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The sound of little footsteps approaching wakes Ren up. Cracking his eyes open, he turns to check the time on his phone. It's early in the morning, earlier than he would've wanted to wake up after a rough night with a newborn, but his oldest daughter doesn't know that — contrary to her parents, she had a great night of sleep in her room while cuddling with Morgana.
The nest dips as the little girl climbs on top of it. “Papa! Mama! Wake u—woah!” Sayaka is unable to finish her sentence as her father effortlessly scoops her into his arms, stopping her from climbing on top of Yusuke's sleeping form. “Good morning!”
“Let's be quiet,” Ren says, putting a finger in front of his mouth before pointing to the lump beneath the blankets that is his mate. “Mama is very tired, and your little brother is sleeping. We shouldn't disturb them.”
“Huh? What happened to Mama?” Pouting, she looks over to her mother, who is deep in sleep and shows no signs of waking up. Ren wonders if he’s too tired to even hear his daughter and mate talking right beside him.
But just to be sure they won’t wake him up, Ren gets up, checks that Yuki is peacefully asleep in his bassinet, and carries Sayaka out of the room, shutting the door behind them. “Your little brother had a hard time staying asleep during the night, so Mama and Papa had to stay up with him to make sure he was okay.”
“Yuki cries a lot…” she mumbles, hiding in the crook of Ren’s neck.
“All babies do. They still haven’t learned to talk.” Ren nuzzles against the top of Sayaka’s head, rubbing his parental scent over her while making her messy bed hair even messier. “When you were a baby, like your brother, you cried a lot, too.”
The new information makes Sayaka gasp. She looks up at her father with wide eyes and shakes her head. Her soft scent changes, turning slightly sour. “What!? I don’t remember!”
Ren bites back his laughter. He shouldn’t laugh at his upset pup, but it’s too funny. “You were too small to remember. But that’s just how babies are. Don’t worry, darling.” Hoping it will make his daughter feel better, he gently rocks her in his arms while pacing the hall. It takes her a minute to stop grumbling, but she eventually settles down while clinging to Ren's pajama shirt. “Say, don't you want to help me make breakfast for Mama? I'm sure it will make him very happy.”
Sayaka perks up at the suggestion. She presses her lips into a fine line and nods.
“Perfect. Let's go make Mama a yummy, warm breakfast.” When passing the open door to Sayaka’s bedroom, Ren spots Morgana curled up on top of the blankets from the corner of his eyes, and it makes him smile. His dear companion is always more sleepy during the colder months, though surely he’ll wake up once the smell of food reaches his nose.
When they get to the kitchen, Ren puts Sayaka down and helps her wash her hands before they start cooking. She has to stand on a little stool to help, which makes Ren's heart melt. It's a shame he didn't grab his phone and won't be able to snap a few candid pictures of his precious pup.
“I'm gonna help Papa!” she giggles, drumming her fingers on the countertop with excitement.
“That's right. You'll be my assistant, so take care of me.”
“Of course!”
As he works around the kitchen, he gives her simple tasks, like measuring the rice before putting it into the rice cooker or grabbing him a pair of chopsticks, and keeps her away from anything that could harm her. If he worked alone, it would be faster, but working alongside his daughter is more fun. Besides, it's a wonderful opportunity to spend one-on-one time with her, giving her all of his attention. Something that's increasingly more difficult to do since her brother's birth.
Together, they prepare rice and a side dish of vegetables. And when Ren temporarily runs out of tasks for Sayaka, she grabs a seat and watches him work over the stove, dutifully stirring a pot of miso soup while the rice cooker works in the background. Ren can hear her hum the tune of her favorite cartoon.
“Can you come here for a second, darling? I need your help.”
Without missing a beat, little feet run up to Ren, and she climbs onto her stool. “Yes?” Sayaka stands on her tiptoes, looking up at her father with sparkling eyes. The morning sun coming through the windows makes the little girl's eyes shine even brighter. “What do I do?”
Putting a spoonful of soup into a small dish, Ren cools it down by blowing it a little. “How does it taste?” he asks while bending down, holding the dish in front of Sayaka’s face. “Be careful, though. It's hot.”
Sayaka nods and puts her hands over her father's, blowing the soup before guiding the dish to her mouth. The way her eyes close and the corners of her mouth curl up let Ren know she likes it. “It's yummy! Like everything Papa cooks!”
“You think so? Thank you, darling.” He ruffles her hair, making her giggle. “Soon I'll be done, and we'll bring it to Mama, okay? Just wait a little more.”
“Okay!” Carefully, she steps down from her stool and starts pacing around the kitchen and rearranging the few magnets on the fridge that are within her reach. Ren guesses she’s too excited to sit and stay in place.
A few minutes after he starts grilling the fish, Morgana shows up in the kitchen. The alluring smell woke him up. Since settling down as a normal house cat, Morgana has grown lazy and spoiled, which the entire family is to blame for. “Oi, give me a bite!”
“Good morning to you, too,” Ren chuckles as he rolls his eyes. Giving Morgana a small piece won’t hurt anyone, so he follows the order and cuts a piece and tosses it. Morgana, despite living the luxurious life of a lazy cat, still catches the food midair. “Is it good?”
“Nyahaha, delicious! Give me more!”
“Sorry, I can’t give you more.” Morgana hits him on the leg. He’s careful not to scratch, though he would never admit to it — not that he needs to. Ren already knows. “Sayaka, can you serve Mona his breakfast?”
“Sure! Mona-chan, come here~.” She walks over to the drawer that has Morgana's kibble inside, and Ren keeps an eye on her to make sure she doesn't overfeed their fluffy companion. Morgana grumbles under his breath something about wanting fresh meat but still goes over to his plate to eat, while Sayaka squats beside him and strokes his fur. “There you go, Mona-chan!”
“It's not as good as having grilled fish, but I'll take it…”
In the background, Ren finishes grilling the fish and arranges the dishes on a tray. Making a traditional breakfast isn't something he does on a daily basis, but after giving birth, his mate needs meals packed with nutrients to recover, stay healthy, and feed their newborn pup. It's Ren's duty as his mate, and as an alpha, to provide and take care of him and their family. And he's delighted to fulfill that duty. His chest swells with pride whenever his family relies on him. Turning to Sayaka, he announces, “We're done! It's finally time to surprise Mama with the breakfast we made.”
Sayaka squeals and claps her hands before rushing to her father's side. “Let's go! Let's go!”
Ren nods and grabs the aesthetically arranged tray — hopefully it will please Yusuke's artistic eye. “Be careful to not run down the hall.” His daughter hums, and like asked, she doesn't run and instead bounces on her heels by Ren's side.
Since Ren's hands are full, Sayaka opens the door to the master bedroom for him. She looks up at him, unsure of what to do next. She wants to climb into the nest and wake Yusuke up, but her father's words remind her that he's tired. Ren's heart melts as she looks at him, silently asking what she should do. “Be gentle, and it'll be okay.”
“Okay…” With slow and light steps, Sayaka approaches Yusuke's sleeping figure. She stares at him for a moment before whispering, “Mama, wake up… It's time to eat…” As gentle as she can, she strokes Yusuke's head, mimicking what her parents do to wake her up from a nap.
After a minute, Yusuke stirs. He slowly opens his eyes, and despite still looking tired, he smiles. “Good morning, Sayaka,” he mumbles, opening his arms to give her a hug.
“Mama!” She throws her hands in the air and jumps into the nest, curling up by Yusuke's side. “Mama, we made breakfast!”
Sitting up, Yusuke rubs his eyes. “Really?” Sayaka nods, and that's Ren's cue to step forward with the tray and set it on his mate's lap.
“Morning,” he whispers before placing a peck on Yusuke's lips. Even after waking up next to him for years and kissing him a million times, sparks still fly when their lips meet for a brief second. He wishes they could stay like this for longer, but there are two kids they have to take care of. “Feeling okay?”
“I am, and this appetizing breakfast is going to make me feel even better. Thanks, you two.”
“I helped Papa cook!” she says, tugging at the sleeve of Yusuke's pajama to get his full attention.
“That's right. I couldn't have done it without your help.” He places a kiss on top of Sayaka’s head and steps away to grab breakfast for Sayaka and himself.
In the kitchen, Morgana just finished eating. He keeps Ren company while he finishes serving the food. “Why don’t you come and join us in the nest?”
“Maybe later. Right now, I’m taking a break from babysitting the kid throughout the night. Besides, I need to stretch my legs for a while.” Ren hums in response, and once he’s done serving breakfast, Morgana goes away to bathe in the morning sun. It’s a peaceful morning — just what they need after a sleepless night.
When he comes back, he hands Sayaka her portion and puts his to the side for a second so he can check on Yuki. When he looks into the bassinet, he sees his son awake and looking back at him. It seems the noise woke him up. Thankfully, he’s in a good mood and doesn't seem to mind his sister's loud rambling about what she did in the kitchen. No one would think Yuki spent the night crying. “Good morning, little guy.”
“Oh, he's awake?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, he’s just looking around. Enjoy your breakfast,” he says, booping Yuki’s little nose. Yuki scrunches his face and wiggles, making Ren chuckle. He picks him up and cradles him in his arms before joining the rest of the family in the nest. Eating while holding Yuki isn’t difficult; doing things with one hand is a skill he mastered during his crazy teen years. “So how’s breakfast?”
“Even more delicious than usual. I believe Sayaka’s help made it even tastier.” Yusuke wraps his arm around Sayaka’s shoulders, bringing her closer and casually scenting her. “You two did a great job.”
“Thank you, Mama!” Sayaka giggles and hugs Yusuke.
While eating, they chat about nothing in particular. Sayaka tells them about what she dreamed during the night; they discuss plans for the day and also coo whenever Yuki moves in Ren’s arms. When they’re almost done, Yuki gets even more fuzzy, and Yusuke takes over to feed him before he can scream and cry.
“Don’t cry, Yuki,” Sayaka says while watching her little brother. It seems the little talk they had earlier in the hall helped her understand her brother a little more.
“You’re such a kind big sister, Sayaka,” Yusuke praises, and Sayaka gives him a shy smile.
Ren can’t stop himself from smiling like a fool as he watches his family all together, smiling and relaxing on a pleasant morning after eating the food he cooked. In moments like this, all the things he endured while growing up feel worthy, and he makes a silent promise to protect his family so they’re always smiling.