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

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

When the Fox Comes Calling

Chapter 9 - A Taste of Possibility

If anyone were to ask later, Shinichi would not have been able to explain how the very serious conversation with KID about the thief's history and future goals had ended with the two of them ensconced on the couch together and watching a movie.

But it had.

They started out sitting side by side, but as the movie progressed, the distance between them gradually decreased (and Shinichi honestly couldn't say which of them had been moving. More than likely, they both had). By the twenty minute mark, there was no longer any space between them at all.

And sitting there, curled up against the fox's side with said fox's arm wrapped possessively around his waist, Shinichi found that he felt more content than he could remember having felt in a very long time.

He still had no idea what he thought about everything that KID—Kaito—had told him. The majority of the story sounded like something out of a novel. A magical spirit trapped in a meteorite? A spirit who gave its savior a gift of real magic with which he could give shape to—perhaps even grant—wishes? How could any of that really be?

But Kaito was serious about all of it. Shinichi was sure of that. And if it was true, it would explain the thief's behavior.

In any case, though Shinichi fully intended to go through the thumb drive of information KID had given him at the earliest opportunity, he knew that, at least for now, he had already made the decision to trust Kaito and his intentions. Maybe he was taking a risk, but he couldn't help it.

He wanted to believe in Kaito.

He also remembered that the thief had expressed a willingness to hear alternative solutions to his self-imposed quest.

Shinichi mentally added finding said alternatives to his to-do list.

KID suddenly made a noise of recollection and straightened. "I almost forgot. I still have a question for you."

Shinichi straightened as well, puzzled and beginning to worry again as his thoughts raced, trying to remember if there was anything he might have overlooked. "What is it?"

The fox took Shinichi's hands in both of his. The contact startled Shinichi into stillness as his cheeks flushed for what felt like the umpteenth time that day.

"Will you go out with me?" Kaito asked.

Having expected something to do with KID's history and goals, Shinichi was caught wrong-footed. "I…what?"

"I just remembered that I forgot to actually ask. And I thought I shouldn't just assume you'd agreed without asking."

"Oh." Still pink in the face but feeling abruptly—embarrassingly—giddy, Shinichi swallowed to try and give himself a moment to compose himself before answering.

"I think I'd like that."

The smile that broke out across Kaito's face was like the sun rising, and it left Shinichi breathless and spellbound. The sounds of the television faded into the background.

Feeling vaguely like he needed to say something, Shinichi's lips parted, but no words emerged as his brain drew a blank.

The fox's indigo eyes flicked down to Shinichi's lips, and the detective felt his heart rate speed up. Some part of Shinichi took note that Kaito was a lot closer than he'd thought he was and wondered when the thief had moved. The rest of him was simply focused on the fox's proximity—of his scent and the warmth of his presence and the calluses on his hands where they were still entwined with Shinichi's own.

Then the thief closed the remaining distance between their lips, and Shinichi stopped thinking entirely.

The kiss was soft and sweet with traces of hot chocolate and coffee melding seamlessly into one.

It was intoxicating.

Both fox and rabbit moved instinctively, following that rapidly growing craving to be closer.

The next thing he knew, Shinichi was straddling the thief's lap, but he couldn't remember when or how he'd gotten there. Nor, he realized, did he care. Because it felt right to be here—to have the fox's hips between his thighs and the fox's hands sliding up under his shirt to caress his bare back. One of those calloused hands found its way to his fluffy, cotton tail, and the touch, which Shinichi would normally have found objectionable, sent shivers of pleasure up his spine and tendrils of fire curling through his veins. Those inner flames danced along his inner thighs, making them tingle, before spreading upward to pool in his stomach, warm yet taught with mixed pleasure and want.

The strength of that rush of sensations was, however, rather more than Shinichi had been prepared for, and he tensed despite himself. His moment of nervous uncertainty broke the spell of the moment, and Kaito pulled back—not far, just enough to give Shinichi a sense of space, and the detective found it to be both a disappointment and a relief.

"Sorry," the thief said. "Are we moving too fast?"

Shinichi swallowed his instinctive denial to give his own confused whirling of emotions some serious thought.

"Maybe a little," he admitted eventually, cheeks coloring in mixed dismay and embarrassment. The admission felt rather ridiculous, considering what they'd already done the other day, but he couldn't help it. He'd never been this intimate with anyone before (er, not while in a fully coherent state of mind anyway), and the foreign sensations were almost just as unnerving as they were exciting.

Kaito seemed to read his thoughts as he bumped their foreheads together, lips curving into a fond little grin. "Hey, don't feel bad. Take all the time you need. We'll figure this out as we go. Together."

Shinichi couldn't help but smile back, heart swelling with warmth and a renewed sense of wonder for the man sitting here with him and the inexplicable workings of fate that had brought them here and gifted them with this precious opportunity.

He wished he had the words to express what he was feeling, but he didn't.

"Have you heard of Mystic Rose?" he blurted out instead.

Kaito blinked. The rare expression of honest surprise on the fox hybrid's face elicited a laugh from the detective.

"Do you mean the band?"

Shinichi nodded. "They're holding a major concert at the end of the summer."

"I've heard," the fox agreed before quirking an amused eyebrow. "Are you a fan?"

"Not really," the rabbit hybrid admitted. "Actually, I'm not even sure if I've ever heard their music. It's just… Well, Sonoko got a half dozen tickets, and she's already making summer plans for us. She insists that I have to go and, um, that I should have a date, so…"

He trailed off, face heating up yet again.

Kaito blinked again before breaking into a grin. "Are you asking me to be your date?"

"If you're interested," Shinichi qualified. "It's okay if you're not too. I just thought, well, Sonoko's a bit… What I mean is, when she makes plans like these, she's impossible to stop, and if I'm going to be forced to go with someone either way, I'd really rather go with a friend than some random person she picks for me. Last time that happened, Ran had to threaten to break a few arms, and there was this whole thing with an attempted poisoning, and…"

Shinichi knew he was rambling, but he couldn't seem to stop until Kaito pressed a finger to his lips. The contact did what Shinichi's brain had failed to do and stemmed the tide of increasingly irrelevant words.

The fox was smiling.

"It would be my pleasure to accompany you," he said. "Though I rather hope I'll be attending as something more than just your friend."

Shinichi had to admit that he rather hoped that too.

The thief ended up staying for dinner. Shinichi didn't know if he had planned to do so all along or if it had been a spur of the moment decision, but he was glad. It felt right. Comfortable.

Having mutually decided to set the more serious topics from earlier aside for the time being, they turned their discussion to other things.

Shinichi learned that the thief was indeed, as he'd suspected, also a university student. Not only that, but he was actually attending the very same university that Shinichi was attending. Kaito was a year ahead though and in entirely different majors, which explained why they had never run into each other on campus (although the fox admitted that he may have gone out of his way to make sure their paths didn't cross).

"I wanted to introduce myself, but I hadn't decided how yet," he explained. "I was originally thinking of bumping into you at the end of year party that the Student Cultural association is planning. I knew Suzuki-san joined the organization committee, and I know she's making you take a shift at the refreshment stands."

"You know, some people might say it's creepy how much you know about the life of someone you haven't officially met," Shinichi observed, though it was clear to Kaito that he was amused rather than disturbed.

"What can I say? I like to be prepared," Kaito replied with a grin. "Better too many plans than too few."

Despite the way that Kaito had arrived, Shinichi still felt more than a little strange seeing the thief to the door. They both lingered in the front entrance, Shinichi reluctant to say goodbye and Kaito reluctant to leave.

"Well, don't shelve your meeting plans just yet," the detective said. "We'll probably need one, considering we haven't actually met officially."

Kaito grinned. "Very true."

Another silence fell as the two simply watched each other, both waiting for the other to start the farewells. The silence stretched until the fox let out a bark of laughter and stepped forward. Catching Shinichi's chin, he tilted the detective's face up and leaned in to catch those petal soft lips with his own. Shinichi's startled gasp melted into a quiet moan as his hands came up to fist in the front of the thief's jacket.

Reluctant to part but sensing that he had better go now lest he lose his self control, Kaito broke the kiss, but he didn't immediately step away. Instead, he pressed his forehead to Shinichi's.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Shinichi blinked, still a bit dazed from the kiss. "For what?"

As far as Shinichi was concerned, he was the one who should be doing the thanking. Without Kaito, he wouldn't even be sitting here right now. He'd still be back in that horrible little room, bound and at the mercy of Sylva and his unsavory friends.

"For hearing me out," Kaito replied. "For giving me a chance."

"Oh." Shinichi paused in surprise then smiled. "I should thank you too. For trusting me with your story. It means a lot to me."

It was Kaito's turn to pause before he let out a soft chuckle and leaned in to steal one last kiss.

"You're amazing," he told the blushing bunny detective. "Now, much as I'd love to stay, I'm afraid I won't be able to tear myself away if I put off leaving any longer."

Shinichi found himself sorely tempted to ask the fox not to go, but he thought better of it.

"Do you want to exchange phone numbers?" he asked instead.

For some reason, the question made Kaito laugh.

"We already have," the fox informed him. At Shinichi's bewildered frown, he elaborated. "I entered my number in your phone while you were refilling our hot chocolates. And I already have your number."

"Oh." Shinichi considered that for a moment. "I guess I should have expected that."

"You should," Kaito agreed. Catching both of Shinichi's hands in his own, he gave them a squeeze then moved to unlock the door. "I'll see you soon."

Then he was gone, swift and silent as the phantom he'd been named.

Upon returning to the living room to turn off the lights in preparation for retiring for the night, Shinichi paused and frowned.

Where there had been two black bunny Cuddle Puffs on the couch earlier that day, there was now only one. Puzzled, he made a circuit of the room, checking to see if the second might have rolled off the couch and inadvertently into some hidden corner somewhere, but nope, there was no sign of it.

There was only so far a plush that size could have rolled, even if it was mostly round. Shinichi knew for a fact that he hadn't moved it though. On the other hand, he wasn't the only person who'd recently been through the room.

Had KID stolen his Cuddle Puff?

-To Be Continued-