Work Text:
They first time they meet, neither one of them knew the others name.
It was just a normal Tuesday evening in early spring, when Yokohama was suddenly struck by rain.
Poe was in the library, attempting to work on a mystery novel, so he barely noticed the impromptu downpour outside.
That is, until someone hastily ran inside, half soaked.
The stranger looked around poe’s age, definitely around 17, with spikey black hair and a lollipop in his mouth.
And of course, he decided to sit near Poe.
They sat in silence for a while before the stranger decided to talk to Poe.
“Is that a raccoon!” He said, having noticed Karl on his shoulder and looking at poe curiously.
“Yes-s” Poe stuttered looking at the ground. God he hated social interaction.
“That’s so cool! I love raccoons, there adorable! What’s it’s name?”
“His names Karl.” Karl, hearing his name, chose this moment to walk over to the stranger.
“Hi Karl!” The stranger said reaching out to pat a confused Karl.
“I’m Ranpo by the way!” The stranger- Ranpo said while patting the raccoon, who decided this stranger should be trusted and had not run back to poe yet.
“Poe.”
The room fell silent for a while as Ranpo patted Karl and poe continued attempting to write.
“What are you writing?” Ranpo said, leaning over his shoulder.
“A mystery novel. Or I’m trying to. I can’t figure out how to make it believable.”
“Maybe I can help? I’m pretty good at solving mysteries.” Ranpo said
“Ok. I mean it can’t get worse.”
Sadly, before they could do anything else Ranpo’s phone buzzed.
“Oh sorry, my rides here! See you Poe!”
He said, catching Poe’s eyes just before The door slammed shut behind him.
Poe watched him run into a car outside through the window. When he could no longer see Ranpo, he buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.
God he was so awkward! “Karl, I’m gonna be alone forever.” He said to the raccoon, who pushed his hand with his head in gentle encouragement.
“Oh, what does it matter. I’ll probably never see him again anyway.” He said staring out the window at the rain.
Little did he know, he was very wrong.
—————————
Current timeline
“Hey Poe!!!” His friend burst into their usual spot at the library, only to find a book in his friends place with a note saying “read me” (Poe was hiding behind a nearby bookshelf, so he could zap Ranpo inside).
“Ok if he insists! I am the worlds greatest detective after all!” Ranpo said, opening the book and being to read.
Little did the detective know, but this wasn’t a mystery novel at all. In fact, it wasn’t even the same genre.
Then, the book sucked him and Poe inside and they where… in the same library. Ranpo looked around, confused, until he heard voices.
“That’s so cool! I love raccoons, there adorable! What’s it’s name?”
“His names Karl.”
“Hi Karl! I’m Ranpo by the way!”
“Poe.”
Ranpo realised this was when he first met Poe. Just then, he heard the door of the library slam closed as his younger self left and saw Poe blush and put his head in his hands, mumbling something to Karl that Ranpo couldn’t quite make out.
Then, a new door appeared in front of him. If was the competition when they had been formally introduced, when Poe had declared rivalry. He saw Poe sitting at his desk for what would have been hours writing the novel that Ranpo had escaped.
He saw the man sigh and throw his paper in the trash. “It’s not good enough yet.” then he world around went blury as if it was moving very fast around him, and the calendar moved very fast, until the date said a while after he had solved the novel that his friend had apparently spent a lot of time on.
He saw Poe sitting at his desk, writing something, scribing it out and writing it again. “What are we?” The Poe in the book muttered again and again.
“What do you mean?” Ranpo asked, confused.
But the book Poe didn’t respond or acknowledge him, simply continuing what he was doing. Of course, it was pre-written. How silly he had been.
He continued into yet another door, when he saw himself and Poe at the library last month.
Only this time he noticed the taller man blush as Ranpo got close to him to read over his shoulder.
Huh. He had know his friend was shy, but not that shy.
He continued down the door, which he was starting to think of as more of a passage or corridor, as it see to go on forever.
He saw the library, that very day, and Poe setting up the book and hiding behind the bookshelf.
Why hadn’t he just met Ranpo like normal? Why was he hiding?
“Oh..” he breathed, realisation dawning on him. Poe liked him.
But did he like Poe back? He knew Poe would likely want to know. But Ranpo himself didn’t know.
I mean he liked spending time with Poe, perhaps more than other people, but he didn’t know. Compared to what he had heard other describing, his feelings seemed small and insignificant.
But…
There was something about Poe…
He couldn’t quite place it.
Ranpo laughed. Although he was the worlds greatest detective, he sucked at feelings, even his own, especially his own.
It wasn’t like he loved Poe exactly, he wouldn’t call it that, but he wanted to spend all his time with Poe.
“Oh my god I’m in love with Poe.” He said, realising what he had said before.
“Time to tell him I guess.” Saying that Poe liked his aloud, the detective returned to the real world, just in time to see Poe running out the door.
“Poe-kun wait up!” He quickly ran after him.
“Wait!”
But Poe had disappeared from view.
Ranpo sighed. “Good thing I have his number I guess.”
—————————
Ranpo: Poe
Yk you should have listened to me
All I was going to say was that I
liked you too
Poe📚: wait rly?
I thought you wouldn’t
Ranpo: well u thought wrong
Do you want to go on a date with
me sometime?
Poe📚: Ofc where should we go?
Ranpo : you’ll see it’s a surprise
Poe📚: ok
Should I bring Karl
Ranpo: Ofc bring the cute raccoon!
He’s the favourite
My child
If we ever divorce I want custody
Poe📚: what Noo!
Am I not ur fav ):
Also is that not to far ahead?
Ranpo: I’m jk! Obvi ur the favourite ;3
I’ll meet you tmrw at ur house!
Bye Poe!
Poe📚: 👍
—————————
Well, Ranpo thought putting his phone away, perhaps it was some sort of fate that they had met that day.
Also, he had should hope that no-one at the agency EVER found out about him and Poe.