Flip the Boss [Flip Zimmerman]

Chapter 1: All I want for Christmas

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Squinting your eyes and rolling over, you grabbed your phone and hit snooze before pulling the blanket over your head, not wanting any part of having to wake up and get ready for work. You reached your arm out to the empty space next to you and sighed.

It had been well over a month since you last saw Flip before you were released from the hospital. Bringing your arm back to you and lifting the blanket away from your face, you let the morning light shine in, holding your hand up to study the ring on your finger. Just looking at it made you feel better about having to wait for him.

Getting Hopper acclimated to CSPD and helping him get settled was keeping Flip busy back in Colorado and while you understood the delay, Christmas was tomorrow and you wanted to spend it with him. He promised over and over that he would be with you tonight but at this point, it seemed like it might not happen.

Groaning out of frustration, you brought yourself up and out of bed, heading over to grab clothes for the day. You had cleared space for him in your closet and dresser weeks ago and just imagining his clothes hanging up and touching yours gave you butterflies. But seeing the emptiness instead next to your garments all by themselves made you depressed. You should have waited to make room.

Once you were ready for the day, you hurried into the kitchen to pour coffee into a travel mug, shouting a quick thank you to Sara who brewed it before she starting getting ready for the day, too. She probably didn't even hear you over the running water from the shower but at least you tried.

Grabbing your phone from the counter you noticed a text from Flip.

"Morning baby. Call me when you see this."

Taking a deep exhale, knowing it was probably a call to tell you he was too busy to make it into town tonight, you reluctantly dialed his number and brought the phone up to your ear.

"... yeah... yeah, and you'll need to make sure Ron knows, too, he can fill out the paperwork..."

He was clearly in the middle of a conversation when he answered the phone so you waited for him to greet you before speaking.

"Hey, babe. Sorry bout that," he said, voice sounding tired and dull.

You wondered if he had slept a full night since everything happened. You knew he was dealing with some post-traumatic stress since you were also experiencing flashbacks, usually at night.

"Hey, honey," you said, sweetly, trying to uplift him. "Does daddy have good news or bad news for me?" you chuckled in an attempt to be cute.

The sound of him smirking followed by a subtle growl into the phone made you smile.

"I'm gonna try my best to get there tonight. But things are a little crazy over here." he sighed deeply. "One of our officers got shot last night during a routine stop and the piece of shit coward took off on foot and is probably hiding out in some fuckin' sewer like a rat. So we gotta find him."

You tried to contain your disappointment, not wanting to stress Flip out even more so you just rolled your eyes to yourself, bit your tongue, and told him it was fine. You wanted so badly to feel his arms around you again but alas, what's another night away from each other at this point.

"I'm sorry. I know you're being easy on me. I know you're pissed."

If anything, it made you smile knowing that he had come to learn your emotions so well.

"I miss you," you said, walking over to grab your purse and keys. "And when you finally do get here, I'm never letting you leave again."

He let out a devilish laugh. "I'd love to see you try to overpower me, sweet thing."