Chapter Text
It was a quiet night at sea. There was nothing more to it, really. The waves were calm and melting with the last rays of the setting sun.
The crew was winding down from their usually rowdy going about, most of them holed away in the cabin to evade the chilly night air. Poe considered this the best time to emerge from his shadowy room to roam the deck; when the ship was quiet as the sea.
Face upturned to the stars, his gaze shifted all directions around.
“HEY! ED!!!” A call erupted from the masts above him.
Perched in the fighting top was Ranpo. He leaned over the side, torso hanging off and dangerously close to toppling off.
“Ranpo! You’ll fall!”
“No worries!” He descended the ladder bolted to the mast, steps wobbling as he speed walked to Poe’s standing.
He greeted Poe warmly, taking his hands in his and holding them up between them. While affectionate gestures weren’t unordinary of Ranpo, the writer’s breath hitched.
“Whatchya’ doing out here this time of night?” Ranpo rolled back on his heels, breaking their embrace.
“Oh, just,” he searched for words “Fresh air?”
“Understandable,” Ranpo shrugged “Well, I was out watching the sunset. Sounds cheesy, I know, but they’ve been nice lately.”
They exchanged smiles.
“Say,” Ranpo’s tone changed noticeably “Wanna stargaze from the top with me?”
“Oh.” Ranpo’s eyes were open now; not fully, rather, if one’s eyes were becoming heavy with sleepiness.
“Oh! Yes, of course.” Poe answered, the attention stolen by Ranpo’s gaze having returned.
Ranpo smiled, hand ghosting over Poe’s wrist to lead him towards the ladder.
The fighting top hosted an impressive view, a bird’s eye perspective of the deck and surrounding waters. All that kept in mind, the sky felt closer than it could have been. The night was young still, the sky a dark blue that carried enough light to reflect across oncoming storm clouds. It was beautiful, Poe gazed up into the pool of stars It was beautiful, the view, but Ranpo found himself drifting back to Poe; who remained silently awestruck among stars.
And it was beautiful, the sudden wave of confidence that prompted Ranpo to take Poe’s face in his hands and kiss him.
“RANPO!” Poe shrieked in a mixture of excitement and surprise.
Ranpo held his face at an arm’s length, a moment of awkward silence passing between them. Poe stammered, blush flourishing across his face likewise to Ranpo’s.
Passion blurred their motions as they leaned in to kiss again. And, in a frenzy, they had kissed twice, three, four, five, six times. Only really stopping to regain breath before diving back in.
It was long overdue, a kiss between Ranpo and Poe. They had to stop for a second, panting and short of breath. A grin crept across Ranpo’s face, slowly upturning into an ecstatic and toothy smile. Poe couldn’t help but smile as well, pulling Ranpo in by the hips into a hug.