Chapter 12: The world as we know it

He's leaving…

Ran had to blink several times. Her eyes were brimming with tears, so she nearly couldn't make out the small face of Conan – no, Shinichi - anymore. He was still telling his story – everything that had happened throughout the last years from his point of view -telling her how often they had been in danger and how the Black Organisation was still out there. Now she understood why he had not told her and why she had always felt something about Ai-chan was off. At the beginning of their talk, or his talk, really, she had reached out and taken off his glasses, at the same time ruffling his hair.

She felt so stupid. Of course, this was Shinichi, how could she forget the way he looked when they were little? It was like Superman stupidly disguising himself with glasses and Ran had fallen for it. Yet she had suspected the truth, but it had just been too weird and unbelievable to actually let herself believe it.

"What about the antidote?" she suddenly questioned and he gulped visibly. "I mean, you have been yourself several times. How long might it take until Ai finds the right mixture?" Her voice trembled.

But even before she ended her sentence she knew the answer. His sad gaze told her everything.

"I'm sorry, Ran," he whispered for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening, "I really tried. I wanted to come back to you, to be with you, but… It seems that I developed an immunity."

He let the words sink in and Ran felt tears well up again as she understood what he was saying.

She gasped. "This is the reason you're telling me this!" she accused him and he flinched at the hurt in her voice. "You're giving up!" She jumped from her seat, angrily wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You'll never be Shinichi again and you're leaving me? Is that it? So, this is goodbye?" Ran was shouting now, but he just looked down, defeated.

"We can't be together like this, Ran. I'll always be too young for you this way. And you have to live your life, I can't hold you back."

"I don't want this!" she told him, exasperated. "Everything I ever wanted and planned was with you in my life!" She kneeled down in front of him, burying her face in his chest. The wrong chest, she realised.

He tenderly stroked her hair. "You have to let go. And I can't watch you do that, Ran. I love you too much. It would kill me." He felt a tear roll down his cheek as she sobbed against him and silence fell over them. "I'll start a new life, maybe as Conan Edogawa, maybe with a whole other name. My parents and I will settle down somewhere else and you can move on," he quietly added, "you can be happy."

She pushed herself away, suddenly standing up. "Don't you dare disappear on me, Shinichi! I mean it!" she pushed her finger to his chest. "If I come back here later and find you gone I'll be majorly mad at you!"

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously, but she only shook her head.

"I need some air. I need to think." With that, she stormed from the room, leaving the broken boy behind.

Upstairs Heiji was leaving the guest room when he collided with a tall figure.

"Uff!" the man exclaimed, before grinning. "Oh, Hattori-kun, I didn't realise you were here as well. Have you seen Kazuha?" Kay asked, trying to glance inside the empty room behind Heiji.

"I just told her I was leaving," Heiji pressed out between gritted teeth and Kay raised an eyebrow.

"In a dark room?" he questioned.

"I turned off the lights on reflex when I started to leave," Heiji lied, just as Kazuha walked out.

Kay chuckled. "How gallant of you," he said, before putting his arm around his girlfriend as if taunting Heiji. Heiji's detective senses tingled. Something about that guy was off.

Kay grinned provocatively, pressing Kazuha a little closer to himself. Heiji glared at the man, which seemed to give Kay pleasure.

Without taking his gaze from Heiji, Kay started caressing Kazuha's waist, turning his head towards her. "You smell different today, babe," he told her, sniffing her hair, "a little bit like Hattori-kun."

Kazuha gasped but didn't say anything.

"Maybe I should change that," Kay taunted Heiji as he leaned down to kiss Kazuha's neck. Before Kazuha could do anything but blush, Heiji pulled Kay away from her, growling.

"What the hell, Hattori?" Kay shouted, and it seemed to Heiji the guy wanted to create a scene, "What's your problem?"

"You are!" Heiji growled, stepping between Kazuha and Kay. "I don't know what your deal is, but you don't love her!" Turning towards Kazuha, Heiji lowered his voice. "But I do," he told her quietly, making Kazuha blush even more.

"What's the deal with this?" Kay shouted again, though Heiji had the feeling he was being a bit theatrical. Tentatively, Kazuha stepped around Heiji, looking Kay in the eyes.

"Kay, can we go somewhere and talk? We need to talk," she pleaded, but Kay shook his head and Heiji thought he saw a grin flicker around the guy's lips.

"Just talk," Kay answered coldly, gesturing around the room, "why not tell me here? Just fess up, Kazuha!" He seemed angry. Kazuha flinched but steeled herself a second later. Taking a deep breath she spoke calmly, her voice breaking the tense silence that had settled over the room.

"I'm so sorry," she told Kay, "you have been the nicest, most thoughtful, lovely boyfriend, but… my heart has been stuck on that ahou for too long to stop now." Her voice was merely a whisper, but the whole room was so quiet it felt like she was shouting.

"So you just go back to him? After everything that's happened?" Kay asked her, his voice defeated.

"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly. Kay looked down.

"Well, I hope you two will be happy!" he said, but not as coldly as Heiji would have imagined, and started towards the door.

As Kay passed Heiji, the detective thought he saw him wink, before leaving the apartment.

The room exploded in quiet chatter and mumbling and Heiji gulped as Kazuha turned towards him.

"That could have gone better," she told him and he stared at her. Suddenly, he gripped her around the waist and twirled her around, making Kazuha squeal.

"Heiji, what…?" she started but stopped when she saw a huge smile on his face. The kind of smile that always made her lips curve in return.

Heiji laughed and held her up as Kazuha gripped his shoulders for support.

"You love me?" he questioned. It took a moment for the question to sink in, but as it did Kazuha's smile widened.

"I'd say your trial period as boyfriend could be extended," she teased, "if you set me down, ahou!"

Heiji chuckled, lowering her back to the ground and the birthday crowd cheered when they finally kissed.

Sometime later Heiji and Kazuha were sitting next to each other on the sofa, quietly watching the party become less and less crowded. Kazuha was nestled against Heiji's side, absentmindedly playing with his fingers. It had taken them some more kisses before they separated, and now people were obviously avoiding their company, only glancing at them from time to time.

Heiji rolled his eyes as yet another guy gave him a thumbs up while eyeing Kazuha.

"I really hope Kay will be okay," she stated for the umpteenth time and Heiji sighed. It would take some convincing until she would feel less guilty for letting the guy down like she did. But Heiji was quite sure something was off about him, anyway. Maybe he should investigate that a little more.

Suddenly, Heiji looked around in slight alarm.

"Kazuha, have you seen Ran?" he asked, immediately gaining her attention.

"Not since she told me Kay was here," she answered, making Heiji frown.

"She got a call from Kudo. But that was more than two hours ago! Hasn't she come back yet?"

Kazuha grinned, turning her face into his chest and inhaling deeply. "Then the two of them are probably celebrating her birthday privately," she mumbled and Heiji could see her ears and neck turn pink. He groaned.

"Ugh, Kazuha, I didn't need those thoughts!" he grumbled, making her giggle. He caught her lips in another kiss, freeing his head from the pictures threatening to pop in, creating a happy vacuum instead.

Conan had been waiting for about an hour. He was getting impatient. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he just couldn't leave without a final goodbye to Ran.

Taking out his mobile, he dialed her number. The mailbox answered.

Where would she have gone?

She was probably aimlessly walking around, internally screaming.

Or hitting something.

Or crying.

Probably all of the above.

Conan sighed, dialing again. "Come on, Ran, answer…" he pleaded.

Again, the call went to her voicemail. Conan repeated the call. He wanted to talk to her again. At his fifth call, it was finally answered.

He breathed a sigh of release. "Ran, where…?" he started, when a girl's voice stopped him.

"You have to come. Quickly!"

Conan gasped. "Ai, what's happening?"

The girl didn't answer. "Quickly!" she urged and hung up. Conan stared at the screen for a second, before turning on his heels and running.

Author's note:

Sooooo… Heiji and Kazuha are together. But what might be up with Kay?

And Conan can't be cured. What do you think is going to happen?

Any favourite parts? Something you didn't like? What should happen next? Let me know!

Hugs,
Ria