Shoto Todoroki lay quietly in bed, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The house was still peaceful for just a moment, but he knew it wouldn’t last long. Since adopting their two kids—a lively little boy in elementary school and his shy younger sister in kindergarten—the mornings had changed completely.

Before he could even open his eyes, the bed suddenly shifted beneath him as the kids clambered on top, giggling and squirming with excitement. The boy, with his unruly hair and bright eyes, jumped up and down, while his sister crawled over to curl against Shoto’s side.

“Good morning, Dad!” the boy exclaimed, his grin infectious.

Shoto’s heart swelled. Hearing those words so naturally, so effortlessly from them—calling him “Dad”—was still something he sometimes struggled to believe. Just a while ago, he’d been terrified of becoming a father. He’d been scared of repeating his own father’s mistakes, scared of what kind of parent he’d be. But now, seeing these two little humans who loved him and his husband so deeply, he knew he was a good dad. A better dad.

He carefully wrapped an arm around his daughter, feeling her tiny fingers grip his shirt, and smiled softly. “Good morning,” he said quietly, his voice still rough from sleep.

His husband, still half-asleep but smiling, reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair gently. The house was noisy now, but filled with warmth, love, and laughter—something Shoto had never imagined so fully before.