Chapter Text
There was a moment when Tim Bradford passed by the spare bedroom in his house and was actually a bit sad that it was empty. A knock at his front door diverted his attention, so he went to answer it.
“I brought beer,” Angela Lopez said while holding out a case happily.
He stepped to the side to let her in, because there was no use in trying to shoo her away whenever she showed up on his doorstep unexpectedly.
“Jack barely sleeps, Wes and I keep arguing, because we’re so sleep deprived, and I need an hour on a couch with beer and you. Let’s have an adult conversation that doesn’t include babies, sleep schedules, bowel movements, laundry, or food.”
“Okay,” he replied awkwardly and tracked her movements as she shuffled over to his couch and plopped down.
“What’s going on in your life lately?” She asked as she offered him a beer.
“Nothing.” He accepted the glass bottle then clinked his with hers.
“Wow, you’re boring.”
“You can leave any time.”
“Now that Nolan moved out, I can finally hang out with you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“He didn’t move out. He only crashed for a couple of weeks, because exterminators had to fumigate his house.”
“You can admit that you miss having him around.”
“I could never miss Nolan,” he scoffed.
“Sure, but maybe you miss the company,” she suggested.
He looked down at the beer bottle in his hand as he wrestled with her words, because despite how annoying that thought was, it was not necessarily false. Tim enjoyed having someone else at home instead of a constant, eerie silence. Kojo’s presence was welcome, but a human companion would be far better.
Angela nudged him. “You don’t have to say it out loud. I know I’m right. Can we watch some bad TV for a while?”
“Sure, but nothing with a housewife.”
“Not only ONE housewife. A whole sea of them,” she chuckled as she reached for his remote.
He rolled his eyes in his annoyance, but he was pleased to spend time with her regardless of the fact that he was forced to watch a very ridiculous show.
• ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ •
Frustratedly, Lucy Chen stalked into the bar for a much needed drink after shift. Angela noticed her demeanor and ordered two tequila shots on her behalf.
Nyla Harper, John Nolan, and Tim congregated together around a table where Lucy and Angela joined them.
Since she noticed all of Lucy’s huffing and puffing, Angela set out the two shots and said, “Drink those for the two of us, then tell me what’s going on with you.”
“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Lucy whined, knocked back her first shot, winced when it burned her throat, then took her second one. “My apartment building is being turned into condos. AGAIN.”
John frowned. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“You guys know how much trouble I had finding an apartment the last time, and now I only have two weeks to find a new place,” Lucy explained.
“Two weeks? Good luck,” Nyla responded.
“Exactly. I have no idea how I’ll find an affordable place in two weeks,” Lucy said unhappily as she rubbed her temple.
“Hang on, maybe I don’t have a permanent solution for you, but I have a temporary one,” John began. “When I was in a bind, I crashed at Tim’s. You could stay with him for a while.”
Lucy looked across the table at Tim to read his initial reaction to the proposition. He was mostly measured, but his eyes betrayed him showing something she had only seen in that dark blue sea of his eyes once before.
At his house.
The night they lost Jackson.
After he hugged her.
After he pulled away only barely to meet her gaze.
She was taken aback to see that glimmer in his eye again. That sparkle of SOMETHING.
Losing herself in him, Lucy felt pulled to Tim for the billionth time.
“That’s a great idea,” Angela chimed in as both Tim and Lucy blinked out of whatever stupor they had found themselves in for a split second. “What do you think, Bradford?”
“W-w…,” he was taken aback by the prospect of living with Lucy. It was a confusing jumble of feelings that riddled him, crippling his ability to think.
It would be foolish to live with Tim. Particular Tim. Clean Freak Tim. Strict Tim. Dazzling Blue Eyed Tim. Big Warm Embraces Tim. Just thinking about him for too long was confusing, so being in close quarters was a really bad idea.
But, Lucy rationalized that if she did live with Tim, she would get to see him regularly; she missed the routine of spending every day at his side in the shop. Though her rookie year had been challenging, she was grateful for his constant presence, and without him, shifts were longer and duller. Since they were unable to ride together on patrol, living under the same roof would give her the opportunity to be around Tim day in and day out. She vacillated between wanting to move in with him and resolutely determining that it was a bad idea. Time around Tim won the mental battle, so she said, “I would really appreciate it, and-and I’ll pay rent, and it wouldn’t be for that long, and I’ll be a good roommate.”
He took a sip of his beer to hide the beginning of a smile. “I doubt that last part.” When she quirked her eyebrow at him, Tim explained, “I doubt you’re a good roommate. I know how messy you are.”
“I’m not messy.”
“You’re not clean, either.”
“According to your ridiculously high standards, no one’s clean.”
“Nolan wasn’t so bad.”
“You would rather live with Nolan over me?” She asked, offended.
“Of course not,” Tim scoffed.
“Guys, I’m right here,” John tried to interrupt, but they were having one of those moments where they were completely engrossed in their own conversation, ignoring everyone else.
“So, you don’t have a problem with me staying with you for a little?” Lucy pressed with the beginning of a smile playing at her lips.
He realized he fell into her trap a little too late, so Tim had no choice but to let out a sigh of resignation and say, “Fine, you can stay with me until you find an apartment.”
“Thank you!” She replied gleefully as she clapped her hands together. Living with him temporarily was going to be a good thing; she was sure of that.
• ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ •
Lucy had been initially grateful and excited about staying with Tim, but that feeling changed rather quickly.
Once he set down the last box of her clothes in the small room, he turned and practically fell into her, so Tim let out a surprised gasp as his eyes locked onto hers. They were close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin, count her eyelashes, and smell her perfume mixed with her sweat, which was TOO close…but how could he resist her orbit? Besides, in the close quarters, he did not have too many options for where to stand aside from right in front of her.
She blinked a few times recalling the last time they ended up in the exact same position. It had been weeks since she was in his living room seeking comfort from his arms and ended up entranced by him and their closeness. There was no escaping Tim when they were living together, she realized, which lead to Lucy regretting having to share a space with him.
He finally gathered himself enough to take a step back, finding it even more difficult the second time he was captivated by her. Tim scratched the back of his neck and tried to smile genuinely instead of nervously. “I-I should probably give you a tour.”
“I’ve been to your house a million times,” she murmured, appreciating that she sensed he was about as flushed as she felt.
“Right,” he responded tightly. In search of a topic change, he said, “So, I know it’s small in here.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“This isn’t even supposed to be a bedroom.”
“I remember. It was an office, even though I don’t know what you need an office for.”
“A man needs a place to balance his checkbook and file his taxes.”
“You still do all of that by hand with paper, don’t you?”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
She smirked. “I’m not. That’s very Tim of you.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“Depends on the day. Today, it’s a compliment.”
“And tomorrow?”
“We’ll see,” she smiled brighter.
He had seen her luminescent smiles for over a year, and yet each one still felt like a miracle to behold.
“Did you really give up your special spot to file taxes for John?” Lucy questioned.
“Grey asked me to put Nolan up here. I got a bed after shift that day. The shelving in the closet and the bookcase were all done by Nolan.”
Though the room was quiet quaint and could only fit a full bed that was pushed against one of the walls, such a tight squeeze would work temporarily. “It’s cozy. I like it. Thank you.”
“Sure.”
“I can ask John to help me move my furniture and the rest of my stuff out of my apartment into my storage unit tomorrow.”
“No, I said I’ll help.”
“You’re giving me a roof over my head. You’ve done enough.”
“I don’t mind. I really am sorry you’re getting kicked out of your apartment again.”
“Just my luck, I guess,” she replied with a shrug. “But, you really turned my luck around,” she added sweetly.
His chest warmed instantly. It was impossible to remain neutral when she used a soft tone and gave him one of her kindest expressions. “We should get some sleep. The guest bathroom is all yours.”
“Thank you, Tim.”
Perhaps he should have been the one thanking her for blotting out the loneliness in his house. For lighting up the room. For keeping him company. For breathing life into his life. “Good night,” he said then stepped out of her room. After closing her bedroom door, Tim turned back to look at it. She was right there. Only a piece of wood separating them, but what could he do on the other side of that door? What WOULD he do? All he could manage was to shove his hands in his pockets and shuffle over to his own bed.
• ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ •
When he woke up one morning, tired eyed and still half asleep, Tim changed into basketball shorts and, after glancing at the weather forecast, opted out of wearing a shirt due to the scorching summer heat. He went out to the living room to collect Kojo for his morning walk and practically jumped out of his skin when he found Lucy bent over in tiny running shorts securing a leash to the dog’s collar.
Yes, he had seen plenty of Lucy in different scenarios, but never so much of her legs so early in the morning…and definitely not a tiny glimpse of her ass cheeks. His tongue was caught in his throat.
She sensed him before she saw him. When she spun around, she caught his eye and greeted him with a warm grin. “Morning!”
“Morning,” Tim responded roughly.
All of her usual cheeriness was replaced by lust when she realized she was staring at a shirtless Tim Bradford with his toned, tanned skin on display and how many abs? Of course, she was a trained observer, so she knew that objectively he was attractive, but seeing him without a shirt when her brain was still waking up only drove her keen observation skills into a higher gear, focusing on his broad chest on display for her and then drifting her gaze lower to his midsection. She wondered what it would feel like to skim her fingers over his skin. But, those thoughts had to wait. “I, uh, I was gonna take Kojo for a walk.”
“I can take care of it,” he insisted.
“Kojo and I haven’t hung out in a while, so this’ll be good bonding time for us. I really don’t mind.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Great, then I’ll have more time to make breakfast. Any requests?”
“Surprise me,” she said. “We’ll be back in a bit.”
When she left the house with Kojo, Tim’s lungs were able to resume normal function. Aside from the fact that Nolan never offered to walk the dog as long as he stayed in the spare room, Lucy provided more than dog walking as a worthwhile contribution to the house; she was also great to look at. Because it was too early in the morning for rationality, he thought about the view that is Lucy Chen as he made pancakes for her and salmon and eggs for Kojo. He had no choice but to smile at her when she returned home from the walk with pink cheeks and a grin. “Did he give you any trouble?”
“Of course not, but even if he did, I know a thing or two about handling difficult men,” she replied pointedly then went to the coffee maker to pour two mugs before handing one to Tim. “That smells good.”
“Blueberry pancakes. My mom’s recipe.”
“Hmm, so is there a secret ingredient? Most family recipes have at least one.”
“Yeah, the secret ingredient is blueberries,” he responded, completely unamused as he set out a plate in front of the spot on the kitchen island she usually occupied. Tim only then realized that they had hung out at his house too many times before, so it was not weird to share a meal together with usual seats and typical tasks like Lucy setting out the silverware and pouring their drinks while he plated their food. It should have been weird how they were in sync when it came to so many things, but because of how much time they had spent together as partners, it made sense that certain actions were seamlessly done in tandem like how they ate breakfast together and picked up their dishes afterwards. “I’ll get ready and see you at the station.”
“Do you think you’ll get ready before me?” She asked, challenge lacing the question as she stepped into his space where he was standing in the kitchen.
“I know I will.”
“Wanna bet?”
He arched his eyebrow, intrigued. “What are the terms?”
“The person who gets ready first gets to pick dinner.”
“Deal.” Tim would have offered to shake her hand to seal the bet, but if he had, he probably would have ended up touching her hip due to their proximity. He had no idea how they got to be so close to each other, but gravity’s pull made sense while Lucy’s own pull could never be explained clearly. All he knew was that it existed, and he was tugged towards her by some undeniable force, and maybe he only discovered it when she went undercover and was not around to keep him grounded, or maybe it was when his eyes were magnetized to her body at Angela and Wes’ almost wedding ceremony, but now Tim was well aware of Lucy’s draw, and the night she spent at his house where all they did was hug was the first piece of evidence he gathered and all the proof he needed that he was absolutely, positively caught in her orbit.
“I’m thinking we’ll order dim sum tonight when I win.”
He rolled his eyes as she dashed into the guest bathroom that had become hers, giving herself a head start. “Cheater!” He called and heard her giggle on the other side of the bathroom door then ran into his bedroom to reach his en-suite bathroom. When Tim had finished changing, he raced back to the front door and saw Lucy wearing her most dazzling, victorious smile. “You cheated!”
“No, you just take longer than I do. I know you spend a while on your hair.”
“I do not,” he said with a pout.
“You lost, but you can pick the movie.”
“Can’t watch a movie tonight. There’s a Dodgers game.”
“It was bad enough listening to you talk about sports when we were riding together, but now I have to deal with it at home?”
At home. She said “at home”. Something about hearing her refer to his house as her “home” settled something inside of him. “Forget about the Dodgers game. We can watch a movie.”
“Really?” Lucy could not believe he would make such an adjustment for her.
“Sure. It’s not a problem. Whatever you want.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, touched by the gesture.
• ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ • ʚ 𓉞 ɞ •
As their shift was nearing the end, Lucy approached Tim at his desk and said, “Hey, I’m wrapping up now. Are you almost ready to head home?”
“I’ve got a few more things to take care of,” he answered. It should have been odd to discuss going home together, but he quite liked how easy and natural it felt.
“Okay, then I’ll take Kojo out and order dinner. Don’t stay too late. Wouldn’t want you to miss the game.”
“We said we’d watch a movie.”
She shrugged. “I changed my mind.”
He watched her walk away with a smile on his face that only widened when he entered his house to find Lucy curled up on his couch with Kojo in her lap.
“The game is about to start,” she said then paused at the unexpected sight of his cheerful grin. “What?”
“Nothing,” he whispered, trying to keep his happiness at bay. It was nice to have any company at his house even when Nolan was the one staying with him, but nothing could be more perfect than being welcomed home by LUCY, and in that moment, Tim realized that she needed to move out as soon as possible before he got even more used to the feeling of sharing a home with her. It was a terrible idea to get more attached to living with someone. Someone he was drawn to. Someone he might be developing the slightest bit of a crush on. Someone that was only supposed to stay with him temporarily. Someone who only saw him as a friend.
Lucy so easily felt comfortable in his home like it was her own, too, because Tim felt like home, so whether it was sitting at his side in a shop, dining at a table next to a food truck with him, occupying a bar stool beside him at Las Torres, or settled in together on Tim’s couch, she was safe, comfortable, happy, and most definitely home.
When the Dodgers game ended and dinner was cleaned up, he looked over at her in the kitchen and asked, “How’s the apartment hunt going?”
“Oh, I-I didn’t have a chance to look at any listings today, but I’ll get on it tomorrow. I’ve only been here a few days. Don’t tell me you’re already sick of having me around.”
“Not at all.” It was just the opposite.
She scratched her neck and exhaled as she started moving towards him. Thankfully, he was walking towards her, and they met in the middle next to the refrigerator. “Thanks again for letting me stay.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that. It’s no problem, and you’ve helped with Kojo a lot, so you’re a great roommate.”
“That’s purely for selfish reasons. I love Kojo, and I think it’s pretty obvious he loves me more than you.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Sure he does. Everyone loves me more than you.”
That was an argument he could never disagree with. “That might be true.”
“Might be?” She teased.
He shook his head at her fondly.
Lucy felt inclined to share in the dimly lit kitchen, “The truth is, I keep saying ‘thank you’, because you’re saving me for the millionth time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was hard…being back at that apartment. I kept expecting Jackson to come through the door, and then I’d remember all over again that he’s gone. I didn’t know how long I could keep living there even before I got evicted. My apartment started feeling empty and-and wrong all by myself, so thank you for letting me be somewhere where I can be happy and feel like myself again. I miss Jackson everyday,” she said before touching her St. Michael’s pendant that her dearly departed friend had gifted to her while maintaining eye contact with Tim. “But, being with you makes it hurt less, so…thank you.”
As someone who understood the pain of losing friends from his time in the Army, Tim nodded. If he could be there for her in her time of need, he was going to do just that. “Stay as long as you need to. If you’re not comfortable being in an apartment on your own yet, I won’t force you. You’re welcome here forever.”
“What about when tax season rolls around? You’ll need the room to go back to being an office, so you can file your taxes at a desk.”
“Might be time to check out doing it on a computer.”
“I wouldn’t want to force you to change.”
“Change could be good for me.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Tim Bradford?”
“I AM capable of changing, you know.”
She smirked. “I guess, but I wouldn’t want you to change a thing.”
“Didn’t you just finish telling me that I should be more open minded about how I load the dishwasher?”
“That was different. You know what I mean.”
He softened as she did. “I do,” he whispered in appreciation. Lucy was the only one who ever wholly accepted him and never wanted him to change at all.
She saw something curious in his eyes. That same glint after the one and only time he pulled her into his embrace. It was alluring. “We should call it a night.”
“Right,” Tim replied and stepped back, surprised he had gotten so close to her yet again. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Lucy watched as he disappeared into his bedroom with the door shutting behind him, and then she tip toed over to stand right in front of the wood. She threaded her fingers together as she pondered what to say or rather what to ask about the meaning behind that subtle yet enchanting look he had given her multiple times. If she was reading into it, she wanted to clear the air. Lucy’s hand stilled over the doorknob, then she hesitated. Would it be more daunting to know he only saw her as a friend and coworker, or would she be more afraid if she learned the stubborn, growing feelings she was developing for him regardless of how hard she fought against them were feelings Tim shared? She shook her head, conflicted about what outcome she was hoping for. Lucy decided that since she had no idea what she wanted, there was no use in opening the physical door to his bedroom or the emotional one in her heart. Instead, she went to her own room. As wonderful as it was to stay with Tim, perhaps it was necessary to begin hunting for a new apartment, so she scrolled through listings on her phone while brushing her teeth. She was searching for an impossibly perfect apartment; the one amenity no apartment offered was Tim, and it was the only amenity Lucy wanted.
