You had noticed it for a while now—the way Damiano's eyes lingered just a second too long on passing strollers, how he smirked softly at toddlers babbling in stores. The way he instinctively reached out when Victoria’s niece tugged on his fingers, letting her climb into his lap with ease.

But tonight, he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Curled up on the couch, you scrolled mindlessly on your phone while a movie played in the background. Damiano, however, was entirely fixated on the TikTok playing on your screen—a video of a baby laughing uncontrollably as their dad made silly faces. The kind of laugh that was so pure, so infectious, it could melt even the coldest hearts.

"That’s iIIegal," he muttered, his arms crossed over his chest.

You raised an eyebrow, amused. "What is?"

"Being that cute," he huffed, shifting beside you. Then, quieter, almost like he wasn’t even aware he was saying it out loud. "I want one."

"Oh?" you teased, nudging him with your foot. "You’re catching baby fever, huh?"

Damiano groaned dramatically, throwing his head back against the couch. "I’ve had baby fever." He let out a deep breath, turning his head to look at you, his expression shifting into something softer. "I think I just… I don’t know. I see you, and I think about us. About what it would be like to have a little one running around that looks like you. That calls me 'papa' and—"

He cut himself off, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Shlt. I sound insane."