Chapter Text
Kamado Tanjiro was a peculiar kakushi member, at least that's what his fellow kakushi are thinking. The other demon slayers seem to pay no heed to the boy's… strangeness. In fact, the slayers are enchanted by Tanjiro, their eyes brighten and focus on the boy's smile and kind words that they forget about their injuries and recent missions.
Goto is walking side by side with Tanjiro. The boy is carrying two heavy buckets of water in each hand all while keeping up with their conversation with a smile, Goto side-eyes Tanjiro, " He should be a demon slayer with that kind of strength ." He thinks belatedly.
"—and my youngest brother Rokuta started crying! But it was okay because he likes it when Takeo and I make funny faces for him!" Tanjiro laughs and Goto smiles too.
"Ah, Tanjiro-san, thank you so much for your help! You can set the buckets down here." Aoi says, pointing to a spot near the doorway of the Butterfly mansion's expansive kitchen.
Tanjiro beams up at the girl—she can't see it because of the cloth on his face, but everyone knows he's smiling, Goto swears he can feel Tanjiro's face muscles contract to a smile—he sets down the buckets on the ground, gently as if putting down a book, "No problem, Aoi-san! Anything else I can help you with?"
Aoi shakes her head and tells him that she and the three other young girls are fine and thanks him, then she bows at Goto as well as if she momentarily forgot he is there. Goto couldn't blame her, Aoi is staring at the sun's human form after all.
"It's a beautiful day today–ah! That hurts, Goto-san!" Tanjiro whines, rubbing a spot on his back where Goto has just smacked him firmly.
"Don't jinx it! How many times have we told you not to say how beauti–"
"Rengoku Kyojuro has defeated the lower moon one with slayers Zenitsu and Inosuke!"
A crow announces, circling overhead the blue sky with a tiny brown sparrow chirping beside it in obvious distress. The crow repeats the announcement and finally flies to the direction of the Butterfly Estate's entrance. Tanjiro gasps after the first announcement and his body springs for action, already steps ahead from Goto as he charges towards the main entrance to assist Rengoku, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as announced. Goto almost rolls his eyes, I told him not to jinx it, he thinks as he runs as fast as he can.
When they get to the entrance, there are multiple black-donned kakushi members tending to three people. The sky is clear and the sun is high in the sky, the time just before noon when the sun is bright but not as hot. The kakushi members seem to circulate in a harmony understood only by themselves. They assess the wounds, take supplies, give aid, and assist the demon slayers to rest in the Butterfly mansion's rooms. Goto notices that there are a lot more kakushi members surrounding the flame pillar, unmissable with his fiery yellow and red hair and even more fiery eyes, still alert despite the end of his battle.
Tanjiro notices this as well, Rengoku is seated on the engawa with his back straight, his eyes or eye , rather, is open and alert to the commotions of the kakushi and the crows around him but they seemed glazed over, an aftereffect of the obviously harrowing and exhausting battle he has just fought in. But Tanjiro also looks over at the other two demon slayers with the flame pillar. Inosuke, a wild boy of Tanjiro's age, is hunched over the engawa trying to deny the kakushi's pleas to check his injuries. A few feet across from them is Zenitsu, another loud demon slayer of Tanjiro's age, who is sprawled lifeless over the gravel, the same tiny brown sparrow chirping by its side.
Goto and Tanjiro head towards Zenitsu who is barely awake by this point. "His legs are fractured!" They hear their fellow kakushi announce and Goto scrambles along to get splints and medicine for Zenitsu's bleeding. Tanjiro starts doing what he does best: he's smelling.
The kakushi members found it weird and borderline creepy at first, but they realized how accurate Tanjiro's medical findings are after a few sniffs with that monstrous nose. "Zenitsu is going to be fine, his breathing is shallow, but his legs are definitely overworked and he might bleed out from there." The kakushi who announced Zenitsu's injuries at first nods just in time as Goto arrives with the supplies. They both do quick work of providing first-aid for the boy clad in the yellow haori and finally, two more kakushi members kneel beside them with a stretcher to carry Zenitsu inside the mansion.
"Inosuke! Stay still!" Tanjiro exclaims and steps towards the boy but before that Tanjiro looks behind him at Goto, they exchange a quick glance and Goto nods at him, I've got Zenitsu taken care of, he seems to tell him and Goto sees the trust and determination in Tanjiro's eyes as he finally heads toward the other demon slayer.
Inosuke's boar mask is taken off despite the boy's weak but vehement protests. He clearly has many strikes on his body and many bruises are starting to bloom along his muscular arms. Inosuke seems to use up one final spurt of energy by exclaiming, "Don't you dare lose, Aragoto-san!" before he passes out on his stomach on the engawa.
Tanjiro sniffs at the boy, he's definitely bleeding, but where? Tanjiro exchanges a look with Kotaro, a fellow kakushi that clearly endured a few firm hits from Inosuke earlier, they both flip Inosuke over to reveal a large stab wound in his abdomen causing a major bleed in his system. Kotaro quickly puts pressure on the wound and provides coagulating medicine to prevent blood loss. Tanjiro works with him in bandaging the wound, as well as tending to the minor ones all over the boy's body.
Another pair of kakushi members get near them with a stretcher and they transfer Inosuke's unconscious body on it for transport. Finally, they are down to the last and most important person they need to treat. "He has a really deep wound in the solar plexus." Rina says, her voice trembling and Tanjiro sees her eyes are wide and lost. Even Kotaro behind him is hesitating, not knowing where to start.
Tanjiro plants himself in front Rengoku and without shame he sniffs at the pillar's hair, near his neck, and by his chest. There was blood everywhere and somewhere along the line, Tanjiro could smell flesh starting to rot and decay. He took a look at Rengoku's face. His left eye is bloody and closed shut, but his other one is open, staring ahead past Tanjiro, the kakushi in their black uniforms, and the gardens of the Butterfly estate.
We're losing him. Rengoku-san is drifting away.
Feeling panic cloy at his throat and nasal passages, Tanjiro taps his index finger in the center of Rengoku's forehead. He sees the pillar's right eye react lightly to the stimulus. "Focus, Rengoku-san. There's a wound in your chest, blood vessels have ruptured, you need to stop it. Breathe," Tanjiro says it like a prayer to any god listening, "breathe, please."
It takes a moment, but it was longest moment of Tanjiro's life, as Rengoku's right eye starts coming into focus and the flame pillar sucks in a breath through his teeth in a quiet rhythm that Tanjiro has been used to with his time exposed to demon slayers as a kakushi member.
"Tanjiro." Rengoku rasps, his eye finally meeting Tanjiro's as the boy offers the pillar a smile. Rengoku may not see the boy's lips curve into the expression through his black uniform obscuring half his face, but Rengoku smiles back as best as he can.
"I'll be in your care."
"Don't die, Rengoku-san, you're finally home, alright?" He hears Tanjiro say before he finally closes his eye and allows the kakushi to treat him.
Home.
There's a pillar meeting held immediately as Rengoku awakens, which was almost three weeks after the battle in the mugen train. Apparently, the lower moon fused his body with the large train, planning to devour the two-hundred or so human passengers. Luckily, Inosuke found the demon's weak point but had to suffer a blow from the train's operator. Zenitsu also suffered leg injuries due to constantly using his breath technique to defend three passenger cars from the lower moon. But then, just a few hours before dawn, the upper moon three arrived, Akaza was his name. He had been the one to pierce his fist deep in Rengoku's chest.
When Rengoku opens his eye, he sees Tanjiro sitting beside his bed with a tentative smile, he's being careful, as if Rengoku would fall apart if he smiled too hard. The kakushi mask and headgear is off, revealing Tanjiro's bare face. Rengoku is pleased. Tanjiro smells this and interprets it as Rengoku feeling better after resting.
"Tanjiro, my boy," Rengoku starts, voice hoarse and throat dry, Tanjiro offers the pillar a tiny sip of water to which Rengoku starts a coughing fit, "Rengoku-san—!"
But the flame pillar only extends his hand and lays it on top of Tanjiro's, "Tadaima."
The kakushi smiles, "Okaeri."
In the pillar meeting, Tanjiro offers for Rengoku to lean on him. The flame pillar is definitely taller than the kakushi, but nevertheless, both of them are walking in the headquarters with their sides glued to each other for support. Rengoku is pleased again, and Tanjiro smells this, interpreting the scent as gratitude and good recovery for the pillar.
They both arrived just on time. The two children of the Ubuyashiki family announce Oyakata-sama's arrival and all the pillars are lined up, on their knees, with their heads bowed in solemn silence.
Tanjiro feels goosebumps all over his skin, he feels like an intruder, an outsider looking in on such a stately affair. He bows his head and scooches a tiny bit closer to Rengoku's body until he feels like he's partially covered behind the pillar's broad and strong torso.
"Oh? Somebody else is with us?" Oyakata-sama piques, his face is in the same serene smile but his voice is curious.
Rengoku is situated at the end of the line from being a tad late. The rest of the pillars crane their necks to look over at Tanjiro, hiding meekly at the leftmost side of the assembly. Rengoku chuckles, his eye crinkling at the side as he regards Tanjiro's blushing face. The pillar slowly pinches Tanjiro's cheek, "Oyakata-sama, this is Kamado Tanjiro, a kakushi. He has been very helpful with the extent of my injuries. Without him, I would have crossed the Sanzu river myself."
Oyakata-sama turns his head slightly and Tanjiro feels another wave of goosebumps bloom on his skin, but Oyakata-sama regards him with a smile, "Thank you, Tanjiro-kun, for aiding Kyojuro after his battle."
Tanjiro flushes all the way to his neck, "No! I mean… Yes, it is a part of my duties, Oyakata-sama. I'm also grateful for Rengoku-san's work as a pillar!" Tanjiro bows fully, his forehead touching the gravel.
"Hmm," Oyakata-sama hums, "Is it just for your duties, Tanjiro-kun?"
Tanjiro sits up, confused, "A-Ah… yes." He answers reluctantly, his answer sounding more like a question and he briefly smells sadness on Rengoku to his right side. But that's not right, was it disappointment? As fast as Tanjiro smelled that little flicker of emotion on Rengoku, it vanished, leaving Tanjiro utterly confused about the situation. But Oyakata-sama changes the subject, focusing on the demon slayer corps' course of action following the recent tide of events.
The pillars discuss findings and changes of demonic activity across many areas of Japan. Tanjiro merely sits and waits, if he could turn off his ears for a moment and give the meeting more privacy he would have done so, but he could not help but listen in on their discussions.
Oyakata-sama announces the silent but deadly activity of the twelve demon moons under Muzan's reign, Shinazugawa replies with a loud, "I'll squash that Muzan bug! I've longed to slice through his ne—"
"The only thing that can kill Muzan is the sun." Tanjiro mumbles to himself, his chin almost pressed to his chest. But it doesn't go unheard in the meeting and everyone is dead silent, once again craning their necks to look at Tanjiro at the farthest end of the line.
"Did you just cut me off, you bastard!" Shinazugawa exclaims, hands balled into fist as he half-rises from his kneeling position. Tanjiro cowers even more to Rengoku’s side.
“Maa, maa, Sanemi-san, Tanjiro has a point. Muzan is a demon after all, they will all perish under the sun.” Rengoku appeals, making eye contact with the wind pillar.
Oyakata-sama seems to regard Tanjiro for a second before putting his attention back to his swordsmen and their assembly, adding to the fact that the sun is also an enemy of Muzan's, Tanjiro flushes again. Soon enough, the meeting is adjourned and Oyakata-sama leaves with his two white-haired daughters leading him out of the room by hand. The pillars rise from their positions, so does Rengoku to which Tanjiro assists at his side.
“Tanjiro.”
Tanjiro whips his head to his left to find Tomioka looking straight at him, “Oh, Tomioka-san!”
“Call me Giyuu, it’s fine.”
Tanjiro can’t help a blush creep up his face but he manages to croak, “Okay, Giyuu-san.”
Tomioka smiles briefly, the corner of his lips turning up, and he smells happy. Tanjiro is not sure how to interpret such a scent.
“I… I just wanted to say—”
“Tanjiro! I found this for you!” Tokito calls from behind the three of them and at this point, Tanjiro can’t turn around to face the mist pillar fully lest Rengoku-san fall over from standing up or, god forbid, strain his injury further.
“What is it?” Tanjiro asks, trying his best to crane his neck to look behind him at the pillar.
Tokito takes this chance to grasp Tanjiro’s free left hand on his own, an action that makes Tomioka and Rengoku’s scents change into a slightly bitter smell. When the mist pillar lets go, Tanjiro is surprised to find a smooth black rock in his palm. It was jagged in shape but when Tanjiro turned it to one side it had a bright band of green on it! It caught in the sun's light showing a myriad of greens and specks of blue along that colored band.
Tanjiro’s eyes sparkle and his mouth opens in a shocked expression, he meets Tokito’s expectant gaze—Tanjiro briefly smelled worry on the pillar—but he beams at Tokito, “Tokito-san, thank you! This is a very precious rock, I’ll keep it with me!”
Tokito’s expectant gaze breaks into a smile, “I found it on a mission, it’s called malachite. Do you like it, Tanjiro?”
Tanjiro nods excitedly, “I like it because it’s the same color as your hair, Tokito-san!” And to put emphasis, Tanjiro holds the rock in front of his eyes, levelling it with Tokito’s ombre hair, “It’s beautiful.”
The mist pillar goes red all the way to his neck at the sudden compliment and he’s a sputtering mess of words until Shinobu quickly snatches the mist pillar away with an airy, “Oh, don’t mind us now! We should get going. I’ll see you at the mansion, Tanjiro-kun!”
The kakushi waves back at Shinobu and Muichirou, oblivious to his effects, as other pillars move out and pass by them, it takes everything from Rengoku and Tomioka not to drag the kakushi boy away from prying hands of their fellow pillars, those especially being an Uzui Tengen and Mitsuri Kanroji.
Tomioka clears his throat, he should really get going, “Tanjiro, I wanted to say that I’m off for another mission.”
Tanjiro tilts his head to the side with his brows furrowed and the beginnings of a pout forming on his lips, Tomioka flushes and Rengoku chuckles, “Eh? But Tomioka-san, ah, I mean, Giyuu-san, you’ve just arrived!”
“I have an assignment nearby, it will probably take me a few days.”
The kakushi boy seems to be a bit more satisfied with that, he nods and says, “Okay, then. You are a hashira, after all. Take care on your mission, Giyuu-san!”
The water pillar nods at the kakushi and Rengoku as well who regards Tomioka with a look of knowingness, Tomioka brushes it off and turns his back.
“Ah, wait!” Tanjiro says, hands outstretched for the water pillar but remembering that he’s assisting Rengoku. The flame pillar smiles at the kakushi and lets him go briefly for Tanjiro to walk over to Tomioka.
Tanjiro takes both of the water pillars hand in his, feeling slightly embarrassed at the gesture, but Tanjiro remembers Tomioka saving his family that snowy night from the demons. It was the reason he joined the kakushi, “Giyuu-san, stay safe and come back home.”
Tomioka’s breath hitches and his eyes widen, his expression quickly morphs to a smile, much wider than his usual ones and it makes Tanjiro’s belly wriggle in pleasant knots at such a rare expression on Tomioka's face, “I will, Tanjiro.”
With that, the water pillar is off, jogging at a moderate pace as he makes his way to the next city for his mission. Tanjiro goes back to Rengoku’s side and they both walk together back to his rooms to rest.
“It truly is nice to be home, Tanjiro, my boy.” Rengoku says quietly, just for the both of them to hear. Tanjiro opens the door to the bedrooms and he helps the flame pillar on his bed to rest.
Home.
