Work Text:
Inosuke Hashibira is not a fearful person, everyone could corroborate the information. Never in his life had he felt so much fear like he does in this moment, even when he had fought one of the upper moons when he had only been a child, so why adult Inosuke, pillar of the beast, is trembling in front of a door?
“This is so humiliating! Why do Aoi and Nezuko have to see me in this position?!” Inosuke winced at the new shout that came from inside the room. Genba by his side had imitated his action.
The screams were to fear.
Hashibira looked in Mukata's direction who was pale due to the screaming.
“And why are there so many people outside the door?! Did you tell everyone?! I'm going to kill you, Tanjiro, your useless husband!” Followed by that exclamation a sound of pain was heard throughout the house.
Everyone who was waiting paled a little bit at the new scream.
But the scariest part was to listen to Zenitsu ceasing to be polite.
Zenitsu Kamado could be known for being a crybaby in the past, but, even so, no matter how scared and in pain he was, he never, never really, lost his manners, which resulted in his characteristic passive aggressive way of speaking when something bothers him.
“If you make me go through this pain again I swear that I will ask for the divorce, Tanjiro!” After the sentence a cry of deep pain was heard.
Aoi and Nezuko, who were helping with childbirth, were trying to calm him down, either with words of support as in the case of Nezuko or with threats as in the case of Aoi.
"Z-zenitsu, my hand!" Tanjiro's voice seemed to denote some pain and concern at the same time.
Not long after the blond's response was heard, a scream, throughout the house. "Ah?! Who says you have the right to complain, Tanjiro?! Shut up!"
It was almost funny to observe how the strong pillars, those who fought against Muzan, the same ones who continued to fight against the few demons that were alive, were terrified by the simple shouts belonging to a man giving birth.
The situation remained for a few more minutes, Inosuke had already lost count of the amount of time he had been waiting, no doubt it had been hours since Nezuko had said something about something called “dilation,” at that time it had not been so bad; but for half an hour the screams had increased considerably.
Hashibira frowned, really, he still didn't understand what made Gompachiro so happy when he announced that Monitsu was pregnant. What was so important about having a baby? Sure, they could be instructed to become useful minions, Inosuke had planned to do that from years ago, but he didn't see any other utility in a human who wasn't even aware of what was going on around them.
The preparations had been a kind of festivity among the demon slayers, all the people who had met Tanjiro or Zenitsu at some point, had sent them gifts. Too many that Inosuke had seen how Tanjiro and Zenitsu had to use a room as some kind o warehouse.
Nezuko, Zenitsu, Tanjiro and Inosuke had been in charge of decorating, it had been somewhat exhausting. Hours and hours of decoration so that the room had a bit of all the good wishes of the people who had been so kind to send them something.
Inosuke still did not understand what the gifts meant, but if there was something that characterized the pillar of the beast, it was his desire to be the best, so arming with patience he made a kind ornament with hanging shiny acorns.
Zenitsu had begun to cry when the object was given to him, the blond had tried not to, but in the end he had not been able to avoid it. Thick tears fell down his cheeks and his words were stuck in the lump of his throat, Inosuke could barely make out a sentence that sounded like "stupid hormones."
Hashibira had frowned, he didn't understand Monitsu's reaction, but that wasn't important, so he decided to question whether his gift had been the best or not.
Tanjiro had seen him with such gratitude and happiness in his eyes when he finally answered his question. "We love it, thank you, yours and Nezuko’s are the best gifts we have received."
Well, Inosuke always wanted to be the best, but sharing with the water pillar was not that bad either.
The crying that no doubt belonged to a newborn took Inosuke out of his reverie, everyone who was outside the room felt their bodies tense at the expectation. Everyone discerned the voices of Zenitsu, Tanjiro, Nezuko and Aoi in the background, but unlike last time their voices were soft and barely a murmur. After about ten minutes Aoi left the room, she looked tired, some sweat slid down her forehead, but despite how stressed she had sounded minutes before a happy smile adorned her face.
"Inosuke, you can enter" and nobody took as an offense that Hashibira was the first one to be allowed in the room, it was stupid to compete against family either way.
The pillar of the beast nodded unusually quiet, with soft steps he approached the room and entered without warning as was his custom. There wasn't much need to do it when Zenitsu could hear it, Tanjiro could smell it and Nezuko was so high skilled.
"Come here, Inosuke, I want you to meet my daughter" Tanjiro had bright eyes, tears trapped in them.
Inosuke finished approaching the bed in which Zenitsu was lying, this was the one who carried the baby, his long blond hair was totally messed up and he looked completely tired, but his eyes were full of so much love that Inosuke felt like an intruder for a moment.
"Inosuke-kun, come here, onii-chan and Zenitsu-kun want you to carry her" Nezuko pressed, she was sitting on the other side of the blond.
Tanjiro and Zenitsu nodded at the pink-eyed girl's words, so silently the green-eyed one sat next to Nezuko. Zenitsu did not wait long and bent carefully and not so much later he placed the baby gently on the arms of the other.
Inosuke tensed when he felt his hands being placed in the proper position to carry the baby.
"Don't worry, Inosuke-kun, we are here" I am here. Inosuke thought he heard too.
"Isn't she the most beautiful girl you've ever seen in your life, Inosuke?" Zenitsu asked with a lump in his throat.
Inosuke stared at the baby, she had red eyes and brown hair, and her face was pink, she looked little like a human being, in fact, she seemed to be judging him for having taken her away from her parents, but at the same time she saw him with curiosity. Hashibira did not understand much about the concept of beauty in women in order to answer affirmatively to Zenitsu's question, but ...
The baby with her little right hand took his left pinky finger, the girl had no strength, she could not be compared, in terms of strength, to anything Inosuke had faced, but the feeling of oppression he had felt spreading along his body, due to such action, was difficult to describe with words. It was warm and overwhelming.
"We decided to name her Kotoha," Zenitsu said softly.
At that moment the first tear fell down his face. His mom and Shinobu crossed his mind.
"Please take care of her from now on, Inosuke." Tanjiro asked him with tears coming down from his face as well.
And so the four adults who had been restraining themselves began to cry at the confused and sleepy gaze of Kotoha Kamado.
Inosuke, even in tears and being hugged by others, promised that this girl would be the most loved one by him and that he would give his life to protect her.
.
.
.
When Takeo Kamado was born Inosuke realized that he was unable to fulfill his promise so he decided to modify it. He would take care of those children as if his life depended on it, and he would love them all equally. They were family after all.