Summary:

Shinichi takes Kaito on their first date... for which he unfortunately needed Haibara's advice. Yes, she was going to tease him forever (it was worth it though).

"What happened in your room?" Shinichi ignored Kaito's warning, asking about their activities in the magician's imagination.

"Use your imagination," Kaito smirked, tilting his head.

"I am," Shinichi twirled the rose around with his fingers.

Kaito's grin turned shark-like as he leaned forward, "You're playing a dangerous game, Meitantei."

Notes:

Hi beautiful souls I did it. Here's the next chapter~ A part of me is not sure if I should be apologising for the long chapter length… or saying you're welcome ;)

"Kudou-kun," Haibara's answered quickly, with an alert tone, "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Shinichi straightened up, while holding his phone. "Oh no, nothing's wrong. I just called to… chat."

"To chat?" Haibara replied in disbelief. "At 7am?"

"Yeah! Hear how you are," Shinichi nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him, "…Your opinion on some things."

"Oh?" Haibara's tone instantly became intrigued. "Like what?"

"Clothes," Shinichi shrugged, hoping his voice came across casual, "You like that kind of stuff."

"I do… What do you want to know?" Haibara asked, making Shinichi think he was off the hook.

"Out of the clothes I brought with me, what do you think looks best on me?" Shinichi looked at his open wardrobe, as the many choices stared back at him.

"Oh? How surprising that you care for once," Haibara teased. "What's the occasion?"

"I just… want to look presentable. Good. I'm a university student you know," Shinichi avoided the question, despite knowing that Haibara wouldn't give up that easy.

"Really? Hm," Haibara paused, as Shinichi waited, tapping his fingers on his pyjamas trousers. "In that case, I don't think you need my advice."

"Haibara."

"What's the occasion, Kudou-kun?" Haibara's amused voice repeated.

Shinichi sighed, knowing he would have to give her some information; Shinichi really did need her advice, "It's just lunch."

"With?"

"A new friend," Shinichi replied, slowly. Technically, Kaito wasn't new to him, but his civilian identity was new to the detective's life, "Kind of."

"…I see," Haibara took a moment to reply, surprised "So you're going to have lunch with a kind of friend… And you want me to give you advice on what outfit makes you look… What did you say? Oh yes, good." Her usual monotone was sounding too gleeful for Shinichi's taste.

Shinichi put a hand over his face, embarrassed. The detective knew how it sounded, "…yes."

"Sure, I can give you some advice. So I'm assuming they asked you out. Did they tell you which restaurant they're taking you?"

"Um," Shinichi tilted his head, as he sat down on his bed. "Actually, I asked them."

"What?" Haibara's voice was completely stunned.

"Yeah it was me," Shinichi smiled, remembering Kaito's soft smile when he asked him. The detective was also proud to get that reaction out of Haibara, the usually stoic scientist.

"Oh wow, I didn't expect that," Haibara said, calmly. "Well done, Kudou-kun. So where are you taking them then?"

"Uh I don't know," Shinichi's back straightened in alarm. The detective's only worry had been his clothes in the morning and then he realised he had to think about where he was actually taking the magician.

"Kudou-kun."

"It was a spur of the moment decision, okay?" Shinichi shrugged, releasing the tension from his shoulders. The detective had thoughts popping up in his head about clothes and food, but just as quickly, it was replaced with excitement. This was Kaito, this was KID, he knew him. Having lunch together wasn't something scary.

Haibara sighed, "Okay what food do they like?"

"Maybe French?" Shinichi answered, hearing Haibara's keyboard typing over the phone.

"There's a French place about a 15 minutes' walk from your university, it's called Nouvelle Bistro."

"…Thank you, Haibara," Shinichi replied, gratefully. The detective put his phone on loudspeaker as he typed in the name on his search engine, happy to see the setting wasn't too fancy and seemed cosy.

"Now about clothes," Haibara started speaking. The detective heard the scientist close her laptop and walk across the room, "Wear the blue shirt, the one that's a bit shiny and roll up the sleeves. With your old black trousers."

"But they're too small?" Shinichi frowned, confused. About a month ago, when Hattori had been visiting Tokyo, the Osakan had teased Shinichi about how his trousers made his legs look like a girl's.

"I know," Haibara replied, with a humorous tone.

Shinichi frowned for a second, before realising what Haibara was insinuating, "Oh." A part of Shinichi felt embarrassed at dressing to draw attention to those areas, but another part of him was grateful to the scientist. Because the detective did want Kaito to look…

Shinichi heard Haibara's footsteps start walking down the stairs, "Do you need to go to school, by the way?"

"Yes, but I'm going to eat first," Haibara answered. The sound of a plate being put down echoed through the line.

"Sorry for keeping you, thanks though."

"It's fine. I expect to hear how it goes," Haibara's voice lifted at the end, Shinichi could hear her small smile through the phone.

"How are you though?" Shinichi asked, lying down on his bed.

"I'm okay, the detective boys are keeping me busy," Haibara answered, as she ate little bites of her food. "Yes? Yes it's Kudou-kun."

"Shinichi-kun!" Agasa joyfully joined the conversation. "How is university?"

"Good, I'm settling in okay," Shinichi's gaze softened as he heard Agasa's voice. "The teachers are competent."

"Tell him what you're doing today," Haibara instructed, Shinichi could hear the smirk on her face.

"…Just hanging out with a friend."

"Oh with Ran-kun?"

"No, a new friend."

"And he asked them to hang out," Haibara added, smugly.

"Wow! That's wonderful, my boy," Agasa replied, happily. "Good to hear you're making friends. What course are they on?"

"Uh.. I don't know," Shinichi scratched his head.

"Huh? What made you want to hang out with them then?" Haibara asked, the detective heard the sound of the tap turn on.

"I just…" thought Kaito was a good kisser and have always been kind of fascinated by him as the Kaitou Kid… Yeah he was not saying that, "thought they were interesting."

"How?" Haibara turned off the tap, and there was the rustling of clothes and a zip. The scientist had probably just put her coat on.

"How are you doing, Hakase?" Shinichi diverted, "Any new inventions?"

"I'm testing a new mini camera invention; I want to make it live but because it's small that's a bit tricky," Agasa answered, "And I'm doing well."

"Bye Hakase," Haibara called, "I'm going to school now, Kudou-kun."

"Oh well thanks for-"

"Come over for dinner soon, Shinichi-kun," Agasa called through the phone, sounding further away. "Bye Ai-kun."

"Bye Haibara-"

"Wait," Haibara instructed, as she went through her front door.

"Yes?"

"Kudou-kun, you asked them out so make sure you pay for their food," Haibara advised, Shinichi heard her footsteps walking down the street. "It's more attractive. If a guy asked me on a date and didn't pay, I would not see him again."

"I know that, but it's not a date. Just so you know," Shinichi raised his eyebrows at the phone.

"Sure," Haibara replied sarcastically, "You just called to get fashion advice for a person you don't really know, you just found interesting."

"They're also not a girl so," Shinichi added, thinking it would make Haibara understand it wasn't a date. The detective had never shown interest in men before.

Haibara paused, before her delighted voice came through the phone, "Oh really? Well well, I thought the only guy you were gay for was the Kaitou KID but maybe I was wrong."

"WHAT?" Shinichi shouted into his phone, sitting up in his bed. "What do you mean.. I! The… KID?" The detective had just realised yesterday he found KID, or rather Kaito, attractive, how did Haibara know?

"You thought I didn't know?" Haibara's amused (and annoying) tone resonated through the line. "Whenever KID has a heist, you focus on little else."

"It's… That's just how I am with cases."

"Whatever, I can hear you already know, so I'll leave it," Haibara taunted the detective, "For now. Enjoy yourself today, remember men still need to use protection even if pregnancy isn't an issue."

"OH MY GOD! Haibara, we're not-"

"I have to go now, I'll let the detective boys know you said hi," Haibara cut him off, probably smirking. The phone line clicked, and even though no-one could see him, Shinichi hid his face in his hands.

Eventually, out of curiosity, Shinichi opened his phone's search browser again and went to another tab typing out 'how do men have sex'. The search results had Shinichi simultaneously gasp (it went where?!) and go pink as he imagined the scenario.

The detective shook his head, as he stood up and picked out the outfit Haibara had chosen for him. Shinichi looked in the mirror, surprised by how much the shirt made his eyes stand out. The detective then tucked his blue shirt into his black trousers and turned around to inspect his legs.

Personally, Shinichi thought the trousers made his legs look defined, not like a girl's like Hattori had said. The detective's gaze travelled up to his rear, and his eyebrows raised as he saw how round it looked. There, he could agree with Hattori… His trousers did make his body look a bit like a girl.

Deciding to trust Haibara, Shinichi shrugged and grabbed his bag, as he left his room to attend his morning lectures.

.-._.-._.-._.-.

Shinichi half-expected some strange décor on Kaito's door, but the label 269 and the door itself looked perfectly normal. The detective supposed 269's seeming unoriginality, next to the closest rooms labelled 277 and 279, just made the magician's room seem uncanny. Which was probably Kaito's goal in the first place.

Shinichi raised his hand to knock, then paused as he remembered Kaito's boobytrap warnings. The detective stepped a good distance away from the door, then leaned over to knock and hopefully avoid any potential pranks Kaito might have prepared to guard his room.

"Yes?" Kaito's silky voice came from behind him.

Shinichi looked over his shoulder, as his hand remained posed in a fist by the door. Kaito looked the detective up and down with a grin, the tip of his tongue pressed against his canine.

Aware of his strange position, Shinichi straightened up. The detective's back hit the magician's front, as he stuttered out, "Oh hi."

"Hi Shinichi," Kaito smiled charmingly, there was a musical tone to his voice.

Shinichi turned his head to look at the magician properly. Their noses brushed together in a moment that made the detective's breath catch.

"Did you just come out of class?" Kaito half-whispered. The detective caught a whiff of a warm chocolate scent paired with something floral.

"Around 15 minutes ago. You?" Shinichi responded in the same volume. His blue eyes lowered to Kaito's lips then downwards, the magician was wearing a black V-neck shirt with an open burgundy blazer on top, and black trousers. 'God he looks good,' Shinichi thought to himself as he looked back up at the magician.

"About the same," Kaito muttered in reply. His smile had relaxed off his face, but his eyes were alive with fire. The magician was staring into his eyes like he wanted to eat his soul.

"What are you thinking?" Shinich murmured, staring at the indigo colour in Kaito's eyes.

Kaito pressed his lips together and looked away, "…I'm thinking. About," Kaito took a hissing breath in as his cheeky eyes flicked back to the detective's, "I don't think I should say."

Shinichi stepped away and turned around to face Kaito with raised expectant eyebrows.

Kaito grinned at Shinichi's expression, then the magician raised his eyebrows and tilted his head with a soft sigh, "I'll just say… it involved taking you into my room and not leaving."

Shinichi's jaw dropped as his eyes widened. The corner of the detective's lips quirked upwards in a smile, as Shinichi covered his mouth with his hand, "Oh."

"Don't worry though, I'll be a gentleman," the magician bowed and magicked a lavender rose. Kaito smiled, "For you."

Shinichi took the rose and closed his eyes as his nose touched the petals. The detective then realised the floral scent from Kaito was the smell of roses. Shinichi lowered his chin as he looked at the magician through his eyelashes, "Thank you. I'm not worried though."

"Oh you trust me that much?" Kaito's eyelids lowered. His voice had a joking warning tone.

"Um. More like it'd be okay if you weren't always a gentleman," Shinichi let the rose petals touch his lips.

Kaito's eyes widened animalistically, "Don't tempt me, Shinichi." The desire in Kaito's eyes made Shinichi shiver.

"What happened in your room?" Shinichi ignored Kaito's warning, asking about their activities in the magician's imagination. Shinichi remembered what happened in his room last night, how Kaito had pressed him up against the wall, the sounds that spilled from the magician's lips, how the distance between their bodies diminished. Shinichi's mind conjured a present image of himself throwing off Kaito's shirt, exploring Kaito's torso with his hungry hands.

A student's footsteps entered the hallway. It was the bleach blonde guy from the dare game last night, his eyebrows raised upon seeing Shinichi and Kaito having a chat in the hallway, while the detective was holding a lavender rose. The bleach blonde guy nodded at the magician, "Kuroba," to which Kaito inclined his head forward in greeting back, as his friend entered room 279.

"So?" Shinichi asked in a quieter volume.

"Use your imagination," Kaito smirked, tilting his head.

"I am," Shinichi twirled the rose around with his fingers.

Kaito's grin turned shark-like as he leaned forward, "You're playing a dangerous game, Meitantei."

"It's funny," Shinichi looked up innocently. The detective stepped forward and traced the rose up Kaito's neck and his jaw line, "You think you're the dangerous one." Shinichi levelled the magician with his 'I got you' smirk.

Kaito's lips parted as his eyes widened. The magician then quickly pressed his lips together, Shinichi revelled in the small blush he could see spreading across Kaito's cheeks. The detective watched Kaito in fascination, wanting to consume every fact about the phantom thief. Shinichi could feel his eyes darken, as he watched Kaito swallow slightly.

Kaito's lips parted again, and Shinichi had the urge to trace the rose to Kaito's lips. The self-aware part of his brain started debating how weird that would be, meaning Shinichi just stood and watched the magician's lips. Kaito bit his lip with a smile, "You're right. You can be very dangerous." Kaito looked down with a shy excitement that made Shinichi want to kiss the magician right there in the hallway.

The magician looked back up with an imp-ish look. Kaito lifted his hand, and with his fingers, flipped the rose out of Shinichi's hand. The magician released his lip from his teeth, as he gently skimmed the rose up Shinichi's neck.

Shinichi shuddered, of course Kaito noticed Shinichi's response the previous night. The magician noticed everything. The petals stroked his sensitive neck with a tingle. Kaito traced the rose up to Shinichi's lips with an open-mouthed smile, "What I think is even more dangerous is you have no idea how good you look. What it does to me. Did you know what you were doing when you wore those jeans?"

Despite being Conan for two years, Shinichi's lying skills… they needed work. So the moment Kaito asked the question, Shinichi's eyes darted away in embarrassment.

"Oh so you did know?" Kaito smirked, as his eyes lit up.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shinichi denied, as he took the rose out of Kaito's hand.

"Did you plan to greet me like that too?" Kaito's hand elegantly closed, finger by finger, into a fist. "With that… view?"

"No!" Shinichi looked back with heated cheeks. "That was an accident! I didn't know you were behind me." The detective momentarily remembered the sex position from his morning research, where one of the guys was bent over and the other was standing. He felt his cheeks redden, as he straightened the arm carrying the rose.

"You always surprise me, Shinichi," Kaito's eyes had a mischievous sheen.

"You know that was an accident," Shinichi narrowed his eyes.

The magician was right though, Shinichi was even surprising himself with the way he was flirting back with Kaito. There was something insatiable in the magician's unfiltered reactions; his giddy smiles, his breathy moans. In a way, it made sense. Shinichi had never backed down when it came to his intellectual battles with the magician.

"Do I?" Kaito joked, looking up at the ceiling in a false pondering expression.

"What won't be an accident," Shinichi narrowed his eyes, "is what I'm going to do to you if you keep that up."

Kaito's eyebrows rose, as he blinked twice with an interested expression, "See… I don't know if you're threatening me or… Um. It could be either with you."

"Pffft," Shinichi chuckled, knowing their connection was a bit strange. "You know what, I'm just not going to wear these jeans again."

Kaito's face turned crestfallen, "Now, now, let's not do anything drastic."

Shinichi laughed, feeling his cheeks lift into an uncontrollable smile.

Kaito rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face betrayed how much he enjoyed the detective's laughter.

"What's the time?" Shinichi suddenly asked.

"Lunch time," Kaito answered, as he strolled past Shinichi, leading the way out of the corridor.

"Woah wait," Shinichi quickened his pace till he was next to the magician, "This time you're following me."

"Oh?" Kaito turned his head, intrigued. "We have a destination?"

"Yes," Shinichi replied, as they walked past the broken lift sign and started descending the stairs. The detective placed the lavender rose stem through his shirt button.

As they walked down, Shinichi sneaked a peek at the magician. Kaito's messy curls framed his face, the magician immediately noticed Shinichi watching him and looked back with a quirk to his lips. Shinichi looked away with a barely suppressed smile.

The detective and magician reached the bottom of the stairs and exited the campus. While they were walking, Shinichi found out Kaito was studying engineering and that a lot of the contraptions he used in his heists, the magician made himself (which Shinichi found kind of impressive). When Shinichi told the magician he was studying forensic science with criminology, Kaito whistled and made a joke about having to be careful with his fingerprints around the detective.

"Skin to skin contact should be fine," Kaito winked, making the detective roll his eyes with an amused smile.

"Well actually, fingerprint impressions are visible up to 15 minutes on skin," Shinichi tilted his head, "Does that ruin your plan?"

"Not at all," Kaito grinned, lifting his now glove-clad hand. Shinichi blushed at seeing Kaito wearing his KID glove, which the magician is insinuating he'll touch him wearing it. After a moment, the glove disappeared and Kaito slung his arm around his shoulder. The magician's bare fingers obviously touched Shinichi's arm, reinforcing how Kaito was only joking about the fingerprints. "So, any topics you find interesting so far?"

"Counterfeits, fakes and forgeries," Shinichi answered. They were almost at the small French restaurant; they passed a park with Sakura trees around the entrance which the detective recognised from zoogle maps.

"Oh! So you're learning the techniques to detect them?" Kaito raised his eyebrows with an interested look.

"Yeah and how the techniques can be used to examine accidentally damaged documents too," Shinichi nodded, as they turned the corner.

The detective and magician continued talking about forgeries as they neared their destination. It was so gratifying to Shinichi how Kaito understood everything he was saying, and even had opinions of his own on the subject.

"And we're here," Shinichi announced, as he gestured at the Nouvelle Bistro.

Kaito gasped, "Oh my god! It's French! I love French food, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Shinichi shrugged, quietly delighted.

The two walked into the establishment and were seated in an intimate corner, a waitress laid out two menus in front of them. After they both ordered some ratatouille with a hot chocolate for Kaito and a coffee for Shinichi, Kaito put his chin in his hands and gave Shinichi a secretive smile.

Shinichi couldn't help but feel his lips quirk at the playful way Kaito was looking at him, "So what's your favourite food? French?"

"Hmm chocolate," Kaito answered, "As for cuisine… French, Italian, Japanese. But not all Japanese food."

"Figures that you'd have a sweet tooth. Your energy has to come from somewhere."

"What about you?" Kaito asked. Shinichi opened his mouth to reply, and the magician quickly interrupted him, "You can't say coffee."

"Excuse you, I was going to say iced coffee," Shinichi blinked, with a mock-offended look, "But okay, lemon pie then."

"Aw that's so cute," Kaito grinned, putting one of his hands on the table.

"How?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow.

"I was expecting you to say something sensible like… onigiri or something. Or something British? Cause of Holmes."

"As much as I love London, the British cuisine is what… Pies. Fish and chips?" Shinichi joked.

Kaito's hand twitched on the table, as the sparkle in his eye dulled for a second. Shinichi knew that it took a lot to make the calm magician show any anxiety.

"Did I say something…?" Shinichi asked quietly, leaning closer to the magician.

Kaito's eyes widened, surprised at the detective's question, then they softened with a smile, "Nothing escapes your notice, Meitantei. Don't worry, you didn't say anything wrong."

When the magician didn't elaborate further, Shinichi decided to change the subject. The detective knew what it was like to have to hide certain information. It always made it feel worse when, with people's questions, he was forced to lie. Even now, back in his adult body and 'safe' from the black organisation, Shinichi was naturally secretive. In his life, secrets being revealed led to lives being destroyed, and he could guess it was similar with the phantom thief. If Kaito wanted to tell him something then Shinichi would listen, the detective would never force him to open up.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know my favourite food, with the number of times you've disguised as me," Shinichi lowered his voice as he said the last part of his sentence.

Kaito smirked, "I know other things…"

"Do I want to know?" Shinichi sighed, resigned. The detective was secretly happy to see the magician feeling better though.

"No," Kaito answered, confidently. "You don't."

"Well now I'm curious," Shinichi put his chin in his hand.

"You know what I'm curious about? If it was Holmes that inspired you to become a detective or… your dad," Kaito's free hand traced the table.

"To be honest, it was my dad. Sherlock helped me see what kind of detective I wanted to be, but my dad sometimes helped the police solve cases and I came along with him growing up."

"So being Conan wasn't that different," Kaito teased.

"Except for how I knew better than the 'adults' this time," Shinichi did fake quotation marks in the air. To anyone else, this might have sounded like boasting, but to the Kaitou KID who had a similar IQ to his own, they both knew it was just fact. "What about you? What inspired you to become a magician?"

"My dad as well," Kaito answered, with a nostalgic quirk to his lips.

"Oh? Is he a magician?" Shinichi asked, intrigued to hear about the magician's parents.

"He was the best magician in the world," Kaito made some confetti sprinkle in a rainbow shape as he described his father, "You might have heard of him. Kuroba Toichi?"

Shinichi's eyes widened; the detective didn't miss how Kaito referred to his dad in the past tense. Shinichi then looked at the wood of the table, "The name Toichi is familiar, I think your dad was a friend of my parent's."

"Oh really?" Kaito asked, leaning forward with both his hands on the table.

"Yeah my mum had a disguise teacher, and well it makes sense considering… I'm assuming he was…" Shinichi gestured with his hand towards Kaito, referencing his alter ego.

Kaito watched him for a second, then nodded, "…The first. I didn't know until I was 17 though… I think I remember your mum!"

"You do?" Shinichi inclined his head forward.

"Yeah, I gave her a flower but… she kinda got mad at me," Kaito laughed, putting his hand on the back of his head.

"Did you call her oba-san by any chance?" Shinichi asked, picturing the scene.

"Yep."

"Yeah.. she doesn't really like that."

"I figured," Kaito shrugged, carefreely.

"Are you close with your mum?" Shinichi asked, remembering how the thief had previously told the detective how the Phantom Lady was his mother.

"Mm kind of," Kaito tilted his head, "No and yes. She travels around so we don't see each other a lot. But she does make time for video calls and knows all my secrets. Well, except for my crush on you but…"

Shinichi grinned, widely, "You have a crush on me?"

Kaito pursed his lips, like he hadn't met to slip that out. The magician then smirked, while looking away, "I mean I'm literally here on a date with you…" Kaito then looked back at the detective, "Which you asked me on by the way."

Shinichi blinked with wide eyes, as he met Kaito's indigo gaze. While the magician's body language was teasing and confident, the detective noticed a hint of uncertainty. "Yes I did," Shinichi answered Kaito's silent question, knowing Haibara was going to tease him if she found out about this conversation; the shrunken scientist had been the one insisting to the detective that this was a date.

Kaito's smirk changed into a smile at Shinichi's admission, with a borderline bashful look down at the table.

Shinichi leaned closer in, making Kaito look up with a cheekier smile. "I still want to know about this crush though," Shinichi asked, with a smirk.

"Meitantei you're too curious for your own good…" Kaito avoided the subject.

"Kaito. Of course, I'm curious!" Shinichi quickly put his hand on his own chest.

"Because you're a detective?"

"Because it's… you," Shinichi slowly gestured towards the magician.

With Shinichi's reply, Kaito's eyes lit up like a night sky in the countryside. A slow smile spread on the magician's face, "…Fine. You've won me over."

Shinichi watched Kaito as he slowly leaned in over the table, "When I first saw you, Shinichi, when you came back. I thought you looked really hot…" Kaito's eyes focused on his, as he extended his hand and traced Shinichi's chin with his fingers, "Your eyes look different without those glasses."

"Oh," Shinichi looked at the wooden table, as he felt his heart float around in his chest. Shinichi then felt a mischievous smile pull at his lips, as he looked up at Kaito through his lashes, "So it's my… eyes?"

Kaito narrowed his eyes, as he leaned back with a teasing grin, "You little shit, I would kiss you right now if we weren't in public."

Shinichi's eyes widened, and gulped at how much he wanted Kaito to, "…There's always the toilet."

Kaito's eyes widened more than the detective had ever witnessed from the magician, as Kaito tilted his head with a disbelieving laugh, "Our food hasn't even arrived!"

"I'm joking!" Shinichi lied, waving his hands in mortification for even suggesting making out in the toilet like teenagers.

Kaito pressed his lips together, unsuccessfully suppressing his huge smile, "…It would have been okay if you weren't joking."

"It would?" Shinichi tilted his head, as he looked at an apparently interesting spot on the table.

"Doesn't mean we would have gone… But I mean. Hm actually… Wait no," Kaito put a hand on his forehead, his pretty smile peeked out under his hand. "Anyway, no it's not just your eyes."

Shinichi looked away from the table to look at the magician, with a silent question in his gaze. When Kaito didn't reply, Shinichi tilted his head, "What is it then?"

The waitress saved the magician from answering. Her auburn hair swayed in her ponytail, as she placed two plates of ratatouille in front of the pair, followed by their drinks. As she straightened up, she bowed to them, "Bon appétit! Désolé pour l'attente- I mean sorry for the wait, enjoy your meal."

"Il y a pas de souci," Kaito smiled charming, as he spoke with a perfect French accent.

The waitress' eyes lit up in excitement, "Oh tu parles français? Ou es-tu aussi à moitié français?"

Kaito responded with her enthusiasm, "Je souhaite! Non, je suis entièrement japonais, mais j'adore la langue française."

Hearing Kaito's silky voice speaking in French was doing things to Shinichi. Each word felt like a siren call. Shinichi mentally shook his head as he focused on their interaction, piecing together how the waitress probably asked the magician if he was French.

"Je suis impressionnée par ton accent," the waitress hummed with an amazed tone.

"Merci et merci pour le repas. Est-ce que c'est votre entreprise familiale?" Kaito asked.

"Oui, je suis la fille du propriétaire, Fleur Laurent, désolée, je veux dire Fleur Chiba," the waitress waved her hand, showing her a gold wedding ring, "Comment tu t'appelles?"

"Kaito Kuroba. Enchanté et félicitations pour votre marriage," Kaito extended his hand and the waitress shook his hand. The magician turned towards the detective, "Shinichi, this is Fleur Chiba, she's the daughter of the owner."

"Sorry we were chatting away. It's nice to meet you, Kudou-san," Fleur smiled sweetly with a bow of her head. While you could see the waitress' French origin in her hair colour and some facial features, her demeanour was very similar to native Japanese girls. The detective would guess she was half French and half Japanese. Shinichi then frowned as he realised Kaito never told Fleur his last name.

"Oh sorry! That must have been strange. I just already know your name because of the news," Fleur apologised, waving her hands.

"No worries. It's nice to meet you too, Chiba-san," Shinichi smiled, he was used to being recognised in public.

Fleur smiled back and bowed her head, "I'll leave you both to your meal. Enjoy!" The waitress walked away, going off to tend to the few other customers that were there.

Kaito turned his attention to his food, immediately taking a bite, "Mm I haven't had Ratatouille for so long."

"I've never had it before," Shinichi shrugged, then took his fork and put in his food.

"Really? What made you choose this now then?"

"I watched the movie with the detective boys recently," Shinichi put a forkful in his mouth. The detective closed his eyes as he savoured the flavour.

"Aw that's adorable," Kaito gushed in a tone similar to his doves' coos. "You still hang out with them?"

Shinichi could taste a variety of herbs and spices as he took his mouth slowly off the fork. When the detective opened his eyes, he noticed there was still some sauce on the spoon and licked it slightly. As soon as he did, Shinichi felt a little embarrassed; he had a whole plate of the meal, he didn't need to lick the remnants of sauce.

"Well, someone has to be there to keep them out of trouble," Shinichi gently scooped up another piece with his food and looked up at the magician.

Kaito's lips were parted as he stared with wide eyes at Shinichi's mouth. Shinichi frowned for a second, then opened his mouth in a small 'Oh!' shape as he realised where the magician's mind went. Kaito's eyes flew up to meet the detective's with a quiet confidence, the magician's lips didn't move but his eyes were focused.

Kaito's words from earlier played in Shinichi's head… 'Meitantei, you're playing a dangerous game."

Shinichi looked away as he smirked, the detective put the fork into his mouth as he continued to eat the Ratatouille. As he finished chewing his bite, Shinichi looked back at Kaito, and they shared a look of charged eye contact.

"So are you succeeding?" Kaito asked, as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. "In keeping them out of trouble?"

"Oh uh… No," Shinichi laughed, "They stumble across the strangest things sometimes. But then they call me so everything's fine."

"When did you watch Ratatouille with them?" Kaito asked, with a fond smile.

"Last week? On Friday," Shinichi nodded, "It was Genta's idea."

"Of course it was, it's a movie about food," Kaito joked, as he twirled his fork around his hand. The magician had almost finished his meal.

"You should meet them sometime. Officially," Shinichi took a bigger forkful of his meal.

Kaito raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

Shinichi swallowed his bite before answering, "Sure. They'll love your magic tricks."

"Sure," Kaito answered with a softer tone.

Shinichi looked back up at the magician who was observing his hot chocolate. Shinichi realised that, on a first date, he was suggesting Kaito should meet the detective boys, who in many ways were like his younger siblings. And the magician had agreed. This could look like a big step for many people, but Kaito was his ally, his friend. The magician was already so close to Shinichi in many ways. After everything they've been through, the usual rules didn't apply when it came to them

The detective and magician continued eating in a comfortable silence. After a few moments, Kaito asked, "Do you think the reason you can see through my disguises so well is because of your mum?"

"Hm. Maybe?" Shinichi pondered, tilting his head as he thought. "I haven't thought about it before, but it makes sense for spotting little discrepancies. She usually disguises as people who don't exist though because she can't mimic voices like you. Sometimes though it's not even…" the detective stopped talking as he debated how to say this and whether he should.

"Yes?" Kaito leaned slightly forward, intrigued by what Shinichi was hesitating to say.

"It's like my instincts? Like I can tell," Shinichi admitted, looking to the side.

"Oh like how you can tell when someone is watching you?" Kaito asked, with an innocent look in his eyes that the detective didn't believe for a second.

Shinichi raised his eyebrows with a knowing smile; the detective knew Kaito had 'watched' him in the past, it was part of the reconnaissance that comes with being a phantom thief. "No because sometimes you're not watching me, but I just… sense you?"

"My my, Meitantei, that's kind of romantic," Kaito leaned on his hand with a teasing grin.

At the magician's flirty teasing, Shinichi lowered his chin as he continued watching Kaito with an amused smile. Noticing Kaito had a few bites of his plate left, Shinichi brought his attention back to his meal. Shinichi's eyes kept straying to the magician, that's why he was behind in finishing his meal.

As he chewed, Shinichi's mind drifted to Kaito's bittersweet but proud smile as he talked about his dad. The detective imagined how the magician's father must have impressed Kaito with his magic, before teaching his son the craft.

"Did your dad do a lot of tricks for you as a child?" Shinichi asked. The detective neared the end of his meal, mentally congratulating himself. Usually, he didn't finish everything on his plate, but the delicious ratatouille made it easier this time.

"Yeah, he was always showing me tricks, and then teaching me them or leading me to figure them out," Kaito smiled nostalgically. This smile felt lighter; the detective guessed Kaito wasn't able to talk about his dad a lot, especially with all his secrets. "Some of his tricks were obviously too advanced for me, at the time, so I was just like wow!" The magician spread his fingers widely with a childlike joy.

Shinichi's eyes softened at the unguarded expression, "You were kind of like a detective too then?"

"Hm maybe? I wouldn't say so, it's more magicians know how magicians think. And it's appreciating the creativity of the tricks too. Like you? If anything, I would say you think a bit like a magician," Kaito moved his plate aside, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands.

"Hmm," Shinichi hummed as he chewed on his last few bites.

"He actually showed me a lot of card tricks when I was younger, it helps teach you the basics," Kaito reminisced with a faint smile.

"I don't think you've shown me many card tricks," Shinichi said with an intrigued tone. The detective swallowed his last forkful.

"No? Well that can't do," Kaito smirked, as he slowly straightened up and placed a deck of cards on the table.

Shinichi felt his lips stretch into a smile. The detective placed his plate to the side, and leaned forward, "Show me what you've got, magician."

Kaito smoothed the cards into a flawless ribbon spread. With a flick of his fingers, all the cards flipped to reveal themselves, "As you can see, this is a normal deck of cards." The magician smoothly gathered the cards together and shuffled them skilfully, his fingers moving with a fluid grace. He then spread the cards face-down on the table and motioned for Shinichi to pick one, "Point at a card. Any card."

Shinichi obliged, choosing a card near the edge. The magician swiftly handed it to the detective, who studied it intently without revealing it to Kaito. It was the ace of spades, a card associated with Sherlock Holmes for its connection to 'A Study in Scarlet.' The detective looked at Kaito's expression, to see if this was done on purpose but of course the magician's face didn't reveal anything.

The magician gathered the remaining cards and gestured to Shinichi to place his card on top, "So Shinichi, do you agree with me when I say that energy is much more complicated than we think?

"Energy? If we're talking physics, I would say yes," Shinichi nodded, watching Kaito's hands.

"Hm I'm more talking a more invisible type of energy," Kaito grinned mischievously as he performed a spinning cut, showing off his fingers' flexibility, "Did you know that you have a unique type of energy?"

"Oh yeah?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow, indulging the magician.

"I would personally call it magnetic," Kaito winked, as he shuffled the cards with the faces of the deck facing his palm. It was a different shuffling method than the one before, the detective noted to himself. "I don't think I'm the only one. Tell me when to stop."

Shinichi watched Kaito continue to move his left hand forward and back in a blur, while his right hand remained still. After a few moments, Shinichi voiced, "Stop."

Kaito looked away as he lifted his right hand to show the bottom card of the pile he was holding. Low and behold, it was the ace of spades. "Is it your card?"

"Yes…" Shinichi answered, raising a hand to his chin.

Kaito dropped the cards on top of the left pile, so Shinichi's card was in the middle of the deck, "Hm sounds like you're still not convinced. Here I'll show you, your card can't stay away from you." The magician formed a facedown circle with the cards on the table, "Take a card, any card."

Shinichi took a card and flipped it with bated breath, only to see it was the queen of diamonds. The detective looked up at the magician with a blank look on his face.

"I'm guessing that's not your card?" Kaito frowned, leaning forward over the circle of cards. "Try again." Shinichi reached over and again it was another random card.

Kaito bit his lip with a troubled look on his face, "…What?" Shinichi almost felt sympathetic towards the magician, his expression looked so real, but Shinichi knew Kaito and he knew Kaito's magic style.

The magician beckoned Shinichi to lean over the table with him and stare at the cards. Kaito looked up at Shinichi, "What was your card?"

"The ace of spades," Shinichi answered, curious to see what the magician would do.

"Shinichi," Kaito widened his eyes as if he just realised something, then did a deadpan look, "Check your pockets."

Shinichi frowned, knowing the magician hadn't touched him once since starting the magic trick. The detective stood up and put his hand into his back pocket, his eyebrows raised skyward as he fished out the ace of spades. Shinichi looked back at Kaito in shock, "…How?"

"It's your magnetism," Kaito shrugged with a playful tone, "Although Ace-chan is a bit of a pervert."

Shinichi chuckled, amused at how the magician scolded the playing card. The detective smiled at Kaito, flattered at the magician's compliments. If anyone was magnetic, it was definitely Kaito.

Kaito took the card from Shinichi's hand and turned away from the detective. Kaito's side profile was striking with his chiseled features, as he gave the ace of spades a joke glare, "Ace-chan, don't try and get into Shinichi's pants again." Kaito looked at Shinichi out of the corner of his eyes with a captivating gleam, "…That's my job."

Shinichi pressed his lips together, subtly biting his bottom as he remembered how Kaito had kissed him yesterday. Shinichi let his bottom lip go as he moved to pick up his coffee mug, which he had somehow forgotten about with the magician sitting in front of him.

Shinichi hid the lower part of his face behind his cup, as he looked up coyly at the magician, "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Don't you know, Shinichi? Magicians never reveal their secrets," Kaito grinned with unwavering confidence, deftly placing Shinichi's card back into the deck.

"No… Detectives just figure them out," Shinichi smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and determination.

"And what will you do? When you figure them out," Kaito asked, shuffling through the cards in his hands. The magician moved his hands away from each other, splitting the deck in two, as he locked his gaze with Shinichi's, "Stop me?"

Shinichi's eyes met Kaito's with a tantalizing glint. It lingered beneath the surface; the detective's unspoken desire to join rather than stop the magician's thrilling ideas. Shinichi took a sip of his coffee without responding to Kaito's question.

Kaito's grin widened, "You didn't say no."

"You didn't know the card from the start," Shinichi dodged, changing the subject back to Kaito's magic trick. "You were controlling the card's position."

"Mmm maybe, Ace-chan knew you though," Kaito let the detective change the subject. The magician's hands came together, making the deck whole once more. "Do you think it was a coincidence you chose a Sherlockian card?"

Shinichi narrowed his eyes then smiled, "Yes. A lucky coincidence. Otherwise, you would've made more a show of it," the detective leaned forward and tapped the deck, "The card never lost its place in the shuffling because you never moved it, you only shuffled the top of the deck into your left hand. Then you did a false cut."

Kaito tilted his head with an interested look in his eyes, listening intently, "And how did Ace-chan end up in your back pocket?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Shinichi admitted, reluctantly.

"Well, while you think… do you want to see another trick?" Kaito suggested, spreading the cards into a perfect fan.

The magician showcased another challenging trick, engrossing the detective's undivided attention. Shinichi grabbed Kaito's hand at the end to check the magician's sleeves, eliciting a fond smile from Kaito. Lost in their exchange, they almost didn't notice Fleur's return to collect their empty plates. As she placed the dessert menus on the table, Shinichi dropped Kaito's hand.

"Merci beaucoup, Chiba-san," Kaito smiled, turning his head to face Fleur.

"Yes thank you, Chiba-san," Shinichi nodded, embarrassed to have been caught by the waitress.

"De rien," Fleur grinned knowingly at them, and walked away to leave them to their privacy.

Shinichi straightened in his seat, "I figured it out! You knew the card from the start." The detective's smile turned sharper, as he felt the familiar exhilaration from solving a case, "It didn't matter what card I picked, because you would give me the same one."

Kaito bit his lip with a smile as he watched the detective finish his explanation.

"You planned to show me this trick, you put a card from a different but identical deck in my back pocket. It must have been before we sat at the restaurant," Shinichi continued, putting his hand on his chin. "And the rest was your sleight of hand, you hid the ace of spades in your palm. You led me to believe that me picking it was a coincidence. You did actually control it, but that was also misdirection."

Kaito's eyes sparkled with mischief and something deeper, "Well done, Meitantei. I have to say… I'm impressed. That trick has always stumped Hakuba."

"You know Hakuba? Of course, you do," Shinichi sighed, remembering how Kaito's classmates had initially wanted to dare Kaito to kiss the blond detective. "You're that guy he suspects is KID, aren't you?"

Kaito raised his hands in a gesture of resignation, "Unfortunately."

"But he hasn't found any evidence, has he?" Shinichi asked, already knowing the answer. The detective went to take a sip of his coffee, realised his cup was empty and put it aside.

Kaito shook his head with a playful smile, "Nope~."

A hint of challenge laced Shinichi's words as he stated, "That wouldn't be the case if it was me."

Kaito's brows furrowed slightly, his eyes betraying a momentary state of confusion.

"What I mean is, if I had set my mind to catch you, I would have," Shinichi clarified.

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" Kaito raised an eyebrow, as he leaned back into a confident pose.

Shinichi smirked, "Have you?"

Kaito's expression transformed, a mixture of surprise and a subtle hint of arousal. The magician licked his lips then inquired, "Why haven't you, then?"

Shinichi's voice turned quiet, his words carrying a hidden depth, "The same reason it's not 'just my eyes' for you."

A moment of understanding passed between them, a mutual admiration for each other's skills but also for each other as people. Shinichi and Kaito had been there, saving each other, despite their respective roles in the law, for a while now. There was an unspoken connection between them.

Shinichi smiled shyly at the deep look in Kaito's eyes, he didn't expect that honest and vulnerable answer to come out of his own mouth. In truth, he hadn't even realised the depth of his affection for the thief, but Haibara had been on to something. In the absence of the usual distractions of Kaito's heists, the intimate setting unfurled Shinichi's tender emotions, spreading them out before him like a detailed but simple map.

Kaito's eyes shifted downward, as he smiled into his palm, "You can't look at me like that."

"Why?" Shinichi's smile widened at the bashful expression on the magician's face.

"Because…" Kaito's eyes darted up to meet the detective's gaze. In a daring move, the magician leaned over the table to kiss Shinichi, while partially concealing their faces behind the dessert menu.

Shinichi's eyelids fluttered closed as he felt Kaito's lips press gently on his.

As their lips came apart, Shinichi opened his eyes to see Kaito's indigo ones up close. With a cheeky quirk to his lips, Kaito whispered, "Because you're irresistible, that's why."

Kaito reclined leisurely in his seat, while Shinichi felt his cheeks flush as he remembered that the magician had just kissed him in public. Shinichi let out a chuckle, a gentle tease lacing his words, "Flatterer."

"It's true."

"And thief. Can't forget that," Shinichi quipped.

"Is this because I stole a kiss?" Kaito arched an eyebrow, a smug glimmer in his eyes.

"Mhm it's not fair…" Shinichi pursed his lips, as he ran his finger along the rim of his empty coffee cup, "We're in public."

"Oh," Kaito responded, in an apologetic tone. The magician opened his mouth to probably say sorry when Shinichi interrupted him.

"We're in public and… I want you to do it again," Shinichi's finger paused on the mug's rim, as he lifted his gaze to stare at the magician.

Kaito's open mouth widened in surprise, his eyes widening momentarily before a sharp grin spread across his face. The magician's eyelids lowered in a hypnotising way as he leaned closer to the detective, "Yeah?"

Shinichi nodded, as his eyes shifted downwards, and he swiftly grabbed the dessert menu. As Kaito leaned closer, his face inches away, Shinichi playfully interposed the menu between them, teasingly preventing the impending kiss.

Kaito let out a groan, "Shinichi, why?"

"We're in public," Shinichi repeated, as he lowered the menu, revealing his mirthful eyes to Kaito.

"You're such a tease," Kaito muttered under his breath, his voice was lower than normal.

Shinichi bit his lip underneath the safety of his menu. The husky quality to Kaito's voice and magnetism of his eyes was making the detective very tempted to lower the menu between their lips.

Kaito watched him for a moment, then his lips slowly spread into a smirk. The magician's expression told the detective that he was found out. Kaito put his finger on top of the menu and gently pushed it down, till their faces had no barrier between them. Kaito leaned forward to brush his nose against the detective's.

Shinichi breathed in sharply but didn't move. The detective's eyes lowered to focus on Kaito's lips.

"You're right," Kaito whispered, drawing the detective in. The magician leaned away with a cheeky grin and blown pupils. "We're in public," Kaito parroted, his tone insinuated 'two can play that game'.

Shinichi's lip curved up in a subtle smile, his gaze fixated on Kaito's lips before rising to meet the magician's intense stare. Shinichi glanced at the menu still in his hand, remembering Kaito's sweet tooth, "Did you want dessert?"

"Actually yeah," Kaito leaned towards the menu to look at the choice of delicacies.

"Here, I don't want any," Shinichi handed his menu towards the magician.

"Are you sure? We could share~."

"I could have a few bites of yours," Shinichi agreed, knowing he wouldn't even be able to eat half a dessert with how full he was from the ratatouille.

"Ooh, so many options! You're paying, right?" Kaito teased with a cheeky and somewhat obnoxious grin.

"Mhm," Shinichi nodded in agreement.

"Shinichi, I'm joking. You don't actually have to pay for me. I'm a guy," Kaito said, his tone turning more serious.

Shinichi observed him for a moment, resting his chin in his hand. "I want to," he stated firmly, his gaze steady.

Kaito blinked at the detective, his eyes widening in surprise, before a shy smile spread across his face. The magician wasn't used to being treated, always being the gentleman. "Oh, okay," Kaito replied, his voice reflecting a blend of bashfulness and genuine gratitude.

As the afternoon continued, Kaito indulged in a rich chocolate cake of which Shinichi took only a single bite. The magician signalled the waitress and thanked her in French, telling her to send his gratitude to the chef. Shinichi paid, thanked Fleur in Japanese, and with a polite farewell, the detective and magician left the Novelle Bistro. Despite their full stomachs, their footsteps were light.

"When's the last time you went on a swing?" Kaito asked Shinichi, as they neared the park. The magician sent the detective 'are you thinking what I'm thinking?' look.

"Hm well, when I was Conan," Shinichi answered, his lips couldn't help but quirk up at Kaito's enthusiasm.

"So?" Kaito grinned mischievously, "Want to lose your Shinichi swing virginity with me?"

Shinichi's jaw dropped as his cheeks went pink, "What sentence just came out of your mouth?!"

"Come on, I know you want to," Kaito winked, as he grabbed Shinichi's hand and ran into the park.

Shinichi ran along as the magician dragged him into the playground that was thankfully empty. It was adorned with two swings, colourful slides, seesaws, and a large climbing structure. Kaito stopped running and walked calmly to one of the swings, still holding the detective's hand. Kaito looked back at Shinichi and beckoned with a head tilt towards the swing, his invitation clear, "Sit."

"What am I, a dog?" Shinichi retorted with an amused tone. Nevertheless, the detective released Kaito's hand and sat on the swing with a feigned air of reluctance.

Kaito went behind him and lowered his face to Shinichi's, his voice taking on a low tone, "Good boy,"

Shinichi whipped his head to face the magician's cheeky smile. The detective felt his heartbeat accelerate in his chest. Shinichi poked his tongue into his cheek, giving Kaito a playfully reprimanding look, "And you are anything but a good boy."

Kaito's smile turned into his famous KID grin, "Are you saying I'm a bad boy, Meitantei?"

Shinichi opened his mouth in flustered shock and averted his gaze, unable to maintain the eye contact, "You're getting awfully confident."

"Do you have a thing for bad boys, Shinichi?" Kaito's lips drew nearer, his warm breath teasingly tickling Shinichi's neck.

"Just push me already," Shinichi firmly grasped the metal handles of the swing, intentionally brushing off the magician's remark.

"Oh so you do?"

Shinichi's gaze shifted to Kaito, taking in the lively gleam in the magician's eyes. "Actually, no," the detective's nose lightly grazed against Kaito's, their faces inches apart. "You're the exception." With a smirk, Shinichi straightened up and tightened his grip on the metal handles, "Now come on. Didn't you want to take my 'virginity'?"

Kaito's mouth fell open as he stared at the detective, visibly taken aback. To Shinichi's delight, Kaito's cheeks turned a rosy hue, reminiscent of a ripe peach, "Uh huh."

Shinichi turned his gaze towards the horizon stretching before them. A part of him couldn't believe those words left his mouth but it was worth it for the magician's reaction. And to be fair, it was fun to joke around like that. The magician always brought out a more uninhibited side of Shinichi.

"Hold on tight," Kaito whispered, his tone was composed despite his flushed face.

Kaito pushed Shinichi's swing with a burst of energy, eliciting a contagious laugh that escaped the detective's lips. Kaito eventually withdrew his hands, allowing Shinichi to continue the ascent on his own. With his longer legs, Shinichi was able to soar even higher than he did as Conan, the rush of wind brushing against his face.

Kaito settled into the swing next to him, effortlessly propelling himself higher than Shinichi with a few skilled movements. The magician's grin silently challenged the detective to match his height. Determined, Shinichi pushed himself harder, going higher and higher, revelling in the exhilarating sense of freedom. Soon, they reached a point where they were both soaring at the same height, unable to ascend any further.

As they reached the peak of their swings, Shinichi hopped off the swing. The detective declared, "Tables have turned, Kaito. Let's see if you can catch me!"

Kaito accepted the challenge with a smirk, his competitive spirit ignited. As Shinichi took off running, Kaito unleashed his remarkable speed, closing the distance between them in an instant. Shinichi let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise, as he realised Kaito was gaining on him faster than anticipated.

Reacting quickly, Shinichi reached out and grabbed onto a sturdy bar from the nearby climbing frame, swinging his body around to change direction just in time, narrowly evading Kaito's grasp. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Shinichi sprinted towards a cluster of trees, hoping to find a hiding spot and catch his breath. Shinichi glanced behind him, unable to spot Kaito, then turned his gaze forward.

To his astonishment, there stood Kaito, wickedly grinning as he appeared from behind a tree, having anticipated Shinichi's move. The chase resumed, their footsteps mingling with the rustling of leaves as they weaved through the forest.

But Kaito was relentless, his agility unmatched. With a burst of energy, he tackled Shinichi, their bodies colliding and rolling on the ground. Laughter filled the air as they playfully wrestled, ending up with Kaito on top of Shinichi.

"How are you so fast?" Shinichi wheezed.

"Heists are good exercise."

Shinichi propped himself up on his elbows, a mock look of accusation on his face, "Do you purposefully slow down at heists?"

"It depends," Kaito glanced down at the detective, "With you, not really. But sometimes, if I feel like giving the police a fighting chance, I might just slow down a bit."

Rolling his eyes, Shinichi couldn't help but smile. "Wow, so kind of you," he retorted, the sarcasm lacing his words.

"Very. So I caught you…" Kaito lowered his face closer to Shinichi's, "Do I get a reward?"

Shinichi's heart skipped a beat as he felt the proximity between them. Suddenly, the reality of their position struck him—they were lying horizontally, with Kaito on top of him. The air crackled with unspoken tension.

"Sure what did you have in mind?" Shinichi whispered, his blue eyes lowered to Kaito's pink lips.

Kaito's lips curled into a mischievous smile, his warm breath brushing against Shinichi's skin. "Oh, I have a few ideas in mind," Kaito replied, his voice husky with anticipation.

The electric charge in the air intensified as their gazes locked. Shinichi's heart raced, his body tingling with a mix of nervousness and excitement. The desire that simmered between them was palpable, and Shinichi found himself drawn to the proximity, his own lips yearning for the taste of Kaito's.

As their eyes remained locked, time seemed to slow down. Shinichi's hesitation melted away, and with a surge of boldness, he closed the distance between their lips, initiating a passionate kiss. In that moment, everything else faded into the background, as the magician and detective indulged in each other.

Kaito brought his fingers to Shinichi's neck, and leisurely stroked up and down, making the detective shiver. Shinichi brought his hands up and dove into the magician's soft locks, gently moving his fingers. Kaito sucked the detective's bottom lip then gently scraped his teeth through it.

Unable to help himself, Shinichi whined, parting his lips slightly wider.

Kaito immediately accepted the detective's invitation with a smirk on his lips. The magician's tongue lightly touched Shinichi's, unleashing sparks within the both of them. Shinichi swirled his tongue around Kaito's, making the magician press their bodies even closer in desire. Shinichi dragged his nails down Kaito's back, remembering how the magician had been sensitive there yesterday. The detective felt the magician tense, but otherwise not react.

An idea shot into Shinichi's head. The detective turned his head to the magician's ear, breaking the kiss, as he yet again scratched Kaito's back. In a breathy high tone, Shinichi whispered, "Kaito."

Kaito shuddered, groaning, "Shinichi." Shinichi bit his lip at the arousal in the magician's silky voice.

Wanting to keep touching the magician, Shinichi kissed Kaito's ear. His lips closed around the magician's earlobe and sucked gently.

"A-Ah," Kaito moaned, his pitch climbing higher.

Shinichi gripped the magician's head and turned it so he had better access Kaito's ear. Shinichi ran his tongue along the edge of his ear then sucked his earlobe harder, savouring Kaito's quivers and soft noises.

Shinichi pushed Kaito's body, rolling them over in a quick movement so Shinichi was on top. Kaito's eyes flew open, locking eyes with the smirking detective. Shinichi lowered his lips to Kaito's other ear, not wanting to neglect it.

"Mmff," Kaito let out a noise he was clearly trying to muffle.

"You're so cute," Shinichi whispered into Kaito's sensitive ear.

"I-I didn't know my ears were that sensitive," Kaito's chest rose up and down.

"Are you letting me see your reactions or can you not control them?" Shinichi asked, curiously.

"…I'm letting you," Kaito admitted, his indigo eyes were honest. "I'm kind of half-heartedly holding back to try not be too loud but..."

"Oh," Shinichi uttered. The detective had thought Kaito was unable to hold back his reactions, in the way he did to Shinichi.

"It's hard to explain, I have an immense control over myself but you're… You make me let go," Kaito put his hand on Shinichi's cheek. The magician blinked for a few moments, unsure if the information was too much too soon.

"Yeah?" Shinichi tilted his head, leaning into Kaito's touch.

Kaito smiled, knowing the detective was encouraging him, "It's easier to let go with you."

Shinichi's blue eyes widened as he stared into Kaito's swirling indigo eyes. The detective felt his heart flutter up in his chest, "I-I understand."

"You do?"

"You bring out a different side of me. I let go more. In a lot of ways."

"Like you trust me? So you don't have to be on guard all the time?" Kaito asked, his hair was spread out in a light brown halo around his head.

"Yes… I trust your skills and… you. But also, I am just more me?" Shinichi confessed, his gaze drifting downward to the grass at his vulnerable admission. After a brief pause, he lifted his eyes to meet Kaito's.

Kaito's smile radiated as if Shinichi had gifted him a fragment of the sun itself. His eyes held a gentle warmth, fixed upon the detective with an unguarded sincerity. Shinichi sensed a shift in the air, as if Kaito had drawn back a curtain, allowing the warm rays from the windows, the magician's eyes, to reach the detective.

Shinichi smiled back, feeling his eyes soften. The detective has always had a soft spot for the magician. Kaito gently pulled Shinichi's cheek closer to him, their noses brushed and Kaito closed his eyes. Shinichi found himself thinking about how pretty Kaito's eyelids and lashes looked, then closed his own eyes as their lips brushed.

Shinichi breathed in through his nose, then pressed his lips firmer on Kaito's. This kiss was gentle, yet his whole body was tingling. Kaito wrapped his other arm around the detective's shoulders in a loose hug, his fingers lingered on the back of Shinichi's neck. The magician's hand danced into the bottom of Shinichi's hair, leaving pleasant sensations.

Kaito's hand ventured to Shinichi's shoulder blades, drawing little circles. Shinichi squirmed in response, breaking the kiss as he lowered his chin to his own shoulder.

"Are you…" Kaito's voice had a curious tone. The magician's fingers spread and tickled the detective.

"No! I'm not!" Shinichi sat up, trying to get away from Kaito's hands.

"You're ticklish," Kaito's eyes shone in wonder, then he grinned in a way that spelled trouble for Shinichi, "This is amazing."

"No! No! I'm not tick- ahaha," Shinichi laughed. The magician sat up, so the detective was sitting in his lap. Kaito's hands were on Shinichi's back, both tickling and trapping him from escaping.

"Stop! Haha… Please," Shinichi gasped breathless, as he leaned against the magician. Kaito's fingers stilled. Shinichi peered up at the magician.

Kaito looked down at him cheekily, his front teeth bit his bottom lip in a grin, "I like hearing you beg."

Shinichi's jaw dropped, then he pressed his lips together, "You! You…"

"Yes, Shinichi," Kaito parted his smiling lips, so the tip of his tongue touched his canine.

Wanting to shut up the magician and… finding him very attractive, Shinichi crashed his lips to Kaito's. The detective's fingers clutched at Kaito's blazer. Kaito's hands gently skimmed down Shinichi's sides to his lower back, and then past it to his ass.

Shinichi's eyes flew open, "O-Oi."

Kaito grabbed his behind with both hands and lifted the detective, as the magician shuffled back to lean against a tree. Kaito relaxed his head against the bark, his eyes gleamed as he watched Shinichi.

Who was currently having a little gay crisis, because not only was it impressive that Kaito had just picked up his whole weight… but it was also immensely attractive.

Kaito's hands were still on his ass.

"Kaito… your hands are on my ass," Shinichi swallowed.

Kaito grinned mischievously, "Yeah, can I squeeze it?"

Shinichi's mouth opened in shock at the magician's question, "…What?"

"Can I?"

Shinichi blinked a few times. The detective felt like the magician was about to devour him. And a part of him craved it. Shinichi looked at Kaito's collar bones, peeking through his black shirt.

"It's okay if you don't want that. You can touch whatever you want to though," Kaito's voice was reassuring in a nonchalant way, making it clear that whatever Shinichi said was alright.

"Oh really?" Shinichi's eyes narrowed at Kaito's bold statement. The magician didn't know all the filthy things the detective's mind conjured up. Shinichi's lips quirked up as he leaned forward, "So I can do this?"

Shinichi's hands went on Kaito's shirt-clad chest and pinched his nipples simultaneously. The magician gasped, arching his back. Kaito's expression was delicious, with his wide flustered eyes and parted pink lips.

"Kaito?" Shinichi asked, leaning forward to brush his nose against the magician's. Shinichi circled the buds around his fingers, through the cotton of Kaito's shirt.

"Mhhm," Kaito nodded, lowering his chin to look up at Shinichi with downturned eyebrows.

Shinichi turned his head to bring Kaito's ear lobe back into his mouth, sucking gently as the magician moaned, "Shinichi." The detective alternated pinching the magician's nipples at different times, as he nibbled then licked the top of Kaito's ear. Shinichi brought his head back to gaze at Kaito's helplessly turned-on eyes, the detective loved having him against the tree.

"God Shinichi, you're…" Kaito's chest moved gently up and down with his breaths. The magician leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he closed his mouth and breathed in through his nose. Kaito opened his eyes to directly stare at Shinichi's, "So? Can I?" The magician drummed his fingers lightly on the detective's behind.

"Oh… Yeah," Shinichi agreed, giving his permission.

Kaito's lips curled into a slow, self-assured smirk, and in that moment, Shinichi came to the realisation that Kaito had been orchestrating everything according to his own designs.

The magician's talented hands kneaded his ass like dough, and Shinichi lifted his hand to his mouth while his other hand grasped Kaito's shoulder. Shinichi lifted his fluttering eyes to meet the magician's lustful gaze.

"Take your hand away, I want to see your face," Kaito was entirely focused on the detective.

Shinichi slowly took his hand off his face, to place it on Kaito's other shoulder. Just as he did, Kaito squeezed his behind in a way that his fingers strayed closer to his inner thighs. Shinichi looked up as a high-pitched whine left his closed lips. The detective had never been touched there before.

"Shinichi, Shinichi, you're too hot," Kaito whispered in his ear, the magician's tongue licked his ear lobe.

Shinichi traced his hands down Kaito's shoulders to his chest, groping the magician's muscles through his shirt. Shinichi's fingers skimmed Kaito's stomach, he could feel the outline of a defined abdomen.

"And you're too…" Shinichi breathed out, as he felt up the ridiculously sexy magician. Kaito turned his face to look at the detective. Kaito's indigo eyes were sparkling mischievously, the colour resembled the sky right after dusk, when the stars were starting to twinkle through. "Pretty."

Kaito's pretty eyes widened. The magician smiled gently as his gaze went downwards, his lashes were long against his cheeks, "…Thank you. I've never been called pretty before. Well, except when I've had a female disguise but."

"Well you are," Shinichi traced the back of his fingers on Kaito's cheek.

At the detective's touch, Kaito looked up. His eyes observed Shinichi's face with a little smile, "So are you."

"Thanks."

Kaito leaned in and kissed him again. Their hands were still, as their mouths moved against each other's softly.

"DING DING DING…"

Shinichi leaned back with a disgruntled expression. His hand went to his phone, it wasn't ringing. Kaito sighed, "Sorry that was mine." The magician shut off his alarm, then stilled in his position like a child who didn't want to move.

"What was that?"

"I can't believe it's almost 4 already…" Kaito complained, with a slouched posture. The magician sighed again and straightened up, "I set an alarm in case I got carried away with you… I have a class at 4 today."

"Oh… Does that mean you have to go?" Shinichi asked, knowing the answer but not wanting to part from the magician.

"Yeah…" Kaito nodded, his tone made it clear he also wanted to stay with Shinichi.

"Okay," Shinichi stayed still for a moment, then moved to get off the magician's lap.

Kaito caught him by the waist and gave him a hug, putting his nose in the detective's collar. Shinichi stopped rising, putting his weight back in Kaito's lap. The detective's arms circled round Kaito's neck, as Shinichi's face rested against the magician's warm neck. Shinichi breathed in the smell of chocolate and roses, as he enjoyed Kaito's embrace.

After a few lingering moments, they both stood up from their spot on the forest floor and began their return to the campus, stealing glances at each other along the way. Kaito insisted on accompanying Shinichi back to his room, their footsteps falling in sync as they walked side by side.

"So not tomorrow but the day after, are you free?" Kaito asked, as they neared the detective's door.

"Thursday? I should be," Shinichi answered with a smile.

"I'd like to take you out this time, I'll pick you up at 6. Is that cool?" Kaito grinned, stepping closer to the detective as they walked.

"Mhmm," Shinichi nodded, trying to suppress his smile from becoming too wide.

They reached a standstill in front of door 251. Shinichi turned to meet Kaito's gaze. The detective's voice was laced with a shy undertone, as he confessed, "I had a really nice time."

Kaito's eyes shimmered with affectionate warmth as he reached out and gently took hold of Shinichi's hand. Bringing it to his lips, he placed a tender kiss on the detective's knuckles, "Me too, Meitantei."

French translations:
Bon appétit! Désolé pour l'attente- I mean sorry for the wait, enjoy your meal
Il y a pas de souci - there is no problem/ no worries
Oh tu parles français? Ou es-tu aussi à moitié français? - Oh you speak french or are you also half french?
Je souhaite! Non, je suis entièrement japonais, mais j'adore la langue française – I wish! No, I am entirely Japanese, but I love the French language
Je suis impressionné(e) par ton accent. - I'm impressed at your accent
Merci et merci pour le repas. Est-ce que c'est votre entreprise familiale ? - thank you, and thank you for the food. Is this your family business?
Oui, je suis la fille du propriétaire, Fleur Laurent, désolée, je veux dire Fleur Chiba. Comment tu t'appelles ? - Yes I'm the owner's daughter, Fleur Laurent, sorry I mean Fleur Chiba. What's your name?
Kaito Kuroba. Enchanté et félicitations pour votre marriage – Kaito Kuroba. I'm pleased to meet you and congratulations on your marriage.

I thought you'd find this funny: When my sister was reading the second chapter, she looked at me like o_O and I was like ? And she was like 'the ears?' I then proceeded to explain to her about the girls I've been with that had very sensitive ears and she was like 'okay I did not need to know that' XD She's half-joking. My sister and I are also best friends, so we do tell each other about our love/smut life sometimes.

Anyway

Thank you for spending your time with me and my story! I feel like there's never-ending moments of this Kaito and Shinichi's romance in my head, so yes more chapters will come out. I invite you on this journey with me, I'd love to see you here every new upload ^^

So how are you feeling about Kaito and Shinichi's first date? Were there moments that made you laugh or particular lines that you liked/plot lines? I appreciate all comments, whether it's emojis/adjectives or longer ones.

Take care of yourself, fellow dcmk fan! See you next time!