As the water taxi docked on the other side of the bay, Ran and Conan quickly made their way off. Once off, they ran forward to a roundabout that taxis used for pickups and awaited a ride. After a few minutes Ran's cheerful demeanor began to crumble away, replaced by a combination of irritation and impatience.
"If this takes any longer Hattori-kun will beat us to Kazuha and then…" Ran trailed off as she inwardly contemplated the repercussions of their defeat
"Ran-neechan I'm sure Kazuha-neechan will be fine. She won't let Heiji-niisan do anything bad" Conan tried his best to appeal to her reason while still feigning ignorance. 'I don't think anyone can stop Hattori from doing something bad' he thought to himself hopelessly. As Ran seemed to hit her boiling point, a pair of headlights appeared in the distance. She smiled uncontrollably as she calmed herself and waved at the cab ecstatically. When the taxi pulled up, the passenger side window was rolled down and a friendly voice could be heard from the driver seat
"Hey you two, where ya' headin'?"
"Empire…State Builing" Ran said, using her shaky English
"Hop in I'll have ya' there in a sec'. After all I'm the fastest cab in New York" he proclaimed confidently, giving a cocky grin and a thumbs up to accompany the statement. As Ran and Conan entered the cab, the cabby seemed to be fixated on Conan. Conan, perceptive as he is, noticed this instantly but didn't question it. Not verbally anyway, he wanted to investigate further. 'What's up with this cab driver?' he contemplated as they drove off
Meanwhile, on the top of Empire State Building, Toyama Kazuha was plagued with anxiety. Despite this, she was still completely awestruck at the view of the city she was currently enjoying.
She leaned against the fence that blocked off the edge of the building, mesmerized by the collage of lights and people that seemed so miniscule from her vantage point. As she became lost in the view, she felt two arms wrap themselves around her torso, tracing their fingers lightly across her stomach and catching her in a tight embrace. She blushed at the attention then turned to address the person behind her: James. She smiled half-heartedly, still stricken by the ominous task that stood before her. Her blissful moment had been ruined by the now prominent memory of the reason she was there with him. He smiled at her warmly, completely oblivious to her internal struggle. For Kazuha, there was no question that she had to stop their pseudo-relationship. There was no conflict there; she wanted Heiji and that was it. However, it nonetheless hurt her to give James such heart wrenching news.
"Hey pretty girl" he said suavely, succeeded in sounded very romantic
She blushed lightly "Hey to you". They exchanged glances for a few moments before she was taken aback by an uninvited gesture that caused her face to blaze red in shock and embarrassment. James was not making the situation any easier for Kazuha
Meanwhile, Ran and Conan jumped out their taxi hastily as it pulled up to the Empire State Building ground floor entrance. They ran in after paying the driver and the driver pulled away slowly, observing their movements closely. Ran sprinted uncouthly toward the front desk, dragging Conan behind her.
"Excuse me, have yo-"
"You're looking for the dark skinned Japanese boy right?" The secretary said smugly
"Uh...yes. How did yo-"
"That doesn't matter now. He just took the elevator up to the sky deck."
"Arigato" Ran said curtly already turned toward the elevator. While Ran was too mentally preoccupied to notice, Conan was now officially in detective mode. 'Who was that taxi driver? How did that secretary know who we were looking for? There is definitely something going on here' he deduced. His contemplations were interrupted, however, by a strong tug on his hand "Conan-kun hurry and get in the elevator, we have to get to Kazuha-chan before Hattori-kun does!" She was completely frantic
"Ran-neechan I'm sure Heiji-niisan is fine" he said with a huge, childish smile. Ran just turned to him and smiled uneasily before facing forward again. At this point, there was nothing he could do, she was far too worked up.
Meanwhile, back at the main desk, the secretary smiled confidently as she saw a familiar face enter the building. The figure returned her smile with a grin of his own. When he arrived at the desk, they looked at each other for a moment before finally speaking
"You did an excellent job" the secretary whispered as she reached for the corner of her jaw line
"As did you honey. I was so happy when you agreed to help" Frank Solini said appreciatively as he reached for the same spot on his jaw his counterpart had. Suddenly, in an overly dramatic fashion, the two ripped away the masks they were wearing and revealed their true faces
"Our Shinichi-kun needs all the help he can get" Yuusaku grunted, removing the secretary outfit he was wearing to reveal a formal suit and tie
"Oh Shin-chan! How I do love him but he can get himself into trouble" Yukiko screamed gleefully as she tore away her outfit to reveal a beautiful robin's egg blue dress, shimmering in the light of the room "Honey, do you think he suspected us?"
"I know he suspected me, I wanted him too. We were going to tell what we did when we saw him for lunch tomorrow regardless, so I thought I should give him a deductive warm-up beforehand." Yuusaku grinned at his wife as he placed his glasses back on the arch of his nose
"Tehe this was so much fun!" Yukiko chuckled playfully
"Yes dear, it was. Now, shall we go?" He said, leaping over the desk that divided them and placing a hand on the small of her back
"Oh, Yuusaku, you're so energetic tonight!" Yukiko acknowledged, laughing warmly as she gave her husband a chaste kiss. She leaned against his shoulder, wrapping both her arms around his left arm and together they exited the building.
Meanwhile, back on the top floor of the Empire State Building, James stood awestruck at Kazuha who had pushed him off of her forcefully after he had surprised her with a passionate kiss
"K-Kazuha" James stuttered stupidly, completely baffled by his supposed girlfriend's reaction to his advance
"James-san you can't just DO that!" Kazuha screamed angrily
"Kazuha, I've been waiting weeks to do that. I brought you to the most beautiful view in the city so I could proclaim my love for you with a kiss" He said genuinely
"James…there's a reason I came here tonight. There's….something important I have to tell." She searched deep within herself for courage and found little
"What is it? You can tell me" he assured her, taking her by the shoulders and locking their eyes
"I…I can't do this anymore. Seeing you, I mean." She muttered sheepishly. He kept his eye's linked with hers even after her admission, seeking out any evidence of falsehood. When he found none he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time more lustfully than before. He pressed her against the fence she had been leaning on and trapped her. This, was the moment Heiji appeared.
Heiji stood anxiously waiting for the elevator doors to open and release him from the steel box he had been trapped in for what seemed like an eternity. When it opened, his heart beat furiously while the cold air quickly covered his body with unnoticed goosebumps. When the doors were completely open, he exited and began to search the floor for Kazuha. Unfortunately, he found her, relatively swiftly
He stood a few feet away from her, from…them. There she was, wrapped up in the arms of another man, passionately locking lips with him. If there was a way to catch your lover being adulterous, this was NOT it. After a few seconds of the display she finally cuffed him in the throat and he stumbled back, holding his neck and coughing violently. He could see her eyes blazing angrily at the man whom he could only assume was her new lover. This glare only lasted a few seconds before she noticed his presence and her eyes softened.
"I…I don't know what to say to you" Heiji said coldly, avoiding her eyes, which were now enveloped in tears "I'll just go" he spat out as he turned away. He hadn't even made it a step before he felt two slender arms wrap around his shoulders. Her hands fell to rest on his chest and she clutched him roughly.
"Please Heiji, don't leave. Don't leave me" she cried out desperately
"It's not really 'leaving you' if you've already left me" he darted his head down at his feet, not making any visible effort to release himself from her grasp
"Heiji let me expla-"
"Explain? What's there to explain?" he roared furiously as he felt her shudder against his back
"Heiji I came here tonight to tell him I couldn't see him anymore. I started seeing him as a friend but he thought it was more. It was my fault, I let it go further than it should've" she whimpered helplessly. Despite his better judgment, he turned around without sacrificing their proximity. He held her shoulders aggressively and looked into her eyes forcefully. He didn't blink, nor did she despite the numerous times she wiped the tears away from her eyes. There was nothing for him to say; he believed her. No matter how improbable or unrealistic her story seemed, he believed her.
"Then why…." He started cautiously, fearful of his question's answer "why did you kiss him." He finished, growing angry at the recollection of her lusty kiss with the guy that he noticed, was still standing behind them.
"She wanted me, that's why" James said egotistically to the back of Heiji's head. He turned around and gave him a glare that, in comparison to his many other jealous glares of the past, was undoubtedly more terrifying.
"James-san!" Kazuha screeched, still standing mere inches away from Heiji with her hands on his chest
"You know it's true. You started seeing me because you noticed I was good looking and you wanted me for yourself." Kazuha stared at him, mortified by the words he spoke and the look Heiji was still giving him
"You know that's a lie. You asked me out as a friend and that's all it was" James smirked mischievously at her, trying hard to ignore Heiji's unrelenting gaze
"Kazuha, are you going to say that the kiss we just had wasn't magical? That it wasn't the best moment of your life?" He took a few steps toward her and gently grabbed her chin. He looked into her eyes which her still dumbfounded by the whole situation "I can still taste you on my li-" before he could a fist was deeply embedded in his cheek and he hurdled awkwardly to the side. He stirred for a moment before lifting a hand and then thudding hard on the ground.
Ran had been unraveling slowly as the elevator ascended the many floors of the massive building. She hadn't moved, aside from the nervous shaking of her hands and the repeated tapping of her foot. Conan was worried by her almost unhealthy anxiety, but at the same time was still preoccupied by the conspicuous behavior of the taxi driver and the secretary they had recently come in contact with. His thoughts were once again cut off by a tug at his hand when the elevator doors opened and Ran began to frantically hunt for Kazuha. Unfortunately, when she found her, she was already face to face with Heiji and her other male suitor was standing off to the side
Ran gave Conan a quiet signal to stay back and keep silent. When he nodded, she slowly made her way toward the group, remaining as inaudible as humanly possible. Many years of karate had made her very light on her feet. When she got within earshot she stopped and concentrated on the exchange that was taking place between them. From what she could hear, it was now James and Kazuha who were talking and Heiji was just glaring and James threateningly. Ran crept closer, trying to hear exactly what they were saying. She got within a few feet of James when she finally stopped and settled in to listen. She was invisible to Kazuha because Heiji obstructed her view and Heiji was completely focused on James.
"Kazuha, are you going to say that the kiss we just had wasn't magical? That it wasn't the best moment of your life?" Ran heard him say seductively as he inched closer to her. She clenched her fists at her sides, noticing Heiji do the same. They both stood there with murderous intent as James took a hold of Kazuha's chin. As James spoke, Ran felt her anger boil over and took a few measured and calculated steps toward him
"…taste you on my li-" before he could finish his perverted and unwelcome statement she had her fist buried deep into the side of his face. She hardened her expression as she pushed her punch through which sent him flying. She smirked to herself, pleased with the decisive strike she had just dealt. Conan stared at her, shocked and terrified by her tremendous power. As he stared at her, standing confidently with a hand on each hip looking happily at the victim of her fury, he couldn't help but blush as he remembered that was one of the many innumerable reasons he loved her. He trotted up from behind her and took his place standing next to her
"Ran-neechan is so cool!" he exclaimed adolescently and yet honestly. She beamed down at him
"No one gets to sexual harass my friend like that!" She declared proudly as she turned to face the two teenagers. When she laid eyes on them, her face flushed and she grabbed Conan's arm, and, for the third time that night, dragged him away without any indication. As they re-entered the elevator and watched the doors close, she released Conan's hand and fluttered her eyes at the steel doors. She clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest as she let out a heavy, content sigh and became lost in a daydream
"Ran-neechan what are you thinking about?" Conan asked innocently, although he was actually very curious. She swiveled her head around nervously before addressing him
"N-Nothing!" she spat out abruptly "I mean...nothing someone your age needs to know about" she said, smiling maternally. Conan was now more perplexed than ever, but decided he would just wait until later and ask her as himself. Until then, however, he was going to rack his brain to figure it out.
Back on the sky deck, the tables had been turned on Heiji. After he had built up a little courage and planted a long but chaste kiss on Kazuha's lips, she had begun to question his presence.
Heiji stared down at her, confused by her sudden flurry of aggression. She pushed off of his chest and stood in front of him with a closed fist at each side
"What are you even doing here!" she inquired angrily
"What? I come here to see you and you scream at me!" Heiji retorted
"You don't just fly across the planet for no reason! Why did you really come here?" Heiji faltered for a moment "Ha! I knew it! That little kid told about the conversation I had with Ran! You were jealous so you came here to see if I was seeing someone" she stared at him, judging his every word and movement
"I well….its just…" he let out a deep breath of defeat "You're right." She looked at him sympathetically "I heard about what you were doing and I couldn't stand the idea of you…ya' know….cheating." he stood there frozen by his own words until her hands cupped his face gently
"Aho, I can't believe you thought I would do that" she forced their eyes to meet and looked at him disheartened "Don't you trust me?" That question could very well have been the last thing he wanted to hear at that moment. The only comment that might have rivaled it was 'I'm pregnant with that guy's child'. She kept gazing into his eyes, begging him to respond. He choked on his own breath as he attempted to speak. When he finally did whisper his response, it was the most unguarded, vulnerable voice she had ever heard him use
"I was just scared" She thought on his statement for a moment before wrapping her arms around his abdomen and pressing her forehead to his chest. He was taken back by the gesture but quickly returned it. Then, in a muffled voice he heard her whisper into his chest
"To think, the Great Detective of the West is scared of me" she giggled lightly to herself and he smiled down at her
"You're the only person in the world that can scare me like that." He pressed a kiss to her head and she squeezed him tighter. Despite how comfortable they were in that position, she turned herself around and leaned back against his body. He fell back against the fence but welcomed its support. She allowed her hands to fall to her sides and his hands swiftly met them and interlocked their fingers. He let his chin come to rest on the top of her head and she grinned and closed her eyes, enjoying the incomparable comfort his presence warranted her. They were on the sky deck of the Empire State Building, one of the most breathtaking views the country has to offer, and they had their backs turned to it.
That's it.
I will be posting an epilogue of the lunch meeting between Ran, Conan Yukiko and Yuusaku.
Thanks for reading.
I'm going to be posting a few shorts, just to rest for a bit then I'll be starting my new project. It will most likely be the longest undertaking yet.
Here's a little preview:
Boss sat calmy behind his desk with his face masked by the darkness around him. Gin stood a few feet to his right, a cigarette in his mouth and a devilsih grin on his face. Vermouth sat in a chair ten feet away from Boss' desk, facing right at him. Boss slowly reached for a cigar that was resting on his desk and spun it in his hand for a moment. Then he cut the end and lit it, created a large red light amidst the darkness. Vermouth began to feel the tension in the room. Never had she been outside of Boss' good graces, but now she was nearing the top of his list. His list was one that no human being on earth wanted to be on. She sensed him smiring at her, even though she couldn't see his face. His voice broke the silence that had lingered in the room for the past five minutes
"Vermouth" he said concisely "I am aware of your treason" she squirmed in her seat, feeling the heat of his gaze "i cannot evrify any of the allegations against you, but I can see that you have made one too many friends outside the syndicate." Gin chuckled audibly at the words he knew were coming "So, Vermouth, your next assignment is very simple. You must prove your loyalty to myself and the entire Organization. Vermotuh, you must kill Kudo Yukiko, you're only friend in this world."