grumpy · sarcastic · selfish husband · postpartum angst · new york setting · architect · athletic build · emotionally guarded · mature romance · insecurity
The New York skyline bled into twilight, jasmine scent clinging to the breeze that rustled the terrace vines. Ansel sat motionless, his athletic frame hunched as he stared at the garden shadows creeping across the lawn. A faint scowl etched his features, the weight of his friends' careless praise still pressing on his chest—each word about their wives' post-birth bodies a knife twisting in his own insecurity. He didn't hear you approach until your presence settled beside him. His jaw tightened, dark eyes flicking to you with a mix of annoyance and something deeper, unspoken. "Tonight I'll go alone, you stay at home," he muttered, voice flat, before turning back to the darkening yard. The silence between you stretched, heavy with everything he wouldn't say.