Work Text:
“Your eyes are such a pretty colour”
Poe looked up from his work in surprise, locking eyes with Ranpo.
“Mine?” Poe questioned, pointing at himself. Ranpo nodded unabashedly and sighed. Leaning forward, he snickered,
“Well of course! Who else's would I be talking about?”
Poe was now very aware of his surroundings, moon shedding disarrayed light onto the surroundings, the lamps around them casting a small warm-toned glow in the otherwise large space. Working in the college library had its hidden benefits; Poe was on closing duty today, so staying behind wasn’t a problem.
“Ah you’re right as always, Ranpo” A snark laugh left his mouth, his hand scratching his nape. Ranpo didn’t reply, just placed his chin in his hand. Poe looked back down at the gothic literature essay he was working through, trying to refocus, but a pair of mischievous eyes boring into his skull made the sentences jumble up into indecipherable nothings.
Ranpo must want more snacks.
Before Poe can even suggest going to a convenience store, Ranpo mutters matter-of-factly,
“Your eyes glow purple in the moonlight…and some silver too. So cool,” a grin ever present on his face, Poe looked up and scanned the other man’s facial expression, seeing a playful twinkle in his eyes and a visage of child-like astonishment plastered blatantly. He was teasing him.
“Stop messing with me, Ranpo”
There was a very obvious tint to his cheeks and Ranpo could see that.
He was revelling in it.
“I’m just stating facts, Poe-kun! Don’t get so flustered”
He winked and sat back in his chair, lifting his feet onto the edge of the table and grabbing the book (Frankenstein for the disquisitive of you) that he was definitely not reading. Poe flustered even more, but quickly began writing again.
Oh, but Ranpo wasn’t finished with him. He wasn’t satisfied.
“Y’know, Poe-kun, I think you’re really handsome” he smirked, glancing at the book, peeking over the top to see Poe’s reaction. Other than reddening cheeks, Poe seemed uninterested, ignoring the man under the guise of concentration. Ranpo pouted exasperatedly, huffing at the lack of reaction.
This was not going to do.
Ranpo sighed, closing the book and standing from his chair. The other seemed to notice, but not take any interest, too absorbed in work to care. However, that wasn’t on Ranpo’s agenda. Walking around the table, he spun Poe to face him and pinned his shoulders against the chair. Surprised, Poe tried to squirm out of his grip, finding that he was basically putty in Ranpo’s hands.
“Why aren’t you doing your cute flustered reactions anymore? Did I upset you?” Ranpo put on a confident air, anxious underneath, extremely worried he’d upset the other man.
Poe’s mind was racing at 20 million miles per hour. Should he tell him that he thought the other was playing with his feelings?
He decided against it. Vocalising his feelings felt a bit too scary and open for him.
He muttered a quiet “No I’m fine” and tried to pry Ranpo’s hands from their place on his shoulders; They stayed firmly in place.
He looked up at the other man to see him looking down in anguish.
“You’re lying to me. Did I really upset you?” His face resembled that of a scared boy.
“Please let go of me” Poe murmured, looking away from his face, knowing he’d crack all too easily under his panic-stricken stare. He could feel the other man tense at that and lift his hands from his shoulders, stepping back slightly before running out of the room.
The library was vacant, so Ranpo didn’t need to worry about any noise; Not like he cared anyway. He ran to the mystery section of the library, he wasn’t sure why, but that’s where his legs carried him.
He had upset Poe.
He really didn’t mean to upset him with his teasing, if that was even the reason; Poe seemed adamant to tell him he was fine albeit unconvincingly.
Ranpo found himself sitting against the wall connecting two bookcases, a meagre window above him. The moonlight shone through it, scattering slight flares of light onto the carpet below him, resembling something like lasers. Ranpo scrunched his knees close to his chest and looked at the specks of dust in the air, wondering how he’d apologise to Poe.
Suddenly, a figure obscured the light on the carpet, making Ranpo look towards the source.
There was Poe, a hand against one of the bookshelves to support himself, as he panted exasperatedly. He was gazing down at Ranpo, an immense concern visible in his facial features; he looked as beautiful as ever, milky skin glowing under the moon’s blessing of light.
He was really an enigma in that he hid that remarkable face behind bangs and was conscious about everything he did; Ranpo never really understood why. He was simply mesmerised by the taller man, the way his chest rose and fell, as he wheezed for air, and how he pushed his silky bangs up with his long, slender hands, showing his hypnotising eyes even more.
He was snapped out of his lustful trance by Poe’s words,
“I thought you left and I didn't want you to get lost, so I came looking for you”
Poe sat next to Ranpo, his shoulder touching the others casually. That made Ranpo’s face burn. He could feel the tense muscle of Poe’s shoulder digging into his own and-
Did Poe work out?
He was a baffling guy. Ranpo couldn’t help, but reach up his hand to feel it, not using his brain for once. “Poe, since when do you work out?”
He carried on touching his shoulders with his hands, rubbing them smoothly. Poe flustered at this, but pulled his shoulder away from the other man’s grip for the second time tonight. Ranpo got the memo and left his arms to dangle off of his knees.
“I’m sorry Poe. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with my compliments”
Poe looked taken aback at the statement and gawked at Ranpo in bewilderment; The detective wasn’t one to apologise, mainly because he was ‘always right’ in his own eyes.
He knew he needed to ask him, so he prepared himself with a sigh.
“Do you know I like you?”
He kept his gaze straight ahead of him.
Ranpo shot his head up towards the other. “No?!”
It was Poe’s turn to act shocked. He looked towards Ranpo and saw a genuine shock on his face. Well.
“I thought you were toying with my feelings” Ranpo’s eyes went wide.
“No?! I just thought you got easily embarrassed at compliments”
There was a moment of silence.
“I like you too”
Poe looked shocked and pointed at himself, mimicking his past self.
“Me?”
Ranpo laughed, “Well of course! Who else would I be talking about?”
They both laughed at this, gazing at each other all the while.
“Does this mean we’re….y’know” Ranpo mumbled, looking away from Poe and at his knees.
“Hmm what was that? You’re going to have to speak louder for me, honey” Poe sounded cheerful, a teasing tone in his voice.
Ranpo blushed ferociously at that and looked up at him, his eyes wide. Poe, grinning all the while, leaned his forehead against the smaller man’s own.
“Payback” he whispered quietly, before he closed the space between them and kissed Ranpo.