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crossroadsandloudmusic · 2 years

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Jesus fuck where do I even start ok so this is a massively long fic, in fact I think it’s the longest one I’ve ever written. Anyways this is for Anon so if you are out there, I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!!! Really sorry it took so long life has gotten really busy and tbh I fell in love with your idea and wanted to pour my heart and soul into it. I seriously hope you enjoy, oh and I went a little crazy with the Yandere Themes but nevertheless I hope you enjoy it. I wrote it in a way that could be watched alongside the mugen train arc so if you wanted to you absolutely could!!!! I hope you enjoy and thank you to everyone who have been unbelievably patient with me, y’all are the best!!!!!

As always please enjoy!

Request are always open!(disclaimer, it does take me while)

Criticism/tips welcome!

Warnings: Yandere themes, violent themes, sexual themes, delusion, stalking, kidnapping, assault, (etc.)

If anything mentioned above may cause you distress of any kind please do not read

Minors do not interact.

Sweat poured from your brow; it had been an intense workout you had just completed, but if you were going to be a Hashira you had to get stronger every chance you got.

You sheathed your sword and sat down on the dusty ground. As you did you wiped the sweat from your brow and sighed deeply.

“(Y/n), here, I brought you some water!” Spoke Kyojuro enthusiastically. His sudden appearance startled you as he had seemed to form out of thin air.

“Kyojuro, you scared me! Where did you come from?!” You replied as you sighed a sigh of relief. Kyojuro didn’t answer, only laughed as a response. Had it not been for his boisterous and jolly demeanor the interaction would have left you skeptical. Instead, you took the calabash from his hands and drank the cool water eagerly.

Kyojuro watched how your eyes closed and how your body graciously took the drink. Goosebumps rose on his skin and a shiver trickled up his spine. How beautiful you looked accepting such a small gesture from him, so beautiful of every second of every day.

If you paid him closer attention you would have come to find that Kyojuro adored you. No, he was obsessed with you. He exalted every effort to be around you, to be your friend. Along with this he often would follow you home or follow you to missions. He convinced himself that this was only to ensure your safety, and if anything were to go wrong he would be there to save you. On nights he wasn’t so lucky as to be able to follow you, he would become wracked with anxiety. He’d pace the floor or bounce his leg as his mind ran with all the ways you could have gotten hurt. After he finished what he needed to attend to, he’d run to find you. Several nights he found that you were indeed safe, going about your nightly routine or sleeping peacefully in your bed. He’d stay and watch you for a while longer before he took his leave, but even then his anxiety was not curbed. He needed more, he needed to be sure that you were safe even if he wasn’t present. These thoughts plagued him constantly. Yet to you he seemed only to be a close friend, who was helpful and kind to everyone. You were the only one who didn’t see Kyojuro’s true feelings.

————————————————————————-

On one particular morning you spent your time in and out of conciseness recovering from a mission that left you badly injured. The kakushi recovered you from the scene and transported you to the butterfly estate. You laid in bed wrapped from head to toe in bandages, and the news of this spread like wild fire; before too long the news reached Kyojuro.

He was standing and talking with Mitsuri when she mentioned that you and several other slayers were being cared for at the estate. When he heard your name, he stopped and all color fled from his face. He hadn’t known you had been sent on a mission as he had just returned from one. Quickly he apologized and excused himself, when he was sure that he was out of sight he sprinted to the butterfly estate.

He barreled through the doors frantically, his hair wild and his face flushed as he tried to remain calm. Shinobu smiled and greeted him warmly to which Kyojuro returned the gesture. She then asked that if there was something he needed and he replied that he was there to check on you.

Shinobu noticed how ever so slightly his hands were trembling and how fast he responded. She noticed his disheveled look and nervous behavior, even more intriguing was how he had found out where you were so soon. You had only just arrived a few hours before, not to mention you still were in critical condition.

“(Y/n) is doing well, I’m sure in the next few days they will be ready for visitors.” Shinobu replied with her gentle voice and soothing tone. This did nothing to settle Kyojuro’s nerves, in fact, it heightened them.

“Can I go see them now?” Kyojuro asked a little too quickly.

Shinobu smiled once again and responded,

“I feel that may not be the best thing for (Y/n) right now, as they are still in critical condition. It would be best for them to rest.”

“I see.” Kyojuro replied visibly disappointed.

Shinobu then carried on about her business and left a defeated Kyojuro alone in the hall. But just as soon as she was away from view, he began to search the rooms.

He roamed the intensive care hall cautiously, when he walked past a group of girls he would smile and wave as if he were allowed to be there. He even stopped at one point and asked which room you were in, the girl not knowing any better pointed to your room down the hall and to the right. He thanked them graciously and continued on his way.

When he approached your room, he placed his ear against the paper door. He could hear your shallow breathes, but nothing else was heard. Quietly he slid the door open and stepped inside.

What he saw next almost brought him to his knees in anguish. Your poor body, broken, bruised, battered, and covered in bandages. The only skin that was visible was that of your eyes and nose even though they too were injured. He walked and knelt on the floor beside your bed. He took your hand, he held it softly as he watched your chest rise and fall with each ragged breath. His tears stung his eyes as he looked over you and took in the full extent of your injuries; his heart shattered even more thinking of the fear you must have felt. The overwhelming guilt hung tightly to his soul, he blamed himself for everything. If he had only been there maybe, you wouldn’t be laying before him on the brink of death. Each time he gazed at your face, your beautiful face torn to pieces and bruised beyond recognition, he wept.

Shinobu knew that Kyojuro would defy her, she knew that as soon as she left from him that he find his way to you. She thought it sweet that Kyojuro was so helplessly in love with you, but not her nor anyone else for that matter, knew the full extent of his adoration for you.

Each day that he could, Kyojuro would be by your side waiting for you to wake. He would kneel by the bed and talk about his day or what interested him in that moment. Then he would read to you. And after that he would continue talking. When the nurses arrived to change your bandages or to administer medication he would stand in the corner watching their every move. Some even complained that he made them nervous by watching so closely. Shinobu would only laugh and tell them to not mind him as he was only worried about you.

————————————————————————

“Kyo…Kyo…Kyojuro!” You said loudly as you waved your hand infront of Kyojuro’s eyes.

“Hm?! Yes?” He said breaking out of his trance.

“You were staring again.” You said as you playfully laughed. Recently he had developed a habit of staring. One minute he would be talking and the next he’d be completely silent with his eyes fixed on you. At first it startled you, but soon after you grew accustomed to it so when he did drift off you would pull him back into reality. You often found yourself staring back and wondering what exactly went on in his head.

“Oh I’m sorry! I suppose my mind was somewhere else!” Kyojuro replied looking at you. He had been thinking of that time at the butterfly estate. He spent so long by your side, he refused to eat and barely drink simply because he wanted to be there when you woke. That and the guilt he felt inside wouldn’t let him leave you. He didn’t deserve to be comfortable or to indulge in anything nice because you were in pain. Pain that he believed he could have prevented. Even now, months after the incident, he felt tremendous guilt.

“What was it we were discussing?” He asked, his attention now fully on you as if you weren’t the only thing his mind was on constantly.

“We were discussing our upcoming missions, you said something about yours being on a train?” You asked as you turned towards him. You noticed a slight red hue to his cheeks appear when you locked eyes with him.

“Right! The train!”

————————————————————————

Kyojuro went on to explain his next mission would be on board a train. Suspicious disappearances had occurred recently on the train, therefore several slayers had been sent to investigate, but none had returned. It was then decided that Kyojuro, along with three other slayers, were to be sent and exterminate the demon. From the way Kyojuro spoke of the mission it was to be a fairly quick trip. Only two days from the way he had put it. And yet he spoke confidently, the feeling of impending doom sunk in the pit of your chest. He noticed your change in attitude and immediately spoke up,

“What’s the matter?” He asked, his eyes soft and comforting. He worried that perhaps he had said something wrong, he searched his words hoping he didn’t offend you somehow.

You fidgeted nervously and replied,

“It’s nothing-just-just be careful Kyo.” You often found that saying such kind words made you nervous, you looked away from Kyojuro and down to your feet.

Your words silenced him. He could feel his heart thumping and the blood rush to his face. Oh how his heart soared! Your soft words were music to his ears, he felt that such kindness was wasted on him, nevertheless he couldn’t help but feel elated. How kind you were to be worried about him, although misguided as this mission was nothing to worry about, it would be far easier than ones he had handled before. He knew that you would see that you shouldn’t worry for him as he would return home unscathed. And then he hoped that you would also see that he should be the one to protect you. You would see that you could depend on him, be safe with him, love him. Yes he would return home unharmed, and then you would finally see where you belonged. You belonged with him.

‘How wonderful!’

‘Things will be perfect!’

‘It will be beautiful!’

His mind chanted.

He stood from his seated position beside you, you looked up at him and saw the brightest smile plastered across his face. He extended you a hand and you took it, before you knew what was happening, Kyojuro pulled you up into his arms. He wrapped them tightly around your waist and lifted you from the ground.

“Kyojuro?! Kyojuro!? What are you doing? Put me down!” You yelled but he only laughed and started spin. He twirled the two of you around several times before setting you back down.

“Of course I’ll be careful, (Y/n)! If I’m careful that means I get to live another day, another day that can be spent with you!” Kyojuro said in his usual loud voice.

Suddenly he dipped and wrapped his arms around you once again, this time his grip was tighter. So tight in fact you began to have trouble breathing, if he squeezed any tighter your ribs might have broken.

“Ach-Kyo-I can’t breathe.” You managed to choke out. He loosened his grip, but still he embraced you.

He smiled so warmly, he reminded you of the sun. His blatant affection had caught you off guard as he was being particularly flirtatious. Perhaps this is what Mitsuri meant by Kyojuro’s ‘extreme crush’ on you. This was of course followed by Tengen saying it was more of an obsession rather than a crush. And at the time you didn’t believe either of them because Kyojuro had always came off as sweet and kind spirited. He was like that with everyone. Today, and past several weeks for that matter he had become a bit more touchy and a bit more gushy than usual. It never bothered you as he had yet to properly ask you out, and the idea of the two of you together seemed pleasant. Though, at the back of your mind, something told you to be careful. Almost like you were telling yourself that you might be getting more than you bargained for if you did get involved with him. Therefore you thought it best to tread lightly.

“I have something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a very long time.” Kyojuro whispered, his lips grazing the shell of your ear. His voice was deeper, more serious now. Your sense heightened and the hair on your skin rose.

He couldn’t deny his feelings any longer. He wanted you to know just how much he truly loved you, how much he worshiped you. But your voice stopped him before he could continue,

“Kyojuro, whats going on? You’ve been acting weird lately, are you okay?” You asked him as you retracted from his grip. You looked at him with worry in your eyes, Kyojuro’s smile still as wild as ever.

“I’ve never been better! I feel amazing, I feel as though I could fight a thousand demons!” He yelled, his response failed to cull your confusion.

“What is that you need to tell me?” You asked, hoping that whatever it was he said next would answer your questions.

Your heart rate rose in anticipation for what he was about to confess.

Then he took a step back and he calmed. His muscles relaxed and his smile that was filled with raging excitement faded to a grin of contentment.

“No, now isn’t the right time. After I arrive back home, I would like to spend some time together. Just the two of us.” He said as his hands slid from your back to your forearms, he held them firmly and his thumbs rubbed the exposed skin.

A blush spread across your cheeks, his soft gestures and words had you confused, most of all they had you flustered.

“Sure-I mean yeah, we could spend some time together. Alone.” You squeaked out nervously. Kyojuro smiled and laughed once again before embracing you harshly one last time. His touch was starved, so much so that it seemed he hadn’t hugged anyone in quite a long time.

The two of you shared parting words and Kyojuro headed to what you assumed, his father’s estate.

You stood in the middle of the training grounds still stunned by the whole interaction. The most you could do was stand motionless as your mind raced trying to make it all make sense.

Then you looked down to your hand and saw that you still held the calabash Kyojuro had given to you.

“I’ll have to return this when he gets home.” You said aloud as you examined it more closely. When he returned you would simply walk up and give it to him. You’d thank him and the exchange would be over, right? Then the two of you could go back to being close friends, right? You knew it would never be that easy. It’s was apparent now that Kyojuro did desire you, and you-well you didn’t know if you felt the same. Kyojuro was a very handsome man, a terribly strong slayer, and he was overwhelmingly kind. He was a good person and you knew that. But something about the way he showed his desire worried you. His actions appeared restrained, as if he was hiding the full extent of his emotions. That being said Kyojuro was never the one to act on pure emotion, he was level headed and used logic to solve his issues. You were torn by your thoughts. Part of you wanted to let yourself enjoy his presence and see if a blossoming relationship could sprout from your friendship, then again a roaring wildfire starts from a singular spark.

Frustrated and wanting nothing more than to go home, you picked up your belongings. You looked across the training grounds and saw that it was empty. Earlier you had heard voices of others but you had been so focused on your training you hadn’t seen who it was. In fact, you had been the only one using the training grounds today as there was no one present when you began and when you ended.

Except, Kyojuro.

Your throat tightened.

No one else was here except you, and yet Kyojuro somehow managed to be stopping by. Equipped with water of course.

‘How did he know where to find me?’ Your mind asked itself.

‘Maybe I’m reading to much into this.’ You thought trying to reassure yourself.

‘No I’m just being paranoid, I need to get some rest. Yeah I’m just tired!’ You thought to yourself once again before shaking your head and silently laughing.

‘Getting all worked up over nothing.’ You laughed at your own paranoia, for a second you were thinking that Kyojuro had been stalking you.

‘What a ridiculous thought.’ You added.

As you continued to settle your nerves back down, you made your way through the gates and around the corner of the fence. From there you would descend the hill, and follow a thin path into the forest. After a several mile trek you would enter the town closest to your home. There you thought you might do some light shopping as you had been meaning to get out more often. Maybe you would find a new kimono or yukata to add to your collection. Then you could stop for some udon, and after that you could finish your journey home. From the way you trained today, udon and a good night’s sleep was well deserved.

————————————————————————-

That evening you spent your time wandering the crowded streets stopping and admiring all the merchandise. Just as you had expected, you didn’t make it through without spending money. As you walked from vendor to vendor something caught your eye. It had been a glorious (y/f/c) haori. It was perfect in every way, you stopped and admired it for quite a while. The merchant took notice of this and gave you deal, you thanked him. Immediately after, you had handed the man your money and put it on. To which he smiled and clapped, you were just a thrilled as it fit perfectly. You thanked him once again and continued on your way.

Then you stopped for something to eat. A bald fellow that wore a striped kimono sat with his udon cart near the end of town. You approached him and paid for two bowls, as you were exhausted and starving at this point. You handed him your money and he handed you two bowls. You took them and thanked him just as you had the merchant. Quietly you ate on a bench nearby, the food was immaculate and it settled your grumbling stomach. You returned the bowls and thank the man to which he thanked you in return. Then you continued down the winding road towards your home. It was getting dark and the trees appeared black against the orange sky. You sighed with content. The world you lived in was so cruel yet so beautiful at times. How lucky you were to live amongst such glorious sights.

‘I know what it means to be a slayer…I defeat the evil that prevents others from seeing the world as it truly is. And it is beautiful.’ You said internally. As your mind worked with solving the intricacies that entangles life, today’s incident and worries were behind you. But of course they were never far away, in fact, one followed close behind observing your every move.

————————————————————————-

You stepped onto the wooden engawa and opened your door. Inside was dark and quiet, it was always nerve wracking to come into your home late in the evenings. Quickly you fumbled for your matches. Once found, you made your way around the house lighting each lantern. Soon the house was entirely illuminated and you felt a bit more comfortable.

Towards the end of your journey the feeling of being watched crept upon you. You had been uneasy and quickened your pace quite a bit. This had not been because you were avoiding a potential demon, but from the lack of one. When the feeling first appeared you stopped, hands clasped your sword in anticipation. In an instant you knew that what you sensed had not been a demon but instead a human. A strong one, one that was determined and feared nothing. You knew you would have to face who it was if you stayed any longer, and as many demons you killed, you were not prepared to kill a human being. Therefore, you fled. But now you were home, and home was safe.

You made quick work of your training clothes, tossing them to the side as you pulled on your evening clothes. Then you went to your room and hung up your new haori, something so nice should be treated as such. You chuckled, as you knew soon enough you would be wearing it into battle.

‘Hopefully this one will hold up better than the last’ you thought to yourself as you smoothed out the wrinkles and freeing it from any dirt.

Afterwards, you stepped outside to fetch some water from your well. Then you brought the pail inside and scooped a cup of water from it.

‘I’ll have to make some tea in the morning.’ You mentioned to yourself as you sipped the cool water slowly.

You tended to a few things inside the house before officially retiring to bed. Accompanied by your cup of water and your katana, you shuffled into the bedroom. There you sat down on the fluffy futon and immediately sank into its warmth. Knowing you would soon fall asleep you took one last sip of your water and placed it withins arm reach, then you placed your blade on the floor next to your bed. That is where your sword always resided as it was easy for you grab incase of an emergency, and it gave you a strong sense of comfort knowing your weapon rested alongside of you.

You inched into the covers and snuggled tighter into the pillows. The warmth and softness of your bed always made you question why you left it to begin with. Your eyes heavy with sleep closed and your muscles settled, before long, you had fallen into a deep sleep.

Luckily for Kyojuro, not even the world coming to an end could wake you tonight. As he had done many nights before, he stepped onto the engawa and strolled to the door. There he picked the lock and slid it open.

Inside your home felt as it always did, peaceful and tranquil. Maybe it was just your energy, but regardless Kyojuro had never felt as peaceful as he did here. Here beside you.

He stood in the entrance of your room and admired you. How beautiful you looked sleeping so comfortably. It was amusing to him how you slept the same every night, one leg bent and the other straight, while one arm was always wrapped around a pillow and the other rested underneath your head. He chuckled quietly as he took his seat where he had many times before; it was a cushion conveniently placed against the wall. During the nights he came he would take his spot and lean against the wall while he silently watched you. Each night that he did he yearned for your touch, he wanted so desperately to be the one you cuddled so closely. But for now he was content with watching you sleep peacefully as he knew before long his dreams would become reality.

You stirred slightly and Kyojuro froze, but then you settled, falling back into your deep slumber. He released his breath and smiled, there had been several nights where you had almost caught him. One being particularly too close of a call for comfort.

A couple weeks before, you returned from a mission, it had been strenuous both the journey and battle. You were injured but not severe enough to warrant a visit to Shinobu, instead you opted to treat your wounds in the comfort of your home.

Kyojuro had followed you into battle and remained just out of sight. During the fight he almost jumped in to help, but you managed defeat the demon on your own. Your fighting style was confusing to anyone that watched you, you were the master of trickery. In one moment it looked as if you were leaving an opening for an opponent’s attack, but at the last second you would strike and rise victorious. The demon would only realize the full extent of your deception when it’s head was rolling across the ground.

‘Amazing!’ Kyojuro thought to himself as he saw your perfectly calculated performance. Your art was appearing weak and unbalanced while you remained in control the entire time.

After the battle had concluded, you sheathed your sword and turned towards the way you came. You made the trek home drenched in sweat and covered in dust.

Once home you wasted no time changing clothes, stripping them as soon as you walked through the door. Being that you were exhausted you had forgotten to close the door.

Kyojuro stood not far behind you, shielded by the shrubbery close to the engawa. He watched stunned as you removed the top layer of clothing off your body. Once he realized what you were doing, heat rushed to his face and his eyes widened. He audibly gasped and ducked further into the brush.

Although you weren’t fully unclothed, seeing more of your body rendered him into a blushing, fumbling mess. His hands trembled and sweat began to pour from his pores. Before, this had only been a dream, one he would think of you when he was alone late into the evening. But now you stood almost completely bare, your skin illuminated by the moonlight.

Kyojuro could feel his body reacting to the intimate scene in-front of him. His legs became weak and his blood rushed from his face to just below his belt. A rising tent formed in between his legs.

None the wiser, you picked your clothes up from the wooden floor and stepped inside; closing the door behind you.

When you bent to retrieve your clothing, Kyojuro groaned as the sight was far too much for him to contain. Once the door was closed he released the breath he had been holding in so desperately. Quickly he tried to calm himself as his length grew even more prominent, but all attempts were made in vain as the images of you flooded his perverse mind.

Unbeknownst to you, you wandered your home. You did small things that were required of you every evening. Watering your plants, changing clothes, cleaning your sword, and other small chores such as that. Once your nightly routine had been completed you walked to your room and shut the door. Inside you put on your usual sleep clothes and made yourself comfortable in bed. Tomorrow you would train and the day after that you would train some more. Even though you wanted so deeply to give up, to give in, you knew that you couldn’t. You could only get stronger and faster.

You quietly placed your sword at the side of your bed, then you laid down and sunk into the glorious mass of pillows. Seconds later you were asleep and Kyojuro was making his way inside. Kyojuro approached the door, his hands fumbled as he tried to pick the lock. Much to his surprise the door had been left unlatched.

‘Careless.’ He thought, as he silently slid the door open. The unlocked door was added to the many list of reasons why you needed him to protect you. What if someone where to come in and harm you? You slept far too heavy to sense them, you were leaving yourself open to intruders. It was dangerous! But if you had Kyojuro by your side you needn’t worry about such things as he would handle them. He would keep you safe, and to thank him, you would love him forever. He walked through your home making sure that no one else was around. Once he found that the home was all clear he walked into the kitchen and fixed himself a glass of water. He drank it and set the glass upside down beside the water pail absent mindedly. He then strolled to your room and opened the door. Inside, you lay sprawled across your bed, quietly snoring. Kyojuro laughed a bit at your position but nevertheless he came over and draped your blanket back on top of you. When he did the sweetest of smiles spread across your face, your body instinctively curled underneath the blanket and you sighed deeply. His heart leapt for joy, if only you knew he was the one that took such good care of you. Perhaps you would throw yourself into his arms immediately! Kyojuro could do nothing except kneel beside you and admire your beautiful face. How gorgeous you looked, how serene your expression is when you sleep. He had already been so riled up before, but now he his heart was nearly jumping out of his chest.

‘One kiss wouldn’t hurt.’ He thought to himself, still kneeling close beside you.

‘Just a small one, I doubt (Y/n) would even notice.’ He thought again as he began kneel closer. His heart raced now, he could hear his blood surging through his body. He inched closer and closer till his lips grazed the skin of your cheek. His breath came out ragged and starved, he craved this type of intimacy with you.

Very gently he placed a soft kiss on your cheek.

As a result you awoke from your sleep and instantly grabbed your katana. You unsheathed it and ran to search your home. You rummaged through each room and each time it returned the same result. Nothing. In your half awake fueled confusion your ran outside to investigate there and nothing was spotted again.

That night you failed to sleep as peacefully as you did before, in fact you spent most of your time grappling with what exactly had happened. It felt as though you had been touched by someone, it felt like someone had been there. But none had been seen, therefore you reasoned with yourself that a big had landed on your or maybe a mouse scurried past. You reluctantly let yourself believe your reasoning and tried to sleep.

‘What is more believable, a big landed on your face or someone came into your home late in the evening just for a chance to touch you?’

Kyojuro had successfully evaded your sight but only narrowly. Once he kissed you he saw your body jump and your hand shot underneath him to your sword. He had been on his feet and out of the house before you even opened your eyes. He fled out of the house and into the woods. He waited patiently till you settled down and went inside, then he waited just a bit longer for you to go back to bed. He was disappointed he couldn’t spend longer with you, but tonight you would have been far too on edge to return. In the end he got what he wanted, so with that he made his way back to his home to spend the rest of night.

The next morning you found something rather peculiar. One of your glasses sat upside down next to the pail of water you brought in the morning before. This was strange as you never set your glasses upside down, instead you dried then and set them back on the shelf. You stared at the glass in confusion. Perhaps what was even more startling was the fact that you did not drink any water when you got home the previous night. If you had, you would have taken it with you to bed.

Not wanting to spend another minute inside that house you gathered your belongings and left to train. Hopefully when you returned home that evening the glass would be on the shelf and the whole occurrence that happened the evening bedroom would have all been a dream.

————————————————————————-

Kyojuro smiled recalling the fond memory. Now he was far to aware of your capabilities to do something as risky as that, not to mention, being under the influence of lust aided in his rash actions that night. No, now he was far more in control of his feelings. He knew he needed to wait, that soon you would open yourself up willingly and accept him. Maybe after the two of you were together long enough he would confess to these things. Hopefully the two of you could laugh and it would become a joke between lovers. The was a beautiful thought to him.

He looked out the window and saw that the dark night was shifting to morning. The eastern sky displayed a pale blue and the stars began to recede underneath the presence of the rising sun. He had stayed much longer than he anticipated, now he would have to hurry to arrive at the train station on time. Kyojuro stood and walked towards your open door. Before he left he turned and look at you one last time.

‘I could do this forever.’ He thought. He could spend his life completely and entirely dedicated to you. He could wake early every morning and protect this world the two of you live in, forever until the end of time, if it meant he could be with you. He could do anything for you.

He stepped out into the blossoming light of morning, the ground wet with dew and the birds sang a merry song. His heart hung as he thought it to be such a glorious morning, one he believed would be better spent with you. Yet he continued on his way, the hearts of others took priority over his own. Soon enough the two of you could share tender moments such as these.

————————————————————————-

The light streaming in from the window pulled you out of your slumber. Instinctively your stretched your muscles and sat up from the bed. Your muscles sore from the training you endured the previous day, but now you had grown accustomed to the feeling. Groggily, with your still heavy with sleep, you managed to get out of bed and walk to your bathroom.

There you relieved yourself, took a bath, and combed your hair. Then you exited the bathroom and marched down the hall into the kitchen. After your bath your body had fully awoken. Now you walked through your house bright eyed and bushy tailed. You took the cup from your room and refilled it, with your water in hand you walked out onto the engawa to enjoy the morning.

It was beautiful, the sun shone brilliantly and earth seemed to come to life. Birds in the trees sang, wildlife scuttled across the open yard, and plants beamed with pride as the soft breeze swayed them gently. Today was a beautiful day for training.

You hastily ran inside to put on your training clothes and grab you sword. As you did you dried your cup and placed it on the shelf. You looked at the shelf and your mind brought back the memory of that strange night and the upside down cup. It had troubled you so much you mentioned it to some fellow slayers, they joked and remarked that it could have been a ghost. You were not fond of their playfulness as the situation seriously spooked you, but the more you thought about it the more the idea of a friendly ghost seemed to interest you. You named the ghost Yurei, and each morning you left you would yell,

“Bye Yurei! I’ll be back soon!”

It was a small habit you had formed and you practiced it religiously. In fact, you deemed it bad luck to leave your home without saying goodbye. As a result, you’d hear the faintest of footsteps and tiniest bit of rustling at night. And when these things occurred you’d smile to yourself and think,

‘It’s just Yurei, he’s getting himself a glass of water for the evening.’

It always set your mind at ease knowing your imaginary roommate was keeping you company.

Once you had collected your things and changed clothes, you bolted out the door hollering your usual goodbye. You waved as you took off down the road, hand held high and sword at hip. Today a feeling of joy filled your heart, you weren’t sure where it had come from but you welcomed is as it was a much needed release from the burden that slayers carried. Somehow you felt things were going to change and that excited you.

————————————————————————-

When you arrived at the training grounds, all was empty except for Mitsuri and several younger slayers she has taken under her wing.

“Mitsuri!” You called and she turned towards you. Once she saw you, she squealed excitedly!

“Oh, (Y/n)! It’s been so long!” She said in her angelic voice. She jumped with joy and held her arms open. You ran to her and scooped her up in the biggest hug you could.

“Ugh I know, it’s been far too long!” You replied, with your arms still wrapped around her. The two of you pulled apart and began to talk. After a short conversation you mentioned that you needed to get started training, she smiled and said the same. Before you could go to the other side of the training yard she called you back.

“(Y/n)! Let’s go out this evening after training, I have so much I need to tell you!” She said, her voice full of enthusiasm.

“Absolutely!” You agreed.

After the plans were settled, the two of you separated once again. You to the opposite end of the training yard, and her along with her tsuguko plus two others.

For hours the five of you trained parallel to each other. After the sun began to set, Mitsuri bid her students farewell and made her way to you.

You hadn’t noticed how dark it had gotten, your mind had shut out the rest of the world and the only thing you could see was the swinging of your sword. Mitsuri ogled your spectacular technique, she knew it was only a matter of time before you became a hashira. She stood off to the side and sing your praises internally.

‘She’s so amazing the way she tricks her opponents! She’s like an optical illusion! No wonder Kyojuro is watching her so closely!’

In one final swift motion, you soared into the air. Your legs hung loosely underneath you as your chest faced the clouds, in an instant you switched your body midair and positioned yourself in the perfect stance to administer a finishing blow. You landed nearly silent, you stood from your crouched position and sheathed your katana.

“That was so cool!” Mitsuri cheered, her gleeful voice pulled you out of your trance and back into reality.

————————————————————————-

“Hey, let’s go here, the food is amazing.” You said pointing at a small restaurant in the middle of town. Together you walked in, inside the dimly lit building you were greeted by a young woman. She smiled and took the two of you to a table. Afterwards she placed to cups of tea in front of both of you and left to give you some time to chose what you wanted to eat.

“How many demons are you up to now?” Mitsuri asked.

“43. As long as I don’t sustain any serious injuries, I hope to complete my goal by the end of the year.” You said, just then realizing how close you really were to becoming a hashira.

“Oh you are so close! I can’t wait! You have to sit beside me during the meetings!” Mitsuri chimed. Her cheerful demeanor was contagious, you smiled along side her and replied,

“Of course! Who else would I sit by?” You asked.

“What about Kyojuro? I’m sure he’d be fairly heartbroken if you weren’t close by, speaking of, how are you and Kyojuro? Have the two of you gone on any fun dates recently?” Mitsuri against with her head propped on her hands listening intently.

When you heard his name mentioned all color fled from your face and your heart sunk. You hadn’t thought about Kyojuro all day, and when she said his name the feeling of dread returned.

“Oh yeah, me and Kyojuro, well um, we are supposed to go out when he gets back from his mission. I think tonight he is supposed to be at the train station.” You said nervously, but your hesitation went unnoticed by Mitsuri.

“Ah! Are you two officially now? That’s wonderful! When is the wedding going to be? How many kids do you plan on having? Will the have hair like Kyojuro’s or will they have (y/h/c) like you? Will they use flame breathing or (y/b/t) like you? Can I babysit them? How often do-” You stopped her before she could keep going.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We haven’t even gone out yet!” You yelled bursting into laughter, although the situation with Kyojuro caused you some anxiety, Mitsuri’s rapid fire questioning made you lose all sense of seriousness.

“Oh, well I assumed from the way Kyojuro spoke the two of you had begun to get pretty serious.” Mitsuri replied, clearly surprised by your response.

“What do you mean?” You asked, the feeling of dread crept up into your chest.

“He mentioned several occasions the two of you spent time together, he seems absolutely smitten. He talks so loving of you and about the way you treat him. He even said that he was going to see you at your home one evening. It’s funny, there’s a joke circling about how you don’t see one without the other. Where you are, Kyojuro is never far behind.” She said nonchalantly as she sipped her tea.

You on the other hand remained speechless.

It was true.

You were right, Kyojuro had been following you.

Your hands trembled harshly against the wooden table, sweat began to drip from your forehead. Your mouth felt dry and the thumping of your heart pounded in your ears.

Mitsuri noticed your sudden change and spoke up,

“(Y/n), are you alright? You look pale.”

You looked at her saw genuine concern.

“Oh yes I’m fine! I think I just got a little too hot this afternoon!” You said quickly as you straightened up in your seat and wiped your brow. Your hands still trembled and your mind raced but you kept your composure the best you could.

The rest of the evening went on without a hitch, after eating and chatting a bit you had calmed down. Even enjoying yourself a bit as you and Mitsuri laughed the night away. But the thoughts of Kyojuro never left the back of your mind. As soon as you felt yourself begin to feel comfortable the image of Kyojuro carefully stalking you, watching and waiting. That was what terrified you the most, what was he waiting for? If all of what Mitsuri said was true, he had every chance in the world to do what he wanted. Yet he didn’t. Something wasn’t right and you could feel, he wanted something from you but you didn’t know what. Maybe he enjoyed the chase, the feeling of almost getting caught, or on a more concerning thought, he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Like an owl observing an unsuspecting mouse.

“(Y/n)?…(Y/n)?…(Y/n)?” Mitsuri’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts.

“Hm? Yes!” You said turning your attention to her. Big green eyes looked at you with concern, she knew you were distracted by something serious.

“Are you okay?” She asked, her voice comforting yet prying.

“Oh yeah, I’m alright. I think I may just be tired, yeah I’m just tired.” You replied, but she was not convinced. Even the way you spoke revealed that your attention was else where.

After another short conversation Mitsuri offered to walk you home. You politely declined and the two of you parted ways promising to meet up again soon.

Now as you made the all too familiar walk home your heart and mind drowned in a sea of emotions. First and foremost you felt tremendous guilt as tonight was to be spent having fun and enjoying each other’s company, but instead your anxiety took control. Overthinking was something that often plagued you and although you tried your hardest, your brain refused to cooperate. Knowing that this was a problem of yours made your emotions that much more difficult to decipher. Kyojuro wasn’t stalking you, the mere notion was ridiculous, given how skilled and observant you are now surely you would have spotted him. It was impossible to believe he had been following you, let only following you for weeks. You would have seen him, right? Or heard him? Kyojuro wasn’t very sneaky, and whenever he thought something he said it. He was a bit brash like that. Mitsuri probably took some very light compliments made towards you by him more serious than intended. This was all a misunderstanding and one day the three of you would laugh about it. In fact, it’s so outrageous, you’ll tell Kyojuro the minute he gets back. Yes, you’ll tell him when he gets home, you’ll meet him in town and you will go out together. You’ll share a silly moment and he will explain everything. There wasn’t anything wrong and he wasn’t stalking you. Yes, you are fine and just overthink things sometimes. You were tired and stressed, it’s no wonder you’ve been so erratic lately. You’ve been pushing yourself to the absolute limit and your mind was paying for it. You needed to rest, meditate, regroup, and when he returned talking with him to get peace of mind would help even more.

Yes, you are fine.

You are fine.

————————————————————————-

After night had fallen, and you had returned home, Kyojuro begun his mission. He met with a young man and the two discussed that of the Mugen train. It was the learned it was under repair but was set to return to work the following morning. The first demon he slayed during that night proved to be slow and he easily defeated him, saving the lives of others in the process. In fact he met a very kind, yet strong willed girl and an older woman at one of the train stations. The girl sold bento boxes which were in his opinion, delicious. He decided that after he defeated the demon that terrorized the passengers on the Mugen train, he would buy all of her bento boxes once again. He would bring you several as he knew you would enjoy them. Some day in near future he planned to bring you to a restaurant he found along the way as well.

When morning broke, Kyojuro bought a ticket and boarded the train. Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu would meet him onboard, the four of them would then make quick work of the demon and return home. Then when he returned he would take you out, the two of you would share a nice evening and after he took you home, he would confess his true feelings for you.

As Kyojuro sat in his seat on the train car, he found himself staring out the window and imagining what life was going to be like after that night. When you heard how deeply he loved you, would you throw your arms around him and hug him in that overwhelmingly warm embrace you had or would you confess that you felt the same. Either way, he knew that you loved him back it was only a matter of coaxing out a confession from you. He couldn’t wait to hear the words,

“I love you, Kyo.” Fall from your lips. He would do whatever it takes to hear you say it.

He would kiss you a million times, hug you a million times, and protect you from a million demons if it meant you would utter the words that could melt his blazing heart.

Those thoughts filled his head constantly and his heart could do nothing but beat in leaps and bounds. How wonderful would it be to kiss you, how wonderful would it be to sleep beside you every night. When enough time had passed and the both of you felt ready, he hoped you would allow him the honor to explore your body and fulfill your every need.

His thoughts halted as his stomach began to growl. He looked to his side and saw the stacks of bento boxes still rest beside him, then he looked out the window once again. The sky has changed from a brilliant blue to soft orange as the began to set. This surprised him as he had apparently spent the day dreaming rather than focusing on the mission. He laughed at his absent mindedness; his boisterous laugh shook the cabin and startled the passengers. One man even turned to his wife to comment how strange Kyojuro was.

Once he regained his focus he reached inside the purple covering that held the boxes and fished out a beef bento box. He opened and was astonished by how wonderful the food looked. This surely had been made with love. Then another thought came to mind. Tanjiro and the others would be arriving soon, so he thought it best to set a couple back for them.

After setting aside six boxes, Kyojuro pulled apart his chopsticks and began to eat.

“Umai!”

————————————————————————-

Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu board the train and searched for Kyojuro on the accompanying cars. Inosuke proved to be difficult as he jumped from window to window astonished by how fast the train was moving. Zenitsu followed closely alongside him apologizing to the fellow passengers as Inosuke had stepped and shoved several.

Just as soon as Tanjiro opened the door leading to the next car, a rippling wave of sound blew past the three boys.

“Umai!” Yelled a strong voice from the other side.

The three entered cautiously and saw that exclamation came from a young man with fiery hair. He sat facing away from them eating eagerly.

“Umai!” He shout after every bite.

The three approached him and Tanjiro introduced themselves. After exchanging pleasantries, Kyojuro motioned for him to take a seat.

Tanjiro explained that the three were sent by the Kasugai crows to meet him there, then he asked Kyojuro about Hinokami Kagura. Kyojuro then confessed he did not know what it was and stated he have never heard the term before. He then questioned Tanjiro as to what color his sword was, to which the boy replied it was black. Kyojuro exclaimed at how unfortunate that was, but the boy needn’t worry as he would become his Tsuguko and that he would train all three boys. Tanjiro was grateful but he questioned what exactly Kyojuro was staring at. In fact he questioned twice and each time Kyojuro didn’t answer. This was because although his mind needed to be on the mission he couldn’t help but think of you. Every second of every day his mind was slowly becoming even more occupied by your image. But his attention was soon grabbed by the yellow boy and his many questions of the train. He explained the situation as many people disappeared on the train along with all the swordsmen sent to it.

Just as soon as Zenitsu began to wail the conductor entered from the back of the car and requested to see their tickets. Each one held out their ticket and the frail man punched a whole in all. As the man handed back Tanjiro’s ticket, Kyojuro sensed something amiss. He stood from his seat and revealed his sword.

The lights flickered and in a flash a hulking spiny demon appeared. It stood to a massive height and reared its ugly face, but Kyojuro calmly unsheathed his sword. He marveled at the beast’s blood demon art, but in the same breath vowed to take its life. When he held his sword, vibrant orange and red flames danced amongst the blade. The light from him alone illuminated the entire car. He instantly took his stance and held his sword above his shoulders, quickly he struck slicing the demon’s head off in one clean blow.

The boys praised his strength and speed, but now time was of the essence. Kyojuro sensed another demon was present and immediately gave chase. The three boys scrambled and followed suit.

Next Kyojuro stood face to face with a long, spindly, grotesque creature. It towered to the ceiling on tall legs, much like the first spikes riddled it’s body. Passengers fled past him in terror but he stood unfazed as he knew this demon would be dead in a matter of seconds.

Tanjiro and Inosuke charged forward ahead of him, the demon focused it’s attention on the remaining passenger. Kyojuro reminded it, that he was it’s opponent. Before another action could be taken Inosuke rushed the demon only to be passed Kyojuro. He scooped the man bridal style and dropped him at the end of the car. Kyojuro couldn’t help but think of him carrying you in such a way, even though the thought lasted a second. Lightening fast, Kyojuro ran and sliced this demon’s head off too in a singular blow. Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu stood silent before shouting their praises and worship for Kyojuro, he only smiled and laughed as he knew he would make fine swordsman of the boys.

Some time later, they returned to their original seats. Inosuke laid across Zenitsu and snored loudly, while Tanjiro rested his head against Kyojuro. All four were peacefully sleeping, blissfully unaware of the true nightmare that was unfolding.

————————————————————————-

Kyojuro’s sleep fell upon him heavily and sudden. His muscles relaxed, his eyes fell closed and his breathing slowed tremendously. Before he could process what was happening to him he began to sink, sink into an over encompassing slumber.

He could see the sun through the clear water, but the further he descended, the more the sun failed to reach him. He lost sight of the surface as bubbles rushed around him.

It was bright, the sun peaking through the window was ever so bright in the morning. Kyojuro began to stir but the bed he laid in was so comfortable, he didn’t want to leave.

‘I’m in a bed?’ He thought and then his body full awoken as he leapt to feet. He ran towards the door and snatched it open,

“Tanjiro!” He yelled, worry taking a hold of him as the slayers he was protecting couldn’t be seen.

“Kyo? Are you alright?”

The voice made him pause. He turned and that it was true. You stood before him, just as beautiful as you always were. You wore a (f/c) kimono, one that looked similar to one his mother wore. The sight alone stunned him into silence.

“You aren’t looking so well, do you need something to drink?” You asked, a look of confusion and concern spread across your face.

Kyojuro stumbled towards you, his arms extend and his fingers trembled. Once he had you in his arms his hands cupped your face, he looked at you desperately. Then he pulled you into his chest and he rested his chin on top of your head. His body shook and shuttered as sobs fell from his lips, quickly you pulled away and started drying his tears.

“Oh Kyojuro, don’t cry baby. What’s wrong?” You asked while wiping his tears and holding his face.

“I-I don’t know.” He choked in between sobs.

“I’ve just waited so long for this, I never thought it would come.” He said as he buried his head into your shoulder and squeezed you tightly. You winced and pushed back slightly,

“Careful, the baby.” You said as your hand rested gently on your growing belly.

“Baby?” Kyojuro asked.

“Um, yes…your baby Kyojuro.” You replied a bit confused.

Kyojuro dropped to his knees. Shock and amazement took over him and he instantaneously wrapped his arms around you again. His hands roamed your body feeling every curve, then he pressed his ear against your belly. Very faintly he could hear the subtle thumps of a fellow heart.

Just as quickly as the tears started before, they started again and he sobbed into your kimono.

“Kyojuro what has gotten into you? Did something happen?” You asked as you knelt down to him, you stroked his hair and held him close as he sniffled.

“I promise to be the best father I can be. I promise.” Kyojuro said still overcome by emotion.

“You already are, Kyo.” You said, and this caused him to lift his head.

“What d-” Before Kyojuro could question even further the sound of pattering feet came rushing towards him.

“Daddy!” Called two voices in unison.

He turned just in time to see two bouncing and bounding little boys headed straight for him. They each jumped and tackled but Kyojuro was fast enough to catch them. Giggling and laughter ensued as the boys tried to break free from his grasp and continue their shenanigans. Instead Kyojuro hugged them tightly. His heart was so full, seeing this truly wonderful life nearly brought him to tears again. Instead, he stood from the floor holding a boy under each arm. The boys cheered and giggled, begging him to spin them around. He obliged and as he spun the boys held out their arms, cheering once again.

Kyojuro could see the blissful smile on your face, you looked happy and content. Seeing your reaction made his heart swell with pride.

He placed the boys back on the floor and they took off outside. You giggled at the boys antics, very energetic just like their father.

Kyojuro admired you before walking and wrapping his arms around you. He held you from behind, his face resting on your shoulders and his hand placed on your belly. He sighed happily as he embraced his loving spouse and watched as his children ran wild in the yard.

“What is it, Kyo?” You asked.

“This-it’s all so beautiful, it’s like a dream.” He replied nuzzling his face into your hair. You hummed in reply as your hand reached around and cupped his face. As you did his hand met yours, he held it gently as he spun you around to face him. The softness of your eyes never failed to render him speechless. He tilted your head up with his thumb and leaned in, the kiss the two of you shared was far more wonderful than he could have ever imagined. He moved from lips and began to pepper your face and neck with quick pecks, this earned him your beautiful smile and soft giggles once more.

“Kyo, stop! Stop it, the kids are around!” You said in between laughs, but this failed to stop him, as he only continued with his attack.

“They won’t notice if we are gone for a little while.” He whispered huskily in your ear, his body shaking in anticipation to touch you.

“Let’s continue this later!” You said smacking your hands against his chest playfully.

“But what if I can’t wait till later?” He replied still kissing you, now leaving small bruises on your neck.

“Why don’t I make breakfast first, then we can discuss it, hm?” You asked and this caught his attention.

Almost on cue his stomach began to growl. He knelt in and placed a final kiss on your lips and released his grip on you. You smiled cheekily as you walked past and placed a small pat on his backside. He turned and grinned at you before returning the favor. He always loved the blush that would appear on your face afterwards.

Then the two young boys came running back into the house, each grabbed one of Kyojuro’s hands.

“Come outside! Come outside! Come outside!” They demanded and though Kyojuro wanted to stay and see just how riled up he could get you, he couldn’t deny the pleas of his own sons. Before he ran outside to join he came to you, he placed another kiss on your forehead and turned towards the door.

“It’s time to wake up, Kyojuro.” You said in a serious tone. This has caught him off guard and turned back towards you.

“What was it?” He asked, hoping he hadn’t upset you.

“Hm? Oh nothing breakfast will be ready soon.” You said accompanied by a smile.

“Oh.” He replied trying to make sense of what happened. He pushed it out of his mind and walked out to the boys.

Together the three played all sorts of games. The sound of their laughter could be heard for miles.

“Count to ten!” The boys called and Kyojuro turned to face the bark of a willow tree.

“Cover your eyes!” They called as they gingerly ran for a hiding spot. Kyojuro couldn’t help but chuckle at their silliness, as he knew it would only take him a matter of seconds to find them. Kyojuro closed his eyes and covered them with his hands, when he did he noticed the darkness seemed much more dense. It was black as night even though his hands only covered his closed eyes. Next the ground underneath him shook and sounds of a roaring horn came after.

Flashes of the train appeared in his eyes and then the image of young girl. A young girl who was some how inside his mind, he could see her wandering throughout his dream and finally disappearing behind a corner. Then the image of the same young girl attached to him by rope appeared. The horrendous stench of demon blood entered his nostrils and made him recoil in disgust. He fell to the ground and opened his eyes. Tears fell from the once again, but instead of joy being their cause, now it was sadness as he knew this was a dream.

His boys ran over to him,

“Dad!” They yelled. The commotion took you from your cooking and you came to the door.

“Kyo!” You called as you ran towards him. Kyojuro clutched the earth as helpless tears came tumbling down.

“I’ll go get you some water!” You said hastily, then you ran inside and out of sight. One boy ran with you while the other stayed at his side.

“Is it time to wake up already?” The child asked, Kyojuro turned and saw that the young face that had worn nothing but a smile now looked gravely serious. Before Kyojuro could question deeper, you interrupted,

“Here, drink this.” You said as you held a cup full of water. He took it from your hand and took a small drink. He turned and saw the worried faces the three of you wore; it left him heartbroken.

“I’m going for a walk.” He said his voice unsure and upset.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat first breakfast is almo-” He cut you off before you said anything else.

“No, I need to go for a walk. I want the three of you to go inside.” His voice dangerously serious. Your expression changed from concern to hurt, Kyojuro’s soul ripped in half seeing you upset by his words.

You quietly ushered the children inside before closing the door behind you, Kyojuro covered his mouth so that his weeps were not heard. Quickly he ran through the gates and down the gravel path in search of the girl he saw.

Anger fueled his rage as he desperately searched for her, visions of the train and the light fading through rippling water flashed in front of him as he careless ran around what seemed to be endless turns. Tears stung his eyes as he knew he had to leave but didn’t, his heart yearned to go back and lay in your arms just one last time. Just one last time to kiss you, to hold you, and believe that this was real. Yet he knew that it wasn’t and to get back to the real you, he needed to wake up.

As he ran recklessly throughout his dream trying to escape, in reality he held the young girl that entered his mind by the throat.

She wiggled and writhed in his grasp, choking from his strong grip; It was tight enough to stop her, but not tight enough to kill her.

With a loud scream, Tanjiro awoke from his dream. His hands instinctively reached for his neck to ensure his head was still attached. He caught sight of Nezuko who looked him with confusion. Then Tanjiro noticed the others, Kyojuro held a girl up by her neck, Zenitsu and Inosuke still fast asleep. Each one attached to the other people by ropes that vaguely smelled of demon. He inspected the one at his wrist, but then he smelled a different scent. A much stronger demon’s blood; tucked away in his haori, he pulled out his ticket. When he brought it to his nose the stench was prominent and repulsive. He then knew that the earlier demons slayed on the train was not the real threat, but another. He asked that Nezuko burn the ropes on the others to, as he felt that cutting them would be wrong.

After Nezuko had released the boys from their bindings, Tanjiro desperately tried to wake them. None of which awoke.

When Kyojuro’s rope was cut he released the young girl and sat down. He still slept but his rest was far from peaceful as he ran desperately in search of a way to get out.

————————————————————————-

Tanjiro was then met with the people that had invaded their dreams, swiftly he defeated them all; knocking them unconscious. He felt regret as he knew that the demon had promised them what they had lost or what they could never have; silently he prayed for their peace.

He turned to Nezuko and took her by the hand. Together the two ran to the end of the car, there he opened the door and much to his surprise a horrid scent filled his nostrils.

Quickly he made his way out of the car and onto the roof. There he called to Nezuko to go and wake the others. Tanjiro was then met with the demon responsible for all the carnage, he stood ready for any attack thrown his way.

————————————————————————-

The rushing water appeared around him again, in an instant Kyojuro burst awake. He took in the scene around him, pulsating flesh oozed out of every crack and hole of the interior in the train car. Instinctively he drew his sword and began to slash the wriggling tentacles. As he did he noticed more started to form, this demon was proving to be far more difficult than the ones before. Nevertheless he calmly approached them, sword in hand.

“To think that all of this happened while I was dozing…” He uttered as he approached two more disgusting limbs.

“How could this be?” He asked himself; the previously severed tentacles rose once again.

“I’m ashamed as a Hashira.” He drew his sword once again, holding it high above his shoulders.

“If only I could crawl under a rock!” He yelled before igniting the entire car in a blazing tornado of flames. The flesh sizzled and recoiled from the burn. The move was so powerful it lifted the train from its tracks and back down again.

Kyojuro then ran and found Tanjiro, he knelt to his level. He ordered that him and Inosuke find and demolish the demon before it has a chance to harm any of the passengers. He would protect the back five cars, while Nezuko and Zenitsu would protect the rest.

In an instant, Kyojuro disappeared and ran through the cars. His speed so intense it shook the cars themselves. As he sped through, the sight of the sleeping passengers bled together, the sight of their faces blurred. Kyojuro soon found Inosuke and he gave him the same orders that he gave to Tanjiro. Afterwards he returned to the last five cars, there he slashed his way through each and every groping arm; blood soaked his sword and painted the walls around him.

As he cut through the last of the arms in the last car, terrifying sight came upon his eyes.

Sitting the front row, another arm sprung from the wall and reached for you. You laid there sleeping, head propped against the side of the chair. Your (h/c) hair undeniable.

“(Y/n)!” He called, his voice booming and full of fear. His heart clenched and his breathing hitched as the arm slinked closer towards you.

He jumped into action and not a second later, was the arm detached and flopping loosely on the floor. He turned to grab you but much to his disbelief, you were nowhere to be seen. There had not been anyone sitting in that seat, it had had only been a fiction of his imagination.

A few moments after a deafening scream rattled through the train, he turned and watched as the skin of walls squirmed in discomfort.

Then out of the corner of his eye you appeared again, he turned quickly to find nothing except another growing limb protruding from the splintering wall. He made quick work of the arm before turning, and once more he caught a glimpse of you. This time you stood at the end of the car waiting for him.

As he cut his way through and while he protected all the passengers on board he called your name,

“(Y/n)!” He yelled and just like before, he would catch the smallest bit of you before you disappeared. Each time that he went to look at your image directly he would instead see another slimy tentacle reaching out for him.

Soon he realized that where he saw you, he saw a passenger in need of saving. Therefore each time you appeared he’d follow your invisible steps and allowed you to guide him through the train cars.

He was frustrated, not only with the constant barrage of attacks but that fact he let himself sleep will there was a demon on board. People couldn’t gotten hurt, and worse-killed. He was disappointed in himself but nevertheless he continued to fight with his imagination of you guiding him. That was until he heard your voice.

“Kyojuro, catch the passengers…” Your voice spoke, gently but commanding.

Just as soon as your voice reverberated in his ears, the sounds of squeaking metal overtook your words. Next the vibrations and the wining of the train cars being derailed came.

Far faster than any human could react, he soared through car to car, scooping up passengers and carrying them to the last car. Once sure every passenger was safe, your voice arose once again,

“Hold on to something…” Your voice whispered in his ear. He didn’t think on your words, only acted. He held the passengers together as he gripped the seats in front of them. If any were to fall he would catch them.

All seemed to slow in that last second. Through the window he could see as the cars leading to his all jumped and crashed to the sides of the tracks. His was next and his body braced for impact.

————————————————————————-

The trained soared through the air for what seemed like hours, Kyojuro desperately held the passengers together. He knew that some would be injured, but he would not allow any to die. As the cars flipped and continued to fly he saw you. This time when he turned to you, your image stayed and you did not fade. Standing beside him together the two of you held the passengers in place.

Kyojuro was star struck as he stared into your eyes, how did you know to come? Were you actually here or were you another figment of his brutal imagination. Regardless, you turned to him and smiled.

“Keep them safe…it’s not over.”

The side of the train crashed into the ground, the jarring wails of people and the cries of the train erupted as a crater was smashed into the ground from the cars. Trees were demolished, ground scraped till nothing but rock and debris were left behind. The structure of the car itself collapsed into itself and left splinter ball of rubble.

————————————————————————-

When Kyojuro opened his eyes he was met with faces of groaning passengers, one by one he took them from the battered cars and set them nearby. He addressed their injuries and determined not a single one’s life was threatened. He smiled triumphantly as he had succeeded in keeping them safe. He left them as he went to assess the other damages and other passengers. In his heart he thanked you, even if you weren’t truly there you gave him the strength to continue on. This mission had been a bit more difficult than previously thought, but he remained un injured. When morning arrived he would help the others to the butterfly estate, and then he would return home. First he would stop and eat, then he would go back to his estate to freshen up a bit. Afterwards he would go find you wherever you may be and ask you on a proper date. The dream he had been thrusted into was the most beautiful world he could have possibly ever imagined, now he had ever intention of making it his reality.

As he walked through the wreckage he found Tanjiro lying on his back. He spoke with him and reported that all passengers were safe, all he needed to do now was rest and wait.

“Kyojuro behind you!” Your voice came to him, quickly he turned, shielding Tanjiro. His hand gripped his sword as his eyes searched through the fog.

His focused settled on figures crouched not to far away. Stripped tattoos ran up and down the assailant’s body and face.

Kyojuro sat ready, his ears waiting for your voice to arise, his eyes watching carefully for the first move.

As the smoke cleared, the figure became visible now. Squatted on both legs, the individual sat ready with in hand on the ground and the other propped on his thigh. Unruly pink hair sprouted from his head and chiseled muscles covered his chest to his arms. Most terrifyingly his eyes read,

‘Upper three.’

Kyojuro knew this is what you had meant by it not being over. He was foolish to let his guard down so easily.

Before anything could be said the demon jumped from his position with the intent to kill, but before he could reach Tanjiro, Kyojuro’s blade sliced clean through the demon’s arm.

The demon jumped back and bounded backwards, his arm instantly regenerated as if it had never sustained an injury.

“That’s a fine sword.” Spoke the stripped man as he licked the blood from his previous cut.

Kyojuro remained silent as his mind pondered the individual in-front of him.

‘He sure can regenerate fast. This heavy and overwhelming demon aura…So, this is an Upper Rank.’

Then Kyojuro spoke,

“I can’t understand why you’d go after a wounded person first.” Kyojuro stood before Tanjiro, he was willing to lose his life if it meant he’d keep him safe.

“He could get in the way of the chitchat…of you and me.” The demon replied, his piercing eyes still gazing upon a struggling Tanjiro.

“What would you and I have to talk about?” Asked Kyojuro.

“I’m meeting you now for the first time, but I already dislike you.” He said with a bit of venom in his voice.

“Is that right? Well, I loathe weak humans, too. The sight of a weakling makes my skin crawl.” The demon said.

“Then, it looks like our senses of value are completely different.” Kyojuro replied shortly, blade in hand.

“All right, then I have a brilliant proposal for you. Why don’t you become a demon, too?” He asked.

“I will not.” Kyojuro’s fixed upon him, not an ounce of emotion was shown on his face.

“I can tell your strength at a glance. You’re a Hashira, aren’t you? Your fighting spirit has been honed to the hilt. It’s close to the realm of the highest.”

The air grew more and more tense as they continued.

“I’m the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku.” His eyes stayed steady and his face never faltered.

“I’m Akaza. Kyojuro…Let me tell you why you can’t enter the realm of the highest. Because you’re a human. Because you’re going to grow old. Because you’re going to die. Become a demon, Kyojuro. Do that, and you can go on training for a hundred, for two hundred years. You can become stronger.” Akaza taunted, extending his hand to Kyojuro.

As Kyojuro stared forward he pondered Akaza’s request. It repulsed him and the idea of living in that eternity seemed more like hell than anything else he could have imagined. To live a life in the darkness of night, reaping the souls of the innocent to fuel his own arrogant need to be stronger-to be powerful. The thought alone wrenched his heart, even more evil, he thought, would be to live a life away from you. To live without you, that would truly be hell.

“Both growing old and dying are part of the beauty of being an ephemeral creature like a human. The fact that we grow old and die is what makes human life so unbearably precious and noble. Strength isn’t a word used to describe just the body. This boy isn’t weak! Don’t insult him. I’ll repeat it as many times as it takes. You and I have different senses of value.” Kyojuro spoke, his stance just as strong and determined as his voice.

“No matter what the reason, I will not become a demon!” He finished, his hands gripping the handle of his katana tightly.

“I see.” Akaza said before slamming his hand into the ground and shattering the Earth. Around him a glowing red snowflake appeared on the ground.

“Technique Development…Destructive Death…Compass Needle!” He exclaimed, his voice gruff and full of anticipation. Red light changed to blue as Akaza prepared to make his first assault.

Kyojuro stood ready, although his heart trembled he did not show it. He knew this battle that was about to unfold would be brutal and bloody.

“If you refuse to become a demon, I’ll kill you.” Akaza’s words angered Kyojuro. He spoke so confidently as if this fight were going to be an easy one, he would soon learn the full extent of a mere human’s strength.

Faster than any demon he had encountered before, Akaza charged at him. Kyojuro held his sword ready, and as his fist blew past his face with alarming speed all that could be heard was the powerful blows being absorbed by his blade.

The battle was on, flashes of blue and orange illuminated their dance as Akaza sent flying punches and Kyojuro blocked every one with his flaming katana. Dust swirled around them, only small sparks and fiery slashes pin pointed their location. Tanjiro kneeled some distance away and watched in fear as Kyojuro ruthlessly fought.

‘I can’t lose. I have to keep fighting, I have to protect the others.’ Kyojuro’s mind spoke as he delivered swing after swing and block after block.

‘No I won’t, I won’t lose. I won’t lose, I have to win for-’ His mind stopped, through his conflicted thoughts you appeared. You were how you always were. Eager, determined, bright. Your smile was as warm as ever, your laugh as joyful as ever. How wonderful you really were never failed to amaze him.

“Kyo!” You called, your arms extended out to him as you reached for a hug. For a split second he almost lowered his weapon but then the constant barrage of attacks brought him back into reality.

“There were never any Flames among all the Hashira I’ve killed until now.” Akaza jeered, his fist perpetually being stopped by Kyojuro’s weapon.

“And no one every took me up on my offer either.”

In a split second, Kyojuro swung his sword directly into Akaza’s wrist.

“Why do you think that is?” Akaza asked, as if they were only chatting and not in the midst of a gruesome fight.

“As a fellow martial artist, I just don’t get it. Not when only the chosen ones can become demons!” Akaza continued to taunt, but only a moment later did Kyojuro slice Akaza clean off.

It regenerated instantly and he threw another punch at Kyojuro. It was caught once again by the hilt of his sword.

“Watching the hideous decline of someone blessed with extraordinary powers…it pains me, I can’t bear it! Die, Kyojuro…While you’re still young and strong.” Kyojuro had effectively stopped his blow from landing, but together their strength were far too strong. They now stood face to face.

Kyojuro swung his blade between them, beautiful flames scorched the edge and threatened to slice through Akaza’s skin.

Akaza jumped back, his agility unmatched by any other.

“Destructive Death…Air Type.” He announced as his fist charged with the power of his blood demon art. But the blow was not a physical one, rather a forceful blow of energy. Kyojuro quickly looked around him before the invisible strike hit his katana, it was so powerful that it made him flinch and slide on the loose ground.

He ducked and watched carefully as Akaza unloaded onto him another wave of attacks.

‘I see.’ He thought to himself as he analyzed his form.

“Flame Breathing…Fourth Form..Blooming Flame Undulation!” Kyojuro cried, he swung his sword up and as he did a cascade of yellow flames erupted from his katana. The fire stopped the air attacks from reaching him, he watched with determination as they steadily fell into the flames.

‘When he strikes the air with his fist, the attack will reach me here!’

Swing after swing Kyojuro effectively stopped each of Akaza’s air strikes, surrounded by the cover of blazing fire, Kyojuro felt his heart start to ignite. With each blink of his eye, your face was all that he could see. Your beauty, your body, your smile, your laugh, it was all needed before and it was all he needed now. He decided then that he would make it home to you, even if it were the last thing he did.

‘He can move faster than the blink of an eye’ Kyojuro thought.

Then Akaza returned to the ground, they stood apart from each other and smoke filled the space around them.

‘If I allow him to fight from a distance like this, slicing his head off will be tricky. In that case…’ Kyojuro lowered himself, in a spiral of blazing fire he rocketed forward. Before Akaza knew what had happened Kyojuro was a mere few inches away.

‘I’ll just have to get up close!’ His sword was drawn wielded faster than light. Only narrowly did Akaza dodge his cut.

“This superb reaction speed of yours..” Akaza said in astonishment of Kyojuro’s speed. His words were interrupted as another fiery blow whistled past him.

Now Kyojuro was more determined than he had ever been before in his life, it was seen in his terribly intense swings and the screams of his voice. Together the two fought impossibly fast and extremely hard. Their moves were indistinguishable as they were far too powerful to be seen by the naked eye.

“And these breathtaking sword skills will be lost, too…Kyojuro! Doesn’t that make you sad?” Akaza asked, defending Kyojuro attacks and propelling his own.

“It happens to everyone!” Kyojuro replied, blazing light encircled them both.

“It’s a fact of life for any human!” He cried, then the sound of Tanjiro struggling caught his attention.

“Stay where you are! If that wound reopens, it’ll be fatal! Stand back! That’s an order!” He yelled behind him. Inosuke and Tanjiro stopped in their tracks and watched hopelessly from the sidelines.

Again Akaza surged forward and sneered,

“Don’t bother with that weakling, Kyojuro! Come on, give me your best shot!”

Now the battle was becoming even more gruesome, Akaza challenging Kyojuro for more.

He soared towards him sword held high behind him, his eyes fixed on his neck.

He missed but not before his foot landed in the center of his chest sending Akaza flying into the forest surrounding the train tracks. Kyojuro gave chase and pursued him like a starving coyote trails an injured rabbit.

As he charged forward through the trees Akaza sprung from behind an oak and exclaimed,

“Nice moves!”

This startled, Kyojuro but only for a moment as the two engaged in their fight once again. A second of hesitation proved unfortunate for Kyojuro as Akaza too struck his with his foot and sent him soaring back out of the forest and into the clearing. He landed with a horrible crash and dirt coated the air from his impact.

Inosuke and Tanjiro called out for him, but their pleas fell upon deaf ears. The only thing Kyojuro could see was that of the encasing dust and the voice of Akaza.

“Turn into a demon, Kyojuro.” Akaza said cooly as he exited the woods.

Kyojuro steady himself on his sword, the kick along with the crash had been cruel. His body now ached as bones were broken and badly bruised.

“Fight me forever and get stronger together with me.” Akaza offered.

Kyojuro remained silent. He stay kneeling his weight held by his katana as his chest heaved.

‘Am I going to fail?’ His mind asked, as his body had long reached it’s limit. He could feel himself faltering and fading.

“You have what it takes to do that!” Akaza called to him.

The beating of his heart slowed as his body began to rest, surely now he was bleeding internally and it wouldn’t be long before he could no longer fight.

‘Is this how I am going to die…’Kyojuro thought again. His heavy breathing continued until something stopped him entirely.

“Kyojuro…keep fighting Kyojuro!”

Your voice. He heard it again.

“Keep going!”

“Get up!”

“Kyojuro, please!” Your voice urged.

His nerves began to tingle and his began pumping faster. He pressed his weight into his sword as he started to stand. Your words filled his soul and his fighting spirit was ignited once more.

“I’ll pass! Let me repeat it. I don’t like you! I will not become a demon!” He yelled to Akaza. He stood now with fury and rage fueling his strength. No more was he to think of dying here, he would live to see another day. Another day he would spend with you.

He surged into the air,

“Flame Breathing…Third Form…Blazing Universe!” He came down upon Akaza’s head, flames consumed them both.

“Magnificent! That’s sensational!” Akaza adored while blood spurted from his body.

“Destructive Death…Air Type!” He countered while charging head first.

Kyojuro blocked the first blow and it threw him back, to which he regained his footing and ran towards him, sword high above his shoulders.

“Keep fighting!” You echoed.

Kyojuro cut and slashed

“Keep going!”

He swung again.

“Please Kyojuro!”

Fire enveloped his blade. A punch flew past his head a few inches away, yet he swung again and the slash was caught on Akaza’s forearm.

“You still don’t get it? That if you continue attacking, you’re just getting closer to death, Kyojuro?” Akaza yelled, becoming frustrated with him.

“Don’t give in!” You voice called out through the sea of battle.

Although he knew, your voice was only heard by him. The voice that he knew his mind had conjured, he could feel your presence. Miles away you slept alone in bed but still your aura guided him. It pushed him to fight.

With a guttural scream, Kyojuro fought with all his might. His body was failing and his reflexes became slower but still he pushed. You pushed.

Blood now poured from his head and seeped into his eye.

“Flame Breathing, First Form…Unknowing Fire!” His massively strong attack severed both arms from Akaza’s body, almost as fast as they had been sliced off did they regrow.

“It would be a shame to kill you now! You haven’t reached your physical peak yet!” Rambled Akaza as he threw punch after punch, each were blocked or redirected by Kyojuro’s quick movements. But he wasn’t fast enough as a devastating blow hit him in abdomen, the force of Akaza’s punch so powerful it crunched every rib on his right side.

Kyojuro gasped and stumbled back, this stopped him for a moment as he drew his sword back.

“Second Form…Rising Scorching Sun!” Kyojuro swung his sword upwards and Akaza shielded his face from the flames. Blood could be seen leaking through his shirt.

Akaza jumped back and continued his assault on Kyojuro battered frame.

“In a year or two, you’ll have polished your skills even more, and you’ll have greater precision!”

Another blow landed on Kyojuro’s face, this time shattering his skull and cheek. He staggered backwards, his left eye clamped shut from the blood. He ran towards Akaza, his mind now occupied with every intent to kill.

“Third Form…Blazing Universe!” Kyojuro screamed, his voice rough and coarse.

“Fourth Form…Blooming Flame Undulation!”

His constant pain mixed with fear powered his attacks, one after the other the battle grounds became a roaring wildfire. Both were at their limits, now was time for the final brawl.

“Destructive Death…”

“Fifth Form…Flame Tiger!”

“Disorder!”

Together the two surged towards each other colliding in a magnificent explosion of blue and red. In an instant Kyojuro sliced the arm of Akaza, he fell back and to the ground.

The battlefield became quiet as blood dripped from Kyojuro’s wounds. All that could be heard was that of his ragged breathing and the thumping of his heart.

Akaza stood and faced Kyojuro, he could see the desperation in his eyes, he was not far from collapse.

“Let’s fight more.” Akaza said while he stared at Kyojuro blankly.

“Don’t die on me, Kyojuro.” He spoke, but Kyojuro stood still. His breathing weak and forceful, the crushed ribs caused him immense pain as he drew each breath in and push each one out.

‘I…I don’t know if I can continue’

‘I don’t know if I will live’

“Kyojuro!” Your voice sounded as if it were miles away.

‘I don’t know if I can make it’

“Kyojuro!” You yelled closer now.

‘How can I keep on fighting?’

“Kyojuro!” You called from right infront of him.

His eyes shot open to see yours, your face worried and anguished. Your hands reached out and gripped his shoulders, he could see tears falling from your eyes.

“Kyojuro you have to keep going no matter how hard it gets, you have to keep fighting!” You ordered him, he could feel your desperation.

‘But what if I can’t?’ His mind questioned weakly.

“You have no choice, you have to. Keep going, don’t stop just because you are weak. Set your heart ablaze, Kyojuro!” He could see your face clear as day, the tears poured from your eyes as you begged him to fight.

‘I will fulfill my duty.’

As he opened his eyes, he knew that you would be gone. He mustered all the strength he had left, pulling his last remaining power from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair.

“Even if you fight to the death, you can’t win, Kyojuro. Those impressive slashes you inflicted on me have already healed completely. But what about you? A smashed left eye, shattered ribs, and damaged internal organs…All irreparable. If you were a demon, you’d heal in the blink of an eye. Those would be mere scratches for a demon. You can struggle all you want, but a human can never beat a demon.” Akaza spoke watching as Kyojuro struggled to breathe. All had went silently and air became heavy with the feeling of dread.

Suddenly Kyojuro burst into flames, his hair and haori danced among the fire, this was the true power of a Hashira.

“Kyojuro, why…” Akaza watched in astonishment.

“I…”Kyojuro raised his weapon and assumed his stance.

“I will fulfill my duty! I will not allow anyone here to die!” His words were stone and his blade the law. Then and there he made a promise to himself that he would protect the innocent and return home. No one was going to stand in his way.

‘I’ll damage his body as much as I can in an instant!’

“Flame Breathing…” He lowered his stance.

“Esoteric Art!”

The raging fire around him spread to the far corners of the clearing. Akaza shivered as he saw Kyojuro’s true power.

“What a tremendous fighting spirit! Amazing aura despite all those injuries! That mental strength!” A sinister grin spread across Akaza’s face.

“That airtight stance! You have to become a demon, after all, Kyojuro! Let’s fight each other for all eternity!” Akaza could no longer contain his excitement, smiled enthusiastically as he watched in awe, marveling at Kyojuro’s strength.

Still encompassed in fire, using every fiber of his being he remembered your words.

“Set your heart ablaze. Go beyond your limits! I’m am the Flame Hashira…Kyojuro Rengoku!” Inside him fire rushed through his veins into nerves and throughout his muscles.

“Ninth Form…Rengoku!”

“Destructive Death…Annihilation Type!”

Kyojuro engaged his final form, his feet planted into the ground causing it crumble beneath him, a rising ball of fire surrounded his body. He surged forward with all his power, the most tremendous flaming trail followed him. His strength, combined with his spirit made him appear like a meteor making its way to the Earth. The tip of this rushing attack turned into the head of a mighty dragon, it screeched and took flight towards Akaza. Together they collided into an explosion of white light that caused the surrounding area to crumple and burn. Then a roaring tornado of flame and light erupted around them, inside Kyojuro sliced through Akaza’s arm all the way to the shoulder. He removed his sword and swung it down for the final blow. It cut through his neck before Akaza slammed his fist into the blade causing it to change courses and slice through his body. But as he held it inside of him, Kyojuro twisted the blade and drug it back through Akaza. As he did the flames grew stronger, Akaza’s face turned from ecstatic to terrified in the matter of milliseconds. He titled his blade up and sliced through his head, before it could regenerate he swung it back down again this time into the his throat.

He was spent, he no longer had any strength left to use. Pushed and the blade inched through, slowly cutting through Akaza’s flesh. Flashes of you, his future children, the peaceful life you two would once live. He pushed further, now he pushed with all that he had left. With one more intense howl, he severed Akaza’s head from his body.

The bellowing storm of fire dissipated, Akaza lay on the ground, his skin beginning to whither and turn into ash. Kyojuro stood motionless as he breathlessly watched Akaza decay, blood poured from his wounds and with each breath, splintered bones shredded his insides.

He had done it. He had won.

But now as he stood amongst the smoke in an empty battlefield, he could feel his body failing. The sounds of voices became muffled, his vision faded, and his muscles gave in. Kyojuro dropped to his knees, the early rays of sunlight shone across him.

“Rengokusan!” He heard called, the sound muffled and seemed far, far, away.

“Rengokusan!” His vision worse now, all he could see was the blurry landscape ahead of him.

“Rengokusan!” Skin drenched in blood, it pooled by his knees.

His last sight, before all had disappeared was a silhouette in the distance. Kyojuro reached his hand out, as if maybe he could touch them.

His breathing slowed even more now, the gushing of his injuries continued.

The sounds of approaching footsteps became louder and desperate calls for increased.

He extended his hand even further; darkness surrounded him.

“(Y/n)…”

————————————————————————-

A day had passed since Kyojuro’s mission. You received word that morning that although, there had not been a single casualty, Kyojuro was nearly killed. The news of this stunned you, so much so you almost fainted. The idea of Kyojuro being on death’s door sent shock throughout your body. He had fought an upper rank demon, but he just narrowly defeated them, was this the true power of an upper rank? What would have happened if you had been the one to cross path with them? You knew the answer, and it terrified you. Kyojuro was the strongest person you knew, aside from Gyomie, but still if an upper rank could be so ferocious that they almost killed Kyojuro surely you would have never stood a chance.

Immediately you gathered your things and made your way the butterfly estate. All the while you worried that when you arrived you’d be informed that he had passed. Once there you were meet with the nurses, they denied your request to see him, much like they had done to Kyojuro when he came to see you. And though their refusal angered you, you remained calm.

“I’ll wait here all month if I have to, but I’m not leaving. If Kyojuro doesn’t recover, I’d at least like to say goodbye.” You said, your voice serious and unwavering. Just as you had Shinobu appeared from one of the rooms, once she caught sight of you she came and grabbed your hand. Her grip was strong and grave, she knew the full extent of his injuries and she knew that his death was a very real possibility. Together, she led you to his room, but before she opened the door, she embraced you. Her hug was sincere, as she knew what it was like to lose someone so close. She pulled away and left you alone outside the door, calmly you opened it and stepped inside.

His condition was far worse than you could have ever imagined. If weren’t for the fact you could hear the weak thumping of his heart and his frail breaths, you would have thought a dead man laid in front of you. You observed his body, it was mangled beyond repair. Slashes, open wounds, burns, bruises, tears, all littered his body. The worst of all was his abdomen, so terribly battered his skin was entirely black and blue. Dried streams of blood caked his fingers and hair, his poor face swollen; held together by virtually a hundred staples and sutures. He did not look like Kyojuro, but you knew he was.

Tears welled in your eyes as you stepped near him and gazed upon his face once more. Wrapped almost in entirely in bandages, you took notice of his left eye. The skin around it was sunken, the bandages seemed to sink into the socket itself, it was then you realized it was no longer there. He would never be the same but he was still your friend, and you promised him there that you would stay by his side, just as he did for you. Before now you had been nervous, possibly scared of Kyojuro because of the thoughts you had of him. But all those concerns and fears disappeared as you looked upon him now.

You leaned down and combed his wild hair back that exposed the top of his forehead, gently you placed a small kiss on him and whispered.

“Rest well Kyo, I’ll be here.”

————————————————————————-

Several days passed before Kyojuro gave any sign of recovery. Only the sounds of his shallow breathing and the occasional nurse to kept you company. Though one morning, after you had awoken and returned from a run did you notice the first sign. You entered the room much like you had the previous days, you’d wake and take Kyojuro’s vitals, then once you were sure he’d be alright you’d leave his room and spend an hour or two running. This gave him privacy as the nurse would come in to change his bandages and wash him. Once you returned you walked in and set your stuff on the floor next to your mat that laid folded up. When you did a small groan escaped Kyojuro’s lips. Quickly you turned and rushed towards him and watched. Then to your amazement another groan was heard.

“Kyojuro?” You asked, anticipating the sound of his voice. But nothing came.

You took your spot next to him and held his hand as you usually did. You never realized how often you would spend chasing the sound of his laughter. Once again the tears arose in your eyes, and you gripped his hand lightly as you leaned your head against the wall.

“I never knew how much I’d miss your voice.” You said just above a whisper. Quietly you waited for a response, and you did you felt his hand in your constrict. He had squeezed your hand, but only for second till it returned to its limp state.

You gasped and smiled, hastily you ran to Shinobu to tell her. Outside his door you jumped and talked to her excitedly.

“I’m serious, first he groaned and then he squeezed my hand, I felt It, I felt it!” You exclaimed all without realizing that inside Kyojuro heard every word. A very frail grin graced his lips.

Kyojuro had heard you this entire time, even if it were only fragments of conversations he caught as he faded in and out of consciousness. But now he heard you clearly and lingered on your every word. He felt the gentle touches you gifted him, the way you so carefully took his pulse, the way you changed his bandages and dressed his wounds. Even more so, the way you held his hand so often and the kiss you planted on his head. He was in terrible, immense pain, but not that of his wounds, it was because he couldn’t return the favor. Night after night and day after day he listened patiently and took in everything. You talked of many things and asked him questions, one night you were even so brave as to mention the ghost that resides in your home. If Kyojuro could he would have chuckled as he knew then that you had heard him inside your home. Somehow though, this made him love you even more, your naivety was adorable.

He knew soon he would be strong enough to speak, and when he was able to he’d tell what has weighed heavy on his mind for so long. But things had changed, since his battle against Akaza and the train his mind had opened. The visions of you, the dream of the future you’d share together, it all brought him to an amazing epiphany.

When he awoke he’d ask your hand in marriage, and when he fully recovered the two of you could share a small ceremony to commemorate your bonding. Then you’d move in together and you could retire from the slayer corps. You could then spend your days alongside Senjuro, perhaps then you would learn some of the nurturing skills that were required of a mother. Of course, it wouldn’t be long before you became one after the two of you wed. Kyojuro would make sure of that.

The life he only experienced for such a brief moment while under the spell of a demon was that of what he truly desired. He now felt that it was his destiny, and he knew that you felt the same. Why else would you spend your days by his side caring for him, talking with him, wishing him well every chance you got. This was surely love, and the most rarest of all, true love.

He lay there peacefully waiting for your return, he wanted nothing more than to hear the excitement in your voice when you regaled to him the events of your morning workout.

————————————————————————-

Day after day, Kyojuro slowly but surely started to recover. The groans grew into muttered words, and then fragments of sentences. Soon he was talking clearly although his voice was rather raspy. His squeezing of your hand changed to the movement of all four limbs, now he could sit up and help with his bandage changes.

His progress was awe-inspiring, he had come so far in such a little time it made your fill with joy.

Now that he was doing better, you were gone for longer. You’d spend hours everyday training on the grounds of the estate, and when you finished in the evening you’d return to Kyojuro.

The sun had begun to set and once again you gazed into the endless sky of orange and pink. Each time you couldn’t help but think how lucky you were to be alive in a place so beautiful, incredibly blessed to observe the raw power and gloriousness of the world. You watched the horizon for just a bit long before sheathing your sword and stepping back inside of the facilities.

The nurses had grown accustomed to your presence, in fact you had made several new friends. One of which being a young girl named Aoi. She was blunt and feisty, but you enjoyed that as her personality reminded you a bit of someone you knew in the past. Oftentimes the two of could be found talking outside or in the halls about Kyojuro’s condition. More recently you had begun talking about regular things such as life and plans for the future. Aoi seemed somewhat content working as a nurse, but deep down you could see that heart weighed heavy with the thoughts of her final selection. She was scared and she believed that she only managed to survive by luck alone. Then again something about her yearned for battle, to prove herself wrong. Internally you decided that once you became a Hashira, you would ask if she would like to be your Tsugoku. You’d hope that she would, therefore you could help overcome her fears and be a person she was proud of. If she didn’t you would understand because at one time, you had been in the same position as she.

You walked through the corridors, waving at the girls as you passed by. Some of which spoke to you, while others simply smiled and waved. You arrived to the door of Kyojuro’s room, carefully you listened in and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Kyojuro’s voice rang from the other side, it was gruff but you knew his words were filled with kindness.

You slid the door open and stepped inside, you felt it polite to knock before you entered as Kyojuro was now more than capable of changing his clothes and you thought it would be best that you gave him his privacy.

“How are you feeling?” You asked setting your things on the floor.

“Much better now that you are back.” He chimed as he sat up in bed reading one of the books you had brought him. You couldn’t help but smile at his words, always so cheerful and happy. You envied his positive disposition.

“How was your training?” He asked, closing his book and turning his attention towards you. You walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

“It went well, I can tell I’m getting faster. Maybe I’ll be fast enough to beat you one day, huh?” You asked playfully patting his leg. Kyojuro smiled and laughed a bit.

“You could beat me now!” He yelled, his voice full of joy and laughter. His personal jeer made you giggle as although he had come very close to death, he acted like nothing happened at all.

After a short time of laughing and joking, the sound of your stomach rumbling caused you to stop.

“Have you eaten yet? I’m starting to get hungry.” You said and Kyojuro replied,

“Not yet, I was waiting to eat with you.”

You smiled and stood up from the bed, his kind words melted your heart. Your mind pondered how someone could be so incredibly caring, in the same moment Kyojuro thought the same of you.

“I’ll go grab us something, anything in particu-” Your words were stopped as the door was opened. It was Aoi and she seemed rather frantic.

“Aoi,is everything alright?” You asked growing more concerned.

“Your crow, it’s outside calling for you, it’s an urgent.”

Without thinking, you pulled on your haori and took up your katana. You turned to Kyojuro and walked towards him.

“I’m sorry, Kyojuro. I’ll be back soon, don’t over do it, okay?” You said as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He remained silent as he rested his head on your shoulder. You knew this had hurt him, you could feel the disappointment hanging in the air. You broke away from and started towards the door, as you did you turned and looked at him one last time. Sadness filled his eye, and his posture slouched, it did break your heart seeing him upset. He appeared even more pitiful as his arms, face, and torso were still wrapped in bandages, his wounds not completely healed. You smiled at him and sighed, swiftly you closed the door behind you and followed Aoi outside.

“Northeast-head northeast!” Your crow squawked as he circled above.

You turned to Aoi who stood not far from you.

“Thank you, I’ll be back soon, keep an eye on Kyojuro and make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.” You said jokingly, but the look on Aoi’s face was serious. She had taken what you said to heart and intended to follow through with your orders. She nodded in reply and watched as you began to start your mission.

The sudden sound of thuds and yells stopped you in your tracks, quickly you turned back. In the shadows against the paper doors you saw a figure walking through the halls of the estate trailed by the sound of frantic voices.

Pieces of words were caught by your ears, they seemed to be of concerned cries.

“Rengokusan! Not yet you are still injured!” The voices called from inside. Realizing that Kyojuro had risen out of bed and was making his way outside, you ran to greet him and usher him back into bed. That was until he stepped out onto the engawa, and what you saw frightened you beyond compare.

Three young nurses followed him, they desperately pleaded that he returned to bed but Kyojuro didn’t respond, he only stepped closer to you. As he did the wrappings around his abdomen began to slip and fall, revealing horrible wounds. As they were not healed entirely, each step he made caused the scars to rip open once more. His blood poured from the tears, his bandages fell from him and landed on the ground beside him. The skin underneath remained just as bruised and grotesque as it did when first arrived, the scene was gut wrenching; your hands covered your mouth as you watched in horror as your mangled friend approached you.

He stopped some distance away, his chest heaved and his breathing was struggled.

“Kyo..” You said still in shock by his performance, it left you scrambling as what to do next. Never had you thought he would have followed, not in this condition.

“You aren’t…going…anywhere.” He muttered, his face serious and awful. Blood continued to leak from his wounds, it dripped down his pale skin and onto the soft grass below.

All was quiet, neither you, the nurses, or Aoi spoke, instead every eye was in Kyojuro as he breathless stood waiting for your next move.

Your mind had frozen, this all seemed like a dream, not real, not happening, not at all. You thought maybe you’d awake leaned against Kyojuro’s bed in a cold sweat. Surely this wasn’t reality, surely he wasn’t demanding that you stay regardless of the mission.

“Kyojuro, what are you saying?” You asked, but Kyojuro did not answer instead he stepped towards you again, but before he got any closer Aoi stepped in-between the two of you. She stood in front of you, arms extended out to her side to shield you.

“Rengokusan, you have to get back inside now!” She demanded, her voice full of anger and her hands trembling.

Very calmly Kyojuro removed the last of his bandages, his upper half naked and saturated in blood. Lastly he removed the ones covering his eye, underneath showed his shredded face. The socket swollen and dripping. He threw the wrappings on the ground and looked at you. The horror of it all made you audibly gasp. Confusion, disgust, sympathy, and rage all boiled inside you.

‘What on Earth is he doing?!’ You questioned yourself.

Your hand rested on the handle of your katana, a terrible decision would have to be made if he continued even further.

Not a second later, did he surge forward. In a flash he grabbed Aoi by the arm and threw her to the side, the nurses screamed and ran towards her. You saw that he was coming for you next, instinctively you unsheathed your sword and held it in front of you. He was upon you before you had time to negotiate, you hesitated because as he ran towards you couldn’t dare stab the blade in him. You watched as it seemed to unfold in front of you in slow motion, Aoi struggling off the ground, the young girls running to her side, and Kyojuro towering above you. Only a few inches apart, he stared down at you while you shook in fear. He raised his arm and struck your sword from your hands with a hard hit of his forearm against it. You started to back away from him but he stayed right on top of you. Fear turned your veins into ice and you began to remember the all too familiar feeling dread that washed over you when you thought of him before.

“Kyojuro…” You said as you looked at him in terror, his face drenched in crimson, his remaining eye wide open and vicious grin spread across his lips. His hands grabbed the sides of your arms, the gripped tightly and feeling of welts developed where his fingers sunk into your skin.

“You aren’t leaving, I can’t afford to lose you. You need to be protected, you are careless and clumsy. Someone could easily hurt you, but I won’t allow that. No you will stay by my side forever. Until death do us part.” Kyojuro spoke, although he smiled the sound of his voice was sincere. He meant the words he said and there would be no way of escaping him, not now as he watched your every move and held you so tightly. He let go of your arms and wrapped them around your body, his embrace suffocating. He rested his chin on your head and his hand gently stroked your hair as he held your face into his chest. He sighed deeply and you could feel his blood soaking into your clothes. Quivering and shuttering you took in shaky breaths, your wide eyes searched around for a way of escape. Kyojuro shushed you as he felt your tremors, yet his calm voice did nothing to reassure you. Kyojuro’s hands moved from back and onto your arms once again, he held you away from him and he started deeply into your eyes.

“(Y/n), don’t you get it? We were meant for each other. You love me just as much as I love you, together we will have such a beautiful life, can’t you see that? No maybe you don’t understand right now, but you will. I saw it, you were happy, we were happy. In my dream on the train, we were married and had two wonderful sons! But most of all you were there, you were there on the train. You helped me save the passengers and defeat Akaza. Your love protected me during the mission, and when I came here, you stayed with me all this time! You do love me, I knew you always had! Together we will leave and we will go back to my father’s estate, I know it’s very soon but we will get married and start our life together! Doesn’t that sound wonderful? There you will be safe and I can protect you. You won’t ever have to worry about anything again! No more slaying demons or trying to become a Hashira. Not when you have me.” Kyojuro said, the words from his mouth held desperation. It seemed as if he was trying to convince himself more than he was you. You watched him and saw the strained look upon his face, he searched you for any type of positive reaction. He wanted you to agree, he wanted you to jump in his arms and run away with him into the moonlight but instead all he found was terror. He could feel how fast your blood was pumping, he knew he scared you, but he couldn’t give up now. You’d learn to accept him, learn to love him and cherish him. He knew that you already did, it was only a matter of getting your forgiveness for frightening you so bad that would be tricky. Perhaps, cuddling together would help, or maybe going out on a date. Surely you would forgive him then, especially when you saw how utterly loving he could be.

‘Yes, I’ll just have to earn her forgiveness and trust again.’ He thought to himself as he looked down at you. A stream of tears began to roll down your cheeks.

Carefully, he brought you back into his chest. This evening he knew would be the worst, as you would reject him at first but he hoped later you would find comfort in him. It would be a long and strenuous journey but eventually you would be his entirely; heart and soul.

While Kyojuro hugged you so tightly, you sought out a way to escape. If you were quick enough, you could knock him unconscious and bring him back into his room. There he could be examined once again as you were sure he was having a psychotic break. The strain of battle had put him under tremendous pressure, not to mention faced with your own mortality can cause someone to go over the edge. And that’s just what you thought had happened, he was just confused and needed to lie down. He needed rest, his physical wounds along with his apparent mental wounds had not quite healed. Your best chance now was too agree with him, from there you could determine your next plan of action.

You embraced him back, and he melted into your touch. The heaviest of sighs escaped his lips and leaned in you for more, you had not the slightest clue as to how long he truly had waited for this. As you held him, your next goal was to inform the nurses as to what you were doing.

Over his shoulder you caught glimpse of Aoi, and when you saw what it was that she was doing your heart began to race.

Stealthily, she crept across the lawn and retrieved your sword. Kyojuro had not noticed as he had been focused on you. You watched wide eyed as she slowly stood from the ground, katana in hand. You wanted so badly to stop her, but she raised the sword above her head and began to run towards Kyojuro.

Quickly you broke from Kyojuro’s grasp, pushing him back with your palms. His face was distraught till he realized what you were doing. As you shoved him out of the way your ran before Aoi and held your hands up to block her attack.

“Wait!” You screamed, standing in between the two of them. Kyojuro walked up behind you but you stopped him with your arm.

“Just wait a second, okay?” You said Aoi, she stared at you confused as you turned back towards Kyojuro.

“Yes, Kyojuro let’s go back home, and when we get there we will discuss getting married, okay?” You asked him, at first he had not reacted and only looked at you. But before anything else could be said, his hands hastily gripped your face and smashed his lips into yours. The kiss was passionate and hungry, he groaned as he felt your hand reach up and cup his face. You broke away from the kiss but still held his face close to yours.

“Before we leave, I need to get your stuff and talk with the nurse, alright?” You asked, your voice gentle and calm. He shook his head and his eye never left you. You smiled and placed a small kiss on his forehead before saying,

“Can you stay here for just a second, I’ll go grab your stuff and then we can leave.” And he quietly obliged, he now acted as if he were a small child and not the strongest person in the entire estate. If he wanted he could slaughter everyone and take you hostage, but instead he agreed. He stood calmly and seem to almost sway with excitement, his face bore a cheerful grin that indeed lifted your spirits.

‘He just struggling, right now, soon he will be back to normal. In fact I doubt he will remember any of this tomorrow.’ You thought to yourself as you smiled at him once again and walked to Aoi. Once next to her you pulled her beside you and whispered,

“Kyojuro, isn’t doing well right now. I think the stress along with how traumatic the fight was is causing him some serious distress. I’m going to take him home for this evening and maybe tomorrow he will be willing to come back. He far too strong to be taken by force, none of would ever be able to get a sedative in him. Tell Shinobu what is going on and tell her to meet me at the Rengoku estate tomorrow, there we see what we can do. As of now, I’ll go back inside and grab a couple of our things, maybe some supplies to dress his wounds as well. Watch him and if he tries anything call me and I’ll be out here to handle it.” You said to her and she nodded, as you walked from her, past the nurse, and inside she watched as you cautiously walked in and gave a small glance towards Kyojuro. He stood facing the wind, enjoying the cool night summer breeze. Aoi turned to him and observed him carefully, she wasn’t aware of his strength but she knew better than to confront him. Nervously she payed close attention to his every move, Kyojuro hadn’t really seemed care. His mind was occupied with the realization that everything had gone according to plan, you accepted his proposal, and now the two of you were going home. He was easily the happiest he had ever been.

Not long after, you appeared from inside the building. In your hands you carried his clothes, his personal belongings, both of your katanas, and a bag filled with medical supplies. You made you way to him and he held out his elbow. You interlocked arms and started to walk towards the front gates. You turned to Aoi, and nodded. She returned the gesture, you watched he and saw that as you cleared the gates she began to search for Shinobu. The three nurses followed suit and split up. You smiled and held Kyojuro arm close to you, he looked down at you smiled. Together the two of you walked out the gates and onto the dirt road, soon you would be home. There you hoped that he calm and fall asleep. The next morning you would explain what had happened, and then he would return to the estate to continue his recovery.

‘He just needs time.’ You thought to yourself.

“Tomorrow will be better.”

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