I don't know why, but this idea just popped into my head, and I had to write it. Absolutely had to. I don't think I've ever seen this pairing before either. Well then. Anyway, please enjoy. It's a little... different from my usual work?

When Shinichi disappeared, one other person missed him. It was a secret, what they had. Unbeknownst to Ran, Dr. Agasa, even Shinichi's parents, he would call Shinichi's house every day. Every day waiting for Shinichi to just pick up, answer the phone. Come home.

During his breaks, he would call again, leave a message. "Come home, Shinichi. Please. For Ran?" Silence, "For me?" With every voicemail and unanswered call, he would feel just that much more disheartened.

Ran said sometimes Shinichi called her, sometimes he spoke with the kid. Why wouldn't Shinichi call him? He was… going to have to give up on the detective. There were too many questions; what was Shinichi's case? Where had he gone? Why wasn't he speaking to anyone other than Ran and Conan? Why, what, when, where over and over again.

Then Conan came along, pointing out clues innocently as if solving crimes was a child's game. Kind of like Shinichi. Conan kept coming to him; asking questions, passing notes, providing company. Conan always seemed to be at hand. A mere child gave him more comfort than even Shinichi could. Well, it was all Shinichi's fault he was confiding in a kid.

Just a kid. Conan was just some 8 year old boy that was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for—so much like Shinichi, before the genius's face got splattered all across the news. No, Conan wasn't just a kid. Shinichi's distant cousin was brilliant, and the man couldn't help but admire him. A full grown adult, admiring a little boy. He seemed to be doing that a lot. First Shinichi, then an 8 year old. Perhaps he should just give up on being a detective with all these kids doing better work than him.

Shinichi would kill him, though. So, for Shinichi, he kept listening to the web of lies little Conan weaved. Oh, Conan had most everyone fooled, and it was all for the better, but he had picked up some deduction skills from his time with Shinichi. Conan was no ordinary little boy, he was behind all of the "Sleeping Sleuths" trances. It was ridiculous, but the cases got solved, and it wasn't like the police would really listen to a child. So he pretended he never saw. He obeyed the child, going along like a dummy despite knowing the true source of the orders was never Mouri, Kogoro.

A year went by, pulled along at a child's pace. A child's very fast pace. Conan was quite the friend. The boy always knew when he was upset, and made him talk. He eventually spilled his doubts to Conan. "Why won't Shinichi ever call me? If this 'big case' is so big, why doesn't he ask for help? For my help? Please, come home Shinichi." What an adult, sobbing to a child about something he should have never said. Never. That was his and Shinichi's secret.

Conan didn't think he was weak. Conan didn't look down on him for his tears. Instead, Conan would pat his back and say, "I'm sure he has his reasons. Just hold on. Stay strong." What kind of child said something like that? He knew there was something more to Conan, but at the time? He didn't care. Shinichi left him, and he didn't want to lose the one friend he had finally confided in, 8 years old or not.

Then Conan disappeared, and he was calling, every day. "Where's Conan? The states? Then what's his address? Why won't he call?" Why, why, why? Shinichi and Conan, so much alike, even down to the parting. Never a word. They just left and never let him know. They never spoke to him. Again, he only said goodbye to Ran. Ran, again. He knew both Shinichi and Conan had a special bond to the girl, but why couldn't he beat her?

Why did he feel like he was competing with a teenage girl? It was ridiculous. His worries and fears were foolish, since this was all bound to happen anyway. Shinichi would choose Ran, always Ran. It was always women before men. It just wasn't natural for a man to love another man, let alone for him to love a boy 10 years his junior. This was just meant to be. And Conan would much rather have friends his own age, than an old uncle. He just kept setting himself up for more pain.

When Shinichi came back… Well… Shinichi was back. Knocking on his door as if he was only gone for a day. He wanted so much to punch the sheepish smile right off Shinichi's face because… Because he just missed Shinichi so, so much, and he never got a call. He never got a single call from Shinichi, but Ran got several. And just why was he competing with a teenage girl? It was ridiculous.

He didn't punch Shinichi, though. He hugged the shorter brunette. He squeezed so tight, he swore he heard Shinichi's back pop. He was pretty sure he started crying in Shinichi's shoulder, and he had no clue how Shinichi got him back inside his apartment. Shinichi was back.

Shinichi was back and the first person he went to was the man he never called. He just didn't get it. Why? Why why why? So many questions, and he couldn't ask a single one because his lips were too busy stealing Shinichi's breath.

Shinichi was back, and in his arms. He wasn't in Ran's arms. He wasn't under some other man. Shinichi was under him. Him alone.

It was like he couldn't get enough of touching Shinichi. He missed Shinichi oh so much, and everything just burst out. He was crying, he was clinging to Shinichi, and he just couldn't stop touching him. "You're here. Oh thank God you're safe. Please don't leave. Please, please, pleasepleaseplease. I love you."

Everything crashed down to those three words. He, a respected officer in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department just confessed his love to a 16—17 now, his mind supplied—year old boy. Said boy that was probably done with him, and wondering why a grown man was sobbing like a child. He still loved Shinichi, and never wanted to let the detective go. "Please don't leave. Don't leave again. Oh God. Please." His voice broke, and he almost couldn't see Shinichi's beautiful blue eyes beyond his tears.

Shinichi was here. Shinichi was here, beneath him, in his arms. Shinichi was smiling. Shinichi hugged him back. "I'm home, Wataru." And it was like everything Shinichi needed to say, was in those three words. I'm sorry, I missed you too.

I love you.

Wataru clung harder to Shinichi, not believing anything. Shinichi was home, after a year. Shinichi still loved Wataru after a year on some big case, and he didn't leave Wataru for his childhood friend. Why did he compete with Ran? It was immature as all hell.

Wataru pulled back and looked down at his smirking detective. For Shinichi? Wataru lost all of his reasoning. Anything, for Shinichi.

I like it. I don't know about you guys, but I liked this idea. Let me know what you all thought!