#sanochi

"Don’t worry, Harada-san, your wife will be in good hands!"

Sanosuke smiles coolly, nodding at the female assistant to Doctor Masumoto. “Yes, I know. I trust the Doctor.” Crossing his arms across his chest, he’s about to say that he’d wait outside, but Masumoto calls the red-haired man back in.

"I need you to hold Chizuru's hand. She'll need something to hold when pushing the baby out,” the older man advises. Sanosuke manages a wry smile- he loves Chizuru, he really does, but he doubts his own ability to stay completely cool during this whole process. If he's worried, Chizuru would be even more worried.

He’d rather freak out outside than inside and make his wife more nervous than she already is.

"Of course, Doctor." He responds, making his way inside. Chizuru is laying on a futon, and she smiles brightly when she sees her husband.

"Sanosuke-san, it doesn’t hurt that much right now." She breathes out slowly, easing up on her breaths. Sanosuke grabs his wife’s hand, bringing her fingers to his lips. "I’m nervous. I’m really nervous."

"You’ll be fine, Chizuru." He smiles to reassure her, and he can see her stiff shoulders relax.

But then all hell breaks loose.

A scream rips from Chizuru’s throat and her grip on Sanosuke’s hand tightens tenfold, due to the strength of her demon blood. Sanosuke lets out a startled yell of his own, looking from Chizuru to Masumoto and his assistant.

"Doctor! Do something!"

"Alright, Chizuru, I need you to push." Masumoto had not been startled by the yell indeed. Sanosuke feels slightly embarrassed as he clears his throat.

"You heard the Doctor, Chizuru." Sanosuke grins, albeit nervously. "I’m here for you, so-"

Her body convulses and her grip tightens even more. Sanosuke feels his hand about to break, but that’s the least of his worries at the moment.

"Why isn’t the baby out yet?!" Sanosuke brings his panicked gaze to the Doctor, who’s as calm as still water.

"It takes a few hours at the least, Harada. Be patient."

"Oh, yes, that’s right." He scolds himself internally and turns to reassure his wife. "Chizuru-"

"It hurts, Sanosuke-san, it hurts-!" Chizuru whines, using her other hand to grip at the futon. He can hear the fabric tearing beneath her iron grip. It certainly doesn’t help his nerves.

"Alright, that’s it, I’m going to pull this baby out-!"

"Please go wait outside, Harada."

"B-But, Chizuru, baby, that’s-"

"Perfectly normal."

"Doctor-"

"Sit down or get out.”

After a few back-and-forth banters exchanged between Masumoto and Sanosuke, the former Shinsengumi captain is finally kicked out from the room. Thus, he’s left to pace back and forth for hours, waiting outside while listening to Chizuru’s labor pains.

He can fight off one hundred men, he can survive the wrath of the demon commander- but when it comes to being a spectator of a live birth, he just can’t…

"I’m pathetic." Collapsing onto the ground, he runs a hand through his bangs, eyes wide with apprehension. "Please be okay, Chizuru, I know I said I wanted a kid but I didn’t think it’d be this painful-"

"You aren’t the one giving birth, Harada." Though Masumoto had lacked patience before, a tired smile lays on his face as he walks outside. "It’s a baby girl. You can come back inside now."

Sanosuke springs to his feet and rushes inside, first looking over Chizuru to make sure she’s okay. She smiles in exhaustion and adjusts her arms to reveal the crying face of their child.

"Look, she’s healthy. Sanosuke-san, it’s our child.” Chizuru seems about ready to cry, but she holds it in. “Do you want to hold her?”

Sanosuke nods slowly, his eyes captivated by the image of his wife holding his daughter. It’s his dream realized right in front of him, and he wants to treasure this moment.

"You both are beautiful," he murmurs, leaning over to carefully take his daughter into his arms; even if he is well built and packed with muscled arms, his hold is gentle and wary, as if afraid.