Chapter Text
Exhaustion
She followed him into the small kitchenette at the station, more or less trailing stupidly behind like a duckling following its mother while he kept talking about the case, listing off facts, asking question after question in his bam-bam-bam way that normally annoyed her so much. Tonight she was too tired to care, her mind unable to focus on more than one thing at the time. And her overly tired brain had decided it wanted to focus on the way he was making, or rather destroying, tea.
“Are you really gonna drink that disgusting stewed tea?” she asked, not really having heard a word of the theories he kept coming up with. One stranger and more unlikely than the last. Then again, they had been at it for almost 16 hours and they were both dead on their feet. Ignoring her question, he babbled on. Had he even been listening to a word she said? Had he heard her at all or was he so tired that he just continued talking until he dropped from exhaustion at some point? Judging by the look of him this couldn’t be far in the future – it was pure Scottish pig-headedness which kept him upright at the moment, she thought.
The microwave gave a little ping and she watched somewhere between fascination and disgust how Hardy took the cup out, found some uncapped milk to pour into and stewed it with the handle of a butter knife lying around. She really wanted to stop him, take the cup away from him and pour that awful stuff down the drain but her brain was running on the last energy reserves she could muster and all her movements seemed to be in slow motion. It was like all her thoughts were stuck in some deep puddle of mud and had to be dragged to the surface. It took ages from her eyes seeing what he was doing to her brain actually registering it.
“I’ve got to go home. I’ve got to go to bed and I suggest you do the same, we got an early start.” she managed to tell him. Her goal had been to sound strict, drawing the line here and making him give up but it just came out extremely tired and he ignored it – as usual.
Their banter continued for a few seconds while she watched on as he continued to sip the potentially most revolting tea in all of British history. She shuddered. He kept talking, throwing random ideas at her head without even expecting a reaction or sparing her more than a glance. It was like he was talking to himself. He did not even need her input or want it, he just talked for the sake of talking. Maybe he was sleep-walking already, or sleep-talking to be precise.
As listening and making sense of the words was too hard a task for that time of night her brain had found yet another thing to latch on and she found herself being strangely fascinated with the looks of worn-out Alec Hardy. Slouching against the kitchen counter with his wrinkled suit and mussed up hair he had something utterly charming about him. Blue looks good on him, she thought as she stared at the pale blue shirt he was wearing that day. Even though she was constantly nagging him for wearing suits all the time she had to admit he looked damn fine in them – they accentuated his lithe frame and – wait, what did he just say? No, no, no, he got that wrong. She forced her brain to concentrate on his talking and immediately began contradicting him as he steered too far from the facts.
“You were too hard on Trish today at her house.” she told him. Trish had been knocked out, there was nothing flirtatious about the whole thing. It was a matter of power and control, nothing else. But her countering him had apparently worked to break through to him as he actually acknowledged her. So she used her chance and continued. “I know you’re tired. I know you want a result, but you got to go easier.” He looked at her and for the first time in the last few hours she had to feeling that he was actually seeing her and the words registered in his brain.
“I’m worried.” he admitted and she let out a long breath. It was rare he opened up at all and he did so with unabashed honesty this time it blew her away really. It was less in the words but more how his face seemed to let go of the mask he wore most of the time. He looked open, honest and vulnerable. She nodded. She knew he was. He was a deeply caring soul underneath all those grumpy and gruff attitudes. Thinking that maybe he would be listening this time she gave it one last desperate try.
“I need to get home. You too. Sleep on it, take another look after you got some rest.” Again he did not react and she rolled her eyes at this. The only thing that was keeping him upright at this moment was his damned stubbornness. He really had a talent for running himself ragged over a case and even though his heart was fine now, he seemed to be intent on killing himself over this. Could you actually die from exhaustion? she wondered as she regarded his dishevelled appearance. In the dim light of the kitchenette his skin looked much paler, the circles under his eyes almost blue and the skin translucent while his hair was a mess – all tousled and mussed up. A proper bed head, she thought, then shook her head to get rid of these thoughts.
“Fine. Stay here, if you must. I’m off.” Ellie decided with finality and took her coat and handbag, leaving him standing in the kitchen staring after her.
She made it as far as the car park. Groaning and kicking one of the tires in frustration Ellie turned around again and went back inside the station. Bob, who was on desk duty for the night, gave her a questioning look. “I forgot something.” she mumbled with a tired smile before taking the lift upstairs again.
“You are going home. No discussion.” Alec looked up from the report he had been reading, or rather staring at and saw Ellie standing in his office again. “I thought you’d gone home…” he slurred, rubbing at his eyes and shaking his head. “Wanted to, then realised my knob of a boss is even grumpier when he got no sleep at all. Can’t stand that.” she quipped, before unceremoniously shoving his coat and mobile at him. “Out!” Her voice gave no room for argument and he found himself staggering to his feet, trailing after her like a lost pup.
“Forgot something, have you?” Bob laughed at Ellie as she passed him again, a half-asleep Hardy by her side. She grinned in return. “Yes, got to take this one home with me or he’ll pull an all-nighter again.” Ellie supplied, then blushed furiously as her exhausted brain registered the innuendo she just made. Mortified she tugged Hardy along, glad that he had not heard.
“Get in, watch your head.” Ellie mumbled as she opened the door for Hardy who seemed to be practically asleep at this point. He only grumbled something unintelligible, then more or less fell into the passenger seat while Ellie got behind the wheel.
It took only about ten minutes to arrive at her house but Ellie drove slower than usual, being careful as her reaction time would be sluggish at best. Thankfully the roads were empty and they did not encounter another soul. She briefly considered getting Hardy home but it meant a detour and, glancing at him in the passenger seat, he was out cold already. His head was resting against the window, he was breathing softly.
---
“Hardy? Come on, wake up. Hardy!” Ellie shook his shoulder and suddenly he jerked awake. “Miller. Go away.” he grumbled, before realising he was sitting in a car. He could not even remember getting in though. He yawned, then shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Ellie as still standing at the open car door, waiting for him to get out. He shot her a tired look, then got up and followed her to the front door. It was only as he watched her unlock the door, that he realised she had taken him with her to her house.
Ellie unlocked the door to her house with clumsy fingers while Hardy stood behind her, leaning against the wall. She finally got the door open and shuffled inside. The boys had been in bed for a few hours by now, but her father was still sitting by the kitchen table, reading when she came in. Hearing her, he shuffled out of the kitchen and stood in the hallway.
“What’s he doing here now?” David Barrett grumbled as he saw his daughter and her boss behind her. Ellie shot her father a warning look. “He’ll sleep here. On the sofa.” she clarified before her father could say something that would embarrass them both. And anger her, she was sure.
“Miller, I’m not..” Hardy began but she cut him off. “You need sleep and if I had taken you home that would first mean a longer drive, which I am not in the mood for and second you’d have gone right back as soon as I turned my arse on you. So shut up, Sir and take the sofa.” she said, turning to him and he just grumbled but did as he was told for once.
Ellie shot her father another look, then hung up her coat and disappeared into her bedroom to find the spare pillow and duvet and some bedsheets for Hardy. When she returned her father had thankfully decided to make himself scarce and Hardy was sitting on the sofa, still in his suit but at least without his shoes and coat.
She approached him, dropped the spare bedsheets next to him, then realised he was asleep again. He had his head back on the head rest and was breathing softly. Ellie watched him for a moment, then shook her head. He really should get rid of that tie at least or, knowing him he might strangle himself in his sleep.
“Hardy? Hardy! Alec!” Ellie reached down, shoving him lightly but he only grumbled swatting her arm away without waking up. She sighed, then decided she would at least get that noose off his neck before giving up for tonight. Leaning over him Ellie fumbled with the knot but the angle was weird and she sank to her knees, loosening the tie and trying to pull it off over his head. Being so much closer to his body she got a good look at his face – his long dark lashes now spread out against the too pale skin, the little freckles on his skin. He looked good in blue, she decided but he should really sleep some more. After the pacemaker surgery he had gained some necessary weight, his cheeks did not look so hollow anymore and there was a healthy look about him now. At least when he was not dead on his feet from sleep deprivation. He looked so much younger as well, relaxed and carefree for once. Yes, she really liked it.
Alec felt someone tugging at his clothes, around his neck, taking a few moments to orientate himself. He was sitting on a sofa, his head against the head rest and when he opened his eyes he was basically staring down Miller’s blouse. And the view was not that bad. One of her buttons must have come undone at some point because he had never been granted insight this far. The pale blue of her blouse worked well with her skin tone, he thought and she had quite nice breasts if he was being honest with himself. Her blouse was stretched somewhat tight over them at the moment while she pulled at his tie and he could even glimpse a dark blue bra underneath and a jolt of heat ran through him. His hands itched to maybe undo another one of those buttons…
Miller had finally managed to loosen the knot on his tie as she noticed that Hardy was no longer asleep. His breathing had changed, the deep relaxation gone from his posture but he was not moving otherwise and when she looked at his face she found him staring right down her cleavage. With horror Miller realised that her blouse was partly unbuttoned – and he was shamelessly ogling her breasts!
“Oi, eyes up here!" She said, smacking his shoulder hard. Alec’s head shot up and he stared at her with his pupils blown, a flush spreading over his cheeks at the realisation to be caught staring. Well, at least he had the grace to look sheepish, Miller thought.
“Miller? What’re you doing?” his voice was slurring, the accent thicker than usual from exhaustion. His eyes looked down on her and suddenly it was her turn to blush furiously as she realised the position she was in. She was basically kneeling between his legs, her hands resting on the sofa on either side of him, one of them still holding his tie. If anyone saw them now, it would be very hard to explain what they were doing. Her whole body burning with embarrassment she scrambled to her feet, putting one hand on his thigh for a moment to gain her balance.
Alec bit his lip to stop himself from gasping when Ellie rested one of her hands on his thigh just above his knee. He barely dared to breathe at this point but then she was gone, standing two feet away in front of the sofa, her cheeks burning up as she looked at him.
“Alright, ehm… good night!” Ellie all but squeaked, taking another step back and fleeing up the stairs into her bedroom. Once inside she leant back against the door, allowing herself to breathe again. What had she just done? Oh god, this was so embarrassing! She buried her face in her hands, cooling her burning cheeks. How was she supposed to sleep now? How was she supposed to face Alec again come morning? There was a tingling all over her body, heat coursing through her veins as she remembered the heat of his body so close to hers.
Alec was left alone in the living room with just the pale moon shedding some light, rubbing a hand over his face and through his hair. His insides were burning with heat and shame. He quickly considered getting up and leaving, walking back to his house but it was late and it would probably make the situation even worse the next day. He turned onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow to muffle the loud groan on his lips. How was he supposed to sleep now? Turned on from sneaking a look at Miller's, Ellie's breasts like he was a bloody teenager!