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

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Lure

Chapter 19 - The Setting Sun

Shifting a little on his perch in the branches of a large tree, Kaito raised his binoculars to his eyes again. The subject of his observations was a certain female journalist. After Shinichi had informed him about the woman's nosy questions, the thief had made it a point to check her out.

A quick internet search had been quite revealing. Tomoyama Anzu and the magazine she worked for were both quite new, but they had already made quite a name for themselves as a tabloid magazine. They printed anything and everything about up and coming celebrities from all over Japan. From what Kaito could discern, they were very skilled at twisting quote and candid photographs to make 'headline' news out of innocuous words and moments. They had quite a following of readers who apparently appreciated their wit regardless of validity.

Kaito doubted anything printed in the magazine would be taken seriously, but it would probably still be annoying. At the least, he knew it would upset Shinichi—and likely make it even harder for them to spend time together than it already was. After all, there were far too many people out there who were frothing at the mouth for more information on the elicit romance between their favorite, young detective and one of the world's most renowned thieves (which, Kaito would admit, was partly his own fault, but he'd had good reasons for letting the news people snap that photograph). On the bright side, Daikura Magazine had a 'proud' (ha!) tradition of using only unaltered photographs and direct quotes.

Still, Kaito could already tell that the woman was going to be a nuisance.

Take now, for example.

The woman was currently crouched in the bushes near the edge of the resort's large lake. She, like him, was holding a pair of binoculars. Hers, however, were aimed towards the lake—or, more specifically, towards the little fleet of boats currently drifting on the waters. Those boats marked the locations of the many contestants in the resort's weekly fishing contest. And one of those boats was currently carrying one Kudo Shinichi. And it was definitely that particular boat that the journalist woman was watching.

Kaito would have liked to sneak a peek at his beloved as well except that he didn't want to risk seeing something he'd regret. It would be too distracting and ruin his mood. Damn those scaly horrors. On the other hand, maybe he should be thanking them for yet again providing him with a convenient excuse not to join in on the festivities without incurring Aoko's mop-swinging wrath. It was one of the reasons their plans were progressing so smoothly.

Well, with the little snag of this nosy reporter anyway.

Kaito shifted the focus of his binoculars from the woman to her partner. The photographer didn't seem half as interested as his counterpart, but from what Kaito had observed, he seemed happy enough to go along with whatever she wanted. Right now, he was seated in the bushes next to her with his camera resting by his side and his attention on a magazine in his lap. From his vantage point, Kaito could just make out the image of a rather scantily clad woman on the page. So that was what was occupying the man's attention.

Kaito made a mental note as he began cataloging the man's features and mannerisms. He could make for a good disguise if the thief ever needed to get closer to Tomoyama in order to thwart her snooping.

He smirked to himself. Maybe he shouldn't find this situation so entertaining, but he couldn't help it. These two were just asking to be messed with. And Kaito did so love messing with people.

-0-

"You know, I'm starting to think that saying about everyone having a double somewhere out there is true," Aoko remarked as she studied Shinichi's face. He was wearing a baseball hat to keep the sun out of his eyes. With most of his hairstyle covered, he really did remind her of Kaito. There were differences, naturally, and their personalities made a huge difference, but still. They really looked like brothers. "Ran-san would be mine, and you'd be Kaito's. And I mean, Kaito and I grew up together. And you two grew up together. Isn't that weird?"

Ran laughed. "What are the chances, right?" She turned to Shinichi. "You really should meet Kaito-kun sometime."

Shinichi made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, pretending to be preoccupied with making sure his fishing line didn't get tangled with Ran's. The four of them were currently on the same boat, which, incidentally, meant they were on the same team in this fishing competition. So far, however, they had caught a total of one fish between the four of them. And that fish had been so small that they had thrown it back.

"By the way, why didn't Kaito-kun come with you today?" Ran asked, turning back to Aoko curiously.

Aoko giggled. "I don't think you'd be able to pay him enough to get him out here. He can't stand fish. He's been like that for as long as I can remember."

"Oh. Is he allergic?"

"I don't think so. They just freak him out for some reason."

The two girls fell to chatting as their boat continued to drift upon the water. Aoko seemed intent on filling Ran in on all the little details she could think of about Kaito. Shinichi listened with interest as she described the many pranks he used to pull during their high school days. He found he had to resist the urge to smile at some of her stories. Their high school life certainly sounded colorful. And he couldn't help but drink in and memorize every new piece of information about the thief he'd come to love. He'd heard quite a few of the stories from Kaito before, but the magician's perspective on his exploits was understandably very different.

"By the way," Aoko said suddenly, interrupting her own retelling of a spectacularly disastrous (in her opinion) school trip to a historical reenactment (which Kaito had found so boring that he'd decided to improve it himself). "I just wanted to make sure, you and Kudo-kun aren't dating, right?"

"Oh, no, no." Ran cast a sidelong look at Shinichi and giggled. "We thought about it, but… Things happened." Her mirth faded as her mind wandered back through her memories. If she had been asked back on that day at Tropical Land if she believed that people could change so much in just four years, she would have said no. But she really had been naïve back then.

Noticing her new friend's subdued expression, Aoko frowned. "Are you alright? I'm sorry if I said anything I shouldn't…"

"No, it's alright," Ran said. It was true. Time had changed her—them, but that wasn't a bad thing. She'd learned a lot over the years. She'd grown up, and she honestly felt that they'd all become better people because of it. "I was just thinking."

Aoko nodded then leaned forward again. "So does that mean you're not seeing anyone?"

Ran blinked. "No, I'm not."

"Do you have anyone you like?"

"Not at the moment. I've been focusing on my studies." On occasion, Sonoko would set her up on a date with some guy or other, but though she'd made a few new friends because of it, she had yet to meet that perfect someone. She wasn't in any hurry to find someone though. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh…" Aoko waved a hand about airily. "I was just wondering." The inspector's daughter paused suddenly, a thoughtful look crossing her face. Her gaze flickered to Shinichi then back. Then she leaned closer to Ran to ask in a hushed whisper, "What about Kudo-kun? Is he seeing anyone?"

Ran blinked, swallowing a nervous laugh. "Well, I'm not really sure. He's never been very social," she added with more confidence. "All he ever thinks about are cases and mystery novels. He wouldn't notice a romantic overture if it kissed him."

"Oh, I see." Aoko looked at Shinichi again, considering. Maybe she could lend him a hand too. Find a way to help get a certain criminal off his back. "So do you know what kind of person he'd be interested in?"

Ran opened her mouth then closed it again.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted finally, voice quiet and almost solemn. "I've never actually asked him. But I hope he finds someone he thinks he can trust with his problems. He's always been the kind of person who tries to do everything himself. I can't count the number of times it's gotten him in trouble. I…I'm afraid he's going to end up biting off more than he can chew one of these days… I think he needs someone he can actually think about as an equal—someone he'd be willing to rely on—rather than someone that has to be kept out of everything."

"Ran-san…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say all that," the detective's daughter said, blushing.

Aoko smiled softly. "No, it's okay. You're worried about him. That's only normal when you have friends who're always dealing with criminals. I mean, they're basically going around making enemies with loads of dangerous people."

Ran laughed ruefully. "Yeah. But he's just like that. A detective through and through. I don't think he's ever even thought about being anything else."

Aoko nodded slowly. It made sense, but it also filled her with a strange feeling of melancholy. How lonely it must be, to feel like you had to do everything yourself, even if (or perhaps especially if) it was to keep the people around you safe. But who would a detective who'd already done so much actually feel comfortable sharing his burdens with?

The fishing rod in Aoko's hands gave a jerk. She almost let go in her surprise, but she remembered herself just in time.

"I got something!"

-0-

Kaito shut the suite window behind himself and moved out into the dining area. He was mildly surprised to see Shinichi at the stove. He was even more surprised at the spread of dishes arrayed upon the table.

"Did you make all this?" he asked.

Shinichi glanced over his shoulder at the thief, not at all surprised to see him there. "Not all of it," he admitted. "I'm really not that experienced a cook. I just wanted to make sure we used the rest of the groceries I bought so it wouldn't go to waste."

Kaito nodded, the corners of his lips quirking up. It was obvious to him that a lot of care had been put into the arrangement of the food. He moved without being asked to get utensils and set the table.

Shinichi placed the last dish on the table. "There."

"Wait." Kaito snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light. When Shinichi could see again, there was a small candelabra standing on the middle of the table. Candle flames danced. "Now we can eat."

Shinichi shook his head, but he was smiling. "You and your dramatics."

It was perhaps the simplest meal that they had had at the resort, but it was by far the most enjoyable for them both.

Afterward, Shinichi made them each a cup of hot chocolate. They sat together on the couch, enjoying their drinks and each other's company. There was a magic show on television. Shinichi found that, though Kaito could appreciate magic performed well by other magicians, he was just as critical as any detective (although the thief objected vehemently to this comparison). Kaito wouldn't reveal the secrets of the tricks (though he would discuss the mechanics after Shinichi figured them out for himself), but he was quick to point out any flaws and formulate ways to improve upon the acts. They were both a little sorry when the show finally came to an end.

"Ran said she'd like to go to one of your shows," Shinichi said, leaning his head against Kaito's shoulder, gaze still trained on the now dark television screen but seeing something else entirely.

"That could be useful," the magician mused.

"She said I should go too."

Kaito smiled. "You're welcome to any time. I'd invite you myself, but that'll have to wait." He paused. "So, if she does decide to go, will you?"

"I'd like to."

Kaito's smile softened. The arm he had looped around Shinichi's waist tightened its hold. "Let me know when. I'll make sure you guys get good seats."

Shinichi snuggled closer to the magician.

"We're going to have to leave tomorrow," he sighed.

Kaito hummed in agreement. Time really was too short, wasn't it?

Shinichi let out another sigh before reluctantly extracting himself from Kaito's embrace.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, standing.

Kaito rose too. "Mind if I join you?"

Shinichi turned away to hide his blush. "S—sure."

Shinichi wasn't particularly surprised when he found himself pinned against the shower wall (rather enjoyed the feeling of being pressed flush against the warm, wet tiles by a certain magician's hot, wet body). It meant showering took much, much longer than it should have as he spent most of the time in the bathroom writhing against the tiles with his legs wrapped around Kaito's waist. But at least cleaning up the evidence was easy.

When they finally got out of the shower, they looked at the clock and knew that they should really be getting to sleep. Instead, they made more hot chocolate and cuddled together on the couch, murmuring to each other about anything and everything that came to mind. They lingered like that long into the night, both reluctant to bring this time to an end.

Tomorrow they would have to go back. Back to their separate worlds and clandestine meetings. So let tonight last for as long as it could.

-0-

Phase one of the plan was now complete.

The corners of Kaito's lips quirked into a smirk. Plans aside, it had definitely been one of the best vacations ever. Sure, he had been surrounded by those disgusting, scaly things, but he'd had his beautiful detective to help distract him. And that open, happy smile that the blue-eyed detective had been wearing for most of the trip had been one of the loveliest things he had ever seen. He could withstand any number of finny things for that smile.

-To Be continued-