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“I can’t believe you convinced me to bring Kojo.” Tim grumbles as they walk down the street. Lucy has her arm looped with his, Tim is holding the leash and Kojo is trotting down the sidewalk.
“Well get used to it,” She says. “He’s our dog. He deserves to get out.” Tim blows out a breath but doesn’t say anything. He’s not actually annoyed, Lucy knows him too well for him to be actually be grumbling about this.
He’s the one that suggested the dog friendly cafe just down the street.
(She’s not sure how he knew that but she wasn’t complaining.)
“Here we are.” Tim says stopping at a hostess stand. He looks down at Kojo with a stern expression. “Sit.” The dog does immediately.
“How did you know about this?” She asks Tim. He shrugs as the hostess comes up and motions them to follow her. “Have you been here before?”
“Once or twice.” Tim says. He pulls Kojo along. “Sometimes I don’t have food in my house okay?”
Lucy lets out a laugh and follows Tim to the table. They haven’t officially lived together yet. What with the president’s visit, Tim being watch commander all of a sudden and Lucy being roving supervisor. It was a lot but she knows it’s going to be good. And all her boxes were at the house so that counted for something.
(She’s really glad they came out to eat and they weren’t in the mess of the boxes.)
Lucy sits across from Tim and he loosens his grip on Kojo’s leash. The dog lays down and Tim looks at Lucy with a smile.
“They have a veggie burger. I haven’t tried it but it’s good.” He says. Lucy nods and scans the menu. She looks up after a couple minutes, and sees Tim just staring at the menu.
“Hey.” She says. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—” He pauses a bit when he sees her face. “Right communication.”
“It’s a good time to start.” She says. She’s teasing but only just. She is really proud of all the steps Tim has taken to make sure he can communicate.
“Right,” Tim says. “It’s the brass not trusting me with the presidents visit and being in charge. I had it all—”
“I know you did.” Lucy says reaching across to grab his hands. She remembers the sadness she felt when Grey started talking and not Tim. And the look on his face, it was heartbreaking.
“You did good Tim.”
“Did I?”
“Absolutely.” She says and she squeezes his hand. “This is a new job. It’s going to take some time. But I know you can do it.”
“You believe in me.” Tim says. Lucy shrugs her shoulders, it’s not really a question whether or not she believes in him.
She never stopped.
Just like she never stopped loving him no matter how she tried.
(And she did try, but he got under skin every time he looked at her. He wove his way into her heart like he did the first time.)
“I never will stop believing in you.” Lucy says. A smile twitches on his lips. She reaches down to pet Kojo on the head.
“That’s good to know.” He says and he shifts in his seat a little. “Are you ready to spend our first night together as housemates?” He frowns a little and she laughs.
God she loves him.
“Housemates?” She asks raising her eyebrows.
“Bedmates?”
“Better.” She says taking a drink of water and suddenly she’s glad she didn’t take her bed with her. Celina was right, Tim had a perfectly good bed.
(One they already started to break in.)
“I missed you.” Tim says. Lucy takes another sip of her water, she missed Tim too. Not just when she was at the station working and after he left. But every single time before that.
He said he wanted her all the way in his life. She wanted him all the way in her life.
“When?”
“Well when I came home to an empty house the other night and every night before that.” Tim says and he says it so calmly, so honestly.
“Yeah?”
“Definitely. I meant what I said Lucy.” He says leaning forward a little. She does too. “I want you all the way in my life. Morning and night. Every single day, I want you.”
“For how long?” She asks and she has a teasing lilt to her voice. But she does want to know, she knows how long she wants to be with Tim.
(For the rest of her life.)
She has a feeling that Tim feels the same way but—
“For the rest of our lives I hope.” He says. “Or as long as you will have me.”
“For the rest of our lives.” Lucy confirms. Tim smiles and takes a drink of his own water but his eyes never leave hers.
They order their food, and their conversation goes from her moving in to Angela and Celina tricking them both.
“They are annoying.” Tim says. Lucy rolls her eyes, she loves Tim but Angela giving him a push was exactly what he needed.
“Three days Tim.” She says. “You needed that push whether you want to admit it or not.”
“Right.” Tim says. “You aren’t wrong. I would have gotten there.. eventually.”
“You were afraid.”
“I didn’t want to move too fast because we were just getting back to us. Pre us.” He says. “I didn’t want to pressure you. I always want to move at your pace.”
“I appreciate that babe.” She says. “But we are together now. We are a team. And you promised—”
“I would be more open.” He says. “Yes I know. And I will be.”
“Good.” She says and she relaxes a little. She looks down at Kojo who is asleep under her feet and then at Tim. “That’s good.”
***
Lucy groans at the boxes when they get home but Tim just pulls her to the bedroom. “That’s a tomorrow problem baby.” He says. “I am tired. I know you are too and you are officially living here.”
“I am your live in girlfriend.” She says. Tim nods. “You are my live in boyfriend.”
“Correct.”
“Okay let’s go to bed.” Lucy says and he nods.
“Let’s go to bed.” He agrees. They both move towards the bed, and Lucy looks around like she did earlier.
She was home.
She was finally home.
Once they are settled into bed, Lucy turns on his side to look at him. “I’m glad I’m here.” She says. “I love you.”
“I’m really glad you are here.” He says a smile on his face. “I love you too.”
“Good.”
There’s a moments of silence, and then Tim is the one who break it. He pulls her close and nuzzles his nose into her hair. “Goodnight Lucy.”
“Goodnight Tim.”