The house was quiet.
Well, almost.
A few soft giggles and the occasional patter of tiny feet echoed from down the hall, followed by a barely-contained hush! from Kara.
Goku chuckled, sitting on the couch, stretching his arms behind his head. "You need help?"
Kara appeared in the doorway, holding a very wiggly Alura in one arm and an equally stubborn Gohan in the other. Both of them were in their little pajamas, Alura's a soft blue and Gohan's orange. Their tiny faces were full of mischief, eyes still wide and alert despite the late hour.
"They don't want to sleep," Kara sighed, exasperated but smiling.
"Sleep no fun!" Alura declared, kicking her legs.
Gohan, his little Saiyan tail twitching, nodded in agreement. "No sleep!"
Goku grinned. "Oh yeah? But what about story time?"
The twins paused at that, their big, curious eyes blinking up at him.
Kara smirked. "Oh, so that gets their attention?"
Alura gasped, twisting in her mother's arms. "Story!"
Gohan reached toward Goku. "Papa story!"
Kara sighed playfully and walked over to the couch, sitting beside Goku. The twins immediately crawled onto their parents' laps, settling in.
Goku glanced at Kara. "You wanna pick the story?"
Kara smiled, brushing a few strands of golden hair from Alura's face. "Hmm… how about the one about the warrior and the princess?"
Gohan's eyes widened with excitement. "Big fight?"
Alura clapped her hands. "Pretty dress?"
Goku laughed. "Both, I guess."
And so, the story began.
The Struggle of Sleep
By the time they finished, Gohan's eyelids were drooping, and Alura was curled up against Kara's chest, fighting sleep with all her might.
Kara sighed softly, standing up with Alura in her arms, while Goku carefully lifted Gohan.
As they carried their children to their small shared nursery, Kara glanced at Goku. "You ever think about how fast they're growing?"
Goku grinned. "Heh. Yeah. Feels like just yesterday they were tiny little things."
"They are tiny little things," Kara pointed out with a smirk.
Goku chuckled. "Yeah, but now they can walk. And kinda talk."
They entered the twins' room—a small but cozy space, with two cribs positioned side by side. A soft nightlight shaped like a tiny dragon cast a warm glow over the room.
Kara gently laid Alura in her crib, tucking a soft blue blanket around her. "Alright, you, time to sleep."
Alura frowned sleepily, her tiny hands reaching out toward Kara's sleeve. "Mama stay?"
Kara smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be right outside, sweetheart."
Alura pouted, but her blinking grew slower… and slower… until she finally surrendered to sleep.
Meanwhile, Goku placed Gohan in his crib. The boy yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes, then curled up under his blanket. His little Saiyan tail twitched once before he sighed contentedly.
Goku ruffled his hair. "Night, bud."
Just as Goku and Kara turned to leave, a small, tired voice mumbled:
"Love… Mama… Papa…"
Kara froze.
Goku blinked, looking back down at Gohan. The boy was half-asleep, his tiny face peaceful.
Alura, barely awake, let out a soft mumble. "Mm… love… Papa…"
Kara felt her heart swell.
Goku grinned, stepping beside her as they stood in the dim glow of the nursery. He reached out, gently squeezing Kara's hand. "Heh. They're sweet, huh?"
Kara swallowed past the warmth in her throat, squeezing back. "Yeah. They really are."
With one last glance at their sleeping children, Kara reached out, flicking off the nightlight. "Goodnight, my loves."
A Moment Just for Them
Once they left the twins' room, the house was finally silent.
Kara let out a deep breath, stretching her arms. "Well, that only took forever."
Goku chuckled. "Eh, wasn't so bad."
Kara gave him a look. "That's because you weren't the one wrestling Alura into pajamas earlier."
Goku grinned. "She's a fighter, alright."
"She gets that from you," Kara muttered, walking toward their bedroom.
Goku followed, stretching his arms with a big yawn.
Kara turned just as he was about to flop onto the bed—still in his orange gi.
"Oh, no you don't."
Goku froze, one knee on the bed. "Huh?"
Kara crossed her arms. "You are not sleeping in that."
Goku raised an eyebrow. "What? It's comfy."
Kara sighed, stepping forward and tugging at the sleeve of his gi. "You wear that all day. No way am I letting you sleep in it."
Goku smirked. "So bossy."
Kara rolled her eyes but grabbed one of his soft cotton shirts from the dresser and tossed it at him.
"There. Now change."
Goku chuckled, catching the shirt. "Yes, ma'am."
After changing, he climbed into bed while Kara pulled back the covers and slid in beside him. The room was dimly lit, the soft hum of the night breeze filtering through the window.
Kara sighed as she sank into the pillows, her body finally relaxing.
Goku lay beside her, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "You tired?"
Kara hummed. "Mm. Exhausted."
He chuckled. "Didn't even train today."
"Keeping two hyper one-year-olds alive is training," Kara muttered sleepily.
Goku laughed. "Heh. Yeah, fair point."
A few moments passed in comfortable silence.
Then, instinctively, Kara shifted closer to him, her body curling slightly toward his warmth.
Goku felt it, the way she naturally gravitated toward him—even in sleep.
He glanced down at her, a small smile forming.
Kara let out a content sigh, already half-asleep, her fingers lightly resting against his chest.
Goku reached over, brushing a few golden strands of her hair away from her face, watching as her breathing slowed.
He smiled softly. "Night, Kara."
Her lips barely moved, but he still heard it:
"Night… Goku…"
And just like that, the house was peaceful once more.
Outside, the night sky stretched endlessly, the stars shimmering above.
But inside, wrapped in warmth, was something far greater than any battle—
A quiet moment of love.