Don't own Detective Conan.

Ran paid no mind to the cool air, or the crescent moon, or the bright stars hanging in the sky as her feet flew across the cement in an attempt to escape him. It had been a horrible chance of fate, to catch him in the act. If she hadn't, she would've welcomed him back with open arms, remaining blissfully ignorant of the lies he had been telling her for a full two years.

"RAN!" Shinichi shouted. He was chasing her, desperately trying to win back the girl he had just lost. 'Damn it! Why didn't you lock the door? Why didn't you CHECK to see if anyone was watching?' He wanted to scream his frustration to the heavens, but he couldn't, because he needed to stop Ran first. And so he kept moving, marveling at the way she could outpace him, who was an ace soccer player and the best man on the team. Adrenaline does that, he supposed.

Suddenly, he hated adrenaline.

The girl took a chance, turning her head to yell at him, "Go away! I don't want to see you again!"

"Ran, I can explain!" He shouted back, desperation in his cerulean blue eyes. She faltered for a moment. Then suddenly those eyes were hidden behind a pair of large glasses, and she put on a new burst of speed. She could hear Shinichi cursing behind her as he ran.

She turned a corner, darting into Beika Park. Now she was running across the grass, the green stalks brushing against her skin and tickling her legs. But Ran paid it no mind, determined to simply get away from the liar who was hot on her trail.

Suddenly, fingers curled around her wrist. She let out a sharp gasp as Shinichi yanked her back, restricting her movements and halting her sudden dash. "Would you listen?" he hissed, his grip tightening.

She let out a soft, "Ow," and his hold on her relaxed slightly. Then Ran spun around to face him, fury and sadness blazing in her blue eyes. "Why should I?" She snapped. "So you can lie to me for another two years?"

He winced visibly at this. "Ran, I was going to tell you-"

"When? When were you going to tell me that you'd been living in my house for two years, listening to my secrets and hearing me cry about you?"

"I don't know!" He cried. "When the time was right, when I was sure you wouldn't abandon me for it!" There was a flicker of anguish in his eyes, and she once again felt herself waver.

But then Shinichi's words struck her, and the rage had returned. "I abandoned you?" She nearly shrieked. "Shinichi, you're the one who decided you could lie to me and make me wait for you even when you were right there the entire time. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Your life would be in danger, Ran!"

"I don't care! Shinichi, I loved you! But you didn't trust me with your precious secret, and I don't even know what to think anymore." Tears were beginning to fall from Ran's eyes as she stared at the detective. She felt his grip loosen and she yanked her hand away. His arm fell limply to his side as he stared at her in sheer horror.

"You… you don't…" He croaked, barely able to get the words out. In the end, he left his question unasked. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear the rejection from her lips.

BOOM!

A sound like a gunshot split the air. Ran let out a scream and practically threw herself at Shinichi, wrapping her arms around his chest. She heard the detective breath in sharply, but when she looked up, he wasn't staring at her. His eyes were fixed on the sky.

Ran slowly released him from her hug, drawing back to also look up. A thin smoke trail was wafting in the air, seemingly meaningless. Suddenly, another bang was heard, and a single dot of light flew into the air. Then it exploded into a ring of lights, and suddenly the sky was filled with color. More glowing specks shot up, winking out of sight for a second before bursting into lights again. Green sparks flew into the air and exploded in blue. Streams of white formed shining fountains and ooked like all the stars in the sky were falling to Earth. Huge spirals screamed into the air befor bursting into a carnival of colors.

Suddenly, shots of green and blue and red and white and yellow filled their vision, rapidly banging into existence with the sound of a gun. Neon lights flew in an arc before spinning off into the night of their own accord, darting around endlessly until they faded out of sight. Sharp bangs and bursts of color filled their eyes and ears, teasing their senses like there was no tomorrow. Shinichi and Ran stood, transfixed and awed as they stared up at the spectacle before them.

"Fireworks," Shinichi breathed, and Ran only nodded mutely. Three explosions of red and blue blasted in the sky, and she felt pure joy consume her. And suddenly they were grinning and laughing, letting out whoops of excitement as a green, pink, and yellow smiley face appeared before them, smirking down at the couple.

A single speck of light flew up and disappeared into the darkness. Then it exploded into neon green and pink and suddenly a river of sparks appeared in front of the growing cloud of smoke. The sky flashed with color, bolts of fire appearing in the heavens. Shinichi was laughing, and suddenly his arms were around Ran and the two of them were hugging each other as the night faded into darkness once more. Their vision disappeared as the finale came to an end.

"Can you forgive me?" Was all Shinichi asked.

"Do you need to ask?" Ran smiled.

And then the two of them leaned forward, eyes falling shut as their lips made contact. And behind their closed lids, in their mind's eye, the fireworks were still burning bright.

Happy Fourth of July everyone. :)