𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖘 [Tanjiro Kamado X Reader] (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

~chapter fifty-four~

(Y/N) Pov:

I threw a rock into the air, then used my sword to slice it in two, continuing my ranting. "I mean, who does he think he is? Former Hashira or not, he's just being disrespectful! Right, Nezuko?" She hummed lightly.

I let out a quiet sigh, sitting down next to her box. "Oh, how I wish you could come out now..." I said, pulling my knees up to my chest, hugging them. "I hate this. It hurts so much. I can't even force myself to smile. It's like I forgot how to smile genuinely. Even just thinking about it hurts my head."

Closing my eyes, I said: "You know, I often think about how much better it would have been if Rengoku-sensei lived. If I was the one that died. That way, he could cheer the boys and you up, and you'll eventually forget about me."

Nezuko hummed, what seemed to be, angry things. She even scratched on the inside of her box. "I can't help it, okay? If I hadn't been so weak and slow, then maybe... Maybe I could've helped out more."

"If the weak are the ones that die, then why am I still alive?"

"Don't- (Y/N)! Don't ever talk like that again!" I didn't look up at Tanjiro as he kneeled down in front of me. I closed my eyes, not sure if I could look him in the eyes. "Listening in isn't nice, you know." I said, causing him to huff out.

"Talking like that about yourself isn't nice, either." he said, sighing softly. I glanced up at him, asking: "And what now? Are you going to tell me that I'm not as weak as I think? That I'm-" Before I could finish my sentence, he placed a gentle, loving kiss on my lips, hugging me tightly into his chest.

My cheeks heated up as his lips left mine. He placed my head onto his shoulder, gently brushing his hands through my (h/c) hair. He said: "No. I won't tell you anything like that. I just want to tell you that I love you."

My eyes widened. This is... "To me, in my eyes, you're the most amazing, the most beautiful person there is. You're so nice and caring, but ever since then, you haven't even smiled once. And to hear such things from you hurts me more than it hurts you. We all feel down sometimes. But we have the ability to get back up, to smile again. That's what makes us human."

Tears began to roll down my cheeks, dripping onto his clothes. I started sobbing, clutching onto him like my life depended on it. "T-Tanjiro..." I cried out, now fully crying. He gently patted my back, saying: "It's alright. Just let it all out. I'll always be there for you. Always."

3rd Person Pov:

The two Demon Slayers had made it back to the Rengoku estate, where Senjuro was already waiting for them. He handed them both a cup of tea, saying: "Here's your tea. Please drink it."

"Ah, thank you. I am truly sorry for headbutting your father. Is he alright?" asked Tanjiro, a worn out expression on his face. He couldn't believe that he headbutted a former Hashira.

"I think he'll be fine. When he woke up, he went out to buy some alcohol." answered Senjuro, smiling lightly at the two of them. (Y/N) was holding onto Tanjiro's hand, not even thinking about letting it go.

"Thank you very much." said Senjuro, causing both of the Demon Slayer to look at him with slight confusion. Seeing this, he continued: "I feel relieved. Even though my brother was being badmouthed, I couldn't say a single thing. I wonder... how my brother's final moments went."

After Tanjiro and (Y/N) had explained everything, Senjuro said: "Oh, is that so..." "He went out gloriously, even in his final-" said Tanjiro, stopping as he noticed that Senjuro was crying. He said: "Thank you so much..."

"No, oh no... I'm the one who's sorry for not being of any help." said Tanjiro quickly, bowing down. (Y/N) stared at the yellow haired boy, saying: "Senjuro..." "Please don't worry about it. My brother would've said something like that, right?" he said, smiling lightly at them.

He stood up, walking away to get something. He said: "I can guess at which book I see my father with most often. I'll bring it over, so please wait for a little bit." (Y/N) nodded at him, and he left, leaving the two of them alone.

"What book?" asked (Y/N) quickly, not recalling ever hearing of a book that day. Tanjiro said: "Shinjuro Rengoku said that I'm a breath of the sun user. But I didn't even know that something like that existed."

(Y/N) eyes widened as a few, stray memories flooded her mind. "Breath of the sun... My father... He used to practice that breathing technique a lot. Especially during winters." she said, closing her eyes in thought.

"Now that I think about it, he was performing some sort of dance in order to perfect it. Could it be...?" she trailed off, looking over at her boyfriend with wide, (e/c) eyes. Tanjiro looked at her in surprise, asking: "You mean it could be the Hinokami Kagura?"

"Could be." replied (Y/N), taking a sip of her tea. "Hey, Tanjiro, would you mind to show me the Hinokami Kagura? If I see it, I might be able to recognize it." he suggested, making him nod. "Of course! And if it really is a breathing technique, then I don't mind teaching you." he said, a small smile on his lips.

(Y/N), too, smiled lightly, which caused him to widen his eyes. "You- You're smiling again!" he called out, way louder than he intended to. To that, (Y/N) chuckled, shaking her head lightly.

"I think this might be it. Tanjiro-san, maybe it has what you want to know." said Senjuro, walking back into the room, holding an old book. It read 'the 21st generation of flame Hashiras'. "Thank you very much." said Tanjiro, bowing down once more.

All three of them then took a glance at the inside of the book, their eyes widening. "Th-" "This is..." "No way..." they each trailed off, not believing what they were seeing. Senjuro said: "It's ripped to shreds... It's almost unreadable."

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Picture from:

https://www.pinterest.ch/pin/623607879663897740/