Chapter Text
Giyuu's POV
I couldn't sleep well so I got up and left to clear my head. The air was thick with the scent of damp moss and the soft rustle of leaves as I made my way through the forest, a heaviness lingering in my chest from my encounter with the other Hashira. I needed a moment to think, to clear my head and settle the uncomfortable knot in my stomach. The meeting had been draining, and now the weight of being both a Hashira and a newly marked omega with pups had left me on edge. I didn’t expect to run into anyone, let alone someone like him. The man who stood before me was unlike any demon I had encountered before. His presence alone was suffocating, like the oppressive weight of an ocean just before a storm. But there was something else—a familiar feeling that crept along my senses. His scent, though tinged with the unmistakable air of a demon, carried the soft undertones of an omega. It was subtle, buried beneath layers of power and danger, but I couldn’t ignore it. His eyes, six of them, locked onto mine, and I was frozen in place for a moment. But there was no malice, no immediate danger, just... curiosity. It was Kokushibo, one of the Upper Moons, a name whispered in fear among the demon slayers. And yet, he didn’t move to attack. Instead, he tilted his head, as though assessing me. "You're not afraid." His voice was low, almost a growl, but there was a strange gentleness beneath the edge. "Why?" I blinked, unsure how to respond at first. My hand gripped the hilt of my blade, but something in the way he spoke stopped me from drawing it. The tension between us wasn’t one of battle, but rather something... else—recognition, maybe. I had faced demons countless times, but this was different. "I should be," I replied honestly, my voice steady despite the swirling emotions. "But you’re not attacking." Kokushibo’s lips curved into something that almost resembled a smirk. He stepped forward, the air thickening with power, but I stood my ground. My instincts told me to flee, to protect myself, but another part of me—the omega part—recognized something in him, a shared experience. It felt less like predator and prey, and more like two people sizing each other up, cautiously. He didn’t attack. Instead, Kokushibo let out a low sigh and looked away, his gaze softening just a fraction. "It’s rare... to meet another omega who isn’t trembling in fear." I hesitated. The last thing I expected from one of Muzan’s most powerful demons was a conversation. But here we were, in a moment of strange calm. "I didn’t expect to meet another omega either," I admitted, my hand loosening on my sword as I relaxed slightly. "Especially not one like you." Kokushibo didn’t respond right away, but I could tell something had shifted between us. The hostility that usually hung in the air during encounters with demons was absent. He wasn’t looking at me like I was prey, but rather... something else. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. After a long silence, I finally reached into my bag. I wasn’t sure what prompted me to do it—maybe it was the strange sense of camaraderie I was starting to feel—but I pulled out a sandwich I had prepared earlier. It wasn’t much, just something simple I had made for the journey, but I held it out to him. "Here," I said, my voice soft. "It’s not much, but you look like you could use something." Kokushibo’s six eyes blinked in surprise, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if he would take it. But then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he reached out and accepted the sandwich. His fingers brushed against mine, and a strange sense of understanding passed between us. He stared at the sandwich for a moment, then glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "You’re... offering me food?" There was no mockery in his voice, just genuine confusion, as though no one had ever offered him something so... human. I shrugged. "Everyone needs to eat." For a moment, Kokushibo just stood there, staring at the sandwich in his hand. Demons can’t taste human food—everyone knows that. They eat, but it’s more out of compulsion than necessity. They devour flesh to survive, but the food made by human hands... it's flavorless to them. A waste. But when Kokushibo took a bite, his eyes widened—not in anger, but in what looked like... surprise. Genuine surprise. "I... can taste this," he murmured, staring down at the sandwich as if it were some kind of foreign object. "How?" I blinked. "You can taste it?" He nodded slowly as if trying to make sense of it. "Demons can’t taste human food... yet this..." Kokushibo took another small bite, his expression thoughtful, almost confused. "This has flavor." I didn’t know what to say. It was strange enough that I was standing here, offering food to an Upper Moon, but the fact that he could taste it—that it was breaking the natural order of things—was something else entirely. "Maybe it’s because of your omega nature," I suggested, though I wasn’t entirely sure. "Or maybe... I don’t know." Kokushibo was quiet for a long moment, contemplating the sandwich in his hand. When he finally spoke again, his voice was softer than before, less guarded. "It’s been centuries since I’ve tasted anything like this." "Centuries?" I echoed, trying to wrap my head around that. Kokushibo had lived so long, existed for so many years as a demon, and now here he was, eating something as simple as a sandwich and finding meaning in it. I dug into my bag again, pulling out a second sandwich—one I had planned to save for later. But something about this moment felt right, so I handed it to him without hesitation. "Take this one for later," I said, offering the second sandwich to him. Kokushibo stared at it, not in confusion this time, but almost... contemplatively. He didn’t eat it right away. Instead, he took it carefully, holding it in his hands as though it were something valuable. His six eyes focused on the sandwich, then on me. He didn’t say anything, but the quiet gratitude in his gaze was unmistakable. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice quieter now, almost contemplative. "I... didn’t expect this." "Neither did I," I admitted, feeling the weight of everything I had been carrying started to lift just a little. I wasn’t sure what had just happened between us, but it felt significant. Like I had just made an unexpected connection with someone who should have been my enemy. We stood in silence for a while longer, the only sounds being the soft rustle of the trees and the occasional chirp of a distant bird. Kokushibo held the second sandwich in his hands, not eating it, just... holding onto it. It seemed like he wasn’t ready to let go of this moment either. "You’re... different from the others," he said, his voice low but without its previous edge. I nodded, feeling the same. "So are you." There was a long pause, but neither of us moved to leave. It was strange—comforting, even. But eventually, I knew I had to go. "I should be going," I said quietly, taking a step back. Kokushibo didn’t stop me, but his gaze lingered, watching me carefully. "Take care," he said, his voice soft. "And... thank you." I nodded once, then turned and started walking away, the tension in my chest easing with every step. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew that something had shifted in the world today. Meeting Kokushibo hadn’t been a mistake—it felt like the start of something. Something... unexpected. As I walked deeper into the forest, a small smile tugged at my lips. I hadn’t just survived a meeting with one of the most dangerous demons alive—I had made a friend. And somewhere, behind me, Kokushibo still held the sandwich, not eating it, but keeping it close.
Kokushibo's POV
The forest air shifted as I walked, the cool breeze tugging at my cloak. In my hand, I still held the sandwich—the second one the Water Hashira had given me. I hadn’t eaten it. Not because I didn’t want to, but because... something about it felt important, significant. I couldn’t explain it, even to myself, but I kept my grip on the sandwich firm, as though letting go of it would break whatever strange connection had been formed between me and that strange Hashira. For centuries, I had been unable to taste anything but the blood and flesh of humans. But this simple sandwich... it had flavor. Real flavor. My mind churned as I walked, trying to piece together how that was possible. Before I knew it, I was back at Muzan’s lair. The atmosphere was tense, as always, but today it felt heavier, more suffocating than usual. I knew he was angry—he always was—but something else seemed to stir within him, something darker. I stepped inside, the soft glow of the moonlight casting long shadows on the walls. Muzan was pacing, his pale hands clenched into fists, his sharp eyes flashing with irritation. As soon as he saw me, his gaze locked onto the sandwich in my hand. "Kokushibo," he growled, narrowing his eyes. "Why do you have... a sandwich?" I didn’t respond right away, unsure how to explain the encounter I’d just had. But the confusion on his face was clear. He knew as well as I did: demons couldn’t taste human food. It was nothing more than a tasteless, meaningless object to us—something we hadn’t been able to enjoy for centuries. And yet, here I stood, holding this sandwich like it was something precious. "I can taste it," I finally said, my voice calm but firm. Muzan’s expression shifted, his irritation momentarily replaced by disbelief. "You... can taste it?" he repeated, his voice laced with skepticism. I nodded, holding the sandwich out to him. "Try it." For a moment, Muzan looked at me as if I had gone mad. His crimson eyes darted between my face and the sandwich, clearly struggling to understand what I was saying. But curiosity—along with that ever-present hunger for control—must have gotten the better of him, because, after a moment’s hesitation, he took the sandwich from my hand. He held it up to his nose, sniffing it cautiously, as if expecting it to be a trick. But then, with a flicker of curiosity in his gaze, Muzan took a bite. The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating. Muzan’s eyes widened, his mouth slowly closing as he chewed. There was no mistaking the shock on his face—the way his entire demeanor changed. I knew what he was experiencing because it had happened to me too. The taste, the flavor... it was real. It was something he hadn’t tasted in centuries, just like me. He swallowed, his gaze sharpening as he stared at the sandwich, then back at me. "How is this possible?" he demanded, his voice low but fierce. "Where did you get this?" I kept my gaze steady, refusing to be rattled by his sudden intensity. "The Water Hashira. He gave it to me." At that, Muzan’s eyes flashed with something... unexpected. Recognition. Anger. Pain? It was a mix of emotions I hadn’t seen in him in years, maybe ever. "The Water Hashira?" Muzan repeated, his voice suddenly quiet, almost thoughtful. He looked down at the sandwich again, turning it over in his hands. "So... he’s Her brother." I frowned, confusion tugging at my mind. "Her brother?" I echoed, unsure of who Muzan was referring to. There were countless stories, countless lives tangled in our past, but this... this was new to me. "What do you mean?" But instead of answering, Muzan’s expression twisted into frustration. His grip on the sandwich tightened before he hurled it against the wall with a growl of rage, sending the remnants splattering across the floor. He turned away, pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath. His hands clenched and unclenched as though he was on the verge of another one of his infamous tantrums. I waited for an explanation, but none came. He just kept pacing, his fury building like a storm ready to break. "Muzan," I started, hoping for some clarity, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Enough!" he snapped, his voice rising. "I don’t want to talk about it! It doesn’t matter! Forget I said anything!" He slammed his fist into the nearest table, sending a shockwave of power through the room. The wood cracked beneath the force, but Muzan didn’t stop there. He kicked the table over and began tearing at the furniture like a beast caught in a fit of rage. I watched, unmoved, as Muzan continued to tear the room apart. It wasn’t the first time I had seen him like this, and it wouldn’t be the last. But something about his earlier words gnawed at me. Her brother? Who was he talking about? The tantrum carried on, but I could sense there was more behind it than simple frustration. Something about the Water Hashira—something deeper than I had realized—had triggered this. Muzan was hiding something, but for now, he wasn’t going to tell me. As I stood there, I glanced back at the shattered remnants of the sandwich, now scattered across the floor. It seemed so small, so insignificant now, but the fact that we could taste it... That wasn’t something I could ignore. There was something about the Water Hashira—something that Muzan wasn’t telling me. And now, I was determined to find out.
Rengoku's POV
The night was cold, and the air was thick with tension. Sakonji Urokodaki, Nezuko, Tanjiro, and I had been searching for hours, combing through the forest in the dead of night. Giyuu had snuck out without telling anyone, and now, we were all on edge, worried about what he might have gotten himself into. "Why would he leave without a word?" Tanjiro asked, his voice tight with concern as he searched through the trees beside me. "I don’t know," I muttered, my eyes scanning the darkness ahead. "But we need to find him before something happens." Urokodaki had taken a different path through the forest, while Nezuko stayed close to her brother, her senses sharp and alert. I could see the worry in their faces, the same worry that gnawed at me. Giyuu wasn’t reckless, but sneaking out in the middle of the night was unlike him. We were deep into the forest when I finally spotted movement—a figure stumbling out from the shadows. Giyuu. "There!" I called out, rushing toward him. Nezuko and Tanjiro followed closely behind, but as soon as I got a clear look at Giyuu, my heart sank. He was trembling, his face pale, and his breathing ragged. He looked like he had seen a ghost—or worse. "Giyuu!" Tanjiro shouted, running up to him, but Giyuu didn’t respond. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his knees, his hands gripping the earth as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. I knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder. "What happened? Why did you sneak out? We’ve been searching for you all night!" Giyuu didn’t answer right away, his eyes distant, unfocused. His body trembled uncontrollably, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if he could even hear me. Nezuko knelt beside him, her eyes wide with worry, while Tanjiro hovered just behind, his brow furrowed in concern. "Giyuu," I pressed, shaking him lightly. "What happened out there?" Finally, Giyuu took a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "I... I ran into him." The dread in his voice sent a chill down my spine. Him. There was only one kind of "him" that Giyuu would be talking about. A demon. A powerful one. "You ran into another demon?" I asked, my voice sharp with urgency. "Who?" "Kokushibo," Giyuu whispered, his voice trembling. "Upper Moon One." My stomach dropped. Kokushibo. The strongest of Muzan’s Upper Moons. Giyuu had encountered him in the dead of night, alone, and survived? Tanjiro and Nezuko exchanged shocked glances, their faces paling. Even Urokodaki, who had just arrived at the edge of the clearing, froze in place at the mention of Kokushibo. "You... ran into Upper Moon One?" I could barely contain my frustration. "You snuck out at night and ran into the strongest demon under Muzan? Giyuu, you’re going to get yourself killed!" Giyuu’s hands trembled as he pressed them harder into the earth, his breathing still uneven. "He didn’t attack me," he muttered, his voice weak. "He could have, but... he didn’t." I clenched my fists. "Why not? Why do these demons keep letting you walk away? You’re a Hashira! They don’t just spare Hashira!" Giyuu didn’t look up, his voice barely audible. "I gave him a sandwich." I blinked, staring at him as if he had just spoken a foreign language. "You... what?" "I gave him a sandwich," Giyuu repeated, his voice trembling but clear. I threw my hands up, completely exasperated. "You gave Upper Moon One a sandwich? Why would you—" I stopped myself, unable to process the absurdity of what I was hearing. Tanjiro and Nezuko were equally stunned, their wide eyes reflecting the same disbelief I felt. Even Urokodaki, usually calm and composed, looked taken aback. "You’re telling me," I started again, trying to make sense of this, "that you snuck out at night, encountered Kokushibo, and gave him a sandwich?" Giyuu nodded, his trembling slowly subsiding, though his voice remained shaky. "He could taste it." I stared at him, my frustration turning into pure bewilderment. "He tasted it?" I echoed, my voice rising in disbelief. "Giyuu, demons can’t taste human food! How is that possible?" "I don’t know," Giyuu murmured. "But... he said he could." I rubbed my face, trying to gather my thoughts. "Giyuu, this is beyond insane. You sneak out in the middle of the night, give an Upper Moon a sandwich, and he lets you walk away? Why do you keep getting into these situations?" "I don’t know," Giyuu said, his voice soft. "But... it doesn’t feel random. There’s something more happening." I fell silent, studying his face. His trembling had slowed, but the fear was still etched into his eyes. This wasn’t just a random encounter. Giyuu had run into Kokushibo, given him food, and somehow... survived. There was no way this was just a coincidence. "We need to tell the Master," I said firmly, though even as the words left my mouth, doubt crept in. Something about this felt... different. "No," Giyuu said, shaking his head. "Not yet. We can’t." I narrowed my eyes. "Not yet? Giyuu, Upper Moon One could have killed you. We need to tell the Master about this." "I know," Giyuu replied, his voice steadying. "But something else is happening. If we tell the Master now, we could upset whatever balance is in place. We need to figure out what’s going on first." Urokodaki stepped closer, his usual stern expression softened by concern. "Giyuu," he said gently, "do you truly believe there’s a larger plan at play?" Giyuu nodded slowly, his eyes still distant. "I don’t know what it is yet, but... yes." I exchanged a glance with Urokodaki, then turned back to Giyuu. His conviction was clear, even if everything else about the situation was shrouded in mystery. "Alright," I finally muttered. "We won’t tell the Master. Not yet. But if this happens again—if you run into another demon like this—we’ll have no choice. Understood?" Giyuu nodded, his body still showing signs of the shock he’d been through. Urokodaki knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let’s get you back," Urokodaki said quietly. "We’ll figure this out together." As we made our way back to the estate, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something much larger was happening. Giyuu had snuck out in the middle of the night, encountered one of Muzan’s most powerful demons, and lived to tell the tale. Whatever was coming, we were all caught in the middle of it. And I wasn’t sure we were ready for what lay ahead.
Tanjiro's POV
It had been a week since Giyuu’s mysterious disappearance and reappearance. We had all been on edge, trying to figure out what had happened to him that night. He wouldn’t talk about it, and even Rengoku seemed baffled by the whole situation. Nezuko and I had grown more anxious by the day, unsure of what to make of it. So when Giyuu suddenly walked through the door one afternoon, hand in hand with a man I recognized immediately—Kokushibo, Upper Moon One—I nearly dropped the plate I was holding. My heart jumped in my chest, and Nezuko, sitting nearby, went completely still. Kokushibo, the most powerful of Muzan’s demons, was standing right next to Giyuu, and they were... smiling? Talking? "Giyuu?" I managed to stammer, not quite believing my eyes. "What’s... what’s going on?" Giyuu gave me a soft, peaceful smile, as though everything were completely normal. "Tanjiro, Nezuko," he said warmly, "I’d like you to meet Kokushibo. We were just talking about pups." "Pups?" Nezuko echoed, blinking at Giyuu, her eyes darting between him and Kokushibo. What was happening? Kokushibo glanced at us with a calm expression, nothing like the terrifying demon I had imagined. He seemed... approachable. "I had pups too," he said, his voice deep and oddly gentle. "But they grew up, and they don’t like me anymore." I blinked. Kokushibo was talking about his children? He had children? My mind was spinning. Nezuko, too, seemed to be in shock, her wide eyes betraying her confusion. How could this be happening? Giyuu, still smiling, gently nudged us forward. "It’s okay. He’s not dangerous right now. He’s just like us." Nezuko and I exchanged a glance, still uncertain, but Giyuu had always been someone we trusted completely. If he was calm, then... maybe it was okay. Slowly, Nezuko took a step forward, sniffing the air tentatively, as if trying to get Kokushibo’s scent. I followed her lead, edging closer to Kokushibo, my senses sharp. He didn’t smell like danger, not like other demons did. There was something... almost comforting about him, a strange warmth that I didn’t expect from someone as powerful as him. Nezuko must have come to the same conclusion because, after a moment, she gave a small smile and turned to me. "If Giyuu likes him," she whispered, "then I do too." I nodded, my tension easing. If Giyuu trusted Kokushibo, then so would we. I stepped forward and sniffed Kokushibo just like Nezuko had, taking in his scent. And just like that, it was as if an unspoken bond had formed. Nezuko and I exchanged playful glances before, without warning, we both launched ourselves at Kokushibo, treating him like a playground. Nezuko climbed onto his back, giggling, while I tugged at his arm, testing his strength like I used to do with my father. Kokushibo, to my utter surprise, didn’t seem to mind at all. He chuckled—a low, rumbling sound—and gently allowed us to play with him. Giyuu stood by, watching with a soft smile on his face, clearly enjoying the scene. It was bizarre, but somehow... it felt right. "Do you want me to cook dinner?" Giyuu asked, completely calm amidst the chaos. "We could all eat together." Nezuko, now hanging upside down from Kokushibo’s arm, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Let’s eat together!" Kokushibo, still allowing us to use him as a jungle gym, looked at Giyuu with a slight smile. "I’d appreciate that." As Giyuu began preparing dinner, the surreal nature of the situation began to sink in. Kokushibo, Upper Moon One, was sitting here with us, letting us climb on him like a giant playground, talking about pups and dinner as though we were a normal family. And yet, despite the strangeness of it all, I felt safe. Kokushibo wasn’t the terrifying monster I had imagined. At least, not right now. Just as Giyuu was setting the table, the door slid open again. Rengoku stepped inside, his eyes immediately locking onto Kokushibo. For a second, Rengoku didn’t move, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What the... what the hell is going on here?!" he shouted, his voice filled with shock. Nezuko and I froze for a moment, but Kokushibo remained perfectly calm. "We’re having dinner," Kokushibo replied, his voice even and unbothered. Rengoku blinked, his mouth hanging open. "You’re... having dinner? With him?" he gestured wildly at Kokushibo. "Giyuu, that’s Upper Moon One! What in the world is going on?!" "He’s kind," Giyuu said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We’ve been talking about pups." "Pups?" Rengoku repeated, utterly confused. He glanced at Nezuko and me, still clinging to Kokushibo like two excited children. "What do you mean pups?!" Giyuu just smiled. "Kokushibo has pups too." For a long moment, Rengoku just stood there, completely at a loss for words. "This is... I don’t even know what to say." "You don’t have to say anything," Giyuu said simply. "Just sit and eat." Rengoku finally sat down, still glancing warily at Kokushibo, who was now helping Nezuko off his arm. "I’ve... I’ve seen a lot of things in my life, but this... this takes the cake." The rest of the meal passed in a surreal silence, but somehow, it felt... peaceful. Kokushibo was gentle and kind, and despite his overwhelming power, he acted like nothing more than an ordinary guest at the table. As the evening wore on, I realized something strange: I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. I kind of liked him. He was nice to Nezuko and me, and Giyuu seemed at ease with him. Whatever this was, it wasn’t what I expected. But for the first time in a long while, I felt hopeful.
Rengoku's POV
The night was still, and the cool air felt heavy as the moonlight filtered through the trees. It was already late, the kind of time when demons roamed freely because the sun no longer posed a threat. And yet, here I was, watching Tanjiro and Nezuko—two innocent pups—play with none other than Kokushibo, the feared Upper Moon One. It was absurd, downright maddening. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to be on high alert, to step between them and the dangerous demon who could easily rip them apart. But no. There was Giyuu, sitting quietly, watching over them as if nothing were wrong—as if this situation were the most natural thing in the world. I couldn’t believe it. The pups were laughing, climbing all over Kokushibo as if he were a human jungle gym. And Kokushibo, Upper Moon One, was letting them. He didn’t so much as flinch as Nezuko balanced herself on his shoulders or as Tanjiro tugged playfully at his arm. "Are you sure about this?" I asked Giyuu, my voice low but tense. He looked at me, calm as ever, and nodded. "They’re safe, Rengoku."Safe. Safe?! How could he say that? This was Kokushibo, for crying out loud! As the night deepened, Kokushibo stood to leave, and that was when I expected things to go back to some sense of normalcy. Giyuu had packed him a box of food—food!—and Kokushibo took it without any hesitation. I still couldn’t wrap my head around that, either. Demons couldn’t even eat human food! Kokushibo, holding the box, turned to Giyuu with that calm, unbothered demeanor. "Thank you, Omega Sister," he said, nodding in acknowledgment. I blinked. "Omega Sister?" But then, Kokushibo looked at me, and what he said next nearly made my knees give out. "And you, Brother-in-law." I froze. "Brother-in-law?" The words barely made it out of my mouth as I stood there, dumbfounded. Kokushibo nodded as if this were the most natural thing in the world. "If Giyuu is my omega sister, then that makes you my brother-in-law, does it not?" I didn’t know what to say. My mind spun as I tried to process what he had just said. Brother-in-law? I turned to Giyuu, hoping for some kind of explanation, but before I could even voice my thoughts, Giyuu was suddenly standing in front of me. "This is dangerous, Giyuu!" I barked, frustration spilling out as I gestured toward Kokushibo. "You’ve been letting him play with the kids all night! He’s a demon! How can you just sit there and—" I didn’t get to finish. Giyuu stepped forward and kissed me. The sudden warmth of his lips cut off my rant, and all the words I had been preparing to unleash vanished in an instant. The kiss was soft, calming, and—dammit—effective. My brain short-circuited as the tension drained out of me. When Giyuu pulled back, I was left staring at him, my face flushed, my heart racing. "Giyuu!" I barked again, trying to recover some sense of composure. "That’s not helping!" But he just smiled at me, that infuriatingly serene smile. "You needed to calm down," he said quietly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, Kokushibo turned to me again, bowing slightly. "I’ll see you again soon, Brother-in-law," he said, then disappeared into the night with the box of food. I stood there, frozen in place, my mind still reeling. Brother-in-law? Omega Sister? What had just happened? I looked at Giyuu, who was entirely too calm for someone who had just kissed me in front of a demon. "Why does he think... why does he keep calling me that?" Giyuu chuckled softly. "Because he sees you as part of the family. You’ve been so protective of the pups tonight. It makes sense to him." I groaned, running a hand over my face. "Even Upper Moon One thinks I’m the father of your pups," I muttered, collapsing into the nearest chair. As if on cue, Nezuko walked over, tugging on my sleeve. "It’s okay, Papa," she said, her voice soft and sweet. "Uncle Kokushibo is nice." Tanjiro grinned from across the room. "Yeah! You’re like our Papa now. And Uncle Kokushibo is part of the family." I buried my face in my hands. "I give up," I muttered, slumping in the chair. "I’m never going to live this down." Giyuu chuckled again, and though I was utterly defeated, there was a small part of me that couldn’t help but feel... comforted by it all. Strange as it was, for the first time, the night felt calm.