Keep This Love In A Photograph

After delaying the inevitable for long enough, Tim Bradford finished packing his desk at the station. It was a strange feeling to say goodbye to the place that had become his home away from home and a desk that he had been sitting at for over a decade.

Slowly but surely, he started placing items into a cardboard box- a softball from when his daughter's team won the league championship, a glass award for service, and a "world's best dad" mug. When everything else had been removed, all that remained was a picture frame. A picture frame he was not ready to take off of the desk.

When Tim first started working at Mid-Wilshire, he did not have a single personal item to put in his locker where others had wedding rings to store, hand drawn art from their kids, and pictures of their family. After he got engaged to Isabel, he was happy to have a photo of them in his locker. He finally had something personal of his own at the station.

The day he took down the photo after divorcing Isabel, Tim swore to himself that he would not clutter his locker or any work area with anything personal. It would be easier that way.

Except, Lucy Chen disagreed.

He remembered that discussion like it was yesterday.

Tim received a promotion to Metro Liaison Sergeant, which earned him an entire office. Not just a desk like his short-lived Court Liaison Sergeant role. His humble cardboard box was filled with manuals, a mug, and some pens mostly, so unpacking and settling into his office was quite easy. After shift, Lucy walked in with a soft smile and her arms open wide for a hug that Tim happily gave her.

"Bad shift?" He asked.

"No, just missed you," she replied into his shoulder.

He planted a kiss on the top of her head and looked down to see she had changed back into her civilian clothes.

"So, you've got a whole office now," Lucy commented, clearly impressed.

Tim nodded and watched her sit on the edge of the desk.

"Does that door lock, by any chance?" She asked.

"Yeah...why?"

Lucy loosely entangled her fingers with his before saying, "Just wondering in case I can't wait to take you home."

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Lucy nodded and leaned in to kiss him nice and slow; she had no intention of starting anything tonight, but when his hands dug into her hips, well, she was willing to be convinced. Only meant to be a second away from his lips, she looked at what else was on the desk to ensure they did not damage anything should they start to get carried away.

But, the sight of his desk gave her pause.

Tim felt her body go rigid and asked, "What is it, baby?"

"You texted and said you were all moved into your office, but you don't have anything on your desk."

"What are you talking about?"

"No pictures, or mugs, or..."

"I don't like the clutter," he shrugged.

"Not even a picture of Kojo? That's not clutter that's just something to make you happy in the middle of your workday."

"I can just find you," Tim smiled.

As sweet as his statement was, Lucy replied, "Grey knows, and you have a new job you love now, so we can tell everyone about us, and you can put a picture of us on your desk...only if you want to."

Despite the fact he had sworn he would never put up a personal picture at work again, Tim was now tempted to have a photo of Lucy on his desk so that anyone who came into his office would know that he belongs to the most beautiful girl. It was tempting. "I don't know, Luce. It's not that I don't love the idea of seeing your smiling face on my desk everyday, but..." He cleared his throat and chose to be honest, "If something happened, then I would have to take it down."