Work Text:
Day 1:
Tim shows up on Angela’s doorstep the day after he picked out Lucy’s ring. He asked Angela to keep it at her house and she readily agreed. He just didn’t want the risk of Lucy finding it like she did the earrings.
He had no problem leaving it at Angela’s but it made him a little twitchy. So he gave Lucy a kiss goodbye and told her that he had to make a quick stop before work.
Angela opens the door, and raises her eyebrows at him. “Yes? May I help you?” She asks. She steps aside to let him in.
“I need to see the ring.” He says. Angela gives him a look and then goes over to a drawer and pulls out the box. She hands it to him and he opens it up.
It’s still there.
It’s still shiny and beautiful and all Lucy.
“It’s a beautiful ring Tim.” Angela says. “Are you going to—”
“Not today.” Tim says and shuts the box. He hands it back to Angela who takes it with a confused look on her face. “I was just checking up on it.”
“That’s weird.” Angela says. “But okay.” Tim just shrugs shoves his hands in his pockets and walks out the door.
The ring is okay and safe.
***
“What did you need to do this morning?” Lucy asks when she sees him later that day. “Was it important?”
“Yes.” Tim says but he doesn’t say anything more. “Hey do you have those reports—”
“You have been acting weird.” Lucy says. “Dinner at Lopez’s two nights in a row.”
“Wesley is a good cook.” Tim says although he knows that lie can’t go on much longer.
“Next time I want to come.” Lucy says. Tim nods and pulls the papers in front of him.
“Sure.” Tim says. “Next time.” He feels Lucy’s eyes on him but he doesn’t look up.
“Okay. Have a good day.” Lucy says. “I’ll see you later.” He does look up at that and gives her a smile.
“Have a good day Sergeant Chen.” He says. She nods and then she’s gone.
***
Day 2:
Tim shows up on Angela’s doorstep again and to be honest he does feel a little silly. He’s checking up on a inanimate object but he can’t help it.
It’s the ring. Lucy’s ring even if she doesn’t know it yet.
It’s the ring he’s going to get on one knee in front of Lucy and propose forever to. It’s the ring that he knows she will love.
It’s the ring because the story that came with it is so similar to theirs.
It’s that ring.
And he can’t wait to give it to her but he needed a few more days. He needed to work up the nerve. Because this was something they would remember forever.
The door opens and Wesley appears behind it. He doesn’t look surprised to see Tim. “Are you here to see the ring?”
“Yes.”
“Come with me,” Wesley says. “You know I proposed to Angela in the living room. It was spontaneous.”
“I want it to be special to us.” Tim says and Wesley gives him a knowing look.
“I know it can be nerve wracking.” He says. “You are asking someone to spend forever with you but you love Lucy right?”
“Of course I do.” Tim replies. Wesley nods and pulls the ring out from the drawer. “Then you will know when to do it. The right moment with pop up.”
Tim opens the box, and the ring is still there. He takes it out this time and turns it over. “Oh not again.” A voice says and he sees Angela coming into the room. “Seriously Tim?”
“I’m sorry.” Tim says. He puts the ring back in the box and examines it a little longer. “I just need to make sure it’s okay.”
“Nothing is going to happen to it Tim.” Angela says. “Are you ready to take it?”
“Not yet.” Tim says. “The moment is not right.” Angela shakes her head and she looks a little exasperated.
Tim walks towards the door, and then pauses looking back at Angela and Wesley. “You are going to have to do it soon Tim.” Angela says.
“I know.” Tim says and he opens the door. “I know.”
***
“You left early again this morning.” Lucy says. Tim looks up from his desk. He didn’t say bye this morning but Lucy was fast asleep. He didn’t want to wake her nor did he want her questioning him.
“I did.” Tim says. “I went to workout.”
“Without me?” Lucy asks. “You know I love our joint gym sessions.” He did know that, and quite honestly he did too. He especially liked it when they had enough time in the mornings to take a shower—together.
“I know I’m sorry.” Tim says. “I just had something to do.”
“Did you do it?” Lucy asks. She doesn’t seem upset, but he really did need to get a move on this before she started to suspect something.
“Yes.” Tim says. Lucy gives him a long look, like she almost wants to say something. “You good?”
“Yeah.” She says. “I just miss you in the mornings. You know riding into work with you.”
“I know.” Tim says and he wishes he could say something else because he misses riding into work with Lucy too. It had become sort of their thing.
“I’ll see you later.” Lucy says as if she realizes she’s not going to get much more.
“Yeah. See you later.” He says and he watches her leave. Soon. He would take back the ring soon.
***
Day 3:
Tim shows up at Angela’s house for the third day in a row. He still doesn’t know how he’s going to propose to Lucy but he knows it needs to happen.
Soon.
“Seriously?” Angela says. “This is ridiculous Tim.” Tim just rolls his eyes and holds out his hands.
“Ridiculous or not I want to see the ring.” He says. Angela lets out a sigh, and puts the box in the palm of his hands.
“You are going to have to ask her one day.” Angela says. “With the ring.” Tim stares at the ring, every time he looks at it. He just knows it’s the right ring for her. He’s going to ask her to marry him, he doesn’t know how yet but it’s going to happen.
God he loves her.
“The whole station is going to find out Tim.” Angela says. “It’s going to—”
“I know. I know.” He says and closes the box. He needed to get going, he promised Lucy he would meet her for coffee. It was the least he could do considering he had been leaving early for the last three days. “I have to go but thank you for keeping it safe!” Angela nods and he walks out the door without another word.
***
Lucy is waiting for him at a small table and she perks what when she sees him. He greets her with a kiss and she pushes a cup of coffee towards him.
“You ordered for me.” He says.
“I know you.” She points out. “We don’t have much time.”
“True.” Tim says and he thinks of the ring at Angela’s house. He thinks of how good it’s going to look on her finger.
Soon.
Possibly in a few days.
“Tim!” He looks up and sees Lucy looking at him. She has a amused look on her face. But she also looks concerned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!” She says quickly and maybe it’s too quickly. “I’m good. I promise Lucy, there’s just something I need to take care of.”
“What?”
“Angela is helping me with something and it’s not complete.” He says and it’s not a complete lie. He smiles at her. “It will be worth it okay?”
Lucy nods and reaches for his hands. He had been working on communicating with her, he had been working on gaining her trust back completely and even though he knows their solid. There will always be work to be done. On himself and their relationship and that’s one of the reasons he loves her.
Because they were worth it.
Always. They always had been.
“Okay babe.” She says and she stands up and leans in to kiss him. “I trust you.”
Tim nods and blows out a breath.
He would visit the ring tomorrow, and this proposal would happen soon.
Very, very soon.