Takeshi knew how things worked in Ran's household.
Kogoro Mouri might be the "man of the house," but he spent most of his time drinking and had no real say in anything. Ran made the decisions.
Which made him wonder when Ran said that earlier, did she mean she wasn't planning to take him in?
"It just so happens I need to go home later to tell Dad something," Ran said. "This kid uh, Conan you can come along too!"
Then she turned to Dr. Agasa.
"Oh, Doctor, what case was Shinichi working on? Did he come back yesterday?"
Dr. Agasa glanced at Conan's face. Seeing the boy nod faintly, the doctor quickly answered,
"He came back yesterday! But I'm not sure what the case was. It must be a tough one he said it might take a while. He even asked me to tell the school he'd be absent."
The lie made Dr. Agasa scratch his head in embarrassment, but Ran accepted it without a second thought.
"I'm glad he's back. Still, he could've at least called to let me know he was safe." She sighed. "Okay, Doctor, we'll get going now."
Before Conan could react, Ran bent down and scooped Takeshi Ishikawa into her arms. Her bare arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him close. Takeshi's head rested naturally on her shoulder, their bodies pressed together with no effort at all.
The moment she held the little "succubus" boy, Ran felt a strange warmth spread through her chest. It was like holding a treasure she couldn't bear to put down. A faint blush crept across her face as she whispered,
"Takeshi, you should rest more from now on. I'll carry you home."
It was a tone completely different from the way she spoke to Conan.
Takeshi let himself be lifted without resisting. Once again, he confirmed it good genes definitely ran strong in this family. Ran had clearly inherited Eri Kisaki's talent… in more ways than one.
Breathing in her light fragrance, Takeshi glanced at Conan who was practically hopping in frustration and gave a dazzling smile. For the first time, he thought maybe being a little boy wasn't so bad.
He snuggled against Ran's shoulder like a content kitten, his small arms gently looping around her neck, and even raised an eyebrow at Conan.
Conan nearly burst a vein.
This little punk… was that a challenge?
He had to be doing it on purpose!
If he'd had horns like a bull, they would've popped out right then. But trapped in a child's body, all Conan could do was stomp his feet and fume silently.
Ran, oblivious to the tension, was almost overwhelmed by the urge to squeeze the boy in her arms. Takeshi's so cute… I just want to keep holding him.
But with Dr. Agasa and Conan watching, she held back though her grip unconsciously tightened.
"Conan, come on," she said over her shoulder.
She didn't even think to hold Conan's hand. Instead, she headed straight downstairs with Takeshi still in her arms. Conan followed, red-faced and steaming.
Going down the stairs only made it worse for Conan. Takeshi could feel Ran's warmth through her arms, his body melting into it. He closed his eyes slightly in contentment.
Conan caught that expression and nearly keeled over from the secondhand rage.
"Ran, Ran…" Conan started to say
But before he could finish, Ran's fist came down on his head with a thunk. A big red bump rose instantly.
"That's rude," she scolded. "You should call me Sister Ran. If you keep acting like this, I won't bring you along."
Conan clutched his head and bit back his words. He couldn't treat Ran the same way he treated her when he was Shinichi. One wrong move and she might not let him tag along leaving her alone with that kid.
No way. He had to keep an eye on them.
Takeshi spoke up in a sweet voice.
"Sister Ran, maybe put me down. I can walk… I think this kid's getting jealous."
Conan nearly tripped. Jealous? Me? His face burned bright red.
Ran glanced at Conan and smirked.
"Jealous? I just met this boy for the first time. If you're jealous already, that's not a very good trait."
She turned away with a dismissive look, while Conan made a twisted, furious face behind her.
Dr. Agasa leaned down and muttered, "He's just a kid, Conan. Don't waste your breath arguing."
Ran ignored them and spoke softly to Takeshi again.
"Takeshi, be good and rest. I'm strong it's no trouble at all."
She rubbed her cheek lightly against his, like she was nuzzling a cat. The touch sent a faint spark through her, making her heart skip. Her cheeks flushed again, and though she pulled her face away, her fingers tightened around him even more.
Duang… duang… duang…