Work Text:
Ranpo was bored. He looked around his room, scanning the area for things to do. His eyes landed on his phone when he had an idea. Ever since he realized he had fallen for him, he had been wanting to ask Poe out, but he never knew how to do it because of their rivalry. He decided to disguise it in the form of a friendly meet up.
Ranpo: hey Ed! i was just wonderin’ if you wanted to meet up today since i’m off work
Edgar, on the other hand, was writing. He was trying to fit in some last details to his latest novel. He wrote furiously, the pen making loud scratches on his paper. He didn’t realize someone had texted him until he felt Karl scurrying onto his desk, pointing his nose down to his phone, which had started buzzing. Edgar realized the text was from Ranpo, and he felt his heart flutter at the thought of him. A few weeks ago, he had realized he was in love with Ranpo. His rival. He tried to be as subtle as he could, but he often found himself accidentally staring into those beautiful emerald eyes. He wanted to tell Ranpo, but he could never find the confidence to do so. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and responded to Ranpo.
Poe: I would love to. Where would you like to meet up?
Ranpo: how does the café uzumaki sound? me n the others normally go there during lunch breaks or after work
Poe: That sounds great!
Ranpo: alrighty, when should we meet up?
Poe: How does 2:30 sound?
Ranpo: sounds good to me. it’s a date :)
Ranpo congratulated himself for working the idea of a date into the invitation. He smiled to himself as he waited for Edgar’s answer.
Edgar stared at his screen, dumbfounded.
"A date?! Is this a date? It can’t be, Ranpo was probably just messing with me." He thought out loud. Karl chittered as a response. Edgar quickly typed his answer.
Poe: I shall see you there!
After he sent the text, he quickly tugged on black pants with a white collared shirt. He dug around his closet to find a black sweater to match. He also grabbed his long coat and threw it around his shoulders. He then came down the stairs to get his boots. He bounced on one foot as he tried to shove his boot onto his foot. He eventually succeeded and looked at his clock to check the time. It was an old clock with silver rims and it was held up by a small raven figurine. The clock said that the time was 1:45, so he sat back in his chair, ignoring Karl's impatient chattering.
"I suppose I could write a little more before I leave." He thought.
Ranpo hummed to himself as he turned his phone off. He was a bit surprised that Edgar had accepted his date offer. He could use this opportunity to finally tell Edgar how he felt. He then jumped off his bed to get ready for the day. He had plenty of time, so he didn’t rush. He put on on his usual getup; brown pants and a white button-up with a black vest and a brown cloak. He also grabbed his iconic brown cap that he always wore, no matter the outfit. Ranpo looked in the mirror, nodded at his reflection, and headed to the door.
Edgar felt Karl climbing onto his shoulders as he wrote. He put his pen down to scratch the critter’s ear and glanced at his clock once again. A feeling of panic overran the previous feelings of rest and relaxation as he realized what time it was.
"Shit!" He exclaimed as he shot up from his seat. Karl almost fell from his shoulder because of the sudden movement. It was 2:27, and he hadn’t left his house yet. He had completely forgotten about his "date" with Ranpo. He quickly raced to the door, moving Karl from his shoulder to his arms, and ran out of his house. It was snowing lightly, but he was too busy running to notice.
Ranpo arrived just in time- a few minutes early, actually- and headed into the café. He was welcomed by the owner as he took his normal seat.
"Poe’s a bit late. Hm." He thought to himself. He could use the time to think about how to tell Edgar. Surely enough, a few minutes later, Poe burst in through the door, earning a few startled looks from the others in the café. He speedwalked to Ranpo’s table, out of breath.
"I apologize for being late, Ranpo-kun. I was writing and I lost track of time and-" Poe started but was cut off by Ranpo, who waved his hand dismissively.
"It’s alright, Ed. I wasn’t waiting for long. I haven’t even ordered yet." He said, signaling for Poe to sit with him.
Poe let out a sigh and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands. He had forgotten to brush his hair, which Ranpo had noticed. Ranpo reached out to press down a strand of hair that was sticking up.
"W-What are you doing?" Poe stuttered, surprised by how close Ranpo had gotten to him.
"Fixin’ your hair. It’s messy." Ranpo replied, smoothing his hand over Poe’s thick hair. He then realized that Poe was almost leaning into his touch.
"He’s acting like a cat! How adorable!" He thought. The moment ended when Poe quickly snapped out of it and pulled away, fidgeting his hands.
"T-Thank you." Were the only words he could get out. That was a close call.
"Anytime, Poe-kun." Ranpo said, not thinking about what had just happened any longer.
"May I ask you something?" Poe asked, his voice quiet.
"Sure! There’s no question the worlds greatest detective can’t answer!" Ranpo replied, a prideful look on his face.
"What did you mean when you said this was a-"
"Hello! What can I get for you this fine afternoon?" Lucy Montgomery asked, cutting Poe off mid-sentence.
"Hey, Lucy! I’d just like my usual drink and some sweet buns." Ranpo said, forgetting about Edgar’s question.
"And what would you like?" Lucy said, turning to Poe. She had gotten used to him being around, so it wasn’t awkward to speak to him anymore.
"I’d just like a cup of tea." Edgar said, his voice a bit quiet, but Lucy could hear him just fine.
"What kind of tea?" She asked, scribbling something down on her notepad.
"Surprise me." Edgar said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Lucy smiled back at him. "Alright! I’ll be back in a bit with your orders!"
Ranpo then remembered Poe wanted to ask him something.
"What was it that you were going to ask me?" He asked Edgar, who was currently scratching Karl’s ear.
"It’s nothing, forget about it." Edgar replied. Ranpo could see his face turning red, even though his bangs covered a bit of his face.
"Edddd, c’mon! Tell me!" Ranpo pleaded, pouting. Edgar felt his heartbeat quicken when he saw how cute Ranpo was. He sighed, giving in to Ranpo’s pleads.
"What did you mean earlier by ‘it’s a date’?" He asked, his voice quiet and soft.
"Isn’t it obvious? This is a date! We’re on a date!" Ranpo said enthusiastically, smiling at him.
Edgar could do nothing but stare at Ranpo, his mouth open. This really was a date?! Since when were they dating? Sure, Edgar had been wanting to tell Ranpo about his feelings for weeks, but he never expected Ranpo to ask him out first!
Ranpo deduced that Edgar was confused by noticing the face he was making. Ranpo thought that the meaning was clear, but he guessed that Edgar didn’t understand.
"Here, let me explain. This is a date. We are on a date. You and me, on a date. That clear enough for you?" Ranpo explained.
"B-But we’re rivals-" Edgar started.
"Oh, forget about being rivals for once! Let’s just have fun together, okay?" Ranpo said.
Edgar nodded in response, a small grin tugging at the edge of his lips. He liked the idea of that.
Soon, Lucy returned with their orders. She set their drinks and food in front of them and hurried off to serve another table. Ranpo took a bite of his sweet buns.
"So, how’s your latest novel going?" Ranpo said, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.
"It’s going pretty good, actually. I might have it ready for you by next week." Edgar replied, taking a sip of his tea. "And I’m sorry for misunderstanding."
"It’s okay, all’s forgiven." Ranpo said, smiling at him. Edgar looked to the window to hide his blush. Ranpo’s smile really was beautiful.
The two sat there, laughing and talking and eating, just enjoying each other’s company. Their rivalry being forgotton as the warm feeling of love embraced them both.
"The snow really is coming down hard." Edgar mumbled. "I don’t know if I can walk back home in this."
"Well, you could come back to my place? It’s not a far walk from here." Ranpo suggested.
"Really? I wouldn’t be intruding?" Edgar asked.
"Not at all! Let’s get out of here before it starts snowing harder." Ranpo said, standing up.
"Hey, you have to pay!" Lucy called out to him. Edgar quickly pulled some money out of his wallet and left it on the table, making Lucy nod her head in satisfaction. Ranpo was already over at the door, so he hurriedly walked over to join him.
They stood at the exit and looked at each other.
"3…2…1…Go!" Ranpo said, racing out the door.
"W-Wait! Ranpo-kun!" Edgar called after Ranpo as he bounded down the street. He laughed and ran after him, being careful not to trip on the ice. Ranpo kept giggling and shouting things like, "Can’t catch me, Poe-kun!" from up ahead. Edgar couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this, but he knew that he never wanted this moment to end.
They finally arrived at Ranpo’s place, out of breath and freezing. Ranpo opened the door and let Edgar in. They took off their boots and hung their coats up to dry.
"Now that," Ranpo huffed. "Was fun."
"Indeed it was." Edgar replied.
"Be right back, I’m going to get us a change of clothes." Ranpo said, leaving Edgar alone in his living room.
A few minutes later, he returned with a turtleneck sweater that was much too big for him and the most comfortable pair of pants he could find. He gave them to Edgar, who thanked him silently.
"I hope this stuff fits you. Our sizes are different, so I just took some of my dads old stuff." Ranpo said. He himself was dressed in a fluffy sweater with sweatpants. He looked very huggable, and Edgar had to walk away to resist the urge of wrapping his arms around him.
After he had changed, he found Ranpo and Karl in the middle of constructing a fort made of blankets and pillows. He laughed at the sight, making Ranpo turn around.
"You’re back! Looks like the clothes fit!" Ranpo said, smiling. God, how Edgar loved that smile.
"They do, thank you again." Edgar said.
"You look really cute in my clothes.." Ranpo mumbled quietly.
"What? Sorry, I didn’t catch that." Edgar said, raising an eyebrow at Ranpo’s now flustered expression.
"Nothing! It’s nothing, uh, I’m gonna get some snacks, you stay right here." Ranpo told him, racing off into the kitchen.
"Okay, Ranpo-kun." Edgar said, not looking any further into it.
Ranpo returned with popcorn, drinks, and every other snack Edgar could think of in his arms. He sat down in the blanket fort and signaled for Edgar to follow him. Edgar complied and sat next to him, their shoulders touching. It started to feel very hot in his sweater, and the close contact made Ranpo flush.
"So, how did you like the date?" Ranpo asked.
Edgar was caught off guard by the question.
"I-It was great! I had fun." He barely managed to get out.
"Good." Ranpo said. Edgar took a deep breath and spoke quietly.
"Ranpo, I need to tell you something."
"What’s up?"
Edgar took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He looked down as he spoke, letting his bangs fall over his face.
"Ranpo, I like you. I have for a while now. But I-I don’t expect you to return the feelings, I mean we are rivals and all, and I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable-" Edgar spilled out before Ranpo wrapped his arms around him, shutting him up.
"I like you too, Ed. It’s mutual."
"Wait, y-you do?!" Edgar said, his heart racing and his face red. When Ranpo nodded, he looped his arms around him, his sweater soft to the touch. Ranpo mumbled what sounded like an "of course I do." and buried his face into Edgar’s sweater.
"You really do?" Edgar asked, unsure of what Ranpo had said.
He almost jumped out of his own skin when he felt Ranpo leaning in, gently pressing their lips together.
Edgar’s lips were softer than Ranpo had expected, and the way Edgar slowly kissed him back made his heart race. He then pulled away, letting Edgar catch his breath.
"How’s that for an answer? Are you convinced now?" He said, smirking at Edgar’s bright red face.
"Y-Yes.." He stammered. A few seconds passed before he mumbled, "Ranpo?"
"Yes, Ed?" Ranpo replied, smoothing his bangs from his face, revealing his dark grey eyes.
"Can we..Can we do that again?" He asked shyly, fidgeting with his fingers.
"Of course." Ranpo said.
He placed a hand on Edgar’s cheek, caressing it gently. Edgar leaned in again, connecting their lips slowly. He settled his hands on Ranpo’s waist, pulling him closer to him. Their kiss was just as sweet as the one before, but a little more relaxed.
"Is it okay if I kiss you deeper?" Ranpo asked, his breath warm against Edgar’s lips.
"God, of course." Edgar replied, letting his eyes close.
Ranpo smiled and pressed their lips together again, running a hand through Edgar’s soft hair. Edgar parted his lips, letting Ranpo deepen the kiss. He could taste the sweetness in Ranpo’s mouth, which made the kiss all the more enjoyable. Ranpo moved his hands to Edgar’s cheeks and mumbled a small "I love you" against his lips. Edgar hummed in response, pulling away to press a kiss to his cheek.
"I love you, too." He said before he pressed his forehead against Ranpo’s. He’d never felt this way before, but he loved the feeling of it. He loved the feeling of loving, and he loved Ranpo.
"You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that." He said to Ranpo as he pressed another kiss to his cheek.
"Well, you don’t have to wait any longer." Ranpo said in response, smiling up at a very flustered but happy Edgar.
"Ranpo-"
"Ed-"
They both spoke at the same time, cutting each other off in the process.
"You first." Edgar said.
"No, you." Ranpo replied.
"Will you-" Edgar started.
"Be my-" Ranpo finished.
"Boyfriend" They said in sync.
They both laughed at this, holding each other tightly.
"I would love to." Edgar said, his smile growing even wider.
"I would too." Ranpo said back, pressing another quick kiss to Edgar’s lips. Edgar smiled into the kiss, falling even more in love.
"So, what should we do for our next date?"