Listener - Akaza X Reader

i feel you, i'm yours

Night had arrived hours ago and (Y/n) was woken by the rumbling of something outside of her dark bedroom. The sound came straight from a child's nightmare, something that could ignite life-long fear. Fingers lifting her from the bedside, she stood shakily onto her feet and prepared herself for whatever was out there. Akaza had left for a lengthy mission as soon as the sun had set. He wouldn't be back.

He shouldn't be back.

Holding her pillow ahead of her, she listened as the noise came closer. And closer..

Suddenly, the door fell open and smashed onto the ground as Akaza fell on it as well. Her reaction speed didn't break down at all from her time as a hashira, and she stepped back from the flying door quickly. Unfortunately, her injuries couldn't keep up with her reaction speed. Her butt slammed against the wooden floor, and she hardly caught herself with her hands. On the door was Akaza, who seized and quivered against the wood, struggling to catch his own breath.

The smell erupting from him was all too familiar to (Y/n). He must've ran into the Insect Hashira.

The girl screamed, dropping the pillow and stared shocked at the trembling demon before her, watching him desperately struggle and press his fingers against the floor. Kocho Shinobu was capable of making demons feel real pain, and then crumble away in an agonizing death. Despite being the weakest of the Hashira, her ability was extremely threatening. This threat was especially valid to Akaza, who refused to kill women. Knowing Shinobu, (Y/n) believed that she must've known Akaza was the one in charge of her attack.

The Insect Hashira likely chased after him with her incredible speed, and poisoned him consistently; all until this very second.

(Y/n) stepped back, before darting her eyes at the open doorway. It was almost as if a light shined from it, begging her to go through, to escape. Kocho was waiting for her. She would be found, and she would be able to escape and recover.

Suddenly, all of the butchered bruises on her legs went away. The cuts and painful blisters on her feet disappeared. So much adrenaline filled her body, she could only think of stepping forward over and over again.

For the first time since she met Akaza, she ran.

The demon struggled helplessly against the floor, like hundreds of pounds were stacked against his back. She sprinted down the hall, blue nightgown kissing the floor in a final goodbye. Dust flew against the wall-trim as she turned and reached out to the night sky. A doorway, open for her to escape through; freedom was such a beautiful feat.

It was like thick, metal chains bounded her feet as she came to a stop in front of the doorway. Though she didn't have any reason to stay, the agonizing scream Akaza let out was enough to stop her pace. He never intended to keep her. He never intended to take her from her home and hide her away. He never intended to chase after her and catch her. That scream was not because of her slipping effortlessly out of his grasp. He was experiencing pure pain, physically and mentally. Pain so incomprehensible that (Y/n) felt his screams pound against her stomach.

You aren't supposed to feel sounds. He ignored this fact, and his scratchy voice reached down to the pit of her chest.

Every time he spoke,

actually.

She never heard his words.

She felt them.

All she could do in this moment was picture them. Sanemi, Rengoku... all of the things they've said to her, that were possibly similar to what Akaza did.