Pairings: kyojuro rengoku x reader
Synopsis: your little bundle of joy has finally arrived
Warning(s): cursing; supportive shinjuro(rengoku's dad)
this lovable man is by your side thorough the entire birthing process
he was there for your back pains, your baby kicking, your morning sicknesses, and your confusing hormonal mood swings
so why wouldn't he be there for the moment of truth
you are the love of his life, so he hates the fact that you're in an immense amount of pain, but he also understands there is nothing he can do but be there for you
and that's exactly what he's going to do
your contractions were starting become closer and closer one night. kyojuro kept offering to take you to shinobu, but you'd constantly reassure him that you were fine
"hey, kyojuro..." you were looking down at the puddle on the floor. 'maybeee...he should take me to shinobu...' you thought to yourself
"yes, my love!" he was quick to respond, ready to cater to your every need
"i think my water just broke..."
this man's strength never ceases to amaze you.
kyojuro lifts you into his arms, and he runs full speed to the butterfly estate for everyone's help there.
they were quick to get you into a room, and you both were waiting for the time to push
shinobu informed you that it's common to still experience contractions after your water breaking, and unfortunately, you did
and they were excruciating
and poor kyojuro, tried to help
"breathe, my love," he kept one hand on your back and the other held yours as you slowly paced around the room. "remember what shinobu taught you in birthing class?!"
you gripped kyojuro's hand tightly, clenching your teeth in pain "i remember thinking this shit was stupid, and i was right!"
the master, kamaboko squad, other hashira, and (unknown to you or kyojuro) kyojuro's father and senjuro, were sitting in the lobby, supporting you both
although they were scared from your screaming
poor kyojuro kept a smile on his face, but he was inwardly panicking. he kept his composure for you, as you're the one in the most pain, even though you're crushing his hand right now.
but it's all downhill from here, and in a few hours, your baby will be here. in a few hours, he will be an active father, and that is exciting and terrifying.
after the contractions subsided, kyojuro was able to coax you onto the bed, gently rubbing your stomach and feeding you ice chips when you became thirsty
then, the moment of truth came when shinobu returned and announced that it was time to push
kyojuro, bless his heart, was still getting his hand crushed by you, but he fought through the pain
he did, however, keep cheering for you like you were at some sort of sporting event. which didn't last long after you were so quick to tell him to shut up
which he understood and responded with a quick, enthusiastic , "yes ma'am!" while keeping his grin on his face, even though his hand is still in pain
after a while his hand started to go numb, which was perfectly fine with him. he just wishes he could numb your pain
but he stays incredibly strong for you, and you couldn't be more grateful
you're exhausted, and the head and shoulders were the most difficult parts to push out
you're honestly not sure how women have the strength to birth six children at once
but all of the pain and exhaustion was worth it in the end when you finally met your bundle of joy, and shinobu happily announces,
her loud cries fill the room, showing great signs of the use of her lungs. shinobu took her over to be cleaned and going to find comfortable clothes for your bundle of joy
in their absence, you wanted nothing more than to rest, but with all of the blood and bodily fluid that comes with having a baby
the desire to take a shower exceeded your desire to rest
kyojuro helped you to the bathing area, and was even sweet enough to help you bathes, and you didn't protest
kyojuro was ecstatic that your baby had finally arrived, and he couldn't stop talking about her
after helping you out of the bath, kyojuro brought your more comfortable clothes from home that he thought would come in handy
after helping you back into bed, which shinobu had cleaned while you were bathing, you and kyojuro were able to meet your newly cleaned baby
and i tell you kyojuro was in love
your little girl was wide awake, looking between you and her father. after you both cooed quietly to her, she smiled, quickly recognize the voices from when she was still in your womb
"so you were the one causing all that commotion in there," kyojuro stated gently, caressing his daughter's head full of hair that resembled her father's
she held your facial features, there being no doubt that she was yours. but, much to your excitement, she possessed kyojuro's eyes
"so," kyojuro's voice came out quiet, soft, cherishing your peaceful moments with your new arrival. "are you still certain of her name, my love?"
smiling gently at your babbling daughter, you nodded, "i am."
kyojuro hummed in delight, "i'm glad," he gets up from the bed, pressing a kiss to both yours and the baby's head. "i'm going to tell everyone of her arrival! they're all waiting!"
"the baby's here! and she's beautiful!"
kyojuro was proud to announce the birth of his daughter to his fellow demon slayer, master, and(much to his surprise) his father and brother. mitsuri was the first to jump up in excitement.
"oh, congratulations!" everyone crowed around him, and kagaya was next to speak in his usual calm tone.
"how's y/n?" kyojuro's smile grew wider.
"understandably exhausted, but great," his chest puffed out in pride. "they're both great!"senjuro ran up to his brother and hugged his waist.
"so," he looked to his older brother with contained excitment. "does she have a name yet?"
when you broke the news of your pregnancy, you both came to an agreement. if the baby were to be a boy, kyojuro would decide a name, and if you had a girl, then you'd decide the name. and you did.
with his father present, kyojuro felt hesitant to reveal his beloved daughter's name. it's a name their family could never forget, and you felt as if your daughter would carry it with pride in the future.
"well," kyojuro patted his brother's head. "y/n thought it'd be fitting to name her, ruka."
senjuro's eyebrows lifted in surprise, pleasant surprise. he adored the idea of his niece acquiring the name of their late mother. they looked to their father for his reaction, knowing the grief for the loss of his wife strongly remained.
the youngest rengoku felt unease creep up his spine, watching as his father took long strides towards him and his older brother. senjuro gulped as his father lifted his hand, expecting him to strike kyojuro's cheek. but..
sjinuro placed a hand on kyojuro's shoulder, giving his eldest son a proud nod.
"i'm sure your daughter will carry ruka's name well," he gave his son's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
kyojuro felt more prideful than before.
after everyone filed out of the butterfly estate(with the exception of his father and his little brother) paid you and ruka a visit, kyojuro lead them to the comfortable room you and little ruka were resting.
shinjuro and senjuro wanted to meet her without the chaos of everyone else in the room, so they opted to wait until everyone had left.
upon the arrival to your room, all the three males felt their hearts swell at the sight.
ruka had been cleaned, her lowering half swaddled in a soft blanket since she loves to make grabby hands at you and grip your finger into her tiny hand. a small stocking cap sat snuggly atop her head. her cute laughs filled the room, babbling off nonsense to you.
"oh, really?" you asked as ruka continued her babbling, smiling happily once she heard your loving voice reply to her. "i know, tell me about it." you couldn't help but smile down at her.
you didn't even notice other people in the room. you and ruka were lost in your own little world, neither of you understanding what was being said, but your happiness was unmatched in this moment.
"y-y/n-nii," at the mention of your name, your attention broke away from ruka. you smiled at your little brother in law.
"senjuro, hi," you waved them inside. "well, don't just stand there. come in and meet her."
kyojuro rushed excitedly to your side, carefully getting into the bed next to you. he kissed your cheek, "how're my girls doing?"
that's what you two were now, and it made your heart warm and fuzzy. you kissed his cheek before resting your head on his shoulder.
"just fine," you smiled as senjuro scurried to the bed, peering in wonder at ruka's small form in your arms. "we've been talking an awful lot for a while." you patted the empty space by your legs, and senjuro was quick to fill the empty space. "would you like to hold her?" he looked up at you, hopeful.
"m-may i?" you carefully handed ruka over, granting him his answer. senjuro was eager, but handled her with amplified care. as he quietly cooed at your daughter, shinjuro finally came forward.
your relationship with him wasn't strong by any means, but you knew shinjuro didn't hate you. far from it, actually. he would've made it a goal to chase you off from his son if he had. while he didn't treat them as they deserved, they are still his sons, and he loves them dearly.
his late wife would kill him if he didn't.
while he gave you a hard time, much like he does with everyone else, you held a special place in his heart. the moment he saw your interactions with kyojuro, senjuro, hell even himseld, you reminded him so much of ruka.
and, he felt, that's exactly what kyojuro needed in a wife.
his mother would be proud.
despite this, you had to admit, he still made you slightly nervous when he approached. he kneeled, reaching your eye-level.
"y/n," shinjuro's voice was gentle, catching you and kyojuro off guard. "i can say with great confidence that your daughter will truly become a remarkable woman," the man's usual hard expression softened, gently placing a hand atop your head. "with a woman of your caliber as her mother, there isn't a doubt in my mind that she will. and...i couldn't be more proud to have you as a daughter."
you and kyojuro were both rendered speechless. neither of you have witnessed shinjuro like this, and maybe it was your hormones, but it nearly moved you to tears.
you've been married to kyojuro for years, and not once has shinjuro ever acknowledged you as a daughter.
before you could stop yourself, you threw your arms around shinjuro's neck, almost certain that he would throw you off.
you certainly caught him off guard, and he was hesitant in deciding what to do. while he didn't return your hug fully, shinjuro rested his hand on the back of your head and held for however long you needed.
kyojuro was over the moon.
he was well aware of the fact that you wanted his father's acceptance, and now, you've got it.
after pulling away, shinjuro looked to his youngest son before standing up, "come along, senjuro. we must leave." shinjuro gestured for his son to hand your daughter back.
"awe," senjuro whined while gently handing ruka to you, pouting as he followed his father to the door. "may we come back next week?"
shinjuro looked to you and kyojuro for approval, which you both gave without hesitation. senjuro smiled, waving goodbye to the three of you.
now, it was you, kyojuro, and little ruka left in the room. the exhaustion of giving birth finally caught up with you as you were granted a moment of peace, and the same could be said for kyojuro and ruka.
your husband wrapped his arms around you, pulling you and ruka closer to him. his cheek pressed against the top of your head, your head rested securely under his and held in both of your arms.
you and ruka were fast asleep, and kyojuro smiled down at the both of you before allowing his heavy eyes to come to a close. pulling you closer to his chest, you'd subconsciously curled into kyojuro's side, causing a smile to spread across his face.
kyojuro has his two greatest treasures in his arms, and he couldn't be happier.
a/n: I had NO idea how to end this one :/