I've been contemplating how I would do the perspective thing. I was picking between 'Ran, then Kaito, then Shinichi', or just 'Ran', or 'Ran and Kaito'... 'Ran and Kaito' won out. So in this chapter you'll be seeing glimpses in Kaito's thoughts. :)

DISCLAIMER: (I keep forgetting) I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE CONAN AND ITS WONDERFUL CHARACTERS. YOU HAVE GOSHO AOYAMA-SAMA TO THANK FOR THAT.

For someone who dealt with murder on a daily basis, Shinichi didn't take well to the stranger at the door. He abruptly stood up, eyes filled with disbelief as if he was expecting it, but didn't actually believe it, "What the hell are you doing here?!" he screamed, hands braced on his desk as he glared murder at his doppelgänger.

We looked quite... like a comedy-drama soap opera. I stood with my mouth open, in the middle of saying the word 'wrong', Shinichi still braced on his desk, and the stranger with a black gakuran at the door panting but with a somewhat familiar grin on his face. He almost looked.. insane. What is up with me and insanity?

The stranger at the door chuckled, "You can't ignore me forever, meitantei," he declared, my class watching in fascination at the scene unfolding before them. Even the stoic Furikato gaped at the look-alike. I frowned, this guy has been bothering Shinichi...

"I think he has the right to, considering you're willing to skip school just to stalk him." All heads whipped in my direction, surprised at my outburst. Even I surprised myself in the steel of my voice.

The stranger directed his eyes at me, smirking. Despite this, I have a feeling he's hiding how he really feels, "Well, Mouri-chan, wouldn't you do the same if he," he motioned with his chin to a dumbstruck Shinichi, "ignored you out of the blue?" he challenged, his voice ringing awfully loud in my ears.

I frowned at his familiarity with my name, "Who are you?" I asked, mulling over his soft challenge.. Would I do that?

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." he said, and with a flourish of his hand, smoke appeared engulfing both him and Shinichi. When it cleared, they were gone.

Everyone gaped. I was about to give chase when Furikato-sensei's voice stopped me, "Unless you want to be in detention with me today, I advise you to stay where you are."

I huffed, glancing to the window catching the doppelgängers; one dragging, the other looking helpless.

-dsf-

I expected Tantei-kun screaming by this point, instead, he doesn't even seem to be putting up a fight with me. I chuckled softly, accepting your fate, huh?

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, a solemn note on his voice.

"Let's go to your place." I mulled silently, thinking of the privacy we can get in the huge manor. With a bit of caution, (just in case) I slid my hand in his, feeling him tense, and intertwined our fingers together. I smiled when he relaxed and our slight run slowed to a walk, "You still haven't given me any explanation to why you're ignoring me, you know."

From the corner of my eyes I saw him frown, a dozen emotions running through his eyes. He doesn't know how he's gonna answer me. He sighed, weary and tired evident in his posture, "I'll... tell you when we get to my place."

I sighed as well, "If you say so." I said, watching him from the corner of my eye as we turned the street of Nichoume. The silence was almost unbearable if it weren't for the fact that I was holding his hand. Holding his hand. It's been too long.

Even before the Fall Down, Kudo Shinichi already knew Kuroba Kaito. A chance meeting when while testing out the new antidote walking around with some ridiculous hat on as a disguise, his mind wandering (so was mine, but let's leave that part out) and his hand holding a tray with two cup of coffees. I never did know who he was supposed to meet. So, with that in mind and with the knowledge of cliché scenes, we crashed into each other and his coffee spilling over, well... himself. Do you really think I'd let icky black coffee spill all over me?

I didn't think so.

From there on, we built some kind of friendship... and when I finally had the courage to trust him... I told him about Kaitou KID.

He saw it coming.

My relationship with Kudo was like a fling. Technically. We meet up during heists (even when he was still cute little Tantei-kun) and hang out afterwards; chatting wherever our feet take us, no matter how dead the night was. And for some reason, we took our weird and uncommon friendship to the next level. Everything started to get heated... and before long, I confessed.

And he started ignoring me.

That was about two weeks ago.

Flipping the lock on the gate of his house, I walked in. Kudo had let go of my hand by this point, opting to walk ahead of me to open the door.

By the time I came in, he was already in the kitchen, the tinkering of glass against metal resounding through the quiet mansion. My self-control is almost over the edge and the idiot is making tea? I stalked into the kitchen, making sure my Poker Face was intact, I was quite sure it would frighten Kudo how much I really am pissed, "I thought you were gonna explain when we get here?" I asked with a blank face, my voice calm and collected.

He turned his head to the side to look at me, his bangs sweeping over his cheek. I can't help but lick my lips at the scene; his blank expression coupled with his back to me while making tea, "Am I not allowed to make us drinks first?" he taunted with a blank smirk as I stalked towards him, flipping his shoulders to face me.

I lost that self-control I was holding onto.

I grinned maniacally, watching him cringe as he pursed his lips together, knowing what I was planning on doing. Instead, I gently pressed my lips onto his, relishing over his surprised look before feeling him buck as he pushed against me. I didn't relent, instead deepening our kiss that he finally returned, our tongues dancing to a rhythm only we knew. I scraped my nails into his scalp, hearing an irresistible moan that pulled at me, creating a heat unimaginable in the pit of my stomach. Finally the need for oxygen made me stop and I pulled on his hair, tilting his face up and away from mine by a few inches, and I looked into his deep blue eyes shrouded with lust and... determination? "You can't keep me away from you forever, meita-"

I felt a prick in my neck and my eyes widened in realization. He couldn't have..? Maybe that's why I didn't feel his hands anywhere on me.

"I'm sorry, Kuroba." he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine as unconsciousness threatened to pull me down, "I just need to get my thoughts straightened out."

And then darkness consumed me.

-dsf-

By the time school ended, I was bristling with anxiousness with the need to talk to Shinichi. I told Sonoko that I'd talk to her the next day after I talk to Shinichi. She nodded once, and I felt like I was betraying her. I shrugged the notion off and now I'm stuck to walking home, Shinichi's whereabouts blank in my head. Shinichi didn't seem to be resisting the stranger, so wherever it is he took him, I have no idea.

Opening the door to the agency, I called out, "Tadaima!"

The scene of my Dad bustling through the agency made me stop at the door, smiling. It's thanks to Shinichi that he doesn't seem to be a mumbling drunk anymore (though he still is). They had a talk when Shinichi told him he was using him, and apparently, while Shinichi was at fault, he made Dad see his point, and after that, Dad had the decency to at least clean up after himself and take his cases seriously, opening his mind to ideas, "'Tousan, what are you doing?"

He looked up from his crouch on the lower shelves of the agency's dressers Dad keeps his case files, "Ahh, okaeri Ran." he mumbled, looking back down at the shelves, "Don't make any dinner for me, I have a case."

I raised an eyebrow, "And you're looking through old cases because..?"

"The client's a lawyer that defended a suspect accused of murder, and he wanted me to look over it with him." he said, standing up to dust his pants with one hand while the other held a worn out folder, "The accused was an old client of ours. Remember Yamamoto Ichiro?"

Oh, so it's from one of Dad's recent cases, "Yeah, the beheaded guy, right?" I frowned, "But isn't that all the way in Gunma?"

He nodded, "Yeah, so I'll be gone tonight until.. tomorrow evening?" he mulled over, scratching his cheek with a finger, "Around that time. Alright? Just ask Shinichi to stay with you so you won't be alone." he turned to walk towards the door.

I smiled at my Dad's trust with Shinichi... and then I frowned remembering his sudden disappearance, "...It would be nice if I knew where he is." I mumbled, irritated as he passed by me to the door.

My Dad huffed, "What are you saying?" he asked, incredulous, "He locked himself upstairs in your room."

It took me a moment to process his words, and when I did, I whirled on him, looking at him trying to discern of he was lying, "Since when?" I almost screamed.

He frowned at me but answered anyway, "About an hour now?" he said, unsure, "Just go ask him, I'm leaving."

I didn't even spare him a second glance as he walked down the stairs into afternoon bustling in Beika street. I went straight to the upper apartment, slamming the door open and running towards my room. Knocking, and trying to catch my breath, I knocked, "Shinichi?" I called, panting, "Are you in there?" Hearing no one, and thinking in the back of my mind that I'm gonna give my Dad a lecture about lying, I opened the door, finding Shinichi curled up in my bed, hugging my pillow and burying his face in it. He looked so small even with his huge stature, cuddled up in my blankets like a small child. Like Conan-kun.

I walked over to him, watching him as he slept with a frown on his face, his eyes darting left and right under his lids. I ran my hand gently over his face, trying to erase the crease in his forehead. He stirred, lazily opening his eyes halfway, empty eyes gazing at me with a sleep-muddled mind, "Ran?" he called out.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, removing my hand from his cheek, "I didn't mean to wake you up. Are you.. okay?" I asked as if he wasn't feeling well, and somehow, I felt like he wasn't.

"...No." he whispered, barely heard, the sounds of cars and afternoon activities muffled through my bedroom window. He shook his head, looking down as he contemplated what he was gonna say next, "I'm fine." he muttered, getting up, "I'm sorry for barging in like this."

I frowned, watching as his back disappeared from my room, "Where are you going?" I asked.

"Uhh, home." he turned around to face me, as if pleading me to let him stay, "I was already here yesterday anyway." he shrugged, his expression turning passive.

I sighed, "Stay." I ordered, heading for the kitchen to get started on dinner, his footsteps echoing behind me as he followed, "Dad's out on a case, he said you should stay here until he comes back. Besides, I don't want to be alone." I turned to face him, his lean yet lanky body framing the door, "Okay?"

He nodded once before coming to stand beside me, "You do know that there's nothing to eat here, right?"

I blinked stupidly, opening the freezer to where I thought I had some meat stored, only to find it empty, "Oh shoot. I forgot about groceries." I muttered under my breath before turning towards him, "Do you think you can lend me some money? I'll pay you back when Dad comes back." I asked, a small blow to my pride... but it's better than starving.

He grinned, the previous tenseness gone from his shoulders, "You don't have to pay me back, I practically live here." he shrugged, heading out, "Let's go, before it gets dark out."

"It's only around five, you know." I informed him, following him out the door as he locked up, "It's kinda weird seeing you lock my door."

He shrugged, smiling, "You always do it at my house for me everytime you come over." I giggled, watching as our conversation finally led onto lighter topics, our stroll to the marketplace almost feeling like some kind of date.

"You know, it almost feels like the way it used to." he said softly, slipping his hand into mine. I looked away, unable to take the frown off my face, "...Before Conan."

I spun my head to face him, the frown dissipating, replaced by a look of surprise as I stared at him as if he grew another head, "..What?" I asked softly, afraid of breaking the peaceful look that graced his face. I looked at our joined hands, "This never happened before Conan though." I said, a hint of bitterness in my voice. I gulped, our conversation's heading towards dangerous waters once more, "...Just stop, Shinichi. I don't know if I can still talk to you normally if you bring this up again." I said miserably, giving in to the bitterness my heart had been feeling.

He looked at me, his eyes searching, "We have to."

I frowned, biting my lip as tears threatened to spill, "Why?"

"Closure."

I let out a sigh that left my mouth as a shuddering breath, my chest constricting in the familiar way when I'm disappointed, which seems to be happening quite recently, "Alright," I agreed, it was time to let go of this, "Just wait until tonight, please."

Shinichi nodded, tightening his hold on my hand as silence settled over us.

-dsf-

By the time I woke up, around fifteen minutes have passed. I groaned, a huge headache making itself known as I sat up. I was in Kudo's bedroom. "At least the idiot brat didn't leave me on the floor of his kitchen." I muttered to myself. I had half the mind to go after him and give him a lecture about ethics and being a gentleman and the other half to just wait until some sense gets knocked into him... literally. After all, after my little stunt in his school, I'm quite sure a small beating is up for him from Mouri-chan. I grinned, grabbing a shirt and some jeans from his closet (we were technically the same size) before heading down to the kitchen to get something to eat.

I'm quite jealous of Mouri-chan (which I would not admit to anyone). The way Kudo runs to her whenever he has problems, (which is always) the way he spends so much time with her even after he told her everything, though I have to admit I admire her for her strength of being able to stand by Kudo even though he doesn't return her feelings.

I smiled, staring down at the bowl of cereal in front of me. Kudo's lucky to have someone like her. I thought to myself, grabbing the bowl of cereal and heading towards the library. Too bad Aoko's never gonna be like that. I sighed, willing the thought out of my head a I plopped down on the desk chair of Kudo Yuusaku and grabbed the book on the far end of the table, waiting for my beloved detective to come into terms with his feelings.

Ooooooh. Tell me what you guys think so far. :)