When they got home, Danika came to a halt as soon as the door closed. Shinichi took two more steps before realizing that she'd stopped. He turned and looked at her questioningly, while behind him Naoki called out, "Since you're back, grab me a drink on your way past the kitchen."

Danika blinked in surprise, startled out of her realization that this was not just the first time that she'd arrived home together with Shinichi, but also the first time in years that she'd arrived home with someone who lived in the same place. 

Shinichi turned back and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Naoki stood up, looked them both over and announced, "I'm the one who should be asking questions! What are you doing arriving together!?" 

Danika dismissed her nostalgic thoughts and spoke up quickly, "It's my fault, he came to help me out with something." 

"It's not your fault," Shinichi insisted quickly.

Naoki threw up his hands and asked, "Who cares whose fault it is? What matters is where you've been and what you've been doing, and how likely it is that anyone noticed!" He looked Shinichi up and down again, in his garish outfit, before adding, "If anyone took your photos, I'm going to swear I don't know you. What are you dressed as?" 

Danika giggled.

Shinichi pointed at the violently colorful shirt and stated, "You bought this for me." 

"Uh, seriously?" Naoki asked and scrunched up his face in thought. A moment later he pointed and almost shrieked, "Take it off! Tell me you didn't wash it!" 

"Um, I'd rather be told that he washed it first?" Danika said doubtfully when Shinichi just laughed.

Naoki dashed up to Shinichi and shoved him around until he found the signature. "This," he said firmly to Danika, "never gets washed out, okay? It's irreplaceable."

"Okay," Danika agreed a little questioningly.

"It's okay Nao!" Shinichi insisted laughingly. "I had the dry cleaners give it a protective coating the first time it got cleaned. It should last as long as the shirt does, and I'm definitely not going to wear it often!" 

Naoki crossed his arms and demanded seriously, "What were you doing then, that made you decide to wear it now?" 

Danika explained, "He was helping me make sure that Lin Hao left the country safely." She took Lin Hao's permission to explain everything to Shinichi a bit loosely and explained the last few days to both of them.

When she finished Naoki said, "Geeze, that really is shady." He stood up again from where he'd sprawled comfortably on the couch and pointed at Danika. "Don't agree to anything like that again! You have us to consider now too!"

"Speaking of considering you," Danika began. 

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

At the same time Shinichi replied to Naoki with, "I'm not arguing that I wouldn't rather she didn't agree to do anything like this again, but it was really important to her." 

Naoki rubbed his hand over his face and Danika realized that he looked tired, when he wasn't making exclamations. He nodded to Shinichi, and then eyed her suspiciously and asked, "Danika dear, what do you mean speaking of considering us?" 

"Um," she explained nervously, "Match and I didn't tell Tundo who you guys are, but I think he's going to find out any time now…" 

"So?" Naoki asked with a baffled expression. 

Shinichi reached out and ruffled her hair suddenly and said, "I already told you not to worry about that. It's alright if our guild members, and other people in the game, find out who we are. Most people won't believe it anyway."

"But well, he doesn't seem to like Underneath much…" Danika replied weakly. She wasn't sure that she should be exposing Tundo's opinions. 

Naoki brightened and said, "Oh really? I can't wait to catch him online!" 

"He has just been overexposed to your songs!" Danika exclaimed. "He really thinks Nao1 is a good musician, and I think he's generally a pretty nice guy, so you shouldn't…" 

Shinichi stopped her with a grin, and winked.

Naoki smirked at her and said, "This is going to be awesome! Heh! Okay, don't worry so much, I'll be nice!" He pointed at Shinichi and declared simply, "6am." 

Shinichi nodded, and Naoki turned and climbed the stairs. At the top he turned back and added, "And no dates out until October!"

Danika called up to him, "We're meeting my Dad out, but we're just going to his place, because I had to reschedule on him again." 

Naoki walked back over to the railing and leaned over it, "Alright," he agreed without arguing, "but go there separately, at least half an hour apart, and leave the same way."

Shinichi looked like he was going to protest, so Danika agreed quickly, "Okay, we can do that."

Naoki nodded, straightened, and said, "Night," with a casual wave as he turned away.

As soon as Naoki walked out the door Shinichi turned to Danika and protested unhappily, "Why did you agree?"

"Did you forget that you're working that afternoon? We'll probably have to arrive separately, and you have a good chance of being late anyway," she pointed out logically. 

He pouted at her, but didn't argue, and Danika laughed. "Carry me up to bed," she suggested teasingly, and held her arms out suggestively. 

Shinichi laughed when she gasped in surprise as he quickly stood and scooped her up. 

"I was joking," she protested as he headed toward the stairs.

"Is it fun?" he asked with a grin, as he started up the steps. 

"Yeah," she agreed laughingly, "but dangerous?"

"I won't fall or drop you," he promised.

Danika pretended that she didn't notice the door to Ryuske's workroom snick shut as they reached the top. It added a little warmth to her blush, but she was grateful for his quiet consideration. She couldn't help giggling again as Shinichi reached the door of their room and realized that it was latched shut.

"Bend your knees a little and I'll get it," she instructed.

"We should automate it," Shinichi declared as he lowered her far enough to reach. "It would make it easier from your chair too." 

"Maybe," Danika agreed with a grin, "but then what's going to stop those guys from walking up to it and protesting, 'it just opened!' You know they would."

"True, it should definitely be lockable, so the children can't just barge in," Shinichi agreed seriously, but the crinkle at the corners of his eyes gave his amusement away.

"Children? I refuse to adopt those guys!" Danika protested with mock seriousness. 

Shinichi set her gently on the bed and asked with real seriousness, "You know they are my family too, right?"

"I know," she agreed affectionately.

Shinichi's kiss was warm.