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deadcalmgiyu · 2 years

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Do you have any headcanons on how Kanao and Tanjirou's relationship developed post-canon?

Hnnnggghhhh, Anonnnnn, you're gonna make flusterrrreedddd~~

Okay, so, this is gonna be a walk through a bunch of my TanKana fanwork, with some new silly domestic doodles of what I think they're like as a parents. If you've invited me to indulgent, then fine, I will indulge. This is probably gonna get messy and ramble full of typos, but you're the one who Asked, Anon, you're the one making me dribble all this fluffy howa-howa stuff from my fingertips!!

Okay. So. Tanjiro and Kanao are in the same batch. They refer to each other without honorifics, a sign of seeing each other as equals. Even if Tanjiro does find himself taken in by the sight of her with the butterflies as having more feminine mystique than has ever caught his attention, he doesn't make special considerations for her just because she's a girl. As their baseline level of trust, they are in this Corp together and united by the same mission.

But they do build more fondness for each other than they have with Corp members they're less acquainted with, simply due to the bonds that come with living together, and especially from Kanao's side because of how Tanjiro broke through to her. (Right after doing the same thing to Aoi, more or less, and the Kimetsu Radio commentary on this episode had Shimono Hiro yelling at Tanjiro to stop doing that to all the girls.)

So let's skip ahead!! POST-CANON!! You know, after KANAO was the one who SAVED TANJIRO FROM HIMSELF. And they share that smile on the ground, the one that says, "I am so, so grateful for you and I'm so happy you're okay." And, despite their fresh new vision-impairedness, they look into each other's eyes and see and understand that. D'AAAWWWW.

But, in my silly fanart approach, maybe Tanjiro found himself attracted to her without realizing he was attracted to her. Too much Respect Women juice got up his nostrils why they were playing the cup game and he couldn't quite realize how much he liked the way she smelled.

So this is what we get for most of canon, they both have their hands full with demon slaying, and Kanao's also got a whole new world to take an interest in, thanks to this heart-snatcher.

So I think this was the moment that broke the floodgates for them. Even if they didn't, say, get into a courtship right away, I think they probably skipped any of the pre-relationship "do they like me or do they not" ambiguity. Just looking at the tiny post-canon interactions we get, I think they both settled into a very easy and open affection for each other. Maybe Tanjiro even flirts by placing cups on her head.

And just in the process of relaxing and visiting they get to know each other in ways they couldn't when demon slaying was always on their brains, like Tanjiro seeing both the very kind and very sharp-tongued sides of Kanao, or unwittingly startling her into having a conversation about her past.

But then why wait on courtship?

Probably because Tanjiro isn't ready.

Kanao, once she can hear that voice in her heart and become a decisive person, because a very resolute, self-assured person. And by golly, she wants to be a doctor now? She's a doctor. And the co-master of a rich estate, this girl can do what she wants, with relative ease, her gratitude for everything her sisters gave her exceeds her grief and she smiles in a powerful way now.

Tanjiro, however, has gotten physically very worn down by his experiences, and after years of fighting on Nezuko's behalf and grieving the loss of everything he once knew, he does need the peace and quiet for a while of just appreciating the simple life with Nezuko and his bros. But also, Tanjiro doesn't expect to live any more than 10 more years. As much as his sense of gratitude keeps this from deeply bothering him, he probably puts a damper on how eager he is to start a family.

This was also the headcanon context I had in mind when I wrote one of my most well-received One Shots, "The Blind Widow Needs No Pity" which takes place from the outsider's perspective, the perspective of Tanjiro and Kanao's oldest son. This fic does use at it's premise that Tanjiro does, in fact, die by 25. The fic is mostly headcanons about Kanao's life after that, and how much her children don't know about her.

___

THE HEADCANONS I USED TO HAVE:

Even before we got the second fanbook or even the extended epilogue of Volume 23, I always kind of had the expectation that ZenNezu happens first, because duh, and then once Tanjiro sees Nezuko in a relationship he very naturally feels drawn to having a relationship too, and he and Kanao just breeze their way into a swift and happy marriage-minded relationship. And, in that time, Inosuke somehow makes progress with Aoi, who has an awakening of what an attractive catch he is, and they probably try to keep the relationship secret because Aoi is embarrased. A ZenNezu marriage happens, a TanKana marriage happens, and when a hasty InoAoi marriage happens everyone is shocked. Not gonna lie, I had imagined that happening because of an 'oopsie' and Aoi's eager to make no one notice the timing.

So in that course of events, I had imagined Aoi having children first (and living in the Butterfly Mansion with Inosuke), which lead to the look on her face in this omake for this serious fanart, Tanjiro going off to find a midwife for Kanao but having flashbacks to how Yoriichi found Uta dead, and how Tanjiro found his own family dead.

And that oldest son? He's got a scar on his forehead too. Because he bumped heads with Daddy.

This fic kind of wrote itself the moment I got the flash of inspiration shortly after canon finished serialization, but the headcanons have certainly stuck with me for their future children, even if at this point I'm pretty flexible in thinking of futures in which either the mark had no effect at all, or less of one, or works as promised.

But while we're on the topic of Tanjiro potentially not being around for long, I later on got this idea that Kanao might had helped pass on Hinokami Kagura, at least as far as keeping the form is concerned.

----

Oh, you're not here for lore theories, you're here for shippy stuff??? But, but Anon, that makes me flustered.

F-Fine. Let's move on to how some of my headcanons have changed.

THE HEADCANONS I HAVE NOW:

I blame thing on a Pixiv ZenNezu fanart binge I went on one day, in which the premise of one comic was Zenitsu and Nezuko talking about how Kanao is expecting a baby, although she and Tanjiro aren't even married yet.

And then I couldn't shake the thought. It wormed its way into my mind, and I was like, "...yeah. YEAH. I'm seeing this. I can't UNsee it."

And my gut reaction was "KAMADO TANJIRO WOULD NEVER."

But my second thought was, "...unless Kanao really wanted to."

So!! So, you ship-content consuming Anon, you wanna know how I think this unfolded, don't you? W-well, fine, it's not like I wanna tell you what I've pictured, baka!!

To copy some of my rambling about this on an InoAoi fanart (because I often find myself making InoAoi in the context of TanKana):

"It does make some sense that they wouldn’t wait that long, though, knowing what the mark may have in store for Tanjiro and wanting to make the most out of their time as a family, and the fact that Kanata and Sumihiko (great-great-grandchildren) are a whole generation ahead of Touko and Yoshiteru (great-grandchildren)."

So they make their periodic visits back to the Butterfly Mansion for check-ups, right? So at some point in the span of that year while Zenitsu is waiting for Nezuko's answer, and they're on a visit. Because Tanjiro and Kanao have generally been open in affection for each other ever since the day they met eyes like that, maybe even gotten really used to spending time alone with one-another on walks and stuff, they can't deny how much they want to be together, but Tanjiro has his misgivings because of the mark. Kanao, totally resolute, already has long known about this but is unwavering, and that makes her all the more eager to be with him, while they have the chance.

Everything has wound down for the evening, Nezuko and the others are distracted with the little girls, Tanjiro's already had his bath and is just relaxing with her on the last night of this visit, and Kanao proposes they take their relationship to the next step, forcing Tanjiro to open up about his misgivings about leaving her alone while she's still young, how he doesn't want to do that to her, he wants her to find happiness, blah, blah, blah. Kanao expected this, she puts her hand to his cheek and says that he was the one who told her to follow her heart, and in her heart, she's long since made up her mind to be his wife. And that's why for that night, she wants him to stay in her room, so that they can be one as soon as possible.

Tanjiro, very overwhelmed by this display of passion and her resoluteness, is overcome with how grateful he is for Kanao, and that Kanao is exactly who he would want as his partner for whatever lies ahead. He agrees.

Kanao still needs a bath though. He stays ducked out in her room and waits happily, thinking about both the very near events of that evening and their long term future, as well as the more practical matters of how early he'll have to wake up to sneak out in the morning before anyone notices they had no idea which room he was sleeping in that night. (The hospital? Nezuko's old room? No one's thought to wonder!)

So he wakes up early the next morning filled with happiness to have her cuddling next to him, she still smells amazing, but after gently kissing her goodbye (which she's awake for) he books it in a panic back to where everyone else is, making it look like he just came out of whatever room he was not in. He's a terrible frenzy but everyone just assumes it's Tanjiro being his usual self and just not explaining something exciting very well. It's Tanjiro being terrible at lying, that's what. No one is any the wiser and when the Butterfly Mansion girls see Kamaboko squad off that morning, there's of course and extra affectionate smile between Tanjiro and Kanao.

Kanao returns smelling wonderful, slightly nervous, but mostly very ready. Tanjiro's happily ready too, and they have a tender first time. No, Anon, no, I'm not going to say any more than that.

Except that yeah, the scars on her chest do give him pause.

And because we're going with a 'happened on the first time' trope, and the medical visits to the Butterfly Mansion are monthly or so, that gives Kanao enough time to start developing pregnancy symptoms and Aoi figures everything out. She's the one who pushes Kanao to start thinking about the hard details like where she and Tanjiro are going to live (she's the one who tells Kanao that if she's serious about this, that means probably living a rough lifestyle in the Kamado family home, is she ready for that?), when she'll tell Tanjiro, driving home sadly that Kanao will probably eventually have to raise the child by herself (but Aoi will support her no matter what), etc. Girl bonding time, yay.

On the next visit Aoi (and the little girls, who all know) very quickly create a scenario for Kanao and Tanjiro to be alone together so she can tell him. Tanjiro is shocked but of course thrilled, and he's already had a month or so totally change his outlook and happily look forward to a future with Kanao, he's ready to work out all the details with her immediately. They come back shortly afterward with everyone together, and Zenitsu wants to make a formal announcement.

He's moving out of the Kamaboko home. He's gotten a job in town (at an electric company, because it's funny), and he's going to save a bunch of money to buy a house.

And then Tanjiro and Kanao completely overshadow him by announcing their news, Nezuko had been flustered with Zenitsu's declarations of how hard he's going to work for her but instantly forgets all that when hearing she's getting a niece or nephew. And Tanjiro generally announces that don't have much time to get everyone's new living situations arranged, because that's going to be his house to live in with Kanao when she's ready to move (and the boys are kiiiinda not welcome, although Nezuko can of course stay until she's ready to move out). And that night he's totally open about staying in Kanao's room, much to everyone's shock, because duh, in their minds, they are already married. (Nezuko will insist they go through formalities soon, though.)

So Zenitsu moves out, filled with determination to make Nezuko way happier than Tanjiro or Kanao, and Inosuke finds himself going on more visits to the Butterfly Mansion, so that becomes his home half the time, everyone just kind of expects it to become his full-time home again once Kanao moves around halfway through the pregnancy. Nezuko sticks around a bit, especially wanting to help take care of Kanao, but she also feels awkward and wants to give them space and she spends more time at the Butterfly Mansion too. With all this going on she's given more serious thought to Zenitsu's proposal, and when the time goes that she owes him an answer, she's ready to say yes.

This is only after Zenitsu has visited the mansion and figured out, to his horror, than Inosuke and Aoi are also in a happy (but still secret, although the little girls have figured it out by now) relationship. He could cry tears of jealous rage that even though he proposed to Nezuko long before either of them made a move, somehow he's the last of the three guys to actually get into that happy lovey-dovey relationship he's always so passionately craved. Because it's funny.

And anyway. I'm still super attached to that fanart idea of their first child being born in the dead of winter and Tanjiro being too traumatized to want to risk leaving her. But everything is fine.

---

OH, KIDS?? YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE KIDS?????

Since everyone often has their own ideas for the children of canon couples and those become very fiercely, dearly held headcanons, I don't like to tread on this much. I have my own and don't like seeing them trampled either, after all.

Buuuuut, since that fic mentioned earlier was so well received, I feel slightly more confident in saying that I headcanon two boys and a girl for TanKana, albeit the timing and spacing is loose, depending on the effect of the mark, or lack thereof.

SPOILER! The premise of "Blind Widow" is that since she doesn't talk about herself much (and they didn't get much time with Tanjiro), they get some untrue ideas about her past. I like to imagine that Kanao especially has a habit of this, and Tanjiro does not at all pick up on the fact that he and Kanao simply have no shared all the context for their facts.

Another headcanon I've long-since had is that when Kanao's angry with Tanjiro, she goes into just happy forceful smiling mode. Her family has learned what this means.

But I also headcanon that TanKana is not very creative when it comes to children's names. They are very happy with their choices and think they have thought deeply about them, but they really haven't.

Do the kids have names? Oh yeah, you bet they have names.

Going back to that fic they were created in/for, the narrator's name is dropped toward the end of the fic, a reveal of charcoal spin of a name they went for. Tanjiro reached back and chose the name of his ancestor, Sumiyoshi.

---

Alright alright alright, that's enough domestic fluff, no more!

ANOTHER POSSIBILITY I'VE CONSIDERED

Tanjiro wasn't really in good shape to continue making charcoal. Inosuke took to it really well.

Kanao worked as a doctor and had reason to feel attached to the Butterfly Mansion.

At some point later generations of the Kamado clan lost contact with the Hashibira clan, until Aoba and Sumihiko met up and became friends while dealing with being in their respective amounts of big trouble. Aoba seems attached to the mountains. Sumihiko, little parkour boy, lives the middle of a city and presumably has never made charcoal.

While Japan does try to keep family trades going on for generation after generation, it's not always feasible to go father to son, and there's always been flexibility, including entrusting some traditions to unrelated craftsman who may or may not be formally adopted into the family. Name changes may or may not happen.

What if Tanjiro entrusted the Kamado family home and charcoal trade to Inosuke?

Aoi, who might had always felt the Butterfly Mansion belonged just a little more to Kanao, might had been fine with this and offered her services to the new community, while Kanao continued running the hospital with equipment that helped her get around her vision impairment, as well as take extra care of Tanjiro's health.

I would prefer that Tanjiro stays in his family home, but the more I think about this someone sad alternative, the more I think it could make a lot of sense.

----

Well. Anyway. To wrap this up, you know that post-canon art piece of Kanao in a kimono making an arrangement of autumn flowers as Tanjiro offers her Tsukimi Dango (moon-viewing dumplings)? This is how I've always imagined the continuation to go:

And that, Anon, is how I break the tension of fluffy ship content with something stupid.

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deadcalmgiyu · 2 years

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aphrodisiac -- ch. 01 | DEMONS ( 18+ )

the first chapter is out !! also, no smut yet !! i want to get everyone aware of each other and possibly start romantic feelings before i get to the best parts you know. i don't know how many chapters this will be but whatever length, it will take me some time so i hope you can forgive that

also i have not spell checked it yet but i will later on so please ignore the mistakes !! thanks !!

genre : smut ( later ) actiony

words : like 8k

tags in this chapter : fear, blood mention, actively trying to hunt y/n down, violence, def some dubcon in there, actiony runaway scenes

It felt like the world was colder in the summertime. You were roaming around the old and abandoned temple late at night, just trying to find some answers. A lot of things had been going wrong recently. A family friend of yours and her daughter passed away just a few days ago. No one could find any more evidence than their blood, and the husband was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t suspected since at the time he was at a business meeting. But still, it chilled you to the core to know that such a happy family had been torn apart by seemingly nothing. You just wanted to pray for their safe trip to heaven.

Once reaching the center of the temple, you knelt down on two knees. Whispering your prayers, you were comfortable just to keep this peace you felt swelling in your chest for the rest of your life had it been possible. You could remember going to the same shrine with Rei and her daughter. You never had a full conversation with her husband, Tsukahiro. You assumed that he was always busy and just didn’t have time to talk, but whenever you did get a chance to talk to him, it was always short lived. He always found an excuse to leave your conversation before anything meaningful could be said.

Opening your eyes, you didn’t know how much time passed. There was some shuffling behind you, and you curiously looked over your shoulder.

“ Oh, Tsukahiro-san, I didn’t know anyone would be here, especially you. “ you were more than a little skeptical of the situation, but kept a polite smile.

“ Truth is, I was looking for you, Y/N. Are you grieving for Rei and Hina ? “ He asked, standing before you in front of the shrine.

“ Yes. I miss them more than I thought I was. I’m not even family, so I’m sure I have no idea what you’re going through right now. I’m sorry about that. “

“ It’s alright, “ he sounded almost comically angry at you, but his face hadn’t changed from his unreadable expression, “ Many don’t understand. I don’t expect you to be any different. “

You nodded, watching him intently. He didn’t move much, and you hardly saw his chest rise or fall, if at all. “ You said you were looking for me ? What for ? If it’s okay. “

“ I need you to deliver something for me, if you don’t mind, “ he reaches his hand out to give you something very small. It was a vial, and it looked like blood, oddly enough. You took it from him, your fingers grazing against each other. He winced away for just a moment. Had you known his self control was what stopped you from being mercilessly devoured here and now, you would have been a little less haphazard with your movements. “ It’s an animal’s blood. It’s very important that you never open it. Just deliver it. “

His speech was quick and to the point. You figured he didn’t want to have much more of a conversation with you, and you weren’t going to entertain him any longer. “ Alright, I’ll deliver it for you. “

Muzan smiled very slightly, more composed than he had been a few moments ago. “ Thank you, Y/N-chan. “

You nodded, rolling the little vial in your hand as you inspected it.

“ Let me bring you home. So I know you’re safe, “ he blurted out rather surprisingly, “ It would hurt too much if something happened to you, Y/N. Allow me to do this. “

You stood up, unsure if you really should let him bring you home. With the intimidating and serious look he was giving you, it didn’t seem like you had much of a choice. You bowed, not to him, but to the shrine you were at. For a moment, he thought you finally had a brain cell and knew who you were talking to. But a quick prayer spilled from your lips and he knew you were just as naive as he thought you were.

Muzan walked in front of you, his stride long and quick. You had to rush to keep up with him, even though you were supposed to be showing him where your apartment was. It seemed like he already knew. In front of you, he scanned the area, glaring at the demon he knew all too well who was stalking you. His red eyes bore into the Upper Rank Two demon’s skull until he got the hint and backed away. Once Douma had been taken care of, he slowed down, letting you go ahead.

“ I know my way around this forest. I come here quite often, “ he answered your unspoken question. You nodded, walking by his side without a second thought. Were you always this disrespectful with those superior to you ? It was truly a test of his skill to ignore you and not pin you down where you stood.

Devouring that blood of yours sounded like a special treat just for him. You were completely unaware of how special your blood truly was, and how you should be so grateful he was protecting you like he was. You should be groveling on your knees as a thank you just as you had been praying at the shrine. Fuck, you should be praying to him for sparing your life as a benevolent god to you. You should be so willing to do whatever he asked of you that you wouldn’t even mind if he used you as nothing more than an onahole..

Muzan growled under his breath, upset that his self control wasn’t as strong as he thought it was previously. He was still affected by the aphrodisiac you had coursing through your veins. What even were you ? In his millenia of living, he had never come across someone with such a strong smell that took over every neuron in his brain and turned his animalistic instincts up to a hundred.

Whatever you were, he wanted you for his private collection.

The city was in full bloom now as you silently walked side by side. He was thankful it diluted the smell of just you with the regular smells of a city. You lived closer to the edge, about a fifteen minute walk to that temple you were just at. Walking towards the tiny apartment you rented out, you were silently so glad that the awkward walk home was done.

“ Thank you for walking me, Tsukahiro-san. I can get inside on my own, “ you turned to him, bowing slightly in gratitude. Finally the first thing you had done correctly all night. “ I will deliver this vial for you. “

“ You’re doing me a great service, “ Muzan gave you a fake smile, stepping closer to you. You backed up to give yourself the same amount of room as before, backed up against your door. You smelled so good up close, it was almost impossible to stop now. His hand found its way to your jaw, holding your head in place. His sharp nails dug against your skin, tearing it slightly. Muzan’s eyes narrowed into the tiny drop of blood trailing down your jawline down to your neck.

“ Tsu- “

He leaned in almost hypnotically, turning your head away from him so you couldn’t see him open his mouth to taste what you had to offer him. That little drop tasted like a piece of perfection - very close to himself.

You shivered, goosebumps running down your body as you felt his teeth graze against your neck. You were scared, and confused. He just lost his wife, why was he going after you so hard ? You closed your eyes, praying for him to be done. You couldn’t move your head, his grip was far too tight. He could kill you like this, and that scared you. You didn’t want to end up just like Rei had, so you hoped if you let him do what he wanted, you would get away with your life intact.

Muzan knew he shouldn’t do what he was thinking so hard about. He knew he shouldn’t take a bite of your neck, it would ruin everything he was trying to set up. He closed his eyes tightly, recounting his reasoning for sparing you right here. He pulled away, flinging you away from him. Your head hit the door hard. You could feel the blood drip from the wound onto your face, and down your chin.

He backed away, his hands curled so tightly he was making himself bleed. You saw a glimpse of the look of frustration on his face, anger written everywhere in his features. He was pissed that he had to hold himself back. He, a god, had to show mercy to his pitiful little sheep to prepare you for the bigger plans.

“ I will take my leave now. Do your best to deliver that as I had instructed you, “ he spit out, backing up from you. “ And.. Y/N. Take care not to come face to face with anyone in the dark. “

Now he tells you.

You rushed for the key in your purse. Fumbling with the lock, the moment you could open the door, you were through it. Locking every single lock you had on your door, you slid down the door, lightheaded. You held your head in your hands, trying to catch your breath as your panic set it.

“ Well, that’s not good, “ a voice came from in front of you. Your head snapped up to see a tall and well built man standing over you, bandages in his extended hand. “ Go ahead, take it. It looks like you need something to stop the bleeding. “

“ Wh - why are you in my house ? “ You whispered, your fear topping over from terrified to stone cold. Freezing was your only response left. “ Are you going to hurt me ? “

“ NO ! I mean, yeah, probably. At some point. But not today, “ he did a horrible job at assuring you that you were safe. “ My name is Douma ! You can call me whatever you like. I just wanna chat with you, you know ? “

“ You.. Didn’t answer my question, Douma. “

“ Oh ! That’s cuz it didn’t really matter. Does it really matter how I got into your house ? I’m here now, aren’t I ? “ Douma asked, squatting down in front of you. He pushed your hair out of your face, taking a good look at the wound on your head. “ You smell amazing, did you know that ? You’re like a magnet for demons, really. I can see why that man could barely control himself. He didn’t eat anything today at all. His hunger and your smell was getting to him. “

“ My smell ? I didn’t put any perfume on today ? “

“ Perfume ! Hah, perfume has no effect on us ! “ Douma exclaimed, laughing a little too enthusiastically like you told a hilarious joke. “ It’s your blood ! It’s so enthralling and smells really good. That’s probably why that man acted up. It wasn’t his fault. “

You didn’t understand what he was saying at all, but he didn’t seem to have any interest in nearly taking a bite of your neck like Muzan had, so you were slightly more comfortable with him. “ He almost bit me and slammed my head against the door because I smell good ? “

“ Yep ! Just as you say. You’re so smart. “

Kind of annoyed with his smart-ass attitude, you rolled your eyes. “ Why are you here ? I know you won’t tell me how you got here, but at least tell me why you’re here. “

Douma clapped, giving you a very friendly smile. Something about it was off putting and strange, but compared to the stoic expression Muzan wore, you welcomed this more inviting person a little more. “ I’m here to talk to you ! Getting to know the person who had that man on his knees just sounds like a fun time. “

“ You.. Want to know about me ? “ You asked, very unsure.

“ I can tell you about me if it makes you feel any better. I told you my name, what’s yours ? “

Thinking for a second on your choices, you decided to go the straight and narrow path of truth and honesty. “ Y/N. “

“ Kind of a lame name but it’s okay. Not everyone can have really nice names otherwise it would get dull really quick. “

You took the bandages from him, stumbling to a stand. “ Yeah, well, I didn’t really get a say in my name, either. “

Douma stood with you, following you like a lost puppy around your apartment. “ Yeah, some people didn’t get very creative parents. And that’s okay, not everyone can be winners otherwise there’d be no losers. “

“ Why do you speak like you’re giving a sermon ? “

“ I have a cult. “

You turned to look at him, your eyebrow raised up in confusion. “ Elaborate. Please. “

“ Oh, yeah, “ Douma scratched the back of his head in faux embarrassment. “ It’s nothing much. Just a cult. They all worship me as someone who can bridge the gap from here to heaven. Do you believe in heaven ? “

“ Depends on what you say next, Douma. Do you ? “

“ Not in the slightest, “ he smiled, his fangs poking his lower lip. “ But I don’t think it really matters if I believe in heaven or not. After all, it’s just not likely that I’ll ever see heaven myself. “

You didn’t know how to answer that, too busy bandaging up your little head wound. It was barely there now that you cleaned it up, but it still stung really badly. “ So are you going to leave tonight ? Otherwise, this is a pretty useless conversation. Not that I don’t enjoy the company. “

“ Are you usually alone ? That’s not safe, Y/N ! You should be more careful when you smell that good. “

“ To be very fair, I didn’t know I smelled good until you told me a few minutes ago. “

Laughing, Douma agreed with you. His laughter stopped suddenly, and when you turned back to look at him, he was gone.

“ Douma ? Dou- hello ? Are you still here ? “ You called, your voice loud enough to go through your entire tiny apartment. When no one answered, you decided to look around the room. Finding nothing of any interest; nothing that proved that anyone beside you had been in your room, you shook it off and tried to go about your nightly routine as much as you possibly could.

As you rested on your futon, you looked at the little vial of dark blood. He had given you an exact date a week from now to deliver it. You wondered if strange things would keep happening to you if you held onto this vial of blood, and debated on tossing it or not. But when you closed your eyes, you remembered Muzan’s scarily serious face, and you realized there was no way you could throw it away without willingly throwing your life away with it.

As you were sleeping, you got the images of people traveling only in the dark. They couldn’t come out into the sun or they would dissolve into nothingness, but that didn’t stop some of them from trying. You sympathized with them; they wanted what they couldn’t have.

“ Y/N - “ a distant voice called you, saying your name once, twice, three times before you jolted awake.

It was still dark, but it looked like the sun could come up at any minute from your window. You closed the curtains you had, blacking out the room so you could have a little bit more sleep if you tried hard enough.

“ You’re not scared ? “ Another fucking voice called out from the darkness of your room. You jumped, temporarily forgetting about what had happened to you these previous few hours. Nearly getting bit from your dead friend’s widower, and then a random cult leader showing up in your room to explain the situation you were in.

When you found your lighter to turn on your gas lap, you found no one in your room. This voice was different from Douma’s or Muzan’s, and you knew you didn’t know what you just heard. Determined not to be outdone, you stood up from your futon, a little annoyed that you couldn’t just get some sleep like any other regular person.

You opened your window’s curtains again, looking out at the dark world around you. There was someone - something - looking at you from the edges of your apartment’s property into the forest. There, two watchful eyes stared as you spotted them and quickly closed the curtains.

Who was that ? You asked yourself, trying not to panic. When you opened your window curtains again to check, they were gone. But there was a man standing a few feet closer to you, waving his arms to get something’s attention.

A few minutes pass and the man is still there. He looks human. Pale, small, and thin. You were half asleep and in a daze, mostly curious than you were afraid.

You always tiptoed across death. You weren’t a person who chased the high of doing something reckless, but that high always found it’s way to you. You were either a really lucky person or a really, really unlucky person. You have never been seriously injured no matter how many problems you’ve seen through your life, and you were sure that this time no matter how strange it seemed, you weren’t going to get hurt this time, either.

So you took a bite of the apple that had dropped in your hands, and stood up. The guy outside noticed this and gave you a thumbs up sign. You dressed yourself quickly in your haori since it was always cold at night, and tiptoed outside. It always felt like your house was awake with monsters in the night. You tried to hold the secrets so your life didn’t spill out for everyone to see, but it didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to.

There, Akaza was waiting for you. He had heard about you from Douma, and decided he had to check up on you. A person like a drug to demons, but had no intentions of ever defying them.

You walked up to him, waving him to you. He smiled, wondering what was going on in your mind.

“ You really shouldn’t just check up on people in the middle of the night, you know that right ? “

“ So I’ve been told. Are you going to kill me ? “

“ I could. “

You nodded, unsure where your sudden boldness came from. It wasn’t that he wasn’t terrifying, he was. It just was that if they wanted to kill you, you knew any of them had the option to. Something was keeping them from devouring you on sight, and you figured it may have something to do with the blood pulsing through your veins. But you didn’t have enough information to figure that out on your own.

“ Yeah, you could. Do you want to take a walk ? “ you offered as you changed the subject off of murder, tilting your head a little.

“ You don’t care that I’m a demon ? “ Akaza asked, confused.

“ Of course I care, “ you objected, “ But what will caring do ? You’d probably just find a way into my room anyways. There’s no use hiding from you, or Douma, or Tsukahiro. Or anyone else. “

“ I wouldn’t go into a lady’s room ! “ Akaza seemed more hurt that you would insinuate that about him than about your unchanged attitude towards him. “ I’ve learned manners unlike the other Upper Moons. That’s why I brought you out here. “

“ Then what was the voice ? In my room ? “ You asked, a little confused.

“ I don’t know, but it wasn’t me. Your name is Y/N, right ? “

“ .. Yeah. “

He walked beside you as you walked into the small forest. He was kind of glad you decided to walk into a forest; it helped him hide from the sun that was bound to come up soon. You pushed past the leaves, walking wherever your feet decided to take you. “ Douma told me your name, so you don’t have to feel weird about that. “

“ You guys talk ? “ You asked, just wanting to know how they all worked. As you talked, you couldn’t deny the fear that was actually beginning to pick at your skin in the form of goosebumps.

“ We’re all Upper Moons, we have to talk sometimes, “ Akaza answered very honestly, which you liked about him. He didn’t seem like he was struggling with a nasty smell like Douma or Muzan had. He looked relatively calm, but if you were to look inside of his head, you would find that he was absolutely anything but.

“ Upper Moons are- ? “ You picked his brain, wondering why everyone was just giving you the information without a second thought. They seemed, while more prone to outbursts of violence, to actively want to tell the truth. Even if they knew they probably shouldn’t. You were nearly positive it wasn’t all demons, just the ones who could control themselves.

You were starting to realize just how special your blood actually was.

Akaza was busy explaining what Upper Moons were as you found a tiny bunny bouncing around a little ways in front of you. Excited, you stopped him from stepping too hard so it didn’t spook the tiny creature.

“ Don’t move, if we’re lucky it’ll come up to us and we can pet it. It’s not often bunnies come this far away from their homes anyways. “ You explained, holding him off from talking. You held your hand out in front of him so he’d stop moving.

- - - - -

You woke up, gasping. You had just seen an adorable little critter with someone walking with you - what.. Was that a dream ? It was daylight outside. Akaza was gone, if he ever came in the first place. You sat up, your hair messy and tangled and it hurt to try to fix it. You needed to shower as soon as possible and clear your head.

Frustrated with these things that kept happening to you, you thought back to your dream. Normally you would have been scared to come into contact with a demon like that, but you ran head first to Akaza like he was a familiar friend. You groaned, hitting your head against your futon again as you plopped back on it.

“ What has my life come to recently ? “ You asked yourself very quietly, rolling over to look at your book open to a page. Right beside it was the vial of blood, glittering slightly against the light. God, that stupid vial of blood. Your mind raced with so many questions. Why did you have to deliver it, anyways ? Why couldn’t he ?

During the day, you were safe. You walked around without a second thought. You knew, however, once the sun went down, you weren’t safe any longer. You groaned, watching the sun get lower in the sky. You were a few miles away from your house, and even though you tried to watch the time, you got caught up trying to find the bunny from before. You hoped it existed. Slightly, you hoped Akaza wasn’t just a dream character either. You were interested in him, and it would disappoint you if he wasn’t real anyways. But you couldn’t find the rabbit, and you started to give up hope that Akaza was real, either.

“ Damn, “ You mumbled to yourself, crouched at the exact place you remembered in your dream. It was so clear you could even remember the smallest details about the plants around you, like the tiny little purple wildflowers against your feet.

There was a deep growl from your left, and you got pushed onto your back, the abuser pinning you with his hand against your neck. The demon - Akaza - seemed animalistic, drool dripping down his mouth down his chin and onto your kimono. You writhed to get away from him, trying to kick him. Even your strongest kick wouldn’t do anything to him.

“ A - Akaza ! “ you tried to spit out, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp. “ Akaza, please ! Let go of me ! You said you didn’t hurt women, right ? Do you remember that ?! “

It seemed your screaming fell on deaf ears. He wanted you, he wanted all of you. He got scarily close to your face, drool dripping onto your cheek. You closed your eyes, flinching away. Why did you ever think searching for a demon was a good idea ? You hadn’t even noticed the sun go all the way down. You were the foolish one, truly.

There was a force against your lips, rough but at the same time, sparingly gentle. You opened your eyes in confusion, staring at Akaza as he kissed you. He pulled back after a few moments, pushing himself with brute force alone off of you and onto the sandy floor.

“ So - Sorry, Y/N, I don’t know what got over me - “ he grumbled, discombobulated. He stared at his hands, surprised at the amount of blood on both of his hands. “ Did you bleed on me ? “

“ Bleed ? “ You repeated, bringing your hand up to your neck. Surely enough, you were bleeding, and it was coming out in a huge amount. It must have been from his nails, but you didn’t feel any pain. The moment Akaza noticed, his eyes snapped up to you, his pupils narrowed right into the wound on your neck.

“ Akaza, listen to me, “ you tried to ration with him, “ I don’t know how it works, but if you can, just run away. I really, really don’t want to be hurt. “

“ I don’t want to hurt a woman - “ he spit out through pants of desperation. “ Run. Faster than you can normally. I will try not to - GO. “

You got up from the ground, rushing out of the forest. Akaza was stumbling on your tail, trying very hard not to give in to his instincts. His nails had made deep wounds into his hands as he tried to control himself. As long as you had this blood, you were in constant danger at night. Not even your room was safe.

You tried to unlocked the door, slamming it shut before Akaza could get to you. You weren’t even sure if your door could hold him or if he would smash it down.

You prayed that he would just stop, but you could hear him beating on your door once, twice.

“ Oh, gee. It looks like you’re always getting into trouble, Y/N. “ Douma’s voice snickered behind you. You looked up at him, fearful that Akaza would come through the door and tear you apart. “ You know, if you agree to it, I could take you with me. You could travel with me for the time being and I can protect you. I’m stronger than the majority of demons. There’s only two who I know are stronger than me. “

“ Come with you ? Where would you go ? “

“ My temple, of course, dummy ! We’d go to my temple, and you can follow me around as a prophet. “

“ I - I can’t lie to people. “

“ Then don’t talk, I’ll do the talking. “

“ I don’t know, “ you huffed out, jolting when you heard Akaza beating on your door with much more force. You weren’t ready to say goodbye to your old life, but it was starting to look like Douma was your only saving grace. “ You.. Promise to protect me ? “

“ With my whole heart. “

You were nearly positive that didn’t account too much but decided to take the plunge anyway, quickly nodding your head. “ Okay, please get me out of here, then. I’ll follow you, Douma. Just get me away from Akaza, please. “

“ Oh, first name basis are we ? You got chummy with Akaza fast - “ Douma chuckled, walking up to you. He wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you in closer. “ You really do smell good. “

Even if he came prepared for your tantalizing scent, he was met with the pungent smell you gave off like a gift especially for him. He suddenly understood why Muzan went out of his way to protect you from him: you smelled like the finest treat in the world. You smelled like something he could fling around and use as mercilessly as he wanted. He wanted you to beg for him, wanting to use you until you passed out and even further than that.

But enough of those thoughts, he decided to push them to the back of his mind for now. Surely, they’d come again at some point, but right now he needed to focus more on getting you to safety as he had promised.

He used the way he had gotten through last time, your bedroom window. Douma wrapped his arms around you, not giving you any warning so you squealed in surprise, clinging to his shirt for some type of comfort.

“ Tell me before you pick me up next time, please ! “

Laughing, he nodded, walking pretty leisurely with you to your bedroom. He kicked open the window, busting it in the process. In your hand, you clutched the little vial tightly, making sure you didn’t lose it.

Literally jumping out of your window, you screamed, closing your eyes tightly. You had never been so high in the air, and definitely not with a man holding you like a backpack while jumping from roof to roof.

“ This is terrifying and I would be very grateful to you if you never did this again, okay Douma ? “ you screamed in the air, clinging to whatever you could as you closed your eyes.

“ You’re almost too cute begging to be put down, “ Douma hummed. “ Once we’re far enough away from Akaza, I’ll let you go, okay Y/N ? “ He imitated you in that last part, annoyingly over enunciating his words.

You didn’t know what else to do but to stay as still as possible so there was a lower chance of him dropping you, and clung to him. You didn’t want to be so close to the demon, and you wondered for a second if Demons have hearts. It’s not like you were taught demon anatomy, so you pressed your ear against his rib cage, and listened.

Surely enough, he did have a heart, and it was beating rather fast, whether from exhaustion or something else. You were miles and miles away from your town now, where you knew everyone around you on a first name basis. You were kind of disappointed that you doubted you’d have an apartment after Akaza smashes it, and you knew that you would be considered missing or even dead. Your family would even probably mourn for you.

“ Are you going to miss the town ? “ Douma asked, practically reading your thoughts.

“ Yeah, but I have a question. “

“ What’s up ? “

You looked up at him. He was slowing down greatly, pretty much just walking and holding you now. You didn’t know that he didn’t have to worry about stamina and was just walking to enjoy the scenery, but it didn’t change much either way. “ Well, when Tsukahiro saw a little bit of my blood, he freaked out. When Akaza did, he did too. But you haven’t yet and you’ve seen me bleed twice. Why is that ? “

“ Hm.. Probably because I don’t have emotions, “ he answered as if that was the simple to understand answer. “ I don’t feel lust like most people, I think. Though there are times when I’ve really wanted to… Never mind. But you get the idea. “

“ You don’t feel any emotions ? What do you feel, then ? “

“ A constant indifference. “ He was still smiling, looking straight ahead and not down to you. “ I don’t care what happens. To me, to you, to that man. To anyone, really. I just don’t care. Never could. “

“ Have you ever wanted to ? “

“ Nope. “

You nodded, trying to process what he said. It didn’t make sense to you that someone could just be born without any emotional intelligence. Like he was just a shell of a person trying to live as authentically as he could. You wondered if the blush on his cheek was fake, or the smile on his face was forced.

“ Do you ever get tired ? Trying to fake feelings every single day ? “

“ Nope. But I don’t think anyone would like me if I didn’t. So I just react positively, to anything. Even if a situation is not so positive, you know ? It’s not like it’s going to hurt me, whatever happens. “

You decided to stop asking him questions so personal about himself. “ Do you want to eat me ? “

“ Absolutely. But I won’t. I would be killed by that man if I did that. “

“ That man ? “ you repeated, “ You mean, Tsukahiro ? “

“ That’s not his real name, but yeah. I mean that man. “

That was the first time you heard Tsukahiro wasn’t his real name, and to be honest you were a little surprised. You had been led to believe he was named Tsukahiro this entire time. Now all you wanted was to know what his real name even was. It better be something cooler than Tsukahiro.

You had no idea how close to the bustling, loud city of Yoshiwara. Even from a distance you could hear people up and talking. You wondered how long a city could stay awake.

“ We won’t be stopping there tonight, “ Douma spoke up in the middle of your thoughts. “ I have two acquaintances there that I occasionally take care of. I may stop to go see them tomorrow. If you behave, I can bring you with me. “

“ Behave ? “ you repeated, crossing your arms, “ You can’t treat me like I’m some delinquent kid. “

“ What are you then ? “

“ Me. “

He stops in his tracks to look at you, his colorful eyes scanning every part of your body. “ Are you sure ? “ But before you can answer him, Douma laughs out, patting your shoulder. “ I’m just kidding. Of course you’re you. Who else would you be ? “

You reeled back, a little more than just confused. “ Oh.. Okay ? “

Douma walks you around the city’s edges, bringing you very close to the brightness of the city but still too far away to feel the lamps against your skin. You, who had never been out of your tiny town before, wanted to go exploring there. Something was calling you to the city like a moth to a flame.

The temple was a long walk away from home. You realized the sun was about to come up at any point now, but Douma didn��t seem phased by the fact that his life was on the line. He didn’t seem phased about anything, now that you had a moment to get to know him. He really was like a book in a foreign, forgotten language; several pages which you were sure had important memories and feelings, but neither you nor him had the ability to read it.

You arrived at this extravagant temple just before the peak of dawn. Every hallway was adorned with the prettiest and most colorful flowers, with the vines stretching out over the rounded roof and growing tiny little buds. The stained glass behind a large throne depicted many hands reaching for one. Even the floor, and elegant glass tile that made you feel like stepping around would cause you to be in debt for the rest of your life.

“ This is all yours ? “ you asked, not daring to touch anything but just admiring the pillars that held the roof up and paved your way to the throne.

“ Yes. Well, technically, since you are my guest here for the foreseeable future. It’s ours. “

“ Ours ? “ You repeat, looking around in a daze, “ It’s gorgeous here. “

“ I’m glad you like it because you’ll be staying here. “

You walked around, taking in all there was to see. The pews were lined with a black onyx, matching the headrest of the throne. There was a back room behind the throne, but the door was shut tight.

“ You’ll be staying with me up there, “ he pointed at the throne. “ If you’d like to stay somewhere else, be my guest. “

You didn’t quite understand why he was so friendly to you. It didn’t make sense. Demons were supposed to be ruthless. Douma was supposed to want to rip you apart. So why was he acting like you were a distant friend he was having a sleepover with ?

Your questions went unanswered. Douma plopped down on the hard throne, patting his thigh. “ Come on, the followers will be here any minute now. I want to introduce you to them. “

Uneasy, you settled down beside him. Having stayed up all night, you realized pretty quickly how tired you were becoming. You didn’t want to go to sleep and leave yourself open, but you knew that if you didn’t get sleep, you would just be putting yourself in more danger than you would have if you had slept.

“ Afraid of sleeping ? “ Douma asked, resting his elbow on the chair’s arms to prop himself up. “ You can sleep if you’d like. I won’t wake you. “

“ Why haven’t you tried killing me yet ? “ you asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“ I thought I already told you this ! I don’t have the emotions necessary to want to chase after you like Aka - “

“ I know ! “ you interrupted him, “ I know you said that. But aren’t you hungry ? I’m still human, after all. “

Douma stared at you for a second, “ I do want to eat you. “ His voice was deadly serious, “ I wanted to the moment we met. The only reason I haven’t yet ravaged you is because that man seems to have a purpose for you. I’m simply getting to know you so when your purpose is fulfilled you’ll want to crawl back to me so I can devour you on the spot. You’d be dead where you stood. “

That’s what you get for pushing a demon’s buttons, you get answers that you don’t necessarily want. But still, something about the way he said that seemed off to you. Like it wasn’t completely true. Yeah, you knew that most likely after you delivered the vial of blood all of these demons that have been nice to you so far would likely turn against you to try and kill you. You were aware that you most likely wouldn’t have a life to cling to after this week ends.

Part of you wanted to run away from that destiny, but doing so would only shorten the time you had on the planet. If at any point you did something that any one of them didn’t agree with, you would be killed without a second thought.

You numbed yourself to the thought. Even with the facade of kindness, you knew your life was still in danger. It was the moment you were in Muzan’s presence. Perhaps it was in danger way before then, you just had no idea.

“ Not sleepy anymore ? “ Douma asked, tilting his head a little to feign curiosity.

“ No, not anymore. I’m.. Curious to know what your followers look like. I want to know how a normal day goes. “

At any point, you were preparing yourself to get a barrage of questions from “ church “ goers. You didn’t understand how someone could look up at him and believe him to be a god, or a messenger of the gods. What did they even believe about Douma, anyways ?

Thinking about it, you didn’t realize your eyelids were beginning to close as you leaned your head against his thigh. Soft snoring filled the otherwise silent temple as you nodded off to sleep, still confused about the entire cult thing your current roommate had going on. Or was he more of a captor ? Could this even be considered a kidnapping ?

Too many things to think about.

- - - - -

“ Y/N.. Y/N.. ! “

Back in your apartment, you opened your eyes. Sitting up quickly before the voice had any time to fade out, you stared directly at a demon in your room. Their hair was three different colors, a vibrant pink, a blue, with the majority of it being black.

“ Why are you trying to get me to dream specific things ? “ You asked, a little unsure how it worked so you just went with the most basic question you could think of.

“ A coworker of mine keeps wanting to see you. Don’t know why, he hasn’t given me any information. “ The dream demon said, shrugging a little.

Akaza. “ Where is he ? “

“ The edge of your dream. “

Standing up, you moved past the dream demon, grabbing your haori. You weren’t sure where you were going to go, but you had a general feel of what could be the right place.

“ Sorry, dream demon, I’ll talk to you next time I sleep, yeah ? “

“ Wouldn’t dream of missing it, “ she replied back, kind of smiling to himself.

You walked through your door, still careful not to wake up any neighbors, though you were now aware that this was the dream world. God, what was going on ?

Further down into the forest, you followed the moon as it went down. There were no real sounds, at least none that you could hear, of the forest or any of the animals. No leaves crinkling under your feet, no birds chirping, no wind movement. It was just active silence throughout the world, and it kind of threw you off for a minute.

You were searching where the radio static was the loudest, and found it in a forest clearing. Once it filled your ears to the point you couldn’t hear your own thoughts, you knew you found the end of the dream.

“ Hey, Akaza ! “ you called, cupping your hands to make your voice project louder. “ Akaza, do you wanna talk ? “

“ Not really ! “ He yelled back, then grew quiet when he realized he gave his position away. You walked closer to where he was hiding behind a thick tree.

“ Hey, Akaza - “ you said once more, this time much softer, sitting by him against the tree, “ Let’s talk. “

“ My bad. About almost killing you, “ he huffed, already annoyed that he was having this conversation with you. To be fair, he did enter your dreams, there was no reason why he should try to actively run away from you. It was kind of his fault for trying not to talk to you in your own dream.

“ Don’t demons do that ? I mean, yeah. Apology accepted since it was terrifying. But isn’t that your way to get food ? “

Akaza looked at his hands, at the black rings that circled each finger, “ I don’t kill women. I never have, and I hopefully never will. “

You nodded, feeling like you understood him a little bit more. He was scared not because he tried to kill you but because he almost broke his own vow to himself. “ Well, you didn’t. So I think you’re good. “

“ I almost did, “ he shook his head, covering his face with his hands.

Nudging him slightly, you smiled, “ Hey, cheer up. I’m safe. “

“ No you aren’t, “ Akaza looked up at you, his eyes deadly serious, “ Douma doesn’t have such a vow like I do. One wrong move and you’re dead before you could ever meet that man again to give him back his blood. It’s how he works. He lures you into thinking you’re safe and then he bites your neck when you’re unassuming. Just, be careful, Y/N. I don’t want to see you dead. “

Akaza stands up, dusting off his pants, “ I think it’s safest if you try to leave him. But I know that’ll be impossible if you don’t have someone stronger to protect you. Someone he won’t fuck with. I can only think of two demons, and one of them already tried to kill you. The other I don’t think you’ve met yet. If you can meet him - Upper Moon One - I think you’ll probably survive to see the next full moon. “

“ That’s.. Really ominous, you know ? “ you asked him, trying to keep calm, “ I mean, yeah, he said he wanted to kill me. I kind of already knew. But also getting involved with the top ranking Upper Moon just sounds like I’m asking for trouble. “

“ You might be. He might kill you on contact. He’s not a big fan of humans, to be very honest with you. I don’t think he’s friendly with anyone. I hope you two can get along, though. For your sake. “ Akaza patted your shoulder, a soft, almost nervous smile on his face before he looked up at the sky. You both knew your dream was ending.

“ Akaza - hey, when we meet again, you know, in the real world. Let’s be friends, okay ? “

“ Okay, Y/N. “

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