Chapter 11: A party to remember

Where everything happens at once…

At eight in the evening, Ran's party was in full swing. People were chatting and laughing, some were dancing to the music and others were enjoying the tons of food the girls had prepared. While Ran was just talking to her old school friend, Kojiro, and his fiancée, Kazuha and Heiji were sitting at a table, having a conversation with two girls from Ran's Karate club.

At least Heiji was talking while Kazuha was acutely aware of his hand that was inconspicuously stroking circles on her thigh under the table. It had been like this the whole evening. Whenever Heiji had the chance he would touch her in some way, putting his hand on her back to guide her or sitting down next to her with his arm behind her on the back of the sofa. He had softly stroked strands of hair behind her ear and complimented her when she and Ran emerged from the birthday girl's room all dolled up. Yet, everything he'd done had been innocent and Kazuha felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

"How long have you guys been a couple then?" the blond girl, Natsuki, just asked, bursting Kazuha from her thoughts.

"Oh, we've known each other our whole lives," Heiji declared diplomatically, not really answering their question but giving them something to think about instead.

"How lovely!" the second girl, Midori, exclaimed, looking at Kazuha. "Was Heiji-kun as cute as a kid as he is now?"

"Stop it, Midori!" Natsuki chided her friend. "Kazuha might think you are flirting with her boyfriend!"

For a second, Kazuha wanted to tell them that Heiji wasn't her boyfriend when she realized he was looking at her. Their gazes met and for a second she had the urge to stroke his tanned cheek. He grinned as if he knew what she was thinking and she stuck her tongue out.

"Well, as a kid he always had dirt on his face, so I think his overall look might have improved," she told the girls instead, wiping the smug look from his face, "but he's still the same ahou he was back when we were children."

Ran's friends laughed, as Heiji muttered "Ahou".

"It must be nice to know someone for such a long time!" Natsuki sighed and Midori added: "Yeah, just like Ran-chan and Kudo-kun. Though he hasn't been around for a while."

Kazuha smiled. "I believe he told Ran he'd be here tonight!" Kazuha looked into Ran's direction and surely her friend was just looking at the door, clearly waiting for another guest. Leaning over to Heiji and lying her hand on his one resting on her leg, she whispered "I really hope Kudo-kun will be here soon! It would break Ran's heart if he didn't come!"

Heiji entwined their fingers under the table. "Believe me, if Kudo told her he would be here, he will move heaven and earth to keep his promise."

It took a while, but Kazuha realised she got more and more used to her and Heiji's pretend. It was easy. They had always been close, the only thing now being that he somehow stood even closer than before and that, whenever they weren't together at the same place, she could feel his gaze following her. Though that might have been the case before, as well.

When Kazuha chatted with some guys from Ran's school who were just telling funny stories about her and Kudo, Ran came up to her asking for a favour.

"Kazuha, I'm really sorry, but could you maybe get a few more bottles of Sake from the balcony? I have to get my father away from the spirits!" Ran told her, anxiously watching Kogoro with another glass of beer.

"Of course, no problem. Have you heard from Kudo-kun yet?" Kazuha added casually, but the other girl shook her head.

"I'm not worried, though. He promised," Ran told her cheerfully, leaving Kazuha and attending to her father.

Kazuha excused herself from the boys' conversation and made her way to the balcony. She remembered that the men had stashed the Sake bottles around the corner and rummaging behind a box filled with more snacks she finally found the drinks. Turning around, she squealed, nearly dropping the bottles.

"Heiji!" she shouted, making him chuckle as she set down the box, inhaling deeply.

"Sorry, I didn't want to startle you, I just…" he started, rubbing his neck. Was she imagining his ears turning red?

"You just what?" she questioned, realising how close they were and blushing in turn. The balcony wasn't that big and he was standing fairly close, both of them hidden from view from the inside.

"I just," he repeated, "wanted to talk to you alone." His hands travelled from her shoulders down her arms, slowly, before taking her hands. If possible he was even closer now.

"About what?" she whispered, goose bumps appearing on her skin. He sighed softly, and she didn't dare to look at him, not trusting herself. She had been the one to apply the rules of their test run relationship, yet she had caught herself at least four times that day longing for him to just kiss her. She was so pathetic. He was playing with her fingers, not speaking, and she trailed one of her hands up his arm in turn, marvelling at the feel of his skin, before ending at the nape of his neck, softly stroking the hairs there. She had no control, whatsoever. She could hear a sharp intake of breath as he closed the last space between them, softly pressing her against the stone wall of the flat, next to the balcony door. Reluctantly, Kazuha looked up at him as he stared at her, and her breath caught.

"I know about the rules, it's just…" he started again, his hands travelling to her waist, "I don't seem to have as much self-control as I thought," he mumbled. She shivered slightly, both of her hands now at his shoulders.

"Heiji," she whispered, softly caressing the side of his neck. He closed his eyes.

"Tell me to step away, 'zuha, and I will," he told her hoarsely and for a second she didn't respond, when she suddenly heard her name from inside the flat.

"Kazuha might still be on the balcony," Ran was informing someone, "she went to get Sake!"

With a start, Kazuha realised the door was not closed all the way and she gingerly pushed Heiji away, picking up the box and hurrying towards the door. "They are looking for me!" she told him, and though she didn't look back she knew the hurt expression he would be wearing.

As she stepped inside, Kazuha took a deep breath.

"There you are, Kazuha!" Ran's pressed voice caught her attention. "Look who's here…"

When Kazuha looked up she was standing directly in front of Kay.

"Kay?" she asked, confused, "What are you…?" – "I wanted to surprise you, babe! SURPRISE!" Kay told her enthusiastically and hugged her. Behind herself, Kazuha heard the balcony door close and she shivered. "I missed you," Kay said and Kazuha tried to smile, at the same time glancing at Heiji.

But Heiji had already turned away, picking up the box of Sake she didn't realise she had dropped, bringing them over to Kogoro and his friends.

Ran was mad. This birthday was not going the way she wanted it. At first, everything had been great. Shinichi had promised to come and Heiji had stepped up his game, nearly never leaving Kazuha's side and Ran wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw them holding hands under the table earlier.

But, just when she thought Shinichi would finally make an appearance, Kazuha's stupid boyfriend had stood in front of her door. Not to be bias, but Ran immediately disliked that guy. The hair at the nape of her head stood up when he talked to her. And Shinichi still was nowhere to be seen.

Sighing, Ran made her way over to Heiji. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, but the detective just shrugged.

"Told you that guy had the worst timing," he answered, drinking a huge gulp of water. At least Ran hoped it was water.

Ran looked at Kazuha and Kay, frowning. "Please," she told Heiji in an annoyed tone, "just look at them. Kazuha looks thoroughly uncomfortable with that guy's arm around her. I mean, you have practically been sitting in her lap half of the evening and she never looked that way!"

Heiji scoffed, still clutching the glass in his hand. "That might be because I nearly kissed her when that jerk arrived," he stated soberly and Ran gasped. But before she could question him more her mobile rang.

Taking it from her pocket, she squealed silently. "It's Shinichi!" Not waiting a second she answered it. "Shinichi? Where are you?"

His voice was soft. "Ran, I want to see you alone. Can you come downstairs to your dad's office for a spell?"

"Of course, I'll be there in a minute!" she answered excitedly, ending the call and looking guiltily at Heiji who grinned slightly.

"Just go, Ran, at least one of us should get what they want on your birthday."

Ran thought about that for a moment, hugged Heiji and told him "You can still get her!", before turning around and almost running from the apartment.

Heiji watched her go, his smile faltering. Looking over at Kazuha, he sighed. Ran was right, Kazuha did not look comfortable. She didn't smile and her body was rigid. When she laughed Heiji knew she was faking it. Suddenly their gazes met and for a moment they stared at each other. He shook his head, turning away. He would not stand by and watch them all night. He would leave. So he went towards the guest room where all the jackets had been placed. As he rummaged through the pile of clothes he heard somebody walk in behind him, closing the door, nearly submerging the room into darkness except for the lights from outside the window.

"Are you leaving?" Kazuha asked silently, her voice as loud as a shout inside the silent room. He did not still, but continued to search for his jacket.

"I've had enough excitement for one evening," he told her. He stopped moving as he felt her hand on his back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Heiji furiously turned around. "For what? For him being here? For rejecting me? For not wanting me?"

She flinched, but held his gaze. "I never said that and you know it! It's just…"

He stared at her. "You know what I don't understand?" he asked her quietly, stopping her from continuing. "He hasn't seen you in more than two days and he didn't even kiss you. And here I am. I have been with you, close to you for the last two days and at the moment I'm even mad at you, yet I nearly can't control my urge to kiss you senseless! And now you're blushing and I want to kiss every inch of skin that is turning red!"

She averted her eyes, ashamed, but he turned her face back up again. "Because I love you! Even when I'm mad at you, I love you, Ahou!"

When she suddenly kissed him, he couldn't help himself. He easily fell into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her, pressing her against him. She moaned softly and it made him feel better than any other sound he'd ever heard. Until she pushed herself away.

"Kami, what am I doing?" she asked, her voice husky. "This isn't right! Kay is outside this door, waiting for me because I told him I was just going to the toilet. What is wrong with me?"

He sighed. Turning around he saw his jacket peeking out from the pile.

"I have to go," he told her, walking away from the room and her and everything else.

"Shinichi? Where are you? Why didn't you turn on the light?" Ran shouted, walking inside her father's detective office. Looking around she only saw shadows.

"I'm here," his voice answered at the other side of the room and though she wanted to run towards him, she turned towards the light switch first. She turned on the lights, blinking against the sudden brightness, smiling. But when she turned towards him it wasn't Shinichi waiting for her, it was Conan.

"Oh, Conan-kun, I thought you were…" she tried, but he interrupted her.

"I know you thought I am, Ran, and you are right." The little boy held up his bowtie to his lips and without a warning his voice changed to that of the man she had been longing to see. "I used to be Shinichi Kudo," Conan said and she blinked.

"That's not funny, Conan-kun, did you call me with that thing? Did Professor Agasa give that to you as a prank?" Again she looked around for a sign of Shinichi, but deep inside she already knew the answer. Hadn't she suspected it more than once over the course of the last years?

Conan looked pained, sitting down on a chair. "Please, Ran," he pleaded in his childish voice, yet with a gentle tone that seemed uncommon for a little boy, "sit down."

Ran felt dull and weak. She made her way over to him in a trance, sitting down opposite him.

"I'm so sorry," he started.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry about this chapter. It's a little depressing, that's why it took me so long :(
But we're close to the end!
Please read and review. What did you like? What didn't you like?

Thanks and Hugs,
Ria