It was on their way home from school when Conan got a text.

There was nothing particularly notable about this fact until she heard his soft sharp intake of breath. "Conan-kun?"

His eyebrow twitched before looking up at her while holding his cellphone slightly down and towards his chest, "R..Ran-neechan... I need to get back home sooner so I'll go on ahead, ok?"

Ran blinked before nodding, "Ah...um, Alright, do you need me to help?"

Sonoko leaned over with her usual smirk, "Suddenly get a call from Ayumi-chan to come over, brat?"

Conan laughed annoyed, "No, just something came up!" He ran a few steps ahead before turning and yelling with his usual bright eyed smile, "See you!"

Sera called back before she could respond, "Be careful on your way home!"

"Un!"

Sonoko smirked, cupping her chin, "I bet the brat's got a date."

Ran laughed to herself, "Sonoko, he probably got called to go help Agasa-hakase or something."

Sonoko scoffed while Sera smiled while watching the two of them, "Is Conan-kun feeling well?"

Sonoko turned to their friend while she felt her heart sink and a self-depreciating smile form on her face, "I'm pretty sure Conan hasn't been sleeping much lately."

Sera blinked, "What makes you say that?" Sonoko had her eyebrow raised as well.

She gripped her school bag while her shoulders tensed up as she looked towards the ground, "I've been finding him half asleep in the living room in the early morning. He's been so out of it by that point that it isn't until I get him up for school that he's realized I've picked him up and put him in my bed."

Sonoko gasped, " Why are you putting the brat in your bed!?"

She smiled a little, "He's complained about my father's snoring before, and with how light a sleeper he is, it seems that even just the short amount of time in my room sleeping is enough to help him recharge for the day."

Sera raised an eyebrow, "Conan-kun sleeps in your father's room?"

Ran blinked, "Aah, well, when he first came to stay with us he did, but he's now next to dad's in our storage room."

Sonoko blinked, "And the brat's still complaining?"

She sighed, "Not particularly, but he sometimes does if dad's been worse than usual. He really does try to not complain as much as possible. For a child who's used to being in a quiet house, we are pretty rowdy."

Sonoko scoffed, "If the brat complains that much just whap him."

"Sonoko!"

"Just kidding~!"

By the time she got home and went to Conan's room to check on him he was already surrounded by the usual items you would take on a weekend sleepover. She knocked softly, "Shinichi?"

He glanced up at her soft call, "Ran."

She took that as an invitation to come in and softly closed the door behind her before kneeling close to him. "Are you alright..?"

He paused to look up at her, a sad and strangely confused look on his face to match her own look of concern, "Not..." he lowered his eyes, "Not really."

Her heart sank, "Is it my fault?"

He looked back up to her with a somewhat horrified expression, "No-!" He pulled himself back, "-No."

She didn't entirely believe him and figured he was probably sparing her feelings, "But it has to do a lot with why you're waking up screaming in the middle of the night and then staying awake, right?"

He stared at her in horror, "You've heard me screaming?!" His voice was soft and shaken.

She straightened her back slightly, "N-not particularly. However dad has mentioned it once or twice recently, and it's not the first time either since you've started staying here."

He grit his teeth in turmoil before glancing at the clock and quickly returning to his task of packing, "I've been having nightmares- really intense ones and I'm going to meet someone to get a different outlook on everything. So... I know I don't really have the right to ask this, but could you wait until this weekend is over? I'll... I'll explain myself...explain everything then."

She blinked, her chest ached and she felt her eyes begin to burn as she tried to keep herself from crying. Shinichi was never so lost, yet despite it he still seemed so confident in himself that he could overcome this, "But... I told you telling me wasn't neces-"

He looked her in the eyes, a shaky determination and drive behind them. He had so much Shinichi pushed forward that there was no doubt the child in front of her was him, "If no one else, you deserve and have the right to know. I'm the one who's been too much of a coward, and even now I'm running away from that truth." He looked away from her and sighed heavily as he placed the last of his things in his backpack. "The thought of you being hurt and hearing you cry is painful, but now that you know it's bringing my fears and insecurities forward and multiplying them."

She wiped her tears from her eyes as she sniffled, "Shinichi..."

Conan looked at her as he zipped his pack and stood. She glanced at him through her tears as he looked at her as if in pain, "I..." he glanced away from her for a second, a slight blush appearing as he met her eyes once more, "I told you 0 is where everything starts... that's where I am right now. I need to figure out what my next step is so I can stop hurting you so much. I'm trapped in a web of my own lies, lies I said believing it was to protect you when it may have just been my own ego." He sighed, "I have to catch the train, but... will you hear me out when I get back?"

She was shocked, she was crying, but despite the pain in her heart she also found a strange inexplicable joy in herself. Ran pulled him into herself, hugging him as tightly as she dared, "Ok, but you better come back to me Shinichi."

He returned her hug, grasping on to her as much as his small body was able, "Yeah."

I know it's been a while since my last post but I wanted to focus on Ran again before continuing with what I've had planned since early May. Please give your support by leaving a review, I'd really appreciate it.