As Things Should Be

-9- Loyalty

For six brief and wonderful years, Doma was able to forget about his traitorous meeting with the ancient traitor. For six bright years, he kept that syringe hidden in his robes and clothes, and he let himself forget about it.

It was easy to forget such things when things so much more important grew before his eyes.

Mirakuru transformed from a helpless lump of giggling into a lovely little girl. At six years old she was a force to be reckoned with. She loved to help, especially her father, but would never miss an opportunity to run away into the forest with her eleven, almost twelve-year-old, brother. Her rainbow eyes were large and vividly expressed her multitude of emotions, her hair was like her brothers and mother's and she loved whenever someone fixed it up, usually that someone was Doma.

He would sit for hours on end with Mirakuru in his lap, listening to her try and read him poems as he braided her long hair. She'd taken to learning much more eagerly than Inosuke who still resisted the lessons Kotoha would give. Kotoha had taught herself to read (something Doma hadn't even realized was a privilege he'd been given as a child) and she insisted that Inosuke learned. The boy had to be dragged into such lessons and would often escape to the woods to evade them, but Miku was happy to learn the texts her father showed her. She had her Mother's eagerness to learn and intelligence and her father's patience.

She quickly became the golden child and Inosuke couldn't have cared less. The boy refused to be beaten in everything except schooling.

"But whyyyyy do I need to learn?" he'd whined as Doma tried to get him to write.

"So that you can learn more about the world," Doma instructed with a smirk.

"But I don't care about the world! If someone's trying to say something they should just say it! Who cares about stupid words on paper?"

"What if that person is very far away and wants to talk to you?" Doma asked gently. He glanced over at where Kotoha was softly reciting syllables with Miku and smiled to see both of their eyes gleaming with joy as Miku mastered it.

"Who wants to talk to me?" Inosuke demanded, pulling Doma's attention back to the boy.

"Well, I would like to talk to you if I'm far away," Doma chuckled.

"But you're not gonna be far away!" Inosuke argued. "You're gonna be right here and if you want to talk to me, just talk!"

Doma sighed and ruffled the almost-teenager's hair. 

"Maybe I want to tell you a secret, and I don't want anyone else to hear," Doma smirked. Immediately, the boy perked up.

"What sort of secret, Old Man?" Inosuke asked with a suspicious look.

"Oh, all sorts of secrets. I know a lot of things," Doma teased dramatically. "Things I can't say out loud, but alas, I guess you'll never be able to learn them."

"Hey - hey, I know how to read okay! And I can write stuff too!" Inosuke argued. "You can totally tell me, or - or write to me!"

"No, no, what if you misinterpret a word - what if I use code?"

"Why would you use code!" Inosuke argued back.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"FINE! Give me that!" the boy snatched the pen from Doma's hands and scowled as he began to scribble on the paper. Doma smiled and shook his head as the boy sloppily began to transcribe a few lines from his book.

Another victory for Doma. Honestly, these small battles were more fulfilling than any fight he'd held with a demon slayer.

"Papa! Ino-san! Listen to this!" Miku called from across the room. And like that, Inosuke's focus was broken. Oh well, what could you do but laugh?