-FIRSTS-

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

Warning: KaiShin relationship.

A/N: Lucky people, I finished a chapter early so there'll be this update and probably another one by the end of the week.

Actually, I don't know what to say...This chapter should be ok in terms of rating...


First Curse

They ran past a hoard of people running in various directions, trying to escape the mad gunman behind them.

"No more amusement park! It's the bane of my existence!" Shinichi yelled backwards at Kaito who just released a bag of marbles hoping to slow their pursuer down. Where the glass beads come from is unknown.

"At least we should be happy no one's dead yet." Kaito quickly caught up to the detective. "Really, how could you just stumble across a crime in-action!"

"Are you regretting?" He turned to see if there were any place they could hide or lose the gunman.

"Nope!" Kaito was actually beaming. "You're making my life more interesting!"

Shinichi laughed alongside. "You're a real adrenaline junky." Though he could say the same for himself.

"Hey, at least I can keep up with you. Can't say the same for you though." A cheeky grin and Kaito overtook Shinichi and ran ahead. The two seemingly paid no mind to the enraged gunman. "But how did you manage to bump into him when he's planting the bomb?!"

"How was I supposed to know!" He turned to an area less populated. Shinichi had a feeling that the gun was a fake. But it was doing a good job of scaring people. He was still carrying the inert bomb. While it is a dangerous move, it was better than leaving it at an overcrowded area waiting to be picked up by an unsuspecting child.

"Being a detective means you should know things." Kaito directed them over into a staff passage then out to a disuse shed. They hid behind the structure, with Kaito keeping a lookout. They should be safe for a while.

"And being a magician means you should be able to make us disappear." Shinich glanced at the bomb. "Give me a couple of minutes. I need to disable the bomb."

"You mean you've been carrying an active bomb around when we were running?" Voice betraying his surprise. Eyes wide, Kaito looked between Shinichi and the cardboard package then sighed. He wasn't sure if he should be afraid or worried about the situation.

"Not active. The trigger hasn't been set on active. Though it is live. Thank goodness it's not a remote trigger type."

"We really need to sit down and drill some common sense in you." Kaito muttered, looking around the wall once more. The gunman just stumbled out of the passage, frantically searching for the pair. "How long?" He mentally took stock of his inventory, patting certain pockets to check whether he actually have certain items, figuring what tricks he could use to disarm and capture the criminal.

"It shouldn't be too complicated. Five minutes?" He placed the box on the ground and took out a Swiss Army Knife, earning a curious eye from Kaito. "You never know what types of situation you would be in, better be prepared right?"

"I'm thinking I might want to lock you up so you won't even get into situations." Kaito mumbled, making sure the volume was low enough that the detective did not hear.

"You were saying?" Eyes not taking off from the cardboard box, he scrutinized the exterior to see if there were any traps.

"Nothing, you concentrate on your bomb and I'll take care of Mr Crazy-Gun over here."

Shinichi ignored what was happening in the background, mind focused on the contraption in front of him. His brain registered Kaito leaving to confront -coughtauntcough- the gunman. He removed the cover and the inside disturbed him. On top of the paper packaging were two model figures; Tokyo Tower and a ferries wheel. He carefully took out the models, scanning them for clues and traps, before placing them on the ground besides him. Removing the packing material, pushing them aside, revealed a bound package of ANFO by Shinichi's guess. Wiring looped about inside the box, and until all the packing is removed, Shinichi could not be sure how to disarm it. Further digging revealed something that chilled Shinichi's bones.

"Mercury Lever." He muttered, mind flashing back to the incident at Tower. His eyes were drawn towards the plastic models in an instant. "How?" Fear was making itself known to Shinichi. Someone made the connection between Conan and himself and set this whole thing up. He gripped onto the knife a bit too firmly and the metal started to dig into his palm, snapping him back into reality. He took a deep breath, calming the frayed nerves.

"You ok there Shinichi?" Kaito called out. It seems he had managed to incapacitate the gunman. "You need any help?"

"No need." He hoped his voice wasn't shaky. "Just a few more minutes. Can you call the police?" He breathed deeply again. It couldn't be that type of bomb, or else they would be dead already. Calming down once more, he took out another handful of the packing, mindful of the wires, and revealed the mercury lever wasn't attached to anything. It was like a decorative piece inside the box. Instead, the actual bomb was much simpler, a mess of wire, battery, and a timer. He quickly set to work, cutting the battery and taking out the detonation core before leaning back to relax.

"Are you sure you're ok?" A concerned voice came from above. Kaito was peering down on Shinichi with worried eyes.

"Just a bit intense for a weekend date don't you think?" He tried to smile, tried to put the little models out of his mind. He hoped his face was portraying a tired look instead of fear.

"Nothing like a bomb to get the heart pumping." Kaito sat down beside the detective.

"What did you do to the man?" Shinichi was weary, but he also knew Kaito has a mean streak. For this outing to be disturbed must be grating on Kaito's nerves and he would most likely do something about it...something that generally means bad for the receiver.

"Nothing traumatic. Sleeping gas and a lot of ribbons. Maybe a couple of zip ties as well."

"I might be regretting after asking this but how much stuff do you usually bring when you go out?" Curiousity seemed to be the theme for the moment.

"I didn't bring my doves today and I packed light since we're coming here. Usually I have more to work with..." Kaito brought out a pack of cards and began to shuffle.

Shinichi couldn't help but facepalm at the cool tone. He really shouldn't have expected any less from a magician who is always ready to give a performance.

"Never mind. The police should be here soon. How long would the gas last?"

"More than enough until the police arrives. The moment I told them your name, they then asked me for injuries."

"Of the public?" He said with a hopeful tone. Though the police served the public, they were also quite intent on keeping Shinichi out of the firing zone.

"Of you. They knew you won't let anyone get hurt but yourself." Kaito tore his gaze from the cards. He was visually examining for injuries. Finding none but general fatigue, he figured there was nothing they could do about it until the police arrives. "They actually asked me whether it was a homicide or a kidnapping. I told them it was a bomb and that you were disarming it..."

"Let me guess, they swore at the phone." He commented dryly.

"Pretty much. It was quite a creative use of nouns and verbs." Both Kaito and Shinichi had a wry smile on their face. Laughing seems to be a bit too much for this type of situation.

"Are they sending in the bomb disposal squad?"

"Not sure. There was a lot of muttering, swearing, and shouting in the background. I think they're sending Division One here."

"And here I thought it would be the counter terrorism unit."

"You really know your law enforcement units don't you?"

"According to Tokyo PD, I'm a walking magnet for violent crime and criminals. So I do get to know a few officers and detectives in each division and unit. If I count the people I know from Conan, I pretty much know half of detectives across all Japanese PD jurisdiction."

"I see you're well traveled." They both laid back on the grass, savouring the quietness and calm while they can. They knew that once the police arrives, they'll be busy giving statements and Shinichi will actually have to do some paperwork at the station.

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It was nightfall by the time all police procedures were finished. Fortunately, they finished everything it in time for their dinner booking. Takagi and Sato were gracious enough to give them a ride.

"We need to head over to that area for a witness interview anyways." Sato commented as they walked down to the garage. "We don't mind giving you two a lift."

"We wouldn't want Kudo-kun to run into any more bombs today. You scared quite a lot of people." Takagi opened the door to let the two teenagers climb into the back seats, Sato's sports car is a two-doored car, one that Shinichi had to admire for it was so well maintained even through the rough driving and numerous stunts the officers pulled.

"I'll try and remember to call before handling the bomb next time." The back seat could easily fit in four to five children but was a bit tight at the legs for the two teenagers. It wasn't overly comfortable but bearable for the trip.

"And I'll try to keep him out of such situations." Kaito took hold of Shinichi's hands once seated. Giving it a good pat before giving the knuckles a light kiss. Shinichi blushed as the officers giggled at their actions.

"I don't need a babysitter." He growled out, earning an amused look from the two in the front seats.

"And I'm sure you'll do a good job too Kuroba-kun. The number of times we see Kudo-kun inside the station has already decreased after his meeting with you." Sato turned her head back to talk whilst Takagi turned out of the garage.

"See, I am a good influence on you!" Kaito was beaming at Shinichi, daring him to say otherwise.

"Say Kudo-kun," Takagi said as they stopped at the lights, "what are your thoughts on the case? It is quite strange, could it be a challenge to the police?" He look up at the rear view mirror to gauge their response.

Shinichi's hands tensed reflexively, barely noticeable by eye but Kaito felt it. He gripped the detective's hands tighter.

"Who knows. I try not to delve too deep into the minds of criminals." Shinichi tried to be nonchalant in his comments, hoping his voice did not show any emotions. But it seems Kaito did catch the slight tonal difference and gave him a worried glance. Shinichi was grateful that the magician choose not to ask him in front of the officers, and hopefully the magician would forget this by the end of dinner.

The pair were dropped off a block from the restaurant. Tense silence was between them as they ambled their way down the streets. Physical contact between them was lost at the moment as both their minds were preoccupied. Shinichi was silently praying for Kaito not to bring up what happened in the car. Kaito, on the other hand, was trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject. Something about the incident had put his detective on edge.

"Say Kaito," Shinichi decided to break the atmosphere, hoping to restore the sense of comfort they had between them, "where did the tickets come from?"

"You mean for the amusement park?" He thought back to the hurried phone call this morning. "Mouri-chan called me this morning. She bought the tickets last week I think. She said she was planning to go with Honda but he flew back to the States for further training?"

"Hm..." Shinichi was unwilling to comment. It sounds right but it didn't feel right.

"Anyways," Kaito continued, filing the contemplative look on his detective's face for later analysis, "she didn't want it to go to waste and had dropped them off at your mail box yesterday night. She asked me to see if we've got plans today, since the tickets have time constraints, and it'll be good if we can make use of it."

Kaito noticed Shinichi was off in his own world again. Stress marks were beginning to make itself known on the pale face. Creased at the eyebrow, his detective's face was no longer the passive he saw earlier, but one with a terse frown.

"Shinichi..." Kaito placed a hand on his detective's shoulder, hoping to snap him out of the mood. There was something unsettling about his detective's features, something dark and fearful.

"I'm fine Kaito, just a bit...annoyed I guess." He hoped Kaito would not detect the lie. "I guess it just goes to show that if it's not something you planned, my curse would take effect."

"Well, I somewhat planned for this dinner so we should be fine right?" He offered a warm smile, but Shinichi's return smile was strained. Opening the restaurant doors, he ushered his detective inside and gave their reservations.

The restaurant was brightly lit in the entrance but it dimmed somewhat as they walked further in. It was a small Italian restaurant, one that had a homey feel to it. Many patrons were couples so everyone was off in their own world. The pair was led to one of the few private rooms near the back. They were given a quick introduction of today's special before left to their own devices.

"This place came with a recommendation. A classmate was quite loud about his time here, saying this to be the best establishment catering for everyone's needs..." Kaito sneaked a glance from behind the menu. Shinichi seems to be engrossed in trying to take this place apart. "It was lucky that we could have a room to ourselves. Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened at the museum." He tried to lighten the atmosphere again. This time, Shinichi seems to respond positively to it.

"Too true." There was a small upturn of the lips, the sign Kaito was hoping for. He inwardly cheered at his own effort. Now might not be the best time to bring up the morning's incident.

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By the time the waiter came in to collect their plates after the main course, the atmosphere they had before had returned. The banter and the harmless teasing were thrown back and forth across the table.

"An amusement park is a no-go, but what about a theme park?" Kaito was trying to see if he could attempt to pry the issue out of Shinichi.

"What you mean like Sea World?" He saw a poorly camouflage flinch from Kaito and smirked. "Now that you mention, I might have better luck at an aquarium. There hasn't been as many cases happening when I'm near..."

"NO! Stop! Stop!" Kaito pushed his hands at Shinichi's mouth, effectively muffling his next words, which most likely include the name of the accursed marine creatures. He felt a smile forming beneath his palms and saw the twinkling in the sapphire orbs. "No more talk of such places." Kaito pouted as he lifted his hands away.

"But you have such good reactions." Shinichi tried to hold back the giggles, but failing spectacularly and therefore earning him a glare. He tried to apologise with the wide smile still lingering on his lips. "Sorry. I'll stop."

"Wait until I find your weakness, then let's see who'll have the last laugh." Kaito muttered under his breath, turning his head away in mock defiance.

There was something wistful reflecting in the sapphire orbs that Kaito could detect even under the dim lighting. He was about to say something when a shrill scream echoed through the doorway.

"I probably should go take a look and do some crowd control. You should probably stay here. I'm used to the bodies but judging by your reaction during the Magic Lovers case, you don't fare well in such situations." Shinichi rose from his seat to make his way towards the door, only to be grabbed on the wrist by Kaito. "Kaito." He whispered softly, knowing the thief would hear at such close proximity.

"I'll stay here if you really want me to, but I had heard from Mouri-chan," there was sadness in Kaito's voice. The kind that cut through Shinichi's heart like a dull knife, "the last time you suddenly left during an evening out, you never came back as yourself." Kaito's insecurities were coming back.

"Kaito, I'll be fine. Last time with Ran, I left as Shinichi but returned as Conan. She couldn't tell you that because she didn't know that you know about it." He was trying to placate the magician with his hand over the magician's on his wrist. He knew that unless Kaito would let go, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"I know. I get that you could have been testing an antidote or something like that. But this time, what if someone did get to you? Or poisoned you again? What of then?" He held onto the wrist tighter, not wanting to let go. It wasn't that he had a bad feeling or anything, but just that he didn't want to let go of the hand and let Shinichi walk away in the state the detective is currently in.

"Kaito, what brought this on?" Shinichi was worried. He kneeled down to level his gaze at Kaito. The case could wait a few more minutes. He just hoped that someone had the sense to call the police.

"Your expressions." Kaito lifted his free hand to caress his detective's cheeks. His thumb just lingering beneath the eyes. Shinichi leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for the moment to savour the warmth. "You have been tense ever since the amusement park. Your expressions were held tight during the car ride here. I don't want you to go out like that. I'll admit, I don't like corpses but I should probably come out with you. However, since you asked nicely, I'll stay here. I can't help but worry if you go out of this room in this mental state, you'll be hurt. And that is the last thing I want of you."

"Kaito. I can take care of myself." He didn't dare to open his eyes. Every word Kaito said had an impact on the detective. Shinichi could taste the fear and care behind the words. He knew he might not be in the right mindset at the moment but he could still function as a detective. It was something like a reflex by now. "I'll be fine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll carry around one of your tracking devices. Then you'll know where I am."

Kaito rummaged around his pant pocket for a coin sized device to use. It had an adhesive back for sticking onto objects, much like the ones Shinichi carries around with him when he was Conan and as he is now. "Where do you want it?"

"Anywhere is fine."

"Anywhere?" There was a disturbing look on Kaito's face that made Shinichi regret the moment it left his mouth.

"Wait, not anywhere. Not anywhere!" He tried to battle the hands already sneaking up from the hem of his shirt.

"Too late!" A wicked smile with a toothy grin appeared inches from Shinichi's face.

Kaito's hands felt like fire as it trailed its way up Shinichi's torso. His breath hitched as Kaito made an excruciatingly slow journey across his chest. He felt the sticker at the center of his sternum, right above his heart. Kaito's hands lingered for a moment, feeling the quickened heartbeat. Shinichi placed his hands directly above his magician's, even through the thin shirt fabric, he could feel the tensing muscle on the back of his hands. He did not care about the wrinkles forming on his shirt as they now rode up, exposing his stomach. He did not care about how disheveled he might look. Nor were his mind on the possible murder inside the restaurant. The only thing that matters at this point in time was trying to ease the magician's fears.

"You satisfied now?" Shinichi his voice low and gentle, his forehead leaning to rest on Kaito's. With both their eyes closed, their breaths were nearly synchronous as the each tried to regain their composure.

"Now I'll know if something happens to you." Kaito smiled, when they opened their eyes at the same time, he saw the calm returning to the sapphire orbs. "Just don't do anything rash."

"You worry too much." Now that whatever fog around Shinichi's heart has lifted, he was able to smile like he did this morning. "I'll be finished before dessert arrive."

"Oh? Is that a bet?" There was a calculating look inside the amethyst orbs, one that actually sent an involuntary shudder up Shinich's spine. "Then in that case, if the desserts arrive before you finished, I'll have you for dessert." Kaito leaned over to whisper into Shinichi's ears, who quickly covered it to avoid further tickling by the magician's breaths.

"I...you...ah..." He stuttered, not yet recovered from the embarrassment caused by Kaito's antics.

"You're wasting precious time here. Unless you really wanted to be devoured be me?" He cocked is head, teeth showing through his smirk, and a twinkle in his eyes were all the signs that Shinichi needed before turning to leave the room. He knew for certain that the magician would make good on his one-sided bet.

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The case had been simple, one that Shinichi solved before the police arrived (even with the time handicap). In the end, it was another crime of passion and misplaced trust. But Shinichi was still unsettled as he saw the forensics hurriedly gather the evidence. He had come across an object while looking for the murder weapon, it wasn't a piece of evidence so he had no qualms of withholding it from the police.

Leaning back at the wall so that he would not be obstructing the officers, he took the object out of his pockets to examine it under the now brightened room. The copper insignia ring glowed a sickly reddish colour under the restaurant's lighting. With the police detectives busy taking statements from the other patrons, he took this moment to dissect the ring, as he won't be needed just yet. The ring was plain, no outward inscription on the inside to declare ownership. There were no gems or settings to decorate the front so the ring was most likely for male or it was a commemorative ring. There was dirt and mud caking on the flattened part of the ring, obscuring any engraving that Shinichi could detect. He would have to clean it up at home. In the meantime, he would have to wrap this with a handkerchief to preserve its integrity.

"Kudo-kun?" Takagi called the detective back to reality. "I don't think there'll be any more problems. You should get back to Kuroba-kun before he comes running out to fetch you."

"I probably should." He gave the detective nod. "I'll come by the station by tomorrow afternoon for the statement."

"It's not really too rushed, you could drop in after school on Monday. You look like you could use a rest." Even Takagi could detect the haggard look on Shinichi's face, he knew it would be bad to return to Kaito looking like he is now. He went for the bathroom to splash some water on his face to try and clear up his facial expressions.

Looking into the mirror, Shinichi could see why the older detective was concerned. Disregarding the wrinkles on his shirt, he had mud and dirt on his chest from when he was rummaging through the rubbish. The knees of his pants were also covered in much the same way. His eyes were dulled even in the stark white light inside the bathroom. He sighed, the copper ring suddenly seemed very heavy in his pockets.

"Stop dwelling on it." He told his reflection, voice soft so that it would not be heard from outside the empty room. "You'll only make Kaito worry more if you go back looking like this." A few calming breaths and his facial muscles relaxed, looking less tense and less fake.

He returned to their table in a relaxed manner, and just in time for dessert too, much to Shinichi's relief. Kaito hadn't made any comment to his outward appearance so he guessed he looked ok.

Kaito scrutinised every inch of his detective, noting all the differences and minuscule expression. He disregarded the dirt on the shirt and pants, knowing the detective must have crawled through every inch of the crime scene for evidence. He did note the patch of dampness near the collar area and cuffs of the shirt.

"It seems I'll have to stick with plain old cake instead of a Shinichi special." He teased as the detective tried to sit down, but failed and stumbled onto the ground.

"Kaito." He groaned, picking himself up and finally sat onto the chair. Hoping to enjoy his coffee without much fuss.

"Well, I might not know your weakness but at least I know how to make you unsettled." Kaito peered at Shinichi in between bites of the cake. "Everything ok?" He asked innocently. It was a standard question but Shinichi had reacted badly to it, an action that instantly triggered Kaito's suspicious side.

"Everything's fine." He answered, trying to evade the question. But Kaito had already picked up on his discomfort.

"You've been saying the word fine without meaning it the whole afternoon. Tell me what's wrong." He decisively placed his fork down, ignoring the sweet treat in front of him.

"Kaito. Not now. I'll..." Shinichi knew he should speak his mind, stop the lies especially in front of Kaito. But he just couldn't make himself say the truth. "I'll tell you maybe later."

"Shinichi, don't hide things from me. I'm not going to judge you, you know that right?" He reached over to grasp the hand on the table, interlacing at the fingers. With sincerity shining through his eyes, he look directly into the sapphire orbs, hoping to pry the answers out of the locked mind. "If something is bothering you, tell me."

"It's nothing," Shinichi wasn't sure to whom he was lying to now; himself or Kaito. "Maybe it's just paranoia."

Kaito kept silent, knowing full well that his detective would keep to himself until the secrets became too heavy to bear. He knew there really is no other option to have his stubborn detective talk to him. Letting out a defeated sigh, he relented and went back to his dessert. He would drop the matter for now but he would be keeping a closer eye on Shinichi.

-TBC-