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The phone rings for the fifth time in so many minutes, Lucy watches as Tim rolls out of bed. He’s already on the phone. This had been going on since he took the watch commander job a few weeks ago. It started with only one call a night and then gradually turned into three or four. And Lucy of course was right there next to him.
She is sure that he hasn’t gotten more than four hours of sleep since he took the job. She could see the toll it was taking on him and it was killing her.
“Yes sir.” Tim says and suddenly he’s back in the room. He sits on the edge of the bed, Lucy makes her way over to him. His back his tense, his shoulders are up and she knows without looking at him he’s on alert.
“I will take care of it in the morning sir.” Tim says and he hangs up tossing the phone aside. Lucy takes her chance to starts massaging him before he can turn around.
“What are you doing?” He asks.
“Helping you relax.” She replies pressing a kiss to his neck. “You are tense.”
“Can you blame me?” Tim grumbles. “It’s every single night. And I have to answer or they will start lecturing me—”
“Shhh.” Lucy says. “Forget about The Brass Tim. Just relax.”
“How can I—oh god.” He says when Lucy hits a knot. “Damn.” Lucy hums softly and wraps her arms around his neck.
“You can’t let this take over your life babe.” She says. “You need to take care of yourself.”
“I know.”
“I will help you of course.” She says. She gives him another kiss. “Just relax.” He loosens up a bit, and then Lucy separates herself from him. She pulls him down so he’s laying down again. She curls into him and he sighs softly. “I know this isn’t how I imagined it would be when you moved in.” He says. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” She says. Tim hasn’t been watch commander long but he was doing a good job and she was proud of him despite the lack of sleep. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” He says. Lucy hums softly, and maybe this isn’t how she imagined the first few weeks of living with Tim. Sometimes it felt like she didn’t get any sleep either but that was okay. She would be right by Tim’s side no matter what.
And that’s all that matters to her.
***
Tim’s phone rings just after he shuts his eyes and he groans. He hadn’t received any calls that night, and he thought maybe he would be going to sleep at a decent hour.
He should have known better.
He glances over at Lucy, who is fast asleep. Thank god. He didn’t want his phone calls to be the reason she wasn’t sleeping. He grabs his phone, and hurries out of the room.
“Hello?” He says. He leans against the wall, he was feeling a little overwhelmed lately. It was the constant phone calls, the constant paperwork and the fact that his office was a revolving door.
“Sergeant Bradford,” it’s the captain. Tim straightens up despite the fact that the man can’t see him. “I’m sorry to call you so late.” Tim rolls his eyes a little and then shuts them. He’s not sorry, he has been calling every night at different hours since Tim took this job (plus a few other higher ups). If he was sorry, he wouldn’t keep doing it and Tim could get some damn sleep.
“It’s okay sir.” Tim says. The captain starts rattling off some information and Tim listens. He’s has been getting pretty good at memorizing without writing anything down. He’s not sure if that is good or bad.
“Thank you sir.” Tim says when the captain is done. He hangs up and just stands there for a few minutes before going back into the bedroom.
Lucy is awake like she was the other night, and he feels bad. She is not getting a full nights sleep because he’s not getting a full nights sleep.
“What was that about?” She asks her voice tired as he climbs into bed. Tim leans over to kiss her softly.
“Something I will deal with in the morning.” He says. “Go to sleep Luce.”
“You need to sleep too.” She says. “You can’t always be on and at work. You have a life.”
“That’s part of being watch commander.” Tim says although the words sound foreign even to him. He didn’t realize that he would be signing on to be watch commander 24/7. He finally had Lucy at his side agin, in his bed again and heart. They were living together. He didn’t imagine this, always being on alert.
He wants to enjoy his time with his girlfriend not constantly be on the phone.
“It shouldn’t be. You are at home and trying to sleep.” Lucy says and she starts to massage him like she did the other night.
(Thank god he got his shit together because he’s not sure where he would be without her. She has been by his side without question).
“I know.” He says and he groans a little as she hits a knot. “But it is what it is and besides—” He turns around to face her.
“What?” She asks. She adjusts herself and then continues to massage him.
“You do that.” He says. “It helps me relax a little.”
“Oh I’m sure.” Lucy says grinning at him. “You are just using me for the massage.”
“No and other stuff.” He says. “You have been so patient.” Lucy smiles at him, And he feels himself relax a little.
Lucy has been there for him. He is just happy that she is at his side again. She is by far the most important person in his life and he wouldn’t want anyone else by his side.
Lucy continues to massage him, draping herself over his back.
“It will get better,” she says. “It will calm down. But until then—”
“I know.” Tim says and she is right, it will get better. He will get used to being watch commander. It’s just a new job. It’s a new person in the job when Grey was in it for so long.
It would get better and besides he had Lucy right there next to him.
He couldn’t ask for more.
***
The calls keep coming at night, Lucy keeps encouraging Tim and he keeps pacing back and forth it. The brass wants what it wants and they are relentless at least that’s what Tim tells her. Lucy would rather him get a nights worth of sleep but—
It is what it is and they are in it together.
And that’s all that really matters.