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“Are you sure we have everything we need?” Poe asked, scanning the living room with his eyes one last time.
“Yes, and I think we’re good to go. We’re already late by ten minutes; what happened to you stressing over that?”
“Right, you’re right- we’re going to miss our flight and then we won’t leave early and all of my plans-”
“Yes, we need to leave now - this trip was your idea, remember? - so if would you be so kind.” Ranpo got on his toes and placed his hands on Poe’s shoulders, turned him around and pushed him out the door. “You’ve traveled countless times, right? I’m the one that’s supposed to be acting like this; why are you so worried?”
“Because it’s you I’m traveling with, and I have to think of everything by myself, or did you forget that?”
“But it was your idea to go on a trip together! You should have just gone on your own and save yourself the trouble.”
“No, I didn’t- it’s not like that.” Poe pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wanted you to come, it- it wouldn’t have been the same without you.” He placed a hand on Ranpo’s shoulder; look at me, he wants to say, but he doesn’t, and Ranpo’s eyes stay glued to the floor.
“Then you better stop acting like I’m a burden or I swear I’ll-”
“You’re not a burden, I’m just- I’m just stressed. That’s all. I’m- I’m always like this when I travel, I-I think.” Poe’s heart clenched painfully inside his chest when Ranpo pointedly avoided looking at him.
“Well, stop. You’re ruining the mood.”
“I’ll try.”
“I’ll try, he says.” Ranpo huffed. “I hate you sometimes.”
Poe didn’t know what to say to that, and so he stayed quiet.
“We need to leave.” Ranpo said again. He dragged the two suitcases out of the house, closed and locked the door. He handed the black one to Poe, and kept the dark brown one to himself.
“Can I ask you something before we go?” Poe bit his lower lip. He saw Ranpo’s shoulders tense, but he didn’t let that discourage him. He needed to say it or he thought he’d go mad. “Could you maybe call Dazai and ask how Karl is doing?”
“Oh, for the love of- Poe, we need to go; Karl is safe and sound. Dazai’s taking care of him like his life depends on it, and Kunikida is always keeping an eye on them. Lucy is a dependable young lady; she’ll take good care of him in case something comes up and everyone at the agency is busy - which is highly unlikely, but anyway - and besides, Kenji is there and he actually knows what he’s doing. Now hurry up and help me get these in the car!” He gestured at the suitcases.
“O-Okay. I trust you.” He muttered. They got in the car, and when Poe started driving, he gulped to get rid of the newly formed lump in his throat, and looked at Ranpo from the corner of his eye. “Sorry. It’s my first time traveling without Karl.”
“I can tell.” Ranpo shifted in his seat and sat up a little straighter. He gazed out the window and rested his head on his hand. He still hadn’t looked at him, and it made Poe more worried than he’d like to admit. “You don’t have to apologize. I know you’re not doing it on purpose.”
“I-I know you know I’m not doing it on purpose.” Poe’s grip on the wheel tightened, so much that his knuckles turned white. “I’m still sorry though.”
Ranpo didn’t say anything, and for a moment Poe was worried that he would stay upset until he found a way to make it up to him. When he took a look at Ranpo’s face, however, his shoulders relaxed.
A small smile rested on Ranpo’s face. He was looking at the road ahead of them with his green eyes wide open and full of that spark Poe had fallen in love with.
“You might want to look at the road. If you don’t want to get us both killed, that is.” Ranpo’s words took a moment to sink in, but when they did, Poe’s cheeks warmed up, and he did as he was told.
“S-Sorry.” He muttered.
“It’s okay.” Ranpo raised a hand to tuck a lock of Poe’s hair behind his ear. “I like it when you smile. You should do it more often.”
“I-I wasn’t-” Now it wasn’t only his cheeks that burned. He was almost sure the tips of his ears - maybe even his neck too - were bright red as well.
“You were.” Ranpo kissed his cheek, and it took everything in Poe not to slam his foot on the brake and stop the car right then and there to ask Ranpo to kiss him on the lips instead. “And you didn’t even notice.”
“Seems like I was too busy looking at your smile then.”
That seemed to catch him off guard. Ranpo blinked twice, drew his hands to himself and looked at the road ahead of them, but the sudden rosiness of his cheeks gave him away.
“Whatever.” His voice cracked, and it made Poe smile again.
“I love you.” If only Ranpo knew how good it felt to say it.
“I know.” Ranpo ducked his head, but Poe had seen it; the way his mouth twitched, like he was fighting back a smile. “Love you too.”