⚔ His Protector - Demon Giyuu X Tanjirou ⚔

⚜ ~ 6 ~ ⚜

Nearly two days had passed before Tanjirou had said a word. Giyuu had allowed it, knowing full well the other needed time to recover. Almost being eaten wasn't something the went away casually. Humans were not aware of the dangers of the night, making encounters far greater and much worse. In the end, Giyuu was happy seeing Tanjirou back to his usual self. That joyful smile and trusting eyes. It lifted the weight that had been pressing on the taller males chest.

"Hey, Giyuu-san?"

"What is it Tanjirou?" The maroon haired male took a moment before walking over. While he was back to normal, Giyuu felt worried every time the other got too close. There was always the chance he tried to attack Tanjirou again, especially since it happened once and he got a taste of flesh. That alone sealed his fate in the end. 

"You know, I don't hold what happened over you. You'd worried about me and ended up becoming hungry, so it's not your fault. So long as you aren't starving, you keep your control, right?" Giyuu sighed, nodding. Tanjirou hummed before sitting beside him, his head falling onto the other's shoulder. It took Giyuu off-guard a bit, but it wasn't unwelcomed. "How about you just accept my blood. Hear me out before you talk."

"Fine..." 

"If you need food and don't want to harm anyone, taking my blood is best. I am willing and you can think of it like a donation. A payment! You've kept me safe, so it's only fair." 

"I almost killed you Tanjirou... That's not keeping you safe." The maroon haired boy grunted before moving, sliding to sit before Giyuu. His gaze was determined.

"Even so, you didn't. You felt better afterward and even apologized."

"Tanjirou..."

"I'll keep bugging until you accept. I want you around, which means your needs are important as well." Giyuu remained silent. He was aware the other was not going to back down. Sighing, he rubbed his face slowly.

"If I accept, you only give blood should I ask for it, understood? Where we're going, there is a chance I don't leave alive any way." Tanjirou gave a confused expression, but Giyuu ignored it. "Get some sleep till night. Once the moon is out, I'll wake you."

The maroon haired male nodded, sliding to the side before he fell sideways. His head hit Giyuu's legs, startling him. He watched the younger male closely, a brief smile growing. Slowly, he laid a hand on Tanjirou's head, running his fingers gently through. He leaned his back as he stared at the ceiling, his mind a melody of thoughts. The main one that surprised him was the idea he could get used to this. The touch and friendship, even though he was a Demon. Tanjirou was a mystery to him, but it kept him close in the end. 

Hours had passed before Tanjirou and Giyuu headed out toward their destination. The trip was longer than Tanjirou would have liked, but he avoided complaining. Instead, he took up the time to chat with Giyuu more. He was curious about the other. Not only about their past, but everything. Their likes and dislikes. Friends. All of it. Luckily, Giyuu was in a talkative mood, something Tanjirou found out was a rare case.

"So, who was your closest friend?" Giyuu pretended to think, his intentions obvious. Tanjirou bumped him before announcing procrastination was not an option. 

"Another Demon Slayer by the name of Sabito. He was like a brother to me."

"Was?" The Demon cursed himself for speaking. He'd forgot Tanjirou was clever. Sighing, he shrugged. He really didn't feel like resurfacing those feelings he'd pushed away.

"He's gone. Has been for a while now." 

"Oh... I'm sorry." Giyuu chuckled, his hand pressing to Tanjirou's head.

"No need to apologize. So, tell me something about yourself. I've been wondering, why did Muzan attack your family? Normally he doesn't just do things himself, so it makes me think there was a motive behind it." Tanjirou thought for a moment. Truthfully, he didn't know what made someone attack his family. There was one thing that might be a cause, but it was a stretch from the past. "Tanjirou?"

"I was just trying to think. Might have something to do with our history. These earrings are something passed down through the years. My father always told me about this dance that he did, the uh... I think it was called Hinokami Kagura. He'd talk about breathing and such, though it never really made sense to me. I was pretty young then, before he died. Once he passed away, I remembered the dance in his honor in hopes to pass it and the earrings on in the future."

"So that's the story behind those earrings?" Tanjirou shrugged, his gaze shifting to the stars overhead.

"Not too sure. They were old and well kept. An heirloom I guess. All I know is that the earrings are connected to something of the past that was important, though I couldn't tell you what it was. Not much was known of the past."

"You mentioned something about breathing, right?" Tanjirou nodded before Giyuu raised a brow. "I was trying to teach you how to 'breath' in order to use water techniques. Could he have known about Demon Slaying?"

"I don't know. He died while I was pretty young. Even so, I remember the steps to the dance." Giyuu mentally noted it before dismissing anymore questions of his. 

"We should be close to our destination... Let's just hope things don't get violent." Tanjirou was thoroughly confused about what he meant, but caught on once they arrived at the house. The slight knock was greeted with silence before the wooden door was forced open. Giyuu had time to react, his body moving backwards as he avoided a strike to his neck. His gaze narrowed as Tanjirou tried to move toward him, only to be stopped by somewhat rough hands.

"Giyuu-san? Are you okay?" The older male behind the red mask hesitated, finally viewing the Demon he'd tried to strike. There was no denying the sad scent the other had. Tanjirou pushed past the mans hold before approaching Giyuu and checking him for injuries. 

"Get away from that Demon."

"Urokodaki, please just..." The older male silenced the Demon, Giyuu sighing. He glanced at Tanjirou, briefly smiling as he spoke somewhat low. "Told you things might get violent."

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