Sugar, Spice And Murder

6

Ranpo was very comfortable as he was. That being, in between his boyfriend's legs with his back against the taller's chest and Karl in his lap watching a documentary. He had the day off, specially asked for in expectation that he would stay over the night before after a lovely dinner at one of Poe's favorite restaurants in Yokohama. Some place on the higher end than what Ranpo's paycheck would allow him to go normally but not so high end he felt uncomfortable.

True to his word, Poe had been a proper gentleman, taking them at a slow pace. Too slow in Ranpo's opinion. Practically the pace of a snail. It had taken him a full hour to convince Poe that his staying over and cuddling would not be too fast nor uncomfortable for him. As much as he loved and appreciated Poe's care, it was driving Ranpo a little bit insane at just how careful the other was.

A call rang from Ranpo's phone. With a frown, he picked up the call, seeing Yosano's contact splayed across the screen.

"It's my day off," Ranpo grumbled as his greeting.

"I'm sorry about that, Ranpo, but unfortunately the President made the call. There is a particularly problematic case a client brought in today and you're needed."

"Murder, kidnapping, what?"

"Double homicide with a missing kid. Evidence points to the use of abilities."

"You're outside the front door right now, aren't you?"

"I am."

Ranpo sighed in disappointment, leaning back to look at Poe.

"I heard, go on," Poe whispered, smiling down at him.

"I'll be out in 10," Ranpo said, regretfully moving Karl into Poe's lap as he hung up and moved to the bedroom to properly get dressed for the day.

When he left the bedroom, Poe stood by the door, a little bag in hand. He held them out when Ranpo got to him.

"Snacks to take with you."

Ranpo took a brief pause to look inside before looking up at Poe. He loved this man.

"C'mere," Ranpo said. Poe followed his direction, looking slightly lost, until Ranpo grabbed him by the shirt collar to bring him level with him. Poe's eyes were wide with surprise and flickered between Ranpo's eyes and his lips with unsurety. Loosening his grasp enough that Poe could back away if it was too much, Ranpo came closer until their lips met. Poe's hands fumbled around before hesitantly landing on Ranpo's waist.

It was everything Ranpo imagined but better. No imagining could level up to feeling the warmth against him in real life, soft lips against his own gently but still treading unfamiliar waters. There wasn't much experience between either of them, but Poe's slight more experience than Ranpo showed through a bit from his careful positioning so their noses wouldn't bump.

Ranpo pulled away with a grin, seeing Poe's face look as red as one of Yosano's wines, knowing his own face probably wasn't spared from a pink flush.

"I'll see you later!" Ranpo said, opening the door and joining Yosano at her car, who raised an eyebrow at the blushing but didn't say a thing.

It wasn't till late that evening that Yosano dropped him at Poe's place, dead on his feet and desperate for his boyfriend's arms around him. He didn't bother knocking as Poe had texted he left the front door open for him. Barely half a minute after he hung his cape and hat, Karl came whipping around the corner from Poe's bedroom. The raccoon crawled up his leg with practiced agility until Ranpo scooped him up and let him nuzzle his cheek. The detective made his way to the bedroom.

Poe was on the bed in a loose t-shirt and pajama pants, a pair of headphones on as he turned the page of a book, entirely immersed and dead to the world. Ranpo smiled as he made his way further into the room and towards the bed, Poe looking up when Ranpo's side of the bed sunk with his weight. His eyes lit up as he removed the headphones, switching whatever he had playing off.

"How was the case?"

"Exhausting," Ranpo whined. "I just wanted to be back here with you. The perpetrators both had abilities, one a teleportation ability, the other a shapeshifter. The shapeshifter did a number on Kunikida's leg and Tanizaki."

"Sounds hard," Poe remarked, closing his book and setting it aside before opening his arms to the other. "Successful though?"

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Ranpo had his back to Poe as he adjusted himself to not crush Karl to lean on his side into Poe's arms. Once in Poe's arms, Ranpo buried his face into his chest.

"My detective," Poe said fondly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. The sentence made Ranpo's heart do flips in his chest.

"Mean."

"How am I mean?"

"You can't just say stuff like that out of nowhere," Ranpo complained. His head was well positioned to hear the deep rumble of Poe's laugh.

"So you can kiss me stupid on your way to work but I can't say that you're my detective?"

It sounded rather silly like that and he flushed with the reminder of the kiss. Poe clearly knew what was going through Ranpo's mind, caressing the side of his face gently before carefully hooking his fingers under Ranpo's chin. Their eyes met, green meeting the other's normally covered purplish grey.

"My talented, wonderful, sweet Detective?" Poe spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper. "Will you do me the honor of allowing me to kiss you again?"

Letting out a shuddering breath of anticipation, flustered and suddenly off kilter, Ranpo nodded.

Poe leaned down carefully, pausing to tuck a lock of hair behind Ranpo's ear and gently cup his face in his hands. The following kiss was just as gentle as the previous ones, but this time Poe took over completely even with his own minimal experience, mind clear and focused instead of earlier's surprise. Ranpo didn't mind it. He liked the feeling of the full weight of Poe's attention on himself.

This kiss didn't last too long though and Poe eventually pulled away. Ranpo adjusted his hold around Karl to free up one of his arms to bring up to one of Poe's that still rested on his cheeks. He cupped the hand that cradled the left side of his face, kissing Poe's palm.

"My beautiful, intelligent Architect," Ranpo said.

A surge of victory made it's way through Ranpo as his boyfriend stiffened and hid his face. For all his confidence, he truly was so soft and sweet the minute the attention turned on him.

Curled on the bed with Karl nestled between them, Ranpo could not have imagined a better way to end the day.