Work Text:
Take the Leap
Lucy steps into the courtyard, the warm air blowing through her hair as she scans the area. People are mingling around, chatting, drinking and waiting for the ceremony to start. She sees Grey and Nyla standing at a table and makes her way over to them.
They both congratulate her on the undercover mission, tell her the hardest part will be the adrenaline crash. Going back to patrol on Monday morning, back to normal.
But Lucy glances over Grey’s shoulder and sees Tim, standing in his black tux that fits him just perfectly and a wide smile on his face and she can’t help the smile that comes across her face.
“To tell the truth, I kind of missed it. Um, will you excuse me?” Lucy tells them as she hurries off to talk to Tim and she misses the knowing glances that both Grey and Nyla send her way as she moves.
She saunters up to him, interrupting his conversation with officer Jan who politely tells her hello and excuses himself.
She doesn’t miss the way Tim’s eyes drag up her entire body, starting at her feet and making their way up until he is looking directly into her eyes with a grin on his face. She also doesn’t miss the heat that pools in her center as she feels his eyes on her.
She decides to lean into her undercover persona a little bit, “Nice suit. Nova would be impressed.”
Tim chuckles, “Nova was a little thirsty.”
“I like to think of her as assertive.”
“Mm.” Tim laughs then his face turns serious, “First solo op, and you take down two major drug traffickers. Not bad.”
Lucy preens under his praise, her smiles gets wider, and she feels her cheeks flush, “Thank you.”
She turns to walk away, to put some distance between the two of them before she ushers him into a dark corner and has her way with him but as she turns she hears his voice again.
“Hey Chen.”
She flips back around, her gaze questioning, “Yeah?”
“Save me a dance.” He gives a soft small before he walks away, leaving her standing in shock and wondering what just happened.
*******
The ceremony is beautiful, everything goes perfect. Lucy tries really hard to focus on Angela and Wesley as they profess their love to each other but her eyes keep shifting to Tim, standing at the altar next to his best friend.
She notices the way his black tux clings to his frame, the way his jaw clenches when the officiant asks for any objections, as if he is daring anyone to speak up. At one point his eyes find hers before she can look away, normally Lucy can read him so easily thanks to all those hours spent sitting next to him in a shop. But as their eyes connect his are swimming with so many emotions that Lucy can’t make out. She doesn’t miss the way his lips twitch up into a small smile as he gives her a slight nod, she doesn’t miss the way his eyes lock on her hers as Angela and Wesley recite their vows to each other.
Lucy shifts in her seat, clenching her thighs together to provide a small amount of friction and calm the heat that is building in her core. Jackson is sitting next to her and he notices her fidgeting, “What’s wrong with you? Your cheeks are all flushed and you can’t sit still.”
“Nothing. I’m good. Just a little warm out here.” She looks back up at the altar to see Tim has focused his attention back on the bride and groom, handing Angela the ring to slip onto Wesley’s finger.
The ceremony ends with a kiss and raucous applause as the happy couple make their way back down the aisle. As Tim makes his way down he catches Lucy’s eyes again through the crowd and she gives him a wide smile as she claps loudly.
*******
The reception is in full swing, dinner has been served and cleared, speeches have been given, the cake has been cut and now its time for the party to begin.
Angela and Wesley enjoy their first dance, Wesley dances with his mom and then, to Lucy’s surprise, Tim and Angela take the dance floor. Angela takes the mic and announces his final act as her man of honor is a dance with her which he just laughs at. Lucy watches as Tim takes Angela’s hand in his and they sway together, her pregnant belly between them. Tim throws his head back at something Lopez says and then he spins her out and pulls her back in. As the song comes to a close the two best friends share a hug, she watches Angela whisper something in Tim’s ear and he just shakes his head as he hands her off to Wesley. Then she watches him disappear towards the bar.
The music picks up and Jackson is tugging her up from her seat out onto the dance floor. Song after song they dance. Tamara joins them, then Nyla, then Angela, Lucy scans the area for Tim but has lost him in the sea of people so she continues to have her fun on the dance floor.
She’s lost track of how many songs they danced to by the time she’s moving back to her seat, her feet aching from her heels and dying of thirst. She sits down at the table and bends down to unstrap her heels and remove them from her feet. A shadow moves in front of her and she looks up to see Tim, a glass of water in one hand and a glass holding a dark liquid in the other.
He hands her the water and as she takes it her fingers brush against his and a jolt of electricity runs through her body straight to her center. She locks eyes with him and motions for him to sit down in the seat next to her.
He takes a seat, his thigh brushing against hers as he adjusts, “Looked like you were having fun out there.”
She casts him a glance, “Were you watching me Bradford?”
He shoots her a glare, “Don’t be flattered Chen, I was watching everyone. Cop eyes are important remember.”
She purses her lips, “Sure, whatever you want to tell yourself Tim.”
The song ends and the notes of a slower one start up through the speakers and Lucy can feel Tim’s gaze on her.
“You know, I do remember you asking me to save you a dance. Ready to cash in on that?” She asks as she takes the glass of dark liquid from his hand and brings it to her lips to take a sip, her eyes locked with his over the rim.
He stands up and holds his hand out, “I owe you a dance. And we both know I am a man of my word.”
She places her smaller hand in his and he closes his around it as he pulls her up from the chair, her bare feet makes their height difference even more apparent as he towers over her. They walk out onto the dance floor hand in hand and then Tim pulls her close, he rests one hand on her back as she places hers on his shoulder.
They sway together slowly, as the song goes on Tim pulls Lucy closer and closer until there is not an inch of space between them. She rests her head on his chest, feels his heart beating beneath his tux and wonders if he can feel how quickly hers is beating beneath her dress.
She is enveloped by his scent, by his strong hold and his calm demeanor. Lucy thinks back to the last few days and realizes that this is the safest she has felt since she went undercover, and her mind starts to swirl with that realization.
She feels Tim shift against her, feels the faint brush of his lips against her hair as the song comes to an end. She pulls back and looks up at him. He is so close she can see every line on his face, the specks of black in his blue eyes and the emotions swirling in his eyes.
Lucy thinks for a moment about how easy it would be to lift up on her toes and press her lips against his, to give in to every emotion she is feeling right now and lose herself in him. But then she remembers they are at a wedding, surrounded by their coworkers, by their boss and she takes a step back.
Tim tightens his grip on her hand before she can pull it away and then he leans down to her ear, “Let me drive you home tonight.”
Lucy feels his hot breath on her neck and manages to make her voice work, although when she speaks its shaky, “O-ok. I came with Jackson but judging by the way he’s dancing over there he won’t be making it home tonight.”
Tim locks eyes with her, “I’ll find you when this is all over.” Then he drops her hand and disappears through the crowd leaving Lucy standing there, her heart pounding in her chest, her cheeks flushed and her mind racing with thoughts about what just happened. And even more, what could happen when Tim drives her home tonight.
*******
After the party ends and the bride and groom have left Tim finds Lucy sitting at the table, “You ready to go?”
She grabs her shoes from under the table and stands up, “Yes. I’m exhausted. Ready to crawl into my bed and sleep for an entire day.”
Tim chuckles, “That adrenaline crash is serious business. Luckily this wasn’t a long term assignment so shouldn’t take you too long to get back to normal.”
They make their way out of the venue towards Tim’s truck and he surprises Lucy by walking to the passenger side and opening the door for her, he holds out his hand and helps her climb up into the truck and then gently shuts the door behind her.
He starts the drive towards Lucy’s apartment and they make small conversation. Tim asking her about her undercover assignment, him talking about all the work he did as Angelas man of honor. She asks about Kojo and he suggests they go for a hike soon so she can visit him. She smiles at the suggestion and immediately agrees.
When they pull into Lucy’s parking lot Tim pulls into a spot and turns his truck off.
Lucy shoots him a confused look, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to walk you up. I know you don’t need the protection considering you just took down two major drug lords on your own but just let me have my way on this one.”
She laughs and shakes her head, “Always a gentleman.” Then she opens the door and slides out of the truck, walking in her bare feet across the pavement to meet Tim at the front of his truck. He surprises her again when he reaches for her shoes and takes them from her, then he reaches for her hand and interlaces their fingers together.
Lucy gives him a soft smile and they begin to walk into her apartment building and into the elevator to the sixth floor. The air is filled with tension, something simmering beneath the surface that Lucy has been afraid to let boil over but here in this moment with Tim she wants to let it. Wants to lose herself in him and not think about any of the consequences. She feels his grip tighten on her hand and she turns her head to look at him and finds his blue eyes staring right back at her, filled with deep desire.
They step off the elevator and make their way towards Lucy’s apartment, when they reach her door she pulls her keys out of her purse and pushes the door open.
She takes a breath, considering her next move and she decides to take the leap. She turns to face Tim, leaning her head against the door and her voice is soft, “Do you want to come in for a drink?”
Tim’s lips twitch up into a small smile, “I would love that.”
She moves to let him step inside and then shuts the door behind him sliding the lock into place. When she turns to face him he is standing there, his hands tucked in the pockets of his suit pants, and looking around her apartment.
Lucy decides to throw caution to the wind, she’s spent the last week being afraid but standing here with Tim she doesn’t feel afraid anymore, she feels free and she knows exactly what she wants.
She walks over to him, she places her hands on his chest and plays with the lapels of his jacket then looks up at him, her eyes dark, no trace of doubt in them.
He places his hands over hers, when he speaks his voice is low, “Lucy, I want you to think about this. Be really sure. Because once we cross this line there is no going back. I know how I feel. I want you to be sure about how you feel.”
“Tim, I know exactly how I feel. I’ve spent the last week undercover thinking about how I feel. About how much I missed you, how much I needed you. Then tonight when we were dancing and you were holding me in your arms I realized that was the safest I have felt in a long time. I’ve never felt like this with anyone, I know the risks, I know what this could do to our careers. But I don’t care. I want you Tim, I want to do this with you.”
His hands move from hers and he places them on each side of her face then pulls her in for a soft tender kiss. The instant their lips connect Lucy knows there is no going back, and she knows she doesn’t want to. His lips are soft and warm, his hands tender on her face and she knows she could stand here and kiss him forever.
She moves her hands underneath his jacket and pushes it back off his shoulders, he releases her lips to shrug his arms out and then is attaching his lips to hers again. He pulls her closer to deepen the kiss, his tongue running along the seam of her lips and she opens to allow him access. Her hands slide between them and she begins to unbutton the buttons of his dress shirt and she runs her hands down the hard planes of his chest and abs.
He pulls back, resting his head against her forehead as they both struggle to catch their breath, and when he finally speaks his words surprise her, “We should stop.”
“What? Why?” She asks as she pulls away from him and searches his eyes.
“Because I want to do this right. You’re exhausted from the op, your adrenaline is running and I think I owe you a proper date before we jump into bed together.”
Lucy’s heart melts at his words. She thinks of when she first met Tim, his gruff exterior making him seem like a complete asshole but it was actually masking the tremendous pain he was in. She thinks of how he slowly let her in, allowed her to break down those walls, allowed her to see the real him, and now he is standing in front of her, his dress shirt unbuttoned, his lips swollen from their kisses and saying all the right things.
“You know, you really are just a big softie Bradford saying words like that.”
He laughs but then his voice gets lower and he looks in her eyes, “Only for you Chen, only for you.”
She pushes up on her tip toes to press another kiss to his lips because words are escaping her right now and its the only way she knows how to convey how she’s feeling in this moment. They stand there for a minute lazily making out until Tim pulls away again.
“I should go. Let you get some sleep. Want to get breakfast tomorrow whenever you drag yourself out of bed?”
As he goes to move around her she grabs his hand to stop him, “Or you could stay. No funny business I promise. But Jackson won’t be home tonight and I’ve been sleeping alone in a dirty hotel room for a week always on edge. I would feel better if I could sleep in your arms.”
His face softens and he is nodding his head, “Ok. I can stay. Kojo is at the kennel for the night because of the wedding so I don’t have to worry about him. Then I can make you breakfast in the morning. Let me run down to my truck to grab my go bag so I have something to sleep in.”
He presses a kiss to her lips then disappears out the door. Lucy moves into her bedroom to get ready for bed while she waits for him to come back. She pulls the emerald green dress off her body and lays it over the chair in her room. Then she pulls on a pair of pajama shorts and an oversized tshirt that hangs off her shoulder. She moves into the bathroom and carefully takes her hair out of its pins then washes away all the makeup off her face. She hears her front door open and then shut again and she moves into the doorway where she sees Tim locking up the apartment.
When he turns around and sees her standing there he stops in his tracks, a wide smile crosses his face, “Wow, you look beautiful.”
She scoffs, “I’m wearing pajamas and I literally just took off all my makeup, you’re crazy.”
He walks over to her and pulls her in by the waist, “I think you look beautiful dressed up or dressed down, with make up or without, hair up or hair down. You’re always beautiful, you are beautiful inside and out. You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met Lucy, that’s what makes you so beautiful.”
She feels the tears build in her eyes, “Who are you and what have you done with Tim Bradford? I could get used to hearing you say all these sweet things.”
“Well get used to it. You deserve to know how special you are. Now come on. Let me get changed and we’ll get some sleep.”
He walks into the bathroom while Lucy climbs into bed and settles herself under the covers. It all feels so domestic. Tim here in her apartment, getting ready for bed, making her breakfast in the morning. It feels like everything she didn’t even know she wanted and she is excited for all of it.
He emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later, a pair of basketball shorts low on his hips and a white t-shirt clinging to his upper body and Lucy bites her bottom lip.
He walks around the bed and pulls the covers down then slips underneath them, laying on his back with one arm slung behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. Lucy turns on her side and props up on her elbow to look at him.
He turns his head and then mirrors her position, propping himself up on his elbow so they are face to face, just a few inches of space between them.
She breaks the silence, “This feels right, you, me, here in my bed. Why did it take us so long to get here?”
Tim sighs, “Probably because up until three months ago you were my rookie. I’ve known for a while that my feelings for you went beyond friendship but I would have never acted on them while you were my rookie. That was never a line I would cross, it would destroy my career and yours. But then you were undercover and we lost contact and didn’t know where you were and suddenly nothing else mattered. I told myself when we found you I would be honest and show you how I feel.”
She places her hand on his arm, “It’s been a long time for me too. My confession on my last day might not have been completely fake, but I wasn’t ready to be rejected so I just played it off as a joke. Then you pulled me over while I was undercover and the guys were planning to shoot you and I was terrified. Terrified to live without you, and I knew as soon as I was done undercover I was going to stop being afraid and take the leap. I’m just glad you were there to catch me.”
He brings his hand up to caress her cheek, “I will always be here to catch you.”
She scoots closer to him in the bed and he meets her in the middle before attaching his lips to hers. They lay together, sharing kisses, their hands roaming each others bodies before Lucy pulls back, “You were right earlier. I want to do this right. So I think we should sleep tonight so then you can take me on a date and we can do more than just sleep in this bed. I also think you should take your shirt off because I’m sure it will help me sleep better.”
He chuckles but then pulls himself up to a sitting position and pulls his t-shirt up over his head before throwing it on the floor and settling back onto the pillow. Lucy slides closer and lays her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat as he wraps his arm around her and pulls her close.
She feels him press a feather light kiss to the top of her head before he whispers, “Sleep Lucy, I’ve got you.”
She drifts off for the first restful night of sleep she’s had in a week.
Feeling safe.
Feeing wanted.
Feeling loved.