Chapter Text
Tanjiro wasn’t used to being cared over.
Well, he knew people cared about him. He knew that his friendship mattered to people. Similarly, he knew that he’s been hurt and knocked down more often than he can remember. Being stuck in bed, being nursed back to health by the kind girls of the Butterfly Estate, also counted as being “cared over”, doesn’t it?
But when his father died, he took over most of the responsibilities. He took care of his siblings and mother when they were sick and he chopped firewood when the nights were coldest. The journey down the mountain, into town, was usually Tanjiro’s job. His family was counting on him. Nezuko, his precious sister, was counting on him.
Get up, his body urged, get up. Get up!
Tanjiro gasped awake. Air, snippy and cold, whirled into his lungs. He wheezed, his head falling back down onto the pillow.
“Easy now! What’s the rush?” chirped a voice.
Tanjiro was too dazed to reply coherently. As his vision swam, a blur of yellows and reds and oranges warbled in front of him until he could finally focus.
“Rengo— ku—.. san!” Tanjiro cried. He flew into a coughing fit, his head throbbing in warning.
Rengoku disappeared from his line of sight. For a moment, Tanjiro felt a freezing fear, but then the man returned. In his hand, Rengoku held a cup, “it’s water,” he said, but Tanjiro heard something along the lines of, “tin bother”.
Or something.
Tanjiro muled the words over. His face scrunched in thought. Then, Rengoku smiled again, and the cup’s cool edge was pressed to Tanjiro’s mouth.
After he had his fill, Tanjiro felt much better. He could feel his senses coming back to him— slightly.
“You’ve been out for nearly a month!” Rengoku said, “it was very reckless; what you did. We thought you’d surely die.”
“I’m sorry,” Tanjiro croaked. He coughed into his elbow, “—is everyone okay?”
The curtains were drawn closed, but Tanjiro could see little slivers of the night sky peaking past them. It smelled of medicine and nectar and lavender.
Tanjiro had a reputation of returning to the Butterfly Estate after every mission. He would’ve laughed at that fact— if he didn’t feel so horrible right now.
“—amado? Kamado, my boy?”
Tanjiro blinked away the fuzz, “huh..? Oh, s’rry Rengoku-san.”
Rengoku’s look was unreadable. It was carefully blank, but something was brewing behind the scenes. The man smiled, “I’ll repeat myself, then! All of your friends recovered within days. I’ve started their training already, and once you’re ready, you’ll be joining them. If you still want to take my offer, of course.”
“Ah,” Tanjiro hummed, his eyelids drooping, “I’m relieved. And I’m relieved that you’re okay, too, Rengoku-san.”
There was a pause before Rengoku spoke again, “I am okay,” he confirmed, “it was an easy recovery!”
Tanjiro’s body was failing him. All he wanted to do in that moment was close his eyes and drift back to sleep, but Tanjiro just had to know something. He could feel Rengoku’s burning stare as Tanjiro turned to look at him.
“You smell angry, Rengoku-san,” he said slowly.
The fire-breather continued to look at Tanjiro with his unreadable expression. The smile had dropped from Rengoku’s face, something more akin to confusion replacing it.
“Your sense of smell is very impressive!” Rengoku replied, “I can see how it would have stumped Enmu.”
But Tanjiro wasn’t really paying attention. Rengoku smelled sour and damp and bitter all at once, the scent making Tanjiro wheeze. Was Rengoku mad at him? At the upper moon who had gotten away—?
Oh. Oh.
Tanjiro’s memories roared back to him.
Upper moon three had approached them once the train had stopped. Rengoku-san and the demon fought, but in the muddle of memories, Tanjiro could only remember his fear and panic.
Desperately, Tanjiro had flung himself into Akaza’s punch.
The color on Tanjiro’s cheeks drained as he placed his hand over his abdomen. Gods, how had he survived? Or was he dead after all? Had he failed..?!
“Kamado! Calm down.”
Tanjiro choked, turning back to Rengoku, who was looking at him with a frown. Rengoku’s hands were suspended uselessly in the air. After a moment, they dropped back to his side.
“Are you okay, Kamado?”
“…yes,” Tanjiro huffed. The dizzying smell in the air had become milder, so Tanjiro continued, “have you been with me the whole time?”
“Of course not!” the sudden loudness of his tone made Tanjiro jump, but Rengoku was smiling again. The Hashira reached for his sword, which was settled on the nightstand, and sheathed it, “I’m a Hashira, my boy. I have duties to attend to. I check in when I can, but it’s only coincidence that you’ve woken up while I was here.”
Tanjiro turned to stare at the ceiling. His hand remained hovered over his abdomen, where he had surely suffered a horrible wound. It seemed like Rengoku noticed his unease.
“Not to worry, young Kamado! I have strict orders from Shinobu to not strain you too much during your first two weeks. I’m confident that you’ll catch up with your friends in no time. My training is nothing to scoff at though! You see, I take in all kinds of students— but many drop out after the first week. Isn’t that a spectacle?” Rengoku chatted, finally looking over at Tanjiro.
The younger slayer was already fast asleep.