Wandering around the tall bushes, they paused at the unexpected sight welcoming them from beneath the clock tower's arch.

Kaito's face was alight with joy as he drew one rose after another in the same manner that Toichi had instructed, so delicately that the untrained eye would never have suspected its design. The vibrant bouquet only grew with each assembled flower, but it was not the act of the trick that had stolen Toichi's attention. It was the reaction of the little girl enraptured by his son's performance. She might have been his son's age, adorned in a simple pink dress. The unruliness of her dark hair could have rivaled Kaito's relentless mane and blue eyes as bright as the afternoon sky glimmered in undisguised awe.

"So cool!" she sang as Kaito made them vanish in reverse, a diverting trick that Toichi had not taught him. "Are you magic?"

With gentle care, the little girl latched her hands over Kaito's to draw the bouquet beneath her nose. Unlike a certain father and his apprentice, she was oblivious to the rosy blush that flittered across Kaito's face or the way he timidly worried his lower lip. Toichi shook his head fondly. His son had much to learn about concealing his expressive emotions.

"Kaito!" he called, opting to spare his boy the hilarity of innocent stuttering.

Turning on his heel, Kaito spun and half of his bouquet tumbled to the ground. "Oyaji!"

Nerviness melted to glee and Toichi quickly braced himself for the impact of his son's eager hug barreling against his middle. Without a moment to spare, Kaito seized his hand tightly and all but dragged him to the little girl with all the strength his eight-year-old form could muster. She blushed profusely, a slim bouquet of blue roses still clutched in her tiny hands. A sense of familiarity struck in tandem with an anomalous feeling. Did he know this child?

"Oyaji, this is Aoko-chan!" Kaito said, an air of smug pride having returned with full force. "She just moved to Beika!"

"Good afternoon," she replied timidly, nearly contradicting the glow in her bright eyes. "It's nice to meet you."

Toichi beamed at her, soothing her shyness. "Good afternoon, ojou-san. Kaito, I see you've made a new friend. Isn't that right, Jii-san?"

Ambling up to his side, Jii offered an amicable smile to the two children. "Of course, though you shouldn't go wandering off by yourself like that, botchama. Your father and I were looking all over for you. You'd give your mother quite a stir."

If Kaito was remotely guilty for his escape, he bore no outward signs.

"Aoko-chan's dad isn't here yet," he continued. "She can't go wandering around, too. I'll stay with her!"

The firmness in his voice alerted Toichi that this was not a request on his son's part, but rather a statement of intent. In hindsight, a young girl alone in the middle of town did not strike Toichi has a safe alternative, either. It pleased him that his son had extended such affability to a girl that he had known for less than three hours, resulting in an impromptu little showing off his many talents to the girl. Jii's eyes twinkled over his coffee cup, casting Toichi a knowing smirk.

However, Toichi's attention at averted to a new interest. "Ojou-san, why are you here by yourself?"

Clutching the roses against her chest, her downcast eyes revealed an unusual amount of disappointment in a young child. "My daddy's still at work. He said he would be here by now but…" She glanced at the passersby swarming near the clock tower and there was no sense of recognition in her eyes for a single one of them.

"Can't your mother come for you?" Jii asked, concerned.

Sighing, Aoko shook her head. "I don't have a mommy. It's just me and my daddy. We had to move here after his job changed again. I was here with some kids from my new school, but they all went home, so it's just me now."

Kaito made a face. "Eh? You don't know how to get home by yourself?"

Aoko shook her head again, blushing furiously. Sympathy and concern stirred within Toichi's chest, an instinct honed as a parent to protect this young child in her attempts to disguise her embarrassment with blue flowers. Kneeling beside her, Toichi found that his son's tactics to lift her spirits were ideal, only the implementation of flowers had already been employed. Rather than plagiarize, he decided that Cho deserved to spread her wings after such a long nap. Aoko squealed in delight as the snowy white dove emerged and landed on his hand, patient though annoyed at the impromptu summons.

"So pretty!" Cho hooted smugly and accepted both Aoko's praise and gentle strokes from her tiny fingers. Kaito leaned forward, his eyes alit with undisguised awe. "You're magic, too!"

Chuckling, Toichi straightened and summoned his a new rose, red as the lips of his beloved jewel, and coaxed Cho to take the stem in her beak. The children observed as the obedient bird fluttered her wings and soared skyward to gleeful applause. Cho knew Beika as well as her master and would designate her flight home. Chikage was in for a surprise.

"Aoko!"

A slither of adrenaline thrummed in Toichi's veins. As a master of disguise, he was acquainted with a variety of voices necessary for his showdowns with the police force; thus, he was familiar with a majority of the officers of Division Two. However, the one that hailed their little group surpassed the list of many suspects, and Toichi soon discovered that his life had gained new interest.

Pacing toward them with an air of purpose was none other than Ginzo Nakamori, the recently promoted inspector who had recently taken charge of the force's duels against Kaitou Kid! The man was a spry burst of energy with a passion for his work that Toichi respected. Unless it had been for research, however, Toichi had not regarded the man's personal life for the sake of professional integrity. Now, he observed as the little girl gasped and bound toward the man with similar haste as Kaito.

"Tou-san!" Immediately, Aoko was scooped into her father's firm hold. "You made it!"

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting," he said, sounding embarrassed. His eyes quickly examined the trio of strangers that his daughter had taken to an association. The familiar sting of his suspicious gaze tempted Toichi to chuckle.

"Pardon our intrusion," he said politely, indicating to his company. "I'm Kuroba Toichi. This is my son, Kaito, and my colleague, Konosuke Jii. You must be Aoko-chan's father."

"Nakamori Ginzo." He bowed his head civilly, suspicion scarcely draining from his eyes. "Kuroba Toichi, eh? You're that magician, aren't you?"

That, and MUCH more, Toichi thought in amusement. Should this man ever discover the secret identity behind his newly-made acquaintance, his response would be frenzied. "Indeed. Nakamori-san, pardon my asking, but you seem familiar? Have we met?"

Jii nearly bristled in panic at his teetering stance, but Toichi was not a fool. This was a courteous conversation, and he had no intention of spurring any further misgivings in the other man. The inspector was a zealous and astute rival, one reasonably worthy more respect than the likes of Snake. One hilarious fact of their association was the man's imperceptive nature in recognizing what confronted him directly to his face. His alertness never faltered, but in a throng of trusted co-workers, he had yet to accurately ascertain when Toichi had masqueraded as one of his subordinates.

"Oh! Tou-san was on TV!" Aoko exclaimed helpfully, sounding as proud as any child could be of a parent's incredible feat. "He's an inspector!"

"Eh, really?" Kaito tilted his head with a frown. "Sounds boring."

"Kaito, don't be rude!" In one swift motion, Toichi had his squalling son tucked away in his arms and donned a mask of embarrassment. "My apologies, keibu-san. It appears that my son has forgotten his manners."

By some bizarre phenomenon, Kaito's opinionated presence seemed to have calmed the inspector. "Ah, no worries. Children are like that. Well, I didn't mean to take your time. I'm sure you're a busy man." He peered down at his daughter. "Ready to go?"

To both fathers' surprise, the young girl pouted. "But I was playing with Kaito-kun!"

Even Kaito seemed upset that he had to part from her, frowning at her father.

What had the coils of fate churned to entwine the lives of the Kuroba and Nakamori families like this? Toichi had never been remiss of any coincidences that unraveled in his work, and his appearance here had been by the mere chance of Kaito's recklessness—and Aoko's loneliness? Chikage's voice echoed in memory, noting that their son was oddly desolate amongst his peers, in need of companionship, and here it was established that he had chosen the daughter of his natural rival. The irony was unfathomable.

"How about this?" Toichi quickly deferred to Jii with a quiet request and the older man rifled around in his jacket pockets. The men had been situated in many circumstances where the offer had been welcomed, and he was certain that Inspector Nakamori had no pertinent plans for Kid on this evening.

Nakamori accepted the tickets with a puckered frown. "Tickets to your magic show?"

"Yes. Kaito is present at every showing if your young lady is concerned about seeing him again," he said. "It would be cruel to deprive them of their newfound friendship, would it not?"

The notion was uncontested! There were few words that Toichi could employ to describe the inexplicable glee in little Aoko, her words quite jumbled and heated in her pleas for her father to comply. Toichi would have keeled over had his firm sense of decorum not instinctively taken hold. For all her apparent shyness, it appeared that Aoko had inherited her father's strong tenacity! Even the inspector seemed worried at her response for a possible 'no',

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be troublesome…" Nakamori truly seemed to meet Toichi's eyes and the cogs of his brain churned for some time but he bowed his head. "I guess it would be interesting to see a magician who's not trying to be a pain in my neck."

Toichi suspected that Jii might spasm if this conversation went further.

"Yes, well, we hope to see you there," he said amicably, drawing a close to the unexpected meeting. Aoko and Kaito bid each other a reluctant goodbye before the inspector departed for his car. He was only a few paces away when Toichi called out to him.

"Oh, and keibu-san?" Nakamori turned to Toichi. "Beika may be a relatively safe town, but you shouldn't let your daughter be alone out here, even in public. I'm grateful that it was only my son who met her and not someone else."

The inspector nodded, a grim line pressed to his lips.

The small family approached the lone brown car parked by the sidewalk, and Toichi stole his opportunity to leave. These circumstances would certainly entangle his family with a newfound array of challenges if he failed to play his cards to perfection. His association with Kudo had been a risky hand at best as his novelist friend had already suspected the ruse. Another association to the leading inspector hell-bent on his arrest was a testimony that the Fates were tricksters at heart.

"Hmm." Kaito glanced over his father's shoulder as Aoko's retreating figure hopped into her father's car. His young face wrinkled in concentration. "Oyaji?"

"Yes, Kaito?" Toichi asked curiously, noting his son's concentrated gaze.

"Aoko-chan said she doesn't really have friends here," he said. "If I'm friends with her, can I keep her?"

Distantly enough to hear, Jii choked on his coffee, casting him as an unassuming spectacle for curious passersby. What a curious question for his boy to ask! Toichi surmised that he would have to educate his son toward the polite address and association of a young lady earlier than expected before he did something embarrassing. Children grew far too quickly.

Stifling the laugh bubbling in his chest, Toichi raised a tentative brow. "Keep her?" he inquired.

A rosy hue spread across the boy's face and ears. "Like you keep Kaa-san in the jewelry box."

This time, Jii almost dropped his coffee cup in his efforts to compose his hilarity at the situation. A mild smirk played on the magician's lips as he peered up at the clock tower above. He doubted that Kaito had the proper connotation for his chosen words as he said them, which would only serve to amuse his mother when they brought this particular tale back home.

"Well, Kaito, you should know that no one keeps your mother," he intoned teasingly. "You'll understand when you're older."

Kaito grimaced. "That's what Kaa-san always says."

Smirking, the magicians retreated in the direction of Toichi's studio with their protégé in tow. His deep blue eyes were fixated on the clock tower as its familiar chime rang for harried crowds of the city to hear. There was a foreign wonder carved into the soft plains of his face. It was as though he had been fascinated by a performance that had also befuddled him. Kaito had not yet learned the necessity of a poker face, so it was a marvel to observe how the expressions flittered. Intrigue. Mischief. Hope. Joy. They mirrored the fascination gleaming in the bright eyes of a tenacious little girl. Toichi recognized the spark that only flickered without burning. It was innocent and pure, cherished, and not yet understood. One day, he would remind Kaito of this evolutionary element and hoped that it would only prove to inspire him.

Affection in a child's heart was the most spectacular magic of all.

~M.K~

FURTHER NOTES:

Finally, I managed to finish a new chapter! I have been bouncing between several ideas for a while but developing them was a challenge. I attempted to spend time outside of my angst corner and this was the result. Enjoy!

Thanks go to Vaani S, Guest (1), Daisy, Guest (2), and Sara for reviewing the last chapter.

—MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY, signing out.