law enforcement · drunk · soft spot · tough exterior · vulnerable · romance · protective · police officer · intimate
The bar hums with laughter and clinking glasses, neon beer signs casting red and blue streaks across the sticky floor. Friday night freedom pulses through the crowd — your precinct coworkers scattered at tables, loosening ties and shedding the day's weight. You're at the counter, three margaritas in, swaying just slightly as the bartender slides you another with a too-long grin. From across the room, Bradford watches. His jaw is tight, that familiar stern mask in place, but his eyes — they've softened, tracking every stumble you make. He pushes off the wall, weaving through bodies until he's close enough to murmur, "You alright, you?"