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Edgar Allan Poe keeps his life very private. He only goes out when he needs to, he doesn’t have a very big social circle, and even with his few friends, he listens to them more than talks. He didn’t contact the other members of the organization even when he was in the guild, and he does even less now that it’s fallen. He only talks to Louisa sometimes, when she’s in town, and he talks to Lucy regularly when he visits Café Uzumaki.
It’s because of the latter that he finds himself in this situation, sitting at an uncomfortable table in an izakaya in downtown Yokohama. The last time he dropped off a new work for Ranpo, the man insisted they go to the café below his office, because he wanted hot chocolate.
While sitting with Ranpo in the booth, Lucy delivered some news to Poe, along with Ranpo’s drink. Mark Twain had come back to Yokohama to see his former colleagues, and contacted the rest of the higher ranking guild members to meet up.
Lucy had been invited, and asked if Poe was attending. “I had no idea this was happening. I’m not going but I hope–” Was all he managed to say before Lucy hit him on the shoulder.
“He didn’t invite you!? What a jerk. Let’s go together.” She had said sternly. She walked away, having made up her mind that Poe would be coming along. He had tried to protest as she walked away, but his efforts fell flat, and Lucy was stubborn, and now he would be going to a noisy, smelly restaurant with people he really didn’t want to see again. Woe is he, for not making more friends during his Guild days. Of course, it was during this moment of self-pity that Ranpo looked up to announce he had already solved the mystery.
♡♡♡
The food served to Poe isn’t half bad, but the company he’s with makes it hard to digest anything. When Mark saw Lucy and Edgar walk in, he visibly brightened. The redhead clapped Poe on the shoulder and laughed. As Lucy started to scold Mark for forgetting to invite him, he started exclaiming that he couldn’t find Edgar’s contact information, and was distraught.
When the rest of the group had arrived, they were all excited to see each other. Apparently only a few pairs of people had kept in contact after the fall of the Guild. Louisa and Fitzgerald arrived together, walking in right after Lucy and Poe. Hawthorne sat down at their table after, and Margaret arrived late.
Mark seemed ecstatic to see his old friends. The rest of the group was happy to come together as well, chatting vibrantly and laughing– even Hawthorne was smiling every now and then. They took turns going around the table and sharing what they’ve been up to. Fitzgerald insisted Louisa share first, constantly chiming in with his own comments. At one point he had basically started sharing her story himself.
The table was lively, with all of its inhabitants happily sharing the going-ons in their lives. All of them, except Poe. He had stayed quiet until Lucy insisted it was his turn to talk. The rest of the table agreed, and everyone waited expectantly. He had muttered something about writing a few new books, but dismissed all of their attention.
Lucy nudged him on the shoulder, whispering something in his direction that was too quiet for the rest of the group to make out. Poe shook his head, trying to stop Lucy before she announced it to the table.
“Lucy, no, you know it’s not like that.”
“Yes it is! Everyone can tell.” Their whispered conversation intrigued the rest of the group, with Mark stretching his neck to try and hear the two.
“It’s not true- Lucy!”
“Edgar likes someone, and he doesn’t know if it’s mutual!”
“Lucy! No, it’s not like that. She’s wrong!” The table came alive, with Fitzgerald and Mark laughing, and the other two women gasping. Poe wanted to melt into his seat. Lucy looked proud of herself, however, and tried to reassure him that no one would care.
“Well, what’s it like? How did you meet?” Margaret asked, trying to get a grasp on the situation.
“It’s not important, I don’t like them. In a romantic way, I mean. We’re just friends!” Poe said frantically, dodging the question. He would not be going back to Café Uzumaki in the future, if this is what their staff is like.
“Yes he does, don’t trust him. I don’t think he knows it himself.” Lucy said, waving her hand in the air.
Louisa took a sip of her drink, a hot tea. “Well, if you don’t know it yet, you should think about how you act around them, in comparison to your other friends.” She smiled weakly and supportively at Poe, trying to raise his spirits. She did not help.
“I don’t have feelings for them, it’s fine…” Poe dismissed her addition, trying to avert attention by looking at the table.
“Maybe you do, but you just have no rizz. You gotta have charisma, that’s where rizz comes from!” Mark added in, looking way too proud of himself.
Fitzgerald looks at him incredulously. “Are you sure you’re an adult? You talk like a teenager.” He laughs, clapping Mark on the shoulders.
Poe looked down into his food, poking it with his chopsticks. He’d stopped responding to the people around him, but he was taking in everything they were saying.
“You have to be desirable, bro! Have some charm.” The redhead said.
Maybe if he did want to have a romantic relationship with Ranpo, he would have to get some rizz. How would he do that? Poe wasn’t exactly sure how to turn up the charm, but he was willing to try.
♡♡♡
Poe had taken Mark’s comment into consideration, and decided it was a good time to deploy his research. While trying to understand exactly what “rizz” meant, he’d stumbled upon a YouTube video with several thousand views, and clicked its icon.
The boy in the video, who couldn’t be older than twenty, started yelling into the camera, making a promise to make sure his viewers have ultimate rizz (and aura, whatever that means). He seemed like a reliable source, so Poe kept watching.
“To have the best rizz known to man, you will need to know a few pickup lines. Here are a few good ones— And if you need any more, leave a comment-” Poe skipped forward to the point where he learned actual pickup lines, and wrote them down for future use.
Later, that same week, Ranpo had texted him about wanting to try a new ice cream store. Poe agreed, and quickly started studying the notes he took. He would be ready for their next rendezvous.
When the day came, the pair walked through the streets side by side, with Poe occasionally fixing Ranpo’s direction. While waiting in line, Poe decides it’s the best time to use his newfound charisma. In an attempt to do so, he bores holes into Ranpo’s face with his stare.
“Do you know what you’re gonna get? You haven’t looked at the menu once, only me.” Ranpo said, returning his gaze.
Poe remembers the boy in the video telling him to use body language. He puffs out his chest. “Oh, sorry, Ranpo. It’s just…” He swallows, “I’m getting lost in your eyes.
Ranpo paused for a second. “What? Ed-” He chuckles, before bursting into loud guffaws. cutting himself off and irritating the woman in front of them in line with his laughter. “What are you saying? Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m getting chocolate. Do you want some of mine?” Poe responds, trying to deflect from his failed attempt at “rizzing” Ranpo up. He curled in on himself and Karl whacked him in the cheek with his tail. He deserved it for that line.
“Yea, of course I do.” Ranpo was still coming down from his laughing fit, and had small tears in his eyes. “God, my stomach hurts from laughing, do that again!”
“I think your stomach just hurts from candy, Ranpo.” Poe was sure his face was flushed now. He mumbled out his ice cream order and paid for the two of them, while trying to forget about the embarrassment, and trying to make Ranpo forget as well.
“Mine is good. Do you want some?” Ranpo offered as they walked through the streets on their way to Poe’s home. Ranpo had ordered three scoops of brightly colored ice cream, all on a chocolate dipped cone.
“No, thanks. It looks too sweet for my taste.” Poe said, letting Karl have a blueberry from the bag he kept on him. He had given Ranpo his ice cream as well, after deciding he didn’t like it.
“I know, it just felt rude not to offer. I don’t really wanna share anyway.” Ranpo said after biting into his pink scoop. The habit still disturbed Poe, but so long as he’s enjoying himself, it’s no big deal.
Poe frowned. “Then just don’t give me a chance to say yes. I don’t mind.” He disagreed.
“Last time I told Fukuzawa we went to get food, he said it was rude to not offer someone you like some of your food.” Ranpo found a trash can and threw away the cup that held the scoop of chocolate ice cream.
Poe felt like he was floating from that comment. Someone he likes? That means he really is Ranpo’s friend, so he really does have a chance! He cleared his throat. “Oh, well… It makes no difference to me.” He felt like he was flying, he felt like a gentle breeze could make him fall over.
“Yea, I know, obviously. But dad won’t stop bugging me about it.” Ranpo licked a long stripe up his tower of ice cream, as Karl jumped to his shoulders in hopes of getting a lick as well.
The two walked in silence for a bit, before Ranpo launched into a complaint about a new officer he’s been seeing at crime scenes recently, something about his incompetence and how Ranpo hopes he gets fired.
In truth, Poe wasn’t fully listening. He was trying to find a good moment to cut in and use another line he remembered. He was about to jump in when Ranpo gave him the perfect opportunity.
“—Hey, are you listening? Are you… Okay?” Ranpo asked, and Poe beamed internally.
“Yeah, just,” He breathed, “are you terrorist propaganda? Because I could listen to you all… Day long..” God damnit! That wasn’t good, why did he write that one down? It didn’t land well with Ranpo either, if the way his face falls is any clue.
Right when Poe starts apologizing, Ranpo starts laughing once again. “Ed! You have a bad track record with terrorism. You can’t say that!” He drops his ice cream, and Karl follows it to the floor, beginning to lick it up.
“R-right… Sorry, um…” Poe says as he bends down to pick Karl up, his face no doubt flushing. He had forgotten he was genuinely part of a terrorist organization. With Ranpo still wiping tears from his eyes, Poe mentally curses himself.
Why had he just copied down whatever he saw on the internet? Who even writes that and posts it to the internet? Why had he trusted someone from Reddit to help him score his dream man!?
Ranpo wheezed. “You can’t say stuff like that all the time, I might die!” He was still giggling and coming down from his high.
“Yes, I don’t think I’ll ever speak again.” Poe says, chuckling lightly to cover up his embarrassment.
The rest of the walk back to Poe’s home is lively, with Ranpo making jabs at him for his odd behavior earlier every now and then. Each time he does, Poe’s cheeks turn a bright red. It seemed to him that Ranpo was taking much pleasure in seeing him so flustered.
♡♡♡
Back in the Izakaya, while Poe was still trying to hide his face from his dining companions, the table continued to stick their noses into his romantic life. They were asking Lucy whatever Poe wouldn’t answer, as she proudly went on with every answer they could want, and encouraged questions.
“Well, what type of guy does she like? We gotta know if he’s got a chance, at the very least.” Francis asked Lucy as he sipped his now empty glass of beer.
She put her head on her hands for a few seconds before answering. “I don’t know, but probably someone smart. And tall. And someone named Edgar Allan Poe.” She said, blowing her bangs up with a huff.
Margaret smoothed her dress. “I’d say he could take a chance at that.” She raised her glass of sparkling wine to her lips before taking a sip. Poe was still wallowing in his embarrassment, sinking into the seat in the corner of the booth.
“I’m telling you guys,” Lucy scooted towards him so that her shoulder was touching his arm. “They both like each other. Ask anyone who knows both of them!”
“From what I’m hearing, I believe it, and I don’t even know her!” Mark cried.
“I’ll drink to that.” Fitzgerald agreed, before realising his glass was empty and flagging down a server.
Oh, Poe just wanted to leave. Knowing Lucy had a suspicion about him and Ranpo was dreadful enough, but having his estranged-former-colleagues-who-never-really-knew-him know about his predicament was even more frightening.
“Well, you know, If she likes you, then be yourself.” Louisa thought out loud. “She’s already attracted to you, right?” She said cheerfully.
“Oh, you’re right! Girls like honest guys!” Cried Margaret in response. She leaned forward and into the table, as if to get the point further across. “If you want her to confess first, then be what she likes!”
“That’s yourself, honey. Be yourself.” She reiterated.
And once again, though Poe pretended he had checked out of the conversation, he made a mental note to write that down. If Ranpo liked him, he would like if he was truly himself, right?
♡♡♡
Though the so-called rizz didn’t work, Poe was determined to get closer with Ranpo that day, even if it is just as friends. If girls really did like honest guys, Poe would give it a shot. The only problems being that he doesn’t even know if Ranpo really likes him, and Ranpo isn’t a girl.
How could he be himself, is the question that wracked his brain for days beforehand. He was already quite eccentric, and wasn’t afraid to pour himself into his writing, so artistic expression was out of the question.
He wore unique clothes daily, so expressing himself through fashion was also off the table. His affliction for raccoons and other animals of the sort was apparent by the mammal that rode on his shoulders daily. There was nothing that Ranpo didn’t already know about Poe other than what he thought at any given moment, other than his exact thoughts.
That was the only idea he could conjure up in his several days of work, so he decided to deploy the strategy when they got back to his home. His plan was simple, be completely honest with his feelings, in a way. He would say whatever came to mind. Any thought he had would be shared with Ranpo.
When Poe closed the door behind them and began to take off his heeled boots, he looked down at Ranpo’s loafers. When he lined up his shoes with Ranpo’s own, he observed their size difference.
While walking down the hall together, he tried to find a good time to say it, because he wants to be honest, like Margaret and Louisa said. Girls like honest guys. Hopefully, Ranpo did too.
“Your shoes are quite small.” He said, wincing as Karl used his claws to spring off his shoulders and scamper towards Ranpo, who was now looking at Poe quizzically.
Ranpo cocked his head. “Excuse me?” He pet the raccoon that was now sitting in front of him at the kitchen counter, unfazed by the new tension in the room.
“I don’t mean anything bad by it, of course, I just saw them and thought so!” Poe glided across the small amount of space between them, entering the kitchen area as well. “They’re small, when compared to my own.”
Ranpo scoffed. “Well, of course. You’re gigantic and I’m normal sized.” He turned his head to the side, reaching for the trash can to toss out his lollipop stick.
As he did so, Poe walked over to the pantry doors. “I’m very sorry, my Dear Ranpo. Would you like some real food to eat?” Poe said, looking over his shoulder at the other man.
“Dont think you can distract me with food.” Ranpo spun around to face him. “But, yes, I would.” He picked Karl and scratched the raccoon’s chin.
“I assumed as such.” Poe opened the doors and found a bag of uncooked pasta. He held it up for Ranpo to decide, and he nodded quickly.
While Poe boiled the noodles, Ranpo took up residence on the counter, swinging his legs and occasionally hitting the cabinet underneath with his socked feet. The two chatted absentmindedly, with playful banter here and there.
When the noodles were done marinating, Poe quickly dumped them into a plastic bowl and poured tomato sauce on them. Handing the bowl off to Ranpo with a fork, Poe led them to the living room, where he knew Ranpo would ask to go instead of his “too fancy and boring” dining table.
When Ranpo saw their change in direction, he nodded and praised, “You learn fast, Mr. Edgar.”
“That, I do.” Poe accepted eagerly. He gave Ranpo the television remote so he could watch his shows while he ate. He could only watch the older episodes of Law & Order at Poe’s house, since he paid for the streaming services.
Once he figured out who the perpetrator was, he skipped to the next episode. He enjoyed the older episode more than the newer ones, saying they were harder to solve because “They knew what they were doing in the beginning.”
He found detective shows quite interesting, because he couldn’t look around at the evidence freely, but was bound by the constraints of the camera. When Ranpo started watching, Poe would resume reading any book he had laying around, but by the time they were on the fifth episode, Poe would ask him for his thought process in solving the crime.
That was exactly how they found themselves once again, the pair now sitting side by side after Poe had washed Ranpo’s dishes. They were on their eighth episode, with the red glow of sunset seeping in through the blinds.
Poe asked Ranpo to explain his reasoning for accusing the bank teller of the robbery, and he happily did so. Poe was nodding along and realised the evidence he had missed when trying to solve the mystery himself.
Poe had been practicing his strategy since they got to his home, letting Ranpo know any thought that came into his head. He had been talking so much, it was out of character for him.
Ranpo’s ability to pay such close attention and take in every detail without fail impressed him every time Poe observed it. Ranpo was able to walk him through the clues and verbalize his thought process, an even more impressive feat.
While thinking about his inhuman detective abilities, Poe sputtered out, “You’re absolutely amazing, Ranpo.”
Instead of gaining bravado and cockiness, Ranpo grew bashful and muttered, “Well, of course I am…” His silky black hair covered his ears, but not enough to hide the red tinge taking hold of the tips of them.
“You’re absolutely right, my dear.” Poe looked back up at the television screen while mentally cursing himself.
Was that weird to say? He thought, trying to keep his face passive. Why did he get embarrassed, did I say something wrong?
They kept sitting in silence for a while more, with Poe finding it impossible to speak from the lump in his throat. Ranpo eventually went back to normal, announcing the culprit of every case for each episode they watched.
I’m never going to speak again, Poe thought for the second time that day. His plan of saying everything that came to mind clearly made Ranpo more upset with him than usual.
♡♡♡
“See, that’s what I keep trying to tell him to do. He doesn’t believe in himself enough, I think.” Lucy argued.
“Then maybe…” Mark drawled, “Don’t be yourself?” He suggested.
“You’re as dumb as a doorknob, you’re saying the exact opposite of what we agreed on!” Margaret fussed at him.
A rare wave of silence washed over the table as Mark tried to think of a comeback. Poe was about to use this moment to lie once again, trying to tell the group he didn’t have any problems in the love department.
However, this night hadn’t gone in his favor so far, so why should he expect it now?
Louisa piped up from her spot next to Fitzgerald. “No, I think I kind of get it, maybe?” She tried, and began to elaborate when more eyes were on her.
“I think that it could be phrased differently, but maybe show off your strengths, Edgar!” She looked around. “What could he be impressed by that comes naturally to you?”
That plunged the table into thought, the group trying to now come up with ideas for Poe to show off.
“Y’know, that wasn’t what I was going for at all, but you’re right, Louisa!” Mark praised.
Lucy sat up straighter with an idea. “Hey, they’re on the shorter side, and he’s weirdly tall. He could show off his height?” She suggested to the table instead of Poe himself. The phrasing could be better, but he could definitely do that.
While the rest of the table plunged into agreement, Poe contemplated how he could exhibit his height as a positive quality to Ranpo.
♡♡♡
A week ago, Poe’s former colleagues tried to help him obtain the man of his dreams. However, none of them were as successful as his pet raccoon. Though he had not acted on the idea of flaunting his height, Poe and his furry companion had accidentally created the perfect environment to do so.
Due to Ranpo’s inability to take the train and go back to his own apartment, he announced he’d be staying the night, not waiting for Poe’s opinion on the matter. With an impromptu sleepover on his hands, Poe was ready to supply Ranpo with anything he needed throughout the night.
After cleaning the stain of pasta sauce that Ranpo didn’t know he dropped on the couch, Poe brought him an old pair of pajamas that were too small for his own body. Ranpo began his shower while the other made the bed he would be sleeping in.
He rarely housed anyone anymore, with Mushitaro moving out a while ago and Poe being quite the introvert, he didn’t get many offers for the sort of company.
He hears the water turn off just on the other side of the wall. It hadn’t been turned on long enough for a full shower to have taken place, but after a few minutes Poe was called into the bathroom by an impatient voice.
Hearing Ranpo yell his name from behind the door startled Poe, but he scrambled to get there quickly. Upon opening the door, he was slapped with humid air and steam hitting his face. With his mouth close to the crack he made in the doorway, he called, “Do you need something, Ranpo?”
Poe pulled himself away from the door to prevent any accidental breaches of privacy, but the exact man he is trying to protect gets rid of the mass separating them. Ranpo tugged the door open with a high-pitched creak following. “You can open the door. I need you to get the bottles out from the bin.” Ranpo looks up at him, dressed in only a towel around his waist, his skin and hair coated in water droplets.
His cheeks were flushed with red and his complexion had lost its natural pale tone, replaced by something fiery and warm that could be attributed to his insistence on scalding hot water being the best for showers. His hair was mussed too, and the stark change from how he usually looked caught Poe off guard.
Gesturing toward the container secured onto the wall, Ranpo brought the taller’s attention towards the shower. Poe had to pry his eyes off of Ranpo, clearly more flustered than the one who was half naked. Looking up and to his right, Poe saw the cause of the problem.
Thanks to a rowdy raccoon, he was unable to leave his bathroom products out as normal. If they were left on the shelves or counter, Karl was happy to knock them down during the night. Poe had found soapy footprints leading back to the manor’s showers quite frequently.
To combat this, he had set up bins with high ledges, just tall enough for himself to reach the products he needed, and his raccoon to get discouraged and not try to stick the landing. Evidently, Ranpo was much too short to reach the bottles.
“Ah, can’t you reach up to grab them?” Poe asked, stupidly, because of course Ranpo couldn’t. He was a genius, he’d know if he could. Poe withdrew from the doorway out of bashfulness. In return to his question, he just received a slight frown and a cocked head.
Poe didn’t know how Ranpo was standing before him with seemingly no awareness—or care, really—for his state of half-dress. Ranpo had never been the type to care about looks, he supposes, but that was more than looks. The brain of Edogawa Ranpo would always be a mystery to him, but he wishes Edgar wishes he could know what he was thinking just this once.
Backing away from the door, Ranpo replied, “I tried that. Even on my tippy-toes, the lip is too tall to bring the bottle over. I can’t jump, I’d slip immediately.” He huffed. “Can you just grab it for me?”
Swallowing, Poe was reminded of why he had been called in. He made quick work of bringing all the bottles down and placing them on the corner bench. Ranpo nodded in approval before crossing his arms.
“You know,” he said gruffly, “I can’t reach half of the stuff in your house. You gotta fix it.” To this, Poe only chuckled, wiping his wet hands on his pants.
“You spend so much time here, I just might make you your own room.” He said while walking out, leaving Ranpo to his devices while he made quick work of getting the bedroom in order.
“Yea, hop to it!” Ranpo shouted as he shut the door, turning the water back on in no time. The playful command made Edgar think, Should I really start catering to him in my home? Would that feel overbearing or welcoming?
He dwelled on such dilemmas for a while, at least until Karl called for his dinner to be served.
♡♡♡
When the table was going to move on from their chosen topic of interest (which was, at this point, Poe’s extremely fine love life), Fitzgerald found it the perfect time to make his role in the group as the former leader a point.
He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back into the bench cushion. He snapped his fingers in Poe's direction, casting attention towards himself.
“Tell me,” he said, “what’s this girl’s name?” He called upon Poe himself, and skipped past Lucy as a messenger. Glancing up at him, Edgar swallowed thickly.
“Ranpo.” Poe said, ignoring the fact that it was basically an admission of feelings. Everyone at the table seemed to as well, except for Lucy, who huffed in a gesture of personal achievement.
Margaret stirred. “Ranpo? Ain’t that the man who you advised about the Moby Dick’s weak spots?” She inquired, drawing the other’s attention to the story behind the familiar name.
Hawthorne, who had been happily sitting the conversation out, looked up with a look full of surprise, disapproval, and realization all at once. Fidgeting in his seat, Poe squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. He nodded in approval of Margaret's words as Mark leaned back next to Fitzgerald, he too, in realization. Fitzgerald waved his hand as if batting away a cloud of unnecessary details.
“Okay, so this boy’s name,” He said as Poe wished his seat would swallow him whole. Though he hadn’t felt much loyalty towards the Guild even while he worked for them, he still felt the authority from Fitzgerald’s presence. It was dreadfully hard to escape from, even under such casual circumstances. “I don’t know how much this will work now, since we were all under the impression he was a she.”
Bringing his hand through his hair, Fitzgerald continued. “I was going to say you have to make her- him, make him jealous.” He shrugged in a way that was supposed to come across as casual, but was orchestrated to make him seem unpurposefully wise.
“Now, I think that’s worth a shot. Go get ‘em, Tiger!” Mark exclaimed, offering a fist bump. By the time Poe realized he was supposed to reciprocate the gesture, Mark was waving him off.
As they were leaving the izakaya, Margaret tried to be as supportive as possible about his homosexuality, but was a bit too loud about it for Poe’s taste.
When they were bidding each other a good night on the street, Fitzgerald gave Poe about ten thousand yen. As he tried to refuse such a gift, Fitzgerald insisted, because It’s ‘proud month’,’ or whatever it’s called. You know it, you’re gay.
While walking back to the train station, Lucy seemed unapologetic as she dissected the group’s behavior that night in a mostly one-sided conversation. With each passing moment, Poe grew more irritated with her dismissiveness.
Cutting her off while she talked about Hawthorne and Mitchell’s undeniable flirtatious undertones, Poe stopped walking in the middle of the street. “Why would you bring up Ranpo?” Lucy turned swiftly. “There was no assumption I had anything new in my life until you brought him up. I don’t understand why you would draw the attention towards-”
“It’s painful to watch you when you come to Café Uzumaki. I don’t know why everyone other than you can see that you fancy him, but you still don’t get it.”
Poe’s anger was rising in his gut as she continued talking. “That’s not to say that he doesn’t know it either– Ranpo’s the smartest person I know. He probably knew it first.” She shrugged, beginning to walk away as she finished speaking.
He watched her walk away, all words he could use to retort getting caught in his throat. Reluctantly, he caught up with her right before she turned a street corner. Their walk was silent until they exchanged ‘good nights’ at the train station, Lucy’s friendly and apologetic and Poe’s clipped and dismissive.
The most aggravating part about Lucy’s point was she was right. Not that Poe didn’t know he had feelings for Ranpo, but that Ranpo knew as well. As much as he tried to push it down, he knew the Ranpo knew, so it was impossible for him to deny it. Ranpo was always right, after all.
♡♡♡
And still, Poe found it hard to forget Fitzgerald’s words. With the money from him on the kitchen counter and his words in Poe’s head, he enacted his last strategy he got from the Guild’s outing. He thought of three ways he could make Ranpo jealous before deciding they were all stupid and landing on the final decision.
- Comment on a man being attractive on the television or laptop or the such.
- Act flirtatiously towards other men. (He was far too socially inept and he wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t act accordingly.
- Act dismissive towards Ranpo while focusing on another man. (He wouldn’t know what he would do if Ranpo were upset with him for such ignorance.)
He had actually written these down on sticky notes before he threw them away in frustration. There was nothing he could think to do other than showering Karl in affection, so he hesitantly made the raccoon help him with one more plan tonight.
Ranpo had insisted on dessert before going to bed, because who was he without his gluttony for sugar? Poe had compliantly gone down to the kitchen with him, looking to see if he had any ice cream or treats of the sort. Coincidentally, it also happened to be Karl’s dinner time. Poe knew this, of course, and had planned accordingly.
While being berated by Ranpo for his lack of preparation for his visit, Poe sorted through the freezer all the while his raccoon pawed at his leg. He winced from the claws, but would be out of line to fuss at Karl for being hungry. Instead he apologized in a honey-sweet tone.
“I’m very sorry Karl, I can’t believe I would forget to feed you. Such an- Ow! …Atrocious pet owner I am, Please don’t be too upset.” His voice was laced with sorrow, all an act to show Ranpo how loving he could be.
He turned around with two tubs of ice cream–One peanut butter and the other rocky road– and offered a choice to Ranpo. “I find it hard to believe you want more ice cream, even after our excursion today.”
“Both of them.” Ranpo decided. “I don’t find it difficult to fathom at all. Surely you know about my untameable sweet tooth by now.” Ranpo turned to retrieve a bowl from the cabinet, Poe’s old pajama pants twirling as he did so. They were double knotted and still looked like they were about to fall off his hips.
“I’m aware, but it’s still shocking, you know.” He leaned down to pick up Karl and bring him up to his chest. Poe adjusted his hold so he was supporting Karl’s butt and stretched him out to make it look like he was standing.
As Ranpo turned around with a bowl in his hands, Poe smothered the top of Karl’s head in kisses, with words peppered in between. He whispered apologies and praise, and Ranpo stared at him stupidly. Though he usually hated doing anything by himself, the shorter man found it hard to interrupt, so he quietly began scooping the stiff ice cream into his bowl.
Poe occasionally flitted his eyes toward Ranpo, any hint he was doing so hidden by his thick bangs. He dropped Karl back onto the floor and made quick work of pouring his food into his metal bowl. Poe crouched beside the animal and petted his fur while he ate, the sounds of his hard food hitting the bowl the only sound in the room.
When he stood again and turned, Poe noticed Ranpo leaving the kitchen and going in the direction of the living room. Ah, of course he wants to watch more TV.
He slowly walked to the living area, Ranpo already settled on the couch and navigating to his profile on Poe’s account. He flopped down alongside Ranpo on the couch and they watched a few more episodes of Law & Order. Once they were through their next two, Karl wandered into the room and jumped onto Poe’s lap.
Poe quietly cooed at the raccoon, letting him settle on his legs as he purred. Ranpo took notice of it, eyes open in a rare moment of admiration. “I’ve never heard him purr.” He said, before licking his spoon clean.
“Oh, yes, Karl does very frequently. It’s not exactly a purr, but it doesn’t have its own name.” Poe said, smiling as his hands worked through Karl’s fur.
Humming, Ranpo added, “I know. Real purring is reserved for felids.” He leaned forward to set his now-empty bowl on the coffee table. He fell back with crossed arms, the impact rattling the cushions.
The pair stayed quiet for a while, Poe naturally quiet while he took in the crime’s information, and Ranpo unusually so. The few sounds between them were from the wind outside, the television, and Poe’s occasional adorations of Karl.
Poe had decided on the culprit being the building’s security guard a long time ago, but waited to say anything in anticipation of Ranpo’s thoughts. Maybe the crime was far more complicated, and Ranpo picked up on a crucial detail that he hadn’t?
The episode had concluded with Edgar being correct—it was the security guard—but Ranpo hadn’t said anything. As he opened his mouth to ask if anything was wrong, Poe was cut off by Ranpo’s direct question.
“Why are you trying to make me jealous?” He asked, his voice clipped and straight to the point. He breathed deeply, and as Poe looked over he only just realized that Ranpo had been watching him instead of the show. He was incredibly caught off guard, fumbling for an answer that wasn’t an admission of guilt.
Poe flushed, the pink color hidden weakly by his bangs that were now tucked to the side. “R-Ranpo, I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. Do you care to elaborate?” He asked weakly, wishing his expression was shrouded by hair.
“You know exactly what I mean. What’s so bad that you won’t admit it?” Ranpo pressed, bringing his knees up to his chest. The oversized T-shirt that Poe had leant him was slipping off his shoulder, revealing a sliver of skin that Poe hadn’t seen before they met in the bathroom that evening.
Edgar was at a loss for words, swallowing weakly in an attempt to buy time to gather his thoughts, but his mind was aggravatingly blank. Ranpo was slowly figuring it out in his head, and they both knew it. That fact, though, was what led to his answer in the end. “Ranpo, dear,” he said, using the nickname to soften the blow, “are you saying that you don’t know?”
At this, Ranpo turned his head away in shame. He seemed embarrassed to fail at such a mundane case. He wasn’t even getting paid for it, and it was in front of Poe, too. He avoided answering for a moment before muttering meekly. “I don’t think so. Can’t you just tell me?”
Oh dear, if Poe pushed him to such a state, he would never feel confident enough to confess. “Oh, Lucy said this might happen…” He whispered to himself, thinking out loud. In such a tense moment, maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say, because Ranpo snapped his head back to Poe.
“What did Lucy say? You talked to Lucy about something?” Realizing what he had said, Ranpo cringed again. It was blow after blow to his ego. He might never recover.
“Oh my, Um…” Poe drawled, grasping for words and wishing he could revert back to English. “All she said was you might have a hard time with emotions, not anything bad.” He tried to reassure, but Ranpo’s face contorted in confusion.
His eyebrows furrowed and Poe could tell he was biting his tongue, as he does when he’s thinking hard. “So it’s about your feelings, then?” He asked after a moment. Poe winced at the bluntness of his words, feeling his cheeks grow darker as well.
“Um, yes.” He confirmed meekly, grasping at straws to rid themselves of the conversation. He had wanted Ranpo to openly acknowledge his feelings for so long, but now that it was laid in front of him, he found it hard to embrace.
Had Ranpo not known all this time? If he really is just learning about how I feel for the first time, there’s no doubt he’ll let our friendship dissolve. Poe thought to himself. He was preparing for Ranpo to leave his house and never return, maybe going so far as to block his number from his phone.
Ranpo clicked his tongue as he opened his eyes, staring up at Poe in disbelief. “Oh.” He worked out of his dry throat as he raised his head to see Poe’s face better. Obviously, he had worked out that Poe had feelings for him, and just needed a little push from the man in question. It was dreadfully embarrassing for Ranpo to be stuck on one mystery for so long, and he wanted to melt down into the couch.
Looking down at Karl for a sense of comfort from this soon-to-be agonizing memory that would burn in his head forever, Poe swallowed. Ranpo announced he was going to bed rather quietly compared to his usual bravado, but his words fell on deaf ears. He awkwardly shuffled out of the room and trudged up the stairs, feeling weighed down by the thick tension in the house the whole way.
Poe didn’t know how long it had been, only that his chest burned in fear of rejection. He held out hope that Ranpo would come back to accept his feelings, but Ranpo wasn’t one to stray from his original judgement. Getting up seemed impossible, but he slowly dragged himself up the stairs and into his bedroom.
It took all his energy to change into his nightwear and brush his teeth, but he persisted so he could drop onto his plush bed in comfort. The silk sheets were cold and uninviting, save for the spot Karl had warmed with his body heat. Poe got under the comforter, searching for any semblance of warmth from cold bedding on a cold night.
The storm had picked up outside, with rain pattering against his window and the wind howling through the forest behind the manor. Such weather usually filled Poe with inspiration. Coupled with the current time, he would usually be working tirelessly on his current novel and jotting down any ideas he came up with for future works, but he felt far too despaired currently.
Despair usually invigorates Edgar, gaining ideas and inspiration through introspection, but Ranpo was always an odd factor in his life. He had always had unexpected effects on Poe, but was sure to leave his life now, taking all surprises with him.
He shifted endlessly under the thick blanket, trying to find comfort in any position, though he always ended up curled into the fetal position on his side. He wasn’t crying, which shocked himself. He had thought that if Ranpo had ever walked out of his life, he’d regress back to the state he’d found himself in after Ranpo walked in. However, now, he just kept wondering what he could have done differently. If he hadn’t gained so much confidence, he wouldn’t have tried all of his futile ‘strategies’ on the man.
He heard shuffling around his house for a while, maybe the past five minutes, but wrote it off as the older house creaking in the wind. He hadn’t expected the wind to throw open his door and say his name, though. “Edgar.” Ranpo said, using his first name that came out oddly due to his accent.
Quickly, Poe sat up and pressed himself against the headboard. Karl had peeked up over his legs too, sniffing the air and finding traces of chocolate. Poe quickly tried to stutter out an apology as he walked over to Ranpo, but was cut off before he could leave his mattress. “It’s fine, you don't need to get up.”
Ranpo’s short stature made him far less intimidating than he usually thought he was, but his stern tone still had quite the effect on Poe. Complying—Because what else is he supposed to do?—Poe withdrew into the covers once again as Ranpo slowly walked over to him.
The floor creaked under Ranpo’s feet, making it seem like it took him an eternity to arrive at the side of Poe’s bed. Karl, seemingly sensing the imposing atmosphere, jumped off of the mattress and scampered out of the bedroom and into the hall.
The air was thick between the two of them, it seemed like Poe would choke on it at any second. When he was closer though, Poe thought Ranpo’s face looked nervous. Apprehensive, even. Of course, it was hard to tell in the dim light of the bedroom, but Ranpo barely showed emotions other than joy or annoyance on his face, so it stuck out like a sore thumb.
After standing above the bed for a few seconds, Ranpo hesitantly raised a leg and started to crawl onto the mattress. “Dear- Ranpo. What are you doing?” Poe scooted away from the side of the bed while mentally cursing himself for using a nickname. Even calling him Ranpo might be over stepping now, who was he to call the man Dear?
The man in question grabbed Poe’s arm firmly, before settling down on his knees. The large cushion submitted to his weight, leaving him sinking down into the softness. The two of them stilled as they looked at each other, both of their eyes visible for a change. Ranpo’s sharp and angled eyes glancing down towards Poe’s own downturned and dull ones. Lightning struck outside the window, giving the room and its inhabitants an ephemeral glow.
Ranpo’s voice was gruff as he spoke again, sinking into a range he usually doesn’t delve into unless he had just woken up. His breath hitched before he forced the words out, and it sounded like it pained him to do so. “Do you really have feelings for me?” His posture relaxed as he let the question bubble out, bringing his face closer to Poe’s.
As he was about to respond, Ranpo began again. “If you say no, I’m going to feel really stupid. Because then I would have no idea why you were so weird today.” He swallowed, eyes flitting to the side as he let go of Poe’s arm in order to bring the sleeve of his shirt back over his shoulder.
When Poe was opening his mouth to give confirmation, Ranpo spoke once more. “Please don’t say no. If you’re going to say no, just don’t say anything at all.” As he begged, his voice broke. “Please.”
Poe slowly brought himself up to a more upright position, still slightly shorter than Ranpo. As he eased himself onto his arms, he was able to get a word in. “Ranpo, dear, could you let me say yes?” He spoke softly, trying to bring Ranpo’s attention back to him. The former’s eyes shone with delight while his expression changed to one of shock.
Quickly, Ranpo brought himself as close as he could get to Poe’s body, with his hands on his cheeks. They were almost nose-to-nose now, with Ranpo's breath from his nose flowing onto Poe’s lips. The latter’s breath was caught in his throat, and as he tried to ask Ranpo what he was doing (Though, Poe had a pretty good idea), the man crashed their lips together.
It was quite awkward and Ranpo’s lips were stiff, but it was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to Poe. He could taste minty toothpaste, with hints of peanut butter from the ice cream Ranpo ate earlier. It was messy and unnatural, but endearing all the same. It wasn’t how Poe imagined their first kiss would be—ideally, he would take Ranpo to beautiful scenery inside of a book and confess his feelings—but it was everything that Poe could ever wish for. It was uniquely Ranpo and it would float in his mind forever.
Ranpoe pushed on Poe’s chest and separated their mouths with a sharp pop! He panted above Poe, leaning all of his weight onto the man’s torso. His lips glistened under the moonlight, and small bubbles of saliva pooled in the corners of his mouth. Poe stared up at him stupidly the entire time. Once Ranpo caught his breath, he looked back down at Poe’s face.
“I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked first.” He said breathlessly. Had Poe been in the right mind, he would have marveled at the concept of Ranpo apologizing for something so trivial. However, Poe was still lost in the haze of their first kiss, and he wanted nothing more than for it to go on forever.
“Ranpo, have you ever kissed someone?” Poe asks, and has to stop himself from laughing when Ranpo’s mouth falls open the tiniest bit. The kiss was delightful and he’ll think about it for years to come, but it was hard to ignore Ranpo’s clear inexperience.
Pulling himself off of Poe’s body, Ranpo’s brows furrow in offense. He huffs, causing his hair to blow to the side while crossing his arms. “You could be nicer about it.” He complains. “I just kissed you. Maybe I’ll leave now!” He turns to crawl off the bed but is stopped by Poe’s hand on his back. He melted under the touch, not fighting back when there’s a hand under his chin guiding their lips together.
This time, Poe walks Ranpo through the kiss. He moves his hands to cup Ranpo’s cheeks and guides them back down to the bed. Merely a slave to Poe’s whims, Ranpo lets himself be taught something for once in his life. He hesitantly wraps his arms around Poe so that his hands are holding his neck. His touch is feather-light, almost a question, and Poe answers by pulling them impossibly closer. This kiss is so much better, and Edgar can feel how soft Ranpo’s lips are.
The atmosphere is perfect for their setting, with the now gentler raindrops patting the window. When they pull away again, a string of saliva connects their lips. In an attempt to reassure Ranpo, Poe looks up at him and says, “You don’t ever have to ask to do that.”
Ranpo’s eyes soften and he leans back down onto Poe. He hums contentedly, and realizes the bed that he was looking for warmth in was now the most comforting place he’s ever been. He rubs his finger in circles on Ranpo’s back as the man asks a shy, “Can I stay here tonight?” Ranpo swallows. “Your bed, I mean.”
The vibrations from his voice soothe Poe’s cold skin as he hums. “I thought you knew everything, Mr. World’s Greatest Detective?” He asked, in a statement of confirmation more than a query, but he still liked to tease. While he expected a playful quip back, Ranpo took a moment to think before responding.
“Not about you, I don’t.” He admits, his breath sending shivers down Edgar’s spine. To be seen as a point of mystery from the detective was invigorating, if not romantic. Poe helped Ranpo under the blanket when he noticed goosebumps on his skin, and they kissed a few more times in the process. None of them were as passionate or intense as the first two they shared, but it was delightful all the same.
They laid facing each other, Ranpo’s head in the crook of Poe’s neck as they listened to the rain. Poe’s fingers carded through Ranpo’s hair as he periodically pressed kisses to the top of his head. Hesitantly, Ranpo piped up. “So, does this mean we’re dating?”
“Only if you say yes.” Poe answered. “I hope so.” He stopped ruffling Ranpo’s hair, moving his hand down to draw shapes on the back of Ranpo’s spine.
Ranpo hummed. “Of course I do. Does that mean we’ll do all the coupley stuff?” He asked. When he received no answer, Ranpo looked up at Poe as he elaborated. “Like, dates, Christmas eve, Valentines day,” he swallowed, “sex?”
Poe brings himself down to be eye level with Ranpo before answering. “Only if you say yes, dear.” Ranpo’s breath hitched at the nickname. It wasn’t new, but now that it had romantic undertones it stirred something deep inside him. “I don’t mind if you say no to any of those activities.”
Ranpo looked away. “No, I do want to do them. Not the last thing right now.” He tried to push Poe back onto his back so he could lay on his boyfriend’s chest. Of course, Poe did nothing but comply.
They lay there for a while before speaking again, Ranpo moving with the rise and fall of Poe’s chest. “Ranpo, why did you go upstairs after you figured it out this evening?” The man asked meekly.
“I didn’t know what to do with my feelings. I-” He stopped, gathering his thoughts. “I didn’t know if I was correct in my verdict. Of you liking me.” The uncertainty had done a number to his ego, it wasn’t the kind of thing he’d share with the others at the agency.
“You’re the smartest man in the world. Smartest person in the world. I don’t believe you could ever be wrong.” Edgar reassured, moving his head so that his chin was cupping Ranpo’s head.
Ranpo took the compliment, but wasn’t as cocky as he usually was. Maybe the newfound trust was seeping in, because Ranpo wasn’t afraid to voice his shortcomings. “I still don’t understand why you did all those weird things instead of telling me.” Weakly, he muttered into Poe’s neck, “You’re obviously better at emotions than I am.
“Ranpo, I didn’t know if you even liked me as your friend before this afternoon.” Poe admitted, the intimacy of the night sinking into his very flesh. It was so much easier to voice his emotions once Ranpo came into his room to confess his own feelings.
Ranpo tried to bring his head up to look at Edgar in the eyes before remembering he was secured inside the warmth of his neck. He seemed more okay with that, as he settled back to his original position. “What did I do this afternoon? We only went to get ice cream.”
Ranpo’s admittance of his lack of emotional understanding was hitting him hard, so Poe embraced him in a silent reassurance of admiration. He let the gesture sink in before responding. “Well, you referred to me as ‘someone you liked’ in your conversation with Mr. Fukuzawa.”
This time insisting on lifting his head, Ranpo looked at Poe in the eyes. His expression was one of confusion and guilt. “Edgar,” he said, the name coming out uniquely because of his accent, “that was me trying to insinuate I like you.” He finished with a pout on his face.
“Oh.” Poe replied dumbly. “I thought you weren’t good with emotions?”
“I’m not, but I’m worse with other people’s.” He admitted, knocking his ego down a few pegs. “I knew I liked you, and I know I’m not good with feelings, so,” he blushed, “I asked Fukuzawa for help.”
Oh. Poe knew Fukuzawa would be one of the first—if not the first—to know, but he wasn’t aware the man played such a vital role in the situation. “I see…” Poe drawled, trying to recall any other times he could’ve missed a hint.
Noticing this, Ranpo clarified, “I let you come in the bathroom during my shower.” He sunk his head back on Edgar’s collarbone.
A faint blush dusted his cheeks at the revelation before he questioned, “I thought you needed help getting the products?” His brows twisted in confusion before Ranpo helped him out once again.
“I really did, but I noticed it when I walked in.” He explained. “If I didn’t like you like that—romantically—I would’ve asked you for help before I turned on the shower. I wanted you to say something. I thought maybe I could-” Ranpo’s breath hitched. “Make you like me.”
At the admission of feelings, Poe only curled himself closer to Ranpo. His eyes were starting to get heavy with sleep, but he wanted to clarify something before he got too drowsy.
“Ranpo, my dear, I don’t think you could ever like me more than I like you.” He breathed, letting his eyes flutter closed to help him get closer to slumber. Though he never wanted to leave at that moment, he didn’t want Ranpo to be late for work tomorrow.
Ranpo simply hummed in retaliation, also letting his eyes fall closed. “I think you’re wrong.” To this, Poe simply sighed before letting a smile split his face.
Even though he knew this moment would be over soon, Poe was happy to let himself enjoy the warmth he felt. He knew there would be many more admissions of feelings and many, many more kisses in his and Ranpo’s future.
Begrudgingly, he remembered he would have to tell and thank Lucy. He knew the moment he walked into work tomorrow, Ranpo would tell the entire agency, if it wasn’t discernable from his aura, and word would spread fast in their building.
But through all of his thoughts, one thing remained: The heavy weight on his chest. Not from guilt, or despair, or tragedy, but from a drowsy boyfriend who would insist on coming over again tomorrow. The idea kept him excited for the future until Ranpo started snoring, which slowly lulled Poe into his own sleep. The one thing he knew for certain, though, was that there was no place he’d rather be.