Work Text:
Ranpo lost the fight against the yawn he had tried to stifle for too long, and that one second of inattention caused him to lose the fight against the last boss he had to beat in order to complete the level.
Welcoming the “Game Over” music with a grumble, the raven-haired young man rubbed his heavy eyes with one hand, and plunged the other into the bag of potato chips lying beside him – only to find it empty. Ranpo groaned again and, while licking the remaining salt on his fingers, checked the time on his phone. 21:04. Usually, he would prepare to go to bed at this hour.
But tonight, he was waiting for someone.
Ranpo switched off his console and, after dozily listening to the sound of the rain pouring outside, he turned his hips and lied down completely on the couch. The empty paper bag fell on the ground, lifeless.
His eyes fluttering as he tried to push slumber away, Ranpo opened the message app and scrolled up the last conversation he had, so as to re-read the thread up from that one message which had changed his plans for the evening.
Can I crash at your place tonight?
The message had come from Yosano.
It’s not that it came totally out of the blue. They had been chatting for a bit through the message app after she told him she and Fukuzawa had completed their mission in Ôsaka. The two of them had been away for a week-long business trip that had more business than trip in it – according to what Yosano had told him.
From the way she had written her messages, Ranpo could easily tell she was tired. Exhausted, even. Which was not that surprising, since she wasn’t much more a fan of such listless workshops than Ranpo. But the agency had been receiving a lot of cases recently, so their boss had preferred to appoint Kunikida as his replacement for the week instead of asking him to accompany him, to make sure their work would go smoothly in Yokohama. And because Ranpo had rejected the offer before it had even been proposed to him, Yosano had remained the only veteran member available for the trip.
Seeing how said trip seemed to have wrung her out, the detective had felt a tiny pang of guilt.
And then, there was that message. This simple question, inserted relatively abruptly in the course of the conversation – like a stab in the “you’ve-let-her-endure-this-in-your-place” wound.
A question to which Ranpo had answered as naturally as possible:
Why, of course you can
Is everything okay?
Yes, don’t worry
I’m just tired
And I want to see you
There had been a pause before that last message. Like she had hesitated to send it.
Ranpo had instantly thought: what could have happened to his favorite doctor? Usually, she would have stopped at the first line. Because usually, she was either too proud or too considerate of her loved ones – sometimes both – to be blunt about her feelings.
It would have been a lie if he were to say this message hadn’t – and still was – slightly worrying him.
Nevertheless, true to himself, Ranpo had pushed his worries aside and tried to lighten up the mood:
Missing me already? :p
Well I mean, as you should
Who doesn’t miss the greatest detective’s bright mind every day?
He could almost have heard her chuckle through the answer she had sent him:
I can list a ton of people who wouldn’t miss that cocky attitude of yours :p
But surely you wouldn’t be part of that list, right? :p
Hmm
Actually…
C’mon, stop messing with me
Ranpo couldn’t help but draw a smile when seeing the laughing emoji she had sent in response to that last message. Their usual banter didn’t have the same savor when it occurred by distance, but the delight of having managed to cheer her up would never be any less heartwarming.
Anyway, you’re always welcome here, no worries
When is your train arriving?
Around 21:00
Fukuzawa has agreed to drive me to your house
Upon reading that last part, Ranpo had wondered what Fukuzawa had thought of Yosano’s sudden decision. Since he had spent an entire week with her, he had a front seat to witness her current mood. As much of a great detective as he was, Ranpo couldn’t make deductions out of thin air; all he had were those few messages exchanged with Yosano, and she wasn’t saying much…
Of course, he could have messaged Fukuzawa himself to try and get some info. But Ranpo was too proud to ask for help, especially when the matter was about someone he cared about a lot – or rather, especially when the matter was about Yosano. The fact they had made their relation official about a month ago had nothing to do with it. He simply couldn’t help it: whenever she was in low spirits, he always felt the urge to do anything in his power to help her. It had been like this ever since they met, and it would probably never change.
Okay
I’ll leave the door open
See you
The conversation had ended here. The last message was sent at 20:12, so about an hour ago.
Ranpo dropped his phone next to him and crossed his arms behind his head. The station was barely ten minutes by car from his house. Given their train wasn’t too late, Yosano and Fukuzawa would be arriving any minute soon. Since he had to give up on his game, Ranpo considered reading a book so as to not wait idly, with the risk of the sound of the rain lulling him to sleep. Though now that he had re-read that conversation thread, the silent anxiety of not knowing if Yosano was feeling well or not would probably prevent sleep to fully numb his senses…
The thought had barely crossed his mind that he heard a rattling sound coming from behind the front door. The click of the handle being pushed followed soon after.
“It’s me.”
If any other indication that Yosano was tired above words was needed, her hollow voice had just given one.
Ranpo jumped to his feet and trotted to the hall. His observant eyes instantly scanned the familiar silhouette of his girlfriend. Yosano was wearing a large trench coat, which was slightly darkened around the shoulders. Her heels as well as the wheels of her suitcase also showed stains of damp mud – everything indicated she had rushed under the rain from the car to his door. Logical, since both her hands were too full to hold an umbrealla, with her suitcase on one side, and her usual purse, where she stored her medical attire – and also tools made more for torture than treatment – on the other side.
When she took off her coat, it revealed a rather classy, yet not too ostentatious attire: a low-cut white silk shirt over which was thrown a black velvet jacket, assorted in color with a skirt that reached her knee, where the skin was hidden behind a dark pair of tights. Her hair, only slightly disheveled by the rain, was pushed back in a tight bun held on by her butterfly pin, an arrangement that brought out the pale skin of her neck, around which a pearl necklace rested. Her face looked clean, though spots of blush and mascara could be seen by keen eyes. She must have worn makeup for a last business lunch before washing it away – probably in the train or at the hotel before she left it.
Ranpo blinked. The observation had lasted less than half a second, and he hadn’t spotted anything out of the ordinary.
“Hiya,” he greeted her, stretching his neck to peek behind her, surprised to see the door already closed. “The President’s not with you?”
“He dropped me down the alley and set off right after.” Yosano managed to draw a small smile. “What? Were you ready to let us both sleep over for tonight?”
The detective stuck out his tongue playfully. “Wouldn’t have minded. No, but I wanted to greet him welcome back, too…”
Yosano looked as if she was about to say something, but changed her mind at the last second. Switching her boots to slippers, she put her suitcase aside and, while initiating the movement, asked about her heavy purse:
“Mind if I put this here?”
“Go ahead. Make yourself at home.”
A strange hue veiled Yosano’s gaze for a brief second as she let go of her load. Ranpo didn’t have the opportunity to wonder about it any further, since she suddenly strode right into his arms, bumping him so fast he almost fell back.
“Woah.” He hugged her back without thinking about it. “Rough week?”
“You bet. I thought it would never end.”
Yosano buried her face in the crook of Ranpo’s neck during the last part, not caring if her voice would get muffled. Once again prompted by an old reflex, the detective lifted his hand up to gently massage her scalp, just like he used to do when they were younger and she was suffering from panic attacks or nightmares.
“… You okay?” he asked, lowering his voice unconsciously.
“Mm-hm. ‘m glad to be back.”
Yosano straightened up her neck and put her chin on his shoulder, sighing in delight as he progressively alleviated the tensions at the back of her skull. Her arms thrown around his torso loosened up a bit – now it actually felt like she was hugging him rather than holding onto him.
“You definitely wouldn’t have liked it there. Too many brainless idiots thinking they’re so smart… I don’t know how the President can stay so stoic while talking with them. Scratch that, how can he even talk with them to begin with? I still want to chop their tongues just thinking about it…”
She kept on rambling about her week, letting go of all the nasty comments she had stored during five days without anyone to share them out loud. Anyone with the same point of view as her, that is. Not that she thought Fukuzawa wouldn’t agree with everything she was saying – anyone who knew the guy would say it was quite the contrary – but as her boss and also former caretaker, he would have tempered her opinion rather than agreeing with it. Ranpo, on the other hand, was not a tactful person. It somehow made it easier for Yosano to confide in him. And as expected, Ranpo quietly listened to her ramble, sometimes nodding or making a laconic yet heartfelt comment at her anecdotes. And though she didn’t notice it immediately, he was also rocking her from time to time.
“Did you have trouble with someone?” he asked at some point.
Damn, how he hated to play the guesser like that. Whatever happened to his Super-Deduction? With or without glasses, he should be able to figure out if something was bothering her…
Yosano hummed softly as if pondering the question.
“… Not that much. In case you forgot, I had the scariest bodyguard of all Japan with me pretty much all the time.”
A sudden burst of laughter escaped Ranpo.
“Pfft– haha! Of course… Yeah, of course. He would never let anything happen to his precious little girl, after all.”
“Oh please, don’t start.” Despite her annoyed tone, Yosano felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, induced in spite of herself by his contagious laugh. “I was so ashamed when I understood what was going on…”
Another laughter tickled Ranpo’s chest. He hated to admit it, but Yosano’s strange attitude had unnerved him to the point a single witty joke had rendered him restless.
The doctor then ran a soothing hand on his back, allaying the shudders induced by the stifled laugh.
“Why did you ask?” she inquired gently. Now it looked like she was the one comforting him.
Ranpo pouted. He didn’t want to explain why he had been worried about her well-being. Not that there wasn’t a good explanation: she had a background of trauma-induced sadness, and he was always hunting down every sign of said sadness to drive it away… But the sheer though of admitting it aloud set a wildfire in Ranpo’s temples, so he’d rather avoid it.
“Dunno. You’re not so… clingy, usually.” Maybe telling half the truth would suffice. “And I mean, I know we’re officially a couple and all, but I was kinda surprised that you’d want to sleep over without going back to your home first.”
Her grip on his chest tightened ever so slightly. If he didn’t know her so well, Ranpo would have thought she was offended by his words. But he could recognize that squeeze of shyness like no other.
“… I like it better here,” Yosano eventually whispered in a faint voice. “It feels… like home too…”
Oh.
Everything suddenly fell into place. And in the end, Ranpo’s temples did get set on fire, but from shame instead of embarrassment.
Yosano didn’t have any trouble, or wasn’t struggling with the aftermath of a panic attack. She was just a girl exhausted by her trip, who missed her lover and wanted to see him to seek some basic comfort. It was really as simple as that. Would this situation have happened to anyone else, Ranpo would have scoffed at their blindness and stupidity. But apparently, even him was unable to see further than the tip of his nose during this kind of situation…
Then, Yosano suddenly bumped her head into the humbled detective’s shoulder.
“Uh…? What…?” Ranpo stuttered.
“… You’re thinking it’s cheesy, aren’t you?”
“Huh? I haven’t said anything!”
“But you’re thinking it, right? I know you think it’s cheesy. Or stupid. Maybe both.”
Though Ranpo could not see it, he was certain that her face had turned as red as his own from bashfulness.
“C’mon, don’t say that.” He gently prodded her until she gave in and stirred herself away from him, just enough so he’d see her face. “I would think that only if you had actually said some cheesy lines like ‘you are my home’ or ‘home is wherever you are’… that kind of stuff.”
Yosano couldn’t help but giggle. “That does sound cheesier. Although…” She averted her gaze. “It’s… how I really feel, you know…”
Ranpo’s heart fluttered at her words.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the lines cheesy. Besides…” He cupped her face with one hand and, as he was resting his forehead against hers, said in a lower voice: “You know that I feel the same.”
She smiled and took his wrist in her hand, letting his own rest a little longer on her cheek before pulling it away.
“I really don’t deserve you,” she whispered softly.
“That’s dumb.” He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows furrowed in a perplexed frown. “Don’t I make you happy?”
Yosano giggled again. “Why, of course, you do.”
“Then what you say is dumb.” Ranpo made as if to flick her forehead – though his touch was as light as a feather. “You deserve to be happy. And if I make you happy, then you deserve me. Period.”
“What is even that kind of logic…?”
“I’m a great detective. I don’t need logic. I just say what’s true.”
The more he spoke, the more Ranpo became aware of his own words, as well as of the way Yosano was gazing at him lovingly. The warm feeling tickling his chest suddenly erupted when she leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, leaving him so dizzy he forgot where he was and what he was doing for several seconds.
“W-well, now that we’re done with the cheesy stuff…” he managed to stammer once he regained some of his composure. “Y-you, uh… you wanna eat something?”
Yosano stifled a chuckle at his uneasiness.
“I ate some snacks in the train. I’m not that hungry.”
Holding back a yawn, she stretched her sore arms. She was acting very casually for someone who was cringing from embarrassment a few minutes ago, Ranpo thought.
“Right now, all I crave is a good fucking bath. Would you be so kind and get me a change of clothes while I prepare it?”
Still feeling a bit giddy, the detective nodded docilely and left, mumbling a “you know the way” while doing so. Once he was out of sight, Yosano licked her lips. They tasted of the salt that was on Ranpo’s… Surveying the main room, she spotted the empty bag of potato chips. She rolled her eyes, and took the paper in order to bin it. Despite the sigh that escaped through them, a faint smile was gracing her lips.
*~*~*
By the time Ranpo got his favorite doctor some pajamas – which had been quick, considering they were about the same height – the sound of water being poured in the bathtub was resonating between the walls. When he reached the bathroom door, the raven-haired boy gave three knocks on it as a matter of politeness. Since no one answered him, however, he tried to open the door – successfully, as it wasn’t locked.
Right after he stepped across the threshold, Ranpo’s acute nostrils were immediately triggered by a familiar scent.
“Watch’ya doing?”
Only the sound of water being stirred answered him. Whatever Yosano was doing, she was apparently so focused on it she hadn’t heard him. Ranpo spotted her crouched next to the bathtub, her back turned against him. A flush of pink tinted his cheeks when he noticed she had taken almost all her clothes, leaving only the underwear – and as usual, she was wearing that kind of lingerie that didn’t cover much…
Holding back a weary sigh, Ranpo put the clothes on a stool, took a clean towel and unfolded it to wrap it around Yosano’s shoulders.
“Put something on if you’re not entering the bath immediately, silly,” he scolded her in a monotone. “You’ll catch a col–”
Bewilderment cut him off mid-sentence. He hadn’t noticed it until he reached the bathtub, but Yosano was stirring the water in the tub with her hand so as to mix it with shampoo – his shampoo.
Caught red-handed, Yosano stayed with the opened bottle hanging above the water, like she had been frozen in place. She slowly averted her gaze, suddenly very interested in the chalky specks spotting the bathroom walls.
“Say, Ranpo. I don’t suppose you have a stock of your shampoo?” she then asked, sounding as innocent as she could.
“… Why are you asking me this after chucking it in the bath?!”
His reaction seemingly awoke her defiant side which, paradoxically, erased all trace of guilt in her eyes and her voice.
“I forgot, okay? I’m tired, I can’t think of everything.”
“What the– ah, forget that, why are you even pouring shampoo in your bath?”
“To make a bubble bath.”
Ranpo blinked, deadpan. “A bubble bath? Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be tired? You could have just taken a shower.”
She looked at him as if he had just said the most stupid thing ever – something that deeply irritated Ranpo.
“It’s precisely because I am tired that I want a bubble bath. It’s the best way to alleviate your tensions. I always make one after coming back from a long mission.”
“Uh-huh.”
Yosano threw her eyes heavenwards.
“Don’t ‘uh-huh’ me! You told me to make myself at home, remember?” Yosano turned the faucet on again to add more water to the mix and regulate its temperature. “Well, back at home, I have liquid soap for that, but here I have to do with the means at hand.”
“That I can get, but did you really have to pour the entire bottle?!”
“I don’t know how much your shampoo foams. And I wanted to make sure the bubbles would last more than two minutes after I enter the bath.”
Ranpo pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't especially care about his shampoo getting emptied in one go, but Yosano's denial at her fault for missing the basic politeness procedure was getting on his nerves.
“Are you serious? You may be my girlfriend now, but this is still my house and my stuff! Don’t use them however you want!!”
“Oh, for crying out loud, stop being so dramatic! It’s just shampoo.” Turning off the water again, she added: “Besides, you’ve got some nerve for blaming me for having it my way at others’ home, when you do exactly the same with everyone else and especially your friends Poe or Mushitarô. You get the girlfriend you deserve, detective, so stop complaining.”
Both held each other’s dark stare. The sparks of an imminent clash could almost be heard cracking in the moist air.
Then, Ranpo sighed deeply.
“You’re impossible…”
He then sat next to her, and glared at the forming bubbles as if he was blaming them for everything. Yosano rolled her eyes, though her expression softened a bit. Despite being annoying, Ranpo’s childish reaction had saved them from a fight neither of them wanted, and she had to be grateful for that. Besides, he would never not look adorable when he was pouting like that…
“Look, I’ll buy you some tomorrow,” she said in a conciliatory tone. “Will you survive until then, princess?”
He turned his glare in her direction – though it had also softened into a more impish look.
“Fine. But you better not complain about my body smell until then.”
Yosano snickered. Taking a ball of foam in her hand, she put some on her finger and painted Ranpo’s nose with it. He instantly jerked his head away and rolled on the floor, yapping and complaining his nose was now cold and wet.
“Since when are you so particular with your hygiene?” she teased, her sadistic self enjoying the sight.
“… Since I got with you, silly,” Ranpo retorted sarcastically, throwing his arms around her as if pulling her into a hug. “Unless you don’t mind cuddling with someone who reeks…”
Without letting her the time to react, he nuzzled his wet nose against the crook of her neck. She yelped and elbowed him so hard he got propelled on the floor again.
“I’d rather cuddle someone who hasn’t bathed for days than kiss someone whose palate always tastes of salt or sugar,” Yosano accusingly stated with a smirk. “Since you’ve apparently developed some sense of hygiene, do me a favor and brush your teeth before going to bed. Your body smell is fine for now, but your breath stinks.”
“I don’t recall it bothering you every time we’ve kissed, though?”
“Tonight, it does. So get on with it already.”
“Don’t wanna,” he whined, sounding like a sulking child. “Your argument is stupid. Everything you’ve said tonight is stupid.”
“Good, because I love being stupid with you,” she replied half-wearily, half-fondly. She then poked his nose with a wet finger again, chuckling upon seeing his face wrinkling when he frowned his nose. “I love the way it drives you crazy.”
“You always drive me crazy.” This wasn’t the child speaking, but the young man in his twenties. A young man hopelessly smitten. “You don’t need to act like something you’re not for it.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Ugh, quit the dorky lines and take your bath already. I can’t brush my teeth if you’re using the bathroom.”
Yosano cocked her eyebrow. “Why not? You’ve seen me naked more than once already.” Suggestively tugging at the corners of the towel thrown over her shoulders, she added: “And if you want to pursue this relationship with me, you’d better to get used to that sight…”
The innuendos made Ranpo flush so hard he started to wonder how the water wasn’t evaporating under the heat he was suddenly suffering. Sometimes he wished her timidity regarding feelings would spread to the spicier topics…
“… ‘course I want to stay with you… Even if you have weird cravings and a lame sense of humor.”
Yosano rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I’m too tired to keep on bickering with you, anyway.” She then waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Now shoo. Let me have my bath in peace.”
“Sure thing, Your Highness.”
He smirked and took her hand before she could retreat it and made as if kissing it gentleman style, then ran away to dodge the towel she threw at him.
*~*~*
When Yosano got out of the bathroom, the first thing that struck her was the silence. Though her weary legs and heavy eyelids urged her to go to bed, Yosano couldn’t help but take some time to appreciate it. And as her mind wandered, she started to picture a life where she would go home everyday, knowing the silence of the house she lived in would not be empty anymore, but filled with the presence – silent or not – of someone waiting for her…
Feeling a knot of confused emotions resting low in her stomach, Yosano definitely gave up on the idea of eating anything, and went straight to the bedroom. The panel door rattled a bit despite her efforts to slide it smoothly. She quickly spotted Ranpo’s night-light in the dim-lit room – a small maneki-neko shaped lamp which laid next to the head of his futon.
And curled up under the sheets, was a sleeping Ranpo.
Yosano tiptoed to his side and sat up next to him. For a moment, she gazed at the sleeping features of her boyfriend, as if mesmerized by the way his flanks rose and fell under his steady breath.
Boyfriend. What a strange word to call the one who had saved her a dozen years ago. Back then, she would have never thought their relationship would take such a turn.
And yet here she was, about to share a futon with her benefactor for the third time in a month. And here she was, feeling in her guts that she wanted to pursue this relationship with him… Although she doubted she could voice it aloud the same way he did a few hours ago, when she had teased him about that very topic.
“Do you intend to stare at me like that all night long?”
Yosano jumped in surprise upon hearing that hoarse voice.
“Wha– D-did I wake you up?”
Ranpo’s eyes snapped open. “’wasn’t asleep to begin with.”
“You could have said something when I entered the room, then!”
The raven-haired boy rolled on his back, his eyes remaining steadily fixed on her.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Do you intend to worry about my state of thoughts all night long?” she retorted, failing to mimic the irony he had put in those words, as the question had troubled her.
Ranpo didn’t reply. Then, after letting out what Yosano believed was a sigh, he rolled on his side again, and reached out his arms.
“Whatever. C’m’here. I want my cuddle session before going to sleep.”
Yosano’s nerves gave up on her again as she broke into a little laugh. “Your…? Dammit, Ranpo! Stop switching between being serious and unserious like that…”
“I’m serious, though.” The way he waved his hands in the air made him look like a lazy cat stretching its paws. “I always sleep better after cuddling with you. And so do you, for all I know.”
“Look who’s getting cheesy, now.” She poked the inside of his wide opened palms playfully. “Are you trying to lure me to bed with the promise of a comfort I potentially don’t need?”
“Is it working?” He grinned cheekily. “As far as I’m concerned, comfort is always good, whether you need it or not. Right, Miss Bubble Bath?”
"You're never going to let that one die down, are you?"
He stuck out his tongue, still smirking. She grinned back and leaned beside him, finally entering his embrace and snuggling up in it.
They did not only cuddle, but also kissed; lazily, unhurriedly, each one of them taking their time to taste the other, to revel in their presence, their warmth, their touch. Soft gasps of pleasure would sometimes escape from between their half-locked lips when they pulled apart to forget to take their breath.
When the deliciously dizzying feeling finally overlapped with his need of sleep, Ranpo dipped his head towards her neck, gave her another round of soft kisses on her shoulder and collarbone, then curled up against her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. And though his moves had aroused her a bit, Yosano didn’t feel like pushing him to go further. Gently stroking his hair with one hand, she slowly synchronized her breath with his.
“Hmm… You smell good,” Ranpo murmured after some time, voice a bit raspy.
Yosano chuckled. “Well, I must smell like your shampoo, no?”
“Mm-hm. Smells good on you.”
“So, I take it you’re forgiving me for using it for my bath?” she asked teasingly.
“No.”
"Stubborn dummy."
They shared a sleepy laugh. Ruffling his hair lovingly, she leaned in and kissed the top of his skull. The contented sigh he let out through his nostrils grazed her skin like a summer breeze.
“Hey, Ranpo?” she eventually whispered.
“Mm-hm?”
“Thank you… for accommodating me tonight. Even though it was so sudden, and… even though I am being bothersome, and…”
She paused, watching the shadows drawn on the ceiling as if the words she was trying to find were lurking in their depths.
“What I want to say is… I’d love to come here more often. Maybe, even…”
She trailed off. And right when she thought Ranpo had fallen asleep already, he started humming, absently drawing circles on her belly.
“I wouldn’t mind,” he murmured sleepily.
He didn’t bother elaborating on what precisely he wouldn’t mind. He had heard the unsaid words in her sentence. And she knew he had taken them into account when answering her.
“I do love this mundane everyday life we’re having together,” he went on. “Even if you’re annoying most of the time – but it’s not like I haven’t been used to it for years.”
“Heh. Right back at you.”
“Hey!”
Yosano’s chuckle turned into a faint squeak, as emotion was squeezing her throat.
“I love you, Ranpo.”
The latter groaned and, leaning his head back, pressed a kiss to her temple. “Mmh. Love you too. G’night.”
A few seconds later, both had finally caved in to sleep, lulled by the sound of each other's breathing, appeased by the warmth of their comforting presence.
A presence they both weren’t afraid to call “home” anymore.