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Edgar Allan Poe never expected his life long rival to become his only friend but there he was, sitting on Ranpo’s bedroom floor, reading a book while his rival watched crime documentaries on the tv.
“Poe this is boooooriiiiiiing!”, Ranpo stretched the last word while rolling on the bed.
“Want to read the mystery novel I’m reading?”
“That’s even worseee!”
Poe sighed but begun to think of how to entertain his friend. There wasn’t much he could offer him in the first place. Ranpo would request some things at times, like wanting candy or asking Poe to come up with a grand mystery for him on the spot, but when it came down to him to decide he had no idea how he could keep the attention of such an oddly specific individual.
“Do you want to pet Karl..?”, Poe reluctantly suggested.
“That’s a general need Ed. I’m bored! Come sit next to me!”, Ranpo demanded.
He took a deep breath. It was one of those nights where they would simply enjoy each others’ presence. Whether it was each of them doing something different or simply being next to each other, all they wanted was for the other to be near.
Poe obeyed like a dog and put a bookmark in his book. He stood up and sat right next to his friend as ordered.
“Now Ranpo-kun?”
“I don’t know. Just sit there.”, he put his head on Poe’s shoulder which caught the latter off guard, making his face quite the shade of rose.
They sat like this for what seemed like hours that could be seconds. Ranpo was really warm against Poe’s frail cold body. His memory failed to recall another time he had felt such affection. Though not much, it felt genuine, real even. Somewhere deep inside him he knew that it was not all a facade, he was certain of it despite what his anxiety would tell him later on. At that moment in time, that night shared at a common bedroom by two people alone, he was of the utmost awareness of the intimate connection tingling in the air. He couldn’t figure out what the situation could be defined as exactly. All that seemed to him obvious was that it was warm. Really warm…
“Poe-kun lie next to me!”, Ranpo demanded while pulling his friend down to rest beside him. Poe let out a little yelp, resulting in his already rosy cheeks turning into an intense shade of red.
Before he could come to his senses, Ranpo was hugging him by his waist and had rested his face against his chest.
Poe was at a loss of sanity. He couldn’t possibly think in that situation. He didn’t even know why Ranpo was doing all this commotion. His mind went blank, even the overthinking and anxiety faded away. Having reached a state beyond confusion, he somehow found himself in bliss, taking pleasure in every moment he spent unlike ever before. On any other day he would have panicked or even ran away, but Ranpo was not just someone, he felt familiar. There was no thrill in what he was experiencing, only warmth. He’d undertake anything to understand what it was.
Ranpo adjusted his head a bit, making Poe crack a slight smile at the sight. He had to admit his friend was a very attractive individual. Whenever Poe thought he couldn’t get any cuter, the latter always proved him wrong. Ranpo looked so small next to him. Poe could almost feel his little heart beating against him. He felt the need to protect him from the world, to keep him safe.
His Ranpo was unique. He had yet to meet anyone resembling his friend, who was always there despite his silly, often ridiculous, way of behaving. There was no one else as pure-hearted and kind as Ranpo. One could say he was Poe’s god. The believer of the religion couldn’t bring to mind a greater person to ever walk on this earth. Ranpo was utterly flawless. Even his stupid antics seemed delightful to Poe. He adored him, that was undoubtable, but he often wondered whether the other individual felt the same. He was positive Ranpo felt alike, he had stopped doubting that after extensive discussions with him, but he often pondered if he felt it as heartily as Poe did.
“Ranpo-kun?”, Poe broke the silence.
“What is it Ed?”
“Is this cuddling?”
“Yes Ed so why don’t you just…”, Ranpo put his friend’s hands softly around him, “There”.
The gesture sent chills down Poe’s spine. It felt more affectionate than the entire situation they had experienced that night. He tightened the hug slightly and stroked Ranpo’s back with his fingers.
Poe suddenly felt scared. He often worried about Ranpo’s occupation. Now that he had him close, his worries came even closer. What if he lost Ranpo? He needed his friend to survive. What if this affection was taken away from him? He might have been fine before knowing him but now that he knew how it was to be by him, he could not imagine a life without him. His eyes became wet.
“Ranpo-kun?”, his voice trembled.
“Yes Ed?”, Ranpo replied in a sleepy manner.
“You won’t leave me, will you? You won’t go away?”, by then it was obvious that he was holding back tears while his body was slightly shaking.
“What? No Ed! Never! I could not live without you! Get that out of your head!”
“But what if- something happens to you..? And then I’ll be left alone…? And you won’t be there-“, he tried to utter through his shaky voice.
Ranpo tightened the hug and whispered to his friend’s ear. “Nothing is going to happen to me. Nothing is going to happen to you. We will be ok and stand by each other… Ok…?”
“But with all those missions and all that involvement with the port mafia… I know you usually just work at the office but just what if…”, he seemed to have calmed down a bit, his breath still shaky.
“It’ll be alright. And if you don’t believe me I promise you.”
“You… promise?”
“I promise to always stay out of danger and to only involve myself in dangerous missions when its completely necessary.”, Ranpo sighed and stroked Poe’s back. “Does that feel better?”
Poe did not answer, he simply tightened the hug a little more and shed some last tears.
Poe came to the realisation that for Ranpo to have been serious he must have cared for him. He felt a little proud knowing he was special to him in a way, whether or not it was all in his head or not.
They laid like that for quite a while. The only thing audible was their breaths, Poe’s being a little more unsteady.
“What is this Ranpo-kun?”
“What?”
“What we are doing now, what are we?”, Poe had pulled away just enough so that he could look at his friend in the eyes.
“Whatever you want it to be Ed.”, Ranpo closed his eyes again and gave him a small smile.
Poe kept looking at his friend’s eyelids. He didn’t know what Ranpo felt exactly, he wasn’t sure about his own feelings in the first place.
He leaned in closer just enough so that his lips could softly and slowly kiss Ranpo’s.
“Wait! No! I’m sorry! I should have asked! Forget that!”, Poe suddenly pulled back.
When he got a chance to look at his friend again he noticed his green eyes lost in another dimension. Poe would have to admit he was on the verge of a panic attack not knowing whether Ranpo hated him or not.
“Ranpo..?”
His friend went in for another kiss, a much longer and tender one.
Poe felt as if he was floating in serotonin, having lost all his senses and only feeling Ranpo.
They only came apart to catch a breath.
“Edgar…”, Ranpo begun once their breaths had steadied enough to form words, “Do you… like me?”, he said in a way that Poe had never seen him talk before. For Ranpo not to speak with confidence felt wrong to him. Ranpo knows everything, right?
“Ro-Romantically..?”, Poe was reluctant to ask but his friend nodded. “Then yes.”, there was a pause, “I believe so, yes Ranpo. I like you romantically.”, Poe said weirdly calmly, even surprising himself. There was no feeling of doubt inside him. Logically in his mind, he should be panicking, but his heart said otherwise.
“Then can I ask you to be my boyfriend Poe?”
There was a good minute of silence from Poe after that, making Ranpo’s whole realm panic.
“Yes dear.”, answered Poe and tightened his hug as much as he could from where he was sitting.
Ranpo squirmed from happiness and started rolling around the bed with his boyfriend which caught the latter by great surprise.
“Ranpo-kun! Ranpo-kun!”, Poe tried to relax his boyfriend but he couldn’t help but let out a small giggle.
“Ed I’m too excited to sleep now let’s go on our first date!”, he said with a stupid smile on his face.
“W-Wait what? Ranpo dear, its 1 a.m.! You have work tomorrow!”
“That’s fine I won’t die by one sleep deprived night.”, he paused to think for a minute, “I’m gonna call in sick for work!”
“What? No!”
“Yes! I wanna wake up next to you and cuddle! Not having to hear Kunikida complain about Dazai again!”
Poe stopped to think for a bit, “Well… in that case… I will have to agree. I can’t imagine a better morning.”, Poe quickly changed his mind. “But don’t call in sick regularly ok?”
“Ok, ok, fine… you Kunikida-man…”
“Oh come on, I’m not that bad!”, Poe cried out but soon enough he started giggling.
Ranpo looked at his boyfriend’s happy face with fondness, “Why are we laughing now?”, he asked.
Poe said nothing but hug his boyfriend tight. He couldn’t believe that day was real. He couldn’t believe an angel had fallen in love with him.
After some minutes spent in each other’s embrace, they had both calmed down and were laying by each other calmly again.
Ranpo broke the silence with an unsteady breath.
“Ed…”
“Yes…? Ranpo-kun…?”
“I- I liked the way your lips tasted on mine…”
Poe smiled and looked at his boyfriend’s eyes in amazement. He kissed him deeply, wishing that moment could last forever.