This story is for Shrio-nii, who started a movement of Wing!au's on the kaishin discord server with her amazing art. I have been given the green light of using the drawing that inspired me to write this.

The story will have 3 or 4 chapters, depending on the length.

This story is unbeated, I apologize for all writing mistakes as I'm not a native English speaker.

Wordcount: 8462

Published: 16.91.2018

Title: Fractured fall

Summary: As an Angel of Death, Shinichi has walked the earth for centuries without taking any interest in the mortal world. Until the spontaneous decision of saving a child's life changes everything. Kaito x Shinichi

…

Chapter 1:

The room was dark but for the crackling of fire that danced across the walls. The front seats of the audience room were already ablaze as the upholstery had no resistance against the heat. In a corner, the black drapery would soon turn to ashes. Despite the flames, the room was quiet but for the sizzling of fire and an alarm beeping in the distance.

The podium located in the front laid low to the ground in order to make spectators feel more included in the show. The room was not particularly large, instead it charming with an elegant touch concentrated on comfort. Now whoever, the stage was scorched with flames.

Standing between the rows of seats, Shinichi stood in silence as he watched the flickering lights with a stoic expression. He had seen worse sights in his life time, and he doubted it would be the last. Neither the smoke nor the heat bothered him as it slowly creeped forwards to his locale. A shiver ran down his wingspan and his feathers ruffled in urgency as a soul cried out in pain from within the flames surrounding the podium.

It was more a feeling then an actual sound, and the despair made his feet move forwards automatically and he passed through the space without any hindrance from physical objects. Almost as though the fire was sentient and could sense him, they parted as he stepped on the stage. Even for him, the flickering light source was slightly too bright, and he lifted a hand to shade his eyes as he tried to make out shapes. On his right was a large wooden box – the colour undistinguishable and would soon not matter – some forms he could not make out as they were but ashes by his feet. Finally, his eyes settled on a large figurine laying on the floor.

Approaching, Shinichi quickly removed one of his white gloves with his teeth before leaning over. It was hard to make out any distinguishable traits, as the person's flesh was already red and boiling from the heat, and parts of his clothing – he was wearing what seemed to have once been a white suit, however was now covered with greyish ash – was being eaten up by fire.

Only the erratically shimmering of a soul gave any indication of life, and a feeling of regret crept into Shinichi's chest as he realized his tardiness had caused unnecessary pain for the deceased. As an angel of death – for there was many – he was drawn to locations of demise however unconsciously. It was his duty to send the dead to the afterlife.

Reaching out, he let his fingertips brush softly against the red bruising on the man's chin. For a moment the insides of his eyelids brighten up until they were blinding. He felt the rush of a lifetime as the soul quivered in his presence – he could sense joy and laughter from a life lived, there was an image of a woman and a child he assumed to be the man's family.

Shinichi only let himself drift in the memories for a brief moment, before he pushed them out of his head – seeing a soul's last thoughts could be considered a breach of privacy, and he had more often than not seen things he wished he had not. The soul glowed brightly, almost a yellow-white as it departed the body. It had no shape, rather was just a ball of energy. It floated towards the ceiling before stopping as though hesitating.

Feeling a bubble of confusion in his chest, Shinichi stood slowly, not having experienced hesitation in the last moments as an angel's touch brought only peace. An alien emotion suddenly drifted across his consciousness, and as the soul disappeared, he could sense regret and fear, followed by the foreshadowing echo of:

"My son."

The feathers on his wings suddenly quivered, and he let the wingspan out in surprise as he automatically turned to his left. He could not sense death – as the feeling came more in the form of his feathers itching till he fulfilled his duty. Through the fire, he could now see a large aquarium as the flame had settled in the location. Feeling almost out of breath, he approached as something hammered in his chest – it should not be a possible action as he had no mortal body. Simply just a creature of energy stuffed into an empty shell.

Coming up to the glass, he slowly looked inside. Only to come to a stop in surprised as he spotted a small child cowering in a corner in the hall full tank. His dark hair was plastered to his scalp from the water reaching to is elbows where he crouched with his feet against his chest and arms tightened around them. As he spotted Shinichi, his eyes widened in surprise, and the erratically breathing echoed in the angel's ears almost deafeningly.

The boy's eyes seemed to look almost purple where the light reflected off the water. He suddenly stiffened and flinched as one of the large koi fishes in the water brushed against his elbow, and a small whimper escaped his lips.

Shinichi felt at a loss as he withdrew his wings until they laid comfortably by his side. His feathers had stopped quivering, so it was clearly that the boy was not about to die any time soon. It seemed as though his father had saved the boy from the flames, hoping that the water in the aquarium would keep him save until rescue would arrive.

From the sounds from outside, it seemed as though the firefighters had not yet arrived at the scene. The angel was not entirely sure what to do – he could leave and hope someone rescued the boy in time, or watch and reap his soul once he eventually expired. Neither options felt ideal – usually he would not arrive to a scene or even know the victim before it was already too late.

"Are you here to save us? Is my dad alright?"

A cold jolt went through Shinichi's body as he flinched backwards in surprise – the child could see him? From the way his eyes followed the angel's movement, he was sure it was the case. But how was that possible? He was sure he was not corporal to human eyes. Squinting for a moment, he decided it probably had something to do with the boy being so close to death.

"I'm sorry," he started before stopping himself, unsure what the protocol for such a situation was. He did not get a chance to decide his actions, as the boy suddenly doubled over with a violent cough. Something snapped in Shinichi's chest, as he suddenly, and without realizing it, grabbed the boy as he slowly lifted him up from the aquarium – a part of him knew in hindsight that he was meddling with things that was forbidden. But right there and then, he could not walk away from a dying child.

The boy squirmed in his arms for a second, before settling with his head against Shinichi's chest, and a hand clutching the midnight-blue fabric of his coat. The angel froze in surprise, for a moment he thought he could feel the boy's heart fluttering against him and the breath on his shoulder blade. The small soul brightened as to greet him, but not blindingly as the echo of merry laughter washed over him and made the tips of his wings tingle pleasantly.

The feeling was gone a second later as the soul dimmed, and he was sure he had imagined most of that. The sense of touch was barely possible to experience for an angel.

Almost on their own accord, his wings moved protectively around the bundle in his arms as he started to walk slowly to the entrance – long since given in to the urge to save the child. He almost tripped once as something brushed against his feathers, sending an electric chill through him. With wide eyes he glanced down at the boy who was staring at his wings with fascination glittering in his eyes. He could even see the wings?

The child wrapped his hand carefully around the black feather as though it was fragile. "Are you an angel?" he whispered, his voice thick with drowsiness as the eyes dipped down slowly.

Shinichi swallowed thickly – even though he did not have any physical need to. "I am, now sleep my child. Tomorrow comes with more hardship."

The hand slowly uncurled from the feather as it fell down, and tired eyes gazed at him as the boy nodded once before his eyes closed shut. Only then did Shinichi notice that he had stopped shivering. Deciding not to dwell on it, he finally left the building and sat the boy down slowly in the adjacent street. He reached out one last time to brush the boy's hair from his temple.

Only then did he realize he had forgotten to reapply his white glove, and before he could withdraw his hand, he thought he could feel their souls respond to each other's presence as a surge of peace and belonging settled across his wingspan. It had been an odd day, and the least he could do was give the boy a peaceful rest.

Standing, he moved away a few steps, hoping someone would notice the sleeping child – after going as far as to save him, it would be a tragedy to let him get sick from the cold.

He could not help the tight feeling in his chest at his actions and the sudden protectiveness – he had acted foolishly and was sure to be reprimanded by his superiors once he returned to the heavenly host. But at this moment, as he watched the boy's chest fall one last time and his gloveless hand clutched against his chest, he could not find it himself to regret it.

…

Shinichi never expected to meet the boy again as the years passed quickly and barely without his notice. As an angel, time was but a mere nuisance as he continued reaping souls and witnessing more death then any man would in their life time. He remembered them all: every death and every soul's unique vibration as he gently helped them free from their decaying shell.

He spotted the boy quite by accident as he felt the call of death itching in his wings as he stepped into the cabin. The snow was quietly falling outside innocently, almost as though it was expecting nothing out of the ordinary. A mismatched group of friends of all ages and genders stood in the hallway chatting amicably.

Two young girls barely in their late teens had just arrived, as evident by their still moist jackets, and was greeted with friendly banter. Shinichi's eyes had originally only swiped his eyes over the display in uninterest, wondering why he could sense death. It was only when a familiar soul blossomed in greeting that he stiffened in surprise. Once again merry laughter washed over him as something deep within him surged to answer the call. His whole body almost snapped to the side in his hurry to find the source of the accumulating feelings as his wings whipped behind him almost awkwardly.

The sight that met him was that of a slightly obese young man in his early twenties with short black hair and a kind smile. His eyes were dark blue hinting on hazel rather than the purply colour Shinichi remembered from the past. As the angel's eye settled on the form, the young man stiffened for a moment as his eyes darted in Shinichi's direction almost as though he had been spotted, and for a moment the angel froze with dread – wondering if he could still be seen without being corporal.

However, it seemed as though he were in luck, as no recognition showed in his eyes to indicate he had been seen.

"Doito-kun?" one of the teenage girls with long, dark hair asked as she leaned forward to catch his attention with a friendly expression. "You said you were studying to become a medical doctor right?"

Shinichi relaxed once more, suddenly feeling a wave of relief. He had wondered what had happened to the child after he had left him – and hearing he was already studying an impressive field eased the worries that the experience had done irreversible damages to his peace of mind. Knowing he had moved forward in his life felt like a closure to the angel.

For a brief moment he felt a wave of confusion, if Doito was already in medical school, then more time had passed then Shinichi had been mentally aware off – something which was worrying, he did not like the idea of losing his sense of passing of time – or the man had jumped over a few classes. He had presumed the boy to be around 8 years old, but now Doito seemed to be in his early twenties at most.

He mulled over these thoughts in silence as he watched the group do a quick magic trick to determine who got which chores for the weekend. However, the angel did not pay much attention as his eyes were glued on the form of Doito. The boy had changed a lot in the years that had passed, and Shinichi would not had recognized him had it not been the greeting as though his soul had sensed his presence.

Curling his fists together slightly, he wondered if it had something to do with the accidental connection he had made touching Doito without his gloves. He tried to remember previous occasions where it had happened, but could not come up with a case. It was a worrying fact, and he did not want to get in even more trouble than he already was. He had a brief window where he could leave and request someone else to reap the soul of whoever would die – but he shook the thought away as quickly as it came. If Doito was the one to die – and he loathed the idea, but at least he had lived a few years longer than he should – he owed the boy to do it himself.

Shinichi was still following Doito when a scream echoed through the house, and unbidden relief flooded through him as he followed the medical student out of the house and towards the direction of the deceased Hamano Toshiya. The soul was a vibrant light blue that cast shadows across the snow to his sight. Hamano laid on his back with mouth and eyes wide open as the brightly lit star sky above glittered above.

Shinichi removed his gloves as he approached – his feet feather light across the snow and he made no footsteps from the lack of a corporal body. The soul cried out in pain and horror, which sent a shiver down the angel's wingspan – the fear and discomfort of confusion upon death was what drove the angels of death to reap souls. Otherwise the feeling would torment them.

He fell down on his knees as he reached the corpse and reached out to brush his fingertips across the man's cheeks – and not for the first time Shinichi wished he could feel the body heat of the living just to experience it once. The soul settled immediately as the blue colour shimmered over to a peaceful yellow as he experienced all the good parts of his life – and the angel felt the familiar happy laughter that usually accompanied it. However, a feeling of sad regret rippled across the soul and gave Shinichi a bad taste in his mouth before it shimmered out of view.

For a brief moment, he was stuck with the urge to wash his mouth. He recognized the feeling – had felt it countless of times before in regard to regretting crimes. Hamano Toshiya had been the cause of someone else's death, and in the last moment of his life, he had regretted it deeply.

"Don't get closer, this is a crime scene."

Doito's words snapped him out of his thoughts as the medical student warned the rest from approaching. From his companion's questioning look, he explained that the only tracks across the snow belonged to him – the evidence of anyone else walking, and the footsteps of Hamano Toshiya was missing entirely.

Shinichi only realized the same then, having been too occupied with the calling soul to notice. He could not supress the waver of admiration from how Daito took over with a firm but friendly grip as he herded them inside. He watched them leave as he stood over the now-empty-shell of what had housed Hamano Toshiya soul. His wings spread out and his coat swaying ever so slightly from the wind.

He should leave now, he knew – his mission here had been accomplished. However, a part of him was reluctant to leave even as the angel feathers quivered. Only hesitating for a moment, he started back into the house – telling himself firmly that it was fine as long as he could not feel death calling him to a new location.

He followed Doito and his companions around as they investigated the house for clues of the culprit after someone had nearly been shot with an arrow. As he watched, he felt a pressure building up in his stomach with what could only be called anticipation, and something itched in his mind until he suddenly realized he knew who the culprit was and what trick had been performed.

As an Angel of death, he had seen many things over the course of centuries, and always he had been a passive bystander as he watched death come in many forms. However, this time was different somehow, this time he itched with the urge to solve the crime – to not just be an angel of death, but rather an angel of justice. The excitement ruffling through his feathers was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he urged to reach out and tell someone.

He knew interaction with humans were frowned upon, and revealing himself would come with more repercussions then he could imagine. A part of him wondered if anyone would care if he sent the idea to one of the bystanders as though he or she had solved it on their own – no one would ever know, surely?

The one forbidden rule he had as an angel was to never intervene in faith – if a person was supposed to die, his whole purpose of existence was to make sure it happened. But now, he felt no death call itching in the vicinity, meddling just this once would not break the rule.

The unbidden logic now growing and pulsating in his mind, he could no longer supress the urge as he reached out to one of the young teens – Sonoko was her name if he remembered correctly. He brushed his fingers against her hand, making sure he was wearing his gloves as he did, almost immediately she stiffened before sagging to the ground.

For a moment, Shinichi was stunned with guilt, believing he had miscalculated, and the touch of an angel, even with cloth between their skin, was too much for the mortal to handle as her friend came to her rescue.

"Sonoko? What's wrong," she pleaded with a worried expression, her hands shaking slightly as she reached out "please wake up."

His concern did not last long, as Sonoko suddenly spoke up with a strong voice. "You are the one who should wake up, Ran."

Shinichi withdrew from the scene as Sonoko instructed Ran to take the crossbow to Hamano's room, and he watched in silence as the trick was performed effortlessly as Doito helped with the firing of the bow, and the culprit was revealed. He felt satisfied in a way he had not felt since he saved the boy from the fire years prior.

Almost on their own accord, his feet took him back inside the mansion, and up the stairs to the room Doito and Ran was. Part of him wanted to see the man just one more time before leaving – knowing full well it would be the last time they would ever meet. And he felt slightly guilty again over bending the rules in such a way.

Arriving to the scene, he paused in the doorway as Doito had disappeared. In his place, by the windowsill with a cape fluttering in the wind, stood a figure clad in white and wearing a top-hat. Had it not been for the warmth greet of the soul, Shinichi would not have guessed it to be the same person.

If the angel had a physical stomach, he was sure it would drop in surprise. Doito was no longer an overweight man in his early-twenties. Neither was his hair short and black. Almost as though the stranger had noticed his presence, he turned his face to the side to face the intruder. Shinichi felt frozen to the floor as he recognized the face this time – his features were leaner now that he had grown out of his baby-fat, with a strong jawline and a sharp nose. His hair still dark brown and an unruly mess.

But it was the eyes that caught him – eyes that seemed light purple from the bright moonlight that gleamed through the window. They stood there in silence for many seconds – Shinichi wondering slightly if the impossible had happened once again and he had been spotted, and something fluttered inside of him. It was an impossible and incomprehensible feeling, like his soul was pulsating.

The tension suddenly vanished as the figure in white turned towards the window once more, and as he watched, the fluttering cape turned into a paraglider as he jumped through the window. Shinichi could not stop himself as he followed to the terrace, watching the enigma of the boy disappearing in the distance.

From the treeline he picked up a name as someone called: "is that Kaitou KID?"

Confused astonishment wavered through him with the knowledge that for once, he had been surprised about something a mortal had done. He had never felt such an overwhelming mixture of feelings and urges in his entire existence, and for the last moment he stood there in the mortal realm, part of him thought almost wistfully that he hoped to see him again. However illogical the desire was.

…

Shinichi got his wish as he kept encounter the man known only as Kaitou KID. Occasionally death would accompany KID's heists where culprits tried to accuse him of murder. The angel learned that KID was an international jewel thief who always gave back the gemstones he stole – it seemed as though he was searching for a specific stone.

Shinichi could not help the feeling of thrill raking through his feathers whenever he encountered KID on a heist, even as he only watched in silence as he solved the riddles by himself. He would follow the thief in his footsteps as a quiet shadow, and as the weeks turned into months, a part of him urged to reach out and be acknowledged.

It had never been an impulse he had felt in the past – had never really cared about the coming and going of mortals. After seeing a million sunsets and dawns, the novelty of life loses its meaning, but Kaitou KID fuelled his curiosity with his youthful and mirthful soul that never seemed to be shadowed by maturity and age. His soul was almost identical with the one the angel had encountered when he had been a mere boy.

…

The full-moon shone across the rooftop, basking it in shadows and white light, and the late autumn breeze made Shinichi's clothes and wings quiver from the strength. He could not feel the cold – not sure whether or not he was thankfully for being incapable of perceiving the senses, all the while a part of him curious what biting cold would feel like against bare skin.

Across him on the rooftop facing the city, was the familiar white figure of Kaitou KID. Admittingly, Shinichi had cheated, the murder had happened a few blocks down the road, and after completing his assignment, he had not been able to ignore the impulse to watch the heist in his usual manner. He still had not discovered KID's true identity, and he was sure if he followed the teen – for he was a teenager now, and not a boy – he could find out if he truly desired it.

KID had his back to him, and in the way the cape was fluttering sharply in the wind, Shinichi was sure the thief was cold. With one hand, he held his hat firmly to his head so as not to lose it if another sharp gust tried to steal it, his freehand was holding the gem towards the moon.

The reason behind the action was lost to Shinichi, as he had seen KID do the ritual many times before. Today's heist had been especially thrilling, as the soul had greeted him with an impish glow before disappearing altogether, leaving the angel to chase and discover KID's identity without the cheat-trick. In the year since they had met anew in the Magician's retreat, Kaitou KID's soul had become almost as a familiar friend, and his soul seemed to greet him back on its own – the reason behind it he did not know, however he did not desire to discover the reason behind the odd occurrence in case it would stop.

"Are you a detective?"

As KID's voice rang out across the rooftop, Shinichi froze in surprise. He had not realized anyone else had joined them, and he looked around in curiosity to discover the identity of whom had also solved the thief's riddles – perhaps it was the British detective again, Hakuba Saguru. However, he could not see anyone from his locale.

Almost as though he had sensed Shinichi's befuddlement, KID turned around to face him, letting his arms fall as he stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Yes, I'm talking to you," he drawled out in what sounded like an eyeroll.

The angel blinked in surprise as his feathers started to quiver in excitement, and he almost reached out to quiet the response, if the motion would not look odd to the mortal. He almost squawked out a confused 'you can see me?' but reeled in his tongue before the words could escape. Taking a breath he did not need, he calmed his nerves as he took stock at the situation.

Kaitou KID could clearly see him somehow, but he could not feel the calling of death beckoning, so the thief was not near death – and it could not be a side effect of them touching as a child, as he had never shown any signs that he could see the angel before. And if he could – the first question out of his mouth would have been an inquiry about his wings, rather than a possible profession.

His second theory seemed more probable, that his longing to be noticed had accidently resulted to him unconsciously appearing corporal to a mortal – and he tried not to wince at the realization that he had once again broken protocol for the sake of the boy he had saved on a whim.

It seemed Shinichi spent too long mulling over the possibility, that Kaitou KID assumed he was not going to answer as he continued. "It's not a farfetched theory, seeing as you are the only one who solved my riddle," he paused as he reached out to grab the tip of his head – and Shinichi was not entirely sure whether it was due to the sharp wind or to hide his eyes.

"It's alright, detective," KID practically purred with his lips quirking upwards in impudence, "you can admit it. No one is going to judge you for your life choices."

The angel was at loss of words at the exchange – he had not expected to be seen, neither for the friendly tone that had crept into KID's voice. He had seen the thief tease his other adversaries, but with a miniscule expression of cautiousness – and occasionally distrust. But now, however, in this instance, Shinichi had observed him long enough to know there were no such hostility towards a mere stranger.

Whether or not KID was aware of it, he could not tell, however he had the feeling the thief's soul unconsciously trusted him as it glowered in almost a dance across his skin in playful greeting.

"You are not very talkative, are you," Kaitou KID sighed deeply with a disappointed tone, "why am I only pursued by the boring, non-challenging ones. I mean, is it too much to ask for a classical banter between criminal and detective like in all the books?"

"Life is rarely as fiction depicts it," Shinichi suddenly spoke before he could stop himself, his voice melodious despite how unused he was to speaking with human tongues.

The thief's lips curled upwards as he finally got a respond, "so you can speak? I was afraid you were mute for a brief moment there –"

"You are making a lot of assumptions based purely on observations," he cut him off, his chest feeling a little heavy as he continued with his lips twitching upwards on their own accord. "And here I thought you despised critics."

KID's mouth clacked shut, and for a brief moment he only stared at Shinichi from underneath the shadows of his hat as the charm on his monocle brushed against his cheek. The angel could not read the expression on his features, being far too unused to human emotions to comprehend it with certainty.

"You are right," the thief's lips stretched out in an amused grin, "apologies, it seemed I've had bad influence lately. Forgive me, would you?" as he finished the sentence, he suddenly threw the gemstone he had stolen in Shinichi's direction.

The angel only had a split second before he stumbled forwards trying to catch it before it fell on the ground. He had not expected the sudden action, and as he looked up with a befuddled expression, KID was already gone. His wings stretched out in the sudden urgency to chase after as a shiver of unbidden excitement jolted through him.

He had been seen, he had hold an actual conversation with a mortal – something which wasn't allowed, but he had done it nonetheless. He could not feel a shred of guilt at the thrill of not just standing on the side watching and observing the world. Reeling in his excitement, he reached out to brush his fingers across the dark feathers to in order to calm down.

"Where is he? Where is KID!" Inspector Nakamori Ginzo trampled through the door, letting the door smack hard against the concrete surface of the wall. His face was slightly red from high blood pressure caused by activity and shouting furiously. His eyes zeroed in on the only figure on the rooftop, and Shinichi had no time to even flinch as the inspector suddenly towered over him ominously.

"Did you see where the damn thief went?"

Before Shinichi could even utter a single syllable, the gemstone in his hand was ripped from his grasp, and Nakamori turned around to roar at his subordinates. "Find him, he can't be far," he turned his face towards Shinichi, and his expression softened for a brief second as he realized he had been rude.

"Sorry, thanks for getting the stone back from KID –" he froze as his gaze bore into something beyond the angel's shoulder, and his expression twisted into excitement as he most likely spotted the thief's flight. "I see him! He's flying north-west towards Beika. Let's go."

Almost as soon as he had arrived, he was gone, and Shinichi was left with a confusion bubbling in his chest. Not only had Kaitou KID seen him, but so had Nakamori? He knew that the exhilaration he felt from the tip of his toes, to the end of his wingspan was wrong, however he could not subdue the emotion.

…

By human definition, the existence of Angels where one filled with lonesome solitude. The angels watched as mortals lived their life to the fullest – but humans could not see them. Sigmund Freud once said: 'the goal of all life is death'. When the possibility of dying is a constant, imminent threat, humans try to do as much as they can in their life time. Their world filled with so much chatter and activity with the whispering knowledge of:

'I can count on my fingers the number of sunsets I have left, and I don't intend to miss any of them.'

Shinichi could not remember his first sunset – nor his first thousand. With the threat of ceasing to exist non-existent, life become almost hollow-like – although he was not entirely sure whether is existence could be considered a life. He was not human, rather he was a formless being existing only due to thought and memory contained in form of energy. He was mimicking humanity – they all where, telling themselves it was in order to better interact with the animate world and not scaring the souls they helped to depart their mortal coil.

Only the wings were evident of their difference, these bodies could not contain the vastness of their being. In the upper levels of heaven, they were all beings who were larger than life, and when forming a hollow shell to step into the mortal world, their energy turned solid into something resembling wings to guide them.

These thoughts buzzed through Shinichi's head as he watched the redness of dawn spread across the horizon, and the whisper of the ocean in his hears. For a moment, he wondered if maybe there was another reason Angels mimicked humans. Perhaps it was jealousy – the envy of never having a solid body that could sense the warmth of the morning sun against your cheek, nor the feeling of sand underneath your toes.

Shinichi had never considered the desire before, had never cared to indulge in the impossible thoughts. However, in the recent events of the last couple of months, he could no longer ignore the burning curiosity. He had been seen by Kaitou KID and Nakamori – and although angels could reveal themselves to humans, it was a practice which was frowned upon. They simple never had had a reason to – and only happened a handful of times since the beginning of time. As an angel of death, Shinichi had even less reasons to communicate with the living – his purpose was to guide the dead after all.

His thinking was suddenly interrupted as a police officer walked through him: the feeling itself only a shivering through his wings, and he stepped back towards the shadows of a large rock behind him. The sounds from the crime scenes increased in volume as his concentration snapped back.

The deceased was a young woman in her early twenties who had been discovered between some rocks a mere hour earlier. Shinichi had been watching her body from the rocky shores waiting for the early tide to bring her closer. The soul had been let out a small, trembling presence, and he was unsure how long she had spent in the freezing water before succumbing to death. He had been elsewhere on a different job when he had felt the itching of his feathers as death called him – and he could not have left earlier.

He both felt guilty for leaving her out there, and confused as to why no one else had heeded the call. Once he had released the soul and watched it ascend, he had decided to wait for the body to be discovered as an apology. No other deaths had been calling for him.

"She was murdered," someone proclaimed, his voice unwavering it is conviction. Shinichi's eyes followed to take stock of the owner. He seemed to be a teen with dark skin, dark hair, green eyes and wore a baseball cap. His nose seemed to have been broken once, and then left to its imperfections – somehow, it made his face look aesthetically handsome from its flaws.

There was a murmured agreeing between the surrounding detectives. Shinichi should have left at that, content that he had fulfilled his promise to the soul. Instead, he spoke up, his voice merely a whisper in the air, not intending to be heard by mortal ears.

"It was an accident."

Almost immediately after the words were out, the teen turned around like a hawk as his glittering green eyes drilled into the angel's with a befuddled expression. A moment of uncertainty flickered across his face as he took stock of the situation, mentally asking himself how he had not noticed Shinichi before. Whatever conclusion he came to, the angel didn't know, as his face stiffened a moment later.

"Come off it, she was clearly murdered," his hand shot out to point in the direction of the deceased woman. "The victim has bruises around her throat, and claw marks on her own skin to indicate trying to relieve pressure around her throat. It's clear she was suffocated before thrown overboard."

Shinichi's eyes settled on the woman – it was as the teen described. Ugly blue bruises around her throat and neck indicated he was correct. However, Shinichi had sat there for a while watching the inanimate body – she had a pretty and delicate face, almost that of a doll even as her lips had turned blue from the cold. She wore a yellow summer dress that reached her knees. Her left shoe was missing.

"It was an accident," Shinichi repeated, having nothing else to say – part of him mulling how he had unconsciously turned corporal yet again in a short amount of time. The sudden desire to prove the teen wrong had arisen unbiddenly.

It seemed to have been the wrong thing to insist in, as the teen's chest almost ruffled in defiance. The hostility directed towards him sent a quiver across his wingspan, and he had to stifle the urge to spread them in a natural defence mechanism against threats to appear larger.

"Listen, new guy," the anger was barely contained under the arrogance of his voice. This was a person who was used to being the smartest in the room and always being correct. "No need to show off, alright? I'm a detective with a thousand cases under my belt. I know what I'm doing, if not I wouldn't be 'Hattori Heiji.' So don't make a fool of yourself."

Shinichi watched him with a calm expression, not letting the Hattori's words waver his belief. He had seen more death than this mortal could ever perceive, he should not argue back, simply take his cue to leave. However, as the thoughts shimmered across mind and he turned to leave, he could not help but to call out:

"I'm right. You'll see."

…

The night sky looked different to humans, he had been told. To them, the night was filled with a dark void of nothingness, and in between the nothingness were orbs of light. Night in general was filled with indistinguishable shadows due from the lack of illumination. Shinichi wondered, not for the first time, how narrow the humans scope of colours were.

To him, the night sky was a disarray of movement and colours– like a painting of Van Gogh. Perhaps it was due to his vision being able to see through to the other realms of existence. And what mortals referred to as the shadows of night, were just as visible to him as daylight, however the shades different colours. In one way, he supposed, his eyesight resembled that of a cat rather than human.

His musing was interrupted as an itching shivered across his feathers and his soul responded to the death calling for him between the dense trees. For a brief moment, he was tempted to fly above the forest, rather than the tedious walk past the vegetation with wings. In the end, logic squelched the desire, he was not guaranteed to be able to see the soul from the air – and the trees were not an issue when he could simply glide through the mortal plane without brushing against any solid objects.

Without complaint or sigh he started his trek – having done this countless times before, and it was not becomingly for an angel to protest. Rather, the idea of striking on the job was not even in the angelic language.

Shinichi eventually came to a clearing. The vegetation seemed almost emerald green to his sight as the moon shone through the treetops. A few flowers were still in bloom despite it being late autumn, and the stump of a once large and magnificent tree sat in the middle of the clearing. The vibration of a soul shimmered behind it, and the angel moved towards it.

Only to come to an abrupt stop in surprise.

Kneeling next to the body was a figurine clad in white. A top-hat laid nestled forgotten in the grass. Kaitou KID moved as he leaned down to continued trying to resuscitate the deceased by sharing his breath and pressing his palms against her ribcage.

Shinichi could do nothing but to stare at the view with a befuddled curiosity – unsure as to how to proceed. He could still feel death shivering across his wingspan as it pushed him forwards to the soul in need. Licking his lips – a movement he had often seen humans do when indecisive. He suddenly understood with clarity why it was a common habit, as it settled his nerves slightly.

"It's too late, she's gone."

Kaitou KID almost jumped, and he glanced up at the angel with wide eyes. There was something wild in his expression, and a streak of blood was smeared on his cheek. His chest heaved a bit too much for Shinichi's liking. Without the top-hat, the thief's natural tousled hair was in even more noticeable then before, and the only obstacle that hid his identity was the monocle on his left eye.

"You don't know that, I can still –" his voice seemed so young and filled with pain and hopelessness as he continued bumping the deceased chest almost desperately.

Shinichi was suddenly struck with the image of the boy he had saved years prior in the aquarium. It was the same expression of fear, and something in the energy in his body vibrated with the need to reach out and help on their own accord. However, he knew there was nothing he could do.

"KID –"

Something in Shinichi's expression must have conveyed an understanding of the situation as the thief suddenly crumbled next to the body in defeat. More emotions than the angel was capable of understanding shimmered in his face. He had never seen KID so exposed, always keeping up a poker face to conceal his true intention, and the angel stood silently watching, feeling far out of his comfort zone to know what to do.

He had seen humans grieve and their friends and family trying to console them, but being in the same situation, rather than as an observer, left him feeling alienated. He had no impulse to reach out to comfort the thief, and no words even crossed his mind to say. In this situation, it was abundantly clear how not-human he was, as his response to death after a millionth or so time was only met with indifference.

The whole definition of life and living, was the knowledge the existence would not last. Death was nothing – not the end, simply the beginning of something new. If the dead had been a good person, she would leave to a better place, and if not –

"I couldn't save her – I, I was too late," KID's voice was an uncontrollable mess that clearly conveyed his unshed tears that he was desperately trying not to shed.

"Death comes to you all," Shinichi replied, deciding to state the only words that had entered his mind.

The thief's eyes glanced down at the body, before standing up on shaking limbs. He leaned down to grab his hat, and he brushed it against his pants, hoping to get rid of any stains on the white fabric. "That's a rather dark view for a detective," he uttered under his breath, before increasing the volume of his voice seemingly not expecting the angel to have heard him. "I thought you were supposed to be optimistic in your arrogance thinking you can solve any crime."

"Narcissism does not equal trusting your observation skills. I'm simply stating a fact based on knowledge provided by what my vision tells me," he stepped forwards, and KID flinched backwards, however when Shinichi did nothing more sinister then kneel down next to the victim, he relaxed. "I've seen enough death to have full trust in my own observations."

Removing his glove, he reached out to brush his fingers softly against her cheek. The soul almost sighed in relief as peaceful calmness fluttered across her, having been in pain as she died slowly from the bullet wound in her stomach as evident of the red wetness of her dress. Memories shimmered across Shinichi's consciousness in the form of a smiling woman – usually he could only sense the brief feeling of how her life had been. However a moment before the soul disappeared, his vision suddenly flashed brightly as he saw her:

'My boss is crooked, I just know it, what should I do? This isn't right.' Esumi Aneko pressed the book against her chest as she glanced across the room from where she had been hiding behind a column. The room was mostly empty, except for the glass monument in the middle of containing a single diamond. The monument was formed in the shape of a mermaid sitting on a clam made of porcelain.

Her employer was Tamon Tatsui, a famous sculpture artist, who had started to add priceless jewels inside his art for the beauty – and she had admired him for his audacity. However, in the later years he had gotten in trouble for gambling and drugs. Aneko had thought he had control over his addictions, but now she had discovered documents telling a different tale. It seemed as though Tamon was working with the Yakuza to ship drugs and other illegal contrabands out of the country in the base of his statues.

And now, with Kaitou KID sending a heist note threatening to steal the jewel, she feared for his life –

Shinichi grabbed his forehead with gritted teeth, he had never experienced clear memories of the life of the souls he reaped, and the sudden onslaught filled his soul and his wings with searing pain. He pushed the memory from his head, not wanting to experience anything else – he had no need to know exactly who she was and what events had transpired that ended in her losing her life.

For all he knew or cared, she could have been a bad person – it simply did not matter.

"Detective?" a worried tone called out as the sound of movements indicated KID leaned over to check on him, and as Shinichi felt the vibration of a hand hovering above his shoulder, he flinched away with a growl in his voice.

"Don't touch me."

KID stiffened, his expression fallen slack, however there was still a hint of worry glittering in his eyes as he withdrew slowly so as not to startle the angel more. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – alright. I won't."

Shinichi got to his feet swiftly, and started to put his glove back on. He had never experienced a living human being actually touching him, and he was not entirely sure if he was corporal to anything but sight. And he did not know what he would do with the consequences of KID's hand going through his body. It had been one thing picking up a dying child on his own accord. He told himself that was the reason for his harsh reaction, however his wings twisted and turned with the distress his energy emitted. The harsh movements made it difficult to stand, and he swayed slightly. Almost gritting his teeth, he had a growing desire to grab them and hold them still.

Something in the thief reacted to the anguish, as his soul pulsated in a disarray of colours almost as though it earned with the impulse to comfort him. KID could not mask the expression in his face as his lips trembled downwards and his eyes shimmered despite trying to wear an impassive expression. If KID was confused at his own concerned reaction to the angel, Shinichi could not tell.

The thief parted his lips to say something, however he would never get to state it, as the sound of a branch snapping in the distance and the howling of hounds reached them. Almost automatically, they both froze with a foreboding feeling.

"Shit," KID uttered, licking his lips as his eyes darted in the direction of the oncoming voices. "They are going to find us. We need to leave, now, or we'll follow in Aneko's footsteps. I don't intend to die here without avenging her. I have enough evidence to arrest the lot." He patted his hand against his chest, and only then did the angel notice the bulging.

"Go on without me, I'll find my own way out," Shinichi told him rather hurryingly, he could not sense death at the moment – and he would rather avoid having to reap another innocent soul this evening.

KID looked sceptical at the request, and he shook his head firmly. "It's safer if we stick together, I scouted the forest as a get-away before the heist. I know these woods." Almost hesitantly, he held his hand in the direction of the angel, his eyes conveying his desperate hope that Shinichi would accept his offering.

With a clarity, Shinichi understood that they shared the same sentiment – neither wanted to see more death. And the thief did not want to be responsible for him either. The angel could not keep down the soft smile curling on his lips for a second at the unnecessary concern – he had not experiences anyone conveying such strong emotions towards him. For a moment, his soul fluttered with a sensation he could not comprehend.

"We'll see each other again, rest assure," he replied, and he turned around before he could see the disappointment in KID's face. Before the thief could form a last plea for him to change his mind, Shinichi was already past the vegetation and away from sight of mortal eyes.