A Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou Fanfiction
by: aishuu
She was a virgin on her wedding night, and she was proud of that. She could give herself to him completely, not holding back any secrets. She told him right as they entered the honeymoon suite of the cruise ship.
He blushed, but she could see he was pleased.
They had originally planned to eat dinner in the ship's main restaurant, but standing in that small room, their patience came to an end. He reached for her just as she raised her arms to claim him. Their first kisses were soft and familiar, but he grew bolder, his hand cupping her breast and caressing it through her travel outfit.
She had planned on slipping into the negligee she'd purchased specifically for their wedding night, but all thoughts of setting the right mood to create a perfect memory flew out of her head. She clutched at his shoulders, and leaned back, pulling him on top of her as she landed on the bed.
It wasn't perfect. Neither of them was completely sure what to do, in spite of all the romance novels she'd read, and the inevitable porn a teenage boy is exposed to. Reality was a bit different, and they fumbled as they stripped off their clothing, and explored each other's bodies.
It hurt, quite a bit, when he initially penetrated her. He pressed kisses against her tears, apologized, and asked her if she wanted to stop. She had smiled up at him and pushed her hips into him, encouraging him to keep going.
They eventually found a rhythm, and the pain faded, and it felt so good to finally be with him. The tension in her body built and built, and finally it peaked, and she yelled for him. She didn't know which of his names she used. Her release triggered his, and she caught him as he collapsed.
The aftermath wasn't embarrassing. They lay naked next to each other, but thoughts of modesty didn't occur. Instead, she leaned against him, listening to the sound of his breathing. She was happy, she thought. She hadn't known she could love him even more than she already did.
"Ran?" He spoke softly, adjusting his grip on her waist so he could look at her face.
She turned her head slightly, and was delighted to see how utterly content he looked. "Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too." She nuzzled his neck affectionately before shifting up to capture his lips, with predictable results.
They finally left their room at close to 2 a.m., seeking one of the all-night eateries. They were both famished, and had playfully decided they couldn't spend their entire honeymoon locked away together – just most of it.
He directed her to find a table in the nearly empty cafeteria while he fetched food for them both. Slightly suspicious that he had a "surprise" in store, she agreed after snagging a quick kiss.
She found a place near the window. It was late, but there was enough moonlight shining off the waves for her to enjoy the view outside. The night seemed very dark, with the sky unclouded by the light pollution that she'd grown accustomed to. She stared out of it dreamily, her mind still dazed with happiness.
"Are you here alone?" a voice said unexpectedly. Ran turned her head with surprise. A tall woman dressed in casual clothes stood in front of her, holding a cup of coffee.
"My husband's getting a late night snack for us," Ran replied. The word "husband" tasted sweet on her tongue, and she smiled to herself.
"Mine if I keep you company?" Ran did mind, since she wanted to wait for Conan, but the woman didn't seem to wait for an answer, sliding into the chair across from her. "I can never sleep on these ships early, and my husband is a morning person," the woman said.
Ran decided to make the best of it. "I don't think mine is," she said, recalling many mornings shaking a tired Conan awake. That could have changed as he grew up again, though. Shinichi had usually bounced through the mornings.
"Oh? Newlyweds?"
"This is our honeymoon," she replied. Her eyes went to the breakfast bar, trying to catch sight of Conan. "I wonder where he got to."
"Probably hanging out by the dessert bar," the woman replied with a knowing laugh. "The things the pastry chef can do are just short of divine."
Ran licked her lips. "I hope he gets something chocolaty."
"It's hard to miss," the woman said. The woman's eyes wandered toward the buffer, and Ran noticed Conan was standing there, a tray with two heaping plates. He was studying the selection of desserts, and Ran wondered if she could somehow telepathically communicate that she wanted chocolate cake.
The woman tutted. "The bad thing about these cruises is that parents let their kids run wild. Just because they're in a confined space doesn't mean that they won't find trouble. I wonder if his parents know he's out this late."
Ran felt herself flushing, whether with annoyance or embarrassment, she wasn't sure. "That's my husband," Ran explained gently.
The woman's smile faded away, and her expression closed off. "Oh," she said. "He's very handsome. You're a lucky woman." The words sounded tacked on.
"I am," Ran agreed, but the woman made a polite excuse to leave instead of continuing the conversation.
The ship was a large one, but not so large that she didn't realize the woman spent the rest of the cruise avoiding her. Ran didn't let it bother her, because she knew that for a while, she would be meeting similar reactions when people were confronted with the youth of her husband.
Things were worse when they arrived home and Conan went to retrieve their mail. Even though he'd moved back to Japan a year ago, he still had an avid fan following in America. He'd laughingly told her he'd need several bags to bring it all back, since he'd let it pile up for nearly two weeks.
They decided to spend their evening sorting through it, since he'd actually underestimated what he'd gotten. He had been forced to make two trips to collect it all, and he looked slightly harassed after lugging it all in.
She was curious about what his fans sent him. He'd told her a couple of amusing stories about the more "unusual" items he'd received. His favorite was a Edwardian-period pocket watch, sent by an old lady who'd been a fan of Sherlock Holmes.
She had known that some of the stuff he received wasn't pleasant, and had pulled a wastebasket close so she could dispose of undesirable letters and items. The first two were normal, fan letters that expressed admiration for his writing and a request for a signed picture.
It was the third, sent in a white envelop not bearing a return address, that made her gasp. There was no letter, only a picture of her and Conan at their wedding. The glossy paper was thin and cheap, probably out of a tabloid.
Why did you marry the hag? was scrawled along the bottom. You should divorce her!
Her face blanched as she saw the damage that had been done to her image's face and figure. Bright red ink had been used to scrawl epithets and a mustache. The whole image was dripping with vitriol and hatred.
She froze for too long, because he noticed the lack of rustling paper. "Ran? Are you okay?" he asked, before turning his head to look at her. "Was it a death threat?"
"No," she said. She didn't want him to see the letter, but knew it was his. She wordlessly handed it over to him, letting him see what had been done.
His eyes widened a bit, then his jaw firmed. He crumbled it, tossing it into the trash can. "They'd hate anyone that I married," he said. "There's something in some fans that make them think they have ownership of me. They build me up in their minds, and refuse to accept the reality."
She remembered the only time she'd gone on line looking for information about him. "Do I even want to look at what your fan sites are saying?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice level.
He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Ran, please. Don't do this to yourself. The best thing is to pretend they don't exist," he said.
It was bad, then. "Conan, they're going to try to make us miserable."
"They can only make us miserable if we let them," he said. "We knew this wouldn't be easy, but never doubt that I support you – I believe in us."
He rose to his feet, moving to stand in front of her. Leaning over, he caught her lips in a passionate, somehow desperate kiss. Ran responded, entwining her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.
They didn't get back to sorting the mail until the next evening. There were more of those hateful letters, but Conan was quick to distract her with jokes about the likely senders.
She headed back to work a week later, and found that things weren't that different. She used Mouri Ran as her professional name, since she'd already started to build a reputation to rival her mother's.
It took a while for them to learn to live together, and they had their share of spats. However, they never went to bed angry, or left to get away. The memory of what happened when he ran off once was enough of a lesson. You never knew if something was going to go wrong, and neither wanted their last memory to be tinged with ill will.
Ran walked into his office late one afternoon a few months after her marriage, smiling at the two women waiting within. Haibara Ai and Yoshida Ayumi were sitting together on the couch, both enmeshed in their reading material - Ai studying some science journal that Ran couldn't even pronounce the name of, Ayumi taking notes from her English textbook.
"Hi," Ran said, feeling a bit awkward. She knew they were waiting for Conan; she wondered if Ayumi had managed to trip into a case. Ayumi had taken a while to get over the whole "Conan and Ran getting married" thing, but she was a kind young woman who didn't let bitterness tinge her.
"Hello, Ran-chan," Ai said, smiling as she marked her journal by folding a corner over.
"Hi, Ran-neesan," Ayumi echoed a second later, slamming her book shut with a resounding "thump."
They had become friends of hers, although not without reservations on both sides. Ayumi still maintained a shades of her old crush on Conan, and there were times when Ran wondered if Ai wasn't a bit in love with him, too. Even if she wasn't, the knowledge that Ai was indirectly responsible for his shrinking always preyed at the back of her mind. She knew Ai regretted it, but Ran was human enough to resent her. She hoped Ai never found out, since she did love the younger woman, and was thrilled she'd to an Ai's honorary older sister.
"If you're looking for Conan, he's working," Ran said.
Ai shook her head, and a small smile formed on her lips. Over the years, she had become less rigid and more open with her emotions. "We were actually hoping to find you," Ai said.
"Oh?"
"Are you available this afternoon?" Ai asked.
"I should be," Ran replied. She usually took Wednesday afternoons off, making up for it by working on Saturday mornings. "Why?"
"I was hoping you would be willing to go shopping with me to pick out my wedding dress." She looked Ran directly in the eye, challenging and somewhat wistful at the same time. "And bridesmaid's gowns for you and Ayumi."
The offer was pure Ai - subtle, but direct enough that avoiding the implied question would be impossible. "You want me to stand with you?" Ran asked, just to be clear.
"I figured if you agreed, we could drag your husband into it as well," Ai said. "He's not a huge fan of Shiratori-san."
Ran couldn't keep from giggling. Conan didn't dislike Shiratori, but he was convinced that the older man wasn't good enough for Ai. He acted like a distrustful big brother when around Shiratori, challenging him to prove himself, again and again.
Ai and Conan had a tight bond, one which Ran couldn't - and wouldn't - come between. They were the only two to ever survive the apotoxin, and both had played integral roles in bringing down the Black Organization. It was natural he be protective of her.
"He's possessive of his friends," Ran replied. "When Ayumi finds the guy she's going to marry, he's going to be just as bad."
"Or worse," Ai replied. "Can you imagine?"
"I don't want to!" Ayumi interjected, rolling her eyes. "It's not back enough that Genta and Mitsuhiko interrogate every guy I date! Oh, no... Conan tends to drag them through murder scenes as 'tests.'" She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed melodramatic.
Ran and Ai chuckled. It had only been the once, and it really hadn't been Conan's fault things worked out like that, but it didn't excuse his rather cavalier dismissal of Ayumi's prom date as 'incompetent and weak willed.'
"If you think that's bad, think how he's going to be when he and Ran-chan have kids," Ai said in a placating voice.
Ayumi almost choked on her laughter, and though Ran's face was flushed, she joined her. They hadn't discussed children seriously, but Ran knew it would have to be decided soon. Ran didn't want to be too old to enjoy them.
When they had gotten married, Ran had assumed that she was finally going to have what she wanted. She hadn't realized that life never tied itself in neat bows, like a case with a murderer brought to justice in the finale; there were always new problems and questions that needed to be addressed.
They decided to go to Shibuya, since the shopping there was always good and they could find some unusual clothing. It was also a lot of fun, to see what strange and bizarre fashions people wore on the street.
It was hard work to find gowns that looked good on both Ran and Ayumi; Ayumi was built along slender, pixie-ish lines, while Ran had the fuller curves of a mature woman. They finally agreed on simple A-line gowns made in a shaded fabric that ranged from deep sapphire to light sky blue. Ran and Ayumi stood next to each other in front of the dressing room's common mirror, and Ai offered her approval of their selection.
The gown was a bit dressier than Ran liked, but she figured she could wear it at one of the formal dinners Conan always seemed to be invited to, or to own of her own gala events. There were plenty of chances to dress up, even if she disliked most of them.
Once they had made the purchase - and found shoes and jewelry to match - they went to catch a snack at a trendy little cake shop Ayumi had heard about from her friends. The desserts were all cute – and laden with chocolaty caloric goodness – and Ran had a hard time deciding what to get.
In the end she selected a piece of chocolate cheesecake, a small sliver of a slice compared to the three desserts Ai and Ayumi both ordered. Once Ran would have joined them in overindulging, but her metabolism was starting to slow down. If she wanted to fit into the dress she'd just ordered, she'd have to be careful.
Ai talked about her wedding plans, devoting the same attention she'd focused on her scientific research. Ran watched the young woman speak, noting the soft look in her eyes as she talked about "Shiratori-san." The formality seemed strange to Ran, but Ai had always
So it was a love match. She had wondered.
Ai talked about the inspector's family, and how they had welcomed her. They would be putting an engagement announcement in the paper next week. Ayumi mentioned how all the girls at school were begging for invitations.
Ran smiled as she listened, but felt her appetite desert her. There were times when she was fiercely jealous of Ai, because Shiratori was old enough to be her father and no one looked down on them. She understood a double standard was at work, but that didn't mean she couldn't resent it.
Conan and Ran arrived home from the grocery store before the sun set. They had been planning a quiet night together, maybe catching a movie at the nearby cinema if they had the energy. Ran knew she wasn't going to be up for it. The things the woman had whispered in the store had struck their mark, and she felt horrible.
He left her alone so she could put the groceries away. He had learned that Ran didn't like having him underfoot when she was doing anything involving food. The kitchen was hers, just like the library was his. It was one of the many unspoken compromises that a good marriage had to come to.
She dawdled more than was her custom, unpacking slowly and fidgeting about the placement in their cupboards. When she found herself rearranging the spice rack for the third time, she knew that she was stalling.
She'd heard those whispers for a while, and they were insidious things. Her husband was aware of them, but he wasn't their target. Despite what they thought, she was human and some of the barbs hit her harshly.
But she could understand it. She was twenty-seven years old, married to a teenager. If she hadn't known of Conan's curious situation, she would have asked questions, too. She wanted to fight back, but had no clue how. She hated being powerless; there was no worse feeling, not even loneliness.
Ran took a deep breath and steeled herself in preparation for a conversation with her husband. He would have noticed her reaction, and he wasn't going to let it go. Once, there had been too many secrets between them. Now there were none, and sometimes she believed it was harder to live that way.
She wasn't surprised to hear his voice from behind her. "Ran?" he asked, and she could hear all the things he wanted to ask her just by the way he said her name.
She didn't have to pretend anymore with him. She turned, letting him see the fatigue on her face. "Conan," she said.
He didn't move toward her, offered her no shoulder to cry on which was what she really wanted. Instead there was tension in written into the set of his body, and he looked unsure. "Do you... I mean..." he looked away from her, unable to finish.
She knew what he wanted to ask, and answered the unvoiced question. "I never regret marrying you," Ran said. "I just wish other people wouldn't be so judgmental."
They had been married long enough for him to trust her with his real feelings. Relief was emblazoned on his face like a banner, but she could detect guilt in the set of his shoulders. It wasn't anywhere near as bad for him as it was for her. Most people looked at him with sympathy for being "taken advantage of" by an unscrupulous woman.
"It's the way of the world to judge. Most problems arise through misunderstandings. If people didn't spent so much time worrying about what others are doing, the world would would be a happier place," he said softly.
"If we didn't care what they thought, we'd have better lives," Ran replied.
"Would we?" he asked. "If there was no common morality, then I think the world would be a worse place."
Ran couldn't tell if he really meant that, or was trying to pick a fight – debate – to distract her. "Idealistically, maybe. But practically?" She didn't finish the thought, sighing instead.
Conan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, and she let her head fall against his shoulder.
"I love you, Ran. That should be all that matters," he said fiercely.
"I love you, too," she whispered, and tilted her face up so he could kiss her. His lips were warm but firm, just like he was.
He was the strongest man she'd ever know, and she could count on him to support her. Even if he was the cause of more than a fair share of her problems, she would never regret loving him. Eventually the whispers would die down, and they could move on.
Another year, she told herself. Another year, and he would be the man he had been before their fates had taken a swerve into the weird - at least physically. Then he would finally, finally start to grow up in reality, and she could replace the mental image of him she had with a more mature person. She wanted to lay Shinichi completely to rest, and love Conan the way he deserved.