CHAPTER 17:

"Good catch, Tomioka-san," the doctor told him as he examined the girl laying down on the futon. Nezuko had called for the nearest expert in the area when Sayuri lost consciousness. "Your wife is 12 weeks pregnant."

Silence.

Tomioka felt his mind go completely blank. Only the soft snoring from the sleeping girl could be heard for a while.

"That's amazing!" Nezuko giddily clapped her hands.

"I don't believe it." He muttered to himself.

"That's always the first reaction of every father who hears of the news," the doctor chided. Tomioka thanked him for the time. He then left the Water Hashira some advice for Sayuri, telling her to get lots of rest while taking some medication once every morning. He then proceeded to pack his equipment as he prepared to head out. "...And don't stress her out too much." Giyuu heard the door close.

He was already stressed. Sayuri, pregnant? They should have been more careful. How was he going to take care of her and the child? What was he supposed to do now? What did he know about starting a family after all? There were so many questions left unanswered running through his mind.

Nezuko realized he was in deep thought about what just happened and decided it would be for the best to leave him to his thoughts. "I should get going and tell the others about the good news! Ja, Giyuu-niichan." She strapped on her sandals and headed home.

He had hesitations about being a father. For starters, he had no idea how to be one. His own father died a long long time ago; he could barely even remember the moments they spent together. His sister was the one who took care of him for a few years before she died. Urokodaki was the closest person he had to having a father figure, but he doubted if the former Water Hashira knew what it's like to anticipate the birth of a firstborn.

The news had been ingrained in his head all day. Sayuri was way calmer than he was when she woke up to the surprise that Tomioka had heard from the doctor. "Looks like we're going to be parents soon," she smiled as she gently rubbed her stomach. She didn't see the worried look on his face when he turned around.

Unable to keep his qualms to himself any longer for more than a week, he decided to visit Tanjirou for some advice. The red-haired boy told him upon his arrival that Nezuko and Zenitsu were in the market buying some fish for dinner. Inosuke, on the other hand, was with Aoi at the Butterfly Mansion. People were growing up indeed.

"Congratulations, by the way! We heard from Nezuko that you're going to be a father." Tanjirou's eyes were sparkling with happiness for the Water Hashira. He was clearly more excited than Giyuu.

"Yeah."

The boy with hanafuda earrings could sense that something was bothering his guest. "Aren't you happy?"

"Not exactly. I don't know anything about being a father." Tomioka sat down by the porch. It wasn't that he was disappointed that they were expecting a child; he knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was just too soon.

"You'll be fine, Giyuu-san," Tanjirou assured him. The last thing he wanted was for Giyuu to be hesitant about raising a family.

"I'm also scared for her safety," the married man admitted. "She's also involved now that a lot of people know she's with me."

The younger boy seemed to understand where his fears were coming from. "Don't worry about it. I doubt anyone has tracked your whereabouts. The mountain is pretty tough to trek anyway." Tanjirou added that Sayuri could stay with the nearby neighbors or even hang out with Nezuko whenever he's out for the day.

Tomioka nodded absentmindedly. He had been pondering about something for a while. The boy with the hanafuda earrings probably could not directly answer the questions about being a father, but he could still base it off from his childhood. He then proceeded with it. "Tanjirou… what do you know about children?"

The boy was taken aback by the question. He adjusted his green patterned haori as he tried to think of an appropriate answer. Tanjirou had a lot of fond memories with his father before he passed away due to his illness. He remembered the time when his father shielded him from a bear, as well as the time when his father showed him the Breath of the Sun as part of the ceremonial rite. There were even times when all of his siblings took turns playing with their father's bright red hair as an effort to cheer him up.

"My father was sickly but he loved all of his children so much. He gave everything to us," he spoke. His father was the one who taught him the Dance of the Fire God after all.

"What if the child doesn't like me?" Tomioka pulled some weeds on the ground without thinking. He imagined a child avoiding him despite trying his best to give his affections.

"I doubt it."

"What if I don't know how to take care of a child? What if the child ends up feeling... alone?" One question after another came to his mind. He was scared that the child would grow up exactly like him, distant from the rest of the world and afraid to mingle with people.

"Trust your instincts, Giyuu-san," the boy advised him. "You did it when you chose to let Nezuko live and you saw that I could be trained to be a Demon Slayer." Tanjirou owed a lot to the Water Hashira. He was like their protector, a big brother to him and Nezuko. "When Sayuri-san gives birth and you see the future in the child's eyes, you'll know how much love and affection you can give."

He smiled at the older boy. Tomioka seemed to be somewhat relieved after hearing Tanjirou's words of wisdom. He then added one last piece of advice:

"Just follow your heart. I can tell you'll make a great father, Giyuu-san."

Three months later, Tanjirou and Giyuu received a letter from Ubayashiki. It seemed urgent, the way the note was hastily written. Thinking it was another special mission, they were surprised to find out that Ubayashiki called for a meeting with all the remaining Demon Slayers. Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao had to come along, too. Even Murata who was Giyuu's batchmate at the Final Selection came over to the headquarters.

There were threats that the remaining crime lords are planning to get a hold of the emperor. But nobody in the government was buying it; most of them believed that the crime lords were scared to act boldly, and that there was enough security around the emperor himself. The military was bent on other things and had no time to focus on these matters, hence the need for the Demon Slayers to step in.

Tomioka then told them that General Nakamura had been monitoring the activities of the crime lords. He gave them all the information that the general had given to him in order to defeat the crime lords.

"There's something else I want you to know." He had to tell them. "Oyakata-sama, Sayuri was at Hinohara."

The Demon Slayers were astonished at the revelation. Tomioka could hear gasps from Inosuke and Zenitsu, but Sanemi and Tengen had already called it. The Water Hashira finally told them the full story, that she entered the battle and fought alongside him to thwart the crime lord's plans.

Ubayashiki seemed pleased. "I'm glad you mentioned this, Giyuu. She deserves all the honor and respect from all of us." He then continued about his plan to finally defeat the crime lords.

"Not a lot of people know where the summer palace is, but obviously someone could have leaked it." Kiriya told them his theory that the crime lords could have easily bribed someone for the information. "We will plant false information that the emperor's family will be having their vacation someplace. Then we'll catch the crime lords in the act."

When the meeting was over, many of the Demon Slayers went home immediately. Others were caught in conversation on which of them would have to take another risky mission. Tengen walked up to Tomioka and slapped him hard on the back. "Congratulations! I heard you've been busy!"

"Yes, working." He could see Tengen grinning at him, but he had his placid expression on his face.

"Eh, you're no fun, Tomioka." Despite his aloofness, the Sound Hashira was very proud of him, his advice being taken well by the younger Hashira after all these years. "Cut yourself some slack. I heard Kanda Matsuri is coming up soon. It shouldn't be too far from where you live." He smiled at Giyuu. "Why don't you and your wife enjoy a night together? My wives have already locked that date so we're going out, too."

Giyuu thought about it for a while. Apart from his classes, he rarely got to spend some quality time with Sayuri nowadays. She was usually at home waiting for him to talk about his day which he rarely elaborated on. Besides, he didn't want her to be stressed about anything, just as he was currently troubled with a lot of things right now. She probably would like to get out of the house once in a while, especially to attend a festival.

When he got home, he wondered about the best way to invite her out for an evening.

"Kanda Matsuri is coming up next week," he was hanging up his sword as he mentioned this. "There's supposed to be a parade and some fireworks… lots of food too… we could… you know… go out…" He berated himself whenever he couldn't find the right words to say.

Sayuri was cutting some vegetables for their supper. She stopped and wiped her hands off her apron when she realized what he was planning to say. "Neh, Giyuu… is that a date?"

Giyuu nodded. "Yes. Would you like to come with me?"

Her eyes could not hide her surprise. Beaming, she graciously accepted his invitation. She had not seen a festival in such a long time. In addition, she was also excited to meet the Sound Hashira and his three wives, not to mention leave the mountain to enjoy the downtown activities.

On the day of Kanda Matsuri, she wore her best yukata: a light yellow one with pine trees decorating the hem of it. She then pinned Tsutako's ribbon on herself, putting up her hair in her usual bun. Her baby bump was already protruding a bit from her clothes (much to their surprise) but luckily it was not noticeable from a distance.

She then helped Giyuu tie his ponytail. He had carefully put on a yukata for men: a plain blue robe with dark vertical stripes. A simple black sash was wrapped around his waist. After prompting him to turn around so she could see if there were any snugs in the fabric, Sayuri mused that he looked good as always.

"Let's enjoy our time tonight," she smiled at him as they headed down the mountain.

The parade and the procession was very loud and colorful; the people had come from different places to gather and watch the ritual dances celebrating the festival. She remembered her time as a shrine maiden when she had to perform the same dances on certain days of the month in her full regalia. Giyuu listened intently as she explained the meaning behind the movements, wishing he had seen her dance in her miko days. When the performances were done, they found themselves starving and opted to dine in a small noodle stall. Sayuri ordered a bowl of udon while Tomioka asked for his favorite salmon daikon paired with a cup of rice. When she was halfway through her meal, she ordered an additional appetizer to complement it.

"I need to eat more," she explained to her husband's surprised face. "The baby's been using much of my strength throughout the day."

"Can't be helped."

Sayuri couldn't help but notice a contemplative look in Giyuu's face. He had been this way since he found out she was expecting. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

He looked at her and answered in a heartbeat, "I don't mind either." He really didn't want to think too hard about the gender of the child. For sure, he would love the baby whether it was a he or a she. But he was more concerned whether the kid would be happy to acknowledge him as a father.

"Tomioka-kun! Sayuri-chan!" They both turned around to see the group calling after them.

Tengen and his wives joined them afterwards as they all craved a good bowl of udon. Makio, Hinatsuru, and Suma were happy for the younger couple as they took turns wishing them the very best. They even helped them choose names, suggesting that they pick something that stood for fire or water. "It's very auspicious to follow the symbol for the birth sign of the child," one of the Tengen's girls commented.

When Tengen invited his three wives to grab some drinks before heading out to watch the fireworks, Giyuu had to decline since Sayuri couldn't drink while she was pregnant. They then decided to walk around the area for a while as they admired the trinkets and other items being sold by the different vendors. Sayuri spoke after a while. "I'm just as scared as you are."

"Hmm?"

"You know. About the baby."

He looked at her without saying anything. Once again, she completely read his mind. She continued as they trudged along a deserted pathway.

"My parents were wonderful people. However, I guess it's completely different when it's our time to raise a kid," she chuckled as she patted her belly. "I mean, the baby isn't born yet, but it's already taking a toll on me. I want this one to be strong, healthy, and happy."

"I just want the child to be safe."

"I do, too. And we'll do our best to make that happen," she looked up at her husband's face. "But we also have to accept that there are things that we cannot protect him from. Or her, whichever. They'll just have to learn how to overcome it themselves."

Tomioka was always amazed at how his wife had a way with words. That was the best part about her, knowing what to say to make up for his lack of words on certain occasions. He didn't realize it when he stopped in his tracks after seeing a row of tombstones.

They had passed by a cemetery.

"Is something wrong?" She leaned over to follow the direction of his sight.

"This is where they buried Tsutako-neechan."

There was no mistaking it. He entered the gates and walked around until he found the marked grave. It was on the farthest corner as he recalled. The characters of her name that were engraved on the stone had already faded, but he knew this was hers. He hadn't visited here in a while. Giyuu knelt in front of it and bowed his head low. He introduced Sayuri to Tsutako, telling his sister that they are currently expecting a child. Sayuri then followed his action and prayed for the eternal repose of his sister. He remembered the good times with Tsutako-neechan. If she could see them, her heart would be bursting with happiness now that Giyuu was about to raise his own family and had finally moved on from the trauma of his past. When Sayuri was done, she stood up and nodded to Giyuu. Before turning his back, he then took one last glance at his sister's tomb, telling her in his mind that he will keep his wife and child safe for as long as he lived.

END OF CHAPTER

Author's Notes: I wanted a chapter where Giyuu had to reflect on his becoming a father, hence this. Reviews are greatly appreciated!