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

Lure

Chapter 7 - First Date

Standing on the sidewalk as people moved past him in endless streams, Shinichi looked up at the sign hanging over the little corner restaurant. He had never been here before. In fact, he'd never even walked down this street before. Then again, that was probably the point. The riddle had led him here, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next. He was sure he'd correctly interpreted the time and place, but he didn't see Kaito anywhere.

Looking down at the small notebook he'd copied the riddle into, he reread the lines. Yes, this was the place all right. The last lines implied that he should go ahead and get a seat.

So he pushed open the doors and stepped inside. A few minutes later he was seated at a table for two with a menu and the weird impression that all the staff members were watching him from the corners of their eyes. It was giving him the creeps.

The first odd thing he noticed was that the restaurant had no windows. This should have made it feel claustrophobic, but the decorators had compensated for the lack by stringing hundreds of tiny lanterns across the ceiling like Christmas tree lights. It by no means made the place bright, but it did give it a soft, warm glow. The back wall of the restaurant had been hung with thick curtains. A ledge peeped out from beneath the foot of the curtains. Shinichi looked at this for a moment before it suddenly clicked. It was a stage.

"Here's your coffee," the waiter announced, appearing suddenly beside Shinichi's seat.

He blinked. "But I didn't order—" he started to say, but the man had already gone. That had been…strange, but he'd been prepared to order coffee anyway so it didn't make much difference. He picked up the mug and breathed in deeply, reveling in the delicious aroma of rich, dark coffee.

He liked this place already.

He was just starting to wonder again where Kaito was when the lantern-shaped lights dimmed and the murmur of voices from the surrounding tables died out. Then there was a flash and a bang at the stage as the curtains flew apart like scraps caught in a momentary blast of hurricane winds. And suddenly Shinichi knew exactly where Kaito was.

-0-

"So did you enjoy the show?"

Shinichi just barely managed not to jump at the voice speaking in his ear. He'd half expected it when Kaito had taken his final bows and disappeared in a swirl of black cloth, but somehow the thief had still caught him off guard. Turning, he met the thief's expectant gaze with a shy smile.

"I did."

"That's good." Kaito snapped his fingers and handed him a rose before sliding into the seat on the opposite side of the table. "This place is pretty well known for holding live performances on a daily basis. Since their goal is to encourage new talent, anyone can apply. You can be a total amateur or an experienced professional. They'll make time for you as long as they like your work. I would have invited you to one of my larger shows, but I figured this was more suitable in our current circumstances."

Shinichi nodded in understanding. "Do you come here often?"

"Just every now and then. I usually come for the food though. This is only the second time I've performed here. The first time was back when I was still in high school and hadn't started performing professionally yet."

"Have you always wanted to be a magician then?"

"Since I was a little kid. I wanted to be just like my dad."

"Kuroba Toichi." Kaito had told him a little about the man last time they'd met.

"Yep. He was the best magician in the world! One day, I'm going to be even better."

"You must be very busy."

Kaito laughed. "No busier than you, I'm sure. But really, busy's better than bored."

Shinichi imagined what might happen if Kaito got bored. He shuddered in horror at the mental pictures that conjured up.

Their food arrived.

"So how about you?" the magician asked once the waiter had gone. "Will you be joining the police after you graduate? Or were you thinking about going solo?"

"I haven't decided yet," Shinichi admitted. "I used to think I'd start my own agency, but ever since…ever since Conan, I've been thinking that it might be nice to just join the police."

"Why?" the thief prodded, tone gentle but encouraging.

"It's…a little hard to explain." Shinichi sighed. "The work overlaps a lot, obviously, but private detectives need publicity, and I just don't really want to have to deal with that."

"I'm pretty sure you're famous enough already not to need to advertise."

Shinichi blushed and shrugged. "Maybe, but it would still mean dealing with the media."

"Police do that too though."

"That's true, but it's different when it's not just you."

"Safety in numbers, eh?"

"I suppose you could put it that way. It's not just that though. I…guess it just feels like it would be nice to be a part of something."

Kaito nodded slowly. A love for standing out was about as much a part of him as breathing, but he supposed he could understand a desire for the opposite even if he didn't share it. The view from the top was beautiful, but it was a lonely perch as well. It was, in some ways, the reason he was here now. Because he had decided that he wanted someone to share his world with even if it meant stepping a little closer to the ground.

The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that. Both of them were taking the opportunity to learn more about each other. They knew a lot about the people they were, but not much at all about their lives and experiences, likes and dislikes. It felt a little strange in some ways, the things they did and did not know about each other, but after some pondering Shinichi had decided that what they did know already—about their ideals and their hearts and the things they would and would not do—was the most important. They could work on the rest.

Together.

Stepping out into the warm sunlight after their meal, Shinichi glanced up at his companion, feeling suddenly rather inexplicably shy. "Um, so…where to now?"

"Well, if there's anywhere in particular you wanted to go, feel free to say. But, if not, there's a carnival in town. The theme is Magic and Mystery. Sounds perfect, yes?"

Shinichi blinked then laughed. "I guess it does."

-0-

The carnival far exceeded Shinichi's expectations. He'd been a little afraid that it would be overcrowded or that the attractions would be gaudy or otherwise fatuous. It did turn out to be quite crowded, but the organizers had clearly put a lot of effort into making it feel suited to its namesake. They had gone for elegance rather than festiveness in the decorations, and the games had been designed to be thought provoking.

"I feel a bit sorry for those poor people running that riddle booth," Kaito remarked, swinging the bag of candy they'd won from said booth from one finger. "They looked like they were trying so hard. Maybe we should have pretended to be having a hard time."

"If you felt sorry for them, you shouldn't have said that bit about being able to write better riddles in your sleep," Shinichi pointed out. "I think you hurt their self esteem."

"Hey, I offered to write some for them if they wanted. It's not my fault they said no."

"Who would say yes to someone offering help that way?"

"I suppose you have a point. Shame. It would've been fun."

"For you, maybe."

The magician put on a wounded look. "I thought you liked my riddles."

"I do," the detective agreed. "But not everyone likes to spend a lot of time thinking about these sorts of things. Especially not at a place like this with so many other things to do."

"Speaking of things to do, how about an ice cream?" Kaito nodded towards one of the many snack stands dispersed throughout the carnival grounds.

Shinichi blinked. If he recalled correctly, Kaito had eaten a cinnamon bun shortly after they'd arrived and a rather large bag of cotton candy just before they'd spotted the riddle booth. "How can you still be hungry?"

"It's ice cream," Kaito said as though the answer should be obvious. "You don't eat ice cream because you're hungry. You eat it because you want ice cream."

Shinichi couldn't claim to understand his logic, but ice cream sounded pretty good considering the warm weather. They had just reached the end of the line leading up to the ice cream stand when Shinichi spotted a familiar face through a gap in the crowd.

"Is that Hakuba?" he asked, startled. The prim and proper blond just didn't fit in his head with the image of a carnival even if it was a mystery-themed one.

The magician cursed. "Oh great, it is. And he's with Aoko too. What the hell are they doing here? They're supposed to be attending a play on the other side of town. I checked."

"They're coming this way."

"In here!" Kaito grabbed his arm and yanked him into a photo booth. The curtain flapped back into place behind them. Crammed together in the darkness lit only by the glowing screen of the machine, they listened to the sound of familiar voices drawing ever closer.

"—too bad about that accident," the girl, Nakamori Aoko's, voice was saying. "I hope no one was caught in the fire. That would be terrible."

"Indeed," Hakuba's familiar voice agreed. "I am sorry we couldn't see that play. I know you were looking forward to it."

"Yeah, but I'm sure they'll do it again sometime. We're just lucky there was this carnival to come to instead."

"There's your answer about why they're here," Shinichi whispered.

"Let's just hope they hurry up and go," the magician whispered back.

Outside, Hakuba asked, "Would you like an ice cream?"

"Oh, okay."

Kaito cursed. "I am going to kill him."

"Please don't."

"Metaphorically, metaphorically. Could his timing have been any worse?"

"We just have to wait for them to go."

"It certainly looks that way."

Outside, Hakuba and Aoko's conversation turned to some recent cases that the blond was working on as they waited for their ice creams. There was a pause as the man running the ice cream stand handed them their orders. Their voices, however, did not fade after that.

Kaito's eyes narrowed as he listened to the two discussing an upcoming dinner appointment with Nakamori elder. "Damn, they're not leaving."

"There was a bench by the stand. I'm guessing they're going to eat here first before going on."

Kaito rolled his eyes even though he knew no one could see him. And after he'd gone to all that trouble to make sure Aoko and Hakuba secured those tickets too. Maybe it was Shinichi's bad luck kicking in? At least no one had died.

It was hot and stuffy in here. The booth had not been meant for two. On second thought, maybe that was a good thing. Shinichi was a warm weight on his lap. Tightening his arms around the detective's waist, he buried his nose in soft, black hair and smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be quite so bad. Indigo eyes landed on the glowing screen in front of them. A thoughtful gleam appeared in them.

Shinichi shifted slightly, leaning forward a little and turning his head so that he could peer through the crack between the door flap and the wall. He found Hakuba's familiar head of blond hair over at the bench as he'd expected. Beside him sat a young woman with long, brown hair. Shinichi had only ever seen Nakamori Aoko from a distance. He hadn't noticed before just how much she looked like Ran. A Ran with a serious case of bed-head, but still… It was a little creepy.

"Hey Shinichi, since we're here already, do you want to take a picture?"

There was no answer. The detective was still gazing intently through the crack at the world outside. Wondering what was so interesting, Kaito took a moment to look outside as well.

Hakuba and Aoko were still there, ice creams in hand.

"—if Kaito knows about this place," the girl was saying. "I'm sure he'd like it."

Hakuba snorted. "It's Kuroba. I'd be more surprised if he doesn't know."

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

The blond smiled at her. "You can ask me anything."

Inside the booth, Kaito pretended to gag, not that anyone was paying him any attention.

Aoko took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm…thinking about applying for some graduate programs abroad. Of course, it won't be for a while yet, but, well, I wanted to know what you thought."

Kaito stopped listening. He already knew Aoko was thinking about going abroad, and he wasn't really interested in listening in on her and Hakuba getting lovey-dovey over it. The two had been growing more and more insufferable by the day.

For his part, Shinichi was feeling a bit bemused. So Hakuba had been right then about who KID's civilian identity was. Not, he supposed, that he had ever seriously debated the issue of whether the blond was right or not. And it seemed Nakamori-keibu's daughter knew the magician quite well too. How had Kaito managed to keep from being caught for so long? Shinichi himself had spent three years 'hiding' behind a false identity, and he'd been found out multiple times despite having the cover of a seemingly impossible shrinkage. Kaito really must be one incredible actor. At the same time though, no matter how much he enjoyed fooling people, it had to have been a bit lonely. The thought made Shinichi's heart ache.

Speaking of Kaito, the thief had been unusually quiet.

It was as the thought struck him that Shinichi noticed that Kaito's hands were drawing circles on his thighs. They were feather light circles that he could just barely feel through the fabric of his jeans. They were nevertheless applying just enough pressure to leave his skin tingling in their wake. And they were slowly moving inward.

"Kaito!" he hissed, blushing and swatting the hands away.

One of said hands flew hurriedly to clamp over his mouth. "Shh, we don't want Aoko and the idiot poking their noses in here, remember?"

Shinichi turned his head, freeing his mouth from the magician's hand. "Then stop touching me!"

"In case you haven't noticed, you're sitting on my lap. I can't stop touching you."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Oh, you mean this?" The thief's hands darted inside Shinichi's shirt and began tickling up and down his sides and across his stomach.

Shinichi's squawk of protest morphed into a fit of stifled laughter. He wiggled and flailed, trying to grab the offending hands, but they eluded his every attempt. When they finally stopped, Shinichi went limp, panting for breath.

"To think I was worried about you," he grumbled between gasps. "I must be insane."

"Oh?" Kaito blinked in honest surprise. "Why ever would you be worried?"

Shinichi blushed and looked away. "No reason."

"Come now. You don't really expect me to believe that."

Shinichi remained quiet for several seconds before he spoke, voice quiet. "I…just thought you might've been lonely, not being able to tell anyone about…"

For a long moment neither of them moved or spoke. Then Kaito pulled Shinichi against his chest, arms wrapped tight around the detective's slim frame.

"Thank you," he murmured into the surprised Shinichi's ear. The words sent light tingles along Shinichi's nerves. "But you don't have to worry about that. I have you now, right?"

Shinichi's flush deepened, but he squirmed around until he was facing Kaito then slipped his arms around the thief's neck to hug him back. "Yes, you do."

A smile tugged at the corners of the thief's mouth. Catching Shinichi's chin with one hand, he brought their lips together. It was a long, slow kiss, filled with the words that neither of them were quite ready to say.

"Only you," Kaito murmured, drawing back a little.

Still a little dazed from the kiss, Shinichi blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Only you. You know who I am, the good and the bad. You are my light. You remind me of the good things—the truths and the dreams. You remind me of who I am and the way I want to be because you've always believed in the goodness in me. You may not realize it, but that means a lot to me. Whenever I'm tempted to cross the line, you're the one who pulls me back. Because I know you believe that I'll make those right decisions you live your life by, and I just can't bring myself to prove you wrong. You're the angel on my shoulder, so to speak."

"…I can't believe you can say things like that with a straight face."

"I meant every word."

"You think too highly of me."

The magician chuckled. The sound reverberated through the both of them. "I'd say that's for me to decide, not you."

Shinichi didn't answer. Instead, he allowed himself to relax into the thief's embrace. The truth was that—ridiculously sappy as they were—Kaito's words made him happy even if he didn't entirely understand where they were coming from. There would be time to find out.

And then Kaito had to go and ruin the moment by groping him.

-0-

Shinichi stared at the rather long row of photo stickers Kaito was holding. It looked like a comic strip. Not just that, but a comic strip documenting their little tussle, the kiss—everything. Except, out of context as they were, they looked a hell of a lot naughtier than anything that had actually happened. Especially the ones after the tickle attack when he'd had his head on Kaito's shoulder while he tried to catch his breath, face flushed red from the laughing fit.

He turned bright red and made a grab for the photos. "I'm going to burn them!"

Kaito yanked the photos out of harm's way and ran off laughing. "No way. These are important souvenirs!"

"When did you even take those? I didn't notice the machine working at all!"

"Of course not. Who do you think you're talking to here?"

"Give them here!"

"Not until you learn to appreciate them~."

-TBC-

Notes: Wow that was sappy.