Work Text:
"What did you almost do Lucy?"
She froze, the only sound the elevator doors closing behind her.
"W-what?" Her eyes were wide as she stared at Chris, his expression unwavering.
"When you were talking with Tim you told him you two almost… almost what Lucy?"
"Not here Chris." She sighed, her mind running wild as she stepped around Chris and started walking back to her apartment. As soon as they were inside she took a deep breath and leaned back against the door. Tim's voice telling her she was good at undercover work pounded in her head as she opened her mouth. "Tim and I almost…” She paused, the lie on the tip of her tongue. Then she remembered her conversation outside with Tim and knew she owed Chris the truth.
“Whatever it is you can tell me-” He started to step forward and take her hands in his so she blurted out the words.
“Tim and I almost slept together.” She heard his sharp intake of breath and looked up. His face was a mix of pain and disbelief and she started talking to fill the silence. “I’m sorry Chris, I-”
“Lucy, no. It’s understandable.” It was her turn to be shocked and she looked at him with wide eyes. “You two were undercover as a couple, it’s basic biology that you would get close to that.” Lucy sucked in a sharp breath at the words she told Tim in the hotel room repeated back to her.
Even as she said the words to TIm she knew they were a lie. There was nothing ‘basic’ about what she felt for Tim. Her feelings were deep and complicated and now she knew they were reciprocated.
Shaking her head she started to tell Chris that no, it wasn’t just basic biology, when she invited Tim in her apartment, but before she could say anything Chris was stepping forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m going to head to bed. You coming?”
“Um, you go ahead. I’ll be there soon.”
As soon as her bedroom door closed behind him Lucy let out a quiet sob, laying herself over the kitchen island. She stayed there for 5 minutes until she finally pushed herself up and wiped her tears away. Taking a deep breath she prepared herself to walk into her bedroom and tell Chris the full truth but when she walked in she found him fast asleep on his back and she sighed, letting out a shaky breath as she gathered her clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Changing quickly she started to go back into her bedroom but found herself going to the couch instead where she stayed up for hours thinking about how crazy the last few days had been and just what she was going to do about Chris and this new revelation with Tim.
She made her way to bed when the sun started to rise, getting comfortable just as Chris was waking up.
“Good morning Lucy.” She could hear the smile in his voice and knew it was now or never. “So I was thinking today we could-”
“We weren’t undercover.” She brought her hand up to her hair, trying to block out Chris’s expression from the corner of her eye.
“What?”
“When Tim and I almost slept together. We weren’t still undercover.” She winced as she heard him fall back against the bed on the other side and could only imagine the look on his face.
“What do you mean you weren’t still undercover? Was it when you were in the hotel room or…” Lucy took a deep breath. If she was going to be honest she may as well tell him everything.
“When we got back. He was dropping me off and I- I invited him in.” She chanced a glance at him then and could tell immediately he was furious. His voice came out strained as he asked his next question
“Lucy. If I hadn’t been dropped on your couch by Rosalind, would you and Tim have…”
“I honestly don’t know Chris. I wish I could say no but…” He stood up then, pulling his clothes back on quickly.
“You weren’t just feeling guilty about Rosalind were you? You were feeling guilty about almost having sex with Tim when I was dying on your couch!” Lucy felt the tears back in her eyes and decided to let them fall freely.
“Chris I- I’m really sorry.”
“Save it Lucy. I can't believe you were just staying with me out of guilt for almost sleeping with Tim." Tim's name was laced with venom as Chris spoke. He was almost out her bedroom doorway when he paused. "I hope it was worth it.” Without another word he walked out, not once looking back.
The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in the apartment and she laid there stunned until there was a knock on her door.
“Lucy, are you okay?” The door opened slowly to reveal Tamara, a worried look on her face.
“I will be.” She gave the girl a watery smile, wiping at her eyes.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Her first thought to wave it off but she thought better of it and nodded.
“Start some coffee and I’ll meet you in the living room?” Tamara nodded, making her way into the kitchen.
Lucy laid in bed for a few minutes, replaying the last few minutes with Chris. Finally she stood, making her way into the living room just as Tamara was bringing their coffees over. Sitting down next to her she sighed, leaning her head back on the couch as she accepted the steaming mug.
“Thanks. Now, where do I start?”
Walking up to her apartment Lucy smiled. She had successfully completed UC school and was finally back in Los Angeles, getting to see her friends for the first time in a month. Sliding the key into the lock she pushed the door open slowly, already planning on who to call first.
“Welcome home!”
Lucy took in the scene in front of her in shock. There was a Welcome Home Lucy balloon banner strung up across her living room and there, in the middle of the room, stood Tamara and Tim, fake mustaches above wide smiles.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she stepped forward, dropping her bags in the kitchen.
"You guys! What is this?"
"We wanted to throw a small surprise Welcome home party for you." Tamara stepped forward and Lucy immediately wrapped her in a hug.
"Well thank you. I love it." She stepped back from Tamara and walked up to Tim who was still standing by her couch, his hands in his pockets.
Neither one of them spoke, instead taking in everything they could as they saw each other for the first time in weeks. They were so engrossed in watching each other they missed Tamara's eye roll before she walked out, gently closing the door behind her.
Everything from their last conversation came rushing back to Lucy in that moment and she knew what she wanted.
She wanted Tim. She wanted to figure out what they could be and she didn't want to wait any longer.
"Welcome home Lucy." His words broke her out of her daze and she refocused on him. His smile was wide but not as bright as before.
"Thank you. Did you help Tamara plan all of this?" Tim shrugged.
"Yeah. We wanted to do something nice for you. I wasn't sure if I should come or not but she insisted so…" Lucy's heart broke at his words and the pain that was so clearly behind them.
"I'm glad you did." His smile brightened a little at that and she stepped forward again, now within reaching distance. "You know, I did a lot of thinking these past few weeks and uh…" she trailed off, looking away nervously. "I broke up with Chris, before I left."
"Tamara told me you two had a fight but I didn't know that." Lucy nodded, debating on whether to tell him the full story when Tim started talking again. "I broke up with Ashley."
Her eyes widened and she couldn't help the smile that was starting to form.
"So I'm back from UC school and we're both single?" Tim smiled then, stepping closer to her as he brought his hands out of his pockets.
"It appears that way, yeah." Lucy reached out, lightly grabbing one of his hands in hers.
"Do you still want to see what this is?" She motioned between the two of them, her eyes searching his face.
"I do. Do you?" She nodded.
"I do." Without hesitation he pulled her against him, cupping her cheeks in his hands.
"Thank goodness." With that he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss.
When air became a necessity they leaned back, her arms going around his torso and his around her shoulders as they held each other in her living room.
Her living room where they kissed for the first time.
Where everything went to hell when she invited him in and found Chris.
And where everything finally fell perfectly into place for her and Tim to explore them.