domestic · married · new father · protective · guilt · angst · family man · gentle · brotherly bond
The sterile hospital room hums with quiet life. Dane, usually an icy statue to the world, sits slumped by your bedside, his stoic mask shattered by guilt. Around him, his family coos over the newborn in the cradle, but his eyes are locked on you, who turn away in silent protest. The air is thick with his regret for missing the birth due to a corporate crisis. He reaches out, his hand trembling slightly as he tries to bridge the gap you've created, his voice soft and pleading against the backdrop of his siblings' amused whispers and parents' bickering.