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"Come on Ichiro ! Try the yummy mushed peas !" Inasa tried to encourage his son. "Your sister likes them !"
Shouto and Inasa were trying to get the 6 month old twins to eat solids. Ikuko was just fine but Ichiro wouldn't budge. He wouldn't open his mouth.
"I told you, he only likes being breast fed." Shouto said, as he fed Ikuko the mushed peas. "I read that some omegas make their own baby food and incorporate their breast milk into it, so that their babies smell it and they'll want to eat."
"You think that it'll work ?" Inasa asked, taking Ichiro out of his high chair.
"We can try." Shouto said, wiping Ikuko's messy mouth. "Good girl Ikuko. You ate all your peas." He took Ikuko out of her high chair and kissed her forehead. "As for your brother, we'll try again later."
"It's going to be hard to ween him." Inasa said. "It was difficult just getting him used to bottles."
"We don't have to worry about completely weening him until later." Shouto said. "Even though I said I'd start pumping when he starts biting, I kind of enjoy feeding my babies."
"I read that it strengthens the bond that you guys have, that's why mothers and infants like to do it, and that's why it's so hard to ween." Inasa said. "I wonder why Ikuko isn't like that. She hasn't been latching on till the milk runs out like Ichiro does."
Shouto frowned.
"Do you think we don't have a close enough bond ?" He asked. Inasa looked at him.
"Don't be so dramatic, I'm sure you two are bonding just fine." Inasa said.
"I don't know... we don't seems as close as Ichiro and I..." Shouto said, looking at his daughter, who was staring at her brother. "What if its because she inherited the red side of my hair ?"
"Babe don't be ridiculous, besides, Ikuko's red hair is on her right side, not her left, and I thought we solved the issues with your left side." Inasa said. He sighed. "Do you honestly feel like you can't bond with our daughter because of her right side ?"
Shouto didn't answer.
"Okay, then. How about you two spend the day together ?" Inasa asked. "I'll go run out to the store with Ichiro to get some groceries while you and Ikuko have some mommy and me time."
"I guess that's fine..." Shouto said. "If you think it'll strengthen our bond." He looked down at his daughter, who was chewing on his shirt, slobbering all over Shouto.
"Great ! Ichiro and I will be back in a bit !" Inasa said, going to get ready. Shouto kissed the top if his daughter's head. He was determined to strengthen their bond.
-
"Look Ikuko, it's the bunny Grandma made for you." Shouto said, waving the bunny in front of his daughter, who was sitting in her walker, that she really couldn't use for walking yet. His daughter seemed uninterested in the bunny. She always lit up when Inasa did it. Why was she so bored with Shouto ? Shouto was starting to doubt their bond. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Izuku's number.
"Shouto ?" Izuku answered.
"Can you come over ?" Shouto asked.
"What's wrong ?" Izuku asked.
"I need to learn how to strengthen Ikuko and I's bond and I'm getting worried that we're not bonded at all." Shouto said. He heard Izuku hum.
"Alright, but I'm bringing Keita over, I'm watching him while Kaachan works the day shift. I have the night shift tonight." Izuku said.
"Thank you so much." Shouto said, letting out a sigh of relief.
-
"When did you realize that you and Ikuko had bonding troubles ?" Izuku asked, holding his son, Keita, on his hip.
"Inasa pointed out that she doesn't latch to me for as long as Ichiro does when she's feeding." Shouto said. "But she doesn't really seem interested in me as she does with Inasa. At first I thought it had something to do with her inheriting my red hair, so I thought I was the problem because of how much I hate my left side."
"Well, maybe it's because you have two babies and you have to either split or share time." Izuku said. "She probably doesn't get as much time alone with you as much as Ichiro does. I had trouble bonding with Keita when I went back to work and Katsuki was with him often but I took vacation days and we bonded in no time."
"That makes sense. Inasa is the one who tends to her the most at night. She and Ichiro tend to wake up at different times, so I get Ichiro while be gets Ikuko. Not to mention that she spends most of the day with her aunt and grandma so she's missing out on some quality time with her mama." Shouto said. "Maybe if we adjust it so that Ikuko gets some time with me and I take a little more time off to be with her, it'll strengthen our bond."
"Have you also tried playing with her ?" Izuku asked.
"I just tried but she was stone faced." Shouto said. "She usually laughs when her daddy plays with her."
Izuku hummed in thought.
"Have you tried doing that thing with your quirk?" Izuku asked. "You know, where you turn ice and snow into pretty shapes ? You did it for Keita when you came over and I had to leave to get a diaper from his nursery, and he wouldn't stop crying until he saw you do it. Maybe the bunny thing is something special she only likes her daddy to do. You have to come up with your own thing."
"I remember now." Shouto said. He looked at Ikuko, who was chewing on her hands, ignoring everyone while in her walker. Shouto sat in front of her. "Iku, look at mama." He said, getting the baby's attention. He made some shapes from ice to the best of his ability.
"Look at the pretty snowflake sweetheart." He said, holding the large snowflake out in front of her. Ikuko cooed and reached out to touch it, not bothered by the coldness. She then grabbed it and jammed it in her mouth. Shouto looked at her in shock.
"Why'd you eat it ?" He asked. He sighed and tried to make more shapes for his daughter but each time she only tried to eat them.
"Shouto, I think I know what's wrong." Izuku said. "Look inside of her mouth."
Shouto did what Izuku suggested and saw a tiny tooth protruding from Ikuko's gums.
"You see that ?" Izuku asked. "She's teething and the coldness of the ice helps soothe her achy gums."
"Oh Iku, you're cutting your first tooth already..." Shouto cooed. Ikuko grabbed her mama's hand and put it in her mouth, knawing on the cold hand, as if she wanted the coldness to return.
"Here sweetheart, I'll be back." Shouto said, standing up. As he left the room, he heard Ikuko whine and cry for him. His heart ached but he went into the kitchen, taking out a teething toy from the freezer before rushing back to his daughter and handing her the teething toy. He picked her up and held her against his chest. She cuddled up to him, cooing as she gnawed on the teething toy. Izuku smiled as he held his son close.
"See Shouto ? It wasn't that she wasn't bonding with you, she's probably just been irritated because of her tooth and it probably makes feedings more painful." Izuku said, chuckling. Suddenly, Keita tugged on Izuku's shirt.
"Ma..ma !" Keita said.
"I get it, you're hungry." Izuku said, sitting on the nearby couch, lifting his shirt up and letting the blonde haired boy latch onto him.
"Does Keita bite much ?" Shouto asked. "He is turning one soon so he must have a lot of teeth"
"Not really, no." Izuku said. "Occasionally he nips, when he's really hungry or upset but he doesn't bite."
"I've been concerned with biting. I want to keep breastfeeding because I like the bonding but I don't want to get bit." Shouto said.
"I'm sure you'll be fine. That's where the milk flows and they probably don't want to stop their chances of losing it and having to permanently move to bottles." Izuku said. "By the way !" He leaned over Keita to get his diaper bag, pulling out a small tube, tossing it to Shouto, who caught it.
"It's orajel, put that on Ikuko's tooth. It'll numb the pain and help her sleep, along with helping her eat and it'll help Ichiro when his teeth start to break through too." Izuku said. "Trust me, the teething stage is the worst. Kaachan and I barely got sleep until we found oragel."
"Thank you so much." Shouto said. "You are basically my parent guide on how to do this stuff. Inasa and I are still new but it's harder since we have two babies to worry about."
"You'll get the hang if it it no time Shouto." Izuku said.
"I'm back !" Inasa's voice called out as he entered the living room, carrying Ichiro in one arm and holding groceries in the other, noticing Izuku. "Oh, hey Izuku ! I guess this about to turn into a nursing session cause Ichiro is hungry and wouldn't take a bottle for the life of me, I tried."
"Can you take Ikuko then ?" Shouto asked. Inasa nodded as they exchanged babies, Ikuko squealing as her daddy took her in his arms. Shouto liftted his shirt up and let Ichiro latch on.
"Ichiro is so adorable." Izuku said. "I'm kind of jealous that you got both a boy and a girl your first try. Kaachan wants us to try for a little girl when Keita is older so he'll have a little sibling to play with."
"You think you can handle another pregnancy ?" Shouto asked. "Remember your doctor said your injuries from hero work might put strain on you and the baby, when you were pregnant with Keita ?"
"Hopefully." Izuku said. "I still have to get cleared by my doctor but I think I'll be alright."
"I hope you two do get a little girl. Do you think She'd look like you or Katsuki like Keita does ?" Shouto asked.
"My mom said Keita came out looking like Kaachan's twin is because I was mad at him for most of my pregnancy." Izuku chuckled. "Apparently, it's a old wife's tale that if you're really mad at someone during your pregnancy, your baby will come out looking just like them."
Shouto shuddered. He hoped none of his kids grew up to look like his father, since that's who he was mad at his entire pregnancy. Maybe that's why Ikuko was born with red hair. The thought kind of scared him. He regained himself. He refused to let his trauma affect his bond with his child, vowing to strengthen his bonds with Ikuko. He wasn't going to let his old man ruin this.