Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Humor

Summary: Kaito was surprised to see Shinichi at the ball, considering the detective's answer to his invitation had been that he'd rather die. Kaito's happy to see him anyway, but this is definitely going to make it hard for him to focus on the jewel heist.

Ballroom Charms

It was not a normal KID heist. In fact, it was about as different from a KID heist as it was possible to be. The first and most glaring difference was that the only people who knew there was going to be a heist—by KID or anyone else—were the thief himself and one Kudo Shinichi. While Kaito was a little annoyed at this breaking of his usual code, there was a very good reason for it. Any indiscretion on this occasion was likely to have terrible results for anyone involved, and while Nakamori and his men were admirably dedicated, discreet was not a word in their dictionaries. Having the inspector and his task force charging around like bulls in a china shop would, at best, lose the lot of them their jobs, and that would make the thief's future heists far too boring to even contemplate. And that was the best case scenario. Kaito himself was going to have to relent and work completely behind the scenes this time. It was going to have to be about the jewel and only the jewel.

He had spent the last ten months researching and planning for this.

The owner of his target, Arumiya Tarou, was an extremely wealthy businessman heading a corporation on par with the Suzukis. Unlike the Suzukis, however, more than half of this man's business dealings were the illegal sort. His people had been implicated in the sudden collapse of several rival companies due to scandal, strange accidents, and even death, but no one had ever been able to find enough conclusive proof to do anything about it because there were multiple people in high places who seemed quite fond of him. Kaito didn't know if it was because they benefited from the man's misdeeds or if it was because he had unsavory information about them—maybe it was both—but either way they made the lives of the police who tried to poke around the man very difficult. The man was like a big, fat jellyfish with its filaments all tangled around dozens and dozens of other luckless sea animals.

But none of that was really important to Kaito, although he'd made a mental note to keep an eye and ear out for anything that he might be able to pass along to the police.

For Kaito, it was more important that the man was an avid collector of art. He often threw large parties for art appreciation. Large, very exclusive parties where the art in question didn't always have a clean bill of origin. It was at one of these parties that he was going to be showing off his latest acquisition—a diamond necklace that was thought to have disappeared more than a century ago. Rumors that it had reappeared in Arumiya's collection had reached Kaito's ears a little less than a year ago, and some careful investigation had revealed that the rumors were true. So began the lengthy process of creating a persona and getting himself invited to the party. Of course, it would have been faster to just pick a guest, incapacitate them, and disguise himself, but while that would have gotten him in and out, it would have been noticed sooner or later—probably sooner than later. By creating his own character, he could come and go and they would never even know that they had been visited by a thief. Unless the necklace turned out to be Pandora anyway. But that was nothing new. He had a couple dozen plans in place just in case it turned out to be true, but back to the character.

He had settled on being an aspiring artist in his late twenties by the name of Sarumichi Kentarou. Having only just barely managed to graduate from college, Kentarou was a man who had decided to pursue the arts despite his parents' disapproval. He did odd jobs as he worked on his craft and had only recently saved up enough to rent his own studio. That was when he started holding small art shows to display his work and promote himself. Arumiya was known for finding new artists he thought had potential to support. Kaito had researched the other artists the man had considered promising and modeled Kentarou's style to be both similar in appeal but different enough to be intriguing. From there, it had been a matter of spreading his name to the right people. Five months later, his patience had been rewarded when Arumiya brought his wife to one of Kentarou's shows.

From there, it had just been a matter of applying his considerable interpersonal skills and ingratiating himself with the pair of them. And that was how he'd finally made his way here. This was the second of the Arumiya parties he'd been invited to, and it also happened to be the one he had been waiting for.

This particular art appreciation party was being held in the three massive ballrooms of a hotel owned by Arumiya Industries. Various parts of each ballroom had been adapted to show off a different assortment of artistic pieces from the man's expansive—and expensive—collection. The jewelry show, however, had not been placed with the rest. More was the pity, Kaito thought, but he'd expected as much. Those pieces had been placed in a much smaller room elsewhere in the building where Arumiya himself would be presenting it to small groups of visitors at a time. The arrangement served both as a security measure and as a way for the man to personally brag about the jewels to all his guests. Go figure.

Kaito had signed himself up for a viewing then joined the main party to wait. He hoped his turn would come soon. Though the food and drink was good, it was a bit dull being here by himself. Maybe he should find someone to dance with?

Turning away from the tapestries he'd been studying, he cast a speculative eye over the other party guests. Everyone had come dressed to the best of their abilities to make a good impression or just plain show off. It was exactly the kind of social function Shinichi hated, he thought wryly.

There were designer suits and dresses as far as the eye could see. And that was the least of it. There was a man wearing a gold pin encrusted with glittering gemstones. The woman he was talking to had so many bracelets on her arms and necklaces draped about her neck that Kaito was surprised she could walk. They weren't the only ones either. Strings of pearls, bejeweled watches, diamond earrings, gold and silver tiepins, rings, bracelets, brooches—just about every imaginable accessory could be seen parading around the place.

Indigo eyes stopped on another of the young women, surprised to see that she wasn't dripping jewelry, although the intricate Chinese-style stitching on her blouse somewhat hid the fact. She was slim, dark-haired, and not particularly well endowed, but the way her half-Eastern half-Western style clothes clung lightly to her suggested a nice figure regardless. Even so, Kaito wouldn't have paid her much attention other than to remark on her lack of a jewel coating if it weren't for the fact that the "young lady" was giving the row of nude statues lining one wall of the ballroom a look of mixed incredulity and horror that Kaito recognized. But that didn't make any sense. It couldn't be…could it?

Of course he'd told Shinichi when he'd originally invited the detective to the party that it was essential for the detective to be thoroughly disguised. It would be a terrible catastrophe if anyone attending the event were to realize that the famous young detective was there. Almost all the guests had secrets to hide from the law, and they could easily come to the conclusion that doing away with such a renowned detective would be to their joint benefit. Together, they could easily make one young detective disappear. Even if they didn't just pick him off, they would no doubt think that he was investigating them. The prospects for the rest of his dear detective's life in that case would be about as bright as a storm cloud.

In other words, if Shinichi were to come, he would have to come in disguise. Kaito knew Shinichi understood this, but the detective hadn't much liked his suggestions. To Kaito, disguises were just disguises. They were tools to be used to help him get what he wanted. He knew however that for Shinichi some things were embarrassing even when they were necessary.

"You can come as my mistress," he'd suggested back when he'd told Shinichi about the party.

"I'd rather die," the detective had snapped, face flushing deep red. "And what do you mean mistress? Or are you telling me you have a wife you're hiding somewhere?"

"Don't be silly. You're the only one for me. But I'm not going to be me at the party, and Kentarou doesn't have any official romantic interests due to some ongoing disputes with his family."

"Meaning he may have unofficial ones he doesn't want them to know about but whom he might bring to a party they'll never hear from."

"That's right."

"Yeah, well I have better things to do then attend parties filled with shady guests who can't be investigated."

Yet despite all his insistence that he'd rather do anything else, here he was.

Weaving his way through the crowd until he reached the disguised detective's side, Kaito tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Shinichi jumped and whirled around. Blue eyes widened like a deer in headlights before the detective realized who he was.

"K—" he started, caught himself, and corrected. "Kentarou."

Kaito smiled. "I thought you said you'd rather die than come."

"Well, I changed my mind," Shinichi hedged.

Kaito only arched an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. The detective fidgeted under his indigo stare before giving in.

"I just didn't like the idea of you being here by yourself," he mumbled, looking away as his face turned a touch pink.

Ah, so Shinichi had been worried about him. Kaito hid a fond smile and took Shinichi's hand. "In that case, let me show you around. Everything here is part of Arumiya-san's collection."

"You didn't mention this guy had such perverted tastes in decoration," the detective said, looking askance at the statues once more.

Kaito laughed. "I believe they call it art, Shin-chan."

"That doesn't make it decent."

"Perhaps not, but for many it does make it acceptable. Indeed, many of our fellow guests have already remarked upon their amazing workmanship."

"It's disturbing. And tasteless."

"Now, now, keep your voice down or you're going to get us thrown out. And offend a lot of people to boot. You know art is all a matter of personal taste."

Shinichi made a noncommittal noise but made no further comments about the statues.

A sudden gleam of suspicion ignited in blue eyes as they turned to stare hard at Kaito. "Don't tell me you've been painting—"

"No, no." The thief waved his hands defensively. "I haven't, I promise. Why don't you come this way? You'll like these better." Wrapping an arm around Shinichi's shoulders, Kaito guided them through the other guests to a different wall. This one was lined with massive paintings of towering, snow-capped mountains and lush river valleys. This was the kind of art Shinichi could appreciate. So the two of them spent some time wandering from piece to piece and taking the occasional drink or snack from the servers walking amongst the guests. One of the waiters winked at Shinichi, making Kaito frown and pull him closer. Shinichi noticed but didn't comment. He'd noticed several of the female guests giving Kaito interested looks. It was weird, he thought, seeing first hand how Kaito had literally managed to create a separate life for himself—one that Shinichi wasn't a part of. He shook his head. What was he thinking? The atmosphere of this place really was starting to get to him.

Several of the guests greeted Kaito as they passed. A few stopped to chat. Shinichi could only nod and smile and wonder who all these people were and what kinds of crimes they were hiding behind their plastic smiles. Kaito greeted them all like old friends. They went on at length about art through the ages, new styles and techniques, and other recent artists. A few were famous enough that Shinichi had heard of them before, but for the most part it was all Greek to him. Well, actually, he probably knew more Greek. He'd always been good at languages. He'd gotten it from his mother.

A couple of the guests asked about him, their gazes a cross between curiosity and suspicion. Kaito introduced Shinichi as his girlfriend, claiming that 'she' was new to Japan and shy about speaking Japanese. This gave Shinichi an excuse to stay quiet and just smile and nod at everyone who looked his way. Sighing to himself, he reached for another of the overly decorated glasses of iced coffee. He preferred hot coffee over iced coffee, but any coffee was better than no coffee. He was stopped, however, by Kaito's hand catching his before he could reach the tray.

"Dance with me," the magician murmured, tugging Shinichi onto the dance floor and pulling him close.

Relieved at the chance to get away from all those curious strangers, Shinichi didn't even think of protesting. Kaito was watching him like a hawk watching a rabbit. The look sent delighted shivers up his spine.

"How're you liking the party?" Kaito inquired, a knowing gleam in his indigo orbs.

"It's about what I expected," Shinichi replied.

The magician laughed, low and soft. "I'm glad you decided to come." He leaned in, brushing a kiss across the detective's cheek. "It would be so much more boring without you."

Shinichi swallowed. It always felt wonderful to be pressed so close to Kaito.

But they were in public, even if no one was watching.

And it really wasn't very fair, he mused. The magician's smile, the intensity in his eyes, the low, seductive timbre of his voice as he murmured into Shinichi's ear—

It was impossible to resist. With barely any effort, the thief could make Shinichi's every nerve tingle with heat and his knees feel weak. And Shinichi would be swept away, helpless against the desire to be with this man he had come to love. To be touched by him, held by him—

He shuddered, face warming.

"I—I thought we were here to see a jewel," he stammered in an attempt to distract himself.

Kaito shrugged. "They're only allowing a handful of people in to see the jewelry display at a time. Someone's supposed to come tell me when it's my turn."

"Any idea how long that'll take?"

"Not sure. Why? Was there something you wanted to do?" Kaito whispered the last part into Shinichi's ear and smirked at the dark flush that crept up into his detective's face. Shinichi really had no idea how irresistible he was.

Kaito loved the way Shinichi was leaning unconsciously into him, body responding to his every grazing touch. The sapphire blue of his eyes almost seemed to sparkle in the light of the chandeliers as they gazed up at Kaito, soft and warm and full of love. Then there were those lips, curled up slightly at the corners in a small, shy smile just for him.

All of it just tempting Kaito to sweep him into his arms and kiss him senseless—carry him away to some secret hideaway and make love to him until their entire world was just the two of them.

Cupping Shinichi's chin with one hand, he tilted the detective's head up and brought their mouths together, slipping his tongue past those soft lips to explore the familiar cavern beyond. Shinichi moaned and leaned up a little on his toes as he slid his arms around Kaito's neck to press their lips more firmly together as their tongues twined and danced like they had been just minutes ago. The magician's hands ghosted down his body to settle on his hips. The distant strains of music wrapped like soft ribbons around them. Their bodies swayed instinctively to its melody, and Kaito's grip tightened, grinding Shinichi against him.

The detective gasped, breaking the kiss, then moaned just a bit louder than before as shudders of pleasure raced through his body.

"My, my, we have rooms upstairs for this sort of thing," an unfamiliar voice commented.

Shinichi started in shock and pulled out of Kaito's grasp, face instantly flushing dark red. Kaito hid his own surprise as he glanced to where a man in a neat, black suit stood. The stranger looked amused.

Kaito couldn't help but feel irritated at the interruption, but he kept the fact tucked behind a polite smile. He really shouldn't be allowing himself to get so distracted anyway. "Can we help you? Or were you volunteering to show us to a room?"

"I can," the man replied amiably. "However, I came to inform you that Arumiya-san will see you now. You may wish to wait until after the showing."

"Ah, yes, of course." Kaito turned to Shinichi. "Wait here for me. I'll be right back, promise."

"You can bring your lady friend, if you'd like," the messenger offered. "One extra guest in the group won't make much difference. You can go straight up to the fifth floor after that then without having to backtrack if you'd like."

"I'd love to see the necklace too," Shinichi said, attaching himself to Kaito's arm.

Kaito frowned, but the messenger was already gesturing for them to follow and setting off across the dance floor. Lowering his voice, he whispered urgently, "What're you doing?"

"You're not going in there without me," the detective whispered back stubbornly, tightening his hold on Kaito's arm.

The thief knew that there was no way he was going to be able to talk Shinichi out of it. His detective was about as headstrong as they came. Not that he had much ground to point fingers from himself. He sighed inwardly. "Just keep your head down and try to be inconspicuous then," he muttered. "Arumiya-san's wife is an extremely jealous woman who has her husband wrapped around her finger. She'll make your life hell if her husband so much as smiles at you—or if you smile at him for that matter. Try to be polite but distant and preferably boring."

Shinichi snorted quietly but nodded. He was good at polite and distant, and Sonoko was always telling him he was boring even if Kaito disagreed. If he didn't speak, it shouldn't be an issue.

"Through here." The man who'd come to get them pushed open a door and stepped aside to let them in first. "Just walk straight ahead."

They did as instructed. The man shut the door behind them before following. Keeping a close eye on their surroundings, Kaito caught the man watching Shinichi. He was walking behind them and his gaze was definitely too low to be on his detective's back. Indigo eyes narrowed and he slung an arm around Shinichi's waist, pulling him closer as they walked.

They passed several armed guards before they reached a smaller showroom that was glowing with jewelry display cases. Kaito was pleased to see that there was a window, but the curtains had been drawn. If he could get them open and the lights off then he could check the jewel here without ever having to take it out of the room. He'd already set up a couple different devices that would help him cut the power to various parts of the hotel, but he had the inkling that if he played his cards right he might not have to resort to using them.

He and Shinichi were apparently the last to arrive as there were already four other guests there waiting with Arumiya and his wife. Kaito recognized one of them as an aspiring jeweler and another as one of his "fellow" painters.

"Ah, Sarumichi-san, I'm glad you could join us." Arumiya nodded to him then gestured for all of the guests to gather closer. "I am very pleased to present to you my latest collection. Every piece of jewelry here is one-of-a-kind and crafted from materials of the highest quality. They are," he continued, lowering his voice dramatically, "also each rumored to carry a curse."

One of the men cast the display cases a nervous look at that revelation and edged closer to the others.

"If you'll direct your attention over here." Their host stepped to one display cases. Unlocking it with a small key that disappeared back into his pockets as soon as it was used, he opened the case and carefully lifted the ring case inside out of it. He gestured for everyone to gather round. In the case sat three rings, each set with a number of precious stones.

"These rings you see here were all commissioned by different nobles four centuries ago. They were crafted by different jewelers, but all three jewelers received their stones from the same series of mines. A series of mines where," the man lowered his voice into a dramatic whisper as his eyes gleamed, "it was said that miners had broken into a strange, black cave deep underground. When the cave was opened, miners began to die. One after another, they fell ill or encountered fatal accidents until eventually the mines were forced to shut down. However, it didn't stop there. Many of those who wore or used items carrying stones from those mines suffered similarly terrible fates. These three rings are no exception. Each of them has passed through half a dozen hands at least since they were made, and every person who has worn them died a violent death."

"To think such beautiful pieces carry such dark tales," one of the guests remarked.

"Indeed. Now, next we have this elegant, moonstone tiara."

The show continued as Arumiya introduced each piece of jewelry in turn. The man seemed to take a particular delight in describing the tragedies attached to his collection. Personally, Shinichi rather thought that you had to be more than a little crazy to want to collect such things. He certainly wouldn't want anything to do with them, and he wasn't even a superstitious person!

It just seemed kind of grizzly to take such glee in such things.

"And here is the star of our show," Arumiya announced. In his hands lay a pendant on the end of a fine, gold chain. The pendant itself housed a rather large diamond ringed by smaller diamonds. "The Fallen Star, to be exact. When the diamond was first discovered, people said it was the tear of a god. It was believed that it would bring good luck. However, on a night not unlike this one when the moon was full in the night sky, the people learned that they had been wrong. That night, the princess to whom the diamond necklace had been given collapsed in the middle of a banquet. She died a mere hour later. And the moment she passed away, all the light in the city vanished. Even the stars and the moon stopped shining. It was pure darkness. The following morning, when the sun finally rose to bring light back into the world, everyone in the city was dead. But none of them had any visible wounds or signs of illness. It was as though they had simply had their souls sucked right out of them. The only survivor was a man who had been on the outskirts of the city when the darkness came. He had been in the woods around the city outskirts when the darkness fell and stumbled out of it by pure accident. Afraid that the tragedy was perhaps the result of some strange plague, the people from the neighboring settlements set fire to the city, cremating the entire city and everyone in it."

Feeling Kaito give him a nudge, Shinichi looked up. The thief gave him a significant look then directed his gaze to the heavy curtains drawn over the windows.

Shinichi twitched but nodded.

"The Fallen Star next surfaced in a coastal city, brought there by an explorer who said he found it in some ruins," Arumiya continued. However, before he could say any more, the lights in the room suddenly blinked out.

Shinichi, understanding

Kaito's look from earlier, had been fully prepared to act the part of a terrified young lady. Years of playing at being a little kid had rather dulled his sense of embarrassment for throwing irrational fits when it would serve a useful purpose. But it turned out he didn't have to.

The man who'd shown uneasiness at the mention of curses freaked out before Shinichi could even open his mouth.

"It—it's the curse!" he exclaimed. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die—!"

There was a crash and a bang as the man probably attempted to run out of the room but crashed into a display case instead.

"Calm down!" another voice exclaimed. It was followed by a yelp as the panicking man lashed out and hit the speaker.

"Let me out of here! Let me out!"

"Hey, stop that! Ow!"

"Get off me!"

In seconds, the room was in a riot. Some people were trying to restrain the panicking man while others tried to stay out of his way. But since no one could see anything, it was all a great big mess.

It was Arumiya's wife's voice that finally cut through the hubub. "Open the curtains, you buffoons!"

Shinichi, having been pushed up against the walls during the chaos, reached out blindly. His fingers encountered heavy cloth. Closing his fingers around it, he yanked. There was a rattle of curtains rolling across their rails, and suddenly the darkness wasn't quite as dark. A rectangle of night sky had opened up, and through it came a pale wash of moonlight. With its soft glow illuminating the room, the commotion began to calm. Or it did until—

"All of you, stop moving!" Arumiya barked. Everyone froze. Even the panicking man stopped dead in his tracks at the tone of their host's voice. All eyes turned to the man. His expression, they saw, was stormy. "The necklace is gone," he stated, gesturing to his empty hands. "None of you are to move until it is found."

No one dared to even twitch.

"Excuse me," Kaito said into the ensuing silence. "But isn't that it over there?"

Everyone's eyes followed his gesturing hand to a sparkle in the shadows cloaking the floor. Arumiya stalked over and bent to pick up the shining object. It was, indeed, the necklace. With no other lights to see by, the man moved closer to the window and held the pendant up to the moonlight to make sure it was the right one.

Shinichi held his breath. He could sense the anticipation in Kaito's tall, lean frame. But though the moonlight danced beautifuly in the diamond's many faces, that was it.

Closing his hand in a fist around the pendant, Arumiya turned back to his guests with a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I am sorry for the inconvenience. However, you will understand the need for caution. I will return shortly. Until then, you will all remain here."

With that, he left. Shinichi suspected he was going to have someone authenticate the necklace. He was bound to hear about the explosives that had caused the blackout while he was at it. They weren't out of the woods yet.

Arumiya must have had a specialist on call or something because he was back much sooner than Shinichi had expected. He dismissed them cordially enough, but Shinichi noticed that his eyes were still full of suspicion as he watched them all leave. Outside, the number of security guards had tripled. The detective pretended not to notice.

The whole ordeal had taken less than an hour, but it might as well have taken years. It certainly felt long enough.

Shinichi let out the breath he'd been holding as they finally stepped back out into the main ballrooms. The hotel's backup generators having already swung fully into action, the party had resumed as though it had never been interrupted. It was almost anticlimactic, but, as far as the detective was concerned, in a good way. Glad that this meant their work was done for tonight, he turned and started for the exit. He didn't make it two steps before a hand caught his wrist.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, home?" Shinichi replied, confused.

"I don't think so." Tugging on Shinichi's captured wrist, Kaito drew the detective closer, wrapping his other arm around him to keep him there. "We still have unfinished business, my dear."

Shinichi blushed. Trapped with his body pressed flush up against Kaito's, the heat from before was creeping back with a vengeance. "C—can't it wait?" He would have pushed away from Kaito, but his treacherous body wasn't listening to him. It wanted to stay right where it was. "This isn't the time—"

"Quite the contrary," Kaito interjected, brushing his lips over the shell of Shinichi's ear. "No one's leaving yet. We'll stand out if we're the first. There might not have been a theft tonight, but these people are still the suspicious type, and they'll be looking for suspects regarding the explosion at the main generators. We don't want to put ourselves on the list. The party's scheduled to go on for at least another three hours." His tongue darted out to trace the path his lips had done. He smirked as he felt his detective shudder. "Since we can't go yet without being rude as well as suspicious, we might as well take advantage of the facilities and—enjoy ourselves a little." The hand not keeping Shinichi pinned against him wandered down to give the detective's bottom a playful squeeze.

"St—stop that!" Shinichi hissed, blushing and trying to wiggle out of the magician's grasp. The endeavor was somewhat more counterproductive than helpful as it made them both acutely aware of just how closely pressed together they were.

Shinichi stopped struggling, instead resting limply against Kaito's strong chest as he tried to calm his racing pulse. It wasn't working. His whole body was thrumming. Fire danced along his nerves.

"Well?" the magician purred, sensing that he'd won.

Shinichi fought with himself a moment longer before surrendering with a tentative nod and a slightly mortified blush. After all, he reasoned with himself, Kaito had a point. It wouldn't be good to be the first to leave. That would make them stand out, and standing out here was not something to be desired. And between spending another few hours looking at artwork (most of which were not of the sort he liked) with a load of suspicious guards breathing down his neck and spending time with Kaito in private…well, it wasn't much of a contest. He knew exactly which option he preferred.

Keeping one arm wrapped securely around Shinichi's waist just in case his detective changed his mind and tried to escape, Kaito maneuvered them across to the elevators where another pair of security guards were standing watch. They greeted the two guests with a nod and pressed the call button for going up for them. A few moments later, the doors opened. One of the guards caught Kaito's eye and winked. Kaito grinned back and pushed the close button on the control panel before hitting the number five.

As soon as the doors had closed, he pushed Shinichi up against the wall and caught his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. Shinichi's arms came up around his neck as he kissed back, earlier reservations forgotten. They didn't stop kissing until they heard the ding of the elevator arriving at its destination.

Kaito half dragged half carried Shinichi out the door with him. He thought he heard the detective laugh. A KID grin tugged at his own lips in response. Oh yes, they were going to have lots of fun.

There were half a dozen open doors and about a dozen closed ones. Choosing an open room, Kaito pulled Shinichi over the threshold then kicked the door shut and locked it.

The moment he turned around, Shinichi wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him into another passionate kiss. Kaito smirked into the kiss, pleased at his usually rather reticent detective's show of eagerness. Grabbing Shinichi around the waist, he spun and stepped forward, forcing Shinichi to step back. In moments, he had the detective pinned against the wall, never once breaking the kiss. His right hand slid into the slit in the side of Shinichi's dress to squeeze the back of the detective's bare thigh. Shinichi's knee rose a little in response, and the thief's hand shifted, guiding his partner's leg up to wrap around his hip, allowing their bodies to come even closer together. He made a noise of approval in the back of his throat, and his hand slid back up along Shinichi's thigh to fondle his rear.

Shinichi moaned into the kiss as the hand on his rear gripped him roughly, jerking him forward as the magician rolled his hips, grinding them together. Shinichi had to break their kiss to moan. His knees had gone weak. If he hadn't been pinned between Kaito and the wall, he would have sunk to the floor. As it was, he had to cling to the thief as that talented mouth latched onto his neck, and the hand not groping him slid up to undo the ties on his blouse. Then the hand was on his chest, pinching his sensitive nipples, and he arched into the touch with a soft cry.

Heat and pleasure were rolling through him, sending tremors up his spine that escaped past his lips in the form of breathless gasps and little moans.

Their movements grew more frantic as the air seemed to crackle, but it wasn't enough. There was too much cloth in the way. Kaito shifted, dexterous hands making quick work of Shinichi's dress and undergarments, leaving only the blouse to hang open, just barely clinging to the detective's narrow shoulders. Then he swept Shinichi up into his arms and turned.

Dropping the detective on the king-sized bed, he straightened, shrugging out of his unbuttoned (when had Shinichi done that? He wondered, amused) jacket and dress shirt and letting them fall without a thought. He grinned at the sight Shinichi made lying there panting with what was left of his outfit all askew and normally neat hair mussed, skin lightly flushed and legs spread bare and inviting. If he painted his detective now, he mused, it would certainly be a painting that called for many cold shower. "You are beautiful."

Eyes like sapphires met his, deep blue sparkling with affection and desire. "Flattery won't get you anywhere." Despite his words, a soft smile was playing about Shinichi's lips.

Kaito chuckled. Leaning over his detective's prone form, he traced a finger over Shinichi's soft lips, watching the way they parted eagerly, a tongue flickering out to lick his fingertips. He teased a moment longer before letting his fingers slip past Shinichi's lips. A slick tongue welcomed them in: curling and rubbing against each digit. Watching (and feeling) Shinichi's mouth at work sucking on his fingers was driving Kaito crazy. His free hand moved quickly to pull down the zipper on his pants and push the garments off. He kicked them aside, eyes never leaving Shinichi's face.

Pulling his fingers free, he replaced them with his mouth. Tongues tangled in a heated dance.

Slick fingers trailed up the insides of Shinichi's thighs to rub against his entrance. They circled the ring of muscle, prodding and teasing until Shinichi was squirming with impatience. Then two of them were pushing inside.

Shinichi groaned into the kiss. He felt like he'd been waiting all evening just for this. He shifted, spreading his legs a little wider. Kaito took the unspoken invitation, moving to settle between them.

The magician couldn't wait to fill that heated passage with his own throbbing member. He inserted a third finger as he shifted to suck on the soft skin of his detective's neck, adding to the lovebites already adorning his lover's pale skin. Shinichi's muscles clenched automatically against the increased intrusion in his rear, stuttering in mixed protest and desire.

"Relax," the thief murmured against Shinichi's collarbone as he left yet another bright red hickey. "You're too excited."

Shinichi let out a half snort, half moan. His right hand darted down and closed around Kaito's erection. "Look who's talking."

Kaito let out a hiss as the detective's hand began to move. "Careful Shin-chan. Keep doing that and I may not be able to control myself."

Blue eyes gone hazy with passion caught his from beneath half-lowered lids. "Then don't." The hand around Kaito gave a taunting pull before Shinichi slid both arms around the magician's neck to pull him down for another bruising kiss. "I want to feel you inside me."

Letting out a growl, Kaito crushed his mouth against Shinichi's again, plundering the detective's hot mouth with his tongue in an unconscious parody of what was to come as he removed his fingers.

Shinichi let out a long, breathless moan as Kaito entered him. The sound went straight to the thief's cock. And here he'd thought he couldn't get any harder. He pushed himself all the way in then stopped, giving Shinichi time to adjust to the penetration. It didn't matter how many times they did this. Shinichi was always so deliciously tight.

Moving slowly, he pulled almost all the way out then thrust back in, making sure to go in as deep as he could. Shinichi tossed his head back, fingers clawing at the sheets. The thief repeated the motion, setting a slow, full rhythm. He wanted to savor the moment, drawing it out as the tension built.

"Kai," Shinichi whimpered, arching his back in an attempt to get even closer to his thief. Kaito was touching all the right places inside him with each thrust, sending wave after wave of pleasure pulsing through his body. "Faster—"

Kaito couldn't have refused if he wanted to.

He wondered what kind of picture they would make now, entwined like this. Shinichi with his legs wrapped eagerly around Kaito as he rode each thrust, his body arching and his hands twisting in the sheets underneath him, pulling them taught. Pale skin glistened with a light sheen of sweat. Kaito himself was rapidly losing all ability to control his own actions. Shinichi was the only person who could do that to him.

He'd call it Passion, he decided. And it would never be seen by anyone but them because it was theirs and it was private.

Shinichi was helpless to do anything but writhe as Kaito continued to pound into him. He was getting exactly what he'd asked for, and he was loving every moment of it. To be touched so intimately by the man he loved—

He could feel the end nearing, but he hung on as long as he could, not wanting the moment to end. But all too soon the heat and the pleasure and the tension grew to the point of being overwhelming and he came with a loud cry. Kaito managed one last thrust as Shinichi's muscles clenched around him in an impossibly wonderful embrace. Then Kaito too was coming, releasing himself deep inside his lover's heated body.

When they had both returned from their joint moment of bliss, Shinichi turned his head to place a tired but loving kiss on Kaito's shoulder. He ran his fingers gently through the magician's messy hair, frowning slightly at the fact that it was the wrong color, but it at least felt the same as it always had.

"Are you done with this Kentarou disguise now then? Since the diamond wasn't Pandora."

Kaito hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know. Kentarou might be useful again in the future. I think I'll just ease him back into anonymity for awhile. He can go traveling to find new inspiration in, oh, three or four months. Can't go too quickly."

"It's amazing the lengths you go to for your disguises."

"Of course. I am a master of my art."

The magician shifted and Shinichi gasped at the reminder that Kaito's length was still buried inside him. His hips twitched and muscles contracted in unconscious response.

Kaito made a low, guttural noise in the back of his throat that seemed to be a cross between a moan and a laugh. "Is Shin-chan ready for round two already?"

"Get off me," Shinichi huffed, flushing hotly.

"Aww, but it's so wonderful right here."

"Shouldn't we be going home?"

"Now, now, you're not trying to get away from me are you?"

Kind of hard to do considering the position they were in, Shinichi thought. He just had the inkling that if they didn't leave now then they were going to be here all night.

Kaito gave his hips an experimental roll, smirking when the body under him squirmed. Was that a badly stifled moan he heard?

"I think we should stay here for the night," he voted, propping himself up and grinning down at his (adorably blushing) detective. His Shin-chan really was too cute for his own good, he thought.

Shinichi's gaze darted to the side as he gave his lips a nervous lick. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Kaito's gaze fixed on that flash of pink tongue. "Mmmm, I think it's an excellent idea."

Blue eyes narrowed. He could tell Kaito wasn't listening anymore. "Seriously, think with your head, not with your—ah! H—hey, stop that! D—don't—!"

His protests fell on deaf ears. And, soon enough, those complains faded and gave way to cries of pleasure.

-0-

Covering a yawn, Shinichi poured himself a cup of coffee. Cup in hand, he made his way to the manor's library. He'd barely gotten any sleep last night, thanks to a certain thief. Fortunately, he didn't have to be anywhere today.

Stepping into the library, he blinked at the sight of Kaito seated at the desk (his father's writing desk, to be exact), poring over some rather hefty books. Now that wasn't something he saw everyday.

"Are you planning a really complicated heist notice or something?" he asked, wandering over to one of the overstuffed armchairs and flopping into it with another yawn. The chair was so soft and comfy that he could all but feel himself starting to drift off already.

Kaito glanced up then returned to his reading with a laugh. "No. I'm picking my next target. I'm trying to decide between Lady Harumaki Shuuko's star sapphire and the Kanegawa Family's emerald brooch. What do you think?"

"…When you say Lady Harumaki Shuuko, do you mean the woman that everyone thinks is a black widow? The one with the six dead husbands?"

"That's the one. She always wears the sapphire on her wedding day."

"And how were you planning on being invited?"

"Well~"

"No."

"I haven't said anything yet."

"It's still no," Shinichi snapped.

"We might be able to finally get the proof the police need to arrest her~."

"I said no! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"I wouldn't do that," Kaito assured him. Shinichi was just too easy to tease. And, well, his detective was cute when he was worried. Although he should probably keep that thought to himself if he didn't want to end up sleeping on the couch for the next century. "The Kanegawa emerald it is then. Actually, that's perfect. The family loves throwing huge, fancy balls." Turning around in his seat, he leered at Shinichi. "I'm sure it'll be lots of fun."

Shinichi huffed, burying his nose in his mug. "Count me out."

-END-