(Tw: mentions of thoughts of suicide)

This is a rewrite of a previous side effects include fanfic. If you have read the original, I think you'll find that it has drastically been changed, for the better I hope.

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Shinichi sat on a bench outside of one of the city's newest additions to its many skyscrapers. Any of the floors in the building could be temporarily rented for events such as a wedding reception, an art exhibit, or a number of other things. Tonight was the first night that it was to open, and the first company the owner rented to was a jewel collector. It was a smart choice, Shinichi admitted, because the jeweler had a fantastic collection to show in an exhibit that was sure to draw in a crowd, but there was a certain person in particular that the show was bound to attract, or more specifically, a certain thief. To the owner's delight, Kaitou KID had sent out a notice that he would target a piece from the jeweler's displayed collection, and wherever KID went, the press followed. The press would double as free advertising for the new building and the jeweler didn't need to worry about his collection because KID always returned what he stole.

Inhaling deeply, Shinichi finally stood and stretched his legs. Standing up still felt strange to him. The ground seemed so far away! It had been five days since he had regained his original body, and he still wasn't use to it. Well, it wasn't just his change of height that was taking some getting us to, and it wasn't fully accurate to call this his "original body" either.

The cure to the apotoxin had come with some strange side effects, side effects that had changed him. But now wasn't the time to think about that. Instead he adjusted the shoulder straps of the large backpack on his back and headed inside the building.

As soon as he entered the building, he could hear the commotion of the task force. He stood in the lobby of the first floor, the noise was coming from the floor above in the gallery, but still easily audible. Inspector Nakamori really had an impressive set of lungs on him. The lobby had a couple officers scattered here and there, double checking ventilation shafts and other places KID might use, and they hadn't noticed him yet. It was sloppy of them considering he knew he must look suspicious right now in his long trench coat and the large backpack on his back. He shook his head in disappointment and slipped past the officers before they could notice him and made his way to the stairwell, heading for the roof.

Once he made it onto the roof, he let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't been sure he would make it this far without getting stopped by KID's task force. If they had questioned him and asked to see inside his backpack, it would have been over. It was unexpected good luck for him that he had made it this far. Now onto the next part.

If he were a sniper that was targeting KID, where would he hide?

'Based on the wind direction and the buildings surrounding us, KID will most likely escape by glider in that direction. Which means the sniper will most likely hide…to the west,' he thought to himself.

He eyed the neighboring building, trying to decide if the sniper would be on the roof or using a window on one of the floors.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a cheerful voice behind him, ""Tantei-kun! what an delightful surprise. I didn't know you were attending my heist tonight, and in that body no less. Is this one permanent?"

Shinichi turned to the thief behind him. He stood in the shadows created by the roof door, barely visible. "It is. Conan has officially gone to join his parents in America, and Kudo Shinichi will be making his return soon."

KID flashed him a grin and gave him a round of applause, "Congratulations! Have you also taken down the crows you have been pursuing as well?"

Shinichi shook his head, "Not yet, but everything is almost in place for us to move in on them. Actually, that's part of why I'm here tonight. I came to warn you tha…"

"Hold that thought, tantei-kun," KID held a finger to an ear bud in his ear, obviously listening to something, "Inspector Nakamori finally got out of that trap and will be up here in just a moment. If I had known you would be here, I would have used more complicated traps to buy us some extra time. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this one short tonight. "

"Wait, KID!" Shinichi called out.

KID had already stepped out of the shadows and was running for the edge of the roof, but just as he made it to the edge, a shot rang out, and Shinichi watched in horror as the arm of KID's white suit jacket turned red before KID fell and disappeared from view.

0-0-0-0-0

Haibara and Conan sat across from each other in the shrunken scientists lab in the professor's basement. Between them sat a small pill bottle with a single white capsule inside. Conan finally broke the silence, "So this is it? The final cure?"

Haibara nodded, "That's it. I'm sure of it. Are you sure you want to take it?"

It was Conan's turn to nod.

"Even knowing the risk? The apotoxin has been in you long enough that the cure could kill you," Haibara asked.

Conan looked at her, eyes determined, "I won't die."

Haibara smiled with resignation, "I knew you would say something like that."

"I notice there is only one capsule in the bottle," it was less a question and more a statement.

"This is what I wanted, a chance to start over free from the organization. I didn't expect my second chance to be in this form, but it's better this way. Nothing good is waiting for Miyano Shiho anyway, but Haibara Ai…" she trailed off.

Conan smiled at her, "I'm happy for you. And thank you, for all of your help."

Haibara turned her head away, looking embarrassed, "Thank me after you survive."

Without another word, Conan opened the pill bottle and swallowed the capsule. He might have been imagining it, but it felt like it burned the entire way down. Within a few minutes, he felt a familiar feverish heat. It was painful, as always, but he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to cry out. Sweat began to gather on his forehead and he gritted his teeth as the pain intensified. He began to feel a pressure building in the center of his chest, and it was hard to breathe. He was starting to feel lightheaded.

"You're having a heart attack," Haibara announced while shoving a mask onto his face, the other end attached to an oxygen tank.

He felt like he couldn't breathe. His chest ached, and his vision was starting to darken around the edges. He felt a small pinch and looked down to see that Haibara had poked him with a needle and was injecting something into him. He distractedly registered that his hands were much larger than they had been just moments ago. So the cure was working, but would he survive long enough to see it fully take affect? How was it even working when his heart was struggling to pump blood for him?

The mask was pulled away from his face and a hand shoved a pill down his throat. He thought immediately of men in black coats and tried to cough it back up.

"It's an aspirin, you idiot. Swallow the damn pill, its to stop your platelets from clumping," Haibara yelled at him.

He could tell it was already too late. He felt himself slipping away. His vision was fully gone now, and he could barely feel the pain anymore. He found Haibara's hand and gave it a weak squeeze, trying to tell her it would be alright, until he couldn't hold on anymore. Then he let go.

Suddenly pain flared from his back like nothing he had ever felt before. His eyes flew open in shock, and he let out a scream of pain. The pressure in his chest was gone, and his vision had returned, but all he could focus on was the fire burning just beneath the skin on his back. The apotoxin was nothing compared to this. He hadn't know real pain until this moment.

He could feel something pushing beneath his back, as if something large was trying to escape from inside him. His hands crossed over his chest, reaching, clawing at his shoulders. He screamed as he felt his back rip open. The pressure and pain immediately vanished. Relief coursed through him and he fell unconscious.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi watched with horror as Kaitou KID fell. KID's arm had been shot, he wouldn't be able to control his glider. He was across the roof in seconds. He ripped the coat and backpack off impatiently as he threw himself over the edge.

He could see KID falling below him. Shinichi pulled his limbs close, trying to make himself as aerodynamic as possible, while KID in turn spread his limbs out trying to slow his decent. Finally in reach, Shinichi grabbed the thief and pulled him close, holding on to him tightly. KID's good arm wrapped around his neck, and he shouted to him, fighting to be heard over the wind rushing past their ears, "What now, tantei-kun?"

"Hold on tight," Shinichi instructed.

Then he spread his large, white wings.

"I must be delirious from blood loss, or maybe I've died and an angel has come to take me to the afterlife," KID said in disbelief.

Shinichi rolled his eyes, "Don't be so dramatic. The bullet hit you in the arm. As long as you seek treatment, you're going to be fine."

"So I'm not hallucinating and you really did grow wings and rescue me?" KID said.

"You've rescued me from falling me enough times, I figured it was about time I returned the favor. Now shut up and let me concentrate. I've never really done this before and you're really heavy," he admitted, voice starting to sound strained with effort.

KID gasped, "What do you mean you have never done this before? This isn't your first time flying, right? And wait, did you just call me fat, tantei-kun?"

He chose to ignore the first question. "Muscle is heavier than fat and with all of the acrobatic stunts you pull at your heists, your body is probably nothing but muscle. Now shut up and let me concentrate. Oh shit, flagpole! Hold on!" He suddenly veered a hard left to avoid the aforementioned flagpole, then swung in the other direction to avoid the side of a skyscraper.

KID shrieked in terror, "Don't you dare splat us into a building after complimenting my body, detective! I'm too beautiful to die!"

"Just shut up! I'm trying to concentrate! We're not going to die!" Shinichi shouted back.

KID thankfully shut his mouth and Shinichi searched for a place to land. KID was too heavy for him and they were losing altitude at a steady rate. A rooftop wasn't an option as they were already lower than the roofs of the buildings around him and he didn't have the strength to climb higher. The street wasn't an option for obvious reasons.

He finally spotted a nearby park that should be deserted at this time of night. A small lake sat in the middle. He headed straight for it.

KID saw his destination and seemed to pale, "Kudo, if you drop me in that lake, I will take you down with me and drown you."

Shinichi spoke through gritted teeth, clearly drained, "I'm not aiming for the lake. I don't think we need to get dirty lake water in your bullet wound. Besides, neither of us are going to be in any condition to swim. I'm exhausted and you can't swim with a bullet wound in your arm."

It was far from a graceful landing. He landed them both on a patch of grass a short distance from the water, and upon landing their momentum carried them tumbling over and over.

They finally stopped rolling and Shinichi laid there panting, trying to catch his breath. He was on his back staring up at the sky above him, KID next to him cradling his arm. He felt his eyes begin to fill with tears. Well, he had already revealed his wings to KID, there was no reason to hide this secret too.

He sat up and crawled over to KID, his tears running freely down his face, "KID, let me see your arm."

KID sat up as well and Shinichi noticed at some point he had lost his hat and monocle in the tumble. Shinichi raised his wings up higher trying to put the thief in as much shadow as he could give him.

KID was staring at him. "You're beautiful," he murmured, seeming unaware that he had spoken aloud.

Shinichi felt his face grow warm, "Did you hit your head during the landing? Never mind, just give me your arm."

"Kudo-kun, you don't need to cry. I'll be okay," KID said.

"Stop being an idiot, just give me your arm," Shinichi gestured impatiently at Kaito's arm, his tears were coming faster now, dripping from his face to the grass below.

"I promise I'll be fine. You don't need to worry," KID tried to reassure him.

Shinichi growled in frustration and lunged forward, grabbing KID's arm. Despite his frustration, he was careful not to use more force than necessary, trying not to cause the thief any more pain. Shinichi bowed his head over the wound and allowed his tears to fall directly on it. After a few moments, his tears stopped flowing, and he released his hold on KID.

KID had gone quiet and was staring at his arm. Shinichi looked away, trying not to look at the thief's face. He stood up and brushed himself off, then went in search of KID's top hat and monocle. He found them some distance away and without looking, wordlessly handed them back to the thief.

"How did you do that?" He heard KID ask.

Figuring it was probably safe now, Shinichi turned back to the thief and saw his hat and monocle were indeed back on his face. KID was inspecting his arm in wonder. The jacket still had blood on it, but the wound itself was completely healed without leaving even a scar, as if it had never existed in the first place.

"I'm not exactly sure," Shinichi answered honestly.

"How about," KID gestured at Shinichi's wings, "those?"

Shinichi turned and began to walk away, "Look, I need to get going before someone spots me. I only came out tonight to warn you about the sniper. Try to keep your head down for a bit. We are closing in on the Black Organization and should be ready to take them down soon. Once they are gone, you shouldn't have to worry about snipers at your heists anymore."

The thief stood and followed after him, "Wait, you have to at least give me an explanation!"

"I really don't," Shinichi answered without turning around and continued walking away. He let out a yelp when he felt something hit him from behind, grabbing him around his waist. He fell to the ground while his wings flailed uselessly. "What the hell, KID!? Let me go!"

KID tightened his grip, "Nah uh, I'm not letting go until you promise you'll tell me what's going on. And would you stop flapping your wings? They keep smacking me."

Shinichi struggled for another minute but KID refused to let go. He finally slumped in defeat, "Fine! I'll tell you what I know. Now will you get off me?"

KID was immediately standing. "Gladly," he said with a cheeky grin. He reached down a hand in an offer to help the detective up.

Shinichi took the gloved hand and was suddenly pulled into KID's chest. He felt himself blush. "Don't know your own strength, KID?"

KID was looking down at him curiously, "No, you're just much lighter than I expected."

Shinichi let out a squeak when he felt himself being lifted into KID's arms, "What are you doing?"

"You are very light. Much lighter than you should be, no matter how small and slender you are," KID observed.

Shinichi huffed in annoyance, "I'm not small, I'm the average height for a Japanese male. You're just taller. I never understood why nobody realized that when you disguised yourself as me. Your height should have been a dead giveaway. Not to mention your chest and shoulders are broader than mine, and your biceps are bigger. My legs have more muscle of course, because I play a lot of soccer. Also…"

"I'm going to interrupt you for a moment, tantei-kun. Have you been checking me out?" KID asked with a leering grin.

Shinichi sputtered, "I have not been checking you out! I'm a detective, it's my job to be observant. And could you put me down now?"

KID returned him to the ground and Shinichi felt the feathers on his wings puff up in agitation. KID simply cooed at him.

Shinichi glared at him, "If you really want to hear an explanation, we need to go somewhere more private before someone spots me. And I need to find a way to cover my wings. I'm not sure how I'm going to get home without someone seeing them."

He thought back to his trench coat and backpack he left sitting on the rooftop when he dove to save KID. The backpack had the back cut out of it and was stitched to the trench coat which also had a hole it, the tops of his wings where most of the muscle and bones were fit through the hole in the trench coat and was hidden by the backpack, while the length of the trench coat hid the rest of his wings. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it did the job.

"I think I can help you there, Kudo-kun," KID replied before snapping his fingers. He was covered by smoke for a few seconds, and when it cleared his white suit was gone. Instead he was wearing a normal pair of jeans and a black shirt, but more importantly, he had a red pair of devil wings on his back and a headband with horns on his head.

"What is that supposed to be?"

KID rolled his eyes, "I thought you were a detective? Obviously we are two friends walking home from a costume party together. If people see us together, they'll assume the wings are part of the costume. Just try not to move your wings too much, fake wings don't tend to move."

He had to admit it was a good plan, though it did beg the question of why KID would be carrying around devil wings and horns. Well KID did always enjoy dressing his task force in embarrassing costumes, maybe the devil accessories were for that purpose.

After a long walk home, Shinichi and KID sat together in his kitchen, sipping coffee. Or at least Shinichi was having coffee, but KID had insisted on hot chocolate, extra marshmallows.

KID finally spoke, "So you finally got the cure and returned to your original body, but after taking the cure, you had a heart attack and maybe but definitely almost died. Which by the way, you're a bit too nonchalant about that to be normal. When you came back from the dead, you suddenly had wings, and you really have no idea why?"

Shinichi shook his head, "The person that gave me the cure has run numerous tests and still hasn't found an answer. She's taken so many blood samples, I've started calling her 'vampire.' She's taken a feather and examined it. The only thing she can tell me is there's some kind of abnormality in my DNA, but that's all she's determined so far."

The two sat in another minute of silence. KID seemed to be mulling something over in his head, probably turning over the new information he just received, Shinichi thought. But Shinichi was proven wrong when KID finally spoke up, "This is my real face, by the way. The name is Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He twisted his wrist and suddenly a rose appeared in his hand. He handed it across the table to Shinichi.

Shinichi blinked and took the rose after a moment. He looked down at the rose for a pause before returning his gaze to the thief across from him, "Why are you telling me this?"

KID, no Kuroba, shrugged, "I know all of your secrets, I figured it was only fair if I give you this much. Besides, I'm not giving you any information you don't already know."

Shinichi coughed into his fist, "I didn't realize you knew that I was aware of your name and face."

"Yeah well once I figured out you knew, I only had a mild panic attack until I noticed you hadn't thrown me in jail yet. So I can only assume you don't want to capture me anymore," Kuroba answered.

Shinichi shrugged, "You're pretty much harmless and you barely qualify as a criminal. And you've helped me on multiple occasions."

A cheeky grin spread across his face, "Or you just like me too much to put me in prison."

He glared at the magician, "I wouldn't go that far."

Kuroba laughed before moving on, "In the mean time I know someone that might know some information about your wing situation."

"Who would that be?" Shinichi asked.

"Her name is Akako. She's a witch that use to go to school with me. Don't give me that look, if you can be de-aged by a poison and grow wings after taking the cure, than a witch can go to school with me."

Shinichi was still giving him a skeptical look. A witch? Really? His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his front door. He looked at Kuroba who shrugged at him. He opened the door a crack, being cautious not to show his wings.

"Good evening, Demon of Light. My name is Akako Koizumi, and I believe you are in need of my service."

Shinichi blinked and looked over his shoulder at Kuroba, "Did you contact her?"

"Don't look at me, I told you she was a witch," Kuroba answered with a shrug.

"There's no way I'm going to believe you when her timing was just too good. You had to have planned that," he argued.

Akako cleared her throat pulling his attention back to the door again, "Aren't you going to invite me in? I assure you you don't need to hide your wings from me, Lucifer already told me about them."

Shinichi opened the door fully and ushered her inside, still hardly able to believe what was going on. And was he imagining it or did she say something about Lucifer? As in the devil? Was she insane?

She walked past him with an air of royalty and made her way into his sitting room. Shinichi did not want to know how she knew where she was going. She delicately lowered herself down into a chair, and Kuroba and Shinichi sat across from her.

"Let's skip the pleasantries. It's late, and I assume we both have better things we could do with our time. You want information, and I can help you. But information isn't free," Akako told him with a smile that made him feel nervous.

"What is it exactly you want?" Shinichi asked.

"The information you seek is very hard to come across if you don't know where to look. I want something equally as rare. How about one of your feathers?" Akako asked.

Kuroba's answer was immediate, "Forget it."

Shinichi was surprised by the thief's strong response but decided to follow his lead in this situation, "Is there anything else I can offer you?"

"No blood or hair either," Kuroba said firmly.

Akako sniffed, obviously she didn't like being denied, "In that case, instead of giving you the answers directly, I'll give you the means to find the answers yourself. In exchange, all I ask for is a small vial of your healing tears. Do we have a deal?"

Shinichi thought it over and couldn't find any reason to refuse. He glanced at Kuroba, who shrugged. "It's a deal."

"Wonderful, I'll start first," Akako said. Then before Shinichi could stop her, she pulled a small dagger from somewhere and slit the palm of her hand.

Shinichi couldn't stop the tears from forming. Akako handed him a small bottle, and he took it wordlessly. As the tears began to fall, he caught them in the bottle.

It was strange. With his tears in the clear bottle, for the first time he had a chance to really examine them. It was clear they weren't normal tears. They seemed thicker than normal, and they sparkled in the light.

Akako took back the now full bottle and held it up to the window to inspect it under the moonlight, "Beautiful, like liquid diamonds."

"Can I heal your hand now? If I don't, the tears won't stop falling until you leave," Shinichi asked.

Akako held out her palm and caught some of his falling tear drops. Her hand closed over the drops, and when she opened it, her hand was completely healed. "Now for my end of the bargain," she pulled out a slip of paper and wrote an address on it before handing it to Shinichi, "If you go to this place, you should be able to find the answers that you seek."

"I shall take my leave now. Have a good night, Kuroba-kun, and you as well, Demon of Light," Akako told them.

Shinichi nodded, "I'll walk you out."

"Wait, Akako. Why did you help Kudo? You don't usually put yourself in situations where you can get hurt, so would his healing tears really benefit you?" Kuroba asked.

Akako paused and turned back to him with a secretive smile, "Even if I personally wouldn't have need for them, his healing tears are very rare indeed. I'm sure I could make a great trade with them. But that's not the only reason I came here tonight. For once, the thief was the one that had something stolen. I wanted to come and witness it for myself."

Kaito gave a deadpan look, "As usual, I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not KID and as far as I'm aware, nothing has been stolen from me."

Akako just gave him an knowing look before she left.

Shinichi stretched his arms above his head, his wings rose up to their full height as well, stretching out. It felt good to let them out when they were normally cramped under a coat. He stopped his stretching and found Kuroba was staring at him. Pink dusted his cheeks, "Sorry, I guess it's probably weird seeing them like that."

"Don't apologize, I think they're beautiful," Kuroba answered.

The pink on his cheeks turned to a full blush. "Don't just say things like that with a straight face."

Kuroba just chuckled before asking, "So do you have a preference on which guest bedroom I stay in?"

Shinichi blinked at him, not comprehending, "Why would you stay in a guest bedroom? I guess the last train has probably already left, but I could call you a taxi?"

"Do you really expect me to not go with you when you go to get your answers tomorrow?" Kuroba asked.

Shinichi looked at him confused, "Yes?"

"You might as well let me go with you. If you don't, I'll just follow you," Kuroba replied.

"Why exactly would I let you go with me? It has nothing to do with you," Shinichi asked.

"Don't be like that, Kudo. Aren't we friends?" Kuroba asked with a grin.

Shinichi blinked at him before shaking his head, "I'm too tired to argue with you anymore. Fine, you can come tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. You can have the guest bedroom to the right of the bathroom."

Kuroba's grin widened and he practically bounced after Shinichi, following him as they made their way upstairs.

0-0-0-0-0

Kuroba dragged Shinichi out of bed at an ungodly hour the next morning (he didn't care what anyone said, 9:00 am was not a reasonable time to be up, especially after the night he'd had the night before.) Shinichi's fridge was sadly bare, so Kuroba dragged him to a nearby convenience store for a quick breakfast (a breakfast sandwich, because according to Kuroba, coffee alone did not constitute as breakfast), then they were on a train heading to the address Akako had given him.

"So is this it?" Kuroba asked him.

Shinichi peered down at the piece of paper Akako had scribbled on, Kuroba leaning over his shoulder to study it as well. "It looks like it," Shinichi answered.

The address was to what appeared to be a store for the occult.

"Isn't it a bit to on the nose?" Shinichi asked.

Kuroba shrugged, "Sometimes the best place to hide is right in plain sight."

Shinichi supposed it made sense. He headed inside, Kuroba following close behind him.

Inside was packed full of everything one might relate to the supernatural and mystical. A quick look around revealed tarot cards, incense, an assortment of oils and herbs, crystals, star charts, jars full of odds and ends with strange labels, candles in many colors, and many books stacked haphazardly everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming.

A woman entered from a door that said "staff only". She had dyed her hair purple, though she was obviously due for a touch up considering her dark roots were showing. She wore a black dress with a print of the moon phases on the front and a flowing shawl around her shoulders. He guessed her to be about 26 years old, give or take.

"Welcome to the Obsidian Wand. Please feel free to look around, and let me know if you have any questions," she said in a dreamy voice.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help us. We were sent here by someone named Akako," Shinichi asked, opting for the truth.

She obviously recognized the name. When she answered, the dreamy voice was gone and she spoke normally, "I see, please follow me."

She lead them back through the door she had just come through. This part of the shop was very different from where they just came from. The atmosphere wasn't as dark and creepy, and the items for sale seemed more authentic somehow instead of the cheap Halloween decorations they had just seen.

"That part of the store is just a front for the normals, but I assure you everything back here is authentic. Now what is it exactly you are wishing to purchase?" She asked.

Shinichi hesitated, "I'm looking for information."

She raised a brow questioningly, "What kind of information?"

Shinichi didn't immediately answer.

"You might as well tell me, otherwise I don't know how I can help you. I deal with all types of people here, magical or not. I'm good at keeping secrets," she told him.

He couldn't think of another way. "I'm looking for information about humans with wings."

The shop owner paused in surprise. She studied Shinichi as if seeing him for the first time. Shinichi saw her eye his long coat and the backpack on his back.

He felt a hand on the small of his back, which meant it was also pressing on his wings. He looked at the owner of the hand and saw Kaito, who smiled at him reassuringly. He realized his wings had been twitching nervously while the shop owner had been studying him. He turned back to the shop owner, holding his wings as still as possible, hoping she hadn't noticed any strange movement under his coat and bag.

"I see," She said after studying him for a moment longer, "I think I have just what you need."

She walked to a separate side of the room over to what looked to be her personal desk. Atop the desk was the normal stuff a business owner might have: bills, inventory sheets, order forms, memos, a planner, etc. She pulled a long necklace out from behind her dress, and Shinichi saw the necklace had a small silver key at the end of it. She used the key to unlock one of the drawers in her desk. She removed something from the drawer and made her way back over to them.

"A book?" Shinichi asked.

"A journal," she corrected.

The journal had a dark leather cover and was pretty thick. The pages were yellowed with age. If it once had a title, it was gone now. It was quite obviously very old.

"How much is it?" He asked.

"I'm afraid it's not for sale. But I will loan it to you," she told him.

"Not that we aren't complaining, but why would you loan something like that to us? We're strangers," Kuroba questioned.

"Because I can tell your friend here needs it. Besides, I know I can trust Kudo Shinichi, the Detective of the East," she said with a shrug.

"You recognized me," he stated.

She shrugged again, "It's not that strange. You were all the newspapers talked about before you suddenly disappeared years ago. Even if your face hasn't been in the papers for a while, it still would be hard to forget someone as famous as you."

It made sense. "Thank you for trusting me, I promise I will take good care of it and return it to you safely. Are you sure I can't pay you somehow, even if I am just borrowing it?" Shinichi asked.

"No need, but I do have some wares that I believe you will find interesting," She gestured and Shinichi turned and saw a couple clothing racks with different shirts and sweaters hanging from them.

"Why would I…" Shinichi started to ask, but before he could complete his question Kaito had walked over and pulled one of the shirts off of the racks. He inspected it then raised both eyebrows. He turned the shirt around so that Shinichi could see the back, or lack thereof.

"All of the clothes on those racks have a low or no back. You know, just in case someone with wings didn't want to ruin all of their shirts by cutting holes in them? The seamstress that makes them also makes custom furniture as well. It can be hard to sit in a chair or your sofa comfortably if you have wings. I don't carry any of the furniture in my shop because I don't have the space, but I'll give you her business card and you can order from her directly if that's something you are interested in," she said while holding a card out to him.

Shinichi took the card while mumbling a thanks, feeling distracted. He turned and looked at the rack of clothes feeling torn. If he were to purchase anything, wouldn't that be as good as an admission that he had wings? But than again, she already seemed to know and he was tired of cutting holes into his shirts.

He walked to one of the racks and saw the clothes were divided up by size. He went to the section that seemed to be his size and grabbed half a dozen shirts at random. He had never really cared about clothes or fashion, and at a quick glance nothing he grabbed seemed to be offensive to the eyes.

Next to him, Kuroba gave a strangled cough. Shinichi looked at him and he cleared his throat loudly before speaking, "Sorry, tickle in my throat. Go ahead and make your purchase so we can head back to your place, I'm sure you're itching to read that journal."

0-0-0-0-0

Once they made it back to the Kudo Manor, both teens made their way to the library. Shinichi pulled off his backpack and coat, stretching his wings with a sigh. He turned to Kuroba, who was staring at him. He probably still wasn't use to seeing his wings. Shinichi knew he still wasn't use to them.

"I suppose you're planning on reading the journal with me," Shinichi said.

Kuroba smiled brilliantly, "It would be easier if you let me read it with you. Unless you want me sneaking around your house while you're sleeping to read it. I am a thief you know, sneaking around comes naturally to me."

"I still don't know why you think you're entitled to figuring all of this out with me," the detective grumbled.

Kuroba's grin softened to a smile, "I meant what I said before, Kudo. I think of you as a friend,
I have for a while. I know our relationship started as thief and detective, then turned to rivals, but I somewhere along the way we became friends. And I think you feel the same, otherwise you wouldn't go along with me being here so easily. And even if you aren't showing it, I know you're feeling pretty scared and confused right now. So I just want you to know you don't have to go through this alone."

Shinichi's throat felt tight, touched by Kuroba's words. He supposed he had to admit, a part of him felt comforted that the thief was here with him. His relationship with the other man had always been a strange one. KID and Conan understood each other in a way that nobody else could understand them. Now it seemed that same relationship was continuing to evolve from KID and Conan to Kuroba and Kudo, and he couldn't bring himself to be upset by this.

"Alright, how about we see what's in this journal?" Shinichi asked.

He set the journal on the desk and pulled over a second chair for Kuroba. Then he sat in his own chair, arranging his wings so that they fell over the arms of the chair. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it would do.

Kuroba noticed his discomfort as well, "We aren't going to make it through this journal in one sitting. When we break for lunch, I'll get us food and you can contact that person from the business card and see about ordering yourself some furniture to accommodate your wings."

Shinichi let out a frustrated sigh but nodded. It seemed like another person would be in on his secret. But on the other hand, the fact that there was a person that made custom furniture for people with wings meant that other people like him existed. How did they manage to hide themselves? How many of them were there? Hopefully the journal could reveal more.

Kuroba pulled his chair close and leaned over to better see the journal. He was leaning so close, Shinichi could feel the heat coming off his body. He leaned in closer as well, telling himself that it was so he could read the journal easier and for no other reason.

0-0-0-0-0

Kuroba forced them to stop a few hours later for a break. As they had previously discussed, the thief left to get them take-out from somewhere, and Shinichi called the number on the business card. After a very awkward phone call where he tried to order custom furniture without letting the person know what he really wanted (the person on the phone had finally told him in exasperation that the fact that he called that number at all had already revealed that he was not human and could he please just tell them if he had wings and/or a tail, how many chairs and couches he wanted, and in what color already?), the person promised to deliver his order the following week.

Kuroba wasn't back yet leaving him to reflect on what they had read so far. They hadn't learned much yet. The journal seemed to belong to a young woman by the name of Kaho who had been alive during the 1600s. The journal started off normal enough, just a diary of Kaho's daily life. Her parents had arranged for her to be married to a man by the name of Asahi, a mildly wealthy merchant.

Kaho married Asahi when she was 15 (Shinichi had to remind himself that that's just how things were back then). While people of that time generally didn't marry for love, Kaho and Asahi had gotten along well enough. Their feelings for each other may not have been love exactly, but they were fond of each other and they were happy.

Kaho had given birth to their daughter by the time she was 17. They named her Kasumi. The journal continued on with the family of 3 living their normal lives for years, and Shinichi had started to wonder why the shop owner had given him the journal. It seemed to be a normal journal from a woman living during that time. As far as he could tell, it didn't seem to be written in any kind of code.

Then tragedy had struck. It wasn't unusual for Kaho to miss a few days of journal entries, but the entires usually started back up again after a few days. But at one point, Shinichi noticed that she had missed 4 months. After continuing to read, Shinichi had discovered why. Asahi had unexpectedly died in an accident.

While Kaho and Asahi hadn't been in love, they had still cared for and respected each other, and she had grieved for him after his passing. Things would normally be hard for a widow and single mother, especially during that time period, but Asahi had at the very least left Kaho with enough money to keep her and her daughter comfortable for a few years, at least until Kasumi was old enough to be left alone while Kaho found work.

When Kasumi was 7 years old, Kaho started to leave her alone for longer and longer periods of time (Shinichi once again had to remind himself that things were different at that time). Money was starting to get tight, and she would leave her daughter alone for hours while she found work doing odd jobs. Usually this entailed short term cleaning and maid work. While it wasn't exactly uninteresting, Shinichi once again wondered why the journal had been given to him.

That had been where they had left off before Kuroba made them break for lunch.

"I'm back!" Kuroba called, a plastic bag in hand with two take-out containers inside.

The thief made his way to the kitchen table and pulled the containers out of the bag. He handed one to Shinichi.

Shinichi opened his container and made a confused noise, "Were they out of fish?"

Was it his imagination or did Kuroba suddenly look nervous?

"They were out. But you won't be disappointed, the chicken is amazing. Oh, maybe I should have asked first, that's not offensive to you right? Do you still eat chicken?"

Shinichi narrowed his eyes at him, not allowing himself to be distracted by the chicken comment. "Kuroba, this might be a stupid question, but are you afraid of fish?"

Kuroba let out a sigh, then gave him a smile, "Can't hide anything from you, can I detective? Just do me a favor and promise not to laugh."

He gave him a confused look, "Why would I laugh? Phobias aren't anything to laugh at. Just tell me next time so I don't make the same mistake twice."

Kuroba blinked at him, then smiled in appreciation. He fluttered his eyelashes at him, "Good looks, brains, and you're considerate of others? You really are the whole package, aren't you detective?"

Shinichi felt his face warm. Stupid thief and his incessant flirting, "Finish your lunch so we can get back to reading."

0-0-0-0-0

I met a most peculiar person today. It was while I walking home after going to the market and little Kasumi-chan was home completing her chores. I suddenly heard what sounded like someone crying. I followed the sound and found a beautiful woman alone in the woods. To my utmost surprise, she had a large pair of wings. I mistook her for an angel. Her wings were a beautiful, deep blue color that could be mistaken for black if not seen in appropriate light. My arrival was just in time because the beautiful creature was preparing herself to take her own life.

I stopped her before she could complete her violent act (she had been planning on using a dagger, most gruesome) and she revealed to me that she was lonely. Well even though I have Kasumi-chan, I myself am also lonely, and I couldn't let her take her life. I immediately offered the beautiful woman to come stay at my home. To my relief, she accepted. She introduced herself as Anesidora.

I had been nervous about little Kasumi seeing the woman's wings. I already knew that I would have to keep the woman a secret, many people do not react well to those that are different and things they do not understand, but a child does not make the best secret keeper. But I needn't worry, because before we entered my home, I watched in surprise as the angel's wings began to slowly shrink. They had been quite majestic in size to start, but they shrank smaller and smaller. Once they were quite petite, they seemed to melt into her skin. When finished, all that was left behind was black markings in the shape of wings on her back, looking not dissimilar to the permanent markings shamans give themselves in religious ceremonies.

Kasumi-chan was overjoyed at having a new friend. I think she was quite lonely as well with only me as company. Anesidora absolutely doted on her.

Once Kasumi had been put to bed, Anesidora told me a bit about herself.

She called herself a nephilim. She explained that she is from a race of people that is half human, half angel. I was surprised to hear that angels are real. Does that mean that god is real as well? To my utmost disappointment, Anesidora couldn't tell me if god is real or not. She also couldn't tell me what angels are or where they are from or where they had all disappeared to. She said it was possible that they were not of our world and had gone back to where they had come from. A strange idea indeed. But she did tell me many years ago, the beings we refer to as angels had appeared and shared themselves with some of us, creating nephilim.

I asked her if there were many of her kind, perhaps hiding themselves in plain sight since I witnessed her easily hide her wings, but she said nephilim are actually quite rare. It would seem that when nephilim bear children, their children's nephilim heritage does not always present itself and they seem to be northing more than regular humans. But the nephilim blood will still be there, even if they appear human for all intents and purposes. So sometimes, two "humans" can give birth to a nephilim child, wings and all, if one of parents have nephilim blood themselves. I must admit, the thought of a tiny babe being born with little wings sounds absolutely darling.

But it would seem it rarely works that way. Most with nephilim blood are born as human. Anesidora couldn't tell me why, I don't think she knows herself. She said some think its because being a nephilim is a gift, and only a few would be worthy of such a gift. I could tell by the way she said it she didn't put much stock into that theory. Others, she said, thought that it was a curse and perhaps they had done something most awful in a previous life to deserve such punishment. I don't think believe that for a moment. There's no way someone as gentle as Anesidora could have done something worth punishment in a previous life.

But thinking about it now, I'm not sure what she meant by curse and punishment. There must be more to being a nephilim than just having wings, but I didn't want to pry. Maybe she will tell me herself one day.

Perhaps the "curse" of a nephilim is the loneliness of not having many of your own kind? She told me nephilim are rare, but she had also alluded to the fact that she doesn't have anyone of her own kind to talk to. From the way she spoke, I believe both of her parents were human, and if she has any siblings they must be human as well, if they even exist. How lonely it must be to not have anyone that can relate to you.

Incidentally I am most grateful for Anesidora's presence.

0-0-0-0-0

That night, Shinichi dreamed of a beautiful young woman. She gazed at him for a long time without speaking, seemingly studying him. When Shinichi woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember much of the dream, mostly what he could remember was the void of darkness that had been surrounding them.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi dragged himself into the kitchen and over to the coffee machine. He fumbled around in the cabinet looking for a mug.

He heard someone behind him chuckle. "Here," they said before placing a mug filled with coffee into his hand.

He stared at the mug in his hand in confusion for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders (his wings moving with him), and took a tentative sip which was quickly followed by a larger gulp. Two creams and no sugar, just the way he liked it.

After finishing the first cup, he poured himself a second, then turned and saw Kuroba with an amused look on his face.

"Oh, good morning Kuroba. I didn't notice you there," Shinichi said.

"You really aren't a morning person, are you?" He asked.

Shinichi decided to ignore him and took another sip of his coffee.

"So what's on the agenda today, tantei-kun?" Kuroba asked.

"You can do as you please. I'm going to practice hiding my wings more today," Shinichi answered.

Kuroba groaned, "Again? That's all you did yesterday after we got to that part of the journal. It's boring."

Shinichi's felt his eyebrow twitch, "Then entertain yourself. Do the grocery shopping. Go for a walk. I don't care. But I'm going to master this today."

Kuroba stopped complaining and looked at him in consideration, "Why are you so obsessed with mastering this as fast as possible? The journal said it usually takes a week for a nephilim to hide there wings just for a few minutes."

"It said it takes nephilim children a week," Shinichi corrected, "I'm hopeful that I will be able to learn it faster than a child. Most of it is just concentration anyway. I can concentrate better than a child."

"Not just concentration, but energy too. Last night you were working at it until you nearly collapsed with exhaustion. I had to carry you to bed!"

Shinichi took another sip of his coffee hoping the mug was hiding his face before answering, "I told you you didn't have to do that."

"And rob me of the chance to hold you in my arms? I think not. Besides, it was no trouble, especially with how light you are. You really need to eat more," Kuroba chided him.

Shinichi decided to ignore that first part for his own sanity. "We already know the reason I'm so light is because my bones are hollow, like a birds. We read that in the journal last night too," he said sounding defensive, even to his own ears.

"Your bones are hollow and you don't eat enough. It can be both. But I'm not going to let you distract me, why are you working so hard to master hiding your wings?" Kuroba asked.

"Can't it just be because it's a pain to try to hide them under coats every time I leave my house?" Shinichi asked cagily.

Kuroba shook his head, "No, its more than that. You pushed yourself way to hard last night. And I'm willing to bet with as stubborn as you are you're planning to do the same again today."

Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose before answering, "I suppose I might as well tell you since it concerns you as well. They have been on the move recently, getting more aggressive. We, meaning me and everyone that has been working on taking them down for the past 2 years, need to move our plans forward and take them down once and for all, before they hurt anyone else. We were close to being ready, but I had gone as far as I could in Conan's body. Kudo Shinichi needed to return for the rest of the plan to move forward."

"And now you got your body back, except you have a new problem with your wings. Once you are able to hide your wings, you can get back to your plan and finish taking them down," Kuroba finished.

Shinichi nodded, "Exactly. But this isn't just about me and my fight. You need to be more careful as well. I believe Snake and his organization are a sort of sister branch of the Black Organization, and we have received word that they are moving as well. That night you were shot, I had received confirmation that Snake would be there and I attended the heist in an attempt to warn you."

Kuroba's eyes suddenly widened, "Wait a moment, Snake! After everything that happened, I completely forgot that he was there that night. You healed my gun shot wound and it just didn't seem as important compared to you having wings."

"Glad to hear you are taking your safety so seriously that you could forget literally getting shot," Shinichi dryly replied while taking another sip of his coffee.

"That's not what I'm concerned about! Snake probably saw you that night. He might have seen your wings," Kuroba exclaimed looking increasingly more upset.

Shinichi's lips thinned, but he didn't say anything.

"You've already realized that," Kuroba said slowly in comprehension.

"It is highly likely that not only did Snake see me and my wings, but that he has already told the rest of the organization. By this point, the Black Organization has probably realized that I'm still alive. It's just more motivation for me to catch them as fast as I can, which means mastering hiding my wings as fast as I can," Shinichi replied.

Kuroba sighed, "Alright, I get it. I'm going to go out and get some groceries to stock your fridge and pantry. If you're going to be working on hiding your wings, you're going to need the calories to replenish your energy."

Shinichi gave him a grateful smile, "Thanks, Kuroba."

The thief slipped on his jacket and shoes. He gave a wave to Shinichi before leaving.

"Alright, it's time to master this wing hiding," Shinichi said to himself in determination.

An hour later and Shinichi was already exhausted. He stood in the middle of the sitting room, breathing heavily as if he had run a mile. His whole body trembled from physical exertion.

'Focus,' Shinichi told himself.

Anesidora had explained to Kaho that it took energy and concentration for a nephilim to hide their wings. It was basically like flexing a muscle, a muscle he needed to strengthen.

He sucked in a breath and concentrated. He felt his wings growing smaller, but he dared not look at them and risk losing his concentration. Finally after what felt like ages, he felt his wings slide under his skin.

'I did it,' he mentally cheered, 'but now for the hard part. I have to keep them hidden.'

Anesidora had also explained in the journal that while it was difficult for a nephilim to learn to concentrate and hide their wings, the true challenge came in keeping them hidden for a period of time. That took even more energy. It could once again be related to exercising a muscle. A runner might train themself to reach a certain speed, but once they reach that speed they might only be able to continue running for a short distance before tiring. The runner would need to continue training in order to increase their stamina as well.

"I'm back," he heard Kuroba call out as he returned.

He didn't call back, too busy concentrating on keeping his wings hidden. He heard Kuroba moving about the kitchen as he put away the groceries. Once he finished, Kuroba came to check on him.

He sensed more than heard Kuroba enter the room. "Shinichi, you did it!" Kuroba cheered excitedly.

Shinichi smiled at the praise. His smile dropped as the last of his energy left him. He felt his back arch as his wings exploding out from his back and his eyes closed involuntarily. At least it didn't hurt like it had the first time his wings had emerged.

He felt himself falling, but he was too tired to catch himself. Instead of hitting the ground, he felt a strong pair of arms catch him. He opened his eyes to see Kuroba. Of course the thief had caught him, he really should have expected it.

"You're so reckless, tantei-kun. I knew you would over do it," Kuroba playfully scolded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Shinichi huffed. He suddenly was acutely aware that he was being held in Kuroba's arms, and unlike last night, he was fully awake this time. "Thanks for catching me; you can let me go now."

The thief gave him a flirtatious grin, "But I like holding you. Good thing you keep giving me excuses to do so."

Shinichi felt his face heat, "Stop joking around."

Kuroba laughed, "It's so much fun to get you all flustered. But tantei-kun, are you sure you could stand right now if I wasn't supporting you?"

Shinichi frowned at him but didn't answer.

"How about another question. What have you had to eat today, aside from coffee?" Kuroba asked.

Shinichi's frown deepened. He started to pout before he caught himself. Kaito snickered at him which let him know his momentary pouting hadn't gone unnoticed.

"You know, you would probably have an easier time hiding your wings if you actually gave your body the energy it needs to do so. Maybe you should consider something other than coffee in the future for breakfast?"

"Fine, I see your point. I'll take a break and eat some food," Shinichi grumbled.

To Shinichi's embarrassment, Kuroba carried him all the way into the kitchen before setting him down in a chair at the table. Shinichi wanted to argue, but he knew he wasn't ready to stand on his own yet.

Kuroba pulled two simple bentos from the fridge; they looked like the pre-made kind they sell at the grocery store. He pulled the lid off one and picked up a piece of broccoli with his chopsticks.

"Now say 'ah,'" Kuroba said while holding the bite out to Shinichi.

Shinichi gave him a glare that was ruined by the slight flush to his face, "Idiot, would you stop teasing me already? I can feed myself."

Kuroba just laughed, "But you make it so fun."

After lunch, Shinichi continued practicing hiding his wings. Kuroba kept himself busy doing…something. It looked like he was creating new traps for future KID heists. Honestly, Shinichi felt, probably the less he knew the better. Kuroba still made him take frequent breaks and always seemed to have a snack ready for him. And slowly, little by little, hiding his wings got a little easier.

0-0-0-0-0

Anesidora is so wonderful with Kasumi-chan. She's so patient with her, I feel like she would make a wonderful mother if she were to ever have children of her own. She also seems to have an uncanny ability to get Kasumi to lay down at bed times.

When I mentioned this to her, Anesidora had laughed and told me that of course she could get Kasumi to sleep easily. Her midnight blue wings marked her as gifted with the ability of rest. That's when I learned about wing colors.

Midnight blue wings, like my Anesidora's, gives the gift of sleep, or rest to be more specific. Anesidora can put anyone to sleep instantly. If she so desires it, it can be a most replenishing sleep, making someone feel like they had received a good eight hours, but in only an hour or two. She can give them the most wonderful of dreams causing them to wake with a smile, or she can cause nightmares, trap someone in their head with terrible visions that could reduce someone to tears, though she told me she has never done so. She can also moderately replenish someones energy without putting them to sleep, though not to the same degree if they were to actually sleep.

She told me about other wing colors as well, and they all sounded unbelievable. Soft pink wings that can cause beautiful flowers to grow anywhere, sunset red wings that can manipulate fire, alabaster white wings with tears that can heal all but the most fatal of wounds, mossy green wings that gave the ability to understand animals, and so many others.

Perhaps I'm just biased, but I think Anesidora's midnight blue wings must be the most beautiful of them all. I felt so confidently in my opinion that I told Anesidora that I thought so. Her face turned a most beautiful shade of pink when I told her so.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi dreamed of the beautiful, young woman again. She was talking to him, and she looked so sad. When he woke up that morning, he once again felt the details of the dream slipping from his memory. But he remembered her saying something to him.

"So many have died because of what I did. I'm sorry. It was never my intent. If you find it, you must destroy it."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi woke up the next morning and dragged himself to his closet to pull out his clothes for the day. He pulled one of his wing shirts off the hanger and stared at it. When he had bought the shirts from the Obsidian Wand, he had just grabbed a half dozen shirts at random without really looking at them. He was paying for that now.

The top in question was a turtle neck sweater. That wasn't the issue. It was missing the back to give room for his wings. That also wasn't the issue. The issue was how much of the back was missing. His other wing shirts either had holes built into them that his wings could slip through, or they had a window running at the top across his shoulder blades for his wings to freely go through. This sweater however didn't have much of a back at all. It was completely open without sleeves showing all of his arms and shoulder and his full back. It looked rather..indecent.

Oh gods, it was the 'virgin killer' sweater Sonoko had shown Ran from instagram. Apparently she said the internet was going crazy about it.

He wadded up the shirt into a ball and threw it into the back of his closet determined not to look at it ever again. He grabbed a different shirt from a hanger and the rest of his clothes and made his way into the bathroom for a quick shower. He pulled in his wings (allowing himself a triumphant smile at how much easier it was after a couple days of practice) and stepped under the stream of water.

Once he finished washing himself, he stepped out of the shower and found his clothes were gone. In there place sat the virgin killer sweater.

He grumbled something that sounded like 'that damn thief' and 'too early for pranks.' He pulled on the sweater and found to his horror it was actually a sweater dress, though a very short one. He pulled the hem down self-consciously. It barely covered him. He turned and looked at his back in the mirror. The sweater dress was form fitting and left his back completely open; it was just barely long enough to cover his ass. And of course the thief hadn't left him any pants to wear with the sweater.

He stomped from the bathroom back to his bedroom and threw open the closet door. Empty. He went to his dresser looking for pajamas. Empty. In a last ditch effort he checked his dirty laundry basket. Empty.

"Looking for something?" Kuroba asked innocently from his bedroom doorway, leaning against the door frame casually.

"Kuroba, where are my clothes?" Shinichi demanded.

Kuroba cocked his head to the side in confusion, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Did you forget to do your laundry or something? Well at least you still have something to wear."

"Kuroba, I swear if you don't give me something decent to wear, I will murder you and make it look like an accident. You and I both know I could get away with it," Shinichi threatened.

Kuroba gave a little pout and dammit, the thief did not look cute. "Aw, but couldn't you just wear that sweater at least for a little bit? If looks so good on you. And when your wings are hidden, you can fully see your tattoo markings. It's very attractive. Pretty, pretty, pretty please Shin-chan? Just for a little bit?"

Shinichi felt his face burn. "I'll make you a deal. I'll wear the stupid sweater for an hour if you never call me Shin-chan ever again. And you have to at least give me a my pants back."

Kuroba snapped his fingers and a small smoke bomb went off. When it cleared he was holding a pair of black slacks. "Here you go, and I promise I won't call you Shin-chan for the rest of the day," Kuroba said with a salute.

"That was not the deal," Shinichi argued while snatching the pants from the thief. He turned around and slipped them on, careful not to flash the thief his boxer briefs, but paused once they were on. The black slacks were a bit tight, he could feel the material hugging his body, particularly around his backside.

"Kuroba, you grabbed the wrong pants. I bought the wrong size and never got around to returning them. These are a size too small," Shinichi said.

"Wow, is it already 9:30? Hey, tantei-kun, didn't you tell the FBI you would call them in 15 minutes to finalize the plans to take down the Black Orgnization?" Kuroba asked innocently.

Shinichi cursed and forgot his earlier statement, "I need to go get my files."

"Don't forget your breakfast. You're going to need to keep your energy levels up if your going to continue hiding your wings," Kuroba said while offering him a bowl of oatmeal.

"Thanks," Shinichi said, absentmindedly eating while he made his way to the library and to his files on the Black Organization.

Several hours later, Shinichi finally got off the phone and let out a tired sigh.

"You okay, Shinichi?" He heard Kuroba ask him with a touch of concern.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Shinichi answered. He allowed himself to relax and let his wings out. Instantly he felt relief. He stretched his wings and rolled his shoulders, trying to work out some of the stiffness.

"Wait, did you call me Shinichi?" He asked the thief.

Kuroba looked up from Kaho's journal, he had been doing some more reading while Shinichi had been on the phone all day, and gave a little shrug. "I think you and I know each other well enough by now to call each other by our given names. You should call me Kaito."

He supposed the thief had a point. Still, to hear the one he originally knew as KID call him by his given name made him feel…strange. But he couldn't think of a good reason to argue.

"Kaito," he tested the name out loud. The thief in question gave him an encouraging smile that was as warm as the sun. He fought down a blush.

Instead he decided to change the subject. "Read anything else interesting or useful?" He asked with a nod at the journal.

Kuroba, or rather Kaito, shrugged again, "Lots of entries of Kaho living in domestic bliss with her daughter and Anesidora. Kaho is starting to fall in love with Anesidora, which is actually really cute to read. I don't think she has realized her feelings yet at this point. It's hard to tell since the journal is written by Kaho, but I think Anesidora returns her feelings. Otherwise, I learned that even though nephilim have hollow bones, they are also surprisingly sturdy. Nothing else useful though."

Shinichi nodded in answer.

"How about you? How did all of your phone calls go?" Kaito asked.

"Everything is in place. In a few days time, we will move forward with the plan to take them down once and for all. And it will all be over," Shinichi answered.

Kaito leaned back with a sigh, "It seems like its moving so fast, but I know you've actually been working on this for the better part of 2 years. Not to mention all of the people and government agencies you're working with."

Shinichi nodded, "If I wasn't working with the FBI, CIA, and Interpol, it would have taken me a lot longer."

"Don't forget me too. I'm going to be there as well, helping to take them down," Kaito said.

Shinichi shook his head, "Kaitou KID is an internationally wanted criminal. He can't be there."

Kaito gave him a look that spoke trouble, "If you don't include me in your plans, I'll just show up and find my own way to help. Besides, is Kudo Shinichi, the Heisei Holmes, really going to tell me he can't figure out how to include one phantom thief in his plans without the American government finding out?"

Dammit Kaito really knew exactly what to say to make him rise to a challenge. As expected of his (former?) rival.

"You really are a pain sometimes. Fine. But if you're going to be part of this, you're going to do exactly as I say, even if you don't agree with my instructions," Shinichi ordered.

"You know, it's kinda hot when you take charge," Kaito leaned forward and put his chin in his hands, sporting a cheeky grin.

Shinichi felt his face flush (he told himself it was with anger) and said with a glare, "If you aren't going to take this seriously I won't include you at all."

Kaito laughed, "Lighten up, detective. You've worked with me in the past enough to know that even if I joke around, I'm serious when it counts."

Shinichi gave him another half-hearted glare, but he couldn't argue. He also knew from previous experience that he and KID worked great on a team together, and that was when they had little to no time to prepare in advance. What would it be like to work together now, with Shinichi in his more capable adult body, and time to figure out a plan?

"They aren't going to stand a chance," Kaito said with a KID grin, seeming to echo Shinichi's thoughts.

Shinichi couldn't resist returning the grin with one of his own, "No, they don't."

Kaito's shark like grin relaxed to a more easy going smile, "Say, Shinichi, do you think I could touch your wings?"

Shinichi blinked in surprise. Well he supposed it was only natural to be curious. He gave a little shrug, "Sure, go ahead."

Kaito sprang up and Shinichi turned around presenting his wings to the other man. After a moment, he felt a tentative touch on his wings. They brushed the very tips of his feathers, barely touching him.

"I thought you had doves? I'm not going to break, you know," Shinichi admonished.

Kaito surprisingly didn't answer, but he began to touch Shinichi's wings with more confidence, brushing his fingers through the feathers.

Oh.

That feels…good.

Shinichi felt his face heat. He was glad his back was too Kaito so he wouldn't notice.

"They feel so soft. Softer than bird feathers," Kaito remarked in wonder.

Shinichi felt his eyelids flutter shut. Nobody had touched his wings before, aside from Haibara when she had taken a feather for examination. He never would have guess how sensitive they were. He stretched his wings out fully, giving Kaito full access.

Kaito moved his hand from Shinichi's marginal coverts to the part of his back where wings met shoulder blades. He felt the Kaito's thumb brush over his bare skin, leaving a trail of heat behind. Shinichi couldn't suppress a shiver. He was too distracted to hear the happy sigh he let escape, but Kaito caught it.

Suddenly Kaito tensed, "Shinichi, we have company."

Instantly the detective was on high alert and he became aware of the sounds of someone moving about his house.

"Kudo? Did you forget about your check up?" A voice called out.

Shinichi felt himself relax in relief, "It's just Haibara. In here, Haibara! I'm in the library."

Haibara Ai entered the library and paused when she saw him, "Am I interrupting something?"

Kaito had dropped his hand from Shinichi's back, but they were still standing a bit close. Shinichi cleared his throat, suddenly feeling embarrassed, "Not at all. I'm sorry that I forgot about my check up. Kaito and I were just talking."

"'Kaito?'" Haibara echoed while looking at the other man curiously.

"Uh-Kuroba Kaito, a…friend of mine," Shinichi said.

Kaito practically bounced over to her and puffed a yellow rose into existence before handing it to her. "Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. Shinichi and I met at a KID heist once. We've been friends ever since."

She took the rose with a bemused look, "Right. Kudo hasn't been back from that case he's been working on for very long, but some how you and 'Shinichi' seem rather close, as if you've known each other for a while. I see that Kudo even let you see his wings. (Shinichi jumped with a start when he realized his wings were still out.) I have to wonder just who you really are."

Kaito gave her an innocent grin.

Shinichi sighed, "He knows everything Haibara. Kaito, I won't tell her, its your secret not mine, but Haibara won't tell anyone."

Kaito's innocent grin turned more mischievous and he clapped his hands together. When he pulled them apart, he was holding his KID monocle. He slipped it on and his grin widened and he gave a showman's bow, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Haibara looked surprised for only a moment, "Kaitou KID? I should have guessed. Things make a lot more sense now."

Kaito snapped his fingers and with a little puff of smoke his monocle was gone, "Shinichi, I'll let you both get on with your check up while I go out to restock the kitchen. Any requests for dinner tonight?"

Shinichi replied, "Maybe some curry? Oh, and while you're out could you get me some more coffee? I'm almost out. I like the…"

"Top of the Mornin coffee brand, I remember. Sure, I'll pick some up. See ya," he gave a little wave before leaving.

Shinichi watched him go then turned back to Haibara only to see the young scientist was staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"My, aren't you two rather domestic. And are you wearing the virgin killer sweater I keep seeing on Instagram?" She asked.

Shinichi's face was on fire. He had forgotten he was still wearing the stupid thing, and of course Kaito hadn't remind him that his hour was up. "I-it let's my wings out."

Haibara arched an eyebrow, "There's no way that's the only shirt you could find that let's your wings out."

"Kaito was playing a prank on me and stole all of my other shirts. This was my only option," it sounded lame even to his own ears.

"And you wearing it has nothing to do with the fact that you like the way KID looks at you while you're wearing it," she deadpanned.

Shinichi's receding blush came back in full, "What do you…why would..I don't…Haibara!"

She gave him a look that said she was questioning his intelligence, "If anyone else tried to pull a stunt like that, you would have kicked a soccer ball to their face in seconds. So I have to assume you're intentionally letting Kuroba-kun get away with it. Plus he's KID, and you've had a huge crush on KID for a long time now."

He stared at her in shock, making several attempts to speak before he succeeded, "I do not have a crush on KID."

She gave him an unimpressed look, "Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?"

"Let's talk about something else," he tried not to sound desperate. He sat in one of his chairs, putting in extra effort to look casual and not like he was dying from embarrassment.

She took pity on him and changed the subject, "That's an interesting looking chair. I don't remember you having one like that before. It has a gap that fits your wings perfectly. Was it custom made?"

"Yes, actually. I purchased them from someone that specifically makes furniture for people with wings, among other things," he thought about the day the furniture had been dropped off at his house. He was pretty sure one of the delivery men had webbed fingers and he also seemed to drink a lot of water. And he had caught the other delivery man sneezing fire. "Let me just start by saying the world is a lot bigger than we originally thought. Let me bring you up to speed," he said before telling her about saving KID, meeting Akako, going to Obsidian Wand, and finally the journal. "I'm still making me way through it, but I've learned a lot already."

"So you didn't suddenly grow wings because of a side effect of the cure I made, but you're actually either a mutant or an alien?" Haibara asked looking thoughtful.

"Well we don't know that the 'angels' were mutants or aliens," Shinichi said.

She gave him a flat look, "It would make more sense than you being part heavenly, biblical warrior sent from a mythical man in the sky."

He had to admit she was right.

"So my drug didn't cause you to grow wings, but it somehow awakened that part of your DNA. Well, I suppose I should stop looking another cure that will get rid of your wings, seeing as they are actually a part of you," She said.

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably, still not use to thinking of his wings as part of himself, "Well on the bright side, they aren't as much of a nuisance as they were previously. I've learned how to hide them from the journal."

He focused and pulled his wings into himself. He gave himself a mental pat on the back when they went in quickly and with little effort, feeling proud of the effort he had made in such a short amount of time.

Haibara raised both eyebrows in surprise, "That's useful. I guess that means you could continue living normally without your ridiculous trench coat and backpack combination."

Shinichi frowned when she insulted his coat and backpack combo. It wasn't like she had had any better ideas. He decided to ignore it and moved on, "It takes a lot of concentration and the longer I hide them the more it exhausts me. Kaito and I think that while I'm working up my stamina, I could start by wearing my wing accommodating shirts, and when I feel my energy levels depleting I could sneak off to the bathroom to let them out for a little break. It's not a perfect solution, but it will work for a temporary fix until I'm more accustomed to hiding them longer."

Haibara hummed before answering, "Speaking of Kuroba-kun. It's a bit of a strange prank to steal all of your clothes and force you to wear something like that."

"I thought we weren't talking about this?" Shinichi groaned, "It doesn't mean anything. Kaito is a strange guy. Is that really a surprise? Only someone as strange as him could be KID."

"Are you sure he didn't do it because he wanted to see what you would look like in the sweater?" She pressed.

Shinichi sighed and winced at how wistful he sounded, "Kaito is just really good at pushing people's buttons. He's been doing it for years with the KID task force and the detective's that chase him. He's figured out the best way to rile me up is by flirting with me. He isn't actually serious."

"How do you know that for sure?" Haibara asked, sounding surprisingly gentle.

"Because why would he have any interest in me? We are way too different. He's funny, and charming, and everyone loves him. He's loud, and has to constantly be moving or he gets bored. He's attractive enough to model for Gucci and could probably date anyone he wanted. So why would he choose me?" He asked.

Haibara blinked in surprise at him, "Alright, I'll just ignore you practically gushing over Kaitou KID. You know, I'm not use to hearing you be so insecure with yourself. Are you doing okay?"

Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm fine, and I didn't mean to sound like that. Just trust me when I say that Kaito would not be interested in me. And it's fine honestly because I'm not interested in him either."

Haibara rolled her eyes, "Suit yourself. This is why I don't play match-maker. I don't have the patience for idiots that are blind to what's clearly in front of them. So tell me about your plan to take down the Black Organization."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi had just sat down in the library to read more of the journal, his wings hidden to continue working on his stamina, but before he could read a single word a hand came into view and slammed the book shut again.

Shinichi looked up at the owner of the appendage. It was Kaito, of course it was Kaito, and gave him an irritated look, "Can I help you with something?"

"You need a break," Kaito said with a jovial grin, "You haven't left this stuffy mansion in days. It's time you got out of the house."

Shinichi gave him an impatient look, "As much as I would love to indulge your boredom, I think you have forgotten that I'm busy trying to take down a massive criminal organization. You know, the one that is currently endangering both of out lives?"

"I know you've already done everything you can do on your end, and now you're waiting for the FBI to get into place. The only thing you can do at this point is continue hiding your wings to build up your stamina, which is something you could do outside just as much as you could inside. In fact, don't you think the first time you go out in public with your wings hidden shouldn't be during the actual take down? Consider this a sort of test run for the big day," Kaito suggested.

Shinichi stared at him trying to find a flaw in his logic. Kaito's grin turned cheeky when he couldn't come up with a single come back. He narrowed his eyes at the other man before finally asking, "What did you have in mind?"

Kaito was instantly around the other side of the desk with his arm slung around Shinichi's shoulder. He gave the detective a little squeeze, "I knew you would see things my way. I think we should go on a date! Don't worry, you'll have a blast. My dates have never once been disappointed after going out with me."

Shinichi ducked his head, "I wish you wouldn't tease me so much."

Kaito just chuckled.

The next few hours were spent with Kaito dragging Shinichi around Tokyo. They started at an arcade Shinichi had been to as Conan with the Detective Boys a few times. Kaito liked the rhythm games and dragged him into playing a few rounds of DDR. Between Kaito's skills with his acrobatic stunts from being KID, Shinichi's hand-foot coordination developed from years of playing soccer, and both of their abilities to react quickly, they were both pretty good at the game and had soon pulled in a small crowd of people watching them play. They were on their third round and Shinichi pulled off his jacket in an effort to cool off.

"Yuui, look at his tattoos! I can't believe he would get such large tattoo here in Japan, with the stigma the elderly generation has against them," one of the girls behind him not so quietly whispered to her friend.

The friend, Yuui he presumed, sighed dreamily, "I think they make him look totally hot. I've got a thing for bad boys, you know. And I think they speak deeply about his character, don't you agree? Like he's a bad boy because he got such large back tattoos, but they're angel wings so like he's not that bad."

"Like you could take him home and introduce him to your mom, but at the end of the night he's the one you're going to call daddy," the first girl squealed.

Shinichi was so taken off guard he missed a step and would have fallen flat on his face if Kaito hadn't caught him.

"Ready to go some place else?" Kaito asked with a spark of laughter in his eye. He had obviously heard everything the girls had said as well.

"God yes," Shinichi exclaimed in relief, "get me out of here."

"Come on, I know where we can go next," He offered.

Shinichi followed, but his thoughts were still on those girls. They didn't make any sense. Ogling him just because of his tattoos when Kaito was right there? Obviously between the two of them, Kaito was the more attractive one, what with his devilishly good looks and his heart-breaker smile. And if anyone had a bad boy vibe, it was clearly Kaito, well at least when he wasn't pulling pranks at other people's expense and acting like a giant child. Obviously the girls had been distracted by the novelty of his tattoo like markings. And personally, Shinichi felt like between the two of them Kaito was better suited to be daddy material…

"Uh, Shinichi?" Kaito asked sounding worried.

"Yes Kaito?" He answered nonchalant.

"Why did you just punch yourself in the face?" He asked clearly confused and a more than a little concerned.

"Mosquito," was his immediate reply, "Very deadly you know. Can't be too careful. Did you know mosquitos kill more humans each year than other humans? They're the world's most deadly creature."

"…Right," he said still looking doubtful of his sanity, "Well, we're here."

Shinichi looked up. "A park?" He questioned.

"Yeah. I thought the fresh air and sunshine might do you some good after being cooped up inside all this time. But if you're worried, I'm sure we could stop somewhere first to get some mosquito repellent?" He added, still clearly confused.

Shinichi shook his head, "I'll be fine. I think I'll just stop in a restroom stall to release my wings for a quick break."

Kaito nodded, "I'll wait for you out here."

When Shinichi came out of the restroom some 10 minutes later, he found Kaito leading a game of ultimate frisbee. He seemed to have half the park involved in the game.

"Shin-chan, heads up!"

It was only due to his fast reflexes that Shinichi was able to catch the frisbee before it brained him. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!" He quickly flung the frisbee to someone else.

"I did! I stopped calling you that for a whole day, remember?" He laughed.

Shinichi shook his head and joined the game.

Thirty minutes later Shinichi fell back on his butt exhausted, though he had a smile on his face. He was panting from running and both of the knees of his pants were grass stained from where he had slipped on some wet grass earlier. He had a small hole in one pant leg and he thought he could feel a warm trickle of blood where he must have skinned his knee during the fall. He leaned back on his hands and just watched the other players while he tried to catch his breath.

After a moment Kaito joined him, sitting next to him with an equally large grin on his face. He was sitting close enough that their shoulders brushed. "Tired already, tantei-kun?" He teased.

Shinichi huffed, "In case you've forgotten, I'm already using a lot of energy keeping my wings hidden. Add on physical activity as well and it's no surprise I'm already out of breath."

Kaito hummed in acknowledgment, "I suppose that's true. But you're doing a great job keeping them hidden! You already had kept them hidden for about an hour at the arcade while we played a physically active game, and you only took a short break and let them out for like 10 minutes."

Shinichi allowed himself to smile, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The next place Kaito dragged him to was a go-cart park, though that didn't last long. Kaito had messed with his cart behind the worker's back and somehow programmed it to go much faster than normal. They were now both banned.

"So where to now?" Shinichi asked with a relaxed grin, his fingers ran through his fringe pushing it out of his eyes.

Kaito looked at him and seemed to stumble on nothing, which was oddly clumsy of him, "Well it's about lunch time and I'm sure you could use some calories to replenish some of the energy you're burning keeping your wings hidden. There's a new cafe that opened nearby that I've been wanting to try."

"Sure, let's go," Shinichi replied.

"Hello, my name is Aki and I will be your waitress today!" Said the smiling girl in the apron, "Oh, I love your tattoos, those wings look fantastic."

Shinichi resisted the urge to lean back against the back of his chair and gave her what he hoped was a normal smile that someone would give after receiving a compliment. He and Kaito ordered and the waitress scurried off. Once she was gone, he put his jacket back on as inconspicuously as he could.

"You don't have anything to be self-conscience about, you know. Your wing marks look amazing, almost as beautiful as your wings when they aren't hidden," Kaito said with a sultry smile.

"Don't say such things to me with that look on your face, idiot," Great, he was blushing again. Stupid flirtatious thief, "And it's not that I'm self-conscious necessarily, at least not about my "tattoos". It's just that only three weeks ago I was still Conan, and I was still in hiding from them at the time. Too much attention was dangerous. I'm just not use to all of these people looking at me after hiding for two years."

"Makes sense," Kaito said with a nod.

"Besides, I wonder if all of these people would still think my tattoos looked so amazing if they knew in reality that I'm actually some kind of alien or mutant or something equally strange. I'm still trying to get use to the idea honestly. It's strange to wake up one day, and discover that you have wings and might not actually be human like you once thought. I guess that makes me a bit of a freak?" He said with a self depreciating laugh. He startled when he felt Kaito take his hand across the table.

"Don't say that, even if you're joking," the magician said with force, for once all traces of smile and humor gone, "You are not a freak. If you make "jokes" like that against yourself, a part of you will internalize it and start to believe it."

Shinichi was too surprised to do anything other than nod, which caused Kaito's serious expression to fade as he smiled again. It felt a bit like being warmed from the sun as it peaked out from behind the clouds.

Kaito's thumb had started to rub across his knuckles absentmindedly. It was distracting enough that Shinichi almost missed it when Kaito began talking again. "It's actually astonishing to me how well you are handling your current situation, but I shouldn't be surprised. I've always known you were amazing since I first met you as Conan. The more I got to know you, the more I realized how right I was. I've always thought you were special, Shinichi, with or without wings."

Shinichi swallowed and looked down at his coffee sitting in front of him before answering, "You shouldn't flirt just to tease me when you aren't sincere."

"What makes you think I'm not sincere?" The other asked.

Shinichi's eyes jerked upwards and right at that moment, their waitress returned, "Alright, I've got the house special pasta for you, and the veggie lovers panini for you! Can I get you boys anything else?"

As she set Shinich's plate in front of him, her thumb ran across a chip in the plate and she winced. The sharp edge of the chip had nicked her thumb. The wound was shallow and would only need a simple wash and a bandaid, even applying antibiotic ointment would be overly cautious . Shinichi watched as a small drop of blood escaped from the small cut. He felt his eyes fill with healing tears before they began to fall down his cheeks.

The waitress wrapped a napkin around her finger before she noticed Shinichi and turned to him in surprise, "Sir? Are you alright? It's only a small cut, I assure you I will be just fine."

Across the table, Shinichi saw the moment Kaito realized what was happening before he quickly lied to the waitress, "Oh don't mind him. My friend here is just has hemophobia, you know the fear of blood?"

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry sir! I'll just go to the back and get this cleaned up right away. Let me get you a knew sandwich while I'm at it," she offered before disappearing again.

"Okay, she's gone now. Do you think you can get the tears to stop?" Kaito asked.

Shinichi nodded and already the tears were slowing, "It seems to only happen when someone with a wound is a very short distance from me. Otherwise, I would probably be leaking healing tears all the time if a wound as small as a paper cut can trigger it."

Kaito nodded looking thoughtful, "Maybe its something you could learn to control like you did with hiding your wings. We will have to test that out later. Can't have you doing your job as a detective with healing tears constantly leaking from your eyes, otherwise people might start calling you the Crying Savior of the Police Force or something like that."

"How do you suggest we test that out later?" Shinichi asked curiously.

Kaito shrugged, "I can just prick my finger with a needle or something."

Shinichi frowned, "I'm not sure I'm on board with that. You hands are how you perform your magic. You shouldn't be unnecessarily harming them."

Kaito just laughed, "You're adorable. It will be fine, I promise. When you learn to control your healing tears, I'll let you heal my hands for real. Besides, it's not like you can practice on yourself. Your healing tears aren't triggered when you're the one that's injured, are they?"

Shinichi shifted and one hand went to his skinned knee without him realizing it, "So you noticed that."

"Of course I did. I always pay extra close attention when it involves my favorite detective," he said while flashing another flirtatious smile.

Their waitress took that moment to return and set Shinichi's plate in front of him again, "Here you are, one new veggie panini. Let me know if you need anything else!"

Shinichi took a bite, then quickly followed it with another when he realized how ravenous he was.

Kaito watched him with his chin in his palm, his face looked like he couldn't decide if he was amused or concerned, "You just keep forgetting that you need more calories when you're hiding your wings. If you had told me you were hungry, we could have eaten sooner, or gotten you a snack somewhere."

Shinichi huffed, "I didn't realize I was hungry, I'm use to going long hours without food."

Kaito rolled his eyes with a fond smile, "If you aren't going to take care of yourself, I guess I'm going to have to take care of you. You're already pretty slender, if you continue your normal habits with your new feathery limbs, you're going to be skin and bones. I'll make sure to pack us some protein bars next time, maybe some onigiri as well."

Shinichi, unsure how to reply, just gave him a weak glare.

Once they had both finished, they paid their respective bills (Kaito had tried to offer to pay for his, saying something moronic about how he always bought dinner for his dates. Shinichi had acidly told him that this wasn't a date, and even if it was he wasn't old fashioned enough to let his date pay for him.) and left the cafe.

"I think we should head back home. I wouldn't mind working on controlling my healing tears; it would be great if I had it mastered before the day we take them down," he winced, "though I'm still not comfortable with you hurting yourself."

Kaito shrugged, "A needle prick barely qualifies as hurting myself, and you don't have too many other options. It's not like you could sit in the waiting room of a blood donation center or hospital. You have to be pretty close to the person for your ability to activate, and even if it did work you would probably have the authorities called on you for sitting in a waiting room crying for no reason."

Shinichi pulled a face, "I know you're right. But I still don't like it."

0-0-0-0-0

A few hours later Shinichi leaned over Kaito's hand for the final time. He reached down within himself for his healing tears. They came easily when called, eager to obey. He turned Kaito's hand palm up and let a couple tears call onto the fingers; the small, superficial wounds instantly healed.

His healing tears stopped without him making a conscious effort signifying that there weren't anymore wounds to heal, but Shinichi didn't release Kaito's hand yet. He tilted it this way and that, seeing with his own eyes that the magician was truly healed. Thankfully he couldn't find a single blemish.

He looked up when he heard Kaito clear his throat and found the other giving him a smug grin, "You know tantei-kun, if you wanted to hold my hand you could have just asked."

Shinichi dropped the hand like it burned and felt his face color. He crossed one leg over his knee and folded his arms over his chest. "Excuse me for wanting to check that your hands, you know, what you do your job with, are okay."

Kaito just laughed and Shinichi felt his wings quiver in agitation. He hoped they weren't puffing up again, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around and look. Judging by the way Kaito's laughter doubled, he wouldn't be happy by what he saw if he did look.

"Are you going to spend all night laughing or would you like to figure out something for dinner?" He barked.

Some of the humor faded from Kaito's face, "Actually, I think it's about time I head home."

"You're leaving?" He couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Kaito's eyes softened and he cupped Shinichi's cheek, "Just for a day or two, then I'll be back. I said I would take care of you, didn't I? With the day of your crime syndicate's take down approaching, I need to get back to my workshop and stock up on my supplies."

Shinichi nodded, feeling a bit silly. The thief had been present with him every day since that night he had saved him after getting shot a few weeks ago. Of course Kaito would have to go home at some point.

"I'll walk you out," Shinichi offered while quelling his own ridiculous feelings.

They both stopped at the genkan and Kaito turned back around to face him again. "Shinichi, do you remember our earlier conversation back at the cafe before we were interrupted?"

"Could you be more specific?" Shinichi asked, though he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the magician was referring to.

Kaito gave him a smile that told him he wasn't fooling anyone, "What makes you think I'm not being sincere?"

Shinichi opened his mouth, then closed it again. There was no way Kaito could be serious, right? What interest would he have in a mystery obsessed, workaholic like him?

Kaito was walking towards him, his eyes penetrating him with a piercing look that left Shinichi rooted in place. Kaito stopped directly in front of him, leaving barely any space between them. He was so close, when either of them breathed, their chests would brush. Shinichi had to tilt his head up to meet Kaito's eyes. He could hear his heart beating in his ears. He wondered if Kaito could hear it too.

Kaito leaned down closer until there was almost no space left between them. When he spoke, Shinichi could feel his breath on his lips. "Because I assure you, tantei-kun, that I have been nothing but sincere."

And then Kaito was kissing him.

It started chaste, just a brush of the lips. Then Kaito brought his hand up to cup Shinichi's face, tilting it to just the right angle, deepening the kiss. Shinichi startled, then melted into Kaito. His own hands came up and gripped the fabric of Kaito's shirt, keeping him close.

Kaito finally pulled away and Shinichi's eyes fluttered open. Kaito let out a self-satisfied chuckle at the dazed look on Shinichi's face. "I'll see you in a couple of days, Shinichi."

0-0-0-0-0

He dreamed of her again. Even though he could never remember much of the dreams when he woke, he knew it was the same woman. She gazed at him, her eyes filled with sadness. Shinichi was struck with the thought that she seemed to be sad for his sake, though he wasn't sure how he knew that.

'Promise me if you find it, you'll end it.'

"I promise," he agreed without hesitation.

Some of the tension left her shoulders and she smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. 'Do you really love him, little one?'

If he had been awake he might have shied away from the question, but in the land of dreams it was much easier for him to be honest with himself.

"I do," he answered full of conviction.

This time her smile did reach her eyes. The darkness around them shifted, and suddenly Shinichi could see texture to it. He realized the darkness around them was actually an enormous pair of black wings surrounding them both.

'Then find it and I will help you. And afterwards, you will keep your promise to me.'

He woke the next morning, and though some of the details of the dream faded, he found he was able to remember the bulk of the dream in perfect clarity. He sat up in bed and wrapped his arms around his knees, thinking back to the dream. Had it really been a just a dream? He felt like it was more than that. A few years ago, he might have shrugged it off, but after everything he had learned about witches and magic and the existence of people that maybe weren't fully human, he wasn't so sure anymore.

'The problem is,' he thought to himself, 'even if it was more than just a dream, I'm not sure what it is I promised.'

0-0-0-0-0

Anesidora and I talked..I don't even know how to write about this. I'll just get straight to it.

Anesidora finally told me. The secret she's been hiding from me for so long. The reason she always has that sad look in her eyes. The reason she tried to take her own life the day we first met all those years ago.

Anesidora is immortal, just like all nephilim are apparently.

She told me that once a nephilim reaches somewhere around 25, maybe 27 years of age, they stop aging. Nephilim aren't invulnerable, they can still succumb to injury or illness (though Anesidora believes that while nephilim can become ill, they have a stronger constitution and rarely do pathogens prove fatal for them) but they will never grow old and they will never pass from old age.

I didn't immediately realize the gravity of her words, it was more of a creeping realization on my part. How isolating being a nephilim must be. She had already impressed upon me the rarity of her kind. But to add immortality to it just seems like a cruel twist of fate. To be frozen in time alone while everyone you know around you continues to age and one day leave you?

It was no wonder to me when Anesidora told me that most nephilim die by their own hand.

She called it dying of loneliness. It was than that I put the pieces together and realized Anesidora was older than I had initially thought. A lot older. She didn't give me her exact age, I'm not sure she even remembers herself, but she didn't need to. It must mean a nephilim can't get close to anyone for long. Wherever one choses to settle down, eventually those around them would take notice that they remain unchanged over the passing years.

I think I now understand the sadness that always lingers in Anesidora's eyes.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi sat on the park bench, gazing down at nothing. His wings were out but he couldn't bring himself to care. At least it was unlikely that anyone would see him, what with the torrential downpour that was currently happening. It was raining so hard that visibility was low, and the heavy rain was sure to deter anyone from casually wondering the park.

He wasn't sure how long he had been out here. All he knew after he finished reading that journal entry was that he had to get away. Except there was no running from this. He couldn't escape what was part of him.

He was currently 18 years old, so he had less than 10 years until he stopped aging. He could probably continue living his life for a few more years after that by making little "jokes" about his youthful appearance, but eventually people would start to notice. He would eventually have to disappear.

He could tell those closest to him what had happened, those that already knew about Conan. Haibara of course, and the professor, Hattori, his parents. Maybe he would tell Ran. It shouldn't endanger her, and she didn't deserve to be lied to anymore.

And Kaito…

Well, he had thought he had cried until his tears had run out, but apparently he still had some tears left. At least the rain hid his tears. Not that anyone was around to see them anyway.

A pair of sneakers came into view at his feet and the rain no longer seemed to be falling on him.

"I finally found you."

He looked up at the source of the voice, already knowing who the owner was. Kaito stood before him, holding a large umbrella over both of their heads. Kaito slide his pea coat off, awkwardly trading the umbrella from one hand to the other. Once he was free of the coat, he wrapped it around Shinichi's shoulders.

Shinichi shivered as the body heat warmed material enveloped him, making him realize how cold he was. "This won't hide my wings. It's not long enough," he murmured.

"I'm not trying to hide your wings. I'm trying to warm you up before you freeze to death," Kaito replied.

Shinichi didn't answer. The pea coat was very warm. He shivered again and pulled it tighter around himself. It smelled like Kaito. It was simultaneously comforting and heart breaking.

"Come on, let's get you home," Kaito said.

He gripped Shinichi's elbow with his free hand and guided the detective into standing before leading him out of the park. He carefully held the umbrella over Shinichi; it wasn't big enough for both of them and Kaito's shoulder was getting wet.

Shinichi allowed Kaito to lead him home, not paying attention to the walk, trusting Kaito to lead the way and keep him from walking out in front of a car. They were walking very close together, sharing Kaito's umbrella. He could feel the heat coming off the other man. The cold and his tears had drained him, and the warmth from Kaito's coat and the magician's own body heat was comforting. His mind began to grow groggy with sleepiness.

He was pulled back to awareness when they entered the Kudo Manor. Kaito knelt in front of him and lifted his feet one at a time, pulled off his soaking wet shoes and socks. Next came the coat (which Shinichi was privately sorry to part with) and his shirt. His shirt was replaced with an oversized, fluffy towel, which the thief wrapped around his shoulders. Next the thief moved to remove Shinichi's pants. He paused as if he expected Shinichi to protest, then pressed his lips together in a thin line when Shinichi made no comment.

Once Shinichi was stripped down to nothing but his boxer-briefs and the oversized towel, Kaito dropped all of Shinichi's soaked clothes into a wet bundle in a corner of the genkan. He quickly removed his own clothes and wrapped a towel around his own chilled frame.

"Come on, we need to warm you up. Would you prefer a bath or a shower?" Kaito asked him.

Shinichi just shrugged.

Kaito steered Shinichi to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and adjusted the temperature appropriately. "I'll use the guess bathroom down the hall. I'll be quick, but I want you make sure you properly warm yourself up before leaving the shower. I'll be right back."

Kaito left and Shinichi dropped his towel and boxers. His large wings didn't fit easily in the shower so he made the effort to pull them in. He stood under the spray of warm water until he could feel his fingers and toes again before leaving the shower. He wasn't surprised when he left the shower and found an oversized sweater and a comfortable pair of pants waiting for him. They felt warm, as if they had been in the dryer just moments ago.

Clothes on and hair towel dried, he exited the bathroom. Kaito was waiting for him outside. He was holding a hairdryer in one hand and wordlessly lead Shinichi to the sitting room. Shinichi sat on the couch without being told and Kaito plugged in the hairdryer and started to dry his hair for him.

One hand held the dryer, the other gently combed through his wet locks and gently massaging his scalp. Without realizing it, Shinichi brought his hand up and gently touched his lips, thinking about the kiss he and Kaito had shared two days ago.

After Kaito had kissed him, his brain had frozen for what was probably an embarrassing amount of time. Once he came back to, the first thing he thought was that he hadn't hated the kiss. The next thing he thought was that he had actually quite liked the kiss. And that he wouldn't mind if Kaito did it again. Actually kind of wanted him to do it again.

He might be a little dense when it came to things such as flirting and romance, but after that trail of thoughts even he knew what they meant. He liked the magician, and he realized his feelings weren't new. He had liked Kaito for a while, since he had known him as only KID. He had tried to convince himself that his crush didn't exist, but he could no longer lie to himself.

Once he was aware of his feelings, he looked back on his previous encounters with KID with growing embarrassment. He might as well gone to the KID task force and announced 'I have a crush on Kaitou KID!' It was probably due to the fact that he had looked like a child that more people hadn't picked up on his feelings.

Haibara had known of course. Any time he discussed his plans to attend a KID heist, she had always given him a knowing smile that he hadn't understood at the time. His mind also drifted back to their last conversation when she teased him about wearing that ridiculous sweater for Kaito. Ran had known as well. She was often teasing him about having more in common with Sonoko then he wanted to admit. He'd thought at the time she was referring to his enjoyment of KID heists. Hell, in hindsight Hattori probably knew as well. He probably had put things together after Conan had confided in him that he no longer had romantic feelings for Ran, and that he wasn't sure those feelings had ever actually existed in the first place and weren't just the result of everyone around them calling them a married couple.

Now it seemed like his feelings were being returned, but their relationship would have to end before it had even really began.

Kaito wouldn't want to be with him once he knew. He couldn't fault the thief. Who would want to be with an immortal? Once Shinichi stopped aging, he would have to constantly be on the move, never staying in one place long enough for people to realize he wasn't changing. Why would Kaito go with him?

"Shinichi," Kaito spoke and he realized the hairdryer was no longer on. He wasn't sure when it had turned off. "I read the journal."

Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly before replying, "So then you know."

"I read it after I arrived at your house and couldn't find you. You left it open in the library. I thought you might just be out running an errand so I read it while waiting for you," he answered.

Shinichi heard movement behind him as Kaito crossed around the back of the sofa to join him sitting on the sofa. Shinichi didn't turn to look at him. He didn't want to see his face right now.

Two arms encircled his waist from behind and Kaito pulled him against his chest. The magician leaned forward and buried his face in Shinichi's hair. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Shinichi's face crumbled and he let out a shaky sob. The arms around his waist tightened, but Kaito didn't say anything else. They sat together like that for some time, neither of them speaking, for what was there to say?

At some point Kaito had moved them so that he was leaning against the back of the sofa and Shinichi was resting against his side, head on his shoulder. Kaito's arms were still around his waist.

Kaito broke the silence, "I've had a lot of time to think about immortality. My father was murdered by those searching for it."

"Your father?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito nodded, "He was the first Kaitou KID, you know."

Then he told Shinichi his story, the story of Kaitou KID.

"I never understood why Snake and his men wanted immortality to begin with, but I can't let men like him have it. Not when they would murder to get what they want. So KID has to find it first, and once I do, I'll destroy it so that corrupt people like them never get their hands on it," Kaito finished.

Shinichi nodded, but paused when Kaito's words stirred up a memory. He thought of black wings. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about his dreams now though. He pulled his thoughts back to the present and told Kaito, "Thank you for telling me."

"Shinichi, I can't even imagine how alone you must feel right now. But you might not be as alone as you think. Remember the Obsidian Wand? And what about the custom furniture creator that must get enough business to make a career out of making furniture for people with wings? I know in Kaho's journal, Anesidora spoke about how rare nephilim are, but that journal was written a long time ago. The number of nephilim has probably grown, especially since you don't die of old age. And it was probably harder for nephilim to meet each other back in Kaho's time, what with it being before the internet. Now people have a much easier time of connecting. I bet if you went back to the Obsidian Wand, the shop keeper could probably point you in the right direction," Kaito told him, voice filled with hope.

Shinichi turned his words over and felt his heart become a little lighter. Kaito was right. And even if nephilim were still as rare as Anesidora had said in the journal, he could probably meet other non-humans. Now that he thought back to it, wasn't one of the furniture movers, the one he had thought might be a dragon, also wearing a shirt with holes built into the back? He hadn't seen any wing shaped tattoo like markings on his back, but maybe dragons didn't get those? The other furniture mover might have been a merman.

Shinichi allowed himself a weak smile, "Thank you Kaito. That actually makes me feel a little better."

"I hear a 'but' coming," Kaito gently pushed.

"It doesn't change the fact that you and I can't be together," Shinichi answered, despondent.

"So you want to be with me?" Kaito asked sounding cautiously hopeful.

Shinichi sat him from Kaito's side and frowned at him, "Of course I want to be with you. I've had a crush on you since Singapore, if I had to guess. But that doesn't change anything."

"You have a crush on me? You like me?" Kaito asked with a growing smile.

Shinichi felt his face grow warm. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. "Is that the only part you heard or did you catch what I said after that?"

"What if I don't care?"

"What?" Shinichi asked, confused.

"I like you too, Shinichi. I think I have for probably just as long as you've liked me. I was ecstatic when you got your body back. I decided immediately I would make you mine when I saw you that night. I know one day I'm going to grow old and grey, but I still want to be with you for as long as you will have me," he answered, his smile full of love.

Shinichi's face was burning now, "Don't just say things so casually like that, idiot. It almost sounds like a proposal."

Kaito just laughed and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Well what can I say? When you know, you know. And I know I want to be with you."

"Even when your body grows old, and begins to ache and you grow to resent me for staying young?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito kissed him on the nose. "First of all, I could never resent you…"

He continued as if Kaito hadn't spoken, "Even when I'm forced to move all the time so that people don't realize I'm not aging?"

Kaito kissed his temple, "I've always wanted to see the world and I love meeting new people."

"Even when you look old enough that people mistake you for my father and eventually my grandfather?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito laughed and cupped Shinichi's burning face in both of his hands. He leaned forward and gave Shinichi a slow kiss, leaving the detective dazed. He pulled back with a fond smile, "You tell me I'm making a proposal to you, but you're already imagining our future together." Shinichi sputtered. "Look Shinichi, I meant what I said. I want to be with you for as long as you will have me. Can't we at least try?"

Shinichi knew he should say no. Sure, Kaito was saying that now, but 15 years from now, would he still feel the same? Or would he leave Shinichi with a broken heart while he went out to find some beautiful woman to settle down with before it was too late? So yes, he should tell Kaito that they had to give up on these feelings, but Shinichi knew he was too selfish to let Kaito go.

"Okay Kaito, we can try," he gave the magician a tentative smile.

Kaito beamed at him and closed the distance between them again with another kiss, and at least for now, Shinichi was happy.

0-0-0-0-0

Kasumi-chan has taken ill. Anesidora and I are sick with concern. The local physicians couldn't find anything wrong with her, so we rented a carriage and journeyed to Edo to the east. It's a much larger town with more knowledgeable doctors.

Edo did bring answers, though not the ones we wanted. The doctors were indeed able to find out what ails Kasumi, but its terminal. My little baby is going to die, and there isn't a thing I can do about it.

I feel like such a failure as a mother.

The doctors told me she doesn't have much time left. Once we were back in private, I immediately turned to Anesidora. Was there something perhaps any of her kind could do? I remembered her telling me about other half-angels with their amazing abilities. Some of them have white wings and healing tears. But alas, Anesidora told me that wouldn't work. For one, white wings can only heal wounds, such as lacerations or bruises. For another, they are incredibly rare, even among nephilim.

But Anesidora had another solution. She said that while one of her kind wouldn't be of much assistance, she thought she could perhaps make a deal with a witch or warlock to get some help for Kasumi-chan. I immediately leapt at the possibility.

I was so overcome with emotion, I threw myself into Anesidora's arms and kissed her. I've known about my own feelings for her for some time now, and I had suspected, perhaps hoped, that Anesidora felt the same way, but she never gave any sort of indication. But she kissed me back. And oh, what a kiss. Her lips were soft and tasted of rosewater.

That night, Anesidora made sure that Kasumi was resting peacefully with nothing but sweet dreams, then her and I shared our bed. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Of course it wasn't my first time, Kasumi is testament of that, but it truly is different when you experience it with someone you love. I had thought all the love sonnets the bards and playwrights sang about were exaggerating. Afterwards, I slept curled in Anesidora's arms. She didn't even have to use her ability to give me good dreams, I didn't need the extra help.

The next morning, Anesidora told me she would go in search of a magic user and she left. I know she will find one, and I know she will find a way to help Kasumi. She loves the girl as if she's her other mother. With how long Anesidora has been with us, she might as well be. And I know Kasumi adores her as well. If there is a way to save Kasumi-chan, Anesidora will find it.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi let out a gasp of pain as he was thrown into the wall behind him.

"Kudo Shinichi, just how are you still alive?" Gin demanded while towering over him.

The day had started smoothly enough, at least as smoothly as one could expect while taking down a major international crime organization that had infiltrated multiple world governments. Shinichi spent the first part of the morning on his phone handing out instructions to trusted members of the CIA, FBI, Interpol, and certain police officers he knew could be trusted.

Later, someone had loaned him an FBI jacket and he and a team of a few others stood outside a seemingly abandoned office building where some of the higher up members had set up their base. Many miles away, Jodie was closing in on the boss, and Shinichi had been invited to join in. Part of him wanted to be there, but he knew that this was where he belonged. A black Porsche 356A was parked around the corner.

Gin and Vodka were here.

His part with the Black Organization had started with them two years ago, it was only fitting that it ended with them too. Once inside, the large team split into smaller and smaller teams as they searched the multiple floors of the building. Shinichi had hunch and him and another FBI agent headed for the top floor. Gin was smart. By this point he would have been informed of multiple members' capture, and he wouldn't let himself get trapped. The top floor would give him access to the roof where maybe he could use the fire escape or maybe even a helicopter as an alternative means of escaping.

Shinichi thought he saw a shadow slip quickly around the corner down the hallway, but he couldn't be sure. He was about to pursue when the FBI agent's radio cracked to life with a hiss of static.

"Officer down, we need back up to floor six."

The FBI agent turned to him before speaking, "I should go help them."

Shinichi thought of the shadow he might have seen. "I'll wait here and make sure nobody comes in or out, just to make sure nobody tries to make for the roof."

The agent seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding. "Stay vigilant," he ordered before turning back the way they had come, then he was gone.

Shinichi turned back in the direction he had seen the shadow. He had only caught a brief glimpse and he couldn't even be sure of what he had seen, but he thought it might have been Vodka.

He moved as fast as he dared, softening his steps as he ran to not alert those he was following. Once he caught up to the area he had seen the shadow, he slowed even more, moving silently. At the corner, he stooped to a crouch, making himself as small a target as possible in fear of gunfire. He peaked his head around the corner; the hallway beyond was empty. He cautiously creeped down the hallway. One of the doors about halfway down the hall looked to be opened ajar.

As he got closer to the door, he readied his tranquilizer watch. He took a quick glance inside the room and saw Vodka standing a short distance away. He looked to be reading a text message on his phone, and his back was too Shinichi. Shinichi jumped on the opportunity and fired off two darts in rapid succession. Vodka had let out a grunt before falling unconscious.

Once he was down, Shinichi stood from his crouch and approached with less caution. He scooped up Vodka's phone to investigate who he had been messaging. What he saw made his blood run cold. The message had no text and only contained a single picture. It was a picture of him from behind crouched outside the room Vodka was standing in.

So Gin had found him.

"I asked you a question, how are you still alive?" Gin asked with a fierce kick to Shinichi's abdomen. The kick connected and the detective let out a grunt of pain. Gin reared his leg back to deliver another kick and Shinichi reacted purely on instinct. A ripping noise was heard as his shirt and the FBI jacket were shredded as his wings exploded out from his back. Gin's eye's widened, "Those wings, so you are a nephilim. So Snake was telling the truth. I thought he was just trying to save his own neck after another failed attempt."

Shinichi pulled himself to his knees and tried to raise his watch but Gin was faster, kicking his wrist and sending the last dart flying uselessly in the other direction. Shinichi sucked in a breath through his teeth as the kick connected with his wrist. He didn't think it was broken, but it didn't feel great. Gin reached down and grabbed the detective by the neck, lifting him high in the air until the toes of his shoes were no longer touching the ground.

"What a stupid detective you are. You have't learned anything at fell for the same mistake as the one you made years ago when I thought I had first killed you. You couldn't resist chasing my brother with all of your focus, losing track of your surroundings in the process. Your mistake is my gain. You're coming with me. I know there's no way a brat like you was able to take down our organization entirely. I'll regroup with any members that escaped capture and use you to find the secrets to immortality, and the organization will be rebuilt. Then I will have fun seeing just how immortal you really are. I've never killed a half-angel before, I think it would be quite exciting," Gin mocked.

Shinichi raised his chin and leveled Gin with his smirk he reserved for when he was about to capture a criminal, "You're wrong, I did learn from my mistake 2 years ago. It's you that fell for my trap. I'm afraid the only place you are going to is prison."

Gin started to laugh but cut himself off when he heard a radio came to life behind him.

"Officer down, we need back up to floor six."

Just as Gin began to turn, KID appeared behind him and gave him a face full of sleeping gas. Gin fell unconscious, loosing his grip on Shinichi as he fell.

Shinichi stumbled as his feet were returned to the ground, but KID was there to catch him. Once Shinichi had regained his footing, the thief held him at arms length and inspected him for damage. Bruises were already beginning to form on his neck, and he wasn't aware that he was holding his wrist, trying to alleviate some of the pain. His back was sure to have more bruises from when he was thrown into the wall, and his abdomen probably did as well.

KID gave him a look and Shinichi knew he was going to get an earful later. "I told you I didn't like the idea of using you as bait."

The detective winced and gave him a placating smile, "It was the only way to make sure we got him. Besides, it worked."

KID clenched his jaw and Shinichi thought that Gin and Vodka were both lucky that they were unconscious and couldn't give KID an outlet for his wrath. Then KID pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly. Shinichi could feel him trembling.

Shinichi instantly returned the embrace. "It's okay. I'm okay. I'm safe," he reassured the thief, his good hand rubbing soothing circles on his back.

After a while, KID's trembling had subsided and he pulled away. "You better hide your wings before someone finds us."

Shinichi nodded and retracted his wings, then pulled off his borrowed, now shredded FBI jacket, looking at it critically, "I don't know how I'm going to explain this."

KID snapped his fingers and the jacket disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Here, use mine instead," he offered while holding out the jacket he had worn for his disguise earlier, "It's a size larger, but hopefully with everything else going on nobody will notice."

Shinichi pulled it on gratefully. The jacket also hid the back of his now shredded shirt as well. He slapped a pair of cuffs onto Gin and Vodka's unconscious forms. "Gin's a bit tall, do you think you'll have any trouble carrying him downstairs to the nearest squad car? I don't think I can get Vodka by myself with my wrist, but I can watch him until someone else arrives."

Kaito made a face, "Can't we just kick them in the direction we want to go? That bastard doesn't deserve to be carried."

The two were saved from the hassle when two police officers showed up and offered to take both criminals away. Shinichi gratefully accepted, though he did wonder at the fact that neither of them mentioned Kaitou KID being there.

"Kudo," a new voice commanded.

He turned and saw Inspector Ogasawara, the one leading this raid group of FBI agents and police officers, entering the room.

"With these last few caught, that makes almost everyone in the organization accounted for. A few members did manage to elude us, but they were mostly middle or low ranking members that just got lucky. Of the ones that got away, we estimate we will be able to track down an additional 75% of them within the next 48 hours," he reported.

"Inspector Ogasawara, there's one member in particular whose whereabouts I want confirmed. His codename is "Snake." I believe him to belong to one of the side branches that works directly underneath the organization," Shinichi inquired.

"Hanzawa," the inspector called to a lower ranking officer and gestured for his tablet. The officer handed it to the inspector and he typed away for a moment before turning his attention back to Shinichi, "I'm afraid he's one of the members that got away. His location is currently unknown."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shinichi saw KID clench his fists at the news that his father's murderer had escaped capture. Shinichi felt a wave of guilt pass over him. He had failed Kaito.

The inspector acknowledged KID for the first time, "I have been made aware that you had some positive involvement in this as well, Kaitou KID. In fact, to my understanding, if you hadn't been here Kudo would have been seriously injured. Well, more so than he already was." He turned briefly back to Shinichi, "You might want to have medical look at that wrist, Kudo." Then he turned back to KID again, "I want to thank you for your help. However, you are still an internationally wanted criminal yourself, and I'm afraid it is my duty to uphold the law. I'm going to have to place you under arrest."

Shinichi swore his heart had stopped beating for a moment before it resumed again. It was going to be okay. They had known this was a possibility, they had plans put into place. KID had multiple different escape routes he could use.

He didn't get to panic for long before the inspector continued speaking again, "I'll do that just as soon as I check on all of my men. So make sure you stay put and don't go anywhere," Ogasawara gave KID a small nod, and his eye honest to god twinkled, before leaving

Shinichi stood gaping after him and KID burst out laughing holding his middle. "What can I say? People love me!" He smiled with laughter in his eyes, then his smile dropped as his face turned more serious, "I better disappear. Take care of yourself, Shinichi. Make sure you let someone check out your injuries."

Something in Shinichi's chest tightened. A part of him wanted to beg for KID's forgiveness for letting Snake escape. Instead he just nodded. KID threw down a smoke bomb and was gone.

It was almost 12 hours later before Shinichi finally arrived back home. It would take time for the dust to settle, but already the paperwork was piling up. He had dedicated a few hours to filling out this report and that report and signing multiple forms before someone finally wised up to the fact that he hadn't been examined by a doctor yet. He tried to argue that it was his non dominant hand that had been injured so he could at least finish filling out paperwork, but he was denied. So off to the hospital he went.

He was given strong pain killers and anti-inflammatories for his bruises. His wrist was thankfully not broken, which while he had expected was still relieving to hear. He was instructed to ice it for 30 minutes every 4 hours for the next 3 days, and to wear a splint to help keep it immobile while it healed.

Once he got home he toed off his shoes and sighed. He missed Kaito. A part of him wanted to call the magician and ask him to come over, but he figured Kaito probably needed some time to himself after finding out that his father's murderer was still at large. He knew logically that Kaito probably didn't blame him, but strong emotions tended to not always be logical, and maybe Kaito also wanted some space so that he didn't take his frustration out on Shinichi.

He trudged into the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. He swallowed the anti-inflammatory but ignored the pain killer. Codeine. It would cause drowsiness, and he didn't much feel like sleeping right now.

He finished the glass of water and went to wash the cup when he finally noticed someone was sitting at his kitchen table. He let out a yelp that was very masculine sounding, thank you very much.

"Welcome back!" Kaito greeted, "Are you supposed to only take one of your medication right now? Or are you ignoring the other one cause it might cause drowsiness and you're planning on staying awake for an absurd amount of time?"

Shinichi blinked at him, "Kaito! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I made us both dinner since neither of us has eaten in the last-" he checked his watch- "15 hours. I also made us both some tea, decaffeinated of course, and don't you dare complain," Kaito lectured sounding a bit like Ran.

"No, I meant where are you here at my house?" Shinichi corrected, feeling confused, "I figured you would be upset that Snake got away."

"Do you mean you thought I would be upset with you that Snake got away?" Kaito asked.

Shinichi flinched and looked away, "I wouldn't blame you if you were. The leader of the Black Organization was caught, as was Gin and Vodka. Almost the entire organization was captured except for Snake. It must look like I prioritized my own goals and neglected yours."

Kaito gently set his cup of tea down on the table before walking over to Shinichi. He took both of the detectives hands in his own, being extra gentle with his injured wrist. Shinichi couldn't stop himself from meeting Kaito's eyes, curious what expression the magician was wearing. He felt some of the tension release when he looked up and only saw affection in Kaito's eyes.

Kaito made sure he had Shinichi's full attention before speaking, "I'm upset that Snake got away, but it's not you I'm upset with. I know that you did the best that you were able to. And we will have another opportunity. Snake will undoubtedly still target KID, even if his employers have been captured. Next time, we'll be prepared for him."

Shinichi swallowed. "Maybe we should figure something else out for your next heist. I don't like the idea of KID being targeted by a madman with a gun again."

Kaito gave him a grin that somehow made Shinichi feel uneasy, "Oh you don't like it, do you? Is it hard to think of someone you care about putting themselves in harms away to capture a criminal, knowing that they could be hurt?"

Shinichi realized his mistake, "Uh…um."

That was all he got out before he received a lecture about his reckless behavior that would have made any of his friends proud. It felt like he was being scolded by Ran, his mom, and Haibara combined. He could do nothing but nod meekly and occasional promise that no he wouldn't ever do anything that stupid ever again.

"Alright, now that I've said my piece, let's eat. You have got to be running low on energy by now. I'm surprised you can still keep your wings in. You've gotten really good at that," Kaito said while making him a plate.

Shinichi eyed the large quantity of food that Kaito was spooning onto his plate. Kaito shot him a look, as if he could read his thoughts and dared him to protest. Shinichi wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead he answered, "I had to take a number of breaks in the bathroom to let my wings out, but overall yeah. I seem to have it nearly mastered now." He grudgingly admitted, "I probably could have taken even fewer breaks if I had eaten more today."

Kaito rewarded his admission with a quick kiss. "You can let them out now. You don't need to waste any more energy hiding them."

Shinichi nodded and removed is jacket. He was still wearing his shirt with the shredded back from earlier. He released his wings and sighed with relief once they were out. He sat down at the table and began to eat, Kaito sitting across from him. Neither of them spoke for awhile, just focusing on the food in front of them, before Shinichi finally cleared his throat and broke the silence, "You know, you can stay here whenever you want. I mean, you know, if you want. There's plenty of spare rooms."

Kaito looked up from his plate with a smile, "Thanks. You inviting me makes things much easier. I may have already moved in some of my things to one of the rooms upstairs. I also might have converted another one of your spare bedrooms into a workshop for my magic and KID items. Also, my doves may or may not be in the attic with a window partially opened to let them come and go as they please."

Shinichi stared at him before he let out a snort of laughter and shook his head.

Once they finished eating (and Shinichi convinced Kaito that he couldn't possibly eat another bite off of his huge plate), Shinichi cleaned the dishes while Kaito put away the leftovers. Then he insisted Shinichi take the pain medicine he had been ignoring.

"I'm fine," Shinichi stubbornly protested.

"You are not fine, you're practically black and blue from bruises and you're holding your arm funny trying not to move your wrist," Kaito argued.

Shinichi went to cross his arms over his chest, then thought better of it with his wrist. "I'm not taking them."

Kaito groaned exasperated, "And people think I'm stubborn and childish."

"Which you are," Shinichi interjected.

Kaito sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What is this really about, Shinichi? There's no way you're doing all of this so that you can continue to overwork yourself. You must be exhausted."

Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slow, "Look, it's kinda embarrassing, and I logically know that you would never make fun of me for something like this, but we both know I have a lot of pride. I'm just a little concerned what dreams I might have if I allow myself to sleep tonight. Facing off against Gin today was…it was a lot. And some of the things Gin said might haunt some of my nightmares for a while."

Kaito was clearly remembering the threats Gin had made against him and shuddered, "Yeah, I guess I can't blame you for that one. But Shinichi, you need to take your pain medicine, and you need to get some rest. What about…what if I stayed with you?"

Shinichi felt himself blush but he didn't immediately turn down Kaito's offer. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't opposed to the idea. Kaito made him feel…safe. And Kaito was right, he already felt like if he blinked for a second too long, he wouldn't be able to pry his eyes back open.

He finally nodded, "Okay."

The magician clearly hadn't been expecting that, "Wait, really? You're really going for it that easily?"

His blush deepened, "If you didn't mean it than just forget it."

Kaito smiled and held his hands up in mock surrender, "That's not what I meant. I just thought I would have to convince you a little more before you agreed."

Shinichi frowned at him but decided it wasn't worth arguing about anymore. He opened the pill bottle for his pain medications and popped one in his mouth before chasing it with the last of his tea. He turned around and began to make his way upstairs before calling over his shoulder, "Well are you coming or not?"

He could hear the smile in Kaito's voice when he answered, "Coming!" He hurried after him up the stairs.

Shinichi went through his nightly routine of brushing his teeth and washing his face, and he felt the codeine starting to take effect. His body wasn't aching as much, but he also felt the drowsiness setting in. But after he changed into his pajamas and exited the bathroom, he was suddenly wide awake. Sitting on his bed waiting for him was Kaito.

Oh god, was he really going to sleep with Kaito? Well not sleep in that sort of sense, they were literally just going to sleep in the same bed together, but still. Kaito could probably easily read his face because he gave him a soft smile before standing and going over to him. He took Shinichi's good hand and slowly led him to the bed. "Hey, you know I won't do anything you aren't comfortable with, right? I might be a flirt and I do enjoy teasing you immensely, but I don't want to do anything that would actually make you uncomfortable," Kaito reassured him.

Some of the tension left him and he nodded. He realized his wings were pulled tight around himself as if he was trying to hide behind them and he forced himself to relax.

"So, how does this work exactly? I mean, how do you sleep with your wings?" Kaito questioned.

"Oh, well actually any way a person normally sleeps is fine actually. Sleeping on my stomach or on my side is of course most comfortable, but I could still sleep on my back, if I wanted. It's not like my wings will shatter if I lay on them. I just need to be careful when I wake up in the morning that I don't try to sit up too fast and pull on my feathers. It would be like if you went to sleep on your back with your KID cape on and then try to sit up," Shinichi explained.

Kaito nodded, "That makes sense."

Shinichi climbed into bed, and Kaito switched off the light before joining him. Shinichi was laying on his side. He could see Kaito facing him by the light of the moon. Shinichi's wings took up a lot of room, and Kaito was on the edge of the bed with little space for himself. Shinichi absentmindedly remembered the custom furniture maker sold gigantic beds as well. At the time, he had wondered why when his bed was plenty large enough for him and his wings. Now he understood. He made a mental note to order one of the beds tomorrow.

Kaito pulled him from his thoughts, "Hey, Shinichi. Could I hold you?"

Shinichi grateful for the darkness hiding his blush. "Sure," he answered trying not to sound nervous.

Kaito noticed anyway and gave him an encouraging smile before he scooted closer and pulled Shinichi against his chest, tucking the detective's head under his chin. His arms wrapped around him and held him close, one arm began to slowly trace through his feathers. Shinichi shivered at the small feelings of pleasure that spread from his wings. He felt his eyes flutter shut and he didn't notice that he had curled himself closer to Kaito. He could hear the soft, even breaths Kaito was taking. Soon he was asleep.

0-0-0-0-0

It took about 2 months but Anesidora finally returned, and she brought great news. She had indeed found a warlock, one that she said could help. I can tell she's hiding something from me though. I wonder what it could be?

Kasumi's condition has deteriorated progressively in the months since Anesidora has been gone, but unfortunately she's going to have to wait a little longer. Anesidora told me that the spell must wait until the night of the full moon, which is in about a fortnight. Kasumi's condition is worsening, but the Edo physicians gave her a prognosis of another few months. Thankfully she will make it until the night of the full moon. I thanked whatever gods might have been listening that Anesidora made it back in time.

That night, I showed Anesidora how much I had missed her, and I gave her all of my love. She gave herself back to me, and we slept in each other's arms again. Her wings covered me, warmer and softer than any blanket, and I slept peacefully knowing our daughter would be okay.

0-0-0-0-0

"Shinichi," Kaito called to get his attention, "Your wrist seems to be mostly healed. I think it's time I planned another heist."

Shinichi rotated his wrist experimentally. The thief was right. It had only been a week and a half, but his wrist was no longer bothering him and he had regained full use of it. His bruises too had healed far faster than normal. He supposed nephilim really were as sturdy as the journal had said.

He nodded at Kaito, "KID has been a bit quiet lately. You haven't had another heist since you were shot. And we might be able to capture Snake. Do you have a target in mind?"

Kaito shook his head, "No, but I've narrowed it down to these three here."

He passed Shinichi a print out with three jewels and information on them. Shinichi glanced at it and one caught his eye. His instincts told him this was the right one, but he couldn't explain why. "Target this one," he instructed while tapping the paper.

Kaito glanced at the one in question, "Hesiod's Poem? Hesiod was the first to tell the myth of pandora, or at least he is credited with the earliest known version of the story. It could be promising. But don't get your hopes up, I've gone after jewels with names relating to the myth of Pandora before, one was even called The Pithos of the Gift, 'pithos' referring to the jar that Pandora opened and 'gift' referring to the meaning behind Pandora's name, and they all turned out to be disappointments. But I suppose its a good a chance as any."

"It will also be sure to get Snake's attention," Shinichi supplied.

"So do you have a plan to capture him?" Kaito asked.

Shinichi bit his lip before shaking his head, "I haven't come up with one yet."

Kaito raised his eyebrow at him, "I can't believe how well you hid yourself as Conan when you're so terrible at lying. You've obviously thought up a plan, you just don't like it."

Shinichi frowned at him, "Because every plan I come up with involves using you as bait, and how could I possibly go along with that plan?"

Kaito rolled his eyes at him, "You are such a hypocrite, tantei-kun. We already had this conversation. I believe this was your exact plan with the roles reversed when you caught Gin and Vodka."

Shinichi huffed and folded his arms over his chest, fixing Kaito with a glare. "That was different! I'm a detective, I'm put into dangerous situations all the time, both before and during my time as Conan. Besides, if something were to happen to you," he cut himself off, not wanting to say more.

Kaito smiled softly at him. He stood and made his way around the table until he was standing in front of the detective. He kneeled down and took Shinichi's hand in both of his, placing a kiss on the back of his hand. "It warms my heart to hear how much you care about me, but you know this is the best way. Snake must be caught. But don't worry so much, KID has been in his own fair share of dangerous situations, and I will remind you I have an entire task force dedicated to my capture who haven't even come close to succeeding. And you'll be there too, my own guardian angel watching my back with your healing tears. We've never worked together at a heist before. Snake won't stand a chance."

Shinichi nodded in defeat, "Okay. But you have to promise to be extra careful."

Kaito's smile widened and he rose so that he was no longer stooping in front of Shinichi but was now leaning over him. He cupped Shinichi's cheek and Shinichi leaned in, meeting Kaito's kiss halfway.

0-0-0-0-0

Three weeks later Shinichi stood on the roof of the museum that KID was hosting his heist at. He could hear the commotion downstairs as KID led his task force around in a brilliant dance, but he ignored it. He wasn't here to chase KID, he was here to capture a sniper. They knew Snake would be here tonight, Kaito had written his heist note carefully, making it sound like he already knew tonight's jewel was Pandora. He had also thrown in a couple of insults only those in the know would be able to decipher, mocking the sniper for the capture of his employers.

KID would be joining him on the roof any minute, but he still had no clue where Snake was hiding. He had already checked the roofs of the buildings he thought Snake would most likely use for a vantage point while targeting KID, but they were empty. In order for his plan to work, he needed to know where Snake was first. If he couldn't figure it out, he would have to message KID about the change in plan and they would try again at another heist.

But before he could make up his mind if he should contact KID, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He jerked around, but it was too late. A large dart buried itself in his thigh, followed quickly by two more. Shinichi plucked them out, but he could already feel the drugs taking effect.

'Must be a sedative,' his mind supplied.

"I gave you enough to bring down an elephant. A normal human would be dead by now, but for a nephilim like you, it just weakens you," Snake said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Shinichi cursed as his strength left him and he fell to his knees. He put a hand to the ground trying to steady himself as his vision started to blur. He hadn't considered the possibility that Snake would be on the same roof as the heist location. It went against his MO. But it made sense that he would need to be closer if he was going to use drugged darts. The heavy darts wouldn't have the same range as a sniper bullet. He growled weakly, "I won't allow you to touch KID."

He wasn't expecting Snake to throw his head back and roar with laughter, "KID? As if I would even be interested in him anymore, or some mythical jewel that may or may not even exist."

Shinichi looked at him feeling disoriented, "Then why?"

Snake stepped closer and buried his hand in Shinichi's hair, lifting the detective's face until he was looking into Snake's eyes. "Why? Because I have an immortal right here. You might have taken down the organization, but there are plenty of rich people out there that would pay handsomely for the secrets of immortality. I'm sure I could find a buyer for you. Now show me your wings, nephilim," Snake ordered with a smirk.

Shinichi spat in Snake's face, which earned him a punch to his jaw. The sniper gave him a look like he had already won. "No matter, you'll pull them out whether you like it or not. The drugs in your system are weakening you significantly. Your body will try to conserve energy and will release your wings eventually," he sneered.

The detective knew he was right. It felt like it was taking all of his energy to keep himself awake and hide his wings. After a moment, he felt his wings explode from his back, shredding his jacket in the process. They laid limp at his sides.

'I'm going to need to invest in more jackets when all of this is over, assuming I can get out of this,' a part of him thought.

The door to the roof was thrown open as KID appeared. He must have planted a listening device on the roof because he didn't look the least bit surprised by what he saw. His poker face was up, but Shinichi knew him well enough to be able to see how furious KID was. "Let the detective go, Snake," KID ordered calmly, sounding like he was in complete control of the situation.

"And why would I do that?" Snake asked.

"I'll trade you. The detective for Pandora," KID said while holding up the stolen jewel. It glowed red under the light of the full moon. "As you can see, it's the real thing."

"Don't-" Shinichi started but was cut off with a gasp of pain as Snake used his grip on Shinichi's hair to pull the detective up higher, causing his back to arch.

"As I've already told the detective brat here, I no longer need Pandora. I have the secret to immortality right here. I'm sure I could easily sell your detective to the highest bidder."

KID's poker face cracked a little and some of his rage leaked out in his voice, "I will not allow that."

Snake grinned dangerously, "I was hoping you would say that." His pulled out his concealed gun and raised it, shooting the unprepared thief.

"No!" Shinichi shouted in horror as KID fell. He watched in panic as a stain of red slowly spread across KID's chest, contrasting starkly against KID's white suit. KID fell to his knees, then forward onto his face. A pool of red was rapidly growing underneath him.

"KAITO!" Shinichi screamed as he struggled to get away from his captor. Snake chuckled darkly and released his hold on his hair, allowing the detective to crawl to Kaito's side. His tears fell freely, but they were normal tears of sorrow. He tried to will his healing tears to come, but he couldn't seem to get his ability to activate.

'Alabaster white wings with tears that can heal all but the most fatal of wounds,' his mind supplied.

Snake approached him and Shinichi was powerless to stop him from warping thick cords around his chest, binding his arms and wings. "That's enough crying for the dead, now let's go," he said as he began to drag the half-angel away.

Shinichi struggled, but was still too weak from the drugs to stop the sniper. Snake had dragged him almost half way to the door when they both heard a moan of pain. "Kaito?" Shinichi dared to hope. Snake turned to look in disbelief.

KID was pulling himself up to his knees, but something appeared to be wrong. He was hunched over and gritting his teeth, obviously in severe pain, but he wasn't holding his bullet wound like Shinichi would have expected. Instead he looked like he was holding his shoulders with his arms crossed over his chest, trying to reach his back. Suddenly he screamed in pain and began to claw at his shoulder blades. With a final scream, wings burst from Kaito's back, shredding through his KID suit jacket in the process. The wings rose high above his head as if reaching for the stars. They were impossibly large, even larger than Shinichi's own. At fist Shinichi had thought the wings were black, but by the light of the moon he saw that they were actually a deep blue.

Snake and Shinichi watched transfixed as KID finally stood, his face obscured by shadow. He took a few steps toward them and spoke, his voice low but still managed to carry across the roof to them, "This is your final warning. Let the detective go."

Snake pulled himself from his statue-like state. The sniper raised his gun again, but KID shot it from his grip with his card gun easily. Now KID was in front of them and he reached for the front of Snake's shirt with both of his hands, gripping the sniper tightly, his face contorted in rage, "You killed my father, and you have killed so many others. You tried to take Shinichi from me. I should take your life and rid this world of one more evil." KID's dark wings, looking almost inky black in the light, drew closer as if he was some avenging angel of death.

Shinichi watched from his vantage point at their feet, still too weak to stand. Even if he could stand, he probably would have stayed out of KID's way. For all of KID's threats, he trusted Kaito.

Snake looked at KID in terror, struggling to free himself from KID's grip on him, but KID held on.

Finally Snake's body went limp as he fell unconscious and KID released him, allowing Snake to fall to the ground with a heap. He looked like he was having a particularly bad nightmare. "As if I would ever stoop to the level of a murderer," he said in disgust.

KID almost threw himself onto the ground next to Shinichi. He gave the ropes tying Shinichi's wings up a look of rage before snapping his fingers and making a small pocket knife appear in his hand. He carefully cut the ropes freeing Shinichi and threw the ropes to the far side of the roof in disgust. Then he pulled Shinichi into his arms, his deep blue wings wrapping around him protectively. "Shinichi, are you okay?" He asked full of concern.

Shinichi couldn't help but laugh, "I can't believe you're asking me that when you were the one that was shot. Again."

Kaito frowned, "I don't exactly know what happened, or why I seem to have wings now."

"I might have an explanation for that, but first can I see the jewel you stole tonight?" Shinichi asked.

KID looked confused but he pulled out the jewel and placed in into Shinichi's waiting hand. Shinichi held it up to the moonlight, and it glowed red. "Thank you Anesidora for saving him. I promise we will destroy the jewel and keep my end of the bargain."

"Did you say Anesidora? The nephilim from the journal you're reading?" Kaito asked him.

Shinichi nodded, "This jewel is Anesidora, the true name of Pandora. I think her spirit has been communicating with me in my dreams, she was an angel of sleep after all. She's aware of all the deaths the search for her jewel has caused, and she begged me to find it first and destroy it. I agreed, and in return she said she would help me as well, though I wasn't sure what she meant by that. Now it's been made clear, she gave her powers to you, making you into a nephilim. Your wings are blue like hers were, because you inherited her powers of sleep and dream. It's how you put Snake asleep without using your gas."

KID opened and closed his mouth several times before he successfully began speaking, "I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start."

"It's going to have to wait. Don't forget this is a crime scene and Snake is currently asleep right next to us. I need to get this taken care of and you are still a wanted criminal," Shinichi told him.

KID pursed his lips and didn't argue instead asking, "Can you stand on your own?"

Shinichi stood experimentally with KID's help. The drugs thankfully seemed to be wearing off. "I think I'll be fine now. You should get going," Shinichi said.

"I'll wait for you at the Kudo Manor," KID said. He leaned forward and captured Shinichi's lips in a kiss that made his knees feel weak in a way that had nothing to do with the sedatives. "I'm glad you're okay."

KID ran for the roof and jumped. Shinichi had been a little concerned about Kaito flying with his brand new wings, and he wouldn't be able to use his glider with his wings out, nor would he be able to retract them without practice. His fears were unfounded when he saw KID flying away in the direction of his house, soaring over the city below.

Shinichi cuffed Snake and did his best to clean up the blood KID had left behind from being shot. The sooner he got this taken care of, the sooner he could get home to Kaito.

0-0-0-0-0

Tonight is finally the night of the full moon, but something is wrong. I'm not sure what it is, but Anesidora seems off. She keeps randomly holding me, kissing me, and telling me how much she loves me. How happy she is that she met me and our daughter. It's all wonderful, but I can't help but feel like she is telling me goodbye somehow. She also is spending a lot of time with Kasumi, and answering many of her questions about what it's like being a nephilim. We had finally told Kasumi what Anesidora was a few years ago once we deemed the girl old enough to carry the secret. Now it's almost like Anesidora is teaching her.

I'm relieved that Kasumi will be saved soon, but I'm worried about Anesidora. I wish she would tell me what's going on. She hasn't told me anything about how she is going to save Kasumi, only that its a spell that comes from a warlock and needs the light of the full moon to work. She must have her reasons for not telling me. I guess I will see what happens tonight.

0-0-0-0-0

Anesidora…she's gone. Last night, once the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky, a knock came at our door. Anesidora seemed have been expecting it. She opened the door to reveal a man that wore a heavy cloak with the hood pulled low over his face. I knew immediately this had to be the warlock. I shouldn't have been surprised, I knew the spell required a magic wielder. He told Anesidora that everything was ready and she nodded at him. It may have been my imagination, but I thought the warlock sounded regretful. Anesidora came to me and kissed me. It was a kiss goodbye.

She used her powers on me to put me to sleep. When I woke this morning, she and the warlock were gone. I checked Kasumi's room and found my daughter sleeping peacefully, and I could immediately tell that she had been saved. Color had returned to her cheeks and she no longer looked gaunt. She also now had a pair of deep blue wings.

Sitting clenched in her first was a beautiful gem stone. On Kasumi's nightstand was a note that Anesidora had left me. The note told me that she loved me and Kasumi both, and that she thought of Kasumi as her daughter. Her note read that the only way to save Kasumi was by a spell that forfeited her own life. Nephilim are powerful creatures, and the spell would trap her power in that of a jewel. She would be gone, but her spirit would live on in the jewel, and she could chose who to share her power with, turning them into a nephilim as well. The spell to turn another into a nephilim would require three things: the intended recipient to be close to death, the light of the moon, and Anesidora's own blessing.

I understand why she explained to me so carefully how the spell to turn another into a nephilim works. It is up to me, and Kasumi once I am gone, to protect the jewel.

I think I will call the jewel Pandora.

0-0-0-0-0

A couple of weeks later, Kaito and Shinichi entered the Obsidian Wand. The shop keeper looked up when they entered, then nodded in recognition. She gestured for them to follow her through the door that was marked "staff only."

She turned to them once they were through the door, "I saw your name in the papers, Kudo-kun. Congratulations on that big case you solved, and also that sniper you caught at the last Kaitout KID heist." Shinichi nodded politely in thanks and she continued, "So what brings you boys into my shop today?"

"I came to return this to you," Shinichi said while pulling out the journal. "Thank you for loaning it to me. I found it to be incredibly helpful."

She smiled softly while she took the journal, one hand resting on the cover gently. "I'm glad you found it helpful. The Obsidian Wand isn't just my place of business, its a resource to help other non-humans and to bring the community together. There's more of us now then there was in Anesidora's time, but we are still a small community. We have to stick together."

Shinichi nodded before pulling something else out of his pocket, "I also wanted to give you the chance to say goodbye."

She looked up from the journal in confusion and gasped when she saw the jewel he held in his hand.

"I think Anesidora would have wanted to see her adopted daughter one last time before I destroyed the gem. Don't you agree, Kasumi-san?"

Kasumi gently took the jewel from Shinichi's hand and cupped it in both of her own before holding it close to her chest. She sniffled a little before answering, "It's been so long. It was stolen from me long ago, I had given up hope on ever seeing it again. Thank you for letting me see her one final time."

She shrugged the shaw off her shoulders allowing it to fall to her feet. She released a breath and a pair of deep blue wings emerged from her back. She held the wings close to herself, cupping them around the jewel in her hands. "Thank you for saving me, mom."

She finally handed the jewel back to the detective with a sad smile, "Thank you for letting me see her before you destroyed it. I assume you are destroying it because it's what Anesidora asked you to do." Shinichi nodded, and she continued, "I thought so. Thank you. Feel free to stop by the shop anytime. A lot has changed since Anesidora's time. Being a nephilim doesn't have to be as lonely as it use to be. We have learned ways to make living among humans easier. You and your boyfriend could even have a chance together. I can teach you everything I know."

Shinichi looked back at Kaito and smiled. He reached for Kaito's hand and laced their fingers together. "Thank you, that would be appreciated. But in regards to my boyfriend here, that won't be necessary," he blushed when he said boyfriend, but he was still smiling looking absolutely love sick. If he had turned back to look at Kaito, he would have seen the same love sick look mirrored on his boyfriend's face.

Kaito shrugged his jacket off of his shoulders and allowed his jacket to slide down his arms until it was bunched around his elbows, freeing his back. He released his hold on his wings and allowed them to come out. They were identical in color to Kasumi's deep blue wings, as well as the wings of the woman Shinichi had seen in his dreams, the color he had originally mistaken for black.

Kaito magically produced an orange rose, the color of unity and family, and gave it to Kasumi, "I guess you're like an older sister to me now. Mind if I purchase some of your shirts for winged people, sis? It seems I have also been adopted into the half-angel club."

Kasumi smiled in amusement. It looked like the non-human community had gained two new members. She thought to herself that they would fit in just fine.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi laid with Kaito on the couch, his head pillowed on Kaito's chest. They were watching some movie that he wasn't really paying any attention too. His wings were currently retracted, and he was distracted by Kaito's fingers lazily tracing the wing marks on his back. Kaito's wings were out and he had them wrapped around Shinichi like a warm blanket. He didn't think he had ever felt so comfortable in his life.

"Hey, Shinichi," Kaito spoke, also clearly not paying too much attention to the movie, "Why was I saved by Pan-Anesidora? Her spirit had to be willing to turn someone into a nephilim, right? So why me?"

Shinichi felt his face heat, and he tried to discreetly hide his face in Kaito's chest, "It's because…because I love you."

Kaito's breath caught for a moment and Shinichi felt his heart rate increase. It was probably too soon to be saying the "L" word. Was he moving too fast? He was definitely moving too fast. Kaito was probably freaked out. Why wasn't Kaito saying anything? Maybe he should just leave.

When he tried to pull away, the arms circling his waist tightened holding him in place. He finally looked up meeting Kaito's gaze. He let out a small gasp at what he saw. Kaito's eyes held so much love, and he let it all show for Shinichi, his feelings unmistakable.

"I love you too, Shinichi," and then he was kissing him.

It started off as just a simple brush of the lips, but Kaito quickly deepened the kiss. Shinichi gasped and couldn't stop the small moan that escaped. It seemed Kaito could tell him that he loved him with more than just his eyes and his words. That talented mouth of his was making him feel very loved indeed. Thrice Kaito pulled away from him, as if he was finished kissing him, only to go back in for more, as if he couldn't get enough. That was fine, Shinichi felt the same way. Finally they finally parted, Shinichi's lips kiss swollen.

"But I still don't understand. You love me, and I love you as well, but how did that lead to me growing wings?" Kaito asked.

It took a moment for Shinichi's brain to turn back on before he could answer. Part of his mind was still thinking about that interesting thing Kaito had done with his tongue while they kissed. He ignored the smug look Kaito gave him and focused instead on the question. "Anesidora had been coming to me in my dreams for weeks. We talked a lot, but I usually couldn't remember much of my dreams when I woke up in the morning. I'm sure I probably talked about you a lot. Knowing what we do now, I think she wanted us to have the happy ending that she herself couldn't have with the one that she loved. She approved of us and gave our relationship her blessing."

Kaito hummed in answer, "And her blessing met the third and final criteria to activate Pandora's magic."

Shinichi's heart beat in double time for a moment, feeling nervous. Now was as good of a time as any to have this particular conversation. "You know, Kaito. If I had known, I would never have let you get turned into a nephilim without discussing it with you first. Of course I can't help but selfishly be happy that it happened, but I wouldn't want something like that to happen to you without your consent. I know that Kasumi said that being a nephilim isn't as lonely as it use to be, whatever she means by that, but you're still going to watch all of your human loved ones age and die someday."

Kaito's eyes were filled with love when he answered, "Have you been worried about that this whole time? You don't need to worry, I did consent. After I was shot by Snake, the last time I mean, the night I turned into a nephilim, (Shinichi rolled his eyes at the fact that he had to clarify which time he got shot he was referring to) after I was shot I lost consciousness for a moment. During that time I dreamed of a woman with dark wings. I think it must have been Anesidora. We talked for a moment and she gave me a choice. I chose you. I forgot about the dream when I woke up, and growing my own wings distracted me from remembering, but I remember now. I don't regret my decision for a moment."

Shinichi felt a little relieved, but he wasn't quite finished with the conversation. "Kaito, one last thing. I know we haven't been dating long, and I don't want you to feel trapped by me. I don't want you to be with me because you feel like you have to…"

"None of that now," Kaito silenced him with a finger to his lips, "I already told you that I chose you. I love you, Shinichi. And I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you, which to my understanding is going to be a very, very long one. I'm going to cherish every day of the rest of eternity that I get to spend with you."

Shinichi's face felt so hot he thought it might be on fire, "Stop just casually proposing to me. We have't been dating for that long and we are still young. We only just turned 18 this year. We aren't getting married for at least seven years."

Kaito beamed at him, "How does Kuroba Shinichi sound to you?"

Shinichi gave him a frown but a part of him privately thought he liked the sound of that a lot, "It sounds fine. I guess five years before marriage minimum would be acceptable."

Kaito hummed happily in answer, "Once you meet my mom and I meet yours, I bet they'll plan our wedding for 2 years from now."

Shinichi privately thought that Kaito was underestimating his mom. If he knew his mother, she probably already knew about their relationship somehow, and was planning their wedding right at this very moment. He decided to keep that thought to himself, fearing that if he was wrong, saying it out loud might will it into the universe.

Instead, he settled his head back down on Kaito's chest and turned back to the movie, looking forward to spending eternity with the one he loved.

End

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I found some artwork of humans with wings interacting with custom furniture that I used for inspiration for the parts of the story of Shinichi buying custom furniture. Unfortunately I am unable to link it here. If you just search "furniture for humans with wings" you should be able to find it. I believe the artwork I'm referring to was originally posted on deviantart by someone of the name squidlifecrisis, but I've seen it posted on other places like Pinterest.

To clear up any confusion, Shinichi didn't know about his nephilim heritage because somewhere in his ancestry, someone died before they could pass on that knowledge to their children and the information became lost. I was originally planning on having Shinichi's mother's side be the nephilim side, and have Kudo Yukiko explain that her granmother died at a young age and that was most likely why the information wasn't passed down, but I couldn't find a way to work it in. You can still head canon it if you want.

Also I originally planned to have Anesidora be Shinichi's ancestor, and that's part of why she was coming to Shinichi in his dreams. I even included parts in the dream sequences where Shinichi remarks about how familiar she looks, and once it was revealed that they were related it would be because she resembles his mother. I originally planned for Anesidora to have been previously married before meeting Kaho and having human children of her own. Her husband would have died naturally, and her children would grow up and have children of their own and also die naturally. Anesidora would keep in touch with her grandchildren and great grandchildren for a while, but the pain of seeing her family age and die would be too much for her and she would eventually distance herself from them. When Kaho mentioned that Anesidora is great with Kasumi and would make a wonderful mother herself, that's why. I cut that part out for two reason, one I felt like Anesidora's story was already sad enough, and two because of Kaito inheriting her powers and it just made it seem a little weird to me, especially with his joke to Kasumi about them being siblings. Maybe that's a little silly on my part lol, let me know if you agree.

Also I don't know if anyone picked up at the very subtle sequel hints, but I am planning on writing a sequel to this. It is not a required reading for the enjoyment of this fic. It will contain mpreg and I know that's not everyone's cup of tea. So hypothetically speaking, if Kaito and Shinichi were to have children, what kind of wing colors and gifts would you like to see their children have? And what kind of questions for the lore and world do you have that you would like to see answered in the sequel?

If you enjoyed reading and you want to make my day, please consider leaving me a review. And feel free to ask if you have any questions about the lore or world I built.