Ripley Vance Willems (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
anachronos) wrote2012-12-01 07:52 pm
anachronos) wrote2012-12-01 07:52 pm
Baby, it's cold outside
Ripley hadn't meant to fall asleep. He never seemed to mean to fall asleep, really. It just happened. When and where were rarely up to his discretion. He had been sitting on a bench just down the road a ways from the station, watching the snow fall from the dark night sky. Drinking a cup of hot coffee, the Sheriff's set a little off to the side while Ripley waited for him to get off of his shift. He had been so distracted, watching the soft white flakes floating down from the sky, that he had not noticed at all, the sudden wave of exhaustion. Lulled into it more than usual by the cold and the quiet.
No, Ripley had not meant to fall asleep waiting for the Sheriff. But he had. He had fallen right over on that cold metal bench, coffee spilling across the ground and slowly freezing into a discolored spot among the snow. To any passing person unaware of his condition, it would have just looked as if some homeless man had not had the frame of mind to get under somewhere covered. But Ripley remained unaware of the snow as it fell from the sky in fine white sheets. Covering him, the bench and the streets in a layered dusting of white.
No, Ripley had not meant to fall asleep waiting for the Sheriff. But he had. He had fallen right over on that cold metal bench, coffee spilling across the ground and slowly freezing into a discolored spot among the snow. To any passing person unaware of his condition, it would have just looked as if some homeless man had not had the frame of mind to get under somewhere covered. But Ripley remained unaware of the snow as it fell from the sky in fine white sheets. Covering him, the bench and the streets in a layered dusting of white.
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He glanced down the street as he was doing so, and noticed that someone seemed to be asleep on one of the benches. That seemed like a tremendously bad idea in this weather, and he'd already decided to go wake whoever it was up when a thought entered his mind and stuck like glue.
"Ripley. Rip!"
Why was he shouting? Who knew, it was just a reflex as he rushed down the street, coat absurdly flapping behind him like an ungraceful cape.
Once he reached the bench there was no doubt left in his mind that it was indeed Ripley who was lying there, and he hurriedly brushed some snow off the sleeping man, feeling the bite of cold numb his hands but not caring.
"God you idiot."
He was terrified now, but that wouldn't help him do what was needed and so he got mad instead. Stupid narcoleptic fool, why was he sitting out where he could fall asleep in the damn snow?
With a lot more urgency than usual he managed to get Rip over his shoulders in a fireman's lift, and then he hurried towards his car. He contemplated taking Rip into the station but decided it was better to get to his house instead. More ways to get the fool warm there.
He hoped he wasn't making the wrong choice as he eased Rip down on the back seat and then got in front to drive off, breaking the speed limit by a lot as he drove off and not caring even a little. Who was going to arrest him?
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He had a tendency to forget to consider his condition before doing things like that, because if he spent his whole life avoiding anything that might be a bit dangerous if he fell asleep, there were a lot of things he would never be able to do.
He was shivering now, though, in the back of Graham's car, curled in on himself for warmth and only barely awake enough to register that he was both freezing and moving. Neither seemed good at the time but he was not awake enough to protest much. Being in someone's car generally meant Graham had found him somewhere.
What had he been doing? Hadn't he brought Graham his coffee?
No, he'd stopped to wait for him outside for a while.
He could feel the bite of Winter numbing his fingers and seeping into his clothes, damp, cold and uncomfortable.
"Grahhm?" His mumbled question was a familiar first word of his, lately. It seemed like Graham was around whenever he woke. Not that he wanted to complain.
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At least being around Ripley was a thing he felt good about.
Hearing Ripley's voice made him weak with relief, and for a brief moment he was almost worried he'd lose control of the car because of all motor-control taking a very short vacation before he felt his grip on the wheel tighten again.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm driving you home and getting you warmed up."
It was an order and spoken as one, though there wasn't much Graham could say that sounded truly sharp. It was just something about that accent and the pleasant pitch of his voice.
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It never stopped being a disconcerting feeling, waking up after them. Like he had missed a chunk of his life and was not sure where it left him.
He pulled in tighter on himself, watching snow and lights pass him by outside the window. It was a bit of a mistake to do, however, because by the time they had arrived at his place Ripley was out of it again, curled on himself like a dog in the backseat of Graham's car.
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Muttered as he got Ripley out of the car and slung over his shoulders again.
He was getting rather skilled at locking his car and manouvering up to Rip's door and getting that unlocked whilst carrying the other man. A good thing, since the ground was quite slippery at this point.
"One of these days I'll fall on my ass carrying you."
As usual he used a leg to stop Wolf from leaving the house, gently shoving the dog back so that he could enter.
"Hey there boy. Daddy's been an idiot again and now we have to get him warm."
He headed straight for the bedroom and laid Ripley down on the bed, taking a moment to shrug his coat off before he started undressing the unconscious man.
It's a lot harder than you'd think to get someone naked when they're not giving you any help.
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But Ripley did manage to drag himself back to the land of the alive and possibly awake when he landed on the bed. Not entirely, and not really coherently, but enough to start shivering again, and enough to register that Graham was there and trying to get his clothes off.
An activity Ripley was fairly certain he would never be opposed to, but in this particular instance he was especially for it. His clothes were cold and the snow that had melted into them and seeped straight through to his bones, it felt like. So he shifted and moved, doing his best to clumsily aid in their removal.
For some reason he felt like he aught to be apologizing to Graham, but it could wait for the moment. He was not awake enough yet to talk and attempt doing things.
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The last word was accentuated by Graham yanking at the cover to get it away from under Ripley so that he could lay it over the guy instead.
The truth was of course that he didn't mind Ripley's size at all. He liked the other man's solid build, liked it rather a lot, but sometimes grumbling helps when something needs doing, and so he grumbled.
Once Ripley was covered Graham got rid of his own clothes as fast as he could and got in next to the other man, hissing when cold skin was pressed against his comparatively scorching one.
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"Ahm srry ahm nought one of thos thyn women."
It was amused and sleepy retort, and as he said it, he ducked his face down, pressing it into the crook between Graham's neck and shoulder. He breathed in deeply, his next words even more muffled against skin.
"'S coold Grhm."
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The word was more like a gasp because damn Ripley was cold.
Graham still wrapped his arms around the other man and against all instincts for self-preservation pressed himself closer. Screw being comfortable, what mattered was getting Ripley warm.
"Yeah I noticed."
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It was a low, apologetic murmur. The shivering had died down, but he was not letting go any time soon. He did feel guilty for dragging Graham into his foolishness. It was his own fault he had ended up so cold.
Graham was entirely too good to him. He was really far more patient about Ripley's condition than anyone he had ever run across.
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Sure he growled and grumbled, but he wasn't really annoyed with Ripley. He was annoyed with the condition that made life more difficult for someone that he cared a lot about.
"Not your fault."
He gently rubbed Ripleys back, encouraging blood to flow faster at the same time as he wanted to soothe the guilty conscience he could sense behind Rip's apology.
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He closed his eyes, relaxing against the warmth of Graham's body next to his. It should have sent him right back to sleep, but he was awake now, considering how much worse than chilled skin and shivers the night could have ended.
"Hve any plans for th res of th nigh't?"
Because if he didn't, Ripley planned on keeping him there for as long as he could.
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He was very glad this wasn't one of those nights when he was supposed to be in his appartment waiting for Regina to come over. He would've cancelled, taking care of Rip was a valid excuse even from just a "fellow human being" standpoint but he was glad he didn't have to deal with it. The longer Rip could stay mostly under the mayor's radar the better.
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"Could wrm you back up 's well." He knew it was a terrible thing to suggest, considering everything, but having Graham naked in his bed was not helping him think clearly.
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"That's very nice of you."
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God, Graham was warm. And unfairly attractive. How had Ripley ever been meant to stand a chance with the Sheriff around? How was everyone in this town not after him?
"Just returning the favor." A low murmur against the side of his neck. His hands were moving up and down along Graham's sides, half to warm both them and the sheriff, and half to just enjoy the feel of him.