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Lucy's sleeping form enchanted him, enamoured him in unexplained ways. Her cascading soft locks, her soft pink lips, that green sweater that hid her most intimate parts that only he knew were for his eyes only. Her pants that hugged her curves in the best way, but he was most enchanted by her eyes. Her soft brown eyes that amplified his soul no other woman in his life ever did. She was it for him and he wanted to tell her. So when he rounded the sofa in the middle of his speech, he stopped to look at the love of his life, the discarded croissant nearby on a pillow. "It was worth a try- he said. And he softly kissed her temple and inhaled her coconut smell, the one that drives him crazy and the one that reminds him of home. Home sometimes it's not a place, it's a person. Lucy is his home. "To be continued".- He muttered softly as to not wake her up. He grabbed the croissant that wafted a lovely smell and left her to sleep. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Lucy woke up to the blaring noises on the street and a kink in her neck from sleeping like a baby deer, the taste of mud and sand mixed together in her mouth and her clothes sticking to her. But she quickly realized Tim Bradford, the man she longed for every day since they broke up, was still here, waiting. "Hey"-she rasped. "Hello"- He muttered. His blue eyes shone like two silver bullets as their eyes connected. And in that moment she realized she was a fool. This man did everything for her, prepared her favorite dishes and sides and always was near by when she needed him. This sweet,sweet man has healed her in more ways than she understood. And deep down, she already forgave him but her mind didn't catch up. Only when she was high on something did she come to terms. He always helped her become a better version of herself and she knew that. Even when he was the biggest dick in the world, he did it to make her better and he always protected her. And in that moment he stopped their eye contest and decided to tell her everything. "Lucy"-he began. "I am a broken man". Lucy began protesting but he quickly narrowed his eyes to shush her and she backed down. He grabbed both of palms gingerly, and held her hands as if she were glass, fragile and about to break soon. He loved her and his thumbs brushed the top of her hands. He continued: "This is the second hardest thing I have ever done, the first being breaking up with you, and I regret that every single fucking day. If I don't say it now I might combust" he explained with a huff that made Lucy snort. She then put her hands on his and urged him softly with her amber eyes to continue. "I am a broken man. A man with many scars and issues. From a dad that used to tune me up on the regular, a dad that threw bottles at me and I couldn't even scream from the need to protect Genny. After mom died, Genny was the only person I loved truly and felt the need to protect her until an opportunity came up for me to leave for the army. They were looking for eligible men to protect the country and I applied. Genny cried and said don't leave me. I couldn't stand to be two feet near the monster that was my father and my heart ached every single day that I left my sister with him. Then as you know Mosul happened. It was fucking brutal. I had to run every day for my life, fearing I may never come back home. I was trembling from fear, my anxiety was the worst it's ever been. I then made the biggest mistake. I felt this raw need to protect my people, to stand in front of danger, looking at it like it was a bull charging towards me and I was the matador, waving the red flag announcing war. As you know Ray, the worst man in the existence, even worse than any criminal we have ever encountered and put behind bars. He ordered an air strike right on top of us and ended up killing two of my best men. And I never told you this because I wanted to protect you, shield you from it, the horror and this seemingly perfect picture you had about me and all my imperfections. Me and the guy who called us on our date night before I ruined everything, his name is Mark Greer. He and I survived, but not without scars. I couldn't handle the horror, the gore anymore and the memories of my father slamming my head in a wall repeatedly and so I left the army. I was frolicking around for a bit, not knowing that the future was written for me. I joined the LAPD under Mid Wilshire as a lost soul, a kid who did not know shit, and I let the pressure get to my head. The adrenaline, the kid who left the army and was used to following orders to a T, made me make simple mistakes that could have cost a life. You know some of them, the car tag, and this is where I met Angela, Grey and Isabel. Isabel was.. a force of nature. I was blinded by her, Angela respected her but never liked her for some reason. Grey is my father figure and I will always look up to him, he is a better father figure than Tom Bradford ever was. Isabel made me forget about stuff for nearly a decade, until she decided drugs were the better lover. And this is where you come in. You know our path, and you stuck by me in everything. Lucy, you are single handedly the best thing that happened to me. And I lost my way, somewhere in another galaxy, looking for darkness. I don't want to go ever, but there were times when I felt underserving" his voice cracked. He quickly shook off the tears forming in his eyes and the lump that was forming in his eyes and he quickly looked up from the ground he was staring at and found her eyes streaming tears down her cheeks. He continued: " The virus when you were sitting on the other side of the door, whispering all those sweet words that melted the wires around my heart. I sat there, gun in hand thinking about death. How it's hug would feel. But I heard you sniffling like you are now and I didn't want to go. Then you disappeared and the bone deep terror I felt was unexplainable. Angela told me I was inconsolable. I was pacing around the station like a lone wolf, my feet drilling a hole in the floor. Then we found you and I was still with Rachel, and I thought I could love her but it was a fleeting passage, two ships drifting. I won't even talk about Ashley. You know she broke my heart, but I regret the moment I broke your heart. You are my soul amplifier, the woman I adore with my entire being and my biggest mistake was letting you go. And I started earlier but Lucy I will never hurt you like that again. I have been putting the work in, and i understand. I promise to be the man you deserve, the man that wants to be better for you. I hope I can achieve to be as great as you are, one day."-he finished with the lump in his throat. Lucy became a fountain. Silent, but streaming tears, cascading down her face. Both of them were speechless. Lucy now with confirmed fears from back then and Tim with the weight of his chest, crushed with certainty. Lucy broke the silence "Why couldn't you tell me this before"- she whined. "I wanted to protect you"-he shrugged. "Well you didn't. You shattered me. Beyond repair but that was back then. But I see you have been working harder than ever to prove to yourself, not just me, that you needed help and I couldn't be the one that helped you. Tim... I love you. Thank you for telling me this."- she finished and hugged him. "You are my Angel Number and I will spend the rest of my life repaying you for the kindness you've shown me when I didn't deserve it. I love you so much."- he muttered. She then wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, softly, forgiving his soul for every mistake he made. Sometimes we get lost, our souls searching in the universe, walking across a damp bridge, balancing the good and the bad while simultaneously feeling like you are being lit on fire. Tim felt that scorching heat for a year, the aching pressure on his chest never releasing. But in this moment, being held by nimble arms of the woman he loved, he felt so safe as if everything was going to be okay. And it truly was. Cheers to true love and it's never ending chain of truth. Tim is now going to repay his dues and kiss the ground his meant to be walked on.