Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Giyuu would unfold his futon around half an hour after the sun rose.

Once he crawled in, it was usually simple to fall asleep. He’d heard of multiple slayers having a hard time falling to sleep, but Giyuu just needed somewhere of his own and his back to the doors, away from the sunlight. He would sleep deep and for long, with no pauses until the attendants of the Water Estate woke him for dinner, where he would eat just a little of it before going out to slay demons.

Or at least, that was what he usually did. 

“Giyuu-san! Won’t you join the training?” Tanjiro’s voice was only slightly muffled by the shoji doors. “Training!”

A second of silence, as Giyuu stared directly ahead at his empty room.

“Everyone’s waiting,” Tanjiro continued, “Giyuu-san!”

Giyuu shuffled around, trying to bury his ears into the blankets as his eyes twisted even further. Was Tanjiro… going to keep pestering him?

It started back in the previous afternoon, when Giyuu took his normal meditation time after eating. He hadn’t expected Tanjiro to catch onto his irritation so quickly– even more surprised that Giyuu actually spoke about it. He wouldn’t want to hurt Tanjiro. Giyuu just wanted someone worthy to become the Water Hashira, and lift the weight off his unworthy shoulders.

Even as Giyuu got mad at him, pushing the boy away, Tanjiro remained kind and patient. The attendants had grown used to his minimal and picky meals over the years he wasted away in their house, and the onigiri Tanjiro offered were plain enough for Giyuu’s liking, simple and something that he was directly offered.

He felt bad about not thanking Tanjiro– the boy was someone that the world didn’t deserve. Giyuu truly thought that Tanjiro should have already gone by then, but one of the attendants told him that Tanjiro was still waiting, back in his meditation room. 

The boy looked peaceful sleeping. Giyuu was about to head out to patrolling the Tokyo prefecture in place of the other hashira while they were training slayers for the day, but the very least he could offer Tanjiro was a blanket for all the trouble he went through, limping to the Water Estate located in the middle of a bamboo forest of all places and not somewhere accessible, like the Love Estate in the metropolitan areas.

Giyuu’s night was then interrupted by Tanjiro’s commentary, checking for demons and chatting away to Giyuu about anything he could think of, trailing after him like a lost duckling. Giyuu kept his pace slow for the night, letting Tanjiro keep up with him, then cut his patrol short at the bridge to head back to the Water Estate. Hurting Tanjiro was not something Giyuu wanted to do, and his own body was feeling especially sluggish for some reason. Yet another reason he didn’t deserve the position of hashira, if he couldn’t keep his body from being weak or wasting away in his bed. 

Which was what he was trying to do, if Tanjiro wouldn’t stop calling out for him.

“Would you train with me, Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro persisted. “Giyuu-san!”

Giyuu inhaled shakily. When was the last time he’d heard his name being called, by anyone other than the Oyakata-sama? Certainly not the other hashira, obviously not any slayer or the attendants. 

“Kamado-san, would you like anything?” One of the attendants asked quietly outside. Giyuu took the opportunity to bury his entire head under his quilts, the beans in his makura grinding against each other.

“No thank you!” Tanjiro’s voice sounded so incredibly pure as he turned the woman down. “I’m just waiting for Giyuu-san to train with me!”

“A– ano…” the young lady stammered, “Tomioka-sama spends his nights patrolling, and I believe you joined him? The master of the house is known to be a deep sleeper, perhaps you would also like a room?”

Whoever that attendant was, Giyuu was incredibly thankful for her. She was able to offer things to Tanjiro that he couldn’t, with a kind voice and reason that Giyuu would be too afraid to say because he was just a coward parading around in gold buttons. He was often too tired to care about much, all the attendants seemed to blur together and he just couldn’t focus on anything but slaying demons.

“Oh, is he?” Tanjiro smiled. “That’s great! Healthy sleep is the key to training well!”

“I see that your leg is also injured… if you would like a zabuton to sit on?” She offered.

“That would be amazing! Thank you very much!” Tanjiro was still audible through the thick fabrics. “Giyuu-san, won’t you train with us?”

Giyuu covered his ears with more blankets. 

He barely got any sleep as an attendant entered his room, sitting to the side of his futon and calling out for him. As Giyuu squinted his eyes open, Tanjiro was standing right there too.

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro beamed. 

“Tomioka-sama, dinner is ready.” The attendant said. “We have also prepared a meal for Kamado-san.”

Giyuu inhaled deeply as he sat up, entire body sore as always. Tanjiro remained as the attendant left, leaving the shoji door open. Giyuu felt a bit of dread coil in his stomach; was Tanjiro going to stand there as he slowly and pathetically changed from his yukata to Corps uniform?

“Oh! You go on patrol soon, right?” Tanjiro’s cheeks flushed a light pink. “Of course! I’ll wait right here!”

Tanjiro hobbled right back outside, shutting the door. Giyuu collapsed right back down into his futon, uncaring of the cold now seeping into the covers. Was Tanjiro… ever going to leave him alone? At least he stepped out so that Giyuu could change privately.

As promised by the attendants, there were two sets of dinner ready in the main room. As Giyuu shuffled down the halls, Tanjiro followed closely behind, asking little questions about the estate that Giyuu didn’t know the answer of but the attendants probably would. They were the ones who cared for the house, had lived in the house for generations upon generations.

It was a simple meal; just some rice, a side dish, some miso soup, a bit of meat. Plain enough that Giyuu was satisfied, and small enough that he wouldn’t be wasting anything. Tanjiro’s dishes looked the same. The attendants they’d passed looked overjoyed as they whispered about finally using more than one set of shokutaku and plates with cutlery. Behind Giyuu, Tanjiro pouted. The teenager plopped down right next to the man. Giyuu started with rice, preferring to go one at a time for meals. 

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro copied his movements, grabbing the bowl of rice and stuffing his mouth before looking over. “Isn’t this a pretty small meal, for a hashira? Just– just from knowing Kanroji-san and Rengoku-san!”

Giyuu shut his eyes. The lack of sleep was giving him a migraine, and Tanjiro’s comments weren’t helping. He was not the Water Hashira. He’d said it to Tanjiro already. Kanroji and Rengoku had earned their positions by passing the Final Selection and working hard, being brave and not losing their family.

“Hey, Giyuu-san.” Tanjiro’s eyes bored into Giyuu’s soul, through his eyelids. 

Giyuu slowly opened his eyes again. “I’m fine with a meal like this.”

Tanjiro blinked, with a confused head tilt. “Even on a normal day, I eat more than this! Say, my little brother Takeo once tried to eat twenty mochi in a row when he was six! Kaa-san had to stop him before he choked!”

Giyuu didn’t respond. It was his fault that specific little brother of Tanjiro’s would never get to try something like that again. Which boy was it, in the house? The one that Giyuu had gently carried over to the graves he dug into the cold, hard ground, buried and waited for the remaining Kamado siblings to awake. 

The older one, with lifeless eyes staring at the doorway and his bottom half severed off completely? The younger one, facing downwards with all of his limbs ripped off? Then there was the baby, laid down gently inside with the slash in his back going through his spine and ribcage as well. The one that Giyuu assumed was cradled in Nezuko’s arms before, based on the blood in the snow.

“Do you have any younger siblings, Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro continued, smiling widely.

How could the boy be so happy, content when it was all Giyuu’s fault his previous life was ripped away from him? The man who failed Tanjiro… failed Sabito… failed Tsutako-nee-san… who hadn’t done something so simple as to pass the Final Selection and keep those around him alive. Who was weak and always would be, compared to Sabito, who would always be a scared and whimpery child compared to Tsutako-nee.

“No.” Giyuu’s answer was curt as he placed down his chopsticks and bowl. 

Tanjiro imitated him immediately, hands going on his lap as he looked at Giyuu for what he was going to do next. 

“Keep eating,” Giyuu said, “I don’t want to eat.”

He could feel Tanjiro’s gaze as he exited, heading to the right. 

“Wait for me, Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro called. “Where are we going? There’s still daylight! Are we training?”

Giyuu continued walking, all the way to the meditation room. He entered, glancing backwards to see Tanjiro going as fast as possible on his one leg. With a little hesitation, Giyuu left the door open for him.

“Oh, this is where you were yesterday!” Tanjiro commented, looking around. “Do you spend a lot of time in here?”

Giyuu sat down, back in seiza with his hands delicately on his lap. Across the room, he heard a dull thud, was it Tanjiro? Did he fall? Giyuu peeked one eye open to see that Tanjiro had copied him again, with his bandaged leg sticking out so as to not irritate the healing process. Good. Giyuu shut his eyes again as he saw the first actions of Tanjiro lifting up his crutch. 

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro huffed, swinging something around. “This is where you meditate? Do you do it daily? Or do you train sometimes?”

Giyuu tried to clear his head. What would Tsutako or Sabito have done in such a situation?

Sabito would have gotten up to ruffle Tanjiro’s hair, a toothy grin covering his face and make his facial scar almost hide behind his smile, inviting the boy for a fight or some food. He would have walked right alongside Tanjiro, in a worthy place where they could converse comfortably. 

Tsutako would have been annoyed by such pestering, but inevitably endeared. With huffs and a bit of teasing grumbles, she would have gotten up to have the boy sit somewhere more comfortable, where he could ramble on while she listened on with a sheepish smile.

Giyuu wasn’t like them. They were kind and courageous.

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro continued on. “Wouldn’t you have a better time if you were with another hashira? I’m sure Uzui-san or Shinobu-san would be great people to keep you company!”

Why would they bother? Other than to pity him or poke fun, there was nobody. They had better things to do than sit pathetically in their house, an empty shell to represent their soul. They had a hospital to run, or a family to be with, people to dine together and students to teach. 

He admired them. They were doing something good for the world, earned their positions to do so. They were needed by the Demon Slayer Corps, people to be remembered and respected. Giyuu was the placeholder. He did nothing other than slay a couple of demons and fail to save a family, fail to save his family. Sabito and Tsutako.

“Giyuu-san, have you ever thought about decorating more?” Tanjiro noted. “I just noticed that the only touches I’ve seen are the kamidana and a couple of paintings, so I was just thinking about it!”

Giyuu didn’t truly care about how the estate looked. The attendants cleaned it and lived in it far longer than he had, so they deserved to have the space look as they wanted. The paintings were from before, the kamidana was from before, nothing was his. Giyuu’s possessions were his sword and uniform, easily disposable for when someone worthy came along to take the true position for Water Hashira.

“Giyuu-san, there’s been something I’ve been wondering for a little while!” Tanjiro gasped. “I haven’t seen you in a bit, so I finally get the chance now!”

That was true. Giyuu stayed notified of Tanjiro’s actions, how he watched the Flame Hashira die and was the one to fight Upper Moon Six and win, his trip to the Swordsmith Village and encounter with Upper Moon Four and the Demon Slayer Mark that he manifested first. Nezuko’s miraculous ability to withstand the light of the sun and how he was set to start training with the hashiras soon. With all of the chaos Tanjiro dealt with, from fighting to comas, Giyuu never got to see him around that much, and even then, they were short conversations before the boar-headed slayer or the blond one dragged him away.

“Why do you carry around a rope?” Tanjiro asked.

Ah. So they were going there. Did Tanjiro really have to ask about that?

“You see, I was talking to Inosuke about Mount Natagumo!” Tanjiro explained. “And he said that you tied him up on a tree after pulling a rope out of your– well, I’d assume he actually meant your haori sleeve!”

Did… did that boar-headed slayer say he pulled the rope out of his ass?

Giyuu took a deeper Breath, deciding to just open his eyes slightly.

Right in front of him sat Tanjiro.

He was so very close, again.

“Do all the hashira carry a rope?” Tanjiro wondered. “Though, I’d wonder where Uzui-san would put it! Say, how do you store the rope? Is it tied to your belt, like a cow herder? Or is–”

“No. There's a pocket in my haori.” Giyuu stated shortly.

“Did… did you put it there?” Tanjiro stammered.

Giyuu wasn’t going to tell a child about that. It was just in case nobody wanted to slit his throat after he committed seppuku because Nezuko attacked a human. Committing seppuku without someone to slit the throat right afterwards meant hours of slowly bleeding to death from the stomach, pain all the way until the end. 

When Giyuu inevitably died in the near future, he wanted to reunite with Sabito and Tsutako quickly, to see their shining faces as soon as possible in the afterlife, even if it was just for a second before Giyuu had to go to hell for not doing anything more to keep them alive. That entire situation with the Kamado siblings spiralled out of control, though…

“Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro called out. “You zoned out a bit… wouldn’t it be cool if you used the rope like a cow herder and brought demons in closer to you to kill? Like Kanroji-san’s sword!”

Giyuu slowly blinked. That… was definitely not something he was ever going to try.

The silence became overbearing. Giyuu stood up, that conversation was to be over.

“Oh, patrol time?” Tanjiro started getting up, balancing on one leg and using his crutch as support, looking like an unintimidating handicapped bear as he did. “I got it!”

Giyuu stood at the door and watched Tanjiro finally stumble into an upright position, remaining there until Tanjiro made his way over as well. As he grew closer, Giyuu started walking away. “Giyuu-san!”

As he did the previous day, Giyuu cut his patrol short. There were absolutely no demons around, the last sighting being three nights after Nezuko had grown immunity to the sun. When it happened, Japan had become intensely overflowing with demons, but just as suddenly they simply vanished, like they never existed. There was no point in patrolling, for Giyuu or the slayers in training, if they knew there were no demons.

As he headed back, Giyuu kept himself from just picking Tanjiro up and bringing him back to the Water Estate at his normal speed. 

When they reached the gates, Tanjiro sighed in relief. “It’s nice to be home, isn’t it, Giyuu-san?”

Giyuu didn’t pause at Tanjiro’s words. The Water Estate wasn’t his home. It was a home fit for a hashira, a home that the attendants had been living in for generations. The grand mansion was truly theirs, because they were the ones who grew up with it, deserved it.

He didn’t remember the last time he’d called a place home. Maybe back with Tsutako, in their nice little house with all the plants and cooking supplies spread around all the rooms. Or possibly with his teacher and Sabito, back at Mount Sagiri with trees and rocks spread around outside and everyone cosily sleeping in the same room. Giyuu could just barely remember the last time he’d slept with someone in the same room as him, Urokodaki-sensei insisting on sleeping closer the night they were to head to the Final Selection. Other than that, just a couple of missions here and there requiring a short stay at a hotel or Wisteria House.

“Giyuu-san, do you have any writing supplies that I can use?” Tanjiro requested. “I need to write to some people!” 

Giyuu knew about that. He still had every single one of Tanjiro’s letters to him, read but never responded. He didn’t know what to write to Tanjiro, telling him of his mundane and worthless life that should have been cut short decades ago. While Tanjiro had his purpose, his sister and friends and strength, Giyuu had nothing and no purpose. The only time Giyuu wrote letters was to report on missions to the Oyakata-sama, and even so, he had fallen behind some time ago. 

“I’m sure an attendant could get you some.” Giyuu answered. “I will be having a bath.”

“Okay!” Tanjiro nodded, the two spotting an attendant hanging laundry in the yard.

As Giyuu shut the bathroom door, it was a relief to be separated from the boy. Finally, some privacy. 

He would assume that Tanjiro was writing letters to multiple other people. Giyuu wasn’t anything special compared to all the hashira and friends that Tanjiro had, people who would see that boy’s smile much brighter than Giyuu would. Everyone else deserved Tanjiro's attention, so why was he focused on Giyuu so much? There were better things for Tanjiro to do, such as play with his sister in the sun or visit other hashira, grow stronger in training or hone his Breathing Style.

Giyuu poured water on himself to clean before entering the bath, washing away some of those thoughts. 

There was no point in drowning with the fact that others deserved Tanjiro much more than someone like Giyuu. He was a hopeless case, someone that Tanjiro shouldn’t busy himself being concerned over. It was the same with Sabito, he should have focused on training to grow stronger than stay with a weakling like Giyuu. He knew it was his fault that Sabito goofed off during training on the mountain, or why Sabito stayed on the mountain long after he sliced his own boulder, waiting for Giyuu.

Giyuu climbed into the bath. It was hot to the point of boiling, but Giyuu welcomed the pain. He deserved it. The steam would cleanse his soul and the water his body, washing away his sins and failures with reddened skin.

“Giyuu-san.” 

Giyuu’s face turned sour. There… there was a small window right above the bath. There was no way that– who was he kidding, it was Tanjiro. Of course he was peeking in on Giyuu through the window. Giyuu’s only saving grace was that he was faced the other way, so that he wouldn’t look Tanjiro in the face as he sat butt-naked in his bath. Was Tanjiro not going to grant him just a little amount of privacy?

“Giyuu-san, would you like me to join y–”

“No.” Giyuu knew he was a quiet man, but that was the fastest answer he’d ever given.

“I promise I’ll look the other way!” Tanjiro said, and Giyuu was ready to just drown himself right there. 

“Absolutely not.” Giyuu repeated.

“I really think that we can bond in our nakedness!” Tanjiro whined. “Giiiyuuuuu-saaan!”

Giyuu had no idea Tanjiro was such a… strange individual. The things he said were things that only Rengoku or Tanjiro could say and get away with.

There was a crash outside. Giyuu squeezed his eyes shut and prayed as he heard Tanjiro step away from the window, looking over.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” An attendant screamed. “That’s the bath! Why are you peeking in, you little freak?!”

“A– ah, I was just–” Tanjiro stammered.

“Don’t call him that.” Giyuu said.

Silence. Giyuu nuzzled deeper into the scorching waters. Would they let him bathe in peace?

“Y- yes, Tomioka-sama. Apologies.” The attendant stepped away, leaving them.

Oh, wait. Giyuu wanted him to take Tanjiro too.

“So can I–”

“No.”

Thankfully, Tanjiro didn’t glance inside through the window again. It was mostly him sitting at the wall and talking as Giyuu’s cheeks flushed with the heat and pure embarrassment. When he finally got out, it was sunrise and Tanjiro greeted him at the door, smile still bright but a bit…

“Tanjiro, are you tired?” Giyuu pointed out, glancing at Tanjiro’s eyebags.

“What? Why would you say that?” Tanjiro’s eyes glimmered as he stared up at Giyuu like Giyuu was worth something. Giyuu walked away, back to his room with Tanjiro stumbling after him.

Giyuu pulled out his own futon, then another. Tanjiro stood in the doorway, watching with confusion as Giyuu spread them out on either side of the room. Of course Tanjiro was tired. He’d barely slept the entire time, talking Giyuu’s ear off and following him around everywhere whilst simultaneously healing his injuries from the Swordsmith Village.

“You’ll let me sleep with you, Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro’s face split into a huge smile, making Giyuu have to look away from the sheer joy Tanjiro was showing. He slightly regretted it. Should he have placed the spare futon outside?

Too late. Tanjiro immediately rushed in, grasping at the kakebuton and a yukata that Giyuu also had. “Oh, thank you, Giyuu-san!”

Giyuu crawled into his futon as Tanjiro started changing. Was Tanjiro… ever going to leave?

“Giyuu-san, do you brush your hair?” Tanjiro’s question came almost as soon as the teenager also went under his covers.

“No.” Giyuu responded. Would the boy just go to sleep?

“Remember my long hair, Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro hummed. “You cut it off, when I protected Nezuko! I’d think it was the same length as yours!”

“Go to sleep, Tanjiro.” Giyuu groaned, shuffling the blanket to cover his ears. Tanjiro passed out soon after, Giyuu being lulled to sleep by his gentle snores. His first time truly falling into a comfortable sleep in months, and first time actually going to sleep in days.

Tanjiro followed him through all his routine over again. The small dinner, the meditation room, then patrol. Each second wasn’t wasted, Giyuu could feel Tanjiro’s sweet beady eyes boring into him at all times, a question asked almost every step of the way.

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro hummed as they returned to the Water Estate. “Won’t you try and train me?”

Giyuu felt his vision swirling. He’d kept that shortened patrol route yet again, for the third night in a row. How long was Tanjiro going to continue pestering him? When was he going to grow tired, and leave?

“Why did you say that you aren’t the Water Hashira?” Tanjiro tried instead. “Giyuu-san?”

Giyuu hurried his pace as he entered the estate, leaving the gate unlatched as Tanjiro followed and shut it.

“Giyuu-san, I’m surprised you aren’t hungry!” Tanjiro continued. “I’m a little peckish myself! Don’t hashira eat quite a lot more than the normal person? Giyuu-san?”

Giyuu Breathed deeply, trying to sort out his thoughts with Tanjiro present and continuing to question him. “Ask an attendant.”

“Don’t you want something?” Tanjiro offered.

“I’m not hungry.” Giyuu answered.

“What’s your favourite food, Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro wondered. “Mine is fatsia sprouts! Nezuko loves konpeito!”

Giyuu entered the gardens, where a couple of attendants were trimming some of the bushes and caring for the small stream that ran through the middle.

“I remember you enjoyed that salmon daikon Nezuko and I prepared!” Tanjiro recalled. “Is that your favourite?”

“Yes, it is!” An attendant called back. Giyuu squeezed his eyes shut as Tanjiro gasped excitedly.

“That's wonderful, Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro smiled, wobbling to get in line with Giyuu as they stepped back onto the engawa, right in front of Giyuu’s room. “I like salmon daikon too!”

Yet again, Giyuu begrudgingly pulled out two futons and two yukatas, handing them over to Tanjiro who continued talking as they laid down the bedding and changed into the sleepwear.

“Say, Genya also doesn’t like eating a lot!” Tanjiro commented. “We met at the Swordsmith Village, he helped defeat Upper Moon Four, actually– I still have his tooth! Anyways, the key to getting him to eat was his favourite food! Are you like that too, Giyuu-san?”

Giyuu was about to ignore Tanjiro when he went through the sentence again in his mind. “...tooth?”

“Oh!” Tanjiro ruffled through his uniform. Did… did he still have another person’s tooth? “This is it! He dropped it, but didn’t want it back… I’m holding onto it until he does!”

Giyuu’s eyes widened as he shuffled his futon further away. Maybe that attendant at the bath was… slightly right. He pulled up the kakebuton further over his head, trying to keep away from Tanjiro’s strange antics. Thankfully, Tanjiro only had a couple more burning questions before he, too, fell asleep.

They awoke to another attendant calling them for dinner, and already she had mentioned that they got fatsia sprouts, special for Tanjiro. Giyuu was unwillingly growing accustomed to Tanjiro’s intruding, changing to his uniform and telling Tanjiro he was going to the bathroom.

Giyuu more so expected Tanjiro to head right to the dining room and start eating, but as he opened the bathroom door, Tanjiro was sitting, waiting for him as usual. “Giyuu-san!”

Giyuu’s eyebags never felt heavier as Tanjiro’s gleeful smile only grew when seeing him.

The attendants had also grown used to Tanjiro’s presence, spoiling him a little bit with extra food and things he liked. As Giyuu finished his small dinner, Tanjiro was only receiving more from the cooks but still dropped it as Giyuu thanked the gods for his meal and stood.

Instead of going to the meditation room, where Tanjiro would practise swinging his katana by using his crutch, Giyuu simply headed straight out to patrol despite the next hour of daylight ahead. They made it to the bridge, where Giyuu would either go over it to do his usual patrol or turn left, which would shorten his patrol.

“Giyuu-san, why were you upset that I changed Breathing Styles?” Tanjiro wondered as the wood creaked with their steps. Giyuu tightened his jaw. Was it going to continue for the rest of his life? Would Tanjiro leave him alone if he just talked to him?

Giyuu stopped halfway on the bridge, hearing Tanjiro’s steps halt as well. He sighed.

“The truth is, I didn’t pass the Final Selection.”

Chapter Text

“Giyuu-san!”

That call from Tanjiro sounded much more excited than previous days. Giyuu could see how the boy was practically vibrating, leg out of the cast and sword at his hip. They were in his meditation room, a place that was interchangeable with training as well. 

“Just a little bit, and then you have to go to Uzui-san.” Giyuu ordered.

“I’ll do my very best, Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro nodded, shedding his haori. They placed the folded clothing on the ground near the door, Giyuu going to get some bokken for them. “I’m so excited to train with you!”

Giyuu huffed, a small smile on his face. Tomorrow, Kanroji had agreed to train with him, and after that Uzui was happy to invite Giyuu to eat with him and his wives. Himejima had a set date where he would train with Giyuu, and he was still waiting on Tokito and Kochou. Tanjiro had sat incredibly close to Giyuu as they wrote the letters, sending them off with Kanzaburo. The only ones Giyuu had refused to write were to Iguro and Shinazugawa, the second more being Tanjiro’s refusal. 

Tanjiro gasped as Giyuu suddenly disappeared. Giyuu knew he clearly had the upper hand, but as to train Tanjiro, decided that he wouldn’t go that fast again for that session. Tanjiro blocked his Second Form with something of his new Breathing Style.

Giyuu continued fighting with ease, blocking Tanjiro’s movements and countering with some of his own, keeping Tanjiro on his feet while also not defeating him instantly. Giyuu could have nitpicked at each of Tanjiro’s little faults and wasted movements, but he knew just how much Tanjiro had improved. The boy definitely looked more comfortable using his new Breathing Style, his body shifting to each move like a dance. 

He’d also asked Giyuu about that Hinokami Kagura, but Giyuu knew nothing of it. The only thing he could suggest was the Ubuyashiki family and their extensive records. Even after that short talk, Giyuu could already deduce many things about Tanjiro’s Breathing Style.

It was fluid. Each Water Breathing Form that Giyuu used was comfortably countered by one of Tanjiro’s moves, if they were to absolute perfection. Tanjiro’s Forms, too, could be used for almost everything which proved it to be versatile against almost all demons.

It was powerful. Giyuu knew Tanjiro was only human, and a child at that, so he could have faults. If the Hinokami Kagura was cleaned up and performed with a couple of tweaks, Giyuu was sure it could be one-hit deadly to lots of demons, possibly Lower Moons.

Giyuu didn’t find himself struggling against Tanjiro’s Breathing Style simply because he was stronger and more experienced than Tanjiro. He knew if those mistakes were fixed, and Tanjiro continued training as hard as he did, that he would undoubtedly be able to defeat one of the Upper Moons.

Even so, Giyuu wouldn’t deny his own flaws. He was tired, as usual, and his body was sore, as usual. It always felt like his body was being dragged down by the weight of Sabito and Tsutako’s bodies, but only since Tanjiro’s talk had the load been lightened. Giyuu had also previously had little motivation to train more despite the extensive time, but with Tanjiro’s help, he might get closer to a couple of hashira because of it.

Why should he bother with training? That was a question Giyuu asked himself whenever he entered his meditation room instead of the training room. His answer had been that there was no point if he was going to die soon, that he’d already trained enough and somehow gotten the position of hashira. Now, after bringing back all the memories of Sabito, good and bad, Giyuu realised that he should bother training because it’s what Sabito would have wanted and he’d already gotten so far. His teenage determination had begun to crawl back, slowly, but surely.

It had been a good while since he’d eaten so much, too. It was a bit mean to Tanjiro for that soba-eating contest, but Giyuu knew he could eat more and stopped Tanjiro from making himself sick. He was still in a cast at that time, and still healing. Kochou would have gotten his head if he’d let that happen to Tanjiro. 

Thinking of Kochou… she hadn’t talked to him for a week. She’d usually send a letter of her recent works to him, whether to let him know she was there or because all the other hashira would reply to her and she needed somewhere to store her notes. Nothing, from the past seven days. Tanjiro had gone to the Butterfly Mansion briefly to get the cast off and a final checkup, but he reported that hadn’t seen her. He’d said that Aoi told him that Kochou was busy with lots of research.

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro called, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.

Giyuu landed on the ground, looking over. 

“Are you not tired?” Tanjiro gripped his bokken tighter as he asked.

Giyuu didn’t respond as he used the Third Form, bending his sword and body to the set of moves as he swirled over to Tanjiro. Tanjiro blocked all seven attacks that came at him, using what Giyuu offhandedly thought of as a much more powerful and brash Water Wheel. Giyuu zipped away as Tanjiro’s attack almost landed onto the ground.

Strange. Tanjiro was going slower than before. Was it because he was injured?

“Tanjiro, are you okay?” Giyuu asked as they suddenly switched to closer combat.

Tanjiro blocked Giyuu’s sword as he replied. “I’m fine, Giyuu-san! No need to stop!”

Giyuu watched carefully as they started trading blows, blocking and shifting their feet and wrists, how Tanjiro’s brow was furrowed and teeth grit. It looked like he was making that face from pain, not concentration.

“Tanjiro, we can stop here for a break.” Giyuu advised.

“No! I’ve finally got you to train!” Tanjiro protested, putting more strength into his blow which Giyuu effortlessly blocked.

“We can pick it back up after some water.” Giyuu responded. Did Tanjiro feel like Giyuu would refuse to train if they stopped? He supposed that he hadn’t been helping his case to Tanjiro, though…

Tanjiro’s ankle twisted severely; the previously injured one. Giyuu’s eyes widened as Tanjiro continued sparring. Of course, he was a slayer, Tanjiro was used to fighting with injuries, but that didn’t mean it didn’t pain Giyuu to know that.

“Tanjiro, if you’re in pain, it will only make you weaker.” Giyuu tried again. It was Tanjiro who was supposed to tell that to Giyuu, not the other way around. Tanjiro had just spent the past four days preaching that to Giyuu; why wasn’t he taking his own advice? Tanjiro continued churning out forms.

Giyuu’s brows tightened as he went full speed towards Tanjiro, landing the butt of his bokken into Tanjiro’s neck. The boy slumped forwards into his arms.

Giyuu exhaled. Tanjiro was still just a child. Despite how wise he was, Giyuu wouldn’t let him injure himself without any deeper purpose than helping someone as irresponsible and childish as Giyuu.

Giyuu laid the boy down, placing his haori underneath Tanjiro’s head. Overtop of the teenager’s body, Giyuu spread out Tanjiro’s own haori. 

He had to find one of the attendants for a damp towel and some water, and either Kanzaburo or Tanjiro’s crow for the Butterfly Mansion in case Tanjiro injured himself again. Giyuu peeked out of the meditation room, glancing both ways as he saw one of them walking down the halls.

“Tomioka-sama!” She gasped. “I– um–”

“Could you fetch some water, and a damp tenugui?” Giyuu requested. “And send for someone at the Butterfly Mansion.”

“Of course!” She bowed. “Right away!”

Giyuu watched her hurry away, down the corner. He reentered the room, looking at Tanjiro’s unconscious form on the ground. Maybe knocking him out was a bad idea, but it was the gentlest way possible and Giyuu had first-hand experience of how persistent and stubborn Tanjiro could be, along with how high his pain tolerance was.

Seeing him on the ground… Giyuu felt his stomach churning as unwelcome memories of the stench of vomit filling his nose.

Otou-san… okaa-san…

Tanjiro woke like the sun peeking in through the clouds.

His neck hurt. His leg hurt. His body hurt.

Tanjiro sat up, rubbed his head, blinked his eyes back into the real world, and glanced around. A blanket covered him, falling as he rose. He pulled it off, finally turning around.

“Tanjiro.” Giyuu said.

Tanjiro attempted to jump up. “Giyuu-san!”

Giyuu made a motion to keep Tanjiro sitting, going onto the ground himself. “How are you?”

“I’m fine!” Tanjiro insisted. “I’m sorry for pausing our training session!”

Giyuu shook his head. “Don’t push yourself. You’re injured.”

“Not anymore!” Tanjiro responded eagerly. He glanced around for his katana, which was an arm’s reach away inside its saya. “I’ll keep sparring with you, Giyuu-san!”

“Tanjiro, sparring was meant to be training for you, not torture.” Giyuu said firmly. He hesitated before reaching out to pat the boy’s shoulder. “You’ve done well. You’ll continue to grow even if you rest for a little.”

Tanjiro blinked, looking up at Giyuu. Then, he lowered his head. Giyuu retracted his hand.

“…Tanjiro?” Giyuu asked slowly.

“Thank you, Giyuu-san…” Tanjiro wiped tears away.

Giyuu swallowed thickly. “I’ll go get some tea. Just rest.”

He hurried out, getting an attendant to brew the tea while he picked out a couple of wagashi treats to go with it. Senbei, mizu-yokan, and castella. The tea was ready and steaming, brought back to the training room where Tanjiro was cleaning his sword’s tsuba.

“Is that Rengoku’s?” Giyuu asked Tanjiro, before turning to the attendant who set down the tray with the pot and yunomi. “Thank you.”

The attendant took it as an order to leave, bowing before closing the door. Giyuu poured them tea.

“My mom also told me to not push myself too hard, because I’ll grow whether or not I take breaks…” Tanjiro explained, “I didn’t expect that memory to… thank you, Giyuu-san.”

Giyuu offered the cup in response, a silent answer.

“Giyuu-san, where did the two halves of your haori come from?” Tanjiro asked, taking a sip. 

“This side is from Sabito.” Giyuu gestured at the green and yellow geometric pattern, then at the other side. “This one is from my sister, Tsutako.”

“I… see.” Tanjiro’s face went back to normal. Giyuu was willing to let it go. He took a bite of castella.

“Giyuu… Giyuu!” A crow cawed from the window above. They both looked up to see a crow with bristly feathers and bald patches, beak chipped and eyes grey. On its gangly leg was a messily tied paper. It skittered off the window sill, falling into Giyuu’s arms purely on chance.

Tanjiro blinked curiously as Giyuu set the grow down in his lap, taking the letter and opening it.

Heard you were training with everyone but me, Tomioka. Spar in two weeks. Prepare to die.

Shinazugawa. Giyuu knew it from the minimal kanji letterings, with just the basic phonetics instead of delicate Chinese characters that normal people would write. It had splotchy ink and was structured terribly, but clear and something Giyuu could follow. Giyuu liked clear. Shinazugawa wasn’t much of a mystery to Giyuu, unlike most other people. His opinions and motivations were made clear from the start.

“Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro called.

“Let’s eat, Tanjiro.” Giyuu stated.