I don't know how or why but I'm becoming obsessed with the idea of a supernatural being!Hakuba.

Chapter Summary: Hakuba has had enough of Edogawa's oddness around him same with Kaito's and decides to confront the two.

I really wish Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belonged to me, sadly they do not.

Chapter 5: Equals

For some odd reason ever since he'd last seen Edogawa Conan two months ago, not only did he avoid him should they be at somewhere at the same time but now Kuroba Kaito has been giving him suspicious glares on and off for the same amount of time.

The only difference was Hakuba couldn't confront Conan but he could confront Kaito, that is if Kaito had stopped avoiding him every time he went to ask him about Conan's behavior. According to Kuroba-san, during one of the heists he missed Conan had warned Kaito that "Hakuba-niisan knows a lot more than you think", which of course led him to believe Kaito knew Conan's secrets.

Everything came to a head after Akemi-san realized he'd been looking into her death and she'd broken down crying and pleading with him to stop before they find out and kill him. Hakuba couldn't get everything out of her but she was willing to tell him who she really was, how she was a member of a organization and tried to leave with her sister but was betrayed and killed in the end. She did assure him that her sister was safe and Hakuba was glad for that at least, but when she said the same organization was after Conan he was not so glad anymore.

Kuroba-san who had been quietly listening in interrupted their conversation to ask if her organization had anyone who'd gone by the name Snake in it.

That then lead to Hakuba pulling an all-nighter and discussing everything both ghosts were willing to share with him and taking notes and trying to put pieces of the puzzle laid out for him together.

So far he was not liking what he was seeing.

Sadly, by the time the three of them stopped talking to one another and both ghosts had left, it was already nearing five in the morning and Hakuba was to wired thinking about everything he learned to sleep.

Which is what led him to receiving after school detention for sleeping in class and who other than Kuroba Kaito was going to be in detention with him after the rather rude awakening he'd given Hakuba. Hakuba wasn't sure how to feel being left alone with Kaito, it's been three months since Kaitou Kid had an actual heist, with a crowd and all, and not just the police. Hakuba wanted to ask him why Kid has yet to make a appearance but Hakuba also knew if he accused Kaito yet again, something Kuroba-san yelled at him for, then he would deny it and wouldn't speak to him.

Hakuba waited until the two of them were left in the classroom alone to clean up before he attempted speaking to Kaito.

"Kuroba-kun…" Hakuba finally said after fifth-teen minutes and 22.07 seconds passed in silence.

Kaito grunted and kept erasing the board.

"Would you mind telling me why you and Edogawa-kun have been acting so odd around me?"

"W-who?" Kaito tensed but thanks to training it wasn't noticeable to any normal person.

Hakuba was far from normal.

"Edogawa Conan, otherwise known as Kid Killer?" Hakuba raises a brow, "Surely as Kaitou Kids biggest fan you've heard of him."

Kaito turned towards Hakuba and grinned, "Of course I know who he was! I just didn't know if you were talking about him or another Edogawa person."

"It's not a common last name." Hakuba said blandly.

Kaito shrugged and quickly turned back towards the board.

"You won't answer me?" Hakuba asked though he had a feeling he knew the answer, "...Very well then, I'll simply have to ask Edogawa-kun myself."

Hakuba could feel Kaito's narrowed gaze on him but he ignored him in favor of rushing to finish cleaning the classroom. If he finished before it got too late in the day he could go visit Conan before the Mouri's and him went to sleep. Hakuba was well aware of Kaito watching him and he definitely noticed when he took out his cell phone and left the classroom altogether.

Kaito walked back in a few minutes later with an annoyed yet Hey what can you do? Look on his face. Hakuba didn't question him and ten minutes56.23 seconds later, he was walking through the school gates heading towards the train station. He knew there was one train left heading towards Beika and if he hurried he would make it in time to be on board.

What Hakuba didn't account for was for Kaito to follow him all the way to the train station and even purchase a ticket seconds after he purchased his own. Gritting his teeth, Hakuba ignored his classmate in favor of finding a window seat and resting his head against the cool glass. If Kuroba-san was there then he would've been able to tell him what Kaito was thinking, but earlier that morning Kuroba-san had stopped by to tell him how he'd be at Akemi-san's house discussing recent matters.

It wasn't until Hakuba arrived at the Detective Agency that he realized that Conan may not even be willing to speak with him. Kaito had vanished somewhere along the way, but Hakuba wasn't put off by the fact, if anything he knew he could could on Mouri-san to let him inside since she'd confided in him on Conan's safety at heists before.

Knocking on the door, well after five at night, Hakuba waited patiently with his hands folded behind his back. A few minutes later the door opened and Hakuba wasn't surprised to see Conan was the one who'd opened it.

"Hakuba-niisan!" Conan smiled, the fact that he didn't even seem shocked to see him there solidified the theory of Kaito contacting him earlier. "What're you doing here?"

Hakuba smiled, "Would you mind taking a minute or two to discuss something with me?"

"Oh! Hakuba-kun!" The door opened wider to reveal Mouri Ran standing there, "If I knew you were coming I would've made some more food."

"I've already eaten Mouri-san, thank you however for the offer." Hakuba said politely, "I only came to ask Edogawa-kun something I've realized about Kid's previous heist."

"You still should've texted me though!" Ran put her hands on her hips and looked down at Conan, "It's alright though, don't take too long otherwise you'll food will get cold, Conan-kun!"

Hakuba stepped back to allow Conan room to enter the hall and he shut the door behind him, after a few moments which they both checked that they were alone, Conan spoke up.

"You have Ran-neechans' phone number?" Conan asked innocently but Hakuba could see the confusion and irritation in his eyes.

"She'd given it to me after our first heist together." Hakuba said.

"Why?"

"To keep in touch should anything happen to you while at a heist and in case she ever needed my help."

"...oh."

Hakuba sighed, "Edogawa-kun is there a reason for your disdain towards me?"

"Huh?" Conan's head snapped up to stare at Hakuba in honest confusion, "What're you talking about?"

"Ever since our kidnapping incident you've avoided me and treated me as a threat." Hakuba explained as he sat down on the ground in front of Conan to put them on equal footing. "Is there a reason for that?" When Conan didn't answer him, Hakuba continued speaking, "Hmm. I know that I've treated you as I would any other teenager, partially due to your knowledge, but could that have upset you? Would you prefer I saw you as a child and not an equal?"

"I…" Conan scowled, "Please don't treat me as a child, at least when it's just the two of us. I don't have any issues with you it's just...you're unpredictable. I don't know you, so I don't know how you'll act in situations."

"I see…Perhaps you should get to know me than? Oh and that's not all of it now is it?" Hakuba asked and chuckled when Conan glared at him. "Apologizes. I'll keep my curiosity hidden until you are comfortable enough around me to let me seek answers."

"...Thanks." Conan smiled at him and Hakuba was content with not knowing. For now.

Now all he had to do was try and get Kaito to stop avoiding him and shooting him suspicious glares long enough to make the rest of their classmates wary, and deny all rumors of the Unresolved Sexual Tension between the two of them.

Be prepared for a lot of snark, flustered!Hakuba and trolling in future chapters!