THANK U ALL SM FOR 5.5K READS !!AABEJAODNSKFBWKN
WARNING : Swearing, Blood
(edited as of 3.3.24)
⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆
Silence consumed the room—so much so, that it would be possible to hear a pin drop. Despite that, you could feel your heart beat through your ears.
You were scared, terrified even. Would your friends, who you cared so much for, come to despise you? For all the lies you'd kept hidden beneath the surface?
Your lips parted as you struggled to project your words—anything that would be able to explain yourself.
"We're going to talk about it. All of us," You declared, hoping to at least stall a bit of time to gather your thoughts.
By involving Eli and Sōta, that way, you'd avoid having to explain the entirety of your situation twice.
After a few seconds of processing, Tanjirou nodded his head with affirmation, his lips curling into a soft, reassuring smile, "Sure, if that's what you're comfortable with."
You offered a ghost of a smile in return, thankful for Tanjirou's empathy.
Even with your lingering panic and uncertainty, he seemed to lessen the impact.
Abruptly, you pointed a finger out, ensuring to warn the three, "And.. er— hey! Listen to me, before I talk.. I don't want to make this.. um.. sad and awkward, okay?!"
Inosuke deadpanned, his tone blunt, "You just finished crying a few seconds ago. It's already awkward—hey!" Tanjirou dug his elbow into Inosuke's side, hissing, "Be quiet!"
"You're so— god, Inosuke! What's wrong with you!? Read the damn room!", Zenitsu smacked Inosuke upright on the head, bellowing out.
You cleared your throat, dismissively waving him off, trying to cover up your embarrassment, "N-No I didn't!"
You then took in the trio bickering in front of you, releasing a sense of normalcy. This time, your lips subconsciously curled upwards into a slight smile.
"Pfft.. it's okay."
You inwardly thanked Inosuke for easing the tension that lingered within the room. With his stupidity, he was able to lighten the mood at least a bit.
Your gaze subconsciously trailed to Nezuko, to where you saw her pouting with her arms crossed. You hadn't mentioned that she would be coming—you completely forgot.
"O-Oh shit! You too, Nezuko! I forgot, oh my god! I'm so sorry!!", You widened your eyes, spluttering out.
With that, Nezuko's expression softened, and she made her way into her wooden box.
As you reached for the box to carry, your hand grazed with familiar calloused ones. You blinked, turning to Tanjirou.
"I can carry her, Tanjirou! Don't worry."
He offered a shake of his head, his expression seeming softer and more understanding than before, "It's okay, I've got it."
"Wh— no! Really, just let me! It's the least I could do," You pressed, hoping that, despite his stubbornness, he'd give in.
Confusion etched itself onto his features, his brows furrowing as he hauled the box on his back, "Eh? The least you could do for what? You.. haven't done anything wrong."
"I—"
'I've made trouble for you and everyone else, Tanjirou. Not to mention, you'll all probably hate me after I tell you. You'll realize I'm a liar, and a fraud.'
You forced your uncertainties down your throat, swallowing heavily, "Nothing."
Tanjirou comfortingly grabbed hold of your hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "Good, glad we agree. When you're ready, you can lead the way."
With his gesture, it offered solace.
This gave you the courage to nod in response, leading the boys out of the room. You stalked down the hallway in a somewhat tense silence, the only sound filling the halls were your footsteps.
This allowed you to sift through your thoughts, and gather what you were going to say.
'How.. the hell am I going to word this?! This day— fuck, it's a goddamn disaster! This was never supposed to happen!'
Your fist subconsciously clenched, your fingernails ever so slightly digging into your palm.
'Like, what do I even say?! Oh, yeah! I'm practically clairvoyant, and my blood is magical! Oops, I missed the part where I'm a liar, a fraud, and a horrible person! So, feel free to despise me!'
To your dismay, you inevitably arrived to the shared room. You stilled outside the door, willing your hand to move to the doorknob.
『✦』
Reluctantly, you took grasp of it, slamming the door open with such force that it caused Eli and Sōta to jump. They each snapped their heads toward you in alarm, their expressions shocked.
Hesitantly, you forced yourself to walk into the room, desperately trying to ignore the swirl of anxiety that took place in your chest.
"You two... are taking apart of this. You deserve to know, too. Plus, there's no way in hell I'm explaining this twice," You announced.
Wariness practically seeped off of Sōta, "Are.. you sure—"
"Yeah."
Eli quirked a brow, his throat bobbing, "But—"
"No buts," You countered.
Seating yourself on the ground in the middle of the room, you fiddled with your fingers, trying to ease the gnawing anxieties and worries that ate away at you.
One by one, your companions joined you, not questioning the action at all. Nezuko crawled out of her box, growing to her typical size and situating herself next to you.
Butterflies ran through your stomach like they were pinballs—you hadn't felt this nervous in a while.
You deeply inhaled, willing yourself to gain some composure, "Okay, I'm.. ready. Just, uh—ask me questions, I guess? I'll answer truthfully. I promise."
Inosuke immediately took you upon your offer, his voice confident and clear, "What's the deal with you and butterfly woman?" You furrowed your brows initially, "Butterfly... woman..?"
Then, it clicked, "Oh, you mean Shinobu. I've been meeting up with her a bit lately, because she's been running some tests on my blood. You all know this by now, that my blood can regenerate my own injuries, and is poisonous to demons—"
"Wait, what?!", Sōta loudly exclaimed, his brows shooting up.
Noticing his excessive volume, he slapped a hand over his mouth, before whispering urgently, "What do you mean?!"
Inosuke brought a hand to his chin, momentarily pondering. He then confidently announced, "So, you're a demon!"
You widened your eyes, stunned by his sudden accusation, "H-HUH?! No, god! Where would you— I would've died in the sun, if I were! It's just.. a thing, I guess? Shinobu and I.. we have no clue as to why."
You briefly paused, your eyes flickering to everybody slowly, "So, about today. I was with Shinobu, and she wanted to see if my blood was capable of healing others, too."
You motioned to your bandaged palm, "That's why my hand is all wrapped up." You turned to Tanjirou, "And, is why you smelt blood."
Tanjirou's lips parted as he processed, before he nodded along, "Ah, okay. Well, I'm glad you're okay in that case. So, what were the results?"
You bit your bottom lip, "It.. works. I don't know why, I don't know how." You looked down to your lap, maintaining your composure, "I try not to let it show, but I'm scared. I don't know what my own body is doing, and I have no control."
Zenitsu, a contrast to his usual whiny, lighthearted demeanor, spoke, "Even when I first met you, I knew right away that your blood seemed different. Your flow.. it just sounded strange."
Tanjirou motioned to his nose, "I agree.. and the smell, it was always different."
Eli's soft blue gaze bore into yours, "Okay... so, uh.. the bleeding from your eyes and ears thing. Last time I checked, that's only normal when it happens.."
He shuddered, "Eugh.. down there, you know?"
Inosuke blinked erratically, before he began to fume, "Hah? Why can't I bleed from down there?! That's so not fair!"
At his sudden outburst, everybody disappointedly stared at him.
Eli snorted, "Holy shit, this guy is so fucking stupid."
Even Sōta joined in, pinching the bridge of his nose, "A goddamn idiot, is what he is."
Zenitsu then finally joined in, "You're an idiot too, Hugh! That's a whole different thing! You're just as stupid as Inosuke!"
Inosuke slammed a hand to the floor, "Hey!! I'll pummel you!! All of you!!"
Tanjirou paled, waving his hands out as he attempted to mediate the situation, "G-Guys!! This isn't the point of— you know, this whole conversation!"
Sending a glare to Zenitsu, Eli ignored Tanjirou's words altogether, snapping, "Compare me to Inosuke's stupidity one more time, and I'll beat you! Don't test me, or I'll cover you with spiders in your sleep."
Zenitsu hugged himself, squirming, "You're so cruel!! You know that I'm scared of spiders, ever since Natagumo Mountain!! I almost died, asshole!!"
Sōta and Tanjirou attempted to mediate the situation again, but the chaos grew louder.
You shared an amused glance with Nezuko, before surprisingly, a laugh escaped your lips.
A loud one, at that.
You hadn't expected to laugh during this dreaded conversation, but the fact that, despite everything, your companions could behave with such normalcy, it soothed your flaring emotions.
Everybody else fell into silence, staring at you as you laughed.
You inhaled deeply, your laughter gradually dying, "Pfft—! God—! I didn't really think... hehe! That I'd laugh during.. pfft—! This conversation!!"
After fully regaining your composure, you sighed with amusement, "You're all so stupid. Really. But.. thank you. I know you're not meaning to, but you're comforting me with all this usual bickering."
You then cracked a small smile, "And no, god— if it was apart of my period? You all would've definitely heard me complain about it endlessly. I don't know what it is, but.. since I'm being honest, it's excruciating."
Turning toward Tanjirou and Eli, you added, "But, while we're talking about that.. remember at Natagumo Mountain, with Rui? That technique I pulled?"
Tanjirou's expression contorted into one of remembrance, familiarity flickering through his eyes, "I remember that! I was waiting for a chance to ask you, but.."
Eli continued, "You were acting distant whenever we brought it up, so neither of us wanted to force it."
You apologetically smiled, "Sorry. I promise, it wasn't anything personal. I just.. needed to process, is all." You inhaled, "So, anyways. That breath technique I used? I've met the creator of it, who—might I add, is dead."
Confusion morphed into each of their expressions, to which you added, "Sorry, forgot to clarify. I've.. been having these recurring dreams with her. For about two years now."
You watched as Tanjirou's shoulders tensed, his expression gaping and distraught. Of course he'd be shocked, he'd witnessed your aftermaths of these nightmares—with you panicked and gasping for air.
'Please don't hate me, Tanjirou. I'm sorry.'
"Back at Urokodaki-san's.. those nightmares.. they were..?", He started.
"Yeah, they.. they were. Please don't be mad. I'm so sorry.", You started, before directing your next words to everyone else.
"I'm just.. really sorry. To all of you. I don't like.. reaching out for help. It creates problems, and it burdens you in return. You all have so much on your plates already, I didn't want to cause any stress."
Complete silence engulfed the room.
That was, before Eli whipped a pillow at your face. You released a somewhat strangled sound, as everybody flinched at his action.
Tanjirou snapped his head toward Hugh, "Hugh! What the hell— why did you do that?! That was..!"
Eli stalked his way toward you, causing the room to erupt into chaos once more.
"HUGH, SIT DOWN!! WE'RE HAVING A SERIOUS CHAT WITH (Y/N)-CHAN RIGHT NOW!!", Zenitsu called.
"WAIT— ARE WE FIGHTING!? GUAHAH! THE KING OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL BEAT ALL YOUR ASSES!!", Inosuke proudly bellowed.
Sōta released an exasperated sigh, "Inosuke, no we're not!!" He then glared at Eli, "HUGH, SIT YOUR DAMN ASS DOWN!!"
Frozen in place, you could only watch as Eli's intimidating, looming figure approached you. Then, as you prepared for the worst..
..he embraced you.
Everybody silently watched, just as surprised as you.
"Eli..?"
His voice seemed somewhat shaken, "You.. what the hell are you thinking?" He pulled back, his eyes glossy. Though, his tears remained unshed.
"You're an idiot, (Y/N)! We just had a conversation about this a week ago, how many times will you make me say it again?! You're not a burden, don't you know that?"
Tanjirou nodded along, "He's right, (Y/N). You make me—well, us.. worry even more when we all know there's something going on, but you don't tell us. It destroys me when I'm unable to help the one I care for."
His calloused palm cupped your cheek, his thumb softly stroking. You leaned into his touch, watching his soft smile grow.
"(Y/N), I love you. More than you could ever know. So please, don't be afraid to come to me, or any of us."
Zenitsu wedged himself in between you and Tanjirou, forcing the both of you apart. You blinked at Zenitsu, as he hissed profanities at the burgundy haired boy.
His demeanor changed entirely as he turned
to you, "(Y/N)-chan, they're both right. We all care for you. You're our friend, there's no way you'd ever burden us. You've got to—ack!"
Inosuke abruptly tackled Zenitsu to the side, before aggressively pointing a finger in your direction, "(M/N)!! You've got to stop acting like an idiot, just like Monitsu!!"
Zenitsu squirmed beneath his weight, "H-HEY!! I'M NOT AN IDIOT! GET OFF ME, YOU DERANGED BOAR!! I BET YOU HAVE RABIES!!"
Inosuke completely ignored Zenitsu's presence altogether, "Listen to me, my minion! As King of the Mountains, I officially order you to start thinking of yourself, for once!"
You released a giggle, playfully following along. You saluted, "Aye aye, captain! I'll try my best!"
Sōta then locked gazes with you, "We haven't been friends for long, but you're still a good one of mine. You're selfless, (Y/N), which necessarily isn't a bad thing, but.."
He shook his head with a smile, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Inosuke. You need to take yourself into account too. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we want to be there for you. It isn't a burden."
Eli nodded along, "And, don't forget that we're able to carry our own weight. Especially while helping others, so don't stress over us."
Nezuko clasped her slender hand within yours, nodding and humming in agreement.
Tanjirou concluded, "We all love you, and we care for you, (Y/N). Just as you do with us. So don't think for one second that we wouldn't be at your side to help you no matter what."
Just like that, tears welled up within your eyes. They dribbled down your flushed cheeks as you sniffled and tried to wipe them away.
"God, I was so scared.. I didn't want you to hate me for not telling you. I'm just.. I'm so relieved..", You softly cried out.
In return, Tanjirou softly pressed his lips to your temple, soothingly squeezing your shoulder, "We could never hate you. We're proud of you for opening up."
You looked up to Tanjirou, sniffling, "I love you."
"OKAY, OKAY! THAT'S ENOUGH! STOP BEING ALL LOVEY-DOVEY! WE'RE RIGHT HERE!", Zenitsu yelled, crossing his arms.
You turned back to the rest of the group, bashfully chuckling. You then sniffled, feeling somewhat embarrassed, "I told myself I wouldn't cry, but.."
Eli scoffed, his lips curling upwards, "Hah! Karma— fuck!"
Sōta pinched Eli's ear, hissing menacingly, "Hugh, I swear to fucking..!! You have no goddamn emotional awareness!!"
'That.. didn't go as bad as I thought it would. I'm.. just so relieved.'
Just as everybody redirected their attention to the bickering pair, you interrupted.
"There's more."
You eyed Zenitsu and Eli, biting your bottom lip ever so slightly. They immediately knew what was coming next.
As everybody shifted their attention back to you, you grew somewhat nervous.
"Before I say this.. I just— I want you all to know that I didn't want to keep this from you. It's just something I've had to do, regardless of what I thought.
You then took a deep breath, "I wouldn't believe this if I were you, because it sounds made up.. but I swear.. it's the truth."
You paused, somewhat hesitant—your uncertainties causing you to get in your own head once more.
Though, once meeting the reassuring gazes of Eli and Zenitsu, you mustered up the courage to form your words, "I can see the future. Well— bits of it."
You watched as Tanjirou's, Inosuke's, and Sōta's faces grew confused, before they hardened with shock.
"EH?! IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!"
"HAH?! TEACH ME, TEACH ME!!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
You relaxed your shoulders—at least the worst of it was over.
"I can prove it, too. At Natagumo Mountain, you all had to fight corpses of demon slayers, attached to strings. Tanjirou killed the mother demon. Zenitsu, you fought the brother demon, and Shinobu came to your aid. Sōta and Inosuke, you fought the father demon."
Eli amusedly added, "Okay! What about me?!" You snorted, "I think that's a given. Picking your nose, duh."
He snickered, "Accurate."
Sōta interjected, clearly suspicious, "Is anybody else wondering why the hell Zenitsu and Hugh aren't freaking the hell out? What's wrong with you two?"
Zenitsu sheepishly shrugged, "I've known ever since we were at the Wisteria House. Sorry Tanjirou.. Inosuke.."
Eli added, "I just knew, because I'm smart like that!"
You deadpanned, "No, you're not."
Tanjirou widened his eyes, still unable to process the bombshell you'd just dropped on them, "But— how?! When?! Why?!"
You exhaled slowly, "I think of it like.. reading a book. Everything that happened in it, just occurs in numerical order. So, I only know about the things from my current memory."
"That's why.. I'm always training. I try not to show it, but I'm scared. I'm scared of the future, and what happens in it to my knowledge. I don't want to fail—I can't fail."
Inosuke scoffed, "Gauahah! No need to worry! I can handle myself and everyone combined, because I'm so powerful!!"
You released a low chuckle, before adding, "I also—I'm sorry for everything. Especially for running away earlier. It just.. feels weird to actually talk about all of this. I didn't mean to worry you all."
Tanjirou shook his head, "Don't be sorry. I.. have to admit, I'm sure all of us would've preferred if you told us earlier, but then again.. that's easier said than done."
Sōta nodded, "And honestly.. it all sounds absurd, I'll tell you that. But.. we believe you. You're our friend, so we'll always be there for what you have to say."
Eli crossed his arms, flickering a smile, "Though, the running away was unnecessary. Drama queen, much!"
You rolled your eyes, chuckling at his tease.
Inosuke leaned in close, whispering loudly in your ear, "Psst. What's going to happen in my future?!"
You pretended to ponder, before sarcastically retorting, "Yes... I can see it.. you're going to be an idiot.. in the near future.."
"GAAHH! NO I WON'T!!", Inosuke fumed, just before he rammed his head directly into Sōta's back.
He released a pained yelp, "SHIT!! WHAT THE HELL, INOSUKE?!"
"HMMPH! YOU LOOKED ANNOYING AND UGLY!! SO I DECIDED TO HEAD BUTT YOU, SODIUM!"
You nudged Eli, gesturing to the two, "Maybe I should become a psychic in my free time, make some extra money."
Eli snickered into his fist.
"HUH?! ME? MY NAME ISN'T SODIUM, DUMBASS! IT'S SŌTA!"
Zenitsu interjected, exasperated, "GOD, WILL YOU SHUT UP?! WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION!"
You waved him off, shaking your head with an amused smile, "No, pfft— we just finished, I'm pretty sure."
The door then abruptly slammed open, causing you all to stop dead in your tracks.
In the doorway, stood a fuming, irritated Aoi, an irk mark visible on her temple. She clenched her fists, passive-aggresssively smiling.
"What the hell did I say about the volume, hm?"
That's when you all collectively thought:
You were all dead.
⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆
Word Count : 3392
(edited a/n: haha been a while since i've rewritten a chapter)
not too happy with this chapter, sorry in advance!
i've been experiencing some motivation issues and writers block, but it should be over soon!
thank u for all the support <3
see ya in the next update !