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Really, what could she have done?
Ranpo was bright, witty, with a streak of clever remarks hidden beneath her glasses. Poe couldn’t help but be charmed. The woman was delightfully smaller than herself, walking at a faster pace to keep in time with her longer legs. Her near-shoulder length hair tangled messily with the wind as she rambled to her about a new case.
“Easy,” she always said. Her skills were simply unmatched, a genius so impossible she’d come up with a fake power to explain it. Incredible.
When she actually bothered to open her eyes, she had to look up at Poe, her bangs only slightly shielding the doe-like expression behind them.
What was she to do?
All the women in the world, and yet the center of hers was someone she couldn’t have. She didn’t deserve her. It was wondrous that they were friends at all. Ranpo was a creation she’d never live up to, addicting in her unique ways.
Poe knew from the moment she’d first seen the other. The cute little outfit amused her, and then her sharp tongue and mind bewildered her.
It was as if fire had been set inside her, a blazing need to win over this woman, a hunger shrouded by gluttonous envy.
It still hadn’t worked. How could it? Ranpo was a mastermind, past her own prowess and the likes of any other being who’d been. The woman was a power she’d never known, let alone fully been witness to.
(“Simp.” “Shh!”)
She was fine being friends with her. She’d taken the opportunity in stride, forever a worshipper at the hands of the other.
“You know,” Ranpo started, delicate fingers slipping Poe a piece of her mochi. (“She lets you have her snacks, Poe. There’s no way you think she does anything but adore you.”) Poe took it carefully, warmth spreading through her fingertips to the rest of her body. She chewed on it slowly, not a big fan of sweets but enjoying the flavor dissolving in her mouth. Strawberry.
“You’re a good friend, Poe.” Friend.
She swallowed, Karl sniffing her hands as if to find scraps. “Thank you,” she murmured bashfully. “You’re a good friend as well.” Ranpo smiled her way, light red staining her lips, no doubt from the cherry lip gloss she always kept on herself. She laughed when Karl climbed onto her, sitting himself on her shoulder and resting his head on hers.
Was it awful to be jealous of her own pet?
Karl trusting Ranpo only made her more invested. They clicked immediately, Ranpo giving a chip as an offering, and the chubby little creature took to her in a second. Her most prized thing, her Karl, who’d stuck with her all this time, snuggled into a stranger’s arm and receiving affection happily.
Ranpo was good in a way she couldn’t understand. She was above normal society and yet chose to help them, the ones who would never stand as high as she did. It pulled Poe into her orbit, circling around the beauty she was never supposed to touch. How could Ranpo be so wonderful and yet willingly interact with something so… not. (“You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that.” She laid a hand on her shoulder.) It didn’t matter, she supposed. Ranpo got what she wanted, even if it was… Poe.
Huh.
“You never did let me read that one story you made,” Ranpo mentioned, cutting off her thoughts. She sat down on the bench they’d walked towards, the view of the port magnificent. She held her hand out, pulling Poe down to sit next to her.
“Did I not?”
“No.”
She knew she hadn’t. The piece was practically a love letter to the other woman, a sappy confession that was never meant to be seen by anyone but her own self.
She hummed. “I’ll try to remember to grab it for you the next time I’m at home.” Well, she was going to have to come up with something soon.
Ranpo looked forward, back out at the water. A small pleased smile lay on her face, seemingly only meant for her. The brilliant shades from the sunset illuminated her face beautifully, causing Poe to go slightly breathless. Ranpo must have caught the hitch of air, because she spun to face her again, Karl holding on for dear life.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was soft, but demanding of answers. “You’re quieter than normal.”
She had a normal? Ranpo noticed it?
“I’m quite alright, Ranpo-san. I’m simply tired. Didn’t sleep as well as I could’ve last night.” Thinking about you.
She frowned, a cute furrow appearing between her brows. “We’ve talked about this, Poe,” she said. “You don’t have to call me san. And you should’ve told me you’re having trouble sleeping again.”
“What good would that do?” She asked, genuinely baffled by the statement.
She perked up, “It would’ve been the perfect opportunity for me to come over! If it’s Karl waking you up again, I could watch him or something.”
“You’re welcome anytime, Ranpo-sa… Ranpo. It’s not Karl, however. I’ve just simply had some issues getting rest,” she assured her. “It’s no big deal. It’ll go away within the week, surely.”
Ranpo raised an eyebrow, disbelieving. Her dark eyes shone in the light, stunning Poe. “Mhmm. Y’know, if I’m welcome anytime, I could just go home with you after this.”
Poe desperately tried to hone in her excited reaction. “That would be… nice. But don’t you have to stay at the agency dorms?”
She huffed, “Dazai never does. God knows she’s been at Chuuya’s place for forever, annoying her to no end. It's not like they need me there or anything. Kunikida won’t dare try something, anyway.” She pet Karl absent-mindedly, patting him on the head as she mulled something over in her head, coming to a conclusion of some sort. God, that brain worked wonders.
“Well then,” she replied, fussing with her long black hair nervously. “It’d be a pleasure to host you.”
They sat for a little while longer, enjoying the quiet and passing food back and forth, before they left for Poe’s palatial abode.
Ranpo was somehow always surprised by the place, claiming it got bigger every time. She led herself through the space, familiar with the environment and comfortable in a way that soothed Poe’s anxiety. She was usually so much more put together than this. She’s a sniper, for goodness’ sake, she’s completely used to nerve-wracking situations! She’s worked with people far scarier than Ranpo ever could be to her!
“Can I sleep in your room?” the shorter woman asked, fingers fiddling. “I know it’s your space but…” She left the end unanswered, silence ringing loud.
Poe blinked. “Um, yes, that’d be fine.” She turned away, opening her bedroom door for Ranpo to enter, hiding her pink face. She watched her waddle into the room, planting her face down onto Poe’s expensive pillows. She nuzzled into the blankets, making herself at home and causing Poe’s flush to burn even brighter.
“Right. I, ah, still have to feed Karl, Ranpo dear. Would you mind it if I left for just a moment?” She asked, hesitant to leave the sweet scene at all.
Ranpo propped herself up on her elbows, swiveling her head to look at Poe. “Of course! Your bed is very soft.” She fluffed a pillow in front of her. “I might have to stay here forever.”
Poe chuckled, leaving the door open behind her as she led Karl to the kitchen for his dinner.
-
Unable to resist, Ranpo grabbed the small notebook laying upon Poe’s bedside drawer.
Oh.
-
“Ranpo, I’ve-” Poe paused in the doorway, frozen in terror. A startlingly familiar book was stationed in Ranpo’s hand, while she waved her into the room.
Poe had no choice but to follow, sitting on the bed as far as she could from the other and beginning to stammer out apologies. “I- you weren’t meant to- I apologize.”
“What for?” Ranpo put the book down on the mattress, boldly shoving herself into Poe’s space and taking her hands away from where they were covering her face in embarrassment and placing them on her waist.
“I-”
“Surely not this beautiful thing you’ve written for me, right?” She played with Poe’s hair, pushing her bangs back on her forehead and leaving her palm on her warm cheek. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to do something like this? You’re somehow both the easiest and hardest person to read, and my actions began mirroring yours.” Poe was speechless, voice stolen by the siren that was practically sitting in her lap.
“I… hadn’t realized.”
“Well obviously.”
Poe laughed in relief, hugging the woman and hiding her face in her messy locks. “I’d have said something earlier if I’d had half the clues you did, dear.”
Ranpo sighed, melting into the taller woman pleasedly. “I really shouldn’t have let it last this long. We could have been dating so much earlier, Poe.” She swatted at her chest playfully.
“Dating?”
“Well yeah. I’m not going to let all that pining go to waste. Plus, it’s only fair. You being my girlfriend as payment for keeping this masterpiece away from me for so long.”
“I suppose that’s a fair trade,” Poe whispered, rubbing at her back. She squeezed her tighter, if only to confirm it wasn’t a dream. “I’d be yours if only you’d be mine.”
Ranpo took her hand, kissing the back of it softly and gazing into her deep eyes. “Of course.”