Authors notes:
Why do I feel mildly obligated to put a note here…?

Warnings: Foul language… blood and violence. Animal mutilation… and murder… you know how it goes.

The Lycanthropy of a Shrunken Detective

Chapter Six

Kazuha let out an irritated sigh. "Those two… running off and leaving the planning ta us." She and Ran were sitting in the hotel lobby looking at booklets and flyers. Kazuha was nursing a coffee and Ran had a small tea that they'd picked up from a nearby coffee shop.

"Let them be." Ran said. "It's kind of a relief to see Conan going out on an investigation. We haven't had much work at the agency and I think he's been using that and his injury to hide away. This'll be good for him."

"I guess…" Kazuha conceded. "I mean he seemed so twitchy yesterday, and I know ya said as much but I didn't realize how moody he was. I mean he pouted nearly the whole train ride out just because he thought we were bein' unfair for draggin' him out here… but I'm surprised ya've let him go after running off like he did."

"Ever since he went to the hospital last month he's been so irritable and overly sensitive. I just don't know what will set him off lately. Even his teacher has noticed. You know, a few days ago he threw an actual fit because his favorite shirt was dirty and I wouldn't let him wear it. He pouted all day. He's never done that for something so silly before." Ran said conversationally. "Yesterday… he was scared. He kept asking me if I saw the men in black." She shivered.

"Which is why I'm even more curious as ta why you let him go." Kazuha said throwing down the brochure she was looking at. "I'd think you'd be worried he'd disappear again!"

"I am a little…" Ran admitted letting out a tired sigh. "But Hattori is with him and it was Hattori who insisted he go."

Kazuha bit her lip. "I still don't understand what they're investigatin'."

Ran shrugged taking a sip of tea. "From what I gathered Hattori was really curious as to how Conan ended up covered in deer blood. I guess they're retracing his steps."

"I honestly don't care what Conan did last night!" Kazuha said crossing her arms her irritated look shifting to concern. "I'm more worried about why he ran off…"

Ran nodded worry in her eyes. "Yeah… I am too."

Kazuha huffed tapping her fingers on her crossed arms in annoyance, then she sighed giving Ran an apologetic look. "Why do ya think he ran off?"

"At first… I thought he was mad because I wasn't listening to him… like I said he'd been talking about men in the shadows all day. I never saw anything and I said as much… each time he looked so irritated… and worried… after this morning, though, I realized he must have just been scared."

"You don't think there was anyone really there, do you?"

Ran shook her head. "I think he was hallucinating… and I've been thinking about it all day but I can't figure out why…"

"Maybe he had a fever and we didn't notice?" Kazuha suggested.

"Maybe…" Ran said with a sigh… "Or maybe it has to do with that animal attack."

"What do ya mean?"

"I don't know…" Ran said hesitating rubbing her thumb against the lip of her teacup. "But all of this started then…"

"Ah…" Kazuha said frowning. "Ya don't think it's, like, rabies or somethin' do ya?"

Ran shook her head. "I read up on the symptoms… It doesn't quite match… either way, I should have known something was wrong. Well, I mean I did, but I didn't know how wrong things were. Maybe if I had he wouldn't have run off in the first place." Ran quickly blinked back tears.

"W-well, He seems better today…. He only complained a little about joinin' Heiji's mystery solvin'."

"Which is so unlike him…" Ran said sadly.

Humming Kazuha looked to the pamphlets spread on the table in front of them. Her eyes landed on something that had her eye's sparkling. "Well, I think I found somethin' that just might help him relax."

Leaning over in curiosity Ran asked. "You think it'd be good for Conan?" She watched as Kazuha pulled the small advertisement from their stack.

"Most definitely!" Holding it up the girl's smile grew when Ran smiled too.

Conan sneezed, his replaced glasses falling askew from the action, as he walked slowly behind Hattori. The larger teen was walking lazily with his hands up behind his head and looking up at the stars his thoughts just as distant.

Studying his equal, Conan pushed his glasses back up, it wasn't just anyone who could find out their friend had been turned into a… monster, and just accept it like it wasn't that big a deal. No lasting fear. No condemning him. Just concern and a desire to help.

Crossing his arms and looking away from the teen. Conan grumbled over the strange feeling of warmth settling in his bones. He still wasn't used to having close friends other than Ran. People never got him before… So it wasn't like he wasn't appreciative of Hattori and his insistence on friendship. It was just hard because he didn't really know how friends worked- because past experience said he wasn't very good at being one. So it was rare that he even allowed himself to think of Hattori as a friend. More often he thought of him as a fellow detective- an equal- or a rival depending.

Right now it was harder to pretend. So he was trying harder than normal not to call the other an idiot. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to say thank you either. It was so much easier solving mysteries than figuring out how to treat people. "So…" He decided to let those thoughts go. "We're heading home tomorrow?"

Hattori sighed dropping his hands and stuffing them into his pockets glancing at his shorter companion. "Yeah, in the evening."

Conan looked at the other as Heiji was clearly trying his best to hide how frustrated he was with the prospect. "You said you'd help me." Conan said dryly before his voice became slightly teasing. "What are you gonna do from all the way in Osaka?" The boy prodded trying to get a rise out of the teen. He felt like he should be trying to cheer the other up and help him back if he could. Yet, this teasing was all he was able to come up with. He figured he was, as Sonoko often said, just a jerk.

"We'll figure something out." Hattori mumbled looking away again.

Conan grumbled. He really sucked at making others feel better. Worry nagged at the back of his skull as the other's dour mood continued. Maybe… Hattori was worried about him. "I'm okay…" He finally said, hoping to reassure Hattori now.

All he got in response was a half-hearted grunt and a distracted. "Sure."

Crossing his arms Conan felt anger rising in his stomach. Taking a deep breath he calmed himself. Hattori sighed giving Conan a clearly worried glance. He said nothing though and the two of them continued on in strained silence. It was really grating on Conan's nerves. He had no idea what the other was thinking or why his mood had suddenly shifted… Unless…

"What do ya think the girls have planned for tomorrow?" Conan asked trying to gauge Hattori's expression but he was looking up again. Conan waited for an answer.

"That's right…" Heiji said slowly. "We did leave the planning ta them."

Conan nodded pleased with the response. As long as they kept conversation engaging Hattori would eventually speak his mind. "We did."

"It was a good way ta keep them busy while we found out what happened ta ya. Since ya clearly didn't want anyone lookin' into it."

Conan looked away from Hattori's searching look feeling his stomach drop. It wasn't accusing, just questioning, but he was still embarrassed by the scrutiny. He, Kudo Shinichi "savior of the police," had tried to run away from the evidence. Hoping that it would be overlooked. Hoping, like a child, that it would disappear and with it everything that it revealed. "Un." Was all he managed to say in response.

A long heavy sigh left Hattori as they came around a corner and found themselves coming to a stop in front of the hotel. It was the kind of sigh you hear from someone who just didn't have the energy to fight. Hesitantly Conan looked toward the other. "Hattori?"

The dark-skinned detective just shook his head and looked to the hotel. Conan recognized the fond look that fell over his face, even as Hattori spoke in an irritated voice. "Knowin' that moron it'll probably involve shoppin'."

Conan blinked looking back to the hotel. Letting out a soft chuckle he nodded. "Yeah, even if she doesn't buy much Ran seems to really enjoy shopping too."

The silence fell on them again and Conan wasn't sure why this time. Hattori looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how. Conan began to wonder if his friend was really as okay with all of this as he'd been acting. Maybe Hattori didn't think it was safe for Conan to be near the girls…

Logically that would make the most sense and Shinichi at his core couldn't blame him. Still part of him hoped that wasn't the case. Hattori caught Conan's eye and the seriousness in them had the boy stuck in full attention. 'Here it comes.' Conan swallowed back his inhibitions.

"You…" Worry flooded the taller boy's eyes. "You ready?"

Conan felt his head tilt just slightly to the side in confusion. "Ready?"

Hattori looked slightly relieved and immensely amused by this response. "Ta have our ears chewed off for it been so late. I'd promised to get ya back before dark."

Conan laughed feeling a bit bad now about the earlier delays. "Sorry." He sighed. Inside he felt his stomach knot with anxiety. If something happened to make him overly emotional he feared the worst. He hoped he could keep calm. "You'll hit me if I start freaking out too bad right?"

Shrugging Hattori gave a mischievous grin. "Hey, what are friends for?"

"Ha. Ha." Conan shot back with as board a face as he could muster. Inside his nerves settled a warm feeling of trust and gratitude filling him, as they headed inside.

Authors Notes:

Such cute brotherly bonds…
Anyway… next chapter kind of begins the first mystery… does anyone have any suggestions on jurisdiction? What officers should pick up this inevitable murder about to be? The made-up mountain village they're at is about an hours train ride outside of Tokyo. Maybe I should just make someone up… uhg… more naming.

(Words used 1730. Original date posted 1/11/2018)