Anzuru yori umu ga yasushi

The time between Sedna telling him she was pregnant and the birth of their children had gone by in the blink of an eye. He knew the woman probably didn’t see it that way, considering her moaning and groaning over the kiddos pushing against her bladder and other internal organs, but when her contractions had started it had been like a slap in the face. He knew that the Archer-Lyall knew what she was doing and her scrappy little companion was hard at work aiding her, but he felt a lot like a useless lump sitting to the side while she went through it all alone. But, as soon as the first pup was born, Raijin could feel nothing but awe. His golden gaze stared, wide-eyed, at the white masked girl who whimpered and cried with her whole tiny chest. He followed her with rapt attention as she was cleaned and settled at her mother’s swollen teats, her mouth hungrily searching for sustenance before latching on with an impressive strength. He felt his heart immediately turn into jelly, a bright grin lighting up his entire face. Her name was in his native tongue, and as Sedna dubbed her, he whispered “Himawari,” with reverent breath. His daughter, his first child, had entered the world.

Not long after, they were blessed with a dark coated son, a look that he knew would have meaning behind it crossing his partner’s face as she named him before he settled at her stomach next to his sister and he swore he fell in love all over again with their newest pup. Another girl followed close behind, and his grin faltered when a look of worry settled over Sedna’s face. She went into another set of contractions, which he knew was out of character for her family, and it had been odd in Iga as well to have large broods of more than three, but since arriving in Boreas he had decided something was in the water, because every litter he witnessed seem to have 5 or more. Then, an absolutely tiny, pink body slid from her mother’s womb and he had to do a double take to make sure it was actually a pup. It made no noise like it’s siblings, it didn’t even seem to breath, and his chest became stricken. He cast a panicked glance to Sedna as her companion frantically rubbed and beat their child’s chest, a whine beginning to come from his throat before, finally, a cough escaped the little one’s lungs. He gave a relieved chuckle when the little girl gave an annoyed growl to her mother as she dug into the milk she certainly seemed to need more than her siblings. All seemed fine as another contraction rippled along Sedna’s stomach.

Two more boys entered the world before everything seemed to subside, a coal-coated boy and one the color of earth and dashed with pale markings. He chuckled at her remark of him looking like a potato, and with a squint he had to agree. “I suppose we didn’t come up with enough names…so Potato it is. Tate for short,” he suggested, finally moving from his corner in the room out of the way to settle in behind her. As his bulk pressed up against her, he offered a kiss to her sweaty, plum colored temple. “I’ll start finding a spot in the maze tomorrow and cutting down some more bamboo for the build. They’ll be running around sooner than we expect I imagine, better get started as soon as possible,” he replied, his large head peeking over her side to gaze at their pups one more. He was a father, and he didn’t think he’d ever been happier in his entire life.

"Genji Raijin"