Chapter Text
Edgar Allen Poe had never seen such an impressive ability.
The display of mental strength Ranpo Edogawa had exhibited on that day had amazed him, in a way that no other skill user had since.
Poe had never known how to deal with his emotions. It was ironic, in a way, that he was so expertly able to weave word into prose as if he was born to do it, but his knowledge stopped abruptly right at understanding his very own mind.
And so, instead of congratulating this man, and (maybe, just maybe) taking his chance with him as all the romance novels in his library described—he had turned his fascination into anger. In a fit of rage, he had abandoned all hints
of his previous life, and put everything he had into getting revenge. He had “crashed out”, as the kids would say.
But now, as Poe sat waiting for Ranpo and his agency friend, Yosano, to escape the book, he started getting a little nervous. What would he do after he accomplished his revenge? To be fair, he never thought he would do it anyways, but now, the realization started to dawn on him that he didn’t have anything to do after this. He hadn’t seen anything in his future besides revenge, revenge, revenge.
In that moment, he realized that, for the past six years, Ranpo had been his reason to live. And, perhaps, his original feelings for him were… something other than hate. How did it take him six years of planning to realize this? He doesn’t know.
Edgar had frozen, and Karl booped him softly, concerned for his owner.
“What would I do without Ranpo?” He asked the empty air, gaining no reply but the soft humming of distant lights, and a squeak from Karl.
Then, a few minutes later, Ranpo was standing in front of Poe yet again and—praising him?
“I still remember that day, y’know? Your ability was the first one to give me a real challenge, and the only one since,” he said, standing relaxed with his hands behind his head, as if it had been nothing.
Poe simply stood there with his mouth agape, a blush starting to scatter on his cheeks. Edgar had spent so long trying to kill him, and here the detective was, standing there and praising him? It didn’t make sense. Ranpo had started to walk out the door, Yosano following behind.
But this time, Edgar was going to do this, and he was going to do it right.
“Wait!” He shouted, reaching his hand out to Ranpo. He turned around, a look of confusion on his face. “Would you… consider reading some of my newer novels? And perhaps offer some advice?”
Ranpo smiled, and gave him a thumbs-up.
“For sure! You can contact the agency.”
And with that, he walked out the door along with the doctor, leaving Edgar to sit there and contemplate what in the world he had just done.
“OH MY GOD HE ASKED YOU ON A DATE!!!” Yosano squealed, as soon as the two were out of a hearing distance.
“He only asked me if I wanted to read more of his novels,” Ranpo denied, but he didn’t exactly deny the prospect of a date.
“Oh come on, you know what I mean. You’ve been waxing Poe-try about that man for years! Get it? Poe-try?” She said, elbowing him as they walked back down the road towards the agency.
“That was a horrible joke,” Ranpo retorted, but the smile on his face suggested that he was far from unhappy.