Chapter Text
"You tolerate me." His eyes narrowed, and Inference scoffed.
"To say I ‘tolerate you’ is a vast overstatement." He immediately pointed out. Ronald raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. "Is it now? You seem to spend a lot of time with someone you simply 'tolerate'." He said, his tone mocking.
Inference scowled, but his scowl got wiped off of his face with a single exasperated sigh as he crossed his arms.
"I endure you at best." he answered coldly, refusing to grace Ronald's statement with an explanation. Ronald smirked, undeterred.
"Enduring me sounds so much better, doesn't it? All I'm hearing is that I make it into your daily routine." He paused for dramatic effect, savoring the other's annoyed reaction. "I'll take that as a form of admiration, if you don't mind." Ronald said with a smug expression.
"You think so highly of yourself, don't you?" Inference responded, giving him a withering stare.
"Inference," He paused, "You think so lowly of me, don't you?" mimicking his words.
It agitated Inference even more but he knew than to give into the urge and feed into what Ronald wanted. A reaction. He huffed in annoyance. "You're impossible, Ronald." Inference said flatly.
"That's quite flattering, Detective."
He shook his head. "It isn't flattery, it's an observation." Inference retorted coolly, his eyes fixed on the hands of Ronald that was currently trailing across his nameplate on his desk. A frown tugged on Inference's face at the sight.
"Well, Inference," he said with a grin. "I'll take what I can get from your little observation; flattery or what not." Ronald added.
"In that case, you're welcome." Inference said crossly, his lips curled in distaste. He was no stranger to difficult 'clients' but Ronald's attitude seemed to be maddening.
He still kept his eyes fixed on Ronald's hands, it was as if his constant fiddling with his nameplate made him even more frustrated.
"If you're not careful, Inference, you might start to like me." Ronald said, his voice teasing. Inference looked up at him sharply, his frown deepening.
"Don't mistake my 'tolerance' for affection, Ronald." Inference warned stiffly. The word 'tolerance' being emphasized.
"I'll keep that in mind," He said, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"But you must admit, Detective, you're a bit... touchy when it comes to me, no?"
Inference took a while to piece together his words, as if he couldn't believe what the man had just said. But his mind was whirling with thoughts he couldn't quite put into words.
He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Ronald than just his arrogant exterior.
But he'd be damned if he let the actor know that.
"You're touchy when it comes to me." Inference repeated after Ronald, the sarcasm clear in his voice. Ronald smirked, taking the bait.
"Touchy? Oh, I don't think that's the word I'd use. Obsessed, maybe. Can't quite seem to get me out of your head, can you?" he teased, his tone light.
"I think my 'obsession' with you is purely professional." Inference replied.
"Professional," Ronald repeated Inference's choice of word, his tone dripping with derision.
"You mean like the time you let your 'professionalism' slip and... " He let his sentence trail off, leaving Inference's imagination to finish it.
"What, you're referring to when I kissed you in the midst of an interrogation?" Inference said, not hiding his sarcasm. "That was nothing. Don't get ahead of yourself." Ronald's smirk only grew wider, seeming to bask in Inference's words.
"Then what was it, Detective?" Ronald said, his tone soft and slightly amused. "Unbridled impulsivity, perhaps? A moment of weakness? Take your pick."
Inference took a deep breath before replying, in an even tone, "My actions were purely tactical. I needed to throw you off balance. It was an act of distraction. A ruse, to get more information out of you."
"...A ruse that paid off beautifully, I might add." Inference concluded, his eyes darkening with a mixture of humor and sarcasm.
Inference seemed almost immune to Ronald's usual methods of flattery, manipulation, et cetera. And Ronald couldn't contain his amusement. "A ruse?" Ronald repeated in a questioning way.
"Well, if that's what you want to call it." He smirked, seeming almost proud of Inference's actions. Inference, however, remained unchanged.
"I've never had much faith in distractions," Inference replied, his tone even and business-like. "They're too temporary, too fragile." He stated.
"I beg to differ," Ronald replied with a smirk. "Distractions can be quite effective...if used correctly." Ronald said, referencing the kiss Inference used to extract information from him.
"You seem awfully fond of that specific method I used on you." Inference pointed out, his voice full of derision. Ronald chuckled at Inference's response.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a well-executed distraction." He leaned in closer to Inference, his eyes flickering with amusement.
"Although," he added, "I have to admit, the technique was a bit... daring."
Inference nodded, "Daring, perhaps. But it certainly paid off." Inference's voice was still tinged with amusement, but there was something else there too. A hint of annoyance, yet vague.
He seemed to be getting tired of Ronald's constant playful flirting. Ronald could sense it and was enjoying the effect he was having.
"If you don't mind, I have other tasks to attend to. Good day."
"Now, now, what's the rush?" Ronald hummed a playful tune. "After all, you couldn't possibly expect me to believe you've finished your work so early."
Inference simply crossed his arms. "Nonsense." He said, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
"I simply have much better things to do than stay here with you. And as much as I'd like to indulge you; I have more important things to attend to."
Ronald continued to hum the playful tune from earlier, "Like what, Inference?" He questioned. "What could possibly be so urgent that it can't wait a few more minutes?" Ronald trailed off of his sentence, before continuing.
"However... You could give me a kiss, and we can call it a day." He teased. Inference's irritation grew even further, yet Ronald's playful tone did not seem to falter.
"As wonderful as that sounds," Inference said with a hint of sarcasm. "Unfortunately, I can't." He paused for a moment, before continuing.
"And I'd appreciate it if you would stop flirting and take a hint." Inference added. It seemed as though he wanted Ronald to know that his flirts were not appreciated nor welcomed.
"I have standards."
"Standards can be broken." Ronald replied with a warm smile, his eyes glinting mischievously, Inference was taken aback by Ronald's forwardness, slightly flustered, enough for Ronald to see.
"Looks like I have your attention now." He sneered and chuckled softly to himself as he leaned back on his chair.
After a moment of silent observation, Inference let out a deep sigh of annoyance. "Fine, a kiss will suffice."
"..As long as you understand that this is strictly a business transaction."
And so, with a flourish of his hand, Ronald leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Inference's mouth. It was a fleeting moment of connection, but it was enough to send a flutter of excitement through Inference's heart.
"Now get lost. And don't come back."
Ronald leaned back with a pleased smirk on his face. He had proven his point; Inference was just as interested in him as he was in Inference. That was all he needed to know. He winked at Inference and nodded his head towards the door, his gaze steady.
"I'll see myself out," He excused himself, knowing that Inference's response would be silence. "Ciao, Detective." Ronald said slyly, and when the door shut, Inference sighed to himself and sat himself down at his desk.
Inference wasn't accustomed to being pursued. He valued his privacy and preferred to keep his distance from others. Yet Ronald was different. He was persistent, and his flirting had gotten under Inference's skin.
And, for some reason, he couldn't shake off the memory of that kiss on the corner of his mouth, the taste of Ronald's chapstick lingering on his lips.