First Love / Late Spring (Genya Love Story)

12: The Missions Aftermath

"How?"

Aiko was holding Genya's gun, putting her eye into the barrel and he snatched it quickly. "Stop that, it's dangerous, idiot!"

"How?" she repeated.

"How does it work?"

"Hmhm!"

Genya explained what his gun was. He told her that he couldn't using Breathing Techniques and so how he fought instead. Hesitating, he told her that he eats demons to gain their power. There's always judgement that comes with his statement but not this time. Of course not. This was Aiko he was talking to.

"Wow, Genya cool!"

He blushed.

"Aiko fight with Genya. Tonight?"

Training with a girl sounded like hell. If he hurts her, he'd feel so shitty. But on the other hand, this was a demon girl. And he trained to fight demons so - it surely made sense. She had already mastered Gyomei's training and none of the other Pillars wanted to take Aiko under their wing.

Well, Mitsuri did but she was leaving for a mission soon.

It made no sense to start training Aiko now.

But she hoped to do so in the future.

No other Pillar had responded to Shinobu's message.

"Fine. But don't be a nuisance," Genya agrees.

.

.

Gyomei sat on the porch, watching his pupils train.

Well,  'watching' in his own way.

He listened to their movements, their breathing and heart rates. Felt the vibrations in the ground. Smelled the adrenaline and hesitation in the air.

Genya won't hit Aiko properly. And Aiko won't hit Genya properly either. This is more like children playing tag than a training match.

He clapped his hands together.

The teens froze.

"You two, come here. Your care for one another in admirable but it will do you no good in real battle. Genya, look at Aiko. She's a demon. She's strong and she can regenerate quickly - stop holding back. Now Aiko, look at Genya. He's a Demon Slayer longer than you are. He's honed his techniques and is stronger than you seem to realize. Don't hold back either. If you two were in real battle, you would surely perish. Use this unique situation to grow stronger. And learn to fight together."

Gyomei began to tear up.

"You're both my students and I feel very honoured to call you that. While training, however, you are not friends. You are foe."

Embarrassed that his Master had called him out, Genya went for it.

He gave the fight his all.

Not really paying attention to Gyomei's words, Aiko only gave it her all because Genya did. His shift forced her to fight better.

His guns were hard to evade.

She had never experienced something like them before. Back flipping and summersaulting was effective but drained her energy. Close combat was her style but Genya's guns prohibited that. They fought until the sun was set to rise.

Gyomei applauded them.

"Good job, Demon Slayers. You've worked well together. You have earned your rest."

.

.

"CAW CAW! Urgent message. Urgent! Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui injured. Alongside Demon Slayers Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibara Inosuke, Kamado Tanjiro and demon Nezuko. Upper Rank Six demons are defeated. Caw, caw. Slayers and Hashira are brought to the Butterfly Mansion, caw!"

Aiko leapt up and made a dash for the door.

Genya tackled her, pinning her down. "Stop it, idiot! It's day time - you'll burn out there. You have to wait." She pushed him off and he tackled her again. "Are you fucking stupid? Do you want to die?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "Aniki! Nezuko!"

"I know." He pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair. "I know but you can't leave while the sun is out. You can go tonight. I'm sorry."

She cried in frustration.

Genya held her as she cried.

.

.

The door was kicked open.

Two kakushi ran behind Aiko, exasperated in their attempts to stop her.

The second the sun had set, Aiko ran all the way from Gyomei's Estate to the Butterfly Estate. She kicked in the door where she could smell Tanjiro's scent the strongest.

He looked broken.

Tanjiro looked so small and fragile with the blanket pulled up to his chin. Aiko threw herself onto his bed and he groaned in pain.

"Aniki!" Aiko wraps him in a hug, squeezing too tightly. But Tanjiro can't complain. He missed her too. Leaving her, unconscious and worried he might never see her again (this was the reality of every mission). Tanjiro hugged Aiko back, his grip a lot weaker.

Shinobu had sent him a crow when Aiko woke up.

The crow told Tanjiro that Gyomei would take Aiko into his home and train her. He could see evidence of that training in how strong her hug was. While he was internally proud of her progress... physically, he was less excited.

"Aiko. I missed you but please ... I can't breathe."

She pulled back with a watery giggle. "Aniki hurt. Don't go again. Aiko miss aniki ... Nezuko."

"Aiko-chan." Shinobu entered the room, a vein popping out of her forehead. "Ara, ara ~ Look at what you've done to my door. Not only that, waking up and exasperating the injuries of my patient. What's gotten into you?"

Aiko rubbed away her tears. "Aniki back!" she beamed. She failed to pick up on Shinobu's furious, tight-lipped grin.

"Yes, indeed. However, can you please detach yourself from my patient? Otherwise, you may reopen his injuries. Which just won't do at all ~"

Aiko climbs off the bed and holds Tanjiro's hand instead.

"Thank you, Aiko-chan. As my patients are all currently resting, I might take this time to examine you too. Follow me." Shinobu's tone leaves no room for argument.

Sad to leave aniki, Aiko trailed behind the Pillar slowly.

Shinobu gave Aiko a full physical and asked various other questions. About her training with Gyomei, if the horn appeared when she stood against Akaza came back, about Genya ("Is he showing any concerning health issues?" "Genya tall!" "Not what I meant but thank you, Aiko-chan.") 

It was almost an hour before Aiko could see her brother again.

Nezuko was there this time and reunited with Aiko.

The three siblings fell asleep together that night, cramped onto Tanjiro's bed. When Aoi found them in the morning, she couldn't find the will to wake them. As someone who loved her sisters dearly, Aoi understood Tanjiro's feelings. She ensured the blind was closed to fully block out the sun. And then she left them be.

Aoi warned the other healers to stay away.

Too scared to cross Aoi, everyone let the siblings sleep in.