#ralphdibny

               Ralph Dibny had a long list of rules and tips for dating.  He thought about publishing his list several times, possibly making millions on what would obviously be the best self-help book to ever exist but never did, keeping it just for close friends and family instead.  Most of the time the book worked and he was on the receiving end of many thanks and praises.  Then came the question.  ‘If you wrote this why don’t you have a partner?’  Ralph hated this question because he would have to admit that the book didn’t work for him.  He was broken somehow in that department and never could find someone who could tolerate him or his antics.  It was disheartening but he had learned to live with it.  Until Y/N showed up.  

               Y/N was a meta, one interested in helping team Flash take out threats to Central City and they arrived in a flurry one day in the lab, uninvited and taking everyone by surprise.  He had entered after they had arrived and had assessed them quickly and instantly fell head over heels.  

               “Who’s newbie?” he asked.  “Why haven’t I been introduced yet?  Hello, I’m Ralph and you are…?”  Cisco rolled his eyes.

               “They just got here, and we don’t know who they are,” he said, still holding up the meta weapon.  Barry was watching, waiting to spring into action should he need too. Y/N just stood and smiled sweetly at Ralph before looking at the rest of them.

               “I’m Y/N and I found you guys, I can hack things, anything really as long as it has a technological element to it.  So I’ve been looking for the Flash and his friends for awhile now.  Then Iris helpfully brought the laptop she uses at the Citizen here and well, here I am,” they said.  The rest of the team looked suspicious but Ralph instantly knew that Y/N was not only gorgeous but completely trustworthy.  And as everyone knew he was an amazing judge of character.

               “I think we found a new team member,” he said, looking to everyone else.  He saw raised eyebrows all around.  “What? They clearly have powers and if they were here to harm us I’m sure they would have done it through our tech, not come by to have tea.  Would you like some tea?”

               “O that would be great,” Y/N said, still smiling at him.  Ralph nodded and offered his arm.  “Its nice to meet you all, can’t wait to work together,” and then they were off to the kitchen.

               Y/N became a trusted member of the team after a few weeks and soon Ralph started to try and woo them.  However, he was just bad at it.  Anytime he tried to surprise them with something sweet it fell apart. Flowers?  Pollen allergy.  Chocolates? Expired and gave them food poisoning. Teddy Bear?  Apparently the toy store had a rodent issue and the rats liked to hide in the stuffed animals.  Ralph was at his wits end on how to impress Y/N.

               What he didn’t notice while he was worrying about how to woo them was that they watched him and already had fallen hard.  In the field he was amazing, doing anything and everything he could to help his team, his family, to help anyone who needed it. And the few times they had hung out after a mission Y/N couldn’t help but notice how funny he was and how unintentionally sweet he could be.  

               “So why do you always want to hang out here?” Ralph asked one night when Y/N had shown up at his office just to visit after they had taken out a meta.  Y/N blushed a little bit.

               “I was hoping that I would get up the guts to kiss you tonight,” they said, making Ralph stare at them.

               “K…kiss me?” he said, not sure he heard right. They nodded, face a beautiful shade of crimson that he was melting over.  He made them blush like that, him Ralph Dibny, failed detective with a dumb power, this guy.  

               “I don’t know if you noticed but I’ve been…watching you over the last few weeks…o that makes me sound like a stalker, I mean watching you when you work…damn that’s not much better…I mean, I like to watch you…o God I sound stu…” Ralph couldn’t handle how adorable they were being so he rose from his desk, walked over, taking they’re face in his hands and kissed them.  It was sweet and light and held just a little bit of lust in it, enough to make them both breathless when they parted.