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laurelsofhighever · 4 years

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The Falcon and the Rose Ch. 58 - The Bear and the Falcon

Chapter Rating: Explicit Chapter Warnings: Animal cruelty, Sexual Threat, Canon-Typical Violence (incl. Torture) Relationships: Alistair/Female Cousland Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fereldan Civil War AU - No Blight, Romance, Angst, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Cousland Feels

Read on AO3 Or start at Chapter 1

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An ache in her arms; cool, damp stone against her cheek that held a faint, sour-animal odour; darkness. Her throat burned with thirst. The quality of the silence told her she was inside, and – after a few more careful breaths with her eyes still closed and tension forced out of her body – alone. Her heart throbbed, but the terror it compelled would be of no use to her until she knew more about her surroundings, so she swallowed it back and forced her attention elsewhere, to her arms bound behind her back and the pins and needles in her leg. Bruises, but nothing broken.

Finally, she cracked an eye and levered her protesting body up into a sitting position, flinching when her back met cold iron bars. Her oilskin and gambeson had been removed, along with her weapons, but as her examination passed from her self to her surroundings, she noted with a sick kind of relief that her shirt was still tucked into her breeches and the laces fastened neatly. Even so, it meant little considering who had taken her.

To distract herself, she examined her cage, and the rest of her prison beyond it. Light fell dimly through a grated door at the end of the room, just enough to reveal a narrow space with a low, vaulted ceiling above her, and more rows of iron bars stretching away from her into the darkness. Small windows were set high into the walls, but the pitch dark outside offered no help. It was night, then – but which one? Was it days, or merely a few hours since the battle at the cove? She couldn’t remember seeing Windcaller escape, only Cuno lunging for one of Howe’s soldiers, and Alistair –

No, she told herself firmly. Don’t think about it – either of them. She could worry about them later, once she had a better hold on her situation. Forcing a deep breath, she turned her attention back to her bound wrists, and the clink of the cuffs against the bars that told her she would never get them off. They still allowed a bit of slack, however, enough that if she curled her spine and wriggled, she might be able slip them down the backs of her legs and bring them in front of her. It wouldn’t be much, but it would improve her chances until she could snatch a key.

As she worked, the nagging familiarity of her prison resolved itself in a moment part elation and part panic: she was in Castle Cousland, in the kennel run that stretched under the eastern side of the curtain wall between the keep and the Marl-land Tower. Cuno had imprinted on her in the whelping den at the end of the row. They were fools to bring her here. A childhood of running the roofs and hiding from Nan’s temper had given her every secret in the place, from the nooks in the ramparts left over from ages of building to the best handholds to climb the walls and reach them. Even if Windcaller hadn’t made it, a chance for Cailan’s plan still lay with her, and if nothing else, she would finish Howe.

She had almost managed to squeeze her arms past her hips when the bolt on the door snapped back and the latch turned. She threw herself back onto her side just as light spilled across the far wall. Heavy, booted feet made a slow approach, every step jangling with the telltale sound of mail, and she tracked it until it stopped outside her cell, behind her, and every nerve in her body screamed against the need to lie still, limp like a plucked daisy, and wait for a chance.

Leather creaked as the guard squatted down. “My lady!” His voice emerged as a hiss, panicked and urgent. “Lady Rosslyn, wake up – there’s not much time.”

A hand reached through the bars to shake her shoulder, but when she kept still, whoever it was cursed and retreated, and then she heard a rattle of keys, something settled on the floor, and the door groaned inward. She waited. The guard loomed over her, hesitating.

“My lady?”

As soon as his touch landed again she launched upward, throwing herself bodily against him regardless of the sharp jab of pain in her side as unprotected flesh collided with the sharp points on his armour. Before he could do much more than yelp his surprise she twisted, kicked out, braced her back against the wall of her cell so she could jam her boot against his throat.

“Please – my lady –” he gasped, clawing at her foot. “I’m here to help – help you –” His helmet fell back, revealing a round face and a mess of dirty blond hair.

“You’re Master Darion’s boy,” she realised, letting up the pressure in her shock. His name was Gareth. She had gone months thinking everyone in the castle had been killed in the attack, and yet here was a boy who had trained next to her in the lists, followed after her through the summer orchards. Blazing with the orange and white of Amaranthine.

He saw the moment her eyes settled on the Bear on his surcoat, and raised his hands as if to ward her away, but the cage door still stood open, unnoticed, and freedom just a few hundred feet beyond. She feinted towards him, got her feet under her. He flinched. She used the distraction to bolt for the door.

“No!” He tackled her before she made it three steps, bringing her hard to the ground with an impact that jarred all the way to her teeth.

“Traitor!” She spat, and lashed out hard.

A grunt of pain met her ears, but he didn’t let go. “You’ve got’a listen to us - Lowan’s sent for you, there’s not much time –”

“My parents were murdered by Howe and now you’re here in his colours, and I should listen to you?”

“It wasn’t just you! They killed everyone. Me Da, Canavan, Gilmore, all of ‘em what he thought would be loyal to you. Please – just listen –”

With a final heave, she kicked away from him and rose into a crouch, hating the limitation on her arms. “Get me out of these manacles,” she demanded. “If you are loyal.”

The kennelmaster’s son scrubbed a hand down his face, then across the reddened skin at his throat. “I canna. It’s a different key, Lowan’s got the only one. I’m sorry.”

“How are you still alive?”

He held up a hand again, asking patience. “After he killed the officers, the rest of us was given a choice – serve, or have the same thing happen to us. We knew you were out there, that you might need our help, so we let ‘im think he’d won, and waited for you to come back.” When she didn’t reply, he ducked his head and pointed to the lantern he had left just outside the cage. “I brought you water. And there’s some bread and cheese there, an’ all. It’s nowt fancy, but you’ve been out a few hours now. Can I –?”

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded, and he scurried across to pick up a small horn cup and a parcel of food wrapped in a napkin. As much as she disliked being fed like a child, her current state allowed for little choice. Some of the water dribbled down her chin as she gulped it down, more eager than she had realised for the rush of cool liquid, but Gareth held the cup steady against her lips and the spillage was minimal. When there was none left, she wiped her mouth on her shoulder.

“None of us knew what’a do when they said they’d brought you in,” he said as he unfolded the parcel of food. “Reckon you’re lucky Howe’s got a bigger fish fryin’ him right now.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Loghain, my lady.” When she stared at him, his eyes widened. “Din’ you know? He’s here with his entire army waiting out in the orchard by the west gate.”

“We thought he was still on the road,” she muttered. “That means the king is walking into a trap… Tell me, is Queen Anora here?”

He frowned. “Anora? I don’t know about her… but there was someone brought in ‘bout a month back and put in the southwest room on the top floor, guarded day and night. The servers take meals up, but they never see who it is – the guards take the trays and say bugger all that’s not snide comments. My lady, what’s –”

“Gareth!” A voice thundered from outside. “Is that bitch awake or not? What are you doing in there?”

“It’s Commander Lowan!”

“Get rid of the cup,” she hissed. “And the rest of the food.” The bread had been little more than a scrap of crust, the cheese sharp, but her empty stomach was grateful all the same. She watched as Gareth stuffed the evidence out of sight beneath a mouldy pile of straw, their time slipping away with every growing echo of boots along the corridor.

“He’ll think you’re still out of it, so you’d best –”

“Listen to me,” she interrupted. “I wasn’t alone when I was caught. I have over a dozen soldiers who will be coming up the secret passage through the pantry to help. No matter what happens to me, you must make sure the queen makes it safely away and that the king’s army can get in through the gate.”

He shook his head. “My lady, I can’t just –”

“Gareth!”

“Just getting her up – that bloody second-rate apostate kept her too far under!” he shouted as he knelt next to her and hooked his hands under her arms. “I’m so sorry. We’ll get you out, soon as we can.”

The door slammed against the wall. Gareth flinched from the sound, and squeaked an instant later as he was knocked out of the way by a hand clad in a gauntlet made of stiff, scratched leather. Rosslyn let herself sag as that same hand grabbed her shoulder and hauled her off the floor. The rough action tore at her joints, but she refused to stand under her own weight – if he wanted to take her anywhere she would bloody well make him work for it.

“On your feet. Teyrn Howe wants a word.”

She rolled her head back to look at him through heavy eyelids, a man with close-cropped grey hair and deep lines around his eyes, and a jagged, poorly-healed scar down the left side of his face. “I don’t recognise anyone with that title.”

“Too bad for you,” Lowan snapped as he dragged her into the corridor. “If he didn’t want to play with you himself, you would’ve woken up in far less comfort than you did, girlie.”

“This day will end with his head on a spike and yours next to it,” she snarled.

That made him pause. He turned to her with a leer, his grip on her arm bruising as he leaned close enough for her to see the broken capillaries in his cheeks. “I told him he should’ve passed a blade across your throat before you woke, but with that defiance? It’s going to be fun watching him break you.”

Revulsion coiled in her stomach as he reached up to wind a lock of her hair around his fingers. Every inch of him radiated the smug superiority particular to those who think themselves untouchable, and her lip curled. Baudrillard had been the same.

“And maybe after he gets bored, he’ll let the rest of us have the leftovers.”

She lunged forward and headbutted him in the face.

“Fucking bitch!” he yelled, as Gareth came forward to catch her. Blood was already pouring from his nose. “Get her out of here.”

She allowed herself a moment to admire her handiwork before she was pulled away, an ugly smirk still lingering at the corner of her mouth. She might face retaliation for it later, but even a small victory sent a message; she would not be cowed, not inside her own keep.

“Been wanting to do that for months,” Gareth muttered in her ear. He guided her down the corridor to the room that usually stored harnesses for dogs, though now the nooks set into the walls were empty. More men in Amaranthine colours waited for her there, and none offered anything but blank stares as her gaze flicked between them, no sign they could be trusted. Apart from the soldiers, she recognised the scrawny, mousy-haired man standing in the corner as the apostate from the beach. Several days’ patchy growth of beard disguised the weak line of his chin, and his dark robes cut off at his elbows to reveal forearms wrapped in fresh bandages and criss-crossed with lines of pale scarring, some more faded than others. He looked anxious.

She turned her attention away. Voices were growing beyond the door at the far end of the room. One held a gravelled quality, clipped with irritation, while the other was a thin, nasally whine she recognised from years of backhanded disapproval and family dinners. Gareth tightened his grip on her shoulder as her face tightened into s snarl, and she remembered just in time that she was meant to be helpless.

The door opened as she was forced into a chair in the middle of the room, and the conversation cut short. Gareth blocked her view, catching her gaze just once as he linked her manacles to a chain set into the back of the seat, far more loosely than he should have done; her legs were left free. He gave her the barest nod before he scurried away, full of trepidation, a last flash of solidarity before the storm descended upon her.

“Well, well, Bryce Cousland’s little spitfire!” Howe cried. “Finally awake! All grown up and playing the soldier, I see.”

As her mother taught her, she straightened and wiped her face clean of emotion, of the hatred surging like fire in her blood. Her eyes fixed unfocused on the far wall, but she could imagine his smile, spreading like the spill of lamp oil over water. Before he could say anything further, however, Lowan clattered in pinching the bridge of his nose, a torn rag held over the bottom half of his face that did little to stem the mess of blood pouring from his nose. She must have broken it.

“What happened to you?” Howe demanded.

Lowan spared her a glance, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Nothing, Your Lordship.”

“Get out of my sight.”

Lowan’s scowl deepened but he did as he was told, ducking past his master with only a perfunctory murmur of deference to the man standing next to him. It was Loghain, Rosslyn realised. He looked terrible, hardly recognisable as the proud advisor who had stood beside the throne at every Landsmeet she could remember. His once military bearing was sunken, gaunt, his cheeks bloodless as tallow and his unkempt hair worn with grey where it wasn’t thinning completely. Only his eyes retained their vigour, but even then, when he fixed his gaze on her, something in them reminded her of the dead at South Reach.

“An interrogation now is useless,” he said, with only a thin veneer of patience. “There is nothing she could tell us we do not already know.”

“I disagree, sire.” Howe still had his smile. “And I’ll remind you she is my prisoner, to do with as I choose.”

“Your petty vengeances do not come before the task at hand,” Loghain snapped. “Cailan is already here, and only waits for the morning. You have until I have spoken to my daughter to deal with this, and no longer. Anything else will wait until after I have that fool boy in my grasp.”

“Of course, sire.”

The old general turned to go, only pausing in the doorway to spare Rosslyn a glance before whatever he wished to say was swallowed up by his better judgement, and he left without a word. Without him, Howe unfolded himself from his servile crouch, the sycophantic tilt if his head curdled into a sneer, and though she squashed it down, her fists clenched with the awareness of being surrounded by enemies commanded by a man who wished her nothing but ill intention. Only her rage kept her shielded against the chill in her spine, so she stoked it, channelled it, anything to keep the worm in her chest from clawing its way up her throat.

“Are you quite comfortable, my dear?” her enemy asked.

She gave him her most disdainful stare. “You should address me with my proper title, Arl Howe. I am the Teyrna of Highever.”

A muscle ticked in his cheek. “You are nothing, you’re the last of nothing. Your parents died begging, your brother’s body rots where no one will ever find it, and his brat was burned on the scrap heap along with his Antivan whore of a wife. There’s no king coming to save you, no prince charming.” At that, he grinned, and her heart faltered. “The way you threw yourself after him on the beach meant nothing, and in the morning, the last of those who claim loyalty to you will be swept from the face of Thedas once and for all. You’ve lost.”

She struggled to control her breath, and heat pricked at the back of her eyes, but she had learned her lessons well. She kept her voice level as she replied, “And yet you’re still scared of me.”

“What?”

“I count four guards,” she mocked, straightening. “Not including your right-hand, who you no doubt wanted present, and a blood mage. Why else would you need them all around one chained woman if you weren’t afraid?”

The soldiers glanced at each other. Howe saw it. He advanced on her, fury contorting his features, and though she saw the slap coming – braced for it – the strike sent her reeling, ears ringing, blinking away the sting.

“You are entirely at my mercy, you pathetic little whelp, and you will learn it sooner or later,” he spat.

She probed her cheek. Blood welled from a cut, but all of her teeth were still in place.

“The more you fight, the more I’ll enjoy it, but you will submit. And through you, my claim on these lands will go beyond anyone’s doubt.” The manic grin came back. “The regent will approve the match, no doubt.”

For an instant, cold terror held her in its grip, the knowledge that her only help lay beyond guarded walls twenty feet thick, that her crew was scattered, that Alistair was…

But she was the Seawolf’s daughter; she had faced down the dead. Rolling her shoulders, she turned away from Howe and casually spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor.

“Don’t make threats you can’t keep,” she sneered, fixing him in her glare once more. “Everyone at court knows how your poor wife had to find her comfort elsewhere because her husband was impotent. The horsemaster, the cook –” Her lip curled. “And don’t think it went unnoticed how much Thomas looked so much more like the Vigil’s seneschal than he did you. We all knew, everyone knew, and everyone laughed at you for it.”

She saw it, the moment her barb struck its mark, in the wild flicker of his gaze around the room and the lift of a snarl over his teeth, and her battle blood rose in response. He wouldn’t win this battle of wills between them; she wouldn’t let him. And then, she would kill him. But even as she thought it, his shoulders lost their tension, and the scowl smoothed from his face as if she hadn’t scored a point at all.

“There it is, right there,” he murmured. “That damned look in the eye that marked every Cousland success that held me back. Your father would be proud. I, however, intend to wipe that defiance away once and for all.” He smiled, and her fingers itched for a weapon. “Bring in the animal.”

One of the soldiers nodded and hurried out. Rosslyn watched him go warily, aware of Howe’s smug expression and the anxious way the others shifted on their feet. Soon, a burst of shouted curses carried through, almost drowned out by the rattle of chains and the monstrous snarling of some enraged beast. Behind her, Gareth stirred in his place in the corner, as if to intervene, but his courage failed him and he stayed silent.

The wait took longer than it should have, but eventually two burly men in heavily quilted jackets with thick leather shields on their arms squeezed through door, dragging chains behind them. The creature on the other end was Cuno. He thrashed and snapped against the restraints cutting into the thick muscle of his neck, trying at once to twist free and attack the guards holding him captive, to fight, but two others hung on behind him, so that he couldn’t lunge in any direction without being wrestled back by the other three. Foam lathered in his gaping jaws, his breath wheezed from his throat in ever more desperate gasps as he threw himself against his enemies, and as she took in the blood staining his flanks, Rosslyn’s hatred of Howe set into a cold, hard ball in her gut.

“Put him over there,” he pointed, as if directing nothing more dangerous than a new piece of furniture. “And you,” he added, turning to Rosslyn, “will learn. there is nothing you can do but watch.”

“What are you going to do?” Gareth asked. His eyes were wide on the dog he had known since puppyhood, and who had now seen his mistress was in danger and broken into new ferocity as he tried to get at Howe.

“What is always done with uncontrollable beasts,” he replied as the first guard returned with a crossbow and a quiver of bolts. “Unless you want to tell him to be a good boy?” he asked of Rosslyn.

She stared at him. Her own thoughts were drowned out by the drum of her heart, Cuno’s mad barking, the desperation that surely there must be something she could do. He wanted her to beg. The glint in his eye told her it wouldn’t make a difference. Cuno launched himself forward again, jerked back by the end of the chains, his breath harsher than ever, trying to get to her, to help her, and her nails dug so hard into her palms she was sure they would bleed.

“Void take you,” she hissed, and spat in Howe’s face.

He grabbed her jaw. His fingers dug into her skin like claws as he moved within inches of her face, his eyes greedy in anticipation of what was about to happen. “I said, you will watch this. Hold it still.”

“Your Lordship, you can’t –”

“I’ll deal with you later,” he snapped at Gareth. “Take aim.”

For Rosslyn, the world slowed. Every click of the ratchet drawing back the string, the guards straining, the flecks of blood and saliva cast to the floor as the dog tried to reach her. The bolter raised the crossbow. Cuno roared. Her gaze turned to Howe, to his sneer and his eagerness and every line of cruelty held in the slack, sallow mouth.

The rage took her so quickly she didn’t have time to think. Past the first stirring of it, her mind went blank. She felt her body coil, felt the snarl curling at her lips, and before she registered the movement she threw herself at her enemy, blind instinct, raw fire, nothing but a snap of energy bent into pure vengeance. Greasy cartilage caught between her teeth. She twisted, tore her head away and kicked out in a spray of red and a scream. There was a thud of metal hitting flesh, a yelp. The chair back hit her legs as it fell over. It didn’t matter that her hands were still bound. All she could see was Howe, writhing on the floor, clutching the side of his head She was insensible even to the hands that grabbed at her shoulders to keep her from him, to keep her from ripping him apart with her teeth if she had to.

“Get her out of here!” someone shouted. “And get a healer!”

She spat out his ear at his feet. “That was your last mistake. There’s nowhere you can go, nothing you can do that will save you. I’ll kill you.”

The words caught hold of her, worked through her sinews like roots as the guards wrestled her back, out of sight and down into the bowels of the castle. She didn’t know where they came from, but they rang through her head, burned in her throat, reverberated in her bones like the clarion notes of a horn in an empty hall.

“Whatever you do, I won’t yield!” she bellowed as they hauled her away. “Not until your head is mounted on a wall! There is nothing left you can take from me – run to the far corners of Thedas and I’ll find you! Set an army against me and I’ll slaughter them all to get to you! Even if you kill me, I will crawl back through the Fade over broken shards of glass to make sure you suffer. You won’t escape – do you hear me, Howe? You will never be rid of me!”

The screams echoed off the walls of the dungeon, distorted through the thick stone and hollowed until the words were lost beyond the guards’ curses. There was a lot of screaming these days. For those who had months since lost their hope, it made pity a distant thing. The noise disturbed the prisoner’s rest, that was all, and he resented being pulled from the meditative oblivion that these days came to him almost as naturally as his own breath as he waited for death to claim him. He shut his eyes in the near-complete darkness as the woman – more the shame – was dragged past his door, and with nothing else he could do he turned his head away.

Something moved on the other side of his cell. He could still hear screaming, but it was muffled behind doors and walls, and far more immediate was the sense of another body, betrayed perhaps by the rustle of cloth, or a breath, or the clink of a chain as whoever it was shifted into wakefulness, little more than a half-imagined outline in the gloom. A spark of curiosity lit in the prisoner’s mind. It was a novelty in itself, the first emotion to break through his despair in months.

“Who’s there?” A male voice, and then a groan. “Is someone there?”

The prisoner leaned forward, licked cracked lips, and in a voice scratchy with disuse, told the stranger his name.

#dragon age #dragon age: origins #dragon age origins #da:o #cousland #alistair x cousland #alistair theirin #alistair and rosslyn #the falcon and the rose

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smolbeandrabbles · 4 years

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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.”

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Thank you for reading! 😘

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