It was a lie, in the end.
Why was it that everyone assumed that he was the strong one out of the two of them? Shinichi didn't know and he didn't really care. As long as Ran didn't mind being underestimated, he wouldn't bother to set them straight but he couldn't help but wonder.
Every day, Ran tagged along with him on his cases. She saw nearly every gruesome murder he did. And while he couldn't help but react with rage, push himself into a frenzy of must-catch-have-to-catch-murder-how-dare-they-how-dare-they? Ran just screamed. Once was all she ever let herself scream and then she was okay. She wanted the murder caught, of course she did, but she only ever allowed herself that one moment of panic.
She really just handled it better than him.
And then, when he came home at night, years later, after all of the hard things were over and done with, when he came home at night after witnessing a thousand tragedies, she was there.
No one would ever believe Kudo Shinichi cried in his wife's arms after work some days. It was always the children that were the worse.
'Why?' he asked her, holding her so tight against him that he worried for her health later. 'Why?' he asked, as if she had the answers.
Her fingers always ended up in his hair, which had the same consistency as cotton balls, thick and soft. 'I don't know, Shinichi.' She told him. 'I just don't know.'
It could never be enough to fix it. But sometimes, a cut just needs a band-aide until it can fix itself.
When they have their own kids, friends and family alike are surprised to see Shinichi wearing a baby sling or carrying a diaper bag. When the kids get older, they are surprised the one who keeps carrying kids that are old enough to walk is Shinichi, not Ran.
Shinichi's rationale is simple, when (and its when, not if) they get attacked, like it or not, Ran's the better fighter and he's the faster runner. When it eventually does happen, he curses himself again and again as he grabs up the kids and starts running, ignoring their shouts that he's leaving Kaachan behind. He's so relieved when he hears footsteps behind him and turns to see Ran, the look on her face telling him they are safe enough that he can slow enough for her to catch up and keep pace. He keeps the kids though, just in case.
It's that night that he really comes apart, holding her so tightly to him that he thinks they might become permanently attached to one another.
No one would believe she was the strong one.
Shinichi really didn't care.
What can I say? Personally, I think Ran is more emotionally healthy than Shinichi. I think she has more inner strength. That's all. Enjoy the double update everyone! The next is more my forte.