Chapter Text
Poe was one-hundred percent not qualified for this. He looked over to Kyouka, who was staring at her feet. Usually, Atsushi spoke more than enough for the two of them. But he wasn’t here right now, and Poe was at a loss for what to do. He was a kid once, right? What did kids like?
“Um, Kyouka, we should go to my house. Is that alright?”
She nodded, but didn’t lift her eyes from the floor. Poe didn’t blame her. The situation she was in was frightening for an adult, much less a child. But Poe had promised to protect her, and his house was the best place to go.
Earlier that day, he had gotten a call from Ranpo, asking him to take care of Kyouka for a couple days. She had been hit with an ability during a dangerous fight that made her gift unusable, and the agency didn’t want her to get hurt while they searched for the ability user at fault. Even if Kyouka was strong without her ability, it was possible she would be targeted. The user had a history of “finishing what they started.”
Ranpo had concluded that leaving her with Poe was the safest bet, because he could hide her using his ability if he needed to. Poe was also becoming a regular at the agency, meaning he was easy to contact and keep in touch with. Poe, of course, had agreed instantly. Even if he didn’t know her well, he didn’t want to leave a child in danger if there was something he could do to help. And his house was big enough that having an extra person wasn’t a problem. One of the benefits of having worked in the Guild.
An hour later, Poe had gotten ready and went to go pick her up. When he arrived at the café below the ADA, Lucy pulled him aside. She gave him a list of items that Kyouka could use, which ranged from toys to slippers, and Poe was grateful. He scanned the front of the paper, thankful that he had most of the items in his house already, and that the rest was easily accessible from any random convenience store.
He thanked Lucy honestly, and she huffed and crossed her arms. It’s just because I knew you wouldn’t know how to take care of a child. Poe rolled his eyes, knowing that in Lucy-speak that was as close to a You’re welcome as he was going to get.
When he opened the agency doors, Ranpo rushed to the door and wrapped him in a tight hug. Poe wasn’t completely sure that was a thing many rivals did, but it didn’t make him uncomfortable, so he didn’t mind. It made their rivalry special!
Kyouka had a small bag, which Poe assumed had her items in it. She didn’t carry much, and Poe was glad Lucy had given him the list of things to give her. He would finish looking over it later. Poe knew she was shy, and probably didn’t want to bother him with too many items. It’s how he would have felt if he was in that situation. But he was determined to make her as comfortable as possible.
So, he picked up Karl from around his neck and held him out to Kyouka.
“Would you like to hold him? I can take your bag.”
Kyouka’s eyes widened slightly and she nodded. Poe wordlessly took her bag and put it around his shoulder, and she held Karl softly, like she was afraid of hurting him. Karl, however, scurried onto her shoulders and perched, like he always did. It was good to see him doing his part to make Kyouka feel comfortable, even if he probably had no idea what he was doing. Karl was good at calming nerves, something he had learned from his time spent with the raccoon over the years.
Kunikida walked over, and explained the plan to Poe again. He only had to stay with her and make sure she was safe while they worked on capturing the enemy ability user. He would be called with an update every day, and Ranpo would let him know when it was safe for her to come back. Kyouka didn’t speak the entire time, so when Kunikida finished, Poe turned to her.
“Shall we?” He asked, motioning to the door.
She nodded again, and Poe pulled it, holding it open for her and Karl. The walk home was silent, except for Karl’s occasional chirp, and Poe tried not to feel anxious. If he was honest, he was absolutely not qualified to care for any living thing, much less a child. He wasn’t sure how old Kyouka was, but it was safe to say she was young. And he had no clue how to talk to children.
When they arrived at his home, Kyouka’s mouth had opened slightly as she walked into the building. Poe had a slightly expensive taste, but he wasn’t used to people walking gingerly around his house. He only ever had Lucy and Ranpo over, and neither cared much if the couch they were sitting on was worth more than their salary.
But clearly, Kyouka was nervous, and she stood awkwardly in the doorway. After he hung up his coat, he turned to her, and nodded to the living room.
“K-Kyouka? I know this is kind of a weird experience, but you can feel comfortable here! I have an… odd taste in furniture, but it won’t be too long and I want you to be comfortable-”
“I like it.” Kyouka’s voice was quiet, and she didn’t look at him as he spoke.
But he smiled at her words. She walked into the room after taking off her shoes, changing into slippers Poe had left out for her. He was glad he bought multiple when he first moved, even if he was sure at the time that he would never have guests.
He put on his own slippers and followed her into the living room. It was spacious, with two couches angled towards a television he had mounted on the wall. He had paintings which were morbidly abstract, and his curtains blocked most of the light from the room. Bookshelves lined one wall in its entirety, and the others were painted a dark gray. The space definitely matched his aesthetic, whatever that actually was. Ranpo had called it “vampiric,” and while the time period was all wrong with his art, he could see where he had gotten the idea. Kyouka seemed to like it, and she walked over to the bookshelves.
She looked back over at him and cocked her head slightly, as if she were asking a question.
“Y-you can read any of the books on the shelf! Let me know if you need any help, some of them are kind of high up.” Did that sound like Poe was insulting her? He had made a comment about his height once to Ranpo, and the other had pouted for the next hour. Unlike him, Kyouka didn’t seem to mind, because she pulled out a book with a bright cover (not all of his books were morbid) and walked over to the couch.
Oh. Was she fine with just… reading?
Poe felt a bit stupid. Most of the time, he had to entertain his guests. Lucy never really liked reading, and Ranpo only read his manuscripts and novels. He also always insisted they do it together. He was oddly touchy for a rival. He would always grab Poe’s hand and sit on his lap while he read, and Poe was pretty sure that wasn’t normal between enemies. Well, maybe it was a tactic. He wouldn’t put it past Ranpo, the genius he was, to do that to get Poe’s guard down. Of course, that made sense!
Poe didn’t want to think about the slightly hollow feeling in his stomach that formed when he thought Ranpo was only doing that to mess with him.
He decided to join Kyouka, picking up the book he left on the stand next to the couch. He had started to read it the night before, a lovely mystery from one of his competitors, which he bought as soon as it was released. Even if they were technically fighting for the attention of the same market, Poe was just excited to read a high quality mystery. He sat on the opposite couch, far enough he was sure Kyouka wouldn’t be uncomfortable with his presence. He still asked if it was alright that he sat there, and she nodded, opening her book to the beginning.
The two read silently. It was nice, really. Kyouka was calm, and Poe quite liked the sound of turning pages. She seemed to like the story, eventually shifting so she was curled up against the back of the couch, her slippers on the floor and her feet on the cushions. Poe didn’t mind, as long as she was comfortable.
Although, after around an hour, Poe couldn’t hear anything. When he looked up, Kyouka’s face was slightly pinched, and her brows furrowed.
“Kyouka? Are you alright?”
Kyouka startled at his voice, before taking a deep breath.
“This word. I… don’t know it.” She said it timidly, as though Poe would make fun of her for it.
He stood and walked over to her slowly, so she could be aware that he was coming. She faced the book towards him, pointing to a word on the page.
Pretentious.
“Ah. Pretentious. It means… like faking something. It’s when someone does or says fancy things to make themselves sound smarter, or seem more clever than they are.”
Kyouka smiled and said a quiet thanks .
“A-and it’s not really my place to say it, but I wanted to let you know there’s nothing embarrassing about not knowing a word! The only way to learn them is to be exposed, so you don’t have to be upset if you don’t already know it. Sorry, I know that might sound dumb, but-”
He heard a soft laugh and stopped talking immediately. Kyouka’s smile was wider now, and it reached her eyes. He smiled in response, and sat back onto the couch, where he was originally. They continued reading, but now, Kyouka would speak on occasion. She would ask Poe the words she didn’t know, few that there were, and he would give the best definition he could. Although the air was no longer filled with only the sound of pages, Poe found he liked this better.
At around six, Poe figured he should start thinking about dinner. He could cook, but he wasn’t sure what Kyouka liked. She wasn’t nearly as open about her interests as Atsushi was, and had made no indication she wanted food. But still, Poe was the host, and figured asking couldn’t hurt. He placed his book back onto the table, making a mental note that he was on page 384. He figured out the mystery much earlier, but the writing was good enough that he continued anyway.
“Kyouka?” He started to speak and she put her book aside. “I’m sorry to interrupt your reading, but do you have a favorite food?”
She put the book over her face, and Poe worried he had done something wrong. Was that a pressuring question? Did she not have a favorite? Maybe she didn’t want to answer?
“Crepes.” Kyouka’s eyes peered over the top of the book she was holding, and she scanned Poe’s face. Poe wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but he smiled.
“Savory or sweet?”
“...sweet.”
He laughed as he stood up. “Would you like that for dinner?”
Kyouka’s face lit up, and that was all the answer he needed. It definitely wasn’t the healthiest thing they could have, but she had a stressful day. Plus, he thought it was a funny coincidence.
It was a coincidence because, around a month ago, he had taught himself how to make them. Poe had many odd hobbies, and he enjoyed learning how to do things. He had plenty of things he knew how to do and didn’t expect to ever need. He would never admit it aloud, but he could juggle. He could also sew, pick locks, and ride horses. And, last month, he decided to try making crepes. He had actually learned because he thought Ranpo would like them, but never actually gave the other any because saying I learned how to make these so you would smile didn’t sound very rival-like. And he knew Ranpo would deduce the reason, so he gave up on the idea entirely.
But, he had gotten rather good at it. He had stopped making them because he didn’t like sweet food and felt bad wasting ingredients, and only found out later he could make them savory when he saw them on a menu. But the crepes he had made were cute, with little animal designs and piping.
Kyouka followed Poe into the kitchen, and she looked curious as he began rummaging through his cupboards. It was near the back, but he eventually found the flat electric crepe maker and pulled it out to show Kyouka. Her eyes widened in recognition, and Poe was glad he hadn’t gotten rid of it in the end.
He plugged it into the outlet on his kitchen wall, letting it warm up, and opened the fridge. He took out eggs, milk, a pitcher of water, and butter. He took out flour from the cabinet, and looked over to find Kyouka staring at him.
“Would you like to help? I can also grab a chair if you’d like to watch.”
“I can help.”
Poe nodded, and opened a drawer, taking out a bowl and measuring cups.
“Can you measure out a cup of flour?”
Kyouka nodded, and took the bowl and a measuring cup. She was the most focused Poe had ever seen her as she carefully measured one cup exactly. She made sure not to pack the flour, and carefully took the leftover flour off of the top, making an even surface on the measuring cup. But before Poe could stop her, she dumped the flour into the bowl, and it puffed up into her face. Poe would have laughed, if he wasn’t worried about offending her, and settled for giving her a towel.
While she wiped off her face, Poe melted butter over the stove. He poured the mixture into another bowl, and then added the rest of the wet ingredients. He did his best to measure with the same accuracy that Kyouka had, and she watched him whisk the ingredients together.
Then, he gave Kyouka the whisk, telling her to mix the flour as he poured the wet ingredients into the bowl. They let the batter set, and Poe made sure the crepe maker was hot enough. He took out a smooth serving knife, which he found worked better than the typical wooden sticks (which Karl had claimed as toys), and moved to take a spoonful of the batter.
It sizzled as he spread it evenly over the surface of the pan, and Kyouka watched, mesmerized. Her eyes were shining, and Poe was happy that she felt comfortable enough to show more of her emotions around him.
He flipped the crepe with ease, relieved that he hadn’t lost his talent. Kyouka looked like he had just shown her the coolest thing in the world, and her open-mouthed stare made Poe a bit bashful.
After he had successfully cooked a couple of crepes, he looked toward Kyouka again.
“Would you like to try?”
She squeezed her fists and nodded, looking like she had just accepted a perilous mission. It was adorable how seriously she took the whole ordeal. He handed her the knife, and poured some batter onto the hot surface. She spread it cautiously, looking up at Poe when she finished. He gave her a slightly awkward thumbs up, and she looked proud.
When it came time to flip, she tried to push the knife under the crepe. Poe reached out to stop her, but quickly pulled his hand back, apologizing profusely. Kyouka looked confused, and Poe tried to explain.
One thing he had noticed spending time with Kyouka, and just by being around her, was that she didn’t like to be touched. He had spent the whole day trying not to be threatening, only to almost startle her next to a hot surface.
“I-I’m sorry, I was going to correct the way you were holding the knife. I didn’t mean to try and touch your hand without letting you know. I didn’t mean to upset or scare you.”
Kyouka’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked back at her feet. Poe really had screwed up. He didn’t know what she had gone through, but he should have known better than to reach for her hand. He tried to take a step back and give her space when he felt a hand grab his sleeve.
“Thank you.” Kyouka’s eyes met his, and she gave a small smile. “And… I don’t mind. You aren’t scary.”
Poe let out a sigh of relief. Kyouka didn’t hate him, and he hadn’t upset her. His face hurt from how much he had smiled that day, even if the smiles were small and soft, but he let another form on his face.
“Are you alright if I move your hand?”
Kyouka nodded, and Poe moved her fingers around the handle of the serving knife. He showed her that she had to start flipping the crepe from the side, and drag the knife across the bottom of the crepe. Once they had separated the crepe from the surface, he moved her hand so the knife was in the middle of the crepe, and made a tossing motion. Kyouka repeated it, and the crepe flipped over. It was a little messy, and one side was very much burnt, but Poe was extremely proud of her.
Kyouka frowned, looking at the blackened end of the crepe, and Poe assured her it was fine. He saved the crepe so he could eat it, even though Kyouka had tried to throw it out.
It’s burnt. Kyouka muttered with enough scorn that it could be believed that the crepe had wronged her personally. He had told her it wasn’t as burnt as it looked, and that he was going to eat it. She had laughed when he stood in front of the garbage can, holding his arms out to make sure she didn’t try and get rid of the crepe.
Kyouka kept trying with the remaining batter, and she got better and better. They definitely made way too many crepes, but Kyouka looked like she was having fun, so Poe didn’t mind.
When they finished with the batter, he asked Kyouka to bring out the crepe stacks they had made to the table in the dining room, which connected to the kitchen. He started to take out toppings, and took out strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate chips, and a pack of cookies that Ranpo had brought the last time he came over. He would buy Ranpo more cookies, if the other even noticed the disappearance of that pack.
He stacked all of the toppings and brought them into the dining room, where Kyouka had placed the crepes. She smiled at the various foods he had brought, and he went back to grab more plates. Then, he walked to the living room, where Karl had fallen asleep at the beginning of their reading session, and gently woke the raccoon up.
The displeasure of being woken up was quickly replaced by the happiness from the smell of food, and Karl scurried into the dining room, with Poe close behind. The raccoon sat on the table near Kyouka, and Poe sighed fondly as he began to assemble a small (raccoon friendly) crepe.
Then came his favorite part. He asked Kyouka if it was alright if he made her a crepe, and she agreed. He lined the base of the crepe with whipped cream and strawberries, and folded it into thirds, making a classic triangle.
“Do you have a favorite animal, Kyouka?”
“I like… bunnies.”
In response, he opened the carton of ice cream. He placed one scoop onto the crepe, using more whipped cream to make little ears and a nose. He used upside-down chocolate chips for the eyes, and he cut a piece of strawberry for the pink of the nose. He lined the bunny with fruit and cookies, and handed the completed crepe to Kyouka.
Kyouka’s smile was blinding. He had seen larger ones, but hers looked so genuine that Poe couldn’t help but feel happy. She looked back and forth between him and the crepe and her eyes shined. Poe was glad he had enjoyed making cutesy animal crepes from the beginning, because piping a bunny was easy for him.
“Is that alright?”
“Yes.” She picked up the crepe and took a bite. “Thank you.”
With that, he assembled his own crepe. He only used whipped cream and fruit, but the crepe was still much too sweet. Not what he would usually eat, but he supposed it was fine to change things up every once in a while.
When Kyouka finished her crepe, she looked back up at Poe. He tilted his head in response and she asked, “Can you make other animals?”
“Yes. Is there an animal you would like me to make?”
Kyouka thought for a second before turning to Karl, “Can you make a raccoon?”
He nodded and began to prepare another crepe. He used crumbled cookies to make the details on the raccoon, and used Karl as reference (who posed magnificently). When he finished, he handed the crepe to Kyouka, who laughed as she compared it to Karl. He knew she wasn’t making fun of him, so he laughed too. It was a disheveled raccoon at best. He didn’t have all his equipment, but he had tried.
When they had finished their crepes, it was nearing ten o'clock. Making the crepes had taken a lot of time, and they spent dinner just enjoying each other’s company. But, Poe figured they should try and sleep (he had to be an example, he didn’t want to pass his terrible sleeping habits onto her).
He cleaned up the table and picked up Karl.
“Kyouka, can I show you a guest room?”
Poe had expected a nod, or a thank you. He had not expected, however, a look of fear to flash across her face. She covered it instantly and nodded, but Poe was concerned.
“Are you alright?”
Kyouka paused, and her hands crumpled the bottom of her shirt.
“I… don’t like sleeping alone.”
That made sense. Poe was fairly certain she shared a room with Atsushi, and he could relate to not liking to sleep alone. He usually kept Karl with him when he slept. Having another presence in the room made it easier for him to fall asleep. And she was probably more nervous than usual without her ability. Unlike his, hers was an offensive ability, which probably made her feel safer. Without it, she didn’t have that feeling of safety.
“Hm… Would you like to stay in my room? I have an extra mattress, and Karl can sleep in your bed.”
She nodded again, and Poe could see a small bit of relief in her eyes. He showed her where the bathroom was so she could change her clothes, and he went into his room. It was still messy from that morning (Poe wasn’t entirely sure what time he had stopped writing the night before, but it was probably more in the AM than it should have been). He cleaned the scattered papers and began to blow up the air mattress he kept in his closet. He had also gotten that for Ranpo, (the detective was prone to falling asleep anywhere), but Ranpo had quickly decided he liked Poe’s bed better. And what was Poe going to do, kick him out? So, the air mattress had also gone unused.
He covered it in new sheets, and pulled out another comforter from his closet. His house got cold at night, and he didn’t want her to freeze.
When she came into the bedroom, he left to get changed into his own pajamas. He was a little embarrassed wearing them, they were covered in little raccoons, but figured it didn’t matter.
Going back into the room, Kyouka was sitting on the edge of the air mattress, holding Karl. He had fallen asleep in her arms, and Poe thought they were adorable. He really had taken a liking to her. He was reminded of the first time he and Atsushi had spent time together, and the urge to protect him that came after. He really did care for them both.
He turned on a night light (another one of the many things Ranpo had caused to appear in his house) and turned the overhead light off. He wished Kyouka sweet dreams, but before he could close his eyes, he heard her speak.
“Good night. And thank you, for everything. I’m… having fun.”
“You don’t have to thank me. And I’m glad.”
Usually, Poe had terrible insomnia. But he found that Kyouka and Karl’s contented snores made it easy to fall asleep.
The next day had been similar to the first. Ranpo had called Poe and told him the agency found the general location of the gifted, but they needed time to cut off escape routes. Poe had assured him and Atsushi that Kyouka was doing fine (she was still sleeping when they called), and he spent the rest of the morning writing. Kyouka joined him in the living room around eleven, and she apologized for sleeping in. Poe assured her it was fine, they didn’t have much to do anyway.
They spent most of the day in the living room, reading their respective books. Kyouka still asked questions, but sometimes she would laugh or quietly complain about the decisions the characters made. When they finished their books, they swapped and commented on each other’s story. Kyouka thought the mystery was good, if a little pretentious. Poe had laughed at the word, agreeing completely.
Kyouka had read an adventure book that Poe hadn’t even realized he owned, but he thought it was quite cute. The plot was easily discerned, but he enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and characters. He agreed with Kyouka however that some of the decisions were dumb ones, and that the story could have been much shorter if the characters had used common sense.
They cooked dinner together (they had eaten crepes for breakfast and lunch), and they watched a movie while they ate. They chose the movie adaptation of the adventure book she had read, which was surprisingly decent. Poe, call him a purist if you will, never let his books be adapted into movies. Too much would be out of his hands, and he wasn’t assertive enough to ask any director to change things he didn’t like. It was easier to just not allow the adaptation in the first place. Kyouka had giggled when he told her, calling him pretentious . Poe thought she was beginning to like the word too much, and gasped in mock offense.
Kyouka stuck her tongue out at him, and Poe, like the child he was, did it back. The two laughed, and then spent the rest of the night making fun of the movie. Kyouka still didn’t talk much, but Poe was getting used to her gestures and expressions.
On the third day, Ranpo called him to tell him they were going forward with their plan. He said to expect Demon Snow to make an appearance sometime that day, but not to tell Kyouka. Poe understood that it was to avoid getting her hopes up, but felt bad lying to Kyouka anyway. Well, he never actually lied to her, but he still felt guilty withholding the truth.
That day, Kyouka was antsy. He supposed it made sense that someone affiliated with the agency would have a problem being stuck inside for days on end, but there wasn’t much he could do. He told Kyouka she was welcome to explore the house, which she did happily. She was much more at home than she had been when they had first arrived, and he was happy to see it.
Eventually, she came out of a guest room holding a box. She set the box in front of Poe and opened it, looking up at him. Oh. She had found his nail polish. He didn’t do it as much nowadays, but there was a period in his life where he loved painting his nails black. Poe had honestly forgotten he still had the box, but sat on the floor with Kyouka when she held the bottle to him.
He had other colors too, but he never used them. They had come in a set, but Poe had only cared about the black, leaving the rest of the bottles unopened.
Kyouka held a blue bottle, and Poe set up a towel on the floor, gesturing for her to put her hands down. He started to paint her nails, careful to avoid getting paint on her fingers. Once she approved the color on her smallest nail, he began to paint the others. The polish had sparkles in it, and he thought the color suited her.
Poe got halfway through Kyouka’s second hand when a bright flash took over the room. He yelped and shut his eyes quickly, but he still struggled to blink the floating lights out of his eyes after the initial flash. When he opened his eyes fully, there was a sword at his throat. Not just a sword. Poe recognized the weapon– it was a katana.
He inhaled sharply, locking eyes with the figure in front of him. She was made of pure white, and her regal dress floated in front of him. But for some reason, he wasn’t scared.
“Demon Snow sto-” Kyouka was the loudest Poe had ever heard her, and her voice was strained with fear. But before she could finish her sentence, Poe felt the katana leave the edge of his throat, and a soft hand ruffled his hair. Was Demon Snow… petting him?
Poe had definitely had some odd interactions with abilities, but this was new. Demon Snow backed away from him, and let herself into a deep bow. Poe recognized it as an apology, and quickly assured her it was alright.
“Please don’t worry! You were just protecting Kyouka, I understand. I’m glad you’re back!” Karl chirped, agreeing with Poe, and Poe was a little concerned that his pet did not seem worried for his health in the slightest. Karl sat on the couch, unbothered. He made a very bad guard-raccoon.
Demon Snow’s face softened, and although she didn’t have a mouth, Poe could tell she would be smiling.
“Oh. Demon Snow, she… She… likes you?” Kyouka sounded surprised, and Poe decided to take it as a compliment.
“W-well, she’s welcome to… stay? I have to finish your nails, but we should probably go to the agency after.”
Kyouka nodded, and Poe painted the rest of her nails while he processed what had just happened. He wasn’t hurt, and it was a mistake, so he supposed it was fine? It was good that Ranpo’s plan had worked, but Poe would be lying if he said he was happy she was leaving. It had only been three days, but Poe had gotten used to her. He put away the nail polish and fanned her hands until they dried. Kyouka spoke first.
“Can… Can I visit?” Her voice was small, as small as it had been when she first came into his house.
Poe was a little surprised at the question, but his answer was honest. “Of course. I-I really liked having you. Feel free to come whenever you want, and we can make crepes again. I’ll still walk you back to the agency, though, so you’ll have to deal with me a little while longer.” Poe smiled softly, happy for Kyouka, but already beginning to miss her presence before she shook her head.
“I’m having fun. It’s… not annoying.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
Poe helped Kyouka get her items together, and the two began to walk back to the agency. Demon Snow dissipated when they stepped outside (Poe assumed she would raise too much concern) and Kyouka’s face was scrunched up like she was having an internal struggle. After a minute, she looked at Poe and held out her hand.
Poe nodded and took it, making sure not to grip it too tightly. It meant a lot to him. He was sure it meant a lot to both of them. The height difference made it slightly awkward, but neither let go.
Lucy raised her eyebrow when they got back to the agency, but she smiled seeing Kyouka’s contented expression. Poe realized with a start that he never wound up looking at the rest of the paper she had given him, but he thought it still worked out.
When they opened the agency doors, everyone jumped and ran over to them. Atsushi hugged Kyouka, who let go of Poe’s hand, and hugged him back. Ranpo ruffled her hair, and the others smiled and waved to her. Dazai also patted her head, but when he drew back, Demon Snow glared at him. Poe hadn’t even noticed her appear behind him, but if she was comfortable, he didn’t mind.
Atsushi yelped when he saw her, and Kyouka giggled.
“Good job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so comfortable around someone so fast.” Ranpo jabbed Poe’s side and smiled. He wasn’t sure if Ranpo was referring to Kyouka or Demon Snow. But he didn’t dwell on it, because Ranpo opened his eyes, causing Poe to blush and stutter out an I have to go!
He looked over to Kyouka, but she was busy talking to the other agency members. He didn’t want to bother her, so he turned towards the door quietly before he felt small arms wrap around his waist.
“You have to say goodbye.” Kyouka’s voice was quiet, and Poe laughed as he turned around.
“Sorry, you seemed busy. But remember, you can visit whenever, all right?” He ruffled her hair, and Kyouka stopped hugging him to pet Karl, who was around Poe’s neck. The raccoon jumped into her arms, nuzzling her face before going back to Poe.
Kyouka nodded and stepped back, waving shyly.
She watched Poe leave, his flowy jacket swaying behind him, and saw Demon Snow wave too. When the door closed, she heard Ranpo speak up.
“So, what do you think? Is he worthy of me?” Ranpo smirked, and Kyouka scoffed lightly.
“You don’t deserve
him.
” She responded, and Atsushi laughed as Ranpo pretended to be offended. She smiled softly, and looked out the window. The author was walking slowly back to his house, with Karl perched onto his shoulder. She would have to visit soon.