This will be the last full chapter, and there will be an epilogue after this, before I finally put this fic to rest. Thank you for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy my work. Trigger warning for blood.

Kaito froze, staring uncomprehending at the sight in front of him. His mind, usually always in constant motion, ground itself to a halt at the sight of Kudo Shinichi bleeding out in front of him. He was trapped in a limbo of indecisiveness and shock.

A tentative hand on his cuff tugged gently, jerking him roughly out of his stupor. Shinichi grimaced as he hissed out softly, barely heard over the wind.

"KID. Pressure."

Immediately, fear crashed over him, forcing him to go from zero to a hundred in a split second. Forcefully, Kaito shoved his hands over the hole in Shinichi's stomach, feeling a wave of sympathetic nausea as Shinichi let out a groan, clawing halfheartedly at Kaito's clasped hands to remove the necessary agony. He could feel the warm blood drenching his white gloves and the hole beneath his palms, on the right side of the stomach. Horrified, pressed down harder, scolding in frantic terror.

"You baka detective! You absolute moron what were you thinking?"

What should he do now? He could possibly bundle Shinichi into the helicopter and fly him to the nearest hospital. That would take away the means of escape for the boss, and get him to the hospital quickly, but he wasn't sure where the nearest hospital was. It would take valuable time for him to find it, and Shinichi's face was already pale, sweat dripping down his face as he breathed in obviously controlled sips of air. Kaito glanced around the helipad for something, anything to help. First aid kit, a defibrillator perhaps?

This wasn't supposed to happen. How could he even let this happen in the first place? How was everything that was going pretty smoothly take such a turn so quickly? How was he supposed to fix this? Not only was Kaitou KID not supposed to have any injuries at his heists, but this wasn't just any random person. The Holmes of the Century had managed to worm his way into the select few that Kaito truly cared about, and his death would be unforgivable. Genuine dread gripped him as he deliberated what to do, feeling helpless as he glared at the growing stain on the dark clothes, trying to force the wound to heal by sheer willpower alone. Shinichi huffed out a weak chuckle.

"Couldn't let you die."

It only made Kaito curse even harder in his mind and clench down further into the wound, causing Shinichi to grunt in pain. Recklessly idiotic detective with a hero complex. If Kudo Shinichi died because of his mistakes, of his mission, he would never forgive himself. It was his own fault really, his own stupid fault for thinking the Meitantei as invincible as he had portrayed himself to be. The detective trembled as he panted.

"Hey, KID."

Kaito finally broke his staring contest with the injury to glance up at Shinichi's face, still halfway covered by the cap. The usual cerulean gems that peeked out from under the brim were dull with an interesting combination of pain and sympathy. He reassured softly.

"I will…be ok. Nothing vital. Just a…lot of…blood."

Kaito sucked in a quick breath, attempting to recover what little poker face he had left. It wasn't screwed on completely straight, but enough where he almost felt like his normal self. He could still salvage this.

The only question was now, what should he do. He had his medical kit hidden in his clothes, but Shinichi didn't need basic first aid, and anything he did now would just be redone by the professionals at the hospital. What he needed now was transportation to an ambulance.

Still pressing down with his right hand, he pulled over the backpack that had been forgotten in the chaos with his left, rifling through it desperately. After what felt like half of eternity, he found the burner phone and clicked in the number. After a singular ring the familiar grumpy voice of Nakamori Keibu filled his ear, for once sounding urgent instead of angry.

"KID? What's going on? Where are you?"

Kaito almost gasped audibly as a sense of comfort fell over him. Nakamori Keibu was all right and the security of just hearing the police officer that had practically adopted him as his son was enough to rally the rest of his calm. Keeping his voice low and apathetic, because any emotion would shatter him, he ordered.

"Nakamori Keibu, I need an ambulance, quickly. Someone was shot."

There was sputtering on the other end of the phone.

"Sh-Shot? KID are you—"

Kaito was quick to reassure.

"No, it isn't me. I am with him now, but he needs a hospital. Can you call it in?"

There was a pause and Kaito could hear gunfire and yelling in the background.

"Ok, I see. There is one downstairs because I thought there might be injuries, so I arranged for one ahead of time. Tell me where you are, and I can send some men to carry the person down."

Kaito was about to confirm the location when a hand latched onto his wrist. He glanced down at Shinichi to see him fervently shaking his head. Kaito's eyes widened. What was the detective thinking? He was going to bleed out if they didn't move as quickly as they could. The sooner they made it to the hospital the better. He pulled the receiver away from his ear to hiss.

"What?"

Shinichi grimaced as he made a vague gesture.

"Not…like this."

Kaito immediately understood, and he hated that he did. Kudo Shinichi wasn't supposed to be here. Heck, the detective wasn't even supposed to be alive. There was no way for him to ride in an ambulance and make it to the hospital without tons of witnesses to watch him shrink. He could already imagine the confusion of all the surgeons and nurses as a teenager transformed into a child on the operating table. It was a choice between bleeding out and the nuclear fallout of the exposure of his identity. Kaito ached to move the detective to safety, but he couldn't. The plastic case of the phone creaked in his grip as he whispered back.

"How long Meitantei?"

Shinichi suddenly drew in a shaky gasp, clawing instinctively at his chest as he shuddered. Concerned, Kaito released where he was putting pressure on the wound like he had been scalded. After an deceptively long moment, Shinichi fell limp as he breathed erratically.

"Three…five minutes tops."

Kaito gnawed on his lip as he replaced the weight on the wound. Three to five minutes. What a deceptively short amount of time when a friend was dying. It might take the task force five minutes to get there, but it would risk them seeing the shrinkage. Even then, Kaito would have to wait for Shinichi to shrink anyway because he couldn't transport him very far as one person either. The detective would be easier to carry as a child.

Could there be any way to speed up the process? Every second felt like a waste of time and only pushed Shinichi closer to death.

"KID?"

The voice from his ear brought him back from his worried inner monologue. Kaito mashed further into the wound as he reported briefly.

"I will meet you by the entrance in about seven minutes Nakamori Keibu. See you then."

He hung up before the stammered reply was out. He managed to scrape up a smirk for the detective, asking in a cheer he didn't really feel.

"Hey Meitantei, how are you doing?"

A jolt of relief arched through him as Shinichi met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. It was hushed, like it took all his strength to do it, but the snark was there.

"What…do you think?"

Kaito breathed out once more. If Shinichi had it in him to be annoyed, he must not be too worried about his current predicament. Then again, this was the person who faced Spider and Snake like it was just another Tuesday. Shinichi coughed weakly and jerked his head to the side toward the nearest guard as he whispered.

"Make sure…they are out. I don't want…them to know about…me."

Kaito glanced around at the sleeping guards, the knocked-out boss, and the pilot sleeping peacefully. It was a little paranoid, and he was reluctant to leave the detective's side, but Kaito was willing to do anything to make Shinichi feel slightly more secure.

"Ok, don't die until I come back."

Shinichi gave a huff that could be a poor excuse of a chuckle as an answer. Kaito stood and did the quickest check in history. He dragged all the men together and duct taped them within an inch of their life and sabotaged the helicopter just to be safe. He was not going to take any chances. He slapped a piece of tape over their eyes as a blindfold just in case and skidded his way back to the detective.

Shinichi's eyes were fluttering shut and his whole body was shaking minutely as his breathing continued to wheeze out harshly. Kaito's fingers found his wrist, feeling the clammy skin and the pulse fluttering like a trapped bird. He ordered harshly.

"Meitantei, you have to stay awake. You are going into shock."

The detective jolted, eyes blinking rapidly as he looked up at Kaito. The phantom thief wrung his hands, gripping them tightly. What could he do to help? He was supposed to keep a person in shock warm right? But it was hard up here with the wind and higher altitude. He didn't want to take off his cape either because it was needed later. Why hadn't he changed back yet? Surely it had been past five minutes by now, right? He resumed his post at the wound, pressing down into the side and Shinichi whimpered. Kaito bit back the concern for his pain; he would just have to settle for trying to save his life. He commanded, staring Shinichi right in the face.

"Come on tell me something Meitantei, anything. You have to stay awake until I get you to the paramedics."

Shinchi blinked up at him, and Kaito could see the gears turning, like a giant grandfather clock, ticking much slower than normal, but ticking nonetheless. Shinichi screwed his eyes shut for a moment, holding on to that last bit of consciousness with all of his willpower.

"Consider us…even from spring. It sucks…doesn't it?"

It took a moment for Kaito to even understand the reference to the heist where he had been shot. Was this what Shinichi had felt in performing first aid? Kami, what a horrible adrenaline jolt. He felt true regret for putting him through that.

"Oh thanks. Appreciate it. You can make it up to me by not dying."

There was a moment of silence broken only by the arduous breathing of the detective. Kaito asked, desperate for a conversation starter to keep Shinichi focused.

"How close are you to changing back?"

Shinichi gave a halfhearted attempt at a shrug.

"Not…precise. Soon though."

Kaito bit his lip as he checked the wound. The bleeding had slowed thank goodness but was still oozing a distressing amount. He needed real medical attention with professionals and a better setting then a top of a skyscraper. The sooner he changed back the better. Kaito felt weirdly tense, like his own body was waiting for the change to jumpstart him back into action, winding tighter and tighter like a jack in the box. Now though, he just had to wait in suspense.

"Good, can't wait to see that magic trick."

Shinichi frowned unpleasantly. After a moment, he nodded toward the backpack beside him.

"I…got the flash drive. Stopped the…download."

Kaito had never felt more gratitude and indebted to someone in his whole life. How on earth was he supposed to pay the detective back for all of this? If Kudo Shinichi asked him to turn himself for multiple life sentences, he would do it gladly. He laughed, a harsh sound in the wind.

"You want me to pretend to be Ran and kiss you?"

It was worth is to see Shinichi grimace at the thought. Suddenly, Shinichi cried out, once more scrabbling at his chest horribly. Kaito's heart ached sympathetically at the sight as he asked, concerned.

"What's wrong? Oi Meitantei."

Shinichi tried to roll over onto his side and curl up in a ball, but Kaito restrained him, feeling panic once more threaten to consume him. Shinichi panted as the slight tremors grew into almost seizure levels of quivering. He rasped out.

"Changing…back."

Kaito swallowed hard. This was changing back to Conan? Why was it so…wrong? It felt like Kudo Shinichi's body was actively rejecting going back to a child. Was it always like this? And the detective was willing to endure this pain just because he wanted to help Kaito in the most efficient way possible? He had wanted to see the magic trick behind Tantei-kun, but now he wasn't so sure.

Kaito held Shinichi down, attempting to keep him still and from aggravating his wound, but it was like trying to hold a fish out of water. Shinichi writhed, gritting his teeth to keep the soft noises of sheer agony locked in his throat. Kaito didn't know what to do. If he restrained him, it would only cause more damage. So, he retreated slightly, just enough to give the detective space, but enough to stay nearby. His gloved hand came up to wipe at Shinichi's sweaty brow.

"Meitantei, you are burning up."

It was true, like holding boiling water in his hands. Such a high fever should be killing him. Between the bullet wound and the obvious stress on the body this was causing him, Kaito wasn't sure if his body could handle it. Shinichi nodded miserably from his fetal position that he had rolled himself up into.

"Nor...normal."

Another wave of pity washed over Kaito and he simply put his hand on Shinichi's. He didn't know how best to help, so he would just stay as support. At first, the detective balked, and then latched onto Kaito's hand in a death grip. Kaito didn't mind.

He had never seen Kudo Shinichi or even Edogawa Conan like this. The detective oozed confidence and even in his most pained he always shrugged it off for the most part with determination and a grimace in light of usually a worse situation that needed to be dealt with. Seeing him like this was painful to see because he knew it had to be extra excruciating to bring Shinichi down like this.

"Please tell me it is close to being over."

Shinichi choked back a cry and gripped on even tighter, crushing Kaito's hand in his steaming grasp, not even hearing the plea. A few tears made their way down his cheeks as he squeezed out a whisper.

"Almost."

The paroxysm was building, like a storm on the horizon. Then, all at once, the storm broke, crossing the threshold.

Shinichi let out a wretched groan and all at once went slack. Steam billowed off his body as Kaito watched with horrid fascination as bones and flesh began to wither away. He could feel the hand holding his seemingly diminish down to nothing, until he was holding onto a child's hand instead. It was a rapid transformation yet still felt like an eternity.

Finally, Edogawa Conan was laying there in clothes that swamped his form. He looked worn and sickly, but his hand was still holding onto Kaito's with a fraction of the strength before. He breathed out almost inaudibly, cerulean gems barely visible.

"KID…"

Kaito didn't falter, because now, he could finally do something. All that tension that had ratcheted up over time, building to an eruption, finally had a release.

Faster than a snap of fingers, he had changed Conan back into his childhood clothes; the too big clothes would only inspire questions. The lack of reaction winched his heart tighter.

"Meitantei don't you dare pass out on me."

He tugged Conan's slack form into his arms, holding him tightly to his chest as he bound forward. The fastest way to the entrance was not from the inside.

Kaitou KID made sure his hold on Conan was secure as he dove headfirst off the skyscraper.

Wind threatened to steal his top hat away from him and it pinched at his clothes as he fell. He felt the diminutive grip on his lapels, the only indication that Conan was still conscious. One arm cradled the shrunken sleuth, while the other searched for the mechanism to activate his hang glider.

The wings snapped open, slowing him down into a controlled descent. It was achingly time-consuming, but Kaito did not want to crash into the street going a million kilometers an hour and kill the detective that way either. He circled his way around the building, keeping the nose tilted as far down as it could go safely while keeping an eye out for the ambulance. Kaito could see the flashing lights of the many police cars, and the single white vehicle amid the sea of black, the ambulance like a beacon of hope in the night.

They drifted further down until they were right on top of the entrance. As gentle as Kaito could, he undid his glider and dropped the remaining few feet to land on the pavement. As soon as Kaito's feet hit the ground he was sprinting toward the ambulance.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he balked, twisting away from the grip and turning to berate his assailant, when he paused. Nakamori Keibu was standing there, bewildered with two paramedic nurses behind him.

"Kaitou KID. Where is…"

Then his gaze fell to see who Kaito was carrying.

"Conan-kun!"

Kaito pushed past him, carefully shoving Conan at the paramedics.

"Please take him. He has lost a lot of blood."

Kaito bit his lip as he noticed Conan had finally given up consciousness, head lolling to the side as he changed hands. The paramedics easily took him and started fussing over the boy, taking him over to the ambulance as quickly as they could while discussing treatments.

The iron bands that had been around Kaito's chest for the past hour eased up slightly. They were still there, but now that Conan had gotten the help he needed, he could finally refocus on his task of taking down the organization. He turned back to Nakamori Keibu, asking seriously.

"How far have you guys gotten?"

Nakamori Keibu gave him a searching look, almost to ask if he was ok, before acquiescing the information.

"Made it about halfway up thanks to your strategy you gave us. We haven't had any major injuries or casualties either."

His strategy huh? Meitantei might have given the police an edge; it was what he did best after all.

Kaito turned back to the entrance where he saw some of his beloved task force dragging out the criminals by the load, shoving them into different police cars, and going back in for more. They were going to be here all night at this rate.

"Have you called reinforcements in?"

"Yeah, division one should be arriving soon to help."

Kaito heard the distinctive wail of the ambulance siren as it started up. He turned to watch it pull away from the scene. There was nothing more he could do for Conan, except fulfilling his promise of not letting any of the organization escape his grasp. Straightening his shoulders, he strode toward the door.

"I will take the elevator up to the top and work my way down, hopefully make it easier on you."

Before Nakamori could say anything, the Phantom Thief had vanished.

The restless sleep pulled at Conan like a tar pit, sticky and impossible to escape from. The only thing keeping him afloat this viscous sea was the anxiety and worry for his ally. What had happened to KID? Was he safe? Did he complete his mission? And so, he continued to bob up and down like a cork, yo-yoing between passing out and barely conscious.

He could hear muffled voices, all unfamiliar, and a siren, very familiar. He could feel a nuclear eruption bubbling in his gut but was unsure where it came from. Another voice said something, something poked his arm, and he was finally thrust deep enough into the sea that he couldn't escape.

A nondescript time passed before he seemed to wash up inside his body, taking a moment to take stock before truly committing to being awake.

The volcanic eruption was dulled to a low ache. He had a headache, and he could feel the fever of the aftereffects of the antidote sizzling beneath his skin. He could feel the fuzziness of painkillers, pumped in through the needle that was imbedded into his arm. He seemed to be in the familiar garb of a hospital gown and laying on a hospital bed. So safe then. At least none of the organization had taken his injured body hostage or something.

The detective blinked slowly, trying to release the weights his eyelids seemed to have acquired while he slept. The room was dark, the door to the hallway closed and the only source of light from the window. A heart monitor beeped quietly next to his bedside, alongside a clock that read 2:36 A.M. The sleuth breathed out a soft sigh, one that was sure not to disturb his fresh injury. This was going to be a barrel of fun to recover from, again.

"Are you awake?"

The gentle murmur from the corner caused Conan to flinch away, which in turn made him give a soft hiss as the bullet wound flared up. He bent his head to see Kaitou KID, casually occupying a stool that was in the corner of the room. His monocle glinted in the faint light as he pulled his seat closer to the bed, watching Conan struggle to completely wake up.

Conan reached over to the bedside table, pawing at the remote. After a few misplaced pushes, he finally found the button that allowed him to sit up. Finally, when he was leaning more instead of laying, and it was a position that didn't absolutely kill his stomach, he focused his attention back on the thief. Now he could feel like he could have a better discussion.

There were so many questions, but Conan could barely put two thoughts together on what the most important questions were. The sleuth opened his mouth, but only a raspy voice came out.

"The…organization?"

Kaitou KID smirked at him.

"All of them apprehended. I helped make sure all of them made it into the police cars and to jail. Even Snake and Spider. The boss was detained too. The police managed to hack the computer and see that the Boss sent out an organization wide email to say they had found Pandora, so some members of the taskforce are staying to arrest any stragglers that come from overseas in the next few days. Hakuba should be coming back in tomorrow too to help with clean up as well."

Conan swallowed, before inquiring.

"Injuries?"

KID frowned slightly.

"No casualties. You were the worst case. Everyone else just got a bit banged up. One got grazed in the arm, but he was supposed to be sent home this morning."

"Evidence?"

KID's smirk got even larger.

"The flash drive and the camera footage you took earlier are in speculation right now, but Nakamori Keibu was sure that it would be enough to put them behind bars."

"Pandora?"

KID rifled through his pockets for a moment to pull out the gem.

"Retrieved it before I came to check on you. I am going to research it the next few days to figure out how to destroy it."

Conan finally felt the last anxiety of the night melt away. He let out a sigh of relief.

"So, it is over?"

KID's smile was tempered with worry, but it was definitely the most genuine smile Conan had ever seen on the thief.

"Yeah, it is over."

Conan sank further back into the bed and closed his eyes. There was the normal satisfaction of catching criminals and relief that it had not ended badly, considering how awful it could have truly been. There were no casualties, there was evidence to put them behind bars, and no one had escaped. Truly a miracle of luck that only the infamous Kaitou KID could pull off.

"How do you feel Tantei-kun?"

The concerned inquiry made him open his eyes. He could already read the guilt and the worry that were usually so carefully protected behind his poker face. It made the tiny sleuth almost feel guilty for putting the thief through it. He knew that despite everything, KID wore his heart on his sleeve and cared. It was unusual for him to see injuries and murders, while it was something that Conan faced daily. He remembered the moment well…

Sprinting up the stairs. Bursting through the door. Observing the scene in a second. Lethal gun vs. nonlethal card gun. KID in a position he couldn't dodge. It was aimed at his head. If he didn't do something, KID would...

Instinct took over. He kicked the soccer ball as he shouted a warning. Please let him make it. He practically tackled KID to the side. Another shot rang out, and something blew through his stomach. Assessing injury as KID bounded off to deal with the threat. Painful, but not life-threatening.

…and he didn't regret it in the slightest. Conan closed his eyes, giving the thief the slight privacy to collect himself as he berated gently.

"I am going to be fine KID. This is something I have dealt with before, and it will probably happen again. I chose this, and I don't regret it."

There were several seconds of heavy silence, followed by a soft question.

"The…transforming? That was normal?"

Conan grimaced. It was a bit of a haze, but the agony he had experienced was not.

"Ah, well. Usually there isn't a bullet hole in my gut, and they were fighting over which was going to be the worst pain, but other than that it was pretty standard. It isn't…pleasant. Luckily it is pretty much finished after I change back. I might have a low fever, but no pain. I am just a little achy in my stomach."

A quiet pause, as if KID was trying to assess if Conan was lying or not. The whispered admission was loud in the silent, dark room.

"I thought you were dying."

Conan snorted.

"Well, the actual poison couldn't take me out, so I doubt the antidote will, even if a bullet tried to help. Really KID, I am going to be all right."

Silence, before another very quiet question.

"You sure?"

Inwardly, Conan rolled his eyes.

"Hai Mother hen-san."

A chuckle cut through the tension like a knife through thread. Conan chanced a glance at the thief to see him genuinely relaxed. Good, that guilt complex was not something the thief needed. After a moment, the thief leaned forward with the grace of a cat, gloved hand sliding delicately along the bed railing. His indigo gaze was piercing.

"Kudo Shinichi, thank you."

Conan gave a small smirk at the smallest phrase of gratitude that held ten times as much weight behind it.

"No problem, KID-san."

The thief's gaze sharpened.

"Seriously, I don't think I can thank you for everything you have done. Is there anything you want as a favor?"

Conan raised an eyebrow. There was a lot of weight behind the word 'anything' too.

"If I managed to find my own organization, can—"

KID interrupted before Conan could even finish.

"That doesn't count. Of course, I will help you take down your own organization. That seems the fastest way to clear most of my debt."

Conan snorted.

"You aren't in my debt KID."

KID's eyes narrowed.

"No? Between you saving my life last spring, agreeing to go along with me and even take my case, getting all the evidence against the organization and stopping the computer from deleting everything, and literally saving my life tonight, you don't think I have racked up quite a lot of debt?"

Conan shook his head, waving away the supposed debt away.

"All of those things I would have done anyway as a detective. It really isn't that big of a deal KID."

"What kind of gentlemen thief doesn't repay something like this Tantei-kun? Words can't even describe how grateful I am. Name it, and I will do it."

Conan could hear the desperation in the thief's voice to make this right. He glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"Anything? If I asked you to turn yourself in, you would?"

KID didn't even hesitate to nod.

"I will go to prison and live out my days there if that is what you want. My purpose is finished anyway."

Conan was almost startled by how docile this version of Kaitou KID was. This wasn't the man who would defiantly daunt the police and escape any trap set with finesse and intelligence. There was always a spark that was challenging. It made the thief interesting. Kaitou KID really was willing to do whatever it took to make the miniature detective happy.

Conan sat there for a moment, stewing about what favor he could ask of the international thief. He really was just doing his job and something he enjoyed doing anyway, and besides his organization, he couldn't really think of anything else to ask him. The painkillers weren't exactly helping boost brain production either.

Wait, there was one thing that he wanted but…would KID allow him to have it? Conan asked slowly.

"So, you are planning on announcing your retirement, right?"

KID blinked at the subject change, before giving a shrug.

"Probably one last big heist. I will give Nakamori Keibu a proper send off as well as my beloved task force. I will probably keep my channels with Jirokichi Suzuki open in case he wants to challenge me just for fun, but as far as official heists, probably not continue after this. I might change my mind if I get bored but doubt it. I want to focus on other things."

Conan gnawed on his lip as he thought about it for a moment. That was the answer he was afraid of.

"So, there is a chance we might never meet again after that?"

KID looked a little surprised by the question.

"There is a small chance, yes."

Conan stared down at the bed sheets as he gripped them in his tiny hands. Back when he first met the annoying thief, he had wanted to unmask him and put him in jail just like any other criminal. Now however, after gaining more insight that was the enigma of Kaitou KID and worked alongside him consistently, he had no desire to turn him in. Heck, he had even counted him as one of the few reliable allies and friends he had, as well as a treasured rival that challenged him. He was reluctant to give that up.

If Kaitou KID stopped his heists, he would never have a reason to meet up with the thief again, losing that friendship and rivalry.

He met KID's gaze firmly.

"Then you already know what I want from you, don't you?"

Screw these painkillers for making him sound so stupidly hopeful. KID raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other in silence before KID asked incredulously.

"You want to know…who I am?"

Conan almost felt hurt by how KID sounded. Like really, he had made it no secret he wanted to know the thief behind the monocle. Unless he was the only one that treasured this?

"Come on KID, you know I won't turn you in after all the stuff we have been through. I am just saying it might be nice to meet up for coffee and hot chocolate some time and I can't do that because I don't know how to contact you."

KID held up a hand to stave off the detective's irritation.

"No, sorry, that's not what I meant. It's just…I have had it for so long, you know?"

Conan lowered his hackles as he took a deep breath, calming his anger. Right, how could he have forgotten? With every person who had discovered his own identity, it had been a struggle to let go of that information he had held onto so tightly. Of course, KID had the same problem. Conan let out a disappointed sigh.

"Right, sorry. You are right."

Maybe he was asking too much of an international criminal.

"I didn't say no."

Conan's sharp gaze, slightly dulled by painkillers, fell once more on the thief, hungrily trying to drink in every tiny expression and nuance. There was nothing but honesty in his eyes; he meant it. Conan whispered.

"Really?"

KID nodded.

"It might be awhile, but yeah. I want to make sure there is no longer any danger before contacting you, just to be careful."

Conan nodded, tension bleeding from his body as he realized KID hadn't rejected his request. He smiled as he kneaded the hospital blanket in his hands.

"No, I understand. "

KID sighed as he leaned back in his chair, nonchalant.

"Not to mention I can't just show up out of nowhere like for normal people. I have to make it a challenge or something since it is the last battle between KID and the KID Killer."

Conan looked personally offended.

"You better not just walk into the detective agency. I would be horrifically disappointed."

To Conan's chagrin, KID beamed as he ruffled the little cowlick.

"Yeah yeah, a good magician never leaves his audience unentertained. I will try to make it spectacular."

Conan brushed the hand away, muttering.

"You'd better."

He could see the hint of fondness in KID's gaze as he withdrew his hand.

"Well Tantei-kun, if you were considerate you wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night. I bet Nakamori-Keibu will have questions for you in the morning, so get some rest while you can."

Conan reached out, trying to grab on to keep the thief there just a little longer, only to realize for some reason his arm wasn't working. And his wound didn't seem to have that dull ache anymore. And that the room seemed to be tilting and shifting unnaturally. He felt one last slightly condescending pat on his head as slowly the bed was lowered. The voice was slightly muffled.

"You needed another boost of painkillers. Have a nice rest Tantei-kun."

Conan's eyes fluttered shut. Did that blasted thief drug him?

"You jerk."

A soft chuckle was heard from the direction of the window.

"Consider this payback for your house Meitantei. You need it."

Conan struggled to stay awake. One last question.

"Wait, when…"

He couldn't even get the full sentence out. When was he going to see the thief again? The voice sounded from far away, at the end of a long tunnel.

"Soon Tantei-kun, but not too soon. I will stay in touch. Give me a month at least."

Conan yawned and satisfied, fell into a painless sleep, as the international criminal slid out the window, leaving not a trace behind.