Mikau: Hi guys! Happy Monday! I started this before I went to bed, and then I finished it at four in the morning. I woke up because my blood sugar was low, and I had nothing else to do at the time. I also wrote it without my contacts in, so it was a little difficult to see what I was typing. I've tried to edit it to the best of my ability, but those were the conditions under which this was written, so you can expect slightly lower quality work this time. Sorry. Regardless, I still like this one, and I hope you do to. Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed last time: MeitanteiRose, Bunnyz-chan, Saia-chan, patternleap, and Assasin8!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, Shinichi would have realized that he's no good for Ran and that he actually loves Kaito by now. Just saying.

…

An Empty Glass

"You idiot!" Shinichi roared as Kaito slammed Ran's now empty glass down on the table in front of Akako. "Why the hell would you drink that?!"

"Now I'm poisoned too, right?" Kaito reasoned. "Now she has no choice but to cough up the antidote for Mouri-chan…unless the little witch doesn't mind if I die too."

"What?!" Shinichi was about ready to smack Kaito. "That was your brilliant plan?! What if she doesn't mind?!"

"Oh, but she does…don't you, Akako-chan?" Kaito tossed a fetching grin Akako's way.

"I only have enough for one on me," Akako snorted, pulling a vial out of her bosom. "Take it Kuroba-kun."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Like hell I'm going to take the antidote before Mouri-chan. Cure her first."

"There isn't enough time! Take the antidote, Kuroba-kun!" Akako screeched.

Kaito snatched the vial out of Akako's hand. "No," he retorted, handing the antidote over to Shinichi. "Give this to Mouri-chan."

"But…Kaito, you could die. What about you?" Shinichi cast a conflicted glance back at his girlfriend, lying on the ground in her friends' arms.

Kaito followed his gaze and sighed as his heart lurched. "She's gonna die first. Go give her the antidote, and we can worry about me later."

Shinichi looked back and forth between Kaito and Ran, desperate to save both, and not willing to sacrifice either. "Dammit," he cursed, rushing to Ran's side.

"Lovesick fool," Akako muttered.

"I think it's sweet how he adores her." Kaito gave a light snort, crossing his arms across his chest. Suddenly he felt cold.

"No you don't." Akako rolled her eyes. "And I was talking about you, Kuroba-kun."

"Mind your own business," Kaito hissed. "Why'd ya poison Mouri-chan to begin with?"

"Mistake. The poison got into the wrong drink…. I thought she was someone else." Akako bit her lip, looking anywhere but at Kaito.

"You were trying to kill Aoko?! Why? Why the hell would you do that?! You two are friends, aren't you?!" Kaito exclaimed incredulously.

"Let's just say that you're not the only lovesick fool…." Akako shifted awkwardly under Kaito's piercing gaze. "I wanted to free you of her. I know you probably can't love me…after all, even if she wasn't in the way…you're absolutely mad for him. Still…I can't stand seeing you a slave to your memories and past affections for her. I thought…if she were dead, you could move on."

Kaito swallowed hard. "That is completely screwed up…but…thank you. I can appreciate the feelings behind it…. Just, Akako-chan? Please don't kill anybody for me…ever…I don't…feel so…"

Kaito swayed and then collapsed…right into Shinichi's arms.

"Easy now," Shinichi cooed gently, steadying his friend before turning on Akako. "Listen here, you. You save him, and you save him now. Understand?" the detective seethed. "If he dies…I swear, you don't even want to imagine what I'd do to you if he died. Stop wasting time."

"Come with me. Bring him," Akako instructed.

They sped back to her manor in the woods, and Akako rushed to get more of the antidote while Shinichi waited with a semi-conscious Kaito in the parlor.

Shinichi laid Kaito down so that the magician was stretched out on the couch with his head in Shinichi's lap. The detective stroked Kaito's hair just to give himself something to do while they waited.

It was kind of soothing, running his fingers through Kaito's thick, dark hair. It was a little course, but not un-soft.

"Shh. It's okay," Shinichi calmed, dabbing away the sweat beginning to collect on Kaito's forehead. "Hold on just a while longer, Kaito…. God. Why the hell did you have to go and drink that stupid poison in the first place?" he hissed, not thinking that Kaito could hear and understand what he was saying.

"To save Mouri-chan," Kaito mumbled in a daze. "So you wouldn't be sad. I didn't want you to be sad, Shin-chan."

"Well, I'm gonna be sad if you die, genius," Shinichi grumbled. "So don't die, okay?"

"'Kay," Kaito giggled weakly. "Shin-chan, you care about me?"

"Of course I care about you, you dolt." Shinichi rolled his eyes, stroking Kaito's cheek with a cloth.

"Good," Kaito chuckled. "'Cause I love you, and it hurts so bad seeing you and her and thinking that I don't matter to you, but if you care about me, that means that I do matter, right?" Kaito looked up at him with sad, innocent eyes, like a young child.

Shinichi's chest tightened. "God, if only you knew."

"So tell me," Kaito reasoned. "Then I'll know."

Kaito blinked slowly a few times, trying to fight the downward descent of his eyelids.

"I'm beginning to think that maybe I should," Shinichi whispered as Kaito fell asleep.

Akako dashed into the room several minutes later, clutching a second vial in her hand. "Here." She carefully handed it to Shinichi. "Make him drink. Hurry. Before it's too late!"

Kaito slept an entire day after that, and Shinichi stayed by his side the whole time. When the magician finally did awake, Shinichi leaned in and took Kaito's lips with his own.

Shinichi pulled back, face raspberry red as he declared, "Kaito, I care about you…a lot…and…Ran and I broke up a couple weeks ago, so…"

Kaito blinked. Everything was still hazy. "Am I still dreaming?"

"N-No," Shinichi stuttered.

"Then…that kiss…really just happened?" Kaito rubbed at his eyes drowsily.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, it did." Shinichi gulped. Had he somehow misinterpreted what Kaito had deliriously said while drugged? Had Kaito not really meant it when he'd said that he loved Shinichi?!

"And…you like me?" Kaito held his breath as he hesitantly looked up at Shinichi.

"Yeah." Shinichi nodded.

Kaito smiled. "G-Good…. 'Cause I like you too." Kaito leaned in and pressed a butterfly kiss to Shinichi's cheek.

Shinichi grinned. "G-Good. I've…actually noticed you for a long time now."

Kaito giggled in delight. "Will you go out with me?"

"Y-Yeah," Shinichi laughed nervously right back. Was this even really happening?

"Then I guess it's a good thing I drank that poison after all," Kaito chuckled.

Shinichi grimaced, taking Kaito's hand in his own. "Just…don't do it again, okay. Don't make a habit of rashly sacrificing yourself for others like that."

"Said the pot to the kettle." Kaito rolled his eyes.

"Because you're important to me," Shinichi whispered. "And I don't want to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Kaito promised. "Sorry, Shin-chan. You're stuck with me."

"I could live with that," Shinichi laughed, lovingly stroking Kaito's cheek. "I could live with that a long, long time."