Ran shuffled around the kitchen, putting away dishes and humming to herself. From her place in the kitchen, she could hear her cell phone ringing. She ran into the room to get there before it stopped ringing.
"Hello?" said Ran, answering her phone.
"Yo, Ran," a familiar voice on the other end said.
"Shinichi!" she exclaimed. But then her face grew dark and the feeling of frustration that had been simmering inside began to build, "You haven't called in a month. Why haven't you called?"
"I've been busy with a case-"
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" she screamed, her frustration and sorrow striking out at the cause of it all. "I don't want to hear anymore excuses. No more lies. You say that every time. I've had enough. Until you come clean, I'm not going to listen to anymore excuses," she said tearfully. "When you are ready to tell me the truth, then call. If it takes you a year, then I expect you to wait a year. Until then, sayonara, Shinichi."
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
Conan stared ahead in shock. He felt as if he had been stabbed. The phone continued to beep in the background, unnoticed by its owner.
He lowered his hand holding the phone. He blankly stared at its screen that said 'Call Ended.' Swallowing, he closed the phone and put it away in his pocket.
She, she just cut me off. She blew up at me. Did I miss the signs of a bad day today? He looked down forlornly. He hopped down from the small seat in the phone booth and exited to the empty street. He looked around at the empty street and began to plod in the direction of Professor Agasa's house.
Conan let himself into the house, "Hi, Professor. Hi, Haibara."
Agasa and Haibara looked up from what they were doing. The tone in Conan's voice was not like any they had heard before. "Shinichi, what's wrong?" asked Agasa.
"Ran-Ran blew up at me on the phone. She doesn't want me to call until I tell her what I'm doing." His voice broke, "She was so angry and sad. I don't think I can lie to her anymore." The way he sat on the couch made him look defeated.
"Shinichi…" said Agasa. He knelt in front of the not-child, "I don't know what to tell you that you haven't heard before. This is something that you have to use your own judgment on."
Conan sat on the couch in silence until it was time for him to return to the agency. Agasa spent the time worrying about him and Haibara simply stared thoughtfully. What would he do? Would he give in and tell her everything or would never call her again?
The trip back to the Mouri residence was torture for Conan. He knew he would have to put on a happy face but it was worse than if Ran had only cried.
Despite the struggle, he managed to pull on a face long enough for him to slip by Ran (noticing that she was red-eyed) and go to bed. The night was a fitful one. Kogoro commented on how much Conan tossed and turned during the night. "Boy, you woke me up. Whatever is bothering you, spill it. I don't want another night of interrupted sleep."
"Ah, it's nothing," Conan said, "I'm going to talk it over with the Professor later."
Ran felt his forehead as he was about to leave. "Good, I was worried that you were coming down with a fever." She gave him a concerned look, "Are you sure you don't want to tell me."
Conan shook his head and ran out of the building. It cut deep into him to be treated with kindness by Ran in real life but to be yelled at as Shinichi over the phone. It only highlighted the differences between how Ran treated his older self verses his younger self.
He stopped when he came to telephone booth he used to call Ran. As he was about to walk by, he came to a decision.
Walking into the booth, he took out his cell phone and dialed Ran's number nervously. Ran picked up on the third ring, "Hello."
He tried to say something but found he could get his vocal cords to work. He cleared his throat and continued before Ran hung up. "Ran, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday."
"Okaaaay," her voice warily came out.
He took a deep breath, "Ran, I've only been working on one case…my own murder."
He could hear her stunned silence. "You remember Tropical Land? Well, after I left you, I followed those two guys in black from the coaster. I caught one doing an illegal deal but the other snuck up behind me. They poisoned me and left me for dead. After that happened, I went into hiding."
"I found out they are a part of something big. That's why I haven't come back. I want to come back. More than anyone can imagine. But if they knew I was alive, they might come after people close to me in order to draw me out. I don't want anything to happen to anyone. That's why I hadn't told you before."
"I want to return. But I don't know when I will be able to. If ever."
"Shinichi," Ran said softly. Then she yelled at him, "What do you think I am? A princess that can't defend herself? A damsel in distress?"
"I'm afraid to lose you."
"What?"
"I'm afraid, Ran. I don't want anything to happen to you." Neither of them said anything to the other for a minute. Then, Shinichi said quietly, "Please don't tell anyone what I told you. And, please, take care of yourself. Good-bye."
"Shinichi!" Ran yelled but he already turned off his phone. Her thoughts turned toward what Shinichi told her. '…My own murder.' Shinichi is dead to some people? But mostly, she thought of one of the last things he told her. 'I'm afraid to lose you.'
Written as part of a fic swap with another person.