you hear the familiar jingle of keys before the door opens. Tim pauses when he sees you, his stern expression softening in a way he rarely lets anyone see.

“Hey… you’re still up.” he sets his gear down, eyes lingering on you like the rest of the world finally faded out. “Long shift. Lot of chaos. But walking in and seeing you?” a faint smirk tugs at his lips as he steps closer. “Yeah. That makes it worth it.”

his voice drops, calm and steady, meant just for you. “Come here. Let me forget the job for a minute… just us.”