Summary: Alec Hardy is a photojournalist who has seen wars and suffering all across the globe. Hannah Baxter is a travel writer who stays in five-star hotels and exotic locations.
They start off on opposite sides, disliking each other. But their differences are what make them complete each other, if only they could let their guards down.
Irresistibly attracted to each other, they meet, more or less on purpose, all around the world. Each season, a new destination.
Pairing: Alec Hardy x Hannah Baxter
Rating: Mature
Word count: 3.1k
Tumblr | Ao3
Stockholm, Sweden
Hannah stepped out of the metro at Kungsträdgården station, one of fourteen T-Bana stations decorated by an artist, and the most stunning according to her research. It had the same low, cavern-like ceiling used as a canvas. Here it was painted dark green with a patchwork of abstract shapes or black and white stripes. On the floor, dark green, muddy red, and white criss-crossed in geometric pattern. On both sides of the passageway, relics from torn-down buildings— broken roman columns, stone balustrades, statue parts— sit like a cemetery of architecture. The garish light in some spots and the dizzying pattern reminded her of the movie Beetlejuice. Hannah smiled. Seeing such unique, incongruous places, that’s what she traveled for.
Ellie Miller is left to go on her honeymoon alone after a devastating secret about her fiance comes to light - halfway through the wedding ceremony. Sitting in St Pancras International in London waiting for her train, she runs into none other than her uni rival/best friend Alec Hardy, on the run from his own recent heartbreak.
They decide to make use of Ellie’s pre-paid trip, rekindling their friendship and escaping real life; yet, it turns out their years at uni are the hardest to outrun.
Based on this prompt from @timepetalscollective
Chapters will be posted every Wednesday and Sunday. Beta’d by the wonderful @stupidsatsuma
Masterlist | AO3
---
Ellie Miller sat slumped over a table for two, picking at her unappetizing, healthy breakfast wrap as she waited for her train. She still had twenty minutes before she could begin boarding, and despite having already made the effort of getting into London, wasn’t even certain she would be on the train when it pulled out.
In fact, she might be quite happy to remain at this table forever. No one who knew her, no one to bother her, offer advice or sympathy, scold or belittle her. She might, if she was lucky, never have to hear her own name ever again.
“Millah?”
Spoke too soon, she thought bitterly, eyes slipping closed and turning her head away from the direction of the voice, hoping whoever it was would believe they were mistaken and continue on.
“The hell are you doing?”
Her eyes snapped open as her table jostled, and sure enough, it was exactly who she’d suspected (feared) now in front of her.
“Fuck off.”
While most men would cower at her vitriolic tone and icy stare, Alec Hardy had been her rival for top of the class at uni, and was therefore all but immune to her intimidation tactics. Being a Scot, he probably considers that a friendly greeting, she rolled her eyes.
He’d helped himself to the chair opposite her, folding his arms on the table and leaning towards her, that curious look in his eye that said he thought he was on the scent of something. “Well aren’t you a ray of fucking sunshine? I thought I was the grumpy one. I distinctly remember you ordering it to be so.” The corner of his mouth twitched, and despite her irritation, hers quirked in response.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Running away. You?”
“The same.”
Staring down at her sad breakfast, she could no longer stomach the thought, and pushed it across the table at her one-time schoolmate. “Here, it’s rabbit food, you’ll like it.”
Hardy made a face, poking at it, before shrugging. “Thanks.” He took a bite, grimacing as he chewed, and gingerly set it back down. “You know attempted murder’s a crime, don’t you?”
“You should arrest the bloke in the shop then, ‘cause he promised me it was good.”
That got her a soft laugh, and they sat in silence for a minute, not quite meeting each other’s eye.
“So, how long has it been?” he eventually asked, brow furrowing as if trying to do the math himself and getting nowhere.
“Eight years?” She hadn’t seen him since graduation – or more specifically, the morning after graduation. Involuntarily, her cheeks flushed at the memory.
Hardy froze for just a moment. “Right,” he said, perfectly neutrally, the moment growing more awkward by the second as they both tried to pretend everything was normal.
“What’re you running from?” Ellie asked, just to change the subject, before wincing.
“My girlfriend was having an affair with one of our coworkers, I decked him in the middle of the bullpen, and am now on forced vacation.” He rolled his eyes, slumping down in his chair. “I’d been working thirty-six hours straight so they let me off with just a warning, but strongly suggested I take the next two weeks off.”
Ellie hummed in sympathy, cuddling her coffee cup to her chest to resist the temptation to reach out to him. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Me too.” He paused a moment, before glancing up with a wry grin. “It was a shitty punch, didn’t even break his nose.”
She laughed, some of her tension easing, though it reappeared instantly when he continued speaking.
“What about you? What’re you running from?”
“Eurostar, London to Paris, now boarding. This is the first call for Eurostar to Paris.”
That was her, but she ignored the announcement to confess, “Yesterday was my wedding day. Halfway through the ceremony, my husband-to-be was arrested on child porn charges.”
“Shit.” Hardy’s eyes went wide, and let off a low whistle. “Shit. Sorry, yeah, that’s worse.”
“It’s not a competition,” she tried to laugh, lower lip wobbling. Don’t cry. Whatever you do, do not cry in front of Hardy. “But, thanks. Anyway, I’m off on our honeymoon alone. Maybe. Where are you headed, though? Where’re you spending your time off?”
He shook his head, shrugging. “I was just going to buy the cheapest ticket and see where it took me. Anywhere but here, you know?”
“You could come with me,” slipped out before she even thought about it, cheeks flaming as she realized what she’d said.
“What?”
“I have two tickets,” she explained, ignoring the little voice saying what’re you doing? Wouldn’t you rather be alone? “Everything’s paid for, and I promise not to ask about your ex if you don’t ask about mine.”
“Second call for Eurostar to Paris. All passengers please make their way to Track Two for boarding.”
Hardy stared at her, a slightly incredulous expression on his face, but after a moment, he shrugged. “What the hell. If you’re sure, why not?”
“Excellent!” Ellie chirped, jumping up and grabbing her luggage. “Shall we go, then?”
-
As soon as they found seats and settled in, Ellie fell asleep against the window, leaving Alec alone with his thoughts as he watched the countryside fly past.
Eight years, he wondered, slightly amazed. Has it really been that long? In some ways, it did feel that way – it felt like ages since she’d been a part of his life, and it had been jarring, going from seeing her near every day to never again. They’d had a complicated friendship while in school to say the least, one that barely even qualified for the word ‘friendship’, but it was the best description he had.
In other ways, it felt like only yesterday they were antagonizing each other, fighting for top of the class and trying to out-perform each other. In the moment, he hadn’t realized how much fun it was to have her for a sparring partner. For as much as they would argue, it never felt like fighting.
Focusing on her reflection in the window, he considered the utter coincidence that they had both ended up at St Pancras’ on the same morning wanting to run away from their relationship problems. He wouldn’t go so far as to say it was fate, given he didn’t really believe in the concept, but he also didn’t believe in coincidences after so long as a detective, and yet running into her had to be one.
If nothing else, this will be a memorable trip.
-
Doubts plagued Ellie as soon as the train began to move, and she quickly feigned sleep to avoid any conversation.
Apparently she feigned a bit too well, because the next thing she knew Hardy was gently shaking her shoulder.
“We’re here,” he said quietly, and she sat up, yawning and brushing the hair from her face, horrified to find a bit of crusted drool on the side of her mouth, which she tried to frantically swipe away as they shuffled off the train into Paris’ famed Gare du Nord dragging their luggage behind them.
“Now what?” Hardy asked when they came to a stop in a relatively quiet, out of the way corner, and Ellie let go of her suitcase to dig through her purse for the folder she’d made with all the arrangements.
Yawning again, she re-committed the hotel address to memory before safely storing the documents. “Taxi to the hotel.” She reached for her suitcase again, only to find his hand already there.
“I got this,” he shook his head, “you just lead the way.”
Feeling disoriented for so many reasons that had nothing to do with the foreign country or language, she led him through the train station and out onto the street, joining the queue for a taxi. Thankfully it moved quickly, and soon enough, they were settled in a cab and winding their way through Paris.
“Look at this,” she murmured, staring out the window at the architecture flying by. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” They didn’t pass any famous sites on the way, but Ellie wasn’t bothered; she’d be seeing them soon enough.
On the plus side, I’ll actually get to accomplish my itinerary instead of staying in bed all day, she thought wryly, focusing on Hardy’s reflection in the glass. He was looking out the other window, which was probably for the best. She was still more than a bit stunned at his presence, but after the chaos of the previous twenty-four hours, it was low on the ‘shock’ factor. And he’s certainly not going to ask me about Joe.
The thought of her former fiancé hurt, but she couldn’t quite muster the energy to cry – she’d spent the entire night doing that, curled up alone in her bed, sobbing why? over and over.
She’d hadn’t gotten an answer.
The driver cleared his throat, and she realized they had arrived at their hotel. Situated on the north side of the Seine directly across from the Île de la Cité, it offered an amazing view of the city, and was conveniently located for walking to all the top sights.
“Merci,” Ellie said, but before she could pull out her money, a few notes crossed in front of her nose, and she turned to find Hardy with his arm outstretched.
“I got it,” he shrugged, gesturing his head for her to climb out. He followed quickly, unloading their suitcases from the back, and with a final check, they sent the cab off and headed into the hotel. Again, he grabbed her suitcase before she could, sending her ahead.
I don’t remember him being such a gentleman, she thought, before pasting on a bright smile and checking them in with her admittedly rusty French.
Within moments she was handed two plastic room keys with a cheery Felicitations!, and with a nod, she led him back towards the lifts.
They rode in silence, smiling awkwardly at each other, but thankfully it was a short trip and they quickly spilled out into the hallway. It wasn’t until she opened the door that Ellie remembered she had booked the premiere honeymoon package.
“Shit,” she muttered, holding open the door as she stared inside, Hardy looking over her shoulder. It was a romantic’s dream, but at the moment, the vision just made Ellie want to throw up. “Oh, fuck.”
It was a fairly decent sized room for Paris, a small bathroom immediately on the right before opening up into the main area. A desk and chair sat under the window, offering a view of Paris and in the distance, the towers of Notre-Dame rose above the rooftops.
The main feature, of course, given that it was the honeymoon suite, was the bed.
“Am I losing my mind,” Hardy asked from behind her, “or is that bed really heart-shaped?”
It was, with a delicate canopy to boot. Loose rose petals covered scarlet sheets, while battery-operated white candles were arranged on every flat surface, giving the room a romantic glow despite the lack of real flame. A bottle of champagne sat nestled in an ice bucket next to the desk, two flutes ready nearby.
“Uh huh,” she said faintly, finally moving forward enough to enter the room and letting him in behind her, neither paying any mind to the door slamming shut behind them.
He coughed, shifting his weight. “This is cozy.”
“This was a terrible idea.” Tears welled in Ellie’s eyes, and she had to viciously bite her lower lip to keep it from trembling. “This whole thing. I never should’ve come – what was I thinking? Oh, fuck.”
“Hey, Miller, it’s okay,” Hardy fumbled, patting her back, only pushing her closer to tears.
“Just give me a minute,” she sniffled, turning into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her before letting her emotions go.
-
Left alone in the entryway, Alec looked around the room with a frown. Doing his best to ignore the sobbing from the bathroom he stepped further into the main area, crossing his arms as he took it in.
Deciding to try damage control, he cleaned up the rose petals and shut off the candles, doing his best to remove the more romantic overtones. Not that he could do anything about the shape of the bed.
Glancing towards the bathroom door he saw no indication she would soon be emerging and investigated the room a little, pulling open drawers and closet doors to see what they were working with.
No evidence of a sleep sofa meant they would have to share the bed, and he grimaced at the thought. Not that he didn’t think they could do so without incident, but more because he feared it would absolutely send her over the edge.
Eyeing the champagne, he decided to open it – it came with the room, and maybe a little alcohol would ease the tension.
Not too much, the little voice in the back of his mind warned as he popped open the bottle, the last thing either of us needs is a repeat of graduation night.
He kindly told the voice to get stuffed. Just as he finished pouring the second glass the bathroom door opened, and he held out one of the flutes towards Ellie, hoping she wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
As are all rides when it's just Tom and Alec, really.
Ellie teases that it's because they have nothing to talk about. There might be some truth in it, but more than that, Tom has learned to appreciate Hardy's quiet disposition. You tend to do that, when Ellie Miller is your mother, Fred Miller your baby brother, and Daisy Hardy a semi-permanent fixture in your life.
"Wanna stop for chips?"
Grunt.
Later, when Tom finishes off the last of his chips, Hardy naturally extends his packet to him.
And even later at dinner, when Ellie chides them for picking at their food, they catch each other’s furtive glances, before scrambling to serve themselves a second helping.
Tom shoves forkfuls of pasta into his mouth, and he doesn't miss the mirth in Alec's eyes.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Just randomly reposting an old 700+ word drabble of mine, which I always sorta liked, but for whatever reason it didn’t get much attention on AO3. So I thought I’d share it again, since it may have been lost in the shuffle back when I wrote it.
Alec Hardy has been invited for dinner at the Miller house, but he's having a hard time figuring out what to bring. (A prequel to Hardy arriving at Miller’s house in series 1.)
If two years ago someone had told Ellie Miller that Alec Hardy will become her best friend she would have laughed them in the face and walked away
Pairing: Hardy x Miller, AU
Rating: Teen
Words: 1642
Beta: that dork @doctortenny
Note: It’s sort of an University AU. Really it was just an excuse for writing drunk Alec and these two dorks being happy together. I still suck at writing, please forgive me. Also sorry for the title. It’s Klaudia’s fault.
read on ao3
If two years ago someone had told Ellie Miller that Alec Hardy will become her best friend she would have laughed them in the face and walked away.
Alec Hardy was a miserable sod who, despite being grumpy all the time and unable to communicate with people like a normal human being, stole the president position in the student club from her.
And she knew about the grumpy and unable part first hand, because she got the the deputy position, meaning that she had to work with him all the bloody time.
However, when her boyfriend turned out to be a bastard and all friends turned away from her like it was her fault, the only one who remained was Hardy.
He offered support in his awkward way, threw a lot of club related work on her so that she had something other than Joe to think about, and considering that every other person found Hardy annoying (with mutuality) he followed her everywhere. Weather he wanted it or not, she spent the majority of the time with him and started to think of him as a friend.
Ellie was quite surprised when Brian asked Hardy if he wants to go to the pub with him and a few other guys on Friday evening. She was even more surprised when she heard Alec's enthusiastic acceptance.
The sudden appearance of Alec Hardy's social life left her with a first in months Friday evening not filled with work and his grimaced face. To be honest, she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
She came to her flat and started reading a book. When her eyes started dropping after about ten pages, she just decided to have an early night and went to bed.
Her vibrating phone woke her up a few hours later. The bright screen dazzled her, but she managed to read that it was Hardy. She looked at the clock and saw it was 2 in the morning. Miller tapped the accept button and said angrily. "You better have a good reason to wake me up in the middle of the night."
To her surprise Hardy giggled happily on the other side. "'Lo Ellie," he slurred a little and his Scottish accent was even thicker. "You busy?"
"I’ve just told you, you woke me. I'm busy with sleeping, yeah."
"Oh that's too bad," he said a worried tone creeping into his voice. "I hoped you could drive over and collect me. I guess I'll have to walk," he stopped for a moment and then added. "But I'm not sure in which direction, to be honest."
"Oh God you are pissed." Ellie laughed.
"'M not, Miller. 'M fine. Just... just a little lost."
"You totally are. Where is Brian and the rest of your new buddies?"
"They are not my new buddies, Ellie. They met some ladies and went somewhere, I don't know."
"And what? Ladies read you like an open book, saw that you are a miserable grump and left you?" She stood up and changed into a pair of leggings and old t-shirt.
"What? No! You think I'm a miserable grump, Ellie? I'm nice to you. We are best friends, aren't we? And I'll have you know that there was a woman, very interested in me. I think her name was Zoe? But I told her I already have my Ellie and I'm not interested."
She dropped the purse that she was holding in one hand. "Your what? What the fuck Hardy?"
"What?" He squeaked on the other end. "I didn't mean... I just... I..."
Ellie sighed. "You really are drunk."
"Will you come?" He asked quietly.
"Yeah, I'm getting out. Where are you?"
"Umm... I think it's called Anchor? Big, blue windows."
"Yeah, I know the place. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Don't wander off, knob."
-----
When she arrived he was waiting on the corner next to the pub. When she called him, a big grin appeared on his face and he went in her direction, a little bit unsteady.
"God," Ellie laughed. "I'll so never stop teasing you about this evening. Get into the car."
"Thanks for coming, Ellie."
"You are going to buy me coffee for the next month for this. Also, I'm taking you to my apartment, I'm going to drag you on the 3rd floor in your state."
"Okay."
"Your drunk version is much easier to interact with."
Hardy just giggled at that.
-----
"You can take the sofa. I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket. Drink this," she nodded at the bottle of water standing on the table. "You know where the bathroom is."
When she walked in again she was greeted with Hardy in only his boxers and a t-shirt. There was something funny happening in her belly, she just threw the pillow on the sofa, turned around, gave him a weak 'goodnight' and went to her bedroom.
She didn't change into her pyjamas again. She just wanted to fall asleep as fast as possible, hoping that in the morning all the weird feelings to the man currently sleeping on her sofa would go away.
-----
Of course, falling asleep seemed to be impossible. Ellie just tossed from side to side fully awake, with no perspective of sleeping soon. After an hour she heard a snap, and then an unmistakable sound of a body falling on the floor.
"Hardy?" she asked, but there was no answer. "Hardy, are you alright?" Yet again there was nothing. She was just going to stand up and check on him when a figure appeared in the doorway.
"I think I broke your sofa." He stated quietly. Ellie couldn't see his face, but was 100% sure he winced.
"It was a perfectly fine sofa, of course you would come and break it."
"No!" He whined, his brogue audible. "It was old, uncomfortable and falling apart. It wasn't my fault."
"It bloody was!"
"You hated it anyway!"
"That's no reason to come and destroy it!"
"Oh, come of it, Miller. I'll take a look at it in the morning or find you another one. I'll leave you now."
"Don't be ridiculous, you can't sleep on that broken sofa."
"I'll find a comfy place on the floor then."
Ellie groaned already regretting her next words. "Get your pillow and come sleep on the bed. Just don't get under the blanket. Knob."
To her surprise he didn't argue with her. She just heard a silent 'right' and a few moments later he was back and climbing into her bed.
There was an awkward silence and eventually she decided to break it. "Well, that's weird."
Hardy remained silent, so she figured he’d already fallen asleep. Ellie turned onto her side and decided to do the same thing finally. That was when she heard his silent voice. "Sorry for bothering you, Ellie,” there was a pause. “And for being the 'miserable grump'. I really thought you liked me."
"Because I do," she heard her say a little bit too fast. "You knob." She added not to sound too enthusiastic. "But the truth is, you are grumpy and rude most of the time."
"Not for you, though. Or am I?"
"Well, you are. But in a nice sort of way," there was silence again. She decided to continue. "Thanks, Hardy. For, you know, support and being you, and staying by my side when all the other people turned out to be just Joe's friends. Thanks for being the real friend I never thought you were going to be."
"So, I am you friend after all," she heard the smile in his voice.
"You are now, but you are still drunk and nice so I'll probably deny everything in the morning."
Alec Hardy giggled at that and Ellie's stomach made a funny thing when heard that sound. His next words just increased the feeling. "Can I have a hug? Well, cuddle, I guess."
She was silent for a moment, longer than she ought to, and that made him back out of it. "Or not. That was stupid, I just..."
He never finished it because, Ellie put her arm around his waist and her head on his chest silencing him effectively. He was still for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her and with a contented sigh nuzzled into her hair.
"Thank you, Alec." She whispered.
"You deserve only the best” he murmured back. "That loser Joe wasn't worth your time, there is someone out there, waiting for you."
"That nice, happy, drunk Scot earlier claimed that I'm his Ellie so, I guess." She shrugged and felt him tense.
"Yeah, about that, I'm sorry. That Scot didn't want to make you uncomfortable." He said sheepishly.
"Oh, I think I don't mind being his Ellie. I mean, if he was serious."
"Oh, he was, he was." He assured quickly.
"Good, in that case, Hardy?" She looked up at him.
"Yeah?" The first sun rays started creeping into the room and she could see the nervousness on his face when he looked at her.
She felt exactly the same when she rose a little to place a chaste kiss on his lips.
To her surprise he responded instantly by kissing her back. It was messy and certainly not what is considered a perfect first kiss, but it was perfect for her and she found that she was oddly at ease with this feeling.
They continued kissing, Ellie’s hand somehow found its way to Hardy’s hair and was met with an approving purr. His scruff was softly scratching her and his hands were wandering all over her body.
When they stopped Ellie waited for the feeling of regret or panic, but it never came.
“Weird?” Hardy asked.
“No, it wasn’t, was it?”
“No.” He answered shortly.
“Good,” said Miller. “Shall we can continue, then?”
Wrote this for @timepetalsprompts “Frustrated” prompt but my muse has a mind of its own and it quickly went back to Broadchurch and Hardy x Miller.
“Weird.” She smiles.
“But not… totally weird.”
She laughs. He feels the tug of the current - her fingers curling in the front of his shirt, her breathy laughter caught somewhere between their mouths - and he dives in willingly.
She kisses him in a way that’s so new, but achingly familiar.
And the only thing that’s weird is that it doesn’t feel weird at all.
*
She lets herself out before he wakes.
But he doesn’t drown in paperwork or rivers and she doesn’t dream of waterfalls.
They catch the bastard but they come back to each other again and again and again.
Until eventually, the sound of the rushing waters of their nightmares fades into the familiar thrum of a trusted heartbeat beneath their ear and their soft breaths mingling in the dark.
A/N: I shamelessly overuse this trope but I miss these two so much. S3 and Chibnall broke my stupid heart but there were definitely some things in there worth thinking about. I also binge-read A LOT of fics, so if I inadvertently overlapped with anyone I apologize.
This would also be a great opportunity for Teninch Fic or Broadchurch Fic if you ask me. In addition to the Doctor, these dad!Tennants could make for good teachers ^^
For @timepetalsprompts‘ monthly prompt: anti-valentine ‘“If you take one more step closer with that chocolate love heart I’ll …”’
Alec receives a Valentine from a Miller.
Read on AO3
Alec Hardy glared at the offending object Ellie Miller was holding in her hands as she greeted him at the door.
“If you take one more step closer with that chocolate love heart I’ll …”
“Oh, shut up, Hardy,” Ellie interrupted, tugging him inside the house despite his protests.
Alec sniffed, and looked around, taking in the Millers’ new home. Ellie had ended up selling her old place, and it had been snapped up within weeks of appearing on the market. She’d instead purchased a similar three-bed house the other side of Broadchurch, and while Alec had known where it was, he hadn’t been inside it yet.
“Here.”
Ellie shoved the chocolate heart at him, and he retaliated by shoving it straight back at her.
“I don’t do Valentines, Miller. I don’t want it.”
“For fuck sake,” Ellie muttered, shoving the sweet back at him. “Just take the bloody love heart, Hardy!”
“Miller, I don’t want it,” he responded angrily. “If I’d known you were coaxing me round here for some Valentine’s thing I wouldn’t have come.”
At that, Ellie spluttered.
“You think I’d choose to spend Valentine’s with you?” she asked incredulously.
Alec blinked.
“Well you did invite me round here. On Valentine’s Day.”
“Yeah, because we’ve hardly seen you since everything with Joe. You left, and then suddenly weeks later you’re back in the area and yet you never come round!”
Alec sniffed and said nothing. Ellie shoved the chocolate heart at him once more, and he finally reluctantly took it.
“It’s not poisonous,” Ellie told him with an eye roll. “Besides, you’re making all that fuss and it’s not even from me.”
He blinked.
“It’s not?” he asked in confusion.
Ellie shook her head, and turned to head into the kitchen-diner then, leaving Alec trailing behind.
“No it’s not. It’s from Fred.”
Alec stared down at the chocolate heart he was holding.
“Fred?” he echoed. “Why?”
Ellie flipped the switch on the kettle and took two mugs out of the cupboard.
“Tom wanted to get something for this girl he’s become friends with at school,” she explained as she dropped two tea bags into the mugs, “and when Fred saw he wanted to get one too. Tom told him he didn’t have anyone to give it to, and Fred decided he wanted to give it to you.” She met Alec’s perplexed gaze. “God knows why.”
“And why didn’t wee Fred give it to me himself?” Alec wanted to know.
Ellie gave a pointed look at the clock then.
“You were supposed to be here an hour ago,” she told him. “He fell asleep in the front room. I’ll have to wake him soon for dinner.”
“Sorry.”
Ellie blinked at him, apparently unable to believe he’d actually just apologised.
“I should’ve phoned,” Alec continued quietly, still clutching the chocolate heart in front of like he didn’t really know what to do with it.
“Yeah, you should’ve,” Ellie said, as the kettle flicked off.
She busied herself with making tea then, pointedly ignoring Alec as he stood uncomfortably in her kitchen.
“We were going to get takeout if that’s alright with you,” she said after she’d made the drinks. She handed Alec his. “Tom’s over at a friend’s, but he should be back soon, then we can order.”
Alec nodded, stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen.
Then: “Why did Fred want to get me this?”
He held up the chocolate heart, still looking confused. Ellie shrugged.
“Like I said, Tom wanted to get one of those chocolate hearts for a girl at school,” Ellie repeated, “and Fred decided he wanted one too. I thought he wanted to get one just because it’s chocolate. But then, he started saying about giving it to you.”
Alec raised an eyebrow at that.
“Wee Fred, who I’ve hardly ever heard speak?” he asked.
Ellie shrugged defensively. “Yeah, well, you’ve not been round for ages. Besides, he mostly just said your name. But then I asked if he wanted to give it to you and he said yes.” She then blinked at him, as if she’d only just realised he was still in the middle of her kitchen. “You can sit down, you know. I don’t charge for seats.”
Alec gave her a look, but pulled a chair out from the dining table and sat down, placing the chocolate heart on the table. They stared at each other in silence then, neither not quite knowing what to say. Frankly, it was almost a relief when they heard Fred calling for Ellie from the other room. She disappeared to see to the toddler, and came back with the little boy in tow just a few minutes later.
“Keep an eye on him,” Ellie told Alec, “I’m going to phone Tom, see if he’s heading back.”
“And you need me to keep an eye on your toddler for that?” Alec asked, perplexed.
But Ellie had already disappeared from the room, mobile in hand. Fred was babbling to himself, a little toy fire engine clutched in one hand, and Alec watched the boy, not quite sure what to do with him.
In fact, Fred seemed perfectly content to amuse himself, playing with his little toy fire engine and zooming it along through the air. But then he moved to the dining table, to zoom the little toy along the edge, and his eyes alighted on the chocolate heart. The fire engine forgotten, the toddler let it tumble to the floor in favour of reaching for the chocolate heart. Alec said nothing; if the boy decided he wanted the chocolate back, he was more than welcome to it.
But instead, Fred turned and held it out to him, grinning toothily. He steadied himself with a hand on Alec’s knee.
“Here!” the boy announced, holding the sweet out.
“You want me to open it?” Alec asked uncertainly as he made to reach for the heart.
Fred scowled immediately, and shook his head so fiercely his curls bounced.
“No!” the toddler insisted. “Here! Yours!” He thrust the chocolate at Alec once more. “Uncle Alec!”
Alec blinked, and slowly reached out again for the chocolate.
“Tom’s just on his way- Oh.”
Ellie trailed off, pausing in the doorway of the kitchen-diner as she watched the scene in front of her. Fred,
“I told you he bought it for you.”
Alec rolled his eyes at that, and transferred his gaze to Miller. Christ. She was grinning at him with the same smile as her toddler.
“I never doubted you, Miller,” he told her as Fred shoved the chocolate insistently into his hands.
“Valentine,” Fred told him seriously, only stumbling a little over the slightly-foreign word. “Uncle Alec.”
“Aww,” Ellie cooed, still beaming from the doorway. “Did you want Uncle Alec to have a Valentine gift, Fred?”
Before Alec could protest, Ellie’s phone was out and she was snapping a picture; him holding a chocolate heart, and Fred beaming, one hand on Alec’s knee still.
“Miller,” Alec sighed.
But Ellie just shrugged, slipping her phone into her pocket.
“Tom’s on his way back, so why don’t you choose what you want,” Ellie told him, and moments later there were several takeaway menus in his lap as well as the chocolate heart and Fred’s hand.
“These are for half a dozen different places,” Alec noted in confusion.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she told him. “Tom doesn’t mind what we have, and I know you’re still really strict about what you can or can’t eat.”
Alec blinked, before letting out a sigh and beginning to sift through the menus.
“If it’s alright with you,” he piped up suddenly while perusing the menu for the local Chinese place, “Fred and I will share my chocolate heart for pudding.”
