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acacia-may · 1 year

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Welcome Home [Obanai Iguro Fanfiction]

Story Description: After tragedy, Obanai Iguro returns to the Rengoku family's home for the first time in years to share a meal and reminisce about the boy and the family who changed his life. After all, Kyojuro always said, "Meals taste better with friends."

Fandom: Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Friendship, Grieving Together, Rengoku Family Adopts Iguro, Memories, Meals Taste Better With Friends, Sad and Sweet

Relationships: Obanai Iguro & Kyojuro Rengoku Friendship, Iguro and the Rengoku Family, Senjuro Rengoku, Mitsuri Kanroji, & Obanai Iguro Friendship, and Slight ObaMitsu.

Characters: Obanai Iguro (POV Character), Senjuro Rengoku, Mitsuri Kanroji, and Kyojuro Rengoku

Rating: T for Thematic Elements (Please see "Warnings" below for more details)

Warnings: Heavy Themes, Depictions of Grief, Discussion of Non-Depicted Death, Hints at Childhood Trauma. SPOILERS FOR the Mugen Train Arc/Ch. 66 & mild/vague spoilers for Ch. 188

Word Count: 2379

Link to original post on AO3. Please do not repost to another site.

(A/N: This is an older story of mine, but I'm on a bit of a Demon Slayer kick at the moment so I wanted to get all my KNY stories cross-posted to Tumblr).

Thank you for reading! 🍲

Iguro's steps felt heavy as he made his way around the familiar house. Very little had changed. It was almost as if he would come bounding out of one of the doorways any minute with a big smile on his face—throw an arm around him and reassure him this was all some kind of dream, a nightmare, and there wasn't anything to worry about.

Iguro's throat tightened, and he clenched his fist. It was stifling here—almost suffocating. The walls seemed to be closing in—shadows darkening the halls as if to say he wasn't welcome here. And maybe they were right. After all, he couldn't protect him, the one person who had always been there for him. When he had needed him most, he had been hundreds of miles away. If only he had stepped in, offered to take that mission on the Mugen Train himself… It should've been him who had died not Rengoku who brought so much joy and goodness into this world. It should've been Rengoku roaming these halls—bringing warmth into this home again—not Iguro darkening these doorways he never had any right to be in in the first place. Out of more kindness than he deserved, the Rengoku family had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go, but now, Kyojuro was gone and he was left in his place—standing where he had stood, walking the halls he had walked. He had no right.

Iguro swallowed hard. He didn't have time to think of such things now. He wasn't here for himself. He had stayed away for too long—far too pathetic to show his face here—but then he thought of Senjuro. He was too young and too gentle and had suffered much more than he deserved. Iguro wasn't the best with people so he wasn't sure he'd be much comfort, but he couldn't just leave him alone.

Iguro turned a corner and could hear voices in the garden. He stopped. Someone was here already. He caught a glimpse of pink hair, and his face softened. Kanroji-san. She was so kind—she had probably come here right away. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Senjuro, and she was gently stroking his hair almost maternally. Iguro could tell they had been crying together, but they seemed so peaceful now.

Kanroji was the far better person for this, Iguro thought, and he was about to turn and leave when a voice called out for him, "Oba...Iguro-san." Senjuro was walking towards him. His hair was much longer than when Iguro had seen him last, and he had grown much taller. Iguro swallowed. He looked so much like his brother.

"Iguro-san," exclaimed Kanroji standing up and wiping her eyes.

Iguro turned back to Senjuro. The boy's warm eyes were misty, but he was smiling slightly as he said, "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in."

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Iguro answered looking off over Senjuro's shoulder. It was much harder to do these days. Soon Senjuro would be much taller than him.

"Not at all," reassured Senjuro shaking his head. "I'm glad that you're here…" He paused looking a bit flustered. "Well what I mean is…it's good to see you." Senjuro's smile widened. "Won't you sit down? We were just starting to eat."

Iguro thought of protesting, but the boy was so earnest so he sighed and took a seat next to him. "I brought this for you," he said holding out the covered dish in his hands.

"Oh, miso soup. Thank you," answered Senjuro brightly. "This will go wonderfully with the rice balls Kanroji-san brought." Iguro looked over at Kanroji who smiled slightly at him but looked away. It seemed they had had the same idea though he imagined the food she had prepared tasted much better than his.

"They didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but I hope they're still okay," said Kanroji as her cheeks turned pink. "I had just been thinking about how Rengoku always loved when everyone ate together and…" Her voice grew tight and she stopped. She sniffled and wiped her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Senjuro. Here I am trying to comfort you, and I just keep crying." Senjuro reached out to take Kanroji's hand as his own eyes grew tearful again.

Something twisted in Iguro's chest. It was possible he had never felt so inadequate. Kaburamaru slithered around his neck and nuzzled Senjuro's cheek as if to do the comforting for him. Senjuro smiled and patted the snake's head.

"You should eat," suggested Iguro pouring a bowl of soup for Senjuro.

"Yes," agreed Kanroji turning to get some rice balls for him. "It might make you feel a little better."

Senjuro took the food so gratefully they might as well have given him gold instead of rice balls and some soup. "Thank you so much," he said. "You're both so kind." He turned and started to serve them as well. "Please have some yourself."

"Senjuro, this food is for you," explained Kanroji holding up her hands in protest, but Senjuro shook his head.

"Please. Let's eat together." He pushed the rice balls towards Kanroji, and his voice faltered, "My brother always said, 'meals taste better with friends.'"

Tears welled in Kanroji's eyes again. "He did say that, didn't he?" Her shoulders shook as she wiped her hand across her face. "And he was right," she added smiling through the tears that cascaded down her cheeks as she took a bite of a rice ball.

"Yes," Iguro answered quietly nodding in agreement as he poured soup for Kanroji. He rarely ate with people, but he had shared a meal with Rengoku a couple of times when they were very young. And though he may not have a lot of compare it to, the first meal they had ever eaten together may have been the best meal he had ever had.

*-*-*

In the darkened room illuminated by a single lamp, Iguro stared at the small bowl of soup Mrs. Rengoku had left out for him. "In case you are hungry later," she always said. She was a truly kind person—to make sure to leave him food so he wouldn't starve even though he always declined to eat with her family.

Iguro folded his hands and hung his head slightly. Though her spirit was strong, Mrs. Rengoku was a physically frail woman—she should have been resting not making special bowls of soup for him. She had opened her home to him which had only made more work for herself, and she worried about him. As he had quietly crept out to eat when he thought everyone was asleep, he had accidentally overheard her talking to Mr. Rengoku.

"I'm worried about him, Shinjuro," she had said. "He's been here for almost a month and has barely spoken a word."

"Ruka, if you had seen…" Mr. Rengoku had said before he stopped. "I can't imagine what kind of hell this boy has been through."

Iguro scurried off as tears welled in his eyes. Such kindness—he didn't deserve it.

Iguro wiped his nose before he carefully unwound the bandages around his mouth. He tried to be as gentle as he could but winced as his hand brushed his severed cheek. Kaburamaru looked up at him sympathetically. He tried to smile at the snake reassuringly. Trying his best to ignore the pain, he opened his mouth just enough to sip the soup from the spoon.

Mrs. Rengoku always left him soft, liquid foods. He wondered if she knew about his wound. He had done his best to hide it from them—even though he knew it was selfish. As soon as they saw his face, they would surely throw him out on the street in disgust. Always so intuitive about what Iguro was thinking, Kaburamaru wrapped around his arm comfortingly, but Iguro wasn't reassured. Even though Iguro had been given this glimpse of a real family and a real home, it was only a glimpse—a dream. Soon it would just be him and Kaburamaru against the world again—lost and alone. That was how it always was and how it always would be, and nothing would change that.

"Hi! Can I eat with you?" asked an exuberant voice pulling Iguro out of his thoughts. Startled, Iguro turned to see the eldest Rengoku son, Kyojuro, sitting beside him with a wide, bright smile. Iguro's eyes grew wide as he frantically tried to cover his mouth with his hands. In a desperate attempt to hide, he had pressed his hands to his face too hard. His brow furrowed as his jaw throbbed.

"Are you okay?" asked Kyojuro, and Iguro guiltily forced a nod. Now he had worried Kyojuro as well. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said Kyojuro. "I've just been noticing you coming down here in the middle of the night, and I was wondering what you were doing. I'm glad to see you're eating. Senjuro and I have been worried. We tried to leave some bowls of food outside your door, but maybe you didn't see them or they were foods you didn't like. What kind of foods do you like?"

Iguro stared down at the table, and his hands started to shake. Kyojuro and his little brother Senjuro had been worried about him too and had been leaving food for him out of kindness? He hadn't known. He honestly thought he had been imagining things—those trays of food outside his door were tied to such painful memories. But all along it had been Kyojuro and Senjuro trying to look out for him. He felt guilty—but how could he explain this to Kyojuro?

"It's okay if you can't pick a favorite," said Kyojuro filling the silence. "I know it's really hard to decide. I don't think I could pick a favorite either. Mother's miso soup is really good though!" He motioned to the bowl, and Iguro nodded.

After a lengthy silence, Kyojuro said, "You don't have to stop eating just because I'm here. I didn't want to interrupt you—I just thought I could come and keep you company. But you were eating when I came in and now you've stopped."

Iguro's face flushed, and his eyes burned. Kyojuro had seen him eating earlier? Then he had seen… He inhaled sharply. Kyojuro, however, was unfazed.

"You don't have to stop eating. We can eat together," he continued as he poured some soup into a bowl for himself. "Tasty!" he exclaimed with a wide smile when he took a bite.

Iguro's eyes grew wide and he choked out quietly before he could stop himself, "You're…you're not…disgusted?"

Kyojuro turned to look at him, and his brow furrowed. He tilted his head. "Why would I be disgusted? My mother's miso soup is the best! It's not disgusting at all. Weren't you eating it earlier? You should take another bite to see how good it tastes!"

Iguro shifted in his seat uncomfortably as Kyojuro stared at him expectantly. Kaburamaru nudged the side of his hand in encouragement as Iguro stared intently at the table. His heart pounded. His hands were shaking as he slowly moved his left hand to shield his face as he moved his right hand away from his mouth, picked up a spoonful, and took another bite of the soup.

"Well?" asked Kyojuro exuberantly.

Confused, Iguro met Kyojuro's intense gaze and answered a little unsurely, "Tasty?"

A bright smile spread between Kyojuro's cheeks before he took another bite of soup himself. "See, I told you!" he answered with a good-natured laugh. "Now go on and eat lots more!"

Iguro looked down at the bowl and back up at Kyojuro who scarfing down his soup with gusto. "You…you still want to eat…with me?" he stumbled.

Kyojuro looked up at him mid-bite. "Mhmmm!" he hummed nodding in enthusiastic agreement before he swallowed. "It's always better to eat with friends!"

Iguro could feel tears prickling in his eyes. "Friends?" he repeated—his voice barely audible as if he could scarcely believe it.

"Of course," said Kyojuro as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Meals always taste better with friends!"

*-*-*

"Meals always tasted better with Rengoku," Iguro agreed whether with Kanroji and Senjuro or with his memories he didn't know. Kyojuro Rengoku was always so kind. Iguro never could tell if he had seen his wound that day or not, but he was sure it wouldn't have mattered to him. That was just the kind of person Rengoku was. He saw the best in everybody and believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves. Iguro had never deserved such a friend—a brother. He couldn't believe he was gone.

Iguro felt a single tear break free from his burning eyes and trickle down his cheek.

"Iguro-san," gasped Kanroji, and within moments, Senjuro's arms were wrapped around him.

"I miss him too," Senjuro choked out as he started crying into Iguro's shoulder. Kanroji cried loudly as tears streamed down her cheeks, and she hugged them both tightly.

Iguro patted Senjuro's head gently and placed a sympathetic hand on Kanroji's shoulder. Kaburamaru helped to comfort them as well, but Iguro was finding himself sorely inadequate. "Senjuro," he began guiltily. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have come."

Senjuro stopped shaking and pulled away to look Iguro in the face. "No, I'm so glad that you did. It's what my brother would've wanted. He was always happiest when his family was together."

Tears pooled in Kanroji's eyes, and Iguro's insides twisted. As if sensing this, Senjuro sniffled and took Iguro's hand in one hand and Kanroji's in the other. "You've all been working so hard and have been so busy keeping everyone safe from the demons that you haven't been able to come home in such a long time…but now we're all together again."

Senjuro's eyes began to fill with tears, but he closed his eyes and smiled the kindest, brightest smile. Iguro swallowed hard—biting back tears. He looked just like his brother, and as he said the words, it was almost as if Kyojuro was there saying them right along with him, "Welcome home."

#iguro obanai #senjuro rengoku #mitsuri kanjiro #kyojuro rengoku #demon slayer fanfiction #kimetsu no yaiba fanfiction #obamitsu #i love them and they deserved better your honor #demon slayer spoilers #kimestu no yaiba spoilers #the rengoku family adopts iguro should be a genre #it's very important to me #thank you for reading

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