ℰ𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶⋆⭒˚.⋆

Looking profoundly uncomfortable.

Your baby girl blinked up at him from where she rested awkwardly in his arms.

You had given birth to a girl.

Ben stared back at her like she was some complicated bomb someone had dropped on his arms.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with her?” He muttered to you.

You looked up from where you were folding tiny clothes nearby and held back a chuckle “Hold her, Ben”

“I am holding her”

“You’re holding her like she’s about to explode”

He grumbled.

“She’s so damn small”

Your daughter made a tiny little sound at that, squirming in his arms, and let out a tiny sneeze.

Immediately, Ben went stiff.

“See? See, she’s doing something”

“She sneezed”

“She’s twitchin’”

“She’s fine”

Honestly, watching him —the intimidating, arrogant man who could throw people against walls without blinking— stand frozen because a small baby moved unexpectedly was one of the funniest things you’d ever seen.

Ben frowned down at her suspiciously.

The baby blinked up right back at him.

“At least she looks like you” He added gruffly, like it was some kind of consolation prize.

You laughed “Wow. That’s high praise”

For months during your pregnancy, he’d been convinced it would be a boy.

Not hoped. Convinced.

A son.

You remembered the smug look on his face every single time he talked about it. A little boy to carry on his legacy, follow him around, idolize him, be “a real man” or whatever version of fatherhood existed inside Ben’s head.

Then the doctor had said It’s a girl.

And Ben had genuinely looked offended.

Not angry at you. Just… confused.

“A girl?” He had repeated like the universe had betrayed him.

Because in his head, he’d already imagined a mini version of himself following him around.

Instead, life handed him a tiny baby girl wrapped in pink blankets.

Now here he was, holding his daughter for maybe the fourth time voluntarily since she had been born. And still looking deeply confused about the whole situation.

“She just stares at me” He muttered.

You look up from folding tiny clothes, glancing now at them.

The sight made you smile a little.

Ben was huge compared to her. Big rough hands. Broad chest. Permanent scowl.

And then this tiny little baby tucked against him, wearing a pale pink onesie and looking completely content.

“She likes looking at you” You say.

“She doesn’t even know what’s goin’ on”

“Neither do you”

That earned you a glare. You just chuckled.

The baby suddenly wrapped her tiny hand around one of Ben’s fingers.

He froze instantly.

You watched his entire expression change for just a second. Not softer exactly, but… less guarded.

“Steong grip” He muttered quietly.

And slowly, little by little, he started getting less awkward with her.

One afternoon, you were in the nursery putting away clean clothes while your daughter was in her crib, looking at the little spinning mobile. She kicked her legs happily, making tiny little noises at the little stars spinning above her.

Ben then walked into the nursery.

“Doll” He started, walking towards you “You seen my—”

Then he heard her making sounds, and his head turned to the crib.

“She cryin’?”

“No”

He stepped closer to the crib to get a better look of her.

“She looks like she’s thinkin’ about cryin’”

Before you could even answer, he was already reaching down to pick her up.

Just in case.

“She wasn’t even close to crying” You say with amusement.

Ben shrugged “Well, she could’ve”

Another night, you walked into the living room after your shower, and stopped in the doorway.

The TV played softly in the background. Ben sat on the couch with your daughter asleep on his chest, one large hand resting on her tiny back.

Both of them were asleep.

The sight alone almost melted your heart.

You approached quietly, smiling to yourself.

But the floor creaked faintly under your foot, and Ben’s eyes snapped open immediately.

For half a second he looked disoriented, then he realized you’d caught him.

“She fell asleep first” He grumbled “I was watching tv. She’s clingy”

And another night, while he held her against his chest, he looked down at her tiny sleepy face, then back up at you.

“She’s kinda badass, actually”

You smiled “Oh?”

“Yeah” He said quietly, eyes back on her “Mean look. Definitely got that from me”

Ben looked down at the little girl for another long moment before speaking again.

“Still should’ve been a boy” He couldn’t help but grumble.

But then he muttered quietly, almost to himself “S’pose I can work with this”

here’s part 2!!!

if you haven’t, you can read part 1 if you want