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Los Angeles is having a heatwave.
It’s been pushing the high nineties in the prime of the afternoon – a rarity, really, for LA – and all the weather forecasters can talk about is the heat. When will it end? and Are we in for another scorcher tomorrow?
Lucy loves it.
Because she’s on the night shift, so by the time she rolls out of Tim’s (their) house in the late evening, the city has cooled down and the thick polyester of her uniform isn’t nearly as unbearable as it would have been on the day shift (she knows. She’s had some day shifts in heatwaves, at least one of which with a training officer who didn’t believe in AC before lunch).
It’s probably the first time she’s been thankful for the night shift – other than, of course, the fact she’s on night shift because she got a promotion which she reminds herself to be thankful for daily. And she is grateful for it.
So, she tries not to be grumpy because her sleep schedule works against the rest of the world.
She tries not to be grumpy because the team she oversees at night is… a work in progress.
She tries not to be grumpy because she misses her friends.
She tries not to be grumpy because she misses Tim.
She misses working with him. She misses seeing him. Which is ironic really, because they’re back together and living together, and yet she sees him less than she ever has in their whole relationship from start to present.
Sure, they exchange messages all day and night – even when the other is sleeping, a chain of texts to wake up to. Sure, they catch each other here and there and on the occasional days off – but even then, it’s difficult because their schedules still don’t magically align when she’s used to sleeping during the day and he sleeps, like a normal human, at night.
When she wakes up at 4:32pm and sees that the temperature is at 94 degrees still, she feels a wave of thankfulness for the night shift.
She gets up and lets Kojo out, then grabs her phone to check for messages. She reads through the texts Tim has sent her through his shift so far and smiles. A story about a ridiculous call where they had to detain a shoplifter who insisted she hadn’t stolen anything. Where he and Miles ate lunch (her favorite food truck). Something insane Smitty said at roll call. Nolan accidentally walking into a locker door that had been left open when he was looking at his phone.
One question, she texts back. Did you turn the AC on before noon today?
She knows he’s working, so she doesn’t expect the reply she gets so quickly.
Well, good morning to you.
Avoiding the question because the answer is yes?
Please. Miles is still a rookie. I can’t go soft on him even in a heatwave.
She rolls her eyes, but grins. See you soon?
Can’t wait.
When Lucy arrives at the station before her shift, most of her friends look beat. Celina looks like she’s exhausted. Nolan has a sunburn on his face, and Miles looks like… well, like he’s being trained by Tim in long sleeves during a heatwave.
“Hey, Lucy. Hi!” Celina greets, seemingly chipper at seeing her friend despite her heat exhaustion.
“Hey,” Lucy greets with a smile. “Hot one out there today, huh?”
“Totally,” Celina agrees. “Brutal. I guess it’ll be a little easier on you tonight, it’s finally cooling down.”
“One of the perks of the night shift,” Lucy agrees.
Miles appears suddenly. “Sergeant Chen, you gotta talk to your, uh, your roommate about the dangers of heatstroke-”
Celina scoffs. “Roommate? That’s her boyfriend.”
Miles looks uncomfortable. “I can’t call him that to her face!”
Celina rolls her eyes. “That’s ridiculous, they live together.”
“He’ll skin me alive!”
“Why-“
Lucy shakes her head, interrupting them. “Sorry, Miles. Believe me, I lived that life and the only way out is through. I’m still standing.”
Miles grumbles as Celina waves bye to Lucy and the pair heads toward the exit of the station.
Lucy rounds the corner towards the locker rooms when a hand grabs her by the waist and pulls her gently to him. She almost lets out a squeak, but she realizes where they are and holds it in. Tim grins and gives her a kiss - soft and quick, nothing inappropriate, but still the action surprises her.
Somehow, he effortlessly looks calm and relaxed, like the heat hasn’t touched him.
“We’re at work,” she reminds him, even as she kisses him again with a huge smile on her face.
“We’re both off shift, we live together, and we no longer have any chain of command issues. I see nothing wrong with a respectful amount of PDA.”
She grins, because he has a point, and it feels good to know there’s no hint of power dynamics between them anymore. “Okay, one more,” she agrees and gives him another quick, soft kiss.
“You missed out on a scorcher today,” Tim tells her as his hands linger on her waist momentarily. “The entire city was acting like they’ve never seen the sun before. Tell me why we got a call today over two neighbors fighting over water balloons? And not because they were upset about them being thrown, because they were upset their neighbors refused to throw them at them.”
Lucy laughs. “I don’t envy you. Although, I do have a feeling all the people who stayed in and avoided the heat today will be out in droves tonight.”
“Fair,” Tim laughs, and she can tell he doesn’t want to let go of her, doesn’t want to go home without her. “Hey,” he says, as if just remembering something. He reaches into his shirt pocket and tosses her a pack of her favorite gummy bears.
“My favorite!” she says, her face lighting up with joy.
His face breaks out into a grin seeing he’s made her happy. “From the gas station on Bellevue.”
“I know. The only place that has them.” She remembers the many times when she’d bargain with him to stop there just so she could get these gummy bears.
“Okay. Stay safe,” he adds as he turns to head for the parking lot.
“See you later,” she returns, looking from Tim’s retreating form back down to the gummy bears in her hand before heading into the locker room to change.
When Lucy’s shift ends, she and Tim cross paths again by the station locker room.
It’s a completely jarring experience, to keep seeing each other in the same place – to realize that Tim has been home, eaten dinner, walked Kojo, gone to sleep, woke up, and showered all without her all while she’s simply been at work and now he’s back here where she last saw him before her shift started. Most likely, she will next see him in this same spot after she goes and lives a whole day without him.
They don’t have a lot of time, so she gives him a kiss, he listens to her most compelling story from the night shift – and, god, she has a few to tell, but she only has time to choose her favorite – before they part ways.
“I don’t like this,” she says softly, letting her vulnerability crack through for a moment. She’d spent a lot of months focusing on her career advancement, even so much as telling Tim it had nothing to do with him or them getting back together, but really – she knew that’s what would happen. She’d made the decision to take the sergeant’s exam before Tim really started showing his desires to try again. But once he did, she knew it was all intertwined, that it would iron out the last wrinkle keeping them apart. But now it’s hard to admit she misses him so when she’s gotten the promotion she’s waited for that she said had nothing to do with them.
“I know,” Tim returns, eyes understanding and sad. “I’ve got a day off coming up soon.”
Lucy lets out a little pout. “Yeah, but I don’t. So, you’ll be off while I’m asleep.”
“We’ll figure out a way,” he says. “I’ll… stay in bed with you all day while you sleep?”
She lets out a laugh, though she finds the gesture sweet. “Well, we’re nothing if not creative, I guess.” She squeezes his hand, knowing he has to go. “Stay safe, enjoy your hot shop.”
Tim scoffs at her. “Please. I can handle a little heat. Unlike someone I know who will crank up the AC as soon as she gets home.”
“Yeah, because I’m normal!” Lucy returns with a laugh.
“I bet you can’t go until noon without AC in the house.” His eyes shine with the glee of a challenge and she smirks.
She likes this. This feels normal, making bets with Tim. She doesn’t get to do this on the night shift.
“Oh, of course I can, because I’m going to be asleep.”
“Please. You and I both know that I know that you turn the air down to artic levels on a normal night.” She crinkles her nose at him, pretending like they both don’t know it’s true. “We may not have spent many nights sleeping in the same bed since we’ve been back together, but I haven’t forgotten your habits.”
She glares at him, even though somehow that makes her feel warm inside. “Well, it’s a lot easier to go without air in the house while I’m asleep than it is in the heat of the LA sun sitting in the shop in a polyester uniform.”
“Not for me. That’s why I don’t turn the AC on before lunch. I’ve trained for this.”
“I mean, those uniforms are heat traps. I, on the other hand, can go to sleep with no clothes on.”
She grins as she watches him gulp and look around to make sure no one is near them. “Lucy.”
“Just saying. I can totally hold out until noon. In fact, let’s see who can make it longer.”
“You’re on,” he agrees instantly.
“What are the stakes?” she asks him.
“Loser has to be the one to adapt to the other’s schedule this weekend.”
“Well, then, I look forward to us being awake all night this weekend as you adapt.” She turns to walk away. “How would you know if I turn the AC on, anyway? I’ve got Miles as a witness.”
“You and I both know you wouldn’t cheat on a bet,” he says with a grin. “See you later. Love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, love you, too,” she grumbles, though she can’t keep the smile off her face.
It’s already hot when Lucy gets home but the house is not yet unbearable.
However, she takes one look at Kojo and realizes he’s going to be the thing to make her crack.
Tim knows that, she realizes. Damn him. Of course, he’s also got Miles as collateral damage in their bet, but she knows he won’t even hesitate in keeping him suffering in the heat.
She puts extra ice cubes in Kojo’s water bowl, sets up a fan for him and gives him his cooling mat. Maybe Tim will break before Kojo gets uncomfortable.
Yeah, right.
Just as she’s settling into bed – so tired, she doesn’t even worry about eating anything - a photo comes through of the shop dash, showing the AC firmly off. She squints at the photo as she realizes Tim’s not driving, Miles is. She’s confused, and she has to admit – a momentary bolt of jealousy slices through her, because he never let her drive. She pushes it away to focus on the bet.
Keep boasting. Meanwhile, I’m going to sleep.
Naked.
The three dots start and stop several times before they go away, and Lucy laughs knowing he’s speechless.
She kicks the comforter off the bed and lets the cool sheet drape over her as she falls asleep.
*
“Sir, I understand you have rules for the shop-“
“Don’t start, Boot.”
“I’m just saying, don’t you think a record-breaking heatwave is the time to turn on the AC?”
“First of all, this heatwave isn’t breaking any records. Second of all, you’re from Texas. Hell of a lot hotter there.”
“Yes, sir, but we use our AC.”
“Let me ask you this, Penn. What are you going to do when you have to patrol and the AC in the shop goes out? And it’s 95 degrees outside? What if you’re transporting a dangerous suspect or you’re in the middle of a chase? You have to train now to be prepared and focused in the future.”
“Hopefully I won’t be wearing long sleeves by then,” Miles mutters.
“Pass your six-month exam, and the short sleeves are all yours.”
Miles sighs, and Tim smirks – though he feels a little guilty promising him short sleeves so soon, unable to avoid recalling Lucy and how he’d refused to let her wear short sleeves until she won that stupid bet.
There’s no way you can pick someone who’s right for me.
He lets out a little laugh under his breath. If only the Tim and Lucy of the past had any idea that she was the one who was right for him all along.
It’s just after 1:00 when his phone dings with a text from Lucy.
Hopefully, she’s given in so that he can let Miles turn on the air before he complains about him to HR.
Give in yet, sergeant?
Not a chance. Miles is pissed.
It’s easy enough to give in.
Sure is, he taunts back. Why you awake anyway? Too hot to sleep?
She sends him back a gif of someone calm and relaxed in a pool and he rolls his eyes good naturedly as he wipes sweat from his brow.
It’s hot.
He can admit it.
It’s not like he’s never been anti-AC, and even then, his no AC before lunch rule wasn’t meant for the hottest days of the year. It was meant to break rookies of the habit of turning the AC on just because, to keep them from getting too comfortable on the job.
“Sarge, I thought the rule was no AC before noon,” Miles tries again.
“Rules are different today.”
Miles frowns. “You change the rules on the hottest day of the year?”
“You want a blue page?”
“No, sir,” Miles says, but Tim can see the small smirk threatening to overtake him from the corner of his mouth.
He momentarily considers Miles’s logic: it’s sound. It’s a hot day. It’s past noon. There’s no reason to have the AC off at this point, other than because he said so and he’s the superior.
He thinks about Lucy at home, suffering in the heat when she already has trouble sleeping as is, and she has to work another night shift tonight.
He thinks about Kojo, who he’s sure would appreciate the AC right about now – though he’s confident Lucy’s got him taken care of.
He thinks about Miles, next to him, who is sweating bullets and though he’s complaining a lot and pushing boundaries, he’s taking it in stride.
He is in long sleeves, after all. Tim’s hot enough as is.
He likes challenging Lucy – he likes betting with her, playing with her, teasing her, messing around with her. He knows she likes it, too. It’s always been part of their relationship.
But what is torturing everyone really doing? What’s he trying to prove? Sure, Lucy was completely on board and excited about the bet, but the whole thing was based off of his belief that AC makes you soft and his rule of no AC in the shop before noon.
Rules that, he’s beginning to realize: are pointless, and probably came from the impact his dad had on him. His dad trained him to be tough, never soft. His dad told him not to appear weak, not to cry, not to show emotion.
(He’s already let his dad’s impact ruin one thing he managed to save: no need to bring everyone down again.)
Besides, he doesn’t even mind if Lucy wins the bet and he has to adapt to her schedule this weekend. She deserves that. She’s the one in a new position, with a new team, on a new schedule that doesn’t mesh with the entirety of the world. She’s the one who just recently forgave him for breaking her heart. Least he can do is bend.
“Okay, Boot, turn the AC on,” Tim says – though his pride does take a hit when he thinks about losing the bet.
“Is this a test?” Miles asks, eyeing him without taking his eyes off the road.
“Ask that again and there’ll be no AC all week.”
(Hey, he still has to be a little tough.)
“Thank the good lord,” Miles says and cranks the AC as low as it can go.
“Okay, okay, take it easy,” Tim says as Miles hits the buttons aggressively.
Lucy wakes up again around 2:15, the sun beating down in the bedroom. Kojo’s on the bed with her, looking at her pitifully. She groans and is considering the pros and cons of losing the bet and turning on the air, when she sees she has a new message from Tim.
You win.
She grins in delight as she sees photo of the shop dash, AC on, temperature surprisingly low for Tim’s tastes.
I knew it.
Don’t start boasting. It’s almost 100 degrees in here.
Mmhmm. Let me know what you want to do this weekend from the hours of 6pm-6am.
He sends a sly faced emoji, one she didn’t even realize he knew how to use, and she laughs as her face flushes from something other than the heat.
God, she’d missed him.
She kisses Kojo on the head as she turns the air on and falls into a deep, contented sleep with the cool breeze lulling her into a peaceful slumber.
“Lucy.”
It’s a few hours later - though it feels like minutes - when she startles awake, Tim’s soft, gentle voice surprising her.
“I’m late!” she realizes in a panic, bolting up in bed and looking around, confused as to why if he’s home she’s not at work.
“No, no,” he says, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m home early. Sorry, I texted you, but I know you were asleep.”
She squints, trying to process his words and figure out what’s going on. “What happened?
“I’m fine,” he says as he sits down on the edge of the bed next to her, hand coming down to rest on her leg.
“What happened?” she repeats, blinking as the sleep clears from her eyes.
“It’s my fault because we were probably disoriented from baking in the shop all day. We got a call to the park – the one with the water pad for the kids. Two women were fighting because one of their kids was blocking the water flow by sitting in front of a sprinkler. Anyway, it got physical and she got the drop on Miles, then she got me.” Lucy can see the slight bruising under his eye, and reaches out to touch it gently. “I’m fine, really. Anyway, Grey sent us home early – because, also, the sprinklers went off during this whole thing and our uniforms were soaked – by the time we got cleared and then would’ve changed he said it was pointless to go back on…” he catches the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she says softly, even as she picks at the comforter.
“Lucy.”
“I just really hate this,” she says softly, vulnerability shining through. “You get hurt, and not only am I not even there, I’m sleeping. What if you’d really been hurt and I just slept right through it?”
“I’m fine. It’s a black eye.”
“But what if it was worse? And this little bet we had going on, the gummy bears from Bellevue, it just… it made me realize how much I miss you. Working with you included. But just you. I’ve been missing you, even if I pretended I didn’t all those months, and now I have you again but I’m still… missing you?”
He nods, understanding, rubbing his hand over hers. “I know. I get it.”
“I thought… when everything was wrong, I thought after I made sergeant and we got back together, everything would be right again, but it’s still all wrong.”
“It’s not forever,” Tim reminds her gently.
“Yeah,” she agrees. “But right now, it’s just…”
“It’s hard.”
She lets out a breath. “Yeah. You know the irony?” she asks. “Isn’t this the exact scenario we were trying to avoid when we first got together?”
“Yeah,” he exhales, a thought he’s had himself. “It is. And we tried to avoid it then, messing with our careers in the process, so I guess we have to pay our dues now and sort it out the hard way. It’s just another phase of our journey."
She lets out a chuckle. “The phase where we’re newly back together and like ships passing in the night and never see each other?”
“Exactly,” he teases. “Isn’t it a rite of passage for every couple? It’ll be a great chapter for the grandkids.”
She quirks her eyebrow. “You’re surprisingly glass half full about this.”
He gives a little shrug as he reaches out to squeeze her knee. “I mean, I’m just thankful that we’re here. Kisses at shift change and texts and weekends together – even if I have to stay up all night – are more than we had a few months ago.”
She lets out a small smile at that. “You’re right. Sorry I’m such a downer.”
“Mmm,” he says as he pulls her into his arms. “I love you so much.” The words make her heart flutter, and she realizes everything is worth it. “I miss you, too.”
“Clearly, if you’re buying me gummy bears. You used to give me such grief about those.”
Tim chuckles. “You should’ve heard me trying to negotiate with Penn about why we had to stop at that particular gas station.”
“Why was Miles driving?” Lucy asks, finally, recalling the photos from the shop. “You never let me drive when I was a rookie.”
“Before you get all jealous,” Tim looks down, caught, as she scoffs at the accusation, “I let him drive so that I can have my hands free to text you.”
She looks at him, surprised. “Not Sergeant Tim Bradford, also known as Sergeant No Personal Talk in the Shop and Sergeant Rookie’s Drive Over My Dead Body?” she teases, even though she knows after some time he used to let her get away with being on her phone and talking personal talk quite frequently.
“All that? That’s a mouthful. I think I prefer Grumpy Cop.”
“Seems like I’m Grumpy Cop now.”
“Can I tell you something?”
She squints her eyes at him, unsure what might be coming. “Of course.”
“I realized the no AC before noon rule is pointless, and AC can’t make you soft. It all probably stemmed from my dad’s insistence that I had to be tough and I realized it’s pointless to suffer for no reason, let alone make everyone else suffer with my rules just because I say so.”
She raises an eyebrow, but when she speaks her voice is full of pride and emotion. “Wow. Look at you.”
He chuckles. “Okay, look, you’ve got a few hours before you have to go in, and we’re both awake, let’s make the most of it. Why don’t I cook and we eat dinner together?”
She nods eagerly. “Yes, please. I’m starving. I didn’t eat anything when I got home. It was too hot to cook.”
He kisses her on the head as he gets up to head to the kitchen, rubbing his arms due to the frigid air. “You’ve truly got it like an ice box in here, baby.”
“You know you missed it.”
He pokes his head back in the room. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you are wearing clothes.”
“We can change that,” she shoots back and she hears him groan.
“Tease,” he calls back, and she laughs. Kojo looks up at her and tilts his head.
“Don’t tell anyone we were about to give in,” she whispers to him.