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There was a person in Shinichi’s house.
He was coming off a three day case, two nights with no sleep, and one more murderer behind bars –and there was a person in his house.
Sonoko raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘Fight me’.
Shinichi had no energy for that. All he wanted to do was go up to his room and sleep for the next six hours, never mind that it was ten in the morning on a Saturday. His bed called him like a siren in the sea of exhaustion.
The doorbell rang.
Shinichi turned around, giving the door a mystified look.
“Are you going to open it or not?” Sonoko called from her place in the hall.
Dumbly, Shinichi opened his front door.
There was a person on his doorstep.
Why was there a person on his doorstep?
The person was a guy in his mid-twenties, roughly the same height as him, face extremely similar to Shinichi’s with the exception of vibrant indigo eyes that had to be colored contacts or something. The guy had smiled when Shinichi opened the door, but the longer the two stood there, the more nervous he seemed.
His smile fell, “You forgot, didn’t you?”
Forgot? Forgot what?
“He’s just having trouble processing anything right now.” Sonoko pushed Shinichi aside and he let her. She gestured into Shinichi’s house, “Come right on it! I have snacks in the kitchen.”
Unsure, the guy hesitated a step before ducking his head and scooching past Shinichi, who still stood dumbstruck off to the side.
“It’s right through there!” Sonoko pointed through Shinichi’s house, “Go ahead and get comfortable! We’ll be right behind you.”
The guy nodded and placed his shoes in the entrance before following her directions. Once he was out of earshot, Sonoko rounded on Shinichi with the wrath of a demon, “I don’t care how long you’ve had your nose in a case file, but you better get your act together and your head in the game! That’s Kuroba Kaito in there, author of Moonlight Magician, the one you made up with by the skin of your teeth! If you mess this up, you won’t get a second chance!”
Shinichi… wanted to cry.
His bed, so close for the first time in three days was just out of his grasp and why does he do this to himself?!
Something must have shown on his face, because Sonoko’s glare softened. She sighed, “This is why I told you not to get absorbed in your work. Every time you get nervous, you throw yourself into a case and come out all the worse for it.”
Yes, she’d told him multiple times not to overdo it, but writing wasn’t Shinichi’s only job. Still… he probably could have handled it better.
“Go take a shower,” she said, “get dressed in something that doesn’t have day-old wrinkles. I’ll have coffee down here when you’re done.”
Shinichi did as she said and went upstairs.
* * * * *
Kaito wasn’t sure what it said that Kudou-san forgot their meeting. He had seemed apologetic at the cafe, but Kaito got so many mixed signals, he wasn’t sure anymore. Was it an act on his agent’s behalf? Did he despise Kaito (Aoko) for making him… do that?
Why had he seemed so confused?
“Sorry about that,” Kudou-san’s lady friend said as she came in, “Suzuki, Sonoko, Kudou Shinichi’s agent.”
“Kuroba Kaito,” Kaito said, taking her offered hand.
“Shinichi’s just come back from his other job,” Suzuki explained, “One more murderer off the streets, but at the cost of a few days’ sleep.”
That was understandable. Kaito always liked his streets with one less psychopath. That style of living didn’t sound healthy though. He frowned, “I can come back another time, if he…?”
“No, no, no!” Suzuki waved him off. “He just needs a shower and some coffee. He’ll be right down, then we can discuss things. Cookie?”
Double-chocolate chip? Hell yeah!
Kaito took one and magicked away another two (or five), biting into the deliciousness that was cocoa. So good! Nice and soft, not too chewy or crunchy. They weren’t warm, likely store-bought, but Kaito didn’t care. He’d have to ask for the store name.
“Aoko-chan wasn’t kidding,” Suzuki raised an eyebrow at his reaction, “You do like chocolate.”
“It’s a gift from the heavens,” Kaito said around a mouthful. He swallowed, “Suzuki-san-?”
“Sonoko, please,” Suzu-Sonoko said, smile soft and jovial.
“Sonoko-san,” Kaito corrected, “I’m not sure how well a cross-over would go. Nothing to do with Kudou-san, I’m just not sure how his universe would mesh with mine.”
Sonoko seemed to wilt, “Shouldn’t it be easy? He’s got a detective. You’ve got a thief.”
Kaito tried not to feel slighted. His character was a magician, thank you! “But my world also has magic in it, an abundant amount. Elementary Conan does not. In fact, the main character often says things like ‘magic does not exist’ or ‘ghosts aren’t real.’ I think Kudou-san has made his limits clear.”
Sonoko blinked at him, “You read Elementary Conan? In its entirety?”
That… wasn’t what Kaito had wanted her to dwell on. He hid his red cheeks with another bite of a cookie.
“Oh my gosh, you did!” Sonoko squealed, clapping her hands together. “You’re a fan! You’re a fan of Elementary Conan!”
Kaito never should have opened his mouth.
“Shinichi!” Sonoko yelled at the sound of creaking footsteps on the stairs. “Kaito is a fan of Elementary Conan!”
The footsteps paused, but ultimately deposited the detective/author at the base of the stairs. Kudou yawned as he walked in, hair still damp from his shower. His skin held the faintest traces of water on it, like dew on delicate grass.
Kaito kind of wanted to lick it off. He ignored Sonoko’s pointed look.
“That sounds like a him problem,” Kudou said as he migrated to the coffee machine. He poured himself a cup, downed it like a shot, and then poured himself another.
“Would you stop trashing your own work?” Sonoko crossed her arms, “especially in front of a potential partner?”
Kaito frowned, “you don’t like Elementary Conan?”
“I do.” Kudou took a sip of his coffee and rubbed his eyes. “But it requires a specific mindset to write it well and just ends up tiring me out. There’s only so much one can write about living in hiding before it starts to wear out.”
But… that’s what Kaito did every day, wasn’t it?
Every time, he wrote of Moonlight Magician, it was the same as living a double-life. Granted it was different. Conan hid to save his life. KID hid as a sort of game he played with the police.
Specific mindset indeed.
“Anyway, why don’t we head up to my office?” Kudou suggested as he poured another cup –had he finished the second already? “I’ll show you some of my other work and I can look at some of yours. Then we can brainstorm and see if anything will stick. Does that sound good to you?”
“I didn’t bring any material,” Kaito found himself saying.
“That’s fine. I have a book of yours to read,” Kudou noted as he headed out of the kitchen. “My friend got it for me. I just hadn’t had the chance to read yet.”
“Oh,” was all Kaito could say. Kudou motioned for him to follow, so Kaito did –not before taking another three cookies with him of course.
The place they ended up in was a circular, two-story library that screamed “secret-entrance” to Kaito. A part of him wanted to tip back every book, just to see if a shelf magically shifted back and opened up to a space behind (or below).
“This is my study,” Kudou gestured around, “or I should say my dad’s and mine. You’ve heard of Kudou Yuusaku, right?”
Author of the Night Baron series? Half the inspiration for Kaito’s own series? Second all-time favorite books Kaito owns (behind Elementary Conan, of course).
No wonder Kudou was so good, with a father like that.
“Yeah,” Kaito swallowed. Would he, Kaito, be able to live up to their standards? “I’ve heard of him.”
“Good. One thing though.” Kudou buried his nose in his coffee before pinning his eyes on Kaito, “I am nothing like that smug son-of-a-gun.”
Kaito blinked.
“He’ll tell you the same,” Kudou said around another mouthful of coffee, “just want to make sure you don’t build up some image of me in your head. I hate to disappoint.”
No problems there. Kaito thought as he watched Kudou’s Adam’s Apple bob. Definitely no problems.
“The stuff on the left side of the desk are all things pertaining to my novels. Character sheets, potential plots, books that were rejected…” Kudou trailed off as he stepped up to the wide, cherry-wood desk. “Dad’s stuff is on the right. I’m on the left because… I don’t remember right now, but it is not because dad is always right.”
Kudou had books that were rejected? Who in their right minds would reject a book by Kudou Shinichi?!
“-free to look around, read ‘em, don’t, I don’t mind,” Kudou continued as he trailed over to another shelf. “Since you’re a fan of Elementary Conan, I assume you don’t need a refresher on its plot. I do have a book that would sway more towards supernatural, but it’s your call whether you read it or not.”
Kaito watched Kudou take a book off the shelf and felt his face heat at the all-too-familiar cover.
“I’ll be reading your book on the couch over there,” Kudou added, “if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Kaito nodded emphatically and took a seat at the desk. He tried not to fidget so much, but it was so hard. Kudou Shinichi, Kaito’s all-time favorite author, was going to read his book! Right here! In front of him!
If he’d been nervous the first time, Aoko read his work, that was nothing to how nervous he was now!
What kind of faces would Kudou make? Would he like seeing the view of a thief? Or would he side with the police? Wait, Kudou was part of the police force, right? Would he find the pranks from KID offensive? Would he hate Kaito for writing it?!
Nervous, Kaito glanced up to where Kudou was sprawled out on the couch, book in hand. His face didn’t show any emotion.
Was that good or bad?
Kaito licked his lips and looked back down at the desk, desperately trying to quell his nerves. It would be okay. His book had won three awards. Millions of copies sold with each release. People liked his book. It would be okay.
He glanced up again… only to find Kudou passed out on the couch, book covering his chest as he breathed softly.
Was his book that boring?
But, no… Kaito squinted. Kudou’s eyes had dark bags under them. He looked kind of like Kaito after a week-long writing binge.
Hadn’t Sonoko said something about a case?
Kaito could let him have a few hours. It would put off Kaito’s nerves for now, at least. Besides, Kudou looked kind of cute when he was sleeping, so soft and peaceful and…
Kaito should stop staring at Kudou in his sleep. Aoko had told him it was creepy and not a ‘normal’ thing to do. She was generally right.
So he tore his eyes from Kudou’s sleeping form and back to the desk. Kudou had said the left contained all his materials, including books (books!) not yet published. Kaito found himself growing excited for an entirely different reason.
Because they were books!
By Kudou Shinichi!
Never read by anyone but his agent!
This was suddenly the best day of Kaito’s life.
The bottom drawer, largest of three, held the aforementioned manuscripts. There were three manuscripts (three!), one about a normal high school detective, another about a high school spirit detective, and a third about a high school detective chasing down an internationally wanted criminal.
The last sounded too much like Hakuba, so Kaito set that one aside. The first sounded good, but normal enough. The second, though, was definitely up Kaito’s alley. He’d watched detectives and ghost series before, but something told him Kudou’s take would leave everyone else in the dust.
Kaito was usually right.
* * * * *
Shinichi groaned and stretched, his slow waking process interrupted by something sliding off his chest and onto the floor with a thump. The noise startled him, bringing him to awareness far faster than usual. Blinking, he looked around.
Why was he in his study? Sleeping on his couch? With a book-?
The cover read Moonlight Magician, volume 1.
The events of a day rushed back to him and he fell backwards with a groan. He dragged his hands down his face and let out a long, agonized, “Craaaaaaap.”
He’d fallen asleep. In the middle of the meeting with Kuroba Kaito, potential partner. And now the man was gone.
Sonoko was going to kill him.
With as many of his novels she had read, they would never find the body.
A whine caught at the back of his throat, but he caught it and swallowed it back. It was his fault, so he’d have to face the consequences. He hoped Nakamori-san wouldn’t be too mad with him and Sonoko.
He spared another look at the book on the ground. If he remembered right, Shinichi had read five pages before falling asleep. Well…
If he read more, would Sonoko see that he at least made an effort?
It was worth a shot.
* * * * *
An hour later, Shinichi was on pins and needles. Really. Like his butt had gotten numb from just lying there and not moving position. Granted it didn’t manage to bother him until it turned to actual pain, but still.
What could he say? Moonlight Magician was a good book.
He’d noticed five chapters in that the thief was never referred to by any name but Kaitou KID. One character seemed to have suspicions, but never voiced them. Plus, the characters changed names between the thief’s view and the third-person view, making it hard to keep track of which characters had a clue and which did not.
It wasn’t a traditional mystery by any means, but it made Shinichi crave to solve it anyway.
But his butt was numb and his stomach growled at him from skipping breakfast (and dinner last night… and possibly lunch the day before), so Shinichi was forced to put the book down, dog-eared half-way through and find food.
And face his punishment, with regards from Sonoko.
Or… maybe not?
“What were you thinking, rejecting this?!” a shout drifted back to the doorway of the study. That voice… was that Kuroba? He was still here? “This is a work of art! Why wouldn’t you try to get this published?”
“Shinichi never wrote ghosts or supernatural before, so the abrupt change would have lost his current readership,” Sonoko replied, voice growing louder as Shinichi neared. “Plus, as good as Hanaji is, he didn’t have enough presence to make a whole series stand on its own.”
“Heiji would be so sad to hear that,” Shinichi noted as he entered the kitchen. He paused when he saw Ran at the counter.
“He lives!” Sonoko exclaimed.
“Good morning, Shinichi!” Ran greeted from where she was rolling out dough for noodles, “or I suppose afternoon?”
“Either works,” Shinichi replied, reaching for the coffee pot. He wrinkled his nose at the cold liquid.
“Have a nice nap, Kudou-san?” Kuroba asked and, no, that wouldn’t work.
“Shinichi. Please. Kudou-san sounds like my fa-!” Shinichi turned and caught sight of Kuroba’s curious smile.
That face… it couldn’t be.
After the first nap he’d had in three days, his mind suddenly made the connection where it couldn’t before.
“HAAAAAH!” Shinichi yelled, pointing his finger, coffee pot still in hand. The cold coffee splashed out and onto the floor.
Kuroba startled as Ran and Sonoko gave him confused looks. Shinichi’s cheeks heated under their stares. Embarrassed, he hid his face in his free hand, hoping the ground would open and eat him. The coffee just ran into his toes.
“Kudou-san?” Kuroba called tentatively.
“I’m sorry,” Shinichi said pre-emptively. He reached out to the towel Ran held out. Kneeling, he started to wipe up the mess he’d made, eyes firmly tacked onto the ground, “I just… I recognized where I remember seeing you before.”
“Ah,” the reply was flat, without emotions.
“I am… so sorry,” Shinichi paused in his motions, knees getting stained with the last of the puddle. “It doesn’t fix things, but I should not have acted like that. I was in… a bad place. I apologize for taking that out on you. I would understand if…”
“It’s fine,” Kuroba answered, much closer than Shinichi expected. During his rant, the other had squatted down, resting his elbows on his knees. Kuroba put his chin in his hands, cocking his head and smile to one side. “You already apologized. I already forgave you. It’s in the past, neh?”
Shinichi stared, eyes wide. He remembered the convention and his public meltdown. He had seen videos of it, had watched Kuroba walk off, pale and stunned, then later with tears. Shinichi didn’t deserve to get off scot-free.
Kuroba was a nice person.
“Besides,” Kuroba started, helping Shinichi wipe up the last of the coffee. “I’ve got a great idea and I need your help!”
“Um… okay?” Shinichi wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to.
“Take a seat here!” Kuroba ordered as he reclaimed his chair. Cautiously, Shinichi did so, making sure his knees wouldn’t brush the bottom of the table. He didn’t need to explain to his parents why the table smelled like coffee. In front of Kuroba was a stack of papers.
“Okay,” Kuroba started, gathering a set of papers, “I’m going to read a brief character summary. I want you to tell me what character it sounds like.”
Was this… a pop quiz? To see if Shinichi had read his book?
“This teen detective is cool and classy, able to remain calm in all situations. His foreign looks garner quite a few stares, but his skills are second to none when it comes to catching thieves. Now, he’s up against the most wanted thief of them all…” Kuroba cut off, obviously keeping back a key name, but it didn’t matter. Shinichi already knew; he’d been reading about this detective not fifteen minutes ago.
“Lancelot,” Shinichi answered confidently, “from your series, Moonlight Magician.”
Sonoko and Ran gasped. Kuroba grinned at them with an ‘I told you so’ look. He flipped the paper he was reading off around and smacked it down in front of Shinichi.
“Wrong,” Kuroba said, drawing his hand away to show the character sketch of Hakuga Subaru, side character in Elementary Conan. Shinichi originally planned to have him in a series all his own, but it hadn’t been in the cards. Both he and Hakori Hanaji made several cameos in Elementary Conan, though. That was enough for Shinichi.
“Let’s try a different one,” Kuroba said as he picked up another sheet of paper. Underneath it was the ghostly detective story Shinichi had attempted and failed. Kuroba started reading, “stubborn and hot-headed, this detective will battle anything in his path for the truth, whether it be criminals, murderers… or the dead themselves.”
“Hakori Hanaji, spirit detective,” Shinichi answered, “one of my manuscripts.”
“Wrong again, Kudou-san.” Kuroba flipped the paper around, grin widening. The paper showed hand-writing not his own along with non-professional sketches that looked more cartoonish than real. The ink didn’t even look dry yet.
“Ghost-kun is a character I’ve been wanting to use in my books for a while now, but I’ve never been able to find the right setting.” Kuroba placed the paper between them and sat back. “You know what this means right?”
“We know similar people?” Shinichi asked. After all, Hanaji and Subaru were based on fellow detectives.
“Shinichi…” Ran groaned and hid her face.
“What is wrong with this guy?” Sonoko asked, face turned upwards.
Shinichi shot them a look, “what?”
“Our universes,” Kuroba began, calling Shinichi’s attention back to him, “are one and the same.”
“That…” Shinichi frowned, “that can’t be. Mine doesn’t have magic in it.”
“To most of the populace in my world, neither does mine.” Kuroba raised an eyebrow. “To them, KID just steals stones for the thrill. Only a very few select individuals have seen KID in a ‘magical’ situation. Since Conan has never gone to a KID heist, I could make the claim he never had the chance to have such an encounter before.”
Shinichi… hadn’t actually read the part with the heist yet, so he couldn’t say for sure… but if Kuroba said it, it must be true.
“So you’re saying…” Shinichi leaned back and pressed his hands together, palm to fingertip. “A cross-over won’t just work…”
“It’s almost expected,” Kuroba finished, cocky grin on his lips. “So many overlapping characters, so many openings, a thief and a detective?”
“No wonder those girls were so upset,” Shinichi groaned, rubbing his forehead.
Sonoko cleared her throat.
“And Sonoko was so upset.”
Another cough.
“Yes, Ran, you were right. I should have read the book long before now.”
“Wow.” Kuroba looked over at the two girls. “They really like needling you, don’t they?”
“I think it’s how they love,” Shinichi replied, ignoring the smack to the back of the head from Sonoko. Ran, on the other hand, just laughed.
It wasn’t a ‘no’.
“So you ready to do this, Kudou-san?” Kaito grinned widely.
“Shinichi,” Shinichi replied, “Kudou-san is my dad.”
“Kaito then,” Kuro –Kaito replied, offering a hand, “do we have a cross-over?”
Shinichi eyed his hand and sighed as Sonoko and Ran squealed in the background. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this.”
But his lips were smiling when he took Kaito’s hand from across the table.
Kaito’s grin brightened further, “Let’s bring the world to its knees.”
Yeah, Shinichi was 96% sure he was going to regret working with this bright, cheerful, (beautiful) man. But he was going to enjoy every second of it.