You and me, against the world [Kaishin/Shinkai] **eng version**

A hostage? #4

Shinichi's view

Still keeping my eyes closed, I slowly woke up. I was lying on something really comfortable and something warm was enveloping me. I turned onto my side. All of a sudden, I heard soft footsteps stopping in front of me. The person was leaning against what I was lying on, as I felt the soft cushion next to me being pushed down. Curiosity took hold of me. I was dying to know who it was that had kidnapped me. I didn't even mind anymore that my kidnapper seemed to be right next to me.

I carefully opened my eyes and looked directly at the individual in front of me. Despite my still blurry vision, the curious blue sapphires did not escape me.
"Where am I?" I said in a typical morning voice.

I fell into self-mockery. Great. That was the most cliché sentence I could have uttered in such a situation. Instead of asking who had kidnapped me, I first asked where I was. Of course! Really gets me somewhere!

My improving, pixelated vision, became sharper and sharper with each blink until I could make out the face in front of me.
"Kaito?! Why... how... what?"

I sat up in startlement, forgetting my still slightly present pain, and hissed. The other person only gave an amused smile. Surely this was not possible. So it was really him?

"Take it easy. You seem to be in pain. Better not move around so much."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I stubbornly pulled the blanket off my legs and let them hang over the edge of the bed.
"Yeah yeah. And you better stop telling me what I should do-"
My memories came flooding back. The men in black, my new assignment, and most of all Ran. Oh God, Ran. The mere thought of what could happen to her made my body tremble. Now that I had no exact destination and only a vaguely expressed task before my eyes, despair overwhelmed me.

"Hey, Shinichi! What's wrong?"
Kaito's worried voice and the fact that he sat down next to me just now were mere by-products in my mind. I saw nothing but images of Ran lying on the ground, the men in black beside her. One shot after the other they fired. Always another bullet which hit Ran's already dead corpse. Blood splattered everywhere. On the white floor, on the white walls, on my hands. I, too, had to make my contribution. I was also haunted by guilt.

Two arms wrapped hesitantly around my shuddering body.

My dam broke and out poured an enormous river which contained all the feelings I had accumulated up to this point. First one, then the second, and each time there were more tears. The arms around me lost all their hesitation and enclosed me tightly in an embrace. They made me feel safe. His warm hand stroked my back soothingly. I returned his embrace after a short while, whereupon he let out a blissful sigh.

"Shhh... everything is alright, you hear me? You don't have to be scared. I'm right here."
To clarify his gestures, he rested his head on mine. I hated to admit it, but he was actually a very good comforter.

After a few minutes of me calming down, we now sat there quietly, each absorbed in our own thoughts. I had the feeling that Kaito was waiting until I was ready. And indeed I was. So my humble self was the first to break away from the embrace.

"Say, why did you bring me here?"
That would have been the question I should have brought up from the beginning. Kaito had to grin a little.
"You're a real mood killer you know?"

Confused, I looked at him.
"I cannot think of a mood I have 'killed', however, let's get back to my question. It would be great if you could answer it for me."

A small sigh escaped him.
"Allright, allright. I overheard the conversation between you and that guy in the alley. And as great and nice as I am, I picked you up since you can't live on the streets. It seemed to me that you could not return to your home. Explanation enough?"