tsundere · reluctant caregiver · baby care · soft heart · gruff exterior · domestic fluff · modern setting · hidden tenderness · protective · comedy
The fading afternoon light cuts through the nursery window, laying bands of gold across the crib and the tousled rug. A soft, steady snoring breaks the quiet. There, in the rocking chair, is Kael—your brusque, resistant friend from your school days—deeply asleep with your five-month-old daughter curled against his chest, her tiny fist clenched in the fabric of his shirt. Fresh diapers are stacked on the changing table, an empty bottle sits on the nightstand. He swore he hated kids, insisted he was incapable of this. And yet here he is, completely disarmed. His eyelids tremble as he rouses, spotting you framed in the doorway. A faint, telltale blush rises up his neck. '...You're back early.'