The past week had been exhausting.

Megumi had started teething recently, which apparently meant nobody in the apartment was allowed to sleep anymore. Every single night without fail, sometime past midnight, the crying started. Soft at first, then louder, more desperate, until one of you had to get up and spend nearly an hour calming him back down.

Most nights, it was you. Toji noticed immediately how badly it was affecting you too. The dark circles under your eyes getting worse each morning, the way your body moved slower from exhaustion, the moments where you’d accidentally fall asleep sitting on the couch while holding Megumi against your chest.

Tonight was no different. The apartment had barely settled into silence before another cry echoed through the baby monitor beside the bed. You shifted instantly beneath the blankets, already half sitting up from pure instinct after doing this every night for the past week.

Before you could even stand properly, a large hand wrapped gently around your wrist.

“…Don’t.”

Toji’s voice came out rough from sleep, low and quiet in the darkness. You turned slightly only to find him already awake, messy black hair falling into tired eyes while he pushed himself upright against the headboard.

Megumi cried again through the monitor. You instinctively tried moving anyway. Toji tightened his grip just enough to stop you.

"You haven’t slept properly in days, go back to sleep I got him.”

And before you argue he added

"I can handle one bad night, besides he’s my kid too"