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Kanao realized something was wrong as soon as she spotted zenitsu underneath the table.
She stopped.
Zenitsu stared back at her.
Kanao stared.
Zenitsu slowly put one finger over his lips.
Kanao blinked.
Then looked around the room.
Tanjiro was sitting on the floor.
Genya was sitting beside him.
Muichiro was lying directly across both of their laps.
Nobody was talking.
Nobody appeared injured.
And yet, something was very clearly happening.
Kanao slowly crouched.
"Zenitsu?"
Zenitsu's eyes widened.
Then he scooted farther beneath the table.
Kanao tilted her head.
Tanjiro looked over.
His eyes were soft and unfocused.
He smiled.
"Hi, Kanao."
His voice was quieter than usual.
Kanao immediately understood.
"Oh."
Nezuko came into the room behind her.
She took one look at Tanjiro.
Then at Muichiro.
Then Genya.
Then beneath the table.
Zenitsu waved.
Nezuko blinked.
"Mmph?"
Kanao nodded.
Nezuko looked at the four of them.
Then looked at Kanao.
Kanao looked back.
They had an unspoken conversation.
*We have four regressers.*
*Yes.*
*What do we do?*
Kanao thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
*Take care of them.*
Nezuko nodded enthusiastically.
"Mmph!"
And that was apparently the beginning.
---
Muichiro had regressed first.
Nobody knew exactly when.
He had been staring out the window for a very long time when Tanjiro noticed his attention drifting.
Tanjiro had asked him if he was okay.
Muichiro had blinked.
Then stared at him.
Then slowly leaned sideways until his head landed directly in Tanjiro's lap.
Tanjiro had frozen.
"Tokito?"
Muichiro had hummed.
Tanjiro had looked at Genya.
Genya had looked back.
Neither knew what to do.
Then Tanjiro had felt his own thoughts beginning to become fuzzy.
He had frowned.
"Uh oh."
Genya had immediately looked worried.
"What?"
Tanjiro had pointed vaguely toward his own head.
"Fuzzy."
Genya stared.
Tanjiro had blinked slowly.
Then smiled.
"Little."
Genya had gone completely silent.
A few minutes later, Genya was little too.
Neither of them could explain how it happened.
Zenitsu had walked in afterward.
He'd looked at all three of them.
Then immediately panicked.
Except somewhere in the middle of his panic, his thoughts had apparently decided they were done being complicated.
He'd gotten quiet.
Very quiet.
Then crawled beneath the table.
And there he remained.
Kanao had found them twenty minutes later.
---
"Okay," Kanao said.
Everyone looked at her.
Except Zenitsu.
Zenitsu remained beneath the table.
Kanao pointed toward him.
"First problem."
Zenitsu shook his head.
Nezuko crouched beside the table.
"Mmph?"
Zenitsu stared at her.
Nezuko smiled.
Zenitsu's expression immediately softened.
"Mama?"
Everyone froze.
Nezuko froze.
Kanao froze.
Tanjiro froze.
Zenitsu blinked.
Then his face turned bright red.
He immediately covered his face.
"No."
Kanao tilted her head.
Zenitsu refused to move.
Nezuko made a gentle sound.
Zenitsu peeked at her.
Nezuko reached her hands beneath the table.
Zenitsu stared.
Then, slowly, he crawled forward.
Nezuko pulled him into a hug.
Zenitsu immediately relaxed.
Kanao watched.
"That worked."
Nezuko nodded proudly.
Tanjiro clapped.
"Nezuko!"
Nezuko looked over.
Tanjiro immediately held his arms out.
Nezuko's face softened.
She moved toward him.
Tanjiro crawled into her arms.
Nezuko hugged him.
Tanjiro made a happy sound.
Genya stared.
Muichiro remained in Tanjiro's previous position.
Genya glanced at him.
Then at Kanao.
"Can I..."
He gestured vaguely.
Kanao nodded.
Genya carefully pulled Muichiro toward himself.
Muichiro immediately curled against him.
Genya froze.
Kanao watched.
"Good."
Genya looked horrified.
"Good?"
"Yes."
Genya looked down at Muichiro.
Muichiro was already half asleep.
Genya's face softened.
"Oh."
---
Inosuke arrived approximately ten minutes later.
He threw the door open.
"WHY IS EVERYONE SO QUIET?"
Everyone jumped.
Zenitsu made a distressed noise.
Nezuko immediately covered his ears.
Tanjiro startled against her.
Muichiro's eyes opened.
Genya looked alarmed.
Kanao stared at Inosuke.
Inosuke stared back.
"What?"
Kanao pointed at the door.
Inosuke blinked.
"What?"
She pointed again.
Inosuke slowly closed the door.
Then opened it quietly.
Everyone stared.
Inosuke whispered.
"...What?"
Kanao nodded.
Inosuke looked pleased.
He stepped inside.
Then looked around.
Zenitsu was tucked against Nezuko.
Tanjiro was sitting in Nezuko's lap.
Genya was sitting beside Kanao.
Muichiro was curled against Genya.
Inosuke stared.
"Why are they like that?"
Kanao answered.
"They're little."
Inosuke stared harder.
"That's stupid."
Zenitsu gasped.
Inosuke looked at him.
"What?"
Zenitsu buried his face against Nezuko.
Nezuko stared at Inosuke.
Inosuke paused.
"...Sorry?"
Kanao nodded.
Inosuke looked offended.
"I didn't know!"
Kanao pointed toward Zenitsu.
Inosuke sighed.
"Sorry."
Zenitsu peeked at him.
Inosuke awkwardly waved.
Zenitsu considered this.
Then waved back.
Inosuke's eyes widened.
"I DID IT!"
Kanao immediately shushed him.
Inosuke whispered.
"I did it."
---
Helping did not go well.
Inosuke was given a very simple task.
Kanao handed him a blanket.
"Give this to Tanjiro."
Inosuke nodded.
He walked over.
Tanjiro smiled at him.
Inosuke proudly threw the blanket directly over Tanjiro's head.
Everyone froze.
Tanjiro disappeared.
Inosuke stood proudly.
"Done."
Kanao stared.
Nezuko stared.
Zenitsu stared.
Genya stared.
Muichiro was asleep.
A muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.
"Inosuke?"
Inosuke's expression changed.
"What?"
Kanao walked over and gently pulled the blanket down.
Tanjiro blinked up at her.
Kanao wrapped the blanket properly around him.
Inosuke watched.
"Oh."
Kanao nodded.
Inosuke nodded back.
"I understand."
Five minutes later, Inosuke attempted to tuck Zenitsu into a pillow.
Kanao stopped him.
---
Despite his lack of skill, Inosuke refused to give up.
"I CAN HELP."
Kanao looked at him.
Nezuko looked at him.
Kanao thought.
Then pointed to a basket.
"Bring that."
Inosuke grabbed it.
"Where?"
Kanao pointed toward them.
Inosuke walked carefully.
Everyone watched.
He made it halfway across the room.
Then tripped over nothing.
The basket flew.
Nezuko caught it.
Kanao caught a pillow.
Genya caught Tanjiro before he fell sideways.
Zenitsu screamed.
Muichiro continued sleeping.
Inosuke stood up.
"Everyone okay?"
Kanao stared.
Then nodded.
Inosuke pointed.
"See? I helped."
---
Eventually, Kanao decided Inosuke needed a task that couldn't possibly go wrong.
She gave him Muichiro.
Not literally.
She pointed at the sleeping boy.
"Watch him."
Inosuke stared.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Inosuke sat beside Muichiro.
For approximately thirty seconds, everything went well.
Then Inosuke leaned closer.
"Is he alive?"
Kanao's eyes widened.
"Yes."
Inosuke leaned closer.
Muichiro breathed.
Inosuke sat back.
"Good."
Kanao sighed.
Inosuke looked at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
---
Tanjiro eventually became restless.
He crawled out of Nezuko's lap.
Nezuko watched him.
Tanjiro wandered toward the window.
Kanao stood.
Tanjiro stopped.
Kanao pointed.
"Come back."
Tanjiro stared.
Then smiled.
"Okay!"
He immediately wandered in the opposite direction.
Kanao froze.
Nezuko pointed.
"Mm!"
Tanjiro turned.
"Oops."
He came back.
Nezuko hugged him.
Tanjiro happily hugged her back.
Zenitsu watched.
Then slowly crawled closer.
Nezuko opened one arm.
Zenitsu immediately tucked himself against her side.
Now Nezuko had both Tanjiro and Zenitsu.
She looked extremely pleased with herself.
Kanao smiled.
Genya watched from across the room.
Muichiro was still curled against him.
Genya carefully rubbed his back.
Kanao noticed.
Genya immediately stopped.
"I wasn't—"
Kanao tilted her head.
Genya sighed.
"Fine."
He continued.
Muichiro immediately relaxed further.
Genya's expression softened.
"He's easy."
Kanao nodded.
Genya looked down.
Muichiro's hand had curled around his sleeve.
Genya stopped breathing.
Kanao waited.
Genya whispered.
"...I can't move."
"Probably not."
Genya stared.
Kanao smiled.
---
Inosuke had apparently decided that being useful meant guarding everyone.
He stood in the center of the room.
Arms crossed.
Watching.
Zenitsu peeked at him.
"Inosuke?"
"What?"
Zenitsu pointed toward the door.
Inosuke immediately looked.
"What?"
Zenitsu pointed again.
Inosuke stared.
"There is nothing there."
Zenitsu smiled.
Inosuke narrowed his eyes.
"Did you trick me?"
Zenitsu giggled.
Inosuke gasped.
"HE'S EVIL."
Zenitsu squeaked.
Nezuko covered his ears again.
Kanao pointed toward the floor.
Inosuke sat down.
"Fine."
Zenitsu peeked at him.
Then giggled again.
Inosuke pointed.
"I saw that."
Zenitsu hid against Nezuko.
Tanjiro laughed too.
Inosuke stared at them.
Then, after a moment, smiled.
Very slightly.
---
By evening, everyone had settled.
Nezuko was sitting against the wall.
Tanjiro was curled against one side of her.
Zenitsu was on the other.
Both of them were sleepy.
Kanao sat nearby.
Genya remained exactly where he had been for the past hour because Muichiro was still asleep against him.
Inosuke had been assigned blanket duty again.
This time, under supervision.
Kanao handed him a blanket.
Inosuke looked terrified.
"Don't throw it."
"I KNOW."
"Don't wrap anyone in a pillow."
"I KNOW."
"Don't—"
"I KNOW!"
Kanao stopped.
Inosuke carefully walked over.
He looked at Genya.
Then at Muichiro.
Very slowly, very carefully, he placed the blanket over Muichiro.
Nothing went wrong.
Inosuke froze.
Everyone froze.
Muichiro remained asleep.
Inosuke slowly stepped backward.
"I did it."
Kanao nodded.
Inosuke grinned.
"I DID IT."
Kanao shushed him.
Inosuke whispered.
"I did it."
Tanjiro giggled.
Zenitsu giggled too.
Nezuko smiled.
Genya looked down at Muichiro.
Then at the others.
The room was a mess.
There were blankets everywhere.
Pillows in strange places.
A snack basket overturned in the corner.
Inosuke sitting proudly in the middle of the floor because he'd successfully placed one blanket.
But everyone was safe.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Happy.
Muichiro stirred.
Genya immediately looked down.
Muichiro blinked sleepily.
Genya whispered.
"Hey."
Muichiro stared.
Then tucked his face against Genya again.
Genya's expression softened.
"Okay."
Kanao watched.
Nezuko hugged Tanjiro and Zenitsu closer.
Inosuke looked around.
"So."
Everyone looked at him.
Inosuke stood.
"I think I should be in charge."
Everyone immediately said no.
Tanjiro shook his head.
Zenitsu shook his head.
Genya shook his head.
Kanao shook her head.
Nezuko shook her head.
Muichiro, without opening his eyes, shook his head.
Inosuke stared.
"RUDE."
Kanao pointed toward the floor.
Inosuke sat down.
And for the rest of the evening, Nezuko and Kanao continued taking care of four very little regressers.
Genya and Muichiro stayed curled together.
Tanjiro and Zenitsu refused to leave Nezuko's sides.
Inosuke continued trying to help.
He failed.
Repeatedly.
But by the end of the night, Kanao quietly handed him another blanket.
Inosuke looked at it.
Kanao looked at him.
"Careful."
Inosuke nodded seriously.
This time, he did it perfectly.
And nobody had the heart to tell him that Kanao had been holding his hand the entire time.