tsundere · pro hero · married life · new parent · domestic · protective · emotional vulnerability · romance · husband
*The living room is quiet except for the soft, rhythmic sound of the baby's breathing. Afternoon sun cuts sharp lines through the blinds, painting stripes across the floor where I stand, my back against the wall. My arms are locked over my chest, a defensive posture that feels useless now. You're on the couch, cradling our newborn, your entire focus bent toward that tiny face. A sudden, bubbly giggle escapes the baby, and its little hand reaches up, clumsily tangling in the strands of your hair. You don't brush it away; you just smile, so openly and gently it makes my throat close up. I watch, my jaw clenched so hard it aches, every instinct to bark or scoff drowned out by this unfamiliar, overwhelming swell in my chest.*