DISCLAIMER: Detective Conan and all its characters belong to Gosho Aoyama. This is a non-profit fanwork.
Ships in the night
A curl of smoke came out of Gin's lips and soon disappeared into the night air. The boy looked up at the stars than twinkled above his head. He got the cigarette to his lips as the light breeze ran through his hair and seemed to play with it.
Yet another pearl-white curl of smoke flew into the night. His cheeks were getting cold, but he didn't mind as much as to close the window and go back into the mild bedroom where his girlfriend was sleeping at that very moment.
Still holding the cigarette, the boy closed his eyes and rested his head on his left hand. His formerly sweaty forehead was getting cold, too. That night was particularly cool, especially when taking into account how hot June had been. The thin shirt that covered his torso didn't actually keep him warm, and he could feel the breeze caressing his bare neck and arms. But he actually liked it – that contrast between his hot skin and the cool breeze felt pretty nice.
He looked up at the sky once more. Damn light pollution. There were billions of stars and planets up there, but he could only see the tiniest percentage of them all. Anyway, they were too many to count. A lonely million maybe? And they were nice and shiny, which was what mattered to him at the moment.
How tiny he was, he thought. A tiny animal on a tiny island on a tiny rock in the great and enormous space.
His mother used to tell him about Heaven. Was it up there? Was his mother up there too, maybe near that shiny star that seemed to wink at him every now and then?
Or maybe she was just dead, he thought. Maybe she'd simply been dead for almost a decade.
Shiho arrived next to him as two curls of smoke came out of his well-trained nose. She folded her arms and rested them on the window. Out of the corner of his eye, the boy noticed the sheet which covered her naked body.
-You could have put on any clothes of mine –he pointed out-. I don't mind.
-I guess I didn't feel like doing so –she replied with a joking smile-. Too much of a cliché.
Gin let out a silent laugh. The two of them looked at each other for a moment and then turned their gazes back to the night sky. After a long silence, she whispered:
-Thinking, I guess.
The boy nodded.
-I couldn't sleep –he explained.
Gin took another drag of his cigarette. The smoke came out in one long, white curl.
-It's just that… -he started-. You know, look at those stars. We are so tiny…
-We surely are –Shiho agreed with a smile-. When compared to them, at least.
-We are so tiny… -he repeated-. The thing is – are we meaningless too? Do our lives have any meaning… at all?
Shiho didn't look at him, but she moved closer to the boy and rested her hand next to him.
-I think they do –she answered, her eyes fixed on the stars before her-. Every life has a meaning.
-Even our lives? –he questioned.
-Even ours.
-Even… my life?
Shiho finally looked at him. The boy turned his head to her too. Her hand held his and she looked at the boy in the eye as she stated:
-Your life has a meaning, of course it does.
Gin let out a timid smile and held her hand back. Shiho smiled.
-And –added the girl- do you think my life has a meaning too?
-Of course –he answered-. Your life surely has a meaning.
-But… -she suddenly spoke- you know, even if it doesn't… it's nice to be alive here and now… with you.
Gin turned his head towards the girl and then smiled. With no need for words, she smiled back at him and rested her head on his shoulder.
The couple stared back into the night. The cool breeze caressed their bodies and played with their hair. Still being held between the fingers of the boy, Gin's cigarette burned away very slowly.
Author's notes:
¡Hola! Hello! Hallo! こんにちは! Salut! Here comes Sherry Furude once more, ready for attack!
This fic may be a little deeper than usual - I hope you don't mind! And yes, I admit that the reason I make such emphasis on the cool weather of the scene is probably how hot it was by the time I wrote this in the place where I live. It had been incredibly hot for some weeks, and before I could even realize, Gin was standing by the window on a cool night as the breeze ran through his hair. Words simply came out, as if my subconcious was the one making my hands move.
In fact, I wrote this fic in May! The reasons I haven't published it sooner are two. First, I was way too busy with real life by the time I wrote this. And, second, the main reason is my lack of confidence. I haven't got much confidence in general, and often less when it comes to fanfiction. I always fear that no one is going to read them or like them. That is why I always ask you to write reviews -because, by getting your feedback, I feel that some people value my work and want it to be better, that some people value me.
So, as always, let me encourage you to help me become a better writer.
Lots of love and see you next time,
Sherry F.
