Chapter Text
Snip-snip.
“Meow”
“Stay still or I'll cut your toes off”
“Meow”
“Sorry, buddy. I can’t have you tearing down my fifty thousand yen couch”
“Hiss”
“No more evening snack time”
“Meow”, this one was softer, touched with genuine sadness.
Toji has the little fucker, Gojo, in the shower, cutting his sharp nails after an excruciatingly difficult bath. One where Gojo tried to escape roughly forty seven times, trying to scramble up slick tiles like a possessed demon howling while Toji clung to his soapy, wet body with the grim determination of a man wrestling fate itself.
“Meow”
Toji sighs and looks down at the cat.
Gojo is now wrapped up tightly in a towel like a burrito, wet fur plastered to his body, staring back at him with bright blue sorrowful eyes. The kind of eyes that suggest he’s survived years of war and loss, not a ten-minute bath.
“Kiyoko is feeding you too much, you little glutton,” Toji mutters, snipping carefully. “Turning you into a fat idiot with no job, no family to take care of, no bills to pay. You’re living quite the life”
“Meow”
Arguing with a cat who has a limited vocabulary of exactly one word, sometimes two if you count hiss, Toji is reaching the edges of his sanity and somehow, that isn’t even the biggest thing in Toji’s life right now.
Maki’s pregnancy had everyone in the family excited and frankly, observant, anxious, and hovering all over her. The only person who seemed relatively chill about the whole situation was Maki herself. The second was Megumi, who 'nonchalantly' inquired about her doctor visits religiously.
Maki had taken pregnancy in stride,Toji sometimes felt she had not fully grasped the weight of it quite yet. Her gym routine was slightly adjusted but otherwise, everything else was “fine,” or so she claimed. She still went to boxing training and handled her daily tasks. All of it while making everyone around her mildly terrified.
Kiyoko, on the other hand, was over the moon.
She called constantly, dropped by Maki and Yuuta’s apartment often, their apartment building being only a quick fifteen minute drive away from Toji’s house after they relocated, following Kiyoko and Toji’s insistence that Maki stay close.
Kiyoko made extra food, packed overnight tiffins, slipped vitamins and nutrients into meals and hovered just behind Maki’s back, making sure she took her pills and finished her plate. And right behind Kiyoko was Yuuta, who shared the same concerns.
No matter the number of eyerolls and grumbling, Maki never complained, not once.
Megumi was busy with his veterinary residency, but always stayed active in the family group chat, checking in regularly after Maki’s gynecologist visits and sending random pregnancy facts to which Yuuta would reply with a surprised pikachu gif. And occasionally, Megumi would send name suggestions for potential baby boy or girl, usually late at night, usually without explanation.
Yuuji had taken up building a crib with Toji, a project that neither of them had any experience in but both approached with surprising seriousness. Sawdust and half-finished instructions littered the garage and the readied crib was ready in Maki’s childhood bedroom for use.
Gojo, too, seemed to sense Maki’s pregnancy.
The little fucker would flop himself over her abdomen, purring loudly and adiating warmth, cuddling into her whenever she seemed even mildly uncomfortable. Yuuta never missed a chance to take pictures of Maki half-asleep over the recliner with a balanced plate of fruits on her knee with Gojo’s long white furry body sprawled over her, a domestic softness Toji pretended not to notice.
Toji flicks the discarded nail clippings into the trash and squeezes Gojo dry with the towel, earning another hiss.
And to Toji’s absolute annoyance and reluctant satisfaction, Yuuta turned out to have the emotional strength and anxiety levels of a golden retriever. He was quick to get anything Maki needed, instantly responding to cravings, offering unasked-for foot massages, hovering constantly with plates of fruits and other healthy foods.
Toji had even seen the guy cry the other night while watching a kids’ movie with Maki, like full-on crying while Maki gently consoled him in her arms like he was the baby. Toji clicks his tongue, rethinking that memory.
Maki had reached her ninth month, and she was due to have the baby any day this week and naturally, everyone was on high alert.
Maki and Yuuta were staying over at Toji’s house for the past two weeks, back in Maki’s old room. The single bed had long been swapped out for a king-sized one, squeezed in snugly, taking up most of the space. Toji still remembered the way Maki used to complain about that room being too small, too cramped. Now it felt full in a different way—temporary, expectant and waiting for the upcoming arrival of the baby.
Now back to the present, against everyone’s wishes and concerns, Maki was adamant about going outside to jog after a heavy dinner.
“Jog?!” Kiyoko had exclaimed, nearly dropping the cup in her hand.
Yuuta had sighed quietly, long and resigned. No amount of arguing ever won against Maki Fushiguro when she had her mind set on something. So now Yuuta was out on a post-dinner walk with her, hovering at her side like a personal bodyguard, eyes scanning for threats that didn’t exist.
At this rate, Toji and Kiyoko were genuinely worried for poor Yuuta.
The guy had an incredibly hard time saying no to Maki and was stressed out to an alarming degree. He had spent the entire Friday afternoon re-preparing the labor bags for the hospital—for the third time that month. Bags he had already packed meticulously back when Maki was early in her pregnancy, and then repacked every few months since, saying “just in case”
Yuuji was in the kitchen making another batch of tiramisu—this one for himself, Kiyoko, and Yuuta, who were apparently in their “stress-eating era,” as he liked to call it.
A separate pot of special herbal tea simmered quietly on the stove, very clearly for Maki. Megumi sat at the dinner table studying for an upcoming test with books spread out and untouched coffee slowly going cold beside him.
The open layout let conversation drift freely between kitchen and dining space. Toji could hear Megumi’s low murmurs and Yuuji’s slightly louder, cheerful voice mixing together.
In his hands, a now-dry Gojo squirmed restlessly. Toji released him, and Gojo immediately shook himself off, a few droplets of water splattering across the bathroom floor before he bolted out of the bathroom, fleeing like a criminal.
Toji sighed. At least the little fucker was dry.
He cleaned the washroom methodically, scooped up the damp towels into his arms, and headed downstairs. Megumi was perched on the kitchen counter, a thick book on feline anatomy resting in his hands engaged in conversation with Yuuji, who was carefully layering cream over lotus biscuits with intense focus.
Toji passed them and headed into the small enclosed laundry room, dumping the towels into the washing machine.
“I changed up the recipe a bit,” Yuuji explained from the kitchen, shaking cocoa powder over the smooth cream. “Added less sugar. Maki’s been complaining about Yuuta’s sugar high.”
“Tall words for Maki,” Megumi mumbled, not looking up from his book. “She’s gonna turn his hair grey.”
Toji grumbled from the laundry room, “That’s your sister you’re talking about”
Megumi glanced up. “Are you gonna snitch on me?”
“Yes” Toji answered promptly without hesitation.
“She’s gonna beat your ass” Yuuji giggled. “Trust a nine-month-pregnant Maki to take someone straight into the boxing ring.”
Toji lips curved into a smile. Maki was strong and resilient…and much to everyone's predicament, she was also very stubborn to the core.
And somehow, even now, with a life growing inside her, she was still entirely herself. One of the things Toji admired most about her during this whole pregnancy was that it hadn’t softened her spirit at all.
The sound of the front door opening reaches them first, followed by the familiar shuffle of shoes being kicked off and coats shrugged free.
“We’re back” Kiyoko announces as she enters the kitchen, her voice bright.
Gojo appears from God knows where, materializing at her feet like a summoned spirit, meowing loudly and insistently for attention. Kiyoko bends down immediately, her fingers sinking into his still slightly damp white fur as she brushes him affectionately, murmuring something soft that makes Toji roll his eyes from across the room.
Yuuta and Maki follow her in the kitchen, Yuuta’s hand already resting protectively at Maki’s back out of habit, while Maki looks distinctly grumpy, her lips pushed into a pout that suggests she is still sulking about something.
“Here’s your tea,” Yuuji says cheerfully as he strains the herbal tea into a teacup and places it carefully on the table, setting it right in front of the chair Maki takes a seat on.
“Thanks” Maki mumbles, her tone is clipped, though she sighs softly after taking the first sip, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. Yuuta gently brushes her bangs behind her ear, his gaze drifting toward the kitchen counter.
“Is that for us?” he asks, eyeing the tiramisu that’s still mid-assembly.
“Yep,” Yuuji replies without missing a beat.
“Ohhh, you’re such a godsend, Yuuji dear” Kiyoko says fondly as she takes a seat at the dining table.
Gojo immediately jumps up onto the table. Toji grumbles under his breath and shoots the little fucker a death star, but the cat ignores him completely, settling down like he belongs there.
“How was the jog?” Toji asks, stepping closer to Maki, his eyes flicking briefly to her hands resting over her pregnant belly.
“Boring,” Maki replies flatly. “They didn’t even let me jog-”
“Nine months and jogging?” Kiyoko exclaims, scandalized. “You have to take complete rest during this time, you know. Back when I was pregnant with Megumi, I barely got out of bed in my final month”
“She’s not wrong,” Megumi chimes in, scrolling through his phone, textbook closed now. “It’s medically advised to avoid strenuous activity during the final month”
Maki grumbles and lifts her gaze toward Toji, silently asking for backup. He sighs and gives her a look that clearly says ‘sorry kiddo, you’re on your own for this one’
Yuuta, the ever-supportive partner, immediately jumps in. “Just one more week,my love” he says gently. Toji internally gags.“You can go jogging and running all you want,” Yuuta continues earnestly, “just one more week. Do this for little Mika”
“Or Iori,” Maki interjects instantly.
“Of course,” Yuuta agrees without missing a beat.
Oh right. They had a bet going on. Maki was convinced it was a boy and so were Megumi and Kiyoko. Toji, Yuuta, and Yuuji, on the other hand, were firmly predicting a girl.
Toji had done his fair share of gambling back in his teens, long before he met Kiyoko. His track record wasn’t exactly impressive but at this point, he didn’t really care whether the baby was a boy or a girl. All he knew was that he wouldn’t mind seeing another mini-Maki running around the house. Judging by the look on Yuuta’s face, he seemed to share the same thought.
“Dad, what did you send me?” Megumi asks, not even bothering to look up from his phone, his tone already tired like he knows whatever it is will shave years off his life.
What did I send? Oh right–
“I was rolling dow-”
“Scrolling,” Megumi corrects automatically.
“....I was scrolling down on the Instagram dot com,” Toji continued unapologetically, “and I found this man saying that if a person faints, you can lift their right hand and they will become conscious again”
Megumi finally looks at his screen and immediately regrets it.
The video in question has an AI-generated voiceover paired with an AI-generated reenactment of a man dramatically fainting and then miraculously snapping back to consciousness the second someone lifts his right hand like he’s being summoned by a puppet string. The lighting is bad and the animation uncanny with that piss-coloured filter and quite frankly, the medical misinformation is so criminal that Megumi feels his soul try to leave his body.
“No,” he says flatly, his face already pulling into his usual angry alligator expression, “that’s not true. You need to stop believing everything on the internet.”
Toji frowns, he is genuinely offended because he isn't someone who is easily fooled by gimmiks. But of course, the multiple fallacies of social media and the internet are not included.
“Then how did the man come back to life in the video?” he asks, clearly confused, like Megumi has just shattered his worldview.
Megumi exhales slowly and runs a hand through his hair, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“That’s not- it’s not real–”
“It looks very real to me” Toji interjects immediately. “Why else would he be filmed?”
Megumi closes his eyes. Across the table, Yuuji lets out a quiet chuckle, shoulders shaking. Maki smiles over the rim of her teacup, clearly enjoying Megumi’s suffering while Yuuta presses his lips together, trying not to laugh.
Kiyoko, meanwhile, tilts her head, staring at the phone screen again with the same confused intensity as Toji.
“…But Megumi honey” she says slowly, “he did wake up.”
Megumi makes a sound that can only be described as the death rattle of someone raised by the internet generation and cursed with parents who discovered social media far too late in life.
“No, Kiyoko-san, Toji-san, it’s not real,” Yuuta tries to explain gently, already feeling a deep, soul-level sympathy for Megumi, who is a medical student who has somehow been cursed with parents possessing zero medical literacy and zero digital literacy at the same time, a truly diabolical combination. “The video is made with AI”
“Who is this Ay-Y?” Toji asks, squinting at the phone like the answer might physically crawl out of the screen if he stares hard enough. Then his eyes light up slightly, as if a memory has connected a few deeply incorrect dots. “Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that name before. This Ay-Y guy seems to know a lot though. Kiyoko showed me another video where he said doing ten squats every day will prevent people from getting cancer.”
“Oh yes,” Kiyoko nods immediately, completely serious and she raises a finger like she’s reporting progress to a doctor “I started doing that since last week. I still have to do today’s squats actually”
Megumi lets out a long, pained groan that sounds like it was dragged straight from the depths of his chest, the sound of a man watching his entire education crumble in real time. Yuuji reaches over and pats his shoulder sympathetically, the way one comforts someone at a funeral.
“No,” Megumi says tightly, standing up and gripping his textbook like it’s the only thing tethering him to reality, “AI is not a person.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“…then who filmed that video, huh?” Toji asks, genuinely curious, brows furrowed like this is a perfectly reasonable follow-up question.
That’s it. Megumi turns on his heel and walks out of the room, textbook tucked under his arm, posture screaming I-will-not-be-participating-in-this-household-tonight. The sound of his door closing a few seconds later feels final, like a white flag being raised.
“Nah, don’t listen to Megumu,” Maki says cheerfully as she finishes up the last drops of her tea, she’s clearly choosing chaos, her tone is light and teasing as she looks straight at Kiyoko. “Do those squats. All ten of them. It’s very important and lifesaving….apparently.”
She pauses, hands on the table getting up, “Anyways, good night”
Yuuta watches Megumi’s retreating path with deep concern, Yuuji snorts into his sleeve, Kiyoko looks thoughtful like she’s mentally scheduling her squats, and Toji nods to himself, clearly convinced that Ay-Y is both real and medically revolutionary.
Just as Maki gets up, she freezes mid-motion. Her body going unnaturally still, and her eyes blown wide like something inside her has snapped into terrifying clarity. Yuuta is the first to notice, his smile dying instantly as his gaze follows hers, and Toji catches on a heartbeat later, instinct already flaring before his brain catches up.
“Uh…Maki?” Toji’s voice drops, carefully his hand coming to her arm to steady her, trying to guide her upright except she doesn’t straighten all the way, staying slightly bent forward like her body knows something the rest of them don’t yet.
Yuuta is already there, moving fast and slipping in close with a hand firmly around her back, anchoring her.
Maki’s eyes slowly track upward, unfocused and disbelieving,“Uh… I think–”
There’s a soft, unmistakable sound of liquid hitting the floor.
Sudden heavy silence crashes down over the room. Everyone stares at the pool that spreadd beneath Maki’s feet, realization slamming into them all at once. Kiyoko’s hands fly to her mouth as she screams “OH MY GOD.”
Yuuta looks like the blood drains straight out of his body, his face going terrifyingly pale as he stares at Maki with wide eyes, “…We’re having a baby?”
Toji doesn’t even think, he lightly bonks Yuuta on the head, “Move.”
Yuuta jolts like he’s been shocked back to life. “I- I’ll get the bags,” he blurts, already turning. “Toji-san, please start the car.” He bolts upstairs, nearly tripping over his own feet as he grabs the overnight bags he has packed and repacked a dozen times.
Kiyoko and Toji flank Maki instantly with practiced urgency and holding her hands while guiding her toward the genkan. Their shoes are hastily slipped on, a jacket thrown over Maki’s shoulders. Kiyoko murmurs soothing nonsense while her own hands tremble. Toji rushes outside, fumbling for the keys, he is not panicking, nope, absolutely not, and yet his fingers shake as he jams the key into the ignition.
Maki stays quiet, terrifyingly so, her brows drawn tight with both hands pressed over her belly.
The car doors fly open. Kiyoko and Maki scramble into the backseat. Yuuta, Yuuji, and Megumi burst out moments later, Megumi locking the door on instinct, Yuuji clutching the white Persian menace tucked inside his jacket. The little fucker is uncharacteristically silent, wide blue eyes tracking the chaos like he knows something monumental is happening.
The moment everyone is in, Toji reverses out of the driveway hard and speeds off.
“Breathe, Maki, breathe,” Yuuta pleads, his voice cracking.
“I AM breathing,” Maki snaps.
“Okay., okay” Kiyoko murmurs, one hand gripping Maki’s tightly, the other reaching over to pat Yuuta’s shoulder as he looks moments away from passing out. “Breathe, Yuuta, breathe.”
Yuuta is pale, sweating, nodding frantically like oxygen is optional. Maki groans, her brows pinched tight and curses spilling under her breath as she clenches both their hands, pain rippling through her body in waves.
“Eyes on the road, Dad,” Megumi barks beside Toji.
Fuck. Toji tightens his grip on the wheel, his jaw locked and forcing his focus back to the road as the car barrels forward.
.
“Twenty-four… twenty-five… twenty-six…” Maki’s voice is tight as steel as she counts through the contraction,her jaw clenched and sweat beading along her temples. The cramped interior of the car feels thick with heat and panic, every breath is loud and every movement is amplified. Yuuta and Megumi both have timers running on their phones, screens glowing faintly as they track the intervals with focus, their eyes darting between the numbers and Maki’s face.
Kiyoko sits close, her breathing deliberately slow and deep, one hand firmly massaging Maki’s palm in practiced motions. From somewhere in the back comes a small, irritated meow that is immediately followed by a sharp, whispered “Shhh”
Yuuta’s hands move in slow circles over Maki’s back, his touch reverent and trembling, like he’s afraid she might shatter beneath his palms.
“Sixteen minutes,” Megumi announces, twisted halfway around in his seat, seatbelt forgotten as he peers at his phone. His expression is grave, “She’s cutting it close”
Toji flicks him a sideways glance, one brow arching “The fuck does that mean?”
Megumi exhales sharply through his nose. “It means she’s approaching active labor,” he says, “There’s barely any time left to administer pain medication”
“It’s fine..” Maki pants, forcing the words through clenched teeth. “...It doesn’t even hurt that much”
Megumi shoots her a look “Sure, Maki. Whatever you say”
“Shut it, pipsqueak,” she snaps back instantly. “I can still take you in a fight.”
From the rearview mirror, Toji catches sight of Yuuta who is pale as a ghost, eyes wide and glassy like he’s the one in labor. “Maybe,” Yuuta says weakly, “after the baby is born?”
Maki whips her head toward him, her golden eyes blazing. “You have no right, this is your fault”
Yuuta makes a small, wounded noise “I’m sorry?” His voice cracks, guilt rushing in before reason can catch up. Her expression softens almost immediately, pain flickering behind her eyes. “Sorry, babe,” she mutters. “It just… hurts a bit.”
Yuuta presses his palm to her warm cheek, breathing shakily then leans in, those huge, earnest eyes fixed on her as he moves to kiss her, desperate and tender and terrified all at once.
“Can it, Okkotsu,” Toji barks from the driver’s seat. “We’re here”
Yuuta freezes, then reluctantly pulls back. Maki shoots Toji a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
The car screeches to a halt in front of the hospital entrance, brakes slamming hard. Everyone but Toji spills out in a rush, Kiyoko and Yuuta immediately flanking Maki with each supporting her weight as she stumbles forward with an irritated growl, Megumi hauling the overnight bags over his shoulder with grim efficiency. Yuuji zips his obnoxiously bright neon orange jacket up to his chin, trying to conceal the strange, shifting bump near his stomach. Toji sighs once, parks the car with reckless speed, kills the engine, and strides inside the hospital.
He barrels through the hospital lobby, cutting past nurses, doctors, and late-night patients, barking for directions until someone finally points him towards the maternity section. The hour is late, the halls are eerily quiet, polished floors gleaming under fluorescent lights, the air sterile and cold. A few nurses walk by with clipboards tucked under their arms and cleaners pushing carts down the corridor, their movements hushed.
“In here, Toji,” Yuuji calls from a doorway, phone in hand. “I was just about to call you..come on, they’re all inside.”
They enter a room flooded with harsh white light, every surface painfully sharp and clean, the smell of antiseptic heavy in the air.
“Are you trying to make me blind?” Maki yells from the bed, now dressed in a hospital gown, blanket draped over her legs as a nurse checks her progress. “Turn off the bright ass light!”
Toji drops into a chair without a word, eyes locked on a swearing Maki while Kiyoko and Yuuta hover at either side of the bed like sentinels.
“Yes, darling,” Kiyoko murmurs soothingly, brushing Maki’s bangs back once. Yuuta fumbles with the switch, dimming the lights immediately.
The nurse steps out from under the privacy blanket , smiling brightly, unfazed by the tension crackling through the room. “You’re doing great, mama,” she says cheerfully. “Just hold on a little longer. The contractions are getting closer and the uterus dilation is increasing. Doctor Shoko is on her way”
Megumi exhales in relief, then glances at Yuuji’s blank expression. “Translation” Yuuji mutters.
“She’s giving birth in the next few minutes”
“Right..” Yuuji says, eyes widening. Something shifts under his hoodie and he hastily covers it with both hands when the nurse glances his way.
The door swings open with a sharp click-clack of heels. A brown-haired doctor with deep-set eye bags strides in, tugging gloves over her hands, her sharp gaze sweeping the room in one pass. “The whole family’s here?” Shoko drawls. “Alright”
Two nurses follow her in, wheeling equipment, adjusting the bed, setting a stool at the foot. The atmosphere tightens instantly.
Shoko pulls the blanket into place, her voice suddenly all business. “Okay,” she says, calm and steady, her hand pressing down around Maki’s abdomen. “I can feel the movements, little kiddo wants out. Maki, listen to me, you need to help the kid by pushing”
“Alright alright” Maki breathes, her voice steady despite the storm raging through her body. Her face is composed to the point of severity, her jaw set, brows drawn tight as she inhales and exhales in long, controlled pulls, each breath louder than the last.
“You can do this, Maki-san” Yuuta whispers, his own voice trembling. Tears spill freely down his cheeks as he clings to her hand, though she’s crushing it with bruising force. He doesn’t flinch, if anything, he leans in closer. “You’re so strong. Our little baby is going to be strong just like you.”
On her other side, Kiyoko holds Maki just as tightly, her thumb smoothing over her damp brow, brushing away sweat and stray strands of hair. She murmurs gentle reassurances under her breath that float through the room like fragile prayers.
“Push, Maki” comes Dr. Shoko’s firm voice from beneath the blanket.
Yuuji’s hand rests on Megumi’s back, grounding him while Megumi strains to see past the curtain of movement trying to follow Shoko’s precise, practiced motions. Toji sits rigidly in his chair, the entire scene etching itself into his mind with painful clarity. He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t breathe. The nurses move swiftly around them, the room thick with tension, filled with the sharp rhythm of Maki’s breathing and Kiyoko’s quiet encouragement.
Minutes stretch unbearably long.
“I see the head,” Shoko announces.
Megumi is on his feet before he realizes it, white knuckles gripping the side rails of the bed. Yuuji follows close behind.
Maki remains astonishingly silent but her face betrays her, her eyes squeezed shut, features contorted as she forces her breathing into something steady. Toji can’t sit any longer. He rises and moves to stand beside Yuuta, who is openly weeping now, pressing trembling kisses to Maki’s knuckles as he keeps her hand clasped in his hands.
“Almost there, Maki-san” he murmurs, as if afraid the world might shatter if he speaks too loudly.
Time blurs while they wait around Maki.
Shoko calls out to a nurse, and then a thin, fragile cry slices through the room.
It’s weak at first but it grows, sharp and alive. Maki exhales in one long, open-mouthed release, as if she’s been holding her soul inside her lungs this entire time. Kiyoko breaks down completely, she is sobbing without restraint, her tears mingling with the newborn’s piercing cries.
Maki forgets her pain in an instant. Heart racing, she sits up abruptly and Yuuta is there immediately, wrapping an arm around her to steady her.
“It’s a healthy baby boy. Congratulations” Shoko says, exhaustion lining her smile as she rises from beneath the blanket, cradling a small squirming bundle in her gloved hands.
The baby’s raw, indignant cries echo against the walls.
Kiyoko takes him with shaking hands cradling little Iori close while Shoko returns to finish her work, nurses assisting quietly.
Yuuji beams, his hand sliding comfortingly along Megumi’s back. Megumi has both hands covering his face now, shoulders trembling as he softly sniffles into his palms, clearly overwhelmed.
Toji says nothing. He feels unmoored, as if reality has shifted beneath his feet. His unbelieving eyes follow Kiyoko as she steps carefully forward and places the baby against Maki’s bare chest.
The moment Iori touches Maki’s skin, something changes. His crying falters and his tiny body relaxes. Iori sniffs once, twice and then grows quiet, blinking up through heavy lashes. His dark grey eyes struggle to focus but they find her, drawn instinctively to the warmth of her, the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Maki is crying silently now, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her tired glowing golden eyes trace every inch of Iori, the damp dark curls plastered to his little head, the delicate curve of his nose, his little face so similar to her lover’s, the impossibly small pink fingers flexing weakly against her collarbone.
Megumi steps closer to Maki’s side, his green eyes swimming with tears as he steps closer. Carefully, reverently, he extends a finger toward the baby’s tiny hand.
“Nine months in my belly,” Maki sniffles, her voice breaking despite her attempt at composure, “and he looks just like his stupid dad”
Yuuta lets out a watery, breathless laugh, pressing his forehead against her shoulder.
The baby’s brows knit faintly, as if offended, and his little fist closes around Megumi’s pinky with surprising strength. Megumi’s breath catches, eyes widening in stunned disbelief as that impossibly small hand grips him like he’s an anchor.
Yuuta laughs again, softer this time, tears still falling freely.
“He acts just like you Maki-san”
Yuuta’s finger drifts tenderly through the soft, slightly damp strands of Iori’s hair, his touch featherlight. His big grey eyes the same as Iori’s have wonder layered over disbelief, love blooming so wide it barely fits inside his chest. Iori squirms in Maki’s arms, his small fists flexing, eyelids fluttering stubbornly as he fights to keep them open, as if he already refuses to miss a single second of this world.
“You did amazing, dear” Yuuta murmurs, leaning in to kiss Maki softly, filled with everything he can’t say without breaking apart. When their lips part, he presses another kiss to her temple, brushing stray strands of hair from her face with trembling fingers. His thumb lingers against her cheek.
Smiling, Maki tiredly exhales and her eyes drift toward Toji.
Her eyes crinkle at the corners and Toji immediately narrows his eyes.
He knows that look.
She glances at Yuuta and the understanding passes between them in a heartbeat. Yuuta carefully lifts Iori from her chest, cradling him with instinctive gentleness. He presses a soft kiss to the baby’s tiny fist before turning to Toji who stiffens.
This is a man once praised and feared for his lethal instincts. A man whose hands have been described as precise, merciless and unshakable. Hands that never trembled, even when blood coated his knuckles.
Those same hands are fidgeting now. Carefully, he takes Iori.
And his world tilts a bit, marvelling at his grandson.
Iori fits against him so impossibly small that it feels unreal. One of Toji’s massive hands supports nearly all of Iori’s tiny body. His dark eyes roving over Iori, who seemed to have settled, now staring back at Toji with those big bug eyes of his.
Pink-faced, fragile, warm, alien-looking, Toji thinks distantly, all newborns look like that.
And yet his throat tightens.
For a split second, the room dissolves, replaced by memories of Megumi as a newborn. Small enough to curl into his palm and the same soft pink skin and same faint crease between the brows, slight look of irritation gracing the tiny features.
Toji looks up instinctively and meets Megumi’s eyes across the room.
Megumi isn’t a baby anymore. He’s mature, composed, no more fits the size of Toji’s forearm. But the lingering softness in his face, the faint baby fat at his cheeks, betrays the child he once was. Megumi’s green eyes are fixed on Iori, shining with a tenderness so open it nearly undoes Toji. Life truly has come back in a circle moment.
Toji looks back down at his grandson, not by blood, not by name but it doesn’t matter.
Something fierce and protective coils in his chest. The same vow he once made silently for Maki. The same wordless promise he carried for Megumi.
This child will never be alone. He will be loved, protected and he will be safe, even if Toji has to tear the world apart to make it so.
Iori squirms a bit, letting out a small, indignant sound and Toji carefully adjusts, almost instinctually. His massive thumb brushes lightly over the baby’s cheek and the tiny face scrunches in protest before settling.
Toji huffs quietly. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Ugly stage.”
Kiyoko chokes out a watery laugh and then-
“Meow”
The sound slices through the emotion like a record scratch.
Every head turns to Yuuji slowly.
There, peeking out from the slightly unzipped collar of Yuuji’s jacket, is a small white furry face with far too much confidence.
Big bright blue eyes blink back and whiskers twitch.
“Meow” the creature repeats, louder this time, as if offended by the lack of applause.
Yuuji freezes.
“Oh no. No no no no– ”
He frantically tries to shove the wriggling cat back down into his jacket but it’s too late. The tiny menace has already climbed halfway out, paws gripping the zipper triumphantly.
Even Iori pauses his squirming, blinking up at the unfamiliar sound with an expression that can only be described as deeply unimpressed confusion.
Shoko straightens slowly, jaw slack as she stares.
“…you brought the cat too?”
Gojo wiggles free entirely and perches proudly on Yuuji’s shoulder like a conquering war general. He lets out a long, dramatic “Meeee-ow” announcing his grand entrance into the maternity ward.
Silence as Yuuji scrambles to get a strong hold over Gojo who slithers through his grip.
“Are you kidding me?” Megumi mutters, wiping at his tear-streaked face.
Kiyoko is laughing through her sobs now, half hysterical. Yuuta lets out a low laugh. Maki snorts, wincing lightly immediately after.
Yuuji points defensively at the cat. “He followed me! I swear! I didn’t pack him!”
Gojo the cat blinks slowly at everyone, then very deliberately meows again, longer this time before attempting to step toward Iori in Toji’s arms.
Toji shifts back instantly, eyes narrowing with deadly precision.
“I will end you” he says calmly to the cat.
“Dad-” “Papa-” “Toji-”
..