In the Big Apple (30 Ways: Shinichi/Ran)
Title: In the Big Apple
Fandom: Detective Conan
Characters: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran
Theme: #6-vacation
Rating: R (for extremely suggestive content)
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: After all that had happened, they really needed a vacation.
“I don’t know how you pulled this off, Shinichi,” Ran sighed happily, drinking in the perfect view of the New York skyline. “But it’s amazing.”
He leaned his forearms against the balcony railing and grinned. “I guess being famous has some nice perks, huh?”
“I’ll say!” she laughed, then added, “Although I don’t quite understand why you only got us one hotel room. With one bed.” There was definite suspicion in her voice now regarding his motives.
He lifted both hands now in a warding gesture. “This is the nicest suite in the place! And I didn’t want to push my luck with the manager.” He threw her his most charming smile before pushing away from the railing and moving towards the glass doors that led back into the suite. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
He wasn’t about to admit that there was a second reason, though it was nothing really bad: he simply didn’t want to be too far away from her. Especially not after all he had gone through to come back to her in the first place.
Ran cast one more look towards the view, then followed him back into the suite. It was a rather wondrous set of rooms-an enormous bathroom, a sunken living room, and a bedroom with a bed so large and ornate-looking that Ran was afraid to even touch it; the entire place was decorated in blue and cream. Ran had gasped with delight when she saw it; it was beautiful. Shinichi had been visibly pleased with her reaction.
When she walked back in, he was already sitting on the couch with his head resting back against the cushions and his long legs stretched out to their full length, crossed at the ankle; he looked quite comfortable. Ran strolled around to the back of the couch; on a whim, she started combing her fingers through his hair, and giggled when he made a sound that was half-moan, half-purr, and all happy. “You like?” she teased.
“Hmm…you have my permission to never stop,” he murmured with a smile. As per his request she kept on, letting his hair fall between her fingers like thick, rough silk. It was perhaps a more intimate moment than they were usually accustomed to, but it was so sweet…and really, sometimes it was so wonderful to just touch him and know that he was there and he was real and he wasn’t disappearing again…
She felt daring all of a sudden, and dropped her hands to his shoulders before sliding her arms around his neck. He tensed in surprise but relaxed just as quickly. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling his hair against her cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
Shinichi twisted; she loosened her hold, startled by the movement, before she found herself caught up in a very tight embrace. He had turned around and was kneeling on the couch, leaving over the back of the furniture to hug her.
For the next few moments, Ran allowed herself to be swept up in the moment and his arms and his strength. It was wonderful to know that it was all finally there. Beyond the windows and the balcony, New York City rolled by with all of its usual bustle and noise.
When they finally eased away from each other, Ran could feel herself blush. But that turned to some surprise when he asked, “Ran, do you know why I asked you to come here with me?”
“I-no, I don’t,” she shook her head. It had seemed a little bit strange to her, though. After he had been gone for what seemed like ages, news had broken of the bust of a massive crime syndicate; the investigation that had led to this enormous breaking story had Shinichi’s name at the top of the list. And then he had shown up on her doorstep to ask if she wanted to go on a vacation. With him. After getting over her initial shock, she had given it about a second of thought before saying yes. After all, they’d gone places together before. And to hell with what her father would undoubtedly have to say about it. “Why?”
He leaned his elbows on the back of the couch and put his chin in his hands. “Because I thought it would be nice if we could have some time alone. Just the two of us. You know…get caught up, get things ironed out between us. And I do owe you as much of an explanation as I can offer right now.” His smile was calm, but his eyes were not.
Ran could feel her face light up, and hoped fervently that she didn’t look too stupid what with that enormous smile on her face. But he didn’t seem to mind at all. Then a thought occurred to her, and she raised an eyebrow. “And you thought the best place to do this was a hotel room in New York City?” She didn’t want to be suspicious-especially not when he had been gone so long and she was so happy to have him back. He was being so sweet, and he certainly hadn’t done anything to suggest any dark intentions; he had been a perfect gentleman.
Shinichi was unfazed by the not-quite accusation. “I thought it’d be fun to have a change of scenery. I personally wanted to get away for a little while.” That last was accompanied by a visible grimace. Given his recently-acquired status as a global celebrity in addition to his considerable local fame, it had apparently been almost impossible for him to walk anywhere in Tokyo without being mobbed by fans-many of them young, female, and pretty (to Ran’s mind, anyway). There was a little better hope for anonymity in a foreign country, although not guaranteed (as evident by his conversation with the hotel manager). “And finally, I never said we were going to just sit in the hotel room the whole time we were here.”
“Oh?” Ran said, watching as he stood up.
He was grinning from ear to ear now. “How about some sight-seeing?”
-o-
Bringing Ran to New York was easily one of the best ideas he’d had in a long time. They’d spent the entire day wandering the city, looking at anything and everything that caught their interest. But it was really less about the actual sights, and more about just being together.
It was late afternoon, though, during their walk through Central Park when Shinichi felt her hand brush against his. She had pulled back almost immediately, suggesting that it was an accident. But somehow, it gave him enough courage to forget his natural shyness about such things and finally do what he had wanted to do all day-he reached out and took her hand in his own. His hold was firm and didn’t betray the fact that his insides were fluttering like hummingbirds on speed…which turns into exploding fireworks when she squeezed his hand back.
And so after this long day of sight-seeing and simply being together, he took her back to the hotel and told her to change into something nice. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”
“I’m taking you someplace nice,” Shinichi’s response was accompanied by a grin.
And so here they were, two hours later, at one of New York City’s five-star restaurants. Ran looked around; she felt a bit uncomfortable in such fancy settings. Shinichi, however, seemed perfectly at ease-even when he was stopped by a couple who recognized him from the news. He didn’t bat an eye.
Ran admired how he could stay so cool in a place like this, where she felt like she would get thrown out for even breathing the wrong way. But he had always been a part of this world, first because of his parents’ connections and now because of his own esteems and accomplishments. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever truly be able to fit into such a world.
He didn’t seem to notice her unease at first; she was trying not to make a big deal out of anything. But as he pulled her chair out for her, he leaned down and whispered, “Relax. You look great.”
Ran offered him a grateful smile as he took his own seat. “How do you always do that?”
“I just know you that well,” he replied.
Within the next few minutes, the waiter appeared to take their order and a wealthy-looking man with a French accent had come over to greet Shinichi. “It must be hard to be famous like this,” Ran sighed. “Never a moment’s peace, never even a minute to yourself…”
“It’s better here than it was in Tokyo,” he pointed out. “And either way, it doesn’t matter. Tonight I’m here for you and you only.” At her goggled expression, he chuckled. “Why so surprised? I owe you a lot, Ran. And this is the very least I can do.” Now his smile grew softer. “That…and finally tell you that I love you.”
Ran’s eyes were the size of the dinner plates on the next table. “You-I-me?”
He nodded.
The smile that lit up Ran’s face was brighter than the lights of Broadway. “Shinichi…” she looked down at the table, self-conscious. “I’m…so happy to hear that. I…god, where’s my head? I love you too.” She managed to stammer that much out before she realized how silly she probably sounded and clammed up.
For his part, Shinichi seemed pleased. The rest of their conversation went on fairly quietly in warm, hushed whispers over delicious food. It reminded her of another evening in another restaurant so long ago…except that Shinichi hadn’t talked about Holmes at all tonight. He had told her that he loved her. And there hadn’t been a-
“HELP!”
They were midway through a sinfully wonderful dessert when they heard the scream that she had known, deep down, would come sooner or later. Someone had been killed-back in the kitchens, if the frightened whispers were to be believed…and Shinichi hadn’t moved from his seat, though he had joined the entire rest of the restaurant in staring back towards the kitchen to see what was going on.
Ran decided to just ask the question. “Are you going to go?”
To her open amazement, he shook his head. “I told you-tonight is for you. Besides, the last time I did that I wound up having to run off again. And I don’t want to do that. So no, I’m staying right here-“
That was as far as he got before he was descended upon by a group of patrons, bodily hauling him from his seat. Ran’s English wasn’t the best, but she could pick out bits and pieces of what these people were jabbering about. There had been a murder, and weren’t they fortunate that the famous detective Kudo was there to solve the case!
Shinichi’s protests fell on deaf ears.
-o-
“Shinichi, you can stop apologizing now,” Ran said as they walked back into their hotel room. She didn’t dare admit to being secretly pleased at his concern. He had solved the murder and come back to the table…and apologized the entire way back.
He closed the door. “I really am sorry, Ran. I was hoping that kind of thing wouldn’t happen.” He crossed the living room, shedding his blazer as he did so and dropping it carelessly on the floor. “Maybe we should just not go out in public anymore.”
Ran managed not to go crimson at a few possible implications of that idea. Instead she simply replied, “Or we could go out in disguise. We could get you some fake glasses,” for some reason he snorted at that, “and maybe a fake moustache, and then-“
“I’ll look just like my father,” Shinichi cut in. “And instead of asking what it feels like to have busted a massive crime organization, they’ll beg me to tell them what’s going to happen in the next Night Baron book.” He sat down and leaned his head back against the cushions in an imitation of his earlier posture.
She had to laugh out loud at that idea. “Oh, it could be worse.” She sat down next to him, kicking her shoes off haphazardly in the process. Rather than copy his posture, though, she leaned against him; her head fit neatly against his shoulder. He chuckled and looped one arm around her neck.
They sat like that for a few minutes before Ran suddenly stood up and moved towards the glass doors and out onto the balcony. Shinichi followed and joined her in looking up at the night sky. The city was lit up in the darkness.
“Shinichi, thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly.
“You’re welcome. And thank you for coming with me,” he turned to look at her. He paused, then said, “You look tired. I guess it has been a long day.”
“I just want to stay out here a little longer,” she said, sliding a little closer. “Can we do that?”
“Definitely.”
It was quiet for a moment; then Shinichi took a deep breath and turned to face her. She looked startled at the move, and even more stunned when he said, “I want to kiss you.” As he said the, he realized exactly how unromantic they really sounded.
Ran stared at him. Then, softly, she asked, “Well…why don’t you?” Her eyes were luminous as she said it.
“I…okay.” It really wasn’t at all how he’d planned it-certainly not as romantic as he had hoped. He’d sort of figured it would come up after dinner, but that plan had gone completely sour. But seeing her, all dressed up and with the city lights in her eyes…it just came out. But she was telling him to do it, so…okay then.
…strange, why wouldn’t his arms move?
After a few seconds, Ran leaned back against the railing and sighed. “Or you could be as nervous as I am and freeze up,” she said knowingly. The look she gave him was rather wry. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Somehow, that simple statement, stating that she was as nervous as he was, gave him courage. He moved in front of her and put his hands on the railing, one on either side of her. “Ran…”
And he kissed her.
By now Ran wasn’t too surprised. Still, her eyes widened slightly before they fluttered shut. Her hands found their way to the back of his head and pulled him closer. Trapped between him and the balcony railing was not the worst place she could imagine being…
It was innocent and nervous and sweet and over far too quickly. He pulled away, and his eyes met hers, warm and happy. And then he kissed her again, now with less reservation and far more confidence.
Again she was left breathless when he pulled away. And suddenly, she felt a spiral of nerves rush through her when she realized that the world could very quickly become a very physical place. She wanted him, wanted desperately to be his and to make him her own…
“I…goodnight!” she pushed past him in a burst of anxiety and cold feet, darting through the doors and into the bedroom, where she closed the door. She regretted it (and felt like a royal idiot) before the latch even clicked.
But Shinichi didn’t call out to her. He didn’t even knock. He left her alone.
She changed from her dress to loose-fitting pajama pants and a camisole, glancing over her shoulder at the door now and again. Even after she crawled into the fancy (but extraordinarily comfortable) bed with the intention of sleeping, she kept her eyes on the door.
The unlocked door.
-o-
After tossing and turning for eons (and thinking about Ran), Shinichi finally felt himself starting to nod off. Sleep was finally on its way…maybe he would dream about her…
He heard the sound of a door opening mere meters away, and a soft voice say, “Shinichi?” Now he was wide awake and sitting upright, squinting through the darkness as Ran padded soundlessly across the room to stand by the couch. “Did I wake you?”
“Nah,” he replied-it was only a half-lie. He swung his legs off the couch and scooted over to make room for her to sit; she did so, curling both her legs under her. When she was seated, he asked, “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”
Ran shook her head.
“What time is it, anyway?” he asked; there was no clock within his immediate view.
“Almost two-thirty in the morning,” she said. “Listen, Shinichi…I’m sorry I ran out like that earlier-from the balcony, I mean.” He was about to reply, but she went on, “I just panicked.”
That startled him. “Panicked? Why?”
“I got nervous,” she shrugged. “And I ran. Which is stupid, because I liked it.” She felt herself blush, though he probably couldn’t see it. “I really liked it when you kissed me.” She wasn’t about to tell him about certain images that had flashed merrily through her mind, completely unbidden. She wasn’t that kind of girl; she had been raised better than that. But still…to finally have him there and realizing that these feelings were mutual…
It did open up a lot of possibilities. Some of which seemed like they would be very fun to explore.
Dammit, she wanted him. But was it too soon? Even though she had been waiting for him for so long?
“…you know I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he said quietly after a moment, leaving her to wonder if he could read her thoughts. He always seemed to look right through her.
“What do you want?” she asked. “And be honest. I won’t run.”
She had no way of knowing that it had been his intent from the start to tell her the entire truth of what he wanted to have happen between them. Granted, he had never dared think he would admit to wanting certain things so soon in the game, but she had asked bluntly. He took a breath. “I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. And I want to hold you and not let go.”
Ran didn’t think. She just spoke, using the same reply she had given him earlier when he had said he wanted to kiss her and then hesitated to do so. “Then why don’t you?”
The silence stretched on into eternity.
Finally, Shinichi answered her. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I won’t. Shinichi…” she pushed up onto her knees and leaned towards him. “I missed you so much. I love you. And I don’t want to lose you again.”
He stood up. “Don’t do this if you think you have to so you won’t ‘lose me,’ because it’s not true. You don’t have to. I’m yours either way.” That last was said with fierce possessiveness.
Ran didn’t know why she was pushing this. She was starting to feel like a whore. “I’m sorry…” she said, standing up. “Maybe it’s too soon. But I’m not saying this because I think I have to.” Her eyes met his squarely through the darkness. “I do want you, Shinichi. Desperately.” She turned with the intention of going back to the bedroom and trying to sleep away the fluttering feeling in her stomach. “I’m sorry. Goodni-“
She didn’t even make it a step before he caught her arm and pulled her to him. He was kissing her-much harder than before-before she had any time to register what was happening.
They broke apart breathlessly. “Do you-“
“Yes.”
That was really all the affirmation that was needed, and they found each other’s lips again as they stumbled back towards the bedroom, hands already fumbling through the first nervous, clumsy touches.
Shinichi stopped when he felt the bed hit the backs of his legs. But he was less concerned with the bed (at the moment, anyway) and far more interested in the fact that Ran seemed quite intent on ridding him of his pajama shirt. “In a hurry?” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Quiet,” she replied, finally freeing the last button and pushing the shirt back off his shoulders and down his arms. He tossed it aside while she ran her hands over the newly-exposed skin. Her lips caught his for a kiss before she pushed on his chest, sending him backwards onto the bed. She took advantage of his momentary surprise to take care of those pesky pajama pants as well, leaving him in boxers only.
“Get over here,” he half-ordered, and she complied, lowering into his embrace for a very long kiss. While they engaged in a heated battle of lips and tongues, he rolled her over onto her back, pinning her with his weight. When he broke the kiss, he sat back and ran his hands down her sides to the waistband of her pants.
She lifted her hips from the bed to let him slide the garment down her legs, where they were discarded. It was only then that the first waves of nervous shyness hit her, and she tensed, waiting for his appraisal.
To her surprise, he frowned; then he caught one of her ankles and took one of her toes between his thumb and ring finger. “This little piggy went to market…”
That was enough. Ran laughed, her tension gone, and kicked gently. “Shinichi! Stop it!”
“Don’t want you to be nervous, that’s all,” he cheered, trailing his hands up her legs to her hips…where he started tickling her, running his fingers lightly up and down her sides. Her reaction was the expected one: she laughed and tried to wriggle away. In the process, he flipped her onto her stomach and started working her shirt up her torso until finally he slipped it over her head.
When he stopped tickling her and rolled her over onto her back again, she had stopped laughing…and was reaching for him, pulling him down against her. The feeling of naked skin against skin was driving them both mad, and the only barrier left between them consisted of two thin layers of fabric.
For a while, they lay tangled together, kissing and touching, drawing the first soft moans from each other. Then two pairs of steady hands set about removing that last barrier, sliding the garments out of the way and casting them aside. They sat facing each other for a moment, taking in the sight of each other.
Then Shinichi kissed her, and Ran leaned against him to press him down on his back. And they made love for the first time.
-o-
Shinichi reached his free arm out to one side, arching his back slightly to get as good of a stretch as possible before returning that hand to its position under his head. His other arm was wrapped around Ran’s shoulders, half-hidden beneath her cascade of dark hair. He kissed her forehead and tightened his hold.
Ran responded by snuggling closer to his chest and sighing happily.
“You know,” Shinichi said softly, “I really hadn’t planned on this happening when I asked you to come here with me. Or rather, I don’t think I dared to even dream that this could happen.”
She chuckled. “The thought hadn’t even occurred to me. But…” she tilted her head to press her lips against his neck, “I’m so happy right now.” The last word was punctuated with a yawn that betrayed how tired she really was.
“Maybe it’s time to sleep?” he teased. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Hmm…good idea,” she agreed. She shifted slightly so her head could find a more comfortable pillow on his shoulder. “So don’t move a muscle for the next eight hours, okay?”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied dryly. Now his free hand reached down to pull the blankets up around them a bit more snugly. Heaven forbid she catch cold. “So…can I kiss you goodnight?” She giggled and tilted her head up to kiss him before curling back against his chest.
They murmured a soft goodnight, and were lost to happy slumber.
PS. This took FOREVER to write x.x This one goes out to magicbulletgirl, who asked for Shinichi and Ran in New York with making out. Ya know…smut, making out, same difference. Longest one I’ve written in a while! This is number twenty-five, so only five more left! Thanks for reading, all! Much love!
Fandom: Detective Conan
Characters: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran
Theme: #6-vacation
Rating: R (for extremely suggestive content)
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: After all that had happened, they really needed a vacation.
“I don’t know how you pulled this off, Shinichi,” Ran sighed happily, drinking in the perfect view of the New York skyline. “But it’s amazing.”
He leaned his forearms against the balcony railing and grinned. “I guess being famous has some nice perks, huh?”
“I’ll say!” she laughed, then added, “Although I don’t quite understand why you only got us one hotel room. With one bed.” There was definite suspicion in her voice now regarding his motives.
He lifted both hands now in a warding gesture. “This is the nicest suite in the place! And I didn’t want to push my luck with the manager.” He threw her his most charming smile before pushing away from the railing and moving towards the glass doors that led back into the suite. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
He wasn’t about to admit that there was a second reason, though it was nothing really bad: he simply didn’t want to be too far away from her. Especially not after all he had gone through to come back to her in the first place.
Ran cast one more look towards the view, then followed him back into the suite. It was a rather wondrous set of rooms-an enormous bathroom, a sunken living room, and a bedroom with a bed so large and ornate-looking that Ran was afraid to even touch it; the entire place was decorated in blue and cream. Ran had gasped with delight when she saw it; it was beautiful. Shinichi had been visibly pleased with her reaction.
When she walked back in, he was already sitting on the couch with his head resting back against the cushions and his long legs stretched out to their full length, crossed at the ankle; he looked quite comfortable. Ran strolled around to the back of the couch; on a whim, she started combing her fingers through his hair, and giggled when he made a sound that was half-moan, half-purr, and all happy. “You like?” she teased.
“Hmm…you have my permission to never stop,” he murmured with a smile. As per his request she kept on, letting his hair fall between her fingers like thick, rough silk. It was perhaps a more intimate moment than they were usually accustomed to, but it was so sweet…and really, sometimes it was so wonderful to just touch him and know that he was there and he was real and he wasn’t disappearing again…
She felt daring all of a sudden, and dropped her hands to his shoulders before sliding her arms around his neck. He tensed in surprise but relaxed just as quickly. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling his hair against her cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
Shinichi twisted; she loosened her hold, startled by the movement, before she found herself caught up in a very tight embrace. He had turned around and was kneeling on the couch, leaving over the back of the furniture to hug her.
For the next few moments, Ran allowed herself to be swept up in the moment and his arms and his strength. It was wonderful to know that it was all finally there. Beyond the windows and the balcony, New York City rolled by with all of its usual bustle and noise.
When they finally eased away from each other, Ran could feel herself blush. But that turned to some surprise when he asked, “Ran, do you know why I asked you to come here with me?”
“I-no, I don’t,” she shook her head. It had seemed a little bit strange to her, though. After he had been gone for what seemed like ages, news had broken of the bust of a massive crime syndicate; the investigation that had led to this enormous breaking story had Shinichi’s name at the top of the list. And then he had shown up on her doorstep to ask if she wanted to go on a vacation. With him. After getting over her initial shock, she had given it about a second of thought before saying yes. After all, they’d gone places together before. And to hell with what her father would undoubtedly have to say about it. “Why?”
He leaned his elbows on the back of the couch and put his chin in his hands. “Because I thought it would be nice if we could have some time alone. Just the two of us. You know…get caught up, get things ironed out between us. And I do owe you as much of an explanation as I can offer right now.” His smile was calm, but his eyes were not.
Ran could feel her face light up, and hoped fervently that she didn’t look too stupid what with that enormous smile on her face. But he didn’t seem to mind at all. Then a thought occurred to her, and she raised an eyebrow. “And you thought the best place to do this was a hotel room in New York City?” She didn’t want to be suspicious-especially not when he had been gone so long and she was so happy to have him back. He was being so sweet, and he certainly hadn’t done anything to suggest any dark intentions; he had been a perfect gentleman.
Shinichi was unfazed by the not-quite accusation. “I thought it’d be fun to have a change of scenery. I personally wanted to get away for a little while.” That last was accompanied by a visible grimace. Given his recently-acquired status as a global celebrity in addition to his considerable local fame, it had apparently been almost impossible for him to walk anywhere in Tokyo without being mobbed by fans-many of them young, female, and pretty (to Ran’s mind, anyway). There was a little better hope for anonymity in a foreign country, although not guaranteed (as evident by his conversation with the hotel manager). “And finally, I never said we were going to just sit in the hotel room the whole time we were here.”
“Oh?” Ran said, watching as he stood up.
He was grinning from ear to ear now. “How about some sight-seeing?”
-o-
Bringing Ran to New York was easily one of the best ideas he’d had in a long time. They’d spent the entire day wandering the city, looking at anything and everything that caught their interest. But it was really less about the actual sights, and more about just being together.
It was late afternoon, though, during their walk through Central Park when Shinichi felt her hand brush against his. She had pulled back almost immediately, suggesting that it was an accident. But somehow, it gave him enough courage to forget his natural shyness about such things and finally do what he had wanted to do all day-he reached out and took her hand in his own. His hold was firm and didn’t betray the fact that his insides were fluttering like hummingbirds on speed…which turns into exploding fireworks when she squeezed his hand back.
And so after this long day of sight-seeing and simply being together, he took her back to the hotel and told her to change into something nice. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”
“I’m taking you someplace nice,” Shinichi’s response was accompanied by a grin.
And so here they were, two hours later, at one of New York City’s five-star restaurants. Ran looked around; she felt a bit uncomfortable in such fancy settings. Shinichi, however, seemed perfectly at ease-even when he was stopped by a couple who recognized him from the news. He didn’t bat an eye.
Ran admired how he could stay so cool in a place like this, where she felt like she would get thrown out for even breathing the wrong way. But he had always been a part of this world, first because of his parents’ connections and now because of his own esteems and accomplishments. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever truly be able to fit into such a world.
He didn’t seem to notice her unease at first; she was trying not to make a big deal out of anything. But as he pulled her chair out for her, he leaned down and whispered, “Relax. You look great.”
Ran offered him a grateful smile as he took his own seat. “How do you always do that?”
“I just know you that well,” he replied.
Within the next few minutes, the waiter appeared to take their order and a wealthy-looking man with a French accent had come over to greet Shinichi. “It must be hard to be famous like this,” Ran sighed. “Never a moment’s peace, never even a minute to yourself…”
“It’s better here than it was in Tokyo,” he pointed out. “And either way, it doesn’t matter. Tonight I’m here for you and you only.” At her goggled expression, he chuckled. “Why so surprised? I owe you a lot, Ran. And this is the very least I can do.” Now his smile grew softer. “That…and finally tell you that I love you.”
Ran’s eyes were the size of the dinner plates on the next table. “You-I-me?”
He nodded.
The smile that lit up Ran’s face was brighter than the lights of Broadway. “Shinichi…” she looked down at the table, self-conscious. “I’m…so happy to hear that. I…god, where’s my head? I love you too.” She managed to stammer that much out before she realized how silly she probably sounded and clammed up.
For his part, Shinichi seemed pleased. The rest of their conversation went on fairly quietly in warm, hushed whispers over delicious food. It reminded her of another evening in another restaurant so long ago…except that Shinichi hadn’t talked about Holmes at all tonight. He had told her that he loved her. And there hadn’t been a-
“HELP!”
They were midway through a sinfully wonderful dessert when they heard the scream that she had known, deep down, would come sooner or later. Someone had been killed-back in the kitchens, if the frightened whispers were to be believed…and Shinichi hadn’t moved from his seat, though he had joined the entire rest of the restaurant in staring back towards the kitchen to see what was going on.
Ran decided to just ask the question. “Are you going to go?”
To her open amazement, he shook his head. “I told you-tonight is for you. Besides, the last time I did that I wound up having to run off again. And I don’t want to do that. So no, I’m staying right here-“
That was as far as he got before he was descended upon by a group of patrons, bodily hauling him from his seat. Ran’s English wasn’t the best, but she could pick out bits and pieces of what these people were jabbering about. There had been a murder, and weren’t they fortunate that the famous detective Kudo was there to solve the case!
Shinichi’s protests fell on deaf ears.
-o-
“Shinichi, you can stop apologizing now,” Ran said as they walked back into their hotel room. She didn’t dare admit to being secretly pleased at his concern. He had solved the murder and come back to the table…and apologized the entire way back.
He closed the door. “I really am sorry, Ran. I was hoping that kind of thing wouldn’t happen.” He crossed the living room, shedding his blazer as he did so and dropping it carelessly on the floor. “Maybe we should just not go out in public anymore.”
Ran managed not to go crimson at a few possible implications of that idea. Instead she simply replied, “Or we could go out in disguise. We could get you some fake glasses,” for some reason he snorted at that, “and maybe a fake moustache, and then-“
“I’ll look just like my father,” Shinichi cut in. “And instead of asking what it feels like to have busted a massive crime organization, they’ll beg me to tell them what’s going to happen in the next Night Baron book.” He sat down and leaned his head back against the cushions in an imitation of his earlier posture.
She had to laugh out loud at that idea. “Oh, it could be worse.” She sat down next to him, kicking her shoes off haphazardly in the process. Rather than copy his posture, though, she leaned against him; her head fit neatly against his shoulder. He chuckled and looped one arm around her neck.
They sat like that for a few minutes before Ran suddenly stood up and moved towards the glass doors and out onto the balcony. Shinichi followed and joined her in looking up at the night sky. The city was lit up in the darkness.
“Shinichi, thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly.
“You’re welcome. And thank you for coming with me,” he turned to look at her. He paused, then said, “You look tired. I guess it has been a long day.”
“I just want to stay out here a little longer,” she said, sliding a little closer. “Can we do that?”
“Definitely.”
It was quiet for a moment; then Shinichi took a deep breath and turned to face her. She looked startled at the move, and even more stunned when he said, “I want to kiss you.” As he said the, he realized exactly how unromantic they really sounded.
Ran stared at him. Then, softly, she asked, “Well…why don’t you?” Her eyes were luminous as she said it.
“I…okay.” It really wasn’t at all how he’d planned it-certainly not as romantic as he had hoped. He’d sort of figured it would come up after dinner, but that plan had gone completely sour. But seeing her, all dressed up and with the city lights in her eyes…it just came out. But she was telling him to do it, so…okay then.
…strange, why wouldn’t his arms move?
After a few seconds, Ran leaned back against the railing and sighed. “Or you could be as nervous as I am and freeze up,” she said knowingly. The look she gave him was rather wry. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Somehow, that simple statement, stating that she was as nervous as he was, gave him courage. He moved in front of her and put his hands on the railing, one on either side of her. “Ran…”
And he kissed her.
By now Ran wasn’t too surprised. Still, her eyes widened slightly before they fluttered shut. Her hands found their way to the back of his head and pulled him closer. Trapped between him and the balcony railing was not the worst place she could imagine being…
It was innocent and nervous and sweet and over far too quickly. He pulled away, and his eyes met hers, warm and happy. And then he kissed her again, now with less reservation and far more confidence.
Again she was left breathless when he pulled away. And suddenly, she felt a spiral of nerves rush through her when she realized that the world could very quickly become a very physical place. She wanted him, wanted desperately to be his and to make him her own…
“I…goodnight!” she pushed past him in a burst of anxiety and cold feet, darting through the doors and into the bedroom, where she closed the door. She regretted it (and felt like a royal idiot) before the latch even clicked.
But Shinichi didn’t call out to her. He didn’t even knock. He left her alone.
She changed from her dress to loose-fitting pajama pants and a camisole, glancing over her shoulder at the door now and again. Even after she crawled into the fancy (but extraordinarily comfortable) bed with the intention of sleeping, she kept her eyes on the door.
The unlocked door.
-o-
After tossing and turning for eons (and thinking about Ran), Shinichi finally felt himself starting to nod off. Sleep was finally on its way…maybe he would dream about her…
He heard the sound of a door opening mere meters away, and a soft voice say, “Shinichi?” Now he was wide awake and sitting upright, squinting through the darkness as Ran padded soundlessly across the room to stand by the couch. “Did I wake you?”
“Nah,” he replied-it was only a half-lie. He swung his legs off the couch and scooted over to make room for her to sit; she did so, curling both her legs under her. When she was seated, he asked, “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”
Ran shook her head.
“What time is it, anyway?” he asked; there was no clock within his immediate view.
“Almost two-thirty in the morning,” she said. “Listen, Shinichi…I’m sorry I ran out like that earlier-from the balcony, I mean.” He was about to reply, but she went on, “I just panicked.”
That startled him. “Panicked? Why?”
“I got nervous,” she shrugged. “And I ran. Which is stupid, because I liked it.” She felt herself blush, though he probably couldn’t see it. “I really liked it when you kissed me.” She wasn’t about to tell him about certain images that had flashed merrily through her mind, completely unbidden. She wasn’t that kind of girl; she had been raised better than that. But still…to finally have him there and realizing that these feelings were mutual…
It did open up a lot of possibilities. Some of which seemed like they would be very fun to explore.
Dammit, she wanted him. But was it too soon? Even though she had been waiting for him for so long?
“…you know I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to do,” he said quietly after a moment, leaving her to wonder if he could read her thoughts. He always seemed to look right through her.
“What do you want?” she asked. “And be honest. I won’t run.”
She had no way of knowing that it had been his intent from the start to tell her the entire truth of what he wanted to have happen between them. Granted, he had never dared think he would admit to wanting certain things so soon in the game, but she had asked bluntly. He took a breath. “I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. And I want to hold you and not let go.”
Ran didn’t think. She just spoke, using the same reply she had given him earlier when he had said he wanted to kiss her and then hesitated to do so. “Then why don’t you?”
The silence stretched on into eternity.
Finally, Shinichi answered her. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I won’t. Shinichi…” she pushed up onto her knees and leaned towards him. “I missed you so much. I love you. And I don’t want to lose you again.”
He stood up. “Don’t do this if you think you have to so you won’t ‘lose me,’ because it’s not true. You don’t have to. I’m yours either way.” That last was said with fierce possessiveness.
Ran didn’t know why she was pushing this. She was starting to feel like a whore. “I’m sorry…” she said, standing up. “Maybe it’s too soon. But I’m not saying this because I think I have to.” Her eyes met his squarely through the darkness. “I do want you, Shinichi. Desperately.” She turned with the intention of going back to the bedroom and trying to sleep away the fluttering feeling in her stomach. “I’m sorry. Goodni-“
She didn’t even make it a step before he caught her arm and pulled her to him. He was kissing her-much harder than before-before she had any time to register what was happening.
They broke apart breathlessly. “Do you-“
“Yes.”
That was really all the affirmation that was needed, and they found each other’s lips again as they stumbled back towards the bedroom, hands already fumbling through the first nervous, clumsy touches.
Shinichi stopped when he felt the bed hit the backs of his legs. But he was less concerned with the bed (at the moment, anyway) and far more interested in the fact that Ran seemed quite intent on ridding him of his pajama shirt. “In a hurry?” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Quiet,” she replied, finally freeing the last button and pushing the shirt back off his shoulders and down his arms. He tossed it aside while she ran her hands over the newly-exposed skin. Her lips caught his for a kiss before she pushed on his chest, sending him backwards onto the bed. She took advantage of his momentary surprise to take care of those pesky pajama pants as well, leaving him in boxers only.
“Get over here,” he half-ordered, and she complied, lowering into his embrace for a very long kiss. While they engaged in a heated battle of lips and tongues, he rolled her over onto her back, pinning her with his weight. When he broke the kiss, he sat back and ran his hands down her sides to the waistband of her pants.
She lifted her hips from the bed to let him slide the garment down her legs, where they were discarded. It was only then that the first waves of nervous shyness hit her, and she tensed, waiting for his appraisal.
To her surprise, he frowned; then he caught one of her ankles and took one of her toes between his thumb and ring finger. “This little piggy went to market…”
That was enough. Ran laughed, her tension gone, and kicked gently. “Shinichi! Stop it!”
“Don’t want you to be nervous, that’s all,” he cheered, trailing his hands up her legs to her hips…where he started tickling her, running his fingers lightly up and down her sides. Her reaction was the expected one: she laughed and tried to wriggle away. In the process, he flipped her onto her stomach and started working her shirt up her torso until finally he slipped it over her head.
When he stopped tickling her and rolled her over onto her back again, she had stopped laughing…and was reaching for him, pulling him down against her. The feeling of naked skin against skin was driving them both mad, and the only barrier left between them consisted of two thin layers of fabric.
For a while, they lay tangled together, kissing and touching, drawing the first soft moans from each other. Then two pairs of steady hands set about removing that last barrier, sliding the garments out of the way and casting them aside. They sat facing each other for a moment, taking in the sight of each other.
Then Shinichi kissed her, and Ran leaned against him to press him down on his back. And they made love for the first time.
-o-
Shinichi reached his free arm out to one side, arching his back slightly to get as good of a stretch as possible before returning that hand to its position under his head. His other arm was wrapped around Ran’s shoulders, half-hidden beneath her cascade of dark hair. He kissed her forehead and tightened his hold.
Ran responded by snuggling closer to his chest and sighing happily.
“You know,” Shinichi said softly, “I really hadn’t planned on this happening when I asked you to come here with me. Or rather, I don’t think I dared to even dream that this could happen.”
She chuckled. “The thought hadn’t even occurred to me. But…” she tilted her head to press her lips against his neck, “I’m so happy right now.” The last word was punctuated with a yawn that betrayed how tired she really was.
“Maybe it’s time to sleep?” he teased. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Hmm…good idea,” she agreed. She shifted slightly so her head could find a more comfortable pillow on his shoulder. “So don’t move a muscle for the next eight hours, okay?”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied dryly. Now his free hand reached down to pull the blankets up around them a bit more snugly. Heaven forbid she catch cold. “So…can I kiss you goodnight?” She giggled and tilted her head up to kiss him before curling back against his chest.
They murmured a soft goodnight, and were lost to happy slumber.
PS. This took FOREVER to write x.x This one goes out to magicbulletgirl, who asked for Shinichi and Ran in New York with making out. Ya know…smut, making out, same difference. Longest one I’ve written in a while! This is number twenty-five, so only five more left! Thanks for reading, all! Much love!