Work Text:
Tanjirou doesn't realize everyone around him holds their breath when he grabs Shinazugawa's arm to stop him from attacking Inosuke; the boy with the boar head usually doesn't know when to stop when it comes to challenge hashira. No matter how many times Tanjirou has tried to tell him, it seems like he doesn't want to believe there are people way stronger than him.
Now, he's not sure why he decided to stop the wind hashira instead of his friend, Tanjirou knows how to calm Inosuke down, but Shinazugawa... That Pillar is a completely different story.
"Stop it, Inosuke!" Tanjirou scolds lightly, before letting go of the wind hashira, making sure not to look at him at the moment. "Look, why don't you wait for me in the backyard to train together? We'll do anything you want!"
"I'll be waiting for you, Monjiro!" The boy says excitedly before rushing away from there.
Finally, Tanjirou turns around, wondering why Shinazugawa hasn't yelled at any of them yet, when he realizes that the Pillar seems to have frozen in his spot. Tanjirou immediately worries about him and stands on his tiptoes to cradle his face with both hands. The wind hashira blinks at him, but doesn't say a word, he doesn't even narrow his eyes, he just stares down at him.
"Are you alright, Shinazugawa-san?" He doesn't get a response from him, which makes him worry even more so he lightly touches his forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever though... Are you hurt?"
"I'm... fine!" The wind hashira huffs, prompting Tanjirou to let go of him. Shinazugawa grimaces at that almost immediately.
"Alright! I'll leave you then!" Tanjirou bows in front of him once before turning around and rushing towards the backyard.
***
The next time Tanjirou is in the butterfly estate, he hears Shinazugawa's growl before he actually sees him; a poor, unfortunate kakushi runs into him, hitting him on the shoulder on accident before kneeling in front of him and basically begging for mercy.
"OI! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU–" he stops as soon as he feels Tanjirou's hand on his arm; he turns around and the kakushi girl takes the opportunity to flee, thanking Tanjirou with a grateful look.
"Come, Shinazugawa-san," Tanjirou smiles at him, oblivious to the way other slayers look at him in awe, thinking about how brave he is. "Let's go get something to eat."
For a moment it looks like the wind hashira is about to argue, but Tanjirou reaches out to stroke his cheek with his thumb, prompting Shinazugawa to nod instead. Although he keeps the scowl on his face all the way back inside.
Tanjirou realizes suddenly, although he doesn't mention it out loud, that the oldest Shinazugawa is just like his brother: he's touch starved. Tanjirou has seen Genya a couple of times (he's now friends with him) and all those times have made him realize the boy just needed a little bit of physical affection.
And now he's sure that's the case with the wind hashira as well and since Tanjirou likes to help people, he's determined to do the same for Shinazugawa.
***
Tanjirou is right, he realizes when Shinazugawa comes back from a mission and the first thing he does as soon as he sees Tanjirou is to lean into him so the boy can cradle his face into his hands like he usually does.
Tanjirou draws little circles on the Pillar's face with his thumbs and gets a little bit surprised when he closes his eyes, melting into the touch. He knows now that the wind hashira is indeed touch starved, but he wasn't actually expecting total surrender so soon.
Maybe that's a good sign.
"How was the mission? Are you hurt?"
Shinazugawa smirks and rolls his eyes as if Tanjirou's question is actually ridiculous. Perhaps it is...
"Are you kidding me? That was the weakest demon I have ever encountered!"
"But if you're not hurt, then why are you in the butterfly estate?" Tanjirou blurts out, genuinely confused.
At that, a little bit of blush spreads over Shinazugawa's cheeks before he turns his head away.
"None of your business, Tanjirou!"
"Sorry... I thought–"
"Shut up! Now come with me so I can help you with your training," Shinazugawa says, looking away before he scoops Tanjirou up and takes him to the backyard. Everyone is looking at them with a shocked expression.
***
One day Tanjirou comes back hurt from one of his missions; the kakushi who sees him at the entrance takes him inside and leaves on a bed while Aoi and the butterfly girls rush in the room to check on his wounds. It's nothing serious, but he needs to stay in bed for a while.
When Shinazugawa arrives and finds out about what happened, he stomps into the boy's bedroom and doesn't leave Tanjirou's side; he also growls whenever a kakushi tries to change one of his bandages and makes Tanjirou hiss in pain.
However, he just has to give the grumpy hashira a couple of headpats in order to calm him down. It's not that bad actually... Shinazugawa even carries Tanjirou anywhere he wants to go, even though he doesn't need it that much.
"I can walk on my own, Shinazugawa-san."
"No, you can't! Not until I say so!"
Tanjirou chuckles because he knows he's just worried so he nuzzles against his cheek in response, prompting the wind hashira to melt immediately.
***
Someone needs to make Tanjirou understand and of course that one has to be Zenitsu because he's a good friend.
"Tanjirou!" He grins; it feels pretty natural because he genuinely likes him even though his obliviousness irritates him sometimes.
"Hi, Zenitsu!" Tanjirou smiles back and as always, the expression is almost blinding.
"So... How's everything going with the crazy hashira?" He asks as he sits down next to the redhead.
"He's not crazy!" Tanjirou says, although he chuckles anyway. "Everything's fine! We're friends now!"
The thing is... They're definitely not friends; Shinazugawa acts like Tanjirou is more than that. Lately, he's done a couple of things for Tanjirou that have left everyone wondering what's going on between them; he already apologized to Nezuko, he spends his free time with Tanjirou and has made Ohagi just for him.
Besides, Zenitsu has heard his heartbeat whenever he's with Tanjirou and he's sure the man has romantic feelings for his best friend.
It's wild to think about that sometimes. It's funny to see the most aggressive hashira act almost docile whenever the sunshine boy touches him.
Although sometimes it's terrifying... Zenitsu remembers the time when he found that slayer girl shaking with a bouquet of flowers that she wanted to give Tanjirou but never did because Shinazugawa found out and basically bared his teeth at her after yelling at the poor girl that Tanjirou was HIS.
"Are you sure about that?" Zenitsu insists, going back to the present.
"Yes, we're really good friends now!" Tanjirou grins becomes impossibly wide, but the look in his eyes is still so naive and oblivious...
Shinazugawa doesn't think they're friends; every time Tanjirou comes back from a mission the wind hashira is there, ready to scoop Tanjirou in his arms and sometimes bite his cheek gently.
As if he's been summoned, the grumpy Pillar walks towards them and takes Tanjirou before putting him over his shoulder; he glares at Zenitsu as a warning, before taking Tanjirou back inside with him.
Zenitsu wonders if Tanjirou will ever find out he has an unofficial husband now... At least the other slayers and the kakushi know about it now and have been very careful not to look at Tanjirou with heart eyes anymore.
They know they're not a match for the wind hashira so at least Zenitsu knows there won't be any kind of trouble soon.
Unless another hashira falls in love with Tanjirou as well... No, that can't happen, that'd be an absolute disaster...