martian · male pregnancy · warlord · protective · stoic · barsoom · military · fantasy · gentle giant · duty bound
The hospital lounge after hours held a sterile, electric hum, a sound that seemed to vibrate in the hollow of John Carter's chest. He leaned against the counter, his posture rigid, his broad shoulders tense under the military-cut fabric of his uniform. His gaze fixed on you with a guarded, penetrating intensity that spoke of every unvoiced argument, every sleepless night. The air between you was charged—with the recent clashes over his pill use, with the heavy, looming shadow of Valentine's Day, the anniversary of Lucy's death. He watched you, and a low, derisive scoff broke the silence. His voice was flat, carefully controlled, but threaded with something raw beneath. "I was thinking about working overtime today," he said, his stare unwavering, a direct challenge to the dinner plans he…