#obanai x reader angst

[jjkamochoso]

The Ballad of Nichirin Swords and Snakes

Angst, Fluff

Obanai Iguro x gn!reader

Obanai saved reader in the past—how will he act when they save him in the future?

Warnings: canon typical violence

Also I made up a replacement for Upper Moon 5 so yeah enjoy the story <3

You felt your body tremble with a blend of nervousness and excitement as the Demon Slayer headquarters came into your view. You had only been a Hashira for a year so this was your second semi annual meeting. You were eager to meet up with your teammates, if you could call them something as informal as that. You knew Sanemi Shinazugawa the best out of all of them since you had been working on your sword skills under his guidance, so you took up a spot next to him as the other members engaged in light conversation with each other. Taking in the beauty of Master Ubuyashiki's courtyard, your eyes caught a glance of someone in the tree above you. You recognized the heterochromatic eyes of Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira. You’d had the biggest crush on him since the first time you met him, back when you were still a low ranking slayer. He was sent to take over a mission you and some others were sent on because the demon had turned out to be a Lower Moon, something you certainly weren’t equipped to deal with at the time. You were the last one alive and losing strength quickly. Obanai was sarcastic and harsh, sure, but boy, was he handsome. You remembered how he didn’t treat you with kindness but you definitely didn’t face his wrath like other slayers had mentioned. You would never forget how his bandaged face muttered out, “You kept the demon busy all this time? Hmm.” That was rumored to be one of the nicest things he had told anyone, especially while on the job. He wasn’t known for his tolerating of any failure or weakness, so you were shocked that he didn’t berate you. You hoped he still held a small shred of respect for you in the present day--if he knew you existed, that is. Lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t realized you’d been staring until he tilted his head, signaling his uncertainty of your actions. You quickly averted your gaze back to the group, the warmth of embarrassment flooding your face. You were saved by the arrival of Ubuyashiki’s children who announced that the man himself was here. You and the rest of the Hashira were immediately on your knees, bowing to show your utmost respect. You felt your heart rate speed up when you spied Obanai’s striped haori next to you. He must’ve taken up the spot when he jumped from the tree.

You were quick to greet the man in charge. “It’s an honor to be graced with your presence, Master. I’ve been praying for you to have good fortune in your strength and health.”

“Thank you, young Hashira,” he replied, “I’m overjoyed to see no loss of my children at this time of meeting. I hope to continue this streak of you all coming back to me.”

Ubuyashiki then delved into the details of various demon happenings around the area, updating you all on pertinent information. When the meeting was adjourned, the Master called for you to speak with him.

“And you, too, Obanai.”

Huh?!

You couldn’t hear your thoughts over the pounding of your heart. Your feet felt like they were made of cement as you begrudgingly walked over to the scarred man, unsure of what was happening and not wanting to make a fool of yourself in front of both your crush and your boss.

“Come, come. You’re not in trouble. I have an… odd request, but you two are the ones I trust the most to do this task.”

“Anything you ask of us, Master, we will do,” said Obanai, bowing his head.

“Thank you, Serpent Hashira. Now, you and the Moon Hashira are to extract and guard an ancient demon slayer artifact. You'll know which one it is when you touch it. It is of utmost importance that it doesn’t fall into the hands of demons. Your crows will give you more information but I suggest you rest up for a few hours. This will not be an easy task.”

“Yes, Master,” you both replied, bowing as Ubuyashiki took his leave. Thankfully you didn’t need to talk with Obanai because he was gone in the blink of an eye. You went to the kitchens to eat a hearty meal before you were sent off. If the Master said it was going to be difficult, you knew you were in for a strenuous mission and needed all the sustenance you could get to keep your strength up. After your meal, you went to a guest room in the estate to lie down for a bit.

After a few hours, your crow appeared on your windowsill, barking orders and spouting information about your mission. You were to get going immediately so you packed a light bag and set off in search of Obanai. You didn’t have to look very hard since he was standing a few feet from your door. He took off wordlessly, Kaburamaru seemingly laughing at your attempts to keep pace with the speedy man. You trailed behind him for the next 6 hours, trying your hardest not to lose sight of him. How could someone move so fast, even with a big snake around their shoulders? Finally, you came to stop right outside the latest village you walked through.

“We sleep here for the night. I’m leaving at sunrise so don’t get left behind.”

“Alright,” you replied, setting your bag down and pulling out some food. As you ate, you felt your mouth being pulled into a frown when you thought of today’s events. Obanai didn’t talk to you once until the moment he stopped walking, and even now, he disappeared into a tree and left you alone. Did you offend him somehow? Did he really dislike you that much that he couldn’t be bothered to so much as spare a glance behind him as he traversed the trails? You definitely weren’t looking forward to the next day of journeying with him.

The next morning, you were ready to go right as the sun shone above the horizon, lighting the area up in golden rays. You watched the beauty in silence, the faraway star being your only companion at the moment. You let out a sigh as you saw Obanai jump out of the tree and land next to you, his feet barely making a sound.

“Let's go."

He was off without another word, just like yesterday. Today, though, you were able to match his pace and walked side by side with him until the sun started going down and you reached your destination.

"This place gives me the creeps," you shuddered, as you approached an old, run down shed a few miles from the nearest village.

"If this scares you, how are you a Hashira?" he sneered, glaring at you.

"Because I'm scared out of my mind but I'd never dream of running away. That's why," you answered, not bothering to look his way. To your utter surprise, he laughed.

"Stay out of the way, then, if you're so fearful. I don't want to have to protect you again like all those years ago."

So he did remember!

You wanted to send a snarky remark back but you were interrupted by a loud boom coming from inside the shed. You both perked up at nearby demons triggering your senses and making you go on high alert. Obanai pushed past you, his sword glinting in the pale moonlight. When he rushed into the shed, you noticed it had gotten quiet--too quiet. You had sensed a great number of demons, but now it seemed like they were gone. There was no way that was possible, though, so how did they conceal themselves?

"While you stood there and stared, I killed the demon. Make yourself useful and hold this," Obanai said, exiting the shed and throwing you a pouch. Your curiosity got the better of you and you opened it to see what the artifact was that you were supposed to be guarding. It was a square sword hilt, black as the night, and heavier than expected.

"That's it? This seems too easy."

"Because you didn't do anything."

"It didn't help that you told me to stay out of the way," you argued.

"Good thing or else we'd be here all night. I'm leaving and I advise you start walking. I'd hate to leave you alone out here in your frightful state."

You tried your best to contain your anger at his snide remarks. "You can go ahead, Iguro. I'm staying to investigate the shed further. Something doesn't seem right here."

"I told you, there's nothing left to see. You want to waste your time, that's fine, but don't waste mine. I'm going back to the Master."

"Then take this with you," you said, throwing the pouch at him with such force that it actually made him stumble back. You ran into the shed. It was pitch dark, but there was a gas lamp in the corner that you used for light. The walls erupted into an orange hue and you were happy to be able to see better, not to mention that it made it less spooky inside. You quickly rummaged through the endless piles of trinkets strewn about. It was an odd place for sure, and you wondered if you were even in the right spot, but you knew your crow wouldn't lead you astray. After going through every crevice, nook, and cranny, you sighed. There was no sign of an artifact that gave you a certain feeling like Ubuyashiki mentioned. You went to turn off the gas lamp and leave, but your eyes caught a glimpse of something in the corner that didn't seem to be there before. Was that--

Was that a nichirin sword?

Before you knew it, your body was thrown from its upright position into a crumpled mess on the floor. A massive demon had run at you from outside, breaking through the wall of the shed and tackling you. Even though you were dazed, you didn't let that stop you from fighting back. You kicked at the demon with all your might, sending him flying across the floor. You pulled out your sword and steadied your breathing. You didn't know where Obanai was, but you knew he could handle himself, so you tried not to worry. The demon was back on its feet in no time, getting ready to attack again. He sprinted at you, claws ready to strike. You countered his claws with a loud clang reverberating through the air.

"The hilt wasn't the artifact," said Obanai, through gritted teeth as he joined the fight with you, "it was the demon. He's a shapeshifter."

"Am I allowed to say I told you so?" you asked, swinging your sword.

"Don't get overconfident in your words or skills," he replied, sending a powerful strike to the demon's leg. "He's an Upper Moon. Replacement for 5."

That startled you, to say the least. You didn't think you were prepared to fight such a high ranking demon, but it was much too late to doubt yourself. The demon's eyes, their writing now very apparent, kept staring at you menacingly, but you wouldn't allow yourself to get intimidated, so you focused back on the task at hand.

"I found the actual artifact. It's a nichirin sword in the corner."

"That's not yours!" screeched the demon, baring his fangs. "That's mine! I'll kill you before you filthy demon slayers take it from me."

"We'll see about that." Obanai then addressed you. "Find the sword and get out of here. I'll take care of him."

"But-"

"Don't argue! Just do it!"

You nodded, scurrying to the corner of the now collapsed shed, digging through the debris to find the sword. You were starting to freak out. Where did it go? Why couldn't you find it? Nervousness was overtaking your body. If you failed, you'd disappoint the Master. You'd disappoint Obanai and the other Hashira. You'd disappoint yourself.

That wasn't going to happen.

With a burst of energy, you threw a chunk of the broken wall out of the way. The sword, having seen better days than its rusty, dull condition it was currently in, was lodged in place. You pulled at it with all of your strength, but it wasn't budging. You turned to look at the fight going on behind you, and things weren't looking good there either. Obanai was getting overwhelmed by the relentless attacks of the monstrous demon and looked to be wounded. You heard him grunting in pain as he used his sword and his techniques were getting sloppy. If you weren't panicked before, you definitely were now. You aggressively yanked on the handle of the sword, sweat making your hands lose their grip. The demon laughing brought your attention to the fight at hand once more, and you gasped. He was ready to strike Obanai with a devastating blow! At that moment, it was like everything moved in slow motion. You felt the sword give way, free from its confinement, and you wasted no time running at the upper rank demon as fast as your tired legs could move you.

"Iguro! Watch out!"

Your body was on autopilot. You knocked the small man out of the way right as the demon swiped its hand down, eager to behead the Serpent Hashira. You didn't notice before, but you hadn't switched out your swords; you were still holding the rusty one! Horror dawned on you as you realized your sword, sharp and ready for battle, was not the one you were using, but you couldn't falter. You braced the old sword under the unyielding strength of the demon's hand, holding it above your head as he desperately tried to reach for you, but you wouldn't allow him to get any closer. You planted your feet into the ground and prepared yourself to go on the offensive.

"Moon breathing, second form-- lunar onslaught!"

You noticed the sword become lighter in your hands, you saw the demon's arm lying on the ground, and you heard the demon wail in disbelief. You couldn't waste time wondering how such a dull sword cut through a powerful demon, so you continued fighting with all you had. You parried all of his slashes with ease, your determination never faltering, and you cut off his other arm, along with a leg. Standing over him, you pointed the sword at his neck.

"Would you prefer to die by this blade or my own?"

"You wretched slayer!" he shrieked, almost foaming at the mouth in anger. "You nasty human! You can't kill me! You can't!"

You brought your blade in a downward slice, separating his head from his body.

"I just did."

You collected your own sword from the ground as the demon kept chattering on, complaining about how unfair it was to die. You ignored him in favor of seeing Obanai, who was receiving gauze from his crow to patch up his wound.

"You used the artifact that we were supposed to guard to kill a demon?" he asked, venom present in his tone.

"I didn't mean to!" you exclaimed, defending yourself. "My sword was unavailable at the moment. If I waited a second longer, you would've been kil-"

"I was fine!" he barked, casting his gaze downward. "I didn't need your help."

"Oh really? I think we both know that's not true." You met eyes with Kaburamaru. "Even he agrees with me."

"Traitor," Obanai muttered to his snake, the reptile seemingly sticking his tongue out in a mocking manner.

"You two make me sick!" the demon piped up, his head turning to ash. "I wish my eyes and ears disappeared first so I didn't have to witness such disgusting lovesickness between humans."

"I wish your mouth went first," you replied to him as he finally fully withered away. You were about to say something else to Obanai but you saw him quickly turn his back to you. Did you just catch a glimpse of a blush on his face?!

"Let's get back to the mansion at once," he said, walking away from you. As per usual, you had to run to catch up to him.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," you told him after hours of walking in silence.

"Me too."

"I'm glad you're ok-"

"You've improved your swordsmanship," Obanai interrupted, your eyes widening in surprise at the compliment.

"Oh! Yeah, um, thank you, I've been working hard at it."

He hummed in acknowledgment.

"Actually," you continued, "Shinazugawa's been helping me with my form, which has most likely contributed to my furtherance of the skill."

Obanai stopped abruptly.

"Shinazugawa's been helping you?" he asked in a scarily low toned voice.

"Is... is that alright?" you replied back, unsure of why Obanai was acting so strangely. He almost seemed jealous, though you wouldn't know for what reason.

"I don't want you going near him anymore," he snapped, his eyes ablaze with hatred as he kept walking, this time even faster than before.

"Wait, Iguro, you can't order me around like that. If he wants to teach me to be a better Hashira, I won't stop learning under him. At least he actually talks to me, unlike you." You said the last sentence under your breath and it became so quiet in the dark of the night that not even the cicadas dared to utter a sound.

"Oh? He talks to you? Whenever your wedding happens, I won't come."

"What is your problem?" you demanded, exasperated from his immature quips.

"My problem is that you deserve each other and I don't have a chance!" he all but yelled, not meeting your gaze. "My problem is you deserve someone so much better than me, yet I can't let anyone else have you. My problem is I failed tonight and you had to save me when I should be protecting you."

You were a total mix of emotions at his confession. You were elated that he also found himself in the throes of love with you, but you were upset that he was so hard on himself.

"Obanai," you said softly, "Shinazugawa and I are just friends. You're the man who has captured my heart."

"Please don't play these childish games with me, L/n," Obanai grumbled. You grabbed the oversized sleeve of his haori, forcing him to look at you.

"I'm not joking. I've fallen for you over the time we've known each other, even if we haven't exchanged many words. Ever since that day you saved me all those years ago, you hadn't left my mind or my heart. When I saw you for the first time in months at the Master's courtyard, it was hard to breathe with you right next to me because of my deep affections. But this whole time, I thought you hated me and I didn't know how to bear it."

The Serpent Hashira went quiet, letting his actions do all the talking for him. He slowly reached his hand out to your face, resting his thumb on your cheek. Your eyes closed at the sensation of his gentle caress, finding it hard to believe that this was really happening, but accepting it nonetheless.

"I don't know how to love," he eventually spoke up, his blue and yellow eyes boring into your own, "but I will learn. I will learn for you."

[xsaiya]

"everything's alright."

-tags: comforting! obanai x vitiligo! insecure! reader, angst fluff (mostly angst), hugs, re-assurance, suicidal thoughts (reader), mentions of sh, traumatizing flashback, reader has permanent scars on their face, platonic sanemi catches you trying to harm yourself, reader is known as the emotion hashira, daydreaming. (warning for triggers!)

-future work: uppermoon hc's + muzan (I PROMISE <3)

-plot: iguru had found you saying some bad shit abt yourself so he went to go talk with and comfort you. <3

-a/n: pls do not think bad abt yourself, or harm yourself. your perfect the way you are, there's no need to feel like shit abt yourself. <3 (pls do not steal my work as it is based on my own life)

-recommended song: cigarettes out the window - tv girl

life was hard, hard as fuck. you felt like everybody around your atmosphere hated you and wishes you'd just, well, die. thoughts ran through your head as you were balled up in a corner, grabbing fistful sizes of hair on the sides of your head, crying and sobbing, muttering bad shit abt yourself, like 'does he hate me? does he want me to die? should i even be alive right now?'. those thoughts ran through your head every single day and second, just no body noticed.

note being a hashira, that shit just adds another difficulty to your already fucked up life. your mind also had racing thoughts of your past, and what those bastards did.

(FLASHBACK STARTS NOW!)

huddled up in a corner while gripping the sides of your head, crying & trembling in fear as the tall, abusive figure stood right in front of you while kicking and hitting your already abused body. the man, also known as your dad, kept yelling things in your ears like 'your not my daughter! my daughter isn't a useless, annoying, ugly ass bitch!' as he continued to abuse you over and over again. and all you could do was tremble and cry in fear.

(FLASHBACK ENDS NOW!)

you just dug your head into your legs as you cried and cried, you had nobody, nobody at all, except for one person, the love of your life, obanai. he genuinely cared about you, checked to see if you were eating enough, drinking enough water, sleeping enough. all he did was worry & care abt you, which made you feel guilty, why did he care so much about you? aren't you supposed to be a worthless toy to throw around? not in his eyes.

but, from the corner of your eyes, you saw a blade, you just stared at it for continuous minutes and seconds before thoughts ran through your head. your heart told you 'don't do it, you'll regret it!' while your brain just said 'do it, fuck up your wrists, your worthless anyways.'

you reached out for the blade, grabbed it with a harsh grip, and pointed its sharp tip to your wrist while smiling and crying, still looking down. but before you could even think about doing such an act towards yourself, someone harshly grabbed your wrist, and threw the blade away from your intense grip.

"don't fucking do that shit." said sanemi, he was genuinely worried that you'd do such an act towards yourself if he didn't arrive in time.

"i-" you just stared at him, as if a staring contest occurred, but no, he was giving you that intense look of 'tell someone, talk to someone, get help.'

"you gotta get some help, yk what? i'm telling iguru, you need to get some help." those words replayed in your mind as if it were a track tape, you just sat on a couch near you, waiting for them to return, and they eventually did.

sanemi returned with a worried as fuck obanai. obanai rushed towards you, grabbed your wrist and inspected it thoroughly, asking questions, his anxiety boosted right through heaven's gates as he looked at you with a look of so much love & worry. this just made you cry, cried in appreciation & sadness, you actually for once felt like you could let it all loose around someone.

"hey, hey. it's alright, let it all out love," he hugged you so so tight

you sobbed and sobbed for hours and all he did was mutter sweet re-assurances in your ear as you berried your crying face into his welcoming shoulder.

"..everything's alright."

[gyutarowritings]

You wake up in the middle of the night to frantic shuffling beside you. The sound of sobs hit your ears and the grip around you tightens.

You wrap your arms around your lover. Comforting them like they had done to you.

Sanemi, Gyutaro, Genya, Obanai, Giyuu, Akaza

[lyrefromthesea]

Do you think you could maybe do the Hashiras with a dying reader? Not like dying in there arms but a reader who's so ill that they can't move and bed ridden, dying?

Remember to take care of yourself!!

Hashira x Reader - how sickening

pairing: Tengen x reader, Obanai x reader, Rengoku x reader, Sanemi x reader, Giyuu x reader, Gyomei x reader, Shinobu x reader, Mitsuri x reader

content warning: angst, fluff?

Tengen:

"i'm home" he said, still both his swords in hand. he had started immediately coming home after his missions, worried over your safety.

since the doctor told you to stay in bed, he had to help you more now. he didn't mind, he would give you acts of service as long as you live.

however, when he heard sounds coming from the kitchen, he dropped both his swords, rushing towards the room.

you stood in front of the counter, trying to chop vegetables. his eyes widened, knowing that you put a toll on your body. with a swift movement, his hand was on yours as he stood right behind you.

"darling, it's enough." he told you, gently taking the knife out of your hands. he almost felt bad when you looked at him with big deer eyes. "the doctor told you to rest."

"i know, but it doesn't sit right with me. i still feel like i can do things myself. i want to be helpful." you admitted, your head lowering.

"i know, but it's important to rest at times. let's bring you to bed, I can finish this." he answered, nodding at the vegetables. he put an arm around your shoulder, leading you towards the bedroom.

listening to your words, he knew you still wanted to feel helpful - strong, but he saw how weak your body truly was.

he knew that there was a slim chance of survival. he didn't want the time you still had decreasing because you were pushing yourself too much.

Obanai:

you were asleep again. it happened more often since he came visiting you every day. his eyes were looking you over, trying to find anything out of place.

you had more bandages on your arms, probably from all the shots you were receiving. your lips have turned more pale and dark circles were slowly growing under your eyes.

he had come up with a routine when you were asleep upon his arrival, checking your body first and then placing his head on your chest.

he closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sound of your heart. the steady beat always managed to calm him down, but it has grown weaker over the past days.

he felt worry consuming the back of his mind, not noticing how your hand moved until it was placed on his head.

"Obanai.. you came to visit again." you mumbled, opening your eyes just a bit, everything else felt too exhausting.

"i promised." he answered, carefully pulling away. he knew it was stupid, but he was worried about putting too much weight on you.

"you can continue, i don't mind.." you tried to encourage him to continue, not wanting him to feel stressed. he declined your offer right away, much rather looking after you.

"i'm fine."

Rengoku:

his eyes were locked on your plate. the two of you have eaten lunch about half an hour ago. when he decided to do the dishes and found your nearly untouched plate, worry began to pool in his gut.

you hadn't eaten properly over the past few weeks, but it had been so much worse since last week. he put the plate down, not feeling like cleaning it right now.

his mind was elsewhere - with you - trying to figure out how to make you feel better.

he had already known what an untreatable disease could do to people. he had watched his mother be bedridden until the moment of her death.

and even though you've told him that you made peace with the fact you were going to die, he had at least wanted to make your days as bearable as possible.

he shook his head, trying to lock the negative thoughts out. times were hard, he needed to show you he was a reliable husband - that he still had hope.

he cleared his throat, trying to look more confident a he wandered to your room. perhaps he could convince you to eat a small treat.

Sanemi:

visiting the hospital was something Sanemi dreaded every day. he would've avoided ever seeing this place, but that meant he wouldn't be able to see you.

entering your room, he found himself swallowing down his sorrows. he did it for you, but it got harder for him with each passing day.

he stood next to your hospital bed, looking down at your face. you nearly looked like last time, but you've grown more pale.

he wondered if you could feel the change - feel anything. if he only knew that his daily visits were helping you grow healthy.

yet there was no indication of your well-being. you had been in a coma for three months now and the doctors didn't believe in your recovery anymore.

"i tried cooking your favourite, when you wake up again, i want to show you." he started, standing next to your bed. he didn't know what to do, so he decided to tell you about his day when he visited.

he knew it wasn't anything interesting, but he hoped you would hear something - anything. he hoped you would wake up and prove the doctors wrong.

Giyuu:

this wasn't fair. his sister. his friend. the people he fought to protect. and now you.

ever since you've grown sick, he has stayed by your side. he knew you couldn't move on your own so he did it for you. it was easy to carry you around, you've grown much lighter in his arms. it worried him, even the inexperienced eye could tell you weren't healthy.

"the sun will set soon." his quiet voice proclaimed, feeling your head move. he sat down on the engawa, keeping you in his arms.

"is this okay?" he asked, trying to ensure you weren't uncomfortable in his hold. he wanted you to feel at ease at all times.

"it's good, don't worry." you mumbled, placing your head against his chest. his hold on you grew tighter, he was glad you put your trust in him.

he swore to protect you, but protecting someone from a demon is different than this. he felt helpless, afraid of losing you.

he didn't know how many sunsets you would be able to see.

Gyomei:

when the first signs of your sickness started occuring and you wished to still indulge in the pleasures of life, he had supported you.

deep down he thought it would maybe make you feel better, treat what was untreatable.

however, it didn't change the number of times you were more tired than usual, passing out in the midst of a conversation or task.

"Gyomei..?" you awoke in your bed, hands slowly rubbing over your eyes. you didn't know why you were here, you had been walking through the meadow a few moments prior.

"your fever has returned." he informed you, placing a wet towel on your forehead. you shuddered at the feeling, sinking deeper into the blankets.

"i didn't notice, i'm sorry." he said, his voice having grown more quiet. he felt guilty, he should've noticed that you had grown more ill again.

"don't apologize. it's nothing we could've seen coming." you answered, a quiet chuckle leaving your lips.

he smiled, yet he couldn't unhear how weak your voice has gotten, how you had to exhaust yourself everytime you answered.

Shinobu:

"are you ready for your daily shot?" she asked you, wanting to make sure you're fine. you nodded, trying to force a smile on your face.

she glanced at your face for a short moment, then proceeded to take the syringe in her hand. you had been staying in the butterfly mansion for a while now, but you still didn't look any better.

the sting of the needle barely hurt and feeling the small amount of liquid entering your arm made a weird sensation spread throughout your body.

you wanted to tell Shinobu, but stopped when you saw her face. the smile she tried to keep up vanished every time she had to give you a shot.

you figured that he was worried about your state, not wanting it to worsen. naturally, you brought your hand on top of hers, her eyes meeting yours.

"it's going to be fine." you told her, a weak smile forming on your face. she smiled back. "i know."

she needed to leave a few moments later, telling you to rest some more. your emotional strength was admirable, but it wouldn't keep you safe this time.

how long would she be able to treat you until she gave up fighting a deadly disease?

Mitsuri:

"[name]!" Mitsuri cheered, rushing towards you after she entered your shared estate. it was the first thing she did since you had been bed-ridden.

"i brought you some sakura mochi! i thought sharing some would lift your mood!" she cheered, placing a huge plate of the sweet treat down next to you.

she smiled happily, though her face dropped when she saw your apologetic look. had she done something wrong again?

"thank you, Mitsuri, but i'm not supposed to eat sweets.." you reminded her. now she really lost her smile, looking at the plate and then back at you.

"i'm so sorry! i just wanted to cheer you up!" she whined, her hands immediately coming up to meet yours. she didn't do this will ill intentions, she had just wanted to make your day brighter.

"it's fine. i appreciate the gesture." you comforted her, gently squeezing her hands. at least that's what you tried, but your strength has drastically reduced, making the action barely noticable.

"sit down and tell me about your day. i've been worried about your mission." you said, watching her slowly sit down. she did as you asked, wanting to make you happy.

and as you two sat there, speaking for hours, she didn't notice how you had pushed the sakura mochi further to her - by the end of your conversation the plate was empty.

[fanficsat12am]

pairing: Obanai x Reader 

wc: 1.8k

prompt: “You weren’t there…why weren’t you there?”

A/N: This is my first kny work so I'd love to hear from your feedback :>

📜 𝙼𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃!! 📜

It’s hard to think that the face that typically adorned a bright and beautiful smile is now littered with scars and bruises. Tanjiro’s forehead was wrapped with an otherwise white bandage had it not been for the tints of red seeping through the cloth. Despite the gruesome image, his body wasn’t any better. On each arm lay great purple blemishes that peeked over the dressing prepared by Ms. Shinobu. Despite being tended to by multiple Kakushi as well as the residents of the Butterfly Mansion, the metallic scent of blood remained. 

As you watched the boy’s chest rise and fall, you couldn’t help but wish you were there, or another hashira for that matter. Perhaps everything would have turned out differently. The trio wouldn’t have left the battle in such bad conditions, Uzui wouldn’t have lost an eye and a hand, and maybe he wouldn’t have retired from the corps. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t notice the presence by the door, heterochromatic eyes staring at your slumped figure. 

Obanai glared at the unconscious boy, feeling the seed of jealousy continuing to grow in him— the albino serpent slung on his shoulder hissing at the scene in front of him. He never understood why you cared so much for Tanjiro. In his eyes, you were far from the women he had the displeasure of meeting. You were strong, determined, selfless, and many more. Perhaps that’s why Obanai had grown to enjoy being in your presence, unaware of how he’d subconsciously always want to be by your side. So to see that Kamado kid steal you away from him made him loathe the boy with a passion.

He scoffs, alerting you that you were no longer alone, with your eyes darting towards him. “You shouldn’t get all bent out of shape about him. It’s his fault he’s lying in that bed right now.” He crosses his arms, gaze hard as it trails to the bandages on the boy with the Hanafuda earrings.

Your eyebrows crease. “What?”

“He’s weak and impulsive. The kid couldn’t even kill a lower moon demon without a hashira’s help. It’s a surprise he got out of there alive.”

“Iguro-san, I know you’re not too fond of him, but he did his best to help and survive. He and Tengen kill the first upper moons after 100 years. That’s a huge step for the corps and–-”

“They got lucky. Had it not been for Uzui, those demons would have just ended their pitiful lives right then and there. At this rate, he can forget about defeating Kibutsuji and just get it through his brain that his sister’s stuck like that. Maybe tell him to kill her already while you’re at it and save us all the time.”

Your eyes widen, unable to believe the words coming from the Serpent Hashira. You pursed your lips, a mixture of shock, disappointment, and disbelief brewing within you, but mostly that of anger. You were no stranger to Obanai’s sharp tongue, his words venomous like that of a snake’s bite. But to demean the work of those involved in the Entertainment District was beneath him. You huff before turning your gaze back to Tanjiro. He doesn’t miss the glare in your eyes as you scan every injury on his body.

“You weren’t there…” you said through gritted teeth. “Why weren’t you there?” 

He took a sharp breath, masking it with a scoff. “They shouldn't have needed me in the first place.” They were trained demon hunters, not children who had to be looked after every minute of the day. 

You couldn’t help but drop your jaw in disbelief, attention now back on Obanai. Despite his harsh words, he looked unfazed. 

“How can you even say that? They could have died!”

“With lives like ours, death is always around the corner. As a hashira yourself, you should already know this”. 

“But—”

“But nothing. We can’t save everyone, (Y/N). The weak have no place in the corps” he said, leaving no room for debate. Why did you care so much? Those who don’t have what it takes only have so much time before a demon puts them six feet under. Seeing how it’s futile to make you see his side of things, he turns to leave, but what you say next makes him stop in his tracks.

“You know… You hate your family for what they’ve done to you, for treating you as nothing more than a mere tool, just a sacrifice for their benefit. But from what I see, you’re no different…”

He was stunned into silence, the only response being the hiss Kaburamaru sent your way.  The expression on his face got darker before stalking off, making sure to slam the door as he slid it close. Walking through the hallways of the Butterfly Mansion, he couldn’t deny the pain brought about by your words. Perhaps he was a fool to think that the suffocating grip his bloodline held on him would ever disappear. 

***

Guilt gnawed away at you as days passed without Obanai. Despite his harsh words towards the others, you knew you went too far. After that day in the Butterfly Mansion, he had yet to talk to you again, no surprise visits to your abode nor a crow in sight. You finally had enough after enduring his silence for a week. Enough was enough, and you needed to be the bigger person here. 

The two-step plan of privately talking to Obanai and apologizing proved to be harder than expected. It felt like hours had gone by as you continued to knock on his door, calling out his name. You sighed, thinking about trying again another day, had it not been for the underlying feeling within of being watched. Sharply turning your head to its presence, you saw a blur of black and white zipping from the trees.

“Obanai!” you call out, immediately following after him. He whisked through the forest, his serpentine-like running style allowing him to maneuver around each obstacle with immense speed. 

“Please! I just want to talk”. Despite his speed, you were able to catch up to him. Just as he rounds a wisteria tree, he disappears from your sight. Darting your eyes around your surroundings, you see nothing other than miles upon miles of leaves and bark. Only when a low hiss from above you sounds do you find Obanai perched on one of the tree’s long, winding branches. You don’t miss the way his eyes follow your every movement—like that of a predator stalking its prey.

“There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve said all you needed to say. Now leave.” 

Seeing how he was about to leave yet again, you quickly leap up the tree and grab a hold of his haori. Wishing to protect his friend, Kaburamaru bares his fangs on instinct. You draw your hand and try to step back, but instead feel your foot slip off. 

A surprised shriek leaves you as you flail your arms around, trying to grasp at anything. Before you could fall off completely, a strong tug on your uniform wrenches you into a tight embrace. Pulling your face back from his chest, you meet the eyes you had been missing for days. Despite both of your feet now flat on the branch, his hold is still tight—one arm securely wrapped around your waist as one reached from one shoulder to the other. 

You both stay like that for a while, not breaking the comforting silence. Staring down at you, Obanai can’t help but bask at how the wisteria flower’s glow encapsulates your beauty. Despite almost memorizing your features, from the rounds of your cheeks to the crinkles on your eyes when you smile, he can’t help but still be entranced by you every time you look at him. 

He blushes at the realization that he has been holding you for far too long. He turns his head in embarrassment, trying to avoid your gaze, but is stopped by your hand cupping his cheek to face you once more. As your fingers graze over the fabric, the hand once by your shoulders shoots up to grab your wrist. 

“Don’t…I’m hideous,” his gaze falls,  “Just like they were…” 

Your heart squeezes in pain. This was your fault—the words you had thrown just to hurt him had done its job. All those times you had reassured him that he was nothing like his family were crushed by your own doing. You could only hope that you could still mend the pieces that remained.

Despite his dissuasion, you slowly take hold of the bandages once again and pull it down. Had it been anyone else, Obanai would have pushed them off immediately. But with you, it was as if the walls he had built around him crumbled with your gaze alone. The band unravels to show the shameful scars it hid underneath, its jagged lines decorating his face from ear to ear. He’d expected you to look away or even squint in disgust. But no, instead, your eyes held intrigue as the pads of your fingers ran across every bump and crevice of his wounds.  

“I’m-” disgusting,  he’d wanted to say, yet you had cut him off before he could say anything else.

“Beautiful. I’m sorry I let you think otherwise, Iguro-san,” you pause before bringing your gaze back to his own. “I shouldn’t have said what I did when it was further from the truth. Please believe me when I say that you are not hideous in the slightest bit. No one in this lifetime nor the next can convince me otherwise.” 

He tries to look for any signs of you lying—dilating pupils, or even a slight flinch—nothing. You lean forward, staring down at his scarred lips, with Obanai doing the same. Before your lips get close enough, you stop.

“May I?” you ask, taking a deep breath in anticipation.

“If you’d have me” he whispers, finally allowing them to meet in a long-awaited kiss. His lips closed on yours, soft yet engrossing, kind yet strong all at once. He felt rough, a stark contrast to that of yours, which was soft and delicate. They fitted together like two puzzle pieces. Obanai pulled your waist to him, drawing you closer. There was no lust, just two souls finally finding one another. Pulling away, your breaths heaved, both wishing that this moment would never end. 

The silence was cut off by a hiss from Kaburamaru as he tilted his head in awe before slithering his way onto your shoulder and nuzzling himself on your cheek. You giggle as you place a finger on the top of his head to pet it, the snake leaning into your touch. As Obanai watches the scene in front of him, a feeling of hope blossoms within his chest. His past may stain the blood inside him, but he will never let it tarnish the future he could have with you.

[keruimi]

Your Dream

Pairing: Obanai Iguro x reader

Warnings: Mention of Sexual Abuse, Death, Total Angst

Note: It has a similar plot with my other Obanai Oneshot but why do I feel like this hurts more? Anyways, I am back to writing Kny especially when it's angst. And yes, it's Obanai Iguro again, my favorite character. The only reason I wrote this is because of the Obamitsu Angst in my fyp like stop reminding me, it really hurts. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it because I don't want to suffer alone.

____________________________

It was a normal life I live, working as an average kakushi who is mostly assigned in the kitchen.

When an odd request from Oyakata-sama changes my routine. When he assigned me to deliver meals to the new pillar, the Snake Hashira, Obanai Iguro.

At the age of eighteen, I finally experienced the anger of a Hashira with just my presence.

Knowing I was silent my whole life, I never found the reason why the Hashira glared at me on our first meeting.

I can't even count how many meals have been ignored or thrown whenever I deliver it to him.

Feeding the Snake Hashira became part of my routine that I completely memorize the route of his manor since he doesn't want anyone to be with him.

"Y/n, please take care of Obanai Iguro's health for me"

Those are the words I hold onto as I tolerated the cold treatment of the Hashira.

I lost track of the times I stay outside the freezing cold when he doesn't want to open his door for me.

It became more torturing when my heart suddenly beat faster when he started treating me differently after a year.

When he finally started to accept the food I cooked and delivered to his manor. Even if he can't finish it, I am thankful that it wouldn't become a waste anymore.

I knew our simple interaction progressed more when he allowed me to come closer to his space. Even a job that I shouldn't be doing, I'm doing it for him.

Like cleaning his manor, grinding ink for him, and helping him sort different poetry he has written.

Those simple moments introduce me to the new side of him that I slowly fell in love with.

It made me want to try harder until the walls he built around him completely fall down.

Until he can finally open his heart to me.

But that friendship I tried to stabilize, brick by brick, became nothing when he met her in the Ubuyashiki mansion.

My effort is almost nothing with how easy she manages to make him soften to her.

And I started to look for the reasons why.

The friendship I tried so hard to build is ruined and I felt like I went back to the first time we met.

The cautious aura that made it difficult for me to connect to him.

And I knew those thoughts are really happening when the food I brought is left untouched.

"I have already eaten with Mitsuri"

It was the sentence I kept hearing but I didn't stop doing my duty of making his food for him.

Because I learned to love taking care of him.

Those tasty delicacies I used to love cooking, change when I noticed he was disgusted just by the smell of it.

I adjusted so many things that I completely forgot what I really love.

Just to serve him right.

I prevent the cough that is threatening to leave my mouth as I grind ink for the Hashira I am serving.

As he wrote the letter he always sent to her.

It was breaking me. But I have no right to feel anything for him.

I already knew ever since, that a high-ranking warrior like him is not meant to love me.

But the weak side of me silently yearn that he can return it.

But seeing how in love he is with another woman. I knew I never had a place in his heart.

But just a mere presence that accompanies him in the garden.

I was just a shadow he would never notice. A person that serves him, and he would not change his perspective on me.

I was beside him so I could serve him, not to love him.

I wipe the single tear and escape my eyes before he notices as I force my body to move according to what he wishes.

While he remained clueless of my emotion that I tried so hard to get rid of.

The emotion that broke my heart when I saw the ring in his room while I was cleaning.

I could never look at the mirror just to see how my eyes portrayed the pain I felt when I saw it.

"Obanai-san really liked Mitsuri, don't you?" I mustered up the courage to speak my thoughts with a slight teasing tone as my back faced him.

I bit my lip to stop the sob that is threatening to be heard as I heard shuffling behind me.

"Obanai-san must treat Mitsuri-san right. Marriage is a dream for every woman. Especially when they will have a good man to love" I turned to him with a smile as I slowly opened my eyes and saw how soft his eyes turned because of embarrassment.

I don't know his past. I don't know what he loves.

I don't know Obanai Iguro.

But I know he has a hard time trusting others.

"I hope you both live a happy life" I managed to let out but it came out as a whisper as I took my things and left the room.

I froze the moment I left his manor as the tears I managed to subside finally escaped my eyes as I found myself crying on the way back to the village I live in.

I knew it was coming but my heart won't stop aching. My eyes can't stop crying. My mouth can't stop sobbing.

I really love him.

But he is not mine.

~•°•~

I lost track of the years when the female kakushi started to serve me.

The only woman I allow to enter my manor with the excuse of serving me.

Because I thought of changing myself even a little no matter how much I feel fear or disgusted by a female approaching me.

Because she gave effort to providing me with the most comfortable thing I needed. Especially during my meal time.

Starting with a simple window being opened, creating less flavorful food that I can tolerate.

I knew she was adjusting for me so I let her presence in my everyday life. Until that became like a friendship I was thankful for.

I can talk to someone about things without including battles.

I love her like a family.

That explained how my body felt frozen when I heard the news of what happened to her on the way to my manor.

The news of her being taken advantage of by a man who manages to memorize her route to my manor due to her everyday routine of walking her way there.

The anger I felt was unexplainable that I can find myself hurting a fellow human.

I knew humans can be evil, but I didn't know I could hate them more than I hate demons.

But I thought I made a mistake too.

If I just let her stay in my manor so she wouldn't exert too much energy just for my food, I could protect her better.

I know I'm slowly losing control when my self-restraint almost fell apart when I visited her quarters and I found her silently sitting at the corner of her room, hugging her knees.

As the spark in her eyes completely vanishes.

"She refused to eat nor let another woman near her. When the others approach her, she flinches. We don't know how to approach her anymore" the Kakushi who led me to her room stuttered out as I felt my hand grip the wooden door in anger.

Yet my eyes badly wanted to cry for her.

"Shinobu tried to check on her but she started to cry whether she was near. We just confirm the situation when the evidence of the sexual abuse was present in her body when we found her unconscious in the forest"

"Stop talking" I snap at him who immediately keeps his mouth shut as my snake hiss at him who scurried away.

"Y/n, it's me" I knocked on the door even though it was already open to make her aware of my presence in the room.

I don't know how I control my voice who I thought will be expressed in a trembled tone.

I am a man.

That is the first thought that came to my mind that made me decide to sit at the floor near the door.

"Obanai Iguro, you know me, right?" I spoke again and she kept her silence making my hands tighten its hold on my pants.

I'm not used to this side of her.

"Are you scared of me?" I asked slowly as silence occupied the entire room before she shook her head a little.

"May I come closer?"

With that question, I notice how her hands tighten on the blanket surrounding her making me release a shaky breath.

I never knew I was willing to hurt a fellow human just for her.

It made me want to make the man suffer badly. Worse than what he did to her.

"I'm sorry" I was left speechless when those were left on her lips and I immediately shook my head.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. It was them that wronged you" I am not good at words but I wanted to completely express my concern and pain for her.

I badly wanted to avenge her.

"It was me who should apologize because I was not there for you"

"I am not your responsibility..." She whispered and I shook my head once again, wishing for her to look at me even once so she can see how badly I am hurt for what she has experience.

How desperate I am to show she was not alone during this time.

"You are. Because you are important to me" I felt tears in my eyes as Kaburamaru slithered his way to her and slowly circled around her shoulder in a protective manner.

"I am tainted..."

"You're not" I firmly stated. "I am the tainted one between the two of us" those words quickly left my lips without any hesitations and she finally had the courage to look in my direction.

"So don't look at yourself that way. For me, you are still the same Y/n that accompanied me" I stuttered out as I tried to stabilize my breathing.

"I will seek justice for you. That's a promise"

I saw how a tear left her eyes as she looked outside the window. Removing her gaze on me.

"In our generation, marriage is every woman's dreams. Is a symbol of acceptance. Is where you will really feel you are loved and chosen by someone" she whispered.

"But in order to be chosen, you need to be pure, compliant, and well-mannered. That's what it takes to be a good wife" she stated as Kaburamaru nuzzled his head on her cheek when he noticed her difficulty in breathing.

I badly want to lend her my shoulder to lean on, an advice to make her mind clear. But in this situation, we both knew she just needed an ear to listen to her.

Someone to comfort her with just presence.

"But if you don't meet those requirements, you will be shunned by society. You will lose the qualification that a wife has."

"Right now, I will not be the wife of someone. I will not be married to a man I will dedicate my life to. Because I don't have my purity that only my husband should have." She whispered.

It was a painful word to state out loud. But right now, I can't read her.

Because she completely closed off her emotions.

"I don't fit the standard that a wife should have." She whispered as she buried herself in her blanket that hid herself from me.

"And it hurted so badly"

I closed my eyes when she spoke those words.

And I hate myself because I can't do anything for her but just torture her attacker.

"What else is your dream other than marriage?" I ask her as she closes her eyes to rest it for a little while.

"I want to meet the one that is willing to spend their entire life with me" it was a hopeful wish.

Silence occupy the room and I thought she fall asleep until she whispered the words I never expected to hear from her.

"I love you..." It was barely heard but I knew it was the words she hide for so long.

That made it known to me that I could grant that dream to her.

But I decide to give her the time she needs to heal from that painful experience.

She needs to heal.

Those are the thoughts I could only think of as I laid her down in her bed in a more comfortable position when I noticed she had finally fallen asleep.

But I never expected that it would be the last time I would see her with her eyes open.

Because when I came back the next day, the news of her death was the one that greeted me.

It was a nocturnal death because her heart failed during her sleep.

It finally felt like my whole world collapsed and my mind completely shut down.

If it weren't for Sanemi being beside me, I would have completely fallen on the floor as I kneel in front of her room.

It hurts.

I wanted it to stop.

But I know that nothing could make her happy anymore.

Because that nightmare would continue living within her for the rest of her life.

I never manage to cherish her smiles more. I only shrugged the moments I have with her because I thought we would stay that way.

That I never knew I was running out of time.

It took every cell in my body to approach her cold body that is covered with white cloth as I kneeled beside her.

I silently slid the ring that she found on my mansion in her finger as tears continued escaping from my eyes as Sanemi just stood behind me.

I lost someone who made me feel like I have the family I never have.

In this life, we were parted to heal.

But I will make sure that her wish will be granted.

"In this life" I started to whisper as my lips lean on her fingers where the ring stays.

"As God as my witness, I promise to take you as my bride. Give myself as your other half" I keep mumbling as I squeeze her cold hand as tears continue to fall from my eyes.

"That even death can never separate us. Because in our next life, I'll make sure, that I will utter this words to you again"

And in that life, you will be alive to hear it

[starkura]

oh my good looking boy. | obanai iguro

note: not proofread, may be ooc

wordcount: 732

Obanai was a strict and unforgiving person. It was hard to build relationships with him due to his high standards. However, there was something about you that made him forget about his rude behavior. You’re cheerful and patient nature made him less fearful of you. There wasn’t anything for him to be afraid of. You slowly gained his trust day by day, and soon, you two were inseparable. When you’re both separated, you both write letters to one another. No matter how separated you two are, you guys always keep in touch.

You always figured that Obanai and you were very close. He talked and behaved comfortably around you, it was different compared to how he conversed with others. Obanai trusted you with his life. But, you didn’t exactly know everything about him. Obanai never mentioned anything about the bandages that covered his mouth. You were always curious about it, but he seemed avoidant and vague the first time you asked about it. So, you didn’t ask about it after the first time.

In truth, Obanai had reasons as to why he didn’t want to tell you. For one, he didn’t want to retell his traumatic past to you. He rather not have you know that side of him. And two, him imagining the number of reactions you could have to the scars underneath his face terrified him. Would you be disgusted by him? Would you be horrified by his scars? He didn’t want to lose you, one of the only people in his life that could make him feel at ease.

It wasn’t until one early morning when his bandages unraveled off his face. He woke up in the morning from a bad nightmare that included you and him. Obanai was gasping for air, his bandages were blocking his airflow. He didn’t realize it, but he pulled them down to breathe properly. He slowed down his breathing in an attempt to calm himself down. Obanai quickly started to panic again when you open the door to his room. He didn’t know what to do, he was usually swift with his movements. But, in this moment, his brain just froze. When the door is fully open, you see the sight of Obanai’s scars that follow his mouth. You were shock to see the scars that were imbedded into his face. Instead of being disgusted or horrified, you were absolutely worried. You had a tray of food prepared for him, however you dropped the tray and rushed to his side. “Obanai?” You say in a worried tone. His face was in your hands, and all Obanai Iguro could do was cry. “I'm sorry you had to see this. I know, I look horrifying.” He said softly. You wipe the tears off his face. You look at him with a sorrowful look. “Obanai, you don’t look horrifying.” You said reassuringly. He shook his head as a response. “You can tell me how it is, you don’t have to sugarcoat it.” He said. You move Obanai’s hair so his face has your focus.

Your fingers brush over his scars, feeling the roughness of it. His face is still as beautiful as ever, even if he thinks his scars make him hideous. Your mind started to wander, how did this happen to him? You give Obanai a small smile, tears slowly start to form from your eyes. You bring Obanai closer and wrap your arms around him. “I’m so sorry, whatever you went through, I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.” Obanai’s eyes widen and wraps his arms around you. You look back at him while still having your arms around him. You look right into his turquoise and yellow eyes. “I hope you know that your scars don't make you any less beautiful.” You look at him with a heartbroken look. “I didn’t show you my scars because I was scared that you’d be disgusted by them.” He admits. “I could never be disgusted by you Obanai.” You could tell that Obanai still had some worry and doubt, you wanted to reassure him that you didn’t think any less of him. Your hands moved to his face once again and you leaned in closer to him. You kiss his scars and then his lips. Obanai just sinked into you. You could sense that he was returning back to his calm and collective self again.

[madwomansapologist]

stay soft, get eaten | tanjiro kamado x hashira!reader

tanjiro was accused of treason, and there was more than enought proof for you to cut his head and damn his existence. that was your duty as a hashira. but as a friend, you couldn't. you could never.

cw: angst. hurt/barely any comfort. childhood friends to strangers to lovers. kny level of violence. death and gore. more than one character actively trying to kill nezuko.

an: messing around with the idea of an oc. can anyone rec an artist that accepts commissions? another chapter of me finding a way to put a undertale reference on my fics.

A ghost stood before you, forcing you to face your past.

Once more you were that innocent girl unaware of how your life would change. Focused on the basket between your hands, making sure to protect the bread inside it from the snow, you had no real worries.

You didn't saw the blood. You didn't smell the putrid stench. It was right in front of you, and still you noticed nothing. How you despise that clueless girl. She knew the world was a kind place. She didn't believed that, she knew that: nothing bad has ever happened for her to think otherwise.

How dumb you were. To only notice the blood after stepping on it.

You never truly understood what it meant to be a person until that very moment. To be alive is to have a body, and to have a body is to suffer. A layer of skin, a layer of fat, a layer of muscles, a layer of bones. Nothing can change that.

And blood. So much blood. You threw up on the snow, and continued until your throat burned. With the scarlet red carved on your eyes, you saw the graves. That made you remember exactly where you were.

Kie Kamado. Takeo Kamado. Hanako Kamado. Shigeru Kamado. Rokuta Kamado. Nezuko Kamado. Tanjiro Kamado.

All dead.

You were shaking when he came. Was it because of the snow falling on your skin for hours on end, the empty on your stomach, or the violent cries taking over your body? When you left with Giyu Tomioka, you knew why: you were enraged.

From then on, you trained. You almost died, then did it all again. Until you reached perfection. Every movement, every breath, every muscle of your body. You made yourself excelent. You protected those that couldn't, killed oni after oni, slayed a kizuki without hesitation.

That innocent girl you despise died because of what you saw that night. That girl you envy, that had silly dreams and could afford not to learn it was already time to grow for a few more years died that night. So why you're looking at Tanjiro's sleeping face?

Unaware of the string muzzling your heart as if it was a beast in need of taming, the Pillars argued around you. You couldn't quite catch their words, all meaning lost in the air around you.

You pinched yourself, as if you didn't already knew it wasn't a nightmare. Life taugh you a funny trick: when you don't know what's happening, all you had to do is to imagine the worst possible scenario and accept it as reality.

And so you knew: you were late that night. More than you could ever imagine. Late so you couldn't see they alive, couldn't help Tanjiro, couldn't save Nezuko. And Giyu lied to you. If not, he at least omit the truth from you.

"Tomioka", you interrupted Tengen, just now realizing the voice you heard belong to him. You have never been so upset, and still your concentration on your breathing technique never shattered. "You knew from the start, didn't you?"

"I believe Shinobu said-", Mitsuri thought you had misunderstood Shinobu's report, but decided to remain silent when she noticed your clenched fists. She observed you, more carefully now, and saw the truth.

After all, when someone does their best not to cry the only decent thing is to pretend they're doing a good job.

Giyu didn't return your gaze. You were almost grateful for it. You don't know if you could endure his coldness now. "You found me mourning his family, and knowing he was alive you chose to say nothing."

How loud the silence that came after it was. Not a single breath was heard by your attentive ears. In the absence of an response, you found one: your trick never fails you.

Kyojuro turned to you, his smile brighter than the sun. "All slayers involved in this case shall face punishment", Kyojuro's energy had no effect on you. "We'll find a way to punish the Water Hashira."

Instead of moving forward, you looked back. "Tomioka", your calm voice made him look at you. This time, you were ready for what you would face. Even know, he was so aloof. What a nice act.

Giyu Tomioka gave you no comfort when he found you that night, only the truth. Giyu Tomioka told you a tale of demons and slayers, of blood and ashes. Giyu Tomioka gave you a reason to get up, clean the vomit on your face, and pray one last time for the family that always treated with care.

"What I do now?", the wind shoved your tired words towards ears. "How can I stop then?"

Giyu thought about your questions for a while. Just when he decided it was best to turn his back on you, something on your eyes stopped him. They burned. "There is a cultivator a few cities away."

You smiled.

Mitsuri gasped. She can still smile at him even now, her dreamy eyes gazed upon you. Sweet like sakuramochi. And as pretty too.

You thought about hiding yourself behing Gyomei when Tanjiro started to wake up. You didn't, you couldn't move. As he tried with sleepy words to protect his sister, you stood as quiet as you could. But his eyes found you, and for a second the world around you faded away.

⋆✦⋆

Tanjiro was dreaming again.

As the Pillars argued about his future execution, Tanjiro couldn't quite believe it all was really happening. Broken bones, exhausted mind, sore muscles. He must be hallucinating from the pain. That's the only possible explanation.

Because you're right in front of him, and that only happens when he dreams.

And still, even so sure it was just a fantasy from his tired mind, Tanjiro could do nothing but to stare at your sweet eyes and pretend it was reality.

How he wish to go back in time and be that boy who worried if you would look at him at during his daily walks throught the village. He could almost feel the softness of your hair against his once scarless palm, hear the poems you declamed with such a passion, see the careful way you treated your siblings.

Tanjiro isn't that boy anymore, and your perfume reminds him of apple and cinnamon. You smell like exhaustion and regret. Like hopes and dreams. Kindness and duty.

"Were you happy?" He interrupted one of the Pillars, not that he ever heard about them before, and in response to his disrespect Tanjiro was shoved on the ground. He contorced his body to look at you, ignoring everything else. "Was life good to you?"

Your smile burned your cheeks, so big it showed a bit of your gums. Usually you tried to keep it cover, but not this time. This time you could afford to smile without a care. "No, it wasn't", you answered with a voice covered in honey. "But I made it good."

Tanjiro smiled. The pain, the loneliness, the fear: it all disappeared. Smelling joy, Tanjiro was glad it wasn't a dream. But of course that meant the execution discussed was real too.

"That won't be a problem, right?" Shinobu questioned. "As a Pillar, we expect you to do what must be done."

Looking into his eyes, a stare so strong you felt hazy, you didn't hesitate. "The only mercy a demon deserves is a of a quick death." You turned to Shinobu, so she could see you meant it. "It's our duty to do so."

"And the boy?" Shinobu smiled, but it was so emotionless. It felt like a performance, but to what audience? Who Shinobu was trying to fool? You can't imagine.

You could feel his gaze burning your temples. "I won't pretend to be our Master and decide his fate", you wondered if your eyes were emotionless too. Were you trying to fool someone? "I know my place."

As Rengoku reenforced Tanjiro was to be killed by his act of treason, you looked at him again. Hoping to see disgust on his eyes, you saw something you couldn't really comprehend. Something warm and soft.

You saw your Tanjiro again. That sweet boy who would protect you from the snow, even if he would get sick because of it. You wondered if he saw that girl you once were. If he could remember your tales and desires.

You hope that girl is still alive somewhere safe. It would be enough for her to be alive on his mind.

She would've protected Tanjiro now. Don't matter the size of the threat, she would fail but would never give up. Now you're bigger than most threats out there in the world, but nothing could change the fact Tanjiro protected a demon.

You stood quiet, dreaming about a world were demons were still just tales. You smelled like defeat.

⋆✦⋆

And still, despite your desire to never speak again, you couldn't ignore it.

"Nezuko glowed, Master", you gather all your strenght to disagree. It pierced your very soul to do so, but how could you agree with that? "She was the jewelof our village. A dear friend, my Flower, so kind and generous."

You felt the weight of his gaze on you, knowing that Tanjiro would never look at you again. You love him, you really do, but if he really wanted to protect Nezuko he would let her go. You would be kind. You would do it swiftly, and endure the weight of her death for him.

"She doesn't deserve to be remembered as one of them", you said. "If her body won't be respected, then let her soul be. Allow me to free her, please."

Mitsuri would do anything Master asked for, but that made her desire he would want something else. That's a sort of strenght I didn't knew you had, Mitsuri thought to herself. Am I strong like that?

Looking into Tanjiro's eyes, you didn't noticed as Sanemi moved. You only understood when he screamed, and Iguro decided to put him down on the ground. Again and again, Sanemi pierced the box, offending Nezuko.

"Master, forgive me for this", you raised your voice. You would never do that in front of your Master, but he was the one to start this. In a instant, you were besides him with your sword on your hands. "But if Sanemi will be cruel, I will be fast."

But before you could cut off her head, Nezuko looked away.

"Flower?" You asked, sword falling down on the ground. "Are you in there?"

Nezuko hugged you, and once again a Kamado shattered your world.

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

general taglist: @lovelyy-moonlight

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[sqquidzz]

If the Hashira Adopted a Child with You

Hashiras x fem!y/n

Summary: How would the Hashira feel about adopting a child and the process of raising them together and living life. Includes Rengoku, Sanemi, Gyomei, and Obanai.

Tags: Fluff, Insecurities, Brief Mentions of Past Trauma, Married!Y/n, Some Angst, Crying, Arguments, Major Character Death, Grieving, Sadness and Fluff with Bittersweet Endings, Mentions of Blood and Gore, Injury, !Spoilers for Demon Slayer Manga!, etc.

A/N: Hello lovelies!!! I'm so sorry I haven't been posting content. I was dealing with a few family issues and wasn't able to get to writing. Thankfully, the issues have been resolved, however, I never got back to writing because I almost forgot about this account! I hope you guys will enjoy this fic! This fic idea was courtesy of @rupkatha-banerjee!

Rengoku:

When you first mention the idea of adopting a child, Rengoku immediately agrees that it is a great idea with his signature smile

You have been hesitant to ask him if adopting a child is okay because you are aware of his family's traditions of how as the woman holds the child in her womb, she must stare at a fire to bring the bright colour of flames to the child's hair

The nest day, Remgoku insists to take you to an orphanage that he had come across during patrol the night before

You both take a wagon into the city, and soon you come across the orphanage that Rengoku mentioned

You walk in and are immediately greeted by the sight of children running around everywhere, and the owner comes over to greet you

You spend some time talking and playing with the children, but you notice a small boy sitting in the corner of the main room alone

You come over to him and greet him, but he says nothing, staring at you behind his blonde bangs with dead orange eyes

You realize that the boy's eyes and hair distinctly remind you of Rengoku, and feeling empathy for the boy who seems to be unable to get over the fact that his family was gone, you decide to adopt him

At first, it was very hard

The boy would not say one word to you or Rengoku, sitting in the corner of the bedroom, simply staring into nothingness

But that didn't stop you, and you say by him every day talking to him about your life and Rengoku and all the other Hashira

You would especially tell him about Tanjiro's adventures with Zenitsu and Inosuke, laughing to yourself as you recount the hilarious events (you got to know these things thanks to Rengoku)

Soon enough, the boy, who you decided to name Yuki, warmed up to both you and Rengoku, and was talking non stop with both of you, playing outside and helping around the house

You spent as much time with him as you could, teaching him basic skills and educating him

He got to meet all the Hashira and met the infamous trio as well as Nezuko, who he surprisingly warmed up to the most

However, when you got the news that Rengoku had passed on during a mission, you and Yuki we're devastated

Yuki shut down completely, not speaking to anyone, leaving you back at step one

Seeing the state of your son, you cried and cried tears that were bottled up ever since your childhood

Through your sobs and wails, you could see your son moving towards you

You realize he was embracing you, and from that day, you both promised to save each other and never leave each other, no matter the cost

You continued to raise Yuki, watching him as he followed his father's footsteps to become the new Flame Hashira

You were concerned that he would one day not come back, but you had faith in him

One fateful day, your time had come to an end

You had successfully lived to old age and passed on peacefully with your son by your side, as he kept his promise to never leave you, ever

Sanemi:

When you first proposed to adopt a child, Sanemi was afraid

He was scared that he was not cut out to be a parent due to his severe anger issues and aggressive nature, especially after thinking about what happened with Genya

Obviously, Sanemi being Sanemi, he lashed out at you, asking: "Why the fuck would we need to adopt a kid!? Stop being fucking stupid!"

Instead of bursting into tears and running away like he thought you would, you hugged him from behind and said with a smile: "You'll be an amazing father, trust me."

By the time Sanemi turns around, there are tears in his eyes, and he silently cried into your shoulder with you rubbing comforting circles into his back

The next day, you two both go to the orphanage in the city in hopes of adopting a child

As you enter, you immediately get along with the kids, playing and talking with them as Sanemi sticks to one corner

However, a little boy about 7 years old comes up to Sanemi and asks in a harsh tone "What do you think you're doing oldie?!"

Sanemi being Sanemi again, he retorts back yo the kid, and before you can stop them, they are both having a screaming match

You realize in that moment that this not is the right one for your Sanemi

He was able to match Sanemi's temper, and he seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as you could see that Sanemi was

You decide to take him home, and while the owner tried to warn you, you simply tell her that he's the right one

However, the nest few days in the house were chaos, to say the least

The house was never quiet, with yelling and screaming bouncing off the walls so often that you were temped to get earplugs, but you wouldn't trade it for the world

The boy you adopted, who you named Sake, seemed harsh on the outside, but was a real sweetheart on the inside, just like your Sanemi

However, it took just one sentence to ruin this to what seemed like beyond repair

The normal arguments were going on between Sanemi and Sake, but it seemed to be more serious this time

Before you could intervene, Sanemi, out of a fit of rage, yelled, "Just because we adopted you from that orphanage doesn't mean that we won't dump you back there!"

The silence hung like a blanket that was too heavy, suffocating everyone under the weight

Tears rolled down Sale's face as he looked to Sanemi in shock, betrayal and hurt shining in his eyes

You watched as Sake's eyes dulled so much that his eyes almost looked black, void of emotion, and his tears dry up instantly

You recognise the look on his face

That was the look you had on your face when you were abandoned by your family, a defense reflex for when you knew that if you were to cry, things would just become even worse

"Sake....?" You called to him, but he doesn't seem to see you

Before you or Sanemi can do anything, you hear something come from his mouth, too quiet to be heard the first time, but then you realize what he is saying

"I'm sorry.... I'm sorry...."

You feel like bursting into tears upon hearing this, and you go to hug your son

You got a glimpse of Sanemi's face, who was equally as shocked, not only by his words, but the reaction that he got due to them

Sanemi managed to snap out of it, and immediately came to join your hug, apologising for what he said, trying to reassure him that they wouldn't abandon him and telling Sake to not apologize for what Sanemi had done

At these words, Sake broke, sobbing into you and Sanemi, wailing so loudly that your's and Sanemi's hearts broke

After what seemed like forever, Sake had fallen asleep, exhausted by all the crying

As you tucked him in, Sanemi sat in the kitchen, a look of hopelessness on his face

"I told you I'm not cut out to be a father," Sanemi's voice echoed in the startlingly quiet house

"Mistakes happen, but it is up to us to fix them," you simply reply as you both watch the sunset, too filled with sorrow to say any more words than those

The next day, you wake to find Sake not in bed

This frightens you, and you rush out of your room in search of him, only to find him sitting outside, plucking the grass

You remember one memory where Sake and Sanemi were fighting about pulling the grass, and they both ended up pulling grass from the ground and throwing it at each other

They both got an earful from you, but you could see them grinning at each other like idiots

That memory made you smile, but your smile faded when you saw the dull look in your son's eyes

You don't even realize it, but Sanemi walks towards Sake from behind you and kneels infront of him, looking him straight in the eye

"No matter what I or you say or do, I will never abandon you like I was abandoned, never," Sanemi whispered as he looks at Sake for any sign of acknowledgement

After a few agonizing minutes, Sake's head slowly rises, and you can see tears glinting in his eyes

"You mean it?" he asks, and you know he's trying to stop his tears

"Yes, both of us do," Sanemi promises, and you give Sake a smile when he looks to you

Another minute passes by, and your concern slowly grows, before the tears in Sake's eyes overflow and he's jumping into Sanemi's arms, wailing loudly again, but this time in relief

You join their hug and tears of your own are shed, and you all sit there together on the grass, sobing and comforting each other, knowing that this quite promise to be together always was made

After that day, everything goes back to normal, and you witness as your son grows up to become a Demon Slayer alongside his father, creating a new breathing technique based on Wind Breathing and rising the ranks

As the final battle comes and goes, you find yourself at Sanemi's side as he quickly approaches his demise due to the Demon Slayer Mark

You and Sake hold both his hands as he takes his last breath, never leaving his side until the very end

Despite your Sanemi being gone, you try your best to live and enjoy life

You visit the Kamados and Zenitsu, Insokue, Kanao, and Genya with Sake, and you help take care of them with the occasional visits from Urokodaki and Tengen Uzui

As the days go by, you soon find yourself lying on your bed, drawing your final breaths with Sake at your side

You can tell he is trying to hold back his tears, but they flow anyway, and you brush them away with your boney, frail hands

You lips barely mouth the words I love you before your last breath falls from your lips and you pass on peacefully of old age with Sake at your side, and you know he will stay at your side, always

Gyomei:

When you tell Gyomei that you would like to adopt a child, tears stream down Gyomei's cheeks

You were afraid you made him cry out of sadness, but he reassures you that he cries tears of joy

Out of excitement, you drag Gyomei with you to the city is hopes of finding a child in the main orphanage of the city

However, before you arrived, you caught a glimpse of a little girl in an alley dressed in rags, desperately feeding a ghastly thin cat a small piece of meat

You approach her from behind and tap her arm

She immediately flinches away from the touch, looking up at you with frightened eyes

Gyomei slowly follows, and seeing his holding form, the girl crawls back helplessly, tears starting to stream down her dirt ridden cheeks

Gyomei simply sits down infront of the girl and holds out his large but surprisingly welcoming hand

The girl takes his hand hesitantly, and finds that ur is warm, though hard to the touch, is pleasantly comforting

It seems that exhaustion took her over as she slumps into his hand, her head resting on the hand that lays on Gyomei's warm palm

The cat she was feeding also goes to brush up against his hand and curls next to it contently

You knew from the moment you must take her and the cat in as your children

The first few days was filled with a lot of cleaning

The girl, who you decided to name her Sayo at Gyomei's request, was frightened at first by the unfamiliar environment, but soon warmed up to getting in the bath as Gyomei guided her

To give her privacy, he stepped out as you washed her, and you got to know how she ended up on the streets

You reassure her that you and Gyomei will take care of her, and that her cat is also safe, as Gyomei was washing him outside in the garden

She told you the cat's name was Cookie, because she loved cookies but could never have them often because they were too expensive

As you walk out of the shower with her, you find Gyomei on the porch feeding Cookie some meat from your and his kitchen

Sayo walked over to Gyomei and sat next to him with no fear, touching him lightly as if she didn't want to scare him since he was blind

Gyomei smiled slightly, and both Sayo and Gyomei sat together petting Cookie, as you watched them bond silently with only the setting sun as their witness

As the years went by, Sayo got more used to you and Gyomei

She met all the Hashira, the Kamados and Tanjiro's crew, as well as Master Kagaya and those at the butterfly estate

She especially got along with Kanao, with both of them being soft spoken and their similar pasts

As Sayo grew, she helped out at the butterfly estate, especially as the Demon Slayers prepared for the final battle, helping develop the Anti-Kibutsuji drug

Once the battle was over, news had reached both you and Sayo that Gyomei had passed on fighting valiantly against Muzan Kibutsuji and the Uppermoons

You and Sayo were devastated, but despite that, you both decided to live on to keep Gyomei's memory alive in your hearts, knowing that he was not really gone, but he was resting in both your hearts, eternally

Obanai:

When you finally brought up the suggestion to adopt a child, Obanai almost spit out his tea

Obanai couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong if he were to become a father

The one thing he couldn't get over was the fact that any kid would probably be too scared to even look at him because of his scar

Obanai obviously didn't say anything to you, but you could see the inner turmoil he was going through on his face

"Relax, Obanai! I know you'll do great as a father!" you gave him your signature smile and Obanai knew that he couldn't say otherwise

It took a few days to convince Obanai to actually come with you to the orphanage, for Obanai was afraid that, with so many kids around, the bandages around his scar would be pulled down accidentally, leaving the monstrous thing out in the open for prying eyes

Instead of shutting Obanai down, you let him voice all his concerns at once, knowing that Obanai would like to be able to voice his concerns before you look for a solution

"It's not possible to say that those things won't happen, but you just have to trust me," you smile as you run your fingers through Obanai's straight, jet-black hair

Obanai had said nothing after, simply watching the moon shine it's pale light over the both of you, the only witness to this affectionate moment

The nest day, Obanai wakes you early and says, "Come, Y/n. If we want to go to the orphanage, we better leave before traffic picks up."

At Obanai's words, you immediately brighten up, reading Obanai about how he was the one waking you up to go to the orphanage

After you hassle around the house trying to get ready, you and Obanai share breakfast that he made for both of you and you head out to the city soon enough

As you enter the orphanage, you experience a sense if nostalgia, for you remember the time you spent in the orphanage as a child before being thrown out because of shortages in supplies

Obanai sulks behind you, giving a nasty glare to whoever tries to come up and talk to him

However, one child comes and tugs on Obanai's haori lightly

Before Obanai can turn and tell the kid to "fuck off", he notices the bandages around one of her eyes

Quietly, he could hear her say, "You have bandages just like me."

Obanai's eyes widen slightly, and he brushes his bandages unconsciously with his hand

The girl simply stares at him, not saying anything more as the awkward silence continues

Unknowingly to Obanai, you have been watching this interaction, and you tell the owner of the orphanage that you'll take her in

As you, Obanai, and the little girl all take a cart back to your home, you see from the corner of your eye that the little girl is leaning against Obanai, probably sleeping, and Obanai is simply sitting there, watching the sunset

You knew you had a feeling that this child was right for you and your Obanai

It was the middle of the night when you realized the little girl you adopted was not in bed

You immidiately started to panic, startling Obanai awake as you run around the house trying to find her

You end up finding her outside, staring at the moon, her bandaged eye now uncovered, revealing the gruesome scar that hid beneath

You were unsure of how to approach the little girl, who seemed so lost as she simply stared at the moon, however, Obanai walked over from where he was standing behind you, taking a seat next to the girl

You realized that his mouth was not covered with bandages as it usually was, displaying his equally large scar that ran from the corners of his mouth

The girl looked over to Obanai, eyes wandering over his face curiously, before stopping at his scar

She reached out, tracing the scarred over tissue around his mouth, her mouth agape in what you thought was surprise or awe

After exploring Obanai's face, tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her pale cheeks, and she whispered, "You look like me."

You smile as Obanai agrees with the little girl, taking her hands in his and holding them against his scar

"No matter who tells you you're ugly because of your scar, or if you think your own scar is ugly, remember that you are not the only one suffering. You can always come to me," Obanai said sweetly as he lets go of her hands, though her hands stay on his face

The night grows deep as the little girl continued to shed tears hidden behind a wrapped face, the moon as witness to this moment as feelings are shared for the first time

As years go by, yours and Obanai's daughter, who you named Rin, became a Demon Slayer alongside you and her father

She made many friends on the way, meeting Tanjiro and Nezuko, as well as the rest of their friends and the Hashira and those who worked at the Butterfly Estate

She got along very well with Genya, though he was too shy to speak to her at first, and they shared everything with each other and bonded due to the face that they both have a scar running across their faces

You couldn't help but smile as you saw your daughter laughing along with Kanao as Tanjiro and Zenitsu were chased by Inosuke

Everything felt perfect... until the final battle

As a Demon Slayer yourself, you were present during the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, trying to defend your comrades as best you could while keeping an eye on Obanai

However, you must have been engrossed in the battle, for by the time Muzan was ended, Obanai was lying on the ground, almost lifeless, with lacerations running across is face and multiple wounds that were bleeding profously

You hold him in his finaly moments, pressing a slight kiss to his forehead as Rin joins you, holding his hand and shedding tears that streamed endlessly down her blood-stained cheeks

Obanai simply whispers the words, "I love you" before the grip on Rin's hand grows slack

Your own tears fall as you and Rin silently grieve the loss of a father and a husband

But the battle wasn't over yet

Muzan has passed down his blood to Tanjiro, causing him to become the Demon King, and drawing out the battle further as the sun still rose, not fazing the new Demon King in the least

You and Rin struggled to fight due to the injuries you both sustained, but you both managed to buy enought time for Kanao to bring Tanjiro back

As everyone embraced in joy as Tanjiro became human again, you and Rin cried silently to the side, still grieving the hole that your family now has

After the final battle, you try to enjoy the days that you have left

You were one of the rare Demon Slayers to have unlocked your Demon Slayer Mark, causing your demise to come rapidly as you reached the age of 25

Your daughter sits at your bedside as you struggle to keep breathing

You know Rin is struggling to hold in her tears, and you caress her scar, giving her a loving look before the light dulled from your eyes and your arm dropped lifelessly

As you reach the light, you can see a faint silhouette of a man, holding his hand out to you

You know it is Obanai as you reach out to take his hand and wrap him in your embrace, both reunited once again

Back down on Earth, Rin's tears fall from her eyes, but she is smiling, knowing that you were finally reunited with your one true love

[mikasa-imadebiscults]

Insecurities | Hashira

(A/N- GET READY FOR THE ANGST. This is like what they’re insecure about)

(Characters Included- All the Hashira besides Uzui, Rengoku, Muichiro, and Mitsuri)

(Warning: Manga spoilers but besides that nothing)

🌪️Sanemi Shinazugawa🌪️

- His impulsive decisions, sometimes when he gets angry he makes sudden impulsive decisions and ends up regretting it. So he’s afraid if you two get in a fight or a argument he’ll do something that he will regret.

🪨Gyomei Himejima🪨

- His strength, he’s extremely grateful that he’s able to protect you and make you feel protected whenever he’s around but at the same time when you both are holding hands or cuddling he’s afraid that he’ll end up hurting you on accident.

🐍Obanai Iguro🐍

- The scar on his cheeks, it just brings back memories of his childhood every time he looks at it. Also he’s worried that if you see the scars you’ll be disgusted or scared and/or look at him differently. It will take a lot to convince him to take off his mask.

🦋Shinobu Kocho🦋

- Her body, specifically the fact that it’s small and physically weak. She’s afraid that something will happen to you and she can’t protect you, just like how she couldn’t protect her dear older sister. She’s also afraid that you want someone with a more taller and muscular build.

🌊Giyuu Tomioka🌊

- How quiet he is and how majority of the time he’s expressionless. He fears that he’s not enough and that you need someone that talks more or you’ll get bored. He really does his best to change and talk to you more.

Masterlist

[riveroftales]

♡♥♡♥ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ʙᴜᴛ...♡♥♡♥

𝖦𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

𝖥𝖾𝗆! 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖮𝖻𝖺𝗇𝖺𝗂 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖪𝗒𝗈𝗃𝗎𝗋𝗈

𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨: 𝘎𝘪𝘺𝘶𝘶 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘬𝘢, 𝘖𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘪 𝘐𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘰,𝘛𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯 𝘜𝘻𝘶𝘪, 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢, 𝘒𝘺𝘰𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘬𝘶

𝘾𝙒! 𝖲𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗌𝗎𝗀𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖲𝖺𝗇𝖾𝗆𝗂, 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁

「𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐓, 𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓」

➳ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ɢɪʏᴜᴜ ᴛᴏᴍɪᴏᴋᴀ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴄɪᴘʀᴏᴄᴀᴛᴇ ʜɪs ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs.

You two had met when you were both 19. For him, you were just another civilian he was saving from a demon attack but you fell for him. You fell in love with his insanely gorgeous eyes the moment you saw him, and you didn’t hesitate to ask him to be your penpal.

He was reluctant. So much so that he even considered completely ignoring you and just simply walking away, but he caved in with intense insistence (and because you funded his simmered salmon with daikon meal).

He never wrote back, but you didn’t care. You just wanted someone worth writing to, and he was a demon slayer. It was obvious he wouldn’t have enough time to write back.

One fateful day 2 years later, you saw him again. He looked exactly the same: handsome as ever. With a determined smile, you went up to him and introduced yourself again in an attempt for a playfully formal conversation but you were met with his cold stare. It was gentle and soft, but cold.

“Why do you keep writing to me?”

You respond by saying that you just wanted someone worth writing to. He was surprised that you chose him. Out of everyone, him.

It turned out that he had returned to your village for a small break, and he really liked the way they prepared their simmered salmon. You did not hesitate to stay by his side his whole trip.

You finally found the courage to confess after his battle against the demon king. You still loved him despite him losing his arm, though that wasn’t a concern for you.

You poured your heart out in confessing to him in person.

“I’m sorry, Y/n, but…”

You didn’t need to be told anything else.

He didn’t like you. He never had, and he never will.

➳ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴏʙᴀɴᴀɪ ɪɢᴜʀᴏ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛs ᴏɴᴇ-sɪᴅᴇᴅ.

You two had a rough beginning, but you learned to be friends.

You were the first woman he trusted.

He was vulnerable enough to show you his scars, knowing you wouldn’t judge him. He trusted you enough to look after Kaburamaru. He trusted you enough to keep his secrets.

He trusted you enough to tell you his love for Mitsuri.

Your heart ached every time he talked about the woman he loved to you. His eyes always had stars in them whenever he did, and though you weren’t the type to be jealous, you just wished you were in Mitsuri’s shoes so he could talk about you with the same amount of love.

You helped him organise every date, helped him pick out the stockings he was going to gift her, helped him with gifts, you helped him with everything.

As days passed, you watched the man you loved get further enamoured by the gorgeous and kind-hearted girl who only knew how to smile. Even Kaburamaru had never hissed at her, though he kept on hissing at you all the time for the first few weeks you knew Obanai.

A part of you died when you found a few kakushis at your doorstep, informing you about the deaths after the final battle against Muzan.

Something in you died when Sanemi gave you Kaburamaru. The snake was the last thing you had left of your best friend.

You went with Sanemi to clear out Obanai’s estate, and although he kept it a secret, yiu still found out that Sanemi was hiding something in his pocket.

He eventually gave in and took out a box with an engagement ring inside. A ring Obanai was going to give Mitsuri.

You knew you shouldn’t love him forever, so that’s what you promised yourself. Unfortunately, your promise to yourself was in vain after you placed the engagement ring box on Obanai and Mitsuri’s shared grave. He loved her so much he refused to let go of her even after death.

You also wished he would have loved you the same, but in the end, you blindly fell in love because the world was so much more beautiful when you knew you would wake up and see the person you loved.

➳ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴛᴇɴɢᴇɴ ᴜᴢᴜɪ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʜᴀs ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ

He or the girls never wanted you to feel left out, but that was exactly the case. They have been married for literal years, while your marriage with all of them was just for a few weeks.

You tried to get over it. After all, they’ve been with each other much longer than you have, so it’s obvious that they’ll take some time adjusting to the latest addition, but it just wasn’t feeling right for you.

Hinatsuru was amazing at cooking, handling situations and taking care of everyone.

Makio was the best at keeping things on track, making sure everyone did their part, and knowing what everyone liked to eat.

Suma always gave a helping hand, was a neat freak, and she always gave the most thoughtful gifts.

You were just another mouth to feed.

There wasn’t a single thing you knew which the rest already weren’t good at.

All of them were getting used to including you in everything, but it wasn’t really helping.

There were so many nights you wanted Tengen all to yourself just for a couple hours where you would lay in his warm arms in the comforting silence, but you couldn’t work up the courage to ask for it because he was always so exhausted from slaying demons.

Even when he retired, there was barely anything you could contribute.

You often cried yourself to sleep at night as you kept on wondering if you should just give up and leave. You felt like a burden, but you continued to stay because everyone you cried, Tengen woke up to your sniffles and comforted you.

You wanted to give him more. You wanted to give him your love, but you knew it wouldn’t be enough since he already has 3 other women who also love him dearly.

Again, you were just another mouth to feed.

➳ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ sᴀɴᴇᴍɪ sʜɪɴᴀᴢᴜɢᴀᴡᴀ, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋᴀɴᴀᴇ

Spending countless sleepless nights to make ohagi for the man you loved seemed more of a blessing than a curse. Although he would always harshly reject them, you eventually found the lunchbox you kept the ohagi in magically disappeared. After searching for it, it was with Sanemi, who was munching on your ohagi like no tomorrow.

Your love for him was open. You weren’t ashamed to love him. You weren’t ashamed of your feelings.

You would always give him gifts like a rose made out of glass, a few banners for his house, a few small potted plants, just anything in general.

But the nail to the coffin you didn’t realise you were keeping yourself in was hit when you couldn’t think of any more gifts to give him, so you settled on a pink and green butterfly painting you created.

You saw something in him tick the moment his gaze landed on the painting. Without a word, he snatched it from you and ripped it in half. He didn’t acknowledge your surprised expression filled with pain as he stormed off.

That was the day you learned from Shinobu that Sanemi loved her older sister.

You could have loved him for all of eternity. You could have spent hundreds more of sleepless nights making his favourite food. You could have spent hours thinking of what gifts to buy for him, but you could never have him.

All simply because you just weren’t Kanae.

Even if he agreed to a committed relationship with you, he would have never loved you.

Even if he laid in your arms, no matter how comforting and warm they were, you weren’t Kanae.

Even if he loved your cooking more than anything else in the world, you weren’t Kanae.

Even if you guys made the sweetest, most tender love, ‘making love’ to you anyways, you weren’t Kanae.

Even if you were his life partner, you weren’t Kanae.

You aren’t Kanae. You never were, you are not, and you never will be.

And he’ll never love you for that matter.

➳ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴋʏᴏᴊᴜʀᴏ ʀᴇɴɢᴏᴋᴜ, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛɪᴍᴇ

You loved sharing random things in the faintest whispers during the most serious moments, resulting in the people around you cracking up and some of the tension leaving their bodies.

Kyojuro loved that about you. He loved you.

So much that he acknowledged his bad hearing and invested in hearing aids, all for the sole purpose of joining in on your little sharing moments and god, did he not regret spending a fortune on hearing aids. He was already in love with your voice, but hearing your voice in soft whispers made him believe you were sculpted carefully by the angels above.

He was beyond grateful to god and every deity that you were his. His to hold, his to love.

You two met several times because of your love for travel, and he was simply fulfilling his duties.

And although you worked in a busy restaurant in the capital, he always visited as often as he could. He would always pretend to be a customer who was visiting for the first time, and you would always play along.

He would walk you home with your hand in his and although he was the flame hashira, his hands were ironically more cold than warm. But it’s okay, because you loved the hands which protected you.

Your wedding was really small. So small in fact, that others could consider it as elopement. It was just you two — no guests, no officiator, nothing. Just you, your love, your rings, and your vows.

You never let him leave for missions without kissing his forehead, telling him sweet nothings, and promising you’ll be waiting for him at home with a huge meal when he comes back.

But the food was cold by the time you found the kakushi at your door, informing you about your husband’s death.

You didn’t know how to grieve. Everyone you loved was alive because he saved them, but he was gone. Your once-in-a-lifetime love was gone. And you didn’t know how to grieve over him.

In the end, all you could do was cry yourself to sleep, the doctor’s paper confirming your pregnancy and confirmation you were carrying Kyojuro’s child left on the table.

[ihrthoney]

promise

pairings: obanai iguro x f!reader

warnings: some angst, fluff!

word count: 1.4k

an: muzan is dead and everyone is still alive, everyone’s scars healed just fine😁 also, if this flops ill kms 🫶🏼

Never would he have imagined actually committing to someone in this lifetime. This body of his was dirty, even after defeating Muzan, being reborn is the only way to cleanse the sins of his upbringing.

He tried to ignore your obvious advancements, he really did. There was no threat stopping him but he was stubborn if anything. Although, Kaburamaru, to no surprise, loves you. Whenever you and Obanai talk, the white snake slithers from his shoulders to your own. Iguro always scolds Kaburamaru when walking back to his estate knowing well the snake refuses to leave your shoulders so you guys can converse more.

Being so close to Mitsuri had helped him get over his fear of women, while not completely comfortable, he’s a lot more confident in conversation. Besides Mitsuri, Shinobu is another woman he isn’t afraid of, they send letters often and give each other advice.

Although, surprisingly, neither of them were the ones to give him advice about you. Sanemi, his best friend, had given him quite a lecture about letting go of the past. Sanemi didn’t say those exact words, given Iguro’s life, but he understood the gist. Apparently, the wind hashira had feelings towards Shinobu’s older sister Kanae, “We don’t have to fear for our loved ones every single day, but we still only live once. Don’t wait until the next to tell her.”

He knew he was right, but it didn’t stop him from feeling unworthy. A sick part of him hopes you reject him so that he can try again in the next life, one where he doesn’t have voices in the back of his head. Even so, the hashira wrote you a letter, confessing his feelings while sending some treats (with the help of Mitsuri).

You had knocked on his door in the wee hours of the morning, apparently making your way to his home as soon as the letter reached you. As he scolded you for being so impatient, he couldn’t hide the blush from his face as you beamed at him. After that night, you’ve both grown exponentially as individuals and as a couple.

In your eyes, everything was perfect. No threats of demons, your feelings were reciprocated and your relationship was flourishing, everyone has grown closer! So your dear love giving you the cold shoulder was very confusing and albeit a little hurtful.

Walking into your shared estate, Obanai walks past you and into your shared room. Lightly, you tug on his sleeve, “My love, what’s the matter?”

Despite his inner turmoil, he wouldn’t dare be harsh towards you. A little hypocritical given that he hasn’t spoken to you since he saw the interaction but he didn’t have any time to be alone and rid of the thoughts, so they stuck to him like a parasite even as you held hands on the walk home.

“I don’t feel like talking about it right now, I’m sorry. Would it be okay if we talked about it in the morning?” He begs, he just wants the warmth of your arms around him to shield him from such awful thoughts.

Saying no to Obanai was impossible, something you wouldn’t do even if you wanted to (which is never, you want to give him the whole world), “Anything you want my love. Just promise me we’ll talk about it first thing tomorrow?”

“I promise.”

The rest of the night was spent with you both attached to the hip. As you both washed the day away, you scrubbed at his back, smoothing your fingers through his hair as he leaned back into you. During dinner you insisted on cooking as he lay on the sofa. He didn’t listen, of course, itching to be near you and help you out as much as he can.

You both decide to eat outside in the back patio, enjoying the quiet, watching the stars shine down upon you after such achievements.

Both bowls are finished, set nearest to Obanai as he took them and turned towards you, adoring the details of your beautiful face. Unfortunately, the bliss was short-lived as he remembered today’s occurrences, “What were you talking about with… Tomioka?”

Moving your gaze from the stars to your lover's face, past the scars, you see a man who deserves everything good. A man who was once a boy who didn’t do anything to be treated and used. Iguro Obanai was the love of your life, in this and the next, you hope your soul finds him.

“He was insisting we go to the spa he recently visited with Uzui and his wives. I’ve never seen him smile before or laugh or talk so much, it was interesting, to say the least, in a good way of course! Anyways, he had asked if you still hated him which made me laugh because of course you don…” You’re cut off by the sheepish look Obanai is currently giving you,

“My love..” in his defense, he doesn’t dislike him anymore. Tomioka does look a lot happier, it was weird and he had the urge to make fun of him but Sanemi was also smiling which was frightening given the smile he usually wore was one of anger.

To your understanding, Obanai didn’t like Tomioka because he seemed miserable and such an attitude irritated him. It was valid to an extent, you didn’t really like how meanly he spoke, which you’ve told him so, “I knew you didn’t like him, but hate?” Quickly, Obanai jumps to his own defense, “I don’t hate him, I never did. Just… strongly disliked.”

Sighing, you slowly move his gaze back to your own, “If seeing me near Tomioka bothers you, I will keep my distance.” It honestly aches his heart, you’re so considerate of his feelings that despite your own view on people, there’s not a second of hesitation for you when it comes to him.

As much as he would like that, it wouldn’t be fair to hold you back from socializing. By nature you’re a friendly person, he was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. To a fault, you were very honest, from what he has learned throughout the years of knowing you, you’re honest without even realizing it. He loves you, so much, more than anything ever.

Obanai Iguro swallows his pride, he promised you that he would try to move on in this lifetime, what good would it be if he tried to halt your guys’ progress?

“What are you thinking in that head of yours, my love?” Your hands move to place his head in your lap, he lays on his back and staring up at you, like you were the sun and moon itself.

Even though he wanted to repress these thoughts until the new day, the way your eyes shone with love made the words scratch out of his throat, “I was jealous,” is all he could bring himself to say. Obanai wants to elaborate but it seems he didn’t need to,

“Thank you for telling me how you feel. Is there anything I can do to avoid making you feel like that?” The former hashira closes his eyes, embarrassed to admit his request, “For the time being, could you keep your distance from Tomioka? I’m still getting used to seeing that expression on his face.” You laugh at his disturbed tone, he opens his eyes to see his favorite sound play in front of him.

Your laugh. You. You’ve saved him in ways he will never be able to repay.

But for you, he’ll do anything too.

“You know I’ll do anything for you. When you’re ready and comfortable, you say the words and your wish is my command.” His face scrunches at the last word, “Bleh, don’t speak to me like I’m royalty.”

“I hope you know that you are more than what was. Who you are now and will be is all that matters. I love you, Iguro Obanai.”

Sitting up, it’s his turn to cup your face, slowly he inches your faces together. Your eyes never cut contact until yours close, before closing the gap he whispers against your lips,

“I love you more than anything.”

© ihrthoney. reblogs & feedback are greatly appreciated𑁤

[xoxoxkisses]

Hi I don't know if you received request about obanai so feel free to ignore this if you not comfortable or don't want to write it

I want to request about Obanai that when he got cage by his family reader family pass by and she found him then they become friends. Before she leaves the village Obanai ask her if he can get out of her will she marry him and she says yes.

Years pass and they meet at demon slayer corps as she becomes a new hashira, but you know that obanai in that time is fall in love with mitsuri. Reader remember him but he's not so she chooses to be silent about it.

After rengoku death kamaboko squad have hard time to sleep and as a good supervisor reader is she sing them a lullaby, the one she used to sang for Obanai, and that time obanai come to have a health checkup so he accidentally hear it. He remembers instantly and he go to confront reader.

The end is up to you you can make them together or just make him be with mitsuri.

Sorry for the long suggested.

This is actually my first request for Obanai, I was so excited when I got this request !

————————————————————————

It’s you again

warnings: spoilers to obanai’s backstory, angst, minor fluff, injuries (obanai), long paragraphs (I’m so sorry) not proofread, sorry if it’s a little fast paced

————————————————————————

You and your family had stopped at a village to rest. You had all been traveling through the forest almost all day and it was now dinner time. You were young, 9 to be exact. Your father had rented a small house for the 3 of you, shortly after settling in, your mother started dinner. “Mommy, can I go out and explore? Please?” You drug out the please at the end, knowing your mom always gave in when you did it. You heard her soft laughter as she barely turned to you. “Sure darling, just make sure you’re back before sundown.” A huge grin was plastered on your face now. “Okay mommy!” You ran out of the door and started towards the forest.

After walking for a while, you came across a small abandoned house. Or so you thought. Curiosity got the best of you and you walked up to the house and entered. It was dark inside, too dark. Suddenly you heard small whimpering to your left. You looked over and saw the faintest shadow of a person. You crept closer to the person when you noticed there were bars all around them, like a cage. “D-don’t come any closer!” You realized it was a boy in the cage based off of his voice. Instead of listening, you kept getting closer, comforting him. “Hey, I won’t hurt you. Are you okay?” When you were infront of the bars, you could see him better. He had ragedy clothes and his hair was tied up out of his face slightly. And his eyes, his eyes were beautiful, the yellow and blue stood out amongst everything else. “Please, you have to leave!” He came up to you, closed off by the cage he was in. You almost screamed when you saw the cut mimicking a smile on his face.

Even though you were young, you knew it was best to stay calm. “Who are you?” There were tears in his eyes as he tried to suppress them by sniffling. “O-obanai.” “I’m Y/n.” He wiped away the tears in his eyes as he looked at you. You looked so innocent and sweet unlike him. “You’re pretty.” His words took you aback before you giggled. “Thank you. I think you are too.” He had never heard someone say something nice to him. He couldn’t believe it, but he smiled. A genuine smile. “Can you stay here with me? Please?” You hesitated before you answered him, looking outside. You saw how it was getting dark now and if you didn’t leave now, your mom would be worried. “I’m sorry, I can’t. My mommy told me to be back before sundown,” you saw as his face had sunk and he frowned a little, “but, I’ll come back tomorrow, with my mommy and daddy, ok?” He looked back up at you and his eyes lit up. “Okay!” You smiled at him. “Bye Obanai.” “Bye y/n..” With that, you left the small house and back to your temporary one.

As you ran through the door, you spoke up before anyone could greet you. “Mommy, daddy, there’s a boy in the woods, he needs our help!” Your mother looked at you wish wide eyes as she listened to what you had to say. “What was his name Y/n?” You looked at your father who had asked the question. “His name was Obanai.” “Hm, okay. Take us to him tomorrow morning before we leave. Was he injured?” “Uh huh! He had a huge cut along his mouth, like a smile!” You used your own fingers to mimic the cut. Your mother audibly gasped and put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my!” Your father cleared his throat. “Ahem, Y/n, dinner is ready, why don’t we eat?” You nodded as you climbed into a chair at the table. The rest of the night going by with ease. ————————————————————————

“Cmon, this way!” You and your parents had left the house early to find him, they followed you as you were certain on where you were going. When you saw the house into view, your heart raced with excitement. “There! That’s where he is.” The three of you reached the house in no time, your parents went in first in case something dangerous was inside, but there wasn’t. When you walked in to ran to the cage where he was. “Obanai? Are you in there.” You saw his faint shadow move as he went to the bars where you were. “Y/n, you came back!” You nodded frantically. “I told you I would, my mommy and daddy are here too.” They were already walking over to the two of you. As your mother crouched down, Obanai flinched a little. “It’s okay sweetie, we aren’t going to hurt you.” Your mother reached inside her coat pocket and grabbed some bandages. “Can you put these on yourself?” Obanai looked at you as if he was asking you if she was safe. You nodded your head at him and he looked back at your mother. “U-uh huh.” Your mother smiled at him as she passed the bandages to him.

He took them from her hand hesitantly, but when he did he instantly started bandaging himself. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome darling.” There had been a question bothering you this whole time, and your little 9 year old brain couldn’t suppress it anymore. “Mommy can he come with us?” She looked over at you and back at him with sorrowful eyes. “I’m afraid not hunny, we don’t have anything for him. We must be going now too, we can’t risk anymore daylight.” Your father nodded. You felt tears form in your eyes. You didn’t dare to protest because you knew it was true. You guys couldn’t care for him right now. Your mother looked back at Obanai. “I’m sorry sweetie, but we must be going. Goodbye.” Her and your father stood up and walked to the door, leaving you and Obanai alone. “Obanai I’m so sorry-“ He cut you off. “Y/n, if I ever get out of here and I see you again, will you promise to marry me?” You looked into his eyes and you knew he was being genuine. You wiped away your tears just then. “Yeah, I will.” You smiled at him as you looked back at your parents. “Bye Obanai..” “Bye Y/n.” And that was the last time you ever talked to him. ————————————————————————

9 years later..

After 2 years of training, you had finally become a Hashira. You decided to join the corps when your father was slaughtered by a demon, so you wanted to avenge him. The master had sent you a letter informing you the next meeting would be an introduction for you. That was sent 2 days ago though, and the meeting was today. You were beyond nervous.

As you walked to the Master’s mansion, you saw the other Hashira. You would be the 10th one. The only one you knew was Rengoku as you were his Tsuguko. Rengoku saw you and went up to you. “Hello there Y/n! It’s great to see you have finally become a Hashira, I’m glad to be working beside you now!” You smiled as you fumbled your hands a bit. “Me too Rengoku!” As the meeting was about to start, you took a seat beside him. You would have to introduce yourself at the end, so you weren’t too nervous yet. It seemed the end came way too quick, the master had asked you to come beside him; you followed his directions and did so. “Everyone, this is Y/n. She has worked hard for the past 2 years to become a Hashira. I hope you all give her a warm welcome.” You bowed to everyone before you went back to your seat beside Rengoku.

When you were all dismissed, the love Hashira, who introduced herself as Kanroji. “I can tell me and you are going to be best friends!” You smiled at her as you agreed. You talked to a few more Hashira before they all started to leave, you included. You had learned about a boy named Tanjiro Kamado and how he was special traveling with his demon sister.

There was one thing at the meeting that you couldn’t seem to ignore. The serpent Hashira. You knew who he was with those eyes. He was Obanai. You didn’t have the chance to talk to him, and maybe that was a good thing. He didn’t seem to remember you. ————————————————————————

3 months later…

You were out eating with Kanroji when she mentioned obanai. “You know, everyone says he likes me, but I think he’s just sweet. I mean he is cute though!” You remembered the thing Obanai told you before you left him. How he wanted to marry you if he ever got out, but it looks like he wants someone else. “Well, I’m sure he does like you. The two of you would be adorable together.” Her face got insanely red as you laughed at her.

Just then your crow flew in. “Y/n, Rengoku-San has passed away.” You and Kanroji stared at each other as tears flooded both of your eyes. “T-that can’t be true.” “I’m afraid it is..Shinobu has requested you specifically Y/n to take care of the three boys that accompanied him on his mission.” You wiped away your tears as you nodded. “I’m sorry Kanroji, I must be going.” “It’s alright, I’ll see you later.” You bowed to her and followed your crow out to the butterfly mansion.

When you got there, she escorted you to a room with three boys. One being Tanjiro. When he saw you he slightly lit up. “Hello Y/n-san.” You gave him a weak smile. “Hi Tanjiro.” You looked over to see a boy with yellow hair and a boy with a boar mask crying. Tanjiro seemed the be the only one not crying, but you knew he was. “Shinobu told me to take care of you guys. It’s hard on us all.” It seemed something snapped in Tanjiro because he started crying yet again. The reason Shinobu requested you specifically was because you were the sweetest Hashira out of them all, and the most emotional. Seeing them all cry made you cry. So now, the room was filled with crying people all over. You held your arms out and suddenly all three of them ran to you. You embraced them all, trying to calm yourself. You took some deep breaths and it seemed to help.

You couldn’t seem to calm the others though, there was only one thing you could think of: a lullaby. You only knew one though, and it was the one you sung to obanai before you left him the first day.

{Baby mine, don’t you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby mine}

Obanai was visiting the butterfly mansion for his check up. As he was passing by the room the four of you were in, he recognized the lullaby you sang. He paused for a moment before turning back. He carefully opened the door and saw you standing there hugging the three boys. You continued to sing as you noticed it was working to calm them.

“I know that song.” You paused suddenly and slowly turned to see him standing at the door. “I remember a girl used to sing it to me. I can’t quite remember her though.” You told the boys you would be back and you asked Obanai to talk outside. As you shut the door you looked up at him. You realized how different he looked than he used to. “You see, that girl was me.” His eyes went wide as he looked at you, and he saw the resemblance. She was you. “You look so..different.” You shuffled, slightly uncomfortable. “Yeah, you too.” Just then, he seemed to remember everything. “I remember I told you if I ever got out of marry you.” You chuckled nervously. “Yeah you did.”

The two of you stood there in an uncomfortable silence before he spoke up. “Well, I hope you didn’t take that seriously. I’ve fallen for Kanroji.” You couldn’t help but feel sad. Your heart broke. You spent all these years looking for him, only for him to choose someone else. “Haha, of course I didn’t take it seriously, we were young.” He let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I would’ve felt a little bad if you did.” He looked at the clock on the wall and realized what time it was. “I must be going now. See you later Y/n.” “Yeah..see you.” He turned around and walked away from you, leaving you there.

Your heart broke even more now. The man you wanted was out of your grasp. ————————————————————————

You were at Kanroji and Obanai’s wedding. You were one of Kanroji’s bridesmaids. You watched as the two of them said their “I do’s”, you kept a smile on your face, however it was fake. The tears streamed down your face as you watched him pull her in and kiss her. You hoped the people from the audience saw your tears as tears of joy, and not sad tears. You were happy for your friend of course, but you couldn’t help but wish it was you instead of her.

[valsvalentine]

HEATHER

Obanai Iguro x fem!reader

ʚ summary. Loving someone who already has eyes for another hurts, especially when that person unknowingly plays with your feelings like it’s nothing

ʚ warning. manga spoilers, unreciprocated love, mentions of death, not proof read

ʚ genre. angst

‘I still remember, 3rd of december, me in your sweather’

It was a cold december morning, you were heading home from a mission completely worn out and chilled to the bone since you underestimated the harshness of the cold, being thankful for the uniforms frabric that kept you at least a bit warmer. Leaving behind your haori wasn’t really something you planned on doing but a civilian got in the midst of your fight which ended up in them getting injured. You tended to their wounds, wrapping pieces of your haori tightly against the deeper cuts before telling them to go to the nearest doctor to seek professional help.

Your vision was a bit blurred by the falling snow and it didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. You thought about if you would make it to your own mansion before succumbing to hyperthermia, concluding that your home was just too far to get there in these conditions. You remembered your fellow hashira, Iguro Obanai lived nearby so you resorted to going his way in hopes of him taking you in for the day. The walk was only a few minutes from where you were, walking on the territory with what little strength you had left you saw the chimney emitting smoke which was a sign somebody really was home. You opened the sliding doors, warmth enveloping you, slowly unfreezing your limbs that you could barely move just a moment ago. Footsteps alerted you, looking up to see the one and only serpent hashira right before you. He glared towards you, his snake hissing in disgust. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” He snapped, pointing a finger at you. “Don’t you know it’s rude to intrude into someone’s home?”

You bowed your head in respect before speaking; “I truly am sorry for invading your space, I was heading back from a mission when I got caught in the snowstorm outside, I was hoping you’d let me stay until the weather calmed down?” You pleaded with a hint of desperation in your eyes.

He scoffed, motioning for you to come in before leaving your sight. “Only until the snow dies down, not a second longer L/N.” He threatened and you smiled softly, taking off your snow covered shoes and followed him inside.

He sat down on the tatami matted floor, a cup of tea in his hands as you sat across front him. A wave of awkwardness suffocated the both of you, Obanai looking anywhere but at you while you fiddled with your fingers. He noticed the way your body shook, furrowing his brows once more. “Where are your winter clothes? And your haori?” You explained how you had to leave behind the piece of clothing, as well as how you underestimated the weather which he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at. “You’re quite foolish, you know? Who would’ve guessed that you’re a hashira.” He spat, standing up and leaving the room without another word.

He was right, it really was foolish to go out in such inappropriate clothing considering it was winter. He came back with a cup of tea and placed it in front of you, taking off his haori which he neatly draped over your shoulders. The tips of his ears were red and his snake looked at you now with a bit of a softer look than when it first saw you a few moments ago. You thanked the man, sipping on the tea as you told him about your mission in more detail while he listened quietly, not really being much of a talker like you were.

‘You said it looked better on me than it did you.’

The time slowly came for you to go on your way, thanking the man before heading to put your shoes on, grabbing your sword and putting it back onto the right side of your waist. You noticed you still had his haori and stuttered out an apology; “Oh I almost forgot, apologies and thank you for letting me borrow—” “Keep it, you can give it back the next time we cross paths.” He cut you off and you looked at him with doe eyes before smiling. “Alright, thank you so much Iguro-san.” You waved him goodbye and went on your way, a hint of blush on your cheeks.

“Only if you knew how much I liked you.”

It was no secret that you had eyes for the serpent hashira, he caught your eyes ever since your first ever joined mission and after that day your heart couldn’t help but flutter every time you locked eyes with him. You discussed your little crush with Shinobu, well more like you talked her ear off about him while she mostly just listened since she didn’t quite know how to help you with your little crush.

“Just don’t let yourself get hurt L/N-san, almost everyone is certain he has eyes for the love hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji.”

She said with a hint of worry in her voice, watching your shoulders slowly slump. You smiled, a bit of a sad smile really, before speaking up; “It’ll be fine, I’m sure it won’t hurt to try?”

‘But I watch your eyes as she walks by. What a sight for sore eyes. Brighter than the blue sky.’

A hashira meeting was held not long after your mission, you folded the haori gifted to you by Obanai before going on your way to the Ubuyashiki residence.

You were one of the first ones there with Shinobu, chatting for a bit before everyone else arrived. You slipped away from the insect pillar and walked to Obanai with his haori in hand. “Good morning Iguro-san!” You greeted cheerfully before handing him his haori back. He nodded, putting it back on before properly greeting you. “Good morning L/N.” He said and you started talking to him about what you think the meeting was about, he listened with softened eyes but averted his gaze from you once someone arrived. You went silent, thinking the master had started the meeting but you were proven wrong when you saw the pink and green haired woman talking to Rengoku. She was as lively as ever, smiling from ear to ear, the kind of smile that always managed brighten up the room.

Your mood shifted, thanking Obanai one last time before walking back to Shinobu who looked at you with an ‘I told you so’ kind of expression.

‘She’s got you mesmerised while I die.’

‘Why would you ever kiss me?’

‘I’m not even half as pretty. You gave her your sweater, it’s just polyester but you like her better..’

You noticed the way Mitsuri’s form shook from the cold; ‘Somebody should really get her a better uniform.’ You think to yourself, pitying the poor woman as she sneezed, quickly stuttering out an apology to the master before rubbing her hands together.

A black and white striped haori suddenly draped over her shoulders, the same haori you had on just a few days ago yourself. You looked down, jealousy eating at you as the tight feeling in your chest only worsened. You heard Mitsuri gush over the sweet gesture, giggling to herself as Obanai stood next to her for the rest of the meeting.

‘..I wish I were Heather.’

That day you cried in Shinobus embrace, a feeling of anger and envy blinding you as she told you the same thing over and over again. “I told you so.”

‘Watch as she stands with her, holding your hand. Put your arm ‘round her shoulder, now I’m getting colder.’

The two only got closer and closer since that day, Obanai even gifting her a pair of socks which Mitsuri wore every day. You watched from the side, your feelings never seizing as your joined missions with Obanai never really stopped either. You were a lot less talkative with him which didn’t go unnoticed by the man, but he never had the guts to ask what was up.

Every single time you were waiting for him so you could be on your way, he’d be reading a letter Mitsuri sent or was talking to her directly leaving you to your thoughts as they said their goodbyes.

‘But how could I hate her? She’s such an angel.’

Mitsuri ran towards you, hugging you tightly as you were about to leave for quite a dangerous mission. “L/N-san please be safe! I’ll cook up a bunch of food for when you get back, okay? What’s your favourite? I’ll make sure to make that for you!” She rambled as she clung to you. “Thank you Kanroji-san but that really isn’t necessary.” You patted her back awkwardly, smiling softly at her kind nature.

‘But then again, kind of wish she were dead.’

“Do you think Iguro-san will like my cooking? I’m not really sure, he’s so mysterious I can’t help but be curious! Ahh, he’s just so cute!” She gushed, blush on her cheeks as she talked about the very man you loved so much. You pushed her away, turning around to join Obanai who was waiting for you. “I’m sure he will, goodbye Kanroji-san.”

‘As she walks by, what a sight for sore eyes.’

‘Brighter than the blue sky.’

‘She’s got you mesmerised, while I die.’

You stayed over at the serpent hashiras mansion after getting back from your mission, attending to your wounds in the bathroom as the both of you got ready to head over to Mitsuris. You dreaded going, but how could you deny the sweet girl when she went through the trouble of cooking you both food?

Obanai entered the bathroom, looking at you wrapping the bandages sloppily around your bruised waist. He made a ‘tsk’ sound and snatched the bandages from you, holding your waist as he carefully wrapped them around the damaged area. You couldn’t help but blush at the gesture, your knees growing weak as butterflies erupted in your stomach. His touch was gentle, his hand going up and down your waist, unconsciously caressing it. He pulled away once he finished, flicking your forehead before turning to leave. “Come on, Kanroji is waiting.”

‘Why would you ever kiss me? I’m not even half as pretty.’

‘You gave her your sweather, it’s just polyester. But you like her better..’

Walking there felt like forever, the tension between the two of you only rising after the incident in the bathroom. It left you only longing for more, to feel more of his gentle touches but you knew that wouldn’t be possible. Finally you stood in front of the mansion that belonged to the love hashira, entering her home as the smell of all kinds of food filled your lungs. Mitsuri came into view shortly after you entered, running to envelop the both of you into a group hug. You awkwardly patted her back, squirming out of her arms as it sickened you to be so close to the two people that made your heart ache so badly every single day.

The food was delicious, you yourself didn’t quite know how to cook since nobody was ever there to teach you. You feasted quietly as the pair in front of you chatted, well like always Obanai was just listening while Mitsuri talked about all kinds of things.

You noticed his hand on top of hers, your apetite fading as you put down your utensils. Mitsuri frowned, concerned since you just stopped eating so abruptly. “L/N-san is everything okay? Is the food not to your liking?” She asked, standind up from her seat. You shake your head, getting up and bowing your head. “It was wonderful Kanroji-san, I just don’t feel too well is all.” You say and turn to leave. “I’ll head out now, thanks again for the meal.” You smile, waving at the both of them as Obanai just stared, the slightest bit of concern in his eyes as you walked out the door.

‘..I wish I were Heather.’

The battle with Muzan ended, you fell unconscious after a long fight with the upper rank two which you fought alongside with Tanjiro Kamado and Giyuu Tomioka. You woke up in the butterfly mansion, a place you were very familiar with since you would spend most of your free time with Shinobu. You sprung out of bed, running to said womans office but it was empty. Confused, you walked through the endless halls, trying to find anyone but no one was in sight. Finally in the gardens a Kakushi came into view so you greeted them. The person was startled, dropping everything they had in their arms as they rush over. “L/N-san you— you’re awake!” They exclaim and you nod, raising a brow.

“Yes, alive and well? Is there something wrong with that?” You ask and they quickly stutter out apologies, bowing their head. “No, no I really am happy to see you awake, you’ve been knocked out cold for 4 days!” Your eyes widen; 4 days? That really isn’t normal. You nod, the reason you were out for so long was probably exhaustion from the battle so you calmed your nerves. “Well nevermind that, I am awake now so no use weeping about it anymore. Where is everyone? Did they already wake up before me?” You ask, a hint of innocence behind your question.

The Kakushi gulped, an obvious shift in their mood as you asked the question. “L/N-san.. I’m sorry..” They stated, putting a hand on your shoulder. “What? What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?” You raise your voice a bit out of frustration, why can’t they just tell you like a normal person?

A hint of sympathy graces their eyes as they begin to tear up. They struggle to make up a sentence as they choke on their sobs; “Mitsuri Kanroji, Gyomei Himejima, Genya Shinazugawa, Muichiro Tokito, Shinobu Kocho..” No. This couldn’t be happening. They can’t be.. right? They’re just badly injured and still out like you were just a few minutes ago. Right? A name you prayed that wouldn’t be said slipped from their lips as you fell onto your knees, tearing up slowly. “..Obanai Iguro, have all fallen in battle.” They said as they crouched down next to you, rubbing your back in hopes to bring you some sort of comfort. You sobbed, why were they taken away from you? Shinobu, Obanai.. even Muichiro for gods sake. Why did they have to die? You mourned the loss of your fellow comrades, praying this was all just a horrible nightmare.

‘Wish I were Heather.’

You remember the moment you all got teleported into the Infinity castle, you yourself getting stuck with Tanjiro and Giyuu, your heart breaking once more as you saw Mitsuri and Obanai together. The last time you ever locked eyes with him, and the first time he ever yelled your name with such concern it broke you to pieces. “Y/N!” He yelled and tried to reach out to you but you were just too far. Maybe if you got stuck with the two of them.. one of them would be alive right now. But then again maybe they’d just sacrifice you so they would get out alive instead of you, living their happily ever after together.

You were later informed they would have a burial that day, which you attended along with Giyuu, Sanemi, Kanao, Tanjiro and his now human sister Nezuko and a few others you didn’t quite recognise.

‘Why would you ever kiss me?’

‘I’m not even half as pretty.’

‘You gave her your sweater, it’s just polyester but you like her better..”

You watched as they buried Obanai and Mitsuri together, Mitsuri in Obanais embrace from which they couldn’t get her out from. They decided it would be best to let them finally rest together, hence why they were burying them together. Together even after death, how much did the gods want to rub into your face that the man you fell in love with had eyes for another? You felt ashamed that you were envious at such a heartbreaking moment, but something inside you just kept wishing to switch places with the pink haired girl, to be in his arms for the first time and feel his love that he chose to give Mitsuri. Just maybe, if things were different, you’d be the one being buried in the embrace of your lover at this very moment. ‘Maybe in another lifetime.’

‘..Wish I were..”

[lyrefromthesea]

Hear me out... The hashira rival lover thing.. What if we don't get the chance/they don't get the chance to confess because we die??? 🦅🦅(I'm a sucker for angst)

Male hashira x Reader - Lost Chances

author's note: the hospital doesn't want me anymore, i'm finally back home.

pairing: Tengen x reader x Obanai, Rengoku x reader x Gyomei, Sanemi x reader x Giyuu

content warning: angst, death, descriptions of blood

Tengen and Obanai:

a month had passed since your death. neither of them had seen it coming, nor had they ever received the chance to safe you.

you left for a solo mission back then, promising them to return victorious, and while you did kill the demon in the end, you suffered from a major injury and died the same night.

your death had spread despair and sadness throughout the whole demon slayer corps, but it left the hardest impact on them.

while Tengen grieved over your death, he tried to continue his everydayness. it wasn't for his sake, but for you and the people around him.

Tengen knew you would've wanted him to continue living normally, it was one of the things that made him not only admire but also love you.

he didn't want to hurt his wives either, they didn't deserve to get caught up in his despair.

so while he wished that it would've been him, he tried to keep those thoughts hidden inside his very being, locked away where no one would find them.

Obanai, on the other hand, could not swallow his grief down like Tengen did. he had loved you with all his heart and he felt it break with the message of your death.

despite both of them suffering through the same pain, Obanai didn't have anyone waiting at home, no one too soothe his overactive mind. it was one of the reasons he didn't like to return to his estate.

his eyes were trained on the stone which had your name engraved in it, placing a fresh bouquet of flowers next to it. it wasn't the only one, he knew Tengen would visit you once a week, though they never ran into each other.

not until today.

"come, my wives had offered to invite you over." the hand on Obanai's shoulder felt different than their usual encounters. he had expected Tengen to leave a new bouquet on your grave, maybe a prayer too, and leave again.

despite Obanai's wish to remain alone and the dislike of meeting new people - especially women - he agreed this time.

and when he entered the Uzui family estate, he was surprised by the lively atmosphere and the welcoming smell of warm food.

he was quiet throughout their time eating together, at least most of the time, but he still found himself being comforted by his new surroundings.

Uzui's wives looked happy.

the thought kept repeating in his mind, wondering if you'd enjoyed this as much as they did now. he wondered if life would've been different if he had confessed to you - married you.

maybe you'd have stepped back. there would've been no harm in watching you give up your title and enjoy life.

and while the image of your life as a happy person, greeting him back home and cheerfully talking about your day, consumed his mind, he looked at Tengen.

seeing the other man's eyes soften, a twinge of hidden sadness in them, as he looked at his wives, he knew that Tengen must've imagined the same before too.

in the end, neither of them had been fast enough to hold out their saving hand.

Rengoku and Gyomei:

"take [name] with you and get to the butterfly mansion!" Kyojuro screamed, gripping his sword harder and running after the demon the three of you had fought for a while.

truthfully, people would've expected this mission to be finished without a problem, a team of tree hashira should be undefeatable.

and perhaps that would've been the case for most demons, but not for this one. whoever she was, she was a trickster out of the book, saving herself with movements you've never seen before. you quickly realized her weakness, seeing that she couldn't use her blood demon art without breaks that seemingly grew bigger. in a state of increasing distress and tiredness you shouted for the others to power her out, not expecting her next attack.

the sharp object penetrating your back, soon piercing through your front, didn't nearly hurt as much as Rengoku's expression.

"follow the plan, tire her out!" Gyomei shouted one last time, carrying your body towards the butterfly mansion. he hoped Rengoku had heard him, legs carrying him as fast as possible.

he could feel thick globs of blood escape your wound, staining his hands in a demon's wine. not much more and you'd be dead.

Rengoku, on the other hand, fought with all his might. he didn't fight for his life, he fought with the pain of knowing what this demon had done to you. after increasingly weaker attacks were thrown at him, he finally found a gap and beheaded the demon.

yet he couldn't breathe out in victory.

he turned on his heels, sprinting towards the butterfly mansion. he knew that Gyomei was faster and stronger than him, hoping that you had arrived in time.

all his hope died the second he saw your lifeless body in an infirmary bed, the giant man, who brought you here, sitting by your side.

"i didn't make it." he admitted, voice a whisper, throat running dry. the smell of your blood reminded him of days that had long passed.

Rengoku felt his own throat tighten, quietly closing the door to your room. grief was slowly climbing up his body, threatening to pull him down. even worse, he saw the same feeling behind Gyomei's eyes.

thick tears were staining the giant's face, too focused on your body to notice Rengoku stepping closer. a warm hand placed itself on Gyomei's shoulder.

"don't lower your head, comrade. [name], too, would've wanted us to set our hearts ablaze." the words that left Rengoku's mind had been heard by the male a million times already, but any trace of happiness was gone this time.

Gyomei nodded, not saying another word, not even when he heard the other male desperately try to hold back his own sobs.

Sanemi and Giyuu:

it hadn't taken more than a second - a mere second that left everyone breathless. the uppermoon you've fought wasn't that strong, not that smart, but incredibly fast. so even with three hashira, it was a huge gamble to take him on.

Sanemi was unluckily hit by the demon's attacks, throwing him over half the forest. and while he managed to land safely, it would take him some time to return to Giyuu and you.

"Sanemi!" you screamed, your eyes following him in worry, only to hear him scream back that you should pay attention.

his warning came too late, the demon lunged at you before you even got to turn around.

trying to safe your team from any more harm, Giyuu went after the demon, sword swiftly cutting through his neck. yet the sound that reached his ears with his attack was too other - too different - to be from his sword.

the demon crumbled to dust in a matter of seconds, leaving Giyuu panting. his eyes widened when you came into his line of sight again, but something felt wrong.

you weren't moving, his eyes wandering over your body until they stopped at your torso. he barely managed to land on his knees and catch you before you hit the ground.

the demon wasn't strong, but it was still strong enough to leave a whole in your side in his dying moments.

"[name]!" Giyuu felt his throat dry up, his hands starting to shake like never before. this wasn't happening. right?

"Gi.. yuu.." he wasn't used to seeing your eyes so empty, so devoid of life. you barely managed to say his name before blood spluttered out of your mouth, running down your lips.

"[name], stay alive! ..stay alive!" he didn't know when he last felt this helpless, but his legs wouldn't move. the butterfly mansion was too far away, no help was in sight. he didn't know where he should bring you.

your breathing.

it had stopped not even a minute after you've got hurt, the light having left your eyes for good. Giyuu felt his body tense, not able to move anymore. his hands were full of your blood, he could feel the crimson liquid leaking down his fingers.

the silence was broken by a guttural scream, another person running out of the forest. Sanemi's white hair was a stark contrast to the night's darkness, wind rushing through it as he ran to your lifeless body.

"[NAME]!" he fell to his knees next to you, first wanting to hold you close to his body, then pulling his hands away, too afraid to hold your fragile form. he was consumed in his panic, the sight of your corpse.

the next minutes were filled by screams and cries, Sanemi's agony soon making Giyuu quietly cry as well.

they only stopped when no more tears were left, no more screams to give. and after Sanemi has calmed down, thoughts began to fill his mind.

i should've been faster. I should've been stronger. if i had just been there a bit earlier-

he went quiet, his hands gently taking your body out of Giyuu 's hold and standing up. you deserved a grave, he couldn't leave your body here.

before he turned around to retreat, his dead eyes wandered to Giyuu, looking at him with unspoken malice. "you should've protected [name]."

no more words were said between the two males, Sanemi leaving the forest with your body in his hands, while Giyuu suffered through another breakdown, trying to drag his body back to his estate.

he wouldn't be able to see your face another time, not in this life. Sanemi was right, he failed to protect someone he loved. again.

if only he knew that Sanemi felt the same guilt swell in his chest, desperately trying to hold his cries in.

[mitsvriii]

Attraction

TW’s: angst throughout half of the fic, self-doubting

Pairings: one sided! Obanai Iguro x reader, Obanai Iguro x Mitsuri Kanroji, Giyu Tomioka x reader

Word count: 1.11k (first 1k+ piece!)

A/N: Sorry if characters are ooc, this is my first time writing for them. All images are from the KnY manga.

Part 2

Tags: @imyourbrokenfridge

You knew that it was stupid. To have a crush on the Serpent Hashira of all things. He had the personality of a brick, in the kind words of Muichiro, and was only nice to Mitsuri much to your dismay. But that didn't seem to stop you from trying to get close to him.

You tried to give him bentos, tried to see if he wanted to spar with you, tried to see if he'd like to accompany you to go get some ramen...hell, you even tried to see if he wanted to sit next to you in the pillar meetings. Your tries were all in vain however, as the answer was always the same.

"Mitsuri already gave me one."

"Mitsuri and I are going to spar actually."

"Mitsuri and I already went to get ramen this morning."

"Mitsuri and I are sitting next to each other, as always. Of course you'd forget that."

No matter how many times you heard his answers, they always seemed to hurt. You never gave up though, you always ignored the sympathetic look Shinobu gave you when you went to ask her if you could give Obanai his medicine for his wounds. You ignored the look that Sanemi gave you whenever you chased after Iguro after a meeting. And poor Kyojuro having to grab your wrist and reminding you that Iguro was out with Mitsuri whenever you were searching for him.

It was pathetic to put it bluntly. Chasing after Iguro like he was the only man alive. Uzui himself had even told you it was a lost cause, but you didn't care. Because to you he was one of the prettiest people you've ever seen, his heterochromia eyes and his crow-colored hair that you knew had to be soft was just two of the features that you liked about him. If only they carried over to his personality, though.

You sighed as you shifted on the bench, trying to stop thinking about Iguro. God...why did you have to fall for the guy that already had his eyes set on someone else. And it didn't help that it was Mitsuri either. She was the perfect in your eyes, strong, sweet, beautiful, and social. Obanai must've thought so, too, or else he wouldn't act like a puppy around her.

You knew it wasn't worth it to confess, and if you did it for closure you're positive Obanai would only make you feel worse. He might not look like it at first glance, but his tongue is sharper than his katana and it cuts like it, too. If you were Mitsuri you'd confess faster than your heart could beat. But you weren't and that was the entire problem.

You thought of how everyone was telling you to stop throughout looks and actions the entire time, but you were too lovesick to see it. Kyojuro, Uzui, and Shinobu were persistent on telling you to stop. Muichiro, Samemi, and Gyomei could only sigh as they watched and listen to your conversations...even though you couldn't even call them that. They were just basic greetings and questions, nothing special.

Your brows furrowed in thought when one name didn't come to mind. Giyu didn't ever try to stop you, did he? No..he didn't. In fact, you don't think you've even seen him in the past couple of days. Did he really go away because of how you acted? You wouldn't put it past him, he once left the hashira meeting early because he had to sit next to Sanemi during it.

"Hi."

You snapped out of your thoughts and lifted your head. Speak of the devil, it was Giyu.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"Oh um, no", you watched as he sat down, holding a bento in his hand. Was he here to comfort you or something?

"You weren't at lunch", Giyu spoke, turning to look at you, "So I brought this for you." He held out the bento for you to take, a pair of chopsticks on top on it, turning his head away shyly.

"Oh, thank you Tomioka-sama", you took the bento and chopsticks from his hands. Opening it you saw that it had your favorite dish in it. How did he know that? You don't remember telling him.

Giyu sat in silence as he watched you eat, scanning your face to see if you liked it. The way you sighed and relaxed seemed that you did. He smiled softly, although it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

"Obanai's an idiot", he spoke, still looking at you.

"What?" you turned to look at him, placing the bento down onto your lap.

"He's an idiot, and has the personality of a brick", Giyu answered, a look of what seemed to be disgust on his face.

Oh, so that's where Muichiro got it from.

"Honestly don't know what Mitsuri sees in him, he's rude to everyone but her", Giyu continued, glancing back at you, "I can't believe he didn't pay any mind to you."

"What do you mean?" You were still confused, you didn't think yourself to be interesting in anyone's eyes.

Giyu sighed before looking at you, a slight pink dusting his cheeks, "You're beautiful and kind...I don't know how anyone couldn't be interested in you."

Your mouth parted into an "o" shape as you stared at Giyu. He wasn't kidding, he thought you were worth someone's time. And did he distance himself from you because he thought that you were interested in Obanai? It would be most likely.

"Tomioka-sama...do you like me?" Although your question was simple, it got Giyu red as he looked away. He nodded his head softly, still avoiding your gaze.

You both stayed silent. You couldn't believe that the stone-faced Water Hashira could get so flustered over someone. You broke the silence.

"How long?"

Giyu turned to look at you slightly, "Four months."

Your eyes widened. Four months? You hadn't even been crushing on Obanai for that long.

"Tomio-Giyu. I think I might like you too."

As bad as it sounded your attention was brought to Giyu first. Then as you adjusted to being the Frost Hashira Obanai came to catch your gaze. Maybe it was something about black-headed people that caught your attention.

"Would you...like to go get some ramen?...To see if you'd like to do it more often?" Giyu asked, his blush fading into a pink.

"I would love to Giyu", you replied with earnest.

Giyu gave a small smile as he got up and reached out his hand, inviting you to take it. And you took it as you both walked, both of your walks a little more energetic.