-FIRSTS-

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: (Really) Slow developing KaiShin relationship.

A/N: Ok, this chapter looks disturbingly like a previous one. I think I just recycled a plot again to fill up some space to lead onto the next part.


First Words

Kaito was bored, he had been sitting idle for the past two hours on the bus. Their school, and more specifically their class, had been selected to participate in a pilot program to bring students of different schools together outside of competition settings. Two schools inside the Tokyo district was selected to go on a 3-day-3-night trip to replace a week of tuition. The students would be paired up and are required to create a report of some sort. Kaito hadn't been paying much attention to the explanation but it all boils down to having to work cooperatively with the other school's student. Under Aoko's threats of underwater creatures, Kaito couldn't even pull a magic trick to stave off the boredom of having to sit still in the cramp space of the bus.

He sighed once more as he looked out into the wintery landscape. He haven't held a heist in nearly a fortnight and it was nearing the full moon. There has been a few promising gems he found through research but they are all currently overseas. If it was still the holidays, he could have made the trip but being in the final year of high school meant a myriad of mock exams and preparatory classes. He briefly wondered how the newly returned detective was holding up.

"Kaito, are you listening?" Aoko asked from his left side. She had forgone sitting with Hakuba, hoping the close proximity would deter Kaito from pulling pranks. She had been talking to Keiko and Akako at the seats in front before she noticed the faraway look on Kaito's face.

"What is it?" Slightly irritated, he tore his gaze away from the speeding landscape.

"You looked...strained?" She wasn't sure if it was the correct term to describe the distracted look mixed with concern and a little bit of irritation.

"Nothing's wrong. Just bored out of my mind." He produced a coin with a flick of his hands and started rolling it through his fingers. "What were you saying just now?"

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Arriving at the room in the hostel they would be staying in, Kaito quickly made to check the locks and the crevices for security. He left his luggage close to the entrance, just in case he had to make a quick getaway.

'Can never be too safe.' He looked underneath the bed, noting the copious amount of dust gathered there. His nose sneezed in retaliation and he promptly moved towards inspecting the windows. The room was sparse, with only two beds, a standing lamp, and a bedside table-slash-desk in between the two beds. The room came with it's own bathroom, much to Kaito's relief as he really did't want to explain the scarred skin on his body from taking falls and the injuries sustained during heists.

Satisfied with his inspection, he took his luggage and placed it at the foot of the bed closest to the window. He felt safer knowing there is a secondary exit available for him. Now all he has to do was wait for the other school's student to show up, which according to his pocket watch (that he relieved Hakuba of when they left the bus) it would be within the next hour. There was really not much he could do right now so he might as well take a nap.

Kaito is not a light sleeper, but in an unfamiliar place and with the possibility of an unknown roommate, his eyes snapped open the moment he heard footsteps coming from beyond the doorway. Within seconds, the door opened and a somewhat familiar voice called out softly.

"Ojamashimasu." The owner of the voice stepped into the room, and by now Kaito should really stop being surprised. "Oh, it's you. I should have guessed the moment they told us we'll be paired up with Ekoda High."

"Nice to see you're up and running again." Kaito commented and flopped back down onto the mattress.

"Just don't expect me to be your alibi." Shinichi lowered his bag in a stiff manner, he was still sore and recovering.

"What alibi?" The way the detective said the words piqued Kaito's interest. Maybe another KID imposter?

"You mean this is not part of your machinations?" Shinichi paused from his inspection of the room, much like what Kaito had done earlier. He turned purposefully towards the bed Kaito is lying on and sat on the edge. Taking out his phone, he tapped through the screen and showed Kaito a news report. Leaning onto the bed's headboard, Kaito began to read through it.

History unearthed

During a planned development just outside of Kawagoe-shi, an age old artefact was found. A black lacquer box, dated at least a century ago, was found buried wrapped in silk clothes. The outside of the box, which had been protected by the material, shows some signs of wear-and-tear...

It was quite a long article, Kaito skimmed through it quickly, not noticing anything of particular interest. "Is there something special about this?" He waved the phone in front of the detective, earning him a look and a sigh.

"This discovery is for a stone named Raven's Soul. A black tourmaline." Shinichi scooted closer to Kaito, leaning over to scroll down through the report until it comes to a picture of a black gem surrounded by white crystals. Kaito felt the warmth emanating from the detective as he leaned in towards him. "It is said that engraved on the box are the words: For you, the stars." Scrolling down further is a closeup of the inscription.

"Not exactly the best name then, what's the connection with raven?"

"I'm getting to that." Shinichi took the phone from Kaito's hands, fingers gently brushing against one-another. Kaito noticed they were freezing cold. Somehow, he became quite aware of the ambient temperature of the environment whenever the detective was around. "Here." He showed Kaito a photo of the contents of the box. Aside from the gem, there was a bag and a feather. "Archeologists found the bag to contain bones of a small bird. Couple that with the feather, you can see where they got the name." The detective finally noticed their closeness and moved away.

Kaito zoomed into the gem. This picture had a higher quality than the one on the report. He noticed the various shades of blue and the slight imperfection in the stone.

"You're always looking for stones and gems of strange origins or stories. This fits the bill."

"I'm guessing there's an old tale behind this?"

"Not really, more of a rumour. The gemologist verifying the stone said he saw the galaxy inside the stone when held up towards the moonlight."

"Interesting..." Kaito had an intense look as he examine the picture. 'What luck, to come across a Pandora candidate during an unexpected trip.'

"The archeologist thinks that this stone, along with the bird and feather, was an offering for a prayer of some sort. Probably for safe travels or something like that." Shinichi glanced over at the thief's face and sighed, giving him a look much like a teacher to a student would. "You should read some current affairs when doing research. Don't rely on us detectives to do the work for you."

"But you do such good work!" Kaito said playfully with a cheeky grin. "You want to become my assistant?"

"You're incorrigible!" Shinichi took back his phone and moved to the other bed to sit down facing the thief. "Well, at least we've figured out what we're doing for the report."

"You mean you're ok with this?" Kaito gestured the phone now sitting on the small table.

"You need to do research to plan for your heist right? I'll admit I'm slightly interested in the story behind The Raven's Soul. Though be warned, I'm not going to be easy on you at the heist." He gave the thief a toothy grin.

"Wouldn't expect any less from you Meitantei." Kaito returned in kind.

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When lunch time came, Kaito headed down to the hall alone. The detective had been sleeping ever since they finished the discussion. Kaito did not have the heart to wake him up after seeing the dark circles and bags under his eyes.

"Kaito!" Aoko waved enthusiastically as so as Kaito stepped through the door. "Over here!"

Kaito saw there were many others sitting at the same table with Aoko. Next to her sat her look-alike, Mouri Ran. On her other side sat Akako. To their opposite sat Suzuki-jou, Hakuba, and a four-eyed kid that Kaito would have dismissed because of the lack of presence. There were empty chairs at the end, no doubt they were waiting for Kaito to join them.

"Where's your roommate-and-partner? Did you manage to traumatize him so early on that he ran out on you Kuroba?" Hakuba peered behind at the doorway to look for any signs of another person.

"Do I seem that bad?" He groaned with exaggeration. Instead of a vocal reply, he was given three deadpan looks. "Ok, ok. I get it." He held his hands up in defeat. "What are the three of you doing here?"

"We're just discussing about what to do for our reports." Aoko gestured to the rest of the sitting occupants and started to introduce each one. Aoko was paired with her look-alike, Akako with Suzuki-jou, and Hakuba with the four-eyed Hondo Eisuke, a recent transferee back into Teitan High.

"It's a shame that Sera-san couldn't join us." Ran commented. "She too is a detective..."

Kaito gave an involuntary shudder as he remembered the kick. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and tuned out the rest of the conversation, opting to go and grab half a dozen of the plain onigiri (there was very little in terms of choice seeing as most students were busy unpacking). There would be an official meet-and-greet tonight during dinner, just so that both schools can mingle. It won't be like the fancy, formal affairs KID was used to but Kaito could appreciate the informal nature of such gatherings.

"Shinichi still isn't picking up his phone..." Kaito heard Ran said just as he was picking through bowls filled with miso paste. Picking two at random, he placed it onto the tray alongside the onigiri. They could just add water from the kettle in the room.

"Why are you worrying about him?" Sonoko complained. "Who cares about that detective nerd?"

"He looked kind of sick this morning..." Ran redialed the number. "I want to make sure he is at least eating properly..."

"He abandoned you. You should now focus on better things, like getting together with Hondo!" The outrageous comment earned her a pair of shocked looks.

"Sonoko!"

"Suzuki-san!"

Ran and Eisuke cried out at the same time. The latter nearly choked on the water he was sipping.

"Say, could I interest you in a charm to help with clearing up feelings?" Akako offered.

"Akako-chan!" Surprised that the girl would offer such to the recently met students. She was greeted with a sweet smile.

"Everyone deserves their happily ever after don't you agree Aoko-san?"

Aoko sighed, not sure what the girl was thinking. To Aoko, the Akako was always strange.

"Ran-san," Aoko looked between the pair, "are you and Hondo-kun a pair?"

"What? No! Sonoko was just joking. Like she did with me and Shinichi."

"By 'Shinichi', do you mean Kudo Shinichi?" Hakuba asked, curiosity piqued once more. They never had much time to converse at the last meeting.

"Have you met him?" Ran had given up on calling on the phone. Instead, she wrote a message and sent it off, hoping that he wasn't caught up in a case or something.

"Yes..." Hakuba went on to explain the last few times they met.

Kaito decided to not join the group and took the tray up to the room to have a quiet lunch with the detective. On the way, he picked up a can of hot coffee and hot chocolate from the vending machine.

He had expected the detective to wake up the moment the door was opened, but the detective was still deep in slumber.

'It's no wonder if he really was sick...' Kaito was pondering how to wake him up. As much as he wanted to leave the sleeping detective to continue his journey in dreamland, no one should miss a meal. Especially someone like Kudo Shinichi, who makes a habit of it. He looked at the can of coffee then at the detective. 'Oh what the heck. Might as well try.' After placing the tray on the small table, he took the can of coffee within close proximity of the detective's head, then pulled on the tab. There was a response from the detective as his eyes moved underneath the eyelids. Not a moment too soon, the smell of coffee permeated the air and his eyes fluttered open.

"Should I be concerned that your standing so near with a can of coffee?" He looked up at Kaito with weary eyes.

"You're actually a part animal aren't you?" There was a confused look on the detective's face. "Like pets, responding to a food can being opened." He gently set the can on the small table, drawing the detective's attention to the food in the process.

"I should be insulted but I'll let it slide since you brought back coffee." He took an appreciative drink. "Do I want to know why and how you know which brand of coffee I prefer?"

"I like to investigate my critics. And I did impersonate you that one time at the Sora performance hall."

"It was a terrible impersonation. I should sue you for damaging my character." There was no malice in his words, only amusement. Kaito laughed in response.

"You have a character?" Kaito pushed the plate towards the detective before getting the hot water for the miso soup. "You should eat. Mouri-chan was concerned about your health when I was getting the food."

"She always worries. If it's not about one thing, it's about another. That's partially the reason why I thought it would be a good idea to keep some distance between us."

"Then the rumours floating around the precinct is true, you did break up with Mouri-chan."

"I told her about Conan. She was angry but she understood and quickly forgave me, even though I felt it wasn't needed. I kind of deserved any of her treatment." It was rare for Shinichi to want to talk to anyone about this. But the thief sitting opposite him gave off an atmosphere that made people want to tell him everything. "It wasn't a matter of trust, like many would want to believe, but more about how I want to keep her safe and happy. If I ended up in the same situation again, I want her to be able to move on and not have to wash her face with tears every other day. It was painful to see her like that as Conan."

Kaito was silent as the detective took a bite of the riceball. It was better for the detective, in the long run, to be able to vent out all his emotions now so that he wouldn't explode or result to desperate actions.

"Sometimes, it feels as though it would be better for Ran if I were to disappear for good. But then, there are times I feel the need to make sure she's alive and well. It might be because of all the cases I've seen so I was always afraid that something bad might happen to the people I care about the moment I take my eyes off them."

Kaito resisted the urge to go and hug the detective. Anyone hearing such depressing words would want to respond as such. He desperately wanted to bring the snarky conversation back, but he held on as he sensed the detective was not finished with the tale.

"It wasn't really my choice that I grew up to be a homicide detective. I like mysteries and code, but I never would have thought that Fate would play such a joke on me and have of witness so many wrongdoings. I'm just...tired of everything I guess."

"But at heists, you have fun right? You get a breather from all the darkness."

"KID's heist are the only thing entertaining me these days that won't result in a body bag." He nibbled on his food, not feeling hungry but knew he should eat.

"Then you should go to those more often." He wondered he the detective would finally become a regular instead of his current sporadic appearances.

"Would your luck hold? The only reason I think the heists are blood free is because I was scarcely there."

"You're talking about the personification of Lady Luck, at least that's what I've been told." Kaito added dramatics to his words by puffing up and raining a small shower of green clover-shaped confetti.

There was a small chuckle from the detective. Kaito counted that as a small victory to draw the detective away from the impending depression.

"Don't jinx it." Shinichi picked up one of the paper clovers on the table. "Just remember to clean up this mess. Wouldn't want there to be complaints."

Kaito blew a raspberry at him, again earning another laugh due to his childish behaviour, before producing a handful of doves with a puff of smoke. The doves then went about, diligently picking up all the paper and gathering them inside the rubbish bin. There was an impressed look on the detective's face, which made Kaito felt proud of his doves. He should remember to buy them extra treats.

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The dinner-slash-party was somewhat subdued, mostly because of the teachers standing guard which meant the students had to behave themselves. Of course, Kaito only saw this as a challenge.

"KAITO!" Aoko shouted, waving a pompom that replaced the mop she was holding. Kaito had turned her usual weapon to the normally less evil handheld implement. But in Aoko's hands, even pompoms could be deadly. "Get back here!"

"They sure are lively." Ran turned towards Hakuba just as Kaito ran passed. None of the teachers from Ekoda were reacting, though those from Teitan, both students and teachers, were staring at the display.

"It happens everyday." Hakuba sidestepped out of the way as Kaito was running backwards to avoid Aoko.

"Well, better than bomb scares and stalkers. Beika has an abnormally high level of crime."

"It keeps us detectives busy. Kudo-san must have a lot of experience then."

"You have no idea." Ran smiled warmly as she watched how Shinichi was used as a shield.

"Get out from behind Kudo-kun and take your punishment like a man!" Aoko was waving frantically.

"You better not get me hit Kuroba." Shinichi was calmly drinking from the Styrofoam cup as Kaito dodged left then right to avoid the pompoms. "What did you do to earn her wrath?"

"Nothing more than usual." Kaito replied in an innocent tone whilst looking at Shinichi through wide bright eyes. It was apparent from the way the detective was looking at Kaito that he didn't believe it to be harmless.

"Kudo-kun, Aoko apologises in advance should Aoko hit you." Aoko was no doubt preparing her ultimate attack. Kaito was also preparing for a rescue and escape to avoid physical damage.

"Kuroba?" Shinichi quirked one of his eyebrows in question.

"Don't worry. Trust me."

He sighed. "Unfortunately I do but that does not make this less terrifying."

At the same moment that Aoko acted, Kaito released his flock of doves and smoke bombs. When the smoke cleared, both Kaito and Shinichi was nowhere to be seen. Aoko looked put out and started her search once more, hoping to enlist Akako's help.

"Where?" Ran was watching the exchange and was baffled by the show.

"Kudo-san is safe if you're worried." Hakuba went over to the food table, grateful that the prankster-magician decided to leave so early and spare everyone of his antics.

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Outside of the large hall, Kaito and Shinichi stood in the shadowed corridor. The former in a small fit of giggles after seeing the look of surprise on Aoko and his current companion. The latter was confused at first but managed to settle with a look of disdain.

"I have to pull more of these classic disappearing acts."

"Do you even do anything normally?" Shinichi was walking away already, now that he has an explanation to not be there.

"Aw, come on. The night's still young. We might as well go and explore." Kaito gave the detective a KID-like grin before snapping his finger.

Shinichi was soon covered with a black cloth. He panicked for a second, reminding him of the various kidnapping attempts on Conan. When he could see again, he was no longer in his school uniform but plain jeans and shirt with a light jacket. He saw that the thief was also in a similar getup, only a bit more colourful with the t-shirt choice.

"Now you're bordering on creepy." He pat himself to ensure he still has his wallet and phone. Satisfied that both were in his jacket, he levelled a glare at the thief to warn him not to try it again.

"You mean you didn't think I was creepy before? Even when I investigated you?"

Shinichi wondered if he should tell the thief that he considered it to be part of his continual backup plan. The fact that KID has surveillance on him actually made him feel better about pursuing criminals. But he knew admitting to it meant it would be rubbed in his face or whenever KID felt like embarrassing him. It was not worth admitting after weighing the possibilities. He shook his head.

"You have anywhere in mind?"

"I'm always prepared." Kaito took hold of the detective's wrist and started to tug him towards the entryway. Neither cared if they were caught outside after hours seeing as they would be able to defend themselves. And the added benefit of having teachers of both school not daring to stop them is a bonus.

-TBC-


FYI:

Sora Performance Hall: reference to Movie 8

Ojamashimasu = Excuse me for bothering/entering