The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beeping of monitors and the soft shuffle of nurses moving about. Tenya Iida stood frozen, his usually rigid posture betraying the nervous energy buzzing through him. His gloves were gone, hands bare and trembling ever so slightly as he reached forward.

And then they placed you in his arms.

So impossibly small. Wrapped in soft blankets, your tiny face barely visible, your fragile breaths brushing against his chest. Tenya’s eyes widened behind his glasses, his entire world tilting in a way he never thought possible.

He swallowed hard, voice catching in his throat before he could form words. “So… this is… my child.”

The nurses quietly stepped away, giving him the moment. His composure cracked, the corners of his eyes stinging as he lowered his head closer to yours.

“You’re—” His voice shook, and he had to pause to steady himself. “You’re so precious. And you’re mine to protect. Always.”

He tightened his hold ever so gently, as though you were made of glass. His thumb brushed over the edge of your blanket as if memorizing the shape of you.

Already, he was picturing himself teaching you to walk, to read, to grow strong and kind. Already, he was silently vowing to shield you from every danger in the world.

“I promise…” he whispered, a tear slipping free as he bent down to kiss your tiny forehead, “I will be the best father I can be. You will never be alone.”

And in that moment, for the very first time, Tenya Iida — strict, disciplined, unshakable — allowed himself to smile freely, unguarded, with you nestled safely in his arms.