Hi guys! This is my first Conan x Ai story! Hope you like it!

(Actually it's only a oneshot but still )

Note: I am HORRIBLE with typing. I always do errors, but believe me that is not on purpose.

Disclaimer: I have big news! I don't own Detective Conan/Case Closed!

Read And Review please! Flames, are I'm afraid, just plain wrong inside here.

On with it!

Animeprincess224

--

Shall We Dance

The end of the term was approaching, and in honor of the coming winter vacation, the small elementary school decided to organize a masquerade.

Conan Edogawa wasn't particularly thrilled by the idea, quiet the opposite from Ran Mourri, who thought it was an excellent plan. "You'll enjoy it Conan." she kept telling him. And of course, the only thing he could do was dismiss the topic with a nod for fear of the energetic fist of Ran punching him right in the face.

Today was a Sunday, and the detective agency was closed. As usual, Kogoro Mourri was dozing off on his desk with empty beer cans next to him and the television at its maximum. Ran and Conan, on the other hand, were sitting quietly in the living room. Ran sipping her morning tea and Conan completely absorbed in a book. Ran was watching Conan closely all the while taking small gulps of her drink. Finally, she slammed the cup on the table, creating a small a crack in it in the process. Conan looked up, startled.

"What?" He asked.

Ran stood up, arms on her hips. "So." she began, taking the book Conan was reading and threw it neglectingly on the opposite side of the sofa. "What have you done about your costume?"

Conan stared blankly at her. When it finally dawned on him about what Ran ment, he smiled sheepishly. "I kinda forgot."

A vein popped at Ran's temple. "Conan." she said in a tone of absolute anger. "Did I not insist on you going to that ball, getting a good costume or are you simply doing it on purpose?"

Shinichi - as Conan - backed away, completely scared. "I'm sorry Ran-nee chan! Really I did forget! Uncle Kogoro didn't keep off my back all week!"

To his suprise, Ran smiled. What Shinichi failed to notice was that it was an evil, kind of twisted smile. More of a smirk. "That's okay Conan-kun."

Conan blinked. Since when did Ran call him 'Conan-kun'?

"I've got it all planned out for you." She went out of the living room for a minute or so, before coming back with what seemed like a knight's costume. It had a dark blue coat, that split at the end into two curves, with golden designs embroidered. A belt of a lighter midnight blue with two golden straps and black pants with matching boots, with a sword included.

Conan backed away. "Hey!" he protested. "I am not going to wear that!"

"Stop acting like a child will you." Ran retorted.

Conan sweat dropped. That's exactly it Ran! I AM in the body of a seven year old! But he did not dare make a smart remark.

"Besides." Ran continued, ignoring Conan's sudden silence. "What else are you going to wear? The dance is tomorrow night and you haven't much time."

Shinichi grumbled, his active mind already producing the scheme that Ran had prepared. She had made her father give innumerable chores to him, in order to forget the ball and be too occupied to notice that she had gone out sometime someday to buy him a medieval costume and brought up the subject one day too late. Smart doing Ran. He thought sarcastically.

--

Ai Haibara shared the same opinion as Conan. She did not think of the masquerade as a particularly important event. She even thought it was simply a waste of time.

Had it not been for Ayumi.

On that last day of the term, Ai had been walking in direction of Professor Agasa's home where she was currently residing, planning to take advantage of the holidays to advance in her search of the cure. The ball already out of her mind.

"Ai-chan! Wait!" Ai turned around to find a breathless brunette, flushed in the face. Ayumi panted heavily while Ai waited for her friend to recover.

"Yeah?" she finally said, seeing that Ayumi had recovered. The seven year old looked much more excited than usual.

"So Ai-chan." Ayumi began enthusiastically. "What are you gonna do for the ball?" Ai supressed a snort and instead, shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Nothing, I guess." Seeing Ayumi's widened eyes and parted lips, then only did Ai notice she had not answered well.

"But Ai-chan!" Ayumi insisted, her blue eyes angry. "You can't just not come! It's a party for us, you are obliged to come!"

Had it been Kudo, Ai would have said, "So who said so?" but since she feared to upset Ayumi, she decided to choose her words with care.

"Well..." she hesitated. "I don't exactly know what to look for." Ai finished lamely.

Ayumi's face brightened up. "Oh, do come with me this afternoon Ai-chan! I know exactly how to help!" And she squeeled in delight as she gripped Ai's shocked arm.

The place where Ayumi had led her was not bad at all, and Ai soon enjoyed the prospect of wearing a disguise, though she would never have admitted it. As she walked through the various costumes of the shop - which she later found out belong to Ayumi's mother - her eyes fell on a costume that simply standed out. "Perfect." she smiled.

"It's a lovely costume, Haibara-san." Ayumi's mom said, grinning. "I'll pack it up for you, you will look dashing."

"Thank you." Ai replied, she reached in her pocket. "How much - "

"No dear, it's on the house. After all, you are my daughters friend." Ai briefly smiled and went out of the shop in direction of professor Agasa's house. Shiho, in her seven year old body, was delighted to see she could run much faster than she expected.

Later that evening, as Ai prepared to try her costume on, Conan had showed up.

"Hi professor." Conan said. "Hi Haibara."

"Kudo." Ai replied. "What a displeasure to see you."

Conan snorted. "As nice as always I see." he added sarcastically.

Ai shrugged her shoulders in an amused way, still holding the package in her hands. "It can't be helped Kudo, now can it?"

"I prefer not to answer, Haibara." Shinichi said. His eyes wandered to the package in Ai's hands. "Hey whats that?"

Ai flushed and hid the box behing her back. "Oh nothing important, Kudo." she retorted. "Don't mind me if you're here to talk to the professor."

"Actually, I'm not." Conan smiled, seeing Haibara's bewildered face. "I came to talk about the ball." he explained. "You're not going, right?"

Ai groaned. "Actually I wouldn't have if a person that will remain unnamed did not force me too." It was not entirely a lie, she hadn't planned to go to that ball if Ayumi hadn't intervined, but she did not speak the truth about the forcing part.

"I give you all my sympathy, Haibara." Conan muttured. "I know what it is."

Ai snorted, her box coming into Conan's view again. "One, Kudo, I don't know of any sympathy you have, second, I bet it's Ran who made up som scheme to make you go." The first remark was sarcastic, of course, and Conan laughed in good nature but the second was more inconvenient for him.

"Yeah, she made up some plan in advance to make me wear some costume she picked." Conan grumbled. Ai laughed, and Conan was pleased to hear it. It was not sardonic or cynical, it was sincere for a change.

"Whats all the laughing about?" Shiho and Shinichi turned their heads and out appeared the one of the professor Agasa. "Now Shinichi, try not to flirt with Ai, I don't need her fantasizing over some future marriage."

A heavy blush erupted on the faces of both Ai and Conan. Conan seemed in lack of words and just scratched uncomfortably his hair, his face heating up.

Ai turned her head hasitly around so that neither Kudo nor the professor would notice her flushed face and she replied haughtily. "Come on professor. Me interested in Kudo? Not in this lifetime anyway!" The words made her heart hurt for a split second - but it was enough time for Conan to recover.

"Besides, who would flirt with a girl like her? She's not the type of girl you could exactly call pleasing!" Those words felt like a punch in Conan's stomach, though he did not know why.

"And." Ai added, glancing with scorn in direction of Conan. "Everyone knows Kudo likes Ran." The words were painful to pronounce and that would not somewhat be accepted by her ears and heart. Her heart ached again, but much more powerful than two minutes ago. It was not secret to Ai that she liked - even loved - Shinichi Kudo, although that was something her pride would never let her admit, yet it was true, and she resented that fact even more because, it was no secret either that Kudo loved Ran.

That was a fact her heart wasn't prepared to admit - at least not with a battle her mind refused to provoke. Ai finally risked a glance at Conan. He was looking at her with a strange bewildered look on his face and a deep crimson spreading on his cheeks. Ai's blue eyes shifted to the floor, the blush on Kudo's face was proof enough for her - and it made her heart tight with sadness.

"What the hell do you mean, Haibara?!" Shinichi blurted, the crimson turning scarlet. His eyes tried to connect with Ai's, but the girl's stayed glued to the floor.

"I mean." Ai's voice was dangerously wavering. "Exactly what I said. You love Ran, don't you?"

Ironically, that was a question Shinichi had asked himself for as long as he could remember. He bit his lip and shifted his eyes on Haibara. Somehow, that question was still left unanswered to his heart and mind. Why did it seem obvious to everyone except him? He had spent a good many sleepless night on this question, all of them in vain.

Haibara's eyes narrowed as she saw him mutter something incomprehensible. She rolled her eyes, deciding it was pointless to break her heart any further, and said. "Drop it Kudo. I'm fed up with fighting."

Conan hid a smile, silently thanking Haibara to have ended it. "Sure." he responded cooly. "Whatever you say. See you at the ball."

He heard her snort in response, and he too rolled his eyes at the prospect.

Of course, Shinichi did not know that in fact, Haibara could simply not wait for the big school event.

--

"Conan-kun! Will you dance with me?" Shinichi sighed as he got up again, trying to smile at the bubbly figure of Ayumi. He stood up rather clumsily, the fake sword weighing on him. Damn Ran! he silently fumed. Dressing me like this!

Indeed, Ran had succeeded in persuading - or rather menacing - Conan to wear the costume she had picked for him. She had a mask to go with it, but thankfully, his glasses had saved him. "Come on Conan." she had said. "Don't be such a baby."

"But how will I be able to see, Ran-nee chan?" he had argued. "I'll step on girl's feet!" Ran had looked longingly at the mask before sighing in defeat and shrugging her shoulders.

"Conan-kun! Do hurry!" Conan winced at Ayumi's tone, but tried to hurry up all the same. Muttering a thousand curses at Ran.

And Haibara that still hadn't shown up.

"Finally! What took you so long, Conan-kun?"

Shinichi faked a smile. "Guess all the crowd stopped me from moving fast enough." Ayumi seemed to accept that excuse, for she smiled more brightly than ever at him. Conan eyed her.

Ayumi's costume was that of a dancer. She had worn a pink tanktop with a matching silk skirt and white tights. Her shoes were that of a real ballet dancer, and were of a bright pink. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with a small rose behind her ear. She looked utterly cute and had not made any attempts to disguise her face.

She took hold of Shinichi's hands and he sighed to himself , as he engaged with Ayumi in another, slow rhythmic dance, under the envious and jealous eyes of Genta and Mitsushiko. They had come with matching pirate costumes, and who Ayumi had refused to dance with, claiming that pirates are the symbol of dirtiness and crime and that, she simply did not like. And so, the two had sat at next to the buffet, munching away all the tastable food in sadness.

Conan sighed, why him?

Suddenly, Ayumi had let go of his hands, though the music had just started playing. Her eyes were eyed and her mouth hung open. "Kawai (means cute)!"she breathed in amazement. Shinichi looked at her quizzically, before turning around to see what Ayumi was looking at.

His eyes suddenly matched Ayumi's. Coming down from the stairs was an angel - or something like that for the beauty was certainly not amongst mortals - she was wearing a tube top green dress with puffed sleeves, there was a small red ribbon just under the chest, which divided the green fabric in two and let it slide on both sides, revealing a white chiffon that flared at her waist and stopped at her knees, the green fabric stopping at the same level. She was wearing lovely white flats with small, descreet heels, leaving her cream colored legs in view. Her gloves, which reached her elbows, were of a matching white with a small, bracelet of red at the wrists. Her ginger hair was pulled in a high ponytail and her eyes were covered with a feathered mask that left her nose and mouth into view. Her steps were light on the red carpet, as if she was floating.

Shinichi's throat scorched him, as though he suddenly felt in an incredible need to drink. The feeling only increased when he saw the heavenly girl casually approach him. He felt himself blush when he felt her shoulder brush by his. She passed him easily, and went right on. His hormones still being inactive due to his young body, Shinichi did not groan or do any suggestive noises and for once, he thanked the lord of that. He turned around, and his eyes widened again.

The girl was talking to Ayumi ! Moreover, Ayumi seemed to know her! He walked in their direction cautiously, as though uncertain or rather unbelieving.

"Oh you look fantastic!"

"Thank you Ayumi."

"Really, Ai-chan, you really have a good taste in costumes!"

"Well, I do think those fashion magazines I read all the times have come in handy."

"Yes, I suppose."

Conan's heart started to pound furiously. The girl's beauty was mortal after all! But the thing that made the color rise to this face...

"Really, Ai-chan!"

The girl was Haibara. A girl shrunken to the size of a seven year old like him. A girl he interacted with more than periodically. The girl who would hopefully find a cure to the effect of the APTX 4869 (A/N: Sry if I got the numbers or the word wrong). Ai Haibara.

His dauning must have been too slow, for when Conan lifted his eyes again, Mitsushiko was already next to Haibara, open mouthed and red in the face. "Wow, Haibara-san! You are beautiful!" His face flushed darker, but Haibara's twinkled in pleasure through her feathered mask. "Thank you, Mitsushiko, that's so nice of you."

Conan felt an unsettling twinge of jealousy, and started pushing his way through the crowd of people, who had suddenly formed around Ai. "Haibara." he said quietly.

Ai turned around. "Oh, hi Kudo." she looked him up and down, a slight pink tinge across her cheeks. "Like your costume."

"I daresay, yours is much more impressive. I did not recognize you." Conan said, flushing too.

"That was the desired effect."

Shinichi rolled his eyes and smiled. "Come on, Haibara. We are not going to argue now. At least not tonight."

Shiho stared at Conan hard. "I agree with you Kudo." she said softly. There was a long silence, in which another song started.

Seeing his cue, Shinichi bowed, spreading his right hand. "So." he said softly, smirking. "Shall we dance?"

Ai flushed, before curtesying. "I suppose so... yes."

As soon as the words escaped her lips, he had slid one of his arms around her waist, and entwined the other with hers. Automatically, Ai rested her free hand on his shoulder, preparing for the waltz.

The danced in silence at first. Ai, confused and flushed. Wondering why Kudo had chosen to dance with her of all people. And why she even cared.

Conan's thoughts were on how beautiful Haibara looked that one special night. And how he wondered why his eyes would not leave her.

"Conan-kun, did not even dance with me." Ayumi grumbled, looking crest fallen at the sight of the two. " I just KNOW he prefers Ai-chan."

Mitsushiko, hearing that last information, moaned loudly. "Why didn't I invite Haibara-san to dance?" His eyes reflected his lament.

But Shinichi and Ai were in a whole new world. A world of music and silence. But Ai decided that , for once, she might be the first one to speak.

"You dance well."

"Thank you. You are not too bad yourself."

Silence once more. Haibara was hesitating, not knowing how to tell him what she had prepared. Not knowing his reaction. She thought of Ran and how sad she looked, and immediately regretted her hesitation.

"Kudo-kun..."

Conan looked at Ai in suprise. He saw sadness in her eyes.

"Yes, Haibara?"

"I - " Ai hesitated, not knowing how to formulate her words or what to do. "I - " she tried again, but still, the words seemed to get stuck to her throat.

Shinichi still could not understand the sudden uneasiness of Haibara. She seemed spaced out, giddy even. Only her eyes reflected an emotion.

"Why are you sad, Haibara?"

Ai looked up. "Huh? No I'm not - " She shifted her gaze on the floor, pretending to concentrate on the music. It was no use lying. No use lying to him. He had figured out that she was sad, in grief. What he hadn't figured out, Ai was thankful. He had not figured out the reason.

"Tell me." Shinichi said. Tightening his grip on her wrist.

A thin line of pink rushed on Haibara's face as she felt the pressure of his hand, but still no words came out.

They carried on dancing. Until...

"I - "Ai began again, startling a silent Conan. "I have something to tell you Kudo."

"Is it about the antidote?"

Ai grimaced, was that all he could think about? "No, it is not about the antidote."

"Oh." Conan paused. "So, what is it about?"

"About something I don't discuss very openly."

"...I don't get it."

"For a detective you are pretty dumb."

Conan's eyes flashed. In a flash, he had gripped Haibara's hand with a sudden force, she yelped in suprise until she felt their forheads colliding softly. "What - is - it?"

"I - " tears were starting to form in frustration. They were dripping softly on her cheeks. "Kudo-kun, I'm sorry."

She had taken his shocked face in her hands, and then edged towards it slowly before planting a soft kiss on his lips. Then, she fled.

Shinichi, though shocked, had quickly produced an answer to Haibara's uneasiness. She was trying to confess, damn it! It's raining outside! I better get her quickly!

He started running, his heart racing at the same spead. "HAIBARA!" he shouted. Searching the darkiness with his eyes. I need to tell her how I feel! I need to!. "HAIBARA!" Finally, he saw a small figure in the roaring rain. He sped up, and caught Ai by the wrist. Her face was still tear-stained.

"What?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"Don't what me Haibara. Didn't I tell you enough times that you aren't supposed to run away?" He hugged her shocked form. Then, slowly cupped her chin, and kissed her.

But she pulled away, her face bright red. "Why?" she asked quietly. "You don't love me, do you?"

Conan reached for her. "I do love you."

"What about Ran?"

He grimaced. "She'll get over the disappointement." And he kissed her again.

For now, Ai just kissed him back, not worrying about Ran, the antidote or their friends. For now, all that mattered was them and the kiss. The problems will come later. When they parted, the rain had soaked them wet, but Shinichi leaned in and whispered in her ear. "So, shall we dance?"

--

Liked it? Hate it? Please leave a (nice) comment after reading! Ja!

Flames are not admitted.

Animeprincess224