Well, from the poll, I guess I'll be updating stories as I get each chapter finished, that is, I won't be updating them at the same time. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter; banter and slight UST ahoy! xD Oh, and here's the Kaito/Conan interactions so many of you were waiting for ;3 Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!
Anon review reply:
lexi: You know, you are only the second person to comment on that. I'm not kidding! I mean, I was trying to make it kind of cryptic, but not so much that almost nobody would comment on it TT_TT But yeah, Mercury's supposed to be creepy xD
"They look so cute! Take a picture!"
"No, it might wake them up!"
"Shh, shh!"
Heiji's consciousness seeped back slowly and for a moment he had trouble recalling where he was. "Hmm?" he lightly squeezed the small hand in his own tan one. "Ku-nan, wake up."
"So cute!"
There was the squeezing again. Where was it…? The Osakan's eyes narrowed as he saw a couple of nurses standing in the doorway.
"I'm sorry!" the one on the right whispered. "We were trying not to wake you up!"
"So cute!" was all the other nurse could say.
Heiji took a moment to observe his situation He was sitting in a chair next to Conan's bed, the boy himself curled up close to the edge of the bed where Heiji had been leaning against the bedpost as he slept, the two boys' hands entwined as they slept. The mental image did seem kinda cute, Heiji decided. "Hey, Ku-nan, wake up. I don't wanna deal with these girls by myself."
"G'way, trying to sleep, Haibara."
Heiji sweatdropped. "Do I look anything like that freaky mad scientist chick? Wake up gaki!"
A single blue eye blearily blinked open. "H'tori?" the boy mumbled. "What 'r you d'ing here?"
"I came to visit you, remember?" The Osakan was feeling slightly worried. Had the episode last night triggered something?
"Oh yeah," Conan muttered as he propped himself upright. His hand never left Heiji's. "F'rg't. 'm t'r'd, can't think good r't now." He looked around. "Where's Ran?"
A suspicion wriggled its way into Hattori's mind. "Oi, Ku-nan, what's the last thing you remember? Do you remember me coming in last night at all?"
"Kind of?" Conan asked. "Sorta; 's kinda f'z'y though…"
"Kudo?" Heiji asked in an undertone. From the sudden movement as Conan jerked his head up, blue eyes wide in barely controlled terror, he knew he'd guessed correctly. "'s okay gaki, I gotcha." Heiji made soothing sounds as he held the shrunken teen to his chest. He sent a pointed look (it wasn't a glare, it wasn't!) towards the two nurses, who got 'light bulb' expressions on their faces before they beat a hasty retreat.
"Great distraction," Kudo deadpanned shakily into Heiji's chest.
"Yeah, I'm just full of ideas," Hattori retorted. "I think it's about time you and I had a talk." He knew he'd scored as the small figure in his arms tensed. "How long have you known about Conan?"
"Conan's a mask," was the soft yet monotonic reply. "You know that Hattori."
"Yeah, I know. I also know that last night you were hugging onto me for dear life, practically bawling your eyes out because I only cared about 'Shinichi-niichan' and not about 'Conan'. How is that just a mask?" The Osakan's tone wasn't accusing like one would've expected, but gentle and sympathetic.
"I-it just is!" Shinichi insisted, his hands balling in the fabric of Heiji's shirt.
"Kudo, I wanna help, and the only way I'm gonna be able to do that is if you open up to me! C'mon, don't shut me out like this!"
"Hattori, it's better if you just leave it alone, leave us alone."
"So you're admitting that-"
"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"
Shinichi and Heiji turned to see Hakuba Saguru standing in the doorway, a very familiar looking young man skulking behind him…
"Kudo?" Heiji blurted in surprise. What – who would have a reason ta-
"I'm not Kudo Shinichi," the look-alike assured him rather grumpily. "I just look a lot like him."
Now that he looked closer, the Osakan could see that though from a distance the newcomer looked quite similar to Shinichi, his facial structure was angular and more chiseled, his hair was messier, and most of all his eyes were not that shade of intoxicating blue… Heiji pushed down the sudden and inexplicable urge to blush in favor of glaring at the Kudo doppelganger and Hakuba. But mostly Hakuba. "Who is he, why'd ya bring him, and why are you here Hakuba?" He tried not to sound too mean, honest he did!
"I came to speak with Edogawa-kun," Hakuba replied. "Kuroba-kun is here on my request."
"More like you dragged me here," Kuroba muttered. "Kuroba Kaito," he introduced himself. "I have the unfortunate honor of being classmates with this idiot." He jabbed a thumb at Saguru.
"Hattori Heiji," the Osakan replied. "This here's Edogawa Conan."
"You were at the Tantei Koshien, weren't you Hakuba-oniisan?" Shinichi piped in a subdued childish voice. "I'm sorry about Tuesday; I didn't mean to act like that."
"What are you talking about?" Hakuba looked thoroughly confused, and Kaito and Heiji were listening intently for an account of what happened from someone who, so far, hadn't been talking.
"Well, after you tried to calm me down you ran off," Shinichi recalled. "I'm sorry if I hurt you or something." He looked the perfect picture of childish innocence, a slightly rueful expression on his face as he hung his head in a slightly guilty manner.
"It wasn't your fault Edogawa-kun," Saguru assured, the shrunken teen successfully pushing his every button.
Heiji and Kaito could only look on in envy and appreciation, each thinking that if they could manipulate the British detective that easily life would be a lot easier. By chance the duo's eyes met, a spark of understanding passing between them.
"Kuroba-san, right?" Heiji asked.
"Yeah," the brunette nodded.
"Nice ta meetcha." Heiji held out his hand.
Kuroba stared at the Osakan a moment, gauging him, before taking the proffered hand. "Likewise, Hattori-san."
"So you've gotta put up with his Royal Prissiness here?"
"Unfortunately," Kaito sighed melodramatically. "And if you think he's bad now, you should see him at school, accusing me of the most outlandish things!"
"You are Kaitou KID Kuroba, I just don't have the definite proof yet," Hakuba declared testily.
"This again," the brunette whispered soto voce to Hattori.
"Just because you were present at the same time KID was doesn't mean a thing! It could have been a dummy or an accomplice or something!
"Hakuba, I was handcuffed to you the entire time!" Kuroba groaned. "And FYI, there have been multiple occasions where KID and I haven't been in the same place, and I have solid alibis!"
"You use the same tricks as he does!"
"KID's a showman, that's the only thing we have in common! I'm a magician because I want to follow my father's path; KID uses magic for fun or whyever he wants to!"
"Okay, hey, both of you calm down!" Hattori stepped between them, arms held out. "You're upsetting Ku-nan!" He darted a glance at the shrunken teen, who quickly turned his expression of calculations to one of 'why are the adults arguing?' "And you," Heiji growled, turning on Hakuba, "are even worse than I originally thought you were!"
"Excuse me?" Saguru crossed his arms defiantly. "At least I don't contaminate evidence or fraternize with suspects!"
"Fraternize? Okay, you listen here!"
"Oi oi, those two are so troublesome," Kaito shook his head. He sat down on the chair next to Conan's bed. "So how are you doing? Hakuba says you weren't exactly hurt, but something happened. You wanna talk about it?"
The boy scrutinized him a moment. "You do kind of remind me of KID," he said slowly. "But you look like Shinichi-niichan too," he added as Kaito's expression grew exasperated. "Hakuba-oniisan said you do magic; could you show me?"
"Sure!" Kaito grinned as he took out some juggling balls from nowhere. Inwardly he wasn't quite panicking, but… well, he wasn't very calm either. While it wasn't like tantei-kun was interrogating him or anything, he knew that that great intellect wasn't being neglected and was instead being used to scrutinize his movements.
"Ne, Kaito-oniisan?"
"Yeah, bozu?" Kaito stopped his juggling.
"Are you related to a Kuroba Toichi-san?"
"Y-yeah," Kaito stuttered slightly at the unexpected question. "He was my father."
"He was a really good magician; I've seen recordings of his acts!"
"Oh, y-you have?" Kaito forced a broad grin. "He was the best, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, I can see why you'd want to follow in his footsteps." Shinichi smiled sympathetically.
"How about your parents Conan-kun?" Kaito felt perfectly justified in asking this even as his stomach turned a little at the sudden panic in his rival's eyes. How would tantei-kun answer?
"Well, okaa-san is a lawyer in New York," the bespectacled boy stuttered slightly. "She says my otou-san is a dirty, rotten, good-for-nothing son-of-a-"
"Okay, I think that's enough." Kaito cut him off. The panic was gone, replaced by a cheerful mischief. "Do you have any siblings?" he asked.
"No," Conan shook his head. "Okaa-san says that I was an 'accident-child', which doesn't really make sense. How can you have a child by accident?" The innocently inquisitive expression on the boy's face was impressive, he had to admit. But he was having far too much fun at Kaito's expense. "So you're a fan of KID's?"
Ah, the interrogation.
"I like his magic, how he completely entrances the crowd," Kaito stated slowly. "I'm not such a fan of the stealing, but then again he always returns it, doesn't he?"
"He does," Shinichi murmured to himself.
"Hey, after you're better, how about the next time you go after him, tell him 'hi' for me, okay?"
Shinichi chuckled in mixed amusement and surprise at the other's audacity. "I'll be sure to tell him that when I see him, Kaito-oniisan." The two rivals exchanged knowing grins, each holding the other's cards but knowing not to do anything just yet.
"Oi, ya done?"
Kaito started as he realized Heiji was standing right at his shoulder. "Uh, yeah, if Hakuba's gotten what he needed." He quirked an eyebrow towards the Brit, who looked rather annoyed.
"Just one question. How would I get a hold of Kudo Shinichi?"
"Why would ya need ta do that?" Heiji growled, unconsciously shifting so he was almost directly between Saguru and Conan.
"I received some advice from a source of mine that Kudo Shinichi is tied to this case."
"An' who exactly told ya that tidbit of info?" Heiji's eyes narrowed to jade slits.
"A source," Saguru reiterated.
"Our classmate's a witch and she says that her crystal ball a.k.a. Lucifer told her," Kaito piped up cheerfully. At the other detectives' incredulous look he assured them, "No joke, she's a witch; she even turned me into a frog once! I got better, obviously."
"Riiight." Heiji eyed them dubiously. "Is that all?"
"For now," Saguru replied. "If you know of a way to get a hold of Kudo-kun, please don't hesitate to tell me. C'mon Kuroba."
"What am I, your lapdog Haku-chan?"
"Stop calling me that!"
"But you react so wonderfully each time! Why must you be so tsundere?"
"I said to shut up!"
"Oi," Hattori spoke quietly once the two's argument was out of hearing range. "I've seen that look before. He is KID, isn't he?"
"Almost certainly, yes," Shinichi confirmed softly. "We know each other's identity but neither of us says anything. It's out of mutual respect for each other's situations I suppose." A soft smile crossed the shrunken teen's face.
"Does Hakuba fit into you guys' little club?" He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, he honestly did!
Shinichi laughed, elbowing the Osakan in the arm. "Jealousy doesn't become you Hattori," he teased.
"Yeah, yeah." Hattori brushed him off, a soft blush dusting his cheeks. "I just don't trust him; either of them. I guess the thief's not too bad though, if he's gotta deal with Hakuba all the time." His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. "I'm gonna go get some coffee. Ya want some?"
"Sure," Shinichi replied.
Heiji pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead unconsciously, then regained his senses and quickly backtracked. "Right. Back in ten," he stuttered slightly before he fled, not noticing the nearly identical blush on Shinichi's face.
Chapter translation: Uncertain Allies
Hee hee, did you all like it? I hope you did! ^^ Christmas is only 17 days away, so if I don't update anything before then, a Merry Christmas to you all! And it's the second tri of my senior year... God I feel so old! xD;; No cameos this chapter, and only one person got one of them last chapter. Does no one watch/read XXXholic anymore?
Don't forget to review, as believe it or not, they do actually give SG-chan motivation to write quicker xD