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Chapter Text

(Break)

Something was off with Kid, he'd appeared from nowhere within a cloud of white smoke, before swiftly snatching the heist's target and bolting. Normally this wouldn't raise any alarms within the inspector's head, but for some reason he'd felt the need to catch up to the phantom.

Ginzo grimaced as he looked back at the rest of the Kaitou Kid task force, they'd been trapped within a neon green sludge. The sludge had effectively trapped them to the ground, rapidly hardening. The only reason the inspector hadn't been caught up in the trap was due to how he hadn't rushed off impulsively for once.

He kept his steps as silent as he could while he made his way up the flight of stairs towards the roof. Kid's actions had been hasty, as if he hadn't even cared. Ginzo knew Kid, as much as he really wished he didn't, the inspector just knew. Something was wrong with his annoying adversary.

"Kid" The inspector's voice was oddly soft as he approached the crouched thief. Kid had been crouching by the ledge, his back legs bent like a frog's as he leaned forward to peer over the edge. The only thing stopping the thief from falling was the way his arms were braced.

"Keibu" Kid acknowledged, his tone lacking the usual haughtiness, instead it sounded almost defeated. Ginzo's gaze narrowed slightly when the other made no move to escape, there wasn't even a slight tension from the thief bracing himself to move. Instead those white clad shoulders seemed to slump.

"Kid..." Ginzo paused for a moment before continuing "What's with you today?" He inquired, a little uneasy due to the uncharacteristically docile thief's actions. He silently wondered if the thief would move if Ginzo attempted to grab him. Surely he would, but the thief wasn't acting like his normal self was he?

Kid let out a breathy sigh, absentmindedly tossing the gem towards the inspector who quickly caught and pocketed it. "I'm tired" Kid admitted, he was tired of lying to those closest to him, tired of hurting, tired of being alone, tired of searching, tired of failing, tired of running. He leaned back away from the edge a bit to wrap his arms around his knees, tucking them to his chest. Most of all, he was tired of not being a mostly normal teen who didn't have to worry about people trying to kill him over a stupid gem that may or may not even exist.

Ginzo inched a bit over towards the thief, he looked so small like that. "Then rest" he replied, from what he could see if the thief's face, he could really tell that Kid wasn't lying.

Kid shook his head, letting out a chillingly hollow laugh before resting his chin onto his knees. "I can't... I really want to but I just can't" His fingers tightened, almost bruising himself. If he stopped, the crows would try to steal more often, potentially harming or even killing innocents. He had to continue, if only to use himself as a target to protect others. He really didn't have any choice in the matter, not if his conscious had anything to say about it.

The inspector felt chilled at the hollowness of the response, he slowly sat down at the edge beside Kid, making sure to keep at least a foot away. "You can't, but it seems like you need to" Ginzo breathed, he didn't want to catch Kid like this, it just wouldn't seem fair. He'd noticed how the heists had suddenly become more frequent, instead of a couple times a month, it was a few times a week, sometimes every night. It was too much for the police, let alone Kaitou Kid who had to search for his information instead of having it handed to him.

This Kid was burning himself out, and doing it quite quickly. Ginzo closed his eyes, leaning back a bit before opening them to look at the moon. It was full tonight. His gaze shifted over towards the huddled Kid, he'd grown attached to this new Kid, he didn't want to lose him as well. He'd already lost the first. If he lost the second, he wasn't really sure what he'd do.

"I just..." Kid trailed off, his voice cracking slightly "I just want to escape"

The inspector frowned "You do escape, hell! You're always escaping"

"I want to escape from everything..." Kid whispered. Ginzo's hands tensed against the pavement, suddenly noting that the thief's cape wasn't the one that had the hang glider.

"You can't" Ginzo firmly stated, clasping Kid's left shoulder, it wasn't enough to actually catch the other, but it added an extra barrier between Kid and the roof's edge.

"Don't worry, I would never do that at a heist" Kid murmured, not nothing to shake away the hand, instead opting to look towards the right, away from the inspector. "I have a lot of young fans, I could never traumatize them by making them watch their idol..."

Ginzo's grip tightened as he suddenly yanked the thief, whirling him around so that they were facing each other. He settled both hands on Kid's shoulders, gripping tightly, trapping him. "You can't!" He growled, ignoring how at this angle, he could perfectly see Kaito's weary face. He didn't really care, he'd already known. "You are needed" Ginzo knew damn well that if he went into civilian talk that Kaito would just bolt off somewhere. Somewhere where Ginzo couldn't keep an eye on him. He loved the crazy little nutball like his own son, he just couldn't lose him too.

Kaito's mouth went into an 'o' shape, indigos wide from shock. "I—"

Ginzo cut him off, giving him a warm grin "You bring joy to others, help people whenever possible, and keep police officers safe by having them chase an non-lethal criminal instead of a dangerous one" He paused "Whatever crazy reasons you have, are probably good enough Kid" He finished before releasing Kaito, Kid quickly turned so that the angle obscured his face better.

"Very well, look forwards towards the next heist" Kid replied with a small smile, throwing down a pink smoke bomb.

"Dammit Kid..." Ginzo breathed as sleep tugged at him before he slumped to the ground.

When Kaito got home, he swiftly changed into his pyjamas and curled up into his bed. He didn't bother wiping away his tears or muffling his cry's as he hugged his pillow. He needed this, he'd cry all night, and probably well into the day. Then, he'd pull himself back together and have a little rest. He really loved his Ojisan.

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Ginzo glared his fiercest glare at the seemingly innocent bottle. It looked innocent enough until one read the label, and to whom they were prescribed for. His fingers tightened angrily around the sturdy plastic, teeth clenched. They were antidepressants for Kaito. The one person who he'd never even thought would require them, at least not until recently that is.

He hated them, loathed their existence and what their existence meant. But, at the same time he couldn't help but feel a slight gratefulness for them. The fact that the crazy kid sought help on his own was relieving, it meant that Kaito was fighting.

Ginzo's memory flashed back to that heist a few days ago, that heist where he'd finally noticed just how much Kaito had been hurting. The prescription dated on the bottle was the day after the heist. Kaito had listened to him.

He let out a somewhat steady breath as he gently placed the pill bottle back onto its place on top of the microwave. It didn't stand out as much beside the variety of vitamins and cold medicines. Which was probably the point of it being stored hidden in plain sight, his daughter loved to snoop around Kaito's house.

The soft pattern of footsteps, almost inaudible heading down the stairs caught the inspector's attention. Kaito was dressed in casual black slacks and yellow t-shirt, his hair slightly damp as he ran a towel over his head. "Ojisan?" Kaito inquired softly, taking note of the inspector's presence. He still looked quite bad, his shoulders still slightly bowed, dark rings lining weary indigos.

Ginzo grinned, walking over towards Kaito, grabbing the towel before ruffling his unruly locks with it. He remembered doing the same thing with Aoko when she was little. "I came to tell you that Aoko's almost done making dinner" He smirked at the annoyed scowl, he got his petty revenge whenever he could. In ways that wouldn't harm or endanger Kaito of course. "It saves us the trouble of having her yell at you" He added. Ginzo had recently noticed that Kaito had stopped fighting back in their arguments, now the teen just seemed to sag a bit and take the insult as if he'd deserved it.

Kaito nodded in understanding before grimacing "It's not those things is it?" He inquired, voice laced with a mixture of fear and disgust. He did his best to suppress a fearful shiver, he didn't think he could handle that at the moment.

Ginzo's gaze softened "No, I haven't been in the mood to eat that recently" And he probably wouldn't be for a long while, or at least until he felt that it was okay to not have Kaito over for dinner. At least with inviting the other over, it gave him another excuse to check up on the boy.

A small but relieved smile tugged at Kaito's lips. "Kay, I'll join you guys"

Kaito curled up in his bed, an unusually happy feeling lifting his spirits. Eating dinner that day at the Nakamoris was nothing like it usually was. Normally both Aoko and her father would rant on and on about Kaitou Kid, in Aoko's case it was usually about how useless and evil he was and with her father it was about catching him. But today had been different, Aoko had been scolded by her father when she began hurtling insults about his moonlight persona. He'd defended Kid, something that until recently he'd never thought was possible.

It had been so hard stopping himself from crying when Ginzo had actually listed off a plethora of Kaitou Kid's good points before telling Aoko that she can't judge someone she doesn't know, especially if you didn't know their reasons. It had taken everything in him to prevent his hands from shaking. He didn't really deserve that kindness.

Though the real reason why he was currently curled up in his bed, hidden beneath the sheets was due to what had happened when he'd left.

"Kaito-Kun" Kaito paused in his motion of opening the door, instead letting his hand rest on the doorknob. He gave Ginzo a confused look, he didn't really understand why the inspector had waited until Aoko was out of hearing range. A small part of his mind whispered that he should run, since the inspector knew.

Kaito opened his mouth to reply, only to let out a surprised squeak at suddenly becoming the recipient of a borderline bone crushing hug. He hadn't expected that. "Thank you" Ginzo whispered, voice wavering.

Kaito felt a small thrum of fear hit him before quickly quelling it. Ginzo would hurt him. "For what?" His voice wary as his gaze flickered momentarily towards the door. He knew, he knew, he knew his identity!

Ginzo released him, crouching slightly to meet Kaito's indigo gaze. The happiness and relief within the inspector's face was almost overwhelming. "Thank you for taking care of yourself" Kaito trembled, he really didn't think he deserved this level of care, especially from the one he'd often tormented in the past.

"I-I'm trying..." Kaito murmured, his voice somewhat watery. They were too close! He shouldn't be letting people stay too close! He was supposed to be keeping people at a distance. Where they couldn't be hurt.

Ginzo gently clasped both of Kaito's shoulder with his hands. "Please don't give up" He paused "No matter what, I'll always be proud of you and be on your side" Kaito was not okay, but as long as he didn't give up, Ginzo would be damned if he didn't win.

Kaito swallowed, nodding numbly before bolting our the door. That was too close! He can't be having conversations like that!

It was scary, it was too dangerous for Ginzo to know what he seemed to imply that he did. He didn't want to be the reason why Aoko had no father. He let out a small dark giggle. Though in a way, didn't he already do that with all of the heists?

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Ginzo clenched his fists as he wearily glanced out his bedroom window, hoping against all odds that a light would flicker on within the Kuroba household. It would mean that Kaito was home, safe and sound. Not unofficially missing like he currently was. Kaito hadn't been seen in little over two weeks, not since that heist.

"After him!" Ginzo called, pointing towards Kid's retreating form as the white cape disappeared behind a corner. It was the first heist in a while since that night where Kaito had almost broken completely. The mischief maker had heeded his words and had taken a small hiatus from his nightly activities. The heist wasn't one of Kid's best ones, but definitely wasn't one of his worst.

It was refreshing to see Kaito slightly more energetic than the previous days, it helped him to feel slightly less miffed about the squelching goop sloshing in his shoes. Only a little though, it was still nasty and would take hours to properly clean out.

When he'd made it up to the roof he couldn't help a predatory smirk from crossing over his face. Something about the chase just got his adrenalin levels up. The wind was too strong for Kid's hang glider and the building was too high to jump from. Kid was seemingly trapped.

A small part of him felt a thrum of fear at the prospect of Kaito being caught, being put in jail, being murdered and left to die all alone within his cell. But that was quickly smothered by his faith in Kid's skills. Kid would somehow escape and Ginzo would do his damn best to hinder the thief. Appearances were vital, the training even more so. He couldn't afford to allow Kid to become complacent. A complacent thief could easily become a dead thief.

"So it seems as if we're at an impasse gentlemen" Kid's suave voice echoed across the rooftop, there was no trace of the hurt Kaito within that demeanour. It was both freaky and impressive as he imagined Kid's civilian persona's  frayed mental state.

Ginzo straightened his posture slightly, moving his foot forwards a bit to assert himself in a dominant yet cocky stance. "No, not an impasse" He breathed, excitement buzzing under his skin as he tilted his head to the side. "You're finally under arrest Kaitou Kid" He added, fingers twitching towards the set of handcuffs clipped onto his belt.

A wry grin spread across the thief's shadowed face before he opened his mouth to respond. What happened next was a blur, one second he was in a standoff against Kid, the next he'd heard a sharp popping noise before being bowled over.

White filled his vision before he shoved the weight off of him. His mind seemed to go numb when he finally realized just who he'd shoved off of him. "K-Kid..." The inspector gasped, mouth dry as he identified the white figure now sprawled across his lap. Panic threatened to seize him, though his hands were already trembling at the swiftly growing red stain. Kid had been shot in the chest, Kaito had taken a shot meant for him. Kaito was bleeding out.

He hissed out protective snarl through clenched teeth as his gaze pierced his surrounding for the one who Ki— Hurt Kaito. The silly magician wasn't dead yet, and he wasn't going to be anytime soon. Ginzo refused to allow it. "GET THAT BASTARD!" He snarled, pointing at the silhouette before swiftly applying pressure onto Kaito's wound. He could trust his men to go after the dangerous threat, Kaito needed him.

"Keibu..." Kaito's voice was watery, blood staining his lips.

"Damn it, shut up you idiot!" Ginzo growled, his voice void of the implied anger. Blood from the mouth meant lung shot right? Talking would only injure Kaito further before help arrived. Ginzo's eyes were stinging, he wasn't used to this much blood, especially on Kaito. It was so much more worse on Kaito.

"Go..." Ginzo scowled at the  idiotic  request, he could n't  just leave him, not Kaito. Never Kaito.

"I told you to shut up" Ginzo huffed, ignoring how warm the blood felt between his fingers.

"Catch him!" Kaito hacked out a few wet coughs from the effort. "I'll be fine...  You  can't help me" Ginzo looked into hazy indigos before turning away. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. The stupid kid was right, if Ginzo took him to the hospital, Kaito would be arrested then later killed in jail. He knew that Kaitou Kid had a bunch of dangerous people gunning for him. A hospital would be a death sentence, but wouldn't leaving him also damn Kaito's chance of survival? A trembling hand covered his own, causing Ginzo to once again meet indigos "Trust me..."

He clasped the hand before quickly releasing it and standing up, a blind anger burning within him. "Fine ,  damn it!" He hissed before pointing an accusing finger at the thief "But you better fucking survive! If you don't I'll—" He stalked off, a low whine in his throat at the memory of the bloody smile he'd been given.

Kaito was Kid, he had to have countless connections, ones that would save him in time right? Ginzo couldn't do a damn thing, but maybe they could. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he ran off, he had to trust Kaito.

When he'd returned to the roof, there was no sign of the bloodied thief, nor of any blood. The only remainder of those horrible moments was the blood drying onto his own clothes.

The next morning Ginzo settled on the couch, Aoko has already gone to school and he didn't really have any work to do. He'd already thrown himself into it in an attempt to bide time until he was Kaito. It had helped him to not break down at the possibility that his honorary son had died. But now he was out of paperwork and forced to stay home.

Ginzo sighed when he heard a knock on the door, he didn't really want to get up. He was comfy and miserable but he did get up. He opened the door "What do yo—" His voice caught in his throat at the sight of Kaito. He was alive! The little bastard actually made it! He was horribly pale and looked like he'd lost over 10 pounds, but he was alive. "You bastard!" Ginzo choked, gently grabbing Kaito and pulling him into a hug.

"Keibu!" Kaito whined, squirming like he wanted to escape. With a small chuckle Ginzo released him, not wanting Kaito to further injure himself with an escape attempt. Kaito blinked and held out a small bag of Kyoto specific candies "I brought you and Aoko some souvenirs" Kaito offered, Ginzo snorted. Souvenirs, so that's the official cover story.

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Kaito opened his door, having heard a steady knock on it. He regretted it. "Hmm, it's oddly suspicious that you went on an unexpected vacation right after the heist where Kaitou Kid got shot" Saguru gave Kaito a suspicion filled glance, his lip slightly curled up into a triumphant smirk. "Don't you think so Kuroba-Kun?"

Kaito visibly bristled, indigos narrowing darkly as he bared his teeth. "Stop accusing me of being Kid!" It's dangerous! He wasn't in any condition to escape or dodge a bullet. Not yet at least, and not anytime soon. Just the simple act of breathing was borderline agony for him. Over the counter pain meds were too weak for his injury, but anything stronger could dull his mind. He was strong though, he could deal with it, he had to.

"Oh, you're not denying it?" Saguru inquired, slightly put off by the magician's sudden visible aggression.

Letting out a low growl Kaito took an aggressive step towards Saguru, slapping the other harshly on the face. He couldn't really deal with Saguru right now, maybe in a few weeks he could, but not now. "Are you trying to get me killed?!?" Kaito asked, his voice unusually highly pitched from panic. His shoulders hunched slightly as he momentarily wrapped his arms around himself in a tight hug. Indigos warily glanced around, fearful of the wrong sort of onlookers.

Saguru scowled at the accusation, he wasn't a murderer, he was a detective! "No, I'm trying to catch the international jewel thief called Kaitou Kid" Saguru's gaze narrowed, taking in the other's startlingly pale complexion "My main suspect is you" He finished.

The magician snarled and grabbed Saguru's arm, swiftly yanking the teenage detective through the door before slamming and locking said door. "Don't ever say accusations like that in public!" Kaito growled, releasing Saguru's arm now that they were less likely to be overheard.

The blond stated at Kaito with wide eyes, he'd never seen Kaito so, unhinged. Yes, the teen was crazy to begin with, but at least there seemed to be a calculated level of that insanity. But now, he didn't see any of that calculating gleam within those indigos. "What is wrong with you?!" Saguru accused, Kaito's mental health seemed to have plummeted within the last few months that he'd been in London.

Kaito looked at him with confusion before shaking his head, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "What's wrong with me?" He growled, giving the blond his best hateful glare. "Well I'm being publicly accused by a known detective of being Kaitou Kid!" Kaito let out a breath "Do you know what could happen if the wrong people hear your FALSE accusations?!?" His voice was now borderline frantic "They'll try to kill me!" Saguru gaped, eyes wide as the younger seemed to go limp and slid down to the ground, resting his back against the wall. "Kaitou Kid his people after his life!" He gave a broken laugh as he buried his face in his hands "He was even shot!"

They'd aimed at Ginzo because they knew Kid would protect him, the inspector was a much easier target than an elusive phantom thief. Kid had no choice but to get shot, Ginzo wasn't allowed to die. Aoko wouldn't be forced to go through the same thing that Kaito had when he was little. He would do everything in his power to prevent it, plus he didn't think he'd be able to even survive losing another father. It was better for everyone that Kaito had been the one to take the bullet.

"Kuroba-Kun..." Saguru swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling quite dry. He hadn't thought of the consequences besides Kaitou Kid ending up in jail.

Kaito peered up through his fingers "They wouldn't lose anything except a bullet or two if they decided that they might as well test your theory..." The blond opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't really find the right words. He hadn't really thought much about the group of killers after Kid, he'd tried his best to avoid thinking about it.

"I understand, I won't publicly accuse you anymore" Saguru let out a shaky breath, finally realizing that there was more at stake than some petty jewel and jail time. He didn't like Kaito, but he didn't want the other's blood on his hands. Which is exactly what could have easily already happened if not for Kaito's luck.

"Hakuba-Niisan please leave Kaito-Niichan alone" The blond looked over towards the kitchen entrance. He recognized the boy as Edogawa Conan, the apparent KID Killer from the news. Conan looked oddly weary and was missing his iconic glasses. "Kaito-Niichan is hurting..." Conan paused his azure gaze strategically glancing momentarily towards the top of the microwave before continuing. "He was mistaken as Shinichi-Niichan and hurt terribly" A lie, but it would help boost Kaito's reasons for being mistaken as someone else.

Gold darkened as Saguru pursed his lips "I understand" He gave a small bow to the child before giving Kaito an apologetic look "I'll try not to bother you too much for now" He breathed before leaving. He'd still look for clues on Kid's identity, but he'd at least wait until the people trying to kill him were locked up. Maybe he'd even wait until Kaito was mentally okay again as well.

"Shin-Chan..." Conan frowned as he sat down beside the magician, allowing Kaito to pull him into a hug. Normally he'd threaten the other, but the faint trembling of Kaito's frame held him back.

"Silly magician" Conan huffed, reciprocating the hug, he did his best to refrain himself from calling Kaito 'Bakaito' the teen had some raw wounds from that name even though he tried to hide it . "Everything will be fine, you've got me, Jii-San, Hakase, Haibara, and even, Nakamori-Keibu secretly on your side" He scoffed, bopping Kaito lightly on the head. He wasn't going to let either Kaito, or Kid fall without a fight.

"I didn't mean to be so mean to him..." Kaito whispered, Azure softened.

"I know, and I'm pretty sure he knows as well" Conan soothed.

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A soft whine escaped from Kaito's lips as he glanced at his alarm clock, it read 2:27 in the morning. His chest was aching and he could feel a slight dampness. He must have pulled some of the stitches in his sleep. From the feeling he could tell that he wasn't bleeding enough to warrant removing himself from the safety of his sheets.

Indigos glared in annoyance at the bottle of pain medication sitting on his dresser, it was just out of reach without him actually getting up. He let out a defeated sigh as he curled back up, the position strained his stitches but he didn't really care. If he ended up bleeding too much he'd just pass out, which in turn would loosen his position, slowing the blood flow. At least then he'd be able to rest.

It was scary, Ginzo had almost been shot because of him. Kaito bit his lip, ignoring the familiar metallic tang that dribbled into his mouth. Was being Kaitou Kid to protect people he didn't even know even worth it? Was it worth getting shot? Almost dying? Or even putting Ginzo at risk? Kaito shook his head, he wasn't really sure.

He glanced out the window at the waning moon, a small snarl on his lips. He really hated the moon right now, it was a stupid reminder of his even stupider mission. Tears prickled at his eyes before falling, a soft whine following shortly after. He was being stupid, the moon never did anything wrong. A few months ago he'd adored it and the gentle light it had casted. But now, it seemed like it was only there to mock him, to tell him that it had been stupid to even think he should try.

The crows had countless allies, every time he managed to take one down, multiple always seemed to rise to take their place. They were also trained and smart, and against those odds, he really was a complete and utter moron for even trying. What was he? A single person, more importantly a stupid teenager who had decided to go against trained assassins with nothing but a bucketload of magic tricks coupled with his high athletic ability and intelligence. He was just one person! Why the hell did he even think that it would be a good idea to taunt them?!

The only good things he'd succeeded in catching a few crows, saving a few people, and make people smile. Yes saving people was good, but there'd been more people killed because of him than he'd saved. All those mass shooting at Kid heists really weren't worth it. A small sob shook him as he clenched his fists, he'd hurt so many people. He'd stolen Aoko's dad away from her countless times, not even counting the hours and time outside of heists he'd stolen Ginzo from Aoko. The lies were also starting to hurt her, he was too distant with her now, he didn't want it, but the distance had to be there. It kept her safe, hurt but safe.

Stupid Oyaji! Stupid Kaito! Stupid Kid! He didn't want this, hadn't expected this, didn't prepare for this. Why couldn't it just stop?!? His chest burned as he brought his right arm up to smack his pillow in frustration before immediately crumpling in pain from the sudden action. "Dammit!" He let out a pained hiss, wetness spreading across a lot quicker than before. He's such an idiot.

Kaito knew that he needed to get up, he didn't really feel like it though. It was easier to just lay in bed, there was less pain all around. He glanced down at his chest and grimaced, he should call someone. Conan was in the guest room, maybe he was still awake? Yelling was bad, it put too much presser on his wound, though at this point did it really matter? Either way Conan was going to be pissed at him for ripping his stitches, again. He'd already done so when confronting Saguru.

Maybe he'll just wait until morning, it didn't really matter that much.

"Stupid thief..." Conan sighed as he put away the last of the bandages, it'd been a scare to find Kaito covered in both dry and wet blood. The fever had been worse, though thankfully it had receded into a manageable temperature.

"Sorry Shin-Chan..." Kaito tiredly replied "I've been really stupid lately it seems..." Azures softened at the magician's words. Conan shook his head.

"No, you're just really sick" He gave a weak smile as he clasped Kaito's left hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze "We'll fix that though, together" He promised, he wasn't going to let that promise break. He'd keep it no matter what.

Indigos watered, he didn't deserve this from Conan. He'd tasered and teased the poor guy, rubbing his true identity in his face all those times. "Do you really need my help in taking down the BO?" He asked, avoiding eye contact. Conan was smart, so what if he was stuck as a little kid? He could probably do more damage than Kaito ever could. So what if Pandora was never found? If the BO was defeated, did it even matter?

Conan frowned, placing a hand onto the magician's forehead. "That's just the fever talking" He soothed, making a mental note to contact Ai about changing Kaito's prescription dosage. This particular dose had made Kaito extremely lethargic from depression. "You'll think differently when you're all healed up, you're vital to both the BO's takedown and my sanity Kaito" Conan paused "With you I can actually be myself" He admitted, a small blush tinting his cheeks. It wasn't really like him to say such cheesy things out loud, even if it was the truth. With Kaito though, it should be fine.

"Don't believe you..." Kaito yawned, Conan was stronger than him, he'd make due fine.

Conan let out a dejected sigh "Just go to sleep Kaito, you'll heal better with rest.

Chapter Text

The little boy hanging around Kaito was odd, Ginzo mused as he watched them leave Kaito's house. At first when the inspector had seen Edogawa Conan, AKA the KID Killer hanging around Kaito's house he'd been concerned. Wasn't that the very same boy who was known for cornering Kid? He'd quickly realized that yes, that had been Conan and no, the boy wasn't trying to capture Kaito.

The boy had started appearing shortly after Kaito had taken a bullet for him, Ginzo's fingers tightened against the coffee mug. That was something he never wanted to experience ever again. He'd ordered better bullet proof vests for himself and the task force, theirs had been horribly outdated and nobody had seen the point in updating them. They were chasing after a perpetually non-violent phantom thief after all. After that night though, the order for updates vests was fast tracked.

If anybody had noticed how there'd been an extra vest that didn't fit anybody, they didn't comment on it. Nor did they acknowledge how said vest mysteriously disappeared on its route to a different division. Items got misplaced between divisions all the time, it wasn't something to make a huge fuss about.

Ginzo's mind shifted its focus back to that strange boy at Kaito's side, that kid had the same eyes as Kaito barring colour. Those azure eyes hidden behind fake frames were haunted, as if Conan had seen too much despite his young age. Conan knew more than he let on, but Ginzo doubted that he'd ever know just how much that boy knew. It was obvious Conan was hiding is intelligence, since he got nervous whenever questioned about it. That was fine though, he wouldn't pry too deep into Conan's secrets. Not when it could potentially scare the boy away, Kaito needed Conan.

That little boy that he'd once seen as nothing more as an annoying nuisance was helping Kaito, helping in ways that Ginzo just couldn't help with. Ginzo couldn't openly talk about Kaito's problems with his moonlight persona, he just couldn't. He was the leader of the task force specifically set up to chase Kaitou Kid, no matter the trust between them Kaito couldn't risk it. If the magician ever risk it, Ginzo'd scold him about his recklessness. Too many eyes were on them.

Conan though, he was just a little child, a freakishly smart child, but a child none the less. Nobody would be suspicious of Conan being in cahoots with Kid. Kaito could talk to Conan about subjects that were always skirted around when he talked to Ginzo, Conan had no legal obligations to turn him in. Conan was needed to help improve Kaito's poor mental health.

Normally it should be the eldest taking care of the youngest, yet those rules were tossed away when Conan became involved. Conan dragged Kaito out of his bed. Conan made sure Kaito ate, sometimes with the threat of death by soccer ball, Ginzo didn't understand that part. Conan forced Kaito to leave the house. Conan cuddled with Kaito at night to scare away the nightmares. Conan made sure Kaito took those god awful meds. Conan was doing so damn much for Kaito that Ginzo feared what would happen if Conan suddenly left.

A few months later Conan left. When Ginzo had heard the news about how Conan had left for America he'd panicked. He wasn't proud of the fact, but he couldn't help it. Conan had been an important crutch for Kaito, keeping the teen sane. So when he'd burst into Kaito's house to see the allegedly 'missing' teenage detective Kudo Shinichi he froze.

"Nakamori-Keibu" Shinichi greeted from the kitchen doorway, a cup of steaming black coffee held in one hand.

Ginzo's brain stuttered for a few moments before he managed to collect himself. "Kudo-Kun, it's a surprise to see you here" He breathed. Those eyes, he knew those eyes, he knew that face. They were the same as Conan. Conan left, only to be swiftly replaced by Shinichi. Absentmindedly he remembered that Edogawa Conan had originally appeared after Kudo Shinichi had went missing.

Sharp Azure met his gaze, Ginzo could almost see the gears turning within Shinichi's head. The other was calculating Ginzo's knowledge. "Kaito couldn't be left alone" Shinichi took a sip of his coffee "I'm going to be staying here for a while, please don't mention my presence to anybody" Ginzo couldn't help but nod at the request, he had so many damn questions but Shinichi gave off a similar vibe as Kaito. One that seemed like he'd bolt if questioned too much.

"I won't" Ginzo paused before continuing "I'll keep your secrets" Shinichi's gaze narrowed slightly before he nodded.

A small smile tugged at the teen's lips "Thank you" A dark gleam flickered in his gaze "Secrets can often mean the difference between life and death" Shinichi replied smoothly.

Ginzo felt a sudden chill, this teen was creepy, but his words had hit him hard. "Trust me I know" Ginzo swallowed, remembering how frail Kaito had been after being shot, how he'd almost lost his son "I'd never do anything to expose those kinds of secrets" He really wouldn't, especially if they involved Kaito's safety, and maybe even Shinichi's. Conan had done a lot for Kaito, and if his absurd suspicions were correct... Well he'd deal with that if it ever came up.

"Good, Kaito would break if anything happened to you" Shinichi replied, gaze softening as he glanced over towards the stairs. Kaito was probably in bed resting then. "He's doing a bit better now" Shinichi added as he grabbed that horrible pill bottle and looked at it. "We've finally found the right dosage that works properly for him so he's less chaotic" He smiled sadly as he put the bottle back "Too much or too little of these can cause more problems. That's why Conan was staying with Kaito"

Ginzo swallowed "Did he ever?..." The thought of Kaito of all people doing that was horrifying despite how it should have been somewhat expected considering circumstances.

Shinichi pursed his lips "Almost, but then he ran to Conan, well he was going to run to you, but he literally ran into Conan first" He snickered "Knocked Conan straight off his feet"

Ginzo smiled sadly "But the dosage is correct now?"

"Yes, he wasn't actively suicidal before the meds, but they messed him up a little until the correct dosage was found. Now they're helping him get better" Shinichi replied, gaze lowered towards the inside of his empty mug.

Chapter Text

Something was off about this heist, no, a better word for it would have been special. Ginzo wasn't blind, though a lot of the other officers often thought he was. No, he'd easily spotted the extra figures hanging about the heist location. The realization had been alarming, which made him fearful that a whole team of snipers had decided to take aim at Kid. Kid was good, but even he couldn't escape from over 30 snipers unscathed.

Kid was acting strange as well, he'd once again appeared from nowhere within a cloud of white smoke, before swiftly snatching the heist's target and bolting. The last time this had happened he'd witnessed the thief's breakdown. But unlike then, now there seemed to be a deep sense of urgency within Kid's actions.

Ginzo yelled for his task force to follow him as he chased the elusive thief. Something was up, he just didn't know what, but he'd be damned if he wasn't there to help.

As he reached the roof, a sudden flash of red light blinded him, forcing him to shield his eyes with his arms. He didn't want to be blinded, especially when he needed to be on the lookout for snipers. He wasn't going to let Kid get shot, not this time, and hopefully not ever again. Having his pseudo son bleeding out in his arms once was already one times too many.

When the light finally died down, Ginzo uncovers his eyes. The sight that he met was confusing. Kid seemed frozen, only the faint fluttering of his cape due to a small breeze signified that he wasn't a statue. "Kid?" Ginzo inquired softly, not understanding why the thief seemed frozen in the position of holding the gem up to the moon. He squinted, was that really the gem? He could have sworn that it had been a clear white diamond, not a red diamond.

"Keibu..." That voice, it wasn't Kid's! It was Kaito's! Ginzo rushes over, barely managing to catch Kaito before the teen's legs gave out. Kaito trembled, suddenly feeling a thousand times lighter as he hugged Ginzo. He'd done it! He'd found Pandora! A soft sob wracked his frame, he didn't have to steal anymore. He could be himself!

"Kid?" Ginzo asked once more, inwardly pleading for the teen to knock him out and flee. He cast a quick glance towards the frozen task force, before turning back towards the teen, gritting his teeth. He had to find some plausible way for Kaito to escape, why hasn't he already run away?!? They weren't alone! A sudden wetness began to soak the inspector's shoulder before Kaito went limp.

"Kaitou Kid has been cleared of all crimes" Countless gazes snapped towards the owner of the voice, many intaking a breath at the sudden reappearance of Kudo Shinichi. Ginzo hugged Kaito's unconscious form closer, he knew that the sleuth was friends with Kaito, but he was also a famous detective. He didn't really understand why Kaito had fainted, but he was going to protect him. Azure eyes gazed sympathetically towards the magician before turning back towards the task force. He took a few steps closer. "Let me tell you all a story about a boy, and a magician who fought their all against the evil crows, eventually winning in the end..." He breathed, silently signalling the FBI, CIA, and PSB to leave using Morse come on his transmitter.

Ginzo smoothed the bangs back out of Kaito's face, the boy still looked so frail as he laid in his bed. He couldn't believe the scope of what the teen had been involved in. He allowed a soft smile to crease his lips at how Kaito seemed to be more relaxed. The stupid kid had basically been fighting for years in a war against a worldwide syndicate, and he'd won that same war. He didn't know whether to be proud or horrified.

"Your support really helped Kaito to push through" Ginzo looked up from Kaito to see Shinichi, who he now knew for sure had been Edogawa Conan. He was another young boy who'd fought that same war by Kaito's side.

Ginzo let out a sigh, shaking his head "No, I've barely even helped him..." He clenched his fist, he'd wanted to help, but then he'd be at risk of giving away Kaito's secret.

Shinichi sat down on a chair on the other side of the bed, giving Kaito a loving look before turning towards Ginzo with a wry smile "You're wrong, your mere acceptance of Kaito being Kid took a whole load off of his shoulders. He admires you so much that he'd begun to despise himself for causing you so many problems" Shinichi replied, gaze darkening. "He hated how much he was hurting both you and Nakamori-San with all of his heists" He finished.

Ginzo closed his eyes, feeling weary as he remembered all of the insults and curses both he and Aoko had thrown at Kaito unknowingly. The kid had a really good poker face to be able to take them with the grins he'd always given. "I still was barely able to help him..." He'd even caused a lot of Kaito's hurt until he'd realized that Kaito was Kid. He should have done more for him.

"You trusted him to be able to survive when he got shot, stopping him from being murdered at either the hospital or his jail cell. You gave him your acceptance and told him you'd always be proud of him" Shinichi paused "That more than anything, lifted his spirits and gave him the strength to keep going" He breathed, giving Kaito a small poke on the cheek "You've supported him emotionally to the best of your abilities, and always kept an eye on him"

Ginzo lowered his head, Shinichi did have a small point, though he still felt like he should have done more. "I just see him as my own son, so I feel like I've somehow failed him"

Indigos opened "I also see you as my second dad..." Kaito replied, a small but sleepy smile on his face.