My Brightest Flame (Rengoku X Reader)

Chapter 40 - Coma

A/N: I hate to break it to you, but apart from 2 non story related one shots I have planned, this book only has 10 chapters left. Since my knowledge of what happens past the anime is limited, I had to do the best with what I knew meaning there isn't much for me to go off. It's been great sharing this experience with you guys! Let's make the most of these final chapters!

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The weather started getting slightly colder and the days were becoming shorter as winter slowly crept up. However even if it was easily predicted, the demon in her jail cell would have no way of knowing. It had been two months since the decision to spare her and they had felt very long. She would have regular visits from multiple people that cared or took an interest in her, but in general it was a very lonely, isolating two months. Nezuko would wake up every now and again and they would play small games together, but she was a very sleepy demon, so she was never out of her box for long. Y/N had offered her the bed, as she never used it, but Nezuko always shook her head in refusal.

For now the demon was alone, staring out of the cell to her only source of light, the torch. It soon burnt out. She had seen it extinguish many times since being here, as she'd watch it with nothing much to do. Was the process mentally exhausting? Yes. But y/n was stubborn, she didn't want to leave the cell without permission. It meant everything to her at the moment to prove that she could be trusted as one of them, so she would wait as long as it takes.

Soon enough, someone noticed that the light had gone out, replacing the flame with his own one. With him, he brought someone who wanted to see her. Y/N watched carefully as he watched the person approach her, once again someone she could remember seeing in her attempt to try and save the flame hashira. He was heavily bandaged and colour was slowly flowing into his face, making him grow less pale. She could sense the blood flow. Being stuck here with no humans to eat had made her grow weak, so the only thing she could feel now is the hunger she was resisting and the blood flow of multiple humans. Y/N was confused as the boy stood smiling, wrapped in his green and black checkered haori. He tilted his head slightly, the unique earrings he wore swinging slightly at the movement.

"You're not afraid?" Y/N questioned, surprised. Most of the demon slayer corps members she had come across had been very afraid, terrified even. It shocked her to see someone, not yet a hashira, that wasn't afraid of her.

"Why would I be? You're a good person, I can smell it." His voice was soft, quietened a little bit from a long time of not talking. She had been informed from her previous visitors that he had helped take down the upper rank demon that had destroyed the entertainment district. The area was recovering fast from the damage, the wealth they had been useful now for something more than beauty and status. "Thank you for watching Nezuko for me while I was unconscious."

"It was nothing, she's great to spend time with and really she just slept most of the time." Y/N was now fully aware of the story of these siblings by now and remembering what they had gone through always brought on empathy.

"My name is Tanjiro, by the way." At the sound of his name, Nezuko's box shifted, the small girl slipping out. Sleepily she rubbed her eyes, only to become overly excited when she saw her brother standing there. Y/M was shocked as she only blinked and the next thing she knew they were hugging each other, the demon of the two siblings receiving head pats. Nezuko was fast for a demon who hadn't eaten a single human.

"I'm y/n." The demon responded from a distance, smiling at the reunited siblings. Nezuko could never really talk thanks to her muzzle, so now was the best chance she had at getting an answer for her question. "Why does Nezuko sleep? Demons generally don't need it..."

"We believe that Nezuko sleeps to restore her strength, rather than eating humans. It seems to work, so I try not to bother her much when she is in her box." Y/N frowned in thought. That did make sense, she guessed. She never really knew much about what sleep would do to a demon. "Maybe you could try it too! I can tell you're hungry and very much weakened for a demon. Sleep could help?"

"Maybe." Y/N nodded her head, curious about the effects sleep would have on her. It was very much possible that giant power naps were only a thing that worked for Nezuko. "So what's next for you? More recovery?"

"Yes! although it won't be here." Tanjiro chuckled out, sounding a little nervous suddenly. "I need to go to the swordsmith village."

"Oh? How come?" Y/N was interested, purely because she could sense how nervous he was.

"Well, Mr Haganezuka, my swordsmith...He stopped making my sword. Even though it was only chipped this time..." Tanjiro spoke bashfully, his expression embarrassed as he worried for what would wait for him at the mysterious village.

"Haganezuka? He is my swordsmith too!" Y/N laughed at the coincidence. "Or was." She remembered that she hadn't gotten a sword in a while now, and as a demon, she would never be trusted to have one.

"How about you come with me then? I'm sure he won't mind at least making your one." The boy suggested, still patting the head of his little sister as she became drowsy again.

"As much as I would love to, I can't." Y/N spoke. "No one trusts me, the bars are coated in wisteria to make sure that I can't escape."

"I trust you!" Tanjiro declared, his demon sister nodding in agreement before she walked forward. She gave one last hug to y/n before climbing into her box again, closing it behind her. "If you can't go, then I'll convince him to forge you a new sword and bring it back to you!"

"I would really appreciate that actually." Y/N replied happily, enjoying the visit with who could easily be the kindest person she had ever met. She watched wih a smile as the boy lifted the box onto his back as the door unlocked for him. "Thank you, and good luck!"

"You too. I think I will need all the luck I can get." He laughed, waving a last goodbye to her from the other side of the bars as they closed and locked. He walked off, leaving her alone once again.

Suddenly she found herself missing the company of the younger demon, even if she only slept the majority of the time. Her eyes wandered over to the bed, mediocre at best, that held clothing on it that she had gotten from Mitsuri. The corps members were at least nice enough to clean them so that it wouldn't smell. Sleep helped Nezuko restore power as an alternative to eating. Y/N frowned, curious of the result. It was the first time in a very long while that she had chosen to properly lie down, and when she did, she fell asleep instantly...

E/C eyes flashed open suddenly as she felt someone gently stroke her cheek. She was startled for a moment before she recognised the familiar face of the flame hashira, making her smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead." He teased, standing back to allow y/n space.

"Good morning." She muttered with a yawn, stretching as she sat up. Her eyes widened a second later as she noticed that she didn't feel as hungry or as weakened as before. It was amazing. Sleep actually worked!

"Did you dream? I honestly believed that demons don't sleep." Kyojuro questioned, sitting next to her with a wide smile. He had a bento box in hand, choosing to eat with y/n while he had time. Though she couldn't really eat anything, so he would do the eating while they talked.

"I didn't know either. But it helped. I feel a lot better." Y/N admitted. She didn't dream of anything, but she was happy with the outcome anyway. She'd definitely be sleeping more from now on. Of course, it didn't make her as strong as eating a human would, it was a longer process that took more time, but she would take it.

"That's great! You will need strength for the cure when it eventually gets here!" Kyojuro was always so supportive. "Umai!" Declared the hashira after his first bite of food.

"I missed that." Y/N laughed, feeling nostalgic at the mannerisms of the demon slayer.

"Missed what?" He questioned, staring at her with eyes that shined.

"Not just that, I miss you. Just being with you with no stress." She admitted, smiling softly as she leaned against the male, resting her head on his shoulder. He returned the smile too.

"I missed you too." He replied, before taking another bite of his food.

"Umai!"