Lovesick – Part Two

KID ducked back deeper into the shadows of the alleyway and coughed into his rain-soaked cape pulled up around his arm, trying to muffle the sound. It was the middle of the night in the middle of December and he couldn't help shivering as the freezing rain bit at him between brick buildings and fire escapes. He couldn't stay long – just a moment's pause to catch his breath – because the police had shown up with tracker dogs this time around, and KID just knew it had been Tantei-kun's idea. It had rendered all his decoys and disguises totally pointless, and he knew that they'd find him if he stayed in one spot for too long. So he had to keep moving.

KID glanced up at the fire escape above him. Pulling the metal ladder down would make too much noise, and firing a hook up to it would be the same, so, resigned, he boosted himself up to stand precariously on the cement lip of a parallel window and jumped across the narrow space, catching the rail and hauling himself up onto the metal platform where he collapsed, momentarily dizzy from the exertion. Reputation or no, maybe it hadn't been the best idea to try to pull a heist while he was sick.

Well it was too late now. The Cherub's Whisper was nestled into a pocket in his suit jacket and his task force was combing the city looking for him. More than anything, he just wanted to go back home and crawl into bed, but with the dogs he couldn't be sure he wouldn't be followed, and that would be the end of everything. Biting out a string of silent curses in his mind, KID reached up for the railing to drag himself upright again and started to climb. When he reached the roof, his legs folded and he sank to his knees, coughing, his hand clasped tightly over his mouth to soften the sound. When it subsided, he sat back against the ledge around the roof and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recover his breath.

"Huh. I didn't think it would be that easy."

KID's eyes flew open and he jolted to his feet, trying immediately to back away and put some distance between himself and whoever had found him. But the quick movement had left him dizzy and he had forgotten exactly where he was. The backs of his legs hit the ledge of the roof and he tumbled over it.

"KID!" Shinichi ran forward and slid to a stop at the edge of the icy roof, dropping to look over the side. KID was sprawled on the top landing of the fire escape – just a few feet down. His hat, however, had fallen all the way to the alley below.

"Ow, hell… Geez that hurt…" KID pried open his eyes and, once they were able to focus around the rain-flecked monocle and possible concussion, saw Shinichi leaning over the ledge staring down at him, his eyes huge and his breath coming a little too quickly, misting in the air in front of him. "Oh. Hey, Tantei-kun," he said.

"Are you all right? Don't move."

KID was rather surprised to hear concern rather than command in Shinichi's voice, but he shook it off, forcing himself to his feet before Shinichi could climb down onto the metal platform. "I'm all right," he said quickly.

"Bullshit," Shinichi shot back, one leg already swung over the ledge. "Kaitou KID just tripped and fell off a roof. Unintentionally, and don't try to tell me otherwise. I don't call that 'all right'." He reached out to KID. "Let me help."

KID stared up at Shinichi for a few moments, trying to decide if he was being sincere, but he couldn't make up his mind. Well, he thought. Either he'll help me or he'll arrest me. Either way, I don't think there's much I could do at this point to stop him. He reached up and took his hand.

With Shinichi's help, KID made it back up onto the rooftop again, but that was the most he could manage. He stumbled the moment Shinichi let go, but Shinichi was there again to catch him, and he kept a steadying hand on his arm this time as KID regained his feet and took a shaky step back. His free hand went to his head and the already wet glove came away with a faint smear of red.

"KID…" Shinichi started, but KID just shrugged.

"It's not that bad; I'm f–"

Shinichi suddenly pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him and KID stopped short, not sure what to make of it. For a few awkward seconds, he just stood there, stunned. "I can't stand just watching you shiver like that anymore," Shinichi eventually muttered as an excuse.

The detective didn't seem to have any plans of letting go, and KID really didn't want him to, so he closed his eyes and leaned into Shinichi, his arms moving of their own accord to return the embrace. "Hey," he said, sounding just as distracted as he felt because, despite being as rain-drenched as KID, Shinichi was warm and Kaito could feel his shivering start to quiet. "So… you're still you." Or maybe I'm hallucinating. That might make more sense. Pretty nice hallucination though if I am. Are hallucinations usually nice?

"…Yeah. I'm still me. Haibara says it's for good this time."

"That's good," KID murmured. "I was worried."

Shinichi stiffened slightly in KID's arms, a blush darkening cheeks already red with cold.

"Hey… Shinichi…" KID continued, and Shinichi wondered if KID could feel just how much faster the name made his heart beat. "Are you gonna arrest me?"

"…No. I don't think I am."

"Thanks. …Do you hear barking?"

Shit! "Come on, KID, we need to go." He pulled away and started toward the door back into the building, tugging KID along after him and down a flight of stairs to a dimly lit elevator lobby inside the apartment building. He smacked the down button after one glance at KID – he was doubled over with a hand out against the wall to steady himself, and he was coughing again. He'd probably pass out before they made it down eleven more flights of stairs, but luckily the elevator arrived empty. "Come on. If we can make it to street level–" Shinichi said, holding the door as KID followed him in, but KID was shaking his head.

"Won't work," he said, and his voice definitely sounded strained. He reached over and hit the button for the tenth floor.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi demanded.

"Escaping," KID replied, and Shinichi didn't question it. He'd seen KID do the impossible often enough, just never from this side of things. He stayed quiet, even as the doors opened to another empty hallway and KID reached over to press the button for nine.

He only had to repeat the process twice. On the seventh floor, the doors opened and a young man glanced up, then did a double-take as he processed the image of Kaitou KID and Kudou Shinichi, both standing in the elevator, soaking wet and staring at him. KID's foot slid out to keep the door from closing, a manic grin stretched across his flushed face, and the poor unsuspecting apartment-dweller noticed too late that he had rolled a sleep gas bomb down the hallway, right up to the man's feet. It exploded and he slumped down to the floor.

"Hold the door, would you?" KID said to Shinichi, already heading out into the hallway. Shinichi did as KID asked, watching in bemusement as KID dragged the guy into the elevator with them. He crouched down beside him and started removing his clothes.

"Oh geez KID, are you serious?" Shinichi groaned, letting the doors close and turning his back to KID. He rubbed a hand over his eyes in what he hoped looked like mere exasperation and not the effort it actually was to resist temptation.

"Hey, you and I both know the only way we're going to give those dogs the slip in this weather is by car, and I don't think your average taxi driver is going to pick up someone dressed as KID while the police are crawling all over. I also don't think Kudou Shinichi wants to be seen throwing his hand in with Kaitou KID, so how 'bout you just be grateful I thought of this."

When Shinichi heard the elevator arrive at the lobby, he lowered his hand and chanced a look behind him. The young man was sleeping away in only a t-shirt and boxers, though, Shinichi noted, KID had been good enough to leave a card with his signature stuck to the man's face so that he wouldn't get in trouble if he was found like that. KID was sitting on the floor next to him, wearing his hoodie and pants, and KID's clothes were wrapped up neatly in his cape. It might have passed for a (sopping wet) drawstring bag if no one looked too closely.

Shinichi sighed and offered KID his hand and KID accepted, relying heavily on Shinichi's help to make it to his feet again. "You know, you basically just mugged this guy. If he remembers anything when he wakes up, I am going to fastidiously deny having ever been here."

"Technically? Me too. But as KID, I'd gladly admit to it."

Shinichi jerked to a stop halfway out of the elevator and turned slowly back toward KID again. With the hat and monocle gone, his face was completely revealed, brushed pink with fever under a mess of dark, dripping wet hair. He smiled at Shinichi and it was suddenly very easy to pretend this person was not a wanted criminal. So he did.

"Wait inside," Shinichi said. "I'll grab a taxi."

.

"So… be honest with me," Kaito said once they were safely inside Shinichi's house. "Is this just paying me back for helping you before?"

Shinichi wrenched his shoes off, peeled off his coat, and headed toward the bathroom, damp socks leaving footprints on the wooden floors. "Come here," he said, ignoring the question, and Kaito followed, still clutching his makeshift bag and leaving a trail of dripping water as he went. Shinichi threw his jacket into the bathtub and snatched a folded towel from a shelf, tossing it over Kaito's head as the thief set his bundle into the tub as well.

"Heh, thanks." He sank down to sit on the floor and quickly rubbed his hair dry, leaving it sticking up in every direction. He looked up when Shinichi laughed. There was a towel draped over his head as well, and he was stripping off the damp button-down shirt to add to the collection in the tub. Kaito quickly looked away, feeling slightly dizzier with the rush of blood warming his face. He drew his knees up and rested his forehead on them, trying to collect himself again. It wasn't working.

"Hey… KID…"

Kaito felt a hand close on his shoulder, felt himself slip a little against the tub as his grasp on consciousness faded out and came back in. Shinichi caught him before he could fall over, propping him back up against the tub. His hands came to rest lightly on the sides of his face.

When Kaito opened his eyes, Shinichi was there, looking at him with unguarded concern, shirtless with a towel draped around the back of his neck and he was definitely hallucinating now, right?

"You with me?" Shinichi said. "You're burning up. Here, can you get on my back? We have lots of spare rooms – I think you should probably be lying down."

Kaito dipped back out of consciousness at that moment and when he came back, he was already lying in a bed with blankets tucked around him. He glanced over at Shinichi – fully dressed of course, he was simply crazy to have ever thought otherwise – and tried to gather his voice. "Hey. Tantei-kun. You didn't answer my question…"

Shinichi didn't bother pretending to be confused. He'd been trying to make up his mind about what to say ever since KID had asked. He pushed out a sigh and leaned back in the chair he'd pulled up to the bed. "I could say yes," he finally decided. "But you asked me to be honest. So no. It's not just a favor for a favor. I wanted to help you."

A little smile drifted across Kaito's face and he closed his eyes again. "Hey, Shinichi?" he said. "I think I sort of love you."

He felt Shinichi take his hand and hold it tight, and he forced his eyes to open. Shinichi was smiling, his face flushed. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Kuroba Kaito," he answered.

"Seriously?"

"Shut up," Kaito said, but he couldn't keep from smiling at the laughter in Shinichi's voice.

"Okay," Shinichi said. "Kaito. I think I sort of love you, too." He got up and leaned over Kaito to touch a soft kiss to his forehead and Kaito finally relaxed, letting himself slip back under with a little smile on his face.

.

Lovesick – Author's Note

Hi everyone! Thanks for reading! I'm a little overwhelmed; I've never had a story get so much positive feedback before ^.^ I hope everyone liked part two as much as part one.

Special thanks to Assasin8 – I had a bit of a disparity in the biochem stuff at the end of part one that she pointed out for me, but I think it's resolved now :)

So, if anyone has read Pure Hearts (another kaishin story of mine), you may remember from the author's note that I mentioned a longer kaishin fic I would be posting called Fall into Flying. This is obviously not that, but I'm still working on it! It's… very, very long . But I am working diligently and it IS coming, so please keep an eye out for it if you've liked my work so far :)

Thanks again for reading!

~DS