The demon king is long gone, years have passed, people have aged and no longer do people live in fear of the night. Shinobu and Giyuu spend a peaceful night in each other's company which ends with the two taking a bath together where Shinobu ends up washing Giyuu's hair.

Or

Tooth-rotting fluff, nothing sexual just plain intimacy.

A/N: Shinobu lives cuz' I said so, along with everyone else because I-I don't want to let them go, they're too precious.

WARNING: Mentions of spoilers and amputation.

-linebreak-

Shinobu woke up to many things that day, the biggest surprise of them all was that she was alive. An even bigger one was that everyone had actually survived! With injuries albeit, some worse than others, by far Sanemi had nothing to worry about since he had only lost a few fingers. 

Her injuries ranged from getting hit a few times, and the blood loss from almost getting eaten alive, of course, the poison had its effects as well. When she woke up she was weak, unable to do anything, she hardly had any strength and spent most of her days sleeping, gaining back her sapped strength slowly but surely. 

She could no longer oversee her injured friend, not much of a notice of how they were doing, if there was a problem the girls would handle it, not wishing to stress her anymore.  Which is exactly how this problem started. 

When Tomioka had lost his arm, the cut had been made between his shoulder and elbow, exposing the bone which- thankfully- didn't cut through the skin although that didn't mean something hadn't gone wrong. She was currently overseeing the problem, with the help of Kanao and Kiyo she had gone to go see how Giyuu is doing, which in simple terms was horrible.

The leftover part of his right arm had become infected at the stump and was due for amputation unless they wanted it to get worse and possibly kill him. And so, amputation it was and the rest of his right arm was gone entirely, only a stump left there. He had spiraled from there, only his former Sensei being the one to help pull him out of that state, at least for the time being, if he wanted to recover he needed to seek out actual help, as it turns out since he was so frugal with his money he had a lot of it leftover so that wouldn't be much of a problem for him.

Recovery on the other hand for her wasn't exactly the easiest for her, she had money, yes, but that wasn't the issue.

The poison many had effects on her bodies system, namely had messed with her nerves, sometimes leaving her shaking, and yes, the poisoning herself had often become a coping mechanism whenever she felt weak and she relied on it even after it no longer had a use but she had gotten better. She had relapsed a few times, the recovery from it is still happening, it's been 6 months since the last time she did it and currently, she couldn't be happier that she's made it this far.

Although sometimes at night she wakes up in a cold sweat, the taste itching at the back of her throat, compelling her to do it again after dreaming of the poison she ingested not being enough to kill Doma and Kanao falling to the same fate she did. She tries to move, get out of the bed but a warm body clutching her close reminds her of it all being in the past, and if it doesn't, it at least slows her down enough until the realization dawns on her eventually. She's soon to reach 7 months and hopes not to break her streak.

And yes, aside from ruining her nerves, the poison mostly likely lessened her chance of having kids as well, where the chance of it happening is rare enough it might as well be impossible. It hurts a little, she can't lie about that, but there's one thing she is and that's stubborn so she'll find a way if having one herself doesn't work. One of those ways is through adoption.

Himejima had thought- and started!- of running an orphanage agency to house all those whose parent's lives had been taken by demons or didn't have homes, to begin with- Tomioka had heavily suggested this idea multiple times, she knew why soon enough- and so was created the former Stone Hashira's orphanage, the Stone Wall's Orphanage. Tomioka was a frequent visitor of the said orphanage, the kids seemed to be fond of him despite the prosthetic he wore on his arm- which sadly turned some people off- and volunteered to help frequently. He spends his days helping out there, once having helped paint a piece on the wall with some extra help from his Sensei- he hadn't quite gotten used to using his non-dominate arm at that point, nor the prosthetic. 

Of course, Giyuu wasn't the only one who volunteered, far from it. Kyojuro and Mitsuri were frequent volunteers, along with Tanjiro and Nezuko, and while not as often Sanemi as well, sometimes Iguro. While on the other hand, Zenitsu frequented her mansion, Nezuko joined him sometimes, the two were looking into going into medicine. She suspected at first the only reason he was learning was to get closer to Nezuko, but as she watched the two interact, and listened and answered his questions that were more focused on being blind in one eye, she figured out why he was really here. 

Young love was still as sweet as she imagined it to be.

However, they weren't the only ones who ended up finding themselves in love. Mitsuri and Obanai had gotten together, and so had Aoi and Inosuke- she should have seen it coming and somehow she didn't!- soon enough, Tanjiro and Zenitsu, and surprisingly enough her and Giyuu! It was only till she was left in her room, waiting for the most advanced of the kakushi to perform the surgery she no longer could due to the shakiness of her hands she realized her feelings. 

She didn't want to lose him again. 

It took a year and a half after the demon king was gone for her to fess up and make the first move, another half year for the two to get together. And now here they were a year later together despite what she might have thought on if he felt the same way for her. 

As fate turned out, Giyuu ended up moving in with her, his former place not having much to move, and Kanzaburo could very easily fly to her mansion. The place was notoriously quiet- eerily so, it was creepy how quiet it was there- and it was off-putting not anything to do now that demons were gone except to deal with the occasional visitor and feed Sachie while she was alive and also Kanzaburo. 

He ended up moving in with her soon enough, losing his entire arm made daily tasks harder for him, he got a prosthetic but he still had to learn how to use his left hand as his dominant one. Another thing was he couldn't get the prosthetic wet meaning he had to be careful when cleaning or making certain foods and he couldn't take a bath or wash his hair with it making the tasks somewhat. That didn't mean he couldn't do them, he could do them perfectly well all by himself, it just made things more convenient to have the occasional help.

He could very well do everyday tasks without anyone's help, he was very well just as capable as anyone else was he just preferred the help and she'd be happy to help if he wanted it. But that didn't mean he didn't have his off days like the rest of them and didn't try to power through them stubbornly either. 

There were days when he could feel his limb there, it was called 'phantom limb'. Days, where his hands would shake from the collected pain from every injury, were doing what once were simple tasks, were hard. There was medicine to help lessen the pain, and sometimes it wasn't so severe but not all the time. 

Now was one of those days where the pain was moderate but still troubling. She could tell with how his hand shook when he tried to pour himself a drink, he took his time when doing normal actions that wouldn't typically take that long. She also had Kiyo tell her he has asked for medicine which only confirmed her suspicions. The thing was, today at least, their paths didn't cross that much, she was busy with some work so he was left to his own devices, usually, he'd go to Stone Wall's Orphanage but today he wasn't. It was late at night after the dinner where they met in her room, she had yet to take a bath and was about to, but neither had Giyuu. That was where she got her idea.

"Hey, sweet cheeks?" Giyuu perks up at the pet name and turns towards her from the drawer he was digging in, facing his body directly towards her. "Hmm?"

"I was just thinking... What if we bathe together?" The comment is an innocent one, but she can understand why he gets so flustered when she asks it, so she continued on with: "you seemed rather stressed of late, so I thought you could use some pampering, besides," shyly, hands behind her back taking a small step forward, cheeks dusted pink as she stares up at him, feet digging into the ground. "I was wondering if I could wash your hair for you..."

His hair was still short, although it had grown out once more just like hers but Shinobu preferred to keep her's short, it was just easier that way, Giyuu on the other hand is growing it out once more, she's not sure if he'll keep it long again but if she remembers, afterward she'll ask. 

Her boyfriend's face flushed a violent red, brows raising in surprise at the question needing to take a few moments to compose himself before he responded. "A... A bath together?" His head tilts to the side as he speaks, a gesture that makes her want to kiss him but she doesn't. She nodded back at him.

"Yes, you need to take a bath and so do I so why not? Unless you wish to waste water?" He shook his head and turned his entire body towards her. "Do you want me to start it or...?" She shook her head, careful hands turning him towards the drawer and giving him a gentle push. "I'll handle everything, all you need to worry about is getting your clothes." He nods, and she grabs her clothes, laying them nearby as she started up the water. As the water was about halfway, she heard the fluttering of clothes behind her followed by a moment's pause then a clink, he had taken off his prosthetic. Soon enough, the water turned off she followed him and the two entered the bath together.

She sat behind him, the water sloshing around the two. She could see his stump and see it had turned a healthy color, light pink around the scar, it had healed rather nicely over the years, and thanks to that the prosthetic fit snugly in place. Speaking of the man, he turned toward her tilting his head, a few strands of hair falling over his eyes and she resisted the urge to brush it out of the way. "Do you want me to wash you?" 

She shook her head, laying a hand on his cheek and pushing his head back forwards. "This is about you, don't worry about me I can wash myself." He turns back, breathing out a breath, and lets Shinobu resume with whatever she has planned. 

Gentle hands gathered the soap in her hands and started to carefully scrub away at his body, he closed his eyes and let himself be enveloped by the warm feeling, it felt like he was floating. The feeling was overwhelming, he felt so loved. A small sound escapes his lips, a mix of a whine and a moan, he felt Shinobu suddenly freeze and he froze too. 

"A-are you okay? I'm not hurting you am I? I-I can stop if you want," She moves to take her arms away from him and although something deep down in his mind tells him not to while somewhere else tells him to, he turns to grab her hand because what else can he do?

He doesn't want to be viewed as needy- despite how much she says she doesn't think so- because she probably doesn't like that, who would? But what if she doesn't and he's just overthinking things as he usually does? It's been so long since he did something like this, there was nothing remotely sexual about it, if anything it was the intimacy that came from it that made him so emotional.

At the beginning of things, when he had first lost his arm- part of it at least- it was hard to do anything, the emotional turmoil combined with the pain of the injury he sustained was overwhelming, he could hardly do anything and didn't want to do anything. He hated the embarrassment that came with relying so heavily on others was overwhelming, and the grief that came from losing his arm was the same as well. However, that wasn't the end of things for him.

As the days passed by the pain in the stump of his arm started to flare up until it became unbearable. It was like something was stabbing his arm and that's not even mentioning the heat under his cheeks became present over time until everything blurred together into a clustered clump and he woke up, no longer having a right arm anyone, there was only a stump covered in bandages left. The pain was gone, he no longer felt feverish but it did nothing to distinguish the longing he felt for his arm, he wanted it back but by now it was far gone.

Giyuu spent the next weeks in bed, he didn't want to leave it, the pain had subsided, lessening with time but emotionally he didn't feel better if anything he felt worse. He didn't want to do anything, it all took too much energy but at the same time he didn't want to bother the workers too much with his turmoil but they refused to let him leave until they saw progress and viewed it as safe enough to do. Workers would bring him food and medication which he took without much of a second thought, they'd help him wash his hair and the days would blur together into one.

Then his Sensei paid him a visit, that was when he learned that he wasn't allowed to be visited, they were worried he'd do something drastic. If anything he wouldn't do anything at all, he didn't know what to do now, he had no purpose. His Sensei visited because he wanted to, not because he was asked or had to, he wanted to. Before he came there he made his favorite food because he wanted to, and he took over caring for him that day not because he was asked to, or was advised to, he just... Wanted to. All by himself. 

The simple idea of it broke him completely and he found himself breaking down in his Former Mentor's arms. His Sensei joined him to the last Hashira meeting they'd ever have, it only seemed fitting to have had it six months after their victory, keep the tradition as it once had been, and give everyone that time to recover. It was in the period of time, right before it he had decided to cut his hair short, the significance of a new beginning not just for him but for the world. Demons were gone and would no longer ever be an issue again.

His Sensei and others had offered him help if he needed it- which namely, sometimes he did- not because they felt obligated to, but because they wanted to.

Shinobu, just out of the kindness of her heart, because she noticed he had been feeling down and hadn't had the best week wanted to take some of the weight off of him. Help him, not because she wanted anything but because she loved him and that was it. 

It feels so surreal.

Filled to the brim with so much happiness due to feeling so overwhelmingly loved that the only response his overwhelmed emotions can do is cry.

"P-please," He hates how much his voice stutters- how much it wavers- but at the same time he doesn't mind it. "continue,"

With hesitancy, making his heart sink, she continues. Being even gentler than before, her long slender fingers ran up his body, sudsing him up, and soon enough grabbing the shampoo bottle and lathering it over his scalp, and massaging his head. It felt heavenly, and soon enough he was leaning into her every touch as she soon enough was rinsing his body clean. But she wasn't done after that, settling with kneading the skin and getting out any knotted muscles he might have had, something in the past he used to have a lot of but not that much anymore. 

Her hands slip under his armpits and traced the skin where she used to be able to feel his ribs but thanks to him putting on a few more pounds, he gained a healthier mass- along with it contributing more to his muscle mass as well- and properly filled out his shape. He jolted at the unexpected touch, not quite sure if it was due to the surprise of it or because he was always a naturally jittery man, especially after living in fear of demons on a daily. But he turned towards her, eyes wide and shoulders squared, and quirked a brow at her.

"What are you doing?"

She giggled at him, a quaint smile making its way on her face. "Your more gained more weight!" Her tone is light and airy, shining brightly with mirth. He shies his eyes away from her staring down at the bathwater, he rubs his hand against his thigh, lip quivering as his face was a light red. "Ah... Sorry, I didn't tell you about that, I wasn't sure how to bring it up..."

Light she waves her hand as if to wave away all his worries at the same time. "Ah, no need to apologize! I don't mind that you gained any, in fact, I'm rather relieved." Giyuu only raised a brow at her. "Your relieved?"

"Why yes. Why wouldn't I be? You've been needing to gain some for quite a long time, even before we got our peace. You know I'll love you no matter what you look like, right?" His only response was the flush on his face, turned away from her as he moved his hand to mess with the partly calm water, she only giggled as a response. 

He didn't have the best eating habit, the state of his childhood did nothing to contribute to it- the only good thing that came out of it was him being able to make a meal out of few ingredients- sometimes he still hoarded food, that mindset of having to ration it so he'd be able to eat later never truly leaving. Although he had gotten better with his habit of defensive eating, it had only really become a problem when he was a young child but it had slowly started to slip its way into his adulthood somewhat and with the help of others she had managed to get him to slow down and enjoy his meals- his reaction to the different tastes he never took the time to truly enjoy was worth it in the long run! 

They had managed to make a little group get up event where along with meeting up at the end of each month to discuss what happened and talk about their work and other things, she'd get him to try new things on the menu at the restaurant they went to or retry them to see his actual reaction to it. It was also Mitsuri's chance to take her to all those restaurants she said she wanted her to see, and for Giyuu to make up on all those previous invites he had missed out on.

It was fun, all the people who weren't expected to live now living and eating with each other despite the injuries they had. It was a dream, yet every time Shinobu pinched herself it hurt, and she found out she wasn't dreaming.

The two finished up rather quickly, she washed herself as he left to dry himself, by the time she was done, fully clothed she saw him putting away his prosthetic on top of the drawer, his yukata tied to its best ability. Turning off the lights behind her she walked behind him, meticulous hands pulling the obi out of its knot, she heard her boyfriend let out a splutter but she kissed it away by pressing her lips against his, tying the obi in a simple knot, continuing to press kisses against his mouth while she did it. She pulled away when she was done, both their faces dusted with rosy red as she stared into his sleep-ridden eyes, carefully pulling him back towards the bed.

He allowed himself to be maneuvered, vision blurred with spots of tiredness as his mind drifts on a hardly steady stream of consciousness. Drowsily leaning into every touch she provides with a tired smile, eyes drooping closed. There's a warmth blooming in his chest spreading throughout every inch of his body until it makes the tips of his finger tingle, his lips desperately wanting to curl upwards into a smile, Giyuu indulges both the thought and the action.

He feels like he's on cloud nine right now.

She moves him to their shared futon, tucking herself in behind him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, warmth following in the wake of the gesture. Arms wrap around him accompanied by the budding warmth that follows.

Giyuu falls asleep, wearing a smile on his face.

A/N: :)

domestic fluff

some info tho:

I headcanon that the poison did more to Shinobu's body than intended, along with her having a problem quitting it since I headcanon whenever she felt particularly distraught poisoning herself would be somewhat of an outlet and the nightmares of failure did not help it.

I also headcanon that Giyuu grew up poor meaning he didn't have that much food to eat(and your parents dying and losing your main source of income didn't help) so anytime they had food he and his sister either hoarded it to ration it for later or ate it as fast as they could(defensive eating) which isn't that good for you body or digestive system. He also does not take good care of himself so he doesn't have the exactly healthiest body weight, but with help from others, he got it partially sorted out(even if it took some years)!

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