All x Tanjiro oneshots

Uzui x Tanjiro (14)

A sound that never went away
Hashira Tanjiro AU!

Requested By: Chocojello
(We stan an over-protective sister figure here!)

PART ONE

Uzui Tengen always owned outstanding hearing. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he couldn't decide since with the ability to hear through lies, secrets, and true emotions, he was also able to hear another sound. One that always rung around his Hashira colleagues, around new slayers and such.

He hated it. He hated it so—much.

It was what Uzui would always describe as a heart-pounding, dread-filling, heavy beating noise. No one else seemed to hear it, no one else except for him. The first time he heard it, it shook him deep to his core, paralyzing him for the longest time until someone placed a hand on his shoulder to shake him awake.

Though he tried his best not to show how much it affected him, people around him always asked; Are you okay? You seem out of it.

Fine. He always snapped an answer back.

This always rung hard enough to make his head blank whenever someone was about to pass away—whether it's from old age or a violent death, the sound knew no difference. This has happened more than multiple times, where he has watched people pronounced dead, murdered, or slaughtered right in front of him.

He met a man, who was the kindest, and sweetest person he has ever met during a mission to slay a demon nearby. He treated him with welcoming passion. Allowed him to stay with him, shared his meal with him, and even showed him around town to familiarize the area. His smile was so pure, so happy... And then the second Tengen turned away, the person was killed.

The demon launched itself towards the man like a bullet, not even giving Tengen a second to react when the man's limp body collided hard against the floor. He might have even heard his skull crack open in the mixture of noises.

He thought—that this would never happen to someone so kind like him. The second he heard it, he could feel his body stiffen with a new, unwelcomed wave of anxiety and fear. He feared this sound, because it always meant an unescapable mess of misery. But... Despite his anxious behavior, the man's voice seemed to calm him down a little and before he knew it, a couple of hours had already passed and nothing's happened yet.

He—placed his guard down only to be hit in the face with ruthless reality.

That night, he doesn't even know how long he's held the man's corpse in his hands. Warmth left his finger-tips, like the colour that quickly drained his skin—one that was no different from a mess of flesh. He didn't even know what killed him, and yet, here he was... Oh, how Tengen pitied his death. If only he—if only he didn't let his guard down! This—was all his fault, wasn't it? 

That noise he's heard all these years. It was the sound of death.

When he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he met young slayers such as him, who always had this sound beating within their chests. In sync with their hearts. If Tengen listened any harder, he might have gone crazy. It made it difficult to focus on his missions. He has learned to focus on an object to drown out the sound.

He couldn't remember the time when he didn't know about this... quality, of his.

"Uzui, are you okay?" Shinobu asked softly. She looked up at him with those piercing, yet soft purple eyes. She walked next to him softly, turning her gaze to try and find whatever he was looking at with such longingness. She couldn't find it. "I'm not the type of person to care deeply about others I'm not familiar with, but I still can't help but ask. Maybe I'm over stepping my boundaries."