Status: Unedited
Published: July 18, 2023
You look at Giyuu tiredly, laying on the ground while weakly holding your sword.
Giyuu sheathed his own as he walked up to you, kneeling down and picked you up. "You've done well, Y/n... our sessions end here..." he says, connecting your foreheads together.
You fell asleep even when you didn't want to, thanks to Urokudaki who used a spell on you. Giyuu thanked him for he knows how lively you become at night, "put her to bed, the Master wants to see her at 8 am tomorrow before she heads out," says the former Water Pillar, Giyuu nods. "Thank you for taking the time to train her when I wasn't present."
Urokudaki only laughed, "she didn't need me at all, I just came for a show." He pats Giyuu's shoulder, "but the best I've seen so far in your story, is how this girl," Urokudaki puts his hand on your forehead, "made you what you are today," he says. "As far as I remembered, you never smiled once after your Final Selection, and your reason is valid."
Giyuu frowns, "I am not worthy of my place."
"But to this girl, you are," Urokudaki argues, silencing his student. Giyuu only looked down, "no matter how much you try to change my mind, I'm still not worthy to stand amongst the Pillars," he walks away back to his Estate, your sleeping figure in his arms.
"I am a fake Pillar..."
Urokudaki sighed and looked up at the sky painted with purple hues and orange tints.
"Sabito... what ever will I do with Giyuu?"
When Giyuu arrived at his Estate, he laid you on your bed in your room and asked a female Kakushi to change you out of your clothes and into a more comfortable Kimono. Giyuu washed his face in the bathroom and glared at himself in the mirror, "Tomioka-dono..?"
Giyuu looked at the door and opened it slightly, his face drenched in water peeking out. "Yes? What is it?" he asked, the woman showed you standing behind her. Giyuu flinched and wiped his face with his towel, coming out of the bathroom with his upper clothing unbuttoned all the way down.
"What's wrong?" he asked you, you shook your head. "Nothing... I thought you left," you say, hugging yourself. Giyuu closed the bathroom door, "now, why would I leave you?" he asked, you shrugged. "I dunno, I just..." you bit your lip, "I... had a bad dream..."
Giyuu asked you to sit down on the living room couch, so you followed. He buttoned his uniform back up to be formal, he wouldn't want this talk to be disrupted by such improper manner.
"So, would you like to talk about it?" he asked, you hesitantly nodded, but it was still a yes which made Giyuu smile a little. "You..." you say, slowly lifting your finger up at his nose.
"What about me?"
Your irises slit into the middle as they narrowed, Giyuu didn't cower away or flinch, he only looked back into your demonic eyes how he would always look at you.
Gentle.
You started to sob which made Giyuu pull you close to him, "hey, it's alright. What happened in your dream?" he asked, you pulled back and didn't show him your face as tears continuously flowed down your face. "Y-You left..." you simply said.
Giyuu tilted your chin up to his face, taking in your distressed expression. "Why would you think I'd leave you?
I'll never leave you..." he says softly.
You shook your head, making his hand withdraw from your chin as your hands made their way up to your hair, messing it up. "No no no no, you don't understand," you squeaked.
Giyuu was starting to get swallowed up by confusion, "what do you mean?"
You let out a shivering breath.
"... you died in my dream..."
Giyuu had a look of realization on his face, "oh, Y/n..."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I broke the sword! I just-" you couldn't stop crying, your hands were shaking and you looked like a madwoman.
The Water Pillar pulled you in a hug, "please don't let your thoughts overwhelm you... I won't die. There will be close calls in fights I get it and maybe I will die, but here's something you should always remember..." he tilts your head by your chin up to his face again.
He puts his lips to your forehead, "whatever form I may take, I will always be with you..."
You calmed down after talking a little more with Giyuu, he bought you some hot chocolate.
"But what surprised me most is how you woke up from Urokudaki-san's sleeping spell," he says, walking you to your room. You raised a brow, "really?" you asked, he nodded. "Yes."
He opened the door to your room and beckoned you to go inside and get your rest, "you must go to bed now, the Master would like to see you tomorrow at his Estate at 8 in the morning."
You went inside but turned around quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked you, you walk back outside and closed your door.
"I'd like to sleep beside you, if that's alright..." you say, shyly twiddling your fingers.
Giyuu smiled a little, "that would be fine with me, but my room's a little messy."
You shook your head, "I don't mind, as long as you're beside me."
Giyuu looked away from your eyes, he hummed as he saw you walk ahead of him to the other hall.
He held his stomach, "I must be getting hungry again... but I'm still full though..." he told himself, shrugging then caught up with you to his room.
He opened the door to reveal a neatly arranged room, you punch him by the shoulder playfully, "messy my ass," you giggled.
He felt heat rush up his cheeks as you took off your Haori that you knitted and placed it on the clothes rack, sitting on his bed. "Wow, it's soft," you giggle.
Giyuu stood there in the doorway, his hand going up to his mouth.
'What is this? Am I having a heart attack?'
He walked to his bed where you were and sat down, deep in thought. "Hm? What's the matter?" you asked.
His head snapped to you, "I-I might be sick," he told you.
You blinked, "what do you mean?"
He puts your hand on his chest. You feel the rhythm of his heart, it was abnormally fast. "Maybe you're experiencing tachycardia," you say, sitting beside him.
You put your hands up, "now I'm not exactly good at the medical field, but simple procedures were taught to us agents for emergencies." Giyuu nods as he waited for you to say something.
"How much coffee have you been drinking?" you asked him, taking out your phone and looked for your clock app. "Two cups per day," he replies.
You put two fingers on his neck where his pulse was and started your timer, "have you been drinking liquor?" you asked, he shook his head. "Only on special occasions."
You nod, "you should go check in with Shinobu in the morning, she might know more," you say, stopping your timer after a minute.
"A hundred and fifty beats per minute. I know for a fact that's not normal, a normal heart rate is over sixty beats to a hundred beats only," you say.
Giyuu looked down, "I see..."
You hop in bed, "welp, you should rest too," you say.
Giyuu nods, "I guess you're right..." he says, crawling to the right side of the bed and got in the covers after blowing out the candle.
You hug him by his chest as he hugged you by your waist, you fell asleep immediately but Giyuu remained awake.
He let out a sigh, 'I guess Kocho will be of help tomorrow...' he thought to himself, finally going to sleep.
~The next day, 6:31 in the morning~
You woke up to Giyuu's sleeping face, his lips slightly apart. You blushed, "I completely forgot..." you whispered to yourself.
You took your phone from the bedside table and opened it, checking the time. You put it back, "I still have time..." you say, going back in the covers with Giyuu and wrapped your arms around him.
"Let me enjoy this..." you smile to yourself.
Giyuu eventually women up after five minutes which made you get up too, "good morning," you smile, Giyuu smiles with closed tired eyes. "Morning, Y/n..." he said.
You almost had a nosebleed, 'his morning voice is too deep, damn...'
He got up with a little yawn and immediately went to prepare breakfast, "uh-uh, I'll be cooking today."
You stood up and blocked the door, Giyuu sighed. "I have to took today, Y/n. You better get ready,
today's your Final Selection..."
Your jaw dropped, "oh, you're right..."
You ran to your room for your towel and then dashes to the bathroom, quickly pouring on water on your head.
"Oh fuck, it's cold!" Giyuu heard you yell from the bathroom, he laughed as he prepared the broth for your breakfast. "She's so lively today..." he smiled.
"But we won't be sure she'll remain as happy as she is right now next week."
Giyuu turned to see Urokudaki standing by the table, "Master..." he greeted, Urokudaki nodded in acknowledgement of his greeting. "I just hope that she'll make it out alive, I know that the Pillars will not go easy on her despite her newfound strength," he says, putting the food he finished making for you on the table.
Urokudaki was invited by Giyuu for breakfast, to which he kindly accepted. "I'm ready!" you yelled, running to the dining room and slipped on the polished floor on your socks.
Giyuu helped you up, "no you still aren't," he smiles, letting you sit down and pushed your food in front of you. You smiled, "mom's chicken pot!" you say, Giyuu nods and gives you a spoon.
You then proceeded to eat your bowl as Urokudaki continued his conversation with Giyuu. "She reminds me a tad bit of Tanjiro," he suddenly says, making Giyuu nod. "They have similarities, one of them being their appetites," the Water Pillar pointed out.
You finished the bowl, "would you like some more?" Giyuu asked, you nod. "Yes, please! I intend to leave with a lot of food consumed, I know very well that there won't be enough food at the exam," you say, Urokudaki smiles behind his mask. "You are one intelligent girl," he says, you blushed with a small giggle.
Giyuu covered the pot back up again and walked back to the table, "WISE taught her a lot. She's a spy," he said, handing you the bowl to which you gladly accepted.
Urokudaki raised a brow, "a spy? For Japan or Taiwan? Or another country-"
Giyuu shook his head, "nah, I work for the West."
You interrupted them, "and Giyuu's a spy too, he helps me run errands," you say, putting another spoonful of rice dipped in chicken broth in your mouth.
Urokudaki was pleased, "you're really kind, it's almost like you took after Tanjiro," he says, you laugh. "So, I'm a knockoff version of him?"
Giyuu and Urokudaki laughed, "kind of, but much better too," says Giyuu.
You finished eating after 4 bowls, but before you left, Giyuu asked you to wait for him. You waited for him while brushing your teeth, "my fangs got a little longer..." you said, looking at the mirror then spitting out the toothpaste.
Giyuu walked inside the kitchen hiding something from his back, you turn and saw him standing beside the dining table. "Oh there you are," you say, rinsing off your mouth and your toothbrush.
Giyuu showed you what he was hiding behind him, it was the sword he used when he was a Kinoe before he got promoted as a Pillar. Your jaw dropped, "a-another sword?" you asked, taking it in your hands.
Giyuu nods, "I figured that your dream last night would bug you, so I thought you might need another sword in case that one broke," he says, you blushed. He was so thoughtful.
You tried to deny and tell him it was just a figment of your imagination, nothing more. But the more you denied, the more he pushed the sword into your hands leaving you in defeat as you accepted the sword.
Giyuu offered to accompany you to the Master, you gladly accepted.
You two walked to the Master's Estate, arriving with Kiriya who greeted you by the engawa. "Good morning, Y/n..."
You and Giyuu bowed as the Master emerged from the doors, Kiriya leading him to sit down in front of you. "Good morning, Master..." you and Giyuu said in unison, the Master smiled upon hearing your voices. "Giyuu," the Master called out, "yes, Master?"
"I know your intentions, and I'm allowing you to watch over young Y/n," he says, Giyuu blushed. "Thank you, Master..."
The Master's eyes then directed to you, "as you know, the Final Selection is taking place today. I have set the venue to the city, for I've been told that there are way more complicating obstacles there. However, you are not allowed to buy food for yourself," says the Master, making you frown. "Noted, Master."
"You must take these remaining hours you have before your journey and fill your stomach with gladness, empty your mind off your burdens, and think only of the path you currently stand at," the Master says.
He puts his hands on your head, "I give you my full support, Y/n Forger."
You smile, "thank you, Master. I'll do my best!"
It was then silent which was slightly uncomfortable, until Giyuu spoke.
"If you don't mind me asking, Master. Why did you call only for Y/n? There were lots of other aspiring demon slayers getting ready for today's event," asked the Water Pillar.
The Master hummed, "Y/n is a peculiar child from my understanding. She and Nezuko are the same, but..."
You blinked, 'oh, there's a but...'
"... but very few demons use breathing styles, they are very rare. Written in history, average demons who try to learn breath styles take them longer to master the techniques," says the Master.
You nod, "and Y/n only took months for her to master 5 forms of the Water Breath," says Giyuu. The Master nods, "naturally, it would take a minimum of five years for demons to be able to get used to breath styles. This has got me interested in Y/n as I want her to be a fine swordsman."
You were flattered, "so you must survive this examination, if you fail it will be a huge lost to the Corps," says the Master.
Your face lit up, "yes, Master!"
The little meeting ended and you and Giyuu sat by the tree in front of the Master's Estate. "Hello, Tomioka!"
Giyuu looked up to see Kyojuro's figure towering over the two of you, you stood up and hugged him.
"Don't get on that fucking train!"
Kyojuro blinked, "huh? Why not?! It's my mission!" he said, pulling you by your collar and lifted you up. You were crying like crazy, "just don't! Trust me, please!" you yelled.
Giyuu stood up, "I'll go with him."
You looked at him, "what?"
Giyuu fixes his Haori, "I'll go with him," he repeats.
You looked down, "but he's strong..."
He took you from Kyojuro and held you by your shoulders.
"So are we."
You bit your lip nervously, "you sure..?" you asked, he nods. "I won't let him die," he whispered.
Upper Moon Three is strong, you don't know if Giyuu could match him in terms of speed and strength. But nevertheless, you trusted his words. You knew he wouldn't break a promise, especially if it concerned people he desires to protect and keep alive.
You ended up giving in, Giyuu looked at Kyojuro with determination. "I'll go with you on the Mugen Train," he says.
Kyojuro hums in question, laughing wholeheartedly at the Water Pillar, "alright! Buddies!" he said, locking Giyuu's head in his arms. Giyuu sighed but he knew you didn't want to have anyone dying again, not your comrades whom you've learned to love.
He smiled and Kyojuro saw.
"Oh?! Was that I smile I've just seen, Tomioka?!" he asked, poking his cheek aggressively. "N-No..."
"You like Forger, don't you?" he asked, Giyuu kept silent.
"Struck a nerve, huh?"
"What?"
"You went..." Kyojuro let him go, "... quiet~"
Giyuu facepalms, "oh my God, what does it matter if I go quiet?"
You nod, "yeah, he's quiet when he's around you guys," you speak up.
Kyojuro looks at you, "so you mean, he could be noisy in bed-?"
"Shut up, Rengoku!" Giyuu yelled, blushing.
You giggled, it was like that one video you watched last time about Kyojuro and Shinobu bugging Giyuu just to play Uno.
You should teach them how to play sometime.
Kyojuro laughed at Giyuu who was blushing like crazy, you then remembered his tachycardia last night. "Giyuu," you called out, Kyojuro gave him the bombastic side-eye. "First name basis already?"
Giyuu slapped his mouth shut, "shut up already, dude!"
"Sorry, what is it?" he asked, you punched his chest lightly. "About your tachycardia, is Shinobu free right now, Kyojuro?" you asked, he blinked. "I guess it meant nothing special since she addresses almost everyone by their first names," he scratched his head. "But yeah, she's at her Estate. How come?" the Flame Pillar asked, you pointed at Giyuu. "He had tachycardia last night, 150 bpm," you said.
Kyojuro hummed, "you should get that checked out, Tomioka. I know how much you hate Kocho, but-"
"Yeah yeah, I'll go..." he said, you smiled and put your arms around his neck, smiling. "Let's go, then! I want some of Aoi's rice balls! Would you like to come along before we go our respective ways, Kyojuro?" you asked, he nods. "I'd like some rice balls as well."
"Well that's not very flamboyant of you."
You felt a hand on your shoulder and saw that it was Tengen, "how come you're not inviting me, buddy?" he smiles.
"Tengen! Nice to see you again!" you say, he fist bumped with you. "I see you're able to walk under the sun now," he says, you show him your outfit. "It's because of Mr. Sakonji's gift. If I wear other clothes, then I'll be cooked into barbeque," you say, Tengen pats your head. "Good luck on your Final Selection, you little mouse."
You smiled cheekily, "I will, Papa Mouse."
Giyuu and Kyojuro walked ahead of you and Tengen who was carrying you by his shoulders as you played songs on your phone.
"Memories follow me left and right~"
You sang to his left ear.
"I could feel you over here~"
Then to his right ear.
"I could feel you over here~
You take up every corner of my mind
Whatchu gon' do now?
Ever since the d-day you went away~"
"And I can't remember the rest of the lyrics," you laugh, "these songs are quite flamboyant," Tengen comments, you nod. "Aren't they? They're my bops when I work out or write shitty stories, helps me concentrate," you giggle.
Tengen looks up at you, "shitty? You must make amazing writing to these pieces," he says, you shrugged. "Didn't actually care tho, just wrote down what I wanted to just to remember what I used to think of in the past," you smile, swinging your feet.
Tengen started to snap his fingers to the music as you all arrived at the Butterfly Estate. You hopped off Tengen's shoulders and ran inside, taking your shoes off. "Shinobu!" you yelled, barging in her office to see her checking Tanjiro's current state. She smiled, "oh my, Y/n-chan. Are you ready for tonight?" she asked, standing up from her chair and gave you a hug. You wave a Tanjiro, "hi, Tanji!"
Tanjiro smiled, "hello, Y/n-san."
Giyuu and Tengen entered the office, "hello, Kocho!" he greeted, the Sound Pillar and Insect Pillar did a little handclap to which you smiled at. "Uzui-san! How are your wives?" she asked, he gave her a thumbs up. "They're doing fine," he smiles.
Giyuu rolls his eyes and went beside you, "Shinobu, can you check on Giyuu?" you asked her, she raised a brow. "Why? What's the matter?" she asked. Tanjiro stood up and offered his seat to the Water Pillar, he accepted and sat down in front of Shinobu.
"He had a little tachycardia last night, wasn't sure what caused it," you say, holding him by his shoulders. "Did you take his heart rate last night?" she asked, taking her stethoscope from her table and put on the earpieces, putting the chest piece on top of Giyuu's breastbone. You nod, "150 bpm last night," you answered, tapping your fingers on Giyuu's shoulders.
Shinobu's eyes widened, "170? Tomioka-san, what in the world happened?" she asked, taking off her stethoscope as she let it hang around her neck. He shrugged, "I don't know..."
Shinobu stole a glance from your worried face, she smiled evilly. "Y/n-chan, could you please step outside for a while? Me and Tomioka-san need to talk," she said.
You nod, "certainly. I'll be in Aoi's kitchen if you need me," you say, patting Giyuu's shoulders before walking out.
Shinobu sat back down and faced Giyuu, "why did you let her out?" he asked, disappointed. Shinobu took her stethoscope again and checked his heartbeat once more, "doctor and patient confidentiality," she simply replied.
'I knew it.'
Shinobu started to giggle like a maniac, Giyuu sweat dropped. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, disgusted.
Shinobu smiles widely, "you do like Y/n-chan~" she said.
Giyuu sighed, "I've told you many times-"
Shinobu hushed him, "not that kind of like. You're gaining feelings for her, Tomioka-san. You're loving her," she said. Giyuu furrowed his brows, "I don't get what you mean, Kocho."
She groaned, "you're so dense."
Giyuu threw his head back, "I get hungry sometimes..." he said, "butterflies in the stomach when you think of her," she giggles. Giyuu nods, "exactly! It gets like that every time she gets in my mind! I get nervous around her but I got used to her closeness towards me. When she leaves, I miss her like crazy..." he admits.
Shinobu poked his shoulder, "Tomioka-san's in love~" she sang.
Tengen bursted the door open, "Tomioka's in love?" she nods, "he's in love, alright~"
"Who's in love?" Kyojuro entered with rice balls in his hands, Tengen and Shinobu pointed at a blushing Giyuu. "Tomioka's in love," Tengen giggled.
Kyojuro laughed, "Y/n and Giyuu sitting on a tree-"
"Stop..." Giyuu said.
Shinobu and Tengen went beside Kyojuro and sang with him.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Giyuu walked out the room and started making his way to the kitchen, leaving the three Pillars laughing in Shinobu's office.
'In love? Me? Do I even deserve to love someone let alone having them love me?'
He found you making rice balls with Aoi, giggling at each other's conversation.
He observed his heart rate which increased in rhythm, he clutched it.
'Since the three of them won't stop bugging me, then it's real...
... I love Y/n...'
Once you finished making rice balls, you and Aoi ate them. You sensed Giyuu's taste from behind the door and called him, "come on, Giyuu! We made rice balls!" you called.
Giyuu hesitantly showed himself and entered the kitchen. You gave him a rice ball to which he thanked you for and started to take little bites out of it, looking at you happily conversing with Aoi.
He blushed a little.
'I love Y/n...'
You spent the whole day with Giyuu and bumped into more Pillars on the way, bringing them along with you to your whereabouts and conversed with them a little.
The evening came quickly as you now stood before the city with a proud look on your face.
You took one last glance at Giyuu and Kyojuro who waved goodbye to you and wished you good luck. You hugged Giyuu as he closed his eyes, praying for you.
"Please keep her safe, God..."
You smiled at him as he fixed your uniform. You ran to the city with your head held high, clutching your sword on your waist.
"And so it begins..."
Word Count: 4089