A/N: I hope you like it :)

It would have been a peaceful Christmas Eve, if she hadn't spent it with him. Shiho wasn't really surprised that after they had done some last minute Christmas shopping and were on their way home, a call for help came from a nearby house. Shinichi was already running in that direction before she had even gotten her phone out to call inspector Megure.

When Shiho arrived at the crime scene Shinichi had already secured it and was looking around. She never got tired of seeing him like this. Most women would be annoyed if they would constantly be dragged into cases, but she didn't mind it as much. She was his partner and never having a day off from crimes was in the job description.

It had only been half a year since the defeat of the Black Organization and since they had turned back into their true forms, but he was already back to being completely Kudo Shinichi. For her it had taken longer to be Miyano Shiho again, but then again she had been Haibara Ai and before that Sherry for a long time. It was new for her to go to school and have what others called a normal life, because she had never had that. Shinichi had been by her side the whole time and had helped her get used to it and she was thankful for that, not that she would ever tell him that. His ego was huge enough as it was.

If she was honest with herself, she wanted to not only be his partner when it came to cases but in a more personal aspect as well. They both spent their days together, be it in school during their free time or when cases showed up. That should be enough for her, but lately it wasn't. Despite that they had been partners before in their child forms, since they had turned back they had gotten even closer. Shiho had tried to give Shinichi space at first so he and Ran could have the relationship that the Black Organization had taken from them, but four months ago the childhood friends had agreed on just being friends. It had surprised everyone, but both of them had looked relieved with the decision.

After that, Shiho had found herself yearning to be with him, but she knew that wouldn't happen. He trusted her more than anyone, she was his partner and best friend, but he surely didn't see a girlfriend in her.

Shiho shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why was she getting so emotional? It must be the season and that they had seen so many happy couples during their shopping trip. The Christmas spirit and her own wish to be loved were getting in her way of being a good partner and she couldn't let that happen.

"So what do you think?" She asked the detective while she looked around as well.

"The victim had a bottle of Sherry tightly clenched in his hands. This must be his last message to us."

"So you think I did it?" Shiho raised an eyebrow at him in amusement, while she kept her voice low so the now arriving police wouldn't hear her.

"Of course not, but there has to be some meaning behind it."

"What about the taste? Can it have something to do with that?" Takagi, who now joined them, asked.

"Sherry is a little bit dry when you first drink it, but the aftertaste is sweet." Satou mused out loud.

Shinichi's eyes met Shiho's and he couldn't help but think how truly fitting that description was. Her old cover name had been chosen wisely. When they had met for the first time, she had acted cold and uncaring, but that pretense had quickly slipped. Shiho hadn't chosen her past and she had been through so much, but when taking the time to strip that indifferent mask off of her, she was sweet.

"It's true that the taste is dry at first, but then sweet." Shinichi agreed, but instead of looking at Satou, his eyes never left Shiho's. "It's a high class wine with more facets to it than most would think. Only a connoisseur can value and appreciate it."

It was Shiho who broke the eye contact first, but Shinichi thought that he had seen her cheeks blush lightly. With their moment broken both focused back on the crime scene.

"What if we choose to change the S for a C? Then we would have cherry." Shiho suggested. The English language was as close to her heart as the Japanese one, so that was the first thing she had thought of. "They sound almost the same when spoken and as his secretary told us, the victim was often in America and England, so he had to speak English."

Shinichi's eyes light up at that information and a small smile showed itself on his lips.

"You're a genius, Shiho."

"I'm glad that you finally noticed after knowing me for so long." She smirked at him.

Ignoring her usual ironic jab at his intelligence, Shinichi voiced his deduction.

"The victim wanted to give us a last message with the bottle of Sherry. When we take his message as the English 'cherry' and consider that it could mean cherry blossom then it must have been Kajajo Sakura. Officer Takagi, can you please tell all the suspects to come into this room?"

When everyone was present, Shinichi started with the solution to the case.

Watching the detective in front of her in his element, Shiho's heart warmed. She almost wanted to curse him for making it so easy to fall in love with him. He had been by her side the whole way to their freedom from the Black Organization and he had never judged her for her past and instead saw her as a victim of the former crime organization. Never had she met someone with such a sense of justice. Hearing him say that about her former cover name, had made her hope for something more rise.

When Shinichi had finished his deduction it was already late and snow had began falling. The streetlights gave the snow a soft glow and Shiho took a moment to appreciate the peaceful atmosphere before she thought back to the case and especially to what Shinichi had said.

"Do you really mean what you said back there?" She asked him softly on their way home.

"Of course. I'm sure that this crime could have been prevented if they had just talked to each other about their problems."

Shiho sighed. No matter if as Conan or Shinichi, this guy was dense when it came to things like these. Deciding to not push it, she looked to the side.

"And I meant what I said about you too." Shinichi's voice suddenly broke their comfortable silence.

Surprised Shiho stopped walking and faced the detective next to her. They were now standing in front of his house.

"You mean what exactly?" She asked hesitantly.

"That you have a lot of similarities to Sherry. At first sight you appear cold and distant, but when you care for someone you become sweet and soft. I see that side of you." Then he stepped closer and took her hands in his, not caring that the snow was now falling heavier and it got colder.

This was a moment he wouldn't let pass by. Maybe it was Christmas spirit or that he was tired of hiding his feelings for her, but whatever it was this was it.

"I see it and I fell in love with not only this side, but every side of you. I'm in love with you, Shiho."

Shinichi saw her eyes widen and for the first time he saw her truly vulnerable.

"I'm in love with you too." Her words were only a whisper, but he had heard them as if she had finally screamed them. His heart beat faster and closing the gap between them, he kissed her with all the love he felt for her.

Shiho smiled into the kiss and lay her arms around his neck to pull him closer. A lone happy tear ran down her cheek. After all the Christmases that she had spent alone or hiding, this one she would finally spent with someone who truly loved her.

A/N: Merry Christmas :)