Work Text:
By a sheer coincidence, that day everyone met in front of the Butterfly Estate, each done with their respective business.
Tanjirou and Zenitsu had just completed with their missions, a pure happenstance that they're finished at the same time. Inosuke was recuperating from his arm injury so he’s just staying in the mansion; though he was doing some exercises in the garden to prevent his senses from turning dull. Genya was exiting the estate, initially wanted to have a talk with Shinobu but unable to do so because the latter was out on a mission. While Kanao had just come back from a supply run.
"How about we all eat dango or something? I smelled a very delicious dango place on my way back, it would be perfect for a snack!" Tanjirou proposed with a bright smile.
Sure, why not, everyone thought, and they're off to the dangohouse Tanjirou had mentioned. Regrettably, Aoi and the three little girls were not able to come, as there were other patients in the estate. Tanjirou made a mental note to buy some dangos for them to enjoy later.
And by another coincidence, they met with the Insect Pillar and the Watter Pillar in the restaurant.
“Tanjirou, what the hell! This is the third time a coincidence happens today! Is it a bad omen?? Or are you playing a prank on me??” Zenitsu whispered in Tanjirou’s ear.
“Coincidence happens a lot, Zenitsu. It’s just today we experience three,” Tanjirou said it as a matter-of-fact, then turned to the Pillars. “Hello, Shinobu-san, Tomioka-san!”
The only one who responded to his greeting was the Insect Pillar. “Hello everyone. How rare for you to be all together,” she said with her usual smile, then turned to poke the man beside him, “Come on, Tomioka-san, that’s a bad manner to ignore someone.”
And as usual, he just stayed silent.
“I’d say it’s rare for you two to be together, Shinobu-san,” Tanjirou noted, unbothered by Giyuu’s lack of response.
“Ah, we met at the same town a demon had been lurking by. The demon had been taken care of, so we’re just having a snack together.” Shinobu gestured for everyone to come closer. “Why don’t we all eat together? Come and sit together with us.”
Tanjirou could smell disturbance from Giyuu, but Shinobu’s smell told him, “It’s okay, don’t mind him.” He could smell an amusement from Shinobu, too.
Just when he wanted to decline, everyone else had already sat down on the table. Kanao sat silently beside Shinobu, while Genya was talking to Shinobu about something about digestion, Inosuke was drooling from the menu, and Zenitsu was busy scolding Inosuke for making a mess and being a huge embarrassment. Now he didn’t really have a choice to follow the others.
“I’m sorry, Tomioka-san,” the maroon-haired boy whispered apologetically as he sat down beside him.
Again, Giyuu didn’t reply, instead he chewed on his dango without any sound. However, Tanjirou could smell, “It’s okay,” from him.
Their snack time went uneventfully, if you excluded Inosuke choking on his dango, Zenitsu slapping his back to get the food out of his throat, and Shinobu scolding Inosuke for eating too fast. “It’s not going anywhere, Inosuke-kun. How many times do I have to tell you?” she said to him, followed by Inosuke’s solemn nod. But it’s not an unexpected situation and everyone had fun, so it’s fair to say it’s a nice meal to have.
What Tanjirou had observed throughout the meal was that Shinobu tended to everyone like a mother would. She took some dango and gave them to Kanao, who was still beside the Pillar, waiting until everyone finished taking their share. It was a bad move, because Inosuke was on his way to hog every dango to his plate, before Shinobu scolded him to share with the others. And he actually listened to her, placing the six dango he was holding back to the plate. Then Shinobu called the waitress to refill Genya’s and Zenitsu’s cups, which had been empty without them realising. She did not miss Tanjirou or Giyuu either, giving napkins to both of them for wiping their sauce-covered mouth.
She always did something for others Tanjirou felt bad that it took her so long to finish her own dango.
In contrast, Giyuu finished his portion quite quickly, all the while without saying a word to any of them. Nearing the end of the meal, he excused himself from the table to go to the toilet, but Tanjirou noticed he stayed a bit longer at the cashier after he came back. He expected Giyuu to immediately exit the restaurant, but no, he came back and sat down beside Shinobu, though still devoid of any word.
After the incident of Inosuke choking had been resolved, Shinobu told them, “I’ll go and pay, so can you guys wait for me outside? Let’s go back to the estate together.”
There’s not really a moment for Tanjirou to refuse, as Inosuke already shouted his gratitude to Shinobu (that’s the first time Tanjirou had heard Inosuke saying thanks to anyone, really). The older woman just laughed in that sweet way of hers and gestured them to go outside. Soon enough both Pillars came out from the dangohouse, and they went on their separate ways—Giyuu to his own house and Shinobu with them to the Butterfly Estate.
Halfway there, Tanjirou remembered he forgot to buy some dango for Aoi and the girls. Just when he was ready to run back, Shinobu stopped him and showed a package she was holding—a takeaway from the restaurant.
“Tomioka-san bought these for Aoi and the others. It’s a bit too many, though, because he also bought some for Nezuko-san. He didn’t realise she can’t eat dango until I told him,” Shinobu laughed, but tenderness was evident in her voice and expression. “He also paid for our meal, so the next time you meet him, don’t forget to thank him, okay?”
And right there, Tanjirou feared he would slip up and call them Father and Mother some day.