Chapter Text
Kaito slowly opened his eyes and blinked, hoping that he could see clearly again. When it was clear, he blinked again, because that was not his house ceiling.
"But the ceiling looks familiar."
"And that's the evidence I needed to know whether or not you've broken into my house before."
Kaito immediately sat up at the sarcastic voice and groaned as he felt a pain in his side. His head also turned a little and he lay back, noticing that his head was wrapped with a bandage. He turned to the side and there he was, Edogawa Conan, or secretly Kudou Shinichi, sitting on a chair that was next to the bed he was lying on, while he was intently reading a book, probably about Sherlock Holmes. Kaito wondered, though, how he didn't notice that someone was sitting next to him. He must be in a lot of pain.
Kaito squinted his eyes and tried to remember what had happened last night. He tried to remember why he was at Kudou's house, but found nothing. So he asked.
"What happened? Why am I here?"
Kaito watched Kudou look at him before putting his book away. The shrunken detective then turned to Kaito and looked at him, frowning.
"You don't remember?"
Kaito shook his head and winced as it throbbed. Kudou heaved a sigh.
"Last night you had a heist. Everything was going as usual, until someone decided to shoot at you while you were flying through the air. The whole task force saw you and decided to look for you. By chance, I found you at the same time that your assistant Jii-san found you. You were unconscious and... bloody. So I asked Jii-san to bring you to Haibara, since she knows a lot about such things. Besides, Agasa-hakase's house was probably closer than yours, and going to a hospital was not an option, of course.
After Haibara took care of you, we decided to let you rest at my house because there wasn't enough room at Hakase's house, instead of sending you home and letting Jii-san take care of you. Besides, Subaru-san won't be here for another week and Jii-san has to work today, right?"
Kaito listened to Kudou as his memories of the event slowly came back. He couldn't help but feel grateful for what Kudou had done for him.
However, he didn't miss how the other sounded a little broken and how he clenched both of his hands into fists.
Kaito cursed in his mind, because Snake had never shown up when it came to robbing the Suzuki's. And why now? He wanted so much to grit his teeth, but didn't. Instead, he smiled and tried to hide his worries, and this time slowly sat up.
"Yeah. Thank you for everything, Tantei-kun.”
He said sincerely and laughed when Kudou blushed a bit. While he was laughing, something hit Kaito suddenly and he panicked.
“Wait! Did you take off my hat and monocle?! And are these your clothes I'm wearing?”
Kudou stared at him like he had grown two heads.
“Of course I did. How else would we treat you, idiot? And I couldn't ask Jii-san to take your clothes, since he was tired too, after the heist.”
“But my face?!”
“It’s just your face. I don’t even know your name.”
Kaito widened his eyes and gaped.
“You.. didn’t ask Jii-chan?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you're a detective?”
Kudou snorted and stared at Kaito. Kaito was so confused after seeing that.
“Even if I’m a detective, I wouldn’t ask that, you idiot.”
Kaito raised his eyebrow and became even more confused.
"I want you to tell me your name yourself. I want you to trust me, both with your identity and with why you're KID."
“But why?”
He found himself whispering as his hands clutched the bed sheet. The detective looked at him with determination.
"Because I want to help you. Judging by your reactions just now, and yes, I can see what's behind your poker face, and the bullet wounds I saw yesterday, they've been after you before, haven't they?"
Kaito gritted his teeth and scowled.
“Don’t you have your own organization to handle?”
“I do. But I still want to help. Who knows? Maybe they are related?”
“They are dangerous.”
The detective rolled his eyes.
“You know I know better than that. That’s why I want to help.”
As the shrunken detective's eyes grew more fierce, Kaito looked away.
"But I don't want you to get hurt."
Feeling the small hand on top of his hand, Kaito flinched. He turned back to the detective, only to meet Kudou's soft expression.
“Me neither. That's why I won't let you do this alone. Because I know how much it hurts to do everything alone. So, will you trust me, KID?”
He stared at the azure eyes and just… looked. Kaito didn't know what he was searching for but at last, he released a sigh.
“Fine.”
Kudou smiled brightly at him and nodded.
"Great! Then I'll hear you after dinner, okay. Now, let me take your food downstairs."
The detective ran out of the room and Kaito stared at the closed door before he felt himself smile a little. That guy hadn't even bothered to ask his name before he just ran off like that.
"He really is something."
He looked out the window and felt how warm the sun shone on his skin.
“Thank you, Tantei-kun”
He mumbled to himself, slowly planning how to tell his story and waited patiently for the detective.