~BRAVE~ (Tanjiro X Reader)

Lost

Since when did my life get so boring? When did I let my job tug at my strings Isn't that the heart's job? At least, that's what I hear from the books. Please, tell me.

I sigh with my arms propped up on the sides of the sofa, my mind wandering aimlessly in the clouds. The cold air of the house kisses my skin ever so slightly as I shiver a bit, curling up into a ball. Why did I let myself get to this point? Demon Slayers are supposed to fight demons and stay alive, only to get killed by them not die of hypothermia. I chuckle to myself, closing my eyes. How pathetic am I? I have no idea in Hell as to where I am... fighting a demon one moment, in a snow capped mountain the next. Teleportation, perhaps?

"What a load of crap," I speak out into the endless silence. It's too quiet in the small cabin, other than the fierce storm outside. After a while of sitting there doing nothing, I do some basic stretches to keep me warmed up and begin to break down the feet of the couch, hoping it would be sufficient enough to start a fire. Then, I break down the desk in the corner of the small cabin. Finally, I tear up the cloth on half of the couch exposing the rest of the wood,  providing me with my tinder. Soon enough, a small fire gathered in the middle of the room. The stone floor prevents the fire from reaching towards the walls. My legs gather to my chest as I sit and watch my hard work burn.

"It's okay," I tell myself. "The corps will send someone my way...  right?" Slowly but surely, I close my eyes to the warmth of the fire after I unclip the curtain from the window to use as a blanket.

"C'mon! Get up!" A voice called to me. But I was too warm to care. I even ignored the movement. "Dammit, it's too cold for you here." A distinctly male voice said. "Why did I have to be sent on this creepy mission?! Do you know how many dangerous animals are out here? I ran into a polar bear! A POLAR BEAR!"

Was this person talking to himself or me? The man's voice sounded around my age, with a tad bit of cracking. He complained a lot but I was grateful someone had sent anybody my way. Guess the Corps are desperate in their population. My teeth begin to chatter as my body starts to shake. Dang, this cold temperature is killing me. Literally.

"A-Ah good! You're warming up! Let's get you down this mountain fast, then." The man said. Opening my eyes slightly, I get blinded by the sheer white of snow. When did I get out of the cabin? Not only was I blinded, but this man was giving me a piggyback ride to God knows where. Can't blame him, though. Bridal style carrying is hard. He had yellow hair with a tad bit of orange towards the tips. His robe matches his hair and I bet his eyes do too. I guess he has good taste. But with how much he complains, he must come from the city. How did a city boy become a Demon Slayer? "Hey, you awake yet?" He asks.
   
"Mmm." I hum. My breathing must've changed when I awoke. They say you breathe softer when you sleep.

"Ahhh I'm glad! I'm pretty sure you passed out due to the temperature, but you would have lasted around 3 days due to the preservation. How long have you been here, anyway?" The man continues to walk quickly down the mountain while my head rests on his back, too heavy to lift.
   
"Two days and counting." I chuckle to myself. I had only just gotten to the cabin when I made the fire. Keeping warm during my wandering was such a hassle but I'm glad I found something to take shelter in.

"T-T-TWO DAYS?!?" He yelled, "I WOULD'VE KILLED MYSELF AT THE END OF DAY ONE!!!" I know that he's exaggerating, but say nothing.. He's definitely a city boy, that's for sure. He hasn't even introduced himself yet.

"Name," I say.

"Huh?" Is he dumb? Did he forget his own name?

"What's your name?" I say a little more clearly for him to understand.
   
"O-oh. Zenitsu Agatsuma. And you?" Ahhh there we go. His manners kicked in.

"(Y/n) (l/n). Nice to meet you. Thank you for carrying me in this state." It's embarrassing for me to be like this, especially near someone who I've just met. Zenitsu's demeanor completely changes from his complaining state to one of overconfidence. He reaches for his cheek and scratches it with the slightest blush.

"Ah, there's no need to thank me for doing something any decent man would." He giggles a bit. He's like a little school girl, easily flattered. Typical.

"You say any decent man but there aren't many out there." The hard truth hurts society nowadays. After a bit of more chatter, Zenitsu and I fall silent as he walks. With nothing else to do, I pay more attention to the surrounding area. The snow stopped, but it looked like it wouldn't stop for long. The clouds intimidate the blue sky  as they loom over our area. Why is it snowing in the summer?

"You hear that?" Zenitsu says excitedly. I cup my ear with my hand to try to get a better hearing. But to no avail.

"No, what do you hear?" There's nothing around here for miles. Unless there's been something near this whole time.

"People." He says. "AIIIIIEEEE WHAT IF THEY'RE BANDITS!? Scary scary scary..." he hears people? Why is someone all the way out here?

As we get closer, zenitsu begins to shiver."Are you cold?" I ask.

"Y-yeaaaaahhhhh!!! Im cold! Uh-huh." He says enthusiastically. That's a load of bull. He's probably scared. The flapping of wings could be heard when an obnoxious caw interrupted our conversation

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Release date: March 8th 2020