Chapter ten – Swimming fun

The girls and boys separated after entering the beach-alike swimming bath, going to the separate changing rooms.

As expected, the boys were done way sooner than the girls and that's why they were forced to wait for them. So, they sat down and waited…

In the girls locker room the atmosphere was light and cheery. The girls were happy to spend some time together after such a long time and were chatting happily about everything and nothing.

"This bikini is so sweet, Kazuha-chan!"

"You think so?"

"Of course! The colors are way cuter than last time. Is it new?"

Kazuha blushed lightly and nodded stiffly. Ran grinned at her friend knowingly.

"Oh, I see! Is this supposed to be a gift for a certain dark-skinned detective?"

As Kazuha's blush deepened, Ran's laughter increased.

"Come on!" Kazuha defended herself. "As if you are any better! Look at that sexy bikini you chose! I bet this had nothing to do with Kudo-kun being here, right?"

Now it was Ran's turn to blush as she stopped laughing. Kazuha chuckled superiorly for a few instances before both girls looked at each other and started giggling simultaneously.

"It's really beautiful, though, Ran. Blue is really nice and I am sure his eyes will fall out!"

Ran blushed but grinned at her friend.

"Say, is the top the same size as the bottom?" Kazuha asked out of nowhere.

"No, it's two sizes bigger since I can not find a bikini, or underwear, in the same size. I either had to get fat to make the bottom fit with the top or lose some inches on the top."

"Yeah, I thought so. I have the same problem, it's horrible. They think women with a little bigger chest have to be fat at the same time. It's horrible!"

"I know! And so stressing when you go shopping!"

"Yeah, you are right. But sometimes you are lucky. Oh, I know this one shop where…"

---

The picture of our great detectives was one where you wished everything you had to have a camera on you so you could take a picture and hang it on your wall to always look at it and laugh your ass off. That's how the girls would describe it had they seen the guys just yet.

On a little, low stone-wall, they were sitting next to each other, both full-packed with all sort of things, a mutual expression of doom and despair on their faces as they literary hang there, waiting in silence. Not to mention their lowered shoulders and heads that seemed unnaturally for them. Had they been inside a comic or cartoon, both would have been covered with cobwebs.

"They're taking forever, again!" Heiji complained after some time, being clad in green boxers that were also for swimming.

"Are girls always like that?" Shinichi asked him, not bothering to move to look at him, clad in blue swimming trunks.

"Yes, pal. Some things will simply never change." Heiji spoke, sounding like an old, wise monk with tons of experience, thus making the picture of them look more ridiculous.

Shinichi groaned as if in pain but preferred to keep silent, just this once.

"Anyway, I believe you still owe me an explanation." Heiji went on.

"Well, it's not a big deal of a story. Ai gave me an experimental pill that she was working on…" Shinichi told him quickly about the possible effects of this one pill he had taken quite some time ago. "…So what I think is that because of this cold, the pill delayed its effect. I honestly have no idea why and how this worked out this way, really."

"So, you might stay like this permanently?"

"I guess."

"You could change back at any moment then?"

"Highly possible."

"And this might even kill you, right?"

"I…I haven't thought about it too much but I know that is an option as well, so, yes."

"Oi, Kudo, you really are some trouble."

"It's not like I am doing this on purpose!" Shinichi shot back, folding his arms in front of his chest.

The dark-skinned boy sighed comically. "You'd think somebody with my line of work would prefer to have normal friends in daily life…"

Shinichi didn't respond, only glare at him and Heiji chuckled. "But, let me get this straight. You kind of came back and immediately went to Neechan, right?"

"Uhm…yes…" Shinichi answered with hesitation. He didn't like the tone of Heiji's voice at all and had the feeling this was only the beginning of something huger.

"And you have been there and with her for the last, almost complete two days?" His fat grin could tell of all the naughty things that Heiji was thinking right now.

"Y-yes but that does not mean that…" But Shinichi was immediately cut off by his friend who wasn't really listening to him.

"Oh please, are you going to tell me you caught her cold because you kept looking at her through her window?"

Shinichi blushed brightly, opened his mouth, even managed to move it but no sound came out. His friend (not that he would call him "friend' right now) grinned and went on.

"No wonder you didn't call ME, you were too busy doing naughty things with your girlfriend." Heiji teased him, playfully poking him in his ribs with an elbow. "Come on, at least tell your good old friend how far you've gotten already, you sly dog."

'Oh my god, what did I ever do to deserve this!" Shinichi groaned and still blushed badly.

---

When the girls finally did come out of the dressing rooms and called to their boys, they turned around to face them.

"Finally you two have made i-" both detectives said like out of one voice. The interesting thing was not that both stopped in mid-sentence but that both stopped at the same word, as well.

But this miracle was easy to explain, for, as the girls stepped outside in the light, it was not only Heiji and Shinichi whose chins dropped.

Ran was wearing a blue bikini-combo with pink dots on both parts. While the top had two thin strings that started in the middle-part and wound around her neck, the bottoms had pretty slip-knots on either side. It was really beautiful yet playful, and fit perfectly on Ran's slim body.

Kazuha's choice was a pink bikini-combo with big, white–and-red cherry blossoms all over it. The top wound around the neck but had the fastener, which was a slip-knot, in the middle of her breasts, matching the one on the left side of her bikini-bottoms.

To sum it up, all there is to say to the picture they presented was that they looked breath-taking and every one with eyes in their heads could see it. Quite obviously since all the guys in reach had turned around to stare at them. This was the reason that our now concerned detectives both stepped forward towards them, both stunned to silence, both blushing a bit; Shinichi more than Heiji, though. But not to claim them, nooo. Simply to…protect them. Cough cough.

"We are sorry we made you worry!" Kazuha said, pretending to have noticed nothing about the whole situation. Although there was a certain satisfaction in her features that she couldn't hide.

"I-it was nothing…" Shinichi answered for he did not trust Heiji's mouth. Indeed, his darker-skinned friend next to him must be thinking the same. He was visibly tense and Shinichi even saw how he was biting his lip for a few long moments. But both knew that all the waiting had been very well worth it.

"Then let's go!" Kazuha started pulling Ran's arm towards the big outdoor-pool, walking past the guys who turned and followed them without another word. Just like they took their things and carried them after the girls, too, without saying anything.

As they passed by the guys, a blushing Shinichi could have sworn he heard Kazuha say something to Ran that sounded suspiciously like a: "See, I told you he'd lose it when seeing you in this piece. He could hardly keep his eyes off you!"

Ran had blushed at her words, only fumbling with her hands in front of her. "Kazuha-chan!" she had even tried to sound scandalized, though deep inside she enjoyed the feeling. She'd always wanted for Shinichi to notice her a little more as a woman and to like her looks as well. It pleased her incredibly to know that she was able to make him stutter this easily and that he liked what he saw. She didn't know why she liked it, though. Maybe because you care more what the people close and important to you think of you.

Shinichi blushed, not knowing if he was to curse women or thank God for them. Difficult decision right now, really. How come it was one of their easiest exercises to make them blush and stutter with almost no effort?

Next to him, another idiot. Heiji was nudging him with his elbow in his ribs, the stupid grin on his face clearly visible.

"Come on, don't look like a fish. You have to admit it's even better than last time! You know, with you in your actual body and everything!"

"You are right…" Shinichi answered absentmindedly, not looking at him right away but caught his odd gaze a few moments later. "What is it?"

"I think it'll take some time to get used to you being…like this!" Heiji pointed at Shinichi's body. Said boy was now grinning.

"Yeah, I know what you mean… Takes me a while to adjust every time. Pretty sad, isn't it?"

Heiji only shook his head.

There searched around the huge area for a nice spot in the sand but near the water where they decided to stay and unfolded the blanket.

"Ran-chan, this umbrella is so adorable!" Kazuha pointed at the big sun-umbrella Ran had just given Shinichi so he could put it in the sand. It was white and filled with beautiful, red cherries all over.

"Thank you."

"So, what are we going to do now?" Heiji asked, looking around the people, absentmindedly rubbing over his stomach.

"Are you still hungry?" Kazuha asked him sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Just for your information, no! I just want to go and swim. What about you two?" he turned away from Kazuha demonstratively, directing his words to Ran and Shinichi who observed the couple with a smug grin, as if expecting them to start fighting in the earnest.

"Actually I…" Shinichi started, looking for a second at Ran and then closed his mouth. She cut in almost right away.

"I think I would enjoy some sun-tanning first."

"M-me too."

Even if Kazuha and Heiji had noticed the lovely blush on their friends, they said nothing about it.

"That's settled then. We'll meet there later!" the dark-skinned boy suggested, pointing at the water.

The others agreed and one minute later Ran and Shinichi were left alone. They exchanged a few shy gazes, smiling and then quickly looking away again. Quite some time passed where neither said a word. Shinichi simply sat down beside her on the blanket and let his gaze trail over the place while thinking about something to say to her and trying not to stare at the gorgeous sight that she presented.

Ran was having a similar problem. As many times as she had seen Shinichi half-naked, she really could not remember him being so…masculine? His chest was well defined and so were his strong arms and she couldn't help but remind her of the previous evening, when he had taken her in his arms tightly. She had felt protected and in ease with the world.

Suddenly, their peaceful thoughts were interrupted by a bunch of little kids that were running around the place. Ran and Shinichi smiled at each other before going back to watching the kids play soundly.

"I wonder what Conan is doing at the moment," she suddenly said. "Maybe we should have taken him with us. You see, he and Hattori-kun are really good friends."

Shinichi gulped without thinking and looked over to the young woman who was now staring at the water. She was obviously feeling a little guilty for letting Conan alone like this and he really couldn't have any of that.

"He's fine. He's having lots of fun playing with his friends, so don't worry."

At her questioning gaze, he grinned his usual, casual grin. "I saw him this morning, you know."

To his relief, Ran did not only believe him but also looked relieved herself at this new piece of information. She graced him with a beautiful, heart-warming smile.

"I am so glad to hear this." She whispered, more to herself than to him.

He smiled at her and a blanket of comfortable silence enveloped them. Both were still a little unsure and didn't know what to say. Ran noticed the burning sun and reached for her bag. She rummaged around it and took a sun-lotion out, starting to cream her legs, chest, stomach and arms.

"Could you…?" Ran blushed, holding the sun-block lotion out for him. She was kneeling right in front of Shinichi, with her back to him.

Automatically, he reached out and took the orange bottle from her hands, acting for once without thinking at all. Only as she, steadily blushing, turned away from him and presented Shinichi her back, he started panicking in the earnest, blushing furiously himself.

He couldn't do this, could he? Not that he hadn't ever dreamt about this, or that he didn't want to. It was simply that…his brain started working hard to find a reasonable reason for him not to comply with her request, but couldn't really come up with one.

'Could it be that it's simple embarrassment?' he asked himself, his ego suddenly reappearing. If it was for embarrassment, then he could beat it. He had to, for he refused to be weaker than such a trivial emotion.

He kneeled down behind her, very slowly, always cautious of where his body was touching hers. She was, after all, still the champion of their school's karate team and he didn't need a new demonstration. He was deeply sunk in concentration and thus it was no wonder that his heart skipped a beat as he realized shocked that Ran was scooting further back and closer to him.

She on the other hand, didn't know why she was doing this. All she knew was that she simply had to be separated from him for too long and that closeness was not only feeling almost way too good to be real but was also a good recipe against wounds of the heart. She knew it was risky for if he jerked away and rejected her she had no idea how she would deal with it.

Thankfully, our blushing detective recovered pretty quickly and he responded by opening his knees a little further to grant her all the space that she wanted. In the end, she was so close he could feel the heat of her skin sweep over his and their legs were touching, his inner-thighs against her outer-thighs. It looked almost like she was sitting on his lap.

While she only blushed badly, the equally red Shinichi gulped, but neither said anything. Instead, he forced his suddenly stiff hands to action, moving them to touch the skin of her shoulders. The moment his fingers made contact, he could have sworn that he felt the electricity was between them for a moment and how it ran up his hands and spread in his whole body with the pace of a lightning bolt. He gulped again and set his hands and mind back to work, gently massaging her skin with the lotion.

"You…you look really nice today!" stuttered Shinichi, his hands carefully rubbing over the skin of her back.

"R-really?" Ran was trying to not let the feeling of his hands on her back get to her but it was impossible. There's no way he, as a detective no less, couldn't have noticed the goose bumps on her skin.

'Hell, doesn't she see all those guys whose jealous looks threaten to kill me? There's nobody around here who wouldn't kill to change places with me and she asks me if it's true that she looks nice?'

"Y-yeah!" he replied, trying to sound more firmly then before while his heart was beating in record time.

"Wouldn't you have preferred a red swimming suit?" she asked carefully, looking at her folded hands in her lap. She hadn't meant to ask this but the question (which had been bothering her a bit) had slipped out and now it was too late to take it back.

"Red?" he needed a moment to understand why she was asking this and then smiled.

'She is thinking I'd like red more because…because red is my favorite color? Gosh, this girl is so sweet!'

"No, blue is just fine."

"Why are you grinning?" Ran asked him, now totally confused, cheeks burning and she spun around to face him.

"It's nothing!" he murmured quickly, not wanting to ignite her temper and leaned forward to give her a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Now turn around and let me finish, you wild thing."

Ran obeyed, smiling smugly to herself. She went back to enjoy the little fireworks that his hands on her made her feel. Both of them still were red-cheeked and that would probably not change, for they were very well aware of the fact that this was the closest they have been to each other; all in all, both secretly agreed that it was the most erotic thing either had ever experienced.

"Here, all done!" he said proudly after some time, looking at her back.

Ran bit her lip. She had almost said "Oh, already?" in a very disappointed tone. Instead, she turned to him with a beautiful smile. "Thank you!"

"Y-you are welcome." He stuttered, a little more quietly and more shakily than he had meant to.

They were staring in each others eyes and with her turning her head to him, she realized that their faces were only mere inches apart. Her arm was against his chest and she could feel his warmth and his heartbeat, both making her feel a little dizzy. Debating with herself whether or not her next move was a good idea, she sighed and gave up, turning her brain off and telling all her self-doubts to get lost.

She closed her eyes and slowly bent towards him. As Shinichi caught the movement, he quit thinking as well and bent down to meet her halfway in a honey-sweet and feather-light kiss that left them both sighing and lean against the other. He wound his arms around her back and she felt hers go around his neck and torso as she gave herself to this kiss.

After what seemed to have lasted forever, she pulled slowly back, keeping her eyes closed for another moment before slowly opening them. Shinichi then met her unsure gaze and was almost compelled to smile at the shy beauty in his arms.

"I think it's only fair if I return the gesture." She grinned at him and Shinichi grinned back.

As he saw her take the lotion in her hands, he fully expected her to move to his back to start her work and was a little sad about since he didn't want to let go of her. But she squeezed the bottle, put it down, rubbed the lotion between her hands and placed them on his chest, all the while holding the eye contact and staying in the wonderfully strong circle of his arms.

His muscles twitched a little under her hands but he tried his hardest to force his body to not flinch away, successfully. Ran was having lots of fun as she started to spread the cream over every inch of skin that she could reach, gently kneading and stroking.

And so the erotic gestures continued.

As she was done with his front, she looked at him, hands still on his stomach. Then she moved behind him, her hands never leaving his skin and made sure the best she could that he wouldn't get sunburned on his back. Or lower back. Or shoulders. Or neck…

Shinichi, just like Ran, was having the time of his life. He enjoyed her tender ministrations endlessly, only now becoming aware of how much he had missed while being trapped in the body of Conan Edogawa.

Ran almost pouted when there was no skin left to tend to. She had never thought that she would love caressing his chest and arms and shoulders and all so much but she blamed it on those hormones that had been suppressed for so long. She moved to his front and kneeled down again.

She looked at Shinichi who looked back at her, an intensity in his eyes which she had no idea where it had come from. She couldn't know, either, until the day he decided it was safe enough to tell her the complete truth. But that didn't stop her heart from throbbing powerfully in her chest or her throat from drying up or the butterflies in her stomach from swirling.

For now, all Shinichi wanted to do was act for once according the hormones that boys his age simply possessed. That's why he took her face between her hands, (had he ever mentioned how much he loved doing this and how beautiful she looked to him?), stroke her cheeks with his thumbs before pulling her face a little towards his while at the same time bent down to tenderly meet her lips.

Some kisses later, Ran and Shinichi lay on the blanket, sun-tanning like they had wanted to. He lay on his back, one hand underneath his head while the other was around her shoulders. She was resting her head on his chest and had one arm over his stomach and one leg between his and their eyes were closed with blissful smiled on their lips. All in all, this was the most comfortable position both could think of at the moment.

"Ran?" Shinichi lazily asked.

"Hmm?" she murmured just as lazily.

"Do you want to go swimming just yet?"

"No, this is nice, just relaxing… Do you?"

"No, you're right." He kissed the crown of her head and Ran sighed happily, holding him closer with the arm across his chest as they both sighed and went back to relaxing and settled down comfortably.

---

"Wasn't that so cute?"

"Huh? What?"

"Seeing them come home together, hand in hand?" Kazuha smiled at Heiji while they were swimming in the huge outdoor-pool. "Come on, big guy, don't tell me that wasn't a lovely picture!"

"Yeah…" he had to admit, swimming next to her. "It was. Never knew he had it in him…" Heiji was glad that she could not always read his thoughts, for it wouldn't have served the situation to have her know what he was thinking about. To him, it was a bigger miracle than it was to her, since he had only known Shinichi in the body of a small kid for a very long time. And every time he had seen the longing in the little boy's eyes whenever he had looked at Ran. Of course, that only happened in moments when he thought himself unobserved.

A feeling that was mutual, Heiji knew that. Ran had always held the same longing and hope whenever she heard somebody mention Shinichi's name and the disappointment had been great every time he had to explain that it was a mistake.

And suddenly, his friend was right there where he had always wanted to be, and Heiji found that even though he had teased Shinichi mercilessly, he was very happy about it.

'God, I am such a nice person!' he grinned stupidly to himself.

"Ouch!" he grunted surprised. Kazuha had slapped him lightly on the head. "Ahou, what did you do that for??"

"Oh, I am sorry, but it seems like you were on a detective-high again!" she giggled and after saying the last words, already started swimming away from him.

He blinked surprised but two seconds later swam after her. "You evil little mermaid, just wait! I'll catch you and then…"

He heard her giggle not too far away. Very soon he had caught her and was holding her close from behind. "I got you! What am I supposed to do with little, helpless you?"

"Oh, I don't know!" she giggled, trying half heartedly to wriggle out of his embrace.

"Hm…" he pretended to be thinking hard about this question. "How about I start out like this…"

He used his arms that he had around her waist; still, he turned her around and took one side of her face in his hand. Holding the eye contact for a couple moments, he then slowly bent down and gave her a honey-sweet kiss. He pulled away rather quickly which earned him a low, disappointed moan from his girlfriend. He only reacted with a knowing grin and decided to do nothing but wait for her next action.

Indeed, he didn't have to wait for long as she glared at him, wound an arm around his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him thoroughly and hard.

---

"Shouldn't we go to look for them?" Ran asked him, eventually breaking the comfortable silence.

"You mean save Hattori's neck?" Shinichi retorted, grinning. Ran grinned back, nodding.

"Let's hope we won't have to. Come on!" she stood up, pulling him with her and over to the water.

As it touched her toes, Ran shuddered, squeaking quietly. But Shinichi wouldn't have any of it. He smiled and pulled her deeper inside by their still linked hands.

"No! Kudo Shinichi, don't, I swear I will…" …but it was too late. Way too late.

Ran resurfaced, gasping for air and cleaning her eyes of the water. "I can't believe you just did that!"

Shinichi only laughed.

"Oh, wait till I get my hands on you, Shinichi…"

He laughed loudly as he swam for his life, literally, Ran on his heels. After all, he knew too well and was not about to easily forget what the karate champion was capable of. For his own safety.

She very soon caught him and spun him around to face him. She gave him a nasty glare and he couldn't help but laugh again because it looked too cute when she wanted to look angry but didn't really mean to with all her heart.

"You look so cute!" He gently touched the tip of her nose with a finger.

Ran blushed and swatted his hand away. "You only say that to make me forget to take my revenge on you!" She accused him.

Shinichi smiled broadly. "Is it working?" he asked her teasingly.

Ran pretended to have to think about this for a long, long moment but eventually gave up to the grin she felt coming all along. "Yeah!"

Both laughed out and splashed the other with some water, playing like little kids.

When their laughter ceased, they smiled at each other for some time, saying nothing. Then Ran closed her eyes, stepped closer to him and snuggled in his arms. His naked skin against hers felt too good to be true; it was almost unreal to her and to him.

Shinichi wound his arms protectively around her shoulders, not only to keep the bad guys away (although he did glare at one who was particularly near to them and looking at Ran all the time; had Shinichi been a dog, he'd have growled at the villain). No, but also because no force on earth could stop him for doing so. It was one of the most perfect feelings he could imagine and he'd have to be totally stupid to not see that. He may have been blind the first time around as Shinichi, but he had definitely learned his lesson and denial would never again be an option for him.

He bent and quickly had one arm at the backside of her knees, the other at her shoulders and swept her up. Ran wound an arm around his neck as she forced her body to relax. This was actually a harder task than anticipated; she was, after all, not used to being this close to the boy, young man, who held her heart for god-only-knows how long.

He pressed her a little closer to him and with sweet satisfaction, he realized that her heart was beating just as fast as his was. Shinichi slowly walked them around the water and Ran had her free hand outstretched and was tracing the passing surface of the water, feeling like she was floating.

"This feels brilliant." She murmured, not sure if he had hurt her.

He had. "Yeah, it does. Where are the others, anyway?"

Ran turned her head and sat up partly to look around and scan the area. "I don't know. Let's search for them."

"All right. I still hope we don't find a dark-skinned corpse floating about the place."

Ran looked at him with a distorted smile before she started looking for their friends. After some time, they came to a secluded area behind some tree-branches, their search having been in vain up until that point.

"Where could they have gone to?" She was starting to get impatient.

Shinichi, who was swimming a few feet ahead, stopped dead in his tracks. "Ran, come here!" he whispered.

She looked at him in puzzlement that only grew at the silly grin on his face. Swimming over to him, she stretched her head a little to look at what he was pointing at. Her own face split in a huge smile.

She turned to smile at Shinichi, who returned it. They both looked back at the couple and then again at each other.

"Should I…?" she whispered to him.

His grin widened. "Be my guest."

Ran smiled broadly, then turned in direction of Heiji and Kazuha and pulled some branched away from the view.

"Well, well, look what we have here!"

Heiji and Kazuha stopped kissing and sprang apart as if a lightning had just torn through them. Kazuha only covered her mouth with both hands in shock as she realized the situation, Heiji only looking with big eyes at his stupidly grinning friends. As his gaze fell upon Shinichi's, he gulped inaudibly.

'Oh crap, I know exactly that I will never hear the end of this, I can just feel it.'

Thanks to my adorable reviewers. Next chapter is going to be a little...hotter, I think...hehehe. After all, wouldn't we all like to know how exactly Heiji and Kazuha spent their time BEFORE Shinichi and Ran caught them kissing? Hehehehehehe... You'll be surprised, believe me!