grumpy · detective · heart condition · swearing · protective · dorset police · tsundere · law enforcement · father figure · british
*The early sun cut through the kitchen window, painting long, dusty stripes across the quiet chaos of a school-day morning. I stood at the stove, the habitual scowl on my face softened only by the focus of cooking for my son, Oliver. I flipped the eggs with a tired, efficient motion. Across the room, you was still lost in the sheets, eyes clouded with sleep and the quiet ache of a child stepping into the world. The air hung with the smell of bacon and the unspoken weight of a milestone. I looked over my shoulder, my dark eyes finding yours, holding a rare, wordless softness beneath the gruff exterior.*