Prey and Predator [Ranpo x Reader] + Bonus ✓

Bonus: Attention

Though waking up to Ranpo's delicate kisses to my cheek was not a regular occurrence, it was certainly not an unpalatable one; for as long as I had been lazily awake for, I'd felt his lips press onto my skin gently a few dozen times, followed by a batch of hot breaths as he whined in silence.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," I groused lightly, bringing my hand up towards my face to shield my eyes from the morning sunlight that'd broke in through the windows and warmed the curtains - it was an alternative to leaving the light on throughout the night as a way to tackle Ranpo's fear of the dark. "What's with all the affection all of a sudden?"

Chuckling softly, the black-haired male shifted in bed and ran his fingers over the skin of my exposed forearm, leaning his cheek on his elbow as I squinted my eyes to fight the brightness and look up at him.

"I was trying to wake you up in the quietest way possible, [Y/N]," he justified calmly, looking down at my rounded belly with a tender smile before setting his eyes back to mine gradually. "If I woke you up quietly then I wouldn't risk waking the baby up also!"

My heart warmed at the hand of his explanation; Ranpo had woken me up in silence as a way to avoid waking an unborn child up along with it...

"It's not like you to be up this early though, Ranpo," I observed while leaning slowly towards the edge of the bed, his cautious arms assisting me as I sat up at the end of the mattress. "Did something happen?"

The addressed male pushed himself across the bed and sat right beside me, lacking a verbal reply as he admired the exposed skin of my hardened, round stomach; requesting consent, Ranpo hovered his hand over the flesh warmly and massaged it lightly, a sparkle of paternal adulation dancing in his eyes.

He shook his head conscious and drove his hand away from the belly before interlacing his fingers and sulking as though I'd told him that he was not allowed his favourite snack or activity.

"If I continue touching the baby then the baby will wake up," he pouted, heaving out a sigh as I broke into a peal of silent laughter to his explanation. "No laughing! I wanted to talk about something very important - just between the two of us!"

"What would that "important" topic be?" I queried while quieting my giggles and looking up at him as he flashed his green eyes open.

"I wanted to suggest a name for our baby, [Y/N]."

Reflecting on his answer, an elongated pause set as I silenced myself completely and let the bedsprings squeak under him as he strained for his bedside table and settled back again once he lay a crimson-coloured hardback book on his lap.

"I got a little curious -"

"Curiosity killed the cat!" I teased, pinching his cheek with a grin while he pouted. "Soon-to-be grandpapa Fukuzawa would not be happy to be told of any cat's death!"

He puffed out a breath and crossed his arms over his chest, giving me the opportunity to steal the book from his lap and observe it closer:

I had been attending the library almost daily since the beginning of maternity leave, gathering a variety of baby naming books when the one at home no longer sufficed or seemed to interest me; however, this was not one of those and particularly stood out from the rest of bunch - it must've caught Ranpo's eye also;

A red paper case still enveloped its hardback cover, its title written in bold over the author's name - Tarō Hirai - styled in a thin and rather eloquent font; when the reprinted case was removed, several scratches and damaged, bent edges could be found as properties of the publication, asserting the belief that this book had been around for a few decades since first released.