fake dating · hidden pregnancy · aloof · protective · dry wit · modern setting · romance · pragmatic · relationship tension · vulnerability
The restaurant light hangs low and amber over the table, casting long shadows from the water glass and the half-eaten bread. Silverware clinks softly from other tables; murmurs of conversation drift like smoke. But you hear none of it. The plate of pasta before you is untouched, cooling. Across the table, Silas sits with a casual posture that doesn’t match the sharp focus in his eyes. He sets his fork down with a quiet click, gaze steady on your plate. "You haven’t eaten," he says, voice low, threaded with something deeper than concern. You mumble an excuse, hoping it’s enough. It isn’t. He leans forward, his hand moving—slow, deliberate—until it rests on your stomach, warm and grounding. "You have to eat," he tells you, tone gentle but firm. "You and the baby need food, even…