Chapter Text
Tim spends a lot of time at Lucy’s apartment over the next few weeks under the guise of helping her study. The reality is that he can’t get enough of her. She challenges him and makes him laugh, and she makes him feel safe and happy in a way that he hasn’t experienced in a long time. Not since things were good in his marriage. Even then, it didn’t feel this… right.
He loved Isabel; he still loves her, but he realizes now that a lot of their relationship was built on expectations that neither of them could live up to. They always had to try a little too hard to fit, but with Lucy, he can just be. Maybe it’s because they’re not actually dating, he can freely be himself without fear of rejection because there’s already a clock on their relationship. Although, he thinks he’d feel the same way if they were a couple. Lucy has a way of seeing him and making him feel good enough, flaws and all.
So, what was once limited to weekend hookups has now become midweek “study sessions” and movie nights. Tim has slept in Lucy’s bed more often than his own recently, a fact that does not bother him one bit. In fact, he’s planning to head straight there after work, but Angela and Talia have other plans.
“Um, what are you doing?” he asks when both women climb into his truck.
“We’re going out,” Angela says simply.
He shakes his head, making no move to exit the parking spot. “Not tonight, I have plans.”
“Sitting home alone watching Doctor Who reruns in your underwear is not a plan. You’ve moped enough, it’s time to get back out there.”
Tim glares at Angela over the console. “I don’t watch Doctor Who in my underwear.” Anymore , he adds silently. Though, if everything goes according to plan, he won’t be wearing pants for long.
“Charlie’s. Drive,” Talia commands from the back seat.
He rolls his eyes and shifts into gear. “So you’re forcing me to go out and be the designated driver,” he grumbles. As soon as he pulls into the bar parking lot, he shoots off a text to Lucy, telling her a work thing came up. He’s not sure why he doesn’t tell her the truth, surely she’d understand his overbearing friends unintentionally cockblocking him while trying to get him laid.
Lucy: Come over after. I don’t mind if you wake me up.
Guilt tugs at him as he taps out his reply. He wants to see her, desperately, but he knows Angela and Talia will keep him out until closing time and they both have early mornings.
Tim: It’s going to be a late one. I’ll call you after shift tomorrow.
Her only response is a sad face emoji. He locks his phone and slips it in his pocket as he pulls the door open for the ladies. Deciding to put it out of his mind, he turns his attention to his friends. The only way to get them off his back without too many questions is to indulge, and it was just a harmless lie.
~~~~~~
Lucy: Looks like my night is freed up after all.
Lucy heads for the door, not bothering to wait for Jackson’s reply. She knows they were going to the cop bar near her apartment, so she leaves her car where it sits on the street and walks the two blocks. As she walks through the parking lot, she’s distracted by the dozen texts drunk Jackson has sent, so she doesn’t see the familiar grey Silverado parked in the corner of the lot. What she doesn’t miss, however, is the tall, brooding man standing at the bar when she steps inside. Or the beautiful woman hanging on his arm.
She blinks, mouth agape as he stares back at her. It only takes a beat for her to recover and push past them to find her friends, but it feels like an entire conversation passes between them. One where Tim is trying desperately to explain his lie, but Lucy isn’t interested. She schools her expression as she makes her way to the booth in the back where Jackson, Nolan, Cole, and Rios are already several rounds deep. She feels her phone vibrating in her back pocket, but she doesn’t bother checking it. She’s dated enough sleazebags to realize when she’s the other woman.
~~~~~~
Tim: Luce, please, it’s not what it looks like.
Tim: Can we talk, please?
He knows it’s useless to keep sending texts, she hasn’t reached for her phone once. She’s pissed. And rightly so.
“Put that thing away,” Tim moves his phone out of Angela’s reach just in time, slipping it in his inner jacket pocket. “We brought you out to socialize, not to check the Rams highlights all night.”
He rolls his eyes as he picks up his beer, “The Rams aren’t even playing.” Tim glances toward the back of the bar, hoping to catch Lucy’s eye, but she is steadfastly ignoring him. To the outside observer, she looks like she’s having an exciting night out with friends, but Tim recognizes the makings of a good undercover cop when he sees one. She’s a masterful actress.
Somewhere around the fourth round of shots, Talia is distracted with her on-again off-again hookup and Angela has reached the handsy stage of inebriation. He can feel Lucy’s gaze on him the more affectionate his friend becomes, but when she grabs his face with both hands and pulls him to her for a kiss, he prays Lucy is distracted by her own friends.
“Fuck’s sake, Ange,” he barks as soon as he breaks free.
Their table erupts in laughter, but Tim doesn’t even have to turn to know Lucy saw everything. From the corner of his eye, he catches sight of her pink jacket, a blur making a beeline for the door. He stands, throwing a few bills on the table and ordering Webb to get the girls home safe before he follows her out as nonchalantly as he possibly can under the circumstances.
“Lucy,” he calls once they’re clear of the door. She stuffs her hands in her pockets and keeps walking, though he knows she heard him. “Luce, baby, wait.”
“Don’t call me that,” she whirls around once she reaches the edge of the parking lot, blocked from view of the bar by a fence. “Leave me alone, Tim.”
“Lucy, please. It’s not what you think.”
“No, that was work, right?” She levels him with a deadly glare, challenging him to lie to her again. “Go back to your girlfriend. Or wife, whoever that was, and lose my number.”
She turns to start walking again but he catches her elbow. “Lucy, wait,” he knew better than to underestimate her. She yanks free of his grip, pushing hard against his chest. He stumbles back, the fence the only thing keeping him from falling on his ass.
“No, Tim. I’ve dated enough liars.” It’s not until she steps forward to push him again that he sees the tears shining in her eyes. He catches her hands, holding them against his chest. “We’re not even dating, ” her voice cracks, turning from anger to defeat, and he feels like the biggest asshole on the planet. “You didn’t have to lie. Just because I said there was no one else,” she inhales a shaky breath, trying to pull her hands free. “Doesn’t mean I expected you to be exclusive.”
He remembers her saying it while he was fucking her in the back of his shop. Nobody but you, babe. He thought at the time they were just words said in the heat of the moment, he didn’t dare let himself believe them. “Luce,” she turns her head, no longer fighting to get away, but refusing to look at him. “Lucy, baby, look at me.” After a moment, she hardens her expression and meets his eye. He runs his thumbs over her knuckles, silently pleading for her to believe him. “There is no one else for me. I don’t want anyone else, okay? I never did. That woman back there, that was just Angela, she’s my best friend and she dragged me out because she thinks I’ve been sitting at home moping.”
She continues to glare, but he thinks she’s coming around. “She kissed you.”
“Because she’s drunk, and she gets ridiculous when she shoots tequila. But I promise you, she’s like my annoying little sister, nothing more.”
Lucy takes the tiniest step toward him, but her glare remains intact. “You lied to me.”
“I did,” he concedes. “And I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I did it. I just–I guess I thought you wouldn’t understand.”
Lucy sniffles. “Yeah, well, you’re an idiot.”
“Yeah,” the corners of his mouth twitch and he drops his hands to her waist, drawing her closer. “But am I an idiot you can forgive?”
“I believe in second chances,” she pulls back to eye him carefully. “But I’m not a doormat, Tim. You lie again and I’m gone.”
Relief floods his chest. “Understood.” He brings a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, fingers trailing along her jaw. “So,” he begins tentatively. He knows what he’s about to suggest is monumentally stupid, but he can’t help himself. “If neither one of us is interested in playing the field,” her eyes flick between his and her breathing speeds up. “Does that mean we should…make this official?”
Her breath hitches. “Is–is that what you want?”
Tim leans down, pressing his lips against hers, uncaring if anyone sees them. “Yeah Lucy, I do.”
She kisses him back, deeper, before answering. “Then I guess it’s official.” Lucy squeals when he reaches down, grabbing her thighs and hoisting her up. He carries her the twenty feet to his truck, pressing her against it. “Future Tim and Lucy are gonna be so pissed at us,” she giggles as he sucks at her neck.
He pulls back to search her eyes for any hesitation, seeing none, he grins. “Worth it.”