day thirteen. world; buddy cops/detective
( challenge on infinite earths, pairing; nick/louis.)
title: to my caffeine duck
rating; pg-13
word count: 2,690 +/-
warning(s): wearing, mentions of guns/it’s a cop thing idk
summary: “but first coffee, i need caffeine to deal with grimshaw's bullshit.”
a/n buddy cops was hard for me to write. i didn’t know what to do. i ended up with a castle like fic thingy - nick is my eccentric castle style writer and louis is my eye rolling why is he still with me shh i read his books shut up beckett style cop. Its basically based on castle okay. unbeta'd.
he's at louis' desk one day, sitting in louis' desk chair with a brightly covered coffee cup in his hands and spinning around on the desk chair like a giggling three year old getting a 'whizee' from a parent. louis stares, head tilted and really confused because he's not on a case at the moment, there's no need for the bedraggled hipster to be there.
"captain?" louis asks as he feels the pretence of liam payne beside him and liam places a knowing hand on louis' shoulder.
"he's friends with the mayor," liam explains vaguely and louis has no idea what that's got to do with anything, "he's actually here to answer some questions for a case i'm handing over to you, but he's also here for inspiration for a new novel or something."
and that's how he meets nick grimshaw, writer of the world famous patrica knowles mystery novels.
-
"so, mr grimshaw," louis says and he sits opposite the man sprawled out in the interrogation chair, his feet bumping against where louis places his.
"you can call me nick," nick offers with a wink and louis stares at him blankly, eyebrows raised because he's not living under a rock or something; nick grimshaw is a household name. it's a constant joke that even his own parents call him grimmy.
"mr grimshaw," louis stresses and slowly lays out case photos in front of him, six in total, paired off for each case, "do you recognise any of these people?"
"no duck," nick squints at the photos, eyes dancing over the faces of the deceesed and then his face lights up in acknowledgement, "but i know you found rose petals at each and every one of these crime scenes." he adds conversationally, almost bouncing in his seat with excitement.
"because these are all scenes out of your books," louis says pushing a pair of photos forwards of a young girl with cropped hair and glasses, "let me guess, supposed to be the killing of angela murray," he pulls those photos back and picks another two to push forwards once more, this time of a portly man with bad teeth, "rather similar to the death daniel webster." and he then repeats the process with the last two photos of a sickly skinny man with a thick moustache, "probably gerald merryweather."
"they all do have a startling resemblance," nick nods and then slams his hands down upon the table to lean forwards, "you don't say, are my books are coming to life?"
"books can't come to life, mr grimshaw," louis scoffs, "but murderers can read, certainly you of all people should know that. please give any information you can on these scenes or case that you know of, which should be a bit, considering you thought it all up."
"intimation is the highest form of flattery," nick preens and begins and in-depth and insightful explanation of each and every aspect of the mystery novel; louis pretends he hasn't read it and doesn't lap up the extra details.
-
coffee mug in hand, louis stumbles towards his desk in the bullpen and stares at the new chair sitting next to it. he looks down at zayn malik typing away at his own desk and motions at it vaguely until he gets the picture.
"oh," zayn says, "that tall writer fellow that fancies you put it there. i'm not sure what for. i was waiting for you to get in."
"malik, what is grimshaw still doing here?" louis whines, he just wanted a calm day doing paper work until he woke up properly, "we finished the case. his help is no longer necessary."
"ask the captain," zayn shrugs, looking strangely at a file before pushing his chair back and leaning over to slip the file into the middle of a stack next to his, dt. niall horan sitting proudly upon the desk. louis sighs and shuffles his way over to the captain's doorway, nudging it open and sticking his head in.
"captain?" he asks and liam looks up from where he's scribbling upon some files and it's rather mundane, louis wonders if liam would actually make a better school teacher.
"detective tomlinson, you alright?" liam asks with a furrow between his brow and louis feels a bit sorry for making liam think there was something really bad wrong.
"why is there a chair by my desk?" louis asks, "and why did grimshaw put it there? what is he doing at my desk?"
"he's friends with the mayor," liam starts and louis rolls his eyes with another sigh, "and he needs inspiration for a new novel."
"fucking harry." louis says back and ignores the disapproving look liam gives at him as he swears at the mayor's name and shuts the door to turn back to his desk where the long legged nick grimshaw is sitting next to with a steaming mug of coffee upon louis' desk.
"louis!" nick says and louis tucks away a mental note to yell at him later for calling him louis, not tomlinson or detective tomlinson, "i thought it was you standing there, can tell by the arse any day." louis is so not awake enough for any of this shit.
-
"i got you a signed copy of the newest patrica knowles novel duck," nick says, flourishing the book in front of louis like a bouquet of flowers, "hot off the press; not even in the book stores and the only copy that is signed by me."
"until you do a signing," louis notes dully, pushing the book out of his face as he swivels back to his computer, nick places the book down on the desk, atop the pile of paperwork louis has yet to finish, "and then it's as common as your name."
"but this one has a message, not just a name louuuuuis," nick whines, patting the cover carefully and louis levels a glare at him.
"it's detective tomlinson or just tomlinson to you, okay." louis replies and tries once more to go back to his computer to type up some relevant notes he has to email off to the captain in the next three hours. nick sighs over dramatically and gets up, slouching as he walks off.
he leaves the book though, and only when louis is certain nick is long gone does he look over at it sitting upon his desk. and, if he slips it into his coat when he leaves himself no one but he knows.
-
"he's friends with the mayor, there's not much i can do." liam says.
"captain, he's insufferable." louis replies, "an insufferable, dirty hipster twat."
"he's helped solved a case, he's friends with the mayor. he's got keys to the city," liam sighs and louis decides he needs more coffee to deal with all this.
-
"perhaps the intruder didn't even take anything." nick suggests, twirling on his heel like he's about to perform a magic trick and louis is so not in the fucking mood for nick's bullshit. he's never really in the mood for nick's bullshit, but zayn and niall seem to be lapping it up.
"and why would you say that?" louis asks, although he knows he's actually going to regret it because nick's novel writing brain is obviously going on over time, whirring through millions of possibilities and ideas to come up with a plausible sounding plot which actually is no help whatsoever to the case.
"the intruder wasn't actually after whatever was in the safe," nick says simply, and really louis is a little disappointed with it all, "you've all looked at miss baulderstone's financials, she's going under. perhaps she just simply claimed something because she needs the money and you can't sell your heirlooms, it's not just done. she saw an opportunity and she took it. we're looking at the wrong kind of connections between miss baulderstone and dominish. perhaps it wasn't even about baudlerstone at all. we need to check the records of her servants."
"this better be close," louis interrupts before nick actually does get down to predicting every single move that has or will happen, "i'm not going to be happy wasting time on a possible plot line lead if this turns out to be wrong."
"right now duck," nick says morosely, "it's the best lead we've got and you know it. surely there's no harm at looking at the broader picture."
"malik, horan, the pair of you get to looking at any connections between dominish and anyone who is in miss baulderstone's service," louis orders and the pair nod, "grimshaw and i will go question miss baulderstone once again. but first coffee, i need caffeine to deal with grimshaw's bullshit."
-
and, just up ahead nick is standing there with a gun pointed wobbly at the suspect, wild look on his face, and his quiff floppy into his eyes.
"for fuck's sake grimshaw!" louis yells, pulling out his own gun and levelling it carefully at the suspect, "i told you to stay in the car, why don't you listen to anything!"
"he was getting away!" nick whines, waving his gun wildly in circles at the suspect and louis stares at the gun in his hands mostly because with that limp wrist nick obviously has no idea what he's doing with a gun and is probably going to shoot himself in the foot and a little bit because those fingers look so good curled around the metal.
"i told you to stay in the car." louis repeats and nick looks like he's going to argue some more, bring up that the suspect is cornered now because of him but the suspect jumps in first.
"like, you know, you can finish this lover's tiff once you've handcuffed me and put me in your car or whatever," the suspect says, holding his wrists out and together to be cuffed, "i love drama as much as the next person but like i think you'd probably appreciate some privacy."
"what?" louis says because what, but goes and handcuffs the suspect anyway, drawing his arms behind his back and leading him out towards the cop car.
"don't lose that one," the suspect says conversationally, and louis doesn't know what to think, just puts his hand on the back of the suspect's head to duck him into the car, "he might be rash and crazy but like he really cares about you."
"we're not, this isn't a thing." louis says lamely.
"oh, well if you want my opinion," and frankly louis really doesn't, "you should be."
-
when louis gets back to the station he goes straight to the lunch room and brews a strong black coffee. he pours sugar into it until he thinks it's probably going to be a syrup and stirs at it, a lonely tickle of metal against the ceramic of his mug.
he needs the sugar and caffeine to deal with this shit.
-
"celebrating tomlinson?" niall asks as they're packing up for the night, and louis shakes his head. noramlly, he's all up for celebrating closing a case but right now words are sitting awfully in the pit of his stomach and he needs some sleep. he's still got the rest of nick's newest novel to read.
"nah, horan," louis smiles, "my head is thumping, some other time?"
"yeah, okay." niall says and he looks like he's going to press about something, but nick comes up behind louis with a smile and zayn rests a hand on niall's back to take him out.
"you coming louis?" nick asks cheerfully like he wasn't just eavesdropping on the conversation; louis knows without a doubt he was.
"you should call me detective tomlinson or just tomlinson." louis says tiredly and steps away, heading homewards and ignores the niggling feeling that nick wants him to turn around so nick's got the courage to say something. he doesn't do want nick wants anyway.
-
"what?" louis snaps after nearly an hour of zayn and niall peering at him and looking at each other and giggling and looking worried.
"you read grimshaw's new book yet?" zayn asks, and niall is huffing out some laughter behind a hand, trying to keep it in. louis is not in the mood for this shit. he needs more coffee.
"what new book?" louis asks and tries and fails to keep the interest out his voice and just as zayn goes to reply louis spots something out the corner of his eye.
"morning love," nick chirps and louis opens his mouth to automatically tell him not to call him louis, until he realises that's not what nick said and nick brings coffee.
"what's this about your new book?" louis asks because he feels left out with this whole thing; last time louis was the first to know and now apparently he's like the last.
"oh, um..." nick coughs and actually blushes and looks away, "it's just a new series that i'm starting and stuff. i'm getting you a hardback, that's why you haven't got it yet."
"okay." louis says suspiciously, and sips at the coffee he's been brought. it's rather good.
-
louis stares at the board in front of him. something's missing. it's like a puzzle and there's a piece somewhere right in the middle and connects all the apparently from different puzzles pieces there.
what he needs is one of nick's ridiculous theories to jog his mind.
sighing, louis gets out his phone.
-
book in hand louis races towards the toilets. he skips past captain payne with a smile, and liam winks and mouths 'page one oh seven' like it's a part of some conspiracy. getting to the toilets, louis slips right down to the end stall and locks himself in it.
with a sigh he sits upon the closed lip and takes a good look at the book. detective turner is in huge block letters with nick's name in flowing script underneath. the dedication makes louis' stomach roll a little nervously; to my caffeine duck.
three pages in and it's obvious detective turner is louis, two more it's obvious the charming, witty and kind of annoying fellow called grey is supposed to be nick. niall and zayn's characters are joined at the hip so it's kind of realistic. kind of.
and then page a hundred and seven comes around - this is important police work louis tells himself, it's not like they have a case anyway - and he's flushing. because detective turner and grey are being told very seriously about how they're actually a couple by a suspect, and really, nick had to put that in there? really? but, then he's flushing mostly because instead of niall and zayn's counterparts coming out of the building there's only silence and detective turner is getting squished up against the harsh brick wall and thoroughly snogged by grey.
-
"so, that's a thing, is it?" louis asks as he sits down in his chair, placing the first detective turner novel down upon his paper work and looks up at nick through his fringe.
"i guess duck," nick says back, "it's artistic." he explains and the smile drops right of louis' face and he turns straight to type up an incident report.
"make yourself useful and get me a coffee." louis orders stonily.
-
eyes droopy, louis stirs his coffee and walks back out of the lunchroom, straight into a chest. he cups at his mug, and only a little bit of the boiling liquid spills out over his hands.
"louis!" nick says in horror and louis' hands are in so much pain that he doesn't even chastise nick for not using louis' proper name, "oh my god louis!"
"fuck," louis says and nick hurries him straight back into the lunchroom to put his mug down and hands underneath cold running water.
"you going to be alright?" nick says, still holding onto louis' hands and smile softly at him, awfully fond and caring and louis is so close to him he could the freckles upon nick's cheeks.
"yeah," louis says lazily and rocks up on his tiptoes to kiss nick.
title: to my caffeine duck
rating; pg-13
word count: 2,690 +/-
warning(s): wearing, mentions of guns/it’s a cop thing idk
summary: “but first coffee, i need caffeine to deal with grimshaw's bullshit.”
a/n buddy cops was hard for me to write. i didn’t know what to do. i ended up with a castle like fic thingy - nick is my eccentric castle style writer and louis is my eye rolling why is he still with me shh i read his books shut up beckett style cop. Its basically based on castle okay. unbeta'd.
he's at louis' desk one day, sitting in louis' desk chair with a brightly covered coffee cup in his hands and spinning around on the desk chair like a giggling three year old getting a 'whizee' from a parent. louis stares, head tilted and really confused because he's not on a case at the moment, there's no need for the bedraggled hipster to be there.
"captain?" louis asks as he feels the pretence of liam payne beside him and liam places a knowing hand on louis' shoulder.
"he's friends with the mayor," liam explains vaguely and louis has no idea what that's got to do with anything, "he's actually here to answer some questions for a case i'm handing over to you, but he's also here for inspiration for a new novel or something."
and that's how he meets nick grimshaw, writer of the world famous patrica knowles mystery novels.
-
"so, mr grimshaw," louis says and he sits opposite the man sprawled out in the interrogation chair, his feet bumping against where louis places his.
"you can call me nick," nick offers with a wink and louis stares at him blankly, eyebrows raised because he's not living under a rock or something; nick grimshaw is a household name. it's a constant joke that even his own parents call him grimmy.
"mr grimshaw," louis stresses and slowly lays out case photos in front of him, six in total, paired off for each case, "do you recognise any of these people?"
"no duck," nick squints at the photos, eyes dancing over the faces of the deceesed and then his face lights up in acknowledgement, "but i know you found rose petals at each and every one of these crime scenes." he adds conversationally, almost bouncing in his seat with excitement.
"because these are all scenes out of your books," louis says pushing a pair of photos forwards of a young girl with cropped hair and glasses, "let me guess, supposed to be the killing of angela murray," he pulls those photos back and picks another two to push forwards once more, this time of a portly man with bad teeth, "rather similar to the death daniel webster." and he then repeats the process with the last two photos of a sickly skinny man with a thick moustache, "probably gerald merryweather."
"they all do have a startling resemblance," nick nods and then slams his hands down upon the table to lean forwards, "you don't say, are my books are coming to life?"
"books can't come to life, mr grimshaw," louis scoffs, "but murderers can read, certainly you of all people should know that. please give any information you can on these scenes or case that you know of, which should be a bit, considering you thought it all up."
"intimation is the highest form of flattery," nick preens and begins and in-depth and insightful explanation of each and every aspect of the mystery novel; louis pretends he hasn't read it and doesn't lap up the extra details.
-
coffee mug in hand, louis stumbles towards his desk in the bullpen and stares at the new chair sitting next to it. he looks down at zayn malik typing away at his own desk and motions at it vaguely until he gets the picture.
"oh," zayn says, "that tall writer fellow that fancies you put it there. i'm not sure what for. i was waiting for you to get in."
"malik, what is grimshaw still doing here?" louis whines, he just wanted a calm day doing paper work until he woke up properly, "we finished the case. his help is no longer necessary."
"ask the captain," zayn shrugs, looking strangely at a file before pushing his chair back and leaning over to slip the file into the middle of a stack next to his, dt. niall horan sitting proudly upon the desk. louis sighs and shuffles his way over to the captain's doorway, nudging it open and sticking his head in.
"captain?" he asks and liam looks up from where he's scribbling upon some files and it's rather mundane, louis wonders if liam would actually make a better school teacher.
"detective tomlinson, you alright?" liam asks with a furrow between his brow and louis feels a bit sorry for making liam think there was something really bad wrong.
"why is there a chair by my desk?" louis asks, "and why did grimshaw put it there? what is he doing at my desk?"
"he's friends with the mayor," liam starts and louis rolls his eyes with another sigh, "and he needs inspiration for a new novel."
"fucking harry." louis says back and ignores the disapproving look liam gives at him as he swears at the mayor's name and shuts the door to turn back to his desk where the long legged nick grimshaw is sitting next to with a steaming mug of coffee upon louis' desk.
"louis!" nick says and louis tucks away a mental note to yell at him later for calling him louis, not tomlinson or detective tomlinson, "i thought it was you standing there, can tell by the arse any day." louis is so not awake enough for any of this shit.
-
"i got you a signed copy of the newest patrica knowles novel duck," nick says, flourishing the book in front of louis like a bouquet of flowers, "hot off the press; not even in the book stores and the only copy that is signed by me."
"until you do a signing," louis notes dully, pushing the book out of his face as he swivels back to his computer, nick places the book down on the desk, atop the pile of paperwork louis has yet to finish, "and then it's as common as your name."
"but this one has a message, not just a name louuuuuis," nick whines, patting the cover carefully and louis levels a glare at him.
"it's detective tomlinson or just tomlinson to you, okay." louis replies and tries once more to go back to his computer to type up some relevant notes he has to email off to the captain in the next three hours. nick sighs over dramatically and gets up, slouching as he walks off.
he leaves the book though, and only when louis is certain nick is long gone does he look over at it sitting upon his desk. and, if he slips it into his coat when he leaves himself no one but he knows.
-
"he's friends with the mayor, there's not much i can do." liam says.
"captain, he's insufferable." louis replies, "an insufferable, dirty hipster twat."
"he's helped solved a case, he's friends with the mayor. he's got keys to the city," liam sighs and louis decides he needs more coffee to deal with all this.
-
"perhaps the intruder didn't even take anything." nick suggests, twirling on his heel like he's about to perform a magic trick and louis is so not in the fucking mood for nick's bullshit. he's never really in the mood for nick's bullshit, but zayn and niall seem to be lapping it up.
"and why would you say that?" louis asks, although he knows he's actually going to regret it because nick's novel writing brain is obviously going on over time, whirring through millions of possibilities and ideas to come up with a plausible sounding plot which actually is no help whatsoever to the case.
"the intruder wasn't actually after whatever was in the safe," nick says simply, and really louis is a little disappointed with it all, "you've all looked at miss baulderstone's financials, she's going under. perhaps she just simply claimed something because she needs the money and you can't sell your heirlooms, it's not just done. she saw an opportunity and she took it. we're looking at the wrong kind of connections between miss baulderstone and dominish. perhaps it wasn't even about baudlerstone at all. we need to check the records of her servants."
"this better be close," louis interrupts before nick actually does get down to predicting every single move that has or will happen, "i'm not going to be happy wasting time on a possible plot line lead if this turns out to be wrong."
"right now duck," nick says morosely, "it's the best lead we've got and you know it. surely there's no harm at looking at the broader picture."
"malik, horan, the pair of you get to looking at any connections between dominish and anyone who is in miss baulderstone's service," louis orders and the pair nod, "grimshaw and i will go question miss baulderstone once again. but first coffee, i need caffeine to deal with grimshaw's bullshit."
-
and, just up ahead nick is standing there with a gun pointed wobbly at the suspect, wild look on his face, and his quiff floppy into his eyes.
"for fuck's sake grimshaw!" louis yells, pulling out his own gun and levelling it carefully at the suspect, "i told you to stay in the car, why don't you listen to anything!"
"he was getting away!" nick whines, waving his gun wildly in circles at the suspect and louis stares at the gun in his hands mostly because with that limp wrist nick obviously has no idea what he's doing with a gun and is probably going to shoot himself in the foot and a little bit because those fingers look so good curled around the metal.
"i told you to stay in the car." louis repeats and nick looks like he's going to argue some more, bring up that the suspect is cornered now because of him but the suspect jumps in first.
"like, you know, you can finish this lover's tiff once you've handcuffed me and put me in your car or whatever," the suspect says, holding his wrists out and together to be cuffed, "i love drama as much as the next person but like i think you'd probably appreciate some privacy."
"what?" louis says because what, but goes and handcuffs the suspect anyway, drawing his arms behind his back and leading him out towards the cop car.
"don't lose that one," the suspect says conversationally, and louis doesn't know what to think, just puts his hand on the back of the suspect's head to duck him into the car, "he might be rash and crazy but like he really cares about you."
"we're not, this isn't a thing." louis says lamely.
"oh, well if you want my opinion," and frankly louis really doesn't, "you should be."
-
when louis gets back to the station he goes straight to the lunch room and brews a strong black coffee. he pours sugar into it until he thinks it's probably going to be a syrup and stirs at it, a lonely tickle of metal against the ceramic of his mug.
he needs the sugar and caffeine to deal with this shit.
-
"celebrating tomlinson?" niall asks as they're packing up for the night, and louis shakes his head. noramlly, he's all up for celebrating closing a case but right now words are sitting awfully in the pit of his stomach and he needs some sleep. he's still got the rest of nick's newest novel to read.
"nah, horan," louis smiles, "my head is thumping, some other time?"
"yeah, okay." niall says and he looks like he's going to press about something, but nick comes up behind louis with a smile and zayn rests a hand on niall's back to take him out.
"you coming louis?" nick asks cheerfully like he wasn't just eavesdropping on the conversation; louis knows without a doubt he was.
"you should call me detective tomlinson or just tomlinson." louis says tiredly and steps away, heading homewards and ignores the niggling feeling that nick wants him to turn around so nick's got the courage to say something. he doesn't do want nick wants anyway.
-
"what?" louis snaps after nearly an hour of zayn and niall peering at him and looking at each other and giggling and looking worried.
"you read grimshaw's new book yet?" zayn asks, and niall is huffing out some laughter behind a hand, trying to keep it in. louis is not in the mood for this shit. he needs more coffee.
"what new book?" louis asks and tries and fails to keep the interest out his voice and just as zayn goes to reply louis spots something out the corner of his eye.
"morning love," nick chirps and louis opens his mouth to automatically tell him not to call him louis, until he realises that's not what nick said and nick brings coffee.
"what's this about your new book?" louis asks because he feels left out with this whole thing; last time louis was the first to know and now apparently he's like the last.
"oh, um..." nick coughs and actually blushes and looks away, "it's just a new series that i'm starting and stuff. i'm getting you a hardback, that's why you haven't got it yet."
"okay." louis says suspiciously, and sips at the coffee he's been brought. it's rather good.
-
louis stares at the board in front of him. something's missing. it's like a puzzle and there's a piece somewhere right in the middle and connects all the apparently from different puzzles pieces there.
what he needs is one of nick's ridiculous theories to jog his mind.
sighing, louis gets out his phone.
-
book in hand louis races towards the toilets. he skips past captain payne with a smile, and liam winks and mouths 'page one oh seven' like it's a part of some conspiracy. getting to the toilets, louis slips right down to the end stall and locks himself in it.
with a sigh he sits upon the closed lip and takes a good look at the book. detective turner is in huge block letters with nick's name in flowing script underneath. the dedication makes louis' stomach roll a little nervously; to my caffeine duck.
three pages in and it's obvious detective turner is louis, two more it's obvious the charming, witty and kind of annoying fellow called grey is supposed to be nick. niall and zayn's characters are joined at the hip so it's kind of realistic. kind of.
and then page a hundred and seven comes around - this is important police work louis tells himself, it's not like they have a case anyway - and he's flushing. because detective turner and grey are being told very seriously about how they're actually a couple by a suspect, and really, nick had to put that in there? really? but, then he's flushing mostly because instead of niall and zayn's counterparts coming out of the building there's only silence and detective turner is getting squished up against the harsh brick wall and thoroughly snogged by grey.
-
"so, that's a thing, is it?" louis asks as he sits down in his chair, placing the first detective turner novel down upon his paper work and looks up at nick through his fringe.
"i guess duck," nick says back, "it's artistic." he explains and the smile drops right of louis' face and he turns straight to type up an incident report.
"make yourself useful and get me a coffee." louis orders stonily.
-
eyes droopy, louis stirs his coffee and walks back out of the lunchroom, straight into a chest. he cups at his mug, and only a little bit of the boiling liquid spills out over his hands.
"louis!" nick says in horror and louis' hands are in so much pain that he doesn't even chastise nick for not using louis' proper name, "oh my god louis!"
"fuck," louis says and nick hurries him straight back into the lunchroom to put his mug down and hands underneath cold running water.
"you going to be alright?" nick says, still holding onto louis' hands and smile softly at him, awfully fond and caring and louis is so close to him he could the freckles upon nick's cheeks.
"yeah," louis says lazily and rocks up on his tiptoes to kiss nick.