What happened to us?

▪︎Chapter 10▪︎ - special

The Christmas gift
(short)

~

If you were told to picture Party of the Christmas Eve at the Armed Detective Agency, how would it look like?

If we keep in mind sanity of majority of the workers, we could assume that it would be a peaceful get-together where everyone has a good time and enjoys the holidays.
If we add likes of alcohol that is necessary at every party, the peace is slowly beginning to fade away.
And then there is Dazai in presence of Kunikida, which means that happiness is gone, God is dead and there is no way to stop the apocalypse...

"DAZAI YOU IMBECILE!! YOU HAD ONE JOB, ONE!!" Kunikida shouted at his smirking colleague. "YOU SHOULD HAVE DECORATED THE TREE WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, NOT REAL DAMN CANDLES!! REAL TREES ARE FU- freaking... flammable!"
"But we put the fire down and decorated the small plastic one insted, so relax, would you." Dazai shrugged.
"Yes, we put the fire down. But it took half of the curtains with it, HOW ARE YOU EXPECTING ME TO BE CALM?!"
Kunikida almost shouted his vocals out while Data just gave him a blank stare as if he had nothing to do with the situation.
"Wine?" Yosano suggested with hope.
"Thank you for your offer, doctor, but not now. Right now I need something much stronger..."
"Vodka from the Rat king!" Ranpo suggested.
"Sure, I don't care..." Kunikida sight.
"I'll fetch you some right away!" Yosano said cheerfully.

Kenji then looked at Ranpo with a confused stare.
"Ranpo-san, who ist the Rat king?"
Ranpo tried to think of the least traumatizing way to explain Fyodor's persona.
"Just someone we are familiar with. And also someone who Dazai plays chess with every second Sunday." Ranpo said and Dazai proudly nodded. Agency's relationship with Fyodor and his harem of tall men with white hair was real unsure, but it seemed like the demon took a break during the holidays as well, so they had some time to relax.

-

Ranpo was eating the sweets Atsushi, Kyouka, Kenji and Yosano baked while looking at the kids opening their presents and Kunikida, Yosano and Dazai seemingly having a drinking contest.
It was quite a fun show, thought he still felt like something was missing. Maybe even... someone.

Fukuzawa then walked up to him with his usual serious look.
"It seems like you have a visitor." the President said.

Ranpo then realized a hasitant sounding knock on the door. Just by hearing it, he knew who it was and rushed to the door.
There stood no other then tall writer with his pet raccoon on his shoulders that were currently covered by lond black winter coat. He held some sort of present in his hands.
Ranpo looked up at him with a cherished smile.
"Hey, Ed! Nice to see you!" he smiled.
Poe raised an index finger. 
"Hello... I brought you a gift- sort of. I figured you might find an use for it... Maybe..." he managed to say while handing Ranpo the said item. The shorter male took it and began to study it.
It was a thick book in black learher cover that currently had a creamy colored ribbon on it.
"Wow... You wrote this?!" Ranpo exclaimed with excitement.
"I have- been for past six years... I hope you'll find it at least a bit good... I apologize that it is not properly wrapped, but Karl always ripped the paper, so I just used the ribbon..." Poe muttered.
"Thank you so much! But I don't have anything for you tho... It's kinda embarrassing to say, but we had a bit of crisis with... the lights. And the tree..." Ranpo's excitement turned into pure embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head.
"It's okay, I don't need anything- I'll be happy to hear your honest opinion after you finish it, but it doesn't need to rush." Poe shook his head with a light comforting smile.
"Are you sure that that's all you want?" Ranpo raised his eyebrows.
Poe nodded.
"Sometimes words have more value than any item could have." he said.
"I respect it." Ranpo nodded. "Do you want to say a bit longer?" Ranpo made a suggestion and pointed into the room.
"Um- No thank you. I'm not the party type..." Poe refused as politely as he could "But it's okay, it was my fault for rushing in here out of the blue. But feel free to go, I won't mind-"
"Not even five minutes...?" Ranpo made the puppy eyes.
"I-it's enough to make me faint- really, I'm good." Poe still repused. Ranpo didn't want to push him, so he just gave in.
"If you insist... But I'll make sure to see you as soon as possible and give you my opinion on the book!" Ranpo said, letting Poe know that he has already made up his mind.
"I'm okay with that." Poe nodded.
"So then... Bye bye, I guess." Ranpo waved goodbye, yet still stood on the hall without sign of wanting to go back to the party.
"Goodbye, Ranpo-kun." Poe said with a small bow.
"Bye!"
"Bye-"
"I'll see you again, homie!"
"Okay..."
"I'll never forget you!"
"Me neither! Take care of yourself!"
"You too! Get some sleep! And BYE!!"
"Goodbye..."

Poe then left back out of the building after saying his playful goodbyes with Ranpo, taking way longer than he expected.
Was this how grown men that happen to be rivals usually act towards each other?

-

Ranpo returned back to the room, yet didn't join the conversation right away as he reentered the room as he usually does, but looked outside the window to see the writer walking through the snowy streets.
He got a glance at wholesome moment of Karl trying to eat snow with Poe picking him up in his arms and warming his small paws with his hands. Ranpo would swear that he saw Karl put his front paw at Poe's face with the writer giving a small smile.

Maybe those Christmas weren't such a dreadful disaster after all...

~

Words: 1015

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I have a question, would you like me to make a headcanon chapter or perhaps a new book so the main story isn't disturbed? I have a few in mind and so I want to hear your opinion

Also, merry Christmas everyone. Take care of yourself ♡