Sweet Music (Tanjiro Kamado x reader)

Takeda no Komoriuta pt. two

"Let's play hide and seek!"

"I want to be it! I'm the youngest so I get first pick!"

"S/n," you say, a warning tone in your voice. You put your hands on your hips and stand in front of your two younger siblings, a motherly aura about you. "You know that the oldest is always it!"

Your sister pouts and sticks her lower lip out.

You sigh, then lower your hands.

You can never say no when she makes that face.

"But I suppose you can be it, just this once!"

Your sister grins and cheers, while your brother resigns himself to a grumpy frown.

"Fine," he grunts. "But you have to count to thirty!"

"I can't count that high!"

"Then count to ten three times!" you laugh, tousling your sister's hair.

Your sister nods and goes to a corner, placing her hands over her eyes.

"1... 2... 3..."

Your brother takes off in the opposite direction of you, heading into the bedroom that you all shared.

You decide to go into the kitchen, passing the main room where your mother and father are tucked under the kotatsu.

"You three playing hide and seek?" your father asks, his deep, rich voice startling you as you try to sneak about silently.

You nod and hold your finger to your lips, causing your mother to laugh.

The faintest giggle escapes your own mouth as you go to tuck yourself next to the stove, still warm from cooking dinner.

You rub your hands together and blow hot air into your palms.

Normally, you would play hide and seek outside, but it's night out- and even worse, it's snowing.

You'd agreed to play hide and seek, but truthfully, you'd prefer to be under the kotatsu with your parents.

After you wedge yourself in between the stove and the wall, you hear your sister's faint, delicate voice saying "eighteen!".

So she is trying for thirty! you think to yourself with a smile. She's getting so big!

Suddenly, a heavy knock rings through the air.

You peek over the stove, curious as to who might be making the noise.

Nothing happens for a moment or two, but then, your father rises and goes to the front door.

"Don't," you hear your mom whisper. "You don't know who it is." 

You tilt your head to the side, straining to hear. Over the roaring of the wind outside, though, you can't detect what kind of person is knocking on the door.

"It's fine, my love," your father answers, his voice kind and patient. "I'm sure it's just Mrs. Kariya." 

The door slides open, and all at once, your senses are overwhelmed.

A sickening crunch of bone, the splattering of blood on the floor. A scream ripping free of your mother's lungs as a huge, shadowy figure comes into view.

"May I come in?"

A huge appendage explodes from the figure's body and disappears out of view, but judging by the sound of pierced flesh, you knew what had happened.