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bluenet13 · 1 year ago

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The Cold Really Bothered Tim Anyway

Tim and Lucy embark on their first vacation together, retreating to a serene cabin nestled in a snowy landscape. But things take an unexpected turn when a patch of ice interrupts their idyllic getaway.

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Tim Bradford never liked the snow. It was cold, wet, slippery, and always seemed to get in the way. But when Genny had asked him to rent a cabin in Big Bear Lake so his nephews could really enjoy their first winter in Los Angeles with Uncle Tim and see that California had snow too (her words, not his), he couldn't say no. He had reluctantly agreed and claimed that it was the Uncle Tim that got him. But the reality was that Genny was tough, tougher than most, and she always wanted to push forward on her own. But Tim knew the divorce had been difficult on her and the kids, and he had promised himself he would be there for her, making up for years of absence and missed birthdays and holidays.

It had also helped that, as soon as he frowned in immediate response to her request, Genny had smiled wickedly before saying that Lucy could come too. In fact, she had already sent his girlfriend a few listings for cabins big enough to accommodate five plus a dog, and in their price range.

This conversation had happened a month ago, and Lucy had been excited ever since. Her excitement had translated to packing three weeks in advance, purchasing snow boots, a beanie and a fluffy jacket for Kojo, and sending him about a hundred websites for things to do and romantic spots around the little town. So, it's safe to say that Lucy was excited about the trip, and Tim couldn't help but feel a bit envious of her enthusiasm. She always seemed to find joy in the simple things, and he admired her for it. Which is not to say Tim wasn't looking forward to the trip too, because he found joy in being with her, and that alone would make their first trip together perfect in his eyes.

However, after a few days of playing with his nephews and trying to find things to do in the snow, Tim was exhausted. The snow-covered landscape and the quiet surroundings of the cabin were a welcome change from the chaos of the city, but Tim could only take so many "Uncle Tim, come play with us", "Uncle Tim, see what Kojo did", "Uncle Tim, can you make me a hot chocolate" and "Uncle Tim, don't forget the marshmallows", until he needed a break from his break.

So, he left Genny with the boys and Kojo safe and cozy in the cabin and convinced Lucy to go on a hike to where they could see the lake.

As they walked slowly through the snowy trails around the cabin, Tim found himself relaxing more and more with each new step. The air was crisp, but the sun was high up on the sky and shining brightly above them. The deciduous trees looked prettier than in LA, white and fluffy, as they strained under the weight of the snow, and Lucy's hand on his warmed him from the inside out. It was perfect, and Tim smiled to himself as a sense of calm washed over him.

"I'm glad you convinced me to come," Lucy said softly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them as soon as they left the cabin. "Don't get me wrong, I love Genny and the boys, but this is nice too."

Tim nodded and grinned, knowing that was Lucy's polite way of saying the chaos of the Bradfords was getting to her too. "I'm glad you wanted to come. I know it wasn't easy to decline Genny's offer of 'Love Actually' and Spiked Apple Cider."

Lucy hummed and closed her eyes, and Tim bit his lip, wanting to make her hum with a different kind of pleasure. He pulled on their tangled hands and huffed when Lucy fell into him. The puff of air was swallowed by her mouth as their lips collided, and he wrapped his arms around her. The kiss was messy, all tongue, and teeth, and gasps, and even a bite that would cause a lip to swell, but it was more than they had been allowed to share since leaving the city and being in the constant presence of two teenage boys.

One of Tim's hands tangled in Lucy's curls as the other ever so slowly inched lower and lower until it sneaked past the waistband of her pants only to stop short of its destination, blocked by too fucking many layers of clothing.

Tim groaned and Lucy giggled, but Tim was always determined to get the last laugh. He reversed their positions, pressing Lucy against a tree that sat innocently nearby, shoving his thigh in between her legs. His lips were instantly on her again, and this kiss was messier than the first, if that was even possible. Without breaking their contact, Tim began unzipping Lucy's jacket. He smiled against her lips when he pushed it off her and into the ground, only to groan again when he found another jacket - one with buttons this time.

"You're wearing too many layers," Tim hissed, his breath hot on her skin, then gently sucked into the side of her neck, right over her tattoo. More than a little frustrated, his hands continued to roam in search of any reachable area of exposed skin.

Lucy moaned and closed her eyes, thrusting her pelvis against his body in desperate need of contact. "It's too fucking cold," she explained, fumbling with the buttons of her second jacket as she tried to remove the offending piece of clothing that was getting in the way of their desires. "Fuck." She huffed a frustrated breath when her cold fingers slipped on the buttons. She glared at Tim as he stood by, unhelpfully watching with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. And she very much wanted to wipe it off his face.

Tim chewed at his bottom lip, blue eyes darkened but bright like the ocean under the moonlight, and it was as distractingly sexy as it was telling, and Lucy could only hold on for so long. She gave up on the jacket and instead set her sights on the one button that was part of Tim's attire.

It took only seconds for her hand to find itself inside his boxers, skimming over his length. Tim instantly tried to pull away with a shriek as her cold fingers made contact. But Lucy rose up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against the side of Tim's jaw, his 3-day stubble scratching her skin, as she laughed her way into the kiss she pressed over his lips.

One kiss led to a second, and a second led to three more. And suddenly, the cold didn't matter to Tim anymore as their brains ceded control to the heat that had been burning inside them since they took a first step, alone, into the crisp mountain air.

Time passed slowly after that, seconds and minutes ticking by in a desperate tangle of lips, tongues, limbs and droplets of snow that kept falling over them every time they pressed each other against the tree's trunk. It was equally sweet and sexy, purposeful and messy, slow and frantic, and yet it still didn't feel like nearly enough. They parted for air a few times, but it never lasted long, both diving right back in like a man in the desert who's gone too long without a sip.

After kissing each other senseless for the fifth time, they took a breath, heads spinning, and breaths coming in small gasps. Even then, they didn't go far. Tim rested his forehead on Lucy's as they shared oxygen and heat. It was more than they had had in days, each contact of their bodies, every caress and tug, setting their skins aflame even in negative-degree weather. It was too much, yet somehow still not enough, and Tim found himself pressing a trail of kisses over Lucy's face, down onto her neck, and chest, and somehow sucking at her nipple through who knew how many layers of undershirts, shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets.

Lucy moaned into Tim's mouth, her head thrown back in pleasure harder than was probably necessary, causing the decrepit tree to rattle and sending a handful of snow tumbling down on top of them.

"Shit!" Tim shouted and scrambled away from the tree, jumping up and down in an attempt to get rid of the frigid snow that had found its way inside his unbuttoned jeans.

Lucy pulled away, feeling dazed. Her reddened cheeks having nothing to do with the cold; she was flushed, sweaty, and more than a little bit breathless. Still, she kneeled down to roll a snowball, taking advantage of her boyfriend's focus on his damp pants (which also had nothing to do with the snow).

Lucy waited until she had formed the perfect snowball, and without warning, launched it straight at Tim's head. Tim stumbled back in surprise, then broke out into a wide grin. "Oh, it's on now," he said, scooping up a handful of snow and quickly packing it into a ball. He took aim and threw it at Lucy, who deftly dodged it and threw another snowball back at him. Soon, they were in the middle of a full-blown snowball fight, dodging and throwing with abandon. They laughed and shouted as they played, enjoying the moment and each other's company.

As Tim and Lucy continued their snowball fight, they darted and weaved around each other, laughing and having fun. But then, as Tim went to dodge a snowball, he stepped on a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow. His foot slipped out from under him, and he stumbled backward, arms flailing, trying to regain his balance. But it was no use, and he landed hard on his shoulder, crying out in pain.

Lucy rushed over to him, her face etched with concern, and helped him sit down. "Are you okay?" she asked, supporting him as he winced in pain.

Tim shook his head, clutching at his shoulder. "I think I dislocated it," he said through gritted teeth.

"Fuck," Lucy breathed out, nervously looking at Tim's arm. "Do you think you can walk? If we can get back to the cabin, I can set it there, and we can decide if you need to go to a hospital."

"Sounds good," Tim said, reaching out his hand to Lucy. She took it and carefully began pulling him up.

The plan went well for about three seconds until it all went downhill very fast. Tim set a foot on the ground and slowly rose up, but when he put his other foot down, his leg exploded in pain. It was so unexpected that his vision blurred, and he became instantly nauseous. He had no doubt that he would have fallen down completely if not for Lucy's hands on him.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Lucy asked, lowering Tim back down.

"I-I think we have a b-bigger problem," Tim stuttered, pointing to his leg.

Lucy gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the ground below Tim's leg. It was no longer pristine white but covered in red droplets from the blood tickling slowly from the open wound on Tim's leg. "What the hell happened?" Lucy shrieked, biting her lip nervously and running her fingers through her hair.

"I-I don't know," Tim said, his eyes closed as he took slow breaths in and out, trying to settle his stomach. "I didn't feel anything until I tried putting weight on my leg. The cold ground probably numbed it."

Lucy kneeled down beside him, and her face fell when she took in the piece of dry wood that was sticking up from the ground right next to Tim's leg. The tip was damp and red, and Lucy knew it had caused the laceration.

"Okay. Okay. This is still okay. We can fix this," Lucy said, trying to sound confident.

Tim shook his head and opened his eyes, gazing directly into Lucy's, knowing she wouldn't like what he had to say. "Babe, we can't fix this. You need to go back to the cabin and get help."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Lucy immediately protested, inching ever closer to Tim.

"Luce, we're in the middle of the woods. Miles away from help, and there's no phone signal in this area." Tim paused, letting her absorb his words before he continued. "I'll be okay here, but I can't make it back like this. I need your help," he urged.

Lucy's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. She refused to leave him alone in the cold, snowy wilderness. "I can set your shoulder here so I can help you walk back without putting weight on your leg," she offered, desperate for Tim to go with her plan. "Please."

Tim considered her words, knowing he had a better alternative. His leg hurt like hell already and it would only get worse. But honestly, he didn't want to stay here alone, and he knew if he were in Lucy's position, he wouldn't leave her alone either. "Okay," he finally agreed. "But we will do it my way."

"Thank you," Lucy said, letting out a relieved breath.

"You might not like what I'm about to suggest," Tim interjected, voice steady and sure, even if he himself didn't like what he was about to say.

"I will do anything, Tim." Lucy didn't wait for a response and instantly got to work. She stripped her top layers until she was left with just her undershirt. She set aside her shirt and scarf, before quickly dressing again to avoid dealing with frostbite too. When she was finished, she turned to Tim expectantly.

"Grab my backpack," Tim directed, pointing to the sling bag he dropped to the ground when they got distracted. "There's a first aid kit there. You're going to stitch my leg."

"Am I what?" Lucy squealed. "You're joking, right?"

"Am I one to joke, Luce?" Tim questioned, the word boot almost slipping past his lips uninvited.

"No." Lucy deflated as she stood up to get the kit. Her fingers shook while she unzipped it, and she silently wondered how the hell Tim expected her to do this. "Are you sure we can just wrap it and go back to the cabin, there we can get you in the truck and to a hospital?"

Tim shook his head, undeterred. "I didn't survive Iraq and Afghanistan, and having you as my rookie," he paused and despite himself, grinned when Lucy rolled her eyes and bumped his uninjured shoulder, "only to die from blood loss in the middle of a fucking snowstorm in California. So, it's either this, or you're leaving me here and getting help from the Rangers."

"No, Tim, we're in this together. I'm not leaving you behind, I'll do it," Lucy said resignedly, leaning in a bit closer to examine the wound.

"Then by all means, start sewing. I hope your cross-stitch is good," Tim teased, wanting to put her at ease as much as he also wanted to calm himself down.

"Weren't you saying just a second ago that you weren't one to joke?" Lucy asked, grabbing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and gauze from their supplies.

Tim grinned and shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "What else is there to do now?" he replied through gritted teeth, hissing and shutting his eyes tightly as Lucy started disinfecting his wound.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Lucy said, using her hand to vent the wound, hoping to alleviate the sting, even though things were about to get even worse for him.

Tim watched silently as Lucy worked, wishing he could go back to half an hour ago when he was trying to undress her for a completely different reason.

"Lie down, please," Lucy directed, drawing his attention back to the shitty situation at hand.

Tim nodded and complied. He groaned and bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as Lucy helped him lower himself fully onto the cold, slick ground. He was wet in seconds, and if he hated the snow before, he absolutely despised it now.

"I will take care of your shoulder first. It will be quicker." Lucy waited for his nod before carefully setting his dislocated shoulder back into place without warning. Tim groaned in pain as she worked, but he never complained. By the end of it, he was flushed, sweaty, and his hands were shaking slightly.

Giving him a moment to catch his breath, Lucy rummaged through the first aid kit, searching for something to support Tim's shoulder. She found a bandage and fashioned a makeshift sling, carefully wrapping it around his arm and securing it in place to keep his shoulder stable. Tim winced at the movement, but together they worked quickly and efficiently.

With the sling in place, Lucy turned to Tim's leg with a sigh. "Halfway done," she said, taking a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking hands. She had seen and done many gruesome things as a police officer, but she had never stitched a real wound before. But she would do it for Tim.

Lucy opened the first aid kit and found the needle and thread. She glanced at Tim, who was gritting his teeth, trying to hide the pain, as she slowly threaded the needle. "This is going to hurt, I'm sorry."

Tim hummed his assent and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable pain. Instead, he felt a cold so strong that his whole body shivered, and he opened his eyes with a gasp. "What are you doing?"

Lucy looked at him shyly and shrugged before explaining, "I don't have anesthesia, obviously. But I still wanted to dull the pain a little."

"Thank you," Tim whispered, gazing at the small, delicate mounds of snow Lucy had placed on either side of his leg.

Lucy waited a few more minutes, then brushed away the snow and turned to face Tim, leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead. She took one last look into Tim's steady eyes, and it was all the reassurance Lucy needed to know that he trusted her to do this.

As Lucy began to stitch up the wound, Tim clenched his teeth and squeezed her leg (since her hands were busy at the moment) enduring the excruciating pain without complaint. Despite his desire to pass out to escape the agony, he fought to stay conscious, not wanting to leave Lucy alone. Still, he wished they had some strong alcohol to ease the pain, but that was a luxury they had left back at the cabin.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lucy finished stitching up Tim's leg, covering it with an excessive amount of antibiotic cream. She tore her shirt to make a makeshift bandage and carefully wrapped the wound, having used all the gauze to clean the wound and the real bandage in a makeshift sling. She then secured it with her scarf, ensuring that it was snug enough to stay in place but not too tight to restrict blood flow or cause discomfort.

"Good job, babe," Tim said, his voice weak but sincere as he sat up with Lucy's help and scooted back to lean against a nearby tree.

Lucy smiled for the first time since Tim's fall, relief flooding through her. "That was the hardest thing I've done in my life and we're never doing this again," she groused.

Tim chuckled but it quickly turned into a wince as the movement caused a sharp pain in his injured arm and leg. "Now for the real hardest part. Time to walk back to the cabin," he said, his tone light despite their situation.

Lucy nodded in agreement but held her hand up, reaching for the kit and passing Tim a bottle of Ibuprofen and some water. He took them gladly and downed them in one gulp.

After packaging all their supplies, Lucy helped Tim to his feet, shouldering his backpack and supporting him as they began the treacherous journey back. The snow had only gotten deeper and the wind was stronger, but they trudged on, their determination and trust in each other keeping them going.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they saw the welcoming lights and smoke of the cabin up ahead. They slowed then and Tim used their joint hands to pull Lucy flushed against him. He captured her lips in his and tangled a hand on her hair, wanting to take advantage of the last few minutes of peace before going back to the chaos of the cabin. Which would surely only be amplified when Genny looked at him.

When their desires were sated again, even if everything was slower and more subdued this time, they stumbled through the door, grateful for the warmth and safety of the cabin, and for the couch in which Tim promptly collapsed.

Lucy immediately set to work on getting him comfortable and warm, preparing some hot chocolate for them both, and going to their room to get them some clean clothes. As she tended to him, Tim watched her with a newfound respect and admiration. He knew if their situations were reserved, he would have been a wreck. He would have still helped her, but much more frantically and a lot less gracefully.

They were in the middle of awkwardly stumbling through the process of changing Tim into dry clothes when the door to Genny's room opened and all hell broke loose for the second time that day.

"Tim, what the hell happened?" Ginny shrieked, ignoring Tyler when he said she owed them $2 for cursing in front of him and his brother, and rushing to Tim's side.

Tim raised a hand in a placating gesture that didn't deter his sister at all and rolled his eyes when she began poking at his bandages. "I'm fine. I took a little slip in the snow, but Lucy took care of it."

Genny glanced at Tim and did a double take "Little?" She asked incredulously, turning to Lucy instead, and raising an eyebrow questionably.

"He should be okay for now, Gen, I promise," Lucy explained, setting a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. "We were hiking, and Tim tripped, but I cleaned the cut and fixed his shoulder. He'll be fine. But we will stop by the ER tomorrow when we're back in LA so they can check him out." She purposely left out the part about the dislocated limb, bleeding laceration and impromptu stitches, not wanting Genny to freak out, while also ignoring Tim's betrayed look at the mention of the hospital.

"Okay, okay. That's good," Genny whispered, taking a few deep breaths to calm her raising heart. She stared at her brother, but her eyes were dazed and more so looking past him. "I don't like to see you hurt; you know that." She wiped a lonesome tear from her cheek and leaned down to ruffle Tim's hair before pressing a kiss on the top of his head, much like their mother did when they were kids.

Tim nodded and hugged his sister as best as he could with only one working arm, wishing he could erase the memories of their pasts and all the injuries he got in it from both their minds. "I know, but I'm really okay. Lucy is a great doctor."

"You should have called me instead, Uncle Tim!" Tyler interrupted, pushing in between the siblings and perching up on the back of the couch. "I could have taken care of you like Severide does in Chicago," he said happily, oblivious to the moment he had broken, much to Tim and Genny's relief.

"Sev- who?" Tim turned to Genny who only laughed in response.

"Severide, from 'Chicago Fire'. Tyler is in a first-responder's kick and now he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up," Genny eventually clarified, unable to stop giggling at her brother's disbelieving look.

"So, you're saying his uncle is a real-life hero, war veteran and Metro Sergeant, but Tyler wants to be a firefighter like a fictional character?" Tim asked, only partially joking, and more than a little bit affronted.

Genny shrugged and patted Tim's leg. "What can I say? To Tyler you're just Uncle Tim."

Tim wanted to complain but he couldn't help but smile at that, glad the boys still loved him after years of absence.

Genny stayed with them for a little while longer, fussing over her brother and making small talk, until Tyler's third yawn had her corralling the boys and taking them back to bed. "You sure you're okay?" Genny asked, pausing in the threshold of the room and gazing at Tim pensively, "And you'll call me if anything happens, and you need help?"

"I promise, Gen. Now go to bed, we've a long drive tomorrow and holiday traffic to deal with," Tim reassured her, knowing it wasn't easy for either of them to see the other hurt. That was an everlasting wound Tom had left on them and they just needed to live with it. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Good night, Tim. Good night, Lucy. Thank you for taking care of him," Genny whispered, staring at her brother for a few extra seconds before she turned around and closed the door behind her.

"Finally," Tim breathed out as soon as they were alone again. "I'm exhausted, can we go to bed?"

"Me too, baby. But we gotta finish getting you dressed first," Lucy said apologetically.

After choosing to cut Tim's shirt instead of trying to maneuver his shoulder around it and thanking their lucky stars because he was wearing a zipped jacket, they made quick work of changing him into a buttoned shirt and some sweatpants. Lucy then ran to the bathroom to get changed herself, coming back with an ice pack, her favorite extra fluffy blanket, and a thermometer so she could secretly keep an eye on Tim and make sure he wasn't developing a fever.

When it all was said and done, they collapsed together on the couch, grateful for the warmth of the crackling fireplace. They were exhausted and still a little bit on edge, their lingering fear finally receding now that they were safe.

Lucy settled herself against the backrest of the couch and motioned for Tim to lie down. He did so slowly and set his head over her legs, wiggling a little to give Kojo space as soon as he jumped on the couch as well. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

Tim's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled up at her, glad that he could always count on Lucy, no matter what. "I am, thanks to you. I wouldn't have wanted to do that with anybody else."

Lucy smiled back at him, pushing his messy hair from his forehead and leaning down to press a kiss there. "Likewise, but let's never do that again, okay?"

"Deal," Tim murmured, his eyes fluttering shut.

Tim sighed in contentment, Lucy's warmth and presence lulling him to sleep. And as the storm raged on outside, he felt a sense of peace that never in his life he had experienced while so physically banged up.

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