Title: The Face she'd never seen...

Genre(s): Drama/Romance

Pairing(s):Shinichi/Ran

Summary: In all the time she'd known him, she had never seen a look like that on his face.

Status: One-shot

Author: ChibiRaccoon

The sickening feeling that had resided in the depths of her being since the day he had disappeared bubbled to dangerous levels and she found herself at a loss. The world in which she'd known from birth seemed to crack and shatter all around her, leaving only an engulfing cloud of dust. Her eyes, wide and disbelieving, searched his for any sign of deceit. They found none. Only regret, sorrow, fear, apprehension. Her mind buzzed, unsure of what to do. Her body was paralyzed. Feet rooted to the floor, arms hanging limply by her sides. And her eyes still locked on his, as if begging them to tell her what had just come out of his mouth wasn't true. Her pleas went unanswered.

"I...I'm sorry Ran." he managed to say, his teenage voice steady and betraying the nervousness that seemed to be consuming him.

All around them the sounds of yells, explosives, metal, and gunshots sounded. But in the small piece of earth between the two figures, time seemed to have stopped. Neither moved, nor did they pay any shred of attention to the unmistakable battle that was happening. In that small clearing, the world belonged to them.

"..Why..?" she whispered, betrayal and hurt dripping in those three simple letters. He flinched. It hurt to hear that.

He wanted to look down. To do something, anything, to make that look in her eyes dissappear. But his mind wouldn't allow it this time. He had to lie to her for far too long and now it was time to face the inevitable. He knew this day would come but...in all honesty he had never imagined it like this.

He also knew he didn't have much time. Their friends were fighting for them. They couldn't stay here long. But now was the only time to explain. To tell her why he had no choice but to leave, lie, and watch her all that time.

"I didn't want them to get to you. I didn't want them to kill you because of me." He answered. Ran seemed to want to yell but said nothing. Shinichi took a hesitant step forward. Ran didn't move. Guilt-ridden Shinichi began walking towards her and talking at the same time.

"They thought I would be killed by that drug. But it didn't work. If they found out Kudo Shinichi was still alive, Professor Agasa said they would come to finish the job and kill the people around me. The Black Organization has no trouble with that sort of thing. I had to hide myself. I helped your dad solve cases, even a few with Hattori so that I could find any information on the ones who did this to me. And the more I found out about them, the more I knew I couldn't reveal my identity and I'd have to do something to stop them."

"And lie to me!?" Ran shouted. "All those times when I was...Whenever I was crying for you, you were there as Conan! All those things he, no you said were all lies to me! I told him practically everything!! I treated Conan like a brother, tellling him my...my feelings for you! But all that time you just watched! You didn't trust me enough to help you!"

Shinichi stopped a few feet away from her. Ran bowed her head and tried, failing, to stop the tears that were falling down her face. There had never been a time that she had felt so bad and for the next piercing moments she stared at the ground with tears streaming. She only looked up when she heard a soft but tired sigh come from her childhood friend.

'Oh my god.'

Shinichi and Ran had known each other since they were newborns. Their mothers always had the two of them together, playing and spending time with one another. Even after Ran's parents seperated, she had been with Shinichi. When Shinichi's parents decided to go to America, Ran had been with him to say good-bye. The two had shared alot of laughs together. There were hardly any childhood memories that didn't involve the other. They were best friends, partners. And through all of that, in all that time, Ran had never seen a look that could even compare to the one she saw on Shinichi's face then.

She wanted to run away from him. Anything to keep her from seeing what she saw.

He was lost.

Lost. Suffering. Tired. Sad. Regretful. Sorry. All those emotions and then some were poured into that face. Shinichi wasn't one to ever cry, but Ran could see how close he was. Had she really hurt him so much with her words? All this time that she had been wondering how he was, she never really took into account how much he was hurting mentally from their seperation. That he was suffering just as much as her during that time.

After all, if she felt incomplete without him there, then he must've felt the same having to be taken from the person he had already shared the majority of his life with. He was seven all that time. His time had been winded back ten years. And for the first time in their lives, they were growing up without the other by their side.

She finally understood.

Before he could say anything, Ran closed the gap between them, breaking through the barriers that the year had forced around them and she wrapped her arms around him, face against his chest. After a moments hesitation, Shinichi embraced her with shaking arms, a sense of longing and urgency pulsing through him.

Despite the background and their location, Ran found a smile on her face amidst her tears. She even laughed alittle, startling Shinichi.

"Ran?" he asked, pulling his face from her neck to look at her expression. For one breathless moment they just gazed at each other. But Shinichi finally realized exactly what he wanted and didn't want either of them to have to wait anymore.

Hesitant, somewhat desperate lips smashed against Ran's, shocking her. Of course that didn't last long as her blood began to boil and she responded to him in what she felt was the one moment of her life that she'd never forget.

Shinichi had no expierience kissing. None whatsoever. But a part of Ran's mind figured that he was just naturally a good kisser. He caressed her lips warmly, breaking away slightly when it began to get heated, only to come back a second later with rising passion. In a way he seemed to be teasing her. When Ran felt his tongue against her lips, there was no way she could ever refuse him. One of his hands stroked her cheek while the other continued it's possesive embrace against her back. Ran combed her fingers through his hair in a soothing way; it was something she had wanted to do since junior high.

When his tongue reached hers, the national karate champion turned into a puddle in her detective's arms. He was fierce, but gentle with her and she was glad he was holding her up or she would have no doubt fallen onto the ground. Ran giddily found her mind wondering, 'How long has he been waiting to do this?'.

Shinichi was enjoying the kiss too much to want it to end, but something made him realize that he would have to stop sooner or later, although he preferred the latter. After one exceptionally heated moment, Shinichi drew his head back.

Both panted slighty, Ran with a look halfway dazed. She rested her head against his shoulders and whispered to him.

"I love you."

Immediatly Shinichi's hold on her tightened. It hadn't been as simple a statement as when he had first heard it. This time it was a reassurance that she didn't hate him for lying. That she understood. He rested his cheek against her head, enjoying the softness of her hair against his skin and her smell.

"Me too." he said in a husky but firm tone. "I love you too."

-Owari-

This is a short, oneshot/drabblish thingy that take's place while Shinichi is fighting the Black Organization. I doubt it will happen this way but I was inspired by a wierd dream so this is the product of it. I know it's short, but I hope the writing is at least pretty good. I'm kind of pleased with how it came out, despite it's shortness, and I'm even contemplating on adding more chapters about the fight and epilouge but it depends really.

So please tell me what you think. Just be nice okay? Self-esteem is an issue although I do enjoy hearing word's of wisdom. Just don't fault me for spelling. The program I use doesn't have spell check and my computer hates me.