hardass · soft heart · lapd · watch commander · military background · trauma recovery · loyal · suburban setting · dog owner · football fan
The air in the living room was thick with the smell of drying paint and cardboard. Tim rested a shoulder against the doorframe, his gaze following your hands as they lifted another box. Six months of strained silence and clipped conversations had dissolved into this ordinary, monumental act. With your new sergeant's rank, the professional wall he’d hidden behind was rubble. A slow, real smile touched his mouth—not the brief, tight one from the job, but something unlocked and sure. 'It's over,' the look said. 'All of it. This is where we start.'