24 | us

The morning sun filtered through the blinds as I walked into the precinct, my mind still replaying the events of the previous night. I had barely slept, thoughts of Tim and our conversation at the coffee shop swirling in my head. His eyes, the way he had looked at me, and the gentle kiss we shared—it all felt like a dream.

I shook off the lingering warmth of those memories as I headed to my locker. It was another day, another shift, and I needed to focus. As I walked through the halls, I noticed a few of my colleagues glancing my way and whispering. I furrowed my brow, wondering what was going on.

"Morning, Chen!" Tim's cheerful voice greeted me as he approached, his smile as bright as ever. My heart did a little flip at the sight of him, but I tried to play it cool.

"Morning, Bradford," I replied, feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks. "Ready for another day of chaos?"

"Always," he said with a grin. "You?"

"Yeah, let's do this," I said, trying to muster up my usual enthusiasm.

As we made our way to the briefing room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. People were definitely looking at us more than usual, and I caught a few smirks and giggles. Tim seemed oblivious, but I was growing increasingly suspicious.

We took our seats in the briefing room, waiting for Sergeant Grey to start roll call. The room was buzzing with chatter, and I noticed a few more people glancing our way and trying to hide their smiles. I leaned over to Tim, lowering my voice. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Tim shrugged, looking just as confused as I felt. "No clue. Maybe someone pulled a prank or something?"

"Maybe," I said, though I wasn't convinced.

Sergeant Grey walked in, his usual stern expression in place, but there was a glint in his eye that I didn't quite trust. He stood at the front of the room, waiting for everyone to settle down. The chatter gradually died down, and Grey cleared his throat.

"Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice carrying the authority that always commanded attention. "Before we get into today's assignments, I have a little...entertainment for you all."

I exchanged a puzzled glance with Tim, who raised an eyebrow. Entertainment? Grey wasn't exactly known for his sense of humor.

"I happened to come across some interesting footage from yesterday," Grey continued, his eyes scanning the room. "And I thought it would be a shame not to share it with the entire station."

A murmur of anticipation rippled through the room, and my stomach dropped. This couldn't be good.

Grey reached behind him and pressed a button on the remote control, and the screen at the front of the room flickered to life. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized what was about to happen.

The video started playing, and there we were—Tim and I—standing in the changing rooms . The camera angle was perfect, capturing every detail. My breath caught in my throat as the scene unfolded: Tim looking at me, me talking happily, a hug and then...the kiss. The brief, sweet kiss that had sent a jolt of electricity through me.

The room erupted in laughter and cheers, and I felt my face turning crimson. I glanced at Tim, who looked equally mortified, his cheeks as red as mine. He stared at the screen, then at me, his eyes wide with shock.

"Well, well, well," Grey said, barely containing his amusement. "Looks like we have a bit of a love story developing here at the precinct."

The laughter grew louder, and I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I could barely meet anyone's eyes, the embarrassment washing over me in waves. Tim shifted uncomfortably beside me, rubbing the back of his neck.

Grey continued, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "I must say, I never expected to see this kind of action on our security footage. But hey, it's good to see some...team bonding."

The room erupted in more laughter, and I sank lower in my seat, my face burning. Tim let out a nervous chuckle, trying to make light of the situation. "Uh, yeah, we were just...uh, discussing strategy."

"Oh, I'm sure you were," Grey said with a smirk. "Just keep it professional on duty, alright? We wouldn't want to distract from the important work we're doing here."

I managed to glance at Tim, who gave me a small, sheepish smile. I could see the humor in his eyes, but also the same embarrassment that I was feeling. Despite the mortification, there was something oddly comforting in sharing this moment with him.

The rest of roll call was a blur, with Grey eventually moving on to the day's assignments. I could barely concentrate, my mind still reeling from the unexpected public display. As we stood up to leave, I heard someone behind me whispering and stifling a laugh. I turned to see Smitty giving me a thumbs-up and a wink.

"Nice one, Chen," he said, grinning. "Didn't know you had it in you."

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my cool. "Thanks, Smitty," I said dryly. "Glad I could provide some entertainment."

Tim and I walked out of the briefing room together, the awkwardness still hanging in the air. Once we were in the hallway, away from prying eyes, I let out a long sigh. "Well, that was...something," I said, rubbing my temples.

"Yeah," Tim agreed, his voice tinged with embarrassment. "I can't believe Grey showed that to everyone."

I glanced at him, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "Guess we're the talk of the station now," I said with a wry smile.

Tim laughed softly. "Yeah, seems like it. I'm sorry, Luce. I didn't mean for this to happen."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Tim. It's just...embarrassing. But we'll survive."

He nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, we will. And hey, at least we know how everyone feels about us now."

I chuckled, the tension finally starting to lift. "True. I guess there's no more hiding it."

We headed out to our patrol car, the awkwardness gradually giving way to a more comfortable silence. As we got in and started our shift, I couldn't help but steal glances at Tim, remembering the look in his eyes last night, the way he had held me, the kiss that had changed everything.

The day was busy, as usual, with calls coming in one after another. It was almost a relief to focus on the job, to lose myself in the routine of responding to incidents and helping people. But every now and then, my mind would wander back to that kiss, and the feelings it had stirred.

During a quiet moment in the car, Tim turned to me, his expression serious. "Lucy, about last night..."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Yeah?"

"I just want you to know," he said, his voice steady, "that I don't regret what happened."

I looked into his ocean-blue eyes, feeling a warmth spread through me. "I don't regret it either, Tim," I said softly. "It was...unexpected, but it felt right."

He smiled, the tension between us easing. "I'm glad to hear that."

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "Soo..." I started, my voice breaking the comfortable silence. "What are we?" I asked nervously, my heart pounding in my chest.

Tim glanced at me, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the streetlights. "I don't know. What do you want us to be?" he asked with a teasing smirk, his tone light but his eyes serious.

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks and gave him a shy smile. My heart raced as I tried to find the right words. Before I could speak, Tim slowed down the car, his expression suddenly serious.

He turned to me, taking my hand in his while keeping his other hand on the wheel. "Lucy Chen," he began, his voice steady and filled with warmth, "will you be my girlfriend?"

I laughed nervously, feeling a rush of emotions. "Stop joking, Tim! We're going to crash!" I teased, trying to deflect my nervousness.

Tim's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I'm being serious, Lucy Chen," he said softly, his thumb gently brushing over my knuckles.

I felt my heart swell with affection and gratitude. This was Tim, the man who had been my rock, my confidant, and now, potentially, something much more. "So am I," I said quietly, my voice trembling with emotion. "But...I would love to be your girlfriend, Tim Bradford."

~~~~~~~~~~ahh so cute i love this one! please vote and leave a comment!!!❤️