Disclaimer: Shinichi and Ran and all other characters to appear in this story are the property of Aoyama Gosho and his incredibly precious little grey cells. I think I can play with them, though. A little…

A/N: Oh my gosh, I'm really ashamed now. These few weeks I've been super busy with work and I haven't had the time to sit down to even update this, so I'm really sorry for the one week break… My PhD follow up is next week (wish me luck!) and hopefully then I will be able to write down some more, but for now, I have to say that I don't know when I will be updating this again. Nevertheless, thank you so much to everyone who followed/favourited and special thanks to those of you who reviewed and stuck with me (hislips, Nen91, Guest and BUB30, thank you!) and a shout out to hislips, because she encouraged me to update this as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)


Run

Chapter 7

For as long as it takes


Even if she could have racked her brain to find the perfect comeback to his last words, the soft and gentle voice he had employed had left her unable to think. Without even trying, he had pierced her heart without giving her any chance to recover, and it could only mean one thing. Her last wall, the last bit of defence she held up against him, was irrevocably down. With those words and their raw and warm-hearted meaning, he had dived so deep into her heart she had felt her heartstrings being strummed. And she knew then that she couldn't fight it, that she was powerless against him, although it didn't matter. This was certainly the most beautiful and peaceful way to surrender, to give in to him.

She could only observe him as he came closer to her, her eyes flickering from his beautiful bright blue eyes to his handsome face. Without really noticing the movement, his hand was suddenly tucking her hair behind her ear, but his hand didn't leave when he finished doing that. It stayed right there, on the side of her face, warming her body and sending a lovely blush to her cheeks. She gasped when she felt his hand brushing across her cheekbone in absentminded strokes, to later move to her lower lip to caress it in the same fashion. She made the mistake of wanting to watch the play of emotions in his eyes, and she saw with awe that he was drinking her in, admiring her. Just as entranced by him, she felt overwhelmed, but she couldn't avert her eyes even if her life depended on it.

Their bodies were almost flush, and his hand advanced towards the back of her neck. He was so cautious in coming closer to her, he was moving so slowly and carefully that it was actually hurting her. His eyes flickered from one point to the other looking for a single speck of doubt, and it ached because she understood why he was doing that, and he was a fool for solely thinking of doing it. He was giving her the chance to get away if she didn't want this to happen, he was letting her choose. But oh, she had been longing for this since the very first kiss they had shared the night before… There was no way she could escape, she wouldn't live with herself if she did.

Her heart picked up its pace and at some point her gaze strayed on his lips and the tender smile tugging at them, the realisation sinking in his eyes. She was not going anywhere, because she wouldn't imagine herself in some place other than in his arms. She was his, and she needed this. And he knew, he knew.

With one millimetre separating their faces, their lips slightly puckered, his hand burning on her neck and her hands going up to the collar of his shirt, she felt her heart doing a backflip, and she couldn't resist his enamoured gaze anymore. At the same time he pushed her head towards him, she grabbed onto the lapels of his shirt to bring his head down, and they met halfway.

The same second their lips touched, an unexpected electric charge coursed through her body. His kiss sent ripples of electricity crawling across her skin and it made her arch her back involuntarily, pushing her chest onto him. His lips fondled hers with a lovingness and a tenderness she didn't know he was capable of showing, taking his own sweet time, telling her wordlessly that he would give his all to make her happy, promising her she wouldn't be heart-broken again if she gave him a second chance. She responded accordingly, yielding to his touch. He was kissing her so slowly, so softly, it was sheer torture for her.

Deep in the recesses of her brain, she acknowledged that this kiss was nothing like their first one. Whereas the first had been downright hungry, hot, desperate, fierce and demanding, a battle of sorts for dominance, this second kiss was softer, intimate, pleading, sweet and needy. This kiss was him coercing her to have an unhurried and sensual dance with him, in which the both of them were equals, that could have taken forever to finish because forever was what they had. She wished that's what they had, anyway.

Shinichi's arms snaked around her waist and trailed to the small of her back, going underneath her T-shirt to find a sensitive spot there, and he pulled her tightly against him. Her skin was on fire, just as hot as the smouldering wildfire dancing in her eyes that he saw when he parted their lips to gulp in some air. Her fingers threaded themselves in the rough silk of his hair, stroking the back of his neck, and he couldn't help the moan that rang into her mouth. Shinichi held Ran's face in his hands, his fingers tangling in her hair too.

His teeth tugged at her, his tongue running the length of her lower lip and sending shivers up her spine. With an astray groan he coaxed her lips to part, and tilted her face so that he could go further, so that he could feel her deeper. Mouths parted, Shinichi didn't waste any second possessing her, and Ran made sure that he knew he was thoroughly and roughly hers.

The little restraint left in them was soon scattered to the four winds, as their hands further discovered each other and their mouths found new and exciting accessible areas to cherish. With the ministrations of the other, the maddening friction and the impatient sighs, they were in way over their heads. The presence, feeling, and responses from the other were making them both crazy, desperate to know the sounds and reactions they could elicit from one another. Their passion had been kept hidden, bottled up in the dark corners of their hearts but, once released from its fortress, it came crashing like a tidal wave, tearing everything down like a hurricane. It couldn't be stopped.

When the proximity didn't feel sufficient to satisfy their desire, Ran's legs wrapped around his waist, as if attempting to fuse them together. Shinichi picked her up easily, and she felt the counter suddenly hold her up as he placed her on the ledge. It registered somewhere that the kiss had evolved swiftly from delicate and gentle to aggressive in the last few seconds, but she didn't want to correct him. The pads of his fingers caressing her back were freeing her from all the sanity, from all the rational thinking, and she was so lost in the haze. He was faring no better. Her hands scratching the back of his neck were robbing him of his judgement, making him desperate, and they were connected on so many levels, on so many places, she could feel his blood rushing. But it wasn't enough. With her hands exploring every inch of his body, she could feel his entire body respond to her every touch, and it was exhilarating to know that she was the cause of his helplessness, of his ragged breath and his erratic heartbeat.

Her legs around him tightened when she didn't feel the counter below her anymore, and the next thing she knew was the soft feeling of the mattress of her bed supporting her. Sprawled on the bed, with her hair dishevelled above the pillow, she relished in the thrill that Shinichi's solid, hard and warm body provided, the ecstasy that his weight pinning her to the mattress bestowed. In none of her wildest dreams, she could have come up with such a sensation, because nothing could compare to having him so near, sharing such intimacy. And with the way he was touching her, the way he was making her whimper under his fingertips, she could bet all her money he had been yearning for that closeness as much as she had.

Shinichi's kisses were so passionate that she felt something stir within her, felt a heat growing in the pit of her stomach, while her blood transformed into liquid fire under his fingers. A wanton sigh escaped her as their lips broke apart, and it only served to further encourage him. His lips wandered to her jawline, leaving open-mouthed kisses that made her skin tingle and she could only pull him against her and seek his mouth again to give him a searing kiss.

His hand was sliding upwards and suddenly it was right there, just below her breast line drawing arousing patterns, and her mind fogged. In a moment of sudden clarity, she regained control of her hands, unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it away to a heap on the floor. The reality of the situation kicked in, but she was not afraid. She couldn't possibly know if he had any experience in this field, but with his touches and kisses, he was rocking her world so hard that there was no coming back. Her lips crashed into his once more, and she was actually proud to see he was left panting and looking at her with such desire in his eyes.

His fingers dropped to the hem of her T-shirt and he tugged, taking it off of her. In other situation, she would have been embarrassed, but she was far more preoccupied with his mouth descending on her sternum, brushing incitingly against her skin. She was falling apart. A moan slipped out of her mouth, and she inhaled sharply and instinctively opened her eyes. Shinichi seemed to feel it and glanced up at her face with the most vibrant blue eyes he had ever sported, causing her to shiver against him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she wouldn't have any of it. Overcome with lust, she cupped his face and brought it back to her, kissing him breathless.

When her unsteady hands found the belt on his trousers, he broke away to study her face and caress her cheek lovingly, kissing her senseless just afterwards. He was kissing her with such love, such tenderness… And it moved something within her that she couldn't possibly describe.

"I love you, Ran," he whispered as he looked at her amorously. He didn't elaborate, but by looking at her he seemed to be gauging if she was sure that this was what she wanted.

When she didn't respond, partly because she lacked the coherency of mind to, he grew worried.

"You…" he started, his eyes watching every corner of the play in hers. He gasped as he understood, and had every intention to pull away, but Ran was faster. She kept him close by tightening her hold on his neck. He stopped moving, continuing to look at her. "You haven't completely forgiven me…" he breathed morosely, understanding what the problem was.

Ran averted her eyes, not knowing how to reply to that. She couldn't lie to him after everything that had transpired between them in the last minutes.

"I'm sorry, Shinichi," she murmured quietly.

"No, you don't have anything to be sorry for," he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek to emphasize his point. "I'm the one who's sorry. You are still hurting and here I was, trying to−"

"No, Shinichi, I want this," Ran assured him.

"But if you're not sure, I don't think that this would be fair to you," he stated, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I love you more than anything else in this world, and there is nothing that I would like more than sharing this with you but−"

"But what?" she whispered back, her voice laced with sorrow.

"You deserve so much better than this, and I want to give you so much better than this," he directed his gaze to his surroundings. "We're not in the best situation right now, and I don't want you to think that I'm doing this for all the wrong reasons."

"I won't regret it if we do."

"I know but, Ran," Shinichi kissed her softly, leisurely, and she responded wholeheartedly. "Let me gain your trust again, give me a chance to make you fall in love with me again, to make you love me as much as I love you. Let me do things right this time," he smiled.

"But Shinichi, you're doing just that these days. I'm falling as hard as I did the first time, and I'm not afraid. I'm getting there, I know I am, and I want to give in, but it's hard because I haven't fully let go of everything that's holding me back. I just need time."

As she said that, she realised she had never spoken more truthful words. Her barricades were positively shattered, he and his infectious love had demolished them irreversibly, and she found herself being glad they were. It was such a liberating feeling.

"And we'll have our whole lives, you'll see," he replied with a warm gaze. "Whenever you're ready, whenever you have nothing holding you back anymore, I want to be able to love you every second of your life, and not only the night before everything can come crumbling down to pieces."

"But that's just it, Shinichi," Ran cried back. "For all we know, there's no tomorrow, there are no second chances. And if we're going to die, I want to go knowing that I listened to my heart for one and not my brain."

"But then it wouldn't be fair, Ran. They both should tell you the same thing. If you only listen to one, you could be second-guessing, or doubting, or even regretting if after it happened. And I don't want you to go through that. I can wait for as long as it takes," he told her with a loving smile and placing a loud kiss on her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere and I promise you, we won't die."

"You don't know that."

"These years I've learnt to take pretty much everything on faith, and I know we will overcome anything. I believe in you, in us, and I love you, and not one crazy Boss is going to take you away from me."

Shinichi looked at her again, and Ran displayed such a forlorn and sad expression on her face that it broke his heart. He couldn't take it anymore, and he hid his face in her neck.

"I'm sorry, Ran," he brushed his lips against her skin.

"No," she sighed, her hand coming up to brush across the side of his face when he looked up at her again. A little smile adorned her face. "I understand. I want to be in this one hundred per cent, but I am so scared of the mere idea that he could kill us that I… It's not fair to you either."

"Don't push yourself. I'm here for as long as it takes. I wouldn't want it any other way."

She tried gathering her courage to tell him what she felt for him, but the words stuck in her throat. Shinichi saw her struggling and understood what she was trying to say all the same. He could read her like an open book.

"It's okay. Until you can tell me, I will be the one doing all the talking," he let out a loud laugh at his expense. If he thought about it, it was really funny that he had said that. She had always been the one to speak her mind, while he had always preferred actions to words.

She saw through it in a second and smiled, relieved and thankful for his seemingly endless love and patience. Her arms came again around his neck, pulling him in a fierce hug and he, surprised, didn't waste a moment to leave a loud kiss on her neck, while his arms held her just as tightly. She released him, and he took his weight on his arms so as not to crush her, capturing his blue orbs with hers. He beamed at her so brightly that it could light up the entire room, and her smile was not too far behind. She traced aimless patterns over the bare skin of his back while she devoured every angle of his face with her eyes, and she laughed when the movement elicited delicate goose bumps on his skin.

"Maybe we should go to sleep?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed.

"Can you stay?" Ran asked back, still running her finger carefully over his muscled arm.

"Here? With you?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Of course," he smirked.

"And can you kiss me? Please?" Ran asked with the most innocent voice she could muster.

"Don't mind if I do," he laughed again.

He descended on her and brushed his lips softly against hers, fireworks exploding in her head lighted by the tenderness of his touch. He put every bit of his soul into that kiss, and she soaked up all the love he delivered. He moaned lowly as he wrapped his arms around Ran's waist to draw her in, while she gingerly touched the back of his neck as she danced her tongue around his. She doubted she would ever have enough of him. It was nonetheless a very soft kiss, one that made the butterflies in their stomachs fly loosely.

"I could get used to this, you know," he winked while beaming at her.

Shinichi got off of her and excused himself to go to his room to change into his pyjamas, allowing Ran to do the same in hers, and coming back after a minute. He noted with glee that Ran was wearing the same overlarge t-shirt she wore in the morning, but he didn't dare comment on it. Even if they had really crossed a line tonight, a comment like that could still get him killed.

Smiling apologetically, Shinichi tucked the both of them in with a boyish blush, and he spooned her from behind. Letting out a contented sigh, she focused on the steady rhythm of his heart against her back. As soon as he drifted off, sleep found her easily too.

Throughout the night, the fateful lemon pie laid, forgotten, on the kitchen counter.

[…]

When the early morning light streamed through the window, Shinichi opened his eyelids sleepily. He sensed a presence by his side, relaxing immediately when he came face to face with Ran. Gorgeous asleep Ran. His strong arms wrapped around her protectively, and she stirred but didn't complain anymore.

Everything seemed so unbelievable. If someone had told him two days ago that he would be sharing a bed with Ran, he would have killed that someone with a glare and told him off. And yet, he was here, with her. Everything about that moment was like out of a dream, but her warmth, her breathing, she was making it look real. And everything was true: Ran, Vermouth's house, Karasuma… He didn't know where they would go from here, but he did know he would give his everything for her, for them.

When she stirred again, he propped his head on his hand and his elbow dug into the mattress. A sleepy smile erupted in her face when she opened her eyes, and his hand came up to brush a lock of hair back from her face. She closed them again and got close to him so that he wound up on his back, and she rested her cheek on his chest to listen to his heartbeat, snuggling a bit closer into him. The warmth of his skin against hers was reassuring, welcoming.

"How are you feeling?" Shinichi asked, a hint of worry present in his eyes, although she couldn't see it. As if out of habit, he ran his fingers through her silky locks.

"Good," Ran hummed contentedly. "And you?" she asked, lifting her face up so that she could kiss his chin.

"Hm… I'll have to think about it..."

He smiled mischievously and pulled her tighter against him. Ran gasped, and Shinichi made use of her open mouth to kiss her lips deeply. When the surprise subsided, she delivered an equally heart-warming response, and her hands laced through his hair. A moan escaped her when his eagerly wandering hands reached the small of her back, travelling then to caress her hips, and she kissed him ardently. Until a grumbling stomach interrupted them, that is.

"Hungry?" she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Starving," he answered with a sheepish smile and a blush.

"I heard…" Ran sighed dejectedly, but she couldn't stop the smile twitching at her lips.

After the both of them took a shower, they met again in the kitchen to prepare breakfast, which consisted of two mugs of strong coffee and a slice of the delicious lemon pie they had prepared the day before.

"How is it?" Ran asked, expectant for his verdict. She looked like a little child awaiting the appraisal of her parents, but Shinichi didn't voice it in case she took offence at the analogy.

"It's possibly the best I've ever eaten, Ran," he laughed, munching the pie eagerly.

"I'm glad you like it," she smiled back.

His hand found hers over the table and he squeezed it, content to be able to share something as tiny but as significant as a praise over a lemon pie with her. His mind had still trouble to grasp the whole situation, but he was happy. And, looking at her with a tender gaze, he was even more ecstatic that she seemed to be happy too by his side.

After finishing breakfast and putting away the dishes and glasses, having nothing left to do, the weight of the situation dawned on them. Their bubble had burst and, even if they could find comfort in their closeness on the sofa, the sound of every ticking second was almost deafening. As noon approached, Ran couldn't help but direct even more worried glances at the clock, becoming anxious minute by minute. Shinichi observed her, equally preoccupied, until it all became too much.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"You're as nervous as I am, aren't you?" Ran questioned back, her eyebrows raised questioningly. As easy as he saw through her, she could see through him too.

"Possibly," he chuckled, being caught. "But she may bring good news, you know?"

"Eh, not so sure about that," she replied dryly.

"One can only hope. Miracles happen," Shinichi smiled, glancing briefly at their intertwined hands.

"But just look at you! How can you be so calm with everything that's going on? You're practically glowing!" Ran cried in disbelief.

"I'm worried too," he admitted, averting his eyes. "I'm feeling the same way that I felt after Kyoto, when suddenly everyone knew I was still alive. I'm terrified, rattled to the teeth, but I have to joke around if I don't want to lose it. Still, I want to believe that not everything's lost. Besides, we−"

Without any warning, the sound of tires screeching on the forest ground outside of the house interrupted him. It was followed by soft steps, each of them taking the stranger closer to the house. Both Shinichi and Ran stayed seated on the sofa, petrified, although he knew he would have to move eventually. He directed a rapid glance at the clock hanging on the wall, which read 12 pm, sharp. Equal parts glad and dreading to know who stood at the other side, he got up and walked to the front door, while he motioned for Ran to stay where she was. He waited until he heard to soft knocks on the door and then opened it.

"Hello, Cool guy."

"Hi," Shinichi greeted back. Before silence could settle uncomfortably, he asked: "Everything okay?"

"Yes, as okay as one could expect. You may want to sit down for this one," she replied grimly.

"Of course, come in. Ran's in the living room too."

The both of them walked a few steps to get to the living room. Shinichi was visibly uneasy, but Vermouth sported a relaxed expression which morphed into a peaceful smile upon seeing Ran.

"Hello, Angel," Vermouth said, extending a hand for Ran to shake. She got up from the sofa in a flash, and nervously extended her own.

"Hello. Sharon?" Ran asked hesitantly while returning the greeting. She couldn't help but send a questioning gaze at Shinichi, and he nodded solemnly.

"Yes," Vermouth sighed, sitting down on a comfortable armchair in front of the sofa.

Crisis averted, Shinichi thought to himself, although he was not sure if he'd have to be wary in the first place. He went to sit beside Ran, Vermouth following him with her gaze. She noticed that he was sitting a little bit closer for comfort to Ran, considering they had been at each other's throats just two days before, and something about his expression and his pose compelled Vermouth to ask about what was nagging her.

"Has… Has something happened? Between you two?" With a glint of glee in her eyes, Vermouth thought that maybe she was overstepping her boundaries, but if her two treasures were happy, she could be happy for them.

"What do you mean?" Ran asked, wanting to appear oblivious even though the tell-tale blush the two young adults displayed revealed everything and more.

"Congratulations. Yukiko will be very happy," she smiled, ignoring the frustrated groan on Shinichi's part. "She has been rooting for you two since you were little. The first time around, I mean."

"Can we get back to the topic at hand?" Shinichi demanded a bit forcefully.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Vermouth marked a pause. She schooled her expression to one of seriousness and breathed deeply, bracing herself. "As you know, I went to the Hospital and talked to this Sakurama-san you mentioned. It wasn't very hard, finding him…"

"Did you say something to him?" Shinichi wondered.

"Yes. He wasn't even hiding, he wasn't even disguised, and he recognised me even though I was."

"What are you−?" Ran started, but Vermouth interrupted her with a firm voice.

"His real name is Karasuma Ryoichi, and he is the son of Karasuma Renya, the boss of the Karasuma project."

"What?" Shinichi cried, stunned.

"That's the truth. Very few people knew that he had a son, and even fewer knew that he was working inside the Organization," she hesitated for a moment but decided not to elaborate on that information. They didn't need to know anything more on that regard. "He didn't explain anything, but I'm sure he was at the Hospital because he wanted to spy on the both of you and that was the fastest and easiest way to do so. Only he couldn't do that when you were not speaking to each other, but something brought you back together and with–" she paused again, exhaling, "with Karasuma Renya having died two months ago, he could put his plan into action."

"Karasuma died?" Ran gasped, eyes widened and her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Vermouth only nodded.

"Yes, well. He was old. We didn't always agree with the way things were done in the Organization, but he respected my wishes when it came to you both, at the cost of knowing that it would ruin everything he had built. Ryoichi, on the other hand, is not so gullible. The Karasuma project was as much his as it was Renya's, and he won't rest until he reaches his goal."

It was subtle, very well hidden, but just by observing her and the way she was speaking, together with the fact that she had referred to their new threat as Ryoichi and not as Karasuma Ryoichi, made Shinichi suspect that Vermouth was not being entirely honest with them. He decided to test the waters first.

"I'd understand if you didn't want to answer this, but… Do you have a history with him?"

Indeed, she did. She was not caught short in the slightest that Shinichi had been able to see through her, but she had hoped she would be able to not admit it for a while longer.

"It's complicated. Nevertheless, I know what my choice will be, if and when the situation comes. I've known what it'd be since that night in New York. But, if I know myself, I might hesitate to pull the trigger because of what he meant to me."

Shinichi studied her, and he let it slide. She wouldn't be telling them anything more, and he compromised.

"I understand. But it will not come to that, I guarantee it."

"He always makes good on his promises, doesn't he?" Vermouth asked with a smirk while locking eyes with Ran, trying valiantly to diffuse the tense atmosphere which surrounded them after her confession.

Ran was taken unaware, but she recovered quickly and returned the smile.

"He does. It might take time, but he does," she said, directing a side-glance at the flustered boy.

"Thank you, but that's not all I wanted to talk to you about," Vermouth started. "In that conversation at the Hospital, Ryoichi mentioned an us, implying that he's working with somebody else, but I don't know who that could be. When I finished talking to him, I wasn't−" she inhaled profoundly again, gathering her courage to finish that sentence, "I just needed to get away."

Shinichi nodded in understanding and glanced at Ran worriedly.

"Ran, do you have any idea?"

The wheels in Ran's brain were turning at breakneck speed. She stayed silent because she couldn't speak with every thought that assaulted her. In a daze, she turned to face Shinichi and saw his shocked features, registering then that he had been telling her something. She shook her head to focus.

"What? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

Shinichi met her eyes sceptically but didn't comment on it. Asking her about other suspicious people at the Hospital was far more important at the moment.

"I asked you if you knew of any other person that might be conspicuous at the Hospital…"

She hesitated and, as if she were out of her body, she heard herself saying the next words.

"No, of course not…"

Not as relieved as he would like to be, Shinichi turned his face to talk again with Vermouth. Ran disconnected thoroughly, not wanting to listen to one more bit of that conversation. Yes, she knew, of course she knew who the other person was. Of course she knew who had been helping Sakurama-san. Her hand went to find her phone in her jacket pocket, clutching it so hard that it would surely leave a severe burning mark on her hand. Her heart racing, she looked one last time at Shinichi, who was engrossed in speaking to the older woman. She didn't have to listen twice to her heart to know what it was telling her to do.


My goodness, how long can a kiss and consequent make-out session get? I nearly couldn't handle it, and I am 26 and counting, oh my god. This is the first time I've written something like that, so I'm sorry if it didn't live up to your expectations… Sorry!

Today you're in luck because I will not be rambling! =D I want to say thank you again for all your support, and that I hope to hear your opinion on this! I love you all!

With love,

DCSR392.