Chapter Text
The night was cold and the day had been spent lounging around with his family huddled close and sharing treats and stories. The Kamados had always lived in the mountains and always would as far as Tanjiro was concerned. However once the sun retreated for the day behind the horizon, all that remained was the fresh burning scent of the snow. That night something happened that would change his life forever.
A knock, heart pounding and empty came from the front door. His mother was the one to get up to open it, revealing a short elderly man and two younger boys standing there in the cold silhouetted by the full moonlight.
"Hello, I'm terribly sorry to bother you but it seems we have been caught by surprise this winter and we're ill prepared for its harsh cold. I was wondering if we could possibly find shelter here tonight with you?" The old man spoke his voice full of shame for the predicament they had found themselves in. Tanjiro, a boy no older than seven at this time peaked his head above his blankets to look at them. His younger siblings were all still sleeping peacefully beside him. There were three silhouettes standing in the doorway. Two short figures and one of a slightly taller man but still quite a bit smaller than his mother.
"Of course! We are a little cramped but I think if we pull out some extra bedding we can make room a little further in the kitchen." She said hushed. Their home was only two rooms and the main one was where everyone slept usually. Tanjiro wiggled himself out of his bed and lightly tip toed over to the other room following the three. In the candle light he noticed something off about the smaller two figures. They looked to be children but they smelt like dogs. They also wore big mittens and baggy hoods over their heads. The smallest of them began crying quietly. Tanjiro noticed they must've all been soaked and worn out from their long trek though the snow. Him being the kindhearted seven year old he was walked over to the other. He held out a little cloth he always kept by his bed in case his siblings had stuffy noses.
"Here you go. Please don't cry." He said with a genuine smile on his face and he swore he saw something wiggle behind the other boy, under all of the baggy clothes he was wearing. The older man who was with them placed a hand on the crying child's back and he calmed down.
"T-thank you." He muttered taking the cloth and wiping some of his tears. He made a conscious effort towards something. As he looked past Tanjiro before shrugging his hood off. Revealing a mess of blond choppy locks with orange laid underneath. "It's so cold." He frowned reaching for the soggy hood again in hopes to warm up but Tanjiro stopped him.
"It's okay, you can share my bed and I'll keep you warm!" The other boy with them who had managed to take his hood off too grabbed the younger by his arm roughly.
"No! Zenitsu can't sleep near you. He is a trouble maker!" Big blobby tears began welling up in the blonds eyes again. He moved to push his brother off and Tanjiro could've sworn he saw his fingernails get longer.
"Enough!" The older man whisper shouted and separated them by their shirt collars. He signed and looked towards Tanjiros mother apologizing for his rowdy sons with a deep bow. Before forcing the heads of the children's down too.
"Oh no need for that!" Mrs. Kamado ushered them towards the kitchen before looking at how sad and defeated the boy named Zenitsu looked. "You know my son is a very well behaved child. I'm sure your son would be in very good hands if you let them sleep in the same futon. Tanjiro would make sure he didn't get into any trouble." The older man pondered on it a moment before looking at Zenitsu knowingly.
"I'll allow it but you need to promise me you'll behave!" He said sternly pointedly looking at the top of Zenitsu's head and his hands.
"I promise! I'll be good I won't be myself!" Zenitsu said looking elated he would get to sleep near a new friend. The older man nodded and Zenitsu walked over calmly to Tanjiro. Who grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where he was sleeping near all of his siblings.
"We can sleep here in this one. I promise you will be super warm!" He said happily helping the other boy out of his wet clothes. Grabbing one of his kimonos offering it to him. He dressed and climbed in first Tanjiro crawling in after him. He giggled when the blond snuggled up into his side shivering. So he wrapped his arms around him and waited until they drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Tanjiro awoke sooner than anyone else. He had felt something tickling his nose and when he opened his eyes he gasped a little. The boy he was snuggling looked like he was part wolf. Two pretty yellow and orange ears had sprouted atop his head. His regular ears were gone and when he opened his mouth to take a breath eight sharp k-nine teeth peaked though. His hands which were laid gently next to his head adorned sharp claws. Tanjiro peaked a little further under the blanket and saw a fluffy tail curled up around Zenitsu's torso. He would've usually been frightened having just shared his bed with a monster but instead he couldn't get over how cute the other looked. Like a little human wolf puppy. So he laid back down and ran his hands over the soft ears. Accidentally startling the other boy awake.
"What?" He groaned before his vision focused and he shot up with a shout and jolt. Awakening Tanjiros family who stared at him like an animal in a zoo. Zenitsu's eyes widened the smell of fear radiating off the other boy in waves. He yelped and suddenly a small orange and yellow wolf was running towards the front door. He used his snout to nudge it open and ran off into the snow. Tanjiro was the first one to move, grabbing his sandals.
"Zenitsu wait!" He shouted in hopes the wolf boy heard him. However after running only a few steps out the door a bigger wolf rushed past him. This one was black with pircing turquoise eyes, he managed to stop the burgundy haired boy in his tracks. Had that been the other boy from last night? That was Zenitsu's brother right?
"Tanjiro come back in here at once! It's still coming down pretty bad out there!" He could hear and smell his father's frustration. He trudged back to the cabin and listened to the older man explain how sorry he was. Turns out he had adopted the two boys after their parents had passed away from a disease of some kind. He hadn't known of their special ability until one of them changed into a wolf pup right in his arms after he fed them. So he had tried very hard to keep them away from people and well hidden. Until he had no choice but to ask for help in the snow storm.
"I'm terribly sorry for bringing them here. We will be going now that the sun is rising. Thank you for your kindness and understanding." He said getting up to grab the boys clothes and leave. Tanjiro and his mother both moved to stop him.
"Mr. Jigoro, please it's quite alright I believe the children aren't dangerous. You can all stay longer it really isn't any problem!" His mother said and Tanjiro began pulling at his clothes.
"Yeah! Plus how can you keep them away from everyone!?" The young boy shouted tears now beginning to well up in his own eyes. "That's so mean! T-to not have any friends! I don't care if they are people or not! They deserve to have friends and other kids to play with! They also deserve to be themselves!" He shouted crying loudly now as he gripped the older man's hem tightly. "H-how mean... t-to keep them all alone!" He was quieter now and his siblings all rallied around him.
"You're a kind boy Tanjiro but I'm not sure other kids would want to be friends with boys who can become animals." Tanjiro looked up his shining burgundy eyes glaring at the older man.
"I would!" He said and his siblings joined him, his sister closest to his age with black hair and pink eyes nodded.
"I would too! We will be their friends!" She said followed by two younger ones who nodded their heads.
"Us too!" The older man was taken aback and he smiled a few tears running down his cheeks. Kai, Tanjiros mother placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder.
"Well then it's decided. Why don't you stay for a while let the boys have some friends." Another hand on his other shoulder Tanjiros father who looked sickly smiled.
"Not to mention let yourself have a little break from parenting all alone."
So began a new chapter in Tanjiro and his family's lives. Taking in an older man and two wolf children. Zenitsu later returned covered in scratches from his older brother Kaigaku. Bolth children were scolded and told they would be able to stay with the family. Zenitsu seemed elated and basked in the attention the other children gave him. While Kaigaku seemed more hesitant and kept his distance. Years later the three were basically apart of the family, a good familiar dynamic settling into place as they got older.