Nori was in his room, quietly folding the tiny onesies and baby clothes he had picked up earlier that day. The soft pastel colors and silly little prints made his chest warm with something he didn't know how to name. He held up a tiny dress, gently smoothing it over his knee and smiled.
"I hope you're a girl," he whispered down at his bump, "so I can dress you up like a doll. You'd look so cute in this."
He placed the dress aside and leaned back, one hand resting over his stomach protectively. A hum left his lips—light, quiet. He remembered reading somewhere that if he sang to the baby, it would recognize his voice after being born. The idea made his eyes sting a little. So he kept humming, fingers idly stroking over the curve of his belly, like he was trying to soothe the little life inside.
Just as he shifted to sit on the bed, there was a flurry of noise outside his room—quick footsteps and voices calling out in perfect unison: "Welcome back, Oyabun!"
