✻|| 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮 ||✶ - 鬼滅の刃

【𝓖𝓮𝓷𝔂𝓪】

↠Spoilers for end of manga (｡•́︿•̀｡)
↠Angst
↠Fem Reader

Word Count - 921
Kosame (小雨) - Published 01/07/21

Kosame (小雨): Light Rain
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Your gentle palms lay flat against the young boy's shoulders, sliding to carefully trace down his back before letting go of the fistfuls of his haori. There was a shaky nervousness that coursed through your veins regardless, chilling the blood pulsating your heart and making that heavy feeling sink to the pits of your stomach.

Genya was frozen beneath your fingertips, and you were glad you couldn't see his expression standing behind him. You didn't want to push any more than you already had, for patience was a virtue. Biting back any sort of noise or hint of your presence, you could only wait with your breath caught deep in your lungs—burning.

So clutching your fists tight to your chest, the heavy pounding of your heart rivaled the still fresh wounds littering your limbs, which hadn't nearly felt as painful in comparison to this stress. The suspense was eating away at you, even after surviving such a devastating final fight. It was a miracle that few had managed to see yet another day—this new age free of those horrid creatures lurking the depths of night.

It had been far too long to count the days in recovery, the estate was full and bustling despite its owner's passing. It was far too busy to understand a single word from the helpers. It was a miracle you could find who you were looking for. And solemnly before you, the lone Hashira sat among the withered gardens of the estate, before your teary eyes.

Neither one of you had to form the words to catch the man's attention, for it seemed your mere shuffling through the overgrowth had done so already. When his gaze flickered to your stiff forms, Sanemi hadn't noticed your nervous expression, or your presence at all, because there was his baby brother standing before him.

This was some sort of trick. It had to be.

But Genya's eyes welled up with fresh tears, his lips trembling once the man slowly rose to his feet—hesitating before him. Would he still reject him? Yell at him? Shove him away? The previous worries hit him like a crashing wave, and it was all the boy could do not to burst out in tears.

After the devastating battle, you had managed to pull the boy's limp, dying—but not yet dead—body from the ashes, and it was truly a miracle that after weeks of recovery he was standing here alongside you. Truly there was one sprout of hope in this deep dark mess of a life, a single ray of sunlight peeking through those ever-grey storm clouds.

And healing from the lacerations marking you for death, you'd live on, yet always bear the reminder of a fragile existence. Perhaps you all were walking examples of what could have turned to a darker ending. Sure you were all broken in some way, shape, or form—but there had to be a way to heal. You prayed that now was that long-awaited moment.

Standing timidly beyond the brothers' view, you saw the hesitance flash along Genya's eyes, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Sanemi was no better, and the instant those dark clouds began to weep, a broken cry leaked from his lips.

"Genya..?"

Reaching out as if his younger brother would fade away like a mere phantom in thin air, the slightest graze of his remaining fingers against Genya's clothed shoulder allowed everything to fall into place. A loud sob rang throughout the yard, finally succumbing to the long lost warmth and security of his elder brother's hold, sniveling and holding tight to the figure before him.

Pure relief washed over Sanemi's terse form, dragging the boy closer, clinging tighter and weeping louder for all to hear. The hardened shell of a Hashira was finally crumbling apart, and simply seeing, feeling, knowing his little brother was before him was the greatest sliver of joy he had felt in so long. Why had only the tease of death finally enlightened him to the cruel ways of his past?

How long had it been since either sibling had witnessed such unrefined pure love? How long had it been since those simple times of childhood? How long had it been since the impulsive threats began to slip their mouths, tainting their souls, feeding the senseless hate between one another? Why did it take so long for everything to finally fall right?

The gentle blanket of rain dampened your clothes, welcoming the oncoming river of tears to escape your reddened eyes. It was a moment you felt shouldn't be interrupted. Gazing upon an intimate reunion made your chest swell with such fond joy for the siblings you had grown to cherish, but the longer you stood there, the longer those feelings of regret consumed you. It made you consider the other lives you could have saved.

But hearing their emotional cries and apologetic string of unhinged words pulled you back to reality. It made a soft smile finally reach you, lifting the pain suffocating your lungs. You felt a sense of pride—a sense of hope, seeing those lost broken bonds finally restored.

There was some good left in this word after all.

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Ha, you all thought I killed our precious baby boy huh? I could never—this was pure emotional fluff.
He deserves so much more. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Happy birthday Shinazugawa Genya!