Beta'd by solomonara over on AO3
Fluff, short one-shot, some kaishin preslash sneaks in
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That's How You Know
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"You did what?"
Sonoko flinched, pulling the phone away from her ear. "Well you were making such a mess of things, Shinichi; I had to do something."
"It's not any of your business, Sonoko!"
"Not my business?" Sonoko demanded. "How the hell is my best friend's happiness not my business?"
"Look, I don't– I can't deal with this right now; I have to go."
"Oh sure. Go solve another murder. No one's impressed!" she shouted at the dial tone. Huffing, she threw herself onto her bed. It's unbelievable, she thought, irate. Not even the slightest hint of gratitude. I mean, I sure as hell didn't do it for him, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm helping him. …He really doesn't deserve her.
She rolled over and snatched a pair of headphones off of her nightstand, jamming them onto her head and blasting music before the tears could catch up to her.
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Shinichi stood on the landing outside of the apartment above the Mouri Detective Agency and took a calming breath. Letting it out, he knocked and ignored the confusing twist of relief and bewilderment when Ran opened the door with a smile on her face and laughter in her voice.
"Oh, Shinichi, come in, hurry."
Shinichi stepped inside and closed the door just in time to keep a tiny, extremely fuzzy white kitten from completing its bid for freedom. For a moment he was afraid it would run into the door, but instead it changed direction, bolting off across the living room in a frenzied, unfocused dash.
"Uh…"
"Isn't she the cutest!" Ran preened, watching the kitten abruptly pause to lick a paw.
"About that. Listen, Ran–"
"You're here about this?"
Ran held up a note, still threaded through with a blue silk ribbon, and Shinichi took it to read the single line printed there.
I don't ever want you to feel lonely.
It was signed with a heart, but no name.
"Yeah," Shinichi said, his voice suddenly weak and his face growing hot. "But, um–"
"Shinichi, it's fine." Ran was giving him almost the exact same look she'd had when they'd decided to officially break up not two weeks ago, right before he'd left for New York to visit his parents and to report in with the FBI on the takedown of the Organization. "I know this wasn't you."
The tension went out of him like air from a balloon. "Oh good," he sighed.
"But you knew about it," Ran added. She grinned when the kitten bumped up against her ankle, circled her, then looked up with a soft squeak. She crouched down and scooped it up, cradling it along her forearm, apparently unbothered by the tiny claws poking at her skin. Shinichi noted quickly that she already had quite a few light scratches, but Ran wasn't the type to pay that sort of thing any mind. He found himself smiling and moved closer to rub a finger under the cat's chin.
"Did you name her yet?" He didn't bother to ask if she was keeping it. He'd known the answer three seconds after stepping inside.
"Hinagiku-chan," Ran answered. "…It was Sonoko, right?"
"Yeah. She called to inform me that I had given you a surprise kitten. She wanted me to just play along and say it was me."
"She was just trying to help," Ran said softly.
"You haven't told her yet?"
"I did."
Shinichi shifted slightly, uncomfortable. Ran looked… sad.
"She was really upset when I told her we broke up. She even got a hold of your flight information somehow to confirm you had a return trip booked. She was trying to convince me that it wouldn't be like last time when you disappeared."
Shinichi's eyebrows jumped up a little but Ran kept going.
"She just… wouldn't listen. She's determined to fix it."
"Oh…"
Ran looked up at him with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "She means well," she said, earnest.
"I know," Shinichi murmured.
"But we're over–"
"I know."
Her smile gained some strength then. "So what are we gonna do about this?"
"…I don't know."
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A week later, Sonoko pulled Shinichi aside at one of Ran's karate competitions and shoved a large bouquet into his arms.
"Give these to her after," she ordered.
"Sonoko, listen–" he tried, but, as usual, she didn't let him go on.
"Look, Shinichi, I'm making this real easy for you. All you have to do is shut up and give her the flowers. You want her to be happy, don't you?"
There was nothing he could say to that, so he agreed somewhat miserably and resolved to talk with Ran again about her control-freak of a best friend.
But when he met up with Ran outside the gym something happened.
"Here, Ran," he said, handing her the flowers. "They're from Sonoko."
Ran accepted the bouquet quietly, staring down at it with wide eyes. "They're my favorite color," she murmured. And they were her namesake too. A gorgeous arrangement of red orchids, surely made specially for her. She reached into the flowers and found a small notecard.
Congratulations! You're amazing!
Again, the note was signed with a heart and no name.
"Ran?" Shinichi asked, alarmed to see that her eyes had gone just a little wet. She looked up like she'd forgotten he was standing there and smiled, sun-bright.
"Is she here?" she asked
Shinichi nodded toward the gym doors where Sonoko was hanging back, obviously watching to make sure Shinichi didn't screw something up. Ran turned and Sonoko waved with a sheepish smile. Ran was beaming.
"Come on," Shinichi said, smiling, and they headed over to join Sonoko.
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There was a heist notice lying on Shinichi's pillow of all places three weeks after that. It wasn't uncommon anymore for KID to send him his own notice, but they never showed up in the same way twice. Shrugging off the obvious home invasion, he picked it up and eagerly slid the card from its envelope.
It's for tonight, he thought, letting the thrill race through him. He turned and was hurrying down the stairs when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out with an impatient grumble as he attempted to shove his shoes on one-handed while reading the text. It was from Sonoko.
"Did Ran like the card?"
"What card?" he sent back before stuffing the phone into his pocket, surrendering to the fact that he did actually need both hands to manage putting on his sneakers. By the time he was locking up his house, his phone was buzzing incessantly with a string of texts.
"What do you mean what card?"
"She should have gotten it like two days ago!"
"She didn't get it?"
Shinichi sighed and typed out, "I don't know I haven't seen her" as he hurried out to a main street to grab a taxi. He didn't realize until he was settled in and on his way to Shinjuku that that was the wrong answer.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HER"
He cringed. This was becoming a problem. Sonoko was still as determined as ever to fix Ran's and Shinichi's nonexistent relationship, and every attempt to explain the reality of the situation had fallen on deaf ears.
Shinichi clicked off his phone screen without answering and propped his cheek against his hand as he stared out the window. …I need some advice.
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They were starting to develop a habit of secret rooftop meetings. At first it had been a necessity as they worked together against the Organization. Now it was a comfort they indulged in.
"So, Suzuki-chan heard that you and Ran had a falling out, er, another falling out–"
"We broke up," Shinichi pointed out. KID ignored him.
"–and decided to take matters into her own hands for the sake of Ran's happiness–"
"I didn't say it was for the sake of Ran's happiness."
"You didn't have to. So now she's helping you–"
"Forcing me," Shinichi corrected impatiently.
"–to be the kind of suitor Ran wants, is that about right?"
Shinichi drew his knees up a little and crossed his arms on top, dropping his forehead onto them with a miserable sound.
"So," KID prompted. "What sorts of things does Suzuki-chan have you doing?"
Shinichi picked his head up slowly, like it was far too heavy a thing. "She sends me texts telling me to text Ran. Usually they come with what to text Ran. She sends Ran cards and… love notes. Flowers. Candy. She bought her a kitten. And there's always these little notes attached–"
"Are they signed?" KID asked, strangely sober.
"They're supposed to be from me," Shinichi said.
"Tantei-kun." He was smiling a little now. The look was almost pitying. Shinichi's head tilted, his eyes narrowing slightly, though from confusion more than suspicion. "Are they signed?" KID asked again.
"No. There's always just a little heart but no name."
"And does Ran like the gifts? And the notes? And the texts – you forward those to her, right?"
"Well, yeah…"
"Well then, if you want my opinion–" He leaned toward him and gave him a knowing smile. "And you do~" he added. "It sounds to me like it makes Ran happy and it makes Suzuki-chan happy, so why not let it continue?"
Shinichi stared at him, affronted. "Because it's all a horrible lie?" he said.
"Is it?"
"KID–"
"Look, from what you've told me, no one is being lied to. Ran knows it's all coming from Suzuki-chan, and you and Ran have both tried telling Suzuki-chan that you're not together anymore. You're the middleman for right now, sure, but I think you owe Ran at least that much anyway."
Shinichi shifted a little, drawing his knees in closer and dropping his chin onto them.
"…Sorry," KID murmured.
"No, you're right."
They let the night fall silent again for a short time before Shinichi hesitantly ventured, "So you really think just… letting it continue is the best thing."
"Trust me, Shinichi," KID said gently. "It's important that this continues. But don't worry. You won't be the middleman forever."
Shinichi glanced over at him, but it seemed KID was not in the mood to give anything away, his face and posture carefully neutral. "What are you talking about?" Shinichi asked.
KID just smiled and shook his head. "You'll see~"
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"Ran! Ran!"
Sonoko pushed her way through bystanders and EMTs. Even the police officers who tried to stop her couldn't hold her back once she'd spotted Ran. She was sitting on a stretcher set up beside one of the ambulances that had taken over the square, the silent rotating lights reflecting off soaked pavement and the remnants of fountains.
"Sonoko!" Ran called back, mostly in sheer surprise. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"
Sonoko faltered just a moment because Ran wasn't getting up to meet her. Which most likely meant she couldn't. Then the moment passed and she cleared the last of the distance, hopping over rubble and almost stumbling to Ran's side. She planted her hands flat on the edge of the stretcher and stared into Ran's face.
"Are… Are you okay?" she breathed out.
"Yeah," Ran said. "Don't worry." She was smiling softly at her, meeting her eyes, and Sonoko seemed to abruptly remember something. Her gaze broke from Ran's and she took a little step back as she looked around.
"Shinichi…?"
Ran shook her head. "He ran off. After the bomber."
"Of course," Sonoko said. She was careful not to let it come out sounding critical, but her voice was still somewhat tight. Ran just kept smiling at her.
"Sonoko… Sonoko, I know it's been you all this time."
"What has?" she asked, blinking at her.
"Everything," Ran laughed. "All the notes and messages…"
Sonoko blinked harder and hoped Ran would write off the wetness of her eyes as just the lingering worry for her friend. "Yeah, okay," Sonoko said, waving a hand with stubborn carelessness. "So I've been helping him out some, but that's my job as your best friend–"
"No, Sonoko." Ran's hands found Sonoko's, closing over them firmly without her ever looking away from Sonoko's eyes. "I know that everything was from you. Everything you said and did… and I want to be able to do that, too." She added with a light chuckle, "Don't you think Shinichi's just getting in the way here?"
She backtracked quickly at the look of alarm on Sonoko's face.
"Sonoko," she started again. "These past few months have been the best. And it's not because Shinichi is back. It's because of you. So please… Can't we… Can it just be us?"
"…Us?" Sonoko said, her eyes still wet and her voice cracking on the word.
Ran nodded. "Because… I want the chance to show you how much you mean to me, too."
Sonoko looked away for just a moment and Ran watched, her eyebrows pulling down, as Sonoko gave her a pained smile. A few tears finally slipped free. "I know you love me, Ran," she said cheerfully. "You're my best friend–"
"You're not getting it," Ran breathed out in disbelief. "You are so stubborn!" Fingers closed tighter around Sonoko's hands where they were still resting on the edge of the stretcher. Ran leaned in close – so close – the tip of her nose touching soft against Sonoko's wet cheek and her breath, held back, just barely brushing the corner of Sonoko's lips.
"R-Ran…" Sonoko whispered, keeping still and trying not to panic. She didn't feel very successful in that, though. Her heart was beating so fast – she had to be panicking.
Ran moved in somewhat suddenly, in a split second of courage, and then her lips were soft against Sonoko's, just barely lingering before she sat back again. And just like that, it was over.
Sonoko blinked at Ran, dumbfounded, and one of her hands slipped free from her grasp, fingertips touching to her own lips like she couldn't quite believe it.
"Get it?" Ran asked, her face flushed and her expression somewhat abashed.
Sonoko had to stare for a while longer before she got a handle on words again. "So…" she started, voice a little stronger now. "Just so we're clear… You broke up with Shinichi?"
Ran let out a bright laugh and turned to swing her legs over the side of the stretcher. A moment later, Sonoko was stammering at her to get back onto it as Ran all but fell into Sonoko's arms, carefully keeping any weight off of her injured ankle. She ignored Sonoko's continued protests and instead wrapped her arms more firmly around her in a tight hug.
"Yes," she said, and Sonoko couldn't see Ran's face, tucked close against Sonoko's hair, but she could hear the smile in her voice. "We are very broken up. For at least a few months, but really more like a few years."
Sonoko's hand moved hesitantly across Ran's back. "I'm sorry, Ran," she said softly. "I knew how important he was to you so I thought…" She trailed off, her hold on Ran tightening.
"I know," Ran said, still light and uncaring and completely unable to stop smiling. "Thank you."
It was a good solid minute before both Ran and Sonoko realized they were standing amongst the rubble of a collapsed building, surrounded by police and emergency workers and reporters and bystanders. They split apart quickly, but Ran kept a tight grip on Sonoko's arm, still balancing on one foot.
"I can't exactly whisk you off your feet," Sonoko murmured with a familiar hint of teasing. Ran grinned at her.
"That's okay. It's the thought that counts."
Sonoko helped her back onto the stretcher and took hold of her hand again.
"You know," she said. "I saved all my best ideas. Couldn't bear to give them to a loser like Shinichi."
"Oh?" Ran prompted.
"Like taking you out dancing and dedicating a song to you. Or a fireside picnic at a secluded winter lodge on Christmas Eve." Ran was suddenly blushing and Sonoko grinned at her. "Pretty good, right?"
"Yeah," Ran laughed. "I think I'd like that a lot."
Sonoko lifted Ran's hand and kissed it gently, ignoring how hot her face felt because Ran's was just as red. "Done," she promised.
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Author Note:
This idea jumped into my head while I was listening to "That's How You Know" from Disney's Enchanted in the car one morning. And I am always eager to add more F/F stories to the world :3 Hope you enjoyed~!
-DS