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1.
The first time he does it is right after the kidnapping which in retrospect probably wasn’t the smartest idea but he just wants to do something nice.
They had been in literal hell, and they came out of it…damaged but alive.
One night, they were just sitting on the sofa. Lucy had her head on his shoulder and had been quiet for some time.
That should have been his first clue.
“Hey,” he says without looking at her. “I know these last few weeks have been hard. I know our proposal didn’t go the way either of us thought. It was perfect at first and then it went to hell.” He takes a deep breath and then continues. “I love you. I would do anything for you. I would have given my life for you. Thank you for saving us. I just—” He pauses. “I guess what I’m trying to say is—will you marry me?” He waits a few seconds and then frowns when there’s no answer.
“Lucy?” He asks and then he looks over and sees she is fast asleep. She didn’t hear a word he said, just like when he asked her to move in with him the first time.
“Right.” He mutters. “You are tired.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head and breathes her in.
He would ask again another time and when she was awake.
***
2.
The next time he tries to do it is at dinner. But the thing is, she is distracted and she has been distracted all night.
Tim is too but he’s more focused on what he’s going to say than anything. “So,” he says and she looks at him curiously. “This is nice.”
“Dinner?” She asks looking around the restaurant. It’s a new one— one they have never eaten at before. They told themselves they would be more ambitious on date nights especially after the kidnapping. “It is nice.”
“I agree and I was thinking.” He says. Lucy grins at him, a mischievous grin.
“That’s not good.”
“Shush.” He says. “Listen, I know what happened after our proposal wasn’t ideal.”
“Less than ideal.” Lucy says.
“Yes.” Tim agrees. “And you know I love you.”
“I do know that.” Lucy says giving him a look. His heart is pounding unnecessarily fast in his chest. “What’s going on?”
“I just—” He stops and takes a deep breath. “I wanted to ask—”
“Lucy?” A voice says and they both freeze. Tim knows that voice and he despises that voice for many reasons but now because he’s interrupting his proposal well his re proposal. “What are you doing here?” It’s Chris Sanford. Lucy winces and looks at him as well.
“Eating.” She says. “With my fiancé.” She gestures at Tim, and Chris frowns.
“You are engaged?” Chris asks and he looks almost angry like he was expecting Lucy not to move on.
“Yes.” Lucy says drily. “And Tim was about to say something.” She looks at him with an expectant look. But Tim couldn’t do this in front of Chris Sanford, technically they were already engaged.
He was just re proposing to make up for the last one. But he couldn’t have Chris Sanford watching and listening.
“Never mind.” Tim says, Lucy frowns but Tim waves her off. “Later.” Lucy nods and they both look at Chris. He just rolls his eyes mutters something that sounds like whatever under his breath and he walks away.
Tim blows out a breath. The next time he would do it for sure.
Definitely.
***
3.
The next time it happens they had just gotten into an argument and again in retrospect it probably wasn’t a good idea.
It definitely wasn’t a good idea to just blurt it out. It had been a long, hot day and Lucy was tired. Tim was tired too. He was trying to split watch commander with the new watch commander but it wasn’t working.
Lieutenant Hughes was distracted and Tim understands that. He understands when your personal life blows up it affects your work but—
It was just too much.
So Tim is tired and all he wants to do is go home to his fiancé except they fought before they left the station and she’s not at home.
She calls him and briefly tells him she’s going out with Celina to cool down and she would be home later.
Tim is alone and lonely, and he doesn’t like it. At all. He stays up until the door opens and Lucy comes walking inside.
“You are still up?” She asks in lieu of a greeting. “You didn’t have to stay up.” They both know that’s not true. Tim cannot sleep without her.
“I can’t sleep without you.” He replies.
“Right.” She says and she makes her way towards him. “I know.” She says. “Silly me.”
“Are you okay?” He asks and then before she can answer he continues. “Listen, I am sorry about earlier. I—”
“I’m sorry too.” Lucy says. “Celina talked some sense into me and I hate when we fight even if it’s little.”
“Me too.” Tim says and then without hesitation. “Will you marry me?” Lucy gives him a strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He says.
“Did you just—” Lucy starts but Tim cuts her off before she can continue.
“I uh do you want to go to bed?” He asks and then winces at how lame it sounds. Lucy gives him another look.
“I do.” She says. “I need to just get some water.” She looks like she wants to ask what he really said but then just shakes her head.
“Okay Luce.” He says and he steps closer to kiss her. He would ask another time and in a better way. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
***
4.
The next time he tries to ask is at work. And it’s lame, it’s probably worse than when he blurted it out or when Sanford showed up. But he’s desperate at this point and he just wants to re proposal for God’s sake.
It’s not that hard, couldn’t a man just propose to his fiancée? Yes he knows how silly that sounds.
Lucy comes into the office and stands in front of the desk.
“What’s wrong?” He asks because he knows Lucy and he knows when something is upsetting her.
“Nothing.” She says. “What do you think of the new rookie?” Tim shrugs his shoulders, he didn’t know much about the new rookie Nolan was training. He thinks her name is Monroe. He met with her briefly but lieutenant Hughes had handled it for the most part.
“I think she has potential.” Tim says. Lucy sits down in the chair and narrows her eyes at him.
“Who are you and what have you done with Tim Bradford?” She asks. “You wash rookies out.”
“I didn’t wash you out.” He points out. “Or Penn.”
“Miles came close.” Lucy says. “And you are about to marry me.” Tim perks up a little.
“Speaking of that—” He says and he stands up. He looks out in the bullpen but no one is paying attention. Angela would forever give him grief if she saw him doing this.
“Yes?” Lucy asks curiously. Tim is about to get on one knee but the Officer Monroe knocks on the door.
“Sergeant Bradford?” She asks. “May I have a word?” Tim nods and Lucy stands up.
“I’ll see you later?” She asks. He nods and watches her go and then gestures Officer Monroe in.
Just another attempt ruined.
He would get it right.
Eventually.
***
5.
The next time he tries, is at Angela’s house and he knows the consequences of doing this but he’s tired of trying and getting interrupted or feeling stupid for doing it. He just wants to do this. He doesn’t want to rush it but it’s getting kind of ridiculous at this point.
He’s more stressed about re proposing than when he actually proposed. The first time.
And that is just sad.
He looks over at Lucy who is talking to Angela, Celina and Nyla. She looks happy and she honestly hasn’t looked that happy in awhile.
He gets up from his chair and walks towards Lucy. He taps her on her shoulder and she turns to look at him.
“Yes?”
“I need to talk to you.” He says and she gives him a look but gets up and follows him. He feels eyes on him but ignores it.
He leads Lucy back to the hallway and then turns to look at her. “What?” She asks. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He says. “Look, I have been wanting to ask you something. And you might think it’s silly but—”
“What?”
“I’m not crazy.”
“I never thought you were.” Lucy says. “But—”
“I love you.”
“I know.” Lucy says. “What is going on with you?”
“This question—” He starts. “It’s one I have asked before.”
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Why would I pull you in the hallway for that?”
“I don’t know.. you have been acting weird lately.” Lucy says. “Is it do you want to go home?”
“No.”
“Are you okay?” She asks.
“I’m fine.” Tim replies blowing out a breath. This was already going sideways.
“No I mean was that the question?” She asks. Tim shakes his head a little.
“No.”
“Then what is it?” She asks. Tim opens his mouth to reply but once again and for the millionth time he is interuppted.
“Lucy!” It’s Angela and she looks between both of them. “It’s your turn for charades.” Lucy nods and shoots Tim a look before she follows Angela out of the hallway.
Tim wants to bang his head against a wall.
Great just great.
***
+1
The next time it happens is when Tim slips Lucy’s engagement ring into his pocket (because he figures it would be a good motivation for him to just pop the question (again).
And he thinks he might actually be successful. Maybe just maybe.
He finds Lucy digging through their drawers in the bedroom.
“Lucy—”
“I can’t talk Tim.” She says and she sounds like she is on the verge of tears. “I lost—”
“You lost what?” Tim asks furrowing his eyebrows.
“My ring.”
“Your ring?” Tim asks. “What ring?” Lucy turns around to glare at him.
“My engagement ring. The one you gave me and then I lost and Angela found it again.” Lucy says. “The one I haven’t taken off except for at work and to shower? It’s gone. Again.”
“No—”
“I’m sorry Tim. I just put it down and now.” She says and shakes her head. “You probably never lost it.”
“Actually I did.” Tim says. Lucy’s eyes widen a little. “Angela found it.”
“Of course she did.” Lucy says. “How did you lose it?”
“I put it in my pocket.” He says.
“Seriously?” Lucy asks. “Your pocket.”
“It was dumb I know but—”
“It doesn’t matter!” Lucy says. “I lost it and it’s somewhere in the universe and—” She stops when she sees Tim down on one knee.
“What are you doing?” She asks. Tim reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring. “Oh my god.”
“I’ve been trying to this for weeks but the universe hates me apparently.” He says. “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Lucy just blinks at him and he continues. “This ring right here has been through a lot. The story—” he trails off. “It’s like the story of us. The couple who had this ring before went through so much. The universe tried to keep them apart but they found their way back to one another. Just like we did.”
“Oh.”
“I just wanted a proposal where it had good memories and not negative ones.” He says.
“Oh like a redo proposal.” Lucy whispers.
“Yes.” Tim says excitedly. “Like our redo date and—”
“Just ask me Tim.” Lucy says and she has tears in her eyes. “Please.”
“Lucy Chen, will you marry me?” He asks. Lucy doesn’t hesitate and she smiles at him. It makes his heart pound even faster.
“Yes.” She says. “Absolutely yes.”