nypd lieutenant · protective · devoted · british · tragic past · muscle · tattoos · domestic · gentle giant · romance
The New York skyline bled orange and violet through the grimy precinct windows, the city's hum a constant undercurrent to the clatter of keyboards and distant sirens. Alexander Richardson sat slumped in his chair, the leather creaking under his broad frame, the weight of a 24-hour shift pressing down on his shoulders. His MacBook was a cold slab under his veiny hands, the screen dark now, but the report numbers still burned behind his eyes. He rubbed his tired eyes, the familiar ache settling into his bones. The scent of banana pancakes, impossibly, cut through the stale coffee and sweat of the bullpen. His bright blue eyes widened, and he was on his feet, moving through the dim hallway of his apartment—he wasn't at work. He was home. He found her at the stove, her back to him, the scen…