Rating some of the L&O cops/detectives on how reliable they are on completing their reports and responding to civillian employees in the records department:
Mike Logan: 5/10. Takes forever to finish/close reports even when the case is closed. Doesn't always answer the phone but is funny to talk to when he does.
Max Greevey: 6/10 Depends on the day. Might be a little bit of an ass and condescending, but also might joke with you. Quick to mark them as closed/completed if applicable, usually.
Phil: 7/10 Fixes his mistakes or closes reports as soon as he can if you let him know it needs done/fixed. Apologizes. Might drop a sweetheart here and there. "Let me know if Mike needs a kick in the boot, okay?"
Lennie Briscoe: Honestly have no idea. The most dry ass responses but then he'll apologize for wearing his clown shoes to work and get it done. Doesn't always answer his phone. He's got your back though. 7/10
Ed Green: Reliable, even if he does get cranky if you keep having to contact him. Knows how to spell most of the time at least, which is nice. 8/10.
Nina Cassidy: She's handling it. 7/10 Puts everybody on blast while you're on the phone with her to close their reports. Kind of person to type whatever it is out while on the phone.
Cyrus Lupo: 7/10. Look. He's good most of the time but when he isn't, it's gonna be an e-mail a week. He's cute though. So sometimes the irritation is fixed just with that gruff little apology and promise to buy you coffee/tea whatever.
Bernard: 9/10. His reports are usually well done, and the status/disposition is updated properly. He doesn't forget that the civillians are the link between them and the people. E-mails/calls the records department when he's done fixing/updating/closing/ whatever the report.
Van Buren: 9/10. She is on those detectives! Finish your report! CC her and it's gonna be handled by end of business week. If she's looking over the reports, she'll make sure that there's proper spelling.
Cragen: 6/10 Calling him one time is almost enough to "be up his ass". He loses points for attitude some days. Dude can't stand inter-office mail so at least he doesn't horde the envelopes.
Summary: (Based on this plot idea.) You're the daughter of the chief of police in your suburban town and you worry about him working too hard. Dropping off meals, coming to check that he's not at the precinct more than he's home starts to get less tedious and repetitive when you meet his newest addition, Cyrus Lupo. Detective Lupo is a transfer from New York and he certainly keeps your father on his toes, so it's definitely a bad idea to fall for him. Right?
Pairings: Cyrus Lupo x Reader
Word Count: 1,994
A/N: Here it is! My first one shot back in the game. This isn't beta'd or anything, it's really just a little thing to help me dip my toes in the water again. There is far too little Lupo content and when I saw this prompt, the light bulb went off. I kind of want to turn this into a full story, but I don't know if anyone would be interested in a full story. I hope you like it though!
Please do not repost or redistribute my work! Reblogs are welcome!
When this newest case fell into your father’s lap, you knew that he was going to be working late nights and rarely be home. He assured you that he was going to make sure he was eating and getting some sleep, but you knew him better, and that’s why you were walking into the precinct now, holding a bag of dinner from his favorite local diner.
“He’s on the field.” A familiar voice said from your left.
You looked over to see Detective Cyrus Lupo leaning back in his desk chair, a smile on his face. “Again?” you asked him. He rarely went on the field anymore but for this case, your father made it a habit.
“He should be back soon though, he’s been gone for close to two hours.” He replied.
“Must have been important if he’s been gone that long.” You said, moving to sit in the chair beside Cyrus’ desk. “Do you guys have any sort of lead yet?”
He shrugged, sitting up in his chair and rolling forward a bit so he could peer into the food bag. “A few, but nothing substantial so far. This is the biggest one we’ve had and that’s off the record.”
You slid the bag closer to you while he spoke so he couldn’t look inside, earning a small frown from the man. “Well maybe him being gone this long is a good sign then. Why aren’t you out there with him?” you asked.
“Someone has to hold down the fort while he’s away.” He said, which earned him a quirked brow from you. “He’s a little pissed off at me and has me on desk duty tonight.”
Cyrus giving your dad problems was nothing new to you. Since he was transferred to your dad’s precinct out of New York, your dad saw him as a problem child. If you had a dollar for every time your dad referred to Cyrus’ “city experience” or “NYPD attitude”, you could have quit your job. When you first met Cyrus, you thought he was a bit arrogant but as you had gotten to know him on your visits to bring meals or just to check in on your dad, you realized he was anything but. He was caring, he worked hard, and he could always get you to smile or laugh, and that seemed to bother your dad, but you weren’t dating the man so what could be the harm in just chatting with him?
“I have such a hard time believing that you’d ever get in trouble and assigned to desk duty, Detective Lupo.” You said with a smirk.
“I can’t believe it either.” he said shaking his head.
“So, what was it this time? Mouthy comment? Sarcastic remark? Too tough with a suspect? Flirting with a witness? I could go on.” You said with a cheeky smile.
“You should be a profiler, you read people pretty well.” He teased. “He wanted me to drop a lead and I didn’t want to let it go.”
You nodded at him to get him to continue.
“It got us a different perspective and a potential new witness, but it also got me desk duty.” He shrugged. “I don’t know if it’ll play out or not but at least it’s something else to try instead of just sitting around.”
Your dad was always about facts, not gut feelings, or hunches, and that’s one of the many reasons he butted heads with Cyrus. “Is that what he’s checking on now?” you asked.
“No, I did. He’s checking on what the witness gave me earlier and I’m sure that if nothing comes from it, I’ll be at this desk for the next month.” He said, crossing his arms on his desk.
“Well if he’s been gone almost two hours then maybe there’s something there.” You shrugged.
“Maybe.” He mumbled. His phone rang and he checked the screen before raising his brows. “Maybe it was a good something because he’s asking me to meet him and Jameson.”
“I won’t keep you from a good ‘I told you so.’” You stood up from the chair and held the bag of food. “I’ll leave this in his office for him.”
Cyrus stood up and grinned at your joke. “I’m not gonna hold my breath.” He teased. “I’ll let him know you stopped by and that he has dinner waiting for him.”
“Thank you. Be careful out there.” You said.
“Always am.” He said, heading for the exit.
You headed towards your dad’s office but stopped when you heard Cyrus call your name.
When you turned to face him, he pointed at you. “And I don’t flirt with witnesses.” He said before giving you a grin. “Only daughters of my bosses.” He said before disappearing down the hallway.
You couldn’t help but smile at the comment as you put the bag of food in your dad’s fridge. You wrote a note to leave on his desk and then headed out, Cyrus’ grin stuck in your head.
------------------------------------
Two weeks later, your dad was finishing paperwork for the case and beginning the next one. He swore to you that he wasn’t going to be as ‘hands-on’ with this case, but that seemed to slip his mind after the first two days working on it. That’s how you had ended up at the precinct again, eating dinner with him in his office. It was good to actually sit down with him and check in with him, and you almost made it to the one-hour mark before he got a call and was back to work.
You cleaned up the wrappers from your meals quietly, kissed the top of his head and whispered to him to be careful before you headed out of his office and towards the elevators. When the doors opened, you were greeted with a familiar face: Cyrus.
“Fancy meeting you here.” You smiled.
“You’re lucky, I’m rarely here.” He quipped back. “Going down?” he held his arm out to keep the doors open for you.
“I am, thank you.” You stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. You had seen Cyrus here and there over the past two weeks, but since his comment about flirting with you, you got nervous around him. He must have picked up on it because it seemed like he was upping his interactions with you when you were around, like he enjoyed seeing you blush. “Have a good night, Detective.”
Before the doors could close, he put his arm between them, causing them to open again. “Can I walk you to your car?” he asked with a crooked grin.
The request took you off guard, but the doors attempting to close again seemed to pull you out of your head. “Sure.”
Cyrus stepped onto the elevator and let the doors close before he spoke up again. “Your dad still working or did he actually stop to eat tonight?”
“We managed to have a whole meal and a conversation for nearly an hour. I think that’s a record.” You chuckled. “I see you’re not tethered to your desk tonight.” You noted, looking up at him.
“No, I’ve been good for the most part. Whenever I have a good idea, I just write it down in my journal instead.” He said with a smirk. “I’m glad you two got to sit down and talk though. I know he enjoys it too.”
You nodded. “Good idea.” You teased. You smiled softly at his comment and nodded. “I enjoy it too, even if he thinks I’m being overbearing.”
“He doesn’t think that, he’s just worried about you worrying about him.” He said.
The doors opened when the elevator arrived at the lobby and Cyrus let you step out first before he joined you, holding the front door open for you. You were parked across the street and at this time of night, it wasn’t too busy.
“You won’t give me a ticket for jaywalking, will you?” you asked him, zipping your jacket.
“It’s not jaywalking if you’re getting a police escort. It’s a law.” He said, looking down at you and holding his arm out.
“Oh, it is?” you asked, not believing him for a second, but still you linked your arm in his.
“Yeah. Probably.” He said with a smirk before walking you across the street to your car.
“Thank you.” You said when you got there, pulling your keys out and unlocking the doors.
“Just doing my duty, ma’am.” He said, opening the door for you.
You tossed your bag onto your passenger’s seat and then looked up at him again. You were about to tell him not to work too hard, but he interrupted your plan.
“I haven’t said anything to upset you or scare you off, have I?” he asked, his arm leaning on the door as he spoke. Before you could ask him what he meant, he continued. “You just seem a little nervous around me lately and I hope I didn’t cause you to feel that way.”
“No, you haven’t said anything.” Sure, he had made a comment about flirting with you but maybe he had forgotten about that.
“I know I made the comment about flirting with you and I didn’t know if that was crossing a line or anything. I can knock it off if you want me to.” He continued.
You smiled and shook your head. “Cyrus, you making a comment isn’t going to scare me off. If it did, I probably wouldn’t still be talking to you.”
“Even if the comment was true?” he asked you, almost testing the waters.
You looked up at him and cocked your head slightly. “Was it?” was all you could say.
“That depends on whether or not that would make you act weirder towards me or not.” He said with a half grin.
He was flirting with you, and he was telling you that he was flirting with you. Your dad would have Cyrus transferred by morning if he knew that you had been flirting back, even if you thought that it was just friendly banter. You tucked a lock of hair behind your ear and shrugged, trying to find the words. “I won’t act weird towards you.” Good one. “Besides, it’s not like I wasn’t flirting back.” You added.
He studied your expression for a moment before he grinned. “I’m glad we’re on the same page then.” He said.
You smiled, nodding. “We are. Aren’t you still on the clock?” you asked him. “I’d hate to see you grounded at your desk again, Detective.” You teased before getting into the driver’s seat. You started the car up, Cyrus shutting the door behind you.
When you rolled the window down, he leaned down so he could see you. “I just need to grab my stuff and finish my paperwork for the night which shouldn’t take more than ten minutes. I know you just ate, and it’s a little late for coffee.” He started, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Was he inviting you out? “How about dessert?” you asked him. “Lonnie’s is open late, and they’ve got the best sundaes in town.”
He nodded at your offer. “I never turn down a lead on good food, especially the best in town.”
“Well, finish your paperwork and then come meet me there. I have plenty of leads we can talk about.” You teased.
“Great. I’ll see you there.” He grinned. He knocked on the top of the car before standing up straight and stepping away so you could drive off.
You glanced in the rearview and saw him heading back into the building once you had pulled away. You weren’t sure how the night wound up in this direction, and you were a little scared of what your dad would have to say about it, but that didn’t stop you from driving to Lonnie’s for a late-night sundae with your favorite detective.
Lupo was one bad date from believing that he was cursed. He had feelings for you for several months, and his reasons for not asking you out sooner was because work kept you both busy and his love life was one failure after another. After the last woman he cared for turned out to be one of the suspects they were looking for, Lupo intended to stay single for the rest of his life - something he had shared with you over a drink.
In line with your personality, you called him "dramatic" and a "man who lets a woman's appearance cloud their true character." Lupo had denied your claims, and when you asked him to argue his case, you jokingly called him "counselor". Lupo's argument was based entirely on you, which stunned you into silence as he described his first interaction with you in perfect detail, and you were taken back to the first day you entered the precinct to retrieve files that would help your defense case. However, Lupo appealed to your better nature, and you dropped the case and squashed your client's demands of suing the department.
"I knew that you were against your client from the beginning. You were forced to take the case and took the chance on missing a promotion to get the guy behind bars."
You sipped your drink before sitting it on the bar top. "Yeah, well, I've never been good at taking orders. One of the many, many reasons I could never be a cop."
"I don't mean that as a bad thing." He quickly backpedaled. "I meant that you do the right thing without caring about the consequences. And you do it with every case. And with people." When you raised an eyebrow, his lips formed a smirk as he explained, "Well, you tend to upset people with your honesty. But it's another thing I like about you."
Feeling a shift in the atmosphere, you looked at the detective, who took a long sip of his beer. "I'm not always honest." He looked at you curiously as you continued, "Remember when the shooter broke into my office, and you told me that I should've called you, and I said I didn't cause it was the middle of the night, and you had just gotten off shift, and I promised to tell you everything?"
"Yeah." He chuckled.
"Well, I lied." You turned to order another drink, and with a long sip, your drink was gone.
"What? Wait, wait, so what haven't you told me?" He asked, leaning his arm on the bar top as he turned to you.
"Your choice in women is poor." You held up a hand when he raised an eyebrow, continuing to speak before he could interrupt you. "No, you do have poor taste in women. But it's because you always want to see the good in people. Like me, for example. It's the eve of your day off, and you're sitting in a flashy bar instead of going home because you feel I deserve to have someone. And I don't need anyone." You concluded, referring to the time he had you meet him in what was known as a cop bar because most of the customers were cops, past and present. He had told you that it must've been lonely at the top, meaning the top of your field, and you had told him, "but the view is great."
Lupo had witnessed how personal cases became when you were named prosecutor, the opposition and your colleagues often questioned how you handled cases. Your sharp tone and honesty, which many found offensive, had gotten you into trouble many times, but Lupo was the first to understand that it was your way of keeping people away.
"Yeah, you do." He replied. "And before you judge my love life too harshly, I happened to be right about one woman in my life." He paused for a moment. "You."
"Me?"
"It's currently one in the morning, and you've just won another case, and instead of celebrating with a bottle of wine that would probably cost me three months' wages, you are here having a drink with me." You pondered his words, realizing he was right. "You do need somebody. Everyone does at some point."
"You've got me all figured out, huh?" You paid the bartender when he placed another drink before you, lifting the glass delicately as you turned to the detective beside you. "Have you ever considered that this," You gestured between you both, making the corner of his lips tug upwards at your aversion to labeling him as a friend. "is one, if not the biggest, reason why your relationships fail? You have a girl at home waiting, and here you are sitting with the antichrist."
Lupo had, in fact, considered this, hell he knew it was true, but he refused to let your comment slide so easily. "You're not the antichrist."
"Your partner thinks so. Actually, everyone does. Except you." You tilted your head as you met his gaze, and Lupo shook his head.
"You're not the antichrist. Little smug but," he shrugged, and you glared at him when he smirked, "you are great at what you do, so I let it slide."
You rolled your eyes before asking, "So why do you do it? Is it a charity thing?"
"Did you ever consider that I like your company?" He said, taking a sip of his beer. "After a long day of people lying, receiving some honesty is refreshing."
You stared at him for a moment. "If you can figure me out, then why can't you figure out the women in your life are crazy?"
"I am still busy trying to figure you out. That's why their craziness goes over my head."
You snickered, and he looked at you with a smile, chuckling as he shook his head. You observed him as he took another drink, sensing his sudden nervousness. You were getting closer to the truth; he knew it, and you knew he would tell you. He always told you everything eventually.
"Why do you keep trying to be my friend?" You asked.
"Because everybody needs somebody. And as hard as it may be for you to believe, I enjoy your company. Although it is frustrating when I feel like you're pushing me away and I can never figure out why." He replied.
"Maybe I'm protecting you." You told him.
"What? From you?"
"Is that such a wild thing to believe?"
Lupo set his beer down when you glanced away, playing with your glass, and he could see it then. The truth so openly presented in a moment of pure honesty. So he decided to return the favor.
"I don't really like them." He began, elaborating when you looked at him. "Sometimes I need a distraction. Then I get so distracted that I don't realize they could be a murderer."
Your eyebrows furrowed and while you wanted to make a witty remark, you instead opted to ask, "What do you need a distraction from? The job?"
"Parts of it." He said. "The things we deal with every day take their toll sometimes. And then there's you."
Expecting him to respond like everyone else, even though you knew how highly Cyrus thought of you, you were shocked when he made a confession that would change your life.
"For someone so smart, I don't know how you haven't realized I have feelings for you. That I have for a while." He chuckled lightly.
You knew. Of course, you knew about his feelings. But you had always dedicated yourself to your work, and meeting the persistent Cyrus Lupo, who wasn't so easily deterred as everyone else, determined to break down your walls to learn everything there was to know about you, had made cracks appear on those bricks. You knew tonight was a bad idea. But the scorching jealousy you had felt earlier when you heard about his relationship with the suspect, you knew you couldn't deny it to yourself anymore. Or to him.
"I know the thought of anyone getting close freaks you out. And I don't know who hurt you enough to make you shut yourself away. All I know is I wanna kick their ass." His speech made you smile faintly, and your gazes locked as he moved closer. "And I want to prove that I wouldn't dare hurt you. I'd sooner take a bullet."
"Don't say that. You are ninety-six percent more likely to be shot than anyone else in your profession. Even me. And a lot of people want to kill me." You attempted to scold him while lightening the atmosphere, but you weren't sure he had even heard you as he reached out to tuck your hair behind your ear.
"Not if I kill them first. Plus, I'd have a good lawyer."
You tilted your head up to meet his gaze, and Cyrus closed the distance between you, kissing you tenderly but with enough hesitance that made you ease into the kiss. You placed a hand on the nape of his neck, drawing him closer momentarily before pulling away.
"I would be a witness; therefore, I couldn't represent you legally -" Cyrus cut you off with another kiss, and your eyes closed as you reciprocated his passionate kiss with equal fervor.
He pulled away after a few moments, but his hand remained on your cheek as his eyes searched your expression to try and gauge what you were thinking or feeling. And his worries were quickly taken away when you spoke.
"I have an overpriced bottle of wine at home. Do you want to join me?"
It’s early when Cyrus gets to his desk, so early that it’s still dark outside. He’d left you in bed this morning, tucked up in his sheets. You’d given a little grumble when he’d slipped away, his lips brushing over your forehead.
Benard trails in a few minutes later, a takeout cup of coffee in each hand. Cyrus thanks Christ because he can tell the pot in the machine has been sitting there all night and he doesn’t have the energy to clean it. It’s when he sits down that he notices the brown A4 envelop resting on his desk. His name is written on the front in block capitals, he looks to Bernard but he’s busy slapping the side of his computer monitor because it’s still on the fritz.
He can’t comprehend what he’s seeing at first, the glossy images sliding out of the envelop, fluttering across his desk. It isn’t until he bundles them together and begins sorting through them that he understands the nature of the pictures, how detrimental they are.
He can only guess they’ve been taken from the fire escape of his apartment, the one that looks into his bedroom. There must have been a gap in the curtains when he took you to bed last night because he’s seeing the event in full colour, playing out in these images. He feels his cheeks heat as he studies them. Your nude form filled with him as he brings you to rapture. Somehow it’s both erotic and humiliating at the time.
He knows whose doing this, what the threat is.
Keep investigating this case and these pictures get released. It’s embarrassing for him but for you, it would ruin everything. He’d get a clap on the back and an atta boy, you’d be branded a whore for enjoying a consensual, loving act. His blood is boiling when he steps into Van Buren’s office, closing the door behind him. He sets the envelop down in front of her before taking up residence in the guest chair, his hands running through his unruly curls.
“I found this on my desk this morning.” He tells her as she flicks through the images. “They’re trying to warn me off the case.”
Her mouth twists up in distaste as she surveys the images before she sets the envelop back down upon her desk.
“Does she know?” Van Buren asks him and Cyrus looks down at his hands, the ones that undressed you last night.
“No.” He says roughly. “L.T, this is…they shouldn’t even exist.”
“You’re gonna have to tell her.” Van Buren tells him, placing her palm upon the envelop. “If these get leaked and she’s unprepared…”
She shakes her head before taking the envelop and putting it into the top drawer of her desk. She takes the key out of her pocket, locking it before she turns her attention back to him.
“Those will never see the light of day.” She promises him before clasping her hands together and leaning toward. “I can take you off the case, give it to someone else but there’s no guarantee that they won’t try to use these pictures to blackmail you into interfering.”
“Gia wouldn’t want that anyway.” Cyrus says, rubbing his palms over his weary features. “She’d tell me to go after them with everything I’ve got, especially after this.”
“She’s a brave girl, a tough one.” Van Buren says knowingly. You’ve been on her team for over three years now and she’s never seen you falter.
“I need some time…” Cyrus begins and Van Buren gestures towards the door of her office.
“Go talk to Gia, make sure she’s on board.” She tells him before picking up the phone and cradling it under her ear. “I’m going find out, who’s been creeping around on your fire escape.”
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