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'CRASH'
I fell into a dimly lit alleyway. The alley walls were mossy, and the silhouettes of the night filled my view. The majority of the shattered bricks had begun to fall out of their proper places on the walls, and the floor had cigarette ash streaks as well as being stretched by the odor of alcohol in the dead of night. The ground felt rough and frigid beneath my form and the distant screams and cheers of civilians echoed through the streets.
I was lying on my back, clutching my chest in excruciating anguish. With every attempted breath, blood gushed from my mouth like a torrent, and my chest heaved. My eyes widened in desperation as air refused to enter my lungs, and my cuts swelled as if it was being burnt by a lump of hot coal on a fresh wound.
My hands trembled and my body shook, no sound came out of my mouth as I struggled for air. My breathing was obstructed by blood, and I gasped desperately for air. My ears began to ring severely as the pulse of my heart could be heard like a loud beating drum next to my ear.
When my eyes grew bloodshot, I started coughing violently. In an attempt to relieve the extreme agony in my lungs, I scraped at my throat. Nail marks remained and began to bleed, intensifying my discomfort.
As I continued to gasp, a distant voice broke through my dread and I felt my head being hauled up onto someone's lap. A gentle hand stroked my hair in an attempt to comfort me, and I heard Tanjiro's distant panicked voice.
Someone held my jaw open, and then the marvelous comfort of water flooded down my aching throat. My coughing subsided, and the blood from my cuts and mouth continued to flow. I exhaled deeply as relief washed over me and my breathing regained its normal rhythm. When the ringing in my ears eventually subsided and I heard the voices of my saviors, my body still trembled.
"(Y/N)-Nee, are you alright?!" Tanjiro screamed in worry with tears threatening to fall down his face. I gently smiled as I softly looked at the boy on the left of me.
I chuckled painfully before responding. "What...do you..think?" I tensed and shut my eyes tightly as the pain started to once again flow all over my body.
A new voice suddenly spoke up, and it came from above me. "You fool, what makes you think you can take on that man by yourself?" After speaking, the man released a scoff. I gently opened my eyes and was greeted by a lavender stare. The boy's hair was teal and black and brushed neatly. As he balled his hand and gently hit my forehead as a kind of scolding, his harsh glare contrasted with his white and blue attire.'Am I hallucinating, because I'm currently lying on a demon's lap, whilst being scolded after fighting in the sky.' I thought as he continued to lightly hit my head. 'Have I lost too much blood? Will I die? People hallucinate before they die, right?' I questioned in my daze.
A third voice spoke up now. It was gentle and kind and it came from my right. "Yushiro, please stop. You may hurt her further." A beautiful woman spoke. Her eyes were purple and compassionate, Like how a mother would look at a child. Her ebony hair was styled formally and traditionally, and her flower-patterned kimono was the perfect complement to her appeal.
My eyes slightly widen as I realize that she is a demon as well. "Of course, lady Tamayo! I'm sorry!" The boy above me spoke as he unclenched his fist and laid it by his side, his other hand held my shoulder in a calming manner as he finished.
The lady nodded to him with a smile before turning to my weak form. "I assume that you already know that we are demons, right?" She asked. I cautiously and shakily nodded in response to her question. "I promise we mean no harm. We only wish to help." She spoke softly.
I stared at her skeptically before Tanjiro spoke up. "It's okay, (Y/N)-Nee. They are good demons! They helped me with the incident in town earlier, and even helped me kill two others of their own kind!" He spoke as he held my hand and rubbed circles on my knuckles. He smiled warmly. "Trust me, I used my nose on them, and I smelled no aggression. You can trust them." He finished.
I looked at the boy for a moment before I sighed and nodded after closing my eyes. "If...you're good, doesn't that mean...that Muzan's after you..?" I spoke painfully and slowly as I looked at the boy above me.
The lady responded as the boy above me narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "He is, but he is yet to catch us." She smiled.
"Why..are you here then? If Muzan's in this city...aren't you supposed to stay away..from him? Why..are you here?" I spoke in curiosity as the pain continued to run through my body with every word I spoke.
She sighed before responding. "We were only made aware of his presence in the city when we watched you battle and when Tanjiro told us about him earlier" She spoke. "My name is Tamayo, and the boy whose lap you rested in is Yushiro." She introduced as she looked over my weak form.
Before descending down and peering into my eyes, the boy above my scoffed once again. Our faces were inches apart, and our breaths collided with each other. Tanjiro's fingers slipped away from my own as the demon abruptly moved his face away from mine. Yushiro took my head from his lap and gently placed it on the stony ground beneath us. He looked at Tamayo.. "Lady Tamayo, she is in critical condition. We have to get her back to be treated."
The woman nodded at Yushiro. "Very well." She looked down at me as Yushiro picked me up and held me, bridal-style. "If it's alright with you, we would like to take you back to our base to treat your wounds" She smiled yet again. I sighed and nodded as we began our journey through the dark alleyways to their base. The last thing I heard before falling unconscious was the footsteps of my comrades and the shouting of drunk men in the distance.
I slowly regained consciousness and tremendous pain quickly surged through my body. I grunted in pain and clenched my fists while grinding my teeth in pain.
I felt the material of a hospital bed beneath my fingertips and the aroma of medicine and books fill my system.
I felt a rough and gentle hand land on my clenched one. "(Y/N)-Nee, You're awake" I heard Tanjiro speak happily. "Me and Nezuko are going to head out now. I figured that you need more time to recover, so we'll meet up later, okay?" His voice was just over a whisper as he continued to caress my hand. "Please send me a letter once you're fully recovered. Then we can meet up again." He sighed. "I hope you get better soon, but please don't rush after me. I promise to stay safe, so don't worry." He spoke gently as he leaned down and kissed my forehead.
I tiredly spoke as he moved his face away. "I..trust you, Tanjiro.." I painfully lifted my trembling, bandaged hand and extended my little finger "Stay...safe.. please." I spoke weakly with a hoarse voice.
The boy nodded before linking his pinky with mine. "I promise!" he exclaimed and grinned in reassurance
I opened my tired eyes slowly after hearing the door slam open. I turned to face Nezuko, who was standing in the doorway.
She dashed over to my form and, as she approached my bed before she leaned down and hugged me softly, making sure not to aggravate my injuries.
As he buried her face in the crook of my bandaged neck, I softly smiled and lightly stroked her hair with my bandaged hand. "Nezuko..please take care of...your brother..for me." I spoke slowly and quietly. I felt the girl nodding as he kept her face buried in my neck. "Be good for him.. and... try not to cause trouble while... I'm not there" I painfully chuckled at my own words as Nezuko once again nodded.
Suddenly, Yushiro slammed through the room to witness the scene of Nezuko hugging my weak form. Steam blew out of his ears as he stormed over to us. He grabbed Nezuko by the ear and tugged her away from my body. Nezuko whined as he gripped her ear. "What did I tell you about hugging her! She is probably in a lot of pain you know!" He screamed.
I lightly smiled at the two. "Actually, I didn't mind her hugging me" I chuckled breathily.
Yushiro grew a tick mark on his head and gritted his teeth, still holding Nezuko's ear. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK! THOSE WERE LADY TAMAYO'S ORDERS, YOU GOT THAT?!?!" He yelled at us as Nezuko struggled further.
Tamayo appeared at the door and spoke. "Yushiro, let go of her ear and apologize. As long as (Y/N) is okay with it, I'm sure it's fine if they hug one another" She gazed at the other demon and smiled gently.
Yushiro tensed. "I'm sorry Lady Tamayo." He spoke as he let go of Nezuko's ear and bowed. He then turned to the rest of us before scowling "I apologize for my behavior" he said through gritted teeth as his fists clenched at his sides while Tanjiro and I sweatdropped.
Before heading out the door, Tamayo sighed. Yushiro trailed behind her, and Nezuko followed behind him after giving me a final wave. Before stepping out the door, Tanjiro flashed me one more grin. "Goodbye (Y/N), and I hope you feel better soon!" He exclaimed, beaming, before sprinting off to find the others after closing the door quietly, leaving me alone to myself.
I chuckled before sighing and closing my eyes thoughtfully. 'See you later, Tanjio-Kun, Nezuko-Chan'
I reopened my eyes and gazed upwards at the ceiling. I looked around the room for something to do, and my gaze fell on a large bookshelf directly across from my bed.
I grunted and sat up slowly and uncomfortably in my bed, leaning against the wooden bed frame that supported my bedding. 'I shouldn't move around too much, otherwise, I'm sure Yushiro would kill me' I thought as I held back a chuckle. 'I'll have to ask him or Tamayo to get me a book from the shelf over there.' I nodded to myself as I leaned my head back against the headboard and stared at the white ceiling once again.
Thoughts filled my mind about how Kagaya knew where I was when he sent (o/n) and Tanjiro's crow to send news about the boy's first mission. 'Did he know where I was the entire time, or did Urokodaki say something about us when me, Tanjiro, and Nezuko were living with him?' I questioned my thought as I continued to stare at the ceiling in wonder.
As I examined the gauze, which had little patches of crimson blood on various places of my palm and knuckle, I carefully raised my wrapped hand to my face. My thumb, index finger, and middle finger were all bandaged together, but the rest of my fingers were free to move around. Along with my knuckle down to my wrist, the center of my hand was also coated in red and white gauze. I narrowed my eyes on my palm. 'It's probably from gripping my katana too hard. When we were fighting, I didn't even notice...' I thought as I studied the bandages closely.
"What are you doing?" An agitated voice spoke from the doorway. I turned to the door while lowering my hand down to my side and stared at an angry Yushiro. I slightly shivered at his agitation.
I stared at him before answering. "I'm...studying the bandages..?" I tilted my head as I answered questionably and blinked at the demon.
He gave a scoff. "Lady Tamayo did them herself so I'm sure that they're done properly. You better not try to remove them or we might have some problems." He glared.
I blinked in confusion and deadpanned at him. 'Why is he glaring at me? Did I do something wrong..?' I thought as I tapped my unbandaged fingers against the bedsheets while he continued to glare at me.
He continued to stare at me so I cleared my throat. "Umm...could you possibly get me a book from the shelf over there please?" I looked down to my lap and shakily pointed to the bookshelf across from my bed with my left hand, which was fully bandaged.
"No"
I tensed and avoided his gaze as I quickly lowered my hand and brought it to my lap. "Sorry for asking" I said quietly.
The boy scoffed once more and crossed his arms while continuing to glare at me. "Why were you fighting that man in the first place?" He questioned as he gritted his teeth. "You should be dead, you know." He spoke again, not giving me any time to answer.
I sighed and slumped my shoulders slightly. "I know" I responded honestly, making him raise a brow. "..I'm sorry for my inconvenience." I spoke again with a defeated exhale.
He grunted and shifted his weight onto one leg. "You should be. Lady Tamayo and I have to wait until you've recovered until we can leave the city. That puts us at more risk of being caught and killed." He gritted his teeth at me.
I nodded. "You don't have to help me. You could leave right now if you want. I'll be fine by myself." I spoke quietly.
The boy clicked his tongue. "I would if I could, but Lady Tamayo said she wanted to help you first, and that she won't leave you by yourself until you're fully recovered." He spoke with gritted teeth as he began to walk towards my bed.
Once he arrived at my side he knelt down next to my bed and softly grabbed my right arm, which was also fully bandaged, and brought it closer to him for inspection. "Tell me when it hurts alright?" Not giving me any time to respond, he started to press down on certain parts of my arm.
Pain surged through my body and I winced. I tried to remove my arm from his hold but he held me in place. He glared at me yet again. "I told you to tell me, not to wince and cry" He spoke through seethed teeth.
I tensed before looking down once again and gulped. "Sorry" He began to growl.
"Don't apologize. Just tell me next time, ya' got that?" He pressed down on my arm once again, not even bothering to check where he pressed down to stare at me.
My eyes widened as pain surged through my arm again and nodded frantically at him. "Yep, I understand!" I squealed as he stopped pressing down on my arm. I sighed in relief as the pain slowly subsided and his hand gently slid down my arm to my wrist after he glanced down at my arm once more.
His touch was gentle and soft, the complete opposite of his personality. If held warmth and comfort, like Tamayo's hands. This surprised me and caused my eyes to slightly widen in shock.
I took another look around the room and discovered four wax candles that had blown out on a drawer that also held a white lily in a brightly patterned vase. The lily's aroma soothed my senses and performed a peaceful environment in the warm-toned atmosphere. 'I should be dead.' I thought as I looked over the fight in my head. 'Why was he holding back? He could have easily killed me within seconds if he wanted to, so...why didn't he?' I furrowed my brows in thought and bit down on my bottom lip.
A voice cut through my thinking. "What are you thinking about?" Yushiro curiously spoke as he began to undo the bandages on my hand.
I hesitated before answering. "...why do you think I'm still alive?" I spoke as I turned to look at the boy.
He shrugged. "How am I supposed to know, I'm surprised that man didn't kill you when he had the chance." He unwrapped the gauze from my hand and wrapped it in a ball before stuffing it in his pocket. "However, I do think there is a reason he didn't kill you." He pursed his lips and my brow raised in intrigue. "I'm not an expert on this stuff but, maybe he wanted to test your fighting ability?" Yushiro wondered aloud.
I tilted my head as he began to take a new gauze from his other pocket and started to wrap my hand with it. "What do you mean by that?" I asked questionably.
The boy shrugged once more. "Well, if I were that man, I would want as many powerful allies on my side as possible." He paused. "Maybe he was testing your strength because he was planning on turning you into a demon." I tensed and blinked in surprise. "Lady Tamayo thought the same thing when we were watching the fight between you two, I'm just repeating her words." He finished wrapping my hand and stood up.
I was still frozen, contemplating if that could be the truth. He began to turn around and walk to the door, not waiting for my response.
The demon suddenly paused at the door before sighing and turning around and walking towards the bookshelf. When he reached the shelf, he took a stack of random books and dumped them on my bed, next to my leg. I looked up at him with a parted mouth as he turned back to the door.
I smiled lightly. "Thank you, Yushiro-san" I spoke softly as he walked out the door.
He paused at the door. After a moment, he gave out a small scoff before shaking his head and closing the door behind him, then walking away and leaving me alone.
3086 words :)