Random One-Shots

Inosuke Hashibira| A White Christmas

I hummed to myself as I helped Aoi in the kitchen of Butterfly Mansion, making food for the demon slayers left in our care. I was busy kneading dough as Aoi had left to check on something.

"Try stealing that plate one more time Inosuke and you won't have any hands to steal with anymore." I had felt Inosuke approaching and let him into the kitchen this far but I would not let him have the plate like how Aoi does.

Inosuke laughed behind me and I turned to see a determined look on his face that would've scared anyone else. "Finally! A worthy opponent! Fight me!"

I rolled my eyes, "I will once I finish this bread. You can wait until then, can't you Inosuke?"

He blinked. He wasn't used to people telling him to wait. He was used to people either fighting him or telling him no. "Uh, um yeah. Later."

I had expected him to leave but instead he stayed, going about the kitchen and examining everything his gaze fell on. Including the tempura.

"If you're going to a nuisance in the kitchen, then you could at least be a helpful nuisance. Make use of your muscles and knead this bread." I scooted some dough towards the unusual male.

He let out a laugh as he speedily kneaded the dough. Like it was a challenge to see who could knead it the fastest.

"Careful Inosuke. This isn't a challenge." I had to stifle a giggle as I watched him knead the bread. It was almost comical at how fast he was going.
-
I rested my hands on my hips as I stared at the spotless kitchen with plates full of food for Christmas dinner. Who knew, if utilized correctly, that Inosuke's naturally competitive nature and need to be the strongest would be helpful in making dinner and cleaning?

"Good job Inosuke. Doesn't everything look delicious?" I glanced over to see Inosuke reaching his grubby fingers toward a plate of buns and I slapped his hand away, "Not yet."

He blinked, staring at his hand that I had slapped before starting at me. His face slowly morphed into his maniacal smile and I knew what he wanted before he said or did anything.

"Okay Inosuke. Go grab your swords and I'll meet you outside to fight." He reminded me of a kid, the way he ran back to the room where we kept the sick and injured.

I sighed as I stepped outside. It was beginning to turn dark quickly and it didn't help that it was cloudy all day, flurries coming and going all day. Prime time for demons to be out.

I sensed Inosuke and turned, quickly blocking his attack as he tried to get the jump on me. I noticed he had taken off the green shirt we had given him and Tanjiro and Zenitsu while they were recovering, leaving just the green pants. I could never figure out if it was because he just didn't like shirts or if he was trying to show off how muscular he was.

I grunted as I forced Inosuke's swords back and we were a blur of movement as we defended, blocked, and parried. Inosuke was strong, even though he was still recovering from his most recent injuries but they weren't that serious.

"Damn." I grunted as we continued to fight. He had a serious expression on his unnaturally pretty face as he focused on my movements and planned his accordingly. It was amazing to watch his expressions, especially since he normally wears a boar mask. It almost distracted me.

I frowned at that thought before pushing myself. I can't let a pretty face distract me in battle. I grunted as I caught Inosuke's arm as he swung one of his swords towards me, using his momentum to flip him before I pinned him, placing my sword against his throat.

"If you were a demon, you'd be dead." I panted as I stared down at Inosuke's surprised face. It seemed he thought he was going to win. I stood up, reaching a hand down to help him up which he ignored.

The wind picked up, causing me to shiver as I looked up. Huge snowflakes were starting to fall and the snow was beginning to stick onto the roof of Butterfly Mansion.

"Look Inosuke, the snow is sticking." I held out my hand to catch the snowflakes and giggled. Inosuke still looked upset that I beat him. "Aw come on Inosuke. Enjoy the snow."

I held my hand out to him again and he begrudgingly took it this time, letting me drag him across the yard as I reveled being in the snow. I glanced back at Inosuke who still didn't look to be enjoying himself.

I pouted as I stuck my finger to his cheek. "C'mon Inosuke, smile a little." I continued to poke his cheek until he became annoyed and swatted my hand away. But I could see the corner of his mouth quirk up which was enough for me.

The snow began to fall quicker and the temperature fell dramatically so I grabbed Inosuke and pulled him back into the house, not wanting either of us to get a cold.

"There you two are. We were about to start dinner without you." Aoi appeared in front of us, her hands on her hips as she stared at us.

My cheeks turned pink and I wasn't sure if it was from where I had been out in the cold or if I was embarrassed by being caught outside by Aoi. "Sorry Aoi. We got a little sidetracked." I scratched the back of my head as Inosuke went off, no doubt, in search of the food that made the house smell so good.

She gave me a knowing look and turned, marching off in the direction that Inosuke had went. I suppose to everyone else it was obvious that I liked Inosuke. But to him, I was just another opponent who he wanted to fight to see who was stronger. I sighed, following after them.
-
I groaned as I rolled over, wanting to fall back asleep. My eyes felt crusty as I opened them, blinking as I tried to adjust to the darkness in my room. It was almost daybreak.

There was a snort near my head and I looked in front of me to see a boar head resting on the edge of my bed.

"Ahhh!" I bolted out of bed, my sword in my hand as I pointed it towards the boar. Wait a minute- "Inosuke?"

He nodded and stood up, his familiar fur garments on instead of the green clothes we had given him. "Come outside."

"Wh-what? Inosuke it's barely even dawn! I was trying to sleep." I sighed, rubbing my forehead as I realized that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after Inosuke's scare. "Fine. Get out so I can change."

Inosuke tilted his head and it didn't seem like he would leave. I grabbed one of my pillows, throwing it at his head, "I said get out!"

When I had gotten changed and went outside like Inosuke had told me to do I saw that it was covered in gleaming white snow. I gasped and looked around for Inosuke, "Inosuke? Inosuke!"

I continued to look around until I felt something cold hit the back of my head, snow falling into my shirt. "Ahh! Cold!" I turned to see Inosuke laughing with another snowball in his hand. "Inosuke! You're so dead!"

I scrambled around, gathering snow and packing it into a sphere as I avoided Inosuke's own snowballs. It was fun, being outside just as the sun was about to rise and having a snowball fight. It was moments like these that I lived for.

I gasped as I ran towards Inosuke and I jumped, smashing snow into his boar's head mask as I took both of us down. I laughed, my breath showing up in the cold air as I rolled off Inosuke, looking up at the pinks and purples of the sky as the sun rose.

I glanced over to see Inosuke also gasping as he laid on his back. He could've been watching the sun rise but it was hard to tell him with his mask. He could've been looking anywhere.

My hand brushed against his in the snow and I grabbed it, his palm rough against mine. He didn't take his hand away as we continued to lay there in the snow.

I smiled, "Merry Christmas Inosuke."