Disclaimer: I don't own DC or MK. I've been stuck on the latest H-K Files case, so this was a nice break from staring blankly at the screen. Fear not, though, it's next on my to-do list! This, like Detectives Aligned and Like-Minded, is a Shinichi-Saguru romance, so if boy-on-boy isn't your cup of tea then please don't leave negative comments. Hope you enjoy this!
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Shinichi was almost glad to be going to the doctor's. He didn't have to worry about some nurse looking too closely at his glasses anymore, or being talked down to like a seven-year-old. No more sweating bullets when the doctor reviewed his faked medical records or falling asleep when they showed him the cartoon pictures about the importance of healthy eating. Yes, today was the first time that Shinichi had been relieved to accept the "teen" information chart to fill out in the waiting room.
First came the general health questions: Yes, my vision is fine, my hearing is fine, no new allergies, no major surgeries in the last year… He debated for several minutes over the "drug problems" question until he remembered that no one was supposed to know about the APTX-4869.
15. Have you had any problems with drugs? Yes [ ] No [X]
You have no idea, he thought. Flipping the paper over, he came to the beginning of the teen-specific questions. Most of them were straightforward and easy to answer, until he got to two questions:
48. Are you attracted to women? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
49. Are you attracted to men? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
He checked the first one "most of the time" without thought but then his hand stuttered as he reread the second. His first instinct was to check "never" for 49 – in all the times he'd filled out the teen questionnaire, he'd never paused on this. But the question sort of popped out and surprised him this time. Surprise, that's it, Shinichi concluded, and moved to check the right-most box. He stopped again, licking his lips nervously. It might not be entirely honest to say he'd never thought of kissing a man, one man in particular.
The detective's hands started to sweat as he truly, deeply considered the question for the first time. His heart rate jumped a little – maybe I should make a note under the heart conditions short-answer – as he traveled back in his mind.
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It started with a whisper in his ear in the middle of the case with the weather vane and the Japanese macaque: "I know who you are, Kudo-kun." Shinichi's heartbeat had sped up then too, but for a very different reason.
He adjusted his glasses and tilted his head quizzically at the blonde. "I don't understand, Saguru-niichan. What about Shinichi-niichan?"
"You heard me. The detective of the East may be a good enough actor to fool those who aren't looking, but I'm not blind to the flashes of genius disguised by those big blinking eyes of yours and occasional childish behavior."
"We'll talk about this later," the Beikan snapped, glaring steadfastly at the Sleeping Detective, who was about to have the wrong suspect arrested. Hakuba was crouching too close to Shinichi, his lips brushing the Eastern detective's ear and prompting a foreign feeling that Shinichi was distinctly unfamiliar with in his Conan-body.
After everything was sorted and the case solved, Hakuba offered to take Conan out to get ice cream for being so good during the case. Ran, glancing at her watch and mumbling something about a girls' night with Sonoko and Sera, was glad to pass Conan off to him.
Hakuba cleared his throat as Conan took the first lick of his chocolate sprinkles. "I became interested in Kudo Shinichi, or rather, you, when Hattori Heiji defended your talents again the fourth time he and I crossed paths. Kudo had theoretically been missing for a year and change, but I deduced from Hattori's speech that he talked to the other detective regularly. I considered for the first time that Kudo had gone into hiding voluntarily rather than the idea that he'd been kidnapped or killed, as the rumors held. I set up a timeline of Kudo-kun's cases, and when they abruptly ended, endeavored to put myself into his – I mean your – shoes. If I were to go into hiding, I'd have a lot of time on my hands. However, I know I wouldn't be able to sit by as cases went cold. Because I was meant to be in hiding, the obvious solution would be to come up with an alias and a disguise and continue solving cases. So I searched the case files of Beika and the surrounding cities and found, to my surprise, that the only newly-appeared detective with the creativity and intelligence of Kudo Shinichi was you, Edogawa Conan. The resemblance was striking.
"I then visited Teitan High with a cut out picture of Edogawa Conan from a news article about one of your smaller cases. Several people who'd been Kudo's classmates since elementary school identified with certainty that the person in the photo was Kudo Shinichi as he'd been in first or second grade. That you, Edogawa Conan, were the same person as Kudo Shinichi made both more and less sense than any theory I'd generated so far. I thought about it for a long time and came up with no logical way for your body to make such drastic changes. I almost abandoned the idea altogether. However, your reaction today, to play dumb even though the persona of Edogawa Conan is so quick-witted, gave me the final proof I needed."
Shinichi crunched on the last bite of the cone and fingered his dart watch under the table, congratulating himself for remaining so outwardly calm. "What do you plan to do with this theory?"
"Nothing," Hakuba answered.
Shinichi's mind, which had been racing with contingency plans and ways in which he could discredit Hakuba's accusations and methods to avoid the Black Organization when they inevitably found out, ground to a halt. "Nothing?"
The Ekodan smiled at his surprise. "It's simple. You're in hiding. It wouldn't do for me to go announcing to all and sundry that you're still in Beika when clearly you've gone to great lengths to keep Kudo Shinichi out of the spotlight."
"Really?" Shinichi felt his heart start to fall back into normal patterns.
"Really. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kudo-kun."
"Same, Hakuba-kun," Shinichi answered automatically, eyes fixed on the near-stranger who understood so much more about him than some of his closest friends ever would.
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Shinichi shook his head to clear the memory. That wasn't physical attraction, he reasoned accurately. That was admiration for Hakuba's incredibly unlikely but still correct deduction. He stared at the question again.
49. Are you attracted to men? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
Well, I don't think about him all the time like I've heard people in love do. So it's not like I have romantic feelings for Hakuba. However, I do have a great respect for his mind and we get along well. We're friends, and friends respect one another.
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"Where's Kudo Shinichi?" The tallest man towered over Hakuba, gun shining dangerously in his hands. Shinichi's breath quickened. He thanked whatever gods were listening that Kogoro and Ran hadn't been in the room when the four strangers dropped the disguise of being simple bystanders interested in the recently cleared-out crime scene. Two stood at the door, armed, one was binding Hakuba, and the other interrogating him. The one in charge – the questioner – had tied Shinichi to the hotel room's chair and warned him that if he screamed, he'd have a bullet in his brain faster than he could say "Kamen Yaiba".
"What are you talking about?" Hakuba asked calmly from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking everywhere but at the miniature Shinichi. The Beikan gulped, queasy as he realized that Hakuba was positioned in the same place where this afternoon's victim had been killed. The man who'd tied Hakuba took up a spot by the closed curtains.
"I asked about a high school detective, not a high school foreigner. Why were we led to you?"
Hakuba blinked. "I am a high school detective."
"You're not the one I want. Where's Kudo Shinichi?" the gun-wielder repeated.
"I don't –"
"Deduce it, then. Didn't you just call yourself a detective? Figure it out." He raised his arm, moving the gun from a point-blank shot at Hakuba's heart to the detective's head.
"What has he ever done to you?"
"The brat got someone important to me arrested for murder."
Hakuba looked at the interrogator, and then the other three abductors. "Your wife. Two of the others are her brothers and one's… a neighbor of yours." Shinichi knew that the Ekodan had been about to say "her lover", but that would have set the man off, and angry people with weapons were dangerous creatures.
"That's right. Now tell me where Kudo is or I'll start shooting. And I'm not stupid; I'm not gonna start with the kid to make you squirm, because it would give you time to miraculously come up with a way to escape. You'll be first and you will die knowing that I'm not going to kill this little monster because your death will scar him for his entire life." Hakuba finally turned to the Eastern detective, and there was no terror in his eyes, but an apology: I'm sorry I couldn't get us both out this time. A brief moment of relief registered there too. You're not going to die. Then, determination. I haven't given up yet. The Eastern detective nodded in reply.
Shinichi wriggled at his bonds. His legs had been tied tight enough to practically cut off circulation – he'd kicked at his captors – but his hands were tied more loosely in front of him. Shinichi's gaze went to the dart watch. He'd already fired the dart during the struggle, but the compartment on the underside of his watch was just large enough for one of the temporary cure pills. Haibara had strongly disagreed with the idea, but Shinichi stored one there for emergencies.
This was definitely looking like an emergency.
Shinichi was fully aware that the moment he was full-size again, he would be recognized and very probably killed. Some distant, perverse piece of his mind thought it was all kinds of ironic for a detective's last act to become the center of a murder mystery. The rest of his mind was focused on keeping someone else from dying because of him and maybe surviving this mess.
Without removing the rope, Shinichi tugged at the watch band with his teeth until it loosened. He directed its fall into his lap and pushed the button which popped the compartment open. Maybe growing larger will snap the ropes… or maybe I'll just break all the bones in my wrist. He sighed, frustrated, leaning down and scraping until he got the pill between his teeth. Shinichi swallowed and then cleared his throat for his performance.
"Excuse me," he squeaked. "I need to go to the bathroom now." He wiggled around for effect.
The head of the group threw him a skeptical look. "Do I look like I was born yesterday, kid?"
"I have to go now." Shinichi felt the pill start its work, his heart skipping erratically and his body starting to heat up painfully.
"I'm not dealing with it if he wets himself," one of the brothers announced.
Hakuba's eyes met with Shinichi's. You're either a moron or a genius, he seemed to being saying to the tiny detective. The Ekodan addressed the interrogator. "He's just a kid. What's he going to do? You already took his phone, and he's got nowhere to run." Thankfully, the group leader conceded, making one of the others check the hotel room's bathroom for anything that could be used as a weapon, in case Shinichi had any thoughts about fighting.
He collapsed as soon as the door was closed, struggling to keep from making any suspicious sounds. The Conan clothes came off and he rested on his hands and knees as his body stretched painfully, steam rolling off him like a pot of boiling water. Thankfully this transformation was quick, and thankfully the bathrobe hanging over the shower rod hadn't been taken as evidence. He slipped it on and picked up his Conan belt. The shoes didn't fit him now, but he didn't really need them when he was this size.
Shinichi was armed with a soccer ball and the element of surprise. His smile would have stopped even the fiercest shark in its tracks.
The first brother went down with a ball to the face, knocking him right out. Brother Two suffered a kick to his unmentionables, giving Shinichi the chance to pocket both men's weapons. The Eastern detective ducked as the lover shot at him and rushed over to take on the unexpected teenager. Shinichi body-slammed this one into door the way he'd seen guys on the soccer field do. "One red card I wouldn't regret."
In all truthfulness, Shinichi would likely have been immediately clipped by the leader if Hakuba hadn't used his (still-tied) feet to shove the man over the moment Shinichi burst out of the bathroom. The Beikan kicked the weapon away and sat on him, twisting his arms back until almost the breaking point. The leader growled and struggled, clearly having seen who had surprise-attacked them. Shinichi didn't let himself get thrown off.
"Hakuba-kun," he began coolly, "Is there any way you could call the front desk with your wrists tied like that?"
"I'll give it a try," the other detective answered, scooting over to the nightstand between the two hotel beds. Hakuba caught his gaze briefly and looked down at the criminal meaningfully. "I haven't seen you in a while, Kudo-kun."
"Yeah, it's been months, hasn't it? It's lucky there was a vent in the bathroom, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get in here after Conan called me through the walkie-talkie disguised as a toy badge."
"Very fortunate. It's also a good thing I asked you to meet us for coffee this evening, or you wouldn't have been in range."
Hotel management showed up and called the police (for the second time that day), and after giving statements – which included a flimsy explanation of why Shinichi had no clothes and prompted Megure's people to find him some – Shinichi and Hakuba left the hotel, exhausted. They collapsed onto a park bench. Shinichi noticed that Hakuba kept looking at him strangely every once in a while. "What?"
"Your pictures don't do you justice."
Oh. "Right, you've never seen me like this. Was that a compliment?"
Hakuba chuckled. "Yes. You've grown since your last newspaper appearance." Then he coughed, turning serious. "I realize what a huge risk it was for you to act as you did today. Coming back, it's dangerous, given the people you're hiding from. Thank you for being mad enough to rescue the both of us."
"Hey, what are friends for?"
Hakuba gave him a reproving yet amused look. "Does that mean you'll do it again next time we need saving?"
"Always," Shinichi promised with a laugh, and was surprised to realize that he meant it.
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49. Are you attracted to men? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
Friendship. He was interested in Hakuba as a friend and ally. That wasn't really what the question was asking, though. It was a flawed question, in Shinichi's mind. Clearly it was meant to ask about romantic attraction, but that wasn't the only kind out there. Of course Shinichi would be drawn to another detective his age. Look at how his friendship with Hattori had started: the Osakan was looking for another teen detective to compete with. A different kind of attraction. So Hakuba's appeal to Shinichi wasn't necessarily amorous.
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Hakuba was in his element during Kaitou Kid's heists, Shinichi realized as he ran with the other detective. The Ekodan had studied the kaitou's past riddles and knew which jewels the magician had stolen, where they'd been stolen, his entrance and exit points, and which gadgets were confirmed to be in his arsenal. So even though Kid set up traps especially for his Tantei-san, the detective avoided most of them.
Both detectives jerked to a quick stop and Shinichi slammed the door behind them, hoping the sleeping gas wouldn't come under the door in a high enough dosage to knock them out. "He'll be heading for the roof," Hakuba announced, eyes darting around in search of a staircase.
"Or a high enough floor to use his glider from. Elevators are stopped, so he's limited to the stairs like us. I wouldn't want to climb twenty sets of stairs when fifteen would do."
"Kid thinks nothing of athletic feats that most would flinch at – I think he can handle the stairs." Hakuba glanced down at Shinichi. "What about you?"
Shinichi would rather sing in front of all the detectives in Japan than admit that Conan's body wasn't up for the chase after a whole night of running. A whole day of running too, since the Detective Boys signed him up for a kiddie soccer tournament which, while enjoyable, was coming back to bite him now. "I'll be fine."
Hakuba hummed skeptically. "Children shouldn't lie, Conan-kun."
"What?" Shinichi suddenly felt something sour in his stomach. "Hakuba-kun? Is something wrong?" Hakuba never called him Conan when they were the only two around. And he never made fun of Conan for being stuck as a kid, unlike a certain Osakan that Shinichi knew. It was a welcome moment of peace in the battle against the indignity of being treated like a seven-year-old. Shinichi's parents and Agasa-hakase were old enough that, seven or seventeen, Shinichi was still a kid. And Haibara didn't count since she was stuck in the same condition as him.
Hakuba's face arranged itself artfully into a frown. "Of course not, Conan-kun. Why would you think that?" Because you're not Hakuba-kun, Shinichi deduced with a surge of relief that was so violent it hurt. Hakuba wouldn't. He knows me too well. Shinichi and Hakuba had worked together on several cases like two connected gears in a machine, their minds running different paths to the same truth. Hakuba made him really think in a way Shinichi hadn't had to since his father's challenges, before Yuusaku and Yukiko had deemed him old enough to live alone. Shinichi only had to be observant to solve murders, only had to be good enough – many cases he went with Kogoro on didn't even take his full mental capacity. With another extremely competent detective in the room, however, Shinichi had to step up his game. He had to be better than "good enough", had to make quick deductions without losing his accuracy streak in order to keep in sync with the driven Ekodan. Cases with Hakuba stretched his mind in ways that made him question how he'd ever fallen into mental laziness as Conan. It felt spectacular. Shinichi liked the person he was when Hakuba was around.
Pushing aside the pinching relief in his stomach, Shinichi took a deep breath and prepared to deal with Kid. He replied, "It's just that you're still standing here. You've talked so much about Kid that it's weird that you haven't dashed off to confront him yet. I didn't think you'd wait for me. After all, Kid's faster than both of us."
Kid-as-Hakuba recovered well. "I feel responsible for you right now," he returned virtuously. "With your guardian knocked out and Mouri-chan away for the evening, someone should look out for you. I really wouldn't want you to get hurt."
Shinichi's hands tightened, not because of what Kid was saying – it was actually incredibly intriguing that Kid was concerned with the safety of his rivals – but because he was using Hakuba, a friend who knew Shinichi was seventeen, to say it. The Beikan forced himself to relax. "I thought you were good at deception, Kid-kun, but it's obvious you don't understand Saguru-niichan very well."
"Oh? You think I'm the Kaitou Kid?"
There was a flash of movement behind Kid-as-Hakuba, and Shinichi said the first thing that came into his mind in order to keep the thief distracted. "You made a mistake when you were outlining your knowledge of Kid. About the Youkai's Eye heist, you told me how Kid got in and out of the cage holding the jewel – but that was never solved, and you weren't there for it. How could you have known if there was no record of it in the reports and you didn't witness it? Even far-fetched deductions require some clue or piece of evidence." It was a lie, because Shinichi had still been with the real Hakuba during that conversation and had heard the reasoning behind the conclusion.
Kid opened his mouth to respond just as the real Hakuba executed a judo technique and pinned the magician, yanking both arms behind him and clamping on handcuffs. Kid slipped out of them as easily as if they'd never been locked and flipped over to try and push Hakuba off him. The struggle between two Hakubas was almost comical, and Shinichi watched, spellbound. Kid winced as Hakuba landed a kick on his shins, and a glitter bomb went off when Hakuba's hand shifted and landed on Kid's jacket full of tricks. There was an explosion and enough cards to make up three decks shot out and then fluttered down. The two ignored it as their struggle continued.
Shinichi suddenly felt his mouth go dry. Seeing Hakuba on top of Hakuba was… kinda hot. The aggressive movements could be interpreted as… something else. Kid ruined it by abandoning his detective disguise, with the monocle, white suit, and hat making a reappearance. But then again, Kid did look like Shinichi when the latter was grown up. The Beikan wouldn't admit to the thrill that shot through him at the idea of Hakuba being on top of him.
Not going there. Capture Kid, right, that's what I'm supposed to be doing.
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Shinichi refused to take his eyes off the paper, sure he would see the other patients peeking at his flushed face. So maybe I am interested in Hakuba? His logical side snorted. Is there any other deduction you could make from that evidence? He thought about that seriously. Well, it could have been my mind trying to replicate the hormones I remembered from being a teenager. It just happened to occur when Hakuba was around. His reasoning side was not convinced, and being a detective, he was forced to accommodate the evidence. He was probably attracted to Hakuba Saguru in a romantic sense.
He went back to the question:
49. Are you attracted to men? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
Shinichi moved to check the middle box, then stopped again, frowning. This isn't any of their damn business. Why do they need to know my preferences to determine if I'm healthy? It's not like I'm going to have unprotected sex. He considered leaving the question blank, but balked at the idea of being beaten by a multiple choice question, even if it was an extremely personal one.
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Shinichi used his fingers to comb out the glitter from the Kid heist, the second one since Kudo Shinichi "returned". Hakuba had glitter too but less of it because Shinichi still wasn't used to long legs again and couldn't make the quick shifts that were so essential when the Phantom Thief was around. The Eastern detective tried to sigh, but ended up lightheaded. "Just a few more minutes," Hakuba promised as he worked on loosening the laces for the corset Kid had managed to get on Shinichi.
"Thanks." At least I wasn't the only one to end up in costume, he thought, recalling some of the other, even more flamboyant clothing articles adorning the task force officers. Another knot came out and he breathed more deeply. How did women in Europe even survive these? Obviously they're not meant to be removed by the wearer. Did their husbands or lovers have to unlace them every night? Following that thought, Shinichi was suddenly very aware of how intimate Hakuba's action was. He's undressing me and we're alone. Now every stray touch that landed on Shinichi's back sent shivers up his spine. He felt like he'd been marked everywhere that Hakuba grazed against him. He felt strange, he felt –
"Undone," Hakuba concluded.
"What was that?" Shinichi's face heated up briefly. Undone was a very fitting word to describe how Shinichi was feeling.
"I've finished."
The Beikan all but ripped off the corset and turned to face his fellow detective, smiling. "Again, thank you." On impulse he brushed his fingers through the blonde's hair, marveling at the pleasant tingles the action sent down his arm. "You have glitter," he explained to justify the intrusion of personal space.
Hakuba rolled his eyes but let out a chuckle. "Damn thief. I'll get him yet."
"Not if I get him first."
"Tch. If we're so concentrated on competing, Kudo, neither of us will catch him."
"Then I suppose we'll have to do it together, won't we?"
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That memory was rather telling. Shinichi's heart had quickened as his fingers remembered the texture of the Ekodan's hair. The pencil fell from his grip, rolling under a chair to his left. I am enamored with Hakuba Saguru. It was a strange thought, but it felt right. "Like" didn't seem strong enough, given that he'd liked the other detective well enough while they were friends, and "love" was too strong for someone he'd just realized was more than a friend to him. "Enamored" fit snugly into the space in his mind where a word for his opinion of Hakuba belonged. The other detective was canny, elegant, and true, and was in tune with Shinichi on a level he would never find again if he searched the whole world.
Shinichi retrieved his pencil and finished the form as the nurse called his name. She led him to an examination room to wait for the doctor, Shinichi scrolling through his phone contacts on the way. He left the form on the counter after shutting the exam room's door and went over to the window, looking out between the shades at the sunny afternoon and pressing the send button. "Hello, Hakuba-kun."
"Kudo?" He heard through the phone. "I thought you were supposed to be at the doctor's right now. Is something wrong?"
"What? Oh, no. I was just thinking of having a Sherlock Holmes marathon this evening and was wondering if you would be available to join me."
"How could I say no?" They hammered out the details and Shinichi hung up smiling.
48. Are you attracted to women? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
49. Are you attracted to men? Most of the time [ ] Sometimes [ ] Never [ ]
- Not interested in "men" or "women" generally at the moment since I've got someone specific in mind [X]
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Hakuba arrived on the chime of seven, as expected of the always punctual man, and Shinichi let him in. After greetings, he asked, "Are we watching the movies alphabetically or chronologically?"
Shinichi grinned at the question. "I was thinking of starting with the looser interpretations and making our way towards the ones that follow Conan Doyle the closest."
A crooked smile crept onto Hakuba's face. "This is why we're friends, Shinichi-kun." The Beikan felt his heart skip pleasantly at the change in address, but he just laughed and offered to make popcorn. "That would be lovely," Hakuba responded. "And if I could borrow your kitchen, I could make up tea or hot chocolate."
"Make yourself at home." Shinichi was worried that he'd responded a little too earnestly, but Hakuba didn't comment on the Eastern detective's behavior. On the contrary, it was Shinichi who noticed something different in Hakuba's conduct. The Ekodan was in an outstandingly good mood tonight, more than could be attributed to anticipation for the movie marathon. His steps were a little more energetic, his movements more crisp as he assembled the hot chocolate. There was less tension in his shoulders and he turned up his sense of humor a few notches.
After Hakuba passed two or three movies with an almost permanent half-smile, Shinichi decided to ask. "All right, what happened today?"
Hakuba cocked an eyebrow innocently, though his face showed that he might have an idea of what Shinichi was asking. "What do you mean?"
"You'd glow in the dark right now, that grin is so bright."
"Oh." The smile widened enigmatically. "It's because you finally figured it out."
"Hmm?"
"I could tell from the way you looked at me when you opened the door. Your eyes lingered, you paused before saying hello." Speaking of eyes, Hakuba's were locked on Shinichi's almost hypnotically right now. "Your body language has shifted in a way that suggests you're comfortable with being near me. You want me to feel at home here. I called you Shinichi and you all but blushed." And on that note, Shinichi was feeling a little warm again. "Would you like to hear my deduction?" Shinichi nodded, mesmerized.
Hakuba crossed the couch cushion and leaned in, tilting Shinichi's chin up so he could catch the Beikan's lips with his. Sparks shot down Shinichi's spine, and he reached to lace his fingers in Hakuba's hair. The kiss was careful and soft, sweeter than spun sugar, and Shinichi was reluctant to open his eyes when Hakuba pulled back.
Shinichi fought the urge to touch his fingers to his lips, sure he had a goofy grin on his face. He got to see Hakuba stare at his mouth as he licked his lips instead. Hakuba cleared his throat. "Was that too fast, Shinichi-kun?"
The grin expanded. "Well, I'm not quite sure I understood the nuances of that deduction. Could you explain it again, more slowly this time?"
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From Meri: I hope the timeline was clear here. It alternates between Shinichi in the waiting room and his memories of Hakuba up until the end, where Shinichi answers the question and the story continues in the present with Hakuba's visit.
Please leave a review! Even if it's just about a line you liked/disliked, feedback is good for helping me improve my writing.