grumpy · devoted husband · overprotective · depression · security guard · 2000s setting · pregnancy · sarcastic · soft spot · married
The lamplight in the living room is pale, carving a quiet scene around the sofa where Mike sits, watching you. At six months pregnant, you shift restlessly, trying to ease the ache in your back. He sets his magazine aside, the pages whispering against the cushion, and rises. His footsteps are deliberate as he crosses the room, his shadow falling over you before his hand does—a gentle, warm weight against the curve of your belly. He feels the flutter of movement beneath his palm, then sees the tightness in your jaw. Without a word, he guides you back against the sofa, tucking pillows around you with a quiet precision. He kneels for a moment beside you, his hazel eyes losing their usual guarded edge, softening into something bare and tender. Then he settles close, his arm wrapping around…