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It was in his locker, the note short and sweet: I'm glad you're alive. I love you. Goodbye. *Conan doodle* Kaito stared at the note dumbfounded. How had he found him? Hakuba making the connection was obvious. He knew Kuroba Kaito, Conan had never met Kuroba Kaito. Had no reason to know he even existed! Then his expression settled into a deep frown as the words themselves sank in. The confession was...cute and interesting, but hard to really focus on, overshadowed as it was, by what followed. Why Goodbye? Did his little detective never intend to see him again? The last time he'd seen the child detective had been that last heist... Conan had seen him get shot... Now that he thought about it the detective's expression as he'd fallen from the roof when the bullet hit him had been...horrified devastation? Gods, he must have thought KID was dead! Had he started searching for KID's real identity after that to assure himself he was alive? But why Goodbye? "What do you have there Kuroba? A love letter perhaps?" He was brought abruptly back to himself by Hakuba's teasing inquiry. Drawing on his poker face, Kaito gave the detective a shit eating grin. "As a matter of fact, it is! No need to be jealous Hakuba, your books will go out with you anytime!" Stuffing the note in his pocket and ignoring Hakuba’s sour expression at the, admittedly rude, response, he turned and headed for their next class. Why Goodbye? The question haunted him for the rest of the day. Why had Conan bothered to track him down to make sure he was okay only to leave him a confession which, he wasn’t sure how exactly to take considering the apparent disparity between Conan’s physical and mental age, and a goodbye. Was he bored of the chase now that he knew who he was chasing? At one point the paranoid thought that Conan intended it as a farewell warning that he was turning him in now that he knew KID’s identity crossed his mind, but he shook it off quickly. For one thing Conan didn't play that way, for another he probably had about as much concrete evidence to prove Kaito was KID as Hakuba had. Which, as far as Kaito could tell, was none. And it wasn’t for lack of trying. Although Kaito did sometimes wonder if Hakuba was seeking proof more for his own self-satisfaction and gratification than any real desire to put the current Kaitou KID behind bars. Kaito sighed and buried his face in his hands, trying to ignore the nervous glances from his classmates and the worried glare from the detective behind him. He supposed he should probably stop moping, he was being pretty out of character. He'd even dropped his poker face for Pete's sake! Was he really that concerned about the little detective? He supposed he was. The thought of future heists without the boy was already making him feel lonely. By the time the last class let out, Kaito was once more wrecking his usual pranking havoc. And only a certain detective noticed his heart wasn't really into it. "So how about you tell me what that note really was?" Hakuba demanded as they left the classroom. "Whatever do you mean Hakuba? It's exactly what you said it was." Hakuba looked skeptical at that. “Then why do you look like someone just told you your dog ran away?” Kaito blinked and gave him a disbelieving smirk. “My dog? Last I checked I didn’t even own one. I thought you were the detective here, you don’t even know that much about me? Really Hakuba, you’re slipping.” Kaito snickered. The detective frowned, but before he could muster a response, he was gasping in sudden pain, in sync with the instinctive clutch at his shoulder where the broom handle Kaito had just dodge had hit him rather soundly. “Stupid Kaito! Stop dodging!” Aoko demanded, swinging again. Of course this one was no where near Kaito by the time it came down and Hakuba was further preoccupied barely avoiding another, possibly more lethal, blow. Noticing this, Kaito took off down the hall, drawing Aoko away and effectively shutting down any further chance of interrogation. All things considered, he was actually feeling very appreciative of Aoko’s disruption this time around. Now all he had to do was find some way to placate her so he could go home. Sick and tired of agonizing over it, Kaito decided to start the best place he could he think of, a new heist. He was overdue for one by this point and with his wounds mostly healed, not to mention the approaching full moon, the possibility of luring out his favorite little detective was just the icing on the cake. Of course he took pains to make sure there was more than just a chance that he would show up. He made sure the media was all over it and the invitation was indisputable. Anything and everything he could think of to make it clear he wanted Conan there. But at the end of the night as he stood waiting in the highest vantage point, checking the Emerald Tear in the moonlight, the only ones to show were Hakuba and Snake. This time it was a clean escape, no injuries. He’d worked on his anti-snake magic a little during recovery and even Hakuba had left the heist unscathed. The next day at school had Kaito even more restless than he’d been the week leading up to the heist after getting Conan’s note. It really wasn’t like him to ignore such a blatant invitation. And it didn’t take another heist for Kaito to know he was going to have to take a more direct approach to finding his little detective. It also meant he needed to seriously consider the possible implications of Conan’s absence and the meaning of his goodbye. For instance something could have happened to him. He could be hurt or dead. Kaito frowned at the notion. However, the very presence of that note suggested he was alive and well at least up to the day it had shown up in Kaito's locker. So that would mean Conan had known he was in danger... Really not liking that line of thought, Kaito tried to consider other possibilities like Conan could just be avoiding him for some reason, possibly embarrassment? That was… actually pretty plausible he supposed and really not that hard to pull off when they'd rarely met outside of heists to begin with. The last possibility was that Conan had gone somewhere. Probably far away, with no certainty of return... Hadn't he heard something about Conan's parents being in America? Although it was much more preferable to the first possibility, he really hoped it was just the second. And if it was, all Kaito needed to do was pay a visit, wasn't the little detective staying at the Mouri detective agency? However, a quick canvas of the place while it's occupants were out, showed no signs that a child was still living with the famous detective and his daughter. That certainly didn't bode well for possibility number 2. It was starting to look like his best hope was that the little detective was simply no longer in Tokyo. All the way on the other side of the world was better than dead. He liked his chances of finding Conan in America, better than trying to find his way into the underworld. He was just leaving after having left a few well place bugs, when Mouri Ran returned. She was on the phone, and the mention of a certain someone had Kaito stopping in his tracks. “-Conan is doing? I’ve tried calling him and my calls don’t go through. Did he get a new number? He’s still in contact with you right Shinichi? Tell him to call me.” Realizing she was going to see him if he stayed any longer, Kaito slipped out, but he felt a bit more accomplished now that he had a new lead. He was pretty sure she had to have been talking to Kudou Shinichi, the recently returned Modern Day Holmes. He was pretty sure Conan had referred to him before as his cousin, and he had a feeling that if anyone knew what had become of his little detective, it would be his famous detective cousin. With that in mind, he sent out a private challenge directly to the High School Detective himself. If anyone had bothered to ask, Kaito would have had to admit he rather enjoyed the challenge and the chase. Shinichi’s brain obviously worked a lot like his younger cousin’s, and it almost felt like he was facing off against the younger detective again. It wasn’t long before Kudou Shinichi had him semi-cornered on the roof. “What are you playing at KID? Why directly challenge me of all people? I'm a homicide detective.” Shinichi asked him warily. He had a strange look on his face, an expression that Kaito just couldn't place. Sighing, the thief made himself comfortable, sitting perched on the low wall that enclosed the roof space. “Relax detective. I'm not here to hurt anybody. I just want to ask you about your cousin… Conan. I want to know where he is. Why he's stopped coming to my heists even after I've taken such care to invite him.” ...And the meaning of the note he'd left behind. Not that he was about to mention that to the Modern Day Holmes. Shinichi fixed a searching gaze on KID, trying to discern his true intentions. The Phantom thief had made no attempt to contact or reassure "Conan" of his wellbeing before. Heck, he probably hadn't even given the child detective any thought until Shinichi had left that note in Kuroba Kaito’s locker. So why did KID seem to be so intent on finding him now? Shinichi still remembered that night with terrifying clarity. He’d started the night feeling quite happy. Haibara had told him earlier that day that with the help of the data they’d retrieved when they brought down the Black Organization, she’d finally perfected the antidote. He was attending the heist to tell KID the truth about Conan. To tell him he was really Shinichi Kudou and that he was finally returning to his real body. And then just as he’d been about to speak, the sniper had struck. Shinichi had watched the blood bloom across his chest as he’d disappeared over the edge of the roof and hated himself for not doing anything. For not having seen the sniper. For not having tried to stop the bullet… Not having tried to catch him as he fell… He’d waited after that. Put off taking the antidote. Tried to have faith KID had somehow survived, while he waited and hoped for a sign, some indication from KID that he was alive and well. As one week turned to three, turned to a month and more without contact, he’d had no choice but to give up. Haibara was getting impatient and annoyed with him so Conan “returned to America” and he took the antidote. After that, Haibara had kept him close, monitoring his health and managing his dietary needs. Cooped up with nowhere to go and nothing better to do, he’d poured himself into finding Kaitou KID’s true identity. If he was really dead, then at least he could pay his respects, though the thought caught his throat and crushed his chest. Once he found the right pieces, it was surprisingly simple to discover that Kuroba Kaito was not only the most likely candidate, but had also recently been discharged from the hospital following a near fatal gunshot wound to the chest, received during a “mugging.” So there it was, the stupid jerk that had stolen his heart and disappeared was alive and it was too late to tell him the truth about Conan. Shinichi was a stranger to KID and they’d lost their point of contact. It was probably stupid, but the note had been more for himself than for KID. An act of closer since he’d never be able to tell it to the phantom thief’s face. And somehow that had lead to this. With his arms crossed and a stubborn set to his chin, Shinichi finally spoke up. "Conan won't be coming back, and even if he did, he wouldn't want to see you." He was not prepared to suddenly have KID in his face, fingers twisted in his jacket and expression relieved and hopeful as he demanded answers. "So he did go somewhere? Is he Okay? He didn't get caught up in any trouble did he?" Shinichi was taken aback at how obviously worried KID was about his alter-ego, but he was also still seriously pissed. "Of course he's not okay!" Shinichi snapped. "He watched the man he loves get shot off a building and disappear for over a month without even a thought that maybe, just maybe, the person who watched him fall might like a sign that he was still alive and well! The thought never even occurred to you did it!?" KID was quite taken aback by the outburst, releasing the detective and retreating a step on reflex. "I-Is that why he left? I didn't mean to- I mean...I.. By the time my doctor discharged me I was so swamped with homework and my nagging friends I didn't have time to even think about anything else..." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed and looked at Shinichi with the most earnest look he'd ever seen. "Could you just tell him I'm sorry... And that I miss matching wits with him?" The detective shook his head. He was really trying hard to stay mad at the thief, but he made it so hard. Why did he have to sound so sincerely sorry? And now the thief looked so upset mistaking the gesture for a refusal... "Grr, why do you make it so damn hard to stay mad at you?" He demanded rhetorically. "Okay fine! Anyone else you ask is going to tell you that Conan has gone back to his family in America. In truth.. he's still here. If you can find him I'll let you repeat that to his fa... Well to him, in person." Shinichi finished with a carefully calculated smirk. It was weird. For one thing, for a guy that was away undercover for the last two years bringing down a large criminal organization and barely ever home, Shinichi Kudou was awful emotionally invested in his cousin's emotional state. How well could he even really know Conan? But what really threw Kaito for a loop was why would Conan tell everyone he's going back to America with his family and then stay in Japan? He opened his mouth to ask something about it and stood gaping at the high school detective. That smirk! He knew that smirk! Suddenly a lot of things Shinichi had said made a lot more sense. "You... C-Conan? But how?" The smirk widened into a bright smile that Kaito couldn't help but adore. Oh man, how had he not realized it sooner? "I am pretty impressed you figured that out so quickly KID." Shinichi admitted happily. Kaito smirked in return. "Well of course, I'd know my little detective's smirk anywhere." It didn’t hold up long however, the smirk falling away to what used to be a very rare look of earnestness. Gods, when had he let the detective get so deep under his poker face? “It really just isn’t the same without you around Co- uh... Ku… Can I just call you Shinichi?” he asked awkwardly. The detective crossed his arms, looking like he was really considering the request. “If it means I can call you Kaito, then by all means.” he conceded. “There’s just one problem KID.” he added, shifting his weight and suddenly looking nervous. “I know you saw my note… Coming from a child it probably meant nothing to you… but…” He hesitated, then took the plunge, figuratively speaking. “But I’m not a child KID, and the feelings I have for you would complicate a close friendship.” Kaito stared at the detective for a silent moment, then answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Then date me Shinichi!”