Side effects include

by LMeg9.20

Series of one shots with same plot. Haibara produces a cure & Shinichi returns to his rightful age, but it has some unexpected side effects. Each chapter will be a different side effect. Pairing is always KaiShin. Warning! Some chapters may include mature content.

15. Your Wings and Mine (sequel to Wings)

This is the sequel to Unfold Your Wings As You Fall. Believe it or not when I originally had the idea for this sequel, I wondered if I had enough material to make it worth writing. I did not expect it to be this long! But once I started writing it, I just kept getting more and more ideas and I couldn't stop writing.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy it, and please consider leaving me a comment!

0-0-0-0-0

It started off as a normal, lazy Sunday. They had already finished the breakfast that Kaito had made (they were both making an effort to become better cooks. It took extra energy to hide their wings which meant they needed to consume more calories, hence the self-imposed cooking lessons) and had moved into the sitting room. Shinichi eagerly turned on the TV.

"Kai, hurry. It's going to start soon," Shinichi said impatiently, patting the spot on the sofa next to him.

Kaito smiled at his excitement before answering, "Relax, Shinichi. There's still another 15 minutes before the show is supposed to start."

Shinichi looked at his watch and deflated a little. "Oh, I guess you're right," he said feeling a little embarrassed.

Kaito chuckled and plopped down on the couch next to his boyfriend. He pulled Shinichi into his lap and gave him a little peck on the cheek, "It's alright. I know you're excited for the rerun of the Detective Samonji episode since you missed it when it originally aired."

Shinichi fought down the blush that tried to color his cheeks as Kaito settled him into his lap, but instead of pulling away, he shifted to get more comfortable. Kaito beamed and adjusted his grip around Shinichi's waist, holding him more securely. It had only been a couple of months since they had started dating (Kaito insisted their first date was the day he took them out to play DDR and they played frisbee in the park) and Shinichi quickly learned that Kaito was a very affectionate person. The magician always seemed to be reaching for his hand, looping an arm around his waist, cuddling him, even if they were just sitting next to each other on the sofa, Kaito would usually sit close enough that their knees would brush. Normally Shinichi wasn't the affectionate type and tended to shy away from physical touches, but it was different with Kaito. He found himself leaning in to Kaito's touches. He even privately thought he probably wanted to touch Kaito just as much as Kaito wanted to touch him, not that he could ever admit that.

"I just wish criminals would respect my 'No working on Detective Samonji night rule," the detective grumbled.

"Well, my love, you are a bit of a trouble magnet," Kaito playfully replied.

Shinichi lost his battle against his blush at Kaito's newest nickname for him, 'my love.' At least when he answered his tone was even, "It was hardly my fault this time. I stopped at the conbini to buy you your snacks and someone tried to rob the shop worker. What was I supposed to do, let it happen? That guy was asking for a soccer ball to the back of the head. And seeing as it was your snacks that put me there in the first place, that makes it more your fault than mine."

Kaito laughed before leaning forward and kissing him. "You're right, how dare I want snacks? It's definitely my fault, and not you with your rotten luck," he answered teasingly.

Shinichi frowned at his obvious sarcasm.

"So darling, we still have another 13 minutes until the episode is supposed to start," Kaito started.

Shinichi looked at him questioningly, "Was there something in particular you wanted to do before it starts?"

"I can think of one thing," Kaito answered.

Then instead of telling him, he showed him what he meant when he leaned in again and captured Shinichi's lips in another kiss. This one with my heat than the last one. Oh, well that was one way to pass 13 minutes, one he didn't think he minded too much. Shinichi felt Kaito's tongue brush against his lips, and he opened immediately granting him access.

"Kudo!" Hattori yelled while kicking open his front door.

Shinichi jumped and yelped in surprise at the sudden intruder. "Hattori! What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion.

Hattori took in the situation, noting Shinichi sitting in a strange man's lap and not looking displeased in the slightest to be there, and had the decency to look a little sheepish, "Oh, crud. Am I interrupting something?"

Shinichi was abruptly reminded of his sitting position. His face morphed to a mix of embarrassment and anger and he threw one of the couch's pillows at his friend, smacking him in the face. He gave Kaito a quick peck on the temple and delicately pulled himself out of his lap before heading to the kitchen. "Would you like coffee or tea? And are you here for a case or is this a social visit?" When he didn't hear an answer he turned and looked back at his friend again in confusion, "Hattori?"

The Osakan was staring at him again, his mouth open wide, jaw nearly on the floor. Kaito was still sitting on the couch, trying and failing to stifle his snickers. He saw Shinichi's confused look and took pity on his detective, "Are you feeling a little chilled, Shinichi? That open backed shirt probably isn't providing much warmth and the house is a bit cool today."

'Ah,' he thought to himself.

"Kudo!? When the hell did you get a tattoo? And who is this?" He asked pointing at Kaito, "Why were you getting so friendly with him? Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Shinichi sighed and started the coffee pot, ignoring his friend for now.

Kaito stepped in to give Shinichi a moment, "You must be Hattori Heiji, Shinichi's best friend. He's told me a lot about you. I'm Kuroba Kaito. It's nice to meet you."

Hattori smiled, obviously pleased at being acknowledged as Shinichi's best friend. It was almost scary how Kaito always seemed to know just what to say to win people over. "Oh well I suppose a friend of Kudo's is a friend of mine. Sorry for just bargin in earlier."

"No harm done. Shinichi, do you need me to reach the tea on the higher shelves?" Kaito went to join Shinichi in the kitchen, getting the tea down for his shorter boyfriend.

They both paused and turned around when they heard what sounded like Hattori drowning on air. Hattori was in shock again and was now pointing at Kaito.

"M…ma…matching?"

Shinichi blinked as realization dawned on him, "Kaito, you are also wearing a backless shirt."

Kaito nodded, "Ah, that's right. Well now what do we do? I think we broke him."

Shinichi sighed and took the tea bags Kaito handed to him. He busied himself making tea and decided to start the coffee for himself. He had a feeling he would need it. By the time the drinks were done, Hattori seemed to have regained the ability to speak coherently.

He carried the drinks on a trey back into the sitting room and sat it down on the coffee table. He picked up his own drink and sat on the couch before taking a long sip. Kaito flopped onto the couch next to him while holding his drink, not spilling a single drop in the process.

Hattori picked up the final mug and sat in the chair across from them. He sounded confused and a bit defensive when he asked, "You two are obviously pretty close. Ya even have matching tattoos. Care to tell me what's goin on?"

Shinichi was thinking furiously. He and Kaito hadn't really had a chance to discuss what they were going to tell their friends yet.

"Don't you dare do that, Kudo," Hattori ordered. Shinichi blinked in confusion and he continued, "You're trying to figure out how much truth you want to tell me and how much you have to lie. I thought we were past that, Kudo. I already know…a lot." His eyes flickered to Kaito at the last statement. He was obviously thinking about Conan, but didn't know if it was safe to say in front of Kaito.

Shinichi exhaled in defeat. Hattori was smart, this was the detective that had figured out his secret about Conan after only two visits. The problem was it wasn't only his secret to tell this time. Kaito seemed to understand his concerns and gave him an encouraging smile, his empty hand resting on his knee and giving it a squeeze. Shinichi felt himself relax and turned his attention back to his Osakan friend, "Hattori, I would like you to meet Kuroba Kaito, my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!?" Hattori's eyebrows were up in his hair, "But you haven't been back from…from that big case you solved for very long. When could you have possibly met?"

"Well actually, we met months ago. Kaito knows about Conan. We met at a KID heist and slowly got to know each other. We were-" he stopped himself from saying rivals- "allies at first, then we became friends. Once I officially came back as Shinichi, we started dating shortly after that."

"Oh, so are you a detective as well? Or with the police?" Hattori asked Kaito.

Kaito snorted, "Magician actually." He clapped his hands together and confetti exploded around them, raining down cheerfully on the three while Shinichi grumbled that if he was going to keep doing that, he could be the one to clean it up.

Shinichi could see the wheels in turning in Hattori's brain and felt a moment of dread.

"Wait a minute…don't tell me…Kudo are you seriously dating Kaitou KID!?" He asked, pointing accusingly.

Kaito whistled, clearly impressed, "That was faster than I thought."

"Of course I figured it out. You both met at a KID heist and you're a magician? Not ta mention aside from Ran-san the only other person Kudo ever had a crush on was KID."

Shinichi felt his face grow hot and gave Hattori a withering look. Kaito brought his hands to his face and turned to look at him, gushing, "Aww, babe. Your crush on me was so big that even your friends noticed? That's so sweet."

"Both of you are awful and I hate you," Shinichi grumbled without heat.

"Alright so now I get your relationship isn't as sudden as I thought, but that still doesn't explain the matching tattoos. I never would have expected you to be the type to get a tattoo at all, let alone a matching one with your boyfriend. Unless…you're hiding more than just the fact that your dating Kaitou KID" Hattori said, sounding serious.

Shinichi cleared his throat before speaking, "You're right, there is more, and its pretty big. This secret is just as big as Conan, Hattori. No, bigger."

Hattori nodded to himself, "Those aren't just any tattoos, are they? You're both nephilim."

It was Kaito and Shinichi's turn to look surprised.

Hattori's grin looked a bit smug at surprising Shinichi for once, "You aren't the only one with secrets, Kudo. I'm not exactly human either."

Shinichi opened and closed his mouth several times before he finally regained his voice, "Wait a minute, don't tell me. I was right and you are a werewolf!? I mean of course I noticed that you always seemed to be unavailable the night of the full moon, I first noticed it when you only joined me at KID heists if they weren't the night the moon was full, and if I was seeking consult on a case at that time you never seemed to answer your phone. And I noticed you're practically a carnivore and always take your steak extra rare. But I didn't know about the non-human community at that time so I didn't believe in werewolves."

Hattori nodded, "Yeah, I'm a werewolf alright. But nephilim are born, not made. Why do you talk like this is all new to you? And why didn't you have wings as Conan?"

"Well I suppose Kaito and I are a bit of an exception? Kaito more than me," Shinichi started before explaining how the cure to the apotoxin had somehow awakened his half-angel heritage and how Kaito was changed by Pandora.

"So am I the first non-human you've met since becoming nephilim?" Hattori asked.

Shinichi shook his head, "I'm not really clear on where witches fall between the two but I did meet one first. And I also met another half-angel that helped educate me on nephilim."

Hattori shrugged, "To be honest I'm not sure about witches either. Maybe they're just humans that can do magic? Maybe they aren't human at all? Who knows? But I can tell ya all about lycanthropes."

Shinichi sat forward with interest, always eager to learn new information, "Please."

"Me and my family are wolf shifters, or werewolves. Lycanthropes can be either born or turned, though turned aren't as common. In the case of my family, we were all born into it. The movies get it all wrong of course, so don't go off of that for any of your info. We can shift at any time and are in full control of our minds when we do so, the only exception being the full moon, and even then we aren't the mindless animals the movies would have you believe we are. It's more that we are forced to shift during the full moon and we tend to follow our instincts more during that time," he explained.

Shinichi thought over the new information before asking, "So what does your werewolf form look like? Do you start growing hair everywhere or…"

"I told you its not like the movies already! I actually have two forms. I can shift to full wolf, except werewolves are much larger than real wolves, or I have a sort of in-between form as well," Hattori explained.

Kaito snickered, "You mean like a furry?"

"Not like a furry, asshole!" Hattori yelled while Kaito laughed at his expense.

Shinichi quickly changed the subject before Hattori decided to maim his boyfriend, "So does Kazuha know?"

Hattori winced before answering, "I haven't really worked up to telling her. She's already scared of like ghosts and stuff. I'm not sure how she would take this."

Shinichi nodded, not at all surprised. Hattori hadn't even worked up the courage to confess to her yet, of course he couldn't tell her he was a werewolf. "I'm sure it will be alright when you do eventually tell her."

"Thanks, Kudo."

"How about I refill our drinks?" Kaito offered while taking their mugs back to the kitchen.

Shinichi followed him with his eyes for a moment before turning back to Hattori. When he turned back to his friend, he found the Osakan watching him. "Uh do I have something on my face?"

"Answer me straight, Kudo. Do you really care about him?" Hattori asked.

Shinichi resisted the urge to squirm in discomfort at the direct question about his feelings. Instead he met Hattori's gaze when he answered, "Yeah, I do."

Hattori nodded and his expression softened for a moment, "Well, I'm glad ta see you happy. Ya deserve it, Kudo. After you told me that you no longer had feelings for Ran-chan, I was a bit worried about ya. I'm glad to see you found someone. And I've never met a nephilim before. I'm sure you're aware but your kind aren't very common, even in the non-human community. I understand it can be a bit of a lonely life. I'm glad you have someone to go through it with you."

Shinichi felt touched at his friend's words and the care behind them. He and Hattori didn't really talk about their feelings with each other much, but whenever they had moments like this, his friend could be surprisingly thoughtful. "Thanks, Hattori."

Kaito chose that moment to return, a happy little smile across his face. No doubt the magician had been listening and heard every word.

Shinichi asked his friend, "So you didn't answer my question earlier. Is this visit social or for a case?"

Hattori waved his hand, "I was just checking in on you. I hadn't seen you but a few times during the take down of the Organization. I knew you were back, but Kazuha said that Ran-chan is still waiting for you to come home."

Shinichi grimaced feeling guilty, "I really need to go see her. I just…I haven't decided what I'm going to tell her. And I feel terrible making her wait for me for two years only to come back and tell her I don't have feelings for her. Plus the take down of the Black Organization and the capture of the sniper that was targeting KID was…pretty intense. And I was navigating newly learning that I'm apparently half-angel. It was just a lot going on."

Hattori scratched his cheek, "Yeah, I suppose that does sound like a lot. But you really should go see her soon. Even if you don't have romantic feelings for Nee-chan, you still care about each other a lot. I'm sure she would want to see you."

Shinichi's shoulders sagged a bit, "You're right. I'll go see her soon. By the way, I never got to thank you for your help taking down the Organization."

"You don't have to thank me, Kudo. But I wish I could have been here to help instead of in Osaka," Hattori answered.

Shinichi shook his head, "No, I needed someone in Osaka that I could trust. After Tokyo, Osaka had the next biggest concentration of members. I'm glad you were there to oversee things. I'm sure the reason we were able to capture so many members in Osaka was because you were there."

Hattori was obviously pleased and not hiding it well, "I guess you're right."

After that the conversation turned more casual as both friends caught up and Hattori and Kaito got to know each other. During the conversation, Kaito and Shinichi let their wings out since they didn't need to hide them from Hattori. Both boys usually kept them hidden for a portion of the day even if they were staying in. Hiding their wings took concentration and energy. They could strengthen their stamina by hiding their wings, like working out a muscle to strengthen it. So even if they didn't plan to leave the Kudo Manor, they both would hide their wings for at least a few hours everyday.

After a few more hours, Kaito reminded Shinichi that they hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast and the conversation was moved to the kitchen where both boys worked together to fix the three of them a meal. They continued to chat while they cooked, Kaito allowing Shinichi and Hattori to talk about cases but carefully steering the conversation so that it didn't fully dominate the discussion. Shinichi inwardly felt pleased at how seamlessly Kaito fit in with his best friend. He realized he had been a bit anxious at introducing Kaito to his friends. At least it seemed his boyfriend had won over Hattori.

After their late lunch and a few more hours of conversation, Shinichi asked Hattori if he should get one of the guest rooms prepared, but his friend declined. "I can't stay, I need to get back home. I should probably leave now, it's a long train back to Osaka from Tokyo."

Shinichi nodded, "Let us walk you out."

Hattori slipped on his jacket and shoes before he paused and gave Kaito a hard look, "Kuroba, I just want you to know one thing. If you hurt Kudo, you won't be able to fly far enough to be safe from me. I'll find you and rip you apart."

Kaito returned his gaze with just as much intensity. "I would never intentionally do anything to harm Shinichi." The wing that was closest to Shinichi reached out to him, brushing against him. Shinichi wasn't sure if Kaito was aware that he was doing it or not.

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably, unsure what he should be doing while his boyfriend received the shovel talk from his friend. "That's really not necessary, Hattori. Besides, Kaito is probably the one that's more likely to get hurt in our relationship. You know my tendency to get caught up in cases and forget important dates like birthdays," he attempted to joke.

"Nah, don't say that, Kudo," Hattori said before ruffling Shinichi's hair like he was still Conan, ignoring Shinichi's indignant yelp, "He is lucky to have you. And don't you forget it. And Kuroba, you better keep your word." He gave a final wave before leaving.

Shinichi tried to fix his hair while frowning at the door. Kaito smiled in amusement before his grin softened. He wrapped his arms around the shorter man and kissed Shinichi's forehead. "You have a really good friend, love. And he's absolutely right, I am lucky to have you."

"How about we agree that we are both lucky to have each other," Shinichi said while returning Kaito's embrace. A moment later the smile slipped from his face and he cursed.

Kaito frowned and pulled away so that he could see his boyfriend's face. "Shinichi?"

"I just realized I missed the Detective Samonji episode again."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi was woken early by Kaito.

"Shinichi, someone else is here," his boyfriend said.

Shinichi sat up in bed and listened carefully, adrenaline pushing the last cobwebs of sleep from his mind. The last time the thief had heard someone in his house, it had just been Haibara. However, Haibara wasn't due for a visit, especially this early, and Shinichi was sure Kaito had learned the sound of her footsteps by now.

"It sounds like quite a few people actually, and they aren't making any effort to be quiet," Shinichi observed.

Both boys quickly hid their wings and got dressed, taking care to keep silent in case the people in the house really were intruders, then they both crept to the top of the stairs. They observed the people moving around downstairs in secret for a moment before…

Shinichi groaned before stomping downstairs, "Mom? Are you the one behind this?"

He made it to the bottom of the stairs and Yukiko seemed to materialize from nowhere before wrapping her son in a tight hug.

"Shin-chan! You're just in time! Toya-san is almost finished setting up the flower arrangements, then you and Kai-chan can pick your favorite ones. Ito-san will be arriving with the cakes for the taste testing shortly, and Yamada-san will come measure you for your suits. Now I'm partial to a spring wedding myself, what do you boys think?" She asked.

Kaito finally joined them at the bottom of the stairs and was smiling in amusement at Shinichi's expense. Traitor.

"Yukiko-san, it's wonderful to meet you," he said with a charming smile.

Yukiko released her grip on Shinichi so that she could throw her arms around Kaito next, "Oh Kai-chan, it's wonderful to see you again. Your father was such a wonderful man, I learned so much from him. I'm happy that its you my boy chose to spend the rest of his life with."

Shinichi had his arms folded over his chest, clearly pouting, "Mom, tell me all of these people aren't hear to plan a wedding for me and Kaito."

Yukiko turned back to him and gave him puppy eyes, "I thought you would be happy. I brought them all to you so that you wouldn't even have to leave the house."

Shinichi sighed, "Mom, Kaito and I have only been dating for a couple of months. And I'm only 18! How did you find out about us anyway?"

His mother smiled mysteriously, "I'm sorry, but my source wishes to remain unknown."

Shinichi glared in the direction of the professor's house, "It was the professor, wasn't it? Don't tell me you bribed him for updates on me using cakes. You know Haibara's been working hard to get him to eat healthier and take better care of his health."

Now Yukiko was the one pouting, and Kaito privately thought that as much as people thought Shinichi looked like his father, in moments like this he could strongly see the resemblance he had to his mother. "Only in moderation, of course. The professor is an old friend, I would never want to do anything to the detriment of his health."

Shinichi's eye twitched. "I'm not dealing with this right now. I'm going back to bed for at least another hour."

Kaito watched him stomp back up the stairs, smiling fondly. Yukiko's smile was a bit more rueful, "I guess I did go a little overboard, didn't I Kai-chan? I'm just so excited to see Shinichi happy."

Kaito turned his smile to her, "I can tell you love your son very much. You don't need to worry. Now that I have him, I don't intend to let him go. And though we haven't been together for long, I know Shinichi is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'll ask him to marry me before you know it."

Yukiko's eyes crinkled with her smile, "I'm happy to hear that. Especially since you both have very, very long lives ahead of you, don't you?"

"So the professor told you about that too?" Kaito asked.

"Actually it was Ai-chan, though don't tell Shinichi. She will stop telling me things if Shinichi asks her to. Yusaku and I were both…surprised when we heard the news. Neither of us are sure which one of us might carry the half-angel heritage, but I know from my mother that my grandmother suddenly died while she was still young. If the knowledge is usually passed by oral tradition, that could explain why it wasn't passed on," she answered.

Kaito nodded before hesitating, "Are you and Yusaku-san both okay?"

Yukiko smiled sadly, "Immortality sounds like a heavy burden to bear. I'm glad you'll be there to take care of him, Kai-chan. Just keep in mind Yusaku and I aren't immortal, and neither is Chikage-san. I would like to see you and Shinichi married while I'm still young enough to look cute in the wedding photos."

Kaito laughed, "Don't worry, Yukiko-san, I don't intend to wait long. I know what I want, I don't see much point in putting it off. But I know Shinichi would feel like everyone is judging us if we were to marry now at our age. I can wait for him. Now if you'll excuse me, Shinichi tends to be extra cuddly and adorable when he's sleepy and I think I'm going to go take advantage of that."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi and Kaito entered the Obsidian Wand together. The store owner looked up as they entered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Shinichi noted that it was now died electric blue instead of purple, though her dark roots were already showing. She gave them a little wave before unlocking the door that read "Staff Only". Both boys followed her inside and she firmly shut the door behind them.

"Good afternoon, Aoki-san," Shinichi politely greeted her by the fake surname she was currently using.

"I've already told you to call me Kasumi, Kudo-san. Everyone in the nonhuman community does," she patiently explained as if this wasn't the third time they had this conversation.

Kaito cheerfully placed a hand on Shinichi's shoulder, "Then in that case you can call him Shinichi, and me Kaito. But you should let me call you nee-chan, since we both share the same maker, we're practically family."

"Absolutely not," she said with a deadpan look before turning her attention back to Shinichi, "So what can I help you both with today?"

Shinichi opened his messenger bag and pulled out two carefully wrapped glass bottles, "I'm here for another healing tears delivery. Please use them to sell to whoever you think may be in most need."

"Perfect!," Kasumi accepted the bottles, "You know, instead of giving these away for free, you could easily charge a large amount of money for them. Your tears heal better than the strongest witch's potion, probably better than any nonhuman could do including the fey. And white wings are rare among the nephilim. There's probably only a couple dozen of you currently."

Shinichi smiled and gave a little shake of his head, "That's okay, it's not like I need the money. I just wish I could do more for the human hospitals instead of give them heavily diluted versions."

Kaito reached for his hand and gave it a little squeeze, "Takemi-san can only do so much without arousing suspicion. If she started healing her wounded patients too quickly people would start to ask questions, and your healing tears aren't exactly FDA tested."

Shinichi frowned but knew that Kaito was right. "Speaking of Takemi-san, I actually had some more questions if you don't mind, Aoki-sa-…Kasumi-san," he corrected himself when the shop keeper glared at him.

"Sure, Takemi-san isn't a very private person to those in the nonhuman community. She would be okay with me answering your questions," Kasumi said with a little shrug.

"I'm just a little confused what sort of non-human you said she was, if that's not offensive for me to ask," Shinichi said.

"And why its so important that she's working at a human hospital," Kaito added.

Kasumi explained, "Takemi-san is a cambion, or the offspring between a human and a demon. They are a pretty common amongst the nonhumans. Demons are not fallen angels like some religions would have you believe, but are beings from another realm, one that is very close to ours which may be why they are so common. Angels on the other hand, we still aren't certain where they came from or where they went, but some believe they are also from another realm, though one that's much farther from ours which is why another angel hasn't been seen in millennia and why nephilim offspring are so rare. Cambion are also immortal, but they are sterile and can't reproduce. It might be the universe's way of balancing things, since cambion are already common. Their abilities range depending on what demon was their sire. They also tend to have something that marks them as a cambion, such as horns, unusual eyes, or a tail."

She continued, "The reason its important that Takemi-san works in a human hospital is because she can assist any nonhumans that end up there, and more importantly her powers give her the ability to induce a partial amnesiac to any humans that might see something they shouldn't. So say a nonhuman was involved in an accident and was brought to the hospital, and it was discovered that they weren't human, Takemi-san could step in and help. Or if a nephilim is born to two unaware human parents, Takemi-san could make the doctors forget about the wings they saw on the baby."

Shinichi nodded, "Can I ask more questions? Altering memories is a pretty powerful ability, what's to stop her from abusing her powers, or someone else from abusing their powers?"

"You ask the tough questions, Shinichi-kun. We do have a group of people that police us, they refer to themselves as Shadow Keepers. A bit dramatic of a name if you ask me, but nobody asked my opinion. They keep the nonhumans' moral compass straight and make sure none of us do anything silly like try to enslave the human race. Nonhumans can be good people or bad people just like humans, and our race, whether nephilim, cambion, fey, lycanthrope, vampire, witch, or anything else, doesn't necessarily make us more prone to be one way or the other. Unfortunately when a nonhuman goes dark side, if they are really powerful a jail cell may be impractical. In those cases, lethal force may be necessary," Kasumi answered.

Shinichi made a face, but decided to move on, "Can a cambion hide their marks the way we can hide our wings?"

"They can sometimes hide their mark, but not like us with our wings. If the cambion has some kind of ability to cast an illusion or hide their mark under clothes, they will usually do that. If that's not an option, they can buy glamour potions from a witch," she explained.

"What's a glamour potion?" Kaito asked.

"It's a spell potion that casts an illusion on your appearance, and also a nephilim's best friend. You both will become very familiar with glamour potions once your full nephilim abilities kick in and you stop aging. An aging glamour can make it look to others like you are aging appropriately as the years go on. Depending on the strength and skill of the witch that made the potion, they can make you appear to age anywhere from 10-40 years. Which means you can settle down and live in one spot much longer," she said.

Shinichi's eyes lite up, "That's amazing."

"Will the glamours make our appearance change to us as well?" Kaito asked.

She shook her head, "Glamours don't work on nonhumans. So if you ever see someone walking down the street with purple skin and horns on their head, and nobody else is freaking out, just assume they have a glamour on. This can lead to some social snafus though, like say if you met another nephilim and referred to their appearance as young when to a human they might look like they are in their 50s. So make sure you're careful."

Shinichi nodded thoughtfully, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Just how big is the nonhuman community?" Kaito asked.

She put her hand to her chin in thought, "That's hard to say considering we don't have a census the way humans do, but somewhere in the millions."

"That doesn't seem as small as you are making the community out to be," Kaito pointed out.

She shrugged, "Perhaps not, but considering humans are approaching 8 billion in world population, a few million is trivial in comparison."

"You have a point," Kaito conceded.

"You boys ask a lot of questions, not that I'm not happy to answer them. You do have a lot to learn. Maybe I should write a book? It could be useful to other new members to the nonhuman community, such as turned lycanthropes and vampires, or for human parents to nonhuman children," Kasumi thought out loud.

"That sounds like a great idea," Shinichi said.

"Shin-chan and I would be the first to buy your book," Kaito cheered.

"Thanks for the support," she smiled.

"Of course, Nee-chan!"

She gave him a weak glare, "I thought I told you not to call me that."

0-0-0-0-0

"Ran, thank you for coming," Shinichi said as he opened his door. He gave his childhood friend a small smile, trying to ignore the tension he felt in his shoulders.

She returned the smile and Shinichi noted that she looked nervous as well. He felt his heart sink a little. This was his childhood best friend. Things shouldn't be this awkward between them.

"It's nice to finally see you, Shinichi. You look good," She said while stepping inside.

"Thank you, you as well. Please, come inside." He thought about leading her to the library, wanting to take comfort in the familiarity of his favorite part of the Kudo mansion, but decided Ran would be more comfortable in the sitting room.

Once they were seated, Ran spoke again, "Are you back for good this time?"

He nodded, "I am. I finally finished up that big case I was taking care of, so I could finally come back."

"I read about it in the papers. It sounded just as big as you had described, and I'm sure the newspaper didn't even have the full story."

He nodded again and silence fell between them. The conversation wasn't going the way he wanted. They were both being careful around each other, making extra effort to keep the conversation cordial. He knew things couldn't continue like this. He would prefer Ran yelling at him over this.

He swallowed and steeled himself before speaking, "Ran, there's a reason that I insisted on our meeting being at my house, even though I know you would have preferred somewhere that was neutral to both of us, like a cafe. I needed to be certain that we had privacy because I'm going to tell you where I was."

Ran looked surprised, clearly not expecting that, "O-oh. I see."

"It started that day I took you to Tropical Land…" Then he told her about how he had followed Gin and Vodka, how he was caught, force fed the poison, and left for dead, though he hadn't died. "The more I learned about those men, the more dangerous I realized they were. They couldn't know I was still alive, or they would have come after me and everyone I loved to get to me. And they seemed untouchable. They had infiltrated multiple government agencies. It was hard to find allies and know who to trust. It was hard just to find anything on them and to investigate in secret."

"So you had to go into hiding," Ran supplied.

"Yes," he answered gratefully, then he turned his gaze to his lap, finding it hard to meet her eyes, "But there's more. So, so much more."

"You were Conan, weren't you?" Ran asked.

His head shot up in surprise, "You knew?"

She smiled at him and her eyes looked a little wet. She sniffled a little before answering, "Not until this moment. There were numerous times I suspected something was different about Conan. Hearing you talk now, telling your story, all of the pieces started falling into place."

Shinichi knew she was always smarter than other people gave her credit for. "Ran, I am so, so sorry that I lied to you. I was trying to keep you safe. I was doing the best I could at the time," he said feeling crestfallen. He really didn't want to make her cry, couldn't stand the thought of hurting her.

They both stood up in near unison and went to each other, wrapping their arms around each other in a tight embrace. Ran sniffled a little more and Shinichi's own eyes felt wet. But that gap that had been between them felt like it was much smaller now.

"Thank you for telling me, Shinichi. I can't say that I'm not upset, but I understand why you did what you did and I know you were just doing what you could to protect me. I'm still upset, but I forgive you."

Shinichi's throat felt tight and he swallowed thickly.

They finally parted and sat back down, and Shinichi could tell that she felt lighter. He knew he did as well.

"Well that sure was a lot…but there's more, isn't there?" She asked sounding hesitant.

"Uh, yeah. There's a lot more."

"Maybe I should go next. I'm not sure what else you have to say to me, but I want to clear the air a little more before we continue," she offered.

"Oh, of course," now it was his turn to be surprised. Ran had something she needed to tell him? Unless…he hoped she wasn't about to confess to him.

"Shinichi, before Tropical Land happened, before you left…I was hoping that you would confess to me," she started and he felt his heart sink. He really didn't want to have to reject her. She continued, "And when you left, I thought when you finally came home, you might confess then and we would be together. But now…I'm sorry Shinichi, but I'm not in love with you anymore."

"What?" That was not what he had expected.

She sniffed again and this time the tears started to fall, "I'm so sorry. I just don't have those feelings for you. I only see you as like a brother, and learning about Conan has just reaffirmed those feelings. I'm so sorry, I don't want to hurt you."

Shinichi couldn't stop himself from laughing, "Ran, this is the best news you could have given me. I feel the same way."

Ran's eyes widened. She sniffed again before asking, "You do?"

"Yes. I was worried about hurting you too. It's one of the things I needed to tell you. I'm just so relieved that you feel the same way," he said with a broad grin on his face.

"Oh Shinichi, I'm so glad."

They were both standing and hugging again, more tightly this time and laughing together.

Shinichi pulled back, "Actually, since you told me how you feel, there's someone I would like you to meet."

She frowned in confusion but before she could ask, a smoke bomb was thrown on the ground and pink smoke enveloped them. It only lasted for a moment and when it cleared, Kaito had joined them. He stood next to Shinichi with his arm looped around the smaller detective's waist.

"I heard my cue and thought it was time I introduced myself. You must be Mouri Ran, Shinichi's childhood friend. My name is Kuroba Kaito. Please just call me Kaito," he said. He flicked his wrist and a yellow rose appeared like magic. He offered it to her.

She took the rose and studied it for a moment before returning her gaze back to Kaito, then looked to the arm around Shinichi's waist, and back to Kaito again. Shinichi could tell she was thinking furiously. Another feeling of dread overcame him.

She turned her attention back to Shinichi before saying, "I can't believe you're dating Kaitou KID. Sonoko would be so jealous."

Shinichi groaned and put his face in his hands. Kaito on the other hand was laughing so hard that he was holding his sides. "Shin-chan, did you really have to be so obvious with your crush on me that all of your friends can immediately find out my identity once they meet me?"

Shinichi just groaned louder, hoping the ground might open up and swallow him. Not only did it not work but Kaito wrapped his arms around him, giggling still, and pressed a kiss to his hair.

Ran giggled and Shinichi could hear the smile in her voice, "You two are actually pretty cute together."

"Aren't we though?" Kaito said while beaming.

Kaito released him and they both sat on the sofa again, and Ran sat as well. "So let's see," She counted off on her fingers, "you've told me that you were actually Conan, I told you that I'm not in love with you and you told me the same, and now I find out that you have a boyfriend. Oh, and your boyfriend is Kaitou KID. You can't possibly have any other secrets, can you?"

Kaito and Shinichi exchanged a look.

"Oh, there is more," Ran said with both eyebrows raised.

Shinichi let out a breath before speaking, "Yeah Ran, there's more. So as you can tell, I'm no longer Conan. I was able to get my original body back. Except uh, some things are different now?"

"Well I mean clearly you don't look 16 anymore, you've aged appropriately to 18 years old. But I'm guessing that's not what you mean," Ran said.

"It's not. When I took the cure to the poison, I nearly died, and when I woke up, I was different. I had become nephilim, or a half-angel," he answered.

Ran sat in silence for a few minutes before speaking, "It's not that I don't believe you, but…"

Kaito turned to him, "Maybe it would be better if we just showed her."

"You're probably right," Shinichi replied.

Both boys stood up and turned so that their backs were facing her. Shinichi took off his cardigan and Kaito removed his jacket revealing their backless shirts to her. Shinichi heard Ran make a surprised noise, "Shinichi! Did you get matching tattoos with your boyfriend?"

"No Ran, just watch," he told her. Then, he and Kaito released their wings.

Ran gasped and stood, covering her mouth with her hands.

Shinichi and Kaito both stretched and moved their wings a little before sitting on the sofa again, their wings easily slipping comfortably into the wing slot custom built into the couch. Shinichi saw a look of understanding dawn on Ran's face.

"I thought your mother just bought some really eccentric furniture, but it's for your wings," she said.

He nodded, "Yeah, um..Ran, its…its a lot."

She gave him a look of understanding, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me everything today if its too much for you. How about just the cliff notes and you can fill me in on the details later?"

Shinichi smiled at her gratefully before he started speaking, "Well, an ancestor of mine was half-angel, but their children were human with their half-angel heritage lying dormant. The cure to the poison somehow awakened that part of myself, making me half-angel as well. I have wings and can fly. I'm…also going to stop aging somewhere around 25 or 26 years old, and I'm immortal."

Ran gaped at him and he saw her mouth the words 'immortal?' She turned to Kaito, "And you Kaito-san? Are you also immortal?"

"I am, though mine didn't happen quite the same as Shinichi's," he explained.

"Because you were born like this?" She asked.

"Uh, no. Uh in a nutshell, I was chosen by a magical jewel to be changed into a nephilim because of mine and Shinichi's love for each other, and also Shinichi promised the jewel that he would destroy it like it wanted, so I was changed as like a favor from the jewel to Shinichi," Kaito answered.

Ran just nodded, looking a little dazed, "Sure, that makes perfect sense. Why didn't I guess that?"

Shinichi smiled weakly, "I know it sounds crazy. If I hadn't lived it, I wouldn't have believed it myself. But Ran, I know I don't have to tell you that Kaito and I being half-angel needs to remain secret, but I really want to stress it. I already had two separate attempts at kidnapping against me, from people that thought they could somehow use me to figure out the secrets of immortality. A part of me was afraid I would endanger you by telling you, but I think it would actually be more dangerous for you if you didn't know."

Kaito had taken his hand, Shinichi could see the darkness in his eyes that most wouldn't notice. It was hard for his magician to remember those times with Gin and Snake. Shinichi understood. It was hard for him to think of Snake as well, and what could have happened to Kaito if Anesidora hadn't intervened.

"I understand. I'll keep your secret," she said before smiling, "So is that all of your secrets that you wanted to tell me?"

Shinichi laughed, "Yes, Ran. That's all of my secrets. I think I've had enough for a lifetime."

After that, the conversation turned lighter as Ran and Shinichi caught up and Ran got to know Kaito better. Soon Kaito had Ran laughing like they were old friends. Kaito's arm was back around Shinichi's waist again, and Shinichi felt himself relaxing against Kaito's side, talking together with his childhood friend and the man he loved. He couldn't believe how happy he had become since Kaito had come into his life.

0-0-0-0-0

"So is this the place?" Hattori asked looking up at the building.

Shinichi nodded, "This is it, Club Gwyn ap Nudd."

The other detective gave the nightclub a judgmental look, "And what kind of name is that supposed to be?"

"It's Welsh for Lord of the Dead, and he was the leader of the Wild Hunt, at least by some myths. The Wild Hunt is a European folk myth about a group of hunters that fly through the sky at night. Details differ greatly among the European countries, but many of the stories have common themes of death and the underworld, although the Hunt is also often associated with the coming of winter," Shinichi answered.

"Right…and why exactly do you know so much about a Welsh myth?" Hattori asked with raised eyebrows.

Shinichi shrugged, "I do read things other than mystery novels from time to time. And the knowledge has helped me on more than one case. You would be surprised how many criminals take inspiration from myths and folklore."

"And don't forget phantom thieves," Kaito said while slinging his arm around Shinichi's shoulder.

"Kudo, remind me again why your boyfriend is taggin along with us on our investigation?" Hattori asked while giving Kaito the side eye.

Shinichi let out a long exhale but didn't remove the arm from his shoulder, "He wouldn't let me leave him at home once he found out where I was going."

Kaito scoffed, "As if. You guys should be thanking me anyway. You both act way to much like the police sometimes, especially when you're on a case. Everyone is going to be way too intimidated to talk to you. I'm here to loosen you guys up and keep you from getting too serious."

"Are you sure you aren't just here because you want an excuse to come to a nightclub and dance with me?" Shinichi asked with a you-aren't-fooling-me look.

Kaito smiled, the picture of innocence, "Well if the other guests saw you dancing and having fun, that would help them feel less intimidated."

Hattori growled, sounding a little more wolfish than normal, "This is ridiculous. Why should they be intimidated by us in the first place? We are obviously here to help! The club owner reached out to Kasumi, who then reached out to Kudo, when some of his guests started disappearing. They can't go to the police because this is a club for nonhumans, and involving the police would complicate matters. But now that its spread like wildfire that Kudo Shinichi is a half-angel, now the Tokyo nonhuman community know that they have a detective they can turn to for help."

Kaito gave him a placating smile, "And then Shinichi called you and asked you to help because he and I are still new to the nonhuman community and thought we could use your help. I know, I was there. You don't have to catch me up. But these people are scared, and sometimes your questions come off as more like interrogations by the bad cop. It wouldn't help to frighten them and make them clam up."

Shinichi sighed, "Let it go, Hattori. He's probably right anyway."

The Osaken grumbled under his breath but didn't argue further.

All three boys entered the nightclub and immediately found themselves in a large vestibule facing a bouncer. They could hear muffled music from the club behind the doors the bouncer was guarding. Shinichi approached first. "Name?" The large man demanded.

"Edogawa Conan," he answered.

"You got some ID, Edogawa Conan?"

Shinichi handed him his ID as way of answer. He'd had to get a fake ID because he was still under the age of 20, Japan's legal drinking age. He couldn't use his real name because of his fame, so he'd once again borrowed the name Edogawa Conan since it was a name he was already use to answering to if necessary.

The bouncer inspected the ID briefly before asking, "This is a bit of a special kind of club. Are you sure you're in the right place?"

"The fact that I could see the door in the first place tells you the cloaking spell didn't work on me, which means I'm not human," Shinichi answered cooly, "But if you need further proof, I think this should suffice."

Once he finished speaking he released his wings and raised them to their full, impressive height.

Unexpectedly the bouncer smiled, "So the rumors are true. The great detective Kudo Shinichi is one of us. Sorry for the shake down, I couldn't resist seeing it myself." He handed the young detective his fake ID back.

Shinichi took it with a frown. "You recognized me," he stated.

The bouncer shrugged, "I wouldn't exactly call myself I fan, but it's not everyday a celebrity becomes a nonhuman. It gives people something to talk about. The boss told me you would be coming and to keep a look out for you. You're free to head inside."

Shinichi heard a rustle of feathers behind him before his boyfriend joined him at his right side, his wings also out. Hattori then joined him at his left side; Shinichi almost did a double take. His friend had gone into his half wolf form. His half wolf form was similar to his human form, the most notable changes were in his arms and legs. His arms and legs were now much larger and more powerful looking, and they were covered in dark fur. His hands ended in claws and a quick look down revealed that he had removed his shoes and his feet were also clawed. He also had a pair of wolf ears on his head and a tail.

"I trust we pass inspection as well?" Kaito asked while also stretching his wings.

"Quit posturing, nephilim. I'm just doing my job. All three of you are good to go inside," the bouncer said while nodding his head to the door behind him without checking their IDs.

They entered the nightclub and were enveloped by the loud music playing from the speakers that seemed to be everywhere. The bass was so deep Shinichi imagined he could feel it reverberating in his bones. He was pleased to find that while the music was a little loud, it at least wasn't as loud as human night clubs. Instead of turning the volume up high to fill the club with music from a few speakers, he instead spotted several half concealed speakers everywhere. This was probably for the comfort of any guests that had sensitive hearing, such as lycanthropes.

Apart from the music, the first thing he noticed were the other guests. It felt like he had either stepped into a Halloween party, or like everyone was in cosplay. He knew that this was a nightclub for nonhumans, and Kasumi had told him that nobody would be trying to pass for human, but it still felt surreal to see so many nonhumans in one place. Once Shinichi had become aware of the nonhuman community, he started noticing more and more signs of their existence, hiding in plain site. Sometimes those signs were more obvious, the fact that glamours didn't work on nephilim made it easier for him to spot them, but sometimes it was more subtle, things you wouldn't notice unless you knew what to look for. But this was the first time he had seen so many in one place, and not a single one hiding themselves.

"Let's start at the bar. The owner said he would meet me there," Shinichi suggested.

As they approached the bartender looked up at them. His eyes lit up in recognition when he saw Shinichi and he gave him a smile, "Kudo Shinichi, thank you for coming. Let me make you and your friends a drink and then we can talk. What can I get for you three?"

"Just sodas for us," Shinichi answered.

The bartender nodded and got their drinks. Once finished he lead them to a semi-private table off to the side of the bar that had a little "reserved" sign sitting on it. Now that he was no longer behind the bar, Shinichi had a chance to properly observe him. The man was tall, standing even a few inches taller than Hattori and Kaito. He wore a dark, three piece suit and had a man's kimono with delicate, white flower designs hanging loosely from his shoulders, his arms not through the kimono sleeves but instead wearing it like a cape. One ear was pierced and a long earring with a red tassel hung from the lobe. His hair was dark and hung to his shoulders, and his long fringe sometimes obscured his left eye. He took a seat and gestured for the rest of them to do that same.

"My name is Vox Kaneshiro," the bartender introduced himself, "And I am the owner of this nightclub. Thank you for coming."

Shinichi couldn't help but notice that his smile had a lot of fang.

Vox must have noticed him looking at his fangs because his smile widened further, "That's right, you are a new addition to our little group. Am I the first vampire you have met?"

"You are," Shinichi admitted.

"Well, do I meet your expectations?" He asked curiously.

"I wasn't expecting the first vampire I met to look like a YA vampire novel reject," Shinichi replied bluntly.

Vox threw his head back and laughed. Once he collected himself, he gave Shinichi a sultry grin before speaking, "Oh my, but you are direct, aren't you? I find that rather refreshing. As for my dress I must admit, I rather like the aesthetic. I think it suits me, wouldn't you agree? If you are interested, as the first vampire you have met I could help you learn more about my kind. As a thank you for investigating this little mystery for me of course."

Kaito let out a growl from his seat next to Shinichi causing the detective gave his boyfriend a confused look. What was up with him? He decided to ignore the magician and turned his attention back to the club owner, "I would appreciate that. It might potentially help with the case as well. It might be a bit challenging for me to investigate a case involving nonhumans when I'm still so new to much of this."

Vox's smile widened, "Excellent! Perhaps some private lessons? Anyone that has indulged will tell you that a vampire's bite is quite…pleasurable."

Shinichi furrowed his brow in confusion, "Uh, thanks for the offer, but your offer sounds rather intimate?"

The bartender blinked at him a couple of times before looking at Hattori. "Is he serious?"

"And people say I'm dense," Hattori muttered to himself before answering Vox, "I'm afraid so. I'm Hattori Heiji, and I'm also a detective here to help with the case."

"And I'm Kuroba Kaito, Shinichi's boyfriend," Kaito chimed in while wrapping one of his massive wings around Shinichi possessively.

Vox seemed to look disappointed for a moment before replying, "Pleasure to meet you both. And I apologize for my previous behavior. I was not aware of your relationship."

Shinichi felt like he was missing something. What did his relationship with Kaito have to do with…oh. "Wait, were you flirting with me?"

"Oh honey," Vox gave him a pitying look before turning to Kaito, "How did you ever manage to capture his heart when he's so oblivious?"

"Hey!" Shinichi protested indignantly.

Kaito had pulled his chair close enough that he could now wrap his arm around Shinichi's waist, and his wing was also still wrapped around him. "It was a challenge but he was worth it," Kaito answered with a large smile.

Shinichi hid his embarrassment behind his drink by taking a sip. He took another sip before addressing the club owner, "We are getting a bit sidetracked. What can you tell us about the disappearances?"

Vox's face darkened, "There's been three of them so far. Two of them were fey women, and the third was a lycanthrope man."

"What kind of shift?" Hattori asked.

"Tiger," he answered before continuing, "All three were last seen at my club before disappearing."

"Did anyone witness who they had been talking to?" Shinichi asked.

Vox shrugged, "They were all pretty social and would chat with anyone."

"Any frequent customers?" Hattori asked.

But again Vox couldn't help them, "Quite a lot, actually. There aren't many places in a big city like Tokyo where nonhumans can be themselves without having to worry about humans seeing them."

"Still, if all three of the victims were seen talking to the same person or people, it could be significant. I wouldn't mind asking around if anyone noticed who they were talking to," Shinichi said.

"As you wish," the vampire replied.

"Can ya think of anything the victims may of had in common?" Hattori asked.

Vox thought for a moment before shaking his head, "Nothing immediately comes to mind, but I didn't know them very well. You could try talking to their friends." He wrote down a list of names and physical descriptions for them.

Shinichi took the list. "Thank you. I believe that's all of the questions I have for now. If you don't mind, we are going to look around."

"Please do. I'll be available for the rest of the night if you need anything else. And anything from the bar is on the house for you three anytime you're here. It's the least I can do for your help," said the vampire.

Shinichi's small group left the table with a final nod.

"Hey, Kudo. Let's take a look at that list of friends he gave you, see if we can find any of them here tonight," Hattori suggested.

"Actually, Shinichi and I are going to dance. You can join us, or if you would prefer I saw darts and billiards tables in that corner over there," Kaito said with a happy-go-lucky smile. By his tone, Shinichi knew the magician wasn't going to compromise on this.

Shinichi finished the rest of his soda and set it on a nearby table, then he pulled in his wings before he took Kaito's hand and began to lead him to the dance floor. Hattori sputtered, "Oi, Kudo! Ya really are just going to go dance while a case is going on?"

Shinichi turned and gave the other detective a little shrug, "Kaito did say we needed to be seen having fun so that people were less intimidated by us. Besides, if we don't immediately start with interrogations, the culprit responsible for the disappearances might let their guard down, if they are here. Don't tell me you can't have a little fun and observe those around you at the same time?"

Hattori unsurprisingly rose to the challenge. "You're on, Kudo. I'm going to look like I'm having a blast, and nobody is going to know I'm watchin them," Hattori said with a competitive smile, "Let's meet back up here at the tables in an hour."

Shinichi joined the press of bodies on the dance floor, Kaito close behind him, and he allowed himself to get lost for a moment to the beat of the music. He was glad they had pulled in their wings; the dance floor was already crowded enough without having to worry about their large, extra appendages that neither of them were still quite use to yet. Without his wings in the way, Kaito is able to press closer to him from behind.

Shinichi may not be able to sing, and sometimes his acting as Conan had been carried by the fact that he was literally 10 years younger and people saw what they expected to see, but his mother had at least made sure he knew how to dance. As soon as he hit his teenage years, she began to drag him to different parties and events, so this wasn't his first time dancing, but it was the first with a partner he enjoyed, and furthermore, while working a case. He privately admitted to himself that he was having fun. Maybe he should thank his mother the next time he saw her. And maybe after the case was done, him and Kaito could return.

0-0-0-0-0

After the designated hour was up, Kaito and Shinichi reunited with Hattori again at the tables. There they poured over the list Vox had given them and quickly memorized it. Then they split up, each mingling with the crowd while looking for the people on the list.

Shinichi was talking to one of the girls on the list, a blonde cambion with long elf-like ears and deer antlers named Mirai Akami, when he felt that he was being watched. His head snapped back on reflex to catch the watcher in the act.

His eyes fell on a rather tall man behind him. He had dark hair and a 5 o'clock shadow. A long coat covered most of his form. He also had two red horns coming out of his forehead. He saw Shinichi looking at him and gave a rueful smile at getting caught staring. He approached Shinichi.

"Sorry for staring. It's just those marks on your back. Are you a nephilim?" He asked.

"I am," Shinichi answered.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness, I've just never seen a nephilim before. Your kind tend to be a bit rare. I feel like its my lucky day meeting one of you in real life," he replied.

Mirai spoke up in recognition, "Oh Hiroki-san, I almost didn't recognize you. Hiroki-san, this is Kudo-san. I just met him tonight. It's my first time meeting a half-angel too."

"Nice to meet you," Shinichi gave a polite nod while his eyes flicked to the horns on Hiroki's head.

"I was just telling Kudo-san about my friend Kizuna. You remember meeting her last week, right? She's disappeared," Mirai finished looking down at the floor, eyes filled with concern.

Hiroki frowned, "I didn't know that. I'm sorry about your friend, I hope she's alright."

"Oi, Kudo," Shinichi heard his friend before he saw him.

"Hey Hattori, is something wrong?" Shinichi asked, wondering why the other detective was interrupting.

"Nah, I just noticed you over here and thought I might join you. Who's your new friends?" He asked looking at the other two with polite interest.

"This is Mirai Akami. I've only just met her and we started chatting. And this is Hiroki-san. He just joined us," Shinichi said.

Hattori shook Hiroki's hand and one of his clawed fingers accidentally nicked the other's skin, drawing a little blood. "Whoops, that's embarrassing. I'm not very practiced shaking hands in this form."

"That's alright, it was an accident. But I'm not going to turn into a werewolf now, right?" Hiroki said with a half laugh.

Hattori frowned at him, "Ah, you know it doesn't work like that, right? I mean a nonhuman can't become a lycanthrope, but even if you were a human it wouldn't work like that."

"Only a joke," he answered with a smile.

The four of them chatted for a bit longer, Shinichi and Hattori carefully guiding the conversation to the disappearances, before Shinichi took a glance at his watch. He grimaced and turned to his friend. "It's getting late, I'm going to call it a night," he told his friend.

Hattori nodded, "Yeah I guess I should get goin as well. It was nice meeting ya both."

They both gave a wave to Hiroki and Mirai and turned to leave. Shinichi looked around until he spotted Kaito and quickly went to retrieve his boyfriend, then all three left the club.

Once the club was far behind them and they were certain they were alone, Kaito asked, "So got any leads yet?"

"There was one very suspicious character I talked to tonight," Shinichi answered.

"I think you and I might be thinking of the same person, Kudo," Hattori told him.

"My only question is what was a human doing there?" Shinichi mused out loud.

"Wait, he was a human?" Hattori exclaimed.

"There was a human there? But I thought a human wouldn't be able to see past the cloaking spell to get into the club?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah, I don't know about that one either. Is there some way a human could see through a spell?" He directed his question at Hattori.

He thought a moment before answering, "Well theoretically a witch can enchant a piece of jewelry so that the wearer isn't affected by cloaking spells. But what makes you think he was human?"

"I've been around Kaito long enough to recognize spirit gum when I see it," Shinichi answered.

"For real? Sounds like an amateur," Kaito snickered. When he caught Hattori's confused look he supplied, "Spirit gum is an adhesive you can use to stick costume prosthetics to your skin. Think like fake facial hair, a false nose, stuff like that."

"Or like fake horns," Shinichi added, "So if you didn't realize he was human, why were you suspicious of him?"

Hattori shrugged, "A few of the victems' friends pointed him out as one of the people they had last been seen with before they disappeared, and I just had a gut feeling. But his comments after I accidentally cut him with my claw made him more suspicious. Everyone knows that's not how you become a werewolf, well except maybe not you both. But you're still learnin."

"Well we still don't have anything solid against him except that he's a human that snuck into a nonhuman nightclub. And while suspicious, that doesn't connect him to the disappearances. He could have just stumbled in somehow and gotten curious. We will have to find out more," Shinichi said.

"How about we return tomorrow?" Hattori asked.

Kaito shook his head, "I can't. Aoko has been demanding I come by for dinner and I told her I would come tomorrow."

Shinichi nodded, Kaito had already told him. "Have you decided if you're going to tell her anything?"

Kaito winced, "I'm not ready. I'm still not sure I will ever tell her. If I tell her I have wings now, she will wonder how I got them. And if I tell her that I'm KID, she will hate me for sure."

Shinichi took his hand and laced their fingers together, giving it an encouraging squeeze. He still wasn't the most comfortable with public displays of affection, even just small things like hand holding, but it was worth it for the warm smile Kaito gave him in return. "It's your decision what you tell her, just know I support you either way."

"Aw, Shin-chan! I really have the best boyfriend in the world~" Kaito sing songed before stealing a quick kiss. Shinichi couldn't stop his face from reddening even though Hattori was the only one around to see the kiss. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at Kaito for the stolen public kiss though since Kaito's mood was obviously improved.

They arrived back at the Kudo Manor. Tired from the long day, all three boys immediately headed upstairs. Hattori paused before the door to the spare bedroom he had claimed. "Well if Kuroba can't come, I suppose its just you and me tomorrow, Kudo."

"It might be better if you wait for me. Shinichi has a tendency to get himself into trouble and him and I are both still new to all of this," Kaito objected.

"I'll be fine, Kaito," Shinichi grumbled.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him," Hattori reassured him.

Kaito frowned at the Osakan, "You know Shinichi can't stay out of trouble. It would be better if I came too."

"Stop worrying so much, I'll be there. I know all about Kudo's recklessness. I'm tellin ya, I can keep an eye on him," Hattori argued.

Both boys ignored Shinichi's grumbles that he wasn't Conan anymore and no longer needed a babysitter.

Kaito gave Hattori a smile that caused the Osaken to shiver with dread, "Alright, but if anything happens to my Shin-chan under your watch, well…let's just say I will become your nightmare, and I won't even half to use my dream abilities."

Hattori gulped before making a show of loudly yawning and waving good night before entering his room rather quickly.

Kaito turned back to Shinichi and pulled him close. His wings burst from his back and wrapped around Shinichi as well. He tucked Shinichi's head under his chin and spoke into his hair, "Promise me you'll be careful tomorrow."

Shinichi huffed at Kaito's overprotectiveness, "I'll be fine."

The arms around his waist tightened, "Shinichi, please. You aren't going to be in your element. There's still so much we don't know."

Shinichi could feel his annoyance lessening. He sighed in defeat and snuggled in closer to Kaito. "I promise I'll be careful."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi woke up with a groan. He could tell by the heavy feeling of his body that he had been heavily sedated again. When Snake had drugged him, he had been given "enough to bring down an elephant" the sniper had said, and while the drugs had made him drowsy, he hadn't actually lost consciousness. He ideally wondered how much he had been given this time. "Kaito is going to be so mad at me," Shinichi sighed while he craned his head back to examine the ropes tying his wrists above his head.

"You?! He's going to murder me!" Hattori shouted to his right. The werewolf's arms were bond to his sides by multiple thick, heavy chains.

"Well, we'll just have to get out of this before he finds out," Shinichi stated as if it was obvious, "So I'm still not really clear on lycanthrope lore. Are those chains going to be able to stop you? Is it because they are coated in silver?"

"Nah, the whole silver thing is just a myth. I could get out of these easily enough, especially since I'm in my stronger, half wolf form. The problem is the aconite he poisoned me with before capturing me. Now until it works its way out of my system, I bet even you when you were brat sized would be stronger than me," Hattori admitted.

Shinichi furrowed his brow adopting the face he wore when he was piecing together clues during a case. "Your half wolf form…I think I have a plan!"

"Hold it just a moment, Kudo. Someone is coming and you aren't going to have time to execute your plan before they get here," Hattori warned while the wolf ears on his head twitched.

Shinichi clamped his mouth shut. While he waited for the approaching person, he took a moment to examine his surroundings. His back was against a cold, stone wall with his hands tied above his head. Hattori was to his right facing him, and he was slumped against some large, wooden crates. They seemed to be in a large, abandoned factory, but from where he was he couldn't tell what the factory had produced. By the amount of dust and debris everywhere, the place hadn't been used in a while. There was equipment everywhere that blocked most of his view, making him unable to see any exits. The windows were placed high in the walls, too high for someone to reach even with help. A glance at the windows told him it was still dark outside, so hopefully that hadn't been missing for long.

He could now hear the approaching footsteps as well. He wasn't the least bit surprised to see Hiroki come into view.

"Ah, you're both awake," their kidnapper addressed them.

"Are you the one responsible for the other three missing people from the nightclub?" Shinichi asked.

"Calling them 'people' is a bit of a stretch, but yeah, that would be me," he answered with pride.

"Are they still alive? What did you do to them?" He asked.

"Well I'm afraid I can't answer if they are still alive, seeing as I sold them to the highest bidders," the man answered, "You see, I'm a bit of a treasure hunter. And once I find treasure, I sell it to rich people with more money than they know what to do with. It just so happens that the treasure I deal with tends to be of the creature variety. Vampire, werewolves, faires, half demons, you name it."

Shinichi let out a snort, "How original. I don't suppose you would be willing to give us the information of who you sold the other three to and how we could find them?"

The hunter threw his head back and laughed, "You should be more worried about yourselves than about some freaks you've never met. The weretiger sold pretty fast, I bet you'll sell just as fast, wolf. But you, half angel. I thought your kind was a myth. You are going to make me rich beyond my wildest dreams. I'll be able to retire young after selling you. Probably on my own private island. Are you really immortal like they say?"

Shinichi just glared at him.

"Well, it doesn't matter whether you are or you aren't. You have wings, you're exceedingly rare, and you have a pretty face to boot. I won't have any trouble finding a buyer for you," the hunter gloated. He pulled out a camera, "Now to get some pictures of the merchandise. You first, wolf."

He approached Hattori and began taking photos from different angles. The Osakan glared and threw a few curses at him, but didn't do much more. It looked like the poison had clearly weakened him. Hiroki must have felt confident because he had a little too close and Hattori snapped at him. The hunter cursed and jumped back, barely managing to save his camera.

"Filthy animal," Hiroki spat.

"Yeah well fuck you too," Hattori threw back.

The hunter seemed satisfied with his photos of Hattori and moved to Shinichi next. He took a couple photos of Shinich, then grabbed one of Shinichi's limp wings and held it up, snapping more photos. Shinichi glared but didn't try to struggle. It would just hurt his already sore wrists and shoulders. Hiroki wasn't satisfied yet though. He began to unbutton Shinichi's shirt.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi demanded, his stomach clenching in fear for the first time.

The hunter answered with a smirk, "Showing my potential buyers a sneak peak of the goods if they were to purchase. I said you have a pretty face. I never ask my buyers what they intend to do with their purchase, but I have an imagination, and eyes. Some of them buy because they collect, like a zoo. Some of the more dangerous ones, like wolf over there, my buyers like to release and hunt down, like a safari hunt. But the pretty ones like you, I imagine you'll be someone's new toy."

Hattori let out a laugh, "I got bad news for you. You won't be sellin Kudo and I. You've made a mistake."

"Oh yeah?" Hiroki asked without looking up from the camera, still taking pictures.

"Yeah. You see Kudo and I are both detectives. You might have even heard of us, we are kinda famous, maybe Kudo more than me. He was all of the papers some months ago after taking down a major crime organization," Hattori replied.

"And? That just means you'll both sell even better."

Hattori shook his head with pity, "You aren't getting it. See trouble had a way of finding us detectives, which means we've gotten really good at getting ourselves out of situations like these. For Kudo here, you're the 3rd person in 8 months that attempted to sell him off."

Shinichi winced and grumbled, "Don't remind Kaito of that later."

"I still don't see your point. You think you're going to find a way out of this?" Hiroki asked with a sneer.

"Oh I know we can. And you better pray that I'm right," Hattori answered with a smirk.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Hiroki asked like he was humoring him.

Hattori gave him a smug look, "Because if we don't rescue ourselves first, this guy's overprotective boyfriend is going too, and he isn't going to be happy with you, what with you kidnapping his boyfriend and all and trying to sell him to some rich sleaze bag."

The hunter let out a bark of laughter in disbelief, "Are you seriously threatening me with his boyfriend? Oooo, I'm scared."

Hattori did his best to shrug with the heavy chains in his weakened state, "Well like I said, we don't need him anyway. Kudo and I can get out of this ourselves."

The hunter laughed some more, but stopped abruptly when a shot rang out and a metal playing card imbedded itself into the camera just centimeters from his fingers.

"I believe you have taken something that belongs to me," Kaito called out from up on top of a pile of equipment, his smile wide and dangerous looking. The hunter paled, "How did you find this place?"

"It was laughably easy for someone of my skill set. Though I will admit the extra motivation helped. You know, you stealing my boyfriend," Kaito replied. He released his massive, dark wings and jumped down from his perch, gliding to land just in front of the hunter, looking like an avenging angel. The hunter took a step back.

"Told ya so!" Hattori chimed cheerfully.

"S-stay back! Don't touch me," Hiroki demanded.

"As you wish," Kaito answered with a razor sharp grin. He crossed his arms in front of him, then pulled them down with a dramatic flourish, his wings snapping open behind him. The hunter's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the ground, deeply asleep.

With the hunter dealt with, Kaito's attention immediately snapped to his detective. "Shinichi!" He cried out and was immediately at his side. Within seconds the ropes around Shinichi's wrists were gone, and he slumped forward without them holding him up anymore. He fell into Kaito's waiting arms and the magician held him tightly, wrapping his wings around him too. "Stupid, stupid detective. What did you promise me? But of course you would get yourself into trouble once again. I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again."

"Oh yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Hattori grumbled while Kaito ignored him.

"Kaito, hey Kaito, I'm fine! I'm okay," Shinichi tried to get Kaito's attention as his boyfriend ranted, "I had it all under control anyway. We would have been fine."

"Excuse me?" That caught the thief's attention and he pulled away a bit so that he could give Shinichi a disbelieving look.

"Hey Hattori, could you shift to your human form?" Shinichi called over to the Osakan.

Hattori looked confused for a moment but did as Shinichi asked. Once he shifted back to his human form, the chains slide off of his now smaller form. "Oh, would ya look at that," Hattori commented while stepping away from the chains that laid uselessly on the ground.

Shinichi gave Kaito a small smile and blinked large, innocent eyes at him, unknowingly giving Kaito his 'I'm so cute and innocent' look from his Conan days. "See? We had it all under control."

Kaito gave him an unimpressed look, grateful his poke face kept him from melting at the adorable face Shinichi was giving him. No need to let Shinichi know just how much that face affected him. "Uh huh. The wolfsbane isn't completely out of Hattori's system and you can't even stand on your own. What was the next part of your plan after Hattori freed himself?"

Shinichi shrugged, "I'm good at improvising."

"You found us pretty fast," Hattori commented while approaching the hunter and poking him with the toe of his shoe.

"Vox noticed you both were missing and contacted me immediately. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. I should send him a fruit basket as a thank you. Or do you think its true that vampires can only ingest blood? We never did get that information from him about vampires." Kaito said.

"And how did you find us once Vox alerted you that we were missing?" Shinichi asked, ignoring the question about vampire eating habits.

"The tracker I slipped under the collar of Hattori's shirt," Kaito answered matter of fact.

"The what?" Hattori looked up in surprise.

"Well I couldn't hide it on Shinichi, he would have found it and put it on a moving target just to mess with me," Kaito answered in justification.

Shinichi didn't bother to deny it and instead asked, "Kaito, you put him in a nightmare, right? Do you think you could enter his dreams and persuade him to tell you how to find the other missing people?"

"I think I can manage that. Be right back," Kaito answered before closing his eyes. His grip on Shinichi slacked a little, but still held the smaller man up.

Shinichi rolled his eyes with a fond smile. Kaito could have set him down or let Hattori hold him up, but it would seem the magician was unwilling to let him go. It probably wasn't the easiest for him to invade the hunter's dreams with his mind but still hold Shinichi with his physical body. It was strangely endearing. A quick glance showed that Hattori was distracted watching Hiroki for signs of movement, so he pressed a quick kiss to Kaito's cheek.

"Hey Hattori, could you call Kasumi-san? She can contact Takemi-san and have the doctor wipe Hiroki's memories of anything related to the nonhuman community," Shinichi requested.

Hattori nodded and patted his pockets before cursing, "Give me a sec, that bastard took our phones. Maybe he left if around here somewhere." He wondered off searching for their things.

Shinichi waited in silence. After another moment, Kaito opened his eyes. He looked down at Shinichi with a devilish grin. "Stealing from a thief while I'm distracted, tantei-kun? How naughty."

Shinichi blushed, "I didn't know you would know I kissed you."

"I did, and let me tell you, it was very distracting. I'll just have to return the favor," Kaito answered before leaning down and capturing Shinichi's lips in a kiss that left him breathless. It was a good thing Kaito was already holding him up, he didn't think his legs would support him otherwise, even if the sedatives had been fully out of his system.

"If you two are done makin out, I found our phones and that doctor is on her way," Hattori said as he returned.

"Great! And I know how to find the previously kidnapped victims," Kaito replied.

"Good. How did you convince him to tell you?" Hattori asked.

"He's currently having one hell of a nightmare, and I told him if he didn't tell me what I wanted to know, I would never let him wake up and his nightmare would never end," Kaito answered with a malicious smile.

"Can you really do that?" Hattori asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, but he doesn't know that," he said, his grin widening.

Hattori sighed and turned his attention to Shinichi, "I'm glad your boyfriend is on our side."

"Don't think I forgot that you promised to keep an eye on my Shin-chan for me and failed, tantei-han," Kaito said with a pleasant smile while Hattori paled.

Shinichi flicked Kaito's forehead, "Stop threatening my friend. You can't blame him for my black luck. Besides, I went along with Hiroki after he poisoned Hattori and threatened to hurt him if I didn't let him drug me."

"You did what? That is it, you are officially on house arrest. You aren't leaving the house unless I'm with you. Hattori, I'm leaving the rest to you while I take Shin-chan home," Kaito told Hattori while throwing Shinichi over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and striding for the exit.

"Kaito! We can't leave Hattori alone to wait for Takemi-san. He's still recovering from the aconite poisoning," Shinichi protested.

Hattori smiled looking relieved and waved him off, "Nah I can handle it from here. Lycanthropes have a fast metabolism, I'm already pretty much recovered. You just get home and rest, Kudo." He was probably hoping Kaito would forget to prank him for failing to keep Shinichi out of trouble if he left now.

"Hey Shin-chan, I'm going to call us a taxi to get us home. Think you have enough energy to hide your wings?" Kaito asked.

"I'll manage," Shinichi answered and pulled in his wings while Kaito did the same.

The taxi arrived in record time and Kaito paid him extra to get them home fast. If Shinichi hadn't been concentrating so hard on hiding his wings, he might have feared for his life with how fast the driver went, and that they seemed to take every turn on only two wheels.

The taxi arrived at the Kudo Manor and Kaito picked him up and carried him inside bridal style.

"Kaito, the sedatives are almost worn off now. I can walk on my own," he grumbled.

"Just let me take care of you after the scare you gave me," Kaito replied with a teasing smile, but the arms around Shinichi tightened a little more.

Shinichi sighed but tightened his arms around Kaito's neck. He finally rested his head on Kaito's shoulder and told him, "I'm sorry for getting kidnapped again and scaring you."

Kaito kissed him on top of his hair and deposited him onto the bed. He snapped his fingers and a puff of smoke surrounded Shinichi. When it cleared, the detective was now wearing a pair of sleep pants and and a comfy long sleeved shirt. The shirt was a little big on him and slid down one shoulder and the sleeves covered his hands. It had slits for his wings, so he went ahead and let them out. On closer inspection he noted that the shirt was Kaito's. He found it comforting.

"You settle down and get comfortable and I'll be right back. You are going to eat a bento and then you're going to sleep," Kaito ordered before leaving the room.

He came back with a bento for each of them as promised and Shinichi ate every bite under Kaito's watchful eye. He didn't dare complain about eating in bed. Once they were both done, Kaito snapped his fingers again making their bentos disappear and he climbed into bed next to Shinichi. He pulled the smaller man into his arms and tucked Shinichi's head under his chin. Shinichi felt Kaito finally begin to relax.

"Kaito?"

"Hmm?"

"I really am sorry I scared you. I can't promise I won't ever run into trouble again, but I promise to try harder."

"Thank you, that's all I ask."

"I love you."

The arms around him tightened for a moment. It wasn't that Shinichi never said it, but he didn't say it often either.

Kaito pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I love you too, Shinichi."

0-0-0-0-0

The next morning Hattori trudged downstairs from the guest bedroom and made his way over to the cabinets Shinichi kept the cereal in. He grabbed his favorite box and made himself a bowl. Then he threw himself into a chair at the table, settling in to eat.

Shinichi raised his eyebrows at his friend, "So…blonde?"

Hattori grumbled, "It won't wash out. I look like that British bastard."

Shinichi nodded sympathetically, "It could have been worse. He could have put Nair in your shampoo."

Hattori snorted, "Guess I'm supposed to be grateful."

He took a bite of his cereal. He chewed for a moment before making a choking noise and having a coughing fit. Shinichi leaned over and inspected the bowl's contents.

"Looks like he also put red pepper flakes in the cereal he knows you like," he added.

Hattori finally recovered and glowered, "I should kick his ass… but I guess I won't. You could use someone as protective as him in your life, even if he is a little crazy. God knows you don't have any self preservation skills of your own."

"Hey!" Shinichi protested.

"Don't even try to deny it. I can't believe ya let that hunter drug you last night," Hattori said with a shake of his head.

"He threatened you! What was I supposed to do?" Shinichi asked.

"Not that! Yer a smart guy, Kudo. I'm sure you could have thought of something better," Hattori shot back.

Kaito suddenly appeared from nowhere, leaning his elbow on Hattori's shoulder casually, "Well said, tantei-han. Cereal?" He held a bowl out to Hattori as a peace offering.

Hattori looked at the bowl suspiciously, then took it when he didn't see any hot pepper flakes.

"So did everything go okay after we left last night?" Shinichi asked.

Hattori nodded while chewing a bite of cereal, "That doctor, Takemi-san, arrived about 5 minutes after you left. She wiped his memories of anything related to us nonhumans and sent him on his way. I'm not sure what she did to explain the gaps in his memories, but she has a pretty good reputation so I'm sure she figured something out."

Shinichi nodded before addressing Kaito, "We should next go over the information he gave you about the other three victims. We may be able to rescue them as well."

Kaito gave him a smile, "Already taken care of, tantei-kun. I contacted Kasumi this morning and she put me in touch with some of those Shadow Keepers she told us about. We can't exactly go to the police, but this is just as good if not better."

Shinichi blinked in surprise, "That's a relief. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Hattori interrupted, "Just relax, Kudo. I know you're knew to all of this but Shadow Keepers are good at what they do. We're detectives, we already did our job. We caught the culprit and figured out were the victims are. They can handle it from here."

What Hattori left out was his lycanthrope enhanced hearing had overheard Kaito's conversation and he knew that the three kidnapped victims were too far away for them to be of any help without making the Shadow Keepers wait for them. The closest one was in Fukuoka, the other two in Okinawa and Hokkaido. Meanwhile Shadow Keepers were stationed in multiple locations across Japan, and the world for that matter, and could easily reach the victims before he and Shinichi could even board a plane. But he kept all of that to himself.

"You know, tantei-han, I may have been a little harsh on you. Here, take this," Kaito passed him a small bottle.

"What's this?" Hattori asked.

"Mix a small amount in your hair next time you wash it and it will wash out the hair dye without damaging your hair," Kaito answered.

"Good, now I don't have to go home and embarrass myself looking like that blonde prick," Hattori said with a relieved smile.

Kaito hummed in agreement, "But next time your working a dangerous case with my boyfriend, you'll do a better job at keeping on eye on him."

"R-right," Hattori agreed, looking only a little scared.

Shinichi just shook his head and decided to ignore them in favor of his coffee.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi glared down at the dead body in front of him.

"You know, Kudo-kun, maybe you shouldn't glare at the murder victim? It's not like they asked to be murdered on your date night," Takagi said hesitantly.

Shinichi bit out, "Maybe he shouldn't have been cheating on his girlfriend with not just one, but three other women, and he would't have been murdered at all." Not that their was any excuse for murder, but dammit he wanted to be mad for a second.

Sato spoke next, "You already figured it out, Kudo-kun?"

Shinichi shook his head, "I figured out how the murderer did it and the motive obviously, but I haven't yet figured out which of his girlfriends was actually the one that killed him."

Sato nodded in understanding, "Right. So why exactly are you so upset, Kudo-kun? This isn't the first time a body literally fell in front of you and made you late for a date. I'm sure Kuroba-kun understands."

Shinichi mumbled something.

"Sorry, Kudo-kun, but could you say that again? We didn't quite catch that," Takagi asked.

"I said it's our one year anniversary," Shinichi said with his head turned away, not looking at the other two police detectives. If he had been watching, he would have seen them both exchange a look, then exchange a nod. He mentally shook himself and compartmentalized his frustration. It wouldn't help him solve this case any faster. "Sato-san, could I question Matsuda-san again? Something seems off with her alibi."

It only took him another 15 minutes to solve the case, which was pretty fast considering the number of suspects involved. Maybe if he ran, he wouldn't be too late. Scratch that, he should just order a taxi, it's not like he couldn't afford it. It was too bad he couldn't just use his wings to fly there.

"Kudo-kun, what are you doing? Get in," Sato called out to him from the driver seat of her car.

"We'll give you a ride, so come on," Takagi explained.

Shinichi blinked, but recovered from his surprise fast and hopped in the back seat.

"Where to?" Sato asked.

"Beika Museum," Shinichi answered automatically. Then he braced himself when he felt the car race off at an alarming speed.

"Takagi, turn on the sirens," Sato ordered, and the other man complied.

Shinichi thought about pointing out that using the sirens to rush him to his date was an abuse of police power, then decided he didn't care. He fired off another text to Kaito that he was on his way. He had already warned the magician earlier that he had run into a case.

"So the Beika Museum?" Takagi asked.

"It's where Kaito and I first met," Shinichi answered with a small smile.

They arrived at the museum a short time later thanks to Sato's alarmingly fast driving. Shinichi gave them a little wave of thanks and headed inside the museum, but he ignored the standard entrance and snuck off to the roof access instead where he knew Kaito was waiting for him.

The thief had somehow managed to sneak up a small table and two chairs for them. The table had a heavy, white cloth on it and sitting on top was an amazing looking dinner. But he didn't see any signs of Kaito.

Suddenly two dark wings wrapped around him from behind and he was pulled against a strong chest. He relaxed immediately. "Sorry I'm late," he told the man behind him.

"You're here now. That's what matters," Kaito answered. He released one arm from around Shinichi's waist and brought his hand up to Shinichi's eye level. He flicked his wrist and made a red rose appear. He held it out in offer to the detective.

Shinichi took the rose with a smile. Kaito released him and took him by the hand, leading him to the table. Somehow, even though Shinichi had been late, all of the food was still warm. He didn't bother trying to figure out how Kaito had pulled that off and instead let himself enjoy Kaito's magic.

They finished their meal and were now both sitting on the ground with their backs leaning against the wall when Kaito asked, "So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Shinichi startled. He thought he had been doing a good job at hiding it, but then Kaito was the master of the poker face. He really shouldn't be surprised that he saw right through his. "I just really didn't want to mess up our first anniversary."

Kaito gave him a fond smile and took his hand, "You didn't mess anything up, tantei-kun."

"I was late because once again, someone dropped dead right in front of me," Shinichi argued.

Kaito squeezed his hand, "I could never be mad at you for something like that, because I know what its like for the family of those that were left behind after the victim's passing. When you solve the case, you bring closure to those families. I cannot tell you enough how invaluable that is. I know people joke about you being cursed for running into murder cases all the time, but having a brilliant detective like you in the right place at the right time? I could only ever see that as a blessing."

Shinichi's eyes widened and he thought of how Kaito must have felt when he learned that his father had been murdered. He buried his burning face against Kaito's shoulder, "Idiot, I told you not to just say things so casually like that." Despite his complaints, he felt his heart swell with happiness. People always joked about him being a shinigami. Nobody had ever told him that he was a blessing before.

Kaito laughed and slipped his arm around Shinichi's shoulder and pulled his detective closer. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head before speaking, "You don't need to worry, love. I knew what I was getting into when I started dating you. I already knew about your tendency to stumble upon cases."

"Right, because of your stalker tendencies," Shinichi grumbled.

"I would prefer to refer to it as keeping an eye on my favorite detective," Kaito chirped happily.

Shinichi hummed in reply before stealing himself and pulling two small boxes from his pocket. "I got you something. And before you get excited, they are not engagement rings." He thrust one of the boxes into Kaito's hand before he could change his mind. Kaito was obviously surprised and for a moment Shinichi inwardly grinned at catching the thief off guard. Kaito looked down at the small little ring box in his hand before looking back up at Shinichi with a questioning look. "Just open it already, baro," Shinichi said with a huff.

Kaito opened the box revealing the silver ring inside. The band was a bit thick and simple in design, the only decoration was a small blue gem stone. "It's beautiful, but I wouldn't have expected you to be the type to buy jewelry," Kaito said in confusion.

Shinichi took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Kaito's finger. If he had been looking at Kaito's face, he would have seen that the thief was the one blushing this time. As soon as the ring was on his finger, Kaito felt a small tug, as if the ring was trying to reach the detective.

"It's a tracker. I have one too," Shinichi explained while opening the second box to show his own ring. It was identical in appearance except the stone had more of an indigo appearance to it. "Kasumi helped me get in touch with a fey jewelry maker. I would have thought a witch, but as it turns out, fey like shiny things and witches prefer potions, or so she told me. Your ring will always lead you to mine, and vice versa. The band also contains a small chip that can be tracked using a GPS satellite, as an extra precaution. That way even if we come across some kind of jammer or something that blocks magic, we have a back up. And the rings can only be removed by us…or I guess if someone cut our finger off…maybe I shouldn't have said that part out loud, Ran would yell at me for saying something so gross. Speaking of Ran, the stone colors were her idea, well partially at least. She suggested I going to borrow from the idea of American birth stones, but I thought you would like a blue stone instead, since you're always comparing my eyes to blue sapphires. The blue stone was easy since blue gems are popular enough, but do you know how hard it was to find a gem the correct color to match your eyes? Your eyes aren't really blue, but they aren't indigo either. They're like the color of the sky right before sunset. I had to look through a ton of stones to find the right one. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kaito was giving him a love sick grin, "Just thinking about what a secret romantic you are. Everyone talks about how hopeless you are about romantic stuff, but I think you're doing alright."

His answer surprised a laugh out of him, "You know, I'm not sure everyone would agree that a tracker would make the perfect romantic gift."

Kaito laughed as well, "Maybe not, but I'm not exactly everyone, and the gem colors would definitely qualify as romantic for everyone else that disagrees. Although maybe you should have also put a little more time searching for a gem that matches your eyes. Your eyes are definitely more beautiful than this. Well, I suppose you did the best you could. It's not like a stone as beautiful as your eyes exists. I should know, I've seen a lot of jewels in my thieving days."

Shinichi could feel his cheeks turning pink, "It should be cheesy and embarrassing when you say things like that."

"But instead you think its rather charming and you find yourself falling for me even more," Kaito said with a broad grin.

"Don't put words in my mouth," Shinichi answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kaito laughed and gave him a quick peck on the lips making Shinichi pout. "May I?" He asked and held his hand out for Shinichi's ring box. Shinichi handed him the box and Kaito plucked the ring out. He took Shinichi's hand in his own and slipped the ring on his finger. Shinichi shivered at the intimate gesture. Ring in place, he raised Shinichi's hand and placed a kiss to his knuckles just above the ring.

"I already told you these aren't engagement rings," Shinichi grumbled, "So cut it out with all of this."

Kaito chuckled, "You buy us matching rings with stones the color of our eyes and a way for us to always find each other, and that's not supposed to be a proposal? But I do have a question. Not that I don't appreciate it, but why trackers?"

Shinichi shifted and cuddled closer to Kaito again, "You're still having bad dreams, aren't you? That hunter from months ago that kidnapped me really scared you. Not to mention Gin and Snake. You always help me with my nightmares with your abilities, but I can't do the same for you. I thought the rings might help."

Kaito was staring at him, obviously processing what he had said. Then he pounced, pulling Shinichi into a kiss that left him breathless. "How did I get so lucky to have such a sweet, brilliant boyfriend?"

Shinichi's heart skipped a beat. He knew he was giving Kaito his own love sick grin, but rather than hide it, he let Kaito see all the love he had for him. "Happy anniversary, Kaito."

0-0-0-0-0

"Shinichi? I…I think I'm ready to tell Aoko," Kaito said, sounding uncertain for once.

Shinichi looked up and immediately put down the book he was reading. They had officially been dating for close to two years now, and he had thought the magician had given up on the idea of telling his childhood friend. It was Kaito's decision and he hadn't wanted to push him, so he never really brought it up.

"What brought this on?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito shrugged, "I see how close you and Ran are, and I remember when Aoko and I use to be like that. But my secrets are putting a wedge between us. I want to try to repair our friendship. I want her to be the best man at my wedding someday."

"You still have another 3 years before I will even consider marrying you," Shinichi deadpanned.

Kaito grimaced, "You've only met Aoko a few times, you haven't seen her truly angry yet. It might take her 3 years to forgive me."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know?" Kaito said, looking uncertain for once.

Shinichi scooted closer and ran his fingers through Kaito's feathers, trying to comfort his thief. Kaito hummed happily and some of the tension dropped from his shoulders. "Whatever you need, just let me know."

Kaito shot him a mischievous grin that immediately made him feel uneasy, "Whatever I need, huh? Well I could use a little stress relief right now, and I know one activity we can both engage in that is known to release dopamine and serotonin."

Shinichi squeaked as Kaito pounced on him.

The next morning, Shinichi was staring at his reflection in the mirror with a frown on his face. Numerous marks decorated his neck and collar bone. "You do realize your going to have to help me cover all of these with make up. It is too hot outside for a turtle neck," he said.

Kaito appeared in the reflection and wrapped his arms around the smaller man. "Don't sound so grumpy, you weren't complaining last night," he said with a smug look. He brought his lips to one of the marks and nibbled and suckled on it. Shinichi felt his eyelids shutter and he dropped his head back onto Kaito's shoulder, tilting his head to give the magician better access. Kaito hummed in approval and moved to a different spot, creating a new mark.

"In fact, not only were you not complaining, but I remember you saying something along the lines of," Kaito's voice changed doing a perfect impression of Shinichi, sounding breathless and wanton, "Ohh, ohh, Kai, more, more, Kai, more!"

Shinichi turned around and socked him in the shoulder, "Go get your makeup before you make us late to meet Nakamori-san."

Kaito retreated, holding his hands up in mock surrender and laughing.

An hour later and Shinichi and Kaito both met Aoko at the front of the Ekoda clock tower. Aoko waved when she saw them approaching and ran to meet them. "Kaito, Kudo-san, it's nice to see you both again," She greeted.

Kaito flicked his wrist when she approached and made a pink flower appear in his hand. He offered it automatically to Aoko, who giggled as she took it. She looked at the rose with a bit of a nostalgia, "Just like when we first met."

"Yeah," Kaito replied and a sentimental smile of his own.

"Nakamori-san, its great to see you again," Shinichi greeted.

"Great to see you too, Kudo-san. It's been so long since I've seen you both. This dummy here always seems to be busy when I try to invite you guys out," she said with a glare at her friend.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry Aoko. I promise I'm going to do better," Kaito said to his chagrin.

Aoko blinked in surprise, not expecting the apology or sincerity, "Oh, well I guess you can't help it if you were busy. I'm just glad you finally invited me out. Aoko was getting a little tired of reaching out to you all the time, but you never reaching out to Aoko. It felt like you were avoiding me."

It was only because Shinichi knew Kaito so well that he was able to see the flash of guilt across his face.

"I'm sorry for making you feel that way. Let's get inside, I have something I want to show you," Kaito said.

Aoko was clearly confused what he meant by get inside, but followed Kaito and Shinichi nonetheless. They entered the clocktower and began to climb the stairs, but she stopped when their destination was clear. "We're going to the top of the clocktower? But we aren't allowed up there," she protested.

"Don't worry, Aoko. Shinichi got us permission," Kaito assured her.

The detective answered with a shrug when she looked at him questioningly, "I called in a favor. Let's just say when you run into as many cases as I do, you meet a lot of people. And if you happen to prove that some of those people were innocent of a murder they were accused of, they are very grateful."

Aoko gave a small nod and the three continued up to the top of the clocktower. Kaito led the way and opened the door leading them outside. The face of the clock was just underneath them and a high wall went around the perimeter. Kaito went to the wall and leaned his chest against it, looking out, "Aoko, you have to come see this view, it's amazing!"

The young woman joined him and let out a sound of amazement, "Wow, its beautiful! Is this what you wanted to show me?"

Shinichi hung back, watching the two interact. They seemed friendly enough together, but he could see the subtle shifts in their body language. They were being careful around each other. He hoped this conversation went well.

He and Kaito had discussed how they would go about the conversation and he was ready for what was next. He held his phone up, pretending that a call was incoming, "Hey guys? I'll be right back. I'm just going to step back inside to take this call."

'Good luck, Kaito,' he thought as he went back inside the building housing the clocktower. He went down a flight of stairs to wait on the landing one floor below the door. He shrugged off his jacket and allowed his wings to come out. He would be able to hear anyone coming up the stairs long before they saw him.

Kaito had discussed his plan with him. He would first tell Aoko about him being nephilim and would show her his wings as proof, though knowing Kaito's abilities as a magician, it would probably still take some convincing on his part that they weren't a trick. Once they had moved on from the conversation of his wings, he would tell her that he was Kaitou KID. They both agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea to start with him being KID. While the young woman's temper had calmed somewhat since she had matured from a teenager to a young adult, she was still bound to be furious when she learned the truth. She might even be so upset that she wouldn't listen to anything else he had to say. Better to end with KID rather than start with it.

Maybe 30 minutes later, he heard what sounded like a door slam and hurried foot steps coming from above him. His lips tightened to a thin line when he also heard what sounded like sniffling. He didn't bother to pull back in his wings. A moment later, he caught sight of Aoko at the top of the stairs, tears running down her face. She paused when she saw him, then continued down the stairs at a slower pace.

"I suppose you must know too, don't you."

It wasn't a question so he didn't answer.

"And you have them too. Wings, I mean. Are you waiting here as a guard? To keep Aoko from running away and telling everyone?" She accused him.

Shinichi shook his head, "I'm not guarding anything. You are free to go whenever you wish."

Aoko sniffled again, "What's to stop me from running to my dad right now and telling him that…that..my best friend…is the Kaitou KID?" She was nearly sobbing now.

"That's your choice to make, neither of us will stop you. But I must warn you, Kaito and I are prepared for that possibility you will never see us again," Shinichi warned gently.

Aoko continued to sniffle but didn't seem surprised by his answer. Shinichi pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her. She glared at him and for a moment he thought she wouldn't take it, but she accepted it anyway.

"How can you date him, Kudo-kun? He's a criminal, you're a detective," she asked, sounding desperate.

"I have long ago learned to stop looking at things so black and white. And Kaito isn't a bad person, you know that," Shinichi answered.

"How do I know that?" She demanded, "I just found out my best friend has been lying to me for years! What if the only reason he even kept our friendship was because I'm the daughter of the police officer tasked with catching him, and our friendship benefited him?"

Shinichi firmly shook his head, "You know that's not true. You know Kaito."

Aoko sniffled again, looking miserable, "I want to believe you, but now I can't help but question all of his actions, everything he's ever said to me. How do I know he's not still lying to me?"

Shinichi wasn't sure how to answer her. He had never been good at emotional conversations. He tried to put himself into Ran's shoes. His friend was much better at these things than he was. What would she say?

"Kaito loves you like you're his sister. I know he cares for you deeply. It would have probably been easier for him to let you go when he became KID. It couldn't have been easy for him to keep his secret from you and your father, especially being in close proximity to you both. But instead of letting you go, he hung on anyway. Because he didn't want to lose you," Shinichi answered.

"I don't want to lose him either. But why did he lie to me? And why did he become KID in the first place?" She asked. Seeing the look on his face she looked down sheepishly, "I guess he probably would have told me if I let him continue. Aoko probably shouldn't have slapped him and ran away."

Shinichi inwardly winced. Kaito could have easily dodged her slap, so he must have let it happen. Maybe he did it to make Nakamori-san feel better, or maybe it was because part of him thought he deserved it. Maybe both.

"You could go back up there, you know. Let him finish his explanation," Shinichi offered tentatively.

Another tear dripped down Aoko's cheek but she sounded a little stronger when she answered, "I think I will…in a moment. I'm not ready yet."

"Please take all the time you need," Shinichi said, feeling a little relieved.

Aoko nodded, but now she was staring at his wings, "I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around that part. I thought Kaito was playing another prank on me. A part of me still isn't sure if I believe him. Kudo-san…could I…touch them?"

Shinichi stepped closer and extended one of his wings toward her in answer. She reached out a hand and placed it flat on his wing. "It's warm," she said in surprise.

Before Shinichi had time to prepare himself, she gripped his marginal coverts and gave a firm tug, like a child trying to pull off Santa's beard. "Ouch!"

She pulled her hand away as if it had burned, "Sorry! I just thought maybe you were in on it with Kaito."

"It's alright. I do have another way if you still have doubt. Do Kaito tell you about my healing abilities?" He waited and she nodded her head, "I notice the bandage on your finger. A small wound of some kind?"

"A paper cut from this morning," she clarified.

He nodded, "Could you please remove the bandaid for me?"

She took off the bandaid and held up her hand, showing him the tiny little cut on her finger. He leaned his head over her hand and allowed his healing tears to fall. Once finished he leaned back and allowed her to inspect her hand. She gazed at it in open astonishment.

"Aoko didn't really believe it until now. I know Kaito can do some pretty amazing things with his magic, but he can't fake that. He really was telling the truth," Aoko said.

Shinichi replied, "He was, and he doesn't want to lie to you anymore."

Aoko nodded, "I should go back, let him finish what he had to say. You're right, Kudo-san. Kaito is a good person. I bet he must have a reason for what he did. I should go hear him out. Um, thanks Kudo-san."

Shinichi smiled at her, "Call me Shinichi, and don't mention it."

Another 30 minutes later and Kaito sent him a text that they had finished talking. He went back upstairs and opened the roof door, and saw Kaito and Aoko holding each other in a tight hug. Both of them had obviously been crying, but now they were smiling and laughing. Shinichi felt the corners of his lips come up in a smile of his own. They were going to be okay.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi came to awareness slowly, taking small sips from the warm coffee that was in his hands. He didn't remember getting the coffee, but he was use to getting his coffee on autopilot while his brain wasn't awake yet. He slowly registered the sound of a number of unfamiliar voices around him, all speaking in soft tones and coming together in a drone of white noise. Why were there so many people? The question sharped his mind, waking him a little faster. He looked around in confusion and a small amount of panic at his surroundings.

"It's okay, you're safe. I'm right here," a familiar voice reassured him.

"Kaito?" he leaned for a moment against the familiar body sitting next to him, feeling most of the tension leave. He pulled away and turned to his boyfriend in confusion, "Are we on a plane?"

"That's right! You and I are going on a little vacation," Kaito said with cheer.

"How did I get here? Did you kidnap me? How did you get me through airport security? And you can't just kidnap me for a vacation, what about my job?" Shinichi questioned in bewilderment.

"Slow down, one at a time, tantei-kun. You walked through airport security yourself. All I had to do was nudge you in the right direction and give little encouragements like 'the coffee is that way.' As for your work, I already got this cleared months ago. I asked your coworkers to keep it a secret from you," Kaito answered with a broad grin.

'Those traitors,' Shinichi thought. Out loud he said, "There's no way I wouldn't wake up to notice you taking me to the airport, going through security, walk me all the way to our gate, and get me to board a plane. I'm not that bad without my coffee."

"Well~ it might help that you didn't get home from that case last night until 5 a.m. and I brought us to the airport at 6 a.m. And maybe if you started to show signs of becoming more coherent, I used a little of my ability to make you sleepy again," Kaito answered without a shred of shame.

Shinichi sighed, already deciding it wasn't worth being mad about, "You're a menace. I can't believe you really kidnapped me."

"At least I didn't shove you in a suitcase this time like Singapore," Kaito said sounding helpful.

"Don't remind me, I still owe you a soccer ball to the face for that stunt. So are you going to tell me where you're kidnapping me to?" Shinichi asked.

"But that would ruin the surprise! But we are in for a long flight, so just relax. The pocket on the seat in front of you has that new book you've been wanting to read, and you can always sleep more as well," Kaito said.

Shinichi let out a long exhale, not really surprised by Kaito's answer. He resigned himself to whatever Kaito had in store for them and pulled out the book from the pocket Kaito had mentioned, settling in for the rest of the flight.

He must have dozed off again because he woke up some time later with his head resting on Kaito's shoulder. "Shin-chan, we're here~" Kaito announced.

Shinichi rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slowly stood and exited the plane along with everyone else. He stopped inside the airport and stared in growing horror. "Kaito, please tell me we are not in America right now."

"What's wrong with America?" Kaito asked looking innocent as he took hold of Shinichi's shoulders and began to steer him to the luggage carousels.

"It's not what's wrong with America, it's who is in America. Don't tell me you kidnapped me so that we could go see my…" He was abruptly cut off.

"Shin-chan!" He heard before he was pulled into a tight hug.

"….Parents," Shinichi finished with a grumble.

"Kaito-kun, how about I help you with the luggage while they catch up?" Yuusaku offered.

A few hours later, Shinichi closed the door to his and Kaito's hotel room and leaned against it with a sigh. Kaito was already checking out the room, investigating every corner with interest. Their room was pretty large, his parents had gotten them a mini suite. He saved the window for last. The curtains were drawn, so he pulled them back before letting out an impressed whistle, "Shin-chan, you have to come see this."

Shinichi joined Kaito curiously, looking out the window at the view laid out before them. Below them lay the Vegas strip, lite up in a multitude of lights as the sun had already set. "Wow, it's actually kinda beautiful," he said.

"Yeah. Happy birthday, Shinichi," Kaito said while wrapping his arm around Shinichi's shoulder while looking out at the view.

Shinichi blinked, "Wait…my birthday?"

Kaito chuckled, "You forgot again."

"I don't bother remembering unimportant things," Shinichi dismissed.

"When's my birthday?" Kaito asked.

"June 21st," Shinichi answered automatically. Kaito quirked an eyebrow at him, "I said unimportant things. Your birthday is important."

Kaito let out a full laugh and pulled Shinichi's back against his chest, wrapping both arms around him. He watched Shinichi in the reflection of their window. "You are adorable. And also very wrong. Your birthday is important too."

Shinichi frowned at him but leaned back against him. "Is that why we are here? For my birthday?" He asked.

Kaito shrugged, "Part of it. You just turned 21 so that means you can drink~."

"Japan's legal drinking age is 20, so we could have had alcohol back home if that's what you wanted," Shinichi pointed out.

"Yeah but nobody parties like Vegas," Kaito replied with a troublemaker grin.

"You said that was part of why we are here. What's the other part?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito was silent for a moment before answering, "You miss your parents, but you're bad at asking for the things you want, so you weren't going to say anything."

Shinichi automatically opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. Huh, he supposed Kaito was right, about him missing his parents. They might drive him crazy, but he did still care about them and sometimes it was just nice to see them. So instead of arguing, he turned around so he was facing the other man. He released his wings and wrapped them around Kaito, a gesture that had become very intimate for them. He brought up his hands to cup Kaito's face and tilted his head up to give him a kiss, a silent thank you.

He heard a coo of adoration and froze, before moving horror movie slow turning to see his mom standing at the entrance to their room, phone camera held up and button mashing the screen as she rapid fire took picture after picture. He failed to fight off the blush that was creeping up, and was not surprised to see her thumb pick up speed. He turned instead to Kaito with a scowl.

"You could have told me she was there."

Kaito gave a cheeky grin, "But than I wouldn't get a copy of the pictures."

Shinichi wondered how many more times on this trip Kaito would team up with his mom to his detriment.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi sat at the table in the bar staring at his drink, wondering how he had gotten here. Not that he didn't remember walking in, he was a little tipsy but nowhere near drunk enough to lose time. No, what he didn't understand was how his parents had gotten into a bar for nonhumans, or how they even found it in the first place. What was even more strange was the fact that many people had greeted his parents with familiarity. It would seem his parents had been adopted into the nonhuman community as honorary members.

He downed the rest of his drink and decided he was ready for another. He offered to get Kaito one as well before making his way to the bar. He signaled the bartender and ordered, a chocolate martini for Kaito and an expresso martini for him (he had at first been adverse to ordering anything with gin or vodka but his love of coffee overpowered any bad memories the alcohol names might bring), and leaned against the bar while he waited for his drinks.

"Excuse me, are you Shinichi Kudo?" Someone asked him in English.

He turned and saw a taller man behind him, looking at him expectantly. He had dark hair, his eyes were almost black, and he also had a large pair of black horns on top of his head reaching for the ceiling. His smile was warm and friendly contrasting his dark appearance.

Shinichi cleared his throat before answering. It had been awhile since he had last spoken to anyone in English. Sure he read Sherlock Holmes in English frequently, but there was a difference between reading and speaking. "Yes, I am," he answered, "And you are?"

"Oh, your accent is better than I was expecting! My name is Alexander. I've met your mother, and she talks about you all the time," he answered.

Shinichi groaned inwardly but plastered on a polite smile, "Only good things, I hope."

Alexander laughed, "Of course. She's always talking about her "handsome, brilliant detective son" every time she comes in. So Shinichi, how do you like Vegas so far?"

Shinichi inwardly winced at the use of his given name. He reminded himself it was a different culture and held his tongue from correcting the other man. Instead he politely said, "I'm having a good time."

"That's great! So you're a half-angel, right? And that means you're immortal like us cambion? Would you mind if I asked how old you are? You're the first half-angel I've met and I'm curious," he asked.

Shinichi shook his head, "I don't mind. I'm 21 years old."

Alexander laughed, "21, huh? I'll admit you look young enough to pass easily. And how old are you really?"

Shinichi gave him a blank look, "Uh…21."

Alexander blinked in surprise, "Wait, really? Wow, you're essentially just a baby! Oh I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that. I'm not trying to make fun of you. It's just most of the other immortals or long-lived non-humans I meet are at least a century old. I'm about 150 years myself."

Shinichi shook his head, not sure what to make of this conversation, "It's okay, I'm not offended. I guess when you put it in that prospective I am young."

Alexander gave a happy-go-lucky smile, "I'm glad you aren't offended."

Shinichi continued to engage Alexander in polite conversation while he waited for his and Kaito's drinks. He didn't particularly mind talking to the cambion, the other man was polite enough, though he still wasn't use to the how friendly and casual Americans were.

As such, he really shouldn't have been surprised when Alexander suddenly asked, "Hey would you mind if I touched your wings?"

Shinichi gave him a confused look, "What for?"

The cambion shrugged, "Just curious. Like I said, I've never met a half-angel before."

Before Shinichi could answer Kaito materialized and wrapped his arm around Shinichi's hip, pulling him close. There was something sharp in his smile when he answered, "Sorry, but he doesn't like anyone touching his wings. My name is Kuroba Kaito by the way, Shinichi's boyfriend." His English and accent wasn't quite as good as Shinichi's, he had always preferred French, but he still managed to get his point across.

Alexander looked embarrassed for a moment, "Kaito, wonderful to meet you. I've heard about you as well. I should apologize, I meant no offense. I probably should have considered before asking something so personal. This was my first time meeting a half-angel but my ignorance isn't an excuse. I apologize."

Kaito seemed to relax, but he kept his arm around Shinichi's hip. "No harm done, but if you would excuse us, I think those are our drinks, so I'm going to steal my boyfriend back."

Kaito grabbed their drinks and gave the cambion a last wave before steering Shinichi back to their table.

A few hours later and Shinichi was definitely feeling the drinks by now. Kaito on the other hand was fully hanging on him, acting more clingy than usual. Shinichi had just finished word vomiting his deduction to a young werelion girl about how her boyfriend was cheating on her and she should totally dump his ass. For a moment Shinichi had been worried that she wouldn't appreciate having the truth presented to her, and maybe he could have given his deduction a little more delicately, but the girl had just given him a smile that looked a bit like she was baring her teeth, thanked him profusely, and announced she had some ass to kick before excusing herself.

Kaito slung an arm around his shoulder and announced to everyone close enough to hear, "Yas, queen, kick his ass! Cheaters beware, you can't hide from my super hot, amazing boyfriend! He got us these matching rings. Aren't they beautiful? He said it's not an engagement ring, but I disagree."

Unfortunately his mother chose that moment to reappear. "Oh, Shin-chan, you didn't tell me you and Kaito were engaged!? Is that the real reason you agreed to come to Vegas? If you're planning to elope, I just need a little notice to get the catering, cake, flowers, and tuxes. I would prefer at least 12 hours, but I can work with 8 if I have to," Yukiko gushed.

"Mom," Shinichi groaned, "We aren't going to elope. We are too young to get married."

Kaito sniffled from where he was hanging off Shinichi's shoulder, "Shin-chan doesn't want to marry me?"

To Shinichi's horror a single tear rolled down Kaito's cheek. Yukiko was making sympathetic noises and saying something about poor Kai-chan and a few of the people around them were shooting Shinichi dark looks, but he barely noticed them. His body moved before his brain caught up, and he found himself clumsily comforting Kaito, patting his head and reassuring him that of course he wanted to marry him.

"Mom, I think Kaito has had too much to drink. I'm going to take him back to our hotel now," Shinichi told his mom.

"That's probably not a bad idea, but I don't think he's the only one that had too much to drink. Let me call you a taxi," She offered.

"No need. The hotel is more than close enough for us to walk and the fresh air might help him sober up a bit," he answered while slinging one of Kaito's arms around his shoulder and hoisting him up. It was a little awkward due to the small height difference between them, but Kaito just hung off of him even more.

"I suppose the hotel is pretty close, but at least call or text when you get back to your room so I know you made it safely," she instructed.

Shinichi promised he would and pulled Kaito's arm more securely around his shoulder. He gave a little wave and walked them to the door, only stumbling a little in his own inebriated state.

Once they had left the bar behind, Shinichi addressed the magician, "You can stop pretending to be drunk now."

The slightly glazed and unfocused look in Kaito's eyes immediately vanished and he gave Shinichi a grin, "So you could tell."

Shinichi snorted, "Of course I could. I thought it was obvious."

Kaito laughed, "I can't hide anything from you."

"So why did you pretend to be drunk?" Shinichi asked. He didn't notice that their positions had reversed and now Kaito was the one holding him up and walking him back.

"Because it was fun! And I got to cling all over to you as much as I wanted. And even though you knew I was faking, you couldn't resist the urge to fuss over me. I couldn't get enough," Kaito replied cheekily.

Shinichi shot him a look that said he wasn't fooling anyone, "I think you are leaving out that you were jealous and wanted an excuse to attach yourself to me."

"Right again, detective," Kaito said with the laugh, not seeming the least bit shamed. His smile softened as he turned to look at the smaller man, "But what about you, are you okay? It's not often we drink that much and you are a bit of a lightweight."

"I am not, I'm barely drunk," Shinichi grumbled.

Kaito raised an eyebrow, "Really? Because you didn't even notice that you left the bar with your wings out still."

Once the words processed Shinichi jolted, but Kaito was reassuring him.

"Relax, it's fine. Nobody has given us a second look. Don't forget we are in Vegas and its late at night. People are probably assuming its a costume for one of the shows around here. And have you looked at some of the things other people are wearing? I saw a man wearing a clear, plastic jacket without a shirt underneath, bright yellow booty shorts, and pink cowboy boots," Kaito reassured him.

Shinichi nodded, relaxing against Kaito again, "I guess you're right. And dad did say a few nonhumans walk around in plain sight as well. It's hard for us to tell because glamours don't work on us, so er can't tell who's using a glamour and who isn't."

Shinichi stumbled again and Kaito caught him. Then the world spun a little as Kaito lifted him onto his back. The extra weight of his wings didn't even throw off Kaito's balance. He fit easily enough because unlike him, Kaito had hidden his own wings before they had exited the bar, something he hadn't previously noticed. He must be more drunk than he thought.

He still couldn't stop himself from complaining about the piggyback ride, "Kai, I can walk on my own." he didn't seem to realize it came out as a whine.

Kaito placated him anyway, "I'm sure you can. But it's late and I have early plans for us tomorrow. How about you get some rest and I'll carry you back?"

Shinichi didn't seem to notice that he was already resting his head against Kaito's shoulder. "I'm not that tired, I can wait until we get back to the hotel," he said stifling a yawn.

"Sure, Shinichi," Kaito answered before falling silent.

It wasn't long before Shinichi's eyes slipped closed and his breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. He unconsciously nuzzled his face into the back of Kaito's neck, causing a rare blush to creep up the magician's face.

"Just when I think you can't get any more adorable, you prove me wrong," Kaito said to the sleeping detective.

Shinichi slept on peacefully.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi woke up slowly the next morning to the sound of Kaito softly singing along to the radio. He lifted his heavy eyelids and saw that he was in the passenger seat of a car, Kaito in the driver's seat. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with one fist and held his other hand out expectantly. Kaito pressed a foam coffee cup into his waiting hand.

Once he had drunk about half the contents, Shinichi finally felt a little more awake. He looked out the car windows but wasn't familiar enough with his surroundings to know where they were. They had the road to themselves and all he could see for miles was the desert with some rock formations off in the distance. They seemed to be heading towards said rock formations.

"So you kidnapped me to take me on a road trip at god knows what hour?" Shinichi asked.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it. Have you ever not had a good time on any of my trips I kidnap you for?" Kaito asked with a large smile.

"Do I need to remind you about Singapore?"

The magician winced, "Singapore was fun…"

"You got shot," Shinichi said incredulously.

"Aw, were you worried, love?" Kaito teased lightly.

"Idiot, of course I was worried," Shinichi grumbled before turning back to stare out the window again. Finally something seemed to click, "Are we going to the Grand Canyon?"

Kaito chuckled, "You finally woke up enough to figure it out. I wanted us to be out here before sun rise, but we were out a little later than I anticipated last night and you wouldn't have gotten enough sleep."

"I still didn't get enough sleep," Shinichi muttered under his breath.

"We can take a nap when we get back to the hotel after this," Kaito reassured him.

"Mmm," Shinichi hummed in agreement while studying the road. He had never been to the Grand Canyon before, but he was pretty sure this wasn't the normal route most people took. He wasn't surprised, Kaito was never one to do things the normal way.

Kaito answered the unasked question, "This path isn't used anymore because it was deemed too dangerous for most people. It's perfect for us and will give us plenty of privacy."

"What makes it dangerous?" Shinichi asked.

"The path winding down the canyon is very narrow and unstable. Step in the wrong spot and the rocks beneath your feet will crumble away," Kaito answered cheerfully.

Shinichi nodded, wondering what Kaito was up to. It wasn't long after that Kaito was parking the car he had at some point rented and they walked the rest of the way. Soon the canyon was within site.

"Wow," Shinichi said in awe, "It really is incredible, isn't it?"

Kaito nodded in agreement. "Shall we take a closer look?"

That was all the warning Shinichi received before Kaito took his hand and began to run, dragging Shinichi behind him. They made it to the edge and Kaito jumped, pulling Shinichi with him, and suddenly they were both falling.

For the briefest moment Shinichi's heart was in his throat, but the panic quickly subsided. Then he was just enjoying the free fall. He felt the corners of his lips stretch into a wide grin, and he turned to look at Kaito who was still holding his hand. He saw a matching grin on the magician's face.

"Ready?" Kaito shouted over the wing.

Shinichi nodded and Kaito released his hand, then they both stretched out their wings.

Now he was no longer falling but instead was soaring across the sky. He found a wind thermal and rode the warm updraft like an elevator to take him high up in the sky again. He found himself laughing with excitement.

It was hours later that they finally returned to the ground. They sat on an overhang with their feet dangling over the edge. Kaito had produced a picnic basic from nowhere and they were both eating.

"Kaito, this was amazing," Shinichi said once his stomach had finally calmed enough that he could hold conversation. Flying always took a lot of energy and made them ravenous afterwards.

Kaito smiled, "We don't get to fly nearly enough back home unless we want to leave the city and drive out to the middle of nowhere where nobody can see us. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity while we were here. Plus the scenery is amazing."

"It really is. We should come back here someday," Shinichi said.

Kaito nodded, "We can add other places too. See where else we could explore by flying, other private locations. Maybe Alaska next. I bet we could find other winged nonhumans to ask if they have any favorite haunts."

"I would like that," Shinichi said with a soft smile. He rested his head on Kaito's shoulder and Kaito wrapped his wing around Shinichi.

"Shinichi?" Kaito started.

"Hm?"

"I just want you to know how happy I am to be here with you. I know you sometimes still feel guilty about me becoming a nephilim, but I wouldn't have it any other way as long as I get to be with you."

Shinichi squirmed and felt his cheeks warm. He could also feel his heart soaring with happiness. Kaito was always very affectionate, both physically and verbally, but even after 3 years the novelty of it still hadn't worn off. He wondered if he would ever get over his emotional awkwardness.

"I have another reason for bringing you out here," Kaito confessed. He gently pulled Shinichi off of his shoulder and looked down at Shinichi's questioning face, his eyes dancing with happiness. He gave Shinichi a smile so full of love, the detective could feel his heart begin to race. "I wanted the perfect day and the perfect location. I wanted something we would remember for the rest of our lives, and apparently are lives are going to be pretty long, so I had my work cut out for me. I know you're worried what people might say, but I don't care what other people think. I know that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Shinichi, will you marry me?"

He flicked his wrist and a crimson rose appeared, a ring with a gold band around its stem. Shinichi's heart was racing, and he reached out to take the rose. He gently pulled the ring off the stem without damaging the leaves. His throat felt tight.

He returned his gaze to Kaito and saw his magician was giving him a lopsided grin, but he could see the nervousness in his eyes. This was the man he loved, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his immortality with. Did it really matter if others thought they were too young to get married?

Shinichi smiled letting all of his love show in his eyes. He could feel his throat growing tight with emotion, so he simply whispered, "Yes."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he went to throw his arms around Kaito's neck and pull the magician into a kiss. Unfortunately Kaito seemed to have similar plans, and they ended up crashing into each other. They both separated with a groan, then they were laughing. Shinichi was still giggling and smiling when Kaito leaned in to kiss him again. When they kissed he could feel the curve of Kaito's lips that he was still smiling as well.

The kiss became more heated and Shinichi felt Kaito press him back till he was lying on the ground and Kaito was above him. A small part of his brain whispered about how annoying it was going to be later to get the dust of the desert out of his feathers, but the thought was mostly ignored. Kaito's lips were now moving to his jaw and down his neck, and Shinichi lifted his chin to give Kaito better access. Kaito hummed in approval and his hands moved to the buttons on Shinichi's shirt. He had already undone two buttons before Shinichi's brain caught up. He immediately moved to sit up, but Kaito nipped and sucked on the junction between his neck and his shoulder and he couldn't stop a small moan from escaping.

"Kaito, stop. We're outside at the Grand Canyon. Anyone could happen by and come see us," he protested, panting a little.

Kaito pulled back and answered confidently, "If you were really worried about that, you wouldn't have spent the past several hours flying around with me."

"I wasn't worried about getting caught by humans while flying. But other nonhumans might also use this spot for privacy," Shinichi argued, but otherwise made no other move to stop the other man.

"Relax, if anyone tries to approach us, one of my doves will alert me," Kaito said before trailing kisses down the detective's now bare chest.

Shinichi was going to ask how Kaito had managed to sneak his doves past airport security, but then Kaito's tongue was on one of his nipples and he decided he really didn't care. He gasped and his eyes closed in pleasure.

He felt Kaito's mouth leave his chest, and he cracked open his eyes when they didn't return. "Kaito?" He asked in confusion.

"Sorry, I just lost myself for a moment looking at you. You're so beautiful, I wish you could see yourself. Your white wings spread beneath us, that beautiful flush on your face, shirt open and looking thoroughly ravished. My beautiful fiancé."

Shinichi feels his face burn and the heat traveled all the way down his chest. He smiled, "Fiancé, huh? You couldn't wait to call me that one."

Kaito grinned and kissed him before pulling back to answer, "My beautiful fiancé. Which reminds me." He took his hand and Shinichi realized he was holding the ring. He slid the ring onto his finger, then brushed his lips against the gold band.

"Let me see your ring too," Shinichi asked.

Kaito flicked his wrist and a ring box appeared in his open palm. Shinichi gently took it opened it. He took out the ring and slid the ring onto Kaito's own hand.

"Should we pick up where we left off?" Kaito asked.

"I don't know if I really want my first time having sex as your fiancé to be in the dirt out in the desert," Shinichi answered.

"There is no way we are waiting until I get you back to the hotel room. That drive will take us over 3 hours," Kaito replied before he went back to trailing kisses on Shinichi's neck and chest again.

"Kai," Shinichi whined, but he could feel his resolve weakening.

Kaito kisses him again before pulling back and answering with a smile, "Don't worry, I brought a large, thick blanket. I'll make sure you're comfortable."

Shinichi found himself returning the smile, "Then what are you waiting for, stupid thief? Go and get the blanket."

Kaito pressed a kiss to his nose and when he pulled back his grin had broadened, "Right away, my beautiful fiancé."

0-0-0-0-0

The drive back to Las Vegas took just as long as Kaito said, but Shinichi didn't mind the drive. Kaito hadn't stopped smiling since Shinichi had said yes, and his smile must have been contagious because every time Shinichi looked at him, he felt his own answering grin. Kaito kept one hand on the wheel, the other held Shinichi's hand between them. He would occasionally raise Shinichi's hand to press a kiss over the knuckle above his engagement ring.

Most of the drive back was spent discussing what their wedding might look like without making any serious plans. Kaito asked what kind of silhouette Shinichi wanted for his wedding dress, and Shinichi said he would only wear a wedding dress if they served fish for their dinner. He nearly regretted his statement when Kaito looked like he was actually considering it for a moment. Kaito preposed the idea of modeling his tuxedo after his KID suit, and Shinichi erupted into laughter thinking of the fit Hakuba would throw if Kaito dared show up as KID at their wedding. The rest of the drive back was similarly filled with smiles and laughter and the 3 hours passed quickly.

When they arrived back at the hotel, Shinichi wasn't at all surprised to be pulled into a bone crushing hug by his mom. He knew Kaito hadn't told his parents his intensions beforehand in case his mom ruined the surprise, but his dad had most likely figured it out anyway. What did surprise him was the photos Kaito passed around of the moment he proposed. When and where had he hidden the cameras? And he did mean cameras plural, because the pictures were from multiple angles.

"So Shin-chan, you know Vegas is rather infamous as the place to elope? I know the joke is that you can be officiated by an Elvis impersonator, but there are actually some very elegant elopement packages. I could even have it arranged for your friends to be flown in for the ceremony. Just say the words and I'll hire a private jet and have them here by the morning," Yukiko cheered.

"Mom!" Shinichi said with horror.

She winked at him, "Gotcha, Shin-chan!"

Shinichi groaned when he realized his mother had played him. It was true he thought his parents were a bit insane, but he also knew they were both wicked smart; he had of course gotten his intellect from them. Yes them, as in both of his parents. While Kudo Yuusaku was well known for his sharp mind, his mother's bubbly personality and attention seeking-behavior often caused people to overlook her own intelligence, something the retired actress was well aware of and would use to her advantage at times. And he had just fallen for it. She did always love to tease him.

He turned see what Kaito was doing instead and saw he was standing across the room, seemingly having a silent conversation with his dad.

Feeling curious, he went to join them, but was stopped by a hand on his arm by his mother. He turned and gave her a questioning look, and she smiled before turning back to observe the two. "Let them be," she told him.

"What are they doing?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes and rubbed his shoulders affectionately, "Oh Shin-chan, isn't it obvious? You can be so oblivious about the simplest things."

Shinichi frowned, displeased, and waited for her to explain.

"Well for starters, your father would have been giving Kai-chan his version of the shovel talk; the whole 'hurt my son and I'll hurt you' type of thing. Honestly, your father can be such a softy sometimes. But that would only have been a formality since your father knows Kai-chan would never hurt you. Kai-chan really is so much like his father, you know. Once he got that out of the way, he would move on to telling Kai-chan how happy he is that the two of you found each other, that he was proud of both of you, and that he approves of your relationship," Yukiko answered him.

Shinichi looked skeptical, "There's no way he's communicating all of that without saying a single word."

Yukiko laughed, "Kai-chan is an expert of reading facial expressions and body language, and your father knows this. I think he's having a little bit of fun, challenging Kai-chan a bit. He probably sees it as a chance to bond with his future son-in-law."

Shinichi sighed and shook his head, but he was smiling.

0-0-0-0-0

"Kasumi-nee-chan, over here!" Kaito called with a little wave.

Kasumi looked around at the greeting and spotted Kaito and Shinichi at their table before making her way over to them. Her hair was pink this time, but as usual her roots were showing. Shinichi was starting to wonder if it was intentional, or perhaps once enough root was showing she choose another color.

"Welcome back to Tokyo, dear brother," she greeted sarcastically before turning to him, "You too, Shinichi-kun."

Kaito ignored the obvious sarcasm and grinned at her greeting, nudging Shinichi with his elbow, "Aw, she called me her brother."

Shinichi exchanged a look with Kasumi and gave a little shrug as if to say 'what can you do? He's going to do what he wants anyway.' Kasumi rolled her eyes, but the gesture lacked any real heat behind it. Instead she asked, "How was Vegas? Are your parents doing well?"

"We had a great time! It was nice to see them again," Shinichi answered.

The waitress arrived and took their orders, then the three began to exchange stories. Kaito and Shinichi told her about America, and Kasumi told them about a few of her more interesting customers at the Obsidian Wand.

"I sold a girl a scented candle with a Ouija board design on it, and her mom came in and yelled at me for trying to convert her daughter to practicing devil magic. Ouija boards don't even work! They're nothing more than a child's toy used to scare kids at sleep overs," she complained.

Shinichi winced in sympathy, "I'm sure you get that a lot though."

"Not as often as you might think, but it does happen. I guess it keeps things interesting. Oh! But I almost forgot, I've got news for you," she said before digging into her purse. She pulled out a book of decent thickness and placed it on the table in front of the two boys, "It my book! I finally finished writing it, and a wereleopard I know that works in publishing owed me a favor and helped me get it published. I wanted you and Kaito to have the first copy."

Kaito's eyes lite up, "That's great, Kasumi-chan!"

Shinichi thumbed through the book. There was a section on each species of the nonhuman community. The nephilim section was last and also the smallest.

"This book can be used as a guide for anyone that wants to understand the nonhuman community better. Takemi-san is going to always keep a couple copies on her at the hospital to hand out to human parents with nonhuman children, or the less common case of humans getting turned into nonhumans. I got a lot of help writing it from other members of the nonhuman community. Many of them included answers to questions they themselves had when they were first starting out," Kasumi explained.

Shinichi smiled, "I'm sure this will be a great resource to so many people. And considering it is a guide to all of the species, I'm sure even other members of the nonhuman community can learn something from it."

Kasumi beamed, "I hope so. The nephilim section is unfortunately pretty light compared to the other sections. Even though I'm a nephilim myself, there's still so much I don't know about our kind. I of course included everything that could be learned from mom's journal, and stuff I learned from my own experience. You should know almost everything from the nephilim section already, but some of the information should be new to you, especially when you get to the parts when our immortality kicks in and we stop visibly aging, so make sure you read those parts so that you're prepared for what's to come."

Shinichi nodded, "Thank you. I'll be sure to read it cover to cover. And um, actually Kaito and I have something to give you too." He handed her an envelope.

She took it and looked at it curiously, "What's this?"

"Its an invitation to our wedding. Shinichi said yes," Kaito said with a grin while he pulled Shinichi's hand up from his lap, showing Kasumi their engagement ring.

"What happened to your 5 year rule, Shinichi-kun?" Kasumi asked while laughing.

"He can be pretty persuasive," Shinichi grumbled.

"You mean he laid on some of that KID charm that makes you melt and you found yourself agreeing to whatever he asked," Kasumi said with a smirk.

Shinichi's face felt like it was on fire and he immediately denied her claim while Kaito just laughed.

"Speaking of KID, do you having any heists coming up, Kaito-kun?" Kasumi asked.

Kaito shrugged, "Nothing planned at this time. I'm trying to take my semi-retirement somewhat seriously, although I can't let the legend of the phantom thief completely die. And I need to give my task force something to do on occasion, keep their skills sharp."

"I'm surprised as a detective, you are okay with him still stealing on occasion," Kasumi remarked.

"Don't let him fool you. He's not as strict about the law as he will lead you to believe. Isn't that right mister 'I don't need a warrant, I'm six?'" Kaito teased.

Shinichi rolled his eyes, "It was different when I was Conan. I couldn't solve cases the normal way, so I had to use what tools I had available to me. And if those tools sometimes included pretending to be a nosy, but innocent child, then so be it. But anyway Kasumi, I wanted to let you know that your invitation also includes a plus one, but you know Kaito and I don't care if you don't bring a date. Or feel free to bring a friend if you want."

She gave him a relieved smile, "Thanks, Shinichi-kun. I knew you both felt that way, but its nice to hear you say it out loud too."

Kaito spoke up, "You know we don't think there's anything wrong with you, right? Just because you don't have an interest in romantic relationships, and maybe the only love you can feel is platonic, it doesn't mean there's something wrong."

"Thank you, Kaito-kun. It would be nice if more people felt the same way, but at least the people that I spend most of my time seem to understand," she said giving him a smile in turn.

She opened the invitation to read it.

"So you're getting married not next April, but the following? That's 2 years away, quite the long engagement," she commented.

"That's mostly because of the venue," Shinichi explained, "Gay marriage still isn't recognized in Japan so we are going back to America to get married. My mom wants to be part of the planning, and I have to admit, a lot of her suggestions are actually pretty good. She already had a few venues to recommend and Kaito and I picked the New York Public Library. New York has their own cherry blossoms that bloom in April, so we wanted to wait for them to be in bloom. As you can imagine, we aren't the only couple that wants to get married during cherry blossom season, so next year was already fully reserved, so we had to go to the following year. The actual ceremony itself will be small since its a destination wedding, and the reception will be in Japan so that our friends can attend more easily."

"That makes sense. You're getting married at a library?" She asked in confusion.

"Look up pictures on your phone and it might not be so surprising," Kaito instructed and waited while she searched the pictures before continuing, "Its not just any library, it's actually a historic landmark, and its absolutely gorgeous. The architecture style is Beaux-arts which is highly underrated if you ask me."

"It's only because its a architecture type that started in Paris, and you love anything from Paris since that's where KID first started," Shinichi teased, his smile fond.

"Yeah well you're just excited to get married in a library because you're a huge bookworm," Kaito teased back.

Kasumi smiled warmly, "It sounds like the perfect venue for both of you. That was a good suggestion from your mom, Shinichi-kun. Has she had any other suggestions?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes but he was smiling, "Oh she's had plenty. And since the wedding is 2 years away I'm sure we are going to hear a lot more. I think my dad is going to surprise her with a trip to Rome as a way to distract her so that she gives us a little break. But she did have another suggestion we are considering, though I'm not sure yet if it would be possible. She suggested we find a nonhuman tailor to custom make our tuxes so that our wings don't have to be hidden. That way we can relax and be ourselves, and we don't have to worry about sneaking away to let our wings out when we need a break. But I wasn't sure if the tailor you know would be up for the job of making our tuxedos. Also we would need a concealing spell to hide our wings from any humans that might see us, but we would want our friends and family that know about us to be able to see through the spell."

Kasumi nodded in understanding, "Actually, the tailor I know also takes commissions for tuxedos and wedding dresses for nonhumans, I'm sure they would love to make yours. A concealing spell can be easily arranged, and a charm to give your family temporary immunity, but don't forget concealing spells also work on camera and videos, otherwise we would have been outed a long time ago. Why not hire an entire nonhuman staff? Then you don't have to worry about concealing spells and your wings won't be hidden in your photos either."

Shinichi frowned in thought, "That's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how we will find nonhumans that would be available in America to work our wedding. It's not exactly something they can advertise in the open."

"I think I would let your mom help with that as well," Kaito suggested, "She already seems to know all of the nonhumans in Vegas, I'm sure she could use word of mouth to find people we can hire. We'll have to have the tailor make two versions of our tuxedo jackets, one for our wings and one regular, so that we can take some photos with our wings hidden. That way we have photos to show people that don't know about our wings. And any photos we take on the grand stair case at the entrance will have to have our wings hidden if we aren't using concealing spells, since the stair case is outside and in view of the public."

After that discussion moved away from wedding talk and back to more regular things before they finally parted ways.

0-0-0-0-0

"Hey Hattori, look at this blood splatter. Does it look to you like…" Shinichi trailed off looking at his friend.

"Yeah, it totally does," Hattori answered.

Shinichi nodded, "So that would mean the killer…"

"…Is him," Hattori finished for him.

"Now we just need to reveal the killer. Do you want to do it?" Shinichi asked.

Hattori shook his head, "You're the one that noticed the key piece of evidence. You should do it, Kudo."

Shinichi nodded and stood from up tall from where he had been crouching near the blood splatters on the ground, his hands slipping into his pockets. "You're actually the killer, aren't you Hosoya-san?" Shinichi called out gaining the attention of the police, suspects, and witnesses. Then he proceeded to give his deductions, leading everyone through the how's and the why's of the case. Hosoya-san tried to deny his claims, bringing up his alibi, but Shinichi pointed out all of the holes in his alibi looking almost disappointed.

Once he was finished, the man had fallen to his knees, confessing to his crime and screaming about how the victim had deserved it. An officer had stepped forward to cuff him, but Hosoya caught them all off guard by springing up and making a run for it. Hattori immediately jumped in his way, moving to cut him off. There was a short tussle, but Hattori quickly overpowered the other man and soon Hosoya was lead away in handcuffs.

Shinichi wasn't surprised when as soon as he was able, Hattori dragged him off to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and Shinichi gave him an unimpressed look. "So how's the stab wound?"

Hattori winced and pulled up his shirt, revealing the wound underneath. "Luckily my shirt had ridden up right before he stabbed me, so he didn't cut through the fabric of my shirt. I don't think anyone else saw it except for you, so maybe you could give me a little help here? Think you could use those healing tears to fix me up?"

"In a moment. Do you have some kind of jar or container or something I could use to catch my tears? My healing tears only activate around wounds so I have to take advantage of this opportunity to collect some for Takemi-san," Shinichi answered.

"Come on Kudo, this isn't exactly comfortable," Hattori complained.

"Kuroba Shinichi," Shinichi reminded him automatically then gave him a deadpan look, "And if you're going to be an idiot and jump in front of a killer with a knife, someone else might as well benefit. So do you have a jar or not?"

"That's harsh! I'm bleedin out here!" Hattori yelled.

"Don't be so dramatic, you'll be fine. I can't believe I don't have a single bottle on me. I usually never leave the house without one," Shinichi said while absentmindedly patting his pockets, as if a bottle might materialize if he searched enough.

"You always heal Kuroba immediately, even when his wound is just a paper cut," Hattori pointed out.

Shinichi just shrugged, not even trying to deny it, "Kaito gets boyfriend benefits."

"Make that husband benefits now," Kaito said cheerfully as he entered the bathroom.

"I know I locked that door," Hattori grumbled.

"Kai? What are you doing here?" Shinichi asked.

"You and Hattori were late meeting me for lunch, so I figured you had run into a case. I got bored waiting, so I used our tracker rings to find you. Here, I brought you a bottle. I saw you forgot to grab one this morning before you left, and I knew that if you went out with Hattori you would need one eventually," Kaito answered.

"Thanks, Kaito," Shinichi said with a smile before taking the bottle.

Hattori exhaled loudly, "Alright, you got your bottle. Now you can hurry and fill it so that you can heal me."

"Right, of course," Shinichi answered, though his eyes flickered back to Kaito for a moment.

Hattori noticed and followed his gaze to what was distracting him. He saw Kaito leaning against the bathroom wall, scrolling on his smartphone. The magician had unbuttoned his jacket and they could now see his top underneath. Apparently Kaito had chosen to wear a crop top that said 'Trophy Husband' across the front, and the crop top gave a peak at his well-toned abs.

Hattori cleared his throat and Shinichi felt his face grow hot, knowing he had been caught. "Do ya think you could stop drooling over your husband's abs for one moment so that you can heal me?" Hattori asked sarcastically.

"I'm not staring at his abs. I'm…wondering about his shirt," Shinichi finished lamely.

Kaito looked up from his phone with a cheerful smile, "Do you like it? It's my favorite thrift shop find."

Hattori groaned, "By the time Kudo gets around to filling his stupid bottle, I will have healed myself naturally."

"Well maybe it would serve you right," Shinichi snapped back.

"Why are ya being suck a dick, Kudo?" Hattori growled back.

Before Shinichi could snap back again, he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder. "I know you're only mad because you are actually worried about him. Don't you think you have punished him enough?" Kaito asked.

"Wait, what is he talkin about? Were you worried, Kudo?" Hattori asked.

Shinichi huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, giving Hattori his best glare, "You shouldn't be so reckless just because I have healing tears now. My tears can't heal severely fatal wounds. If that knife had another two inches to the left, it could have been all over. And there's always the chance that someone might see you get injured. If someone sees you get hurt, it would look very suspicious if the injury magically disappeared, so you would be forced to heal naturally."

Hattori blinked, "I didn't realize you were so worried. But Kudo, I'm not acting any differently than I did before your nephilim heritage presented itself. I'm not being more reckless than normal because I think you can just fix me up. I already know that you can't always heal me. I was just simply stopping the killer from escaping, same as you would have done."

"It actually is rather hypocritical of you, love. You totally would have thrown yourself in front of the killer to stop them from running. In fact you have done that. Except in your case your healing tears don't work on yourself, so it's actually worse," Kaito pointed out.

Shinichi frowned but relented, "Alright I get it, both of you. I think this bottle is filled enough. Hattori, let's see that stab wound."

After he was healed, Hattori threw an arm around Shinichi's shoulder and ruffled his hair with his other hand. He laughed when Shinichi yelped indignantly. "Thanks for the heal, Kudo. Sorry for worryin ya."

Shinichi didn't bother to correct him on the name again. Hattori had called him Kudo even when he was Conan, often almost outing his secret. Besides, when Hattori called him Kudo it was almost more like a nickname at this point. So instead of correcting his friend, he just huffed and pretended to be annoyed at the hair ruffling.

Later that evening while they were both in bed, Kaito pulled him close and tucked Shinichi's head under his chin. "I know you don't like seeing someone you care about get hurt in front of you. It brings up bad memories."

Shinichi shuttered as he was briefly brought back to that rooftop, saw a figure in white with a growing red stain spreading on his chest, tried to will his healing tears out unsuccessfully, knowing he couldn't heal fatal wounds. It had been awful, knowing he had healing abilities but able to do nothing while someone he loved died in front of him. It had been years since that time on the roof with Snake and yet still Shinichi could be brought back to the awful memory in an instant. He wondered if he would ever get past it.

Kaito brought up one of his dark wings over them both, covering Shinichi like a blanket. One of his hands was tracing patterns on his back and running through his feathers. Shinichi felt his eyelids growing heavy.

"Kaito?" he asked tentatively.

"Don't worry, when you close your eyes, I'll be there in your dreams," Kaito reassured him.

Shinichi allowed his eyes to droop shut and slept peacefully.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi retched a final time, emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He grimaced and flushed before grabbing his toothbrush. "Shin-chan? Are you okay?" Kaito murmured sleepily while rubbing his eyes.

"I'm fine, sorry for waking you. Go back to bed, I'll be there in a minute," Shinichi answered.

Kaito instead asked, "Are you sick?"

Shinichi shook his head, "Probably just something I ate at that restaurant last night. I'll be fine. I'm sure it will pass soon."

"Hmm," Kaito hummed in response, looking like he was falling asleep standing up.

Once satisfied that he had rid the vomit taste from his mouth, Shinichi returned to bed, determined to get a few more hours of sleep. Kaito laid down with him and pulled Shinichi into his arms and tangled their legs together.

A few hours later and Kaito was gently shaking him awake with a fond smile. Shinichi murmured sleepily and snuggled closer to Kaito, nuzzling his face into Kaito's neck. He felt more than heard Kaito chuckle. "It's time to wake up, love. Don't forget we are meeting with Kasumi-chan today."

"Just a little longer," Shinichi murmured sleepily.

Kaito chuckled again, "Eight years together and you're still too adorable. You know I can't resist how clingy you get in the mornings."

Instead of answering, Shinichi hummed happily when he felt Kaito's fingers running through his hair.

An hour later, Kaito was shaking him awake again. Shinichi tried to convince him to let him sleep a little longer, but Kaito wouldn't budge this time.

"We've slept in too long for bacon and eggs, so we're going to have settle for cold cereal for breakfast. And no, Shinichi, skipping breakfast is not an option. As I have reminded you every morning for the past 8 years, we need the calories to hide our wings," Kaito said sounding annoyingly logical.

"I could always just eat an onigiri on the train," Shinichi offered.

He yelped when Kaito lifted him and threw him over his shoulder before walking purposefully downstairs to the kitchen. He tried to flutter his wings a couple of times in protest which just caused Kaito to playfully smack his rear. "Settle down before you make me drop you. If we waste anymore time, we are going to be late meeting Kasumi-chan."

An hour later and they finally made it to the Obsidian Wand.

Kasumi greeted them with a nod, pushing a lock of platinum blonde hair behind her ear, "Welcome back, boys. Today is a big day for you both."

Shinichi nodded, "Do you have it ready for us?"

She smiled, "Of course. And I have good news. This glamour potion will last you the maximum 40 years."

Shinichi blinked looking pleasantly surprised, "That is good news! I thought it was hard to find a witch powerful enough to brew a 40 year age glamour, so how did you get one for us?"

She answered, "Actually I asked a mutual acquaintance. She doesn't usually make age glamour potions, but she made an exception when I told her who it was for."

"Wait, do you mean Akako made our glamour potions?" Kaito asked. When Kasumi nodded, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "She didn't poison them, did she?"

Kasumi laughed, "She thought you might ask that. She said she gives her word as a witch that she did not poison the glamour potions. She said to call it a belated wedding gift."

She held out two delicate looking bottles to them. They were a lot smaller than Shinichi was expecting, one easily able to fit in the palm of his hand. He held one of the bottle up to the light and inspected the contents, noting the emerald green color.

"So how exactly does it work?" Shinichi inquired, "Do we just drank the entire bottle?"

"That's right. Once you drink it, the glamour potion will start working slowly, but immediately. You and Kaito-kun both will appear to age normally to humans for the next 40 years, though you will look like yourselves to each other and anyone else that's immune to glamours. Just keep in mind that the potions will only make you look like your aging, they won't change how your gait or movements appear to others," she instructed.

"So basically, no acrobatic stunts when we are supposed to be in our 60s," Shinichi said looking pointedly at Kaito, who gave a mischievous grin in return.

"If the glamours don't work on us, will will have some way of knowing when they stop working?" Kaito asked.

"You'll be able to instinctively feel the magic wearing off. Depending on the strength of the witch that made the potion, you'll usually have a week or two once you feel the potion beginning to weaken. That will usually give you enough time to get your affairs in order so you can 'quietly retire in the county.' But Akako was very sure of herself. She said her glamour will last exactly 40 years to the day, but you will feel the magic weakening a month before it wears off," Kasumi replied.

Shinichi nodded and handed Kaito his bottle. "Cheers, I guess."

Kaito clinked their bottles, "Here's to the true start of our immortal lives."

Both boys knocked back their bottles and swallowed the contents. Once finished Shinichi made a face of disgust while Kaito made exaggerated chocking noises. "Are you sure she wasn't trying to poison us?" Kaito demanded.

"Oh I forgot to tell you, she mentioned that as well," Kasumi answered looking the picture of innocence, "Most witches add a flavoring to their potions to make them more palatable, but Akako said she prefers to leave those out. She thinks it weakens the potions."

Shinichi gave her a weak glare, not believing for a moment that she had forgotten to warn them.

"So, dear brother," She sounded less sarcastic every time she said and Shinichi wondered if she actually secretly liked to think of Kaito as her adoptive brother, "Do you two plan to have any kids?"

Kaito blinked at her in surprise, "Ah, well Kasumi-chan, that might be a little hard for me and Shinichi?"

Kasumi blinked at them in surprise, "Why is that?"

"I thought it was obvious? The whole two dudes thing?" Kaito answered while gesturing between himself and Shinichi.

"You…you seriously don't know? You both aren't human anymore; you're nephilim, and now that you've reached your immortal age one of you is going to be able to get pregnant."

Shinichi stared at her in disbelief, waiting for her to grin and say she was joking, but she never did. His disbelief morphed to shock, the emotion filling him and not leaving room for anything else. "Kasumi-san, we can get pregnant once we reach our immortal age? And you didn't think to tell us?"

"I wrote a book! You didn't read it?" Kasumi's voice rose in volume defensively.

"I was busy!" Shinichi yelled back equally defensive.

"For five years!?" Kasumi demanded.

"I-but…alright, you might have a point," Shinichi admitted feeling the fight leave him. He looked around for a distraction and realized that Kaito was being strangely quiet. "Kaito?"

Kaito had a look of wonder on his face, "We could have a family?"

Shinichi saw it coming and tried to brace himself, but he still yelped when Kaito suddenly threw himself at him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. At some point Kaito's wings had been released and they were now quivering in happiness. "I'm thinking three kids, what do you think? I've always wanted a big family."

"Kai! Slow down, we literally just learned its possible and know nothing else about it. Shouldn't we discuss this first before you jump to how many kids we are going to have?" Shinichi tried to reason.

Kasumi rolled her eyes, "You would have already known all of this had you read my book. So what do you want to know?"

Shinichi was quiet for a moment before asking, "I remember reading in the journal that a nephilim doesn't necessarily give birth to nephilim offspring. What are the chances that our children will be human?"

Kaito sucked in a breath beside him, already figuring out where this line of questioning was going. If their children were human while they were immortal, could they watch their children age and grow old while they were stuck in time? It wasn't something either one of them wanted to think about.

Kasumi gave them a comforting smile, "That's when a nephilim has a child with a human. When two half angels reproduce, the offspring is always half angel as well."

Shinichi's shoulders sagged in relief. Maybe 8 years ago when all of this was new, he might have worried about the happiness of a child that hadn't asked for immortality but had been given it anyway. The idea had seemed so lonely at the time. But now he had been aware of the nonhuman community for 8 years, had lived among them and learned. And what he had learned was it wasn't as lonely as he had originally thought. His original thoughts on the matter was probably due to the influence of the journal when he had first learned about all of this. Anesidora had seemed very lonely indeed, so lonely in fact that at the time that Kaho had met her, the half angel had been about to take her own life.

But things weren't like they were in Anesidora's time anymore, and a large part of that was thanks to modern technology. The nonhuman community was closer than ever thanks to the internet. If you knew what to look for, it was easy to find message boards and chat rooms for nonhumans, and this made it easy for them to connect in real life as well. He doubted something like a nonhuman-only night club like the one Vox Kaneshiro owned or the bar in Vegas could have existed in Anesidora's time. But today, if Vox's cloaking spell on his bar was weakening, all he needed to do was pull out his cell phone and message the witch he purchased them from. If the witch was running low on ingredients, she could purchase more online, sometimes from a normal website, sometimes from a nonhuman only website.

Shinichi nodded to himself. Immortality no longer seemed like the curse it did 8 years ago. Any children they might have would be fine. He leaned more heavily against Kaito who was still holding him. Kaito gave him a little squeeze checking on him. Shinichi patted his arm reassuringly, "Just suddenly feel a little tired. It's a lot to take in. Kasumi-san, I assume a glamour potion is used to hide the pregnancy?"

Kasumi nodded, "You'll have to be careful though. There's a reason its preferable for nephilim to hide their wings instead of keeping them out all the time and using glamours. When you use a glamour, it makes things invisible to humans, but whatever you're hiding is still there. A human would still be able to bump into and touch wings hidden by a glamour, or in this case a pregnant belly. Your children will also be born with wings. Glamour potions and cloaking spells will need to be used until they become old enough to hide their wings themselves."

Kaito was beaming, "I bet our babies will look absolutely adorable with their tiny little wings. Shin-chan, I think we should get started immediately."

Shinichi tried to look exasperated but couldn't hold back a fond smile, "Kaito I know you're excited but what's the rush?"

"Well, you and I might be immortal, but our parents and most of our friends aren't," Kaito answered with a slightly smaller smile.

Shinichi frowned, "So the sooner we start, the more time they will have with our kids."

Kaito nodded, then smiled brightly again, "Also it will be easier for them when they babysit for us. Any kids we have will be half mine, our babysitters will need to be young enough to keep up with them."

Shinichi groaned, "They are going to be absolute terrors if they are anything like you."

Still, Shinichi couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of Kaito's child. How much would the child look like them? Would he look down at their child and see Kaito's indigo eyes blinking back at him? Would they like soccer like he does? Would they learn magic from Kaito?

And now that his brain had moved on and he allowed himself to really think about having a baby with Kaito, he realized he wanted this.

His knees suddenly felt weak and he collapsed against Kaito, who caught him immediately. "Shinichi?" Kaito asked him in alarm.

Kasumi rushed forward pushing her desk chair to him. She and Kaito both grabbed an arm and helped him sit. "Are you alright? Should I message Takemi-san or Haibara-san?" She offered.

Shinichi shook his head, "No need, I just suddenly felt a little weak. I think it already passed."

"Do you think its related to the food poisoning you had this morning?" Kaito asked, not taking his hands off Shinichi's shoulders as if to steady him.

Shinichi froze at the reminder of his vomiting episode this morning.

"He had food poisoning this morning?" Kasumi asked Kaito before addressing him, "If you're feeling nauseous I can grab you a trash can, Shinichi-kun."

Shinichi was only half listening though. It couldn't be, could it? But there wasn't enough evidence, he shouldn't jump to conclusions.

Kaito had been watching him carefully and he seemed to be following some of Shinichi's thought process. He took Shinichi's hand in his own, pulling Shinichi from his thoughts, "Shinichi, I know that face. You have an idea, but you don't know if you're correct and you don't want to share it until you gather more information. Don't keep this one to yourself. Tell me what you're thinking."

Shinichi licked his lips nervously. He knew Kaito would get excited and he didn't want to get his hopes up if he was wrong, but he didn't want to hide it or lie to his husband either. "I was just thinking that that might not have been food poisoning I had this morning."

Kaito furrowed his brow in confusion, "I hate it when you try to get me to play detective. You know I prefer to be the one making puzzles instead of solving them. If that wasn't food poisoning, what was it?"

Shinichi looked up and met his eyes, "I had nausea and vomiting this morning and I've had weakness and lethargy. I turned 26 recently, and while we aren't exactly sure when a nephilim's immortal age starts, its been estimated to be somewhere around 25-27, meaning my body could be fully changed by this point."

Kaito stared at him trying to understand, then his eyes widened. "That wasn't food poisoning, that was morning sickness."

"We don't know that yet. Its possible, but we don't have enough evidence to draw that conclusion yet," Shinichi cut in quickly.

"Well instead of speculating, let's find out," Kasumi said while grabbing her purse and putting her jacket on, hiding her tattoo like markings on her back, "I'll run to the corner store down the street and pick up a pregnancy test. Kaito-kun, watch the shop for me, I'll be right back."

They heard the bell above the door tinkle as she left and then they were left alone. Shinichi's thoughts were racing. They had only just learned about this. And it was true he had just come to the conclusion that he wanted to have a child with Kaito, did that mean he wanted one right now? What if he wasn't ready?

"Shinichi, talk to me," Kaito gently asked.

Shinichi swallowed and met Kaito's eyes again, "What if I'm a bad parent?"

After he had finished with school, he had decided against becoming a police officer and instead had become a private detective and police consultant instead. While he did have a strong sense of justice, solving mysteries had always been his first love. Being a police consultant meant he could be called in to help solve homicide cases, but he didn't have to bother writing speeding tickets or any of the other parts of police work he had no interest in. True, it also meant he wasn't granted easy access to some of the resources the police had access to, but he also hadn't had access to those recourses when he had been a high school detective and he solved cases just fine without them. Being a private detective also gave him the flexibility to help the nonhuman community when needed as well.

As a private detective, he had the ability to control his own hours, but he was a detective geek through and through. He still overworked himself, still got caught up in long cases for hours. True he had gotten better than he use to be. He at least could remember to send out a text if he got caught up in a case, and he no longer prioritized cases above plans with his family and friends unless absolutely necessary, but there was still many times he had to cancel on short notice because a case was too important to walk away from.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Kaito wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. He rested his chin on Shinichi's head and laughed softly, "How could you think for a moment that you might be a bad parent? Remember how you were with the Detective Boys? You're great with children."

Shinichi frowned, "Bringing up the Detective Boys isn't really helping your case. Those kids saw things they shouldn't have had to see at their age."

"But you kept them safe, and you taught them what to do in those situations. You didn't completely shut them out or try to shield them, but rather gave them enough that they could help with any cases they involved themselves in without endangering them. And the kids adored you," Kaito disagreed.

Shinichi smiled softly, "We will have to go visit them soon. It's been awhile since we last saw them. They should be around 16 years old at this point and if they're anything like me when I was a teenage detective, they are getting themselves into all kinds of trouble."

Kaito returned the smile, "Aren't you glad I talked you into telling them about Conan?"

"Yeah, I am. And thank you, for believing in me," Shinichi said.

Kaito gently kissed him before replying, "Of course."

They heard the tinkle of the bell again and Kasumi announced, "I'm back!"

She made her way into the back room to them and handed Shinichi a plastic bag, "Here. You can use the staff bathroom."

Shinichi took the bag and stood. Well, he was never one to run away from the truth. In just a few short minutes, they would all know if it really was just food poisoning or something else.

When the test showed positive, he really wasn't even surprised.

And he also wasn't surprised when the floodgates seemed to open for his husband, who threw himself at Shinichi with happy tears trailing down his face.

He was a little surprised when Kasumi looked a little misty-eyed herself. She shrugged when she caught Shinichi looking at her, "What? I'm excited to be an aunt."

Kaito sniffled and gave her a wicked grin, "I knew you would come around, nee-chan."

Shinichi smiled at them before bringing the conversation back, "I'll have to contact Takemi-san, either schedule an appointment with her or see if she has any recommendations for another nonhuman doctor. And I should see Haibara too. She acted as my doctor long enough and knows enough to be helpful."

"And in the mean time, you are going to read the rest of my book. There's a section that talks about nephilim pregnancy and what to expect," Kasumi admonished.

Shinichi winced, "Right, I'll do that right away. But there's one other thing I'm curious about. You said now that Kaito and I have reached our immortal age, one of us could get pregnant? Not both of us? Why is it I can get pregnant but Kaito can't?"

Kasumi did a one shoulder shrug, "There's still a lot about nephilim we don't know. Part of that is because of how rare we are, and part of it is because we are immortal, meaning few autopsies. Doesn't leave much opportunity for studies and research. There's been theories, but nothing confirmed. We have observed that nephilim that enter into a heterosexual relationship, the males don't seem to gain the ability to carry children since the females can already do so. And if a male nephilim enters into a relationship with a cambion they don't develop the ability either, probably because cambion are sterile."

"But in the case of a homosexual nephilim relationship, we don't know why one male can get pregnant but the other can't?" Shinichi pressed.

Kasumi gave him a knowing smirk, "It would probably be easier for you if you both could, since Kaito-kun here is the one that said he wants to have a large family but you'll have to be the one that carries them, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the way it works. Some think that its as simple as the one that is seen as the "submissive" in the relationship is the one that develops the ability. Only a theory of course."

Kaito laughed jovially while Shinichi flushed. He turned his lips into the shell of Shinichi's ear and whispered, "Well that may be true because let's face it; you, my love, are a bottom."

Shinichi's blush deepened and he squeaked before playfully punching Kaito's shoulder. He stopped when another thought crossed his mind.

"Kasumi-san? Uh…am I going to produce milk?" Shinichi asked hesitantly.

She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a strained smile, "Shinichi-kun, I know that you are the very curious type and curiosity isn't a bad thing. And I know that as the only other nephilim you and Kaito know, I'm a trusted source for information. In the 8 years we have gotten to know each other, I have grown rather fond of you both, have even come to think of you both as surrogate little brothers. So please do me a favor, and instead of asking me any other questions about your body, read my damn book."

Shinichi gulped, "Yes, ma'am."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi sat between Kaito's legs, his back leaning against Kaito's chest and Kaito's arms wrapped around his waist. Usually he was too embarrassed to engage in such public displays of affection, but he needed the comfort right now. He also suspected the arms around his waist were to keep him from running away. Which was really unnecessary because he wasn't planning on running. Maybe. Probably.

"Whoa, look at that one!" Genta yelled excitedly while pointing at the night sky.

"Its so pretty," Ayumi answered while Mitsuhiko nodded in agreement.

"Shinichi? Kaito-kun?"

"Oh, hey Ran. Why don't you join us?" Shinichi asked sounding a bit resigned.

Ran nodded, looking confused, but sat down on the large blanket spread across the grass. "I didn't know there was supposed to be fireworks tonight. Was their some kind of festival today?" She asked.

Shinichi sighed, "No, no nothing like that. Although don't mention festival too loudly or that might give them ideas."

Kaito chuckled and was rewarded with Shinichi elbowing him. He snuck in a kiss to the back of Shinichi's neck in silent apology.

Ran seemed to be thinking over what he had said. "I take it you finally told your parents that you're pregnant?"

"Yep," Shinichi said, popping the p noise.

Ran watched the fireworks display silently for a little longer before speaking up again, "Well honestly this is a lot more tame than what I was expecting from them."

Kaito snorted, "I said the same thing. Ow! Shin-chan, your elbows are way to boney."

"There's still the shopping spree tomorrow," Shinichi replied.

"Your mom is taking you shopping tomorrow? What for?" Professor Agasa asked while handing out snacks to the Detective Boys. Even though they were now teenagers, he couldn't resist spoiling them like they were still children on occasion.

"Probably for baby things, and I assume she will be bringing Chikage-san with her as well," Shinichi answered.

"She told you she's bringing my mom?" Kaito asked.

He shook his head, "She didn't tell me anything, actually. But I know my mother, so I know there's going to be a shopping spree and I know she will include your mom."

"Why don't you join us as well, Ran-chan? And we can invite Aoko-chan as well," Yukiko said as she walked up to join them, Yuusaku behind her.

"Dad, I can't believe you let mom arrange a fireworks display," Shinichi grumbled.

"I'm afraid your assumption is wrong this time, Shinichi," Yuusaku answered with smile.

Shinichi's eyes widened, "No way, the fireworks were your idea? Dad!"

Ran ignored Shinichi and instead addressed Yukiko, "I would love too! I'll text Aoko-chan now."

"This is going to be so much fun! And you are not allowed to run off, Shin-chan. I want to pick out a few maternity tops for you while we are out." She really was having too much fun with this.

"Well aside from the fact that it is way too early for me to need maternity clothes (I don't have anything even resembling a bump yet) I'm going to have to buy all of my tops from my usual nonhuman tailor because of my wings," Shinichi answered, trying not to look too happy.

"Aww, that's no fun. I really wanted to pick you out some cute tops. Ran-chan, if I bought some tomorrow do you think you could alter them?" Yukiko asked turning to his childhood friend.

Shinichi whipped around and looked up at Ran from his sitting position, giving her wide, pleading eyes.

Ran didn't stand a chance. "I'm sorry Yukiko-san, but I'm afraid I'm really busy with work right now. I'm still working hard training under my mom to be a lawyer.

"Aw, too bad. I guess it can't be helped."

Ran gave a strained smile before saying, "Excuse me, would you mind if I borrowed Shinichi for a moment?"

She didn't wait for an answer and grabbed Shinichi's wrist, pulling him out of Kaito's lap, and a few feet away out of ear shot. "Shinichi! You can't just make faces like that!"

He gave her a confused look, "Why not? I use to do it all the time as Conan."

"I know, I recognized the look," she said looking unimpressed before looking worried again, "But still you shouldn't do it. You're young and attractive, and it's not unusual for young men to be victims too these days. Plus you tend to be a magnet for trouble."

"Victims? Of what?"

"You're wasting your breath, Ran-chan. Shinichi is completely oblivious about these kind of things when it pertains to himself," Kaito said from behind them. He turned to Shinichi with a leer, "But feel free to make that face at me whenever you want."

Shinichi frowned at him, "I don't get it, but I can tell you're being a pervert again."

Ran sighed and leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees and talking to Shinichi's (currently) flat stomach, "You daddy might be smart, but he can still be an idiot sometimes. Hopefully you don't turn out as oblivious as your daddy."

"Oi!" Shinichi protested.

"Actually, I'm going to be daddy, and Shinichi is going to be mommy," Kaito proudly announced.

"I never agreed to that," Shinichi argued.

"But the baby is going to come from your tummy. Doesn't the make you the mom, Co-I mean Shinichi-kun?" Genta asked.

"You gotta admit its sound logic," Haibara added.

Shinichi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there any chance that this is not going to stick?"

"I think its cute! You're going to make a great mommy," Ayumi said excitedly.

Shinichi just sighed, already knowing he had lost.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi opened the dryer and pulled out the laundry into the waiting basket. He gave one final sweep for any socks that might be hiding before hoisting the basket onto his hip and walking back to the bedroom, then he began folding and putting the laundry away.

Kaito was currently at the theater doing the light check for his upcoming show. Once he had graduated, he had followed in his father's footsteps like he had always planned and become a magician. He had quickly built a name for himself and critics were saying that despite his youth, he was already at the level of his dad and would easily surpass him within a few short years. Shinichi couldn't be happier for him.

Shinichi on the other hand had a rare day off today. No cases seemed to need his immediate attention either on the human or nonhuman side. Once he had learned that Shinichi had the day off, Kaito had promised that he would finish up the light test as quickly as possible and cut his day short to spend the rest of the day with him. Shinichi had tried to tell him that that wasn't necessary, but he had secretly been pleased. Kaito of course had seen right through him.

Once Kaito had left (but only after he had given Shinichi a kiss that made his knees feel weak, then pressing another kiss to his stomach that had made his heart feel full) he had noticed all of the house work the two of them had been neglecting recently. He was determined to get some of it done so that once Kaito got home, they could both relax the rest of the day.

The only problem was how easily he tired now.

He had let his wings out long ago, not wanting to spare any extra energy to hide them when it wasn't necessary. In fact, he rarely hid his wings these past few weeks and instead opted for glamour potions whenever he needed to hide them. He knew the risks of walking around in public with wings that were invisible but still very much corporeal, but he just didn't have the energy to hide them lately. He just hoped once his energy returned, he wouldn't have to work to get his stamina back up again like he had all those years ago when this was still new.

But even though he wasn't expanding extra energy to hide his wings, he still tired quickly and easily. It wasn't unusual for him to suddenly grow tired mid task and need a nap to recharge. This had only dialed up Kaito's protective instincts. He wasn't allowed to leave the house alone anymore, and whenever he tried to do any housework, Kaito always seemed to take the task away from him with a little smile on his face and insisted that Shinichi sit down and take a break.

Shinichi found it partially endearing, but also frustrating. Kaito was working hard for his shows, he didn't need to come home and have all of the housework as well. It made Shinichi feel like he wasn't doing his part. So at the very least the detective could wash the dishes, vacuum the floors, and put away the laundry. The dishes and floors were done, but he was only half way through with the laundry when he felt his energy leaving him. This was ridiculous, it hadn't even been 2 hours. He tried to ignore it, but then a wave of dizziness passed over him. Alright, maybe he would just sit on the edge of the bed for a moment. He waited for the dizziness to pass. He only had a few more articles of clothing left. He just needed a few minutes to rest, then he could finish the laundry.

His eyes grew heavy and he felt them slip closed.

When he opened them again, Kaito was holding him.

"Oh, Kaito I didn't hear you come in. Welcome home," Shinichi said with a yawn.

Kaito frowned at him, "Shinichi I didn't just get home, you've been asleep for nearly an hour. Or at least I got home an hour ago and found you asleep, I'm not actually sure how long you were asleep for before I got here."

Shinichi blinked at him, confused, "Okay? So I took a little nap."

Kaito sighed, "I'm not concerned that you took a nap. I'm concerned because it looked more like you had passed out from exhaustion. You were laying on the edge of the bed on top of the covers clearly in the middle of putting away our laundry. I'm worried that you pushed yourself too hard."

It was Shinichi's turn to frown and he crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't even care if it looked like he was pouting. "I didn't push myself too hard. It was just some light housework. I wasn't even working for two hours."

"My love, the doctor and Haibara both told us that the first trimester would be particularly draining. You don't currently have the energy for stuff like that. You need to take care of yourself more," Kaito admonished.

Shinichi's frown deepened, "Kaito, I'm fine."

Kaito didn't let up, "Shinichi, I know you are the king of overworking yourself, but don't forget your actions now impact the health of our baby as well. You have to take care of yourself, otherwise you could hurt the baby."

Shinichi stilled, then suddenly felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Uh, stupid hormones. He couldn't believe how much he had cried these past few weeks. He furiously tried to wipe them away. "I don't want to hurt our baby, but I don't want to be useless either."

Kaito peppered him with kisses, "You aren't useless. Your job is so much harder than mine. You are growing our child inside of you, and they are healthy because of you! I can't do anything to help with that part, I have to leave it all to you. And I have to watch you deal with the morning sickness and the lack of energy, and I can't do anything to help you. If anyone should feel useless, its me. So the least I can do is keep up on the house work so that you can rest. My job and house work only takes so much time. But you can't take a break from being pregnant, its a 24/7 job for you."

Shinichi sniffed, his tears drying, "I didn't know you felt that way, Kai. You aren't useless."

"How about I'll stop calling myself useless if you do the same?" Kaito offered, pressing a kiss to each of his eyelids.

Shinichi let out a little hum, "It's a deal."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi stood in front of the mirror, holding his shirt up and inspecting his stomach. He had thankfully left the first trimester behind and was now in the second. The morning sickness had been awful, and also apparently poorly named. Why was it called morning sickness when it seemed to happen any time it wanted?

Now that he was well into the second trimester, there was most definitely an obvious baby bump. There was no mistaking that he was pregnant, no hiding it under loose clothing. He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to feel. He had been raised human, was human for most of his life until just a few years ago, and human males couldn't get pregnant. As such he had never really thought about what it might be like. But his body had gone through so many changes, done so many things that he had been taught was impossible. Shrinking back to a child from a teenager, rapidly growing back to a teenager but now with wings, and now carrying his and Kaito's baby. At this point he wasn't sure anything would surprise him anymore.

Conan had been…not the worst, but it had definitely been a rough time for him. And in the beginning, being half-angel had been scary, especially during that period when he found out he was immortal and had felt so, so alone. But he knew if he could go back and do it all again, he wouldn't change a thing, because they had all led him to here, to Kaito.

He rubbed a hand over his grown belly and felt small, shifting movements. They were too light to be felt from the outside, but it was only a matter of another week or two. He smiled softly, feeling those small movements inside of him. Kaito would be so delighted when he could feel them too.

Yeah, if he could go back and do it all again, he knew he wouldn't change a single thing.

"Look at you, you're so beautiful."

He blushed and turned around, pulling his wings closer self-consciously. He hadn't heard Kaito enter the room. "You're ridiculous. I look like I swallowed a watermelon."

Kaito snorted at the clear exaggeration, "You look good like this. Really good. I can't keep my hands off of you."

Shinichi's blush deepened at the reminder of this morning's activities…and then again after breakfast. Not to mention yesterday, and the day before. Kaito really hadn't been able to keep his hands off of him lately. And Shinichi had to admit, he wasn't exactly complaining.

Kaito came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. Shinichi shivered at the feeling of his wings brushing against Kaito's chest. Kaito gave him a gentle squeeze, then his hands moved to Shinichi's belly, giving it a little caress then simply holding. It made Shinichi smile and his own hand came up to rest on top of Kaito's, lacing their fingers.

"Don't tell me you've discovered you have a pregnancy kink?" Shinichi half joked.

Kaito seemed to really give it some thought, "I don't think that's quite right. I think its the fact that its you, and you're carrying my baby."

Shinichi understood, not that he would say it out loud. There was a part of him that felt a bit fulfilled carrying Kaito's child. It was like seem deep, primal instinct was pleased.

Kaito's hands had moved lower, massaging his thighs as his lips moved to nibble on Shinichi's neck. Shinichi's heart sped as he felt Kaito press against him, feeling that Kaito was growing hard. Kaito's hands came back up and began to circle his sensitive nipples and Shinichi's breath quickened. He couldn't hold back a small noise when those talented fingers finally brushed against one of his nubs.

Kaito whispered into his ear in a husky voice, "Next baby won't be a surprise. When we are ready, I'll fill you until you're completely full and plug you up so it can't leak out. I'll fill you every day until we are sure you're pregnant."

Shinichi couldn't hold back a moan.

Maybe Kaito wasn't the only one with a new kink.

0-0-0-0-0

"Kudo!" Hattori said while kicking down his door.

Shinichi groaned, "Hattori, learn to use the door knob like a normal person!"

"No time, Kudo. I've got a case, and I could use another set of eyes on it."

Shinichi huffed out a breath, "I can't go anywhere, Hattori. My belly is so big at this point that even with a glamour potion, I still can't disguise my gait and posture."

Hattori poorly disguised a snort of laughter, "Ya mean yer so big that you walk with a waddle?"

"No, that is not what I meant. I am thankfully not that big. And pregnancy waddles, while common, don't happen to all pregnant people. My gait may be different, but its far from a waddle," he said with a glare.

"Sure, sure, whatever you say," the Osakan replied, "But don't worry, Kudo. You don't have to go anywhere. I've got the case files right here, we can solve it just from these."

Shinichi's face brightened, "You have the case files? Can I see?"

Hattori snickered again, "With that face, you look more like an excited kid than ya ever did as Conan."

"Oh shut up. It's been weeks since I've had a good mystery," Shinichi answered, not letting his mood be ruined.

They read and discussed the case files for a couple of hours before an alarm on Hattori's phone began to chime. "What's that?" Shinichi asked curiously.

"Ah, that's my reminder that I set. It's time ta get some food in ya," Hattori said while standing and walking to the kitchen.

Shinichi blinked in surprise, "You have an alarm set to remind yourself that I need to eat?"

"Well yeah," Hattori answered as if it was obvious, "I know of your tendency to skip meals when you're working on a case…"

"Well that's the pot calling the kettle black."

"AND," Hattori continued as if he hadn't interjected, "We can't have ya skipping meals when you're eating for two right now."

Shinichi smiled, touched by the his thoughtful friend, "You're going to be so great for Kazuha-chan when she's pregnant."

Hattori's whole face turned red, "Kudo! We only just got married last year. It's way to early to be discussing stuff like that right now."

Shinichi laughed, absentmindedly rubbing his belly, "Well if you wait too much longer, their might be too much of an age gap for our kids to bond. Then they won't become best friends."

Hattori's face was a mix and shocked and distraught, "But the Kudo-Hattori friendship! It's gotta continue to the next generation!"

"You do realize my children's are going to be Kurobas, right? Just like I am now Kuroba Shinichi?" He said though he knew it was a waste of breath.

"Right, of course. I forgot again," Hattori automatically replied before asking, "So any specific requests for food? I know that pregnant people can get all kinds of weird cravings."

"Coffee?" Shinichi asked hopefully.

"Right, maybe if I wanted Kuroba to kill me," Hattori flat out rejected.

"Worth a try, I wasn't sure how much knowledge you have about pregnant people," Shinichi said not looking at all sorry that he had nearly gotten his friend murdered by his over protective husband. "Actually I could really go for some marshmallows and peanut butter right now. Marshmallows should be on the top shelf in the left cabinet."

"Not the weirdest craving I've heard, actually sounds like it wouldn't be that bad," he answered while rummaging around the cabinet reaching for the requested items.

"Thanks," Shinichi said accepting the items when Hattori returned.

"No problem. So common Kudo, are ya going to tell me if your havin a boy or girl yet?"

"No way! We are trying to keep it a secret as long as possible to slow as much of our mothers' shopping as we can. We already have one of the spare bedrooms filled with gender neutral baby toys and clothes. Can you imagine how much worse it would be once they know what gender to shop for?" Shinichi said with a small shudder.

"Aw com'mon! Your secret is safe with me," Hattori said.

Shinichi gave him a deadpan look, "Says the guy that couldn't stop calling me 'Kudo' when I was Conan."

"That was different. I've kept it a secret that you're a nephilim!" Hattori argued.

Shinichi pointed a marshmallow dipped in peanut butter accusingly, "Only because the only people you talk to about me all know my secret, so you haven't really had to keep it from anyone. I know the moment I tell you the baby's gender, you'll tell Kazuha. And Kazuha will tell Ran. And it will become a domino effect until everyone knows, including mine and Kaito's mothers."

"Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll just figure it out for myself using my detective skills!" Hattori announced, "You had morning sickness yer first 12 weeks, you're carrying high, you're craving marshmallows which are sweet, and you said you don't walk with a pregnancy waddle which some could argue means you walk gracefully. All of these signs point to you having a girl!"

Shinichi gave him an unimpressed look, "Those pregnancy signs are all old wive's tales and are not supported by science or facts. But you already know that, and you know that I know that as well. What you are doing is randomly guessing and trying to gauge my reaction. But I'm afraid being married to Kaitou KID means that I've picked up at least a little of his poker face skills, so you aren't going to get it out of me that way."

"Damn, I was hoping that would work. Come on, Kudo, I'm your best friend! You can trust me. I know I messed up a lot calling you Kudo when you were brat sized, but when it mattered you knew you could rely on me. And your already 8 months pregnant, your baby could literally come any day now. Even if they did find out, I doubt they could do that much shopping in such a short amount of time," Hattori pleaded.

Shinichi let out a sigh, "Fine. But I'm swearing you to secrecy. It's a boy."

"A boy? That's fantastic! I mean of course I would have been just as excited for a girl. Do ya have a name yet?" Hattori asked with a large, excited grin.

Shinichi nodded, rubbing his belly again, "His name is Hikaru. Kuroba Hikaru."

"Kuroba Hikaru," Hattori said testing the name, "I like it. So he's gonna have wings too, right? Any idea of what color or what gift they might have?"

Shinichi shook his head, "There really isn't any way to know unfortunately, so it will just have to be a surprise. But if the baby takes after Kaito even a little bit, I hope their gift is something that won't cause a lot of trouble."

Hattori grimaced at the thought, "Yeah I could see why you would hope so. Imagine a mini Kuroba with green wings that can talk to animals, and he teams up with Kuroba's doves to pull off bigger pranks."

Shinichi shuddered, "Don't even joke, you might will it into existence."

"So you told him? You lasted longer than I thought," Kaito teased while entering the room.

"Kai, welcome back. Let me help you put away the groceries," Shinichi offered moving as if he was going to stand.

Hattori waved him off, "Sit your pregnant ass back down before your feet swell, I can help Kuroba. But don't you dare touch those case files while I'm gone and try to solve the case without me. That would be cheating."

He rolled his eyes, "As if I need to cheat to solve this case before you."

Shinichi listened to them moving around the kitchen putting away the groceries Kaito had just purchased. The sounds were comforting in that way soft noises from another room could be when you knew the noises were from people you trusted and you were safe. Without realizing it, his eyelids drooped closed and soon he was asleep.

He drifted in that strange place between wake and sleep, semi aware of the noises around him.

"Looks like he's asleep. Thanks for coming over and bringing those case files with you. I know it must have cheered him up. He hasn't said anything, but I know he's been missing solving cases."

He felt a warm weight settle on the couch next to him. He was pulled closer to the warmth and he felt feathers brushing his skin as they wrapped around him, like a warm blanket. A hand came to rest on his grown belly, thumb gently rubbing. He sighed happily and leaned into the warmth.

"You don't need to thank me. Solvin a case with Kudo is always fun. We might not have solved this one before he fell asleep, but I'm confident that we made enough progress that we will get it tomorrow."

"Will you be staying in one of the guest rooms?"

"Ya, Kazuha will be here soon too. She's currently at Ran-chan's visiting her, but we both will be sleeping here. We plan ta stay the weekend."

"I'm sure Shinichi will be happy to have your company. He's getting a little bored since he can't really leave the house anymore."

The voices faded as Shinichi drifted deeper into sleep.

By the next morning, every one of their friends and family knew that they were having a boy. He really shouldn't have been surprised.

0-0-0-0-0

"Hikaru, you can come out any day now. Your daddy and I would love to meet you," Shinichi told his baby bump.

He heard a small sniff and looked up to meet Kaito's watering eyes. He couldn't stop a small laugh, "Are you really going to cry again? It's because I referred to you as daddy, isn't it?"

"I can't help it! I'm just so happy. I can't wait to meet him," Kaito said while pulling Shinichi into his arms and resting his head on his shoulder.

Shinichi rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. His arms came up automatically, one wrapping around Kaito and the other burying in the magician's hair. His large, white wings wrapped around him. "I'm supposed to be the one with all of the crazy hormones but I think you've cried more than I have during the pregnancy."

Kaito snorted but didn't lift his head from Shinichi's shoulder. "That's not true. Just yesterday, you started crying when we were packing the hospital bag. I seem to remember you clutching Hikaru's socks and crying while repeating "they're so small!""

Shinichi playfully smacked his shoulder, "Fine, we are both emotional messes right now."

Kaito hummed in agreement, then asked, "Do you think Hikaru might be ready soon?"

Shinichi sighed, "I hope so? My estimated due date was a week ago. Takemi-san said if I don't go into labor by 2 weeks past my due date, they will induce me. But I hope I don't have to wait another week. I'm as big as a house right now, it's not exactly comfortable."

Kaito chuckled and sat up so that he could kiss Shinichi's temple. "You are nowhere near the size of a house. Maybe just a tool shed."He laughed harder when Shinichi punched him again. "I'm joking, Shin-chan. You know I think you look adorable. I can't wait to meet our son but I'm going to miss your baby bump."

Shinichi huffed, "I won't. I'm ready for it to be over. Hopefully Hikaru will be ready soon and won't make me wait another week."

Of course his bad luck struck again, he really shouldn't have been surprised. Hikaru stubbornly stayed in his belly for another whole week. He was a healthy baby, happily kicking away, choosing the worst moments to kick Shinichi's bladder and causing the detective to hurry to the bathroom. He just wasn't in any rush to come out.

So two weeks after his expected due date, Kaito drove them to the hospital for Shinichi to be induced. There, a nurse met them with a wheelchair for Shinichi and led them to a prepared hospital room. Soon they would be meeting their son.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi groaned as another contraction started. He had an IV drip of a medication that was causing his contractions, starting off short and weak and slowly getting stronger and lasting for longer durations. The only problem was that inducing labor instead of natural labor tended to take longer and usually was more painful. When a well meaning nurse had told him that induced labors could take up to 2-3 days, he had nearly thrown something at them.

"You're doing great, love," Kaito told him, poker face cracking while Shinichi squeezed his hand in a death grip.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you," Shinichi panted through the contraction, "I am never doing this again. If you get me pregnant again, I'm going to cut it off."

Kaito just smiled and hoped when this was over, he would still have use of his crushed fingers.

This time Kaito's luck seemed to be stronger because Shinichi's labor only lasted for 12 hours rather than the 2-3 days it could have lasted. Once the process actually started, it was only a few minutes later that the cries of their newborn son could be heard.

Shinichi slowly blinked tired eyes up at the hospital ceiling, feeling exhausted. He barely registered the nurse he had tried to throw something at patiently cleaning him up while another nurse attended to their baby.

Once Hikaru was cleaned up and weighed, he was placed into Kaito's waiting arms. "Shinichi, he's beautiful," Kaito said in wonder.

He carefully transferred Hikaru to Shinichi's arms. Shinichi looked down at felt his eyes growing wet. "Hello, Hikaru. I'm so happy to finally meet you. Your daddy and I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Hikaru's cries had soften to small little hiccups.

"What's his wing color?" Kaito asked curiously.

Shinichi pulled back part of the blanket Hikaru was swaddled in until he could see the tiny little wings on their babies back. His wings were completely feathered, unlike just hatched baby birds. They were tiny, far too small to be used for flight, but he knew they would grow larger in a few years. They were also sunset red.

"Sunset red. The ability to control fire. Somehow, and I don't know how, this is your fault," Shinichi told Kaito, though he was smiling.

"I'll work on fire proofing the house, but at least he won't be able to use his gift until he's a little older," Kaito answered with a smile of his own.

0-0-0-0-0

"You are going to want to kick the ball with the inside of your foot. If you do that, with practice, you can control where the ball goes," Shinichi instructed patiently.

"Like this, mommy?" Hikaru asked while giving the ball a few experimental kicks.

Shinichi leaned down and ruffled the wild hair, "Yeah, just like that. Great job."

Hikaru gave him a wide smile, happy to be praised. The smile looked so much like Kaito's, it made Shinichi's heart ache. It wasn't just his smile either; his eyes, his nose, his fingers, all where Kaito's features. Really, Hikaru was the spitting image of his dad.

"Really, you could look at least a little like me. It's like I had nothing to do with it when I'm the one that carried you for 42 weeks," Shinichi muttered under his breath.

"Are you pouting that our son doesn't look like you again?" Kaito asked with a teasing laugh, "He might look like me in appearance but personality wise he takes after you more."

"Well, not exactly like me, but that's not a bad thing," Shinichi admitted.

It was true. As Hikaru grew older and his personality came out more, between his two parents he did take after Shinichi more. Nobody was surprised that their child was incredibly smart, but his mind seemed to work more similar to Shinichi's than Kaito's. While he clearly had potential for magic tricks, he was more interested in figuring how the trick worked rather than doing it himself. He also enjoyed books quite a bit. Though children generally didn't start reading until they were 6, he was already starting to read on his own at only 5 years of age. He didn't care much for Sherlock Holmes, but he was still young, so Shinichi hadn't given up hope yet. (Years later he would be mildly disappointed when he had to give up and admit their son didn't enjoy mystery novels at all. The fact that he also didn't care much for Lupin at least took most of the sting out of it.)

"Well its true he doesn't seem to run into dead bodies as often as you do. Actually he hasn't run across a single dead body, but considering he's only 5 I think we can both agree that's a good thing," Kaito said.

"My dad started taking me with him to cases when I was about his age," Shinichi pointed out.

"And we can both agree that that is not a good way to bond with your child and we are lucky you turned out so well adjusted," Kaito answered.

"Wait a second, Kaito where is our son?" Shinichi asked while looking around frantically.

"Uhh…" Kaito answered looking at the lone soccer ball in the middle of the backyard, "We only just took our eyes off of him for a moment."

"Mommy, daddy, look! I'm up so high!" They heard from above them.

They looked up and saw Hikaru sitting on the branch of the tree in their backyard, his crimson wings flapping happily behind him. Moving on instinct instead of thought, Kaito's and Shinichi's wings both exploded out, both launching themselves into the air almost before their wings had fully come out. Kaito was faster due to his wings being larger and he reached Hikaru first with Shinichi not far behind.

"Hikaru! Since when can you fly? You're much to young for that," Kaito said in surprise while he scooped up the young boy before he could fall out of the tree.

"We need to get down before somebody spots us," Shinichi said looking around to see if anyone was watching them now that he knew his son was safe.

They flew back down to the ground and Hikaru's bottom lip started to quiver, clutching Kaito tightly in his small little fists. "Did I do something bad?" He asked in a small voice.

Both dotting parents fell over themselves comforting and reassuring him. "Daddy and I were just afraid you might get hurt," Shinichi assured him.

"Next time you want to fly, let mommy and I know first so that we can watch you and help you if needed," Kaito added.

"But Hikaru, remember how we told you that you can't let humans see your wings?" Shinichi gently asked. He waited for him to nod before continuing, "If you fly up that high, someone might be able to see you. It's okay to have your wings out when you're in the backyard because the wall around the house will hide you, but when you are up that high anyone can see you."

Hikaru looked down for a moment, seeming to think over what Shinichi had said, before looking back up and nodding, "Okay mommy, I won't do it again."

Kaito kissed the top of his head, "That's my son."

"Come on, it's almost time for dinner. You two go wash up and I'll get it ready," Shinichi said smiling.

"You run inside Hikaru, I'll see if mommy needs any help in the kitchen," he continued in a stage whisper, "Maybe if I help, mommy will be in a good mood and will let us have an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert."

"Yay!" Hikaru cried out before running inside excitedly to wash his hands.

"So he's flying now, huh?" Shinichi asked resting his cheek in his hand, looking tired.

"I thought Kasumi-chan said nephilim children didn't start flying until they were at least 8," Kaito said.

"This is your fault," Shinichi replied.

"Why is it my fault, love?"

"Because anytime our son does something troublesome, its your fault. You're the trouble maker between the two of us."

Kaito chuckled and brushed a wing against Shinichi's, "You aren't exactly completely innocent either. Shall I list off all of the times you've gotten yourself into trouble?"

Shinichi's memories turned to men in black, bomb scares, getting thrown out the window of an airship by terrorists, and he shakes his head to clear away the memories before more come to mind and replies, "That won't be necessary."

"At least he hasn't been able to use his fire abilities yet," Kaito answers.

Shinichi nods, "We should keep a fire extinguisher in every room just to be safe. Kasumi-san said most nephilim children can't use their ability until they are 12 to 14, but it would be better to be safe than sorry."

They made their way inside and began cooking while Hikaru sat at the table coloring happily, swinging his little legs under the table and his little wings flapping in time with his kicks. Shinichi was glad they had made the effort to learn to cook all those years ago. It was healthier and set a better example for Hikaru rather than eating out all the time. Once dinner was ready, they sat down to eat.

Shinichi watched Kaito help Hikaru with his chopsticks and felt his heart swell. All those years ago when he had followed those men in black at Tropical Land, he never would have guessed it would lead him here. He smiled at his family and can't help but think he must be the luckiest guy in the world.

"So Hikaru, Christmas will be coming up soon. What are you going to ask Santa for?" Kaito asks their son.

Hikaru looks up in excitement, "I want someone to play with. I'm going to ask Santa for a baby brother or sister!"

Both boys startle in surprise before looking at each other. Then Kaito smiles at him while answering Hikaru, "Well I don't think Santa could give you a baby brother or sister by this Christmas, but I bet he could by next Christmas. What do you think, Shinichi?"

Shinichi reaches across the table and places his hand over Kaito's. Kaito automatically flips his hand palm up and laces their fingers. Shinichi can feel himself smiling and knows he must look like a love sick fool, but he doesn't care.

"I think I agree."

0-0-0-0-0
Wow, this really ended up being a long one, didn't it? My original idea for it was so small, but that seed really grew. I can't believe it. I hope everyone liked it!

The doctor (Takemi) was inspired by the doctor from persona 5, though she never actually made an appearance in this fanfic. The vampire was inspired by a vtuber whose model design I liked. Hattori's wolf man form is inspired by the anime/manga Bungo Stray Dogs. If you want an idea of what I was going for as for as how his shifted for looks, search "tiger Bungo Stray Dogs" but imagine wolf features instead of tiger. A lot of the lore about the nonhuman community was inspired or borrowed from Cassandra Clare's Shadow Hunter novels.

Shinichi's age is pretty inconsistent in the anime/manga. Sometimes he is referred to as 16 (Ex: in Great Detective Turned Small) and sometimes as 17 (Ex: An Idol's Locked Room Murder Case). Kaito is said to be 17. So I HC that Shinichi was poisoned and shrunk at 16 and Kaito was 17. Is it canon? No, but neither is my fanfic. In my story, Shinichi regained his original body at 18, and Kaito was 19. I guess this is a bit of a retcon for me because at the end of Unfold Your Wings, Shinichi said he and Kaito both just turned 18 that year. Yeah, whoops.

I don't usually enjoy the taste of alcohol, but I have recently discovered I don't hate expresso martinis and thought Shinichi might like them too.

When I was writing this, I originally planned for Kaito and Shinichi to have 4 children. Kaito would talk Shinichi into three because he "always wanted a big family," and Shinichi would be like "fine, but this time is the last! No more babies after this, only three!" Then he would find out that he's pregnant with twins. I thought it would be really funny. Now I didn't end up writing that, but it's what would have happened if the story continued so I guess its basically cannon?

The parts where Shinichi is pregnant took heavy inspiration from The Elemoria Chronicles series by Queen_B, particularly part 4 "Having You." (Now that I think about it, Kaito and Shinichi had 4 kids with the last two being twins in that one too. That was honestly a coincidence.) If you are into tooth rotting fluff and don't hate mpreg, I would absolutely recommend it. I know I didn't really write much about Shinichi being pregnant and I barely wrote anything at all after Hikaru was born, so if you feel like you didn't get your fix, now you have a great recommendation to read. They write it better than me anyway 😅

I have plenty more ideas for my more Kaishin fanfics. I think the next thing I write will be another Side Effects Include series addition, but I also have plans for other KaiShin fanfics that aren't a part of the Side Effects series including one for a Hanahaki Disease fanfic 👀 If that interests you, make sure you keep an eye out for it and maybe consider subscribing to me so you don't miss it.

Hey you want to know an easy way to make my entire day? Leave me a comment :) Doesn't matter how short, I will still cherish it. Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one!