Cliche title: A Dark and Stormy Night (okay, seriously, I fail at coming up with these titles)
Cast: Kudou Shinichi, Kuroba Kaito
Couple: Shinichi x Kaito
Rating: mild T (for implied, uh, thoughts & slashi-ness)
Cliche taken from: General fan fiction
Because I've been seeing this one in both het and slash fics and it's driving me insane. Oh, and I apologize for the slightly un-Luna-ish writing style. It's un-Luna-ish in the sense that's it's a little strange, more informal than usual, and probably contains a lot of rambling, typos, and grammar errors. But I'll have you know that it is currently one thirty in the morning and I'm kind of dying right now so please excuse me while I pass out from exhaustion. Well, after I finish writing the ending notes, that is. Enjoy the fic. - Luna

A Dark and Stormy Night

It was a dark and stormy night.

(No, really, it was.)

To be more precise, though, it was a pitch-black, freezing, weather-gods-going-batshit sort of January night. The wind was apparently auditioning for entry into a heavy metal band, if its incessant howling and battering of everything on earth were any indication, and someone high up was having a mental breakdown that involved crying enough to drown several innocent trees.

Kuroba Kaito was deciding this as he sat in his best friend's house (technically mansion), crunched up into a ball in one of the library armchairs. Through the bay window to his left - which was three-fourths covered by a bookcase because who needs windows - he could see rain plummeting down towards the front lawn, twirling through the air and splattering against the mansion's exterior audibly. He sighed. He was not looking forward to going home tonight.

The magician glanced away from the window, scanning the rows and rows of books and smirking when he noticed that nearly eighty percent of them were mystery-related. Typical. I bet he's read of all them.

With that thought still fresh in his mind, he looked across the room at his best friend and the man of the house, Kudou Shinichi, and heaved yet another sigh. The detective was staring into his lap, engrossed in the copy of The Hound of the Baskervillesthat lay there. When Kaito had invited himself over earlier that evening, he had hoped to spend a bit more time actually talking to Shinichi rather than sitting in silence together.

Well, I guess it's okay to just enjoy his company, Kaito thought consolingly to himself. While he didn't quite like the way Shinichi had abandoned him for a fictional character, Kaito had to admit that being able to observe an inattentive Shinichi had its perks. After all, if Shinichi was paying attention to him, Kaito couldn't simply sit and admire the sleepy half-lidded quality of the detective's tanzanite eyes as he read, trace the curve of his jaw flowing smoothly into his long, pale neck with his eyes, watch his satin lips part slightly and see his tongue dart out to absently wet them...

Think pure thoughts, Kaito, think pure thoughts. Kaito coughed into his hand, garnering Shinichi's attention for all of half a second, and resisted the urge to sigh yet again. How long had he been stuck with these strange thoughts regarding his best friend? He unconsciously smirked as he remembered the time he'd first brought it up with Aoko, his go-to for things like this - she had nearly swallowed her tongue before wishing him luck rather unhelpfully. Why, pray tell, did he need luck when he was thinking somewhat impure thoughts about his best friend?

Okay, fine, Kaito had to admit he could understand Aoko's reaction (she'd probably had mo idea what to tell him). He also had to admit that one, he definitely wasn't as straight as he'd thought he was, and two, he liked Shinichi a little too much. As in...

"Oh God, I don't even want to think about it," groaned Kaito aloud, sinking down in his armchair while clawing at his face rather unattractively.

Across the room, Shinichi spared two seconds to give Kaito an eyebrow-lifted you okay sort of look (one that Kaito ignored) before returning to his book. Kaito pulled himself back into a sitting position, wearing a sour expression.

His... er... fondness for Shinichi was the root of all sorts of problems - Kaito knew, was positive, that the detective didn't return his feelings at all, seeing him as some sort of mild nuisance, and he didn't want to make him hate him by hanging around too much, but at the same time, Kaito couldn't suppress the urge to be around him. He wanted to see Shinichi, he wanted to hear Shinichi, he wanted to...

Ooookay, let's try to head back into safe territory, Kaito demanded, mashing a hand over his eyes in a futile attempt to block out all the images his brain was happily conjuring up.

Suddenly, a bright flash of white clawed at his periphery, and by reflex, Kaito's gaze snapped to the window just in time to hear a clap of thunder roll through the air just as the jagged line of lightning faded. There was a distant rumble, and the rain began pelting the earth even more mercilessly.

"...Just perfect." Kaito cradled his head in his hands, bemoaning his plight. Going home tonight was going to really be a pain.

He resumed his subtle observance of the detective still sitting across from him. The man was wearing a strange face, mouth pressed into a line and eyebrows dramatically pulled together. Kaito blinked, eyes trailing down to see Shinichi's fingertips tightening on the edges of his book.

"Hm?" Right as Kaito began to puzzle over the strange occurrence, there was another burst of lightning and shout of thunder, and Shinichi visibly jumped, face going even paler than usual. Even from across the room, Kaito could see the glassiness of his eyes, could see him swallow and force his attention back onto the print of the page.

...Okay.

Shinichi gave a small shiver, looking for all the world like a vulnerable kitten. Which was insane, because in no way was Shinichi like a kitten.

Kaito scrubbed at his eyes and shifted around uncomfortably, casting a glance over at Shinichi, whose eyes kept skittering off the book on his lap.

Was it even possible that Shinichi could be scared of lightning and thunder?

Another streak of lightning and roll of thunder, and Shinichi actually yelped. The great detective, the modern Holmes, the great protector of justice... yelped.

Okay, that was unexpected.

Well, it wasn't too strange for someone to have a ridiculous fear, Kaito reflected as he watched Shinichi shudder silently. He, after all, couldn't stand f-finny... uh, aquatic creatures. But still, it was so uncharacteristic for Shinichi to be scared of thunderstorms...

Another bolt of lightning with an accompanying call of thunder, and Shinichi whimpered, drawing Kaito's attention back to the situation at hand.

Watching his best friend clamp his head between his forearms and grit his teeth, he hesitantly asked, "Uh... Shinichi, are you okay...?" unsure of whether or not he should try to comfort him or not.

Shinichi lifted his tense face to glare at Kaito and bite out, "Like hell I'm okay," before ducking his head in fear of the next, uh... bout.

Torn between staying put and leaving Shinichi with his pride intact or attempting to calm him down, Kaito gave up on the former as the detective actually squeaked, mashing his eyes shut.

Swallowing hard and praying to God that Shinichi wouldn't hate him when this was all over, Kaito stood up and resolutely strode. With a smooth motion, he leaned over and gathered Shinichi up against his chest, gently moving the man's arms off his ears and replacing them with his own.

The detective flinched. "What are you..." he started but cut himself off at the next strike of lightning and thunder, electing instead to bury himself in Kaito's chest and hold him tightly in place. Kaito nearly gasped, reflexively tightening his grasp on the detective.

Crouching painfully, Kaito awkwardly maneuvered a hand up to lace his fingers through Shinichi's hair, pressing him into his shirt. "Shinichi, it's okay. You're okay. I'm here," he assured, brushing his lips against Shinichi's ear by accident as he did so. The single touch sent a shudder racing through Kaito, and he winced inwardly. This is a pretty bad situation...

Still shaking, Shinichi lifted his face, staring up into Kaito's with those electrifyingly blue eyes. They hit Kaito like lightning (oh the irony), and before he could control himself, he swooped down and pressed his lips against Shinichi's.

It took him less than a second to realize what the hell he was doing, and Kaito jerked back, intent on apologizing and trying to forget it (because that would really work), but somehow, Shinichi anticipated him - and there was a hand against the back of his head pushing him into the kiss and all Kaito could see was azure and he could feel his heartbeat hammering and taste the mint and dark chocolate that was wholely Kudou Shinichi and it was too perfect -

The hand gave a little, allowing Kaito to pull back and actually breathe, and Kaito panted hard, staring at Shinichi owlishly. Somehow, throughout the course of that kiss, Shinichi had stood and hooked an arm around Kaito's waist, reeling him in, and Kaito's hands had somehow worked their way up Shinichi's back, one hand locked in his hair and the other at his nape, tracing invisible patterns. The Hound of the Baskervilles lay on the ground, long forgotten.

Lightning and thunder rocked the world outside. Kaito barely heard it. He was far too focused on the man standing in front of him. He could feel Shinichi's arm still around his waist, see the smirk growing on Shinichi's face, see his own reflection in the tanzanite eyes...

A moment later:

"You weren't actually scared of thunderstorms, were you?" asked Kaito, frowning.

"Of course not. That's stupid." Shinichi rolled his eyes.

"...Then why did you pretend?" Kaito cried, glaring at the - his - detective.

Shinichi smirked and yanked Kaito in. "Would this have happened if I hadn't?" he whispered against Kaito's lips, and Kaito had to admit, no, it probably wouldn't have.

That night, Kaito didn't end up having to worry about going home after all.

Did you catch my reference to Mint and Dark Chocolate? :D :D :D

But, uh, anyway. This fic was based off of the "Character A is afraid of thunderstorms so Character B comforts them and then confessions happen yay" cliche. Because seriously, not everyone is scared of thunderstorms, dammit, and not everyone confesses just because they're being comforted by someone.

The Detective Conan archive seems fairly innocent of this one, although I've seen it quite a bit in the Fairy Tail and Fullmetal Alchemist fandoms. Not that it's a bad thing, per se, but it's a cliche and I thought of this idea, because in my OOC-adoring brain, Shinichi is a conniving bastard and Kaito is a gullible angel in comparison.

Yeah.

OKAY I KNOW IT MAKES NO SENSE IT'S STILL ONE THIRTY DAMMIT.

*sigh* Drop this idiotic authoress a review?

Till we meet again, my darlings. - Luna