Work Text:
Daisy shoved the change the taxi driver had given her into her pocket and pulled the handle of her suitcase up. Having been awake since first thing to catch an early train, the last thing she wanted was a talkative cabbie. So, of course, she ended up with the guy who had a story for every lamppost they drove by.
She dragged her case down the path to the house she had only recently started thinking of home and looked out at the beach. It was weird, but despite only being gone a week, she had missed it. The sounds of traffic in Sandbrook had been a distraction while she had been trying to sleep but the gulls of Broadchurch didn’t bother her.
Maybe her dad had been right, after all, she thought as she unlocked the front door. This place wasn’t all bad.
“Dad, I’m back,” she called, chucking her keys on the side. He hated when she did that, claiming in encouraged break-ins, but she knew most people in the area didn’t even lock their front doors half the time.
When he didn’t reply, she dropped her jacket and suitcase by the sofa (something else that would bug him) and went to get a drink from the kitchen.
“Dad?” She checked the fridge and found it was practically empty for a change. “We not got any orange juice?”
Rolling her eyes at how useless he was when she wasn’t around, Daisy idly looked around the kitchen to see if there were any signs of him being home recently. It would be just like him to move into the station and work himself to death given half a chance. However, the washing up was recently done and there were clothes drying on the line outside. Frowning, she inspected the calendar on the fridge and saw ‘Daisy back’ written under that day. He had promised he wouldn’t be working.
It was still only just gone nine so Daisy headed to his room. It wasn’t like him to sleep in, but she had no idea if he had worked late the night before or not. Knowing he never got enough sleep, she gently knocked on the door before pushing it open.
“Dad?” she whispered when she saw the outline of him under the covers. The curtains were still drawn but she could see his usually immaculate room was messier than usual with clothes scattered on the floor.
She heard him sharply inhale as he woke up and immediately felt guilty. Just as she was about to back out and hope he was able to get straight back to sleep, he lifted his head to look at her.
It was then that Daisy realised that the person in her dad’s bed was not her dad. Or even a him.
The woman she knew from her dad’s work stared at her for a moment, eyes and mouth open in shock.
“Shit,” they both said.
The woman pushed her hair off her face. “Daisy. Hi.”
“Hey. Miller, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Well, Ellie,” she chuckled nervously. “Your dad’s just gone to the shop. Buying breakfast.”
“Right.” Daisy nodded. “I just got in.”
“I thought you were getting back this afternoon?”
“Got an earlier train.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Daisy looked around her dad’s room, trying to avoid looking at the bed. Since her parents split up, she had never even heard him mention a girlfriend, let alone seen him with one. Even the idea of him being romantic was completely at odds with scruffy man she loved.
The initial shock soon wore off enough for her to remember how to move her legs. “I’ll - erm - wait for him. Out here.”
“Okay.” Ellie nodded more enthusiastically than was needed. “I’ll just… get dressed,” she finished quietly. Daisy could make out a faint blush on her cheeks.
Daisy closed the door and leant back against it for a moment. “Fuck,” she whispered.
Before she could fully wrap her mind around the conversation she had just had, Daisy heard a key in the lock of the front door. She hurried back into the living room and saw her dad struggling to open the door with a bag of shopping. Despite it being his day off, he was wearing smart trousers and a shirt, though both were creased.
“Hey, Dad!” Daisy greeted him brightly when he finally managed to get the door open.
He stopped in the doorway, staring at her. If he wasn’t wearing his glasses, Daisy would’ve suspected he didn’t recognise her.
“Daisy.”
“Well done. You still remember my name!”
“Of course I- I thought you were getting back later?” he said, moving into the house. His eyes darted around the room, but otherwise he gave no outward signs of nervousness.
Daisy was impressed. She hadn’t realised how good a liar he could be.
“There was going to be maintenance work later or something so I got an earlier train,” she explained. “Saves me getting a coach and all that.”
“Yeah. Makes sense.” He cleared his throat. “You want some breakfast?”
Daisy nodded. They moved into the kitchen and, as he put the carrier bag down on the counter, she heard his phone go off. Suspecting who the text was from, Daisy knew she only had a limited amount of time.
“You sure you’ve got enough?” she asked, watching as he put a pack of bacon down to get his phone from his pocket.
“Should do.”
“Even for the woman you’ve got hiding in your room?”
Her dad froze. “What?”
“I think she’s just texted you.” Daisy nodded at his phone, trying with all her might to not crack a smile.
He glanced down at his phone, then groaned, running a hand down his face.
“Darlin’, I can explain-”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“I was going to tell you. Tonight. I promise. I wasn-”
“Dad,” Daisy interrupted him and put a hand on his arm. He looked like he was going to cry. “I don’t mind.”
“No, I shouldn’t have kept this from you,” he insisted. “It’s just all new and I didn’t want to jump the gun and I shouldn’t-”
“Dad! Seriously. Calm down.”
He was giving her that look that meant he still wanted to talk about feelings and how guilty he felt. Daisy was grateful they weren’t in public. This time.
“I don’t like keeping things from you, sweetheart,” he said sadly.
“So… don’t.” Daisy shrugged. “Tell me. Nothing gross though.”
Her dad sighed, looking deeply uncomfortable. “We’ve worked together for years. Last week, well, things changed. Yesterday was our first proper - y’know. Date.”
“And she’s here in the morning?” Daisy grinned. “You slag.”
He groaned. “Should you be using language like that?”
“So this is serious, yeah? You and her?”
“Yeah.” He shifted on the spot and glanced at the doorway as though worried they might be overheard. “Well. I hope so. Early days yet.”
She smiled at him and he returned it. He looked so different from the man who had crawled back to Sandbrook with a fresh scar on his chest looking for a place to call home. He was healthier now. Happier. He reminded her of the man that took her to the park on Sundays when she was younger. Despite the beard and the lines on his face, he finally looked like her dad again.
“So you cooking breakfast for us or what?”
He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him back, sensing that he needed it more than she did.
“You don’t mind her staying for breakfast?”
“No.”
“She’d understand if you did.”
“It’s fine.”
He stepped back but kept his arms around her. “I-”
“Yeah, you’re definitely about to get soppy.” She moved out of his reach. “I’m going to put my stuff away. Let me know when you’ve given your girlfriend the all clear.”
“This isn’t a free pass for you to get cheeky,” he warned. “You sure you don’t mind Miller eating with us?”
“No, Dad,” she said, rolling her eyes. She headed for the door but stopped when a thought occurred to her. “Wait - you do know her first name, right?”
“Get away with you.” He threw a tea towel at her and Daisy sprinted from the kitchen, laughing.