Work Text:
Ranpo glared at the offending stain on the counter like it was personally responsible for taking his honey chips or some other equally horrific crime. He bit down on his lip to help concentrate. The lack of a sweet aftertaste clinging to his mouth was a testament to just how dedicated he was to his task. It was February 13th, which meant Ranpo left the office early, and walked all the way home without getting lost (er, without getting thaaat lost) and made himself do boring tasks. He hated to clean, it was repetitive and obnoxious and too easy to be interesting and too hard to be over with quickly. Few things in life were worse than cleaning.
Ranpo groaned, it had been almost an hour and he wasn’t quite done with the kitchen yet. If it was for anyone else, Ranpo would never make himself do something so boring but for Yukichi... Well, even the thought of him lifted his irritated scowl into a fond smile. For Yukichi, he would do it anyway. There weren’t many things he wouldn’t do for his Yukichi.
As the white of the counter finally peaked out from under the disappearing stain, Ranpo dramatically threw himself to the floor. That marked a victory over the kitchen, at least, he let out a relieved breath at the reassuring thought. The kitchen and bedroom were the most important parts to get done before Yukichi came home. He would certainly stay late with Kunikida and Haruno and give Ranpo time for his little tradition that Yukichi would pretend to be shocked by. February 13th was extra special because just this once, Ranpo wasn’t looking for praise. Nope, tonight would be for praising Yukichi and Yukichi deserved everything to be perfect.
Ranpo grumpily pulled himself from the floor and moved his way towards the bedroom, gathering laundry and wrestling sheets from the bed. This part, at least, was easy to do while letting his mind wander. He had long since grown bored of imagining all the sweet treats Fukuzawa would spoil him with; that was just making him hungry.
Instead, Ranpo’s thoughts drifted to the past. The year that Valentine’s Day truly became a lover’s holiday for them was his favorite. He had mistakenly thought nothing would change. Apparently, Yukichi thought differently. He had hand-fed Ranpo delicious sweet treats, some he bought and a few he even made himself. Ranpo suddenly developed a favorite holiday, somewhere between sugar-sweet kisses and chocolate-covered marshmallows.
Five Valentine’s Days ago, having Yukichi’s undivided attention and getting to revel in it openly was new and sweet. Back then, Yukichi loved like an apology. What he had to apologize for was a mystery even Ranpo couldn’t solve. He may be 26 now but he suspected there were certain boring adult things that he would never parse. Things were different now; Yukichi loved like a promise, one that Ranpo would do anything to keep.
As sweet as that first Holiday was, it wouldn’t be fair not to repay Yukichi’s efforts. So, Ranpo quickly developed his own traditions to spoil his lover. He went out of his way to do the boring things that pleased Yukichi and already had gotten Yukichi a new kitty plush with the special Valentine’s Day chocolate cologne. He also picked up one of the special candles that melt into lotion, he would light it at dinner, and when the lotion pooled around the flame, he would rub the stiffness out of Yukichi’s muscles until he melted into the clean sheets.
Moments melted into two more hours of tediously fussing until their reasonably clean apartment became entirely tidy. It was exhausting but as Ranpo changed into the soft pajamas he knew Yukichi liked and sprawled out across the bed, he knew that Yukichi would always be worth it. He took a slow, steady breath and reveled in the simple pleasure of knowing Yukichi would be home any minute now. He let his eyes flutter shut, passing the time in the warm space between consciousness and sleep.
Warm, familiar fingers trailed along his body rousing him from his nap. His body keened and arched into the touch without any effort at all. Even his unconscious wanted anything those hands could give. Ranpo gave a sleepy hum of recognition and let his body be maneuvered until Yukichi was underneath him, with Ranpo on his chest. He listened to that heartbeat, slowed by decades of training to a soothing pattern.
“What is all of this for?” Yukichi whispered, as though he did not already know.
Ranpo pressed a kiss into the nearest bit of Yukichi’s chest, “because I love you,” he replied.
Yukichi hummed contently, “I love you too, dearest,”
Ranpo didn’t respond to the familiar but rare phrase and instead focused on arranging his limbs until he was certain that they were pressed together as close as they could be. The scent of Yukichi reminded him of damp earth, warming in the sun, he wasn’t sure why. It was too early to be going to sleep but the way Yukichi’s breath evened out a little more with each pass of his wandering hand over his lover’s body assured Ranpo that that didn’t matter at all tonight.
~~~
Ranpo rose with the sun, the light filtering into the bedroom pulling him from his dreams. He typically preferred to sleep in, but he had fallen asleep so early yesterday he was bound to be up. The bed was too cold for Yukichi to still be there, so he must be making breakfast already. The realization that today was Valentine’s day struck Ranpo like a lightning bolt and he jumped out of bed.
He messily rifled through a few drawers in the dresser and took his prize with him to the bathroom. He relieved himself and pulled off the soft pajamas from the night before. It was silly to get changed just to get changed for work in a few more hours but silly things were alright for Yukichi. He pulled the soft green lacy boyshorts over his thighs and then pulled Yukichi’s worn-out white undershirt over his head. Ranpo glanced in the bathroom mirror and smiled, perfect! He followed the scent of chocolate out to where Yukichi stood, shirtless with an apron and his pajama pants on. Ranpo knew that this was just as intentional as his own outfit and certainly had no complaints about the sight.
“Yuuukichi~ Good morning! Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you! Is that pancakes? Is it pancakes with chocolate chips? It smells like chocolate but that could be the chocolate in the double-boil thingie, is there sprinkles? Which sprinkles did you pick? Do we have Valentine’s Day sprinkles?” Ranpo babbled, trying to slip between Yukichi and the pan he stood over, with no such luck.
“Breakfast will be ready soon, you’re up early today. Why don’t you open the gift on the table while you wait?” Yukichi prompted.
Ranpo eagerly scrambled to comply, he already knew most of the contents, but Yukichi could surprise him in the little ways when he let him. Gifts from Yukichi were even more interesting than pancakes, so he settled down at the table and eagerly grabbed the red bag. Inside there was an assortment of his favorite little sweets but resting at the bottom was a small box. Ranpo bit down on his lip hard and waited with all the patience he could muster for Yukichi to come to the table with their plates so he could see him open it. Yukichi gave his head an affectionate pat as recognition of his patience.
Inside the small box, was a golden necklace with a long chain. Ranpo recognized it as the sort of lover’s gift that they didn’t often bother with. They were not the same as boring couples, so they didn’t pretend to be. Which means that this must be something very special indeed. Ranpo brought the pendant piece of the necklace up to the light to appreciate it. He recognized the round stone as lapis lazuli, which made the gift make far more sense.
“This is lapis, same as from our first case together after forming the Agency! Well, this is obviously not the exact same lapis because that would probably kill me if it got wet but it’s still lapis! Will you put it on me? Please, please, I want to wear it to work!” Ranpo begged, not commenting on the relief he could see in Yukichi’s posture.
Yukichi nodded and moved to stand behind him, clasping the necklace into place and dropping the pendant down the front of the stolen shirt. He pressed a lingering kiss to Ranpo’s temple, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ranpo,” he muttered in easy contentment.
“Do I get to show it off at the office?” Ranpo asked.
Yukichi let out an amused breath, “That’s your decision, do you want to answer their questions?”
Ranpo knew that tone, Yukichi already knew that Ranpo would only be showing Yosano, “...It’s just as special if only we see, now, pancake time!” Ranpo declared, perking right back up.
As Yukichi returned to his seat, Ranpo added “you get your gift after we come home!”
Yukichi nodded in acknowledgment and they both began to eat. Ranpo’s pancakes had both chocolate chips and sprinkles inside, with a little bit of whip cream on top. Yukichi’s weren’t plain today, at least, they had little bits of strawberries in them. Still far from sweet enough for Ranpo to understand the appeal. The brush of the necklace against his skin was unfamiliar and distracting but he knew the weight of it would soon become a comfort. He also knew that he was absolutely never going to bother learning how to work the obnoxious little jewelry clasp. That could be Yukichi’s responsibility.
Ranpo swallowed the last bit of his pancake and then declared, “I want Yukichi to dress me today!”
Yukichi narrowed his eyes in a way that warned him that he wouldn’t usually get away with such a demand but his gaze softened as Ranpo’s true intentions sunk in. Yes, Valentine’s Day was certainly the best holiday.
~~~
Ranpo had been babbling on and on about anything he could think of in anticipation for their walk home. Work had been at least slightly exciting today, he had an easy case to solve and they sent Kyouka with him. Apparently, her knowledge of Yokohama was particularly impressive, they certainly took a few shortcuts Ranpo had never seen before. She made an alright companion. She was content to listen to Ranpo and reminded him a bit of Yukichi. Not as amazing, of course, but he could see how he was endeared to her cause so easily. Not that Kyouka had the slightest clue of the similarities that were so obvious for Ranpo.
It was only after Ranpo had nearly ran out of new things to tell Yukichi, that they approached the front door. The walk had taken longer than usual today because they stopped to pick up some food and the lines were longer. Now they were finally home and Ranpo was excited enough to duck under Yukichi’s arm to dart in before him, as he often had when he was younger and eager to be home. The exuberance earned him an amused huff, so Ranpo even pulled the white bag from Yukichi’s grasp and started setting up the table himself.
Once Ranpo had distributed the containers by their usual seats, he dashed to the closet to get the candle he stashed. If he wanted to use it after dessert, it needed to be lit right now. He removed the seal and carried it to Yukichi, holding it out expectantly until Yukichi used one of the matches he had long since been banned from. Ranpo sat the freshly lit candle in the middle of the table and took his seat to wait for Yukichi.
Dinner passed mostly in amicable silence, occasionally broken by Ranpo’s eager retellings of random things he saw or thought. Mostly, it was dinner just like on any other night. Which was exactly what Ranpo liked most about it, every dinner with Yukichi was special and they didn’t need to try to improve it.
When Yukichi cleared his plate, he grabbed both of their dishes to place in the sink and brought out the tray in the fridge covered with marshmallows of various shapes and sizes dipped in sweet milk chocolate. There were also a few graham crackers coated with a bit of dark chocolate, which was an indulgent treat better suited to Yukichi’s palette.
This was Ranpo’s favorite part of Valentine’s day and he couldn’t help but to rush to the balcony door to open it for Yukichi. Days like today made Ranpo feel a little bit like an over-excited puppy but he couldn’t find it in himself to care when there were so many things to be excited about. It was only natural to be eager to spend time with Yukichi, after all.
Their balcony lacked the typical set up one may expect, instead, they had a swinging chair that was just large enough for them to sit in together comfortably. Ranpo liked their swing far more than normal chairs, it let him sit under Yukichi’s arm. This time, Ranpo was sitting a little bit crooked, his feet over Yukichi’s lap and the arm of the chair. Yukichi carefully balanced the tray of sweets and waited until Ranpo had settled down comfortably.
“Thank you for behaving, Ranpo,” Yukichi praised, offering a small marshmallow between his fingers.
Ranpo intentionally overshot, lips clumsily meeting Yukichi’s fingers as he licked the melting chocolate away and sucked the marshmallow away. He kept Yukichi’s fingers hostage until they were devoid of any chocolate. These were easily his favorite sweet treat, he was certain that Yukichi melting the chocolate himself was just as important as it was to be fed them. Those details were surely what made them so perfect.
“On the case?” Ranpo asked, finally replying to Yukichi, now that he had finished the marshmallow.
Yukichi shook his head, “Today,” he clarified.
Ranpo hummed contently, “More marshmallows, then!” he chirped.
The tray of sweets steadily began to dwindle as the sun set and Ranpo’s mouth became smeared with melted chocolate. Every now and then, Ranpo would break their rhythm and climb into Yukichi’s lap and feed him one of the graham crackers and trade sweetened kisses. Each kiss made Ranpo feel an electric thrum building under his skin, his patience for lazy kisses was quickly evaporating. Eventually, Ranpo snagged the last marshmallow and popped it into his mouth himself and dragged Yukichi inside. Yukichi permitted his enthusiasm and allowed himself to be pulled in and obediently removed his top layers when Ranpo tugged at his sleeve. Yukichi neatly disrobed as Ranpo blew out the candle and tested the temperature of the lotion.
“Where would you like me?” Yukichi asked, watching Ranpo poke at the waxy lotion with a fond smile.
“Lay down on your stomach in bed,” Ranpo ordered firmly, tugging off his own shirt to keep it clean.
Yukichi obediently stretched out over their bed on his stomach, toned muscles tensing and then relaxing as he made himself comfortable. Ranpo didn’t exactly have a natural talent for giving massages but time had brought familiarity to guide his touches along the lines of those muscles. Ranpo straddled Yukichi carefully, taking care not to splash any warm lotion on him.
Ranpo started out with a dab of the lotion pressed to Yukichi’s skin and when he didn’t catch any sounds of pain, Ranpo added more. He traced patterns of warm lotion along Yukichi’s shoulder blades. He relished each pleased noise he pulled from Yukichi and was delighted as the tension melted away from his body inch by inch. Ranpo couldn’t help but press a soft kiss to each area before he started to move to the next. By the time Ranpo has worked down each arm and back his hands were beginning to cramp but Yukichi was drifting into sleep.
Ranpo set aside the candle and grabbed a blanket to cover them both, he settled in to cuddle with Yukichi who was already starting to snore softly. Ranpo’s body ached pleasantly from the past day’s efforts for Yukichi and he couldn’t be more pleased about it.
After all, Yukichi’s affections brought him higher than any sugar rush.