Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.
Pairing: KaitoxShinichi
Lure
Chapter 28 - Pumpkins and Top Hats
Shinichi was not particularly surprised when he returned home after class one day as October was nearing its end to find the living room filled with pumpkins. What did surprise him were the three dozen white top hats with pumpkin orange ribbons wrapped around them. He picked one up and turned it over in his hands. It looked and felt ordinary enough, but he had his suspicions.
"If you like that hat, you can keep it," a voice said from directly behind him.
Not having heard any footsteps, Shinichi jumped and spun around. "Stop sneaking up on me!" Then he noticed that Kaito was dressed in an outfit that looked an awful lot like his KID suit sans cape and monocle except that the dress shirt was black and the tie and hat ribbon were orange. "And why are you all dressed up?"
"It's what I'll be wearing for my Halloween show. I'm hiring some temporary assistants for some minor parts in this one. The auditions are later today."
Grinning, Kaito gave him a peck on the nose and took the hat from his lax grip. Instead of returning it to the stacks, he placed it on Shinichi's head and adjusted it to a jaunty angle. "Perfect. Now for the finishing touch."
He snapped his fingers.
There was a plume of orange smoke. Shinichi automatically held his breath as he tried to wave the smoke away. He had been dressed up so many times at KID heists that he was more exasperated than alarmed when he thought he felt hands ghosting over his person. That didn't mean he didn't feel a certain level of trepidation as the smoke cleared. Kaito had taken a step back for a better view and was now looking him up and down with an approving leer that set off all kinds of alarms in Shinichi's head.
Mentally bracing himself, he looked down and instantly blushed bright red. The sleeveless, white and orange dress with its orange bow were technically quite stylish, but the skirt was so short that it barely covered what it was supposed to cover. And how had Kaito gotten the elbow-length gloves and heels onto him? On second thought, he didn't want to know.
"You should come to the audition," Kaito said. "I guarantee you'd get picked~."
Shinichi crossed his arms and glared. The effect was rather ruined by his persisting blush. Altogether, he looked rather more cute than anything else—a fact that Kaito's growing arousal was more than happy to attest to. His Shin-chan really had the loveliest legs—all long and supple (perfect for holding a lover close, he thought, smirking).
"You better not tell me this is what you're making your assistants wear for the show," Shinichi said, still glaring.
"Don't worry. They'll be wearing the family friendly version," Kaito assured him. "My audiences do tend to contain a lot of families with small children after all."
Shinichi's eyebrow twitched. "So what version would this be then?"
Smirk broadening, Kaito stepped closer and brought his hands to rest lightly on Shinichi's hips. "This is the bedroom friendly version made exclusively for you. You should be flattered."
"Well I'm not," Shinichi huffed, blush darkening.
"That blush says otherwise~."
Shinichi pretended he hadn't heard that comment. "What is it with you and dressing me up anyway?"
"I just like helping you show off how adorable and sexy you are," Kaito replied cheerfully. He pulled Shinichi close and leaned in to whisper into his ear. "Don't you like dressing up for me?"
Shinichi spluttered, still blushing furiously. His splutters turned into a squeak when Kaito's hands found their way under his too short skirt and groped him through the very sheer, silk undergarments that he most certainly had not been wearing before his forced costume change. He started, lost his balance, and ended up clinging to Kaito to keep from falling. Pressed up against the magician like this (with said magician's skilled hands still happily massaging his behind), he couldn't help but notice the very prominent bulge in Kaito's pants. The observation did not help him get his blush under control.
"Let me go, you fiend," he demanded, trying and failing to wiggle out of the magician's grasp. "And give me back my clothes. I'm supposed to be meeting Satou and Takagi-keiji in fifteen minutes."
Kaito's expression grew serious. "Another case?"
"They told me that a man was killed in the backroom of a candy store. I don't know the details yet."
"I see." Sighing, Kaito placed a chaste kiss on Shinichi's cheek then let him go. "I won't keep you from catching a killer." He snapped his fingers. There was another plume of orange smoke, and Shinichi was back in his ordinary clothes. "Well, I might as well get going too. Would you like me to pick up dinner on my way back?"
"I guess that would be good. I'm not sure when I'll be back though. If it's a difficult case, it may take some time."
"I'll make sure to get something that reheats well."
Touched by his magician's thoughtfulness, Shinichi leaned up to press a quick kiss on Kaito's lips. "Thank you. I know a good bakery near the candy store I'll be at. I'll see if I can get us something for dessert."
"If you can't, you could always wear the dress for me~."
Shinichi's blush returned with a vengeance, and he marched quickly past Kaito. "I'm leaving now! Remember to lock the door—or window or whatever you leave by—on your way out. And do something about those pumpkins," he added, poking his head back into the living room. "I don't mind if you want to keep them here until you need them or whatever, but I'd appreciate it if you would put them somewhere where they're not in the way."
Then he had his shoes on and was out the door.
-0-
The candy store murder turned out to be unexpectedly complex. With Shinichi busy with the case and Kaito occupied with rehearsals (minor parts or not, training and coordinating two dozen excited amateur assistants was hard, time consuming work), the couple barely saw one another for the next several days.
The time and effort were worth it though, Kaito thought as the most recent rehearsal let out. There would only be one more rehearsal before the actual show, but he was confident that everything would play out exactly as he'd planned even if they held the show today, so he wasn't concerned. He grinned to himself as he headed for his dressing room. It was going to be spectacular! He just wished Shinichi could be there to watch, but alas that would have to wait for that proper introduction. On the bright side, the forces they'd set in motion when they'd arranged for Ran and Aoko to meet were still very much actively at work, so the plan was still on track.
The only hitch was that Aoko was still not so subtly trying to set him up with Ran. It was a step up from those awful days when she thought he should date Akako, but still… He didn't entirely understand why she seemed so urgent about finding him a girlfriend.
Speaking of Aoko, he spotted her familiar figure standing next to the dressing room door as he approached. "Hey there," he said by way of greeting. "If you wanted to be part of the show, you're a few days too late."
"Like I'd ever want that," she sniffed. "Besides, I already have plans for Halloween."
"The university party?" Kaito asked.
"Actually, I'm going to the masquerade ball that the Suzuki family is throwing. Ran-san's friend invited me. And she said I could bring friends. Saguru's already agreed to go with me. Anyway, I know you have this show, but the party should run pretty late, so I thought I'd give you the invitation anyway just in case you can make it."
Kaito perked up. This could be just the opportunity he and Shinichi had been waiting for. Suzuki Sonoko was one of Shinichi and Mouri Ran's friends, and she would no doubt invite the detective. With Aoko bent on encouraging him and Ran to spend more time together, an introduction was almost guaranteed.
"A masquerade ball? That does sound fun. Where's it being held?"
"I'm not really sure," Aoko admitted. She handed Kaito an envelope. "The address should be on the invite."
Kaito opened the envelope and slid the card out. The picture on the front was a very dramatic picture of a moonlit castle looming over a graveyard where a ghostly prince and princess stood with their hands clasped. Flipping the card over, Kaito skimmed over the details until he found the address.
He almost cursed out loud, but he caught himself in time and did it silently instead. Sonoko's Halloween ball was being held in one of the Suzuki family's newest hotels all the way across the city from the plaza where his show was to be held. The only way he could possibly get from the show to the party before it was over was if he flew.
"Looks like I'll have to pass," he said with honest regret. "It's too far from the performance venue."
"Oh." Aoko looked just as disappointed as he felt. "That's too bad."
You have no idea, Kaito thought, but outwardly he just shrugged. "There'll be other parties. But I do expect pictures," he added with a grin. "Could be good reference material for the future."
"I'll take lots of photos," Aoko promised.
-0-
In another part of the city, Shinichi was sitting in a coffee shop (the same coffee shop in which he had begun taking refuge ever since that wedding dress incident) with Ran, who had spent the last half hour trying to convince him to attend Sonoko's party. If he'd known that this was what she wanted to do when she'd asked if he wanted to have lunch together, he would have refused.
"If I go, they'll probably never find my body," he said in response to her latest press.
Ran rolled her eyes. "Honestly Shinichi, she's not upset about KID kissing you anymore. Really," she added at Shinichi's disbelieving look. "She told me so after the, uh…" Ran blushed faintly as she searched for the right words. "After that declaration he made. I wouldn't say she's happy about it, but she does seem to have come to terms with the idea that KID actually likes you. I think she might even be starting to see the romantic side of it."
Shinichi suffered a whole-body shudder of horror at what that particular tidbit of news might mean for his future. "I wouldn't say that's comforting."
Ran had to laugh a little at that. "I'm just saying she's not actually mad at you anymore, and she's definitely not going to murder you or try to use you to bait a trap for Kaitou KID or whatever. And she's making an effort to mend fences. You should do the same." The girl's expression grew somber as she leveled him with that stern, big sister stare that she had perfected during his years as Conan. "She is your friend, you know. Real friends aren't something you should ever throw away if you have a choice. And you do have a choice."
Feeling abruptly self conscious, Shinichi looked down. He strongly suspected that Sonoko had gotten a lecture much like the one he had just received. And, well, he knew Ran was right. Resigned but knowing already that he had surrendered, he sighed and acquiesced.
"I'll go then. But don't blame me if a case crops up."
Ran beamed. "Good. I'll let Sonoko know you'll be there. We'll need to get you a costume. Do you have time on Friday?"
"Uh—"
"Meet us at the west entrance of the mall near your place at three."
Shinichi opened his mouth to protest then thought better of it. Instead, he asked, "Us?"
"Aoko told me she'd be going to the ball too. Since we kind of look alike, we thought it might be fun to go in matching costumes, so we're going costume shopping together."
"Ah." Shinichi had to fight hard to keep his expression neutral as his heart rate picked up. If Aoko was going to the ball then she might invite Kaito. And if she invited Kaito then this could be the chance they'd been waiting for.
He caught himself wondering what he should wear to the ball, and Kaito's words from a few days ago echoed in his head.
"Don't you like dressing up for me?"
Shinichi hid his face behind his mug. He was still of the opinion that being forced into weird and suggestive outfits was all kinds of embarrassing, especially when it happened at KID heists in front of an audience, but he might privately admit to himself that he kind of sort of liked the way it made Kaito look at him. So maybe he didn't really mind getting dressed up, but only if it was in private (for Kaito). He blushed at his own thoughts.
But obviously none of that had anything to do with the upcoming masquerade ball, which was going to be very public. Still, he found himself wanting to find a costume that the magician would like.
-To be Continued-