Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor/Friendship

In Other Shoes

Chapter 3 - Breathing Room

"Can I have a hot fudge sundae?" the little boy asked.

Shinichi smiled. "Of course you can. And what about you, Mistress? What would you like today?"

The little boy's mother returned Shinichi's smile with a warm one of her own and said, "A cup of black tea, hot, with honey would be splendid. I would also like one of Miyako's blueberry muffins. They're my favorite."

"They are amazing, but I'm really sorry. We just sold the last one a few minutes ago. The next batch will be out of the oven in fifteen minutes, if you want to wait. If not, I highly recommend the raspberry crumble muffin. It's a little more tart, but it's also delicious."

"I'll try one then," the woman decided. "But I'd still like a blueberry one when they come out."

"Of course. Just let me go get your orders" Giving both mother and child a polite nod and small curtsy (which he had perfected that morning under Yukiko's tyrannical tutelage), he swept back into the kitchen to collect the requested orders.

He had a butter ball on a plate next to the raspberry crisp and the young child's sundae complete with drizzled fudge on a tray next to the aforementioned black tea with honey in less than five minutes. Then, the complete order in hand, he sailed back to the table and set everything down in front of its respective patron.

"The blueberry muffins will be out in ten minutes," he assured them before moving on to the next table.

He was, Shinichi realized, getting used to this new life, and it hadn't even been three days.

The first day had been the hardest. Not only had he been forced into public in the café's embarrassingly frilly uniform but he had also had to learn the work, the menu, and the proper way to behave as a serving maid all while answering to a false name and pretending to be a girl. He'd spent the whole day dreading the moment one of the other girls realized that he was lying to them all.

The staff had all been so kind and helpful though that he couldn't help but relax even if he felt more than a little guilty about deceiving them. They found his embarrassment over his outfit and the play acting to be adorable, and they went out of their way to give him tips and make him feel more comfortable. With their help, he had adapted quickly to his new role.

Now, here in the lull between the breakfast and lunch rushes, he had a moment to think, and he realized that he was, well, actually kind of happy.

With all the new things to learn and the café's steady flow of customers, he hadn't had much time to think. Now that he was more familiar with the work though, he did have the occasional moment like this to reflect on everything, and he had to admit that he felt lighter right now than he had in a long time.

He felt…free here.

There was no one depending on him to find a murderer or locate a ticking bomb that would no doubt blow up half of Tokyo if Shinichi didn't get there fast enough. No one was expecting him to have the answers to all their problems. Here, he was allowed to show it when he was nervous or concerned or upset. He didn't have to put on a calm façade just to reassure the people around him.

He finally felt like he could breathe again.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he would ever be ready to be Kudo Shinichi again. And that thought terrified him. After all, all his life, he had defined himself by his work as a detective. Without that identity, who would he be?

At the sound of the bells over the café door and one of the other girls' greeting a new guest, Shinichi shook away the disturbing thought and turned his attention back to the present. There would be time for self reflection later.

"Shin-chan! You have a new customer at Table Eight," Erika, the most experienced of the café's serving girls, told Shinichi as she bustled by. Erika gave Shinichi a reassuring pat on the arm as she passed. "He's a handsome one too. He says he's waiting for someone, but you might as well get his order."

"I will." Putting on a friendly smile (which was, he realized, a real smile despite the situation), he approached the table in question.

The other thing he had been worried about when he'd first learned of his mother's schemes for him was the potential clientele he would have to deal with. He could imagine the quaint little café attracting all sorts of unsavory characters. But fortunately his fears proved unfounded. The café saw a lot of families and couples. Sure, the place also got its fair share of young, male patrons with a penchant for goggling, but most of them behaved themselves. The one teenaged lout who'd had the nerve to try and pat Shinichi on the backside as he'd walked by had been caught by the ear (courtesy of Erika) and loudly berated right there in the middle of the restaurant. He'd fled the café under the scornful disapproval of every other person in the shop.

"Miyako-san's really strict about that," Erika had told him. "If you can't respect the staff, you're not welcome here."

The café was about creating ambience for those who wanted to pretend for a while that they were wealthy, country aristocrats without a care in the world. Of course, the fact that Miyako's baked goods were out of this world also contributed considerably to the café's popularity.

"Excuse me, Master, can I get you something to drink?"

Then the customer, a young man with wild, dark hair, looked up, and Shinichi nearly jerked backwards. He caught himself in time and managed not to gape.

This stranger could have passed for his brother. Maybe he was related to that Okita guy from Kyoto. He certainly had that aura of confidence and good cheer. Or maybe he could be…

Shinichi hurriedly shoved that thought into a back corner of his mind and slammed the door on it. Now was not the time.

The stranger was smiling at him, looking mildly amused but in a kind way.

Shinichi blushed. "I—I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

"I said I'd like a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, if you have them."

"Oh. Right. We do have marshmallows. And cream and chocolate too. I'll just—go get your order ready." Flushing in embarrassment at his own nervous babbling, Shinichi bobbed a quick curtsey and retreated to the kitchen at top speed.

-0-

Kuroba Kaito watched the cute, blue-eyed maid scurry away from him like he was the Devil himself and wondered what he could have done to spook the girl. It couldn't have been anything he'd said since she'd been pale before he'd even opened his mouth, but then what?

Well, maybe she was just shy. Or she could be having an off day. He might even just remind her of someone she knew.

Come to think of it, she seemed familiar to him too.

He studied her surreptitiously when she returned with his hot chocolate. He caught her sneaking glances at him too and gave her his best charming smile. She blushed and turned away quickly, murmuring a quiet, "I hope you enjoy your chocolate."

He almost called her back, but he decided not to. He didn't want to make her more uncomfortable than she obviously already was. But he had realized why she looked familiar.

She looked a lot like his Tantei-kun. Could she be a relative? Her nametag had read Fujimine Shinko. If he remembered correctly, Fujimine had been Kudo Yukiko's maiden name as well. It seemed too much of a coincidence to be mere coincidence. But it was also more than a little strange.

Kaito had researched the Kudo family tree—first out of curiosity about Conan then to see if there was any genetic basis for his and Shinichi's uncanny resemblance. He had determined that no, he and Kudo Shinichi were not related. He also distinctly remembered that Kudo Yuusaku and his wife were both only children.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the arrival of his mother. She was accompanied by an well-dressed older couple who she introduced as the owners of the Iroyamura Center for the Performing Arts.

With the myriad of details that needed to be reviewed, ranging from schedules and show concepts to props, facilities and audiences, Kaito thought no more about the pretty young waitress until much later. It was after the old couple had left to begin seeing to arrangements. Kaito had narrowed down the list of potential show concepts to a half dozen that he felt had the most potential. He planned to ponder the details as he took some time to get to know the rest of the town.

"That's a good idea," his mother agreed. "It's always good to get a feel for the people in the area where you intend to perform. We can meet back at the hotel before dinner. Let's say about six."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "And where will you be until then?"

"Meeting another old friend," his mother replied with a secretive smile. "Now go on. You're wasting daylight."

And so Kaito had left. But because he was curious, he'd donned a quick disguise and doubled back for a peek at his mother's "old friend". He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been what he'd seen.

There, sitting across from his mother and chattering away just like two people catching up after a long separation, was Kudo Yukiko.

Now that, he thought as he slipped away to begin exploring the town, was one coincidence too many. He just wasn't sure what he should make of it all.

-To be Continued-