Kikonote: Happy firstdayof Fall, Everybody! Kiko here with my first entry into this amazing fandom. I originally planned this as a drabble series, but I got a little carried away, so you get chapters instead. Send in some reviews if you like it! *bows*
Pairing: KaiShin (In that order? Maybe~ (yes))
Rating: Will go up later on for some slightly smutty lemonade. There will be a note at the top, of course.
Warnings: Violence, depression, yaoi (do I need this one?)

Growing was hard. Sometimes, Shinichi missed being six - he could veer around people's legs and escape their notice altogether. After three years, though, nine year old Conan was more noticeable. Kogoro or Hattori would vouch for him, but as usual, he'd had to sneak away to come. Kogoro wasn't too interested in heists and Ran thought it was too dangerous for a nine year old.

No kidding, they were! Over time, the crowds had just grown larger. Shinichi was already worn out from getting past the crowd to sneak into the building - damn his young body. He rested his head against the cool glass of a window for a moment to ease his burning chest, and as he closed his eyes, a small smirk came to his face. The screaming, the lights... it was almost like a concert. No wonder that guy was so cocky.

Shinichi checked his watch. 9:45. His eyes narrowed. He needed to hit the roof fast. Shinichi pushed himself to start up the stairs again, nearly losing his balance when he turned a sharp corner and his vision twisted with a tinge of temporary vertigo. He really needed to get Agasa to make him some mad-science water bottle. His body wasn't adjusted to his new height yet, and it was exhausting him.

The wind slammed against him, refreshing his body, yet drying his throat out all over again. Choking on his breath, Shinichi's feet pressed towards a figure in white, who had stopped upon hearing the door open.

"My, my. Up a little past our bedtime, aren't we, Tantei-kun?" He looked back with his trademark smirk as he held up a prized sapphire. As usual, nothing happened. He frowned and pocketed it for later, turning his full attention to the little boy who really did look like he needed a good night's sleep.

Shinichi clenched his fists at his sides. "Justice never sleeps."

KID chuckled. "Do you detectives have a handbook or do you come up with those lines all by yoursel- woah there!" KID sidestepped a small needle nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. His poker face never faltered, but he was a bit disappointed that he nearly had been distracted enough not to dodge it. Luckily, his vision was impeccable, and the moonlight was a perfect companion. "The things they let kids play with these days! You're smarter than to play with such dangerous toys, aren't you?" KID scolded, wagging his finger. "All the other detectives bought that bathroom stunt."

Shinichi grinned, pacing around the white-clad thief. "Those people work for, or with the police. They're taught never to take risks. But I know you better. That's why, one day..." Shinichi's smirk melted, replaced by an expression of fright. In keeping such a close eye on the thief, he hadn't noticed how quickly he'd gotten to the edge.

KID was only caught by surprise for the split second before he was able to react. He kicked his glider into gear and dove after the boy, his arm held out. He struggled to dive deeper, his muscles pulling and prickling with uncomfortable tension. It was made a little more difficult by the fact that his tantei hadn't reached out for him yet. The detective didn't think he was too good to be saved by a thief, did he? The little- no. Kaitou gritted his teeth. That wasn't it - those familiar pools of royal blue held a certain emptiness, a resigned quality. A doll-like quality. The wind thrashed him back without mercy. Losing the put-on smirk, the boy was only left with a blankness that snaked around Kaito's heart painfully. He was about to scream at the little pessimist, but the boy's arm finally did extend and Kaito dove to reach it. Their fingertips nearly slipped past each other's, but Kaitou's firm grip pulled the boy up. He wrapped his right arm around the boy as tightly as he could and kept them in the air with his left. "Tantei-kun, we have to stop meeting like this." The boy thrashed a foot out to kick. Kaito ignored the super-powered slam to his side, his grip around the detective tightening all the more.

Shinichi had yet to fully regain himself. He wanted to find a way to trick KID into the police's clutch, and at the same time, he didn't care - about anything. He'd almost been totally OK with disappearing due to a simple mistake. An unusual sensation pricked at his eyes. He hadn't even thought about it; it was just his instinctual reaction. What was wrong with him?

Blinking away with discomforting wetness, Shinichi looked up at the thief. His neck, his chin... nothing made him particularly distinguishable. How was it that even at such close contact, he was no closer to finding out who KID was?

The two were not alone in the blindingly black sky. Shinichi's heart stopped. His world shook out of place, a transformation-like vertigo slamming his head when the sound of a bullet tore through the night. It was unmistakable; he knew how to tell what was a firework and what was a gun. He heard the thief mutter shit under his breath, and tightened his arm around Shinichi so that he could barely breath. As KID dropped them off behind a building, Shinichi had a startling revelation that that bullet was aimed at them. He wondered if the police were taking on new tactics, but that couldn't have been it because they would never have done that with a child around. That meant something more sinister.

KID had gotten himself caught up with baddies before, sure; people had used KID heists to pull off crimes while the police were busy, sure; people had attacked others at KID heists just to try and take some of the attention, sure; but there was a certain wrongness in that shock. He knew something was up. The average criminal didn't exactly carry a sniper rifle around, now did they? Shinichi looked up at the thief, wide-eyed, as his feet tried to understand that they had footing.

The thief kept his distance, looking down on the boy all the same. "Tantei-kun." KID didn't bother trying to muster up his usual mirth. He knew he couldn't say what he wanted. He wanted to scold the kid for being reckless. Wanted to grill him. Maybe steal him away until he fessed up. He couldn't do any of that, and he hated it. "Take care of yourself." He turned the corner with his cape billowing behind him, and was gone before Shinichi could try anything else.

Shinichi took a deep breath - a real breath reaching into his lungs. Seeing the thief looking so serious was jarring to say the least... Even when it was completely called for. Shinichi shivered as a slight chill ran up him, the shock yet to fully wear off. How close was that to being a dead hit? Shinichi shook off the unwanted panic and began stalking off to the agency. That guy was so... Take care of yourself. What did that mean? Wasn't KID the one who needed to watch out? As usual, Shinichi walked home with his thoughts completely devoured by the enigma that was Kaitou KID.