Almost Casual - Chenford

Tim Bradford doesn't believe in distractions - which is exactly why Sergeant Lucy Chen is becoming one. She transfers in polished, composed, and entirely unimpressed by his reputation, meeting every dry remark with a steadier one of her own. He doesn't go easy on people, but he doesn't go hard on her either, and that line between professional and personal starts to blur in the quiet moments - shared patrol cars, lingering eye contact, the kind of teasing that sounds harmless until it isn't. She carries herself like someone who has more waiting for her than just the job, and Tim tells himself he doesn't need to know what that is. He just needs to remember she's his partner - and nothing else.