My Beloved (Demon Slayer Fanfiction)

#1

~Aki P.O.V~
~Flashback~

I peek past the gate of Rengoku's fence and look at the garden; he's outside training with his father while his mother is taking care of their youngest child. Seeing how fun Rengoku's father makes training look makes me want to join or learn. Everyone in town always talks about how great a Hashira he is, not to mention how energetic and kind he is.

If I'm honest, I don't know anything about this family; the only reason I'm calling them by their last name is that's what it says on their plaque outside their fence-that, and from the gossip around town. I lower my eyes and start to walk away; no matter how badly I want to be a demon slayer, I don't have a unique talent.

Both my parents are ordinary citizens while I walk around town selling some wood for the winter; I guess I should stop dreaming and instead focus on getting some food on the table. The freezing wind lightly brushes against me, causing me to shiver; I rub my hands on my arms and continue to walk.

~Later~
~Home~

"I'm home," I say, expecting an answer, but I only get greeted by the usual silence. I take the basket off my back and remove my shoes before stepping inside the house; I don't want to get on my mother's bad side again. I take the alcohol I was ordered to buy for her; I hold it close to my body so I wouldn't drop it as soon as I laid eyes on her.

"Mom?" I say, walking inside the kitchen, "I'm home." Mother didn't look at me, let alone greet me. "Did you buy the drink?" She says as she finishes the one in her hand, "you know what happens when I'm angry, Aki." My body shakes as pictures of her angry face flash in my head, "I-I did," I say, holding it up, "here you go."

Mother yanks it out of my hands, tears off the cork, and takes three big gulps, "heat your food," she says, "don't bother me." Mother walks out of the kitchen and leaves me standing alone; I only now notice the cold sweat running down my entire body. My stomach growled in hunger; I walk over to the kitchen table and frown when I see not even half a plate of food was left for me.

At least, this time, I won't go to bed hungry.

~Next Day~

I cough into my hands as I make my usual walk to sell wood; I wipe the blood off the corner of my lips and try to ignore my chest pain; I need to sell so mother won't punish me again. I cough more and feel a brief splat of blood shoot out my mouth and onto my palm again; I collapse on my knees and start to gasp for some air. But every breath I took only worsened my pain; before I knew it, my head was on the ground, and I grasped my chest.

I try for a while fighting for air, but I gave up. Maybe, this was a blessing happening. I was being freed from this life of mine full of abuse and neglect; perhaps, I can see my father again one more time.

~??~

"Hey...." I vaguely hear someone say, "....hello?....hear....me?" It takes a few times of me opening and shutting my eyes for them to focus finally. "Thank the heavens you're awake," a woman with a soft voice says, "how are you feeling?" I move my head to the left, and a woman with red eyes and black hair is sitting on her knees beside me; she takes a wet towel off my head and replaces it with a freshly soaked one.

I open my mouth slightly to speak, but I end up coughing instead, droplets of bloodstain the heavy futon sheet covering me. "It's fine if you don't answer," she says as she wipes the blood off my chin, "right now, rest as much as you can; a doctor will be here soon." I wanted to ask her where I am and who she was, but the warmth of her touch made me tense up; this is....a strange feeling.

"Here," she said as she helps me lift my head, "drink some green tea, it shouldn't be too hot to burn you." I never had this tea; I never had any tea now that I think about it. I open my mouth slightly and take small gulps; the woman did not pressure me to speed up; she patiently waited until I drank every last drop of this strange liquid. She gently rests my head on the pillow, "now sleep," she says with a smile as warm as that tea.