Hey there! I know I said three chapters, but this one just got away from me and now it's too long… So it'll be four chapters for this story. Oops! Anyways, here's Lucy and Tim at the wedding.
Lucy had been in the locker room for a good moment, and Tim wondered how long he could stay here and act like it was just a coincidence if they were both ready at the same time. Of course, he'd deny it if she asked, but he missed her today while riding with Thorsen. He had gotten used to her incessant chattering and bubbly personality. Without it, the shop felt cold and grey, which never bothered him before.
He was about to give up and just go to the wedding on his own when she got out of the locker room. At that moment he was glad that he made sure she couldn't see him, because he was frozen in place for a second. Lucy was always gorgeous, even in her police uniform, but it was something different seeing her in civies.
Her hair was nice and curly, falling all around her head and on her shoulders. The dress she was wearing was shiny and had just the perfect amount of cleavage. He closed his eyes for an instant, because thinking about her cleavage was probably not the most professional thing to do right now. Then again, he hadn't really been professional for the past few weeks.
When he opened his eyes back up, she had his back to him, and that was not better at all. He took a shallow breath as he unconsciously wet his lips with his tongue. The back of her dress was opened, held together by an X of string that left nothing to the imagination as to what she was wearing under it.
Or to what she wasn't wearing really.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk through the station, that dress was almost as bad if not worse than the green dress he still had dreams about. That green dress that had made him ask her to save him a dance at Lopez's wedding. It was only fitting that they were also on the way to a wedding now, and Tim knew that he would have to get that dance tonight.
Getting out of his daze, he jogged for a couple of steps until he caught up with her.
"Hey Chen, heading out to the party?" He asked when he got closer, and she turned around to look at him, beaming.
"I am, yeah." She started, giving him a look over. "Looking good officer Bradford."
He chuckled, thinking about how he had been stunned with her outfit, while his was way more casual. It still made him feel warm that she thought he looked good.
"Not as good as you, officer Chen." He replied as she smiled, holding his gaze for a second before lowering her eyes to the floor. "Need a ride?"
"I was thinking of taking an Uber, but sure. If you're going too, I might as well join you."
They were silent as they walked through the parking garage, and Tim knew she still held a grudge after their conversation that morning. He didn't quite know how to get out of that one though, it's not like he hadn't told her it was going to happen, not like he could go against procedure and list her as arresting officer. Well, technically he could, but it was unheard of.
It wasn't until they were both sitting in the cabin of the truck that one of them spoke again. "How was riding with Thorsen? Didn't miss me too much?" She asked, and he could feel that she was trying to get back to their usual banter, but her heart wasn't quite in it.
"He's definitely not you, that's for sure." Tim said as he drove away from the parking lot.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Lucy wondered, looking at him from the corner of her eye as he laughed.
"It depends on the day, Chen." He said with a smile, but he knew that it was a little bit of a lie. Even on her bad days, riding with Lucy was still the highlight of his day.
"Of course." She replied, not quite serious but not quite her usual bubbly self either.
Letting it go, he turned back his attention to the road in front of him. They weren't far from the address Thorsen had texted him earlier, and he quickly found it, parking his truck in the underground parking near by.
They walked to the elevator in silence, riding it to the highest level of the building and exiting in a magnificent outdoor space. They were both impressed as they walked into the crowd that was already forming.
"You good if I go and find Thorsen, I've got a few things I wanted to tell him after our shift today." He asked, and she motioned him forward.
"Of course, I'll go get a drink. I'll see you later." She said and he gave her one last look before he walked away, knowing that he would see her later.
He needed to get that dance.
He would also have to find a way to make sure she knew how much she deserved recognition and that he didn't want her job as his gopher to stand in the way of her career.
As Lucy looked at Tim walking away to go talk to Aaron, she sighed a little. He did look good even if he wasn't as dressed up as he had been for Angela's wedding. The way that white shirt strained across his chest and the grey jacket hugged his shoulder made her feel things she probably shouldn't.
She was supposed to be mad at him right now, not obsessing about how good he looked out of his police uniform. Trying to get her mind off Tim Bradford she walked to the bar and ordered a shot of tequila and a margarita. The alcohol warmed her inside and she spotted Bailey and Nolan a talking with Lila. Dropping the empty shot glass on the counter, she walked over to them.
They were talking about Lila's mom getting engaged and how happy she was that their family was growing. Apart from asking her if she was excited to be a big sister, Lucy didn't say much. Content with just being there with her friends and sipping her drink.
When Nyla and James got to the party everyone just walked over to the staircase, cheering for them. Lucy didn't know if it was the alcohol or just her state of mind, but she was painfully aware of Tim's presence right next to her as he walked with everyone to join the happy couple.
She didn't even know where Tim and she stood really. She had spent the whole day telling Nolan how Tim was the worst, how she felt like she was overlooked, and so on. Now though, the only thing she wanted was to go back to the way they were. She didn't like being mad at him, and deep down she knew that he had done nothing wrong. He had even told her that this would happen, so why was she still mad?
Shaking her head, she decided it was enough and that she'd just go back to being his gopher and making the most of all the experience taking the high-profile cases could bring her, even if her contribution wasn't always recognized.
Tim was now standing just in front of her, smiling at the happy couple and she cheered them on too, her heart warming up at the sight of their happiness. She couldn't help but steal a look at Tim who seemed so happy for their friends too. He almost caught her eyes as she quickly turned to stare forward, and she could feel his eyes on her.
Next thing she knew, everyone started dancing, so she took another sip of her drink and ran to the dance floor. She hadn't had the occasion to dance in quite a while and she really wanted to make the most of tonight.
One more drink later, she could feel the flush in her cheeks, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself dancing sometimes alone, or with Nolan, Angela, or Aaron. This had been exactly what she needed, and she was happy that she got the chance to be here.
As Grey proposed a toast to the newly weds, everyone's dancing came to a pause, and they gathered around him. Of course, Tim had to come stand right next to her. He was always complaining at her definition of personal space, but he was the one standing pretty close to her right now, not that she would ever complain.
Grey's toast was perfect, and Lucy smiled to herself. Nyla and James were so lucky to have found each other, and she hoped to be able to find someone she felt that way about in the future. As he finished his speech and everyone clapped, the screen started showing a video montage of the sergeant, James and Wesley trying to film one of his information videos before it switched to behind-the-scenes footage of James proposing to Nyla.
Lucy could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes as she watched her friends in that private moment. She could see she wasn't the only one who felt that way, as she saw Nolan hold Bailey closer and Wesley kiss Angela on the side of her head. For a second she wished that she had invited Chris after all, but then again, she wasn't feeling that way about Chris so…
Instinctively she turned to look at Tim, who was already looking at her, with a soft smile on his lips. She chuckled a bit, wiping a lone tear that had escaped and he pressed his hand to her shoulder for a brief instant before turning his attention back to the screen.
When the video ended, Lucy could feel her heart so full. All her friends here were the perfect proof that love really did exist and it gave her hope. She was still pondering her feelings, her mind a little cloudy from the fatigue and the few drinks she had when she felt Tim shift next to her.
"You know, technically, I still owe you a dance." He said, not meeting her eyes as he looked at the dance floor, almost like if he was unsure of what her reaction would be.
"I mean, there's no technically about it. A debt is owed." Lucy replied as she turned to look at him, smiling mischievously as she met his gaze. His eyes were narrow, back to his usual assured self.
He held out his hand to her, and she put hers into his without any kind of hesitation. Lucy couldn't believe he had just asked her to dance, referring to Angela's wedding. That seemed like an eternity ago, when everything had felt so simple, before they found her roommate killed and Angela kidnapped. She couldn't believe he remembered that promise of a dance long ago.
His warm hand sent shivers down her arm as he guided her to the dance floor gently. This was really happening, and Lucy couldn't help but let out a small laugh, a little overwhelmed by the situation. Tim's smile right now made warmth pool into her belly, and his hand going behind her back to hold her close to him didn't do anything to help that feeling.
"Listen, I know you think I've been taking credit for your work, but –…" He started as they swayed slowly to the music, but she interrupted him.
"I know, I know. You said this would happen." She said, having decided that she wasn't going to be angry with him about this anymore.
"I did. But, like, um, that's not what I was gonna say. Um..." He blurted, and Lucy wondered for a moment if he was as distracted as she was by his fingers against her flesh. The open back of her dress was not leaving much space for him to put his hand except on her bare skin.
He shook his head, as if he was trying to get his thoughts back in check before he continued. "You're a good cop. You know, maybe even one of the top five I've ever trained."
"I cracked the top five, huh?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
"I-I-I want you to have a successful career." He almost stuttered, and Lucy wondered what was happening; it wasn't like him to search for his words like this. "I have decided to list you as the arresting officer on all future reports." He continued, and Lucy's mouth fell open, not understanding what he was saying.
"But you're senior officer." She stated obviously, and his face went incredibly soft, his deep blue eyes looking into hers, trying to convey the importance of what he was saying.
"I know. But you deserve to be recognized." He said, his voice so serious that Lucy didn't really know how to react.
She took a moment to think, not knowing if it was Tim's decision, his hand on her back or his eyes searching hers that were making her feel weak in the legs right now. Deciding it was probably a mix of all three, she went for the easy way out.
Banter.
"You're right, I do. Thank you." She thanked him, aware of the fact that they had almost stopped moving, which he must've realized too, because he took a step back, twirling her once inward and then back outwards getting a hold of her again.
"What is going on? Look at Bradford's moves." She exclaimed, laughing as he twirled them around some more, his hand strong against her back, guiding her seamlessly into the crowd of dancers.
"Yeah." He laughed as he closed his eyes, the smile on his face brighter than what she had ever seen, and she couldn't help but smile back at him.
They slowed back down, swaying more softly now, and she felt herself relax under his touch. Her hand in his felt so natural, their fingers wrapped together as the song continued. When the tempo slowed down a little, a new song playing over the speakers, none of them made a move to go back to the side.
Tim just held her closer, adapting his speed to the new rhythm, and she sighed. It was getting late, and she was tired, but she didn't want to go home quite yet. They were so close now, and the exhilaration that had come from him twirling her around had faded, leaving her feeling content and warm in all the right places.
Before she knew what she was doing, she rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as he held her, his arms strong and firm around her. There was nowhere else in the entire world she wanted to be at that precise second. She could pretty much count the moments in which she had felt safe being so close to another guy since Caleb, but in this moment, she could not have felt better.
Safer.
"You getting tired?" He asked, his breath warm and soft on her forehead as she figured he was looking down at her.
"It's been a long day." She simply replied and he laughed quietly. She could feel the rumble of his laughter in her cheek. It was something so simple, yet she knew she would long to feel it again for days to come.
"It sure has been." He agreed, his fingers tracing patterns on her naked skin, and she hoped he couldn't feel her tremble under his touch.
"I don't want to go home quite yet." She whispered, and she felt him nod.
What were they doing really? They were both in a relationship, but this just felt righter than any other relationship Lucy had been in, friendship or not. She took a deep breath, his familiar scent making her feel like she was home.
The song they were dancing to finished, and the one that followed was way faster, breaking the spell they had both been in. She took a step back, not breaking their connection yet, but looking up at him. He was smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. She remembered when she had first started to know him as her TO, she'd wondered if he even knew how to smile.
She didn't really know when he started smiling more, but now she couldn't live without it. Their relationship had been one that had grown slowly, but he was now one of the most important people in her life, and she was glad that she had given him his chance.
"Want me to drive you home?" He asked, and even if she didn't want to leave, she knew that she would be tired in the morning having to go to work early.
"Yeah, if you don't mind."
He let go of her back, still holding her right hand into his as he walked back to the side of the dance floor. When he let go of her hand she felt a weird feeling of cold and she wanted to grab it back. To go back to his arms even if she knew it couldn't happen.
They said their goodbyes to everyone before they walked to his truck. The drive to her place was quiet, both deep in their thoughts, and Lucy wondered if the lines of their relationship were getting as blurry for him as they were for her. Before she knew it, they were parked in front of her building, and he turned to look at her.
"I'll walk you up." He simply said and Lucy nodded, getting out of the truck.
"Thanks." She said as they walked around the corner to her apartment. "Tamara is at a friend's place tonight; the apartment always feels so empty when that's the case." She added as she went to unlock the door.
She opened it before she turned to look at him. She didn't feel like going in alone, but if she was honest with herself, it was more so that she wasn't ready to be without him yet, no matter how late it was.
"You want to come in?" She asked, thinking that he'd say no, but he just nodded and followed her in.
"Make yourself at home, I'm just going to change out of my dress, I'll be back. There's whisky in the cupboard." She said as she walked out of the kitchen, after putting some water to heat up to make herself a tea, leaving Tim alone with his thoughts.
She needed a second to think, compose herself, and she knew she couldn't do it without putting some space between them. Closing the door, she rested her back against the solid material, squeezing her eyes shot. She took a few deep breaths in an out.
Pushing away everything she felt, she changed out of her dress and got ready to go back out there, her heart beating just a little faster than it usually did.
It might be a little cruel to stop here… But oh well! Next up : heart to heart conversations in dead of night.
Let me know if you liked this one and I'll try and post the (real) last one tomorrow night or Thursday.