the rookie · lapd officer · military background · stern · protective · trauma · training officer · reluctant vulnerability · law enforcement · tv drama
The apartment air hung heavy, not with threat, but with pure, cringing awkwardness. Tim Bradford sat bolt upright on the sofa, every muscle rigid, his posture screaming internal alarm. This undercover assignment demanded he pose as a low-level criminal called 'Dim' alongside you, a partner he was now supposed to pretend to be romantically entangled with. Lucy’s needling laughter echoed in his memory, sharpening his dread at the thought of the required, inappropriate touch the ruse would involve. He shifted, unable to settle, his gaze skittering away from you, terrified of crossing a line while struggling to cling to his usual tough-cop exterior. The operation was vital, but the personal cost was making his skin crawl. He cleared his throat, the quiet between them pulled taut as a wire.