Final Moments | Rengoku x Reader

continued sad shit

You stayed with him back to the Master's Estate amongst the Kakushi. His cold hand stayed in yours as you wept against it. Nothing had ever consumed you so wholly, so suffocatingly as this tragedy. Kyojuro deserved to be here, happy and breathing with only a few wounds to patch up like always.

Your final words exchanged played on tortuous repeat within your muddled mind. He loved you the way you did him, and now...

The horrid thought couldn't even be said in your mind. It's twisted it's poisonous grief like gnarled roots of a vengeful tree, slowly and stiffly strangling any and all joy from my life, following Kyojuro into that of only memories.

The rivulets couldn't stop their pouring from my now pained eyes. His still chest hurt more than any wound or torture a demon could inflict.

What kind of useless Kinoe was I that I let this man die in the hands of a demon?

You knew your promised him to not blame yourself, but it was so easy to. Even so, you pushed the thoughts away, if anything to let his spirit to rest peacefully; trusting you would not let his death turn into something to punish yourself with.

As your tears continued to flow, you forced your eyes from your companion to the boys sitting on the other side of the cart. They weren't doing any better than you as they sobbed, all slowly lifting their eyes to you like they were lost and looking to you for guidance.

As if that wasn't scary enough, Tanjiro's eyes seemed to pierce into you with an empathy, and understanding that shook you to your core.

You couldn't act strong. Even as a stone breather, your strength seemed to pathetically seep away with every passing moment without Kyojuro. Your eyes fell from the boys only to drop your head against Kyojuro's hand with an anguished cry pushing out painfully. It was like your heart was reaching so desperately into the void for his, only to be met with a chasm you were close to slipping down into.

That torturous trek back to the master's estate will haunt you for the rest of your days.

Upon arrival, Shinobu was standing at the gates with many servants and members within the demon slayer corp.

The Kakushi lifted the flame pillar under Shinobu's solemn direction, all the while you moved like you were surgically stuck to him. The boys were ushered away but you couldn't be swayed or pushed away from his side.

Master Kagaya mercifully let you stay with him as he had Kyojuro's body placed in a bedroom the flame pillar often used upon visits.

He is to be buried the same day.

His body was cleaned and cared for quickly as the Kakushi had been trained to do. They moved as a blur to you and soon enough you were the only one in the room with him, and a gutting silence was all that was left.

The sun was pouring in beautifully against his paled face.

Truthfully, you'd thought you were all out of tears, but the streams took up their familiar carved paths down your face once more. The entire day cycled passed, a beautiful day at that. One he would have loved to see and scolded you for wasting.

You took in every little detail of him. This was the last time you'd get to see him. So here you stayed, silent and destroyed beside him with his cold hand placed in yours. You imagined it to be as warm as it was like the days past.

The time where he had wove his hand with yours, innocently or otherwise and excitedly led you towards a stall in a market you both had stumbled upon. Either way, it was an action —brief as always— that would put you in a flustered stupor.