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Chapter Text

Walking together through the parking garage was nothing new for them. They'd managed to coincidentally be leaving at exactly the same time most days since Lucy had been abducted. So when Tim took a cursory glance around, Lucy noticed and did the same.

"What?" she asked, seeing that they were alone. They kept a matched pace for a few more steps before Tim stopped.

"Listen," he said, causing her to face him curiously. "I've never taken out my best friend before." He gestured between them and Lucy smiled at the praise, because that's what it was, high praise. "Did you want to ease into this or just-" He shrugged. "-dive right in?"

Lucy's eyebrows jumped. "Oh," she said, then nodded to the side. "Well…" she started impishly, quirking a brow. "We're professionals, let's just get this over with."

Tim's face dropped. Really, Chen? It was hard for him to hold back the smile though.

She gave him an out, saying, "Okay, okay." Lucy chuckled. "Let's just do what feels natural. No social standards, we'll just do what we want."

"Good." He nodded. "Okay."

Lucy giggled and started back toward her car but only made it a step before Tim grabbed her elbow and tugged her back, the other hand sliding into her hair to guide her face to his. Before Lucy really knew what was happening she was overwhelmed with his lips on hers. His breath on her cheek, his body against her, both hands in her hair. The smell of Tim Bradford was-

A shiver rocked her when his tongue touched her top lip. She met it with hers, her mind going blissfully blank.

And then he let her go. She blinked up at him, trying to catch her breath.

"There," he said smugly. "Got that out of the way."

Lucy made a sound of protest but had to give it to him. "Wow. You win."

"Finally," he laughed, mostly at the way she was still trying to pull herself back together. Now she knew how he felt in that damn bathroom. "Come on."

They both wore smiles as they continued to their vehicles, reaching Lucy's first.

"Okay," she said, stopping at the bumper. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Be right behind you," he promised.

Lucy nodded and he waited until she was in her SUV before going on to his truck. She'd already pulled away when he turned the engine over but Tim sat there for a minute more, his smile fading, just breathing. So many emotions were swirling around in him and although Tim knew that feelings were just chemicals in his system, it was still- well, too much. He wasn't used to it and he didn't like feeling out of control.

He'd been in love before, obviously. Isabel had been like finding air after he'd been underwater for too long. Abusive childhood then straight into combat. She'd breathed life into him and then just as quickly taken it back.

This was not the same. Lucy wasn't air and he wasn't drowning.

He wanted her; easy enough to decipher.

He trusted her and that was a big one. Not too many people he could say that about. Lucy never made him feel less-than when he showed her his weaknesses. It's not a vulnerability if you know the other person won't judge you. He felt safe with her and that… was brand new.

He admired her. Respected her. Found her fascinating. All of these things he knew so he didn't understand why he felt so sick inside.

Fear. She was right, they could lose what they have if they mess this up, and that was terrifying. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from taking each little step toward her.

Tim closed his eyes. He could still taste her lip gloss, smell her perfume. It was probably on his hands.

Longing. That was the feeling he needed to identify. That was the one giving him so much grief. It physically hurt that she wasn't his and yet he'd pushed it down for so long. Too long, probably, aching inside. And again, this was brand new for him. Tim had never had to win a girl's affection, ever. He'd never pursued a woman, they'd just always… *pop*. Just like that, they were together. But watching Lucy with other men had been a practice of his discipline. Even he could admit he hadn't been doing a very good job of not acting like a jealous fool for a long time now.

But it was the combination of fear and longing that was really making him feel out of control. He kept moving toward her because he damn well couldn't stop himself, but the closer they got, the more he had to lose.

He'd learned to breathe on his own after Isabel but Lucy wasn't air, she was solid ground. And now he knew that he'd dragged his feet so long because he'd gotten a taste of losing her the day she'd been buried.

A wave of fear washed over him, causing his stomach to twist and his eyes to close.

Which made the longing win out because he wanted to see her with his own damn eyes right… now.

He pulled into Lucy's parking lot and quietly watched while she looked at her phone, the doors of her car locked. She was waiting for him and he took a moment to memorize how beautiful she was in the setting sun, how her skin glowed and her eyes turned amber. But those eyes flicked up to him and she smiled knowingly, making him roll his.

Tim got out and opened the passenger door for Lucy, touching her elbow as she climbed in. He knew she didn't need help, he just wanted his hands on her.

"Sooo… what's the plan?" Lucy asked when he got settled back behind the wheel.

Tim put the truck in reverse and his hand on her seat so he could turn to look behind them. "Whatever we want, right?"

"Right."

"Good," he said quietly, his voice deeper than he'd meant it to be. He turned back in his seat. "Then I want to be alone with you."

"Really?" Lucy laughed. "Just skip all the lead up and straight to bed?"

"No!" Tim thought he was blushing and was mortified, blinking too much. "I mean we never get to spend time together without interruption."

"Right," Lucy said, trying to contain a giggle.

"I just thought we'd get some takeout and hang out at my place," he defended, then had a second, slightly dirty thought. His eyebrows went up, considering it, before shaking his head. "No."

"No, what?" Lucy asked.

Tim glanced at her and then eyes back to the road. They were almost there. "No, we shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?"

He scoffed and shook his head. Tim Bradford would not play that game again. "We shouldn't sleep together tonight," he said determinedly. He could see Lucy watching him from the corner of his eye. "Take it off the table. No pressure."

"Okay," she agreed easily. "We'll hang out."

"Good."

Kojo met them when they took their In-N-Out inside, barely containing his excitement that Lucy was there. She hadn't been over since the night Jackson died and Tim mentally conceded it was because he hadn't invited her after almost giving into the damn longing.

"Look at you, pretty boy," she cooed, setting her drink on the kitchen table. "I missed you!" She knelt down and rubbed all over his face and neck and shoulders. Kojo's entire back half wagged with his tail and Tim shook his head to himself.

Man's best friend, my ass.

He put their food on the table and fed Kojo before washing his hands. Lucy met him at the sink and they stood side by side, sharing the water, catching eye contact, slippery fingers brushing. Tim loved the way she looked at him, like he was something special, someone worth her effort. He handed her a paper towel and they sat down beside each other to eat.

They chatted about nothing at all, Lucy taking the lead in the conversation. He finished before her, probably because she was doing most of the talking, and sipped his drink before tugging his chair even closer to her. She didn't seem to notice as she told him about Tamara's upcoming finals and how she'd spent hours studying with her so she was confident her puppy would ace the exams.

He nodded and mhm'd and yeah'd in all the right places, trying not to think about how he could feel the heat of her skirt-covered knee on his inner thigh, or how naturally he could just reach out and put a hand on her hip from the way he'd angled himself to her body. Yeah, he was that close. They had never maintained much personal space between them though. The physical closeness had been something he'd chastised himself for but he'd never had the willpower to put an end to it, even when they were dating others. They'd just revolved around each other, almost never touching, for so long.

Lucy gasped as his hand curved around her hip. They met eyes and a beat later she smiled softly, open and inviting. She put down the fry she'd been holding for the last three minutes and laid her hand on his bicep, turning so they were face to face. It brought the outside of her leg against the inside of his and Tim's heart rate kicked up a notch. He was leaning all the way into her space now, almost nose to nose, and Tim decided he wouldn't back down.

He waited to see if Lucy would pull away or crack a joke, but when she didn't he kissed her gently, slowly. No expectations, he just wanted to now that he was allowed.

Her fingertips ghosted over his jaw and he laid his forehead against hers, eyes still closed.

"This is nice," Lucy whispered, tracing both sides of his face now.

"Mmm," he agreed, enjoying the closeness, relaxing at her caresses.

"I have a confession to make," Lucy said softly, sitting up, though her hands lingered at his neck and shoulders.

"What's that?"

"I've never seen Doctor Who."

"Oh." He blinked, shook his head. "We have to fix that." He brushed her hair away from her face and stood up. "Grab your food, I'll get some blankets."

"I'm done," she said, putting the last few fries and a bite of burger back in the bag.

When Tim got back from his room with a couple throw blankets and pillows Lucy was coming out of the kitchen. She was drinking her soda, mouth puckered on the straw.

God, those lips.

Tim took a deep breath and put the pillows down, tossing the blankets on top. Lucy had put down her cup and picked up her purse, before heading to the sofa.

"Ready?" he asked as he grabbed the remote and pointed it at the television.

"Just a second," Lucy replied, catching his attention when she put one foot up on the corner of the couch and pulled her skirt all the way up. His wide eyes watched as she undid a black strap around her thigh and pulled off her piece.

"Uh." Tim's eyes were huge and he stood frozen to the spot. "That was hot."

Lucy laughed, stowing the gun in her purse and tucking it under the side table.

"It's not a garter belt."

"It's better."

She chuckled again and threw her arms around his shoulders. Tim wrapped an arm at her waist as they grinned at each other.

"Do you know how many men have disappeared after finding out I was a cop?"

"No, but I'm glad."

"Me too," she laughed. "I'm glad we're here."

Tim made a face like 'eh, it's cool'.

"Mmhmm," Lucy replied, turning to sit.

Chapter Text

The bright orange jailsuit caught his eye and he tracked Lucy as she followed Lopez into the interrogation hallway. Last night they'd cuddled on his couch but he'd intentionally kept it PG until he dropped her off at her apartment.

His hands had roamed her lush body while he kissed her soundly against the door. And when he slowed it to an end she was breathless and mussed and her eyes were dazed. He hoped to god she'd fantasized about him the way he had her.

"Somebody's been a naughty girl," he said with as little inflection as he could. Lopez and Lucy turned toward him as he closed the door to Observation 3. Lucy raised her eyebrows but Angela scoffed.

"You're the fourth guy to say that to her," Lopez told him.

"What?" he asked, too forcefully. "Who else?" Tim looked from Angela to Lucy, who widened her eyes pointedly.

"Webb asked if he could cuff her," Angela replied.

Tim crossed his arms and glared as Lucy raised her hands, palms up.

"She's messing with you, Tim," Lucy said, then looked at Angela. "We're not hiding it. We're filing today."

"That's 'sir' to you," Tim said deeply, ignoring Lopez completely, his arms still crossed.

Lucy's eyes jumped to him and her lips parted. "Yeah, it is." It sounded like a promise.

Tim's gaze dropped to Lucy's feet and he slowly traveled her body until their eyes met again. Lucy put a hand on the wall for support.

"Oh, gross," Lopez said disgustedly. She moved between them and turned Tim's shoulder toward the door. "Get out. Get out now."

"Why?" he asked, snapping out of the tension he'd built with Chen.

Angela opened the door and kept shoving. "You're compromising my case, Sergeant."

When their shift was over they changed into their civies and walked into Grey's office together. After reporting their relationship and getting a short, well-practiced speech Bradford held his hand out for Chen and they walked through the bullpen together. The applause was embarrassing but he wasn't surprised. He greeted it with an unamused expression while Lucy tried to hide her smile behind a fist, shaking her head.

Apparently there'd been a betting pool. Thorsen won.

"I'll pick you up at seven," he mumbled as he kissed her cheek. Lucy looked at him like he was something special again and he wondered what she could read in his eyes. He wondered if she could see just how amazed by her he was.

"Yep," she answered, turning. Her hair swished behind her and he caught himself staring stupidly while she crossed the parking lot.

That's my woman.

It didn't seem real. Tim frowned, realizing he had some work to do and should probably schedule an appointment with his therapist. Or ten.

He didn't want to screw things up with Chen because of his past. He didn't want to push her away because he felt some sort of inherent unworthiness that was total bullshit. He was good enough for Lucy or she wouldn't want to be with him. She wouldn't love him like he knows she does, even if they haven't actually said the words yet.

He was sinking into that push-pull of fear and longing again and decided the parking garage was bad for his mental health. He'd park outside from now on.

By the time seven pm came around Tim had showered, shaved, dressed in a gray sweater and dark jeans, and changed his sheets. He'd taken Kojo out, fed him in a puzzle for stimulation and checked the mirror one last time. Had he ever been so nervous for a date? It seemed crazy, considering they'd been together the night before. He just really didn't want to screw it up.

Fuck.

His avoidant attachment style was swinging the other way now. He'd worked so hard on that.

Damn it.

But he could hear Ron's voice in his head- 'Healing isn't linear and there will always be more opportunities for growth.'

He rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together.

When Lucy opened the door Tim's hands dropped to his sides and he just stared. She was wearing a light pink dress that made a heart shape over her bust, was fitted to the waist and then flared out in a full skirt, not quite coming to the knees. She had black strappy heels and her hair was up in some kind of fancy do that spilled curls from the top. There was something innocently sexy about the way her earrings dangled beside her bare neck.

"Well," he huffed. "You're always beautiful but I think I'm gonna get in a fight tonight."

Lucy tried to hold in her smile, fake eyeroll and everything. He was rubbing off on her. "Don't worry, I got your back."

He grinned and she returned it. "I know you do." Tim held Lucy's eyes as he said, "If I had my pick of the station in a showdown, I'd want you."

"Sergeant Bradford," Lucy gasped, touching her fingertips to her chest. "You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

He tipped his head toward her. "I'm trying."

"You're succeeding."

Tim blinked and scanned her body again, then looked into her beautiful eyes. "Can I mess up your lipstick?"

"You can try."

As he reached for her, Tim realized he still had flowers in his hand.

"These are for you," he said, feeling a bit off center. He'd actually forgotten he was holding a bouquet the entire time. That lack of focus was a little bit dangerous actually. Anybody could have come down the hallway and caught him off guard.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she took the flowers. She opened the door for him to come inside and then searched the kitchen for a vase.

"Nothing," he answered, shaking his head to get back on track. When Lucy finished with the flowers Tim didn't even let her take the next breath before he was kissing her. He did a thorough job of sliding his mouth against hers, so he was surprised when he pulled away to find her makeup in perfect condition. "What kind of lipstick is that?"

Lucy laughed. "The magic kind." She wiped his mouth with her thumb and Tim squeezed her tighter. "Should we go?"

He had to think about it. I mean, they could just stay there. "Yeah," he finally replied, letting her out of his grasp.

When she picked up a leather overnight bag he took it from her, smiling softly as she caught his eye.

This was happening. They were really moving forward… and he was terrified. But more than that, he wanted to claim her.

Walking through the station with her on his arm had helped a bit to ease the frustration, but he still longed for her. Desperately.

Dinner was nice. Outdoor seating, good food, tiny lights, a dance floor for him to spin her on. He held her close, bowed his head over hers, pressed her hand to his heart.

I love you, he almost whispered a thousand times.

"You're my favorite person," he said instead.

Lucy looked up at him as they swayed and instead of making a quip she smiled tenderly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Holding Lucy's hand was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do. Something about knowing exactly where she was in relation to him made him feel like he could protect her at any moment. It gave him a sense of peace he hadn't realized he needed. This again was probably something he should talk to his therapist about because while it seemed completely logical, he was self-aware enough to realize it wasn't normal. Definitely a trauma response.

He held her hand anyway.

Tim's eyes scanned constantly while he matched her pace on their stroll. He was smiling softly, remembering a time they'd been this close but he'd had his hands stuffed in his pockets after telling her he'd passed on the promotion. She'd been the one circling him that night but he did it to her too.

Tim chuckled and Lucy squeezed his hand. A caucasian male in light colored jeans, blue button up, brown shoes rounded the corner ahead of them. Tim took stock and tugged Lucy behind him as they passed each other. He glanced back to make sure the guy kept walking.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked with a curious smile. "And where are we going? Oh," she said as they turned down the side street. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"My focus has been off lately too," he laughed again. "Do you want something?" he asked, gesturing to Nevin's bakery as he brought them to a stop across the street.

"Actually," she replied, trapping the arm that was holding her hand when she closed the space between their bodies. Her breast was pressed to his elbow but he tried not to get distracted. "I'm not hungry, but that's not why you brought me here, is it?"

"No," he said softly, turning so they were face to face. He was still holding her hand when he reached up with the other one and ghosted the length of her neck with the backs of his fingers. Lucy shivered and he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "This is where I scared the hell out of myself." Lucy tipped her head curiously, a prompt to go on. "I should've gone to North Hollywood, Lucy." Her eyes lit with understanding and she nodded. "I was standing right here, looking at your beautiful face, when I said Tim Bradford finishes what he starts." Lucy grinned. "And I knew I was full of shit."

"What a coincidence," she said with a smirk. "Me too."

Tim groaned, dropping his head back, finishing with a laugh. He wrapped her shoulders in his arms and kissed her nose. Lucy was giggling when she slid her hands into his back pockets.

"You never let me get away with anything." He scowled playfully and Lucy scoffed.

"I let you get away with stuff all the time. Like that." Her eyes widened pointedly and her head tipped for emphasis. "And I could name a dozen other times you showed me I was special to you without actually saying it." Her hands slid to his sides causing Tim to suck in a breath between his teeth. "You thought you were playing it so cool."

Tim didn't know what to say to that, because she was right. He really thought he'd hid his feelings from her just as well as he had denied them to himself.

Lucy took a breath to speak when he didn't answer, all playfulness gone from her eyes. "Let's go," she whispered.

***
When he pushed the door open they were greeted by Kojo. Tim told him to sit as he placed a hand on the small of Lucy's back and guided her in. She stepped to the side and gave Kojo a few head scratches while he turned off the alarm and placed her overnight bag on the dining table. He'd fed his dog before picking Lucy up but since he had no intention of giving anyone attention but the woman he loved, he opened the freezer and brought out the big guns.

A Kong filled with peanut butter and carrot sticks, a giant frozen carrot sticking out of the hole. It would take him an hour to get through it and by then Kojo could just go to bed. He'd let him out later. Much later.

Tim turned and stopped in his tracks, finding Lucy watching him from the entryway with a look on her face he'd never seen before. It was a command, a siren call, her eyes dark with intention. He dropped the Kong and charged to cross the space between them.

Crashing into Lucy's body, Tim's arms wrapped her up in him, his tongue seeking hers in a rush of need.

Her body succumbed to every move he made. She adjusted and whimpered when he tilted her head, his mouth tasting the line of her jaw. And when his hand purposefully wandered below her waist Lucy bowed into him as he squeezed her ass.

He spun them around and walked her backward toward his bedroom for a few steps before giving up, ripping himself away as he took her hand and marched quickly to his room. When he turned to pull her the rest of the way in and close the door he smirked devilishly.

She'd taken her hair down on the way and it was so sexy, messy curls swirling around her head. The heels were gone too.

"Come here," he demanded in a gravelly voice, shutting the door too hard. His hands went to her face and he bent to capture her mouth again, a sensual pulsing of their tongues against each other. When Lucy's fingertips found their way under his clothes he ripped his sweater and undershirt off in one go.

The overwhelming sensation of her hands softly roaming his back as he tugged the grip he had in her hair made him curse. He was being so rough and she was being so gentle. He needed to slow down.

Tim loosened the hold he had at the back of Lucy's head and took a deep breath, giving his eyes enough space to look at her closely. He needed to check in and make sure they were still on the same page. Lucy opened her eyes and he watched as realization dawned that he was asking for consent. The corners of her mouth tightened coyishly and she flicked one brow up.

"Well, don't stop now," she teased, tugging on his waistband.

Tim one-hand spun her like a ballerina, pulling her back into his chest by the hips. Lucy's breaths heaved as he pushed his arousal against her ass and nipped at the curve of her neck, dragging his teeth along her shoulder until her clothes got in his way.

He kissed the spot then leaned back to find the zipper of her cute, pink dress. Lucy helped by pulling her hair out of the way and tucking her chin. He was momentarily distracted by the profile of her mouth as she breathed shakily, and he wasn't thinking when he palmed her jaw, pressed his thumb between her lips.

After a gasp of surprise Lucy gently closed her mouth around Tim's finger, sucking on it in waves that sent twin surges to his groin. He moaned but quickly went back to the more important task of getting Lucy naked.

"Holy hell," he whispered after he'd pulled Lucy's dress over her head. He was looking down over her shoulder, getting an eyeful of round, full breasts. It took him no time to get in front of her for the whole view. "Tell me you wear that under your uniform."

Lucy laughed and sassily twisted her hips. "Sorry, no. This is purely functional for the dress." Tim nodded and she laughed. "You realize your eyes haven't left my cleavage since you took it off me, right?"

"What's that called?" he asked, fingers twitching at his sides.

"It's just a strapless bra."

"No, it's not," Tim said, finally making eye contact.

"Okay," Lucy capitulated, intrigued at the thought of Tim knowing about women's undergarments. "It's called a longline. Kind of half way between a strapless and a bustier. It's a little extra support for us-" She gestured to her boobs. "-chestier ladies."

"And the panties?" He took another look at Lucy in her pink strapless longline and matching bikini cuts. "Are those purely functional too?"

"Oh no," Lucy said, stepping up to Tim as she trailed her fingertips up his arms. "Those are for you."

Tim clenched his teeth, the muscle in his jaw flexing. He yanked Lucy to her toes by the ribs and kissed her fiercely; he'd be keeping those panties.

"Okay," he gasped, breaking his lips from hers. "Bed. Now."

Lucy was standing closest and she turned around to pull the covers back. He ran his palm down her spine as she bent to get in then took his pants off as he followed her. Lucy had barely laid down when Tim rolled her over by the shoulder and straddled her hips. That longline was coming off right fucking now. Thankfully it only took him a beat to realize it had the same hooks as a regular bra, just a few more of them, which he could absolutely take care of.

Lucy's face was turned to the side, her hands near her head, and the visual of her in his bed with messy curls, pink cheeks, and a bare back, was one he knew he'd never forget. But something was bothering him. He gently pulled a few stray strands of her hair away from her lips and took a breath to calm the urgency spiking in his blood.

"Why are you letting me push you around?" he asked quietly. Lucy's chin tucked in surprise and she started to roll over but he pressed her shoulder back down. "No, don't do that. I'll get distracted."

"Okay," Lucy answered, tugging her bra out from under her then laying back down. She couldn't really see him but Tim was watching her face closely as he casually smoothed his hands over her skin. "It's hot how much you want me… and I want to know what it's like when you have your way with my body."

His mouth dropped open in surprise. "The shameless way you said that is probably the sexiest thing I've ever heard."

Lucy giggled. "Don't worry, I'll take what's mine soon enough," she said.

"Fuck," he huffed, moving so he could flip her over again. Maybe that was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard.

Tim barely caught a look before his hands and mouth were attached to Lucy's breasts. She whimpered and threw her head back while he slid down so he was laying beside her. His body moved on instinct, hips the same rhythm as his tongue on her nipple, pressing his hard cock against her thigh. He started losing patience again when Lucy's fingernails began drawing pictures on the back of his head.

"Oh god," Lucy moaned when Tim skipped the build up and cupped her core. She automatically bent her knee, the one not trapped by his body, inviting him to explore further.

His fingers tracked the inside edge of her panties, thumb purposefully passing over her clit, the sounds she made urging him on. Lucy's panties were soaking wet and he desperately needed to get them off of her. Sitting up suddenly, Tim grabbed the sides of her underwear and tugged, Lucy helping with a leg lift. He threw them toward his dresser without looking then shoved his boxer briefs off.

"Lucy," he grunted tightly when he laid on top of her. Her eyes were closed, her face the picture of bliss. The full skin to skin contact was more than enough to glitch his system but the wet heat of her lower lips against his dick was almost painfully erotic. "Fuck," he whispered, sliding his fingers between hers as he pressed her hand into the mattress.

Lucy opened her eyes and lifted her head to catch his incoming kiss. She pushed on his ass and tucked her knees higher against his sides. He didn't bother drawing it out, clasping her palm too tightly with one hand, reaching down to line up with her with his other.

The first push was hard and fast, and their mouths both opened in a gasp. He didn't pull back though, riding the high of finally being inside her even as her fingernails dug into his back. She moved first, a tilt of her hips that encouraged him to slide out and shove back in quickly.

So good. He kissed her again but couldn't concentrate on his lips anymore. Tim left his face against hers, their breaths harsh in each other's ears, adding to the onslaught on their senses. It wasn't pretty, wasn't a fairytale lovemaking, but Lucy didn't complain as he continued to roll into her body, crash against her core.

When Lucy tugged he let her hand go and raised himself for a new angle. Her palms ghosted his sides and then gripped at his back, the heat of her hands lighting his nerve endings. He watched her face, eyes closed with ecstasy, then her breasts, bouncing to his rugged rhythm. Suddenly her hands were on his neck, like the first time she ever kissed him, and she pulled his forehead down to hers. Her body was tensing beneath him and while he wanted to move so he could watch, he didn't dare interrupt what was working.

She gasped each time he pushed into her and then her body stopped moving with his and her legs trembled. The clenching spasms gripping his cock were all it took and Tim groaned, cumming inside her, desperately grinding the last of his orgasm against her luscious body.

"Oh my god," she panted in the aftermath, holding Tim close, stroking his head and back.

He still couldn't speak, his breath ragged against her neck and shoulder. He tried not to smother her with his weight but she gently pressed him back down. She was so soft and beautiful and she smelled delicious. He never wanted to move but of course that wasn't logical. Lucy's legs slowly went down, causing him to slip out of her. By that point he'd mostly caught his breath though, so he pushed onto one elbow and looked her in the eye.

It was no use, he'd been holding it in too long. He took in a breath, gave her a quick, nervous smile, and said, "I love you… boot."

Lucy laughed, shaking her head. "You just had to, didn't you?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." But he wasn't because it made her laugh. "Cut the tension."

"That's okay," she said with a smile. "Because I love you too."

The way Tim kissed Lucy, their bodies tangled, sweaty, and satisfied, was a vow. A gentle, deep, languid promise of devotion. He wouldn't let her go now, the longing finally appeased

The fear could go fuck itself..

Chapter Text

When Kojo whined at the door Tim made eye contact with Lucy, flicked his brows so she knew he was about to leave the bed.

“You want your bag?” he asked, sitting at the edge of the mattress to pull on his underwear.

“Yeah, please,” she said, tugging the sheet to her chest as she curled into a ball. He watched her there for a beat too long and she smiled when he had to shake himself out of the moment.

“Be right back,” he mumbled, walking to the door.

Tim returned a moment later with her leather duffle and set it on the end of the bed, amused by the way Lucy was watching him walk through the house in just a pair of boxer briefs.

She was coming out of the bathroom when Tim came back from letting Kojo out for a potty break, completely, unabashedly nude. Her confident sexuality wasn’t something he’d seen much of until they were preparing to go undercover, just hints about men she was dating, but once that barrier was down it was like she no longer had a reason to hide it. Of course she wouldn’t feel the need to cover up. That made perfect sense. He still wasn’t used to it.

He picked up their clothes from the earlier escapades and set hers next to her open bag on the bed, putting his in the hamper near the bathroom door. Her hair was in a braid and her face freshly washed. If you asked him, she was even more breathtaking that way but he didn’t say it.

“Where’s my underwear?” she asked, picking up her dress and bra to see if they were underneath.

“What underwear?” he wondered and climbed back under the covers, sitting against the headboard.

“The panties,” she answered, looking at him. “The pink ones.”

“No idea.” He shook his head solemnly, his eyes oh so serious. Too serious.

“Give them back,” she ordered, tipping her head.

“You said they were mine,” he reminded her, his eyebrows pinching.

“No, I didn’t,” she laughed. “I said they were for you, as in for your enjoyment.”

“And I thank you. I’ll enjoy them for a long time to come.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes with a quirk of a lip at the double entendre, but didn’t call him on it. “Fine,” she conceded. “But that’s the only pair.”

“Good enough for me,” he agreed seriously as she moved her bag to the floor beside his dresser. “You want to come take what’s yours now?”

Lucy made an amused sound in the back of her throat as she pulled the covers off his lap and climbed on top of him. He sucked in an entire lungful of air then held his breath as she settled her knees along his hips, only his boxer briefs between them.

He put his hands on her waist and she closed in on him, her arms on his shoulders while he slowly blew the air out through his circled lips, trying to maintain some semblance of self control. And then Lucy rolled her hips against his semi hard dick and he slammed his eyes shut.

“Not tonight,” she whispered, surprising him with her lips brushing the words over his. He hadn’t realized she was that close. “You can’t improve on perfection.”
Tim searched her face, slowly committing all her features to his memory. Every last freckle.

“It was good,” he agreed, loving the way she hyped him up. “Really good.”

Lucy nodded softly, a small smile playing on her lips. She kissed him gently then moved to the other side of the bed. He kept a hand on her waist and rolled so he was still touching her as they laid down, centering together in the middle of the bed.

“Are you tired?” he asked, his palm roving her back. She had both hands tucked under her chin, laying on her stomach.

“Yeah, but not sleepy,” she admitted. She reached out to touch his mouth and he kissed her fingertips.

For the next couple hours they talked about the future, about their jobs mostly. Lucy planned to make detective as soon as possible and in the meantime hoped her experience and training undercover would allow her to move through other stations on temporary assignments. Neither of them wanted her to leave Mid-Wilshire, but they expected a call from Internal Affairs and HR any day now.

After playing Nova she knew now that long term UC work wasn’t for her, and she was grateful she had the right to choose assignments. If IA allowed, maybe she could spend a couple days here and there, then shadow Lopez and Harper on her down time at Mid-Wilshire. Tim thought it was a long shot but he was hopeful. Her reputation for excellence would help, and not only that, but he was so damn proud of her. She really was the best rookie he’d ever trained.

Eventually he had to use the bathroom and she got up for some water. When they met back in the bedroom Tim turned off the light and as easy as that they curled up together and their breathing slowed.

“I love you,” he whispered against her forehead.

“I love you too,” she said into his neck.

They fell asleep as though it was the most natural thing for them to do. As though they’d always been like this.

***

The first thing Tim was conscious of was light touching his eyelids and the second was the juicy ass against his crotch. He huffed a couple silent chuckles. Juicy, get it?
Lucy took a breath and sighed, an airy whimper he’d never heard her make before. He stroked her arm, thinking she would wake up and they could make some breakfast.
His next breath came in sharply through his teeth as she moved against his cock.

“Do that again,” he rumbled to the top of her head. She gave him another slow, agonizing roll, making his fingers tighten on her arm. “That’s my good girl,” he said, his voice gravelly.

A shiver shook Lucy’s body and she squeaked, her hand slapping over her mouth to cover it.

Tim smiled to himself. “I thought you’d like that,” he said deeply.

When Lucy’s fingers came away from her lips he could see they were still parted in shock. He propped on his elbow to watch her open and close her mouth, struck speechless. Finally she rolled away from him and sat up to look down into his eyes. She didn’t bother to cover her top half and he didn’t bother to hide his perusal of it. Tim raised his eyebrows, waiting until she had words.

She finally said, “That.” Lucy pointed one finger up for emphasis. “Should not have worked on me. How the hell did you do that?”

He scrunched his nose awkwardly and looked away. When he met her eyes again his were a little apologetic.

“I did train you to seek my approval.”

Lucy’s eyebrows raised and she took a deep breath. “Oh, that’s messed uuuup,” she breathed.

He felt kinda bad, him being her superior officer and all, until she tackled him to his pillow.

“Do it again,” she laughed. Lucy’s elbow was beside his shoulder, her other forearm on his chest, her face hovering above his. Her foot curled around his calf while he caressed up her arm, over her shoulder, and down her side.

Tim let his vocal cords loosen so it was deep and rumbly when he said, “You’re such a good girl, Lucy.”

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she dropped her forehead to his shoulder. “Oh my god,” she mumbled into his collar bone. The grin on Tim’s face couldn’t possibly get any wider, but that’s only because she couldn’t see it. He definitely wouldn’t let her know how funny her reaction was. And sexy.

“You okay over there?” he asked, banding his arms around her. “You haven’t moved in a while.”

“Shh.” Her breath was hot and steamy on his skin. “I’m still enjoying it.” He smirked to himself. “You smell good.”

“So do you,” he promised, turning his nose to her hair and taking a long pull into his lungs. “You always do.”

When Lucy’s tongue slid against his neck his pulse jumped and he closed his eyes. “You taste good too,” she said quietly.

“Mmm,” was all he could say as his thoughts started to jumble. Lucy’s hand had started to wander down his chest and he lay there, hardly able to comprehend that he just wanted to know what she would do with his body. Where her fingers would lead, where her mouth would taste him next. Tim so quickly turned into Lucy’s playground that he wondered why she would ever call him a control freak, as completely at her mercy as he was.

As Lucy moved around and over him, her lips and breath finding every spot that made him squirm, his breaths started to hitch like he couldn’t quite catch them. Her tongue flicked at his nipple and her fingernails lightly scraped over his ribs. His hand on the back of her head slid over the braid and tugged out the hairband. Lucy pulled up to her knees, one between his thighs, and slowly kissed her way down the center of his torso. He made a sloppy attempt at undoing her hair on the descent, but thankfully it did shake loose, and by the time she reached the waistband of his boxer briefs Tim’s muscles were water. He let his arms drop to the bed while she got him naked.

He tried to open his eyes but they were too blurry to see anyway, a swirl of color and sensation and emotion, so he didn’t bother looking when Lucy grabbed his cock in her hand.
He grunted, grinding his skull against the pillow till his neck arched, vulnerable. And in the next second he was a goner, her mouth sucking him to the back of her throat. Her tongue rolled against his length, a tugging, milking that made him groan and fist the sheets, all of his muscles suddenly awake and straining. He knew his face was red and was sure the veins were popping up on his arms, but he didn’t care, all his focus where Lucy was pumping him with her hand, sucking him with her mouth.

God, he hadn’t even kissed her yet today.

Her hair tickled his legs in the most sensual way, adding to the mix of everything else she did to him. Before he could worry about anything, anything at all, he was spurting his hot orgasm into her throat, making way too much noise as he lifted his hips in rhythm with her mouth.

“Holy shit,” he panted, throwing an arm over his eyes. Tim knew he probably looked as satisfied as he felt and yet he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed in front of Lucy. She did that to him, let him be who he was without shame. “Come here,” he said softly, reaching both hands out to pull her to him. Lucy was smiling softly but when she tried to settle beside him he stopped her. “Wait, no.” That wasn’t it.

He pushed himself to sit against the headboard and guided her between his legs, her back to his chest. Tim pulled Lucy’s hair to one side and nuzzled his cheek against her gently, knowing he was scruffy. She leaned her head back on his shoulder and hummed while his fingers rolled her nipples. This was supposed to be for her, but Tim found himself weighing her breasts in his hands in a way he knew was self-serving. She didn’t seem to mind, turning to tuck her forehead to the side of his neck.
He kept one hand on her chest as the other trailed south, and when her legs parted he closed his eyes to learn her by touch. He was slow and methodical, waiting until the last possible moment to touch her where she wanted it the most, and when she came on his hand, her whole body quaking while she held onto the back of his neck, Tim was satisfied in a way he hadn’t been in years. Her body leaning against him, her hair on his shoulder, her chest heaving as she came down from the high he gave her. This was his to keep. This moment, this peace, this connection.

Mine.

***

“So you and Lucy,” Aaron hedged and Tim pinned him with a look. “I know, I know. Personal-life-free zone.”

Tim gave a curt nod and thought that he’d made himself perfectly clear on the topic. He made a left and stopped at the next red light, an uncomfortable silence heavy in the shop. But that was okay. Tim was comfortable with being uncomfortable, well, except when he and Lucy were dancing around their feelings for each other. He definitely didn’t sit well in that shit.

“You’re smiling,” Thorsen pointed out and Tim immediately stopped, his eyes sliding over to his gopher. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’ve shipped Chenford for awhile now.”

“Chenford?” he asked hatefully, like it was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.

He might have shirts made.