Chenford Oneshots

I have a reputation to maintain

Lucy dropped into her chair with an exhausted sigh, eyes flicking to the clock every few minutes. She was practically counting down the minutes until she could finally head home to Tim. Just the thought of him waiting for her was the only thing keeping her going right now. Angela sauntered over, file in hand, eyebrow raised. "Wow, Chen, you look like you've been through the wringer. Don't tell me you're giving up before we're even done for the day?" Lucy sighed, pushing her hair back. "It's been one of those days, Angela. I swear, every little thing that could go wrong did."

"Oh, don't tell me," Angela deadpanned. "Did someone misfile their paperwork again? How tragic."

Lucy shot her a halfhearted glare. "Mock all you want, but the clock is my enemy right now. I just want to go home."

Angela gave her a sly smirk. "Ahh, now I get it. You're counting down the minutes until you can get back to your big, tough guy at home, huh?" Nyla, who had walked in just in time to overhear, leaned against the wall with a grin. "Let me guess," she said, crossing her arms, "Lucy is just itching to get home so she can curl up with 'Captain Softie'?"

"Exactly," Angela quipped. "And she's not even hiding it. Look at her—she's practically floating just thinking about him." Lucy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile spreading across her face. "Fine, yes! I want to go home and see Tim. It's been a long day, okay?" Nyla shook her head, her smirk softening just a bit. "Chen, you're not fooling anyone. We all know that as soon as you see him, you'll be all goo-goo eyes and love-struck sighs." Lucy laughed, shaking her head. "Wow. Thanks for making me sound so subtle." Angela leaned in, her tone teasing but with a warm, sisterly edge. "Oh, please. It's actually kind of cute. And hey, if anyone deserves a little mushy romance, it's you two. But you're still going to have to put up with us teasing you for it." Lucy shrugged, that familiar warmth filling her chest. "I'll take it. Because yeah... getting home to him makes it all worth it. I'm not even mad about it." Nyla's expression softened as she tilted her head. "You shouldn't be. It's nice to see you happy, Chen. Tim's good for you." Angela's eyes gleamed mischievously as she added, "Yeah, but do us all a favor and don't go writing him love letters from the bullpen." Lucy laughed, but she knew Angela and Nyla weren't just teasing. Underneath it all, they really were happy for her. "You're both the worst," she replied, rolling her eyes.

Angela smirked. "We love you, too, Chen. Now go finish up your paperwork before you start writing poems about Bradford."

20 minutes later:

Finally free, Lucy drove home, her mind replaying her friends' teasing remarks with a grin. As she stepped into their apartment, she found Tim in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove. When he turned around, his expression softened at the sight of her. "Rough day?" he asked, his voice gentle. "You don't know the half of it," she sighed, dropping her things and heading over to him. "Angela and Nyla have apparently turned my love life into the department's favorite soap opera." 

Tim chuckled, pulling her into a warm embrace. "They're just jealous they don't get to come home to someone as amazing as me." 

Lucy snorted, leaning into him. "You know what? You might be right."

"Of course I'm right," he replied, his tone gruff yet affectionate. "But if you tell them that, I'll never hear the end of it." She smiled, breathing in the familiar scent of him. It was like her entire day melted away in that one embrace. Tim brushed a soft kiss against her forehead, lingering just long enough to make her heart skip. "Dinner's almost ready," he said, pulling her over to the couch. "Why don't you kick back while I finish up? You look like you need it." She let herself sink into the couch, kicking her shoes off and curling up in the throw blanket. "A whole dinner and a cozy setup on the couch? You're really outdoing yourself, Bradford." Tim laughed, glancing at her as he stirred the pot. "Keep talking, Chen. Flattery might get you dessert, too." Lucy grinned, watching him move around the kitchen with ease. In no time, he brought over two plates, setting them on the coffee table, and then settled down beside her. They ate in comfortable silence, a peaceful rhythm to their movements.

After dinner, Tim flipped on the TV, settling on an old action movie they'd both seen a dozen times. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Lucy snuggled into him, resting her head against his chest. It was the little moments like this—coming home after a long day, unwinding together—that made her feel incredibly lucky.

Midway through the movie, she looked up at him, her voice soft. "Thanks for this. Really. You don't know how much I needed it. And I missed you, a lot."

Tim looked down, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "You don't have to thank me. This is our thing now, no matter what kind of day you have, you come home to me, and I'll be here. And you were only at work for an hour"

"I know that" Lucy rolled her eyes back at him, "You know what I mean though"

Tim nodded and said "I missed you too"

They both knew the weight of those words. Not long ago, when they were apart, coming home to each other had been out of reach—a comfort they could only wish for. Now, having this simple closeness felt like a gift they'd never take for granted again.

Her eyes softened, and she leaned up to kiss him, a gentle, lingering kiss that seemed to hold everything she couldn't put into words. "You make everything better, you know that?"

He shrugged, that familiar, modest smirk making her smile. "Well, don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."

Lucy laughed, saying "I love you"

"I love you too"

Lucy nestles back into his embrace as they continued watching the movie. She felt the weight of the day finally lift, replaced by the warmth and comfort of being home, with him. In that moment, she knew that no matter how tough things got, they'd always have this—these simple, perfect moments that made every challenge worth it.

A/n: Hope you enjoyed please let me know if you have any suggestions!