Tumgik
#and yes this all could take place before Zenitsu meets Nezuko because it WOULD be that brief
silverynight · 3 years
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Can you write a oneshot about the kamboko squad and their mission during the Entertainment District Arc? I could imagine the hashiras just keep on visiting Sumiko. (The poor ladies must be so confused on why Sumiko is so popular 😭.) If you want, you can also write about the boys putting on their make up before the mission. Either way I feel like the chaos would be great >:D (Sorry for my bad english!)
(This is not going to follow the main events of that arc, only Tanjirou posing as a courtesan for another mission)
***
If he's being honest, Tanjirou doesn't think too much about appearances, not even then as he's trying to pretend to be a girl. He just needs to find the demon who's been terrorizing the whole Red District and then go back to his friends.
"You're really pretty, Sumiko," one of the girls (her name is Kana, if he remembers correctly) comments carefully removing Tanjirou's makeup after he's been helping all of them carry heavy stuff around the house. She had said she wanted to pay her back by helping her with something. "You just don't know how to apply makeup. Don't worry, you have me now."
He thanks her sincerely, feeling grateful for the kindness the girl has showed him, but he doesn't even waste his time finding a mirror to look at the final result; he keeps moving around the house, helping all the girls while trying to get new information.
"You're so nice to us, Sumiko!" One of them almost sobs, wrapping herself around him. Tanjirou immediately feels bad again for hiding his true identity from all of them. They deserve so much better. "I really wish you find a nice, wealthy person so they can get you out of here!"
"But you know most of them wouldn't buy a scarred girl," says another, earning glares from the ones around.
"It's alright, really!" Tanjirou assures them with a huge grin. "It means I'll get to stay with you and help you as much as I can!"
Suddenly, he's surrounded by girls in an embrace that for a moment, makes him feel like he's back at home with his family again. He holds back a sob.
When he's back in his room he gets another letter from Zenitsu; despite him being usually talkative in most of them (he mentions Nezuko a lot, which Tanjirou is very much glad about) this just contains a couple of words, which surprises him.
All the hashira found out about your mission.
Tanjirou frowns, looking around to see if there's another page on the ground, another piece of parchment with more information.
He has no idea why Zenitsu thought that was something he should know.
***
Kana is aware the House she was sold into is popular, but she's never seen something like that before.
The first swordsman that arrives both scares the girls and attracts them at the same time; he's the most handsome man they have had in a while and of course everyone around wants to be the one to entertain him.
He's tall and even though he's completely covered from his neck to his feet in some sort of uniform, they all can see he's pure muscle underneath.
He's blond, but has red tips that make him look like a torch all the time. All about him screams fire.
Oh, they all like him.
The woman in charge looks at him with such a pleased expression as soon as she sees the money he's carrying.
"Let me show you the girls..."
Right then though, Sumiko walks out, carrying a huge chair over her shoulders; she leaves it near the entrance. Honestly, that girl is unbelievable strong.
Her dark red hair is a mess, her makeup is already falling off, but her cheeks are still pink because she's been doing nothing but heavy chores since she arrived.
The woman in charge is already pushing her away so the customer doesn't see her (because that woman believes the scar on her forehead is too ugly and therefore no one would ever want her).
"I want that one," the client says without hesitation.
"But she's–"
He purposely ignores her and takes Sumiko in his arms.
For a moment, Kana wonders if she's witnessing what some people call "love at first sight" because the man looks so in love already.
When he walks away with her, she thinks that maybe she'll never get to see Sumiko again and feels a little bit lonely because of it. The girls in the house have really grown fond of her rather quickly.
***
Sumiko returns and the beautiful people keep walking in the place asking about her.
A man with dark hair and deep blue eyes and a permanent neutral expression on his face arrives the next day. He's really handsome, but Kana notices he's less popular among the girls because of his somber demeanor.
"Leave him to me," one of Kana's friends winks. "I love quiet ones."
"I want to see Sumiko," he says, surprising everyone again.
Then, before he takes her, Kana swears she sees a fond smile quirking his lips up as Sumiko beams at him.
"Tomioka-san! Hi! Do you want a report?"
The last sentence doesn't make any sense so Kana convinces herself she just imagined it.
***
They have lost the ability to get surprised; as the third one walks in (a tall man with huge arms and a flamboyant personality) this time, they all know he has come to see Sumiko.
She's really popular now; Kana and her sisters (as she calls the other girls that work with her) have accepted it a while ago. However, they have never felt jealous of her; they really love her, the girl has charmed her way into their hearts with kindness.
"Look at you," the man grins at her; he's so tall he has to kneel in front of her. He's so clearly flirting with Sumiko, Kana has no idea how she isn't a flustered mess already. "So pretty. You look like my future wife."
Sumiko chuckles, like she's used to hearing things like that.
"You're so funny, Uzui-san."
***
It's not unusual to get female customers; many girls arrive at the House, looking for a pretty girl to have some fun with.
No, what surprises them is that the girl is really beautiful; she has long, pink hair and an innocent look on her face that tells Kana she doesn't get to visit that sort of places very often...
Perhaps it's her first time.
However, her shyness vanishes as she sees Sumiko, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer before kissing her on the cheek.
Kana gives the other girls a knowing look before they all leave Sumiko and the client alone.
***
Kana counts nine; they're nine loyal customers that only come to see Sumiko. They come really often and sometimes bring her gifts that Sumiko immediately shares with the other girls.
"I think it's more than... physical," Kana mumbles, saying out loud what everyone there has been thinking for a while now. "I think they're in love with you."
"Uh?" Sumiko blinks at her in confusion, after taking a sip of her tea. "What are you talking about?"
"The people that visit you," Kana insists, rolling her eyes. She's never met such an oblivious girl.
"They're just being nice."
Kana decides not to keep bothering her with that and instead asks about something that has been troubling her for a while.
"So... About the one with scars all over his chest," shs mumbles, remembering the first time she saw him; he's handsome, but he always looks like he's about to growl or bite someone. "The one with white messy hair. Is he... Has he been gentle with you?"
Sumiko blushes to the tip of her ears, quickly realizing what she's trying to say.
"It's not like that... Uhh, I m-mean, he's... not usually... He knows how to be kind," Sumiko stammers.
Kana nods, recalling the day; how she begged the master of the House not to let Sumiko go with him, but the woman just huffed that he had the money so they couldn't deny him.
She's glad he's not aggressive with her; part of her knows that he's also in love with Sumiko in his own way.
***
Shinobu can't help but smile fondly at Tanjirou as the boy puts back his haori. He seems happy to be wearing his uniform again, even though all the Pillars think he looked really pretty as Sumiko.
"I'm glad the demon won't hurt anymore people," Tanjirou grins, looking at Muichiro who swoons with delight at the attention. "Thanks for helping me fight him!"
"Anything for you, Tanjirou!"
Next to them, Tengen is already begging Mitsuri to give Tanjirou one of her skirts and assuring her he'll convince him to wear it in the hashira headquarters for their next meeting.
Shinobu rolls her eyes.
"Kocho-san, can I bring some of the girls to the butterfly estate so they can start working there?" Tanjirou asks, eyes opening wide. He looks adorable and he probably doesn't even know it. "Please, they don't like working in that House!"
Shinobu sighs, knowing that by "some" he means anyone who wants to come with him, which is probably all of them.
She doesn't even bother to ask her fellow hashira what they think, because judging by the ridiculous, fond looks on their faces they're ready to say yes to anything Tanjirou asks them.
"Fine. We'll get them out of there."
"Thank you!" Tanjirou beams and she can't help but smile in return as she ruffles his hair.
Kyojuro takes the opportunity to put him over his lap as Giyuu glares at the flame hashira, however, he takes Tanjirou's hand in his before kissing it gently.
They're hopeless; Shinobu has no idea how they didn't ruin the whole mission because none of them could stop paying visits to Sumiko. How did no one notice there was something weird going on there?
***
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cooki3monster · 2 years
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Hello! Do you do One-shots? If yes could you do inosuke x Fem reader in P.E. class kimetsu academy?
Maybe they didn't meet before the P.E. class?
And maybe you could do like that one episode in kimetsu academy? (episode 2)
Could you do reader as calm and serious and don't really smile?
(Sorry for my bad English!)
I had so much fun writing this! I had trouble understanding and writing the episode 2 part... so if any of these weren't what you had expected please tell me again and I would be more than glad to rewrite it!
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"Y/n!! Good morning. You are beautiful as on other days! " Zenitsu screamed while checking his paper.
"Thanks.." You just said quietly and nodded but loud enough that Zenitsu could hear.
"What are you doing. I told you not to check on the girls and just do your job. And when are you going to dye your hair back to your natural hair color!" Tomioka ran to Zenitsu while doing a fly kick.
You walked to class with Nezuko and Shinobu senpai. Every morning always started with Zenitsu getting scolded by Tomioka and it was getting on your nerves but wasn't a big deal. You just ignored it and went on with your school life. All of your girlfriends would always talk about boys and their dates but nothing really interested you. They even offered to set you up with other boys from nearby schools but you always declined. You weren't really interested in any of the girly things they talked about which also worried you. Sometimes, you were scared you might be left alone and nobody to talk to and nothing to talk about.
P.E. class was about to start in a few minutes and you had to change into your P.E. clothes. You took out your spare clothes and went to the bathroom. You got changed in to cool air-breathing t-shirt that when to about your belly bottom to your hips and you had on short sports pants. You left your stall and saw all of your friends coming out too and waiting for you. You guys all headed to the gymnasium where your P.E. classes were held. You had thought that everybody had came but Tomioka was waiting for one student so he could start class.
Then you started hearing loud footsteps from outside running towards the door. The door swung open and revealed a shining emerald olive eye. Everybody's attention was headed to the tardy boy and he just yelled out, "What you all looking at?!" He looked like a clueless boy and you were sure he didn't even know he was late to class.
"Inosuke, it's your first day and you’re late to class. Shut your mouth and join the line." Tomioka instructed while clicking his pen annoyingly.
Inosuke quickly joined you guys and stood again the wall. Tomioka had ordered the students to stand against the wall in a straight line so he can create teams for today's activity which was jump ropes. While you were waiting for Tomioka to take attendance now that Inosuke had come, your friend had told you that Inosuke had been a new student that came to class from today. He moved to this city where everything was new to him.
"Pay attention everybody! I'm going to separate you in pairs for your activity so listen carefully for your number! Two, two, two, two…."
Tomioka pointed at two students each time in order from left to right and you happened to be the last student on the right side until Inosuke had come and stood next to you. The chosen pairs had gone to pick out their jumping ropes from the box. The last pairs Tomioka had chosen were you two, Inosuke and yourself.
You thought nothing of it and went to pick up your jumping rope. All you needed to do was to participate and get a good grade. That's all. Easy. Well, that's what you thought before moving to one place so you two could practice. He was a talker and kept on talking about himself.
"Do you know that I did 120 jumps the first time I tried? I wasn't even tired after that. I then walked laps around the field. I never get tired because I'm the king of exercising!" Inosuke claimed proudly.
"Cool," you lifelessly said replying to him.
Inosuke wasn't really satisfied with your reaction because he was expecting more. He wanted you to be jealous and respect him for doing the impossible. He bent down to match your eye level and leaned against your faces leaving a couple of inches between you two.
"What? Why? You're not surprised? How come?" Inosuke started questioning you looking at you from left to right observing your reaction.
It was your first time being this close to someone, a boy. Your felt your skin start to heat up but you didn't know why. You tried looking away and tried your best to not share eye contact with him.
"Hey! Look at me. Why are you not surprised! Stop looking away" Inosuke claimed in annoyance.
Then he cupped both of your cheeks with his hands and forced you to look at him. Then that was when Inosuke realized. He had seen your face so red that it matched your lips. Your diamond sparkly eyes stared into his soul. Inosuke got shy and nervous so he quickly let go of you. Tomioka had yelled across the gym telling you two to get going and start so he could give marks.
You had gone first. You had to do jump roping while Inosuke would count and after you were done, it would be his turn. You got hold of each end of the rope and started swinging it over your head.
"One, two, three, four…" Inosuke mumbled every time you did one.
Every time your feet landed on the ground, your eyes met with his. He seemed to be mesmerized by you. You couldn't really get what he was looking at but he looked like he was lost in you. It was the first time you wanted to know what he was feeling, what he was looking at, and how you felt about him. Other times, you didn't care much. It wasn't really your thing and you wouldn't care if others looked at you.
"Uh… I guess it's your turn." Your feet got stuck and you forgot to jump. You messed up at 42 and switched with Inosuke. You were deeply in your thoughts that you forgot to pay attention to the rope and the speed.
"Make sure you pay attention because it's going to be so fast and in a second, I will pass your count!" Inosuke was filled with excitement and quickly got into ready position with the rope behind his feet.
"Ready set go," you said calmly informing him he could start and that you were ready to count. You crouched on the floor and sat while counting. You swung your head lightly from left to right as you counted higher and higher. Your shoelaces had come untied from your turn so you quickly tied them while counting in your head. As you lifted your head back up, you ran your finger through your hair resulting Inosuke to mess up. His eyes were stuck on you and observed you while he jumped in place. The moment your fingers ran through your hair, his feelings were struck so hard his body just stopped. He felt dizzy from looking at you.
"You bragged about how good you were and you couldn't even pass my record!" You stated while giving a giggly laugh in between. The way your lips parted as you smiled had made him speechless. Inosuke has gotten 38 and wasn't sure what to do because now he didn't care as long as he got to be with you.
"Okay, guys! Seems like most of you guys are done with individual practice so now we're going to do pair jumps. That is the main reason I split you guys into pairs. This will help with your arm and the control you give to swing the rope around you two. So now just count how many times you do and when everyone finishes, it will be about time when class finishes " Tomioka explained.
All the other pairs had started which meant that you guys also had to get going. You picked up the jump rope that was between you guys and told Inosuke to come. And he did. He stood Infront of you as you put the rope behind your feet to swing it around you two. You didn't know but know that you guys were standing in front of each other so close, your head came to about his shoulder and neck. It made you shy that you were so close to his skin but you tried to stay calm like how you were all the time. You were always calm but you couldn't right now.
You made a big circle with your arms and wrist to get the jump rope over you two but because he was a little taller than you, it had put a lot of pressure on your arms and the jump rope ended up landing on top of his head. He smirked thinking that he had to take over. He loved the fact that you were shorter than him so you couldn't do it. He looked at you and he knew that you tried to stay serious but you kept on breaking character.
Inosuke grabbed your hands and took the rope from you and counted from three, two, one. He swung his arms around you and there was no stopping. Inosuke didn't have to worry about getting the rope higher because you were below him.
Both of your hands were pressed against your chest because you didn't know what to do with them. Every time you two jumped your legs would touch and rub against his and your arms would touch his chest. The two of you were so close together that it felt like there weren’t even any gaps. But you couldn't move away from him or it will mess up the rhythm of the rope. The two of you had to stick very close together so he would be able to swing the rope around you.
You could smell the scent of his neck which had a soft scent of fruits and a mix of sunny spring vibes.
But you weren't the only crazy one. Inosuke's heart was beating so fast and loud hoping that you weren’t able to hear it. He wasn't sure if his heart was beating fast from jumping or you. Your smooth soft skin rubbing up and down against his body was driving him crazy. And whenever your hair went up and down, he could smell sweet marshmallows and flowers. He could feel your breath against his neck which sounded like music combined with the sound of you two jumping.
Eventually, you guys were able to stop when your hair had gotten caught on the rope but you two were satisfied because you had a total of 67. You two were panting and sweaty. Something might have been on both of your heads because as soon as you two stopped and shared eye contact, you both started smiling and laughing.
"I love when you smile" stated Inosuke while staring at your lips. You quickly covered your mouth because nobody in school had ever seen you laugh not even your friends. You rarely smiled but how was it possible to show a new student your smile? You didn't understand yourself either.
"Forget about that," you said quietly being serious. You grabbed the jump rope to put it back into the box but Inosuke quickly grabbed your wrist.
"I really want to get to know about you and it's my first time feeling this. Will it be okay if I eat lunch with you today?"
"I guess so. I don't find a reason not to..."
"I have a few jump ropes at home so we can practice again when you come to my house" Inosuke smirked letting you go.
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mitsungo · 3 years
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We are already this far! And this has turned into more of an Akaza x reader story 🌸 I’m sorry Kyo— for now it’s just Akaza, patience, patience. Plz excuse any spelling/grammar mistakes! I’m on vacation right now and I have been adding to this when I get inspired! The next part will be the last part which I hope to finish by Sunday! Because we need closure! No cliffhangers! Not here! 🍡 Enjoy for now! Also time is like super super uh 😵‍💫 just stick with the plot okay! 😭
⭑・゚゚・*:༅。.。༅:*゚:*:✼✿ ❄️ ✿✼:*゚:༅。.。༅:*・゚゚・⭑
Y/n was currently working on a kimono, the client was none other Kocho Shinobu, the insect hashira. It was daytime, so Akaza wasn’t able to be visit her, though he wish he could. He was currently down in the cellar of the mansion. Waiting for Y/n to signal him that sundown was already here. Shinobu was a very good friend of Y/n’s, and she personally would check up on her and the baby. Or babies, as Y/n would put it. Something in her told her that she were going to have twins. It was a gut feeling.
“Y/n, you really shouldn’t overwork yourself. Your body is turning very weak lately, I fear that you will fall ill if you continue working yourself too much.” Shinobu said to her one day when she came to check how Y/n was doing. “I won’t fall ill Shinobu-chan. Don’t worry so much, I’m a strong woman. I can handle this. Come now, sit down with me.” Y/n said softly, patting a spot next to her. Shinobu frowned slightly with concern. “Don’t be worried. Like I said, I am fine. Shine me a beautiful smile would you? I hate seeing a frown on your face! It disheartens me!” Y/n teased Shinobu, letting out a small giggle as Shinobu shaked her head with a smile.
It had passed around six months now, and y/n was getting sicker by the day. Her body was very frail and sickly, she couldn’t really walk around anymore either without help. Her aunt and uncle refused to leave her alone anymore but she would tell them that she needed to be alone sometimes. Senjuro and Shinjuro would come around and visit Y/n often, Senjuro more worried about Y/n’s health than anything else. Mitsuri and Shinobu would drop by too, especially Shinobu who would give Y/n medicine to help with her health and pain that she would have at times. Akaza on the other hand would visit rarely for personal reasons as he told y/n. She didn’t argue, as her energy didn’t allow her to do so. But when Akaza did visit, he would hold her and make sure she had water nearby and the medicine Shinobu gave her. Everyone, including Akaza agreed that y/n should not continue working on anymore kimonos or anything that requires work. Y/n also didn’t argue, since she was too tired to even try and everyone would notice it too.
“Y/n? Dear? You have a letter from Tanjiro-kun!” Her aunt said behind the door. Y/n immediately stopped reading the book she had in her hands. Her aunt slid open the door and gently put the letter down next to her futon. “You finished your tea already. I’ll go brew you some new tea for later.” She told y/n, picking up the tray and leaving the room quietly. Y/n smiled softly, grabbing the letter and opening it. Kamado Tanjiro, he was a very kind and gentle boy that Kyojuro had met during his hashira meeting and his last mission. Tanjiro had come by one day to deliver some last words from Kyojuro to y/n, which made her burst out into tears, then proceeding to grasp Tanjiro into a hug, causing the young boy to cry as well. Ever since that day, the both of them wrote frequently to one another, with y/n telling him about her pregnancy, wishing him luck on his missions and other things. Tanjiro would write about his missions, or his day, or how Zenitsu and inosuke missed her and how much he loved reading about how y/n and the babies were doing. Another point to y/n on how she knew she was going to have twins, when Tanjiro visited her one day during her early months of pregnancy, he assured her that she was having twins. Still, no one believed the two, though Zenitsu too assured her that she was pregnant with twins.
A few days later, Tanjiro and Nezuko had stopped by to pay a visit to Y/n. It had been around two weeks since they had last seen her, and Tanjiro was dying to speak to her. As Tanjiro and Nezuko walked to her residence, he couldn’t help but think about how much of a mother figure y/n was to him and Nezuko. She reminded him of his mother, her gentle and soft spoken nature caused him to think of his mother when y/n spoke or laughed. When she hugged him the first time they met, Tanjiro was left in a state of shock, the warmth was that of a mother, a loving and kind embrace. They both arrived in front of the mansion and immediately saw the gate open. It was Y/n’s aunt.
“Oh! Tanjiro-kun! Nezuko-chan! Good timing! I just brewed Y/n some tea! Come in! Come in my dears!” Her aunt waved, yanking Tanjiro and Nezuko in before they could even greet her. “Thank you very much Mrs. L/n!” “I told you to call me aunt! We are like family now! Don’t be shy dear!” Mrs. L/n giggled, putting a hand over her mouth, her eyes closed. “Ah yes sorry Mrs— erm auntie.” How much he missed visiting the L/n residence.
“She’s in her room! You know where it is darlings!” Aunt L/n said, before leaving to go get the tea. “Come on Nezuko, let’s go see Y/n!” Tanjiro grabbed Nezuko’s hand and they both quickly made their way to her room. “Y/n.” Nezuko softly said. “Yeah that’s right—!” The doors to y/n’s room slid open, interrupting Tanjiro. “Tanjiro. Nezuko. I’m so happy to see you both again.” Y/n smiled softly, her arms wrapping themselves around the siblings. Tanjiro’s eyes widened, “You can’t be up mother!” He quickly realized what he said, his face flushed red with embarrassment. Y/n laughed weakly, still hugging the two siblings.
After getting settled and drinking some tea, y/n pulled a small box out from her drawer. “I want to give you both something. As you both have been very kind to me, my family and my children.” Y/n said, pulling out two small handkerchiefs, one patterned like Tanjiro’s haori and the other like nezuko’s kimono. Y/n handed them to the two siblings, Tanjiro bowed his head, taking the piece of cloth and looking at it closely. It was a snowy mountain, it reminded him of his home, the snow, the trees, the grey sky. Y/n was taken by surprise when Tanjiro embraced her, tears falling from his eyes. “I’m—.” Tanjiro started but was cut off by y/n embracing him back tightly, Nezuko joining in, both children nuzzling themselves into Y/n’s hug. “You both, are one of the many greatest treasures blessed to me. I am so glad to have two wonderful children like you both.” Y/n said in between tears, Tanjiro looked up at her, a warm gentle smiling adoring her face as tears fell from her eyes. The two of them cried softly, Nezuko blinking in surprise at why her two favorite people were crying.
When Akaza arrived later that day, y/n was a bit shocked but she quickly welcomed him into her room. Akaza went to give her an embrace but he stopped midway. She smelt different, and it irritated him. Just who the hell was she seeing during the day? He had gotten familiar with a few scents, her aunt, her uncle, three friends that she refused to give the names of, but these two new scents were just unbearable, he had smelt one of them somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember from where. Y/n picked up on his new mood and looked down slightly, preferring not to say anything, as Akaza could easily get annoyed when he is in deep thought. Y/n sighed, pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. Suddenly, a wave of pain hit her like a rock, she didn’t know what it was but it was almost as if it was a cramp. She let out a small gasp, covering her mouth quickly so Akaza couldn’t hear her, but Akaza had noticed and was already by her side.
“What’s wrong Y/n? What hurts? Tell me! Where is the medicine? Come on! It has to always be near you! You know this!” He cried, looking around for the medicine Shinobu had given to y/n for pain. “It’s in the cabinet. Top shelf.” Y/n replied, putting her hand on her stomach. As Akaza was looking for her medicine, she started to hum a tune, rubbing her stomach to soothe the babies down. “On wintery days, up on the snowy hills, a house not far from the village—.” A few small kicks from her stomach caused y/n to stop singing. She was surprised, her babies have never kicked once. Akaza froze immediately at how silent the room had become, he swiftly took the medicine and was by y/n’s side in less than a few seconds. “What happened?” He questioned, glancing back and forth at her and her stomach. “The babies, just kicked me.” Y/n answered, tears brimming from her eyes. Akaza was in shock, his eyes moved to look at y/n’s, she looked back at him, her eyes now sparkling like the stars. “Akaza-kun, I want you to know something.” Y/n started, picking up his hand and moving it towards her stomach, placing it on top. “I might die, giving birth to the babies. But it is worth my own life, as any other mother would do the same for their children. These babies, will have a life worth living, they will be able to experience what it is to grow, to love and to cry. Even though, their parents won’t be around.” Akaza’s eyes widened at her words, how could she calmly say such things? Does she not fear death? Why is that? How is that possible? No, he could not let her die, not when she had children to live for. “You can not die. You must not die!” He cried, gripping her hands tightly, causing her to flinch and look at him with surprise. “These children, can not live without a parent! They need you! Their mother! Their mother is most important person in the world! That is why you can not die! Their fathers may not be alive when they are born and when they grow up! But they will have you! And you will tell them all about their fathers, their lives and their wills! So you have to promise me….” He paused, staring intently into y/n’s eyes, who’s eyes have started to spill more tears. “…you have to promise me that you will live! For you! And for our children!” Akaza yanked y/n into a kiss, he could not be able to cry one single tear, as much as he wished he could, but y/n knew this, as she was crying much more now. “I will have to leave you. This is my last visit. I only wish. We could have spent much more time together. If only then…if only, no, this is how it must be. I’m sorry. I—.” The words wouldn’t come out of his mouth, he couldn’t say it, he didn’t have the courage to do so. Y/n gently gripped his hands, bringing them up to her heart. Akaza stared in awe, as y/n’s tears finally stopped.
Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn’t they just be together a bit more? Was it too much to ask for? He was going to be a father, after all these years, and yet he had to leave it all behind. His little affair with Y/n, his own child, his love, his kindness, his warmth, it would be all gone. All of this happiness will disappear after he leaves, after he steps foot out of her mansion, the final battle was approaching, and y/n knew it too. Why was the world like this? No, he had a role to fulfill, he must continue fighting, no matter the cost. Akaza was a demon, he ate and murdered humans. He was a monster, a very strong monster too, yet this woman who someone managed to entangle with his emotions, caused him to see beauty in the world just for a little bit. The woman who’s fiancé he had killed with his own hands, he took her only happiness away and still she found new happiness with him. And now, with twins on the way, she would be happy even more. How beautiful. Akaza felt himself stand up with y/n by his side, going near the window in the room, they stood in front of it, hands intertwined together. She kissed the knuckles of his hands, and opened her mouth,
“You are one of the most understanding, kind, respectful and wonderful persons I have ever met in my life. I am thankful for having such a sweet person with me for this long. I owe you so much Akaza-kun. So please take care of yourself.” She reached her hand out towards his cheeks, his eyes widening with confusion, her smile, was the most genuine he had ever seen on a person throughout his entire life as a demon. “Fight with honor, and do the best you have ever done in your entire life, as this is the last blessing I will give you…” Y/n’s hands fell to her sides, her eyes glimmering with passion and determination. He knew this was it, this was their last day together. As he jumped from her window, into the garden, and onto the fence. He looked back one more time to see her, just to see her before he left for good, his heart aching as he heard her words slip from her mouth.
“Akaza-kun. I love you too.”
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maiko1 · 2 years
Text
IDK WHAT THIS IS BUT YES
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U, with___?? Goofy.(joke joke 🤣)
You with zenitsu? Now we're talking
U two met in forest like where else could those demon hide??
While u were chasing the demon you accidentally bumped someone..
You land on him so ur basically fine LMFAO
"are u guys... A demon slayer?"
"yeah but are u ok-"
"great! Now please help me. There's around 2 demon we need to take down. I took down the" strongest" and the other 2 ran away. "
That's how u meet him and his friend!
U decide to make a group so it will be easier to kill demon. His friend went to the other demon while U and orange boy went to the other demon
"ew ur so ugly..."
Maybe u shouldn't say that.
"i-I'm not ugly... I'LL SHOW U WHOS THE UGLY ONE"
The demon spit some liquid and u were be able to dodge.
Zenitsu who faint behind you because he was too scared. (he probally scream and ur just standing in front covering ur ear..)
"ain't no way he faint just like this..." while u were dodging you were also thinking how to defeat this demon without it noticing. (u were also carrying zenitsu)
Minutes later u ran out of luck because the liquid went over the place.
"any last word before u turn into the most ugliest monster?"
"yeah.... If I die here I would still say ur the most hideous thing I've ever seen."
"YOU LITTLE-"
"thunder breathing second form." you blink once and the demon was already dead. And after that zenitsu finally awake
You were so confused. "DID U KILL THIS DEMON?? YOU'RE SO COOL, HEY WE SHOUDL GET MARRIED SO U CAN PROTECT ME-"
"OI UR THE ONE WHO KILLED IT AND DONT ASK ME TO MARRY U, WE BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER"
U turn around to find a near tree that u could climb while blushing mess.
"ahem.. Hey. We could climb this tree and find ur friend." and with that u climb the tree with zenitsu.
"about earlier... Sorry for bumping into you. I'm y/n l/n"
"it's totally fine! I'm zenitsu agatsuma, nice to meet u by the way.."
"oh-zenitsu! Are u two okay?"
"tanjiro! You didn't know back there y/n was so cool!"
Probally won't shut abt what it but u don't mind at all.. U love getting praised from someone >:D
"ah right, it's rude of me to talk like this without telling u my name. My name is tanjiro kamado.. This is inosuke hashibira. And I'm guessing u two already introduce urself"
You smile. "right. My name is y/n l/n, nice to meet u three!"
You became friend with them and tanjiro introduced u with nezuko. You were quite shocked but brushed it off since tanjiro is such a nice guy and can be trustable
After a while u and zenitsu became close and close. You two have fun alot (u both almost have the same personality :0)
U two got scared easily over inosuke prank but u pretend not to be scared which make inosuke pranks u two more.
Def fight with inosuke and sometimes team with him to scare zenitsu (u two got scold by tanjiro.)
that one time when zenitsu ask u out for a date
Boi... U were blushing mess and agree.. U two eat and watch the firework together
------------
"and kid, that's how I met ur father-"
Jk were going too fast LOL
But anyway 10/10 u two match personality. U two is very sweet with each other and comforting each other. The other must be jealous of zenitsu for having a handsome/pretty s/o
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tt0bu · 3 years
Text
Periwinkles
Originally posted at AO3
Fandom: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Pairing: GiyuuTan
*
The first time Kamado Tanjirou met Tomioka Giyuu, he was eight years old.
His Ma and Pa came out of the back door, away from their old oven where the last batch of the shokupan was left to sit, maybe to burn, since little Tanjirou thought something must be wrong. There was haste in his father’s steps, hurried and careful. His mother’s strides were stiff, nervous, unsure. Nezuko, his little sister, was pulling on the grass where she sat, streaks of bright sunlight bouncing off her giggling face.
Tanjirou watched his parents trek up to the end of the street on that little hill in the middle of a city they call home.
He saw every adult from the neighborhood walk the same path, disappearing behind the gates of Nishida-san’s house.
Except for one unfamiliar uncle.
The said uncle, who looked too western, who looked like those uncles from foreigner spy movies his father loved watching, stood unmoving under the waiting shed just across the Kamados’ home. He was looking towards the end of the street too, where all the adults had disappeared, but made no move to follow. He was holding a black book close to his chest, and little Tanjirou couldn’t see anything aside from three blue lines on the cover of it.
New neighbor? “Uncle!” he called out to the man, jumping on his feet and waving his little palm enthusiastically. His young mind wouldn’t have noticed, but whenever Tanjirou would look back to this moment, he finds it weird how everything just disappeared – no adult to reprimand him because he was talking to a stranger, no chirping of the sparrows perched on the wisteria tree behind their fence, no sound from the nearby train station.
Maybe he dislikes being called uncle? The unfamiliar man with raven black hair and pale skin didn’t heed his call, not sparing a glance at the curious boy trying to catch his attention. Tanjirou took the man’s cold demeanor as a sign of discomfort, probably because he may be new to the neighbourhood. But it did not stop him from crossing the street, diligently looking to his left and right, twice to be absolutely sure, just like how his Pa taught him.
“Uncle,” his tiny hands pulled at the hem of the coat the pale man wore.
Tanjirou saw how the most beautiful pair of eyes, blue like the noon skies and the periwinkles he picks behind the hill where the Hashibiras live, looked down on his little self with disbelief. The man continued to gawk on him, gaping and frozen in his place. He clutched the thick book closer to his chest, tightening his grasp on its spine. The blue lines seemed to shimmer, a quick flash of shine running through the three lines, but Tanjirou thought nothing of it. After all, it’s almost naptime, his eyes may be playing tricks on him at the moment.
“You-“ the pale man with the clothes of a spy and the eyes of the sky swallowed, eyeing little Tanjirou with hesitation. “-you can see me?”
“Uhhh,” Tanjirou looked around, but neither his parents nor the neighbor uncles and aunts were in sight. “Am I not supposed to? Are you hiding from anyone?”
“How, how is this possible?” the boy heard the pale man whispered, his own burgundy eyes examining the leather shoes he wore. Those are pretty shoes, but he never saw his father wear one. Maybe, when he gets a little bigger, he will get the same pair for his Pa. “You never saw me before. Not even once, not even when you d-“ the man with blue eyes bit his bottom lips and stopped muttering to himself. “What’s the difference this time?”
“Uh-oh, no,” Tanjirou shook his head, the hanafuda card earrings swaying along his movement. “Are you new here, Uncle? Are you lost? My Ma and Pa went to Nishida-san’s house but if you’re hungry I can get you these anpans my Pa made! They sell out really, really fast and I’m lucky Ma keeps some for me and my little sister before taking them to the store-“
By the time Tanjirou realised the lost uncle was never really listening to him in the first place, he could already hear the faint wailing and sobbing from the house at the end of the street. However, before he could ask, he heard the lost uncle take a shaky breath, pinching the base of his nose in annoyance, Tanjirou wasn’t sure, before carefully opening his book to a certain page. The pale uncle traced what the little burgundy-haired boy could only imagine were words, before softly uttering the name he knew very well.
“Nishida Sora. 58. Lung disease.”
“Oh!” Tanjirou bounced on his feet at the idea. “You know Nishida-san? Are you here for him? If you don’t know where he lives, just walk to the end of the street. You’ll see a really huge wooden gate with crow carvings. That’s where he lives!”
The pale, blue-eyed uncle didn’t even acknowledge his words.
“If you want, I can walk with you. I just need to take Nezuko with-“
The lost uncle gently tugged on his collar to stop him from running back to their home. “I know where it is, tiny human.”
“Owwkay, big human!” The man visibly grimaced at his words, yet Tanjirou beamed. “Are you his doctor?”
The big human seemed to be ignoring him again.
“Sensei?”
“Uncle?”
“Sir?”
“Grandpa?”
“Grandpa? Do I look that old?” Blue eyes met tiny burgundy ones again, offended, making Tanjirou giggle on the back of his hand. The little boy just shrugged, rocking back and forth on the heel of his feet. He saw the uncle sighed once more before shaking his head. “Cheeky tiny human.”
Tanjirou pretended to know what cheeky meant, tilting his head to the side to get a proper look at the man who was ignoring him a minute ago. “Are you Nishidan-san’s relative? I can introduce you if you want?”
“No. I am here to collect.”
“Collect? Collect what? Stones? Bugs? Ohhh! I know a great spot to catch emperor beetles! Inosuke-chan always catches the biggest ones though and Zenitsu-chan’s just a scaredy cat so we don’t have to worry-“
“No, not that. Not beetles. Look-” This time, the man crouched to the little boy’s eye level, and with the close up view of his blue eyes, Tanjirou thought he was staring at the sky itself. “You shouldn’t be seeing me. You shouldn’t be talking to me.”
“I can see you though. I have eyes, Uncle. Ma said they’re very pretty.”
“That’s true – uhum.” The big human coughed to his fist, hiding his face. Tanjirou wanted to ask if he was alright and should he fetch this uncle a glass of water? But the man faced him again, gone was his coughing fit. “Didn’t your parents teach you not to talk to strangers?”
“They did.”
“And?”
Little Tanjirou tapped his finger against his chin, pursing his lips, deep in his childish thoughts. “You seem lonely, and Ma said if one of my classmates smelled lonely, I should do something to cheer them up!” He tugged on the hand of the pale uncle, jumping slightly at how cold his palm felt. “What’s your name? I’m Tanjirou!”
“I don’t have a name.”
“Boo! Don’t be silly!” Tanjirou giggled like a child on a swing flying into the air. “Everybody has a name!”
“Not me.”
“But I told you mine!” Tanjirou stomped his little feet on the concrete pavement of the empty street, throwing a tantrum. His father would give him a good scolding, maybe a little spanking, should he see the burgundy-haired boy giving others troubles. Remembering his father’s words, Tanjirou decided to attack from a different angle.
“Hey, hey – hey, oh, come on.” The blue-eyed man crouched again, meeting teary, burgundy orbs and blushing cheeks. “What now? Why are you crying?”
“Because you wouldn’t tell me your name!” Tanjirou wailed louder, acting like a spoiled little kid which is nothing like him, all because he wanted to befriend this uncle who has the bluest eyes, who looked like a spy.
The big human exhaled, evidently troubled, while Tanjirou beamed. “Fine. You can call me Yuu.”
“Yuu-chan!”
“Not Yuu-chan. Yuu. Yuu.”
“Yuu-chan!”
“Why am I even trying,” Yuu-chan whispered mostly to himself, and Tanjirou’s grin grew wider. “I need to go. Nishida Sora will be here any moment. Is that your house?”
Tanjirou followed where his Yuu-chan was pointing. Red, wooden gates, unlit house lanterns, an old service truck with Kamado Bakery hand painted on its back. Yep. That’s their house. “Yes, Yuu-chan! I live there!”
“Come.” The little burgundy-haired boy tilted his head slightly to the side, confused. Uncle Yuu-chan seemed to understand his unspoken question. “I’ll walk you back to your home.”
Years later, when Tanjirou would look back to that moment, he would laugh at the memory of what he would always fondly call as his first brush with death. But his little self wouldn’t realize that, enjoying the coldness of Yuzu-chan’s palm against his own, celebrating his newfound friendship. He wouldn’t catch how Nezuko, as young as she was, got confused about him laughing on his own, hand raised in the air like he was holding something invisible.
Later that night, delirious from a high fever, Tanjirou dreamt of blue skies and periwinkles and spies invading Japan in crisp suits.
-
“I heard you spoke to humans today, Giyuu.”
“Human. A tiny human, Shinobu. So what of it?”
“You know what I’m trying to say.”
“He has the gift of Sight!”
“Just be careful, Giyuu. They may let this slip up pass, but we both know consequences are harsh. There’s a reason we never interact with living, breathing humans.”
“I know.”
“I’m sure you do.”
-
Tanjirou would always look out of his room’s window, ceremoniously, watching each and every adult passing on their street. He was lucky enough to have his room on the upper floor, albeit slightly hating the room during summertime when the sun would burn through the roof. But it was the perfect place, for he can spot Yuu-chan from the crossing.
He mentioned Yuu-chan one evening at dinner, and even when his Ma and Pa was glad he made the new neighbor feel welcomed, they expressed their interest in getting to know the blue-eyed man. He even overheard them talking about it when he went for a pee and his parents were in the living room watching old spy movies again.
“Tanjirou said he’s a new neighbor. But we didn’t hear anyone moving here.”
His father’s kind voice cut through his mother’s worried one. “I’m sure he’s just a passerby.”
“But what if...”
“Don’t worry, if anything, he may be talking about an imaginary friend. Yuu-chan seemed harmless.”
Imaginary? He’s pretty sure Yuu-chan is real! But even if he wanted to defend his ‘not-imaginary’ friend, he would hear his Ma’s voice reminding him to never eavesdrop at adult conversations, Tanjirou. So he let them be, did his business, and went back to sleep. He decided between dreams that he would invite Yuu-chan to his home one day.
But Yuu-chan never showed up at his street again for a long time.
It was snowing when Tanjirou saw him once more. Not the harsh, unpleasant winter, but enough to color the world white. He was clothed from head to toe, layers over layers of protective shirts, mittens and socks. His Ma had always been careful, reminding him that it would be awful to catch a cold during Christmastime.
He was permitted to accompany his Ma on her trip to the local hospital to drop their freshly baked breads and pastries, a Kamado tradition during the holidays. His parents would wake up really early to prepare for it, kneading doughs and cooking fillings because it would mean the world for the health workers if they can get savoury curry pans or their bestselling anpans in between shifts.
Tanjirou watched as his mother dropped the box on the counter, the hospital guard behind her bringing the second one. From the corner of his eyes, on the far-end of the long, white, empty corridor, stood a man who seemed too familiar to him. Before he could even think, Tanjirou let go of his mother’s dress, walking hastily to catch up, sprinting into a full run when the figure headed for the door.
Yuu-chan?
Tanjirou really did his best to catch up, but his tiny legs could only do so much, the stranger who bore resemblance to Yuu-chan got further away even when he pushed against the floor with all his strength. He did not hear his mother’s faint cry, calling his name, wondering where on earth would his first born go and who he was chasing after. But Tanjirou only had one thing in his mind.
“Yuu-chan!” He pushed the heavy glass door open with his little hands, no guard to hold it for him since the man helped his Ma haul the box of pastries inside. But the stranger, with the same black hair cascading below his shoulders in a loose bun, the same crisp gray suit, the same lonely, closed off scent, didn’t acknowledge the pet name. So he tried, hoping to get a reaction, his young heart clenching in sadness because why wouldn’t Yuu-chan want to talk to him? How did his collection go? Would he know if Nishida-san was really gone? “Yuu!”
The man continued walking, past the gates, leaving no chance for the boy to catch up. Tanjirou watched as Yuu-chan turned right to the sidewalk, disappearing behind the brick wall. He wanted to run and give chase even when his lungs felt like it was shrinking in exhaustion, his legs numb from the sprint, his head aching from the lack of oxygen. But  before he could move, a gentle yet firm hand grabbed him by his left shoulder, spun him around and before he even realized, his Ma’s comforting and worried scent enveloped him.
“Don’t you dare do that again, my boy.” His Ma whispered in his hair, running her palm up and down Tanjirou’s back to let him know he wasn’t in trouble. “You scared me Tanjirou. What was that about?”
“Sorry Ma,” he was suddenly sobbing, partly because Yuu-chan ignored him like he was a stranger, but mainly because his Ma’s scent was so distressed, anguished, and he never wanted to make his Ma feel that way again. “I-“ a hiccup. “I saw Yuu-chan and I wanted to say hi but-“ another hiccup, and he reached up to wipe the snot dribbling from his nose with the back of his hand. “-but maybe he didn’t like to be my friend anymore.”
“Oh Tanjirou,” his Ma cooed, embracing him tightly against her chest, occasionally wiping his son’s face with her handkerchief. If she noticed that there were no fresh footprints on the snow, no signs of another human being around, she never said a word. Even when she saw his son calling out Yuu-chan to an empty corridor, running after a formless person, she never mentioned a thing. His son doesn’t need anymore heartbreaks on Christmastime, and doesn’t need to hear about how this Yuu-chan is only a fragment of his imagination.
-
Year: 1945
Month: April
Day: 26
Battle of Okinawa
Giyuu stood in the middle of the dense foliage, on the isolated island of Okinawa, as he watched soldier after soldier fall to their death at the hand of the enemy. Bombs would go off in the distance, their detonation shaking the earth. But he stood unmoving, completely in displeased awe, because this was a scene he had witnessed numerous times before.
“I will never understand humans and their obsession with war.” Makomo stepped quietly to the ground beside Giyuu, and he knew his fellow collector shared his facial expression. They were tired of humans killing each other, hurting each other, to satisfy their greed and hunger. “It hurts Them, these pointless endeavour of humans to best each other.”
“How many have you got?” He chose to ask instead, because even if they wanted to do something, they’re merely collectors. Humans and their dumb ways of dying were out of their duty; they were just sent to collect their due.
“Considering the numbers of soldiers on this island and the guarantee that not even a fourth will come out alive?” Makomo opened her book, flipping several pages. “A lot. You?”
“Thinking about the cups of tea I have to prepare for Choosing already wore me out.”
“Don’t worry, Giyuu. Kyojurou, Mitsuri, and Tengen are here too. Who knows, maybe the numbers are off and we won’t have to collect these much considering the collectors present?”
“When was the book ever wrong, Makomo?”
“Don’t ruin my optimism!”
Their little banter to pass time came to an end when a young, bleeding soldier ran towards their way, a group of foreign forces hot on his trail. He hid behind the trunk of a fallen tree, crying and clutching his jammed rifle to his chest. Giyuu only saw a part of his hair, black like his own, peeking under the helmet he wore on his head. Soot and mud dirtied his young face, but what caught the blue-eyed collector’s interest was his fierce, burgundy eye.
Eye, because his right was shut close, blood covering the half of his face.
“This is what I hate the most.” Makomo opened her book again, tracing the names under her watch. Once she located what she needed, she clicked her tongue in frustration. “Beautiful, innocent souls like him who get dragged to a war he did not wish for. Do you think he cries because he knows he’ll never see his family again? Or perhaps, because he killed another human even when he didn’t even want to fight this war?”
“I think he’s praying.”
“Should we listen to his words?”
“What? No, that’s private.” Giyuu looked at his companion with slight horror in his expression. “He prays to Them, and we can’t disrespect this young soldier’s last minute on this land.”
“I’m just kidding!” Makomo poked him on his cheek, but immediately turned when footstep grew nearer. When they saw the group of soldiers who gave chase surround the praying man, Makomo tucked her book in her arms and whispered. “It’s almost time, little soldier. I’m sorry your family will never see your beautiful eyes again.”
Giyuu decided to leave and do his part of the job too. He gave one last glance at the praying soldier, only to see one of the enemy hammer the heel of his rifle down to the wounded soldier’s forehead. Said soldier slumped against the trunk, but Giyuu thought he saw enough and turned around in haste.
A blunt force like that would likely scar, and he hoped it won’t seep through the soul. But it had been a traumatic experience for the young soldier with burgundy eyes, spending his last minutes alive surrounded by unfriendly faces. That wound would be a birthmark in most cases, but Giyuu hoped this soldier wouldn’t carry the wound to his next life should he choose to be reborn.
-
Tanjirou reached for the towel as he straightened his back, wiping away the droplets of water on his face. He absentmindedly traced the birth mark on his forehead as he brushed his teeth, his mind going over his plans for the day. He will meet Inosuke and Zenitsu at the latter’s grandpa’s house for a group study in preparation for their high school entrance exam. On his way back, he has to buy cough drops for his Pa who refused to see a doctor and will always counter their arguments with all I need is a good night sleep and plenty of water.
There’s nothing much to do for the day but to study, he figured, so he stuffed all his textbooks and notes into his bag and rode his bike to the Hashibiras to collect his friend. Inosuke thrashed like a bug lying on its back, complaining about why he always gets to sit and not pedal. He said he bets he’s a much better rider than Gonpachiro.
“It’s my bike, Inosuke. That’s why.”
“You’re just afraid I’m better at bikes than you, Monjirou.”
Zenitsu once told him, back when they were young, that Inosuke would actually get their name right after seven tries. I counted, his blond friend would say, because he kept yelling at me and shoving worms and beetles and acorn nuts in my face. Tanjirou tried to keep track the first few months after knowing the dumb fact, but eventually grew tired counting the wrong names before he could hear the right one.
The burgundy-haired teenager squeezed on the breaks, the rubber tires squeaking against the asphalt. He then got off, and gestured for Inosuke to take the handlebar grip. “Pedal away, Inosuke-sama.”
“Ha!” His loud friend thumped his back, with the aggressiveness that would match his excessive energy. Tanjirou had to step a foot forward to stop himself from toppling over. “I knew choosing you as my favorite friend was the right decision!”
Tanjirou shook his head with a little laugh. “Oh, what an honor!”
“Stop daydreaming and get on already! I can’t wait to run Monitsu over!”
“Don’t do that Inosuke.” Tanjirou transferred his backpack to his front, facing the opposite direction, watching the hills roll as his friend pedalled vigorously downhill. He only realised his mistake when they zoomed past the gate of Zenitsu’s home. “Inosuke, stop! Don’t go too fast –“ Tanjirou looked back to see his blond friend getting smaller and smaller until he was just a tiny dot of yellow. “ – we’ve passed by Zenitsu’s house! Turned around!” He shouted over his shoulder, closer to his friend’s ear. “Inosuke! TURN AROUND!”
Without a warning, Inosuke swiveled a hundred and eighty degrees, not knowing he had almost threw Tanjirou off. The burgundy-haired miserable back rider yelped in surprise and fear for his life. But before he could complain, Inosuke started pedalling again with the same intensity, Tanjirou thought he would die on the ride back to where Zenitsu’s home is. Good thing his friend waved and jumped, catching Inosuke’s attention, and the boy squeezed on the break so hard they almost did a cartwheel with the bike.
Never again, Tanjirou thought, as he combed back his hair. I refuse to ride a bike with Inosuke ever again.
“Wow,” Zenitsu stared at the two of them from head to toe. “I’m surprised you didn’t get into an accident.”
“He’s a walking accident.” Tanjirou pointed at his friend who wore his favorite boar shirt. “I am not getting on a bike with you again.”
“Just admit I’m better than you!”
Zenitsu pushed the two of them inside before their pointless discussion lengthened, the three greeting grandpa Jigoro along the way. Soon they fell into a series of question and answer, index cards and flashcards flying across the room. Inosuke would constantly complain about math and why did he have to learn such useless things. Zenitsu would also complain about Inosuke’s complaints, but would snatch away the problem, solve it for the boy, and explain how he got 12 as the value of X.
“Uhhhh,” Tanjirou stretched his arms, arching his back to pop the joints as he stood from their table. “I’m going for a quick konbini run. Anything you guys want?”
“Didn’t you bring any snacks from the bakery?”
“We didn’t open today. Pa’s sick.”
“Onigiri and Nissin for me, Tontaro!”
“Same, but I want tamago sando instead of onigiri.”
“Then it’s not the same, stupid butter head!”
“Bold of you to call me stupid when you’re the walking definition of the word!”
Tanjirou didn’t want to witness the inevitable wrestling match to which Inosuke would mercilessly hug Zenitsu from the back to squeeze out his oxygen, so he excused himself without saying a word. He checked for his wallet before mounting his bike. He didn’t spot any konbini on the way, so he decided to try the opposite street so see if there’s a nearby store. To his luck, he saw the green and red signboard a couple of streets away.
He parked his bike on the sidewalk as he repeated his friends’ choice of snack over and over again to make sure he wouldn’t forget. He opted for a katsu sando and a bag of potato chips, carrying all the food he picked to the counter. Just as the girl behind the register dropped the change to his open hands, he caught a hauntingly familiar figure, through the glass walls of the konbini, with the identical black book held against his chest.
No way.
Yuu-chan?
He quickly grabbed the brown paper bag after throwing a hurried sankyu to the cashier , pushing the doors with his shoulder. He then left the bag on the basket of his bike, before taking off to run after his Yuu-chan. Why didn’t he take the bike instead, Tanjirou could no longer think rationally because he couldn’t believe he’s about to see Yuu’s after all these years.
Was his eyes playing tricks on him again?
Because there’s just no way the person he was made to believe wasn’t real and was just a part of his childhood imagination was actually there. He looked exactly the same; charcoal gray three piece suit, light blue dress shirt, and a navy blue necktie. Just like the spies from his Pa’s old movies he often dreamt about.
“Yuu-chan!” He could no longer contain his excitement, jumping on the back of the man when he was an arm length away. But Yuu quickly turned around, reached for his wrist, effortlessly twisting it in a quick, practiced movement. Tanjirou didn’t manage to introduce himself because his wrist hurt and was twisted in a very awkward way, he thought he might snap it any second. “Ow, ow, ow, ow! It’s me, Yuu-chan! It’s me! Ow!”
As quick as Yuu grabbed him, the man immediately let him go once recognition dawned on his face. “Tiny human?”
“Wow, you remembered me!” Tanjirou beamed, the same wide smile he wore the first time he met Yuu. He almost forgot about those periwinkle eyes and snow white skin as he tried to bury the memory of the day when Nishida-san succumbed to lung cancer. “I almost thought you weren’t real, like a story of make believe I came up with in a desperate attempt to make friends.” Yuu-chan looked away, and Tanjirou wished he could read whatever was on the man’s mind. “It’s been seven years, Yuu-chan.”
“I owe you no explanation, tiny human.” Yuu-chan continued to look away, his blue eyes never meeting Tanjirou’s burgundy ones. “I never agreed to being friends.”
“But you remembered me, big human.”
Yuu-chan flinched. “My work involves a lot of names, and a mistake would result in grave consequences.” The man tucked his book in his arm again, turning around to walk away. “Go home and stop following me.”
“You sound like you’re just making excuses!” Tanjirou continued to annoy the man, hoping to make him talk more because his voice was somehow calming. He didn’t know where the boldness came from, but before he could think, he reached for Yuu’s hands, cold as ever, and pulled him towards the empty bus stop across the street. It should have been strange, with the absence of people on the street and the silence in the air, but Tanjirou didn’t notice. “Come with me! I haven’t seen you in ages!”
“What are you doing?” Yuu-chan gently freed his arm from Tanjirou, keeping it inside the pockets of his pants this time. “This is dangerous. Please keep your distance.”
“Why do you talk so formally, Yuu-chan? Come sit beside me!”
Tanjirou watched as the man glared at the innocent bench, burning holes in it as he considered his options. All the while Tanjirou’s wide grin never wavered, choosing to observe quietly as Yuu-chan argues with himself. The man looked like he never aged at all, like the past seven years were merely a week for him.
“You won’t stop until I indulge you, would you?”
“Nope!” Tanjirou bounced in his seat, grinning triumphantly.
“Fine.” Yuu-chan finally took a seat, a meter away from him. “But you shall not cross this distance.”
“What? Why? I’m not sick!” Tanjirou whined but immediately shut his mouth when Yuu glared at him. There was no hostility, but Yuu-chan has the ability to disappear from his sight, like how he did the past years, so Tanjirou chose not to push his luck further and truly anger the man. “Alright, no need to kill me with you eyes. Very pretty eyes I must say.”
Tanjirou’s throat tightened, and if he was standing, his knees would have buckled from the intensity of Yuu’s eyes. At first he thought the man didn’t like praises, didn’t like talking to him, but he continued staring. Tanjirou, unsure on what to do, chose not to meet Yuu’s eyes as he tried his best not to crumble because the weight of his stare makes the burgundy-haired boy melt.
To his surprise, Yuu, who was so adamant to observe distance, pushed against the metal bench and stood in front of him. Tanjirou raised his head to look at him, but Yuu-chan’s cold fingers brushed against his forehead. Chilly wind blew past them, causing strands of burgundy hairs to fall, but the cold fingers were there to brush them back up. Tanjirou couldn’t help but shiver, due to the wind or the cold skin, he couldn’t tell.
“Is there something wrong?” He managed to ask even when the chill he felt crept up from his lungs to his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
“This,” Yuu ran the pad of his thumb over the mark, twice, before tracing the outlines. “Was this always here? I didn’t – “ He stammered, as if he couldn’t make a sentence out of his train of thought. “ – seven years ago – “
“Oh, this?” Tanjirou instinctively reached up, not expecting a cold hand meeting his own where his sturdy forehead should be. “It had been there as far as I can remember. It just got bigger as I grew older. Seven years ago, it was just this tiiiiiiny thing, you could have mistaken it for a scar.”
He heard the blue-eyed man, who was acting so strange that day, mumbled something under his breath. It was so soft, Tanjirou could have heard three different languages, because even when there were no cars, no people around, he still didn’t understand the incoherence mumbling. Tough luck, for he has lost his gift of keen nose after turning ten, so he has absolutely no idea what this strangeness was all about.
“Does it hurt?” he heard Yuu-chan ask as he pulled his cold fingers away. But he didn’t step back to create a meter of distance again, much to Tanjirou’s delight. “Does it bother you?”
“Not really, no,” he bit his lip, recalling a stupid myth Zenitsu recounted once when they were nine. “They said birthmarks were signs of how a person died in his past life, but that just sounds silly to me.”
Tanjirou looked up, hoping to see Yuu share his opinion about the absurdity of the myth. But he only saw anxious eyes which couldn’t meet his, lips flattened into a straight line, brows furrowed. “Sometimes, old stories passed down with words of mouth would hide a truth or two.”
“Are you telling me - ” Tanjirou’s voice climbed a pitch higher, trying to suppress his laughter after considering that he had a life before this. “ – that I died from a blunt force trauma to the head in my past life? Was I murdered?”
“Don’t be silly,” Tanjirou wanted to scoff because Yuu-chan dared call him silly when he was just spouting nonsense about old stories and hidden truths a minute ago. “Besides, is that your only birthmark?”
Immediately Tanjirou crossed arms over his chest, balling the shirt he wore with his hidden palms. He wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t spooked at Yuu-chan’s question, because he sounded like an honestly curious man, but his instinct pushed him to cross his arms over his chest where a different set of marks hide. “How did you know about that?”
“Know about what?” Yuu asked back, and Tanjirou couldn’t determine if he was feigning ignorance. “I was just asking.”
Tanjirou gulped the knot on his throat, suddenly feeling stupid about his fascination with his own birthmarks. Science has explanations for these, there must be, so he shouldn’t be bothered by Yuu-chan’s vagueness or Zenitsu’s old stories. He was about to ask the man where he went and why he didn’t see him again, but Yuu was suddenly flipping a page of the book he was carrying over and over again. “What are you doing, Yuu-chan? Looking for something?” Tanjirou tried to peek at the pages, but Yuu-chan pivoted his body around to keep the book out of his sight. “I can help?”
“This is strange.” Yuu flipped the page again like he was trying to see if flipping back and forth would make a change to what was already written in the book. Tanjirou wanted to laugh at Yuu-chan’s endless turning of the page, but the man seemed troubled. “How did this happen?”
“How did what happen?” He was never proud of his nosiness, but it was harmless, he thought. He just wanted to help and stop Yuu-chan from tearing the poor page out of the book. The same book, with three blue lines spreading out horizontally, he was carrying back then.
“I was here to collect, ” Yuu shut the book close, tucking it under his arm once again. “But it seemed I was mistaken. I need to go.”
Collect? Like Nishida-san? Tanjirou wanted to ask, but such things weren’t easy to explain, and he wasn’t even sure he was ready to accept Yuu-chan’s secret, if there is one. He chose not to define who Yuu is, all that matters is that he was there again, talking to him, no longer ignoring him.
Tanjirou knew Yuu was going to disappear again. To where, he had no idea, but at least now, he was sure Yuu wasn’t just a part of his imagination. He felt him, his cold touch, his intense stare. Yet he couldn’t help but feel lonely for no reason at all. “Will I see you again?”
“Perhaps,” was Yuu-chan’s answer which offered no comfort to the boy. Perhaps could mean another seven years, or never again. Perhaps isn’t a guaranteed yes, sounding more like a gentle no. “These meetings wouldn’t benefit the both of us, and could put you in danger. Think of it as breaking the law, tiny human.”
Because more spies will be watching. This he knew, after seeing crisps suits blending in the crowds, peach hair and platinum, purple and aqua eyes. Yet he pulled Yuu to an embrace, burying his face on the folds of his three piece suit. “I stopped dreaming about you. For reasons unknown to me, I kept seeing you in my dreams when I’m running a fever. But when you disappeared, the dreams went away too.”
Yuu removed his arms around his waist, Tanjirou already missing the coldness that seemed to come from every part of Yuu’s skin. He couldn’t read his expression again, but he didn’t expect anything more from the strange man. He speaks vaguely, dresses the same, never aged, so his expressionless face was the least of Tanjirou’s concerns.
“Stay healthy, tiny human.”
Tanjirou snorted at Yuu’s choice of response, turning back to where he left his bike at the konbini. He didn’t want to say goodbye, even when he knew that perhaps he wouldn’t see Yuu-chan again. So he continued walking even when he didn’t hear the man move from his place, because he has his hungry friends waiting for him.
He looked back, hoping to see Yuu watching him leave and walk away.
But like how he disappeared seven years ago, the man was suddenly gone, like he wasn’t even there a minute ago.
He rode his bike back to Zenitsu’s home in a bleary state. Thanks to the numerous trips he made to his blond friend’s house, he found his way even when he didn’t even remember pedalling. He couldn’t feel his legs, his head buzzed, his fingers numb. He recalled grandpa Jigoro asking him what’s wrong and why he looked so pale, before seeing Inosuke’s worried face rushing to him as he slumped against the nearest wall.
He black out a moment after that.
-
I kept seeing you in my dreams when I’m running a fever.
“That’s not it,” Giyuu sighed, finding it hard to breathe as he watched Tanjirou stumble out of his bike, pushing the gate of his friend’s house with all his strength. That was his fault, for he couldn’t help himself, even when he promised not to bring harm to the beautiful soul again. “It was the other way around. You get fevers because of your dreams.”
“Who are you talking to?” came a voice behind him, but Giyuu didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Instead, he walked towards the gate of Kuwajima Jigoro’s humble home. He pushed it open, stepping into the other side where his office was. Sabito came in after him, shutting the metal door. “You were supposed to collect a soul today, Giyuu.”
“Who are you, my assistant? So what’s my next schedule?” Giyuu dragged a chair to the table in the middle of the wide room, the only furniture present. His office, much like the others in his line of work, was a high-ceiling room, with a tiled countertop where he prepares teas, coffees, sometimes even sodas, for the souls he brings to the Choosing.
Sabito hauled a tea bag at him, hitting Giyuu on his head, flakes of the dried leaves scattering in his suit. “I wish your brain was sharper than your tongue!”
Giyuu clicked said tongue, wanting to agree because he admits his earlier actions were not well thought out. How could he let a human touch him? How could he not say no, only because those burgundy eyes kept haunting him?
“Kuwajima Jigoro should have died today.” Giyuu pressed his fingers between his eyes, already feeling the early signs of migraine, still wondering what and how it happened because he wasn’t mistaken; he never made mistakes in his job. “I saw his name. It was cardiac arrest.”
“Were you on time?”
He shouldn’t be answering such silly questions. “You know I was never late, Sabito.”
“Were you,” His peach-haired friend sipped on the tea he brewed, holding Giyuu’s periwinkle eyes in an intense stare. “on time, Giyuu?”
Okay, so there was no use lying, and he sincerely believed the slight delay couldn’t hinder death that was already written in the book. He would be guilty if Kuwajima Jigoro’s name was there and that death had simply taken a detour due to his tardiness, but the name was completely gone. Erased, with no sign that it was there before Giyuu left his office, which it definitely was. “I may have been late by a couple of minutes. But it shouldn’t matter because the time of death is absolute even when no collector is present to – “
Sudden realization dawned on Sabito’s face that he was momentarily stuck with his jaw dropping to the floor, and a look of complete disbelief in his eyes. “You talked to a human again, did you? What were you thinking? Were you even using your head like you’re supposed to?”
“He jumped on me from behind! He recognized me-“
“Oh no,” Sabito took the chair opposite him, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He catches his head in his hand, murmuring curses at Giyuu’s stupidity. “It was the same human back then. The human with the gift of Sight. Oh no.”
Giyuu nodded, feeling incredibly frustrated with his inability to follow the rules. “Seven years ago.”
“That was already seven years ago? Yet he still remembered you?”
Giyuu nodded once again, not finding the words to defend himself from Sabito’s unabashed judgment. He couldn’t blame his friend and fellow collector for reacting the way he did, because they weren’t Divines with blessed holiness, nor humans with free will. They were just reapers, tasked to guide souls to the afterlife where they could exercise their freedom to choose one last time and help them decide what they want their fate to be.
He wasn’t human, therefore he doesn’t have the same freedom.
Even if he wanted to see Burgundy Eyes again, not only on the times he was dying, he simply couldn’t choose to do what he wanted.
The clanking of the Sabito’s teacup on the saucer shook Giyuu out of his silent dilemma. His peach-haired friend frowned, the scar on his face more prominent as he pursed his lips in frustration. He once asked the man about his facial scar, which they both agreed seemed to be a birthmark, but Sabito couldn’t recall how and when he acquired it.
“You can’t keep doing this, Giyuu.” Sabito sighed, tracing the patterned yellow and green lines of his own book sitting on the table. “We didn’t know, we may never know, how our presence affects living souls. I’m sure you’ve heard of the myths.”
“I have, but they’re just myths.” Like those about birthmarks, and Giyuu suddenly found himself with the realization that if the myths of men were real, then there’s a chance the myths of the reapers of the old were real too. “No,” he hunched over the table, burying his face in his folded arms. “I messed up. What if – “ Giyuu raised his head, the frantic look in those periwinkle eyes making Sabito flinched. “What if Kuwajima Jigoro’s death took a turn and – “
Sabito reached for his head, shaking it vigorously in an attempt to rattle his brain. Giyuu groaned at the harshness, but was thankful for the distraction. “Don’t think too much of it, Giyuu. If something was indeed wrong, you should have heard from Yorichii-san by now.”
“I swear the name was there!” Giyuu flipped his book open again, trying so hard to prove he was simply mistaken so he could step out of his door to collect the soul. But he couldn’t find the name, couldn’t find the reason why it would just disappear when death was something no one could hinder. Not even the Divines could defy death if They deemed it to be the right time to take back the gift of life They bestowed. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Tan – “
“Don’t speak of his name!” Sabito abruptly stood, his chair tripping over. His booming shriek effectively stopped Giyuu’s string of apologies. “Don’t make another mistake, Giyuu. Remember who we are, and what we bring. Don’t.”
Giyuu understood, for there is a reason souls should only see them after passing.
There is a reason he should never let Tanjirou see him again.
For he brings nothing but death.
-
Tanjirou should have known.
He tried to whisper, sometimes in his pillow before he sleeps, a wish to see Yuu in his dreams again. But he never had bad fevers again, never got the chance to see the man turn his nightmares into sweet stupor.
He tried to whisper, against the glass pane of the train as it whirred and swayed, words of intercession and petition, begging for a chance to see Yuu once again.
He tried to whisper his name, trying to call for him to come and explain, to let him know that he doesn’t care what he is, to finally understand why he can’t get Yuu out of his system, even after trying to make himself believe the man with the sky in his eyes isn’t real. He wanted to ask him why it felt like Yuu knew him longer than he should have, the same way he felt strangely familiar even when he only met him twice.
Tanjirou should have known that perhaps meant an empty promise, a parting word disguised as an assurance that he will see Yuu again.
For after he touched him with his cold fingers and reached for the scars he was born with, he never saw Yuu again.
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knylinphd · 4 years
Text
Offering chocolates to their crush on White Day | Headcanons
gender neutral
-> I know the White Day didn’t exist back then, but let’s say it did. And I know it’s girls who are supposed to give those chocolates, but I change the rules however I want 😗✌🏻.
-> Inosuke Hashibira, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Muichiro Tokito, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Inosuke Hashibira
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His crush on you was known by all his friends, and obviously, they pushed him to do something for the White Day. Actually, Tanjiro explained to him what it was and why it was important for several hours, and Zenitsu trained him to give you the chocolates.
‘’It’s not like you’re going to give some to someone anyway !’’ Inosuke would say. ‘’I planned on giving them to Nezuko-chan !’’ Zenitsu would reply. But those words change once the big day arrived.
‘’Stop eating that much ! Imagine smelling like rice once you talk to (Y/N) ! You’ll ruin everything !’’ The blond shouted. ‘’Why do you even care ?! I’m going to give them chocolates, not you ! I’ll smell whatever I want !’’
Obviously when you showed up, Inosuke put back on his mask and awkwardly walked to you. ‘’Hi, Inosuke ?’’ You really weren’t expecting him to give you chocolates until he bowed a bit, extending the box towards you. You curiously picked it up.
Once you realized it was a box of chocolates, you gasped, happy. ‘’Inosuke, you didn’t have to ! Thank you, cthat’s so cute !’’ He was happy he was wearing his mask, cause he couldn’t have been blushing more .
Unfortunately, you convinced him to take it off, after he had eventually calmed down. You giggled and kissed his cheek. ‘’Thank you ! I’m proud of you !’’ You said, referring to how he was becoming more social and blending in with the others.
And actually, he blushed even more than when he gave you the chocolates -if that was even possible. After that, he froze before putting back on his mask and running back to the boys. ‘’Did you see that ?!’’ he kept asking them.
‘’You did well, Inosuke !’’ Tanjiro said. ‘’I’m so jealous he managed to do it and not me !’’ Zenitsu whined. ‘’UH ?! NO WAY YOU FORCED ME TO DO IT WHILE YOU DON’T !’’ The boar boy yelled, pushing his friend to Nezuko. He was sure going to take his revenge.
Zenitsu Agatsuma
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On one hand, Zenitsu had been preparing the White Day for weeks, as he had even planned on baking the chocolates himself. On the other hand, he really wasn’t ready for it cause he was scared of the humiliation.
‘’Please, Tanjiro ! You can’t force me to go ! What if they don’t like me and don’t accept them ?! I’ll look like an idiot ! And everyone will know !’’ he would whine all day long. ‘’Even if it’s as a friend, (Y/N) will take them, Zenitsu. Don’t worry.’’ He would reply.
However, after a whole hour of the blond complaining, it got on Inosuke’s nerves and he started yelling, catching your attention. You stopped in your tracks once you heard them, but you expected them to explain what was happening eventually.
What you didn’t expect to happen was for Inosuke to show up, pushing Zenitsu and yelling at him. ‘’What’s going on ?’’ You asked. ‘’He has something to give you but he keeps whining and crying about it ! I hate it ! Take him !’’ The boar boy shouted at you.
That said, he left, leaving you and Zenitsu alone. ‘’... So, what is it that you have to give me ?’’ You asked, as he still had his eyes closed and was bowing. He finally extended the box towards you. ‘’Chocolates for you, for the White Day !’’ You arched an eyebrow.
He looked so scared, but you didn’t know what to do. You took the box and opened it. ‘’Thank you.’’ You said, crouching down to be at his height since he was still bowing and seemed stuck in that position. ‘’I baked them myself !’’ He admitted.
‘’Really ?!’’ You asked, immediately tasting one. ‘’They’re delicious, Zenitsu ! Thank you !’’ You said, making him finally open his eyes and standing back up. ‘’Really ?’’, ‘’Yeah !’’. He blinked a few times before you kissed his cheek, running away to show off.
His eyes widened at the sudden kiss, and once he realized what had just happened, the blond just yelled like a maniac, hyperventilating. ‘’See ?! It wasn’t that complicated.’’ Inosuke said, grumpy. But Tanjiro was proud, patting his friend’s back.
Muichiro Tokito
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It took time for Muichiro to realize he liked you, and he didn’t even notice it himself ; it was obviously the love pillar who had to figure it out for him. But once he did realize he liked you, he was lost. What could he do about it ?
As he was the youngest pillar, some of the others, like Uzui, Mitsuri, Kyojuro, Shinobu and Gyomei, offered their help to make him confess. But the idea he liked the most was to offer you chocolates at the White Day.
‘’I’m going to bake chocolates for (Y/N). Maybe they won’t realize it’s because I like them, but at least they’ll know that I care for them.’’ Muichiro said after a meeting, making Mitsuri really happy, as it was her idea to begin with.
For weeks, Muichiro tried many different chocolate recipes. He knew you were fond of (fruit), so he wanted to associate it with the chocolate. He finally found the perfect recipe two days before the actual White Day, making Mitsuri and Shinobu particularly proud.
‘’They’re here !’’ Shinobu said. ‘’You should go !’’ Mitsuri added, at the sight of you. Muichiro didn’t question it and was brave enough to directly walk to you, and it seemed like he wasn’t stressed at all. ‘’Hi, (L/N).’’ He said. ‘’Oh, hi !’’ You replied, happy that he showed you some sympathy despite being so usually cold.
‘’I baked you chocolates for the White Day. You can refuse them.’’ He didn’t look done, but you had already taken the box, opening it to taste a chocolate. ‘’They’re so good ! Is that (fruit) in it ?’’ Muichiro blinked a few times before smiling at you.
‘’Yes, I knew it was your favorite fruit. Do you like them ?’’ He asked. ‘’Yeah, yeah ! Thank you ! I can’t believe you even spent time to bake them for me, that’s so cute !’’ You kept thanking him, not noticing most of the pillars watching you both from afar.
You ended up kissing Muichiro’s cheek, and even if he widened his eyes and felt his cheeks getting warmer and warmer, he didn’t walk away. Thus, you offered him to stay with you and share the chocolates he had baked. ‘’Ah, youth !’’ Kyojuro exclaimed.
Sanemi Shinazugawa
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I know it’s always the same GIF but we really don’t have much choice for the pillars for the moment dkdls....
If there was one thing that was annoying Sanemi, it clearly was any type of love celebration. He couldn’t stand all those lovey dovey couples all over the place and everyone reminding him that he hadn’t confessed to anyone yet. Especially not you.
Despite the fact that it was quite obvious for everyone that he liked you, Sanemi never asked for any advice nor help to confess to you ; it’s like he hadn’t had planned to even tell you in his lifetime.
But obviously, there were other people attracted to you, and it was annoying the hell out of him. That’s why, knowing the White Day was coming, Sanemi walked to Mitsuri, seriously. ‘’Tell me how to confess to (Y/N) for the White Day.’’ he ordered her.
Despite his tone, Mitsuri was actually really pleased to help ; and she thought you and Sanemi would’ve been a great couple, and just as cute as all the others that would annoy the boy each year at White Day. That’s why the first thing she told him to do was to get you chocolates.
‘’But many people like them, they’re gonna give them chocolates too. I don’t want to offer them the same ones.’’ He said. ‘’Then bake some ! I know how to ! I’ll show you ! I know they like dark chocolate especially !’’ The girl replied, excited.
It took Sanemi many days to finally like the chocolates he had baked -but Mitsuri didn’t care how long it took, she enjoyed eating whatever he didn’t want to give you. And finally, the big day arrived. The moment he saw you, he ran over, to be sure to be the first one to give you anything.
‘’Shinazugawa ?’’ You asked, surprised to have seen him run to you. ‘’I....’’ he actually struggled to tell you what was going on, but you never ceased to wait for his answer. ‘’I baked chocolates for you !’’ He finally managed to spit, as fast as he could.
‘’Wow, you even baked them ?! Thank you ! I never thought you would give me chocolates !’’ You immediately opened the box to have a taste ; they were delicious. ‘’Well, it wasn’t-’’ Sanemi didn’t have time to give any explanation nor random excuse since you decided to give him a kiss on the cheek. Maybe all those lovey dovey couples weren’t that annoying after all.
I FINALLY WROTE SOMETHING YEAAAAY!!!!
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blue-bird-kny · 4 years
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Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke with an s/o who at first comes off as innocent and sweet but turns out she's a huge flirt and enjoys getting them flustered? Thank you so much!!
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Thank you for your request, it was really fun to write! Enjoy~Amanda (This gif is the cutest thing I’ve seen today)
Warning: None
(1.5k words)
Tanjiro:
When Tanjiro first met you, he thought you were the sweetest person he’d ever had the chance to meet. You were so humble and kind, always putting others before yourself, much like Tanjiro! In reality, you were all those things and more; but you also fed off the thrill and excitement that came with teasing your sweet boyfriend. 
You were very meticulous with when and how you teased him, upping the level of flirtiness whenever you felt the moment was just right. This was usually when all your friends were gathered, Tanjiro just made it so easy. There was never any malice behind your witty remarks and suggestive smiles, it was just for fun, but you’d never deny how much you loved his reactions each time.  
Tonight had been like any other, Zenitsu and Inosuke were insistanly bickering about someing stupid, Nezuko was peacfully tucked away in her room sleeping, and Tanjiro was quietly sitting next to you. “Since nobody’s looking…” you scooched closer to the boy next to you, he turned his head and offered a friendly smile. “Tanjiro-kun!” you knew that he just loved when you called him that, it made him feel weak in the knees. “Y-yes?” he stuttered, color already rushing to his cheeks. 
You seductively placed a hand on his thigh, using it as leverage to come impossibly close to his warm face. His eyes averted from yours, “Y/N! We’re in public!” “I know, but it's just hard to resist those delicious lips of yours when they're so close. Besides,” you licked your lips in anticipation “ it's not like anyone's watching” your lips ghosted against his jawline, Tanjiro was so enraptured with your ministrations he’d almost entirely blocked out the noise of the other two unsuspecting persons in the room. “Unless you want them too”. That's it, he was under your spell; his hands gripped his pants and his breathing became unsteady, “Y/n please”.
You pulled away, satisfied with the mess of a man you left behind, “just teasing” your sly smile only emphasized how much you enjoyed your little game. “Tanjiro?”
Congrats, you’ve officially broken your boyfriend.
Zenitsu
This poor boy had no idea what he was getting into when he entered a relationship with you. You were always so quiet and calm, so it took him by complete surprise the first time you became excessively flirty with him.
However you never wanted to make him uncomfortable so you always saved the teasing for when you two were safe behind closed doors. Zenitsu was so easy to rile up, it was adorable. His entire face down to his neck would glow a bright red and his entire vocabulary would automatically be thrown out the window. 
Of course, you knew when to scale it back and what boundaries were never to be crossed. You respected your partner too much to ever do anything you thought he wouldn’t enjoy or would upset him. 
You could feel the shift in the air as summer bleed into fall, the leaves already beginning to create piles on the ground outside. You decided to leave the window open just enough to allow the breeze to waft in and out of the dark room. 
Zenitsu’s tuft of blonde hair peaked out from underneath his sheets, the rise and fall of his form slightly ruffling the sheets. “He looks so soft when he sleeps” It was almost day-break and you almost felt bad about having to wake him to start the day. Emphasis on the almost. Morning wake-up sessions were the perfect time to exercise your flirting abilities to their fullest. 
“Zeni~” you gently called, running your fingers through the small patch of hair that you could reach. He stirred, ignoring your call “Be that way then” You nuzzled your entire body between his legs with little effort, your head and hands resting on his chest. Slowly, Zenitsu sleepy eyes began to open, revealing his brilliant golden orbs. “Good Morning sleepy head” 
Zenitsu stared into your playful eyes, not having completely registered the position the two of you were currently in. You began to absentmindedly trace invisible patterns into the clothes that hid his chest, your face lazily balanced on your other hand. As if someone had connected the wires in his brain, Zenitsu jumped in realization, scarlet engulfing his entire face. “Y-y/n what are you d-doing?!” he firmly held his hands to his side, refusing to touch your body (even though he kind of wanted to).
“Well you weren’t waking up, so I figured I need to try something else to get your attention.” you answered as if you knew nothing of the effect you were having on him. You definitely had his attention now, “But now I’m too comfortable to get up just yet, you don’t if I lay here a little longer?” your voice was like honey, your eyes begging in the sweetest way possible. Of course Zenitsu didn’t want you to get off of him, who wouldn’t want to wake up to their girlfriend being pressed flush against their body? “Of course not” he spoke, slowly growing accustomed to the weight of your body against his.
“That's good” you nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his natural scent that drove you crazy. Tentatively, Zenitsu wrapped his hands around your torso, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles into the skin your clothes failed to cover. Needless to say, the two of you fell back asleep, enjoying the warmth of one another.
Inosuke:
From the moment you and Inosuke started dating you knew it would be difficult to catch a rise out of the confident, self-spoken individual. 
The first few times you tried to get some sort of reaction out of the boy with your flirty antics, it ended up back firing. Either Inosuke would magically find a way to turn the situation on its head, making the focus fall on you causing you to be embarrassed or he just wouldn't understand what you were talking about.
Unbeckonest to Inosuke, you were beginning to feel impatient and frustrated with him. Why couldn’t he just take a hint and take a compliment? Didn’t he like you enough to become flustered when your hand would  accidentally graze his thigh or chest? Honestly, you were almost at a loss of how to get a rise out of this guy. 
That was until it became so painfully obvious on exactly what would cause Inosuke’s heart to hammer and his face to flush. You weren’t sure how it hadn’t occurred to you before.The next day while you and the other were taking a short break from an intense training regime, you decided then would be the perfect time to execute your plan. You walked over to your boyfriend, who was aggressively hammering his sword against a tree because ‘breaks are for weaklings’, a jug of water grasped between your palms.
“Inosuke! I brought you some water, it is seriously hot out today” you placed the jug in his skeptical hands, using it as some sort of offering to gain his attention. “I would have been fine without it women!” he voiced, however he drank the entire barrel in a few large gulps. “Oh I know, some one as strong and skilled as you are wouldn’t need anything from the rest of us” you shimmed your way next to the boy whose ears perked in interest like a puppy.
“You know earlier when you were training with Tanjiro I just knew you would win. You were much tougher and smarter than he was during your fight together, he was probably afraid” he listened to your words of praise in complete bliss. You took this opportunity to remove his furry mask without any complaints, shifting to his lap.
“Anyone can tell that you’ve been working so hard these last few weeks, much harder than the others. Just look at you! You're so musly and powerful, any demon will cower at just the mention of your name” your hand trailed down his chest and his arms, admiring every crook and crevasse that came in your way.
Inosuke’s ears began to ring slightly as blood rushed across his chest and ears, his skin tingled in the places your delicate finger grazed. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but he didn’t want it to stop. “Those weaklings have nothing on me” he remarked, voice subdued as he relished in the new found delight that was the feel of your nails aimlessly traveling his exposed skin.
“He’s had enough” you tauntingly thought to yourself, lifting your fingers away from his skin. He immediately frowned at the loss of contact, itching to feel you on him again. “Lets not keep the others waiting” you smiled mischievously  as you walked away, completely aware of the state you’d left the poor boy in.
Behind you, Inosuke sat extremely confused as to what just happened, but very desperate to have you on him again, soon. He was out of it for the rest of the day, stuck in the day dream that was you. You were hoping to have a bigger reaction from Inosuke, but you weren’t picky, there were other ways and times to get what you wanted out of him.
Main Masterlist
I’m sorry for the delay! I went on an impromptu vacation for the weekend and didn’t have a piece completed! I hope you all enjoyed it, thank you~Amanda
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sun-daddy-yoriichi · 4 years
Note
Can I request Daddy! Sanemi finding out his 10 year old daughter became a demon slayer and joined the Kamaboko gang? What is his reaction, and what is their relationship like afterwards? Also, can you include Uncle Genya plz?
SANEMIIII
Bro I've been waiting for someone to request Sanemi let's GO-
▬▬▬
Warning(s): Some angst, spoilers for the manga
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Sanemi with a daughter who joins the Demon Slayer Corps (Headcanons)
So
Sanemi isn't going to have a child at eleven years old for her to be ten
So he had her when he was twenty-one. He's thirty one in this set of headcanons.
(It's a miracle he even got a girl pregnant-)
He would be a good father though pass it on
But initially, Sanemi would train her to he a master of swordsmanship, but would absolutely forbid her from joining the Final Selection.
At such a young age, he doesn't want her to risk her life. She should be able to live like a normal girl, and not like a warrior.
(Baby Shinazugawa looks exactly like her father by the way, sans the scars)
Sanemi teaches her to be proud of herself no matter what. That she shouldn't be ashamed of what anyone says.
Before she was ten, she only had one scar, from when she cut her palm when sharpening a sword. She's even proud of that one, despite it being a mistake.
The Pillars know about her, but have only met her once or twice when she accompanied Sanemi to a few Pillar meetings.
To Sanemi's utter dismay, she and Giyuu get along well. She gets along with everyone, honestly, but that's the only thing that irks him.
One day she tells him that she's going to visit the Butterfly Estate, and he believed her.
(Foolish on his part)
On the second day, when she hadn't returned, and Shinobu says she never even came to the Butterfly Estate, he knows that she disobeyed him and joined the Final Selection
He was angry, yes, but there was also nothing he could do.
Sanemi had to wait until the seven days were up to know if she had survived the Selection.
When she did come back, muddy and exhausted, but alive, he was on her ass in an instant.
It was one of the first times they fought each other like that, and they both hated it despite the fact that they wouldn't change their opinions.
Sanemi thought she was being reckless and inconsiderate for joining the Selection. His daughter thought that she had a right to do what she wanted.
For a while, they didn't speak to each other. They stopped eating together, and his daughter would find someone else to train with rather than go to him.
It's tense at the Wind Estate for a while. Sanemi isn't even there when she gets her Nichirin blade and uniform. Such a proud moment that should be shared between them, and they're on bad terms
They share a tense farewell to each other, before his daughter is leaving the Wind Estate for the first time in a long time, heading West to her first mission.
When she first encounters the Kamaboko Gang, she almost kills Nezuko. She had never heard of a demon that would help humans.
After a bit of explanation, she quickly agrees to join their group, and tolerate Nezuko along the way.
She manages to surprise everyone in the Kamaboko Gang. She's only ten, after all. She's much stronger than all three of the boys, but it isn't until they see her in action that they believe it.
Inosuke tries to fight her every single day
Nobody expects the Wind Pillar's ten-year-old daughter to best them in combat, but she does.
On Rui's mountain, she's too busy protecting others from the Mother Demon to notice the others struggling. Even if she isn't hurt at all, she still accompanies Inosuke and Zenitsu back to the Butterfly Estate.
There, she trains with Kanao for a while, before a crow is sent with a message for her. From her father.
After a lot of tea (and ohagi) shared between them in an uncomfortable silence, Sanemi is the first to apologise.
He couldn't blame her for running off to join the Demon Slayer Corps. He did the same thing. He just didn't have anyone to tell him off about it.
Of course, she forgives him. He is her own father, after all.
When given it, she immediately accepts the offer to become his Tsuguko. Even if his training is hard, she was raised by it. She could handle it.
You think he would go easy on her during Pillar training? Think again.
They only sparred once during Sanemi's infinite-pouding training. It was a six hour fight that lasted well through the night, and while Sanemi still came out victorious, she was allowed to move on right after that.
(They broke almost every wooden sword that Sanemi had at his estate. Everyone who saw the fight said it was quite the spectacle)
During the Final Battle with Muzan, she is fighting alongside Shinobu, Kanao, and Inosuke, to take out Upper Moon Two. Of course, she manages to sustain miniamal damage to herself. A few cuts and scrapes is all.
That's not the case during the battle with Muzan, up on the surface.
Against her father's wishes, she takes part in the battle, proving to be quite the nuisance to Muzan. But that doesn't mean she was anything more than annoying to him, despite being nearly as powerful as a Pillar.
When the battle is finally over, she's lost vision to her eyes due to a laceration across her face, and her collarbones are broken in several different places. Of course, the many cuts across her body will scar, and she'll be proud of them, because she now has even more in common with her father.
Sanemi is happy, but also incredibly pained.
She was only ten, after all. And yes she still went through so much trouble and horror to make sure he would stay alive.
She would be the person he would devote the rest of his life to. Not just because she's blind now, but because she's his pride and joy.
Now that they live in a world without demons, he can finally do the one things he's always wanted to: live the rest of his life in peace, with a loving daughter, and not a single worry in the world.
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momoh-chiin · 4 years
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Hello there @snowy-maya!! I'm glad you liked the result of your last request!
Also, why just do one, if I can do both! Swap AU's are my favorite! And I did this as headcanons so this isn't deadly long, hope you don't mind!
Order up!
How did you two meet, and how did you get together? - HEADCANONS!
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Demon!Slayer Kamado Nezuko x Female Reader:
—You two had met at Nezuko's trial, you being the (H/N) Hashira. You were young, yes, but your skills were absolutely great and efficient.
—Your first thought about Nezuko was "Really? She is traveling with a Demon? This cute girl?"
—Nezuko didn't acknowledged you until you defended her from Obanai's hard grip.
—For her also surprise, you were on her side!
"This demon didn't try to attack Shinazugawa-san, even if he was hurt, Shinazugawa-san bleeding and being a jerk. I don't believe he will hurt anyone!"
—After that, you visited the Kamado siblings almost daily at the Butterfly State (not everyday, you were a hashira). You two became friends instantly, soon enough fell in love with each other.
—Nezuko was the one who confessed, though it was an accident. It happened when she finally won against Kanao. In her celebration, since you helped her so much, she ran to you, a big smile on her face.
"I did it, (Y/N)-chan! Thank you very, very much! I love you!"
—After an awkard moment with Zenitsu's screaming at you because "how dare you steal his lovely Nezuko-chan from him", Aoi scolding Nezuko because it "wasn't the place to do this", a quiet but blushing Kanao behind of that, you softly told her you loved her too.
—You two went to missions together as much as you could.
—It was hard, you being a Hashira and her trying to turn his brother back to human, along with the whole demons killing everywhere, but you two made time in your agendas for cute, little dates.
—No matter if you two were alone or with the rest of the Kamaboko Squad, you two would travel hand in hand, cuddle before going to sleep, exchange cute, cheesy love letters while no one was watching.
—You also got along with Tanjirou! That was really important, he being the older brother and all. He accepted you as his sister girlfriend, and you both couldn't be happier!
—Life was hard, but you two could overcome everything, as long as you two were together!
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Demon!Kamado Tanjirou x Female Reader
—You didn't meet at the best circumstances; you tried to kill Tanjirou, thinking he was going to attack your comrade.
—But since he didn't try to attack you, rather he gave you a sad look, you couldn't help but lower your blade, dumbfounded.
—You were hurt from last missions, probably had the smell of blood on you, and he didn't try to even defend himself?
—Out of curiosity, you decided to go along with the Kamado Siblings.
—You started to learn stuff about Nezuko, but most importantly, stuff about Tanjirou as well. He was her older brother, turned into a demon, their family was slaughtered. You also learned from her that he was also very kind, nice, respected everyone, and is very handsome.
—She didn't tell you that, you knew that the moment you took your time to stare at him. And yes, he was everything Nezuko claimed him to be.
—He always scolded you with muffled noises whenever you were being too reckless, he helped you with any bruises you had, he gave the best hugs and head pats, and fought side by side with you if you needed his help.
—Was it too weird to fall for a demon? Because you were totally in love with this boy. And how couldn't you, being him the sweet one he is?
—He didn't realize he loved you until much later than you, when you defended him from the wind pillar while his sister was apprehended by Iguro.
—"If you ever lay a finger on Tanjirou again, I will absolutely destroy you! I don't care about your stupid status!" Then your piercing gaze went to Oyakata's direction. "He won't ever hurt a human, and if he ever does, I'll be the one to kill myself for his behalf!"
—The way you stood for him, how you would even go as far as to die for him, he couldn't see you but he was sure you still looked beautiful even when absolutely mad. Man, he fell for you so hard, and he just realized!
—Things went normally before that, you two spending even more time together. Everyone was sick of your pinning.
—You accompanied Nezuko to her solo mission, fought a really strong demon who managed to hurt you really bad, enough for you to fell unconscious. The second you wake up, Nezuko is resting, the demons long gone, and Tanjirou worried sick about you.
—"I'm fine, Tanjirou! Just a little hurt, nothing new!" You laughed, even if you were in a lot of pain. Tanjirou looked even more frustrated. His muffled noises increased, he was surely scolding you now. You just giggled, until you felt his strong arms wrapping you on a tight hug. He was crying, he really thought he lost you!
—Out of impulse, he took off his muzzle, kissing you deeply on the lips. Surprised at first, you soon enough corresponded his kiss. "I love you too, Tanjirou. Sorry for scaring you." was the only thing you said after you two separated, ignoring Nezuko squealing behind both of you.
—Not much changed between the two of you after that. He was more protective of you (if that was even possible), your dates consisted on night walks around the garden, he making some flower crowns you would wear for days. His hugs were even better, his muzzle kisses were cute, and more cuddles came to your way.
—Nezuko couldn't wait to convert his brother into a human now, so he could have a normal life, now with you at his side.
Hope you liked this hun! (´∀`)♡
I believe this is still kinda long... But oh well!!!
See you around! ♡
REQUESTS FOR KNY ARE OPEN, SO FEEL FREE TO REQUEST! Just take a look at my rules first!~
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quirrrky · 4 years
Note
Zennezu 🥖 please!
CAN’T HELP IT (ONESHOT)
Zenitsu and Nezuko were left alone at home one rainy night.  Rating: T+  Zennezu, fluff
Hey @sed-quare! Finally got into your request. I made it a oneshot cuz it’s you bae. I hope you enjoy this. Really had a lot of fun writing this one. 
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baguette = 🥖burn
It was raining so heavily and Zenitsu got home first before his friends. That’s because he promised his Nezuko-chan that he’ll go home early and won’t take another overtime at the shop he’s been working for.
The four of them started living a peaceful life together after Muzan has been vanished and it has been a couple of months since then. It was actually almost a year.
“Don’t worry about Tanjirou and Inosuke, Nezuko-chan.” Zenitsu assured calmly. “I can hear their voices over at Saburo ojii-chan’s place maybe it’s too dangerous for them that’s why they had to stay there.”
However, he sharply turned around realizing that he’d be spending the night alone with Nezuko-chan.
“It’s okay. I’m sure I’ve got nothing to worry about.” Nezuko wrapped her arms around her boyfriend’s. Zenitsu’s heart surely ran away from his chest, his face reddening. “Especially that I got you, Zenitsu-kun.”
Oh god. Just oh god. Why was his Nezuko-chan being so cute at the moment when Tanjirou wasn’t here?
The blonde dry coughed and pulled his arm away from his girlfriend’s grip, scratching his head and making it as an excuse to give them some distance because he might not be able to control himself if this continues.
“H-How about I fold the clothes, Nezuko-chan so that everything’s ready before we eat dinner?”
Nezuko was confused for awhile but then took up his offer and started preparing dinner for the two of them.
The rain didn’t stop falling as the night went deeper. They both now finished eating and Nezuko advised Zenitsu to take a bath first.
When it was already her turn, she couldn’t help but wonder how odd her Zenitsu-kun was acting ever since he went home.
It was unlikely for him to eat in quiet. She felt a little uncomfortable by the way he would avert his gaze away from her when their eyes would meet. He’s just like his bubbly self but he appeared very nervous.
She sighed in deep thought and wondered if she had done something wrong. Did he finally wake up and realize that there were other prettier and better girls out there?
When she went out from the bath, she saw him already laid down with his back turned against her and her futon.
She then laid on her side so that she’s facing his back. She just couldn’t afford sleeping without asking him what’s wrong.
“Zenitsu-kun, are you mad at me? Why are you being distant than usual?” She asked while tugging his yukata.
Zenitsu felt guilty by the way he heard how sad he made Nezuko-chan. He turned around and faced her. Sincerity marked the expression on his face.
“Nezuko-chan…I’m just afraid.” He gulped and figured out how to say it. “Because if this continues Tanjirou might kill me.”
Nezuko laughed at his ridiculousness. “Zenitsu-kun! Nii-san won’t do that! Why would he do that?”
He sighed, his hand went up to her cheek and his eyes were focused on hers. “I’m afraid that I might do something really really bad to you.”
She gripped his hand, the one on her cheek, and gave him the sweet smile he always admired. “Zenitsu-kun you’re too sweet to do harmful things to me.”
Zenitsu gulped and closed his eyes firmly as he pressed his forehead against hers.
For a moment, they remained still like that in complete silence.
“Nezuko-chan…can I hug you?” His low and sweet voice echoing in her.
Z-Zenitsu-kun?
Nezuko felt a very good kind of thumping in her chest. She wanted it too. She wanted to be so close to him. Without any warning, she brought his hand from her cheek and moved it to her waist. “Yes, you can.”
The sound of the rain dropping over their roof echoed across their home, however the discontentment from their heart beats dropped harder in their ears.
Zenitsu inched a little closer. Nezuko did the same. Their lips touched.
He started moving his caressing her own with precise and careful movements. His hold on her waist tightened as their kiss deepened.
Soon, his tongue started toying with hers and tracing her lips. This prompted her to instinctively wrap her arms around his muscular frame, feeling his strength as he hovered her.
She was feeling weak yet it’s weird how much she’s enjoying it. A moan involuntarily escaped from her lips.
Zenitsu came to his senses and parted. There, Nezuko was breathing heavily, face flushed. He’s so damn sure he looked worse than her.
“Oh no! I can’t help it! I’m sorry Nezuko-chan! It’s just you’re so cute and-and…I can’t forgive myself.” He grunted and flew back to his futon, laying with his back turned away from her.
At first, Nezuko didn’t know how to process what they did. They never kissed like that before. All Zenitsu was giving her were those sweet little pecks at her lips, cheeks and forehead.
But seeing him react so funnily like that, made her comfortable. He’s just also so adorable being her own paranoid mess.
“That was so bad, Zenitsu-kun.”
“I know…I know Nezuko-chan. I suck at kissing. I’m hopeless.” He cried. She giggled.
“No. I meant you, Zenitsu-kun. You’re so bad.” Nezuko teased. Then, she admitted shyly, “But…I like seeing that side of you.”
He gulped his shock down and faced Nezuko.
“Tanjirou’s totally gonna kill me.”
Nezuko buried her head on his chest and hugged him, whispering, “Not if he doesn’t know.”
Zenitsu died before Tanjirou could even kill him. Or maybe that’s just how he felt by it.
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Text
From: @3rdgymbros​
For: @knybits​
message: hi, lovely, merry christmas! i was watching mulan and this was the result - i really hope you like this oneshot! i’ve been a big fan of your blog, and i love the creativity and effort that you put into writing scenarios! thank you for all your hard work!
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— pairing; tanjirou kamado x reader ( modern au )
— prompt; want to help me get my parents off my ass about not having a date?
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The matter of you finding a date for the annual family Christmas party begins to obsess your Grandmother. She won’t let the matter rest until your Grandfather and Father both take up the refrain; and once the men of the household are of her own mind, Grandmother immediately goes through the list of prestigious family connections. One such date includes the eldest son of an abalone cannery millionaire. A prospective date is suggested and your protests dismissed entirely.
“Only one date. If you like him, you can have another,” Your Grandmother says, with an impatient wave of her blood-coloured nails, the scent of Schiaparelli and mothballs wafting about her.
It’s unbearable. You lock yourself in your room and refuse to come out, anger and fear drumming through your body. You throw yourself onto the bed and listen as your Grandmother beats her small fists against the door.
“Do you want to be an old maid?” She screams.
“Yes!” You howl in return. Outside you hear whispering, and you know that your mother is there.
It’s unbearable. You’re only in High School and already your life is being squeezed into a box, all those rules and expectations laid out for you, and you’re expected to play along like the good daughter that you are. No one cares that you’ve been acing all your classes, that you’ve been nursing a secret hope that you might win a scholarship and go to England and study law when you graduate.
At last you’re left alone, and you hear the tiny shuffling steps of your Grandmother, supported by your Mother, fading away down the corridor. After a while, you get up, and, opening the window shutters wide, observe the slender branches of the Mexican lilac pushing up beneath the sill, wondering if it will hold your weight.
It’s not easy to reach the tree without falling from the window, but at last you grasp a strong branch and you swing yourself forwards, your sneaker-clad feet scrabbling for a hold against the trunk. Almost at once, you hear a loud crack, and falls with the branch the short distance to the ground. Your knee is scraped and you feel your shoulder throb with the beginnings of a bruise, but nothing more, and scrambling up, you run off through the main gate of the family estate.
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An hour later, with nowhere else to go, you find yourself in the Kamado family bakery, pouring out your sorrows to a sympathetic Tanjirou, who nods in response at your story, as your tone rises to a high, fevered crescendo, and how your face wrinkles in distress at the impossible situation that your family has forced you into.
You pause for breath, and look around the Kamado family bakery. Nezuko, a baguette in her mouth, mans the cashier and counts out change for a waiting customer. Bells of all sizes, from tiny jingle to massive cow, chimes out entrances from hooks on the back of the door. The combination of scents envelops you: vanilla and cinnamon and warm chocolates with hints of lemon and cherry. As you sip on your frothy latte, you inhale the pockets of aromas, each one a comforting embrace of all that is good in this upside-down world.
Tanjirou slides a cream éclair over to you; you moan at the sight of the chocolate-covered confection, a specialty of the bakery, and your favorite dessert. “It’s on the house,” He says, smiling warmly, and a twinge sadly. “I wish I could do more to help.”
You seep deeper into your chair, letting his words roll over you. Tanjirou’s always been a good friend of yours, helpful and eager to please, and when he smiles, oh, when he smiles, it’s almost as if the sun itself is unfurling its rays and bringing light to your dreary existence. You have to battle back a blush, along with the realization that this little crush on your classmate isn’t going away anytime soon.
A plan slowly begins to form in your mind. You almost feel guilty for what you’re about to propose, and you promise yourself that you’ll buy all your bread from The Kamado Family Bakery for as long as you live.
“You can.” Propping your chin up with the flat of your palm, you motion Tanjirou closer. “So. Want to help me get my parents off my ass about not having a date?”
Tanjirou smiles, his face wrinkling into the lines of one used to joy and gentleness. In your chest, your traitorous heart thumps all the harder, a shoe knocking about noisily in the dryer. You swallow. Hard.
“Sure! What do you have in mind?”
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This is the first thing that you think: that this whole situation seems like something right out one of Zenitsu’s trashy romance novels. This is the second thing that you think, somewhat in a daze, with cheeks painted red: Tanjirou cleans up well.
You make a beeline for Tanjirou as he hovers by the door, a paper bag clutched uncertainly in his hands, even as an uncharacteristically timid smile graces his lips; but as your attention is currently being occupied by your Grand-Aunt, who has forgotten your name for the third time in a row, and it’s your Mother and Father who, as one, both move intercept him, cutting through the crowd to greet him. Though, you suppose, it’s better your parents than your Grandmother, who is bound to be watching the boy you’ve brought home with an eagle-eye from her place of honor at the head of the table.
“You must be Tanjirou,” Father says, his face impassive as always, giving nothing away. “( Your Name ) has told us about you.”
“I-It’s very nice to meet you!” Tanjirou says in response, a little too loudly, and his cheeks color pink as everyone in the room turns to look, sizing him up from the top of his hair, plastered to his brows with very strong hair gel, all the way down to his neatly polished shoes. He bows, stiffly and formally. “This is for you!”
“You brought bread?” Your mother asks, taking a peek into the proffered bag. She inhales the yeasty goodness and her eyes light up. “Everyone here loves the bread your family bakes! Come, let me introduce you to the family.”
The tension drains out of Tanjirou’s frame, his expression morphing into one of pride. Mother takes him by the hand and circles the room, making introductions. Every set of eyes smile at him. Father nods discreetly at you before stepping into the kitchen, and you heave a silent sigh of relief. You catch Tanjirou’s eye as he moves about the room, and you smile and nod encouragingly, trying to push calm energy at him.
Step one, passed.
Step two is getting through dinner.
Although you already know how extensive your family is, every year you still find yourself marveling at the sheer amount of people currently occupying the family dining room. The glow of fairy lights adoring the walls gives the large dining room unworldly appeal. The sound of laughter, chatter and greetings competes with the Christmas music playing from the speakers.
Everyone sits down to eat almost immediately. The table is an impressive expanse of solid burl wood, topped with glass. Each place setting bears a napkin starched white, silverware, and a stiff card embossed with individual names. Blessedly, your seat is next to Tanjirou, and directly beside your Grandmother, whose beady eyes always seem to linger on the boy at your side. Her wrinkled lips are pursed into a thin line, and she only nods as Tanjirou introduces himself once again.
You’ll never be able to please her, you think bitterly, staring down at your silverware and your rainbow-hued cup, filled to the brim with sparkling juice. Still, you do feel a tad guilty that it’s because of your hare-brained scheme that Tanjirou is currently in this mess, and so, under the table, you brush your hand against his own. You hope that Tanjirou feels you in that moment, a mix of gratitude and apology wrapped in that one touch.
The moment is fleeting, but the warmth of his smile grounds you and wrings the air out of your lungs all at once. You close your eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation, how the butterflies in your stomach seem to flutter to life at this one simple touch.
Juicy, garlicky meatloaf, creamy scalloped potatoes, blanched greens with slivered almonds, French bread, and salads full of bright colours and textures are placed on the table and passed around family style. The conversation is pleasant but not heady. The star would definitely be Tanjirou, who gracefully answers every question thrown at him; though you do end up stepping in as soon as you catch his face twitching as he forces out a lie – good, honest Tanjirou, you think, would make a terrible poker player.
How did you and ( Your Name ) meet?
We’re classmates. She invited me for dinner.
How old are you?
I’m 16.
Doesn’t your family own a bakery downtown?
Yes, the Kamado Bakery!
The bread there is so good, my daughter stops there every day after school.
Thank you for your support, my dad would be really happy to know that you like his bread so much!
As the conversation tapers into a lull, your mother stands, slips into the kitchen and brings out dessert on a silver tray. There are slices of fruit cake, mince pies, and a chestnut log cake donated by the Kamado Bakery.
You spear a fork into your second slice of log cake, tasting thick, velvety chocolate coating your tongue. You let out a long hum of satisfaction. Various faces around the table are also glazed over with satisfaction, as they refill their plates.
Your Mother turns to Tanjirou then, with a smile and friendly eyes. There’s no doubt in your mind that she fully approves of Tanjirou. “Why don’t you come back again tomorrow with your family? Stay for dinner?”
Until, finally, your Grandmother speaks up, for the first time in the evening. Her voice is completely serious. “Would you like to stay forever?”
You choke on your next spoonful of cake.
349 notes · View notes
arigatouiris · 4 years
Text
the flame hashira // rengoku kyojuro
Author’s Note: This is just ANGST. It’s not happy, it’s not fluffly, it’s just bitter, bitter angst because Rengoku is my one true love (like so many others) but gosh, I think I cried writing this? Idk. This has some HUGE MANGA SPOILERS. So please read at your own risk!
Word count: 3353
Pairing: Spirit! Rengoku Kyojuro x Reader
Warnings: angst, pining, mentions of death, spoilers for manga
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It was a bit hard to believe for people who didn’t know him, but Rengoku Kyojuro could feel softer emotions like love very intensely. It wasn’t as if his heart was stolen by someone already, it was just that it was possible and that he was in some parts a bit of a romantic.
Rengoku was driven; he knew what he had to accomplish and he wanted to be the big brother for his younger sibling; the big brother one could be proud of. And on his way there, he was certainly not too distracted. It wasn’t as if the prospect of love didn’t come to him at all before, but he would brush it off considering it was not his time. 
Perhaps, that was where things went awry. 
Of all things Kyojuro wanted to feel and admire, love was definitely one of them. But, knowing how limited his access was to these things, he believed it was quite difficult for him to approach a woman and court her, considering how there were demons he’d rather kill. Maybe, this woman could be a demon slayer? And they would be the duo that turned the world upside down. Rengoku may have been optimistic, but he wasn’t a dreamer.
It was at that second when Akaza killed him, and when he let himself go, did he feel Akaza’s, no, Hakuji’s sadness. He didn’t know what his story was, but there were some deep and troubling emotions swaying in the demon’s heart. Rengoku wasn’t one to hold grudges, he simply was satisfied that no one else had died there, and he had accomplished his task.
Maybe, that was why he was confused when he woke up.
He remembered his death rather well; it was an event no one could forget if they were given a chance to recall something. He looked at his hands, and then touched his face, shock plastered over his features. Kyojuro couldn’t be alive, not after that kind of injury—even he knew that. He looked around and saw nothing but farmlands, where the train once was. He looked down on the ground and saw no dried blood, his sword was no longer there, his haori wasn’t to be found either.
How strange... He thought, before attempting to stand up. He could stand up rather easily, but it was strange how he seemed so alive when he knew he was dead.
He walked over to what seemed like a clearing. There were people gathered there, minding their own business, tending to their tasks, heading to their homes—it was close to the evening, after all. Kyojuro attempted to speak to someone, his suspicions already placed in his mind, but the second his hand went through a man’s shoulder, he understood.
He had not passed yet. He was roaming here, in search of something.
But, what could it be? Kyojuro was certain that he had accomplished whatever it was that he wanted to. He had saved Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke and Nezuko’s lives, he heard his mother tell him he was good, he felt content—even when he thought about his own death. He had no regrets. Then why hadn’t he moved on? He had seen his mother before losing consciousness permanently, but then why? This didn’t make sense to him.
He wondered if spirits lingered because it was a thing they do. But, he saw no spirits around him. He then thought if spirits with unaccomplished tasks roam around, but he had accomplished a task. Whatever this was, was unexplained and could not be deduced.
     “Maybe I’m supposed to meet someone?” He spoke aloud, no one around him could hear him.
He knew he was divided from the land of the living now, but how could he communicate? What was he to do?
Suddenly, his eyes caught hold of the familiar demon slayer uniform, and he paused. He had seen this demon slayer, he remembered her name; a strange name but sounded nice to hear. (y/n)? Yes, that was it. Kyojuro walked over to her, and stood beside her, taking in her appearance. What was she doing here? If he could recall, she was at the rank of Tsuchinoe. Kyojuro had met her once in between her own mission—a mission, which was later deduced that could not be completed without the presence of a Hashira.
     “(y/n)-san,” Rengoku said, watching her as she stood, no emotion on her face. “I wonder if you can hear me.”
She couldn’t. She stood so close that Rengoku could touch her, but she was no one to him and he was no one to her. He was acquainted with her, and that was basically it. He had met her a couple of times otherwise, she was closer to Kanroji and Kocho than she was with anyone else. She spoke quietly, almost as if she would whisper, but she was loud when she had to be.
However, a second later, Kyojuro saw it. (y/n)’s eyes were filled with tears, her lip was quivering, and the second she realized she was about to break down, her hand violently wiped the tears away—she took a couple of deep breaths and attempted to calm herself down. It was strange how sad he felt for her right then, wondering what caused her pain.
     “I’m so sorry, Rengoku-san,” Kyojuro’s eyes widened, “I should have told you before you...” 
Should have told me what? He thought before blinking rapidly. He wanted to grab her shoulder and turn her around, ask her what she had to tell him. He could feel his heart race, at the mere thought of something left unsaid. He was no longer available—she could never tell him what she wanted to. 
What was it?
     “Rengoku-san,” Her voice broke as she said his name, so softly, almost as if she was scared saying it any louder would do her harm, “You didn’t deserve to die...” 
He wanted to shake his head and tell her so badly that he didn’t regret it. Was she crying for him? Was she grieving because he had died? He recalled how their conversations went, and he remembered being nice to her each time—she wasn’t someone anyone could be rude to. She was funny with how clueless she was sometimes, but she would laugh it off each time someone mentioned it.
     “(y/n)-san!” 
(y/n) turned to spot Rengoku a few feet away from her. Smiling, she raised one hand and waved at him.
     “Rengoku-san, how are you doing today?”
Smiling wide, “I’m good today! As I was yesterday, as well—”
She giggled at his words, confusing him a tad bit.
     “Did I say something funny?” He tilted his head sideways.
She shook her head, “You’re always filled with so much energy! It’s nice to see.”
Rengoku couldn’t help the smile that came his way. He closed his eyes and offered her the kindest of smiles.
     “I’m glad my energy could make you happy!”
He felt desperate, even, at wanting to comfort (y/n). She stood by herself, near the area he had died, crying for him. How many days had passed? Why was she here? Was she on a mission? 
     “I should have told you...” Tears leaked down her eyes, and Rengoku couldn’t bear to watch. 
There was literally nothing he could do but watch her grieve in silence. 
*
That night, Rengoku followed her to the wisteria house. She was given a change of clothes and food; he didn’t allow himself anywhere near her room except when she had completely changed and opened the doors herself. She walked out after dinner and sat at the edge of the house, the bags under her eyes were dark and heavy.
     “Why do you grieve so much for me?” He asked, but knew she couldn’t hear him.
     “Sometimes, I wonder if you knew,” She spoke, chuckling. She was looking down at her feet, dangling from the edge, and she let out a sigh. “I really did make it so obvious. Everyone knew,”
Obvious? What was obvious?
     “Everyone knew, yes... But, I really should have told you, Rengoku-san. I wanted to, I really did. But, each time I tried, you’d... You were just...” Tears filled her eyes once more, her lip was quivering once more, her heart was breaking once more.
     “You would just be yourself and I’d forget in all that happiness that I had to tell you I was in love with you.”
Kyojuro’s eyes widened. A breath escaped his lips, and he instantly understood why he hadn’t passed over yet. He didn’t know. He didn’t know what she was feeling, he didn’t even see her that often, but he knew what the universe was trying to tell him.
He didn’t know if he had to laugh or cry at how pathetic this situation was. To be asked to love after you’re dead.
*
He watched her sleep that night but dared not get any closer. Even if he was a spirit, and even if he couldn’t touch her, he didn’t want to invade her privacy. She cried herself to sleep, making him wonder how many nights she had done this. He wondered if he would have been able to return her love in any way when he was alive. He hadn’t noticed her approaches. 
But, now they were so blatantly obvious, he wanted to slap himself.
     “Rengoku-san,” (y/n) smiled at him when he entered the butterfly mansion.
He was to meet Shinobu for a medicinal pack she had promised him, and he met (y/n) there, almost as if she was waiting for him.
     “(y/n)-san! Were you waiting for me?” 
She nodded, before giggling and looking away. Rengoku smiled widely at her before nodding once.
     “Were you aware of my coming here then? Of course, that’s why you were waiting!” He laughed once before saying, “Did Kocho give you my medicinal pack?”
(y/n) blinked, “No, I... I was actually waiting to tell you something!”
Rengoku blinked. 
     “What is it?” He smiled, and suddenly, he noticed her eyes widen.
     “Um... You see... When you ask me like that... I... Well,” (y/n) fumbled with her uniform’s collar before breaking into a sweat.
Rengoku patted her shoulder, shocking her. Grinning at her, “You can tell me when I get back, is that alright? I need to see Kocho!”
     “O-Oh? Um, yes... Okay.” 
     “You should get some rest. Your face is awfully red.”
Instantly, she covered her face with her hands as Rengoku laughed and walked inside the mansion. He had always enjoyed her company, but sometimes, he didn’t understand her.
It was not her fault, though. It was he who was blind. He let out a sigh as he left her room, leaving her to sleep. However, just as he exited, 
     “I miss you so much, Rengoku-san...” 
Kyojuro looked down with guilt. Maybe, he hadn’t passed on because he had to know the pain he had caused by dying.
*
A few days passed and he could visibly see her pain slowly die down. However, she would never stop talking to him. It was as if she was talking to herself but would always mention him. 
He found it strangely endearing. He watched her eat, sleep and talk to herself; he watched her train and interact with people, he noticed how kind she was, how sometimes she’d make a fool out of herself by not knowing something—but she was equally cute with her clumsiness. Kyojuro couldn’t help but smile at how simple she was with the way she lived but the part that Kyojuro respected and admired the most was how gracefully she carried her pain.
That afternoon, her crow screamed after her after a few days. (y/n) looked up at the crow before reaching one hand out, which the bird took and perched itself on.
     “You have a mission! Mission!” 
(y/n) giggled before rubbing the crow’s neck, listening to the details of the mission.
     “Alright.” She said, but Rengoku felt a strange sense of fear envelop his features.
He had watched her do a great many things—everyday activities such as breathe, eat and sleep. But, this would be the first time he would be watching her put her life in danger, and that didn’t sit well with him.
She grabbed her things and packed some food before setting out, Rengoku following closely behind. 
     “Wish me luck, Rengoku-san,” She said, smiling to herself.
He watched her warmly before saying, “Good luck, (y/n)-san. I’m right here with you.”
A sudden breeze flew and she paused. Kyojuro noticed her eyes widen, and his heart beat a bit quicker and he wondered if she had heard him. She turned to the side and blinked a couple of times, before letting out a sigh.
     “Sometimes, it feels like you’re by my side...” Kyojuro’s eyes widened. “But, why would you be?”
Why wouldn’t I? 
She continued on, shaking her head about her own thoughts. His heart was breaking at the mere sight. Oh, what he would give to hold her! What he would give to just tell her he was sorry! He felt tears strike his eyes but he blinked them away. 
When they reached a clearing, (y/n) grabbed the hilt of her sword. Rengoku was a spirit, after all, he couldn’t smell anything, he couldn’t tell if there was a demon nearby. He simply watched her movements and understood from that that they were not alone.
     “Breath of (..),” She breathed, “First form.”
He had never seen her use her breathing technique before, and he was simply moved to awe at how graceful she looked. Her blade wasn’t too big, but it was big enough to behead demons. There was no demon in sight, but somehow, Kyojuro knew she knew what she was doing.
     “Wavering whisper.”
She moved instantly before turning to the left, Rengoku followed after her. The demon was about to feed off a woman, but her sword had managed to cut off its tongue and hands that had pinned the civilian to the ground. However, she was a bit careless—there was another demon that grabbed her from the back, forcing her to drop her sword.
She cussed before rushing to the civilian, enveloping herself around her. The second demon approached (y/n), chuckling all the while and Kyojuro could feel his heart rampaging inside his chest. Please, he thought, please, he begged, please, please, please.
There was a small knife embedded at the back of her shoe—something she had learned from Shinobu Kocho. She pierced the demon at its neck before turning around and kicking in full force, beheading it in one full go. Rengoku’s eyes widened as she quickly grabbed her sword, 
     “Breath of (..),” She frowned, “Fourth form.”
She rushed toward the demon, whose eyes could see her and her only.
     “Quietus.”
The demon’s head went flying, and that was that. Quickly, (y/n) unsheathed her sword and turned to the woman, running to her.
     “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Can you walk?”
Kyojuro’s heart went out to her. She seemed as worried as she would be if the woman was her family. She meekly nodded before embracing (y/n), and breaking down, while (y/n) sat there, wide-eyed.
     “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Tears filled her eyes. Slowly, she hugged the woman back but held her tears to herself. 
*
That night, Rengoku sat beside her as she sat at the edge of the wisteria house. She was humming a tune he hadn’t heard before, and it had been all day since she had spoken to him. He missed her calling his name as if some part of her knew he was sitting right beside her.
     “Rengoku-san,” He felt his heart skip a beat. “I think I now understand why you did what you did.”
He turned to look at her, a soft smile on his features.
     “Why is that?” He asked, knowing she couldn’t hear him.
     “I think... After I saved that woman’s life, I realized that we’re demon slayers to protect and not just win. And sometimes,” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, “Sometimes... Protecting and winning can’t happen together.”
She cried heavily after that, lips quivering, snot-nosed, ugly sobs—all of which Rengoku wished he could hold her for. He hesitantly reached forward, stopping in midair once, before placing his hand on her back—a mere half-inch gap between his hand and her body. He wanted to feel as if he was holding her, even if it wasn’t real.
     “Death is so cruel, Rengoku-san,” She said in between cries, “Passing days after a loss is far worse than anything anyone can imagine! I know that it’s simply going to get worse and worse and that I’m probably not going to be okay for a very, very long time,”
She breathed once, wiping the tears off her eyes, “Maybe... Maybe I’m never going to be okay at all.”
     “Why do you say that, (y/n)-san?” Rengoku asked, his heart breaking.
     “Because losing someone isn’t an occasion or an event. It doesn’t just happen once. It happens over and over and over again. I feel like I lose you each time I think of a warm fire. I lose you each time someone mentions your name. I lose you each time I kill a demon,”
Her face reddened from the constant rubbing. Her voice broke as she continued, “I lose you... I lose you each time I think of kissing you... Holding you or wanting you... I go to bed at night and lose you when I wish I could tell you about my day. And in the morning, when I wake up I lose you all over again.” 
She calmed a bit after saying these words, shattering his heart into pieces. Rengoku couldn’t believe the amount of love he had left behind, but it was no one’s fault. 
     “When I heard the news, I didn’t cry or wail right away,” She looked up at the sky, “The loss hits me slow, each day.”
A lone tear streaked down Rengoku’s cheek as he watched her. His hand, which was on her back went to her cheek, and there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to just touch her once. Just once and that would be enough. There would be nothing more he would ever need.
     “I love you, (y/n)-san. I wish I could have felt this sooner.”
(y/n) gasped before turning to her left, right where Rengoku sat. He gave her such a sad smile, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
     “R-Rengoku... Rengoku-san?” She whispered, unable to conjure what was in front of her.
     “Oh, thank goodness.” He whispered, before leaning forward, pressing his forehead to hers.
His hand was on her cheek and somehow, he could smell her. He didn’t know how much time he had left, what was even going on, but whatever it was, he was going to make use of. 
     “I love you so, so much. I am so glad I could fall in love with you! You have completed my life!”
The same energy that she loved so much. Kyojuro opened his eyes and stared at her wide ones, before laughing hard.
     “You’re... How are you...”
     “No time for questions, my love.”
In an instant, she kissed him. Kyojuro kissed back, holding her as tightly as he could, pressing himself to her as much as he could, for as long as he could. A second later, when she was breathless, he pulled apart.
There was a light only he could see. And he knew he had to go. 
Ah.
That was why he hadn’t passed on.
Letting out a silent ‘thank you’ to whatever had given him this chance, Rengoku whispered one last time,
     “I love you, (y/n). We will meet again.”
When she burst into tears at his disappearance, she felt a bit more whole than she did before. Perhaps, it was because he was such a pure soul, he was given the chance to return again. She would never know.
But, the mere fact that he had come for her had now given her a new reason to live.
     “I love you so much, Rengoku Kyojuro. Flame Hashira. Love of my life.”
538 notes · View notes
tanjhero-a · 4 years
Text
Overflowing My Senses (Tanjirou / OC)
A/N: commission from @knyheadcanons-imagines! It features their OC, Hayami, and Tanjirou. Thank you so much for commissioning me! I hope you enjoy it!!
Word Count: 2253
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COMMISSION INFO
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“It’s close. Stay on your guard.” 
“Right.” 
Tanjirou steadies his hold on his katana, the sword glistening black in the darkness that surrounded him and his partner, Hayami. It was rather sudden that his crow came cawing just the other day, informing him of a new mission that he had to set off for with an assigned partner. It was, of course, Hayami. He didn’t know much about her from the few times they had crossed paths, but he knew she was skilled with her blade and he could rely on her in battle. They met in the town neighboring the forest where the demon had settled near, and after asking people around the town, they set off on their mission. 
It wasn’t the most exciting to fight in a forest, especially since the demon had the advantage in this terrain. It has also been housing here for a few weeks- it clearly knew the forest more well than Tanjirou and Hayami ever could from just asking questions around town. It was just more reason to stay determined and guarded. 
Hayami stayed vigilant and helpful the entire time, which was a nice break for Tanjirou. Usually he had to deal with either Zenitsu’s loud blubbering or Inosuke’s brash behavior, so Hayami’s radiating calm seriousness was a welcome change. She was quite beautiful as well, but that’s neither here nor there. Though, Tanjirou supposes Inosuke is rather beautiful as well, once he takes off that awful boar head- 
“Tanjirou.” 
Hayami’s voice cuts through his thoughts and he looks at her quickly, eyes wide. He was distracted… But he had no idea why. Hayami’s soft eyes look at him, a frown tugging on her lips. “Are you alright? We have to stay alert.” 
“Yes,” Tanjirou quickly responds. It wasn’t like him to just daze off like that… He shakes his head, as if to shake off the thoughts as well, and then nods determinedly. “I’m fine. Maybe it would be best to split up…” Tanjirou looks up at the sky through the trees. “It will only be dark for a few more hours, and we haven’t had luck finding the demon yet.” 
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“...Alright.” Hayami nods, walking up to a random tree. She takes out a lace ribbon out of seemingly nowhere behind her haori, the purple fabric being tied around the trunk of the tree. “We’ll meet up here if we get lost or daybreak comes.” 
Ah, a marker. “Right. Good luck, then.” He heads to the right, and Hayami to the left. They both set off. 
...Nothing happens. Tanjirou knows this forest isn’t very big, so there isn’t a lot of places to hide. All things considered, he should have at least smelled the demon by now, and while he has a faint smell of the retch that all demon’s carry, it hasn’t gotten stronger or weaker. It’s odd, that’s for certain. 
Odd. Very odd. How can something be staying in the same place, no matter where Tanjirou went? How could it, unless perhaps, the smell was only a trap? But even a trap has an origin. They would have found the trap by now, unless the trap is somehow moving at the perfect distance to keep Tanjirou from truly tracking it. 
His thoughts heavy and confused, the slayer doesn’t even realize he had stopped walking. He doesn’t notice his mind slowly starting to wander, beginning to lower his guard as his senses decline, his mind getting more distracted by the second. His thoughts are suddenly only focused on where exactly he is- the ground he’s standing on and the sword he’s holding. 
Where am I?
He’s too lost in his thoughts that he fails to notice the figure creeping up on him from above the trees. 
There’s a hand, claws long and sharp as they reach from above Tanjirou’s head. It creeps below, only able to touch a single strand of his hair before a voice cuts it clean. 
“Tanjirou!” 
Though she wasn’t anywhere nearby before, Hayami suddenly stands next to him with her blade drawn and eyes sharp. Her body skids to a stop as she glares above them- a bloody, gross hand falls atop Tanjirou’s head, making him jolt back into reality as he wildly shakes it off.
“H-Hayami! What-“ He holds his blade steady again, following the other slayer’s gaze to find a hissing, mad demon above the two of them. 
“Don’t let it get in your head, Tanjirou!” Hayami says, not taking her eyes off the demon as she begins to slowly walk toward it. “Stop trying to smell it. You are letting it muddle your thoughts.” 
The trap. 
Quickly, Tanjirou stops breathing through his nose, focusing his breathing through his mouth instead. He follows Hayami’s movements, carefully circling around the demon hovering above them. 
“Stupid little girl! You have ruined my meal, you know!” The demon shrieks, but stays wary of the blades drawn before it. It's hanging from the branch of a tree before it quickly swings around, standing atop the branch and glaring down at Tanjirou and Hayami. “I do not like working for my meals. You’re making me work, and I hate that,” it sneers. 
By the way it’s speaking, it seems like a rather lazy demon. It also seems inexperienced, since it hasn’t taken the initiative to attack either one of them yet. 
It probably hasn’t fought much in it’s life. Instead, it acts like a spider. Waiting for someone to come, and luring them to it’s clawed hands as it clouds up it’s victim’s mind. It’s a dirty trick, but leaves the demon incredibly vulnerable once it’s found out. 
“Then let us get this over with quickly,” Hayami says, her voice cold as she readies her stance.
“Fine,” it huffs. “I heard a good chase gets the blood pumping and makes the meat more juicy anyway!” It lunges. 
The fight starts as quickly as it ends. With Tanjirou and Hayami both swinging their blades together, the demon lays dead on the floor in a mere instant as soon as it comes down from the trees. It’s a little underwhelming if Tanjirou was being honest, but he supposes that’s better than being overwhelmed and nearly dying instead. 
“Right,” Hayami sighs and sheathes her blade gracefully, taking a moment to compose herself as she closes her eyes. Tanjirou watches her silently until she opens her violet eyes again, a smile on her face. “I’m glad that went smoothly. We should put the body where the sun will hit it and report to the villagers.” 
Tanjirou takes the job of carrying the heavy body of the demon, lugging the thing on his back before disposing of it near a river where the trees broke away enough for the sun to seep through. It was still night, but soon enough nature would take care of itself. The two slayers make it to the town soon after that and report to the chief in charge- who is immensely grateful for the aid and offers them to rest for the night. 
They reject the offer. Though they’re both tired and sore (mostly from just walking, honestly), the butterfly estate is near enough for them to make it while still being awake enough to fight if they need to. It was mostly Tanjirou who wanted to go back to the estate- Nezuko was waiting for him and he didn’t like to keep her lonely. He was worried that he might be a little selfish with his request, but Hayami accepted it without any hesitation. 
She was very kind, so he’s not that surprised by her thoughtfulness toward him. It’s a nice change of pace, though, to have someone be considerate of him and his sister. 
—-
The walk was… a bit of a stretch, if Tanjirou was being honest. His body was sagging a bit from how tired he was, not to mention how dirty he felt from the grime of the forest and blood of a demon. It seems he overestimated his stamina again, but he’s just glad that they arrived at the butterfly estate when they did. He didn’t think he could last much longer without a bath.
“I think we could both use a bath,” Hayami hums as if she had just read Tanjirou’s mind. He smiles tiredly at her.
“Mm,” the boy nods. “Thank you for your help today. It was thanks to you that nothing dire happened.” 
“Ah, you don’t need to thank me. It’s my job, after all,” she dismisses him with a wave. “Besides, I got your back. We won’t let anything happen to each other, right?” 
The question seems to carry a bit of weight with how late it was and how tired they both were, but nonetheless, Tanjirou nods again. “Of course. Have a good rest, Hayami.” 
The two of them head their separate ways after that. The slayer doesn’t know if Hayami will follow in his lead, but the first thing on his mind is exactly what she had suggested: a nice, warm bath. It will help push aside his post-battle jitters as well, which hopefully means he’ll get a deep rest for tonight. 
The baths at the butterfly estate were always some of the best Tanjirou had- besides the ones he had with his family, but that was in the past now. 
The slayer soaks in the warm water for longer than he probably should have- he actually finds himself nodding off at one point, which was his cue to rinse out his hair and get out of the bath. He doesn’t want to accidentally drown, after all.
It’s when he’s dressed back in his bathrobe, drying off his hair and walking back to his room that he sees something that, quite frankly, takes his breath away. 
Out in the zen garden right outside his room, sitting in the moonlight- his sister, Nezuko, and his partner from earlier that day… Hayami. 
Hayami, who had previously helped him slay a demon, was sitting behind Tanjirou’s beloved sister and braiding her hair with gentle hands. He could see her smiling and her lips moving, as if she was talking to Nezuko. Because of the bamboo around the demon girl’s mouth, not many people bothered to do such a thing- but Hayami chatted with her as if there weren't any barriers between them at all. 
And, best of all, Nezuko was smiling too- she looked genuinely happy. 
Oh, boy. 
Tanjirou suddenly finds himself moving from his frozen stance, quickly hiding away from the two girls so that he doesn’t break the moment they shared. He hides behind a pillar, trying to catch his breath as he realizes he had stopped breathing- something that was odd all on it’s own. His cheeks were burning red, his heart thumping fast and loud- Tanjirou tries his best to calm his flustered self down. 
Hayami… The slayer thinks about the day over again, how she had so gracefully come to his rescue and fought together with him, their movements and swords moving in sync that you would have thought they trained together for years. But that wasn’t it at all. Hayami was just smart like that- she knew how to fight, and she knew how Tanjirou fought- and with all that information, she skillfully adapted to the scene. It was amazing to witness, honestly- but not as amazing as Hayami was in general. 
She was so considerate, so nice and thoughtful- and she genuinely cared. She bothered to put up with Tanjirou when he had gotten confused by the demon, she bothered to sit with his sister and talk to her as if she was a friend instead of a demon that everyone was so afraid of. 
Tanjirou shudders out a breath, his shoulders sagging as he calms himself down. His cheeks still feel a little hot, but he can’t really help that. Another breath and he stepped away from his hiding spot, smoothing out his robe as he walked across the garden toward his room. 
Nezuko notices him first, her eyes lighting up as she does. Her hand lifts to wave at him, a mumbling noise coming from behind her bamboo that sounds close enough that it could be Tanjirou’s name. Hayami looks up from her braid work and smiles when she sees the other slayer. 
“Hello!” She laughs a little bit under her breath. “I hope you don’t mind that I came to visit. She was looking for you but I knew you were in the bath, so I decided to sit with her for a bit…” 
“Not at all,” Tanjirou quickly replies and lowers himself, sitting next to Nezuko. She wraps her arms around him, hugging him tight before leaning away so Hayami could keep braiding. “You’ve done a great job- you look so pretty, Nezuko!” He coos at his sister, vaguely aware that his cheeks are still a little pink. 
Truthfully, he’d like to tell Hayami how pretty she is too, but he holds off for now. Instead, he sits in the garden as he talks with her, offering stories and eventually flowers that he found for her to weave in Nezuko’s hair. The night is full of fuzzy feelings and laughter- it’s such a simple, wonderful night that Tanjirou hasn’t experienced in a long time. 
But he’d like to do this again, so he invites Hayami to visit him and Nezuko whenever she pleases. And he’s delighted when she accepts with a genuine smile on her lips. 
41 notes · View notes
mamichigo · 5 years
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Fic: tell me (of the color of your soul) (4.3k)
Pairing: Tanjirou/Inosuke
Tags: Alternative Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Demon Hashibira Inosuke, Alternative Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary: Tanjirou, the boy with the scar on his shoulder; Inosuke, the boy with the twin peaks on his cheek
And how their fates intertwine in clumsy knots.
Notes: This is a combination of two prompts:
anon: “inotan, but one of them gets infected by muzan blood and the other is freaking out about it” 
@sus-bih: “inotan soulmates!”
*Tanjirou had been only nine years old when, curled up in his mother's lap, he reached a hand out to touch the mark on her cheek. There were no bumps or raised skin that made the mark feel different, it was as part of her skin as the mole on her chin. But this was nothing like a simple birthmark: it started on her jaw and grew upwards in the form of undulating flames, engraved in dark red—just like the color of his own eyes and that of his father.
With the innocent curiosity common to children, he patted the mark again and asked how his mother got it in the first place.
In that sweet and patient voice that his mother always had in his memories, she told him about soulmates for the first time.
"They're your special someone, Tanjirou," she said, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Be it a best friend or a lover, they'll stand by you until the very end."
"Oh," Tanjirou breathed, part wonder and part confusion. He blinked up at her. "Does the one on my shoulder mean the same thing? That someone will be precious to me like that?"
His mother's face then twisted into a sad smile, her brows furrowed. As soon as her expression changed, however, it was swiftly hidden from him once she leaned in to kiss Tanjirou's forehead.
"Yes, of course," she replied. "You're a wonderful child, I'm sure you'll find an equally wonderful soulmate."
His father, watching them silently from the other side of the room, had the same sad smile as his mother, and their scent was tinged with sorrow.
Tanjirou wouldn't understand why until years later, when he was old enough to reach his own conclusions on the possible implications of his soulmark.
Because Tanjirou was a child who, from the very moment he was born, had a mark that looked more like a vicious scar on his left shoulder, the exact same way one would have following the cruel bite of an animal.
***
It was supposed to be his own secret—or at least a family secret, unknown to their acquaintances and other friends. And yet the nature of his mark was a known fact to the entirety of the village at the base of the mountain.
He could hear them whisper sometimes when he came down to sell coal and chat with the locals; they were never cruel about it, quite the contrary, as Tanjirou was on good terms with all the villagers.
Maybe that was why they'd talk about it in such a sad, pitying tone, not all that different from how his own parents reacted whenever the topic of his soulmark was brought up.
"I just don't understand," the owner of the only restaurant in the village once said to one of the regulars. "Why would a bright child like that get such a scary soulmark? What kind of person will his soulmate be?"
"Who knows," the man she was talking to grumbled. "Fate is a mysterious thing."
"So I'm supposed to believe that something like this is fate?" The owner questioned hotly. "That someone like him is destined be with a b—"
"Enough," the man spoke over her. Then, quietly: "Don't speak of that anymore." Silence fell upon the group, and Tanjirou could no longer hear their voices.
The owner didn't need to finish for him to predict what she would say next. Tanjirou knew what they called him in hushed, horrified voices.
"The beast's soulmate".
***
It was on a cold winter day when he and Nezuko huddled close together, wide awake while all their siblings peacefully slept. There was a sense of foreboding that blanketed them both: Nezuko had woken up from a dream that she could not remember with a heavy heart, while Tanjirou had not slept at all, watching the darkness for hours on end as if waiting for something to come out of it.
Unsettled, they leaned on each other for support, hands clasped tightly together. For the first twenty minutes, their tongues were still, not daring to perturb the unnerving lull of the night. But soon they realized that the sun was in no hurry to come, and the clock handles dragged themselves to each new passing second.
They talked in whispers that only the two of them could hear, voices muffled under the blanket, words lost to the wind that roared outside and occasionally shook the wooden frame of the walls. 
Conversation was easy, and the topics changed quickly as they went through whatever first came to mind, to keep themselves from thinking too much or too hard on what kept them up in the first place. They talked of breakfast, of chopping wood, of a bird feather found on the mountain path, of the sound of cracking of ice on a water surface they could hear when they came down the mountain to visit the village.
And when they both had gone quiet, at a loss for words, it was Nezuko who looked into his eyes as her smile fell from her face, a frown taking its place. She didn't look upset or angry, but serious and determined.
"When you meet your soulmate, they'll be wonderful. I know they will," she told him. "No matter what others say about it, you'll find someone wonderful."
Tanjirou had blinked at her, surprised at the sudden fire in her voice. "You don't need to comfort me, I'm not afraid."
"Yes, you are," Nezuko insisted. "Even dad made that sad face when any of us talked about soulmates in the room, everyone has always acted like that. But I know it'll be alright. Because I'll make sure they're good."
Tanjirou laughed and gently flicked her forehead. "If you say that, then I know it'll be okay." Pressing his forehead to hers, Tanjirou closed his eyes and sighed. "It's a promise, then."
"It's a promise," Nezuko confirmed.
They giggled between themselves, and hugged to seal the deal.
Tanjirou wasn't aware at the time, but that would be the last long conversation he would have with Nezuko before she was turned into a demon.
***
His throat burned, snow had melted and then frozen again on his clothes, it was hard to move or breathe or even think. The place where he was hit by the mysterious swordsman ached, he was sure there was a bruise forming there.
Tanjirou cried while he still could, hugging Nezuko's unconscious body as tight as his aching and trembling arms allowed him.
You promised me , he repeated in his head like a mantra as he struggled to get to his feet. You promised me, so don't give up yet.
***
He would've never imagined they would meet like this, both of them filled with adrenaline as they fought each other, though Tanjirou was more trying to appease the other than truly fight against him.
But when the mask falls, it is not the dissonance between body and face that Tanjirou notices, but the mark engraved on the boy's otherwise immaculate skin: two peaks growing on his jaw up to his cheek in jet black, with the circumference of the sun rising between them.
Tanjirou remembers looking at the same image, swaying gently where it hung from his father's earlobes; the exact one on the earrings that he now wore, clinging in his ears when he took a step back in shock.
For a moment, Tanjirou thought he might have been punched in the stomach, as it's suddenly hard to breathe. Though it takes only a second to realizes he's fine, that does nothing to alleviate the buzzing in his skin, a sort of overwhelming giddiness so overpowering it hurts, like he'll get split in two from the emotion alone.
He couldn't think, couldn't see anything else but him, even somehow saying something about how attractive the boy's face was. Then, worry substituted wonder.
"Sit down, are you okay?" He says, stopping himself from checking, from touching his soulmate's face to evaluate his injuries.
And when the boy fell, Tanjirou hurried to pillow his head—even if it didn't help much in regards to undoing the damage, at least it would make the position less uncomfortable.
As Tanjirou pulled back, his hand lingered on the pale cheek, brushing tip of the mountain there.
Hashibira Inosuke. 
I found you.
***
The ambiguous time of the night when it was not yet late, but simultaneously no longer early had Tanjirou sitting alone outside their shared room in the House of Wisteria. The moon was shining in full, but Tanjirou looked at it without really seeing it. 
The warm breeze ruffled his hair, and Tanjirou closed his eyes to appreciate it, just as soft footsteps sounded somewhere behind him.
Tanjirou didn't have to look to know that it was Zenitsu who watched him, emanating worry and uncertainty.
He thought he might not speak at all, but soon his voice joined in with the cries of the cicada.
"It's him, isn't it?" Zenitsu asked. "Your soulmate."
Tanjirou thought of green eyes and rosy cheeks, of a boy who was sometimes more beast than human. "Probably."
"What are you gonna do about it, then?"
Tanjirou smiled and tilted his head to the side, seeing the leaves on top of the trees shuffle about at the corner of his eyes. "Nothing." He clenched his empty fists. "I'm not doing anything."
***
"Tch, that's one inconvenient soulmark you've got there," Uzui complained as he continued to pat more and more makeup on to Inosuke's face.
Inosuke, already angry from being manhandled like a doll, growled deep in his throat. "What the hell is a soulmark?"
Uzui paused, staring at Inosuke in disbelief. "Are you shitting me? You've got it right there on your face, you do know that, right?"
Inosuke raised a hand to his own face, though his expression had question marks written all over it.
"Huh?"
Uzui sighed to himself and grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "these goddamn stupid brats", but who knows, Tanjirou wasn't the one with sharp hearing.
And even if he was, Tanjirou was too busy trying to sink into the floor to pay attention to what Uzui was saying. Sat in perfect seiza , he stared at his own knees as the conversation washed over him. Zenitsu was growing increasingly frantic as he glanced between Tanjirou and Inosuke.
In his current state, most of Uzui's explanation of what a soulmark is didn't really make it into Tanjirou's ear. The situation made him feel suddenly wrong-footed, like the floor had disappeared under him. Tanjirou only looked up when a concerned Nezuko placed her hand on his shoulder, and he hurried to let her know he was fine by smiling at her.
"...they're supposed to be your other half, stuff like that. Someone who supports you and makes you stronger that way," Uzui was just finishing saying to a scowling Inosuke.
"I don't have something like that!" Inosuke protested angrily. "I don't need it, I'm already strong on my own!"
Tanjirou froze, and Nezuko tugged more insistently on his sleeve. Even Uzui (more perceptive than they gave him credit for) had paused to look back at him, and even if they were just trying to help, but Tanjirou just couldn't take their sorrowful gaze.
"I'm fine," he told Nezuko, not making eye contact with anyone else. "Don't worry about it."
There was a second of awkward silence, but soon enough Uzui started going on about the details of their upcoming mission, and the subject was dropped.
***
Some days were bad, but others were worse.
Too often, Tanjirou would turn as he thought he heard the crunch of leaves, or smelled the scent of pine trees and wet soil. More rarely, he would start walking without thinking much of it, only for a put off Zenitsu to remind him they were supposed to go the opposite direction.
On top of it all, it felt like Tanjirou rarely slept lately, as even when he did, it was restless, with dreams waking him up in the middle of the night. The dreams were too jumbled up to make sense of, and always faded away the moment Tanjirou grew more alert. The only thing left would be the tug at the base of his stomach, and a bout of paralyzing dread.
But once that faded as well, with the silence as Tanjirou's only company, his hands felt all too empty, heart far away however many miles down the road where Inosuke was.
Tanjirou couldn't do much more than cover his eyes and breathe in slowly, wondering when he had started falling this hard.
***
Seeing Inosuke again felt the exact same as coming home after a long trip: it relaxed his body, brought a sense of relief, and happiness that the waiting was over and now just fuzzy contentment was present. Just like one would collapse on their bed after an exhausting day, Tanjirou fell into Inosuke's arm with great desperation and no finesse. They collide and tumble in a heap of muscles, and only Inosuke's strength keeps them from an ugly encounter with the ground.
Inosuke tugs at his hair, but never really pulls away, settling for making disgruntled questions in that growling voice of his. Tanjirou almost laughs at himself when he thinks of it as endearing, but something inside himself is starting to crumble at the edges, the points where Inosuke touches him, just like an old painted wall being picked at to reveal the layers underneath—which were never meant to be seen in the first.
It's the fear and insecurity stills his tongue, but not his body: Tanjirou hugs him to his chest like they haven't seen each other in years, with all of the longing of various sleepless night behind it. He might shake a bit when he works his fingers under Inosuke's mask to grasp at his hair, but Tanjirou can't quite tell anymore, too out of himself with emotions that he's growing tired of carrying.
"You're acting weird," Inosuke complains loudly, but he has his hand on Tanjirou's back in a loose embrace. "Did you hit your head or something?"
"No, I'm all good, really," Tanjirou reassured. To prove it, he pressed his forehead to Inosuke's gently. "See? As firm as always."
Inosuke, a bit miffed, scowled. "Then what's wrong with you?"
Tanjirou pulled away—not far, only enough to get a look at Inosuke, though the sight didn't reveal him anything, with Inosuke's mask hiding his expression. But Tanjirou himself had no such protection, face bare for all to see, and he wondered if Inosuke could see the fractures underneath.
"I'm just happy to see you're safe," Tanjirou told him, so terribly tender and affectionate as his heart bled into his words.
The sweet scent of Inosuke's happiness was enough to calm the bright red burn in his veins, to calm the roar into a hum, and he no longer felt the thread that pierced his skin and pulled him too far until his skin hurt.
It didn't go away completely, of course, but that night, sleeping next to each other with Tanjirou's hand outstretched between their beds (reaching but never touching), Tanjirou smiled and fell into a dreamless sleep.
***
It was only four days later when they were ambushed.
***
Tanjirou wanted to swing his sword violently, to put all of his rage behind each move, but that would only make him sloppy, so Tanjirou settled on biting the inside of his mouth until he tasted copper coating his tongue.
There was no time for reckless sentimentality: if he fell into despair, he would be of no use to anyone, and they couldn't afford that at the moment. Not when he needed to make sure everyone would make it out alive.
Not when he had to end the fight before Inosuke bled to death.
Blood that was not his own was still drying on both his hands, the smell a constant reminder of the minutes he spent holding a wound shut, hoping that would be enough to prevent the worst. He hadn't wanted to leave Inosuke's side, but with battles still going all around them, he only put them in more danger by staying idle.
Tanjirou could only hope that hiding Inosuke where the bushes grew the tallest, and wrapping his wound with Tanjirou's own haori would grant him safety until Tanjirou could make his way back to Inosuke.
That was all he thought of, even when he could barely see from one eye due to the blood dripping into it from his forehead, even with what was possibly a broken arm.
Even when the demon in front of him disappears with a final whisper: "He'll take everything from you…"
His heart feels frozen, but too fast at the same time. Tanjirou stumbles forward, walking straight into someone, and he looks at Giyuu's frowning face. There's a grimness to him that Tanjirou can't quite understand.
"I need to find him," Tanjirou tells him, trying to step around Giyuu. "Inosuke… I have to make sure he's safe."
"Tanjirou."
"I can't smell him, there are too many smells, I can't tell if he's okay," Tanjirou rambled, aware that he was slipping into delirium. "Giyuu-san, I have to find him…"
Giyuu held him back with a hand, and Tanjirou tried to struggle out of the grip, but that only made Giyuu tighten his hold on him.
"Tanjirou, listen to me," Giyuu urged, shaking him by the shoulders. "He's gone."
Tanjirou blinked up at him. "...What?"
"I went after him, he isn't there."
"The bushes—"
"I checked them," Giyuu said in a hard voice. His jaw clenched, he looked to the side, his grip so stiff Tanjirou feared he might break under it. "I checked everywhere, he's not there. Inosuke's body is gone."
***
He would've expected to feel something more… earth shattering. In fact, he's sure he should be feeling something. Instead, Tanjirou finds himself smiling when someone asks him a question, the motion automatic but not forced.
He developed a tendency to zone out, unaware of his surroundings until someone would wave a hand in front of his face, and at that point Tanjirou would have to ask if they had said something. It never failed to get him concerned looks, but Tanjirou couldn't feel the weight of that, either.
Cooped up in the Butterfly Estate, Tanjirou had a routine, which he went through like clockwork. However, the only parts that stuck out in his mind where the moment when he would join others to eat, the voices breaking him out of the stupor he spent the rest of the day in, wandering around the house and sometimes even outside. And if someone asked him where he was going, Tanjirou never had an answer.
It was in one of those moments that Zenitsu had found him back in the patients' room, sitting on one of the beds. When he came in, Tanjirou looked up with a serene smile.
Zenitsu shuffled about, hesitant to even take a step forward—Tanjirou thought he ought to ask for his friend's wellbeing, but his tongue never moved, his mouth never opened.
Absentmindedly, Tanjirou rubbed his left shoulder: the one that had his soulmark, the one that had gone numb the night of Inosuke's disappearance. If he tried to move it, Tanjirou felt needles working themselves deeper into his skin.
"I wonder if this is what it feels like," Tanjirou mused out loud. "To lose a soulmate, that is."
There was a sharp intake of breath, a pause, then quickly approaching footsteps. Tanjirou looked up, but as he did so, a hand connected with his cheek, turning his head to the side.
With wide eyes, Tanjirou raised a hand to touch the side of his face, where the skin was hot. He looked at Zenitsu from the corner of his eyes, finding him fuming with his fist closed tightly by his side, like he was refraining from slapping Tanjirou again.
"Get ahold of yourself!" Zenitsu shouted. "What are you doing, walking around like you're a ghost or something?! You won't even look at Nezuko-chan anymore! Do you have any idea how worried she is?"
Tanjirou choked on his next breath, but held in the cough that rose in his throat.
"You've just been standing there, not doing anything. What about curing Nezuko-chan? And finding Inosuke? This isn't like you at all!" Even if Zenitsu's voice was harsh, there was an underlying desperation to his tone that Tanjirou picked up on. "If you don't snap out of it, I'll—"
Zenitsu broke himself off, breathing harshly and shaking where he stood. Tanjirou tried to reach for him, but stopped midway.
"I'll hit you again, you know!" Zenitsu cried, and there were tears streaming down his face. Tanjirou felt his own heart pound heavily and his eyes sting.
"...I'm sorry," Tanjirou whispered, because the lump in his throat wouldn't let him speak any louder than that. "I'm sorry."
Zenitsu threw himself at him, and Tanjirou clutched at him, holding on as he drowned in a wave of his own grief, sobs ripped out of his him. 
Tanjirou cried as all he smelled was the sickening scent of blood.
***
"You know he won't be the same when you find him," Shinobu said carefully, while Tanjirou made preparations to leave.
"Neither was Nezuko," Tanjirou countered. 
"But not all demons are like your sister," Shinobu reminded him.
"There were many humans in the woods that night, if Inosuke really turned into a demon, he left without attacking anyone." Tanjirou had reflected on the subject many times before reaching this conclusion, and by now he could say it with confidence, set on the fact that Inosuke wouldn't have eaten any humans. "Besides, Inosuke is stronger than anyone I've met. I trust him."
Shinobu tilted her head. "Even now?"
"Even now."
Shinobu smiled and nodded approvingly. "Good. Then, do your best."
"I will, thank you," Tanjirou said, but got distracted by a tug on his sleeve. He looked down at Nezuko, and he felt guilty at seeing the concern in her frowning face. He would have to remember to do something nice for her later, to compensate for worrying her so much. "I'll be back soon, I promise."
He gave her one last hug before breathing in and turning on his heel.
"Tanjirou," Zenitsu called. Tanjirou paused, looking back at Zenitsu. "Bring him back," he said seriously.
"Of course," Tanjirou nodded. "You don't even need to ask.
***
Seeing Inosuke after days on end of traveling on foot guided only by instinct had been such a shock that Tanjirou thought he might be hallucinating, or dreaming.
As expected, there were changes to his appearances: his sclera was tinged deep black, with the irises changed from moss green to a lighter, more neon green that glowed under the moonlight. There were horns on his forehead, and sharp fangs so long they could be seen even when he had his mouth closed. His scent was different too, something more burning wood instead of falling leaves.
But there were things there remained the same, too, like the midnight blue of his billowing hair, or the pale complexion of his skin. And, more importantly, the mountains on his jaw.
Funnily enough, it wasn't the soulmark that made Tanjirou drop his sword. No, it was a simple strip of fabric tied around Inosuke's bicep, the familiar green and black checkered pattern easy to recognize. The one he had lost after tying it around Inosuke's injuries.
Before leaving, Tanjirou had asked Shinobu what happened to a demon when they saw their soulmate, to which Shinobu had given a morbid explanation of how the desire to be with their soulmate and the desire to eat humans overlapped and merged into the urge to consume the person in question. Tanjirou shivered just recalling it, and yet, he stood unarmed and spread his arms open in invitation.
When Inosuke charged at him, he didn't flinch, and when there were teeth sinking into his flesh, Tanjirou didn't fight to get away, though he cried out in pain.
"I'm here, Inosuke," Tanjirou said through gritted teeth. "I'm here. I'm with you. You're not alone."
He staggered back, legs losing strength, but Inosuke's hands on him kept Tanjirou from falling altogether. The pain spread from his neck down to his wrist, and his fingers twitched involuntarily.
"I'm here," he repeated. When Tanjirou pried one eye open, his vision swam. "I won't leave you, no matter what."
Inosuke growled, and his teeth dug deeper. Tanjirou felt his own blood drip down his shoulder and soak his clothes.
Tanjirou pressed his cheek to Inosuke's and panted, babbling incoherently as his consciousness faded.
 ***
He wakes to the sound of running water, and the sight of stars shining above him. His head feels fuzzy, and when he attempts to sit up, the sudden nausea brings him right back down.
No matter how much he breathes, his lungs still beg for air, so Tanjirou keeps inhaling deep, quick gulps of air.
"Inosuke…" Tanjirou croaks out, eyes roaming from side to side, searching for the familiar face. He keeps calling for him, stretching a hand out to pat the space beside himself.
Then, there's someone peering down at him and a hand clasping his own. Tanjirou looks up at Inosuke, who watches silently. When Tanjirou smiles fondly, he huffs irritatedly.
Directing his gaze to their joined hands, Tanjirou attempts to hold Inosuke's tighter, but he fails when he finds he has no strength in his limbs. Seeing his effort, Inosuke makes it so their fingers intertwine, his firm grip compensating for Tanjirou's slack one.
Tanjirou smiles again, and falls back asleep.
123 notes · View notes
mysaldate · 4 years
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About chapter 183...
Manga spoilers for KnY under the cut, just need to rant for a bit.
And so the time has come for KnY to fall down the rabbit hole so many other shonen series did. And it’s a damn shame. Up until the current arc, while there were a few slip-ups, Kimetsu no Yaiba was an amazing series that had cunning and powerful villains, realistic (within limits of man-eating demons and magical fighting styles) obstacles to overcome, one that paid attention to injuries of its characters and made a great deal about showing us the limits to human power.
HOWEVER
Ever since the Infinity train arc, something has been a little... different. The Infinity train arc was what started the very very annoying trend of downplaying a villain that was accidentally made too strong rather than actually dealing with his power and coming up with clever ways to overcome them. Enmu is estabilished early on as an excellent strategist. He came up with a way to use his blood demon art so subtly not even a demon slayer hashira suspected a thing, he made human lackeys since he knew the slayers would never kill a human and he even fused with the train to be  hard to kill. All of this is excellent set-up for what could be an incredibly interesting fight. Except... it was not. Because rather than having to work out his plan, Enmu simply... made a slip of tongue? Let Tanjiro in on his plan? And completely forgot about Nezuko and didn’t notice when the other slayers woke up? A character smart enough to come up with such an amazing and smart plan? Yeah, something is off.
And let me tell you, it did NOT get better overall.
There were minor highlights. The Red-light district arc was beautifully crafted and the fight was won on a relativelly reasonable conditions (except for Uzui being totally overpowered but that’s something less irritating than what they’re doing now). The fight with Hantengu and Gyokko had several Mary-Sue moments but no downplaying on the villains’ side. The Pillar Training arc had no major fight but it was a really good way to show the growth of our characters. Even in the current arc, there were good moments. The fight with Akaza was very satisfying and enjoyable even and the conclusion to it was perfect. Sadly, everything else about this arc is not.
The premise here, again, is outrageously good. Being trapped in the Infinity Fortress with Muzan and all his Upper Moons is a beautiful concept that could’ve made for SO. DAMN. MUCH. of interesting fights, character-building moments and terrifyingly epic power show-downs. And instead, it just rings hollow.
The main issue with this arc is how awfully downplayed Muzan and most of his demons were. The author suddenly decided to ignore a lot of what has been estabilished about Muzan, Nakime and their abilities in particular. Of course, Douma, Kaigaku and Kokushibou also got downplayed horribly but really, what pissed me off the most was Muzan and Nakime suddenly losing or forgetting about their abilities.
Look, I love KnY and I love the good side – or parts of it anyway. Tanjiro is a near perfect character, the first protagonist ever to actually pull me in and get me to cheer for him. Nezuko is, after Makai ouji’s Sitri, first character meant to be cute and actually striking me as such. I even came to like Inosuke to a certain extent. Yushiro and Tamayo were one of my favourites the moment they first walked on screen. The hashiras are a little wacky and I still think some of them are just completely unneccesary or wasted potential and I still find Zenitsu horribly cringy and annoying but if there ever was a series where I wanted the protagonist to achieve their goal, it’s this one. And that’s another reason why I’m so dissatisfied with what I’m getting.
And chapter 183 is exceptionally bad for such a huge multitude of reasons.
First of all, there’s Yushiro making up a plan against Nakime. Nakime, as we’ve been shown multiple times, knows of everything that happens in the Infinity Fortress. She can transfer people she doesn’t even see and she can send multiple people to various locations at once. Yet, Yushiro was somehow able to come up with a plan, share it with Mitsuri and actually go through with it, all without her noticing. At all. Because she suddenly turned blind for that one spot of the Fortress or something. And even if Yushiro used his illussionary ability, he still had to share the plan with Mitsuri. So there should be no way she wasn’t aware.
That’s another thing as well. As far as we are aware, it was Nakime’s job to keep the slayers separated. Again, she knows of everything happening in there. She knew about the other Upper Moons getting to a disadvantage. She knew about them being close to dying. And yet, she did nothing to get them away or to move the slayers out of their presence, she couldn’t move her hand and play a note on her biwa and just send them all anywhere else? Anyone else feeling cheated yet? Well buckle up because it gets even worse.
Because now we get to Muzan. And, yeah, remember the Demon Moons meetings? Remember that he can just snatch anyone’s head off, both lethally and non-lethally? Yeah, good thing you do because he doesn’t! Does this affect only demons? He still could’ve killed Yushiro ON THE SPOT. Does it only affect demons created by him? Still cool, he could’ve snatched Nakime’s head off without killing her and take Yushiro’s seal off her eye. But no, instead he’s not gonna do anything of that. He’s gonna mind-fight Yushiro inside her head and then he’s gonna kill her. And not even immediatelly kill like he killed Mukago or Kamanue or Rokuro, no, he will let her die slowly so Yushiro can keep using her power.
Remember when he pumped his blood into people by shoving a finger or a hand through their head? Well, good thing you do, because, yes you guessed it, HE DOESN’T. He scratched Tanjiro’s eye out and he that’s it. This is the demon who’s supposedly the most powerful demon EVER. And the most damage he’s done so far is scratch Tanjiro’s eye.
Remember when he could grab anyone from anywhere in the Fortress like he did with Wakuraba? Well, he doesn’t remember that either. He doesn’t NEED Nakime to access any place in the Fortress. He can get in and out as he pleases without needing her biwa AT ALL. He has more control over the place than Nakime herself. But guess what, we’re going to ignore all of that because if we actually stuck with the abilities estabilished for him, our heroes might need to think before they act and come up with clever plans and maybe there might even be some ACTUAL loss!
You know, not just a supporting character-type of loss! You know, like a loss of a character we really, whole-heartedly care about! A character we were given enough time to come to like and enjoy and support! A character we saw grow and get developed! How horrible!
Let it be known now that while the Infinity Fortress arc blessed me with countless (actually there’s somewhere below 500, I counted) pictures of my sweetheart Douma and gave me the TamaYushi angst I longed for, I still find it to be the worst arc KnY has had so far.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe all of this is a part of Muzan’s masterplan. Maybe he’s actually far more cunning and terrifying that we thought and we’re yet to see his true potential. But I seriously doubt that.
If anything like this is revealed, if we get to see any sort of reasoning for why nobody seems to have a brain anymore, I will gladly take this rant back and apologize but I kind of don’t feel like that will happen. This whole arc feels incredibly rushed and like the author just wants to be done with this series. It’s no longer the gem it was when it started and you can’t feel the love poured into every frame like it used to be. It’s just meeting the similar end as DGM.
How ironic that when I saw the first episode, my first initial thought was “Oh, this is just DGM for the new generation!” Now it seems KnY will meet the same fate, downplaying its villains, disregarding the rules it estabilished in its own universe, boring its creator and disappointing the more demanding parts of its audience.
To put it as simply as possible, there is no way the Demon Slayer Corps should be getting off this easily and there is no way Muzan and all his demons would be this stupid if they have already survived for long long centuries. Muzan doesn’t need Nakime and he doesn’t need his twelve demon Moons, he did just fine before he got them. So him suddenly forgetting about his powers and options is especially disheartening and irritating. At this point, we can only hope the creator realizes this and makes SOME effort to fix these mistakes otherwise, well, there goes another great series, ruined and corrupted by nothing but the bad writing and the author not knowing how to (or not bothering to, pick your favourite) make smart plans without disregarding their own characters’ abilities and parts of what makes them what they are. Muzan was written as an extremely powerful enemy, a cunning master of all things evil, a nightmare in human (or demon) form, something ancient and terrifying and able to spawn centuries of troubles for everyone around without ever – except for the one time – losing the upper hand. And that one time, he was STILL able to make it out alive and well.
Well, this was one extremely long rant and if you’ve read this far, kudos and a cookie to you. I may be expecting too much of a shonen series but am I really? Is it too much to ask for keeping some damn consistency at least in your characters if you can’t even be bothered to research for your timeline properly? The more I look into the Infinity Fortress arc, the more sudden plotholes and mistakes I find and the sadder it all gets. It’s like the author no longer has the strength to keep up the high quality series they started and if that’s actually the case, maybe a hiatus would be a better option than forcing themselves to continue and possibly ruin their entire franchise with a rushed and plothole-filled event.
On a slightly related note, you know what would be the one thing that would make me drop my jaw to the floor? A plottwist of unseen scale. Something on par with literally everything since the Infinity Train arc being STILL just a dream. Something on par with “Muzan” as he is now being actually the new Upper Five while the real Muzan stands back and enjoys the show. Something on par with this “Muzan” being just an illussion or a projection of something, or someone, who’s been in the Fortress this whole time while the real Muzan heads over to Urokodaki’s place to devour Nezuko. Or something even crazier. If you have any ideas, damn hit me with them, I want to hear all you have to say and feed this little flame of hope that this series is not yet entirely lost!
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sparda3g · 4 years
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Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 196 Review
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The series’ end is up in the air as far as I’m aware; however, this chapter delivered the upmost satisfaction that I don’t mind if it does or not. It can abruptly end here and I’ll still be satisfied. That’s pushing it too far; it needs a rewarding conclusion for fans’ commitment. While there’s more than a rewarding development, there’s also slow revenge in motion that can and perhaps will ultimately lead to humanity’s victory.
I can’t tell you how much I love the beginning part of the chapter. Granted, I am reviewing it, but it’s one you have to read and feel the sensation; be part of the emotional rollercoaster. In other words, I can’t do it justice by simply telling you.
The beginning focuses on Nezuko walking towards the battlefield, but the real highlight is the slow transcending; back to humanity. The dialogue is very minimum; really close to be completely silent aside from heavy breathing. It’s clear from the start that Nezuko is slowly regaining her human conscious; remembering her childhood. It sadly goes to the darkest time; the moment when she lost her family.
It’s already said Muzan himself murdered them; however, what wasn’t said is why them. In fact, it’s yet to be revealed exactly. What’s revealed is that Muzan was testing his injection of certain amount of blood to create a demon who can withstand the sun. Maybe it’s a coincidence; I’m not sure. One thing was certain, he was wrong once again; just like the blue spider lily. The memory angers Nezuko; as if she’s reverting back to complete demon. That’s when the emotional roller coaster begins.
She stops and recalls the time after the tragedy. Tanjiro saved her life and the rest is history. Panel by panel, it is sheer tears inducing and I don’t only mean Nezuko’s tears. It’s her point of view and how she fondly remembers the journey since chapter 1; from confronting Giyu to meeting Zenitsu and Inosuke. It brings her down to her knees; overwhelmed by cherish memories. It continues on to her days at Demon Slayer Corps to Butterfly Estate. Shinobu was actually nice to her despite of her status; treated like a person. It’s true what they say; we’re still here just suffer, one way or another.
It’s seriously sad to see panels with characters that are no longer with them, including Genya and Tokito. Their purity can never be replicated. Nezuko gets back up and sees Tanjiro in her vision, holding out his hand. A sibling bond is the final nail to the coffin and in it, it’s demonic. Nothing can break them apart. After all these years, Nezuko has recovered her humanity. End of series.
The chapter could end right here and I will be fine with it. It already past 10 pages, so no harm, no foul. Much like the animated film, Up, this standalone scene is pleasing enough. Could you imagine the animation? Tears will overflow your room. If takes place in theaters, the employees would think Titanic made a comeback. In all seriousness, aside from already satisfied with its content, there’s more stuff to cover, and it’s rewarding in its own right.
Tanjiro and Iguro are still the only one carrying the battle while Muzan is slowing down. The good news keep on rolling for Demon Slayer Corps with the update on the Pillars. They’re being treated as Muzan continue to struggle. It’s only matter of time for some, if not all, to return and give him an educational beat down. The lesson will be, “don’t screw with them.”
I like the acknowledgement from Muzan towards them for two reasons. The first is establishing the idea that everyone has a contribution towards this outcome. It didn’t hinder their work effort or pedestal Tanjiro the protagonist. Remember, all of them could have legit died if Tamayo didn’t create antidote. Not to mention, there were so many times one or more escaped death, thanks to teamwork. Which brings me to the second reason: teamwork.
Yes, it is similar to the first; however, I want to address on how it didn’t flat out say, “Friendship power!” The problem that Shounen tend to have is friendship is presented as “show, don’t tell,” meaning they can scream out loud and it will automatically make them stronger. That or say their feelings of friendship is too strong to die alas the power of love. Here, it’s very convincing and stay true to the core of the genre. Plus, it has a nice way to describe with the image of a dragon.
Muzan is officially done with the battle. I know in the last chapter, he was already running away, but this time, he is committed to escape. They only have 35 minutes until dawn, so they just have to keep on pressing. But Muzan won’t have it and so, his arm begins to expand. Thank goodness for Tanjiro recollecting Yorichi’s backstory, because it’s the same thing, which means Muzan will explode into pieces. It means they’re screwed. Yorichi was a God and he couldn’t destroy all pieces; what makes you think the two can? Just before fans say sequel inbound, something goes wrong.
The sequence fooled the fans into believing either Tanjiro succeed on stopping or fail. Instead, Muzan has failed to divide. All thanks to Tamayo’s drug. Yes, it didn’t stop at aging; it goes to another substance, divide prevention. Surely, that’s all to it, right? This calls for Tamayo to make her return to reveal the truth of the drug. If her last scene wasn’t satisfying enough, this will easily take the cake.
There are four substances in the drug. The last one is cell destruction. Keep in mind, the last time we saw her, she only told Muzan to look over and see for himself. She never confirmed the number of effects, so this is all on him. That way, it doesn’t feel hokey, like she keeps revealing one after another. Plus, it’s great to see how much prepared she was. If she didn’t witness the dividing technique, he could have escaped here.
She steps in now, because it’s the perfect time to watch him suffer; slowly succumb to death. My goodness, her revenge is terrifyingly sweet. I got chills from the last panel alone. This put a smile on my face. Whether it’s sadistic or not, Muzan had it coming and deservingly so.
What a sweet revenge and rewarding chapter. The entire Nezuko scene was glorious enough to be a chapter alone. I couldn’t do it justice here, but when you read it, you’ll know it. The rest was satisfying in its own right. The contributions from all fronts won’t go in vain. Arguably, Tamayo did the most damage with that drug. Without it, well, the series would have ended earlier. I still don’t know how this will end, but my interest remains strong. Take us to the end; we’re almost there.
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