𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕣'𝕤 𝕡𝕖𝕥 // Tengen Uzui x reader (+18)

Chapter 45 | There should be me

You don't cease running even though you're facing a very problematic situation. You don't wanna say it's hopeless but-
Fortunately the speed of the wind doesn't raise yet. The clouds will cover your brother for at least 15 more minutes. You pray to any god that Tokito-san is knocked out by the venom by now. It makes your heart ache because you really had fun with him last night but right now all you can think about is Shin's survival.
The edge gets closer every second. Still you don't stop.
"Y/n", Shin warns. Despite the circumstances, he lingers by your side not questioning you. Your fingers are clenching around one of your katana. The other one is back in its scabbard.
The edge is only a couple seconds in distance. Unfortunately the clouds are as well.
Your only solution is to jump into the pit. But the clouds are not far enough to be safe if doing so. Waiting for them will confront you with the hashiras again.
God, you have to give Tokito-san an antidote. You don't want to be the reason a hashira died.
If you jump off the cliff, will you make it?
The drug makes it possible.
Will Shin make it?
He can heal himself, right?
And where will you go afterwards?
If you can land the jump, the hashiras will too.
Could you go back to Yoshiwara with Shin? Probably yes. A lot of illegal stuff is done there. For a suitable price Aoki-san would likely let you hide there. It would mean paying off the debts plus the price for Shin by working for her but you're ready to sacrifice that.

Bright colors catch your attention. Not halting you quickly turn your head. With tensed fingers Makio squats between the trees her eyes fixed on you, a shocked expression on her face.

What the hell is that woman doing here?

A great distraction.
Somehow Tengen-san managed to be faster than you. His swords to be precisely. The chain connecting them wraps around your feet and you stumble. Shin catches your wrist and pulls you up before you can fall onto your knees. Your curse and step out of the chain. It's a miracle how the blades didn't injure you or Shin.
And it's astonishing and horrifying that Tengen-san can throw his katanas that precisely. That he is so fast he can keep up with your speed, despite the drug.

Your heart races. You can feel the blood gushing through it.
Reaching the cliff you stop. The clouds do, too.
Letting go of Shin you draw your second katana again and stare at the forest. Tengen-san rushes through it while picking up his weapons. He stops, turns his head into a different direction and says something. One minute later Makio steps out of the trees and squeezes Tengen-san's arm. Your expression gets cold.
Bitch.
They exchange some words until both of them look at you. Tokito-san doesn't appear. You expect the worst. You hate yourself for not getting an antidote with you; for leaving it in your uniform.
"Shin, do you have an antidote?", you ask your brother, not turning your face away from the advancing danger.
"Of course."
He doesn't need to ask what for.
No judgement lays in his voice. He hands you a tiny vessel without hesitation.
"Thank you", you respond.
Tengen-san and Makio run shoulder to shoulder. Well, not actually. Makio is a lot smaller.
Ire ignites in you.
"I'm sorry, y/n that you have to endure this. I don't judge you for liking the hashiras. I never could. I'm actually happy you found friends that you trust and care for", Shin says with a proud voice.

You don't answer him. To be honest you don't know what to say; how to feel about it.

Tengen-san and Makio hold 15 feet in front of you. Your ex teacher moves a few inches to bring distance between him and Makio. You steady your breathing and glare at them. The clouds stand still as if they were willing to help the hashiras.

Makio's gaze meets yours. She openly shows her confusion and disdain.
You never wondered what the f+ trio had heard from Tengen-san. What he had told them about you. Why he didn't need them anymore. In case he did. The way him and Makio instantly connected makes you second guess if he had actually stopped fucking them. Looking at Makio's eyes, hair and body you wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't stop. She is hot. She is sexy. She is beautiful. Wouldn't she have been in some kind of relationship with Tengen-san before you would have maybe suggested a threesome. But all of this doesn't matter now anyways.

Makio doesn't even make the effort to ask what's going on. She seems to blindly trust Tengen-san's judgement. There's a piercing pain in your heart. It's been there the whole time.
You should be the one standing next to Tengen-san.
You should be fighting on his side, partners in battle.
You envy Makio.
No- you're jealous of her. Jealous of her connection with Tengen-san. Jealous of how she can trust him; how she doesn't need to know what's going on to understand. Jealous of how Tengen-san stopped chasing you for her. Jealous of how she is more important to him than you are.

You could start a whole debate of wether he actually had something for you or was just playing around. Unfortunately there's no time for that.

Makio draws two kunais, her expression firm. She bows down a bit revealing her chest and you catch a glimpse of her boobs.
Yep, you definitely understand why Tengen-san has something for her.

Your gaze drifts to Tengen-san. He immediately looks at Shin. You wonder what he thinks and why he doesn't want you to know that he's looking at you.
You hiss, clenching your teeth and fists.
You have to fucking kill Makio to escape. You will have to be a fucking whore to pay off the debts.
Squeezing Shin's hand you remind yourself what you're doing this for. There's a valid reason for it.
It's only temporarily. Someday you'll be freed from your sorrows.

A couple seconds later the battle continues. Metal clashes on metal and the smacking sound of Shin's whip interrupts it now and then. Makio doesn't stand a chance against you. Even without the drug she wouldn't. In spite of everything you fight just strong enough to keep her low. You don't want to kill her. Somehow.

Your hands start shaking. At first you think it's a side effect of the drug but with the next attack on Makio you realize that it's dread.
Because of what you're doing here. Because of what you're losing.
Shutting out your emotions doesn't work any longer which just feeds your dread.

I JUST WANT THIS TO END!, you cry out in your mind.

The drug in you seems to answer. Or maybe it's Shin.
You turn your face to him to admire him. His soft hair, his ashen face, his red eyes, his pointed teeth, his stripes, his whip, his deadly venom.
Over there is your twin brother, fighting Tengen-san. Standing a chance against a hashira.
You would love to shout at him how proud and thankful your are but he doesn't give you the chance to.

One second Shin was pressing his whip against Tengen-san's swords. The next second he turns around and runs to the edge.
Time again slows down. Shin looks concentrated as he runs. The wind whirls his hair back. His whip dissolves as he drops it to the ground, not halting. Sweat runs over his forehead. Slowly he turns his head to the side. His eyes meet yours. They are filled with fear and love. A heartbreaking, grateful smile forms on his lips.
You know what that smile means without ever having seen it before. It's the last expression you see on Shin's unique face before his foot meets the edge. For a tiny moment it looks like he's about to grow wings and leap skywards. It's the first time in years you see his skin sparkle from the sunlight meeting it. He's never looked more beautiful.
Shin's hair stands up for a second. His arms are lifted as if he would rejoice. But gravity does it's work and Shin falls.
The slice of Makio's kunai throws you back to real time speed.
The clouds didn't move an inch.