Work Text:
Poe never quite knew why, but inspiration always struck on nights of the full moon. Maybe, he wondered jokingly, it was some sort of werewolf sense, or perhaps his imagination was like the tide, rising with the pull of the moon's gravity.
Whatever the case, it led to nights like this, when Poe typed away on his laptop until the moon was high in the sky, a faint, off-white color, barely noticeable against the fluorescent lamp that illuminated Poe's study. A mug of coffee sat next to his laptop, mostly empty, and a small digital clock blinked faintly near the corner of the desk. Poe himself typed busily away, completely absorbed in his work. Words flew easily from his fingertips like they hadn't for the past few days.
Even his own nocturnal habits, though, couldn't stop his eyes from drooping after a certain point. It had been a rather busy day, after all, what with running around the city helping Ranpo solve murders. Occasionally, he'd blink, then notice a string of incomprehensible letters interrupting an otherwise-decent paragraph. A cursory glance at the clock told him that it was almost three in the morning.
Poe supposed that it was probably a decent time to head to bed. Decent, of course, being a relative term, given that most people would call this time the "ungodly hours of the night."
He saved his file and shut down his laptop before carefully pushing himself away from the table. He stood up slowly, wobbling slightly after sitting in front of the screen for about six hours, then, deciding that coffee mug could wait until proper morning, he slowly trudged to his and Ranpo's shared room.
The door creaked slightly as he pushed it open, a crack of light piercing through the otherwise dark room. Poe crept inside, careful not to wake Ranpo up. Although usually Ranpo didn't get mad at Poe when he was awoken (except for a chastise about going to bed earlier), Poe liked to let him sleep undisturbed whenever possible.
He padded into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the darkness. He got into bed next to Ranpo, slipping beneath the warm comforter. As he did, Ranpo let out a sleepy snort, then turned over.
Soft beams of pure, white moonlight streamed into the room through half-open curtains. They fell onto Ranpo, illuminating his skin and giving him a faint, almost ethereal glow, like a halo. Poe could almost believe he was looking at an angel, serene and calm, with the faintest hint of a smile on his face.
He was so beautiful.
If Ranpo was an angel, Poe thought idly, then Poe was a mortal blessed enough to be able to look into his face without being burned by holy fire. A small smile appeared on Poe's face as he slowly reached out to touch Ranpo's cheek. His skin was warm, and he flinched away slightly at the touch of Poe's cold fingers. Then he sighed quietly, and shifted a bit closer, pressing his face against Poe's palm. Poe blinked, then his smile grew softer as he gently stroked his thumb against Ranpo's cheek.
"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so, so much."
No one heard him, of course, in that dark, cold room beneath the comforter, next to Ranpo's warmth. No one except for himself, and whichever higher being was watching him.
And Edogawa Ranpo, who wasn't quite asleep, and who'd heard everything.
He didn't say it out loud, of course, instead feigning sleep as he moved himself a bit closer to Poe. But he thought it.
I love you, too.