Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

2011, New York

Tanjiro hung the last piece of decor for his café on the wall- a traditional painting of a peach tree that grew in Zenitsu’s hometown.

Around 96 years ago, Muzan Kibutsuji was defeated, marking a new age of peace.

Around 26 years ago, his beloved little sister passed away from old age, and Kiriya Ubuyashiki pulled him out of his grief and convinced him to travel the world. Now, he had decided to settle down and live a simple life as a café owner.

“Didn’t Nezuko want you to be happy? It’s not just her either; it’s all of us, Tanjiro. How about this: take some of these funds-” he pulled out an envelope from his yukata sleeve, “-and travel the world. Collect all kinds of memories and talents- anything that brings you joy, really– then bring them back with you when you’ve left this earth. Don’t be in a hurry; take your time. The more you collect for your family, the more the wait will be worth it. ”

Tanjiro rapidly blinked away the memory. The smell of death was coming from Kiriya. Maybe that was why he didn’t put up much of a fight when he gave him the money. Based on his estimate, he has less than a year left. Then, it’ll be just him, Yushiro, and Chachamaru…

“Pull yourself together, Tanjiro. ” He murmured and shook his head.

Tomorrow was the opening day of Hinokami, a traditional-style Japanese café that specializes in making quick, healthy, and tasty breakfast or lunch meals, along with drinks unique only to the café.

The café was a stark difference compared to the rest of the block. It looked like someone had gone back in time and stuck a portion of a traditional Japanese manor right in between two buildings of the modern day. The second floor of the café grew wisteria trellis in its balcony, the beautiful purple flowers overflowing the edge and spilling over the overhang of the first floor; the plant was carefully trimmed to be the perfect length for a café entrance.

(Normally, the wisteria would need more time to grow, but Tanjiro got lucky and found a florist who already had the full-grown plant on hand. He quickly bought the flowers and set them up on his apartment balcony before anything else to negate the risk of them wilting.)

He wanted the café to be cozy, a nice break from the busy city life. In addition to that, because of its unique appearance, he hoped more people would be interested in the café.

He and Kanao took up the hobby of botany whenever she had time away from her job as a doctor. He found comfort in caring for such delicate life forms and watching them grow. Seeing Kanao light up whenever she arranged the flowers into a beautiful bouquet made the hobby one of his favorites.

Nezuko, along with the rest of the butterfly sisters, also enjoyed arranging the flowers. Whenever they visited the Butterfly Estate, she would play with them and help with some chores.

Inosuke and Zenitzu never quite got the hang of it, however…

Tanjiro headed up to his apartment above his café. It had been a long couple of weeks: furnishing his apartment to look more like home, setting up the café, making sure no one saw through his forged ID, signing paperwork, etc.

He changed into his sleepwear and went to bed. As he lay there, his thoughts drifted back to Kanao.

__________________________________________
Japan, 1915

“… and that’s it for this month’s check-up. Thank you for coming all this way. I know your home is a ways away, so it must be difficult traveling this far. ”
Ever since the final battle, Kanao insisted that the main survivors come to the Butterfly Estate for a monthly check-up.

“No, no! Don’t worry about it. I like coming to see you, Kanao, along with the rest of the girls. It’s nice knowing I have a capable doctor to rely on. ”

“W-well, I’m not exactly a doctor. I’m still studying the notes and research that big sister and Miss Tamayo left behind. I’m also learning from Mr. Yushiro as well.” Kanao flushed at the heartfelt praise.

“Speaking of which– that leads me to something else. ”

Tanjiro patiently waited for her to continue.

Kanao pulled a stack of papers from a nearby desk.
“As you know, I’ve been paying special attention to your blood ever since the final battle. I wasn’t sure the extra cure that big sis gave me would have the same effects as the one given to your sister, so I decided to study your blood further. ”

“Thank you for providing it, by the way. ”

Tanjiro shook his head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind at all. ”

“It’s been three months since the final battle. In the meantime, I’ve discovered a couple of things about your blood, along with your body’s condition.

First, oddly enough, all the scars that occurred before you turned were still present even after the administration of the cure. Your right eye is still blind, but there’s a scar that completely wraps around your left shoulder- the exact spot you lost your arm. That arm is also in the same condition as it was before being cut off. ”

Second, your resting heart rate is 200 bpm, and your resting temperature is 38.8 degrees Celsius, or 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Third, your body has been in peak condition this entire time, when it should have been in a weaker condition due to injuries. “

Fourth, you do not have any of the main demonic symptoms: changed appearance, craving human flesh, burning in the sun, a weakness to wisteria, and a disgust for human food. “

She took a look at the notes in her lap. “As for your blood. Compared to any other blood test I did, yours and Nezuko’s were incredibly pure. Blood naturally has a few imperfections in it; that’s just the way things are. But you and Nezuko have unbelievably clean blood. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
I believe that was a factor that allowed you and your sister to resist Muzan’s influence. But that’s just a theory. It’s impossible to prove it now.”

“Another thing about your blood; if you were able to stay in peak condition this entire time, then naturally it must be because you still have regeneration on the level of a demon.
After studying your cells for three months, with the help of Yushiro, I’ve found that the cure I gave you did fully turn you back into a human. However, the cure didn’t manage to completely cover the regeneration part. Right now, all I know is that your regeneration speed is just enough to keep you in peak condition. It’s not as fast as your Demon King form, but it’s not at the level of a normal person either. “

“I don’t know if this surpasses the curse of the mark, or if it makes you immortal. The only way to find out now is to wait. “

“I’m not as talented as my big sister. If it were her, it’d probably only take her half the time I did to find this out, and she’d be able to find out more. “ She apologized.

“Please don’t say that. Kanao, you’re still young, and you were able to find out that much in only three months. That’s enough to make you an incredible scientist. Moreover, if you keep degrading yourself like that, you’ll make your sisters sad. “ Tanjiro lightly scolded her.

He went on, “You’re very talented. In fact, I think you should go to a medical school and become an official doctor. You’d be able to get a degree and help people without raising questions. “

“…really? I have been thinking about going to a medical school, but since I’m a girl, I don’t think...” She trailed off.

“Don’t think about things like that. I’m sure there will come a day when you can prove your abilities to the world. You’re already doing a good job here; what you have to do out there isn’t too different, is it?
You don’t have to, of course. No matter what decision you make, we’ll support you. ” His smile was warm, like the morning rays of the sun.

“Okay. Thank you, Tanjiro. I’ll think about it further, then tell you all my decision. “ Kanao smiled back, with a newfound confidence that was very different than before the final battle.

A couple of weeks after that, Kanao was accepted into a famous medical school. A few years later, she became a successful doctor and an icon for women all around the world for several generations to come.

Now, nearly a century later, Tanjiro remained the same. He was still that 16-year-old teenager who shouldn’t have had to fight in that war. He couldn’t die of old age, and he could never truly grow up.

Some days, he grieves the adulthood he could never have.

Some days, he grieves the childhood that ended far too soon.

But today, he would plant his feet and move forward.

Chapter Text

2016, New York

When Tanjiro first tried an American burger, he nearly went into cardiac arrest. Ok– he was exaggerating a little, but his point still stands. Most of the food he ate around the world had less than half the grease and carbohydrate content of any Western food. Moreover, during his years as a demon slayer, he had a strict diet that was very protein- and vitamin-dense with low sugar and low carbohydrate. He rarely had the chance to eat any dessert. So, he wasn’t used to the sheer amount of fat, sugar, and preservatives condensed into the food.

With this in mind, he had the wonderful idea of a cafe that offered a much healthier option of meals for locals. Plus, since he settled on a Japanese menu, all he had to do was follow the recipes he remembered from his hometown. Not to mention, he had always been an exceptional cook ever since he was little.

Tanjiro was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of a bell ringing.

It had been a few years since he opened the cafe. During that time, his cafe had become quite popular among locals. Older folks liked the menu options since it was much healthier than what was available, and his younger customers liked the peaceful environment to work on papers or assignments. Moreover, his prices were cheaper than the average cafe in New York. That was more than enough motivation for any resident of NY.

Not to mention there had been the discovery of Captain America, an alien invasion, a new group of superheroes, Sokovia had (sadly) been destroyed, and most importantly-

“Peter!”

He made some new friends!!

He first met Peter and his friend, Ned, a few months ago inside his cafe. They were interested in the new cafe and slightly (read: very) suspicious of the cheap prices, especially because of the quality of the cafe itself. They were quickly proven wrong once they tried his signature pastries. Ever since then, they have been regularly getting snacks or meals, and before he knew it, the three exchanged numbers.

Tanjiro excitedly waved at the boy in front of him.

“Where is Ned? He is normally with you, right?” Those two were nearly ‘glued at the hip.’

“Ah, no, he’s sick. But he texted me and said he should be better in a couple days.” 

Peter wasn’t doing so well either- he didn't even need to smell him to know what was wrong.

“Here- My break is coming up. How about we sit down?” If he’s the boss, his break can be anytime he wants, right?

The two sat down at a table next to the window. Tanjiro could see the dark bruises under Peter’s eyes, as well as the bruises peeking underneath the rims of his long sleeves.

Oh no.

“Peter, are you alright? If Ned wants his favorite soup I can just drop by his house, there is no need to push yourself.” He was really worried about Peter. First of all, he naturally smells like chemicals which is not normal at all, and second, he has a very strong hunch that the new ‘Spider-Man’ vigilante running around is the 14-year-old boy sitting in front of him.

“Huh? Oh yeah I’m good! I can totally buy the soup and deliver it fine!”

Very convincing.

“You do not have to pay, Peter. I was planning on making Ned his Miso soup the moment I found out he was sick.”

“Don’t you have school? Plus you’re working. Are you sure you’ll have enough time to get it to him?”

“I have my ways, do not worry! And I have something that will help with your rest. Wait a moment, please.” Tanjiro hurried to get something from the back.

Peter watched his friend as he hurried away.

There were a few odd things he noticed about Tanjiro the more he got to know him.

His wavy hair was a deep burgundy red that lightened in color at the tips, while his left eye was a stunning shade of deep red that was nearly magenta at night. He asked about it, and much to his surprise, they were hereditary. His right eye was pale due to an injury. Tanjiro was strangely quiet after the admission.

The most interesting thing he noticed was the flaming tattoo on his forehead. He didn’t think Tanjiro was the type of person to get a tattoo. Much to his suspicion, Tanjiro said it was from a falling brazier. Peter didn’t believe that story in the least, but he decided against pushing it. Maybe he was embarrassed by the tattoo. It looked sick though- so he couldn’t figure out why he didn’t like it.

“I am back! Here.” Tanjiro placed a warm to-go cup in front of Peter. “This is a special tea meant for sleep. I will make Ned’s soup later and drop by his house.”

“Wow. That bad, huh? Thank you.” They were interrupted by a notification. Peter looked at his phone and abruptly got up.

“Sorry, man. I gotta go. Aunt May needs me for something.”

“Okay! Tell her I said hi! See you later!”

“Later!”

Tanjiro lingered in place for a few fleeting seconds before returning to work. For some reason, he had the gut feeling that life around here was going to pick up soon.