COLD-BLOODED | tw: blood/gore, traumatic themes, profanity
Itâs such a simple yet complex concept, simple enough to somewhat navigate, but complex enough to have you stumble over obstacles and not quite grasp every single thing.
Life is made up of multiple things, reallyâhappiness, sadness, disgust, fear, loveâbut most of all?
Every single component of this fascinating thing called life is made up of a moment. Whether itâs a happy one, or a devastating one.
In which Tanjiro Kamado has experienced both.
He still remembers that day. When he came back home to a scenery of blood. Bodies. Of his family. All except for Nezuko, who was transformed into a demon. She attacked him initially, however, he was able to retaliate and neutralize her, something that was deemed impossible at the time.
Following that, of course, after being attacked by another demon and being found by Sakonji, he starts his year of training and a few more months attempting to slice that massive boulder.
He does so with a full, ambitious heart, succeeding. And so, he found himself venturing off to become a demon slayer.
Not only to find a cure for Nezuko, not only to get some sort of revenge on demons, but something about it justâŠcalled to him.
Like the universe had already designated his role.
Pinned to the ground by the Snake Hashira, Obanai, forced to watch as the Wind Hashira, Sanami, tested his poor younger sisterâs resolve against his bleeding hand. Nezuko growled lowly, saliva dripping from underneath the bamboo stuck into her mouth, pupils slitted in an almost predatory manner.
âNEZUKO! Donât let him win! Youâre stronger than thââ Tanjiro begins, cut off by a sharp grip onto the back of his neck by Obanai.
âSilence. No one has granted you with the permission to speak. And cease your squirming,â Obanai huffs, holding him a bit tighter with every word. Tanjiro felt helpless. What was he supposed to do? He couldnât move, couldnât convince Sanami, couldnât convince anyone. Giyuu, the Water Hashira, looks at Tanjiro and Obanai in disagreement, about to intervene.
And thenâthe sound of zori sandals meeting sleek wood rang throughout the silence. Everyone turns their heads toward the sound.
âApologizes for being late. I had a bit of trouble finding my haori,â your voice sank through the estate, calm and level, dripping with a classy coldness only you can seem to pull off, stopping right in front of the confusing scene. Your eyes flicker from the poor boy that is Tanjiro, being pinned to the ground, to Sanamiâs bleeding hand, to the peculiar demon girl.
âLook who decided to show up! The rookie hasnât even been a Hashira for a full 48 hours, and sheâs already showing up LATE!â Sanami snarls, his bloodshot eyes narrowing at you as he goes back to facing Nezuko, huffing. âCome on, you damn demon! DONâT YOU WANT A TASTE!?â He shouts, Nezuko growling a bit more at the suggestion as she takes one step closer.
âAh, [READER]-chan, youâre here! Wonderful to have you,â Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, pipes up, her usual permanent yet empty smile now directed to you as she clasps her hands together in greeting. The other Hashira, however, donât respond, their focus remaining on the current predicament, causing you to speak up.
â..A demon, hm? What might one be doing here? She doesnât seem exactly violent, in fact, you seem to be purposely provoking her, Sanami,â you question, Tanjiroâs gaze flickering up to you as you make that statement. Are youâŠtaking Nezukoâs side? Do you actually understand? His eyes sparkle as your gaze meets his for a split second before it flickers back to the demon girl.
âSHUT THE HELL UP! What, youâre defending the little shits weâre supposed to kill now!? I KNEW we shouldnât have accepted this BRAT! Sheâs a DEMON, whether sheâs quote on quote âdifferentâ or NOT!â Sanami insists, Nezuko still standing in place as she fights her own resolve, still drooling from her mouth. You blankly stare at Sanami, your expression that of ice.
âSanami. Leave the girl alone. And Obanai, let go off the boy. The demon girl clearly has some sense of morality if she has enough self control to hold back. Sheâs not attacking you.â You state simply, though your tone leaves no room for retaliation. Sanamiâs eyebrows furrow, Obanaiâs gaze flickering to you.
âYOU DONâT BOSS ME AROUND, YOU DAMN ICICLE! YOUâRE JUST SOME SNOBBY, IGNORANT ASS KID!â Sanami yells, Obanai not saying a word as his grip on Tanjiro slightly loosens. Tanjiro breaks free from this movement, though heâs unable to move, exhaling in relief. In a flash, you appear in front of Sanami, leaving only imprints of frost in your wake as you stare coldly at him.
âIt wasnât a suggestion,â your voice remains firm and calm, yet your irritation is shown just slightly through the subtle crease forming in between your eyebrows. In response, Sanami huffs, rolling his eyes. ââYou know what? I donât give a fuckâif that girl kills everyone here, Iâm blaming YOUR new ass,â he states bitterly before licking the blood from the cut on his hand swiftly, stepping away to stubbornly sit down alongside the other Hashira.
You turn to Nezuko, your expression softening just slightly as you tilt your head in curiosity. âHello. My name is [READER]. Whatâs yours?â You question. Nezuko blinks at you, her pupils returning to their normal state as she makes a muffled sound, stepping closer to you. But, instead of attacking you like any normal demon would, she clings to you. Huh.
â..She canât speak. She hasnât spoken since I found her like that. As a demon, I mean,â Tanjiro pipes up, causing your gaze to fall on his once again, cold, crystalline-blue orbs meeting warm, sunlight-tinted red ones. Ah. Right. He canât move. You move towards him silently, Obanai slowly moving off of him in response with a reluctant sigh, the other Hashira watching in silent interest.
You crouch down to meet his still form, blinking. âCan you move at all?,â you ask, Tanjiro shaking his head in response. You sigh softly, yet with no hesitation, you hoist him up and over your shoulder with practiced ease. Tanjiro tenses up, struggling to no avail since he can barely move as is. âWhaâyou donât have to pick me up! I wouldnât want to be a bother, you donât even know me! I donât even know you!â He insists. âTanjiro, correct? I was informed of your name beforehand. My name is [READER], which you may have overheard earlier. There. Now we know each other,â you respond in a rather deadpan manner, grabbing his box that encapsulates Nezuko and turning to said girl whoâs still clinging to your left side.
âIâm assuming you go in here. To hide from the sun, correct?â Nezuko nods in response, unlatching herself from you to crawl into the box, closing it herself. You turn to the other silent Hashiras, blinking. âI am aware that I have only reached the status of Hashira officially yesterday. HoweverâI will not stand by as seemingly innocent people are questioned, restrained, and tested. Nezuko shows restraint and overall morality from preventing herself in indulging in demonic tendencies, from what little Iâve seen, no?â You state blankly, the other Hashiras nodding in unison.
â..I mean, I donât think itâs particularly right either! Just look at the two children! Tanjiro-kun and Nezuko-chan just look SOOO cute! EEEEK! I think we should let them continue missions!,â Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, speaks up, her usual bubbly charm shining through as she places her hands on her cheeks lovingly, squealing and shaking her head back and forth. Obanai blinks at her, before returning his gaze to you sheepishly, the slightest hint of blush visible beneath his white bandages.
ââŠI suppose Iâm not too repulsed to the idea anymore. If Kanroji sees nothing wrong with it, I may as well agree with her,â he states indifferently, but the way his gaze keeps drifting towards Mitsuri suggests otherwise. However, the other Hashiras still seem suspicious. The master clears his throat, smiling softly. â[READER], I admire your kindness, but I believe that Tanjiro and his sister must earn the trust of all of us. Therefore, I would like for him to be tasked with defeating the Twelfth Kazuki alongside Nezuko. After he completes this task, only then shall they be trusted.â
You nod in response, bowing as well in respect towards the master. âI understand, sir. I shall escort him to the Butterfly Mansion to repair his injuries,â you respond respectfully, the master nodding in acknowledgement as Tanjiro smiles in gratitude at the opportunity. âThank you, sir! I wonât disappoint you!â He insists, smiling brightly as you walk awayâ
âHe somehow regains his strength in a sudden burst and jumps off of your shoulder, running back to the master to insist on the punishment of Sanami. Muichiro, the Mist Hashira, sighs and simply knocks him out clean by swiftly throwing a pebble at his cheek. You sigh and shake your head, dragging the unconscious boy away.
When Tanjiro finally regains consciousness, heâs lying on a plush, white mattress, looking up at a currently blurry but unmistakably brown ceiling. However, his sharp sense of smell allows him to catch a whiff of something sweet. Intensely similar to a lily of the garden, but itâs mixed with a hint of marshmallow and vanilla. A rather entrancing scent, he must say. He turns his head to find the source, and heâs met with a blurry figure which he makes out to be you.
You blink at him, straightening up a bit. âAh, youâre awake. I was beginning to think youâd never wake up,â you state, standing up as you dust off your haori swiftly. âWelcome to the Butterfly Mansion, owned by Shinobu-sama. I bandaged your head a bit, since it seemed a bit bruised, and provided you with some pain killers.â You explain blankly, the sapphire gems that are your eyes piercing through the darkness like a cold, winter breeze on a warm, sunny day.
Tanjiroâs eyes widen a bit at your explanation, but he ends up smiling, pushing himself to sit up with a wince. â..Thank you! You really didnât need to, but I appreciate it!â He pipes up, before hearing stirring on both of his sides. To his left lies Inosuke, his boar mask placed over his head as he huffs, turning on his side to glare at Tanjiro through the mask, though itâs not visible.
âQUIET THE HELL DOWN! Iâm trying to sleep, Tantaro!,â Inosuke yells, practically wrestling the blanket over him as he moves to sit up. âIsnât your name Tanjiro?â, you whisper to Tanjiro. He just smiles fondly in response, shaking his head. To Tanjiroâs right lies Zenitsu, who only wakes up due to Inosukeâs rather aggressive yelling, shooting upright.
âAH! Inosuke, thatâs the FOURTH time tonightâTANJIRO!? YOUâRE OKAY! Now you can protect me from that boar-headed MONSTER!â Zenitsu cries in relief, wailing his arms around frantically as if to prove his point, causing Tanjiro to shake his head once more. You just blink in confusion, watching the spectacle.
â..Anywho, Tanjiro, would you be interested in dinner? I made it before you awoke, but I suppose you can just eat now,â you suggest, blinking at him. Tanjiro smiles warmly, nodding, before Inosuke pipes up again.
âOOOO! FOOD!? COUNT ME IN!â
âYOU ATE EARLIER! YOU HAD 8 WHOLE SERVINGS!â Zenitsu yells in disbelief, in which he gets lunged at in response. You just turn a blind eye and drag Tanjiro out to the dining room.
Tanjiro hums in enjoyment, politely eating the soba you prepared previously swiftly, the warmness of it practically making flowers bloom in his stomach.
âThis is amazing! Where did you learn to cook like this?â He questions, taking another bite as he looks up at you expectantly from across the table. You blink, internally surprised that he was interested enough to ask. â..Well, my older sister taught me to cook everything Iâm aware of.â You reply shortly, Tanjiroâs eyes lighting up at the comment.
âReally? Thatâs incredible! I learned everything I know from my mother, I ended up cooking for my younger siblings all the timeâwell, when they wereâŠstill here.â He responds, pausing as he reminds himself that theyâre no longer present, his light dimming slightly. You blink, catching onto his demeanor as you sigh softly. â..My siblings arenât here as well. I suppose thatâs why I was so quick to defend your sister.â You suddenly admitted, freezing a bit at your response. Since when did you share such private information?, you question internally, your gaze meeting his for what feels like the millionth time. He got quiet. He must pity me now. He must be disgusted, your mind suggests, thoughts swimming in your head that never seems to quiet down.
Tanjiro blinks, his expression softening as he places his fork down, smiling. Not in pity, not in disgustâin understanding. âThatâs alright. Iâm sure they were great. What were their names? You donât have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable,â he states, tilting his head in curiosity. HeâŠdidnât judge you. He just asked for the names of your late siblings. Didnât pry, didnât push. Just granted you with his presence.
Before you knew it, you were telling him everything about every single sibling. He hang onto your every word, nodding along and giving his own input occasionally. You never spoke this much.
And somewhere, beneath the cold, icy surface that was your guarded heartâsomething ran deep, something warm that wasnât just the soba from earlier.
Maybe you werenât as cold as people thought.
next chapter -> coming soon!
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