HPFD.4

For those of you who wanted to know how I managed to end Shinichi's sulking session so realistically last time, I received inspiration by Tori Kelly's "Dear No One." It's on YouTube. And very catchy. ;)

Warning: Colorful language (hmmm, I wonder who that could be), reference to London arc, and to the movie with the plane and Kaitou KID (can't remember the name, but I hope it's a movie). Too tired to edit too, so...

Chapter Name: Ai ni Namida

Normal POV

Hattori tried to stay for three days. He really did, to keep his best friend company over his heartbreak, but Kazuha wouldn't have it.

He managed to stay two days and two nights. On the third morning, his bags were packed up and he was whisked away by his childhood friend and love interest, albeit the fact that he didn't realize it yet.

That wasn't to say that he and Shinichi hadn't had fun. They had gone to the movies, which resulted in a suicide case, a restaurant, which had resulted in a poison-using murder, to an amusement park (fortunately not Tropical Land), which had resulted in a theft case, and then to a local soccer game, where they tried, in vain, to avoid any more cases. Unfortunately, that one had been another hostage/kidnapping situation.

He didn't always go out that often, but when he did, a case happened.

It had renewed Shinichi's adoration for complex, mind puzzling situations, but that hadn't changed the fact that, at the end of the day, there was always another family in charge of arranging a funeral.

It had renewed Shinichi's desire to change the filthy world they were trapped in, hoping that by putting common people who had turned ugly with hatred and jealously in jail would warn others. He hoped that he would become a threat to them, in a way, and that the crime rate would soon drop, but seeing as bodies seemed to fall at his feet, such a thing would most likely not happen soon.

It had renewed Shinichi's hope that, one day, the world just might be a better place with his existence pushing against cruel fates handed to (mostly) innocent people.

And for that, he found another reason to climb out of Depression Land and keep his chin up.

It had happened on the first night.

Both of them had been surprised, seeing as the thing was addressed to both of them.

They had believed he wasn't stupid enough to invite them, but now they knew that he was too much.

When the Father turns his hourglass downwards,

The Mother protects her dear Daughter,

And the anniversary of the storyteller's home opens grand gates,

I will arrive to place a kiss,

On the chaste maiden's lips.

~Kaitou KID *caricature*

PS. Feel free to invite Tantei-han too, Tantei-kun. The more detectives, the bigger the failure seems~!

Of course, Hattori had gone on a rampage about wounded pride and taunting and, "how-I'm-gonna-drive-a-stick-up-somew're-real-uncomfert'le-when-I-see-da-likes-of-'im."

Shinichi, however, was more concerned about how the internationally wanted thief had detected the western detective's presence in Beika-chou.

"Maa, maa," Conan put his hands up. Apparently, this was a habit he'd be stealing from Megure-keibu when he was around someone as hot headed as Hattori Heiji. "At least it's better than someone being dead, right? We can go and have fun without having to go to a funeral." He sweat dropped as his friend paused in his tirade.

"Ya go to da fun'rals?" Heiji furrowed his brows and stared down at his friend.

"Somehow, I usually end up close to the family members during the investigations." Conan shrugged. "If the family allows it, I go. They usually invite me before I ask, because, apparently, I am the reason their loved one's soul is at rest. Maybe I'm just really approachable since I'm young?" He tilted his head to the side. "I haven't been to many since I turned into Conan. It's probably because Occhan is the one solving them, not me."

Heiji snorted at that.

"This should be better, at least. You know that KID has that thing against people getting hurt at his heists." Conan pointed out. "I remember how furious he got when one of the guards had gotten hit by a stray bullet meant for him. KID was hell-bent on capturing the man there, even though he could risk himself being caught and was already half way into the clear." Conan grinned fondly at the memory, noticing Hattori's hooked stare.

"He turned his glider around. The police couldn't tell what happened until after the smoke cleared, but the man was hanging off the side of a sky-scraper by a single rope, only in his underpants, and had his hair dyed so many different colors that he went to court that way." He and Hattori shared a laugh. "The poor guy was drawn all over with utterly removable marker, and things like, 'Santa put me on the naughty list, so I put him on the hit list' and 'If payback is sweet, and revenge a bastard, then I must be the sweetest bastard you've ever met.'"

Hattori roared with laughter.

Conan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Ooh! Oh! There was another one!" He exclaimed. "Um... 'Karma takes too long. I'd rather beat the shit out of you now.'"

Hattori blinked before chuckling smoothly.

"It was so strange!" Conan declared. "I mean, he prides himself on being a gentleman, but then he goes and uses colorful language on par with Nakamori-keibu's when he's been angered."

"Wat happened later?" Heiji asked.

"He apparently visited the man in the hospital, leaving 'get well soon' balloons and cards, and even a 'sorry about what I did during my blackout' card." Shinichi smiled. "He left the man instructions on how to remove his glitter, guck, and dye, which, he has made copies of and has gotten rich off of by selling them to other officers. One of the cards that really jumped out at me was the, 'I massively fucked up and I'm really sorry' card. Then later, the, 'Umm.., sorry, but I did get you flowers' card."

"'N' did 'e acta'ly bring da guy flowers?" Hattori asked.

Conan nodded almost solemnly. "Stepping into the man's hospital room was like walking into a greenhouse garden." He declared. "Funny, but it smelled like perfume." He wrinkled his nose at the memory.

Hattori pursed his lips. "Fine, I'll go wid ya to da heist." He accepted, noticing how his friend seemed the most animated while talking about Kaitou KID than he had all vacation. "But first, we gotta solve da notice."

Conan grinned as the two sat across from each other at the kitchen counter top, but frowned as Hattori immediately announced that it be a competition. Shinichi attempted to convince him otherwise, but his counterpart paid no heed and studiously worked at the new notice.

Well, if he lost, he could always claim that he had never agreed to a competition, and was taking his time.

They spent their time idly awaiting the day Hattori would leave after that, deciding that going out would probably only bring about more funeral invitations.

The heist was in a week, so Hattori would return for that. Thankfully, it wouldn't be on a school night, and Conan would be able to convince Ran to let him go.

...

...

...

Ran.

Shinichi sat back in his favorite arm chair behind his father's old desk. He sat with his legs crossed, and one elbow propped up on the surface of the table to meet his chin, where his hand cupped his jaw. His index finger covered the length of his lips as he stared off into space, eyes narrowed and deep in thought.

It still bothered him; the thought of returning to the side of the woman who he had invested his entire life in so that he could hopefully find happiness with her.

Still, it wasn't as if the two of them had made things official.

Shinichi had confessed under that gorgeous grandfather clock, but she hadn't told him anything in return.

...

...

...

It hurt.

Had she possibly thinking of letting him go since that time?

Shinichi sighed, trying in vain to push the negative thoughts away and focus on the newspaper in front of him, but try as he might, the thoughts continued to haunt him.

She hadn't really dumped him.

After all, nothing had been official.

She had been his...'intended.'

They had a...'thing.'

They were more than friends, but not yet a couple.

Shinichi sighed again heavily, smacking his head down on the desk and not trying to get up. He stared at the air to the side, his gaze a million miles away.

The point was, could he really go back there, and risk the chance of only putting himself through more heartbreak?

Or was it finally time for the disappearance of 'Conan?'

His Shinichi phone rang later that night.

He was restless, and refused to sleep, staying awake through the night in his library, much to the dismay of a worried Subaru and irritated Hattori.

Hmmm... who could that be? He thought bitterly, knowing to immediately answer the phone and fix his bowtie.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice changed thanks to his gadget.

"Shinichi?"

"Ah, Ran, huh? I was wondering just when you were gonna call to nag me about something." Shinichi joked, smoothly keeping his voice in check and not allowing it to crack in sorrow.

"Shinichi!" She scolded immediately."That's so mean! Especially since you haven't managed to pick up the phone in such a long time!"

"Oops, sorry. What would I do without you to watch over my manners, Ran?"

"..."

"Ran?"

"...I don't know, Shinichi." Suddenly, Ran's voice sounded extremely exhausted. "I won't be there to keep you in check all the time anymore. Maybe just some of the time now..."

Shinichi was silent for a long moment. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly, as though trying to stall the inevitable.

"Shinichi...I don't think I can do this anymore." She said just as slowly, bracing herself for the pain to come. "I've...I've begun to date other people, Shinichi."

"..."

"Shinichi?"

The detective let his bangs cover his eyes as he sat alone in the cold and dark library room, brightened only by the haunting light of the moon.

"That's good, Ran." He said finally. "I'm happy for you."

"R-Really?" She stuttered out.

"Really." He confirmed. "You deserve someone much better than me, who will always just keep you waiting. You deserve someone better than this Holmes freak." He said sincerely, bitterness lacing his every word. "You can be much happier, Ran. With someone else."

"Shinichi..." She breathed.

He paused for a long time, staring at his hands. "Just..." He trailed off. "Just one thing," He began.

He could hear her nervous and surprised gulp. "Sure. Go ahead."

He didn't say anything for a long while, and she didn't either, patiently waiting for him, just as she always did. "Can we..." He began hesitantly. "Can we still be friends?"

Shinichi jumped in surprise at her cry of happiness and relief. "Of course, you Holmes freak! We are always going to best friends, no matter what! Even if this best friend will be super mad at you for making her worry, we will still be best friends."

Shinichi smiled in the dark, a satisfied 'hmph' escaping through his nose.

"Thanks...Ran," He said finally. "For everything."

He could tell she was smiling softly. "...You're welcome."

And with that, the phone call ended.

Shinichi set the phone down on his table, and set his head in his hands with a sigh.

...

...

...

It hurt so much.

So he wept for the first time over his lost love, all alone in that big, dark, and lonely library, the goddess of the moon his only comfort.

For some reason, I keep punishing our poor Shinichi. Hopefully, this is the last time we'll see him so depressed. The phrase, 'it hurt' won't get old anytime soon, though. Haha.

Anyway, feel free to take a guess at the heist note.

Did I surprise you with who the culprit was (of using such colorful vocabulary)?

~Crescent T.

PS. I'm using Google Translate to make the chapter titles, if you're interested in translating them yourself. They are the titles of my favorite pianist's songs- Yiruma.