Given Another Chance

*+•*A SADDENING BLISS*+•*

TW: Very sensitive topics will be discussed. Self harm, death, blood, mentions of drugging/lacing, arguing and swearing and detailed morbid scenes. Angsty!!

If any of those are triggering or discomforting, DO NOT read this story. There will be plenty of those topics in this one-part story.

Enjoy!

INTRO:

It is around the same time-point as the original demon slayer series. The difference is the fact that demons are weaker than seen in the series, so missions are pretty brief.

Tanjiro's first interaction with the hashira (at the meeting) also went different. Sanemi and Iguro weren't cruel, and no one threw rocks at ANYONE. The hashira were iffy at first, but when Tanjiro explained everything that had happened, they felt bad, some reminiscing of their own pasts and allowing Nezuko and Tanjiro to remain alive.

There was a secret Tanjiro was keeping though.

A genetic disease spread throughout his family, where you would cough up blood and experience chest pain, until you eventually died. This is what happened to Tanjiro and Nezuko's father, and for the past few weeks Tanjiro, little by little, coughed up more blood every day.

Nezuko was aware, as well as the Master. The Master was horrified when he found out, and Nezuko.. well.. she just wasn't in a good state.

At all.

They were all in the mansion (all as in all of the Hashira and Tanjiro's friends). They were just sitting and eating, exchanging conversation, when, at the worse time it felt for him, the room quieted down.

Tanjiro had a horrible chain in his chest, Zenitsu and Inosuke noticed the obvious discomfort he was displaying, excusing himself, in a hurry to get somewhere private to relieve himself of the distress he was feeling.

He looked sadly, but blankly, at the white handkerchief he coughed into, blood splattered into it.

A weird but necessary time to rewind. You guys may be sort of confused, why didn't Tanjiro just ask for medicine? Well first, we all know sweet Tanjiro, very considerate of those around him, and secondly, back then, there was no cure for the disease he had. A 99.99% chance you would die of this disease.

He was pretty much aware of his fate, but this didn't change the fact that he was terrified of losing his life. He wanted a family, a bright future.

Now, he couldn't have any of it.

Tanjiro walked back into the room, but he noticed everyone stared at him as he did.

He felt uneasy at this, faking a smile as he sat back down with his friends, in hopes of losing the attention.

Nezuko was rinsing off the blade she had just used to slice her thigh, there were many burn marks, scars, and bruises on her legs.

Thankfully, they weren't noticeable, as long as she wore long clothing.

She was obviously mortified, every night since she was informed of her brother's condition she had the same recurring nightmare of him puking up blood in the morning, and when she ran into his room his lifeless, pale, corpse hung over his bed, while exhaustion and suffering was obviously spread throughout his expression, in his last moments, blood dripping out of his mouth.

She always considered informing Shinobu of this, and no matter how horrible it sounds, secretly adding medicine to his food and allowing him to get better.

As much as she hoped for this, her brother trusted her and she didn't want to break their promise.

Nezuko walked over and sat with Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Tanjiro, casually, pretending as though nothing had happened.