Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: Kaito's thoughts…?

Collection Summary: No matter where or what they are, their lives are always entwined. KaiShin stories in fantasy settings.

Chapter Summary: For Kaito, the hardest part of the exam wasn't the storm, the monsters, or even the insane three day testing time. No, that was all a piece of cake. The hardest part was the five hours and sixteen minutes he spent stuck in a cave with an unconscious Shinichi whom he wasn't allowed to touch.

A Test of Willpower

[Fort Verse]

To say that the wind was howling would have been to say that a waterfall was noisy. It was true but totally and completely inadequate. The wind wasn't so much howling as roaring at a level where it was more like a solid force than a sound. Then again, considering the amount of sand being carried by that very wind, calling it solid wouldn't have been far from the truth. Kaito had the distinct impression that if they stopped moving for more than a few hours at a time, they would find themselves completely buried. Wandering blindly through the storm, however, wasn't much better than staying put.

He frowned, adjusting his grip on the limp figure he was carrying on his back. "Shinichi? You have to talk to me. Can you sense anything?"

"There's a cave," Shinichi mumbled, voice strained despite being barely above a whisper. If his head hadn't been resting on Kaito's shoulder, the Knight probably wouldn't have been able to hear him at all.

Kaito frowned. He wanted to let Shinichi rest, but he couldn't. Not yet. It was much more urgent that they find somewhere sheltered from the storm where they could rest, and where he could tend to the Scout's injuries. "Which way?"

"To…to the right…" Shinichi whispered. "Should be…be less than a hundred meters…"

"Right." Kaito turned and started walking in the designated direction. The wind buffeted him from every side—which, he reflected, really didn't make sense. How could it possibly be blowing from every direction at once?

"I'm sorry," the Scout murmured.

"Hey, don't apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you."

"Not…not your fault…"

"Then it isn't yours either. So let's just agree not to fret about it anymore, alright?"

"Mmmm."

"Good."

They both fell silent again as Kaito continued to forge his way through the storm, hoping that they wouldn't be attacked again before they had had the time to recover. If they did, they were most definitely going to have to retake this exam.

-0-

There was no written section in the exam this time. Half of the students were thrilled at this news. The other (more forward thinking) half were suspicious. Their suspicions were proven justified when it was announced that the practical simulation section of the exam was going to take an entire three days. It was unheard of for any one exam to span so much time, but they were told that it was an experiment. What exactly was being experimented, however, was not divulged.

The proctors had given them a message capsule that they had to deliver to their assigned destination. The test was that they hadn't exactly been told where that was or how they were supposed to get there. Each team had been given a vague, partial map of the starting zone. With it, they had received a small fragment of crystal that emitted a special energy wavelength.

"The place you are supposed to deliver to is marked with a similar crystal," Satou had told them all. "However, it will not be the only such crystal. There will also be similar crystals in other locations as well as those carried by your classmates. You must determine not only which is the correct destination but also how you are going to reach it safely within the time limit. If you feel that you cannot complete the mission, you can activate this help flare. Doing so, however, will be to withdraw from the exam. If you do, you will have to take it again next month. We will also pull you out if we feel that you have put yourselves in too much danger. Any questions?"

"I have one," Hattori Heiji called out, raising his hand. "Do we get any rations for this? I mean, three days is a bit long for a test."

"Yes, you do get rations. Each team will get supplies. However, other than four emergency recovery tablets and the help flare, it will be up to you to decide what you are bringing. You may pack one standard travel pack for each of you. No more than that will be allowed. We will be checking your choices before you enter the testing cavern."

"So the test begins before we actually go in," Mouri Ran summarized.

"That is correct. Think carefully about what you believe you'll need. Carry too much, and you'll be weighing yourself down and wasting energy. Carry too little, and you may not make it to your destination even if you overcome all the other obstacles. Does anyone else have any questions?"

When all the questions had been answered, they were dismissed so that they could go scavenge for the supplies they wished to bring with them on this overly lengthy test.

Kaito and Shinichi had decided that they would travel light. Hauling heavy packs would slow them down not only during the journey itself but also if they had to fight. It would also cause them to tire more quickly. No, light and fast was better.

"I hope we aren't taking it too lightly," said Shinichi as he double-checked his pack one last time.

"Don't worry about it so much. We aced our last two exams together. This time's going to be no different!"

"I hope so…"

They were among the first to report to the proctors with their packs. Satou's expression gave nothing away as she looked over their choices. Once she was done, she handed them the items the proctors had promised and directed Takagi to take them to one of the testing cavern's many entrances.

"We should make a map," Shinichi said the moment they were inside.

"I assume you mean elaborate on the one we got."

"It will help us keep track of where we've been and where we're going. It may also provide us with clues on how we're supposed to proceed."

"It's a great idea and all, but how do you propose to map anything when we can barely see two feet in front of our noses?" He wasn't exaggerating. The sandstorm raging through the cavern was already more than a match for any of the real sandstorms that regularly ravaged the lands around the Fort.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're not going to use our eyes."

"We're not?"

"No. I should be able to map out any rock formations in our vicinity." Pulling out the map they'd been given, Shinichi rummaged through his pack for a pen then began to draw. It was slow work with the shifting sands interfering with his senses. Eventually he unbent from where he'd been curled over the map to protect it and sighed. "I'll have to add to it as we go."

Kaito leaned over Shinichi's shoulder to examine the now slightly more detailed map. "Hmm, not bad. Any idea where we should be headed?"

"I don't sense any crystals like ours yet," Shinichi replied, eyes closed in concentration.

"Let's go straight for now then and expand on our map."

Two hours of slogging through wind and sand and it seemed to Kaito that nothing had changed. The air was still thick with flying grains and little else. No wonder they'd been told to pack three days of supplies. Though he hadn't seen a lick of difference in the landscape, Shinichi's map now displayed several intricate rocky ridges and pinnacles. He had also started marking out areas from which he sensed the distinct energy pattern associated with their crystal. So far, there were three of them. At least one, however, had apparently moved since Shinichi had found it, so that one, at least, was probably another team taking the test.

By now, Kaito was thinking that he hadn't expected the test to be so tedious and boring. So far, Shinichi was doing all the work too. But this wasn't a Scout evaluation. It was a team one. So what did they expect him and his fellow Knights to be doing?

That was when they met it.

Their first hint of its presence had come from Shinichi. The Scout had stiffened, all senses on high alert. "Something's coming! It's right beneath us."

He had barely gotten the last word out before Kaito grabbed him and pulled him aside. He had felt the sand shifting beneath their feet and reacted on instinct. With Shinichi clasped to his side with one arm wrapped firmly around the Scout's slim waist, he got them out of the way as the sand burst upward and a massive, black shape erupted from the sands below. It was three times the size of any Wasteland Beast, real or simulated, that either of them had ever seen. Its spikes were tipped with wickedly sharp, crystal-like pieces and parts of its armor gleamed also much like dark crystal. It landed on four enormous, clawed feet as a spiked tail lashed across the sands, sending a wave of it washing towards them.

Kaito raised his free arm, meeting the sandy tidal wave with a blast of raw, magical energy. Sand and magic met in an explosion of white sparks, yellow grains, and crackling energy. But though the sand had been diverted, through the screen of smoke and spray came the black bulk of the beast.

They just barely managed to avoid being squashed flat under its enormous, clawed feet. The moment it touched down, however, its spiked tail whipped out of the storm straight at them so fast that it was little more than a blur. Kaito put up a shield just barely in time to block it. The power of the blow sent shockwaves through the sand, causing his feet to sink into the sand. Knowing that the shield wouldn't withstand a second strike, he dropped it and charged, calling out to Shinichi to back him up.

-0-

The battle had been brutal.

The armor plating on all Wasteland Beasts was immensely resilient to both physical and magical assaults. There were, however, points in their armor where they were more vulnerable, especially to the unique type of magic wielded by the Fort's Knights. Like the weak points on a coconut shell, these spots could be used to pierce through their armor and cause the crystalline plating to crack. These points were, however, different for every beast. It was the Scouts' duty to find those points in battle in addition to locating the beasts themselves when they hid themselves beneath the sand.

The simulation beast that had attacked them though wasn't just bigger than normal. Where normal Wasteland Beasts had between one to three layers of armor, that monstrosity had had more than a dozen. They had been forced to chip away at it, breaking through each layer of armor before they were finally able to reach the simulation beast's vulnerable points.

That was when the monster shook off the fragmented remains of its armor and lunged. Relieved of so much of its plating, it had become much faster. Shinichi managed just barely to avoid its snapping jaws but not its clawed foot. The tip of a claw hooked his shirt and jerked him back before the massive paw smashed him into the sand.

"Shinichi!"

Completely forgetting how tired he was, Kaito had thrown caution to the wind and put every last ounce of magic he could muster into a single attack. Thinking back, it had been pure luck that the energy lance pierced the monster's right eye. The beast collapsed and melted into the sand as all simulation monsters did.

It hadn't felt much like a victory.

So now here they were.

A sudden cessation of wind caused Kaito to stumble in surprise. He steadied himself quickly however. Before him, a rocky wall rose almost straight up into the sandy whirl. Another heap of reddish stone shielded their right. In the rough, uneven formations, indigo eyes found a patch some ten feet off the ground where the shadows looked even blacker. The cave? Yes, he was sure of it.

"We're almost there," he told Shinichi as he made his way to the foot of the cliff. "Hang on tight. I'm going to need my hands to climb."

Shinichi mumbled incoherently, but his grip did tighten, allowing Kaito to proceed slowly but steadily up the rock wall.

The mouth of the cave was narrow. Gritting his teeth in concentration, Kaito carefully maneuvered himself and his partner inside. Once past the mouth, the cave opened out. It still wasn't exactly spacious, being much deeper than it was wide, but at least it wouldn't be cramped.

Finding a clear and more level patch of ground, he lay Shinichi down gently, tucking the Scout's own pack beneath his head for a pillow. Then he set about examining the Scout's injuries.

Shinichi's left ankle was swollen, probably sprained. Through a huge tear in his clothes, Kaito could also see that his right side and chest were heavily bruised. When he ran his hands lightly across the boy's ribcage, Shinichi winced. Fractured ribs? Yes, that was it. They weren't broken, but definitely fractured. Kaito's frown deepened. There was no way Shinichi would be going anywhere in this condition.

Opening up his pack, he began rummaging through it. He needed to do something to help Shinichi. But what?

He almost laughed out loud in relief when he spotted the emergency recovery tablets. Taking one from the container, he turned back to Shinichi. Leaning over the half conscious Scout, he pressed the tablet to the boy's lips.

"Come on," he coaxed. "You have to eat this. It'll help make you feel better."

Shinichi obeyed, slowly opening his mouth to let Kaito slip the tablet inside.

"Remember to chew," the Knight added. It wasn't until he saw Shinichi swallow that he was able to breathe easily again.

Though numerous, Shinichi's injuries were still all well within the healing capabilities of the recovery tablets. All Kaito had to do now was wait and let his partner sleep. He could use some rest himself as well.

Settling himself down near the cave mouth, he leaned back against the rough, stone wall and let himself relax.

-0-

Two hours had passed. Kaito had dozed lightly, and now he was feeling much refreshed. He checked on Shinichi and saw that most of the bruising had already gone. Bruises were the least of it though. He still had a few hours to wait.

Shinichi looked like he was sleeping. Silky black hair curled gently around his peaceful, relaxed face. His lips were parted slightly as he breathed, slow and even. Kaito's gaze lingered on those lips. He wondered if they were as soft and sweet as they looked.

Realizing that he had unconsciously leaned down towards Shinichi's face, he straightened quickly.

Get a grip, Kaito, he scolded himself. Now is not the time.

He retreated back to his seat.

He could remember the exact day when he realized that he wanted Shinichi to be his future partner.

It had been at the Fort library—the very place where they had first spoken to each other over a simple game of chess.

The Fort library was as quiet as it ever was. The towering shelves full of books of all types and ages loomed tall, forming a veritable labyrinth through which visitors could easily wander for hours on end. To Kaito, the place had always seemed a bit too quiet. It wasn't that he didn't like books, but he preferred to do his reading outdoors. Ever since he'd met Shinichi though, he'd found himself walking down these book-lined halls a lot.

Stepping out into the reading area where Shinichi could usually be found, he frowned in disappointment. The Scout wasn't here. This was their usual time though, and someone had set up a chess board. And there on the table by the board was a book with a bookmark sticking out from the top. He recognized that bookmark. It was a wooden one engraved with a feather pattern that Shinichi's mother had brought back for him from one of her and her partner's travels. So that meant Shinichi had been here recently and intended to be back soon. He was probably still in the library and just off looking for more books.

Smiling to himself, Kaito set off into the shelves again.

He didn't have to guess where to go. Shinichi liked this particular reading area because it was close to both the mystery fiction and history sections of the library. If he wasn't in one, he was usually in the other. Today, it turned out he was in the history shelves.

Kaito spotted him the moment he rounded a corner. Shinichi was perched at the very top of one of the library's many tall, sliding ladders. With the shelves being as tall as they were, the Scout was a good twenty feet up off the ground, and Kaito might have missed him altogether if he hadn't been looking.

A warm grin broke out across his face. "Shinichi!"

It seemed that the Scout had been too engrossed in the books he was picking through to sense his approach. Startled, he turned quickly to look for the person who called his name. Unfortunately, holding a book while perched at the top of a tall ladder was not a good position from which to make sudden movements. Shinichi let out a cry as his foot slipped from the ladder's rung.

A spike of terror shot through Kaito as he saw Shinichi begin to fall. He reacted without thinking. Leaping forward, he evaded the falling book and reached out to catch Shinichi before the Scout could hit the ground. He landed lightly. The warm body being clutched to his chest was slim and strong. Soft, black hair tickled at his chin. Heart still thumping, he looked down to make sure that Shinichi was okay. The Scout looked up at the exact same moment, blue eyes wide, and their gazes met.

For an instant, time stopped.

It was in that moment that he had just—known. All the different threads of thought and fragments of emotions he had been experiencing when around Shinichi had simply, seamlessly, clicked into place. He'd known that he wanted to protect Shinichi—to have the blue-eyed Scout by his side forever, to make him smile and hear him laugh.

It had felt so right, holding Shinichi in his arms.

He could still remember exactly how it had felt. He closed his eyes, imagining how it would feel to have Shinichi's slim, supple body arching under his own.

"Argh!" Clutching at his short, wild hair, the Knight glared at the cave floor in front of him. He seriously needed to think about something else.

He cast a hurried glance at Shinichi to see if his sudden exclamation had disturbed him. But it seemed he was worried for no reason. Shinichi was still lying exactly how he had been before, breathing soft and deep. Good. The last thing he wanted to do was to have to explain the cause of his outburst to his love interest.

Taking a deep breath, Kaito took a moment to reorder his thoughts then turned back to check on the cave entrance. Outside, the storm hadn't diminished in the slightest. The mouth of the cavern was a dull, foggy curtain of yellowish brown motion. The only light inside the cavern was coming from their crystal. It lay next to their packs, emitting a soft, silver glow. It gave the stone walls a slightly chilly feel. Come to think of it, it wasn't just the light that was making the place feel cold. Now that the adrenaline had left his system, Kaito noticed that the temperature inside the cave was considerably lower than it had been outside.

Now concerned, he got up and went to pull one of the travel blankets from their packs. Kneeling beside Shinichi, he lay it gently over the Scout. Then he tucked the sides in around the sleeping figure to help keep in the warmth. When he reached Shinichi's feet, he flipped up the blanket first to check on his ankle. The swelling had gone down considerably. It was enough that he felt okay probing the injury lightly with his fingers to make sure it wasn't broken after all. It wasn't.

Relieved, he chuckled softly. He should have known better than to think that Shinichi would injure himself kicking a mere simulation beast. He knew how strong those legs were.

A grin tugged at the corners of his lips as another memory surfaced in his mind.

"This is a game I saw some people playing last time I went on one of my family's trading trips," Suzuki Sonoko explained. She was standing in the middle of one of the open athletic fields that were usually used for combat training. She had asked for permission to use it between classes for an experiment as part of the effort to introduce more recreational activities into the Fort. Now she stood before a small gathering of her friends and interested acquaintances. In one hand, she held a ball.

"Now I had to guess at how it worked since most of the other spectators were too busy cheering to explain it to me, but I figure we can work some rules out for ourselves as we go. The first thing you need to know is that there are two teams, and each team has a goal."

"What kinda goal?" Hattori asked. "Is it like a mission?"

Sonoko shot him a flat stare. "Not that kind of goal you nitwit. It's more like a base—a place that the team has to protect from the opposing team. When a team kicks the ball into the opponent's goal, they score a point. Oh yeah, you have to kick. No hands. Although I think the person guarding the goal was an exception to that. Anyways, at the end, the team that scores the most points wins."

"Sounds simple enough," Kaito remarked before turning to Shinichi with a charming smile. "Team up with me?"

"Hey I wasn't done yet," Sonoko cut in before Shinichi could respond. "And we're going to have the team captains pick teams."

"Team captains?" Kazuha repeated questioningly.

"Yep. Makoto is going to be the captain of Team A, and Ran is going to be the captain of Team B."

"That's not fair. Why do you get to decide?" Hattori complained.

"Obviously it's because I'm in charge of this event."

The teams had been chosen and a game started. It was the first ball game ever played at the Fort, and it had been a rather hectic and haphazard affair.

Hattori had refused to pass the ball to Hakuba, and the blond retaliated by doing the same, which rather limited their team's ability to attack. This was somewhat balanced out by the fact that Makoto, who had taken up the position of goalkeeper, kept rushing out of his team's goal area to intercept any balls sent towards Sonoko (much to her delight), leaving his team wide open. The whole experiment turned rapidly into a massive mess in which no one really knew what they were doing anymore. Kaito himself had been watching it all from the sidelines, having lost most of his interest when he'd been sorted onto the opposite team from Shinichi.

It was when the field devolved into chaos centered around Hattori and Hakuba—who were arguing in the center of it, game forgotten—that Shinichi, fed up with it all, had found the ball rolling to his feet. In a fit of irritation (because he'd actually been looking forward to playing this new game before everything had fallen apart), he gave the ball an almighty kick.

People yelped and ducked as the spinning sphere soared all the way from one end of the field to the other and smashed straight into the metal pole that had been set up to mark one of the goals and snapping it in two with a resounding crack.

There had been a moment of stunned silence in which every pair of eyes on the field zeroed in on the broken pole and the ball still spinning against the courtyard wall some ways beyond it.

Kaito whistled into the silence. "Now that's something you don't see everyday."

Suffice to say, very little had been accomplished that day. It had been decided that next time the Suzukis went trading, they would endeavor to learn the rest of the game's rules. The event had, however, been something of an eye opener for many as to the impressive leg power of one Kudo Shinichi.

Kaito grinned to himself at the memory. He wondered how it would feel to have those legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust into—

He smacked himself on the forehead. There he went again!

He let out a frustrated groan. Okay, so he would admit that he had been having some less than innocent fantasies about Shinichi quite a lot these last few months, but that was different. Those times, he didn't have an unconscious and vulnerable Shinichi to watch over.

This was going to be a very, very long few hours.

-0-

This was torture. It had been three hours and thirty eight minutes. Two hours and eighteen minutes of trying with all his might not to think about the Scout sleeping a mere few steps away. He had checked their supplies more times than he could count. He had tried to sleep some more but failed miserably. He'd made multiple circuits of the cave and now knew the location of every pebble on the floor and every crevice in the wall. And now he was sitting at the cave mouth again, back to square one and more acutely aware of Shinichi's presence than ever.

The sudden flicker of a shadow through the raging sands brought him to his feet in a heartbeat. Faster than a thought, he placed himself between the entrance and Shinichi, settling into a fighting stance.

But the figure who emerged from the sandy veils turned out to be that of Mouri Ran. She blinked in surprise when she saw him. Behind her, Hakuba Saguru also came into view, brushing sand out of his hair and off his clothes.

The three of them stared at each other for a moment before Ran laughed. "This is unexpected. I guess I was sensing your crystal then." Her smile faded however as her gaze landed on Shinichi. "What happened? You two look like you've been through the wringer!"

Kaito sighed, relaxing his stance. "You don't know the half of it. Since you're here, would you mind checking his injuries for me? I gave him one of the recovery tablets, but I'm afraid I might have missed something."

"Of course." Hurrying past him, Ran knelt down by Shinichi's side. Holding her hands over his chest, she closed her eyes, settling into a light trance.

Kaito watched her for several seconds before moving to sit back down on his spot at the entrance so he wouldn't disturb her. Hakuba sat down across from him.

"What happened to you two?" the blond asked, arching an eyebrow. "It isn't like the two of you to collect such injuries from a mere simulation."

"It's none of your business," Kaito growled, eyes narrowing. He was not in the mood to share. Nor did he appreciate the slight inflection in the other Knight's words that suggested he thought they'd been careless or something. "What about you two?"

"We have made good progress," Hakuba replied with a rather self-satisfied smile. "I expect we shall be the first to complete the exam."

"How nice for you." Propping his elbows on his knees, Kaito took another peek in Shinichi's direction before forcing himself to look away. His distraction did not go unnoticed. Across from him, blond brows furrowed.

"If you touch him now, you could ruin the future for the both of you," Hakuba warned.

"I don't need you to tell me that," Kaito snapped. While bonds could be formed without the blessing of the crystal heart of the fort, such bonds were often unstable in addition to being much weaker than they should be (there was one recorded case from a century ago where such an instability had led to a pair both losing their minds). No one knew why this was so. Some of their scientists had theorized that some quality of the crystal's power helped strengthen and mature the mental abilities of their people when they were exposed to it during the bonding ceremony. But it wasn't a much researched subject as no one wanted to test it. After all, bonds once formed couldn't be redone. If you messed up, that was it. You—and your partner—would have to live with it for the rest of your lives. Kaito didn't want that, for himself or for Shinichi.

He had already decided that he would make Shinichi his Scout, and he wanted to do it right. Of course there was the minor fact that he hadn't actually asked Shinichi yet, but he was fairly sure by now that the feeling was mutual. He had vowed to himself that he would ask right after this exam, but after what had happened earlier…

He grimaced inwardly.

It was his job to keep Shinichi safe! He should have been more careful—should have acted faster or something. This shouldn't have happened. They shouldn't be here.

What had the proctors been thinking, putting a Monarch level Wasteland Beast in their exams without warning like that anyway?! Even if it was only a simulation beast, they could have gotten seriously injured! Monarch Beasts were what, one in a million? There were people at the Fort who didn't even believe they really existed. Kaito had certainly never met anyone who had actually seen one, let alone fought one. Of course there were the occasional teams who went on patrol or were sent on other missions who never returned. Such instances were rare, but every time one came up, there would be rumors that claimed they must have been devoured by a Monarch Beast. But again, there was never any proof of it.

The proctors had no business putting such a monster in their exams. It wasn't even their graduation exam! Sure, they had said that they would intervene if any teams looked like they were in over their heads, but at what point did they decide that the students were in deep enough trouble to be rescued? Shinichi could have been killed! Just thinking about it was making Kaito's blood boil and his breathing grow ragged with suppressed emotion. If the proctors were going to pull a stunt like that on them, they should have at least given them some kind of warning. Would it have killed them to just drop a hint about watching out for dangerous surprises like certain things that may only be a myth? Even a word about the possibility of extra large monsters would have sufficed. But no. They'd basically just thrown them to the wolves!

"I think it should only be another hour and a half or two before he wakes up," Ran announced, rising from Shinichi's side and moving to join the Knights by the cavern mouth. "But I'm afraid it might be a little too cold in here. Did you guys bring any more blankets?"

"We have one more." Getting up quickly, Kaito pulled the second blanket from the packs and carefully tucked it around Shinichi. "So he'll be okay?"

Ran smiled. "Yes. The recovery tablet is working well. Just keep him warm and wait. But what about you? I can do a quick scan for you too if you'd like."

"No, that's okay. I have a few bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. I'm just glad to know Shinichi's okay."

There was a moment of silence before Hakuba cleared his throat. "We should be taking our leave. We still have an exam to complete."

Ran hesitated but nodded. "Will you be okay if we leave?"

Kaito gave her a lopsided grin. "We'll be fine. Don't worry. Besides, we wouldn't want to interfere with your progress. It would be rather poor thanks for your help."

"Well, if you're sure. Good luck."

"I'm sure, and thanks. Good luck to you two as well."

Hakuba hesitated over the threshold and glanced back at him. "Stay vigilant." Then he was gone, disappearing with Ran into the whirling sands.

Kaito snorted. Like he needed to be reminded.

-0-

Shinichi was still shivering. Kaito had already wrapped the second blanket around him in addition to the first, but it had only helped for a little bit. Left with no other option, Kaito braced himself and unwrapped the blankets. Then he lay down beside Shinichi and rewrapped the blankets around them both. That done, he wrapped his arms around Shinichi and pulled the Scout flush against his chest.

It took a few minutes, but, gradually, Shinichi's shivering stopped and he snuggled closer to the new source of warmth.

Half of Kaito was thrilled by the way Shinichi had unconsciously moved closer to him. The other half was groaning in frustration because he couldn't do anything about it. And oh how he wanted to.

He breathed in deeply, hanging onto his cool with every ounce of willpower he had.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But he couldn't let Shinichi catch a cold either. Man, this whole liking someone thing could sure be difficult sometimes. And to think a few years ago he'd still been having doubts that he'd ever find someone he was truly interested in. He vividly remembered talking to his father about it. In fact, that had been the last conversation he'd had with his father.

Later that same day, his parents had left on a quest to find one of the Fort's lost treasures. They had never come back. Even now, they were listed in the records as missing, presumed dead.

Kaito refused to believe it though. They were still out there somewhere, and one day he was going to find them. But it was going to take time for him to climb up the ranks to the point where he could take on such a risky mission.

And to get there, he needed a skilled partner he could trust.

So his thoughts had come full circle and returned to Shinichi. Smiling ruefully, he leaned back a little so that he could look down at the Scout sleeping in his arms. Such a peaceful expression…

Kaito froze. Uh oh. Without his direction, his hands had somehow slid downward from where they had been rubbing circles on Shinichi's back and were now resting on Shinichi's hips. Or rather one of his hands was on a hip, the other had made it just a little lower to— He gulped, staring hard at the Scout's face for signs of waking. Seeing none, he slowly, carefully lifted his hands away.

Shinichi let out a quiet sigh and shifted, eyelids fluttering.

Kaito had never moved so fast as he did then. Slipping out of the cocoon of blankets, he planted himself back at the cave mouth as far from Shinichi as he could get.

Blue eyes fluttered open. They stared at the cavern ceiling for a moment before Shinichi appeared to remember where he was and sat up.

"Kaito?" he murmured, voice still slightly slurred with sleep. "How long have I been asleep?"

Kaito blinked, having been momentarily distracted by the adorable picture Shinichi made as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Huh? Oh, uh, a little over five hours. Yeah. You missed Ran and Hakuba. They stopped by following the signal from our crystal."

"Really?"

"Yep. So how're you feeling?"

"A lot better, thank you. How about you?" Shinichi squinted through the dim lighting. "You don't look very good." Frowning in worry, the Scout crawled over to Kaito's side (never realizing how the act was only making his partner's problem worse. It was the sight of Shinichi on all fours, looking up at him…).

"I—I'm fine, really!" Kaito exclaimed, shooting to his feet. "We should get going."

Shinichi sat back on his heels, bangs falling over his eyes. "I'm sorry for losing us so much time."

"What? No! I didn't mean it like that. It wasn't your fault. We've been over this already. No one's at fault. The important part is how we go on from here, right?"

Shinichi nodded slowly. There really wasn't any point getting hung up on things that had already passed. They still had an exam to complete, and it was time he got to work.

"Give me the map. A lot of the signals have shifted. We should be able to eliminate a lot of them from our list of possible destinations now."

-0-

A cold wind blew over the rolling sand dunes that lay beneath the night sky. Stars glittered in the deep, blue black sky. Kaito picked out the constellations and traced them with his gaze.

They had been one of the last teams to finish the exam, but their score had been among the highest due to their defeat of the Monarch Simulation Beast. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Kaito?"

Turning away from the balcony railing, Kaito smiled at the sight of Shinichi emerging from the doors leading back inside. "Yeah?"

"Before the exam, you said there was something you wanted to ask me afterward."

"Oh right. That. I…I'm sorry, but it's going to have to wait."

Confusion glimmered in brilliant, blue eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Kaito took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was going to get stronger. A repeat of their experiences in this exam could not be allowed to happen again. Then, when he was ready, he would ask Shinichi to be his partner. "Hey, do you want to go get a bite to eat?"

"Alright."

-End of Chapter-