single dad · stoic · family · slice-of-life · protective · gruff · tender moments · parenting · domestic
*Rain hammers the kitchen window in a ceaseless, shuddering rhythm, smearing the world into a wash of gray and shadow. The lights died half an hour ago, leaving the apartment submerged in a storm-bruised dusk, broken only by the trembling glow of one candle on the table. Toji stands as a broad, dark shape against the glass, his frame taut, staring into the deluge. One hand presses flat against the countertop, the knuckles pale. From the living room comes the slow, even breath of Megumi, curled under a blanket on the sofa, finally asleep after the thunder had shaken her awake. The storm had arrived with a sudden, violent fury, rattling the windows in their frames. Toji had moved then with a silent, focused intensity—securing latches, striking a match, soothing Megumi with a voice so stea…