Chapter Text
The battle is long and exhausting. Tanjirou ends up with a couple of scratches and laying on the ground, looking at the sky. It's morning at last.
"Are you alright, Tanjirou?" Zenitsu sobs, looking down at the omega. He's constantly worrying about him; Inosuke worries too, but in his own way. "Your face is red! Do you have a fever?"
Tanjirou smiles at him when he feels the beta's hand over his forehead, sometimes Zenitsu forgets he's friends with an omega.
"No, it's not fever," he chuckles. "My heat is coming."
Zenitsu blushes immediately and takes a few steps back, staring at Tanjirou nervously.
"That's why you smell like that? Your scent is very... sweet."
If Zenitsu can smell him, it means this heat is coming stronger than the last one. Tanjirou will have to stay at the butterfly mansion for a couple of days.
"Don't worry, I already took–"
"STAY AWAY FROM SANTARO!" Inosuke yells, before tackling the blond to the ground.
"Inosuke, don't be like that! Zenitsu is just trying to help!" Tanjirou pleads. Inosuke is a very wild alpha and sometimes he becomes really protective of Tanjirou when the omega is close to his heat.
Fortunately, Zenitsu is not hurt by that. Besides, Inosuke is already so exhausted by the battle that he passes out almost immediately. The kakushi arrive just in time to start patching them up.
An alpha girl approaches Tanjirou; she starts putting a bandage over his arm while she asks a couple of questions. The omega feels a little bit better so he manages to sit down.
That's when he notices the kakushi girl is blushing.
"Do you h-have someone to spend your heat with?" She stammers, looking up at him. "If you don't, I can help y-you."
Tanjirou blushes. No one has ever offered him such thing before... Well, they had, but when he was living with his family. The offers stopped as soon as he met the Pillars... Actually, since he met Tomioka.
"I'm flattered you want to help me," he says sincerely. "However, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I've already taken my suppressants."
"Oh, I see..." She mumbles, looking a little bit disappointed. "Well, next time, if you feel like you want to–"
An omega boy hits her on the back before she can finish.
"What was THAT for?" She growls.
"Are you new here? Do you wanna die?" The boy hisses. "Do you want to get us all killed? Don't you know who he is?"
Before she can get even more pissed, the boy leans to whisper something in her ear. She steps back like she's been burned. Fortunately, she had already finished patching him up.
"You're... Kamado Tanjirou?" She stammers again.
"Yes! What's your na–" Tanjirou stops almost immediately though because his nose smells those soothing scents he's always liked so much.
"They're here," the other omega shivers at the same time the alpha girl flees.
Only three hashira arrive this time, three out of the five alphas among them. Tanjirou has always felt better knowing that the Pillars are not all alphas; it makes him feel hopeful.
He'd like to become a Pillar someday.
"How is he?" Tomioka's voice is not demanding, however it always ends up intimidating whomever he's talking with. Even though the alpha is speaking with the kakushi boy, he's staring at Tanjirou.
"He doesn't have serious injuries, he's just tired," the boy mumbles, looking at the ground.
"I see!" Rengoku approaches, grinning at Tanjirou as he kneels in front of him. "You can go now! We'll take care of him!"
The kakushi boy doesn't need to be told twice. He basically runs away from them.
"Ah, Tanjirou. You smell so sweet right now," Uzui mumbles, always so perceptive. He's bonded to two omegas and a beta already so he's more aware of certain things than the other Pillars. "I guess your heat is coming, right?"
Blushing, Tanjirou nods, feeling as the three alphas stare at him.
Tomioka tenses and looks around while Rengoku gets closer to him, almost like the flame hashira wants to shield him from everyone else.
"We should take him to the butterfly mansion," Uzui says. His alpha scent getting even stronger. "There are many alphas here."
Actually, for a moment, Tanjirou is overwhelmed by those three scents.
"I'll be fine," he assures them. "I took my suppressants."
However, Tanjirou knows this one is coming stronger so he'll probably have to build a nest anyways.
They're still tense though, specially when an alpha walks close by.
He knows what he's about to say is probably disrespectful, because he's just a demon slayer that is at the lowest rank and they're Pillars, but when he's close to his heat he can barely control himself.
"Can I please borrow your haori or something of yours for a couple of days?" Tanjirou blurts out, before he can stop himself.
For a moment, the three alphas just stare at him; if it wasn't because they smell really pleased, Tanjirou would have believed they were pissed at him.
"Why?" Rengoku asks, looking surprised for the first time. However, his cheeks are slightly pink now.
"I like your scents, they make me feel protected," he admits shyly, looking at his own hands. "They're soothing... I want to build a nest with–"
Before he can even finish, the alphas have put two haori around him. Uzui even takes his vest off and hands it to the omega.
Tomioka growls at him.
"Seriously, Tengen?" Rengoku hisses, rolling his fiery eyes.
The sound hashira grins.
"What? I don't wear a haori and Tanjirou needed something of mine," he says, feeling perfectly comfortable even though he's shirtless now.
Tanjirou has to admit that it's a little bit distracting. He didn't know Uzui was so... strong.
Smiling, the omega hugs the three garments, holding them close to his chest. Suddenly, the scent of the alphas smell even more... pleased. They're very happy.
"I can scent you," Tomioka offers, almost shyly. His face is pink, but he doesn't look away from the omega.
However, Tanjirou can't even think about what to say to that because Rengoku is already taking both of his hands in his.
"Would you let me mark you, my boy?" He smiles, eyes glimmering with hope.
Those are very serious words. It's almost like he's proposing to Tanjirou right then and there.
"Are you s-sure?" The omega mumbles. He knows the flame hashira can do better than him.
"I've never been so sure of anything else in my–"
Suddenly, Uzui pushes him away, making Rengoku growl.
"Tanjirou, I think you'll fit quite well in my household..."
"Wait, Tanjirou... You–I've wanted to mark you for a very long time," the water hashira admits, cutting the other alpha off. "Before you choose, please consider me as well."
Overwhelmed, Tanjirou buries his face in his hands. All the attention has made him really flustered. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't even notice that a couple of people have stopped what they're doing in order to watch.
"I-I don't think I'm ready for a mark at the moment," he stammers. "I'd like to be scented though... However, I can't–I can't choose!"
"If you're not ready for a mark, it's completely fine, my boy!"
The words make him better enough to look up, only to gasp when Uzui winks at him before grabbing one of his arms. He starts nuzzling his wrist.
It feels so good to be slowly covered by the alpha's scent that Tanjirou almost purrs, he doesn't though, not until Tomioka and Rengoku start scenting his neck at the same time.
"You even make our combined scents smell good on you," Uzui tells him, looking a little bit surprised.
He doesn't get to say anything, not only because he doesn't have a response, but due to the fact that Tomioka rubs the tip of his nose against his affectionately before taking him in his arms.
Rengoku takes Tanjirou's hand and kisses it, grinning from ear to ear at him.
"Let's take him to the mansion," the water hashira says.
Tanjirou holds the garments even closer, already longing for a bed so he can start building his nest with them.
"The others are going to get jealous of us when they see Tanjirou," Uzui comments, although he sounds really amused.
Chapter Text
When the alpha that runs the butterfly mansion, Shinobu Kocho, watches as Tomioka arrives with Tanjirou in his arms, who smells way sweeter than usual, she knows there's going to be some kind of trouble.
However, the sign that something is going on comes in the form of the other two alphas behind them, Rengoku and Uzui, who look way too smug for their own good.
"You scented him you monsters!" Tokito, one of the two omegas among the hashira, narrows his eyes at the three alphas, looking outraged.
Of course, being a Pillar gives him advantage over other omegas, so Tokito does have suitors, most of them alphas, but he seems more interested in Tanjirou even though the younger demon slayer is an omega.
Although it doesn't surprise Shinobu. She looks at Tanjirou, who's hugging three garments close to his chest like he wants to bury himself in them, and feels the corner of her lips quirk up at the sight. His cheeks are slightly pink and his eyes are open wide, glimmering with the warm sensation that comes with a heat. He looks absolutely adorable, no wonder why the Pillars are always all over him.
Shinobu feels a sudden need to protect Tanjirou, so she gets closer to him to touch his forehead. However, Giyuu takes a step back and growls at her before she can reach out to him.
"I thought we had agreed that Tanjirou was different!" Mitsuri Kanroji mumbles, her omega's scent turning a little bit bitter, like it always does when she's sad.
"You can't be possessive over him, Tomioka!" Iguro hisses, already putting a hand over the love hashira's shoulders to calm her down. He's one of the two betas in the group.
"I'm sorry, it was... I couldn't help it," Giyuu mumbles, blushing. Even though he's an alpha, he's usually in control of his instincts. The fact that he got lost for a moment worries Shinobu because it means Tanjirou's heat is coming stronger this time.
"It's because he's been carrying him for too long," the flame hashira says, spreading his arms. "Give him to me."
"Very clever, Kyojuro," Uzui chuckles, watching with amusement as Tomioka reluctantly hands him a very confused Tanjirou.
How an omega that oblivious has survived for so long is beyond Shinobu. But it doesn't matter now.
Tokito takes Tanjirou's hand in his and Shinobu notices how hard is for Rengoku not to pull the young demon slayer away from the mist hashira.
"Muichiro, I need to check on him," she says, and even though Tokito moves a little bit to the side, he refuses to let go of Tanjirou's hand.
Fortunately, he's not that warm, which means he's not that close... yet.
"Is he in heat?"
Shinazugawa's words make everyone freeze on their spots, none of them noticed when the alpha arrived because they were too focused on the sweet omega in Rengoku's arms.
The wind hashira moves in the blink of an eye, prompting Rengoku to growl, Tomioka to stand in front of him to protect Tanjirou and Uzui to block Shinazugawa's path in order to stop him.
"What are you doing, Tengen?"
"Easy, Sanemi," the other alpha smiles; he's clearly tense. "I could ask you the same question."
It's kinda funny how threatening Uzui can look even though he's shirtless.
Finally, Shinazugawa snaps out of it and looks at his own hands, almost in shock.
He doesn't apologize, but he looks a little bit worried.
"Is Tanjirou alright?"
"I'm fine, Shinazugawa-san!" The omega smiles, oblivious to the tension around him. He looks really comfortable in the flame hashira's arms. "Don't worry, I took my suppressants!"
"No way," Shinobu whispers to herself, although she's not the only one in shock. If Tanjirou took them then why is his mere presence provoking all those reactions among them?
His heat is coming strong and the hashira are particularly weak around him, although that's something she knew a long time ago.
"Let's take him inside."
***
They all end up giving him something of theirs to build his nest. It makes Tanjirou feel better and it erases a bit of the tension that had formed among the hashira.
When the omega is pretty much satisfied with the result and is about to lie down, he stops suddenly and looks around quickly.
His distressed smell makes all the Pillars feel protective of him; they try to get closer to him to ask what's going on.
"Where's Nezuko?" Tanjirou sobs with concern. "Where is she? I need to be with her!"
Shinobu makes a kakushi bring the box inside as Kanroji and Iguro close all the curtains.
Slowly, the demon girl gets out of her box and turns even smaller because she probably knows what her brother needs at the moment.
He wants to hold her like a baby.
Beaming, Tanjirou takes her in his arms, lies down on the bed with all the Pillars clothes surrounding them and purrs, content.
"I need to get out of h-here," Shinazugawa stammers, he's closing his hands into fists in a way that Shinobu is sure hurts a lot.
"I think you all need to get out," the beta boy in charge of taking care of Tanjirou tells the hashira, after bowing at them a couple of times.
It doesn't surprise her at all, especially after looking at the unbearable longing in Tomioka and Rengoku's eyes. Even though they keep staring at Tanjirou like he's the best thing that could've happened to them, they also look like they're doing their best not to get closer to him.
"My teeth hurt, so I suppose you're right," Uzui comments, taking a few steps away while Tanjirou looks at all of them in confusion.
Alpha, beta, and omega's teeth can hurt if the desire to bite someone else is strong.
"Let's go discuss our next missions," Shinobu suggests, trying to fight the need to stay close to Tanjirou.
It doesn't surprise any of them to get different missions at the same time. It almost looks like the master is trying to keep them away from Tanjirou for a couple of days. Probably one of the crows told him about the current situation.
Although she knows most of them are going to try to finish their missions quickly to come back to Tanjirou as soon as possible.
They're all hopeless.
Chapter Text
"I'm hungry," Tanjirou mumbles out loud even though there's no need to. He's tired and hungry and even though he feels better now that his heat finally ended, he's not entirely recovered yet.
Nezuko is back in her box, safe, and since the beta boy had to help a few injured demon slayers, the omega decides it's time to get out of his nest.
After taking a bath, he eats a few rice balls before cleaning the room and washing the garments he was given by the hashira to build his nest. He was told they were on different missions at the moment so he probably won't see them before he starts traveling again.
He finds Aoi outside and thanks her for everything with a smile as he starts hanging all the clean garments.
"What did you do?" She asks, almost in shock. "Did you wash them?"
Tanjirou blinks a couple of times, confused.
"Well... yes? I mean I used them for my nest and they all smelled like me... The hashira were kind enough to let me borrow them so I thought it was the least I could do," the omega explains, flustered. He doesn't understand why Aoi looks so concerned.
She looks up at all the haori; she touches Tomioka's with her fingers and sniffs it.
"There's almost nothing left of your scent..."
"There's still some left?" Tanjirou looks alarmed. "Maybe I should wash them again–"
"No!" She almost screams and blushes when she realizes what she just did. "I'm sorry. I meant to say that's fine. They would probably want it to smell like you."
"Why would they want that? That would scare off potential mates," Tanjirou mumbles, worrying himself even more. He takes a few steps forward, but Aoi moves with her back towards the clothes. She looks like she's determined to protect all the garments from him. "I have to wash them again..."
"Leave everything to me," she insists, although he knows there's nothing he can do, she smells really determined.
"Alright, thank you. I just don't want them to lose any potential partners because of me..."
Huffing at that, she facepalms herself. She really sounds frustrated.
"Why are you so oblivious?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, Tanjirou," she sighs. "Listen, why don't you look for your friends? They must have missed you."
The omega nods, beaming at her. He certainly has missed both Zenitsu and Inosuke; he's glad they're still in the butterfly mansion.
***
"YOU DID WHAT?"
Why everyone is so upset about him washing clothes? Isn't it what everyone is supposed to do? Tanjirou doesn't understand; he's still embarrassed about asking them to give him their haori or some garments for his nest.
It was probably disrespectful.
"Your mates are not going to be happy, Gonpachiro," Inosuke tells him.
"The Pillars are not my mates, Inosuke!" Tanjirou says, feeling the blush spreading down his neck.
He shouldn't have asked for their haori in the first place.
"It doesn't matter now," he continues, trying to change the topic. "Well... How are you feeling? Ready to go?"
"We can't go right now," Zenitsu argues, even though he's trying to calm himself down. "The hashira will probably want to see you before you go."
"Why would–"
"By all the gods above, Tanjirou!" The beta groans, looking like he wants to grab his blond hair and pull until it hurts. "Didn't they offer to mark you?"
"Y-Yes," the omega remembers, flustered. Then, he looks at Zenitsu with a frown. "How do you know that?"
Wasn't he being patched up by the kakushi when that happened?
"Everyone here is talking about it," the beta says like it's obvious. He points at his own ear. "And I can hear everything."
"Anyway... I know what they said, but I was close to my heat then... Sometimes alphas are not entirely aware of what they say in those–"
Zenitsu makes a gesture with his hand to interrupt him.
"I can't believe I'm feeling sorry for the Pillars."
***
They convince Tanjirou to stay one day more; his crow hasn't told him anything about a new mission so he supposes it's fine to stay a little bit more.
When the water hashira arrives, Tanjirou is shocked to see him hurt; it's nothing serious, but it still worries him, especially since he doesn't let anyone get near him.
Not even the omega kakushi manage to calm him down enough to patch the alpha up.
"Imagine when he's finally bonded to you, it'll probably be a nightmare," Zenitsu comments in a whisper, but loud enough for Tanjirou to hear.
The omega ignores him in order to get the alpha's attention. He gets closer to him quickly, unlike everyone around, he's not afraid of him.
"Tomioka-san, let me help you," he mumbles softly. It's curious how the alpha relaxes as soon as their eyes meet.
He nods, sitting on the ground. He smiles fondly at the omega.
"Are you feeling better?" Tomioka asks, in a soft whisper. He doesn't hesitate to take Tanjirou by the waist and sitting him on his lap.
"Yes... Uhh... Thanks for the haori," the omega mumbles, flustered. As if she was being summoned, a kakushi girl approaches them with the garment in question. As soon as Tanjirou takes it, she flees, looking in the alpha's direction with fear. "There you go."
However, Tomioka frowns and it's not because Tanjirou has started to clean the wound on his forehead.
"It doesn't smell like you anymore," he comments, not even trying to hide his disappointment.
"Well... I washed it, I didn't think you'd like–"
"My boy, I'm so glad to see you again!" Rengoku rushes in the backyard, quickly taking the omega in his arms.
The water hashira suppresses a growl.
"You came back from your mission?" Tanjirou asks, eyes already roaming over the alpha looking for injuries; he looks fine, but tired. "But... You returned so quickly!"
"I wanted to see you again."
It seems the omega will spend the rest of his day blushing. He manages to convince the flame hashira to let him go so he can give him back his haori.
"Thank you," he bows respectfully. "Both of you."
Tomioka nods, still looking a little bit sad. Rengoku frowns at his own haori though.
"Your scent is gone," the alpha observes. Then he takes a deep breath as he touches it with his fingers. "I wanted it to smell like your heat."
Tanjirou feels like his cheeks are going to burn at any moment. That's such an intimate thing to say, just by thinking about it again makes his inner omega purr. When he stares back at Rengoku though, the flame hashira's cheeks turn slightly pink.
"Did I say that out loud?" He asks, looking embarrassed. The water hashira bares his teeth at him in response. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, my boy."
"It's... Actually it didn't make me feel uncomfortable," Tanjirou admits. "It's alright."
"Then... would you scent my haori?"
Confused, the omega is about to ask if that wouldn't ruin his opportunities with other omegas when Tomioka takes off his own haori and asks him to scent his as well.
"Oh... Alright," he mumbles shyly. After all, it's the least he can do... They were kind enough to let him borrow their haori when he needed them.
"Great. It seems I arrived just in time," Uzui jumps from the roof, scaring a few kakushi as he does it. He watches Tanjirou intently as the omega rubs his cheek against Rengoku's haori. "Scent my vest too."
"That wouldn't... upset your wives?"
"Are you kidding me?" The sound hashira chuckles. "They love your scent. They have asked a couple of times when I'll bring you home."
"Never," Tokito says, appearing out of nowhere, startling Tanjirou. "We have an agreement."
"I don't see the problem with me visiting Uzui-san's mates," Tanjirou mumbles, feeling a little bit confused.
"I didn't mean to visit," Uzui grins, puzzling him even more.
Kanroji and Iguro both take the omega in his arms when they arrive, they both rub their cheeks against his and stay like that for a while as Kanroji tells Tanjirou how cute he is.
It's late so they all go back inside to have lunch.
"I can't believe you all finished your missions before Gyomei and I," Shinobu complains, looking a little bit irritated. "Anyway, we'd like you to scent our clothes too, Tanjirou."
The omega nods, even though he wonders what everyone will think when they realize his scent is all over the Pillars.
However, he doesn't have time to worry because Shinazugawa is there already, growling at the kakushi that try to get near him even though his leg is bleeding.
"That alpha has no manners," Shinobu shakes her head disapprovingly. Then, she turns to Tanjirou. "Would you patch him up? He'll only let you do it. Besides, he's probably desperate to see you."
Even though he doesn't quite believe her, Tanjirou gets closer to the alpha, because he can't stand to see anyone hurt.
When Shinazugawa does exactly everything Tanjirou asks, the omega feels even more puzzled, almost lost. It's true that he's improved lately, but he doesn't look exactly like the type to do as other people say.
Shinazugawa doesn't say a word the entire time Tanjirou's patching him up, but he does stare at the omega.
"It's done! Don't move your leg for a couple of days though because–" he stops, gasping when the alpha nuzzles his neck.
The other hashira don't look really happy about it.
***
"I don't understand, Zenitsu," he tells his friend when they're back on the road. Inosuke is running ahead of them, but they know he'll be back eventually. "Why are they acting like that? My heat is gone."
Instead of answering, Zenitsu pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath, like he wants to gather all the patience in the world.
"I shouldn't feel sorry for them really..." He tells himself, but Tanjirou hears anyway.
They can't keep talking about it though, because Tanjirou's crow arrives to inform them about their new mission.
Chapter Text
They find two little children during their last mission, they quickly decide to take them to the butterfly estate while they wait for their parents. A crow lets them know they were alive and that they'd be escorted to the mansion to retrieve their pups.
Of course, Tanjirou is the one who actually takes care of them; Zenitsu has noticed that he's great with kids and he genuinely likes them.
He manages to calm them both down in seconds while the kakushi make sure they're not injured; the omega is constantly talking to both, telling them stories about himself and Nezuko when they were kids. He also runs his fingers through the little girl's hair and pats the boy's shoulder gently as he releases his omega calming scent.
Even though Zenitsu is just a beta he can tell the difference; Tanjirou smells so much sweeter now and his expression is so gentle as he looks at the kids like they were his own pups.
No wonder why the Pillars' hearts have gone crazy all morning; they have been watching the omega with the pups in his arms like he's the most beautiful thing in the world.
Zenitsu doesn't read minds but he is sure Rengoku is imagining Tanjirou carrying pups with yellow and red hair.
Sighing, the blond wonders why his friend is so oblivious to all the hashira's affection. Tanjirou has a gifted nose and yet he doesn't seem to notice that the alphas are very much ready to form a family with him.
At the moment their scents have turned into something more protective, especially around Tanjirou and the pups. When the children finally fall asleep in the omega's arms, the Pillars decide to get closer to them.
Zenitsu chuckles, thinking that the pups actually have no idea they have never been more safe in all their lives. No one could harm them right now.
"Do you want me to help you carry them?" The water hashira offers and Zenitsu rolls his eyes because that alpha clearly wants to show Tanjirou that he can be a good father.
"You're very kind, Tomioka-san!"
At the end Tanjirou agrees to give the kids to Rengoku and Tomioka while he sits in the middle of them as he releases his calming scent in case the pups wake up again.
The truth is that they look really good together, like a family, also is really fun to see the other hashira get a little bit jealous because of it.
"Would you like to have your own pups, Tanjirou?" Uzui asks probably what every single Pillar is dying to know.
"Yes!" The omega beams, making Tokito blush and stare at him adoringly (even though he's also an omega himself) "I want to have at least 6!"
Everyone seems to have loved the answer by the way their hearts seem to beat inside their chests.
In Zenitsu's opinion, this is getting ridiculous. He knows some of them are about to suggest Tanjirou that he should consider looking for someone (a few someones in fact) to mate, but they're interrupted by the arrival of the kids' parents.
Even though Tanjirou smiles when the children say goodbye to him and the parents thank him for taking care of their pups, his scent changes a lot when they're gone.
"What is it?" Shinazugawa is the first one to approach the omega, he looks like he's ready to kill whomever dared to make Tanjirou sad.
"I just miss them already," the omega mumbles, unconsciously leaning into the alpha's arms.
Zenitsu is almost in shock when he watches Shinazugawa soften before holding the omega gently in his arms. His alpha's scent has changed, is protective but calming at the same time.
"I'm sure you'll have your own pups soon, Tanjirou," Kocho tells him, trying to make him feel better.
"But I don't even have a mate..."
Zenitsu wants to facepalm himself. How could an omega be so oblivious?
"You could have a mate whenever you want, my boy!" Rengoku says, eyes glimmering with hope. "You just have to ask."
Tanjirou looks back at the alpha in confusion as the others hold their breaths, waiting.
If Zenitsu wasn't so afraid of the hashira, he'd step in the middle and explain to them that Tanjirou doesn't actually understand what they're trying to offer.
"I need to focus on finding a cure for Nezuko right now," Tanjirou finally says. "I can't think about pups at the moment."
Right there and then, Zenitsu decides that he fully approves of the Pillars because none of them look irritated or impatient, they stare back at the omega like they would wait as many years as he wants.
"We'll help you," Tomioka promises and Tanjirou smiles at him in response.
The omega's scent changes, it becomes more intense and more sweet. As Uzui manages to take Tanjirou in his arms (Shinazugawa looked like he was tempted to bite the other alpha for a second) Zenitsu realizes that even if his friend is not entirely aware of the Pillars feelings at the moment, the way his omega's scent changes whenever he's with them and the way he trusts them tells him that there's still hope.
Chapter Text
Tanjirou is not sure if it's because of what happened the other day and how empty he felt when the kids left, but he has a sudden need to make his room look a little bit more cozy now. He decides to change his blanket first, but doesn't want to throw it away.
He finds Tomioka in the butterfly mansion that morning so he decides to ask him first right after washing his old blanket.
However, he regrets it when he realizes that the water hashira looks tired, like someone who hasn't slept well in a while.
"Perhaps I should ask Aoi," Tanjirou finds himself saying. "She'll know what to do."
"Don't go," the alpha blurts out, grabbing Tanjirou by the arm. "I can help you."
He takes Tanjirou's old blanket and presses it against himself. Tomioka's nostrils flare as he closes his eyes for a moment.
"It still smells like you," the alpha observes, looking at Tanjirou with a fond smile.
"Perhaps I should wash it again," the omega mumbles, but the water hashira shakes his head and takes a step back when Tanjirou makes an attempt to reach out.
"That won't be necessary, I'll take care of this," Tomioka assures him. "I think it's better if we give this to someone who might need it."
"You're right, Tomioka-san!" Tanjirou beams. "It's really nice of you to think about donating it!"
Tomioka's cheeks turn slightly pink before he nods and walks away when he notices some of the girls in the estate getting closer to them.
Tanjirou doesn't think too much about what happened then until a few days later.
***
The next time she's in the butterfly estate, Kanroji runs directly at Tanjirou while spreading her arms to pull him close to her.
"Why do you spend so much time with Giyuu and not us, Tanjirou?" She pouts as soon as she says it, he notices Iguro looking down at him from a tree and Shinazugawa scowling in the opposite corner. The alpha looks grumpier than usual.
Tanjirou looks at the other omega with confusion.
"I haven't seen him in days..." He mumbles, wondering why she came to that conclusion.
"But he smells so much like you!" Kanroji insists, tightening her arms around Tanjirou.
"You're squeezing him!" Shinazugawa growls, before Tanjirou can say anything else. He's still not sure what's going on.
"This is just a hug!"
They would have kept arguing if Tanjirou hadn't mentioned he didn't like to see them fight.
***
Tanjirou knows something's going on the moment he walks into the butterfly estate and Aoi welcomes him with a desperate, worried expression on her face.
"I'm so glad you came!" She says, even though she looks more concerned than happy. "Come with me! I need your help!"
"What is it?" Tanjirou asks, hand ready to pull his katana out.
"No, it's not that!" Aoi says, noticing his movements. "We need you to calm Tomioka-san down... I know you're the only one who can do it."
"Is he alright?" Tanjirou can't help but ask, trying not to panic.
"He's in rut. He probably forgot to take his suppressants. The problem is that some of the other hashira are here and he's growling at the other alphas and doesn't listen to anyone."
As soon as she mumbles the last words, they reach the backyard and Tanjirou notices him, holding the blanket he gave him against his chest, while baring his teeth at Rengoku and Uzui.
Something must've triggered him and that's why he's consumed by his instincts at the moment.
To distract him from starting a fight, Tanjirou begins to release his scent; the air fills with the sweetness of it as he gets closer to Tomioka.
"Alpha!" He says and regrets it immediately as not one, but three alphas stare directly at him. Blushing to the tip of his ears he mumbles: "Tomioka-san!"
The other two alphas look so disappointed until they realize what he's trying to do, then they start getting worried.
"Tanjirou, it's dangerous. He's in rut..." Rengoku tries to put himself in between the omega and the water hashira so the later doesn't see him.
"Don't get any closer!" Uzui almost snarls, glaring at Tomioka as the other alpha starts walking with the blanket pressed against his chest.
"Tomioka-san will never hurt me," Tanjirou assures them, confident. "Now please let me through, I can handle this."
Reluctantly, Rengoku nods and moves away, prompting Tomioka to tense and growl until his eyes meet Tanjirou's.
His scent becomes stronger; it's salty, like the sea and the omega has always found it relaxing.
When strong arms pull him closer, the other two alphas tense.
"I'm sorry for keeping this," the water hashira apologizes, nuzzling Tanjirou's neck lovingly. "But your scent is all over it and I couldn't let it go."
"It's alright, Tomioka-san," the omega mumbles, running his fingers through the other's hair. "I'm not mad."
"Please be my omega, Tanjirou," Tomioka begs, pulling the boy closer to him.
Tanjirou knows he's just saying that because he's in rut, however he is aware he also needs to hear a positive response.
"Of course, Tomioka-san," he smiles at him. "But first you have to drink this; Aoi gave it to me, it'll make you feel better."
Trying not to gasp in surprise, Tanjirou watches as Tomioka does what the omega told him without hesitation. He feels a little bit bad when the medicine starts taking effect and Tomioka falls asleep next to him.
"He'll be fine in a couple of days," Aoi assures him, after two kakushi leave him in a room. "Thank you for helping, Tanjirou."
After nodding and watching her go, Tanjirou turns around to see Tomioka sleeping peacefully on the bed, however, he gets distracted by the scents of the two other alphas in the room.
They don't smell happy, but Tanjirou still doesn't know exactly what's the emotion that's causing that strong, almost burning scent.
He takes a few steps when he's lifted from the ground with ease and pressed against Rengoku's muscled chest.
"Are you alright, Rengoku-san?"
Uzui laughs next to them.
"Of course he is!" He assures Tanjirou as the flame hashira starts nuzzling his cheek in a way that makes the omega wonder if he's about to go into his rut as well. "We both are! We just got a little bit jealous of Giyuu for a moment."
Tanjirou blinks at the sound hashira over Rengoku's shoulder, confused; what Uzui says doesn't make sense to him.
"Tanjirou, my boy. We are so fortunate to have you," Rengoku mumbles softly, looking at him almost adoringly.
"Don't be so selfish, Kyojuro!" Uzui scolds him. "It's my turn!"
As the other alpha takes Tanjirou in his arms, the boy keeps wondering why the Pillars are always so nice to him.
Uzui must've seen some of Tanjirou's confusion reflected in his big, dark red eyes because he chuckles with amusement.
"You adorable, oblivious omega..." He mumbles fondly. "You'll be the death of all of us."
Tanjirou wants to say that he'll never hurt any of them but Kocho arrives in that moment and demands Uzui to put the omega down and leave Tomioka's room.
Tanjirou will have to ask Uzui what he meant by that later.
Chapter Text
When Tanjirou feels dizzy and his skin becomes cold suddenly, he realizes his heat is coming. But it's too early, his last heat was not that long ago; he's not sure why his body is acting that way.
Fortunately, he arrives to the butterfly estate just in time, Aoi sees his pale face, worries and takes him to a private room.
"I need suppressants," the omega mumbles, shivering on the bed, wrapping himself in a couple of blankets, but it's not enough. He hasn't felt something like this before, his heat feels like it's coming stronger this time.
One of the butterfly girls helps him take the medicine, but it doesn't make him feel any better; he wants someone to hold him.
"Where are the Pillars?" He blurts out, not exactly sure why those words are coming out of his mouth. "I want them here... Please, I need..."
The omega stops, blushing to the tip of his ears; why does he need the hashira? Why does his body wants his friends to hold him?
"They'll be here soon," Aoi assures him, stroking his forehead gently.
When beautiful tears start falling from his eyes, everyone around him almost panics.
"Tanjirou? What's going on? Where does it hurt?"
"I want someone to cuddle me," he mumbles, trying not to sob. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm saying these things! My heat is not usually like this... I don't know what's going on!"
"We need to give him another dose," Aoi whispers to a kakushi boy next to her. "Also, can you bring the medicine we use for the alphas when they... Yes, that one."
He takes more medicine, but he can't stop the tears; he wishes he had at least the Pillars' haori or something to cover himself with. He needs their scent.
"What's happening to me?" Tanjirou shivers again.
"You're ready to mate," Aoi mumbles, looking at him with a gentle, but concerned smile. "You probably have developed feelings for someone and that's why your heat is getting worse."
Tanjirou blinks in confusion; he's... Whom he's in love with? He's not sure. He cares about a lot of people, he hasn't stopped to actually analyze his own feelings.
A scratch on the wooden box is the only sign they get before the beta demon girl gets out of it; it's a relief that the curtains are already closed. Nezuko ignores everyone around and jumps next to Tanjirou on the bed before hugging him.
Even though the omega feels a little bit better, it's not enough.
"I want the hashira here, I want all of them here," he sobs, still not sure why he keeps calling out for them.
"Where is he? How is–Oh!" Kocho stops before actually walking in the room. Her eyes grow dark before she says: "Your scent is so sweet! You smell–"
"Delicious!" Rengoku cuts her off, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath. "My boy, have I ever told you how perfect you are?"
Tanjirou beams, immediately feeling better after seeing them.
"Sorry," Aoi stops both of them. "But you have to drink this if you want to come inside. Tanjirou's heat is different this time, his scent can be overwhelming, especially for you."
Both alphas agree immediately; Rengoku looks particularly desperate to get closer to him.
However, as soon as he takes a step inside, Nezuko jumps from the bed, becomes taller and starts growling at them.
"Nezuko... They don't want to hurt me," Tanjirou mumbles, although he knows it's useless, the demon girl must've sensed that they're both alphas.
It gets even worse when Shinazugawa and Tomioka arrive; Nezuko starts pacing around the room without taking her eyes away from the alphas.
Even though Tanjirou needs someone to hold him, he doesn't want to cause his little sister pain or distress.
"It's alright," the omega mumbles. "I'm fine. It'll be better if you go."
"Tanjirou... I..." Tomioka tries to talk to him, but Nezuko cuts him off with a growl.
That's when Tokito rushes inside; he's so fast Aoi doesn't have time to stop him. However, as soon as she sees him, Nezuko relaxes and lets him get closer to Tanjirou.
"She knows I'm an omega," he tells the others, not even trying to hide his smug grin.
Tanjirou is so happy to have one of the hashira so close to him, he doesn't hesitate to reach out to him with both hands.
"Hug me, please," he mumbles softly.
"Anything for you," he says as his expression softens; he stares at him fondly before jumping on the bed next to him and curling himself around the other omega.
Tanjirou sighs happily when Tokito starts nuzzling his cheek.
"I'm an omega too!" He hears the love hashira outside the room before everyone moves out of the way to let her through.
She cuddles him as well and Tanjirou's body starts getting warmer as Kanroji kisses him on the top of his head.
"Thank you," he says; he would've wanted to have everyone with him, but this is so much better than to be alone and cold on the bed.
Nezuko doesn't let anyone else inside; Tanjirou knows he should be apologizing on her behalf, but he's too tired to think properly. He falls asleep quickly.
Chapter Text
Since what happened the other day, Tanjirou can't be able to shake Aoi's words from his mind. She's right, he knows she is, the problem is Tanjirou is not sure who's the person he has feelings for at the moment.
He doesn't even know what he's going to do after he figures it out. What if they don't want him back? It's alright, there has to be a way to fall out of love if that's the case, right?
Maybe his body is ready to mate, but if the person doesn't love him back, he's not going to force them to be with him.
How can he tell?
He's sure is not Zenitsu, nor Inosuke, they came to pay him a visit the other day and Tanjirou didn't feel different around them at all. They're like brothers to him.
"My boy, I have missed you!"
Tanjirou doesn't even have time to wave Rengoku because the alpha takes him in his arms and starts nuzzling his cheek.
He chuckles, feeling warm inside when his inner omega purrs and suddenly, everything stops.
Is... Is it Rengoku? That means Tanjirou has no chance at all. Rengoku is a great alpha and an amazing hashira and Tanjirou is just a simple omega.
The flame hashira probably has someone already, even though he doesn't actually smell like he does.
Tanjirou needs to start seeing him just as a friend. But how does he do that? Maybe if he puts some distance between them...
"Such a pretty omega," suddenly, Tanjirou gets taken by a pair of strong arms and moved away from Rengoku.
The flame hashira doesn't look happy about it.
"How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine, Uzui-san!" Tanjirou smiles, but then feels absolutely flustered when his eyes meet pink ones; the sound hashira is looking down at him with a fond grin.
"I'm glad to hear that," Uzui leans closer, before giving him a kiss on the cheek that makes Tanjirou feel absolutely confused for a moment.
Why is his heart reacting like that? Does that mean it's not Rengoku the one he has feelings for but Uzui?
But he was so sure... What's happening to him?
"Sorry... I have to... do something," he mumbles, trying not to look like he's panicking even though he is, right before jumping from Uzui's arms and running away.
***
As soon as he spots Himejima the next day, Tanjirou feels a little bit better almost immediately; he's one of the two betas of the group, although most of the demon slayers always mistake him for an alpha because of his looks.
"Tanjirou?" The huge beta gets closer until he's right next to the omega. Tanjirou puts a hand over one of Himejima's arms to let him know exactly where he is.
"What is it?" Himejima finds his face and cradles it gently with his hands. Tanjirou feels so tiny, but very much safe at the same time.
He's been struggling with his own thoughts for the past two days; he's talked with Kanroji and Tokito already and his inner omega has reacted just like he is right now with Himejima.
It's getting worse. It looks like Tanjirou not only has feelings for one, but all the hashira at the same time.
"Tanjirou," Himejima's voice is soft before he takes the omega in his strong arms. For a moment, Tanjirou allows himself to relax and melt into the beta's chest.
He smells really good.
"Talk to me."
Knowing that he'll probably have to put some distance between the Pillars and himself soon, Tanjirou nuzzles against Himejima's broad chest one last time.
"I think I'm in love," he blurts out before he can't stop himself. Himejima tenses for a second before his scent changes into something... sad.
"You don't seem happy about it. Love is something good."
"They don't like me... that way." Tanjirou whispers, ignoring his inner omega and his wounded heart.
"Maybe you need to talk to them. Let them know how you feel." Himejima leans over so he can nuzzle Tanjirou's hair. "It's really hard for me to believe they don't love you back. How could they not? You're perfect."
Blushing to the tip of his ears, Tanjirou feels that tug inside his chest again.
"They only see me as a friend... Besides, they're... They deserve better."
"Please don't say that ever again," Himejima moves even closer to press his lips against Tanjirou's forehead. "There's no one better than you. If they don't feel the same, please remember that us, the Pillars, will always be there for you."
"Thank you, Himejima-san," Tanjirou mumbles, knowing he can't tell him the whole truth. Besides, even if... one of them liked him back, there's no way they would be happy knowing Tanjirou also has feelings for the others too.
How did something like that happen? He should have never asked the hashira for their clothes in the first place; his inner omega got used to their scents, he liked all of them too much.
"I have to check on Nezuko," he says shyly. Himejima nods before leaving him on the ground. "Thanks for listening to me, Himejima-san."
"Always, Tanjirou."
The omega goes back inside, wondering what he's going to do now.
He needs to fix this somehow.
Chapter Text
“The Pillars are going to get mad,” Zenitsu startles Tanjirou, who’s trying to sleep next to him. Inosuke has already passed out on his futon; the omega doesn’t blame him, they just defeated a couple of demons that made everything more difficult by trying to hurt the people of the village during the fight.
Fortunately, no one got hurt.
Once Zenitsu’s words finally reach his ears, Tanjirou tenses, wondering if the hashira finally found out about the omega’s crush on them and his friend knows about it.
“What do you mean?” He asks nervously, turning around to see the beta’s worried eyes.
“Don’t you dare use those big eyes on me!” Zenitsu snaps and Tanjirou realizes that he’s mad, although he’s mostly concerned, which confuses the omega for a moment. “They only work on the hashira!”
“Zenitsu–”
“You’ve been taking a lot of missions lately!” Zenitsu cuts him off, tears falling from his eyes. “You barely stay in the butterfly mansion at all! You don’t give yourself enough time to heal or rest! Do you want to get yourself killed?”
Oh. So that’s why he thinks the hashira are going to get mad. At least Tanjirou is safe, they don’t know he has a crush on them. The truth is that he’s been trying to avoid them as much as he can in order to get rid of his feelings or at least replace them for mere friendship.
But it hasn’t worked at all.
“That’s why you and Inosuke are here with me?” Tanjirou smiles, prompting his friend to blush.
“We obviously worry about you,” the beta mumbles, looking shy. “But Tanjirou… You shouldn’t… You need to take a break every now and then…”
“I promise I’ll take care of myself,” the omega whispers running his fingers through Zenitsu’s hair until the boy relaxes. Next to him, Inosuke moves until he wraps himself around Tanjirou.
“Kick him away, Tanjirou!”
“I’m not going to do that.”
“He’s an alpha!”
“Zenitsu, relax. He’s just cuddling me,” Tanjirou chuckles, patting Inosuke’s head gently. The boy is usually very protective of him, the omega has gotten used to it.
“The Pillars are going to be so pissed if they smell him on you!”
“Why would they–”
“You know what? It doesn’t matter! Just go back to sleep, you need it!”
“Okay,” Tanjirou agrees, watching with amusement as Zenitsu narrows his eyes at him before taking one of his hands. He’s probably as touch starved as Inosuke, but sometimes he tries to control himself. “Goodnight.”
***
So… Zenitsu is right, Tanjirou realizes the next time he returns to the butterfly estate and gets surrounded by all the hashira at the same time as soon as he sets foot in the mansion.
Zenitsu manages to get Inosuke away, because the young alpha can get territorial sometimes. Tanjirou looks around, cheeks turning slightly pink as he realizes the Pillars are worried and irritated at the same time.
As usual, he thinks they have found out about his crush and panics for a moment until Shinazugawa almost growls at him, takes him in his arms and carries him inside, dropping him on one of the beds.
He doesn’t say anything, he just stares down at him, with his arms crossed. Then, the insect hashira arrives with her usual smile that fools no one.
She’s pissed too.
“You haven’t taken a proper break in ages,” the female alpha begins, leaning closer to the bed.
“I can see you’re exhausted,” Tomioka points out, not looking very happy either. He narrows his eyes at Tanjirou.
“Idiot,” Shinazugawa snaps, although Tanjirou can smell his concern; it’s so strong he can’t quite hide it. “Do you want to get yourself killed?”
“Sanemi,” Himejima scolds. “That’s not going to help him.”
“Instead,” Uzui grins at the omega. “We’ll keep you here for a couple of days…”
“We’ll take care of you, my boy!” The flame hashira says with a huge grin on his face.
If they stay with him they’re going to find out. Tanjirou starts to panic, looking around from one to another, wondering if he can be strong enough not to nuzzle against them if they get too close…
“No,” he blurts out, drawing everyone’s attention. “I mean… I’ll stay, but you don’t have to take care of me. I’ll be okay with Aoi and the girls…”
“But we want to take care of you!” Tokito protests suddenly; he sits on the bed and tries to get closer but Tanjirou flinches away.
He doesn’t mean to, but he does anyway and everyone watches.
Iguro looks at him like he’s hurt.
“You don’t want us here,” he says and it’s not a question.
“Why?” Kanroji sobs, moving closer only to get stopped by Tomioka’s hand over her shoulder.
“Did something happen, Tanjirou?” Himejima asks carefully. He’s the only one who knows his secret or at least part of it.
He probably thinks he’s in love with someone else. Perhaps that’s for the best.
“I’m fine… I just… want to be alone for a while,” he mumbles, noticing how Rengoku’s smile vanishes almost immediately; it’s weird not to see him smiling.
Tanjirou starts feeling bad about it.
“Alright,” Uzui nods, he smells sad… Everyone is. “If that’s what you want.”
“However, if you need anything…” Kocho’s grin is empty, almost cold. “Please send us a message.”
“Thank you,” Tanjirou mumbles before he watches them go.
He regrets it almost immediately.
Chapter Text
He’s restless. Tanjirou knows his body can’t quite relax because he basically rejected his mates, well, they’re not his and they never will be, but his inner omega seems to think they are.
Besides, he heard from the butterfly girls and some of the kakushi around that all the hashira chose to go on different missions that day.
Tanjirou is worried, but he doesn’t have the right to be because he asked them to leave and they did exactly that.
Nezuko is probably asleep in her room, the special room where the sunlight can’t reach her during the day; the omega wants nothing more than for her to be there with him, but Tanjirou refuses to go there and wake her up. She deserves a break too.
He curls up on the bed, hugging the pillow against his chest, trying not to sob, trying to ignore his inner omega begging him to call his Pillars. He feels so cold and lonely.
“Tanjirou… You smell sad,” one of the butterfly girls (Kiyo) points out, lips curling down.
“It’s okay, I’ll be fine, I just need to sleep for a while,” Tanjirou assures her. “Please don’t tell–”
“I don’t think sleeping is going to make the sorrow disappear,” Aoi comments, looking worried and a little bit irritated.
“I’ll be fine,” he insists, trying not to sob when he realizes that he sounds like a stubborn pup, just like his brother Takeo used to do. Tanjirou shouldn’t be thinking about him or any of his other siblings when he’s like this… He doesn’t want to cry.
A couple of emotions flash over Aoi’s face before she sighs and sits on the bed next to him. She takes his hand and even though she’s not one of Tanjirou’s mates, he appreciates the gesture.
“Tell me.”
“It’s just…” The omega struggles, afraid of confessing his feelings for the Pillars to someone; he knows he shouldn’t have fallen in love with them.
“Why did the hashira leave?” Aoi asks in a whisper, almost like she’s reading his mind.
“I asked them to leave me alone,” Tanjirou mumbles, guilt spreading all over his chest again.
“Why? They wanted to be with you…”
Tanjirou shakes his head and he curls even more into himself. Concerned, Aoi leans closer and puts a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.
“What do you need, Tanjirou?”
Everyone’s being too nice to him, sometimes he thinks he doesn’t deserve it; he should be fighting demons instead, protecting people… But he can’t go, he promised Zenitsu and the Pillars he’d take a break.
“I just… need to sleep.”
“Okay,” Aoi nods, moving her hand away. She doesn’t seem quite convinced but she still tells the girls to leave the room. “We’ll be close if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Tanjirou mumbles and he means it.
He needs to find a way not to think about the hashira like they’re his mates, but his inner omega refuses to listen. Even if he’s in love it should disappear if he’s away from them, right? No, because Tanjirou has tried that already and it hasn’t worked.
There must be something else he can do.
***
He can’t stand to be there any longer so he goes out again the next day; the butterfly girls insist he needs more time to rest, but everything in the estate reminds him of his Pillars so Tanjirou decides to go out again.
After he finishes his mission he stays with a nice wisteria family, although the couple is young and recently mated and it makes Tanjirou’s heart ache every time he smells their combined scents.
“I don’t mean to pry but… are you okay?” The woman asks and she’s so nice Tanjirou decides to trust her and tells her everything about his love for the hashira.
She listens patiently and hands Tanjirou a cup of delicious tea that makes him feel a little bit better.
“If they’re not for you, you’ll eventually find someone who is and you’ll be happy. You’re a good boy and you deserve it.”
“What if… I can’t love anyone else?”
“I don’t think so, but you know what? Even though I don’t know them, I don’t think they don’t love you the same,” she tells him, ignoring the way Tanjirou is shaking his head. “Your inner omega wouldn’t be so attached to them if they weren’t as in love with you as you are with them.”
Tanjirou thanks her sincerely, but he refuses to believe, he refuses to hope because finding out she’s wrong about it will crush him completely.
On his way back he runs into another demon, but this one is different, this one is an alpha who’s desperate for an omega. The demon tries to bite him and take him away, but Tanjirou is faster, although not enough to avoid being bitten on his arm by trying to shield his neck.
Nezuko gets out of her box (thankfully the sky is completely dark with only the moon and the stars lighting it up) and helps Tanjirou defeat the demon. She gets worried because of the smell of blood coming from him, but he assures her he’s alright.
When he arrives at the butterfly estate and a kakushi carries him to one of the recovery rooms (he’s exhausted again) Aoi looks at the bite on his arm almost with horror.
“It’s not that bad, I promise!” The omega tries to smile. “It’s not deep, it’s just–”
“It’s a mating bite,” she cuts him off, getting even paler now. “Did the demon try to mark you?”
“Yes, but I used my arm to protect my neck!” Tanjirou assures her. “My scent glands are unmarked. Don’t worry…”
“But you still smell like the alpha,” she points out, getting closer to examine the wound. “I’m afraid it won’t go away soon. Maybe a week if we’re lucky…”
“That’s fine,” Tanjirou mumbles, still confused by the fear on the girl’s face.
“No, you don’t understand, Tanjirou… All the hashira will be here soon and they’re going to lose it when they see that bite on you.”
“But I’m fine. I know they worry but–”
“It’s more than that!” Aoi cuts him off before taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry… It’s just… They’ve been acting a little bit strange lately. They miss you and… You know what? Let’s not talk about this now. I’ll clean the wound and then I’ll put a couple of–”
“Is that a mating bite?”
Kocho walks in, followed by the others. They’re clearly upset, Tanjirou can tell by the way their scents change.
“Not actually because he didn’t actually bite my scent glands…” The omega mumbles nervously, trying to release a calming scent, but it doesn’t work because he still smells like the alpha.
Both Shinazugawa and Rengoku growl at the same time before Tanjirou gets surrounded by very possessive Pillars who seem to want to murder someone.
And yet… The omega is not afraid of them, he still feels safe with all of them so close to him.
“Please, let us scent you,” Tomioka almost begs before he notices the others are almost shaking.
Tanjirou has no idea what’s going on, but he still nods because even though that’s not going to help him get rid of his crush, he can’t deny them anything after all they’ve done for him.
“Okay.”
Chapter Text
Tanjirou knows this will only make his crush even worse, but he doesn’t have the strength to deny them anything at the moment.
He watches as Kocho starts cleaning the wound herself, looking at it like she wants it to disappear, but being careful and very gentle whenever she touches Tanjirou.
The omega looks at the bite on his arm and shivers thinking about what could’ve happened if he wasn’t fast enough to protect his neck.
It seems Shinazugawa is thinking exactly the same because he growls again before he sits next to Tanjirou and starts scenting him.
Tanjirou’s inner omega purrs in delight. Finally, one of his mates is claiming him.
He tries not to panic as he realizes what crossed his mind; none of them are his mates and they will never be.
“You smell sad,” Kanroji points out, looking worried.
“What happened?” Tomioka asks as he takes Shinazugawa’s place and starts nuzzling against Tanjirou’s cheek at the same time Kocho finishes patching him up.
As soon as the bite is out of sight, all the hashira look a lot more relaxed.
“I’m fine,” he assures them, even though his voice doesn’t sound convincing at all.
When it’s Himejima’s turn, the huge beta cradles him in his arms, before he rubs his nose against the curve of Tanjirou’s neck. It feels really good.
“Is this about the person you’re in love with?” As Tanjirou thought, Himejima thinks he’s in love with someone else (just one person) which is probably for the best.
He’s really quiet, but it seems that his whisper didn’t manage to escape Uzui’s amazing ears. The alpha glances at Tanjirou for a second, looking absolutely devastated.
Or maybe it’s just Tanjirou’s imagination, he probably just feels bad for him.
Tired of hiding things from them, Tanjirou decides to tell the others, at least part of the truth.
“Yes,” he nods and doesn’t bother to whisper back. “They don’t love me like I do love them.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that’s possible,” Himejima mumbles as the others stare at Tanjirou; it’s so quiet it seems like they have even forgotten how to breathe. “How can someone not love you completely?”
Tanjirou starts shaking, but he refuses to cry…
“I-I think you should talk to them,” Kocho suggests as a single tear escapes from one of her eyes, Tanjirou has never seen her like that before.
Suddenly, all of them smell sad, almost heartbroken.
Kanroji opens her mouth to tell him something, but ends up sobbing in Iguro’s arms instead. She looks devastated.
When it’s Rengoku’s turn, he stops in front of Tanjirou; the alpha reaches out to him, but seems to think about it and lets his arms fall at his sides instead.
It hurts the omega, he wants all his mates to hug him.
“We shouldn’t scent you,” Rengoku mumbles, his smile is gone, along with his energetic personality; he looks so tired. “Perhaps that’s why they want to get closer to you. Maybe they think you’re taken.”
Tanjirou’s inner omega is suffering, one of his mates is there and doesn’t touch him. He wants all of them to do it. He needs all his scents on him.
But it’s okay… Perhaps it’s for the best, even though it hurts.
“We can clean you up so you don’t smell like us anymore…” Tomioka offers and the omega moves away from him. He shakes his head.
“No, please don’t…”
“They’re not worth your time if they don’t love you back,” Shinazugawa growls, although he smells more sad than angry.
“Tanjirou… We can, please let us…” Tokito doesn’t finish, he just shakes his head; it seems like he’s in pain.
“We can talk to them…” Iguro offers, voice shaking a bit.
“No…” Tanjirou says, trying to hold back a couple of tears, but realizing that he can’t. “I’m sorry!”
“Hey, beautiful… It’s okay, what do you need?” Uzui is on his knees in front of him, taking both his hands in his. “Tell us. What do you want?”
“Keep scenting me, please…” The omega mumbles, feeling terrible, like he’s taking advantage of the situation.
“Of course,” Kocho agrees, before getting closer to him.
It’s not enough, Tanjirou realizes after they all finish scenting him… A demon almost bit his scent glands and marked him and his omega just wants his Pillars to claim him as theirs.
He doesn’t want to belong to anyone else.
“What if you give us a chance, darling?” Kanroji asks, ignoring when Tomioka starts scolding her for speaking.
“What? What do you mean?”
“You said they didn’t feel the same,” Tokito mumbles then, looking a bit hopeful. “If you let us show you how much we love you, perhaps… one day you can love us back.”
“You… D-Do you love me?” Tanjirou blinks a couple of times, still letting his tears fall over his cheeks. He can’t believe it, he refuses to believe it; it’s just too good to be true.
“We have loved you for a while now, almost from the very beginning, my boy,” Rengoku says as he wipes off the omega’s tears with his thumbs.
“All of you?”
“All of us,” Tomioka nods, a soft smile curling up his lips.
Tanjirou sobs; he needs to jump in someone’s arms, so he takes Himejima’s hand before doing it, the beta catches him easily. Somehow, he’s always aware of Tanjirou.
“I didn’t tell you everything,” he whispers as an apology. “My heart doesn’t just… belong to one person but nine. I’m in love with all of you, but I thought–”
“Tanjirou!” Shinazugawa growls, taking him away from the stone hashira’s arms to cradle the omega in his. “How… I thought you were smart!”
It’s more than obvious he’s not actually mad, his scent smells happy… All his Pillars are completely happy.
“Let us mark you now!” Kanroji says, but immediately covers her mouth when the other stare at her, surprised.
“Yes, please! Bite me!” Tanjirou agrees, prompting everyone to purr in response.
“Are you sure?” Kocho asks, although she looks impatient already.
“I’m sure.”
***
They marry him two months after that, fortunately the bite from the demon is completely gone and Tanjirou is now pregnant. His belly is not that big yet, but he knows there are a couple of pups inside him already.
Tanjirou, Suma and Kanroji tear up during the ceremony, but they’re very happy, all of them. His mates are even more protective of him now, which is more than okay with him as long as they keep allowing him to go on missions.
His inner omega is finally happy, he has the mates he wants and they’re constantly cuddling him, taking care of him and… making love to him.
Nezuko is usually pressing one of her ears against his belly, it seems she’s impatiently waiting to meet the pups and sometimes lets Tanjirou know how much she loves them already.
He’s happy now.
Pages Navigation
noblelilium on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 01:32PM UTC
Comment Actions
takadiba on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 02:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
NeoKiMaChi on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 03:40PM UTC
Comment Actions
thedarkeuphie on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 07:41PM UTC
Comment Actions
WendyPotter04 on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 08:22PM UTC
Comment Actions
Denn_U on Chapter 1 Tue 15 Jun 2021 10:52PM UTC
Comment Actions
beir on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Jun 2021 03:25AM UTC
Comment Actions
Blackbloodflow on Chapter 1 Thu 17 Jun 2021 09:28AM UTC
Comment Actions
ellexioo on Chapter 1 Sat 26 Jun 2021 08:53AM UTC
Comment Actions
Read2ha on Chapter 1 Wed 19 Jan 2022 02:58AM UTC
Comment Actions
simpai on Chapter 1 Thu 10 Mar 2022 11:13AM UTC
Comment Actions
simpai on Chapter 1 Thu 10 Mar 2022 11:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Account Deleted on Chapter 1 Fri 01 Apr 2022 05:30PM UTC
Comment Actions
Love this fic!! (Guest) on Chapter 1 Mon 04 Apr 2022 01:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
Lillias (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 12 Jul 2022 08:25PM UTC
Comment Actions
TempestJewel on Chapter 1 Sun 01 Jan 2023 11:49AM UTC
Comment Actions
cozymochi on Chapter 1 Thu 05 Jan 2023 02:04AM UTC
Comment Actions
Hachikkarey (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 22 Jan 2023 04:42PM UTC
Comment Actions
Irvques on Chapter 1 Wed 05 Apr 2023 07:00PM UTC
Comment Actions
777GummyBunny777 on Chapter 1 Thu 13 Apr 2023 01:31AM UTC
Comment Actions
FanBoiEnby89 on Chapter 1 Thu 11 May 2023 06:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation