More than cute picture that this story was written after can be seen on my homepage. It's worth a look. Enjoy this cute little one-shot.

If you love somebody...

By jojo

Ran opened the front door and closed it quietly behind herself, tucking her keys back in her purse that she placed on the low table behind the door. She walked inside the house and automatically called out for her boyfriend.

"Shinichi?"

She waited but received no answer. Confused, the young woman took her shoes off, walked around and started looking for him. For the split of a second a sick feeling spread in her stomach, telling her that he may had left again but the sound of the shower upstairs was for the first time equalled to salvation.

Relief flooded her and a sweet smile appeared magically on her lips. He was still there and to her, that was all that mattered, always.

Sighing happily, she strolled over to the library for no reason in particular, smiling at the familiar surroundings and at the antique furniture. Without knowing what she was doing, Ran walked over and sat down on the small couch in front of a huge window, with comfortable fluffy, checkered pillows. Taking one in her hands, she hugged it tightly to her chest, acting on her impulse of happiness. Leaning back, she looked around the room and her gaze fell upon a sole book that was placed on the table in front of her.

Ran looked a little closer at it and, how could it be otherwise, noticed that it was another of Shinichi's Holmes books. "The adventures of Sherlock Holmes" it said. The book seemed familiar. She had seen it in Shinichi's hands quite some times and suddenly couldn't help but wonder if it really was that good.

A warm smile graced her lips once again as she looked around to check if she was still alone, then bend forward to pick up the book, tracing the contours with her fingers. Sighing, she opened it and started reading.

Half an hour later, a half dressed young man descended the stairs, rubbing his dripping hair with a white towel. He saw her shoes near the entrance and smiled to himself, starting to look around for the girl, young woman of his dreams.

He had expected to find her in the kitchen, in the living room watching TV or even in his bedroom taking a nap, but certainly not where he eventually did find her.

Shinichi stood at the door frame, grinning broadly as he watched Ran read his Sherlock Holmes book with complete concentration. He couldn't help it but this scene held something…entrancing, almost mesmerizing, just as he couldn't help the strong wave of affection towards this girl that coursed through his body. Still grinning, he chose after some while to enter the scene.

"Now, this is a scene I never thought I'd witness." The detective said with a grin, advancing and coming to a halt right next to the couch, placing a hand on it in a cool fashion.

Ran's head shot up to look at him and she immediately blushed. Not because he was topless, or his exposed upper body glistened with water drops, or because the top button of his black pants was still open so that she could clearly see his boxers. Blue and white checkered of course. Those things evoke completely different reactions in her. No, she blushed because he had caught her in an act that she had always believed he never would. She hated feeling like a child that had been caught stealing cookies.

"Eh…" She quickly turned her red head away from his nasty, self sufficient grin, at a loss of words.

Shinichi laughed amused and she could already hear the years of teasing that lay ahead of her, cursing for a moment because she had let herself be taken by surprise and curiosity.

However, to her astonishment, he did not react in the teasing way she could have bet he would. Instead, he patted her head gently with a hand and gently nudged her over so that he had space and could sit down on the couch beside her. She obeyed his gentle demanding hands but still did not turn to look at him, waiting for the upcoming teasing onslaught.

"What made you do this?" Shinichi asked her gently, without any trace of malice and smug in his voice.

Ran now did look at him in surprise but as she saw that he was serious, blushed and looked down at her hands, the close contact and the heat that was radiating from his skin not helping her calm down and concentrate.

"I just…wanted to see why you liked this book so much." Ran told him shyly and added mentally. 'And Sonoko said yesterday that one normally shares interests with people you lo-…like very much.'

She couldn't see Shinichi's warm smile but heard his equally warm voice.

"It's good, isn't it?"

To her shame, Ran had to agree and only nodded for him to clearly see her nod, because he hadn't teased her this far. Shinichi beamed at her happily and leaned back on the couch comfortably. Ran observed him with interest while trying not to stare too much at his well defined muscles in all the right places and was glad that her head had already been red before. She sure hoped he wouldn't notice her thoughts.

But, and yet again surprising our little Ran immensely, he leaned back broadly and held his arms open, looking at her in a certain way that had her insides tingling. Blinking at Shinichi, she quickly caught on what he wanted and returned his inviting smile. Leaning forward, she lay her head on his chest and hugged his torso comfortably, sighing contently as his own arms came around her, holding her tightly and securely against him.

For a moment, she pulled her head back and grinned shiningly at him, not able to resist the urge to move up and press a sweet kiss on his lips. He returned it, of course, the kiss and the smile and gave the top of her head another kiss as she leaned back on her favorite spot on his chest, cuddling against him and enjoyed his warm, big hands that caressed her arms and back.

She wondered wether Shinichi understood her true motives, the sharing the interests of your loved ones, but she was positive that he knew. After all, he was not the smartest person that she knew for nothing. And her guess proved to be right as he took the neglected book in his hands and opened it.

"Where were you?" He asked her gently and she pointed at the paragraph without hesitation.

Tugging her tenderly and most comfortably back against him, his free hand started to stroke over her hair while the other held the book for him to see, and with masculine, certain voice Shinichi started reading the rest of the story to Ran, meaning for her to enjoy this story just as much as he had. He wanted to share this beloved book of his with beloved one. It was, of course, only a small and simple act for the watcher but they knew better, their contentedness and strongly beating hearts letting them know that that's exactly what love is about. Sharing. If you love somebody…