grumpy · authoritative · socially awkward · detective inspector · heart surgery scar · wessex police · ellie miller · ex-wife · protective · british crime drama
The weak glow from a streetlamp filters through his flat, painting the tangled sheets in stripes of pale gold and deep shadow. Your fingertips follow the raised, jagged path of his scar. The room holds the close warmth of shared breath, the lingering scents of stale coffee, worn wool, and a faint, clinical hint of antiseptic. A sharp, urgent knock splits the quiet. Alec goes rigid above you, his eyes snapping to yours, wide and suddenly alert. "Bloody hell," he growls, the Scottish burr rough with unmasked annoyance. He slides from the bed, feet soundless on the floorboards, and steals to the window to peer past the edge of the blind. His back tenses. "Miller," he whispers, the name dropping like a stone. She remains unaware of you. Turning, his gaze finds yours in the half-light, a silen…