And here we finally have the last chapter for part/arc 1: Contradicting Interests in Doves and Falcons, as promised! Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Together While Apart

Kuroba Kaito

After dinner Kaito followed Saguru back upstairs feeling unnerved. It was nice that their parents were completely supportive of their relationship but… that conversation had been a little bit of a turn off for his mood. When they reached Saguru's bedroom, Saguru reached around and shut the door behind Kaito and pinned him there.

"Gods that was embarrassing," Saguru groaned, resting his head on Kaito's shoulder. "I am so sorry about my father."

Kaito chuckled, thunking his head back against the door.

"He was right though. Better him than our mothers. Can you just imagine how that conversation would go?"

Saguru groaned again, but there was a laugh in there somewhere.

"I believe that if it were even remotely possible to kill someone with embarrassment our mothers would have succeeded."

Kaito snorted before leaning forward into his boyfriend's body.

"See? Bright side. One point goes to your old man," he snickered.

Saguru lifted his head from Kaito's shoulder with a sigh and brought a hand up to cup Kaito's face. Kaito felt his heart beat speed up at the feeling of Saguru's warm hand against his cheek while being stared at with those sharp hazel eyes. Then Saguru leaned in, pressing his soft lips against Kaito's. Kaito hummed contently as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Saguru's neck to pull him in closer. The kiss was soft and lazy, just the press and glide of lips. There wasn't a needy passionate fire like there had been only an hour ago, but it still felt nice.

When they pulled apart they just stood there looking at each other lost in thought and contemplation.

"Look," Saguru finally sighed. "I know that I said after dinner we could…you know."

Kaito blushed, nodding.

"But…I'm sorry, but after that talk with Father…and I'm really not in any sort of condition to be…what with my injuries and all…"

Kaito smiled as he watched Saguru stumble over himself with his own words.

"I know," he whispered, leaning more into Saguru. "It's OK…"

"I do want to… do it with you Kaito it's just…not just because of what father said. I'm still… -sigh- look, when we do it-!"

"Have sex," Kaito smirked, finding it cute that Saguru couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"…Yes," Saguru muttered, flushing. "When we have…intercourse for the first time…I want us both to be able to enjoy it to the fullest. The possibility of hurting you or being hurt in return because of injuries…it's not my idea of a fun night."

"And right now that is a very strong possibility," Kaito smiled in understanding before smirking. "Not when you're still injured and the mood is suddenly shot to pieces after tonight's dinner conversation. However, that doesn't mean that we still can't have some fun tonight. Like I said before dinner, I will undress you and get you into bed with me tonight. How does that sound?"

Saguru chuckled, face bright pink.

"Fine by me," the blond murmured.

That was all Kaito needed to hear. With a playful growl Kaito surged forward and pushed his boyfriend back towards the bed. Saguru's shirt was the first thing to go. With that gone, he began to run his hands over Saguru's warm well-sculpted chest while Saguru busied himself with removing Kaito's own shirt. Chests now bare, Kaito slipped down the length of Saguru's body and pulled down the sweat pants.

"I can't believe you actually own a pair of these," Kaito smirked. "I thought you were a suit guy."

"You can't train for combat wearing a suit, Kaito," Saguru huffed, stepping out of his sweats.

Kaito blinked, pausing for a moment. He hadn't thought about that. Then again, he'd never seen Saguru fight before. Even with a muscled and scarred body as evidence, Kaito still found himself forgetting that Saguru was in fact a trained operative.

A hand grabbing the back of his neck brought him out of his thoughts and pulled him up to his feet while another hand worked on the button and zipper of his school uniform pants. Kaito quickly shed them and pushed Saguru onto the bed. He hovered over his boyfriend's body, both of them clad in only their socks and boxer shorts. Kaito licked his lips before leaning down to press a kiss against the underside of Saguru's jaw and kissed his way up to Saguru's mouth. Saguru's hands found their way into Kaito's hair, holding Kaito to him as they kissed.

Kaito lowered himself onto Saguru's body and basked in the warm skin-on-skin contact. Saguru hummed in pleasure before turning them onto their sides without breaking the kiss. When they separated for air Kaito pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes to soak in the moment. The sensation of Saguru's breath mingling with his own; the closeness of their bodies, the entanglement of their limbs, and the fact that Saguru's scent seemed to envelop him. It was everywhere, from Saguru himself to the bed sheets they were laying on to the air that hung in the room. All of it was Saguru and Kaito found himself feeling truly safe for the first time since he'd become the Kaitou KID. The press of lips on his collarbone dragged him out of his contemplations. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't felt Saguru adjust his position.

"You didn't fall asleep on me did you?" Saguru asked.

Kaito could feel the blond's smirk against his skin.

"Never," Kaito growled, pulling Saguru's face up for another kiss and rolled Saguru onto his back. Both of them enjoyed the heated press of lips and light playful nibbles.

They continued their little make-out session for another five to ten minutes before settling down for the night. Kaito made himself content to tuck his head under Saguru's chin where he could nuzzle his boyfriend's neck while wrapped up in one of Saguru's arms as he lay beside him.

The following morning Kaito woke up curled into Saguru's side. At first he fought to remain asleep, comfortable in the warmth around him, but after an undeterminable amount of time he gave in to his growing consciousness. Blinking back the remaining tendrils of sleep Kaito carefully pulled away from where his face was still nestled against Saguru's neck. Saguru let out a grunt and for a moment Kaito was afraid he'd woken up the blond. But then Saguru let out a huff, turned onto his side and dragged Kaito's body closer to him. Kaito bit down on his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing. He carefully wiggled himself up enough onto his side, arm propped up on pillows and supporting his head so that he could look down on his boyfriend. His new position had moved Saguru's arms down to around his waist and resulted in Saguru's face pressed against his chest.

Kaito allowed himself to marvel at the beautiful and vulnerable fragility sleep's spell had cast upon his boyfriend. Saguru's dark blond hair was rumpled and in disarray, but glowed like a halo in the sun's morning rays that came in through the French doors. Saguru's face was slack and smooth, the light cream color making his long dark eyelashes stand out better than any girl's did even if they had a heap of mascara on. It also had the same effect, however, on the dark shadows beneath his closed eyes. Moving on down the face, Saguru's soft lips were parted, breathing in deep sleepy breaths that when released, puffs of air caressed Kaito's bare chest. Saguru's body was curved inwards, turned towards Kaito's, arms wrapped loosely but still possessive around Kaito's torso, and legs were still intertwined with Kaito's and tangled up in the sheets.

Kaito ran a hand lightly across Saguru's forehead to brush back golden locks from that peaceful face. Saguru stirred at the touch, copper colored eyes fluttering open lazily.

"Sorry," Kaito whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Saguru blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment before smiling softly and curled more into Kaito's side without comment. Kaito grinned and settled down better to snuggle with his boyfriend. Who would have guessed that Saguru would be so cuddly in the mornings? A part of Kaito's brain was telling him that men didn't cuddle and that it wasn't very masculine, but it felt good so Kaito told the annoying voice to shut up. He was warm and Saguru was with him. That's all that mattered at the moment.

Fifteen minutes later when Saguru's alarm went off Kaito groaned and wrapped himself tighter around his boyfriend.

"Kaito," Saguru huffed. "I need to turn the stupid thing off."

"But if you move away I'll get cold," Kaito whined childishly.

"Barou. It's time for us to get up anyway," Saguru sighed, just barely reaching the annoying device resting on his bedside table.

"You're going to school today?" Kaito asked, surprised, sitting up.

"I'm sure Baaya and Watson would like it better if I stayed home and rested for another day, but-!"

"Then stay home!" Kaito stated. "Don't go to school if you don't have to. Honestly, what kind of genius are you? You already know the material so why bother going? In fact, why bother going at all? You probably could have graduated by now and gone to college."

"By that logic so could you," Saguru scoffed at him. "You and I both know that we attend school to appear normal to the humans. Smart, yes, but with some normalcy."

"Nothing about me is normal, Saguru. Human persona or otherwise," Kaito smirked.

"I am well aware of that," Saguru shook his head with a small smile.

"Good," Kaito grinned, grabbing Saguru around the middle and dragging him back down. "Because you and I are skipping today."

"Kaito," Saguru growled. "We have school."

"No, you need to rest and I'm going to be the juvenile delinquent that I pretend-!"

"Pretend?"

"-to be and skip school to help nurse you back to health," Kaito declared, pinning Saguru beneath him on the bed. Before Saguru could protest again Kaito kissed him until he was panting and couldn't form words. Kaito rather liked seeing Saguru looking so dazed.

Then there was a knock at the door and Watson poked her head in.

"Baaya has breakfast ready," she declared. "Will you be staying over today Kaito-kun?"

"If you don't mind," Kaito smiled sheepishly.

"Not at all," Watson smiled.

"He…has…school. …We…have school," Saguru protested panting, face red.

"No you don't," Watson scowled. "You're not going anywhere until I deem you fit for duty."

"And I'm skipping," Kaito declared boldly. "What kind of mate would I be if I didn't stay to help take care of you?"

"Aren't you sweet," Watson grinned at him. "You've got yourself a real keeper there, Saguru."

Saguru hummed and fidgeted in embarrassed agreement, face still red.

"We'll be down in a minute, Watson-san," Kaito smiled.

"All right," the hawk guard smiled as she backed out of the room.

"…Kaito…" Saguru sighed.

"Nope. Face it. I'm staying," Kaito grinned smugly.

An hour later, calls had been made to the necessary people and Kaito found himself sitting in the Hakuba estate's garden with his boyfriend enjoying a picnic breakfast Watson had set them up with. Baaya hadn't approved of his presence like Watson had, but a warm greeting and a blessing from Hakuba Senior pacified enough to stop the disapproving looks the older woman had been giving the young couple.

"Baaya sure can be scary," Kaito complained as he pulled Saguru down to lay his head on his lap.

Saguru grunted and tried to sit back up, but Kaito managed to keep him pinned in place.

"Kaito," Saguru growled.

Kaito snickered as he reached over the spread of food they'd set out and picked up a plate of rolled omelets. He cut out a piece with the fork and popped it into Saguru's mouth. Saguru glared at him as he ate the fluffy egg.

"I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself, thank you," the blond groused.

"Humor me," Kaito snorted as he fed his boyfriend another bite of omelet.

To his delight Saguru sighed and complied, allowing Kaito to feed him the rest of the meal. Kaito enjoyed every minute of it. From what he'd observed, Saguru was a bit of a control freak, so being allowed to have this small amount of control showed him just how much his boyfriend trusted him. When they were done eating, Kaito settled back and ran his fingers through Saguru's hair, watching his boyfriend's eye lids sink lower and lower until he was dozing lightly in Kaito's lap.

"Well, aren't you two cute?"

Kaito startled and looked up. Watson was sitting on the decorative stone bench across from them in the garden. She smirked.

"Jumpy," she snickered.

"Watson, don't tease him," Saguru sighed, his head still resting in Kaito's lap with his eyes closed.

"Aww. You're no fun," Watson pouted. "So you have a boyfriend and now don't have time to hang out with little Joan?"

"Watson, you're three centimeters taller than I am without heels and you can drop fifteen assailants in five minutes flat," Saguru snorted. "Such a description is belittling a person of your importance. And you know that for you, I would make time no matter what I was doing."

"Aww! Kaito-kun be a dear and hug him for me," Watson crooned.

Kaito complied enthusiastically, bending over and smothered his boyfriend.

"Ack! Kaito!" Saguru gasped, wriggling in the brunet's grasp. "Off!"

Kaito eventually relented because Saguru's movements were beginning to get more erratic and he didn't want Saguru injuring himself. As he sat up he pulled Saguru up with him and positioned the blond so that he was reclined, head resting on his shoulder. He looped his arms around Saguru's middle gently so that there was as little pressure against the healing midsection as possible. Saguru huffed but allowed himself to settle against his boyfriend again. Kaito smiled and nuzzled his face into Saguru's neck. Watson chuckled and watched the two of them fondly.

For a moment the three of them just sat there enjoying the moment when the harsh clack of heels on cobblestone announced the approach of someone else. Glancing up, Kaito watched the Hakuba family's housekeeper walk briskly over to them.

"Master Saguru," the woman called before coming to a stop beside Watson.

"Yes?" Saguru asked slowly sitting up.

"There is a phone call for you," Baaya announced, handing the Falcon Prince a cell phone. "It's your mother's head guard."

"You mean Alex?" Saguru frowned as he quickly rose to his feet.

Baaya nodded and handed the phone to him. Saguru took it quickly and stepped down the path a few paces away to take the call; close enough to be seen, but far enough away that none of them could hear the other half of the conversation.

"Hello?" Saguru said into the receiver. A moment later, shock and worry flashed across his face before demanding, "Is she alright? …I see… No, it's not a problem. Have you spoken to my father? …And he agreed? …In that case I will leave immediately."

Kaito looked up, alarmed upon hearing this. Watson also looked concerned, pursing her lips together.

"…No. I'll have Watson make the arrangements," Saguru continued. "I'll have her report in once we are at the airport. …In that case inform Captain Peirce. He should be able to take care of it. In the meantime deploy a reconnaissance squad. Only reconnaissance. You are by no means to take aggressive action until I get there to better assess the situation. Forward all info to Watson and keep us updated on her condition."

Saguru hung up and turned to face them. Kaito had never seen Saguru so serious – and that was saying something since Saguru was almost always serious.

"What is it, Saguru?" Kaito asked, getting up and hurrying over to his boyfriend's side.

"My mother and her guard were ambushed while on their way to France," Saguru informed them. "She's in stable condition, but is currently unconscious in France's Shifter Embassy Hospital. I'm needed back in Europe immediately to help with the situation. They're not sure who's responsible for the attack. Watson, I need you to make immediate arrangements to get us to Paris as soon as possible and read up on the reports Alex sends you."

"Yes, sir," Watson nodded, all business herself as she rose quickly from her seat and pulled out a blue-tooth headset and her phone.

"Baaya, do you mind getting a car ready and informing Shiratori and his men of the situation? I might need their team for this," Saguru asked, facing his housekeeper and handing her back the phone.

Kaito watched Saguru snap out orders with a cold feeling settling into the pit of his stomach. Paris… Saguru was going back to Paris and Kaito didn't like it. Not after hearing what had happened the last two times Saguru had been there. And Saguru was only just getting over his previous injuries from what had happened two nights ago during their last confrontation with Snake and his men. He didn't want his boyfriend to go. Not now. Not when they were just starting to grow closer as a couple and as future mates. Saguru just couldn't go…not now.

Saguru Hakuba

After giving his orders to Watson and Baaya, Saguru turned back to face Kaito who looked very worried and sad. Without saying a thing Saguru reached out a hand for him. Kaito rushed forward and clutched his hand tightly. Saguru felt his throat constrict painfully, but determinedly headed back inside the house. Kaito trailed behind him silently. The only way that Saguru knew that his boyfriend was even following him was the almost painfully hard grip Kaito had on his hand. When they reached his bedroom again and shut the door Kaito yanked him back into a near crushing embrace.

"Please don't go," Kaito whispered.

"Kaito," Saguru sighed, hugging the slightly smaller boy back. "I have to. My mother was just attacked and my people need me to take over her duties while they launch an investigation. She was in France on her way to meet with a group of committees at a conference hosted by the Swans."

"Couldn't your father go instead?" Kaito asked.

"He is going to be in Hokkaido meeting with delegates from the Kite Clans," Saguru sighed. "Kites are another branch of the Falcon-Hawk family tree. There aren't many of them left in Europe and the Americas, but a majority of them are going to be present at the meeting to discuss ways that they can be integrated into brother and sister settlements here in the east. Mainly in Australia, India, China and here in Japan. My father needs to be there to make sure that the negotiations run smoothly. Kites tend to be rather hotheaded and can get aggressive when provoked."

"And you can't take his place there instead?" Kaito sighed.

"I'm not as familiar with the Kite Clans as I am with those races that are going to be attending the conference in Paris. I've spent most of my life meeting those delegates and familiarizing myself with their members and situations. Look, I don't want to leave either, but I'm needed there," Saguru sighed and pressed a kiss to Kaito's forehead. "My mother is there. I need to make sure that she is alright."

"And what about whoever attacked her?" Kaito asked.

"I'll make them regret that they hurt her and made me leave you," Saguru growled, holding Kaito even tighter.

Kaito gave him a sad smile before pulling Saguru's head down for a heated and almost desperate kiss. Saguru returned the kiss with equal intensity, crushing Kaito flush against his body. Kaito whimpered in his arms, but didn't let up, initiating one bruising kiss after another.

Finally air became a necessity again and the two pulled back, but didn't loosen the hold they had on the other. Kaito buried his face into Saguru's neck and Saguru pressed his cheek into Kaito's messy mop of hair, inhaling his scent. After a few moments Saguru sighed and gently pushed Kaito away.

"I need to pack."

Kaito nodded, drawing back completely, staring at the floor. Saguru hated seeing Kaito look so disheartened, but he forced himself to move away. He pulled his suitcase out of the closet and proceeded to throw half of his suits, nice shirts, and a few casual outfits inside. He quickly and methodically grabbed necessary items from his room, bathroom and the hall closet. He was done packing in ten minutes. Now all that was left to do was wait for Watson to inform him of when they were leaving. When he set his suitcase down by the door he allowed himself to look back up at Kaito who hadn't moved once since he'd started packing.

With a heavy sigh he approached his boyfriend, gently took hold of Kaito's chin and lifted his head up to face him. They stared at each other for a moment before Saguru pressed a gentle kiss to Kaito's forehead, moved down to the right eye, then the left, and then the tip of the nose before pressing his lips to Kaito's. Kaito remained unresponsive for the first two kisses, but then something seemed to snap inside the brunet and he surged into the third kiss, pushing Saguru back until they toppled onto Saguru's bed. Kaito pinned Saguru beneath him, never letting up the new onslaught of kisses as he took control of the situation. Saguru had to jerk his head away to the side just to breath, his lungs burning with the need for air.

Kaito only moved on to kissing his neck, down to the shoulder, across collarbones and back up the neck and jaw before fiercely taking Saguru's lips once more. The sudden ferocity, the desperate and needy bruising affection Kaito was showering upon him startled Saguru. He actually had to use some extra force to push Kaito back again and flip their positions to finally stop the other teen. Kaito fell back with a teary sounding gasp and the moment the smell of tears hit him, Saguru took hold of Kaito's face with his hands and lowered himself on top of the other, pressing their bodies as close together as possible. Kaito let out a soft chocked off sob as he gripped Saguru to him, arms wrapped tightly around his back and their legs intertwined.

"Oh, Kaito," Saguru whispered, pressing light kisses all over Kaito's face, occasionally kissing away a tear or two as they fell.

"I-I'm sorry," Kaito cried. "I'm being ridiculous, but I-I can't help it. I understand that you need to go, but…"

Saguru gently shushed him before delivering another kiss to Kaito's forehead.

"I know," he whispered. "My track record in Paris isn't exactly promising and I'm still recovering from our last run in with the Crows."

Kaito sighed, nodding, pulling Saguru back down on top of him for another kiss, this one gentler than the previous. When Saguru moved back, he grabbed Kaito around the middle and rolled onto his back, pulling Kaito on top of him. Kaito immediately adjusted to the new position and buried his face into the side of Saguru's neck again. Saguru could feel the wetness still on Kaito's face.

"Oh you two are being such drama queens."

Kaito jumped, clutching on to Saguru. Saguru sighed and sat up. Watson was standing in the doorway holding Saguru's suitcase.

"Honestly," the she-hawk sighed. "Saguru's only going to Paris for a conference. He'll be gone a month tops and is not going to be allowed to investigate the attack made against Anna-ouhi."

Saguru frowned.

"No, you're not," Watson interjected firmly before he could speak. "You're going there to take her place at the conference and be there for her while she recovers. It's Shiratori and his team who will be doing the actual investigating while we're there with Agent Rider's team. And I will keep a strict hawk-eye on you to make sure that it stays that way. If not for your own sake, then for your future mate's peace of mind."

"Fine," Saguru sighed after looking down at his still emotionally raw boyfriend. "I won't actively investigate the matter."

"Actively?" Watson raised her eyebrow.

"I still want to be informed," Saguru growled. "Shiratori and his men can do the foot work, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to remain passive. Like it or not I will still look into this case. I'll just be taking a more passive role than I normally do."

Watson sighed. "I suppose that that's the best I'm going to get from you."

"It is," Saguru nodded.

"All right then," she sighed. "I just came to tell you that I was able to get us on the 2:00 o'clock flight out of Tokyo for Paris. It's 10:28 now, so you and Kaito-kun have a couple of hours before we need to leave for the airport. …Spend it wisely. It'll be a while before you two can see each other again after we leave."

Saguru nodded as his guard left the room with his suitcase. He eased back onto the bed and held Kaito close. Kaito settled back down, once again pressing his face into the side of Saguru's neck. Saguru could feel the deep inhales and knew that Kaito was memorizing his scent.

"Do you want to come with us to the airport?" he asked.

Kaito nodded silently, pressing a kiss into his neck.

"Sorry for being so pathetic," Kaito mumbled. "Watson's right. I'm being overly dramatic. …It's just… I don't want to loose you."

"You won't loose me," Saguru promised. "I promise that I'll be extra careful this time in Paris. I'll be a good prince and sit through all the boring meetings."

Kaito snorted and it felt funny against his skin.

"…I may not be able to call you every day, but I'll do my best to at least text you," Saguru promised.

"You'd better," Kaito growled.

"Promise. I will e-mail you as well if I can't contact you for longer than a couple of days," Saguru sighed.

"They better be some pretty long e-mails then," Kaito mumbled.

"Excruciatingly," Saguru smiled when he managed to get a chuckle out of the other.

"How long do you think that conference will last?" Kaito asked.

"Depends," Saguru shrugged. "They aren't like any business conferences that humans hold. These can go on for weeks. Months if the issues that are being discussed are serious enough. I'm betting on a month personally. My mother was attacked and that's bound to stir up debates of some kind. Those present will also want to take the time to fill me in on everything discussed so far and then re-hash anything that might not have been completely settled during that time to hear what I have to say. It's how some like to test those of us that are part of the younger generation. I swear that not even half of the stuff that's ever discussed with me is actually up for consideration. They just want to appraise how well the next generation is going to be able to function. That'll slow things down for sure."

"How long would it normally have taken?" Kaito asked.

"Probably two to three weeks," Saguru grumbled.

Kaito laughed softly and that made Saguru feel a bit better. The Dove Prince was finally getting a hold of himself again.

"You be careful on your heists, ok?" Saguru sighed.

"You know I will," Kaito snorted. "I'll recruit Jii to help me."

"Take your guard with you too," Saguru said, tightening his hold on Kaito for a moment. "If I'm going to be extra careful in Paris, I want you to be equally careful on your heists. Snake and his men aren't to be taken lightly."

"Agreed," Kaito nodded, kissing Saguru's left shoulder where he'd been shot. "Just come back in one piece."

Aaand that's the end of part one. So what did ya think? Now we can move on to what all of you guys are waiting for anyways... SHINICHI! :D

Hey, did anyone catch the non-Detective Conan/Magic Kaito character I referenced? I'm just curious to see if anyone figured out/knows who Anna Hakuba's head guard is (or does now that you've looked back to see). ;)

I don't know when I'll start posting part 2, but I'll try to get around to it in a couple of months. The story arc is plotted out, but I haven't written anything for it yet. :P I'll put up a notice at the end of this story when I do post part 2 so that you guys know, but it'll be in a separate story. Hope you all enjoyed Birds of a Feather (part 1): Contradicting Interests in Falcons and Doves. Please review and vote on a poll I have up on my profile. I'm creating an updating scheduled of sorts for my many fan fics, and if you want me to post part 2 more frequently than some of my other stories be sure to vote for it! :) Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with part two!