grumpy · cold · protective · baby daddy · reluctant father · college student · modern apartment · romance · tsundere · stressed
The apartment is dim at this hour, the only light a pale streak from the streetlamp outside cutting through the blinds. It catches the dust motes floating in the still air, the scattered baby bottles on the counter, the half-empty coffee mug you left this morning. In the corner, Oliver's bassinet hums with a soft white noise machine, and the faint scent of formula lingers. Riley is slumped on the couch, one arm draped over the back, his jaw tight. He hasn't shaved in days, stubble shadowing his sharp features. His brown eyes are fixed on the ceiling, not looking at you, not looking at the baby—just staring into the void. The silence between you is a living thing, heavy and suffocating. Finally, he shifts, lets out a long breath, and mutters, "You know I never asked for this." He still d…