(A/N: this is a request by Fund0wn. Basically what happens here is Mushitarō comes to realize something shocking. Without further ado, enjoy!)
Ranpo had just gotten back from work and realized something...he had a lot of paperwork to do. He might need some help. His mind briefly considered asking Kunikida for help, but he immediately dismissed the thought. Kunikida would probably lecture him and plus, he had enough of his own paperwork to do anyway so Ranpo didn't want to add to his coworker's stress.
After some more thought, Ranpo came to a decision. "Aha! I know who to ask." He pulled out his phone and opened a group chat he'd recently made.
World's Greatest Detective: HEY, YOU TWO! WAKE UP!
Favorite Raccoon Boy: Ranpo-kun, joke's on you. I've been awake for hours, writing
World's Greatest Detective: smh ed, take more breaks
Favorite Raccoon Boy: I do! ...sometimes
World's Greatest Detective: alright, fair enough
Unexpected Friend: What do you want, Ranpo?
World's Greatest Detective: so cold mushitarō, i was going to ask both of you something
Favorite Raccoon Boy: What is it?
World's Greatest Detective: would you guys like to help me with some paperwork? :)
Favorite Raccoon Boy: Anything for you, Ranpo-kun
World's Greatest Detective: aww, this is why ily
Unexpected Friend: Get a room, you two. Please. For the sake of us all. You and your blatant flirting
Favorite Raccoon Boy: HVFSHDHFHDJDJSJSJ CKVNCJXHSHDHJSBA XLCCFOEOOSJS DCIFUEIKDNX DJCJSKKSJDJDKSJSSL DPDOEOSKDMSLSCKKDOWKS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA x_x
World's Greatest Detective: nice going, mushi. you just killed my dear poe
Unexpected Friend: Oops D:
Favorite Raccoon Boy: No, I'm fine!
World's Greatest Detective: ok, good. now, who'd like to help me with my paperwork?
Unexpected Friend: I guess I can spare some time
Favorite Raccoon Boy: Same here! Could I bring Karl or should I leave him with Louisa or Lucy?
World's Greatest Detective: YAY!!!!! and you can bring him :)
Favorite Raccoon Boy: You're the best!
World's Greatest Detective: i know ;)
Unexpected Friend: I'll be over there soon
Favorite Raccoon Boy: Same here
With that, Ranpo shut off his phone and waited for his boyfriend and friend to show up.
Before long, they both got there.
Ranpo ran over to the door when he heard the knock. He grinned. "Hello~."
Poe smiled a little. "Hey."
"Hi," was Mushitarō's reply.
"Alrighty, people! We have lots to do." Ranpo stepped aside to let Poe and Mushitarō in. He grabbed his very large stack of paperwork and placed it on the coffee table.
Mushitarō took one look at it and his entire expression deflated. "We're gonna be here all night at this rate."
"Yeah, that is more than I thought there would be," Poe agreed.
"I know, hence why I need help," Ranpo responded. He sat down in front of the coffee table. "Alright, let's do this."
Mushitarō and Poe sat on either side of Ranpo, glancing at the paperwork.
Y'know what? This'll be fine. I write more than this on a regular basis, Poe decided, grabbing a pen and beginning to work on some of the paperwork.
This is a lot, but at least I won't be doing it alone, Mushitarō thought, doing the same.
Meanwhile, Ranpo didn't do anything and just opted to watch the other two.
Mushitarō noticed before long. "Ranpo, you asked us for help, not to do it for you."
"But that counts as help," Ranpo replied.
"No, actually it doesn't," Poe protested.
"Emo raccoon boy here is right," Mushitarō added. "And I'm shocked he didn't agree with you."
Poe and Karl both blinked at the nickname.
"Hey, put some respect on my dear Poe's name," Ranpo scolded.
"You know what I mean," Mushitarō replied. "And also, I was agreeing with him."
Ranpo looked betrayed. "How could you two do this to me?"
"How could you trick us like this?"
"I didn't! I said I needed help and that wasn't a lie."
"And yet you're making us do it for you."
"Alright, alright, I'll do it too." Ranpo finally picked up a pen.
"About time, lazybones."
"Hmph." Ranpo stuck out his tongue.
Mushitarō shot a glare at Ranpo.
Poe tried not to laugh.
Mushitarō noticed. "Hey, this isn't funny."
"Yeah! Mushi's being mean," Ranpo pouted.
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Sorry," Poe said, putting a hand over his mouth since he was finding it increasingly difficult not to laugh. He suddenly became very interested in the paperwork.
Ranpo glanced at Ranpo and Poe and grinned before starting on some of his work.
The three of them continued on for awhile.
And then Ranpo decided to flirt. He looked at Poe with a grin.
Poe looked back at Ranpo, confused.
"Hey, Ed~?" Ranpo began.
"Yes?" Poe asked.
"I love you~."
Embarrassed that Ranpo had decided to flirt with him right in front of Mushitarō, Poe quickly averted his gaze.
Karl noticed Poe's embarrassment and then started squeaking disapprovingly at Ranpo.
Ranpo just laughed. "Relax, Karl. I'm just flirting with your dad."
Karl kept squeaking.
"Poooooeeeeeee...do you not love me back?" Ranpo playfully pouted.
Poe looked back at Ranpo. "Of course I do!"
"Yay!"
Poe smiled a little.
Ranpo smiled back.
Normally, Mushitarō would've made a comment of "get a room, you two" or something like that, but this time he shockingly didn't.
He was coming to realize something. He'd spent more time looking from one to the other than doing the paperwork (which he thought shouldn't matter, the paperwork wasn't even his anyway). But he didn't quite get why he was starting to find it hard to keep his eyes off not one of his companions, but both of them. What was this?
He came to the conclusion that he needed to be alone to think, so he tried to get up as subtly as possible.
But of course Ranpo noticed. When did he not notice something? "Where are ya going, Mushi?"
Great. Mushitarō was caught. "I'll, uh...I'll be right back." With that, he darted away, not offering any further explanation.
Ranpo and Poe exchanged a confused look.
Mushitarō found an empty room and then hid in it, closing the door behind him. What was wrong with him? What was this? Why was he suddenly finding it hard to keep his eyes off both Ranpo and Poe? He knew they were friends and all but...was he starting to like them? And both of them, at that? He hadn't even expected to become friends with them, and now here he was questioning if he romantically liked them.
Mushitarō jumped when he heard a knock on the door a few minutes later.
"Mushitarō, are you in there?" Poe asked.
Mushitarō almost replied "no", but then he remembered that would give him away.
"Muuuusssshhhhhiiiiiiii?" Ranpo asked, knocking.
Mushitarō didn't answer.
Ranpo and Poe exchanged another glance.
"I wonder why he just ran off like that," Poe spoke up, sounding a bit worried.
"I could always just super deduct him," Ranpo suggested, pulling out his glasses.
"I'm not sure he'd like that very much."
"Aww, but what else am I supposed to do if he won't tell us what's wrong?"
"We could just wait for him to tell us if he wants to."
"Boring."
Poe playfully pushed Ranpo.
Ranpo grinned at Poe.
"Am I wrong though, Ranpo?" Poe asked.
"Nah, you do have a point," Ranpo replied.
...I can't just hide here forever, Mushitarō thought resignedly. He began to open the door and was now face-to-face with the ones who had been plaguing his thoughts as of the last ten or so minutes.
Poe still looked concerned. "Is everything ok?"
"Uh...yes, of course!" Mushitarō replied.
Ranpo gave him a skeptical look.
Poe did the same.
"Please stop staring at me in that manner," Mushitarō said.
Ranpo did not stop staring at him in that manner. He instead stepped closer to Mushitarō.
Mushitarō stepped back a bit.
"I think you're lying to us," Ranpo announced.
"No, everything is completely fine!"
Poe had fallen silent, but he also didn't completely believe Mushitarō.
"...Ok, maybe I'm not completely being honest," Mushitarō admitted.
Ranpo and Poe looked at him.
Mushitarō looked from one to the other. "But I'm not sure this is something I can tell you."
"Why's that?" Poe asked.
"I'd just figure it out anyway," Ranpo pointed out.
"...I know you would." Mushitarō glanced at Poe. "Uh...because."
"Because why?" Ranpo asked.
"I have my reasons."
"I could super deduct you and find out."
"Ranpo!" Poe scolded.
"What? I'm just saying."
"Let him tell us when he wants to."
"Ok, ok..."
Mushitarō fell silent. He still wasn't sure if this was something he could tell his two friends, but at the same time...maybe they wouldn't hate him even if they didn't feel the same.
Ranpo and Poe also went quiet as they watched Mushitarō.
Mushitarō sighed. "...I like you both."
"That's all that was worrying you?" Ranpo asked in disbelief.
"Yes!"
"I had a feeling that was the case quite awhile ago."
"Yeah, yeah, of course you did."
"Y'know...I like you too," Poe spoke up.
Mushitarō blinked in shock.
"Same," Ranpo agreed.
Mushitarō blinked in shock again. "You do?"
Ranpo and Poe nodded. They both reached out and pulled Mushitarō into a hug. Even Karl climbed onto Mushitarō's head.
Hm, can't say I expected this, Mushitarō thought. But he was glad both of them felt the same. Turns out he had worried for nothing, but then again, wasn't that often the case?
The three of them ended up remembering quite later on that they'd been doing paperwork.