Shinichi had grown accustomed to the eventfulness Kaito brought with him. He'd even grown to look forward to seeing what his unbidden visitor would think up next. Though he'd loath to admit it, that thief's intrusive plans were affecting him. He'd begun to find that displeasure was no longer his default, he was having fewer nightmares, and that horrible urge to scream his true identity from the rooftops had dissipated. It felt amazing to be understood and accepted. No guilt for the case he'd fallen into, no acting, no excuses. Even Hattori had the habit of making judgmental comments.

Aside from that, Shinichi had learned more than he'd ever expected to about his guilty pleasure mystery case. This honor meant junking the journal, which hadn't been intended for personal information which was best left in Shinichi's head. However, he hadn't given up: he was confident that someday, he would know the thief's purpose and the mystery would be solved. Until then, having a friend around wasn't bad either.

When Shinichi got home from school, there was a pink rose waiting for him in a small crystal vase. He picked up the attached note card.

Conan-kun,

We're going to see the new Majikaru Shounen Atari-kun movie today! It starts at 6!

See you there,

-Ayumi

The Ayumi doodle at the end was offputting, but the thief had done an impressive job imitating Ayumi's handwriting. It was a tad frightening if he thought about it - did he feel no shame creeping on children like that? Shinichi carried the vase to his bed and left the note on the table for Occhan to see.

Conan wondered if he should wait in the lobby, but knowing the thief, Kaito would find him exactly at six no matter where he was. He decided to hang out by the entrance. Upon his watch striking six, he was grabbed from behind. He sputtered as his feet left the ground.

"Good evening, Tantei-kun! Did you look at the movies?"

Shinichi craned his neck, his eyes scanning Kaito's body from top to bottom. "Ano ne... Why are you wearing a tuxedo?"

Kaito put Shinichi down and struck a pose. "What, don't you think it looks good on me? It's our night out; I had to look good."

Shinichi blinked. "That's not what I meant." Luckily, it was a dark room. They wouldn't get too much attention.

"I got you one too!" Kaito smiled and pulled a small tuxedo out from who-knew-where.

Shinichi raised his hands defensively. "No no no, there's no way I'm-"

With a snap of the fingers, Shinichi was dressed in the tuxedo. Vague-enough-to-write-off sensations of air and cloth passed before his mind could take hold of them. Kaito patted his shoulder. "Now we match!"

Shinichi stared down at his new outfit in horror. How did he do that? Did no one notice? Shinichi looked around, but nobody was paying attention to them.

"So!" Kaito continued, bending down to get right in his face. "Movies?"

"Eh..." Shinichi hadn't thought to look at the movies. Usually, when he was invited to see one, his opinion wasn't in question. "I didn't look..."

Kaito chuckled; he'd expected as much. "Don't worry. I found a good one. It's about spies. There's a vigilante spy trying to interfere with two government spies, and they're all after the same thing. And there's a love triangle!"

In the dark theater, Kaito nursed a lapful of candy. An extra-extra-bribe-style-large tub of popcorn sat between them to share. Needless to say, most of it would be Kaito's. Aside from the sounds of Kaito munching various things, the thief would lean over to make comments on the previews. Shinichi knew his manners and didn't comment back - most times.

The movie started with an explosion. Entirely in CG, to Shinichi's displeasure, although Kaito seemed excited by it. After that, the two female spies were introduced, both pining for what Shinichi supposed was the hero of the movie. I thought this was supposed to be about spies, he voiced inwardly, bored.

Kaito wasn't bothered by the set-up. He was busy admiring all of the wardrobe pieces, picking apart the makeup jobs, and rattling off everything he'd ever seen those actors in.

Then, the protagonist was revealed. The actor was a hot upcoming star showing off his skills as a lead for the first time. Twin sets of eyes widened at the action star: his smile, his stature, the tinge and shape of his hair.

Kaito and Shinichi leaned into each other - they would have clunked heads if not for the height difference. "He looks like you," they said simultaneously.

Shinichi grimaced. "No way, I'm not that cocky."

Kaito chuckled into his ear. "You've never seen yourself on a case."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Kaito and Shinichi bowed their heads and returned their attention to the giant screen.

The protagonist, Black Spy, had left Red Spy years before for Blue Spy. It had all been a ruse, but Blue Spy was still in love with Black Spy, as was Red Spy. Black Spy couldn't choose and would just stay with either one until his job was done. He didn't want to get attached when he was against them both and knew they might be at the ends of each other's gun barrels someday.

To Shinichi's disgust, he was kind of getting into the drama. He wanted to root for Red Spy because of their history, but Blue Spy had a good heart despite her tough jobs. Black Spy was trying to end government corruption, but his feelings kept getting in the way.

Don't do it! they both thought as Red Spy lead Black Spy to the hotel bedroom. It was all a set-up by her boss, and if Black Spy didn't figure it out soon...

Violin and piano music bled into the shadows of the scene.

"I never stopped thinking of you, Jackson..." the woman with the bright red lipstick whispered as she pressed her chest into his.

"Me either," Black Spy breathed, leaning in to kiss her on the lips.

Soon, the spies were grabbing at each other's clothes and breathing heavily through their noses as their lips melted together.

And suddenly, Kaito was thinking about kissing Shinichi. If the actor's hair had that trademark cowlick, if his eyes were blue like precious stolen sapphires... Then there was that skintight black outfit grasping at every shape. Shinichi would make a sexy spy, he decided, ignoring the way his skin was starting to heat up. He was glad Tantei-kun couldn't read thoughts, much as it seemed like he could. Kaito didn't need Shinichi to find his own version of a mop to slap him with.

And suddenly, Shinichi was thinking about kissing Kaito - from that angle, more like being kissed by Kaito. If that actor's hair were just a little messier, and his attitude a little more taunting... Watching the profile of Black Spy so thoroughly involved in his kiss was beginning to make Shinichi turn red. He was thankful for the shadows in the theater at that moment. He couldn't understand why his mind would go there, but his eyes were stuck open in fascination.

The exposition-riddled conversation was lost amidst images of black fabric pulled over muscle, stolen nips from red lips, and a constant struggle for dominance.

Two teens reached towards the popcorn, and hit each other's hands instead. The shorter flinched back, but the taller merely reached over and took the hand. Something in the ten minutes of experiencing borderline porn together (it was a straight Hollywood-style movie) made him bolder. Even if the detective didn't return his feelings, it was clear that Shinichi did like spending time with him. Shinichi wouldn't take the time out of his day and Kaito wouldn't keep training over to Beika if that weren't the case (though the latter bit could be questioned). Besides, how would he know if Tantei-kun swung that way if he didn't try a little?

Shinichi gaped up at the thief, whose face betrayed no expression. The light bounced off the shadows on his face, and their arms, and Shinichi snapped his head elsewhere before Kaito noticed him staring. He could wrench his hand away if he really wanted to, but the hand radiated such warmth in the air-conditioned theater, and a certain calm came over him even has his pulse started to race. It was no big deal, right? Kaito was just trying to be nice. Maybe the thief had noticed his uncomfortable expression.

When the movie came to a close, both teens were disappointed to find that it had been left open for a sequel. It was pointing to Black Spy ending up with Blue Spy. Black Spy was just conflicted because Red Spy was his first love. Black Spy looked out on the skyline, releasing a sigh for the ladies who had run off from him.

When the credit roll began, Kaito quickly broke the hold of the hand still in his before the lights could come on, forcing himself to reel in his nerves - he hadn't gotten yelled at or anything, after all. He pulled his seat up and began to gather his snacks, his short comrade hopping off the seat to join him.

They took a lazy stroll on the long road home, the cool air washing over them. Surprisingly, there was still quite a bit of popcorn left (Kaito had gotten more distracted than expected), so they chewed on it while they walked. But Kaito seemed to be elsewhere, focused on nothing in particular outside of his mind. Shinichi wondered what about silently. He was surprised to even be able to perceive that. Was Kaito's guard lowered or was he starting to understand the thief?

A vaguely melancholic expression settled on Kaito's face. "Ne, Tantei-kun."

"Hm?" Shinichi mumbled around a mouthful of popcorn.

"Do you think there's only one true love out there for a person? Or can people truly move on after their first love is gone?"

Shinichi was taken aback by the softness in Kaito's voice. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet. He hadn't considered finding another if Ran moved on - he was still only a kid, unfortunately. He had considered though, after his first year or so of being Conan, that Ran might not happily jump into his arms when he came back, that she might not wait forever, that he might not come back at all. He'd been in a downward spiral for a while after that, but since then he'd tried to focus on something other than his love life for the sake of his own sanity.

Kaito released a long sigh. "When I was younger, I always thought I'd end up with my best friend. She was cute, smart, funny, and she liked me back - I know she did. But I couldn't confess while this mess was going on, so I kept waiting." He smiled a crooked little smile tinged with a sense of bitterness. "If I'd had a choice, I wouldn't have given her up. I'd have hung on until the end, but when that choice was taken away from me... I realized I was terrible for her." Kaito looked down at the bright blue eyes intent on him. "We fought constantly, we couldn't truly trust each other... When I looked her in the eye, I couldn't lie, and I couldn't tell the truth. So when... that guy who had stability, a future, and no secrets swung in, I had to step back and accept that maybe first love wasn't all there was in the world."

Each sentence Kaito spoke, Shinichi's eyes opened a tiny bid wider. "Kuroba..." He could feel a small, throbbing pain blossom in his chest - the part he strained so hard not to feel. He didn't know what to say. He respected the thief for being so gracious about his own heartbreak. He was simultaneously pained and pleased that the man he hadn't asked to accompany him had something that personal in common with him.

"Well, it doesn't matter now."

Shinichi didn't object when the other's hand wrapped around his own. He merely turned silent and pink, appreciating the comforting warmth being exchanged in secret as the two walked home.

As usual (at least usual for the couple of weeks this had been happening), Kaito and Shinichi stopped at a street corner facing away from the agency. Shinichi would walk a block and a half on his own (Kaito watched from the shadows) just in case someone happened to spot the stranger hanging out with little Conan.

"Tantei-kun." Kaito bent down with a thin lipped smile. "The sequel comes out next year. We should watch it together."

Despite the movie being of mediocre quality, Shinichi could not deny having enjoyed it just the tiniest bit and nodded his head, a small smile upon his own face.

Kaito's smile widened by the most imperceptible amount. Keeping his lips tight was the only way to keep his glee from escaping. His ego was lavished with his ability to bring a smile to his poor tortured Tantei-kun's face. The boy spent so much time checked out and grim-faced, it was a wonder nobody caught on to something being wrong with him, at the very least. "I'll see you next week, then. Take care."

Before Shinichi knew it, he was holding onto a red rose much too perfect to have been sitting in someone's sleeve for half a day. Botany was not a hobby of his, but even he had seen enough red roses given to know what they meant. It was the change that made him wonder if it should mean something. He had taken the pink rose as a sign of friendship. Was this perhaps a sign of deeper friendship? "Kuroba," he spoke, making Kaito turn around as he was leaving (to go hide), "Why did you give me this?"

Without fully turning around, Kaito flashed a grin that made his intentions anything but ambiguous and threw him a knapsack with his clothes. "To let you know what your options are."

Taken off guard, Shinichi narrowly caught the clothes he'd forgotten about. The consequent footsteps left no room for a reply. Shinichi didn't have one. His eyes were rooted to the spot Kaito had been standing in as if he would receive an answer to the questions never voiced. He wanted to know if Kaito was playing him for a fool. He wanted to know what Kaito expected from him. He wanted to know why he entertained it not being a joke, and why his heart was racing.

"Is this... really okay?" he wondered out loud, unsure of it was on his behalf or Kaito's.

Shinichi threw the knapsack over his shoulder and silently made his way back to the agency, a red rose hanging from his right hand.