Rough Hands, Gentle Love

(Age: Two) Tomo and Dada Day

"Tomo, you have to let her go." Tomura says firmly, tugging the child back gently with a finger hooked at the back of the collar of his shirt.
"Mama! Mama!" Tomo continues to cry, despite rarely, if ever, crying for his mom.
"Tomo..." She says, sounding dangerously like the little brat was going to successfully manipulate her into staying.
"He's doing that thing I told you he does, Y/N. Go, now." Tomura says, looking up at her worried pink eyes that so closely matched Tomo's own.
"But he's upset..." She begins.
"I can deal with it. Go."
She hesitates, but does leave the apartment quickly, swiftly but quietly closing the door behind herself.

"Mama!" Tomo wails dramatically.
"Cut it out." Tomura says. "Lets play."
"Pway?" Tomo says, immediately cutting off the tears and looking at Tomura with wide, watery eyes.
"Yes. Let's play." Tomura repeats.
Tomo nods and turns, holding his chubby arms up to be picked up, which Tomura can do with ease unlike Y/N, holding him to his side and carrying him into his little bedroom.
"Lets play grab." Tomura says, plopping Tomo down on the floor in front of the hundreds of plushies Toga had gotten for him since he'd been born.

"Watch." Tomura leads, waiting until Tomo's attention is fixed onto him before slamming his hand onto one of the teddies, making a point to squeeze its head.
Tomo giggles, always seeming to enjoy it when Tomura moved quickly and interacted with his toys.
Tomura repeats the action, grinding the teddy to the floor this time, which has Tomo giggling even more and clapping his hands.
"Now you, Tomo." Tomura encourages, taking his fat wrist carefully and using it to place his hand on the teddy.
The second his hand connects with the fluffy material, Tomo closes his hand around it like he'd watched his dad do moments before.

"Good job, Tomo." Tomura says, grabbing another teddy, which Tomo then tries to grab too.
They repeat the exercise for a little while until Tomura decides to shake it up a bit, picking one of the toys up and holding it in front of Tomo's face, yanking it away when the little boy tries to grab it.
"No." Tomo says immediately, scowling.
"Get it." Tomura encourages, shaking the toy again.
Tomo tries again, only for Tomura to move it away before his hand can make impact.

Tomo's faint eyebrows pull impossibly close together, glaring at Tomura with an intensity that would rival his own.
"Dada. No." Tomo repeats.
"Yes."
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Tomo chants, throwing one of the smaller teddys to hand at Tomura, who catches it fluidly.
Tomo immediately looks amazed at the speed Tomura had just applied to do that so effortlessly.
"When you're older you'll need to be fast and strong to look after your mama."
"Mama?" Tomo repeats hopefully, looking at the door.
"Not yet. She needs a break. Get the teddy." Tomura says, shaking the toy in front of his face again.

Tomo grabs its leg this time, barely, by the foot.
"Good job." Tomura repeats, stroking his soft cheek with his thumb carefully.
He decides to drop that game afterwards though, knowing that Y/N would not be pleased that he has already begun sneakily quirk training him.
Instead he sits and allows Tomo to pile his toys atop him, occasionally taking toys directly from the dark haired boy and playing pretend despite not being able to make much out from Tomo's babbling.

"What are you saying, Tomo?" Tomura asks slowly, pronouncing each word delicately as though that would help convey to Tomo that he needs to start speaking more and more  clearly, but all he gets back is gibberish again.
He wouldn't ever express it to Y/N, but he was becoming worried about how little Tomo could speak at this age.
He was beginning to suspect she wasn't really talking to him on the days he went to work, either because he's a menace and she doesn't want to say anything that may set him off, or because he's a menace and she doesn't want him to get worse by learning how to speak.

"What are you saying?" Tomura repeats, and Tomo stops mid-babble to stare at his dad like he's an idiot.
"Pway." Tomo says with as much sass his little body can muster.
Tomura smirks at him, unable to stop himself from enjoying the attitude from his son.
And so he finally gives up, and just lets him play with him, happy to follow Tomo's poorly worded orders.

-

After a few hours of playing, Tomo's knocked out, laying on top of Tomuras chest. Tomura doesn't mind, despite how chubby the little one was getting, he was still incredibly light to Tomura.
It also gives him some time to relax himself, tapping away at one of his mobile games he'd not been able to play all week while working.
Occasionally Tomo stirs, moving his face from side to side, and clenching his little fist in Tomura's shirt from time to time.
Every time the little boy stirs, Tomura places a hand on the back of his head for a few moments, reminding him his dads here, that he's safe.
He'd given Tomo no reason to have nightmares, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

When the his son babbles in his sleep, Tomura listens intently, trying to listen for distinct words. Even though there are none, Tomura leans his head down to kiss the fluffy crown of Tomo's head softly.
They manage to rest together for an hour and a half before Y/N comes through the door, carrying four bags.
"Oh!" She whispers when she sees Tomura and Tomo lying together on the couch. "He's sleeping."
"Just needed a little stimulation." Tomura replies, brushing his hair back to look at his innocent sleeping face.
When he looks back over at Y/N, she looks a little hurt, but Tomura can't fathom why, because he hadn't said anything wrong.

"Come here." He says, hoping affection will sort whatever the problem is.
She drops the bags by the door, coming over to the couch, not refusing when Tomura reaches to pull her down into a kiss.
When they part, Tomura runs his nose along hers softly, his red eyes lidded as he looks at her.
"Did you have fun?"
She hums a little, kneeling by the couch with her knees crunching loudly in complaint so she can rest her cheek on Tomura's shoulder and pet Tomo's hair absentmindedly.
"I forget how energetic Toga is."
Tomura huffs a little, running his fingers through Y/N's hair.

"Did you get anything good?" He asks, hoping she at least treated herself a little instead of getting things they need like usual.
"... Yeah, actually." She says, flicking her eyes to his momentarily.
"Tell me?" He asks, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Later I'll show you." She promises, leaning her face into his hand.
Tomura smirks. He likes the sound of that. Maybe he should offer to take care of Tomo on his days off more.

"Toga got him some more toys, too. I think two bags are solely for him." She admits.
"Spoiled." Tomura comments, but it's with a smile as he returns his attention back to the snoozing child laying across his torso.
"He's so cute when he's asleep." She sighs, pressing her face tighter to Tomura's shoulder.
Tomura hums in agreement, kissing the top of her head, too.
As if he'd heard her, Tomo stirs, turning his face towards his mothers voice and blinking his eyes open.
The second he registers his mom's back, it's apparent on his face, his head snapping up and his eyes wide as he peels himself from Tomura.
"Mama!"

"Hey, baby." She smiles.
Tomura grunts as Tomo kneels directly on his stomach in order to be hauled off of him by his mom.
"Did you have a nice time with dada?" Y/N asks, holding the little one to her and rubbing her nose against his a couple of times affectionately.
Tomo buries his face in her chest, holding onto her tight as though she'd been gone for years instead of hours.
She crumples immediately, like she always does whenever he does anything remotely cute.
"Home now!" She says cheerfully, rubbing his back.
"Mama home!" He repeats. "Mama home now!"

"That's right, Tomo! Clever boy!" She praises, clearly over the moon with the new words.
Tomura runs the back of his index finger over some of the baby hairs on the back of Tomo's neck, wondering if the little boy knew exactly how to work his mother over.