#I hope that you enjoy this because I'm kind of topsy turvy about it xD

[mintchocolateleaves]

You wrote an experimentation quite a while ago with kaito x everyone and holy shit dude, it was amazing. If you don't mind can you do it with another character x everyone? I don't mind which character because I love them all and it'll always be interesting, like Ran looking for a substitute to who she's waiting for, or perhaps a rarer character like kazuha? I honestly don't mind who, and I hope you find the inspiration to write it xx

Hey Anon, I hope that this as an experimentation is around what you meant? I chose Ran. And I hope you enjoy it, because as many issues as I have with it, I also kind of really enjoyed writing it! :D

-

“You think you got everybodyfooled don’t you?”

-

Kazuhais the first.

Theirsis a whirlwind romance, which spans an entire train journey, brief but not anyless for how quickly it ends. Both of them travelling on the Kodama train, fourhours from Tokyo to Osaka.

They’realone, which is probably the only reason why. In the recess of their own traincompartment – private, just for them,somehow they’re so lucky – they lose themselves in one another.

“Whatabout Kudo-kun?” Kazuha whispers, and a jolt of something sparks down her spine, an electrical impulse that forcesRan to lift her hand up and shush Kazuha, pulling her nearer, bodies close, herhands roaming, searching, exploring.

Kazuhadoes not stop her. In fact, when Ran leans back, as if acknowledging Hattoriand the boundaries that make them unable to pursue this kind of moment, sheurges her on.

“Whathappens on this train ride,” Kazuha says, “is just between us.”

Rannods, smiles. And with too many buttons undone to be considered anything butimproper, she pushes Kazuha down against the seats, offers a grin and says, “thisis everything and nothing.”

And thatis what it is.

For fourhours, it is everything, and as soon as they step off the train, it meansnothing.

-

“But not me, Ran,

I’ve known you too long.”

-

The nextlasts a little longer than four hours.

This onelast months.

Sonokois Ran’s best friend, and the thing with best friends is sometimes you canoverthink and wonder if there is more there. And well, yes, maybe Ran’scompletely horrible because Sonoko has Makoto,but Makoto is not here and she is.

And Sonokodoes not seem to mind.

She isan innocent soul, someone that Ran doesn’t question the motives of, simply curlsinto during sleepovers, ankles wrapped around each other, face nuzzled in toSonoko’s neck.

It’snice, and they share the company, hearts intertwined while Ran places chaste kissesinto Sonoko’s collarbone, never going lower, never crossing that boundary.

“What aboutShinichi?” Sonoko whispers, one night as Ran wraps them both together in ablanket, the two of them sitting too close, watching each other’s lips for silentacceptance.

“I love you,” Ran whispers, as if that’sexplanation enough. “Not him.”

And maybeMakoto will come back soon, and maybe it’s a lie, but it’s what they both wantto hear, want to believe if only for a little while.

-

“And no matter how hard you tryto deny it,

I can tell you care as much abouthim as he cares about you.”

-

Thethird is in the spur of the moment.

See,that’s the kind of person Hattori Heiji is. He acts in the heat of the moment, actsbefore he thinks things through, and maybe Ran’s a little similar in that sensebut that’s just who they are.

The Osakanis visiting – he’d been hoping to catch Conan for a day out, but Conan’s withthe professor – and it’s just the two of them, both reeling from bad days.

Therehad been a case. That’s usually how things progress with detectives, and maybethey’re both seeking comfort from the brutality of it, wanting to convincethemselves of the good in the world.

But oneminute they are just sat talking, and the next there is a distinct lack ofclothes, hands setting Ran’s skin alight.

It is asif for a few hours, they don’t need to think about dropping boundaries, aboutopening up, and it is peaceful. Comforting that even with everything they’veseen they can still open up.

Just onenight.

“Fuck,”Heiji says the next morning, when they’ve both woken up, and he’s searching forclothes, “what have I – you an’ Kudo?”

Ran sitsup, and feels her cheeks redden. Of course – this is Shinichi’s friend, not hers, and of course it’s going to get backto him now.

“There’snothing between Shinichi and I,” Ran says, lifting the covers up around her andresisting the urge to hide away. “But you and Kazuha…”

Theyboth pale at that. Heiji zips up his jeans. He sees the lie, deduces the reasonbehind it, and thankfully decides to stay quiet.

“Itstays between us,” Ran says, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

(Heleaves in a hurry, doesn’t even have the time to say hello to Conan, who’s onhis way in.)

-

“So admit that you love him,

And I know that you do.”

-

Perhaps it’sbecause he’s so flattering that Ran tests the waters with Eisuke.

He’s clumsyin person, and that carries through to how he acts when trying to be romanticbut Ran smiles and waits and enjoys his company anyway. When they kiss, theirforeheads always clash together before their lips can.

Andsometimes, when he goes to lean over, he trips and they’re in compromisingsituations, but Ran welcomes it, because these flustered expression’s – well,she’s never received them before.

(A voicein her head says that another detective she knows would grow extremelyflustered as well, but she always smothers it.)

He is clumsywith his words too, and Ran can see it in every interaction. And maybe sometimesit’s a little irritating, watching him stumble over the words, but mostly it’sflattering.

All too pleasantuntil Eisuke takes a step back and says he’s going back to America. Then, itfeels like he’s just been nervous, awaiting some sort moment where he feels comfortableenough to let Ran know that he’s going.

And Rancalls him on it.

Why didshe have to tell him at the last moment, rather than as soon as he’s found out.Why couldn’t she prepare herself for missing him. She spends the night outragedonce he has gone, because he gives no warning.

Lookslike he did learn something from Shinichi after all. Eisuke always had beenwanting to meet him.

-

“That little persistent kid hassomehow gotten in under the wire.”

-

Dangerous.

That’swhat Sera Masumi is.

Ran walksa tightrope when it comes to Sera. The girl grabs hold of her heart, tells herthat Kudo be damned, if he’s not herethen I’m going to make you mine, and rips the organ straight out of herchest.

Which,sounds violent, but for once Ran’s alright with someone else holding onto herheart. Even if it does mean that sometimes she wakes up with a hole whereShinichi used to be, Sera makes up for it.

Mostly, anyway.

She’sanother detective, and God, what is it with Ran always falling for detectives, because she is. She’sfalling for Sera ever so slightly, and it’s wonderful because the times shespends wishing for Shinichi are starting to dwindle down, less thought over.

And thenSonoko goes and ruins it all. She whispers, “hey, isn’t Sera kind of like Shinichi?”

And Ranstarts to realise the similarities. They’re both eager for mysteries – Sera disappearssometimes, seeks out cases where there shouldn’t be any… So much that Ran hadn’tthought about goes noticed.

And wow,isn’t this dangerous? Tiptoeing so far, not knowing how far she could fall, howbroken she will leave herself when Sera takes the similarities too much andjust disappears.

LikeEisuke. Like Shinichi.

Rancloses her eyes, cuts the tightrope and holds on for dear life even as shefalls. And then, she steals back her heart, places it back in her chest cavityand hopes the palpitations aren’t going to be permanent.

-

“And that’s what’s happened, huh?”

-

Perhaps it’sonly natural that when she steals her own heart back, a thief appears ready to stealit for himself.

KIDarrives in her life, and Ran knows that he could be anyone, wear any face butthere’s only really one that she wants to see. And it’s not fair on either ofthem but Ran forces it.

KID pretendsto be someone he’s not.

And he’sa good copy, but at the end of the day, he’s only a duplicate, not the realversion, and it’s frustrating for them both. And Ran starts to get confused, wonderswhether pretending is the same as believing and maybe–

She doesnot mind being together with Kaitou KID.

Clotheson or off, she captures him in her embrace, curls up around him. She pulls himinto her, lets him take what Shinichi never would, and pretends until shebelieves.

And it’sas she begins to believe this is as good as the real thing that KID asks,

“Butwhat about me?”

Randoesn’t know what he’s talking about, but as soon as he asks it, she seems torealise that he’s finished. What’s between them is fake, and maybe he’s grown tiredof it, but he’s ready to move on to a new role, one that doesn’t include playingthe part of detective.

And Ran’sleft, wondering why pretending seems so comforting, up until the moment someonebrushes the illusion away.

-

“Admit the truth–”

-

He comesback.

The realversion, Shinichi.

And thereis not as much of him as there was before. He’s missing some part of himself, andyes, he’s gained some more, but he is altogether different to how he used tobe, and part of Ran is scared by that.

Is shesimply in love with the idea of him, or the real version?

Shedoesn’t know anymore.

“I’vewaited for you,” Shinichi whispers, “even when I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

So, he knows.Ran doesn’t know how to feel about that. Glad, mostly, that she won’t have to lieto him.

“And Iwill continue to wait.” Ran shudders at the sound of his voice, broken, butsomehow unwilling to give up. “But only if there’s a reason to continuewaiting.”

And now,Ran really looks at him. Even now, he’s like a ghost. Physically, he’s here. Butthere is some element to him that is missing – there’s an absence of light inhis eyes. He’s been waiting, but somewhere along the way, he’d realised thatRan had given up.

Randoesn’t like the thought of being someone to give up.

“It hurtsto wait,” she whispers, and Shinichi nods. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t offer anythingother than quiet understanding.

“But I will,”Shinichi says. And for a moment, just onemoment, there’s a light in his eyes again. “If you’ll wait with me too.”

Ranbites her lip. And she says, “why do we need to keep waiting for each other, we’reboth right here, aren’t we?”

(And the light goes out.)

-

“You love him, don’t you?”