Case 3 – Shinichi's Return

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Kaitou KID stood on the rooftop of a skyscraper in Tokyo, staring up at the sky and waiting. The heist had gone without a hitch so far, which was a little disappointing. He swiped a gloved thumb over the facets of the emerald in his pocket. It hadn't contained Pandora, but he hadn't really expected it to. He'd been pulling heists with increasingly blatant frequency ever since his and Conan's misadventure at the Organization compound, hardly checking to see if the targeted jewels fit with the legend he searched for. And he still hadn't seen Edogawa Conan or Kudou Shinichi (and yes, he dared to hope he might show up one of these days) since then.

That was starting to get a little worrying.

Okay, more than a little. Because really, the last time he saw Conan, he'd been hospitalized after getting himself blown up, and then Kaito had handed him information on a poison that was supposed to somehow fix the age predicament the detective had gotten himself into… Kaito sorely hoped he had not somehow ended up handing him his death wrapped in good intentions.

Struck numb at the thought, KID was startled when the door to the roof suddenly banged open behind him, and he whirled around, the wind tugging roughly at his cape. Kudou Shinichi was standing in the doorway.

KID froze. He blinked. Kudou Shinichi was standing in the doorway. Actually, he was leaning. Leaning heavily against the wide open door, panting, sweating, pale and thin and alive and right in front of KID as if to prove that point because this damn annoying detective just couldn't help himself when presented with the opportunity to throw KID's words back in his face, even when KID hadn't said them out loud.

And Kaito was ecstatic.

Fortunately, there was plenty of time for KID to collect himself as Shinichi struggled to catch his breath. He drew himself up, a ridiculous grin splashed across his face, and rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, as Shinichi finally straightened and stepped away from the door, letting it slam shut behind him. An arrogant smirk crossed his lips, perfectly familiar, and KID's poker face almost wavered.

"Hey, KID."

"So, it really worked," KID said, striding right up to him and putting his hand on Shinichi's shoulder.

Shinichi was about to comment on the strange behavior when he noticed that something in KID's smile was different. "I'm really… really happy for you, Tantei-kun!" he said and Shinichi could hardly believe how genuine he sounded. He realized then that this was less the KID grin and more that the man just couldn't seem to stop beaming. KID laughed suddenly, almost like he'd surprised himself with it as well, and covered his face with one gloved hand for a few moments, still clinging to Shinichi's shoulder.

"KID… Are you all right?" Shinichi found himself asking.

When he lowered his hand, his poker face was back. "I'm always all right, Tantei-kun," he said. "And right now, I am more than all right. I feel like we really… heh, I don't know, like we really finally won one against them, you know?" Just like that, the poker face was gone again, and Shinichi blinked, bemused. This was KID, wasn't it? But he couldn't seem to hold himself together. Still, as what KID was saying really sank in, he found himself grinning too, and relaxing for some reason.

"I never really thanked you, KID," he said, and he held out his hand. KID stared at him, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before another honest smile came over his face. He grasped Shinichi's hand firmly. "Thank you," Shinichi said, and he wasn't sure he'd ever meant those words quite as much as he did now.

"Don't mention it," KID replied. "Hey…" he added as they separated again, KID taking a comfortable step back. "You should come to my heists more often, Tantei-kun. It's more fun when you're here."

Shinichi narrowed his eyes, smirking again. "Are you sure you want that, KID? I'll catch you one of these days. Hell, maybe even tonight." And he knew it was a lie. He had nothing on him. His gadgets were still in the process of being refitted to his larger body and, if he was being honest with himself, he was barely keeping to his feet. His body might have been restored, but it was weak, and it would take him some time to bring himself back up to form.

KID suddenly leaned in, nose to nose with Shinichi, and Shinichi saw a finger wagging at him in his peripheral vision as KID tsked. "We'll just have to see about that, Tantei-kun~!" There was a small pop and a large puff of smoke and KID was somehow across the roof, standing on the ledge. "In the meantime though, you're more than welcome to keep trying!" His fingers touched the brim of his hat as he ducked his head slightly in acknowledgement, KID grin firmly in place, and tipped backward off of the roof. Shinichi pushed himself forward and ran to the edge to watch the glider catch him and carry him off, a brilliant display of fireworks filling the sky with enough light to chase off all the shadows of night.