I'm here... [ShinRan]

Stay

Shinichi and Ran were lying close together, face-to-face on his bed. He caressed her hand, trying to memorise every line of her sleeping face. Her beautiful, charming face.

"I'm here..."

That was what he said. And then everything changed. With her tears and her eyes, with her quiet words and the silence after.

"I always knew..."

He felt trapped, he felt like he'd been drowned long ago. No air would find its way into his lungs and he was frozen in time. His mind was a complete mess. Was it okay? Was it good? It certainly felt good. But then there were those icy claws of fear incarcerating his heart. They could find out, they would find out and then Ran would be dead. They would hunt her down and kill her.

His face must have gone crazy with fear because Ran propped herself on her elbow and reached out. Her warm hand pressed against his left temple did nothing to relax him.

"It's okay... I know... Shinichi..."

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his own name. She... she knows...

His mind had a short. He couldn't think any longer. Ran... she knows...

The one thing that never should have happened. He swallowed, blinking at the same time, jumpstarting his thinking. Well, at least he tried to. It didn't really work, so when his lips opened no sound came out, just a hitched breath.

So Ran went into the offensive. She let go of his hand and pulled him closer, her hands on his back and his neck like it was no effort at all. Which it probably wasn't. She hugged him tightly and he couldn't even think about how close he was to her...

He smelled her body, the sweet sweat on her skin yet he couldn't do anything. He went rigid and did his best to breath in and out in a regular rhythm.

"I'm so glad... I am so happy it's you. I was wondering what could capture you in terms that you wouldn't or even couldn't return when I asked you to."

Ran rambled on and on and he barely listened. Were they here already? They wouldn't know yet, right? And how could they?

"I always knew there was something about you. That was why I felt so comfortable around you, so happy. With Conan it always felt like I was with you, so I... I couldn't prove it but... I knew..."

And still... He curled up against her, clawing his fingers into the sheets between them. Why did he have to play Conan all this time? Why did he have to lie to her? If she knew all along and managed to fool everyone, including him – why... why...

"I'm sorry... I... I..."

His fingers clenched even tighter and the knot in his throat wouldn't disappear. Why...

„No, I am."

Ran interrupted him smoothly. She wouldn't let go of him so he was content with burying his face in the sheets. And yes, there was still enough sheets between them to not feel anything... Sadly...

"I couldn't stay strong anymore. I wanted to see you. I literally begged you to come out of hiding. I know you must have had a reason for all this and I must have put myself in danger now but..."

He felt her fingers strengthen around his sensitive waist and shuddered. Was she always this good at expressing her feelings? He smiled to himself. Yeah, she was. She kissed him first after all. Just a kiss on the cheek and he blushed – back then and now.

"As long as I can be near you I feel everything will be fine."

He begged to differ. She had no idea how great a danger she was in. Ran had few confrontations with the Organization and they mostly ended without her grasping even the slightest bit of their menace.