A/N: Alright, Senjuro and Kyojuro are just adorable in the image above! I couldn't help but share it...! (They're cute in every picture) Anyways back to the story...!
After Shinobu and Aoi cleaned your wounds and covered them, then allowed you to go out to meet Kyojuro in the garden like planned. As you approached, you could hear him whispering something to himself. He looked deep in thought, and didn't realize you were there until you tapped his shoulder. With a surprised expression he stood to his feet.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? We can talk about it in the room if you want!" He said a bit fast expressing a sudden nervousness. You just chuckled and shook your head.
"I'm fine, just a few flesh wounds and cracked ribs. As long as I'm not doing heavy lifting, I should be fine." You grabbed his arm that was crossed against his chest and laid your head on it. You were quite shorter than him, but it didn't seem to bother either of you.
He inhaled and exhaled to calm himself and covered his nervous behavior with a wide smile. You and him began walking through the garden pointing out your favorite flowers. You spoke into the night and laughed sweetly to one another. It was calming after the day you've had, but it was nearing it's end as the adrenaline began leaving your veins, causing your limbs to grow heavy with each step. You yawned and sat down in front of a group of flowers. They always seemed to catch your attention, no matter how many times you walked through the garden and studied them. He sat beside you and watched you lean against him tiredly. Your mind suddenly began thinking about how similar he and the flowers were, starting to make the connection your face began to show a slight hint of pink on your cheeks.
Tiredly, you spoke up through the comfortable silence, "You know, these flowers are really pretty and beautiful..." you whispered, "they always catch the attention of people... it reminds me of you, kind of." Despite your fatigue, your heart started beating faster when you realized what you just said out loud. You didn't mean to say the last part out loud, which caused your mind to spike.
"How so?" He questioned, seemingly completely unphased.
You hummed, "So many people know about these flowers. Some people dislike them because they can easily kill, while others adore their nature and beauty. They catch your attention, much like the sun. They're a stunning flower species... and you, you're like the sun itself... you shine brighter than anyone else, and you catch the attention of others. In a crowd of people, you're guaranteed to get the attention of many. You stand out, but in a great way... you,... the sun,... this flower... you all shine brighter than anyone could have thought. No matter your circumstances..." he listened tentatively to what you had to say, and when you were done he gave a serious expression and made you face him.
With his hands, he gently cupped your bandaged cheeks, "I wanted to come out here to tell you something, (Y/N). I haven't told you before, and I think it's time. Even if it ruins our relationship, I'm willing to take that risk." Your eyes widened at his words and you almost refused to listen, but the look in his eyes prevented you from doing so. He pulled you into his lap and watched your face burn a bright pink. Your breathing was shallow as the pause in his voice grew longer. He smiled lovingly and pulled you close to him, "You're my world, (Y/N), nothing will ever change that. You somehow made my dull life full of happiness and joy after my mother passed away. Can't you see? You're the sun in my universe... I'm not good at this kind of thing since I've never... felt this way before... but- I want to spend every single day we have left in this life... together. I realized during our first fight with Akaza that I'd be broken and helpless without you in my life. I don't ever want to lose you, but I know if we're together, we'll make it through everything. Even death..." he trailed off once he heard small sobs hit his chest. He realized you had wrapped your arms around him affectionately, and had a deep blush covering your face.
"K-Kyojuro... I never want to lose you-..." you sniffled and wailed. "No matter what, I want to be right beside you. I-I..." you couldn't form another intelligent sentence after that. Kyojuro sat there, softly stroking your hair with a small smile. He enjoyed watching you, not matter how you acted. It was refreshing of some sort.
After you calmed down, you tried to speak again, "Kyojuro... I... I actually wanted to tell you... you're my favorite person. I want to... I want to spend every moment... of every day... by your side. I want to be your partner for life... I... I want you to understand... that... that I love you..." you explained shyly, your face growing increasingly red as you stared at his longing eyes.
He chuckled lightly, "I love you too, Snowball. How about... for now... we sleep and discuss this issue further tomorrow?" He offered with a grin full of teeth. You smiled brightly and laid your head in the crook of his neck. You were already tired, and he knew that so he didn't question it and pulled you into his arms as he stood up and began walking towards the room the two of you were staying in. He walked softly so you could sleep peacefully in his arms.
On the way back, Tanjiro noticed the two of you and ran up to ask about how you were doing, since he knew that the fight you fought was intense and tiring. "Rengoku-san! (Y/N)-san!" He shouted happily but was shushed by Zenitsu.
"(Y/N)-san is sleeping!" He whisper yelled back at the boy. "I kinda feel bad for her, though... she fought that demon one on one..."
"I heard she had been fighting since before the sun even set...!" Tanjiro whispered. The trio was amazed at your strength and admired the hard work you put in to get to that level. Kyojuro smiled his signature smile.
"Did you expect any less, my boys?" He chuckled and began walking once again. He was glad you set a new example for them, they would work harder than ever before to get stronger, stronger than you. It was a new motivation for the boys. Even the other pillars, as news of this will surely spread like wild fire. Once he entered the room, he was met with the flamboyant Tengen standing patiently for the two of you. When he saw the fact you were asleep, however, he smiled brightly hoping to get the opportunity to tease him about it later. "If you need to speak about something, then at least let me lie (Y/N) down." He spoke softly, but Tengen could hear happiness laced within his words.
"Of course! It wouldn't be very flamboyant to keep her in such an awkward manner!" Tengen winked and walked out of the room.
Kyojuro gently set you on the bed, pulling the covers to your shoulders and kissed you on the forehead, bidding you goodnight. Walking out, Tengen nudged his side causing him to wince slightly. His ribs were almost completely healed, but not quite. "What is it you need?" Kyojuro asked with a smile.
"Oyakata-sama wants to speak with you tomorrow. Then he wants to speak with (Y/N)-san after. He told me to let you know of these arrangements."
"Thank you for informing, Tengen-san! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite the busy day tomorrow...!" Kyojuro turned on his heels, but didn't get far before Tengen hooked his arm around his shoulders.
"Come on, spill the beans! And do it flamboyantly! Flamboyantly spill the beans!" He coerced.
Kyojuro raised his brow, "About what?"
"About you and (Y/N)-san, obviously!" Kyojuro's face began heating up at his words and Tengen knew he would be able to tease him about it later, whatever it was.
"I'm not sure what happened, we're going to discuss matter further tomorrow!" Tengen raised his brow waiting for more information. "I should really wait for her to decide on things before I start assuming." He said guiltily.
"Whatever, man. As long as you and her are flamboyantly happy." He pushed him back into the room and left with a two fingered wave. Truth be told, he already knew what had happened. He had overheard them speaking, but now that he has Kyojuro's opinion on the matter, he decided to keep their secret until further notice.
Kuojuro closed the door quietly and laid in his own bed whispering a goodnight and drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, you woke up to a good smelling plate of food beside you. It was still steaming, so you knew Aoi hadn't been gone long. Your stomach growled loudly, and it was then you realized you hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast. You heard a small chuckle from beside you and blushed when you saw Kyojuro laying on his stomach with his hair let down and covering half his face. "Sleep well, Snowball?" He asked tiredly. You gulped and nodded lightly pulling the plate in front of you to begin eating. You took one bite and knew this wasn't just any breakfast Aoi made. It was delightful beyond recognition. The smell, taste, texture, everything was strange and new compared to the breakfast you normally had. It was actually your favorite dish for breakfast, which surprised you even more. Everything was perfectly made and tasted heavenly. "Aoi-san figured she would make you something for defeating upper moon 3." He had closed eyes, but his smile was unbearably bright as he hugged the pillow under his head.
You studied the food, "Then... why do I feel like he's still out there if I defeated him?" You whispered to yourself but shook your head to rid yourself of those thoughts. You faced him and smiled, "Did you get any?"
"I had a normal breakfast not long ago." You could tell he had barely slept, so you did what you thought would help him out.
Carefully, so you didn't open any wounds, you stood up and knelt at the side of his bed and swiped his hair away from his face tenderly and affectionately. "You didn't sleep well?" He sighed and shook his head into the pillow. "Well, why not try to sleep now?" You questioned sweetly.
"I'm supposed to leave for the sacred garden soon." He replied simply.
"Surely Oyakata-sama would understand, though." You reasoned but he only shook his head.
"Not this time, Snowball. He wants to talk to you after he does me, so I would go ahead and get ready for that. When I come back, I'll rest some, okay? So don't worry." He gave your head and pat and sat up not looking at your puppy eyes. He stood up and stretched his back while yawning and walking to the door quietly.
"Promise me!" You shouted suddenly, gripping the sheets of his bed.
"Hm?"
You looked around, "Promise me you'll rest when you get back..."
You heard him chuckle, "Of course, Snowball. I promise to rest when I come back." You nodded and waited for his footsteps to disappear then began eating once more. The question of why he didn't sleep very well still remained in your mind, but you tried not to dwell on it.
After you were finished, you went to thank Aoi for the food this morning and ended up getting swarmed by three worries girls and three worried boys.
"(Y/N)-san!" They all cried in unison. Even Inosuke, surprisingly. One awkward smile later Tanjiro hooked his arms around you while Inosuke and Zenitsu attacked you from the back. It was a tight group hug, and even began hurting your cracked ribs.
"T-that hurts-" you croaked and was suddenly able to breath once again. "Were you that worried?" You asked after catching your breath.
"(Y/N)-san! Everyone was worried! You were covered in so much blood! You scared us all!" The girls whined. You gave them all a pat on the head.
"Well, (Y/N)-san is better now! No need to worry anymore!" You said in third person. Tanjiro could smell your worry and pulled you away from the girls and Inosuke.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, not trying to assume the situation.
You looked at the two worried looking boys and scratched the back of your neck nervously. "Eh... yeah, no. Everything's fine... I'm just a bit tense is all." You lied. Why did you lie? You hated liars. But you also hated worrying others. When neither of them let up, you sighed. "I'm just worried about Kyojuro, that's all... he looked really tired this morning, he even forgot to tie his hair back... which is really unusual..." you confided.
"Well, Tengen-san said something about him worrying about you too much before he left earlier!" Tanjiro said happily hoping to cheer you up.
"Why was he worried about me? I'm perfectly fine."
The boys looked at one another then back at you, "You were acting strange during your fight yesterday, did you not notice? Tengen said that when he was close he could tell you were still you, but all of us thought you were just speaking rashly... we thought maybe he made you angry-"
"Nah, I just didn't want anyone else getting hurt and wanted him to focus on me." You interrupted with a hand on your hip and a small smile.
Aoi walked out with a basket of bloodied clothing and almost dropped it when she saw you out of bed. "(Y/N)-san! Get back in bed, you're going to worsen your wounds!"
You gave a dumbfounded expression, "I would have to get up sooner or later, though. Oyakata-sama wants to speak with me when he's done with Kyojuro." You spoke in a blank tone but then smiled widely, "oh, and did you make that breakfast?"
Aoi nodded, "me, Shinobu-san, Tengen-san, and Rengoku-san all helped. Rengoku-san told us your favorite breakfast dish, then Tengen-san got the ingredients. Me and Shinobu-san did the cooking." You gave an understanding hum.
"Well, thank you! It was really good! I can't say I deserved it, but I do appreciate it."
Suddenly, the crow you hadn't seen in weeks landed on your shoulder. "Oyakata-sama would now like to speak with you, (Y/N)-san! The master would now like to speak with you, (Y/N)-san!" It spoke loudly, but not as loud as Tanjiro's crow.
"Hey, Aoi-san, when Kyojuro makes it back, make sure he goes to sleep. He promised me he would. If he doesn't, please let me know." You began walking off towards the sacred garden. You were sort of worried, usually Oyakata-sama didn't call you unless you were cleared by Shinobu to move around. On your way there, you passed an oddly quiet Kyojuro and only felt more worried. His expression was blank, and he had bags under his beautiful eyes. Why did he look and act so tired?
You arrived and found Oyakata-sama sitting on the wood looking up at the sky despite his inability to see and worsening condition. He only smiled and welcomed you in as you knelt in front of him.
"You wanted to speak with me, master?" You asked which he only answered with a nod and smile.
A/N: Oof, this hurts to write. Please be okay, Kyojuro! Hope you enjoyed!!