Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shinichi could not believe his ears. What the hell! He had not sacrificed everything — well, not everything, but hell of a lot of money in bribing Haibara with expensive Prada and Fusae accessories — just for the receptionist to say that they had overbooked the rooms by mistake. How could one of the most luxurious and sought-after hotels in Paris not double-check its bookings? Oh, and guess what, just his luck that out of all of his friends, it was only his room that was double-booked.

“We're really sorry, sir, but since you booked at the last moment, we had to assign you to the only available room,” the receptionist explained, her apologetic tone not matching her exasperated face. “All other rooms are at max capacity, but don't worry, we are setting you up with someone your own age.” 

Shinichi glared at her, and she glared back at him with equal ferocity, still wearing the forced, mandated smile. Sigh, he knew he was being unreasonable; there was no use in blaming her; it was his fault after all. He really should have made sure of the bookings before he sashayed over to the receptionist and demanded that she give him the room keys. But really, could you blame him? He was a tad bit (okay, quite a lot) grumpy after missing the last KID heist, all because Haibara had established a precise set of rules to be followed if he was to have the APTX antidote, and he had to spend the whole heist time diligently noting it all down. All that precious time he could have spent in the company of KID. Then, he was up all night packing two different sets of clothing: morning clothes for Shinichi and nightclothes for Conan. Then, he had to wake up early to catch the flight, and then he spent the whole flight trip awake, thanks to Hattori’s unrelenting snoring. Seriously, no one can blame him for being unreasonable right now!

While they had offered him one of the best rooms in the hotel: a double deluxe room with complimentary breakfast and dinner, a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower from the attached balcony, plus a lot of extra amenities that the person who originally booked the room had added, it did nothing to reduce his growing anxiety. Sharing a room with a stranger was the last thing he wanted. Especially if the said stranger was going to be so picky about his choices— he had said that nothing that even resembles fish in the slightest should be kept in the room. Weird. He also mentioned that there should be a full basket of chocolates and a fresh pot of coffee at all times in his room. Really? Rich, spoilt brat!  (But he wasn't going to complain about the coffee) — he would also reasonably not want to share a room with a grumpy teenager on his vacation.

“Relax, Shinichi,” Ran reassured him. “Just accept the room. If you don't like your roommate, we can come up with a plan.” Then added discreetly to him, “Look, Shinichi, we get all those extra amenities for free if you agree to take the room. Especially free food at the pool, oh and free room service, oh and free hotel merchandise, oh and free transportation …”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, Ran” The receptionist had told them that in exchange for the inconvenience caused, they would all get these extra privileges.

“Also, the receptionist did say the roommate would be someone your age, so it should be fun, right? And who knows, maybe you’ll even end up with a new friend at the end of the trip!” She added excitedly, clasping her hands.

Yeah, right, he thought bitterly. With his luck, his roommate would be someone who is a serial killer or something. His friends had worked so hard to plan this vacation, and it was only after arguing with Haibara for four hours that he managed to persuade her to give him the antidote. She had initially flat-out refused — and with good reason, of course; he was still on the run from the Black Organisation— but he couldn’t miss this chance. He and his friends had promised each other, back in their middle school days, that before they graduated, they would explore the enchanting streets of Paris together.

Originally, just he, Ran, and Sonoko were supposed to be on the trip. However, because of his Conan crisis, he couldn't help them plan, leading them to enlist Masumi’s help — honestly, though, she had kind of just invited herself into their plans. As excitement grew, Ran could not stop talking about the trip. Hattori and Kazuha had caught wind of the trip and were interested in joining too. Over the years, they had all grown rather closer to Ran and Sonoko, so they were invited. Sonoko then declared that if Hattori and Kazuha were coming, Makoto (her boyfriend) should join too. So, what had started as a trip for three ballooned into a group trip of seven.

Yet, the idea of sharing a room with a stranger was less appealing than ever. If he were just Shinichi, he might have considered it. But the current situation was far more problematic; he was constantly shifting between his identities as Shinichi and Conan. How could he possibly explain that to his new roommate? “Hey, stranger, we’ll be sharing a room for the next two weeks, and oh, by the way, just so you know, sometimes I’m seven years old, and sometimes I’m seventeen. No big deal, right?” What a delightful conversation that would be! As tempting as it was to confide in someone, telling a stranger his secret was out of the question. Plus, seeking Haibara’s help wasn’t an option—she would undoubtedly gloat and then confiscate the antidote, sending him packing back home.

Even when he was only Shinichi, he had always valued his privacy. But now, with his personal safety at stake, he couldn’t risk losing the control he fought so hard to maintain. This was precisely why he’d booked a single room when all the others had paired off. When giving him the antidote, Haibara had given him a strict warning: he was not to use the antidote while sleeping. Each pill had precisely an eight-hour effectiveness, and he was limited to two per day. How could he possibly sleep soundly knowing a stranger was in the same room with him, when he was practically a seven-year-old? 

As he was starting to get a mild panic attack along with a dash of existential crisis, the receptionist handed the room keys to his friends. Ran and Masumi were sharing a room, and so were Heiji and Kazuha. Originally, Sonoko booked a private suite for herself, but then, after Makoto had agreed to come with her, she demanded the most costly, most luxurious, all in all, the best room the hotel could offer.

The receptionist informed him that his mysterious roommate had yet to arrive, and they could not discuss his rooming arrangements until this person checked in. With a heavy sigh, Shinichi slumped onto a plush sofa in the hotel lobby. Why the hell did the universe hate him so much!?

“You all go ahead and rest; it was a long journey, and I’m sure you are all dying to see your rooms”, Shinichi urged, glancing around at his friends. It was true; the journey was fourteen and a half hours, and none of them could sleep properly except Hattori — it was his snoring that kept all of them up, also excitement for the trip, but mostly the snoring and even Kazuha’s brutal attempts at waking him up were futile. Also, this is the most famous hotel in Paris, and all of them were so excited about their accommodations that they couldn't shut up on the flight about how eager they were to stay here.

“Nonsense, Shinichi! We can’t leave you here alone to face your new roommate!” Ran shot back, playfully glaring at all his friends as if daring them to contradict her. Although they were all exhausted, his friends nodded in agreement. He felt a surge of gratitude; they were willing to compromise their wishes for him. Whatever Ran had told him about his horrible people skills must have been a lie, because how else did he end up with such amazing friends?

After an hour of people-watching—basically staring at anyone who approached the reception desk, hoping they might be his mysterious roommate—Shinichi was growing increasingly frustrated. The outside Parisian atmosphere seems intent on mocking him, too. It was a beautiful morning, calm and serene, and Paris was slowly starting its day. The stark contrast between the peaceful morning and his very unpeaceful inner turmoil was not lost on him.

He could sense his friends' impatience as well. Sonoko was vocally lamenting her predicament, stuck in the stuffy lobby when a luxurious suite awaited her upstairs, yet she stubbornly remained glued to her seat. Makoto, ever the peacemaker, was trying to calm her down and headed off to the bar for drinks, hoping to lift everyone's spirits. Ran, sitting nearby, gently squeezed Shinichi's hands in reassurance, promising him that his roommate would arrive soon, but even she couldn’t hide the twitching in her eyes from all the staring. Their much-anticipated trip was off to a dismal start, and Shinichi felt responsible for all their discomfort.

Kazuha had finally given in to sleep, her head resting peacefully on the plush sofa, while Heiji, with a sympathetic glance, apologised for not sticking around longer and took Kazuha to their bedroom. Shinichi half-heartedly nodded in agreement, still fixated on the entrance as if it held the answers to his growing anxiety. Heiji gave him a pat of encouragement on the back before he left, further deepening Shinichi's sense of isolation.

Just then, a group of three people around their age entered the lobby, and a spark of recognition lit up Shinichi’s face as he spotted one of them. 

“Hakuba! Over here!” he called out, his voice cutting through the quiet bustle of the lobby.

“Kudo-kun! What a pleasant surprise!” Hakuba responded, his face lighting up with a friendly smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, my friends and I are here for a vacation. This is Sonoko Suzuki, Ran Mouri and Masumi Sera. She is a high school detective like us, too,” Shinichi gestured toward Sonoko, Ran and Masumi, who were now looking over with curious expressions. “How about you?” 

By this time, Hakuba’s two companions had wandered to the front desk, the sound of their laughter mingling with the low hum of hotel chatter.

“Oh! What a coincidence! My friends and I are here for vacation too,” Hakuba exclaimed, pointing to those two who were currently playfully hitting each other at the front desk, their enthusiasm adding a refreshing spark to the otherwise dull atmosphere. “Sorry, they are always like that.” He added, shaking his head.

“Anyways, nice to meet you all, Suzuki-san, Mouri-san and Sera-san” He bowed respectfully.“I am Hakuba Saguru, high school detective. I met Shinichi-kun at a Sherlock Holmes convention about a year ago. We stayed good acquaintances after that and text each other about interesting cases quite often.”

“Nice to meet you, too, buddy!” Masumi vigorously shook his hand. Hakuba looked terrorised, afraid his hand might fall off from the way she was gripping him; Ran started giggling, giggling at Masumi, and Sonoko stared in shock at Ran’s uncharacteristic giggling. Since when did Ran start giggling? Guess they were more affected by their tiredness than he thought.

But Shinichi was not paying attention to all that. He stood transfixed at Hakuba’s two companions. He felt a familiar shiver run down his spine, not a sinister one but a somewhat exciting sort of shiver… Wait what? It couldn't be, Shinichi thought, ignoring his screaming internal siren of an instinct; There was no way KID would be here, especially on a vacation with a detective who is hell bent on capturing him and the daughter of the inspector who is even more hell bent on capturing him, right? He continued gaping at them like an idiot. They had moved on to arguing in a very creative and colourful way, and the poor receptionist looked traumatised as she hopelessly tried to placate them. 

“Kudo-kun”, Hakuba started mildly concerned, “Are you all right?” He started waving his hand in front of Shinichi’s face.

“Yeah, Shinichi, don't you know it's rude to stare at people?” Masumi snickered, “Also, close your mouth, you're drooling” She added just to be a bit mean. Haha, Shinichi thinks, I take back everything I thought earlier, my friends are all horrible and would love to make fun of me at every opportunity they get (jk he loves all of them way too much). Also, He was not drooling!!

“I’m fine,” Shinichi mumbled. “Anyways, who are your friends?” he asked, pointing at the two without stopping his stare at them. He cringed at his overenthusiasm.

“Ah, my apologies,” Hakuba called out to his friends. “Aoko-san, Kuroba-kun, could you please try to be civil for once?” he sounded tired, as if they had done this multiple times. “There is someone I would like to introduce you to.”

Kuroba-kun, why does that name sound familiar? Wait, he recalled, Toichi Kuroba was the world-famous magician from whom Vermouth and Mom learnt the art of disguising! It would make sense if KID were his son, because his disguises are always impeccable, his analytical brain supplied, but he really shouldn’t jump to conclusions that easily. There could be more than one Kuroba in Japan. Yeah, he is going with this theory. Kuroba-kun is not KID, definitely not the guy Shinichi has been in love with for the past year, and definitely not the guy Shinichi may have accidentally and awkwardly confessed to at his last heist. He groaned internally.

The heist started well enough; Kaito had done all his preparations beforehand. He even had time to double-check all his traps. They were all in top shape. He was quite proud of himself. Now all he had to do was wait for the announced heist time to come, and then he could steal the jewel from right under Nakamori-keibu’s nose. Too easy, really. 

He was just strolling around in disguise when he spotted a familiar tuft of hair in the room. Oh, so tantei-kun was also here. Just when he thought he would be getting it a bit easy tonight…… Oh well, who cares about easy when his adorable tantei-kun is here! It was always 10 times more fun with him around! Kaito grinned devilishly and had already started planning in his head how to make the heist interesting for his tantei-kun. Shinichi had a long week; he had come across 4 murders in the span of 5 days. How his tantei-kun managed to be in the exact spot at the precise time would remain a mystery for the ages. 

Kaito sighed and rolled his eyes. Really, if he were to guess — he didn't need to; he knew — his tantei-kun hadn’t even slept properly last week. If his grumpy (but still absolutely adorable) pout was anything to go by, he really deserved some fun time now, and Kaito knew exactly how to give it to him. Kaito smirked conspiratorially to himself. His tantei-kun is going to have the best treasure hunt ever. 

“Ladies and gentlemen”, KID appeared in a puff of pink smoke “It's showtime!” He took the jewel — the emerald of hope, the star of tonight’s heist—from the glass case.

“I’ll be taking that!” he said. Nakamoru-keiby screeched. “And because I am feeling generous tonight, I will return the jewel to whoever can finish the special treasure hunt I have planned. See you at the end~” KID winked at Shinichi.

Ugh, Shinichi just wanted a normal heist, but what was normal when it came to KID? Of course, he would create an over-the-top treasure hunt because he was getting bored or something like that. He has had a truly horrible week so far; he had to solve 4 murders in 5 days!, pretty sure that's a record somewhere, but he would clearly be lying if he said that he wasn't looking forward to the treasure hunt. He didn't care about the jewel; in fact, he had never really cared about whether the jewel got stolen or not. He only came to heists because he enjoyed the chase. His true prize would be to see KID at the end.

He had realised that he was in love with KID over a year ago, but what could he do? He was a seven-year-old kid, while KID was an elusive Phantom thief, whom nobody knew the identity of. They could never be together, so Shinichi had to make do with their sparse meetings and the like. Shinichi sighed and set to work on the first clue. The faster he was done with the treasure hunt, the quicker he would get to see his actual treasure at the end. 

KID was the only person in the world who saw Conan as an equal, not an abomination or a child or someone who shouldn't come to places. Even when he was Shinichi, people never understood him; they still called him a child or a black omen of death. But KID never did that. He never looked down on him or spoke condescendingly; he only ever held Conan in the highest respect, even if, according to him, Conan is trying to capture him. He never acted like he was better than him, or made fun of him, or gloated at him for failing to catch KID. He would always lend a helping hand if Shinichi asked him — after the train Shiho Black Organisation incident, KID had become even more protective of Conan, always waiting after heists to check up on him and ask if he needed any other favours or just someone to talk to.

Shinichi found it easier to talk to him than to any other people he would normally talk to about BO. KID would first listen, then add his opinions, and if things got too depressing, he would immediately do something to cheer Conan up. Sometimes, if he was lucky, KID would even share some of his own life stories. Sinichi had learnt that KID was the second KID, son of the original one whom his father, Yusaku, had named. His father had died due to an evil organisation — Shinichi could understand how an evil organisation could uproot one’s life, and sympathised with KID — and they were searching for a stone of immortality, Pandora. KID had vowed that he would find Pandora first and destroy it along with the organisation that ruined his life.

Shinichi had gone back from the meeting feeling like he saw KID from a whole new perspective. He wanted to hug him and soothe him and tell him everything would be alright, but things rarely go the way we want. But still, Shinichi was confident in KID’s abilities to accomplish whatever he puts his mind to. A part of him was sad that once KID finds Pandora, all this will be over; he might never get to see KID again. But he was decisive in the fact that he would do anything in his power to help KID and cherish all the moments he would share with the moonlight magician who had stolen his heart.

Thinking fondly, he reached the first place given in the clue, and there was a cup of black coffee exactly the way Shinichi likes sitting there, abandoned. Confused, he lifted the cup and found that the temperature was perfect and judging by the dust and positioning of the cup, he detected that it must have been kept there only a few moments ago. He tentatively sipped it, and Oh my god, it was heavenly. Then he became suspicious and mentally kicked himself for drinking unattended drinks in a closet, but then he saw a KID doodle on the cap and instantly felt relieved.

So KID must have kept it, like those gifts that they keep after each hint. Congratulations! You solved the clue. Have a little gift before solving the next one! Which also meant that KID was monitoring his progress and kept the cup exactly when he came, so it wouldn't be spoiled. Shinichi sincerely doubted that anybody else who solved it would be getting gifts from the thief, and felt something pleasurable twist in his heart. His thief made this treasure hunt for him, though for what reason Shinichi couldn't tell.

The rest of the treasure hunt followed in the same fashion, Shinichi would solve a hint, find a small gift which was custom-made for him and get the next clue. After getting about 10 such wonderfully thoughtful gifts and about just as many mini cardiac arrests because did KID really like him that much that he made a costly-looking custom designer keychain of them? He finally reached the endpoint, which was the rooftop of an adjacent building — typical KID loves rooftops — and found the phantom thief lit oh so perfectly by the moonlight behind him.  

“Took you long enough, tantei-kun” He grinned playfully and jumped off the ledge he was sitting in. It was starting to annoy Shinichi that no matter what the place or situation, the thief managed to look so very attractive, and it didn't even look like he was putting any effort! How unfair! 

“Well, it was you who made the clues over the top and the hunt insanely long”, Shinichi huffed accusingly at the magician.

“True”, he replied thoughtfully, “But you enjoyed it, which was the whole point, so I consider it a win-win, even if I had to wait an eternity for you to arrive” He dramatically put his hand on his head.

“I doubt you had to wait that long, seeing as you were following me the whole time”, Shinichi replied back.

“Nothing escapes you, do they, meitantei?” KID acknowledged, shaking his head. “So, did you like my little presents?”

“Yeah, I did, but why in the world did you add a treasure hunt in the last moment? Don't tell me it was already planned, for I know you did it last minute. I loved all the clues and the gifts, but what I don't get is why? It's neither my birthday nor your birthday nor our annive– I mean the day we met, so why?” 

“You were sad, I wanted to cheer you up. Do I need any other reason?” KID looked at Shinichi as if he had sprouted another head, as if it was he who was crazy.

Shinichi felt his heart skip a beat. He made a whole complicated treasure hunt with heartfelt presents because he wanted to cheer him up! What had he done to deserve such a friend?

He wanted to cry, fly, put his arms around KID, kiss him and tell him he loves him a thousand times, but instead he just said “Thank You” Then he added “I'm grateful for what we have, even if you don't feel the same way about me” softly to himself. “I love you, KID.”

“What did you say?” KID asked, suddenly serious.

“Nothing… I just said thank you,” Shinichi stammered. Damn it. Damn, KID and his super sharp hearing. “I said nothing, forget it”

“It wasn’t nothing, I heard what you said, you said you lo—” KID was cut short by Nakamori-keibu entering the scene.

“Haha, I finally caught you, you are not getting away easily this time, KID. Guards catch him”

KID’s poker face was back on, so Shinichi couldn't tell what he was feeling. “Until next time, meitantei” He opened his glider and flew back into the night. Cue to the background cursing by Nakamori-keibu.

“Boy, did you at least get the jewel back?” He pulled Conan and started shaking him. He felt something click in his pocket and found the jewel along with a blue rose. He started blushing and gave the jewel back. “Here it is.” Only then did Nakamori-keibu stop shaking him.

He dusted his shirt and stared at the rose like it would magically answer all his doubts. Oh god, did he really just confess to KID? What will he ever say to cover it up? And what if he rejects him? No, that thought was too depressing to go to. He had to cover it up somehow. He can't go through rejection twice. The first time, when Ran had said she didn't feel the same way, he had been heartbroken and hadn't eaten for two days. All that for someone he hadn't truly loved in a romantic sense. Don't get him wrong, he really loved Ran but more in a sisterly way. But now, when it came to someone he actually romantically and sexually loved?. No, he couldn't even bear the thought of rejection. Maybe he should take his parents' offer and move to New York, he thought, deranged, oh and change his name too while he was at it.

He groaned when he saw the time. Ran was going to kill him for staying out this late. He mentally kicked himself and ran back home. He would have to make his rejection plans some other time; he had a scary older sister with a curfew waiting back home.

Kaito and Aoko came over to greet them. 

“Kuroba-kun, Aoko-san, this is Kudo Shinichi, Mouri Ran, Sera Masumi and Suzuki Sonoko.” Hakuba introduced them.

They all waved and said a chorus of hellos. 

“Hello everyone, my name is Kuroba Kaito, and I'm an amateur magician. It's nice to meet you all, and this is my best friend, Aoko” He handed them each a rose. “Nice to meet you”, Aoko bowed a little.

 If there had been any doubt that Kuroba was KID, it was completely gone now. He had handed Shinichi a blue rose, something that only KID did and replied with matches your eyes, meitantei in his ears. Shinichi shivered and blushed a dull red.

“Oh my gosh, a magician, just like KID-sama”, Sonoko said dreamily. 

“And a gentleman too,” Ran added, looking at her rose. The girls had all gotten a yellow rose. Friendship.

“Ah, not at all, KID-sama is the best magician in the world, and I am just an amateur, though it delights me to know that you compare me to my idol!” Kaito said in his most enthusiastic voice.

How does he manage to both praise and put him down at the same time? Makoto had just entered back with drinks when he heard Sonoko talk about KID-sama, and boy, did he look angry. Kaito shivered and quickly tried to change the subject. Typical, he was still a little scared of Mokoto, Shinichi thought, smiling a little, no matter how much he pretends to be otherwise, he was a human too, he felt fear, even if a childish one.

“What were we talking about, KID?” Makoto said in an emotionless tone. Sonoko, not noticing the change in the atmosphere, rambled on about how KID was the best magician and how good it was to have another KID fan here.

“Let's talk about something else”, Shinichi tried to change the subject, sensing the rise in tension in Makoto’s shoulders. His hands had started shivering a bit, because of anger, and he quickly put the drinks tray down.

Kaito and Ran both threw him a grateful look while Masumi looked puzzled.

“Yes, this drink is amazing, thanks for getting it, Makoto-san”, Ran agreed.

“Ooh, let me try it” Sonoko grabbed a drink, her earlier trail of thought forgotten. Luckily, Makoto had calmed down on seeing Sonoko’s face and looked at her with such loving eyes that it hurt Shinichi to look at. Kaito wouldn’t ever look at me like that, he thought sadly.

The receptionist had come rushing down behind them, breaking Shinichi’s line of sad thoughts. “Mr Kuroba, wait, we weren't done discussing about your room yet”

“What's wrong?” Hakuba inquired.

“Nothing serious, it seems the rooms were double-booked or something, and now I need to share with someone”, Kaito said dramatically, but his grin showed that he was actually happy?! about the changes.

Wait, Oh no, what the hell, Shinichi thought, I have to share a room with him? A major part of him was relieved. He didn't have to worry about hiding or anything like that. KID already knew everything about him. But a tiny part of him wished it were anyone else. How could he share a room with Kaito when he was so in love with him, and Kaito didn't return his feelings? It would be torturous for him!

Pull it together, Shinichi, He thought to himself. The receptionist pointed to him and said, “He would be the one you have to share with, Mr Kuroba. If you are both okay, then I could give you your keys. Please do choose fast, though, Mr Kudo had already been waiting for an hour,” She said, casting him a sympathetic look.

“There is no need to think, I would absolutely share with him. You can go ahead and give us the key, right, Shin-chan?” Kaito looked so ecstatic that Shinichi wanted to give him everything he asked for. He nodded without even thinking.

“Oh”, the receptionist looked taken aback, “I'll go get the keys then.” She hurried back to the front desk.

Aoko hit Kaito and scolded, “Bakaito, you didn’t even ask him and went ahead and made his decision. If I were Kudo-kun, I would definitely return to Japan rather than share a room with someone so obnoxious”

“Ouch, Ahoko, you wound me” He put a hand to his heart to emphasise that. Then he turned to Shinichi with adorable puppy eyes and whined, “Shin-chan, you want to share with me, right?”

There was no need for the puppy eyes; Shinichi would have agreed to anything Kaito said either way, but his heart melted at seeing Kaito looking so wounded that he felt irrationally angry at Aoko-san for that. He knew Kaito was faking it, but his heart went out to him. Honestly, he was too in love with Kaito to be rational anymore.

“Idiot, don’t call me Shin-chan, but it's fine, Aoko-san, I was going to agree to share with Kuroba-kun too”

“My name is Kaito, Shinichi, and look”, he stuck his tongue out at Aoko-san, “he chose me”. Kaito pulled Shinichi close to emphasise the point. He wasn't lying technically, in any life, in any situation, Shinichi would choose Kaito over and over again.

Masumi yawned. Right, they were all tired. Shinichi kicked himself for forgetting about his friends. “You guys go upstairs, me and Kurob— I mean Kaito" he amended after receiving a glare from Kaito. “Will come as soon as we get our keys. You too, Hakuba-kun and Aoko-san”

His friends were beyond tired, so they agreed without arguing. If he was honest with himself, he was happy his friends were tired; if they had been more awake, they would doubtless mercilessly tease him at his uncharacteristic behaviour.

The receptionist handed their keys after 5 minutes of awkward silence between Kaito and Shinichi. It was only after they reached their room that Kaito spoke to him.

“So Shinichi, remember what you said at my last heist?” Kaito started the dreadful conversation, which would eventually lead him to get heartbroken.

“What, no, I didn't say anything. You heard wrong. What were we talking about again?” Shinichi Stammered. Wow, so smooth, he thought, definitely not suspicious at all.

"So you didn't say anything at all?" Kaito replied, disbelieving, "Also, you are telling me now that I flew across the continent to answer some imaginary confession I made up in my head? " He raised his eyebrows accusingly.

Shit! Kaito had cornered him there. He didn't know whether to be happy that Kaito came all the way to Paris — it was on another continent for gods sake — or concerned that he knew Shinichi would be here and somehow managed to override the hotel's computer.

"No, Yes, Maybe?" Shinichi tried to reply. "If you are going to reject me, now is as good a time as any."

"Shinichi, do you really think I uprooted my two best friends' lives, dragged them on an all-paid vacation, to another continent, just so I could reject you? Not to mention hacking into the hotel's computer and making sure we got the same room? All just to reject you?" Kaito gestured wildly and exasperated. "I can't believe I have to spell it out for you; you are the detective I fell in love with. Shouldn't you have figured this all out already?"

Shinichi was taken aback. Kaito loved him?!?! His love was not unrequited; he could spend the vacation with his boyfriend — if Kaito agreed — just like his friends. At the planning of the trip, he was miserable. All his friends would get to share this vacation with their significant others — as much as Ran and Masumi denied they were dating, it was so obvious they were in love with each other —while Shinichi would be the loner. He spent the whole time thinking about how wonderful it would be to spend time in the city of love with Kaito, only for his wish to come true?!?!

"Wait, do you really mean it? Do you really love me?" Shinichi asked, just to make sure.

"Shinichi, I beg you, stop being obtuse, or I will jump off the attached balcony. Yes, I really, genuinely love you. Happy now?"

"Yes," and Shinichi pulled Kaito closer to him to close off the distance between them. The kiss was tender, Kaito's lips were soft and warm against his own, and Shinichi felt ecstatic. If he were dreaming, please don't let him ever wake up.

Chapter Text

The roombell rang, and Shinichi got up from the bed to answer it. While waiting for their luggage to come from the lobby, they had fallen back into a comfortable conversation. Talking with Kaito was the same as before, but now Shinichi could feel love rolling off Kaito in waves. Shinichi smiled to himself. If he had known how happy Kaito would be, — And how happy he himself would be — he would have confessed way sooner. It would have saved them both a lot of pain and pining.

The hotel porter had arrived with their suitcases, and in his hand he carried a tray which had a basket full of some famous French chocolates and a pot of coffee. Shinichi took the tray while the porter kept the suitcases inside the room. He thanked the porter and called out to Kaito, who lit up when he saw the chocolates. He grabbed a few and started to eat them. How adorable! Shinichi thought, but didn't say that; instead, he said, "Did you know that when I saw all your over-the-top conditions for your room, I thought you were some pretentious asshole?"

"Hey", Kaito called out, offended. He still looked undeniably attractive

"What? I am not wrong." Shinichi tried and failed to keep his face expressionless. How could he? Kaito looked irresistible when he pouted.

"Okay, okay, no need for that, I was just kidding."Shinichi held his hands up in defeat. He really couldn't bear to see Kaito sad.

"Hmph"

Shinichi leaned forward to kiss the pout off Kaito. It was a short kiss, but Shinichi could still taste the chocolate on Kaito's lips. He licked his lips and asked, "There, better?"

"Hmm", Kaito hummed contentedly, and Shinichi couldn't help but laugh. It had been so long since he could act normally around anyone. After a few moments, Kaito joined in on his laughter.

The Black Organisation had put a damper on everything in Shinichi's life, making it impossible for him to act naturally around the people who knew his secret, let alone those who didn't. He always had to second-guess his opinions, think before sharing anything private; it was exhausting. That's why he jumped at the opportunity to travel overseas to a country where he wouldn't have to worry about anything. Granted, there were a few conditions: 1. Not getting involved in anything dangerous. 2. No publicising that he was abroad. 3. Being wary of all strangers. 4. Not sharing his details or information about BO with anyone, anyone, even if they appear harmless. You know, the usual.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Ran and Sera peeked in, looking puzzled. "Shinichi!" Ran shrieked, her hands covering her mouth in shock, "You're giggling?!?!"

Behind her, Sera smirked annoyingly. "Hey, Kudo, quit laughing and come help us. Our suitcase got stuck at the door."

Shinichi, face red, cursed himself for not locking the door after the porter left. How could he be so stupid? What if it were someone else? Damn it, Kaito really was distracting. Oh god, Shinichi groaned, suddenly hit with a realisation. What if they had come a moment earlier? How could he explain what looked like him kissing a stranger whom he had essentially met about an hour ago? He shuddered to think of it. If he wanted to keep his relationship with Kaito a secret for a while, which he did, he must be more careful. The girls gestured to follow and left the room, leaving the door ajar.

"Hey, it's okay, they didn't see anything", Kaito said reassuringly as if he had read Shinichi's mind. "We will figure out what we will tell them later, together, okay? Now come on", he swung his arms around Shinichi's shoulder, "Are we going to help your scarily strong friends or what?" Kaito kissed his cheeks affectionately and dragged him along.

To say the suitcase was stuck was an understatement. The girls had somehow managed to stuff the suitcase uncomfortably between the door and its frame. How they did that, Shinichi couldn't fathom.

"How did you manage to get it in such a position? And while we are on that topic, aren't you both stronger than us? Why do you need our help?"

"That's precisely why we need your help, Shinichi. Ran and I," Sera replied, throwing an adoring look at her while speaking, "Are extremely strong. If we try to remove the suitcase, I can't guarantee that it will be the only thing that comes unstuck. And by the way, I am in no mood to pay for property damage in this hotel. Too expensive," She grins gleefully.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do" Shinichi tried everything, pushing, pulling, lifting, and even biting — okay, the last one was more out of frustration than the idea that it might actually work — but the suitcase did not budge. It stayed stubbornly stuck where it was.

"Move aside, Shinichi", Kaito said, genuine concern seeping through his voice, like he couldn't see Shinichi suffering even for a moment. It warmed Shinichi's heart.

He stepped aside and let Kaito do his magic. He went and stood next to Ran. As soon as he was out of earshot, she started bombarding him with questions, "So on a first-name basis already, Shinichi?" She winked conspiratorially, and Shinichi felt like he might throw up.

"Hey, don't make that face, I was voicing my extreme pleasure that you finally managed to break out of your shell! I am very happy that you managed to make a new friend, Shinichi. You would never laugh with someone without having a million suspicions about them. Knowing you, it would probably be Are they a murderer or are they about to be murdered? I'm glad your new roommate managed to break through that. That was the whole point of this vacation, Shinichi, for you to reconnect with your friends and making a new friend was just the icing on top. You were missing constantly for a year and a half, and we were all very worried about you, you know."

Shinichi felt like he had been hit in the face because everything Ran said was true. Additionally, he didn't mean to worry all his friends for so long; it was just that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. How did he know that being nosy on that particular day would end up being the worst decision he ever made and mess up his life completely? He was plenty nosy before, and nothing this bad ever happened.

He was spared answering Ran when Sera shrieked "How did you do that?!?!" to Kaito, who was looking very self-satisfied."I saw the whole thing. There is no way that should have been possible!"

"What happened?" Ran asked as they walked towards them.

"He… just…" Sera spluttered, "He made our suitcase disappear. One moment it was there, the next it was gone," She mimicked an explosion.

"Hey now, don't worry, Kaito wouldn't steal anything — not permanently anyway — So just check in your room, it will be untouched. I guarantee." Shinichi said, trying to pacify Sera, who was fuming at Kaito. Odd, she never made such a fuss about her things. Maybe there was something really important to her that was inside the suitcase?

Ran raised her eyebrows questioningly as if to convey 'do you really trust this guy? he looks shady, he just made our suitcases disappear'

"Shinichi's right, I didn't steal anything. I am just an innocent magician." Kaito did look the part of perfect innocence "Your suitcases are kept safely inside your room. If you don't believe me, you can go check" He shrugged nonchalantly.

"How did you do that? My eyes didn't leave you for even a moment." Sera asked, still disbelieving.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," He replied, winking "Also, you're welcome" He bowed.

"Yes, thank you very much, Kuroba-san", Ran said, suddenly remembering that Kaito had helped them.

"Yes, yes, thank you", Sera replied, irritated as she pulled Ran along with her inside their room. "Remember, I am a detective and I will not stop until I figure out what you did." She added dangerously, but not without a playful glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, good luck, you will need it. Kaito is the best magician there is. I bet you wouldn't be able to guess what he did." Shinichi couldn't help but call out; he would shamelessly show off his extremely talented boyfriend to anyone who would listen...

"Don't say that in front of Sonoko" was the last thing he heard before Sera slammed the door shut, and Kaito kissed him then and there.

Shinichi tried his best to pull away and said, "Idiot, what were you thinking? What if someone saw us?"

"Aww, sorry Shin-chan, I couldn't resist. Not going to lie, you sticking up for me is kind of hot."

"Idiot, don't say things like that. Also, don't call me Shin-chan!"

"Then even you shouldn't act like you know me already", Kaito replied playfully, sticking out his tongue.

"It's just I can't help but want to root for you. I want to show off my amazingly talented boyfriend to everyone. I know that for the majority of our relationship, we have been detective and thief or destined rivals or whatever, but I want you to know that I love you very, very much" Shinichi felt relieved on telling Kaito that.

Kaito kissed him again. "Aww, I love you, too, Shin-chan. Now come on, before anyone spots us."

Unown to them, Sera had watched the whole thing from her room's spyhole. She couldn't hear everything, but she had heard enough. She closed the spyhole after they had left and went back inside quietly to help Ran unpack their clothes.

They had only been making out for a few minutes when the roombell rang. Again. Shinichi continued to make out fervently, hoping that the perpetrator might go away through sheer force of will. He was much too comfortable now to go and check who was ringing the bell. Did people have no common sense nowadays? How did they have the heart to disturb when Shinichi was finally getting to make out with his amazing Kaito?

The perpetrator didn't go away — that heartless bastard — but instead continued to attack the room's doorbell passionately. Shinichi sighed and reculantly extricated himself from Kaito's warm, inviting, beautiful, strong arms and went to see through the spyhole. It was Hattori and Kazuha. Huh, intrigued, he opened the door.

"Oi Kudo, you met with your new roommate. Ran-san said you became best friends with him. Move, I want to fight him — I mean, see him" Hattori pushed past him to see Kaito emerging out of their bedroom looking refreshed with no trace of their earlier activities. "Oh, hello… whoa", Kaito started, only to have Hattori stare menacingly at him and roughly shake his hand.

"Hattori Heiji, Shinichi Kudo's best friend and the great detective of the west. Pleased to meet you, " Hattori introduced himself in a tone which clearly implied that he was NOT pleased to meet him. He was still gripping Kaito's hand quite harshly. "Mess with Shinichi and you'll wish you were never born." He added more quietly in Kaito's ears.

Typical, Ran must have called Kazuha and told her everything, who in turn must have told Hattori, and now he is coming over to play some Knight in shining armour. If it were anyone else he was sharing a room with, Shinichi would appreciate the sentiment so much more, but since it is Kaito, he felt an irrational surge of anger at Hattori for trying to hurt him.

"Whao, Hattori, stop threatening him. I'm fine, I know how to take care of myself, I am not seven anymore" Shinichi tried — and failed — to get Kaito out of Hattori's vice grip.

"Shinichi, you don't know, this guy could be a serial killer, and he is friends with Hakuba, so he is definitely bad news"

"Okay, hold on, I can take on any accusation, but how dare you accuse me of being friends with that Hakuba bastard?" Kaito asked, offended, while rubbing his hands where Hattori had gripped them.

"Either way, I don't trust him, so I brought the whole gang together to question him." It was true; all his friends stood outside the door, appearing in various degrees of threatening. They had one thing in common, though: they all looked as if they were ready to tear Kaito into pieces the moment he so much as glared at Shinichi.

Shinichi felt a surge of gratitude looking at his friends, and while technically he had never met Makoto before, he also stood passively, but still scary enough to instil fear beside all his friends. They were all worried about him. He remembered Ran saying that earlier, but he hadn't realised how deep that sentiment ran in his friends. Damn it, what in the world did he do to deserve such friends? Maybe Conan deserved such friends, but not Shinichi.

Huh, that's odd, he thought, Hattori and Ran and even Sonoko trying to protect him would be normal, so why did Makoto, Sera and Kazuha also show the same level of protectiveness? They barely knew him! Shinichi was never very nice to anybody; he had the worst social skills, he could barely have a civil conversation with anyone, Ran included, so why did he get the special treatment? Okay, it did not make sense in the slightest. What was going on?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Kaito, who tapped on his shoulders. "Um, Shinichi, should we invite them in or…"

"Of course, come inside, all of you." He invited them inside. They all made themselves comfortable on different pieces of furniture in the room.

Sera was shamelessly sprawled on the bed, scrolling through something on her phone. Hattori and Kazuha were sitting on the two plush recliner chairs, while Makoto was leaning against the wall, looking forbearing. Ran sat on the table swinging her legs, and Sonoko sat on the bed mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'how dare Shinichi get one of the best rooms in the hotel without even asking for it' and also something like 'he has two recliners, there is only one in my room! ' while carefully examining the texture of the bedsheet.

"Okay, spill, what are you doing in my room!?" Shinichi asked, a little miffed and confused. "Also, where in the world did you find the pole hattori?! Are you planning on killing someone with it, cause even if I am your friend, I won't let you get away with it," He added after noting a weird-looking pole in Hattori's hand, using which he was mimicking hitting motions to Kaito, who only grinned sarcastically in response.

"Hey, this is the clothes hanger I found in the cupboard. I only brought it to look menacing in front of your new roommate. Don't worry, I won't use it unless absolutely necessary. Promise." Shinichi was not relieved by his confession but decided to let it go in favour of the more pressing matter: what were his friends doing in his room?

"Hey Shinichi, is this any way to treat your friends? We came all the way here because we were intrigued by your new roommate. " Sera rolled over in the bed so that she was facing them while she spoke "You are always stuck in some case or another that you barely have time to interact with your old friends. The fact that you bonded so quickly with your new friend made us suspicious."

"I'm happy for your concern, but Kaito is not a stranger to me " Shinichi suddenly got an idea to explain his and Kaito's sudden friendship, one which would be indisputable to everyone except Hattori. "We met on the special case I have been working on for the past year and a half." He cast a side glance at Hattori, who was lost in his own thoughts. He was looking at Kaito with quiet concentration, and suddenly, as if having a lightbulb moment, he lit up and looked at Shinichi with a glance which conveyed pure betrayal.

Duh, of course, Hattori would figure out that Kaito was KID. He was the only one to have seen Kid without his mask. Well, he could always explain to Hattori later, right now he had more pressing matters to handle, namely his other five friends, though with the exception of Sera, they were not nearly as nosy as Hattori.

"Kaito and I have been friends for a while, so you guys don't have anything to worry about. He is a nice guy who does not deserve your hostility," Shinichi added with a glare.

"Well then, if you are already friends with Shinichi, and Hattori-kun and I have already met Hakuba-san and Nakamori-san before, so how about we combine our Vacations together? That way we could all enjoy and get to know each other better," Ran asked, excitedly clasping her hands.

The request sounded sincere, but Shinichi could not shake off the feeling that there was something sinister behind it. Ever since the start of the trip, Shinichi had been having a feeling that something was going on behind his back. His friends would always share knowing glances with each other when they thought he was not looking, granted it could be because he hadn't travelled with them as Shinichi for a long time, but those looks felt as if it was about him. His instincts told him that something was wrong, and his instincts were rarely wrong.

"Okay, I will ask them before lunch and tell you then?" Kaito asked, not worrying too much.

"Sure, it is going to be wonderful, don't you think, Shinichi?" Sonoko asked excitedly.

"Yeah sure," He replied, his mind going a million miles per hour. Maybe he was overthinking this. He was constantly suspicious of his surroundings as Conan, so maybe he was just imagining things? After all, what was the worst that could happen?

"If that's all, then I would appreciate it if you all would leave me alone for some time. I am still tired after our journey and would like to get some rest. Now." Shinichi replied firmly, leaving no room for argument. Ran nodded, understanding and jumped down from the table. She gave a look to Sera, who understood immediately.

"Alright, everyone, chop chop, come on now, let's leave Shinichi to some peace and quiet", Sera said loudly, clapping and rounding everyone up. They all reluctantly got up from their seats and followed Sera. Hattori hesitated, "Wait, you guys go ahead, I have something I want to speak to Kudo alone."

They nodded and left the room in a chorus of Bye and See you later. As soon as the door shut, Hattori asked, "What are you doing here, KID?" as usual, straight to the point.

"Same as you, tantei-han, I am on vacation with my beautiful Shin-chan " He stuck his tongue out childishly to Hattori.

Hattori's brain short-circuited "What the fuck did you just say?"

He repeated himself louder and in a condescending manner, as if Hattori were a particularly dumb person who couldn't understand basic words; it only got him angrier to the point where Shinichi had to physically pull Hattori off Kaito, who was smiling in amusement at the whole scene.

"Both of you. Stop. Kaito, stop fuelling Hattori, and Hattori, stop trying to hurt him. Kaito is only here for Vacation; same as us." Shinichi skipped the tiny detail that Kaito crashed their trip because of Shinichi's abysmal confession; Hattori didn't need to know that.

"No, whenever that little menace is around, there is always some ulterior motive. Did you forget the time he kidnapped you to Singapore? He should be in jail for that. Oh, and also for the million other crimes he has committed. Just hand him over to the police, Shinichi. Why does he deserve any special treatment? "

"He is not getting any special treatment", Shinichi tried to reply while Kaito was making childish gestures at Hattori. Honestly, taking care of a five-year-old would be easier than taking care of Kaito."We both know that even if we attempt to capture him — which we won't — he will easily escape that. Also, he is my boyfriend now, so be nice, Hattori."

"What the hell, Kudo? I thought you had some standards. I am humiliated for you. You could have chosen anyone in the World, and yet you chose this guy," He pointed toward Kaito as if he was the bane of his existence.

"Too bad tantei-han, Shinichi chose me, so go sulk somewhere else", Kaito replied, matching Hattori's contempt.

"Hattori, please try and be civil with Kaito. If we are going to spend the whole trip together, I would rather not have my best friend and boyfriend at each other's throats the whole time"

"Fine! But if he starts it, know that I will not stop until I utterly destroy him!" Hattori replies with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Kaito's only response is to stick his tongue out.

"So that means, you will be sleeping with this asshole and not me?" Hattori asks in a suggestive manner to get a rise out of Kaito. It worked; God, Shinichi was going to have his hands full with these two.

"Shinichi!" Kaito shrieked in outrage, "You were going to sleep with him?! I know you made bad decisions sometimes, but what in the world possessed you to make such a horrible decision!"

"What?!… No…. Yes…. Maybe?…" Shinichi started. Sigh, he then explained Haibara's rule for the antidote to Kaito. "So that is why when I heard that I might have to share with a stranger, I asked Hattori if I could sleep— I mean, spend the nights alone in his room. You know that was the most reasonable option, right? You couldn't possibly think that I would be comfortable sleeping with someone in my seven-year-old form."

"Fine!" Kaito fell back dramatically on the bed." But I'm only forgiving you because I get to cuddle with you, Shin-chan and also with adorable tantei-kun. I consider this a win-win." He looked so happy at that thought. Shinichi threw a pillow at him.

"Ignore him," he said to Hattori, who looked flabbergasted."But if you dare snore all night like the last time, I swear I will go and sleep with Hattori," He threatened Kaito. As much as he loved Kaito, he needed sleep, and if Kaito was going to keep snoring all night like back in Singapore, he would rather go somewhere else where there is no snoring.

"No!!" Kaito looked panicked. "I swear I will not snore. Please don't leave me, Shin-chan. I love you!" Kaito whined, pulling Shinichi's sleeve in an attempt to get closer to him.

"I am not going to leave you, happy now?" Shinichi then turned back to Hattori, "So, yeah, you don't have to worry about my sleeping arrangements anymore. Go have fun with Kazuha-san"

"What?!?! Shut up, Shinichi!" It was Hattori's turn to be flustered."At least I'm not cuddling up with an internationally wanted thief."

"That's because you don't get to", Kaito replied, sticking out his tongue. He really was adorably when he did those childish gestures. "Only Shin-chan gets to cuddle with me. Jealous much tantei-han?"

"That's not what I mean! I meant that it's a bad thing. You know what, never mind. I am going to ignore you."

Shinichi sighed. If this is how it is going to be between the only two people here who knew his secret, he was going to have a hard time.

"So Sera was right, but why are you hiding your relationship, Kudo? I get that it must be embarrassing for you, you know, being all lovey-dovey with this loser. If I were you, I would definitely not want to be seen in public with him, " Hattori pointed towards Kaito as if he were and disgusting insect he wanted to squash. Shinichi felt a rational surge of anger at Hattori for that. No one should look at Kaito like that!

"Kaito is amazing. Hattori, don't speak about him that way. I just want to keep some things to myself before telling everyone. You know I have to keep my life private until we defeat the black organisation, right?"

"I get it, Kudo. If you need anything, I am in the next room, okay?" Hattori said as he got up to leave. "Get some rest. I know you didn't sleep well on the flight."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving. Take care, and…. " He looked as if he wanted to say more, but then thought the better of it. He left with a nod of his head.