#ralph penbury imagine

[sherifftillman]

busy streets and busy lives • ralph penbury x reader

A strange day at work gets even stranger when you meet a man who claims he's from 1926. With no certainty as to when he can get back, you decide to take him in until that time arrives.

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Tags: Timewasters (series), modern!au, slow burn, mutual pining, idiots in love™, fluff, some angst, swearing and mentions of adult themes throughout, eventual adult content, alcohol content, drug content, penbury is a fanon surname

Word count: 10.6k

A/N: 5½ months. 12 chapters. 107,600 words. All for a silly little idea I threw at my friends in a discord server. Thank you for being here. <3

Also, there's a part in this that's VERY reminiscent of a certain photo that released today. (spoiler alert, it's in the chapter card lol) I swear, I wrote that almost a week ago and the video just HAD to drop today of all days, DIDN'T IT. If Joseph Quinn is in my walls, please get him out of there. That's not a safe environment for him.

“Right, so, hang about…” Connor holds his hands out in front of him, moving one out to the side as if physically placing events into a timeline. “So, back in 192-whatever, Ralph meets Nick and that lot, who we went to school with, who have… Travelled through fucking time,” he sounds exhausted just at that phrase. You nod, and he moves his hand to continue, “Ralph falls head over heels for Little Lauren. That works about as well as anybody would expect,” he raises his eyebrows at Ralph, who shies away a little. “And Ralph joins the Army.”

“French Foreign Legion, to be exact,” Ralph pipes up.

“French Foreign Whatever, yeah,” Connor nods, moving his hand again. “He hates it, he runs away back home, he ends up meeting Homeless Pete.”

“Wait!” Grace’s boyfriend suddenly shouts, waving his hands around and making everyone jump. He points to Ralph. “That’s why your name’s always been in the back of my head! You lived in the fucking Waterstones building?!” Ralph nods. “So, you were filthy stinking rich, and you left that?!”

“Well, I… I may have left out some details about… I may have… Sort of given up most of my material possessions to Laur- the other Lauren,” he gestures to Connor’s girlfriend, who makes an expression that shows Ralph she understands that she’s not who he’s talking about. “Um, before I had left. Well, after I had left for the Army, but before I… Ended up here.”

“You were really down bad, weren’t you, mate?” Connor asks, cocking his head, and Ralph cowers back into his seat.

“Yes, well. That’s all well into the past now. Ninety-seven years in the past, to be exact!”

“Fucking mental,” Scott says under his breath. “Anyway, Connor, keep going with your…” He waves his hands in front of him.

“Yeah, so, you’ve not got nothing, Lauren rejected you and you still left her everythi- God, how did you survive without us?!” Connor shakes his head. “So you bump into H.P., who brings you to our time. You get rescued,” he gestures to you, “and…”

“Can I ask,” Scott’s partner raises a finger, looking at you. “What made you take him in, then?”

You look at Ralph and shrug. “I dunno, look at him! Who’d say no to that face?” You squish his cheeks in one hand, to his indignation, and you hear the soft laughs of your friends. “But… Yeah. Once I’d found H.P. and gotten as much of an explanation as I’ll ever get out of him, it was just… So much to wrap my head around. And I couldn’t just leave Ralph to the streets, he’d get killed!” Ralph suddenly looks very fearful, grabbing a cushion to hug to his chest. “And then next thing I knew, he was setting off alarms in the flat on his first day there, so I couldn’t exactly leave him home alone, so I had to bring him with me to Anna’s that night. I barely had the time to text you lot in advance, I couldn’t exactly leave you a voice note saying “by the way, time travel exists and I’m bringing a man who was born in the Victorian era, see you at 7!” And then the days were getting ahead of me, and I couldn’t even make any sense of it myself, let alone trying to teach any of you about it, either.”

“So, what, does he have to go back at any point? To like, restore the fragile balance of the time-space continuum or whatever sci-fi nonsense this actually proves?” Grace asks.

“Well, we thought so, and that’s why we were always so vague about him “going home”,” you explain. “But then, after Brighton, he almost - he could’ve gone home, and by all we knew back then, he should’ve -” You don’t see Ralph wince in pain at that word. “- but H.P. tol- well, told,” you hold up your fingers as air quotes, “Ralph that since the others had never returned to their own time, without consequence, he decided to stick around.” You smile comfortingly at him and he reaches out to hold your hand.

“Easily the best decision I’ve ever made,” he smiles back. “Staying with you, well, all of you!” He looks around the room. “I truly… I cannot put into words how deeply it hurt to omit the truth from you all for so long, but… Well, everything just seemed to be going so well for me, for once, and I feared that… To let that slip, I might… Lose you all,” he lets go of you to wring his hands in his lap. “Entirely selfish of me, I completely understand if you all think differently of me, now -”

Anna interjects with a sympathetic, “You’d have to do a lot worse to get rid of all of us.”

“Yeah, you’re the one stuck with us, Ralphie!” Scott jokes.

“I mean…” Lauren starts, pausing for a moment. Ralph’s face goes on an emotional journey of potential heartbreak, fearing he’s lost one of his best friends. Lauren remains stoic as she finally continues, “Yeah, it’s pretty shit that pretty much the foundation of why we’re friends is a lie.”

“Literally the only thing that Ralph and I kept quiet was the whole time travel thing, because, well, it still sounds stupid saying those words out loud,” you shake your head. “But everything else, it’s all been pure Ralph. Nothing else is based off any lies, it was just to… I mean, what would you have done if he’d have told you that night you met him, that he’d got here by getting in a lift with an old man in 1926 and ended up in 2022?!”

“I’d think he was off his tits,” Lauren admits in a quiet voice, much to Ralph’s confusion. “Yeah, alright, I guess, it’s… It’s complicated, innit?”

“Tell me about it,” you reply, exhausted, and the others laugh.

“It is a bit shit,” Connor acknowledges Lauren and then the pair of you. “But we’d all probably have done something similar. I mean, fuck me, I’d probably have left him with H.P. and let him be someone else’s problem. Good job I never found you first, eh!” Connor’s light-hearted smile falters at Ralph’s fearful look.

“Again, I completely understand if any of you feel duped into being my friend and wish to use your own agency to - just, please, direct all of your disappointment towards me and not -” 

“Ralphie, babes, we’re saying we get it. Kinda. I dunno, this is all messing with my head a bit,” Grace blows out a breath, and everyone makes general noises of agreement. “But of course we still wanna be friends with you, you big nelly!”

“Yeah, we love teaching you words and things you’d never know. Now that we know why, we can teach you way more!” Scott’s eyes glisten mischievously.

“I mean, I know I’m the one who technically turned you into a bit of a Swiftie, but I’m not letting go of that any time soon,” Anna jokes, which causes Ralph to finally let out a small laugh. “And besides, whose head am I gonna pat without you around?!”

“I never meant to deceive you all,” Ralph says quietly.

“We know,” Connor reassures in the same tone, “but you didn’t really trick us into anything. And hey, it could’ve been worse. I’d rather you were a secret time traveller than a secret serial killer!”

Ralph finally lets himself smile at Connor, who returns it. He sits up a little more confidently. “I can’t tell you what a relief it will be to never have to worry about what I say anymore!”

“I mean, still, this information can’t leave the people in this room,” you explain, gesturing around to everyone. “There’s all sorts of legalities that I’ve never been able to figure out, like a passport,” you gesture to Connor and Lauren, “or setting him up with a bank account, or medical stuff -”

“I mean, surely there’s people out there who were never registered at birth or whatever, right? Maybe we just play Ralph off as one of those?” Anna asks.

“Maybe. But who do we say he is? If we call him a Penbury, as in we try and say that he’s his own relative, his last technical record from 1926 is that he enlisted, went MIA and was presumed dead,” you shrug.

“Shit, yeah, your mum does all that stuff, doesn’t she? Have a look, see what his sister’s stuff says, maybe we can sneak him in that way,” Scott leans in, and everyone else starts shuffling closer, too.

Ralph, having been sat dumbfounded for several minutes, finally finds his voice. “Sorry, but now I’m the one who’s rather lost. So… Not only are none of you ousting me, you’re planning to deceive the law for me?!”

“Yeah, didn’t you hear Anna earlier? You’re family,” Connor smiles affectionately at him, and Ralph’s ears turn pink as his lower lip trembles.

You log into your mum’s ancestry account and once again look up Ralph’s name, your eyes going wide when you see the name next to him. “Okay, so Victoria’s got about six surnames, so I’m sure we can slip you in there somewhere,” you shake your head. Having only looked at his census before, you look through the data they have on Ralph and gasp loudly. Everyone’s gaze snaps to you as you flip your phone over to show them a photo of Ralph, dated February 1926, looking exactly how you remember he did the day you met him, dressed head to toe in Army uniform.

“Oh, you could totally say that you’d been digging up family stuff and you think you’re a dead ringer for… How many generations back would that be?” Anna asks.

You count on your fingers, “Okay, so 1901… Let’s say 30 years per generation, that’s like 3 to get to you being around our age… Which would make OG Ralph your potential… Great-grandpa.” You grimace at the same realisation that Connor and Scott come to, as they point and laugh at you.

“You’re dating someone old enough to be your -”

“He’s twenty-six! Please don’t make me think of it any other way!” You wince, making everyone laugh. “Three generations of unregistered babies is a bit of a stretch…” You shake your head. “Let’s just table this for now. He’s not going anywhere for the time being, are you?” You turn to ask Ralph, who violently shakes his head, still blinking his tears away. “There we go. So, let’s just let everything… Sink in, for now. And we’ll keep thinking of what to do in the long run.”

Ralph hugs everyone goodbye extra tightly. You offer an extra apology to all of your friends, yourself, but they all echo the earlier sentiments that they would have done the same if they were in such a predicament. That they probably would have talked you out of keeping Ralph fugitive for as long as you have. That, if anything, they’re grateful you never gave them the chance to advise you, because if you’d listened to them, none of you would have him in your lives, and one thing everyone in the room agrees on is that life’s been far better with him in it. You have to practically frog-march Ralph out of the door as he starts getting misty-eyed again.

Once you and Ralph are laying in bed, you cuddle up to him, wrapping your arm around his torso. “How you feeling, now?”

“I can’t feel much less than spectacular with you in my arms, my love,” Ralph smiles as he holds you even closer to him.

“Not just all the mushy stuff, you big sap,” you tease. “I mean, like, having to tell everyone.”

“Ah. Yes, well. That went far better than I ever imagined,” he admits softly.

“Wanna admit now that you mean a hell of a lot more to people now that you’ve found the right ones?” You look up at him with a grin.

He squeezes his arm around you to prompt you into leaning up to kiss him. Once you break away from him, he sighs happily. “I suppose, it’s a comfort to know what real friendship is supposed to feel like.”

“Exactly. You don’t give up on the right people. And you’re our right person,” you nuzzle into his neck and he buries his face in your hair.

“That sentiment is more than mutual. Goodnight, my love. Pleasant dreams.“

“Night, Ralphie. Love you, too.”

The next morning, you and Ralph both have the day off, a rare occurrence that you’re extra grateful for today. Of course, you’d love to spend it doing more of what you’d been doing just yesterday, but you’d rather be extra safe and get Ralph some protection, as well as your own birth control. And you needed to go into town for some other things, anyway. You decide to take Ralph with you, though - mostly, so that you can coach him into being able to buy his own condoms without spontaneously combusting on the spot.

Ralph wants to ask his boss something, too, so you head to the old high street where his shop is. While you do love his colleagues, you know that Babs will insist on you two staying for a cup of tea. And then another. And then she’s made you lunch. And then you’re spending your whole day off at Ralph’s workplace. Which honestly, has been fun when it’s happened before, but you do have things on your personal agenda today. And then when they’re done…

You wave to Babs through the shop window when you hear some vaguely familiar voices approaching.

“Nah, bruv, I think your mate Pete got his maths all mixed up, this ain’t when we left here.”

“Maybe we’re in whatever year he just wanted to come back to.”

“Nah, mate, I told him, clear as mud: take us back to the present day.”

“Okay, but Jase, you do realise we’ve travelled back and forth between multiple decades since -”

“Shhh, shut the fuck up, someone’s right there! We should just ask them.”

“Fantastic idea, sis. What do you want to do, rock right up and say, ‘Hello, completely normal and unaware person. Could you, for no strange reason whatsoever, happen to tell me what year it is?’?!”

You’d most certainly know that voice anywhere. Looking over at your high school crush, you smirk at Nicholas, his sister and his friends as you tell him, “March 15th, 2023.”

All four of them look incredulously at you. You can see some cogs turning behind their eyes until, finally, Jason shouts your name out. You grin and nod at him, and he yells, “Fuckin’ ’ell! How the fuck are you?!”

“Yeah, I’m alright. Still kicking about, you know how it is. What about you lot? You must’ve been… Busy.”

“Yeah! Yeah, um… Quick question, how did you…?” Nicholas starts, but pauses, trying to think of how to articulate himself.

After a few seconds, Lauren scoffs, “How’d you know to tell us what the date is so calm, like?”

“Well…” You singsong in a high-pitched tone as the door to the costume shop swings open again. Ralph emerges, to a series of shocked gasps.

“Fucking hell, doesn’t he look the spit image of -”

“Yeah, if you just slick his hair right down, and put him in a bow tie and a straw hat, I reckon - Here, you wouldn’t happen to have a great-grandad or something called Ralph, would you?”

“Wait!” Lauren shouts, holding her hands out. She studies Ralph intricately, who looks as though he’s still processing the sight in front of him. “You look just like Ralph, but all modern-like…” She points to him, and then to you. “And you know that we’ve been… In a different time…” She sticks her head out and squints her eyes back at Ralph. “Are you -?” He nods, still stunned into a wide-eyed silence.

Horace raises his arms in an excited greeting. “Ralph! My boy! We thought you’d died!” He pulls him into a hug that sweeps him off his feet. Ralph hangs against Horace’s body as though he were a ragdoll, his face still bewildered. “Let me take a good look at you,” he says as he puts Ralph down, before letting out a single cackle. “Ha, look at you! Look at this jacket, these chains! You’re a proper modern man, ain’t ya, with your sunglasses and your - How’ve you been, what you been up to?!”

“How did you get here?!” Nick asks in disbelief. You recap very quickly how Ralph found Pete - deliberately redacting that he’d attempted to return home to them - and ended up here, where you’d found him and taken him in.

Just as you finish explaining, someone approaches you with an, “Excuse me?” They tap your arm, but lean around you to look at Ralph and nod with a smile, “I thought that was him! Ralph from Twitter, right? Oh my god, I wish my phone hadn’t died, or I’d so ask for a selfie with you!”

Four confused faces look over at Ralph, but you wave the stranger off with a, “Not to worry! I can take one on his phone for him to tweet, if you want? And then you can save it for yourself when you’re home?”

“Oh my god, would you? That’s so sweet! Thank you!” They gush before posing for a photo with him. You quickly get their Twitter handle to include in his tweet, and wave them off as they walk away with a spring in their step.

“What was all that, then?” Jason asks with amusement. “Ralph from Twitter?!”

“Long story. I never told my friends Ralph was from the 1920s, so they thought anyone his age should be on Twitter by now. He kept tweeting inane shit that he thought he was Googling, people found it hilarious, and now he’s sort of social media famous,” you explain with a shrug, to everyone’s laughter.

Lauren looks Ralph up and down, not unlike the way Ralph looks at you, and rubs her hands together. “Famous, eh? I like the sound of that. Sounds like we’ve got some catching up to do, eh, Ralph?”

You feel rage burn through you at the audacity that Lauren has, clearly only interested in Ralph for a chance at fame herself. At how she could so outwardly come for your man - though, granted, Ralph’s been too shellshocked to make that much clear.

You, yourself, start to freeze up as you look over at him. What if this is it? The validation he’d been craving for so long? A second chance at the love he’d felt so strongly about losing, he’d fled the country. If he was willing to risk losing it all after having his heart broken, what else would he be willing to lose to win her back?!

Finally, after what feels like an eternity of silence, Ralph takes a deep breath in. “I don’t think there’s anything more to be caught up on.” He holds your arm to smile warmly at you, “You captured everything perfectly, darling,” before leaning in to kiss you. Jason and Horace hoot and holler, while Lauren makes a disgusted face.

“Fair enough. Rather you than me, anyway, I’d probably get sick of him after a while,” she sneers.

“Good job I won’t, then, eh!” You flash a sickly sweet grin at her as you wrap your arms around one of Ralph’s, hugging it tightly.

“Looks like you really are out of a shot, mate,” Jason grins at Nick, who shoves him.

“Give over, that was -” he flusters, and you laugh, which he sighs at. “Okay, well, so as to explain myself and not sound like a complete lunatic, I, uh… Might have had a bit of a thing for you in school, but I was always too chicken to do anything about it. And even though that was years ago at this point, apparently I’m not allowed to live it down,” he forces a smile on his face, making you laugh harder.

“If it’s any consolation, that was mutual, by the way,” you smirk. You feel Ralph tense under your grip and bury your head against his bicep. “But I don’t think it was meant to be, in the end.”

“God, can you imagine, in another universe, it would’ve been you and Nick, Jase and Victoria, and Lauren and Ralph!” Horace laughs before faltering. “But then who’s left for me?”

You shake your head. “What are you lot planning on doing in terms of living somewhere?”

“Dunno, we brought some stuff over from different time periods in the hopes we could make some big money off some antique dealers,” Nick gestures to the bags they’d placed on the ground while talking to you.

“Good luck, things have changed a lot in the last, what’s it been, six years for you? Yeah, the housing market’s a fucking nightmare,” you shake your head.

“Paying over a thousand pounds a month to live in a shoebox, I ask you,” Ralph mutters under his breath in disgust. You shoot him an offended glance and he simpers back, “But I’d live in a matchbox if it meant living with you, my love.” You grin back, angling your cheek for him to kiss it, to more retching sounds from Lauren. 

“Well, I was wondering if we could chance our luck with Ralph’s place, but seeing as though our only way in would be claiming Jason’s son left it to us in his will, when he’d be older than us in this time…” Nick shakes his head, and you and Ralph look incredulously at him.

“Sorry, what?! Ralph’s place?! You mean the big fuck-off mansion they lived in? That’s a Waterstone’s now, and even if it was, there’s no way you’d afford a place like that -”

The others look at you in confusion. “Victoria told us that the house was destroyed in an air raid,” Nick explains slowly.

You shake your head, pointing towards the bookstore. “Go look for yourself, plaque’s still there, and everything. She ended up spending all the Penbury fortune, went flat broke.”

“Explains a lot,” Lauren mutters under her breath.

“Yes, well, anyway!” Jason raises his hands up, as well as his voice. “I’m on about the one that Victoria ended up getting when he di- well, ‘died’, I guess,” Jason holds up air quotes over the word ‘died’. You both stand there in stunned silence, so he explains, “Vic said she found a letter from your dad, before the place got bombed, or… Whatever the fuck actually happened to it, it doesn’t matter, now. The letter was meant to go to his lawyer but I guess he never got to give it to him before… Well,” he gestures, and you both nod in understanding. “Anyway, so in this letter your dad had written, it said that he’d bought an extra place, for if you were to ever go off to war and want a place to come back that was all your own,” he gestures to Ralph, who swallows hard.

“Father bought… Bought me a house?!” He asks, stunned.

“He wrote some bullshit in there about how it might help you start a family and keep the Penbury name intact, that your… ‘pursuit of a wife would be easier if you already had a place of your own’,” Jason pulls a face and shakes his head.

Ralph nods in understanding, pressing his lips together with a faltering, “Now that sounds like Father.”

“So, when you ‘died’, Vic claimed that she had the right to inherit that house, and that’s where we lived. And, um… I sort of… Gave you a nephew?” Jason smiles weakly at Ralph. “But he went off and started his life elsewhere, and fuck knows what happened to him.”

“Hmm, I thought I could maybe blag our way into claiming that Jase is entitled to inherit it, too, because of the family name, but I doubt it, if JJ never came back for it. I seriously doubt Victoria’s still going,” he shakes his head. “Never mind, we’ll just start flogging this stuff and go from there. Anyway! Insane to see both of you, together, at the same time, but, y’know. Glad to see you’re both well, now.” Nick smiles at you both, and you nod.

“Good to see you guys, too! Helps put things at ease that the whole time travelling thing doesn’t make the universe implode on itself.” They laugh, and you look over at the building next to you before nudging Ralph. “Hey, they could probably try selling some of their stuff to your shop, couldn’t they?”

“There’d be no harm in trying,” Ralph agrees. “Though I should warn you, the owner is a tad… Eccentric.”

Lauren scoffs, “Fuck me, if Ralph’s calling someone eccentric, they must be a raving fucking lunatic!” She picks up one of the bags and heads to the door, slapping Ralph’s arm as she walks past him. “See you around, yeah?”

“Y-Yes, of course. All of you,” Ralph smiles, shaking the other men’s hands as they all pile into Ralph’s workplace.

Your mind starts trying to work in rapid fire, trying desperately to connect dots that seem impossible to connect. Thankfully, Ralph for once manages to keep you on task, even managing to buy what you’d asked him to - though instead of working up the nerve to seek out a cashier, he’d opted for the equally challenging task of trying to operate a self-service checkout while you frantically Google every little bump in the road you come across - though on incognito mode, of course, just in case.

Once you’re sitting down together in a cafe, waiting on your lunch, you finally try and articulate your train of thought to Ralph. “Look, all you need to prove that you’re a rightful heir is a name, a story that you’re related, and three months’ worth of proof that you live somewhere. So, granted, we’re gonna need to find something to sign you up to that’ll mail you stuff, but after that, in just three months, we might be able to get that place!”

“Well,” Ralph starts, wringing his hands together on the table. “Babs was telling me something about - about the taxes she has to file, apparently there’s some sort of form I have to be given at the end of the month, I didn’t say anything because she’s the one that pays me, but she had said something about deducting it from my pay already, it’s a… System I couldn’t wrap my head around,” he shakes his head. “But she did say… That if I’m asked to prove anything about my pay, she also has my official pay slips in her possession.”

You look at him incredulously. “So, what, they have your work’s address on them? As if you live there?”

“Not quite… She asked for our address some time ago, and I assumed it was in case of emergencies so I told her, and so I suppose that’s what she’s submitted on the slips. She said that she never sends them because there’s no point, if we want them, we can simply ask her.”

You’re practically vibrating in your seat with excitement. “So, we can take those… With your name on… Make up some story about how we found a photo online of your great-grandad who looks just like you and found out he owned that house…” You grin at him. “And it’d be ours!”

Ralph deflates a little. “I wish I could share your enthusiasm, my love, but I fear our luck has run out by now. I mean, surely I’d need a legal record, too!”

You shake your head furiously. “It only says they might ask, online. And you’ve charmed your way out of identification before on countless occasions, what’s one more time?! “

“It’s just an awfully big risk, I mean, what if we get caught? What if we’re imprisoned, questioned - would they even believe what happened with me? It’s just too close to being impossible!”

“Exactly!” You slap the table a few times before grabbing Ralph’s hands to hold them. “Everything about us is just shy of being impossible. You are a 26 year old man who was born in 1901. I am someone who’d given up entirely on love until I literally walked right into meeting my literal soulmate.”

Ralph smiles bashfully, “I wouldn’t have thought you believed in soulmates.”

“That’s my point! I didn’t either! I never would have! But you make the almost-impossible entirely possible. You made an entire life for yourself here where you are loved and admired by literally thousands of people, including the most ride-or-die friends you could have asked for. That are, probably right this second, also researching how to keep you here as long as we possibly can. Who can say they’ve got friends like that, hm? You think Victoria and all her little pals would put that much effort into keeping her around?” Ralph shakes his head. “Right. Because you’re special, Ralph. I know it. We all know it. Just… Come on.”

“But there’ll be inheritance tax, surely,” he counters, “and then, what? I haven’t paid tax in… Ninety-seven years!”

“So, if that happens, we do what Anna says. Once we’ve established that you’re definitely entitled to the house in the name of Ralph Penbury, we spin a tale that you were never registered. Sure, you’d probably be lumped with a load of tax to pay back, but…” You tut out a breath as you think before gasping, clapping and holding his hands again. “What if, we get the house, but I tell my parents we’re buying it, rather than inheriting it?! Get them to give me a loan for a deposit, you use it to start paying off tax stuff, and then instead of all our money going on rent, you can pay the tax people back and I can pay my parents back.”

“It all sounds rather hair-brained,” Ralph states, but with a smile that says he believes in the cause.

“It’s completely hair-brained,” you admit with a nod. “It’s insane and out there and nobody in their right mind would actually think it works. Which is what’s gonna make it work. Right?”

“It’s just - It’s the risk,” Ralph shakes his head, but you pull his hands up to your mouth, kissing his knuckles.

“Ralph Do-You-Have-A-Middle-Name? Penbury.” He laughs. “I am so… Ridiculously, madly, insanely in love with you that I would be willing to put my entire life on the line for you. I would quite literally risk it all.”

Ralph’s ears burn red as he smiles bashfully. “And you call me the hopeless romantic.”

“God, I know. I guess you’ve corrupted me, too,” you pull a face, and he laughs.

“You’re right, though. What sort of man would I be if I didn’t heed my own word? Though I may have far less to put on the line… I would do anything for you, my love. As long as I still have you, I will have everything.”

“Trust you to out-fluff me,” you smirk. “So, you’re willing to give it a shot?”

He takes a deep breath in, and finally nods. “Very well. Whatever happens, we shall have each other, always.”

You kiss his hands again with a grin. “Always.”

~~~

The clang of metal against metal as the door shuts behind you makes you jump out of your skin. “Jesus fucking Christ, warn someone when you’re doing that, won’t you?” you glare over at the uniform-clad man as he wrenches his key out of the lock.

“If it’s too loud for your delicate little ears, sunshine, don’t stay so close,” he sneers.

“Got no choice, have I?” you ask, rolling your eyes and gesturing down, and an almost wicked smile creeps along the man’s face.

“That’s what you get, ending up in a place like this where people like you don’t belong,” he tuts, shaking his head. “If you can’t hack it…”

“Oi, dickhead,” a voice calls from behind you. “You’re all done, now, ain’t ya? If you want to keep that face of yours arranged the way your mother made it, you’ll jog on.”

He looks at you with a smug frown, waggling his eyebrows, “That really the sort of thing you want to be known for? Dangerous reputation around these parts.”

You groan, leaning down to press your forehead into the knuckles holding your car door open as you’re standing halfway in it. “Just get that lorry of yours out of my parking space before I get done for being on double yellow lines, yeah?” The man kisses his teeth as he clambers back into his vehicle and drives away. You pull a face as you put on a mock voice, “‘Get a man with a van’, they said. ‘It’ll make your move so much easier’, they said. Prick. Thanks for helping me deal with him,” you simper at Ralph’s friend Charlotte as she scoops up a box from the pavement.

“Yeah, well. Someone’s gotta put pricks like that in their place, and it sure as shit ain’t our Ralphie,” she scoffs, and you chuckle. "Want me to go grab him so you lovebirds can say goodbye?” She says in a joking tone, pulling a kissy face at you.

You laugh, “Says the person who can’t go twelve seconds without sucking on Yankee-Doodle’s face in there,” you waggle your eyebrows.

“You’re lucky I like you, d’y’know that?” she teases, sticking her tongue out at you before turning on her heel, laughing as she faces away from you and sees Ralph emerging out from the front door of his townhouse. She wolf-whistles as the two cross paths, which Ralph looks very confused at, to your amusement.

“Sorry I have to go into work,” you pout your lower lip out in a frown as he approaches you. “They’re just so short-staffed, and I -”

“Don’t you fret, my love,” he interjects, leaning in to press a quick peck to your lips. “You must go where you are needed. Not to worry, we will remain hard at work here, and then when you return, you can relax in your new, furnished home.”

“Our home,” you correct him. “It is yours, after all. I just can’t believe that this is all real.”

“I’ve felt that way for some time, myself,” Ralph admits softly, stroking your cheek with the backs of his fingers, and you feel yourself physically melt against your car door.

“Right, I’m going before I end up feeling even worse about leaving you guys behind.” You pull Ralph in for another, longer kiss, carding your fingers through his curls as he cradles the back of your neck. A laugh bubbles between your lips as you murmur against him, “This isn’t helping!”

“Ah, what’s one more minute of them not having you?” he smiles coyly at you, and you raise your eyebrows at him.

“What if they said that about me coming back home to you, hm?”

Reluctantly, Ralph steps away. “Very well. Have a wonderful day, darling. Travel safely.”

You turn your nose up and shake your head. “Nah, think I’m gonna finally live life on the edge today.” Ralph gives you a look that tells you he isn’t amused, and you grin back, blowing him a kiss. “Be good!”

“When aren’t I?!”

~~~

You’re not sure that you’ll take the train every time you have to go to work, now; despite it being quicker, having to actively pay both ways and being sandwiched amongst so many people just doesn’t seem worth it. Still, today of all days, you wanted to get home as quickly as you could, despite all the local landmarks tempting your inner tourist. You’ve got all the time in the world now to explore them, and besides, it’d be far more entertaining showing them all to Ralph.

You unlock the door and are immediately greeted by the smell of something cooking, something really good. You step through the hallway and into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe as you watch Ralph reading from a recipe book, squinting close to the page as he drags his finger across each line of his next instruction, his mouth moving along with every word. "Looks like you could do with some glasses," you pipe up, and Ralph yelps in surprise as he looks up at you.

"Hello, my love! Welcome home! Um, I didn't hear you come in, my apologies, I'd have met you at the door if I'd have known."

"It's okay," you soothe as you stride over to him, pulling him into a deep kiss. "What's this in aid of, is everyone staying for dinner?" A pang of disappointment strikes your chest. As much as you love yours and Ralph's friends, you were sort of hoping to have your first night in the new house alone with him.

"Not tonight, darling, this is in aid of you!" Ralph smiles over at you. "Since I have been learning, and you have been working so hard at your shop, especially juggling it all with sorting out the house and you've still been the one to make countless meals for us, I thought I would try and make your favourite meal."

You let out a small, happy whimper, kissing his cheek. "As long as it hasn't been stressing you out. Do you want any help?"

"Well, I suppose now that you mention it, I do need somebody to stand right there and just look casually beautiful, and - well, would you look at that, you're a natural!" He beams over at you, leaning in to kiss you again.

You grin bashfully, hiding your face in his shoulder. "God, look at what you've done to me! You've made me all mushy and shit."

"Happy to help, my love," he smiles, pressing one more kiss to your head before returning to his recipe.

"Sure you don't want me to help? Read things out or anything? I don't want you straining your eyes," you frown.

"Well, it's not as though I can get my eyes tested, is it?" he asks as he continues preparing food.

"But if it's just a case of reading close-up, you can get reading glasses over the counter in the shops," you explain.

"But aren't glasses rather… Unseemly?" he asks with knitted brow.

You shake your head. "If anything, the right ones would make you appear very, very… Seemly," you pull a face, not knowing if that was the correct term to use or not, and Ralph laughs gently.

"Just go and get comfortable, my love. I will call for you when dinner is served."

"Oh, yeah, forgot we have a dining room with a table, now," you smirk. "Just look at us, living the high life!"

Ralph gasps, "Oh, speaking of! Hannah left us a housewarming gift, she donated her tee-vee so that we could have one in our bedroom, as well!"

The way Ralph elongates the letters in TV so deliberately will never not charm you. "That was nice of her! How come?"

"She's moving in with that girl she met last month. All seems a bit fast-moving, if you ask me."

You look at him incredulously. "Look who's talking!"

"Yes, Hannah did point out something similar to me," he admits, ears blushing. 

You chuckle as you navigate your way through to your new bedroom. It seems strange, your familiar furniture against such an unfamiliar backdrop. Every room looks so dated - naturally, it hadn't been touched since the 50s, apparently. Still, that Pinterest board you've been working on for years is finally going to go to good use.

Your heart swells when you see the bed littered with rose petals, a classic touch that has Ralph written all over it. You explore all the dressers and wardrobes in the room, familiarising yourself with where Ralph and your friends have decided to unpack your things. You open up your underwear drawer, thumbing across the carefully-arranged bras with a smile. Finding a particularly intricate number, you fish for its matching underwear, and decide to change into it. Ralph did ask you to slip into something more comfortable, right? You find something flattering to put over the whole set and rejoin him downstairs.

He's stirring something in a pan, looking rather proud of himself, when you get back to the kitchen. This time, you tap your knuckles against the door to make your presence known, so as not to surprise him. However, once he sees you, Ralph immediately drops the utensil he's using back into the pot with an almighty clatter, his jaw visibly dropping. You smile bashfully and he clears his throat, "Forgive my reaction, my darling, but you look positively ravishing."

In Ralphspeak, you know that's the equivalent of him calling you the closest thing to sexy he's probably willing to say. At least, for now. Maybe you've still a little corruption left in you. Still, it's enough to cause your heart to race. "You like?"

"I love. I mean, of course, I love you no matter what, but…" He blows out a breath that tickles the curls that hang across his brow. "You really do look absolutely delectable."

After a lingering moment, you manage to tear your eyes away to look at what's cooking. "Speaking of, so does this! You sure I can't be of any help?"

"Not at all, my dear, it's just about ready to serve. And just in time, so I can no longer fear about getting too… Distracted," he smiles coyly, looking you up and down the way he always does. There's something a little different in the way he looks at you, though. A different sort of gleam illuminates his eyes. One that makes you want to wolf down your food, drag him up to the bedroom and pull him on top of you.

But still, he's worked hard on this meal, and he looks so proud of himself. Though he dishes up, he still rushes ahead of you into the dining room to make sure he pulls out your seat for you, guiding the chair back with you as you readjust it and kissing your cheek before lighting a candle you vaguely recognise as an old secret Santa gift that you never ended up using, and going back for your food.

You exchange stories about your day: you, about the stresses of working short-staffed on a weekend during a school holiday, meaning a terrifying crossover of screaming babies and toddlers, chaotic children, less-than-trustworthy teenagers and overly-entitled adults; Ralph, about all the different ways your friends almost broke almost every piece of furniture you own while trying to get it into the house. Both equally stressful for you to recount.

At first, once you're done, Ralph insists on cleaning up after himself, but after a lot of pouting, eyelash batting and gentle touches, you coax him out to sit in the living room - another whole room dedicated to one thing, you've not lived like this since you moved out of your parents' - and cuddle up to him on the sofa.

Your embrace barely lasts a minute before your lips are on his, again. He’s desperate to get as close to you as he can, clawing at your clothes as he presses the kiss open. Holding the back of his neck to steady yourself, you move yourself up to straddle his lap, letting your tongue slip into his mouth and moaning at the sensation of his against yours. He echoes you as his hands slip down your sides to squeeze your hips. You buck them under his touch, feeling his erection grow beneath you.

He chokes out a soft, “May I?” as his fingers curl around to grip at the fabric of your top. You nod, sitting back and holding your arms up to let him take it off of you. He starts trying to fold it up behind you but, impatient, you take the garment from him and blindly throw it behind you, holding his face to kiss him again.

He takes your hands into his own and guides them back down, his kisses moving from your lips, down your jaw and to your neck, where he finds an especially sensitive spot and stays there, kissing it over and over again, all while muttering sweet nothings to you. “You are so very beautiful, my darling… How fortunate I am to be this intimate with you… Just exquisite in every conceivable way…" You rock your hips faster at his words, throwing him off his train of thought entirely as he sits back and watches you lustfully.

His gaze isn't trained on your face, though. Instead, he's transfixed on the way your breasts move, both from your heaving breaths and from grinding on him. Biting your lip, you wrap a hand around the back of his neck and start pushing it towards you as his tongue just pokes out enough to wet his lips. "Wanna put that mouth to better use?" You ask as you guide him closer to your chest.

He gasps in soft delight, looking up at you gleefully. "Are you quite sure?" You nod and his face melts into one of pure ecstacy. "Thank you, my love," he mutters before taking one of your nipples into his mouth. 

His plush lips press against your flesh as he kisses, sucks and licks at your nipple. Biting back a moan, you rest your hand in his hair, ruffling it slightly and muttering with a smile, “You like that, don’t you?” He hums out an mm-hm that vibrates against your skin, and reaches up to play the other nipple between his finger and thumb. You keen towards him, grip tightening and head bending down to him as you groan loudly, “Fuck, that’s it, good boy!” Words you’d never have thought you’d say in such a context fly out of your mouth so easily, and you could swear he sounded like he was chirping with happiness as you said them.

He moves away from the breast he’s suckling on, pressing one more brief peck to your wet, hardened nipple, and starts to focus on the other, still brushing the other nipple with the backs of his knuckles. You whine, whimper and moan as your still-clothed cunt begs for sweet release. You’re constantly amazed at how quickly Ralph can bring you to an apex few had ever even managed to. “God, Ralph, need you so bad.”

“Of course, please forgive me, got rather carried away there,” he mumbles apologetically to you, but the kiss you press to his forehead tells him there’s nothing for him to be sorry for. Ralph looks around, his brow furrowing. “Um, I don’t wish to diminish the mood at all, but there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of… Space, here.”

You cock your head, smiling coyly. “You wanna go to the bed you prepared for this exact occasion?”

Ralph returns a smaller, more sheepish smile, his ears tinting. “Ah, you noticed. I suppose, of course you did, it would be difficult not to. Still, was it alright? Or too much?” His face falls. “It was too much, wasn’t it?”

You fleetingly frown in thought. “A little, yeah.” Your expression quickly changes back into a grin, though. “But it was your brand of too much, which makes it perfect.” You lean back to unbutton his shirt. “Unfortunately, my brand is not being patient enough to wait that long.”

“I wouldn’t say that of you, you were rather patient with me all those months,” Ralph notes pointedly, and you laugh.

“Yeah, you used it all up!” You climb off of him, slowly sliding the bottom half of your outfit off, but leaving your underwear on. Looking over at him gawking, you smirk, "You sure you want this? Not exactly dressed for the occasion."

He reaches up to stroke the pad of his thumb across the intricate design of your underwear. "Of course, you had been wearing a matching set, but it was I who became so impatient that I missed out on seeing it in full, my deepest apologies, my love, I - well," he suddenly, hurriedly slips himself out of all his clothes, leaving them in a heap by his feet, making you giggle again.

"Maybe I'll still let you see it," you tell him suggestively, hooking your thumbs into the elastic of your panties. "Maybe I'll wear it all again and take some photos on your phone." With nothing left to cover it, you watch Ralph's cock twitch at the idea and bite your lip to compose yourself. "Maybe," you continue as you slowly push your underwear down your thighs, "I'll leave a video or two, as well." You watch his face as you let them fall past your ankle, stepping out of them and walking back over to him. "What do you think?"

"I think you spoil me, my love," he smiles softly. He reaches down to the jeans he'd all but ripped off of himself, fumbling through a pocket until he pulls out a condom and starts to put it on himself.

Watching the act of him wrapping it around himself and sliding it down is almost enough to totally distract you from your initial thought. Almost. "Did you really just have a condom just sitting there in your pocket? And you make out like I'm the horndog!"

Ralph blushes, "Yes, well, I sort of… Hoped we would… Christen the place, so to speak.”

You climb into his lap, hovering yourself to line up with where he’s holding his shaft. “I like that idea,” you smile softly before sliding yourself down onto him. You both let out staggered moans as you let yourself get used to the sensation of being filled by him, before kneeling yourself up to the point where you can just about feel his tip still inside you and then sinking yourself back down.

His hands grip your hips tightly as he moans your name. You repeat the motions a few times, revelling in the way it feels to drop onto him, having him enter you so deeply and so quickly. You soon start to feel an ache, though, and decide to pace yourself, keeping him bottomed out inside of you and grinding against him until you feel rested enough to go again. 

You can see Ralph’s mouth constantly silently moving, as though he wants to keep complimenting you the way he always does, but he’s too blissed out from feeling you clench around him, your cunt gripping his cock tightly with no intention of ever letting him back out of you again. You especially try to make sure you commit the face he makes every time you pull yourself out just to fuck yourself back down onto him again, to your memory, knowing that just remembering the way he reacts to you would be enough to turn you on, if you ever needed anything to fuel your imagination.

At one point, while you’re rocking your hips with him inside you, you finally manage to get yourself at just the right angle to hit that sweet spot that Ralph is always able to find. Keeping yourself at the same angle, you move yourself even faster, moaning louder and more often.

Ralph seems to notice, and does his best to hold you in place as he bucks his hips up underneath your weight. You curl yourself forward, arms wrapped around his shoulders and face buried in his neck as he fucks you from where he sits beneath you. Knowing how good it makes you feel when he mutters sweet sentiments to you, you mumble against his skin, “Feel so good, Ralphie… You always know how to, you’re fucking amazing… So good to me, so sweet, my Ralph, no-one else’s… My sweet and handsome boy, knows just how to please me, fuck.” 

."He whimpers and whines, music to your ears as you feel your climax start to build again. “Oh, god, Ralphie, I’m so clo- Oh my god,” you groan as he starts to massage your clit in rapid circles. “Oh, fuck, yes, so good to me, thank you… Wish I could, do more for you.”

“- Already do the absolute most, darling,” he soothes. “’M already embarrassingly near to finishing, myself.”

You shake your head, “Nothing to be ashamed of, not at all, god, please cum for me, Ralphie, and I will for you, please?” Ralph completely falls apart beneath you at your words, moaning your name and digging his fingers bruisingly into your skin. You feel yourself becoming one with him as you ride out your orgasm.

He wraps his arms around your hips, cradling you on his lap, and you rest your forehead against his as you both breathe heavily, intertwined in body, in breath, in spirit. You’d never, ever thought you’d even ever contemplate the idea a year ago, but in this moment, you really are certain that Ralph is your one true soulmate.

He leans in to envelop your lips with his own in a sweet and passionate kiss before muttering, “Forgive me, my love, but I do rather need to take care of…”

You whine indignantly, but stand to climb off of him. “Suppose I should actually change into something comfortable now, eh?” You ask humorously, and you hear his laughter from where he’s throwing his used condom away in the bathroom. The downstairs bathroom that you now have in the townhouse where you live with the love of your life. This was always pipe-dream material, but here you are. Living it.

You run upstairs, taking a moment to again admire the state of the bed and think about all the ways you plan to christen it later, and look through clothes to get changed into. Opting for a tank-top-and-pyjama-bottoms combination, you take yourself to your en-suite and freshen up as you get changed.

When you open up the door again, Ralph is just pulling a white shirt over his head, and you smile fondly at his choice to pair it with a very familiar pair of sweatpants. “Those were the first clothes I ever gave you,” you recall, and he looks at you with a similar expression.

“I believe that was also what you had chosen to wear the first night I met you, as well. When you gave me your bed without knowing anything at all about me,” he reminisces.

You giggle, “Oh, yeah, you wouldn’t even look me in the eye because you didn’t want to be ‘improper’, now look at you!” You tap his nose teasingly, and his ears flush red.

“Oh, hush,” he frowns, but the air of a laugh hangs in his voice. “You really were - I mean, to take me in as you did, in my time of need while knowing absolutely nothing about me, especially after Mister Peter told you my far-fetched reasoning for being here…” Ralph wraps his arms around your waist. “Giving me the life I have now, the friends I have, the - everything,” he sighs wistfully. 

“Yeah, well. You try looking you right in the chocolate buttons and saying no to that face,” you smirk, and he laughs. “It’s like I said when we went to the inheritance people to get this place. With my gift of the gab, and your gift of the… Face, the charm, and the everything else you’ve got going for you, we’re unstoppable,” you beam.

“I still can’t believe you were able to talk them around like that,” he looks at you adoringly, and you shrug.

“The amount of backlog they so obviously had, and the amount of effort it would have taken if we hadn’t convinced them to cut some corners with us, it was a doddle,” you shrug. “I could tell they weren’t the brown-nosing type, they weren’t gonna go back to check every little part of what I said we’d set out to do was legitimately within their procedures.”

“A skill set like that is wasted on your little clothes shop,” he frowns, leaning forward to kiss your forehead, and you laugh.

“Yeah, well. Maybe it’s time I look for something new that’s a bit more local to this area,” you nod. “I don’t think Babs’d let you quit, though.”

“Heavens, no, she’d be out for my blood!” Ralph exclaims, and you laugh loudly.

Once you’re back at the sofa, cuddled up beneath a blanket and watching TV together, even though you’re curled up against Ralph’s chest, you can sense something’s bothering him. “You alright?” You ask him.

“Couldn’t be better, darling,” he replies, but the tension you feel beneath your cheek betrays his lie.

“Nah, c’mon, tell me,” you sit yourself up next to him, and he sighs heavily.

“Well, I was just thinking of how… I mean, yes, we have a house now, at least, but I’m still not legally a person, am I? I know we said we wouldn’t openly use that story about me never being registered and so on unless it were absolutely necessary.”

“Yeah, we agreed, only if you need serious medical treatment,” you nod.

“R-right, but what about the other things?” He asks warily, twiddling his thumbs.

“Like holidaying? We can survive not going abroad, Ralph,” you laugh.

“Not just that… What about… Well, we could never be truly wed, or be a family,” you hear his voice get weaker, shakier.

“Sure, we can,” you wrap your arm around his shoulders and pull him so that he nuzzles into your neck, stroking his hair. “Okay, so we couldn’t get, like, legally married, but so what? We can still use the same bank account as if it were a joint one. I could easily change my name by deed poll. We could still throw a wedding in every other aspect, just without the signing the register. And as for the other bit, I mean, you can register with just one parent and add another later, if we do get away with your story about neither of yours registering you.”

“You seem rather sure in your knowledge, there,” he notes with a hint of amusement.

“Yeah, well… Maybe I looked into it all a little.” He looks over at you with a knowing grin, and you feel yourself get sheepish. “What?”

“Nothing, dearest,” Ralph chimes. “Just seems a little… What’s that word that you call me all the time?”

“Sappy? Tell me about it,” you shake your head, and Ralph laughs. 

“It’s an honour to make you feel that way, darling,” he leans over to kiss you. After a few minutes, he breaks away to stroke your cheek with his thumb as he holds your face. “You seriously see a future - of us? With me? I -”

You pull him in for another kiss, laughter bubbling between you as you do so, “Yes, you big dafty!”

He chirps happily. “Well, I suppose I’ve a lot to do, then, haven’t I!”

You take a deep breath in as you brace yourself to potentially let Ralph down. “Yeah, but… look, when I said I was looking into it, I meant as in, like, way into our future, yeah? We’ve got bags of time, I just want to enjoy it all with you, you know?”

To your surprise, Ralph scoffs at you. “Well, naturally. Did you think I would propose to you in this manner? Without so much as a ring? Or even your family’s blessing?”

“Oh, well, that won’t take long at all,” you smirk. “I bet you, when we go have dinner with Mum and Dad next week, by the time we even tell them that we’re together now, Mum’ll be asking you what colour her wedding outfit should be!”

A proud smile bursts onto Ralph’s face, but it quickly fades. “Do you think they’ll fear that us getting a house together is too big of a commitment too quickly?”

“Again. Ralph. They love you,” you reiterate to him, squeezing his hand. “And once they find out you’re responsible for us moving to Southwark, where they are? Dad’ll have gotten himself ordained by the time they bring out desserts just to make sure you’d become a permanent part of the family.”

Ralph’s heart swells hundredfold at the sentiment as he embraces you in yet another kiss. “I suppose I am rather overthinking things, aren’t I?”

“Just a tad,” you scrunch your face up, and he laughs.

“I mean, it’s really no different than when we were living at your flat, really, is it?” He chuckles, and you shake your head.

“Except we could have a pet, now,” you muse, and Ralph sits up straight, his face full of excitement.

“Could we get a cat?!” He beams at you, making you laugh.

“God, you and cats, what is with that?”

“I have a theory,” he muses. “Since Cheese and I got along so well so quickly, I think because we were so similar, he put in a good word with all the other cats. That’s the only explanation there could possibly be.”

After a brief hesitation, you laugh, “Sorry, in what way are you so similar to our old neighbour’s cat?!”

“Well, both of us were sort-of confined to our little flats, neither of us technically supposed to be there. I think he could sense that of me when I first met him, back when I… Upset that neighbour of yours.”

“Because you burnt your toast so badly that you almost suffocated the ninth floor with smoke?” You ask with raised eyebrows, and Ralph slinks back into his seat bashfully.

“Well, I’ve learned now, haven’t I?” He points out.

“That, you have. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come,” you hug his arm, shuffling up to his side. “With everything. How you’ve learned to cope with all this modern stuff, all the stuff you never got to learn growing up, and just… I’m really pleased you’ve been starting to love yourself as much - well, almost as much as I love you,” you simper, resting your head on his arm. “Ugh, god, I really am a sap now, aren’t I?”

Ralph chuckles, pressing a peck onto the top of your head. “At least we can both be, together, eh?”

You sigh contentedly as he wraps his arms around you, pulling the blanket around to make sure you’re both comfortable. You look around at the walls, imagining what decorating with Ralph is going to be like in the coming few weeks, and then picturing the photos you’d hang on there. Travels with Ralph all across the country. Your eventual engagement photos, because of course Ralph’s going to make that moment as photogenic as possible so you’ll have something to capture and savour that memory forever. Wedding photos, all your friends and Ralph’s all dressed up to the nines, singing and dancing the night away to celebrate the pair of you. Pictures of your eventual babies, some with Ralph’s eyes and some with his hair but all of them with his warm, kind smile. Those kids’ first moments, their first smiles, first steps, first day at school.

You break yourself away from your trance-like train of thought to see Ralph’s watching you with all the love that could possibly exist in the world currently living in his gaze. “I’m thinking of the same, too, my love,” he whispers excitedly, as though he’s able to see into your mind telepathically. “I can’t wait for the rest of our lives, either.”

[luv4fandoms]

At Last-RalphxF!Reader (CH 4)

AHHH IT IS FINALLY HERE!!! Also just a heads up, the next chapter will in fact be spicy 🔥

Summery: After accepting Ralphs proposal the both of you knew you couldn't wait to get married...so a month is long enough to plan a wedding right?

Pairings: Ralph x Female!Reader

Word count: 8,769 (tis a big boy)

Warning: Extreme fluff!! I teared up writing this cuteness! Some spiciness at the start.

This is also on ao3

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5

I also have a Ko-Fi 😊

⚠️ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞.⚠️

"Ohh yeah yeah

You smile

You smile

Oh and then the spell was cast"

You sighed happily as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you as you felt his hands leave your cheeks, sliding down to your waist where he held you. Your tongues gently wrestled, neither of you wanting to dominate the kiss, simply bask in the other's presence. You felt his grip tighten as you softly sucked his bottom lip, a quiet moan leaving him before he began the kiss again, this time more eagerly while pulling you closer. You'd be lying if you said that Ralph and yourself hadn't been in this exact position many times in the past week, after that night he would ask to kiss you at any chance he could, even though you told him he didn't have to ask, the sweet boy still always waited for permission. The kissing had been clumsy at first, passionate but clumsy, to which he profusely apologized before explaining, while completely flushed, that he had never REALLY kissed anyone before either. You were each other's first on everything it seemed, including…

"Ah!" He whimpered when he felt you grind down on him, your position in his lap making the movement easier, it also made it easier to feel what you could do to him with just a simple kiss.

"Ralphie" you whined, repeating the motion.

"Darling…we-we can't" he panted, yet his hands did nothing to stop your hips…In fact he helped move them.

"But Ralphie, surely there are other things we could do?" You pouted, Ralph had told you that he wanted to wait until your wedding night for the two of you to give yourselves to each other, he said it was romantic, becoming truly one on the day you promise yourselves to one another.

"We-we should wait" he moaned, hips pushing up to meet yours, dragging a moan from your lips that had a whimper falling from his, you knew this was hard for him, waiting, just like it was hard for you. You had to give him an A for Patience though, because yours was running thin.

"Ralphie" you sighed, leaning in to kiss him again just as you heard the door open.

"Ugh really?on the couch?" Lauren asked in a voice full of disgust as she came into the room, followed by the other's. You quickly scrambled off of Ralph while he grabbed a nearby pillow and pressed it over his lap. Both of you were flushed and breathing quickly as you righted yourself, Jason snickering at the two of you.

"Oh it's young love Lauren" Victoria stated before looking at the two of you.

"But really please not the furniture, at least not in here" you both nodded, slightly jumping as she let the large folder fall to the table with a loud 'thud'.

"Now, we already have the venue, and the food, we also have the band" Victoria started, looking over at your friends who had happily agreed to play at your wedding…well…Horace and Jason had happily agreed, Lauren thought this was crazy but was happy you were happy, and Nick tried to talk you out of it but after you explained the whole "perhaps your past life was actually where you were now" he went on a rant about how that could possibly me true and then he was ok with the idea.

"But we still have much to do. We still need an overall theme, I'm thinking glitz and glamour" she smiled excitedly, of course that's what she was thinking. You looked over at Ralph, your hand coming to hold his and bringing his attention away from the large folder.

"What about you Ralphie, what would you like our wedding to be?" You asked, watching as he smiled at the simple sentence, you had noticed it a few other times, the way he would get both giddy and completely melt at the words "our wedding".

"Oh no my love, anything you want, this is your big day" he told you, and you leaned over to kiss him, him happily returning it.

"No sweetheart, this is our big day, both of us get a say" you explained, you knew he wasn't used to it, you knew Victoria usually planned everything and ran everything, but she wasn't about to do that for your wedding. You appreciated her helping, but her brother would have a say in this.

"I think glamourous would be a wizard idea" he started, making Victoria clap, though his eyes never left yours.

"But instead of diamonds covering everything…we have the colors be black and gold? With a few crystals and pearls maybe" he finished, you could easily see his vision, and honestly it was beautiful.

"That sounds breathtaking," you smiled.

"Why black and gold?" Victoria asked, kind of upset he didn't share her vision.

"Because it's elegant," he started

"And because…the first night we danced together…the first night I fell in love with (y/n), she was wearing a black and gold dress" he smiled…Oh how this boy could make your heart flutter.

"Oh Ralphie" you smiled, cupping his cheek and kissing him gently, a kiss that he happily returned.

"Very well, black and gold it is" Victoria stated, slightly disappointed, but also slightly happy her brother had found someone to marry.

"Well now that we have the colors we can work on the venue decor, the flowers, the cake, the invitations. (Y/n) dear we need to shop for your dress and the bridesmaids dresses, Ralph sweetie you need your tux and the groomsmen tuxes" Victoria rambled. Victoria took her job as future sister-in-law, and maid of honor very seriously. You remember asking Victoria to be your maid of honor, she was pressing you to know who you'd choose, and though originally you were going to pick Lauren, the look on her face said "pick me and I'll kill you" so you quickly chose Victoria, earning an excited cheer and rib crushing hug.

"What shall we check off today?" Ralph asked, slipping his hand into yours, gently running his finger against your engagement ring.

"As much as possible" Victoria started.

"Why don't we go see about the cake, flowers, and invitations, and then we can all meet at the Ritz for lunch, afterwards Victoria and I will shop for dresses while Ralphie, you and the group can shop for suits" you suggested.

"That's a marvelous idea!" Victoria exclaimed, already standing with her folder.

"Wizard idea my love" Ralph smiled, leaning in but pausing for a moment to look at you, after your small nod he gave you a quick peck before standing, pulling you with him.

"Alright, what time should we meet up?" Jason asked Victoria, who then looked at the clock, it was already seven a.m…their sleep schedule was another thing you had to get used to.

"How about one? Should give us ample time to get done" Victoria told him, earning nods from everyone before quick goodbyes were exchanged and you were whisked out of the building. The first stop was the florist, who, after telling your vision to, suggested white Peonies, white Anemones and a beautiful flower he called a black velvet Petunia. A combination which paired with some branches and ribbon he said he could get in black and gold sounded amazing. Pleased with your ideas for the centerpieces and bouquet you all moved onto the invitations. Which surprisingly didn't take long, after telling the colors the woman happily showed you a few options, saying she could get them in your colors and Ralph absolutely fell in love with the script and beautiful envelope, so of course you happily chose those. Next…The cake. You knew this part would take a bit, and it was at this, as you all sat down you realized you didn't even know what Ralph's favorite flavor of cake was.

"What is your favorite flavor Ralphie?"

"What flavor do you prefer, my love?" You both asked, pausing for a moment before laughing.

"I suppose we had the same thought," you smiled.

"I suppose we did," he smiled, leaning over as you gave him a quick kiss, his hand taking a hold of yours.

"I quite like (f/f)" you told him, watching as his face lit up.

"And here I thought you couldn't be even more divine, that's my favorite as well" he told you, watching as your face lit up as well. Ralph enjoyed every time your face did that, light up with happiness due to him, he was quickly finding himself becoming addicted to it. He was pulled from his thoughts though when the baker who they must have went to for their lavish parties walked over.

"My two favorite clients" she smiled, before looking over at you.

"And who is this?"

"This is (y/n)" Victoria introduced before Ralph added excitedly.

"My fiance"

"Oh my God" she gasped, quickly sitting down.

"You're getting married?! Oh Ralph I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed.

"Your mother would be so happy" she told him in a calmer tone, taking his hand in hers and earning quick nods from him, he didn't speak though, and when you looked at him you could see withheld tears. You gently ran your thumb along the hand that still held yours, earning his attention as you gave him a gentle smile, he smiled back, a small tear slipping down his cheek that you quickly wiped away.

"Mother would have loved you" he whispered.

"I would have loved her too, after all, I have her to thank for bringing you into this world" you told him, hand still cupping his cheek.

"Ok now you are going to make me cry" the woman sniffled, letting go of Ralph's hand and gently wiping her eyes.

"Lucile was a friend of our mother's," Victoria explained.

"She was practically my sister, we grew up together, and I can tell you right now that the love I just saw displayed…she would be overjoyed by" she told you, making your heart clench while you looked over at Ralph. You smiled and leaned in, him quickly following your lead and sharing a quick kiss.

"Ok, before anymore tears are shed, what are we thinking for the big day?"

"Our colors are black and gold" Ralph explained, and you were shocked Victoria hadn't answered, looking over you saw her smiling at her brother as he happily talked to Lucile and you wondered how often they saw this woman as children, she sounded like she would have been a sort of aunt figure to them, maybe that is why she sat back and let him talk…maybe this whole time Victoria cut him off with strangers as a weird way of protecting him?

"Oh, so elegant, do we have flowers?" She asked, looking over at you to bring you into the conversation.

"Oh yes, White Peonies, White Anemones, and Black Velvet Petunias" you told her.

"That combination and color palette are already giving me ideas" she smiled, looking down to sketch out a design. When she finally showed you all the picture, all you could think was how perfect it was. A six layer cake, the first white with a gold filigree at the bottom, the second a black layer with gold interwoven cross hatching, the third a layer covered in gold sparkle, the fourth another white layer with gold at the top and piped white petals, the fifth a black layer with draped gold pearls, and the very bottom layer would be black with gold lacing at the top and bottom. It would also be decorated with your flowers.

"Oh my" you gasped, Ralph looked over at you just as struck by the image and with a shared glance you both knew, that was your wedding cake.

"We love it!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Wonderful!" She said just as excitedly

"Now do we have a flavor in mind?"

"Well (y/n) and I both enjoy (f/f)" he told her.

"But we were thinking about perhaps making each layer different- for our guests" he added

"I do believe Victoria enjoys chocolate, don't you?" You asked, a slight teasing smile on your lips as you looked to your soon to be sister, who for the first time since you've met him, blushed.

"I do enjoy a good chocolate" she smiled back at you, earning a giggle from the both of you.

"We can definitely do that, we can have the top layer as well as the bottom layer be (f/f) and then the rest be different" she told you, before excusing herself to go grab some samples of their other flavors. After trying them and choosing the flavors you wanted she told you she would have it in time for your chosen date, a few shared hugs later you were just about to head out when she stopped you, asking if she could talk to you alone. You nodded to Ralph and watched as he walked out with Victoria.

"I just wanted to have a word. I've known those two since I was young and they were babies, Ralph is like a nephew to me"

"I can definitely see that" you smiled.

"It makes me so happy to know that he's found someone who loves him, I saw it in the way you looked at him today, and the way you interact with him…I know Ralph can be a handful, he's always been a very eccentric boy, but you are patient with him, you let him talk and get his thoughts out and I just wanted to tell you that I truly appreciate that dear. I know that he is in good and loving hands, and I hope you know that you are as well" she smiled, her words making you blink back tears, this woman who had seen your Ralphie as a baby, watched him grow up, was thanking you for something that came so naturally…Loving him.

"You don't have to thank me, I'm just happy I found him. He's unlike any man I've ever met, he makes me feel so seen and…Honestly he makes me feel like a princess, he really is my prince charming" you smiled.

"Then dear, I'm so happy to provide the cake for your fairytale" she smiled, leaning in to hug you, a hug you happily returned before she ushered you out.

"Don't make him wait" she smiled, and with that you left, and sure enough, as soon as you left Ralph's hand was in yours.

"What was that all about?" Victoria asked as you all began to head to the jewelry store since some things had gone faster than expected so you had time, and both you and Ralph needed wedding bands.

"She just wanted to tell me how happy she was, and how she was thankful Ralphie and I are together" you smiled, earning a smile from the both of them.

"She has always been like an aunt or even a second mother to us" Ralph told you.

"Do you remember when you got into the garden at her house, you tore up all her carrots and she disciplined you. Ralph wouldn't stop being upset about it for a week, he thought she truly hated him" Victoria told the story and you looked over to see Ralph blushing as she revealed his secrets.

"Awe Ralphie"

"What about when she caught you kissing the boy down the road behind her garden shed?" Ralph replied quickly, making Victoria gasp, not only at the fact that he brought up the memory, but the fact he stood up to her.

"What about when you put on that play in her living room? The one you wrote yourself and you insisted on playing every part, even the girls, you kept changing between a suit and a dress"

"Are there pictures of this?" You chimed in, causing Victoria to smile and Ralph to look over at you, a small whimper coming from him at you being happy about the embarrassing story.

"Oh you were probably so adorable though, being so happy to play out your story" you told him, looking into those puppy dog eyes, that was what you had come to realize Ralph slightly reminded you of in the time you had been with him, a very happy and loveable puppy.

"It's embarrassing" he whined, looking away from you.

"But it was something you were passionate about, and therefore that makes it adorable" you told him, leaning up to kiss his cheek and watching as he beamed at you, quickly leaning down to capture your lips. The two of you shared a brief kiss before walking into the jewelry store.

"Hello again" the man smiled, after all it had only been a little over a week since you were in here buying jewelry on your shopping trip.

"What can I help you with?"

"We're looking for wedding bands, well, they are looking for wedding bands" Victoria explained, the man looked over at the two of you and smiled.

"Ah yes, the Ruby engagement ring, I'm glad to see it was accepted"

"Happily so" Ralph beamed as you both walked towards the counter.

"Well you are in luck my friends, the engagement ring actually came with a matching wedding band" he told you, pulling out the tray and showing that there was in fact a matching band. A beautiful band with oval shapes that had two Rubies and four smaller diamonds in each. In between five larger diamonds.

"Well we most certainly have to get that" Ralph smiled at you.

"Now we just need to find one for you," you replied.

"I'd be honored if you picked it out" he told you, his eyes gazing into yours with complete seriousness.

"Oh Ralphie, are you sure?"

"Completely, knowing you chose it for me makes it all the more special" he smiled, watching as your gaze softened even more, a look of pure love in your eyes before you leaned in and captured his lips.

"It's me who would be honored" you whispered, your breath fanning against his face and making him dizzy, truly the wedding couldn't get here fast enough for him. He watched you slowly look through all of the wedding bands, giving each one a thorough inspection to find one you felt really fit him. He watched you with such love, getting lost in every detail of you that he slightly jumped when you finally spoke.

"Ah ha! That one" you smiled up at the man from your crouched position, having gotten down to get a better look. He watched you point to a tray and the man pull it out for you, you happily standing before looking over at him.

"This one" you smiled. He looked over at the ring and gasped, it had oval shapes as well, though these ovals were pure diamonds, with triangles pointing up and down in between each oval, and each of the triangles has a smaller diamond. Truly it was a beautiful ring.

"It's beautiful" he spoke still in awe, this was what made you think of him? It was so beautiful and elegant and surely this was too much right? Surely you didn't see him as a diamond?

"A beautiful ring for a beautiful boy" you smiled, his face flushed completely as his eyes snapped to you, beautiful doe eyes wide at your words.

"I think it's perfect," you smiled. Watching as he swallowed, trying to collect himself after your compliment.

"If you think it's perfect than so do I my love" he smiled.

"I'll wrap them up" the man smiled at your little scene. After that you all were off to the Ritz for lunch and to meet up with your friends. The lunch was great, you all chatted happily while you ate, though the one thing you didn't care for was how one of the waitresses kept staring at Ralph. You leaned over and kissed his cheek just as he took a bite, causing the boy to quickly look over at you, to which you simply smiled at him.

"Just cause" you told him, watching as he leaned forward after swallowing, you happily gave him a quick kiss on the lips before hearing your friends pipe up.

"Alright not while I'm eating" Lauren told the two of you, causing you both to laugh. But Ralph slid his hand across the table, taking yours in his before bringing it up to his lips.

"I can't wait to marry you," he smiled.

"Neither can I Ralphie"

"Is there anything else I can get you?" The waitress asked, well, asked Ralph who didn't even bother to look at her, figuring she was addressing Victoria as most people did.

"No thank you, unless you all are ready to go?" You told her, looking around at everyone.

"Yes I think we better go if we want to find you a good wedding dress" Victoria smiled, having seen the woman eyeing her brother as well.

"Oh! You're getting married?" The girl asked, eyes now on you.

"Yes" you smiled, holding up the hand that was still grasping Ralph's but still able to show the ring.

"My, that is a lovely ring" she gasped.

"Thank you, my Ralphie does love to spoil me" you smiled at Ralph, leaning in to give him another quick kiss that had the boy beaming.

"Anything for you my love" he mused. And you watched the girl slightly huff.

"Right, I'll be back with the check" she stated before quickly leaving.

"I think you just broke that poor girl's heart," Lauren laughed.

"Her heart and eyes were in the wrong place" you shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Ralph asked, looking between you and Lauren before looking over at the waitress, completely unaware of what just silently happened between you two.

"She…it's nothing" you laughed.

"The girl was eyeing you, and (y/n) was not so subtly telling her that you were off the market" Lauren explained. Making you look at her, and Ralph to look at you, wide-eyed. Ralph had his own worries in the back of his mind that you would one day wake up and change your mind, saying you didn't want him. But to hear that you were telling other women that he was yours, it made his heart flutter…and his pants tight. Coughing he subtly slipped his napkin onto his lap and leaned forward to try to hide himself from your view.

"Love, you don't have to worry, I'm all yours" he smiled, leaning in to kiss you, lips just inches away when he heard the voice of the waitress again.

"Your check" his eyes opened, noticing yours staring behind him, he quickly closed the gap, hand coming to rest of your cheek as he kissed you, an unspoken "I'm yours". When he pulled away the waitress was gone, and all of your friends were smirking.

"We better go then" Victoria laughed while standing.

"Yes let's" Ralph nodded, standing as well and taking your hand to help you up. You all walked outside and into the busy street.

"Well, this is where we part ways" you told him, watching as he looked at you, the sadness showing clear in those amber eyes.

"You can't see the bride's dress before the wedding, it's bad luck" you told him, cupping his cheek.

"The wedding can't come soon enough" he told you.

"It really can't" you smiled, before quickly kissing him as you let go of his hand. You back away to stand next to Victoria, Ralph still looking at you.

"I won't keep her long"Victoria told him, placing her hands on your shoulders.

"She'll be back in your arms by the end of the day Ralph, she needs to get her dress, and you all need to find your suits" she explained, hooking her arm through yours.

"Now off you go" she shooed him and began pulling you away. You look back at Ralph just as he looked back at you. You smiled and blew him a kiss, watching as he caught it and held it to his chest, smiling as well.

"I hope you don't mind, I invited some friends to help, I figured we could make an event out of this special moment" she said once you both reached the dress shop. You didn't know any of Victoria's friends, but it did make you nervous, Victoria came from money, and most likely so did her friends, you on the other hand did not, you were from very different social classes.

"Oh no I don't mind" you lied, walking with her to where three other girls sat.

"(Y/n) this is Florence, Josephine, and Lillian, my three best friends" Victoria beamed, gesturing to a redheaded woman with a bright red dress on, a blond woman wearing a gray dress with a fur shawl, and lastly a black haired woman with a gold dress.

"Ladies this is my soon to sister-in-law (y/n)" Victoria introduced.

"Hello" you smiled, shyly waving at the women.

"Hello dear" the one named Josephine smiled.

"Hello" Lillian nodded.

"So Ralph actually convinced someone to marry him?" Josephine asked, looking at you then Victoria…oh…this one was going to be trouble.

"It didn't take much convincing, her and my brother are madly in love" Victoria explained.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes" you piped up, earning her attention.

"Ralph is everything I've ever looked for in a man" you told her.

"Except for the man part" she mumbled, earning a slap to her leg from Josephine. Ok this one was already pissing you off.

"Let's start looking shall we dear" Josephine smiled, standing up and taking your other arm as she and Victoria led you around the shop. It didn't take Victoria long to find a dress she loved for her maid of honor dress, but by the time you went into the dressing room both Victoria and Josephine were holding five dresses each for you to try on.

The first one you tried on was not your style at all, but it was very much Victoria's the slim white dress was completely covered in silver beads and jewels with a matching headband and gloves, you knew this wasn't the one but you came out to show everyone anyways.

"Oh that is absolutely beautiful! Completely not your style dear but beautiful on you" Victoria smiled.

"I think this would be much better suited as your wedding dress Victoria" you laughed but admired yourself in the mirror.

"Victoria getting married? Now that would be a sight to see" Florence laughed.

"I could see her in it though" Lillian added, causing Florence to roll her eyes.

"Let's try on another one" Josephine clapped, you simply nodded and tried on the next, which was a much longer gown, no jewels this time but it did have a lace overlay. Overall it was a very simple but elegant dress, and your crowd thought as much.

"It's a little…Plain" Josephine stated.

"Yeah I thought that too" you said.

"Not sure if it would go with the theme" you added.

"Oh what is your theme?" Josephine smiled

"Victoria probably picked it out since Ralph usually just sits in the back and lets Victoria run the show" Florence laughed..ok why was she here again? She didn't even sound like a friend to Victoria at this point.

"Actually Ralph did choose the theme" Victoria defended her brother.

"Oh no" Florence started before turning to you.

"I would say I feel sorry for you but you did sign up for this"

"The theme is Black and Gold" you stated, turning away from Florence to face Josephine.

"Ralphie picked it because of the dress I wore on the first night we danced together, he said that was when he started falling in love with me" you smiled, hearing a snort from Florence,but Josephine was beaming.

"That is so romantic!' she sighed.

"We definitely need to find you the right dress," she quickly added.

"Definitely!"

The next few dresses were ok but still not the one, though one you did like that was kind of fun was one that was more of what you think of when you think of a "flapper" style dress. Different layers of beads that moved when you danced, there were also crystals on the bodice down to the hips.

"I think that would be more for the reception, more fun to dance in" Victoria smiled excitedly.

"Oh Ralph would love that, and paired with my tap shoes" you smiled back, twisting back and forth to watch the beads swing.

"Oh he'd fall in love all over again" she laughed.

"I say we get it as a party dress then" Josephine clapped excitedly.

"I agree, we are getting that one too" Victoria nodded before shooing you back into the changing room. A few more dresses and a few more nos, until the very last dress that you slipped into your body. A long fitted dress that flared at the bottom, the neckline was a deep V, showing off your collarbones and the top of your breasts. The sleeves were short but long enough to deal over the tops of your arms, and the best part, it was bejeweled. Not in an obviously overly jeweled sort of way, but in jewels that didn't even look like they were there until you moved and they caught the light. Walking out you knew you had a smile on your face that simply screamed "this is the one". All the women looked shocked,even Florence and Lillian. But it was Victoria who spoke up first as you admired yourself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful" she breathed, you looked at her through the mirror, her hand placed on her chest and held back tears in her eyes.

"Awe, Victoria" you turned, walking over to hug her.

"I'm fine dear but you…This is the one" she whispered.

"It really is" you smiled at her, turning back to the mirror, and suddenly, suddenly it all began to sink in…you were in the 1920's…Getting married to a man you had only really known for a little over a week but were already completely in love with…This was crazy, the few friends you had back home would say you were completely insane, and yet…You couldn't be happier.

"Oh wait!" Josephine jumped from her seat, running off excitedly before quickly returning, she helped you put on the full length while silk gloves, putting large crystal earrings in your ears and placing a jeweled headband on your head, a headband that had a long veil attached to it.

"I'm getting married" you breathed, honestly you didn't think this day would ever come, not for you,not the second choice.

"You're getting married" Victoria spoke behind you, fixing the veil before placing her hands on your shoulders, looking at you through the mirror.

"Ralph will be so in love" she smiled.

"Do you think she's found a dress yet?" Ralph asked as he straightened his suit in the mirror.

"Not sure, you know how women are with dresses," Lauren replied, fixing her tie.

"Lauren, you are a woman" Jason laughed.

"Fuck off" she huffed.

"No she has a point, she's with my sister, she's probably had a mountain of dresses to try on, especially if my sister brought any of her friends"Ralph told Jason.

"Your sister has friends?" Jason asked, instantly intrigued.

"Down perv" Lauren scolded.

"Yes…Well…I suppose you could call them friends. They are more of the, how do you put it"

"Talk shit about you behind your back?" Lauren fished.

"Yes, except they don't wait til you can't hear" Ralph explained.

"Oof, who needs friends like that?" Horace asked?

"Victoria I suppose" Ralph shrugged

"They've never quite cared for me, so I do hope they aren't taking their displeasure for me out on (y/n)"

"I'm just shocked is all" Florence stated, all of them were whispering but we're still loud enough for you to hear.

"We love you Victoria you know that, but your brother is a bit…" she started.

"Overzealous, hyperactive, easily excitable" Lillian listed.

"Honestly…we thought he was…You know" Florence added. You knew what they were referring to. Simply because Ralph took care of himself and presented himself well they took it as him being a "dandy", it couldn't simply be because that's just who he was.

"My brother can be a bit…Much. But yes they are getting married" Victoria defended.

"Does the poor girl know what she's getting into?" Lillian asked

"He'll follow her around like a puppy dog, she'll have no peace"

"If she didn't know him do you think they would be getting married?" Josephine questioned, at least her and Victoria were on your side.

"I'm just questioning her sanity is all…unless" Florence stopped.

"Unless what?" Victoria asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Unless…she's only after his money"

What?! How dare she think that was what you were after, sure both he and Victoria both spoiled you, and every time you felt bad about it, but you would never be with someone simply for money.

"Florence!" Josephine started, but you cut her off, having come out from behind the curtain.

"You know nothing about me and yet you sit here and call me a gold digger? I wouldn't care if Ralph didn't have a penny to his name, I would still marry him. Why? Because I love him! Yes he can be intense, but that's just how he shows his love, and yes he can be hyper but only when he's passionate. Yes he is like a puppy dog at times but I'm fully ok with that because I adore him, he makes me feel loved and seen for the first time in my life. I'm not like you all are, obviously, I'm not wealthy, or overly beautiful, I've never had men falling at my feet from a simple look. I know this, and yet even if I had all of that, I would trade it all for him. Because honestly…He's everything I ever wanted, but never thought I deserved" you finished, before quickly adding.

"And having good hygiene, and taking care of yourself and your looks doesn't make you gay! I'm sorry that none of the men you have met have cared whether or not they look like shit" and with that you turned and walked towards the counter, leaving a stunned Florence and Lillian, a laughing Josephine, and a smiling Victoria.

"Well ladies, it's been a pleasure as always, I do hope you show up to the wedding" she smiled.

"I wouldn't miss it" Josephine smiled, but Florence and Lillian stayed silent. Victoria nodded and met you at the counter. She quickly paid and grabbed your arm, leading you outside.

"Can I just say," she started as you walked down the street towards home.

"That that little speech was the bravest and nicest thing anyone has ever done for my brother" she smiled.

"I'm sorry I was probably out of line"

"Oh heavens no, no they needed that…and getting to see Florence and Lillian be completely stunned was absolutely perfect" she laughed.

"Was all of it true?" She asked, looking over at you.

"Of course, every word" you answered, causing her to pull you closer.

"Then I am so happy my brother found you"

"There is the love of my life" Ralph said as soon as you stepped through the door, his arms around you as he pulled you to him.

"Ralph we were only gone for a couple of hours" Victoria sighed, taking the dresses upstairs.

"A couple hours is far too long" he told her, you couldn't help but giggle and lean in to kiss him, a kiss he happily accepted before tucking his face into your neck.

"I missed you so much"

"I missed you too Ralphie, my sweet little puppy"

"Puppy?"

"Yeah, it came up today, the comparison…I can see it" he gave such an adorable confused look before simply smiling, leaning back into your neck.

"As long as I'm your puppy" he sighed.

"You are, my sweet puppy"

The following weeks were a flurry of finalizing everything and getting things prepared. You all knew that weddings should have taken months to properly get put together, but you all also knew that you and Ralph didn't necessarily want to wait that long…So a month it was. Everything felt crazy, a whirlwind of events leading up to the big day, but here you are, sitting inside a lavish room trying not to cry and ruin your makeup as Victoria finishes your hair.

"This doesn't feel real," you breathed.

"None of this does" Lauren stated from her seat on the couch, you caught her eyes in the mirror and knew exactly what she meant, and your mind flashed back to the day you had told Ralph everything.

"So it's all real" he breathed, looking at your passport that held your birth date.

"Yes, I know it sounds completely bonkers," you laughed.

"But everything I told you was the truth" you stated, waiting on bated breath for him to speak, it was unusual for Ralph to be this quiet.

"Ralphie?" You asked hesitantly

"It doesn't matter where or even when you came from" he stated while looking over at you.

"I'm just simply glad you came into my life" he smiled.

"I think you're ready dear" Victoria smiled at you through the mirror, you stood, going behind the screen to change into your gown and earning a small gasp from them both when you stepped back out.

"Now the gloves and jewelry" Victoria nodded, blinking back her own tears as she hurried to grab your things. Your eyes met Lauren's and you smiled.

"You look beautiful," she nodded.

"Thank you, and thank you for messaging me that day, all those years ago…if you hadn't, we wouldn't have become friends, I wouldn't have come to visit and….I wouldn't be here right now" you told her, truly grateful for your friendship.

"Yeah you do really owe it all to me huh?" She smirked, causing you to laugh.

"Yes I do"

"Well, my payment is you and Ralph going anywhere else for your honeymoon yeah? I don't need to hear…that" she told you, her face scrunching up in disgust.

"Oh don't worry, they will in fact have a honeymoon spot far, far away from us all" Victoria noted, handing you your gloves to put on before helping you with your veil. You slipped off your engagement ring to put it on over the glove.

"I love you and my brother dearly but I don't exactly want to hear you taking my brother's virginity" she told you, causing Lauren to laugh.

"Ok that's fair" you giggled.

"Though it would be a mutual taking"

"Either way dear…there…now you're ready" she told you, and you turned to look at yourself in the mirror, willing yourself not to cry because this was it…You were getting married.

You met Horace at the main doors, you had asked him to walk you down the aisle as he had been your comfort many times in the past when you became overwhelmed or sad, a request he happily agreed to.

"You look beautiful (y/n)" he smiled

"You look quite dashing yourself" you smiled back and straightened his tie.

"Are you ready?"

"Shockingly…I've never been more ready for something, this is where I'm suppose to be, I know it" you told him, taking his arm and waiting for your que. You heard the music begin, signaling it was time, and with a deep breath, you both entered the room. All eyes landed on you with a gasp, but those eyes weren't the ones you were searching for, the ones you sought out were at the end of the aisle. That beautiful amber gaze, glossed over with tears as he watched you walk towards him, you saw him gasp, and try to calm himself as you neared him, his hand quickly coming up to wipe away the tears. By now you were already shedding a few yourself, and you hope you hadn't messed up your makeup.

"You look so beautiful" he breathed, voice shaking as he took your hand from Horace, smiling at the man.

"You look so handsome" you smiled, taking him in, his black and gold suit nothing less than you expected from him.

"I can't believe I get to marry you" he smiled, another tear falling, one which you quickly wiped away.

"I can't believe it either Ralphie"

"Shall we begin?" The officiant asked, without looking away from each other you both nodded.

"Welcome, loved ones. We are gathered here today to join (y/n) and Ralph in holy matrimony." They said to the crowd while you and Ralph held each other's hands.

"Ralph, we'll start with you, please repeat after me" they spoke, speaking and waiting for Ralph to repeat.

"(Y/n), I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us." He told you, eyes gazing into yours with the most seriousness you had ever seen from him, you knew he meant every word he said.

"(Y/n)" they spoke, and you repeated the words.

"Ralph, I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us" you told him, with just as much seriousness, hoping that he knew your words were true.

"The couple has also prepared poems to read to one another, who would like to start?"

"I would…If that's alright?" Ralph asked, looking at you, you smiled and nodded, already trying to hold back tears again.

"I'm so sure that you're the one, with you I feel life's just begun. I feel it when I touch your skin, I feel it in my heart beating within. I look in your eyes and I know your story, I melt for your voice and it's glory. So many smiles, but I live for yours, you're my magic, my heart soars. I can't lose you, you are she, she who makes my life lovely. She who mends my broken pieces, she who smooths out my creases. I just know it, understand, I feel it when you hold my hand. Your laughter truly saves my life, and I wished one day you'd be my wife. I want to wake up in your hair, tangled up with you in there. When you're sick, I'll hug you tightly, and I'll remind you when we're fighting. That you're my princess, and I love you, that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you. That life goes on, that we are strong. That no matter what it seems, that you and I, we are a team. Just kiss me, make me feel young forever, let's laugh, and dance, and live together. Spend your life with me, it'll be fun, let me show you you're the one.So I swear to you, this is real, I promise you it's what I feel. You make me believe that love is true, I have a soulmate, and she is you." He finished, having to take a moment every now and then while reading to clear his throat and hold back tears, you on the other hand, were openly crying.

"Oh Ralphie" you whispered, and he wished he could lift your veil and wipe away your tears. But he watched you wipe them away yourself, trying to compose yourself so you could read your poem, he also took this moment to wipe his own eyes.

"It's funny, we both wrote soulmate poems" you laughed lightly, earning a giggle from him.

"You came into my life unexpectedly, and everything took a turn for the better. Your warm eyes, your laugh, the sincere way you speak. And the kindness you showed me all became a part of my life. As you unfolded yourself to me, I discovered more and more beauty. I have never seen so much gentleness in one person. Without even knowing it you were slowly making a place for yourself in my heart. It used to seem so hard at times, to feel so close in a relationship. But it's so easy to feel close to you, I can't tell you how nice that feels. I realize now that I had never known what it meant to be loved…until I was loved by you." You told him, your voice shaky and breaking at the end.

"My love" he breathed, reaching under the veil to cup your cheek, wiping away the tears.

"Mine wasn't as long, and it didn't rhyme but" you laughed, causing him to laugh as well, both of you trying to blink away tears.

"Shall we move onto the ring exchange?" The officiant asked, wiping their eyes as well. You could see Jason, Horace and Nick all trying to wipe their eyes and faces, and you knew the two women behind you were probably no better.

"Let's" Ralph nodded, Horace handed him your ring and he repeated the words told to him.

"With this ring I, Ralph, take you, (y/n), to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us." With that he slid the ring onto your finger, resting it against your engagement ring. He lifted your hand to his lips, kissing the rings before looking at you again.

Victoria handed you the ring for him before you repeated as well.

"With this ring I, (y/n), take you, Ralph, to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us." And with that you put the ring on him, deciding to mimic him and kiss his ring as well.

"I love you" you smiled.

"I love you more" he smiled back.

"By the power vested in me by the city of London, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss your bride" and with that, Ralph happily and hurriedly lifted your veil and leaned in to capture your lips, sealing your union, a union that you were more than happy about. You held his face as you two continued to kiss, the sounds of the claps and cheers dying out in your ears as you could only focus on him.

"My beautiful wife" he smiled once he pulled away, eyes staring deep into yours.

"My handsome husband" you smiled back, earning a heart stopping smile from him..husband…he would never get tired of hearing that.

The two of you walked back down the aisle hand and hand, officially married, but you knew the night was far from over.

You quickly excused yourself to change, telling Ralph that you'd only be gone for a moment as his arms wrapped around your waist, his lips capturing yours again.

"Don't wanna part" he whined against your lips.

"Finally have you"

"And you'll continue to have me, I just need to change so I don't trip over my dress while dancing" you giggle against his constant kisses.

"I'll hold your dress" he giggled.

"Two seconds, that's all I need" you told him, your back pressed to the door of the room you were in earlier.

"Two seconds" he nodded, lips catching yours again.

"Two seconds" you confirmed, breaking the kiss and quickly running into the room. You got out of your wedding dress as quickly as you could, hanging it back up before quickly getting into your party dress and tap shoes. You came out just in time to see him emerging from a room down the hall, his suit the same but now there was a distinct tapping when he walked.

"Seemed we had the same idea" you smiled, catching his attention and watching as his eyes widened and mouth opened.

"You like?" You asked.

"You are absolutely stunning my love"

"Wanna see the best part?" You asked. Watching as he excitedly nodded. You stepped further into the hallways, watching as his eyes darted to your shoes upon hearing the tapping, his smile growing even bigger.

He watched you twist and show the layers of beads that swung along.

"Absolutely wizard!" He beamed, coming forward to catch your waist in his hands, a blush spreading to his cheeks at his own actions.

"Shall we go show everyone?" You asked, he nodded, though really Ralph wants to keep you all to himself at that moment. You two walk to the reception area, being greeted with more claps and cheers when you walk through the doors. Everyone is already seated and food is being served. You walk up to the main table, taking your seat between Victoria and Ralph, while Horace sits on the other side of Ralph. All of you eat, playful banter being thrown back and forth as you all laugh. You and Ralph go to cut your cake, absolutely marveling at the beautiful masterpiece that Lucile made.

"I don't want to cut it, it's so beautiful" you gasped, but alas you knew you had to, so you did, each of you feeding a piece to the other.

You tossed the bouquet and watched as Victoria caught it and Jason caught the garter, making you and Lauren both bust out laughing. Finally, after everything it was time for the first dance. The two of you came together just as your friends began to play.

"At last, my love has come along

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song"

You held onto Ralph, just as you had the first time you danced, still not believing this was all happening.

"I can't believe you're mine" he whispered, forehead resting against yours.

"I can't believe you're mine either" you whispered back.

"Ooh yeah, yeah

At last, the skies above are blue

My heart was wrapped up in clover

The night I looked at you"

"I never thought I would find anyone, I never thought someone could actually…deal with me" he stated, face coming to rest in your neck as he wrapped both arms around you, your own coming up to wrap around his neck.

"I found a dream, that I could speak to

A dream that I can call my own

I found a thrill to rest my cheek to

A thrill that I have never known"

"Oh Ralphie"

"I would never say that I am dealing with you my love. I love you, and I'll show you that everyday" you told him, causing him to untuck himself and look at you.

"I never thought I would find someone either, but I am so thankful to have found you" you smiled, earning a smile from him in return.

"And I'll show you everyday how much I love you in return" he told you, leaning in to capture your lips.

"Ohh yeah yeah

You smile

You smile

Oh and then the spell was cast

And here we are in heaven

For you are mine

At last"

After that the party got a bit crazier, everyone was on the dance floor, and with drinks flowing you all partied until the late night hours. You couldn't stop smiling and laughing as you danced with Ralph or Victoria or both. Even you and Josephine danced a few times. But the night slowly died down, everyone thanked you for an amazing time and you thanked them for coming. Giving an extra long hug to Lucile who confessed she bawled while you two got married. She told Ralph that she knew his mother was smiling at the union and that made both you and Ralph begin crying again. Once everyone was gone you and Ralph looked at one another.

"S-Should we head to our h-honeymoon?" he asked, suddenly very shy,and you knew exactly why.

"We do have to consummate the marriage" you smiled shyly, earning a darker blush from him while your own cheeks were tinted lightly.

"Yes we do…after you my beautiful wife" he nodded, holding the door for you.

"Thank you, my beautiful husband" you smiled, leaning in to capture his lips for a moment before walking towards the waiting car.

There it is everyone!! The beautiful wedding, next up is the wedding night 😏

Your cake, invitations, and venue.

Your dresses, his tux, and the rings

Florence, Josephine, and Lillian

The poems you two read

If you would like to be added to the taglist please let me know.

Taglist

@quirkyquartney , @the-a-word-2214 , @no-mercy-bby , @sav7689 , @vonschweetz , @greeny-kitten , @0x0spunky-monkey0x0 , @ladybug0095 , @takemetoneverland420 , @serotoninenthusiast , @error-home-not-found , @fujiihime , @peachymonsters , @estrellitams , @ellalafrella @fictionlandslanddreams , @emmamooney

@eddiemunson4ever , @drmeghanjones @faffacake , @lancaerielcotume , @blkroyalty1 , @librafilms , @brighteyedbushybrowed , @pl1nfa1 , @lyn-soso , @pinkdaiisies , @screaming-blue-bagel , @ayoitsmickey , @nchl18 , @bxtch-bou , @crazyjenny8675309 , @ietss , @spookybabey , @el-dibidibidorado1 , @maryan028 , @ninaisajunkie , @loliakeoghan23 , @ok-boke , @fanfictionvibes , @frozenhuntress67 , @eddiemunsonsgroupie, @kaitcreatesart , @thewondernanazombie , @ojkamins, @flowexr

[busyralph]

busy streets and busy lives • ralph penbury x reader

A strange day at work gets even stranger when you meet a man who claims he's from 1926. With no certainty as to when he can get back, you decide to take him in until that time arrives.

masterlist

Tags: Timewasters (series), modern!au, established relationship, 18+ (MINORS DNI), protected sex (p in v), fingering (f receiving)

Word count: 2.4k

Summary: When we last left the Busy Streets and Busy Lives universe, you’d been considering getting a new job now that you’ve moved into Ralph’s house with him. But part of starting a new job means having to make a good impression, letting your work speak for you. And in prioritising that, you’ve been a little neglectful of your own desires, as well as somebody else’s…

A/N: God, I missed writing these idiots. Just a quick, smutty lil thing because I didn't know how to jump back in lmao. Not all epilogues will be smutty, but a bitch has needs too, y'know.

(Also, in case you haven't seen yet, don't worry, this is @quinnkeerys themself lol, I just made this blog to keep bsbl alive :))

Ralph knocks tentatively on the door to the room that you’ve converted into your new office as you rest your temples on the heels of your hands and growl in frustration at your laptop. You look over your shoulder and your face softens into a smile. “God, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” you smile wearily as he approaches you.

“How goes your latest project, my love?” He asks, draping his arms over you and peppering kisses along your cheek.

“Take a wild guess,” you scoff, shaking your head. “I get that I left the shop because I wanted a challenge, but my god, at what cost?”

“A job far more stimulating than the same old, same old? One that’s closer to where we live now?” Ralph suggests, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and breathing deeply. “You’ve been at your desk an awful long time, darling. Perhaps you could take a break?”

You squeeze your eyes shut and shake your head. “Can’t. Gotta stay on task.”

Ralph frowns. “Something ails you. Something other than the job at hand.” His thumbs start to rub circles into your back, his fingers working your shoulders. “You’re stressing yourself out far too much, dearest. You’ll make yourself ill, and you’ll be far worse off for it.”

You allow yourself a fraction of a second to lean into his touch before bringing yourself back to reality. “Look, I just - I made a good first impression and I really need to keep it up.”

“Your work will suffer from your stress, too,” Ralph points out. “And I miss you terribly.”

“Ralph…” you coo, moving a hand up to ghost over one of his as he continues massaging your shoulders. "Miss you, too."

"Take a break," Ralph repeats, a little more deliberation in his tone, swivelling you around in your chair. "Come with me." You take the hand he extends to you and stand to let him guide you to the bedroom. You give him a look, one that's about to tease him for having one thing on the brain, but instead he ignores it to ask you, "Would you lay down on your stomach?" as he presents the bed to you.

"What are you trying to do to me, Penbury?" You ask slyly as you clamber onto the bed, burying half your face into the pillows.

"Just trying to look after you, my treasure," he simpers, kneeling beside you to resume massaging your shoulders. "Help you… Slow things down, for a night."

You lift your head. "A whole night? Ralph, I -" He gently shushes you back into silence, working your shoulders and neck until you melt back into the plush of your bed. "Mmm, this is a dangerous skill you've got," you smile defeatedly. "How long have you been hiding this?"

"I must admit, I am aware of its… Effect," you can hear the proud little smile in Ralph's voice. "Which is why I only wanted to share it with you when necessary, and not a moment sooner. Just relax, darling," he purrs as he moves his hands to instead slide beneath your shirt, working the supple flesh of your back.

"God, Ralph, that feels so good," you drawl, completely becoming one with the mattress.

"I bet it does, my love," that same tone that tells you he's smiling proudly returns. "Just feel my fingers pressing into you, pushing all of that horrible tension away. For tonight, at least, it shall no longer consume you, my beloved."

His hands move lower and lower, until they're pressing just where the curve of your ass begins. Your hips wiggle involuntarily at the thought of Ralph caressing your ass, and you can't catch the automatic whimper that leaves your throat when his hands slide back up again. "Ralph…" you moan softly.

"Yes, love? Would you like me to…?" He doesn't say it, but his hands make their way down your bare back and then over your clothed cheeks. He slides his palms over your curves and only grips once he's at your thighs. "Is this where you need me?"

"I don't think the clothes are helping," you smirk, and he takes heed, tapping on your hips to silently ask you to lift them as he slowly undresses your lower half. Once your legs are completely bare, he gets to work again, massaging your feet, your ankles, up your legs to your thighs. Not saying a word, but humming in the most delectable way the whole time. 

As he caresses your ass, pressing and squeezing and grabbing in ways that have you chirping and squealing in excitement, Ralph coos, "There's part of you that I've yet to touch, darling." He moves one hand to grip the very topmost part of your inner thigh, ghosting his thumb up across your folds. "Would you l-"

"Yes," you interject hastily. "God, yes, Ralph, please touch me there," you whine, and his face lifts into a soft, warm smile.

"As you wish, my love. Though it would probably be more fruitful for you to lay on your back for that."

It feels like a chore, bringing yourself out of such a relaxed stupor just to flip yourself over, but you undress your top half in the process, too. Once you're comfortable again, and Ralph starts to get back into position, you stop him. "I think you need your shirt off, too, Ralphie."

A small, playful smirk adorns his face. "Would that help you to relax?"

You nod earnestly. "Most definitely." Amused, Ralph slips out of the quarter-zip he'd been wearing, his smile even bigger as you silently encourage him to also take off the T-shirt he'd been wearing underneath.

Once it's off, before you can try and convince him of any more, he bends down to kiss you. His hand strokes at your jaw until it opens to allow your tongue to meet with his. This kiss is different though - it's not a wild and fiery tango within your mouths; it's a slow, deliberate, controlled waltz that Ralph is definitely leading. The hums you fill the kiss with turn into full-blown moans when he reaches his hands down to grope both of your breasts.

He continues to massage them while kissing you for some time, before moving down silently to start kissing your neck, down the valley of your breasts, until his lips latch around one of your nipples. Despite your head being clouded with arousal, you still can't fight off a smile as Ralph still finds a way to include his favourite form of affection.

You prop yourself up on your elbow to watch him, playing with the loose curls that fall against his forehead as you smirk, "You really like it there, huh, baby?" He chirps happily, letting one go with a satisfyingly wet pop before moving to suckle on the other. He looks up at you adoringly, humming delightfully as his mouth caresses your sensitive nub. "So good to me," you purr.

He kisses further down your body, smattering the expanse of your tummy with soft, sweet pecks. He crawls backwards as he keeps kissing lower and lower down your body, until he naturally falls into place between your legs. His mouth wraps around your clit as he effortlessly sinks two fingers inside of you. You keen against him, whining loudly. Ralph's cheeks dust your thighs as he smiles, "That's it, my darling. Empty yourself of all other thoughts. It's just you and me. And I live to satisfy you."

"Mmm, y'go… Above and beyond that, Ralphie," you drawl, your hips squirming against him. "Shit, baby, m'g'nna… Gonna cum…"

"Oh, please do," Ralph begs as he curls his fingers, rubbing your clit with his thumb at the same time in such a way that you’re climaxing over his hand in seconds; overwhelmingly so, you feel it shooting through your nervous system, followed by a weighted feeling of pure calm, relaxing every one of those nerves.

As you recover, you hear him noisily and delightfully sucking his fingers clean. With a soft smile, you tap his head and gesture for him to move up to be face level with you. He practically pounces back up and immediately kisses you, his dry hand splaying across your cheek. You chuckle against his lips, “How did you know that’s what I wanted from you?”

“I was simply acting upon my own impulse,” he grins back. “Any reciprocation is just a bonus.”

“Speaking of reciprocating…” You start, looking him in the eyes suggestively as your fingers trace routes between each of the freckles along his chest and shoulders, committed to muscle memory by this point. Ralph’s brow furrows, and you allow yourself a quiet, breathy laugh. “I know, I know, you wanted to relax me and not the other way around, but if you wanted to keep me distracted…”

“How do you want me, darling?” He asks, hurriedly shimmying out of the rest of his clothes before reaching for the nightstand. He scrambles to grab a condom and slides it on with ease, looking over at you in anticipation.

"I don’t care how,” you shake your head. “Only as long as you want it, too, not just for me," your eyebrows knit with concern, and he smiles warmly down at you.

"Darling, I assure you that the day I would not want for you, is the day I should be put down like an old dog."

"Ralph!" You giggle as he starts to kiss your neck. 

“Shhh, just relax,” he soothes, gently shushing between pecks. “Empty your mind again. Let me take care of you.” You nod, and he reaches down to line himself up with you.

You smirk up at him, reaching up to play with his hair, “My Ralphie already hard for me?”

He whines out an mm-hm. “Missed touching you like this… Being so close to you, again…”

“’M sorry, baby,” you pout. “I promise I’ll make more time for you.”

You feel his tip barely penetrating you and inhale deeply, basking in the anticipation of feeling Ralph inside of you again, but he stops to look up at you again. “Promise for you, also.” You look at him quizzically, and he elaborates. “Promise you’ll make time for you, as well.”

Your face melts into a warm smile. "Yes, Ralph. I promise I'll do better at looking after myself."

His whole expression lights up as he presses himself inside of you, and he revels in watching your entire self form a puddle beneath him. He anchors his fists into your sheets deeply as he feels your walls clench over his cock, and buries his face into your neck again. “My darling,” he whines, “please forgive me.”

“Forgive you?” you frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” He replies hurriedly, still muffled from where his head is sunk. “I just… I think I might… Not last as long as I’d hoped to please you for.”

You fall into a soft laughter as you run your fingers back and forth through his curls. “Don’t worry, baby,” you coo. “The way you’ve taken care of me tonight, I won’t, either.” You let out a long, stuttered gasp as his hips snap against yours. “Fuck, especially if you keep hitting that spot.”

His lips turn up into a small smile as he pulls back to push himself in faster. “Did you mean that one, by chance?” he teases.

You mewl, “God, yes, Ralph, please don’t stop.”

“Not to worry, darling, I don’t plan to,” he smirks as he keeps fucking into you. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, your heels into his back as you feel your second climax quickly building.

You hum out, “Mmm, Ralph… Close, again… Are you?”

“I shan’t be far behind you, I’m sure,” he coos, reaching between you to rub at your clit. Your field of vision fills with spots of colour as he gets you to your second apex. The first one had felt more like a sea of calm washing over you; this one is a final spark of pleasure, an explosion from your core to the very tips of your fingers and toes. Ralph presses his forehead against yours as he thrusts into you one final time.

You stay there, foreheads touching, breathing in each others’ air for a good few minutes before Ralph finally pulls himself out of you. “I’ll be right back, darling,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to your forehead, another to your nose and a final one to your lips before going to the bathroom to clean up.

He soon returns to the bedroom, though not before hunting through his drawers to find a sweater he knows you’ll find comfortable. Tired, you muse with a small smirk, “Not even giving me my most favourite one?” as you pull it over your head.

“Apologies, darling, but I had promised Alex I’d wear it to work tomorrow. Apparently they have a similar one in red and there’s something of a match, there,” he throws his T-shirt and boxers back on before climbing back into bed with you and wrapping you in an embrace. “And besides, you’d only perspire and make yourself uncomfortable.”

You roll over in his arms with a grin. “Please take so many photos of you both as human versions of the Cookie Monster and Elmo.”

“I’m sure we will, darling,” he smiles sleepily, kissing your forehead once more before you curl yourself up to nestle your head in the crook of his neck.

“Thank you for tonight,” you pipe up. “And I’m… Sorry I’ve been neglecting us both.”

“Don’t be,” he soothes. “I understand. But I hope now you understand the importance of taking a break.”

“When you make it so appealing, how could I not?” You smile against his skin, pressing more kisses to his neck as he squeezes you tighter. “But you’re right. I’ll make more time for us. And not just for this, for… Everything. I miss living life with you.”

“Well, thankfully, I do plan on living the rest of my life with you, so what’s a day or two here and there?” he smiles into your hair, and you can’t help but laugh.

“You’re so corny sometimes, you know that?” You ask lightly, squeezing your arms around him.

“You remind me constantly, dear,” he agrees with a soft laugh lilting his own tone, too. 

“Good job I love you, isn’t it?” you tease. “Goodnight, Ralphie.”

“Good night, my love. Pleasant dreams.”

[a-writer-on-elm-street]

Be Good For Me

kinktober day 31 - mutual masturbation

Pairing: Ralph x Fem!Reader

Summary: Don't have a summary, sorry.

Warnings: Smut, mutual masturbation.

A/N: So this is extremely late because I've had a lot on lately, both in real life and on tumblr but anyway, I hope you like it! And thank you so much to the anon who suggested it. :)

"That's it Ralphie." You urged, your smile widening as you watched him continue to work his hand over himself. "Just a little longer."

You were currently sitting in the armchair across from your bed, your fingers moving lazily between your folds as you watched Ralph, who was slouched on your mattress, his hand desperately moving up and down his length.

"Please, my love." He pleaded, his eyes screwing shut as he worked himself closer to his release. "Can I...can I touch you?"

"Not just yet, Ralph." You grinned, a quiet moan slipping from your lips as you tried to keep your eyes on him. "Come on, keep going. I know you can do it."

Ralph let out a guttural groan as he fought to keep his eyes open, his hips beginning to buck up into his hand as he got himself off. He wasn't sure how much longer he could control himself, what with the sight of you just metres away from him, your fingers deep inside your cunt.

"(y/n)...please...I'm not sure I can-"

"Yes you can, Ralph." You smiled, your gaze still fixed on him as you continued to thrust your fingers inside yourself. "Now be good for me and make yourself come."

[Kinktober Masterlist] [Main Masterlist] [Ralph Masterlist]

[pollenallergie]

Ralph wanders off at a carnival, making you lose sight of him, so you go all Daniel Day-Lewis “I’ve abandoned my boy!”… Just anxiously running around, desperately searching for your Ralphie. Meanwhile, he’s having a helluva time watching some guy on stilts masterfully juggle colorful wooden pins at one of the outdoor shows.

[emsgoodthinkin]

eyes 🤎✨ face just all lit up dawe

Ralph vibes

[ellen-m-ichiban81]

Not me over here at 41 years old daydreaming about slow dancing with Ralph while he sings in my ear and tells me how wizard I am. How did I become so obsessed with this intense adorable little baby? ❤️❤️

[hahahafucku]

I need a fluffy smut with the inspiration of "I Found You" by Stephen Sanchez pleaaaase

[jelldeebiscuit]

welcome to my small little garden you may have stumbled upon here from our shared loved for eddie munson/joseph quinn along with every other role he’s been in

about me

call me dee | half-filipina | she/her | aegosexual | capricorn | addicted to coffee | writer | artist | graphic designer

favorites

stranger things | monsta x | death note | music | video games | horror movies | true crimes | funko

ask box

will always be open | please send me things | love to interact and meet new people online | feel comfortable and safe here | no anons so if you’re going to be hateful, go ahead, let everyone see

links

rules | masterlist | ao3 | taglist | current wips

[1donoow]

MIX FANDOM FANFICS REC PT.3 on going

[Fanfics i've read]

Edited

......

♡ - smut

Mostly fluff

......

Encanto [camilo madrigal]

the black phone [vance hopper]

time wasters [ralph penbury]

doctor who [eleventh doctor][twelve doctor]

doctor sleep [dan torrance]

cobra kai [miguel diaz][eli "hawk" moskowitz]

wayne [wayne mccullough]

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

—————ENCANTO——————

camilo madrigal

@multi-fandom-imagine - ___

@magicalencanto - camilo having a crush

- first meeting

- Camilo with s/o who had butterfly wings! Pt 2

@levithestripper - Romantic Headcanons

@lapileaferri - Matchmaking Matriarch

@your-girl-mj - trust the procress

@camilomyshiningstar - just one nap

@squeamishdionysus - language of love

@suncakie - you're an idiot

@carlosfruitsnacks - the manliligaw pt.3

- under all the pink

@cahmilo - Camilo with an S/O who is a Talented Artist

- Camilo with a S/O who is a Popular Kpop Idol

- camilo dating a ballerina

@queenlizzie-xo - camilo hc

———THE BLACK PHONE———

vance hopper

@vainvenus - head over heels

@aecassie - sensitive

@stargnf - stupid girl

@creamymilkk - aww vance can be sweet

@tnmdfhgkg - i knew you liked me

————TIME WASTERS————

ralph

@meowlanderr - hc

@diaryofaprettyprincess - ___

- giving ralph bj ♡

@babybluebex - your golden retriever boyfriend

- kisses

@mypoisonedvine - who's a good boy? ♡

@meliorao - your relationship with ralph

————DOCTOR WHO—————

@honey-im-hotdog - seven cubes of sugar (twelve doctor)

@imajinxnation - you witness their regeneration

@undiscovered-horizon - You cut through all the noise (eleventh doctor)

————DOCTOR SLEEP————

dan torrance

@mlmxreader - night shift

@bowieandqueen11 - walls

—————COBRA KAI——————

miguel diaz

@strawberri-blonde - caught ♡

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

eli "hawk" moskowitz

@greetings-and-salutations - get your f*cking hands oof her, a*shole

- dating eli would include

——————WAYNE———————

wayne mccullough

@wayneimagine - lost & found

- Being Wayne’s little sister would include pt.1

- ___

- wayne with an opposite s/o

[wheels-of-despair]

Worth It | Ralph Penbury x You | Masterlist

{<-Previous} [Try Not to Get Trampled] {Next->}

Summary: Easter picnics aren't generally Ralph's idea of a good time, but if you're there, it can't be but so bad… right? Words: 2k

News of your engagement spread fast, much to your mother's dismay. Now that you didn't have to keep your relationship a secret anymore, you and Ralph were able to go on proper dates: you tried new restaurants, visited the zoo, saw picture shows, and were on a quest to browse every bookshop in London. But even with all these new possibilities, you always seemed to end up back in the park, alone on your favorite bench, just enjoying each other's company.

One week before the Easter celebration that your mother's ladies' group was hosting, your father said something at breakfast that nearly made your mother convulse.

"Why don't you ask Ralph to join us at the picnic on Sunday?" he'd asked you.

You were overcome with delight, knowing that your father was making an effort to include Ralph like a member of the family already.

Your mother stabbed her steak so hard, you were amazed she hadn't bent the fork.

"That's a wonderful idea, Father. I'll ask him. Thank you."

Your mother got up and left the table.

You shot him a nervous look, and he dabbed at his mouth and put his napkin down.

"You know why she's so upset, don't you?"

"Because she's in love with Donald the Dull?" you deadpan.

"Because Donald the Dull reminds her of her first love." Your jaw drops. "Yes, I know how strange it is to imagine your mother young and in love, but she was a girl once too. And she was in love with a tall blonde who married someone else. I think that's why she became so attached to Donald. That way, at least one of you would get the man of her dreams."

"What about you?" you ask softly.

He smiles a smile that does not reach his eyes. "I was older, available, and had a steady job."

Your heart breaks. "Did she love you?"

He doesn't respond.

"Did you love her?"

"I tried." Your eyes fill with tears.

"Stop that," he says gently. "We built a decent life together. We made you. And you're going to marry for love. You do love him, don't you?"

You nod, afraid you'll lose it if you try to croak out a single word.

"Good. I've discovered, over the years, that love is all that matters. Not how much money you have in the bank, not how many things you own, or how many clubs you belong to. It's the people you love that count. And darling? I believe you've found a good one."

Your tears spill over. He stands up and steps closer, and you rise to meet him, pressing your face into his shoulder as he wraps his arms around you.

"Thank you," you whisper. His support means the world to you.

The day of the Easter picnic finally came, and you were so excited, you didn't even complain about the lacy white dress your mother had bought for you. (She may be angry with you, but the way you presented yourself still reflected on her.)

You freshened up after church, then went downstairs to wait for Ralph, who should be arriving any minute. Your father soon joined you, looking handsome in his Sunday best. At long last, the doorbell rang, and you opened it to greet him. Ralph looked so dashing in his wonderful white suit, you could hardly contain yourself. You invited him in, and he gave you a shy peck on the cheek, since your father was present. It was adorable.

Ralph and your father spoke cordially as your mother descended the stairs, bringing a dark cloud with her. She was wearing a pink dress and a large hat decorated with spring flowers, but even the brightness of her outfit couldn't disguise her sullen mood.

"Ready, dear?" your father asked, picnic basket packed by the kitchen staff at his feet. She pursed her lips in response. And so off you went, following your mother and father on the sidewalk, arm in arm with your fiancé on the way to the park for a picnic.

You arrive a bit early, so the park isn't very crowded yet, and you manage to find a great spot beneath a tree to spread your blanket. Each family was to bring their own basket and have lunch together, and then the games would begin. Races, skill games, an Easter egg hunt for the children - helping hide the eggs was always your favorite part of the event - and then by sunset, the dancing would begin.

Your mother hadn't spoken a word to either of you. She hadn't even sat down. While the three of you settled in, she rushed off to join the flock of ladies discussing last-minute preparations. You preferred it that way, to be honest. Ralph was nervous, but he needn't be. You passed the time by explaining the events of the day to him, since he hadn't been to a family-friendly event like this in years. You'd told him the basics on the day you'd asked him to come with you, but this gave the three of you a neutral subject to occupy yourselves with.

After the ladies thanked everyone for coming and a reverend blessed the food, your mother returned. You spread out the lunch together, without making eye contact. It was a largely silent meal, but you all ate slowly and chewed carefully, dragging out the next hour. When they began corralling the children inside a tent, you excitedly grabbed Ralph's hand and led him to the lady who was guarding a mountain of more Easter eggs than either of you had ever seen.

You and Ralph were given a large basketful to hide.

"Come on," you grinned, leading him to the playground area. You placed eggs under the seesaw, on each swing, and even half-buried a few in the sandbox for the younger children to find easily. Ralph was rather creative with his hiding places, despite never having done this before. After the area was littered with eggs and your basket was empty, you returned to the tent to give it back.

"What now?" Ralph asked, practically bouncing from all the excitement. You laughed, leading him away from the tent's entrance.

"Now, we try not to get trampled."

When the last of the baskets were returned, the children were released. They spilled from the tent, running and squealing in every direction. You thought you'd picked a safe place to stand, but a cluster of children ran straight toward you, causing Ralph to draw you to him. They parted at the last second and narrowly avoided bowling you over. Looking up at the frightened face of the man holding you, you couldn't help but laugh. He blushed, and you took his hand, walking along and watching the children have their fun.

You and Ralph stood by the pond as evening approached, watching the children feed the very happy ducks one last time before their parents took them home and put them to bed. It had been a long and exciting day for everyone. Good food, great fun, getting to see old friends and maybe make a few new ones. You had to hand it to the ladies who organized it; everything had gone off without a hitch. The dance floor was being set up for the older crowd, and a band would begin to play after sunset. The fairy lights were already lit. It made for a magical atmosphere.

Until you heard your mother clear her throat. You turned, and she looked you in the eye for the first time in days. "Mrs. Snow would like to see you before she leaves. She's on the hill." You nodded in acknowledgment and turned back to Ralph.

"This is going to be brutal. Save yourself. Stay here, I'll be back soon." You squeezed his hand and followed your mother back to the aging acquaintance from church. You couldn't wait to hear how disgraceful you were for canoodling with a boy in public, or how a girl with your figure ought not be eating sweets, or whatever kind of creative way to ruin your day she could come up with.

The old woman greets you with a "those grass stains are never going to come out of that pretty white dress." A few minutes of forced conversation later, you're finally sent on your way with a "the man won't buy the cow when he can get the milk for free!" Her daughter, standing behind her chair, mouths "I'm sorry" to you. Her poor daughter is the one who should be pitied, for having to live with the old hag. You flash her a smile and begin walking toward the pond.

You scan the crowd for Ralph, knowing that you were in need of a therapeutic hug that only he could provide. Your eyes finally land on him, but instead of the usual comfort that comes with spotting the love of your life, you're faced with pure dread.

Donald Andrews and two of his lackeys are closing in on Ralph by the water's edge. Ralph looks frightened - not only did they outnumber him, but they were all significantly larger in stature - and he backs away. Toward the water. "Ralph!" you shout, but it's too late.

Even from your position on the hill, you hear his yelp, followed closely by a splash. Donald and his friends howl with laughter. Filled with a raging fury, you march down to the bank where they stand, pointing and laughing at your poor Ralph, who's coughing up water and trying to catch his breath in the muddy water below.

Despite your stomping, they don't hear you coming over the sound of their own cackling. Without slowing down, you approach the first goon and shove with all your might. He loses his balance and falls into the water. You turn to the other, whose tiny brain has yet to comprehend what just happened, and repeat the process with another splash. By the time you reach Donald, he's seen you and braced himself. He catches your wrists when you try to push him, and you respond by kicking him in the shin and jerking your hands away when his grip loosens. You reach back and slap him in the face with everything you've got. The force makes his head swivel, and a dribble of blood appears in the corner of his mouth. Good.

"Go to Hell, Donald Andrews," you seethe. He stands there stupidly, the only way he knows how.

You turn back to Ralph, still sitting in the water and watching you with a shocked expression on his face. Your rage is quickly replaced by heartache. You extend a hand and gently urge him, "come on, love." He snaps out of it, standing and scrambling up the bank without taking your hand, not wanting to risk pulling you in.

You wrap an arm around him. His wonderful white suit is now soaked and stained with mud, which quickly transfers to the arm and side of your dress that's tightly pressed to him. You don't care.

"Don't let them see you upset," you mutter under your breath as you walk away, not daring to look at his face, lest you both crack.

When you reach the top of the hill, you're met by your father. He takes in your muddy appearances, and his attention shifts down to Donald, who's pulling his lackeys out of the water. His eyes turn to steel.

"You take care of Ralph. I'll take care of Donald the Dull." Nodding, you tighten the arm you have around Ralph's middle and lead him home. His home, which is closer. You pray to God that Victoria isn't there.

[sherifftillman]

busy streets and busy lives • ralph penbury x reader

A strange day at work gets even stranger when you meet a man who claims he's from 1926. With no certainty as to when he can get back, you decide to take him in until that time arrives.

masterlist | prev. | next

Tags: Timewasters (series), modern!au, slow burn, mutual pining, idiots in love™, fluff, some angst, swearing and mentions of adult themes throughout, eventual adult content, alcohol content, penbury is a fanon surname

Word count: 4.2k

A/N: Aaaaaand THIS is where the real good stuff starts! Sorry for all the other posts, just had to start getting the ball rolling. I am aware that since this is taking place in modern London, there may well be slang used that people don't necessarily recognise. If you'd like me to make a glossary of some kind, hit me up!! I hope you enjoy Ralph In The Future as much as I do <3

"Bet it feels strange being behind here again, doesn't it?" the customer asks you. It's an older woman, you don't particularly recognise her, but she certainly seems to know you well enough to know you've been promoted since you first started working here.

You force a smile, "Not really! Sometimes the floor just needs an extra pair of hands, and it helps me know what's working and what isn't for my staff and my customers, so," you shrug.

"Yeah, I don't envy you, still working at a time when nobody wants to work," she shakes her head.

You press your lips together tightly. There are so many arguments you could make right now, but already trying to juggle two roles is taxing enough. Instead you simply tell the woman her total and ring her through. Once again adorning your best customer service smile, you thank her for her custom and send her on her way.

"D'you think she's ever worked a customer service job in her life?" Your shop floor assistant asks as they re-fold their display shirts.

You shake your head, "I think… Cushty little secretary job at her dad's business, at first. Never had to pay rent, got married to the first guy at that job to pay her attention, got a council house nice and early and spawned a couple of kids just to stop him from walking."

They let out a wide-eyed, long-drawn breath, "Daaamn, someone woke up on the salty side of the bed this morning!"

You chuckle humourlessly, "That doesn't even make sense. And yeah, sorry, it just… Really sucks that I've got major shit to do this week, but I can't just let you do all the work out here on your own, not with Karens like that around."

"Can't you get your friend to come down and cover? Or to do your manager shit on their next shift?" 

"Nah, it's gotta be me. And they can't come in today because of their other job, so I'm gonna do it as overtime," you explain dejectedly.

"You're doing great, champ!" they sidle up to you to gently punch you in the shoulder encouragingly.

"Hey now, kiddo, I'm the manager here, I need to be motivating you!"

"Nah, you're sales right now. You're just as good as the rest of us common muck," they tease, and you stick your tongue out at them.

The day drags, and the quality of customers certainly doesn’t improve. A man who thinks he can return an item without a receipt. A woman who insists on ordering an item that’s no longer available because she saw a friend wearing it just last week. Children. 

And sure, maybe now, at 5:40pm, the customer of your dreams could walk in through the front door. But you and your coworker are exhausted, and this is the kind of shit you always wanted to become a manager to do. Taking one last look up and down the almost empty high street, save for the ones who are heading to the Wetherspoons on the corner, you decide to start the closing process early.

You manage to finish a little after 6pm, and you consider just getting all of your admin stuff done while you’re here, but also, you really can’t stand the sight of these four walls much longer. You figure you’ll just go to the coffee shop nearby, get yourself an iced latte for the walk home and think about what kind of takeaway you’ll be craving once you get back to your flat. No cooking. Not tonight.

You’re well into a mental debate about whether you’d rather have a chow mein or a biryani when something else piques your interest. There’s a man in front of you in some kind of costume. It’s either really old-school military, or… Safari explorer. Maybe he’s one of those live re-enactors. Maybe he works at the zoo. Maybe he’s just one of those quirked-up little guys. You get your phone out to text your friends, ready to ask them if they’ve seen anyone dressed similarly before, but as you continue walking you collide with something.

Someone. Your flimsy plastic cup gets crushed immediately upon the impact, pouring ice cold coffee down the strangely-dressed man’s back. Your first instinct is to shout, “Watch it!”

The man jumps out of his skin, either at your words or the ice cubes soaking his back. He spins around to look at you like a deer in headlights. Eyes like giant chocolate buttons stare you down. If he’s supposed to be dressed as an Army boy, he does not have the face to convince me, you think. Unless the message they’re sending is that literally anyone could get drafted.

“You alright?” you ask, eyes narrowing and head cocking as you study him.

“Ah - um - oh, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! This was absolutely my fault, I’m just - I’m so lost, and I was trying to find a man and now he’s gone and - oh, blast, stupid Ralph, you’ve really gone and done it now!” the man flusters, looking in every direction except at you.

You whistle and click your fingers at his eye level. “Hey, Bambi! Focus. It’s okay.”

He moves his head back to scrunch his face at you in confusion. “Bambi?”

You smirk, “Yeah, you’re like a baby deer right now. You said you’re lost? Where’re you trying to get to?”

“Uh, well, I suppose I should try and find my home, um… Penbury House?” he asks tentatively.

You kiss your teeth a few times as you think of where you’ve heard that name before. “Oh!” You look at him, puzzled. “You sure that’s your house?”

“Well, my name is Ralph Penbury, so…” he wiggles his shoulders from side to side before shrugging. You appreciate the extra flair.

“Right, but Penbury House is the name of the place they turned into a Waterstone’s,” you explain. He looks lost again, so you explain, “Waterstone’s is a bookstore.”

Ralph scoffs, “Oh, pish-posh, my home has not become a bookstore! That would be quite preposterous!”

So far your entire interaction with this strange man has been a tennis match of bewilderment, just exchanging expressions back and forth. “Are you, like… On something, mate? Do you need me to get you somewhere safe?”

“I want to go home, please! And not a… Bookstore, my real, actual home!” He’s starting to sound quite overwhelmed now, so you take a step back.

“Okay, okay. It’s okay. We can calm down. You mentioned looking for a man? Do you know this man?”

“Well, not personally, but I travelled here with him. About yea tall,” he holds his hand just in line with his eyebrows, “very old. Silent man. Hair just past his ears. Looks, um. Unwashed.”

Your eyebrows raise in realisation. “Ah, Homeless Pete!” Makes sense that Pete and his crew would be involved somehow. “Shall we go and find him?”

“Do you know where he is?!” Ralph asks, his expression lighting up. He may be dressed like an absolute twat, but you can’t deny his adorable little puppy-dog face.

“I know where he hangs out, we can go see if he’s there?” you ask, and Ralph nods. “C’mon,” you jerk your head in the direction towards where you know Homeless Pete tends to hang out when he’s not walking the streets. You wonder what ol’ H.P. (as your friends call him) could have given his poor boy to make him trip like this. “So, uh, quick question. Sorry, I completely forgot. What’s the full date today?”

“Well, the last I checked, it was September the 7th, 1926,” he replies simply. You stop in your tracks, and he looks back at you with a frown. “What’s the matter?”

“N-nothing, nothing,” you shake your head and carry on walking. This poor boy must be on something pretty damn strong. “Let’s get you to H.P, yeah?” Just to find out what he’s taken. Then it’s straight to the hospital.

Ralph inhales so loudly that a guttural sound forms in his throat. “Oh my goodness! Do you think - am I in - the future?” He grips your arm tightly. “Was the lift a time machine, perhaps?”

“Maybe,” you tap his hand lightly with your own as you keep walking with him, "considering that it's September the 7th, 2022." Normally, you would be throwing any stranger that hugged your arm like Ralph now is to the ground, but there’s just something about him. Either he plays the innocent human puppy role far better than any indie boy that’s ever tried to hit on you on a night out, or he really is just going through it.

You eventually reach the underpass where a large part of the local homeless population gather, and sure enough, there is Pete himself, sat between two shopping trolleys. He spots the two of you and immediately bursts into laughter. “What the fuck, H.P?!” you yell. “You’re usually chill, what have you done to this poor boy?!”

“‘M not a boy, I’m a grown man, thank you,” Ralph mutters into your shoulder.

“‘Course you are, babe,” you murmur sarcastically as you nod at him, before once again turning to Pete. “Well?! You’ve got him talking about - about time machines, and the 1920s, I mean, just look at how the poor sod’s dressed!” Pete’s eyes widen as he waggles his finger at you, as though you’re both in a game of charades and you’re on the right track. You turn to one of the people Pete lives amongst, “What’s he been on today?”

The other person shakes their head. “Nothing, swear down! Besides, he’s a proper tight-arse, he wouldn’t go ‘round drugging any fucker going. ‘Specially not a toff like that,” they snort with laughter as they point to Ralph.

You look back to Homeless Pete. “So, you’re telling me. Time travel is fucking real.” Pete nods. “And you were in 1926, and you dragged this sad sack of shit out here with you, with no context.”

“You know I can hear you,” Ralph points out indignantly, but still quietly and still from the safety of behind your shoulder. His arms are still wrapped around yours, too.

“Yeah, but look at you, mate. You’re not exactly getting us answers as to how to get you back to… Wherever we get you back to,” you explain before once again turning to Pete. “Where is this… Time machine? Ralph said something about a lift.” Pete snarls as he gestures over to a block of flats you vaguely recognise. “So we go there, get him back in the lift, and then what? Is there a button, or a combination, or -?” Pete moves his hand from side to side. “And what does that mean, is it a random button each time?” Again, it feels like you’re in a game of charades as he silently tells you you’re on the right track. “Is the random part right?” Nod. “So, it’s not about the button, but… The floor you get on?” A shake of the head. “Is it just at random times?” Nod. “So, how do you know when to go back to it?” He shrugs, then points to his temple. “What, you get some kind of vibe, some Spidey sense?” He nods with an upside down smile. You sigh. “So we don’t know when Ralph here can get back.” A shake of the head.

“Do I have to stay here with him, then?” Ralph asks you sadly.

You sigh again. “No, c’mon. I guess you won’t want Chinese or Indian, we’ll just get a chippy dinner on the way home.” You start walking in the other direction, and Ralph quickly paces to catch up with you.

“A chippy dinner?” he asks, baffled.

“Yeah! Like fish and chips? They had that in the 20s, surely?” you reply.

“Well, yes, I suppose, but we only ever had it at the seaside,” he cocks his head as though reminiscing fondly. It only accentuates the cuteness of his whole face.

“Think you can be a big boy again now, or do you still wanna hold on?” you ask, outstretching your arm. He doesn’t appear to blush in the conventional sense, but his ears do flush a bright pink. Even more adorable. Fuck. Remember, he’s technically like a hundred years older than you. He slinks one arm around yours and you pull him in tightly by pressing your own arms towards your torso. “There we go. Now I can make sure I’m guiding you so that hopefully you don’t get bumped into anymore.”

“I think I’ve certainly learned my lesson in not standing still in front of people!” Ralph jokes, making you genuinely laugh for the first time all day. It feels strange, you can feel every muscle in your face move with it. But you also feel the weight on your chest lifting, too. You’d been at boiling point all day at work, and discovering a time-traveller wasn’t exactly helping you to simmer down. But you can make this work. He’s just an… Eccentric, extremely sheltered family friend who’s staying with you for a short while. That’s what you’ll tell anyone who asks.

“Yeah, you’ve learned that if you do, some dickhead’ll throw their iced coffee all over your back!” you laugh.

Ralph frowns, “You’re not a - a one of those, at all! You’re very nice to take me in like this. Most people seemed to think I belonged in a jungle.”

“Yeah, the old school military uniform kinda looks more… Safari explorer, these days,” you explain.

Ralph’s eyes light up. “Someone finally recognises the Army uniform for what it is!”

“Yeah, I thought I recognised it from when we went to the War Museum for school once. That was the kind of get-up they used to wear in the First World War.” You trip over your own feet a little as Ralph once again halts to anchor you to him, despite what he’s just said. He looks… Distraught. “Alright, mate?”

“Why did you say… First World War?" He asks with fear in his voice. "We won the Great War to restore the - the balance of power, how long did that last?!” He looks at you, dumbfounded.

You hiss air through your teeth. “Oh, boy. Yeah, there’s a lot that’s happened in the last century. I don’t know if it’s such a good idea telling you all of it, since once you get back, it’ll be your future, so…” You contemplate. “We’ll just keep all the questions you have to stuff you’ll need to get by in the here and now, alright? Anything you learn about history, just try and let it go over your head,” you pull him forwards gently and he falls back into step with you.

“One question I have about the here and now,” Ralph starts, and you look over at him. He makes eye contact with you to ask, “What exactly is your name?”

Laughing again, you tell him. “Sorry, I really should have led with that, shouldn’t I! It’s been a long day."

“I’ll say. About a hundred-odd years long!” A giggle bubbles out from Ralph’s lips and it makes you snicker, too.

“You’re a funny one, Penbury. For an old sod, at least,” you push your shoulder into his before leading him into the chip shop. “So, are you a fish guy, sausage, fishcake, pie?”

Ralph looks at all the options in the serving counter with an upturned nose. “What’s that one?” he asks, pressing his finger against the glass.

You look over and answer, “Battered sausage. Sausage, but in the batter they cook the fish in. Bloody lovely,” you smile wistfully. 

“I might just stick to the classic cod and chips, thank you,” Ralph mutters under his breath as he stares around the small room in fascination. You order on behalf of the pair of you and take the bag from the server with a grateful smile. Ralph notices and plasters one on as well, though his definitely comes off as more fake. He basically attaches himself to your arm again the second you’re out of the door, as though you’re bound together magnetically, and you guide him to the tower block that contains your pokey little flat.

After spending several minutes convincing Ralph that the lift isn’t going to suck him into another time period, and that he’s more than welcome to traipse up all the stairs that lead to the ninth floor, he relents and stands in the lift with you, though he stands so close that you’d think his goal was for you to wear him. Brushing against his chest feels nice, though. Shut up, you’re just touch-starved. This is not your ticket out of your dry spell. This is a fever dream.

Once you’re in your flat, you quickly dig out whatever men's clothes you have laying around - some sweatpants and a white T-shirt, and you throw them at him. "Just to get out of your dirty clothes while I plate up, eat before this gets cold, then you can go shower. I'm sure there's some boxers in my pyjama drawer you could use, too, I'll find those for you in a bit." You point to your bathroom and he quietly complies.

You could've just eaten the meals straight from their wrapper, the way you always do. But you figured Ralph has had enough culture shocks as it is, you'll give him the decency of eating from a plate. Besides, spending your night with a man dressed in 1920s army gear who's eating fish and chips out of some paper on his lap might just be enough of a sight to tell you to get yourself checked into the psych ward at the earliest convenience. At least you can try and create some kind of normalcy in this moment.

A quick Google search tells you television wasn't around in 1926, so you don't want to expose him to that tonight, too. Give it a day, maybe. You could play some old-time-y music on your Echo but you're not sure what he'd want to listen to. Instead, once you're both sat on the sofa together, you make conversation with him about his past as you eat. He tells you about how the Penburys were known socialites, how he and his sister had pretty much the same group of friends, how they had recently found friends in a rather special group of people, one of which he'd fallen head over heels for, just for her to reject him, and his heartbreak caused him to join the Army, which he hated.

"It's rather funny, you know," Ralph adds. "People here talk very similarly to Lauren and the others. I wonder if they exist in this time, too."

You start piecing things together. "Lauren… Plays jazz… She the drummer in this little quartet?" Ralph nods, his eyes wide. "Kinda short, has a brother called Nick?"

"Nicholas, yes! He's tall and he wears thick glasses! You know them?!" Ralph asks excitedly.

"Yeah, Nick was in my class all through high school! Always used to fancy him," you reminisce happily before stifling a laugh. "Wait, wait. So you mean to tell me that this Lauren you're besotted with is - is Little Lauren? Oh, you poor, sweet boy."

He looks offended. "Why would you think that that’s such a bad thing?!"

"Mate, I've known you five minutes and even I know Lauren would chew you up and spit you out," you look at him sympathetically. "And you're not gonna be able to change her on that. Unless you're into all that kinda stuff," your nose turns up a little as you joke, just to get a reaction from him.

Sure enough, there go the illusive colour-changing ears. He sputters, "W- I - I don’- I’m no- That is no appropriate discussion topic over dinner!” and you collapse into a fit of giggles, falling into him a little.

“Oh, lighten up, Ralph. Things are far less proper round here, that was nothing,” you explain, to his horror.

Once you’re both finished eating, you grab a clean pair of boxers from your pyjama drawer and toss them into the bathroom, gesturing to Ralph with your head that that’s where he ought to go. “Sorry you’re gonna have to use your finger as a toothbrush tonight, I’ve not got any extras of those, but -”

“Oh, all of this is already above and beyond! Even taking me in, I - I hope you understand how truly grateful I am, and with your patience acclimating me to… All this,” Ralph gestures around with his hands.

You nod with a soft smile. “Uh, give the shower a few minutes to run, though. Goes from freezing to scalding and then you’ve just sort of gotta… Keep fiddling with it. You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

The various screeches you hear from behind the closed door suggest that he is not as successful in figuring out the shower as you’d hoped. While he showers, you do a little more digging. Thankful that your mum’s weird obsession with your family tree may finally come in handy, you ask for the login to her online ancestry account. Tapping through to the census search, you type the name ralph penbury and set the dates between around 1890 and 1930 to look for any documentations of birth - or death. Sure enough, an entry pops up: 

Ralph Penbury - Date of birth: 01/02/1901 - Parents: William and Delilah Penbury - Occupation: Private in the Armed Forces - Death: Announced 19/09/1926 - MIA, presumed dead

You frown at the result. Was Ralph always doomed to go missing in action, you wonder? Is he only presumed as such because he’s travelled through time? His existence hasn’t been completely erased by the trip, obviously, but how much of this was affected by it? It hurts your head to try and think about. But at least you know when his birthday is. It’s still a few months away by all accounts, you may not even get to celebrate it with him. You still make a note of it in your phone.

Ralph soon emerges from the bathroom, and the sight causes your breath to catch in the back of your throat. He already had a certain cuteness about him, but as he rubs his hair dry with the towel, his damp natural curls stick out in all directions. Some facial hair and a neck chain or two, and he’d be exactly the kind of guy you’d let break your heart in a smoking area. He studies your face carefully as you’re staring at him. “Is there something wrong?”

“No!” you snap yourself out of your trance quickly. “No, not at all. Um, you can - you can take the bed. If you want. Get a good night’s sleep.”

Ralph gasps in horror, “I could never! I am simply a guest, I must insis-”

“And I must insist that you’ve literally travelled almost a hundred years to be here. Who knows when you’re gonna be here until, so… I don’t mind. I can sleep on the sofa for now, I promise,” you smile. “Just let me get in there real quick to get changed myself too, yeah?” Despite still standing in the bathroom doorway, and therefore not in the way of your bedroom, Ralph still steps aside and gestures towards it for you.

You change into a tank top and trousers combo, grab a blanket and some cushions out from your wardrobe, and head back into the living area. “Are you decent?” Ralph asks, his eyes squeezed.

You laugh, “Down, boy, I wasn’t exactly going to come out in my birthday suit, was I?! Yes, I am, you can look.”

He opens his eyes, takes one look at you, and yelps before covering his face with his hands. “You said you were decent!”

You look down at yourself, confused. Sure, the top is well-fitting, but you don’t think it’s indecent at all. You walk over to him and pull his wrists down. His eyes are once again shut tightly. “Ralph. It’s okay. I promise. Again, this is absolutely fine and modest in these times. Unless you want to stick out like a sore thumb, you’ll have to get used to it,” you shrug, letting go of him. He opens his eyes slowly and his breath shudders as he quickly jolts away.

“Okay, very well. I’ll try my hardest,” he nods, though he seems to be making the effort to keep his jaw up to maintain a high eyeline. “Are you sure you’ll be okay sleeping out here?”

You sigh, repeating once again, “Yes, Ralph, I’ll be fine. Go get some rest. You’ve had a big day.”

“Yes, very well. Erm,” he ducks his head down and to the side for a split second, as though to kiss your cheek, before stopping himself and once again raising his head high, his eyes wide and his ears pink. He clears his throat. “Thank you, again. Good night.”

“G’night, mate. Sleep well,” you pat his arm and start setting up the sofa for the night as he enters your bedroom and closes the door behind him.

You stick the TV on, not really caring what’s playing as it only really serves as background noise, and turn your lights off. The glows of the television screen and your phone screen illuminate the room as you search for any other evidence of time travel. Nothing that matched Ralph’s story comes up. You’re somewhere deep into a conspiracy theory about someone with a mobile phone being spotted at a Charlie Chaplin premiere when you finally drift off to sleep.

next chapter

[luv4fandoms]

At Last-Ralph x FReader (CH 3)

I cannot believe how much love this story has gotten!!! Y'all know how to make a girl feel loved that's for sure lol. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this story and our precious boy ☺️

Summery: Feelings are overheard, leading to embarrassment and fear of rejection, fleeing for fear of what he may say (y/n) quickly leaves the house, wandering the streets of London til nightfall. But what will she say when Ralph finally catches her at the party so he can talk to her.

Pairing: Ralph x Female Reader

Word count: 5,781

Warnings: Slight angst, overwhelming fluff!!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5

"Do you know how beautiful you are? It's truly distracting"

"when I look at you I see pure perfection"

"They don't deserve you- okay?! You deserve someone who treats you like royalty because you deserve nothing less”

I also have a Ko-Fi 😊

⚠️ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞.⚠️

"I found a dream, that I could speak to

A dream that I can call my own

I found a thrill to rest my cheek to

A thrill that I have never known"

““Do you know how beautiful you are? It’s truly distracting” Quickly you shut up because why did you just say that?! Was it the way he looked in the light of the setting sun? Or just the day's events that had caused you to word vomit something you probably shouldn't have said.

"I-I mean…We should probably head back" you stated, quickly turning, daring not to look back at the man who now stood completely flustered behind you. No one had ever paid him much mind, most of the time they were only in his presence because he was always near his sister, and they were trying to get near her. He had always been the one to be pushed aside as simply the "little brother", he was seen as a nuisance by most he knew, that was also why most girls didn't give him a second glance…and yet here you were…Telling him he was beautiful…A woman who if he had to describe, was simply breathtaking. He watched you begin to walk away, your shyness getting the better of you as you did your best to hide the dark blush that had taken over and he couldn't help but giggle to himself, you really were adorable. He quickly caught up to you, his steps falling in line with yours, your footfalls being drowned out by the people talking amongst themselves.

"You're quite stunning as well" he finally spoke, finding the words as he watched your head quickly turn in his direction, the blush still prominent as you stared at him.

"I only speak the truth" he smiled, watching you let out an airy laugh, a sound he wished he could bottle and save for those days when life wasn't too kind.

"As do I" you told him quietly, but he still heard it, and the words made his heart swell. You two had made it home in silence after that, simply enjoying the other's company. There was a light feeling, like the lid of a box had been opened…but the box was shut just as soon as you made your way into the living room.

"You lot have fun?" Lauren asked, looking up at you, waiting on an answer…But it was Ralph that answered.

"Oh did we! Though your presence was truly missed" he told her, sitting down next to her and you watched her scoot towards the edge away from him. Yeah…Just like that…The box was closed again.

Sighing, you wondered if you would be missed if you simply laid in bed all day. After everything yesterday you really didn't know if you even felt like dealing with this messed up situation. You thought back to Nick's ranting about finding a way home and you wondered if that was the right course of action…Your heart hurt at the thought of leaving, of leaving him…But in the end, maybe finding a quick way back was the right choice. You sighed again when you heard a knock, unsure if you should speak at all, maybe if they thought you were still asleep they would simply go away. But as you looked at the door you saw it slowly open, Lauren peeking inside.

"Hey" she spoke simply, and you gave her a small smile.

"Hey" you knew it wasn't her fault, hell she didn't like Ralph at all in that way, she couldn't help it that he was infatuated with her.

"You gonna lay in here all day and mope?"

"I'm not moping" you stated, though you knew you were.

"Right,and I'm the Queen" she replied

"Do some shady stuff in this time and you could be" you joked, sitting up, the room fell into silence as your back faced her.

"He's not here, at the moment at least, no one is, everyone went out for the day" she told you. You were slightly shocked by this, shocked that no one had even bothered to invite you…Guess you weren't that special after all.

"I told them to let you sleep" she stated, as if reading your thoughts, which caused you to turn and look at her.

"I wanted us to be able to talk, really talk, without anyone around to hear" she started, watching as you nodded.

"But first, come down and get something to eat yeah? You didn't eat much dinner last night" she smiled before turning to leave, she was right, you hadn't eaten much at dinner, your mood having been soured by the events earlier.

"Ok, let me change" you told her, standing to retrieve one of those more day wear dresses you got yesterday. Once you had your shoes and hair fixed you made your way down, finding Lauren eating her own breakfast.

"Good, was wondering if I was gonna have ta drag you down here" she smiled, causing you to laugh lightly while sitting down to eat, she made sure you are before she started talking, not wanting you to get upset and stop like the previous night, but once you were both done she walked into the living room and sat down on the chair.

"Alright, I want you to tell me everything that happened yesterday, because obviously something ruffled your feathers"

"Nothing ruffled my feathers" you started, but the look she gave you caused you to stop.

"-Nothing ruffled my feathers while we were out" you sighed, sitting down on the couch.

"Everything was perfect while we were out, he and I were having a great time, we talked a lot, he even called me gorgeous" you sighed.

"Wait back up, how close did you two get in just a day?"

"I'm…I'm not sure, there were little things. Him complimenting me multiple times, little talks about stuff, he offered his mother's sewing machine so I could work here if I wanted to…then at the shoe store, I had to find my size and he put the shoe on me" you explained, hearing a snort from Lauren.

"Sorry, go on Cinderella"

"See that's the thing, that's what I said and then had to explain what Cinderella was cause hello…20's. And he said that if I'm Cinderella and he put the shoe on me, did that make him? But of course the shoe guy came and interrupted" by this time you were up and pacing while Lauren watched you.

"Yeah as shoe guys do"

"And then..there was this moment outside of the jewelry place, and I know it was a moment, because it felt like a moment, where we just stared at each other and maybe it was everything that had happened or maybe it was just how perfect he looked in the light of the setting sun but…I blurted out as much"

"You told him all that?"

"Well not exactly that but…I told him his beauty was distracting"

"That is so incredibly cheesy" Lauren laughed before adding.

"So what had you in such a mood?"

"Because…I'm second place to you"

"What?" She asked, all joking gone. Sighing, you said down again.

"As soon as we came back, as soon as he saw you…You were his full focus. And I guess I wouldn't care except…"

"You have it bad" she stated, to which you could only nod.

"And I've never been the one they pick" you added, fighting back tears that wanted to spring up.

"What?"

"I was never the one guys picked, I could have crush after crush and everytime…everytime I realized more and more why a crush is called that, because your heart gets crushed when you realize that they will never want you…That you'll always be second best". You told her, looking over at her.

"I was never the it girl, I was never sought out, never looked twice at, hell I didn't even go to prom because, big surprise…No one wanted to go. Lauren…I've never even been kissed"

"Shut the fuck up, you're joking on that"

"No I'm not, and not because I didn't want to, but because no one wanted to with me…and now even here…it's the same…he doesn't want me Lauren…He wants you"

"Well that isn't going to work out in his favor"

"Just let him down easy…please don't hurt him"

"No promises on that, not sure how he'll take it. Why don't you just tell him how you feel? Stop waiting for the guy to make the first move!"

"What am I supposed to say Lauren?" You sigh while standing up again.

"When I look at you I see pure perfection?"

"Well I mean if you want"

"Or, Lauren doesn't deserve you- okay?! You deserve someone who treats you like royalty because you deserve nothing less”

"Well that would probably get him off of my back."

"I'm not like you though, I can't just tell a guy how I feel like you can, no matter if I want to. Everytime I just…clam up"

"Would it be easier if you had people around or not?"

"So people can see me being rejected? No thank you"

"Well that is too bad, we have a gig tonight at this really ritzy place, he's gonna be there, you could tell him then but yeah"

"No-I" you sighed, heading for the closed door back to the rest of the house.

"I'll figure something out" you stated, opening the door and coming face to face with a wide-eyed Ralph.

"H-How long have you been standing there?" You asked, voice shaking as your heart raced, he didn't hear all that did he? Hear your confession, your past, everything!

"L-long enough" he stated, oh God…Oh God he heard, you had to get out you had to leave because suddenly you couldn't breathe.

"I have to go"you spoke quickly, pushing past him and quickly leaving the house, your feet fell fast as soon as you reached the outside, you heard him yell for you, but your body wouldn't stop,you couldn't face him, not right now. You weren't sure how long you ran, it couldn't have been far, the heels you were in, though small, wouldn't allow you to travel fast, but you knew you took enough turns to stop anyone from following you, at least until you could calm down from your panic and embarrassment.

"Just let her go, she needs to calm down" Lauren stated as she grabbed Ralph's arm.

"Let her go? You expect me to just let her run off to the streets of London, it could be dangerous" he stated, looking at Lauren, he had called for you, fully ready to chase after you…How could he not? And how could he be so blind to your feelings? He thought back to everything he and Horace had talked about this morning while out.

"So what made you change your mind about tagging along?" Horace asked

"Yes well-I had hoped to get your advice" he replied.

"Since you are acquainted with both Lauren and (y/n) quite well"

"They're some of my best mates"Horace smiled.

"Yes we'll…I have feelings…for both of them"

"Oh"

"Oh indeed,and I'm unsure of what to do. On the one hand we have the beautiful Lauren, a strong, independent, woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. And on the other is (y/n)...kind and gentle (y/n)...she truly is stunning, and so very sweet, she can make you feel like you're absolutely perfect with just her smile, and her presence alone is like the warmth of the sun on a frigid winter day." He finished, smiling at the memories of the day prior. Horace watched Ralph speak and his mind went back to Homeless Pete's words, about messing with the past…but he also knew how much you smiled around Ralph, and how crushed you looked after the four of you returned home and his attention went solely to Lauren. So against his better judgement, he decided to answer Ralph's question.

"It seems like you already have your answer" he replied, causing Ralph to look over at him confused.

"You used two words to describe Lauren, and said she was not afraid to speak her mind, which is true. But you used three words for (y/n), complemented her beauty, and then described how her smile and presence make you feel. To me that sounds like you already know in your heart which one to choose". They fell into silence after that, Horace's words sinking it…It was true, though he felt what he thought was love towards Lauren, he felt an even stronger feeling towards (y/n), she was the kind that not only made you feel good in general, but also made you feel good about yourself. With her he didn't feel like just Victoria's annoying little brother, he didn't feel like a pest, or a nuisance, or a bother. She looked at him like she wanted to spend time with him, and he felt like he wanted to spend every moment with her. The pull towards Lauren was simply something familiar, feelings you have that you very well know are unrequited, affections you have towards someone knowing full well it is one sided…He had dealt with that his whole life, maybe that's why she was safe and (y/n) was…real, because when he was around her he could picture lazy days and sunset picnics, theater visits and shopping days, as well as late nights that had his brain fogging and heart racing. Ralph felt his pant's pocket, the small square box still tucked safely inside.

"Perhaps you're right" he stated, causing Horace to look at him as they stopped in front of the door.

"Perhaps I have already made my decision and did not even know it"

"Well I'm glad I could help" Horace smiled, patting Ralph's back as they stepped inside but stopped upon hearing voices.

'Lauren and (y/n)' they slowly approached the living room door to hear better. Ralph felt bad about eavesdropping but he had heard his name and feared what was being said.

"I was never the one guys picked, I could have crush after crush and everytime…everytime I realized more and more why a crush is called that, because your heart gets crushed when you realize that they will never want you…That you'll always be second best". He heard you say, and he felt his heart clench at your words, how could anyone hurt you like that?

"I was never the it girl, I was never sought out, never looked twice at, hell I didn't even go to prom because, big surprise…No one wanted to go. Lauren…I've never even been kissed" That shocked him, you had never been kissed? He had been, even if it had been due to a simple game of truth or dare when he was younger but, no one had ever wanted to simply lean over and capture those incredibly soft looking lips in a kiss? Were the men back in your town blind?

"Shut the fuck up, you're joking on that"

"No I'm not, and not because I didn't want to, but because no one wanted to with me…and now even here…it's the same…he doesn't want me Lauren…He wants you" Oh…Oh he swore he felt his heart nearly break at your tone, you sounded so defeated…All because of him.

'Love please don't ever sound like that' he tried to apologize in his head.

"Well that isn't going to work out in his favor"

"Just let him down easy…please don't hurt him"

"No promises on that, not sure how he'll take it. Why don't you just tell him how you feel? Stop waiting for the guy to make the first move!"

"What am I supposed to say Lauren?" You sigh while standing up again.

"When I look at you I see pure perfection?"

"Well I mean if you want"

'pure perfection' he couldn't stop the smile or blush that spread across his face at your words, you thought him pure perfection?

"Or, Lauren doesn't deserve you- okay?! You deserve someone who treats you like royalty because you deserve nothing less”

"Well that would probably get him off of my back."

He wondered for a moment how upset with him you would be if he simply opened the door and got down on one knee, because that was truly what he wanted to do at this moment. Would you accept? He had a very strong feeling you would, and he could feel his heart flutter at that thought, of you walking down the aisle, a beautiful white dress adorning your body. You officially becoming his forever. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't realized your conversation had ended…or that you were heading towards the door he stood behind, but when you opened it, both of your eyes went wide.

"H-How long have you been standing there?" You asked him, voice shaking. He knew you were embarrassed, he was embarrassed, he knew he shouldn't have been listening but he couldn't pull himself away, and as he looked at your scared expression he knew he had to answer.

"L-long enough" he stated, watching as your breath picked up and you looked like you were on the verge of fainting, he began to reach out for you but you took a step back before speaking quickly

"I have to go" You pushed past him and quickly left the house, he ran after you, shouting your name, he wanted to tell you he was sorry if he ever made you feel like he didn't see you, like he didn't care, he did but he too was afraid you would reject him…He could deal with Lauren rejecting him…But not you, never you. He wanted to tell you that you were everything he wanted in his life, that it was YOU who was pure perfection. But as he began to leave the house Lauren grabbed his arm.

"Just let her go, she needs to calm down" Lauren stated and he looked at her like she grew another head.

"Let her go? You expect me to just let her run off to the streets of London, it could be dangerous" he stated, you were a beautiful perfect woman and she expected him to simply let you roam the streets alone where anything could happen to you? He would never forgive himself if he did that.

"She won't listen to you right now"she stated, watching as he pulled his arm from her grasp.

"Well she doesn't have to, but I will not let her be out there alone" and with that he was out the door, jogging down the road the same path that you went…though after the first turn, he wasn't sure where you went.

You weren't sure how long you wandered around London, just trying to pull yourself together, how were you going to face him again? He had heard everything and you knew, you knew he didn't feel the same, though he was nice to you, sweet, complimented you, you also knew Lauren was the one he was truly after. Looking up you realized the sky was now almost dark, and that your feet had brought you back to the house…Was he in there? Lauren had said they had a gig tonight, surely he was wherever she was. Taking a deep breath you slowly opened the door, being met with darkness and silence, good, everyone was gone. You made your way towards your room but stopped as you noticed an envelope on the small table by the door, your name in beautiful script across the front. You gently picked it up, turning it over and pulling the letter out. Your eyes scanned the words, your breath catching in your throat before you looked at the door.

Ralph had searched high and low for you, but couldn't find you anywhere, he sighed and walked on, his heart hurt and he felt like this was his fault, if he had been true to his own feelings earlier, none of this would have happened, perhaps you would even be his already. He looked around once more and realized that his feet had dragged him back to his home, looking up at the door before looking out at the town again he almost began walking once more before Victoria opened the door.

"There you are! Where have you been? We have to leave! Go get changed, hurry!" She told him, pulling him inside.

"I need to find (y/n)" he told her,but she continued to pull.

"(Y/n) is a big girl who can take care of herself" she replied, bringing him to his door.

"But it's my fault she's out there, I wasn't" his voice cracked and for the first time Victoria took her brother in, his face flush from running, his hair disheveled and his eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"Ralph" she spoke softly.

"I wasn't honest with myself, I didn't want to fully recognize that I…I was afraid of her rejection more than Lauren's so I ignored how she felt, I ignore the spark that I kept feeling between us yesterday and in turn I hurt her deeply…I made her feel like she was second best…I should have just told her how perfect she is, how beautiful and kind and radiant…I should have…" he cried, tears streaming down his face as Victoria brought him into a hug.

"Oh Ralph, you're not one to hide your feelings, so why now?"

"...Because…I can't lose her" he whispered, taking a breath before saying what he knew he should have said to you.

"I love her" . Victoria comforted him until he had calmed and she reassured him that you would show up at the show tonight, your friends were playing after all, and you wouldn't miss it. After a moment he agreed and went to get ready, after he was proper he met his sister and the rest downstairs, though he still worried when he didn't see you and it was becoming darker outside.

"She'll show up, I wrote the address down for her" Lauren told him as she pointed to the small table, the address scribbled on a piece of paper, the note giving him an idea.

"Right I'll be right there I just need to do something" he told his sister while picking up a fresh piece of paper, Victoria nodded and everyone left him. He quickly began writing, hoping you would come home while they were gone and see it.

"My love,

I'm so sorry if I have caused you to feel such sorrow, I never wish to see a hint of sadness in that (e/c) gaze. Please, if you read this, please come to the event tonight, there is so much I need to tell you.

-Yours always, Ralphie"

You should wonder if this was the right thing to do as you slipped on the Ruby earrings and necklace, the black and red dress fitting your body perfectly, your heels clicking against the hardwood while you looked in the mirror, finishing your hair and makeup. But his letter made your heart jump, and the emotions poured through each word, you knew you had to go find him. Taking a deep breath you stepped out into the night, starting your walk down the road, address in hand before you realized…You had no idea where this was.

"Oh no" you sighed.

"Everything already dear?" You heard a man behind you ask, a horse drawn carriage stopping beside you…well that was different, though some did still have those even in your time.

"Yes it's just…Well you see I'm supposed to meet my friends at this event but I haven't got a clue where it's at" you told him, handing him the address.

"Ah I know where that is, fancy place, hop in young lady I can take you there"he smiled

"Oh thank you so much" you happily took him up on his offer, holding his hand as he helped you into the carriage. He snapped the reins and you both were off.

Ralph's eyes glanced at the door every other second as he hoped you had come home and had read his letter and were on your way here.

"Another glass sir?" The waitress asked, holding out a new glass of champagne.

"Yes please, thank you" he smiled, taking the new glass as she took his empty one.

"She will show up, don't worry" Victoria stated, causing his eyes to leave the door.

"I do hope you're right about that sister" he sighed.

"Have I ever been wrong?" She questioned.

"Thank you so much!" You smiled once the carriage came to a halt in front of a very fancy looking building. You began to dig through your purse for money but the man stopped you.

"Free of charge ma'am"

"A-are you sure? I can pay" but he simply shook his head.

"You looked like someone who's life was meant to change today, I simply wanted to help" he smiled at you, his words shocking you.

"If it changes, let it be for the better" you smiled back.

"Thank you so much" you added, stepping out of the carriage and waving to the man who was already leaving, he gave a simple wave back before turning around. You took another deep breath before entering the building. Your eyes scanned the rather loud room, your friends already playing their hearts out, and absolutely killing it while the whole room danced. You searched for him in the crowd, but there were far too many people to see well, you had to hug the wall simply so you didn't get trampled. Sliding along the wall you made it to what was a rather dark corner near the stage and listened as your friends finished their song. Horace slightly out of breath as he waved to the crowd before looking over and spotting you.

"(Y/n)!" He spoke, not into the microphone but loud enough to draw some attention, he ran to the edge of the stage and gestured for you to come up…Oh no…No he was not asking that of you tonight. You watched him walk back to the mic before smiling at you.

"She's a little shy" he stated.

"But she has a beautiful voice, let's see if we can get her up here" he finished before clapping, causing the room to soon eurupt in claps, you looked at Lauren for help but she was just clapping and smiling, so we're Jason and Nick.

'I hate you all' you scolded them in your head but sighed, taking Horace's once again outstretched hand and walking up the steps. The claps died down as you got to the mic and as soon as you looked out at the crowd you saw him, those captivating eyes holding your gaze while he smiled at you, the red and black suit matching your dress, and you couldn't help but laugh lightly at the fact you two matched without even meaning to…again.

"Um…hello" you spoke shyly.

"My name is (y/n) and I guess, because my friend forced me" you started, earning laughs around the room.

"I guess I'm going to sing", and again, more claps.

"What should I sing?" You asked your friends.

"Whatever you want" Lauren told you, and you looked at the crowd, finding Ralph's gaze was unwavering as he watched you, and you suddenly knew what song you wanted to sing, a song you always loved but right now felt like it fit.

"You know the lovefools?"

"I knew you were going to pick that song" she laughed while you went back to the mic. Taking a deep breath, you started.

(Here is the version of the song you sing)

"Dear, I fear we're facing a problem

You love me no longer, I know and

Maybe there is nothing that I can do

To make you do.

Mama tells me I shouldn't bother

That I ought just stick to another man

A man that surely deserves me

But I think you do

So I cry and I pray and I beg

Love me love me

Say that you love me

Fool me fool me

Go on and fool me

Love me love me

Pretend that you love me

Leave me leave me

Just say that you need me"

You sang, watching as Ralph looked both completely entranced by you but also slightly sad. Your vision slowly began to blur and suddenly a flash took over, a scene just like now, but a different venue, people listening to you sing, you watched your hands come in front of you, long white gloves covering your hands and arms, but upon your left hand sat a Ruby ring, the same one from the shop. Your vision came back to what was actually happening and you blinked as you continued.

"So, I cry and I beg for you to

Love me love me

Say that you love me

Leave me leave me

Just say that you need me

I can't care 'bout anything but you

Lately I have desperately pondered

Spent my nights awake and I wonder

What I could have done in another way

To make you stay

Reason will not lead to solution

I will end up lost in confusion

I don't care if you really care

As long as you don't go

So I cry, I pray, and I beg

Love me, love me

Say that you love me

Fool me, fool me

Go on and fool me

Love me, love me

Pretend that you love me

Leave me, leave me

Just say that you need me"

Again another vision took over, you were sitting at a table watching a live band, your hand being held by another, the ring still on your finger as you watched your hand be brought up and kissed by the man sitting next to you, a smile on his lips the only thing you could see.

"So I cry and I beg for you to

Love me, love me

Say that you love me

Leave me, leave me

Just say that you need me

I can't care 'bout anything but you

Love me, love me (say that you love me)

Fool me, fool me (go on and fool me)

Love me, love me (I know that you need me)

I can't care 'bout anything but you"

You watched as the rest came into view, the rest of the face being unblurred and you instantly recognized those soft eyes staring back at you.

The crowd burst into applause as you finished your song, you smiled and bowed before rushing back to Lauren.

"I need to talk" she nodded with a smile.

"That was amazing yeah?"

"Yeah but…something happened while I was singing"

"What?"

"Well, I've had these flashes since I was a kid, flashes of me singing in a place like this…In the twenties.

"No shit really?"

"Yeah and I always just chalked them up to a past life ya know…but I just noticed some stuff and had more memories"

"Like?"

"Like one, I was wearing a ring that I saw in the jewelry store yesterday"

"Fuck off"

"And two, I'm always with a man but can't really see him right?"

"Yeah?"

"More memories…I could…It was Ralph"

"Are you kidding me? So…so your memories were premonitions or some shit?"

"Or actual memories, memories of a life I am supposed to live in the twenties, technically this would be a past life I am living right now.

"So…You were having memories of something that hadn't happened yet, simply cause"

"It happens in the past, where I wasn't at the moment but my life knew eventually I would be here…so I guess it was past life memories and a premonitions all in one"

"This is freaky shit"

"You're telling me" you laughed before a voice speaking into the mic caught your attention.

"I'm not going to sing don't worry" Ralph joked before looking over at you, you hated the fact he didn't seem to know he was a beautiful singer.

"I was hoping to say something, to the beautiful singer though, something I should have said before…Though I have a feeling she may want to kill me by the end of the night for putting her on the spot like this" He started with a smile, holding out his hand for you, you hesitantly took it, walking to stand in front of him.

"(Y/n), I have been a fool, truly I have, I have ignored both your feelings and mine and that I will regret til the day I die" he started, looking into your eyes and you felt yourself being once again caught in his gaze, the world fading away.

"I guess the truth is…I was afraid, afraid that if I gave into those feelings, if I told them to you that you…You would reject me"

"Oh Ralphie" you started, touched by his words, this whole time that you were afraid of his rejection, he was afraid of yours.

"But I can't keep them inside any longer. (Y/n) we haven't known each other long, but already I never want to picture a day without you by my side. Your presence is like the sun on a frigid Winter's day, your smile makes me smile, and makes me feel that everything will be alright. Your eyes hold such tenderness, a tenderness I'm not used to but at the same time…I've now come to yearn for. Your beauty is truly unmatched by even the most beautiful sunset and every star in the sky. You don't look at me like I'm simply Victoria's brother…You see me as me…as Ralph…As your Ralphie, and I'm sorry it took me so long to say this to you, I don't have to pretend (y/n)...I love you" He finished, tears glazing both his eyes and yours.

"So I only have one thing to ask now," he said, clearing his throat when his voice cracked. You watched as he reached into his pocket, his body lowering onto one knee while your hands flew to your mouth, tears now trailing down your cheeks.

"Will you marry me?" As he opened the box, the Ruby ring from yesterday was sitting inside, and you already knew your answer.

"Yes!"

"Yes?" He smiled

"Yes!" You smiled back, watched as he slid the ring onto your finger, both of your hands shaking as the room erupted in cheers. Ralph stood up quickly, his hands cupping your cheeks as he happily brought his lips to yours, an action the both of you had been wanting since you first met, and the feeling you got was absolute bliss, confirming your thought that this was where you were meant to be.

Chapter 3!! I hope I didn't make the proposal to fast but I mean like...I could see Ralph doing that, he proposed to Lauren on like what the 2-3 they knew each other lol. Also the flashes of the woman singing on stage with the Ruby jewelry are flashes I've had since I was a kid, always chalked it up to being memories of a past life. Only thing I have heard while the memories play are "Her name was Cheri (pronounced like Sherry) and though she liked Pearls, Rubies were her jewel of choice" .

The ring, the dress and his suit

If you would like to be added to the taglist please let me know.

Taglist

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For some reason it wouldn't let me tag certain people :/

[busyralph]

the real character development in bsbl: ralph's enjoyment of being in front of the camera

[a-writer-on-elm-street]

It Might Be Fun

kinktober day 15 - pegging

Pairing: Ralph x GN!Reader

Summary: You convince Ralph to try something new in your relationship.

Warnings: Strong language, smut, strap-on, pegging, anal (m receiving).

A/N: The reader is from the future (or the present, whichever way u wanna look at it).

"We don't have to do this if you're not comfortable." You told Ralph, noticing how he was fumbling with his fingers as he stood in front of you. "I just thought it might be fun."

He just shook his head rapidly. "Oh no, I...I want to, I do. It's just...I've never done it before."

"Neither have I." You chuckled. "So you're definitely sure yeah?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Alright then." You grinned, a jolt of excitement passing through you as you waved your hand over to your bed.

Ralph awkwardly walked towards your bed with you following behind him, and you guided him to sit down before placing your hands on either side of his face, leaning down to gently press your lips against his.

When you pulled away, you moved to rest your hands on his shoulders, climbing onto his lap.

"You doing okay Ralphie?" You asked him, moving to press a kiss just below his jawline as you fiddled with the buttons of his shirt.

He nodded, his hands coming to rest on your hips as you left a trail of kisses down his neck, stopping when you got to his shirt collar.

You leaned back to finish unbuttoning his shirt and then you carefully slipped it off him, the thin material sliding down his shoulders.

You noticed how he shuddered slightly at the sudden exposure but you made sure to quickly press your lips against his, hopefully ridding him of any anxiety.

"You're so beautiful Ralph." You mumbled against his lips, your hands coming up to grip his hair. "So pretty."

His hips jerked beneath you then, and you could feel him through his trousers.

You reached down to palm him through the material, smirking against his mouth. "Already so needy for me huh?"

You pulled back to look at him, noticing how much adoration he had in his eyes when he looked up at you.

You climbed off him then, waving your finger at his trousers. "Off." You instructed.

He did as you said, standing up and quickly pushing his trousers down his legs, his underwear going with them. And now he was completely bare before you, a nervous smile on his lips as he looked at you.

"Are you still doing okay baby?" You asked him, already working on removing your own clothes.

He nodded. "Yes my love."

"Alright, I'm going to need you to lie on your stomach now."

He turned and walked back over to the bed then, lying down with his back to you.

And once you'd removed your clothes, you stepped towards him, coming to straddle his legs on the bed.

"Are you ready?" You asked.

"Yes."

You reached over to your nightstand, retreiving a bottle of lube from your drawer, and then you proceeded to put some of it in your hand, discarding the bottle and bringing your hand down to swirl your finger around his hole, making his hips jerk into the mattress slightly.

You spread the substance around his flesh for a moment and after a few more strokes of your finger, you finally sank one inside of him, making him groan into the sheets.

"You're doing so good for me Ralph." You spoke softly, leaning down to press kisses along his back, your finger moving slowly inside him. "Such a good boy."

He moaned softly, his hands fisting the sheets as you continued your movements inside of him.

"That's it." You hummed, his body starting to relax a bit now as you fingered him. "You're doing so well."

He let out a strangled moan when you added a second finger, stretching him even more now as he squirmed beneath you. "Oh...(y/n)."

Ralph was letting out rapid breaths now as he tensed beneath you, his hands still desperately gripping the sheets as you stretched him open. And after a few more minutes of pumping your fingers inside of him, you carefully slipped them out, eliciting a quiet groan from him.

"Are you ready for more?" You asked, climbing off the bed now to approach your nightstand.

Ralph nodded, still trying to catch his breath as he remained where he was on the bed, waiting for you to retreive your dildo.

You carefully strapped it around your hips, coming to straddle his legs again on the bed.

"You ready for me to fuck you Ralphie?" You asked him, lathering your dildo with lube as you hovered over him.

"Yes." He said, his voice eager as he waited for you.

You gently rubbed your hand over his lower back when you lined your cock up with his entrance, slowly pushing inside him. And Ralph let out a strangled sound as you stretched him open.

"You okay?"

"Mhm." He nodded, his breathing ragged as he squirmed beneath you.

"Just tell me if you want to stop, okay?"

"Okay."

After giving him some time to adjust, you started to push a little bit deeper inside him, earning a quiet whimper from him.

"That's it." You said encouragingly, a small smile tugging at your lips as you watched your cock inching further into his hole. "You're doing so good for me baby."

He moaned again as you started to slowly thrust in and out of him, your hand still caressing the smooth skin of his lower back as you moved.

Ralph could already feel himself coming undone before you, the pleasure becoming too much to bare as you fucked him. This was a completely foreign experience for him and he had to say, he was certainly enjoying it. Another moan fell from his lips then as he felt his release already coming close.

"Are you close Ralph?" You asked him, revelling in the sight of him beneath you, the way he was panting, desperately gripping the sheets as you fucked him.

He just nodded, groaning quietly when you started to pick up your pace inside him, thrusting your hips a little harder now as you brought him to his release.

Within minutes, he was trembling beneath you, strangled moans falling from his throat as you continued your movements inside him.

"That's it baby, come for me." You smiled, bringing your hands around to grip his hips, allowing you to keep up your pace inside of him.

"Oh, (y/n)!" He cried out, his warm release finally spilling out of him as pleasure wracked through his body. "Wow!"

You pulled out of him then, coming around to lift his chin so you could press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Did that feel good Ralph?"

He nodded, a look of pure bliss in his eyes as he smiled at you. "Incredible."

A/N: I honestly don't know how I feel about this but yeah I hope it was okay. <3 (also, this was my first time writing pegging so please just bare that in mind before you judge aha)

[Kinktober Masterlist] [Main Masterlist] [Ralph Masterlist]

[rehfan]

Chapter 3 is here….

The Hat Shop Girl

Inexperienced!Ralph X Fem!Reader/AFAB!Reader

Summary: You were working as a clerk in a hat shop when Ralph Penbury walked into your life. Nothing was ever the same.

Warnings: 18+ and over only please. Eventual smutty smut - NOT for children! Non-consensual touching, implied/referenced drug use.

Tags: meet-cute, eventual smut, slow build, angst with a happy ending, class differences, fantasizing, implied/referenced drug use, non-consensual touching, sexual inexperience, first kiss, kissing, first French kiss, neck kissing, sexual education, angst, emotional hurt, vaginal fingering, nipple play, vaginal sex, first time, blow jobs, cream pie, fluff and smut

Read on AO3 HERE

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9

************************

CHAPTER 3: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

The next day was filled with exploring the house. Martha had informed you that Victoria had friends to visit in the village and Ralph was having a bit of a lie-in that morning. She also told you quietly that his lordship usually doesn’t rise for breakfast if he has a head on. You had seem him imbibe quite a snootful last night. Lord knows how much more he had drunk after you left his company. Maybe he was drinking to drown out his sister’s voice. Thinking of her, you couldn’t half blame him.

After a quiet breakfast alone, you made your way out of the house and into the grounds. The fresh morning air was filled with the odd call of a peacock, but you could see no such bird about. They had to be somewhere else on the property, so you circled the mansion and moved into the gardens. Gravel pathways led to the side of the building between neat rows of well-manicured patches of grass and empty flowerbeds, it being too late in the season for any sort of delicate petal. Oversized stone bird feeders were empty and the fountain on this side of the building was off for the season, but you could imagine a sunny spring day, rows of colorful flowers all around with bees buzzing or, better still, a warm summer evening, starlight and the soft fall of water into the fountain reservoir providing a very romantic backdrop. It made you long for your days before the war, back when you were deliriously happy and a lot less lonely.

The manse had huge windows all around, some with glass stained in light blues and yellows and as you moved around to the rear of the house, its main feature was revealed: two gigantic loggia running almost the span of the building with a large stone porch that extended out from the ground floor of the house about twenty yards from the lower loggia with steps that led to a sprawling lawn at the back and garden paths on either side. You climbed the stairs at the side and looked out over the property. With all this space, no wonder the twins felt the need to fill it with people; this was a lot of house for just two.

The estate was enormous. One of the groundskeepers you met on your journey mentioned that all the acreage you could see from the rear of the house was all the Penbury land. They were nestled in a valley surrounded by small rolling green hills with their own wood on the east and south of the property.

Their father had been a hunter; a fact made obvious by the various antlers and deer heads on display in the billiard room, some 6-point, some 8-point, and one gigantic 12-point above the large fireplace.

As you wandered, the staff greeted you here and there as they went about their daily chores. Everyone was pleasant, but busy. You hated to disturb them, to ask awkward questions. You knew you shouldn’t, but you wanted more information about your hosts. Martha proved an invaluable asset in that regard.

“Anything wrong, miss?” she asked you as she came into your room delivering the last two dresses to your wardrobe that had just arrived by courier.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but… the Penburys? All this wealth? How far back does it go? How do they afford all of this?”

Martha arched an eyebrow and didn’t answer, choosing instead to straighten your perfectly straight delicates in their drawer.

“I know it’s rude,” you added quickly, imagining both of your parents staring you down, disappointed in your line of questioning. “But I have no one else to ask. It’s obvious I’m not exactly in their… stratosphere.”

Martha smiled gently. “Transport, miss” she answered, “Railroads, mostly. But also ships and airplanes.”

“Goodness,” you said. No wonder everything was so opulent. There’s nothing so necessary as moving things about: people, things, it didn’t matter. Every country and business and person needed to get from one place to another. It was already set up by the great-grandfather, according to Martha. The wealth that had stemmed from the government contracts during the Great War alone had been enough to pay for several lifetimes for the twins.

Suddenly, their behavior was put into perspective. The money, like the landed title, had always been there. They had never performed an honest day’s work in their lives - which you expected - but their parents probably hadn’t either and didn’t prepare their children to either.

“Where are their parents?” you asked Martha as you watched her fiddle with your things, straightening your bedsheets. Your fingers itched to help her. Would she be insulted if you did? You consoled yourself by stoking the fire a bit.

“Their father died overseas two years back,” she said. “Their mother had passed on before that. Cancer took her about six years ago.” Wistfully, she added: “Lord Penbury favors her. He has her eyes.”

You snapped your fingers. “Ah yes, the woman in the portrait above the fireplace in the drawing room.”

Martha nodded. “Yes, miss.”

“Dearly missed, I’m sure,” you murmured quietly. Heaven knows how Ralph’s life changed without his mother. Unless she acted like Victoria as well. That would have been a shame. For her part, Martha didn’t say whether the late Lady Penbury of the house was missed either way.

You let your memory of the woman in the portrait stare down at you in your mind before another question hit you: “Who is coming tonight?”

Martha shrugged. “I expect that would be all Lady Victoria’s friends.”

“Not Lord Penbury’s?” Martha paused. “Martha?”

“He- uh,” Martha looked a tad nervous. “I really shouldn’t be gossiping-“

“Of course, Martha,” you said, a flush of guilt running through you. You came to her wringing your hands with worry. “I shouldn’t even have started asking you. I’m sorry. I won’t let anyone know. You’ve been most kind. Thank you. If there’s anything else you need to tend to, don’t let me keep you.”

Martha smiled and made her little curtsey-bow, leaving you to your thoughts.

Could Lord Ralph Penbury really not have any friends? That didn’t seem right. You knew he wasn’t the most clever person nor did he seem to have a lot of self-restraint, but he was kind. Even if they started off as friends of Victoria’s, surely some people would also become friends of Ralph. How could they resist such a lovely soul? He was a tad hyperactive, of course. Perhaps a bit socially awkward as well, but surely that wasn’t a social death sentence, was it?

But then, you didn’t travel in these social circles. The friends you had were mainly raised in your social class. You would meet at the church social gatherings, the WI meetings, school friends and work friends all making your life that much brighter. You were lucky that you had been born to good, clean-living parents who didn’t dote on you but still encouraged you and supported you in these modern times where there was no shame in a girl working in a shop to make a living for herself instead of rushing off to get married to the first eligible bloke that asked.

You took a good look at yourself in the massive vanity mirror. You weren’t too old to marry again quite yet, but you were getting there. The third finger of your left hand used to have a simple band on it and had shown a tan line during that first blessed summer. It was gone now. Just like Charlie.

It had been a slow burning romance over the course of two years. Your father and mother worked for the Hollingsworth family and Charlie was the son of the local butcher in town. He had charmed you off your sixteen-year-old feet and soon things had become too close between you to not at least have plans to get married. Once you had turned eighteen, your father had given you away with a tear in his eye. Your mother had arranged the flowers in your bouquet. You had been married only a few months but it was filled with the most laughter, excitement, romance, and joy you had ever experienced — and the most lascivious intercourse.

You shook your head as you realized you probably knew more than Ralph did when it came to physical pleasure. You would likely make his head spin if you ever kissed him. You could only imagine how pink his ears would get at the suggestion of you naked.

Giggling, you left your rooms to go and find him. He should be up and about by now. Plus, you knew that his voice and demeanor would ground you and stop these errant fantasies. All you would have to do is look at him to get your feet on the ground again. He could never be yours; he was too far above you socially. The best you could do was be his friend and wait to speak to the manager at Selfridges who would hopefully attend the party that evening. After that, both he and his sister could come to their senses and dump you back at your flat in no time, shine worn off the proverbial apple, and you would have gained the small advantage you had come to obtain.

And what a sad day that would be.

Ralph was easy to find, all you had to do was follow Victoria’s voice. At the bottom of the main staircase, you made your way into an anteroom with a rather large chandelier. Beyond that, the ballroom extended far along the building, floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, french doors letting guests out to the side and the rear of the building where the loggia was and the generous porch beyond. Victoria stood in one of the french doors correcting Ralph who was trying to direct the workers to arrange tables and chairs.

“You’re not leaving enough room for dancing,” complained Ralph.

“There’s the dance floor there! And besides, people can dance around the tables,” Victoria argued. “Really Ralph, there is plenty of room! We don’t need room enough for the Tiller girls to come kicking through! Lord, will you please stop being a bother and go do something else?”

“Then I shall see about the musicians,” he stated.

“I have already handled that. I told you this morning when I woke you,” she said. “Really, you have no memory at all!”

“You know I can’t concentrate on things when I have a headache! Really, Victoria, it’s my party too, you know. I would like something to do!”

“Go and make sure there are plenty of linens then,” she said to him before turning to the workmen and saying: “Three more tables with chairs all around there, I think. Yes. Just there. Don’t scuff the chairs!”

“Victoria, I’m not counting napkins and table cloths. I-“

It was then Ralph caught sight of you. You wore the white day dress with the red trim Victoria had gushed over. It was quite flattering on you and Ralph seemed to appreciate it too considering his stare. It took him a moment, but he recovered and beamed at you.

“Oh hello there and good morning!” he said with a wave. You came to him, watching Victoria nitpick about the condition of the hired chairs for the event.

“Good morning, Lord Penbury,” you said, with a curtsey.

He laughed and waved a hand at you. “I told you: please call me Ralph.”

You nodded toward his sister. “Is she always like this?” you asked.

“Only when it’s a party,” said Ralph. “So yes. All the time.”

You had to laugh. It was as though he had rallied from the evening before. He had a bit of fire in him today. He was biting back. You felt a bit proud of him.

“May I help in any way?” you offered. “I feel a bit of a third wheel.”

“Nonsense! And no, I’m afraid. She barely wants my help. And a Penbury wouldn’t dream of asking a guest to assist with preparations. It’s unheard of. No. I think we’d better remove ourselves.”

Victoria’s voice reached another octave. “Yes,” you agreed, “before she reaches full steam and blows her boiler!”

The two of you escaped to the lawn at the rear of the property, Ralph offering you a gentlemanly arm. The weather was warming up well for early autumn and you hoped the sun would peep from the cloud cover. The house was a darker hue than the clouds and would have made a fine snapshot if you had a camera. “Quite a remarkable home,” you said, more to yourself than anyone else. You weren’t sure if you were talking about the structure or the people who dwelled in it.

“It’s been in the family for ages now,” said Ralph. “Grandfather built it for grandmother after a trip to Italy. Explains the architecture. We would spend summers here where our parents would entertain during the season.”

“And then back to London for the rest of the time?” you asked. Ralph nodded. He hadn’t been looking at the house but in the opposite direction, regarding the rolling hills that led to the top of the valley. He seemed lost in thought for a moment and you watched his face, not wanting to disturb him. How did you not notice how lovely his eyelashes were?

You couldn’t allow yourself such thoughts. You were here for a new job. That’s all. Just stay in their good graces without forgetting your social position, and everything would be sunshine and daffodils. You broke the silence. “Your friend from Selfridges. He will be here tonight? You’re certain?”

Ralph blinked. “Oh yes. He’ll be here. He never misses a snowball party.”

“Snowball party?” you asked. Ralph laughed and smiled.

“Um, yes,” he said. “Victoria has a penchant for them.” He cleared his throat and went on: “He’ll be delighted to meet you. You’ve got moxie. That’s what I told Victoria. I like your moxie.”

Compliments always caused you to blush, but somehow when they came from Ralph, they turned you absolutely crimson. “Thank you, Lord- er, I mean Ralph. Thanks ever so much.”

It was his turn to blush just then. It was the beginning of a very pleasant afternoon with Ralph, strolling the property, discussing the flowers that were planned for the following spring and the stories of parties past. He had a cunning sense of humor and his laugh was loud and free. He livened your soul. After so many years on your own, thinking that you were never going to find another nice man to be with… but no. Not Lord Ralph Penbury, heir to millions. You were only a clerk, a working girl, not of his circle. You couldn’t hope to be his. Not that you wouldn’t still dream about it.

And when you regarded him, you saw plenty to dream about. He was physically fit for one, standing five-foot-ten at your best guess. His hands were big and broad with thick fingers and well-groomed nails. They seemed strong, but you knew there wouldn’t be a single callus on them. He had a lovely smile, even though he tried to hide it sometimes when he thought he was being cheeky, his dimples coming out to play, his face lighting up the sky. And his eyes… like pieces of hot cocoa, brown and warm, soothing and kind, but could become like dark storm clouds when he was angered - like you saw yesterday in Elvira’s shop. Was that only yesterday? That meeting seemed a million years ago now.

Two hours before the party was set to start, Victoria announced that the two of you should rest up and then get dressed. Despite his earlier disagreement with Victoria about musicians and linens, Ralph happily clapped his hands, laughing and giggling, the joy spreading to your face.

“Ralph! Enough!” Immediately, Ralph stifled his joyful outburst. “God, I have a headache. I’m going to lie down,” she said, “I’ve got to do everything around here.” She turned on her heel and made her way back into the manse, disappearing between the sheer curtained doors and into the cool of the ballroom leaving you to watch Ralph as his joy slowly crept back into his face. You smiled shyly at him, encouraging his happy spirit.

Ultimately, you did as you were bid. Laying once again in that humongous bed, shoes off, day dress hung up to prevent wrinkling. You snuck under the bed covers to ward off the chill of the room and stared at the canopy above.

Charlie would have loved this bed. You imagined him hovering above you, as you often did when his memory would come creeping up on you. He had been taller than Ralph and his hair had been darker, his soul more somber. He had been so different from Ralph in so many ways, but not unlikable. He had been charming in his way and you had loved him with your whole heart.

You and he had been only ten months behind one another in age, you being the elder of the two of you. Charlie knew that once he was old enough, he wanted to join up. No one could say that your Charlie didn’t have the courage of his convictions. A butcher’s son, he wanted to move up in society and military service might do just that. Distinguished military service would definitely do it. At least, that had been his hope. A German bullet had had other ideas. You were left a widow after only being a married woman for a few months.

You had mourned Charlie for the full year you were supposed to according to society’s rules, but after that first year was up, the habit of mourning him had been set firm in your heart. Your parents encouraged you to seek other partners, men of good standing that presented themselves at the little parties your family and friends threw, but none of them reached you. None were so blindingly beautiful as Charlie had been.

And none could have given you the education in the bedroom that Charlie had. Many an evening was spent above the garage at the Hollingsworth house with his arms around you and soft words whispered into your ear. Charlie would finish up his work at the shop and cycle out to the house to meet with you under the trees in the garden. From there, you two would sneak off upstairs above the Deusenbergs and Rolls Royces in a tiny storage space that Charlie had set up as a trysting place.

A small lumpy mattress was your classroom, Charlie your professor. He not only taught you his body and how to pull the most lascivious sounds from him, but your own body as well. A body for which you had always held a certain detached familiarity. You had never truly explored yourself before Charlie came along. After he had woken up your senses for the first time one late spring night, you had thought of little else. Your own hands had learned your body by heart within weeks, but Charlie could always reach the deeper spaces that left you dizzy for days.

Charlie smiled down at you in your mind and he dipped down and kissed you deeply. You recalled his talent at it, the taste of him, the feel. Fading away, his face was replaced with Ralph, but it was a different feel with him. You had to lean up to him, for one. You imagined his lips were soft and plush. The taste of him was up for speculation. Would he taste of mint or sen-sen? Would he dart his tongue in tentatively or, once given permission, would he dive right in? Or would he know he could use his tongue at all? And where would his hands be? A gentleman’s position on your hips? Or all along your back? Or one in your hair and one on your ass?

You giggled. It was too much to imagine that Ralph would be anything but a bundle of nerves. He might think you a brazen hussy. And maybe you were. Charlie wouldn’t have cared. You could hear him laughing, cheering you on. You curled yourself into your pillow and let sleep take you, knowing Martha would be in to wake you and get you ready for the party in a few hours.

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