Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Outlaw Hearts

3: Our Separate Ways

"Well, it looks like you can walk on your own now," Kaito observed, watching as Shinichi carefully picked his way across the width of the cave and back several times. "It takes four days' travel by foot to reach the nearest town. I believe your friends are still there. We can leave whenever you'd like."

Shinichi let out a sigh as he sank back onto the ground and leaned back against the cavern wall. "How about tomorrow morning? I think I'm still a bit shaky. Hopefully it'll pass by tomorrow if I keep taking short walks through today."

Kaito nodded and stood up, dusting off his clothes. "In that case, I shall go acquire us the necessary supplies."

Shinichi watched him go, feeling a bit odd.

Kaito hadn't brought up the kiss since that day, and Shinichi certainly hadn't either. But the detective couldn't help but think about it. It wasn't like he had much else to occupy his mind with. So he'd spent hours poking at the memory with the mental equivalent of a long stick, trying to analyze the chaotic mess of emotions that bubbled up in him whenever he remembered the thief's touch. Trying to convince himself that it had only been nervousness making his insides squirm and nothing else. The problem was that the more he tried to convince himself that he didn't feel anything towards the thief, the less he was sure it was so.

His only hope was that the strange feelings would go away once they parted ways. And if part of him didn't really want to say goodbye, it was because he'd gotten used to the thief's company and the conversations they'd had.

X

Those last four days were like the end of a dream—surreal and wrapped in a timeless haze. When the town outskirts appeared over the horizon, time began to run again.

"Do you think you can make it there from here without me?"

Shinichi measured the distance with his eyes and nodded. "I think so." He stared at the distant buildings for a moment longer before squaring his shoulders and turning to face the thief.

"Thank you," he said, looking the thief straight in the eyes.

Kaito smiled, and Shinichi found himself trying to memorize the expression before he realized what he was doing. "It was my pleasure."

They stood like that a moment longer before Shinichi turned back towards the town. Part of him felt like he should say more, but he didn't know what that would be so he didn't.

"One more thing."

"What?"

When he didn't hear an answer, Shinichi looked up only to take an involuntary step back in surprise when he found Kaito standing right in front of him. He hadn't heard the thief move at all. That step however put his back up against the warm but rough surface of the boulders they were hiding behind and Kaito was still coming closer. Shinichi raised his hands, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do with them. One of Kaito's hands caught his wrists before he could make up his mind and the other went to his hip as the distance between them dwindled, effectively keeping him where he was.

"Kaito," he started, but he was cut off before he could say any more by the thief's lips ghosting gently over his own.

"We'll see each other again," Kaito murmured into his ear. The promise in the thief's voice sent a shiver down his spine.

And then the thief was gone.

Like he'd never been there at all.

X

When Shinichi walked into the inn where he and his companions had been staying before the train fiasco, the entire common room fell instantly silent. Then a buzz of conversation filled the air and he could feel the weight of all their stares as he made his way to the stairs. He was immensely grateful when he got far enough up the steps to shake off their shocked and curious eyes. He still remembered exactly which door opened into their suite. Hopefully the others were still there.

He heard their voices before he reached the door.

"—lousy bastards!" Heiji's familiar voice was cursing in mixed frustration and outrage. "They wouldn't say that if it was one of their people missing!"

"Well, you don't actually know that for sure…" Ran's quieter voice replied.

"What? You aren't gonna start agreeing with them are you?"

A sigh. "Of course not. I believe he's still alive too, but I'm just saying that you can't blame them for not thinking the same way. If they don't want to help us look anymore, we just have to do it ourselves."

Heiji snorted but it sounded like his temper was dying down in the face of reason.

In the momentary lull, Shinichi knocked. There was the sound of grumbling from the other side of the door before it swung open.

"What—" Heiji started then stopped, mouth frozen in a silent 'o'.

"Um, hi," Shinichi said a bit awkwardly. "I'm sorry I took so long getting back."

"Shinichi!" Ran gasped. Leaping out of her chair, she pushed past Heiji and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "You're all right! What happened? Everyone else was sure you were dead! We thought at first maybe the robbers caught you but when we tracked them down you weren't with them either! Where have you been?"

Ten minutes later they were all seated inside and he told them about how one of the other passengers had helped him. He didn't tell them who it had been, just that the man had found a small spring and they had managed to make their way back once Shinichi's leg would allow. Part of him felt guilty about keeping the rest of the story from them. He knew fundamentally that he should tell them what he'd learned about the thief, but… He just couldn't bring himself to. Besides, it wasn't like any of it could strictly be considered useful. And he felt like he owed the thief at least that much after all the help he'd offered, even if he hadn't asked for anything.

He tried to ignore the tiny voice in the back of his mind that suggested that maybe he wanted to keep the story to himself because it had become personal somehow. Like a special memory you didn't want to share with the world.

But that was ridiculous.

And yet, that night, as he lay in a proper bed for the first time in almost three months, Shinichi found himself grappling in vain with sleep. He was exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

X

A young woman stood on the edge of the small camp perched in the protective arms of a rocky grotto. The wind tugged at her long, brown hair as she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and peer out across the Oasis. Like with every other time she had looked, the endless stretches of dry, rugged land were devoid of visible life. Her breath left her in a quiet sigh of disappointment.

"What're you looking for?"

Startled, she jumped and spun on her heels. "Kaito!"

"The one and only!" he replied with a broad grin. "Were you waiting for me?"

Her expression morphed instantly into a scowl. "Well duh! It's about time you got back!"

"Whoa there, aren't I even going to get a 'how are you'? And here I was hurrying back since I thought you'd be worried about me." He had the nerve to look wounded.

She didn't buy it for a second. She knew him better than that. "Well then you sure took your sweet time hurrying. It's been almost three months! I'm sure most snails would have made better time than you."

"Well, I apologize then." He swept into a deep bow, his expression totally unrepentant. "I got a little sidetracked."

That gave her a moment's pause. "Sidetracked? For three months? By what?"

"An interesting person I met," he replied, indigo eyes gleaming with a light she hadn't seen there for a while. It was the look that told her he'd found a new obsession. Although…three months? For all the time she'd known him, Kaito had always both found interest and lost interest in people and things quickly. According to her father, he'd always been that way. As far as she could remember, his fascinations didn't usually last more than a week or two.

"And where might you have met this interesting person?" she prodded.

"On the train before it blew up. He's a detective."

"Oh, so it's a he is it?" Aoko blinked, slightly surprised. Kaito had never shown any inclination that way before. Not that that was particularly important, she mused. What was important however was… "A detective?"

"Yep. Black hair, blue eyes, about this tall. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"He got a bit banged up by the explosion so I patched him up and sent him back to town this morning. You know what, why don't you come with me next time I go to town. I'll introduce you."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she demanded, concern creeping into her voice. "This guy's seen your face already. He might not have had a way to turn you in while you two were out in the middle of nowhere, but if you go looking for him…"

"He won't turn me in," Kaito replied with absolute certainty.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Don't you trust my judgment, Aoko?"

"I…" she started, then stopped, letting out a half exasperated half defeated sigh. Kaito was good at reading people. It was true that she had never known him to misjudge a person's character before. Still, it didn't stop her from feeling concerned. Wasn't it a friend's job to worry? "Oh I don't know why I bother anymore."

Kaito cocked an eyebrow at her then laughed. "Cheer up Aoko. Life is a game. It's only worth living if you're having fun, and you'll only have fun if you let yourself. So where's your father? I need to talk to him."

She nodded, the serious gleam in his eyes forestalling the other questions she might have liked to ask. "One moment." Turning, she scanned the rocky formations. Spotting a figure just making its way out of a nearby tent, she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, Eisuke! Can you take my watch for me?"

The boy in question glanced up and waved to indicate he'd heard her.

Satisfied, she led Kaito into the little camp.

The people they passed all greeted them with smiles and a salute for Kaito. The master thief didn't insist on any kinds of formality from them as long as they all did their jobs, but the gesture was their own way of showing their respect for the man who had changed all their lives.

They found Ginzo Nakamori muttering over an open scroll with an irritated scowl on his face. "How the hell do they expect us to read this chicken scratch? Would it kill 'em to take an extra minute and make it legible?"

"The elder Hondos again?" Kaito inquired, amused. Ginzo's hatred for the two elder Hondos' handwriting was well known to everyone in camp. Because of it he had demanded that their son Eisuke be taught how to write by his old friend Sensui lest he be 'infected' by his parents' standards.

"Who else?" The man in question snorted before glancing up. "Oh, you're back. How did it go?"

"As planned for the most part. One hit and two misses. I've already written the letter for the Hakubas. I would like to have it delivered the day after tomorrow."

Ginzo nodded. "Suzuna and Sensui are both available."

"Send Suzuna. And Kenji, if he gets back in time. I want Sensui to deliver a message to Imura."

Aoko watched as her father jotted down a few notes as Kaito rattled off a string of other instructions. Even after all these years she still found it disconcerting whenever she was confronted again with the realization that Kaito, despite appearing to be her age, had actually been around a few years longer than her own father. He certainly didn't act like it most of the time. But there were those moments when she looked into his eyes and saw the hint of a soul who had seen more than she could ever hope to and knew more than anyone else she'd ever met. Sometimes it made her sad to think that he would always be a mystery, but it was just another of those facts of life you had to live with when you followed the Phantom.

X

"Everything appears to be in order," the doctor announced as he packed away his tools. "Whoever tended to your injuries knew what he was doing. You should probably try to keep the leg work down to a minimum for another few days but as long as you eat well and rest you should be good as new in no time."

"Can I at least take walks?" Shinichi asked, dismayed at the idea of yet more days of lying around.

"Oh, you should. Take short walks through the day. Just don't overdo it."

He nodded with a relieved smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Feel free to call me again if you have any questions."

The doctor took his leave and Hattori accompanied him out, leaving Shinichi alone with Ran. The girl had seated herself by the window as the doctor conducted his examination. Now she watched as Shinichi let out a sigh and flopped back onto his bed.

"Tired?" she asked.

One blue eye cracked open to blink at her. "Just a little," he admitted. "I'm sorry for holding us up…"

"Don't be," she advised, "you're not. Heiji and I have actually been getting a lot of jobs since we caught those robbers. Nothing big, but it's kind of nice to get to see more of the county. In fact, we've all been invited to a party being thrown by the Suzukis at the end of the week. And yes, you have to go," she added as she saw his mouth opening. "We already agreed for the three of us."

"You know I hate parties," he grumbled, disgruntled.

"You've been stuck out in the middle of nowhere for three months," she retorted. "Heiji and I just thought it would be good for you to get to know some of the people here since we're going to be staying for a while. A lot of people are going to be there and this is a good opportunity to make a good impression. So stop complaining. One party isn't going to kill you."

All she got in return was a muffled snort of disbelief. She frowned slightly. He wasn't acting any differently, but these last few days since he'd gotten back she'd had a nagging sensation that there was something…off. Quieter maybe? And she kept catching him looking out of the window with this almost wistful expression on his face that she'd never seen him wear before. It disappeared the moment he realized he was being watched however, and whenever she asked if something was wrong he would deny it. Then again, he'd never liked talking about his problems, so she didn't set much store by that. It worried her.

Hopefully it was just a side effect of his stint in the Oasis and it would pass once he'd fully recovered his strength.

TBC

A.N: And you're all invited to visit the DCMK site V and I put together. The gallery is now up as well ^_^

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