Chapter Text
IV. Acts of Service
Tim has always liked taking care of his romantic partner. It’s like his baseline in relationships, a need to be the opposite of his father, and with Lucy it has only been magnified. He has this unbridled need to protect her (which sometimes does get him in trouble) and love her, make her life easier so she can simply just be happy.
She’s like that with him, too. Has been since before their very first date, and now, after everything and coupled with the fact that they’re finally living together, it’s even more intense.
It’s that need, that desire, to take care of her, that has him up and out of bed at 5:30 on a Sunday morning. He knew Lucy had a list of things to get done today, and he’d decided at 2 am, when she finally got home from the station and crawled into their bed, that he’d tackle as much of it for her as he could.
He presses a kiss to her head before quietly leaving their bedroom. He’s got, hopefully, a good five hours before she’s up and he can definitely get most if not all of the things done for her. So they can spend the rest of their day off being lazy on the couch, only getting up to take their dog for a walk.
After a quick cup of coffee and a protein bar, Tim gets right to work. Throwing a load of laundry in and then unpacking a couple of the boxes she has left from the move. By 6:30 he’s onto the next task, taking a quick peek to make sure she’s still asleep (and leaving a note in case she does wake up) before grabbing her car keys and heading out.
The first stop is getting the oil changed, something that is long overdue. He’d texted his go-to mechanic, an older gentleman named Joe, as soon as he woke up. Ensuring that he’d be the first appointment of the day. Tim arrives at the stop at seven on the dot, exchanging quick pleasantries with Joe before heading to the waiting area. He spends the next forty-five minutes scrolling on his phone, finally looking at most of the nonsensical ClipToks both Lucy and Tamara have sent him.
One of them catches his eye, though, right as Joe is coming back with the car keys. It’s from Lucy, a reel of a new coffee shop that’s opened up near the house. It’s accompanied with a message from her: Sunday?. She even added his least favorite emoji, the pleading eyes one. Which he hates because he sees it and just pictures Lucy making that face and that’s his Achilles heel. He really can’t deny her anything when she gives him the puppy dog face.
Once he’s back in the car, Tim does a quick search, realizing it’s right by his preferred car wash and makes a note to get her something on the way home. His next stop, though, is to fill up her gas tank. Because he knows her, and she’s only put in enough to get by and not make it the whole week. This stop is also for him, too, because this way he won't have to hear her complain on Monday morning that she has to once again stop for gas.
(But, as much as he pretends to hate her complaining, he kind of loves it. Honestly, he really just loves hearing her talk, regardless of what she’s saying. It reminds him of their beginning and how they got to where they are now.)
After the gas station, it's off to the car wash. Tim checks his phone quick, making sure there’s nothing from Lucy — there’s not, she’s 100% still asleep. He smiles at the thought of her in a dead sleep, sprawled out on her back arms above her head. She sleeps like a starfish, and he finds it quite cute.
He could probably save time and get back to bed with Lucy if he goes through one of those automatic washes. But, those can chip the paint if a rock or debris gets stuck in the bristles, and he won’t chance scratching Lucy’s car. It’s worth it to take his time and do it correctly. He gets right to work, throwing on his earbuds for some noise while he works — picking the newest episode of his favorite sports recap podcast.
That’s another thing he “got” from Lucy; a better understanding and appreciation for the podcast sphere. She, in true Lucy fashion, had them listening to one of her many true crime podcasts at first. Eventually, once she wore him down to enjoying them, she helped him find the sports ones. She teased him while doing it, with all kinds of old man jokes. Which Tim quickly disputed by proving just how youthful he still is — quite vigorously, he might add.
This newest chapter of his life has truly been his happiest. Even on his darker days, when the weight of his past trauma is bearing down on him, he’s happy at his core. Proud of the progress he’s made. He is so much more open to new things and appreciative of the old. His relationship with his sister is better than it’s ever been, and Lucy…
Everything with Lucy is magical. He loves her more now, something he never thought could have been possible. And he’s able to love her in so many more ways, with actions and words. The latter he once struggled with, but not so much anymore. He doesn’t need an ambush, near death experience, or a lie detector to tell her he loves her, he can simply just say it, like he’s taking his next breath. It seems with every brick he takes down off the walls around him, the happier and freer he becomes.
Tim has never truly loved himself, until now and it's an incredible feeling.
He finishes up by 9:30, even making sure to vacuum the interior,and sets off to the coffee shop. He ends up getting a whole box of different pastries (even one for Kojo, after finding out they make special ones just for dogs), a black coffee for himself and the latte he thinks prompted Lucy to send him the video in the first place. He’ll definitely have to go back with her, and Kojo, but for now Tim knows she’ll be more than happy with this little surprise.
He gets home at ten after, happy that he was able to do everything on her list, putting her keys back in the bowl by the front door and the box of treats on the counter. He takes out the pistachio croissant, placing it on a small place and walks back to the bedroom with it and her coffee.
He can’t help but laugh at the sight before him. She’s exactly how he left her, same with the dog. Tim sets her food on the bedside table, sitting by her hip just as she’s rousing from sleep.
“Good morning.” He speaks gently, smiling as she blinks the sleep away.
“Morning.” Lucy murmurs through a yawn as she stretches. Returning his soft smile when their eyes meet. “Did you go get coffee?”
”I did, I went to the coffee shop you sent me that video of. There’s a croissant here for you and some other stuff in the kitchen.” He brushes the hair away from her face as she takes the to-go cup from him and takes a sip.
“Oh, that is delicious.” She takes another long, endulgent sip then places the cup on the nightstand. Falling back onto the pillow with a groan, throwing her arm over her eyes. “I have so much to do today, I might actually cry about it.”
“It’s already done, Luce.”
She sits up at a comical speed, wide brown eyes staring at him. “What?”
“I went and did it all while you slept. Hence the latte and croissant, since it was on my way back.”
“You —“ Lucy blinks. “You did all of it? The oil change, the wash, laundry?”
“Yes.” Tim’s smile grows, placing a hand on her leg. “I also filled up your gas tank, and unpacked a few boxes. All that’s left is to put the wash in the dryer.”
“You didn’t have to do all that, babe.”
“I know, but you just got off an almost twenty-four hour shift, you needed to rest. And I was happy to do it for you.”
Her sweet face twists into an expression of awe, and love. She reaches for him, resting her hand over his heart. “You really love me, huh?”
Never one to give up an opportunity to tease her, Tim smirks, shrugging as he answers her question. “I tolerate you.”
Lucy scoffs, shoving his shoulder. She uses his brief moment of imbalance to gain the upper hand, pushing him back onto the bed and straddling his hips.
“Just for that,” She hovers over him, leaning down until their noses are touching. “I’m making you finish the laundry and watch Hot Suspect with me.”
“The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime, Officer Chen.” Tim movs his hands to her hips, tugging her closer.
“What would you suggest then, Sergeant?”
”I have a few ideas.” Tim manages to flip their positions, the two of them laughing when he’s got her pinned under him.
Lucy takes his face in her hands, thumbs caressing his skin. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He kisses her then, soft but passionate The rest of her to-do list forgotten for the moment.