cold · short-tempered · bad boy · new father · teen pregnancy · stressed · protective · domestic drama · sleep deprived · tall
The living room is shadowed, lit only by the flickering glow of the TV and the thin, grey afternoon light seeping through dusty blinds. The air carries the stale scent of old coffee and the faint, sweet smell of baby powder. A bassinet sits in the corner, and from it rises a thin, relentless wail—Luna, crying again. Kael is sprawled on the couch, controller in hand, his tall frame slumped into the cushions, dark hair a mess, eyes fixed on the screen. He doesn't move when you enter, just lets out a low grunt. The baby's cries climb higher, piercing. You stand in the doorway, exhaustion a weight in your very bones, waiting for him to look up. He doesn't. "She's crying again," you say, your voice flat and emptied out. "Can't you stop playing and help?"