#first time parent

he'd go to the crib in the next room, carefully lifting your daughter into his arms, murmuring "shh"s and "oh, I know darling, I know!" and bringing her to his chest.

"omma's trying to sleep too, sweet girl!" he'd chuckle, rocking gently and holding her head. "can you go back to sleep for omma and appa?"

she'd keep crying a while, though seeming to grow calmer the longer he held her. "appa's here, baby, it's all okay," he'd coo. if she keeps crying, he'd try feeding her a bottle, making sure it was warm enough. "ah, there we go. just hungry, huh? I understand."

a few minutes later, you smile when you hear soft singing from the other room. even when exhausted, he absolutely loves singing her to sleep. he loves seeing her eyes flutter closed, he loves feeling her warm, little body breathing slowly against his chest, and he loves getting to spend that quiet time with her. his heart swells just to be with her.

he sets her down gently on her back and looks at her for a few moments. then, he silently returns to your bedroom, not wanting to wake either of you.

"thank you, joongie," you whisper, eyes closed.

he kisses you on the forehead before climbing under the covers. "gotta take care of my girls."

°

in the morning, he's already up before you, feeding her at her high chair. his baby voice is on, higher-pitched and encouraging her to eat some of her first more solid foods.

"ah! can you say 'ahh!" he emphasizes, comically opening his mouth wide. his eyes still show tiredness, his face bare and his hair a mess, but you can tell by the small smile that he's more dedicated to this moment than anything else planned that day. when your daughter finally, adorably opens her mouth wide for the spoon, he carefully brings it to her mouth and waits for her to take a small bite. she does, processing it, and makes a sour face. you both laugh, exchanging glances, and joong dramatically hangs his head. "oh, babygirl," he shakes his head, grinning. "I think you will like this. let's try one more time," he says, bringing the spoon to her mouth and repeating the "ahh!" routine. remarkably, she does open her mouth again. she tastes it, and once again makes the face, letting it dribble from her mouth.

hongjoong sighs. "alright. maybe another day." he gets a bottle from the fridge and warms it up, testing the milk on his arm. he holds it to her mouth, and she drinks it eagerly.

°

later, after returning home early from the studio one evening, he comes into the living room to find you and your daughter playing. she's on your lap, facing you, and you're holding her up to your face repeatedly, making silly faces and silly noises, your daughter giggling loudly in that adorable, silly way only babies can. you're grinning and laughing with her, ecstatic to have found a new way to elicit that precious laugh.

hongjoong, standing there, feels himself fall apart, in the best, most sincere way. he'd had a rough day, but coming home to see you two in such a picture of utter domestic bliss reminds him that everything is okay, that he has everything he has ever wanted.

you notice him finally, and your expression changes. "joong, what's wrong?"

his eyes are filling with tears, some of them falling. he wipes them away, and laughs, "nothing! nothing." he walks over to sit right beside you on the couch, putting his arm around your waist and his head on your shoulder. "I'm just so fucking grateful."

"aww," you respond, leaning your head against his. "I'm so glad," you say softly.

you return to your game, with hongjoong watching this time, the softest, proudest smile on his face, the two of you laughing hard together every time your baby girl makes a long, babbling laugh.

"how many do you want to have?" you hear him ask softly, arms wrapped around your waist as you rock your daughter in her baby swing, her eyes fluttering closed, fighting to stay awake but her sleepy instincts winning out.

you're caught off guard by the question. you'd discussed it before, long before she was even conceived. you hadn't ever decided on a number.

"not sure," you smile, eyelids heavy. "but I do know I want more."

he's secretly so relieved at that, knowing you want more kids like he does. something swells in his chest.

"how about you?"

he looks up at you, eyes set on yours. it's a distant stare you've seen before, one that's intense but thoughtful, one you've come to know means he's thinking about everything – you, your child, the future of your family, and the rest of your lives. his expression softens.

"four," he says decisively. "yeah, four. I had only one brother, and I want us to have twice as many kids."

"yeah?" you chuckle.

he nods. "yeah. I want them to be friends with each other, and to have others to go to when they are annoyed with each other."

"really, I just want our family to feel big. a little community. but not so big that you're exhausted."

you laugh at that. "well, I appreciate that. I think..." you consider, "I think I could do three more."

"really?" he's excited, pulling you to himself more tightly.

you giggle, "yeah! I'll give you three more kids, joongie."

he sighs dramatically and buries his face in your neck. "oh, thank you. but keep talking like that and you'll have another one coming by tomorrow morning."

heat rises to your neck and face, but you say, "is that a promise?"

he pulls away, and just looks at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. he glances at your daughter, fully asleep in her baby swing.

he picks you up, a surprised laugh erupting from your chest.

"a quick one, baby, and then I put her to bed," he winks. he whispers in your ear, "and when I come back... we'll get to the real stuff."

° ° °

thank you for reading!

🐉𝒯𝒶𝓉𝓈𝓊🍳

–he is so prepared! Even more prepared than you, honestly. He’s read every article and book there is with updated info about which positions to give birth in, how to naturally alleviate pain, the sterile process everyone must take to ensure no infections or illnesses are spread. He will be watching everyone like a hawk

–you go a week past your due date, which worries Tatsu, so he does some light exercises with you hoping to induce labor. Wouldn’t you know it, half an hour later your water breaks. Cue Tatsu grabbing the bag he packed six months ago and whipping out a wheelchair you didn’t know you guys had

–Tatsu is great during labor, though he’s secretly very nervous something will go horribly wrong. What will he do if he loses you? What if he loses you BOTH? He was a yakuza, though, so he manages to keep his cool on the outside, saying encouraging things to you the entire time, and lets you squeeze his hand as hard as you can

– “You can do this, {Y/N}! Focus! Push that little sucker out!”

– With your husband’s encouragement, your labor (mercifully) goes quickly, and within four pushes they’re out! Tatsu comforts you with kind words, shaking with anxiety and adrenaline as he sees your baby for the first time

– Tatsu stands over each medical personnel to make damn sure they’re being sanitary as they pass the baby around, finally handing them back to you. Tatsu allows himself to smile, seeing your happy tears and the cries of your child–he would have never in a million years expected this sweet scene to involve someone like him

– “Aww, Tatsu, you’re crying!”

– “No I ain’t! It’s just the lighting!”

–can you say GIRL DAD?!!! Tatsu sobbed when they said your baby was a girl. He’s so excited to do dress up and have tea parties and tutus and worry about her every second of every day…very excited. (Secretly, this is because he thinks a girl would be more like you than him. He’d rather have a mini you than a mini him)

–You wanted a pretty name, but not something overused; Tatsu said no daughter of yours was going to have a typical “scrub name,” so you go with the cute but not common Shiori. Tatsu nicknamed her his little dragon immediately

–When you go home with your little girl, Tatsu is fretting about EVERYTHING. The man has prepared for things you never would have thought of, but he knows that babies always surprise their parents, and that makes him nervous. He never takes his eyes off Shiori, overreading into every little thing she does as a possible sickness or issue

–Tatsu will absolutely wait on you hand and foot. He does that anyway, but now it’s x50. He will prepare bottles, get diapers ready, clean puke stains, and in between that, will give you massages, make your favorite foods, bring you snacks, tea. He will literally wash your hair for you if you ask.

–you need a break from breastfeeding and sitting in bed all day? Tatsu is already ready with a spa day coupon for you. He can’t imagine how hard it is on your body as well as your mind, being a new mother, and whatever you need to do to feel your best, Tatsu is your number one supporter

– “If my beautiful wife needs a break from nurturing our daughter, you bet yer ass she’s gonna get it! Here’s a 30% coupon. I got it from a tomato growing contest.”

–Endless picture taking! When he isn’t worrying or rushing around trying to make things easier for you and your little dragon, he is filling his camera roll with adorable pictures of Shiori. And his beautiful wife, ofc. The last 500 pics on his phone are of you, Shiori, and quite a bit of selfies with him and his little girl. And it’s only been one week

–Tatsu’s heart is overflowing with love upon becoming a dad, filling your head with deep appreciation and revere for allowing him to pass this milestone with you. He quickly becomes the most popular dad on the block, admired and respected by everyone for his loud, but gentle parenting

🐅𝒯𝑜𝓇𝒶𝒿𝒾𝓇𝑜🍰

–Tora is constantly checking his phone, always on edge that you might suddenly go into labor. One day when he’s at the crepe truck at three in the afternoon, he’s in the middle of whipping up a crepe when you text him SOS,BB OTW! He has never dropped a crepe so fast

–He meets you at the hospital, breathless and yelling for someone to tell him where his wife is. Tora sprints into your room all dramatic like, rushing to your side with immediate worries and demands to know what’s going on

–Tora hates seeing you in pain, which makes it hard for him to watch you in labor. He knows you’re doing it to bring life into the world, life he helped create, but it hurts him to see you yelling and crying in agony. He’ll do his best to encourage you, trying to hype you up for that last push

–He is more focused on you when the baby actually comes out, constantly asking if you’re okay, if you need anything, etc. Then when they push the baby at you guys he’s like “??? Oh, yeah!”

–Much like Tatsu, I think Tora is such a girl dad!!! She would be his angel from the first moment you place her in his big hands. He is her protector, her tiger. Speaking of tigers…

– “How bout we name her Tigress? You know, from Kung Fu Panda? What a boss!”

– “Tora…no.”

– Neither of you want a traditional Japanese name; you settle on Sakima, which means ‘warrior queen.’ Enough flare for Tora, enough uniqueness for you. Her nickname quickly becomes Kima the Killer, courtesy of her father

–Tora does not like random people handling his daughter, even if they are “medical personnel.” He glares at everyone, always asks questions on what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. You have to cool him off sometimes, reassuring your husband that they’re just making sure Sakima is healthy

–Back at home, Tora loosens up a bit. He smiles big smiles, slows himself down and really admires his little girl, staring at and watching her for hours on end. It’s a softer side to Tora no one else usually sees. Feels so relaxed around his little killer who loves tickles and kisses

–Absolutely sends a million pics of him and his daughter to Tatsu, bragging like you wouldn’t believe. Not that you can blame him, Kima is very cute, and already has her father’s intense gold eyes that demand respect

–Tora will take on any challenge brought to him, which includes dirty diapers, spit, puke, snot, spilled milk, anything, and he won’t complain at all, not even silently. Nothing compares to blood and guts anyway

– “It’s an honor to serve my family and get my hands dirty!”

–He is always the one to get up in the middle of the night if Kima cries. In his eyes, you’re already doing so much, have already DONE so much, giving birth and all, Tora won’t let you lift a finger. His wonderful wife is gonna get her beauty rest and not have to worry about a thing

-Tora loves being a bad ass dad and strolling around the neighborhood with his adorable little baby girl and his hot wife, whom he vows to protect with his life. Insert DILF era!

🐕ℳ𝒶𝓈𝒶🥡

–you go into labor in the middle of the night, and it takes you a good five minutes to wake Masa up. Dude can sleep forever, so you pinch his side hard to get him alert. When you do, he still needs to be told several times that you’re going into labor before his brain catches up

– “You’re…huh? Labor? You mean, like…the thing that…you know…really?!”

– Calls Tatsu on the way to the hospital in a panic, having forgotten everything he should do to ease your anxiety. Tatsu talks him through it, but it’s pretty clear that Masa is panicking just as much as you are. Luckily the nurses at the hospital know what they’re doing

–Masa tries to be brave and goes into the delivery room with you. He really doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but the boss said he’s gotta do it, so here he is. Poor boy tries hard to be supportive, but his ramblings only make you more anxious because you can tell HE’S nervous

–as soon as he sees the baby’s head popping out…yeah, he passes out cold, lol. Gory yakuza movies are great, but this kind of explicit imagery is too much for his manly brain to handle. Sorry, but you’re on your own now, kid, lmao

–Tatsu wakes Masa up and waits for everything to be cleaned up before bringing him back in. Masa is scared shitless, eyes wide, hands shaking as he approaches you and your newborn; but the second he sees your tearful smile at him, all his panic drifts away

– “Woah! We really made this thing? Dope! …Huh…it’s kinda ugly, isn’t it? Why does it look like that?”

– It takes some convincing, because Masa is afraid he’ll drop your baby, but you do get him to hold it, and a genuinely excited smile finally comes through. He’s in disbelief about being a dad until he holds the baby in his own arms, amazed at the lively little thing squirming about

–I can see Masa as being a boy dad. He’d be so stoked to have a mini man, would probably try to name it something like Kazuma, Yami, Link, anything from a video game he loves. You would compromise and go with Shinji, a nice name that can also be connected to several games and anime

–Masa feels clueless when you take your son home, anxious about everything you have to do right away…he spends most of his time just staring at the little guy, though, overwhelmed with awe that you two created this. It blows his mind, and he has no idea where to begin

– “So like, what do babies eat? I’ve got like, ten yen…maybe we can get them something small from the convenience store?”

– “Babies drink breast milk for the first year of their lives, Masa.”

– *Masa malfunction*

–For probably the first time in his life, Masa becomes focused, worried that he’s doing everything wrong when really, he’s doing a great job trying to keep up with your newborn. He’s doing his best, and that’s all you could ever ask for; the bags under his eyes prove it

–brags endlessly about his baby boy! He’s YouTube and Instagram famous already. Masa wants to set Shinji up for success and fame

–Although he might whine on the inside, he’ll clean diapers, wipe boogers, clean up puke, get up during the middle of the night, whatever! Masa wants to be as good a father as Tatsu says he can be. Whatever you ask him to do, he’ll do it, even if he feels like he isn’t doing things good enough

– Babies fascinate Masa, lol, and his son is especially interesting to him. He gets so excited whenever Shinji makes a new noise, or a new movement, or just does humanly things in general. He becomes convinced that Shinji’s quick fingers mean he’ll be a great video game player one day

– Speaking of video games, Masa sets his baby son down on the couch with him as he plays, explaining the lore in details a newborn could never understand. He claims Shinji is his good luck charm, and frequently casts a look down at his son to ensure he’s okay. You think it’s cute when you find Masa and Shinji asleep on the couch after completing a hard level together, your two silly boys the best of friends already

–Like Tora, Masa loves showing his baby off, feeling like a real adult when he whips out pictures of Shinji at his first photoshoot; really, it isn’t pride he’s feeling, but just pure, unfiltered happiness he wants to spread to everyone he meets. Masa might worry a lot about his parenting skills, but with you there to help, he thinks he might turn out to be a great dad

🐉 🐅 🐕