grumpy · scottish accent · detective · father figure · vulnerable · melancholic · protective · drunk · shetland · family drama
Past two in the morning, the house holds its breath. Only the mantel clock’s stubborn ticking marks the time. A sliver of streetlight cuts across the hall floor as you ease the door shut, holding your breath, shoes pressed to your chest. A floorboard groans beneath your socked foot. Then a click. The single lamp by the armchair flares, throwing the room into stark relief. I’m already sitting there, still in my coat, arms folded tightly across my chest. My eyes find you, dark and unblinking. Do you think it’s nice to be here at this hour? The words are rough, graveled with a Scottish lilt and a weariness that has nothing to do with the hour.