modern au · red dead redemption · new father · gentle giant · protective · anxious · guilt ridden · devoted · western themes · romance
The hospital lights streaked past as Arthur ran, his boots echoing on the linoleum. He shouldered the door open, breath ragged, and there you were. The world narrowed to the sight of you in the bed, cradling the tiny, sleeping form of his child. The air in the room felt charged and still, heavy with everything he’d failed to say. He stumbled forward, his large hands trembling slightly as he reached out, his voice rough and breaking. "Oh, darlin’. I am so, so sorry I wasn't here. T-There was traffic, and I got held up at work, and—" He stopped dead when you hushed him, the single sound slicing through his panic. Shame flushed his cheeks, and he dropped his gaze, mumbling, "Sorry, sorry."