I swear this story was supposed to be under 10K long, that promise didn't last very long. Special thanks to everyone on the Kaishin discord server for supporting this ridiculous plot idea. And Shrio for her amazing art.

Wordcount: 5839

Published: 14.02. 2018

Unbetaed.

Chapter 5

The world was a white non-scape as he materialized, nothing visible up and down as the energies of his soul stretched across the eternal plane. In the far distance, strong, pulsating energies responded to his presence, and sent a wave of non-verbal greeting jolting across him. A few second later, a second, darker form acknowledged him.

For a moment, nothing happened, before land suddenly started to stretch underneath them, like paint from a brush as one of the angels formed the landscape. It lacked distinguishable traits and the few trees resembled blobs that children would draw – and in only shades of purple.

Understanding the intention, Shinichi collected his energy, and in his mind's eye he pictured the human-looking body he had been using for more centuries than he could count. Energy shimmered around him as he forced his soul to take human form. For a moment, a jolt of pain raked through him as his energy resisted being stuffed into a shell far too small to contain it, and the wings sprout from his shoulders where they leaked.

He fluttered his eyelids open, and found himself hovering above the indigo-coloured grass, neither standing or floating. The landscape was simply an illusion of a form in order to create some direction of up and down in a plane where the laws of human physics did not exist.

"Shin-chan," a soft voice called out, and he turned around to face the angels that had summoned him, and created the world in order to hold a conversation – why they had decided to do so in human form, he did not know.

"Yukiko," he greeted the angel, and he nodded his head slightly in respect. He did not recognize the body she was wearing. She looked to be in her late thirties with curly, light brown hair framing her petite looking face. Behind her, stood Yuusaku – one of the Angel of Death supervisors. His dark eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses and why he had chosen to wear impractical accessory, Shinichi did not know either.

"Shin-chan," Yukiko repeated once more, her hand reaching up to her mouth with worry shimmering in her eyes. She had always been such a vigorous and eccentric angel – being a muse and all. And she seemed to have taken him under her wings centuries ago for reasons he had never comprehended.

"What happened?" he decided to ask instead, his mouth feeling dry for no apparent reason. He did not know how or why he had been summoned to this dimension so forcefully, nor why these angels were expecting him.

Yukiko glanced in Yuusaku's direction – he had not yet said a single word except for the steel-hard gaze that did not flicker off Shinichi's form for a moment.

"You saved the mortal's life."

He flinched at the words, a motion that had his wings beating behind him to keep from floating to the ground. Something heaved in his chest at the news. "That's not possible –"

"Yet it happened," came the unrelenting reply.

He shook his head in disbelief – he could not have saved Kaito's life. It was impossible, he did not have a healing touch – his kind brought only death and destruction. And yet, he could not help the relief flooding through him at the knowledge that Kaito was alive. Somehow, his desperate wish had come true –

He swallowed thickly – a habit he had picked up from the mortal world – what would the repercussions of his actions be? He had never known a case where angels had defied their nature, was there even a penalising system in heaven? He tried to remember, but could not.

"I –" he started, before hugging his torso almost defensive as though he expected someone to reach into him and destroy his soul as punishment. "I didn't mean to."

"We know," Yukiko responded softly, her hand reaching out to comfort him, however retreated when he stiffened. "It's not your fault."

Shinichi searched their expressions in confusion – what did they mean by it not being his fault? Surely he was responsible, he was the one with the fevered wish for Kaito to live, and they had told him he had saved the mortal. He was guilty of breaking the only rule they had. Everyone died, no exceptions.

"I don't understand."

Yukiko and Yuusaku shared a look as a feeling of hesitancy raked through their souls. It confused Shinichi more, as he had never known any angels to be indecisive. Something was going on, and he could not even begin to comprehend it.

"It's a – delicate situation," Yukiko started, licking her lips, "we should have realized sooner."

Shinichi looked between them with eyebrows knitting together in bewilderment. Before he could ask what they meant, she continued.

"Did you by any chance touch the mortal, bare skin against skin, while he was alive?"

If Shinichi had a stomach, it would have dropped, and he felt his face pale. He knew he shouldn't have – it had been a thoughtless accident from when he had saved Kaito as a child. Had he been right with his caution? He knew he should not touch the living – but had never known the reason behind it. It was simply something everybody knew.

His reaction must have been all the answer she needed, because she swore loudly a minute later. Yuusaku glanced at her with a lifted eyebrow at her colourful phrasing, but no one commented on it.

"That's the root of the problem, at least it can be fixed," she nodded slightly to herself, ignoring their looks as she pinched her chin between her thumb and index finger in thought. Her companion only gave a short nod in agreement.

Shinichi felt like he was missing a vital piece of information to comprehend the situation, and he was starting to feel slightly annoyed at being kept in the dark. If something had happened – if he had hurt Kaito somehow with his thoughtless action – he needed to know.

"What is going on? What did I do?" he tried not to sound as though he was pleading as he tried to meet their eyes.

"You stole a piece of his soul," Yuusaku finally spoke with a stoic expression, and he did not recoil as Yukiko elbowed him in the side with a frustrated noise as she sent him a dark look – she had apparently meant to explain it gentler. "The foreign soul has been changing you slowly. Mortal and immortality doesn't mix well together. Right now, you are neither an angel nor mortal. You are defected."

The voice throbbed like static in his ears as shock jolted through his body and made his wings quiver in discomfort. Something pulsated against his ribcage and he felt like gasping in pain. His knees would have buckled underneath him if gravity had existed. Instead he grabbed his shirt to keep from bursting as he forced himself not to lose the illusion of a body.

It explained everything – every desire and curiosity and animated response he had had the last few years. Before meeting Kaito, he had never been interested in the mortal world, had never had a need to reach out and be acknowledged. Had such a simple thing been the avalanching cause of everything? It was an impossible thought, and yet he knew it to be true.

This was why he had held the kitten against his chest unable to let go, while the angel coming for her soul had not shown a shred of sympathy or interest. Now that he had become aware of it, he closed his eyes to look inside of himself. Deep within the redness of his soul, he could feel something alien tainting his energies. Something that hummed with curiosity and desire and a familiar wave of joy – something so Kaito that for a moment he could sense the mortal as though he was standing right next to him.

"This is why you have been drawn to each other," Yukiko's sympathy echoed as though she was world's away. "The pieces of the soul urging to be whole again, to return to its rightful owner. The feeling of emptiness in its absence."

"No," Shinichi finally stuttered out. He refused to believe it – did not want to acknowledge the fact he had stolen from Kaito. That all this had such a simple, logical explanation. So many wants and desires to taste the sunlight, and feel the sand underneath his toes and the rain against his cheeks – was not his, rather the poisonous wants from a piece of a mortal soul that desired to be human once more.

It felt like a cheap explanation, however he could tell the angels spoke the truth. Especially when he finally opened his eyes and could see their open expression and the sympathy wavering through their souls with sincerity.

"You can't go on like this," Yuusaku said with a stoic expression, however his lips twitched downwards. "It will destroy you."

Shinichi looked away and raked a shivering hand through his hair – he knew his supervisor was correct, had felt it for months now. His energies had been starting to burst with emotions that was not supposed to be capable for angels. He could not have sympathy for the mortals he reaped – not if it caused him to go against fate like he did when he had saved Kaito.

If could no longer by an angel of death if he saved people – what would he be then?

"You have two options," Yukiko had a soft voice as she tried to meet his eyes. Her lips curled upwards in a small smile. He glanced back at her with a feeling of relief at knowing he was not completely doomed – but also reluctant. Did he deserve salvation?

"This is a –" she liked her lips slowly, before they curled up into an impish expression. Something secretive gleamed in her eyes as she continued, "tightly guarded secret. But there are ways for angels to turn human."

Everything in Shinichi froze, his wings stiller than he had ever been able to make them, and his energy stopped moving inside of him. For a moment, his form started to flicker as he lost control over the mentally made image. With a sharp inhale, he forced himself back into the shell. "How –" he barely managed to croak – it was a noise resonating through his soul more than an actual sound – and Yukiko and Yuusaku did not need the verbal utterance to hear him.

He had never dared to hope for even a fraction of a moment that he could turn mortal – it was an impossible idea. And now, learning he could? It threw him off balance with the prospect. If he turned human he could explore the mortal wold with the same freedom as they had – he could finally live and exist as his own entity. He could eat a meal with Hattori, taste cherries, feel the texture of snow –

He could return to Kaito and take him up on the offer –

His excitement subsided as his thoughts went back to the magician and turned into guilt. Could Kaito forgive him for stealing a part of his soul? Would he turn him away if he knew that they had been drawn to each other not because they were soulfriends, but because Shinichi had literally carried around a piece of his soul?

" – Pandora."

He was not entirely sure who had spoken, or the uttered sentence. His head was filled with soft static from his tumbling thoughts to keep attention to what he was told. As the word echoed through the non-scape, he held out his hand and the gemstone materialized in his hand. He had taken it with him as he had left.

Now, whoever, Pandora did no longer look like a glowing stone. Rather the red energies from the gem had seeped out and formed what resembled a living heart as it pulsated like a heartbeat in his hand. Whispers he could not comprehend filled his mind with promises.

"How," he repeated louder this time, wanting to come to the conclusion and not hear the story behind the gem. He felt urgency ticking in his head and prickling across his wingspan. "How can I become human?"

Yukiko glanced at Yuusaku and back, she seemed uneasy for a moment from his reaction, and she seemed unsure on how to proceed. The other angel's browns twitched slightly as his eyes raked Shinichi's – what he was looking for, he did not know.

"By stripping you of your immortality and taking away your divine energies," he tilted his head slightly, and if Shinichi had not known better, he would have identified the action as reluctance. "The mortal soul you already possess will take over completely. You will live and die as any human."

It took him several seconds to comprehend what they were saying, and he shook his head slightly in disbelief. He could only turn mortal by using the piece he stole from Kaito? Was that the only possible way? The very idea felt wrong and gave his mouth a bad after taste.

His shoulders fell in defeat – "Only a mortal soul can die," he mumbled softly to himself in realization. It made sense – they could not create a mortal soul, they could only be born. The only way foran angel to become human was to steal it.

A desire which was impossible for immortals to feel unless they were already influenced by a mortal soul. It was a paradox – the wanting to be human and experience living at the cost of someone who was born. It was utterly unfair – but then again, when was life ever fair?

"And if I don't?" he asked as though in a trance, his head filled with too many thoughts – of how unfair everything was, of how impossible his position was.

"The human soul will be extracted and given back to the owner," Yukiko replied, her eyes swimming with sympathy and remorse. "That's usually what happens immediately – but no one noticed the changes in you. It should never have gotten this far: altered you like this. We are so, so sorry, Shin-chan."

He looked away, felt his eyes burning with unshed tears that could never fall. 'Defected' they had called him, a freak mistake that should have been corrected. If he had known this from the start, he might have confessed to his actions when they happened years ago to stop the process before it had even begun.

Despite all of this, he longed to see Kaito again, to make sure he was alright. He wished he could take him up on the promise of going out – to see a limited amount of sunset and eat ice cream while feeling the sand underneath his feet. He wanted – he wanted, not a piece inside of him, but him personally, Shinichi the angel – to experience living. To feel Kaito's heartbeat underneath his fingertips.

But at what price?

Taking – stealing – Kaito's soul without giving the mortal an option. A part of him, selfishly wanted to, knowing he could, and he was not obligated to tell the magician. They could live a lifetime together – Surely he was in his right to keep it when he was the one who had saved Kaito –

He shook his head sharply, he could not be sure whether or not their affections for each other were real or if it was a bi-product of the fact that the pieces of Kaito's soul was trying to be re-united. Turning human on false pretences felt wrong, and there was really only one right conclusion he could take –

But becoming an angel after this: was he really capable of reverting back to what he used to be? To watch the stream of time move forwards with indifference, without caring and joy from merely existing? He wanted to reel back in disgust at the very idea. He had seen too much, felt too much to go back to being a mere angel.

However, a part whispered softly in the back of his mind, once he was a pure angel again, he would no longer care about it. Like putting a cork on his feelings. He would no longer feel an impulse to seek Kaito out and talk to him – would never care whether or not the human lived or died –

He felt nauseated at the very thought – of not caring about Kuroba Kaito any longer. This whole thing was impossibly unfair – being an immortal angel seemed like a punishment from his point of view right at this moment.

He suddenly remembered the woman he had met a while back – Vermouth.

"I'm going to miss smoking," she continued, letting a hand rake through the locks of her hair as she turned to face Shinichi while leaning her elbow against the windowsill. "I can't say I regretted it for a moment. Being human is fun."

The memory must have reflected in his soul, as Yuusaku seemed to be able to read it – there were no reason to keep secrets from other angels, and more often than not, conversations were not verbal, rather a share of essence and memories between them.

"Yes," the supervisor replied to the unspoken question. "She was an angel of death once too. Twenty years ago, she accidently touched a small child and stole a portion of her soul. Finding out the truth, Vermouth decided to turn human."

Shinichi wrinkled his eyebrows slightly, so he had been right when he had suspected her to be something ethereal. Even in the face of death, she had not seemed to have regretted her actions, trading an immortal life for a brief human one. "What happened to her? The girl I mean."

Yuusaku and Yukiko shared another look – and by now Shinichi realized they had a silent conversation between them that he was not allowed to be privy to, and a foreboding feeling settled across his shoulders. He would not like the answer to his question.

"She became an FBI agent and spent her life trying to track down Vermouth – unwittingly trying to reconcile with the missing piece of her soul," the muse finally replied, her lips twitching downwards in sadness of not having a satisfying answer for him. "Souls always want to be whole."

Shinichi sighed in defeat, he knew what his only viable option was. He couldn't on good faith force Kaito to live with the aching feeling of missing something. It would be cruel of him to love the magician and still keep the soul. He had never had an option to be human and live happily – the guilt would be overwhelming.

He clutched Pandora in his hand, letting the sharp edges of the stone dig into his skin – for a moment, he wanted to refuse to take an action, wished he could have continued existing without knowing any of this. However, he had kept Kaito for too long and he knew it. Their time together had always been numbered from the first day that they had met.

With a shaking hand, he slowly reached his hand out towards Yukiko, his eyes sad and desperate and his wings beat wildly behind his as though they were trying to stop him. Swallowing down thickly, he could not keep the regret and sorrow as he spoke.

"There was only ever one option, wasn't it?"

Yukiko nodded, not daring to speak – nor did she have a reply he would have like to hear as she cupped her hands waiting for him to drop the stone. Her eyes were dimmed with sadness that he had to choose, however the way her soul hummed told him she thought he was doing the correct thing – no matter how much it hurt.

"This whole thing was hopeless from the start," he continued, now that he had started, he could not stop his words from spilling from his lips. "I just wanted to feel something, you know. To feel anything other than empty indifference to my existence. I want to embrace something, feel skin against skin and taste life."

His voice croaked, however his companions did not try to stop the onslaught of emotions waving through him. And for a moment, he almost felt their sad jealousy – perhaps he was not the only one.

This whole thing seemed cruelly unfair. The desire to be human, the temptation of accepting, only existed due to the piece of soul he had unwittingly stolen. Yet, with a mortal soul, also came a human's capability to have a conscience and feel guilt. It was a terrible paradox, and he had been the unfortunate victim. He did not know or understand how Vermouth had been able to accept the deal – he only knew he could not.

"I just wanted to be happy. But we are not allowed; that's the curse of immortality."

He dropped the stone into her hand and his arm fell limply as though he had no power to keep it up. He let his head fall backwards as he stared up at the whiteness above him. His eyes burned with unshed tears, and he almost wished it was raining, if only for the illusion that the tears were his.

"Goodbye Kaito."

…

It was the noise that woke him, and for a long few minutes he listened to the soft hum from the machines and the pitter-patter of the rain against the window. On the chair next to the bed came the soft ruffling of movements and murmur of sleep.

His chest rattled a little as he breathed, and his nose itched from the oxygen tube in his nose. Kaito opened his eyes slowly as sleep drained from his mind, and was met with the familiar dim lights of the hospital room – in the chair, slumbering peacefully, was on of his grandchildren. No matter how many times he told them sternly it wasn't necessary, they had all decided to take shifts, never leaving him alone but for the minute or two he struggled to the bathroom.

It did not take him long to realize that neither of those sounds were the noise that had woken him as he heard it again. It was a soft sound, like something between the chimes of bells and the fluttering of feathers. More a sensation than anything audible, and easily forgotten in the belief you had misheard.

However, Kaito had never forgotten the sound – he had chased after the imaginary echo for over half a century – and for a moment his heart ceased to beat in his chest as he slowly turned his head. All the oxygen in his lungs escaped as he exhaled deeply in surprise.

"Shinichi –" he uttered before his brain had connected the image. Shinichi looked just as he had always done, not aged a single day – not that Kaito had expected anything else. He still wore a dark blue vest above a white shirt. His coat was an undistinguishable shade of blue, like the sky as it went from dawn to day. Around his neck, he still wore the dove-tie Kaito had once gifted him.

The magician almost laughed at the ridiculous sight – he had bought it as a gag, almost expecting the angel to refuse it. Instead, Shinichi had looked at it in wonder, as though he had been given a treasure.

"Hello Kaito," Shinichi replied with a soft expression. Although his voice was as melodic as the chimes of bells, it seemed a bit rougher than usual – like the first time they had spoken. Only in hindsight had Kaito realized it was due to the angel being unused to speaking. The thief could not take his gaze of his companion's face as he mapped every facial feature to memory – his skin was smooth like porcelain, and lips both thin and voluptuous as though it had been crafted with a sculpture's tools.

Shinichi's whole demeanour had always been painfully perfect – and the knowledge that he was a divine creature came as a less surprise than it should have. His wings were not visible, and the magician kind of wished he was able to see them – last time he had been a bit preoccupied with shock and dying.

"It's good to see you again," he spoke the truth with a fond smile curling on his lips. He wondered what he looked like in comparison: a frail, old man in a hospital gown a bit too large on his thin frame. His hair was a white mess – he could not remember the last time he truly bathed, having lacked the energy to even get out of bed lately. "I'd get up, but I'm afraid I'm a little indisposed at the moment."

Shinichi's lips twitched for a moment, "no need for such gallantry. We have gotten too old to bother wasting time with that."

Kaito snorted softly, "at least you don't show your age."

The angel ruffled a hand through his hair, as a thread of amusement flickered in his eyes. "If I did, I'd be nothing more than dust."

He could not help the soft chuckle vibrating in his chest, and the laughter chased away the pain for a brief moment. "What happened to you, Shinichi?" he pronounced the name softly, the distinction between the old nickname 'detective' clear. The few times he had been able to speak the name loudly, Shinichi's expression had always fluttered with surprise – as though being identified with a name was something sacred and important to him.

This time, however, the angel's expression did not change – his eyes seemed a little glassy, as though he was peering at something far beyond Kaito's understanding. Although his face followed the emotions, his eyes never changed. The thief's chest clenched a little painful at that. What had happened to his friend over the past sixty years?

"Served my punishment for saving you."

When he did not elaborate any further, Kaito's stomach sunk a little further in guilt. He had quickly realized that Shinichi had done something he shouldn't have when the angel had vanished in a flash of light in front of his very eyes with an expression of fear and pain. He had waited for his return for years, hoping just for a sign that he was alright and alive.

"Was it that cruel?" he asked, unable to mask the remorse in his voice.

Shinichi must have noticed his pained expression, as he stepped forwards to the bed. His hands twitched a little, and Kaito wondered if he was yearning to reach out and touch him – or perhaps that was just wistful thinking. "It was worth it."

Kaito almost snorted in disbelief, and he shook his head slightly. "I never got the chance to thank you for saving me."

This time, the angel seemed to soften as a glimmer of life brightened his eyes for a moment with affection. "The only gratitude I need is this: tell me, were you happy?"

The ex-thief's chest fluttered in surprise as something warmth blossomed. He opened his mouth to reply, before closing it slightly. He'd had his hardship in life – having his father's die at an early age, taking over the mantle and being shot. However, he had met Shinichi, fallen in love with the ridiculous angel, then lost him in the flash of an eye. He had grieved the loss, however he had still had lots of amazing friends, he had gotten married with an amazing woman, gotten kids and grandchildren. Become a famous magician and had many adventures. All in all, he had lived a life without regret.

"Yes," he replied after a long, pregnant pause, his face portraying his wonderment at the realization. He had never considered it before, never looked back on his life and thought 'I had a good life'. He was suddenly reminded of an old Greek text he had once heard; where you could only know if you had lived a blissful life when you accumulated all your memories after your death.

"I'm glad," Shinichi replied, seemingly having read the magician's mind.

A moment of silence fell over them as they gazed at each other. It was not an awkward silence, rather a companion comfort. Pain suddenly spread across Kaito's insides, and he stifled a cough that left him wobbling slightly on the bed. Even inhaling took an effort when his lungs seemed to pulsate harder than his chest.

"I'm sorry to say I cheated on you," he mumbled in almost a rush, desperate to be distracted from the pain. At the confusion on the angel's face, he continued with an almost rueful expression. "I got married with an amazing woman. I'm sure the two of you would have gotten along well."

The confusion drained from Shinichi and morphed into flicker of amusement as he remembered the conversation. "Anyone who is acquainted with you would I'm sure: if only to bond over discussing how ridiculous you are."

"Oy," he protested, however he could not force his smile away," if I'm ridiculous, then you are impossible."

"Not impossible," the angel replied smoothly without missing a beat. "Just improbable."

This time, Kaito could not stifle the laugher that wavered through him no matter how much it hurt. "Oh you – I completely forgot," he wheezed out between chuckles, "you haven't changed one bit, have you?"

"The curse of immortality I'm afraid. Very little does change in the grand scheme of things."

The amusement ebbed at Shinichi's words, "true enough." He sought his expression for a quiet moment, before he continued after licking his lips. "You are a year early."

Shinichi's eyebrow creased a little in confusion, "what do you mean?"

"You said I'd die at the age of 85 surrounded by my grandkids. I'm only eighty-four."

The angel's face contorted almost painfully as though he was trying and failing to understand the flood of emotions wavering through him – Kaito was familiar with the expression, and he almost winced internally at the poorly worded joke. "I – sorry."

"I figured that's why I'd see you again," he replied with a soothing voice to show he meant no ill with his words. "I'm glad its you."

Shinichi's eyes flickered downwards in what Kaito could only describe as guilt. "Are you sure? " he seemed hesitant, as though he was unsure to share a titbit of information. "When an angel reap a human soul, we get a glimpse of your last thoughts, and the memories of your life –"

"I'm alright with that," he cut him off with a fond smile, all the while his heart seemed to do the impossible as it fluttered in his chest as though he was still a teenager. He had searched for Shinichi for so long – at one point he had been able to track down a detective in Osaka who had also come into contact with the angel. A Hattori Heiji. They had only spoken together once as they shared their memories of him – Hattori clearly did not know the truth about his identity, and the magician had never revealed it either. Even if he had, the detective would probably think he was mad.

"I don't mind sharing my life with you, if that's alright. Its rather poetic, don't you think? You have forever to experience life a millionth time from the dead's memories. Someone to record their life and remember who they were. I like the thought of having someone with me when I die."

Shinichi's eyes had widened as Kaito had spoken, and his mouth opened slightly in awe. Emotions flickered across his eyes for the first time, far more than the magician could ever hope to comprehend. "I've never considered it like that before. It would be an honour to stay by your side to the bitter end."

Kaito couldn't help but grin at the choice of words as amusement bubbled in his throat. "I've missed our chats."

"As have I," the angel replied with an affectionate hum – and the thief could not help for the small glee he felt knowing that an immortal being cared for him so deeply.

"I only have one regret in life, really," Kaito started to say, before his chest rippled with violate aching as he coughed deeply. Something rattled painfully in his chest, and as he tried to inhale, the air seemed to be impossible thin as it clumped in his raw throat. For a moment the room spun as black spots flashed across his eyes.

He vaguely heard the ruffling of fabric as someone moved, followed by a voice speaking as though from a distance away. "Grampa?" he more saw than felt as someone grabbed his hand, however he did not turn to face his grandchild as his eyes were glued on the angel on the other side of the bed.

"What is it?" Shinichi's voice was the only audible thing to his hears as everything else drowned out to a static. He wore an open and curious expression, and behind his shoulder blades Kaito could see a shimmering in the air.

"I never got to kiss you," he managed to gasp out, wondering if his words were even comprehensible. Shinichi seemed to have understood him, as his cheeks suddenly flustered as his eyes lowered again as he looked almost shily at the magician underneath his eyelashes.

Kaito's heart did impossible things in his chest at the reaction – and if he hadn't known better, he would have been certain he was having a heart-attack. He had always felt a flood of ridiculous things whenever Shinichi was around, as though he ached to be closer – and the feelings had not changed one bit for over half a century.

He had loved many things over the years – and he truly had loved his wife – however in the presence of Shinichi all that drowned out with an aching feeling of affection.

"Oh," the angel muttered as though he had been completely surprised at the revelation and was uncertain how to respond. He looked almost guilty over his shoulder before approaching the bed completely. Without hesitating, he leaned over Kaito – who stopped breathing altogether at the closeness.

Warmth flooded through him again, and for a moment he thought he could feel energy sparkle between them. He could count Shinichi's eyelashes: they were so close, before he had time to react, there were suddenly soft lips against his, and he both leaned into the embrace as he exhaled his very last breath against the lips.

The dark spots on his vision suddenly devoured all lights and he felt all the muscle in his body relax. The only thing he could see – or rather it was more of a sensation – was a glowing red that seemed to stretch forever across the horizon.

Kaito's life might not have gone as expected, however he could truly say with a straight face right at this very moment, with the soft pressure of lips against his, and the closure of knowing Shinichi was fine, that he had lived a happy and completed life.

…

They say: if you love someone, let them go. I've never really been fond of this phrasing. I think its better to say: "sometimes, the greatest act of love, is letting them live happy without you."

Happy Valentine's day,

Until next time.