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

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Chapter Rating: M

Warnings: Graphic Content

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

Chapter Summary: Shinichi has been visiting the forest by his village since he was a child. Unbeknownst to him, he has caught the eye of the guardian spirit that lives there.

That Forest Dream

[Spirit Verse]

Part 3

It had been three months. Three months since Shinichi had ventured back into the forest, looking for answers. He'd found many, but they had only raised more questions. It was like a whole new world had opened up before him. It was amazing and intriguing, and he wanted to know more.

-0-

"So were you behind those poachers who were found hanging upside down, tied up in their own nets? I know half the village thinks they just had an accident, but the other half says it was you. Those men were too high up in the tree for an accident to really make sense. Or at least that's what I thought."

Kaito chuckled, looking pleased. "And you would be right. They were asking for it, coming here of all places to ply their trade. They even had the nerve to injure one of my doves!" Indigo eyes flashed dangerously. "I was afraid they'd actually killed her until you brought her back to me."

Now he turned a warm smile on the boy sitting on the rock beside him. Before them, the river bubbled and danced beneath dappled lights. "Thank you for looking after her."

Shinichi blushed under his companion's warm, affectionate gaze. Something in his stomach fluttered at that look. He swallowed and scrambled to find something else to say—anything would do.

"Uh—how come you seem to know everything that's going on, but you didn't know that I had your dove?"

Kaito blinked then laughed. Raising a hand, he gestured to his side. Shinichi followed the gesture and stared. He was pretty sure the rock around them had been bare a moment ago. Now, though, there was a…a vine? It was a translucent jade green in color. Quite pretty, although it seemed to shimmer in and out of focus like some kind of mirage. That was strange, he would swear he could see the vine growing. It curled up, leaves budding, then stopped.

Shinichi eyed it for a moment longer to see if it was going to disappear just as suddenly as it had come, but it didn't.

"What is that?"

"They're spirit vines," Kaito replied. "Most people can't see them."

"But what do they have to do with you not knowing about the dove? Do they…do something?"

"Oh, all sorts of things. They answer to my thoughts and keep me informed of all the goings on in my domain. They're not really a plant, more a manifestation of sorts. You can think of them as extensions of my awareness, if you will. I simply decided a long time ago that vines were a good shape. Very practical and nicely versatile. I started out with threads, but I didn't like how that made it look like my forest was full of giant spider webs."

Curious, Shinichi reached out to run a finger along the ghostly vine. It was smooth and soft as silk to the touch.

"So they bring you information?"

"Well, that might be a bit of an oversimplification, but yes."

"So they don't extend beyond the forest, and that's why you didn't know where the dove was."

"I can send them out beyond the forest if I want to, but it takes more effort, and I would have to actively search. I guess you could compare it to having to squint to see something farther away than you'd normally look."

"So it's like another sense," Shinichi murmured thoughtfully. "Does that mean you can't leave the forest?"

Kaito paused before answering. "That's a complicated question. You see, the spirit world exists alongside of yours. It used to be quite close, but our worlds have begun to drift apart. Some places, like my forest, are still very much connected between the two. Other places, not so much. If you're referring to places in your world then I can only go to those areas that are still linked. In my world, I can go anywhere just as you can in yours. My people travel rather differently from yours though."

"I see. So, um, that meadow with all the flowers…" Shinichi trailed off, face turning pink.

Kaito grinned. "That would be a place on my side. There are many, many others. Would you like me to show you?"

"I'd like that," Shinichi admitted. "But can I? I mean, I'm human."

"There are certain times when the conditions are right that, with a little help, humans can cross over into the spirit world. The full moon, for example, is a very magical time. Of course, you do need a bit of natural affinity, which you have. Most humans these days don't have enough spiritual awareness to cross between no matter what the situation is."

"Then other than the full moon, what times are the worlds closer together?"

"My, my, so many questions!" the spirit laughed. "You certainly are a curious one."

Shinichi blushed but met Kaito's amused gaze with a defiant one of his own. "Well I think I deserve some answers after everything that's happened. Besides," he added, voice dropping into softer, more serious tones. "You know so much more about my world than I know about yours. I want to understand."

Indigo eyes blinked before a softer, slightly surprised smile replaced Kaito's more usual cheery grin.

-0-

The whole situation with Kaito was even more surreal than the world he was introducing.

Shinichi thought that it was a lot like finding out retrospectively that you'd been dating someone for years and hadn't even known it. The other party was familiar, and being in their presence was comfortable. The only thing that had changed was that you'd gone from being friends to being lovers.

The thought made him blush, and he corrected himself quickly. They weren't exactly—that yet. Okay, they had that time, but that had been more like a…a one night stand or something (although that didn't seem right either. It had been much more personal, much more heartfelt, than that). Things were made that much more complicated by the fact that he'd only just started being able to actually talk to Kaito.

But as they continued to spend time together, Shinichi found himself growing more and more comfortable not only with the idea that Kaito was real (which, mind you, had taken quite the getting used to), but also with the idea that they really could be more. It was a creeping realization that he hadn't even noticed until he'd caught himself thinking of that moonlit night with a warm, almost giddy sort of pleasure. That wasn't to say it wasn't still embarrassing, but he realized that a large part of that embarrassment stemmed from the fact that he'd enjoyed it.

And the fact that he really did like…

He stopped that thought before it could finish. He couldn't quite bring himself to say it. Not yet. He was only just beginning to understand the feeling, after all. Undeniable as that feeling was, he was still adjusting to its presence and what it meant—what it would mean.

-0-

There was a dove sitting on his windowsill. Shinichi stared. He had just gotten back from his shift at the bookstore.

The dove stared back at him with intense little beady black eyes. It was one of Kaito's spirit doves, he was sure. He'd learned to tell the difference between those and normal doves. It was in the unusual whiteness of their feathers—a white so pure it all but glowed—and the intelligence in their eyes.

"Uh, did you…need something?" He felt just a bit silly, talking to a bird, but he'd learned that they understood human speech just as well as any human would.

The bird bobbed its head. Turning, it darted away from the window then back.

"You want me to go with you," he guessed.

Another head bob.

Caught between confused and concerned, Shinichi slipped the jacket he'd just removed back on. Kaito had never called him out like this before.

When he arrived in the forest, it was to see Kaito wearing the grimmest expression Shinichi had ever seen on his face. It immediately set off alarms in his head.

Kaito didn't wait for him to speak. "You need to evacuate your village. You can bring everyone into the forest."

Shinichi gaped. "What?"

"I received news that a marauding gang of bandits is headed this way. They've already razed seven other villages. They've slaughtered anyone who got in their way, taking whatever they want then burning the villages to the ground. Everyone from children to the elderly have suffered at their hands. They have no mercy."

It never crossed Shinichi's mind to doubt the spirit's words. "When will they be here?"

"Tomorrow morning. You have to move fast. Bring them into the forest, and tell everyone to stick together. I will open the path for you."

"I'll go right now." Spinning on his heels, Shinichi ran all the way back to the village. As he ran, his mind raced. How was he going to get everyone to listen to him? If he told them he'd gotten the news from Kaito, he'd be laughed out of town. While he didn't care if they laughed, it also meant no one would listen. And that could not be allowed to happen.

When he reached the village, he headed straight for Satou Miwako's house. As one of the most respected officials in the village, she had a lot of sway. She was also the most likely to listen to what he had to say. She'd always had a soft spot for him. Her fiancé, Takagi, was also quite well liked. If he could convince them then he should have no problem getting everyone into the forest.

"Bandits?" Satou repeated a few minutes later.

Shinichi nodded. "I met a messenger from one of the villages that were attacked when I was in the forest. He's been traveling the area to warn everyone about the bandits."

"But how do we know he was telling the truth?" Takagi wondered.

Satou frowned. "It's better to be safe than sorry. It's worth a few nights in the forest to be sure."

Under Satou's direction, the villagers were informed of the impending danger and then evacuated from the village. Shinichi, being well known for his frequent ventures in the forest, led the way. He was surprised when Kaito fell into step beside him.

"What—" he started to ask, but Kaito silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"No one else can see or hear me," Kaito told him with a wink. "If you start talking to me, they're going to think you've lost it."

Shinichi glanced back at the line behind him. Satou had them all walking two by two. He was bemused to see that Kaito was right. No one seemed to have noticed the stranger in their midst at all. Not even Sonoko—though not for lack of trying, if the way she was looking this way and that was any indication. In contrast, Ran seemed determined not to look too hard into any of the shadows beneath the trees just in case she saw something she would later regret. Behind the two girls, Eisuke was somehow managing to trip over every protruding root that appeared.

"This way."

With Kaito's guidance, they made their way deeper and deeper into Clover Forest until they came upon a large, grassy clearing.

"You can stay here," Kaito told him. "There's a stream over there, and the trees there are all fruit trees that bear fruit this time of year."

Shinichi shot him a grateful smile before turning to tell Satou, pretending that this was a place he'd known about all along.

The following morning, they saw smoke rise from the direction of the village. Everyone watched that wiggly black pillar rise against the blue of the sky with mixed feelings: relief, dread, sorrow, anger, and joy.

They stayed in the forest for three days, though the smoke had stopped rising at the end of day one. When they emerged from the forest, it was to see that, though the village had clearly been ransacked, the bandits must have decided that it wasn't much fun totally destroying an empty village. Many of the homes and other buildings in the village would have to be rebuilt or repaired, but that was a small price to pay. Once everyone had safely returned to their homes (or a friend's home for those whose homes were currently uninhabitable), Shinichi returned to the forest. It was already late evening, but the poor lighting didn't bother him in the least. He knew that Kaito would never let him get lost.

He found the spirit just beyond the forest fringe. He was standing beneath a particularly large tree. He smiled when he saw Shinichi.

"How's the village?"

"Just a bit of property damage. Nothing to worry about," Shinichi replied. "Everyone's just happy that none of the people were hurt."

"That's good."

Kaito was a little startled when Shinichi suddenly hugged him. Though the other didn't mind it when Kaito invaded his personal space, this was the first time he'd initiated any kind of more intimate contact between them.

"Thank you," the boy whispered, voice just a little hoarse with relief and gratitude.

Though surprised by the gesture, Kaito was quick to return the embrace. "You're welcome."

And then, since it seemed like the perfect opportunity, Kaito tilted Shinichi's chin up, leaned down, and brought their lips together in a soft, lingering kiss.

To his delight, Shinichi returned the kiss.

-0-

"Come before sunrise. I want to show you something."

The sky overhead was still dark as Shinichi left the village. It was his day off, so normally he would have slept in. He'd never been a morning person. But with Kaito's words from the last time they met bouncing around in his head and his own curiosity nibbling at him, he'd been determined not to be late.

He met Kaito just as he crossed over the border of the forest. The spirit didn't bother with greetings. He just grabbed Shinichi's hand and started pulling him along as they made their way towards the heart of the forest.

"We have to hurry," he said, excitement dancing in indigo eyes.

"But where are we going?" Shinichi asked, trying not to stumble over the uneven grounds of this unfamiliar trail.

"Tsk, tsk, if I tell you, it'll ruin the surprise."

Knowing he wouldn't be getting any more answers, Shinichi looked around instead. Was it just him, or was the forest different today? The colors seemed more vivid and the air clearer. The still feeble rays of sunlight almost seemed to sparkle where they came through the canopy overhead. What was going on?

This feeling was just a little familiar.

"You can feel it, can't you?"

Surprised, Shinichi tore his gaze from a flowering shrub they were passing (he'd never seen that shade of blue or that type of flower before) to see Kaito grinning at him. "Feel it?"

"You're in my world right now."

Blue eyes blinked before understanding dawned. And now that he knew, he wondered how he could have not noticed before. The forest today felt very much like that night he had woken up by the river, except that this time his thoughts were completely clear. He took everything in with a growing sense of wonder. The whole forest felt more…more alive—richer to every sense he possessed.

"It's amazing," he breathed.

Kaito's grin grew wider. "You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until we get to where we're going."

Shinichi wasn't sure how long exactly it was that they spent traversing those twisting paths. It was difficult to tell time here. The sun hadn't risen yet but it wasn't dark either, and even something about the space seemed different. He didn't know if it was because he wasn't used to it or if this place just didn't register to his senses the way that they should. In the midst of his musings, it seemed they had reached their destination.

The trees parted, and suddenly his ears were filled with the roar of rushing water. A gasp escaped his lips.

It was both the strangest and most incredible sight he had ever seen.

They were standing on a rocky shore where the ground shimmered and gleamed like multicolored crystal. Yet despite the faceted surface, it didn't feel slippery beneath the soles of his shoes. What had taken his breath away, however, was the massive waterfall that seemed to be falling straight out of the sky and into a pool that rippled with light. The waterfall itself didn't look so much like it was made of water as liquid starlight pouring from the sky. Even as they watched, the sun rose. The sky blazed gold and pink. The color bled into the water, cascading from above in a radiant stream to spread through the pool below like watercolor spreading across paper. For a moment, it was as though the whole world had caught fire, burning gold.

The two spectators stood together and watched in silence as the colors continued to shift. Finally, when the sun had risen fully, the waters were a beautiful sky blue touched with white.

Kaito turned to Shinichi with a smile. "The sunset is just as amazing. Would you like to wait for it?"

"I would. But is it okay for me to stay that long?"

"This phase should last until midnight tomorrow your time. it'll be fine."

So they'd spent the day on the shore of that inexplicable waterfall. Kaito had conjured a rather lavish spread of food from berry pies to fried sweet potatoes to glasses of fruit juices Shinichi couldn't even name. He was itching to know where it had all come from, but he decided he'd ask some other day. For today, he just wanted to enjoy this experience.

Kaito was right. The sunset was just as breathtaking as the sunrise.

And when Kaito asked him if he wanted to stay the night, he agreed, trying to ignore the warm flush he could feel creeping across his face.

-0-

Their second time was, Shinichi found, even more intense than the first. Perhaps it was because, this time, he knew he wasn't dreaming. Even more than that though, he knew by now that Kaito was important to him.

-0-

"Kaito?"

"Yes?"

"Why is this your forest?"

Kaito blinked. "Huh?"

"I was just wondering. I mean, the people who live along the outskirts all refer to it as yours, but that's just superstition, right? But you call it yours too. Is it because you're the only spirit that lives here?"

Kaito blinked again then burst out laughing.

That had not been the reaction Shinichi had expected. Was it really that strange a question? Was Kaito still laughing? Honestly, strange question or not, he didn't have to laugh that much, did he?

"Are you going to answer the question or not?" he snapped finally, fed up with being laughed at. Wasn't Kaito the one who'd said that asking questions was a good thing?

"Sorry, sorry," Kaito apologized through continued spates of chortling. "It's just—it's such basic information that it never occurred to me that you wouldn't know."

"Well sorry I'm so ignorant then."

"Hey, hey, don't be like that. I didn't mean it that way." Kaito waved his hands in a placating manner. "It's quite simple. This is my forest because I live here."

"…That's it?"

"My people develop a sort of synergistic bond with the places where we live. They become a part of us as we are a part of them. It's a little hard to explain actually, now that I think about it."

"Does that mean your people always live by yourselves?"

"Heavens no. It depends on the place and our own preferences. Water spirits in particular like to live in large groups. Generally, the strongest spirit in an area is the one in charge."

"So once you've settled down, do you ever move?"

"Sometimes, if we really want to, but it's not common. We'll visit other places, but you know what they say. Home sweet home, right?"

Shinichi blinked then laughed. It was interesting, he mused. It seemed some concepts were true everywhere.

-0-

"Why are you so happy?"

"Huh?" Confused, Shinichi looked up from where he'd been shelving books (and sneaking the occasional look at the contents—hey, they were new, and it wasn't like the shop was busy today) to find Sonoko and Ran standing behind him. Sonoko had her hands on her hips as she eyed him with the suspicion that she often directed his way for one reason or another. "Were you two looking for a book?"

"Actually we came to see if you wanted to join us for lunch if you haven't had your lunch break yet," Ran replied.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question," the shorter girl butted in. "What are you so happy about?"

He tried his best, he really did, but he couldn't suppress the faint blush that surfaced on his face. He prayed that Sonoko wouldn't notice, but it was Sonoko. She had a sharp eye for certain things.

The next thing he knew, she was right up in his face, grinning like a witch. "Oh ho! You're blushing! Did something good happen?"

There should be a law against pronouncing words that way, Shinichi thought furiously. How could anyone put so much innuendo into a one-syllable word anyway? It shouldn't be possible! But Sonoko managed it somehow, and damned but he just knew his blush was growing redder.

Behind her friend, Ran's eyes widened as she stared at his face. "Wait. So then, something really…?"

"No! No," he blurted, waving his hands frantically in front of himself and forcing Sonoko to take a hasty step back. "It's not like that at all!" Except that it kind of was. He swallowed hard and tried to think of a good excuse. "I was just—the sequel to one of the series I'm following just came in!"

Sonoko rocked back on her heels, her expression clearly disbelieving. "Yeah, right. And it made you blush? What're you reading?"

Shinichi held up the book in question, grateful for the excuse (even if it was a bit inadequate).

"The Mystery of the Third Witness," Sonoko read aloud then wrinkled her nose. "Man, only you would be happy to read a book with a boring name like that. And here I thought maybe you were finally getting a life."

"Sonoko!" Ran hissed, elbowing her friend as she shot Shinichi an apologetic look.

"I'm just saying," Sonoko grumbled. "If he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life alone, he needs to stop reading all the time and get out more. I mean, even Eisuke scraped up the courage to ask you out. Did you know that this genius," she pronounced the word "genius" in a manner that clearly screamed "idiot", "has never even gone out on one date?!"

"You're the only person in the village who thinks that dating is required for having a life," Shinichi said dryly. "Plenty of people out there live perfectly happy lives without dating."

"Maybe so, but I'll bet they do more than read all day."

The thing about arguing with Sonoko, Shinichi thought, was that you could never win. It didn't matter how logical your arguments were or how much evidence you had. She always found a way around it. It was actually kind of amazing in its own weird way. She was going to make one hell of a merchant one day.

"So were you coming with us to lunch or not?"

Shinichi blinked. That was the other thing about Sonoko. She could switch tracks without warning. "Uh, sure. Just let me finish putting these away."

"You know, she really does mean well," Ran told him later as the two of them followed Sonoko out of the bookstore.

Shinichi snorted, but for all Sonoko's attitude, he knew Ran was right. "I know. But really, I'm fine with the way things are for now."

"Shinichi…"

"What is it?"

"Are you…planning on leaving?"

Shinichi halted in mid step. "Huh? Why would you ask me that?"

"It's just that you always seemed like you were somewhere else—not literally, but, you know, like your heart was somewhere else. I always had the feeling that you were restless just being here in Beika."

Shinichi was silent for a long moment as he pondered her words. There was, he realized, a degree of truth to them. The village was such a small place. And while he liked it well enough, part of him had always yearned to see more. It was one of the reasons he spent so much time buried in one book or another.

At the same time, he hadn't been able to bring himself to just leave. There were people in Beika that he would miss. People like Ran and Agasa, the old bookstore owner. Hell, he might even miss Sonoko on her better days.

And he would have missed Kaito…

Kaito, who had been there for him, watching over him, for more than a decade. Kaito, who was now showing him a whole new world he had never even realized existed. Kaito, whom he wanted to understand. He wanted to be able to be there for Kaito the way the other had been there for him. Was that even possible for a human to do? On the other hand, he'd never know if he didn't try.

"Shinichi?"

"O—oh, sorry Ran. What did you say?"

The girl let out an exasperated sigh. "I asked you if you were okay. Sonoko's already way ahead of us."

"Ah, I'm fine. Let's go."

-0-

He was in love.

There. He'd said it.

Now if only he could gather the courage to tell Kaito.

-0-

"Can you read minds?"

"…No?" Kaito gave him a quizzical look. "That was out of the blue. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Shinichi said a little too quickly. "I was just curious."

Kaito arched an eyebrow, wondering why the boy was blushing. That question didn't seem remotely blush-worthy, even for someone as predisposed to blushing as Shinichi. Unless…

He smirked, leaning over to peer into Shinichi's face. "What, are you thinking something naughty~?"

Shinichi's blush instantly darkened tenfold as he spluttered. "What? No! That—argh! That's not what I was thinking at all!"

"Okay, okay," Kaito laughed, holding up his hands. "I was just teasing. No, I can't read minds. So you're going to have to tell me if there's something you want me to know."

"Right." He supposed it had been too much to hope for. Besides, these things were the kind that needed to be voiced regardless at some point. It was just that he'd never been good at talking about his feelings.

-0-

"These…are for me?"

Shinichi blushed at the surprised look on Kaito's face but nodded. "You don't have to read them if you don't want to," he said hastily. "I wasn't sure what kinds of stories you'd like, but all of these are relatively new. I remember you said you hadn't gotten to read anything new for a long time, and you spend most of your time by yourself, so I thought that maybe…" He waved an expressive hand at the small basket of books he'd brought with him.

Ah, so Shinichi was worried that he might be bored having to spend so much time without intellectual company. Kaito smiled in fond amusement. He'd always been good at entertaining himself, and having a whole forest to look after meant that there was little time for boredom. But it was true that it had been a while since he'd last read anything the humans had written, and he enjoyed a new story as much as anyone. It would be interesting to see what people were writing nowadays. And the books would give him a better look into Shinichi's world. After all, though he knew a lot of facts and history, he hadn't dealt personally with humans much of late, and their thoughts and ideas changed so quickly that he was sure there was much he could learn.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, leaning down to steal a kiss. Shinichi smiled, face still faintly flushed pink.

-0-

Kaito was fairly certain by this point that Shinichi returned his feelings.

Shinichi was coming to see him more often of late despite Kaito's warnings about the effects prolonged exposure to the spirit world could cause in him. And if that wasn't proof enough, there was that day a few weeks ago when Shinichi had brought him something he called chocolate. He'd mumbled something about a caravan coming through town and one of their craftsmen teaching a class on chocolate art. The pair of chocolate doves had been very cute, but not quite cute enough to save them from being eaten. Chocolate, Kaito decided that day, must be one of mankind's greatest inventions. He had to find a way to make his own. Er, but he was getting sidetracked, wasn't he?

The chocolate had been awesome, but just as memorable was that moment when Shinichi had leaned up and given him a kiss (blushing madly all the way). Shinichi wasn't the kind of person who would kiss someone he didn't love. The fact that he had started volunteering to stay over night about sealed the deal. Everything had just clicked into place then, and things had only blossomed from there.

He still wanted to hear Shinichi say it though. Wanted to hear those words from his beloved's lips so that he could really be sure.

But he could wait until Shinichi was ready. Until then, he was content to let their actions speak for them both.

-0-

Shinichi was sitting comfortably on a cushion woven by spirit vines. It was autumn, and all around them the forest was turning orange, red, and yellow. Despite the season, it wasn't cold. Shinichi suspected that Kaito was behind that. He was never cold when Kaito was with him.

They had just spent the last two hours playing chess. Shinichi had brought a set into the forest to show the spirit since Kaito said he'd never seen one. Kaito had picked up the rules very quickly though, and by the end of the three hours, he was already playing like an old hand.

Now they were relaxing, letting their minds wind down from the very strategy-intensive game. Kaito pulled two tall glasses of fruit juice from thin air and handed one to Shinichi.

The boy accepted it with a grateful smile. He drained half his drink in a go then pulled the glass away from his lips and held it up to the light. The liquid inside was a rich red in color. It tasted like raspberry juice.

"I've been wondering. When you conjure food and things, where are they coming from?"

"Where? Whatever do you mean? It's magic," Kaito laughed. Seeing the dissatisfied look on Shinichi's face, he elaborated. "I can convert anything here in my realm into other forms. The more complicated the process should have been to make whatever I'm conjuring, the more magical energy it takes."

"So it's not actually coming out of thin air," Shinichi concluded.

"Nope. Just elsewhere."

"So I guess that's also true for…er, never mind."

"What? Come on, spill it."

Shinichi flushed, ducking his head. "Uh, it's not important, really. I was just thinking about that salve—" He slapped a hand over his mouth.

Kaito thought for a moment then smirked as he understood what Shinichi was asking about. "Ah, that was a salve made from vivaliss blossoms."

Shinichi coughed lightly, made to drink from his glass, and discovered that it was empty. He glared at it then set it aside (where it promptly vanished along with Kaito's empty glass). "I…I've never heard of it." He hadn't smelled a fragrance quite like it before either, which was really the only reason he'd been thinking about it.

"There are many, many plants that humans have yet to discover. And their names for them will probably be different when they do. Vivaliss salve helps muscles relax." A mischievous smirk appeared on Kaito's face. "I thought about using sun drop berries, but I thought it might be too much for you for our first time."

Shinichi reddened further, but his curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?"

Kaito leaned in towards him, voice lowering into a suggestive purr. "I can show you."

Shinichi could feel the heat rising in his face. His throat had gone mysteriously dry. "S—show me…?"

"As you wish~."

Blue eyes widened, and Shinichi hastily opened his mouth to stammer that he'd been asking a question, not making a request. But what emerged from his throat instead was a squeak of embarrassed surprise when he felt something pulling down his pants. He looked down to see that the something was a pair of vines. His hands moved automatically to stop them, but two more vines caught his wrists. Another wrapped itself around his waist, lifting him up a little and allowing the first two vines to tug his pants and undergarments all the way off.

"H—hey!" he protested, blushing madly. He might have tried to get up, but that action too was thwarted as his knees and ankles were captured like his wrists. The vines tugged his knees up towards his shoulders and out, spreading his legs wide. Feeling embarrassingly exposed, he looked up to find Kaito hovering over him with that mischievous smirk on his lips that Shinichi had come to know quite well. That expression always made his heart beat faster. He'd been seeing it more often ever since the leaves started changing color. Did the season have something to do with it?

"What do you think you're doing?" he half squeaked before he mentally slapped himself. That was a really dumb question, wasn't it? Fortunately, Kaito chose not to comment on it. Instead, he shifted even closer, leaning over Shinichi like a predator over captured prey. His expression seemed almost incongruously playful.

"You're curious~."

Shinichi flushed even redder because the other was right. Curse his curiosity. It had always had a mind of its own really.

Kaito chuckled. "No need to be shy about it. Curiosity is a good thing to have." He leaned down to brush a chaste kiss across his forehead then whisper into his ear. "It makes life much more fun."

Shinichi gulped. He could hear his own heart beating: quick and erratic. He thought he should say something, but his mind was having trouble forming suitable words. It didn't help that he wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

Slick fingers trailed lightly over his thighs before traveling down to rub gently against his entrance. Shinichi's breathing quickened as his quivered at the touch. Rather than entering him, however, those fingers trailed up to paint glistening patterns on his stomach. Kaito's other hand undid the buttons on Shinichi's shirt, brushing aside the halves to bare his chest to the open air and, consequentially, his salve-covered fingers. They circled Shinichi's nipples, pinching and rubbing at each in turn. Shinichi gasped and squirmed. The hand slithered down again to give his growing arousal two long, hard pulls before wandering off again, this time to tickle his sides. He groaned.

Blue eyes snapped open abruptly to find Kaito's face mere centimeters from his own. Shinichi barely registered that fact though as his thoughts were currently focused elsewhere. The areas the salve had touched were starting to tingle with heat. It spread across his skin, following the path that Kaito's fingers had taken. It traveled up and down his thighs and across his abdomen and certain other, more sensitive places. The sensation grew until it was a burning, but there was no pain. He shuddered, breaths and pulse quickening.

Smirking at Shinichi's reaction, Kaito leaned in to brush a kiss over the boy's parted lips.

"These berries are quite spicy if you eat them," he murmured against Shinichi's lips. "As you can feel, they make a nice thick, smooth salve." As he spoke, he eased two fingers into Shinichi's twitching entrance.

Shinichi gasped as that prickling heat moved inside him. His hips jerked involuntarily against the vines holding him in place and a whimper escaped his lips.

The fingers stilled. "If you want to stop, just tell me."

"N—no." Shinichi felt his cheeks burn. "It—it feels good."

The fingers eased further in, rubbing and pressing and stretching him as they spread that tingling fire. Shinichi's head fell back against the trunk of the tree behind him. His lips parted as his breath left him in soft pants.

Kaito gave one last thrust of his fingers before pulling them out of his squirming lover. He could tell that Shinichi wanted more, but Kaito wasn't in any hurry. He was in the mood to savor.

Long fingers danced over warm skin. They were followed by a hot tongue. Kaito licked and nipped along the insides of Shinichi's thighs. The vines tugged Shinichi's leg out a little further to give him better access. Slowly, he worked his way up, mapping every inch of the boy's pale skin. Shinichi found himself stifling a giggle as that talented mouth pressed hot, wet kisses across his stomach and fingers still slick with berry salve pressed into his sides. The giggles turned to mewls as a tongue dipped into his belly button.

Kaito smirked, relishing in every little noise that slipped from his lover's lips.

Shinichi groaned. The tingling, burning heat crawling over his skin and spreading inside him was making his toes curl, but there was no friction. It made it worse (or should that be better?) that Kaito's hands and mouth were finding all the most sensitive places on his body. He wanted—

"Kaito."

"Mmmm?" His partner murmured against the side of Shinichi's neck where he'd been rather diligently leaving his mark. He shifted to brush a loving kiss across Shinichi's temple. "Is something wrong?"

"I—I want…to feel you, inside— " Shinichi managed to say between soft pants. He squirmed and whimpered. "Kai…"

Kaito stilled for a moment, eyes just a little wide. Then, so abruptly it made his partner gasp, he crushed his lips to Shinichi's in a rough, sloppy kiss and shifted himself into position. The vines lifted the blue-eyed boy's hips a little to give him better access. Indigo eyes fixed on Shinichi's flushed face, he thrust his stiff member all the way into Shinichi in one hard, fast stroke.

Shinichi's head fell back as his eyes squeezed shut and his lips parted in an almost soundless cry.

He wasn't given any time to contemplate the sudden fullness as Kaito immediately began to move. He pulled out almost all the way then thrust back in again hard and fast. Shinichi's back arched and his toes curled.

His head spun.

The tingling, burning sensation induced by the salve Kaito had used to prepare him combined with that hot, hard cock thrusting deep inside him, again and again—it was frankly rather overwhelming. Cries of pleasure were spilling uncontrollably from his lips now as he writhed against his bonds. His whole body was wracked with the almost overpowering sensations. Electric jolts of pleasure pulsed along every nerve in time with Kaito's movements inside him.

"D—don't stop," he demanded breathlessly between moans. He didn't want it to end. "Harder."

Kaito wasn't about to argue.

The vines still holding Shinichi's wrists captive released their hold, and he immediately wrapped his arms around Kaito's neck. They moved together, their thoughts just as entwined as their bodies. The world melted into shades of fire.

Sensing that Shinichi was close by the way the boy was tightening around him, Kaito picked up the pace of his thrusts. Then Shinichi was clamping down around him as his back arched and he came, wetting both their stomachs. And Kaito couldn't help but follow suit, pushing all the way in before releasing himself, filling his lover completely.

It was a few minutes before either of them moved again. The vines withdrew at a thought from their master. Kaito gently slid himself out of Shinichi and sat back on his heels to observe his beloved.

Shinichi was still panting hard as he sat there with his back against the tree, pale skin flushed from exertion and legs still splayed wide. His head was resting against the tree trunk and his eyes were closed beneath sweat soaked bangs. He was still mostly undressed but for the shirt hanging open and just barely clinging to his shoulders. He looked thoroughly ravished, Kaito thought, eyeing the image with self-satisfied approval. The sight made him want to do it to Shinichi all over again.

But he knew that Shinichi would have to head back to the village soon. His shift at the bookstore started early on the morrow, so he wouldn't be able to stay the night. Not wanting to disturb his love just yet though, Kaito decided to use a bit of magic to get them both cleaned up and dressed. Then he sat down beside Shinichi and gathered the boy against his side.

Shinichi shifted, wrapping an arm loosely around Kaito and letting his head rest on the taller man's shoulder. A soft, contented smile played about his lips. Kaito mirrored the expression as he ran his fingers through soft, black hair.

The silence was warm and comfortable.

It was Shinichi who broke it.

"I…I do."

"Hmmm? Do what?"

"Love you." Shinichi was blushing again, but he looked determined. "I…I want to be able to stay with you. But for now, I still want to live in the village too. If that's okay with you."

Face breaking out into a broad grin, Kaito pulled him into a tight embrace. "Of course. Anything for you. I love you."

"K—Kai, can't breathe—!"

-End of Chapter-