So, to clarify. Other people will constantly refer to our female protagonist as "he" and "Shinichi." She is, however a girl. They just don't know it. Also. Kaito x fem Shinichi is my OTP forever. Sigh.

I'm very sorry for the hiatus. I may or may not have kind of forgotten I was ever writing this...

"No! That definitely does not count!"

"Does too"

"Does not"

"Does too"

She tried so hard not to giggle, but she knew he could see her mirth written all across her face. Her wound (just skin deep, really) hurt, but even more, she just ached from clenching her stomach, trying not to burst into outrageous laughter.

It had started with looking at the different kinds of coffee beans and their countries of origin. Kaito challenged her to a competition, to see who could name the greatest number of countries with coffee as a major export. And then the conversation took off and got out of hand. They both had an encyclopedia in their heads, and they loved the same subjects. He loved flying, she loved flying. He loved puzzles, she loved puzzles. He loved mysteries, she loved mysteries. And yet their interests skewed slightly - two different angles to everything.

It was so comfortable, so easy. It was easy to squabble over nothing and laugh over nothing. Easy for her to finish her latte and order another, and for him to do the same. So easy for the time to fly by and the sun to go down. She glanced down at her watch and frowned.

"I should be heading back soon." She just hoped her voice didn't sound too wistful.

"Oh, of course." He said. I really hope I said that nonchalantly.

Her lips twitched upward into a smirk-smile as she stood. He got the trash like the chivalrous man he tried to be, and they walked out together and got ready to head in opposite directions.

"I had a lovely time. Thank you."

And, gosh, but why was her smile so attractive? It reminded him that he cared about her. For a second, he wanted so badly to draw her a bit closer to him and protect her.

The moment passed. He had a split second to decide how to say goodbye. He kissed her hand and almost drew away. Her smile was gentle, but almost absent-mnded at this gesture. He had to admit it was so habitual for him. It wasn't even touching anymore, was it? He straightened and slowly, oh-so-cautiously, placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her the lightest kiss just on the hollow of her cheek.

And as he did, he remembered.

He smiled at her, willing away the tears threatening him. Too late. She caught his change of emotion and looked at him with some concern.

"Don't mind me. I'm just feeling melancholy." Continued concern

"Really. I'll tell you some other time." Continued concern.

But she nodded anyways, waved and walked away.

He started walking back too, but as soon as she was out of her line of sight, he broke into a run, making it the last few blocks to his house at breakneck speed. His mom was out, thank goodness. He rushed upstairs and collapsed in his bed.

He had met her before. A long time ago.

When he was about six, he was sometimes ridiculed. He noticed too much, had too many thoughts and ideas and couldn't contain himself. Adults made a big deal out of him and children shunned him. He wanted to hide his abilities, but didn't know how. But then he saw her, one nice Saturday afternoon.

She stood out because she was the only other child in the park without an adult. Other children ran about, but they were tethered to an adult. There was always someone watching them. He was curious, so he approached her.

"Hi! I'm Kaito Kuroba. What's your name?" He had turned the dove perched on his finger into a single white rose (he usually used red, occasionally pink. This was the only time in his life he used white.) She smiled welcomingly at him and took the flower from his outstretched hand.

"Kudo. Kudo Minori." Maintaining eye contact, she tore two petals from the rose, waved her hand over them, and *poof* they became a very small, white flower. She stuck it in his buttonhole.

"I have to give you a gift too." she said as he almost stared in appreciation. He knew how she had done her trick (the same way he had done hers! though a bit more simple, since she didn't have to deal with the dove), but it was surprising to him that she knew any tricks at all.

"We should be partners!" He burst out, unthinking. Her smile widened a bit.

"Fun! But do you want to help me with this hunt first?"

"What hunt?"

Turns out, they were having some sort of detecting scavenger hunt for adults. The lady in front had goodnaturedly let Minori in for free, charmed by her innocent prettiness and manners. And so they spent the next few hours scavenging about. The clues were not too difficult; the only real difficulty was getting to high places, which he found she was very game about climbing to, unlike some of the other girls he knew. They finished second (but they really hadn't been taking it seriously at all) and he hoped he was being charming by letting her pick the prize. She chose gift cards to the bookstore and handed him his. And then they had run to the bookstore, pulling out books all over the store for hours. They read out interesting facts to one another, marvelously free and happy in each other's company, until the sky was turning dark and they needed to return for dinner.

He had kissed her on the cheek that day, too. Then, they had pinky-promised they would see each other again. But they didn't. Not for a long time.

Dinner was really nice. Her parents were so glad so see them all together again. Ran had gone home to feed her father, and the members of the Kudo household had chatted like old times. starting with the sundries of what was going on with their lives and ending with a breakdown of murder mystery movies. After dinner, they had all sat down. Shinichi dragged their mother away to look at some acting jobs he was considering, and Minori settled in for a quiet cup of tea with her father.

"Shinichi says that you were with Kaito earlier today."

"Yes, we bumped into him at the amusement park. You and his father were friends, yes?"

"Mmm. Old friends. It was hard when he died like that. One of the hardest things I've had to deal with in life." A heavy pause.

"Did you know he was Kid?"

Her father looked at her pensively. No surprise showed on his face that she knew.

"Let's just say that I had my suspicions. But he was such a dear friend, and I could see complex reasons behind everything he ever did. " He took a breath and thought a bit. "His life was difficult, but he had so much fun living it. We used to have the greatest adventures. Did you know that we used to play sidekick to each other? He would pretend to by my distant cousin or something and help me with my cases, and I would do the same for him with his shows. "

Her father told her stories. Such stories. Absolutely outrageous stories. She went upstairs when they were done, head full of adventures and action. Reading the case files she had been sent earlier seemed almost boring in comparison.

She finished the case files, checked her travel preparations for the next day, and settled into bed to watch the news. But even as it played she felt restless. standing up, and sitting back down. She at some popcorn and chocolate, took a break, went back, and was still only half an hour in. She sighed, filled with a sudden desire to see Kaito's mischievous face and ask him questions about his father.

And why not? Filled with sudden resolve, she shrugged into warmer clothing and slipped out.

Kaito was absent-mindedly shuffling cards, the news on, when he heard a sound from his window. He stiffened, hand immediately on his deck of razor sharp cards and card gun. His hand relaxed when a familiar head peered in. It was his favorite meitantei-chan (he was starting to get used to calling her that in his head.) He rushed forward to give her a hand as she hoisted herself into the room.

"Those suspenders were some invention." He said with admiration and she released them from where she had secured them on his roof. He really needed to have a good chat with that professor sometime. Maybe they could come up with some new ideas between the two of them.

"But so are your gadgets. Remember that night? When we celebrated?" She had been so exhausted that night. She hadn't known whether to laugh or to cry. A burden of years was taken off her shoulders as the B.O. was finally taken down. She had felt so happy, but so sad, and so lost. And then Kaitou Kid had appeared on her window sill, in the bedroom she had not lived in for so long. He had a similar lost look on her face, and he had sought her out because he knew that she would understand. And then he had taken off his top hat and his glasses, his suit jacket, cape, tie and shoes, and he had put down his weapons. He had let his guard down, let her ask him questions, and then asked her questions. She had explained how she had kept her secret (her not-Conan secret, not her not-Shinichi secret), and shown him all Hakusei's inventions, and he had done the same with his hangglider cape, and his cards, and everything else he had on him. Real magicians didn't give away their tricks, he said, but this was technology, and innovation needed to be shared for more innovation.

They both basked in the memory for a moment.

"Minori." He finally broke the silence.

"You remembered. Good. I didn't want to tell you. I was a bit afraid you would laugh. It's so ironic. I live a mess of lies." but that had been one of the moments of her childhood that she had held onto - one memory of being herself. She wanted him to remember on his own.

"You may have to live a lie, but you speak truthfully and act truthfully." He paused. "I've been thinking of that day. I wish we could live it again." He sounded a bit distant, thinking back on a time so long ago. She watched him, quiet.

"Maybe we can." He turned his gaze on her. "Do you want to come with me tomorrow to my case? I'm flying down to take on a case for an old friend's friend. You can be my sidekick. And I'll be yours." and we can be free in each other's company, she almost said (but held her tongue). And she tried not to look at him, so he wouldn't see how much she wanted this.

He barely took a beat. "Yes. " He had looked away and now looked back, straight at her. "I think I would like that very much."