~仕始める~

"What did you say?"

"I said you're beautiful. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

Giyuu's eyes were glued to mine. My chest felt light as the snow fell around us.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here any longer..." I tried to change the topic.

"I love you, (Y/N)." He suddenly declared, his eyebrows furrowing a little. "I know that I'm not the best man out there for you. But, nobody has made me feel the way I feel about you."

"You know I'm a man-eating demon, right? That I've eaten people? I'm over a century old, I'll live forever... In 20 years your body will start to break." My eyebrows scrunched up, while I allowed my eyes to revert to their original slit pupils with a sharp glow.

Silence cut through the atmosphere, the only thing the two of us could hear was the quiet inhale and exhale of our breathing. Guilt began to flood my chest with every passing second.

"Would you use the drug for me? The drug to revert you back to a human," Giyuu was persistent and insisted on a solution.

"There was only one drug made for Nezuko, and I need to keep Tamayo's memory alive with Yushiro. I want to keep everyone's story alive after they die." I smiled softly to him, his eyes filled with longing.

"I understand... I'm sorry for burdening you with my feelings." Giyuu tore his gaze away and faced forward.

"You didn't burden me at all. I'm very happy that you decided to tell me. The face you like me in that way makes me feel very special. Please continue to be yourself and never change- I like you just the way you are. I know it hurts, but I hope we can still be friends. I'll do my best to support you in every way I can!" Despite his reluctance to look at me again, I still faced him.

"Thank you (Y/N), for being you." Giyuu turned to me again, his blue eyes looked stunning in the snow.

My whole body felt light, and I felt like I was going to cry. I'm happy, so happy that he's able to feel like that for someone. However, it's a shame it had to be with me.

"Let's go inside before you catch a cold," I smiled at him again, while he nodded silently and I followed him into the estate.

Before the night ended, I made my leave. Staying for too long

~休憇~

I returned with a sore throat and a heavy chest, I felt a stone sit inside of my stomach. Travelling during the day is stupid for a demon, however I had a thick and long umbrella to use assuring the sun won't touch me.

"I'm back," I called out, removing my shoes at the entryway. I wanted to get out of these clothes as soon as I could.

"Welcome ba- you look like shit." Yushiro's familiar voice rang in my ears. "What happened? You damaged your pretty yukata too."

"Nothing important, it's my fault anyway." I was cold and I felt beyond shitty. The only thing on my mind was getting out of my wet clothes and huddling up in my bed.

I made my way to my room and shut the door swiftly, I changed out of the yukata and into a comfortable oversized white dress shirt with (f/c) hakama pants. I changed out my damp socks for a new pair. Leaving the yukata and the other articles of clothing folded to be washed later on.

I made my way out of the room, "You gonna talk to me or not?" Yushiro tugged at the back of my shirt.

I turned to face him face to face. My gaze at the floor, and my throat still sore. The pit in my stomach had gone away but the guilt had turned into a literal headache while plopping my head onto Yushiro's shoulder.

"Giyuu confessed his undying love for me and now I don't have the courage to look him in the eyes anymore." I had told him.

"That's stupid. Don't get all emotional for someone like that. His body was going to break far before ours. Sure it's unfair but nothing to get this worked up about." Usually I would scold him for being so merciless, but he was right. It's nothing to get this emotional for, but the pit in my stomach won't go away.

It doesn't feel like a rock in my stomach anymore though, it's more like a ball of ice. All I needed to do is to wait for that ice to melt.

"Haha... Thanks, I just needed to hear something from you." I put more of my weight onto his shoulder, sinking into him more.

"Whatever you say weirdo. I'm bored, let's paint." He patted my back lazily.

"I have laundry to do."

"Fine! I'll paint you doing laundry!" Yushiro had insisted.

"And you call me a weirdo!" I lifted my head up and bumped his forehead with mine lightly.

"Shut up! I'm bored! I can do what I want!" Yushiro spat back, a playful scowl dressing his face.

Our teasing continued back and forth until I ended up tripping over sleeping Chachamaru and Yushiro started laughing. I threatened to throw a chair at him to shut up.

After the chaos had died down, I hung the laundry up and enjoyed the scenery from inside the house. Since the engawa wasn't exposed to the sunlight I could go out there and enjoy it myself. The thick snow colored clouds hung overhead of where we were, preventing and sun from peeking through. A wonderful snowy blanket covered everything as far as the eye can see. Yushiro was scrubbing dishes inside, and while I was tempted to make a joke about him being a housewife my mind seemed at peace again. The last hours have been hellish and my emotions had been eating me up alive, I'm glad Yushiro's bad advice snapped me out of it. I wonder if I should send a letter to Shinazugawa... Knowing him he might rip it to pieces or burn it.

Maybe if I made a drawing or a small painting he would feel less tempted to destroy it. Actually, now that I consider it, that sounds like a terrible idea. He hates demons and the fact that I was painting him will infuriate him, making friends is hard!

"Are you overthinking stuff again?" Yushiro's voice cut through my mental dilemma, "You're such a pain in the ass."

"No, I want to do something nice for everybody at the Demon Slayer corps, but everybody there is so hard to reach. Especially since we don't have our own Kasugai crow," I had explained myself with an exasperated sigh, we had been exchanging letters through Giyuu's old crow.

"Just leave them be, they're annoying anyways," Yushiro scowled at me for the up-tenth time today, he held a hand towel in his hands as he made his way towards me.

"Yeah... But I still want to make friends with everyone!" I had exclaimed.

The next words that left his mouth were colder than the ice beneath me.

"Sure, but they're all going to die soon anyways." He muttered, sneering at me.

I couldn't argue with him, they were humans so they were going to die long before I would even show signs of aging. Being tied to them would only make losing them even more tiring, but I can't help but crave that connection.

"Am I not enough?" Yushiro's voice was less rough sounding, almost like he was lost.

"No it's not that- I guess I just really wanted to feel like I was special," I confessed with a grin on my face.

"You are special, too special for them. Also, they're annoying." His last comment made me laugh.

I guess Yushiro and I have a duty we need to carry out that don't involve humans, what's the nice thing is that I'll always be here for them. No matter that how old or young they are.

~終了~

a/n: for your information, 仕始める is beginning. 休憇 is intermission/break, pretty much a timeskip. 終了 is end, it marks the ending of a chapter. I really like writing this book! If you have any ideas feel free to let me know in comments or dm's!