Title: The Same Old You

Chapter 6 : The Morning After

Author: Jaroslav Lewis

Fandom: Detective Conan

Pairing: ShinRan with slight KazuHei

Summary: Time has passed for them to believe that they have changed only for them to realize that some things haven't. Some things just don't.

Chapter Summary: Mornings can get a little messy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan and any of Gosho Aoyama's characters. I simply borrow them when I'm bored.

Warning: Nudity and mentions of sex.

AN. The whole inspiration/mood music for this chapter is "No Place" by Backstreet Boys. I recommend you guys listen to it if you haven't already.

The sun rays hit his face, causing him to stir in his sleep, waking his senses. He keeps his eyes closed for a moment until the weight of something resting on his arm catches his attention. Soon enough his eyes flutter open. His vision adjusts to the brightness of his surroundings. He fails at stretching since his right arm is pretty much restricted. He turns his head and he sees her, or at least a view of her bare back in front of him. Her head is comfortably resting on his outstretched arm, causing it to go numb but it doesn't bother him. He turns his body, shifting to a position where he is facing her side of the bed. He smiles to himself as her remembers last night's events.

It's not a dream...

He stares at the smooth, fair skin of her back, admiring its pleasant view as he tries to resist the urge to touch her again because he doesn't want to wake her. He fails at it as he closes the distance, wrapping his arm around her bare waist, sneaking underneath the covers to pull her against him. He feels her skin on skin, her back pressing against his chest.

'I could get used to mornings like this…' He thinks to himself as he leans closer to plant a gentle kiss on her shoulder, feeling the softness of her bare skin against his lips.

Such action causes her to stir in her sleep, muttering an incoherent sound as she shifts her position while still in her slumber. She turns and she is now facing him, but her eyes remain closed. Her disheveled hair is covering her face.

He chuckles to himself, remembering just how much of a heavy sleeper she is as he has noticed when he lived with her as Conan. He brings his hand up to brush the hair covering her face. He tucks them in her ear, carefully and brushes his fingers delicately against her cheek. He takes in the sight of her long, dark lashes, her pointed nose and her plump, pinkish lips that he so badly wants to kiss as though he hasn't had enough of her, considering last night's events.

He runs his fingers through her hair, stroking her lovingly. This causes her to stir again. She moves closer to him, pressing her cheek against his bare chest as she stretches her arm to hug him while she is still fast asleep. He listens to her soft breathing, feeling her inhale and exhale against his body. He stays still to make sure she is comfortable even though he is not so.

Suddenly, he is reminded of how Ran tends to be such a hugger, given that she sleeps with so many pillows and stuffed toys around her. He also remembers very well how there were a number of times when he slept beside her as Conan and how he woke up with her arm around him.

His face heats up in the slightest embarrassment but he savors her warmth and the feeling of her, embracing him in the most intimate way he could ever think of. He can't help but feel giddy at the thought.

He wishes to stay with her in such way for as long as they both can but she suddenly moves again, this time gradually waking to her senses at the peculiar feeling of the pillow she is embracing.

She keeps her eyes shut for a moment, still feeling the heaviness of her lids and the need to keep them closed for a while as her consciousness starts to kick in. She notices that her pillow isn't as soft as she normally prefers it to be, but she doesn't find it too disturbing. In fact, she loves how warm it is against her.

But there is something else that bothers her. She realizes that for some odd reason…

Her pillow seems to be breathing with her…

She tilts her head up and her eyes flutter open. The first sight she sees are his gentle cerulean eyes bearing into hers. It takes a moment for her to register the thought of why she is in bed with him. Flashback of last night's events come rushing to her head. Her face heats up in embarrassment.

She is at loss for words.

"Good morning, Ran…" He greets her, his voice sounding a little bit deeper, a little bit hoarse since he just woke up, and very much…

Sexy…

It sends shivers down her spine.

'God, his morning voice…' She thinks to herself, still in a daze as the melodic sound of his voice echoes in her head, making goosebumps creep to her skin and making her cheeks heat up even more than it already has since she woke up.

"Something wrong?" He asks worriedly because of her lack of response and at the same time, noticing that she has been staring at him for quite some time. Such question wakes her to her senses and at the same time almost makes her head explode at the alluring sound of his just-woke-up voice.

"No… Nothing!" She squeaks out defensively. Jolting from her comfortable, lying position. Suddenly she is wide awake and she remembers to pull the covers up to her chest modestly as she sits up straight. A little voice in the back of her head tells her that such action was useless since he had already seen her.

All of her.

Plenty of times.

And the one from last night was the clearest view that he has of her, that she has allowed him to see.

Her heart throbs rapidly in panic as she scans the room for her clothes. She notices how far apart they are scattered. She silently scolds herself for causing such inconvenience for both of them.

Shinichi observes her worriedly, but does not say a word as he sits straight. Ran avoids his gaze, feeling herself burn with the intensity of how he has set his eyes on her unguarded, disheveled self.

"I should probably leave… Y'know. Sonoko and Sera might be looking for me." She rambles, shifting to slide her legs down the bed. Shinichi is startled but he scrambles, under the covers with her.

"Hey, wait…" He says in panic. He moves swiftly and impulsively does the first thing the comes through his mind. He wraps his arms around her possessively in a back hug which causes Ran to flinch, surprised by his sudden display of skin ship. She sits still but relaxes with how nice and warm his embrace felt.

"Stay…" He whispers into her ear, his breath tickling her bare skin. She shivers under his touch. She feels him place a soft kiss on her neck and shoulder. Suddenly, all panic is lost and she finds herself nodding to him.

"Okay…" She breathes quite heavily. He plants a soft kiss on the top of her head and lightly pulls away.

"I'll get you something to wear. You can shower here too, if you'd like. Then we'll have breakfast. I'll just call for room service…" He offers, wanting to make her feel comfortable. He understood, Ran is in a state of shock and though he knew they were both well aware of their actions last night, everything happened all too sudden and the aftermath of it all is quite a mess, both literally and figuratively.

Ran calms her nerves at the soothing sound of his voice, bringing herself back to reality.

"That would be nice. Thank you…" She tells him and feels him pull away. Soon, she feels his weight leaving the bed. She remains still, sitting with her back facing him. She doesn't look at him but she listens at the sound of the ruffling sheets and clothing. She could tell that he is getting ready to dress up and she feels her face heat up in embarrassment.

She feels movement on the bed as he stands up to get dressed. Ran sits still, reminding herself to avert her gaze from him whilst thinking about how she is going to dress herself without him looking. She sees her dress still in a pool at the ground, just where she left it. Her strapped heels are in polar directions having been kicked off of her feet last night. Thinking about retrieving her things gives herself a massive headache.

But it gets even worse as she remembers that she is missing another article of clothing that is practically irretrievable at this point, given its condition.

Ran wanted to scream.

Then she feels a soft pat on the shoulder, followed by the feeling of something being wrapped around her. She realizes that it is a bathrobe. She turns to find Shinichi behind her, already dressed in his grey sweatpants and black wife beater.

He smiles and hands her a neatly folded set of clothes.

"You can change in these." He says. Ran simply nods, completely stunned and touched by such gesture. He settles the set of clothes-his clothes on the edge of the bed and turns his back to her, giving her time to slip into the bathrobe.

She wraps the piece of clothing around her and ties a secure knot before taking his clothes with her as she tiptoes to the bathroom.

Shinichi snaps from his reverie as he hears the door shut.

He shakes his head thinking to himself how awkward the aftermath of last night's events turned out to be.

Ran keeps her back pressed against the bathroom door for a few seconds, right in front of her is the bathroom vanity with a luxurious marble sink and a clean shiny mirror that allows her to see her reflection clearly.

She cringes, looking at her face, seeing her lipstick quite smudged, her mascara flaking under her eyes. She remembers clearly how she had forgotten to take off her makeup last night. Well, considering last night's events, who wouldn't right?

She shakes her head, telling herself that such mistake could be totally bad for her skin.

Ran always had good skin. She is very much thankful for the good genes she inherited from her mother, but of course she is also careful enough to maintain it, especially with her age.

But more than that, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Shinichi just saw her in such a messy state. Though they have practically always been transparent with each other, given their history, this was one side of her she felt uncomfortable letting him see.

Shinichi is her best friend, but he was also once her boyfriend.

She is a lady and he is a man.

Not just any man too. He is a man who has always had a special place in her heart.

Shinichi never minded how she looks, but she liked looking presentable in front of him.

She is pissed. He is so flawless, always has been and always will be. He looks so fine despite the fact that he woke up with his hair sticking up in different directions. She couldn't help but feel insecure, waking up next to him in such state.

She takes more time to observe herself in front of the mirror. She slightly slides the bathrobe off of her shoulder and she notices a trail of small but evident reddish marks running from her neck to her shoulders and down to her chest.

She recalls the feeling of his touch, his kisses. There was no doubt that he knew what he was doing and that he seemed quite experienced. The way he was so aggressive but also gentle that he could make her feel weak.

There was no denying the possibility. Shinichi is a grown man after all, a charming one for the matter and New York is filled with beautiful blonde and brunette bombshells.

Ran can't help but wonder where she stands in that.

After last night's events, she wonders what she is to him, now? What is he to her? What are they exactly?

And come to think of it, Shinichi never said anything last night. As far as she is concerned, no promises were even made, were there?

"I guess this is as good as it's gonna get." She sighs to herself as she observes herself in the mirror again.

Her hair is wet, fresh from the shower. She is now clad in his dark blue, UCLA hoodie and shorts. Both of which are a little loose but still comfortable to wear. The hoodie was too long that it covered most of the shorts, almost acting like a dress instead of a top.

She hugs the hoodie to body, feeling the softness of the fabric, inhaling his familiar scent.

'I guess this isn't so bad after all.' She thinks to herself, finally deciding to step out of the bathroom.

She takes small calculated steps as she does, peeking outside first before she finally lets herself out. She finds him sitting by the table, that is already set. Seems like room service arrived while she was taking her sweet time in the shower. She also notices that her things are set on the bed, her gown from last night is neatly folded and her strappy heels are neatly placed on the ground, right below it.

He is casually reading the newspaper while taking a sip from his cup of black coffee. It takes him a few seconds to notice her presence. He shifts his attention from the newspaper to her and smiles, a usual, sheepish one.

"Hey." He clears his throat, shifting awkwardly in his seat. "Breakfast is ready."

She nods and walks up to him to sit in front of him and join him. He observes as she does, taking in the sight of her in his clothes. He can't help but feel giddy about it. There was something oddly adorable about the way Ran's just casually wearing his clothes.

There was something territorial about it.

He felt the same feeling as last night when he left the bridal garter on her.

Also, there was no denying at all. She looks good in his clothes. She looks absolutely good in anything.

But of course, Shinichi respects that Ran is her own woman. And technically speaking, they haven't even decided what their current status is at the moment.

Soon enough, Ran notices that he has been staring at her. She feels conscious about it and she meets his gaze, looking at him questioningly. Shinichi awkwardly looks away and says nothing.

She wants to ask him why he's staring but she's too shy to do so. They stay quiet long enough for silence to feel too deafening for both of them.

Ran averts her gaze and stares at the food instead. Her plate is filled with a nice stack of waffles with whipped cream and blueberries on top. On the side sits a fluffy serving of scrambled eggs with nicely toasted strips of bacon. The morning feast is indeed mouth-watering, but Ran doesn't have the appetite for it.

So, she merely cuts the waffles into small triangles. Shinichi on the other hand slightly stabs his fluffy scrambled eggs.

Both of them merely play with their food and take small bites in between. They repeat such actions until they are only about half-way through finishing the plate, barely even touching anything but feeling already full because of the anxiety that makes their stomachs flip.

Soon enough, Shinichi notices how Ran is struggling with slicing her waffles. He observes that the sleeves of her (his) hoodie were so long that they kept falling and covering her hands, restricting them in the process. Ran would have to keep pushing them up from time to time, but since they are too loose for her slim arms, they would still continue to fall.

Shinichi is unable to stand the sight that he rises from his seat to stride to her side of the table. Ran is puzzled as he stops just right behind her. She is startled when he bows a little, so that his shoulder is up to her level. She feels his chin brush against her shoulder as he reaches her wrist from behind. She blushes because it feels as though he is giving her a back hug, but is stunned when she sees his delicate fingers working through, folding one of her sleeves neatly until it stops right by her elbow. She stays still as he does the other. She is unable to withstand looking at him from shoulder.

His face is very much near hers. She takes her time to observe his sharp jawline, his handsome side profile. She snaps out when he turns his face towards her, feeling her gaze towards him. He gives her his undivided attention.

She becomes flustered and he gives her a soft smile.

"It was in the way…" He simply explains the obvious. He pulls away and goes back to his seat. Her eyes follow him and she nods, squeaking out an almost inaudible, "Thank you."

Still stunned, her eyes remain focused on him and soon they travel to the noticeable red marks on his bare shoulder, vivid lines and small crescents that sort of looked painful but Shinichi didn't seem to show any discomfort over them.

Ran begins to feel worried and also quite embarrassed. Suddenly, all she could think about is how she was the one who came on to him last night. She was the one who came rushing to his door and started knocking. She was the one who tackled him in a very rough kiss.

And she was also the one who told him that she wanted him.

So much…

Ran felt something in her short-circuit. Suddenly, everything was all too much to bear as if it hadn't been already before…

"Shinichi, about last night…" She speaks and his eyes shoot back right into her, so calm and composed but there is a quite noticeable flush spreading across his face. He is unable to respond but he does wait for her to continue what she has to say.

She pauses with a short intake of breath. All of a sudden, she feels as though she doesn't know the right words to say, nor where to even begin. Her heart is pounding in her chest. So many thoughts are running through her head.

"Last night was…" She prolongs instead, still thinking.

Shinichi starts to feel his palms sweat as he stares at her in anticipation, focusing as he waits for her to finish, feeling impatient with every second that she stalls. Anxiety creeps up to him, making his chest and stomach hurt.

He wonders about what she is going to say. He tries to read her but somehow it just seems impossible to do so.

He knows deep down, last night felt memorable. It is special to him, but Ran is suddenly acting so strange almost as if she is regretting what happened. The mere thought of it gives a slight pang to his chest.

He feels his palms sweat, wondering about what she is about to say and hoping that it would lead to something good later on.

'Good? Memorable? Not bad for our first time?' He guesses in his head, a little bit pleadingly.

"Spontaneous." She finishes and he feels his heart sink a little but also is quite relieved that the statement was a truth and more of a neutral than a negative.

He nods, agreeing with her.

"It was also irresponsible." She adds and he feels his heart sink a little bit more than it did. Although he agrees that she is indeed correct, it still hurt.

"I think we should forget that it happened. Probably for the best. Probably, the best way to say good bye, you know…" She finishes and suddenly he feels like his heart just fell off of the cliff and flatlined. He wanted to protest, but no words came from his mouth.

And as if it wasn't enough, she spoke again.

"It was supposed to be a onetime thing, right? You're still going back to New York, right?"

"What?" He asks in disbelief, unable to mask the hurt in his tone and in his eyes as he looks at her. It crushed him that she would even think that last night was just that. That it was just casual, that it meant absolutely nothing when it meant everything to him.

"I'm sorry, I came on to you last night." She admits with a hint of embarrassment in her tone. "I shouldn't have-

Suddenly, Shinichi feels irritated again. He hates that she has to be apologetic about what happened, when last night…

Last night for once, they just wanted to be together.

Not a care in the world about their responsibilities, for as long as they conveyed their feelings to each other. But now, suddenly, she's just taking it back…

"Why the hell are you making things so complicated again, Ran?" He says with a clear hint of frustration in his tone. Ran is startled by the question. This time, it is her turn to be speechless.

"Last night, you told me… You wanted to be selfish." He continues, his eyes remaining so focused on hers that it intimidates her, gives her the urge to look away but she freezes. "Why are you changing your mind again? What's so different about last night from now? You told me you knew what you are doing. I know I did. What's stopping you now? Because I know what I want now is still the same as what I wanted last night…"

Ran starts to hate the fact that the tables have turned this time, that this time, he is the one who is right, that he is talking some sense to her and she's just being stupid and difficult.

She lets out a defeated sigh.

"I just… I just don't want you to think that you have to take responsibility for what happened. Since well… Since I was a…"She shakes her head and her tone softens into another squeak, "Since you were my first…."

Tears start to pool in the corners of her eyes.

He was her first and she knows deep down she doesn't regretted anything that happened last night, but she is scared about so many things. She doesn't know what to think anymore.

"So, you'd rather that I'd just regard you as a one-night stand? A mere fuckbuddy? That's what you want? That's what you take me for?" Shinichi asks, unable to notice that he has already raised his tone at her. It frustrates him that Ran is once again, reducing herself into something less-important than his other matters in life, that she thinks she is nothing but dispensable. And what's even worse is that she would dare to think that he would walk out of her life after "getting what he wanted", when clearly that is not something that he would even dare to do. That is not who he is.

To him, Ran thinking less of herself also meant that she is also thinking less of him. It upset him, a lot more than she could ever know or think.

She on the other hand, feels bad because he is right. She is trying to run away again because she is afraid. She thought she is saving him by making him leave again, by trying to give him an easy way out but she is disregarding his feelings. She is not only hurting herself. She is hurting him as well. She thought she is doing the right thing, what's best for both of them. But she is only making things complicated, even more than they already were.

She tries to stop the tears from falling. But it still does and she starts to hate herself even more. She has already done enough to make him feel bad, and now she's crying and he's gonna think it's his fault.

And just as she predicted, she hears him sigh, a soft one and his expression softens as well.

"Ran…" He says her name, this time in a much calmer tone as he reaches for her hand on the table, holding it firmly in his. "I thought I made it clear last night… But I guess I didn't. So, if you want me to say it, I'll say it over and over again as long as you need to hear it."

He steadies his breath, feeling his heart beat rapidly against his chest.

"I love you…" He tells her with so much sincerity that she sees it as she looks into his eyes. "I still do. Always have and always will…"

She wants to tell him that she loves him too but she chokes on a sob. He shakes his head, letting out a light chuckle at her silliness.

Despite how much he thought she had changed, she is still the same old stubborn, crybaby that he knew.

"Barou…" He teases her just like how he would back then. Suddenly she feels like they are ten years younger again, back to the same old them, feeling the same old feeling coming back. He leans closer, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, running his thumb to trace her tears away.

Suddenly it feels very much familiar.

Just like old times….

Shinichi then stands from his seat so that he could cross to her side of the table. He stops behind her and leans forward to give her a back hug while she remains seated, startled but also comforted by his warmth.

"You were right about letting me leave for LA and then New York, you know. It was beyond the dream. For a moment, I was really happy. I loved my career. But I always felt as though there is always something missing in my life. Those places weren't home. No matter how long I've been there, they just never felt like it..." He tells her with honesty, resting his chin against her shoulder. She feels him tighten his embrace around her. "You'll always be home to me, Ran…"

Ran steadies her breath, feeling the urge to tear-up again. She brings her hand up to touch him and somewhat return his embrace, reaching up to touch his hair, her back still facing him. She takes a few moments, sitting still before she lightly shifts, pulling away so that she can slightly turn to face him.

She stands up to give him a proper hug, wrapping her arms around his neck while resting her head against his chest as he wraps his arms around her petite waist.

"I love you too, Shinichi. I'm sorry I was being difficult. I just… I panicked you know…" She finally responds. She hears him chuckle again as he strokes her hair.

"Don't ever think that I would let you go, the second time. Because I won't anymore…" He tells her strictly then he pauses a bit, thinking.

A shy expression forms his face, he flushes, crimson red. He rests his chin on the top of her head, quite relieved that this way, she wouldn't see how embarrassed he is as he mutters under his breath. "Besides… If I'm gonna take responsibility… Then maybe you should too you know…"

Ran pulls away, shooting back at him with a surprised look on her face, her eyes widen at the thought. Her mouth falls agape.

"You mean to say…" She reacts, still stunned.

Shinichi shifts uncomfortably and scratches the back of his head in a sheepish manner. He looks at her with a half-irritated, half-embarrassed frown, that Ran finds to be adorable. He also crosses his arms against his chest.

"Yes." He simply replies, clearing his throat, trying to look cool and composed but the crimson flush has already spread across his neck.

"Really?" She asks again, with no intention to taunt him, but rather because she is still in the state of disbelief.

Shinichi raises an eyebrow.

"You, really couldn't tell?"

Ran shakes her head, looking at him with such innocent eyes. And just like that, a smug smile forms Shinichi's lips. Suddenly it's Ran's turn to be embarrassed. A puzzled expression forms her face.

"But… how…"

She turns redder than he is. Shinichi's grin goes wider at her question.

"Detective's instinct, I guess…" He answers, shrugging. Then he cups her face in his hand again and looks into her indigo-colored eyes. He smiles and she feels as though she's going to melt into a puddle. "Or just my instinct in general… You know, if it's you, I'll figure it out no matter how complicated you can be at times…"

He leans to shorten the already small distance between them. She stays still as he moves closer, eyeing at her lips. She closes her eyes and anticipates a kiss from him.

And then…

A loud knock on the door interrupts them and makes them pull away from each other. Ran's eyes open and finds Shinichi's puzzled expression before he fully pulls away, wondering who it maybe at the door.

There is a hint of annoyance in his expression, feeling irritated that someone would dare to interrupt his and Ran's moment.

He walks up to the door, hearing another series of knocks and he opens it, expecting an annoying hotel worker that he is ready to scold.

"Oi what the hell-"

His voice falters as he cut off when he finds Sonoko, Sera and Hattori at his door. A surge of panic flows through his whole system. His face turns pale.

"Oi Kudo! We've been looking for Neechan. These two have been worried all night, waiting for her and she still hasn't come back to their hotel room." Heiji says. Shinichi remains standing by the doorway, blocking the entrance and hopefully blocking the view of Ran inside his room.

He remains silent, thinking of a reply when Ran approaches, curiously and quite worried as to what may have been taking him long.

"Shinichi?" She calls him. Her voice unfortunately does not go unheard by the other three. Shinichi's eyes widen and so do Heiji's, Sonoko's and Sera's.

In an instant they all push forward, making Shinichi step back, failing to block the doorway. Shinichi slumps his shoulders, feeling defeated. He sighs as he closes the door and shakes his head, knowing very well that he and Ran are in for quite a teasing.

Ran on the other hand is startled by their presence and also embarrassed as soon as she remembers what she is wearing.

"Ah Neechan… We went to Kudo to ask if he has seen you, and turns out he did." Heiji comments, smirking and then shooting a look at Shinichi who frowns at him, annoyed. "So you have only been here, all this time ne?"

Sonoko and Sera on the other hand shoot Ran a knowing look. Ran blushes furiously and hugs herself, feeling as though her privacy has been violated.

Shinichi on the other hand walks towards her and stands in front of her, shielding her from the three, protectively.

"Oi oi! It's not what you think!" He explains defensively, hoping that they would stop with the teasing but it doesn't. Instead, it gets even worse.

"Really? So, would you care to explain to us what those marks on your shoulder are?" Heiji asks. Suddenly, Shinichi feels as though he is a suspect being interrogated by an officer. He looks at his shoulder and sees the marks that Ran made last night. He blushes.

A proud smirk forms Sonoko's lips, clearly impressed and quite surprised by Ran's clear evidence of boldness. Given Ran's conservative and innocent image, it was something that Sonoko and the other two weren't expecting. But alas, they are all adults there.

"My, my, who would've thought Ran could be such a minx!" Sonoko chimes. Ran shoots her a dangerous look.

"Sonoko!" She scolds, half-beging her to stop, with no success.

"Also what's that on your neck, you're hiding with your hair?" She asks and Ran automatically brings her hand to the spot on her neck that Shinichi marked.

Sonoko's smirk widens.

"Gotcha!"

"Evidence is clear as presented. Also that jacket and that 'signature' fold screams a lot. No need to be shy, Ran-chan. We've been knew…" Sera teases.

Ran looks at the jacket on her body and observes the fold of the sleeves. Sera did have a point. She is sporting a UCLA jacket. And no other person could own such other than Shinichi who took his degree in such a prestigious university. Moreover, as Sera had just stated, the way the sleeves were folded clearly screams Shinichi's ownership, given that he always sports such style whenever he's wearing dress-shirts or casual long sleeves.

Anyone who knew him well would know that such neat, even fold is his doing…

"Can't believe Kazuha overslept and missed this…" Heiji says, chuckling. Then he gestures to the two, questioningly. "So, given all this, does this mean you two are finally…"

Shinichi smiles, genuinely and takes Ran's hand in his, intertwining his fingers against hers. Ran is startled as she looks up at him.

He turns to her and flashes a sheepish grin and then turns to their friends.

"I guess we are, aren't we?" He replies, which earns a cheer from the other three. Ran feels her lips automatically forming into a giddy smile she just can't suppress.

"So what happens now? What about New York?" Sonoko asks Shinichi curiously.

Ran silently anticipates a reply from Shinichi and tries so hard to calm her nerves despite how anxious she feels. For a moment there is tension in the air. Even Heiji and Sera shut their mouths to hear Shinichi's answer.

"I'm still flying back tomorrow, but only temporarily, to file my resignation and prepare for my transition before I go back to Tokyo for good. I received an offer from Megure-keibu a long time ago that I initially rejected. But he told me that such offer will not cease to stand and that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department will always be open for me if I ever chose to come back. I've been thinking about it for a long time, especially since I came back and now, I guess, I've finally come up with a resolve…" He announces. "As cheesy as it sounds, I'm choosing where the heart is…"

He wraps his arm around Ran's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Ran feels touched. She smiles while her eyes tear up again with joy.

Heiji, Sonoko and Sera all smile. All in awe, watching their two friends, looking happier than they have ever been before.

Mission success after all…

The two feel some sort of dread shoot up to their stomachs as they walk along the airport, near the departure area.

Shinichi turns to Ran, holding the handle of his carry-on luggage. Ran smiles sadly at him. Suddenly she feels like she misses him already.

She holds his neatly folded hoodie in her arms, hugging it protectively. She looks at it and thinks, wondering if she should return it. Then she looks at him, as if asking for permission.

"I think, I'll hold on to this for a while." She says and he nods.

"And I'll see you in three weeks." He responds, pulling her with his free hand. He gives her a sweet, soft kiss on the lips, catching her surprised. He deepens it a little, brushing his lips against hers and she closes her eyes, responding to him, holding his face to pull him closer.

They hold the kiss a little longer, but not too much that it seemed inappropriate to the public, just enough that they are both left in a daze and quite short of breath when they pull away.

"In New York…" He finishes his sentence with a smirk. She flashes him a bright and excited smile.

"Have a safe flight." She says thoughtfully.

"You too." He replies, lifting his hand to stroke her hair lovingly, lingering for a moment and knowing very well that the three weeks that they'd be apart would seem longer now because he just couldn't bear to be away from her again.

But he pulls away shortly, reminding himself that he'll see her.

Three weeks.

It shouldn't be too long, right?

They managed to be away from each other for ten years.

He waves a good bye and so does she. Then he turns, dragging his luggage with him. She watches as he walks away.

And she starts to miss him so much already. She sighs, hugging his hoodie tighter.

Three weeks. It's just three weeks.

Unexpectedly, he stops again and she wonders. He turns to her to wave at her again.

Ran couldn't help but laugh at how silly and childish he looks. But she waves back at him anyway.

AN. So that's the second to the last chapter! Sorry it took three months, two scripts and one breakdown about a concert cancellation. Hahaha I apologize for keeping you all waiting. To those who don't know, I got really busy with my job as a scriptwriter and right after I finally had the time to write, I received notice about a cancelled TVXQ concert, which I was so so so looking forward too. I had to take a time off because I momentarily lost inspiration to write.

But I'm recovering now and I'm back to writing. Aside from this update being my comeback to the fanfiction world, this also gonna be my advance gift for icedcoffeeanyone/hislips who is celebrating her birthday this coming Saturday!

Please send her some love on her ko-fi account:

/icedcoffeeanyone

She deserves our support!

Would like to take this time to thank you all for understanding my long absence. Thank you all for your support and messages!

The next chapter will be the last for TSOY. Ahhhh. I'm excited but also feeling some sort of separation anxiety! Hahaha

I'm still not sure when I'll be able to post the last update for TSOY. I might work on the long-due drabble requests first before I write Chapter 7. Hahaha XD But I promise, I'll try to update soon!

Thank you to everyone who have been with me from the beginning until the end!

~J