Demon Slayer Imagines

Tokito Muichiro

Our little garden

❀ word count: 1324
❀ special warning: Hanahaki Disease AU

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 There had been said throughout the years, that a disease, one that was just as beautiful as it was tragic, would appear to those poor souls whose love was unrequited.
To the eyes of the people, it was nothing but a myth, seen as not much would actually live to tell the story, and the poor ones who did were, sadly, considered mad for their odd stories.
You weren't someone that usually believed rumors all that easy, but you had always payed respect to the ones who did, believing that a good society should be based off of respect, at the very least.

Your life wasn't all that exciting. A mission here, another there, but other than the boring life you led as one of the stronger Hashira, nothing much happened. 
The sunset was the only thing that seemed to catch your attention fully, and bring a smile to your face. When younger, you remembered enjoying such peaceful times with your brother, back at the orphanage. Unfortunately for you, the yet young boy had contracted a virus that quickly killed him, and you were left alone for good.
When you were ten, a kind man - whom later introduced himself as Himejima Gyomei - took you in as his protegee and trained you hard, day and sometimes nights, making sure to shape your mind into a strong self-disciplined one, capable of achieving your goal - to become a good demon slayer.

You excelled in all of your training, not long after it started, and barely months after joining, you went to the final selection, and proudly made it back. The sight of Gyomei crying, praying with his beads and waiting for your arrival was still in your head, which never failed to make you smile warmly, knowing that there was now someone that waited for you at home.
Becoming a Hashira was another step in your life that came all too fast, and you were sure things were starting to smile at you. Life was beginning to feel greater than ever, and each time the wind passed by and messed up your hair, you smiled as you looked up, feeling the spirit of your brother watching you from afar.

The day he came, it was when it started. When your life finally started going downhill.
His mint green eyes never failed to mesmerize you, your heart would always skip a beat upon that sight, despite the dull look he always held. The hair that flowed so immensely down his back was gorgeous, and your hands could almost feel the softness of it, despite never daring to touch it. You could never, not even an inch close and your feet already took you somewhere else.
Tokito Muichiro, the Mist Pillar, the biggest downfall of your life.

It was yet another regular day, when you discovered it. Another day of admiring Tokito from afar, watching his precious and delicate features softly looking upwards, cloud gazing in the middle of the headquarters. He was always that odd, a man of little words, and a short memory. Despite this, it had been clear he took a liking in appreciating the sky in its many forms, which greatly pleased you, as you shared the same interest. If only you had approached him and talked to him, perhaps you could avoid the pain of the inevitable tragedy that was bound to happen.
The love you had grown for him was one as pure as water, and easily transparent as well, although his bluntness never allowed him to notice.
You wished this love had never surged, you wished you never felt anything, you wished to live a little longer.

The petals you first vomited were those of a mint color, the same as his lovely eyes, mixed with your crimson blood. 'This cannot be happening', you kept thinking as your face grew paler.
Your body became weak over time, and the movements were pretty much reduced to small stretches. Even the slightest harsh move would make you wince in pain, your chest aching and burning with the flowers that grew inside of it.
Petals became flowers, full grown and blossomed mint colored flowers. The bittersweet feeling that came with the color almost made you cry, as the very first thing you had noticed on him was now - or it looked like it - the thing killing you. What an odd symbolism.

Kocho noticed your weakness, and offered you shelter for the upcoming stages of the disease. Each passing day was counted, painfully slow and hard days. Soon enough you humbly gave up your position in the Hashira to retire, seemingly due to personal reasons, when in fact, you were truly just dying for love. His love, the love he didn't have for you.

That you knew, very well for a fact. He could never in a million of years fall for you, for you had never approached him properly. It was perhaps the fear of rejection that had led you to this, and you found it oddly disturbing how the 'myth' you had dismissed so quickly had now affected you so deeply.
On your final days, you decided to write some letters, feeling the welcoming doors of death oddly moving. Your trembling hands picked the pencil, and tears fell from your eyes at every movement. Every now and then, the coughs you gave would accidentally spill some blood onto the paper, but you were far too exhausted to notice.
Ten was the number of letters you wrote, one for each Pillar, and an extra to Oyakata-sama, the master whom you so much loved, for he had always accepted you, regardless of age.

The very next day, as Kanao was helping you with your daily walk, a coughing fit caught you off guard, just outside the gates. Flowers painfully fell from your mouth, and your eyes turned white. It was time to say goodbye.
The young girl rushed to get help, leaving your weak body, dead, around the mind colored flowers that had brought you so much pain over the past months.

❀❀❀

Tokito's eyes looked around in a dull manner, but despite this, his heart was painfully pounding. Today, someone had died, although he didn't remember them all that well, and certainly wasn't close to said person. For some reason, however, a letter was given to him by a smiling Kocho Shinobu, who had faked her grief under a lovely smile, like those she usually gave.
Although hesitant, the mint-eyed boy eventually held the piece of paper and walked towards his favorite tree, sitting down properly to read the said letter calmly.
Each word seemed to have a lot of feelings, and he couldn't help but feel your own feelings through the letter, although for a short period of time. He sympathized with your text, and felt oddly bad for the pain he subconsciously had caused you. For a moment he stared up at the sky, feeling a soft breeze passing by, as he closed his eyes, and enjoyed the remaining of the day. What had even happened, again?

"Dearest Tokito-kun,

You may not know or remember who I am, but I do not resent you for that.
This letter may be very odd for this motive, but as I approach the end of my painful life, I find myself getting more and more emotional, and I need to let this out, just so I may die in peace.
This lifetime is highly unfortunate to us all, with the demon slaying work in our young hands, and I can't help but feel bad for not being able to help out more.
The truth is I have fallen deep in love with you. I do not expect you to correspond these feelings, for we never truly were introduced, but instead, I hope you can live your life happy, knowing someone loved you this immensely.
I pray that in another lifetime, you and I may have a chance, but for now, live long and happy.

Yours forever,

L/N Y/N"