He's The One I Want

💙four - this pain wouldn't be forevermore

ℎ𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖, 𝐼 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡

𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡, 𝑖'𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 (𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐼'𝑚 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑦)

𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜, 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠

Travis's POV:

The door clicked shut behind me, and the silence of my apartment felt heavier than usual. I dropped my jacket on the chair, the taste of my drink still lingering. It was supposed to be just a drink like an easy way to unwind after a long shift. But now, with the night stretching on, it felt like I was carrying something much harder to shake off. I kept seeing her face and the way how her eyes softened when she looked at me. She truly looked like an angel and I'd caught myself staring at her tonight, looking at her the way I hadn't let myself look at anyone in years. The way she caught me glancing at her too. Her eyes would meet mine for a second, and I'd quickly look away, hiding the adoration I couldn't had. The attraction was there and undeniable. But I just had to ignore it. I would just forget about her. I had to.

She didn't belong in my world. I couldn't let her. People would target her, just like they do to me. I could already see it in my mind. The danger, lies, and the dark corners of my life that she would never be safe in. I wanted her, but not at the cost of her safety. Not when I knew what my world would do to someone like her. But then there were those moments, those stolen glances where I could feel it, she felt it too. And it made everything worse, because I couldn't walk away. I knew I had too, but it was already too late. Maybe I'm in too deep.

The weeks following the night at the bar felt like eternity but a quick moment at the same time. Everyday of my job was full of cases, endless reports, and the noises of the city. Even though we were busy working, I couldn't escape the pull between me and Taylor. The attraction was undeniable and it grew everyday.  I couldn't help but notice her subtle changes too though. Her laughter, when it came, was quieter and less frequent. Her eyes seemed more tired, and the weight of the cases was starting to show. This job definitely was stressful to her. She didn't talk much about it, but I completely saw it. It was the way that her shoulders would tense after a long shift, the way she would put her head in her hands when she thought no one was watching. 

I really just I saw 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 in her. I noticed how she buried her emotions beneath her professionalism, the way she kept everything in check until it almost seemed like she would snap, and I didn't want to let her snap. I wanted to protect her.

My day started before the sun is even up. My alarm goes off with a sharp beep that cuts through the dark. I don't need to look at the clock to know it's early.  I roll out of bed and the city's still asleep, but it won't be for long. I showered quick, dressed quick into my police uniform  and clip my badge into place. Then left, I've got a job to do.

The precinct had already been buzzing when I'd walked in, a low hum of voices and ringing phones. I had been expected to lead, expected to have all the answers. I hadn't minded it. It had been what I was good at. A stolen car here, a robbery there, a domestic dispute down the block. It had come to know it all too well by now.