To Keep You Safe (30 Ways: Shinichi/Ran)
Title: To Keep You Safe
Fandom: Detective Conan
Characters: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran
Theme: #15-I’ll protect you
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan. All characters are the property of Gosho Aoyama. I simply threaten to make them watch old Barney tapes unless they obey me. Trust me, they listen.
Summary: I just wanted to see you before everything goes down tonight.
When the phone call came, Ran was stunned; she couldn’t believe her ears. Shinichi had been gone for so long, but suddenly he was asking her to come and meet him outside the park near her home. She wanted desperately to start asking the usual questions (along with a few new ones, given his abrupt request), but there was something about the tone of his voice that told her now wasn’t the time for such things.
It really wasn’t a decision at all. He asked her to meet him, and she told him that she would be there in five minutes and hung up. She stared at the receiver for a few seconds, wondering what in the world had just happened and what was going on. But she recovered her wits quickly and went to grab her shoes.
Still, she paused to grab one more thing before she headed out the door to the appointed meeting place. It was dark out; the streets were relatively empty. She ran all the way there.
Shinichi was already there and waiting. She briefly wondered if he had actually called from the park and then just stayed there to wait for her; either way…he was there. She stopped a few feet away from him, trying desperately to catch her breath while she just looked at him. After so long, he was there, he was actually there. She could only hope that it was real.
He turned at her rushed approach and smiled as she skidded to a stop. “Hey,” she said amiably, his voice at odds with the certain tension in his posture. “Sorry to call you out here like this on such short notice.”
Ran managed a smile of her own between gasps for air. “No problem!” Like she really minded-he was here and she could see him! She would have gladly gone through fire for this moment. She straightened and looked at him eagerly. “What’s up?” What’s up? Oh, brilliant…
He walked towards her, stopping an arm’s length away. Now he looked a little bit uneasy. “I wanted to see you…before everything goes down tonight.”
Ran’s smile faltered. “What do you mean?
He fidgeted slightly. “You know how I’ve been working on this really tough case? Well, tonight we’re making our move. It’s either going to make or break this case.”
Something about his tone gave her pause. “Shinichi, is this going to be dangerous?” she asked quietly.
Shinichi was silent long enough for her to know the answer before he verbally affirmed it. “Yes. It is.”
“Then why are you involved?” she asked, voice rising in alarm. “You’re in high school-you’re seventeen! Solving murders for the police is one thing, but you shouldn’t be doing something dangerous like that! Let the police handle it! What if you get hurt, or…”
“I can’t,” he said simply. He rubbed at the back of his neck in a classic gesture that spoke volumes of nervousness. “Ran, I would love to hand this off and forget about it, but I just can’t. I’m in way too deep for that. But hopefully after tonight, it’ll be over, and…” he trailed off.
“…and you’ll come home?” she finished in a whisper.
“I hope so.”
They stood and just looked at each other for a long, long moment.
“I should probably go,” Shinichi finally sighed. “I just wanted to see you before this all happened…” Somehow, there was an unspoken ‘just in case’ hanging heavily in the air between them.
Ran nodded mutely, not really wanting to say goodbye. He lingered a moment, as if hoping she would say something; when she didn’t speak, he turned to walk away. She watched his retreating back for a few steps before she remembered the tiny item stowed away in her pocket, and called out to him. “Wait!”
He turned around quickly. “Yes?”
She hesitated, then hurried towards him as she withdrew something small from her pocket. “I got this idea from Kazuha-chan. I know you don’t believe in this kind of thing, but…I made this, and I want you to take it with you.”
Shinichi looked down at what she was holding. “An omamori?”
“It’s for protection,” she explained. “To keep you safe.” As she spoke, she reached up to hang the charm around his neck and arrange it to her satisfaction, slipping it under the collar of his shirt. She privately felt better knowing it was hanging near his heart. “There.” But she did let her fingers linger at his chest for a moment longer than was necessary before stepping back.
He lifted a hand and pressed it to his shirt, right where the omamori hung. “Ran…thank you.” He didn’t seem at all put-off by the idea of any ‘hocus-pocus’ or any such thing. If anything, he seemed genuinely touched at the gesture.
But as he started to walk away again, she was taken by a sudden urge. And she called after him again, “Shinichi!” He stopped and turned back to her. Again, she hesitated for just a second before she said, “I’m just lending it to you.” At his confused look, she added, “You’re borrowing it. So…you have to return to me-I mean, return it to me.” She felt herself go red at her accidental slip of the tongue.
Shinichi stood motionless, staring at her as comprehension dawned. Then he crossed the distance between them. He reached out and cupped her face in both hands and kissed her. It didn’t seem like it was anything he had planned on doing, and it certainly wasn’t expert by any means, but…
It was the sweetest moment of Ran’s life.
And it was over far too soon. He drew back, lingering for one extra second and letting his fingers run through the length of her hair before he pulled back entirely and let her go. “I have to go. I really do,” he whispered, taking another step away. But I’ll bring this back-I’ll come back to you, Ran. No matter what-even if I die…I’ll find a way back to you.”
“I know…” she whispered as he finally left her. He ran this time, and didn’t look back. Perhaps he was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to go. She waved nonetheless, knowing that he couldn’t see it. “I know…” A little charm-a little piece of herself to stay with him and keep him safe when she couldn’t do it herself. She hoped it would be enough…that her feelings would protect him and bring him back.
“I know…”
PS. I rather liked this plunnie. And I humbly offer this up as a birthday present to ran_mouri82, who is TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD today!! Ironically, last night she commented that she wanted Shinichi/Ran kissy romance, completely unaware that I had actually written exactly that for her :3 Funny how things work out, ne? So happy birthday, hon!
Thanks for reading, all! Much love!
Fandom: Detective Conan
Characters: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran
Theme: #15-I’ll protect you
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan. All characters are the property of Gosho Aoyama. I simply threaten to make them watch old Barney tapes unless they obey me. Trust me, they listen.
Summary: I just wanted to see you before everything goes down tonight.
When the phone call came, Ran was stunned; she couldn’t believe her ears. Shinichi had been gone for so long, but suddenly he was asking her to come and meet him outside the park near her home. She wanted desperately to start asking the usual questions (along with a few new ones, given his abrupt request), but there was something about the tone of his voice that told her now wasn’t the time for such things.
It really wasn’t a decision at all. He asked her to meet him, and she told him that she would be there in five minutes and hung up. She stared at the receiver for a few seconds, wondering what in the world had just happened and what was going on. But she recovered her wits quickly and went to grab her shoes.
Still, she paused to grab one more thing before she headed out the door to the appointed meeting place. It was dark out; the streets were relatively empty. She ran all the way there.
Shinichi was already there and waiting. She briefly wondered if he had actually called from the park and then just stayed there to wait for her; either way…he was there. She stopped a few feet away from him, trying desperately to catch her breath while she just looked at him. After so long, he was there, he was actually there. She could only hope that it was real.
He turned at her rushed approach and smiled as she skidded to a stop. “Hey,” she said amiably, his voice at odds with the certain tension in his posture. “Sorry to call you out here like this on such short notice.”
Ran managed a smile of her own between gasps for air. “No problem!” Like she really minded-he was here and she could see him! She would have gladly gone through fire for this moment. She straightened and looked at him eagerly. “What’s up?” What’s up? Oh, brilliant…
He walked towards her, stopping an arm’s length away. Now he looked a little bit uneasy. “I wanted to see you…before everything goes down tonight.”
Ran’s smile faltered. “What do you mean?
He fidgeted slightly. “You know how I’ve been working on this really tough case? Well, tonight we’re making our move. It’s either going to make or break this case.”
Something about his tone gave her pause. “Shinichi, is this going to be dangerous?” she asked quietly.
Shinichi was silent long enough for her to know the answer before he verbally affirmed it. “Yes. It is.”
“Then why are you involved?” she asked, voice rising in alarm. “You’re in high school-you’re seventeen! Solving murders for the police is one thing, but you shouldn’t be doing something dangerous like that! Let the police handle it! What if you get hurt, or…”
“I can’t,” he said simply. He rubbed at the back of his neck in a classic gesture that spoke volumes of nervousness. “Ran, I would love to hand this off and forget about it, but I just can’t. I’m in way too deep for that. But hopefully after tonight, it’ll be over, and…” he trailed off.
“…and you’ll come home?” she finished in a whisper.
“I hope so.”
They stood and just looked at each other for a long, long moment.
“I should probably go,” Shinichi finally sighed. “I just wanted to see you before this all happened…” Somehow, there was an unspoken ‘just in case’ hanging heavily in the air between them.
Ran nodded mutely, not really wanting to say goodbye. He lingered a moment, as if hoping she would say something; when she didn’t speak, he turned to walk away. She watched his retreating back for a few steps before she remembered the tiny item stowed away in her pocket, and called out to him. “Wait!”
He turned around quickly. “Yes?”
She hesitated, then hurried towards him as she withdrew something small from her pocket. “I got this idea from Kazuha-chan. I know you don’t believe in this kind of thing, but…I made this, and I want you to take it with you.”
Shinichi looked down at what she was holding. “An omamori?”
“It’s for protection,” she explained. “To keep you safe.” As she spoke, she reached up to hang the charm around his neck and arrange it to her satisfaction, slipping it under the collar of his shirt. She privately felt better knowing it was hanging near his heart. “There.” But she did let her fingers linger at his chest for a moment longer than was necessary before stepping back.
He lifted a hand and pressed it to his shirt, right where the omamori hung. “Ran…thank you.” He didn’t seem at all put-off by the idea of any ‘hocus-pocus’ or any such thing. If anything, he seemed genuinely touched at the gesture.
But as he started to walk away again, she was taken by a sudden urge. And she called after him again, “Shinichi!” He stopped and turned back to her. Again, she hesitated for just a second before she said, “I’m just lending it to you.” At his confused look, she added, “You’re borrowing it. So…you have to return to me-I mean, return it to me.” She felt herself go red at her accidental slip of the tongue.
Shinichi stood motionless, staring at her as comprehension dawned. Then he crossed the distance between them. He reached out and cupped her face in both hands and kissed her. It didn’t seem like it was anything he had planned on doing, and it certainly wasn’t expert by any means, but…
It was the sweetest moment of Ran’s life.
And it was over far too soon. He drew back, lingering for one extra second and letting his fingers run through the length of her hair before he pulled back entirely and let her go. “I have to go. I really do,” he whispered, taking another step away. But I’ll bring this back-I’ll come back to you, Ran. No matter what-even if I die…I’ll find a way back to you.”
“I know…” she whispered as he finally left her. He ran this time, and didn’t look back. Perhaps he was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to go. She waved nonetheless, knowing that he couldn’t see it. “I know…” A little charm-a little piece of herself to stay with him and keep him safe when she couldn’t do it herself. She hoped it would be enough…that her feelings would protect him and bring him back.
“I know…”
PS. I rather liked this plunnie. And I humbly offer this up as a birthday present to ran_mouri82, who is TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD today!! Ironically, last night she commented that she wanted Shinichi/Ran kissy romance, completely unaware that I had actually written exactly that for her :3 Funny how things work out, ne? So happy birthday, hon!
Thanks for reading, all! Much love!