ᢉ𐭩 fem!reader, tanjiro smells you before he can see you
tanjiro’s always had a keen sense of smell. he can smell emotions, whether something is a demon or a human, and he can easily sense where an object or creature is.
but the first time he met you, you smelled different than other people. most of the time, he could only know one’s emotions, if they’re a demon or human, and their location.
it was weird when the two of you began to run into each other randomly, and he’d be able to tell who you are just based on your scent.
he doesn’t know how to describe how you smell, so he just says it’s a loving type of scent. you don’t understand what he means, but take it as a compliment anyway.
so tanjiro knows when you’re behind him, and you almost always fail to sneak up on him unless he pretends he doesn’t know you’re there.
and one day, he’s talking with giyuu in a nearby town when he smells something, your scent. the tips of tanjiro’s ears turn pink, and he sheepishly smiles as giyuu raises an eyebrow in confusion. though, he understands what tanjiro’s blushing about when he sees you walking towards them. tanjiro always tends to get flustered around you, even though the two of you are dating.
he turns around with a smile and places a soft kiss on your lips, and giyuu almost smiles at the sight of who he considers to be his ‘little brother’ with the girl he loves the most.
yes i love the water brothers so what ?? anyway happy bday tanjiroo
𓂃⋆.˚ ( kny ) "shut up, mom!" prank on kny men part 2 !
⤷ ゛tanjiro, inosuke, zenitsu, douma, kokushibo, gyutaro, akaza ˎˊ˗
tw yelling (as part of the prank), threatening to
harm genitals, threats of violence, actual physical violence
part one here
masterlists
────────────────── kamado tanjiro
It takes a little self-motivation to go through with it, unsure of how your husband will react to it. But, you go ahead and tell your daughter to complete one chore or another - you don’t actually need her to do anything. She completed her chores hours ago when Tanjiro was at work.
“Shut up, mom!”
There’s the sound of breath hitching from across the room, a little distance away from where you’re lounging on the couch. Your daughter glances at you after saying her line, anticipating the worst. She sees the way Tanjiro’s shoulders tense and the deceptive calmness with which he places his book down and turns away from the bookshelf, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.
“What was that?” he asks smoothly, approaching the two of you. “Am I hard of hearing or did you have a bad day?”
Your daughter swallows thickly and huffs out a breath through her nose. “I’m just t-tired of her nagging!” she manages, failing to loosen her tongue and not stutter in the face of her father. “She always wants me to do something!”
Tanjiro nods and sits on the couch, motioning with a finger for her to follow and take the empty loveseat in front of him. “Why do you think that is, the nagging and insistence?”
You’re hoping he’s not convinced that you nag - he’d have another thing coming.
Your daughter takes the seat as instructed. She only manages to maintain eye contact with Tanjiro for a few seconds before she averts her gaze and looks at you instead. Understandably, she looks awkward and unsettled by the whole prank - regardless of the fact that she was the one who saw it on her social media feed and suggested that you two do it.
“Hm?” Tanjiro prompts.
She blinks and shrugs, a half-hearted answer of someone who doesn’t feel like their words can do them justice in the present situation.
Tanjiro’s brows furrow at that. “Aside from the hours she spent pushing you out of her body, your mother is the one making sure that the money I bring in goes towards every hot meal you eat and each warm blanket you use. She is the one utilising my money to make sure that everyone in this household is happy and needs for nothing.”
She nods, still not able to articulate herself from the tension weighing her down.
“Do you think your reaction was appropriate, then? Considering your mother’s care and effort in everything she does for us - for you?”
She shakes her head. “No, dad. I’m sorry.”
Tanjiro mimics her movement and glances at her, then you pointedly.
She takes the hint and turns to you again. “I’m sorry, mom. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”
“It’s alright,” you say calmly, smiling. “It’s just a prank, after all.”
Tanjiro makes a choked sound. “What?”
“Yeah,” you and your daughter say simultaneously.
He sighs and pulls his glasses off, placing them on the coffee table. The sparkle in his eye returns and he huffs out a laugh at your giddy expression.
────────────────── hashibara inosuke
"Shut up, mom!"
Inosuke whips around to face the source of the voice, his expression a mix of confusion and anger. His daughter is staring straight at him, a challenging look in her eyes - a reflection of her father's.
"Hah? What did you say?"
Glancing at your husband, you feign dejection and sigh heavily. "This is what I get for trying, I guess," you mumble, inhaling through your nose to snuff out the laugh in your throat.
Inosuke shakes his head. "Nah, you listen to me," he grunts, pointing a finger at his own daughter. "That crap isn't allowed here. You get me? What, you think your mom asks you to do things just to be a pain in the ass?"
Pursing her lips, your daughter nods.
Inosuke laughs at that, incredulously. "Have you lost it, kid?"
When she doesn't respond, he grabs her shoulders and pushes her (gently, mind you) upstairs, towards her bedroom. You take care to follow after them discreetly, softening your steps even as you walk on the plush carpets. If your life was more novel, your ears would have already perked up like a bunny's at Inosuke's disciplinary tone.
"I'm talking to you here because I can't be angry at you without your mother hitting me," he says plainly, standing before his daughter who is sat on the edge of her bed.
She snorts out a laugh, failing to catch herself. Inosuke grunts and bends down so that he is eye-level with her.
"If I hear you speak that way again - especially to my wife - you're not getting food for a month."
She gapes at that. "Wha—c'mon! It's not that serious!"
"What?" he practically shouts.
"Nevermind, you're completely right," she mumbles, quick to avert her gaze and be completely conformist. "Sorry, dad. I won't do it again."
He eyes her carefully, raising a brow when she stares at him. It goes like that for about thirty seconds before he nods his head and awkwardly points towards her bedroom door. "Uh, that's all. Apologise to your mother."
The door swings open. She looks over her shoulder and yells, "it's a prank!" before darting out the room and rushing downstairs, giggling like a child.
You sigh, laughing under your breath. Inosuke stands frozen, as if slapped. He has that dumbfounded look on his face that makes your breathy laugh turn loud.
"Were you eavesdropping, woman?"
"Obviously."
"Damn you."
────────────────── agatsuma zenitsu
After asking him to clean his room, your son yells, "shut up, mom!" It is after he yells that does Zenitsu finally sit up straight on the couch, his ears twitching in sync with his right eye.
"Did he just...?" he mutters, turning to you as if to confirm whether or not you heard the same. You nod, resting your chin on your palm.
"Unfortunately. Seems he needs to be dealt with, hm?"
Zenitsu locks in. His wife just got disrespected and she's clearly upset. He must step up and defend her honour, even against his own son.
He stomps over to the teenager and crowds his space, raising a brow. When he says nothing, his son glances at you. "Did you... need something, dad?" he asks quietly, awkwardly.
Zenitsu grabs him by the ear and brings him closer, his breath hot against the side of his face. "If you ever talk to her like that again, I'm going to cut your balls off."
"W-what?"
He gets all up in his face then, grip still tight on the boy's ear. "Did I stutter, boy?"
Said boy shakes his head. "No, sir. You've made yourself very c-clear."
You move forward and nod, satisfied with Zenitsu's reaction. But just when you're about to tell him it's a prank, he grabs your son by his head and turns him to you. The younger man yelps in surprise, startled by the subtle pain in his neck at the forceful movement.
"Apologise."
"I was going to—"
"Ah!" he cuts him off. "Nothing but an apology."
Your son smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, mom."
With a devilish grin, you pull your son out of his father's tight grip and pet his hair. "How many times do you think he's going to fall for these?" you ask the teen, seeing his eyes sparkle with mischief reflecting yours.
"Fall for what?" Zenitsu looks between the two of you, now rather unsettled by your sudden companionship.
You ignore him and walk back into the kitchen with your son in tow. "Hot chocolate?" you suggest, to which he nods eagerly.
"Wha—honey! What did you mean by that? Am I missing something?"
Ignored - again. He only finds out about it all the next morning.
────────────────── douma
Douma's smile was always plastered on, sometimes toothy, other times flat and unamused. Whatever its condition, it was deceptive. To you, not so much anymore. You'd had trouble decoding him initially, wondering if the man you were in love with was to remain an enigma, but you gradually found bits and pieces of him to memorise.
That comforted you - knowing your husband a little better than anyone else did. You had a right to!
'Anyone else' was unfortunately inclusive of your son. He was your pride and joy, and while he had an amazing relationship with his father, he tended to confide in you when needing a straight answer that wasn't glossed over with subtle threats and almost menacing humour.
The best way about this was to not leave your son's side, even when he yelled, "shut up, mom!" He falls silent then and waits for something - anything - to happen.
A few silent seconds pass and you're almost encouraged to ease the tension in your body. Only when you exhale on the sixth second does Douma suddenly flicker into existence before you. That freaky teleportation of his was enough to knock your son's heart back into his throat.
"Is that a protective stance?" he asks you, laughing softly at the way you and your son stand side-by-side, arms pressed together. Douma strokes a hand down your hair. "Silly girl. Why are you protecting him? Do you know what I'm going to do to him?"
You deadpan. "Nothing, even if I weren't right here."
Your husband exhales through his nose, then his eyes dart towards his son. His sweet son, the boy who looked too much like him and too little like you; the boy who was too much like him in nature and so unlike you with your warmth and harmless sarcasm.
"If that is what you dream, my sweet," Douma coos at you, "then I shall tell you, here, what I am going to do."
You stare at him, unflinching, so ready to laugh at how seriously your husband is taking this. Your son, on the other hand, is about to wet his pants.
"Those eyes that he so graciously took from me will be popped out, but as I do not look to upset you, I shall only take one. I will allow him to have an eyeball to shed his tears, and so that you may watch as he does,” he says calmly. “That is the extent of my mercy today.”
“Douma,” you say lowly, warningly.
“Oh, do not fret,” he sighs, reaching a hand up to pat his son’s head tenderly, claws scratching against the boy’s scalp ever so slightly. The younger man has to resist the urge to flinch. “I know this is another one of your little jokes.”
“Wha—” you sputter. “How?”
He practically giggles and kisses the back of your hand almost reverently, looking up at you with unrestrained adoration. He doesn’t answer you, but he doesn’t need to. You know how he is, what he’s like. He’s aware of threats before they’re made, whether serious or lighthearted. You’re just glad he managed to pick up on this one and not be blinded by the rage simmering in his chest.
“Do not attempt such foolishness again,” he growls, lips still brushing against your skin but curled as he addresses his son. “Not at the expense of my wife.”
────────────────── kokushibo
So you were scared, to say the least. To execute this meant you had to be on edge the entire time, ready to call it off if things got overwhelming or, quite frankly, fatal. You were more terrified to do this than your son was - he was giddy on the idea that he could enrage his father. Why, you had no real understanding of. You had never suffered the consequences of angering or frustrating him that left the bedroom.
“Sweetie, can you—”
“Shut up, mom!”
You deadpan, turning to your son and lowering your voice into a whisper. “I didn’t even get to finish my line,” you mutter, smacking his arm lightly.
He grins. “He just needs to hear mine for this to work, mom,” he whispers back.
The two of you are out in the garden, tending to the flowers and taking pictures to send to friends and family, when you see a shadow cast over the flowerbed your son is observing. Before he can turn around, a familiar hand grabs the back of his neck and squeezes tightly, using the leverage to pull him up from his knees and to his feet. The teenager coughs and sputters at the sudden pressure.
“Michikatsu!” you gasp, brows furrowed. You launch to your feet and grab your husband’s arm, tugging him away from your son. “Unhand him!”
“It is a shame this boy has not truly taken to being humourous,” Kokushibo says, voice a low timbre in his throat. “This disrespect will not be tolerated.”
When you open your mouth to intervene, your son shakes his head and smiles at you - a wordless “it’s alright. I can handle this.”
“I didn’t—ow—mean it disrespectfully, dad,” he rasps, lightly slapping his father’s hands.
“So you lack sense, too,” the man growls, tightening his grip but turning the boy to face him fully. The teenager swallows thickly at the murderous glint in his father’s eyes. “You are my blood, but I have shed that of my own,” he warns. “You are not exempt from my wrath, boy.”
“I know, dad.”
“You know? I highly doubt that.”
“Michikatsu,” you repeat, now digging your nails into his thick arm. “Release him at once!”
This time, he heeds your command - albeit reluctantly. His mouth twitches when you smack his chest rather roughly. “You will not threaten our son!”
His canines flash when his lip curls up further, making your heart race. “He will not be allowed to speak to you with such insolence. I shall deal with him—”
“It’s a prank,” your son announces, holding his hands up. “Mom can attest to that.”
You huff, frustrated at his eagerness, but nod nonetheless. “We were just trying to test your reaction, dear.”
Kokushibo turns to you then, his thumb urging your chin up so that you may look up at him. “Truly?”
When you nod, he pulls you into his arms carefully, as if handling a porcelain doll. You instinctively relax in his embrace, your head resting on his chest and your arms wrapping around his torso. He doesn’t utter a word, content to hold you and ignore his son’s presence entirely. He is not a heartless man, but in this instance, he will pay no mind to the boy. He wants his wife and only her, preferably in his arms and away from the childish antics of the little devil he calls his son.
────────────────── gyutaro
It doesn’t last long, pranking Gyutaro. It never does. You don’t anticipate that this attempt will be any different.
The moment your daughter yells out the words “shut up,” directed at you, you know to focus and rapidly become aware of your husband walking into the bedroom, his eyes twitching and his nails digging into the skin on his neck.
“Haaah?” he snarls, approaching the two of you with a curious glint in his eye. “Did you finally cough out your last brain cell?”
Your daughter’s jaw drops at that, offended but not truly hurt - only startled by her father’s audacity.
He stalks closer, approaching you first. You smile weakly and grip his arm carefully, rubbing your thumb along the protruding veins. He’s not amused, but there’s a softer sparkle in his gaze as opposed to the initial vengeful glint. You fail to stop your heart from fluttering when he leans over, bony figure hunched over, and kisses your forehead.
More than that, he doesn’t indulge in.
One of his hands whip up and grabs his daughter’s jaw, a movement quicker than you can keep up with. By the time you register what he’s doing, Gyutaro has already placed his thumb on her top front teeth and began applying pressure. She tenses at the threat.
“Shall I use your own teeth to cut your tongue out?” he offers, as if proposing an alternative alongside it.
“Gyutaro!” you startle, landing a death-grip on his wrist and pulling his hand away. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Is she high?” he rasps, pointing in the general direction of your daughter.
“She’s pranking you. And even if you weren’t, you don’t threaten to cut out her tongue!”
He grunts and turns his head, averting his gaze. “Whatever.”
You sigh and kiss your daughter’s cheek apologetically, ushering her out the room before he decides to give her a stern talking-to instead. Only when the two of you are alone does he move closer and rest his chin on the top of your head, his lips pursed into something that resembles a pout.
“You’re annoying.”
“You’re too protective.”
“One is better than the other,” he mumbles.
You poke him in his ribs and he flinches like an unsettled cat.
────────────────── akaza
“Shut up, mom!” your daughter groans. There was no need to yell, Akaza was in the same room as the two of you. Even if he weren’t, he didn’t need to strain his senses to hear this particular retort.
You hear the beads of his accessories rattle before his breathing, all before you even manage to see him. He appears behind you, trailing a hand down to caress the base of your neck, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin there. His blood heats for a reason aside from anger when your breath hitches, even more so when your lips part as he kisses you.
Your daughter knows to avert her gaze - not because you forbid her from seeing her parents be affectionate. She does it for herself. She doesn’t want to see her parents devouring each other’s faces a few inches away from her.
Except the kiss doesn’t last long and Akaza moves on. He stands behind his daughter now, his eyes darkened but not unkind. When the tension in her shoulders alerts him that she has acknowledged his presence behind her, he rounds the couch and stands in front of her instead.
“D/n. Apologise.”
This is the reaction you expected from him. If there was one thing Akaza wouldn’t do, it was raise his voice or hand at the women in his life. That, you were grateful for, but it didn’t mean you weren’t curious to know if there was raw rage rising in his chest.
“Sorry, mom,” she mumbles.
He nods, satisfied, and that’s all it takes for him to calm down.
You grin at him, so infatuated with the tenderness reserved for those he deemed worthy.
He catches sight of your expression and raises a brow, amused by your unprompted grin. “What is it?”
"You're so protective. It's cute."
He blushes deeply and squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to control his flustered expression. "It's my job."
"You're cute while doing it."
Instead of leaving the room entirely to cool his face down and calm his racing pulse, he lays his head in your lap and twists his lips oddly to stop his smile.
You never tell him that it was a prank. You want to let him think that he successfully defended you because it fuels him to do it more.
― dream boy
tanjiro kamado x reader, pure fluff, i love him sm kill me, 258 wc
bf!tanjiro who always presses soft kisses to your forehead for absolutely no reason. you could just be sitting near him, staring off into space.
he'll lean over with a kind smile and move the hair away from your forehead before pressing a kiss to it. then when you look at him flustered, he will tilt his head like what he did was normal.
bf!tanjiro who casually does acts of service. maybe it's due to how he was raised, but he just does things without even thinking.
he'll tuck your hair behind your ear when it gets in the way while you're eating, put his haori around you when you shiver even a little bit, and pay for your meals without even blinking.
bf!tanjiro who somehow lights up even more when he notices you. he's already so bright, literally the sun incarnate, yet its like he shines even more when he sees you in his vicinity.
and no matter what he's doing, he'll rush over to you like you haven't seen each other in eons.
bf!tanjiro who always wants to be near you. whenever you're around it's like hes glued to you. it's not even like he's touching you either, he is just constantly standing near you.
even during training! you'll be on the other side of the room and he will slowly but surely inch himself over to you until you both are standing 5 centimeters away from eachother.
bf!tanjiro who is the perfect boyfriend. he's so cute, so respectful, so accepting...everything a partner could ask for.
flowers are expensive (wbk). like- a dozen of flowers costs around 50$ (according to the internet), and for a boyfriend who just LOVES to spoil u with gifts but doesn't have Elon Musk's wallet, that's a little bit out of his price range.
so what does he do? he makes them. he goes out and buys a giant back of white paper (which is still cheaper than a dozen flowers), sits down, cuts the paper into smaller pieces and colors each of them in it own unique color before shaping them into flowers and wrapping them up in a paper where he wrote a short, but heartwarming letter to you.
"I couldn't buy you flowers, so I just made them for you.." he mumbled out sheepishly, hoping you'd like them.
like them? you're on your KNEES for them. the fact he took time out of his day to HAND MAKE paper flowers for you meant so much more than a dozen of roses that'll die in a few weeks or so.
ever since he saw just how much you liked his hand made gifts, that's all he gives to you in the future, and each and every time he comes up with more and more unique designs, all so he could see that beautiful smile of yours. ♡︎
he was so tired of slaying demons that he didn't hear you say “can you watch over (c/n)?”
as he went drift to sleep he felt you getting close to him
he was expecting a “hello my love lets sleep together” but he got a “yoriichi where’s our child?!”
he got up so quick that his back cracked
he looked at you and asked why were you asking him and you said that he was supposed to watch over since you were cooking something and (c/n) was not behaving
you were panicking because you didn’t know what to do
you’re still cooking and if you went to look for (c/n) your lunch might get burnt so you left that job to yoriichi
now you're panicking and cooking which is not a great combo for you! so you ended up burning yourself once
good thing he found his child before you kill him with chopsticks
m. kanroji
you two were sleeping together with your child in between the both of you
when you shifted your body towards mitsuri you knew there was something missing
so you woke up and saw mitsuri literally next to you
you thought you had squished your baby with your body causing you to scream
and causing mitsuri to scream
and causing the baby to cry
you instantly go get to pick your baby which is near mitsuri’s closet leaving a confused mitsuri on your futon
as you calmed down your child you looked at her and she was looking at you confused
you explained to her that you thought that you squished you baby and that's why you screamed
you two ended up cuddling
that's when you both decided that the baby starts sleeping on its designated bed
s. shinazugawa
you were grocery shopping and sanemis home with your child
he was watching (c/n) play with its toys so he just let them do its thing
then he remembered that he needed to clean his katana because he's a clean freak sometimes
so he kinda forgot that he had a child to look after
when you went home you saw sanemi with wet hair so you assumed he took a bath with your child
but then you didn't saw (c/n) anywhere so you asked your husband “wheres (c/n)?”
his eyes widened and you knew he didn’t know
he tried laughing it off and then sanemi ran outside where your child was
when you catched up to him, you saw your child
who just got sunburnt
it was very obvious that it got sunburnt
so when you tried to pick them up they cried
you cut some aloe vera since you also have sensitive skin and rubbed it at your child
when your child drifted to sleep, you began scolding your husband
t. kamado (aged up)
it was a daddy daughter/son date for the two of them
of course you were fine with it since your 4 year old child didn’t get to spend time with their father
so when they got home they saw you sleeping
they didn’t want to disturb you so they showered quietly and slept next to you
when you woke up in the middle of the night you saw tanjiro but you didn’t see your child
you had to say tanjiro 7 times for him to wake up he did not woke up to you saying tanjiro, he woke up because you covered his nose
he was confused and said that she was besides you
when you told him that they were not there he got up and looked for them
it didn’t take long since tanjiro has a keen sense of smell but that didn’t stop him from overthinking that a demon got his child
when he got back he told you that they were just sleepwalking and went back to sleep
Hiii can I request a one-shot of Tanjiro x a reader, Urokodaki's daughter? Like them first with Tanjiro training a bit, and then if Tanjiro were to see them again when they were a litle more older? If you want, please :)
— WAITING FOR YOU.
⋆˚࿔ pairing: fem!reader x tanjiro
⋆˚࿔ genre: fluff
a/n: i tweaked the timeline a bit, where they’re still having to fight demons and tanjiro is now a hashira <3
The first time you saw him, he was just a boy—thin, trembling from exhaustion, snowflakes clinging to his hair, and a look in his eyes that was far too broken for someone so young.
Your father stood beside him at the entrance of the mountain.
“Tanjiro Kamado,” Urokodaki introduced, voice firm but gentle. “He will be training here.”
You offered him a polite bow.
“Welcome. I’m Urokodaki’s daughter. If you need anything, let me know.”
Tanjiro blinked, startled by warmth he wasn’t expecting, then bowed so deeply his forehead almost hit the dirt.
“Thank you! I—I really appreciate it!”
That was the beginning.
And during his training, you were always there.
He swung until his hands split open. Ran until he collapsed. And every time, you were there with bandages and tea, quietly scolding him.
“You don’t have to destroy yourself to prove something,” you’d mutter.
He’d smile—soft, grateful, unwavering.
“I just… want to become someone who can protect others.”
You admired him for it, more than you were willing to admit.
Sometimes you trained beside him, wooden swords clashing, snow kicking up under your feet. You were faster, more precise. He was stronger, fueled by heart alone.
“You’re incredible!” he’d gasp between breaths.
You’d laugh, cheeks warm.
“You’re getting better, don’t sound so surprised.”
Tiny moments built something gentle between you both. Hands brushing when passing chopsticks, him offering his haori when he thought you were cold, you tying his hair back when it kept falling in his eyes.
He smelled like pine and warmth and something safe.
The night he left for the Final Selection, the mountain was quiet.
He bowed to Urokodaki, tears falling, voice shaking with gratitude.
Then he turned to you—hesitant, almost afraid to speak.
“You helped me more than you know,” he whispered. “I… I’ll come back. I promise.”
Your throat tightened. “You better.”
You smiled for him, even though your stomach twisted with fear.
And he left.
A whole week went by. The sun had barely risen when the sound of footsteps approached.
You whipped around.
Tanjiro stood there—bloodied, scratched, but alive. Breathing. Standing. Smiling.
“Tanjiro!” you gasped.
Urokodaki reached him first, gripping his shoulders, voice trembling behind his mask as he hugged him.
“You made it back to us,” he said, barely above a whisper. “Good.”
Nezuko rushed out and tackled them into a hug, humming softly. Tanjiro laughed breathlessly, tears forming in his eyes.
You stood there frozen—relief hitting you so hard your knees almost buckled.
He raised his head—and the moment he saw you, his expression changed to something gentle, something warm.
You exhaled shakily and stepped forward.
“You came back,” you whispered, voice cracking.
Tanjiro didn’t even hesitate—he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around you.
Not a polite hug, but more of a desperate, relieved, I-missed-you hug.
You stiffened for a second, then melted into him, fists curling into his haori.
“I promised I would,” he murmured into your hair.
You felt his heart racing—fast, nervous, alive.
When you finally pulled apart, your cheeks were burning. His were too—bright scarlet all the way to his ears.
Urokodaki cleared his throat loudly and you both flinched apart.
Tanjiro scratched his cheek nervously. “S-Sorry, Master!”
Urokodaki said nothing… but you could FEEL the stare under that mask.
Tanjiro got his new uniform the next morning—ready to leave the mountain, leave safety, leave you.
You walked him down the path, pretending your chest wasn’t aching.
“So… this is goodbye for now,” you said softly.
Tanjiro looked at you like you’d just said something heartbreaking.
“No. Not goodbye. Never goodbye.”
Your breath caught.
“I’ll come back,” he said, voice steady, eyes determined. “I’ll get stronger, save Nezuko, and… I’ll return here. To you.”
Your heart pounded so loudly you were certain he could hear it.
You opened your mouth—hesitant, terrified, hopeful.
“Tanjiro… I—”
He gently reached for your hand.
Warm. Calloused. Careful.
“I know,” he said softly.
Your eyes widened as heat rushed to your face.
He gave you a small, shy smile, the kind he’d only ever shown you.
Then he lifted your hand and pressed a soft kiss to your knuckles.
Your breath hitched. Your entire soul left your body.
“I’ll come back,” he repeated, cheeks bright red. “So… wait for me?”
You nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.
He took one shaky step away, then turned back suddenly and hugged you again, tighter this time, burying his face in your shoulder like he didn’t want to let go.
“I’ll miss you,” he whispered.
You clutched the back of his uniform, voice trembling. “Come back alive.”
He pulled away reluctantly, gave you one last smile—then jogged toward the road, Nezuko’s box on his back.
You stood there staring after him, flushed, dazed, floating.
And then..
“…When did that happen?” Urokodaki’s voice came from behind you.
You covered your face. “PLEASE DON’T SAY IT OUT LOUD—”
He sighed the sigh of a father who suddenly aged 20 years.
“Dear lord… I trained him too well.”
You groaned into your hands while he mumbled about needing a stronger mask to handle this.
Meanwhile Tanjiro, halfway down the mountain, happily unaware, was replaying that hand kiss and nearly tripping over tree roots.
It had been years.
Years since he left the mountain with a sword and a promise you clung to like oxygen. Years of handwritten letters—each one full of hope, exhaustion, and gentle questions about you.
And then… they stopped.
You reread the last one until the ink began to fade. You told yourself it was fine, that missions were dangerous, travel was unpredictable, mail got intercepted.
But late at night, when the lamps dimmed, your mind whispered cruel things.
Maybe he forgot you. Maybe he outgrew you.
Still, every morning you woke early, glanced toward the path leading down the mountain, and pretended you weren’t waiting.
Life continued—quietly, steadily.
You tended to the home, cooked meals, sharpened your father's blade, and trained with Urokodaki just enough to defend yourself. You never became a slayer—your father refused—but he made sure you knew how to survive.
Today was like any other. Carrying a basket, you followed the forest trail, collecting fallen branches and dry kindling.
The air shifted.
The forest was quiet.. too quiet.
You paused mid-step, basket of firewood resting against your hip. A breeze slid between the cedar trunks, but it carried no birdsong, no rustling critters—just an uneasy stillness.
Your fingers tightened around the worn handle of Urokodaki’s old sword.
You only ever carried it for emergencies—small demons, wandering threats—but today something felt different. Heavier.
You slowly drew the blade, exhaling like your father taught you.
Stay calm. Read the air.
Then.. movement.
A blur of pale limbs burst from the shadows, snarling, hunger twisting its features. It was too fast, too close. Your body reacted before your mind did, raising the sword—
But a flash of light struck first.
A clean, impossibly precise strike. No hesitation. No wasted motion.
The demon dissolved into ash before your blade even fully lifted.
Your breath caught.
Standing where the demon had been was a man—taller, broader, wrapped in a checkered haori that fluttered in the wind like a banner. His nichirin blade gleamed, still smoking from the cut. But it was the scent that hit you first—warm, familiar, like charcoal and fresh rain.
He turned.
And those eyes—gentle, sunlit, impossibly kind—met yours.
“…________?”
Your heartbeat stopped.
“Tanjiro?”
His features softened—relief, joy, disbelief all blending into one expression that nearly brought you to your knees.
He looked so different—older, stronger, scar more defined, jaw sharper—but when he smiled…
He was the same boy who promised he’d come back.
You dropped the firewood without meaning to, lungs finally remembering how to work.
“You.. you’re alive,” you whispered, voice breaking.
And then you ran.
Tanjiro barely had time to sheath his sword before you crashed into him—arms wrapped tight around his torso. He let out a shaky breath and instantly held you back, lifting you off the ground like he never wanted to let go again.
“I missed you,” he exhaled into your shoulder, voice trembling. “So much.”
Your fingers curled into the fabric of his haori, your chest aching with everything you never said.
“You stopped writing,” you whispered, afraid of the answer.
His hold tightened, warm and protective.
“I wanted to,” he murmured, “but I was constantly moving, fighting. I didn’t want a letter to reach you only to put you in danger. But I never stopped thinking about you. Not once.”
Your eyes stung.
You pulled back just enough to really see him. His face was older, marked by battles, but his smile was just as soft as you remembered.
“You became a Hashira,” you breathed, half proud, half terrified.
He flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “A-Ah—yeah. It still feels strange when people say it.”
You laughed—a choked, emotional sound—and he smiled like he’d been waiting years to hear it again.
Nezuko peeked from behind a tree, eyes bright, delighted—then quietly slipped away with a knowing grin, giving you space.
Silence fell as Tanjiro reached out, fingers brushing yours—hesitant at first, then confident when you didn’t pull away. His hand engulfed yours, warm and calloused, grounding.
“You kept Urokodaki’s sword,” he said gently.
You nodded. “I couldn’t just sit around hoping you’d be okay. I needed to be able to protect myself too.”
Something in his expression softened—pride, admiration, affection.
“I’m glad,” he whispered. “You deserve to feel safe.”
Your breath hitched.
He stepped closer, so close the tips of your noses almost touched—his eyes searching yours like he was afraid you’d disappear.
“I came back,” he said softly. “Just like I promised.”
Your heart flipped. “I never stopped waiting for you.”
His cheeks turned scarlet, yet he didn’t look away this time.
Slowly—giving you every moment to refuse—he lifted a hand and cupped your cheek. His thumb brushed your skin with aching tenderness.
“_________,” he whispered, voice barely steady, “may I…?”
You didn’t speak. You just leaned in.
That was enough.
He kissed you—gentle at first, like he was afraid you’d break—then deeper, fuller, overflowing with years of longing he never put into words.
You clung to him, smiling against his lips, laughter and tears mixing with the soft press of your mouths.
When you finally pulled apart, breathless, he rested his forehead against yours, still holding your hands.
Heeeeyyaaa can I request for a Tanjiro x Rengoku! Sibling Reader? They can be like GN!
this would be like where Rengoku survives. Where Reader gives their thanks to Tanjiro for saving their brother, poor boy is in awe of Reader but of course he’s always polite.
basically while Tanjiro is doing the hashira training arc I imagine Rengoku going like “Haha! You seem fond of my sibling!”
ʜᴇʟʟᴏ(•̀’◡’•̀)ﾉ
I wrote this on paper at work and it kinda got off topic but the story is still there.
✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿
The day started like any other. You woke up feeling uneasy as you always did whenever your brother was on a mission.
'He hasn't been gone for too long, I'm sure he's fine you told yourself as you braced yourself to leave the house. Like Senjuro, you aren't well with a sword, but that didn't stop you from going to the master's house and asking for a job. the master painted you to the insect Hashira, and that's how you because the butterfly estate's physical therapist. Your father said it was a shame that you couldn't fight with a sword. Just Useless. But you didn't there what he had to shy cause he was a good for nothing drunk.
When you arrived at the butterfly estate you were greeted by shinobi, "Good morning Y/n" she greeted,
"Is something wrong, Ms. Shinobu? You seem upset." You commented, the fact that Shinobu waited for you was enough to set alarms off.
"Always so observant." She chuckled but her being nervous was making you nervous. "Your brother successfully completed his mission but he is in critical condition with multiple life changing injuries. I believe that he will make it but I wanted to warn you before you see him."
As she trailed on your mind wandered to has you were gonna tell your little brother, what would your father say, would this prove him right? NO. Kyojuro is strong and fight with his entire body. He will pull through because he is the flame Hashira and you are gonna help through the full healing process. Yes you can and will, you-
"Y/n... Are you okay?" Shinobu broke your train of thought.
"Hm?"
"I was asking you if you wanted to work today, you don't have to, I'll understand."
"I want to, I know that my brother is gonna make a full recovery and I'll be here everyday untill he does." You beamed.
"Well alright then. Oh before you see your brother would you mind checking on some patients? They're in need of your positive attitude." She smiled as she lead you to a room.
She opened the door to reveal Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke. You had met them after what happened with the spider demon.
You locked eyes with Tanjiro and saw how he started to tear up causing you to rush by his bedside to comfort him.
"Woah woah its okay, its gonna be okay. What happened?" You said while patting his head.
"We were on the train with Rengoku. We watched as he fought an upper moon and now hes' gravely injured." He cried.
"Rengoku's alive, and he did his job as a Hashira. You also did your job as a slayer. Everything done to save lives is important. You made sure my brother came back, and that's all I could ever ask for.
"He told me that If he dies-"
"He's alive." You cut him off. "And he will pull through, he's too stubborn to die. So focus on getting better. I'll worry about my brother, okay?" You looked over at the other two, who looked too depressed to look at you. "That goes for all of you. We all have jobs to do. Heal up so you can fight."
You chuckled as you heard them groan in reply. There has been many times where people have told you that your positive attitude reminded them of your brother, your role model. It was the best compliment you could receive.
A moth had passed since Kyojuro had been back and he recovered fast.
"N/n I have told you many times that I am fine. You should spend your energy on someone else." Kyojuro sighed as you fussed over him.
"I just want to make sure. You were in really bad shape when you arrived."
"As you can see I'm fine now."
"Really? Then get up and walk home."
"Really Y/n.... Just go." He said as he jokily pushed you away from him.
You were glad to see him in good spirits. You stepped outside to take a breath. For the past month you've been working yourself to the bone to distract yourself for the pain your brother had to face while you don't even have the stamina to be a kakushi. It might not look like it on the surface but your fathers words struck deep, way deeper than you were comfortably admitting.
'At least its a nice day out' You thought as your skin soaked in the heat from the sun. As walked further into the butterfly estates' courtyard you say the perfect spot to destress. A tree not to far from the engawa and with a perfect amount of shade. You sat of the side facing away from the estate and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Y/n?"
You jumped at the sound of a voice and whipped your head around to face the culprit. Your eyes locked onto a equally startled Tanjiro.
"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." He sweat dropped.
"Its fine, what are you doing here?" You asked while making space for him. He sat.
"Aoi said we were done for the day and this is my favorite spot."
"Oh I didn't mean to jack it from you, my bad."
"no no no it's okay, I actually wanted to talk to you... I can't help but notice that you make sure everyone is okay and you keep a positive attitude while doing it. I couldn't even smell a hint of sadness from you from you when Rengoku came back. You fully believed that he would recover. You are incredible Y/n. I don't know how you do it."
"Thank you, Tanjiro, I could say the same about you. You put your life on the line for your sister even though she is a demon. If anyone's incredible, it's you."
"Don't discredit yourself like that, you might not be a swordsman, but you make sure all of us are fighting at our full ability and it's thanks to you that Rengoku is making such a fast recovery.
You were about to argue, but the determination on Tanjiro's face told you that he wasn't going to stop, so you laughed and thanked him instead. A scream interrupted your peaceful moment, and you and Tanjiro ran towards it.
Tengen was in the process of kidnapping Aoi while the triplet and Kanao watched. You weren't strong enough to take Aoi back by force, so your first thought to go get Shinobu.
"Don't panic, he's not taking anyone anywhere." You turned to Tanjiro and told him you were going to be right back, then ran inside to find Shinobu, but by the time you came back, the girls were all here, but Tanjiro was gone.
"He traded himself to help instead of us, Inosuke and Zenitsu went with him."
"Wow."
"Well seeing as the problem solved itself, Y/n can you help me make some medicine please?"
"Uhhhhh sure." You followed her back inside. You couldn't help but wonder when he was going to be back.
.
.
.
He's back and Tengen is retiring.
"Who'd you fight this time." You asked as you massaged his arm muscles.
"Uppermoon 6 and they split into 2." He winched in pain.
"Jeez no wonder Tengen is retiring."
"Y/n~ you spend all your time doting on Tanjiro. We're hurt too, ya'know." Zentisu whined from his bed and Inosuke huffed.
You chuckled before giving Tanjiro a sympathetic glance only to see him looking up at you. His eyes were filled with something you couldn't even name but as soon as he realized you noticed he looked away. You didn't think much of it and went to work on the other 2.
When it came time for Hashira training Shinobu sent you to work with your brother. Some people can't handle his never give up attitude.
As you were going around the training ground and helping the slayers who were on the verge of passing out, you noticed Tanjiro sparing against your brother. He noticed you too, it distracted him.
Your brother also noticed, "has my sibling caught your attention... Haha! You seem fond of my sibling! Don't worry, they are fond of you too!"
♱ warnings . head canons, angst on genya’s part if you squint
muichiro’s hands are tough from the consistencies of training and hard work, didn’t became a hashira in 2-3 months for nothing. but it isn’t sandpaper bad. cuts liter his palms often — also gets some what clammy
his hands are average in size for his age, or even dainty. he has slim fingers with average sized palms.
his nails run a little unkempt and are sometimes cracked, his cuticles are a little roughed up from fighting. also doesn’t care much for nail care but likes it when you take care of it for him, or even tells you to do it — he likes the feeling of your hands on his; the warmth radiating from your hands is pleasurable.
he gets a lot of cuts often, sometimes when he’s reading he gets on purpose to ask you to help him tend them or bandage his wounds, he likes your touch, a lot.
extra. physical touch is actually one of his love languages and quality time, which is why he does these on purpose.
if you scold him he would have puppy eyes and say it won’t happen again ( it will ).
^ but is happy you care for his wellbeing!!
defiantly plays and / or massages with your fingers. traces the wrinkles on your hands, oh and also kisses your fingers one by one so very gently and lovingly, like if he pushed down too hard you’ll shatter like glass
his fingers are cold but not uncomfortably so it’s comforting to feel on a warm day
swings your hands when your holding hands
his grip is soft and he likes intertwining your hands, he gets this stupid little smile and can’t stop staring at both your hands intertwined
he doesn’t care who stares or comments he loves holding your hands so it happens often, if he can’t for some reason he’ll hold your inner arm or a piece of your clothing ( most likely your hoari / back of your shirt )
genyas’s hands are on the rough side, but his touch is still just as gentle despite the textured skin. because of him eating demon flesh gives the after effects of his skin being more thick and hard.
especially his fingers from using a gun instead of a kitana
his hands are above average with wide fingers, most likely from him eating demon flesh. but nevertheless his hands temperature can go from warm and cold, it mostly runs on cold though.
he has a few cuts littering his fingers but they disappear as much as they appear.
when he ‘becomes’ a demon his nails grow more than his average and more sharper, has a hue of yellow and black — naturally, his nails are sorta uneven and short.
he likes it when you offer to cut his nails and take care of it for him, it saves him trouble but feels bad he’s letting you take care of it and not him, so he tries to help the best he cans.
his hands are clammy when you hold hands cause of how flustered and nervous he is, but you don’t comment or mind it.
his grip is loose, but tender. it firms up at times—like while in a crowd so he won’t lose you or in vulnerable moments
sanemi used to hold his hands when younger and those memories come around his minds when he spaces out while holding your hand, it usually causes his grip to firm up and if you comment how hard he’s squeezing your hand he’ll apologize and stop
he’s flustered and embarrassed holding your hand in public but is proud of himself if he initiated it first. generally way more affectionate in private but still gets red
extra . you two could be watching fireworks at a festival and then he goes in and holds your hand while your looking at the fireworks aaa
so by that, holding hands with him is somewhat rare, unless if your overly affectionate then it would be way more, he doesn’t mind it or anything he’s just shy doing pda — you could just hug him and he’s tomato red.
tanjiro’s hands are pretty rough for the high amounts of training and combats he’s endured especially after the hashiras’ training, but nothing like sand paper bad like inosuke’s. there’s a few cuts littering his fingers but it isn’t major
his hands are above average with slightly slim fingers.
his hands run on the slightly above average size, his hands run warm; good for the winter!
his nails are taken care of, not as much as it was before. trims his nails short from time to time since they grow a bit long since he neglects nail care often.
but offers to do yours! if you aren’t good at taking care of yourself cause of your living circumstances as a demon slayer then he’s happy to do it for you even if you can for yourself — he’s happy to help you.
likes it when you do it for him also, the touch of your hand will always be a enjoyment for him!!
tanjiro’s grip is tender yet firm, you’re one of his reason to live and fight for and would do anything to protect you at all costs. he squeezes your hands especially if either of you came back from a mission.
hand holding with him is regular, if you are a demon slayer then he holds your hand while walking to or back from your missions. he also holds your hands for comfort, expect in serious situations.
inosuke’s hands are rough, he grew up on the mountains so his hands are somewhat close to sandpaper texture, though his hands get clammy. he has scars and cuts on his hands—one or two bruises—cuts regularly pop up.
his hands are above average with big palms and thick fingers, it’s regular for his hands to have dirt on them
his nails and cuticles aren’t the greatest compared to when you took care of them for him, he does a lot of training so his hands’ appearances take the brute of it.
more times than none he’ll accept your help on keeping them trim and dirt free, but he doesn’t really try much to help since it feels a tad pointless to him, but he likes your hands on his.
while training he’s prone to a lot of nail crack/breaking and half the time it slips his mind unless it scratches his skin or something. in which he stops training to search for you to help him clean it.
extra . the same actually goes to muichiro and genya ^ lmao
inosuke’s grip is all over the place, his hold is clammy and there’s always dirt involved to an extent. he’s not really sure how to do the whole hand holding without squeezing too hard and breaking your hand or holding it too loose he loses your hand
he gets jealous if you hold someone else’s hand for helping them and will turn it into a competition for the other person of who held your hand the most, and the person is like : ????
you can scold him but it doesn’t sound very scary coming from you, but it makes him feel fuzzy when you express you care for him.
extra . probably ruins the pure moment by saying lord inosuke can handle anything and then you go along saying that you forgot he’s the the king of the mountain and that he can endure anything LMAO
holding hands with inosuke he’s secretly touch starved so he’ll sometimes take to holding other parts of you if your hands are busy or he really tends to silently hug you
zenitsu’s hands are average in size, they run stupidly warm and occasionally clammy when he’s flustered.
his cuticles and nails are unbothered, surprisingly his nails are cut since he takes care of himself often.
LOVES it when you take care of his nails and you both talk about everything and nothing, or just a silence is so nice with your hands on his — and defiantly looks at you with a awe expression
holding hands with zenitsu is common. he’s lovesick and touch starved, especially for comfort or reassurance when he’s scared.
when you first held his hand was probably for reassurance, his hands was clammy during the time since he was flustered by your action — and scared of the demons — but it was nothing you minded
another one who would swing your hands ^^
saying he will protect you while holding your hand tightly and eyes moist, threatening to almost sob from fear.
extra . he probably feels ashamed because all he did was cry and then you reassure him it’s alright since it’s literally flesh eating demons and you both were about to piss your pants
defiantly sees couples comparing hand sizes and intertwining their hands slowly, then has a thought of wanting to do it with you. ( you both did )
his grip is firm and soft, he knows how to hold a woman’s hand and treats you delicately, though what i said before he does hold your hand too tight, apologizes if he thinks it’s too tight but sometimes doesn’t notice because of the fear he’s accumulating
