Archive of Our Own

Tanjiro, in Inosuke’s eyes, could do no wrong.

He is sweet, and kind, with a pretty voice. He carried his child, made sure that he was safe and holds him close when he whimpers or cries.

Inosuke stares at Tanjiro, Akane letting out little coos as Tanjiro bounces him on his knee, grinning and unwrapping his little baby, laughing as he lets out a whine.
“I know, sweetie. But you’re smelly, and you need to be washed--”

Akane replies but letting out a rasberry, wriggling angrily in his grasp, making Tanjiro laugh softly. His fingers push back his cute little hair, gently putting him into a bath, sinking him into the water. Akane lets out a howl, splashing about and screaming.

“Same,” Inosuke says, growing close to Tanjiro, who laughs gently. The taller man looks down at his little piglet, his eyes filled with stars as the baby makes eye contact. The baby grunts and reaches for him, stopping his crying to gurgle at Inosuke.

Inosuke stares at Tanjiro, who’s eyes are soft and warm. There’s something sweet in his face and Inosuke swallows thickly as he leans in and presses a kiss on his lips. Tanjiro softens, pressing back against him, taking in his face and licking his lip.

“Inosuke!”
Tanjiro pulls back, his face burning bright red. Akane lets out a weak little squeak, not appreciating that he’s not being paid attention to. Both of his parents turn to him, Inosuke laughing loudly, and pulling him close. 

The house they’re staying at had two extra bedrooms. Tanjiro told Zenitsu to have his own, as he could hear everything Akane did and gurgled at. Zenitsu said he didn’t mind, but he wanted to give him at least space so he wouldn’t have to hear the baby so much and he could sleep.

Zenitsu had rolled his eyes, gently touching Akane’s face, swiping food away from his little mouth.

“I would never be able to be mad at a baby, Tanjiro,”

But he did take the room. Cuddled to his large blankets and sleeping soundly, not letting Tanjiro know that the gentle and soft singing he did was one of the reasons he could even fall asleep.

Inosuke scratched at his stubble, grunting angrily as he remembered that he had to do the stupid human thing called shaving.

He ignores that for a moment, picking up his baby, who immediately begins to bit his chin. Akane gurgles loudly, nipping and making Inosuke laugh.

“Piglet, you cannot defeat your father. Not yet, anyway,” He lifts him up, gripping his head with his finger-

--you have to hold him like that. Yes, perfect!--

Akane is tiny. He was born tiny, and small, with big eyes and bigger eyelashes. But he’s not weak. His cries are loud and powerful, and his grip is strong. There’s no hesitation in his little babbles, and he grows bigger.

Yet.

“I will protect you, piglet, until you can protect yourself. 

Inosuke stares at the baby’s eyes, feeling his heart ache as the baby responds with a coo. How is he so small…?

“You’re so cute Inosuke. What tiny hands --”

The two scars on his chest ache, and he swallows. Akane’s hands are tiny, and he takes them in his own hand. They fit perfectly in his larger one.

“ My treasure ,”

Gently, he wraps Akane in his half haori, and he presses his face close to Akane’s. He smells like the gentle baby soap Kanao made for them. The girls making him a cute little clothes that are probably too bright and pretty for a little boy, but who cares.

“Inosuke?”

The man’s tears drip onto the floor, and he cries gently.

“Being with you --”

Tanjiro sits up, leaning close to Inosuke’s shoulder as he begins to sob. Akane doesn’t seem upset, instead, staring at the man with a knowing gaze. Or, as knowing as a little 3 month old can be.
Tanjiro smiles as Inosuke wraps his arm around him, bringing him in close. The man presses a kiss on his forehead, and slips him into his lap, holding both of them to his chest, whimpering quiely.

“-- Is bliss for me --”

“He’s so rough,” 

The woman says besides Tanjiro as he gently scrubs their clothes. They had been on the road for a while now, and Tanjiro had almost gagged at Inosuke as he came back from a hunt. There had been gore dripping off his hands as he dropped a kill for them, laughing brightly.

Now, here he was in his white replacement hakama, it tied up to his thighs and rolled up as him and Zenitsu scrubbed their clothes.

“What are you talking about, Auntie?” Zenitsu turns to the woman who they met beside the river, and she clicks her tongue dissaprovingly.

“Look at him. A feral beast, and you trust him with your child?”
Zenitsu and Tanjiro look up in unision to Inosuke, who had propped up Akane on the pillow Tanjiro made. Akane would get upset when he wasn’t included in the conversation, so this helped his whimpers.

The boar man was covered in mud, laughing as he danced around Akane, showing him bugs and rocks that he found. Akane howled in laughter, covered in mud, and leaves, and both of them giggle as Inosuke jumps after a frog.

“There is nothing wrong with him being with his child, Auntie--” Tanjiro says, feeling anger bubble at the bottom of his stomach. Pulling out Akane’s little wrap, he squeezes it tight, wriging it out and smiling in satisfaction to smell the oils he put in there didn’t rinse out.

“No. Of course not, but he holds him like he won’t break. It’s a baby--”
“Auntie--” Zenitsu begins to say, but she huffs and puts her clothes in a wicker basket, turning and walking away from the men.

“Men like that should not be around children,”

Tanjiro stares at his.. Well he doesn’t exactly know what they are actually.

But Inosuke. Inosuke wouldn’t hurt Akane.

He thinks to himself as he finishes washing the clothes. Inosuke running around his baby, who is letting out screams of happiness at his very eccentric father.

“Don’t let that bitch get to you,” Zenitsu says as Tanjiro stares at his child’s father. The matching smiles, and matching eyes. They both giggle and laugh at each other, and he sees the large, giant scars. The one on his back, the one on his lower belly button when he got impaled, or when he almost got his leg cut off or--

For a second, he’s filled with doubt.

“I… I-I won’t,"

Inosuke scrubs at his skin, looking over at Tanjiro as he gently sits down Akane and their supplies. A woman had been kind enough to let them use their bath, and from her nose wrinkle, Inosuke guessed he smelled the worst.

Traveling wasn’t fun, he knows, but damn, they didn’t have to be rude.

Inosuke goes to grab Akane, smiling as he moved to bring him into the bath with him. Tanjiro lets out a yell, grabbing the baby out of his grasp, and gasping.
“Inosuke!”

“What?”

“You can’t put a baby in hot water! He’ll boil!”

Akane grips Tanjiro’s hand, staring up at him. Tanjiro’s heart aches, feeling terrified about the fact that Inosuke was about to hurt their child.

“Oh. Why?”

“They haven’t grown accustom to changing their temperature, and their skin is still delicate,” He whispers softly, setting himself in a small chair besides the tub. Inosuke stares up at him, his eyes gentle.

“Babies are kinda dumb,” Inosuke says, and Tanjiro laughs as he fills a bowl with much cooler water, gently wiping Akane’s cheeks and neck, smiling as he coos.
“Yeah. But it’s fun to teach them,”

Tanjiro feels his gut clench, feeling ashamed that he was so worried about that woman said. Inosuke would never hurt their child purposely. He’s not used to children, he’s not used to being around people.

Akane is finally clean, and Tanjiro puts him down on a little seat, staring at his baby.

Things had changed with Inosuke since he gave birth. Inosuke is much more protective, much calmer around them. He is still his rambuctious self, but now. 

Inosuke’s soft hand runs over Tanjiro’s muscled arm, putting his head on his arm. He stares up at Tanjiro, and said man swallows at the look in his eye.

“Kiss me, Tanjiro,”

He usually wouldn’t ask. He’d just take it, let Tanjiro just go with it, or gently nuzzle and make a little noise in the back of his throat.

Now, it was gentle. A look in his eye, a question, and uses his real name. No jokes, no nonsense. He knows what he wants.
“Kiss me--”

Tanjiro does.

Giyuu had been surprised to see Tanjiro wrap a baby around his chest. Akane’s wrap is a wonderful color of red, with green four leaf clovers. He’s pressed tight there, and Tanjiro pats his little head, smiling at his master.

“This is my son, Akane,”

Giyuu raises his brows, then knits them. He cocks his head, begins to say something, then grows quiet. He lifts a finger, then puts his hand down, instead, scratching his cheek.

“Who did you get pregnant?”
“I gave birth to him--”

That made another fresh wave of confusion go through his face. Inosuke walks up to them, crossing his arms, and staring at both of them.

A look of understanding crosses Giyuu’s face as he sees Akane look up at Inosuke, then back at Giyuu.

The matching eyelashes. The matching pretty features.

“What--” He says softly under his breath, as Inouske laughs and kisses Tanjiro’s head. Zenitus pops up behind them, holding Nezuko’s box. Since Akane was born, Zenitsu had urged Tanjiro to take the box from his care.

To help him, he had said.Tanjiro had smiled softly and kissed his cheek, thanking him.

Giyuu walked behind them, still very confused as to where the child came from. But, ignoring it, he sat down in front of the three young adults, humming softly as tea was served from the little girls.

They cooed and awed at the little baby, making Tanjiro blush red as they mentioned how much he looked like him.
“Have you actually even seen him? It’s all Inosuke--”
The man grins, preening a little.
“Piglet is both of us. He will soon be as strong as you, Tanjiro,”
“Stop, you’re both so gross,” Zenitsu gagged as he sat down his cookie, suddenly very grossed out.

The girls giggled softly, offering to take Akane so they could speak. Tanjiro agreed, pulling back his little boy, smiling as he yawned gently, kissing his head and giving him to Sumi, who hums softly.

Inosuke feels Kiyo gently run her fingers through his long hair, smiling gently at the beautiful butterly in his hair. A gorgeous red color, matching his green eyes perfectly. 

He is gunna deny that he also loved the red color because of two certain members of his lovely family.

“What do you need from me, Giyuu?”

The man stared at Naho as she waves and goes to coo over the little baby, who laughs and giggled.

“I just wanted to catch up with you. Can I not do that with a friend,” His eyes softened as Tanjiro’s eyes filled with tears. The red headed man laughed gently, and looked at Inosuke.
“I’m guessing you didn’t think i’d come back with a child?”
“No that. That was surprising,”
He laughs and Inosuke grunts, leaning over onto Zenitsu’s shoulder, ready to sleep. Nezuko stands up from her little box, padding over to leave with the girls, wanting to see her little nephew.

“But. There is something,”
Giyuu pauses, gripping his mismatched haori. He stares at the boys as they look at him.

“There are. More things than just being a demon slayer,” He says genly, and Tanjiro’s eyes widen. He thinks to his cute little bundle, and swallows down an agreement, wanting to hear the rest of his talking.

“I guess Tanjiro and you, Inosuke, have already figured that out,” He laughs gently, rubbing his hands together, and wishing there wasn’t a pain in his eyes.

Zenitsu looks away. Inosuke hums gently, sitting up and cocking his head. His long, black hair curls on his back, making Tanjiro smell the oils he uses.

“Garu is right,”

Zenitsu turns to look at him, raising his brows.
“You, out of all people agree? Mister I want to fight anything that moves--”

Inosuke turns to look at him, and the look on his face makes Zenitsu’s smile drop. Inosuke looks serious as he leans on his hand, scratching his chest that is not covered by his haori, looks up at Giyuu.

“I have a piglet to take care of, along with a mate. We have to get through his war against Muzan faster, because i’m tired of worrying about them,”

Tanjiro’s face grows red as Giyuu stares intently at Inosuke. 

There’s a smile on his face. A smile that he’s never seen and Tanjiro is suddenly very warm as Giyuu sighs gently.
“It’s good to see that you are not jaded. It’s good to see that you can still be teenagers,”

Naho comes in again, telling Tanjiro that Akane was being fussy. They all are glad there was a distraction from Giyuu’s weirdly emotional talk.

“Here, he’s just fussy,” Akane lets out a small cry, but then silences as Tanjiro wraps him in his arms.

Giyuu stares at all three of them as they surround the baby, smiling wide at his charges.

There’s nothing he needs to worry about.

“Has he been careful with Akane?” Giyuu walks besides Tanjiro, who is sipping tea from his cup. He looks up at Giyuu, putting his finger on his lip.

“Sometimes, he doesn’t understand that Akane is a baby--”

“In what way?”

Tanjiro pauses. He picks at his nail, and looks up at Giyuu, who blushes slightly.

“There are times that he holds him a little roughly. Like he can take it. But, Akane is tiny. Anything can hurt him, and I worry--”

Giyuu put his hand on Tanjiro’s shoulder, making the younger man pause. Looking up at his master, he wiped at his cheeks.

“Why are you so doubtful? Inosuke is not a bad man, and much less a bad father,” He mentions and looks over at the pond, seeing Inosuke hold his son over a pond.

Both him and the baby stare intently at the koi as they pucker their little lips, wanting food. Inosuke laughs as one smacks the water and not given treats.

Akane’s laugh is chipper and loud. Tanjiro feels his heart ache as Inosuke laughs along with him, pressing his hand on the baby’s head, scratching it gently.

“He is not,”

“Then do not worry. Come, let us eat--”

Zenitsu stares up at the sky, his eyes soft. Akane is in his lap, sleeping soundly. Inosuke and Tanjiro as sleeping together, clutching each other close, and deep in sleep.

Nezuko sits besides him, staring up at the sky with him. He’s thinking of what Giyuu had said.

“Nezuko--”
She hums, turning to him and meeting his gaze. In her older age, her face is much softer, and leaner. Her eyes a beautiful shape, her mouth piece off, as they are demon slayers.

She smiles at him, softly. Cocking her head, she lifts her chin, as if telling him to continue.
“I was thinking… of after the war. After we are done,”

His hand runs over Akane’s tiny little head, feeling the soft and beautiful hair under his fingers. The sound of him is so wonderful and kind. Children always have a nice sound, and Akane being Tanjiro’s son makes his sound much like his parent.

Underneath that, though, is a fiery little spit of a noise. Akane will eventually somewhat be a copy of Inosuke. That makes him worry.

“Why?”

He turns to look at Nezuko, feeling his heart ache at the little voice. She’s self conscious, and doesn’t talk much, but he’s thankful that she chooses to speak to him.

“You and them--” he looks at Inosuke and Tanjiro, feeling his heart ache.
“--You’re my family. You’re all I have left, and all I want after this. You have been my family, my friends, and I couldn’t be happier without you guys,”

His eyes fill with tears as he looks down at the baby. He had been whimpering and crying, making Tanjiro sit up to grab him, but Zenitsu had urged him to sleep. Tanjiro had thanked him, and gone back to sleep, trusting him with his precious little thing.

“You… are thinking too much,” Nezuko speaks very slowly, her eyebrows twitching. He thinks that’s as many words as he can get from her, so he squeezes her hand, and laughs.

“I am. I am, but… I am happy to be like this. With you, with them, with him,” He stares at the baby, who opens his eyes, and lets out a little yawn, done with sleeping for now.

“If you’ll have me… I’d love to be with you after we finish this chapter,”
Nezuko only answers by gently putting her head on his shoulder, and letting out a noise of satisfaction and happiness that makes Zenitsu’s heart race.

He closes his eyes, and that night, all he thinks about is children with his hair and Nezuko’s soft, and warm gaze, Tanjiro and Inosuke laughing and holding the children he imagined.

It makes him happy.

For the first time since he was born, Akane is screaming. He screams non stop, crying and whimpering in Tanjiro’s arms, making the man whimper back. He’s not sure what’s wrong, the little boy had been just fine a couple of hours ago.

He wailed, wriggling and crying as he pushed against his Father. Tanjiro’s eyes filled with tears, and Inosuke wasn’t helping either.

The man in question was walking back and forth, breathing heavily. His hands were in his hair and he looked disheveled. Zenitsu also looks bothered, but more worried.

Nezuko’s staring at the baby as he wails and cries, not being sure what to do. They all look at him, when suddenly, Nezuko puts her hand on the baby’s head.

“Fever…” She whispers, and Tanjiro cries softly, wrapping his arms around his little baby, sighing.
“Oh no, my poor thing,” He gently kisses his head, and Akane pauses his wailing to look at his Dad. He sniffles and grips his face.

“We need to get medicine,” Zenitsu stands up, and begins to walk away, when Inosuke pushes him down, and turns towards the forest.
“I know some herbs. I’ll be back,”

They stare at him as he walks away, and Nezuko hums as she squeezes a rag and presses it against the tiny thing.

Tanjiro stares at his baby, feeling his stomach fall into the bottom of his belly. Inosuke looked like he was angry and upset at their child being upset. Maybe he couldn’t do this.

“Hey, Look at me--” He turns to look at Zenitsu, who takes his hand, and makes him stop shaking.

“It’s okay. He’s just a little sick--”
Tanjiro shakes his head, and they all sit and wait.

Inosuke comes back, looking disheveled and angry. He sets the herbs down, pulling out a skin full of water, cleaning it and then starting a fire. Tanjiro holds the baby as he whimpers and shakes in his hands, crying gently.

“Inosuke?”
The man doesn’t answer, putting kindling and more wood on the fire. He sets a pot on top, pouring water and then dropping leaves in them.

They’re quiet, besides the gentle cries of Akane, who had already lost his voice. The poor thing is probably exhausted and in pain.

The water boils, making the campground smell like those candies the little boys eat. He sets a small cup in the boil water, and goes the stream besides them, dunking the cup, making sure not to sink it all the way.

As he finishes cooling it, he comes back, and hands it to Tanjiro, who stares up at him. 

“Make him drink it,”

“Inosuke, he’s a baby he’ll choke--”

“You want him in more pain?”

Inosuke hisses under his breath, and Tanjiro swallows. He takes the cup and rubs his fingers in it, then gently putting them in his baby’s mouth. Akane suckles softly, and he makes sure he goes through at least a quarter of it.

Soon enough, the baby quiets down. His eyes flutter and he sleeps soundly in Tanjiro’s arms.

Inosuke sits besides him, and looks at his baby, and Tanjiro stares at him.

Inosuke still looks scared. He smells scared, and confused, but he’s still there.

“Thank you,”

He leans in to give him a kiss and Inosuke flushes red.

Tanjiro could’ve sworn his heart lept out his throat.

Turning aroud the corner of walkway, he shouts as Inosuke gently throws his baby up in the air.

“INOSUKE!”
The man catches the baby, looking at him in confusion. The baby was howling in laughter, giggling and wriggling his little hands. He jumped in his graps and Tanjiro clutched his chest, his eyes wide.

“He likes it?”
“Do not… No, Inosuke, dear God--” He goes over to grab the baby away from him, and put him in his wrap. The man crosses his arms and huffs.

“You’re no fun. He likes it, he won’t break--”

He reaches for the baby, but Tanjiro pulls away. Inosuke and him stare at each other, blinking for a second. 

“Fine. Fine, fine, I won’t hurt Piglet,”

Tanjiro sighed softly, and put the baby in his hands. Inosuke tucked him into his half up haori, smiling as he runs his finger over his son’s four leaf clover clothes.

“These… I remember. I remember having some like these as a child. The old man who took care of me saved the one I came with--”
Tanjiro was quiet as Inosuke gently cupped Akane, and squeezed his cute little cheek.

“I wish she could see you--"

Inosuke doesn’t know how to take care of a child. Tanjiro has decided that it was something that he was going to have to work around. It wasn’t that he wasn’t gentle, because he was.

He was soft, and holds Akane gently. His hands bigger than the tiny little thing both him and Tanjiro created. 

But.

Inosuke is. He’s not… Careful.

It had gotten increasingly more stressful as Akane’s little body grew bigger, and his appetite grew bigger. Tanjiro’s chest now hurt from his cute little teeth cut into his soft flesh. He’s tried weaning him, and it is working. The little thing now taking fruit and veggies eagerly.

And that makes Inosuke think that he’s old enough to teach. To learn how to skin and walk and do things that… Well, he’s a damn baby.

His little baby looks at him as Tanjiro stares at him, sighing.

“Your Daddy is kinda dumb--”
He laughs when the baby wriggles, looking up at the sky and smiling.

Tanjiro, right there, decided that maybe he should keep Akane more in his arms than Inosuke. At least for a little bit.

Inosuke is incredibly upset.

Recently, Tanjiro has been making sure that Akane is safe in his hands. He’s counted back 4 days since he’s been allowed to hold his child,

Something is wrong, but he’s not sure what.

Tanjiro has him wrapped on his back, his haori wrapped around his legs, bending down and quietly washing their kill. The guts of the rabbit spill in the stream, and he hums quietly.
“I can hold him, Tanjiro--”
He stiffens and Inosuke stares intently at his mate. The man bites his lip, staring at his gaze, and shaking his head.

“You don’t have to worry about him. He’s fine on my back--”
“No, he’s not. He looks uncomfortable--”

Akane’s noise is wrinkled, but he’s not crying. The little guy grips Tanjiro’s shirt, digging his face into the wrap, and sighing gently.

“The Piglet needs some time with me, come on, Tanjiro--” He says and starts to walk into the water, when Tanjiro gently steps back.

“It’s okay! I promise it’s okay, just help me clean the rabbit body. Please,” Tanjiro laughs gently, and tightens the baby on his back.

Inosuke stares, but doesn’t say anything. He obliges, but Tanjiro’s gaze on him is pathetic.

He doesn’t say anything.

“You what?”

Tanjiro flushes red as he starts to take off his child from his back. His cheeks are flushed from the heat, and he hopes Akane isn’t too uncomfortable from the sun.

“I… I haven’t let him hold Akane. I’m worried about how he’s been--”

“Stop. Stop stop stop. Shut up--” Zenitsu looks up from Nezuko, who has Akane now beside her, gently rubbing her finger’s through his hair. He grips her hand, yawning and making Nezuko hum and cuddle closer.

Standing up, he walks towards Tanjiro. His height is now almost bordering Inosuke, who is a huge bulk of a man. Zenitus, though, is slender, and lithe, in a way different than his Inosuke.
“You can’t do that. You can’t just not let him hold Akane,”

“I… I know, but maybe. Maybe for a little bit, until the little guy can hold himself up. Just enough, you know,” He stares at Nezuko, who is staring at him with her angry little eyes.

“Don’t judge me, Nezuko. You’ve seen him,”
“Look, just. That old lady got to you. Inosuke is a good person, and a very good Father. I’ve never seen him so soft with anyone besides you, and if you do that, Inosuke won’t take it kindly,”

“I don’t want him to hurt Akane!”

“He won’t! You’re being overly cautious, just think this through--”

Zenitsu stiffened, his eyes widening and he was about to say something when Tanjiro threw up his hands.

“Zenitsu, this is not your child or your lover! Inosuke is rougher than all three of us, and Akane is a baby! He won’t know the difference between hurting him, and playing--”

“Tanjiro--”

“-- and I swear I saw a bruise last time! I don’t want him to hurt Akane, and if that means keeping him with me, so be it--”

Tanjiro says, and Zenitsu’s eyes jump to the door. Tanjiro stiffens, turning to his gaze, and staring at Inosuke, who paused at the doorway.

“... Do you really think i’d hurt Akane?”

Zenitsus sucks a breath through his teeth, noticing that Inosuke used the baby’s name. Not piglet, not little shit, not any of his… weird nicknames. He said his name in a soft little tone, upset and close to crying.

Tanjiro’s eyes widened, and he paused. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to stop him as Inosuke looked away and walked towards the entrance.

“I fucked up,”
“Yeah. You did,”

Zenitsu sighs, and sits himself on the cot next to Nezuko. He just lets his friend set his face on his lap, and start to cry gently.

Inosuke had come back hours later. The sky was completely black, stars winking at Inosuke, and his knuckles were covered in blood and bark. He, of course, decided to punch a couple of trees to take out his anger. He was upset. He didn’t know what he did wrong, and he much less knows how to fix it.

He’s trying. He knows that he doesn’t exactly know what to do with a baby, they’re weak and small. But Akane is his little piglet. His little baby with the cutest little eyes, and sweetest smile.

He steps inside his and Tanjiro’s shared room, hoping for a brief second that he’s not there. He doesn’t want to deal with Tanjiro’s angry remarks, or yelling at him for running.

Instead, he sees Tanjiro curled on their sleeping mat. His long locks haloed around him, the moonlight making him glow otherworldly. The man swallows, remembering how much he actually loved and appreciated Tanjiro.

There are tear tracks down his cheeks, along with a deep redness around his eyes. He holds his baby close to his chest, his face pressed agains Akane’s cheek, both of them sleeping soundly, Akane safe and sound in his parents arms.

Inosuke sets himself besides the cot, feeling tears fill his eyes. He’d do anything to keep them safe, he’d even walk away from them just to make sure that they were.

He looks down at the giant scar on his lower belly, thinking that maybe Tanjiro was right. Maybe he was right about him being reckless, and stupid, and so brutish--

There’s a murmur, and Tanjiro seems to feel Inosuke’s gaze. The man rouses, and opens his eyes to look at him.

Tears immedietly fill his eyes, and Inosuke feels his heart break as they begin to fall down his face.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have--”
Inosuke quiets him with a kiss. His hand pressed against his cheek, gentle and sweet.

“No. You’re… You’re right I’m not--”

“No, stop. Inosuke, stop look at me--” Tanjiro pulls him close to his chest, Inosuke feeling tears drip down his face. He’s not soft like him, he’s not… he’s not human, in a sense.

How did he get kind, and sweet, and gentle Tanjiro to love him, much less bear him a wonderful child?
“I made a mistake. I doubted you and your ability to take care of Akane, and for that i’m so… so sorry--”

He whimpers as Inosuke grips his green haori. Tears are rolling down his cheeks and staining his pretty clothes. Tanjiro sniffles and leans down, pressing a kiss to his head, and bringing him close.

“Inosuke, Inosuke--” He whispers, pressing kisses to his face, and his cheeks, and Inosuke kisses him heavily, and lovingly.

“I’m sorry, my Inosuke. I’m sorry--” He soflty sighs into his mouth and Inosuke has to calm himself, feeling his heart throb and ache. Tanjiro holds him against his chest, humming a song softly as he lets out the last couple of hiccups he had. His fingers run through long and beautiful black hair, and Tanjiro sighs softly.

“I love you,” Inosuke whispers, and Tanjiro stiffens. Even though he has a child with him, and he knows that Inosuke would die for him, he hasn’t verbalized it, he knows it in his gut. In his smell, in his loving looks.

“I love you too, Inosuke,”

Later on, when Inosuke is asleep, Akane between them, fast asleep as well, Tanjiro gently runs his fingers over Inosuke’s chiseled chest, tracing the soft and deep scar there. Akane gurgles, opening his eyes and smiling at him.

Love bursts in his chest, and he presses his face close to Akane’s kissing him and holding his family close.

He will no longer doubt Inosuke. 

He will no longer doubt his love.

It makes Tanjiro Kamado, a man who lost almost his entire family, feel whole, and complete again.