Here's some love for our man Hajime... as a dad!
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As you were sleeping, you felt the smaller body next to you stir.
"Daddy~" The child cried for your absent husband.
"What's wrong?" You groggily answered, patting her bottom gently.
"Daddy..." She continued to cry.
You hugged her tightly. "Shhhh. It's okay, daddy went to work. That's all." You began to doze off until-
"Daddy!" Her cries were gradually becoming louder. She yearned for your husband's embrace.
You quickly sat up and pulled her into your chest making white noise. While you rocked back and forth to comfort her, a pair of footsteps were heard rushing toward you.
The door slid open with a bang, startling the crying three year-old. This only made her cry more, so you gave Saito a deadly glare.
"Sorry..." he nervously scratched the back of his head. He gently shut the door and took the crying girl from you. "Daddy's back~" he cooed, rubbing her back in a comforting manner.
After a short while, the three year-old calmed down and fell back to sleep.
Saito put her next to you and kissed your forehead.
"She must've had a bad dream." You rubbed her head.
"Yeah, nothing we can't handle." He smiled, sitting down on the other side of you.
At first, the whole concept of parenting was scary for Saito. He thought of it as a battle.
You reassured him that it was more like the creation of a sword—one of his favorite things to talk about. The blacksmith and the metal came together and had the brilliant idea to create a sword. Now, depending on the quality of the metal and the skills of the blacksmith, the sword could be forged many different ways. The two of you decided that this little sword of yours would be forged with nothing but love and patience.
After this conversation, Saito's idea of parenting changed and he vowed to create the greatest sword possible. You laughed at this declaration, but you knew he had the best intentions.
Now, he was like a parenting expert. Not only did he know how to cook delicious meals, but child rearing came naturally to him. To you, he seemed more like the "lady of the house".
"How was patrol?" You asked, shifting yourself so that your head rested in his lap.
He caressed your face as his thumb stroked the smooth skin of your cheek. "Nothing out of the ordinary, as usual."
"I see." You smiled, glad that his job wasn't as taxing as you remember it to be.
"How about creating another little sword?" Saito abruptly asked.
"What?" You were taken aback by his sudden request. One of your hands reached up to grasp his, which rested on your face. You looked up at him and realized he tilted his head backward out of embarrassment.
Slowly, but surely, you sat up. You reached out to him, cupped his face, and brought his forehead to meet with your own.
"Hajime, I-" you began, but was interrupted when the little one next to you began crying for her daddy again.
"Alright, time for you to really wake up." He sighed and smiled gently. "Let's go brush our teeth, then we can watch the sun rise together."
Saito picked up his daughter and began to head out the door. But he stopped right before he was out of sight.
"Are you not coming, Mama?" He asked teasingly. His hair wasn't tied up, so he looked even more endearing than usual.
You blushed at his sudden use of the name. "O-of course I'm coming!"
Saito put the girl down and allowed her to run to the bathroom. You rushed after the two, practically chasing them down the hallway.
"What's with all this ruckus?" A familiar voice appeared from behind a corner, swooping your daughter into his arms.
"Uncle!" Your daughter squealed, putting her hands on his cheeks. There was only one man she called uncle.
"H-Hijikata-San!" You stopped running and began to walk in an orderly fashion.
"What brings you to this side of the compound, Commander?" Saito asked with a serious look on his face.
"Relax Saito." He chuckled, playfully pinching your daughter's nose. "I heard this little one crying and came to offer my assistance, as her uncle."
Saito thought for a moment, and then an idea popped into his head. "I see. Then please aid us in getting her ready to watch the sunrise."
"Huh?" You were confused. 'Weren't the three of us supposed to go get ready together?' You thought.
"I have some business to attend with (Y/n), over here." He stole a quick glance in your direction. Your face had gone crimson.
Hijikata—understanding the situation—gave a hearty chuckle. "Do as you wish. My little darling and I will watch the sunset together then."
"Yay!" Your daughter happily cheered. "Sunset!"
Saito took your hand and led you back to your shared bedroom. Since the futon was still laid out, there was no other preparation needed.
"(Y/n)..." Saito closed the doors, faced you, and blushed deeply. "I've been meaning to attend to these matters for awhile now and I just want to-"
"I'm pregnant already." You abruptly stopped his sweet words. "I'm not surprised since you haven't been home enough to bathe together with me, but I'm almost halfway. The doctor says it's definitely twins."
Saito made his way toward you and rested his head in your lap. "I'm so happy right now." He covered his face shyly.
"I figured you would be. I just didn't know when it was the right time to tell you." You stroked his hair.
"The first time we made a fine katana. This time we've successfully made dual swords." His eyes lit up as he blurted more words. "Let's aim for three next tim-"
"Whoa there." You chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Let's see how this whole dual sword thing goes first, then we can talk. Okay?"
~~~~~
All done! Ahh! So happy to have done this!😚Gotta love this sword enthusiast.
