helping hands...

Sudden revelation

"Did you say... cousin?" Conan gaped before then he saw Kaito laughed like there's tomorrow, which irked him to no ends.

"Oh god, Shin-chan! Your face... it's priceless!" Kaito said.

"Tch. And why did I fall for such of trap? I should have known that there's no way we're related." Conan scoffed.

"Well, that's not quiet true Shin-chan. We do related in a way, you know?" Kaito said wiping away his tears of joy as his laughter died down.

"Yeah sure... we're not cousins but twins even, I get it Kuroba-san..." Conan rolled his eyes.

"Kaito..." that brunet cutted. "Call me Kaito, Shin-chan..."

"Nope, until you stop on calling me that way... I really don't need anyone to bust my identity thank you very much." Conan retorted.

"Then, how about Co-chan?" Kaito bargained

"Drop the -chan. and I might concider it...."

"Then I'll call you back with Shin-chan. because it's so not happening..." Kaito grinned, knowing that the detective will not have it any other way.

It was proved by the said boy to clicked his tongue before then he agreed, "Fine, you can go with the second option. Just don't ever call me by my real names in the open. I'll kill you if you do."

"ho ho? and I thought you were against murder?" Kaito teased.

"you'll be my only exception..." Conan said, snickering a little.

"Aww... I don't know whether should I feel hurt or honored" Kaito replied with his grin.

"whatever..." Conan rolled his eyes in amusement. "But anyway, you were saying that we're related, how exactly?" Conan asked.

"Well, it was a recent discovery too, but it seemed like our Tou-chans are cousins, and thus we're related like a distant family..." said Kaito pulling up a paper of his proof.

"I see... by grandmother's line huh? But then, why Tou-san had never mentioned this before?" Conan hummed to himself, but Kaito still answer it anyway.

"According to Tou-chan's journal, they were planning to bring us together at some point. However, that accident occured..." Kaito said, looking grim all of the sudden.

Sensing the uneasiness, Conan just had to asked.

"Are you okay, Kaito? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." Conan said, but overall he understands on who is this important person that was taken from the young magician.

"It's alright, Shin-chan... I've decided that it's necessary." Kaito said.

"Then, you might need to take a seat then..." Conan said, honestly concerned for his counterpart.

Kaito, on the other hand just did as what've been told before then he find his right hand being held by Conan's smaller ones, firmly to tell that he's here for him. Kaito can't help but chuckle although it sounded less cheerful than his ussual.

"His name was Kuroba Toichi... and he was my father..." -and Conan was cursing in his mind for this, despite already seeing it coming.

"He's a magician, and the best one at that. But in the other hand, he has a double life..." Kaito explained.  "At days, he'll work as an extraordinary magician who everyone loved, but at nights... like a phantom, he went to one and other places to held magnificent heists all over the world. He was the original Kaitou KID..."

"I'll save the story on how did he turned up to have that kind of life but let's just say, back then it's more to 'fun and play'... However, one day..." Kaito trailed and Conan had to bit his inner lips not to asked, 'what had happened?' because that will likely open up an old wound, which he doesn't want to be the cause, unless Kaito himself was ready to tell him.

But it looks like, the teen was stronger than he looked.

"Tou-chan was murdered." The words seemed to roll with Venom and Conan have to surpress a shudder from the killing intent the brunet was emitting. 

"He was murdered on one of his performance, and yet they made everyone believes that it was a mere accident, Including me. until I was turning 16 that is..." Kaito said more calmly this time.

"I found Tou-chan's secret room, where he hid all of his KID attribute along the history." he said. "I soon discovered the real reason behind his death, and I was raging by the time. I didn't think too long before I decided to find out the truth. And that is where I met him..."

Conan winched a little when Kaito squeezed his tiny hands, and it seemed like the teen noticed for he immedietely apologized before then forcing himself to relax. He was thankful that Conan didn't actually interupt him with the questions he obviously held in, and just went silent as he explained.

"His code name is Snake..." Kaito continued after a minute, "He was babbling about KID finally came out after so long and some other things. But what catched my interest the most was this topic over a certain legendary jewel..."

Kaito took a deep breath before he can finally mentioned that one pretty thing that had caused all of his missery like somekind of curse than a gift...

"Pandora... the jewel's name was Pandora. He said that there's this legend about Pandora, a jewel hidden within a larger jewel that can be identified because it glows red under the moonlight and will, at the time of a comet, 'cry tears of immortality'..." Kaito ended his story just like that because he knew that Conan had grasped all of the information he needed. His face says it all...

"So, the reason why you always returned every jewels you stole was...?"

"because they're not what I'm looking for..." Kaito finished the sentence as Conan hummed.

'Everything's clicked by now... the time gap, the sudden appereance, the reason why the age doesn't match, and probably the reason why Tou-san didn't say a word about Kaito's existence...'

"-probably Tou-chan had warned your Tou-san in case something like this happened. Afterall, aside from their rivaly, their bond was strong. So for sure, Tou-chan doesn't want anything happen to his cousin and his family..."

Conan agreed for that part, 'And now I understand on what he meant by taking care of an old case. Tou-san were searching for those guys all along! Geez that old man, why hadn't he said a thing?!'

"Perhaps it was instinct to protect you who loved to meddle with such of things. Afterall he's your father, he bounds to know how you are..." Kaito commented and this time Conan grumped.

"Now, stop reading my mind Kaito... It's not funny..."

"What? I did no such things, Shin-chan~ Remember, I'm a magician not a wizard" Kaito replied with a growing grin.

-and Conan rolled his eyes again for the umpteenth times that night.

"Yeah, yeah, just quit it. You're making me feel like an open book, I'm not." and with Kaito chuckled at the comment, Conan was glad that the tension finally left them.

"But anyway, I really think that you should get back to sleep now, Shin-chan..." Kaito said as a cute yawn slipped out Conan's mouth. Truth be told, Conan was still pretty tired, and he was sleep deprived too before the heist. He really need to get back to sleep, and Kaito was more glad to help the shrunken detective to lied down.

"Will you get back to where ever you came from now, Kaito?" Conan asked as he faught another yawn from coming out.

"Well, I have school to attend, but don't worry, I can always ditched it in the middle. Classes are boring anyway..." Kaito said.

"don't you skipped your school, Barou..."

and then Kaito chuckled at how the Meitantei instantly fell asleep as soon he touched the pillow. 'He must be exhausted...'

and now Kaito can be seen smiling geinuely as he caressed the locks of his counterpart, smiling as he said, "Thank you, Shinichi-kun, for easing my minds... you sure do a wonder"

and with that, putting back all of his KID attire, Kaito left the hospital, missing the smile that presented at Conan's mouth.