Lost boys
Published: 27.07.2021
Wordcount: 7113
Not beta-ed
Written for kaishinbigbang 2021. Art not available to post on this site.
Summary: Peter Pan!AU. Having spent some time in Neverland as s child, Shinichi is desperate trying to find a way back. To find the boy in his window.
Chapter 1: The boy in the window
He came to me with the sweetest smile
Told me he wanted to talk for a while
He said Peter Pan that's what they call me
I promise that you'll never be lonely
Ruth B. Lost boy
The bell chimed above Shinichi as he pushed the door open. Immediately the smell of dusty books and incense tickled his nose, and it took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Once accustomed to the new light, he looked around the room.
On the left side was an arrangement of bookshelves. To his right he could see crystals, candles and a Ouija-board nestled on the bottom shelf. Behind the counter stood a woman with short, light-brown hair, who didn't react to his presence, despite Shinichi being the only costumer. She licked her thumb as she turned the page of whatever magazine she was reading.
Ignoring the cheap tourist trinkets on the shelf immediately in front of him, he turned his attention to the bookshelves. They seemed to occupy two-thirds of the store, with several standing adjacent to each other. He looked over the category list, from fiction to science, that hung on a small plaque above each shelf. Finding the one he was looking for, he started browsing. His fingers tapping over the books as he walked past them.
He pulled out two books, turned a corner, and took another. He opened one, unsatisfied by the table of content, he put it back. He repeated the action a few more times over the next couple of minutes, occasionally mumbling to himself.
"Are you looking for anything specific," the clerk finally asked, sounding as bored as she looked. She flipped over her magazine slowly, as she eyed him through half lidded eyes.
"Yes," he grunted as he opened a copy of 'The Interpretation of Dreams' by Sigmund Freud.
When he didn't elaborate, she sighed dramatically and closed her magazine. "I know all the books in here by heart. If you know the genre, I can help."
Shinichi hesitated for a moment, as he wasn't one hundred percent sure exactly what he was looking for. Hope perhaps. After deliberating his pros and cons, he finally responded. "Do you have anything on Neverland?"
"Like Peter Pan?" she rolled her eyes a little as she stepped around the counter. "Then you need to move to the fiction section –"
"I'm not looking for fiction."
She stopped in her track at his expression, and her eyes narrowed a little in thought. "I'm not sure I understand. Peter Pan is a fictional book by –"
"Yes, I'm well aware," he rumbled impatiently. "I wrote the book."
She studied him carefully. "You don't particularly look like a Mr. Barrie."
"It's called a pen-name, it's easier to reach a western audience with a western name," he elaborated as he started to put the books he had previously gathered back into the shelves.
"But then you must know better than anyone that Neverland is a fictional place," she continued, however this time he cut her short.
"Forget it, you clearly don't have what I'm looking for."
She trailed behind him for a moment as he turned a shelf and reached up to slot a book back. "Then why are you looking for information about a place you yourself created, Mr. Barrie? Huge fan by the way."
"Because," he gritted through his teeth, as he realized this shop was just another in a line of dead-ends. It had looked so promising. "I need to return." He finished putting the books back, and he turned towards her. With a tilt of his hat, he started towards the door.
However an arm shot out to grasp his arm before he reach the exit. He turned back to her with a quizzical expression. She suddenly looked all serious, her eyes calculating as she looked him up and down, and for a second he felt like she was staring straight into his soul.
"I can't help you, but," she narrowed her eyes at him to keep him interjecting. "I know someone who might."
Shinichi let his shoulder down in relief, and from a pocket he withdrew a notebook and a feathered pen. Moisturizing the tip against his tongue, he put it on paper. He looked up at her expectantly. "Where can I find them?"
Her lips curled up ever so slightly, giving her eyes a dangerous gleam as she waved her hand dismissively. "Not far. Come with me." She indicated to him to follow her behind the counter, which he did curiously. Perhaps he hadn't mistaken the usefulness of this shop after all.
She led him to a backroom. A series of books lay on the floor stacked on top of each other, with bits and bobs on top. He eyed a book tower, wondering if it would fall if he as much as breathed at it wrongly. However the clerk walked around them with practiced step.
"This way," was the only thing she said as she led him to a door with only a shawl covering the entrance. "Akako, you in here?"
"One moment, Haibara," a female voice replied after a fraction of a second. "Is it tea time already?"
"No, but I'll gladly accept a cup if you make some," the clerk replied, her lips curling upwards, and she parted the shawl and indicated for Shinichi to enter the room. "You have a customer."
He hesitated for a second, wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into, before he stepped passed the fabric into the room. This room was filled with trinkets and crystals and colours. A round table sat in the middle of the room. A fireplace was burning on his left.
Standing by a shelf arranging something he couldn't quite see, was a woman. The first thing that struck him was how attractive she was. A sharp face with chiselled lips and her hair a maroon colour. She wore an elegant gown that reached the floor, and a red shawl laid across her shoulders.
She lifted an eyebrow at his perusing, probably used to people taking an extra look. It made him fluster slightly in embarrassment at being caught staring.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Sit," she clicked her tongue, indicating the round table.
Before he knew it, he had already stepped further into the room, and sat down on the chair closest to him. It gave him a whiplash, feeling as though he hadn't had much of a choice, as though his body reacted to her commanding voice.
Akako sat down opposite of him, somehow making the simple motion seem graceful and elegant. She reached out and grasped his hand, turning it around with the palm up. Her fingers fluttered against his palm, sending cold shivers up his spine.
"Interesting," she mumbled after a moment, before dropping his hand. "You are not here for a palm reading are you," her eyes burrowed into his, however he got the implication that she was pleased at the knowledge. "Why are you here?"
"I'm looking for Neverland," he breathed out before he could stop himself, somehow feeling an itch behind his brows to do whatever he could to please this beautiful woman. He bit his lip, and forced his eyes to focus on a spot behind her shoulder.
"Neverland?" a thrilling laugher escaped her, and her eyes burned with mockery. "It's fairy-tale. If you take a look in our fiction section, you should find a copy of the book –"
Shinichi withdrew his hand where had let it lay slack when she dropped it, and he gritted his teeth. "Don't mock me – "
"I'm sure a man like you wished Peter Pan was real, so you wouldn't have to grow up," she mocked him with dark eyes.
"His name isn't Peter Pan."
Her face fell, and she tilted her head slightly at him. "You have been there, haven't you? You were a lost boy."
"Yes," he replied, before he could stop himself. He scowled slightly at himself, wondering what suddenly compiled him into answering her immediately. He usually wasn't this open.
"Fascinating," her lips curled upwards at this new titbit of information. She started to gather her dress to stand up. "Do you want some tea? I'll get you some tea. You must tell me your story."
He opened his mouth, and closed it again as she stood from the chair and started to shuffle around with a teapot by the fire. For a moment he considered not replying, but even as the thought occurred to him, he had already started talking.
"It started with a dream, a dream where I was flying."
…
…
Sometimes, Shinichi would dream he was flying. The landscape underneath him a crystal blue ocean, and the sun a warm brightness above that kissed his exposed skin. He felt the ruffling of the wind through his hair, and he closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the pleasant feelings. Soon in the distance, he could see land. And as he flew closer, he could see the lush forest, the mountains with snow and the beaches.
A warm feeling of belonging washed through him, and he longed to feel the sand of the beach underneath his bare feet again. He wanted to climb the tallest tree in the jungle, and make snow angels on the mountains.
Approaching closer, he could now see the waterfalls that either started or ended with a rainbow. Palm trees scattered the beach, and a rock formation was formed in a perfect circle. His body itched to attempt to fly through it – it should be big enough. No, he knew for a fact it was big enough for them both to do so safely –
"Isn't it beautiful?" a voice hummed in his ear. He turned his head in surprise, yet he knew he had never been alone in the first place. A wave of affection tingled through him. Feeling safe with this individual even though they were miles above the water. He couldn't quite see the person's face, as he was casted in shadows.
The figure waved its hand towards the beaches, to indicate what it meant, followed by pointing towards the mountains, and then the sky. Looking up, Shinichi could see a beautiful star sky that twinkling in the orange and blue cast atmosphere. Impossible, a part of him thought, the sun was still up, he shouldn't be able to see the stars that brightly. Least of all that many. Yet, somehow the sky felt familiar, rather than strange.
He forced his gaze away from the sight, as something moved in his peripheral. He glanced to his side just in time to catch the figure turn on its back as it grabbed after Shinichi's arm. All he could see was a flashing, mischievous grin.
"Why would you ever want to leave?"
Shinichi opened his eyes. For a second his vision was blurry, before he managed to focus on the ceiling. He let out the breath he had been holding, and turned around to sleep on his side. He stared towards his bookshelf for a moment, before letting his eyelids slid close again.
There was that dream again. It had been a while since he'd had it. It was always the same island; sometimes he would dream he was playing at the beach with a mermaid, other times he would dream he was running through the jungle with someone chasing him. But even though the scenario changed, one element always persisted. He was never alone, there was always another boy right next to him. He could never see his face, yet he knew he could trust him.
There was a soft tapping on his window.
Shinichi opened his eyes, and glanced towards the window. He could see the rain pitter-patter against the glass. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed, giving up on his attempt to falling back to sleep. His head was too full of thoughts of his dream, and the mystery person inhabiting them.
Looking around the room, his eyes perused the spacious room. A table lay nestled between the window and the pitched wall. A forgotten toybox was hidden in the furthest corner, however Shinichi's priced possession was the set of bookshelves that filled the remaining space. Taking three steps towards the closest, his fingers brushed across the volumes.
"What should we read today?" he mumbled to himself, eyes scanning the books. After a second his finger stilled against one, and he tapped his finger against the leather as a smile twitched on the corner of his lips. "I know just the one."
Withdrawing the book from the shelf, he sat back down into bed with his legs crossed. Opening the book, he started to read it out loud to himself, as he had a tendency to do.
"Through the looking glass, and what Alice found there." He turned the page, and started to read the poem above the first chapter. "Child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder! Though time be fleet, and I and thou are half a life asunder, thy loving smile will surely hail the love-gift of a fairy-tale. I have not seen thy sunny face, nor heard thy silver laughter –"
If there was another soft tap on the window, Shinichi did not hear it above the murmur of his own voice that filled the room.
…
Kudou Shinichi was fifteen years old. He looked young for his age, yet his limbs felt stretched as though puberty had not quite yet decided which parts to focus on growing first. He always dressed neatly with an ironed shirt, even to simple walks to the nearest bookstore. His hair was stylized each morning by the chamber maid. He had to look perfect to be perfect, an image which was important to his parents.
His parents had grown up poor, however his father had successfully earned a small fortune with his successful career as an author writing fictional books. For them, it was important that they looked the part – not bred of peasantry but of a higher class. Image meant everything, and Shinichi had to always look the part.
Even as he stood there, watching his parents pack their bags, and their servants moving around him to pack everything his mother had demanded. He could not help the downward twitching of his lips.
"Are you sure I can't join you?" he found himself saying before he could stop himself.
His mother, who had previously fuzzed over the luggage, straightened and approached him. She put a finger on his chin and lifted it an inch. Her smile was pleasant – he rarely saw a frown upon her features – but her eyes were serious.
"Now, now, Shinichi. We have already had this discussion. What will the neighbours think if we took you out of school in the middle of the year to travel the world? That simply wouldn't do," she lifted her finger from his chin to his nose, and she tapped against it twice as her lips danced with laughter.
It felt condescending, as though he was nothing but a child instead of a growing adolescence. He clenched his jaws in an attempt to keep his thoughts from reading clearly on his face. "Surely I could have a private tutor with me. Agasa always talks about wanting to travel –"
Yukiko let out a deep sigh and she dropped her arm. All pretence of cheerfulness died. "The decision is final, Shinichi. You are to stay here and finish your education. It is far more important: you are smart enough to become a banker –"
"But I don't want to become a banker," he interrupted her, tired of hearing the same tirade from his mother.
She waved her hand dismissively, "banker or doctor, it doesn't change that much. I know the Shimada's down the street is looking for a respectable man for their daughters. I think the oldest is your age –"
"I'm fifteen," he protested, blanching at her casualness. "That's far too early to get married –"
"It's a nice place to start. Warm yourself in early, impress the Shimada-sama and we can easily get a hand in marriage. He can't say no to a respectable doctor."
Shinichi looked away from her as he balled his fists. He wanted to tell her that he didn't even like girls, that her whole life plan for him was something they wanted, not him. He had other plans – "I want to be an author, like father –"
He didn't get much further before Yukiko started to pitch out a mocking laughter. "You want to write novels? There is no money in novels, you foolish boy –"
"Father succeeded," he glared at her. "We have the life we currently have because of him. Otherwise –"
"Still your tongue," she hissed at him, and this time when she grabbed his chin, her fingertips drilled painfully into his chin. "He was lucky: having actual talent. Very few people ever succeed in following their dreams. Forget about childhood fantasies: we are trying to give you a better life then what we ever had. You need to grow up and see reason. Become a doctor or a banker, I don't care, but you need a proper job. A job where you can make sure to give your own family what they deserve. You will understand when you get older."
"Are you ready to go, darling?"
Yukiko let go of Shinichi's chin, and suddenly she transformed from a hissing medusa to pleasant Aphrodite in the fraction of a second as she turned around. "In a moment, beloved. The servants are bringing the last of our luggage into to wagon. And Shinichi here," her eyes flickered towards him as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "was just begging to be allowed to join us on our journey."
Yuusaku grinned coyishly at his family as he stepped forward to ruffle Shinichi's hair. "Don't you worry my son. You won't have time to miss us, you are going to be quite busy with your studies. It will only be for a few months, and we will write you letters frequently. Wont we Yukiko?"
His mother had softened at the exchange, and this time when she gazed down at him, her expression was motherly. "Of course we will. I'm sure you are just nervous to be alone for so long, but don't you worry. You will have Agasa and the other servants."
"And the beautiful Shimada daughters are just at the end of the street if you need company," his father added with a wink.
Yukiko leaned forwards to place a kiss on the crown of her son's head. "Would you look at the time, if we don't leave soon we will be late for the train." She let go of him. "Just remember, Shinichi. We love you, and we want only the best for you. And that right now is for you to stay here in Tokyo."
He nodded dimly as he shuffled after them, his heart sinking in his chest. He watched his father grab his top hat, and his mother her favourite umbrella. Outside the door, down the little front yard, the wagon stood waiting. Two horses trampled their feet impatiently where they were bound to the wagon. The driver lifted the collar of his shirt over his chin in an attempt to keep the cold at bay.
"You are the man of the house now, Shinichi. Remember to behave as such," his father said as he ruffled his hair once more before stepping away. His parents locked their arms together as they stepped out of the house. None of them looked back as they climbed into the wagon.
He watched them go, and as the horses pulled the wagon away, he mumbles the words that had been stuck in his throat silently under his breath. "Good luck in your journey, and come back to me soon."
"Why don't you come in, Shinichi-san. You are going to let all the warmth out."
He attempted a smile, but he was sure it turned out as a grimace as he spun around so that the servant could close the door. He already felt an emptiness inside. They were gone – and they wouldn't be home for months. His father going on another research trip for his novel, this time taking Yukiko with him.
He hadn't wanted to part ways with another argument – they kept arguing about his future – but he couldn't take back his words now. He loved his mother, he really did. She was always full of smiles and cheerfulness, but lately he had noticed an unusual restlessness in her. How her gaze always drifted out of the room. They had travelled a lot when he was younger, leaving him behind with the chambermaids. They had stopped when he was five, but now he could see how clearly she longed to be out in the world again.
Sometimes he wondered if they would be a lot happier if he wasn't around to tatter them to this place. Before the thought settled, he forced it away from his mind. This was not the time and a place for them.
Instead, he focused on the servant once more as he brushed his fingers through his hair, making sure to look respectable once again.
"Of course, business back to the usual."
He stepped out of the foyer and headed up the stairs. But as he stopped at the top of the stairs, he couldn't help but gaze down at the front door, silently hoping they would come back. Tell him they had changed their minds, that they had decided to stay – or take him with them. He saw it as a moving image in his head. They would hug him, cry and tell him they couldn't bear to be away from him for such a long period.
He tore his gaze away from the door. He knew it would never happen, the false hope that he had conjured from his wishful thinking now felt hollow in his stomach. The hope drained out with sorrow and loneliness. A house filled with servants – though he had their artificial respect – yet the only thing he could feel was isolation and loneliness.
"Please come back soon," he mumbled under his breath, as he forced his body to move. "I don't want to be alone."
…
The days passed. Shinichi found himself more and more recluse, only leaving his room for his classes with Agasa and roaming the library of his parents' estate. Otherwise he would sit in his room reading a book. Wandering through the walls of the house reminded him of the silent emptiness. A space that was no longer occupied by his parents' presence.
He longed to hear his mother's laugh echoing through the house, the sound of the piano as his father played. Even the scent of the house had shifted. He missed them more than he was willing to admit. Although the house was never proper quiet, not with the servants milling around. But it wasn't the same.
That morning, he had received an invitation by the Shimadas to join them for supper the next day. He had given a faulting smile as he had handwritten a polite acceptance to the event. He knew his parents would disapprove if he didn't. He was already dreading the affair.
He whirled around on the chair in his room, tapping his fingers against the padded arm. His eyes gazed from the open book on the table and to the closed window. Despite it being the fall, the air felt stuffed and constricting. Usually he felt more free in his room than any other space in the house. After a moment contemplation, he got up and unlatched the window before pushing it up. Immediately the cold air bit his nose, and sent a chill through his clothes.
Already, he felt slightly better. He knew if he was spotted, the maids would fuss he would get a cold – perhaps he would get out of attending the dinner if he did? – although he knew they wouldn't enter his privacy without direct invitation.
Turning from the window he walked across the room, letting his fingers trail against the books on the shelves where he could reach them. None of them interested him in that moment. Even the book he had been reading previously did not pertain any interest. It laid open, and forgotten on the table.
Shinichi stopped has his knee hit the corner of his bed. He sank into it, folding his legs underneath him as he did. He could already picture in his mind how the next evening would go. Shimada-san, the head of the house, would look at him with a critical gaze as he cross-examined him. The youngest of the daughters would fuss, being only 10, whilst the eldest would look at him shily under her eyelashes. The middle one, he never remembered her name, only that her hair was a fiery red. She would smirk and ask intrusive questions she knew would make him squirm. What happened to you when you were little? She would ask, I heard you disappeared. Were you kidnapped?
He would be forced to smile politely, pretending to not feel an icy cold in his stomach. Look straight ahead and tell her that he didn't remember, and then turn to Shimada-san and ask him about his job as a banker. Pretending to be interested. Just as his parents had told him to.
Truth be told, he had no idea what she would be talking about. He had no memories of being away from his family, and his parents had never mentioned it to him. In fact, they had told him it was lies and to never mentioned it again. So he hadn't.
He uncurled from his position as he scooped further down the bed, and just as he grabbed the blanket, he froze. His eyes had landed on the desk. For a second, his heart jumped to his throat in surprise. Something was missing.
Shinichi was out of bed before he had a conscious thought and strode across the room. The open book was no longer there. He hesitated, perhaps he had accidentally knocked it off the table whilst walking around. Getting on his knees he looked around, however he could not find it anywhere on the floor nor under the furniture.
He got back up with a frown. Had he forgotten he put it back in the shelf instead? Walking to the shelf he found only an empty spot where the book had stood merely an hour ago. His frown deepening, he looked around the room in confusion.
Only to notice the book laid closed on the window frame.
How odd, he thought silently to himself. Why would he put it there? He took a quick gander through the room to make sure he was alone, and that none of the maids were pranking him. They had never done so before, and he doubted they would ever in fear of being fired. But he could not come with any other logical explanation, other than him doing it without properly thinking. He wasn't sure what was more alarming, the fact he was not alone, or that he had promptly forgotten.
With careful steps, he slowly approached, feeling his heart hammering in his chest for every inch he crawled closer. He peered out the window, but the only thing he could see was the full moon above, the quiet street and the garden below.
He reached out slowly towards the book, part of him worried it would bite him. He touched it with a finger at first, throat seizing up in dreadful expectation – but when nothing happening he snatched it and pressed it against his chest.
"Maybe I need a break from Lewis Carrol," he scolded himself. Perhaps reading about Alice's adventures in Wonderland was playing tricks with his imagination.
"I hope not. I was hoping you would finish it. I need to know if whether the lion or the unicorn win."
Startled, he dropped the book. It hit the corner of it his toe before bouncing next to him. His mouth opened in surprise and he looked around. He was still alone. I must be hearing things.
"None of them wins," he leaned over to pick the book up, hoping he hadn't damaged any of the sides when he dropped it. His father would be cross if he did. It was a first edition after all. "That's the whole point."
"Why is that? Where is the fun if there isn't a winner?"
He definitely didn't imagine it this time, and he was sure this was not any of the maids hiding in his closed. It was a distinctive male voice. He grabbed the closest thing, a wooden sword he had gotten as a present when he was ten, and held it in front of him awkwardly. The book clutched in his other hand. He attempted to look under his bed from a standing position.
How had someone snuck into his room? He would need to have a stern talk with the guards in the morning. What did his parents pay them for if not keeping dangerous intruders from sneaking in?
"Show yourself; I'm not afraid of you," he clutched the sword in his hand until his knuckles turned white, attempting to sound braver than he felt.
"Should I be afraid of you?"
The sound came from the window, he was sure of it. Slowly he turned around to face it, his chest pulsating with adrenaline. Had someone climb up his window? As his gaze fell on the window, he spotted a boy about his age. He had chocolate brown hair that curled on the edges of his cheeks, and a graceful nose. However it was his eyes that drew him in. They were the indigo colour of sundown. They currently glittered with humour and curiosity as the moonlight reflected off them.
He wore a white tunica that reached down to his thighs and dark blue pants. His shoes were of the leather variant and looked to have been patched a few times too many. On his head he wore a white fedora with a blue ribbon and a light blue feathered shivered slightly every time he moved his head.
"… y-yes," he stuttered after a moment of confusion, this was certainly not what he had been expecting.
"You don't look very scary in your pyjamas I must a admit. But mermaids can be terrible in a bikini, so I'm not one to judge," the boy continued amicable. His eyes bright as he looked around the room with curiosity.
"I – what?" Shinichi muttered in shock, his sword wavering before dropping to point to the floor. "Mermaids? What do you mean mermaids? Aren't they supposed to be nice?"
The boy shook his head. "Mermaids are not what they are in storybooks. They are dark creatures; in touch with all things mysterious. They will sweetly drown you if you get too close."
He eyed him carefully – from which asylum had this boy escaped from, he wondered. "Who are you?"
The stranger turned his curiosity from the room and focused on the teen in front of him. He gave a lopsided smile, as he turned around and jumped through the window.
Shinichi's heart leapt to his throat as he dashed forward with large eyes. Not only was the stranger insane, he was suicidal! Staring to the ground he could not see anything in the garden. There were no trees to jump on, surely he must have fallen into the garden? He was expecting blood and a broken body, instead he found nothing.
"Kuroba Kaito is what they call me."
He turned around quickly enough to feel whiplashed as he stared at the boy standing in front of him. A rose clutched in his hand.
He couldn't do anything but to gawk at the image. His eyes darted to the flower "Is that one of my mother's prized roses?" he asked lamely.
He could see a flash of panic ripple through Kuroba's face, and he looked almost guilty as his arm drooped slightly. "Maybe. I don't really know much about gardening myself. In Neverland they grow wild without a care."
"She is going to be furious," he mumbled to himself, before giving the intruder a hesitant smile. "It's a good thing she isn't here then." He held out his hand, conscious to make sure his grip was firm like his father had taught him, "apologies Kuroba-san. I've been quite rude. My name is Kudou Shinichi."
Instead of grabbing his hand, Kuroba put the rose into his hand and forced him to close his fingers around it. "Call me Kaito now that we are friends," he beamed back.
Shinichi felt hesitant, his parents would not approve if he was being so informal. He had already forgotten his manners. Perhaps it was fine amongst his peers? They seemed to be about the same age. "Alright Kaito-san."
He received a disapproving frown, "no no. its Kaito. K-A-I-T-O. None of these titles are necessary."
He lowered his eyes, feeling a little awkward. But he nodded after a moment, not wanting to make is uninvited guest annoyed.
"Don't you like the flower?" Kaito asked with an unsure expression. "You have been looking so sad lately. I've seen other people smile when they receive flowers, and I was hoping it would help."
Shinichi flinched away, trying to get as much space between them as he could. He was forced to stop as he hit the window frame. "Are you stalking me?"
The teen mouth opened slightly, in what could only be described as shock. "N-no!" he exclaimed, taking a step forward, but stopped as he must have realized that Shinichi tensed as the wooden sword was placed between them again. The tip hovering barely in front of his chest. "I just – I like listening to your stories."
He eyed him carefully, suspicion bubbling in his chest. "My stories?" he asked dumbly.
Kaito's eyes gleamed slightly as he nodded fiercely. "You are an amazing storyteller. We don't have those in Neverland."
Shinichi lowered the sword again. He wasn't sure what to think about the strange boy, however he seemed sincere and harmless. Except for the fact he climbed in through his window of course. "You keep mentioning that place. What is Neverland?"
A smirk twitched in the corner of his lips, and he lowered his gaze as he peered at him through his eyelashes. "A fantastical place. With mermaids and pirates and magic. Like in your stories."
"Uhuh," Shinichi looked at him with scepticism.
"If you don't believe me, why don't I show you?" he perked up, his smile now bright as it spread across if features.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't know you, we literally just met," he clutched the book against his chest, like it could protect him. "How would I get to a fantasy world anyway? By walking?" he scoffed.
"No, you silly. You would fly."
Shinichi rolled his eyes, it was clear as day now. His first impression had been correct. The stranger was, in fact, missing a few screws. "This isn't funny anymore. I'd like you to leave."
Kaito's face fell, and he looked almost hurt. "Don't be like that. I'm not lying. It's all true. Just let me show you."
When he attempted to take a step closer, Shinichi walked around him in a circle, till Kaito was between him and the window. His lips pursed, he was no longer amused by this deranged individual. "Don't alright. Don't jump out the window," he hesitated for a second, "I'll sneak you out the front door if you just drop this charade."
That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Kaito turned around and climbed back up the window frame. "You will believe me in a second."
Shinichi saw the intend to jump and lunged for him as he dropped the sword and the book. He didn't know how Kaito had gotten behind him earlier, perhaps he had climbed above the frame and then swung above him whilst he was looking down – but this time he could tell he really did intend to jump.
His fingers closed around Kaito's ankle: he hoped he had a good enough grip to keep him from falling. His eyes had drifted shut in the panic, and it took him a second too long to realize that his arm was stretching upward, instead of downwards. Fluttering his eyelids open, his mouth opened in shock.
At his expression, a satisfied grin stretched across Kaito's face. He was hovering in the air, with his arms crossed. "I told you," he said smugly. "I told you I could fly."
"How?" he managed to stutter around the lump in his throat, his hand still clutching the food. Part of him afraid that Kaito would fall the moment he let go.
"Happy thoughts of course."
"Happy thoughts?" he replied dubious.
"Well, and a pinch of pixie dust," came the cheeky reply. Kaito floated back to the window, and Shinichi let go of his foot as he backed away to give space for the flying boy to perch at his window. "That's all the needed ingredients. Do you want to try?"
Shinichi eyed him carefully, however his cheeks flushed in excitement. He wondered if this was a dream, and he had fallen asleep while reading about Alice. This whole thing was just surreal enough to have been written by Lewis Carrol. He had dreamt about flying in his dreams, and he felt his body prickle with desire to soar the sky again. To see if his imagination matched the real thing – if it was real.
However, there was only one problem.
The smile that had been hiding in the corner of his lip died, and he looked down on the forgotten book and sword laying where he had dropped them. "There is only one problem."
"What's that?" Kaito did not miss a beat, his head cocking in curiosity.
"Well, you see. I don't think I have any happy thoughts."
Before Shinichi could react, Kaito had jumped into the room with arms outstretched as he wrapped them around the smaller boy. "Oh Shinichi," his voice was filled with anguish. "That just won't do," he tsked disapprovingly. He grasped him harder. "We will have to find a way to change that, now wont we."
He felt frozen to the spot at the surprise embrace – his parents had never been much for hugging. Affectionate physical display was not proper. His eyes prickled a little at the fierceness in the boy he had only known for half an hour. "I –" he tried, however his voice was too thick to speak.
Kaito slowly withdrew his arms, however he kept staying in Shinichi's personal space. His gaze so intensive that he felt slightly embarrassed. "Is there not a single thought that would make you happy? No dream that you enjoy? No book you love the most? There has to be something."
Shinichi couldn't meet his eyes, as he thought silently. After a moment he mumbled loudly to himself. "I am happiest in the dreams where I am flying."
That seemed to have been the right answer, as a large grin spread across Kaito's face. "Alright, alright. Focus on that thought right there," he stuck a hand into his shirt, and after a moment he procured a small bottle. Inside it glittered glowing dust particles. Shinichi did not have time to look at it mesmerised in fascination as Kaito wasted no time to remove the cork with his teeth. He sprinkled a handful into his hand. Then he blew the dust into Shinichi's face.
"Remember, happy thoughts."
He coughed a little and closed his eyes as the powder exploded in his face. He felt something warm sparkle across his face. He expected to feel something, energy through his body perhaps – something indicating that the pixie dust was working. He waited a beat, before opening his eyes in disappointment.
He was met with the intense stare from Kaito, and he couldn't help the blush that threatened to crawl up from his collar. "I don't feel anything," he didn't like having to disappoint him, not when he was trying to be so encouraging.
Kaito didn't look discouraged, which eased his mind a little. "Don't worry, no one manage on their first try," he reached out to grab Shinichi's wrist – for a moment he resisted before allowing his arms to be raised between them. He rotated his palms to face him as Kaito put his palms against his. It felt intimate, and for a second he could swear he could feel the other boy's heartbeat through his skin, as silly as it sounded.
"Just believe in me like I believe in you."
Shinichi lifted his eyes to properly stare into his eyes. In the new light, they resembled the colour of the violet sky at dawn. His hearted slowed down to what he imagined matched the other. This time, his cheeks burned. Kaito's eyes where a patient compassion – he had assumed the other boy to be rash and energic, not this quiet. And he realized he liked this version of him, the one who could be wild and passionate one minute, but calm when it mattered the most.
"Will you run away to Neverland with me?"
He could feel every syllable breathed across his face, but instead of feeling disgusted as he had been in the past, he felt almost a magical sparkle run from the tip of his nose to his toes that made him weak in the knees. He could not keep the intensity of that gaze anymore, and he let his eyelids flutter as he looked down.
He knew he should say no. This whole thing wasn't only bizarre, but it was insane. He couldn't just leave with a stranger to a place he had never heard of before – his parents wouldn't allow it. He was sure they would miss him if he just up and left. Except… they weren't here. They had left him all alone in a big house. They hadn't cared that he was all alone.
It was then, that he noticed that the floor was too far away. His breath hitched in his throat in surprise. He had done it, he was flying. He looked back up as a large smile blossomed on his face. He intended to exclaim his revelation out loud, however something else escaped his lips instead.
"Yes."
The answering grin made his heart flutter, and he knew then that it had been the right choice to make.
