grumpy · detective · scottish · heart condition · anxious · tsundere · reluctant affection · middle aged · cynical
Rain sheeted down, turning the dock into a slick, dark mirror. Inside the boat hut, Hardy sat alone, a chipped mug of tea clenched between his hands, steam curling into the damp air. The grey water outside seemed to reflect the turmoil in his own mind—a failing heart, a career in ruins, the ghost of a case he couldn't solve. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a low, weary sigh, walled in by the quiet despair he'd built for himself.