Takes part right after "Unforeseen, destined". Just like last year, this is the birthday-story for my Cherry-chan. Happy birthday again! The summary already says it all, so for now I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing this.

DEVOTION

by jojo

Interlude

It was late night when he opened his eyes a little. He hated it when Nature called, especially in the middle of the night and when he was having a pleasant sleep with a dream to match. And that's what he had been having before receiving the "call". He could hardly remember anything from his dream, only knew that it had been something with Kazuha, judging from the warm feeling in his heart and stomach area.

With half-closed lids he stood up, reluctantly leaving today's especially warm bed, meaning to exit the room in his search for a toilet but found the door locked. 'When have I ever locked it? I usually don't-!' he wondered, but decided he had no will to think so hard this early. So he simply unlocked it, opened the door and walked along the corridor in his search.

Without his whole brain working, he found the right door and disappeared inside. A few minutes later a relieved and happy detective left the bathroom, quickly walking back to the bed.

He cuddled back under the cover and against the warm weight that has kept it nice and warm during his absence. He took it in his arms, settling against it with a grin and let himself be lulled back to sleep by the sweet smeel that surrounded him, not thinking further about it.

He never noticed that it was not even his own bed that he had gone back to, or had risen from in the first place nor that this comfortable weight was the girl of his dreams. Nor that it was not even his own house or that he had not locked the door again. It was irrelevant to him anyway. Why would he care? He had Kazuha cuddled comfortably against him. And should the Apocalypse await him in front of the door, he could not think of a place he would rather die in. Heiji quickly drifted back to sleep.

Three hours later a tired police officer came back home, closing the door behind him with a sigh. Damn case had taken longer than anticipated. Now everything that he wanted was to go to his bed! Toyama Keijiboucho quickly walked up to his room, eyes heavy and only half open, changed into his sleeping things and was with one leg already in his bed before he remembered that he should probably pay the bathroom a visit and avoid having to get up again later. So he dragged his tired body over to the bathroom, finished while trying hard to keep his eyes open and focused on the task at hand.

He quickly washed his hands and walked again to his room, sighing and in the hope of some quality sleep. Right after he closed the door behind himself suddenly and out of nowhere something popped up in his mind.

Had the lid of the toilet been up already before he had gone inside? Why would that be so? He was the only male in the house and… Toyama raised an eyebrow. He mimed the act of lifting the lid a few times, raising and lowering his hand over and over again but could not remember having used that motion then. Something was wrong!

He quickly walked over to Kazuha's room and opened the door. "Kazuha? Do you have any idea whAAAIII!" he screamed and backed away from the room as soon as he had entered it. In fact, the movement was so quick that he tripped and fell backwards on his behind, a hand still outstretched and pointing at the bed that was standing in the centre of the room.

"KAZUHA!"

The young girl woke up, alarmed looked for the source of the scream. "WAH! DAD!" she hid in Heiji's arms, pulling the blanket tightly over their naked bodies and more tightly around her torso. "Oh NO!"

Chapter eight - About winning and losing

It was early in the morning and as quiet as it was dark. The whole town was still sleeping.

The whole town? - Oh no.

One young man was lying in bed, wide awake.

Heiji was awake. It was late night but he found out that after waking up from his more than terrifying dream, he somehow could not fall asleep again. For one thing he had double-checked the door to see if it was still locked to find that it never has been unlocked in the first place. Dreams could be so cruel sometimes! And after really waking up due to the scare of his life, he had too much adrenalin in his system to fall back asleep. But he found, after a few moments, that there were things a lot worse than sleeplessness. Like for example if his dream had been reality!

Or, if he had to wake up like always, alone in his own bed. He was still totally in the grip of the euphoria due to the amazing feeling that had awaited him right after waking up. Really waking up.

He could not remember ever having felt this great in his whole life. Sure, somehow a few of his bones seemed to ache but surprisingly in a pleasant way. Funny. How can something ache pleasantly? Okay, he knew that it sounded kind of very strange but that was just how he felt. And, even without being a detective, he did not have to look for the reason of this pleasant feeling for too long.

Because it was right here, wrapped safely in the circle of his arms, flooding him with a pleasant warmth that he had never felt before.

In an instant, the memory of this disturbing dream vanished and the events of the previous day came crushing down on him like a water-fall. It had been his birthday. And what a birthday it had been! His grin spread on and on as one memory after the other returned to his slowly awakening brain. What a DAY it had been! No other could compare to everything that had happened the last 24 hours, he was absolutely certain of that and no power in the world could change his mind. Not ever. Fullstop.

Why? Well, for one thing, he had finally found the guts to admit his feelings to himself and even confess them to the girl of his dreams. He may have been unsure yesterday if that had been such a good idea but after he sprang into the cold water and actually DID it, he was not only relieved to no end, but also rewarded immensely and right now it was clear to him that it had been the very best thing he had ever done.

This statement was true, but shortly followed by another. It HAD been about the best thing he had done to that point, but after that, the best things only continued. Somehow it was confusing -but to his brain it all made perfect sense.

In short: Yesterday, he had done all the very best things in his life. And that was after confessing his love to Kazuha, kiss her, hug her, PROPOSE to her! He did not know what had gotten into him or what demon had been riding him at this moment. He had even forgotten the ring but he felt like the moment was simply perfect and would not return that fast. At least not for a very long time that is.

It still had been very risky because the chances that she would refuse him had been huge. But what counted right now, was only one thing. And that was that she had accepted him and that she had accepted his proposal of marriage. That alone was reason enough for him to jump off houses and run around downtown Osaka, screaming about his luck as loud as he could so that everybody could hear it and would know.

And that hadn't even been everything that had happened! The woman that had the sole control over his senses, his heartbeat, his blood-flow and his hormones, that turned him in a stuttering idiot with a lash of her beautiful eyes, that had the monopolizing power over his emotions and his actions. The woman he cared for more than anything, that he had looked after at the risk of his life and had already loved for the greatest part of it. This reincarnation of an angel on earth, the temperamentful wild-cat that always wanted to be so strong, had, after accepting to be with him forever, as husband and wife, given herself to him completely, with everything she had.

He blushed slightly at his own thoughts but at the same time knew they were right. She had given him the most precious gift yesterday, and that was her love, of course; although he sometimes had the nagging feeling that he always had had it. But in addition to that, she gave him her most precious possession. He still could not believe that she had given him her virginity. What did he ever do to deserve that of her?

Heiji gently shook his head while staring down at her sleeping form with gentle eyes. Immediately he was awash with the deep love that now bound him to her completely. He was crazy about this girl, he knew it. But it was okay this way. Now, everything would turn out for the best because he had her. Because they were together. He could not wait until morning, having heard that the "morning after" was almost just as special as the night before.

And he desperately wanted to make everything perfect for her. To him, that was one of the ways he could repay her for accepting him. For taking him as hers; no matter how quickly everything had happened.

Another thought crossed his mind and a smug grin appeared on his face. Of course, after so much romance, his ego had to reappear as well at some point. He had, after all, "won"!

Heiji took his cellphone in his hands and dialled a well-known number, the smug grin never leaving his face. It rang on for a long while. 'No wonder,'he thought. 'It is, after all, four in the morning.'

"Hello?" a tired voice finally replied.

"KUDO!" Heiji cheered loudly and grinned at his friend's groan.

"Oi… H- Hattori? What the hell do you want?"

"You are not very polite, my friend!" Heiji grinned wider.

"Polite? AT FOUR OCLOCK IN THE MORNING?" Heiji had to take the phone away from his ear and his face distorted at the aural attack.

"Oi man, cool down!"

"Hattori!" Shinichi's voice was warning. "Tell me what you want right now or I'll hang up!"

"My, I'd never have thought you could be so rude. I wonder how poor 'Neechan is actually-"

"Goodnight Hattori!" Shinichi sang and was about to shut the phone, but Heiji's quick ranting held him back.

"Okay okay. Wait, I'll tell you. The reason I called is…I mean I-.." Heiji started chuckling stupidly, confusing Shinichi even more. But he could not help it as he searched for the right words to make Shinichi see that he had beaten him in something. But Heiji did not simply want to tell him. He wants to see his face while telling him so he could bath in his triumph as well. "Sorry," he went on. "I simply wanted to invite you and Neechan to come over and visit us. We really should meet soon!"

"Why?" Shinichi could not help the pissed off tone that was clearly swinging in his voice.

"Oh, do I need a reason to want to see my dear, dear friends?" Heiji was amusing himself brilliantly.

"Is it because of your birthday? Because Ran and I had planned to come over some time and so…"

"Right! That's another reason! I had almost forgotten!" Heiji's smug grin told Shinichi. He and Ran had really called him yesterday, too. But he had forgotten, for he had been deeply involved in this mystery Kazuha had set up for him.

"I can not believe that you called me without an actual reason! Couldn't you do that during the day?"

"I just wanted to chat! Like you did a few weeks ago! Is that so bad?"

"That was during the day and I have HAD a reason! Next time you feel like chatting, at… four o'clock in the morning, without a reason or an emergency like-..a missing limb, call the weather-inquiry! Goodnight, Hattori!"

"We'll talk tomorrow then… I mean later, about when you two can come?"

"Sure, whatever! But at least six hours AFTER the sun has risen!"

Heiji chuckled. "You can be so funny in the early morning!" Shinichi only groaned.

"Goodnight Hattori! Go to sleep!"

"Yeah yeah, all right! 'Night, talk to you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

Shinichi hung up and let a deep and annoyed sigh out of his lungs. Heiji really could be such an ass sometimes! Calling him, WAKING him up at this time of the night and not even really telling him what he wanted. Honestly, this guy deserved a good beating!

He lay the phone down on his night- stand and lay back under the covers with his whole body. He rolled on his back and stretched his right arm out on the pillow. A second later a warm, brown head lay on top of it. The comfortable and warm weight that once again was cuddling against his cooled body caused him to shudder. He enveloped Ran in his arms and sighed as they settled down again.

"Who was that?" she murmured sleepily against his chest where she had hidden her face. "Okay, correction. What did he want?" she could, after all, not act as if she had overheard the fact that Shinichi had been talking with Heiji.

"I guess he was not sure about that himself. Just told me we need to meet soon and that kind of nonsense..."

"No special reason?"

"No… but knowing Heiji..." he thought a moment about it, then drew his head slightly back to look at Ran's face with raised brows and knowing look. She only looked back and nodded slightly.

"Kazuha!" both said simultaneously and then smiled at the other, chuckling softly.

"Hehe, if Hattori only knew that we know!" Shinichi's grin was directed at Ran who smiled back, although not as dirty as her man. "I really don't want to know what they were doing that he is so euphoric at this time of the night!" Shinichi's grin grew even dirtier, which earned him a slight punch.

"Shinichi!" Ran warned although she knew deep down that he was right. "Well," she stated, "It's about time!"

"It sure is! Everybody knew it was inevitable! And… he has no idea what he was missing!" He pulled Ran closer to him, stroking her naked skin in big circles with deliberate movements.

"Pervert!" she giggled but snuggled closer to him, rubbing her cheek against his soft chest which she slowly traced with her fingertips.

"It's only the truth!" he murmured, kissing her head. "And you do know that it's my job to tell the truth!" he grinned slightly and laughed a little as Ran slapped his arm playfully again.

"Even this late, you are impossible!" She smiled at him. He could only stare at her.

"Even this late, you are beautiful!" he said seriously. Ran blushed deeply and soon broke the eye -contact. She leaned down and her forehead hit his chest gently as her arms tightened a little more around his naked torso. "Shinichi!" she murmured against him and he smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted to say. She wanted to say thank you, that his affectionate words left her slightly embarrassed and wordless but unbelievably happy, that she loved him, that she did not know how to put her feelings in words right now, that she was tired and worn out, for what he was mainly responsible by the way. His grin spread as his ego zoomed.

"I know, my angel!" he simply stated and leaned down, cupping her face with a hand and kissed her affectionately. He let his devotion for her flow in the kiss and in every touch that met her skin, knowing that she could feel it clearly.

Shinichi broke the kiss and placed her head back against his chest, stroking over her hair gently. "Sleep, it's late!" Ran smiled against him, then pulled a hand up to draw his face down and kissed him again. After pulling back, she murmured "I love you!" and meaning it with all her heart and soul, for so much more than just the fact that he knew exactly what she held in her heart, what she was thinking and feeling. Then she snuggled back against him, wrapping him in a protective and warm embrace as he kissed her again and returned the hug.

"And I love you!" he whispered in her hair and kissed the top of her head. Both sighed a last time, cuddling back against the other and soon, sleep fell upon them again.

---

Somehow, Heiji felt a lot better. How he loved teasing his friend! If only he knew how funny he was…but certainly Kudo would hit him if he ever let it slip. Anyway, he had been right. It was best to go to sleep and be prepared for everything that might come tomorrow. But he could not get rid of that superior grin on his face.

'Muahaha, if Kudo only KNEW!'

He cuddled back deeper under the cover and spend his last minutes awake staring at Kazuha. His beloved Kazuha. Never would he have guessed that being with her like this, in a simple embrace could feel this great. Could make him feel like the king of the world, like he could achieve everything as long as this feeling inside of him never vanished. And the fact that he would soon be officially allowed to wake up with her like this, to hold her like this every morning and every night was sending great, new waves of pure satisfaction, bliss and happiness through his body, which slowly lulled him back to sleep with a content expression on his face.

---

Around four hours later, the singing of a bird outside her window caused Kazuha to slowly wake up. The first thing she noticed was that she had forgotten to close her curtains last night, which was why the sun shone directly in her face at the moment. But by rolling her head to the other side, this problem was quickly solved. That was the moment that made her open her eyes in no time because her head had rolled against something hard that she could not remember having had in her bed.

At the sight in front of her- she closed her eyes again, her eye-brows distorted in puzzlement. She took a deep breath and opened them again but the man in her bed was still there. She tried desperately to think about what happened as the aching feeling in her bones that she only now noticed overwhelmed her and nudged her unpleasantly back to reality. She looked at the ceiling, not moving at all for a minute. She had not been drinking, right?

'Did I?' she honestly wondered for a second.

She slowly, very slowly, turned her head to the right and gave a soundless, startled cry, pulling the blanket over her head, hiding for a moment. She needed a moment to collect herself. Then… who said that the Heiji there, in her bed, was real? She needed to find out.

Kazuha slowly removed her head from under the blanket and looked to the right. He was still there. She slowly pulled the cover down and reached a hand out, carefully, and poked him in the cheek with a finger.

His hand came up to brush the disturbing subject away, giving a slight grunt of disapproval before snuggling back in the bed and laying the hand back around her waist.

A small smile crept onto her lips and she slowly turned her head to look at Heiji thoroughly. He was lying on his stomach, his head was only a few inches away from hers and sleeping peacefully, breathing in and out in an even rhythm that was to her even now, in the moment of confusion, terribly soothing. He had one arm trapped underneath him, and the other was on her waist above the covers, holding her loosely. He looked really cute… Almost adorable. Kazuha's heart leapt a little. Really adorable.

She couldn't describe the endless, blissful feelings that were quickly spreading through her from head to toes. They threatened to overwhelm her. The simple fact that she was cuddled against Heiji's side like she had dreamed of so many times before was more than her just awakening brain could really comprehend to its full extent. She lay a careful hand on his cheek and studied his sleeping features, brushing his hair to the side.

Slowly, she remembered the events of the previous day to the point where they had fallen asleep. And as another fact returned to her, she blushed deeply. A slightly trembling hand reached underneath the covers and found out that she was indeed totally naked underneath. 'Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!' her mind shouted as another part of her told her that it was not that bad since he was just as naked. But that only helped to deepen Kazuha's blush considerably. Why hadn't she noticed this before anyway?

While thinking about the whole situation, it came to her that they did even more things, and that in the same state of dress, or better, the lack thereof. Which in return meant that embarrassment was absolutely pointless at this point. So she slowly forced herself to relax, which was soon very easy since Heiji's warmth was more than pleasant and welcoming.

Yesterday, and the days before where she had planned his birthday surprise, Kazuha would never have even imagined that it would lead them here. But- although it had come rather surprisingly, she could not say that she had missed her original intention. After all, all she wanted was to finally let him know about her feelings. To open his eyes to the obvious and maybe even get an answer from him.

Heck, and what an answer she had received! Kazuha blushed like a rose again as she relived each event. From his confession, over their kisses, their promises of love, to their making out and the… Kazuha's cheeks had by now reached their maximum state of red. She could not even bring herself to think the word at first, at least without blushing, but forced herself to.

'The l-love-making. See, it wasn't that bad!' she tried to convince herself while unconsciously snuggling deeper under the covers, hiding. Talking of bad. That was the last thing she would call the past events. When she closed her eyes she could still feel his hands that glided over her skin tenderly, caressing and worshipping her body in a way that was so… affectionate and that was so unlike the normal Heiji attitude. She never thought that he could make her feel like this. His most simple touch was simply making her nerves stand on the edge of insanity and complete passion, driving her completely mad but in a positive way. She could not really explain it but she felt like she didn't even have to.

She raised a hand and looked at it thoroughly, searching for any change but nothing was visible. Only inside, she felt like she was glowing, the aching feeling in some of her bones only adding to that effect. She felt special, like she had gone through a change even though it was not really possible to see anything from the outside. But she knew one thing for sure. She had given everything she had to Heiji last night. Bared herself completely to the man that she loved more than life itself. The only man she ever wanted to give her love and virginity to.

Heiji suddenly turned his head away from her to face the other side. Out of nowhere, another thought crossed her mind. Had it been such a good idea to open herself this completely? Okay, she knew that Heiji cared deeply for her, but…it had been a big step and she had taken it without really thinking about it. She had only swam along with the waves of pleasure without consideration… But, he had proposed to her before he…before they…

Kazuha's heart started beating faster and stronger and she gripped the covers.

He had really proposed to her, asked her to marry him before doing…. "it". In itself, that was a good thing to do… unusual but maybe even right… in some way. But couldn't it be done carelessly in the rush of emotions? In a fit of aroused hormones that needed satisfaction no matter how?

Suddenly breathing seemed just a tad harder task to her.

It was indeed nothing untypical for men to do, right? But… How many times had she heard about betrayed women, men who told a girl what they wanted to hear only to get some pleasure from her and then never appear again? How many times had she heard about women who KILLED for the same reason? Not that she wanted to compare Heiji those guys but… Kazuha started sweating slightly. Will he, in the end, leave her alone again? She would be all alone then…

Did he maybe, in the end, not really MEAN to propose to her? Would he take it back after waking up? How would he BE after he woke up? This question was bothering her the most right now. What if he really DID take everything back because he realized that she is okay for friends and for pleasure but nothing for a wife? Or maybe he didn't even like it? Maybe he didn't find her body appealing enough? Maybe she had been… bad?

Heiji really could be dumb sometimes. What if he woke up, thanked her for the fun, or lack thereof, and disappeared, laughing behind had back about her stupidity when all Kazuha wanted and needed right then was a man- who woke up, took her in his arms, told her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. But that could not happen for therefor there has to exist a man who loves her deeply. Was Heiji… Could he…

'What if he leaves me alone again?'

Her happiness quickly transformed to a huge knot in her throat as uncertainty and doubts wandered her body like venom. More and more scenes where Heiji had insulted her and her figure, where he had made fun of her appeared in her mind. Although she never let it show, those words always hurt her, feeding her uncertainty, allowing it to grow. She only tried to keep her brave face up. And as consequence she had built a wall around her heart in order to protect herself.

But this exact wall she had broken down yesterday to let him know her feelings for him, not knowing where it would lead them.

But honestly, even if they married, what future would they have? On each of his cases she would sit at home, praying and waiting for the phone call from the police, telling her how sorry they were but they had lost him?

Would he be the ass that men are when he woke up?

Would he really do something like this after he opened his eyes and break her heart?

Was she really willing to find out and able to take it?

And suddenly, as panic enveloped her heart, all she needed was to get away from him as quickly as possible. All the doubts and fears were too much for her to bear.

Through her wet eyes, she tried hard to control herself, and to see clearly. She wriggled carefully out from under Heiji's arm and slowly slipped from the bed. She grabbed her clothes and quickly left the room, tears now falling down her cheeks. Without another gaze at the still sleeping man, she closed the door behind her.

Kazuha vanished in the bathroom and took a shower, trying to wash something away that was invisible but still there. She felt somehow-.. dirty, as if her skin was covered with… something that was not supposed to BE there, but after repeated trying only managed to rub her skin red. She started crying again, feeling horrible for her own emotions.

She didn't WANT to distrust Heiji but she could not help it. If he really woke up and said some of these things, she would-… Kazuha would… break. Die a thousand deaths emotionally. She guessed it was a natural defense but that fact did not help ease the pain or cause the fog to vanish, at all.

She had spend all her life hiding the depths of her emotions, letting her passion show only rare times in her temper. She was always the strong one, sometimes a little mean maybe because she would frankly state what she was thinking, but never allow anyone to come too close to her, too deep was the fear of being hurt. She would, out of the instinctive fear of being hurt, lock her feelings away, hide them and hide them well. Nothing could make her perfect appearance shake.

And then there was Heiji.

He was the only one who could shake her emotionally right to the bones, crushing everything she desperately tried to keep up, with the simplest things. With one simple look he could shake her bones, send violent shudder under her skin and through her whole body. He would crash her world, send her in fits of laughter, make her mad as well, take the ground away from her world so she would fall.

But, every time that happened, he was also there to hold her. He would never let her fall, never let her get hurt. He had always been there for her and he always would be, she knew it. She could feel it. He would never let any harm come near her, no matter how often they argued or fought. He had given her somebody to love with all her heart, to whom she could devote herself; gave her a reason to be mad, sad, happy and concerned. She was more concerned about him than anybody else. Why else would she chase him with the Omamori, consulting even the highest powers to help keep him save!

He was her world.

And that was the reason she felt so stupid right now, for baring herself to the bones to him. For not being sure about her own feelings, for dreading the loneliness, for not knowing what she truly wanted. For acting like a brainless child, for giving him the opportunity to murder her emotions, kill her inside with a few, simple words. Granted, it was in some say ironically considering his line of work, but Kazuha felt not the slightest bit like smirking. Her heart was throbbing, her insides clutching painfully, the air in her lungs only difficult to gain. Her whole body was adjusting to the panic and despair that ruled all of her.

She could not face him. Not now, not like this. What was she to do?

After a few more restless minutes of pondering over her situation where she walked up and down the room, she decided that she quickly needed to get away from here and from him. FAR away. She couldn't face him. And she knew that she could not do this alone. She needed help.

"Hello?"

"Ran? It's me!"

What do you all think? Worthy sequel? I REALLY wanna know!Mythanks to Ben for his great and quickhelp!