Chapter Text
When lucy woke up, Tim was on the floor by the bed, having stolen one of her pillows and stretched himself out.
It was a bit past 6.45 am. And she felt simultaneously angry that her safely had been compromised like that, and so grateful that Tim had been able to keep her safe. To protect her.
Although being her Bodyguard was just a cover, Tim Bradford was very good at it.
Rolling over, she noticed her phone had been placed on charge, and was confident that she didn’t do it. On it were a few messages from the team, saying that they hope that she was going okay. And overall she was feeling a lot better.
She rolled over to the edge of the bed, and looked at Tim, mouth slightly ajar as he slept. He looked comfortable – although she couldn’t understand how. Lucy reluctantly drifted back to sleep, perched on the edge of the bed, watching him.
The next Lucy woke was almost 9am, amazingly. She thought it might have been a phone alarm, but after scrambling to find the sound, she realised it with Tim’s phone. Angela’s name was on the screen. She could hear her shower running, and realised where Tim must be. And she thought of answering it for a brief second, before realising that the first thing Angela would ask was where Tim was, and her answer would not reflect well.
Knocking on the bathroom door, she called out to Tim to let him know Angela had tried to call. She could hear him hastily turning off water. He had a towel wrapped around his waist when he opened the door, and was calling Angela back immediately. As he absent-mindedly wandered around the room, Lucy could see the water still beaded on his chest. She pretended to be fascinated with scrolling down facebook, but between listening to his side of the phone call and watching him dripping wet in front of her, her screen should have just been blank for all she saw.
“They found the kid from last night,” Tim told her as soon as he hung up. “Angela said he had been arrested last night attempting to grope a girl – who apparently punched him in the face as a reward – and is still in custody.” The relief to hear he was off the street was tremendous.
Tim wandered back into the bathroom and to Lucy’s immense disappointment, returned dressed. He was re-wearing his clothes from last night. Meaning he hadn’t yet left her room.
Tim Bradford had stayed by her side, as promised.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he nodded towards the shower, “Just needed to freshen up a bit.”
Is he serious? His half naked body as her wake up call? She had zero complaints!
It was Saturday morning. They had about 24 hours before the end of this festival. And they were no closer to finding out who was behind the threats than when they started. Time to get to work.
For Lucy, the day was spent by the hotel pool. Lucy played musical chairs with the lounges, swapping constantly to listen into the conversations around her. Hoping to hear something of use. Unfortunately, it was a lot of gossip and drama, and nothing particularly helpful.
Tim had found her late afternoon. He had been scoping local areas most of the day – not nearly relaxing as Lucy’s task has been.
He dragged a chair over to
sit next to her lounge. Lucy could see the way he was looking at her. She had picked the smallest swimwear she owned for this trip, and had definitely made the right decision. The girls around her were in equally flimsy outfits.
“What?” Lucy couldn’t help but smile a little, knowing exactly what Tim was looking at. “This swimwear is absolutely appropriate!” she then added the next comment as a whisper only for him “I am a rich spoilt heiress afterall.” He glanced around the pool and could hardly disagree with her. She had nailed the brief, tiny clothes and all.
And whilst there was a lot of lovely girls around the poolside, Lucy couldn’t help but love that his eyes kept coming back to her.
Perhaps Tim realised that too, because he coughed and shook himself a little.
“I bought you a present,” he confessed before presenting her with a carefully boxed vegan cupcake. It smelt so amazing, she could have kissed him!
Tiffany must have sensed Tim’s arrival, because out of nowhere she was there, throwing herself into the lounge beside Tim. She was on her belly, and watching him closely as she untied the straps of her bikini top to sunbake her back.
Lucy resisted rolling her eyes.
But she did decide that if Tiffany insists that Tim rubs sunscreen on her back, she would have choice to throw her into the pool.
“So tell me, Mr Body-Guard, what did you do before this Gig?”
“Cop,” was his one word response. His undercover story wasn’t much of a stretch for him.
“Well, you definitely haven’t let yourself go, in your career change!” Did Tiffany actually batt her eyelids at him? Gross.
Tiffany continued chatting about her friends, and how they had travelled a whole hour to be here (the traffic was unreasonable) before standing back up again. She didn’t bother to tie her top back up.
Tim was staring at the pool, quite intently.
Lucy resisted the urge to practice her hair-pull-takedown.
“A bunch of us are going out to dinner, you should Both join.” Both was emphasised in a way that implied that one person is more welcome than the other. Lucy sighed.
“Sounds great,” she said, with as much enthusiasm as she could manage. Basically none. “Send me the details, we will be there.”
“Going is a good idea. It keeps our cover intact, and maybe we see something.” Tim agreed with her decision, after Tiffany had swayed away.
“Yeah…” Lucy sighed again.
“Reluctant?” Tim could read her like a book sometimes.
“Yeah… I had other plans, but its okay. We should go.”
She had been hoping to drag Tim off for some burgers somewhere. Just the two of them. She had already pictured him in jeans and a beer, sitting across the table from her. The two of them actually talking.
But it was not meant to be.
“I might actually get changed into different clothes then.” Tim was practically doing the walk of shame, still in yesterday’s clothes.
He stood up and offered his hand to help pull her off the lounge. He followed her through the poolside, then pushed forward to get to the door first, opening it for her. She blushed as she walked through.
The perfect body-guard.
They almost had the elevator just to themselves, but a group of giggly girls ran to squish in after them. They appeared to already be a little tipsy, and kept pushing into Tim (accidently? Unlikely) who would be pushed back into Lucy. He looked like he was actively trying not to squash her. She really didn’t mind.
Tim insisted in riding the elevator to her floor, and held the elevator doors open until Lucy had swiped her key card and unlocked the door. The other passengers were vocally not that impressed.
Wrapped in a white robe after her shower, her favourite green dress on the bed, Lucy tried brushing knots out of her wet hair and noticed how frustrated she was getting. She felt ready to boil over.
She really didn’t want to go to dinner.
And she really didn’t want to go to the festival.
She did however, want to spend more time with Tim.
There was something liberating in able to talk to him again. She had felt the absence of him in her life these last few months. And for a rarity in their entire working history, they were on their own.
Infact that was something Sargent Grey stressed to them both in their briefing. This isn’t like a normal undercover op. There was:
- No body cams on this mission.
- No shop cameras recording everything they said and did.
- No one waiting in the car, listening and reporting on everything.
At the time she didn’t think anything of it.
But now? Now she realises that they have this rare opportunity to be themselves, without their station or their friends being involved.
And it felt liberating.
Unfortunately, when her mind considers her and Tim alone, she is instantly in the bathroom of the airplane on its way to vegas, his lips on hers, his hands holding her close, her heart pounding like she had found where she belonged.
And then her mind would jump, as it always did, to the split second that Tim had accepted her invitation. He had stepped forward, into the threshold of her home. He had cross that invisible line. And they had almost been together.
At the time, it had felt like the best idea she had ever had!
But then Tim never made another step towards her again. No suggestion of them. No hint he had wanted more.
Instead, worse, he encouraged her to leave! He had told her that it was time to move on. It felt like he had tried to erase her from his life. They had been work partners. There lives were woven together. And then to be ripped apart like that?
It had hurt at the time. But now it made her realise - It didn’t matter how much she dreamt of him, how much hurt heart missed him, he didn’t feel the same about her. And no amount of under cover ops will change that.
There was a rapid tapping at her door.
Lucy looked at the clock – she had been getting ready for 45 min, and still wasn’t ready. Waaay too distracted with her thoughts. She was sure Tim would tease her about this. But she could hardly leave him outside. To her surprise, he didn’t even seem to notice her in her robe.
“We found him… Well, them,”
“What?! Who? How!”
“Actually, it was my roommate. I walked in on them planning everything. Like absolute morons!” He was laughing as he headed to her mini bar. It must be beer o’clock. “Tiffany mentioned her body-guard, right? I had them run a security check on him last night, and h
e is an ex-bikey. He is saying he is in love with her.”
“With Tiffany? No! If he was in love with her, why would post threats?”“He didn’t – but his 2 partners did. We think they might have realised they could manipulate him. He got them the access as security. They had photos and equipment, and appear to be tracking a few guests quite closely. They were so stupid. All of us brought in as added security, for a group of idiots who forgot they had an extra room-mate. Their faces when I walked in-“
“Wouldn’t have been nearly as shocked as they were when you took them down?” Lucy was laughing with him. “But why didn’t you call me?! I could have helped you with the arrests!”
“Not my area, the locals took over immediately and made all the arrests.” Tim shrugged. “We will have to debrief on Monday, but for now we are off the hook.”
“So we don’t have to go to dinner? Or to the festival?”
“Apparently no.” He opened another beer, and offered it to her. “Is that okay with you?” She accepted the gift instantly.
“Yeah… I suppose so.”
Tim was leaning against the kitchen cabinetry, watching her closely. As always, he noticed the change in her tone and raised an eyebrow.
Her wants had not changed since this afternoon – she wants to spend time with Tim.
But now…
“The mission is over. It’s time to go home,” she almost whispered it. Reluctance unmissable in her words.
“The mission is over yes, but we have nowhere to be until Monday morning. Unless you want to go home?”
“No.” Lucy answered honestly. “You?”
“Not yet.” He agreed.
Lucy took a sip of her beer, and lent against the opposite wall to him, on the other side of her room.
“You are unusually quiet, Lucy. What’s on your mind?”
Her first name again. Always such a rare event, hearing it from his lips. Every time, it created such a thrill in her chest.
“I just feel like we haven’t had enough time.” She confessed.
“For what?"
“To be us. Haven’t you felt.. free? Being under cover is refreshing and…”
She was going to say more, but the memory of their last under cover op, and how Tim Bradford had made no further indication of wanting her, stopped her the words from coming out. She took another sip instead.
“There is an element of … addictiveness… to the freedom, I agree.”
Addictive was an excellent word.
And she was addicted to this.
To him.
To being able to talk about whatever she felt brave enough to say.
Lucy didn’t want to go back to the station on Monday, to them once again at such a harsh distant. To her resorting to sneaking glances when his back was turned.
With the deadline looping, reality of this moment spurred her on once again.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can always ask me anything. I have all the time for you, Lucy Chen.”
“Don’t go saying dangerous words like that, Timothy Bradford,” Lucy shakily laughed, before diving in, “Do you ever think about the Vegas trip?”
“Constantly,” was his somewhat breathless, instantaneous reply.
The perfect answer.
She leans off the wall, and takes 1 step closer to him. His eyes didn’t waver from her.
“Did that have anything to do with you and Ashley breaking up?”
“Ummm.. More of why we were still together? I was with Ashley because… I thought it was the right thing. The best option. Up until a while ago, I was so sure I always knew the right course of action, for every situation.”
“But now you have what, doubts?” Lucy prompted.
“Now… I thought perhaps if I stayed with Ashley, I would never have to wonder if something else could make me happier. Never have to ask – what if?”
“That is the most Tim Bradford thing I have ever heard. What exactly were you wandering what if about?
He looked at her exactly the same as when he was talking about practicing kissing, on her couch all that time ago. Like she should know what he was talking about… If he was speaking code for her, she wasn’t quite keeping up.
Lucy’s brain, however, was telling her that she liked the direction of his conversation.
Lucy’s heart was telling her to try not to get her hopes up.
Rejection will come once again.
Perhaps he was talking about work opportunities again? Or moving house?
Oh god what if he is taking a job further away!
“About you.”
“Me?” she could scream at him. WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME. But she waited as patently as she could, taking one more step closer to him.
“I didn’t what to ask myself, how I felt about you.”
She froze at this. The room wasn’t that big, and she was now only a single decent arm reach away from him. She could see his throat move as he took a deep swallow. And then he continued,
“Because, when it comes down to it, all I want is you. Lucy. You are everything to me. I…” he searched for the word, running his hand through his hair, “I ache when you aren’t beside me. I miss your relentless chatting in our shop! Your always positive outlook on life. I miss… I miss you.”
Lucy took a deep breath as she took the final step to him. Now she stood right in front of him, almost touching. A half decent breeze could easily push her to close the gap. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
He was stunning.
Did he know that?
“Me?” she repeated her question. He was smiling, a little pink rising up his neck. Was he embarrassed?
Tim placed his drink down and put his hands into his pockets. His shoulders slumped a little forward. Was he trying to make himself more her height?
“Yes. You, Lucy. I miss you.”
She had to kiss him. There was no other option.
Her heart was pounding in her ears as she reached up on tippy toes and slammed into his lips. He excepted her immediately, his hands leaving his pockets to wrap around her back and pull her into him. The smell of him, so familiar to her it was almost like home, engulfed her completely. Exactly where she craved being.
Tim dropped back to rest on the bench, pulling her with him slightly. As a result, their heights were more aligned and she no longer needed to be on top of her toes to reach him. Their kisses were playful, as they tugged at one another. His fingers worked at untucking her shirt and spread themselves up her back, seeping their warmth into her skin.
And Lucy realised that it wasn’t just his presence that was addictive.
It was everything Tim Bradford.
His rare smiles.
His work ethics.
His passionate kisses.
How long had she been addicted to him?
Way before they had ever kissed, that’s for sure.
“Want some food?” He whispers to her, in a rare break for air. Ofcourse he is thinking about her at a time like this.
“Not at all,” It was the truth. There were so much better things to be doing, than eating food. “Do you?”
“Not at all,” Tim mimicked her response.
Tim reached down, running both hands down her back before grabbing her butt tightly and hoisting Lucy into the air. She gasps, her legs wrapping around him as he pushes off from the counter. He carries her, their lips still playing, until he is seated in the chair he had spent so much of last night in.
Lucy straddled him and loved the power this position felt. Tim handes wandered up the sides of her legs, giving her goosebumps the ran all the way up her spine.
“Stay with me?” Tim looked up at her with the biggest eyes, like he truly didn’t know if she would agree to his request.
Lucy couldn’t find the words, so sure that anything she said would reveal too much. He would know how desperately she wanted to never leave his side again. Instead, she returned to kissing him as she slid her hips firmly into him. She could feel his strength between her legs.
“So,” Lucy Chen whispered down at Sargent Bradford between kisses, “How is being my body-guard?”
“Far too much work!” She lightly bit his lip as punishment for his retort.
He revised his response, with a smile that lit up his face. “But absolutely worth it.”