Inosuke was waiting in the arms of a few cultists who had taken the boy from Kohota when she had rushed away, apparently looking for Doma. No one had known what she was doing out of the temple or why she had looked as though she had run a couple of miles but they didn't have much time to question her either.

Many were already gossiping about what had transpired between the two and some already feared the worst. Then Doma and Kotoha walked into the dining room, arm in arm, and beaming at each other and the gossip almost exploded to excited chatter. No one noticed or questioned why Doma smelled like smoke and burned flesh. He looked fine and his smile looked even purer.

Kotoha retrieved Inosuke from Tsu and thanked him before returning Inosuke to his normal position in her arm. He looked to Doma and let out an excited babble as he yet again reached for the ribbon on Doma's headdress.

"I can't tell if it's me he likes or my headdress," Doma pondered.

Kotoha laughed and leaned on his shoulder, "I'm certain it's you."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Saying life had 'meaning' was something no demon had really considered.

There were goals in life. Akaza sought to become the strongest. Kokushibo sought to serve Muzan as best as he could. Muzan sought perfection. But what meaning was there in the life of an immortal?

Doma hadn't realized how empty life had been until there was a meaning to it. A reason to stand up every day and function, to look forward to each day. A reason to smile and continue to live. Doma would often ponder his earlier useless existence and would always come to the same conclusion.

He had been a dog. A mindless sort of beast that was content to eat and live and pondered nothing of its purpose because it lived only to bring joy to its master. Saying demons were "the top of the food chain" was true in a way, but an absolute lie in another. Demons had no sophistication in their lives... they didn't live. If they ever thought for themselves they'd be slaughtered or dragged back to the infinity fortress by the Kibutsuji curse at Muzan's orders.

It wasn't life... it was eternal servitude.

With Kotoha and Inosuke, Doma lived. His purpose was to stay by their side and watch their lives play out, his calling was to Kotoha and her smile. The happiness in his heart became a common feeling and he adored it.

How much had he been missing all these many years? What a sad existence he had lived.

"You've got that face again," Kotoha laughed one day as she looked at him. The two were walking down the hall of the temple, keeping away from the windows but admiring how the warmth of the sun streamed into the halls.

"What face?" Doma asked.

"You're staring at me, and you're thinking about something," Kotoha smiled, trying to read the emotion in his eyes.

Doma pondered that for a moment before returning the smile, "I suppose I'm simply thinking about how lucky I am."

"Oh aren't you a sweet talker," Kotoha giggled lightly bumping in Doma which made something in him flutter nervously.

Nervousness, he had decided, was his second least favorite emotion, next to guilt.

"I'm telling the truth," Doma murmured wrapping an arm around her waist, "I can't think of a demon who could ever be luckier than I."

That was the truth. Pure and simple.

"You're not the only lucky one," Kotoha smiled leaning on his chest as they walked the halls they knew so well.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Years passed. Four to be exact.

Doma didn't hunt anymore, even though hunger tore at his stomach he refused to prey upon his followers. He killed and ate the stray demon that crossed his path (though they tasted absolutely retched). He tried to satisfy himself with wild animals; their taste was only slightly better but it didn't stab him with the familiar guilt he got whenever he killed humans or their twisted humanoid counterparts. Even if demons were evil Doma couldn't hate them as much as he hated himself, they still screamed like humans.

As much as he hated hunger, guilt felt and tasted ten times worse. Pain, hunger, starvation... those were insignificant to him. Hardly a price to pay.

He did kill humans, on occasion, but he tried to do it for others and he never consumed flesh. Whenever someone came to his temple seeking asylum and was pursued by disgusting humans, Doma made it his duty to deal with it. He suspected Kotoha knew but she never asked and she didn't seem too bothered either. He also figured she suspected the true reason behind the disappearance of his husband and mother-in-law. If she did, though, she never showed any signs.

Blood, flesh, death, those things could bring drool to Doma's lips and leave him clawing at the floor like a rabid animal because in the end, that's all he was, right? He had just been transformed into some rabid animal with a tight leash to his master's hands. 

Well no more. No more flesh. No more food. No. More.

He was an animal no longer. He had a job, a duty, a love, and that all had nothing to do with Muzan Kibutsuji.

"What chy'a thinkin' about, old man?" Inosuke snickered as the young boy looked up at Doma. His knees were skinned and his face was bruised but the child looked proud as a lark in the midday yard.

"I'm thinking about how much trouble you are for your poor mother," Doma chuckled as he gently applied a wet cloth to the boy's knees, ignoring the way the scent of blood filled his mouth with saliva. It was easier to resist when it was Inosuke. The thought of eating the child could literally turn Doma's stomach sour.

"I'm no trouble!" Inosuke objected, puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms.

"Oh, Inosuke... you're nothing but trouble," Doma laughed softly as he finished cleaning the wounds. He reached up and ruffled the boy's unruly hair that still had sticks stuck in it. "That's alright, though... I wouldn't change you for the world."

Inosuke grinned a wide toothy grin (one of his front teeth missing and a new tooth just pressing past the gums).

"Mama says I'm the best kind of trouble!"

Doma smiled in response and nodded. Kotoha was right, obviously, but she was right in so many ways. Inosuke truly was the best kind of trouble.

The boy had grown to be the wildest of children, so unlike Doma and that was wonderful. There were days the demon feared to think of Inosuke growing up as he had, sitting still, revered... that wasn't the life for little Inosuke, perhaps it wasn't a life for any child. The boy would rip through the temple, often losing his shirts for some reason (although he had luckily grown out of the "stark naked" stripping fazes once he passed toddlerhood), and would race into the forest. Kotoha had surprisingly worried very little about it, even though it gave Doma several heart attacks.

Concern was his third least favorite emotion. It made him feel like he couldn't breathe sometimes. He didn't have to breathe as a demon, but he still liked doing it!

The cultists explained that Kotoha's peace of mind came from something called "mother's instincts" and Doma learned that it was very real. If she was worried about Inosuke, the boy would return bruised, bleeding, or with missing teeth (still baby teeth though so Doma could breathe easy), claiming that he had fought a boar or a wolverine or something of the like. If Kotoha wasn't concerned, Inosuke would return with a gift for his mother that ranged in the forms of berries, nuts, rocks, or sometimes a randomly "tame" young boar or wolverine.

If there was something Doma struggled with, it was learning to dismiss emotions, and so keeping calm confidence with the child was trying at times. Still, he loved it - and when Inosuke first called him Dad at five years of age, Doma quite literally could've died and been happy.

"What was that?" Doma asked, breathless as the boy glared up at him. He had been wrapping Inosuke's skinned arm for what felt like the fifth time that month when the boy had, very clearly, indisputably, referred to him as "Dad."

"I said shut up Da- " Inosuke suddenly seemed to come to the same conclusion Doma had. "AH - WAIT WAIT - I didn'tmeanit I - I - I was only tryin' to say shut up - you jerk!!"

"My little Inosuke called me 'Dad'!" Doma cried in joy that was not fit for a man of his age of a few centuries. He was squishing his own cheeks and smiling like an idiot at the blush that had taken over Inosuke's face.

Dad... what a word. What a wonderful, wonderful word.

"Shut up!" Inosuke roared in embarrassment, and you could almost see the smoke pouring out of his ears. "You're the worst!"

Doma kept on grinning for the rest of the day, and Inosuke's furious blush never went away. It had left Kotoha laughing for a solid five minutes.

Kotoha and Doma were now a common scene in the temple. It wasn't unusual to see them kissing in the halls or sitting together at dinner - the cultists also dually noted the times when Kotoha asked one of them to babysit Inosuke for a night...

As servants to Doma, they said nothing. He was their god, their leader, and their life.

As friends to Kotoha, they talked and teased her absolutely non-stop. The woman was easily flustered and embarrassed which made it only more enjoyable to tease her. Their giggles filled the halls and joined the symphony of joy that the cult flourished under. The cult had never been so large or bursting with so many smiles. It was like a shadow had been lifted from these halls, and in a way, it had.

For Kotoha, life couldn't have been more perfect. Her son was loved and cared for by a huge family who all loved him dearly. She was always safe, there was no doubt about that. Whenever Doma wrapped his arms around her, she would close her eyes and enjoy the gentle strength that would surround her.

Doma was her strength. He was always patient with her, holding her whenever the nightmares returned and soothing her with his voice. Whenever she flinched he would always move more gently, softly caressing her fears away and replacing the memories of pain and bruises with gentle touches and soft kisses. Their love was made of a soft understanding, she had nothing to fear when he was around - and he was always around.

She had thought that he would be cold, being a demon, but sometimes she found that he was indeed rather warm. The temperature wouldn't bother him but on those winter nights when it was too cold he would wrap his arms around her and pull her into his chest, giving her the useless warmth that he couldn't feel. He smelled of lotus blossoms and the sharp crisp scent of a clear spring and that grew to become Kotoha's favorite smell. 

Perhaps the most amazing thing about him was the bond he had formed with Inosuke. There hadn't been any hesitation in the demon when it came to caring for the boy. Whenever Inosuke had sleepless nights, Doma was by his side, soothing him and caring for him giving Kotoha much deserved rest. Doma's protective nature sometimes made Kotoha giggle for the demon would panic whenever the boy came back with a busted lip. She could understand it from his perspective, nothing could hurt the demon and he knew too well that humans were too easily hurt. A scratch on a human sent Doma into a panic because for all he knew it could take months for those wounds to heal.

There were certain quirks about her Love that made her wonder about him. He had told her that sometimes he may be called away by some "Master" and the mere mention had left him in a somber mood with his familiar fake smile that she saw right through. Whenever someone was bleeding, Doma's eyes would sharpen and his movements would become careful and purposeful - Kotoha wondered if it was due to his diet. She had noticed his lack of food and always felt a pang of guilt. How long had he gone without food? She didn't ask for two reasons, one - she didn't have a solution to the problem, and two - she didn't want to know the answer.

Still, she wondered and she worried. In a way, that was normal she supposed. Despite the differences and difficulties, both were still somehow immensely happy. 

Their lives began sharply changing when Kotoha began to get sick. It was random and she didn't quite understand why, but sometimes when she woke she would have to run and lose her last meal. Doma was worried sick himself and hardly left her side.

Then, a mere few days into the sickness, he was called to his "Master" for the first time in years.

"You have to go," Kotoha had told him as she was being treated by some of her friends. Tsu was checking her temperature and gruffed to Mao something about her pale complexion. Miki and Amai were watching Inosuke and were keeping him in a different room so that he didn't catch whatever his mother had. 

Doma was trying to understand what was wrong with her, but she smelled fine. There was no sour tang of sickness, in fact, she smelled wonderful. The fact that Doma didn't know what was wrong terrified him. He couldn't just leave. What if the mission took time, what if something happened while he was gone...

What if she was dying?

"It can wait," Doma assured her.

Kotoha looked up and read her lover's eyes. Doma had two phases, he was either unreadable when it came to emotions or he was an open book. Whenever his "Master" was in the conversation he was latter, his eyes flickering with fear. Kotoha didn't know who this "Master" was, but it made something in her chest squeeze to know that Doma was scared of someone.

"You should go. I'll be fine," She assured him.

Doma knew she was right. If he refused, he feared to think of Muzan's reaction. Funny, he never used to be afraid of anything before. Fear was his fourth least-favorite emotion as it wasn't unbearable, just annoying. And of course, Muzan would call on him now of all times.

 So, reluctantly he bade her farewell and went to Muzan's side.

His mission was a quick one, thank the gods. He was to look into a rumor about the blue spider lily. Doma did it as quickly as he could and was almost relieved that Muzan was mistaken. The rumor was spread by a stupid flower vendor trying to pawn off normal blue lilies as a rarity. Doma disposed of the distraction (without committing murder, as it turns out humans keep very quiet when they think you're always poised to kill them) and then he returned as quickly as possible to his temple.

It had been a mere three days but Doma had a heavy feeling in his gut. He returned in the early morning to find Kotoha up and about, much to his relief. She greeted him warmly and for the rest of the day, the two stayed together. Some giggled to see him trailing after her like a very tall puppy.

Then, as the two settled down to bed she turned over to face him and smiled.

"What?" Doma asked trying to read her expression.

"I... um... How do you feel about children?" she asked, a small tint of pink coming to her cheek. Doma, being the oblivious demon he was, didn't catch the hint... or even realize there was a hint to catch.

"I don't mind them," Doma answered, oblivious. "Inosuke is really the first one I've ever - "

"I'm with child," Kotoha announced nervously, biting her lip.

Everything in Doma's world froze.

Demons couldn't have children. That's not how demons reproduced. But... but he knew for a fact that Kotoha had only ever been with him and even considering the other option made him ashamed. Yet... it was still impossible for him to be the father... and yet he was? Wait. What?

Oh gods he couldn't think anymore.

"Are you happy?" Kotoha murmured nervously snapping Doma from his trance.

"Yes," he answered and that was true. The idea of another child - his child made something in his chest grow warm. His mind flashed to his own father, a man that he'd never cared for, even when he was covered in his own blood, and Doma wondered what would make a better father. "Yes... I'm just also... puzzled," he answered pulling Kotoha closer.

"Puzzled?" Kotoha questioned.

Doma looked at her, "Demons aren't supposed to be able to have children."

She also seemed to ponder that. Her eyebrows narrowed for a few minutes before she smiled.

"Well, then I suppose this is a miracle," she laughed placing a hand on her stomach.

Doma felt another warm feeling spread through his body and he smiled, "I suppose you're right."

Though he was still fearful. There was so much he didn't understand and now, suddenly there was a child in the mix. All logic seemed to have fled Doma's life long ago. 

What would a demon child be? What would Muzan think? Doma shuddered to think and closed his eyes to purge it from his mind. Muzan hadn't looked through his eyes in centuries because the demon king trusted him so if Doma played his cards right... perhaps Muzan would never know.

Doma sighed and held Kotoha a bit closer as he tried to chase away terrible thoughts. Strangely enough, there was still a warm feeling in his chest.

Emotions truly made everything unstable but strangely, he'd grown used to it.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Nine months later, the much-awaited moment sprang upon Kotoha. The hours of labor were long and strenuous for both her and Doma.

The smell of blood had never bothered Doma but the smell of labor... he could live another eternity without experiencing it. Kotoha's screams and her struggle were both terrible to watch and listen to, but he did not leave her side (and it wasn't only because of the iron grip she clenched his hand with but GOD where had that strength come from!?). He wasn't sure what to do or how to help but luckily the midwife seemed more than capable and only called on him to remind Kotoha to breathe which he did with only a few mild panicky pleas.

Who knew humans needed to remember to breathe? Wasn't that an instinctual thing!??

Suddenly, there wasn't any more screaming or coaxing or assurance. There was a dead silence that was, a moment later, broken by a wail of a newborn.

The hours of pain and anxiety were quickly forgotten as a bundle of blankets was handed to Kotoha's exhausted self. 

"It's a girl," the midwife explained in a quiet voice, "A healthy and beautiful little girl."

Kotoha cradled the baby, tears of joy forming in her eyes as she looked down at the small thing. She looked over to Doma and found his eyes wide, completely infatuated with the infant whose wails had fallen to small whimpers.

Doma had never seen anything so vulnerable.

The baby moved her chunky limbs stiffly and wildly as she tried to rub her eyes and kick out of her blankets. To Doma, there was nothing more beautiful in the world than that child. The emotion in his chest burned brighter than he had thought possible and Doma looked to Kotoha before smiling in disbelief.

Did all parents feel this way? Was this the thing that humans called joy? 

He thought of his parents, the last time he'd seen them both; with his mother plunging a knife into his father, again and again, screaming and sobbing her insults, her tears mingling with her victim's blood. How his father's screams had died into gurgles trying to meagerly defend himself from Mother's jealousy and rage... Doma thought of how little he cared about that memory.

He promised he'd be better. He looked at Kotoha and knew that they would be better. He had to be...

The baby slowly opened her eyes and Kotoha smile could've blinded anyone. The girl's eyes were just like Doma's, the multitude of colors made her eyes seem almost fluorescent as they wandered the room in wonder. Suddenly, Doma could understand why everyone called his eyes beautiful.

"Hello," Kotoha cooed at the child pulling the blanket away from the baby's face. The baby stared up at her in wonder before its eyes wandered to Doma who felt as though he was about to combust due to the emotion in his heart. Honestly, he could explode and he wasn't sure he'd be sad about it.

A weak smile pulled at Doma's face as he gazed into his daughter's eyes that, to his relief, were sparkling with emotion. She wasn't born a monster... she wasn't him. The little girl giggled before letting out a shriek of joy that exposed her gums... which were not empty. Doma and Kotoha both realized that their little girl already had small bumps of white fangs pointing out of her red gums.

Kotoha looked to Doma as if waiting for him to assure her that it was fine, as if Doma had any idea. Doma gave her a smile but his own heart was conflicted. 

If a child was born of a human and a demon... was it a human... or a demon?

"What's her name?" someone whispered from the door. Doma and Kotoha looked up to see at least ten of Kotoha's close friends peeking through the open door. 

"I... I don't know yet," Kotoha laughed in response before looking back to the girl. Then the room was swarmed.

"Aw, she's so cute!"

"She's got her father's eyes."

"That's her mother's soft face, look at how she smiles! That's all you, Kotoha."

"She's so happy!"

"You did wonderfully, Kotoha."

"Hello there, little one!"

The cultists all admired the baby from a respectable distance, not wanting to crowd the new parents but wanting too desperately to fondle over the child.

"What should we name her?" Kotoha asked Doma, catching him completely off-guard. That's right; names were a thing.

Doma had no answer and instead had a newfound appreciation for names. They weren't just placeholders, they were something much more meaningful and the fact that what they chose now would stick with their daughter forever was suddenly a very scary fact.

The girl names they had discussed floated in Doma's mind; Lotus, a Kotoha jr., there was a plentiful amount of them but his thoughts were interrupted by Kotoha's soft voice.

"What about Mirakuru?" she offered. The name was familiar and Doma felt as though Kotoha had brought it up before.

He looked at her. "As in Miracle?"

She nodded and smiled as she looked down at the child, "Our little Miracle."

Mirakuru's large eyes looked at her father and Doma stared right back.

"Yes... yes, I think that's perfect," Doma agreed.

"Moooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!" someone yelled, rushing down the hall and exploding into the room; A nearly six-year-old Inosuke.

"Hello Inosuke," Kotoha smiled.

"Is it over!? Did I miss the yucky stuff!?" Inosuke demanded running over to his mother's bed. That earned a scoff from Amai.

"Yes, yes you did," Kotoha assured him.

"Awww man!" Inosuke pouted.

Miki and Mao, two of Kotoha's friends ran in, quite winded.

"We're so... so ... sorry, Kotoha," Miki gasped, leaning on the door.

"We... couldn't... keep... him... from you," Mao panted, his chest heaving. The two then sat down in the doorway, catching their breath. Kotoha only giggled weakly. Inosuke went up on his tiptoes to try and peer over the mass of swaddled blankets in his mother's arms.

"What is it?" Inosuke asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's your baby sister," Kotoha answered leaning down so Inosuke could see her face.

"Sister!" Inosuke cried in disgust. He then glared at the baby, "You were s'posed to be a guy!"

That made one of Doma's followers explode in laughter and earned a chuckle from Doma.

Mirakuru tilted her head as she looked at her brother and then giggled a bit before yawning. The movement seemed to touch the five-year-old's heart.

"Well..." Inosuke admitted, "Okay, I guess you're alright. And you already have fangs - so you're cool."

Kotoha smiled as her son talked to her daughter.

"I'll teach you how ta be fierce! Like a wolvamarine!" Inosuke grinned with his toothy smile. "You'll be an awesome girl, like a mama boar. Ya know, Mama boars can run you over, trample you real good and then rip ya apart with their big ol' tusks!"

Everyone's faces in the room fell. Mirakuru let out a giggle as she watched her brother's animated faces and smiled. Kotoha laughed as Doma began to explain to Inosuke how girls were perfectly wonderful that of course, he could teach her how to fight but only once she's older! And discussing the goring of children by boars would have to be put off by a few years. Yes, and the discussion about the mauling of wolverines. Yes, bears too. By the end of it, Doma had his head in his hands and Inosuke was ranting about how he would teach Mirakuru all about how to hunt and how they'd start with mice and Kotoha just couldn't stop laughing,

Such a wonderfully strange family.

(Okay, sorry I'm late guys but I hope you're still enjoying it because uhhhh... shit may be about to go down soon. :) anyway, have a great day/night!!)