Epilogue: Inseparable

His friends had thought him strangely paranoid ever since he got back from 'that case he had been working on for so long'. This did no change with Kaito. It is possible he became even more sensitive after the strange teenage guy suddenly stepped into their lives claiming to be the otaku-detective's boyfriend. It took a while before his friends understood the whole implication of boyfriend, and quite a few awkward situations.

You would often catch them together. When they were not, which really should be more often than what it would appear seeing as they live in different city parts, attend different schools and have different hobbies, you could catch one of them abruptly turning around looking into space with a worried frown. Quickly they would find a lame excuse and be gone before you gathered air to give a response.

The creepy part was the accuracy of those occasions. Though they never said anything, they would be out of sight for a while after those scenes. Sometimes without returning home for a couple of days, sometimes just hiding inside the Kudô mansion. Ran once sneaked a peak at one of those occasions and saw how they sat in the big sofa in the living room. Kaito resting in Shin'ichi's lap, arms tightly holding on to each other. They never spoke about it.

By the time everyone had gotten used to Kato's presence, both teenagers suddenly disappeared. They were gone for a full month. No one heard from them. The Kudôs did not answer their phone, Kuroba-san was unattainable, Agasa-hakase and Haibara Ai had conveniently gone on a vacation without reception. The Mouri household were away on a case far up north. Even the Shounen Tanteidan had been invited on an out-of-town visit to one of the old samurai towns, though no one could say which one. Heiji and Kazuha were gone on a school trip, and Sonoko was visiting her boyfriend.

After that full month of radio silence from all of Shin'ichi's friends and family, the biggest take-down of a criminal syndicate since the Black Organisation's downfall was again done by the Detective of the East. It was not made on such a grand scale, nor were any details published in the papers, but if you asked anyone who knew Shin'ichi or Kaito on a personal level, they would all say the same:

'Something changed when they came back, you know. It was if they had seen the light. As a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. They suddenly became so much more open. I have never seen such love before. It's like a miracle.'

Soon after that, Kaito entered the world stage of magicians. He entered university part-time and studied Theatre for one of the best teachers. He moved into the Kudô mansion, built a secret room and hung up his KID cape with every intention of continuing his search for Pandora. Who ever said just because one evil syndicate was gone, another would not come and take its place?

Evil existed in the world still, and it was because of this that the light of the world had to coexist with the truth-seeking detective.

Shin'ichi opened up his own detective agency, declining the offers he got from every police department in central Japan. He entered university along with Kaito, having taken liking for theatre sometime during the time he had to change disguise every so often as part of the tailing and down-taking of the Snake association, he still chose English Literature.

As a hobby he took up jewel investigation with every intention of aiding Kaito in his search for Pandora.

As for the couple, they lived. Which really was something quite precious to them who had spent so long running from their fate. They knew and appreciated the value of life, and filled it with love, laughter and joy.

Kaito remained the prankster he was. Should you ever find a bored Kaito, this is when you should worry. Consider yourself warned.

Omake: Ran's discovery

Ran was worried. She had not heard from the boys in over a week. As far as she knew neither had showed up for class, with Shin'ichi she was sure of this. So a driven girl as she was, she walked up the lane to the Kudô mansion with determined steps. That turned less and less determined as she neared the door and became uncertain. What if they had a reason? What if they needed to be alone? What if they were not even there?

Worry about them drove her forward. Tentatively she knocked on the front door, with no response. She knocked again, just a little harder. Then she heard a noise.

A moan.

A long drawn out moan full of pleasure and longing. She froze. For several moments she could not bring herself to move. Not until a yelp brought her out of her musings and she jumped, thought she was detected. Then when nothing more happened she looked around. No one had noticed her, the sound had come from inside.

Almost scared of what she would find she moved around the vicinity, careful to move below the window frames to remain unseen. In her hurry she hit her foot into the low wall surrounding the flowerbeds. She cursed softly.

As the noise increased she dared a peak through the window. And went beet red. She barely had time to cast a glance before she ducked under the window again, but one second was plenty for the image to become etched into her memory for all future to come.

Sprawled right across the living room on the soft carpet she would never again step on, the two boys, men she forcibly had to reconsider, were in the altogether. Shinichi leaned over the other guy, caging him between his arms while kissing the other down his collarbone with wild intent. Kaito had his legs wrapped around his boyfriend, pressing their groins together in the most intimate way.

'Gaaah, Kai…to!' moaned Shin'ichi and Ran ran.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself with the omake (^.^;) Reviews are appreciated!