Work Text:
Ranpo laid in bed, bundled up in blankets, blearily blinking her eyes open. She had been awoken by the sound of rummaging around in the room and Karl coming in to seek warmth between her arms, given that her other mom was too busy to provide cuddles.
As Edaline approached the bedside table to continue looking for… something? (Ranpo was a little too sleepy to care), her gaze landed on Ranpo and her barely open eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby. Did I wake you?" she had asked, gentle; cooing.
Warmth bloomed in Ranpo's chest at the sweet pet name, "Mh, it's fine... Where are you going? It's Saturday," she asked. She could've deduced it, but it was way too early (and any excuse to hear Poe's voice was a welcome one).
Ranpo looked at her girlfriend's very much going-out outfit: she was wearing a long, silky, black skirt that hugged her hips and draped down elegantly, and an alabaster blouse —sleeves rolled up, currently a hindrance in her quest looking for whatever she had lost— with a ruffled v-neck. She was fully adorned in silver: rings, bracelets, dangly earrings, and a heart-shaped locket. To top it all off, raccoon print socks.
Her attire was simple, and yet it managed to make Ranpo need to exercise copious amounts of self control not to drag the other woman back into bed. She was so busy thinking about how Edaline's clothes would look better on the floor, she almost didn't hear her respond.
"I am meeting up with my editor, I mentioned it last night. If all goes well, the book could be getting published very soon! We're trying to work with a new publisher, this is a huge opportunity." She looked equal amounts nervous and delighted. Ranpo's heart squeezed at the sight.
"And what is it that you're looking for? You'll be late," Ranpo finally inquired.
She seemed to teeter fully into nervousness at the mention of the lost item. "Oh, a little slip of paper. I wrote down the address of the place we're meant to meet up, but I can't seem to find it now." She looked around frantically as she spoke, "I can't believe I noted down something so important on a post-it note and then lost it. I'm such a mess- What if I get there late? And the manuscript won't be able to make up for that, and-"
"Kitchen counter, tucked beneath the bread basket." Edaline looked at her with a surprised expression and rushed out the door, coming back a second later with the sneaky piece of paper in hand. Ranpo groggily sat up in bed, Karl jumping off at the sudden movement, "That's why I tell you to note things down on your phone ins-"
Edaline kissed her, and Ranpo could feel her smile in the kiss. "Oh, my clever girl. Thank you. I'll be going now, then." She preened at the praise, and then it registered: strawberry. She licked her own lips, and before Poe could fully distance herself, Ranpo held her upper arm and chased her lips again, wishing to get a bit more of that sweet, almost-candy taste.
The taller woman, ever so indulgent, kissed back. Ranpo licked her lower lip, looking to deepen the kiss—to taste—but before she could get her way, Edaline separated and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I have to go now, darling."
She giggled softly at Ranpo's pout. "Wish me luck."
"You don't need something as silly as luck. You're my girlfriend, and I don't let just anyone stand by my side. They'd be missing out if they turned you down," she answered, matter-of-factly.
Edaline smiled, "You're right. I love you." She gave Ranpo one last peck and, just like that, was out the door.
"I love you too!" she almost-yelled at her rapidly retreating form. Ranpo was left in bed, praise in her head, strawberry on her lips, and thighs squeezed tight. She did not think she could go back to sleep.
The next time it happened, Ranpo was at the agency.
The day had been slow: most of the agency workers were out doing fieldwork, and the detective was sitting at her desk, staring at her case files as though they'd solve themselves (even the best detective in the world can't work on a grumbling stomach, sue her.) when she received a text on her phone.
Eddie <3: Hello, darling. I'm running some errands near the agency. I packed some lunch from home, would you care for some?
R: yes !! pls
Eddie <3: Of course, I'll be there in 10.
R: thank u bby <3
Eddie <3: <3.
Ranpo smiled softly to herself and started counting down the time until Poe's arrival. After a handful of minutes had ticked by, Kunikida walked by her desk and raised an eyebrow at the small tower of files sitting untouched on top. "I'll have them done before I clock out! I'm just too tired and hungry to think right now… and my snack stash is empty," the detective whined, sprawling over her desk.
"Would you like for me to ask Kenji to get some on the way back? We ran out of coffee, so we need someone to visit the store either way." Kunikida was too doting on the lazy detective. That, and she knew Ranpo could have those cases solved in an instant if she felt like it.
"No need!" Ranpo chirped happily. Kunikida was perplexed. Ranpo, denying sweets? She was starting to wonder if this was how the end of the world started, "Plus, Kenji got me grape candy last time, and I don't like that flavor."
Right as Ranpo was finishing up her sentence, someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" Said the detective in a singsong voice, her smile turning brighter when the door cracked open to reveal one Edaline Allan Poe.
"Hello, Ranpo, darling. Good afternoon, Kunikida." Edaline walked into the agency, voice polite, back hunched. She had been here countless times, and as much as she remained shy, her anxiousness about visiting Ranpo's workplace had decreased significantly.
"Hello, Ms. Poe, how are you doing?" Kunikida did not ask for the purpose of her visit, by now very used to the writer coming around to see Ranpo.
"I am doing very well. I trust I am not coming in at an inconvenient time? I brought some tea, in exchange for the cup you offered last time." Edaline pulled a lavender colored bag of loose leaf Earl Gray tea out of her purse, and Kunikida perked up.
"You did not have to! But I'll boil some water right away. Do you have time to spare? We can sit down together for a moment to have it."
It was a testament to how idle the day at the agency had been, that Kunikida felt as though she had enough time to sit with an unexpected—although, not unwelcomed—visitor.
The detective giggled softly at the interaction: the two women were so formal with each other. Shopping trips with Yosano, afternoon tea with Kunikida, taking Karl for playdates with Kyouka… It was quite endearing, seeing how Edaline had grown comfortable around the agency members; her family.
Kunikida walked off to the kitchenette, leaving Poe alone with Ranpo. "Well, hello there, beautiful. Came to see anyone in particular?" The shorter woman batted her eyelashes, playful.
Edaline chuckled at her girlfriend's antics, "Oh, I heard the world's greatest detective worked here, and I just had to come see her. Do you think she'd be open to a homecooked meal?"
"Yes! …I mean- Uhm, yes. Yes, I think she'd like that." Ranpo held her hands out and waited expectantly, and without missing a beat, Edaline pulled a little square glass container out of her purse and placed it on her partner's hands. "I was so hungry. You didn't sprinkle this with aconite, yeah?"
"Only one way to find out." Initial murder attempt and all, this had become a sort of morbid little inside joke between them. Maybe Poe didn't need aconite to render her defenseless.
Ranpo shuddered at the sappy thought.
"I brought you a little something extra along with the meal," Edaline said, pulling out a little bag of watermelon-flavored gummies out of the same purse she'd pulled everthing else from (Ranpo wondered if the purse was that big simply because it was meant to fit Karl, too).
"I knew you'd bring me something sweet!" Ranpo chirped, but the taller woman had a glint in her eye—she had a plan. "…You won't just give it to me, will you?"
"Always so perceptive, dear Ranpo. Do you know what I want in exchange for these?" Edaline dangled them in front of her. Ranpo was beginning to regret not telling Kunikida to make Kenji bring back some snacks.
"A kiss?" She said, once again batting her eyelashes at Edaline. The woman was unfazed. "…Okay, I'll finish up my cases after I have lunch," she said petulantly. Scratch what she said about Edaline getting along with her family—mixing her up with Kunikida was a mortal blow to her listless shifts. "You're terrible," added as an afterthought.
"Can I still have that kiss?" Edaline leaned in, playful smile grazing her features.
"My Edaline? Asking for a kiss in public?" Ranpo asked, grinning in teasing disbelief—she felt as though she'd won something; some sort of unspoken competition.
"Oh, shut up."
And Ranpo did just that, and closed the distance.
Edaline's lips were plush and tasted sweet (sweeter than usual?), and Ranpo could not get enough. Before she could go in for a second kiss, Edaline pushed her away, suddenly flustered. When she looked to her side, she saw Kunikida walking in with two cups, having missed their kiss by a split moment. Edaline sighed as the initial surprise left her, and Ranpo snickered. So much for wanting a kiss in public.
She licked her lips and found the culprit of the unusual sweetness; the writer's lips had tasted like watermelon.
Ranpo, Edaline, and Kunikida sat in the breakroom; the former, happily munching her lunch, and the two latter, sipping on tea and chatting away. They were engrossed in a conversation about books and poetry, and Ranpo would occasionally chip in with a comment.
The sound of clinking glass filled the small breakroom as Ranpo (gently, this is glass) slammed the now empty container on the table. "I'll be back in an instant, no more than half an hour!" She stood up and quickly left the room.
"Now what could have possibly made her run off like that?" Kunikida inquired, looking at the empty spot were Ranpo had been sitting mere seconds ago.
"She's gone off to solve her cases," Poe answered casually. Before Kunikida could even ask any questions, Edaline had provided answers. "I got her some gummies she likes, you could call it a bribe," she chuckled.
Kunikida was astonished. Not quite at Ranpo's disposition to solve cases, or the bribery applied to get there—rather, she was surprised about the listening. This sort of rapt listening was extremely rare of the detective, only other exception being, maybe, President Fukuzawa.
The woman in front of her had Ranpo wrapped around her finger, and did not even seem to realize.
Kunikida looked at the empty container on the table, remainder of a homecooked meal (Ranpo used to rarely eat actual meals for lunch, and this was now a common occurence); she got a whiff of the pleasing smell of the tea Edaline had brought; she saw the way the woman's features softened in adoration the instant Ranpo was brought up.
Maybe her prior statement had been a bit misguided—this woman adored their Ranpo just as much as Ranpo did her.
"Thank you for taking care of her," Kunikida said earnestly; vulnerably.
A flash of surprise painted Edaline's countenance, and it was gone as quickly as it arrived. She smiled knowingly. "Of course. Thank you, too. I can tell how loved she is."
And, just like that, they stepped back into their prior conversation about literature. Their tea was somehow sweeter than before.
Edaline was in the midst of a rant about the iambic pentameter and its creation's wrongful attribution to Shakespeare when Ranpo barged back into the room. True to her word, it hadn't even been close to half an hour. "Done!" She announced proudly.
"So fast, just as always," Poe said in quiet adoration and handed her the pack of gummies. "I'll be taking my leave then, I do not wish to interrupt any work you might have left." The last part was addressed to both women from the ADA.
"Thank you for your visit," Kunikida said sincerely. Ranpo suspected they did not only talk poetry while she was gone; that the "thank you" Kunikida uttered might not just be about the tea.
"Can I go home too? I solved all my cases," Ranpo chimed in.
"You solved them, but now we need to finish getting the paperwork in order. I am assuming you did not do that in these twenty minutes, am I wrong?" Kunikida snapped back, eyebrow raised.
"…No," Ranpo sighed, defeated. Edaline laughed in amusement.
Kunikida picked up their cups and took them back to the kitchenette, and Ranpo walked Edaline to the door. There, Edaline turned to look at Ranpo, "See you at home, sweetheart."
Ranpo, despite having to go back to work for a few more hours, could not hold back a fond smile. Who knew love could make filing paperwork tolerable?
They kissed goodbye, and Ranpo missed the watermelon as soon as it was gone. Unfortunately, the tower of papers on her desk was calling.
After a while of sorting files, she opened up the pack of gummies and plopped one into her mouth. As she chewed on the sweet little treat, the taste of watermelon flooded her senses. Suddenly, all she could think about were Poe's plush lips and the taste they left behind. She wanted to kiss her again so bad, she might go crazy.
Mind addled with scenarios entirely not appropriate for work, Ranpo continued to chew on her sweet little treats and file papers (as efficiently as you can when suddenly terribly turned on).
Ranpo was beginning to suspect the gummies had not been there just to bribe her into finishing her cases. Maybe, and just maybe, Edaline was one step ahead.
"Karl! Get up here!" Ranpo was calling the raccoon while she balanced on top of a stool, one end of a mauve glittery garland in hand. "I want this a bit higher up but I can't reach, climb on top of my head and I'll pass you the string and some tape."
How the raccoon complied to such complex instructions was a mystery Ranpo would not be dwelling on anytime soon. The critter climbed Ranpo like a (rather short) tree and settled on her head.
The woman and the raccoon painted an extremely funny picture, currently in a living room that looked like a tornado hit it: there was confetti on the floor, party streamers hanging off the furniture, a plastic tablecloth that had slid halfway off its table, and the garland they were currently battling against that spelled: CONGRATULATIONS.
It definitely did not look as clean as it should, but Ranpo was working hard, okay? She was not trained in the art of party decorations; at the agency, this was always a team effort (where she mostly sat around and nibbled on the party snacks), but now her team was a raccoon and her—frankly, inefficient—self.
And yet, she was having fun. She was having fun because she couldn't wait to see Edaline's face when she came home to their decorated living room, her friends, and a cake to celebrate. The reason? It had come up a few days ago.
…
"Ranpo, dear, I have good news!" Poe came into the living room, phone in hand, presumably fresh off a phone call.
"Hm? What is it?" Ranpo answered noncommittally, tilting her head towards Edaline's voice, but not quite ungluing her eyes from her 3DS screen.
"My- my manuscript, it got accepted!"
"What! Baby, this is great!" In an instant, the detective was on her feet, game console long forgotten on the couch.
She knew this would be the outcome, and yet her excitement was utterly genuine.
"I knew they'd accept it if they understood what good writing is. When are we celebrating?" She hugged the writer, both of them laughing.
"Celebrating?" Edaline separated from Ranpo, soft smile still painting her features, "There's no need, it's not quite something that deserves a full celebration." She dared chuckle bashfully.
Ranpo frowned. Edaline was smart, but this? This might be the dumbest thing she'd said in a while.
…
Once the garlands were (loosely) taped to the walls, Ranpo climbed down from the couch and grabbed her phone. She looked at the digital clock on her homescreen. Good, she still had time left.
The detective quickly scrolled through her contacts and made a call. The dial sound filled up the empty room.
"…Hello?" The sound was staticky, and voices could be heard bustling in the background.
"Mushi! How's the cake coming along?"
Mushitaro, reluctant planning accomplice, had been asked to help with the preparations; her job was to pick up the cake and bring it over. The detective did not trust herself to successfully get to the location and back on her own, plus—no matter how many times the woman scoffed and denied—Mushitaro was also their dear friend.
A sigh came through the phone, "Ranpo, I already told you the order was made for 5 p.m."
"Right. Well, Karl and I need an extra hand decorating, so make it 4:30!"
"I can't just do tha-!"
And Ranpo hung up. She was so good at this whole planning thing.
Just as she was starting to open up a pack of honeycomb balls, someone knocked on the door. Ranpo walked over and opened it without even sparing a glance at the peephole, having already deduced who waited on the other side.
"Louisa, Lucy, come in! You came in at a perfect time, Karl and I are short on- paws? Hands?" Ranpo's voice was dripping in excitement.
Louisa laughed softly, she found the effort the detective was putting into this quite cute. "Hello, Ranpo. We'll gladly help you and Karl out, where do we start?"
"Oh, dear God. What is this excuse for party decorations?" Lucy said, looking at the mess in the living room. Ranpo simply laughed at the jab.
And just like that, the women got to work. Now with Louisa and Lucy on the team, the whole thing started taking a much nicer shape.
"If I may ask, where's Edaline? I would've thought she'd stay home today," Louisa inquired, curious. If she knew the writer, she'd much rather spend her weekends lounging at home, usually only going out if plans were arranged beforehand.
"Oh, I laid a little trap! I mentioned a few days ago that I was really craving these specific pastries from a place that's a bit of a long drive from here, and that they only baked them on Saturdays," Ranpo explained while putting a little party hat on Karl. "Just in case, I kept her busy yesterday so we couldn't do groceries. That way, she'd have to go out either way today, thus making her likelier to take the bakery detour! Since she wants to surprise me, she'd go out on her own and get groceries on the way, buying me more time."
"…Woah," Louisa answered, shocked. Whether it was by Edaline's willingness to go to the ends of the world for the detective's every whim, or by how well the woman in front of her knew Edaline and how to get her to do exactly what she wanted, she wasn't sure.
Once again, the door knocked, this time louder and heavy. "Lucy, go get the door! That's Mushitaro," Ranpo commanded.
Lucy did as she was told, and Mushitaro came in, white box in hand: the cake. It was a black forest cake, Edaline's favorite. The woman didn't have as much of a sweet tooth as Ranpo, but when she did indulge in sweets, she loved dark chocolate, and would never say no to cherries.
"You're lucky someone cancelled their order for earlier today, that's the only reason I'm here in that stupid timeframe you wanted," Mushitaro settled the cake on the table, where it sat nicely between streamers, confetti, and a handful of paper plates. "You're insufferable."
And yet, here she was.
"And yet, here you are! Don't make claims you can't back up, Mushitaro."
The only thing left to do was wait. Kunikida and Yosano arrived soon after, and chatter filled the living room. Ranpo had considered inviting more of Poe's ex-coworkers, but she knew they werent't that close (at least not Lousia-and-Lucy-close), so she went with the safer option of inviting less people, but people she knew Edaline liked well. After all, the woman was not too big on surprises, and she really wanted to make sure this was a nice one.
And then, finally, Ranpo heard the sound of keys.
Edaline was home.
Everyone stayed quiet as the door creaked open, waiting for Edaline to walk into the living room.
…
"Congratulations!" The voices exclaimed in unison. Edaline stood frozen in place, bags of groceries hanging off her forearm, small brown box of (presumably) pastries in hand.
"…What?" Her visible eye was wide in shock, and yet a small smile crept its way into her features.
Ranpo skipped her way towards Edaline and enveloped her in a hug, "Congratulations on your accepted manuscript!"
The writer had to maneuver her busy arms to accept the hug. She looked around her: the colorful decorations, thoughtfully placed sans the askew garland; her favorite cake on the center of the adorned table (she did not even remember mentioning what her favorite was, had Ranpo really been looking that closely?); Karl sitting with a party hat, despite his (unfortunate) usual unwilligness to be accesorized; and, most important of all, her dear friends all around her—warmth she never thought was meant for her—here to celebrate her success.
Despite her best efforts, she felt her eyes inmediately water.
"Well, we broke her," Mushitaro supplied uselessly. Lucy and Yosano laughed at the reaction, and Louisa smiled softly.
Ranpo separated from Edaline when she heard the comment, only to be surprised by the writer with her head tilted down, trying to hide her teary eyes.
The shorter woman's brows knitted together in concern. Poe gently put down the grocery bags and Ranpo grabbed the pastry box off her hand and placed it on a nearby table, fretting. "Honey, what's wrong? Was this too much? Did you dislike the surprise?"
Wet laughter spilled from Edaline's lips. Ranpo never ceased to amaze her: the smartest woman she knew, and she was asking that?
"Oh, Ranpo," and she grabbed her face and kissed her. Ranpo thinks she might've heard Yosano whoop; she wasn't too sure on who made the noise (nor did she really care to know).
Edaline, usually shy about displaying affection in front of others, did not seem to mind. She even had the gall to laugh a litttle into the kiss when she heard Mushitaro fake-gag.
The writer's lips were soft and sweet; vanilla-flavored.
(And a bit tear-salty, but Ranpo was not complaining.)
Poe separated from Ranpo, expression fond, and turned to address everyone in the room, "Thank you." She laughed bashfully, "Although, please give us a second to get the groceries in the kitchen. Wouldn't want anyone tripping on these bags, and some of these belong in the freezer."
They did catch her off-guard, after all.
Nonetheless, with the most important guest officially present, the party could finally start.
Laughter, chatter, and music filled the living room, snack plates were passed around, Lucy mixed up drinks for everyone (sans Louisa, who stuck to soda), and Karl chewed on his party hat.
Yosano and Ranpo were dancing, drinks in hand—Ranpo's a concoction Edaline would not be trying, not because of its alcohol content but its sugar content—while Edaline told Louisa and Kunikida in detail about her soon-to-be-published book.
The night continued on smoothly, and soon enough, they all stood around the cake with candles on it—"Candles are for birthdays," Edaline had complained; "Candles are for wishes," Ranpo retorted—and the writer blew them out, her wish sitting safe in the upper left section of her toraxic cavity.
She never would've expected to have so many people in her corner that loved her, undisputably. There once was a time where her mind constantly sabotaged her, told her this love was not real—temporary, at most—but Ranpo loved her loud, louder than any of the pesky voices in her head. My word is law, and I said I love you, she'd said once, leaving no space for Edaline to doubt.
The people around her had not asked for permission, they just settled in despite her every protest; her every attempt to close herself off—never had she felt so privileged about not being listened to. Poe may be a writer of the macabre, but suddenly, her hand itched for her pen because of a feeling entirely different.
After everyone had had their fill of cake, Edaline picked up their plates and took them to the kitchen to throw them out, Ranpo trailing right behind, rattling on about how Edaline shouldn't be picking things up during her party ("We're hosts, Ranpo," she had efficiently countered).
The women opened the door and Ranpo closed it behind them. Edaline could feel eyes staring holes into her back as she threw out the paper plates. "Ranpo, I can feel you staring. Is there anything you'd like?" Edaline turned around to face the shorter woman, "I can pour you some water or soda if you feel like it."
Ranpo cornered Edaline against the kitchen counter, the distant sound of their friends' laughter and muffled music coming from the living room. "There's something different I'd like right now, actually," the detective purred, licking her lips. She wanted to taste the vanilla again.
"Darling, they're waiting for us back in the living room," the writer answered, but her choice to bow her head and lean further into Ranpo's space was not missed by the woman.
"Eddie, don't act like you care about that right now, just kiss me," Ranpo demanded.
"So bossy, why should I comply?" Edaline's nose was touching Ranpo's at this point.
"You want it just as much as I do!" The shorter woman whined.
"It looks to me like you want this the most out of the both of us," Edaline mused and Ranpo frowned; the bastard was doing this on purpose.
Ranpo breathed heavily, "You're so annoying." Normally, Poe would drag out their little game further, but she was on a mission.
Her hands came to rest on Ranpo's sides, and the woman's own arms inmediately curled around Edaline's neck, "And you're too needy," and the writer finally gave in.
The kiss was deep and rapidly turned hungry, Edaline tightening her grip on Ranpo's waist, pulling them closer together; and Ranpo threading her fingers through Poe's hair. Both women were gasping for air in between kisses, refusing to separate for longer than a second.
Familiar, decadent vanilla seeped into the kiss. The taste was addicting and Ranpo sighed into the kiss, desperate for more of the sweet flavor from the chapstick and her girlfriend herself. Their bodies were fully pressed together and Ranpo could feel Edaline's chest against hers, making her wish there were a lot less layers of clothes between them.
Ranpo licked at Edaline's lips, and she parted her lips in practiced response. Ranpo did not wait and slipped her tongue into Edaline's mouth, the wet contact making her weak in the knees, tasting a mix of the vanilla lip balm and—brandy? Was Lucy mixing drinks with brandy? Maybe she could like the sharp drink, if only when tasting it right off of Edaline's mouth-
Cold hands slipping under her shirt fully halted the train of thougt, making her whine, and Edaline muffled the sound with her lips.
Ranpo decided she was not letting Edaline keep the upper hand and separated from the kiss. The taller woman was breathing heavily, lips glossy and red with a mix of spit and the waxy shine from the chapstick. Her hair lay unruly and her blouse ruffled from where Ranpo's arms had laid. She was beautiful like this.
Lips started trailing down Edaline's jaw, teeth scraping over her pulse point, making the woman gasp; one of Ranpo's hands now rested on the opposite side of where her mouth was, while the other made its way to Edaline's breast, softly groping over the fabric. She felt the texture of lace beneath her blouse.
Edaline was panting, hands roaming all across Ranpo's back beneath her shirt, needy to touch the tan skin anywhere she could reach, and the cold rings on her fingers sent shivers down her partner's spine, eliciting a soft whine from her. She needed those hands everywhere, yesterday.
Ranpo bit down right above Edaline's collarbone, and the woman barely suppressed a moan. The sound made heat pool in Ranpo's stomach, and she desperately wanted to pull more of those sounds out of her girlfriend. She flicked her tongue over the fresh bruise, soothing, as she felt Edaline's hands drift lower to grab a handful of her-
"Oh, my god! Fuck!" Mushitaro exclaimed, mortified, hands shooting up to cover her eyes.
That is what we would be doing if you weren't here, Ranpo thought.
But, right. They were hosts.
Edaline was viciously typing on her keyboard, the clicky sound of the keys hammering into Ranpo's ears.
Or, well, in reality, there was nothing vicious about it, but Ranpo was having one of those days: the act of having skin was suffocating, her bangs were sticking to her forehead, and the fabric of her clothing and the hair touching her neck—despite it already being very short—made her clench her jaw; every sound felt like nails on chalkboard, and the ceiling lights were flickering as though they were conceived simply to spite her.
It must've been terribly obvious on her face, because the clacking of keys slowly died down, and Poe's voice took its place, "Ranpo, are you upset?"
Ranpo pursed her lips, something about the question got under her skin (skin she currently wanted to take off like a layer of clothing), and she only grumbled what could barely be passed as a response. This was not Edaline's fault, and Ranpo knew it, but her brain was buzzing and she felt painfully on edge.
"What was that? I couldn't get what you were saying," Edaline stood up from her place on their dinner table to walk closer to Ranpo.
"…I'm not," the detective answered, hushed and strained. The task had been grueling; her vocal chords drenched in glue.
"You're not what? You're not upset?" Poe probed further.
Ranpo was bursting at the seams, the words directed at her too much when all she wanted was quiet. "Yes! I'm-" Her mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words, "I'm not upset!" The aforementioned seams were doing a lousy job of keeping her together. Karl ran off his place on the couch at the sudden ruckus coming from Ranpo.
"Woah! Okay, you sure are not doing a good job in showing that!" Edaline raised her arms in surrender, entirely caught off guard by Ranpo's response.
"Can- can you just," Ranpo scrunched her eyes closed and lowered her voice, the words coming out through gritted teeth, "…shut up for a second."
"Can I what?!" Edaline was livid, and Ranpo flinched at the loud noise, hands shooting up to cover her ears- grasp at her hair? She wasn't even sure anymore; her body on autopilot.
Poe took in a breath, as if to say something else, but quickly shut her mouth and started walking towards Ranpo and past her, headed to their bedroom.
Ranpo turned around, eyes wide open and inmediate regret washing over. God, why did she have to be like this? "Eddie, wait, I'm sorry!" She shouted at Edaline's retreating form.
"Are you?" was the last thing Ranpo heard before the writer went in the room and slammed the door shut. Tears prickled her eyes at the loud noise.
The day had been dreadfully hot, and yet the room felt cold; silence settled like a heavy mantle of snow, and Edaline's frigid words hung in the air. This was not the silence the detective wanted. The feeling of having made Edaline upset was somehow worse than her every sense currently being on overdrive. Ranpo shivered and roughly rubbed at her eyes, she was in no position to be crying now. Why did she have to be so sensible?
Ranpo's breathing was erratic. She wanted- needed to chase after Edaline, but she was so afraid of the venom in her words mere seconds ago. She couldn't stop the shameful tears rolling down her cheeks. Such a crybaby.
Feelings were complicated, and Ranpo's addled brain could not make sense of what she felt about herself right now—she was the world's greatest and, somehow, the world's worst—but it knew one thing: she needed to apologize to Edaline.
Ranpo walked into the kitchen and splashed cold water on her face. She felt the drops roll down her cheeks, replacing the warm tears. The detective took a deep breath and sat on top of the counter (she smiled softly at Poe's voice in her head chastising her for it). In lack of her noise-cancelling headphones, Ranpo did the next best thing and covered her ears with her hands; gently rocking back and forth.
Ranpo sat there for a moment, vestibular movement soothing her senses, until the feeling of wanting to take her skin off receded enough; until she felt ready to talk to Edaline.
The soft pitter-patter of Karl's paws made its way into the kitchen, and Ranpo looked down towards the floor, where the raccoon was staring back up at her, frowing—or at least Ranpo was sure that was a frown—as if urging her that it was time to go.
Ranpo stood up from the counter and kneeled down to be eye level with Karl, her voice finally feeling comfortable to use again, "I'll go say sorry, okay? And I'm sorry to you, too, Karl." She kissed Karl's nose and walked towards the bedroom.
Knock, knock. Ranpo took a deep breath. A few seconds of silence ensued. She was drumming her fingers on her bicep; the repetition grounding. "…Come in," sounded Edaline's voice, muffled by the door.
Ranpo gently opened the door and walked in. As though the room alone had a stronger gravitational field, her head threatened to bow down, but she held it up in favor of looking straight at Edaline. She needed her to know she meant every word.
Edaline looked at Ranpo from her place in bed, expectantly; brows furrowed. A book lay open on her lap, likely her chosen method for cooling off.
Ranpo walked to stand a bit closer to the side of the bed. "I'm really sorry, Eddie-" I'm no good at apologies, she'd wanted to say, but that was not what this was about, "I… I should not have spoken like that to you. You were- you were just trying to help, and I reacted wrongly. Wrongfully? Uh… one of those two." The knot in Edaline's brows softened a little. "I-I lashed out and used very rough words. You didn't deserve that. Please, let me make it up to you."
Edaline patted the bed, and Ranpo silently sat on the spot, unkowingly holding her breath.
A beat of silence.
"…Wrongly," Edaline said, "Wrongfully is more legal, per se."
"Wrongly," Ranpo echoed back.
Edaline took in a breath, "There's no need to make it up to me," Ranpo opened her mouth to refute, but Edaline continued, "It did upset me, yes, and I won't say it was okay, but I accept your apology, and I know you mean it. I also apologize for running off like that. I think we both needed to cool off, but didn't quite communicate as we should."
"Everything just felt like too much, and… and my fuse was short. You're not the one who needs to apologize here. I-I can do the dishes this week, or, um, make dinner, or-"
"Ranpo, are you listening to me?" She clutched Ranpo's hand, which currently had her pajama shorts on a death grip, efficiently halting her ramble. "I said you don't need to do any of that. Just let me know next time. You're always honest to a fault, and I need that here, too."
The shorter woman looked at her and nodded earnestly, letting out a deep breath. "I'll let you know from the start next time, promise." A sheepish smile grazed her features.
"We have a deal then," Edaline squeezed Ranpo's hand, "What do you say we go out to get some new lightbulbs soon? I was thinking we could switch our ceiling lights to yellow. It's gentler on the eyes, and the white ones sort of make my head ache after a while of working."
"I'd like that. Our current one is flickery and I hate it." Ranpo looked at Edaline, lips parted, as if looking for words, "And, um… Thank you. For always being so patient with me."
"You say that as though being with you required monumental patience." Ranpo's eyebrows knitted together at that, and Edaline understood. "Dear, you're the smartest person I know. You should know I wouldn't be with someone if it felt like a task; I am with you because I love you. These things can happen, it doesn't mean you're a bad partner."
Ranpo's features softened, "I love you, too. A lot." It sounded oddly vulnerable. For a moment, she almost resorted to following up with a witty comment, but she knew there was no use. Ranpo allowed herself to revel in the vulnerability.
Edaline always read her to a fault, when for so long, she had felt as though her lines were written in a language no one understood. "Do I say that often enough?"
"You could stand to say it some more," and the corners of Edaline's lips finally quirked up.
"I love you so, so much," and it came from the deepest corner of her heart. Maybe she did need to say it more often. "Does this mean we're good now?"
"Yes, darling, although… I might be changing opinions on the whole 'no need to make it up to me' statement," Edaline said, and this time, Ranpo understood.
She leaned in, relieved and gentle, and kissed Edaline once, twice, and-
"Blegh! What is this?" Ranpo suddenly jerked back, and Edaline snorted.
Grape chapstick.
(In Poe's defense, she had applied the it when she was a lot more riled up.)
"Baby, I have no idea what you're talking about." Edaline cocked her head to the side, almost theatrical; her bangs shifted along with the movement, further revealing her charcoal eyes, speckled by lavender. Ranpo was enthranced. This had to be a distraction.
"I- Yeah, you do! You didn't have that before, did y- oof!" Ranpo's accusation was cut short by Karl landing square on her lap.
Edaline cooed, "Aw, Karl, I'm sorry we scared you. It's okay now," her hands busied themselves petting the critter's little head, "It's dinnertime already, isn't it?" Edaline looked back up at the detective, tone of voice now demanding, "Ranpo, Karl is asking for dinner."
"Karl, she's using you as a scapegoat!"
Karl trilled at the familiar banter. Ranpo was convinced everyone in this household was conspiring against her.
"Love, we can't just let our son starve." Edaline stood up, smile barely concealed. Then, in a gentler voice, "Come on, I'll turn the air conditioner on. Do you want your headphones?"
This time, the silence that blanketed their home was sweet and comforting. This time, the A/C was on—chilling current soothing the leftover static on Ranpo's skin—and yet the room was warm.
Ranpo would be embarrassed over how accommodating Poe was, but the feeling of being seen far outweighed any shame that could have poked its head into her heart. The world's greatest and the world's worst. What a stupid statement. Edaline loved her in the shape of whispered reassurance and yellow lightbulbs, and she wouldn't do that for the world's worst.
Ranpo allowed Edaline's change in topic, but she was on a mission now.
(Her glasses lay on her bedside table, untouched.)
"Ranpo, dear, could you come help me zip up my dress?" Poe's eyes met Ranpo's where she sat in bed through the mirror's reflection.
Ranpo had just finished buttoning up her shirt and walked over to where Edaline stood, the vest she was going to put on now long-forgotten on the bed.
The detective's hands grabbed the zipper and slowly pulled it up the plum-colored dress, admiring the way it tightened over Edaline's chest in the mirror. She recalls Poe calling it a 'sweetheart neckline,' although she's not too sure. Truly, this was one of her favorites. "Do we really have to go out?"
"Yes, Ranpo. We have a reservation. Now stop staring at my chest."
"It is quite literally my girlfriend privilege to stare at your tits." She punctuated her sentence by grabbing the aforementioned area from where she stood behind Edaline. Their reflection staring back at them, her own hand gently squeezing Edaline's chest, was enough to start igniting a fire in her abdomen. The detective licked her lips.
"Ranpo, I know it is not only staring you want, and we have to be out the door in about half an hour."
Ranpo let go of Edaline's chest in favor of turning her around to be face-to-face, hands resting on her waist, "Half an hour can be a lot of time."
"I still have to do my makeup, dear." Poe's words did not match the way her hand came up to hold Ranpo's face.
"What I'm hearing is there's no makeup to get smudged by a bit of making out."
"You're absolutely impossible." And Ranpo grinned, satisfied. She always got what she wanted.
Edaline leaned in, and Ranpo missed by a split second the mischievous glint in the woman's eyes.
Their lips meet languidly; their movements slow in complete contrast to the ticking clock.
Ranpo licked at Edaline's lips, a hypothesis having formed in her head, and, lo and behold: cherry. But before she could form any sort of useful thought, Poe bit her lower lip. The detective's yelp melted off into a whimper, and Edaline smiled knowingly into the kiss. She had her right where she wanted her.
The air around them was thick with desire, and their exchange was escalating rapidly; a symphony of rustling clothes, heavy breathing, and soft sighs.
Edaline's unoccupied hand snaked up Ranpo's torso, coming to gently scrape over the fabric covering her nipple. Ranpo shivered, the contact sending a jolt down her spine.
"Not wearing a bra?" She rolled the bud between her fingers—and she was the one just saying they had no time!
Ranpo barely suppressed a moan, "They're- they're uncomfy, and I'm wearing a vest over this anyways," her breath was already coming out in puffs. "You're a menace behind closed doors."
"I truly do not know what you mean, Ranpo, darling." The shorter woman's small breasts fit perfectly in Edaline's hands, and she was relentless with her caresses.
Poe switched their positions, pressing Ranpo's back against the mirror—Edaline had half a mind to think about the safety concerns of making out against a mirror, but her priorities currently laid elsewhere—and diving back in to kiss her.
The fast pacing right before they had to go out (toeing the line of being late) was unusual of the writer, but Ranpo's rational thought was crumbling by the second; her brain refusing to analyze the anomaly. The taste of cherry was all-consuming, and the detective could not get enough. Edaline was crowding her space, her hands roaming all over her body, the woman's tongue in her mouth. Edaline, Edaline, Edaline.
Ranpo reached behind Edaline's back to unzip the zipper that, mind you, she just zipped.
"Darling, wait-" Ranpo chased after her lips, desperate, "Ranpo, if-" Another kiss. Edaline, unfortunately, took a step back. "If you do that, we won't be leaving," she panted, cheeky smile barely hidden.
"But Eddie," Ranpo pleaded. Her eyes were glazed over, hungry, and she licked her lips, chasing the remnants of cherry. Her hands had come to rest on Edaline's waist and she was looking up at her through her eyelashes. Ranpo's nipples were poking through her shirt's sheer fabric.
Fuck. Edaline's resolve was wavering.
The writer's breath hitched, and Ranpo noticed. Her lips quirked up, but then-
"Can you get my lipstick from the bathroom please?"
"Wait, what?" The whiny complaint was more satisfying to Edaline's ears than she would like to admit.
"I need to finish getting ready or we'll be late, dear." That was close. It was a dangerous game Edaline was playing, to drag this out for as long as she could, knowing Ranpo had the effect she had on her.
"You're evil. How am I meant to sit at a restaurant thinking about how we should be fucking instead?"
"Ranpo!" she chuckled. It was meant to be chastising, but her amusement broke through. Her hand came up to play with her partner's hair, who leaned into the touch. "They have salted caramel brownie on the dessert menu."
Ranpo's eyes sparkled in interest. So easy to bribe.
"You're so bossy." Ranpo contemplated her next line, but Edaline knew she was already convinced. "…Fine, I'll go get your lipstick. But don't think I'm letting this go!"
Ranpo walked into the bathroom attached to their room to look for the makeup the writer wanted. While moving around, she was almost sure she could feel her underwear uncomfortably sticking to her. Was she more sensitive these days? Had she always been so easy to rile up? Edaline had made her into a puddle of pathetic detective with just a few kisses and touches.
She licked her lips. The cherry lingered.
Which lipstick did Edaline even want? Maybe her usual sort of burgundy one, but the detective had a different one in mind; one she personally thought would look much nicer with the dress Edaline was wearing.
And so, she opened up the drawer where her girlfriend kept a mélange of accessories, hair products, makeup, and long forgotten items. Ranpo sometimes thought the secrets of the universe laid in that drawer.
She jumbled it up looking for a black lipstick that she had not seen Poe wear in a while. Such a shame, it looked lovely on her (honestly, any sort of color suited Edaline). Wine-red was also one of Ranpo's favorites; she adored how it stained her neck when-
Ranpo's hands came to a halt. She had opened an inconspicuous little pouch in her search and found incriminating evidence instead.
A little pouch full of flavored chapsticks.
Six, exactly.
Ranpo started picking up the evidence. The strawberry flavored kiss that morning was innocent enough, but then the watermelon gummies and watermelon chapstick; their vanilla-flavored makeout in the kitchen the day of the party, despite Edaline's usual apprehension to sneaking around; her owning grape chapstick, knowing Ranpo hated the flavor; the cherry currently lingering on her lips.
Deductions started easily forming in the detective's mind: first and foremost, Edaline was exploiting her sweet tooth as means of riling her up. Second, she was crafting scenarios where they'd be interrupted whenever they actually got into it—the day of the party was no different: Edaline had bought a lot of groceries that belonged in the freezer. The party had been a surprise, but had the day gone by normally, she'd still have had an excuse to stop them so that they'd put those away. Third, she had bought the chapsticks as a set. The grape one gave this away. Edaline would not have bought a flavor she knew Ranpo would not like, and she wouldn't get it in preparation for an argument, that would be ridiculous. It came with the set and Edaline used it in a flash of pettiness.
Ranpo looked through the myriad of flavors in the pouch, and one in particular piqued her interest. The sixth flavor. She smiled to herself and stored the knowledge for later.
Next time, nothing would be interrupting them.
For now, salted caramel brownie.
The rays of the setting sun were filtering in through the drawn living room windows, accompanying Edaline as she read a book on the couch, Karl peacefully asleep on her lap.
Suddenly, she could not see the words anymore, the pages engulfed in shadow. She looked up and saw Ranpo standing before her, blocking the light. Edaline noted that, over her usual loose and breathable house attire, she was wearing a sweater.
"Eddie, I need to go pick up something at the agency. Take me."
So that was the reason for the sweater.
"Hello to you, too." She slipped a bookmark in between the pages and closed the book. "What exactly do you need to pick up?"
"The President called, said I left my case files on the desk. I didn't know he wanted me to take them home." Her mouth formed into a little pout.
Well, work is work, she supposed.
It was rare though, for Ranpo to be sent work for home. Edaline put her book down and gently woke up Karl to get on her feet. The critter curled up again on the warm spot where his human had been and continued sleeping. "Are you going like that?"
"First of all, rude. Second of all, yes. These are some of my nicer shorts, and there should be almost no one in the office, it's Saturday."
Edaline considered protesting, but ultimately decided against it. At least Ranpo had put on a sweater. "Well, I'm going to change into something a bit more presentable, then we can leave."
"Thanks, hun!" Ranpo plopped down on the couch besides Karl and Edaline walked to their room to get ready.
She took off her own house clothes, clasped on a bra and slipped a blouse on, but before she could pull out a skirt from the closet, an idea came into her head.
This might just be the perfect moment to pull out the last chapstick.
Immediately, her plans changed and she went looking for her secret stash. It should be in her makeup drawer in the bathroom. Should be… but it wasn't. She had rummaged through her drawer to no avail, instead walking over to the vanity in the room. She probably left the pouch there without realizing, yeah.
But, once again, nothing.
Poe was walking around the room in underwear and a blouse, opening and closing drawers; lifting objects off the table as if what she was looking for would spawn from underneath them.
"Looking for something?" The playful lilt of Ranpo's voice came from the entrance to the bedroom. Edaline looked up to the source of the sound.
The detective did not even try to contain the sly smile that made its way into her features as she leaned on the doorframe. "Sorry, rhetorical questions are rude."
The missing pouch was dangling from her hand.
Poe's visible eye went wide as a saucer, but she rapidly schooled her expression. "I- Uh. No, just looking for a pair of earrings I misplaced."
"Edaline, my love, you put on your accesories last." She looked Edaline up and down, clearly taking notice of her half-undressed state. The writer felt her face heat up.
Ranpo sauntered into the room, face adorned by a triumphant grin, "Did you think I wouldn't notice? You are loyal to your favorite products, yet suddenly you have a new flavor on your lips every day?"
"Can I not take care of my chapped lips?"
"Oh, this isn't simply you buying some new chapsticks because your lips felt dry. There was a reason."
Ranpo waved the little bag around, mocking. Edaline bristled.
"Well, Ms. Detective, pray tell, what were my motives?" She took a step towards Ranpo, challenging. "Why don't you pull out your glasses, dear?"
"Eddie, I don't think I need my glasses to figure this one out." All throughout this little game, she hadn't wanted to. Ranpo further shortened her distance with Edaline, "Why don't you show me instead?"
Ranpo gently placed her fingertips on Poe's chest and pushed her backwards, until the edge of the bed came in contact with the back of her knees and she landed, sitting, on the mattress.
Ranpo—lovely, insufferable Ranpo—did not follow Edaline into bed. She stood mere inches away, and the sound of rummaging reached the writer's ears.
"Watermelon, no… Strawberry, not that one either…" Her expression was puzzled as she looked around for something. Edaline knew what it was. Ranpo knew Edaline knew. "I remember seeing it- Aha! Cotton candy!" The woman proudly pulled the little plastic tube out—the one flavor she was yet to try—and discarded the pouch somewhere on the floor.
From where she stood, she towered over Edaline. "So, my love," Ranpo started playfully, placing her knee beside Edaline's thigh on the bed, "Care to tell me a bit more about this little stunt you were pulling?"
"Ranpo, you're reaching. I simply bought them because there was a sale." Edaline did not meet her eyes.
Ranpo swiped a thumb over Edaline's bottom lip, urging her to look up. "Eddie, I know you're not dumb enough to throw such a weak lie at me. You're filthy rich, you don't care about a dumb little chapstick sale."
Edaline pursed her lips. This was such a silly discussion, but she was not letting up.
"Simply wished to prove you're quite easy to rile up, with that sweet tooth of yours."
The woman gasped quietly, "And I am the only one getting riled up in these scenarios?"
Ranpo's other leg came up onto the bed, bracketing Edaline's lap and settling her weight down on it. Ranpo's thighs were so warm against her own, and heat started pooling in her stomach. She loved that her girlfriend ran hot.
As if by muscle memory, Poe's hands inmediately took hold of Ranpo's hips and trailed up to her waist, disappearing beneath the fabric of her sweater; cold fingers eliciting a shiver. The skin on her abdomen was pillow-soft, object of Edaline's adoration.
"Only you," she answered. Like a liar.
Ranpo uncapped the cotton-candy lip balm, "We'll see about that."
Her hands twisted the little tube, pushing the product up. She slowly parted her lips and brought it up to them.
Poe's lips unconsciously parted along with Ranpo's.
The chapstick glided smoothly, leaving a waxy shine in its wake. Ranpo worked at an excruciating pace; almost leisurely. Edaline's breath hitched. The woman on her lap was going to be the death of her.
Ranpo went over her bottom lip and then over the top one, starting from beneath her cupid's bow down to her commisure, and then again on the opposite side. Her lips were supple as she pressed the product onto them. Poe wished it were her instead of the chapstick.
Finally, another swipe over the bottom lip.
She needed to devour Ranpo whole.
Edaline knew the product had no tint, but she could've sworn the woman's lips looked pink.
Pink, and plush, and soft-
Ranpo smacked her lips together, "Mm! This might be my favorite one so far!" And she leaned further into Edaline's space, voice taunting, arms coming up to cling onto her shoulders, "Don't you wanna try?"
There was no need to ask twice.
Their lips pressed together; the contact dripping with want. Edaline immediately traced her tongue over where Ranpo had applied the product—of course this flavor is her favorite, it's so sweet—and she parted her lips in response. Edaline slipped her tongue into Ranpo's mouth, welcomed by the wet and warm feeling.
The detective reciprocated eagerly and tangled her hands in Edaline's hair, grip rough and desperate. The kiss was rapidly turning heated; their teeth clashing and their breaths coming in ragged, but neither seemed to care.
Edaline loved pushing Ranpo to this point: messy, frantic. The impatient hands, needy little noises, hips gently rocking in tandem, it all made her pulse thrum loudly in her ears.
Poe's hands trailed lower, grabbing Ranpo's ass and trying to bring her impossibly closer; groans slipping in between ragged breaths at the friction. Edaline almost felt bad for taunting her so long. Almost.
She might've been half undressed already, but she needed Ranpo skin-to-skin completely, now.
Ranpo seemed to think the same, hands coming down to grab at the hem of her blouse. They had to break apart for a moment, and she ungraceously pulled the piece of clothing off of Edaline.
The detective didn't spare a look for longer than a second before she began fumbling with the clasp on Edaline's bra. "Why did you have to put this on? And the one with the really finicky hooks, at that?"
"Because we're meant to…" Realization washed over her face as Ranpo continued her duel with the accursed hooks, "…weren't we meant to be going out?"
"There we go!" Her grin was bright, and Edaline sighed with relief at the clasp finally coming undone. Ranpo helped her slide the piece off her arms, looking down at her chest; tongue darting out to lick her lips. She cracked a self-satisfied smile, "Eddie, there's no file to pick up."
…Of course. She had played right into Ranpo's trap. She had played right into her trap and hated that she found it more hot than annoying. "You're terrible, you know that?"
Ranpo lifted her arms, still a bit out of breath, "Yeah, yeah, you love it… Now do me!"
Edaline sighed, exhasperated and fond, and started lifting both the sweater and shirt under it from Ranpo, eyes zeroed in on every new inch of tan skin revealed.
Ranpo was soft around the edges; thighs soft, tummy a bit pudgy, breasts small, and, in her totally unbiased opinion, perfect. No matter how many times she saw Ranpo naked, it always aroused her just the same. Her girlfriend used to be very embarrassed everytime they got to this point, but it had long since been replaced by the comfort of familiarity.
Ranpo's voice broke through her train of thought as she finished removing the pieces of clothing, "You could've varied a bit more." What? "I mean, strawberry and cherry? Those are essentially the same thing."
Absolutely terrible. Edaline pinched Ranpo's side.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"You're insufferable."
Ranpo smiled, and Edaline couldn't hold back her own expression mirroring Ranpo's.
"Well," Ranpo stood up and hooked her thumb on her waistband, "Since you were so sweet and did my job for me already," She looked at Edaline's undressed lower half as she spoke, "I'll do your job for you, too."
Her shorts and underwear came down in one swift movement, now leaving her fully exposed. Sunkissed skin; a light trail of hair down her bellybutton up to the coarse patch between her legs; a couple of moles sprinkled across her abdomen and thighs (Edaline could draw a map of them with her eyes closed). She would've taken her time to touch; trail fingers and let them linger, but before she could even reach out, Ranpo's hands were back on her, hurriedly pulling her underwear down her legs. So impatient.
"C'mon, scoot up. Chop-chop." Both women moved up the bed, Poe coming to lay against the soft pillows near the headboard. "I wanna taste something that's not chapstick."
Poe would be lying if she said she didn't desperately want that too.
Ranpo sat in between Edaline's thighs, mouth coming down to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, eager and sloppy, until she arrived to her breasts. She took a nipple into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the bud, motions deft and pleasurable (Edaline briefly wondered if eating so many lollipops can make you good at this), and her hand was massaging the other side, finger occasionally flicking the unattended nipple.
Edaline was gasping and letting out low sounds; her hand grasping Ranpo's hair, hips moving looking for any sort of friction. Ranpo's mouth let go in favour of biting at the pale skin around her nipples. Reds and purples bloomed in her wake; her ministrations unrelenting. Edaline moaned at a particularly rough bite, her girlfriend only separating for a moment to admire her work.
Ranpo loved leaving marks on what was hers.
She dived back in, and Edaline squealed at an unexpected scrape of Ranpo's teeth on her nipple, roughly tugging at her hair, eliciting a popping sound as her mouth suddenly let go.
"Ow! What was that for?"
Edaline's chest was heaving up and down, face red and eyes half-lidded with desire. The look sent a shiver down Ranpo's spine. "Go down."
Ranpo's breath hitched at the command. She cracks a smile. "Bossy. I was planning on it anyways."
The woman continued her path down Poe's abdomen, sprinkling gentle bites and open-mouthed kisses all the way; Edaline's hand remained steady where it was tangled in Ranpo's roots. When Ranpo finally reached the neatly trimmed patch of hair, the hand in her hair uncosciously pushed further down.
Ranpo, eager and hungry, obliged. She buried her nose beneath the coarse hair and took a deep breath, mouth watering at the familiar scent. Edaline didn't miss the way Ranpo's eyelashes fluttered when she tightened the hold on her hair in anticipation.
Wasting no time, Ranpo hooked her arms under Poe's thighs, lifting one up to let it rest above her shoulder. She then finally dived in.
Her tongue flattened against the entrance, moaning at the taste of her girlfriend's arousal. The artificial cotton-candy flavor on her lips was quickly overpowered by the musky and faintly tangy slick between Poe's folds.
If there was one thing about Ranpo, it's that she loved being between Edaline's thighs. She probably got off on it just as much as the other woman did.
She licked a stripe up towards Poe's clit, circling the spot with her tongue in practiced motions. Edaline gasped as Ranpo settled into a rythm, slurping loudly. Her mouth fell open as her unrestrained voice spilled out. Ranpo was responsive, and learned quickly. She studied Edaline like a case: every hitch of breath, spasm of muscles, broken-up moan. It was evidence for Ranpo to undo her at the seams just as she needed.
Her tongue was working in broad swipes over Edaline's clit, and her spit dribbled down to her opening. Ranpo had her eyes closed; hair messed up from where Poe had her hand fisted in it, face contorted in equal parts pleasure and concentration, jaw glistening as the mix of fluids got everywhere. She devoured Edaline like a last meal, and electricity cursed through her veins at the lewd sight.
"Ah, Ranpo, god- you're doing so good." Edaline's thighs came to squeeze Ranpo's head, and the mix of praise and pressure made heat settle in her core. She made a noise—something akin to a whimper—but it was entirely muffled as she drowned between Edaline's folds; it was suffocating. "Yes, yes- mh, that's it."
Ranpo was exactly where she wanted to be.
The humming sent jolts through Poe's spine, and Ranpo started flicking her tongue against Edaline's clit, whose moans started becoming higher-pitched and louder.
Ranpo curled her tongue around the hardened bud, lips sealed, and sucked.
Edaline almost screamed.
She grabbed Ranpo's head and yanked her back—she let out a gasp at the unexpected pull—entirely stopping her in her tracks. She was so close. They were both panting loudly, and Ranpo looked at her, confusion seeping into her dazed eyes.
"Hm?" She planted a little kiss on her inner thigh. Edaline's long hair was sprawled out over the pillows, a halo of ink framing her countentance. Her pretty, pale skin was dusted over by a blush that seemed to go down to her shoulders. Bruises littered her breasts that rose and fell with each heavy breath she took. Ranpo bit her lip, this was all her doing.
She bit down on the milky skin, making Edaline yelp—hoping to leave a bruise. "If I were you, I wouldn't stop the person between my legs by yanking their hair," she teased. Poe hadn't missed the sweet noise she made at the rough pull. Her hand came down towards Ranpo's jaw, who leaned into the tender hold. "I mean, what if I just decide to not let you-"
Her sweet touch juxtaposed with her commading tone, "Ranpo, stay still."
The surprise on Ranpo's flushed face rapidly morphed into a sly little smile, knowing exactly what was coming. She slightly unhooked her arms from under Edaline's legs to bring her elbows towards herself and lean on them, giving her a steadier base. "Yes, ma'am." And she let her tongue loll out.
Edaline brought her hand back to Ranpo's hair, taking a steely hold; she raised her hips up and started grinding against Ranpo's mouth, chasing friction. Her movements were erratic, continuing off right where they had left off. She moaned louder each time her clit rubbed against her girlfriend's nose, pressure rapidly building up inside her.
Her thighs were trembling and Ranpo was looking at her through half-lidded eyes; pupils blown. She let out little moans at every particularly rough use of her face. Edaline's voice once again climbed in pitch, "Fuck, Ranpo, ah- I'm so close."
Ranpo held her thighs for leverage and met her in the middle, flicking the tip of her tongue against Edaline's clit in time with her trusts. It felt so good.
"I'm gonna-" Ranpo was going deeper between her folds with every pass of her tongue, "I'm gonna come-"
Her girlfriend responded with a broken-up hum. Come.
Her grip on Ranpo's hair tightened, making her scalp sting, and she came with a loud, rattling cry, back fully arching off the bed; waves of pleasure violently crashing into her. She brought her thighs impossibly closer, crushing Ranpo's head between them.
Her orgasm dragged on, and Ranpo couldn't breathe. She could feel the muscles encaging her head shake violently, and she gently lapped at Edaline's pussy until she came down.
Poe then collapsed on the bed, panting heavily. Ranpo's arms caved in, and she, too, sprawled down, her face laying on Edaline's thigh.
The hand on her head was now gently scratching at her scalp, both women trying to catch their breath.
"God," Ranpo puffed, "I love eating you out." She looked absolutely debauched, and Edaline was sure she looked the same. She giggled softly at the straight-forward comment.
"C'mere."
Ranpo sat up wearily, and Poe noticed she seemed to be squirming in place, thighs pressed together tight. She reached out to her and maneuvered her into sitting with her back against her chest.
"You made a mess." Poe reached out and picked up anything her hand found to clean up—it ended up being her discarded shirt—and gently wiped a bit at the woman's glistening face.
"You like me messy." Not a lie.
"You threw my makeup pouch on the floor."
"Oh, right. Sorry, heat of the moment," she giggled.
Ranpo was not one for questions she already knew the answers to, but these times were an exception. She chased the high of Edaline's sweet words. "Did it feel good?"
"So good, baby." She grabbed Ranpo's face and turned it towards her, kissing her slow and deep; tongues intertwined, exchanging breaths and saliva, her own taste seeping into the kiss. Ranpo moaned at the contact, already extremely wound up. "You always seem to know just how to make me come undone"
"Eddie, please." She said, whiny. It would sound demanding if it hadn't come shuddering.
"Already begging?"
She slid her hand across Ranpo's inner thighs—who, as if by reflex, opened her legs—and towards her pussy, where-
Oh, my God. She was so wet.
Edaline barely held back a moan, it was obscene. She slid her fingers between Ranpo's labia, who whimpered needily at the minimal contact, and then pulled them away. They were tied back to her by a string of slick.
"Fuck, is this all just from eating me out?" She brought her fingers back to her cunt, "I bet I could just-"
And she slid two fingers in, full-length, with absolutely no resistance. Both women sighed in pleasure. Edaline started slowly pumping her fingers in and out, barely pulling them out a knuckle before sliding them back in.
Broken-up little whimpers spilled from Ranpo's mouth. She wouldn't last long.
Edaline dived back in to kiss her, if you could even call it that. It was sloppy, lips messily slotting together, tongues brushing over each other in frantic movements. Ranpo's every moan was swallowed by Edaline's mouth. She could not keep quiet either, extremely aroused by the woman crumbling down in her arms.
One of Ranpo's arms was raised towards her back to hold her girlfriend's face as they kissed, while her other hand played with her own breast.
Edaline knew two things: Ranpo liked her mouth busy, and Ranpo liked praise.
"Y'know, Eddie," Ranpo panted with a cheeky little smile, and Edaline listened, "You're terribly loud in bed."
Three things, actually. Ranpo would not shut up.
She decided to do something about it.
"I like th- Ah!" Edaline started picking up a relentless pace, shallowly fingering Ranpo while she thumbed at her clit. A long string of garbled sounds were slipping past Ranpo's mouth.
She lifted up her unoccupied hand and placed two fingers to Ranpo's lips, who wordlessly opened her mouth and started sucking on them. She liked her mouth busy.
"Ah- Mh!" Ranpo moaned around Edaline's fingers. A drop of drool rolled down the side of her mouth as she struggled to make noise past the intrusion.
The room was filled with the wet squelching noise from Edaline's fingers fucking into Ranpo's pussy and the woman's muffled moans. She swirled her tongue deftly between the digits in her mouth. The sounds kept climbing in frequency and breathlessness, and her legs were spasming. She was close.
"Good girl," Poe nuzzled her head into Ranpo's hair, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, "You're so good with your mouth."
Ranpo whimpered loudly in response to the words, face flushed.
"Do you want to come?"
She nodded her head rapidly, face contorted in pleasure, and who was Edaline to deny her that?
"You're so pretty like this, Ranpo." She focused most of the stimulation on Ranpo's clit. Ranpo's chest was heaving, her whines reedy and desperate. She screwed her eyes shut. "My sweet girl, so beautiful, adorable, smart-"
Edaline went on, but the rest of the words did not even register in Ranpo's brain when the pleasure hit her like a lightning strike. She let out a shuddering sob as she unraveled, body writhing and thighs closing tight, trapping Edaline's hand between them. She continued fucking her all through it, dragging out her orgasm.
Edaline pulled her fingers out of Ranpo's mouth and slowly stopped the movement on her hand; violent aftershocks wracking through her girlfriend's body.
Ranpo went limp over Edaline's body, who circled her arms around her in a warm embrace as her breathing finally settled down.
"Fuck-" Ranpo struggled to catch her breath, "You're-You're a little too good at that." She was blissfully exhausted. Edaline laughed earnestly. The shorter woman seemed to suddenly remember the way she was silenced seconds prior, "And so mean!"
"You love me, though." She rubbed her nose against Ranpo's, not unlike a cat.
"I love you." Ranpo responded, heart full. Her body felt as though she were suspended in clouds.
They kissed gently and tender; the heat gone, now leaving only warmth in its wake. The pair basked in the afterglow.
Edaline kissed her forehead, "I love you too."
"Eugh, I feel so sticky…"
"We both are," Poe chuckled, "Let's go take a shower."
Ranpo smiled, content, and hugged Edaline, sticky and all. "Make it a bath instead."
Bubbles and suds of shampoo were drifting across the surface of the water as they sat facing each other in Poe's ridiculously large tub.
"Was this the outcome you expected?" Ranpo asked, picking up a handful of bubbles and trying to place it atop Edaline's head.
"Hm?" She closed her eyes and scrunched her nose as the bubbles instead drifted towards her face. Cute.
"Y'know, with the chapsticks and all. My favorite was the cotton-candy one."
"Oh, I could tell." She held Ranpo's hands and played with her fingers. "You weren't meant to find out, but this is still close enough to what I had in mind," She chuckled a bit, "I just can't seem to get anything past you."
Ranpo smiled brightly, "You are dating the greatest detective ever!"
Edaline picked up some soap suds with her index finger and smeared them on Ranpo's cheek, "The greatest detective ever is awfully whiny once I get my hands on her." She ignored Ranpo's offended gasp in favor of continuing, "But you did get me with that last request to go 'pick up something at the agency'."
"Did you really think they'd send me work for home?"
"Ranpo, respectfully, I would not be surprised if they sent you home with the cases because you did nothing at work." She went on despite Ranpo's 'hey!, "You even had me thinking you really would go into the office in pajama shorts."
"Oh, no, yeah. That one was serious."
Edaline scrunched her face up in judgement and Ranpo laughed while splashing water onto her.
Edaline splashed back without missing a beat, and Ranpo stuck her tongue out when soapy water got in her mouth. Edaline cackled in that high-pitched way that made Ranpo's heart squeeze in her chest, and she decided maybe the taste of soap was tolerable.
Laughter echoed across the walls of the bathroom, the women playing with water and bubbles like little kids.
Once they'd gotten soap everywhere, the wheezing gently died down, and Ranpo came to rest her head on Edaline's chest.
The skin-to-skin contact was addicting, a warm glow settling in her chest at the press of Poe's body against hers. At times, she wished she could just crawl beneath the woman's skin—cuddle up encased in her ribs—surrounded by the loud thrumming of the blood rushing from her arteries down to the tips of her fingers, and lulled by the soothing current of her veins bringing it back. Instead, she pressed her ear to Edaline's chest and synced her beating to the steady beat.
Maybe Edaline's writing was getting to her.
That night, they cuddled up in bed, blanketed by blissful exhaustion and the other's arms. Karl had come into the room after their bath and was now a lump beneath their blankets.
Ranpo looked up at Edaline, eyelids weighed down by sleep. "Get rid of the grape one," she murmured.
Edaline chuckled drowsily and leaned closer. "I plead the fifth."
"Eddie, your 'fifth' doesn't apply in Japan."
When Ranpo kissed her good night, there was no artificial sweetness to be found. It tasted like annoying responses, cackling laughter, and genius weaving of words; like quiet reassurance, dripping adoration, and unconditional love.
It tasted like her.
In the end, Ranpo's favorite flavor would always come back to simply being Edaline's lips.