#shinranweek2022

[marivanilla05]

Shinran week 2022: Day 1

First times/ No childhood friends AU (Royal AU)

In which Shinichi meets princess Ran for the first time.

[digitallyfanged]

@shinranweek

Day 2 - Conan Reveal I'm team "Ran has known, always will know, and is just playing along at this point because Shinichi must have a good reason"

[gisachi]

“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” — The Chaos of Stars 

|| for @shinranweek Day 7: Soulmates

[subbe93]

Day 4: Kiss and Tell

A/N: Fake relationship AU has been something I have wanted to write a long time now, and I was pretty happy when this was one of the prompts for the week. But it ended up being much harder than I thought xD It was hard to think of some little plot that would fit into a one-shot, but wouldn't feel too rushed. And this came out.

Edited by @mirrorfalls ❤

Kiss and Tell

“Pretend to be my girlfriend.”

Those words rang in Ran’s ears all over again while her heart kept hammering in her chest like mad. She understood what they meant, yet all she was capable of doing was staring at those blue eyes that stared back at her with crystal-clear determination.

Shinichi, asking her to be his pretend girlfriend? Part of her wanted to laugh. God, Shinichi would never ask anything like that!

But his expression was so serious, and more than that, he seemed to be nervous. And that was enough for Ran to understand that this was probably something serious, which just made everything more complicated.

Pretend to be his girlfriend? Her cheeks felt warm even though she was pretty sure that there were all the reasons in the world she shouldn’t agree.

“Pretend… to be… your… girlfriend?” she asked with hesitation. Good thing her father wasn’t home; in fact, that had been the first thing Shinichi had asked when she had opened the door. It had been a weird question, but now she understood why.

“Why?”

Shinichi looked away. “Do you know Hakurei Saika?”

Oh, her… Well, if he had asked a week ago, she would have said not really. But now…

A month ago a new girl moved into their school. Ran had seen that slim, fair-skinned short-haired girl with those light blue eyes, and that rosy smile, but since she was in another class group, Ran never really got a chance to introduce herself or get to know her personally. Yet news traveled fast, and she heard plenty of gossips: Her classmates reported that she was plenty smart, talented, and self-assured. Boys seemed to have a crush on that girl, and she remembered that even Sonoko had once grumbled about how ‘almost everyone seemed to be in love with that newcomer, and Ran had reassured her that it would all pass sooner or later.

Had it? Ran couldn’t really tell, because she hadn’t given it much more thought. Not until a couple of days ago, when that girl had asked to meet her. She had wondered why, but as soon as they were alone by the sports shed, she introduced herself as Hakurei Saika and asked what was her relationship with Shinichi.

Ran had been confused by the question, but she answered that they were just childhood friends. The same answer as always.

“Nothing more?” Sakai had asked. Ran frowned, further confused about the question. Only then had Sakai clarified the question to “You two aren’t dating”, which had made Ran blush.

She had denied it. Of course, she had! Like she should. Because it was the truth.

Yet she still could remember how pleased Sakai had looked. That expression had haunted her dreams. “Excellent”, she had said. “Because everyone in this school seems to think you two are some kind of meant-to-be. But if that’s the truth, then good.” And then she had dropped that bomb, the words that would be inked into Ran’s mind, probably forever: “Brilliant. Because I’m in love with him, and I don’t care to waste my time fighting over him with some silly little ho-hum.”

Ran looked away, because she knew that Shinichi would probably notice her expression, and she didn’t want to tell him - not like this. And to be honest, she wasn’t still sure if Shinichi would ever feel the same, even though all their classmates seemed to think that he was already onboard. How could they know? They always told her that he behaved differently around her and did everything for her, but to be honest, she couldn’t see anything different or special in his behavior when he was with her. Just the same as he’d been all these years. The same Shinichi, one of her best friends, reliable and always there for her. Sometimes a little too teasing, a little too full of himself, but deep down endlessly kind and caring. Someone she always knew that she could rely on.

There were no signs that he would ever like her as more than a friend. No signs except what others made up.

But knowing that newcomer had got her eyes on Shinichi… Well, she has to admit to herself that she had been sad about it, but who was she to make decisions for Shinichi? In the end, if Shinichi did like that girl, then she couldn’t do anything other than support him and make sure that that girl wouldn’t treat him wrong.

But if he was asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend, did that mean he wasn’t interested in Sakai?

“I… I know her”, she answered eventually and looked back at Shinichi, who observed her closely. “Not personally, though, just heard about her and saw her a few times”, she added.

“You haven’t missed anything”, he said and turned, walking a few steps towards the windows. “She’s nothing more than a pain in the ass.”

“Shinichi!” Ran scolded, trying not to acknowledge the part of her, deep down, that was beaming. Shinichi just glanced at her before shrugging and turning to look out the window. Ran watched how he put his hands into his pockets. She could understand why girls were so easily attracted to him. He was handsome, she couldn’t deny it. But… well, at least she wanted to believe that she knew him thoroughly and liked him for more than just his looks.

“Did you know that she has a crush on me?”

Something tightened Ran’s chest. “I… have heard something like that”, she answered and looked away. God, she didn’t want to tell him about their conversation. “But… since you haven’t talked about her…”

“I don’t like her!”

The sharp, almost bitter tone in his voice surprised Ran. She turned to look at him. He had turned to look at her with eyes so annoyed, so… Like she had accused him of something unfair.

But she hadn’t, right?

“I didn’t say you did”, she said gently, offering a smile. He seemed to relax a little bit before looking away. “And if you don’t, then you should tell her that.”

“I did”, he answered and turned back to the window. “When she came to me and told me she likes me, I - nicely, I might add”, Ran let out a little laugh, “told her that I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.” He let out a dry laugh. “Heck, I even felt a little bad for her. But you know, she didn’t even blink.”

She smiled dryly at that. “Well, not everyone gets heartbroken after the great detective turns them down”, she tutted.

She saw how he shook his head. 

“She keeps coming back, telling me that she likes me”, he continued and turned back to her. “And every time I turned her down. First nicely, then I told her it straight into her face, and… well”, he looked a little ashamed. “Well, maybe I got meaner than I should have, but I thought that kind of language would get through to her.” He shook his head again. “But no! She won’t stop coming. And when I asked why, she told me that as long as I’m not dating anyone, she can flirt with me and try to win me over because, and exact words here: we’re destined to be.”

Well, that wasn’t something Ran liked hearing, but…

“Then why don’t you give her a chance?” she asked slowly. He looked at her like she had gone insane. Well, she didn’t fully know why she’d said it either, but... “After that, if you still aren’t interested, maybe she would understand…”

He let out a single dry laugh and turned away. “I doubt it”, he answered. “And honestly, I’m not interested at all. It wouldn’t be more than a waste of time. For both of us.”

“Come on. That’s rude”, Ran commented.

Shinichi looked back at her. “Well, would you want to go on a date with someone you have zero interest in?”

Ran turned aside. The idea that your crush wouldn’t even want to get to know you… felt so bad, and kind of unfair. But then again, if she had had someone after her who wouldn’t give up even when she said no… Even though she still didn’t know this Saika well, she had gotten her first impression, and to be honest, it wasn’t a good one. So if someone like that were after her, she wasn’t sure if she would try out a date with them. And worse, what if they still kept it up even after the date? Also, there were so many other ways to get to know one another, no dates necessary.

She still felt bad about the whole thing, but Shinichi probably had a point.

But pretending to be his girlfriend… Even though the idea felt nice, and sent thrills into her at the slightest thought, she still wasn’t sure if she’d call it a good idea. First of all, they would need to do it in front of everyone, not just Saika. Unless they kept it somehow secret? But then there would be no point at all. And on top of that, even though it would be just so much horseplay for Shinichi, for her… She liked him, as much more than just a friend. And part of her was a little afraid there’d be hurt in store for her.

But at the same time, this Saika bothered Shinichi. And if this was the surest way to make her leave him alone…

“Okay”, she said slowly. “I’m not sure if this will really solve anything, but if it helps you…” She hesitated before saying the rest. “But how about our classmates? When they find out…”

“I don’t care”, Shinichi said and turned relieved eyes to her. “After she leaves me alone, we can always tell everyone that we… well…” he looked away. “Well, that we broke up.” Again, Ran felt something tightening in her chest. “Or we can tell them the truth.”

“Wouldn’t she go back after you, then?” Ran said. Now, there was an unwanted thought…

“She’ll be looking at someone else by then”, Shinichi answered, and came closer to her. “But still… thanks Ran. I owe you.”

Ran smiled. “I know”, she answered. “What would you do without me?”

He smiled back.

As always, Teitan High was an institution where gossip and news spread fast. Too fast, if you asked Ran, but then again, maybe it was her fault. On the next day, almost as soon as they got to their classroom, their friends were congratulating them, claiming that it was about time, and teasing up a storm. It had surprised both of them, but as soon as Ran saw Sonoko behind the crowd and that “innocent” look on her face she knew… Well, in the end, she could only blame herself, because she had told Sonoko. Sonoko was their friend, and she deserved some kind of explanation if they walked hand in hand in school or behaved somehow differently than before… or so Ran had thought at the time.

When Ran later caught Sonoko and scolded her for spreading the lie, what she got was a mischievous smile and an explanation that she should be happy because the more people heard about the news, the more believable it would be “Don’t you want Saika to leave your husband alone?”

It left Ran nervous, even though she couldn’t quite tell why. The next few days saw her on-edge even though their classmates stopped teasing them, and she and Shinichi acted almost exactly like before. They just held hands when they came and left the school, but other than that, they didn’t do much. Maybe sometimes when they were outside of the classroom, hanging with other students, she could feel Shinichi touching her back, but that was it.

Sonoko, on the other hand, thought that maybe she had nerves over Saika, and maybe she was right. But when Ran thought about it, she couldn’t tell if there was any logic to that. In the end, this was a thing between Shinichi and Saika, so she would probably talk to him instead of Ran, and since Shinichi hadn’t mentioned anything about Saika confronting him, that probably meant that she had heard and given up on him. At least, Ran hoped so.

So she tried to relax. There would be nothing to be nervous about. Everything was like before - except with a little more hand-holding.

But just as she got herself to relax and continue her school life like before, Saika came to her. Ran had kind of hoped that Saika would turn around once she saw Ran with her other friends, but it hadn’t stopped her. She had just come to them, smiled very sweetly and innocently, and asked if she could talk with Ran in private.

It had made Ran’s heart sink. She didn’t know what to expect. Did Saika want to announce that she had given up on Shinichi, or did she have something worse in mind? But in a way, this would be her best chance: This girl had been harassing Shinichi nonstop, even though he had told her many times that he wasn’t interested. Maybe Ran could end this all, tell her to leave Shinichi alone, and make her understand that what she had been doing wasn’t okay.

So Ran followed her into the school courtyard, trying to steel her nerves and be ready for anything. And as soon as they made sure nobody else was around, Saika turned to look at Ran with a certain kind of smile.

“You lied to me.”

Ran frowned. “No, I didn’t”, she answered. It wasn’t her fault that she hadn’t been asked the right questions, was it? “Back then, we weren’t together, and you didn’t ask how I felt about him.”

“Hmmm”, Saika hummed and crossed her arms.

“And you”, Ran started. Her heart was pinballing in her chest too fast, too loud, but she decided to grit her teeth and say it. “Don’t ever bother Shinichi again.” She was surprised at how much steel was in those words when they came out. Maybe she was a little too harsh, but there was plenty of evidence of Saika’s stubbornness. Maybe the best option was being harsh and determined. “He’s told you thousands of times that he isn’t interested in you, so even though you like him, you should respect his words and let him be.”

A smile came back to Saika’s lips when she looked at Ran. “Oh”, she started. “Does that mean you two aren’t really together?”

“What?!” Ran blurted before she could stop herself. God, had she ruined this already? What had she said to give it away? She hadn’t said anything weird! At least, she thought so…

“So… you two are faking…”

“We’re… not!”

“You hesitated”, she smiled. “And why didn’t you threaten me to keep away from your boyfriend, instead of telling me he told you he isn’t interested?”

Ran frowned. “I don’t see any difference”, she answered honestly. “I care about him, and…”

“Care?”

Ran hesitated. “Love”, she corrected herself, pushing past the embarrassment of saying it out loud. But for Shinichi… “Because I… love… him and, if he’s uncomfortable about something, then I should do everything to make him feel better again.”

“But it doesn’t bother you that I love him too?”

Ran hesitated. “Of course it does”, she answered.

Saika raised her eyebrows. “Does it really?”

“Of course!”

“Then why?”

Ran felt more nervous. “Why what?”

“Why don’t you say so?” she asked and tilted her head.

Ran stared at the other girl. She couldn’t understand where Saika was going with this. Or maybe she was just trying to tease out an answer that would confirm her accusations?

“I don’t understand”, Ran said finally, slowly. “I did.”

“Yeah, after I asked about it.”

Ran shook her head. She wasn’t getting anywhere. “And I said it bothered me”, she insisted. “I don’t know what else…”

“Because any real girlfriend would have started off telling their rival to leave their boyfriend alone because it bothers them”, Saika interrupted.

Ran shut her mouth. Really? 

“But you didn’t”, Saika said and smiled. “So to me, it looks like…”

“Ran!”

Ran couldn’t decide if she was relieved or terrified to hear that ever-familiar voice calling her name. Part of her was happy, because if he was here, maybe they could save this situation after all, but then again, if she had already ruined everything…

She turned and saw how Shinichi slowly, carefully approached, looking at her with his face a silent question: What’s going on? Ran just looked at him and felt his hand on her lower back. Somehow it felt soothing.

“Oh, hi, Shinichi-chan…”

Ran turned back at Saika. Shinichi-chan? How… dare she?! Now her muscles were twitching for action, but…

“Hakurei-san”, Shinichi greeted, formal and dry. Thank God, his opinion of Saika still hadn’t changed. “What do you want from Ran?”

Saika smiled sweetly and Ran felt a desperate pressure in her chest. She could see this going nowhere good. Heck, if she…

Ran turned to Shinichi. “It’s nothing”, she said quickly. “We just talked…”

“I think this girl follows you only out of pity.”

What?!

Ran turned to look at Saika, who answered her stare with a downright poisonous smile.

“Wh- what?” Ran stammered. That was the last thing she’d expected!! “That… That’s not it!”

“Then why?”

“Leave her alone”, Shinichi interrupted. “She doesn’t have to let you judge her feelings, so don’t bother yourself with those questions.”

“But don’t you care that she doesn’t love you?” Saika asked, looking almost sad when she turned her eyes back to Shinichi. “Because I care, and…”

“And how do you know how she feels or not?” Shinichi cut her off again. He really had gotten enough of this.

“Because she said so”, Saika answered.

“I didn’t!” Ran denied. “I told you that I… I…” Love him. That is what she meant to say, but knowing that Shinichi was there, beside her, listening…

“You didn’t?” she repeated and turned back to Ran. “Then that blustering earlier was..?”

“I told you to leave him alone.”

“Because?”

“Because you keep harassing him and don’t respect what he wants even though he told you straight-out”, Ran answered.

“And?”

Ran just stared at her. What more answer did she want?

“So it doesn’t bother you? At all? That I love him?” Saika asked again.

Ran just stared at those crystal blue eyes. She didn’t look away, didn’t dare give Saika the slightest hint that she had given up the fight, didn’t dare look at Shinichi now.

She couldn’t answer that question. She knew she should. She had done it just a minute ago, but there was a world of difference doing it in front of Shinichi. Of course, since this was all playacting, she could always excuse it later as something she had to say, but at the same time… She didn’t want to excuse it. Except, if she didn’t, it… She was scared that it would ruin everything between them, and she couldn’t let go of him. Not now.

Not ever.

“So you’re nothing more than a fake…”

“Don’t you dare end that sentence”, Shinichi said - snapped - and before Ran was prepared for it, she felt his hand on her waist, pulling her a little closer to him. She felt warm and almost relaxed, and yet… “Put Ran down, even a little bit, and I won’t have anything to say to you ever again.”

“So it doesn’t bother you that she sees someone else after you and still won’t fight for you?” Saika asked.

“Why should it?” Shinichi asked sharply. “She does that because she trusts me.”

“But it also shows that she isn’t jealous at all”, Saika explained. “And… and that means that she doesn’t love you. Not enough.”

“Or maybe it shows that there is no reason to be jealous”, Shinichi said. 

“But anyone who loves anyone has to be a little bit jealous about it”, Saika insisted. “I know I am right now, and… I can’t stand to see someone taking you so… for granted! She can’t even bother pretending to be jealous…”

“She doesn’t have to pretend”, Shinichi answered coldly, and Ran felt how his arm moved away around her before his hand took hers. She felt her cheeks warm, but she still glanced down at their joined hands before he moved. “Let’s go, Ran, I’ve had enough”, he said and turned, Ran trying to follow along.

“So she really was your crush?”

Crush?

Shinichi stopped, making Ran bump against him.

“Don’t you understand? It hurts me to see how much you care about a girl who doesn’t even…”

“She does”, Shinichi snapped and turned to look at Saika again, letting go of Ran’s hand. But… When she looked at him now… She saw his eyes burning. 

Ran could barely believe it, but those words had hurt him. And to be honest, they’d hurt her too, because the very thought that she didn’t care about him…. She did. Always had, always would. But it felt even worse to see him hurt and angry. To see how that girl got under his skin. Shinichi rarely ever lost his temper, but when he did…

He wasn’t faking that. She knew it.

“Shinichi”, she said softly and grabbed his hand. He turned back to her, and she smiled at him, hoping it would calm him even a little bit. “She’s not worth this. Let’s just leave, and…”

“Oh yes, run away and keep pretending to be together”, Saika cut in, forcing both of them to look back. She smiled. “This can’t last forever, and I can wait…”

Ran felt how his grip tightened on her hand. She heard how Shinichi inhaled, and when she looked at him, his eyes were closed like a man at the absolute end of his patience.

“What do you want from me?” Shinichi asked eventually and opened his eyes, looking at Saika. “What do I have to do to make you leave me alone?”

“I want your love”, Saika answered simply, making Ran's heart sink a little.

Slowly, Shinichi shook his head. “You can’t have it.”

“Why?”

“Because it belongs to her.”

Ran blushed, eyes darting at him. She knew that they’d begun this as an act, but at the same time… She didn’t dare think too hard about why, but somehow she felt like he meant it…

For crying out loud, this was not the time!

“Then prove it”, Saika said calmly. “If you really love her, then kiss her.”

Ran felt her heart rocket in her chest. What?! Kiss him?! Well, it wasn’t the worst idea she’d heard, but…

“I don’t have to prove anything to you, either”, Shinichi answered simply. “All you have to know is that I like her, and I’m not interested in you.”

Saika shrugged. “But the problem is, I like you, and I think we would be a perfect match”, she answered. “You are smart and brave, plenty strong… And I believe you need a smart and brave girl beside you, not some…”

“And Ran is smart and strong and brave”, Shinichi said, eyes narrowing. “So don’t bother yourself about it anymore.”

“So why don’t you prove it and give her a kiss?” Saika asked.

“Because some people don’t like performing for the amusement of a stranger”, Shinichi answered.

“Or maybe you’re afraid that she doesn’t feel the same,” Saika said slowly, a smile showing more and more teeth. “And never did. Maybe you’re afraid that a kiss would destroy what little there is between you.”

There was a long, deadly silence between them, and the grip on her hand tightened even more. Carefully Ran looked at Shinichi and saw how tense he was. Had Saika really cornered him?

She thought, and the more she thought, the more she felt like this wasn’t pretending anymore. She knew him, probably better than anyone else, and she believed - wanted to believe - that if Saika’s words hadn’t hit something solid, he would have kept his cool and left without a flinch.

But… Did he really have a crush on her?

Well, it didn’t matter. She needed to get him away from this situation, as soon as possible, whatever the cost.

She knew, then, she was ready to do anything for him.

“Shinichi?”

He turned to look at her. Without another conscious thought - because thinking, now, just meant more openings to change her mind - she rose on her tiptoes and smashed her lips against his. Just a peck, she told herself. Enough to take care of Saika, but fast enough that it wouldn’t be too embarrassing after the act. 

And the second she felt his lips, she felt a riot exploding in her, a collision of nervousness and excitement at the same time. 

Excited to feel those lips against hers, those lips that she had noticed so many times before, and wondered how they would feel, how they would taste… But nervous about the thought of where this would take them. Even the idea that he would look at her differently after this…

But then he moved his lips against hers, like a careful asking of permission, and it made something twitch in her stomach. She gave the permission, and it turned into a true kiss… His grip on her hand loosened a little. Like he was relieved, freed of everything that had made him tense a moment ago. And she pressed herself a little closer without really realizing it. Somehow it felt like her head was coming empty and all she was concentrating on was his lips and their movements, and…

And he moved away a little, broke that kiss. She felt disappointed, and yet, when she opened her eyes, she met blue ones, and she could read a silent question in them. And she smiled as an answer, even though she still was afraid to know what exactly he was thinking. Maybe it would break her heart, but…

“Are you satisfied?” Ran asked and turned to look at Saika, because it was too much to look at him any longer. Saika wasn’t smiling anymore, and that alone was enough for Ran.

“As much as I can be”, she answered directly and glanced at Shinichi. “I really did hope that you would have admitted to this being an act.”

“Well, it’s not. You got what you wanted”, Shinichi said. “Please, let us be.”

Ran watched how she stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a sigh. Then she bowed. “Sorry for bothering you”, she said and straightened herself. Then she turned to Ran and bowed again. “And sorry for doubting you.”

Then she straightened and walked past them, tall and proud. Ran turned to look after her, feeling relieved that this mess was finally over, and…

Saika stopped and turned back, smiling once more. “But if you should ever change your mind, I’m going to be first in line…”

Shinichi let out a groan and looked away. Ran smiled a tiny smile herself. Well, nobody could put down Saika’s sheer spirit. Now, if only she could understand it wasn’t okay to harass others even after they said that they weren’t interested…

Then she realized that it was only her and Shinichi left in the courtyard, and… She felt his hand still on her, and his words flew back to her mind. She remembered the kiss, and she started to feel butterflies all over again.

“Well, I think we should go back…” she started, letting go of Shinichi’s hand and starting to walk back toward the school building. But then she felt how he grabbed her wrist and made her turn around, back to him.

“I think we need to talk.”

[marshmallowgoop]

ShinRan Week 2022: Day 1 | First Times

Through all the heartbreak We'll make it feel like the first time

[shinranweek]

MINI-PROMPT #4

Shinichi vs. Ran being drunk: Who would… 

Get drunk faster?

Flirt with the other one and end up confessing their feelings?

Reveal an embarrassing secret?

Get jealous over how others look at the other one?

Take the other one back home/to bed?

[sadisticwoof-dcmk]

until the flowers bloom again

My @shinranweek entry for Day 5 (Family)

Summary: Shinichi comes back from his case, trauma and a bullet wound as souvenirs, and he does his best to rebuild his life after it had all fallen apart..

Rating: Teen and up (for swearing and a lil angst / working through trauma)

Word Count: 10,657

Read the whole thing on AO3

What is family?

As a child, he would confidently say that a family was a mother, a father, and a child (he would then side-eye the kids with siblings , and amend the statement to children ) under a roof.

He, along his many peers, would agree with his fair assessment. A family was a mother and a father loving their child (or children).

And then Ran’s family fell apart, and he had to reevaluate his concept of family . Which was stupid, if you asked him. Ran still had her parents, just that they don’t live together anymore- she can still call them her family, right?

(Ran pushed him down the slide when he expressed this. He has no idea what he deserved to have such brutal treatment.)

Fine. So, family didn’t have to be a mother and a father loving their child (or children). It could be a mother who leaves and loves from afar, a father who stays and tries to love, and a child who wishes her love was enough to keep them together.

His world view is always changing, and he loves to learn. He takes this new information well.

(And then a few years later, his parents leave for the United States, and he comes to terms that family could be a mother who leaves, a father who leaves, and a child who copes).

>>><<<

(And then a few years after that, his entire life falls apart in one night and he gets caught up in a terrifying case, but somehow his family becomes the grumpy uncle who tries to get his shit together, and a girl whom he loves dearly, nursing a broken heart.)

>>><<<

Slowly, but surely, his idea of what constitutes as family, changes.

He collects the people he cares about, like a dragon collecting precious jewels for its hoard, and he tries, god he tries, to keep them safe.

And when he returns from that terrifying case, he can’t let go of the people he had grown to care about, those he had grown attached to.

>>><<<

Ran laughs at his frenzied state, which he finds very insulting, thank you very much. Here he is not at all panicking because the kids (his kids that he had looked after and watched grow up over the last two and a half years) are coming over to his house.

His girlfriend had told him that they had demanded to meet this mysterious Kudou-boyfriend, and here he is, trying to find a shirt in his closet that looked casual enough to not look stuffy and uptight, but not too casual that he looked like he wasn’t trying hard enough and came across as a slob.

“Fair warning, I think Genta-kun is ready use his body and slam you into the floor should he deem you unsuitable,” she had said to him lightly.

It’s utter bullshit. He’s the one that taught them that Ran is someone very special and they had to pinky promise him that they would look after her (and now look at him – reaping the seeds he had sown).

He glances over at Ran, who sits on the edge of his bed, the warmest and softest looking knitted jumper tucked into a long skirt, and he has to try and catch his breath.

Mouri Ran is undoubtedly the prettiest person he knows, and he is so goddamn lucky that she is in his life.

“Love, can you please help me choose an outfit?” He doesn’t whine, but wow is he close, “They’re going to be here soon and I only decided on what pants to wear.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t complain?”

Fucking hell.

Shinichi stumbles over his feet, cheeks burning as he splutters out a response, “Ran! That is unhelpful- no stop laughing- let's focus please!”

He is entirely in love with her, and watching the light dance in her eyes, he just knows he wants to be with her forever.

(He used to believe that things would never improve. That he would die in a body far too young to be his own. That he would forever exist on a separate passage of time. This? This is something he had dreamed of with a bated breath, tears in his eyes when he had woken up with Kogoro’s snores in his ears.)

Ran appears back in his vision (and they both pretend to not notice his flinch), holding out a grey and white button up shirt he is pretty sure was a gift from Sonoko. “How about this?”

Has he mentioned how much he loves her?

>>><<<

Shinichi almost lets out a yell when he spots Ran in the doorway, arms crossed with a serene expression on her face – her eyes following his movements, her pouty lips pulled into a smile. He knows she does her best to not sneak up on him, so she must have tried to stand somewhere he would easily see her, but also didn’t want to interrupt him.

“Hi love, who was at the door?” He lowers his right hand from the piano, rolling back his stiff shoulders (Ran wincing at the audible cracks of the joints) before- “Wait, Genta? What are you doing here?”

Half hidden behind Ran in the doorway stands Genta, eyes wide with his hands in pockets, as if startled that he had been addressed to begin with.

Shinichi lets his eyes sweep the area, his ears straining – and nothing. Genta came by himself.

“Hi Shinichi-niichan,” the kid (his kid, his mind helpfully reminds him) says, stepping into the room.

He shoots the silent question at his girlfriend, who decides now is the perfect time to ignore his existence, and instead, ushers Genta to the couches shoved against the wall.

Years ago, Sonoko had suggested that they steal the armchairs from the library and stash them in the spare room, which they had remodeled to a makeshift music room. It had become a whole project – Sonoko ordering way too many soundproofing tiles to stick to the wall, and then promptly arguing with Ran about the correct orientation (Ran had won, of course); the display cabinet which had taken them three hours to assemble, proudly showcasing the dried roses from congratulatory bouquets and commemoratory photographs (the awards and trophies pushed to the back); and the bookshelf unit Ran had hauled from another room in the house, filled to the brim with music scores and books collected from over the years.

Shinichi would say that he is very proud of the room, and he knows that they had sought refuge within the walls whenever they had to escape from life.

So, he watches Genta look around the room in awe, cataloguing everything with a keen eye like he had taught them.

(“You never know when something will be important to a case. But most of all, you check to see where the exit points are, okay?”

“Okay, Conan-kun!”)

Ran sits down next to Genta, letting him molding himself into her, and she offers a sad smile to Shinichi.

Ah.

“What do you know about the piano, Genta?” Shinichi asks.

The child blinks up at him, his (trembling) hands clasped tightly in his lap. “Uh, not much?”

“Would you like to listen for a bit?”

He seems to have said the right thing, because Genta relaxes at the suggestion, a huge grin appearing on his face. “Yes please!”

Ran giggles at the enthusiasm, “He’s a bit rusty, so we can’t laugh at him, okay?”

“I am a musical genius, Ran. Genta- don't listen to her,” Shinichi warns, pointing at both of them with his good hand. He splays his fingers across the keys, feet tapping against the pedals as he frowns over the musical notes on the page.

What Ran had said was true. He hadn’t played the piano in years. It had only been something he had picked up briefly before moving right onto the violin.

But now with his arm in a sling and no violin playing for him for the next foreseeable future, smashing out the melodies with his right hand seemed like a grand way to pass time.

Taking a breath, he begins again, a few bars from where he left off, and soon, the music fills the room.

(At a break in the music, he risks a glance over his shoulder, tension bleeding from his frame when he notices Genta curled sideways on the couch, head resting in Ran’s lap. Her fingers run through his short tufts of hair soothingly.

I love you, he mouths.

They’re safe.

I love you too, she mouths back.)

>>><<<

“Guys, you can’t all hold my hand.”

Sonoko gasps, smacking her forehead as she is overcome with an epiphany, “Rock-paper-scissors this bitches. The winner gets to hold his hand.”

Shinichi massages his temple as his friends dutifully ignore him. They are huddled in a top-secret meeting, a little way away, apparently to decide who can stand next to him, which he finds very bizarre.

He continues to sit on the park bench, watching over his closest friends.

Shouts of disbelief and threats of varying levels are screamed out, but Ran skips towards him with a happy smile, closely followed by a very upset Heiji.

“I take it you won.” The words are barely out of his mouth before they squish onto the bench, taking a side each, Ran on his right, Heiji on his left.

“Ran is a cheating whore and she should have been excluded,” Sonoko seethes, stalking up to them.

He would love to hide, but seeing as he is currently trapped in the hold of two very strong individuals, he has to gulp and stands his ground. “Sorry?” But his apology sounds weak even to his own ears (because holy shit? How can someone holding his hand feel this good?)

His girlfriend rubs circles with her thumb across his knuckles and Heiji’s larger hand, so warm and comforting, rests on his knee.

Sonoko, his other best friend of too many years, sees through his (shitty) poker face, and reaches up to ruffle his hair. His protests are futile because is still very much trapped in the intense handholding session, and Sonoko takes advantage of this (like the gremlin she is).

“I forgive you because this is the funniest thing I have witnessed, and I enjoy seeing you attempting to not enjoy the attention.”

He hates her.

(It’s a lie. He would do anything for his friends, Sonoko very much occupying one of the Top Five spots, and she knows this.)

“Isn’t he cute?” Ran coos, surging up to press her lips against his cheek, curling in to his neck to giggle when Sonoko pretends to gag. Heiji, from his other side, huffs at the ‘display of dominance’ and kisses his other cheek.

Shinichi acts that his face isn’t on fire. Wow, the day is sure hot.

Kazuha appears from behind them, Makoto in tow, balancing six drinks between the two of them. She raises an eyebrow at his obvious flustered state, eyes catching his hands, and she smirks.

“Caramel frappe?” Kazuha reads out the tiny scrawls written on the cup, “And a vanilla cold brew?”

Shinichi cocks his head, “Mine was a cold brew. Just make sure it’s not the one with almond milk – that's Sonoko’s drink.”

“The caramel one is mine, Kazuha-san. This one is yours then, Sonoko-chan,” Makoto says, handing her the drink, while Kazuha places the vanilla coffee in Sonoko’s other hand (seeing as he has no free hands available). “Hattori-kun, which did you order?”

Sonoko grins, putting the drink in front of his face, the straw inches from his mouth.

He scowls.

She gently shakes the drink out, and he sighs, sipping his drink through the straw. It’s annoying that it tastes good.

Heiji tears his fascinated eyes away from him to answer, “The hazelnut one.”

“Okay, here you are! And this one must be yours, Ran-san?” Makoto asks, passing the last drink to her, “It’s the chocolate frappe.”

He can feel the weight of Ran’s dazzling smile, and he’s not even facing her. Fuck.

Heiji suddenly cuts in, “Suzuki-chan, I’ll take Kudou's drink.”

“Do not give it to him- Wow. Screw you Sonoko,” Shinichi groans.

The Kansai detective holds out the coffee for him, and he wordlessly accepts, taking another sip.

>>><<<

He stares at the blue sweater in his hand.

There’s a hole.

He hadn’t meant to. He had been wearing it around the house, his fingers playing with the hem of the sweater, thinking about- god, what had he been thinking about? Food? How Ayumi was doing at school- how Ai was coping at night- whether Heiji was surviving university- what piece he should let Genta try on his violin.

He doesn’t remember what he had been thinking about.

All of them, maybe.

Or nothing at all.

Shinichi stares at the hole on the sleeve. It’s a noticeable rip, snagged on the handle of a cupboard, because he still has trouble balancing at times. He had fallen backwards, sleeve caught, and in his panic, wrenched his arm away from whatever had grabbed him.

It had been nothing, in the end. Just phantom hands clutching at his body, threatening to pull him into the shadows. Nothing but his hyperactive imagination.

He stares at the hole in the sleeve.

Almost the same size a bullet hole

He stares, numb.

In his hand, the sweater becomes stained, the threads darkening. Like how water flows through channels, like how vibrations travel along a spiderweb, like how poison runs through veins-

There’s a hole in his sweater and his world begins to unravel.

He lets it fall to the ground (like how dead bodies fall).

There’s a hole-

He walks away.

>>><<<

Shinichi waking up in the dead of night is unfortunately, quite the common occurrence. Something to do with the amount of trauma he has gone through, the amount of death he has witnessed, the number of times he nearly lost the people he loves.

Hell, if someone so much as whispered during the night, his brain would pick up on it and he would not feel relaxed enough to go back to sleep unless he triple-checked the reason he had woken up. And then on the other hand, a room that was too quiet would sound too jarring that he would wake with his erratic heart beating in his mouth.

So yes, waking up in the dead of night is a normal occurrence.

He is also used to waking up because someone is shuffling around in the house.

He is not, however, used to waking up because some part of him is screaming at him that something is wrong.

Shinichi can’t put his finger on it. His hand carefully reaches over and brushes against Ran’s arm (warm, soft, alive ) and his lips twitch into a fond smile.

Not Ran then.

Trying not to wake his girlfriend, he slips out of bed, murmuring reassurances when she reaches out for him in her sleep. He eases the door to his bedroom open, bare feet cautiously making their way down the hardwood floors.

He’s about to check the other bedrooms in the hallway, when he notices a light from downstairs, the faint sound of a tap being turned on and off reaching his ears.

One of the kids are awake, and he has to make sure. Make sure that they were fine. Make sure that nothing is wrong.

He slowly walks down the stairs, each step shaking him more and more awake, until he reaches the bottom, and his entire body is tingling. Thankfully, Shinichi has enough brain power to remember to make enough noise to alert his kid that he is approaching (the last thing he needs to do it cause them to panic).

Check check check-

He rounds the corner to the kitchen, and his body relaxes when his eyes lands on the small figure huddled near the sink.

“Hey Mitsuhiko, what are you doing at,” Shinichi squints at the green numbers illuminated on the microwave, “2:53AM?”

The boy shrugs, placing his empty glass onto the kitchen counter. “I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Shinichi studies him a while. The exhaustion in his bloodshot eyes, the paleness of his face, the bags beneath his eyes, the slump of his shoulders.

“Wanna go watch a movie?” he asks.

Mitsuhiko jolts at the question. “N-Now? Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Right back at you.” Rubbing at the knot in his left shoulder, he ushers the kid out of the kitchen, “Come along. Let’s go watch something stupid.” His mind is already running through the list of potential shows to throw on his laptop.

They enter the back room, couches covered in blankets and discarded pillows from the earlier that night greeting them as he flicks on the overhead light. Mitsuhiko picks through the piles of throws and selects a suitable one while Shinichi grabs his laptop from where it had been charging against the wall.

Shinichi settles into the couch, propping the laptop on the table and patting the empty space beside him, “We have a wonderful selection of Kamen Yaiba reruns, Pokemon, Hattori’s Aztec Empire documentary- what the hell is that guy watching, and a bunch of superhero movies. Anything take your fancy?”

Mitsuhiko burrows himself into the couch, his body falling into the crook of Shinichi’s side. “I think Heiji-oniisan may cry if we watch his show without him.”

“More the reason to watch it,” he sniffs.

The younger boy giggles, batting at his knee, “That’s so mean.”

“Hattori would never get upset with you guys. I don’t think he knows the concept.”

Mitsuhiko hums. He picks at the cuff of his sleeve. “Haibara-san said that you wouldn’t get upset or- disappointed with us.”

The blasted woman has a point- wait disappointed? Where would he get such an idea?

“I would never be disappointed in you guys. Sometimes I may get upset, but that’s because I care about you and sometimes, I get scared that things could happen to you guys.” He drapes his good arm around the boy’s shoulders, pulling him closer to his body. “But I will never ever be disappointed- you will never be a disappointment, okay?”

“Even if it’s childish to- to have dreams and can’t sleep?”

Shinichi sighs, rubbing his hand along Mitsuhiko’s arm. “I’m sorry you’re having nightmares. They’re never fun. But no, they don’t make you childish or weak.” He leans forwards and taps his laptop, quickly lowering the volume when the cheerful melody of Doraemon starts playing, letting the soft murmurs of the animated characters fill the suffocating silence.

“Do you... do you get nightmares too?”

“Almost every day.”

The boy turns to him, eyes wide in shock. “Really? Isn’t that scary?” Soon as the words leave his mouth, he blushes, dropping his head to stare at his hands in his lap.

“It’s exhausting,” Shinichi admits. “I wake up and I have to convince myself that I’m alive, and that my family is safe. It helps when Ran stays over. Because I can see her. Every night is a different nightmare.”

Mitsuhiko shifts on the couch, pulling a cushion into his lap, hugging it to his chest, chin resting on top. “I hate going to sleep. I lay there for hours, and my brain won’t turn off. And when it does...”

“Nightmares?”

A small nod. “Do you ever feel like... you’re not yourself? Like it’s your body and you’re going through life, but it also doesn’t feel real? I- I can’t explain it- But it’s scary.”

“Way too often.” He presses his lips into a thin line, unsure whether to continue or not, but Mitsuhiko is a smart kid. Much smarter than people give him credit for. “Have you heard of something called dissociation?”

“Dissociation?”

“It’s a broad concept, but it essentially is about being disconnected from your own feelings, your thoughts, or your sense of identity. And sometimes, it’s your body’s way of coping with something traumatic that’s happened in your life.”

“Oh...”

The people on the screen run through the green fields, muted laughter and chatter hiding the silence that follows his explanation.

“Have you...” Shinichi pauses, trying to think of how to put his thoughts into words, without ruining everything. He’s been told enough times that he can lack tact and has a habit of blundering through sensitive conversations. “This has been taking a toll on you, hasn’t it.”

Mitsuhiko nods again, face hidden behind the pillow.

“You’ve gone through things that no one should have had to go through, and you’re right to be upset and feel helpless... Thank you for sharing your struggles with me, Mitsuhiko,” he hesitates, before continuing softly, “and I think it would be helpful to share this with a therapist.”

He lifts his head slightly, watery eyes peeking through his fringe. “A th-therapist- but I’m not- Am I broken?”

“Oh goodness no- That's not-” Shinichi reaches over, brushing the hair from the child's face. “Seeing someone doesn’t mean you’re broken or that you need fixing. They help. They help you to learn how to cope with things and help you come up with strategies to regulate your emotions.”

“But you think... you think I need help?”

He hates how fragile his kid looks on the couch. Shinichi gestures to the cast on his arm, “If I came up to you with a broken arm, would you tell me to just stay at home and see how it goes, or would you suggest I see the doctor?”

Mitsuhiko blinks, taken aback. “I- uh what? Of course, you should go to the doctor-”

“I’m glad you think so. Ran would have had some words if you thought otherwise.”

That brings out a short chuckle. They both know how worried and overprotective Ran could get (a few days ago, she almost dragged Makoto to the ER for having a bleeding knuckle from boxing practice. It took ten minutes for them to convince her that Makoto would survive with a band-aid.)

Shinichi continues, “So if you would go to the doctor for a broken arm, there’s also no reason why you can’t go to the doctor for mental health.”

“But- you can’t see it.”

“But it still exists. It’s in the brain, yes, but it is also the brain, ” he points out. “The brain is an organ, is it not?”

Something akin to an epiphany lights up behind the child’s eyes.

“Mental health can cause headaches, stomach aches, insomnia, and that can lead to the deterioration of the physical body.” Shinichi fights the urge to fix Mitsuhiko’s hair again. “Do you remember that car accident we heard about last week? We and the police thought it was because the driver was driving under the influence?”

Mitsuhiko nods. “The breath test came back negative- She... she said she had accidentally fallen asleep at the wheel...”

“Of course, we don’t know if she was suffering from insomnia or anxiety, or any mental health issue, but we know she almost got into a fatal accident because she didn’t have enough sleep.” He wets his lips, “But it doesn’t have to be driving. It can be about everyday things, and they can be impacted because of our brain. Walking to school, studying, playing soccer, anything really. That’s why it’s important to look after the silly organ up there.” He taps his head for emphasis.

“I... I think I get what you mean...”

He smiles, reaching over to wipe the tears from Mitsuhiko’s face. “You don’t have to decide anything now. I promise. But if it’s something you want to look into, come talk to me or Ran, okay?” He searches his eyes, “Gather information, form an opinion, and decide. There is no rush. No one is forcing you to do anything.”

“Thank you, Shinichi-oniisan.”

“Anytime.” He glances to where the laptop had been obediently being playing the TV show on low volume. “Did you want to go back to bed or did you want to stay here for a bit?”

Mitsuhiko chews his lips, shooting a nervous look between the laptop, the door, and Shinichi. “Um, is it okay if we stay here for a bit?”

“Not at all. Let’s get comfy.” They rearrange themselves so that the child was once again tucked carefully next to him, the blanket covering their bodies. “We’ll stay here until you want to go back.”

(Shinichi wakes a few hours later with a crick in his neck, Mitsuhiko sleeping sprawled across his body, and an amused Ran standing in the doorway.)

Read the rest here

[shinranposting]

Crossroads

Summary: Ran is a normal college girl, and Shinichi Kudo is a famous detective. How can fate act so that these people, who have never seen each other in the life, cross their paths?

Words: 3,799

Prompt: Not Childhood Friends AU - Day 1 of @shinranweek

Groping her way through the university campus, Ran walked across the college's green lawn with her friend Sonoko, who was cheerfully guiding her towards a destination that she, at this moment, was beginning to doubt. She felt uncomfortable walking on that, at times, uneven terrain, coming across some branches and bushes in the midst of the immense darkness of the night. She is also too disheveled to be walking through the university in public, with that torn and worn sweatshirt that she wears to be at home.

"Sonoko, are you sure we're going to the library? We have an exam tomorrow" Ran suddenly said, panting from exertion, interrupting the nightly silence that reigned around both twenty-year-olds. There was not a single soul walking its streets. It was as if they were all stored in theirs rooms, or were all together somewhere else. At this precise moment, only they and their footsteps were heard.

"Library? Of course not! We're going to the big farewell party for the final year students, of course" replied her friend, with energetic joy, as if she were saying something obvious, despite the fact that she had been taken out of their room with excuses of double study sessions. Ran had suspected the intentions of her friend, so different from her, they were not what she had originally indicated when he saw her effusively make up in front of the half-length mirror in her shared room and put on a daring and short black leather mini skirt. But she later thought that they were only her imagination, since both had nothing else to do. Clearly, Ran hadn't been paying attention to the posters announcing the big party.

"Sonoko! You told me we would study! Tomorrow's exam is very important and we didn't do so well on the first test" Ran complained, who had innocently believed her excuse of studying.

"There are many exams, dear Ran, but the seniors great party, only one in the year" assured the heiress of the Suzuki corporation, while both raised their heads, contemplating a large brick building, fully illuminated , which resounded to the sound of electronic music. It was like seeing an oasis appearing out of the darkness, almost as if all the people had been there from the beginning. "Don't you understand? We will never see them again. Those handsome seniors" she expressed, as she exhaled air in a deep sigh of emotion and at the same time, of despair, as if she couldn't think of anything else but It would give him more pleasure than seeing them for the last time. Ran looked at her patiently, even though she didn't quite understand how keenly interested Sonoko was. After all, the karateka hardly even knew any of them.

Ran and Sonoko were very different, but as soon as they met, the moment they were introduced as roommates, they became fast friends. Sonoko is a rich heiress to the very famous Suzuki corporation, who despite her wealth, and instead of looking for a husband according to her mother's interests, to manage the Suzuki corporation, decided to attend university, as a normal girl - and flirting with handsome college boys. On her part, Ran was a normal, calm girl, but with great strength and rectitude, which has led her to act with effort and tenacity to fulfill everything in the best possible way. She studies hard to get good grades, she's captain of the university's karate club, and on top of that she's got a part-time job at a small but cozy cafe just outside of campus.

The more they got closer to the building that hosted such a great event, the more she understood that most of the people were there. Music, conversations and laughter could be heard from her position, which made her fervently wish she wasn't dressed with these worn clothes.

"You would have at least told me we were coming to a party, Sonoko" Ran admonished her, lowering her gaze to her feet, while she looked at her old sneakers. "So at least I wouldn't have come in these clothes."

Sonoko, who was briskly walking a step ahead of her friend, as if she couldn't wait for the most anticipated event of her entire life, turned her face back, and met Ran's frustrated face.

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have come" she replied, explaining her point. "Besides, I don't know what you're worried about, Ran," Sonoko added, pointing her index finger at her, which followed Ran's entire trajectory, from her feet to her head. "You still don't get it? You're too pretty, you're sweet and nice, so you should know that you look gorgeous in whatever you wear."

The karateka wasn't very convinced with the flattery. Ran didn't think she was too pretty, or anything spatial. She is simply, Ran. But there was nothing she could do, nor were the complaints worth it at all, because both friends were already right in front of a large and heavy wooden door, made of brown wood. Sonoko, bubbly and happy, stepped ahead of her friend and opened the door with a wide smile, rushing forward, finding herself right in front of what, to the wealthy Suzuki Corporation heiress, probably should have been heaven on earth.

Just walking in, they were enveloped by music, laughter and many handsome young men drinking beer. It was packed with people, as if half the school was there, a fact that surprised Ran at first, since Sonoko had let her understand that it was an exclusive graduation party, and had assumed that if they could attend it was because to Sonoko's contacts. But now she understood that everyone knew about this party except her, and that everyone had gone out of their way to be there. She now understood that, perhaps, spending half the day at her job in the cafe caused her to miss certain news.

Wherever she looked, high-production outfits screamed at her that she was at the biggest event of the year. People talked animatedly to each other, drank profusely, and couples did things they would never do in public and in sunlight. And there she was, dressed in a half-broken sweatshirt that she wears at home, with her hair tied up in a lazy ponytail that she had been wearing on her head since morning and that at this point already looked low and disheveled, with unruly hair flying through her head. She didn't say anything, and simply smiled at her enthusiastic friend, despite the fact that internally she felt totally out of place. If she had known, she would have used that nice clothes that she had bought on sale , with part of her fortnight's salary...

"Come on, come on" Sonoko urged her, as she gave her back a little push, with the strength of both hands. "Let's go to the main room, I just saw several handsome guys for both of us" she added, excited to achieve a date night.

The karateka sighed, surrendered to a situation from which she could no longer fight or escape, as she nodded with meek complacency to Sonoko's conversations about the need for both of them to find a handsome and athletic senior boyfriend, emphasizing the need that Ran, especially and imperatively, start flirting with boys, since apparently she hadn't dated anyone since that furtive high school karate team boyfriend.

As Sonoko crossed the room in search of refreshments for the two of them-some beer actually- and, if she could, a some handsome boys for each of them, Ran dropped into one of the chairs that rested on the edge of the room. from the room, while waiting patiently for her to return. After all, Ran didn't know anyone out there. She watched her get lost in the crowd of drunken and excited people as she talked to dozens of people in her path, impressed with Sonoko's ability to get to know the entire school. There, the karateka had to exchange nervous smiles with drunken boys who tried to flirt with her.

"I have information for you, Ran" Sonoko suddenly whispered, who had returned, and had sat in the empty seat next to her friend, while handing her one of the two red disposable cups. Ran's eyes, like two bright beacons, watched her expectantly and silently, curious as to what she had to say. "You can't guess who's here, at this very party".

Ran looked up, trying to think about what person she knew could be at this party, and at the same time, surprise Sonoko so much. But at this time of night, she was too sleepy and exhausted to play the guessing game.

"The famous detective, Shinichi Kudo!" Sonoko exclaimed, not waiting more than three seconds for a response, almost as if she had been holding on the tip of her tongue to spit out the news. "I've heard at businessmen's parties that I attend with my family that he's very smug, but he's extremely famous, rich, and all the girls here I've talked to that he's quite handsome".

Ran remembered Shinichi Kudo. She had heard a lot about him on television when she was still in high school, although she had to admit that he was never one of the celebrities that caught her attention the most. She remembered that his name was in the news a lot at the time, and that he had been dubbed the The saviour of the police force. He had solved dozens of impressive murder cases! In fact, if she remember correctly, almost all of her friends and classmates had a crush on him. They even sent him love letters! And although she seemed impressive to him, she always had her own favorite artists whom she had a crush on.

But then, as far as she could remember, the teenage detective, Shinichi Kudo, stopped appearing on television, according to gossip magazines, because he had moved out of the country to pursue his career abroad. Well, although she had to admit that she wasn't aware of any updates on his life in particular.

"Is he here? In Japan? In this college?" Ran exclaimed in surprise, like a chain of questions running through her head. Even if she was never a fan of that Shinichi Kudo, contemplating meeting a celebrity always fills her with excitement. She regretted not bringing her autograph book with her. "Wasn't he supposed to be living abroad with his parents? Or that's as far as I knew".

"That's old news!" Sonoko answered, energetically. "It's been a while since he returned to Japan, to enter the college, as a normal young man, although they say that he actually hardly ever goes to class."

"So what is he doing at this party?" Ran asked, surprised, especially at the information she had just received.

"According to what they told me, he is only here as a guest of the Rector of the University, who is also a friend of his father" replied her millionaire friend. "Although apparently, according to some girls I spoke with, he wasn't very enthusiastic about the party... my acquaintances say he's obsessed with mysteries, as if he wasn't interested in anything else," she added. "A cocky geek."

Ran was curious. She stretched out her neck, in an attempt to intercept him in the sea of people, but she was nowhere to be seen. She just saw more and more drunk and flirtatious students everywhere. Sonoko questioned different people about Kudo-san's whereabouts, but no one knew where he was. And when Ran concluded that the detective simply was n't at this party, and realizing that Sonoko was too drunk, and that her flirtatious, intense dance around some guys would embarrass her remembering it in the morning, Ran considered that their presence at this party should be terminated.

If she thought about it, they hadn't gotten anything out of this outing. They hadn't studied for their test tomorrow, Sonoko hadn't gotten a boyfriend either, and they hadn't gotten even to see the tip of the famous detective's hair.

So the plan was clear: go to the bathroom-she had ingested too much liquid- retrieve Sonoko and return to their room.

But apparently, that would not be an easy task. Not only did she have to put her skills to the test to avoid hundreds of happy and screaming young people walking from one side to another, but she had to go through every corner of that building of which she didn't know, in search of that sanctuary that would satisfy that impetuous need.

"Let's see… the bathroom, where is the bathroom…" she murmured to herself, while she didn't know if she was fighting with her bad sense of direction to the dozens of identical doors that she drew along an endless corridor, or with the beer that apparently she had drunk from the disposable cup that Sonoko had brought her.

As she embarrassedly closed the third door, where she had found a scantily clad couple kissing on a red tapestry sofa, she could perceive above her, perhaps intuitively, how a pair of eyes are watching her attentively, as if they would like to study her spontaneous and innocent movements.

"Do you see that girl over there?" she heard someone say, and approached her. "Let's see, tell me, what could you tell me about her?" the respectable-looking man asked. He was sporting a jacket and an impeccable tie, which contrasted with the youthful atmosphere of the graduation party.

Ran, who still had the red disposable cup in one hand, felt the footsteps of the two men approaching her, which is why she instinctively turned towards the source of the noise. As she did so, she observed that they were two men, one young, the other older, who, if she was not mistaken, was the rector himself.

Her companion of him, that young man, let out a self-satisfied smile. For someone who could perfectly be Ran's age, she thought he was dressed in quite a formal attire, especially considering the context they were in.

"Takahashi-sensei, this is the easiest deduction of all" replied the young man, while he put his hands in his pants pockets and walked forward. "You just have to look at the type of clothing she wears to know who this girl is".

Ran frowned, as the red color dyed her face, not knowing if she was more embarrassed or more annoyed by the way that boy spoke of her.

The young man approached her, and tactless, took her arm, as if he had the need to feel the proof, and likewise, want not only his companion to listen, but the girl also knew what he had to say about her, and then confirm his intelligent deductions about her person. Ran wrinkled her nose in annoyance.

"To begin" said the boy. "We see bandages on one of her wrists. That could mean several things, but considering her posture and the marks on her fists and fingers, it can clearly be deduced that she practices a martial art, dare I say karate" he said, with a gleam of triumph in the eyes, especially when receiving the exaggerated flattery of the rector. "Now, we can tell from the way she's dressed in a party setting," he went on briskly and fluidly, as if he were giving a speech he was totally sure of its success, "that she's not interested in events, or that she came all the way here to show that he is not interested, and in consideration of her interests in martial arts, her disinterest in her appearance, and her attitude towards this event that everyone here seems to like so much, it is possible to deduce that she is a katate master, taciturn and tomboyish person, who also works to cover her expenses" he pointed out, proudly, as if he had finished his words with the finishing touch. "Am I right, miss?" he added, now to Ran, flashing a self-satisfied smile, as if he expected her impressed compliments.

The famous detective Shinichi Kudo from a very young age, he has been accustomed to the fame of his parents, books and little contact with real social life, especially since he had left school, during elementary school, to study with his father at home to become a great detective. His constant study days and long reading sessions had collaborated so that he became a kind of genius of deductions, especially with murder cases, his greatest passion. But while he was a genius at some things, his understanding and interpretation of human relationships was one of his greatest weaknesses, and his way of dealing with people could sometimes be seen as rude and tactless. He was essentially a good person, someone correct and of good principles, due to the bubble of fame and the library of his house, this had caused his deductions to lack humanity.

Over time, he had developed a kind of smug self-indulgence in hearing compliments towards his deductions, especially since he felt they were clues that he was getting closer to becoming his great role model, Sherlock Holmes. Therefore, he had been completely satisfied, as soon as he had arrived at this party, and wherever he was, with the excited screams of dozens of girls as soon as he made deductions about them.

He looked at her impatiently, expecting her to be surprised in the same way as the other girls. As in Holmes's first meeting with Watson. But surprisingly for him, by the expressions on her face, she didn't seem pleased. Wait, worse yet, was she mad at him?

"NO!" Ran exclaimed from her place, frowning.

"W-what?"

"I have said no!"

Shinichi Kudo looked at her in astonishment. He couldn't understand why those violet eyes, frowning at him, were furious. Why the hell was he mad at her? She should have been totally shocked at what she had just heard!

Or was it that he, perhaps, had been wrong in his deductions? These things never happen to him. He almost always solves cases with a fairly low level of error, and if he did make them, he was able to spot it and make amends along the way. But it was impossible to have been wrong, because the evidence was right in front of his eyes. The bandages and marks on her hands, her clothes, everything was there.

"I'm none of those things" Ran said. Her tone serious and her brows tightening as her gaze drifted to the ground. "Besides, you should know that it's not the most polite way to speak to a person you just met, you know?" she added.

The rector, trying to save the situation, with a cordial and nervous laugh, approached the detective, and touched his shoulders.

"Kudo-kun, don't worry, you probably haven't had a chance to look at all the details carefully…"

But he was not convinced of it. Shinichi has dedicated his whole life to observing details and deducing all kinds of things, which is why he couldn't understand how he could go wrong, and at the same time, provoke her so much anger. The detective turned his gaze to her, trying to get a new look at that girl and that would allow him to see something he hadn't seen the first time. But this time, the only thing he could notice was that the girl's expression had softened for some reason, and now she was looking at his shirt with concern.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Ran said soon, while she indicated with her index finger a small orange soda bottle perched on Shinichi's light blue shirt. She had probably waved her hand that held the disposable cup at the time the man had grabbed her wrist. "I'll clean it up."

Kudo, who despite always being surrounded by fans and attractive women who wanted to be close to him, was not used to the sincere closeness of a girl, intuitively took a step back.

"N-no, don't worry, it's fine" he assured her, flustered at the sudden turn of events.

"Yes, it is necessary" he assured firmly, while gently taking his shirt. "It's not fair that I ruin your clothes".

And despite his surprise, after a moments, he didn't put more impediments. He had to admit that he was too impressed for the surprising attitude of that girl who a couple of seconds ago had effusively expressed her anger towards him. He watched her carefully, who was now much closer to him, trying to understand her. He watched her as she pulled out a bag, which contained a couple of books, pencils, a lipstick, her smartphone, and some tissues, and then she pulled out one of these to dab his shirt with dedication. Her features were soft now, her gaze tender, and surprisingly, a very imperceptible but sweet smile spread across her pretty face.

Shinichi blushed.

"There it is, clean again," Ran informed him. "Oh, and I wanted to tell you that yes, it's true, I practice karate and that I have a part-time job, but the rest is not, and you said it, by the way, in a very rude way, especially to refer to a person who you don't know" said Ran, still close to him, in a whisper, as if she wanted to give him some advice.

He opened his mouth, but made no sound. Quickly, without being able to say anything more, his effusive companion took him by the arm, and pushed him to continue walking down the corridor, wanting to show him her building and that he continue telling him those wonderful deductions. After all, he should show his star student his full attention, even though he never attends.

Still, the detective kept, for some unknown reason, that girl in mind, the one he couldn't deduce effectively, and who at the same time had been so stubborn and then so sweet, meanwhile, in parallel, Ran he was walking steadily towards Sonoko, with the goal still in mind to get her out of there and go to their room, still unaware that the rude person she had just met was none other than Shinichi Kudo.

But the paths were meant to keep finding each other.

[speckled-dragon]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Mouri Ran/Sera Masumi, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Mouri Ran Characters: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Mouri Ran, Sera Masumi Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Injury, Fluff, Introspection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Conversatios, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan Needs a Hug, Mouri Ran needs a hug, Established Relationship, F/F/M, Polyamory, ShinRan Week 2022

Shinichi gets injured on yet another case. And didn't tell his partners.

But that's okay, right? They won't get mad.

Right?

Written with @mirrorfalls

[marisandini-chu-blog]

Love Flows in You

Day 1 of @shinranweek

Something I came up after discussing with the lovely @sadisticwoof-dcmk

Summary:

First time Shinichi serenaded Ran without her knowing...

...and the promise for another.

I recommend trying to listen Salut d'Amour op. 12 first before or during the scene of Shinichi's Violin playing for the best immersion for this fic. I promise it's good.

Love Flows in You

"—and so, we decided these people will perform in the school music recital," announced the homeroom teacher while pointing at the blackboard behind. 

The future high school detective groaned at seeing his name in the list. He wasn't interested in being in the recital or playing in front of any sort of crowd. Shinichi regretted ever telling anyone he played the violin. 

“Isn't this great, Shinichi?” Ran voiced out from beside his seat, eyes gleaming in awe. 

“Yeah…” he snarked, “Great.” 

“What’s with that attitude?” Sonoko, his other and louder childhood friend, smacked upside his head from behind. “Not just anyone in our year gets chosen, yet here you are, playing for hobby, and your god-given talent puts you in the top spots among us plebeians.” 

He smirked at her, knowing it gets on her nerves, “What can I say? I’m just that good.” 

The Suzuki heiress rolled her eyes, “Kami-sama, you’re such an arrogant brat.” 

“Anyway,” Ran broke in to avoid escalation as they often happen between her best friends, “What do you plan on playing?” 

Shinichi shrugged, “I’ll just play whatever.” Because while he won’t outright admit it, Sonoko was right that he only played it as a hobby. It didn’t feel right in making an actual effort to play a piece under the spotlight. 

“Now hold it right there, Kudou Shinichi!” Sonoko immediately protested, as she often does with 90% of everything he’d done, “Now that you’re in this, you don’t get to half-assed your way with this.”

“Sonoko’s right, Shinichi. That would be disrespectful to the other kids who are giving it their all for this recital,” Ran added her two-cents, “Besides, I already like your playing as is, so I’m sort of looking forward to seeing you performing seriously on stage for once.”

Urgh , that did it. Shinichi couldn’t escape practicing with both of them ganging up on him. But with Ran pleading with those earnest gaze of hers? Shinichi’s a goner. Guess he’ll have to postpone his newest read, so troublesome. 

His face must have shown his surrender because then Sonoko nodded satisfied and said, “Good. Then since your house should have a lot of violin repertoires, you two should go and decide on the piece.”

“Wait, you’re not coming?” his tone hitch up at where this was heading. 

“Nah, I’ve got plans with my sister today, and Ran’s more familiar with classical music than me. So you two lovebirds have fun without me.” 

“We’re not lovebirds!” They both yelled out. Shinichi already felt the heat in his cheeks, he could only imagine how flustered Ran must look. 

But the meddlesome Suzuki Sonoko left like the storm she is and waved a quick goodbye. 

Ran and Shinichi both glanced at each other, awkwardness colored their stance. 

"Shall we get going?"

"Sure."

Read more

[deducingcircumference]

@shinranweek Day 7 contribution

[digitallyfanged]

Heyyy... ShinRan week.... @shinranweek

Prompt 1 - First Times. Why not a first dance?

[subbe93]

Day 1: The First Symptom

A/N: Because I got a chance, I wanted to write/share this one for the prompt: Not Childhood Friends AU. @shin05 asked for a nurse/doctor!Ran & detective!Shinichi, and I could have combined this request in the Light in My Nightmares because Shinichi was a detective and Ran a nurse, but I kind of got a “fun” idea for this request, so I wanted to do it separately. To be honest, this is more different than I got into my mind, but I like where this is going, and I’m pretty excited to get to write more about this, so this will be my next project after ShinRan week!

Edited by @mirrorfalls ❤

I hope you guys like this ❤

Chapter 1: The First Symptom

The first time she met that arrogant, stupid, wannabe detective…

Well, in retrospect, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising at all, since her whole day had been pretty different from usual. Instead of sitting in her office peacefully, taking clients into her room turn by turn, hearing what was bothering them, and offering solutions, she had ended up onboard an ambulance, because there had been an emergency call: In Tokyo, there had been an event that got cut short by an explosion. Ran didn’t know anything further, just heard that there were serious injuries, and since there weren’t any other doctors free to go, she had volunteered. Not her specialty, but since there were people who needed her help, she would do it!

It couldn’t be too different from office work.

Well, maybe it wasn’t that different, but it was enough to open her eyes to the uglier side of a doctor’s job. The place looked much worse than she had thought it would. Most of the people looked so restless, wanting to leave, but not allowed to for some reason. Some of them waited nicely, but quite a few were angry and tried to fight against official authority. Police were everywhere, some just guarding, probably making sure that no one left before everything was fine, and some just calming people down. Some people just sat on the ground and waited. And what made Ran truly sad, was the sound of the children: Some of them looked so scared in their parents' or other adults’ arms. She heard some of them crying, which made something twist in her heart. Poor souls, they were the last who should’ve seen or experienced something so terrible.

But the good thing was that most of them looked to be in good shape and unharmed, even though it didn’t change the fact that they have experienced something terrible, and it would leave marks. Marks that some of them, maybe, would never leave behind.

“First aid is here, who needs help?” one of the paramedics shouted as they walked around to check people. Ran saw a woman, who cradled her hand like it was hurting, and a little boy who looked like he had hurt his leg. And then there was a man who seemed to need help the most. He was sitting on the ground, a painful grimace crossing his face for a moment while he held his left side. There were two other people, crouched beside him, and when he turned his eyes to them, Ran saw how he tried to hide his pain behind a confident smile. Like an assurance that he was fine. One of his watchers stood up and looked around until he saw her. His face lit up a little.

“Please, over here!” he shouted and raised his hand at her, waving frantically. “He’s bleeding…”

Bleeding? That made Ran speed up.

“Ah, it’s nothing, really…” the injured one said, and looked like he was trying to stand up, but apparently his side said otherwise since his pained grimace instantly returned. Ran went closer, dropped her first-aid kit on the ground, and pressed him back down.

“It seems it’s something”, Ran said gently, and turned to look at the pair who had been with him. Man and woman, dressed up pretty formally. Probably with the police. They looked a little bit worried. Ran smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.”

The woman started to smile, and then she stood up, looking at the man who was on the ground. “Okay, rest easy, Kudo-kun. We’ll wrap this case, don’t worry.”

Ran heard a gasp behind her, but she ignored it.

“But…”

“Let’s go, Takagi-kun!” the woman continued before turning and leaving. The man, evidently Takagi, turned to look at the injured one with a smile. “You’re in good hands”, he said and nodded before turning to Ran. He bowed. “Please, take good care of him.”

“I will”, Ran promised. Takagi stood up and glanced at the wounded man one last time before running after the woman.

“Um, Mouri-sensei…”

The groan that the man - Kudo - let out interrupted the question that one of the paramedics started behind her. Ran’s attention was back on the man, who - to Ran’s surprise - didn’t seem to be seriously pained or worried. Instead, he looked like he was bored and annoyed. Ran frowned.

“Okay”, the man let out and moved a little to take a better position. His blue eyes met Ran’s, and he smiled. “Thanks for your effort, but really, I’m fine. So… Go take care of others, and…” He tried to get up.

“Just stay there, okay”, Ran interrupted him, pressing him back to sit down. She realized that she barely had to use any force to get him back down, which probably meant that he was weaker than he looked. The man let out another groan, but ignoring that, Ran turned to look at the two paramedics with her. She still found it a little strange that those two hadn’t taken the initiative to go check the others. “And you two, go take care of the other ones we saw! Lots of people here need help.”

The man nodded with determination and ran towards the child who was holding their leg, but the woman still hesitated. Ran looked at her, waiting. The woman looked bothered when she turned back to Ran.

“Listen, Mouri-sensei…” she began and smiled nervously. “His wound seems pretty bad, so I can take care of him, and…”

“It’s okay, I can handle this”, Ran answered gently and turned back to Kudo, who was still grimacing and looking at his side, but still holding his hand over the wound so that Ran couldn’t see it. “Go take care of others. I’ll call you if I need help.”

She waited to hear footsteps, but she didn’t, and it seemed that the man before her noticed it too since he also raised his head and looked at them. Ran turned again to look at the woman, and noticed that she looked a little upset. Her mouth was curving like she would have liked to seriously argue, but when Ran opened her mouth to ask - demand -  what was going on, the paramedic nodded and went over to the wounded woman. Ran watched her for a moment longer, still wondering what that was about.

“Well, you should go help her too”, the man’s voice said, making Ran turn her attention back to him. He was also looking after the paramedic. “She’s in worse shape than me, and…”

Ran frowned again. “Why are you fighting this?” she asked. The man stopped and met her eyes. “You are in pain, you are hurt… and you don’t want to be treated?”

It was his turn to frown. “It’s not that”, he answered. “But I’ve been in real scrapes, and this is nothing”, he explained and looked at his side. “I can treat this myself.”

“But I’m here, so let the professional take care of this”, she said gently and turned to look at his side. His hand was still covering it. “So please, let me see that.”

“It’s just a scratch”, he said, without doing anything to move his hand.

Ran met his eyes again. They were blue and pretty determined, like he was absolutely sure that he didn’t want anyone to see that wound. She still couldn’t understand why.

“For a scratch, it seems to bother you very much”, she said. He just kept staring at her, without doing the smallest twitch to move his hand away. She just stared back. Okay, she admitted, he was a stubborn one, but she had met more stubborn clients before, and she had her ways. When she got into Medical school, she had sworn to help everyone, no matter what. And he wouldn’t be an exception. She wouldn’t turn her back on him, leave him untreated. She would make him show that wound even if all the Heavens declared it would be the last thing she would do.

“Listen, mister”, she started and smiled gently. “There are a few options that we have: First, you move that hand of yours, take your shirt off, and let me see and treat your wound, and after that, you are free to do whatever you want.”

“And the second one is where you try to move my hand and tear my shirt off, am I right?” he continued with a small, cynical smile.

“There won’t have to be much trying”, she answered and glanced at his covering hand again. “I can see you’re already in pain, so to be honest, you don’t have much chance against me.” Then she looked into his eyes again and smiled sweetly. “But of course, if it makes you feel better and you want to lie to yourself, you can pretend that you have a chance of leaving without me treating that wound. It’s fine by me.”

Blue eyes stared at her, and the smile stayed, even though Ran had been sure that any sane man would have given up the fight. He didn’t. Ran stared back, keeping her smile equally firm to show him that she was serious about this, and she would not let him go before he was treated. Part of her was still worried that there would be many others who had been injured and she was just wasting her time with this one, but he was important too, and she still had two paramedics with her. They were more than qualified to treat anyone. And if there were someone in worse condition, she wanted to believe that they would have been shown to her already.

“Well, it seems there’s just no getting rid of you”, Kudo said eventually. Ran frowned but didn’t answer, just observed how he took off his hand. Against his white shirt, the red stain was like a wildfire, spreading wider every second. Ran gasped and stared at it worriedly. It looked so bad…

“Are you sure you’re up to this?”

Ran raised her eyes to Kudo. He looked like he was doubting her.

“Take that shirt off or I will”, Ran said and turned towards her kit. She needed something to clean it…

“Well, you looked pretty terrified”, Kudo continued calmly.

“Don’t you bother yourself with that”, Ran answered, and searched for a proper cloth. “And you’re pretty bad at reading people. I wasn’t terrified”, she denied.

“Hmm-mm”, he hummed like he didn’t believe her at all. It almost made Ran want to take a deep breath, but she held herself. He was just one of those tough-customers who wanted to try their limits and pretended to be Hard and Manly but would turn around as soon as she began to treat them. Some people were just like that.

When she’d found disinfectant and cloth and set the bandages at the kit’s top, she turned back to Kudo. He had taken his dress shirt half off, just enough that it showed the left side of his chest and side. Ran grimaced. That wound looked even worse now. She heard him let out some kind of snort, but she ignored it. Instead, she took water and wet the cloth to clean most of the blood away so she could get a better view of the wound. 

The wound itself didn’t look too deep, but big enough to have let out so much blood. Well, not too much, since Kudo at least seemed to be in talking shape. She took another cloth and started to clean the wound. It would heal itself, with luck, needing no specialized treatment.

“Why are you a paramedic?”

“What?” Ran asked, surprised. She glanced at the Kudo, who was pinning her with a serious expression.

“Why did you become a paramedic?” he repeated, raising another eyebrow.

Ran frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?” she asked and got her eyes back to his wound, which looked a little better now that she had cleaned it. It was still bleeding, but after she got a bandage on it, that wouldn’t last long. “Because I wanted to help people”, she answered while she took another, slightly bigger cloth to cover his wound with. “Because so many people need help and medical attention, and I have always known that if I can help them, everyone would end up happier”, she explained, and moved a little bit so it would be easier for her to wrap that bandage around him.

“But there are many other ways to help people”, Kudo said nonchalantly.

“Yeah, and I chose this one”, Ran answered.

“But why?”

Ran stopped and looked at the man, who just looked down at the bandage that she had wrapped a few turns already. “What do you mean why?” she asked, and when he met her gaze, she continued. “Because I thought this would be the most effective way to help people, and I like my job.”

He frowned. “I don’t think you’re suited to this job.”

Ran felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her. She just stared at those blue eyes, and her brain suddenly couldn’t find any answer.

What did he mean that she wasn’t suitable? This was her dream, to be a doctor, to help people! Heal them, make sure that they would escape their pain and feel better! See them smile again! She loved to work with other people! Teachers had praised her when she went through medical school, and she knew, thanks to all kinds of feedback, that she had been liked in her workplace. She had helped countless people leave their beds smiling, she had been patient with the hard ones, and everyone told her from time to time that she was always smiling and empathetic, which clients appreciated. She had never let it show if she was suffering a bad day, or took her frustration out on others, not even her co-workers.

She knew she was loved, and she believed that she was good at what she did.

She was suited to this job.

“Oh”, she answered as calmly as she could and turned to look at the bandage, continuing the wraps. “And why do you think so?”

“When you first came, I saw how you were looking around”, he answered. “You looked like you could burst into tears any second.”

Ran’s grip on the bandage tightened a little bit. “And what’s wrong with that?” she asked. “It’s only natural to feel bad for others.”

“And you looked horrified at my blood…”

“Because I was surprised how much there was”, she defended herself, and it was the truth. In that white shirt, it had looked like a nightmare, and she wasn’t prepared for it. “I thought your wound was going to be so much worse…”

“Mmmm”, he hummed like he still didn’t believe. “But I don’t think it’s exactly professional to show it to a client.”

“We are all humans”, Ran said. “And in any case, I’m still able to treat you. It’s only natural to react…”

“And it’s natural for these things to happen”, Kudo interrupted her. “A crybaby like you shouldn’t be a medic.”

Ran froze. She turned to look at Kudo, who was again peering at that bandage around him, like he was judging her work.

“Excuse me?” Ran asked slowly, with ice in her voice.

Kudo raised his eyes back to her. “These things happen”, he explained like someone observing the weather. “People get hurt, they get wounds, maybe something worse. And if you can’t hold yourself together, like you couldn’t right here”, he added, “maybe you should stay at home to clean and cook.”

Ran saw red.

How dare he?! She had so much to say, but no, she had to hold herself. She was professional and she shouldn’t let him get under her skin. And really, after this, she would probably never again meet this man. So she continued wrapping the bandage. The faster she got done with him, the better. “First, there is nothing wrong with being a housewife”, she answered as calmly as she could. “Second, this is my dream, to help people.”

“Mmm?” Kudo hummed.

“And third”, Ran continued. “I’m not a crybaby.”

Kudo hummed again. “Well, to me it looks like you are”, he said.

“I’m not”, Ran said, and wrapped another round.

“Yes, you are”, he disagreed.

Another round…

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

Last round. Ran bit the bullet and pulled the bandage as hard as she could to get it tight - maybe a little too hard. Kudo let out some noise. Ran looked at him from the corner of her eye, and even though he tried to look tough and nonchalant, she saw that it had hurt him. Good.

“And if my services don’t please you, maybe you should stop being such a baby and learn to take care of yourself”, Ran said calmly while tying the bandage. Her job here was done, he was treated and she could move on. She looked at the man, who still seemed to be in fresh pain, but she couldn’t care less. He deserved it! “And most importantly”, she continued, leaning a little bit closer to him. He turned to her with a wary look. It pleased Ran, and she smiled sweetly. “I’m not a paramedic. I am a doctor.”

When he didn’t answer, Ran leaned away from him. “Remember to observe that injury of yours”, she said coldly while packing all the remaining materials back into the aid kit. “If it’s still bleeding by evening, call Emergencies.” Then she took the bag and stood up, turning to look at him one last time. He was observing her with a serious expression. “Also, don’t get that wound wet if you can help it, and remember to change the bandage from time to time and clean it.”

She turned to leave.

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself, in case I have to enter your care in the future, Mouri-sensei?” he asked. Ran turned to look at him and saw how he got a lopsided smile while observing her.

Ran raised her other eyebrow before shaking her head. “I believe there are many other, more suitable doctors in Tokyo for you”, she answered before turning and walking off. She tried to walk as calmly as she could, trying to pretend like there was nothing wrong. She wouldn’t let him have the pleasure of seeing that he had gotten on her nerves, and at the same time, it would be only professional to stay calm, regardless of what kind of patients she would have. Some people were easy, some just wanted to try their limits.

But God, underneath she was boiling! She wanted too much to try her fist on something, to get that stupid man and his irritating attitude away from her head, away from her memories! She wanted to get home and complain to someone about how irritating people could be! And how dare he! Was he saying that she should stay at home to clean and cook because she was a woman?! And she wasn’t a crybaby! It was okay to cry, and it was okay to feel bad for the people who had seen something terrible, who had experienced something that would scar them the rest of their lives!

But it seemed that there was something wrong in that man’s brain! It seemed that he couldn’t understand. God, maybe he should be the one who should stay at home and clean and cook if he had nothing nice to say to other people!

She hated him. But luckily, she wouldn’t have to meet him ever again.

Ran came to the two paramedics who stood beside the ambulance. She tried to calm herself down. It wasn’t their fault that she was in a bad mood. So she let out a sigh and glanced around, trying to see if there still was someone who needed some first aid, but she didn’t spot anyone.

“Have you taken care of everyone?” she asked and looked at the paramedics.

“Yes, we did”, the man answered and smiled. “I think we can return to the hospital. Police will take care of the rest.”

Ran nodded and gave her aid kit to the man, who went back. The woman turned to go to the driver's side. Ran walked to the other side, almost wanting to glance towards that stupid man again, see if he had gotten up, but she stopped herself. No, she wouldn’t give that to him.

She got into the car and slammed the door behind her. She closed the seat belt, maybe a little harder than she should have, and then she turned to look out from the side window, waiting for the paramedic to drive away, get her away from this area, from that stupid man she would never see again. She would forget that man and pretend that this day never happened…

There was a sigh. And the car didn’t move.

“You know, Mouri-sensei… I’m a little envious of you.”

Ran frowned. “Why?” she asked and turned to look at the paramedic. The woman just sat there, hands on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. Then she turned to look at Ran and smiled a little bit. “You got to treat the famous detective, Kudo Shinichi himself!”

Ran just stared at the woman, who looked so happy and dreamy when she turned back to stare ahead again, leaning on the steering wheel. “Oh, he is amazing! I admire him so much, he is intelligent, athletic, kind, good with words… And handsome. So handsome! Gosh, he’s got a charming smile and those eyes… So gentle and determined. So blue, like a clear ocean…” She shook her head a little and let out a sigh, looking like she was ready to float away. “I would have given everything to get a chance to treat him…”

Ran just stared at the woman. She wanted to puke. What were those words she’d used to describe that man? None of them made sense with him! Ran hadn’t seen anything great in that man! For the life of her, she couldn’t even see why anyone would envy her just because she happened to treat some wannabe detective who couldn’t say a single decent thing to her! God, he didn’t even thank her!

She wanted to let out a sigh and tell her that she should forget that “detective”. There was nothing great in him. But she was nice enough to not do that. Instead, she kept everything deep inside her and turned away, looking out from her window. “Well, if I knew that beforehand, I would have given it to you with pleasure.”

Chapter 2

[marshmallowgoop]

ShinRan Week 2022: Day 3 | Flying to Los Angeles

Memories and mountaintops Drunk on Sunset Boulevard With the city of angels singing on

[shinranweek]

SHINRAN WEEK 2022 PROMPTS

Thank you so much for all your votes and suggestions in the survey! After taking them into account, we are happy to share the prompts for ShinRan Week 2022!

Day 1: First Times & No Childhood Friends AU Day 2: Conan Revelation & Role Reversal AU Day 3: And There Was Only One (...) & Flying to Los Angeles (E162) Day 4: Hurt/Comfort & Fake Relationship AU Day 5: Family & Honeymoon Day 6: Sick/Injured & Black Organization Takedown Day 7: Soulmate AU & Creator's Choice

Prompt descriptions are below!

Day 1

First Times Let's think about first times! What was it like the first time when… they met? Their first confession, their first kiss, or first date? The first time they bought something important jointly, the first time they moved in together, their first big fight, their first “not today”? Tell us about the first time they did something!

No Childhood Friends AU Forget about Shinichi and Ran meeting in kindergarten. If they met later, as teenagers or adults, they would carry a past full of experiences that do not include each other. How has life been for them up to this point? And how do they meet? Is it due to their jobs, are they neighbors, or do they happen to be at the same place at the same time? Anyhow, there is attraction, interest. No way they can just let it go. How will they manage whatever it is they are feeling?

Day 2

Conan Revelation It’s time to face the truth. How would it come out? Accidentally? Would it be Ran who finally brings it up or would Shinichi tell her? How would he do it? And what about Ran's reaction?

Role Reversal AU What if instead of Shinichi, Ran was the one who got shrunk into a seven-year-old? Or what if Ran had been the detective geek and Shinichi the one who didn't care about mysteries that much?

Day 3

And There Was Only One (…) Shinichi and Ran face a situation where they need to share something they are not used to, like… There is only one room left in the hotel. Maybe only one bed or only one blanket to warm themselves. Maybe there's only one free chair left at some party, or a drink from the only available glass or can... How would they react and what would they do?

Flying to Los Angeles (E162)

You remember this scenario, right? Such closeness. What happened before Ran fell asleep? What was she dreaming while leaning on Shinichi? Or maybe she was faking? Oh, and what was going through Shinichi's mind at that moment… I wonder…

Day 4

Hurt/Comfort The world is full of concerns. Conditions with lifelong effects, painful memories, hurtful losses… broken dreams, doubts about the future or about ourselves, feeling not being enough or being unable to meet others’ expectations or our own goals. Luckily, they have each other! How would they find out about each other’s fears or would they be open about them? How would they try to cheer each other up, get the other back to their feet and support them?

Fake Relationship AU Does Ran has some stubborn admirer who would like to go on a date with her, but she isn’t interested? Does Shinichi have a case where he needs Ran to pretend to be his fiancée? Or maybe they need to fake another kind of relationship, something that doesn't have anything to do with romantic feelings? Or maybe they don't get along at all or even know each other before the fake situation!

Day 5

Family Shinichi and Ran visiting Shinichi’s parents in America? Shinichi helping Ran with drunken Kogoro? Both of them in a cafe with Eri? Maybe both the Mouri and Kudo families are together on vacation? Perhaps there is some relative that isn’t mentioned in canon and they meet ShinRan for the first time? Ooooor maybe Shinichi and Ran having their own offspring?

Honeymoon We had the wedding; now it’s time for the honeymoon! A time to forget about the real world and relish the company of your beloved, to focus on how deeply in love you are, and experience awesome things with them. Where do Shinichi and Ran go to spend their first days as a married couple? Do they stay in Japan or travel overseas? Is it a relaxing trip, or a thrilling journey? What is the most special thing they do?

Day 6

Sick/Injured Homebound because of a bad cold, or in need of somebody’s help to do anything because of an injury… What happened? Who is convalescent and who is playing the nurse role to take care of the other? Are they good at it, or… do they make it worse?! Are there some habits they would do when another one is sick/injured or does this scenario new for them?

Black Organization Takedown Time to take down the ones who are responsible for why Shinichi is Conan. And of course, our heroine would be part of it. But how? How would she assist the love of her life? Would Shinichi know about it or would it be a surprise? Would Ran team up with him from the beginning or would she show up when he needs her the most? Or what would happen when everything is over?

Day 7

Soulmates AU There are many stories about finding a soulmate: sharing a telepathic link with each other, hearing the same song in their heads, meeting in dreams, or feeling when the other one is feeling strong or is in danger. Some have matching marks like tattoos and names, and some share their injuries. Some can only taste, smell or see colors after meeting their soulmate. Some get a timer that tells when they are meeting their soulmate, some know their soulmate’s secrets and some can’t lie to their soulmate, and… some don’t have a soulmate at all, or the other one's soulmate can be someone else. What about Shinichi and Ran?

Creator’s Choice Is there something you wanted to create, but it didn’t fit any of those prompts? Was there last year’s prompt that you would like to use or maybe a WIP that you want to finish? Here is your chance ;)

Remember that these are just examples meant to give you ideas and inspiration!

[sadisticwoof-dcmk]

The concept of soulmates

Hey @shinranweek this is a bit late but I may as well post this~

Just a short piece about Shinichi's thoughts on soulmates:

Shinichi knows.  

He knows that destiny is a cruel word. Nothing should be grounded upon a false concept, wherein things are fixed. Where no matter what course of action one may take, they can never truly escape.  

He knows that fate is a terrible word. A power that some believe to have control over their actions, deciding what happens in a way that cannot be changed or avoided.  

He knows that soulmates is a strange word. People refer to soulmates as the strongest bond between another person, something people hope to achieve, to obtain.  

Apparently, there is someone out there, who is suited perfectly to another.  

In Greek Mythology, humans were originally beings with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces – and Zeus, the king of the gods, feared these creatures so much, he condemned an entire species. He had separated them into two separate parts, sentenced to spend their lives chasing after their other half. 

He thinks there would have to be one hell of a strong bond since it implies that two souls are coming together, forming that connection. 

Who is he to let something like fate determine what it believes to be right for him.  

Shinichi knows. Aware of this as he is, he lets his mind wander.  

Even if he does not believe that there is someone designed perfectly for another, he can think of one person that he wouldn’t mind letting in.  

Mouri Ran. They click together like puzzles – distinctly different from each other but fit seamlessly together. Their flaws rearrange themselves to accommodate one another, so easily and quietly like breathing.  

They are not each other’s missing pieces. No. There is no ‘one person’ that fulfills everything, fixes everything, completes them. He believes that it is about learning, creating, expanding, changing, evolving for the better.  

But he thinks that maybe, maybe, they can be puzzle pieces that help to create the final picture. One part to make up a whole. 

Ran, with her beautiful smile, her heart of gold. With her warmth, her laughter, the shine in her eyes. The small twitch of her lips when she tries to hide her amusement, the twirl of her hair around her finger when she concentrates, the way she hums to herself when she cooks, the way she lights up when she talks.  

He does not believe in soulmates. Not in the way that many may believe that someone is destined to be yours. To meet. To fall in love.  

Written in the stars, they say.  

No.  

He may not believe in soulmates- 

But he believes in Ran.  

He believes in her. In the way he would choose her, every time. Because no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at him, he would always choose her. He wants to go through life with her, by his side. Together. 

He believes in her. He believes in her in the way she believes in omens, in karma, in luck. He believes in her in the way she believes in the red string of fate. He believes in her in the way she believes in herself, in her love for him, and in the way she could not bear to cut the red wire that, in her darkest moments, represented the thread that bound them together in this life.

He loves her. Not because destiny brought them together to meet on that fated spring day, with cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind.  

No.  

He loves her because he chooses to love her. It is a choice he makes, a conscious decision. For he loves her for the compassion she holds dearly, the way she expresses herself so easily, the way the fire burns so brightly in her heart, her sense of justice and righteousness. The way she believes in the goodness in people, so determined to help, to protect, to love. 

He loves her, and that is a fact. Just as the sun rises in the east and the rain falls from the clouds, just as there are stars in the sky and the waves crash onto the sand. Irrefutable. Undeniable. Indisputable. It is a fact that seasons change, flowers bloom, and Kudou Shinichi loves Mouri Ran. 

In every world, in every universe, every lifetime, he knows he will choose her.  

He may not believe in fate or destiny or soulmates- 

but he believes in the love he has for Mouri Ran.