Male Reader X

Reader x Shinobu Kocho (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Shinobu Kocho is one of the most fearsome swordsmen in the demon slaying corp. Those dull purple eyes hide a hidden menace, a mind that thinks differently to everyone else. Shinobu prefers to use more practical methods to eliminate demons. She is not bound by the same tradition that some swordsmen hold so dear. She has her own tradition, her own method – one that makes her a precise and silent killer.

Poison.

So potent and foul that it makes the demons crumble into dust from a mere touch. A coward's weapon, some would say, the weapon of a smarter breed in your opinion. Why risk life and limb in a lengthy and direct battle? Shinobu glides from above and pierces their veins like a cobra, draining their life until they are nothing. You swear on your life that Shinobu has poisoned you in much the same way. Your body reacts uncomfortably to her presence. Your skin heats up and you can feel needles pierce your skin. The way she looks at you from the corner of her eye tells the tale. She knows something.

You've spent many dark evenings at the Kocho estate. The most prominent healers and death-dealers amongst the organization. They've healed your own wounds too many times to count, from physical injuries to poisons and curses. And wouldn't you know, you're back again with a worryingly large hole in one of your arms. You were drugged up, stitched up and whisked away to the ward before you even knew what was happening.

Your sleep was uncomfortable. You found yourself awake late at night, long after the rest of the estate's residents had settled down. You had a desperate need to urinate, but you knew from experience that the anaesthesia that they used on you would ensure your ongoing discomfort for at least another day. The moonlight crept into the room through the window above, but you could see little.

The door slid open. And through it came an unexpected face, Shinobu.

Even now she's the picture of grace. Her feet make no sound as they touch down on the hard wooden floor. Like a ghost she slips between the dozing bodies of your fellow soldiers and approaches your bed. She kneels by your side and watches over you, seemingly unable to see that your eyes are opened. While you initially fear what she has come to do, it proves unfounded as minutes pass by with no change in her expression, or any action on her part.

Which begs the other, obvious question, why is she here beside you?

The standoff continues for several more minutes. You close your eyes again to ensure that she doesn't notice your alertness. You only peel them open again when you hear the rustling of her clothes as she stands. At the small bundle of your belongings beside your bed, she lays flat a small flower with pink and white petals.

And like she was never there, she turned and left. You closed your eyes and tried to slip back into the world of slumber, but your mind raced with hundreds of stray thoughts.

The next morning did not bring answers right away. You were awoken by the sounds of the other injured demon hunters enduring their pain, or being tended to by the estate's skilled nurses and healers. You rolled over in your futon and looked at the stationary gift. You reached out and pulled it under the covers with you. You rolled the flower between your fingers, admiring the patterns that had developed on its soft petals. Why had Shinobu brought you this? As a comfort for a wounded warrior, or something more?

You did not see her that day, or the day after. The paranoia of a midnight visit from the mysterious woman kept you awake. By the third night you began to wonder if you had merely hallucinated the encounter. Yet the flower was real, you had kept it close to your chest since she left it behind. When you were finally fit enough to move again, you began to explore the estate with the intention of finding her. She would sometimes perch herself up in high places, like the roof, or the tree outside in the garden. Out of respect for the others you refrained from raising your voice and shouting out for her.

"Shinobu-san."

She looked down from above and gave you a smile that could best be described as patient, serene. "Good morning. Is your arm well?"

You clutched the injured limb and winced from the pain, "Not enough to begin training just yet."

"Training can wait. You must ensure the soundness of your body first."

You can't help but be struck by Shinobu's beauty. She's incredibly pretty, and the curves of her body show through the baggy uniform of the demon slayer corp. Maybe the fear you feel is not one of a doe fleeing a predator, but rather because you're a young man with no experience of the opposite sex. Having her attention is sending your head spinning.

She floated down from the tree to land in front of you, cape fluttering and revealing a stunning pattern of colours. She reached forward and touched the flower resting in your front pocket with fondness, "Do you like flowers?"

"Ah. Uh, not really. I like this one though!"

She laughs under her breath, "I have more of a fondness for the butterfly, as you may be able to observe."

"Of course."

"They are much harder to catch, so a flower had to suffice." Her thin line of a smile broke into a smirk as your face flushed red with embarrassment.

You covered your face with your forearm and tried to keep yourself composed in front of your host, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Shinobu covers her own mouth with a sleeve, "Fufufu, perhaps I slipped something into the water we fed you."

"Wah-"

"Can you feel your blood rushing, the pounding of your heart in your ears?" she asks, stepping closer with each question. Your personal space is sapped moment by moment until you can feel her breath on your face. You stare deep into her soulful eyes and try to stop yourself from fainting. "Or maybe not." She dances away from you like an escaping butterfly, leaving you stunned. You couldn't even get a word in.

"If you like the flower, I will bring you another in time."

You clutch the gift and smile, "Yes. I would like that."