ʚɞ 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬 - 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 ʚɞ

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.