Chapter Text
“I can’t believe you did that! How could you have been such an idiot?!” Ranpo screams right into Poe’s ear, frustration evident in his face. The writer winces due to the volume.
In response, the man covers one of his ears. “I have told you ten times now, Karl could have gotten hurt!” Said raccoon was currently laying peacefully on Poe’s lap as the man ran his fingers through his fur.
The detective couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His gaze fixed on the man in front of him, who was now mumbling and stammering, clearly struggling to make sense of his completely nonsensical actions.
His thoughts drifted back to just a few minutes earlier. The two of them were walking side by side on their way to the theater, Ranpo had gotten some tickets for a show – a gift from one of the Agency’s clients. The light atmosphere was shattered when a loud horn blared from behind them. Startled by the noise, Karl, who had been perched on Poe’s shoulder, ran into the busy street.
And to Ranpo’s horror, Poe bolted after him, effectively giving the detective two heart attacks in a matter of seconds.
It was sheer luck that they both avoided the worst. While Karl actually managed to make it to the other side safely, Poe was not as lucky. In his desperation to reach his pet, he failed to notice a woman on a bicycle who accidentally crashed into him, sending them both to the ground. The cars around them stopped, honking loudly, allowing Ranpo an opportunity to run for his partner.
The young woman had apologized profusely, helping guide Poe to the sidewalk. Her equipment kept her unharmed, but she was visibly shaken at having potentially hurt someone. Poe reassured her that he was fine, and after much convincing, she let them be, providing her number in case there was anything she could help them with.
Which brought them to now.
Ranpo takes him in, clothes rumpled from the dirty street, hands marked by scrapes from the fall, brow cut from the impact when the bike hit him. “Oh Karl, you’re really not hurt, are you?” And yet, Poe keeps clinging to his fat raccoon, turning him over for the third time, checking for wounds the animal didn’t have.
He looks like a worried parent. The thought sends a rush of affection through Ranpo’s chest.
“Y’know what?” Ranpo leans down, their faces hovering inches apart. “I hate how much you acting like an idiot makes me want to make out with you.” Was all the warning he gave before pulling the taller man by the collar and smashing their mouths together.
Needless to say, they missed the show.