Stop caring (Kaito×Shinichi)

Part 14

Later that day, Shinichi was on his way to the Kudo manori and as usual, deep in thought. This man was oddly familiar and he didn't want to admite it, but he took sort of a liking in this waiter. It felt like he would have known him for a horrible long time and moreover, having a conversation hadn't felt this relaxing since ages. Shinichi never was relaxed, always ready to storm from A to B to solve cases or to brood at home over files full of evidence and riddles.
His free time, if he had any, was filled with coffee and KID's heists.

He cared about KID, he knew this. Never had a criminal been this interesting to him, he wanted nothing more than to solve this mystery called phantom thief. Why he steals only jewely, why he hands it back almost the same day... This isn't a mere joke to him, he knew that much of KID to tell he wouldn't just be some kind of fool only trying to humiliate the police forces and pull detectives into dirt.
By the time he was home Shinichi already was hungry again. But Kudo would always stay Kudo, so instead of cooking dinner he grabbed a mug of coffee and locked himself into his study to broot over the latest case of murder.

Next time KID and Shinichi crossed paths, it was a dark night. Clouds darkened the vision and helicopters took all effort to keep the roof lighted for KID's possible try to escape from there. Of course said thief had been there since long, observing and noting every so small change in the setting of police, Nakamori-keibu's orders and possible escape routes.

But this time, it was different.

It wasn't KID who first touched the gem, it was Kudo Shinichi.

And he made a horrible mistake.

Bright light emitted from the gem's insides, a fire red jewel throwing its light onto Shinichi as he held at first only jokingly the jewel into the sky like KID usual did. The eyes of the detective widened, his mouth dropped as he couldn't help but stare in awe at the sparkling jewel.
"T-tantei-kun!! Don't!! Throw it away!!"
The sky was dark this night, but only the slight beam of moonlight making its way through the clouds had been enough. Shinichi flinched and looked over his shoulder, watching Kid in surprise storming at him. But it was too late.

A light blue drop of fluid emitted from the jewel and fell into Shinichi's opened mouth.

Kaito knew what it had been once he managed to get onto the roof illuminated by the helicopters. He saw Pandora with his own eyes, the red jewel promising the power to grant eternal life. Panicking at the naive movement of the detective, Kaitou KID cried out towards Kudo and dashed towards him, but stopped abruptly as he saw the tear falling. Shinichi didn't even notice it and stared in a priceless manner at Kaito, unable to get a word out while the phantom thief collapsed onto his knees, staring just as shocked back at his favorite tantei.
"...I-I... I failed..."
Kudo was too stunned to react but once he caught himself again he had no time to act since finally the helicopters spotted them. KID exhaled shakily in attempt to regain his pokerface and snatched the jewel out of his rival's hand.
"Meitantei, I want you and only you to come in an hour to this address. I won't accept any complaints."

Shinichi furrowed his eyebrows and took a short gasp, reaching out to Kaito but the magician popped in front of him once more into millions of confetti pieces, spreading across the roof top and vanishing with the wind into the streets of the lively city.
After excusing himself from the police force he first went into the direction of his home. Which address did KID mean? He hadn't said anything further.
"...no way, did he again...?!"
Grumbling, Kudo searched in his pockets only to find a note with KID's usual sign with an address inside it. He sighed quietly and stopped in his tracks, that was on the other side of the town. If he would take the train he might make it punctual.
"KID is behaving extremly odd... His pokerface fell because of something and obviously it's this gem. Hm... I suppose I will have to figure this out myself."
Shinichi murmured quietly while heading through the train station. He felt his chest growing colder without knowing why, bit by bit he began to freeze more and more. By the time he reached the address, he was trembling all over his body and his mind became blank.
"W-what on earth... is wrong... with me..."
This weren't the usual symptoms of his lack of sleep or coffee overuse.

KID already waited at the entrance, much to Shinichi's surprise it was a villa he faced. The magician stared with an unreadable expression down onto the detective and finally, after a long silence, exhaled quietly and lowered his head as if to avoid Shinichi's eyes.
"...I'm sorry Meitantei."
Taken aback by this, said detective furrowed his eyebrows and took a step closer to KID.
"You're talking in riddles. As far as I remember you have to apologize to those you stole from, not to me."
"Kudo-kun..."
The man froze. That was the first time Kaito adressed him with his real name and not the nickname he invented for him. His thoughts got once more interrupted by KID speaking up again.
"Kaitou KID... KID swore to not let anybody ever get hurt at heists. I... I swore this. And now... you are hurt..."
Distractions aside, Shinichi felt the cold in his chest growing more and more to the point of being unbearable.

With a soft whimper he leaned against a tree to hold his weight, making the thief stop in his explanations.
"K-Kudo-kun?! What is it? How do you feel?"
"C-cold... My chest is... cold... It's ripping me apart..."
Finally he couldn't fight anymore, the detective closed his eyes and sank with a quiet painful whine onto the ground, slipping into unconciousness.