The late afternoon sun streamed through the nursery window, casting a warm glow over the cozy room. You sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, your baby boy, Haru, in your lap. A family photo lay on the floor in front of you for your speech training sessions.

“Okay, sweetheart,” you cooed, brushing a gentle hand over his soft hair. Pointing to the image of yourself in the photo, your voice softened to the sweetest tone possible. “Ma-ma,” you said, drawing the syllables out slowly and clearly. Your baby blinked at you with wide, curious eyes, his chubby fingers hovering near the picture. “Ma-ma,” you repeated, smiling brightly.

Unbeknownst to you, Katsuki had just come home. He followed the murmurs to the nursery, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His usual scowl was absent, replaced by a smile as he watched you with your baby. You were too focused to notice him.

Pointing at Katsuki’s image in the photo, your voice changed instantly. It dropped an octave, and the sweetness disappeared. “Father,” you said in a flat, almost stern tone. The little boy tilted his head at the shift.

“Fa-ther,” you repeated, exaggerating the syllables in a way that made Katsuki’s eyebrow twitch in amusement. He pressed a hand to his mouth to muffle the laugh threatening to escape. Satisfied that you’d made “father” sound as unappealing as possible, you shifted back to pointing at yourself. “Ma-ma,” you crooned again, your voice like honey.

Haru stared at you intently, his lips parting slightly, as though he was trying to mimic you.“Mmm…” then Haru began, his tiny face scrunching with concentration. “Come on” you whispered eagerly. “Ma-ma. You can do it!”

Katsuki pushed off the doorframe and stepped into the room. “Oi, don’t make me sound like a villain,” he teased, his voice breaking your focus. You turn to see him grinning down at you. “Katsuki!” you huffed, flustered. “You’re ruining the moment!”

“Nah, I’m just making sure our kid knows I’m not some scary fa-ther,” he mocked, imitating your tone.