Demon Slayer x Reader

Compared to him, you felt like a flailing fool, no better than when you’d first picked up a katana. You’d volunteered to go on this mission specifically to show off your skills so maybe he’d agree to help you improve them. You furrowed your brows, determination growing within you. You weren’t going to let this opportunity go to waste. You spun around, and using the momentum of your spin, made your move.

“Water breathing. Sixth form: Whirlpool!” you exclaimed, the air around becoming an extension of your sword, slicing right into the demon and cutting him in half. Then, as he was down, you moved again without rest or hesitation. “First form: water surface slash!” Your blade cut through its neck and it began to disintegrate.

I hope he saw that. That ought to have made a good impression, you thought. You wanted to continue the chase, but an all too familiar pain running through your forearms made you freeze. You dropped your katana, one hand gripping the other arm as you sucked in a sharp breath, finally losing control over your total concentration breathing.

“(L\N)!” you looked up at the frantic call of your name. Giyuu was sprinting towards you. You furrowed your brows. The third demon was still alive behind him. So why was he running towards you? And even more confusing was how the demon had lasted this long against a hashira.

Giyuu shoved you aside as soon as you were within reach, and as you stumbled back, you finally realized why. The demon you’d been chasing had made a u-turn and started charging at you. You gasped as it slashed at Giyuu with its sharp claws, cutting through his uniform and into his chest. Meanwhile, the third demon grabbed his leg and bit it hard.

The clawed demon immediately resumed its initial goal of attacking you. It lunged toward you, but this time you were prepared. Performing another water surface slash, you cut off its head. And just a few moments after, the third demon was decapitated as well by Giyuu.

“Tomioka-san, are you okay?” you asked, rushing over to him as he looked down at his bleeding chest. You reached a hand out to inspect it for any poison. As your hand grazed his skin, Giyuu quickly stepped back.

“I’m fine,” he said. You noted the slightest tremor in his voice and he seemed to hide his face from your view by letting his hair hang over it as he looked down. You wondered if he was trying to hide his pain. “Let’s just go to the butterfly mansion since it’s not too far from here.”

“Oh, okay,” you said. “Thank you, by the way. I can’t believe I didn’t see that demon coming. And I’m impressed that you sensed it somehow. Your perception skills are incredible!” Giyuu shrugged. “And you know… it’d be nice if someone could help me improve mine.”

You waited for an offer, but he didn’t supply any sort of response at all. You frowned but kept walking, joining him in silence.

You’d always looked up to Tomioka. Ever since you met him shortly after he became a hashira and he was sent to rescue you and a few other lower-level demon slayers after you got caught up in a battle with a lower moon. It was thanks to him that everyone on your team lived to see another sunrise.

Much like the one that had just finished when the butterfly mansion finally came into view.

“(Y\N)-chan!” a singsong, if not slightly whiney, voice cried out as you neared the front gate. A girl of about your age ran towards you, tears in her gray eyes and your crow on her shoulder. You hadn’t even realized it had left. “Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Your crow told me someone was injured. Do you need medical attention? You’re not gonna die, are you?” You laughed.

“Ailyna, calm down! I’m fine,” you assured her. “I’m not the one who got injured, Tomioka is.” She looked at you in confusion before Giyuu caught her eye.

“Oh! Tomioka-san! I didn’t realize you were here,” she said. “Wow, you’d think I’d notice a hashira being right in front of me, huh?” She laughed until you lightly elbowed her. She gave you a confused look, but you ignored it.

“Uh, Tomioka, this is my good friend, Ailyna Akashibo,” you introduced. She waved, smiling brightly. He nodded to her, then moved past her toward the entrance.

“Oh, (Y\N), I’m so glad you’re alright,” Ailyna said, wrapping you in a hug.

“Thanks,” you said, starting after Giyuu towards the mansion. “What are you doing here by the way? I thought Kocho-san said you’d be fully healed by now.”

“Oh, I am, actually,” she said, twirling a strand of her long, brown hair, which was put up in two half-up half-down pigtails, as she walked with you. “But Aoi and Kanoe were having trouble with rehabilitation training with some boys who faced a lower moon, so I offered to help before I get my next mission.”

“I see,” you said, “and how’s that going?”

“Wonderfully!” she exclaimed. “For the most part. There is one boar-headed brat who really gets on my nerves.” You tilted your head curiously.

“Boar-headed...?”

“He keeps talking about fighting people to prove his strength and has insisted I duel him multiple times. He never listens when I try to critique him. I totally get why Aoi and Kanoe were having trouble,” she explained. “Once he even tried blowing up my skirt with one of his breathing techniques just because I mentioned I always wear shorts underneath and he wanted to see if I was telling the truth. Isn’t that ridiculous?!”

“Oh dear,” you said, holding back a slight giggle.

“Right now they’re all res—INOSUKE!”

You jumped at your friend’s sudden shout. Looking over, you saw a boy had tackled Ailyna, and you suddenly understood what ‘boar-headed brat’ meant. He poured a cup of water on her head.

“Ahahaha! I did it! I caught you and I poured the water on you! I won!” he exclaimed proudly, his voice slightly hoarse.

“We’re not training right now! That doesn’t count, you idiot!” Ailyna told him. “Now get off me!”

“Akashibo-san! I’m so sorry! I tried to stop him but I lost sight of him!” a boy with strikingly blond hair whined as he ran towards them, pulling his friend off of her. She stood up and dusted herself off.

“Do you see what I’m dealing with?” she said to you.

“Well, I’m sorry, Ailyna, but I should go check on Tomioka. It’s my fault he got injured after all,” you said, managing to slip away before the girl could catch you.

“(Y\N)!” she called out, pouting as you were already gone.

“(Y\N)? That was the name the half and half haori guy was mumbling about when I saw him the other day,” Inosuke said. Ailyna looked at him with raised brows, her interest quite obviously piqued, “Man, he had a really weird look on his face.”

“Huh?” she said. “What are you talking about? What look?”

“I dunno. It was kind of like the one Shonzitsu makes when the girls are—”

“What? Is he still being weird to them?” she interrupted, turning to the other boy with a fire in her eyes. “Zenitsu, do we need to have another talk about how to act around ladies?”

“N-no, Akashibo-san! I stopped doing it. I swear! I’m a completely reformed gentleman, I promise!” he defended.

“Good,” she said, turning back to Inosuke. “Alright, beast boy, drop and give me fifty for that little stunt you just pulled.”

~

You found Giyuu sitting topless on a bed with his chest and right ankle wrapped in bandages and his haori neatly folded on his lap.

“Hello,” you said as you entered the room. He looked up, and it must’ve been a trick of the lighting or embarrassment of being shirtless as his face seemed to turn red, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Your friend is very loud,” he noted.

“Ailyna? Yeah, I can’t argue with that,” you laughed. “But anyway, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “But my uniform was ripped pretty badly. I’ll have to get a new one made.”

“Is your haori okay?”

“Yes, luckily it managed to remain unscathed,” he said.

“That’s good,” you said. “So, listen. I guess I screwed up pretty badly today, and I–“

“We all make mistakes,” Giyuu interrupted. “I’m just glad I was there so that mistake wasn’t lethal. Be more careful in the future.”

“I definitely will, but I was actually also hoping you’d be willing to train with me to help me become better so I’m less likely to make a mistake again,” you said.

“Why would you want to train with me?” he asked. You blinked.

“Huh? Because you’re a hashira!” you answered. “Just like Ailyna trained with Rengoku for a while to learn how to be braver and more sure of herself.” You chuckled as a memory from long ago resurfaced, specifically a memory of watching her scare herself with the electric sparks she created. “She used to be a quivering mess, but now she’s and incredibly powerful demon slayer with a firm grasp on her abilities. Imagine what I could do learning from you!”

“I’m not like Rengoku,” he said.

“Of course not,” you said, sitting beside him. “You’re you. That’s why I’m coming to you and not him.”

“Honestly, (L\N), I don’t think training with me would be anything more than a waste of your time,” he insisted, turning away from you, staring at the hard tile floor.

“But–”

“Here it is,” Aoi suddenly spoke as she entered the room carrying a small container of a clear liquid and some bandages. “Rub a small amount of this ointment onto the bite mark every six hours for the next three days and apply fresh bandages after each application, even after the bleeding has stopped. Understood?” Giyuu put on his haori to cover his chest and stood up. He took the items from her.

“Yes, thank you,” he said. “I will be going now.”

“Safe travels,” she said. You watched as Giyuu hurried out of the room, frowning.

“Do you need something as well?” Aoi asked.

“No, thank you. I was just checking up on Tomioka since I was his partner for this past mission,” you said.

“Then shoo! This isn’t a social room,” she said, rushing you out.

~

Giyuu hurried down the hallway, praying you wouldn’t follow right after him. Not that he wouldn’t love to spend more time with you, but he couldn’t let you convince him to train you. It wouldn’t be too hard for you to do. He had had trouble saying no to you just once. He didn’t know if he had the will to do it again.

As he stepped outside, he saw your friend and the two boys. He wondered where Tanjiro and Nezuko were and how they were doing. It was hard to believe two whole years had passed since he’d first found them on that snowy mountain. He remembered most distinctly the fear in Tanjiro’s eyes while his sister’s life was at his mercy. And, of course, the trick he pulled in an attempt to save her life.

“Tomioka-san!” The sound of Ailyna’s voice ripped him from his thoughts. He slowly turned around and was greeted by her grinning face. “How was the mission with (Y\N)?”

“It was successful,” he said, continuing forward.

“No, I mean like, did anything interesting happen?” she asked, following him.

“No,” he said. “Now leave me be. I’m tired.”

“Why so rude? I’m just trying to be friends,” she huffed. “Come on. Shinobu says you don’t have any, but I can change that.” She smiled again. “So tell me all about it!”

“Stop talking.”

“Why? You’re obviously injured so it’s not like you have a mission you need to do. Let’s–”

“Tomioka! Ailyna! Wait up!” Ailyna nearly tripped at the sudden sound of your voice, but Giyuu swiftly put an arm out to stop her fall. He looked over his shoulder at you.

“Please get ahold of your yapping companion,” he requested.

“Yapping?!” Ailyna exclaimed in disbelief, her cry eerily reminiscent of a certain four-legged fluffy creature. She crossed her arms. “Hmph! No wonder you have no friends.” She stomped off. You sighed.

“I’m sorry,” you said. “She can be a little… much, but I swear she’s the sweetest person you’ll know if you get to know her.”

“I don’t plan on it,” he said bluntly.

“That’s a shame,” you said. “I’m hoping you won’t oppose to us getting to know each other better though.” Giyuu felt his ears start to burn and he looked to the side. “Perhaps as we… train together?”

‘Oh, right. That,’ he thought as the heat dissipated.

“I’d rather not discuss this now,” he said.

“Alright,” you said, and he relaxed. “I’ll just have to come by your estate in three days. You’ll be all better by then so once I convince you to train me, we’ll be able to start right away!” Giyuu opened his mouth to protest only to watch you run off before he could speak.

~

Ailyna slammed the door as she entered the mansion, grumbling under her breath.

“Oh my, Ailyna-chan. You look angry. Is everything alright?” Shinobu asked, tilting her head.

“Oh, hello Shinobu. I didn’t realize you’d returned already. I’m fine,” she said. Shinobu gave her a doubtful look. “I just… do you know why Tomioka is so grumpy all the time?”

“Why? Are you interested in him?” she asked, the corner of her lips quirking even further upwards than her usual smile.

“Ew. No, not at all,” Ailyna said, scrunching her nose. “Come on, I’ve been here long enough for you to know me better than that.” She giggled.

“I know. I’m just teasing,” she assured her. “But to answer your question: I think it’s because he’s lonely. He’s never gotten along with the other hashiras, even when we try to reach out.”

“That’s so sad,” Ailyna said, frowning. Shinobu nodded in agreement.

“In fact, the only person I’ve seen him actually carry a full casual conversation with is that friend of yours you talk about so much. (Y\N), was it?” she added. Ailyna perked up.

“That’s because no one can resist the warmth and kindness of my best friend,” she stated proudly.

“You always sing such high praises for them. I’ll have to formally introduce myself sometime,” Shinobu said.

“It’s a shame you just missed them,” Ailyna said. “I’m sure they’ll be back though.”

~

Giyuu sat on his engawa, staring at the small pond in his yard. His estate wasn’t as grand as the other hashira’s homes, and he preferred it that way. It was only fair he have a dwelling befitting of what he has earned, which was much less than those like Himejima or Kocho.

He took in a deep breath, mindful of the bandages wrapped around his chest and the healing scratches they covered. He could still feel the ghost of your hand brushing against his chest before he had moved away. The thought made him blush and he growled, running his hands through his hair and leaning back, wondering what the hell had gotten into him lately.

Whenever you were around, it was like you flipped off some switch that kept him together. He become distracted, clumsy, nervous. Even just the thought of you could make him feel this way. He’d considered it might be love, that he’d formed a crush on you, but he didn’t know you that well. Although he had to admit he did find you gorgeous.

Yes, that was it. It must’ve been an infatuation he was struggling with. He supposed he could only isolate himself for so long before his human craving for socialization caused him to act so out of character. The answer was easy then. He’d satisfy the craving. Just for a little while. You’d asked him to train you, so he would. At the butterfly mansion so he had even more people to interact with. And once this infatuation he had with you stopped, he’d go back to his normal habits.

~

While you waited for Tomioka to recover, you decided to stay at the butterfly mansion with Ailyna, helping her with her rehabilitation training with the boys.

“Excuse me, (L\N)-san?” Sumi suddenly asked you while you were watching Ailyna demonstrate some sword techniques to the boys.

“Yes, what is it?” you asked.

“Tomioka-san is here to see you,” she said. You raised your brows. It had been two days since you last saw him after he got his injury treated. You had planned on visiting him the next day.

“Oh, well let him back here then,” you said. She nodded and ran off.

“Thunder breathing. Fifth form: heat lightning,” Ailyna said, catching your attention again. You looked up as she showed the move off to the boys. A large strike of lightning shot into the sky as she sliced her sword upwards.

“Impressive,” a familiar voice noted. You looked over to see Giyuu had arrived.

“It is, isn’t it?” you told him, proud of your friend for how far she’s come. “What brings you here?” you asked.

“I thought about what you asked of me and I’ll do it,” he said.

“Really? You’ll train with me?” you asked. He nodded.

“We’ll begin tomorrow morning. I’ve already asked Kocho and she permitted us to do it here as I don’t think my estate is suitable for training at the moment,” he explained. You nodded. “Alright. I’ll see you then.”

“Thank you, Tomioka,” you said. He nodded before rushing off.

“Was that Tomioka? What happened?” Ailyna asked as soon as he was gone.

“He finally agreed to train with me,” you told her gleefully. “I can’t wait! I’m going to learn so much!” Ailyna smiled.

“That’s great, (Y\N)!” she said.“And when you’re done, I want to go on missions together again. I’ve missed you!” She frowned dramatically and you giggled.

“Sounds like a plan,” you said.

“Akashibo-san?” Ailyna turned at the call of her name.

“Yes, Zenitsu? What is it?”

“Inosuke got his snout stuck in his jug,” he said. You both looked over to see the boy holding his mask while Tanjiro pulled on the jug. Ailyna’s eye twitched.