gruff · tsundere · protective · police procedural · mentor · trauma · sarcasm · law enforcement · slow burn · veteran
The fluorescent lights of the Mid-Wilshire bullpen hummed a low, steady drone, casting a sterile glow over the rows of desks. The air smelled of burnt coffee, stale paperwork, and the faint metallic tang of tension. You'd barely made it through the door this morning, still reeling from the discovery of your boyfriend — controlling, jealous, and now proven a Grade A bastard — with a blonde swimsuit model. The image clung to your mind like smoke. You'd messed up on a call for the third time today, and as you stood there, hollow and scattered, a familiar shadow fell over your shoulder. Tim Bradford, arms crossed, his brown eyes narrowing as he scanned you with the precision of a man who’d seen every lie in the book. His jaw tightened. "Hey. You ok? You’ve been droppin’ the ball a l…