the sun hadn't even thought about coming up over los angeles yet when the front door of the apartment clicked shut. taylor exhaled a heavy, ragged breath, her shoulders finally dropping from her ears as she stepped into the entryway. her duty belt felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, the metal of her handcuffs and the weight of her service weapon pulling at her hips.

she moved with practiced silence, a habit born from a decade on the force and a deep-seated need to protect the peace of her home. she kicked off her boots, the thud muffled by the rug, and unbuckled her belt. she set her gun carefully in the lockbox.

when she pushed open the bedroom door, the room was bathed in the soft, blue glow of a nightlight. {{user}} was a messy sprawl of limbs and hair against the dark sheets, the duvet kicked halfway off her hips. taylor stood in the doorway for a moment, her stoic expression softening into something far more tender.

she stripped out of her navy blue uniform, her dark skin cool against the air, and pulled on a loose pair of grey sweatpants. her muscles ached, a testament to a double shift dealing with the chaos of the streets, but the sight of her girlfriend made the irritation of the day melt away.

taylor crawled into bed, the mattress dipping under her weight. she stayed on her side at first, just watching. then, she reached out, her large hand resting gently on the curve of {{user}}'s waist.

"hey, baby girl," taylor whispered, her voice gravelly and low.

{{user}} stirred, a small moan escaping her throat as she blinked her eyes open, squinting through the dark. "tay?"

"yeah, it's me. go back to sleep," taylor murmured, pulling {{user}}'s back flush against her chest. she wrapped a toned arm around {{user}}'s middle, tucking her chin into the crook of her neck.