#aoi who had what it takes to be a demon slayer but backed down | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

heyiwrotesomethings · 10 months

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[ene(?)mies to loverS] {FEM demon slayer& assassin reader}

R used to me an assassin that only killed the guilty and protected the inoccent but they quit after becoming a demon slayer.

shinobu is kidnapped by a crazy dude in the middle of the night but the triplets and AOI find out in the morning from a note with the ransom money. They ask reader for help and track her down and turns out the dude that kidnapped her is in a team who kills demon slayers? So R kills the whole group and gets shin out of there. some fluffy stuff pls

idk it just came up sorRy if it's too specific.

thanks byee

Abducted

Shinobu Kochou x She/Her Reader

A/N: Tried putting these two together because they had the same major plot point. And I kind of hinted to past enemies, but they are in the lovers stage for the majority of the fic. Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading! Word Count: 3,335

(Y/n) woke up in bed alone, which was not at all unusual with how busy Shinobu was. What was unusual, was the commotion that had woken her up. In a flurry of footsteps and distressed noise, the butterfly girls came bursting through the door, Kanao frantically waving a piece of paper in (Y/n)’s face.

“Hm? What? What’s going on?” (Y/n) was having a hard time in her groggy state keeping up with everyone speaking over each other with such concerning urgency.

Aoi took the paper from Kanao’s hand and shushed everyone before reading the letter verbatim, voice shaking.

“We have captured the Hashira Kochou Shinobu. She put up quite a fight, to prove we have her, find enclosed a lock of her hair. If you wish to ever see her alive again, you will bring five-hundred-thousand yen and twenty children with Marechi blood to the summit of Natagumo Mountain before sunset tonight, or else!” Aoi flung the paper into (Y/n)’s lap, “Shinobu-sama has been abducted!”

“What?” (Y/n) picked up the letter and re-read it to herself, “This can’t be happening…” she adjusted her hold on the paper and felt something silky on the other side. She flipped the paper around and inhaled sharply when she saw the lock of purple and black hair tapped to the back. She crumpled the paper and bolted to her feet. In a few quick strides, she tore open the closet, throwing a high mobility outfit and an array of sharp and pointy weapons of varying sizes onto the bed.

“What are you doing?” Aoi asked, her and Kanao pulling the younger girls out of the way as (Y/n) continued to toss weapons out of the closet.

“I’m going to get Shinobu back.“ She answered monotonously, a chill ran through the other girls. It was a tone they hadn’t heard (Y/n) use in a very long time.

“How are you going to do that? You aren’t thinking about giving in to their demands, are you?” Aoi asked fretfully.

“Of course not. I won’t need to. Did you see that stupid little wax seal they used on the envelope? I’ve seen it before in my previous line of work. They are humans that work for demons. They provide the quality fodder, and in return they get protection, money, power… whatever they can get their hands on. But there are rare occasions like this where they think they can get more out of us than they could out of the demons they serve. I’ve dealt with people from their group before.”

“In your… old profession?”

“Yeah. Lots of people have lost their loved ones to that group over the years and came to me for justice. Safe to say, they don’t know who they’re messing with or they wouldn’t have even dared to send this letter.” (Y/n) turned to face the girls, eyes full of fire.

She dialed it back a bit when she saw them flinch backward and knelt before them all.

“I’m going to get her back, I promise.“

“I’ll go too.” Kanao spoke up.

“No Kanao, you’ll stay here with everyone else. This isn’t demon slaying. I don’t want to put you in a position where you may have to kill a human, no matter how much they might deserve it. Trust that I will do whatever it takes to bring Shinobu hole safe and sound. Stay here and take care of everyone while I’m gone. Can you do that for me?”

Kanao but the inside of her cheek, but nodded solemnly. (Y/n) squeezed her shoulder then got up and moved over to the bed to equip all of her weapons that she thought wouldn’t see they light of day again. Hopefully Shinobu wouldn’t be too cross with her for not throwing them out when she asked her to.

When the last knife was strapped down, she patted the head of each girl as she exited the room and then the mansion, disappearing quickly over the fence. She only had about ten hours before sunset, so she would need to get to Natagumo quickly to make it in time.

“Hang on, Shinobu. I’m on my way.”

***

Shinobu came to with a throbbing headache. She groaned and tried to cup her head with her hands, keyword tried. Her hands were tightly bound behind her back and upon further inspection, she found her legs to be tightly bound as well.

For as beaten and bruised as she was, nothing hurt her more than having fallen into this damn trap. It had started out so harmlessly. A small child had come running to her for help, his mother supposedly sick. The young boy looked dirty and malnourished. Of course Shinobu didn’t give it a second thought before she let the boy lead her up the mountain. She was so used to fighting demons, that she had forgotten there were humans out there who were just as vile.

She had sensed something off when she followed the boy inside the dingy house. She felt a malicious presence behind her and swiftly pivoted on her feet, dodging the burly arms that had reached out to grab her. With a few precision strikes, he fell to the ground, only for six more to take his place. She got a few good punches in, as well as a few slices from the knives in her shoes, but with an ambush of this scale, with so little space to maneuver or time to think, she was overpowered and knocked unconscious.

“Well look who finally decided to wake up.”

Shinobu winced as her head was pulled up by her hair, but she refused to make any noise that would give her captors any satisfaction.

“You sure cut me up pretty bad, little brat.” The man pulled her head back further so she could see the bloody bandage wrapped around his head. The spot where his left eye would be was particularly saturated with blood. “It hurts like hell.”

“That’s what you get when you sneak up on people. You’re fortunate that’s all you endured.” Shinobu smiled sharply, her teeth pressed together tightly when the man sharply tugged her hair again.

“We sent a message off with that bird that was following you around. If anybody cares about you, they’ll be here with our demands by sundown. If they don’t, I’ll carve you up the same way you carved up me and my buddies before we serve you up to the boss on a silver platter.” He grinned wickedly and made a show of looking up at the sky through the trees, before looking back down at Shinobu smugly.

“Not much time left…”

He promptly let go of Shinobu’s hair and her head fell back to the ground. The man laughed uproariously and his buddies joined in, save for the young boy who had lured Shinobu frantically filling his face. The man kicked Shinobu’s bound legs out of his way before rejoining them at the fire for another bowl of stew.

Shinobu kept her breathing even. Panicking in this situation would do her no good. Besides, those fools all but signed their own death warrants by sending En back to the mansion with whatever poorly written scrap of paper they composed. She hadn’t a doubt in her mind that (Y/n) was well on her way.

Still, she’d be damned if she didn’t at least try to get herself out of this mess before then. She was a Hashira, she killed demons, she wasn’t going to let a group of meat-headed plain, human men continue to get the best of her. Shinobu carefully rubbed her feet together so as not to draw attention to herself and nearly scoffed.

For being so upset with her about her sharp retaliations, they sure didn’t think it necessary to take away her shoes. Idiots. Ever so quietly, she bent her knees as far as she could and carefully removed a shoe. It took a little time to maneuver it into a workable position, but she got the blade end wedged beneath the rope on her hands and began to saw at it, and no one was none the wiser, or so she thought.

A heavy foot came down on her hands and she couldn’t stop the yelp of pain that left her lips, drawing the attention of the men at the campfire.

“You idiots,” the new arrival sighed, a man with much nicer clothes than the rest, “while you were all eating and drinking like pigs, you almost let our guest escape. Need I remind you we are dealing with a Hashira here? What do you think would have happened if we let her escape, hm?”

“The- the boss would totally kill us. Thanks for catching on to that, Hyousuke.” One man whimpered.

“The boss?” Hyousuke tilted his head to the side as he took Shinobu’s shoes and tossed them into the bushes, “You think I’d ever tell the boss if we lost a quality catch like this? No… no, no, no,” his eyes steeled and his voice took on a more dangerous tone, “I would kill you all myself. He doesn’t have time to deal with you useless fools. He needs to become a Kizuki to continue keeping us safe and he’s not going to get there if you can’t take the time to do your damn job!”

“My, to speak of a demon so passionately, is it love?” Shinobu smiled sweetly, then added, “Gross.”

Hyousuke sneered down at her and put more of his weight on her wrists before easing up and turning his attention back to the campfire.

“Where’s the damn rope? I’ll need to re-tie her hands.”

“Uh, Masaru had it last.”

“Where is he?”

“He needed to relieve himself. Went out to the woods like… huh, maybe twenty minutes ago?”

Hyousuke stiffened, then snarled, “Well go find him, now!”

The men scampered into the forest, the young boy reluctantly went to follow, but Hyousuke called him back.

“Goro, you stay. I have a special job for you.” He presented the young boy with a knife and lead him to Shinobu, “This is a big job, boy. You do this well, and your stranding in the group will skyrocket, you understand. Meals everyday, new clothes, an actual bed, all will be yours. All you gotta do is watch this woman and if she tries to escape, you slash her tendons. If that doesn’t work, kill her. Got it?”

Goro shook under Hyousuke’s intense glare, but managed a nod.

“Good. This shouldn’t take long.” Hyousuke glared down at Shinobu, “Behave yourself if you want to live through this.”

Shinobu stayed silent, watching him disappear into the woods before returning her attention to Goro who looked at her with fearful eyes, knife tightly grasped within his hands. It was time Shinobu implement her best defense in this precarious moment, so she began to talk to the boy. Ever so slowly, his grip eased as Shinobu took an interest in his upbringing. Having never known his mother, nor really any experience talking to women, the kind way Shinobu spoke with him felt completely foreign.

A pained shout echoed through the forest, putting them both on edge again. The forest went quiet again, but only for a few moments before to more cries were heard.

“Goro-kun, stay calm.” Shinobu tried to ease the boy’s nerves, but he still looked as scare and desperate as a cornered animal. “If you cut the rope—”

Goro shakily held the knife to Shinobu’s throat, “Stop talking!” He commanded through sharp breaths just as another shout was heard in the distance, though much closer than the previous ones.

Shinobu took the risk to keep talking, “There could be a demon out there. I don’t want you to get hurt, Goro-kun. Please free me and give me my sword so I can protect you.”

Goro looked conflicted, switching his attention between Shinobu and the woods anxiously. He heard another shout and shut his eyes tightly, knife still uncomfortably close to Shinobu’s neck— until a rugged rock came sailing in and knocked the weapon out of his hand and into the bushes.

They both looked over in the direction the rock had come from to see a bloody figure emerge from the woods near the campfire, breathing heavily.

“A demon!” Goro shrieked, skittering back on his behind to put Shinobu between himself and ‘the demon’, but Shinobu was not all that concerned.

“None of that is your blood is it, (Y/n)?” She asked calmly as if she already new the answer.

“Of course not,” (Y/n) huffed, “I may have been persuaded into an early retirement, but I’m still as sharp as ever.” She smirked with pride, before seeing Shinobu’s frown and tacked on an apology at the end.

Once upon a time, (Y/n) and Shinobu hadn’t gotten along all that well and a lot of that stemmed from (Y/n)’s line of work as an assassin for hire. Well, it stemmed from (Y/n) having lied about being an assassin when they had first met. Shinobu found out after they had been dating for awhile and it was not pretty. They had broken up, but after a few months of being miserable without each other, (Y/n) decided to retire and ask Shinobu to take her back with the promise of no more secrets and things had been getting better since.

“Mhmm,” Shinobu hummed as (Y/n) came over to untie her, Goro too scared stiff to move, “I recall telling you to get rid off all those weapons.”

“I did. Well, I got rid of most of them. But, see how handy it is to keep a couple of classics around?”

“I suppose...” Shinobu released a relieved sigh when the last of the rope was cut and then sat up, finding herself engulfed in a tight hug as soon as she did so.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” (Y/n)’s voice was muffled from having her face pressed into Shinobu, but she was heard just fine.

“Sorry to worry you.” Shinobu brought her arms around (Y/n)’s neck to return the hug, despite the blood.

It was really nice for a few moments until they heard a twig snap and looked up to see Goro sticking his hands into the bushes, looking for the knife Hyousuke left with him.

“Hey, kid, just stay put, okay?” (Y/n) put her hand out in warning.

“We aren’t going to hurt you, Goro-kun. Come down the mountain with us, and we will keep you safe.” Shinobu promised.

“I can’t let you go! If you go, Hyousuke-san will kill me!”

“No he won’t. Just look at me,” (Y/n) gestured to herself, “If I didn’t kill him on my way here, then I’ll kill him when he shows up. And if you’re worried about any demons either, Shinobu had it covered, right?”

“Definitely,” Shinobu answered a bit distractedly, her sword back home in her hands, “Help me find my shoes?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll- I’ll—“

(Y/n) gently ruffled Goro’s hair, stunning him.

“You must be tired. What do you say, wanna get off of this dumb old mountain?” She softly asked.

“Stop! You’re Just trying to trick me like I tricked you!” He yelled, pointing a finger at Shinobu.

Shinobu smiled sympathetically and crouched down before the boy, “That was a pretty mean trick, wasn’t it? You feel bad about it, don’t you?”

Goro didn’t say anything, but fresh tears sprung from his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’m not upset with you. It’s hard to be hungry and on your own. I promise if you come with us, you’ll never have to do anything like this again. We will keep you safe.” She held out her pinky and after a short explanation of what a pinky promise was, Goro cautiously wrapped his own pinky around Shinobu’s.

“Well, isn’t that sweet.”

Shinobu and (Y/n) pivoted, shielding Goro from the new arrival. Hyousuke had returned with a few of his men, armed and ready for a fight.

“Damn, I really thought I had taken care of all of you.” (Y/n) groaned in annoyance. “Must’ve been shaking in the bushes as I walked by. Did you think of you regrouped, you’d be able to take me?”

“Hy- Hyousuke! I know this woman, she’s a demon with human blood, an assassin! She’s stolen lives from out faction before.”

“Demon with human blood seems a bit over dramatic,” she scoffed, “But also so, so hypocritical when you consider all you have done to give yourselves a cozy life.”

“Goro, get over here.” Hyousuke ordered through gritted teeth.

“He’s not going anywhere with you.” Shinobu denied, “It’s in your best interest if you let us pass.”

“I cannot return to him empty handed.” Hyousuke pulled a gun from his clothes, “I’ll just have to kill all three—“

In the blink of an eye, (Y/n) and Shinobu were on him. Shinobu’s sword pierced his hand and he dropped the gun in pain. (Y/n) instinctively went in for the kill. Hyousuke staggered before falling into the dirt, whatever was left of the small group scattered and fled into the woods. (Y/n) made a move to go after them, but Shinobu held her wrist.

“I think that they got the message.” She said.

“But they’re going to go back to whatever demon their friendly with and start up all over again with someone less fortunate.”

“En is following them. She’ll report the location back to Oyakata-sama and he will decide how to proceed from there. You already have more blood on your hands than I would like. Besides,” she whispered, flicking her eyes over to Goro, “You’re scaring him.”

“Alright, fine. I guess as long as it gets taken care of eventually, I don’t really care.” (Y/n) went to run her neck, but caught sight of the blood and just clasped her hands behind her back instead. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Goro-kun.”

“I’ve seen worse.” He mumbled quietly, shrugging his shoulders. Shinobu and (Y/n)’s hearts went out to him.

“We’re gonna work like hell so you don’t have to see anything like that ever again.” (Y/n) promised.

“You’ll be safe with us.” Shinobu reached out her hand as an invitation, “Come on, let’s go home.”

Goro hesitated, but he did take her hand.

“Hold my hand too?” (Y/n) batted her eyelashes and held out her bloody hand.

Shinobu’s eyes flickered to (Y/n)’s hand, then back up to her face, “Maybe another time, dear.” The hug they shared earlier was all the blood she wanted to deal with at the moment.

“Booooo.”

“You know what you can do though? Help me find my shoes. It’s a long way down the mountain, and I’d rather not be without them.”

“Yeah, yeah okay. I heard you the first time you asked.”

***

“I really needed that!” (Y/n) flopped onto the bed, her damp head landing in Shinobu’s lap, squeaky clean, “I almost forgot how itchy dried blood is.”

“Such pleasant words you are saying.” Shinobu replied with sarcasm. She put a bookmark between the pages of her book to mark where she had left off and put it aside to give her full attention, absently running her fingers across (Y/n)’s cheeks.

“I know. So is Goro-kun all settled in?”

“As much as he can be, but he’s in good hands. Naho, Sumi and Kiyo are excited to have someone younger than them around and surprisingly he seemed to latch onto Gotou-san quickly. I’m sure everything will get better in due time.”

“That’s good.” (Y/n) yawned and put her hands over Shinobu’s to keep them on her face. “And how are you feeling?”

“It was an unfortunate situation to find myself in, but I’m fine, really. I knew you would come.”

(Y/n) pulled one of Shinobu’s hands to her lips so she could plant a kiss against her palm. “If you ever feel not fine about it, I’ll be here for you then too.”

“I know,” Shinobu smiled warmly and hunched inward to return the kiss, “Thank you.”

#demon slayer oneshots #kny oneshots #demon slayer x reader #kny x reader #shinobu x reader #shinobu kocho x reader #shinobu kochou x reader #requests #anonymous

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whydidtheyhavetogo · 6 months

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Rengoku x GN Reader

First time posting on Tumblr, I have not written a fanfic in a hot minute, so I hope this suffices! Thank you for reading, now enjoy healing while Rengoku gets taken care of!

Warnings: Mentions of cuts, bruises, and general pain. A bit of Angst and fluff

Rengoku is recovering from his wounds and his friend is stern in making sure that he lays still and rests in bed. Rengoku can’t help but feel a warmth in him as they takes care of him. In the end the two show their feelings to one another.

Kyojuro flinched at the sting of cuts along his arms and face, he wasn’t sure how he got here. The last thing he remembered was the Upper Three Demon almost annihilating him and his newly made friends. He was lucky that Tanjiro had thrown the demon off with his sword, otherwise his fist would have gone through his stomach. He remembers the fear the demon’s eyes filled with as Tanjiro screamed at him, chasing him off. He wasn’t sure how the young Demon Slayer did it, but he did nonetheless, and he couldn’t thank him enough.

Now he had another problem, the person that he had grown to love and appreciate now standing at his side practically fuming from his “stupidity” as they so adoringly put it. They pat his cuts with medicine as they mutter profuse words under their breath. He groans as they gently touch the cut on his eyelid. They stop in their movements, “Kyo…” They mutter, a sad look overtaking their features, their eyes glossing over. Kyojuro hated seeing them so sad, it damn near broke his heart. He smiled softly and cupped their hand that hovered over his eye, “It is alright Y/n, you did not hurt me!”

Doubt swirled in his friend’s eyes, he didn’t need to be too perceptive with that, they were already an open book to him, even when others couldn’t see it, he did. He remembers when they had come to the Master, bleeding and broken. He remembered every cut and bruise and in that moment when he first gazed upon them, he felt a new flame spark within. One that when sparked, burned brightly.

He remembered watching Shinobu and the Kakushi taking the battered individual to the Butterfly Mansion after the Master deemed it necessary, their wounds deep and extensive. He would sneak over to the Butterfly Mansion, and watch whenever he could. He was curious about the newcomer, and would keep company with the stranger who slept long in bed and to Aoi while she patched them up. Days passed into weeks, and the other Hashira started to notice his interest, of course none of them saying a word. Tengen was the only one who had actually brought it up to him.

Tengen would come by every so often, catching Rengoku sitting by the stranger. He would smirk and make teasing comments like, “Ah, looks like someone’s caught your eye, huh?” or "You know it's bad to stare at strangers..."

Finally one afternoon, Tengen dropped by and leaned against the door, “Damn, you’re still here? I thought this was a joke at first…”

To which he finally replied, “I am still here because I want them to feel safe when they awaken.”

“I mean, I get why, but… why?” Tengen asked, clearly confused about his intentions with someone they didn't know.

“Miss Amane had found them bloodied on their doorstep, they had passed out before they could tell her what had happened. Maybe… If they feel safe when they awaken, then we can find out what happened to them. It is our duty to protect the innocent. If there is a way I can protect them, I will make sure of it.”

Tengen nodded slowly, “You know, you’re an admirable man, Kyojuro…” He gave Kyojuro a hearty pat on the back before leaving him to watch over the injured stranger.

He recalled the day that they had awoken from their deep sleep. The way their eyes fluttered open and looked around curiously. The sun beaming down on them. They looked so warm. He smiled as their eyes landed on him, widening just slightly. He could hear their breath catch in their throat for a moment.

“Do not be afraid! You are safe within the walls of the Butterfly Mansion!” He spoke softly as to not startle them too much, “My name is Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira and member of the Demon Slayer Core!”

There was a silence that wafted over them, the stranger continuing to stare at him, not that he minded. Or course they would watch him closely, who wouldn't be weary of some random man watching over you after being beaten within an inch of your life!

“Y/n…L/n Y/n….” They croaked smacking their dry lips.

“Kyo?” He heard their voice call out sweetly, bringing him back to reality, where now he sat in the bed while Y/n watched over them. Kyojuro’s gaze drifted up to meet theirs. He smiled, their look of concern melting his heart, “Ah, I’m so sorry Y/n! Were you saying something?”

They sighed, their brows furrowing, “I worry about you sometimes…”

Kyojuro smiled brightly, “I appreciate your concern for me little flame, you’re as sweet as ever!”

He watched as their cheeks flushed, what a beautiful sight it was to see, “Well, duh! Now, as I was saying, I want you staying here-”

“Y/n…” He groaned.

“In bed-”

“But-”

Y/n rested their finger on his lips, shushing him.

“No, none of that! You need your rest, or you’ll never get better!” Y/n sternly spoke, frowning gently at Rengoku. He didn’t bother arguing further, he had learned better than to do that with them. Instead, he sighed, giving in to them. They smiled, satisfied, “Thank you…” They took their finger away and turned to the table next to him, grabbing what he would assume is medicine or bandages.

His mind traveled back to after they had woken up, he remembers staying by their side as much as possible, talking with them about anything and everything. He helped with what knowledge he had to take care of them alongside the vast knowledge Aoi had. She never made him leave, and in fact she encouraged him being there when he was able to, saying that whenever he would leave their eyes would become dull and distant, and the moment he would walk through the doors they would light up like a firework, practically jumping out of bed to rush to his side.

“Rengoku!” He gasped looking up at Y/n, “Ah! Are you okay?!”

They shook their head, “I’m more concerned if you’re okay! You keep spacing out…”

He gave them another gentle smile, “Dear Y/n, you need not worry for me-”

“Yes I do, Kyo! You’re my best friend… If… If Kamado and the others weren’t there… If… If you had died…” He watched as they sobbed quietly, neither of them saying a word. He knew quite well that he could have died that day, he could have never seen his family again, he might have never had the chance to tell Y/n how he feels. He raised his hand, grasping Y/n’s soft one’s with his calloused fingers, “I don’t mean to worry you…” He muttered.

“Kyo, I’m always worried about you. Every time you leave for a mission, anytime that I know you’ll be in danger, I worry for you…” They murmur, wiping their tears.

After they had gotten better, they had asked Aoi to teach them the way of healing. Aoi had told Rengoku that when asked why, they said he inspired them to want to take care of others, the way Rengoku and Aoi did. Since then, they learned pretty quickly. Now here they were, tending to Rengoku, and while it wasn’t the first time, he could tell they were scared that it could be the last.

“Y/n…” He whispered, “I cannot bear to see you so distraught…” His eyes traveled to the empty beds that the three boys had laid in the night before, things were starting to change, he felt it on the train, he felt it with the Upper Moon Demon. It was time for something different.

“Y/n, I have decided on something,” He looked back up at Y/n, “I am going to continue to help the demon slayer core, while I have enjoyed my work, helping others, I have decided I will retire!” He heard them gasp, shock overtaking them, “Don’t worry! This is purely for my safety and for your sanity as well. In turn I have a perfect candidate in mind for the next flame Hashira! I will teach and train the next generation, that way I can still help others!"

“You…. don’t have to do this Kyo… This has always been your dream!”

“But I have a new dream now!” He watched as they looked at him confused. He pulled them closer, wrapping an arm around them as they jolted forward, falling onto him. They yelped out, “Rengoku! Your wounds!” He caressed their cheek, not caring of the pain. With them he felt no pain, there was no such thing. Only bliss.

“You’re my new dream, Y/n… I have grown to care immensely for you. I want a life with you, safe and sound. I want you to be happy, I want you to feel good for the rest of our lives... I want to live on with you..." He gazed down at them softly, “If you’ll have me…”

Moments pass by, time seems to slow. Their face becomes more and more red, a painting in his eyes. He could watch that happen over and over again, forever. Finally they whisper a faint, “Yes…”

For the first time in a very long time, he felt the missing pieces within himself melding together, pieces he neglected since his mother's passing, healing between the cracks. He felt the flame within him burn brightly, and he couldn’t help but let out a relieved chuckle, “May I kiss you?” He breathed out. With a small nod, he did as he intended and gave them a warm kiss, as a promise to them and himself, that he won't let anything stand in the way of the two of them ever again.

#rengoku kyojuro #rengoku x reader #kny rengoku #he lives in my brain #no death #because dammit he deserves better #demon slayer #fanfic #gender neutral reader #fluff #light angst #rengoku x gn reade

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demoiselettes · 1 year

Note

IM BACK FROM THE MITSURI FICS

But this time its not mitsuri

This time goes to the ever so adorable Kamado siblings. Specifically Tanjiro and Nezuko. And yes this is also platonic

Tanjiro is just sitting in Nesuko’s room at the end of the bed. It’s night time so Nezuko is just vibing on the bed with him. But Tanjiro doesn’t feel comfy, more like really awkward due to an adrenaline rush that hasn’t calmed down since he started his official missions from the corps. Because of that he has a hard time falling asleep tonight. A knock from the door comes and in comes reader. She is a older slayer and near the rank of a hashria but cant become Hashria due to there only strictly being nine Hashria (yes that is canon). Even though the meeting was just yesterday, word has already spread out to the entire corps. Tanjiro tenses up ready to defend Nezuko, but reader puts her hands up in a early surrender to calm him down. Reader stands next to the bed and starts giving Nezuko head pats. Reader then starts saying how happy she is for Tanjiro which is odd for him. Normally everyone is mad at him for Nezuko. Reader then says how happy she is Tanjiro is give Nezuko a second chance, some people need a second chance sometimes but don’t get it, even though thats the only thing they need to be better. But Tanjiro is working hard to give Nezuko that second chance she needs from a fate she never deserved. Reader then apologies say this might make him uncomfortable but she is proud of him. But that all he needs. The godddanm reassurance he needed since his family died when he was 13. At the end of the day being a big brother and carrying the burden of pain is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Reader goes in for a hug and Tanjiro clings on for dear life. Nezuko joins in the comfort hug. this hug feels like one a big sister would give, even though he never had one. reader spends the rest of the night comforting the poor child and stays with them until morning comes. She is now an honorary Kamado, reader enjoys taking the siblings out to new places to eat or buy new things for them like good luck charms trying to give them a peaceful life and demon slayer can have

An unusual one

Pairing: Platonic! Tanjiro + Nezuko x reader

Category: fluff

Warning(s)/note(s): fem! Reader, reader is Kinoe ranked

A/n: i was so sad when i read ‘but this time it’s not mitsuri’ then i saw Tanjiro and Nezuko and i was like heck yeah >:D ALSO I FEEL LIKE WE ALL WANNA EITHER DATE OR BE FRIENDS WITH THE KNY CHARACTERS

The barest moonlight filtered trough the curtains.

Nezuko didn’t seem to notice the jitters her brother was suffering from. Sprawled on the twin sized bed, she kept herself busy with positioning her legs to remain upright in the air and swinging them back and forth on the mattress, one feet at a time.

It was an amusing sight for Tanjiro, but tonight he was restless. Many thoughts rushed through his brain. The adrenaline from his mission on Mount Natagumo and the not-so -lovely meeting he’d had with the hashiras proved stubborn and didn’t subside. In his bed, he’d kept shifting his legs, wringing his hands and tossing and turning, but tiny insects kept crawling up his body. So he’d tip-toed out of the room he shared with both Zenitsu and Inosuke in the butterfly estate and snuck into Nezuko’s room. At this hour, she should have been asleep (she slept a lot for a demon), but he’d been greeted with the sight of her wrapped up in bedsheets. Watching her, Tanjiro felt somewhat relived that Nezuko remained carefree and oblivious to what happened. He knew, deep down, that she must be understanding the situation to a certain level but the information simply didn’t fully process. No doubt for the best. Tanjiro didn’t mind being the one carrying the burden and the deaths that trailed behind him.

Knuckles racked against the door, almost startling Tanjiro. Guessing it was probably Aoi who came to check on Nezuko, or perhaps even Shinobu, he rushed to invite them in, already bracing for a scolding. But when the door opened, it was neither Shinobu nor Aoi who stepped in. Tanjiro didn’t even know who you were. But the sword that hung by your belt alerted him enough to hop out of bed and stand in front of his sister. The rush of energy finally kicked it and he was already planning to headbutt you.

But your shoulders tensed and you put your palms up to face level on either side of your head in an attempt to surrender. That was not the reaction he’d been expecting and definitely not the one he’d gotten with the other hashiras. The air smelled of fresh bluebells. Surprisingly, Nezuko remained calm. Her pink eyes trailed over you, but there was a far-away look in them as though you weren’t really present and she was looking directly at the door behind you.

“Ah, good day, Kamado-san! Or, uh, good night..” you seemed to fumble with your words. Your hands were still in the air. “I’m truly sorry for startling you at this hour. I’ve been tied up all day so i couldn’t come visit.”

Tanjiro almost gawked at you. You had none of the intimidating and somewhat eccentric presence the hashiras gave off, you looked..normal. For the most part. He doesn’t remember you being at the meeting. His shoulders slumped in slight relief and he bowed to you, mustering a smile.

“It’s no problem! I couldn’t sleep anyway.. ah, would you like to have seat?” He gestured to the empty stool that sat by the twin sized bed. You clasped your hands and shook your head.

“I’m good. I don’t intend to stay for long. I wanted to simply take a gander at your sister. I take it her name is Nezuko?”

“Y..yes.” Tanjiro was having trouble forming the words. Though he was weary, the smile on your face reminded him of his mother’s. You made no attempt at attacking them and the scent of bluebells assaulted his nostrils.

“It’s the first time i’ve come across such a phenomenon.. have you really not eaten any demons, my dear?” You tilted your head quizzically at the girl. She didn’t answer, only stared at you.

“Ah- sorry, sometimes it’s difficult for her to formulate words! Specially through that muzzle..”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“E-erm..” Tanjiro hesitated. “Is it alright if i ask for your name?”

You turned to him, bewildered. “I haven’t introduced myself yet? I’m [Last Name] [First Name]!” You bowed. “Kinoe ranked Demon Slayer.”

Tanjiro’s head spun. Kinoe rank? That meant you were right below the rank of hashira. He tensed again. Why did you want to see Nezuko?

“Rest assured, i’m not here to kill your sister. I wouldn’t, as The Master has given her his approval to live. I just.. wanted to have a look at the situation with my own eyes..” your voice faded near the end, like you were only speaking to yourself.

He blushed, embarrassed that his thoughts were so evident. “Thank you, [Last]-san.”

You nodded, then you took a tentative step forward. Tanjiro’s eyes never failed to follow, but he remained calm while you approached Nezuko and placed a palm over her head. She closed her eyes in bliss and leaned into your touch. The scene felt so..gentle, so unlike everything that he’s faced for the past couple of years. He smiled without even realizing that he’d let his guard down.

“She’s no demon,” you cooed. “She’s such a cutie.”

He grinned. “I’m happy you accept her. In all honesty..i was expecting you to attack..” his hand went to rub his nape.

You smiled wryly. “I know. You are not very subtle with your body language.” The laugh that followed was enough to make Tanjiro want to bury himself in the ground of sheer embarrassment. “The hashiras gave you a hard time, eh? I’ve heard they’re ruthless.”

“I understand they were doing their job,” Tanjiro admitted miserably. “But i still can’t help somehow feeling upset at how they treated Nezuko. The wind pillar—“

“—is an idiot.” You finished. “But it’s hard for him to trust demons.” You frowned before acknowledging his gaze upon you. “I’m glad Nezuko-chan gets to live.”

Tanjiro swallowed the emotions that threatened to flood. He nodded solemnly and, clenching his fists, added: “Demons are tragic creatures. They.. they deserve a second chance. I know eating humans is unforgivable but..”

You smiled. “I see now why Kocho-sama entrusted her dream to you. You’re a special one, Kamado Tanjiro.”

He gulped and felt himself shrink under your gaze. His cheeks burned. When was the last time he’d been complimented? And you were so kind..

“This might seem out of the blue, but i’m proud of you for standing up for your sister. You’re still a mizunoto, but you’ve got more spirits that i’d have thought.” You forged on. “I barely know you and yet i look forward to fighting alongside you.”

Something resembling warmth bloomed inside Tanjiro’s chest. He felt like he’d eaten a steaming bowl of Udon with grated yam but along the fuzziness came the ball that lodged itself in his throat whenever he’d fight back tears. He was fighting back tears. He felt ashamed, for he was about to cry after you’d just told him he was strong. That was unbecoming of a Slayer. But before he could even blink, droplets were tracing their paths down his cheeks, leaving dark patches on the white uniform and soon, he began to shake and sob violently. He felt arms wrap around him gently, lightly, like he was a glass sculpture and he shook harder. His fingers went to clutch at your uniform and he allowed himself to be given head pats by you. He didn’t need to look up at you to know you were smiling.

He can’t tell what he’s crying for. It seemed that every negative experience, trivial or big, that he’d encountered poured out in his tears. He’s been alone for so long with his struggles. He was still only a kid.

You made no effort to speak comfort into him. Simply holding him, caressing his hair and letting him cry, was proving to be more effective. The silence spoke volumes. A smaller pair of arms came to hold onto you and you looked down, startled, at the shrunken version of Nezuko who had her kimono and haori trailing on the floor behind her. Just like that, you knew they’d taken you in as one of their own.

You remained by their side for the entire night, and somewhere throughout, sleep greeted you in its numbing embrace with Tanjiro and Nezuko still tucked in your arms.

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #nanako’s blues #tanjiro kamado #tanjiro x reader #platonic tanjiro #kamado nezuko #nezuko x reader #platonic nezuko

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imtouchestarved · 6 months

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Chapter eleven

There were a few moments left for the sun to leave while coloring the sky with breathtaking colors. Kyojuro put on his demon slayer uniform. he belted his nichirin sword to his waist, its sheath peacefully resting on his hip. "So you're leaving today, huh?" He turned around to see (Y/n) sitting on the bed, wearing her uniform as well. How did she get here, who knows?

He nodded and smiled, "Correct, I've been called on a mission!" He lifted up a finger as he explained. "Well then, I wish you luck." She carefully stood up and headed towards the door while holding her arms behind her back.

"What about you? Are you going to stay here until your next mission?" He suddenly asked, trying to keep up the conversation. She turned her head as she held the door frame, "Ah, no." She shook her head, "Since I've fully recovered, I'll head home. There's no reason for me to stay here," She replied.

"I see.." he studied her gaze carefully. She looked.. depressed. "What is that look?" He asked as he shifted closer to her, and she suddenly looked tense. "What do you mean?" She backed off a little when he shoved his face into her direction. "You look disturbed! Tell me, what's weighing your mind?" He demanded.

(Y/n) grinned nervously while stroking a piece of hair with her fingers, "Oh, I guess I'm just a little depressed since you're leaving. That's all," She said. Kyojuro nodded and backed off, "Don't worry, I'll write a lot! And after it is done, I'll come see you." The last gold sun rays peeked through the window, shining on his face, making him look magnificent as he made a promise.

She just stared at him at a loss for words, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with emotion she couldn't quite understand.

With much hesitation, he slowly reached out his hand and cupped her cheek as he moved some hair strands that fell on her face with his thumb. She melted into his touch, placing her hand on his, signaling him to keep it there. The corners of her lips formed a small smile that spread across her face. "I'll be back," he whispered as he took her other hand and kissed it so ever gently. His lips were warm and soft, making her body beg for more. That small gesture made (Y/n) knees wobble and her breath to become heavier. 'Stupid heart, calm down,' she thought as she pursed her lips together.

She managed to nod slowly, and kyojuro went to his way, leaving her struggling to breathe as she gripped her uniform in the area of her heart. 'Calm down, calm down!' She yelled at herself.

...

As she walked in the empty halls of the mansion, heading towards the exit, she suddenly had the aurge to thank the girls who took care of her for their hospitality.

She searched for them and found them all in the kitchen, "(L/n)-san! Are you here for a snack? Let me make something for you." Aoi said as she stirred a pot with half cooked rice. (Y/n) quickly shook her head, "No, no. I'm just here to deliver my thank you for taking care of me." She bowed slightly, "thank you all for your hospitality."

There was a brief silence, then the triples started to weep, "(L/n)- chan you're leaving..??" Naho asked, the other two looked at her for a reply. She nodded her head heavily, feeling bad. "When are you coming back?" Sumi asked as she wiped some tears from her eyes, "Well, I'm not sure.. I'll try to visit, though. You did so much for me it's the least I could do."

Aoi suddenly interrupted the conversation, "No, you should focus on doing your duties as a hashira. You must have no time for visiting.. It's okay, you can go. Just remember, when you need someone to patch you up, we're always here." She grinned and went back to the rice.

(Y/n), touched, bowed one again, and went to her way.

...

"I'm home," she said as she took off her shoes. Her mother rushed to her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. "I've heard everything, oh my baby.. I'm sorry I couldn't visit. I'm just glad you're okay." She tightened her arms even more.

(Y/n) patted her on her back, melting into her mother's embrace as she sighed with joy. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm staying home for a while, so tell me if you need help with anything." She pulled away from the hug. Her mother looked at her with affection, "you seem different," she said as she brushed (Y/n)'s scalp slightly.

She tilted her head, "Do I?" She giggled. "Why aren't you on a mission?" They both suddenly heard. (Y/n)'s father stood a few meters from them, crossing his arm as his face wore its usual sour expression. She backed off from her mother and bowed slightly, keeping her head down as she explained. "Although I have fully recovered, my master saw the right to request that I'll have some time off to rest since I've been overworking." She tried to speak clearly, but her voice trembled a bit.

He walked over to her, "Then why aren't you at least training? Are you going to spend all your time doing nothing?!" His raised his voice, visibly annoyed. (Y/n) lifted up her head to look him in the eye. He looked terrifying. Her father was a big man, tall, wide, and buff. Him looking scary is natural.

"..Father, i just arrived. You expect me to drop everything and-" she stopped mid sentence when he gave her an ear-ringing slap, making her stumble and put her hand on her now bruised cheek. "How dare you talk back to me, I made you reach that far!!" He raised his voice even more.

He then lifted his hand to hit her once more. She frowned, and something snapped inside of her. How dare he hit her? Who does he think he is? She caught his hand that was a few centimeters from her face, "Don't raise your hand on me ever again." She said, her voice low and intense.

She let go of his hand, and he opened his mouth to respond, but she immediately shut him up. "Don't even say anything. I was on the verge of DEATH, I barely survived, oh and dont even let me mention the amount of insufferable pain i have endured while recovering. And you dare to hit me? You dare to raise your voice at me? I am the one providing you and mother. I'm the one who's working nonstop, rarely resting. Just for you to frown and be disappointed in me. Do you think I wanted to be a demon slayer? Do you think I wanted to become a hashira?" She stopped to breathe as she placed an accusing finger on his chest. "I never had such desire, but I never had a choice. You didn't even let me choose." Tears started streaming down her face as she tried to wipe them unsuccessfully. "You just decided that I would be the person you couldn't."

She gave him one last look so he could see her pain, then walked off. Her mother calling her name as she tried to keep up with her.

She went to her room and closed the door shut. She finally said them..the words she so desperately longed for him to hear.

But it didn't feel good nor relieving. Her chest just felt so tight that she could hardly breathe. She hugged herself as she sat against the door and let silent weeps escape her mouth.

"Kyo.." she whispered in between her soft sobs, "Please return soon.."

#anime #anime fanfic #demon slayer #demon slayer rengoku #fanfics #fluff #love #rengoku kyojuro #rengoku x reader #romance #rengoku fluff #kyojuro rengoku x reader #rengoku kyōjurō #kny rengoku #rengoku fanfic #kyojuro x reader #kyojuro fluff #shingeki no kyojin #demon slayer fanfic

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wysteriaz-blog · 11 months

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Two Worlds Collided & They Could Never Tear Us Apart

Chapter 15: Change

You were going to make some changes, one way or another—no matter how long it would take, how many times you'd have to try, even if you were just going in circles.

Your stubbornness may be your greatest strength, however, it might also be your worst enemy...

Or read the series on Ao3 / Wattpad!

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A week…

It's been a long, painstaking week since you've seen Tanjiro, Zenitsu, or Inosuke and your anxiety was at an all time high. After you made up with Uzui you had immediately sought them out to apologize to them as well, but what you didn't realize was that each of them had been completely cleared and allowed to go on missions again. After a few minutes of searching for them around the mansion to no avail, you went to their room, hoping you would find them there. However, Aoi, the girl who had been taking care of them and making sure they healed properly, was the only person to be found there. She was tidying the room up and that's when you heard the news that they had been sent on their first mission since recovery. It shouldn't have been a huge surprise, considering it's been a little over three months since you started your Japanese lessons and they started rehabilitation training, but you were still a little shocked at the news.

They were gone.

You can't stop thinking about them and how badly you want to make amends, they need to know how sorry you are, and that you're absolutely grateful for them. They have to know! You can't let them continue thinking you didn't appreciate them. If you lose them, you don't think you could handle anything at all anymore. You would certainly make some previous dark, depressing thoughts come true if they were no longer in your life... because without them, your life here meant nothing. Sure, you still had Uzui, Mitsuri, and others... but those three were your rocks who truly kept you grounded. They were the first people of your little group, the first people to provide feelings of belonging, of having a family, that you may not have anywhere else. You impatiently pace around the mansion each day they are gone, hoping, waiting for them to finally come back so you could finally release everything that you've been keeping inside.

But another four days go by without a single word of their return.

You can only hope they are safe and that they'll come back soon. Your thoughts have been running rampant with their absence, so you spend hours studying and training until you nearly pass out each day. It was exhausting but it helped distract you some, especially when you had a certain Hashira so close. Rengoku was an excellent teacher, he was kind, patient, and diligent. He knew exactly how to push you, which bothered you sometimes, as you didn't think you could ever reach his level of optimism or strength. You would most likely die or just be the person who can sort of fight and hold their own, helping the other slayers, but never be good enough to defeat anything much more powerful than one of weaker demons that exist. Whatever happens, you just want things to work out and your friends to be happy.

You sigh, stepping outside and making your way to the training grounds where you find Rengoku already waiting, but what surprises you is the man standing off to the side. He looks... familiar? As you approach, the man fully faces you, his expression blank and your brows shoot up in recognition once your brain finally remembers where you've seen him. He was the man that saved you and Inosuke from that giant spider demon on the mountain!

Rengoku greets you once you get close enough, a bright smile spreading over his lips. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," you reply easily, looking to his side at the man who took down a strong demon without even batting an eye.

The man's words are monotone as he speaks, his expression blank. "So, you're the new recruit?"

"I guess so," you say, coming to a stop and giving your best smile. "You saved me and my friend on the mountain a few months ago, I never got to thank you... so, thank you."

"No need for thanks, I was simply doing my duty."

"Be that as it may... I'm still grateful." You briefly glance at Rengoku and then back at the man, your gaze questioning. "What.. brings you here?"

"I heard you were staying here with the others. Seeing as you're not from here, I admit I've been curious.” He remains expressionless but his eyes do show his curiosity as he regards you. “You've joined the Corps—why?"

"I want to help... I owe a lot to some of you, and I've seen what demons do first hand, so I figured why not?"

"Interesting. Master allowed this?" His gaze slides to Rengoku, who just nods and keeps smiling. "Where are you from, exactly?"

"I... don't know..."

His expression shifts the tiniest bit at that but is still unreadable. "That's quite unfortunate, I suppose." He then turns to Rengoku and gives him a slight nod, turning around and walking off. "I'll be leaving now, so you may continue your lessons."

"Wait!" You call out quickly, to which he pauses but he doesn't turn back around. "What's your name?"

"Giyuu... Giyuu Tomioka."

He continues walking away after giving his answer and you call out another, 'Thank you!' before he completely disappears. Rengoku hums pleasantly and breaks the silence, giving you his signature grin as he explains what you'll be doing today. You're going to learn Total Concentration and you weren't exactly sure how to feel about it, considering last time you tried really hard to breathe you had a scary little experience involving you seeing some weird shit that had something to do with him. You can't deny the smidge of excitement though as you nod in agreement and stand in a meditative like position, listening carefully to every word he speaks as he guides you through it. Surprisingly, nothing happens as you go through the motions and focus on your breathing, trying to follow alongside Rengoku, and you're grateful for the fact that you could just focus on this and not worry about something weird happening. It was still a possibility, you knew that, but you were completely relaxed and able to breathe properly for what felt like the first time.

The next couple of hours go by with you doing the breathing exercises until he decides you should try to apply it to some of your other exercises that require you to move such as jogging, pushups, crunches, and a few other lighter workouts just to get you used to the feeling until you could do more. It was a slow and grueling process but you already felt a little more confident and happy at how far you've come, even if you didn't think it was much, but it was something. You have to start somewhere, everyone does, but you wonder if any of the people around here had any trouble or if things just came naturally to them. They made everything look so easy, which sort of inspired and motivated you. You wanted this more than anything you've ever wanted, as far as you can remember, which was little to nothing... but you don't want to think about it, so you push on through your training for the day.

And before you know it, two weeks of training and studying Japanese have gone by. Which meant it's been another two weeks without your rambunctious, sweet friends and it was really starting to drive you crazy. This sucked a lot and you started to truly worry about them and even complain to your other friends, consisting of Uzui and Mitsuri. Sometimes you'd rant to Kocho when she was around, but she often was very busy doing work around the mansion or going off on missions. You didn't talk to Rengoku, though he was very kind and would probably be optimistic and supportive, you don't want to drag him down with your nonsense. He was basically your teacher... and so was Uzui, but that was different because Uzui had already blown all professionalism away the moment you two met. He didn't care for being so formal or professional and talked very casually about things, even letting you in on some details about his personal life.

Rengoku, although he said you didn't have to address him formally, was still a bit mysterious to you and intimidating. You weren't as close as you were with the others. You couldn't just spill your guts out to him about your silly thoughts and feelings about things that didn't pertain to training, so you just stayed quiet around him and did as you were told while training. However, it seemed like the universe had other plans when one particular night, after having a hard time trying to sleep and you go outside in the middle of the night to practice the things you've learned so far, he catches you off guard when he suddenly appears.

"You're up quite late, or perhaps I should say early," his bright but soft voice sounds nearby. You were currently taking a little break, sitting down on a stone bench and snapped out of your thoughts, looking up to find him taking the last few steps needed to be close enough to see that his expression wasn't as cheerful as it usually is. "May I?" he gestures to the spot beside you.

You stare for a few quiet moments then finally nod, slightly scooting over to give him more room, your gaze drifting to some random spot in the garden. It's quiet, save for the chirping crickets and rustle of the leaves on the tree overhead, the atmosphere peaceful but thick with something heavy. It was almost suffocating but you paid it no attention and instead focused on your breathing, without trying to actually think about it, or anything else really. You were in a weird kind of limbo, like when you touched your sword for the first time and the strange energy had knocked you out for a few days. The silence is finally broken when he speaks up, softly and much slower than what you're used to.

"Pardon me for the intrusion," he starts, "but are you alright?"

That slightly catches you off guard. He noticed? Of course he would, anyone could and probably has noticed your shitty mood as of late, even though you tried harder to not let it show or affect you enough like a couple weeks ago, but you never expected him out of all people to ask.

"I'm... fine."

Your words don't match anything you're putting out right now because it was a damn lie, which was painfully obvious, but you couldn't stop yourself from saying it even though you didn't mean it and it actually hurt. Because maybe if you said it enough, it would actually be true and you would be fine, but Rengoku was a smart and determined man. You should've known lying to him was stupid, that he'd see right through it with his fiery, piercing eyes.

"I'm afraid that I don't believe you." He says, his eyes burning into you. But you can't look back at him for fear of bursting into flames and then your ashes being blown away, much like that of a slain demon. "It is okay to not be okay, dear Y/n. If I may be so bold to ask... why do you lie, to others, and yourself?"

A sudden chill sweeps over you, causing your heart to stop for only just a moment, an uneasy feeling in your stomach. You were even more on edge now. First of all, did he actually say that you... were someone dear? That people held affection for you, including himself, even though you weren't all that great and have been horrible? And secondly, he called you out on your awful habit of lying, pretending everything was okay, when it wasn't. He knows. You were hurting not only yourself but others. Your friends Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were proof of that—seeing as they didn't even speak to you before they left for a mission two weeks ago. You swallow hard, your heart pounding painfully in your chest as you're forced to think about these things.

“I-I…” you take a deep breath, trying to remain calm and not let yourself fall apart so easily at such a simple question. “I’m sorry,” you choke out.

“Please, do not apologize,” he requests softly. He leans forward to catch your eyes that are blinking rapidly, tears threatening to fall any moment. “But you must know that it is not okay. It will do no good."

"I... know," you stammer out.

Gosh, you didn't really want to be lectured, by Rengoku of all people, but you sit there and fight the urge to run away from him, from this conversation, your torrential thoughts and feelings going round and round like a merciless storm. Uzui's words come to mind at this very moment, 'No more hiding or pushing us away, right?'. Right, face your fears and stop being such a coward, you couldn't avoid everything that made you the slightest bit uncomfortable and not expect to hurt others or yourself in the process. You muster up the courage to look at him head on, meeting his eyes that held a gentleness in them, eerily close to how Tanjiro would look at people, slightly to your amusement and heartache.

You miss him and the others even more now...

Rengoku stays quiet, continuing to gaze at you with such soft, caring eyes and it helps ease your nerves the slightest bit, yet ignite them all at the same time. Don't push people away, let them in. Quit lying. It's plain as day, without even uttering a single word, that he was offering you some sort of peace by lending an ear should you speak and let him know how you truly feel. You didn't have to bottle things up and lie, he would listen to you, and that made your next words come out much easier than you thought was possible.

"I'm not sure what to do," you whisper, your voice steadily rising and speeding up, "I'm not okay. I've been awful and I'm worried about so many things right now. Can I do this? Will I ever regain my memories? Do I belong here? Do I deserve any of this? Did I ruin everything? Are my friends okay and—"

You stop abruptly, feeling like you've said more than enough, perhaps... let yourself open up too much. But Rengoku doesn't indicate such as he watches you for a few more moments before he leans back and crosses his arms comfortably over his chest, his eyes trailing up above to gaze at the beautiful night sky, the stars twinkling and reflecting from them.

"As I said before, it is okay to not be okay," he states simply. "No one here will judge you for being human and having such thoughts. Everyone faces hardship, and it does not make you weak, in fact, it takes a strong person to admit their mistakes, to be vulnerable and ask for help. As humans, our greatest strength is our ability to connect with others, forging unbreakable bonds—not the lack of. We all have our weaknesses, but we should not have to face them alone, for we are stronger together."

You stare at the man in awe, not for the first time nor even for the last you suspect, but you let his words pull you in and find that you don't care if he catches you staring at him all captivated. He was right, you knew it and wanted nothing more than to fully embrace that, but it was hard to let go of the only things you knew. You were stubborn, which is part of the problem of why you found it so hard to open up and truly express yourself, but it could also be your saving grace... you were stubborn and determined to change, so you were going to do just that—even if it killed you in the end.

Because what was the point in living a life that was stagnant? To learn, grow, and change your surroundings and yourself was what life was all about—it was in the land, the plants, the wildlife, and even time—everything changes. To experience all the change, the ups and downs that life offered, was what made it so precious and worth fighting for the things you love.

Your eyes follow his and for the first time, in a long while, you feel completely at ease. "Thank you."

He smiles but you don't even have to look at him for you to catch it. He didn't say anything more and it was perfectly fine, nothing else needed to be said, so you both sat in comfortable silence for a while until you finally parted ways for the night.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

Almost three and half weeks have gone by since your friends left and you were stuck ruminating on all your thoughts and feelings alone until that one night with Rengoku, where he had opened your eyes and let you properly breathe for the first time in a long while, putting your troubled heart and mind at ease. You still worried a little because you had a lot to do, but you didn't let the thoughts and feelings stew until they boiled over. You started to talk more to Uzui, Mitsuri, and even Rengoku. It was nice and you couldn't wait for your friends to return so you could show them just how much you've grown in your time apart.

That is... if they ever come back.

By the beginning of the fourth week, there's a commotion that you can hear from the study room and you nearly faceplant into the ground in your haste to check it out, speeding out of the room and straight for the big gated entrance outside. Your heart is in your throat as you sprint through the yard, your eyes searching the area until they finally land on the people where the commotion was coming from. Finally, at last! Thank the heavens that the wait is over! You were about to lose your mind, especially since you had to listen to Uzui prattle on about how your tastes were inferior to his. He just did not know when to stop when it came to certain things, such as your opinions on food.

Remember the time he pissed you off enough to ignore him for a few days? Yeah, that was over some damn food! And yes, you also were very opinionated on the matter and used some choice words in your little argument, but in all fairness, he started it! That's all water under the bridge now, or so you thought, since he still brings it up when you mention being hungry. Sometimes you just want to take his big, dumb head and scramble his brains.

But enough about that, it wasn't important. What mattered right now was what was right in front you.

You almost pinch yourself, believing you're seeing ghosts.

It was them...

They're back!

"TANJIRO!! ZENITSU!! INOSUKE!!"

The three men turn just in time to be greeted by the full force of your weight leaping at them. They all let out a surprised noise, hands coming up to either stop you or grab your form to cushion you as everyone tumbles to the ground. You're like an over-excited dog tackling people down. You wrap your arms around them the best that you can, shaking and giggling like a lunatic, as your emotions take over and you start crying.

" Y-Y/n-chan ?!"

Someone sits up and pushes you off of them. "What the hell, Bubbles?! You wanna fight?!"

You finally calm down enough to really look at them, finding Inosuke glaring at you (he wasn't wearing his mask, he was just holding it in the crook of his arm right now), Zenitsu gaping like a fish, and Tanjiro frowning in clear worry as he shuffles closer to you on his knees.

"You're back!" you exclaim, grinning and wiping the mist from your eyes.

Tanjiro moves a hand up but stops short of touching your arm, quickly bringing it back down as his eyes scan you. "Are you okay," he asks softly. "Did something happen?"

You noticed his hesitation and it stung a bit because you were the reason he felt like he wasn't allowed to touch and comfort someone he cared about—you—a dear friend. Sometimes it still felt odd how quickly you all banded together and grew close, but it was so easy and you wouldn't trade it for anything else. They were yours. Your people. Your friends. Your family. And you were done not being the best you could be for them, when they've all done nothing but the best they could for you.

"No, I'm okay." You grin and grab his hand, holding it close, giving it a firm but gentle squeeze. "I'm okay. Now that you guys are back, I'm great! I've really, really missed you..."

You turn to look at the other two, unaware of the tinge of pink lightly dusting Tanjiro's cheeks as he stares at you, while the other two look owlish. Zenitsu awkwardly scuffs his feet against the ground, playing with his fingers while Inosuke tenses up and tries to avoid all eye contact.

Tanjiro finally speaks up. "That's.. really good to hear."

"I sort of thought you guys wouldn't come back," you admit. You look back at him and lean forward, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as you suddenly bring him into your embrace, catching him completely off guard. "I'm so sorry, please forgive me for being such an awful friend..."

Tanjiro's breath catches in his throat as you pull him close and bury your head into the crook of his shoulder, trying your hardest to not get caught up in your feelings and crush him to death. But your hold on him is tight and it takes a moment for him to catch up with the suddenness of it, but he does bring his arms up to reciprocate the hug, his expression softening as he melts into it and rubs at your back soothingly.

"It's okay, Y/n-chan!" Zenitsu comes closer and although he still looks a little flustered, his words hold conviction. "We weren't mad at you or anything. Of course, it did hurt a little since we were confused, but we figured you just needed some time and space to yourself! We're just glad you're okay."

"Thanks guys, it really means a lot. I haven't said or done anything to really show you how much I appreciate you. You're my best friends... no, my family, and I'm so lucky to have met you all."

"We should also apologize," Tanjiro states, looking over his shoulder at the other two. "We shouldn't have just left without saying goodbye... we're sorry to have worried you. We should have tried harder to talk to you before but there wasn't much time and we weren't entirely sure if you'd even want to..."

"That's okay... I understand. I wouldn't blame you if you did just leave and never came back..."

He catches your scent change, it was faint but unmistakable—deep regret and sorrow.

"We would never leave you behind," he adds, voice soft but firm.

Yeah, you were upset but it was mostly towards yourself for being such a fool and pushing the people that you cared about away. No more. These people cared about you just as much, which you already knew, but for some reason you had subconsciously kept thoughts in your mind that no one truly wanted or needed you here, even though you had made amazing bonds. It was like you were just waiting for them to all leave you behind.

'Just like they did...'

An image flashes in your mind but you can't make it out. Who... were they? You don't know. It was a memory or something. A painful one... as your head aches a little, a tiny stabbing in the back of your brain. You squeeze Tanjiro tighter and beckon the other two closer, wanting them to also come in for a group hug. Zenitsu's eyes get bigger and he immediately jumps over, throwing his arms around you guys, while Inosuke stubbornly stays back and tries to not look like he also desperately wants to join in. It's a valiant effort but you won't let him avoid this.

"Inosuke, get over here!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Please," you plead with a tiny pout, "come over here. I need you... all of you..."

And just like that, it was like a wall cracked as his stoic expression fell and was replaced by something resembling irritation, but you could see something else in his eyes that gave him away, that he actually wanted and needed to hug his friends too.

"Aaaaugh— Fine!" He stomps over and weasels his way in, not holding back as he squeezes you and grabs the other two into a big bear hug. "But quit being so mushy, it drives me mad!"

Zenitsu wheezes at his lungs being compressed, while you and Tanjiro just smile and laugh along, enjoying the little moment. You really needed this and it seems like they might have as well because there's a bunch of sniffling and quiet choked giggles. However, Inosuke gets carried away and starts to turn it into a competition of who could hug better, nearly squeezing the life out of you all and that's when you all decide to break it up and head inside now. It was still fairly early in the morning, so it was the perfect time to have some breakfast and sit around for a little while as you catch up over what's happened the last four weeks.

As you all enter the dining room, Tanjiro takes off the box and Nezuko instantly swings the door open and bursts out, slightly falling over before she quickly gets back up and rushes over to you. You squeak in surprise as her arms wrap around your middle and she nuzzles into you, but once you realize it was her you squeal in delight and wrap yourself around her too. You both swing back and forth, smiling and giggling as the others watch you both and settle down at the table where food has been prepared.

"Mmm! Mhmmn," Nezuko babbles from under the bamboo mouthpiece.

Her eyes are big and round, a slight furrow in her brow as her hand comes up to pet at your head for a moment before she goes back in for a hug, humming in content. She missed you and you returned the sentiment. You brush your fingers through her hair for a few moments but she still wasn't letting go as you tried to turn, your heart warming with affection for how cute and silly she is.

"Nezuko," Tanjiro calls out, smiling fondly as he tries to sound a little serious, "you have to let her go! Y/n needs to eat, too."

She completely ignores him and only buries herself further into your frame, reluctant to let you go as she pouts.

"Let's sit together," you suggest cheerily, laughing when she immediately lets go, only to grab onto your hand and drag you to the table where you could sit side by side.

"Mmmmn~" She leans into you, hugging you from the side.

"Aww, I missed you too, Nezuko! Have you been having fun with your brother, Zenitsu, and Inosuke?" She nods enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up as she sits back and she slightly bounces in her spot. "That's good, I'm glad you've been doing well."

She then tilts her head at you, her expression curious as she mumbles, "Uhmm.. hmm?"

"Me? I've been…” you pause, deciding to not go into how you have been. What matters is how you’re doing now. ”Well, right now I'm doing great! I'm glad you're all here," you say with a smile, patting her head.

She closes her eyes and hums again happily. Everyone starts grabbing food, except Nezuko who busies herself with playing with a strand of your hair, as you begin to eat and talk with the boys. They ask what you've been up to since they left, how your studying and training was coming along, and you told them as much as you could remember. Oftentimes, your mind blank or you were worrying about things so much that you didn't really pay attention or remember everything that happened these past four weeks.

You were able to tell them about your training picking up a bit, with you starting to learn Total Concentration, but you were still in the very early stages of it. You recounted a few funny stories that Uzui had told while studying, but left out the part where you both essentially made a pact to start pranking everyone, especially Zenitsu.

"So, where did you guys go?" You take a bite of rice, chewing slowly as you sweep your gaze over them. "What did you do?"

"We took a demon down, of course!" Inosuke huffs proudly while shoving copious amounts of food down his throat, making a giant mess.

How he was able to talk with so much food in his mouth was beyond you. He always acts like he hasn't eaten in such a long time and was starved to death. You guess he just had a big appetite, which made sense, seeing as he had so much energy. But he could at least make sure most of it actually went into his mouth and didn't get everywhere...

"Well, more like Tanjiro and I did," Zenitsu says with a hint of irritation. "Inosuke showed up at the last minute, but yeah... we had to fight a demon that was terrorizing a town, and it was pretty tough."

"Oh, well you all look fine, so I assume you made it out without any major wounds. But are you guys okay?"

"Yes, we're alright, thank you!" Tanjiro chimes in now, a light smile on his face as he begins to tell you some of the details about their mission. "It was a tricky situation because of its Blood Demon Art, since it could make identical copies of itself. Luckily the demon wasn't very strong, and neither were the copies, as I think they just served to be a distraction so it could run away. And we had to track it down... which is why it took as long as it did to complete the mission and come back."

"Wooow," you say with an air of admiration for their perseverance. "Well, I'm glad you were able to find it and take it down!"

"Me too," Zenitsu groans. "Hahhh, I'm so tired. We hardly got to sleep because it kept running away. I think I could sleep for a few days or even a week!"

"That's awful," you sigh in empathy, but you end up smiling a little in slight amusement as he makes an exaggerated expression and slumps over in exhaustion. After a few seconds you start to speak again, not able to hold back your thoughts. "I know it's selfish... but I was really hoping to hang out with you guys more, now that you're back. I... uhh, I really missed you..."

Zenitsu's eyes look more awake all of a sudden and he sits up straighter. "I-I could keep you company, no problem! I'll be fine and just go to sleep when you do!"

You chuckle and shake your head, waving your hand at him. "No, don't do that! I rather you get some rest, you deserve it for working so hard! Good job guys~"

Your smile and praise, although also directed at the other two, makes him blush profusely and he tries to play it cool.

"R-Really? Thank you, Y/n-chan!" He stammers out, eyes going all googly as he stares at you. His eyes wander down for a moment and land on the delicious treat on his plate and he quickly offers it to you, knowing you like sugary things. He couldn't think you're more perfect because it just so happens he also likes sweets and other expensive, tasty treats. It was a match made in heaven! "Here! A sweet.. for a s-sweet girl!"

You take it, your heart warming at the gesture. He was always giving you things, it was so nice and you really appreciated how thoughtful he was, but it sort of made you feel bad because you haven't given him or anyone else a single gift before. You make a mental note to try and give them little gifts too, step up your game and show them that you could be a good friend too. You slightly flinch when another object is then shoved in your face, your eyes crossing to look at it as Inosuke leans over the table and holds it there.

"Look at this, Bubbles! I found it while on our mission, pretty cool, right?"

"Get off the table," Zenitsu scolds, trying to pull him back down.

Inosuke ignores him and doesn't budge, letting you take the object from his hand to inspect it better. It was a palm-sized, bright purple mineral which sparkled in the light. Your mouth parts as you let out a small gasp, your eyes lighting up at just how beautiful it was. After a few moments of closer inspection you finally recognize that the mineral sitting in your hand was amethyst. It was slightly cool to the touch as it rested in your palm, and you moved it around to watch the light bounce off the rough, jagged surface of the uncut gem. How, and where, he found such a beautiful gem of this size, were just more questions you would acquire and possibly never get an answer to whenever he was involved.

It was never a dull moment with him, that's for sure.

Zenitsu gawks. "Where did you get that?!"

"It was in that creepy cave we passed by on our mission. Why?"

"So, that's where you went off to..." Tanjiro sighs from the side, shaking his head as he then lets out an amused chuckle. "I was wondering where you were when Zenitsu and I continued up the trail."

Zenitsu stares at him bug-eyed. "Why would you go in there, and not to mention, all alone?"

"Because I felt like it," Inosuke states, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

Zenitsu's eye twitches as he snaps furiously. "Are you kidding me? We thought you got lost, but you were just messing around in a dark, creepy cave while we completed the mission?!"

He doesn't go into any more detail, if there was any—which there most likely wasn't knowing him. He just liked to explore and do random stuff, it really shouldn't be a surprise anymore that he got up to a lot of shenanigans for no other reason than he simply felt like it. You go to give the crystal back but before you can even think about it Inosuke leans back and sits down, digging back into his food. You try to get his attention, which you do for a brief moment, but he just looks at you funny as you wave the crystal at him and extend your hand out a little before he completely ignores you. You can't help but also look at him weird, your face scrunching up. Does he not want it back? It was a shiny, pretty rock! If he found acorns interesting, then surely he would also want this in his collection of 'treasures'.

You give up and set it on the table, deciding to go back to eating, asking them for more details about their mission. Zenitsu and Inosuke did most of the talking, bouncing off of each other as they told their stories. It was actually quite nice and made you laugh when they bickered here and there about the little details of their journey, or they actually agreed on something and even started talking just to each other about their shared thoughts and feelings on a matter. Your smile doesn't let up until the end of the meal, as you all clean up after yourselves and you tell them that they should go and get some rest for a while. Insouke didn't have to be told twice and was gone in the blink of an eye, but Tanjiro and Zenitsu took a little more convincing to leave you by yourself once again. After a few reassuring words, they finally gave in and went to their room, not before promising to spend some much needed time with you after they got some sleep. You agreed and off they went, tiredly shuffling to their room but smiles on their faces.

They slept the rest of the day away but that was fine. You were happy to let them sleep after they told you about the mission they went on. It sounded like it was exhausting. Like they had told you earlier, the demon was able to make duplicates of itself and kept running away, so they didn't get a chance to stop much or for long, barely getting any sleep. They didn't want it to escape so they worked tirelessly to follow its trail and take it down, which was very admirable. You doubt you could've gone that long without much rest. But you're a part of the Corps now, so eventually you'd be going on missions—at least you assume so—and probably have to go through similar things. With time, you're sure you could at least keep up with them to an extent while out on a mission, assuming you can go on missions. You've already built up your stamina and strength quite a bit since starting, so you'll only get stronger until you reach your limit.

The next morning you got up bright and early, quickly dressing in your uniform and going to their room. You knock quietly a few times, waiting and listening but there’s no sound coming from the other side. Ever so carefully, you open the door and peek inside to find them all still sleeping soundly. There's a few light snores and grumbles, as well as some chirping from the birds outside as they greet the rising sun. You tiptoe over to Tanjiro, slightly leaning over to poke at his shoulder. They're probably still very much tired but you're a little selfish and want to spend some time with them now that they're back. You're going to wake Tanjiro up first because he's the calmest out of them. It takes some prodding until he stirs awake, eyes slowly blinking open, but when he finally comes out of the fog of sleep he smiles lopsidedly.

"Good morning," he yawns, stretching a little as he sits up.

You smile back at him. "Morning, sleepyhead! Sorry to wake you... are you still tired?"

"A little," he replies, "but it's okay. We probably shouldn't sleep all day again."

You shuffle over to Zenitsu next, shaking him a little and whispering, "Wake up, Zenitsu."

He mumbles a bit but keeps his eyes closed, a tiny frown forming. You chuckle and shake him some more, getting closer to his ear as you coax him to wake up. It seems to work because his eyes finally pop open and he nearly screams when he sees a figure looming over him, only to stop himself by biting his lip as he lets out a small garbled noise when his brain registers that it was you standing so close and whispering in his ear. He nearly passes out, his heart exploding as you pull away with a small laugh. His eyes are wide as he quickly sits up to watch your retreating figure before he smacks himself and blinks a couple times. You approach Inosuke now and you try to wake up the same way you did with the other two. You weren't sure how it would work or how he would respond, but you certainly weren't expecting one of his hands to snatch your wrist and pull you in. You squawk in surprise as you're suddenly brought into a pair of strong arms wrapping around you tightly and keeping you pressed against a firm chest.

You wheeze a little and squirm. "I-Inosuke!"

The other two come to your rescue, but even they have a tough time trying to pry you from his grip. Holy cow! You knew he was strong but you couldn't believe he was strong enough to keep you locked in place, with two other people trying to free you, while still asleep! His grip only seemed to get stronger, too.

"—up! You're going to crush her to death, you idiot!" Zenitsu growls, pulling at his arms with all his might.

Tanjiro is more calm in his approach but still using all his strength. They get an arm to move a smidge and you think you might be saved finally, but only seconds later they're both groaning, lying on the ground. He had kicked them away, grumbling irritably, still sound asleep. And you thought being pinned down by Zenitsu when he passed out in the drum demon's house was rough. The other two scramble back up but Inosuke rolls over with you still trapped in his arms, swinging a leg over you in the process. Okay, great... now you're really stuck. This is where you die. Just as that thought crosses your mind, he lets out a huff of air, breath fanning over the back of your neck before his face nudges in and your entire body tenses up, a shiver running through you. You were fine before but now you're absolutely losing your mind. First there was the fact that you're slightly claustrophobic but now you're stuck in the arms of a man, who was unknowingly snuggling into you like a stuffed animal or something!

Oh, hell no...

You struggle with everything you have but he just won't let go. Tanjiro and Zenitsu tell you to hold on, deciding it might be best to go find Uzui or Rengoku to help. You rather not have either of the Hashira find you like this, since Uzui would just make fun of you nonstop, and you don't want Rengoku to be disappointed in you since he's been training you to become stronger. If you couldn't escape from your sleeping friend's arms, then how were you supposed to be taken seriously as a member of the Corps and fight literal demons?! It was also too late to tell them that they were probably all gone for a meeting, as they quickly disappeared.

You continue to wriggle around as they leave to get help and you somehow manage to twist around, now facing him and it sends your heart into a little frenzy. You stare wide-eyed at his face, your brain short-circuiting at just how pretty he was so up close. You're almost afraid to move now, your breath caught in your throat.

Remember how the universe likes to mess with you?

Well, he squeezes his arms, which brings you even closer and has you gasping for air and that puff of air blowing across his face before you're smushed into his chest is what finally wakes him up. His face rather cutely scrunches up as his arms loosen up just enough to let you shift back and come face to face. His eyes blink open, adjusting to the light and slowly focus, narrowing in on you. It's totally silent as the both of you stare into each other's eyes for what feels like forever, when in reality it was just a few seconds, as his eyes bug out and he simultaneously pushes you away as he flings himself backwards and tumbles off the bed, landing with a loud thud. Your heart is racing as you immediately sit up and stare on the spot where he disappeared below the bed frame, watching as he shoots up and points at you.

"What are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me or something?!"

"N-No! I was trying to wake you up, but you were dead asleep and grabbed onto me, and you wouldn't let go!"

He doesn't look like he believes you entirely, but strange enough, he doesn't argue and drops it. He looks away and stands up, grumbling to himself as you slide off the bed and finally take a breath of relief. Oh man, you thought you were going to die—whether by a heart attack or being squeezed to death. You aren't sure what makes you say the next thing that comes out of your mouth but you would definitely like to strangle it and smack yourself.

"Inosuke, you look so cute and peaceful while sleeping. Why can’t you always be like that?" You say with a soft, amused giggle as you tease him. But then the next words out of your mouth come out without you even thinking about it. "And your eyes are so green… I can't help but notice just how pretty they are up close."

As soon as those words are left in the open air, your little giggle immediately turns into an awkward cough as you clear your throat, your eyes frantically flitting around. It might have been fine as a little joke, but you were dead serious, and you just made it painfully awkward with your reaction.

You just had to panic!

But it’s fine right? Friends can compliment each other…

It wasn’t weird to tell a guy, who you’ve never been verbally affectionate with before, that his eyes were pretty.

Right?

His eyes flicker over to you, cheeks painted pink as he wears a bewildered expression at your remark. He snatches his mask from the side table and puts it on, barely sparing you a second glance before he's marching out of the room without another word. He's either mad, feels awkward, or doesn't care at all and just left to go get food or do something. You hope it's the latter because that was indeed awkward. Sure, friends can compliment each other and what not, but you've never said anything like that before to anyone, let alone him. He probably found it weird, especially since it was him that you said it to, as he's... well, him! He wasn't a soft, sentimental, or joking kind of guy—at least not with you or anyone else that you know of. It wasn't how your dynamic worked, so you have no doubt he wanted space after that moment.

You sigh, trudging out of the room. Oh well, you'll both just forget that this ever happened, so there's nothing to worry about. It was just a silly, albeit a little awkward, moment that you two had... that's all. As you walk out, the other two come back apologizing that they couldn't find anyone but then realize you are walking free. They seem confused but relieved at seeing you no longer being held captive, and they ask how you got out, but you just tell them he moved enough in his sleep to release you before he finally woke up. You all go to the dining room to get breakfast, finding Inosuke already there and eating his food. He pauses and hurriedly shoves the rest in his mouth then he puts his mask back on and speeds out of the room, causing Tanjiro and Zenitsu to share odd looks before turning to you. You pretend you don't see them and act unbothered.

Okay, are you crazy, or was he actually avoiding you? You could understand some space... but straight ignoring you and fleeing at the mere sight of you was a little much! Was your dumb joke that bad?! Did you seriously make him feel so disgusted or weirded out that he was running away from you, instead of fighting?!

Tanjiro and Zenitsu don't say anything but they are curious, as they could hear and smell the subtle changes in both you and Inosuke. You sounded and smelled a little anxious but otherwise fine, while Inosuke seemed a little... shaken up about something, almost nervous, and confused. Zenitsu is a little suspicious though because Inosuke was acting stranger than usual and his heart rate was spiking as soon as they entered the room, but he isn't sure he wants to find out why. Shrugging their shoulders, they settle down and start plating up, striking a casual conversation.

What a morning...

Luckily, the rest of the day goes much smoother and without any other weird things. Inosuke somehow seemed to disappear entirely, which did sort of bother you, but you decided it was probably for the best. You'd both be back fighting each other over food and wrestling in no time. As the sun reaches the highest point in the afternoon, you drag Zenitsu and Tanjiro along to hang out in the gardens. It was a beautiful day and you wanted to take advantage of it while you could hang out with your friends. You had asked Uzui and Rengoku for the day off the previous night because you missed them dearly, which Uzui teased you about, and Rengoku happily obliged, saying you had deserved at least one day to rest and have fun. It also helped that the Hashira would have a meeting to attend that morning and afternoon anyways.

Although you want to get stronger and train more, you were glad for the little break.

You've been doing fairly well and learning fast, so you figure a day off wouldn't hurt. At first, you didn't really think much of how quickly you were learning some things, even though you had noticed the progress, but you didn't realize just how quick you were. Some things were much easier than others, but overall, you were doing great and you started to believe it a little more. No more bad thoughts and doubting yourself all the time! Especially now that you have your friends back and the two more sensitive of the bunch were by your side, constantly praising your efforts.

While hanging out in the gardens, you had shown them a few of the moves you've learned while training, consisting of various punches and kicks if you ever got into a situation that required close up combat. Zenitsu was a little worried and kept telling you to be careful, afraid you might strain or hurt yourself, so you had to keep reassuring him that you were fine. It didn't really bother you, at first you might have been a little annoyed, but you've come to realize he wasn't like this because he didn't think you could do these things. It came from a place of concern and care for you. So, yeah, it might be a little overbearing but you appreciated the fact that he just wanted you to be safe.

But that wouldn't stop you from messing around and having fun as a devious idea sparks in your mind.

You and Uzui made a little pact, and this just seemed like the perfect time to do something silly and possibly annoying. He'd be so proud to see what you're about to put your poor friends through, you think to yourself with a morbid sense of amusement.

"Watch this!" You call out, making sure they are completely focused on you.

You get into position, slightly crouched and then push up with all the strength in your legs, jumping high in the air as you kick out and spin. But right before you're about to land, you purposefully stumble and make it look like something happened to your leg as you touch the ground, and make a pained groan as you fall over and grab onto your leg. Zenitsu gasps and is by your side in an instant, hands hovering over you as he freaks out.

"Ahh, Y/n-chan! Are you okay?!" His eyes flit from your face to your leg, sweat lining his brow. "Did you break something?! What happened?!"

Tanjiro comes over as well, his face a little pale at the thought of you injuring yourself so badly, but he remains relatively calm as he assesses the situation. You continue to groan, slightly rocking back and forth and force a few tears to the brim of your eye to really sell it, which causes Zenitsu to freak out even more. You felt a little bad now seeing just how worried they were, especially the over-reactive blond, but you had a prank to carry out!

"I-I think," you start, hitching your breath and choking out a whimper, "I broke my ankle."

"Here, let us carry you to the infirmary and get help," Tanjiro says.

He swings one of your arms around his shoulder as he crouches down, Zenitsu taking the other side, and together they lift you up. You keep your leg up and hop but only let them get a few steps in before you make a show of straightening it out and slamming your foot down dramatically. They gasp simultaneously and Zenitsu panics, trying to hold onto you even tighter as you pretend to fall forward. But you stop yourself and lean back, laughing away until you can't stand anymore and do actually fall down, taking both of them with you. They lie there in total shock as you continue to laugh and roll around.

Tanjiro slowly sits up and stares at you from the side with a very concerned expression. He struggles with what to say, the words feeling like molasses in his brain. "What...?"

"Go-Gotcha!"

"...Huh...?"

You finally sit up and look at him, cackling as you explain, "It was a prank! I'm actually fine, I was just messing with you guys."

He blinks a few times but then the corners of his mouth turn up as he looks away and shakes his head. "You really got me," he admits, letting out a little puff of exasperation. "I couldn't even tell you were faking it, your scent was near impossible to detect. You're really good!"

Zenitsu slowly sits up on your other side and grabs your shoulder, shaking you vigorously as his voice raises in pitch. "Why would you scare me like that, Y/n-chaaaaaan! I thought it was serious and you were in horrible pain!"

"Sorry, I just had to! I've been so bored lately and I thought it would be a good little prank. Uzui put me up to it, actually! Yeah... it was his idea to prank you!"

Did you just throw Uzui under the bus and reveal that you had agreed to play pranks? Yes. Did you care? Nope!

"How about you do something that doesn't involve injury? You know, a harmless kind of prank?" Zenitsu suggests with a grimace. "That was too much for me, I almost thought I'd see your bone pop out, and I don't think I could've handled that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," you apologize profusely, grabbing his hands and holding them. "You're right, next time I'll do something less scary.."

He opens his mouth but stops, eyes fixated on your hands before he snaps out of it. "Next time?! Maybe you should just keep it to this one prank..." He thinks for a moment and frowns a little, a pinch in his brow as he then mutters something low enough for you not to hear him. "Of course that damn giant had something to do with this..!"

"Hmmm, maybe," you snicker. You turn back to Tanjiro and give him a funny look. "And what did you mean by my scent?"

His eyes widen slightly as if he's just realized something. "Oh! Well... I have a very acute sense of smell! It's so strong that I can pick up things from far away, and even a person’s emotions if I really concentrate. You're the only person I've had trouble pinpointing exactly what you're feeling though." His eyes wander for a moment, tapping his chin like he's in thought. "It's very interesting... but I suppose you're just really good at controlling your emotions! That's quite impressive!"

Well, that's one way to put it.

But that is interesting. Apparently some of your friends and other people had some cool abilities, like a strong sense of smell or impeccable hearing. You wonder if anyone else had some other ability. That would explain quite a few things, actually. It's pretty cool, now you wish you had some sort of super human power. Oh well, you'll just have to live with the fact that you're a boring, normal human.

"That's pretty amazing you can do that, Tanjiro. Oh, and Zenitsu, I know that you can hear really well. That's neat, too!" You think back to all the times he and Tanjiro seemed to pick up things that others may not normally have, so you chuckle a little. "Guess I have some answers to a few things."

They let out their own little laughs and you all stand up, dusting yourselves off. The rest of the afternoon is spent more seriously, doing some training, although you still have fun because you all do it together.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

A man sits by himself, away from all the noise of the other Hashira. There had been a meeting earlier and he didn't know what to think about it. The Master had said there was new a member, and there were plenty of new people joining all the time, but this one was different because she not only was a foreigner, but she didn't have any training prior to joining and she had received a sword that apparently put her in a three day coma after touching it to see if it would change color. Everyone knew that you had to have a certain amount of training for a sword to change—which yours didn't and that wasn't shocking—but it did however glow so bright it nearly blinded the few people there to witness it.

In all the years of the Demon Slayer Corps existing, never has anyone heard or seen of such a thing. The Master had taken it as a sign of good fortune, that the fate of the Corps perhaps would lie within you and your friends' hands—that it may be destiny. But that didn't go without saying that a few of the other Hashira were skeptical, particularly the Wind and Serpent Hashira, who had voiced their concerns and displeasure about the state of the Corps and the people allowed to join. Even the Stone Hashira had a few words to say, although not as brash as the other two. The rest didn't have anything to say, except Mitsuri and Shinobu, who had requested that the other two not be so cold and harsh in their judgements.

But Giyuu didn't know what to think, so he didn't say anything during the discussion either. Not like he was very talkative anyways, but it left him thinking about it. It was indeed very mysterious. When he had met you and questioned why you joined, your answer had been so plain and simple, but you seemed so sure of your answer despite your tone. It wasn't anything spectacular and he's sure had anyone else said what you did, especially as a foreigner, he may have reacted a bit differently. He wasn't one to react much to anything though, but there were times when someone said something so obvious or stupid that he couldn't stop his face from morphing into a deadpan expression, displaying clear discontent.

Usually Shinobu or Tengen would garner such reactions from him, as they were the most bothersome of the Hashira in terms of annoying him, though he never got the impression it was with ill intent. They did tell him he was quiet and poke fun at him from time to time, but it was all in good fun on their side. He could tell the difference between saying and doing things out of malice or good-natured teasing. The only two people he didn't necessarily like were the Wind and Serpent Hashira. He just didn't like how they spoke, oftentimes too harsh and cold, except when in the presence of the Master. At least they had some manners there. The meeting then addressed some recent demon attacks until there was nothing more to discuss and it was adjourned.

"Good afternoon!" Rengoku says jovially, coming up to sit right next to him. "How have you been faring as of late, my friend? We didn't get to speak much last time, I'm afraid."

Then there was Kyojuro Rengoku. He liked him, although he was loud, and a little boisterous, he was a kind man and very talkative with him. He didn't mind the constant chatter and Rengoku never pushed him to speak more than he did—usually—which he greatly appreciated and was part of the reason he liked him so much. They were complete opposites but they got along very well.

"I'm well, thank you," he says politely. "And yourself?"

Rengoku hums, crossing his arms as he leans back and watches the other Hashira mingling for a few minutes. "I'm also doing well, thank you! As you know, I have taken the responsibility of training Miss Y/n!" He looks at him from the side with a small smile but Giyuu can see the sliver of curiosity in his eye as he then asks, "What are your thoughts?"

"Why do you ask for my thoughts on the matter..."

"You said you were curious when you had met her. Some of the others were quite curious as well, perhaps suspicious and even upset, with the fact that a foreign girl with no prior skills was accepted into the Corps. They were quite vocal as well, so, I am inquiring about your thoughts on the matter, seeing as you've yet to say anything."

"That is because I don't have anything to say," he replies monotone.

"Is that so? Surely, there's something you may wish to say or think."

He does wonder why he was pushing him about answering this. This was possibly one of the very few and rare, or only time, that Rengoku has persisted in making him voice his thoughts.

He lets out a soft, barely audible sigh. "I'm not sure. It is strange... but I can't say anything about the matter or her, seeing as I do not know her or all the details. All I know is that she is not from here, however the Master has accepted her as a member, and she is now under your rule."

"I see!"

Giyuu glances over at him, seeing him still smiling and he blinks. "Is that all, then?"

"Yes!"

For the first time, Giyuu finds himself speaking more than he would have, even though the conversation could have ended there.

"Why?"

"Why what, my friend?"

"Why do you care what I think? You didn't say anything either," he points out.

Rengoku's smile only seems to grow even brighter as he looks at him. "Because you are my friend! I care what you think! And I did not speak as I did not wish to agitate things any further. Miss—" he pauses, correcting himself to not speak formally about you, to prove his point with what he says next. "Ah, I mean, Y/n... is also a dear friend, so I have come to care about what she thinks and feels, too. That includes how others may perceive or speak about her. With that said, I wish for her to be treated with the same amount of respect as everyone else. I simply wanted to know your stance on the matter, and I am glad to know you haven’t passed any unfair judgment upon her."

Giyuu sits there silently, just staring at him with an unreadable expression but it doesn't bother Rengoku. Giyuu isn't really sure what to say now. To have Rengoku be so clear and forward with his own thoughts and feelings, stating their friendship and how he holds it with such high regards, caught him off guard. He knew they were friends deep down inside, to some extent, but it's like his brain refused to acknowledge such things and chose to mostly keep to himself. It was odd to hear this from someone as bright and strong as Rengoku, who seemed so far out of reach, leagues ahead of other people… especially him. Rengoku was so easy to get along with, it was no surprise he had many friends, he just didn’t understand why he was included.

Why him, when he was nothing special? Who cares what he thinks?

Rengoku does...

"Is... that so," he finally says.

"Indeed! Although they have a right to be wary, it is disheartening to hear them speak of her so harshly, when they do not know who she is. The circumstances are odd, I admit, but I feel it was the right decision for Master to accept her. She has spirit and learns quickly, I have no doubt that she will soon become a fine swordsman!"

He turns back around, staring out into the distance where the others slowly trail away and go about their business. "Alright, I'll take your word for it."

"Do not take my word for it," Rengoku says with a gentle tone. "I am glad you have no baseless judgements about her, but you should get to know her and see for yourself. Pardon me if this is overstepping... but you appear lonely. Perhaps you should also try to talk to the others as well..? You may find you'll get along, if you take the chance, just as you had given Kamado and his sister a chance to prove themselves."

Giyuu isn't sure what to think about this. This was new to him, to their friendship, and while he didn't necessarily love it... he didn't hate it either. He could understand what Rengoku was saying and trying to do. He was a quiet, closed off kind of man and didn't speak to many people or do anything besides work. And there wasn't anything really wrong with that, but it seems Rengoku was finally, not so subtly, trying to get him out of his shell that he's cocooned himself in.

He wasn't disliked, at least not by anyone besides the grumpy Wind and Serpent Hashira, but he knew his decision to spare the boy with his demon sister had made quite the impression on some of the others. Good and bad. It was unexpected. Perhaps stupid. But he doesn't regret it. Something had told him it was right and the Master had not been upset, in fact, he seemed to think the same thing. And like the Kamados, when he had met you, something had told him you may also be an exception.

He doesn't like to get too close to people but it may be worth it to see what you, those siblings, and the other's are like—who you all truly are—as Rengoku had said... he may be surprised with how things turn out.

There were so many different thoughts and feelings washing over him, but he remained calm as always. "We'll see," he mumbles simply.

Rengoku continues to smile and they leave it at that as Mitsuri, Shinobu, and Tengen start to waltz over, waving and smiling at the both of them. Giyuu almost walks off... but he decides to stay, just for a little.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

"—so I said, 'That's not my style, but if you wanna make a fool of yourself, then go right on ahead!'"

It takes a few moments for his words to register and you almost break out in a sweat when you notice his expression.

"What?"

Uzui's eyes narrow the slightest bit. "Were ya listening to me? I swear... maybe I should ask Shinazugawa to train you instead of Rengoku, I bet you'd both love that."

You knew by his tone and the mischievous glint in his eye that it would be an absolutely awful idea. You didn't know this 'Shinazugawa' guy... but you got a bad feeling about it. Besides, you not only really liked Rengoku training with you, but wouldn't it be weird and not ideal to switch teachers like that? Wasn't Rengoku training you because he wanted to help? That only meant whoever the other guy was, did not volunteer and was not interested in some foreign girl who showed up out of the blue. You know Uzui was just messing with you... but you wouldn't exactly put it past him to not do something.

"Uhh, no..." You smile sheepishly and then put on a show of sucking up to him. "I'm sorry, I just got lost at how cool you are! I mean... I can't believe you did that. That was so flamboyant!"

"Uh huh, is that so," he raises a brow but there's a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Of course, I am the God of Flashiness after all!"

You nod along, chuckling. "Right! Hey, I was wondering about something..."

"Shoot!"

"Can I have your headband?"

He looks at you like you suddenly grew a second head and you can't help but laugh some more at how ridiculous he looks.

"That would be a no!"

"Pleeeeease," you beg with your best puppy-like eyes.

"Not happening!"

"C'mon! How about one of the jewels?"

"No way, kid! You're gonna sell it or something like some ungrateful brat," he accuses, leaning back to childishly stick his nose in the air.

"No I wouldn't!" You gasp, looking offended but can't stop the playful smile threatening to break out. "How could you think so low of me? Besides... I wouldn't get much for it anyway."

Now he looks offended as he quickly looks back down at you, a hand on his chest. "What do you mean?! I'll have you know that this headband was expertly crafted with the finest material and anyone would pay a fortune to get their hands on such a piece of art!"

"You made it yourself, didn't you?"

"...." You cackle at his silence and he shouts in mock anger. "You little brat! We'll see who's laughing when I reveal your little secret."

You stick your tongue out at him, smirking. "I don't have any secrets!"

"Yeah, so you definitely don't have a crush on anyone, right?"

Your eyes are closed as you cackle away but you stop laughing immediately, your eyes comically flying open to stare at him. "W-What?"

"So, you do have a little crush! How cute," he sneers before prying you for an answer. "So, who is it?"

"No, I don't! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes you do! I can see it in your face, you little liar! What did we say about that, huh?"

"Shut up, old fart!"

He sits up and slaps his hands on the table. "Spill it! I know you like someone, so just come out with it."

You shake your head vigorously, trying to ignore him as he pesters you. Nope, nope, nope! You were not about to go into this topic with him, even if you did like someone, which you don't! But your heart beats a little faster and you hate how it betrays you because he calls you out on it and won't drop it now that he somewhat has a confirmation.

"I can hear your heart racing, kid! The heart never lies!"

"No you can't! H-How could you," you ask flabbergasted. "Do you have super hearing or something!"

"Actually, I do," he laughs.

"No way," you balk, "you can't be serious?! I mean I know Zenitsu does... But you, too? I can't believe it!"

Zenitsu could hear things really well, you know that. And Tanjiro had the nose of a bloodhound. But Uzui also had great hearing? Did anyone else have any weird little gifts they'd like to share with you? If you’re being honest, you feel a little out of having a cool ability… now you seem even more boring than you already are!

"Well, I'm not a liar like some people..."

You groan and want to smack your head against the table a few times so bad but you refrain from doing so. "Will you ever let that go?!"

"Nope," he grins in a teasing manner. "In all seriousness, do you like someone?

You can't answer that because it was confusing. Yes and no. You did like someone... multiple people actually, but you couldn't discern just how deep your 'like' for them went, or if it meant anything more. You didn't know your own feelings enough to give a straight answer. You liked them all because they were your friends, and sometimes you felt weird around them, but it didn't really mean anything more than that. You were just confused. All you knew was platonic love from what you've experienced so far... nothing more, so how could you know? Each person you thought about had their own unique qualities that you liked and admired greatly, but that was normal, right? Maybe with time you'd figure out your feelings, but for now it was not something you wanted to focus on—especially with shithead, nosey pants.

"I don't really know," you say in all honesty, slightly shrugging and awkwardly frowning.

He looks at you as if he's determining whether you're telling the truth or not, then finally sighs after a few more seconds of scrutinizing, seeming to believe you. "That's too bad. Man, I really wanted to use something against Shrimpy."

You sit up straighter, morbidly curious about what he possibly meant. "Huh? Shrimpy? Who is that?"

"Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

Was he implying someone liked you and he knew who? The thought flustered you beyond belief, you did and did not want to know who could possibly like you as something more than a friend. It wasn't something you've experienced before—again, lost memory—so it terrified and excited you. Even if you didn't know your own feelings, you wanted to know what they felt. Who was it? Would it change anything? What would happen? This was torture and you knew that Uzui was having a field day being able to mess with you so much right now. He could see and hear it, and that put you on edge even more.

"Who— Wait, no, I don't wanna know! Well, maybe..."

He laughs and shakes his head, stopping you. "If you can't even guess who, when it's so obvious, then you should just forget about it. Poor guy..."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious, but you're so oblivious that I kind of feel bad for you and him now. You said you don't even know what or how you feel, so it's best that you don't know. You'll only confuse yourself and them."

You don't know if you should be insulted or grateful about what he said. He wasn't... wrong, but he didn't have to make it sound so... so, pitiful and bad! It annoyed you a bit. Okay, so he had a point. You don't know what or how you're feeling about anyone, so maybe it is best if you don't know anything. You should just continue to go about your business as usual until you can figure things out and be sure. Why was life and feelings so complicated? You grumble, both of you deciding to change topics then and get on with your studying. You stay there for a few hours, until you both get hungry.

"I'm starving, let's eat!" Uzui claps his hands, rubbing them together while grinning at you.

Your ears perk up and you smile back. "Yeah, okay!"

You grin cheerfully and follow him out of the room, excited to get some food. Now that you think about it, this was the first time you would be eating with him! You were glad to spend some more time with him, growing bored of being in the same place, only really talking about the lessons. There were plenty of times where you both talked about other things, mostly when you got better at understanding and speaking Japanese this last month or so. Otherwise, he tried to be responsible in his teachings in the beginning, at least as responsible as he could get. You seemed to bring out the childish side in him.

Mitsuri told you he was usually all business, still 'flashy' and fun, but he took his job seriously. That did and did not surprise you. Once he got to talking about the job and even some of his personal life, he was indeed fairly serious, however he let another side show when he had mentioned his wives—something a bit more vulnerable. It was to see those sides of him and you wanted to see more. He's grown on you a lot since meeting him and it was safe to say you had also grown on him.

You guys had become family in a way, which was nice. Your friends, Uzui, as well as Mitsuri, Rengoku, and even Shinobu (although you haven't gotten to speak with her as much as the others) have become very important and close to you.

"I get to pick, though..." Uzui says, not so subtly side-eyeing you as you walk to the dining hall.

"No way!"

"We all know I have better taste, so just let me pick!"

You roll your eyes. "Yeah, nothing better than some damn fish! How can you say that's better than Dango, so confidently, when you're clearly wrong?"

"You haven't even had it, so don't knock it 'til you try it, brat!"

"But Dango is also good! You say that as if it's bad." You purse your lips and cross your arms, your brow quirking up as you stare him down. "No, wait, you did say it was bad."

"You must remember wrong."

"Actually, I remember very vividly what you told me before, that it was 'bland and boring’—like me! You're such an annoying jerk, it's infuriating."

"So now you want to remember things, when it benefits you? Should've seen that coming!"

Your mouth drops open and you send him a smoldering glare, but he just laughs and slaps your back a few times, ruffling hair and then speeds away. You yell after him and threaten to beat his ass one of these days. He just laughs more while you enter the dining hall and you both bicker over the food a bit, until you make a compromise for the both of you to try each of your favorite foods. It almost ended in a food fight but you wouldn't have it any other way. The rest of the day flies by and the next goes about the same. You study, train, and hang out with your friends.

Except for one...

What goes around comes around, unfortunately for you, as you now knew what it was like to be ignored for a few days. Inosuke has been avoiding you like the plague and you're slowly starting to think that he might just end up running away completely. You kept trying to catch him around the mansion, inside the dining hall, his shared room with the other two, or outside but he was a sneaky bastard and was staying out of sight. You caught glimpses of him here and there but by the time you were about to approach him, he would vanish into thin air.

This was getting ridiculous!

You even tried to bribe him with shiny acorns, or that beautiful gem had found and forgot to take back. You also used food to coerce him, but he was unfortunately a lot smarter than a pig, like the one he wore for a mask. You never thought he was dumb but you did hope he was a bit gullible. Which he very well could be, you just haven't found what works on him yet. The prospect of fighting each other didn't seem to interest him either. You were at a loss!

"Tanjiro, have you seen Inosuke?"

"Yes, he was outside a while ago. Why?"

You sigh, deciding to be honest with him. "I said something kind of weird and I think he might hate me now."

"He doesn't hate you," Tanjiro assures. "He actually likes you a lot and admires you, Y/n..."

"What?!"

He taps his nose. "I can smell it. He might not be good at communicating his thoughts and feelings, or showing he cares... but he does. Like on the mountain, I could smell how anxious but happy he was when we were concerned for his well-being and you tended to his wounds, even though he told us he didn’t need it."

You stare at him, unable to form words. Was it true? Of course it was, Tanjiro wasn't a liar at all, he had no reason to do so. Then why was Inosuke avoiding you so much?! You want to apologize and fix things if you overstepped in any way, but he wasn't giving you the chance, and it was so frustrating. He was your friend and friends don't just quit on each other! Maybe it's a little bit of karma for when you blew them off... and you couldn't fault them for any feelings they might still hold about it. But they had forgiven you and now you were all back together, having fun, and happy. But there was just that one, stubborn boar of a man who refused to join now and complete it!

"Well, can you help me talk to him then? He won't even look at me!"

"I suppose," he says, scratching the back of his neck. "What exactly happened?"

Your face heats up in embarrassment but you push through it. "I said he was pretty..." Tanjiro's brow shoots up with a surprised expression, so you quickly speak some more. "Well, more like his eyes! He wasn't wearing his mask and we were pretty close, so I tried to joke while complimenting him but I don't think he took it very well. He acted weird and left and has been ignoring me since."

"I see... that is... something."

Tanjiro isn't sure what Inosuke truly feels, but he had an idea. It wasn't a surprise that he liked you and admired you to an extent, you were friends after all, but perhaps his feelings had grown a bit more? He briefly thinks about the trouble that would cause if that were true. Zenitsu would surely have a meltdown. And he doesn't even want to imagine the possible fights.

No, it's fine.

Even if it were true, they were still friends and wouldn't do anything too crazy. He hopes...

He shakes his head and smiles softly. "Maybe we should give him some more time? He does seem new to a lot of this. I don't mean any harm when I say this, but Inosuke is different, and he may not have grown up like some of us... I think he's just overwhelmed and doesn't know how to respond to us when we show him kindness or affection."

"Yeah, you're probably right." You pout and kick the toe of your foot out, sighing louder. "I guess I need to work on my patience then, huh?"

The chuckle he lets out is light and airy, making you smile as he then says, "I guess so! Maybe I could help you with that?" He suggests kindly with a tilt of his head. "And you can help me with something, too."

"Like what?"

He looks up in thought and then focuses back on you, smiling sheepishly. "I'm actually not sure... but I'll let you know if something comes up!"

"Okay, that's good with me," you giggle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meditate... or something. I wanna try it by myself first. I'll be sure to come to you if I need your expertise."

You both share an amused laugh and then you walk off to go practice. You said you wanted to make changes, so here you go, this was one thing you could do! And you do actually meditate for a while, you also practice your patience by not walking as fast around the mansion, taking slower and calculated steps. You also ate lunch a lot slower, and didn't eat as much either. You never really noticed before until now just how fast you did stuff or expected things. Instant gratification was no doubt one of your weaknesses. It was challenging yourself and it was fun in a way. It was just so hard when Mitsuri would come in and beg you to eat with her whenever she had the chance before. Or you had always practically run around to get places faster. You were so used to giving in to your every whim and doing things instantly. Well, no more! You would restrain yourself and work on bettering yourself in small ways, slowly, but surely.

You won't claim to get it right away because that was just unrealistic. No one was perfect. You might fail at times, fall back, and run in circles, but you are going to keep trying to learn, grow, and make some changes.

It's near 10pm when Shinobu comes out of nowhere and approaches you. Her face is serious and you tense up as she looks at you. Her smile is even smaller than usual, cold and uninviting. You got a strange feeling all of a sudden and you were about to find out why.

Your breath gets stuck in your throat as she utters, "I come bearing news that I wish I did not have to, for I do not agree, but the Master has requested that you go out on the next mission." She holds your gaze, eyes hauntingly empty. "It begins first thing in the morning..."

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

Taisho Secrets

* Inosuke is a deep sleeper, but he sleeps better holding onto things, unbeknownst to him.

#demon slayer #inosuke x reader #rengoku x reader #tanjiro x reader #zenitsu x reader #tomioka x reader #nezuko kamado #tengen uzui #shinobu kocho #sanemi shinazugawa #demon slayer fic #demon slayer fluff #angst #fluff #choose your ending #friends #pining #humor #kimetsu no yaiba

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reticent-writer · 7 months

Note

Demon slayer ocs by me ya friend

This is nezu karakuer my oc that I created in picrew.me

He was inspired by nezuko and I was wondering what will it turn out them being friends or like a family

And he have a wife name linidow Kokomo 👇

Let just say she is a mother figure to the trio of tanjiro and his friends and yes she is a demon but she doesn't burn

So here is a shrto request of nezu karakuer and nezuko meeting in the first time he have a box like nezuko but very much like what Tanjiro is wearing on his back and zenitsu was looking at linidow who is a married woman with nezu

So have fun have a great day / Night

◡̈⋆ʜᴇʟʟᴏ(●’◡’●)ﾉ again. I said It wasn't going to take as long to post im sorry.

oc belongs to @bendymonter

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

"Sorry for the bumpy ride, my dear." Linidow said as she took a break from running. Linidow and her husband were headed to the red light district to assist the sound Hashira.

The demon started running again as she didn't want to waste time. Burning buildings came into her view, people were running away with the help of Kakushi and the sound of swords clashing sounded all around. Linidow followed the sounds on the tops of the burning buildings. She stopped once she was able to see the two fights taking place. The hashira and a boy with a checkered haori. Then a boy in a yellow haori and another with a boar head.

"Help me, brother! Do something before I get decapitated!" The demon screamed right before her fabric neck snapped. Her brother couldn't do anything because he head was chopped off at the same time.

Their heads rolled to meet in the center of the chaos.

'somethings not right.' Linidow thought as she took off the box holding her husband and opening it. Nezu slowly rose and took in his surroundings.

"RUN!" Tengen yelled as he tried to get to the young slayer.

"Get the ones on the roof to safety." She instructed her husband as she went to help the two on the ground.

The explosion happened so fast that all the two demons could do was shield the slayers with their bodies.

The world went dark.

Linidow opened her eyes to see her worried husband, who hugged her as soon as she opened her eyes.

She hugged back and whispered, "I'm alright sweetheart." before looking around. Behind her husband were the young slayers in group hug.

Linidow panicked and quickly jumped to see if they were alright. She checked all three and calmed down once she realized they were fine.

--------

Nezu and Linidow helped around the butterfly mansion.

"LADY LINIDOW HELP MEEeee, they're trying to poison me with that awful stuff." Zenitsu whined, clinging to your side like a child. She giggled and hugged the boy.

"Oh c'mon it can't be that bad, It's medicine."

"Sorry to bother you Kokomo, but can you give him his medicine again, I don't have time to deal with him, I still have chores to do." Aoi sighed as she handed you a tray with warm tea and walked off in a hurry.

"Zenitsu can you at least take a sip for me."

He took more than a sip he drank the whole cup in one gulp at her request.

*Smash*

The sound of glass shattering got Linidow's attention. The sound was in the direction of Tanjiro's room and she went to investigate.

Kanao's stood frozen in the doorway.

"Kanao is somethi- TANJIRO."

Tanjiro had woken up. He was the last of the three to recover. Word couldn't describe how relieved Linidow was even though she barely knew him. The time spent with Nezuko spoke volumes about him as a big brother.

In a flash, Nezu was by his wife's side.

"Look Tanjiro is awake." She cooed.

A kakushi walked in with a fluffy cake, stopping to clean the broken vase.

Linidow turned around with a big smile.

"Tanjiro's awake." She ran to the doorway and shouted, "TANJIRO'S AWAKE"

Soon everyone was gathered around the boy, catching him up on everything that had happened while he was in a coma.

Aoi cried and explained how Inosuke died from blood lost.

"Okay... I guess I'm hallucinating right now because I see him on the ceiling."

Slowly everyone looked up and sure enough there was Inosuke, clinging to the ceiling on all fours.

"HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT." The Kakushi shouted. Inosuke laughed.

Nezu got Inosuke down while Linidow scolded him. Although no one could see it Inosuke was pouting under his mask.

Tanjiro watched the whole thing and smiled.

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

#kny x reader #kny x oc #demon slayer x reader #demon oc #kny #kny oc #kny fanfic #reticent writer #reticent writes

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demonslayedher · 2 years

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Hi! What are your opinions on Kanao? Like how her trauma was dealt with/developed, how she was just characterized in general? I sort of want to write a fic and I was wondering if you have any tips on how you would write her?

Gut reaction opinion: She’s baby.

But, to think more deeply on Kanao (a few thousand words more), I hope you don’t mind me borrowing a few lines from one of my own fics about the pre-canon Butterfly Mansion:

“Deep down inside, Tsuyuri may have always had the spirit of a Flower Breath user. She withered early in life, but she’s got roots, slowly, slowly strengthening her. She’s got Kanzaki to prepare food for limber and strong limbs, little ones to shade and protect, and a shower of love to help her grow. Deep in her heart, sleeping quietly, she may possess the will of a weed.” “The Wasp's Nest” – Chapter 5

If I bring up this fic a lot, it’s because it’s the result of all the questions I’ve asked about Shinobu, Aoi, and Kanao, especially in light of the Taisho Secret before Chapter 164 which details how Kanao learned Flower Breath by watching, and despite not thinking for herself, she decided of her own accord to do something as drastic as joining the Final Selection. I was stunned by that Taisho Secret, as without it, I would have interpreted Shinobu and Kanao's relationship completely differently, with Kanao having been raised to use Breath Technique and been told to go participate in the Final Selection.

Some of my reasons for that: 1. In the flashback extra chapter of Shinobu complaining to Kanae about Kanao being unable to think for herself, she says its “dangerous.” I had misremembered this as being in reference to taking her to battle, though the actual text doesn’t necessarily imply that. 2. In Chapter 100, Gotou describes Kanao as a seriously weird kid who doesn’t even talk, and that she’s been made to fight demons ever since she was a child. 3. The fact that we had zero indication of Kanao having made a choice on her own prior to Tanjiro’s influence on her.

The most damning evidence of the three of these is Gotou’s comment, though it’s possible to explain this in-universe as Gotou’s erroneous assumption. He’s not far off, as the other little girls might not have been forced to fight demons (perhaps for lack of aptitude) but they do have to work as nurses for slayers with gruesome injuries. What’s interesting is that in the manga, we aren’t presented with Kanao’s back story until after hearing that she makes decisions by flipping a coin, whereas Ufotable shaped our perception of the coin flipping scene with Tanjiro by giving Kanao’s back story and Kanae’s “when she meets a boy” commentary an episode earlier. (Also, the glittery-eyed moment with the wind sweeping by her is anime-only, and they removed the part with Kiyo startling her and making her fall off the engawa.) A part of me suspects this change in presentation order is because Kanao was a hard character for Gotouge to get right. Wani-sensei probably wasn't decisive on the skirt length and then blamed it on Maeda, I bet. There was a vision in mind for Kanao all along (no pun intended), but like the rest of the cast, she was extreme in ways that didn’t totally come across without more explicit explanation, and Gotouge might have gotten to know her better over the course of writing her. I also suspect that, in light of the cruel realities of fighting demons and the strictness that requires, and already being a world in which children often undergo grueling Breath technique training, the original intention might had been for Kanae to have taught her Flower Breath all along. However, this idea might had gotten ret-conned via Taisho Secret to soften the image of the Kochou girls and show them raising orphaned girls purely out of the goodness of their hearts, not to pass on their demon fighting legacy to the next generation of swordsmen, even though this is exactly what we see Shinobu doing by raising Kanao as her Tsuguko.

While I’m not an expert in trauma and recovery (and I look for a story to be convincing as opposed to realistic), what I found most jarring in Kanao’s development was the switch from Shinobu as “Shihan” (Master) to Shinobu as “Neesan,” and if it was always meant to be a “Neesan” relationship all along, then why did only Kanao, among all the other Butterfly Mansion girls, get this extra level of closeness? Those were questions I wanted to wrestle with in fic, which was why I created Tsuguko OCs to try to unravel how the Butterfly Mansion dynamic became the way it was (ultimately that fic is just my own personal take on how canon might had come about, but in the end it is still fanfic and can’t speak for canon, and everyone is entitled to their own imagination on how to work with any given character in fic. I still like my version, though).

So, with this as background for how I am most curious about Kanao’s development, let’s look at her from a chronological perspective with what clues canon provides.

Childhood: Sucked.

According to the second fanbook, Kanao was the eighth of eleven children, we know that at least a couple of her brothers died, and their bodies were just left around to be cold by morning. They were especially punished if they cried, which was why Kanao desperately tried to avoid that. She refined a skill of narrowly avoiding being hit in her vital spots, but one day, it was all too much, and something in her snapped, and she didn’t feel anything anymore.

We do see some light return to her eyes when she encounters the Kochou sisters. By that time, she is covered in filth and bugs, so much so the man who expects to make money off of her doesn’t even want to be physically near her. To expand on this, I’ve copied about half of this post of random Kanao thoughts: I was reading the section in this book about Kanao being sold as a child, and they theorized that between being sold to a factory or do agricultural labor or being sold into prostitution, she was most likely sold into prostitution, for she could be sold into prostitution to be a Kamuro at a younger age than she could had been sold to other places. Her parents likely could had gotten a higher upfront price for her this way (somewhere around the range of 1M-3M yen in modern currency) and gotten rid of her earlier. This makes me wonder if the reason we only see brothers in her flashbacks is because any older sisters were already long gone, and they had to hang onto the boys until around age 12 when they could legally work in factories. As for the man who bought her finding her so dirty that he kept her on a rope, the book proposes that perhaps like the Yarite of the Ogimoto-ya spotting a beauty like Inoko under all the ugly makeup, he also had a good eye for spotting diamonds in the rough and getting them for cheap. As for Kanao’s age, this is a bit of a mystery to me, as there is a big difference between her height and Shinobu’s, implying that Kanao is very, very young. However, I think there’s only a four year window in which this encounter could had possibly taken place, and given that Kanae is wearing that haori (though it’s possible she wore it since before becoming a Pillar) and Shinobu seems drawn more similar to the flashback in which Kanae dies than in the light novel chapter when the freshly orphaned girls meet bother Himejima, that makes me narrow it down to more like a 2-year window, and to keep Kanao on the very young side, I’m making a big assumption by saying she’s a very scrawny 10-year-old.

But it’s just so hard to see this Shinobu as 12! I tell you, one of the facts that shakes me the most, still!!! Is that when canon takes place, Shinobu is 18 and Kanao is 16. SIXTEEN!!!?? But… but she’s baby… but also, like how do they even know that!?!? She didn’t know her own birthday, so they picked they day they found her (which Ufotable totally did not follow, as they set this against winter scenery and the day they took her home was May 19). So were they like, “so how old are you? Aoi’s age?” and Kanao didn’t deny it, so they just decided, okay, she’s the same age as Aoi (even though she clearly seems younger, it must be due to undernourishment and trauma, right??? Did they not see she’s baby???)

So anyway. Baby who they have decided is only two years younger than Shinobu needs a name. We do not know if Kiyo, Sumi, or Naho were around yet, but Aoi sure was, though not in a Corp uniform yet. We also do not know what Aoi’s relationship with the Butterfly Mansion was in the first place. Aoi has her own story and we can make guesses but we will never know it. What we do know is that the four girls made a game of letting Baby choose her name, writing some ideas for names down (and I assume having read them aloud to her as I doubt she’d have ever been taught to read—she probably got a lot of education to keep her busy after entering the mansion). Among the first names, Shinobu added some fishy names that she didn’t realize would sound weird, and Kanao was about to go for “Kamasu” (barracuda) when Aoi swept it out of her reach. As for surnames, they let her pick this out too and gave her options that included “Kochou” and “Kanzaki” but she went for the rare (but existent) surname Tsuyuri. As for Kanao’s name sounding so close to Kanae’s, there is a theory in the Japanese fandom that there is a pun woven into it which shows Kanae’s wishes for Kanao.

Kanao doesn’t go out of her way to interact, and but will cooperatively do whatever she’s told. As a reminder, she was in such a state that even with her stomach growling with hunger, she won’t eat unless she’s told to (probably a rule around her family home about not eating without permission). With all her sense of suffering having snapped, she might not had even recognized that’s she felt hungry, and I’m willing to interpret her as having had other emotions, but being unable to recognize them. After all, years later when she’s slaying demons, she is still convinced that everything is “whatever” so there’s no need for her to decide a thing; it has been 5 to 7-ish years since Kanae told her to make decisions with the coin and Kanao has been doing exactly that for this whole time. At some level, Kanao has chosen via indecision to remain as she is, giving herself no pressure to get in touch with her own feelings.

However, she does have them.

When Kanae died, Kanao was distressed, and recognized this—was even troubled by the fact that she was distressed, and felt she should be crying, but could not. This was a moment when Kanao was forced to recognized that there was something wrong with herself, despite having given herself permission—by way of indecision—to remain in a numb “whatever” state in which she doesn’t need to face her own heart, and the pain it carries. She wasn’t only experiencing a physical inability to cry due to her history having to keep from getting physically harmed, but was forced to peer into her own Pandora’s Box. While we wasn’t aware of it, at the time she was probably facing a decision: open the box more, or close it? By way of indecision, it stayed as it was.

Kanao really couldn’t help that she felt pain and sympathy and righteous anger, especially when seeing (specifically, according to that aforementioned Taisho Secret) how Aoi and the little girls had lost their families to demons, and how Shinobu lost her parents, her sister, and her Tsuguko to demons. Kanao knew she had to do something, but since she wasn’t good at nursing work like the other girls were, she became a demon slayer. THIS WAS A DECISION. The Taisho Secret makes it absolutely clear that this was Kanao’s will, even if Shinobu worried that this was a decision Kanao made because of the environment she was in instead of this being a decision Kanao wanted.

So maybe the voice in Kanao’s heart is small, and she still relies on the coin even for small things like whether or not she wants to train with the boys (the coin said not, at least in the anime, because the anime added tons more breathing room (no pun intended) to the Functional Recovery Arc) and whether or not to say anything to Tanjiro (the coin said yes). However, these are pretty innocuous decisions; Kanao has zero confidence in deciding what she wants, and is used to not even asking herself. It’s easier not to. It’s also easier not to get emotionally involved with other people…

…because Kanao has does care very, very deeply for other people.

While I considered more about Kanao’s potential relationship with her other siblings on this Ask, what I want to focus on here is that Kanao was of course scared for her own physical safety, but she had to watch her siblings suffer and die. Kanao, who was willing to risk her life because of the injustice she felt for her new housemates/sisters-ish, probably could no longer take helplessly watching her siblings perish.

I really like that one of the ways Ufotable added to her story was in a scene where the Kamaboko boys are training together, Kanao is watching, and Shinobu suggests she join, after all, they’re from the same batch (translation: You need friends, Kanao). Kanao silently smiles and bows and nopes off to the side (which Shinobu probably was resigned to expecting), and after pondering them a moment, Kanao flips the coin. The kicker is that Kanae instructed Kanao all those years ago to use the coin “when she can’t decide” and in this moment, Kanao really didn’t know if she wanted to train with (aka, bond with) those boys. Caring about people opens oneself to being hurt; it’s safer to feel nothing.

But let’s look back at that big decision Kanao made, resolutely. She went to that Final Selection and came out without a scratch. This was not due to any external pressure put on her or instruction whatsoever, Kanao knew to do this without a doubt. Her selfless empathy and righteous anger drove her to that, no matter how much she believes she doesn’t feel anything.

So anyway, Kanao, in this resoluteness while also being untouchable for as long as she never makes the decision to peer into her own heart, blasts through the first five of ten ranks within a couple months. Baby is bonkers, I hope Shinobu was astounded. But then Tanjiro BOOM-BOOMed his way into Kanao's life with his Functional Recovery period, and took the top of her box and threw it away as forcefully as he threw her coin. Kanao’s locked away emotions stood no chance.

Let’s be clear, Kanao might had fallen in love with Tanjiro in that scene, but it wasn’t until his declaration of how he was going to wrestle that box open one away or another—I mean, not give up if the first coin toss failed. No, Kanao was emotionally invested for other reasons. It was all a safe, if not awkward conversation until Tanjiro took possession of her coin, and Kanao fretted about having given someone the power to make decisions for her which might have emotional consequences; until this point it’s always been easy to follow instructions as long as she’s numb to the results either way. She’s put herself in a vulnerable position by letting Tanjiro hold that coin, which is for when Kanao is emotionally invested in something enough to not be able to decide something. But then when Tanjiro tosses it, she’s eager to know what fate will decide. On the one hand, she’s terrified of the result Tanjiro wants. Listening to her own heart means being vulnerable, to care, to suffer. But on the other hand, she does want this, but has been too scared this whole time to make the decision to do anything with that partially open box. Having someone else force the decision on her is what she’s been pining for all this time, a push which neither Kochou sister ever gave her, hoping she’d come around in her own time.

And then, once the box is open and the decision is made, Kanao’s changes are fast.

At least, in comparison to the numb-by-virtue-of-having-decided-nothing state she in for years, her changes are relatively rapid. It’s not overnight, but as Kanao learns to confront her own vulnerability, she is likewise able to better understand what she likes, and what she wants. Fanbook 1 tells us that she used to be happy just to sit and stare out into space when not training o on missions, but lately she’s been actively blowing bubbles (BABYYYY), helping cook, buying little candies and presents for everyone back at the mansions when she’s sent to run errands, and poking the pads of cat’s paws (BAABBBYYYYY). Now that she’s open to positive emotions too, she’s exploring the world with wonder for the first time. (BAAAAAAAABBBBBBYYYYY.)

This development as a human being seems to have come at the expense of her progression in the Corp, but Shinobu likely does not push this at all, now that Kanao is finally coming around and expressing her own tastes and interests (and defying a Sound Pillar’s orders, as one does). I dedicated a whole post to pondering how and why her accession through the ranks slowed so dramatically after she got Tanjiro’ed, including pondering in more detail why was at those particular ranks. We also see in the light novels that Kanao is progressing in her friendships with Aoi (who still found it hard to communicate with Kanao even after all this time) and Inosuke, whom she goes so far as to have an argument with when he’s being insensitive about Kiyo being distraught over losing one of her butterfly hairpieces from Kanae (righteous anger!), but when appreciative of him later, she asks Aoi to help her make tempura for him. Within the pages of serialized manga, Kanao can even listen to her heart when it wants everyone to SHUT UP because Tanjiro is sleeping. We see time and time again how Kanao’s deep emotions stem from how much she cares about others.

A big turning point, one which Shinobu points out, is when Kanao verbalizes an “I want” statement. She wanted to train with her own Shihan. This is when Kanao graduates from doing things for others like an extension of doing what other people would want her to do, to taking up her own space in the world. This when Shinobu can finally feel that Kanao can act as her own person, but this means she can also be trusted with the full responsibility of a Tsuguko.

(Quick tangent here. Kanao totally took part in the other Pillar Trainings and I wish we could had seen how it went. Any bad blood between her and Uzui? Blowing through Muichiro’s training like its nothing and making everyone else watching feel as inadequate? Her greatest difficulty in Flexibility Training being surviving a hug that’s too tight? Showing up to Snake Pillar training and hitting it off with a friendly snake only to have the Pillar say his training isn’t suitable for girls and sending her on her way? The meditation with the Rock Pillar being refreshing but then who knows if and how she succeeded at moving the rock? Showing up ready for hard training with the Wind Pillar but he goes very obviously easy on her because he doesn’t want to be the one to harm Kanae’s adoptive sister? No wonder Kanao would have wanted to train with her Shihan if she lost out on so much of it elsewhere! But at least she got to see a snake and that was cool, right?)

So. Kanao is now getting instructions from her Shihan which are hard to stomach (again, no pun intended), but it’s the true test of her abilities now to follow these instructions while also having vulnerable emotions.

Growing up: Sucks.

Even if she was prepared, Kanao is consumed with righteous anger and a slew of other ugly emotions when Shinobu is killed right in front of her, and this is when Kanao really must step up and live out her decision to be a demon slayer. That means keeping her cool, not being numb. That means making decisions in the moment, including social decisions to keep Douma distracted. I don’t think she planned everything she said to him; that was the ugly depths of Kanao’s heart open and doing all the talking when she told him how she felt about him. There was zero hesitation in saying any of it. Even if she was still in the habit of flipping a coin by that point in the story, she wouldn’t have felt even an itch of temptation for it because she felt those words so strongly. Taking her own place in the world means not only knowing her own likes, but also discerning her dislikes.

And man, she slays and slays hard. While the fight against Douma is impressive enough as it is (and yes, unlocking her ability to cry at the end of it (right before that big Taisho Secret reveal) is indeed a major moment in her character arc, as she’s finally been able to unlock that last hidden piece of vulnerability), the fight against Muzan? Everyone else went down, down to bits and pieces, she is deeply shredded with injuries that were too fast to avoid, but she still managed to avoid getting hit in her vital areas and, even if she fell to her knees, she did the best at standing her ground. When I had originally read that chapter (that awful, heartbreaking Chapter 191) I took this as Gotouge not wanting to rip the girls apart as viciously as the boys, which was why Kanroji was already removed from the fight, but haha… hahahaha…. Clearly this was never a concern and I was naïve. No. Kanao was not lucky. Kanao was acting on deeply rooted trauma and narrowly avoided getting hit in a “bad place.”

Sorry, my writing is getting all over the place as I’m mentally reliving this arc and how much pain it put me through as I was following week to week. My gosh, though, can we give it up for that Kakushi who was charging in to save her without a shred of hesitation? Charging straight toward a direct hit from Kibutsuji Muzan himself? Kanao was totally doing her best, deciding as hard as she could to stand up and keep fighting, she wanted more than anything to do that but she physically could not.

So anyway. After this, Kanao disappears for a while, which is why I called it when I suspected Kanao might be the key to dealing with demon!Tanjiro. I was right although for totally unexpected reasons, but dang, THAT WAS AWESOME. The final, defining Breath of this whole manga was Kanao’s, it was her moment, and she was amazing. She was still bleeding from her abdomen and limping and gasping for air (this is our 24-hour Total Concentration Breath pro, you know panting like that is a bad sign) but she knew she could do it and she did it. You’re amazing, Baby. I know I’m getting off-track, but if we bring this back to being a moment of characterization for her…

…Kanao, at some level, still believes in fate.

She believes in a reason for things happening, like every time she flipped the coin, the universe was making a better decision than she could. When she knows what she needs to do in this moment, she feels this must be the reason fate left her with one eye left. She is still a deeply emphatic person who cares about the welfare of others before her own; as she approaches the Kamado siblings she’s moved with pity for them.

Zero hesitation.

Kanao has reached a point of peace with herself that can she act on these feelings, which is what points in her in the direction of wanting to practice medicine. Although being vulnerable makes her open to pain, it makes her open to joy, she and doesn’t hesitate in embracing what she likes—and we can assume, she doesn’t hesitate about what she wants, either. The fact that she believes in fate may be something that helps her. It wouldn’t have been possible for her while she was numb to everything, but now she sees how good things came from the painful sacrifices, and she’s ready for all the suffering and joys life still has ahead. While every fic writer is welcome to take their own approach because that is how fic works, I choose to write my post-canon Kanao with a generally positive outlook. I don't write her with survivor's guilt; instead of wishing she could had died in her sister's place she wishes that no one had to die in the first place, and she remains filled with gratitude for her sisters. In the case of TanKana developments, I write her as knowing what she wants, being decisive about it, and embracing the joys as well as the suffering. I was never really sold on her being a capable doctor if she's freshly (near) blinded and never showed much aptitude for tending the injured slayers before, but I suppose where there's a will there's a way, and Kanao's got the will of a weed.

#tsuyuri kanao #kny fandom theories and meta #I really do love Kanao though her development really is jarring if you're not reading deeply into it #anyway tldr #she's baby

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rengokuswif3 · 2 years

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can u do a giyuu x reader where reader is a non demon slayer but a rich doctor and she decides to work in demon slayer corps after meeting giyuu . She was arranged married to giyuu by urokodaki but he fell in love with her the day they met and he introduced her to hashiras + uzui wives and they had different reactions( u decide the reactions ) and last night he got scolded by y/n bcoz he was reluctant to let her wear the uniform like of mitsuri but she didn't listen to his conservative and overprotective thinking and he agreed to and tried his best to change his thinking . One day he came very late from a dangerous mission injured and she was very worried . She took good care of him like washing his hair , feeding him the dinner and attending his injuries and cuddling him to sleep

A/N; I hope you don’t mind, but I kinda combined the first part and last part, since these were all kind of different prompts. So the reader is a doctor who works at the Butterfly Estate and nurses Tomioka back to health! Sorry this is pretty short

“Alright, do you have everything you need?” You asked your boyfriend as you handed him his sword and a small supply of food.

“I believe so.” He nodded as he shrugged his haori on, then took the sword and food from you and put them on his belt.

“I wish you didn’t have to go so far.” You sighed as you embraced him in a warm hug.

“Don’t worry, love, I won’t be long. 4 days at most.” He kissed you on the forehead and tucked some of your hair behind your ear as he pulled back slightly.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

That was nearly a week ago. You tried to keep yourself busy with tending to patients at the Butterfly Estate and assisting Miss Shinobu, but you had this sinking feeling in your stomach that you couldn’t shake. Something was wrong, Giyu was always a quick worker. When he promised something he kept that promise to the best of his ability. You anxiously awaited a crow every night to tell you he had died, to tell you he wasn’t coming home, something. Shinobu noticed how worried you’d become, you’d even thrown up from nerves a few times. As a fellow Hashira, she knew Tomioka could take care of himself, but the amount of time he had been gone admittedly worried her as well.

But you had no time to dwell on it now as you heard a commotion downstairs, some of the girls yelling that they needed help with this patient. You ran downstairs along with Shinobu and a few of the workers. You heart felt like it shattered as soon as you stepped downstairs. Tomioka was unconscious with blood soaking his uniform and caked onto his skin, some workers holding him up to take him to get emergency care.

“GIYU!” You screamed and ran towards him, taking him from the workers grasp and holding him yourself. “Giyu?? Giyu wake up!” You shook him, adrenaline rushing through your veins as your heart pounded in your chest and tears streamed down your face.

“Y/N! Get out of here!” Shinobu pried you off of him.

“No! I need to help him!” You tried to shove her off you.

“You are in no condition to help! You cannot think rationally and critically right now! Girls! Take her somewhere else!”

“Yes Miss Shinobu!” Some workers and Aoi nodded.

“Aoi, wait, I have to help him!”

“You heard the lady, Y/N, she’s gonna take care of him and we’ll bring you to him once he’s stable.” Aoi said sternly, with far more maturity than any adult here.

They finally dragged you away, and you paced in your room as you waited for what seemed like hours. Your brain wouldn’t let you rest, it kept reminding you that your boyfriend was in critical condition and that he could be dead right now. You saw the sun set outside, and still no word on how Giyu was doing. Finally, you couldn’t take waiting anymore and ran out of your room, desperate to find your boyfriend. You saw the familiar butterfly haori, and quickly ran to her and grabbed her.

“WHERE IS HE? IS HE OKAY?” You yelled at her, angry that she didn’t let you help.

“He’s stable, I was just about to send for you.” She said calmly, not fazed at all by your outburst. She was used to people freaking out over their loved ones and she dealt with some crazy patients, so she understood why you were acting this way. “Follow me, alright?”

She led you down the hall, stopping at a room and opening the door for you, then shutting it to give you privacy. Giyu was fast asleep in one of the beds, hooked up to an IV, with bandages covering up nearly half his face, and his left arm in a cast. You slowly stepped towards him, as if the slightest sound would break him. He opened his eye that wasn’t covered by bandages, and felt relief wash over him when he saw it was you.

“Y/N…” he mumbled, still groggy from the fight.

“Giyu…what happened?” You stared at his beaten body. You had never seen him in this bad of shape before, even when he was just a trainee.

“The demon…was stronger than me.”

“I know that, how did it get this bad?” You asked as you sat beside him. He ignored your question, slowly holding your hand with his good arm.

“I’m sorry for breaking my promise.” He looked up at you, making you laugh. “What?”

“You’re worried about that right now?” You smiled at him, gently moving his hair out of his face. “Don’t apologize to me, I don’t need one. I’m just happy you’re alive.”

“Please forgive me. I won’t be able to rest easy if you don’t.” He insisted, gently squeezing your hand as hard as he could in this state.

“I forgive you.” You smiled, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Now, do you want any food or tea?”

“I just want you.” He mumbled sleepily. You smiled down at him before carefully lying down with him in the bed, making sure not to touch any of his injuries.

#also sorry I didn’t know how to end it😬#giyuu tomioka #giyu tomioka #giyuu tomioka x reader #giyu tomioka x reader #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer

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saffron0v0 · 9 months

Text

I've procrastinated long enough!

I am going to finally write the Zenitsu chapter of the therapy sessions! LET'S GOOOOOOOOO.

*before zenitsu gets to go inside the room, aoi gives Sayaki some fair warnings about zenitsu's behavior*

Zenitsu: excuse me... Is anyone here? *he opens the door after sleepily knocking*

Sayaki: what a pleasant day to see you, agatsuma-san.

Zenitsu: IT IS INDEED, MADAM!

Sayaki: Please calm down agatsuma-san! I would like you to know that I am a married woman, so I would appreciate it if you would behave yourself!

Zenitsu: Oh, I... See. *he says sitting down with a blush of both embarrassment and disappointment.*

Sayaki: Agatsuma-san, you know why you're here right?

Zenitsu: *nods, head still bowed down*

Sayaki: Then would you mind talking a little about yourself? A small introduction would be a good start.

Zenitsu: *hesitates, but then slowly starts talking* Well, as you may already know, my name is Agatsuma Zenitsu, I am going to turn 17 very soon. I am an orphan who has no brothers or sisters, and I might as well be labeled homeless. I was taken in by my jii-chan a few years ago, and was trained to be a demon slayer to pay off my debts.

Sayaki: So you came into this lifestyle because you were indebted money? May I ask how you got into the spiral of debt?

Zenitsu: I kept buying expensive gifts for my ex until she decided I wasn't worth it and ditched me for a much more handsome and rich man from Tokyo. *he seethed at the memory of that shameless disgusting man and his gold digging ex* It was the 7th time that happened and I was already in a huge mountain of debt, so my only escape was letting jii-chan pay it off in exchange of becoming his successor.

Sayaki: That explains... Alot. It seems that you are desperately trying to get married from what I heard, and that you have your eyes set on Kamado-chan.

Zenitsu: *intensively nods* I'd lie and I'd kill to keep her with me.

Sayaki: Agatsuma-san, do you not realize that this destructive mindset will just make you feel worse?

Zenitsu: *tilts head questioningly*

Sayaki: From what you said, you had seven girlfriends, and what lead you to the path of becoming a demon slayer, is falling too hard in love with someone, who you barely know, or someone who doesn't love you back. I know it hurts, but what can you do? I've been here for a few days. I saw you interact with Kamado-change from afar, she clearly sees you as a younger brother from the way she treats you.

Zenitsu: No way.. NEZUKO-CHAN WOULD NEVER!

*elsewhere*

Nezuko: *sneezes and feels a chill down her spine*

Back with zenitsu:

Zenitsu: *intensively crying* no woman would ever love me! It's not fair! Even nezuko-chan considers me worthless! I am totally pathetic! If I wasn't a cowardish crybaby then maybe nezuko-chan would've loved me! It's not fair! It's not!

Sayaki: AGATSUMA-SAN! CALM DOWN PLEASE! *loudly clears her throat as zenitsu's cries reduce to sobs* so it seems that you don't have any positive feelings for yourself-

Zenitsu: OF COURSE I DON'T! WHAT WOULD ANYONE LIKE ABOUT ME? I AM A PATHETIC LOSER, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I'M TOO SCARED, AND I REALLY TRY TO CHANGE! I REALLY WANT TO! BUT I CAN'T! I REALLY WANTED TO BE A HASHIRA FOR JII-CHAN AND MAKE HIM PROUD! I REALLY WANTED TO! *Starts crying like a 5 year old boy who lost his candy*

Sayaki: *gets up and gives zenitsu a hug* I believe you really need a hug.

Zenitsu: *continues to cry, hugging Sayaki tighter, and finally getting the comfort he really needed*

*they stay like that for about 10 minutes, by then, zenitsu's eyes are puffy and his throat is coarse*

*Zenitsu continues talking about his trauma and past, how kaigaku had treated him, how awfully lonely and always hungry he was as a child. He also spoke of how he really wants someone who loves him, and take care of him, to love him in his ups and downs, and to be there for him through his highs and lows. Someone he could truly love.*

Zenitsu: I- I want a family.

Sayaki: So why not have the familial love you get from your friends? Do you really NEED a wife? Or do you just want someone to love and be there for you? Just like a family!

Sayaki: Then you can be the best friend and brother to all of your friends! A wife is not necessary! Yes falling in love is beautiful, but you can't force it. Being around people you care for is just as great!

Zenitsu: Maybe, I guess. *he says bowing and waving* can I come by again later? It was nice chatting with you.

Sayaki: unless it's at an ungodly hour, then you are most definitely welcome to come by, I hope this session was helpful to you in anyway.

*later that day, zenitsu was very quiet and didn't really talk to anyone, he didn't even refuse nor cry when he was given his medicine. Tanjiro and the rest are very concerned, wondering what happened in that room that made him go so quiet.*

Zenitsu: yes, thank you for your time.

Side note: Zenitsu will still be a bit whiny, but he will gradually mature, currently, he's just tired from all the crying and trauma telling he did. He also has a lot of processing to do, in the end of the day he's still Agatsuma thick skull Zenitsu. He will also need to go through his character development arc, he just needs time.

#kimetsu no yaiba #zenitsu agatsuma #future hashira au #Sayaki Haga #Oc

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srslysierraa · 2 years

Note

hello :> may i request hcs for zenitsu with a s/o that wrote a song for him <3

♪ thank you！ ♪

Sweet Melody.

prompt ;; he tried so hard, alright? With all this constant food they kept giving Inosuke, or the praises and love they give Tanjiro. Zenitsu wants to be able to feel that kind of treatment, feeling like he deserves something. Needless to say the gift that you have in store is quite literally gonna be music to his ears, something he'll never forget.

type ;; fluff! one-shot.

char. involved ;; zenitsu agatsuma.

song ;;

a/n ;; if i have to be honest, the hardest part about this has to be where i need to choose the song hhh— at first i wanted to do 'keepyousafe', or 'just the way you are', but then decided on this instead. I hope you enjoy! I would personally love to sing this song to Zenitsu 💗.

ZENITSU AGATSUMA is as usual by the bed where him and both Inosuke and Tanjiro currently takes rests in, within the Butterfly Mansion ran by the Insect Hashira, Kocho Shinobu. It was, a normal day, to an extent. They don't have any missions at this particular moment, so Tanjiro had been looking after Nezuko and talking with Shinobu, while Inosuke is probably off training somewhere after Aoi gave him his plate of food, the amount only Inosuke could stomach.

Being a demon slayer yourself, you roam the halls of the mansion, occasionally seeing the three little helpers going back and forth in order to provide each patients with what they need. Aoi even asked if there's anything she can help with, in which you decline, because the reason you're here is to simply meet a certain blonde.

Though, Chuntaro is also due a bit of credit, since he's the one who fetched you to go see Zenitsu. Chirping on about how he hasn't been himself lately, or how he hasn't been screaming or whining as much, even as the little bird constantly tries to bother him. It worries the small creature, which got it to go ask you for help. And frankly, that worries you too.

You favor Zenitsu, that's something everyone knows, apparently except the blonde himself. Everytime he hears the way your heart speeds up when talking to him, he only assumed that it's because of how fast you've been running, or because you're nervous to go on a mission. Never did he thought he was the cause, even though his amazing hearing proved otherwise. And frankly, you're also a bit tired with his oblivious self, and decided to maybe.. kill two birds with one stone?

"(Y-y/n)! Why are you here? A-ARE YOU HURT? DID SOMETHING HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE OUT?" He panicked, knowing that the place they currently practically live in is also somewhat of a hospital for Demon Slayers, if you're injured, you go to the Butterfly Mansion. It's that simple. So he may or may not have assumed the worst, even as you try to calm him down.

"No, no, no! I'm just here to check on you," The smile on your face was enough to light up Zenitsu's whole mood, as you straighten out and move away strands of his bright yellow hair, all so he could see you clearly. "Ah, alright... Wait- to see me?" The disbelief was evident, and you had to nod in order to convince him that he wasn't just hearing things. "EH? B-BUT- WHY WOULD YOU WANNA SEE ME? Did i do something wrong-? Are you angry?"

He was frantic, and it's not until Chuntaro bit his arm that his worry turned into whines of pain, as he desperately tries to make the small bird let go. "I'm not angry, in fact, i wanted to sing you this song i made! Well, for you. But please excuse me if my voice sounds bad.." You muttered, while Zenitsu had forgotten all about Chuntaro's antics. After all, he's always ready to listen to you, and when you told him that you've wrote him a song? This man's face is tomato red. He's falling from cloud nine all the way to you, little did he know that you feel the same way.

"You wrote a song? FOR ME?! I don't.. but why?" He asked, though immediately fixing himself. "NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE IT. Well, i haven't heard it- but I'm 100% sure I'd love it! Uhm, please, I'd like to hear it." The willpower he had to muster is beyond his capacity, all because he needs to not freak out. "Well, it's a bit sappy but- alright, uhm, here goes."

Can we go where no one else goes?

Can i know what no one else knows?

Can we fall in love in the moonlight?

"WH-" his scream was stopped with Chuntaro's wing practically covering his mouth, telling him to quiet down and listen. Your heart is beating as if it's running a marathon, the small breaths you take to not get nervous, these small things. It tells him that this isn't a prank, it's not something that Inosuke had set up. This is genuine, and Zenitsu almost refused to believe it. This has to be one of his weird dreams, right?

I wanna get lost with you.

I wanna be lost in you, you.

Been waiting a while for you.

I wanna do this right with you, you.

His usual jumpy demeanor almost seemed to have disappeared, but it's more like he doesn't want to interrupt your beautiful voice. He's panicking. Internally. But he'll rather die than to suddenly have you stop singing.

Can we go where no one else goes?

Can i know what no one else knows?

Can we fall in love in the moonlight?

Poetry, and handpicked flowers.

Say you'll meet me at the altar.

Can we fall in love in the moonlight?

Your eyes are somewhere else, somewhere far away from his. And yet, you can feel his gaze your way, focusing on each lyric you have sung, brain racking to know what they mean. To him, this is too good to be true. At least for someone who gets smacked around by girls on the daily.

Moonlight.

I'll be smitten with you on these blue nights.

You'll be holding me until the sunrise.

And the songbirds be waking up.

Zenitsu himself hasn't realized how quiet he's been, it's not until he felt the small weight of Chuntaro on top of his head that he snapped out of the trance your voice and song had put him. But only for a mere few seconds, then you took his breath away again.

Oh, true love.

Kinda hoped this would feel like a romcom.

Been planning this out in my notebook.

Since i was a little child.

And you stopped. You were waiting for maybe screams or something of the sort, but the silence only got you even more nervous. He seemed to have catch on to this, since the blonde headed demon slayer had spoke up. "Is this.. Are you being serious? This isn't like, a joke, right-?" You shook your head, and immediately you feel two arms embracing you in a hug. He darted towards your frame so fast that even Chuntaro almost fell, while you did backwards towards the bed.

Soft sobbing was heard from him, as you held onto him tight in response. He seems to be mumbling something along the lines of "i love you too"s or "I'm so happy", and more. They were quiet though, and you're not sure if it's because he's scared that Aoi would hit him over the head if he's being loud, or if he's too fumbled up to be caring about how loud he is.

But for now, let him pour all that emotion, alright?

today's zenitsu appreciation pic:

#kny x you #kny x reader #kny fanfic #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer #zenitsu agatsuma #zenitsu x reader #tanjiro x reader #tanjiro kamado #inosuke x reader #inosuke hashiriba #kamaboko squad #kimetsu no yaiba

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heyiwrotesomethings · 2 years

Text

Tomiokas’ Can’t Communicate

Shinobu Kochou x Mute She/Her Tomioka Sibling Reader

A/N: This was going to be more like Komi Can’t Communicate, but I don’t think I made the reader shy or unintentionally intimidating enough. Still like the idea though. Hope you all like it too! Warning: Mention of manga character. They don’t play a major part in the manga and are only briefly mentioned in this story, but just a heads up. Word Count: 5,189

(Y/n) hurried after Kanzaburou as fast as she could. For as old as the crow was, the way he moved was still quite spry. He had alerted (Y/n) only a day before that her brother had been terribly hurt during one of his missions and was receiving treatment in the Butterfly Estate.

She hadn’t felt her heart squeeze so painfully since the death of Tsutako. She gripped the burgundy colored half of her haori and pulled it against her heart as she ran across the rugged path as best she could in her restrictive kimono.

‘Let him be okay, let him be okay, I can’t be left alone, don’t take my brother away from me too!’

This was the first time (Y/n) had ever been involved in the slayer part of her brother’s life. He always made sure to keep her far away from all of that to a fault. He refused to even live with her, using his lofty earnings as a Hashira to keep her in a comfortable and reinforced estate far from his own to keep her safe.

He very rarely visited, his crow was so senile that he often forgot to give her the letters he wrote, and now all she could feel beside the fear was anger. Anger for all the lost time they may not ever be able to make up. If Kanzaburou had come for her, the situation must be dire. What if he was—

“Dead ahead. The Butterfly Estate is dead ahead, young Tomioka-chan. Cawww.” The old bird sighed.

‘Would it kill him to sound a little more compassionate?’

Sure enough, once she crested the hill, she saw a grand estate surrounded by lush vegetation. She didn’t stop to admire it however, and began descending the hill only to trip on an old, lumpy stump and tumble down the hill. It stung, but she hoisted herself back onto her feet and kept on moving, kicking off her geta in the process.

“Excuse me— whoa!” Aoi was taken aback by the roughed up, wind swept young woman coming towards the laundry lines. At first she sought to remove her from the premises, not being a Demon Slayer or a Kakushi, the civilian woman most likely should not have been there at all, but she was in obvious distress. Far be it from Aoi to not help someone in need.

“Are you hurt? What happened?”

(Y/n) closed her eyes tightly, even now she couldn’t muster a word. She hadn’t been able to speak since witnessing Tsutako’s death. She gripped the burgundy half of her haori again and tugged at it, looking to Aoi beseechingly and praying something would click.

When Aoi only stared at her, she looked to the sky for Kanzaburou, but the bird had left her, seemingly satisfied that he had done his job.

“Alright, you are obviously terribly shaken up. Just come with me and I’ll get you taken care of, okay?”

(Y/n) shook her head rapidly and tugged her haori again, but Aoi did not understand.

“Come on, let’s get you inside.”

(Y/n) found herself being corralled into the mansion but she felt no relief. She didn’t need someone to wipe her stupid scrapes clean. All she needed was to see her brother, to see that he was breathing, that’s all she wanted.

The first chance she got, she broke off from Aoi, picked a hallway, and ran.

“Hey! Get back here!” Aoi yelled.

(Y/n) could hear Aoi calling for assistance as she turned a corner, but she simply did not care. She turned down several random paths, opening several doors in hopes of finding Giyuu. She reached for another door to throw open, but her wrist was caught in a cool, calloused grip.

“If you had hoped to go unnoticed, you might have thought to close the doors you had opened along your way,”

(Y/n) looked over to the girl who had caught her, taking in her appearance. A beautiful young woman, though smiling, the aura she gave off was not at all cheerful.

“You led me right to you.”

Shinobu tightened her hold just enough to make (Y/n) wince. There would be no breaking out of that. Shinobu stepped closer still, intimidating the intruder.

“What exactly were you hoping to achieve here? It’s not very polite to trapse around someone’s home uninvited you know.”

(Y/n) swallowed thickly, this woman was obviously furious with her even if she wasn’t outwardly expressing it. She was clearly a slayer too, a Hashira even if the gold buttons were anything to go by. There would be no escaping her.

(Y/n)’s lip trembled and she hopelessly gripped her haori again, pleading with her eyes for even just a hint of understanding.

Shinobu tilted her head to the side and noted the mismatched haori for the first time. A muted flash of recognition crossed her face and she observed (Y/n) as if really looking at her for the first time.

She supposed there was some familial resemblance if she squinted. When Tomioka woke up, she was going to harass him throughout his entire recovery. How could he not tell her he had a sister? At least, she was fairly certain this girl must be his sister. He was too hopeless to find a partner on his own after all. And again, if she looked at her in the right light she could see the faintest resemblance.

Shinobu shook her head, now was not the time. It was clear to her that whatever the girl’s relation to Giyuu was, it was important enough that she looked like she went through hell to get here so…

“You’re looking for Tomioka-san then. You should have just said so,” Shinobu tugged gently on (Y/n)’s hand, her grip relaxed and her voice softened, “He won’t be awake, but you can still visit.”

(Y/n)’s heart stuttered in her chest. Both because her brother was alive and because of Shinobu’s softened features and gentle hold as she guided her through the halls to the medical wing of the mansion.

As soon as Shinobu opened the door to the private recovery room (Y/n) rushed to Giyuu’s side and placed a trembling hand over his own.

He looked awful.

All bandaged up with various IVs. His lips chapped and skin yellowed in some places and laden with deep purple bruises in others. His breathing was shallow, but he was breathing nonetheless and for that (Y/n) was grateful.

(Y/n) flinched as a hand rested against her back and she turned her head to the side to find Shinobu standing over him with her.

“The yellowish tint is from the iodine, we had to operate as soon as we got him. I promise he’s actually a lot better off than he looks. Everything is back where it belongs so all that’s left to do is wait for him to do the rest. He probably won’t wake up for several days and even then the road to recovery may last a month or so with proper concentration breathing.”

Shinobu dutifully explained Giyuu’s condition in great detail, but in a way that didn’t terribly overwhelm (Y/n). When she finished, Shinobu extended her hand to her again. It took (Y/n) a moment to realize what she wanted and shook Shinobu’s hand.

“Kochou Shinobu, Insect Hashira.” She introduced.

(Y/n) nodded in acknowledgment and went to withdraw her hand, but Shinobu’s hold persisted.

“This is the part where you tell me your name.” Shinobu said with a sly smile.

(Y/n) felt heat rise across her cheeks and her vocal chords quivered, releasing a timid squeak. She looked between Shinobu and her brother anxiously, motioning to her brother and then herself with her free hand.

“Hmm, not very talkative are you? You must be related then. You are much more expressive however, very cute. Calling you Tomioka-san just simply won’t do. Forgive me for saying so, but my associations with the name doesn’t match you at all.”

(Y/n) was positively shaking now. Was this woman flirting? Teasing? Both? Right in front of her brother? Well, with the condition he was in he wasn’t in the position to care, but still!

“Could you write it for me perhaps?” Shinobu asked, but without waiting for an answer, she began tugging (Y/n) out of the room.

“Don’t worry, you may visit with him again whenever you like. I’ll have a room prepared for you nearby. In the meantime, you look like you’ve had quite the time getting here. Let’s get you cleaned up and patch those scrapes.”

(Y/n) let Shinobu lead her around the mansion. After Shinobu had her looking good as new, the Hashira handed her a blank journal and a pen, encouraging her to write her name. When (Y/n) tried to hand Shinobu the journal back, but she pushed it back against (Y/n)’s chest and shook her head.

“Keep it. It will help you communicate your needs and concerns with the staff. I’ll be wanting to ‘talk’ to you more anyway, (Y/n)-san.”

(Y/n) covered her face with the journal and Shinobu chuckled, stopping in front of a room right across the hall from Giyuu’s.

“This is where I leave you. Stay as long as you like. I’ll be stopping by every now and again to check in.”

(Y/n) bowed stiffly to Shinobu and felt her hand pat the back of her head.

“No need for that, rest now. You’ve had a long day.” Shinobu removed her hand from (Y/n)’s head and then walked away.

(Y/n) skittered into the room that was prepared for her and dove onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow to muffle her already quiet squeaks.

Shinobu was so nice! And pretty too! Leave it to her brother to never once mention that he worked with someone so cool and confident. Leave it to her brother not to talk about his job at all. His letters, when she actually got them, were short and choppy. More like a list of random things he saw than a coherent thoughtful insight into his life. Yet she loved him all the same.

As she closed her eyes and snuggled into the covers, she felt a shy excitement bubbling him her chest, wondering if she would see Shinobu again as soon as tomorrow. She was a very busy woman after all, but if she could see her for even a couple minutes, she would like that very much.

***

As it would turn out, (Y/n) would get more than a just few minutes of Shinobu’s time. She came in to sit with her while she watched over Giyuu the next morning and brought breakfast too.

(Y/n) filled several pages of the journal talking to Shinobu. She told her many things, including stories from her and Giyuu’s childhood, the happy ones, before everything went wrong.

They spent a lot of time getting to know each other over the next few days. So much so that (Y/n) had filled the journal up and Shinobu enthusiastically gave her another one.

“You may not speak as Tomioka-san can, but you are still much more fun to hold a conversation with.” She had teased.

They did eventually get into rougher territories with their talks. The deaths of their parents, their sisters, how Giyuu had left to train and (Y/n) had to try to navigate the world without him.

It was when (Y/n) had to explain that she lived far apart from her brother that Shinobu could take no more. They were the only family each other had left. She believed it more important than ever that the siblings stick together. That was how it had been for her and Kanae, and those memories they shared were more important to her now than ever. She was really going to have to smack Giyuu around when he woke up.

(Y/n) noticed the mean look Shinobu gave her brother and squeaked, rapidly shaking her head and hands, hoping Shinobu wouldn’t get the wrong idea. She wrote out that he only wanted to keep her safe, but Shinobu pushed the journal back in to her lap.

“There are better ways to keep you safe than to leave you alone,” she stood up, change out Giyuu’s IV bag, “I understand him not wanting you to live in his sad, empty house. The only decoration he has is a potted plant, that I gave to him by the way, and he forgot to water it so now it’s dead so that just makes it even more depressing… anyway, you should just stay here!”

(Y/n) wanted to release a joyous scream to the heavens, but instead she sat in frozen shock as Shinobu continued on, unbothered by (Y/n)’s rigidness.

“If safety is his issue, there really isn’t a place much safer. You’ll have ample opportunity to make friends and he can visit whenever he wants. I’d say that’s a much better arrangement, wouldn’t you agree?”

(Y/n) fumbled with her journal, her writing suffering from her shaky hand, yet still Shinobu read it with ease.

“No payment necessary. We would be happy to have you.”

More frantic scribbling.

“Hmm, if you really feel compelled to contribute, then there is no shortage of things to do. We could get you on the medical track if you wish, or lab work, that would include creating medicine. Then there’s also garden maintenance, cooking and cleaning, whatever you’d like to try. Don’t be afraid to switch up if you decide something isn’t for you.”

(Y/n) clicked the pen several times, mind whirring with the possibilities. Finally, she wrote that she may be inretested in learning about medicine. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle the bloody and severely beaten slayers that came through the doors, but she would like to help them somehow. Help her bother.

Shinobu nodded appraisingly, “Alright, I have to restock some reserves soon so this is actually great timing. I’ll come to get you early tomorrow and I’ll teach how to make a few things. We will also have to prepare a room in the permanent residential wing… see about collecting your belongings…” Shinobu continued to number the items on her fingers as she thought.

The change seemed impulsive, but (Y/n) thought it might be just what she needed. A bright, warm home filled with life.

***

Aoi was still a little cross with (Y/n) for running off when she had first arrived, but they had patched things up so that there were no hard feelings as they got to work with each other more.

Kanao was civil, quiet, but no less kind, often helping (Y/n) along when Shinobu or Aoi could not. As she grew more familiar with her, she liked to bring (Y/n) out to the garden to watch the butterflies and it became a regular activity for them.

Sumi, Kiyo and Naho found her a bit complexing, but easily adapted to her presence. As time went on, they began to gossip in hushed whispers and giggles with each other when they observed (Y/n) and Shinobu together. They had never seen Shinobu drop non-urgent work faster than when she saw that (Y/n) was free.

Then there was the lively group of Zenitsu, Inosuke, Tanjirou and his demon sister Nezuko. Getting to know them was exhausting at times, but they had a lot of heart and (Y/n) enjoyed their antics to a point. She was most enraptured learning Tanjirou and Nezuko’s story and how they had met her brother. He had not only spared Nezuko, but staked his life on her resolve to not harm humans. Getting to Nezuko herself, she was very proud of her brother’s judgment.

So much had happened in such few weeks. Giyuu had very small bouts of wakefulness, but not enough for him to comprehend what was around him. (Y/n) waited diligently for the time he would open his eyes and actually see her. She often wondered what he would say, how he would look. Would he be angry that she was led here or happy to see her?

And what would he think of her living in the Butterfly Estate? All her belongings had already been relocated, the lonely estate sold, there really was no turning back. Though she had put the money back into Giyuu’s account, it would be hard to find another place like the one he had bought for her.

Shinobu had told her not to worry. If Giyuu had a problem with it, he could be mad at her since it had been her idea in the first place. It did make (Y/n) feel better knowing that Shinobu had her back. Though she wasn’t so sure if it was good that she had long since given her heart in return. If Shinobu knew of her infatuation, she had yet to acknowledge it.

(Y/n) was just finished filling some pill capsules with carefully measured medicinal powder when Aoi poked her head into the room. She appeared to be in a rather good mood and (Y/n) soon learned why.

“Hey, Shinobu-sama wants to see you. Someone is awake and lucid for once.”

(Y/n) gasped excitedly and hugged Aoi, quickly spinning her around a few times before taking off down the now familiar hallways. She stopped in the doorway and met Shinobu’s eye as she turned back to see her.

“Ah! Your guest is here Tomioka-san. Take a look.” Shinobu moved out of Giyuu’s way and (Y/n) lit up upon seeing her brother sitting up in bed.

She crossed the room in a few quick strides and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. After a few slow beats, Giyuu patted (Y/n) on the back, but then pushed her back a bit so he could talk to her face to face.

“…You shouldn’t be here.” He said it as if stating fact. No anger, never at (Y/n). He did sound rather exhausted even after all the sleeping he had done.

“Of all the things you could have said, you chose to lead with that?” Shinobu commented, unimpressed.

“How about, ‘I’m glad you’re here’ or ‘I missed you?’ Really now Tomioka-san, I can’t do everything for you.”

“I am happy to see you,” Giyuu told his sister, “but you really shouldn’t be here.”

(Y/n)’s throat tightened, a quiet whine of displeasure sounded in the back of her throat.

“Actually, she should most definitely be here.” Shinobu defended. “You could have died and left her completely alone, wondering where you were or what happened to you.”

“Kanzaburou—“

“Should be retired. And how impersonal it would be to receive such awful news that way. But it doesn’t matter anymore, the past is in the past, (Y/n)-san is living here now.”

Giyuu blinked, though his expression still appeared stony, Shinobu didn’t miss the twitch of his eyebrows and the way his jaw clenched. He did not like the sound of that apparently.

“You can’t just decide these things Kochou-san. My sister is not a doll you can use to toy with me.”

“Do you really think I’m that shallow?” Shinobu smiled tightly, balling her fists beneath the sleeves of her haori.

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

(Y/n) placed a hand on both Giyuu and Shinobu’s shoulders, looking between them with frantic eyes. She did not like the threatening aura blooming between them. They were friends, she didn’t want to see them fight, but Shinobu would never let Giyuu have the last word.

“You left her alone. You might like it just fine being a isolated stick in the mud, but (Y/n)-san deserves more.”

“She was safe there.”

“Do you think I can’t protect her if she needs me to?”

“She would have been fine if you had just stayed out of it.”

They pushed against (Y/n)’s hands and Giyuu hissed in pain from the exertion. (Y/n) couldn’t handle any more of the tension and extracted herself from the situation, running out of the room.

“(Y/n)…”

“(Y/n)-san?”

They watched her go with matching regretful looks, but Shinobu still turned back to Giyuu arms crossed and said,

“Now look what you did.”

Giyuu gave Shinobu his most dead-eyed stare to date and she sighed.

“Okay, we both let things get out of hand, but (Y/n)-san is happy here. She was excited to tell you all about it. She even prepared writings in advance to tell you everything.”

“She should have discussed it with me first…”

“Maybe. You may have failed to notice it in your absence, but she isn’t a child anymore, Tomioka-san. She’s making friends here, she feels like she’s contributing to something important. She’s thriving here, whereas before she was merely going through the motions day to day.”

Giyuu rested back against his pillows and closed his tired eyes. All he ever wanted was the best for (Y/n), to keep her from harm, but somehow he couldn’t even do that right.

“None of that now.” Shinobu called out, putting a temporary stop to Giyuu’s brooding, “No one can fault you for trying. It just wasn’t a good fit for her that’s all. She loves you and all she wants is to be able to spend time with you. Why she would want to do a silly thing like that is beyond me, but I’m the supportive sort.”

“I need to talk to her.” Giyuu attempted to get out of his bed, but Shinobu pushed him back.

“I can’t have you wandering around just yet Tomioka-san. I’ll find her. It’ll give you time to actually think of something profound to say.”

Shinobu left the room, missing Giyuu’s quiet utterance of thanks that fell from his lips.

***

Luckily (Y/n) hadn’t been too hard for Shinobu to find. She had been sitting under a tree near the edge of the koi pond. Shinobu noticed how she had grown attached to the spot not long after she had arrived. Cautiously, she approached.

“(Y/n)-san, may I speak with you a moment?” She asked, not yet sitting down.

(Y/n) tilted her head upward, and Shinobu could just about throw herself into the pond for having been partially responsible for the despondent look upon her face. (Y/n) managed a single nod and Shinobu moved to kneel beside her.

“First and foremost I must apologize for antagonizing your brother and by extension, you. I should not have told him about you moving in either. I know you were looking forward to telling him yourself. I hope you can forgive me.”

(Y/n) would be hard pressed to remain upset with Shinobu for long. She wasn’t even really upset with her now, she just hated seeing them fight.

She opened up the journal to a clean page and began to write, handing it off to Shinobu once she was finished.

“Oh, Tomioka-san and I are fine. We’ve had worse disagreements. We promise to behave ourselves going forward. It’s all water under the bridge already.”

It’s true, the last major altercation Shinobu had with Giyuu was on Natagumo where she had almost stabbed him in the face with her shoe knife. She wisely decided (Y/n) didn’t need to hear about that though.

(Y/n) nodded in understanding and took a breath of relief. She pulled Shinobu in for a hug and the Hashira smiled, returning the gesture. She would have liked for the embrace to last longer, but there was much to be done that day.

“Tomioka-san is ready to listen to you now. Go on, I’ll get his medicine ready.”

(Y/n) nodded against Shinobu’s shoulder, then leaned away, gathered her things, and stood up. She waved and with that she jogged back to the mansion, noticeably happier.

“I still can’t believe there is a relation between the two of them.” Shinobu shook her head fondly.

She took her time, giving the siblings ample time to catch up. As she measured the proper proportions, she amused herself imagining what a conversation would look like between the two. Maybe they could even hold whole conversations without saying a word. She supposed she’d have plenty of opportunity to find out for herself.

***

Giyuu’s recovery was just about complete after a month of rigorous rehabilitation training and Shinobu had an important question to ask him regarding his sister and it was something she had been dreading for weeks.

Given that Giyuu was (Y/n)’s only living relative, and such an important one at that, Shinobu thought it important and proper to ask Giyuu if she had his blessing to ask (Y/n) if she could court her.

Shinobu didn’t like being vulnerable, but this was something that had been on her mind from almost the moment she woke up in the morning, to the last thing on her mind before she fell asleep. She really liked her, and she had an inkling (Y/n) might have felt the same.

She definitely didn’t accidentally see the cute little doodles of her that spilled out of (Y/n)’s journal when the poor girl had dropped it in the hallway that one time, it was just an honest hunch.

At the moment, (Y/n) was helping Aoi collect medicinal plants in the garden and Giyuu was just finishing up his last recovery training session, so it was the perfect time to ask him without anyone else around.

Shinobu entered the training room Giyuu was in and waved the younger girls off, telling them that she could take care of the rest in their stead.

Shinobu made her approach and one of Giyuu’s eyebrow raised slightly. An expression of mild suspicion upon his face.

“What’s with that face?” Shinobu asked, poking him in the chest.

“What do you want?”

“Who said I wanted anything? So quick to judge, Tomioka-san,” Shinobu tapped her cheek thoughtfully, “although now that you mention it, perhaps there was something that I wanted to ask you.”

“Is this about the crush you have on my sister?”

Shinobu had to do a hard stop at that. Had she really been so obvious that even Giyuu had been able to tell? That was disturbing. Shinobu recovered as quickly as she could.

“Yes, that’s right!” She clapped her hands, an attempt to distract her nerves. “How astute of you to notice.”

Giyuu blinked slowly like a cat, waiting.

Shinobu sighed inwardly and dropped the playful act. It would do her no good if Giyuu thought her infatuation with his sister was just a game or a way to mess with him as he had seemed to believe all those weeks ago. Now was not the time to beat around the bush.

“Tomioka-san, I was hoping you would give me your blessing to pursue (Y/n)-san.”

“You’re asking me?”

“Who else would I ask?”

“…(Y/n)?”

Shinobu fought the urge to slap the palm of her hand into her forehead.

“Yes… that is the next step. But as her only family, I thought it appropriate to alert you of my intentions.”

“Oh,” Giyuu blinked again. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Shinobu was about to have an aneurysm or an ulcer of some kind.

“Okay you can court my sister if that’s what she wants.”

“Really? You’d give me your blessing just like that?” Shinobu felt a bit skeptical.

If their positions were reversed, she would definitely make Giyuu work harder for her blessing. One would think after all the poking and prodding she gave him, he would be leaping at the opportunity to finally return the favor.

“She seems to like you for whatever reason. It’s her life, she’s grown a lot. If you are what she wants, then who am I to get in her way?”

Shinobu smirked. She felt a lot lighter, light enough to go right back to her usual antagonistic behavior when it came to Giyuu.

“Whatever reason you say? I’ll have you know I am a catch, Tomioka-san. You on the other hand, well, (Y/n)-san and I will keep an eye out for someone who compliments your miserable bleakness.”

Giyuu made no expression or movement to suggest he heard her, but Shinobu knew he heard her just fine. Her smirk became a tad more dastardly.

“Hm, I suppose I should go ask (Y/n)-san for the honor to court her now,” Shinobu poked Giyuu’s shoulder as she spoke, “Just imagine Tomioka-san, someday you might even be my brother-in-law. How weird would that be? Of course, (Y/n)-san would take my name. I think it would physically damage me to write your surname as mine.”

Giyuu grunted noncommittally while looking elsewhere. Presumably attempting to imagine he was anywhere else. He was picturing eating salmon daikon on the beach when Shinobu said something that disturbed him to his very core.

“See you around, Yuu-nii.” She teased.

Only (Y/n) referred to him in such a way. Shinobu must have seen her write that nickname before and took note of it. Coming from (Y/n) it was sweet, but from Shinobu it made his skin crawl. Shinobu actually saw Giyuu shiver, and laughed.

“I will take good care of her, I promise.” Shinobu swore, believing she had tortured the poor man enough.

“I’m sure you will.”

***

“(Y/n)-san, may I steal you away for a bit?”

Shinobu came to a stop at her lab and knocked gently upon the wooden doorframe, smiling fondly at (Y/n) as she held up a single finger before focusing back on the scale before her.

When the scales evened out, (Y/n) poured the powdered herbs into two separate bottles and tightly capped them. She then set them to the side and joined Shinobu at the door, her expression curious.

“Walk with me?” Shinobu held out her elbow.

(Y/n) pursed her lips and nodded enthusiastically. She wove her arm through Shinobu’s.

Shinobu didn’t take her far, only to Victory. The old sakura blossom tree was blooming as lovely as it did every year. No one else seemed to be in the vicinity either, which made it all the more better.

They settled in beneath the tree, and together watched the pink petals flutter in the light breeze for a few minutes before Shinobu addressed (Y/n) again.

Softly, as if nervous speaking above the wind would spook her, Shinobu asked (Y/n) to be her girlfriend and with bated breath, she waited for her answer.

(Y/n)’s hands shook with exhilaration. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening! She reached for her newest journal and— she patted down her body before it hit her.

She had forgotten her journal in the lab!

She had wanted to write a heartfelt reply, but now she was stuck. She could rush in to get it, but that would surely distract from the moment.

Instead she went to lean closer to Shinobu to take her hands and nod her approval, but in her frazzled state she fell off balance and her hands pressed against Shinobu’s thighs as she tried to correct her balance and her lips fell over Shinobu’s, surprising them both.

It took a moment, but once (Y/n) fully realized what she was doing, she went to pull away. Ready to bruise her forehead with the velocity at which she was going to bow for forgiveness. However Shinobu moved faster, lacing her fingers behind (Y/n)’s neck to keep her in place just a bit longer.

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