The doorbell pulled Shinichi out of his dull existence within his house. The memories pained him, his soul felt like crushed under all those emotions raging in his mind. But at the same time he was void of any feeling. It was just too much.
Groggily, Shinichi forced himself out of his comfortable office chair and shambled downstairs to greet his visitor. Who would disturb him? Hattori? Haibara? The Hakase?

The view of his guest surprised Shinichi a little and he opened the door to a male with blond hair and a duffelcoat over his shoulders, crutches supporting his injured body. A weak smile was all he received as a greeting but Shinichi couldn't have wished for more. He wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Kudo-kun, let's go take a walk."
Without even registrating it Shinichi found himself on the sidewalk next to Hakuba Saguru, peacefully strolling along with him. He was a nice fellow and both had pretty much the same interests. He could be a good friend, Shinichi noted. Birds chirped from a tree, sunshine lit the way, everything was peaceful for once. No murder, no criminal running around to ruin his day, nothing at all and yet Shinichi didn't feel like being happy.

One entire week had gone by without any message from KID. Both knew where he was, both knew what he was doing. Finding back into his normal life, plotting the next heist... Hakuba had made himself useful and washed KID's name clean again after his incident with him.
Nakamori-keibu, that's not the same KID! He attacked me, he was close, I could see it wasn't the one! KID is still the same we know. We need to have trust in KID that he will come back and bring this impostor down.
Shinichi almost smiled when he had seen the report, the big headline on the newspaper front.
MURDEROUS KID A CONFIRMED IMPOSTOR!
Hakuba had a lot to say in the KID Task Force. Technically, he was KID's second in line detective. To public, Edogawa Conan used to be the KID Killer, not Kudo Shinichi. If he insisted that one KID was a fake, he was. Had it been painful, sure, Shinichi had been jealous all the time because Hakuba, aside his foolish teenage arrogance during his first month, had earned the Task Force's respect way earlier than Kudo Shinichi.

Shinichi had been pretty thankful that Hakuba decided to hide the truth to KID's benefit. KID needed his untarnished cape, it was what made him special. What was a magician worth if everyone was afraid of them? KID meant innocence, childhood, joy for people of all ages. He couldn't have possibly been robbed of himself, neither would have accepted that.

Peaceful silence lasted on the two detectives, Shinichi didn't mind the slow pace Hakuba's injury set for him. It gave him time to think.
His eyes drifted down towards his arms, rid of bandages. His wounds were fading. It made him sad that the last evidence of their time together was beginning to disappear. He weighed the choice of renewing them but decided against it. It would have been fake, meaningless. It wouldn't have been KID.
"How is he?" Shinichi whispered after a while, voice monotone, gaze fixated onto the way. Hakuba forced a tiny smile.
"Good. A little confused, mostly. I have been looking a little after him these days... Kuroba-kun hasn't been too pleased about my attendance."
Hakuba hesitated, a short moment of uncomfortable silence following.
"...He asked me what happened to my leg."
Shinichi tensed yet refrained from picking up the eye contact Hakuba was inviting him to.
"...the impostor?" he asked quietly and Hakuba nodded, willing himself to tug the corner of his lips slightly up into a half smile.
"The impostor."

KID didn't have to know his organization was gone, both detectives had silently agreed on that. It wasn't good for him to know anything of the latest events, remember anything. Everything had more or less returned to its former ways. Kuroba was plotting new heists as Kaitou KID and had two young detectives chasing him within a moonlit night, cursing after him with a loud and obnoxious Nakamori-keibu behind.

It felt like forever that the two young adults walked under the blinding morning sun but it did good to Shinichi. Hakuba understood him and knew what was going on. He had wished himself to forget, just like KID, but figured it was okay like this. He had a memory of KID no one else would ever have.
Shinichi had something to cherish.
Shinichi had KID.

His thoughts came to a halt as he recognized the large gates of the Hakuba manor, eyes wandering questioning over towards the halfbrit. His response was a sheepish shrug.
"I figured it would be a good idea to invite you in for a cup of tea."
The Beikan detective gave a small nod and followed Hakuba through the entrance into the garden, and from there up towards the foyer.
Yes, Hakuba was going to make a great friend for him. Shinichi smiled.

***

Voices everywhere, smoke bombs everywhere, people were scurrying away and coming together at other places, Shinichi felt like trapped in a dream. Automatically, his legs moved him where he wanted to be, after the white cape and the malicious laughter which sent the Task Force onto a merry chase.
On the roof he finally met him, jewel in hand, examining it under the moonlight. A costume which had never screamed 'Shoot me' this well, a face hidden by a monocle, a hat and darkness.

"Meitantei," he greeted with mischievousness dripping from his voice. Shinichi nodded, smiling. God, how much he had missed his voice, craved his voice. It took all his selfcontrol to appear calm and casual.
"KID. Long time no see. I'm glad you are back."
"So sentimental today, are we? Have you been longing for me~?"
Shinichi paused, eyes examining the magician from head to toe. A heist like usual and yet, everything was so different, so empty to him.
Feelings overcame him, controlled him, sucked any professionality left out of him.
Shinichi's smile was painful, his heart ached and his body trembled. Tears began to prinkle in the corners of his eyes, his heart shattered slowly to pieces at the familiar yet distant cheshirecat grin KID gave him. By now it seemed so innocent, so pure to him. Shinichi swallowed his upcoming tears.

"Yeah. I have."

If only KID would have known how much.

A/N

Wow guys, this is already the end of my book. I've waited for this end a long time. It's a bad one, my bad.
Shinichi remains heartbroken and KID doesn't remember the time he spent with him in a toxic couple.

Until the next book, farewell!