#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.
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My Last Name - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
@wltz-bby @happyskywhale
GIF CREDIT: X
Author’s Note: I was supposed to get this off the ground before the Holiday period so I could write my winter wedding fic and like... completely forgot about it until it was a little too late.
So while you won’t get the Wedding this year, though I’m not promising inspiration won’t strike late, or... y’know if there’s demand, I thought I would still give you the proposal.
Special shout out to a very good friend who keeps giving me SO much Ralph Anderson inspiration. I needed it and didn’t even know. Keep doing what you’re doing! 💕
We stan the pure form of ‘Daddy’ on this blog.
My Last Name - Dierks Bentley
Disclaimer: The Outsider (Book/HBO) Nothing to do with me / gif not mine / lyrics not mine / I’ve had this in my head so long and I’m not really sure this is the pay off but... here we are!
Premise: Ralph Anderson has a lot on his mind and that list is only going to get bigger. He’s not one for believing in confluence - it’s up to Yune to remind him sometimes things do just work out...
Words: 4517
Warnings: ....Insulin warning? For a buncha reasons. I mean I know you guys know what’s coming but reader doesn’t! / Swearing
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I learned how to write it
When I first started school
Some bully didn't like it,
He said it didn't sound too cool
So I had to hit him
And all I said when the blood came
It's my last name
Daddy always told me far back as I recall
Son, you're part of somethin',
You represent us all
So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came
It's my last name
Passed down from generations
Too far back to trace
I can see all my relations
When I look into my face
May never make it famous
But I'll never bring it shame
It's my last name
So darlin' if you're wonderin'
Why I've got you here tonight
I want to be your husband, I want you to be my wife
I ain't got much to give you
But what I've got means everything
It's my last name
Oh, it's my last name
---
Whenever Ralph used to be woken up in the middle of the night it was usually a call. The kind where he would groan and for all of 10 seconds - whilst glancing bleary-eyed at the clock flashing some ungodly hour of the morning - wish that he wasn’t a man of the law. It still happened occasionally these days, but a little less and less; people seemed more respectful of his situation now and wouldn’t call him unless absolutely necessary. Or unless the scene really needed both of you on it, and right away.
Instead Ralph was woken by the tugging of sheets. You were still fast asleep, and he wasn’t surprised; the case you’d been working on meant putting in the late hours. He was at least glad you’d hauled Yune onto it with you, even though as your partner (in every capacity) Ralph felt a little guilty about it. You kept telling him not to be silly, he had bigger things to focus on right now.
But he couldn’t help it, and he always thought ‘bigger than this case, though?’
As he sat up to figure out what was going on, Ralph came face to face with your adopted daughter Renée.
“Oh, oh, Renée, sweetheart, what’s wrong are you okay? Honey?”
Although also half asleep she was currently crying and whimpering and Ralph was immediately alert and concerned, “Oh, honey… honey it’s okay… what happened?”
He wound his arms around her and hoisted her up into bed, and she kept crying, burying her face in his soft sleep shirt, “Daddy… don’t let the monsters get me, daddy…”
“Shhh… Shhh… It’s okay, sweetheart it was a bad dream… I promise it’s just a dream.” It better have been, because if anything like that shapeshifter ever came for the people he loved again Ralph Anderson would give it more than just hell. But Ralph couldn’t help but be a little flustered. She had never, not in all the time you’d been together, nor in the joint decision for him to move into your house, called him ‘daddy’ before. Not even on accident. ‘Ralphie’ was as close as he got to a cute nickname - although he despised it from anyone that wasn’t her.
He couldn’t help but be overcome with joy as he wrapped her in his arms, rubbing her back, nor that it spilled to his heart, now beating faster. Ralph had wanted to hear it from Renée for a long time, he certainly wouldn’t deny that. But he wouldn’t force it out of her until she was ready - he was just a little concerned that it had come to her after bad dreams…
Ralph’s eyes flicked to you, luckily still fast asleep, he didn’t want to worry you with this if he didn’t have to. Kissing her forehead gently he was glad to see that she wasn’t crying anymore, but she was still holding him so tight and whimpering every so often.
“It’s okay, Renée… they won’t get you I promise. I’m here…”
That only caused her to hold him tighter, mumbling into his shirt, “Can I stay with you and mommy?”
Ralph chuckled gently, another spike to his heartrate that he knew was ending with a stupid grin, he wiped it off to be appropriately concerned, “Of course you can… C’mere, we’ll protect you…”
She snuggled in the sheets between you, and Ralph put his arm around both of you, feeling your body move under his touch and your subconscious hum of content.
“Goodnight Renée…” He mumbled, hoping he’d be able to settle back to sleep easily.
“Goodnight, Daddy…” She already sounded like she was drifting. Ralph smiled again before kicking himself. Don’t get ahead of yourself… she’ll forget by tomorrow morning...
***
He was standing in the kitchen with his what felt like his fourth cup of coffee when you returned from dropping her at school.
“You best be careful with those today… what with your Captain’s interview!” You chided, pouring what was left into a cup of your own, before kissing his cheek.
Ralph’s smile came off as more of a grimace, “I’ll need all the help I can get.”
You shook your head at him, leaning against the counter, “Come on. Don’t be ridiculous, you’ll ace it.”
He shook his head, “No.”
You sighed, taking his hand and tugging him to you, forcing his eyes to look at yours, “Ralph Anderson, I’ll tell you good luck if that’s what you really want, but you don’t need it.”
He laced his fingers with yours, “It’s only contention, Y/N. It’s not a dead cert.”
You raised an eyebrow, kissing his knuckles, “Nope. You’ll get it.”
Ralph’s eyes flicked back to the garden and he chewed the inside of his lip frowning, you tried searching his face for any clue as to what was on his mind besides the interview. But this detective had you stumped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Renée called me daddy last night.”
You froze, and not only because that was so out of the blue, you knew what that meant to him. How many times you’d teased him about the moment it would finally happen. Now she’d done it, but it wasn’t the FIRST thing he’d said this morning?! “And you weren’t gonna tell me-!?! Ralph, that’s-! That’s so good!”
Ralph squinted at nothing in particular, “Look, she… she was half asleep. I don’t think she’s gonna remember it.”
“Does that matter? You do.” You pushed yourself up on your toes to turn his face back to yours and you smiled, “Babe… tell me how you felt. Right now, tell me how you felt.”
“Like when you first told me you loved me.”
You scoffed, but Ralph continued, “My heart kinda… went on overdrive. I know I was grinning like an idiot. Just… overjoyed. I guess, but Y/N she won-”
You pulled him to your lips to stop him from getting negative, “Channel it. That feeling and that positivity. Into your interview.”
“Y-Yeah okay.” Ralph sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get away with it, and then couldn’t help but smile, “I’m sorry I didn’t wake you. But it was bad dreams, I didn’t wanna worry you.”
“Ah, I did wonder why she woke up in our bed.” You kissed him again, “I gotta go, daddy, but I’ll see you after your interview.”
Ralph hesitated in your arms at your repeated phrase; “...I’ll need 20 drinks at this rate.”
You laughed, but the fact that he was now blushing didn’t escape your notice, “Me too!”
“How’s it all going-?”
“Oh no.” You shook your head, “Interview first, case later. I got some more interviewing of my own to do!” You turned to him at the door with a smile, and blew him a kiss, “Later, Mr. Anderson.”
***
Flint City PD needed a new Captain. This rumour of retirement had been circulating a while with absolutely no weight to it. But earlier this month the Captain had announced that this time, those rumours were true and he would be retiring in a few months’ time - interviews starting imminently. Ralph hadn’t needed any encouragement to sign up, he knew he was getting to the age where he ought to be thinking of desk work as the main part of his job. Also, how often did the opportunity come up?
You’d had one simple chat with him about it, that one where he tried to convince himself of all the reasons why he shouldn’t apply, and you told him to shut up and go for it. So Ralph had, and his interview was today. He knew he wasn’t the only one in the precinct to apply for it, and he knew that there were applications coming in from outside Flint City - heck he’d seen a bunch of ‘em walk in to be interviewed. (Always with you and Yune looking at them and throwing comments around that Ralph thought were supposed to help encourage him, but wasn’t always entirely sure) But from what he’d gathered, most of the FCPD wanted it to be him that got the position. Ralph was - obviously - humbled, but he wasn’t one for counting his chickens.
As his interview approached, he’d broached the conversation more seriously with you. Right now you were his detective partner. There wasn’t a lot of conflict of interest there, because you always worked cases together.
But if he was the Captain, and you were a detective under him, he could see why that would cause an issue. You’d moved to Flint City PD to further your own career, and Ralph didn’t want to put a halt on that just because he was the Captain of the department.
And Ralph liked working cases with you - aside from you actually being his girlfriend - so there was that element that might disappear too. And he wasn’t sure he wanted that:
“So, if I do get it - theoretically - I’ll have to promote you into a senior role. Otherwise you’re a ‘junior’ detective working cases that someone of my current role should be doing. Or I can just put you in my role… But then, do I pull someone else in? Y/N, I want to partner with you still. Would that be okay?”
You raised your eyebrow and played into his ‘theoretical’ world: “You’re the Captain.”
“Yeah, but conflict of interest.”
You frowned, considering it, “Well, no-one has exactly said anything before now. But I see when you’d be in a position of authority over me why it’d cause trouble.” You shrugged, “See what the general consensus is; at work, with the people of Flint City. The DA’s office.” The legal side was very important. You couldn’t risk cases getting thrown out.
“I don’t give a damn if the DA’s office cares-!” With that jokey tone - and the inference of your friendship with Samuels behind it - Ralph leant across and kissed you, “Good idea, Ms. S.S. Andersson.”
You smiled, but shook your head at his nickname, he was always after that double-S. “I do have them, occasionally!”
**
Ralph knew that he wouldn’t get the peace and quiet he really required to prepare, when he rolled into the parking lot and Yune was standing outside the precinct doors, arms folded.
‘Just perfect.’
He took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair - really Ralph wasn’t sure why he was panicking so much about the interview; he knew enough that was fairly certain. Maybe he wanted it too much… maybe - with the consequences of your relationship - he didn’t want it enough. He chewed on his lip, sitting in silence for a minute. You were likely right about him being a dead cert, but Ralph was not about to bet on it until that paper arrived on his desk officially.
Yune came strolling over the second Ralph opened his car door;
“How you feelin’?”
“Honestly, pretty terrible. I’ve had more cups of coffee this morning than I can count. I haven’t had a real interview in years. I don’t even know what I’m expecting in there. Usually I’m the one asking questions.”
“Well don’t act like a suspect and you’ll be fine!” Yune chuckled, but the quirk of Ralph’s eyebrow told him that wasn’t helpful, so Yune jogged his arm instead as they walked towards the precinct, “Man you got this in the bag!”
“Look, can I just have the interview first-? Speaking of, I thought you were helping Y/N today?!”
Yune shrugged, “I offered to get everyone coffee.”
“So you could stand outside and wait for me?” Ralph pushed open the door, turning to his friend,
“A little. But while she’s in there I can talk to you!”
Ralph’s smile was a little crooked as he opened your office door, “About what?” Although he knew full well where this conversation was going.
“C’mon man! About what!”
Ralph threw his jacket over the back of his chair and booted up his computer. His interview notes were still on top of his desk where he’d left them yesterday; you had little cue cards you’d been asking him questions from and he’d been able to answer with a confident smile on the drive home. Maybe he just had to pretend the Captain was you - Ralph had second thoughts on that helping. “Can I just get through today before you get onto me about any of that.”
“Geez, what are you so worried about today for?!”
Ralph bit his lips together and again blurted it, “Renée called me daddy last night and I- I just… I dunno what I do with that.”
Yune’s eyes immediately widened, “Holy shit-”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. It was after a bad dream, she wasn’t properly awake-” Ralph waved his hands towards the floor to calm Yune down, but it didn’t work.
“-This is all falling into place! Especially when you’re thinking of…!” Yune’s face lit up, “HA!”
Ralph shook his head, “Geez, but it’s all a little too convenient right? Like it’s all just happening a little too… at the same time.”
Yune let out a frustrated sigh, making sure the door behind him was closed, “For fuck sake Ralph, just propose to the girl already, you’re killing me here-!!”
Ralph looked panicked for a second as he waved his hands once more and pressed his finger to his lips to shut Yune up, looking pretty stern, “Shush!”
“She loves you, her kid loves you, you’re gonna get this Captain’s job. It’s all gonna work out. Sometimes things just work Ralph. I know you’re not a big believer… even when you know there’s other forces at work out there.”
“...Things don’t just work… there’s gotta be reasons!”
“Yeah, I just gave you three, they aren’t connected, they’re just happening at the same time. Stop looking for trouble where there isn’t any.” Yune crossed the room and shook his friend’s shoulders, “Cheer up! Ace this interview!” Then he chuckled, “Now I’m gonna go get coffee before Y/N kills me.”
Ralph couldn’t help but chuckle back, “Yeah. I would, and I won’t be stopping her!”
“Aw,” Yune feigned hurt as he walked back through the door, “now that’s unfair-! After all my support!?”
Ralph sat back at his desk, finding himself needing to take an even bigger deep breath and wishing Yune hadn’t brought up the proposal. It had been a tentative idea thrown out there the last time the two of them had after work drinks, and Yune had immediately leapt on it. He liked asking if Ralph had thought about what he was going to say, and where, and how, and if he’d got a ring yet. And although Ralph was serious, and he knew in the back of his head such a proposal was imminent, he didn’t know anything beyond the fact he was going to do it.
He placed a hand to his forehead and groaned, turning back to his notes - this was priority one, everyone was right. Once Ralph knew what his future was going to hold, he could start thinking about what his future with you would look like - and exactly how he’d change that last name of yours.
***
Anderson and Andersson had been a running joke between nearly the whole damn city since you’d arrived here. Yune had refused to tell Ralph your name until the Captain had introduced you. And you’d had to on the spot explain to a surprised looking Ralph that ‘mine is spelt with a double-S’ - hence his sometime-nickname for you. With Yune standing by trying his very best to hold in his laughter with a poker face.
How you had to introduce yourselves as “Detective Anderson & Andersson” and everyone got that look on their face. And how you started adding the quip of “Yes, we’re partners.” when you’d started dating. But people started to think that you were already married - and then began the process of explaining the spelling, to every person in Flint City who gave the same little amused smile.
When Ralph had started to joke with you about the possibility of getting married, he’d always said something along the lines of; ‘We need to get rid of that extra S - shouldn’t be too hard!’ You’d never really known - or particularly cared - if he was serious or not.
You never seemed to be fishing for marriage, the only time you’d brought it up semi-seriously was when you’d had a tentative conversation of having kids of yours own, your comment being ‘At least change my last name first-!’
Your main concern really was his influence on Renée’s life - and you didn’t need to be married for that to continue the way it was going. She didn’t need to refer to Ralph as her father, but he was certainly a father figure for her. Although ever since that night he’d wanted her to say it again, accidentally, or maybe again in a half-asleep state; it hadn’t happened. And you’d watched Ralph try not to look disappointed, or try not to look like he was wishing for it so hard… You both knew it would take her time, but it looked like it was killing him.
He got the Captaincy easily enough, it was barely even an interview; basic competency questions before what felt much more like a chat. Although Ralph was very cautious of slip ups even then. Of course the Frankie Peterson case was brought up, and all Ralph really had to say was that lessons were learned, no-one was perfect, Terry was done right by in the end. We got the guy - though for obvious reasons he didn’t add that. Ralph was fully prepared to admit to mistakes, but thought the rest of his career would speak for itself. And it clearly did.
Basically the whole precinct had been called together when it was announced and had a party for him. (Your little family and his closest friends had a more relaxed and intimate dinner together afterwards, where Ralph let himself go a little bit).
Ralph was very humble about accepting it, and careful about his transition period. Especially when it came to you, everyone seemed alright with things as they stood - they had watched you both for several years as partners and how the relationship had played out there. It was all very ‘let’s see how it goes’ - and Ralph would take any complaints or comments about professionalism, favouritism or conflicts of interest very seriously. He had sent a general enquiry to the head of county police, but hadn’t heard anything back yet. Ralph just didn’t want to have to move you somewhere when you were so settled. You joked about going to the DA’s office, but that didn’t go down well - for obvious Bill Samuels related reasons, but also because Ralph thought that might make things even worse.
You only ever rolled your eyes at him, “For the millionth time I’m not gonna run off with the guy-! He’s a very good friend.”
“I thought he was your best friend.”
“Ralph Anderson.” You smiled gently, brushing your lips to his, as if he didn’t know. “You have gotta be out of your mind.”
Of course, once the position was in hand, there was barely a day that went by that Yune didn’t give him a look of significance. Ralph quite often had to kick him under the desk or strategically hit him with a folder.
‘Now isn’t the right time.’
‘No, now is perfect! Don’t tell me you’re scared!?’
‘I’m not scared-!’
‘Good, cuz you faced off against a shapeshifting thing in a Texas cave, you can propose to your partner.’
Ralph’s laugh was choked, ‘How is this less scary than that-!?’
Ralph was a little scared of getting down on one knee. He had no plan. No game play. Heck he didn’t even think he knew your ring size - some detective he was! - and Ralph didn’t think he had the skill to enquire nonchalantly, or steal one from your jewellery box to get measured somewhere without you noticing. And he wanted it to be a surprise for you - another reason why Ralph wanted Yune to keep his damn mouth shut. Either you were bound to overhear, or gossip would get it back to you.
But it was his last name. Would you want to change yours? It might have been one letter, sure but… you’d still be taking his name. You’d often said of his last name that it was ‘lazy’ when he told you yours was spelled wrong:
‘Somewhere along the line someone got lazy and decided they couldn’t be doing with that second S.’
‘Why can’t yours be spelled wrong!?’
‘Most popular surname in Sweden, definitely not spelt wrong.’ Then you’d look up at him; ‘Or you’re Scottish. Anders-son. Son of Anders. Vs… I think yours is Andrew. With that missing S.’
He’d quirked his eyebrow ‘Something wrong with that-!?’
‘No.’ Though you gave him a teasing little smirk as you’d mused on it for a minute, ‘I’m still going for that lazy angle!’
Not that Ralph thought that would factor any into your decision to marry him, but it was a conversation that kept flooding his brain as he got more and more anxious about asking you.
Then, suddenly, the perfect idea came to him…
***
You’d had another day visiting smaller ‘crime scenes’ and filing legal paperwork. Overjoyed when Bill kept congratulating you on being the only one who actually did half this stuff yourself.
“One of a kind, Y/N, I tell ya!”
“Anything for my favourite DA, of course.”
“Which is why we gotta work against those idiots in the PD, right?”
“Team work!” You grinned, “Although one is about to be the permanent Captain.”
“Ah yeah, well, I’m still the DA. So, if he gives you trouble-!” Although Bill’s smile was warm - Ralph and he had their differences in the work place, but would certainly consider each other friends out of it.
You laughed, “Oh, I’ll be right over!”
Now you were back at the precinct and pretty buzzy with good energy. All your work was done for the day, and there was nothing too strenuous to pick up from the crimes either.
Your new Captain was standing outside, hands on his hips and smile on his face. You stopped in the grass and tilted your head at him. Ralph looked so happy, but also a little shy about it. You wondered what was up. But couldn’t help but think how lovely it was to see him looking like this.
“Captain.” You grinned as he crossed to you, “You need me for something?”
“Well I have been waiting for you.”
“Oh, not long I hope?”
“Well, I mean, I guess I’ve been waiting a while but… better now than never.”
“What is?”
Ralph reached into his jacket pocket and held out a little booklet for you. It looked like a detective badge, although you wore your own on your belt you always liked the ID booklet ones. Maybe you’d start using one more if this was a new one. You knew that your own promotion was imminent, in line with his own.
“It’s about time you started spelling your last name right.” That smile on his face was gorgeous, and yet altogether quite indescribable and you couldn’t help but smile back.
A little confused at first, you took it from him delicately, opening it up. At first you noticed the title at the top. Quite correct: you’d been bumped up a rank; that didn’t surprise you, Ralph already had discussed with you that was something he would do if he got the Captain’s position. Then you scanned the rest of the document and paused.
‘Y/N Anderson’. You stared at the name for a good few seconds, even though you knew exactly what this was. Your small smile ended up stretching across your cheeks and you could feel your blush rise as you looked back up at him again slowly.
Ralph looked like he was trying to fight a smile until he had the answer, although how he could think he’d even need one was really beyond you.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” Somehow he looked surprised, even at the confidence in your voice.
“YES!” You threw your arms around him, perfectly aware that you’d just shrieked it and you were about to start crying. “God, I love you SO much Ralph Anderson!”
Ralph held you close with a laugh, “I mean I don’t have a ring; we’ll have to go shopping. but I-”
“Are you kidding!?” You pulled back for a second looking back at your new badge, that wasn’t something you cared about right now, “What were you going for, most original proposal ever!?”
“I mean I can get down on one knee and actually ask the question, if you want me to. Heck maybe I should I just--”
You shook your head and wiped your eyes, “Just ask me. If you want to ask, you don’t need to. This is… perfect.”
Ralph chuckled again, and took a deep breath, “Y/N, will you please let me take that damn ‘S’ out of your last name?”
You couldn’t help but cackle, thinking that he might just ask you straight, “You may!”
“So you’ll marry me?” He grinned, and instead of answering you pulled him into a kiss. Wrapping your arms around his neck as Ralph pulled your body closer to his.
He would change her name too, that significance was not lost on you. If he was your husband, he would be Renée’s step-dad… and maybe he’d get called it regularly. Time would surely tell if Ralph Anderson would get his unspoken wish.
Your making-out in the parking lot had not gone unnoticed by Ralph’s best friend, and Yune’s whistle broke you apart.
“Hey! Captain! Did she say yes!?”
You both looked to each other and then to him. You were still holding that little booklet in your hand and you looked from Ralph to Yune and back. Ralph’s eyes remained on his friend, grinning although he didn’t answer, arms still around you. Of course Yune knew about this, of course he was in on it.
You left your very-new fiancé and sprinted across the parking lot to hug the police lieutenant, very nearly screaming: “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!”
Ralph shook his head watching you almost drag Yune to the ground with your hug, but laughed. Oh, he knew what he was getting himself into alright. He crossed the parking lot to help his friend before he got too smothered.
Day 1 of the rest of his life, and that proposal hadn’t been so bad. You had just specifically agreed to take his last name, and Ralph’s heart swelled. If he was a crier, he’d let the happy tears he could feel prickling at his eyes fall.
He guessed the jokes would have to change now… Still, he’d trade those jokes for this.
Detective Anderson & Anderson didn’t sound so bad to him, after all.
---
Thank you for reading my precious babies! 💙💙
#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Ralph Anderson#Ralph Anderson x Reader#The Outsider#The Outsider HBO#HBOs The Outsider#Harmony Andersson#(or should that be Harmony Anderson ;) )#Renee Andersson#198#This time next week we'll be at 200!!!#Harmony and Samuels totally high-fived in that segment but I didn't want to write it in here...#too embarassed...!#BUT you know she called him screaming about this afterwards right?#ALSO can you image Renee when they tell her-!?!#Oh my gosh#Okay I'll write this winter wedding at some point I P R O M I S E#The first few scenes might not seem /so/ important for this but they're important for the wedding I PROMISE
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The Edges - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
@wltz-bby @happyskywhale
Author’s Note: Requested by a sweet Anon 🥰 Thank you for requesting-!
So I thought this was gonna be really short and then I just... did this all in an evening.
I’ve put you in book setting of Flint City and DA Bill Samuels again, sorry 🙈
Also Ralph is an Autumn/Winter baby now, I don’t make the rules.
Featuring a super obscure reference from Episode 8 of ‘The Outsider’
Disclaimer: The Outsider not mine / gif not mine / lyrics not mine / AU no Derek or Jeannie here
Premise: Ralph Anderson could count on himself to say the wrong thing, only this time it’s two days before the birthday you’ve spent all month planning for him. This time he’s not sure if ‘sorry’ is going to cover it...
Words: 4403
Warnings: Swearing / slight sexual connotations / drinking / AU
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If life's a puzzle there's a piece for the night we met
Next to the one where you drove me home
If life's a puzzle there's a piece for our first kiss
And it's connected to a summer song
And nothing else fit baby before this
Love was a struggle
So all I know is baby that if this life's a puzzle
You are the edges, you're holding all of me together
You are the edges making the bigger picture better
Before you I didn't know where to start
You rounded up the pieces of a broken heart
Might take a little time to figure out what the rest is
But you are the edges, you are the edges
If life's a puzzle there's a piece for our first fight
It's bright red and it fits just right
Next to the one shaped like sorry
On a long ride home from a birthday party
And nothing else fit baby before this
Love was a struggle
So all I know is baby that if this life's a puzzle
You are the edges where everything ends and it begins
You are the edges and we're gonna fill this whole thing in
Yeah
Before you I didn't know where to start
You rounded up the pieces of a broken heart
Might take a little time to figure out what the rest is
But you are the edges
---
It was a stupid thing to say. He regretted it as instantly as it came out of his mouth. It was watching the light leave your eyes, all your excitement was gone – just like that.
The day was getting later, and he’d had a hard one at work. With two days until his birthday Ralph really wanted nothing more than to have a quiet night in and forget about everything. You, who had spent the last month or so planning his birthday out, could not have had a more opposite feeling. It wasn’t exactly a big secret; you were going to dinner with all your closest friends, and then you’d hired out almost the entirety of his favourite bar to have people come and go as they pleased to wish him happy birthday. And you’d extended that out to pretty much all of Flint City, and your families. So, tonight’s exciting information was that his brother just so happened to be in the area and had promised to drop in. Now, Ralph doubted that would actually happen, but for you to even get hold of Johnny – yet alone get a verbal agreement – was its own achievement.
But Ralph was tired, he didn’t care right now, and if he was honest… he wasn’t even sure he wanted a big party with the way he was feeling. So when he just kinda nodded along with an “Uh huh.”
And you’d read him and said, “Babe, what’s wrong?”
You’d been hit with the very knee-jerk reaction of, “I don’t even want this party! This is all your idea! I just wanna have a quiet birthday!” That not only got increasingly loud, but also angrier.
Leading to silence that made Ralph wish he’d just bit his tongue. Then he’d tried to stumble through something else to make it better, but he’d only succeeded in making it worse – and pretty soon you’d been crying and had not only run from the room, but also the house…
That was two nights ago, and sitting at his desk on his actual birthday, you hadn’t been home yet. Well, not that he’d seen. Ralph knew he’d overdone it, but he wanted to apologise to your face, rather than over text or call. Besides, he’d actually called your mobile more than a few times yesterday and every single time it went to voicemail. He didn’t want to tell any of his friends that anything was up, and in fact they were just as excited about tonight as you had been.
Every time someone called out a cheerful ‘Happy Birthday!’ to him Ralph had to smile and say ‘thank you’ gracefully, even though he was even less joyous about it today than he had been when you’d run out. Eventually Ralph gave in and gave you one last call. Voicemail. Again. There was nothing for it then, other than to hunker down and do his work until he could drive home and get ready for tonight.
Yune was the one to tap his desk eventually and snap him out of it, “Yo, birthday boy – it’s go time!”
“Oh man, just let me finish this report…”
“Uh uh, no way!!” Yune dragged Ralph’s chair away from his desk, and hoisted him up by his arms, “Out! Out! Out! We’re getting rounds in before dinner, I’m buyin’… or Samuels is buying, whatever-! Someone is buying that ain’t you!”
Ralph couldn’t help but laugh, “Okay! Okay! Can I shut my computer down at least-!?”
“I’m watching you, type another sentence and I’m gonna pull it out of the wall, and you won’t get the chance to save it!” Yune grinned.
“Geez, I wouldn’t put it past ya either…” Then Ralph remembered, “Hold on, are you going right now?”
“Well, yeah, but our fancy DA won’t be there until a little later – why?”
“I… gotta get changed, first.”
“Cool, I’ll wait in the car.”
Ralph laughed again, “Alright, sweet!”
Yune tapped him as they walked back through the precinct, “That’s to make sure you don’t skip out on me! You can’t leave me alone with him, I’ll go insane!”
***
They managed to get a few rounds in before Samuels appeared – during that time Ralph tried to forget that the other reason he wanted to be home was to check for signs of you, still nothing – and the DA looked as ticked off as usual.
Yune led off, arms folded, “Go on then, which one of ‘your boys’ is giving you jip this time.” Bill Samuels had changed out of his suit too: nice shirt, nice jeans, good black leather jacket – he gave Yune a look to shut him up and turned his unimpressed face on Ralph.
“I hear you’re in a lot of shit!”
Yune’s expression was unfathomable, “It’s his birthday man, what the hell!” Although when his eyes flicked back to Ralph, the detective looked guilty.
Ralph swallowed thickly, “She told you.”
“Yeah, she’s been at my place for two days – she won’t tell me everything, but you’ve clearly upset her!” Yune raised an eyebrow, Ralph of course hadn’t told anyone you’d had a falling out. It would make sense for Bill Samuels to know everything though, and for you to go to him. He was your best friend in Flint City, your parents lived out of town so there wasn’t really anywhere else you could have gone. Ralph should have used his detective skills to figure that out – in fact it probably wouldn’t even have taken a detective.
“What the hell-!?” Yune smacked his arm, “What happened!?”
“It was stupid, but she can’t say I haven’t tried calling her to apologise! She won’t pick up my calls!”
“What did you say-!?!?”
“I told her I didn’t want this…”
Samuels put a hand to his forehead, “After she’s just spent a month planning it out?”
“I know! It was late, I had a bad day at the office, I’m an idiot, can we move on?”
Bill and Yune gave each other the same look before the DA cleared his throat, “Well after all that, I hope she turns up!”
Ralph sighed, turning back to the bar, “Me too.”
Yune could only grimace before quickly changing the subject, “Another round guys? What you having?”
***
All things considered; Ralph did actually find himself enjoying his birthday evening. You didn’t turn up to the meal however, and after a few reassurances that ‘she’ll be here!’ both from his friends to him and also him to those who joined the three of them, everyone just kinda lapsed into silence about it. Not before Yune had hissed at Samuels to text you.
“I can’t force her to come Yune-!”
“Well, can we just put the guy out of his misery already?”
“Ralph’s a big boy, he can handle it.”
“Yeah okay, and whatever he said to her he shouldn’t have. But she set all this up… it’s a shame for her to miss it.”
You didn’t reply to the text, but Bill did indicate that you’d read it.
When they all arrived at the bar it was done up with banners and streamers, people were already waiting to celebrate with Detective Anderson and seemed to want to buy him round after round of drinks. Ralph just allowed himself to get lost in it all.
Turning to the others with a slight smile, “Well, at least we know she was here.”
It was nice to see old friends again, and you really had done a brilliant job with coordinating things, digging out people’s contact details and inviting them over from miles around. What struck Ralph the most was how happy they all were to be invited and to see him. The more he heard people say that, and talk about how sweet you were over the phone the more he beamed.
“She- she’s really somethin’!” Ralph agreed, with a humble smile, only wishing that as he said it he could pull you closer and watch you get shy, burying your face in his jacket to hide the cute way you would blush.
Ralph even received a call from Holly Gibney to wish him the best,
“Happy Birthday Ralph!”
“I knew you wouldn’t forget.”
“I didn’t. But Y/N called anyway to invite me over. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”
“She seems to have called the entire world to wish me well, Holly!”
“Doesn’t surprise me!” She laughed gently, “Give her my love too, Ralph.”
“I will. I promise.” If only he could see you to do such a thing.
Things got later and he, Bill and Yune were back sitting at a bar chatting about nothing in particular. Including Ralph and Yune summing up cases that were heading Bill’s way and him rolling his eyes, “Brilliant. This sounds so exciting.” And the other two bursting into laugher at the look on his face. At least they were glad to see Ralph having a good time. Making the most even out of a bad situation.
***
When you arrived at the bar it certainly was late in the day, groups of people you’d invited all off talking but all still here for him. You were glad of that; it was important that Ralph realise just how much he meant to people – even those outside of Flint City.
You couldn’t help but smile as you continued to look around – the owners had let you come in early and spend your morning putting everything up (and also venting your frustrations) and, now it was bustling with people, Ralph’s favourite bar looked even better. Those people who had spotted you were already thanking you for their invites and commenting on how lovely the decorations were. You were taking all of that very much to heart.
‘Worth it in the end, wasn’t it, Ralph Anderson?’
You’d fought with yourself all evening – on the one hand you were scared that he really didn’t want to be here, and that he would just upset you all over again if you turned up and he wasn’t enjoying it, or he was only acting like he was enjoying it. Perhaps Ralph wouldn’t even have turned up at all – although you’d imagine Yune Sablo would have dragged him across town, no excuses. Part of you wanted to stay away out of spite – but then you didn’t want to be spiteful towards him on his birthday. You weren’t sure you could face him over dinner though, so that you’d had to skip and just hoped everyone would forgive you later. You also wanted to make sure that people were here before you turned up, because the ease of conversation between you would be better when the focus wouldn’t be on the two of you as the birthday boy and his significant other.
Now to find him…
Ralph was not the first of the three of them to spot you; Samuels was the one who offered you a small wave across the bar before nudging him.
“Huh?”
The DA just nodded and Ralph swivelled on his chair, before his lips parted. You were standing a little way away, and Ralph couldn’t describe you as looking anything other than flawless. Hair and makeup done, your dress was perfect – just the right length to be modest yet show off your legs, sleeves and shoulders in pretty patterned lace, in your hands was a card and present. You stood out in stark contrast to everyone else in the room. You caught his eye and smiled softly, but were clearly waiting for him to come to you.
Yune pushed his back, “Go get her, Tiger.”
Ralph almost told him to shut up, especially as Bill decided the joke was worth laughing at, but instead slipped from his stool and crossed the room to you.
“You’re here.”
You nearly giggled, “It’s your birthday, Ralph Anderson, of course I’m here.”
“I thought you wouldn’t want to see me.”
“I won’t lie, I had to talk myself into it.”
His head bowed, “I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you, we all have bad work days – I should have known that too.”
“No, no. This one is on me, I won’t let you blame yourself.”
“Okay, well…” You stepped forward, closing the gap between you, and stood up on your toes – sometimes you loved that he was so tall, sometimes you’d damn him for it - brushing your lips to his, before Ralph pulled you in for a real kiss. Sweet, gentle and apologetic. You knew you had an audience; you didn’t really care. “Happy Birthday.” Sinking back to height you held out his gift, “I hope you like it.”
“Thank you.” Ralph took it from you delicately, already chuckling, “Is this what I think it is?” It was so obviously record shaped that he didn’t see how it could be anything else.
You gave a shrug, “You’ll have to open it won’t you.”
“If this is ‘The Original Washington Square’ I’ll kill you!”
“Uh, careful, Detective, there’s a whole bunch of witnesses!”
“And a DA and a police lieutenant, but I’m sure we can cover it up if I can get them on side.”
“Samuels? Good luck!”
He continued laughing, turning it over in his hands, “Can I open it?”
“Isn’t that what gifts are for?”
He tore carefully through the paper, and then started laughing: The Original Washington Square by The Village Stompers, indeed. “I can’t believe you found it-!”
“Took some digging, but some people I know came through.”
“Near mint… Aw, Y/N.” Ralph enveloped you in a hug, “I really… really don’t deserve you.”
You squeezed him tight, happy to once again be in his arms, “Now don’t you start-! Happy Birthday, darling!”
You both stepped back, and he took your hands in his as best he could, “Do you want a drink, or something?”
“Actually… I know it’s the party I set up, but I came here to steal you away, Mr. Anderson.”
“Oh?” He smiled, “Stealing? You’re walking a fine line there!”
“Thought as much!”
Ralph turned back to the other two, “Can I say goodbye?”
“Mhm.” You ushered him back to them, and at least you watched the three of them banter together before they both hugged him, wishing him the happiest of birthdays – and something that was obviously suggestive by the way he shoved Yune’s shoulder – before they waved him and you off. Ralph draped his arm around your shoulders with a gentle smile, “Alright, you’ve piqued my interest, where are you taking me?”
“Ahhhhh… It’s a surprise! Use your detective skills, and you might just figure it out!”
***
Ralph recognised the road you were taking out of Flint City at least – it was the one you needed for the main road to your parents place, so wherever you were taking him, it was easy for Ralph to see how you’d discovered it.
“We’re not going all the way out to your folks, are we?”
You smirked from the drivers side, “Why? Nervous?”
“Not unless you’ve told your dad I upset you two days ago.”
“I did no such thing!” You laughed, “It’s just up here, don’t worry yourself.”
“As a detective…” Ralph craned his neck, there weren’t many lights up this road to tell him much of anything, “…dark secluded places out in the middle of nowhere tend to get my back up.”
“Well thank god I have the FCPD’s finest with me.”
He chuckled, and you saw the pink dust his cheeks, “Alright you, I get it.”
When you pulled into a side road that Ralph didn’t even see coming, he was glad that your truck was built for off roading, “Yeah, now I’m getting real nervous!”
There was a faint glow just up the track and soon you turned again as a tiny collection of quaint looking buildings came into view.
Ralph squinted at the sign, “What… is a stargazing ranch?”
“Bet you didn’t know Flint City was anywhere near one.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It is a stargazing ranch. Is what it is.”
“…You’d be so helpful in a police interrogation.”
You beamed across at him, “You’re welcome!”
You continued on a little way until you came upon another little collection of guest huts, although you were paying more attention to the sky.
“Look, Ralph! Look at them!”
Well at least he knew now that stargazing was literal. “Where are we?”
“You can stay here, but it’s mostly for avid stargazers. Ah, the things you can find on the internet.”
“…Right well,” he cleared his throat, “what made you think of this?”
“I watch you out in the garden sometimes, but you can’t see them as well there. And I just… wanted to get you alone for a little while.” You parked your truck up, “Your birthday isn’t over, either.”
“Are we… staying here?”
“Mhm. Don’t worry about clothes and stuff, trust me, you’re covered.” You opened the truck door, “I just need to set up, hold on a second…”
Ralph undid his seat belt but waited patiently, giggling to himself at how crazy this seemed to be as you rummaged around in the back of your truck. The tailgate went down and you hopped up and down in the bed for a little while, before you appeared at his side.
“I’m gonna need that record and your accompaniment now.”
“Can I get out?”
“If you close your eyes and trust me.”
“This is where I get murdered isn’t it?”
“Oh yes.”
He laughed, hopping out of the truck, closing his eyes obediently as you took his hand and led him around the back.
He heard the flicking of a lighter – Ralph wouldn’t be surprised if it was his own and you’d done a little too much rummaging in his drawers for it – and then sparks, making his eyebrows furrow.
“Okay.” You breathed quietly and turned back to him, “Happy Birthday, Ralph!”
He opened his eyes slowly, and what came out was a mix of ‘Oh!’ and ‘Aw!’. In the back of your truck you’d set up blankets and pillows to make a comfortable fort for the evening, there was a small cooler for drinks, and a record player. That explained why you wanted the one he was currently holding. But the centrepiece of all this was a cake, three layers of his favourite type with his favourite frosting, inscribed with ‘Happy Birthday Ralph’. Complete with sparklers and-
“What is that?”
“Oh it’s a fountain… I thought it looked cool!” The shower of blue and silver sparks certainly was something to behold, and Ralph put his hand over his mouth for a second to stop grinning like too much of an idiot.
“Oh, Y/N… You didn’t have to-”
“YES. YES I did! How can you not understand that? You’re an idiot, Ralph Anderson but you mean the world to me. Heck, without you I don’t know where I would be! And I was SO mad at you! SO mad that you couldn’t see how much you meant to people that they would want to turn up to these things and tell you how much they loved you!! But it took me two days to figure this all out so staying with Bill was kinda a blessing but… Oh, Ralph… I know you think you’re one man to the world but you are the WORLD to so many people. And my world could not exist without you.”
He was looking at you very seriously, and all of this was hitting him very hard. Ralph swallowed, fighting back the urge to let at least one tear fall as he wrapped you back in his arms, “Oh… Y/N… I’m…”
“Don’t tell me your sorry, I know that… I know.” You wound your arms around him too, “Just… please tell me you realise how much you’re worth?”
He pressed a kiss to the crown of your head and smiled, “Sometimes… I think I do. And you’re for sure going to kick it into me.” Ralph pulled back, “I guess I should blow those out and make a wish, huh?”
“Yes. You should, but no telling!”
Ralph blew the candles out and you let him cut the cake into neat pieces before you both clambered into the back of your truck. He slid the record from its sleeve and set it up on the player, settling back with you Ralph held you in his arms again. You listened in silence for a little bit, content to just eat cake and crack open some drinks in each other’s presence.
“Did your brother turn up!?”
“No.” He laughed, “I admire your trying.”
“Unless he turned up so late that you’d left!”
“I hope they gave him hell!”
“Oh my god! You think they know who he is to do that?”
“He doesn’t look so different to me!”
“Don’t know about that, you’re certainly more attractive.” You raised your eyebrows at him.
“Oh, we’re gonna trash talk my brother all night?!”
Then you both ended up cracking up once more and Ralph turned his attention to the cake,
“Okay, this is SO good – did you bake it!?”
You blushed horribly, “I should pretend I did. But no, I just ordered it.”
“Oh… I’ll forget I asked.”
“Haha! I appreciate that!” He studied your face for a moment, before leaning in and kissing you suddenly, making you gasp, “Wh-”
“Frosting.”
“You are… not as smooth as you think you are!”
He cackled, “Yeaaah right, you should see the look on your face!” You shoved him, though knew you were at least a little flushed.
Then you did settle back to watch the stars, “Y/N, I know I’ve said thank you a few times tonight but, honestly, your planning is impeccable.”
“So… Detective Anderson is telling me he had a good birthday?”
“Yes…”
“Wow. Not bad when he didn’t want it!”
“HUSH!”
“I’m holding that over you for a long time, babe, get used to it!” You raised your can with a smile and took a sip.
“Just let me thank you!”
“I am letting you thank me, gosh, to think you’re usually the one winding me up so easily.”
“All I want to say is, thank you for making this such a great birthday… I only wish I hadn’t been such an idiot and you could have shared it all with me.”
“Oh, was dinner good?”
“Really good.”
“I’m glad, it came highly recommended. I was busy up here; don’t worry I did eat. I guess I was worried you wouldn’t want to see me anyway.”
“Look I’m just… I’m glad we’re here, now.”
You smiled gently as Ralph brushed his lips to yours again, “Me too.”
You continued to snuggle together under blankets until the record side needed to be changed and then, as Ralph skilfully flipped it, stayed that way until the record ended. You were happy that the sky was cloudless and that the stars were particularly bright. You’d worried about that all day.
“Well,” he looked to the record player, “That was money well spent!”
“Oh! I’m not done with you yet…” You rummaged around behind you, and pulled out another box, it made sounds every time you moved it and Ralph once again didn’t need detective skills to know what was inside.
“You got me another gift?”
“Mhm.”
“…Look I know I’m old, but I’m not sure I’m ‘puzzles as a hobby’ old.”
“Don’t be so rude and open it! You don’t know what it is!”
His grin only told you that this time it was his tease rattling you - as it should be in his opinion - and once again tore the brightly coloured paper from the box neatly. Ralph paused for a second, looking at the picture that the pieces would create. Then looked to you questioningly.
“Well, there’s not a picture of us in your office, and you always said this one was your favourite. So, when you’re between cases or you need to take your mind off a case… you can work on your puzzle and after you put the pieces together, you can frame it and put it on the wall-!”
“You’re crazy.”
“99% of the time, yeah. What’s your point?”
But Ralph was beaming, “It is my favourite. But you could have just got me a framed photograph.”
“Too easy, Mr. Anderson. I wanted to give you something to do! Also there’s some cheesy line about completing me in there too, but I’m too embarrassed to say it out loud…”
He placed the box down and cupped your face in one of his hands before leaning to kiss you into silence again, “Don’t worry,” these words were said between kisses, “I know exactly what you meant.”
You wrapped your arms around Ralph as these short sweet kisses continued, and the wind cut in just the wrong direction, forcing you to shiver.
“Oh, someone’s cold.”
“Well…” You jerked your head behind you, “There’s a whole ass hut back there we can go get warm in.”
“Get warm, or get warm?” He questioned, without a hint of suggestiveness crossing his face; smooth one Ralph…
“Well…” You thought on it for a minute, “Think that should be birthday boy’s choice.”
“Ahhhh… Then I’ll just have to keep you guessing!” He winked, guiding you back to the tailgate you tidied a little before carrying things inside.
You were right, it didn’t take long to get a little fire going and for it to warm up nicely. Ralph stood, and admired his handiwork before he turned to you,
“Well, you did put on a nice dress just for me…”
“Meaning what?” Although the smirk on your face was playful.
“Meaning I shouldn’t waste the opportunity to love on such a kind, beautiful girl when she did so much for me today.” He crossed the room before sweeping you up into his arms.
You pointed across the room, opposite to where he was taking you, “Alright, Detective Anderson, bedroom’s that way.”
Ralph kissed you once again, slow and full of promises, “There she goes again.”
“Happy to help, birthday boy.” You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, with a wink, kissing his cheek once more.
As he turned on a dime, you still in his arms, he gave an embarrassed ‘we won’t talk about this’ clear of his throat.
Well, you wouldn’t tease him about his detective skills just yet. You knew he was about to put them to good use.
---
Thank you for reading!! Thank you for requesting! 🥰
#Ralph Anderson x Reader#Ralph Anderson#The Outsider#hbos the outsider#the outsider hbo#Ben Mendelsohn#That Premise is... misleading at best but it's the one I wrote out.#190#10 UNTIL 200!!#ONE-NINETY!#I'm SCREAMING!#I tried to make her less Harmony but it's a Harmony/Ralph song#...She's Harmony I can't lie. Just taken out of all her own context#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#AU!Harmony#Harmony#Also - I just... are HBO trying to tell us that Ralph is 46?#Because that's what I just did the calculation and got?#SO either they've fucked up Derek even more than I thought#Or Ralph is 46.#...I really am NOT going through 10 hours just to find the face of dereks grave stone again but if someone can tell me how old he was...#...when he died that would be aces#And when he died?#I think I remember it being 2018? And the show is set in 2019?#So if Derek was (book canon) 14.... then Ralph's age is#16 (age his mum died) + 15 (years later when Derek was born) + 14 (Dereks age) + 1 (2018-19)#Which is 46!#If anyone read this I will be surprised but it's worth putting it in here.
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Thank You Muppets, No More Questions! - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
@happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad.
GIF CREDIT: X
Sure Be Cool If You Did / Bienvenue From Hell, Mon Amour / Made in the USA / Cold Night / I Could Not Ask For More / Under The Weather
Author’s Note: I watched Wreck-It Ralph and The Muppets Most Wanted with @mandy23b and this happened. That’s all I wish to say!
100% inspired by the baking scene (and then I stole the song-!)
Please enjoy a soft, adoptive father and his little girl 🙏💙
Interrogation Song - The Muppets
Disclaimer: The Outsider characters not mine (Book setting rather than show setting)
Premise: With you out on call this weekend you leave it to your workaholic partner to entertain your daughter...
Words: 2890
Warnings: N/A (Insulin warning?)
____
Kermit, let's begin
Describe the day you played Berlin...
Hmm, Frog we've got our doubts
Can you confirm your whereabouts
My alibi is watertight
The audience saw me sing all night
Hello, I think it's time for good cop, romantic cop...
I think she likes me
I don't think your puns are helping the investigation
You know, I think they did it
No they didn't
Yes they did, and we can pin it
If they did, how did they do it
If they didn't, how did they didn't
If they didn't then it's easy, 'cause they simply didn't do it
If they did it, then I knew it, but we've nothing that can prove it
Let's go from the start
What do you know about the stolen art
I didn't know there was a plan
Your accusation is far out man
The chances of us committing a crime
Are less than .009
Thank you Muppet's, no more questions
They didn't, No, they didn't
There's no way they did the crime
They couldn't they're too stupid
They're not criminal masterminds
We do not know who did it, but we know who didn't do it
So we know who didn't do it yes we know who didn't do it
They're incapable of being culpable
---
It was unusual for you to be the one on call of the two of you, but if you were honest with yourself you’d taken it just to give Ralph a break. When the usual ‘Who is going to be on call this weekend?’ question was brought up and no one else said anything, you knew Ralph would raise his hand, because he nearly always did. Instead you snatched his hand back and raised your own.
“I’ll do it.”
Ralph was not the only one to give you a funny look, but he was the only one to raise an eyebrow and give you a sarcastic; “Well this is unprecedented!” which, if you didn’t love him so much, he would have received a kick for.
So you were wandering around the house doing bits of tidying, waiting for the phone to ring and generally odd admin you hadn’t finished. Ralph, on the other hand, had essentially been forced by you to relax – and of course, you had Renee as a secret weapon when that initially failed.
That meant they were sitting on the couch together, and watching ‘The Muppets Most Wanted’. She of course thought it was hilarious; Ralph, as he usually was with fiction, was a little bemused – but he would stick it out to entertain her. Of course he would – you were pretty sure he’d do anything for that little girl.
You crossed behind them just as the Interrogation begun – and you couldn’t help but pause behind the couch to watch the musical number. Afterall, it wasn’t every day you heard someone singing about interviewing suspects – given how unusual your day job was – you’d seen the movie a couple of times at Renee’s insistence, and this one was one of your favourites.
You were happy that Ralph looked content, although you couldn’t help but smirk at his body language as the song continued and pretty soon his bemusement was beginning to show on his face. It was all you could do to snort, making them both turn around.
“I’m sorry.”
“Finished then?!” Ralph hit pause and turned to you,
“Oh you know... If only I was able to sit down. I know every word to this one!”
“You would.” He turned back, “It’s the most unrealistic thing to happen so far!”
You tsk’d him, but that only caused Renee to turn to him with wide eyes; “That’s not how questions happen-!?”
You watch his face wrestle between entertaining her fantasy and telling her the truth. Ralph sighed, opting to be the sensible one, “No.”
You, on the other hand, would rather be the unhelpful tease, “Yes, absolutely! Of course it is!” You nodded to Ralph, “Gosh, Renee you should hear him sing.” You reached out to run a hand through his hair, “Always gets a confession.” It didn’t earn you much more than a death glare.
Ralph straightened in his seat and then folded his arms, “In that case you’re the French guy! Clocks off at 2, vacation after you’ve solved something, Lunch for three hours!”
“Yeah alright Sam, but you’re the one with the car that takes 37 hours to get anywhere-!”
Alright, Ralph couldn’t argue that he had an older car than you did, and you liked to tease him about being a relic – but it suited him and still did it’s damn job. Ralph grumbled to himself, but said no more, making you lean over and kiss his face and then her head;
“I’ll leave you two to it! We should totally sing our way through an interrogation, though!”
That only caused Ralph to scoff with a sarcastic ‘HA!’ as you walked back to the kitchen giggling to yourself.
**
The movie was just about ending when you passed through again, but Ralph had a keen ear and had heard your phone chime. You were fully kitted out, badge, cuffs, firearm holstered.
“Call?”
“Mhm. I shouldn’t be too long…” You pulled on your jacket, “Be good okay?”
“I will!” Renee sat up on the sofa to throw her arms around you, “I love you mommy!” But Ralph just smiled, knowing that you were really talking to him,
“I love you too sweetheart. Look after him for me…”
Ralph’s arms were around you before you’d let her go, and then his lips were on yours; “If you need back up-”
“I’m not calling you…” You kissed him again, “Rest, babe. Please.”
“Okay-!” He held his hands up, “Stay safe.”
“I will! See you two soon-! Enjoy your afternoon!”
You made your way towards the hall side table for your car keys, and Ralph couldn’t help but call after you; “Imagine being told Detective Anderson is turning up to the case and they expect me!” He grinned and you turned at the door, tempted to throw something at him, knowing exactly what was about to come out of his mouth, “Only it’s you, Ms. ‘SS’ Andersson.”
You narrowed your eyes, opening the door and wishing you had more time to shout sarcasm; “And then they probably think – oh, thank god!”
He cackled loudly “Oh! Okay that’s a good comeback!”
As the credits began to roll Ralph turned to Renee; “Well sweetheart, what would you like to do now?”
She gave him a delicate shrug; “I’m not sure.”
“Oh… Well that’s okay, whilst you decide, I’m going get a coffee, okay?”
She nodded absentmindedly, already looking thoughtful and Ralph kissed her forehead gently before he walked off and set about making his coffee.
“Ralphie…?” He tried very hard not to smile at the nickname only she got to call him, as Renee called quietly from behind the couch, one shy eye peered at him from over the top,
“What is it sweetheart?”
Her eyes flicked from his to the cupboard behind him that he’d left open, he followed her eyeline and didn’t have to be a detective to figure out she was looking at the box cake mixture sitting on the top shelf. Cooking wasn’t exactly Ralph’s forte, but he thought he probably couldn’t mess that up.
“Ah-!” Ralph reached up and took the box down, studying the back for a minute; “Well… There’s obviously mixture in here… I think we should have everything else…” He pondered this for a moment, taking a sip of coffee. “Dunno what mom is gonna say, considering she’s never my biggest fan if I make a mess in the kitchen…”
Clearly it was a little too long for her liking, Ralph felt the pressure on his left calf as Renee wrapped herself around his leg – peering up at him with very nearly the same shade of blue eyes that he had. Ralph couldn’t ignore it; so placing one hand behind him, he touched the top of her head lightly.
“Please…!”
He smiled, “Aw, you think I’d say no to that face? Don’t worry we just gotta be extra vigilant about clearing up…” Ralph knelt down and scooped her up, setting her down on the counter and handing her the box; “What do we need Renee? Let’s find it shall we?”
She began listing off the equipment and remaining ingredients not included in the box – and Ralph stood in front of the cupboards trying to remember your exact set up. He counted them to himself; before settling on the third one in from the right. Upon opening it, there was a bright post-it note that he couldn’t fail to miss. A neat little list of everything that was contained in here; about the one time he regretted ever introducing you to one Ms.Holly Gibney. If anything was even an inch out of place, or in the wrong order, you would most certainly yell at him…
Mind you, it’d done wonders for your detective work, so Ralph wasn’t about to complain too much. On a side note, he’d picked the correct cupboard and this list was making it easier to find everything, so he had it all in no time at all.
“Alright!” He pulled her, giggling, off the counter and stood Renee carefully on a chair, making sure he supported her – having laid out all the ingredients neatly, “You ready sweetheart – I think you got this, I will be but your humble assistant-!”
She beamed up at him, “You’ll be the best assistant, Ralphie!”
He couldn’t help his chuckle, “Aw, gee thanks for that – I guess we’ll find out!” But something was apparently missing by the puzzled look she soon got on her face, “Is something wrong?”
“Mommy always cooks to music…”
That was true enough, in fact there wasn’t a lot you didn’t do to music. “Ah, do you wanna pick something?”
“No, you can pick.”
“Oh! Well, thank you…” He sat her down and jogged through to your CD collection, trawling the shelves for a little while for an album he could proclaim would be equally kid friendly and something he liked. He found himself staring at one in particular, before he pulled it out. The Muppets Soundtrack – of course.
“Oh you have GOT to be kidding me-!?” He turned it over and laughed again at discovering it did indeed contain the ‘Interrogation Song’. Ralph might have been shaking his head, but it was the album that he carried back to the kitchen and popped into the player, making Renee gasp excitedly;
“The Muppets!”
“Uh huh,” Ralph agreed a little sheepishly, “The Muppets.”
Ralph watched Renee carefully, helping her every step of the way so that the mixture was completed with the upmost care – and so that she had the best time doing it. That did of course mean flour everywhere, but he felt he could deal with that himself – and once the batter was made, he helped her pour it into a cake tin and smooth it down. “Tada! Perfect!”
She gave him a high-five and then folded her arms, “That’s only half the job-!”
“Well decorating is the FUN part that’s for sure. But it’s gotta bake first, huh?”
She nodded and he helped her to the floor, before carefully sliding the tin into the oven and setting the timer.
“I guess we wait for a little now…” He turned to the CD player upon recognising the song he felt was going to end up the bane of his life now. It didn’t matter, by the time you were back home Ralph would have it completely memorised.
They had both spent the cooking and cooling time trying to figure out the next movie to watch, and by the time that was done the cake was ready;
“Do you have any idea how you want to decorate it?”
“…No.”
“Well, head chef, you better start thinking about it.”
“Like the Muppets-!” She grinned, and Ralph faltered
“Like th- I dunno if my artistic talent is gonna be that good, but there’s no harm in trying I guess…!”
***
"Why are you covered in flour?” You didn’t exactly demand it. But standing in the doorway to your kitchen with your hands on your hips and a raised eyebrow as if to say ‘who has been messin’ in here NOW!?’ was enough. Ralph froze, putting both his hands up in protested innocence; ‘let me explain!’, before placing a finger to his lips he pointed to the living room couch. You turned on your heels to see Renee curled up watching something else. Crossing the kitchen to him as silently as possible you inspected everything – not a speck of dust in sight, let alone flour, and yet his shirt was now almost covered in white flecks and there was even a little in his hair. Still, Ralph thought ‘covered’ was a little dramatic.
You lowered your voice, “Okay, what happened?”
He smiled slightly, “We were baking. I tided up.”
“Oh. Lord help us. What did you make?”
“You’re the one who had the box cake mix.”
“Box cake? Oh! Count me in, I love cake. And I deserve it, I’ve been working all day.”
He scoffed, giving you a disbelieving look, “Well I’m waiting for the icing to set…” but then Ralph’s face softened, “How was the call out?”
“Easy, it’s okay. Nothing massive. No follow up needed, paperwork at the office.” You waved your notebook at him, knowing the question he was going to ask before he did, “Don’t worry I made notes.”
“That’s my girl…” Ralph smiled, impressed, and then indicated to the cake sitting on the counter; “Tell me what you think… That’s my hard work.”
“Uh huh!” You smiled gently, walking over to it, “You always work hard Mr.Anderson, I don’t think you ever stop.”
“I got a lot to work hard for…” You looked back to him, but he wasn’t looking at you and that only made you smile more before you turned your attention to his decorating skills. No one could ever say he didn’t love that girl.
The Muppets logo was pretty well drawn all things considered – the characters you assumed had been done by Renee, but that only made you grin so much your cheeks started to hurt.
“I sense a theme-!”
“Yeah, I’d say.” He grinned gently, and did turn around to you, “I mean I did alright, right?”
You crossed back to him, winding your arms around his waist and kissing him softly, “Alright? I’d say that was pretty damn on point, Detective…”
“Well. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy myself. I know that damn song now too.” Ralph’s arms held you, and he brushed his nose to yours
“Aw! Sweet father-daughter bonding time?” You made a mental note to test him on the lyrics later.
That made him look away for a moment and shake his head, cheeks tinted; “…I’m not her father.”
You turned his head back to you with your fingertips gently, “You’re as close as Renee’s ever going to get.” And then to help; “I’m not her mom.”
“She does call you mommy, though.”
You turned back to look at her, and wondered if his feelings had changed since you’d last brought this up with him; “And you don’t wanna be dad?”
There was a long pause, as he watched Renee too, before Ralph breathed out; “So badly. But I’m working on it.” He kissed your forehead, “Your last name first.”
“It’s her last name too, you know?”
“Yeah exactly.” He nodded, touching his head to yours, hands running your arms, “One thing at a time...”
Your eyes flicked from her to the screen, and you squinted at the animation for a moment;
“Wreck-It Ralph, huh? Wonder why she picked this one!” There was no way Ralph Anderson wasn’t her favourite person ever. You were extremely lucky to have met him, this you already knew from your own point of view – but for her, you could not have asked for a better man.
He chuckled; “Oh I dunno! She must have good taste in names. I can’t help that!”
“You know Ralph and Venelope end up baking in this right?”
“Do they?”
You shook your head, “You’re unbelievable! Get over there! Sit and watch it...”
“Uh uh, not without you, not this time!”
“I need to get changed out of this.”
“I think you’re still on call, Miss.”
“Oh, shut up!” You grumbled – although he said nothing more, and you found yourselves standing in an embrace in the kitchen watching the screen – you couldn’t remember this one as well as you ought to have; but some aspects had stuck and you smiled; “You know I’m so Fix- It Felix in this.”
“Hm? How so?” Ralph was at least following well enough whilst tidying up to know who you were talking about.
“Falling for and subsequently swooning over a complete badass!” How could he not be after what went down in Texas? He was anyway; Ralph just wasn’t loud about it.
He scoffed, folding his arms, but Ralph couldn’t also help his smirk; “Oh is that so-!?”
“Uh huh.” You nodded, pushing yourself up on your toes to kiss him – but he didn’t leave it there; hoisting you up into his arms Ralph carried you over to the couch, “That’s it. You’re officially off call now!”
“You’re gonna get me in so much trouble!”
He laughed, “Rather you than me – now come on, let’s watch this movie… Besides, there’s cake later!”
Renee, upon realising you were back, was only all too happy to crawl into your arms and sit between your legs as you sat between Ralph’s.
You turned to him, “You do know what’s going on right?”
“I have been following. Besides I’m a detective, I’ll figure it out.”
You kissed the top of Renee’s head, “What do you think Sweetie? You think he has this? He has baking down, don’t you think? You both made a beautiful cake…”
She beamed in thanks, before staring up at Ralph again, “I think Ralphie knows what’s happening… I trust him.”
You swivelled in place to grin at him, before kissing his cheek, “You’re right, I trust him too.”
He chuckled, “Oh, okay, you two are gonna make me blush-!”
“Always the aim.” You laughed as he kissed you back
“Well, I’m a lucky man for you both to trust me…”
You were both still staring at him though, with that same look Ralph was so used to seeing at this point, like he could do absolutely no wrong; “I think…” you mused gently, with a sweet smile, “We’re the lucky ones…”
---
Thank you for reading!!! 😘❤
#Ben Mendelsohn#Ralph Anderson#The Outsider#148#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Ralph Anderson x Reader#Harmony#Harmony Andersson#HBOs the outsider#the outsider hbo#I don't know why I tag it with this when it's almost purely book based but who cares I'm doing it-!#Renee Andersson#Man none of the boys even got a mention - owch!#Never mind - the focus was on the babies
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I Could Not Ask For More - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
Sure Be Cool If You Did / Bienvenue From Hell, Mon Amour / Made in the USA / Cold Night / Under The Weather
Author’s Note: This is a Sweet Anon Request!
I’m actually kinda surprised that this is my first Ralph request-! But I’m very happy that I got one! 🙊🙏💜
Thank you for requesting! I hope you enjoy 😘❤
Forewarning, a lot of book canon is used in this!
I Could Not Ask For More - Sara Evans
Disclaimer: Lyrics not mine / idea not mine / The Outsider and all characters to Mr.Stephen King
Our DA “Hayes” is once again ‘Samuels’ for consistency!
Premise: When heavy rain prevents you from working a crime scene, you and Ralph return home - soaked - to see what you can salvage from the day...
Words: 6646
Warnings: soft-sweet-emotional-sex / fluff-and-sweetness / 1 instance of swears! / Book Spoilers ahoy!
________
Lying here with you
Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
Looking in your eyes
Seeing all I need
Everything you are is everything to me
These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments I know all I need is this
I have all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
Every prayer has been answered
Every dream I have's come true
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me
I could not ask for more than the love you give me
'Cause it's all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
No, I could not ask for more
---
Ralph Anderson had been watching that rain cloud carefully for about an hour. The closer it got the darker it became - and although it was warm right now, he knew that downpour would hit in seconds.
Both of you were still getting all the crime scene details - and that also made him uneasy because that rain would surely screw up all evidence. Which is why he’d encouraged the team to work faster. And also had you and him taking photographs of everything in sight. A trick and habit he’d certainly got into because of Holly Gibney. Also, he knew you’d offer a perspective he didn’t have.
Still, that cloud was now at the forefront of his mind, his eyes flicked to you, crouched to study something else and then back to the rain.
“Detective...” That immediately caused you to pay close attention to him, because Ralph usually called you by your name - making this a little more serious;
“Yeah?”
“Tell me you have a jacket...”
You didn’t see what that had to do with anything, currently in a button up shirt and jeans; “Uhhh... no, why?”
“Well I’m just looking at this rain and thinking you might need one.”
You scoffed, “What rain!?” It was clear and sunny and warm,
He pointed at the cloud “That rain!”
You followed his point “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the crime scene, Detective Anderson?”
He shot you a look; “if I wasn’t so concerned about the integrity of the crime scene and the evidence - Detective Andersson - I wouldn’t have brought it up!!”
“Oh my god...” you sighed under your breath, tipping your head and squinting at the horizon; “Well what, we’ve got a little while yet. And we have tents in the cars… We can set up and protect some crime scene integrity… and we have these!” You waved your camera
“Yeah. Okay. Well we should probably do that I’m thinking the rain might be imminent!!”
“Will you two get a room—!!” Yune now had a tune to go along with his favourite catch phrase as he smiled from the other side of the crime scene.
Ralph turned the look he was giving you on Yune; “and just WHO’S side are you on!”
Yune mused; “Oh, good point, maybe we should call the DA out and make it even.”
Ralph laughed as you narrowed your eyes “You’re not even worth my retaliation!”
That only made him look to you like you’d just proved his point, “That was retaliation enough... don’t worry sweetheart, Samuels is as good at defending you as he is prosecuting everyone else!”
You pressed your tongue to the inside of your cheek but said nothing more. To which they shared a look, but Ralph knew he was probably the one to be getting an earful later.
Ralph was right - of course - but it took all of five seconds to go from two drops to torrential.
“So you didn’t bring this up earlier because WHY!!!?” You had to yell at him just to be heard
“I did! I told you all to hurry up!”
“You didn’t say why!!!” Actually, the faster you both ran back to the car – Yune hot on your heels after the three of you had hastily set up tents and plastic sheeting - the worse the rain got.
By the time you actually got in the car you weren’t sure there was a part of you that wasn’t soaked. You were both breathing heavily and Ralph studied the rain frowning.
You knew where his head was at; “You gonna be able to drive in this?”
He gave a shrug; “Should be alright... I mean I fancy my chances. I am the more careful driver.”
You knew he couldn’t help it; “Is there anything I can do right-!?”
“Well...” Although Ralph’s smile was teasing as he tilted his head, he still got the exasperated reaction he wanted out of you.
You’d have folded your arms to match your annoyance, but like you needed any more water to touch your clothes or skin; “Well, one thing’s for sure...” you looked down at your clothes “I can’t go back to the precinct looking like this.”
“Seems like it a work from home day...” He mused, but then smiled “I don’t think this rain is gonna let up for quite some while...”
Ralph drove so carefully home - and left you and Yune to discussing the crime scene over the radio. You didn’t miss any of his nervous glances to the clouds though. What had looked bad to begin with looked a lot worse now. There was no sign of clear sky anywhere - or even a lighter grey.
When he pulled up in front of the house, after making sure on the radio Yune was also safely back at his, the rain was still heavy.
“I mean at least we can see the front door...” Ralph took off his seat belt and turned to you “...you really didn’t bring a jacket-!?”
You indicated to the rain; “Well did you expect this?!” And if he did why hadn’t he said anything-!?
“No... but...” He fanned his jacket “I always like to be prepared...” Ralph shrugged out of it and held it out; “Here.”
You were hesitent, looking from him to his jacket and back; “Ralph I-”
“Take it!” He insisted
“You’re gonna-!”
“I already am...” He rummaged around for the house keys, “Just give me a couple of seconds...”
Opening the car door a crack he surveyed the area and grimaced; “Ah...”
“What?”
“Could do with an elevated drive...”
“Puddles.”
“Better believe it...” Ralph sucked in a breath, and gave you a weak grin; “Okay, wish me luck...!”
Before you could actually do so though he’d hopped out of the car, slammed the door and sprinted to the house - porch at least shielding him a little from the rain as he unlocked it. But you knew he’d still be soaking - worse now he’d let you borrow this...
You held his jacket over your head and ran as quick as you could to the front door, which he swung open for you.
“Ughhhh—!! That was awful—! Awful—!!!” You shuddered, glad to be out of it, and when Ralph ran his hands through his hair droplets of water cascaded everywhere.
“God damn... that’s bad. That’s... that’s real bad...” then he laughed, “Shoes off, I don’t want water or mud in this house.”
You scoffed; “Last time I recalled, it’s my house.”
“Our house.” He pretended to be offended by that, but it was pretty true. He’d all but entirely moved out of his one floor bungalow, and only frequented that on occasions where he couldn’t be here. In all honestly that wasn’t often. Not now. Ralph used to do it when you went to see your parents - until you thought it was ridiculous for him not to remain here; you trusted him. You trusted him more than you trusted yourself.
“Thank God for the summer break...”
“I hope that was an ironic statement...” you pulled your shoes off, socks a considerably darker colour than when you put them on
“Well I sure hope no-one decided to holiday here.”
“In Flint City?!” You snorted, eyebrow raised; “come on Ralph.”
“Hey-! You never know! Small town getaway!”
“Oklahoma is a flyover state for a reason, babe...”
“More fool them is what I say...!” He flashed a grin, pulling his own shoes off throwing his jacket onto the hooks; “Let’s get some heat going and this stuff in the wash...”
“I don’t know about you... but before we do any of that, towels...” Water was certainly still running out of your hair - and you were sure if he ran his hands through his again it’d bring about the same result.
“Ah...! No, she’s right on this one!”
He followed you up the stairs, giggling at the way you walked.
You eyed him; “These are uncomfortable now, okay-!”
“Well don’t wear tight jeans-!”
You scoffed “I don’t wear ‘em for me...” You pulled open your airing cupboard, gathering fresh towels and noticing that a trail of water droplets has already followed you up here. Aw, come on!
Ralph eyes traced the outlines of your jeans that – thanks to them being wet and sticking to you – left very little to the imagination, with a small smile; “Oh, really? Who for? Samuels?”
Just for that and earlier, you turned to him slowly, with a dreamy sigh; “Damn there’s nothing I wouldn’t wear for that DA. You never know, I might get called into his office... gotta look my best-!” You flashed a grin,
“I know I encourage it, but, dang do I hate you taking like that sometimes-!” Ralph folded his arms with something akin to a pout
“Why??!” You pushed him through into the bedroom with a stack of towels “Are you jealous?”
“Might be.”
“Of my hypothetical relationship with Samuels?” Ralph narrowed his eyes at you, and you leaned slightly back, eyebrows knitted in disbelief; “of Samuels-!?”
He grumbled, but turned away from you like he wasn’t prepared to go all the way to admitting it. Which you thought might as well have been admittance in itself.
“Well he’s-”
“Come off it!!” You laughed, at least still joking with him, chucking a towel at his face, “I mean, you have seen yourself in a mirror, right-!?” When Ralph didn’t reply to you, and you thought he might actually be a little dejected by your joke everything changed, from your facial expression to your body language. Soft and open. You sighed sympathetically and turned his head back towards you with your fingertips. “Honey that’s not... no.” You shook your head firmly, “Just no.” And, as if you might also need to prove it with actions - you brought his face closer and leant in to kiss him.
Ralph, not eager to break the kiss, discarded all but one towel on the bed and wrapping you in it to pull you tight into him with a hum of approval.
You chose your next set of words very carefully between kisses; “And you should already know... that DA is way too young for me.”
He tried hard not to laugh, and it came out as a stifled chuckle; “Isn’t he still, what, 5 years older than you?”
“I think I made my point...” You reached for the towel, to push it back around his shoulders and away from his face; “I’m thinking we should probably dry off before we end up with colds in the middle of summer...”
He tipped his head, “Well I’m not sure what you thought I was doing here...”
You smiled sweetly; “What you always do...”
“Oh yeah and what’s that?”
“Look after me.”
He gave another hmpf of approval, before smiling himself; “Glad you noticed.”
There was total silence – save the rain still beating against the window pane - for a few minutes as the two of you dried each other off; how delicate he was with your face, tilting your head gently with his fingertips to make sure he’d got all the droplets before moving anywhere else – of course he’d also chosen the softest towel to do this with, and by the time he’d finished with your face you were both beaming and a healthy shade of pink. Ralph shifted strands of drying hair off your face gently, and nodded, satisfied with himself.
You pulled yourself closer into him, using the towel still balanced around his shoulders to reciprocate – spending a little more time on his hair than he had on yours, he laughed sweetly as you continued to purposely mess it up, only to neaten it gently with your fingers afterwards, when it was damp like this his hair was super soft, and as if you didn’t like running your hands through it anyway….
He continued to watch your preoccupied little smile – before kissing the inside of your wrist, which only made you smile a little more – you paused at the look he was giving you.
“…What?” It looked a little like concerned adoration – and you weren’t sure exactly which one he was aiming for.
He barely shook his head; “…Nothing…”
You tipped your head; “…Well, it’s something…”
“…Yeah. Probably.”
Ralph leant in and you offered no resistance to him pressing kisses to your forehead – where he lingered – the bridge and tip of your nose, and then reached your lips, pulling you flush against him. You looped your arms around his neck, unwilling to break that kiss, or his hold on you. But his hands slid from your waist to your shirt buttons, and he broke the kiss for you, head touching yours – you knew he was waiting for your approval, or maybe you’d push him away, but he’d listen.
You figured that to get fully dry you’d have to shed the clothes eventually – and answered by pulling his lips back to yours. Ralph’s hands worked slow, almost tentatively, through your button-up before sliding the damp fabric from your shoulders. As his fingertips grazed your skin he wrapped you back in the cozy towel; you were still cool from the rain – and your shirt, nor his jacket, had saved you from quite literally being soaked through.
Every kiss was lazy, minimal effort, maximum time, as he continued to relieve you of your clothes – but he didn’t let you escape his lips; or the fact that he was still concerned with keeping you warm and dry.
His hands moved to your belt, and the soft chink every time the buckle fed through holes made you shiver in anticipation of hearing the same thing from his own belt. Ralph didn’t miss a beat, allowing you pause from his kisses only to place his lips to your neck instead.
You tipped your head, laugh nearly breathless, as you took the initiative to work on his own shirt buttons – he’d given up his jacket for you, so Ralph was nearly as drenched and cold as you were. You’d make a joke about it not being good for his health. But it didn’t seem right in the moment.
You tried to go as slowly as he was with you, but even he knew that wasn’t really in your nature – and didn’t discourage you. Far from it; his hands left you to assist pulling the long sleeves down his arms before his shirt hit the floor.
He straightened for a second, allowing you a moment to watch the water droplets run from his shoulders and collar bone down his chest. You grabbed a larger towel and wrapped him up in much the same way as he had you; pulling him back to you by his belt. Leaning up to kiss him this time as you undid it. His hands were back on your skin; caressing your lower back – running higher just to allow you to throw his belt with yours. Ralph was at least glad to see you were warming up.
You stepped back for a second, eyes searching his, giving yourself just a second – just one – to watch that blue. Given your capacity as his partner at work, and also his actual partner, you felt like you saw those eyes turn every shade under the sun at one point or another. Because despite the fact your personal relationship was never denied, your working relationship was worlds from this one – and Ralph was a completely different person. But this blue, and the way he looked at you now, this shade was your favourite. You could feel all your emotions stirring in your heart, and hoped that your eyes weren’t about to well up; how could you love one person this damn much?
“I think it’s a good thing my baby isn’t home...” Your voice was quiet, to match the almost innocent look on your face. And you weren’t sure for which reason you were musing this.
Just as looking at you, Ralph wasn’t sure why you always chose that gaze – he wasn’t so much one to think it was choice, but you always looked so vulnerable, and so in love. And he was just as in love with you. He knew that.
“Mmmm, but then...” Ralph kissed you slow, enticing you back into his arms, “...Doesn’t mean we can’t make our own.”
For half a heartbeat you weren’t sure he was serious, and it was probably a light-hearted statement. But he was. He meant that. “...Hmmm... change my last name first, and then we’ll talk.”
“Change your last name by one whole letter?” He laughed, kissing you again, “Doesn’t sound too hard.”
That only caused you to laugh back as you drew him in closer, arms back around his neck, hands running through his hair; “Ohhh... I think it’s gonna be harder than you think-!”
“Well. Probably not as hard as it might be for me to peel you out of these jeans.”
You gave a shrug; “Guess next time I’ll have to wear looser jeans. Good thing I’m in the mood to help you-!”
With that Ralph lifted you from the floor, and you wrapped your body around his, he’d warmed up pretty quickly himself; and you buried your head in his shoulder for a second inhaling the scent of his skin. Whilst left a little Earthy by the rain, he smelt warm, inviting, clean, notes of his aftershave still clinging to him despite everything it’d been through today. You wanted to get soaked up in that yourself, and just melt into him.
It wouldn’t be much longer until you got your wish…
Ralph piled the towels neatly to one side before lying you on the bed gently, hands supporting you as you unravelled yourself from him. He stayed between your legs for a minute, running his fingers over your jeans;
“…You’d think a detective might be able to do this…”
“What do you want 3 attempts?”
He chucked, shaking his head at your joke, before leaning forwards, placing his hands either side of you – planting another kiss to your forehead;
“I think I’ve got this one…”
You almost shivered in anticipation again as his hands, again slow, undid the button and zip on your jeans, you raised your hips as he looped his fingertips through the beltloops and tugged gently – seemed easier than he expected – and as he continued to bring them down your legs he pressed light kisses to your thighs, knees, calves and ankles. You helped kick them to the floor and he knelt up again, tracing his fingers absentmindedly up and down your lower leg as he watched you.
You knew him too well to not know what he was doing; Ralph would never bring himself to say it out loud. But it was about the same thing you always would tell him.
What in the hell did I do… to deserve you?
You beckoned him back to your lips, and he only denied you for a few seconds to discard his jeans with yours, before his hands were back either side of your head – you drew him into you, winding your arms around his strong shoulders, up his neck – hands tangling in his hair.
He balanced his bodyweight on his left palm, running his right hand over your skin; his caress was gentle, down your neck he chased your pulse – over your collar bone and down towards your heart, spreading his fingertips in the direction of every major vein and artery that would run there. To feel that sturdy beat that made you. Your heart was strong, he knew that. It would have to be to love him.
Ralph broke your kiss, pulling back barely an inch, his nose still brushing yours as his head tilted – those clear blue eyes beholding yours. Then they closed and he pushed his forehead to yours. His fingertips collected again, tracing the curve of your breast always touching just shy of where you wanted him to. But Ralph asked for nothing if not patience. He slowed, counting every rib as they passed under his hands, over the curve of your waist into your hip, over that strange little scar on your thigh that had never heeled properly. You’d told Ralph many a story about how you’d got it, but he wasn’t sure which one was real, if any – he suspected the real reason was mundane and embarrassing and you’d rather admit to anything else, but he allowed it – because your stories amused him. There was but one piece of fabric between you and him, and he eased your pants down your legs. He returned the trace of his hand to the back of your knee, pulling your leg up and over him – and holding you there for a moment. As if you’d move.
Sometimes he had one or two habits that blurred between personal and professional – and making sure you stayed where he wanted you to was one of them.
Ralph’s hand left you and came back to rest adjacent to his other and then his eyes reopened.
“So, detective…” you breathed, “Your deduction is?”
He kissed you gently again, his smile soft and beautiful – just like the voice he chose to answer with; “Perfect… as I knew you would be.”
“…Careful, you might make me cry again.” You teased, reaching up to leave butterfly kisses all over his face.
“Ah, no. That’s for later…”
“We’ll see…” You murmured as he pressed his lips to yours again, hands sliding up and under his, lacing your fingers together.
For a few moments you both watched each other breathe, without pulling out of that gaze. The rain seemed gentler now, the musical way it hit the windows and the roof much more casual. You smiled, more to yourself than to Ralph. You weren’t sure you’d ever made love to the sound of the rain before – at least not rain you could hear like this. You wanted to ask if he had – but that question could wait.
Ralph nudged your left leg with his own tenderly, coaxing you to part them further; instead ending with you threading your leg with his. He very nearly chuckled, and that smile remained on his face as he shook his head at you – pulling a grin from you, and then a sigh from your lips. Your fingers slid from his, and your hands ran up his arms; he wasn’t muscular but he was toned and strong. To you he’d never seemed breakable; his stature would be intimidating enough, but Ralph didn’t often have a face to accompany that, and you certainly knew about it when he did. Still, you wouldn’t mess with the serious looking one with his hands on his hips, badge and gun on public display. You probably wouldn’t mess with you either, because it was a power stance that you copied; only you didn’t have Ralph’s height, and you were nearly always smiling.
Still, when you got him out of his clothes his physique was as impressive as his presence was. You paused your right hand on his shoulder, but ran your left back into his hair, and he inclined his head to you slightly.
The flicker of innocence that ran through his eyes and across his face asked you a question he didn’t have to voice, and you answered back in kind. Your breath in replaced a gasp, and your nails dug into him for barely a second. There was nothing new about this. Even before you’d shared your first time in bed together you knew Ralph Anderson was a warm safe place, that you could trust him, that you could hide here in his arms forever and he’d protect you or – quite literally – die trying.
That was more than you could ever possibly ask for, and when he signed up for this he signed up for a daughter that wasn’t his. And Ralph loved her more than anything. And he was still here.
So how could you ever explain in words what it was like to be one with him? With someone with the aura he had? It was a feeling you didn’t like losing easily – and one you could easily get drunk on.
He relaxed his body, melting completely into you; he wanted his hands in your hair, your form against his, the warmth of your skin, the way your pulse ran or your feelings were betrayed with a subtle shiver of excitement, not only the sound of your breathing, sighing, the moans you tried to fight and keep to yourself – but the way it felt to cross his skin, or when it all became too much and you buried your face in his neck. Ralph spent so much time out in the field trying not to feel, to keep a level head – clarity in light of every situation he faced (before he had to try to reign you in too), that when he was with you he wanted nothing more than a sensory overload. However it was that he might get to feel that today – and this time the rain provided the perfect soundtrack.
You wound your arms around his shoulders to envelope him as close as he wanted to be, tangling your legs with his. Everything about the way Ralph Anderson made love was exactly how he was usually – calm and quiet, and perfectly flawed in all the right ways. He was tough, resilient and protective, and he liked it most when his body was covering yours; like the way if anything ever got tense he’d take at least half a step in front of you. But also the kind to snark you into the next century if the occasion called for it, and every so often you’d get a remark with a quirked eyebrow and the smile that matched, instead of his quietly sighed I love yous. Ralph’s shoulders also had a habit of clicking every so often and either he’d pause for a moment to make sure it was fine – or you’d try and fail to hold your laughter in. All facets of a great relationship, at least you could say that.
Mercifully, not today, and as you wound yourselves around each other, Ralph moved.
Slow barely covered it, but the friction of his body against yours already had you sighing his name. You heard his barely murmured chuckle, and knew in the back of his mind was a sentence he couldn’t bring himself to say. But you knew your blissful answer was yes, yes I want you that bad, dammit!
His rhythm was slower still – but this was the one time that Ralph ever lost himself, and allowed himself to do so. You didn’t think that he ever completely switched off, but lost in you was as close as he got to truly gone. But you were selfish, and all you wanted was to keep him with you; and every pull back was too much like him leaving you. And you held him tighter, so close that now he really could feel your heartbeat on his skin. He kissed your forehead gently again, untangling his fingers from your hair he held his hand out patiently for yours, and you laced them together.
“…Ralph…” He upticked the pace just enough for your name to spill from your lips – the rest of your sentence already forgotten as his lips covered yours. You couldn’t let him go – you never, ever wanted to let him go.
And he wanted you to hold him just as bad, he would be the first one to say he was protecting you, but with you wrapped around him like this he knew the way around it really was. This was the only time he got you this still. But even now your heart was beating fast. That heart that loved him, that he would ask no more from than that, but you willingly gave anyway. Strong and wild and untameable – just like you. And yet, you were here with him.
Your legs tightened around his, as you pulled him into you deeper and deeper – and his groan of your name against your lips made you sigh in response. Until finally his rhythm hit you just right – and your sharp gasp and instant arched reflex left you flush against him once more.
“…Baby…” The word was broken, almost panted, “Ralph… Please…” Don’t stop, not now, right there.
Even his chuckle was sweet, but nearly silent, blown across your skin by his breath.
“I love you…” and that one wasn’t silent, “Y/N… I love you.” And he didn’t stop, pace up another notch now he’d found what you wanted he had you completely at his mercy. And yet his willingness to be patient and gentle meant that you were kept on the edge of ecstasy far longer than anyone should be allowed to be.
“Baby, please…”
His kisses transferred to your neck, barely grazing your skin as he teased you. That helped nothing, and this time you whined his name – groan reverberating through your throat and body and into his. That’s exactly what he wanted, that complete sensory overload. And his quiet moan of your name was nowhere near as quiet as he wanted it to be. Ralph was suddenly hyperaware of every feel of your body, the way the sweat was dancing on your skin, and gathering along his shoulder blades. Every tiny tense of your body to match every movement of his. And the way it felt to be inside you. That most of all.
Your body curved so perfectly with his, and your warmth and love were felt at every point of contact - because maybe you’d never admit it but you clung to him as desperately as he did you - holding him not nearly as near as you wanted him. As if there were any way for the two of you to be closer. And every little tiny sigh of happiness or vibration that ran through your body told this detective everything he ever needed to know. And Ralph always acted accordingly; making love with him was never the same twice. Because he listened to your body, and when the tune changed, he reacted quicker than you would think any man would.
You burned for him; passion and desire – that wild and free spirit of yours – mixed with a delicate softness that made you unfathomable. You knew when to be either; but sometimes when he held you in his arms, in the especially intimate moments you were both at once. And the rush of what that felt like to him – both physically and emotionally went straight to his head.
The problem was his body reacted to that shot – and your body reacted to his.
“Sh----!” His thrust was a little too hard, and tension raced right through you. And now you couldn’t fight back against it. DAMN HIM-!
You closed your eyes once more, arching your back, nails digging into his skin – which he was still painfully aware of – each cry of his name now more and more desperate;
“Ralph-! Ralph-! Oh-! Baby-! Please-!”
And he couldn’t help but smirk, because all of those sounds were his and for him; and suddenly all he could hear was the rain, like white noise, and you saying his name, voice pitching to that shaky high which could only mean one thing.
Fuck!
You always went from pitched to silent – high far too much to ever vocalize, you’d blame him entirely for that of course. But maybe everyone else just wasn’t this good. Maybe this was what it felt like to be with the one person you were made for? How could you answer something like that for yourself? But that rush of ecstasy that had you breathing fast and hard was always followed by an inescapable rush of heat; and your body quivered in its need to relax, and in intense pleasure and happiness. Which is about the time you tipped Ralph over the edge.
His cry of your name was breathless and raspy, and his grip on you tightened, nails grazing your skin only making you shudder once again – which almost had him cursing. One day you’d get him to say one out loud and you’d get to tease him endlessly. But you knew the look on his face and that was enough, when he opened those gorgeous eyes and they were burning that little bit brighter.
Ralph leant forward, breathing heavily, but smiled soothingly, as his lips found yours again, it was a sweet short kiss, before he pressed a second to your forehead, and then sat back for a moment, head tipped;
“Are you crying?”
“Shut up! This always happens-!” That one you’d also blame him for, and you’d never quite been able to stop your tears from running at the overwhelming mix of emotions you felt. You moaned gently as he withdrew from you, gathering your hands back in his;
“Better be cuz it was actually kinda good, rather than my poor performance.”
You gave him a tiny shove; “I said shut up-!” Cocky bastard! You were panting, still, but that look on his face had you laughing
“Ahhhh---!” He grinned, “You just can’t stay mad at me can ya!?”
“I’m not mad-!” you laughed again, “Now come back here and kiss me, Mr. Anderson!”
He looped his strong arms back around you, pulling your body closer to his and hitting the sheets; “I suppose I might happily oblige your request, M’am.”
“Oh my god…” You rolled your eyes, but your giggles still rose in your chest as you rested your head to his.
Ralph allowed you to settle in the crook of his neck, running a hand through your hair as he caressed your back, kissing the crown of your head. “…I love you, Y/N…”
“Oh, don’t you say that now…” You closed your eyes, one hand against his heartbeat, the other draped lazily around his body, “…I shouldn’t like to ask you to prove it twice…”
He chuckled, “You’d call that proof, huh?”
“…What, you want me to present you with a board of evidence…?” You couldn’t help your sarcastic grin
“Aw come on, I’m not Samuels.”
“Damn right.” You pressed a kiss to his collarbone; “You’re mine.”
***
You whined as Ralph untangled himself from the sheets and your body; “No… Nooo…”
“Shhhh…” He brushed his lips to your forehead gently, “I’ll be back, wait here…”
Pulling on his sweats he wandered over to his wardrobe and gathered an armful of clothes. You watched him with curiosity as he then collected the wet items from the floor in his other arm and turned back to you, “Give me a few minutes.”
You gasped, sitting up; “Are you warming up your clothes in the dryer--!?”
“Mhm. And I’ll put the washing on whilst I’m at it.” Like he’d promised about 2 hours ago
You gasped again; “OH! You’re perfect!”
He couldn’t help but chuckle, and then winked; “Exactly, you would be so lucky as me removing that second ‘S’ from your last name.”
You shook your head after him, but didn’t retaliate as you propped yourself up in the pillows and drew the duvet around yourself.
It took a little longer than his 5 promised minutes; and during that time you heard the front door and car door both open and close again, making you huff after you’d just spent all that time getting him warm and dry. There was further shuffling around downstairs, and eventually Ralph appeared again.
“You went back outside-!?”
“Yeah… Washings on…” He glanced to the window, “I just thought seen as we really ought to be working from home… I wanted to make sure we were working. I just set up to print off crime scene photos… Here!” He threw you a bar of chocolate; “This should help.”
“Aw… babe…” You immediately scored through the foil wrapper, and snapped the first line, waiting patiently for him to return to you. Instead Ralph kept his eyes on the rain; “How is it?”
“Calming down. Still pretty bad… I mean, it’s gonna be a close call but I don’t think it’ll wash Flint City away.” He gave you a cheeky grin
You laughed to yourself; “Yeah okay – fine. Now get your workaholic butt back in bed.”
He obliged, pulling you into his arms – “Okay… But then I mean it, we work.”
“…Yes, Detective.”
He kissed your hair, as you took a small bite of a square and held one out to him; “Ah, honoured.”
“Well, you’re the one risking life and limb in flooding for a camera to print scene photographs. I think you deserve it.”
He huffed gently, “Alright, that’s enough from you-!” but he took the square, “…Thank you. I know it’s your favourite…”
“Nah…” You smiled gentle, kissing his cheek as he chewed thoughtfully “You’re my favourite.”
***
It was a little later when you were curled up on the couch reviewing the photographs together, you lying between Ralph’s legs – his arms around you - in his shirt and sweats, cozy and warm from his quick thinking. He was dressed about the same, and wasn’t putting nearly as much effort into this as you both thought you aught to. But a lot of what you both said was just attentive enough. You had to pretend you weren’t listening to his heartbeat, and weren’t feeling that tingle through your body every time his voice mused something in your ear as he decided to say it out loud. And he could pretend he wasn’t paying too much attention to the way your body still fit so perfectly with his and the way you were still breathing – like he still had you beneath him. Though Ralph wasn’t stupid; he knew that he was still driving you wild. The rain was lighter now, and its rhythm much more comforting, providing a nice background noise to your half-baked crime scene analysis. No doubt Yune would have something to say about that tomorrow – but tomorrow was another day, and right now Ralph Anderson knew loving on you was far more important.
He placed a kiss to the back of your neck, and the shiver that ran through you again almost caused you to drop the group of pictured in your hands;
“Not helpful-!”
The look you received told you he was hardly aiming to be. Before he sat up, a little more attentive, and his eyes brightened; “Oh! It’s performance review season!”
“Ugh!” You covered your face “I’m dreading it to be honest!”
Ralph chuckled “Why? You can’t do any worse than the guy you took over from!” Then mused; “Well I guess he wasn’t my partner but... close enough.”
“You mean the guy that tried to kill you in Texas? That you then shot.”
“Jack Hoskins, that’s the one!”
You folded your arms; “Oh yeah? Why? What did you say about him!”
Ralph pretended he had to think about it long and hard - “Two words, I believe: No Opinion.”
“No op-!” You covered your face to hide your cackle, with little success; “Oh my god! No wonder he tried to kill you!!”
Ralph laughed and nudged you; “Yeah alright!” Then folded his arms, “if you’re lucky you might get a “she’s alright” out of me. I think I could stretch to that-!!”
You scoffed “Oh alright, screw you!”
He tipped his head indecisively; “Ah, well sure - if you wanna go back upstairs...”
“What-!? No-! Ralph-!!” Though that set you off laughing, “What happens if I agree, does that entice a better review out of you?”
He grinned, pulling you back into his arms, you knew he was quite willing to carry you back up those stairs, and right now you were very okay with that prospect; “Okay-! I’ll stretch to five words-! She’s pretty good I guess!”
---
@menndelsohn @3134045126 @happyskywhale @wltz-bby
#MendoTagSquad
#Knows exactly what I'm about to get accused of. Is doing it anyway.#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Oh my god - you know I've never /actually/ thought about what these two would be like together in bed because it's just never occurred to me#I brought Yune back because he's been missing for a couple of these and it's my favourite banter#Harmony#Ralph Anderson#Ben Mendelsohn#The Outsider#The Outsider HBO#HBOs the Outsider#At this point the show is a faceclaim only#Okay Ralph and Harmony - take all my projection from Gerry for a second!#So wait. I just read the first part of the Outsider again and Hayes is 35-!? Oh my god wait scrap that Canon!#Or there's like 20 years between these babies!#And whilst they are an AgeGap couple... I'm talking 14 years max - probably. She's gotta be mid30s#122
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Cold Night - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
GIF Credit: X
Sure Be Cool If You Did / Bienvenue From Hell, Mon Amour / Made in the USA / Under The Weather
Author’s Note: So, we’re still using book Ralph’s personality. Because that’s where I’d like to keep him!
I just got this idea whilst thinking for a little too long about the show... And also this song, as ever, popped up on shuffle and went “You know what would be good...!”
And thus, you all get your 5th installment of Ralph Anderson
*Note, the DA is back to his book name, Samuels, for part consistency.
Disclaimer: Characters and plot lines from The Outsider are all Stephen Kings / Thanks YM@S for once again providing some great lyrics from this album / Gif not mine - credit as appropriate.
Premise: As detectives and partners, it’s good from time to time to discuss cases... But sometimes you need something a little more than just discussion to help you through them...
Words: 2063
Warnings: All Fluff - I just needed me some Sweet-Soft!Ralph.
_________
It was a cold night, we laid with each other just to stay warm
Up all hours, not for the last time
As it's a cold life, stay with each other one last time
We could always run away some other night
Don't you let me go this time
Don’t you let me go this time
Don't go baby, it's time for us you know.
Don't go honey, this way we'll never know
Don't go honey, this way we'll never know
It was a cold night, the talk of forever kept us warm
But even forever, doesn't last that long
I say, say you'll never, say you'll never change
Say you'll never, say you'll never change
Say you'll never, say you'll never change
I knew the moment I met you
I could never lose you
I knew the moment I met you...
---
The house was unusually quiet. Not that it didn’t have its quiet periods, but when all three of you were in it at once it was certainly unexpected.
You thought you knew the reason why, and shuffled from the room you were in - sorting books, and realising one was missing - through the house until you found him. Lying across the sofa on his back, holding the book up, not exactly engrossed, but turning the pages like he was paying attention. Ralph Anderson probably wished the case file had never crossed his desk – but then who else’s?
You leant yourself against the wall, arms folded until he noticed you. It was obvious by his body language that something was off. Which is why he was probably so quiet.
He got through at least 3 more pages before he even noticed you were standing there. That was worrying, Ralph was the more observant of the two of you. And he liked to tell you that often. Usually by standing in the middle of the crime scene staring you down, hands on his hips; “yeah, what are you missing?”
No so today, although the fact that he didn’t look at you when he addressed you meant he might just have been waiting for the right time.
“How do you read this?”
You tipped your head to speed count pages; “...Strange words for a man who looks like he’s about a fifth of the way through it...”
“I didn’t have anything else to do...” he mumbled, shuffling around on the couch.
“Funny, you’re using all your tells...” you crossed the room to him in swinging lazy steps “Babe, what’s wrong?”
He shrugged; “Nothing.”
“If you wanted to take your mind off the case, may I suggest not reading a detective mystery novel?”
He sighed, lowering his arms for a moment; “I just wondered if another detective could help me out? Like if I was missing something... maybe I could try another method? I dunno.”
You frowned, “Well... you live with another detective... are they not good enough?”
“I don’t want you involved in this one...”
“Why?” You crouched “I’m a big girl.”
“I know.” He laid the book on his chest and reached out for you; “...But I’m also aware you have a little girl...” fingers ran through your hair as he framed your face, the movement of his thumbs affectionate.
You very nearly rolled your eyes “Ralph, it’s hardly Frankie Peterson 2.0...”
“I know but I don’t want you involved - end of-!”
“So you instead want to sit here and suffer in silence?”
“Well...” it was a small smirk but it’d do “Yune isn’t available.”
It was all you could do to chuckle; “Yeah well. Why doesn’t that surprise me.”
You moved your hands to his shoulders caressing them gently - and hoping that would at least bring some comfort; “Baby, I’m here - talk to me.”
“I know... I know I just...” Ralph sighed again, arm stretching further so that his hand covered your neck, meaning your hair now brushed against his skin. “...maybe that’s all I need right now?”
You gave a soft smile; “What?”
“You. Right here...” Then he applied gentle pressure and you knew what he wanted - you leant in to brush your lips to his; and he didn’t let you pull away - linking his arms behind your head.
He successfully stole more kisses than you were going to allow him, before you propped yourself back onto your elbows. But one of Ralph’s hands still framed your face.
“Call me crazy... but... there’s something about you, Y/N... that I...” he laughed, quiet, breathy - like a private joke to himself “At points you are... erratic. But right now? You’re the most calming presence I think I could wish to get.”
“Yeah?” You would disagree
“Yeah.” He nodded, his fingertips moving in soothing patterns over your skin “...so I just need you right here... and maybe my head’ll clear a little.”
“Well, you’re lucky I’m available and don’t have a date with the DA.” Though your smile was sweet “You know I would cancel on him for you, right?”
He chuckled, leaning up to kiss you again as he took your hand in his; “I’m honoured-!”
“Oh, no, it’s you that is doing me the honour of letting me of all people be your quiet space...”
“Mhm-! C’mere...” Ralph pulled you from your position on the floor around the couch, and then tugged you down to lie with him, arms wrapping around your shoulders, he cuddled you close before kissing your hair.
“I need you, Y/N... Real bad at times.”
“Perfect balance.” You’d said it before… He’d said it before. Heck – so many people had commented similar you were starting to believe it.
His smile was thoughtful “Beyond perfect balance. So don’t go changing on me...”
“Wouldn’t dream of it...” you rubbed his back soothingly, “Now go on, you get on with thinking your case through. And I’ll try not to move...”
“We’ll see how long that lasts...” he murmured, twining your legs with his in an attempt to make your promise a reality. “I love you... you know?”
“...I did know that, I think, yeah.”
“But I mean it. No jokes.”
“Jokes?” You smiled gently, looking up into his serious blue eyes, and the way his mouth pressed into a thin line, furrowed brow creating those cute little wrinkles across his forehead. He worried too much. “Jokes? The Ralph Anderson I know doesn’t joke...” you kissed his forehead gently “Hush baby, you do what you need to. And I’ll be right here. We’re partners, y’know? I’ll always be right here...”
***
Ralph had never been the only one to need quiet alone time to think on a case. And sure enough, as he solved a tough one, you gained a tough one.
You loved talking things out and ranting but... Ralph was your partner at work, and after you’d spent all day starting sentences with ‘yeah-! BUT-!’ or ‘Oh! And another thing—!!’ you didn’t want to bother him. Especially not this late at night. But this one was keeping you up. You wanted to prosecute... Samuels was being iffy with the evidence and kept saying; “bring me something else.” Even when you’d exasperatedly told him “There is nothing else—-!!!”
It was times like this you wished you didn’t have to take the case alone. And this one in particular was keeping you up. If you didn’t find evidence, the person responsible wasn’t going away – and you already knew they were capable of doing it again.
Hence why at 2am, when Ralph woke up alone, you weren’t with him. His first thought was to check in on Reneé – as it nearly always was, sometimes you liked sitting in with her, but sometimes he just wanted to be sure that she was safe.
He stood in the doorway for a little longer than he’d been planning, with a tiny absentminded smile, before realising that at 2am he should be looking for you. He closed the door on her with a smile; “Goodnight, Angel…”
After the light outside caught his eye, he found you huddled out on the back patio with a fire burning and a blanket around you in a chair. He sighed gently, pulling his jacket a little tighter:
“Babe. It’s freezing, what are you doing?”
“I just... needed some air.” You gave a shrug but didn’t look at him, “Clear my head a little.”
He leans against the inside doorframe not quite committing to the cold night air himself; “Are you okay?”
You chewed your lip for a second, “Yeah.”
“Y/N.”
You huffed, frustrated at his stern voice and gave an agitated snap back. “I’m fine.”
“No you’re not; you’re using all your tells.” Ralph always thought using your own lines against you was pretty clever. And looked at least mildly amused as he folded his arms.
You scoffed, unimpressed with his deduction and buried yourself further into your blanket; Ralph continued – peering across the back yard, submerged in darkness, aside from the occasional firefly. He raised his eyes heavenwards, to watch the stars for a little while. Because he didn’t know what else you could be looking at. “…Is it the case?”
“Hmph.” Was as good as he got, and when Ralph cast his eyes back to you, it was the fire you were more interested in.
“Isn’t it always with us?”
You bounced your leg gently and chewed your lip, he was right. You wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
He kept his eyes on you, but was continually met with silence. Eventually Ralph couldn’t stand it, and the wind chill was beginning to make him shiver.
He stepped down onto the patio and crossed to you; “Come on.”
“What-” you didn’t have much time to retaliate as he pulled on your blanket bundle and hoisted you into his arms
“Come on. You’re gonna catch a cold at best if you’re out here all night-!”
“RALPH-! PUT ME DOWN!”
“I will. Upstairs! In bed!”
He glanced back at the fire and, satisfied that it would burn out safely in its own, carried you back inside. Glad that your blanket cocoon would stop you from fighting this too hard.
Having said that, by the time he’d ascended the stairs your head was resting against his chest and you seemed pretty sleepy.
He deposited you on the bed – glad you were at least in comfy clothes. “You’re gonna sleep though? Right?”
“…I dunno. I might need to do some more talking over this thing…”
Ralph let his breath escape in an elongated sigh; “Right…” He pulled the duvet over you as he settled down. “Then you’re gonna sleep, okay?”
“…Okay.” Though your agreement was somewhat reluctant. You had to wiggled your arms out of the blankets to wind them around him as he pulled you closer. Flinching suddenly as your skin brushed his;
“Oh my god – you’re so cold! What were you doing-!?”
“Trying to get my brain to work.”
“Well if that leads to pneumonia, you’ll be no use to anyone…!” He rubbed your arms until he was satisfied you were warming up, pressing kisses gently to your forehead.
By the time he’d finished, and had laced his finger with yours, heads together – you were wearing his favourite smile, content and sleepy, a little bashful and shy. The one he saw most often if he did something sweet for you, the one just before your eyes would look to the floor and you’d tuck your hair back and say ‘Thank you…’
Tonight however you giggled, “I think… I could probably do this forever…”
“Huh?! What, sit on the back porch freezing to death-!?”
That only made you laugh more and you finally got him to do the same,
“No. Have you look after me…”
“Ah-! You’ll be so lucky as me putting up with you forever…” But he was smiling, “…It’s what partners do, right?”
“It’s more than some partners deserve…” You mumbled
“Hey-!” He punched the top of your arm lightly “I won’t have you talk like that. Stop.” Then he took you back in his arms, “Y/N…”
You snuggled into his chest, feeling his breathing, his heartbeat and the way his vocal cords reverberated through his body… his warmth… and you curled your fingers into his shirt. “Okay. Ralph. I’m sorry.”
“You best be…” He rubbed your back as you curled into him, and then brought his knees up to wind his body around yours protectively “…Now, come on, softie – talk to me about this case…”
“I love you.”
He didn’t vocalise his laugh, but you could hear it in his voice - that joy could have been about how sleepy you sounded though. That you were switching off, finally “…Oh. I think that my detective skills helped me figure that one out a little while ago…”
“…I’d like to love you forever… if you let me…”
He opened his eyes, and watched you for a moment, but you didn’t reopen yours – just shifted to get more comfortable, and closer to him. He shook his head, with a smile; “Y/N…! The case-!”
“T…tomorrow…” You yawned “It… can wait…”
Ralph continued relaxing you until he was sure you were asleep, and only then did he close his eyes;
“I love you too, you know.”
---
@menndelsohn @3134045126 @happyskywhale @wltz-bby
#MendoTagSquad
I finally figured it out!
#Ralph Anderson#The Outsider#Ben Mendelsohn#Ralph Anderson x Reader#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Harmony#Renee#117#Don't be surprised if every man from this damn show gets written for#I mean some of you know what's coming ;)#That's it I don't really have anything else to tag this#Soft/Sweet#Short/Sweet#Linzi Writes#...I forget that tag so often...
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Made in the USA - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
GIF CREDIT: X
Author’s Note: So... Whilst I’m not watching for the first few weeks (for reasons you may know!) I am jumping on in and giving you some Ralph Anderson content anyways!
Side Note - all you book readers will know who Samuels is. If you’re not a book reader... I believe Samuels is now... Hayes?* Not that I’m annoyed or anything...
* I don’t know for sure if he’s the same, but I’m assuming
Disclaimer: Characters are all Stephen Kings / The Outsider characters/plot not mine / One again set in my little AU. (That means more Renee)
Premise: The temperature has been rising steadily for weeks, and it finally hits breaking point literally you and Ralph both have cases to work, but given the circumstances you don’t really care. And for once, neither does he...
Words: 4345
Warnings: Fluff / Some banter about affairs and eloping. /this one really does contain book spoilers and therefore I'd imagine show spoilers.
______
You run around open doors like a gentleman
Tell me girl every day you're my everything
'Cause that's the way you like to do it
That's the way you like
Just a little West Coast, and a bit of sunshine
Hair blowing in the wind, losing track of time
Just you and I, just you and I
You’re always reading my mind like a letter
When I'm cold, you're there like a sweater
'Cause that's the way we like to do it
That's the way we like
And never ever let the world get the best of you
Every night we're apart, I'm still next to you
'Cause that's the way I like to do it
That's the way I like
No matter how far we go, I want the whole world to know
I want you bad, and I wont have it any other way
No matter what the people say,
I know that we'll never break
'Cause our love was made, made in the USA
---
It was hot. A little too hot. Okay, a lot too hot. You were glad you hadn’t had to go straight to a scene. The heat had been building like this for weeks, but at this point you didn’t want to touch anything metal, and tarmac was out of the question. It made trying to get into your car interesting.
And Ralph didn’t really do much other than stand on the porch watching you like you were insane.
“Y/N... just... get in the car.”
“It’s hot-!”
“Yeah...” He shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up, “I know...”
“Well I’m trying not to burn my hand!”
He sighed, and sauntered over to the car “Please, it’s not that hot-!” You supposed he could say what he liked, he hadn’t just leant against the car trying to fish the keys out of his pocket and touched it with his forearm, that’d made you snap back with a gasp enough – and no more! Ralph reached out and touched the car like it was nothing-
“AGH!”
It made you jump, “Oh my god-! See!”
But then he was just laughing “It’s fine.” He opened it for you, “Now go on. I’ll see you later.”
You tipped your head, biting your lips together concerned; “Just be careful okay-!?”
“I’ll be fine.” He leant on your car door watching you hop in “Don’t flirt with the DA too much.”
You sucked your breath between your teeth; “Oh... babe, no promises!”
He eyed you for just a moment “...Just remember who’s in charge here.”
“Yes, Detective Anderson. I will.”
Luckily the innovation, and frankly blessing, that was air conditioning was available both in your car and in the DAs office. And the short walk from one to the other wasn’t enough to get you complaining again.
“Lovely weather we’re having!” Samuels grinned, holding his arms out for a hug which you gladly excepted;
“Uh. Yeahhhh - if you don’t have to stand out in it working-!”
“Oh, please. Working-!? Do you actually do anything or do you just stare at Ralph all day?”
You scoffed and jabbed him in the chest with your folder “He’s the one telling me not to flirt with you-!”
“Well I suppose It might not help your case, or it might! Want to elope into the hot summer sunshine and never be seen again?” He smirked gently, with just the right tilt of his head.
“Well it seems like a lot better idea than working in it-!”
“AHA-! I’m telling the detective-!”
“Oh yeah, just get me in more trouble-!”
He took the folder from you gently “Now, come on... what have you got for me today?”
You both sat in the office discussing the case in great detail. What you had to say, what you shouldn’t say – his route of questioning, the usual sort of thing Samuels called you over here to discuss. To be honest even when he didn’t call you you liked calling in on him. He used to joke that yours weren’t his only cases, but you liked being around him. He gave you as much flirtatious banter as Ralph did but it was just different, in the best way.
If you had to put up with both Ralph and Yune regularly sometimes having Samuels in your corner was a Godsend. Of course, it was Yune that had started Ralph off on the flirting thing.
Oh god, will you two get a room-!?... Y/N, in front of your partner, really-!?
The four of you were really like a house on fire when together, and you enjoyed that… maybe it was an age thing? As a detective you were sure you were supposed to figure that out, but it made sense, Samuels and you were closer than your partner and his friend were.
Your phone buzzing snapped you out of the conversation:
“That your detective?”
“I’d assume so...” you picked it up, “Yeah.”
“You gonna tell him we’re eloping or should I?”
“Oh, just make him wait until I don’t come home later...”
He tsk’d, with a smile; “You’re a cruel one!”
“Why tell him-!? He’ll have his blue lights on and catch up before we leave the city limits! That or tell me good riddance!”
That made Samuels throw his head back laughing; “Oh god-! Yeah. That’s Ralph.”
You narrowed your eyes and checked the message;
‘How’s our DA?’
‘Good! How’s the office? x’
‘Oh! You’re not gonna like this.’
‘Like what-!?’
‘Just hurry back! Or don’t. You’ve been there hours what are you doing!?’
‘Eloping! 😉 x’
You put your phone down with a smirk and received three buzzes in the space of a few seconds – even Samuels looked at it with raised eyebrows;
“What did you say-!?”
“Oh, nothing much!”
**
Satisfied that the case was in order, you drove back to the station gently humming to the radio. So much so you’d forgotten about the three texts Ralph had sent until you got there:
‘I KNEW IT!’
‘Don’t bother coming back!’
‘I’m keeping the kid! You don’t deserve her!’
That only had you laughing more as you pulled into the parking lot. And then you frowned.
Every single door to the place was wide open,
“Oh dear.”
That couldn’t be good.
As you shut your engine off Ralph sauntered out of one and learn against the door frame, unimpressed look on his face, and checked his watch (and he wondered where you got it from…):
“Oh-! I see you decided to return the case before you eloped-!? How thoughtful!”
“Shut up! You think I could deal with a DA the rest of my life?! I get enough with you-!”
He folded his arms, and squinted; “That was a rather backhanded compliment!”
“You deserve it for that stunt this morning-!” So Ralph got unceremoniously hit with the folder too. You looked to all the open doors, concerned; “What happened here-!?”
He held his arm out to present the building to you, “Step inside! And you will find out!”
You understood exactly why all the doors were opened the second you walked in and he heat hit you. It was like a sauna. Outside was bad but at least there was a breeze! Ralph clapped you on the back, and his body heat in proximity didn’t help none.
“Air cons bust.”
You turned to him with a glare “And you called me BACK!?”
**
You received a disapproving cough from the other side of the office every time you undid another button on your shirt.
Every single fan that any of you left in the office could find, was on. But you were suffering. It was alright for him; Ralph would work through this no matter what – such was the man that he was. But you were now sweaty and uncomfortable and sticking to your chair;
“I can’t work like this—!” You groaned, leaning back in your chair as you received yet another glance,
“Any more buttons and you’re gonna be reprimanded.”
“You’ve seen me in less-!”
“This is a work environment, Detective!”
“Ralph—!” You whined placing your arms to your forehead, “This is awful! I should have stayed with Samuels-!”
He scoffed “Then why didn’t you!?”
You sighed, eyes flicking to him “Because I am hopelessly in love with you.”
He stared at you for a minute and the only sound became the buzz of the fans and the wall clock. Before he smiled, and it was a sweet smile. The kind Ralph didn’t give you whilst working. He pointed his pencil at you accusingly; “Don’t make me come over there and kiss you!!!”
In reality you’d been there less than an hour when Ralph finally threw his pen down, where it clattered across his desk, and stood up.
“This is unbearable. Even I can’t work like this!” That was that then, if the usual last man standing was deciding to surrender too. He gave a sigh before he started with purpose towards the door, “I’m sending everyone home!”
“Oh?” You folded your arms “Big man on campus today?” If Ralph could send everyone home that meant he was the most senior official in the building.
But instead of just answering you he slammed his hands onto your desk with a smirk. Your heart leapt - since when did Ralph ever look at you like that?
“Yup, you’re damn right.”
But of course, once he’d gathered everyone in your little space, to tell them to clear out of the office until and engineer swung by and fixed everything, in typical Ralph fashion he martyred himself to stay behind and continue the work. He still wants to be the last man standing, then!
And you weren’t having that.
“Go. We both have a car, go home. Or go see Samuels again, if you feel you need to be in an office...”
“And leave you behind? I don’t think so!”
“Why are you so damn stubborn!” Well he shouldn’t have made so many comments about flirting with the DA, or you probably would take him up on heading back there, all your work was currently on that case.
“I’m not leaving my partner here alone. And you should know I wouldn’t.” You narrowed your eyes, jumping at the opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine; “Unless you’re eloping!?”
“Oh yeah!” His voice was purely sarcastic and his face deadpan; “with the other lover I clearly have SO much time for-!”
You tutted “You’ll break Reneé’s heart!”
“If you didn’t break it before hand with your fancy DA-!”
You gasped “Uncalled for!”
“Necessary!!!”
That only made you pout, and Ralph strained “Aw, c-c’mon... That’s unfair...” The embrace he offered you was loose, for obvious reasons, but the sentiment still held as he kissed your forehead; “I love you...”
*
You were now just content to suffer in silence - and didn’t look up from your work. You also didn’t look at the clock, and any time you crossed the room it was to look at the case board and then stroll back to your file again.
Ralph wasn’t on the case that you were dealing with with Samuels but he liked to help out and offer advice on occasion.
He was dealing with his own right now though, and his silence said as such. But Ralph was always quiet. A good foil to you, you would imagine. Every so often Samuels would ping you questions or updates, but you were glad that it seemed so quiet on such a hot day.
“You know,” Ralph eventually mused “isn’t it funny how much quieter you suddenly get when we’re the only ones left here.”
You glanced up at him slowly, but instead of retaliating, like you knew he might want you to, you simply smiled.
But, Ralph continued his musings. Folding his current worksheet over. But he knew what your silence meant I will suffer with you. Or for you. “...You know, and I don’t even say this personally, professionally... you might be the greatest partner that I could ever have hoped to have.”
That just made you blush, and look back to your work, “...What makes you say that?”
“I just know you’re good for me.” He looked to the open door for a moment, twisting his pen between his fingers “...I get to learn a lot from you. I get to teach you a lot of things. We’re as opposite as we are similar. It just... works right? Surprisingly well.”
You always did wonder if one of the reasons that your wish to transfer up here was accepted, was because they realised that you needed someone who would settle you down. One of Ralph’s favourite things to tell you was ‘curb your enthusiasm’. To which you would usually wittily reply.
But not today “It does work. But also as more than just a partnership...” you leant on your hand to stare at him “...I guess it’s all equal parts right? I know when you’re my partner, my senior, but also when you’re my lover...”
Ralph dropped his gaze back to you, and once again he made your heart skip. “Hm. Important distinctions. It’s as important to think about the fact that I will probably never get a partner like you again. So, whilst I have you here... I should probably give you everything I have to offer in the field.”
You narrowed your eyes, suddenly too suspicious of his choice of words; “Where did that come from.”
“I’m not daft enough to think you’re not eventually going to get promoted out of here. I think if I prepare myself now... then I might just be ready when it happens.”
You stood, one swift movement and shook your head, “That’s it.”
“W-What is-!?” You crossed the room with purpose, and he leant back as you rounded his desk and kissed him. It wasn’t harsh, it was still loving and tender but it was still hard. And something he needed right now.
You pulled back, and his frown was almost of bewilderment.
“There. Happy? You made me get up and kiss you!”
He grinned, like he’d won, “Oh yeah, I’m happy.”
**
Work continued with Ralph letting you take short breaks every so often. But the rising heat of the day only made it more unbearable and he had spent the last 15 minutes standing in the open door way staring at the parking lot.
“Alright...” He crossed the room, with as much purpose as before and tapped your arm, “Get up. Come on, we can’t stay in here.”
“Well- where are you going!?”
“There’s one shady spot in the pilot, go sit over there I’ll join you in a minute.”
“R-Ralph-!” But all you heard was his hurried footsteps, making you sigh gently. You pocketed your phone and went to stand by the door yourself. He was right, there was one shaded area. You glanced back to wait for him, but when after a few minutes he still didn’t appear, you decided it was better to wait for him where he’d told you to, or else get chided for that too.
5 minutes later, when you felt a lot better for sitting in the shade with a nice breeze, Ralph sidled across the parking lot with something in his hands. You were trying to find the case file under his arm that would denote that he was still asking you to work outside, but he was suspiciously void of one.
When he reached your side and sat down, you realised he was carrying with him your favourite ice cream;
“Knew we had some.” You were still looking for his case file, “Stop it. We’re taking a well-earned break - and!-” he tapped the tub with a spoon before handing you one, “I think we earned this too!”
“Any reason you picked my favourite?” You could already feel the beginning of a big smile,
“Just the first one I placed my hands on. And home made too-!” He tapped the label.
Yeah right, it hadn’t taken him a good 15 minutes more to just grab a tub of ice cream and some spoons. But you didn’t say that, instead you sat back on your hands with a tiny smirk;
“Is it because you love me?”
He sighed gently “Oh... probably...”
You sat together in relative silence, leaving the cases back in the station you created a good amount of your own small talk whilst attempting (and succeeding in) finishing a whole tub of ice cream together. You liked to discuss the shows you were watching that he wasn’t into, but liked hearing second hand accounts of from you – and the book you were currently reading. Just as he liked to tell you about interesting documentaries he’d watched, or all the places he’d been. If he brought up cases – Ralph liked telling you about plainly absurd ones he’d been a part of when he’d just started out. Those always made you laugh so hard that you got stitches, and always made you ultimately glad you’d never been through any of them yourself. Though you had your fair share of stories from your previous jurisdiction that made him cringe when you mentioned them;
“Oh god, please no!”
Eventually your head found his shoulder, and your arms wound around his. Sure, it was still pretty hot out, but the breeze and the shade were both lending a helping hand. And more than anything you wanted to be this close to him. For a short period he petted your hair gently, and you closed your eyes with a smile. You knew this man well enough to know that the only reason you were out here eating ice-cream and not working hard was you. Ralph had done this for you, to cool you down. You knew he would have suffered in silence all alone all afternoon had you not stayed. So you were grateful that in doing this for your benefit, he was taking a well-deserved break too.
“I’ll pick her up, tonight.”
You lifted your head from Ralph’s shoulder at his sudden quiet musing; “You sure?”
“Mmm. You stayed. Least I can do.”
“…That doesn’t sound suspicious at all.”
He chuckled, “I just like seeing her face light up when she leaves school and runs to the gate, is that alright?”
“Runs to you. Is what you mean.”
“…You gotta understand that too, right?”
You ran a hand through his hair, “Aw… You’re just such a softie.”
“Eh. I’m getting old.” His grin was bashful,
“Naw. You’re getting just perfect.”
There was silence for a few minutes more before he gave a tentative look back to the open station doors;
“Should we be working on cases right now?”
“Not in this heat no.” and you were determined to keep it that way.
“...I’m tempted to agree with you...”
“But?” You couldn’t believe you suggested he go on with the sentence “But we should be? So let’s go back in?”
“No...” Ralph lay his head back on yours, with a gentle smile that you would obviously think he’d ask you to get back to it, “That was it. That’s all I had to say.”
***
Eventually an engineer rolled into the parking lot, and you had to cover your mouth to stop you from cracking up at Ralph’s nonsensical string of What took you so long!?!??!
But you only waited until after the engineer had finished.
“I say forget about today and let’s go home...” Ralph stacked some files under his arm; “Let’s just make sure everything is locked.”
“Mmhm!” You agreed and then trailed him through the station to shut every door and window once again. Glad that the air con was thriving once more.
Then he walked you to your car and opened the door for you again, like a true gentleman, even though he hardly needed to. Before walking over to his own. You knew Ralph though, and those files made their way into his back seat. You sighed, and drove your car around the lot to his, winding your window down;
“Hey! Detective!”
Ralph laughed and strolled across the lot to you; “Yes?”
“Professional advice.” You nodded back to his car,
“I’m all ears, Detective.”
“If you take all your work home with you, you’re gonna miss out on two very important things...”
“I know that.” He crossed his arms and leant on your car, “But I also know - and this is my professional advice - there’s nothing better than talking work through with people who see things a little different to you. Makes me worry less, get a new perspective. Sometimes, I just might need their help.”
You sat back with a thoughtful expression: “Huh. I guess sometimes they might need yours too.”
“Well, you got it. How about you? Suppose you got a good DA at home that knows his stuff.”
You opened your mouth in shock; “Oh my god! I can’t believe-!”
“-Here’s some more professional advice…” Ralph leant forward and caught your lips with his, stopping your rebuke to his comment in its tracks. Then you quite forgot what you were saying; “...ice cream.”
“...Huh?”
“You had, a little bit of ice cream.” He brushed his thumb over your lips and you’ll couldn’t help but part them with a gentle sigh against his soft touch.
“Oh.”
“- As I was saying. Professional advice, tell that man of yours not to work so hard.”
You gave a shrug, and a makes sense face, even though your stare was measured; “If he’s gonna heed my advice I will.”
“Mm...” He tipped his head, kissing you once more before straightening “...if you keep reminding him of the important things, one day he just might.” Ralph stepped back and raised his hand in a wave, “See you back at home, Y/N!”
“See you soon-!” You blew him a kiss, and closed your window again as you drove away. You glanced to the case file on the seat next to you, well he wasn’t the only one who was taking things home, you guessed. But at least yours was going to court! And you did have to know what you were saying for ‘your’ DA.
***
It was quite some time later that the front door opened to a chime of; “We’re home!!!”
You were leant against the counter catching up on today’s news, an all too familiar scene these days. You pushed yourself back from the counter in time for Renee to come racing around the corner and into your arms;
“Hey, sweetie, how was school?”
“School was good, mommy.” You picked her up, and she was beaming “How was work?”
“Hot. Actually. But, Ralph, gentleman that he is, sent us all home.”
You heard Ralph laugh from the corridor, “You decided to stay!!”
“Cuz I love you!”
“I figured!”
“You’re back later than usual!”
Renee giggled “Ralph took me for Ice cream-!”
You gasped “Ice cream!?!”
He rounded the corner “Oh. Yeah! It was still pretty ridiculous outside. Thought our little lady deserved some.” You tilted your head curiously to one side;
“And you didn’t invite me?!”
Although you were only being playful, you knew Ralph likes having father/daughter time with her, and you found it absolutely adorable that he would want to take her for ice-cream after school. Ralph probably wanted to make sure that Renee didn’t miss out as much as anything else.
“Well, you weren’t around and you’re supposed to be studying for court.”
“Yeah. Okay…” You shook your head at him, amused.
“Mommy, you can come next time!”
You chuckled, placing her back to the floor, and running your fingers through her hair – “Well, thank you – sweetheart. Who could possibly resist such an invitation?”
Ralph shook his head, with a smile “God, come here!” The next thing you knew you were wrapped in his arms and covered in kisses.
***
When the day finally began to cool off, it was already late into the evening. And you were still practicing all your notes, sure, Samuels had yet to get the court date, but he worked quick – and you had to be prepared for this. By the time you’d decided to give up it was already approaching 11:30pm and you knew that, since he’d disappeared from your side, Ralph would be tucked away in his little corner of the house still up doing his own case work. Time to go remind him that bed was also a thing.
He didn’t even look up as he addressed you when you entered the back room fifteen minutes later;
“Your case made the papers again! Did you see?”
“I did. He’s good at that…” You glanced over the files, but it wouldn’t have taken a genius to figure out exactly what they were. Cold Cases.
“Oh, he definitely likes ya. That DA. I never get in-!”
“If you’re trying to suggest that I only get in the papers because of Samuels...”
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting, Ms.Andersson.” Though he was smiling
You indicated to his folders; “The last time you went high profile...”
“Yeah. well.”
“It’s only 200 words in the corner, Ralph.”
“200 words that you and I both noticed.” Well, you supposed he had a point.
You eyed the files open in front of him again and tipped your head, eyebrows threading, concerned. You nodded to them; “…Don’t you ever get tired of doing this?”
“What?”
“…Looking through cold cases like there is something else there.”
“No end to the universe.” He muttered,
“Huh?”
“No end to the universe.” Ralph repeated louder, raising his head slowly. “…What if we missed something because we didn’t even think of that possibility?”
“…Ralph…” you placed his mug of cocoa down and slid onto the desk, taking his hand in yours, “Sometimes it’s not going to be monsters. You know that too, right? Stop looking for them just because you’ve dealt with one.”
“But what if-”
“What if they aren’t? Baby, what if they are just cold cases…?”
“You didn’t see what I saw, Y/N… You’d never want to be involved in something like that again if you were. You’d never want something like that to happen…”
“Ralph…” you sighed gently, “Whether I was there or not, I still believed you when you told me… Why shouldn’t other monsters exist and be capable of such things.” But you placed your hand over the case files “But, babe, you gotta stop obsessing. Because we both know that won’t solve anything… Also, there’s a bed upstairs that’s missing two bodies… I say we aughta rectify that!” The smile you had raised from him faded just as quick.
He sat back, in silence for a good few moments, blue eyes looking between yours for answers he wished you had; “Then let me ask you this…” Ralph paused again, before taking a breath; “Why do you believe me, you never told me that?”
“You said it yourself…” you gave a gentle smile, bringing his hands to your lips, “No end to the universe.”
---
Thank you for reading! 😘
@3134045126 @dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby
#MendoTagSquad
#Ralph Anderson#The Outsider#Ben Mendelsohn#Harmony#Renee#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#107#/Grumbles some more about them changing the name of my baby/#Ralph! Who are you kidding-!? It's pretty obvious that you're just kissing her! ice cream? Really!?#Team S.A.A.S#R/Y v H/S#Or H/B I suppose if we're going by first names#Quoting the book! Heck Yeaaah#Awww#I didn't get Yune in (but I bet you can guess when he was supposed to pop up!)#So I got him in in spirit a few times#Here is my Triumvirate#It's home made ice cream... get it?#Thats where the title fits#this was supposed to be SUPER short and it's over 4000 words-!
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Bienvenue From Hell, Mon Amour - Ralph Anderson x Reader Drabble (The Outsider)
🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃
Author’s Note: Here’s a five second fic idea I got Tuesday night... So you do get a Halloween themed fic after all!
Eh... This trailer is giving me so much anxiety I just needed to get this one out of my system... 😬
In the words of Shakira, from whom my title is borrowed, I’m in ‘anxious anticipation’
No lyrics today, we’re going straight in!
Disclaimer: As before, I’m never going to do justice to Stephen King, I just love the character’s so much that I’ll just try my best...! / Once again I’ve read the book I’m allowed to do this, but I’m always gonna advise spoilers before the show comes out. / AU set with no Derek or Jeannie.
Premise: Hot on the heels of a suspect, this house (and your partner) are about to test a lot more than just your nerve...
Words: 2035
Warnings: Potential ‘The Outsider’ Spoilers
______
The house stood alone in the middle of the field; grass overgrown on both sides and the remoteness - including trek up here made it almost impossible to reach by car. And you were pretty grumpy by the time you reached it. This place looked one “Welcome To Hell” sign away from a Supernatural episode. Something else your partner borderline refused to watch with you.
“Is there a reason we had to do this in the middle of the night?!” You hissed to your two companions. Ralph and Yune looked to each other - smiles twitching on their lips, you could tell they were both itching to laugh out loud. Considering the circumstances, they decided against it.
“Well, Y/N...” Ralph folded his arms, speaking softly “You wanna catch the guy don’t you?”
“...” You narrowed your eyes at him “Yes.”
“Alright then we have the warrant, we search the house! Time is of the essence-!”
“What - we just gonna knock on the door?!” You indicated “There are no lights on!”
They looked at each other again; “We have a warrant, we’ll just force it.” Yune gave a shrug like it was the obvious answer;
You rolled your eyes; ugh men!
Turns out you did have to force the door, and it creaked open in an unnecessarily creepy way. You shivered; “Look I know it’s October 31st but seriously-!?”
Ralph smacked your arm to get you to shut up and switched on his flashlight. The three of you listened for a minute, but there wasn’t a sound. You all exchanged looks before agreeing to step inside.
Yune tried the light switch, “No power...”
“Fantastic...” That left the two of you also reaching for your flashlights to follow detective Anderson’s lead; “it’s almost like this house knows the date!”
“Maybe it’s haunted.”
“Ralph!”
He chuckled, it had never been something he’d thought about before. Funny how one case could completely change his perspective on the world. Placing his hands on his hips he turned to Yune, “I say we split... you take the upstairs, we’ll take the down...”
“Alright.” He agreed with a nod, “If I find the power I’ll see if I can get that going...”
Ralph gave a nod back “Thanks. Be careful.”
“And you two. Watch out for El Cuco, Y/N!”
You wheeled around; “Will you two STOP!” Ralph clamped a hand over your mouth and pressed a finger to his lips as the house creaked again. But that only led you to glare at him.
“Alright, he could still be here... Keep your arms close...” He pushed you gently through into the corridor, “Call if you need anything...”
“Feel like you’re dealing with the problem for me, Ralph!” Yune couldn’t help that last jab, which had you glaring at him next. But you knew the effect was lost in the gloomy house.
“This place is awful. Do people really live like this?” You visibly shivered, it was starting to give you the creeps.
“Apparently so?”
Ralph kept close enough for his shoulder to brush yours, but you noticed he wasn’t holding your hand just yet. Guess if you needed to spring into action it wouldn’t really help. You liked the way your light beams occasionally crossed as you swept the house, and he could see that gentle smile even in the dark. You were such a sap sometimes. He almost pushed you, but decided you might crash into something, so he nudged you instead;
“Keep it professional.”
“Oh. So I can’t smile around you now?”
“Certainly not, imagine what everyone would say!” But there was amusement in his voice that only had you smiling more. At least he was here; the eeriness of the house would probably be really getting to you if not. And it was so quiet, even your breathing seemed too loud.
“UGH-!” You ran into another spiderweb and he had to watch you fight with it for a moment whilst still trying to stay quiet, “This place is HELL!”
Eventually you reached a room that even your flashlights couldn’t penetrate. “We need better torches...”
He peered around, “No, I think we just need to step inside.”
You glanced at him from the other side of the doorway - there was no way in hell you were going in there first. “Well, you’re the most senior detective here.”
Ralph rolled his eyes grabbing your arm, “And yet it’s your case!” He shoved you in, and you tripped on the threshold causing you to stumble with a yell.
Then he couldn’t hold his laugh in.
“Yeah! Very funny!” That only made him laugh harder, so you unclipped your spare torch battery and chucked it at him.
“Ow! Geez-! You know that’s FCPD property!! You better go find it now! I’m not being responsible for you losing it!”
“Well you are!” You pointed your light at his face and he had to shield his eyes;
“No way! You threw it at me! Now search the room and do your job, detective.” You lowered your beam to the floor and then up to the wall.
“This certainly looks like the kind of house a creepy murderer would live in.”
“Innocent until evidence proves otherwise...”
“Don’t make me blind you again...”
You swept the beam over the wall, “I’m definitely thinking this is murder.”
“Well...” He leant against the door frame, “What do you see detective?”
You were about to answer him when there was a loud bang and a second loud creak above you. You visibly jumped, and placed your hand over your heart. It was almost impressive that you didn’t add a shriek.
Ralph didn’t. “...It’s probably just Yune, it’s okay...”
You looked across to him, opened your mouth and realised you might need a few more moments. He shook his head, “How exactly did you become a detective?!”
“Do you want me to find something else to throw at you-!? Shut up!”
He grinned “Tsk tsk! So feisty!” He liked that about you though; you were the hot headed impulsive one and you were a good foil to the way he was used to doing things. He learned a lot with you...
You took a deep breath to focus on the wall again, but before you had a chance to answer him the room was suddenly thrown into excruciatingly bright light.
“AH-!” That has you both covering your eyes.
“FOUND THE LIGHTS-!” Yune called triumphantly from upstairs.
“Thanks Yune! We got it!” Ralph kept his head in his arm for a second until those spots disappeared “... Think you overdid it-!!”
“Oops! Sorry guys!”
When you opened them again you realised that someone had got a little too creative with the fake blood, and shut off your torch. Ralph’s hands were on his hips, “Well, congratulations! You found your real crime scene!”
You looked around. Yeah someone had got really creative. You knew this was supposed to be fun for Halloween but... this didn’t even look realistic anymore.
He pointed, “Ah look, there’s your battery...” you followed Ralph’s point and realised that it had rolled through a particularly sticky patch of blood, leaving another streak across the floor “...Compromising evidence Y/N, just... not a good start is it.”
“Shut up!!” Ralph was starting to think that was your favourite phrase of the evening.
Yune’s running footsteps announced him and his face appeared in the door way, “Did she find it in time?!”
“She did. Sort of. I might have had to push her in!”
This was the little house that most CSI’s used for training. They had done it up especially for Halloween and you wanted to check it out. Ralph wanted in for a laugh and so had come up with an elaborate case for you to work on, based on what the forensics team had told him, and had given you until tonight to figure out the who and where. The time limit was find the room it happened in before the lights went on. So, he’d enlisted a little help from Yune to throw ‘Impossible Case’ stories at you the whole way over here to up the ante.
That left you with a good case of Halloween jitters. It wasn’t funny when the monsters were real…
You placed your hands on your hips, much the same way he did, and Ralph figured you were beginning to pick up some of his habits. He’d have to curb the enthusiasm just a bit. Like you hadn’t been outed for idolising him enough...
You peered around; glad at least for some light thrown on the situation, you didn’t fancy the idea of stumbling around here in the dark now you know what befell you. You stepped carefully around the crime scene to retrieve your battery.
They’d really overdone it on the fake spiderwebs, plastic body parts and been… liberal… with the fake blood. Even Ralph didn’t think he’d seen it in this much of a state before now.
Yune grinned as you grimaced at your coated battery, trying to find something to wipe it on, “You’d love the back bedroom; fake skeletons just piled up everywhere. They should just open this as a haunted house, what do you think?”
“Yes.”
“NO!” Your and Ralph’s views were as extreme as the way in which you’d answered. And your partner chuckled again.
You replaced everything on your belt and walked over, “What else have they done?”
“Do they need to do anything? Isn’t it creepy enough?” Yune gave a shrug
“Nah-!” Ralph nudged him “What did you drop? She jumped about 3 feet in the air.”
You huffed as Yune peeled off into laughter again; “It’s gonna become a real crime scene in a minute!”
Ralph raised an eyebrow and straightened his stance to give himself a couple more inches on you, his tone serious, “Threatening the life of an officer is an arrestable offence, young lady.”
“Well, go on then.”
He turned to Yune, “You’re the officer here...”
Yune waved his hands; “Oh no, you made the threat.”
Ralph folded his arms and looked back to you, “Looks like you’re off the hook.”
“Oh? Forget your handcuffs, detective Anderson?”
“No. I figure as I have a personal stake in this I simply cannot be involved.”
You looked to Yune, who once again looked like he was trying desperately hard not to crack up. “I can’t believe you dealt with this in Texas.”
He let out enough of a laugh then, “I can’t believe you deal with this - in fact you choose to deal with this.”
“Appreciate the support.” Ralph’s voice was dry and he took a step back looking around; “Oh no!” He gasped, “Guess I forgot my kit-! Can’t be helped, we’ll have to call in CSI... tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?! When we stand in the middle of the scene?!” You spread your arms and walked in a tight circle to make your point, “Surely we should be processing this immediately-! What about the integrity of the crime scene!?” You tapped your watch; much the same as he was constantly doing with you. Ralph liked teasing you as if you were a rookie, because you were susceptible to answering him back in ways that often made him laugh. And he knew he needed that - still, he didn’t really want to end up having to handle a mini version of himself.
Yup. I defiantly have to curb the enthusiasm...
He waved a hand at the mark your spare battery had left; “There’s your integrity right there...” You glared at it for a minute; damn equipment-!
Yune checked his watch at seeing you tap yours, “Yeah, c’mon man-! You gotta be kidding, it’s barely even midnight!”
“Which means it isn’t Halloween, it’s November 1st, and we can leave.” He looked expectantly to you, “Plus they’ll want it back for actual work tomorrow... c’mon I had a hard-enough time pushing you in here don’t tell me I have to drag you out?!”
Your eyes flicked between them again, before you sighed, defeated “... He has a point.”
“Thank you!”
Yune looked more than a little disappointed as you tracked back through the house and you tried not to marvel at the Halloween decorations too much. But someone in that CSI team had a pretty wild imagination to say the least.
“...Next time...” He flicked the lights off “It’s gonna take me two hours to find the lights..!!”
Ralph held his hand out for you to hop back out into the grass, and this time put his arm around you to walk back to the car, “I’ll allow it...”
“It was fun...” You at least agreed, cuddling a little further into your partner in the cool night air.
Ralph looked over his shoulder at Yune with a grin, “That was kinda fun... next time we should get some live actors though, see how she deals with that.”
“RALPH!!!”
----
@dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby
#MendoTagSquad.
#Ben Mendelsohn#81!#And cheating a bit#Ralph Anderson x Reader#Ralph Anderson#5 second fics#The Outsider#YES. This idea IS from our convos Amanda#BUT I LOOOOOOOOVE it#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Halloween Fic!#Ralph is the most appropriate!#Alt title: Curb Your Enthusiasm#I quite like that...#I read back my other fic /Sure Be Cool If You Did/ after writing this...#And he does the hands on hips thing in that too...#so apparently in my mind that's just a thing Ralph does now... I guess.#I took in more of the trailer than I thought... either that or I remember more of the book than I thought#The rolled up sleeves and the watch is a Hashtag:Look.#And its her aesthetic too. So it just gets better and better!#Harmony
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Under The Weather - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
May I present to you, Ralph Anderson, Holiday Fic poster boy 🎄🎁
GIF Credit: X
Author’s Note: Time to kick off the holiday fics with this precious Boi.
You know, despite everything, this man has a certain draw that makes me wanna write for him. And I must in turn be Fearless in the face of whatever January will bring me...
I digress! I just suggest we all enjoy it 💜💙 Ben will ace this.
Under The Weather - Chris Young
Things you need to know before reading: Renee is back from Sure Be Cool...
Disclaimer: As usual, this is all Stephen King’s work - I am simply humbled to write for his characters... / Lyrics not mine
Premise: Despite your partner being a clear workaholic, the last place either of you really want to be on Christmas Eve is the station. Ralph thinks he’s got a good reason, you beg to differ - considering who is waiting at home for you both...
Words: 2902
Warnings: Fluff!
_____
Right there in the living room is our little lit-up tree
We haven't even started wrapping hardly anything
There's only one thing I need, yeah and you can bet
Me being wrapped up with you is the best present I could get
Carols comin' through the radio
People saying stay off the roads
Kissin' you under the mistletoe
That's a reason to stay at home
I waited for this all year long
Something about turning on
Christmas lights for the first time
Watchin' them shine in your eyes
Baby it's cold outside, you and I gotta go no where
I could start a fire lay beside you all night right here
The snow's comin' down and it won't be the only thing falling
So let's stay here together under the weather
---
You sat at your desk staring at your partner, tapping your pencil against your note book. You were practically finished, but he was still sat frantically typing away on his computer. You glanced to the clock – everyone would probably be heading out soon.
Which this morning had been the idea; clock out early, do the last-minute shopping – you knew it would be in a rush, but you had always been a late kinda gal – and then get home and hopefully not have to worry about anything for the next few days. Then of course things had come in over the day, and Ralph was still working on them.
You’d offered your assistance on occasion, but he hadn’t wanted to bother you with any of this right before Christmas. When you insisted, he begrudgingly gave you things to do, but you had long since finished. And still there he was. You pushed your chair out and approached his desk;
“Babe…”
“Not until I’m finished.”
You huffed; “It’s Christmas Eve!”
“And this is still our working environment, detective…” His eyes flicked up to you, “What?”
“…Please will you just let me help you.”
He shook his head, and you knew it was useless; “No.”
“Ralph!” You folded your arms across your chest and you both gave each other hard looks, in an attempt to test who would buckle first. He did.
“Fine…” He sighed – pushing a stack of folders towards you, “Please could you re-file these for me?”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.” Your eyes flicked to his computer, and he defensively covered the screen “Don’t you worry about this, go do as I ask!”
“But R-”
“Go.”
You sighed, pulling the files off his desk and taking them over to the cabinet. The bustling outside in the corridor and break room had already started, and you could hear everyone talking excitedly about their Christmas plans.
You turned back to watch him write something else down, and tack a post-it note to his computer, then you turned back to the noise.
“You can go home, Y/N…”
You looked back to him, frowning, that wouldn’t really work - “We have one car, Ralph.”
“I’ll get a cab.”
“I’m not leaving you!”
He sighed, too stubborn for your own good too. “…Finish your filing.”
As you slotted the final file into place, joyful giggling filled the corridor outside your doorway;
“Ralph! Y/N! Goodnight! Happy Holidays! Enjoy!”
You poked your head out into the corridor; “Thank you! And to you-! Enjoy yourselves!”
“Thank you--!” Ralph’s voice floated out after yours, and he slammed another folder down onto his desk.
The look on your face clearly said are you kidding!?
He watched you for a moment, hands on your hips, your stance of choice – feet firmly planted, slightly tilted with your head following the curve of your body. And a smile crept across his face;
“Last one, I promise. And this is just skim checking for something… sit down…” He indicated to the chair in front of his desk.
You sat opposite him, biting your lip gently and looked back to the clock;
“Clock watching will not make me move faster…” But he smiled – blue eyes skimming page after page until he found what he was looking for, then he looked curiously back to you; “You wanna go shopping?”
“…It’s getting on a bit.”
“Why are you so late?”
“Ralph…” You smiled gently; “I’m always late. Socially.”
“Huh-! I wouldn’t have noticed.” He turned back to his computer and started typing again, and for once you weren’t sure if he was being sarcastic “…Where do you wanna go, we can make the rounds – but I am not going anywhere other than specific shops.”
“I got a list!”
“So you’re prepared…”
“Mmmm.”
“Okay.” There was silence for a few minutes “We’re going for an hour tops. I’m not missing any more of that kid on Christmas Eve than I have to.” You opened your mouth, decided against it and leant back in your seat. He says. Working.
You continued like this for a little while longer – as he refiled that last folder and began to shut down. And Ralph noticed how your tone of voice brightened with every passing minute.
There was shuffling in the corridor and the next thing you heard was Yune laughing;
“You two are still here-!?!”
Your look simply said ‘are you surprised?’
“You got a kid! Get home!”
“Uh-! She’s not my kid!” Ralph pointed another piece of paper at him as he cleared his desk.
“Technically she isn’t Y/N’s either – but we’re not splitting hairs!” Yune folded his arms and leant against the door frame; “Get home!”
You sighed, crossing your legs and tipping back on the chair in a way that you knew would make Ralph scowl at you, and talk about workplace dangers whilst pushing it back; “I woulda about 2 hours ago.”
Ralph rolled his eyes; “I’m trying to get done so I don’t need to work for a few days.”
“You on call?”
“No!”
“Yeah.”
You turned to your partner horrified; “REALLY!?!”
He just gave a we’re not talking about this nod; “That’s the deal.”
Yune was back laughing and had to take a deep breath “Okay. I wish I’d never asked. Now please, I implore you to get home.”
“After she’s finished shopping we’ll get to it.”
“Dios Mio – Y/N!”
“EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU TWO ARE IN A ROOM TOGETHER I BECOME THE TARGET-!!”
Ralph scoffed “That’s hardly true.”
You shot him a look – in truth you probably all gave just as good as you got. But the two of them did like picking on you. You folded your arms, and Yune and yourself shared a significant look.
“Well. I for one am going home… So…” He grinned “Please have a good Christmas both of you – and spoil that kid! From me!”
“Goodnight Yune! Have a great Christmas!”
“Thanks guys! Careful on the roads!”
Ralph laughed, “You too!”
You turned back to him, not aiming to be as whiny as you realised you were, “Can we go?”
He gave you his best smile “Yes, Y/N… We can.”
***
Previously…
You threw the lights across the room to Ralph and he caught them expertly;
“Nice one.”
“Haven’t lost it just yet!” He gave a gentle wink, and threaded them neatly across the curtain poles, to match what you’d already done across the mantel piece. The both of you had decorated the tree earlier with Renée, but that had exhausted her, so now Ralph and yourself were finishing up the decorating, before switching all the lights in the house on.
Apparently you’d decided to date an expert, because he’d spent the back half of this morning threading them through the landing and the bannisters. And it was neat and tasteful, and he made sure nothing was over the top.
They were all the same soft white-yellow in this room, but there was nothing themed about the tree. Throughout the rest of the house Ralph had decided on multi-colours and you were happy to follow his lead.
“What about your house?”
“…Well, unless I’m not stopping here… I’ll put lights up. Later, darling.”
“I can’t believe you wanna spend Christmas with us.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” He gave a laugh, “You’re my girls. I’m coming over – unless you don’t want me.”
You gave a tiny smile of your own; “We’re always gonna want you, babe!”
So by the time you’d finished up and tidied everything away Renée was back awake and down stairs.
“Hey--!!” Ralph picked her up as she ran to him; “Hey! Sweetheart-! Look! We’re about to turn on the lights!”
You walked over to them slowly, “Well, Mr.Anderson. As it is your first Christmas with the family – I believe…” You handed him the master switch; “The honour should be all yours.”
“Oh-! You don’t have to-”
Renée gasped; “Ralph! You gotta! Please!”
“Oh I-!”
“Please!?”
He looked back to you, knowing better than to argue with a five year old; “Ah..! Okay…” He took it in his free hand; “Countdown?”
“OH yeah…” You whispered back with a wink.
“Okay, but you two gotta count me in-! I can’t do this alone!”
“5…4…3…2…1!”
He flipped it – and one by one the lights flickered into life. Including on the tree. Renée’s eyes went wide – and she straightened up in his arms, fingers tightening around his arm and tangling in his shirt. And Ralph couldn’t help but smile looking at her, at the way the lights sparkled in her eyes. That was what Christmas was all about, at least for children. Magic – magic that at that age they believed was real. Magic that maybe was. Right now, Ralph wasn’t about to question that.
And then you wrapped around him to, one arm threaded through his, your other rubbing his back affectionately – as you rested your head on his shoulder. And he smiled at that too – turning to kiss the top of your head.
“I love you…”
You looked up to him, with another delicate smile; “…I love you too…”
***
You arrived home in less than an hour from when you had set out.
“You sure you got everything?”
“I got it all I promise.”
“Bit late now – Because I am not going back out in that!” He’d grumbled enough tugging you from shop to shop on Christmas Eve evening, so you didn’t blame him for that one bit.
“Thank you, for taking me…” You leant across and kissed his cheek.
“Mmm… You’re welcome…” Ralph turned that from his cheek to his lips in no time, and it was a short, sweet kiss.
“What was that for?”
“I realise there is no mistletoe in your house. So, I’ll make my excuses.” He unbelted himself, “Now come on. Carla will want to get home too!”
“Oh!” You folded your arms, still having not relinquished your seatbelt; “I didn’t realise I needed the aid of a mystical plant in order to receive kisses from you!”
He hopped out of the car, laughing “Oh, no. It’s not you that needs it.”
You gasped - throwing your seatbelt to one side; “ME!? You’re the one always talking about professionalism!!!”
“We’re not at work here! We can be un-professional!”
“So you think you need a mystical plant in order to receive kisses from me!?”
You slammed the car door shut and stalked over to him. Ralph was still laughing “You gonna prove me wrong?!”
“YES!!!” You pulled him by his coat collar - even though your energy seemed to say this kiss could be violent, it was soft and gentle. And you only let him go because he was still giggling;
“What’s so funny?!”
“You calling mistletoe a mystical plant.”
You pushed him gently, “Shut up!!”
You opened the door, glad that you were finally home for Christmas, and that the temperature in here was cosy. Ralph lay the shopping bags down by the staircase, aware of how you were about to spend your evening.
“We’re home!!”
“MOMMY!!!” You heard Renée’s shriek of delight and then her running footsteps into the hall. “Hey sweetheart!” You picked her up, and cuddled her close as a second set of footsteps joined you.
“Ralph! Y/N! How was work-!”
“Ah, same old...” Ralph gave a shrug like he hadn’t made you painfully wait for him for hours, “better hope you’ve done all your Christmas shopping Carla, town is hell!”
“Oh!” She laughed “A little late-!”
“Not me!” He pointed to you and you huffed. “Thank you for waiting...”
“Oh! No problem! She’s an angel!”
“Mmm!” Ralph smiled in agreement
“You spending Christmas at home, Carla?” You let Renée gently to the floor, but the first thing she did was run to grab Ralph’s legs.
“Yeah! It’s nice to be home for a change too...”
You collected her payment and little gift you had put together, not late on this one!, and called Renée back to you - who as usual was reluctant to leave the safety of your partner. You knew how she felt. You handed your daughter the gifts and sent her back to Carla;
“Oh! Sweetheart! Thank you..!”
Renée hugged her gently, and for a moment you and Ralph shared the same smile.
“Have a great Christmas with your family..!”
Carla beamed, hugging the both of you two “Thank you!”
“Go on! Get home safe! Enjoy your Christmas Eve evening!”
“Thank you!! And you three also!”
**
The first thing Ralph did was remove his watch and place it on the highest kitchen shelf;
You watched in (confused) curiosity; “What... are you...?”
“It’s Christmas therefore time has no construct!”
You had to laugh at him then; “And yet mistletoe isn’t a mystical plant!”
“I never said that! I laughed at you for calling it one!”
You shook your head at him and went to cuddle your daughter, who was back intently watching programs on the TV - she’d upgraded a little since Ralph had been around - and now she wanted to watch the kind of educational programs he liked watching - she was far more interested in the animals than the actual program itself but... it made you happy that she had his influence in her Iife. You both needed that. You pulled her onto your lap and tucked her stray hair back - kissing to top of her head gently.
Eventually Ralph cleared his throat; “Oi! You! Dinner time!”
You tilted your head back - Ralph wasn’t exactly an expert chef, but he tried his best on occasion. And tonight, he was at his best.
“Okaaay...” you slid Renée back onto the sofa and instead of sitting opposite him, sat next to him to watch her.
He took your hand gently in his and did the same thing; “You gonna be wrapping presents all night?”
“Not all night. I wrap fast.”
“Okay... you go do that, I got her... I’ll get her ready and put her to bed...”
“Thank you...”
“Don’t mention it...” He beamed “...she’s a good kid.”
“Yeah, for you maybe.”
“Well... I guess once I stop being the new thing, she won’t be.”
“I dunno...” you leant on your hand for a minute, “Maybe she was always a daddy’s girl. We just won’t ever know...”
There was a silence that made you look back to him, and the gentle burn making its way across his cheeks “...Yeah... maybe she was...”
You shook your head at him slowly, thinking that you could probably fathom what was going on in his brain... Wishing that maybe you knew for sure, that he would say it out loud.
Maybe eventually he would. Maybe as careful as Ralph was, he didn’t want to wish on it too hard…
**
So Ralph did just that, and when you had finally finished, Renée was tucked up in bed and he was reading to her quietly. You smiled, not eager to interrupt, and stood against the door frame listening to him. He was reading one of her favourites, you realised - and expertly at that.
Upon finishing the tale he closed the book gently, and kissed her forehead; “Now you better get to sleep, else Santa won’t arrive on time!” She made a gentle gasp of fear and drew the blankets up around herself, making you giggle. He looked up to you with a little wink “Isn’t that right?”
“Oh yeah...” you wandered in to also kiss her goodnight. “Goodnight darling, sleep well. And listen to Ralph - he knows what he’s talking about!”
“I love you mommy...” she already sounded sleepy
“I love you too, sweetheart...”
“I love you Ralphie...” Occasionally she would nickname him as such, but you’d already received some vivid death threats at even thinking to repeat it. You figured you’d rather not figure out if a homicide detective could just be joking about such things.
He chucked “I love you too. Sleep well, Renée...”
Ralph turned out her light and you both walked from the room. He still eyed you wearily. “Stop it!”
“I’m not saying anything!”
“You’re thinking it! Stop!” Ralphie…! Yeah he knew the nuances of every smile on your face alright.
“She gets away with it!”
“She’s 5! She can call me what she likes!”
“What about when she starts calling you daddy?”
Even though you were positive he’d been thinking it earlier, you still caught him off guard, and that same blush rose; he stuttered for a moment - “Well. Until then, I like Ralph...”
“Ah, so you won’t rule it out?” If you had caught onto anything at all, your partner wasn’t letting on. His mouth pressed into a line that made him look like he was trying desperately hard not to smile, or wish it too hard - but Ralph didn’t answer you, he just shook his head.
You were amused, looking back to the door and then to him; “You’re good with her.”
“So you say...”
“No but really good Ralph...”
“Yeah... so you say...” He wound an arm around you; kissing your hair gently, and you linked your hand with his. “Now, whilst we wait for her to fall asleep... I do believe there are some Christmas cookies downstairs that will need eating.”
“Oh? You don’t say! Did you pick good ones!?” You looked up at him curiously, so he smiled - kissing you gently, as he laced his fingers with your other hand too;
“Oh! Only the best!”
---
The first Christmas fic is done! 🎉🎅
So, he’s not even out and I’ve written for Ralph three times!? I can only imagine where this will go when he’s on my screen weekly...
@dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby
#MendoTagSquad.
#I have so many ideas for you...#Babe...#You are just a babe...#On recent revelations I realise that this story might actually all intersect with show canon and I will die#Harmony#93#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#The Outsider#Ralph Anderson#Ben Mendelsohn#This is determined to be a rollarcoaster ride from announcement to last scene of last episode with me so...#If you see a lot of love/hate posts#I apologise!#Linzi Writes#Mendo Christmas Fics#This is kinda sad because I partly named Renee after Rene Auberjonois and he passed away on Sunday... :(#So it's also a fitting fic to post tonight#I love this little family so much#I have stupid wedding / proposal fic ideas please stop me...
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Sure Be Cool If You Did - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)
GIF Credit @benmendo
Author’s Note: Hahahahaha....
I know. I’m incredibly early. I’ve jumped the gun! I’ll reblog it when we actually get the show. But I read the book, so here we are! You can’t stop me writing this!
Yes, reader has a last name, it’s my little joke. I’m sorry.
Disclaimer: I will never, ever, do justice to Stephen King’s genius - but I tried my best! / Lyrics, gifs, characters not mine
Set in an AU where Jeannie & Derek don’t exist *gasp* Heresy!
Premise: After working a case together, Ralph figures he’s got a break through - he needs to tell you about it. But arriving at your house doesn’t turn out as he expects...
Words: 3145
Warnings: Potential “The Outsider” spoilers
_____
Now you're standing in the neon looking like a high I wanna be on
Baby it's your call
No pressure at all
You don't have to keep on smiling that smile that's driving me wild
And when the night is almost over
Meet me in the middle of a moonlit Chevy bench seat
And do a little bit of country song, hanging on
You don't have to keep me falling like this
But it'd sure be cool if you did
You can't shoot me down 'cause you've already knocked me dead
Got me falling apart with my heart talking out of my head
Let your mind take a little back road just as far as you wanna go
Baby, I'll do
Whatever you wanna do...
---
Ralph Anderson could have just gone home. He should have just gone home, he wasn’t on call, you weren’t on call… It could have waited until the morning.
It wasn’t that it was late, just a little unsociable for him to go banging on your door about something he’d thought on from an interview you’d conducted that day, that he thought might be a breakthrough. He drove slowly back home, and took the wrong turn off.
Well, no actually he didn’t – he took the correct turn off for what he believed was your address. He felt like you had to know. As his partner you had a right to know.
He liked having you around, you were a good wall to just bounce ideas off – you had a similar wavelength, but just diverse enough for you to both interpret things a little differently. Maybe you’d think nothing of it – but he’d never know if he didn’t tell you right now…
You were good to have on the team; old enough to be an experienced detective, young enough to still be enthusiastic about every single case you had to work on. Even the ones that had Ralph groaning and wishing he didn’t have to fill paperwork in for.
There was just one thing about you though; that had the whole station cracking up.
Your last name. It was the same as his.
Andersson. You had the extra ‘S’.
That made you Anderson & Andersson. And everyone made the same oh, are you together!? joke that was wearing pretty thin pretty quickly on him.
Although you’d now come up with a perfectly mysterious counter, with that little smile of yours; “We’re partners, yes.”
So here he was, knocking on the door of one Miss.Y/N Andersson. He stood and waited, and when at first there was no answer he wondered why he’d bothered with disturbing you with this… He took a step back to leave, but as he did so the door opened, at first just a crack, and then a little wider.
But he wasn’t faced with you, in fact Ralph had to look down to see who he was faced with. Looking up at him with eyes full of curiosity was a little girl who couldn’t have been more than five or six.
He was a little taken aback and was thrown into a sudden panic; did he have the wrong address?! Was he about to look like a total idiot? Or maybe this was your house; and he was trying to read too much into this – little sister? Very little sister? Niece? Hell, for all he knew she could just be a kid that you looked after.
Ralph realised there was a lengthy awkward silence hanging in the air, and he raised his hand from his pocket; “Uh, Hi?”
She didn’t respond, her eyes simply scanned from his face down his body; and widened as they fell on his FCPD badge attached to his belt. Then she was both running and screaming down the corridor he could just about see behind her;
“MOMMY!!! MOMMY---!!! THERE’S A DETECTIVE AT THE DOOR---!!”
Mommy? Ralph put his hands to his forehead and for a minute felt like the world’s worst detective, world’s worst partner… world’s worst friend? How did I NOT know?! He looked back at the empty corridor and realised he’d only created yet more awkwardness. Well, now you’ve done it Mr.Anderson… He peered around the door; did he walk in? Did he close it and walk away? What if it turned out he was still in the wrong place and the person being called by the girl wasn’t even you-!?
As she ran into the kitchen, she paused by you eyes disproportionately wide. You were still flicking through todays paper, as you hadn’t had much of a chance yet, and didn’t really turn to her; “Oh yeah? How’d you know?” As expected, she got her wild imagination from you, and this person could be anyone.
“He has a badge like yours... Mommy...!”
"Hmmm?" you glanced across to her wide eyes. Clearly she'd just left this Flint City PD member on the front steps too. "... He does!?!" Wait. Did she mean it was a Flint City PD badge...? Or a Flint City... Detectives badge...
In which case...“...Alright... What...?” You crept across to the kitchen door leading into the hallway and poked your head around it. Instantly your face reddened. Oh. CRAP. Of all the men to be standing there, hands on his hips, pushing his jacket back to reveal his shiny FCPD Detective insignia… The door wasn't quite closed on him and luckily he wasn't looking up.
Ralph Anderson.
You pressed yourself up against the door frame again, and took a deep breath. He knew. He knew. He knew. He knew.
You closed your eyes for a minute. Okay. Okay... We can't leave him on the front step if he's here for work reasons.
You turned back to your daughter for a moment; “Sweetie, why don’t you go watch TV okay? I’ll go talk to him...”
She smiled like only a child could, with no clear understanding of the situation; “Okay!!” and off she ran again.
You took another deep breath, and counted to ten. You pushed yourself back around and walked briskly up the corridor, just enough on the side of the door half closing his in face to make sure he didn't see you before you put your hands on it. You bit your lip, gave yourself a nod and then pulled it slowly open again:
"Uh. Hi...."
Ralph gave you a smile, and you noticed his eyes flick behind you to check if she was still there "Yeah. That's exactly what I said.”
You bit your lip again and shrugged gently; “...Uh... This is not a... doorstep conversation, please come in.”
“Oh. Thank you...” Ralph stepped inside, but then almost immediately countered your reaction; “It’s no big deal! I can’t believe I didn’t know! I’m kinda sorry I didn’t... I mean-”
“Thank you.” You shook your head, if he knew she existed, he might as well know everything “But... She’s not mine.”
“Oh...?” Clearly there was more to that story, though. You beckoned him through to your kitchen and ending up fixing him a drink.
For a little while you both stood in the kitchen in almost absolute silence, watching your little girl absorbed in her cartoons.
Ralph’s eyes flicked between the two of you, still thinking: Maybe she was still a blood relative? But then she’s calling Y/N mommy, so...? “She calls you mommy..? Adopted?”
“Kinda. Something like that.”
“..Something like that...? Does she know you aren’t?”
You tipped your head; “I think she does. Somewhere in the back of her mind. I think she does. But, she’s probably not old enough to understand that. And I’m not sure how I’m meant to explain it just yet...”
“So... How’d you come to adopt her?”
Here came the unprofessional confession, and after some hesitation you decided it’d be worse if you didn’t tell him and he did the research himself; “...Her parents were murdered... It was horrible and certainly not something I want to remember...”
Ralph paused his sip; “...She’s a case kid? Your case?”
“Umm hmm...” You nodded and you could see his brain working behind those sharp blue eyes; is that even protocol? “...I don’t know what rules I must have broken. But there was NO WAY anyone in that office was going to tell me otherwise.”
“What’s her name?”
You smiled gently. Now for the punchline that Ralph had to understand was funny; “Renee.”
“Renee?” His face split into a grin and he laughed; “She’s genuinely R.Andersson?!”
“Yeah. I know.”
Ralph’s chuckle continued as he shook his head; “That’s… that’s just-- really great… Wow… You really are something…”
You glanced back across to him watching Renee and wondered if he really meant it. You wouldn’t have thought that Ralph Anderson, of all people, would lie… But you also couldn’t help but feel anxious. It’s not like you were dating, but you’d thought about it before. And recently a lot, what it would be like to have your partner as a… partner.
But you’d seen it happen so many times before in the nearly four years you’d had her. How you’d start feeling comfortable with someone, but the second they found out about Renee they’d simply leave, and you’d never hear from them again.
You tilted your head, wondering if you should simply just voice the concern. Whether you knew if he liked you like that or not; “Does it bother you?”
His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes found yours again; “What? NO. No! Why would you...?!”
You didn’t have to answer him with words, your look was significant enough; Well, it’s bothered everyone else.
Ralph answered that look; “I’m not everyone else.” And he was going to prove it. Taking another sip, he put the cup down and walked out into your little living room. It was all you could do to watch him go, a look of mild surprise on your face.
He sat down and addressed her; “Renee! I’m detective Ralph Anderson... It’s nice to meet you.”
She was still staring at him in wonder, and even then her eyes could still go wider, of course it was a name she would recognise, you talked about him often enough.
“Ralph!?!” She whipped around on the sofa to face you, and you weren’t sure you’d ever seen her look so happy. Turning back to him Renee shout-whispered as only kids can, “She talks about you ALL the time.”
It was Ralph’s turn to look at least a little surprised; “Oh. Uh huh!?”
“Mommy says you’re the BEST detective ever. That you solved an impossible case!!! You are her idol! She says that a lot!”
Alright, that might have been true enough, when your little town PD had asked for someone to transfer to Flint City you’d jumped at the chance to get to work with Ralph Anderson, because you’d heard so much. But that didn’t mean she had to tell him that!!!
Faint pink crossed his cheeks, and you knew it was also crossing yours; you couldn’t help but cover your face. Oh Gods! Kids!
Renee of course was oblivious to what she’d done, and was now looking between two adults at various stages of red.
Ralph eventually cleared his throat to relieve the awkward tension, changing the track of the conversation completely; "Oh! Have you ladies had dinner yet...?" He glanced at his watch; "In fact I'm sure we can go catch a movie."
You raised an eyebrow at him, unsure if you were quite hearing this right; “…Like a date?!"
He gave a little shrug, but he didn’t miss meeting your eyes, he wasn’t going to be shy about this; "Like dinner and a movie.”
Renee apparently didn’t miss a beat, and she gasped; "Mommy! He's asking you on a date!!!"
Ralph turned a deeper shade of pink and his eyes flicked between you again, then he gave another shrug and a sweet smile; “I guess a date.”
You couldn’t help but give a shy giggle; "I guess I can only say yes... buuut will you let me get changed first!? I gotta look my best if Detective Ralph Anderson is taking me out!"
He turned to Renee as you made a move to run to your staircase; “You better be coming too, sweetheart.”
You paused at the significance of what he’d just done, and looked back to see her eyes light up.
For once, that kid was completely speechless. And so were you.
**
If you were truly going to label it a ‘date’ – it was probably one of the best you’d ever been on. Ralph paid you both the adequate amount of attention, and if you hadn’t already fallen for him, you were falling for him now.
And there must have been chemistry or something, because you watched the way that even though Ralph gave her attention, when he was talking to you Renee watched you both with a look of awe on her face. Like she was watching something unfold right in front of her.
This wasn’t some kind of courtesy, he wanted to know everything, and was willing to give up just as much information. You knew he was a good man, but watching his interaction with your daughter let you know he was also a great one. How he answered her questions, how he showed interest in what she was telling him, even when sometimes it was little babbled childish nonsense.
How he picked her up and carried her, but held his hand out for yours. And the smile on his face when you took it.
He was falling for you too… Or simply he was letting you know the feeling was mutual…
It was sad to see the credits on the movie roll, and knew that you’d now have to go home. Even though he’d be driving you, those few precious minutes on the car ride home wouldn’t be enough. You knew that.
So did Ralph, but he decided not to voice it – he’d get to see you at work. This night wouldn’t be lost on him.
“You know you don’t have to carry her, right?”
“No no… I want to…” You walked to your car, with a sleepy Renee clinging onto Ralph as he held her; “…Besides, you probably have to do this all the time…”
“That’s…. what I have to do for my daughter. That’s not a problem.”
“Yeah well, tonight, I’m giving your arms a rest – okay?”
You chuckled “You don’t need to, but that is very kind of you.”
“Oh don’t worry, I can have you hauling evidence boxes around tomorrow to make up for it.”
“Oh, God, you’re too kind!”
He laughed; “Oh, I try my hardest!”
Renee was asleep by the time you’d both belted yourselves into the front of his car; “Ha…” his laugh was soft as he caught her in his rear-view mirror and turned around “…I wore her out!”
You turned too; “…God bless you, Ralph Anderson, it takes me years to do that sometimes.”
“Well there you go, if you need help, call me.”
You made cute small talk again on the way home; and you loved hearing him laugh at all your little inconsequential remarks about things. Talk turned to ridiculous cases; of course it did, you’d both had your fair share… You both still did. The type where you’d turn up, hear it all out and give each other the same here we go look.
“OH-!” His brain clicked, and he suddenly remembered the actual reason he’d even bothered to turn up at your house; “I meant to say, I think I have a clue on this case! Because of your interview work-! That… should have been one of the first things I said.”
“…Well, I guess tonight was full of surprises…”
Ralph smiled, gently, “I guess… Either way, I’m glad that I had the idea to turn up – and didn’t wait until tomorrow morning.”
“I guess it can wait until tomorrow morning though…?” You turned to him with a gentle smile “I’m happy you turned up on my doorstep too, Ralph.”
He laughed; “It can wait… But I’m glad I did too… She’s a great kid… You’re a good mom…”
“Thank you for inviting her.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Everyone else just runs…”
“Well, they’re clearly missing out…” He gave a shrug, “What is wrong with people…”
You couldn’t help but almost laugh, considering your line of work - if even the both of you didn’t know; “Well, isn’t that the one great mystery…”
There was nothing more telling than the disappointed sigh that escaped your lips as your house pulled into view. Clearly it was a good evening, he’d try not to get too smug about that, but he was certainly happy. You opened the car door slowly, and again didn’t want to leave.
“…Do you want me to come help with her?” You shook your head; “No… It’s okay… It’s getting late, Detective, and it sounds like tomorrow is going to be busy…” But your smile was beaming “Thank you, for offering – and… Thank you, for the evening… I had a great time, and again I can’t thank you enough for inviting her.”
“No trouble… I had a… great time too.” He didn’t quite meet your eyes this time, and the way he bit his lip was shy.
Ralph did still walk you to the door though, even if you were carrying your daughter this time. You were surprised, but also glad, that she was still asleep. Your porch light flicked on automatically as you fished your keys from your bag.
“Thank you… again, you… didn’t have to do this… you could have just told me about the case and left.” Your sentence was broken as you unlocked your door and pushed it open, turning back to him. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you both had a good time…
He watched you for a minute in that light, 20 things at once and she’s still on top of it all… Ralph Anderson couldn’t help it, you were the same at work – so he knew this – but it was different here. There was something all together different about what he’d witnessed from you this evening, so how could he not?
“Y/N…”
“Mm hm?”
His smile was back to shy and humble, like he was about to ask you to break his heart; and he was – “…May I kiss you Goodnight?”
About a thousand joyful emotions must have crossed your face at once as you opened your mouth and had to close it again, because you weren’t quite ready. You gave a gentle half-laugh and tried again; “You may.”
You were pretty sure you were sharing the same smile as he leaned in and caught your lips with his; the kiss was gentle. But it was still a real kiss. He kept it respectfully short as he pulled away;
“Goodnight, Y/N… I’ll see you at work tomorrow…”
“Goodnight, Ralph…” You were both shades of pink again “…Thank you for this evening.”
“You’re very welcome, hopefully we can do this again?”
You nodded “I’d like that… I think we’d both like that.”
“Me too…” He gave a smile and turned to leave, but then paused at his car; “You know I was kidding about the heavy lifting at work right!?”
You laughed; “We’ll see, Mr.Anderson! We might need to do such things!”
“God, I hope not!” He gave a wave, “Sleep well!”
“And you…”
You watched him reverse from your drive, and on down the road until his tail lights disappeared with a beaming smile on your face.
Thank God for case break-throughs… and kids!
---
Thank you for reading! 🙏💕
I think just due to the nature of this one I might keep the #MendoTagSquad out until at least January...!
#Ralph Anderson x Reader#The Outsider#Ben Mendelsohn#Ralph Anderson#Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#I dunno it was just a little thing I came up with#I want to write more for them but I want to see what he's like in the show first...#HOPEFULLY exactly like the book#Short little sweet thing....#Needed to get it out of my system...#R.Anders(s)on#70#Harmony
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