My Brightest Flame (Rengoku X Reader)

Chapter 38 - Visitors

A/N: This one is shorter than I intended it to be, but it still felt quite full so I left it as is. Hope you enjoy it!

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A yawn escaped y/n's lips as she stared at the bars, keeping her distance from them. Touching them would lead to her feeling poorly, so all she could do is watch the torch that burned on the other side. The flame was comforting. A smile remained on her face ever since the decision to spare her was made, watching the small fire only made her more joyous. She spent a long time like that, finding staring at the light somehow mesmerising. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to stare at flames for hours on end after all.

Eventually she heard the sounds of someone approaching. No longer knowing what day it was she depended on people telling her. However she knew for now that it hadn't been that long, a few hours at most.

"Hi y/n!" Mitsuri's cheerful tone could only brighten y/n's mood more as she gave the love hashira a toothy smile. There was no need to hide what she looked like around the demon slayers, as they knew what to expect. She also definitely wasn't the worst looking demon they had ever seen. The door was opened by one of the lower ranked staff of the corps, allowing Mitsuri to enter with her arms overflowing with kimonos. Neatly folded, she placed them on the not-great quality bed that was in place for y/n. The corps never really kept prisoners, so she couldn't expect more. Honestly, y/n was grateful that they even considered giving her a bed.

"Hello Mitsuri!" She gave the love hashira a hug, one that the pink haired girl didn't hesitate to return.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you. Kyojuro was so heartbroken when he found out!" Being the emotional person that Mitsuri was, thinking back on her experience with Kyojuro trying to cope with the news triggered her tears once again. "I'm so happy he brought you back! He loves you so much. I'm going to do everything I can to help Shinobu work on a cure so you can have a human life again!" Y/N chuckled at her optimism, choking for air suddenly as the love hashira crushed her in an overly emotional hug. With a small pat on her back, y/n was relieved that the woman let her go.

"I missed you too, Mitsuri." It was then that y/n decided to ask about the clothes she had brought. "What's with the delivery?"

"Well, I noticed that your clothes are worn out and burnt in some areas." The demon suddenly became aware of the damage done to her outfit, realising that Kyojuro had officially turned them into rags during their fight. "So, I made sure to get you new ones! Kimonos for every occasion in every colour!"

"Thank you so much Mitsuri, but you do know that I can't go anywhere right? There will be no occasion."

"And who said you need a reason to wear nice clothes?" She huffed, puffing out her cheeks to prove her point. With a small laugh, y/n couldn't resist the urge to hug the woman again. The love hashira returned the gesture with a small giggle. For a short while they talked like that, catching up on everything that Mitsuri had been up to, mainly because y/n's experiences weren't something she wanted to talk about. She left with a cheerful wave, off to her next mission. The privacy afterwards gave y/n enough time to pick out a casual kimono in her favourite colour. It was nice to be in fresh clothes.

The next visit she got wasn't long after, but the person she saw left her guilty. Of course, y/n was happy to see Senjuro healthy, but knowing that she was the reason why he looked at her with a distraught face depressed her. She needed to apologise. Of course, a lot of humans needed an apology from her now, but they weren't alive anymore. She'd need to start with the ones that were still on the planet. The bars opened and closed once again, Senjuro standing there awkwardly with his wide eyes focused on the ground. He was such a gentle soul, scared of what would happen around y/n. So she made the first move, pulling him into her with a tight hug.