W a t e r P l e a s e

[Distant Feelings]

My Giyuu ideas just be flowing from me jjgyujkkue

And I've got more to come >:DD

Of course, I'll write for different characters as well but-

Gah! Enjoy!

Giyuu admits that he's alone. Alone, but not lonely. He doesn't really interact with anyone unless needed. He's aware of what his fellow pillars think about him, but it's all because he doesn't want to lose anyone close to him anymore.

Because anyone who gets too close to him, they'll be in grave danger.

Yet why isn't he able to push you away?

Everyone very much agrees that you're the closest friend he's got in your group of pillars. You talk to him a lot although he was sure that he's giving obvious hints that he wants you to stay away. Your persistent attitude is needed and impressive as a slayer, but not as a person. Off the battlefield, your tenacity is highly irritating for the man.

Today's sun was shining brightly in a blinding way. It reminded him of you; annoying and radiant and always there. Can't you get a clue that he's not someone safe to hang around with? There's always Koccho and Kanroji who are the same gender as you, then there's also Uzui, Himejima, and Rengoku-san. If you're finding someone anti-social, then go for Iguro and Shinazugawa. They're much more safer, at least. He just doesn't understand you.

Ah. There it is again.

No matter what, his thoughts just keep drifting back to you. It was aggravating since he's the first person you talk to before the meeting starts. It's either that or you quickly run up to him after talking with the others. Then when you're not around, he thinks of you. The fact that he's heading towards the Ubuyashiki state for a meeting -

Well, he's not sure what to feel about it.

"Giyuu-san!"

Now he's hearing things? What's happening to him?

"Hey, Giyuu-san!" Your voice sounded much more closer. He turned and over his shoulder, he can see you rushing towards him. "Let's walk together!"

He looks up ahead but doesn't stop walking. You finally caught up to him and walked side by side. You're later than usual. Usually, you're the earliest out of all of them.

"Could've at least waited for me." you purse your lips.

As if finally seeing you after for so long, those negative thoughts about you seemed to have evaporated from the sun's glare. One look from you can turn his everything upside down. He slows down, just enough so you can catch your breath.

You notice this almost immediately, and smiled in thanks. It was a silent walk. You didn't mind at all though. You can admire how blue the sky is and how the sun is shining so brightly today - but upon seeing Giyuu's face, the seemingly perfect day was just not perfect anymore.

"Erm, Giyuu-san?" He hums in response. "You look troubled. Is everything okay?"

Giyuu stops for a second, then continues walking. He considers your question. He is troubled. More like conflicted, actually. But was it so obvious on his face?

He wants to say 'stay away from me', but he can't say it right to your face. For some reason, he can't.

"I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." your voice sounded distant for a moment. It made him want to glance at you - just because your voice resonated a melancholic sound.

And so, he looks at you. Your head hung low, you seem to watch your own feet stepping in front of the other.

Look up. Giyuu just wants to look at your expression, at least. Don't look so dismal just because of me.

He clears his throat, making you perk up. "You don't have to worry. I'm okay." if you are.

You observe his features and shake your head. "Nope. You're lying." then he turns to you in surprise. You took this chance to scan him properly, and came to a conclusion. "Giyuu-san, do you like someone?"

Does he? He continues to stare at you with a befuddled look. Your [E/C] orbs were piercing his own blue ones. It was intimidating, but in...in an endearing way.

He looks straight ahead to avoid your gaze. For some odd reason, his pulse was racing and his temperature was rising. "How..." he starts in a mutter. "...how do you know if...you like someone?"

You take a minute to process his question, and starts laughing. Normally Giyuu would think you're being rude and offensive, but your laugh was music to his ears.

"Sorry!" you stammer in between your laughter. "It's just...I think it's cute."

Cute. Giyuu didn't like that. But at the same time, he did.

"Hm, well..." You sound dreamy. "...I guess the most obvious hint would be when they're always on your mind, whether you're thinking about them negatively or not." How you said it made you sound like you were experienced as your eyes were searching for something in another world.

Your hand brushed against his briefly, but it was enough to send chills and fire through his veins at the same time. You were still talking, but he can't hear you. Yes, you're always on his mind. It's like your visage was trapped in his head - and it doesn't want to come out.

"So you do like someone?" your question pulled him out of his own world. He looks at you - you had this anticipated look on your face.

Under the sun with the fresh breeze of a spring morning, a simple protracted walk with you has made him recognize these unknown feelings towards you. Mentally, Giyuu begged the heavens that he would never forget this moment. Because this moment, you were barely friends - and he hoped that it would stay that way, despite his ludicrous and unnecessary feelings.

As well as wishing that these feelings would never bloom.

He give you a small smile, startling you. But it also made your heart skip a beat. "...yes. I do."

The way he said those three words were absolutely mean, and with a smile like that out of nowhere? You quickly turn away and nod. In hopes of distracting yourself from his imprinted image of him smiling, you start rambling on about tips on how to get the girl.

You were failing horribly though.

Giyuu concealed his smile as he watched you ramble on and on and on again. Like it has always been. But it was also different this time, in a way. As long he can admire you from afar, he'll be fine.

[A KnY AU: Bounded By a Forgotten Past]

School works, why must you delay this post-

Modern and Spirit AU??? :33

I recently rewatched Studio Ghibli's "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Spirited Away" and my childhood is-

:'3

So I had this idea :DD

Enjoy!

WARNING: it's a very long read ahead!

You stare up at the tree-covered hill. Was it a hill or a mountain? It wasn't particularly tall nor short, so you weren't sure. What you were sure is that that big mound of earth was never here before.

"[Y/N]! What's the hold up?" One of your friends called as you realized they were already several meters away from you.

"Hey, this mountain or hill, has it always been here?" you eye the mound with your hands on your hips, tapping your foot. "Didn't we pass a field yesterday? And the other day before that? And the two years we've been passing here?!"

Your friend runs back to you to look at whatever you're looking and gave you a weird look. "What hill? It's the same field we walk past every day."

You snap your head back at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Do you not see this??" you give her big gestures pointing the hill.

She sighs heavily. "Whatever prank you're pulling off, it's absolutely stupid and humiliating. Come on! I don't want to miss dinner!" she grabs your arm and pull you away, you gave the hill (or mountain, but you decide to call it a hill now) one last look before struggling to keep up with your friend.

You were very good at reading expressions and can sometimes guess what people are thinking. It was helpful at times, but it was mostly annoying. You laugh bitterly as you try to erase your friend's deeply annoyed face.

As you stagger back to your group of friends, a pair of pale mint eyes were watching you in great interest. The empty eyes, for the very first time in decades, shimmered with curiousity.

° ° °

The next day, you decided to leave earlier than usual for school. You were determined to check if that suspicious hill was still there and you weren't gonna let any of your friends drag you away again.

You slip into your shoes and ran outside to take the usual path, greeting familiar faces as you run past them. You finally reach the hill and stopped running, gasping for air. You regain yourself and wipe the sweat from your forehead.

So it's still here. You knew you weren't hallucinating. You walk closer to it as you reach out your hand. You feel the prickly grass on your palm. You hear a rustle from one of its trees and quickly look where it came from.

"Maybe a bird or something..." you assure yourself. As you scanned the hill, your eyes widen in surprise. Were these stone steps here before?

They were covered in moss and some small weeds. What the hell is happening? Maybe you are hallucinating. Is it because of that bun you ate that was a day expired? But you've been doing that a lot now so why is this happening?

The stone steps seems to lead all the way to the top. You hover your hand over your eyes to dull the sunlight as you look up to the top of the hill.

Is that mist?

It's not even that early in the morning. And surely it's not tall enough to reach a cold temperature. All those trees definitely didn't do that.

"Gah, all this investigating is giving me a head ache..." you massage your temples and decided to leave this problem in the afternoon, knowing better since you still have the whole day studying. You gave the hill one last look before walking away.

The breeze swayed his black to mint gradient hair. He watches your figure getting smaller until it disappears.

How intriguing...

° ° °

"Yup. It's still here." you tell yourself as you scan the hill.

It was pretty late in the afternoon and the school day finally ended. You skipped [Fave Hobby] club and escaped cleaning duty. You barely escaped from your friends as well. No use bringing people who are blind to this.

The stone steps were still there. You stare at the steps skeptically. Are you really willing to waste your afternoon investigating this thing?

You noticed that the mist at the top have become thicker, immediately answering your question. Nervous, you take in a deep breath and took a step forward. The step was solid. You smile to yourself proudly and continued to walk up the steps. The taller you go, the thicker the trees are. The mist was also starting to form.

You soon start to feel your legs wobble in exhaustion. You must be out of shape since it's the hill isn't really too tall. The mist was thick now, but you notice that the trees are getting thinner. You must be close to something, whatever it is. If you find out there's nothing at the top, you'll freak-

Then you found a shinto shrine. The trees beyond the shrine were a different species, and immediately recognize that they're ginkgo trees. Its leaves were the colors of autumn and pretty much out of season. The fallen leaves were scattered around, but it doesn't surpass the shrine, like an invisible force field to prevent it from crossing to the normal world. It was such a peculiar sight to see yellow colored ginkgo trees in the middle of April.

What the hell.

You get closer to the dusty shrine. It was covered with cobwebs. You spot something engraved on its right side. You wipe the dust off with your hand and read the kanji.

"'Nothing'...?"

"Exactly. There's nothing."

You jump in surprise and turn around too quickly, losing your balance. Someone grabs your arm before your face meets the floor. You regain yourself and sighed in relief. You thought you were gonna have a flat nose by tonight. You swivel around to see a boy who is shockingly already a few feet from you beyond the shrine. He was staring at his hand. His face was so blank, you don't really know what he's thinking or why he's looking at his hand like that.

How could he have such a deadpan expression?

The boy looks like he is younger than you. His hair had raven locks that turned mint in the ends. He was pale and is wearing a cream colored yukata with patterns that are shaped like mists. He's barefooted and had an empty scabbard hanging from his waist.

"E-excuse me!" you call out, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. He stares at you without a response.

You felt awkward. What was he doing here?

"You should leave." the boy says a bit crossly. "Before the sun sets."

You blink a few times. Is someone younger than you telling you to leave? You wanted to coax him about changing his tone and to be more respectful, but upon realizing that the sun was starting to set, you decide to leave him be.

You hesitantly bow and quickly descend the hill. The boy watches you from behind and like always, he waits until your figure disappears. He walks towards to where you stood. The triangle headwear he wears must have fallen when he saved you from falling humiliatingly.

He picks up the hitaikakushi and ties it around his head. He stares at his hand again. His hand that was able to grab you. His hand that didn't come through you.

He sighs, feeling stupid once again. He knew very well that he could not touch humans, yet his body is automated to help someone in need. What happened earlier was different though.

Much much more different.

° ° °

It's finally the weekend, and you were cursing at yourself for deciding to go back to the mountain again. You decided with a flip coin, since you weren't really sure whether you should visit the mysterious boy or not.

"He must be a yurei or something, so why do I even bother...?" you sigh almost jokingly to yourself and shoved your hands in your pockets.

You soon find yourself at the foot of the hill. The steps were still there. The other day they weren't, you were sure. Perhaps the boy can do that? Make things appear and disappear in his territory, if he was some kind of spirit.

You notice the mist have reached the base of the hill and was much more thicker. The trees danced with the breeze, making you wonder how something that isn't really there be in sync with the world.

"You're back?"

You were snapped back to reality. You follow the familiar uninterested voice to see the same boy from yesterday, leaning against one of the trees. The shade from its leaves barely covered his face, but his pale orbs were bathed in little sunlight as if to purposely give empty eyes some light. His mint orbs shone with such a calm demeanor under the sprinkle of sunlight, you thought no one has ever looked so somber for someone so young.

Then you notice the triangular head piece he's wearing. A hitaikakushi. So he really is a yurei.

"Um, yeah, I'm back..." your voice trails off as he walked closer to you, finally fully bathed in the sun's rays.

His brows slightly furrows. "Why?"

You blink. The first time you saw him, you really didn't get a good look at his features. Seeing him now, his hair flowing through the wind while the sun acted like a spotlight, you see him clearly.

Oh my god, he looks like an absolute angel.

You gulp as you thought you were getting hazy. "I, well, uh-"

"You shouldn't be here." he turns his back to you and starts to walk up the steps, the mist seemingly following him like a servant following its master.

"Didn't you invite me?" you voiced a question even though the sight of the mist following his shadow was so fascinating to look at. "The other day there weren't stairs here..."

He stops to give you a brief look. And in that millisecond before walking away again, his eyes flickered with slight shock. You grin to yourself and followed him up the hill.

The boy admits to himself that you were right; he did 'invite' you to his home. He can't help but get curious about a human seeing him for the first time. What's more, he can touch you. Though he doesn't admit one thing.

He feels lonely.

Spirits shouldn't feel lonely. Spirits shouldn't feel anything. Spirits should go to the afterlife, yet he's still here. He remembers nothing of his past or when he was still living, not even his own name. One day, he just awoke on a tall hill with yellow ginkgo leaves surrounding him.

He tried his best to spend his days alone remembering who he was, but to no avail, and decided to give up. He assumed that because of his lost memories, he's still roaming the Earth. The only piece of memory he has is this empty scabbard, and have justified that he was a swordsman at such a young a age. Whether a professional or not, he just knows he's a swordsman.

You see him stop by the shinto shrine. You were still entranced at the sight of the cluster of ginkgo trees beyond the shrine as it danced with the wind with a grace so majestic to you.

"You came to confirm that you're not a lunatic hallucinating things, right?" he says with a flat tone in his voice. "You've seen everything that you can see, now leave."

You consider his question. "It just made things more confusing though..." you mutter to yourself.

But he heard and turns to you, expression unchanging. You catch his eye and quickly tensed under his gaze. It's not that he's intimidating - okay, he is, only because it's like he's some kind of robot. Solemn and somber and deadpan were the only words that can describe his features. It's making it hard for you to read him.

He averts his gaze, startling you just a little. "Then, you can come back whenever..." he huffed. "...just until you're not confused about this anymore."

You stare at him for a moment. His eyes were darting everywhere but you, and he was fiddling with his fingers. What's with the sudden change in reaction? Not that you were complaining. He looked so adorable this way.

You suppressed a grin. "Then I'll be back tomorrow." You almost forgot why you were here, but either way it doesn't really matter as long as you'll come back tomorrow.

You descend the hill as the boy watched you gradually getting smaller until you disappear from his sight. Just like he always have.

He pouts at himself. He shouldn't have said that. You shouldn't come back here. Convinced that it's best for him to be alone, he called himself a nincompoop under his breath. But he had a feeling that even if he hadn't said that, you'll still come back. Your eyes were straightforward about it.

° ° °

You've been visiting him for the next few days. During weekdays, you'd visit him after school. He doesn't really talk when you ask him simple questions. He didn't seem like he was annoyed by your presence though. Right before the sun sets, he would ask you to leave, and you didn't know why. You were persistent, enough to surprise the boy.

Seriously, inviting me here but then you're not conversing?

One day, he couldn't bare to ignore you for much longer. He was at his usual spot at the foot of the hill. He was patiently waiting for you as he leaned on the tree. This time, he's gonna answer your questions. Well, at least he'll try. He was as clueless as you are, as to why and how he's here.

He closes his eyes, concentrating on the breeze that was passing through him. Though a spirit, his body was reacting to the world naturally. His hair would sway in the wind, the sun would shed light on his eyes, and recently a human girl can touch him.

He opens his eyes to stare at his hand. He recalls the time he caught you before idiotically tripping. Your skin was delicatem as well as warm to the touch. For a moment, he felt alive and breathing. Breathing the same fresh air of mid-spring.

The sound of light footsteps. His gaze landed on your shadow that was increasing in size as you walked closer. Finally, his eyes met yours that shimmered in slight surprise. Your shocked look slowly turned into a warm smile.

In that millisecond of a moment, he saw someone else. A boy with the same heart-filled smile. It was only for half a second, but he saw how kind the boy's smile was. Such kindness would make anyone cry.

"Hey, are you okay?" you were sitting across him and were waving your hand in front of his face.

He finally snapped back and stared back at you. For a spirit, he was already pale. But he was paler this time. His eyes were filled with mixed emotions - so many emotions you couldn't count. But these emotions stood out the most; Shock. Disbelief. And fear.

"What's wrong?" concern growing, you inched closer to him. He turns away, a gesture for you to stop. And so you did. He blinked a few times and heaved a deep sigh before turning back to you. Once again, his eyes were empty and his expression was deadpan.

"It's nothing."

You wanted to ask again, but given his expression you decided no to pry. For a while, you stayed in your position as you continued to scan his face. His features were clearly blank again as he was staring at the ground. But there's always something more to that unchanging expression he always wears. What could he be thinking?

"Questions..." he starts in a soft whisper.

"Huh?" You tilt your head. He raised his gaze to level with yours.

"I'll try to answer questions..." His voice was much louder now. You knew what he meant and nod with your lips tugging into a small smile. He looks away and taps the grass beside him. You gladly moved to sit beside him.

You had so many questions. You wonder which you should ask first. "Ah! I don't really know your name yet. For starters, what's your name?"

He stares up at the sky for a few seconds before responding. "I don't know. I don't remember."

"Oh...did you lose your memories?"

He nods. "Then you don't remember anything from when...I mean, your past?

He nods. You frown. So either way, none of your questions will be answered then? Well maybe questions about the present, he can answer.

"Why are you here? Why am I the only one who can see you?"

He gives it a thought. "I don't know."

You sigh, frustration building up inside you. The anticipation of finally knowing what's going on faded away in a dissatisfied manner.

He sees you, and stared st the ground once more. "...but I think it's because I don't remember anything. That's why I'm here."

You can sense his effort of trying to communicate, and you appreciate it.

Maybe continuing to visit him isn't the worse idea?

"Sorry." he apologised. You knew what he meant. You visit him everyday so you can get some answers, and now that he's finally talking, you were left with absolutely nothing.

But maybe nothing isn't so bad?

° ° °

He is very confused.

That day, he couldn't answer your questions in the end. But you still visit him. What's your goal?

You would talk about how your day went and sometimes even bring snacks. You knew very well he can't eat, yet you still bring these delicious foods with you.

You're so mean.

It's not like he's complaining though. He doesn't admit it, but he starts to adore your presence more and more. He was quiet, watching you go on and on about your day. It was a refreshing sight.

Other than that, he's been getting these flashes from his past more often. They come in bits and pieces so it doesn't really add anything up. He would see his own hands holding a sword, unfamiliar faces, another him, and the most mysterious and confusing ones are the flashes of huge pillars inside a seemingly endless room all lined up. He was sure there were other people in the room as well, but this one person with long hair doesn't reveal his face.

He was certain that you would be able to set him free. Is fate finally giving him a favor and sent you here? Or is it the other way around.

"Hey so..." your voice was unsure. He's never heard that tone from you before. "...a guy asked me out on a date. I'm not sure if I should go. I told him I'll give it a thought..."

The way your hand played with your earlobe and looking at the ground embarrassingly, were you asking for his permission?

He blinks cluelessly. "A date?"

You realize and chuckle at him and yourself. "Right. You probably don't know what a date is, huh?" he nods. "It's when a girl and boy go out and do all sorts of fun alone together. They would talk and eat and stuff...but usually when it's only because they-"

"But aren't we doing that now?" he cuts you off. He almost sounded upset. You were staring at his innocent face as you felt your face getting hot. "You're already on a date with me everyday, so you shouldn't go."

"You're havung fun with me around?" the question simply slipped away, and you got redder when you realized. His eyes widened a little and somehow his cheeks were slightly dusted pink. He looks away and hummed softly.

You smile. "I guess I'll tell him no then." he seemed to slightly perk up by your response, but his gaze remains away from you.

You knew you had to tell him at some point, that dates are about when two people like each other. But you decide to let it slide for now. You were feeling too warm and fuzzy inside.

~

The sun was gonna set soon, meaning he'll tell you to leave again. But you wanted to ask him about that before you do.

"Why do you ask me to leave before sunset?" you casually asked while cleaning up.

He was staring at the setting sun. There was an unfamiliar feeling of anxiety and fear in his eyes. But there was also this strong look too. You've noticed that he seems to grip his scabbard absently whenever the sun is almost setting.

"I...don't know." the same answer to you questions, yet answered with a different tone in his voice.

You thought for a moment. Then you remember about you grandfather telling you stories from his time as a young kid. The mosters prowling at night in search for human flesh, the hunters who possess immense strength and abilities to take those monsters down, and the end and start of it all.

"You told me you were long dead..." you started. You try to search for the words, but there was no sugarcoating it. "...then you must know about the demons, right?"

Upon hearing the word, flashes of different faces printed on his mind all at once. Sharp teeth, eyes cravung for bloodlust, claws that can easily rip your heart out - they were all different people but with the same description. Finally, the last one was longer - the long haired man with no face finally has one. Intimidating six eyes were starung right at him.

He almost lost his composure if it hadn't for you. He realized he was as stiff as a board and finally relaxed once he felt your touch. You grabbed his arm with worry that he wasn't responding to your calls.

"Are you okay?" you asked.

He absently gripped your hand that was holding unto him and pulled it away, just to hug you tight. You were surprised with the action (and his strength for someone with a small build). You were really getting worried.

As you were about to say something, he spoke first. "...I want to protect you. Let me protect you."

"Protect me from what?" he only hugged you tighter. You didn't know what and why is this happening. You also don't know about his past was about. Heck, you don't know anything about him at all.

You stare at his scabbard. He was a swordsman, that's for sure. Maybe it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you knew who he was or what he's been through - you know him as the boy who is hugging you right now. That matters.

You slowly wrap your hands around him as you were engulfed with the last but of sunlight left. "Alright." you brush through his hair and he immediately relaxes in your arms. You don't know it, but happiness was bubbling from his chest.

° ° °

It was just another usual day. Another school day have ended and you were heading to the usual hill where he lives. Sometimes, you end up daydreaming while walking but every time you find yourself at the foot of the hill already. It's like your body was automated. Thinking back when there wasn't any magical hill yet, you just head straight home. Your mom would say to have fun with friends and go somewhere after school, but you just weren't the type to do that. You chuckle at yourself.

You realize that you've arrived and saw the boy standing straight with his fists clenched. When you met his pale eyes, you couldn't believe what you were seeing.

His eyes gleamed with hope and excitement. He wasn't trying to hide it. His deadpan expression was replaced by excitement and impatience, and you admit it was foreign to you. But it was a sight you can never forget.

"What are you doing standing there?" he breathed, barely hiding his emotions. "I have a lot to tell you."

~

"Wow! So you had a twin?"

He nods vigorously. He continues to tell you of his memories with a happy look on his face. It's been like this everyday now. You weren't the only one talking anymore. You were exchanging stories; stories of your lives, stories of the past and the present.

"I was a demon slayer too! A high-ranking one at that." he stares at you with a proud look on his features.

"Really?" you stare back at him in awe. "You're so young though! What else do you remember?"

"That's all I remember today. I'll tell you more if anything else comes up!" he says cheerfully. But soon, his expression softened as his gaze seemed to pierce through yours without him realizing. "[Y/N]...are you happy for me?"

You held your breath, completely off guard. You hadn't forgotten what he said before.

"If I get all my memories back, I might finally move on. I'll be free."

He said that just a few days after you've met. Now, it's been weeks. Of course you should be happy for him. After so many years, he's this close to finally move on from the world who couldn't see him, realize that he was still there. But then he'll be far from your reach. He'll get farther and farther until you couldn't grasp him anymore.

You smile, forcing yourself to remember what he wants. "Of course I am! You'll finally be free!"

He nods at you. Before meeting you, it bothered him that he's alone in the world. No one can see him - the whole world can't see him. And such loneliness is absolute torture for a spirit of a child. Though an elite swordsman of the past, he's still a young boy. A young boy who then meets a young girl of the present. You were cheerful, kind, and loveable. You were also a bit clumsy and a tease, but those were the qualities that made him feel alive even just for the afternoon where you spent time with him. For the first time, he didn't care if the world couldn't see him. You turned into his world already.

And for the first time, he wished he would forget.

° ° °

Tiem flew. Months passed. By now, the boy has probably remembered everything. Everything except his name. He didn't mind though.

"Hey! There's a summer festival today!" you visited him in the morning to inform him of the annual summer festival happening in your neighborhood. "I promise to bring in lots of prizes today! And maybe some food." you barely hid your cheeky grin.

"Stop teasing me with food I can't eat!" he pouts at you. You laugh and ruffle his hair, giving his heart an unusual skip. "But didn't you say that festivals are the best at night?"

You smile brightly, happy that he remembered what you said. "Mhm! That's why I'll be back before sunset."

"Watching fireworks are the best when you're with someone."

~

That day, you did visit again before sunset. You were wearing a [F/C] kimono that was decorated with flower patterns and your hair was tied in a loose bun. All he could do was stare at you as he blushed.

"S-stop staring too much..." you mumble, but he hears and apologises.

You sit beside him and told him what you saw. You showed him the prizes you won from winning games, and flaunted the delicious snacks you brought (resulting a drooling spirit).

After all that, everything finally calmed down. You were both waiting for the fireworks display to start. You were right at the entrance of the shinto shrine. Beyond it, the autumn ginkgo leaves seemed to shimmer slightly under the soft moonlight. You never stepped foot beyond this shrine because he advised not to. The way he told you, it was obvious that it was his haven. It was where he feels safe and at peace. A few days after first meeting him, he sits in the middle of the pile of leaves and stares at the sky. Now he doesn't. Does that mean he can feel at peace with just by being with you now?

"[Y/N]! Look!" he points at the sky and you follow; different colored fireworks exploded in the star filled sky. Its light reflected on your features that showed awe and happiness.

The boy next to you, however, weren't watching the dancing lights in the sky. He was watching the girl beside him who's completely absorbed in the beauty of the fireworks. He feels the same way as you, only it wasn't towards the fireworks.

It was towards you.

Then, a flash. He grabbed his head in pain. This was clearly a memory; but why does it hurt?

He sees a man - he was blind. He was wearing a black kimono with a white kimono jacket that had purple and pink mist like patterns that starts from the end of his jacket. He wore the smile like Buddha. A calm aura radiated from him. They were in a room and he seems to be lying down. The man was sitting beside him and was saying something, but he wasn't audible. Until-

"You will get your memories back...

...Muichiro."

Then he was back. The memory faded away. He was sitting beside you under the now empty sky. The fireworks display ended. You were calling out his name and was holding him. Your eyes showed nothing but concern and worry. Suddenly, he hugs you. Tears started streaming down his face as he buried his head into your chest. It was gonna stain your kimono, but you didn't care. You didn't know what was going on, and all you could do was hug back.

You stayed like that for what felt like hours. His sobs subdued into quiet sniffles. He held you tighter, as if he was afraid that if he lets go, you'll disappear.

"...Muichiro." he muffled. He looks up at you, eyes sore from crying. "M-my name..."

You widen your eyes in realization. You start combing his hair with a smile, but tears were forming in your eyes. "Muichiro...it's a nice name."

"Don't lie!" he says and breaks away from you. "Don't smile like that!"

His words broke your heart.

"Don't tell me you're happy! Because I'm not!" he yells. He stands up, staring at the ground. "I'd rather forget everything again and stay here with you!"

He was crying again. No, of course you should be happy. But you can't help your feelings. You don't want him to say that; he doesn't mean it. And if he does, you should stay strong for him. He needs to be set free. You stand and hug him tenderly. He gives in quickly and hugs you tight. You couldn't find the words. You knew you should change his mind. You don't want him to disappear while he feels like this.

A sudden breeze, then a strong wind. The ginkgo leaves were flying, circling around you. Soon, the mist joined in. He hugs you tighter, but even when he did, his grasp and warmth was gradually fading. You cupped his face in both of your hands and gave him the warmest smile despite the tears.

"Muichiro, I like you."

His eyes widened. He knew what those words meant. It wasn't a simple confession. You were telling him to go. You were telling him that it was okay and that you'll never forget him.

He smiles back. "I like you too." he holds your hands as your foreheads touched. You shut your eyes tight as the strong wind almost felt like a tornado.

Then you can't feel his warmth anymore. You can't feel his face in your hands. The wind disappeared. You open your eyes slowly.

You were standing on a field. As if the hill was never there. You stare at your hands, before falling on your knees.

As tears streamed down, you still smile. "Muichiro..." you whisper. His name meant 'nothing', but his whole existence was the opposite of that. Despite his name, you knew he lived a happy life. And hoped that his time with you was just as happy.

[Special Gift]

GAH I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE POST BUTTON AGAIN.

Here's the edited and complete version.

Okay, I swear I'm writing that Mui X reader it's just really long disjjdjd

But let me pause that for a while to write this short fic about our birthday boy!

Enjoy! And Happy bday, Rengobro!

"Kyo, are you sure you don't want to go out for your birthday?" you asked, watching the Flame Pillar getting dressed.

"Yes, I'm sure!" he looks at you with his usual radiant smile as he buttoned up his uniform.

You pout. It's your boyfriend's special day, yet he doesn't want to do anything special. "Maybe you should take the day off?" you postulate, hoping that he would at least give it a thought. But he shakes his head with his usual smile, and you frown.

He chuckles at your disappointed look on your face. He sits beside you on the futon to tenderly kiss your forehead, instantly making you give in to his loveable stubborness.

"Don't give me that look! I'm still going home, then we can celebrate." he tucks a lock of your hair behind your ear before leaning in. "So I want you to be ready before I get home."

He whispers a misleading statement, giving you a pleasurable shiver down your spine. You hate it when he teases you like that, but you actually love it.

Not realizing how pink you are, Kyojuro laughs at your reaction before kissing you on the cheek. "You're so adorable, [Y/N]!"

You playfully hit his chest. "Stop doing that!"

"Not if you give me the same reaction." He hugs you tight.

You couldn't ask for someone better than Kyo, because he was already the best. You love how he doesn't treat you like a queen or princess that needs to be protected all the time. He acknowledges your strength and your inperfections. You can't imagine your life without him now that he's in it.

You want to give him the best gift ever. You're gonna make sure to give him all the things and love that he deserves.

~

Kyojuro made sure to do his duties as a pillar quickly and carefully, eager to get home and snuggle in your arms early. So when he was finally done for the day, he doesn't waste another second and headed straight home. He almost wanted to run, but he knows he shouldn't be too excited or else all the energy would go away. So the most that he can do is to brisk walk.

Upon sliding the door, he smells the familiar aroma of roasted sweet potatoes. He already loved the dish, but he absolutely adores how you cook them. They just tasted way better when you cook it for some reason.

"Welcome home, Kyo!" you greet him with a wide smile on your face as you wrapped your arms around his neck. "You seem a little out of breath. Are you okay?"

He responds by lifting you by the waist as he spun you around. "Never been better!"

You laugh as he puts you down. You excitedly drag him to the dining. He sits down across from you and started devouring the sweet potatoes that you've made especially for him.

"So? How are they?" you barely asked as you watched him gobble up the dish like he hasn't eaten for years.

He stares at you with shimmering eyes (ack, so bright-). "They taste better than usual! Did you add something?"

You shake your head happily, glad to hear that he's enjoying your cooking. As soon as he was finished eating, he swiftly stood and sat behind you. He hugged you tight as he wrapped both of you with his haori and cradled you.

You sigh with a satisfied grin and leaned closer to him. "What do you want to do? Do you want anything else?" he stares down at you, admiring how perfect you look with his haori wrapped around you.

"Hm..." he thinks for a moment even though he knew what he wanted to do. For the very long time you've been together, he was sure of this decision. But he doesn't want to do this without you agreeing. He doesn't hesitate when it comes to you, and he's certain he wants to spend every second with you forever.

"[Y/N]..." he calls out your name with a solemn tone in his voice. It was the first, so you were a bit startled when he was looking at you seriously when you broke away from him. "...I love you."

"But I think of it now, it's not enough. I want to have more. I want you, but I want more." he says in a low voice. He leans in to give you a long and passionate kiss. "I want to have children."

You couldn't believe your ears. You thought it was only you. You love him so much - you can't bear to think of separating from him. So upon hearing those words, you jump on him and showered him with kisses. "Me too, Kyo."

He stares at you for a while, before chuckling softly. He's always happy, everyone can see that. But nothing could compare the days where he smiled and laughed to this very moment.

He wraps his arms around your waist with a sudden desire and rested his chin on your shoulder, whispering in a low voice that hinted obvious lust.

And yes, I'm back :DD

anD GUYSSSS

Y'all I was out for probs 2 weeks and I get 100 followers?!

Can't thank you enough :'3

Becaus of this, I'm more motivated to write for you lovelies!

And I saw some spoilers so I changed to Giyuu cuz he sMiLeD and my heart just can't-

I've got about 4 ideas and a Mui x reader in progress, please bear with me-

Online quizes and tasks are keeping me from writing, then there's the online exams- screech

I'll start writing again as soon as the exams are over next week.

[I Value You The Most]

How many times have this gorgeous man made me jealous and straight at the same time, I have no idea-

So I made this to let those emotions all out lmao.

Pretty much self-indlugent though :((( sorry. And Tengen isn't married to his three unbelievably hot wives here too so double sorry-

Hopefully though, you would still be able to enjoy!

Tengen almost can't believe it. There you stood, in a pillar's demon slayer uniform (nothing really changed except the buttons were gold now, but still-), your legs wrapped in bandages. He remembers that day two years ago. He saved a certain girl whose rank was Kanoe from a Lower Moon demon.

"[L/N] [Y/N]. I'll do my very best." you say with a grin. After the Pillar Meeting, Tengen comes up to you.

"Congratulations on being a pillar!" he exclaims with proud eyes. You crane your neck to look up at him, your eyes wide with surprise.

"Y-you remember me?" You ask in disbelief.

He smiles broadly with a wink. "I do."

"Really?! Someone like me?" you ask yourself, feeling giddy. "Wow..."

"You've come a long way. We may be of the same rank, but you're not of the same flamboyant level as I am."

You laugh. "It's nice to see you haven't changed one bit, Uzui-san."

That fateful day, when the Sound Hashira have saved you and finished fighting off that demon, he gave you a proud smile.

"You did a flamboyant job staying alive all this time."

And he let you decapitate the demon's head.

Ever since, you worked harder than ever. He was your inspiration these past 24 months of relentless training and experimenting, until you yourself was able to defeat a demon from the 12 Kizuki.

And here you are now. Called the Blood Pillar.

° ° °

After every Pillar Meeting, Tengen gets more and more disturbed by the sight of you.

Almost after every meeting, you would have new bandages wrapped around your legs. And that was just your legs. He's sure that there could be more under that uniform. While some of the old ones were replaced with scars. At first, he doesn't mind. He thought that you were new to your position as a pillar and have some wounds from your missions, but it's been such a long time now. Why do you always have these new wounds and scars?

Then he remembers. Blood Pillar. Now that he thinks about it, what the hell? Blood Pillar? Exactly from what Breath is that derived from? Does that explain all these new injuires you keep getting?

After the meeting, you see him march up to you, looking all serious. Honestly scared the heck out of you. Did you do something wrong? But you aren't really interacting with him lately, much to your disappointment.

"[L/N]." he crouches to your eye level, giving you an intense stare. "Are you okay?"

You blink. "H-huh? Why wouldn't I be...?"

He frowns. Oh no, is that the wrong response? He straightens up and grabs your wrist, pulling you away. You weren't able to react correctly and even say anything as you stared at his grip on your wrist. You're not sure what to feel about it, but you can feel your cheeks grow hot.

"Where are we going?"

"I just want to have a little chat."

~

"Oh!" you exclaim as you understood what was the deal earlier back at the Ubuyashiki Estate. You were in an empty field, sitting on the fresh grass of spring. Tengen asked all about your breath style and wounds. You were seriously admiring how confident he is to just ask that to you when he knew you weren't really close. You can't even ask Sanemi about his own scars and where he got them.

"Actually, my father was a very skilled doctor." you start as he listened to you intently. "He taught me how to handle medicines and how this certain tool should be used, and the like. After the day you saved me, I wanted to become more useful as a slayer at the same time be an unexpected enemy to the demons."

"You see, I'm a marechi. And I met a demon whose Blood Demon Art makes their own blood explode or burn. And it gave me the idea, and started to experiment on my own blood. It was a painful process, but it was worth it. After I became a pillar, I learned some tricks from Shinobu-san since I spend a lot of my time getting treated at the Butterfly Estate. I learned how to make poisons painful to scabbard but painless to humans and stocked it in the sheath of my sword. But it's really pretty useless unless my blood is mixed with the poison."

You finish. You stare up at the cloudless sky, adoring the pure blue color of it. Tengen just stares at you for a moment.

"So basically, you have to cut yourself for each form you make with your sword covered in poison..." he concludes ismn a mutter. Why would you make such a breath style? And isn't it too dangerous for your wounds to get exposed all the time or for too long? Plus, demons' favorite food is marechi. Then there's also the threat of blood loss.

This was all irritating him for some reason. He never realized how he deeply cares for you. Every time he sees you with yet again a new bandage, he can't help but feela tightness in his chest.

"[L/N]." he says, making you look at him with a hum. You were taken aback at the soft expression he gave you. "Tell me every time you have a mission."

"Why though?" you ask with a curious look.

He averts his gaze, feeling sheepish. It was a first for Tengen to feel like this. He's never shied away before. In frustration, he abrputly stands. "Just because." and he scratches his head. He walks away, leaving you alone on the field.

"U-Uzui-san...?" you wore such a dumbfounded expression. Was that an order?

° ° °

You sigh in relief. You've finally managed to go on a mission without Tengen on your tail.

These past few months, he's been 'accompanying' you on your missions and it's been annoying you lately. You don't even tell him when that you'll go on a mission. You just get surprised that he's already waiting by your house. He's also doing most of the fighting as well. He wouldn't let you draw your sword sometimes. Somehow, you were able to escape from him today.

Although in those times, you enjoy his company. He doesn't really talk much and seems like he'd rather listen to you. From stories to things Shinobu tells you, to even your problems. He was always there, listening. You've noticed that the way he smiles at you have changed. He always had that reassuring smile. A smile that would tell you "I'm here, always". It reminded you of how your father would occasionally treat your wounds after playing outside. But your father have passed, and no one else would be there for you anymore.

Until Tengen came.

Truthfully, you didn't mind being lonely for a while. Your pride as a demon slayer would allow you to sacrifice your own life to save others. You believed that you lived a contented life already. Nothing more is going to make you happy nor sad. It's okay for you to die protecting others.

Again, until Tengen came.

It's always because of him, these beliefs and thoughts keep changing. He changed you to become stronger, to feel secured and reassured around him, and that something was missing in your life. You weren't sure what it was, but you refuse to pass away without it in your life.

You stop walking. The sun was setting, shedding its final rays of light on the surface from the horizon. The wind have become eerily cold. The scent of human blood was strong, but a stronger smell was coating it. You cover your nose in reflex. What a sinister smell. Pompous and confidence was strongly flowing in this demon's blood.

A 12 Kizuki?

But this scent was more disturbing than the last two Kizukis that you faced from the last two years.

You rushed to the scene, following the scent as it grew stronger and stronger. Soon, you find a distorted white figure growing from what it seems like a vase. His back were lined with infant-like arms and was humming to himself until he felt your presence.

He turns to you, widening your eyes in horror. His face was even more distorted.

"My, I think I smell a marechi." He seems to smile, though you really can't tell. "Fufu, and a pillar?"

You unsheathe your sword and took a stance. You read the kanji on his eyes that were placed vertically on his face.

Upper Moon Five.

All you've encoutered so far were Lower Moon demons, so you expect that this battle will be tough.

"Say, would you like me to show you a piece I've recently finished?" he asks, his tone sounding conceited.

You grit your teeth. "I am not interested." you cut your arm with your blade, making sure the edge is fully coated in blood.

The demon bobs his head to the side. "Since you caught my attention, I'll ignore your rudeness just this once." he grins. "What is the point of slicing your own flesh? To provoke me?"

"You'll find out soon enough." You say before charging at him.

° ° °

Tengen was running as fast as he can, and the closer he gets, the louder he can hear your sword clanging. Although he's a shinobi, so his speed is quite enhanced, he fears that he's too late. It took him this much time to figure out where you were.

He may have realized this later than he should, but you were precious to him. You gave him a reason to be stronger - to live. He won't allow himself to be weak and die before you. You were now his top priority, then the people, then himself. If he can, he'll force you out of the demon slayer corps. Oh, but he can, he just won't. Other than your safety, your happiness was also top priority.

After all those times you've talked together, fought together, he starts to cherish every single moment he spends with you. And he can tell that, although undeservedly, it was him who drove you to be who you are today.

The Blood Pillar.

Just a few more hours, the sun will start to rise. He was finally getting close, until he hears silence. The sounds of clanging and clashing stopped. His heart was practically beating out of his chest in suspense. What happened?

~

You were breathing deep and hard from exhaustion. Your body was littered with wounds and blood. You've ripped off your uniform's torso, showing a blood-stained bandage wrapped around your breasts. Gashes made by the demon were slowing you down up to the point where you couldn't swing your sword anymore.

"How foolish." he starts. "Your Breath of Blood will kill you. I can just wait here as you die from blood loss, you know."

You smirk. You shouldn't be underestimated. You spent two years shaping and creating a body immune to such threats like that. You can go for another 10 hours or more, if limitations didn't exist, of course. You were only human. You may be weak for a pillar at the time, but you'll get stronger. You have to. You might lose this battle, but you refuse to die.

Win or lose, you will abstain yourself from passing out. You won't die. Not yet.

"But then the sun will rise soon, and I should have a feast. A feast fit for a fine artist such as myself."

He attacks you, you dodge barely. He was taken aback at the fact that you can still move. He keeos attacking, and you just kept dodging until you were finally worn out.

He takes notice as a sinister smile becomes visible on his features. Just when his attack was about to land a blow on you, you felt broad arms wrap around you as you were taken away.

"Didn't I tell you to always inform me of your missions?" You start to tear up. You see Tengen's irked and perturbed expression. He was able to snatch your haori and covers you with the clothing. As he was about to stand, you clutch unto him. He just smiles that reassuring smile. "I'll be back with the same flamboyance." he winks.

As he starts fighting in your stead, you watch him with anxiety bubbling in your chest. As you watch him, you found out what was missing. Even if it was just for a day, just for a few hours, what was missing in your life was Tengen. Now that he's come into your life, he can't come out. You need him. You can't die yet. You still want to spend your life with him. He doesn't have to feel the same way, as long as he's alive and well.

~

The demon cussed under his breath in frustration and was able to escape just before the sun's rays hit him. Tengen quickly ran to you to see if you're still breathing. Fortunately, you were alive as you gave him a smile.

"[Y/N]..." he whispers as he carries you. He starts walking. "...don't scare me like that."

All you could do was hum in response, your eyes closed and just fully giving in to his warmth.

"Don't be stubborn next time and tell me when you'll go on a mission. I can't breathe easy knowing that my girl is out there cutting herself to kill a demon."

You open your eyes in surprise. "'My girl'...?"

He smiles slightly. "Mhm. Whether you feel the same or not, you're my girl and no one else's right now. You're the most valuable to me in my life. And if someone steals you from me..."

He gives it a thought. "...he has to be way better than me in every way so I have to approve, 'kay?"

You giggle lightly and snuggled against him. You didn't need to say anything to tell him that you also feel the same way, as he can hear your heart beating solely for him.

Tengen watches your sleeping face. He felt truly blessed as something as precious as your heart was beating for him. His heart was beating for you as well.

[Aftermath]

Giyu keeps making me straight so I made this lmao-

Hope you enjoy!

WARNING: Heavy manga spoilers ahead!

The world has never looked so peaceful. The aura that used to emit before Muzan's downfall was horrifying to look at, but you were used to it. This peaceful world you live in is very new to you.

You were sitting on the engawa of your shared home with Giyu, waiting for the sun to rise. You can hardly sleep these past few months. How could you, when you weren't able to save her? You stare down at your hands, its wounds nearly healed. The calluses created from your relentless training and fighting have disappeared. Your hands felt empty. Actually empty. It was where the hilt of your sword belonged.

You hug your knees to your chest. All of this is a good change, yet you reminisced the past where you would attend to your duties as a pillar.

You reminisced the past where everyone was still alive.

~

Giyu had finally woken up, and finds you sitting on the engawa as usual. He doesn't disturb you and just watched you from afar, admiring how your hair swayed lightly to the breeze. In the past, not even once, you let your hair down. It was always tied back neatly. It's a small change that Giyu admired. But it was also a change that he would rather not have, as you've never looked so weak.

~

That day, he's never seen you so vulnerably broken. Tanjiro and Nezuko were together, crying in each other's arms. He has finally turned back to human, with the price of Kanao's sight.

He was desperately finding you, asking anyone he stumbles upon. It was such a sight for others, seeing the usually stoic water pillar to be in tears and in distress. Then he hears you calling his name.

With no second to lose, he starts running despite in pain. He follows the sound of your voice calling out to him. He finally finds you and wrapped his only arm aroud your shoulders, both falling on your knees. An anguished cry escapes your lips as you hugged back. He soon breaks away from you and caressed your cheek as he takes a good look at you. Your face was stained with blood, sweat and tears. Your right eye was scratched and bloodied. You wore a broken expression as all color was drained from your once bright face. It was a painful sight for Giyu, to see the only woman he loves wounded and in pain.

You hug him once again, your head resting on his chest. "I couldn't save her, Giyu! She's gone! Shinobu's gone!!" your breath rasped in your throat.

He rubs your back as he nuzzled his face into your hair. He knew you and Shinobu were such close friends. Because of this reason, he allowed the Insect Pillar to tease him since it always made you laugh. He wasn't the best at making jokes, so he always envied her for making you laugh like that.

Now, she's gone. She's not going to make you laugh anymore. You lost your best friend. And Giyu knows the feeling all too well.

"He should have taken me! I-I should have..."

He cuts you off by hugging you tighter. He won't allow you to say such words. It'll break every part of him. He can't lose you.

He can lose himself, but not you.

~

It was horrible and painful for him. The first few weeks, he has to listen to you cry yourself to sleep. Sometimes, you wouldn't even eat. He honestly didn't know what to do, and it's killing him. After a few months, you stopped crying, as if you've cried your last set of tears already. He accompanies you every week to the Butterfly Estate to visit Kanao, and you still do.

Your right eye has healed, but the [E/C] of your eye was no longer vivid. It was a faded color now, and you're half blind. Giyu thought you looked beautiful, but it was a broken kind of beautiful. He missed your bright smile and eyes as it would make his chest all warm and fuzzy.

He takes a deep breath, and walks over to you. You hear his footsteps and turn to him with a smile.

Giyu wavered every time you smile at him like that.

He hopes to fix that broken smile of yours someday.

He sits beside you and you lean on his shoulder. Your smile quickly fades. After so many weeks, you can feel the familiar sting of hot tears begin to well in your eyes. "I'm sorry..." you said softly, before tears start streaming down your face.

Giyu can hear you sniffle. He adjusts to look at you as he holds your chin, making you look up at him. The sight of his exhausted eyes only made you cry harder.

He was tired of seeing you like this. He's tired of seeing you so weak and miserable. He can't take it anymore. "[Y/N], I should be the one who's sorry."

"I'm sorry for not being there for you. I'm sorry all I could do was hug you and listen to you cry. I don't deserve you, I'm well aware of that. But please let me change that..." he rests his forehead against yours. "Talk to me, [Y/N]. I can't stand seeing you like this."

He wipes away your tears and caressed your cheek. You hold his hand and move to place a gentle kiss on his palm. "I'm sorry as well. I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry if I was keeping all of this to myself."

You finally look up and kissed his forehead tenderly. "Let's not let their deaths be in vain. Let's be happy in the world they sacrificed their lives to save."

Finally, you smile. A genuine and bright smile that he thought he'll never see again. Your eyes sparkled, wet from the tears. He's never seen you so beautiful. It wasn't a broken kind nor the bright kind.

It was the hopeful kind.

His lips brush against yours as the sun rises. He parts from you, and you giggle. "What's with that dazed look you have?"

Giyu blushed and just hides his face in the crook of your neck. You comb his hair with a satisfied expression. "Shut up."

"I love you too." you smile.

As his face was hidden, he smiles to himself. His heart is beating rapidly at the way you giggled like that.

Someday, he'll make you laugh. It can be tomorrow, the next day after tomorrow - it doesn't matter. He's got all the time in the world, after all.

[To Be Human Again]

I have r e s t e d.

So here you go! Enjoy!

When was the last time you feel the sun's glaring rays gradually burn your skin?

It was so many years ago that you forget how many, back in the Edo period. You were very ill and have not left the comfort of your own room for months. You overheard their coversation. The conversation that made you turn into a monster.

You don't have much time left to live. You may die next month, next week, or even tomorrow. You weren't ready. You can't die yet, not like this.

Now that you think of it, what a greedy desire it was to hold on to the arms of life for just a few more years. Death couldn't wait anymore; he was tugging at your feet already.

As if the heavens have heard your thoughts, a man in all black has stepped into your room. His eyes were red as the sky when the sun sets, as his aura intimidated you.

"How pitiful." he scoffs. That's where everything went white.

At that moment, seeing the blood from behind him, it wasn't the heavens that granted your wish. It was hell giving you a curse.

Once you woke up, the first thing on your mind was food.

Humans.

You didn't bother looking at yourself, you didn't bother knowing what happened, you didn't bother trying to remember who you were.

All you wanted was to get your hands on someone, anyone. All you craved for us the flesh and meat of a human being. A creature you used to be.

But it didn't matter, you were a demon now.

A demon who is starving and have blood-lust in her eyes.

~

It was all so hazy. You barely remember anything.

It's just been 30 years since you were turned into a demon, yet here you are now, disintegrating away.

Such a weak fool.

You can hear 'that person' say, even though he didn't need to, even though he didn't actually say it. You couldn't resist against him. You wanted to live.

How greedy.

But you never wanted this, did you?

Did you?

You close your eyes, finally giving in to death. In the end, you'll just die. Demon or not, you will die. That's how the world works.

So so stupid.

Yes, indeed, you knew you are.

You're a monster.

A single tear streamed across of what was remaining of your face.

You didn't have to be reminded.

~

You sit upright. You scan yourself, head to toe. You were human. You quickly stood and ran to the nearest river. You fall on your knees to see your reflection.

There was nothing. Nothing but the moon.

You felt the sun just earlier. How many hours has it been?

So you're not awake. That wasn't just a big scary nightmare. It was all real.

You're dead.

You pinch yourself and you flinch from the pain. It doesn't seem like you are though.

But what are you still doing here? Unfinished business? What is the meaning of all this? You can hear something.

People.

You follow the sound, and soon lead you to a crowded town bustling with life as if the sun was still up. They were fixing their shops, going home, or calling the playing children back inside. You almost wanted to cry. The feeling of craving for something was gone. It disappeared. After so many years, you can finally look at humans normally again.

Are they willing to look at someone like you too?

Something was strange. So many things were unfamiliar to you. Were you no longer in the Edo period?

After some time, silence loomed over. No one was outside anymore. The only light that can be seen is from the moon and the dim lights from the houses. You walked to the middle of the town. It was so quiet and peaceful now. You look up to the moon, a little tug on your lips.

When was the last time you've smiled like this? A smile that was out of pure joy and ease, not a satisfactory of no longer feeling hungry.

Whatever the reason why you're still roaming the Earth, it wasn't going to last long.

"You signing up for a death wish?" You turn to meet the red eyes of a demon. "Isn't this the part where you run away and cry for help?"

You weren't listening. You're techinically dead, so do you still need to run? But you still feel pain. You have no reflection, you're not cold, and you have no footprints. But you can feel.

"Oi!"

The annoyed yell of the demon disrupted your thoughts.

"You've got guts for a hu--" he stops. He sniffs the air around him like a bloodhound. He snaps his attention back at you, an obvious confusion visible on his face. "What the hell are you?"

He can't sniff your scent. Well, you're dead so that shouldn't be surprising. Though it was obvious that you were clearly not human, the demon takes a stance.

"A slayer? That's some neat trick." he grinned toothily. "You can't possibly be a pillar. You didn't notice me."

You may be dead, but you can somehow feel pain. Fate is such a pain. You quickly run away. You have to get far from the town so he doesn't hurt anyone else. He's gonna outrun you. Where will you go? Where will you hide?

You kept running blindly deep in the woods. You weren't gasping for air or feeling worn out and tired. You can keep running all night.

That depends whether he can outrun you or not.

Then you hear a soft thud, along with a scream. You stop in your tracks and turned to see the demon's head slowly disintegrating along with his body.

You widen your eyes in horror. Flashbacks of your death came to you like a tremendous wave. You absently touch your neck. If you were still human, you'd probably be sweating and gasping for air.

Suddenly, a hand grabs your shoulder, startling you. Instantly, you were calmed down by the sincere and kind stare of a pair of burgundy eyes.

"Are you okay?"

° ° °

You were walking alongside a demon slayer.

A demon slayer.

You couldn't help but feel nervous around him. You knew he wasn't gonna hurt you, but the sense of fear was still there. You were a monster, after all. And monsters like you shouldn't be roaming the Earth anymore.

So why are you here?

"Where do you live? I'll take you to your home. It's dangerous to be alone at night." He gives you a soft smile.

You avoid his gaze. You continuously tell yourself that you're not a demon anymore. He won't hurt you because he hunts demons, not ghosts.

"You must be frightened." His smile weakened. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I don't smell any nearby demons, so you're safe."

You wore a bewlidered expression. "S-smell...?" Your voice came out as almost like a whisper. It's as if you haven't talked for ages.

He nods. "I have a really good sense of smell, so it helps me to detect demons. It's also helpful when a demon is mixed up in a crowd of humans." he explains.

Does that mean he can tell you're not human? If his sense of smell is that good, why isn't he saying anything about you? Can't he smell you?

"We should get you home before any more demons pop up. Where do you live? I'll take you to your home."

You rub your arm sheepishly. What the hell are you gonna say? You don't have a home. You doubt the house of your parents is still habitable, let alone exists.

"I don't remember where I live." You say softly, averting your gaze to the ground. You just wanted to run away right now. He can't believe such a cheap lie like that--

"Is that why you were roaming around the woods alone?"

You blinked and simply nodded. He fell for it?

He stops walking and begins to think, tapping his foot in the process. "I know!" he says, after a few minutes of thinking. "You can accompany me!"

"A-accompany you...?" You repeat, uncertain about the idea.

But he nids vigourously while his eyes sparkled. "Mhm! You can hang out with Nezuko! She really wants a new female friend."

"Who's Nezuko?"

Then you hear scratching noises from the wooden box he was carrying on his back. You assume that was Nezuko, whatever she is to fit in there.

"Oh, Nezuko is my sister." You blink. What.

At this point, you don't really want to question things anymore.

He reaches his hand out to you with a smile. "I'm Kamado Tanjiro."

You stare at his hand. The sight of his hands full of calluses was tragic to look at. Why would such a kind boy have these hands?

You look up to him, barely summoning a smile on your lips. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm [Y/N]."

° ° °

"TANJIRO, YOU SHAMELESS BASTARD."

Tanjiro lead you to where he was camping, and met two of his eccentric friends; a loud golden haired coward and a half-naked boar head.

Golden hair screamed, pointing his finger at Tanjiro accusingly. This made you jump in surprise and hid behind him.

"WE TOLD YOU TO BRING BACK SOME STICKS CAUSE THE FIRE'S GONNA DIE SOON. THEN YOU COME BACK ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER CUTE GIRL?!" he talked so fast, you couldn't make out what he said mostly. "ISN'T NEZUKO-CHAN ENOUGH?!"

"Who the hell are you? Can she fight?" Boar head was about to grab is dual nichirin swords, before the other guy took them first.

"DON'T YOU LAY A SCRATCH ON SUCH A CUTE GIRL."

"Z-Zenitsu, quiet down!" Tanjiro pleads.

"IF YOU'RE PROTECTING HER, SHE MUST BE REALLY STRONG." Boar head adds.

"I-Inosuke...!"

What did you get yourself into?

~

Soon, you learn that golden boy is Zenitsu and boar head is Inosuke. And Nezuko has come out of her box. Once she saw you, she shrank to the size of a toddler and stared up at you.

"Oh, so you're a demon...?" you ask.

"S-she won't hurt you! Nezuko has never eaten--" Tanjiro stops mid-sentence as you placed small Nezuko on your lap and started to pat her head with a smile. Tanjiro can't help but feel a slight tug on his heart at the sight.

Ever since, you've been accompanying the group on their missions. You didn't try to be a burden on them and helped out like cooking their meals, and care for their small wounds and scratches.

Tanjiro insists that you don't have to, but you very persistent and soon he gave up.

"Tanjiro," you say one night, cleaning one of his wounds. "I know you're a demon hunter, but don't risk your life too much." you say, genuine care and worry sounding visible in your voice.

He smiles reassuringly. "It's fine! As long as others are safe, I'm okay with risking my life just a little bit. I still have to turn Nezuko back to a human." his eyes flared with determination and passion.

You chuckle. You finished taking care of his wound and pats his head, his cheeks dusted with red blush. "I'll support you all the way." You smile warmly. You didn't know when you'll disappear, but you eventually will. And while you're still here, you'll help him in any way you can.

Tanjiro seemed to blush harder at your smile. Ever since he became a demon slayer, he has this sense of responsibility to protect those around him. Now, when he's around you, he feels like he's the one being protected. In your presence, he feels like he can let his guard down (though he tries not to) despite he's the one carrying a sword.

~

One night, he came back to camp covered in blood. He wore an empty expression, which was rare to see.

"Tanjiro?!" you rush over to and scanned him to see if he has any injuries. "Are you okay?"

"I wasn't able to save them, [Y/N]." he says. Your eyes softened. "If I arrived much earlier--"

"Hush." you whisper as you let his head rest on your shoulder. He wraps his arms around you tightly as you proceeded to rub his back. "You have to keep moving forward, you know that, right?"

He nods slightly. He was getting more and more used to your presence, your warmth. He feels guilty of getting too attached to you. What would he do if you leave him?

He breaks from your hug and stares down at your hand. For some reason, he's always wanted to hold your hand, even just for a little while. His hand that littered with his calluses against your soft and glowing one.

He got flustered at his own thoughts and looks up to see your incredibly worried face. An expression like that on your features breaks his heart.

He smiles. "Thanks for everything, [Y/N]."

° ° °

Tanjiro and the others were getting ready while you played with Nezuko. Zenitsu has been staring at him for a while now.

"Oi, Tanjiro." He says. Tanjiro turns to his friend. "Do you like [Y/N]?"

Almost immediately, his face turns bright red at the question. "I-I..."

Zenitsu wanted to face palm. It was so obvious, what was the use to hiding it. "I can hear it. You like her."

Tanjiro remains quiet.

"It's weird though. I don't hear anything from her. She doesn't have a sound...like a g-ghost or something." He shivered at the thought.

Tanjiro turns to your direction. You were laughing as you played with Nezuko. Your smile is now one of the reasons why he keeps going.

"You don't have to worry about anything, Zenitsu." he turns back to the frightened boy with a reassuring smile. "She's human, like all of us."

~

You wave at Nezuko as she crawls into her box. You close the door and stood to guve the box to Tanjiro. "Keep safe." you smile at him.

He smikes back with a light blush coating his cheeks. "You too! We'll be back."

You wave as as they set off. Their next mission wasn't far from your camp, so they shouldn't take too long to come back, depending on what kind of demon they'll be facing.

You can't help but have a bad feeling about this one mission though. You can't seem to shake the feeling off. You pursed your lips in irritation and just decided to follow them decreetly.

"Woah, that's amazing!"

A familiar voice says. You all stop in your tracks as you hid behind a bush. You were getting goosebumps. She's still alive? After all these years?

"They send out 3 demon slayers just to hunt me? What an honor!" The three quickly turned back to see a fenale demon with long black hair turning pink to the tips in an awfully small red kimono, emphasizing her hour glass body.

You gasp. She hasn't changed one bit from the day you first met her. And from the day she used you as a decoy.

She was the reason why you died.

All three of them took a stance, ready to fight. But she just smiled wider as snapped her fingers.

Your eyes widen in alarm. She's using her Blood Demon Art.

A straightforward attack, if you remember it clearly. The direction of the wind changed to east - directly at Tanjiro.

You jumped from your hiding spot and rushed to Tanjiro. He sees you in complete shock and horror as you jump in front of him with wide arms. The wind breezed passed you, leaving scars and scratches all over your body. Blood sprayed all over as you spit some yourself.

It was painful. It was agonizing. But you were still standing. You can keep going. Somehow, you weren't on the floor, crying in pain.

"What the hell?! How are you--"

"Hey! She's mine to kill!" Inosuke charges at her, keeping her distracted as Tanjiro carried you away from the battle. Zenitsu gave you one last look before fainting at the sight of your body littered with wounds.

"Why would you do that?!" he lies you down. "I could've dodged that! Why would you do that?!"

You sit upright, and it startles him. You only smiled warmly. "Because I wanted to protect you."

His eyes widened. He felt as if all the air was knocked out of him. Protect him? When you're aware he's the one wielding a sword? When he's the demon slayer? A scent. A scent he's not familiar with, and it's coming from you. Combined with the scent of blood, a fragrance of love and kindness.

Since the day you two met, you didn't have a scent. It was weird and it worried him that his nose was broken or something, but then as the days progressed you were gradually giving off the scent of a human. Day by day as you spent more time with them, the scent grew stronger and stronger. And tonight;

The scent of blood and love of a human. It was such a wonderful fragrance.

You snap him out of his thoughts. You wiped his face with your thumb. He didn't realize that he was already crying.

"Tanjiro, don't waste such tears on someone like me."

Someone like you? What do you mean? You deserve every ounce of emotion he's feeling right now.

The door to Nezuko's box was kicked open. Nezuko doesn't take notice of your oozing blood and just hugged you.

You pat her head. Tanjiro stands and leaves his box. "[Y/N], don't go anywhere. Nezuko, I'm counting on you." he says, before heading back to the battlefield.

You keot patting Nezuko's head with a smile. "You know, don't you?"

She looks up at you with big eyes with a muffled response.

"Why do you think I'm still here?"

She just laid her head on your chest once again. Truthfully, you didn't want to go. Inosuke's childish antics and challenges, Zenitsu's never-ending compliments, Nezuko's adorable actions, you'll miss it all. And Tanjiro. Tanjiro, who made you feel human. Who made you feel like your heart was beating peacefully. You've never felt more alive.

Soon, you see your hand patting her head start to fade away slowly.

You stare at it.

Finally, you understand why you're still here.

° ° °

The trio comes back to where you were, all bloodied and wounded. When Tanjiro saw you weren't there, he immediately asks Nezuko where you were. She points toward south. He asked the two to keep watch and ran away without giving them time to respond.

Body aching from exhaustion, he gasped for air as he ran. He finally sees you. But he just stands there, shocked to see your body transparent.

You turn to him as tears wouldn't stop falling. You ran to hug him, your arms carefully wrapping around his neck. He hugs you back.

"W-what's happening?" he asks as he breaks away from you. Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Then he remembers what Zenitsu said. "Are you a ghost?

"Sounds silly, but yes." you hold both of his hands. "So this is what kindness feels like..." you mutter to yourself as you massaged his hands.

"Y-you're leaving?" his voice breaks.

You nod. "Tanjiro, promise me something." those words only broke his heart more. You're leaving. That's the harsh truth. "Promise me that I see Muzan first before you."

He nods, burgundy eyes full of determination. "Thank you for everything."

You shake your head. "That's my line." you give his hand a soft kiss. You're fading away fast. "Thank you for reminding and making me feel human again. Remember that there are others who loves and are willing to risk their lives to protect you too."

In one breath, you were gone.