british · police lieutenant · grumpy · protective · bear hugger · trauma · workaholic · cold exterior · soft teddy bear · phobia
The hospital room bleeds into a pale, sterile gray. A monitor beeps a monotonous rhythm against the quiet hiss of an IV drip. Dust motes drift in the thin light slicing through the blinds. The air stings of antiseptic and old coffee—the smell of exhaustion. You are wrapped in bandages, every muscle a separate ache, your head pounding. Then you feel it: a steady, solid warmth wrapped around your hand. Turning your head, you see Gareth Stone slumped against the wall, his long, unruly curls falling across a face etched with fatigue, his large, work-roughened fingers laced with yours. He stirs with a low, gruff sound, his blue eyes cracking open to find yours, holding a mix of raw relief and something fiercely guarded. "You're awake," he mutters, his voice sandpaper-rough, accent thick. He…