Now beta'd by solomonara over on AO3!

kaishin/shinkai pre-slash, one shot, angst, but it's angst with resolution

Gone

The smoke was already roiling out across the ceiling of the hallway, but KID kept running so Shinichi did too. But the thief had a good lead on him, enough that he had time to stop at the end of the hall and turn back to grin at Shinichi as he pushed a button on a small remote. A security gate skittered out from the wall, creeping across its track on the floor with a muted rattle and locking into place just as Shinichi reached it. He slowed to a stop, looking it over briefly, but KID was standing just on the other side, within reach, and it didn't take Shinichi long to turn his focus from the gate to the thief again. His hand crept over to open the scope on his watch, but it wasn't there. Eyes refocusing on KID, he saw him tossing the watch up and down lightly in one hand, the grin now a slight smirk.

"I can't let you follow me this time, Meitantei," KID said. Behind him, something broke in the distance, in the flames, making them roar and flare. They both looked back at the blaze, but Shinichi's eyes returned to KID while the thief was still turned away.

"This isn't the end."

KID's voice was almost too quiet to hear over the rush of the fire.

"What?" Shinichi demanded.

KID turned back. "This isn't the end," he repeated, more firmly this time. "I need you to know that. Just you. Just… know that." He met Shinichi's eyes then and Shinichi felt himself freeze up, his body reacting with something like fear, but he couldn't figure out why. "I'll see you later… Tantei-kun."

KID turned and ran and Shinichi threw himself against the gate, reaching through it to grab onto him, to hold him back, but he missed and his fingers closed on air.

"KID, stop!" he shouted after him. "What are you doing?!"

But KID disappeared through a doorway, into firelight and the haze of heat, and no one ever saw him again.

.

In the first few hours after, Shinichi didn't remember much of what happened. He remembered a kind of desperation, had the vague impression of hearing shots fired, could almost picture the moment of the explosion. By morning, after the initial shock had worn down, he was piecing more of it back together. By that afternoon, all he could think about was finding answers.

The more he searched, the more he wanted. But he wasn't going to give up.

.

It was a distant knock at his back door that made Shinichi glance up at the old-fashioned desk clock sitting in front of him on the edge of the lake of papers spread over the desk. The face showed three, but he had to look to the shuttered windows just to determine if it was AM or PM. Going from how dark it seemed, he'd say 3AM. But he had no idea what day.

Another knock came and Shinichi slowly pushed his chair back and stood. His body seemed stiff, so he supposed he'd been sitting there a while by now. He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. But if he kept at it, he would be again. Eventually.

Shinichi made his way out of the light spilling from the library doorway and through the dark house to the back door. He had enough sense remaining to check that the new anesthetic watch Agasa had made for him was loaded and ready, then turned the lock and opened the door.

"Hey… Tantei-kun," Kuroba Kaito said, and Shinichi just stared. It was all he could do and still keep to his feet. His heart had sped, hard and fast, and Kuroba Kaito was just standing there with his arm in a brace and sling, and a completely stupid, hesitant, sheepish smile on his face.

Shinichi supposed that was reasonable. All of it. And why shouldn't it be? He was a detective. His delusions would have to follow his personal sense of logic. Apparently.

"Tan–?"

Shinichi reached out and grabbed Kaito by his shoulder, pulling him roughly so that the thief staggered forward into the house. The door slammed, loud enough to echo through the empty house and cause Kaito to wince, and Shinichi turned the lock. He stayed by the door, his head down and his back to Kaito, and murmured with some resignation, "What the hell happened, KID." Nothing had provided answers so far. Maybe this phantom could.

Kaito breathed out a nervous laugh in the darkness. "I would have thought you'd've figured it all out by now."

Shinichi turned abruptly and shoved Kaito back against a wall. The thief made a soft sound of discomfort, but otherwise allowed Shinichi to do as he would.

"I know." Shinichi's fingers gripped into Kaito's shirt, keeping him against the wall at arm's length. "I know all about the organization that was hunting you," he said. "I know all about the first Kaitou KID, Kuroba Toichi. His murder. The Phantom Lady, Kuroba Chikage and their son, Kuroba Kaito – the second Kaitou KID. I know. But…" Shinichi looked up and met Kaito's eyes. "I also know that you were dead.

"I searched. I searched for the meaning of those last words you said to me. I searched for you, or some evidence – some clue as to what happened. For any sign that you'd faked it." His fist was still clenched around the shirt, probably pressing hard enough to bruise, and Kaito was watching him with something like fear in his eyes. Shinichi ignored it, not easing up in the least. "Do you know what I found?" he asked.

Kaito looked like he thought he should answer. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

"I found video footage that showed you caught in an explosion," Shinichi went on, ruthless in his anger. "I found a glider, torn apart, stained with blood that matched Kuroba Kaito's blood type. I found more blood on the shattered remains of the jewel called Pandora. I found a crime syndicate and I tore it down looking for information about that night." Kaito made an unintelligible noise at that and Shinichi ignored that too. "I. Found. Nothing," he grated out, long, long past holding back. "Not a shred of evidence that you were still alive. You–" His voice broke. Kaito looked startled. He pushed on anyway. "You were gone. …So what the hell have you got to say about it?"

Even in the darkness, he could track the subtle motion of Kaito swallowing nervously as he tried for words again. Vaguely he also noticed that his own hand seemed to be shaking where he was still clutching at Kaito.

"Nothing," Kaito finally managed. "Nothing, just… I'm here."

Shinichi's eyes locked abruptly onto Kaito's, startling himself with the intense incredulity the thief's words had stirred in him.

"I tried to tell you," Kaito said immediately. "But I guess I… just ended up causing you problems… Um… I'm–"

"Don't," Shinichi ordered, desperate as much as he was angry.

"…What do you want me to say, Shinichi?" Kaito sighed. Then he blinked and blushed and Shinichi finally pulled his hand back, his expression probably mirroring the bewildered look on Kaito's face. He hadn't been expecting that. At all.

Wait. Does that mean–?

"Sorry," Kaito said, the word rushed. "I didn't mean to– …I guess I've been thinking about this for a long time. Through my whole, um, recovery. I kept thinking about how I could get back to you. To let you know. I never figured it out though," he explained. It sounded like an explanation. Shinichi's mind wrestled with each word. "I just sort of… ended up here."

"You…" He took a few steps back from Kaito and closed his eyes, one hand moving up to his forehead, fingers in his hair. "Honestly," he bit out. "Part of me wants to throw you out. Right now."

"Yeah…" Kaito murmured. Shinichi didn't let him go on.

"But I'm not letting you out of my sight. Seriously. I'm not letting you leave." He moved a little, unconsciously, standing in front of the door. "I hope you don't have anywhere to be, 'cause you are not leaving here until I am absolutely convinced that this isn't a dream or… hallucination or something. Just… Just stay here."

"Stay…?" Kaito asked like Shinichi was speaking Chinese.

"Yeah," Shinichi shot back at him. "I don't think I'm asking a lot here, KID. Kaito. You put me through hell for weeks. Just. Stay. Here."

Kaito seemed to relax a little. Then he held out his hand. Shinichi was starting to believe that either KID was really there, or he had absolutely lost his mind. But it was a comfortable sort of bafflement that settled over him with each unexpected action Kaito took, because it felt familiar. Being in the presence of the magician thief again felt just the same as it always had. Shinichi reached out and took his hand, clinging.

"Of course, Tantei-kun," KID said. "I'll stay."

.

Gone – Author's Note

Well… I wrote Be Real from Kaito's perspective. Might as well have a one-shot from Shinichi's. Came out angsty again wtf is wrong with me. Oh, wait, I know what's wrong with me. I still haven't freaking finished Fall into Flying and it's being an ever-loving pain in the butt! Four and a half chapters to go. It's coming; I swear it! To myself! (And until then I will probably continue cranking out little one-shots to vent and to feel productive when I get stuck on stupid chapters that are made of stupid. I have so many plot bunnies hopping around…)

Anyway, thanks for reading!

~DS

P.S. Happy birthday, Kaito…! …Why am I so mean to you?