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Tim pushes the grocery basket down the aisle, occasionally stopping to grab something. He’s just about to round the corner to the next aisle when Lucy is suddenly in front of him holding a handful of things he knows are not on the list.
“What is all that?” Tim asks her with raised eyebrows as she puts it in the cart. She shrugs her shoulders and then is next to him, looping her arm with his as they continue making their way down the aisle. Lucy had just moved into his house two days before and today was the first day they both could go shopping. Tim had made a list of the essential items, and then given half of it to Lucy to divide and conquer.
“Snacks.” She says simply. Tim stares at her, he knows she likes to snack he would wake up in the middle of the night and find her gone from bed. And when he would go find her, she would be eating some kind of snack at her counter. He was used to it by now and if they ever stayed at his house he would make sure to stack up on all her favorites.
“Where are you going to keep all those?” Tim asks staring at all the extra stuff in the cart. Oreos, chips, cheezits, crackers, gushers.
“The pantry. The cabinets. Maybe under the sink since I can’t reach any of the high cabinets.” She answers. Tim pauses to look at her and he can’t help but give her an amused smile.
“Under the sink Luce?” He asks shaking his head incredulously. “Look you can keep them wherever—”
“Tim?” A voice says in front of them and both Tim and Lucy look up to see Ashley. She looks the same and she’s looking between the both of them. Tim’s eyes widen slightly, he hasn’t seen Ashley since she broke up with him in the hospital almost a year and a half ago. Lucy steps closer to him as they continue to stare at the blonde.
“Hi Ashley.” Says Tim a bit stiffly. The thing is he never was broken up about Ashley breaking up with him. It was more of the reason why and how. And besides her breaking up with him just opened up the floodgate for his feelings for Lucy and well.. it all worked out. He was happier than he had ever been.
“This is so funny.” Says Ashley enthusiastically. “I was just thinking of calling you. I have missed you.”
Tim feels Lucy stiffen besides him and wounds his arm around her waist. A reassuring touch that says. I’m yours. I’m with you.
Tim smiles at her albeit a little stiffly and he’s not sure what to say but like always Ashley dominates the conversation. Her eyes go to Lucy briefly and then they are back on Tim. “So how have you been?” She asks.
“Great.” He says a little stiffly. He rubs soothing circles on Lucy’s back. And he feels her relaxing under his touch.
Ashley frowns slightly at his one word answer but continues to talk. “Are you still a cop?”
Tim blinks at her a little confused because yes he is but he didn’t understand why that mattered to her, it was the whole reason she broke up with him.
“He’s actually in metro now.” Pipes up Lucy from beside him. “He’s a sergeant and he’s amazing.”
Tim taps her lower back once to show his appreciation. She looks up at him with a soft smile on her face. He will never get tired of that look because it really was reserved for him. He never had anyone look at him like that.
“Oh.” Says Ashley glancing at Lucy curiously. “Why the change?”
“I couldn’t be in her chain of command after we got together.” Tim replies and he continues to run circles on her back. It was as much for her as it was for him.
“Together?” Ashley says. “So I broke up with you and you jump into bed with her?”
Tim rolls his eyes at her, “Not exactly but what did you expect me to do Ashley wait for you? You broke up with me when I couldn’t move. In the hospital.” He says a bit angrily. Lucy makes a noise beside him and shit she never knew when or how Ashley broke up with him.
Ashley bites her lip and then pouts at Tim making her look like a cartoon character that didn’t get their way.
“I’m sorry but I didn’t want to drag it on.” She says. “It wasn’t my best moment. But—”
“You didn’t want to drag it on?” Lucy snaps at her. “He had just come out of spinal surgery you couldn’t of waited until he wasn’t laying flat on his back?”
Ashley rolls her eyes at her. “Get off your high horse Lucy. I know you had a thing for him when we were together. And I’m not surprised you managed to make him to date you. You are—” She says but Tim cuts her off, he has had enough. Lucy reels back a little at her words. Tim tightens his hold on her.
“She didn’t make me do anything. This was a mutual decision between the both of us. Something I know you aren’t familiar with. But we got together because we wanted to, we do things together.” Tim snaps at her. “Don’t you dare insult her just because you are bitter that I am with her. And not you.”
Ashley bites her lip and nods. “Well good luck to you both.” She pauses and looks at Tim straight in the eyes. “It was always her huh? I was never going to be good enough for you because it was always her.” She says and Tim nods realizing she’s right. It was always going to be Lucy for him. She nods and then walks passed them, her shoulders slumping a little as she does. Tim could care less because now he’s turning to Lucy.
“Hi.” He says softly kissing her forehead. “Are you okay?” Lucy steps away from him and Tim lets his arms fall awkwardly to his sides. He clenches his fists from reaching out for her.
“Did sh-she really break up with you when you were in the hospital bed?” She asks quietly. Tim sighs and brings her towards him. The realization hitting him that she’s more concerned that he was dumped while in the hospital than what Ashley said about her.
“Yes, but it’s okay.” He says. “It hurt more than I want to admit but it’s okay. It all worked out,
I’m happy and she’s…whatever she is.”
Lucy sighs and lays her head on his chest. “I’m sorry. I—I can’t believe someone would be that clueless.”
Tim shrugs kissing the top of her head. “It’s over baby. Ashley hasn’t been on my mind since that day.”
“And who has?” She asks teasingly. Tim grins at her smirking. God he loves her.
“Kojo.” He says and she hits his chest before standing up to kiss him grinning as she does.
“You love me.” She says and he tilts his head at her curiously.
“I do. But why are you telling me this?” He asks and she grins and motions to the pile of snacks in the cart.
“Before Ashley interrupted us, you were saying I could keep them wherever I wanted.” She says but Tim just stares at her confused not sure where she was going with this.
Lucy huffs out a amused laugh. “You didn’t even argue with me about them Tim. Normally you would tell me to put some of them back but you didn’t even hesitate or argue you were just going to tell me to put them wherever.”
Tim nods a understanding smile spreading across his face. “Yes. Of course. Lucy it’s not just my house anymore it’s yours. You can keep your snacks wherever you want.. within reason of course.” He says and Lucy grins at him, a happy smile spreading across her face that had him completely forgetting Ashley and her senseless words.
“There’s the man I love. I thought you were going a little too soft on me Bradford.” She teases him. He scoffs at her words, he is not soft.
They continue to move down the aisle realizing they had just been standing there for quite awhile.
“I’m not soft.” He tells her firmly. She rolls her eyes at him and stops again. And he realizes they are in the cereal aisle. He’s not even sure how they got here they just seemed to be walking aimlessly.
“You are soft babe. It’s just for me but you are soft.” She grabs a box of cheerios and tosses them in the cart. “And that’s okay. I know I get that side of you all to myself.”
Tim wants to roll his eyes and deny it but he doesn’t because he knows she’s right. He has always had a soft place for Lucy, and he knows he always will.
“You have all of me Luce.” He says quietly. “Every single part.” It’s funny because with Ashley, because he just did what she wanted to do. She never saw his true side, not like Lucy has seen since the beginning. He had to hide part of himself from Ashley but he has to or will ever have to hide himself from Lucy. She accepts him just the way he is.
“Are you ready to go?” She asks suddenly. He looks in the basket and realizes they have most of the essentials. He looks back at Lucy who is still smiling at him.
“Yeah baby. Let’s go home.” He says and she laughs happily as she kisses him on the cheek.
He watches her as she unloads the groceries at the checkout. He realizes he doesn’t need to go home when he’s with Lucy. Because she is his home. And if he’s being completely honest she has been for awhile. It just has took them awhile to get there.
To home
To being exactly where they were meant to be.