Disclaimer: Works of Meitantei Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei. Song and lyrics of "Home" by Michael Bublé, Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies.
Warning: Darkly themed. Lightly finish. Established relationship.
Author's Note: Song-inspired fic (song fic?) but could be read without the lyrics (pretend they are line dividers or something). I highly suggest you to listen to the song if you can. Emotional people, please ready some tissue. Don't worry, no deaths. This was supposed to go into the X'mas special but that ending opened another kettle of worms (I'm working on a continuation, without the song's inspiration) so I've changed the title of the previous and made this a standalone. -ONESHOT-
-Home-
He woke up once more to the darkness of the cell. Not sure whether it was day or night. The last thing he remembered was the lunch outing with Ran. How she complained about his insensitiveness and his awkwardness with emotions
Another summer day has come and gone away
("So, you have anything planned?" Ran asked as she stirred the sugar into her coffee.
"For what?"
"It's Christmas Shinichi."
"And?"
"You're supposed to celebrate it. Especially with your significant other."
"Kaito most likely would have a show in the evenings now that he's gone professional."
"At least you need to do something special!" Ran sighed, having given up on trying to make him more romantic. "What about a gift?"
"What do you give to a magician who practically has everything?"
"Mou!" She nearly slammed her head onto to table. "It's not the actual gift but the thought that counts!"
"That's what they all say until they opened the box."
"And is Kuroba-kun like that?"
"..."
"See! I bet he's been really excited since the start of the month."
"..."
"Poor Kuroba-kun, why did he have to fall for someone like you?"
"Hey! I'm not that bad!"
In Paris and Rome
"That's it, we're going shopping."
"What?!"
"I needed to get something for Masumi. You'll come with me to pick out something for Kuroba-kun."
"Do I get a say in this?"
"The only 'say' you have is whether you want Sonoko to join us."
"Fine.")
But I wanna go home
Mmmmmmm
The present he picked out for the magician now laid in scattered pieces on the floor. The torn wrapping thrown about the cold, damp floor. The outside box destroyed and had a dirty footprint on the cover. The only consolation was that only the clasp of the chain of the pendant broke. Though it was also because of that he managed to stay alive.
May be surrounded by a million people I still feel all alone
("Urgh." Shinichi groaned. His head hurt. It was as though a truck ran him over or the aftermath of that drunken New Years party.
"Finally awake." A low baritone voice echoed. He figured they must be in a stone walled cellar. He tried to move his hands but they were securely fastened to a chain hung above his head. His fingers were numbing from the lack of blood flow. He could think of very few people who would or could take him alive in broad daylight with no one noticing.
"You." There was no point in letting his captor know that Shinichi knew his name.
"I thought I killed you boy."
"Obviously not a thorough job."
He was backhanded; his ears were ringing from the blow.
"We had confirmation of your death at that amusement park. How did you cheat death?"
"I find it funny that your boss never told you. After all, he also had someone who managed to cheat death." Shinichi lifted his head to look at his captor and smirked, knowing that it would infuriate him more.
"Shut up." Another punch, this time to the left cheeks. He could feel a swelling coming. "I took care of you once, took care of your obnoxious little cousin as well. But now I know better. Your cousin didn't know anything. He was acting as your go-between for the FBI and CIA. He was your sword whilst you were hiding."
He remained silent, pretending to pay attention but was stealthily surveying the room.
"So how does it feel to have a child's blood on your hands?"
Shinichi's eyes hardened at the words. Conan is still alive within him. He would never be dead as long as Shinichi is alive. Though, his captor has a point. He had to fake Conan's departure in order to return, and in a sense killed all possibilities of Conan coming for a visit from the States.
"Bit sore about being outwitted by a primary school student, the ghost of a teenager, and a handful of agents?"
This earned him a punch to the stomach. A white cube promptly fell out of the jacket pocket.
"And what's this? A gift from your sweetheart?"
"Don't touch that!" He screamed, struggling on the chains at the same time.
"A gift for your sweetheart then." His captor held the box with two fingers and pulled at the blue decorative ribbon with his other hand.
Shinichi struggled some more. He could not let those dirty hands touch the present he had painstakingly chosen for Kaito.
"What a lovely little trinket." There was a sadistic smile on the face as he took the chain and pendant from its resting place. The crystal glittered even in the dim lighting, much like how its intended owner would glow in the night.
Shinichi tried to move away from his captor as he crept forward. His back was already flat against the wall. The previous blow to the stomach had left him slightly winded and he was in no position to kick his captor where it hurts.
When he stopped in front of Shinichi, and leaned over. Shinichi's heart nearly stopped. Breaths heavy, it was difficult to predict what the man would do. Hands reached out to loop the behind onto the detective's neck. There was a pause and Shinichi's mind nearly short-circuited at the action.
He felt a soft weight on his chest, it was the clover pendant. Hands reached out again to grab hold of the chains.
"Sentimental?"
"What do you want?"
"Where is that women?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Hands tighten around the chains and instead of pulling Shinichi up towards an awkward position, he soon found himself struggling to breathe. The chains crossed against his throat, making their mark. The pendant dangled in the space between, it was probably the only thing holding onto Shinichi's consciousness. His body was lifted upwards by the silver chain, legs half kneeling, half standing. He involuntarily tried to move his arms to struggle out of the hold.
"I'll ask you again, where is the woman?"
'How am I supposed to answer when you're choking me.' The thought was surprisingly coherent.
But the pressure was not released. He assumed his captor was watching his expression for any change. Having Kaito as his significant other had its benefit, teaching him how to better mask his emotions.
He was not sure how long they stayed, only that there was a sudden increase in pressure. Shinichi was sure he would pass out soon. No sooner then he finished his thought, the pressure was suddenly released. He gasped, coughing and drinking in the air.
"You were lucky." He threw the now useless piece of jewellery to the side. It hit a wall and landed with a soft clink. "It seems you'll stay alive for now." He walked in the opposite direction. Bright light streamed from the entrance, blinding Shinichi temporarily. Footsteps were muffled as soon as the doors closed, leaving him in full darkness once more.
He relaxed into a more comfortable position, hopefully to ease the pain on his shoulders. But there was something not quite right with the room. It was then he heard a soft hissing noise.
'Gas? Poison?' He knew it was useless to hold his breath. If they wanted to kill him, they would not have bothered to capture him. 'Sleeping gas. Smart people, trying to make sure I won't try and escape from here.')
I just wanna go home
They drugged him quite a few times, messing up his sense of time. They were careful too, to ensure he would survive, forcing liquid down his throat every few hours. But that could be because a dead informer was a useless informer.
(Shinichi was suddenly forced out of his drugged sleep by the bright light. He spotted two shadows coming towards him, but his eyes were still adjusting to the large difference in luminance. One of the shadows approached him on the right and the other stood in front of him. The one on the right pulled his hair backwards, his parched throat did not allow him to make much of a sound without coughing.
"Drink." The voice came from the one standing in front of him. It sounded young.
Shinichi was unceremoniously forced with liquid. In his state, he could barely resist. The only thing he could do was ensure he didn't accidentally suffocate.
"Out". A curt command called from the doorway. It was that familiar voice. The two children scuttled out in a hurry, their footsteps rushed and echoed as they ran through the door.
Oh, I miss you, you know
This entrance was no less dramatical than his last one. At least he had the decency to close the door slightly to stop the annoying light. Shinichi, having slept for who-knows-how-long had a hard time trying to get his eyes to cooperate.
"You again? Shouldn't they have someone else doing this sort of thing? Or are they really short on hands?"
His captor growled at him. His frustrations clear to Shinichi.
"Oh right, I had them arrested." He didn't know why he could still be so cocky at a time like this. He is blaming it due to being in close proximity with Kaito all the time and his antics must have rubbed off on him.
"You ready to talk?" His captor was close, Shinichi could feel it. He was somewhere near where his legs had stretched out.
"There's nothing to say." Defiantly, and knowing that it won't probably be seen anyways, he turned his gaze away from his captor. There was a small pressure on his ankle at that statement.
"I'll be nice and ask again, where is The Women? Your obnoxious little cousin had been in contact with her, passing her notes and knowledge to you."
"The only women I know of, and that answers to such, would be a literary figure. Not sure why you would want to have contact with someone from a book."
"Cocky are you?" Shinichi wasn't sure what the man was aiming for, but if he felt that Shinichi would divulge his knowledge from a little pain then he could think again. This was in no way comparable to the pain he felt when he took the cure. Those agonizing hours of transformation nearly drew him into insanity.)
And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
The result of that particular confrontation left him with a messed up ankle. He wouldn't be kicking anything soon. But it was nothing too serious, though it is currently swollen badly; no bones seemed to be broken even though they were definitely dislodged. He knew he won't be able to attend any KID heist as well, seeing as he could barely put any weight on his ankle. But he had no doubt that he would be able to escape this predicament.
His captor came back quite a few times. Asking the same question, getting the same answers. And each time ended with Shinichi becoming a punching bag. He lost count after fifth time his captor entered the room and mercilessly kicking and punching after another unsuccessful round of interrogation. Shinichi wasn't even sure if his captor even slept seeing as there didn't seem to be much time between his drifting off to the realm of unconsciousness and the intruding light from the doorway.
Each one a line or two
It was strange to have been able to wake up without being forced. But he was glad because this meant his body was building up resistance to the gas. The only thing he had to remember was to make sure his captors didn't know about it. Though that brought another thought to his mind. Which Women was his talking about? Vermouth or Sherry?
Officially, Vermouth was killed during the takedown where many were killed on spot, even though some agents have escaped hence his current predicament. However, the FBI saw her potential and despite the vehement complaints from Jodie, they decided to keep Vermouth under observation and allowed her some form of freedom provided she offers her skills to them. Sherry, or Haibara as known these days, is living out her second childhood. She kept her genius a low-profile and went to primary school like before. No longer was she working on poisons or antidotes, she now focuses her mind on health related issues, mainly trying to make sure the Professor eats healthily and that Shinichi stays alive.
At least Shinichi was glad some good did come out of the takedown, despite its lack of success. They were unable to capture the Boss or Gin, but they took down Vodka, Korn, and Chianti. Bourbon and Kir disappeared back into their original identity and was never heard from again, but that was to be expected. They did take away a large chunk of their power, but it seems that it was not enough. All the scientists, who were held under blackmail and threats, had been freed and are now in protective custody just in case they became targets once more (majority decided to change their identity and live in a different part of Japan just to escape this nightmare). That had been nearly a year ago, it seems that during this past year, the group had been trying to reclaim back what they've lost and they have decided to target Shinichi first.
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"
Shinichi was thankful Kaito had not accompanied him to lunch with Ran. Although Kaito's expertise would be quite useful in this situation, he does not want to think what could happen if his captors were using Kaito as leverage to get Shinichi to spill the beans.
'Hopefully they would not realize Kaito's existence or importance.' He tried to ease his mind. He knew he would be able to escape sometime, hopefully before Christmas came, but it would take lots of thinking and planning. The first course of action would be trying to free himself from the chains. But he could not examine his shackles without informing his jailer of his current consciousness, a rare opportunity to survey the room and start plotting.
'They were keen to not let me know the layout, which means that there are definitely escape routes.'
His mind worked overtime to dissect what little information was provided to him through the bad lighting. He knew the room was long more than wide, made of stone that was most likely to be granite. There is a cement floor, still rough from disuse. No windows, lack of fixture, so this means he is underground or in a cavern. The fact that there is light every time someone opened the door meant it was part of the living quarters with amenities available. Apart from his current jailer, his captor, and the two children who comes in to force dried up bread and water down his throat, he estimates there should not be more than a handful extra of personnel on the premises.
'Lack of people, hidden space, basic utilities available, this means somewhere rural but still populated. The building is likely disguised as a residential building, two or three storeys high, probably everyone is posing as family members. Given that we're near the holidays, I should prepare for a few more unsuspecting members to show up, likely the Boss. I've been taken prisoner but not killed, so not only do they want information, they have not been given orders on regular basis.' He was tempted to test the strength of his bindings but forced himself to breathe again. His lungs hurt; it reminded him that he needs to take stock of his own injury.
'Let's see…broken ankle, bruised ribs, slight shoulder pain due to over exertion, fingers slow to respond but that's expected. Coordination wise I should be ok, picking locks might be of some difficulty but given time I should recover some finger mobility. There's nothing much I could do with my ankle situation, so there's no physical way to protect myself properly.'
He scrutinized his surroundings for any form of a weapon.
'Nothing in my immediate field of vision, this just leaves disarming my captor. That in itself is difficult under normal circumstances. Now? I'm not sure if it's even possible."
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
Even if it were impossible, he would have to try.
He was not sure how long it has been since his capture. The police could be looking for him.
'Kaito would worry.'
His magician knew his enemies were still around. Have been trying to tag along for everything, nearly neglecting his shows. It was then when Shinichi demanded for him to stop. Kaito only agreed if Shinichi would call or text regularly. This was why the police now found him texting at crime scenes, much to their discontent.
My words were cold and flat and you deserve more than that
He sat in the deafening silence, trying to pick up any other noise. But it was difficult to keep his eyes open. It seems that his captors have taken his resistance to the gas into account and started to intermittently saturate the room in it.
'They have the money and resource it seems.' The only thing keeping him slightly awake was the continuous pain in his chest. He hoped it was really bruised ribs and not cracked. 'Did they change the chemical mix?'
His thought process was slowing, the trains of thoughts were random. Coherency was definitely lacking. He wasn't so sure if time passed anymore.
Another aeroplane
'Some kind of numbing agent? Truth serum?'
His captor had chosen that particular time to show up. Shinichi could just make out the bulge underneath the coat.
'Firearms?'
"You're awake."
'Déjà vu.'
"It seems keeping you here serves very little purpose. Since it's Christmas, I'll give you one final chance that could probably save you a life of pain."
"Oh? Feeling charitable? Or do you suddenly want to be on Santa's Nice list?"
His captor wasted no time and kicked him in the chest. He could definitely feel it cracking. He coughed. He could taste copper in his mouth.
"Still trying to act tough? Don't try to stall for time. The police would never find you."
'So the police have started looking. Must have been past the 72 hour mark since my capture then.'
Another sunny place
"You know what I want to know. Give me the location and I might spare you from being in too much pain. Now that the scientists no longer require you to be their lab rat, I can do pretty much anything."
'So they want Sherry then. To help them develop something?'
"Here I thought you were the right hand man of the Boss, yet you follow the very whims of scientists. Not so tough now?" Shinichi managed what little eloquence he has with so much chemicals in his bloodstream. He even surprised himself for being able to deliver the sentence with a mocking tone.
A foot stepped on his ankle. He could see hands rummaging to locate the hand gun.
"We were nice to you then." He kneeled down, positioning the gun on his right thigh. "Now, answer the question, where is the women?"
"What good would she do for you lot?"
A shot was fired, Shinichi screamed. It was not a through-and-through, the bullet was lodged in the bone, he could feel the metal as his muscles constricted. Blood began the stream out of the wound, coating the pant legs.
"The air here is filled with a special concoction, to stop coagulation and increase nerve sensitivity whilst numbing the brain. Our scientists have been hard at work before you and your cousin messed with us."
'They were developing a mind-altering agent then. But there's something more. They must have been trying to develop something to alter the human body.'
"Did you know you've been our test subject ever since you were here?" He repositioned the gun to the centre of his chest.
'Then not only the air, the water as well. They have an unfinished product; they needed to see its effect. They needed an expert, hence Sherry.'
"You're smart. You want to live. All you have to do is give me an address."
"You're smart. You should know I don't negotiate with true criminals." Shinichi rebutted, staring into his captor's unfeeling eyes.
His captor chuckled, guns still steady with a finger loosely on the trigger.
"A True Criminal." He laughed out loud. "The Boss is the true criminal, the mastermind, here."
'So the Boss is in the building right now.'
I'm lucky, I know
But I wanna go home
"You entertain me Boy. I should give you a second chance then." Instead of being pointed at his heart, the muzzle was now on his left shoulder, just on the joint. Shinichi knew if it fired, it would probably hurt a lot more than the one on the thigh. Not to mention he might become deaf from the close proximity of the muzzle with his ear. "Continue entertaining me and you might be able to live through Christmas."
'First close to Christmas, now through Christmas. Today should be Christmas Eve. It's been nearly a week then.'
"Our Boss was impressed to see you have survived so long in the darkness. Most would have gone crazy." Shinichi could feel the other hand on the location where the wound is, he could easily guess what his captor has in mind. His captor gave the wound a squeeze, forcing more blood out of the hole. Shinichi screams were longer this time as fingers dug into the open wound.
"He saw potential in you as well. It's clear that you have managed to retain your mind throughout this ordeal." Another squeeze, another scream. Shinichi's broken ribs were starting to hurt because of the continuous need to fill the emptied lungs.
"Be a good boy and I might be able to cut you a deal."
Mmmm, I've got to go home
"Ha!" Shinichi laughed before coughing. He knew he was just killing himself at this point. Increased oxygen intake in this room would only deter the probability of blood coagulation, not that there weren't enough chemicals in his bloodstream. "Like you would willingly share the spotlight with someone."
"You took away my partner." A shot was fired close to his ear, but thankfully not into the flesh. "We need to replenish our force."
"And you think I'll just say yes and give you the address because you made an offer?"
'They actually wanted me alive regardless of what he says. I still have a chance.'
"You might not be given a chance or a choice after I'm through with you." The gun was being pointed in his face before returning to the spot on the shoulder.
'He's expecting the drugs to work on me. Maybe to turn me into a mindless puppet.'
"I'll even be nice and let you stew about it for a while." He stood up and left. But Shinichi is sure that he would come back in very soon, so as to not kill him with the blood lost. At most, he'd have 10 minutes to regroup his thoughts, which were becoming stunningly more coherent now that he has the pain to focus on.
"Shit." He swore out loud, not worrying whether anyone heard him. He didn't have much time to re-plan his escape. With the additional injuries, it just became harder. At least now he knew where he could get a weapon, provided he can free himself from the wall.
He pulled and tested the strength of the chains, there was a little bit of give. Next to check for manoeuvrability of his legs. It was fortunate that both injuries ended up on the same leg. He wasn't sure if it was intentional on his captor's part to allow such an error to happen. But he would take all good luck where he can get.
'Chains, then sneak away. He generally leaves the door open to let in the light. I never detected any other person on the other side, must have ordered my jailer out as well. Next is to determine how to get away from the premises. Since he's here, so is his beloved car.'
But he realized the more time left in here, the worst it would be for his situation. The blood lost would mean his physical capacity would be reduced. Strength is the first to go, following stamina. He was not sure of the layout of the building, finding an exit would be difficult.
'Hope my luck holds.'
Let me go home
His captor's return announced the start of his plan. Shinichi still stared defiantly at him, not willing to let him see any of his emotions. That is not to say he kept his face blank, which would just make it as though he won and had turned Shinichi into a mindless puppet. He let himself show hatred, something rarely experienced by the young detective.
"Still acting tough?" He resumed the earlier position. Shinichi could see the hardness of the eyes. Something changed during that brief absence.
'Could it be the Boss said something?'
"You are to give me the address." He pushed the muzzle deeper, causing pain to suddenly course through his body.
'The chemicals…' It seems the drug concoction was doing its job of intensifying the sense of touch.
"You are supposed to say please." Shinichi could still see the finger was not at the trigger. He was still safe. But that would mean his plan could not be put into action yet.
"Insolent brat." Shinichi suddenly felt pain in his stomach. He glanced down to see a knife embedded.
'Shit.'
"Killing me won't do you any good." He was lucky his captor did not remove the knife.
"Hurting you now still satisfies me and brings me entertainment." There was a sadistic grin on his face.
"You don't want to betray your Boss now would you?" Shinichi was trying to goad him into letting his emotions run wild, to lose control.
His captor narrowed his eyes and placed a finger onto the trigger. It seems Shinichi had spoken the trigger word.
"The women." Short and curt, definitely angered. Any action from this point on must be calculated as his captor is prone to reflexive actions.
"No." Same defiant tone, which should further shorten the man's patience. Give it a couple of seconds and his captor may not be able to hold in the anger much longer.
Shinichi was carefully reading the man's micro-emotions, training his eyes in the dark light to pick up the most miniscule of movement. He barely breathed as he waited for the exact moment where his captor would react.
"Talk." There was a clenching of jaws. His captor brought up his free hand to Shinichi's jaw, painfully squeezing the sides.
"No." He delayed his reply in favour of getting ready to react. The previous actions were all signals for Shinichi telling him that his captor was at the edge of his control.
He saw the finger tightened around the trigger, it was as though time had slowed. Using what little strength he has left, Shinichi used his remaining good leg up to kick the leg supporting the knee in front of him. With his injured leg, he forced it to kick the gun so that it was pointed up towards where he assumed the chain was attached to the wall. Without waiting, he head-butted his captor in the chest causing him to fall over.
I'm just too far from where you are
BANG
It seemed his luck held up as the bullet hit Shinichi's intended mark, freeing his arms. His injured leg, surprisingly, managed to disarm his captor at the same time. The gun fell close to Shinichi and he wasted no time to pick it up and put a round in the thigh, another in the opposite foot, a third to the right shoulder, and finally one on the left forearm. He knew it was a bit excessive but after Conan's encounters with the man, and the fact that this man seems to be a monster that could withstand a shot of the tranquilizer dart, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Without looking at how badly the man was injured, he walked towards the door. He paused when he noticed a glimmer of light in the corner of his eyes.
I wanna come home
It was the clover pendant, amazingly still intact.
'It saved me once.' Shinichi staggered over to the pendant to pick it up. He was still mindful of the fact that his captor was writhing on the floor, crawling towards him.
Carefully, he lifted the pendant and wrapped his fingers around it, tightly encasing it in his fist.
"Don't think you can get away so easily." His ex-captor muttered. Still trying to recompose himself.
Shinichi was sorely tempted to put another round in his head after all the misery he's been through but he knew he wouldn't be able to do it. The bullet he put in the shoulder was as close as he would get to shooting the man in the chest.
"I'm not like you." He figured his ex-captor was trying to goad him into shooting. He turned towards the doorway, trying to put as much distance between him and the drug saturated room before passing out from blood lost.
And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life
It was not really bright on the other side of the door. It only seemed that way because Shinichi had been literally kept in darkness for too long. He saw lines of racks in front of him, a stool next to him, and the smell of wood surrounding him.
'A wine cellar. How appropriate.'
His jail was the only opening on this wall. He could either walk around the perimeter to find another opening, which was not something he would want to do given that he would most likely leave a trail of blood behind, or walk straight through the aisle to see if there is another doorway.
'First, make sure he doesn't come out to hunt me down.' Shinichi closed the door behind him. Luck seems to be keyword of the day as the key was still in the keyhole.
'Next stemming the flow.' His wrists were still chained and there wasn't a piece of wire in sight. With nothing to pick the lock with, he left it but tore out the sleeves of his jacket to wrap around the metal so as to muffle any possible noise. He looked towards his thigh, the blood showed no sign of stopping, neither was the knife wound. But as long as the knife remained where it is, if Shinichi was careful, he could survive. Just in case, he tore apart the rest of the jacket along the seam and created a makeshift bandage to secure the knife in place. He was tempted to take out the bullet in his thigh as it agitated him. Even though the drugs were to increase his nerve sensitivity the rush of adrenaline dulled it quite a lot to allow him to move. With some of the jacket material, he tied the wound to stem the flow. His ankle was swollen badly; putting his weight on it sent a current of pain up his spine. He grimaced but pushed on.
At the end of the aisle were a set of steps leading upwards. Shinichi could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He gave one last look at the direction of his jail cell. There were still muffled sounds but it could barely be heard. Before heading up the stairs, he noticed a rack of liquor to the side. He randomly took a bottle, twisted it open and took a swig. It was something with an absurd amount of alcohol content by the way it burned his throat. But it was something he needed. Not to cloud his judgement or hinder his movement, but to numb the onset of pain. The drugs were still in his system, and being fed so many times, even with the bleed out, his body is still saturated with it. Alcohol slows a person's reaction time, meaning it slows the signals between the brain and nerve. Hopefully it would provide Shinichi with some time before the onset of pain that would be happening in the near future.
On silent feet, ones trained from trying to surprise Kaito during breakfast when he woke up early, he approached the door at the end of the staircase. It was gruelling trying to climb up the stairs. He placed his ear on the door to listen for sounds. Finding none, he carefully opened a slit to peer out into the other side.
It was dark, at least darker than the cellar, Shinichi's eyes easily adjusted to the dimness. Seeing as there were no signs of danger, he stepped out of his hiding place. It was another room with doors leading to all sides, each door of same design, size and colour. One of them is bound to lead to a corridor that overlooks the landscape. Unless the cellar was actually two floors down. But Shinichi had doubted that. The architecture was quite modern, so there should only be one level. If they were in a castle, that was another story, but they were in rural Japan. Even ancient Japanese architecture is not prone to designing multiple basement floors. It is more possible to find an escape route on the bottom-most floor if it was ancient Japanese architecture.
The room was of octagonal structure, a door on each side. The floor and ceiling was made with the same material, same colour, both patterned to distract anyone who entered. In the centre stood a table with a large vase. What was funny for Shinichi was the lack of surveillance, no visible cameras, no sensors, and not even a trip wire. It seems the Boss wanted to make it so that this residence was owned by an eccentric person rather than to raise unwanted suspicion.
'Hope your patron goddess is looking out for me still, Kaito.' He prayed silently for the Lady Goddess who seems to favour his magician so. Hoping that he could make it out alive and in time to meet up with him before the end of Christmas so that the magician would not be alone during the holidays.
Shinichi was about to randomly choose a door when a thought occurred to him. He should have placed himself in the shoes of the Boss. If the Boss were to design a house to act as an emergency headquarters, which is most likely what this building was, that included everything, where would he put his dungeons. His brain told him in the centre of the whole building, but that doesn't help him to determine which door to choose. He hesitated, standing in front of the staircase, for a full minute. He would have continued standing until the pain in his legs were making itself known. He used his eyes and took in all the varying levels of details of the sparsely furnished room, trying to determine the level of wear on the floor and doors. Then, as he was about to head off in the left direction, he saw small amounts of light from appearing from the gap of the opposite door. If he were in his normal capacity, he would not have been able to pick it up, but it seems like the drugs did have some uses.
'Enhanced abilities. If they were able to fully develop this, there's no stopping them.'
It's like I just stepped outside
He repeated his actions from before, carefully listening to sounds. It was then he realised there were sounds of cars in the distance. It must mean that this was the entrance.
'Why did they disguise the door to the cellar as a door to another room? At least I was right in wanting to put the dungeons in the middle of the house. At any other time, this foyer would be filled with agents.' The lack of personnel meant the Boss would likely to have gathered them all for a meeting. It was the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop on their plans but returning to Kaito takes priority now.
He was careful when turning the doorknob, fearing it might trigger an alarm. But his fears were unwarranted. If the Boss wanted to disguise this as a residence, he needed to expect unwanted neighbours to come drop in at any minute and leave suddenly after entertaining. It does not allow time for disabling of alarm systems. Still, he took the precaution and opened the door just enough for him to slip out.
It was snowing outside. Extremely cold for Shinichi now that he was a jacket less and with heightened sense. He needed to find transport quickly before he was frozen solid.
When everything was going right
He spotted a variety of cars along the driveway. Highly tempted to take the Porsche just to annoy a certain blond, he choose a sports car instead.
'A car belonging to a higher ranked member no doubt.' There was no way the Boss would allow for low ranking members to own such a model. 'Break-in then disable the GPS system before starting the car. This thing is bound to be loud.'
And I know just why you could not come along with me
He knew he was becoming more and more like his magician. But he was willing to bend the rules for the sake of survival. After all, it was what he had been doing since Conan times. And it was thanks to said magician that he could not easily physically break into quite a variety of places.
'This is unbecoming of a detective.'
This was not your dream
He took the seat behind the wheel, short circuiting the wiring to make it start. As predicted, the engines gave a loud roar and without waiting, Shinichi stepped on the pedal and turned away from the driveway. He had the sense of not turning on the car lights, just in case someone would give chase.
'All the better if someone notices a speeding car with no lights. If a police pulls me over, I should be able to get back that much faster.'
His bleeding was still showing no signs of stopping, his eyes were threatening to close, but he knew he had to keep his mind alert for any landmarks. Not once did he ease off the pedal, running through traffic lights (though it was rare since all of them seemed to turn green the moment he approached), and turning at random intersections.
But you always believed in me
Unfortunately, he had to stop part way on the side of the road. The pain was a bit too much for him to be driving, even though the road was practically devoid of cars. He needed to regain his mental facilities before he crashed because of passing out due to pain.
'The bleeding still isn't showing signs of stopping.'
This was really bad, he noticed, he was running on pure willpower. The moment he release all his tension, his body would fail him in spectacular ways.
Another winter day has come and gone away in either Paris or Rome
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing and slow his heart. He could not allow his body any more time to relax or waste time trying to recover. Every minute is critical for him. The gentle pressure of the pendant, still encased in his fist, reminded him of his purpose.
'I hope I didn't get blood on it.' His thoughts were focused on giving his magician a surprise.
'It'll be a surprise all right. Maybe afterwards, we can go out for some late night drinks.' He smiled as he stepped on the gas once more, this time turning on the headlights as well.
'Or we can cuddle by the fireplace. I wonder he Kaito has the tree set up.'
And I wanna go home
Shinichi wasn't sure he it was a good thing or a bad thing when his mind began to conjure up different scenarios of spending time with Kaito. It could be that his mind was trying to tell him everything would soon be over or it could be he was really high because of the chemicals in the bloodstream.
'There's the restaurant that offers great Christmas dinner courses, I wonder if we can get reservations so late.' Shinichi can easily picture the look of excitement on Kaito's face at the news of eating a romantic dinner with music in the background. He let himself smile goofily since no one was watching.
Let me go home
'It'll be good if we can take a vacation. Maybe to the States. We can take a road trip, Kaito would love that. Maybe go hang-gliding too. He always had a love for flying.' Shinichi turned right at a corner, not even sure if there were signs or if it allowed for right turns. 'I wonder if mum and dad are in Las Vegas now, it would be good to visit them. I remembered Kaito's mum is there now. We could all have dinner together, it would be good. I really should meet his mother in person. Talking it through video conference doesn't sound sincere.'
Shinichi unconsciously know he was becoming delirious but he couldn't care.
'Yes, face-to-face meeting is the correct way to go about it. There's nothing better than to judge the character than in person. She'll be able to see clearer of the person her son holds the heart of.'
And I'm surrounded by a million people I still feel alone
He looked out the window at that moment to just be able to see a Christmas tree having been set up at a public square outside of the train station. It was somewhat familiar, the placement of lights, the locations of the potted plants, and the design of the tree itself. His brain was clearly lagging, could be the liquor or could be the drugs. He wasn't sure so he left the thought aside.
'Blue was always a good colour for Kaito, so sapphire would be a good choice. But green would suit the design much better.' He glanced at the hand holding onto the pendant. "Emerald or Sapphire? Or maybe both?" Unknowingly, he said out loud. There was no reply nor was he looking for one as his thoughts continued without stopping.
'But the ring should be Diamond to symbolize eternity. Kaito would be really conscious of the meaning as well as looking at the aesthetics.'
It took a moment for Shinichi to realize where he was.
And let me go home
"Beika Station!" He was a bit late to recognize the surrounding decor even though he passes by it on a daily basis.
He finally notices the number of people on the streets. Consisting mainly of couples, they were all walking away from the station.
'Date night?' His eyes were drawn to the couple that passed by the side windows as he drove through the street. Dressed warmly, the man had an arm around the girl's shoulder. He could just make out the bright expression on the girl's face as she talked animatedly.
'I should have planned for dinner. Somewhere with candlelit tables, soft music, good food, and to-die-for deserts. Hopefully no one would actually die. Maybe prepared flowers as well. A nice bouquet for the evening.'
Oh, I miss you, you know
'A bouquet of Daisy, White Lily, Yellow Pansy, Honeysuckle, and Red Tulip. A bit unconventional, but hopefully he would understand. The combination of I Love You Truly, My Love is Pure, Thinking of You, Devoted Affection, and I Declare My Love for You. He'd understand and it's better than the traditional bouquet of 99 red roses.'
Shinichi smiled, automatically turning at a well-known corner into a quieter part of the neighbourhood.
'Or should that be the combination of Apple Blossom and Pansy for Promise and Loving Thought? Or I could go with Jonquil for my Desire for Affection Returned.'
Let me go home
He arrived at a familiar street, though was surprised by the lack of lights shining from the windows.
'It must be really late.' He tuned the car towards the house. Seeing as they don't have a driveway out front, he parked the car near the front gate and staggered out from his seat. He could clearly see his blood had soaked through.
'The leather seats are probably ruined. A pity, it was a nice drive. Maybe we could get one of the same model. Go on a drive in the countryside on days when Kaito doesn't have a show.'
He knew there was little strength left now that he was so near his goal. He pushed against the gate, grateful that they remembered to oil the hinges earlier this month. It made it easier to open
I've had my run
Walking along the path, he noticed the distinct lack of festive decorations. He remembered Kaito had been adamant at decorating for the season. They had been shopping for various bits of tinsel and lighting since the beginning of the month. Kaito had even made sure Shinichi would remember to ask for the weekend before Christmas off to help with the set-up, which he did.
'Oh.' Shinichi's heart constricted. He wasn't there. 'I hope Kaito's not mad.'
He had a bit of difficulty with the steps on the porch, his legs were not cooperating. But he did reach the front door in the end.
Baby, I'm done
He tried to remember where his keys were. His pockets had been empty since a long time ago. He was divested of a majority of his belongings and accessories ever since his capture, likely fearing he may have been hiding a weapon. He only just realised he had not been wearing any shoes.
He immediately reached for the potted plant where they kept the new set of spare key. It was the piece of wire sticking out next to the stem. Wiping it down with the hem of his shirt, he insert it into the keyhole, his intention was not to pick the lock.
It was the Professor's latest invention of a home security system. It reads and recognizes the implement inserted then would project a keypad in the area just above the doorknob. There are sensors placed on the surface of the door to detect the pressure of key push, the temperature of the fingers, the duration of each key push, and most importantly the fingerprint. It would also reveal a hidden disk, prompting for answers matching to the databank. Every answer follows a set of rules and dependent on the prompted question.
Name?
'Kudou.' 241 he pushed the respective numbers as it were on the phone number pad.
Name?
'4869'
Name?
'1412'
He held tightly onto the doorknob, the last security measure, to read the person's palm print. If someone were to guess all its answers but the prints don't match, they would receive the shock of their lives.
The door clicked open; he replaced the spare key back into its holder and entered the threshold.
I gotta go home
There air was cold, but not as cold as outside, and eerily silent. All the lights were off and Shinichi briefly wondered if Kaito was asleep. Looking at the cradle next to the phone in the foyer, he noticed the lack of the cordless phone. Kaito must have taken it in hopes of being able respond to the call that much quicker. Shinichi turned towards the kitchen on sock cladded feet, where he knew Kaito would be waiting.
'He'd be sitting on one of the dining room chairs, likely the closest one to the door. The cordless phone would be on the table along with his mobile. Although he preferred chocolate, he'd still have a mug of coffee close at hand. He'll probably be really shocked to see me.' He chuckled as he slowly made his way, slightly surprised at how quiet he sounded. On light feet, he finally reached the doorway. It had taken considerably longer with all the injuries he had sustained.
True to his deduction, Kaito was sitting with his back to the door. The lights were off and he was sprawled on the table top. One arm underneath his head to support, another was reaching out towards the phone. Shinichi slowly approached the sleeping magician.
"Tadaima." He whispered softly as the grandfather clock chimed in the background.
He lowered himself next to the magician, taking a moment to observe his face. There were heavy bags underneath the eyes, the blackness surrounding it made it look as though he had been poisoned. The cheeks were slightly hollowed as though he hadn't been eating.
"Merry Christmas Kaito." He smiled and gently kissed him on the temples. His legs choose that moment to give out on him and he collapsed onto the floor. Eyes following the same. His last thoughts before his body hit the ground were his thanks to his beloved magician's patron goddess, for allowing him to come home in one piece.
Let me go home
Kaito felt a small pressure on his temples. He struggled to open his eyes to see the person who decided to wake him up with the feather-light kiss. He had intended to stay awake but it was difficult with the lack of rest. He was running himself rugged. Ever since Shinichi had forgotten to check in with him that late afternoon after his lunch with Mouri-chan, he had been worried. But he put it off as him being held up at a crime scene (even though Shinichi had been quite good at keeping contact). Kaito had waited until later on the evening before calling up the police station, just in case it was a sensitive investigation. But it seems no one had heard from the detective since 2pm.
When he finally managed to open his eyes, he was startled. On the ground laid the familiar mob of hair.
"Shinichi!" He rushed over, overturning the chair he was sitting on, and gently cradled the head before turning the detective to face him. He reached to where the nose was, to test for breathing, with shaking hands. He was afraid of what he might not find. He held on to his own breath, he could barely feel anything. He started panicking before remembering something that Shinichi had told him, to check for both pulse and breathing in case one of them is faked. He held his fingers to the pulse point on the neck and stilled himself. There, a small and faint throbbing. His detective was still alive. But something was not right. He reached over to the top of the table towards the phone and hit the call button twice. He wasn't sure where he was redialling to but he hoped whoever was on the other side would help him.
"Kuroba-kun?" It was Ai-chan
"Help!"
"We'll be over. Stay calm." He heard the dial tone and hung up. He knew the little scientist would be over soon. In the meantime, he needed to bring himself together. He knew he should turn on the lights but he refused to leave Shinichi's side. He felt the stickiness seeping through his pant legs, but wasn't sure where it came from. He remembered it snowing outside earlier but not hard enough for his detective to be soaked in it.
Within minutes, Ai-chan and the Professor came through the door, the older man turning the lights on in the process. Kaito blinked at the sudden intrusion of light and finally took notice of his detective's condition. There was a trail of red leading up to where the detective now laid unconscious. The face was stark white and pasty, his lips were pale and lacks colour. Cheeks were hollowed to the point where bone structure was showing through. But the most startling was the spread of red across the chest.
"No no no no no! SHINICHI!" Kaito unknowingly shouted as he hugged the detective tighter around the neck.
"Calm down Kuroba-kun." Ai-chan rested her hand on his shoulder and kneeled next to him. "Stop panicking. Kudo-kun should have stashed medical kits all over the house. Find one of them then come back here. Hagase, scissors, warm water, towels, and blankets. In that order. I want to make sure how badly he's been injured."
Kaito placed Shinichi's head back onto the hard wooden floor and rushed towards the cabinets. There should be a kit somewhere. When he returned to Ai-chan's sides, she had already cut opened the makeshift bandage on the legs. She was inspecting the wounds, lifting apart the fabric and feeling for any further injuries. He was about to help with the one of the stomach before he was stopped.
"Don't touch that. One thing at a time. The blood and the wound are strange. It looks as though he had just been hit but it should be impossible. We found no traces of blood on the sidewalk, only from the walkway towards the front porch." She made a grab for the kit and rummaged through it, talking to Kaito to make sure he stays in the moment instead of panicking. "The bullet is still in the wound. I'll remove it before stitching it up. You go get a compress for that ankle. It looks really bad." She took out a syringe.
"What's that for."
"Blood work." She punctured the needle at the spot between the elbows, drew the syringe full of the blood. "Afterwards, call emergency services. Tell them of the situation, Kudo-kun would definitely need a blood transfusion."
It was an intense 5 minutes, where Ai-chan expertly took care of the bullet wound. Kaito busied himself with picking the locks to the shackles to free his detective of the metal casings. He noticed one of the fists was clasped around a thin necklace. As they were about to take a look at the knife wound, they heard footsteps. Ai-chan quickly hid behind the Professor. But not before reminding Kaito to refuse any medication for Shinichi just in case.
"Kuroba-kun." It was Megure-keibu. He managed to arrive before the ambulance or the police dispatch. "I was contacted…" The words were caught as soon as the inspector laid his eyes on the puddle he had accidentally stepped on and the body on the floor. "Kudo-kun." He whispered.
Kaito shook his head to indicate Shinichi was still alive.
"The patrol and the ambulance would be here shortly." The inspector announced. "How is he doing?"
"Not sure. I found him on the floor when I woke up. I'm not sure when he came in or how he came back."
"There's a car out front. I don't think that's yours. I'll have forensic check it as well when they come in."
When the ambulance and doctors arrive, they were efficient and had denied Kaito's insistence to stay with Shinichi at first. Megure-keibu vouched for him and was finally allowed on the ambulance. He noticed Sato-keiji and Takagi-keiji just walking up towards the front door as he escorted the gurney towards the ambulance. The two must have been out together.
"Kuroba-kun. Would you be alright?"
He shook his head again. He wasn't sure if he would ever be all right unless Shinichi woke up.
It'll all be all right
The ride had been nerve wracking, the waiting outside of the operation room was excruciating. He had nothing to distract him but the blood that has stained his shirt sleeves. He knew he should change into something, one of the nurses were kind enough to buy him a set of shirt and trousers sometime during the first hour he was there. In his near catatonic state, he did not notice said nurse also placed a blanket over his thin jacket and had held him as she tried to coax him to talk. He remembered being offered a clipboard, he remembered filling out the contact information, and he remembered to tell the doctors and nurses not to give any form of medication to the detective as per Ai-chan's orders.
Two hours into his wait on the hard benches, Megure-keibu walked in front of Kaito.
"Kuroba-kun." He looked up. "We found that the car outside was driven by Kudo-kun. We're running the plates now. The car was short-circuited to start, not with the key. We have reason to believe that he had taken it from the place he was held. We'll get to the bottom of this."
"Thanks keibu."
"Call me if there are changes." Megure-keibu handed over a card with his mobile number. "I'll send Takagi over later to check in with you." The inspector left, presumably back to the Kudo Manor to help with the investigation.
Three hours in and the doctor finally emerged from the OR. He had a grim look but not the ones that usually inform bad news. At the same time Hagase arrived with Takagi-keiji.
"Kuroba-san?"
Kaito immediately rushed over.
"Kudo-san is stable for now. We had to do a blood transfusion. Our hospital is running low on his blood type but you calling ahead with the information helped save his life. He has extensive injuries, but the bullet wound to the thigh had been well taken care of, even though the stitching is a bit small but it would help the healing process. The stomach wound was quite severe, though leaving the knife where it is minimized the amount of blood loss. There were some internal damages, but it should not hinder his every-day life. We've also noticed chest injuries, an x-ray revealed hairline fractures across multiple ribs, one very close to puncturing the lungs. There were also internal bleeding; we had to drain the lungs of the fluid. I know Kudo-san is a soccer player, he would be happy to know that his ankle will not cause any complications, though I would highly suggest him to refrain from vigorous exercises for at least two months to help the healing."
"Thank you doctor. Can I see him?"
"I was told you would be wanting to do so. Kudo-san is being wheeled into the room at the moment. We have provided him a private room due to the police's request. If you have filled in the forms, we'll process it right now and I'll then bring you up to his room."
"Do you think we can get the toxicity report?" The elderly man asked.
"We'll be sending a copy to the police afterwards."
"It's alright doctor. If you have it now, you can give it to us. And also one for the Professor." Megure-keibu had informed Takagi that the elderly professor would want all the details pertaining to Kudo-kun. He thought it was weird at first but the inspector had said that the Kudo family had been operating like that since he knew them, and the fact that they have Hagase live next to them must mean something.
Entering the hospital room, Kaito nearly broke down. His detective was encased in the blankets and was hooked up to many machines. The professor had informed him that he would be back in the morning during visiting hours. Takagi-keiji stood outside as guard. They were all afraid that whatever Shinichi had escaped from, they might come back to finish the job.
"Okaeri." Kaito asked the comatose detective. On the way here, the doctor had mentioned he might wake up within two weeks. Kaito hoped it to be sooner. As he sat down, something fell onto the floor with a plink. He reached over to pick it up.
It was the necklace he found Shinichi to be holding onto. The doctors had a hard time extracting from the detective's tight fist. It must have been really important. Kaito placed the necklace gently onto the side table, the crystal clover gleaming under the moonlight. He took hold of the detective's hands and waited for him to open his eyes.
"Please wake up soon." He leaned onto the bed and faced the detective, wishing fervently to see the hidden sapphires and watching the rise and fall of the chest as the heart monitor beeps in the background.
I'll be home tonight
Kaito woke with a knock on the door.
"Come in." He called out in a rough voice, yawning as he did. His neck hurt and his back was stiff. "Good morning Shinichi." He told his detective.
"Kuroba-kun." The young girl's voice called out as she reached for the karte at the end of the bed. "Any signs?"
Kaito could see the professor adding in something to the IV drip.
"The doctors said he should wake up within two weeks."
"It's a good thing you stopped the doctors from giving Kudo-kun any for of medicine or injection. The tox-report showed there to be anti-coagulating agents in his system along with neuro-toxins. There were also some strange mixtures that I'm trying to figure out the exact chemicals. For now, all I can say that it changes something in his body."
"Is it harmful?"
"I won't know until I've done some testing. But I can say that it activated the old APTX in the body."
"He'll…he'll change back?" Kaito was scared, hoping the APTX would not be killing his beloved.
"No Kuroba-kun, with the blood transfusion, the APTX in his system is quite diluted. The cure is also in the bloodstream so it should not cause too many complications. The re-activation is actually a good thing, it helped speed up the healing. It's the other effects of the chemicals that I'm worried about." There was a frown on her face. "In the meantime, that drip should help combat the anti-coagulating agent. I wasn't able to find a cure for it, the best I could do was chemically change his blood so that when it recognizes this chemical signature, it would release a signal to encourage higher production of blood and to close the wound. I'm guessing here, but the chemical mixture Kudo-kun was fed had helped enhance a lot of his physical capabilities, one of which is healing. As long as the wound could be closed, the body can recover faster."
"What about the neuro-toxin?"
"That we'll have to wait until Kudo-kun wakes up before I can assess the damage. Unfortunately, neuro-toxins are really hard to devise an antidote for. If it were minor, I would suggest living with it to minimize further complications in the blood."
"Thanks Ai-chan."
"You keep holding on. And remember to remove that drip after it has emptied. Wouldn't want to doctors to find out." She paused and considered for a moment. "If the doctors asked, Kudo-kun could be allowed pain relievers. Those shouldn't react badly. For anything else, ask them to call the Professor first."
In the late afternoon, Mouri-chan knocked the door and came into the room. The moment she saw Kaito, she ran over and hugged him.
"How are you holding up?" She asked, not releasing the shoulders. She turned to look at the sleeping detective. "How's he doing?"
"I'm... not sure." Kaito wasn't even sure if he was ok anymore. He was sitting there in silence after Ai-chan had left, stewing over what she just told him. Neuro-toxins meant there could have been possible damage to motor functions. Shinichi would have been devastated if it were the case. Then there was the possible lack of oxygen to the brain, compromising his mental capacity. But no matter what happens, he'll stay by his side.
"You look awful." She turned her gaze to face at Kaito; her eyes were quickly drawn to the shining pendant on the side table. "Oh."
Kaito turned to where her gaze was held.
"You know what that is?"
"That's the present Shinichi chose. On the day we had lunch. I asked him if he planned for anything. I forced him to come shopping for a present with me. He was reluctant at first until we went into the store. His eyes were quickly drawn to this particular piece." She reached for the pendant and took it from its place and held it up towards Kaito. "It's for you Kuroba-kun."
With shaking hands once again, he took it into his hold. So very gently as though it might break. He finally took notice of the detail. Even though it was a simple four-leafed clover, the leaves were well shaped and the crystal perfectly cut. There were even small engravings on the silver attachment, a pair of initials, KS KK. Tears welled up in the rim of Kaito's eyes.
"Why don't you go and grab something to eat first. Clean up a bit. I'll be here to keep watch. Masumi is outside, she'll stand guard also. You won't need to worry."
"But…"
"Shinichi wouldn't want you to run yourself rugged. He'd want you to take care of yourself."
Kaito nodded, making his way out of the room, but not without a kiss to the detective's cheeks.
I'm coming back home
Shinichi's mind was coming back into consciousness, but his eyes refused to open. He could feel the jab of pain near his wrist but he felt warm and comfortable, so it was unlikely he was captured. He knew he made it back home and saw Kaito, wished him Merry Christmas.
'What happened afterwards?' He felt a warm weight to the side, his ears picked up the beeping sound in the background and soft breathing. He tried to move but his body felt like lead. He relaxed, knowing there wouldn't be any danger, and slipped back into sleep.
"Shinichi?" Kaito felt movement in the hands. Today is Boxing Day, it was only the second day, and the doctors were not expecting him to wake up yet.
Shinichi's eyes opened, slightly hazy, and turned towards the sound. A smile was forming in the corners of his lips as he saw his magician, pendant proudly hung around the neck.
"Kaito." His voice was coarse. Tears began to stream down Kaito's cheeks at the sound. It may not have been melodious, but it was proof his Shinichi was here. "Shh. Don't cry." Shinichi moved the hand not held by Kaito to attempt to wipe away the tears.
Kaito wanted to say something, but his voice was failing him. He could not control the tears; neither could he control the sniffing and hiccups. He knew he should be informing the nurses and doctors, tell Chiba-keiji outside the door that Shinichi woke up, but all he could do now was stare into those eyes.
"What's wrong?" Shinichi whispered as Kaito buried his head into Shinichi's chest. He could feel it becoming wet. Kaito shook his head.
"Nothing. Nothing."
"I'm here now. I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm home."
"Yes. You're home." Kaito turned to face Shinichi. "You're home."
-END-