A Life Worth Living

A New Life

When Mira woke up, she immediately recognized the room's layout. She must have been brought to the Butterfly Estate after passing out. Still lying in bed, she looked to her left to see Sanemi and Genya's sleeping figures. It was dark outside, but the moonlight coming through the window gave the room a soft glow. She wondered how long the brothers had been there and if they had been able to talk to each other about their relationship.

After the fight with Muzan, Genya and Sanemi were both in rough shape. Luckily, they were able to recover after about two months at the Butterfly Estate. After they were released, Sanemi invited Genya to stay at his estate rather than going back to Gyomei, which he happily accepted. She didn't know what words were exchanged during the battle with Upper Rank One, but the two of them seemed to be on better terms. That being said, they were still awkward with one another, and Sanemi was not without his occasional outbursts. Mira understood that a lifetime of misunderstandings, hurt, and betrayal was hard to forget in a day, but she couldn't help but worry for them.

She and Genya had not spoken about their kiss since his release from the medical ward. They still interacted as friends, but she would always change the subject or come up with an excuse to leave whenever he tried to bring it up. After a while. he stopped talking about it altogether. She felt bad, but her feelings had become much more complicated. When they shared their kiss and agreed to live together, she had given in to her true desires without thinking because she thought she was about to die.

However, when she ended up living, she wanted to put more thought into it before giving him a true answer. She didn't want to cause him more hurt and pain in the long run when he grew old and frail while she remained young. Nor did she want to be a burden to him when/if something happened. After all, she was still a demon who had the potential to lose control of herself at any point.

But now, there was a chance for her to be human. They could grow old together and live normal lives... if that was something he still wanted. She wasn't sure if he would still want to be with her after she refused to acknowledge their relationship for so long.

As if sensing that she was thinking about him, Genya stirred from his place by her bed and groggily opened his eyes. When he looked up and saw that Mira was awake, he quickly sat up.

"Mira! You're awake! How do you feel?" His commotion also woke Sanemi, who furrowed his brows in irritation and opened his mouth to protest, but quickly lightened his expression when he saw Mira.

"You had us worried there for a minute," he said with a small smile.

"I'm sorry for any problems I may have caused. Do we know if the drug worked or not?" she asked. Right on cue, Yushiro walked into the room.

"Well why don't we find out?" he asked as he approached her.

"How did you know she was awake?" Genya asked.

"Because you were obnoxiously loud. You should be careful not to wake any of the other patients." He pulled a small knife from his pocket and swiftly made a small cut on Mira's upper arm, causing her to yelp in surprise and pain.

"Ouch!"

"Hey! What the hell was that for!?" Sanemi stood to confront Yushiro further, but he put up a hand.

"Just watch. You see how the wound isn't healing? That's a good sign. Now, Mira. Try to bring out your claws or do something with your demon strength." Mira watched in awe as her wound refused to heal. A small line of blood started to make its way down her arm, but Genya was quick to grab a towel and cover it. She tried to bring out her demon claws, but her fingertips remained human.

That's when she noticed it. There was no more hunger. She looked at the Shinazugawa brothers and no longer had the burning urge in the back of her mind to devour them. Happiness and relief spread through her entire body as she pulled the both of them into a hug. Tears of joy trickled down her cheeks as she squeezed them closer.