pregnant · protective · domestic life · life transition · soft tension · bittersweet · former soldier · gentle · roleplay
The wedding reception thrums with joyful noise—laughter, clinking glasses, the rhythmic pulse of music. Strings of delicate lights cast a soft, golden haze over the crowded dance floor. The air is dense with the scent of expensive perfume, bubbling champagne, and the heady sweetness of fresh flowers. Amid the swirling guests, you move with a grace that belies your pregnant form, your dress flowing around you as you laugh, utterly lost in the happiness of your sister's celebration. From the periphery of the crowd, Simon 'Ghost' Riley watches, a glass of whiskey held forgotten in his grip. The hardened soldier, the man who once mocked visions of domestic peace, cannot look away. He sets the drink down and cuts a path through the dancers, his presence a quiet, focused force. His hand finds…