Chapter Text
Really... This is just so Tengen stops bragging about his fourth spouse and because everyone, including Shinobu, is a little bit curious about him.
They agree to pay a visit to the sound hashira and his family, but none of them plan to stay long.
"So he got himself another spouse," Sanemi rolls his eyes. "This is the most predictable thing he's ever done. I don't know why we're here. This will only make him brag about it even more..."
"You're curious too, otherwise you wouldn't be here," Giyuu mumbles, making the other hashira growl at him.
Shinobu is wondering if she should ask them to leave, but then she sees a young man outside the residence with a broom in his hands. He has long, dark red hair tied up into a ponytail and a haori with black and green squares all over it.
Then, he turns around, looks at them and smiles in a way Shinobu has never seen before; it's a bright expression, like his face is the sun and it'll blind them if they look at it for a long time. It's the most beautiful smile she's ever seen.
At her side, Mitsuri squeaks in delight and covers her now red face.
"Hi!" He grins, moving his head a little bit as he gets even closer to them, making the hanafuda earrings more noticeable with the movement. "You must be the Pillars! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
He bows respectfully in front of them. Kyojuro immediately introduces himself, but he stammers a little bit, surprising Shinobu. She's never seen the flame hashira so flustered before.
None of the others are doing any better by the way; Giyuu looks like he's mesmerized and Muichiro has never been so focused on something in all his life.
"You have a nice voice," Gyomei comments, surprising the others.
The young man with the red scar on his forehead blushes to the tip of his ears; he looks adorable.
"Thank you! I'm Uzui Tanjirou!" And with that he shatters the little bit of hope they had in their hearts. Sanemi curses under his breath. "Welcome! We're happy to have you here! Surely you must be here to see Tengen!"
"Yes, to kill him," Obanai mumbles quietly as he puts an arm over Mitsuri's shoulder to calm her down; she's doing a sad puppy face already.
Fortunately, Tanjirou doesn't get to hear that and leads them inside.
Tengen looks at them with the most smug grin they've ever seen; he takes Tanjirou in his arms before kissing him on the lips in front of them.
"We have visitors!" Tanjirou scolds him lightly as the soft skin on his cheeks turns slightly pink.
"They know you're my husband already," Tengen says with a huge smile, prompting Giyuu to look at him almost with jealousy.
Shinobu feels that particular vein pop up on her forehead and she thinks that maybe Obanai's idea wasn't that bad after all.
However, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru walk in the room as well, with a girl that only communicates with hand gestures. They find out she's Tanjirou's younger sister and that Uzui's wives have pretty much adopted her already.
They stay for dinner because Tanjirou asks them to and apparently they can't say 'No' to him.
Shinobu is not sure why Tengen allows Giyuu and Kyojuro to sit at Tanjirou's side; either he finds amusing how both Pillars stare at his husband or he hasn't noticed how enamoured they are already.
Makio certainly has, because she's glaring at every single hashira at every opportunity she gets and is having some sort of staring contest with Sanemi.
Mitsuri is speaking about her breathing style mostly because Tanjirou seems interested and she wants him looking at her all the time.
Nezuko seems really amused by the situation, but not surprised at all; Shinobu wonders if something like that happened before, when the two of them were on their own.
For a moment she thinks there's nothing that could irritate the sound hashira about the current situation, she's sure Tengen just finds the Pillars' crush on Tanjirou amusing, but then Kyojuro starts calling him my boy.
And Tengen's eye twitches whenever that happens.
"I know you have talent, my boy!" Kyojuro assures him, eyes glimmering with excitement. "I can train you!"
"Do you really think I can do that?" Tanjirou grins.
"Of course," Giyuu nods, before Kyojuro can say anything, drawing the boy's attention back to himself. "But I think you are better suited for a water breathing technique."
Before Kyojuro starts arguing with Giyuu over Tanjirou, Tengen reaches out for the boy.
"Come sit on my lap, Tanjirou."
"But..." He blushes to the tip of his ears. "They're..."
"Let him show them, Tanjirou!" Makio grins mischievously.
"Show them what?"
"Nothing," Hinatsuru assures him. "And it's alright if you feel shy, but I think there's nothing wrong about sitting on your husband's lap."
Tanjirou finally nods and does as Tengen asked him to. The huge man takes him in his arms and secures the boy on his lap. Tanjirou's cheeks turn slightly pink again, but he quickly gets used to the new sitting arrangement.
Shinobu starts getting irritated after noticing Tengen's smug grin.
***
"So... Do you all have a crush on my husband?" Tengen asks them when they're back in the headquarters.
"I just think it's unfair," Muichiro says, looking a little bit grumpy. "You have three wives already. Maybe you should leave Tanjirou to–"
"No."
Shinobu takes a deep breath, smile still on her face as she looks back at Tengen.
"Don't be selfish!" Mitsuri pouts at him.
"Listen," Shinobu cuts in, before the others start arguing. "If you have four spouses I don't see why Tanjirou can't have a couple too."
As Kyojuro's fiery eyes start shining with hope, Tengen realizes the problem he's in.
"No. Don't you dare–"
"You wanted to brag about your new husband, didn't you?" Sanemi smirks as Tengen curses under his breath.
Shinobu is sure he regrets introducing Tanjirou to them.