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Lucy Chen attempted to close the door of the shop as quietly as she could. But it seemed as though her actions were futile as her eyes fluttered closed upon hearing the judgmental bark of her name as it echoed across the garage.
“Officer Chen.”
She had been hoping that he would not be in today or perhaps she had come by at the right time and he was out on another call, but the logical side of her knew the idea to be ludicrous.
The man was known after all, to have never taken a day off.
"What part of do not break my shop don't you understand?" The sound of his black boots falling against the glossed concrete grew louder as he came within shooting distance and Lucy reflexively straightened her back. "You've only had her a week. A week. What did you do to it this time?"
The pitch of his voice had lowered but there was a still a heat behind his words, a fire that could be seen behind the blue of his eyes as he came to a stop before her. He looked no different compared to the other handful times she had been by the garage run by the city of Los Angeles, with his blue shirt unbuttoned and hanging off his shoulders that revealed the white shirt underneath. The material was smooth but stained with streaks of black grease that matched the color of his hands and the smear that lined his sweat coated forehead.
“It wasn't my fault this time Tim.” Lucy vehemently denied with the roll of her eyes as she watched a scowl cross his features. “So you can back off.”
“It wasn’t your fault?” He questioned curtly while reaching for the roll of blue towels from the cart beside the shop that had been pulled into the garage. “Then what the hell happened?”
Lucy sighed as she watched him toss the towel to the side. One thing she hated dealing with, was when Tim Bradford was in a foul mood. She liked him better when he would let out a grumble and curse from underneath the hood or chassis as he berated the mechanic who worked on her assigned shop before him. She like him even more when she found him in the corner booth of the cop bar a block over with a drink in his hand as the corners of his mouth would turn upward while he regaled a call he had responded to years prior when he himself had been keeping the streets warm with a shop of his own.
There had been times where they had hung out while each of them was off the clock, their paths inevitably crossing one another seeing as her former training officer turned detective, Angela Lopez and the former officer turned mechanic himself were close friends. Lucy knew they had been through the academy together before they were each assigned at Mid-Wilshire together, and from what she had learned upon riding beside the Latina for hours on end the two had only just managed to get their feet wet as P3s when Tim was shot on the job.
It was not the first time he had been shot and strangely had not been the last, but all it took was the one time in the right place for his career in law enforcement to be over. Lucy is uncertain of many of the details that came with the story, only having picked up bits and pieces of what happened to the head shop mechanic of Mid-Wilshire in passing, but what she did know was that he had been preforming a routine traffic stop while working the nightshift and that it ended with him being medevacked to Douglas Shaw Memorial.
She had asked or rather she had made an attempt at asking what had really happened, but each time her superior had given the same response. ‘It’s not my story to tell Chen.’
“I was responding to an accident on Wilshire when every light on the dash started flashing on and off.” She told him as her hand rose to brush against her cheek to tuck an errant hair behind her ear. “And then it died.”
“It died?” He parroted with a raised brow and a raised voice as he walked over to the driver’s side door. “And you didn’t call me?”
Lucy looked away as he reached underneath the dash for the handle that opened the hood. It was common knowledge around the department that once you brought your shop to the Mid-Wilshire garage depot for the first time, you would not be leaving any of the four bays without being given clear and concise instructions the officers at Mid-Wilshire called The Tim Commandments.
The Tim Commandments were a rather simple list comprised of ten rules that are to be abide by or else one would suffer the consequences.
“You didn’t.” As if it was possible, the thin line of his lips fell down further as he glared, his hand lifting up the hood before he moved the strut into place. Lucy should have taken a step back, but instead she found herself moving closer to the side panel of the shop.
“I had no other choice!”
Tim Commandment Number 8: Never use the city issued jump box. It’s a cheap piece of shit.
Tim shook his head as he pulled the cover over the battery, away. “Cut the bullshit Lucy. You should have called it in because now you get to spend your Friday night learning how change a tire.”
There were two consequences for breaking one of Tim’s commandments, with the form of punishment being left up to the man himself. One outcome was to have your name placed on the bulletin board of shame which hung front and center on the back wall for all to see while the other was commonly referred to as Dummy Training 101, otherwise known as receiving what Tim called a basic lesson on car mechanics.
He pulled away from the front of the shop before she could open her mouth to produce some form of protest, making his way across the garage but not without Lucy walking behind him, hot on his heels as he looked at the rack of car batteries before him.
“I know how to change a tire. Besides, what if I have plans Friday night?” She questioned matter of factly and with a raised brow to give him a look that more often than not, worked in her favor.
Tim reached for the voltage of battery he was looking for as gave her a nonchalant shrug. “Not my problem.”
“But-“
“Cancel your plans Chen.”
Hurriedly Lucy moved to step in front of him as she raised a hand to touch the center of his chest, stopping him in his tracks as she peered up towards him.
“Why should I cancel my plans for you?”
Tim’s gaze searched hers before the right corner of his lip turned upwards in a smirk that had Lucy pursing her own lips with a narrowed glare to keep herself from looking at the lips that were inches away from hers.
“I promise to make it worth your while sweetheart.”
Lucy rolled her eyes at the line as the hand upon his chest fell away. “I can’t do Friday, Harper and Lopez would kill me if I missed another girls night.”
Tim set the battery down underneath the hood before reaching for the wrench that sat on the rolling cart on the other side of him. “Saturday at three Lucy, wear something old.”
She knew that arguing with the headstrong mechanic would be pointless, which is why four days later Lucy found herself closing the door of her Datsun that was parked in front of one of the many bay doors that were closed. Following his advice, she had grabbed an old t-shirt from the bottom of her dresser drawer and had paired it with an older pair of athletic leggings that she would not mind becoming stained with grease.
“Tim?” She questioned hesitantly upon stepping over the threshold that separated the outside from the in as she breathed in the smell of gas, grease, and oil.
A muffled response came from the office in the back and Lucy looked around, taking in the open space and black and white shops in various states of disarray when the sound of metal tags crashing against one another, filled the silence.
“Hi Kojo!” Lucy grinned as she knelt down beside the garage dog to give the animal some ear scratches and belly rubs. “I brought you something.”
“It better not be another chew toy Chen.”
“It’s not.” She grinned as the sound of boots hitting the concrete grew near upon her pulling a treat out of the brown bag in hand. “I brought him a pupcake.”
The footfalls faltered as Lucy placed the treat in her hand for Kojo to happily devour before a protest reached her ears, causing her to pull the muffin away and just in time. “He can’t-“
“I promise you he can,” She looked back towards where he stood. “I bought it from the bakery down to street. It’s low in cholesterol and sodium. But if you would rather I not…”
A sharp whistle pierced the air before the dog was commanded to sit where he happily stood as a silver bowl came into Lucy’s vision. She placed the muffin into the bowl and watched as it was greedily consumed before she was able to stand to.
“Kojo, you could at least pretend not to be a pig.” Scoffed Tim as he turned around on his heel where his gaze caught sight of the orange hunk of metal that sat out front.. “Chen, why are you still driving that orange piece of shit? Even as parts, your car is worthless.”
Lucy moved to stand as she absentmindedly twisted the moonstone ring on her finger. “My car may be a piece of shit, but it’s the only place… never mind.”
She watched as Tim turned around at her faltering words with an unreadable look on his face, yet she found his eyes to be inquisitive and searching.
“The only place what?”
“Where I felt safe… After Caleb.” She confessed truthfully as she watched his gaze soften and his mouth fall open only to close once more.
The hands on the clock had been nearing ten o’clock in the morning on December 9th when Tim had received word about Lucy’s disappearance. He had known something was amiss, having heard the continuous string of radio traffic come through the speaker of the digital scanner that sat on the workbench across the garage but he didn’t pay the voices no mind as he worked on changing the ball joints of the shop overhead.
He had just removed the pinch bolt when he heard the call for all officers to be on the lookout for the kidnapped officer, come across the speaker. It wasn’t long after that, that Tim had made the instantaneous decision to close the garage as he found himself rushing towards the station he had not stepped one foot in in years. One of their own was missing, a fact which was confirmed by the blue alert that came across his phone. Tim knew the situation was dire and even though he may have no longer been an active member of law enforcement, he was still a well-respected former member of the LAPD who made sure to stay up to date on as many qualifications he could.
The summit had been steep and surrounded by dry brush for as far as the eye could see which is why it was a combination of sheer luck and Lucy’s fast thinking that Tim had ever been able to find her, or rather been able to find the very same ring she was twisting around her finger. There are nights, still to this day, where the events of that day haunts his dreams. Night’s where he swears he can still feel the barren ground beneath his fingertips or worse, night’s where he can feel the breaking of her ribs underneath his palm as he tried to bring her back to life.
“That car has been the only constant in my life for the last ten years, I can’t just-.” Her words faltered as she briefly glanced away before her gaze returned to his. “That car means everything.”
Tim’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as his stomach soured. He had no idea. “Lucy, I’m-“
“You didn’t know.” She interrupted tersely, rocking back on her heels. “Are we just going to stand here or are you going to show me how to change a tire?”
“No, I’m not.” He told her, leaving no room for argument as he led them to the other side of the garage where a shop was waiting as the dark cloud that loomed overhead slowly began to dissipate. “You’re going to show me that you know how.”
Lucy went over each essential item that was stored in the compartment underneath the floor mat in the back, pulling out the jack and lug wrench before removing the spare tire. They talked about covering the basics, turning on the hazards and engaging the parking brake prior to beginning the process of loosening the lug nuts on the hub.
Tim Commandment Number 2: Should your shop or personal vehicle ever need mechanical work, make sure the parking brake is engaged before preforming maintenance.
They were halfway through the process, the left side of the shop raised off the concrete with the back tire removed when Lucy let out a ragged breath of air upon heaving the new tire onto the rotor. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as she used the backside of her hand to wipe the droplet away.
“Not bad Chen.”
Lucy looked over her shoulder with a retort on her lips, but stopped short upon finding the mechanic leaned against the side of the shop beside the bay they were working in. His arms were crossed over his chest, the muscles protruding through the fabric of the grey shirt that clung to his body in all the right ways.
“No thanks to you.”
Tim shrugged at the evident sarcasm. She was the one who had told him she was more than capable of completing the task at hand.
It wasn’t soon after that she slipped the lug nuts back into their proper place but she stopped just short of tightening them.
“When you tighten them into place, start at the top and do it in a star pattern. I will come behind you with an impact wrench to make sure they’re secured.”
They worked side by side but as Lucy made work of the fourth lug nut, she found the grip she had on the wrench in had to begin to slide in the palms of her hands.
A yelp fell past her lips as her body began to pitch forward, her face heading straight for the top of the tire. But before her face could make an impact, an arm wrapped around her torso to pull her backwards and towards the ground harshly as a shot of pain made itself known upon hitting the concrete.
“You ok?”
Lucy blinked once, twice as the stupidity of what just happened hit her. “Ye-yeah, thank you.” She confirmed with the twist of her head to look at the man who still had a firm grasp around her waist as a comfortable silence washed over them. “Making an emergency trip to the dentist on my day off was not on my list of things to do today.”
“I’ve never known an emergency trip anywhere to ever be on anyone’s list Chen.” Tim informed her with the roll of his eyes.
“Clearly you’ve never ran out of ice cream before.” Lucy grinned as she her nose caught the faint scent of something woodsy leaving her to come to the realization of just how close they are.
“Ice cream? I thought you were lactose intolerant.”
“There’s worse ways to die.”
A scoff of disbelief warmed the side of her face as he ran his tongue along his bottom lip to give her a small grin that had Lucy glancing towards his lips before her gaze found his once more. Subconsciously she licked her lips own in anticipation in a move that had Tim looking towards her plump mouth as she twisted her body further in his arms.
There was a sense of hesitancy as their lips became within a hairbreadth of one another, their breaths intermingling. They were nearing that edge, the one that once they crossed there was no going back but there was no sense in not finding out if there was more to the chemistry they had than just remaining friends. Which is why when thinking back on it later, Lucy would not be able to tell you who was the one to make the first move but what she did know, was that the first touch of his lips against hers was a sensation she would likely never forget.
His lips were soft, the stubble of his jaw tickling the skin around her lips before they pulled away. Her brown eyes found his startling blue with an uncertainty behind them as Lucy escaped the gentle hold he still had. Tim could feel his heart sink and the warmth of her body leave as she pulled away but the feeling was short-lived. Lucy knelt in between his legs which were still spread, bringing her left hand up to the back of his neck to slot their lips together as though they were carrying out a routine they had long since perfected.
The hand cradled the nape of his neck while her right hand gave his chest a gentle shove in a silent request for him to ease himself backwards and towards the ground. The message was received loud and clear as he eased his body backward onto the cold concrete as their lips continued to crash together in an opened mouthed kiss.
Her body trembled as roughened fingertips made their way underneath the old t-shirt she wore, dancing along the smooth plane of her back as the other hand fell lower and into the back pocket of her jeans to grasp the swell of her bountiful ass.
Lucy’s lips parted with a quiet moan at the surprise touch, a motion that allowed ample time for Tim to slip in tongue between her lips. It was not long after that she let out a frustrated groan at the loss of his lips on hers but the complaint was short lived as he changed the position they were in with ease. She was anything but surprised as he kept his upper body close to hers but never placed his weight down on top of her. His lower half fell against the apex of her legs and she found herself smiling as warm lips were attached to her neck and his day-old stubble rubbed against the softness of her cheek.
Mentally Lucy made a note to remember and grab the jar of coconut oil from the kitchen pantry.
The hand she had on his bicep, moved in between their bodies to pull at the grey t-shirt that was tucked into the waistband of his jeans, allowing her hand to slip underneath the fabric. She pushed the material upwards as far as it would go before Tim’s lips abandoned her neck to finish pulling the shirt over his head. Aimlessly he tossed it to the side as Lucy hastily pulled her own over her head to join the makeshift pile.
She wished they had better thought this through, as the chill of the concrete sent goosebumps across her skin, but the thought was fleeting as his lips returned to hers, leaving her to wonder what his magic tongue would feel like between her legs. The callouses of his fingers flitted across the vast and plentiful amount of olive skin that had been exposed in a mindless mission, moving from circling the tattoo that had been engraved onto the skin of her ribcage to the tattoo that was nestled in-between her breasts before he pushed the cup of her simple black bra downward.
His lips were warm and soft as he took back control by slipping his tongue past her parted lips once more while she committed the taste of him to memory. But the loss of dominance was not something she found herself objecting to as his fingers played with the nipple of her exposed breast, rolling the pebbled skin between his fingers.
“Tim.” Lucy moaned as her hips rolled against the bulge in the front of his jeans in search of friction, it was a demand and a request at the same time.
“Lucy.” He countered huskily with a voice that was heavy, and ladened with the desire.
But her plea was one that was cut short as the movement of Tim reaching out to his side broke the moment. His lips left hers with a frustrated curse that vibrated her lips as he rolled off her body in one swift motion leaving Lucy to wonder what the hell was going on.
“What’s wron-“ She asked as she leaned up on her elbows to look towards where he sat, only her wondering gaze failed to find his and was instead treated with being met with the happy pants of a canine who currently sat between Tim’s legs.
Tim casted a glare towards the dog who was not affected by the stare as he licked his humans face in a move that had Lucy failing to hold back the chuckle as it escaped past her lips.
“I think someone’s jealous.”
The glare turned towards her. “We’re being cock blocked by a dog Lucy.”
The woman in question shrugged as her hand reached for the discarded shirt nearby. “I don’t think us having sex on the floor of your garage is how either one of us would have wanted this to play out.”
She was right and he knew it.
Lucy pulled the cotton t-shirt overhead, but her stare never wavered as she watched him deflect the statement by moving to his feet. He extended a hand as he turned to face her, to which she graciously accepted before she was being pulled onto her own two feet. It was then, as she stood facing his chest that something caught her eye.
There were two marks in close proximity to one another, with one deformity placed higher on the shoulder and further into the curve of his neck than the other, but they were both scars she found herself to be all too familiar with. The blemishes were smooth and slightly discolored on his tanned skin and looked to be no bigger than the size of a quarter, all of which were facts that silently told her the age of the two wounds.
Lucy stood with her clothed chest brushing against his own which was bare as her hand reached up towards the healed wounds. She felt of the cautiously, almost as if she was worried her touch would leave him with more pain but the movement of her fingers were soft, intimate as he looked at her with an intense wonder in anticipation of her next move.
Looking at him through the lashes of her eyes Lucy could not help but wonder. “Is this…?” She asked, leaving the question open.
He had an answer, a simple three letter word that was on the tip of his tongue, but the word would not fall past the crease of his lips as his throat suddenly felt dry. For once in his life, he found it difficult to answer the question.
All Tim could do in that moment was hold onto either side of her waist as her hand came to a stop over the one wound that could have ended it all.
“You don’t- We don’t have to talk about it.”
She could feel the moment his body tensed at the thought of talking about that night before he glanced away, his tongue darting out to lick in between his lips. What Lucy didn’t know at the time was that it was not often, if ever, that Tim talked about that night. Much like she herself, is not one to talk much about her own trauma.
“Our vest only protects us so much and mine,” He spoke hoarsely through the lump in his throat as he turned his head towards her. “didn’t cover enough.”
“Tim-“ Lucy whispered softly as her hand pressed further against his chest.
“This one almost cost me my life.” He told her as he placed a hand on top of hers. “I died on the table Lucy, twice. I died and they repaid me by taking my badge and gun.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“According to them, it was. You take two shots to the shoulder and one to the thigh and suddenly they’re questioning how you do your job.” He spoke maliciously before the words he had uttered caught up to him. “I respect their decision but-“
“But they took it all away from you. I…” Lucy shook her head. “Come here.”
Lucy stood on the tips of her toes, not giving him a say or choice in the matter as she pulled him into her to wrap an arm over the back of his shoulder and the other around his waist. It wasn’t the first time they had found themselves in this position, a place where his head fit perfectly in the crook of her neck and his hand spanned across the entirety of her back, but it was a place that brought a warmth to her stomach and a comfort to her heart.
“You are so much more than a person with a badge and gun.” She whispered beside his ear and Lucy would have not put it past him to be wishing to be able to see things through her perspective as he pulled her closer.
The smell of her conditioner filled his nose as her declaration echoed in his mind. It was a statement that rang true and a truth that Tim had long since accepted but occasionally had trouble coming to terms with. He was human after all.
“Who knows, maybe if I had not been injured I could have been your training officer.”
“Please,” Lucy rolled her eyes as her arms fell away upon taking a step back. “like you would have been able to handle me.”
“I would have been your worst nightmare, boot.” He retorted with the slightest upturn of the corner of kiss swollen lips that had her eyes flitting towards them as the look cemented what she already knew. Lucy was in trouble.
“I’m sure you would have. Angela told me that your style of teaching was putting your boots through hell.”
“No, I taught my recruits according to what they needed.”
Lucy hummed in acknowledgement. “And what about me, what would I have needed?”
Tim pursed his lips as he gave her a once over. “You are a kind and insightful person which leads you to see the good in people. I would have taught your that the world is not all sunshine and rainbows, a fact you would have needed to be reminded of on a daily basis.”
“Are you saying that Angela done a bad job?”
“No, I’m saying that I could have done better.” He told her in earnest before moving away to retrieve her discarded top from where it laid on the ground. He tossed the material carelessly, aiming it in her general direction before he turned on a heel. “Do you trust me?”
Lucy’s brow furrowed as she caught the shirt with ease. She may have not known the answers to the most basic of questions when it came to Tim but he had never given her a reason not to trust him. “Always.”
“Then give me back my shirt,” He spoke with a raised brow. “and move your car into the empty space beside the door.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
It was not hard to see that the man who was going currently walking throughout the building to make sure it was locked up and secured was born with his feet in motion, a restlessness that was sure to keep her on her toes if the chemistry they had just acted upon was to go any further. But Lucy doesn’t think she will mind.