Chapter Text
“When you fall in love with a boy someday, you’ll change to!”
Kanae’s words echoed through Kanao’s mind. She gave it plenty of thought when she got older and expected this very thing to happen.
She thought she found exactly that boy. Tanjiro Kamado, the kindest boy she had ever met. The boy who helped her slowly learn to make her own choices by using her coin, her decision making tool, to tell her it was time for her to start making her own choices with it.
That was when their relationship began, now in the future, demons were gone and Muzan was defeated. She was now able to make her own choices without that coin she relied on before, she was thankful to Tanjiro for that. He really was a great friend.
Friend…no that wasn’t it. They are married now. Her being married was funny to her..she never imagined it. Her, a former slave girl dirty and covered with fleas and broken, now was married to someone with a peaceful life without demons. With the kindest husband one could ask for.
So..why did something feel wrong? Even now there was a hole inside her, something was troubling to her.
The answer came to her when visiting Tanjiro’s little sister, Nezuko.
Once Kanao didn’t know how to feel about Nezuko. She used to be a demon..she was supposed to kill demons. However, she was soon told by Shinobu not to and that Nezuko was found to not be a threat.
She then realized how kind the girl was. Especially after turning human again. She was like her brother in a lot of ways, being extremely kind and never selfish. However, she was a little more hot headed than Tanjiro, which Kanao found herself admiring as Nezuko got angry at a stranger for insulting her family.
Kanao got the chance to visit Nezuko a lot thanks to her relationship with Tanjiro. Each time, Kanao found herself getting a little more exciting. Her and Nezuko would talk a lot during these encounters and it made her heart flutter.
It..wasn’t right. She knew that! Her heart shouldn’t be fluttering and pounding with Nezuko..There were so many problems. The most obvious being her marriage to Tanjiro! Tanjiro was the kindest husband who helped her make choices again. He always looked after her making sure she was always okay and happy. What right did she have to feel discontented when she had such a sweet husband? She had a life people would kill for now.
Second, was that Nezuko was married as well. She was married to Zenitsu who from what Kanao saw also treated her lovingly. The boy practically worshiped the ground she walked on and created some beautiful artwork of the girl that Nezuko always seemed to enjoy or giggle at. The idea of harming a relationship with her feelings pained her.
Finally Kanae's words from the past, a boy would happen to her heart. It had to be a boy and that boy was Tanjiro, having feelings for a girl would certainly be frowned upon in society.
No matter how she looked at it, there was no way her feelings would work out for anyone.
She felt Tanjiro’s eyes look at her with concern as she was lost in thought.
“Kanao..are you alright?”
Tanjiro..was always so sweet. He really was a great friend..her husband..
“Im..okay Tanjiro. Don’t worry about me.”
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For a large part of Tanjiro’s life, romance was the last thing on his mind.
Who could blame him for that? His family was killed and little sister turned into a demon. Not exactly the ideal time for a romantic relationship.
Wasn’t always that way though. Tanjiro remembering being a child and watching his mother and father and hoping one day he would have a partner like that! Maybe a family of his own! After all, he had much love to give.
A shame all the fighting drowned those desires out for a time. There was always a risk he would die in battle, he could never get into a relationship when that was a possibility. He could never hurt someone like that.
Though now Muzan was gone, Nezuko was still human. He was free to live a peaceful life! He felt lucky..they were alive. Being able to see Nezuko human and their surviving comrades warmed his heart filling him with a relief he hasn't felt in years.
He even found himself growing closer to a girl he fought with, Kanao. His now wife. Back when he met her she was always so silent and afraid to make choices, that had changed and she has since opened up which made Tanjiro so happy to see!
Kanao was a great friend..a great wife as well. It was a little awkward when they first started dating with how dense Tanjiro could be with romance, and how nervous Kanao was, however that went away rather quickly to form a sweet relationship between the two of them.
Though something wasn’t right. Tanjiro’s almost super human sense of smell was telling him something. Kanao felt discontent.
Tanjiro wondered if he was doing anything wrong. He wondered if it was because of him, which Kanao would deny. Kanao smelled truthful so perhaps it wasn’t. It still worried him.
Though, it wasn’t like Tanjiro didn't understand. He hated to admit this to himself, in fact he usually pushed these feelings whenever he felt them. However, there was no denying it.
Tanjiro was discontent too. And it was all thanks to one Agatsuma Zenitsu.
Zenitsu was someone Tanjiro did the final selection with and eventually met again early in his trials. When he first met the blond, he was immediately put off. He was sobbing at some random girl to marry him and was a total coward. Existentially, a manchild. It even made Tanjiro get impatient sometimes. It disappointed him as he could smell how strong the boy was.
However that view began to change slowly once they calmed down and they shared food together. What really changed his mind though was once he left the mansion and saw Zenitsu protecting Nezuko’s box from Inosuke just because Tanjiro said the box was the most important thing to him.
Despite Zenitsu’s cowardly nature, he protected the box while getting viciously beaten up and knowing what was inside the box was a demon.
Thinking about it now, made Tanjiro’s heart pound. Even as life continued, those feelings never truly went away.
Though even if the battle against demons never happened, Tanjiro would never act on these feelings. Why? He knew Zenitsu's attraction to women.
Zenitsu would constantly fawn over women, especially Nezuko once he first laid eyes on her. Eventually his fawning over other women disappeared to focus on Nezuko. It seemed to succeed as after becoming human again, he and Zenitsu began going out and got married.
Now, despite Zenitsu’s flaws, Tanjiro still trusted him to take care of his sister. He even assisted him with asking her out and kept Inosuke distracted for that time. He just wanted his little sister to be happy after everything they have gone through. It was natural he would put her feelings over his own.
Even if that also meant pushing his feelings for Zenitsu aside. Besides, it would never work out anyway.
Besides he was married to Kanao and despite smelling the discontentment and his own feelings, he would always make her happy the best he could.
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A large part of Nezuko’s life was taken away from her.. It pained her to think about it.
However, she was simply thankful to have it back. No longer did she feel the pit of hunger in her stomach. She could speak normally and retain memories better than she ever had as a demon where her thoughts always appeared to be hazy.
It warmed her heart to think about how kindly she was treated even as a demon. Tanjiro was a given, but even others she never met beforehand who only knew her as a demon were so kind to her. The late Mitsuri came to mind.
Another such person was Zenitsu Agatsuma, her now husband. She remembered him protecting her box so bravely even though his usual attitude made her originally think the one who really protected her was another. But she now knew otherwise. The boy could be quite brave when needed. She even heard that he killed an upper rank single handedly..
That wasn't the only time he protected her, she remembered him both protecting her on the mugen train and trying to keep her safe when Tanjiro temporarily became a demon. For that, she would always be thankful.
Zenitsu always made sure to flatter her and confess adoration for her which would make her laugh fondly even if she thought the other went too far sometimes.
When Zenitsu properly proposed to her, she couldn't hear a thing after that as the boy’s screaming deafened her for that very day. Even though Zenitsu did propose marriage a lot, this sounded genuine with Zenitsu even promising her he will wait for an answer however long it took as to not pressure her.
It took her a few moments before deciding she would agree to the proposal. After all, Zenitsu was so kind to her and she knew Tanjiro would approve of how close the two boys were.
When they did announce their marriage he was happy for her as expected. However, Nezuko knew her older brother well.
There were hints of sadness on his face. Despite that, she never knew why.
Thankfully, things seemed to pick up when Tanjiro married Kanao, Nezuko was hoping that would make Tanjiro happy. After all, Kanao was such a kind and sweet girl..quite beautiful as well.
Nezuko owed a lot to the butterfly girl..without her her brother would still be a demon. Like others, Kanao did once try to kill her when she was a demon, but Nezuko never held a grudge. She was a demon slayer, it was her job.
Besides, afterward she was always kind to her. Nezuko could recall watching Kanao under the moonlight with the butterflies before being distracted by the yellings of her brother, Zenitsu and Inosuke. Each time she saw Kanao..she saw how gorgeous the girl was.
Since becoming human, Nezuko has seen Kanao a lot more. Kanao wanted to give her check ups after becoming human and the two girls would be together talking about their lives. It should have been a normal friendship.
However, Nezuko kept staring..her heart slowly quickening to pounding louder and louder. She felt warm..despite having a husband, she had never felt like this before.
Nezuko now felt cruel. Here she was, stringing along her husband while secretly watching another girl. Not just any girl, her brother’s wife!
Besides, her with another girl?! It wasn’t like she wasn't used to breaking societal norms..but she had no idea about the butterfly girl..
Zenitsu was a great guy. He was truly a cherished friend. Someone who did so much for her. The more she spends time with him..maybe she will start to feel those feelings immerge. She refused to hurt him or Tanjiro and Kanao's marriage with her feelings.
She had punched down her feelings of hunger as a demon..now she will push down her feelings as a human.
—--------------------------------------------
Zenitsu has always desired one thing above all else.
Love.
Being abandoned by his parents, he had never experienced any love at all. Rather he was discarded without even a name.
While on the streets, he had learned of how when guys got older they would get girlfriends, then wives who loved them.The idea striking to the young boy who wanted love oh so badly.
It was then he chose his last name, ‘Agatsuma’. A name that translates to ‘my wife.’. A surefire to show what he desired one day.
These desires lead to him getting taken advantage of by seven different girlfriends who he knew now never truly loved him. Sometimes he wondered what his life would be like if his gramps never found him.
Gramps..the first person who did show him love and he would always be grateful. Even if it did lead to him joining the life of demon slaying.
Though it still wasn’t a wife or girlfriend. So he decided that if he had to slay scary demons, he wanted to at least find a wife before he inevitably perished out there!
Looking back on it, it was quite embarrassing how Zenitsu would beg clearly not interested women to marry him. However, while he was apologetic to the girls he bothered, he was thankful it helped him meet Tanjiro Kamado.
With Zenitsu’s unique hearing, he heard the sound coming from him. It was simply beautiful, a sound Zenitsu had never heard before. The sound matched the individual as Tanjiro was the nicest guy he had ever met. It was the feeling Zenitsu craved, but Tanjiro was a guy! He couldn't be like that!
He thought he found a way to keep his feelings in check once meeting Nezuko. She was gorgeous and so kind just like her brother! If he had met Nezuko first, he was sure his heart would be soaring!
So he dedicated himself to her fawning over her entirely! Taking her out at night to show her the flowers, talking to her box, protecting her, Zenitsu tried to do everything!
When alone though, he was frustrated! He wasn't getting those feelings from her! All those feelings were going to dumb Tanjiro Kamado! Whenever he checked up on Zenitsu, comforted him, encouraged him, shared with him, anything..even just standing there made Zenitsu’s heart pound.
In return, he fawned over Nezuko more to get these feelings to go away! He had to have a wife for love, not a husband! Besides, Tanjiro liked that butterfly girl, Kanao anyway! Nezuko was who he was meant for! Tanjiro even supported his relationship with Nezuko!
So when he proposed and Nezuko accepted, he should have been happy!
He should have been happy when Tanjiro married Kanao too! His friends should be happy and so would his now wife!
So why wasn’t he!? He was so frustrated and angry with himself. Why couldn't he keep true to his words and be happy marrying Nezuko instead of pining over a man. A married man!
There was definitely something wrong with him. He would still continue to fawn over his wife to make her happy, while pushing his own feelings down the drain.
He..really was the worst.