Work Text:
“Dance of the what?”
Inosuke turns to look at Tanjiro as they walk down the streets of the bright cities area. The lights are bright in his eyes, and he holds Tanjiro’s shirt, grunting at the people staring at him and Tanjiro.
Akane is wrapped tightly on his chest, quietly staring at his parents. Inosuke holds his head, and he knows that he’s too old for it, but he is very defensive of the little guy.
“It’s a dance my father taught me. It usually is made around the beginning of the year from sundown to sunrise. It’s customary with people who follow the sun,” Tanjiro said softly, looking around at the bright lights. There are people with shades of red in their hair and eyes, and he’s sure that his ancestors probably stepped foot here.
The main hall is covered in red tarps, along with banners and flags that have the sun and different variations of Amaterasu. Vendors are yelling and bartering with other residents, and his heart aches.
He can imagine Nezuko in a bright haori, her hair pinned up and her beautiful light eyes staring into firecrackers. His family played around both of the oldest, lighting firecrackers and running around them.
Cupping his hands on his chest, he turns to look at Inosuke, who is staring at the lights with awe. Akane is held in his arms, the lights twinkling in his red eyes, and both of them are matching in awe, smiling and turning.
Tanjiro’s heart aches as he sees Zenitsu holding Nezuko close to his chest, handing her toys and ribbons, making her laugh and smile up at him.
The amount of happiness in his chest almost makes him cry, and Inosuke looks at him, his cheeks twitching into a smile.
“Tanjiro?”
The man says nothing, instead, wiping his eyes and looking away.
At least he has them.
Tanjiros face is soft as Akane babbles quietly to his Aunt. Nezuko runs in a circle around him, humming to herself as the baby claps and giggles at her. Cooing, he tries to roll over to her, failing, and falling onto his side.
Instead of crying, the little boy lets out a laugh.
Zenitsu sits besides Tanjiro, quietly sharpening his blade as the man beside him hums and cooks quietly.
“Do you have any idea of what to do after all of this is done?” Zenitsu says quietly as he turns to Tanjiro, who looks into the stew. The people at the village were kind enough to give them food before they left. The chill of the New Year settles in, and it would let them get to the next mission safely.
“I…,” Tanjiro pauses, looking over to the North. A couple of days before, Inosuke’s crow had come, talking quietly to the man. He got a mission, and with a kiss to Tanjiro’s forehead, he left.
“Marriage?” Tanjiro shrugs, scratching at his cheek, and sighing. Honestly, what can he say to the blond? That he wasn’t expecting to have a child? That he wasn’t expecting anything from them, that he just wanted to turn his sister human, and that was it?
“Is that what you want?”
Tanjiro is quiet again, turning to Zenitsu, who looks at him with a glow in his pretty brown eyes. They look like the sweet tea his mother would make him in the summer, settling deep in his belly, making him feel cool and calm.
“I want Inosuke. I have him. I have a child, and I got that too,” Tanjiro scratches at his chin. There is nothing else that he wants, besides the obvious of his sister. But that’s something that may or may not be out of reach. There are many things he can do, he can just settle down with Inosuke, maybe have another child.
“You are happy like that, aren’t you?” Zenitsu says softly, not laughing at the man’s decision. His eyes are kind, and Tanjiro feels his face heat up. He’s incredibly happy, happy with everything.
Zenitsu leans over, squeezing his hand softly, and leaning back to his sword, taking out the wet stone and sharpening their swords.
As Tanjiro serves his sister and comrade, he feels his stomach fill with more than just his food. He feels happy, and this is all he could ask for.
“Have you thought of marriage, Inosuke?”
Nezuko carries Akane, who is napping quietly on his back. The little boy whimpers in a nightmare, and the humming from his aunt is gentle and sweet, lulling him gently. Zenitsu’s hands are in his haori, gently putting pressure against his cloth. They walk quietly underneath the moonlight, anxious because of Tanjiro’s absence.
He had gone on a hunt by himself, this time leaving the baby with his Father, telling him to be careful because he was starting to toddle and ready to start walking. Inosuke, of course, said that he would teach him, and Tanjiro had to sigh angrily and tell him not to try to stick sticks to his legs and make him walk.
Inosuke had sulked.
“Marriage?”
“Yeah. It happens between two people when they love each other a lot. It’s a people thing--” Zenitsu laughed to himself, having to use that colloquialism for the forest dwelling man.
Inosuke scratched at his ear, pulling up his hair into that butterfly hair tie, sighing softly as he looked up. The girls had told him that if he wanted to have Akane and Tanjiro in a part of the estate, that he was welcome to.
“The girls have told me about having a home with Tanjiro and the piglet,” He huffs to himself, taking Akane from Nezuko as she begins to tire. Zenitsu puts down the box, letting the woman walk into it, and take a nap. Inosuke pulls up his haori, tucking the baby into his shirt, and tightening it to hold him in place.
“Do you want to?”
Inosuke looks down at his child, who is suckling his finger. His long and beautiful lashes brush at his rosy pink cheeks. His reddish hair is now growing down to his ears, and Inosuke wonders how he could make something as amazing as this.
It was all Tanjiro, he thinks quietly to himself. Tanjiro is the one who carried his son, his life within him. Still fighting demons, still walking miles and miles with Nezuko on his back with child. Tanjiro deserves everything, and if a home and whatever this thing called marriage is what he wanted, Inosuke would give him it.
“I want to spend my entire life with my mate. If Tanjiro wants me,” He says softly, feeling uncomfortable at the look that Zenitsu gives him. He can feel it, it’s sweet and gooey and he turns to make a disgusted face at Zenitsu, who has tears in his eyes.
“You guys are so gross,” He whispers, wiping his face and sighing as they finally decided to go back to the estate.
The walk did clear his head.
He knows what he has to do now.
“Pardon?”
Kanao turns around, her left eye closed. She cocks her head, walking towards Inosuke, who is holding Akane up as he tries to wiggle into a walking position.
“Do you think I can have that land that you told me about?”
Kanao blinks, looking down at his son, then back at Inosuke. She seems to shake her head in understanding, and turns towards the east of the estate, pointing to a nearby stream.
“There’s a nice place there, I can help out if you w--”
“No. I’m strong enough. Just take piglet,” He says, handing her the child, who makes a gurgling noise, and wiggles towards her, making her smile and cuddle the little guy. He presses close to her chest, sighing and closing his eyes to take another nap.
Inosuke starts, not letting anyone near him as he starts to build. Of course, he gets mad at Giyuu as he tries to tell him how to set the bottom of the home.
“I can do it my damn self, Gonparo!” He gurgles angrily as the man gets close to him, taking off the top of his haori, and taking an axe to chop wood. The man rolls his eyes, the calmness in blue eyes unnerving to Inosuke, who is still unused to people with easy to hide emotions.
“Calm yourself. I know you can. But this is a very big task, and more than one hand will always be stronger,”
Inosuke tsks, turning away from the man. He doesn’t say anything against help, though and Giyuu smiles to himself in satisfaction.
Kanao stares at them, holding Akane in her arms, and letting the girls cuddle and coo at him. Their intricate weavings are perfect for the tatami mats and doors, so Inosuke asks nicely if they could help.
It’s hours before they finally put down the structure for the home. Inosuke is quiet, sitting besides the small group of people. His arms and legs and back are sore, but he’s content in knowing that he almost is there with his home.
He knows that there isn’t much room in there, just enough for two rooms comfortably, and little space for themselves.
“Thank you,” Inosuke says to the girls, and to Giyuu, who blinks at him, confused at the softness in his voice. The compliment, the everything.
Akane is leaning against Inosuke’s leg as he has them tucked under his chin. In the firelight, he looks calm, and peaceful.
Giyuu only smiles.
“Did you ever have someone?”
Inosuke says, turning to Giyuu, who pauses his tightening of the bamboo. They had been working on the home for days, now almost finished. They just needed the kitchen area, somewhere to cook, to take water to.
Giyuu stares down at his hands. They’re covered in blisters and calluses from his work. From fighting, from killing demons. Things that taint his heart a deep and ugly red of blood.
The checkered haori feels warm on his hips. He grips it with dirty hands, feeling the soft fabric rustle against his hands.
“Once. A long time ago,” Giyuu thinks, his eyes softening as he thinks of peach hair, and grey eyes. Soft, like a thunderstorm, and smelling of peaches and love.
Giyuu leans against the axe, staring at the ground and putting his hand against his heart. There’s a silence from Inosuke, who is fixing the wrap around his son. As if urging him to speak. To talk it out.
Giyuu’s face hardens for a second.
“A demon took him from me,” He whispers gently, breathing heavily through his nose.Tears prickle at his eyes and he continues to sow and move the bamboo through his nimble fingers. Inosuke feels his cheeks redden.
“Sabito was a good man. He should’ve won. He should’ve been a hashira, not me. He had so much more potential, so much more power,” The usually stoic man is speaking, shaking slightly as he says these things.
“Did he sacrifice himself for you?”
Giyuu turns to look at him. He grows silent.
“He did for everyone else,”
Inosuke stares at him, staring down at his hands, blood leaking from cuts and wounds from the home.
“My mother did too. I’m scared, sometimes. Of having a family. I don’t want to lose anyone anymore,” He thinks, tears filling his eyes as he thinks of bright yellow hair and calm, gentle tones from a beautiful woman. His hands shake as he tightens his grip, and Giyuu puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly.
“You deserve a family, Inosuke--”
The green eyed man looks up at him. His eyes are gentle, and he swallows.
“You deserve to not feel guilty,”
Inosuke looks away as Giyuu bursts into tears. A sharp intake of breath, and the man turns back to his work, and they work together quietly.
“Come, let’s go,” Inosuke pulls at Tanjiro’s arm, making him gasp and pull away.
“Inosuke, stop, I need to feed Akane! My chest hurts, I need to--”
“Shut up, come!” Inosuke grabs Tanjiro, throwing him over his shoulder and walking towards the home he made. Akane is babbling with Zenitsu, who walks towards them, smiling at Tanjiro, who screeches as he’s spanked by Inosuke.
“INOSUKE!”
Inosuke lets out a cackle, and throws him onto the ground. Putting his hands on his hips, he points at the house, and then swells up. Smacking his chest, he huffs.
“I made us a home,”
“You and Giyuu did--” Zenitsu says, rocking Akane back and forth. The baby is always very sweet and kind, so he doesn’t cry much. He’s thankful for that.
“You wha--” Tanjiro looks around Inosuke’s legs, then shuts up. His mouth snaps close, and his eyes widen.
Standing up, he quietly walks to the home, stepping up the tatami steps, and touching the sweet smelling wood. It was a small house, comfortable and pretty. He can see the workmanship in it, he can see the smacks of an axe.
Tears fill his eyes, and Inosuke deflates a little.
“I… You don’t like it,”
Zenitsu’s eyes widen as Tanjiro turns around. His face is scrunched up, and he’s sobbing, putting his hands against his face. Inosuke is very upset, walking up to the man.
His sound is awful, but Zenitsu knows that Tanjiro’s heart is skipping and his entire body sounds incredibly happy.
The red head throws himself into Inosuke’s arms, sobbing and crying into his man’s arms. Inosuke stiffens, but then softens into the hug, letting Tanjiro kiss him, hard.
“It’s amazing. Inosuke, I love it,” He cries in his arms, and Zenitsu sighs softly as he hears Inosuke’s heart skip and let out a screech of happiness.
“Of course you do! I made it!”
Zenitsu only follows his friends into their new home, touching the doorway, and saying a small blessing for the family.
Tanjiro lays on a soft bed, staring up at the ceiling of his new home. Inosuke sleeps soundly beside him, Akane laid on his back, matching his Father’s snores.
Nezuko and Zenitsu are in the room over, letting Inosuke and Tanjiro get used to their new home. Also, a wink from Zenitsu made Tanjiro’s entire body turn warm, and he denied that it had been a… while since he and Inosuke had…
Well.
Tanjiro rolls over, facing Inosuke’s back. The wild man sleeps curled around their child, gripping his little hand, pressing close against Akane’s sleeping mat.
Gently, Tanjiro presses his hands on Inosuke’s back, and the man wakes softly, feeling his eyes trailing down his back, staying on his backside, and squeezing gently there.
“Tanjiro?”
The man kissed Inosuke’s neck, then gently nipping there, knowing that Inosuke’s instinct would tell him what he wanted.
A huff, and the man rolls over, a dark look in his eye, smirking and showing Tanjiro his sharp incisors.
Later on, Tanjiro breathes heavily, whimpering as Inosuke sits up and rolls him over to rub his waist.
A large mark on his neck had been bitten into again. It was easy with Inosuke’s sharp teeth, and it made something warm dip into the bottom of his stomach when he saw it in a mirror.
“If you keep looking at me like that, you might have another piglet,” Inosuke growls at the bottom of his chest, making Tanjiro shiver, and curl against his hands.
“What if I want to have another one,”
Another nip, and Tanjiro finds it hard to get Inosuke off him. Not that he wants to, anyway.
Sore, and happy, Tanjiro lays close to his mate, who is licking his lips from the blood there. The red head presses his face against his shoulder, sighing happily. Both of them nude and sweaty in the cool of the air.
“Tanjiro?”
“Hm?”
“Do you… Do you want to get married?”
The redhead sits up, letting his hair fall over his shoulder. Cherry eyes stare into bright green and the man cocks his head.
“Do you know what that even is?”
“Sort of,” Inosuke scratches his chin, leaning onto his hand, and turning to the side. His fingers go to trace the scars on Tanjiro’s chest, careful with the bigger area. Tanjiro is still very… dysphoric--
That’s the word, right?
Yes! It is! Good job Inosuke!
--about his body. It makes his eyes sad, and Inosuke doesn’t like that look on his face. So he doesn’t touch there, unless it’s Akane, unless he wants him to.
“Inosuke. You are already everything and anything I want. You gave me a child--” he whispers, leaning forward and kissing him gently. Inosuke huffs.
“I didn’t give you anything. You carried him,”
Tanjiro laughs and leans onto him. He lays on his body, pressing close against his mate.
“Do you want to, then, Tanjiro?”
“It’s too much. Too much clothing, too much parties. Too much,” Tanjiro whispers, closing his eyes and humming softly. Sure, their son is born out of wedlock, and yeah, marriage sounds nice, but...
Is that really Tanjiro? Is that even really Inosuke?
“We can do whatever you want. I will give you anything,” Inosuke says, kissing his sweaty forehead and making the redhead laugh.
“I know. Thank you--”
They’re silent, staring at the ceiling of their home.
It feels complete.
“You didn’t show me the dance,” Tanjiro turns to Inosuke, who is holding Akane as he babbles and stands. Instead of walking, the little baby falls onto his butt, making a little noise of anger. His cheeks turn red, and he tries again.
“The dance?” Tanjiro says as he pulls the rice out of his hand, setting it into the water. Zenitsu quietly plays with Nezuko, who hides in her box. The sun is setting, and it’s been slow with the demons.
He should say that, since when he does, it gets busy and suddenly he’s away from his baby and his mate.
“Fire dance,” Nezuko says, pulling the bamboo bite out of her mouth. Tanjiro blinks at Inosuke, finishing planting food, then walking towards them.
“Do you really wish to see it, Inosuke?”
The man shakes his head, excited. Anything that Tanjiro does, Inosuke likes. His presence, his words, his hands. Nothing he does is ever wrong or bad. He loves everything about him.
Tanjiro hums, shaking his head and smiling. He rings his hands in front of him, patting away dirt nervously.
“Alright,”
Tucking up his pant legs, he stands in the middle of a circle that they use to practice fighting. He takes a deep breath through his teeth, and he feels all three of them look at him.
Pointing his foot, and his arm, Tanjiro twirls around, taking deep breaths and turning in circles.
Twirling around, his hands point outward, and he lets out a deep sigh out of a breath.
Inosuke’s eyes widen as he does, almost stuck in his movements. Almost like he’s fire himself, Tanjiro punches, and moves like he’s a destructive force.
A small ‘wow’ from beside him makes him turn to look at Zenitsu. The blond’s eyes are sparkling, along with Nezuko, who is staring in wonder. There, behind pretty pink eyes, he can see a memory dance there.
Tanjiro’s dance is warmth, dripping down his stomach, like hot tea. It’s beautiful, perfect.
Suddenly, a drop of Tanjiro’s hand, and the redhead stops.
Tears are rolling down his eyes, his hands shaking as he looks towards the dropping sun. Swallowing, Tanjiro sets his hands down and his leg as well.
“Tanjiro?”
Inosuke goes to stand up, walking towards him. His hands are open and his mate jumps into them, sobbing quietly, and shaking as he holds him.
“I--” He whimpers and Inosuke sighs into his hair, nuzzling into his head, breathing in his scent, and holding him as he breaks.
Gently, his harsh sobs turn into hiccups, then to whimpers. In his arms, Tanjiro starts to pick up pieces.
“It’s okay, Tanjiro,” Inosuke, leans forward, kissing his nose and lips, letting the man smile wide.
“Thank you,”
“For?”
Tanjiro laughs, sitting up and wiping at his eyes. Zenitsu hums, smiling at them. His eyes are soft, and he hums as Tanjiro wipes at his eyes, walking towards them.
Suddenly, Nezuko is grunting and making noises, grabbing Zenitsu’s arm and shaking him so hard his head snaps back and forth.
Akane wiggles, walking towards his Dad. His face looks a little pouty, and he lets out noises as he walks towards Tanjiro.
Tanjiro and Inosuke both jump, their eyes widening as the babies grins and coos at them, swaying.
“You can do it, Piglet! Come on!” Inosuke opens his arms, making Akane let out a wonderful noise, laughing and reaching towards them.
Tanjiro feels his heart swell as Akane falls into his mate’s arms, grinning as Inosuke twirls in a circle with him, roaring in happiness and pride.
His heart aches, and this time, when he cries, it's a good and happy cry.