Reader's pov
It's that ringing again...
My head hurts...
Why?
"Oneesan?"
No ones pov
"Oneesan! You're finally awake!" Ryu hugged her.
"What happened Ryu? How did I get here?" she asked.
"I brought you here," she looked at the sound hashira who leaned against the door frame. It was night.
"Oh, thank you." she said.
"I should be the one thanking you," he sighed, "even though you... you know, you still helped us defeat the demon and saved my wives. Catch," he threw a dead rabbit at her, "I heard you like rabbits, so my wives got you one, they're not here but they also wanted to thank you."
"How are the others?" she asked.
"They're in the room next to yours, also I didn't tell anyone about your... battle. I'll be off now, bye." with that, he left.
"Oneesan, do you feel better now? I batched up your horns!" he said.
She touched her damaged antlers and felt the silk of the bandages, "I do feel better now, thanks Ryu, did the girls taught you how to use them?"
"Mhm!" he nodded.
"I want to go check on the others wanna come with me?" she placed the dead rabbit on her bed as she stood up.
He nodded and followed her.
She entered the room the trio was resting and she sat on the first bed where Tanjiro rested.
"I hope all of you are getting well soon, and sorry for the damage I caused." she didn't remember what she did but she did know, it was bad.
"Ryu, go and sleep first, neesan is staying a bit longer."
"Okay," he listened, "Goodnight."
She sighed after a while and intended to leave them alone.
"Y/n?"
"You're awake Zenitsu?" she turned to him, "I'm glad you're alright."
"We're all fine, don't worry." he replied.
She hesitated but still asked, "Was I... very bad?" she spoke about herself when she lost control.
"Not really..." he answered, "But you didn't hurt him badly," he looked at Tanjiro.
"I attacked him?" her voice was filled with guilt.
"No, you only hit him lightly," Zenitsu added, "you mostly focused on attacking the two demons."
"Is that so..." she smiled at him, "I won't disturb you any further, rest well. Goodnight."
"Goodnight y/n."
She visited them every night and no one saw nor heard her during the day.
She waited for him to wake up.
---
Some years before:
"Oneesan? Aren't you sad?" young Ryu asked.
"Hm? Why should I be sad?" the winged demon asked.
"Because oneesan can't go out during the day anymore." Ryu explained.
"I... don't know," she said honestly, "Oneesan has trouble with some emotions now. I forgot some of them."
"You forgot them?" Ryu repeated and she nodded.
"No problem oneesan, I'll help you remembering them!" he declared.
"How?"
"Tada! I borrowed a book from one of my friends! It's about a knight saving the princess from bad guys! There are some emotions written here, we can go through them! Uh..."
"I know that you can't read Ryu, come I'll teach you."
"(...) the knight and the princess married and lived happily ever after. End."
"Does oneesan know what love is?" Ryu asked.
"It's more than 'like', right?" she asked.
"Yes, just how I love neesan!" Ryu exclaimed.
"I love you too, Ryu."
"But than it's different if you say that to someone else!" he explained further, "You only tell the person you fall in love with that you love them."
"Fall in love?" she thought for a while, "I don't think neesan will tell someone else that I love them."
"You won't?" Ryu blinked.
She shook her head, "I don't think I will. You know Ryu, not all humans are nice. But I don't think you will understand it now. I'll tell you once you grow up."
---
"Oneesan, did I ever tell you that I'm very happy because you're here?" Ryu said with a smile.
"Is this how you feel about me?"
"Yes, I'm happy because neesan is here with me!" he repeated.
"I'm happy too if you're happy."
"Really? Then I'll make sure to be happy everyday!"
---
"Ryu where are you!?" she yelled as loud as she could, she looked everywhere but couldn't find him.
For the first time after she turned, she felt sorrow and fear. What if she couldn't find him?
---
In the present:
'What if he doesn't wake up?' she thought as she sat on his bed looking at his sleeping figure.
Why was she thinking like this?
"I believe you'll get well soon, goodnight."
She left as sunrise was slowly approaching.
On the next night she was surprised, Inosuke was on the ceiling and whispered to Tanjiro to wake up.
"Hi Inosuke," she greeted him, "I'm glad you have woken up now and it looks like you're doing good."
"Of course!" he whispered out loud, "The king of mountains won't fall easily!"
She sat next to him again and only stared at the air. She was hoping, maybe he was going to wake up in the next moment. If not, she still waited. This time not alone, Inosuke also waited for his friend to wake up.
"He woke up! Everyone, Tanjiro has woken up!" a kakushi shouted and everyone went to his side.
Everyone was glad that he was fine and finally woke up, they told him how worried everyone was.
"Inosuke secretly visited you every night as well as y/n." Zenitsu said and Inosuke yelled at him to shut up.
"Y/n?" Tanjiro asked, "How's she?"
Zenitsu continued using a bit drama, "Oh she was fine until she found your resting figure. She turned so sad after you didn't respond to her calls, so she visited you every night, hoping for you to get better and wake Up! The way her gaze was on you, only you!"
"Okay that's enough Zenitsu." Ryu said.
"Because of you, she didn't sleep anymore!" Zenitsu added before he stopped.
"Speaking of her, I didn't see nor hear her around lately." Aoi added, "Does anyone know where she went?"
Ryu raised his hand gaining their attention, "oneesan is in the forest, but she'll be back tonight."
At night, the winged demon visited him like usually and sat down next to him on his bed. She looked at his sleeping figure before looking elsewhere.
When was he going to wake up, she thought.
"You came y/n." she heard his voice.
She quickly turned to him who smiled at her.
A tear slid down as she hugged him carefully, "I'm sorry..." she said between her sobs, "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know y/n," he placed a hand on her back, "You didn't make me like this, it was upper moon six."
Her hug tightened.
"Thank you for visiting me every night, I'm sorry that I didn't wake up earlier." he apologised.
"It's okay, you did wake up today, I'm glad," she said and broke the hug first, "But you do need sleep now if you want to recover faster."
"Will you stay here?" he asked.
"I won't go anywhere."
She pulled his blanket up to his shoulders and stayed at his side until morning as she transformed herself into leaves and hide under his pillow.
In the next weeks, Tanjiro did his rehabilitation training while y/n, like usual, will only come out at night.
She sat on the roof and stared at the moon, she was deep in thoughts until someone called her snapping out of it.
"Hehe," Tanjiro grinned next to her.
"Shouldn't you be in bed right now?" y/n asked but still moved closer to him.
"I have something for you, that's why I came." he pulled a white lily from behind and gave it to her.
"Thank you, I like it," she said with a smile and placed it on her head, "You look troubled, did something happen today?"
"You noticed?" he scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Indeed, I received letters from Haganezuka-san."
"Oh, oh you're in big trouble~" she chirped, "Did he write that he refuses to give you another sword?"
"He told me to come and get it myself..." he said, "And I wanted to ask, if you want to come with me." he grew nervous at the last part and the demon noticed it.
"Sure." she answered.
"Then it's settled," Tanjiro said happily, "we go right after I finished my training!"
"Until then, I'll wait for you."
_____________
1415 words