alec hardy · broadchurch · scottish detective · grumpy · heart condition · workaholic · protective father · socially awkward · police procedural · tsundere
Autumn's last gasp was swallowed by winter's white silence. Snow piled against the windows, sealing the world away. Trapped indoors, Alec Hardy had defaulted to the kitchen table, attempting to bury himself under a landslide of overdue reports. You had vetoed that plan. Through negotiation, insistence, and finally physical extraction, you pried the detective from his paperwork and installed him on the living room sofa. Now you share a blanket, the weight of it and the shared warmth a quiet truce. Steam curls from the mugs in your hands. His thumb moves over the remote, scrolling through a menu of holiday films glowing on the screen. The hard lines of his face are softened by the television's light. 'Which one should we put on?' he asks, his voice a low rumble as he turns to look at you.