AN: Hey everyone! This is based off another Tumblr prompt from luvmesomepie about the ways that Walter says "I love you" to Paige without actually saying it. It'll be five short-ish chapters which I'll get out this week. Thanks for reading!
Ralph dropped his backpack on the table and shuffled across the garage, wrapping his arms around Paige. "I'm hungry," he mumbled into her shirt.
Paige laughed and stroked his hair. It was no longer unusual for Ralph to hug her, but every time he did, it felt like a small miracle. She loved him more than the world, but the years of distance between them had deprived her of the hope of ever connecting with him. It was only by fortune, or fate, that she and Ralph had learned to see life through each other's eyes and find a middle ground.
Paige kissed the top of his head and led him into the kitchen, stopping every few feet while he high-fived Sylvester, Toby, and Happy and received brief status updates on their projects. When they reached their destination, Ralph hopped up on a stool and smiled broadly at her. "Grilled cheese, please."
"Manners. I like it." Paige winked at him and rifled through the refrigerator to gather the ingredients. "How was school?"
Before Ralph could answer, they both heard Walter bounding down the stairs from the loft, where he had isolated himself for several hours while working on a particularly stubborn software patch. Paige pushed the cheese and bread onto the counter and tried to look nonchalant, declining to admit even to herself that, at times like today, she missed Walter's presence when he wasn't around.
"I thought I heard you come in." Walter grinned as he wrapped his hand around Ralph's shoulder. No matter how lost the genius appeared to be in a project, seeing Ralph had an instant effect on him. Watching them together always caused a tightening in Paige's chest, but she forced herself to push it aside. "How was school?"
"I was just about to tell mom." Ralph nodded in Paige's direction, and Walter's eyes followed. Needing to distract herself, she grabbed an orange off the counter and offered it to Walter, who accepted it readily and thanked her before turning his full attention back to the boy. "We're having a Family Night soon. It's dinner and a bunch of games. Probably nothing interesting, but my friends will be there, so I want to go."
Friends. Paige's heart skipped at the word. She never wanted Ralph to be anything other than who he was; as far as she was concerned, 'normal' wasn't a goal anyone needed to strive for. But everyone needed someone to rely on; it was only human nature, and Paige spent many long nights fearing that he would suffer the worst pain imaginable—loneliness.
Walter picked up on the word too and glanced over, catching Paige's eyes and giving her a knowing smile. He once assured her that Ralph would eventually fit in, and as with most things—not everything, but most things—he was right.
"Of course we can go, honey," Paige answered, blinking back the stray tear that rimmed her eye. "But your dad isn't coming to visit for a while, so it'll just be you and me, okay?"
"I can go," Walter offered instantly. He inhaled deeply and continued more slowly. "I mean, I'd be happy to go. If you want me to."
His gaze alternated between Paige and Ralph. The young boy was clearly thrilled and nodded enthusiastically. "Can Walter come? Then it doesn't have to be just us like it usually is."
Paige thought about the truth of her son's statement. Every meal, every walk in the park, every game, every school function—for seven years, she was the only one there. She was grateful for every moment they had together, but she wanted more for him. And then Scorpion—unpredictable, neurotic, allergic-to-authority Scorpion—came along and opened up the entire world to him.
She realized that Ralph and Walter were both watching her expectantly, so she fought back another wave of sentimentality and leaned her body against the refrigerator. "Walter, really, you don't have to. School events are literally the worst."
Walter chuckled. "I remember." He looked down at Ralph and patted him on his back. "Why don't you go help Sly and I'll bring your snack out when it's ready?"
Ralph glanced at the unopened bag of bread on the counter and nodded. "It seems like it's going to take a while."
"Probably." When Ralph was gone, Walter crossed around the kitchen island and came to a stop next to her. His proximity made her head swim, like it always did, and she wondered why it was so difficult for her to keep it together and stay professional. "I thought you were usually more enthusiastic about school stuff, for Ralph's sake."
"Ralph has pretty much caught on to my fake enthusiasm by now." Paige faced the counter and busied herself cutting the cheese into slices. "Do you really want to come to this thing?"
She deliberately wasn't looking at him, but she could feel Walter's eyes following her movements. "Of course. Why else would I offer?"
"I just know you've been really busy lately and it's for families, so—" Out of the corner of her eye, Paige noticed a flash of hurt cross Walter's face. "No, I mean, obviously you're part of Ralph's family. But school events are—all the parents are awful, the teachers are always judging you, and the food is basically whatever wasn't suitable to be served in the cafeteria. I bite the bullet because I'm his mother, but I don't want to put you through that."
"Paige," Walter said calmly. Reluctantly, she stopped slicing and turned to face him. His eyes were filled with a surprising amount of empathy. "I know you're used to doing things…alone, just you and him. But you don't have to anymore, okay? I want to be there for you just like you're there for us."
Paige's heart was beating hard against her rib cage. She'd heard a million lines from men looking to flatter her, romantic nothings that turned out to be just that—nothing. But she had never heard anything so sweet and genuine as the words Walter had just spoken to her, because she had no doubt that he meant them.
"And on the plus side," he added in a more lighthearted tone, "I'll help you avoid all the parents and teachers, and you can just talk to me. We can even pick up some food beforehand and save ourselves from the risk of food poisoning."
Spending a night off with Walter, watching over Ralph, sounded better than anything she could imagine. "Okay."