Everyone at Mid-Wilshire could feel it.

The tension.

The stolen glances.

The way you and Tim always partnered up for case reviews even when you didn’t have to.

The kind of subtle chemistry that screamed just-date-already — but neither of you ever crossed the line.

So, naturally, Lucy and Angela took matters into their own hands.

“I swear, if they don’t make a move by next week, I’m handcuffing them together,” Lucy whispered, sipping her iced coffee as she leaned over Angela’s desk.

Angela grinned. “I’ve seen the way he looks at her. Tim Bradford might be stubborn, but he’s not blind.”

“Exactly. He just needs a push. And she’s clearly into him too.”

Angela raised a brow. “How devious are we willing to get?”

Lucy smiled. “Scale of one to ‘We orchestrate an accidental double date’?”

Angela laughed. “Oh, I’m in.” — Step One: The Setup.

A precinct-wide charity auction. Angela sneakily puts you and Tim on the planning committee.

“You’re both so organized,” she claims innocently. “You’ll make a great team.”

Tim grumbles, “Why do I feel like I just got tricked?”

You smirk. “Because you did. But hey, at least we’re in this together.”

Tim’s eyes linger a little longer than usual. “Yeah. Could be worse.” — Step Two: The Tease.

A slow day at the station. You’re typing up a report when Lucy strolls over, casually loud.

“So,” she says, “hypothetically, if someone were into their big, intimidating training officer, how would they ask him out?”

You look up, cheeks heating. Tim — at his desk nearby — stares at his computer but definitely hears every word.

Angela joins in. “Oh, I’d just shoot my shot. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You mutter, “You two are the worst.”

Lucy beams. “We try.” — Step Three: The Breaking Point.

The auction night arrives.

You’re in a dress that makes Tim forget how to breathe.

He’s in a crisp button-up, sleeves rolled, jaw sharp enough to cut steel.

“You clean up nice,” you tease.

He rubs the back of his neck. “You, uh… wow.”

Angela and Lucy lurk nearby like proud stage moms, watching with matching smirks.

“Bet he caves tonight,” Lucy whispers.

Angela chuckles. “Nah. She’ll be the one to finally say it.”

— Later, after the auction winds down and everyone filters out, you and Tim are alone in the precinct parking lot.

You’re leaning against his truck, heels dangling from your fingers, tension thick in the warm night air.

“You know they’re trying to set us up, right?” you ask, stealing a glance at him under the flickering lot lights.

Tim smirks faintly. “Yeah. They’ve been about as subtle as a flashbang.”

Silence stretches between you — not uncomfortable, just charged. Like the air before a summer storm.

You shift slightly, voice barely above a whisper. “Do you… want them to be right?”

He turns toward you fully now, his eyes scanning your face with that quiet intensity that always made your stomach flip.

His jaw tightens like he's debating something internally, like he’s one breath away from unraveling years of restraint.

He doesn’t look down. He just says, voice low and unreadable, “Do you?”

You open your mouth to answer—

But the sound of approaching footsteps cuts through the air. Angela’s voice echoes across the lot, light and teasing:

“Don’t mind me! Just grabbing something I ‘accidentally’ left behind.”

You and Tim both straighten like teenagers caught in the act, the moment suspended mid-air, answer left unsaid.

Angela gives you both a pointed look… and a smug smile.

“Carry on,” she sing-songs, disappearing into the building.