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Breakfast felt heavy. Maybe it's because Nezko was still asleep, recovering from past injuries. Maybe it was due to Kanao leaving the previous night to start her own mission. Maybe Tanjiro had simply woken up wrong.
He's sure that's the reason.
His body ached, as though somehow in the night he slept funny, even though he's sure he hadn't, and now he was paying the price for it. His arms thrummed with a deep pain that he knew he could do little about. Running down from his shoulder into his elbow and down to his very fingertips. His back throbbed, pain thrumming down to the sides of his legs.
There was very little he could do about any of it, but grin and bear it most days because he shouldn't even have the pain to begin with. That’s what Shinobu had said to him at least.
Tanjiro had asked Shinobu about the pain he still felt even when visible injuries healed, and even then he only brought it up when he felt like he was going to go crazy. Training was a new type of hell when it hurt to even carry a sword, let alone grip it tightly enough to be able to swing it.
Holding anything hurt his hands, and trying to rotate his wrists to tilt his blade had sent white hot pain spiking through his arms. He couldn't even hold a sword right when his grip strength gave out on him.
It had gotten him in trouble, told that he was lazy, or slipping up, or getting full of himself for not practicing, and maybe they were all right.
Because Shinobu had given him a funny look when Tanjiro explained what was going on to her. She mumbled something about overuse that happened to older slayers, the ones who had been around for decades, who were way older and way more skilled than Tanjiro could ever dream to be.
Giyu had back pain but he was a hashira, his training and skill and effort he put into his title gave him the excuse to complain about a body that couldn't keep up, though Tanjiro had his doubts that Shinobu would let even the water hashira complain about such a thing.
She thought he was far too young to be suffering from that though, and told him to just push through the pain if it wasn't that bad. He wasn't trying hard enough to be normal and was simply making excuses for his failures.
But the more Tanjiro tried the more his body grew to hate him. Until he had days like now where even trying to feed himself felt impossible.
Too many times healing from deep injuries and broken bones left his muscles strained and aching on good days. Today it felt like fire before he even began his day.
Getting dressed felt like a chore- just who made buttons on the uniforms so hard to fasten anyways? He had half a mind to not even bother with his uniform shirt like Inosuke did, before realizing that his friends would pick up on the strange behavior and ask questions, and he really didn't want to bother them.
He was already exhausted by the time he made it to the kitchen, grabbing himself a bowl of rice and scrambled eggs, and sitting beside Zenitsu and Inosuke who were both already eating.
Tanjiro couldn't get his fingers to corporate enough to use chop sticks, not without his fingers fumbling and cramping. Only now it made him feel angry.
He did this every day, he needed to be able to eat! To be able to feed himself. Why did this feel so difficult? This was stupid, how could he even wield a sword if he can't hold two thin pieces of carved wood? They didn't even weigh anything!
He stabbed at his food, which did absolutely nothing, but it made him feel better for a moment.
Tanjiro took a deep breath, it was fine, he'd just use a fork. It was fine, he just needed to eat. He was really hungry, and it would give him energy and he'd feel better if he could just-
PLOP
clank
Shi-
Tanjiro cursed as his fork fell to the ground spilling food across the floor along with it. He just sat there, staring at the table, blinking back frustrated tears as his hand cramped in pain. Even as Inosuke contorted himself, bending sideways to pick up the lost utensil as he handed back the utensil saying, "Think you dropped something," with a goofy grin, he still didn't look up.
Tanjiro didn't even reach towards the utensil, instead rubbing at his hand, digging into the center of palm with a soft hiss. It didn't help if by massaging one hand only caused his other to hurt instead.
He didn't want to try picking up the fork again. He was just going to drop it. It was just going to hurt again. Just going to make him feel stupid again.
"Do you need help Ro?" Genya asked. The other slayer was leaning on the table with his head lying on his arms, clearly tired and barely awake.
"N-no I'm just fine. You should get something to eat Genya." It was enough to change the topic off from him and towards the other that no one else questioned him for the moment.
Tanjiro tried to take another bite before realizing that, nope he was just going to have to be satisfied with two bites of food, when his fork fell to the floor again.
Zenitsu and Genya, even Inosuke was staring at him and Tanjiro could practically see the gears turning in their head.
Zenitsu reaches across the table from where he’s sitting on Tanjiro’s other side, taking the fork from Inosuke and scooping up a mouth full of egg. He holds the bite out towards Tanjiro "You could have just said something if you were feeling small, I don't mind helping feed you-"
"I'm going to get a drink." Tanjiro interrupted, because the weight of eyes on him made him itch and the conversation Zenitsu was starting was so far from the truth and he didn't want to have to explain otherwise. He wasn't regressed, or close to it, or anything of the sorts.
He wasn't three and struggling with motor skills because his mind had regressed him to somewhere in the past. He didn't want help, he wanted to be able to feed himself, by himself.
He also realized he was unreasonably angry and needed a moment to cool down. He thought about taking his bowl back to the kitchen with him to clean it up, but upon grabbing it and pain stinging his arm, he dropped it quickly and thought better of it.
Later.
He'd clear it later.
Water for right now, just to clear his head and realize he was making such a fool of himself.
Walking into the other room Tanjiro grabbed a glass from cupboard, ignored how his fingers ached.
Your. Fine. He berated himself in his mind.
It wasn't even that heavy he could hold this no problem- what was he thinking it was a cup!
Tanjiro filled the cup up with water fully, hands shaking, but he was supposed to be normal-
CRASH
The cup smashed onto the floor, spilling water across the front of Tanjiro's uniform and down his pants as it fell. By some miracle the glass was still intact, but Tanjiro was shaking, clutching his hands close to his chest as though somehow that was going to stop the pain radiating through them.
His hands hurt, how was he supposed to clean this up? There was water everywhere, he made such a mess. Shoot. He can't even do this right.
He can’t stay upset for long as his spiraling thoughts are interrupted by laughter.
Not the cruel kind, the Inosuke kind.
“Ha! Gonpachiro spilled. Sippy cup time. That’s the rule.”
Tanjiro wants to groan. That rule was one the group collectively made for when they were regressed, you could drink from a regular glass as long as you had the moter skills that allowed you not to spill, once you didn’t you had to use a sippy cup to prevent the rest of whoever was babysitting from having to clean up an endless amount of drink spills.
The rule was mostly in place for Inosuke, who hated the idea of using sippy cups or bottles ever when regressed because he felt inferior, to who exactly, no one knew; Nezuko who struggled a lot with her hands shaking and… himself… a habit of swearing he was never regressed when he really was and saving himself the guilt of admitting to need a different cup when it was a group rule.
It shouldn’t be put into effect now though because he’s not regressed or close to entering that headspace.
“I’m not small!”
“Too late!” Inosuke said, laughing manically as he jumped onto the countertop and pulled a green sippy cup from an upper shelf. “Tiny cup.” He says, presenting the cursed thing to the other boy.
Tanjiro can’t find the energy to argue whenever Inosuke went into ‘caregiver mode’. He takes the cup, it’s lighter at least and he’s still thirsty- and everything still hurts-
Tanjiro he cursed when the empty cup fell to the floor with a plastic clunk. They both just stared at it for a moment.
Inosuke quickly dropped into a squat, grabbed the cup with both hands and jumped back up again, cup held over his head and ever dramatic in his movements. Maybe if Tanjiro actually was regressed he’d find it amusing, and maybe that’s what the older boy was trying to do, but Tanjiro wasn’t in the mood-
“Never mind I was wrong- bottle time. And no you can’t hold it. Too tiny.”
“Inosuke will you listen to me! Stop it!” He grabbed at Inosuke’s arm on instinct to stop him from scrambling back up onto the countertop, before letting go when his arms cramped. He’s more upset by the pain, but it comes out in his voice. “I’m not regressed!”
Inosuke squints, “Sounds like something you say when you are regressed.”
It is, but he isn’t lying this time!
“Why won’t any of you listen- Oh whatever! I don’t care.” He storms out of the kitchen, out of the house, aware that Zenitsu and Genya are staring at him, much more alert and awake than they were before as he passes.
Tanjiro sits on the porch step, buries his head into his knees, makes sure his mouth is covered with his haori sleeves… and screams.
He’s not sure how long he sits there but the feeling in his chest doesn’t go away. What comes instead is the scent of fear, anxiety, and upset. Tanjiro rubs at his eyes as he speaks, “If you’re going to ask if I’m little the answer is no.”
“I wasn’t.” Zenitsu pipes up from where he’s taken to standing, worrying the fabric of his haori sleeve in his hands.
Tanjiro turns, leveling Zenitsu with a look.
“Okay fine, but in my defense I could hear you and the pig head arguing.”
“So what? He’s being stupid.”
“Or maybe we all know you by now.” Zenitsu says quietly as he moves to sit beside the other boy.
“What does that mean?!” Tanjiro snaps before immediately regretting it.
“It means that it’s fine if you maybe are small, or getting to be, and struggling.” Zenitsu explains slowly, reaching out hesitantly and rubbing the other’s back.
Tanjiro wishes it was that simple. That being small would let him forget that he was over dramatic, and a fool, and stupid over pain that couldn’t exist in someone like him. He doesn’t want to be fussed and looked over because it just proves he can’t do anything for himself.
He doesn’t want to be small because he already feels helpless… besides, “I’m supposed to train with Muichiro today-“
“Cancel it.” Tanjiro turns to see Genya and Inosuke standing behind them.
“I got older brother figure,” Inosuke explained helpfully, though he’s practically hiding behind Genya as though Tanjiro might snap at him again.
“You’re in no mood to, and you’re grumpy. Tell him you’re canceling.”
“I can’t do that!” Tanjiro argues.
“Tanjiro’s right.” Zenitsu agrees, nodding.
“Thank you-“
“It’s so out of character that we’re going to have an over concerned Hashira acting like we did something to Tanjiro to cause him to dare not show up.”
“He won’t care if we say Tanjiro’s regressing.” Genya argued. “I’ll send him the letter-“
“None of you are listening to me! I’m not small just stop it!” There’s angry tears forming in his eyes. This is so dumb.
Maybe he did feel grumpy, maybe he was starting to regress, he doesn’t know! He just feels overwhelmed and exhausted. His mind feels far away today and maybe that’s the same feeling as when he starts to regress but he doesn’t think so but sometimes he friends did pick up on him being small before he realized and he did have the habit to push back his regression and maybe-
“Tanjiro. Tanjiro breathe.” Zenitsu was rubbing his back again. “It’s alright. So you’re not little, we didn’t mean to upset you, we’re just trying to help cause we love you and you seem a bit off. We don’t mean to upset you. Or ignore you.”
Tanjiro sniffled, trying to calm himself down, but it was like his brain and body weren’t connecting. That wasn’t anything new, but it was a strong reminder that had him feeling worse about everything.
“You can be off and not be little,” Zenitsu continues, “don’t listen to Inosuke with the cups, he’s trying, but he’s stupid.”
“Hey!”
It’s not Inosuke’s fault, Tanjiro wants to say. He likes that his friends care enough to help. He’s the one being mean.
“We all have bad days.” Zenitsu says gently as Tanjiro began to weep.
Every day felt bad. He wants the bad days to stop being everyday. He wants to be normal! He should be normal. He’s not normal though, and that makes Tanjiro sob.
“Shit! What did I say?! I thought I was helping!” Zenitsu panicked.
“Everything ‘urts!! An is not fair!” Tanjiro cried.
He’s picked up by Genya a moment later, who up until then had been watching in silence.
“Shhh, it’s alright. Let it out.” He patted Tanjiro’s back as he hiccuped.
They really don’t know what set Tanjiro off. They had been trying to include him in conversation all morning during breakfast but he just hadn’t responded. Between that and struggling with eating, it was a silent conclusion that it was probably going to be a small day.
They think it’s maybe a combination of Kanao being gone and his sister being hurt. Tanjiro may not deal with separation anxiety like Zenitsu and Genya, did but he still got as upset as any of them when he thought they weren’t safe or if he had ‘failed’ one of them.
Anxiety is a horrible thing to deal with alone so maybe they hadn’t exactly stopped Inosuke from following into the kitchen, even if Tanjiro wanted to be by himself. They just… didn’t want him spiraling.
It seems they hadn’t managed to stop that from happening after all.
Genya feels horrible that Tanjiro’s regressed now, even if he thinks it would have happened sooner rather than later. He knows Inosuke must feel the same, sulking in the corner and muttering something about ‘confusing rules.’
Genya bounces the little softly, trying to get him to calm. Usually it’s not too hard, but the way in which Tanjiro cries tells them all that he had reached a breaking point long before now and had needed to get everything off his chest. A toddler regressed Tanjiro always seemed so much more relaxed and open with negative emotions rather than how their friend normally handled his feelings, smiling through everything as though nothing affected him.
“Kanao is going to be home soon little tanuki.” Genya says, “and we can see Nezuko now , she’s sleeping in her room. I bet she’ll wake for a few minutes to see her baby brother. And then we’ll finish breakfast,” Genya keeps talking, just to see if the steadiness of routine and a sound to focus on might settle Tanjiro further. “And maybe actually give you that bottle if you don’t hate us for that?”
Tanjiro keeps crying, if anything his cries have picked up in volume, close to screams now that have Genya wincing and Zenitsu whining as he covers his ears.
Genya frowns.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I thought we were calming?”
“Maybe he’s hungry?” Zenitsu tries, he’s still covering his ears, “He didn’t eat.”
Right. That makes sense.
Now trying to feed a screaming little sounds like a recipe for disaster, but maybe they could manage a bottle. Something in his stomach and see where to go from there. Plus previous knowledge told the trio that you couldn’t cry and drink milk as the same time.
“How about that bub? Sound okay with you?” Genya didn’t get a response, just more tears, but he wasn’t expecting to.
Inosuke ran back into the house, Zenitsu following quickly after to prevent an inevitable disaster from happening in the kitchen.
Genya carried the little back inside and directly to the couch, trying to cradle him before realizing that was a hopeless task as Tanjiro’s wailling only intensified.
“Okay not doing that.” Instead he let the little lean into his side which seemed to have better results.
Tanjiro calmed enough to drink half a bottle of vanilla milk. Sniffling on occasion but overall better as Inosuke helped hold the drink to his lips.
“There, all better, you were just hungry huh?” Zenitsu cooed, petting Tanjiro’s hair, and Genya had to agreed. Maybe they could try some yogurt or applesauce, now that he wasn’t crying so hard, or…
Or Tanjiro could start crying again.
None of them understood why.
“Really emotional day huh little guy?” Genya asked, having taken Tanjiro back into his own lap, bouncing the regressor on his knee. Though he wasn’t expecting an answer he also wasn’t expecting Tanjiro to continue sobbing louder, hands flailing and smacking him in the face.
“Ouch!”
Tanjiro stopped, wide eyed, staring… before his cries continued.
“Hey you didn’t hurt me. It’s okay.” Genya backtracks quickly.
Zenitsu had taken to wearing ear plugs, overwhelmed by the noise, but refusing to leave his friends side. He was pacing, along with Inosuke, trying to figure out what was the problem and an idea on how to comfort their little.
“He has to tire himself out eventually right? It’s been like, what, an hour?”
“Maybe?” Genya replied. He was trying to give the little a pacifier to help him self soothe, only to have it end up on the floor for the third time.
“I’ve got it!” Inosuke shouted suddenly, before running towards the bedrooms. He emerged a second later with a familiar and well loved tanuki stuffed animal.
“I come bearing friend!” Inosuke plopped himself down on the couch next to the two, and made the stuffed toy ‘walk’ onto Tanjiro’s lap and wave a paw at the mentally younger boy.
Tanjiro watched, tears still slowly flowing down his cheeks but no longer wailing. It felt like a miracle.
“Why didn’t we think of that?” Zenitsu said, sounding relieved. The toy was a gift from Giyu and seemed to always cheer the little up.
“Because I’m the best.” Inosuke exclaimed, grinning. He danced the doll around to the delight of the regressor. Tanjrio stretched forward to reach for the toy, babbling something and making small grabby hands, before whining.
“‘Noske’s silly, huh baby?” Genya asked, a bit unsure as to the upset noise Tanjiro had made, but still chalking it up to him being fussy.
“Wait a second.” Now it was Zenitsu’s turn to run off. Genya swears he saw sparks of lightening as Zenitsu ran. The thunder breather emerged not a second later with his arms full of stuffed animals.
There’s a yellow bunny with white spots all over it’s body, a soft pink deer made from little quilt patches from Kanao’s collection, a boar plush that Inosuke owned, a black and white kitten that was Nezuko’s, and a hyena stuffy which was Genya’s.
They are all placed across the couch and on the regressor’s lap.
Zenitsu scooped up the kitten plush setting it on Tanjiro’s head with a grin, Tanjiro looking up with a small face of shock and giggling when it fell into his lap; before taking his own bunny and making it move. “Do you wanna play Tanjiro?” Zenitsu asked even if he was aware that his friend was a bit too small to actually play make believe. Still if it kept him quietly occupied and happy, then it was worth a shot.
Tanjiro ignored them in favor of still trying to reach his tanuki, which Inosuke was making strike funny poses, fingers closing around the soft fur of its leg before he paused suddenly with a sharp cry.
“Inosuke give him the plush.” Genya warned, sensing another on coming meltdown.
“I am, don’t tell me what to do!” Inosuke snapped, though it was clear he was stressed too. They were making progress why did it feel like all of that was unraveling? “Here you go, soft friend- hey don’t cry! Why is Gonpachiro crying again?!”
No one had an answer to that.
“He wasn’t keeping it from you, baby.” Genya soothed, swiping at tears that fell down the regressor’s cheeks.
“Oh please don’t start crying again.” Zenitsu groaned, planting his face on the couch and covering his ears.
Tanjiro ignored his friends words of comfort in favor of more tears. He turned to press his face into Genya’s chest, cradling his hands to his chest. Even when Inosuke tried to give him back his stuffed animal he didn’t reach for it.
Everything hurt. Even holding his friend. He couldn’t do anything and he couldn’t get his pain across in any other way than tears, though all the anxiety was only serving to make his joints and muscles feel worse from heightened stress.
“Sh-should we call someone? I’m afraid to let him keep crying.” Zenitsu said, wringing his hands nervously. He felt on the verge of his own breakdown if the screaming kept up for any longer. He understood being fussy and upset, but this was reaching a concerning level.
At this point Genya really wanted to send a letter to Gyomei and ask him how to handle such a fussy little thing. Ask how the stone pillar handled him when Genya regressed this small, or perhaps the master. Kagaya was betting at soothing meltdowns- hell even his big brother might have advice better than what they were doing now.
“He cries like an injured animal.” Inosuke grumbles, now covering his own ears.
Zenitsu blinks. “Is he?”
Inosuke whipped around to face the thunder breather, “Gonpachiro’s an animal?!”
“No you idiot! Not that part, the injured part!”
“Shinobu said he was fine…” Genya paused, before frowning, “unless he lied to her.”
“This is Tanjiro we’re talking about.” Zenitsu dead panned, though his expression did soften a moment later. “Wait, remember what he said, just as he regressed, that everything hurt. Do you think he meant that emotionally… or physically.”
“Maybe something happened since then?” Genya guessed.
A wound that re-opened or something that twisted wrong or simply went under the radar until now? Clearly it was hurting their baby a lot if this was the case.
“Does something hurt bub? You’re in pain and that’s what has you so sad?” Genya gets the tiniest nod before Tanjiro is shoving his face back against his collar bone, as though scared by the very idea. “Oh baby.” Genya fusses, brushing a hand through his hair, “Okay, let’s see.”
Trying to be as unintrusive as possible Genya started to pat along the little’s legs and chest finding little to no reaction than the continued sad whimpers. Tanjiro’s arms were a different story.
The regressor screamed when Genya applied any pressure to his upper arm, trying to pull out of his big brother’s hold completely. He’s only barely caught by Zenitsu from falling down onto the floor. Genya rolled up Tanjiro’s sleeve, frowning when there was no visible injury, but clearly that was the source of pain for the regressed boy.
“I think we should go see Shinobu.” Zenitsu says, and even Inosuke is agreeing after practically staring a hole into Tanjiro’s arm as though it would reveal the problem by sheer force.
“Butterfly woman will fix him then we will have a happy baby again!”
~~~
Tanjiro was far too small to walk to the butterfly estate, plus it would take too long with such unsteady footing, so the three caregivers took turns carrying him. It was obvious now every time Tanjiro made a soft hurt sound that he was in pain, whimpering if he was jostled wrong or carried without proper support, (Inosuke’s fault who thought his usual style of piggy back rides might get the little to forget his pain for a moment and cheer up.)
Their baby brother was so exhausted by the time they made it to the butterfly mansion that they had to try and keep him awake.
“He spent all morning crying, he needs a nap.” Zenitsu fretted, though there was nothing they could do. Maybe they should have put Tanjiro down for a nap and prayed that the pain would lessen and that he might be snapped out of his headspace, or at least in an older age range. Or they could have dealt with nightmares and mental pain added to physical stress and ended up in a worse situation.
At least he wasn’t sobbing anymore which was a plus, they really didn’t need anymore attention on them.
Finding Shinobu hadn’t been hard with Zenitsu’s hearing. The difficult part was trying to get her to listen.
Already she was giving them that look of hers, sickeningly sweet and forced, like it took everything in her just to act like they weren’t bothering her by simply existing near her.
It’s clear when neither Zenitsu or Inosuke speak up, that Genya was going to have to do the talking. Great.
“Umm hello.”
“What do you need? I don’t have time for nothing but pleasantries.” Shinbou said curtly.
“Right of course, umm we need help-“
“Obviously.”
Genya hated when she did that, not letting people finish a scentence, acting like she knew what you were thinking. “Tanjiro’s been crying for hours, we think there is something going on and that he’s hurting.”
Shinobu frowned, tilting her head to the side. “He doesn’t seem to be crying now.” She says this like that should be obvious.
“Well he was screaming his head off for the past two hours.” Zenitsu commented dryly. He loved Tanjiro with all his heart but damn if his ears didn’t still hurt even now.
“Right,” Shinobu drawled and her expression was getting tight again. “Look I’m not the person to come to deal with brattiness.”
“Our baby brother doesn’t act like that!” Inosuke yelled, suddenly now finding the courage to speak up to the other woman now that he felt like his family was being insulted.
“He’s not acting like himself, he’s hurt.” Genya tried.
The Hashira blinked, seemed to take a deep breath and resettle herself. “Well you should have started with that.” Shinobu says, turning and gesturing for them to follow.
Only to stop them when she actually gets to her clinic, “Ah! One of you, not all four.”
Though none of them were happy about it, Genya was the one who stepped forward, he was already carrying Tanjiro anyways.
“Set him there.” Shinobu said, gesturing to the examination table as she closes the door.
Genya did, gently removing Tanjiro’s hands from him when the little tried to cling to him, and yeah Genya could tell now that the regressor’s hands must really hurt, there was no grip strength to speak of, even for such a young headspace that the boy was in.
“Shh, I’m right here. Your big brother’s not going anywhere.” Genya hummed, cupping Tanjiro’s cheeks softly and pressing their foreheads together. The regressor cooed softly, still sounding so sad.
Shinobu cleared her throat. “Right if you’re done.”
Genya backed away awkwardly, hunching in on himself and rubbing at the back of his neck. “Sorry, he just seems nervous.”
She swatted his hand away from where it was holding onto Tanjiro’s.
“So what exactly hurts?” Shinobu asked.
“I think it’s his hands, he was struggling to grip things this morning and kept droppin-“
“Did I ask you?”
Genya blinks at the harsh response. “No…” Maybe it wasn’t obvious, but Tanjiro was too small to talk, let alone string together sentences. Otherwise they wouldn’t have had to have spent the whole morning playing a guessing game at what had upset him so. That’s why Genya was here, to translate and talk for the other.
“Tanjiro, I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” Shinobu says, having asked the same question again to Tanjiro and still received no answer that wasn’t just babbling.
The regressor whined, looking towards Genya with huge pleading eyes.
“He’s nonverbal,” Genya tries to explain but Shinobu points a finger in his face in a ‘shush’ postition.
“If he’s in that much pain he’ll tell me, or he’ll deal with it.”
Tanjiro started to tear up again, tears dripping down his face and landing on his pants. His poor little brother was so tired and so overwhelmed, he just wanted to hold him.
“He can’t-“ Genya took a deep breath, “Look he’s not trying to be stubborn, you can be a bit nicer, he’s been through a lot this morning.”
Shinobu hummed noncommittally, running her hands over the length of Tanjiro’s arms, squeezing slightly. “I’m being as nice as I can be when you all are making this difficult. The excuse of being regressed isn’t going to work forever you know.”
Tanjiro gave a yelp and started to try and squirm away. Genya watched as Shinobu tightened her grip. He lost it when he heard his little make another hurt sound, tears rolling down his cheeks and Shinobu did nothing but glare. “Quit doing that. If you can push me away I guess that means you’re fine and you’re just wasting all of our time.
It’s like something in him snapped.
“What part do you not understand that he hurts! He’s barely a year old, we just spent all morning dealing with a mental breakdown because of the pain! We need help! Either you’re going to provide that help, or I’m fucking grabbing Nemi or someone who will actually listen to us!”
Shinobu rolled her eyes. “Go ahead and try. See if your precious big brother will put up with this, like all the other times he’s cared so much.”
Genya didn’t know what to do with that dig. Instantly he felt sick. What did his and Nemi’s relationship have to do with any of this?
He couldn’t even come up with a response before Shinobu was talking again.
“Besides I’ve been through this when he complained to me before.” She sighs, standing back to her full height, “He acts like he’s in constant pain all the time and I told him I was onto him and guess what? He stopped coming back to me.”
‘Maybe because you didn’t actually listen to him and he knows you’re never going to so why bother!’ Genya thinks gritting his teeth.
Tanjiro and complaining never went in the same sentence together. It was a fight to get him to even go to medical, let alone to hear him complain about even the worst wounds and inflicts done to him. Tanjiro had a horrible habit of thinking everything was his burden to carry without ever stopping to ask for help. They had been working on this for months. No wonder why he hadn’t said anything until he reached a breaking point! And now here was Shinobu, blatantly telling Genya that she not only outright ignored Tanjiro, but had the audacity to act like he was making it all up for attention.
“You said you’ve been fussing over him all morning. My diagnosis? He’s acting this way because you let him.”
“Tanjiro doesn’t do things like this for attention.” Genya growled.
“And slayers as young and inexperienced don’t get pain like what he describes. Toddlers can be such liars can’t they? Picking up on things they hear and repeating it back to their parents.” She’s smiling again though it does nothing to ease Genya’s rage. “There is nothing more for me to do, so if you’ll excuse me I have actual patients to attend to.”
“I’m not leaving until I have something to help! You might think he’s faking it but I know he isn’t. Tanjiro doesn’t cry like that, he doesn’t make things up! If he says he’s in pain then he is and damn it if I ignore that!” Genya snapped.
Shinobu hesitated by the door. “I already gave him medicine before, I will not waste more supplies on him.”
Genya didn’t care if she was a Hashira, he cursed when he knew she was just out of ear shot before realizing that Tanjiro was shaking apart.
“Shoot, bubs it’s okay.”
“Gen mad?” Tanjiro was scrubbing at his eyes with his hands.
“Yes I’m mad. I’m ticked at her for not listening. Shit-“ He felt like punching something.
“Sorry. Sorry. Trying to be big now, sorry.” Tanjiro interrupts, apologizing profusely.
“No bub. It’s not you.” Genya takes a deep breath. “Do you actually feel bigger or are you forcing yourself?”
“Need to be. Bofering, everyone.”
“No you’re not. It’s not possible for you to bother anyone baby. Just stay small, let us deal with this.” He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Tanjiro’s forehead, removing the little’s hands and holding them palm side up.
He examined them carefully. Just like before he can’t see anything visible, “Shinobu said you had medicine?”
Tanjiro hummed. “Cream… an pills. Is icky though.”
Genya chuckled, rubbing his thumb across the skin slowly, “Is it baby?”
“Mhm. Shino tol’ me to only use it when the pain is really bad and I really need it.”
Genya could almost laugh, he thinks he does. “And you don’t think crying for hours counts as ‘really needing it’?”
“No. Is fine. Is not bad… like Shino said, probably jus’ makin’ it up.”
It’s Genya’s turn to hum, digging his thumb into Tanjiro’s palm gently, but it’s still enough to have the other wincing, trying to pull away. “Right, just fine.” Genya deadpans.
Tanjiro ducks his head.
“Go through it too quickly an’ she gets angry.”
Genya just barely stops himself from not swearing. “Shinobu’s always angry, that’s not your fault.”
He can tell Tanjiro’s arms are tense with knots. Whether that’s the full issue here or part of it Genya doesn’t know. He might know if Shinobu actually gave them decent information, but she hadn’t, so he was still in the dark.
“Give me a second.” He’s throwing open each cabinet in the room, screw it if Shinobu gets mad at him later for messing up her stuff, it wouldn’t be anything new.
He finds what he’s looking for, a small jar of cream labeled ‘for pain relief’ in one cabinet and a bottle of pain relief pills in another smaller jar. He skim reads the labels, it seems fine, similar to the own type of pain medication they have back at home.
He shakes out two pills, handing them off to the little.
Tanjiro just stares at the small tablets. “Bu- but Shinobu said-“
“I don’t care what she said. Just take the pain medicine.” He doesn’t mean to snap but he’s tired of being in this place. He wants to go home to his family where he can vent to Zenitsu and Inosuke about everything wrong with how their brother was being treated.
The regressor nods, and swallows the pills dry, which wasn’t Genya’s intention, but there’s nothing he can do about it now.
Genya pulls himself up onto the examine table next to Tanjiro, taking the other boy’s arms and scooping out a generous heaping of the salve from the container onto his skin.
Repeating for both arms, Genya started to rub in the cream, pressing his thumbs into the knots along the Tanjiro’s arms as he came across them. Massaging circles into sore wrists and tight muscles. The cream smells strongly of cloves and cinnamon.
“Gen’s good at this.” Tanjiro hummed and by tone of voice Genya guessed he was close to regressing small again.
“Glad I can help.” The medicine would kick in, in a moment, for now it was just a matter of keeping the regressor distracted and trying to alleviate even a fraction of the pain.
“How you learn do this?” Tanjiro asks, head tilted like a puppy.
Genya didn’t exactly want to explain to a mentally five year old about digging the knots out of his mother’s arms and back when she used to be in so much pain from raising seven children and working herself to an early grave.
“Magic.” Is what he settles on saying instead and it seems to work as the little gasps, looking starry eyed at Genya.
He continues to work on Tanjiro’s arms till he doesn’t feel so close to snapping and Tanjiro isn’t making anymore pained sounds every time he moves.
“How’s that feel?”
Tanjiro doesn’t say anything, just rotates his wrists, mouth opening in a small ‘O’ shape.
“T’ank you Gen.”
Genya shrugs. “Is your back hurting as well?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
Tanjiro just slumps over into Genya’s side. “No more. Tired.”
“I know bubs, it’s been such a long day. Ready to go home?”
“Mhm.”
.
.
.
Genya has completely forgotten about Zenitsu and Inosuke until the two of them step outside and hear the sounds of someone getting scolded.
“What were you two thinking- never mind you clearly weren’t! Attacking a Hashira- you should be ashamed! Never in all my days as a Hashira have I ever seen such unprovoked disrespect…” it’s Rengoku standing in front of Zenitsu and Inosuke who were kneeling and looking the furthest thing from ashamed, but clearly were trying to.
Surprisingly Tengen was also kneeling in front of the flame pillar but at least he actually had the decency to look embarrassed.
“What happened?” Genya asked, while Tanjiro brabbled in his arms, back to a baby’s headspace and clearly excited to see the others.
“She insulted my kid and I won’t stand for it.”
“Tengen you weren’t even there!” Rengoku stressed and by the tone of his voice Genya got the distinct feeling he had said this already.
“I heard enough.”
“Tengen that is no excuse!”
“It is when my kid is involved.”
Rengoku sighed. “Shinobu has a black eye.”
“I’d give her another.” Inosuke snorts, steam coming out of the mask he’s wearing, and when had he gone to grab that?
“You can not attack another Hashira unprovoked. I agree that what you are telling me was very unprofessional of her and I don’t know why she would ever say such a thing- but we have talked about this Tengen! First Sanemi, now Shinobu-“
“It’s for my kids- speaking of, there’s my baby mouse.” Tengen exclaims, clearly searching for a way out of the lecture.
Tanjiro is taken from Genya’s arms in an instant.
“Tengen I’m not done with you.”
“You wouldn’t scold me when I have a baby in my arms would you?” Tengen says, and for Tanjiro’s part, the little started to coo, trying to reach towards Rengoku.
“Well- I… no….” Rengoku sighs, “hello there my boy, I heard you had a bad day and that Shinobu was mean to you.”
“Mean is an understatement.” Zenitsu comments, and Genya has to wonder just how much of their conversation had been overheard.
“How about we get your sister and spend the night at my place? Good food, hot bath, a good nights sleep, and we figure out what to do in the morning about this situation.”
“Don’t forget, we tell the master of what happened and you get your arse whooped.” Rengoku comments.
Tengen waves the other pillars off, “Ehh details, details.”
That sounds fine. More than fine actually.
“What do you think baby?” Tanjiro babbled happily in response.
“Sounds like a yes.”