Lucy Chen made it a point to notice the things that made Tim Bradford annoyed.

At first it had been a pseudo-survival instinct. After all, he had held her career in his hands for thirteen months. And for the first half he had been less than welcoming or supportive. But now, after everything they'd been through together, it was just another way to connect with him. So when Tim had gotten quiet after their third call of the day, Lucy knew he was upset. And since the only thing that had happened outside of the usual post-accident protocol was that Lucy had known the victim from university, she was willing to guess Tim hadn't appreciated the friendliness between her and Shane.

There had been an underlying tension between Lucy and Tim for a while now. And if she were brutally honest, she'd have to admit that it had started after Tim's virus scare. It hadn't been the first time they were vulnerable with each other, but maybe it had been the first time that the vulnerability had been mutual. They had both been scared and they had both stopped pretending they weren't. And now, vulnerability was almost the norm for them. No matter how much Tim tried to deny it.

So watching as he pulled the shop into the parking garage with jaw clenched and tension holding his shoulders straighter than usual, Lucy almost said something. They were friends. And for Lucy, there were feelings that were a bit more than friendship. She watched Tim get out of the shop and move to the back to get the war bags- something he only did when he was really lost in his own head. "What are you waiting for, Boot?" he snapped as she watched him through the rearview mirror.

"Not your boot, Tim," she replied easily. His face hardened for a moment but he didn't comment. Opening the door, Lucy climbed out and moved to the door of the precinct. She held it open as Tim came through with the war bags. He nodded his thanks without actually looking at her and she felt her lips twitch, slightly. If she didn't know any better, Lucy would think Tim was jealous of Shane. Ridiculous, she thought to herself.

Except… She paused in the doorway and watched Tim's body language again. She had been friendly with victims before. She had flirted on calls- after things were under control, of course. Hell, she'd met Emmett on a call. And how did Tim handle that? Not well. Not as bad as today, but still. And if she looked back on his behavior when other men seemed even remotely interested in her…

Fuck. Fuck, fuck fuck! He was jealous. It was laughable. Jealousy implied feelings. Jealousy implied wanting. And there was no way that those things applied to Tim- especially not in connection with her. But the words didn't click. Not when Lucy really looked back at their relationship. Because he hadn't liked Caleb even when he thought he was a nice, regular person. And he'd known Emmett for a while and liked him, until he'd shown interest in her. And hadn't Emmett mentioned Tim in that break-up text?

"Lucy!" She startled at the sound of her name being called in Tim's TO voice. Snapping back to attention, Lucy realized that she had been standing in the doorway, staring, for…a while. Tim was looking at her with a mix of annoyance and concern on his face- a skill she'd only known Tim to have. He arched a brow questioningly, but there was no way Lucy was telling him what she was actually thinking about. That was just asking for humiliation. Or worse- pity.

"Sorry," she said, as she finally stepped into the building properly. "I was just thinking about that call earlier." And maybe she was being a jerk, bringing Shane up just to confirm her new- ridiculous- theory. Tim rolled his eyes and turned to head back to the bullpen. And yeah, that didn't help to kill the Jealous Tim idea.

Following behind her former TO, Lucy watched him settle at his desk and start on their paperwork. She did the same, sneaking glances his way every once in a while. And despite her undercover stint, she wasn't being very subtle. But subtle was hard when the man who had saved her life might have feelings for her. It was hard to be subtle when the man who had opened up and let her into his life when it was against all of his rules, was jealous of other men because of her.

So when thirty minutes had passed and she still hadn't figured out how to be less obvious, she knew he was curious. Honestly, Lucy wasn't even surprised when he finally turned to face her, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his broad chest. "Is there a problem, Officer Chen?" he asked, voice calm and unbothered. It was kind of rude, actually, how unflustered he was when she was suddenly flooded with nervous energy. She just shook her head, though. Tim nodded once, slowly. It was his 'I'm going to enjoy getting you to spill the truth' nod.

But instead of asking or trying to wheedle the information out of her, Tim just turned back to his work. Lucy waited a few seconds, eyes glued to the line of his back, and the easy way he held his ink pen. This wasn't like Tim. He didn't just…let things go. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, mouth opening then closing, then opening again. "That's it? You- There's nothing else you want to say to me?" she asked, hoping her voice did sound as nervous to Tim as it did to her.

"Nope," he answered, confident and unbothered. His head rose, tilting to the side thoughtfully for a moment. Then, "Well, I was going to ask if we're still on for Sunday. But other than that? No." The Super Bowl? He was asking her about the Super Bowl? When she was having a mini existential crisis? She blinked. Then nodded, because of course he was.

She rolled her eyes, and turned back to her last report. "Yes, Tim, we're still on." And she would deny it if asked, but she felt a happy flutter in her stomach at the thought of spending more time with Tim. Just like she had when he'd asked her a week ago. And like every other time they got to hang out outside of work. "Junk food or real food?" Tim shot her an unimpressed glare. She nodded, "Junk food. Got it."

She pretended not to see the small smile that settled on Tim's face.

Lucy knocked on Tim's door promptly at six o'clock Sunday evening.

Tim opened the door in a white t-shirt that made his arms look stupid good. And the charcoal grey joggers he had on were doing something to Lucy that she very decidedly refused to think about. "Come on in," Tim said, stepping aside so she could slide past him into the house. "I ordered Thai from that place you like. It should be here soon," he continued, leading her towards the living room. A big screen TV was mounted to the wall with some sports commentary thing playing. "I've got beer in the fridge, you want one?"

"No, thanks. Maybe later." She needed to keep her head clear. Because tonight, Lucy Chen was going to find out if Tim had feelings for her. And hopefully it wouldn't blow up in her face. She wandered the living room, taking in the few personal items that Tim had on display. "Do you need any help before the game starts?" she asked, glancing to the kitchen just long enough to see Tim shake his head. She focused back on a picture of him, Angela, Wes and baby Jax. There was another of him and his unit from his military days. And then she caught a glimpse of herself. Sitting on a small bookshelf was a picture of Tim and Lucy with Kojo. Kojo, on his hind legs, had his front paws on Tim's stomach. Tim's arm was around her shoulder and a huge smile was on her face as she looked up at him.

We look really good together.

The thought was there and gone, but the feeling it left behind lingered. The sound of footsteps behind her pulled Lucy from the what-ifs her mind was starting to think up. Tim stopped behind her and she turned slightly to look at him. His eyes were on the picture of them and Lucy could see something soften on his face. "I still don't know how I let you talk me into taking in that troublemaker," he huffed in fake annoyance. They both knew Tim loved Kojo as much as Lucy did.

"Kojo is not a troublemaker! He's the best boy, and I won't hear a word against him," she defended, trying to keep her smile small. "Besides, I thought you liked trouble." And maybe her voice was a little flirty. Maybe she didn't mind that fact, at all. And maybe, the way Tim's eyes darkened slightly made her heart rate pick up slightly.

"Never said I didn't, Boot." Lucy swayed just enough to shoulder check Tim. She wasn't his boot, anymore. But the man just smiled that smug smile of his and nudged her back. "Now stop snooping and come over here so I can explain the rules. We don't have much time, but it'll be better than nothing." Then his hand was on the small of her back, warm and comfortable, as he led her towards the couch. They sat down and Tim quickly set an alarm for two minutes before the game was set to start. "Now. Let's start with the basics…"

The game had been on for almost three hours and Lucy was bored.

The first half had been a mix of exciting and confusing for her. Half time had been a dive into nostalgia that she had thoroughly enjoyed. But the last half wasn't holding her attention anymore. Which would explain why she'd stopped watching the game and started watching Tim, instead. They were sitting on his couch, Thai and pizza (for Tim) on the table in front of them with chips and drinks surrounding their plates. Tim was leaning over, elbows resting on his knees while his left leg bounced with excess energy.

Lucy had a feeling he was tempering his usual reactions because she was there. But not by much- he'd cursed at several players and the ref multiple times. (The death glare he'd shot her way when she laughingly reminded him that the people on the screen couldn't hear him was both terrifying and kind of hot). But as fun as watching that was, she was ready to put her plan into motion.

Taking a quick sip of the beer she'd been slowly working on, Lucy settled back more comfortably. "So… about earlier." Tim didn't react for a long moment, too caught up in the game. But after a few seconds Lucy watched as her words registered in his mind. Tim stiffened, eyes darting to her briefly before locking stubbornly back on the TV, "I can't believe that we ran into Shane. I haven't seen him since university, you know?" Tim's hands clenched into fists that he quickly relaxed when he noticed what he'd done.

Lucy bit back a smirk.

She tucked her legs under her on the couch, using the movement to scoot closer to Tim. She didn't want to miss any of his reactions. She needed to be sure before she actually brought up the subject of her feelings. "It's just, we were really close during college. I liked him a lot and I'm pretty sure he liked me, too. But I had just been cheated on and I wasn't ready." She hated thinking of that time in her life. She hated knowing that there were people who could claim to care about her and then do something so shitty. But Lucy took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts away. That wasn't what this was about.

"But now…" She trailed off and Tim immediately grew tenser. She could see how hard he was trying not to seem bothered. It had taken her a long time to learn the difference between Tim pretending not to care and Tim actually not caring and she was so glad she had, because otherwise her heart would be breaking right now. "We're both single, ya know? And I wouldn't mind having someone to go home to at night."

Tim's eyes closed in a long blink and he sucked in a deep breath that made Lucy arch a brow. Her heart was wondering what coming home to Tim would be like. Her mind was telling her that he was thinking the same thing and maybe had some ideas. But that thought was ruined by the very sudden, and loud, sound of Tim's voice. "You want to talk now?!" He waved a hand at the TV where something was happening. "Seriously?"

Lucy put on her most innocent, wide-eyed expression. "Yes, Tim. I'm really trying to figure out what to do, here." Tim glanced at her for a split second. Too quick for her to name it, but long enough for her to see something in his eyes. Whatever it was, it made Lucy wonder if maybe she should back off. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable- not really. But… she thought of that last day as his rookie. Not for the first time, by any means, but just as confusing. Because sometimes, late at night, she was sure that he had been about to reject her. Then there were other times when she remembered the look on his face and wondered….

Tim let out a long sigh, effectively bringing Lucy out of her thoughts of the prank she'd pulled. "Look, Lucy, I can't tell you what to do. And even if I could, I wouldn't. Not again." The shadow of a desert and a barrel and a dead man suddenly hung in the air. Lucy felt herself curling inward, emotions taking on a distant quality. She watched as Tim avoided her eyes, holding his guilt close without realizing it was still clear to see by the hunch of his shoulders and the furrow in his brow. He shook his head, and she knew he was shaking away the same memories she was. "But… you deserve to be happy. You- you deserve to have someone to come home to."

"Tim…."

He turned to face her, finally letting himself meet her eyes. And it was…so much. She didn't know if he realized- if he knew what his eyes were saying. But she saw it and more than that she recognized it. Because it wasn't a look she was unfamiliar with. Tim looked at her this way- soft, and admiring, and wanting- at least once every shift. She had just…never realized what it meant. And now that she did recognize it, she couldn't believe she'd missed it before. Her hand reached for his just as he dropped her gaze. "So…" he shrugged, but the clench of his jaw belied his nonchalance. "If you want to see where things go with this Shane guy-"

Her hand reached out. Two fingers turned his face towards hers. She leaned in. Then her lips were on his and she felt his breath hitch the same way hers did. She pressed closer, deepening the kiss as her eyes fluttered closed. Because she couldn't not sink into this. She couldn't not sink into him. And Tim… His lips moved with hers, coaxing her closer and guiding the kiss from sweet and innocent, to something darker and heavier.

She felt his hands on her and she couldn't help the way her teeth nipped at his bottom lip as his fingers sank into her hair and dug into the skin at the base of her spine. He gasped and she let her tongue tangle with his. Her own hands cupped his face, keeping him closer, afraid that if this ended she'd wake up in her own bed and find out the entire evening had just been a dream. She pulled herself closer, almost crawling into Tim's lap. Not that he minded, if the groan he let out told her anything. She sighed, happily, smiling into the kiss.

But too soon, it felt, she needed air. She let her hands trail behind Tim's neck, fingers spearing into his hair as she pulled back from the kiss. His hands tightened on her briefly- reflexively- and Lucy almost whimpered. Her forehead rested against his, not ready to be further away than that. And Tim let the hand on her back stroke up and down her spine soothingly as he caught his own breath.

"Lucy?" Her eyes closed at the need, the blatant desire, she heard laced between the letters and syllables of her name. His hands both fell to her waist, holding her firm, so she couldn't move closer or pull away. "Luce, what's happening right now?"

She lifted her head so that she could look into his eyes. The blue of Tim's eyes was so vibrant- dark and heady. Hopeful in a cautious way. But there was something unsure in their depths, too. Something that whispered of past trauma. Missing wife and lost friends and a childhood that made him feel unworthy of good things. Lucy saw it and she felt her heart break a little. "This is me telling you what I should have told you a while ago." He nodded slowly- his 'I'm scared, but I trust you' nod. It was rare and she cherished it each time she saw it. "I wasn't lying on my last day as your rookie. I got scared and walked it back, but-" She shook her head, suddenly angry with herself for the doubt that she saw creeping into Tim's eyes as she mentioned that stupid prank. "I'm not scared, now. And I want to see if this could be something. I have very real feelings for you, Tim Bradford."

He stared at her in silence for a long, long moment. And during that time Lucy knew that she would give anything if it meant she never had to see Tim look so lost again. Because the way his eyes traced her features, the way his hands caressed her gently, as if she would disappear was heartbreaking. But she didn't move, or speak- she barely even risked breathing. She would give him the time and space- figuratively- to figure out what he was ready for with her.

Then, after the longest minute of her new life, Tim reached up and brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek gently. He threaded his fingers through her hair and settled his palm at the back of her head. "I have very real feelings for you, too, Lucy Chen," he whispered. Then he was pulling her back to him, his lips taking hers in the gentlest, most devastating kiss she'd ever had.

Suddenly, there was the sound of loud cheering and shouting from the TV. The two pulled apart and turned to see what was happening on the screen, both too caught up in the kiss they'd been enjoying to remember the game they were supposed to be watching. The game that appeared to be over.

"And that's it, folks! The Rams have won the Super Bowl! And what a game it was. Lots of Rams fans out there celebrating tonight ..."

Lucy turned back to Tim, smiling widely when she saw the shock on his face. She watched the realization that his team had won the Super Bowl. Then she watched the realization that he had missed his team winning the Super Bowl. Tim turned back to face her, eyes narrowing slightly. He yanked her against him so they were nose to nose and she was drowning in his blue eyes and the warmth of his body so close to hers. "You are so lucky I like you, Chen," he rasped, voice low and gravelly and just this side of dangerous. And, yeah, that combo was why she'd had so many dreams about her TO during rookie year.

Lucy took in a shuddery breath at the heat in his voice. But she felt a smirk curving along her lips. "Sure, Tim. But we were kind of in the middle of something. And I'd really like to get back to that," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek, then his jaw, then the corner of his mouth, before he captured her lips with his for a proper kiss. And, as the commentators on the TV continued to go over the stats for the game, Lucy settled more comfortably into Tim's arms and the feel of his chest pressed against hers. They'd probably need to have more than a few conversations, and they'd have to figure out work stuff. But that could wait.

Right now, Lucy was just going to enjoy this moment.