The Spider's Web (Rui Ayaki x Reader/OC)

Ch 7: Reality

As Rui practically begged me to cuddle him, I wrapped my arms around him and let out a tired yawn as I smushed my face into his hair.

"Why are you so clingy today, Rui... It's only morning..." I sighed.

I peeped out the window as the morning chirps of sparrows rang throughout the room. As I opened the curtains, I grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from my bag to feed the tiny birds, careful not to let any sunlight shine into the room.

"Mmm..." he whined tiredly as he tried to reach out to me.

"C'mon... we can go explore the mansion together," I patted his head as he laid limp on my lap.

"But I want to cuddle..." he nuzzled into my stomach.

I poked his side, nudging him to wake up. He chuckled softly as he squirmed.

"You're acting weird today," I pinched his cheeks.

I sat on the couch, looking at the newly delivered newspapers outside our door. Rui climbed onto the couch and pressed himself between me and the couch as if he was cat, nuzzling his face into me.

"Five minutes, please?" He begged.

"Fine, five minutes," I sighed.

As I rocked him back and forth, he smushed his face into my chest, purring himself to sleep. After a few minutes, he asked, a pained expression on his face,"What... happens if I don't become human again? I'll surely outlive you, right?"

"Oh, Rui..." I smoothed his white hair. It was unusual to see him this sad, especially since he doesn't show his feelings often.

He sniffled as he hugged me tighter. He felt the bumpy bandages on my back, caused specifically by him, and looked up.

"That hurts a little," I whispered softly, rubbing circles on his back.

He muttered a small 'sorry' and we went silent. It was strange, for the silence was almost deafening.

After a while, I smiled, "Rui, I'll surely make you human again. I'll train hard everyday to protect you." I put his forehead onto mine. "It's a promise,"

Making sure to smile, he nodded gently.

"When we find the solution, this will not only help you, but others who are going through the same situation. Everything's going to be fine, so, don't worry about it too much, kay?" I pecked his forehead.

We cuddled and joked a bit more, but ultimately deciding to finally explore the mansion. Today is a rest day, anyway. We could do whatever we wanted.

We stepped out of our room, looking around. I caught a glimpse of a Sakura tree in my view, and ushered Rui to go see it with me.

"Rui, look! It's so pretty!" I gasped in awe.

"Yeah, it is," he smiled softly while sitting in the shade.

As beautiful, vibrant flower petals fell all around us, we heard a familiar and calm voice.

"This tree was planted by the first 'Breath of the Flower' user. It's way older than any of us here," she stated.

I looked up, and saw Shinobu. She was sitting on one of the branches of the tree and reading a letter of some sort.

After analysing the letter, she said, "Sorry, I have a mission, so I have to go. Have a good day!"

I called out to her, trembling slighty, and asked,"W-Wait! Do you think we could go back to our old home to give our parents a proper burial? Some of our friends are there too, so—" She cut me off, making sure to calm me down.

"Well, I went there again this morning to check the area for any more demons, and your parents were already given a burial." She stated matter-of-factly.

I stood stunned, as I considered possibilities on why this was so.

"I checked the surrounding households and there was only one. 'Kamado Household' was it? Some of their bodies were also buried, so someone from there must have survived and given a burial for all of them." She continued.

I felt my heart drop, my blood running cold as the weight of the situation laid onto me.

"Wait, w-who was buried?" As I felt a wave of fear crash onto me, my legs wobbled, and Rui held my hand for support.

"Tanjuro Kamado, Kie Kamado, Rokuta Kamado, Takeo Kamado, Hanako Kamado, and Shigeru Kamado, if I remember correctly." She put a hand on her chin.

"N-No..." I gasped, a hand covering my mouth shakily. I felt the urge to throw up, and fell to the floor.

As if the world was mocking me, it began drizzling. Growing heavier, and heavier, slowly and subtly.

"Tanjiro and Nezuko must still be alive. They helped bury Mom and Dad," Rui put me into his embrace.

I gritted my teeth, desperately wanting to cry.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Shinobu whispered.

"Takeo, Hanako, Rokuta, Shigeru, you were all great brothers and sisters. Miss Kie, Mr Tanjuro, you were wonderful parents." I weeped onto Rui's shoulder.

"One last thing, I don't know if this is coincidence or fate, but an old colleague of mine took Tanjiro and Nezuko in." She started.

"They're in a much similar situation as yours. Nezuko turned into a demon, and Tanjiro is being trained to become a demon slayer." She smiled after seeing my stunned expression.

"They- They're safe," I sighed out of relief.

"Well then, your training starts tomorrow. Train hard. Make sure next time when you meet your friends, give Muzan what he deserves," was the last thing she said before disappearing.

"Yes, ma'am," I gripped my hand, feeling a sudden wave of determination wash over me as I inhaled deeply. A rush of wind blew through us, causing more pink petals to fly into the air.

"The kids and their parents will be looking down on us, let's make them proud," Rui whispered.

The rain was always our favourite, because I knew we were too broken and numb to cry, so the sky did for us. We have to stay strong.
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