Chapter Text
A few hours have passed and here he is once again looking into her eyes on the dance floor. But this time is different. This time she’s his. If it could be like this forever, Lucy safe in his arms, surrounded by so many people he loves, he’d never complain again. Which says a lot.
It’s a miracle they even made it to the wedding on time but an even bigger one they made it to the reception with Tim bearing only a small gash above his right eye.
Suddenly the music becomes nothing more than white noise as he focuses on feeling the comfort of her smooth skin as her right hand moves ever so slightly in his as they dance to what used to be that song Tamara listened to on blast for a week straight. The firm yet freeing caress of Lucy’s thumb as it strokes his left forearm consumes his thoughts. The light brush of her thighs against his as they sway in complete unison leaves him drunk in love.
Tim notices as his feet begin to feel like feathers willing to follow Lucy Chen everywhere on this dance floor or anywhere else. But he’s never been more grounded. More centered.
She’s his anchor and yet he’s drowning in the gold hue of her chocolate eyes and the small crow’s feet developing underneath them from her everlasting smile.
“Baby”
He can’t help but take in the mixture of her coconut body wash and his own cologne with notes of bergamot and citrus. He also can’t resist the small smile that forms at the edge of his lips as he recalls how she came to smell like him…
The two continue to sway to what appears to be the same song. Tim is incapable of focusing on anything other than Lucy as he breathes it all in, her in, along with the memories they contain like it’s pure oxygen and it’s the only thing keeping him alive.
Knowing Lucy smells of him does something to Tim. He’s not possessive by nature but he loves the idea of everyone knowing that he got the girl, the woman. He’s more than the expletives his father used to shout at him as a boy. He’s more than his failed marriage.
“Babe”
He’s future detective Lucy Chen’s boyfriend and she’s the love of his life. His soulmate he’s sure of it. Although he may never admit it. He can’t have people thinking he’s gone soft now.
“Tim” he finally hears.
He tightens his grip around Lucy’s waist and somehow manages to pull her even closer, chests flush against one another now. Although not knowing what’s gotten into him, Lucy responds by raising her left hand until resting on his right bicep and bringing her right hand up to cup his cheek.
She tenderly rubs her thumb against his right brow where a potential future scar in the making rests. It kills her to not be able to make everything better. He got injured protecting her. Ensuring she remains unblemished. Safe. Her fierce protector.
“Oh, babe. I did not see this being how our night went. You really should’ve let me handle it though.” Lucy faintly scrunches her nose at the sight of his wound in sympathy knowing how it must ache being only an hour old.
“And here I thought you preferred when I had your six” Tim smugly states as he remembers the view of being at her six.
Lucy sighs in defeat and opens her mouth to retort when Tim steps slightly back, extending his arm, allowing Lucy to spin before pulling her back in for a simple, gentle kiss. She teases him with her tongue along his bottom lip but opts to alternatively wipe the recently transferred lipstick.
“I’m not some damsel in distress. You trained me. You know I’m more than capable of handling things myself.” Lucy loves being cared for, but she can’t stand being coddled.
“I know. I know, Luc. I also like knowing you’re okay. But with what happened to Thorsen and the suspects still being out there. I can’t-” Tim can’t help but look at the ground as an overwhelming rush of emotions begins to flood him as memories of when she was taken by Caleb come back. “I- I don’t think I’d survive anything happening to you.”
Lucy’s stomach drops at the words and reminder of the past. She pauses the dance and lovingly places her thumb on his chin and raises it to meet her gaze. Not much is needed with the noticeable height difference even in several-inch heels. “Hey. I’m right here. I can’t promise nothing will happen to me, but I can promise I will fight like hell every day to get back to you. Who’s gonna give Kojo scraps under the table during dinner if I’m gone?”
This elicits a small laugh out of Tim and suddenly the memories of Caleb are replaced with ones of Lucy thinking she’s sneakily giving their dog green beans.
Lucy leans up, left hand resting once again on his bicep and right hand back on his cheek, and gives Tim an all-consuming kiss. She can feel as he slightly opens his mouth ready for more. More of her. She indulges him for a small moment. But then gives him one more soft kiss and returns to swaying to the music. Lucy grins as she feels Tim longing for a few seconds longer. He keeps his eyes closed even as they part as a way to savor every second he can as reality returning is unavoidable.
With equal parts seriousness and softness, her specialty, Lucy meets Tim’s eyes. “Are you okay? You seem somewhere else ever since we made those arrests tonight.” It was progress but not as much as Tim would’ve liked. If not for the reception Tim would be combing through footage right now or having boots on the ground feeling useful.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He claims and follows up with a closed mouth smile.
It takes everything in her not to completely roll her eyes.
He always says he’s fine, but she always knows when he’s not. When he refuses to make complete eye contact. When he deflects with jokes. When he turns to comforting her not quite knowing what it means to receive comfort himself without a hidden motive or an expiration date.
Lucy’s come to accept this about Tim but also allows room for growth as he comes to understand her love for him is unconditional. He doesn’t need to earn it. He doesn’t need to hide the bad. She’s in it for the long haul. The good, the bad, and the ugly. They aren’t Jake and Sava. They aren’t their parents. They aren’t who they were with their exes. They are in a good place built on love and respect.
With her hand rubbing small centric circles on his ear Lucy whispers, “Tim. It’s me.”
She’s right.
It’s her.
From the first moment he saw her, the hotshot who made an arrest before her first shift. When she called him out and challenged him in a way that wasn’t for the joy of participating in the challenge itself, like with Isabel, but to make him a better cop, a better man.
When she was taken, and he couldn’t breathe until he knew she was safe.
When he listened to her voice day in and day out in preparation for the Sergeant’s exam and he realized he could hear her talk forever.
When she proved herself to be easily the best cop he's ever trained, although he’ll never say it. The best he can do is say top 5.
When she found her puppy who became her found family.
And let’s be honest now his.
When she took down two major drug traffickers without breaking a sweat.
When he kissed her.
When she kissed him.
Twice.
When she admitted he was the most important relationship in her life knowing she’s been his for years.
And when she was finally beside him when he went to bed each night, even after a late shift, and again every morning.
It’s always been her.
And with that, he knew he had to say it. Finally get it off his chest. Not the simple words “I love you” that they’ve said to each other countless times. But something deeper than that. Something more to show just how much she means to him.
In their line of work, there’s no guarantee either one will make it home and that was made abundantly clear over the past 24 hours.
Tim inhales deeply and then looks into Lucy’s eyes that he could stare at for hours if she’d only let him- and lets it all spill out. Everything he’s been holding in for what feels like years.
“You asked me earlier what else I love about you. I am so in love with you. I love the way you push me to be the best version of myself but without judgment. I love how it feels like you know me better than I know myself. I love it when you leave me warm towels and pour me coffee knowing exactly how I take it. I love it when you hide mini boots for me to find as a failed attempt to match my Tim tests.”
Lucy huffs and mumbles “Attempt?” under her breath knowing he can totally hear her.
“I love it when you wait up for me after long shifts just to ask how my night was between yawns. I love how you become a complete pushover with one look from Kojo but will take no shit when it comes to suspects twice your size.”
Lucy rolls her eyes at the pushover part but with slight tears in them allows him to continue without interruption as she gently caresses his arm.
“I love the compassion you have for everyone and everything. Even if that means catching and releasing stinkbugs in lieu of my usual method of the trash. I love how your alarm never seems to wake you as quickly as it does me, so I get the honor with a brush of my hand against your arm. I love that you spend seemingly hours scrolling through Hulu-”
“Hey, I do not it’s maybe 10 minutes” Lucy objects with a slight chuckle. “Alright, sometimes 15 if there’s nothing good.”
“-only to fall asleep with your head in my lap 20 minutes into anything we start. I love that you are who you are, and you own it. I love that we are creating our own home and eventually our own little boots together.”
Lucy’s smile grows even bigger, and the smile lines start to reveal themselves yet again. He wishes he could kiss them like he does so often in the comfort of their home.
“I love you, Lucy Chen. Everything about you. I am grateful every single day that you chose me even if I’ll never understand it.”
Lucy bites her lip before jokily responding, “Did the Tim Bradford just give a speech worthy of the very rom-coms you claim to hate but then end up finishing after I’ve fallen asleep?”
“Alright remember when you watched top-” And with that she returns the favor by cutting him off with a kiss. This one deeper than the previous one. Tim knows exactly what to do. What she likes. Their tongues dancing together with desire. His hand falls to her lower back and hers raises until both are on his face.
As the heat between them intensifies Lucy breaks the kiss. “I love you so much, Tim Bradford. I am completely and utterly in love with you.”
And with that, Lucy places a brief but enveloping kiss on her boyfriend’s lips, followed by a peck to his left cheek, and then his right, and finally by the cut on his temple leaving Tim wanting, no needing, more.
Lucy softly kisses his ear, gently tugging with her teeth, a tiny whimper leaving Tim’s mouth. She smiles to herself knowing the effect she has on him as he attempts to catch his breath.
Tim is left completely speechless as he scans the crowd to make sure no one else is privy to this moment meant only for the two of them.
Although there is a certain relief in the secret being out and the whole station knowing, even if Angela will never let him forget that she “always knew.” Or Tamara to this day reminding them she figured it out completely on her own.
Lucy returns to Tim’s ear with a whisper so light and quiet it’s clearly meant for him only, “I hope you enjoyed the dinner earlier. You’re going to need that fuel for later. I might even let you unzip me this time.”
And with that Lucy slowly lowers down from her tippy toes, needed even in heels to reach him, and calmy places her left hand back on Tim’s arm and her right hand in his as they glide across the dance floor.
“Hold on. You- you didn’t actually need my help to zip you up earlier, did you? All that talk of not wanting to be late just to trick me into needing to be close to you.”
“Trick you? Now that I’m thinking about it Kojo would love to sleep on your side of the bed tonight. Suddenly the couch is looking particularly comfy for you.”
“Only if you’re on it with me.”
Lucy lets out a snort and scrunches her nose pretending to be annoyed.
“That wasn’t a no.” Tim suddenly stops and gives Lucy a serious look causing a puzzled one in response. “Does this mean… tonight is the night?” Tim asks as a smile creeps up on the edges of his face.
Lucy is quick to swat him while mumbling a weak “Hey!”
“What you’re allowed to tease me, but I can’t tease you?” Lucy squints her eyes glaring before ultimately conceding. Tim takes the silence as an opportunity to lean down and softly kiss her forehead. She soaks in the warmth of his touch before resting her head against his chest.
They continue swaying to an incomprehensible song knowing they have forever.