Luminous (KNY X READER)

Twenty-Five

"Please! Please, please, please! Marry me!" A voice suddenly screeches as you and Tanjiro make your way to your next mission. "I don't know when I'll die! So I want you to marry me! Please?"

As you and Tanjiro grow closer you're suddenly approached by a small bird that chirps quickly as if in a panic. You're unsure if Tanjiro actually understands the bird as he listens to it, but he soon tells the bird that he'll do something about whatever it supposedly said. As the screeching voice continues to beg for marriage, Tanjiro swiftly approaches before yanking the boy away by his collar.

Holding him up, he begins scolding him. "What're you doing in the middle of the road?! Can't you see that this girl doesn't like it! And quit upsetting sparrows!"

"Wait! That's a corps uniform! You were at the final selection!" The person yells, and you tilt your head as you try to think back to then. It takes a while for the memory to click into place allowing you to remember the voice yelling at your friend. You never really thought you would ever run into him again.

"I don't know anyone like you! Trust me!"

"Huh?! But we've met! We've met! The problem is your memory!" Zenitsu proclaims only to be ignored as Tanjiro starts talking to the girl he was harassing. "Hey! That girl likes me! She's gonna marry me!"

He's interrupted as the girl approaches him, suddenly slapping him. "When did I ever say that I liked you?! You were crouched at the side of the road. You looked sick, so I asked if you were alright!"

"You didn't come over because you thought you might like me?!"

"I'm already engaged to someone, so definitely not! If you're healthy enough to harass me, then you're fine! Goodbye!" With that she turns around and walks off.

"Why did you interfere?" Zenitsu looks at Tanjiro only to be met with a face of disgust. "And why are you looking at me like that?! Why are you staring at me like I'm some pitiful creature? Stop it! I hold you responsible for this! It's your fault I'm not getting married! Say something! I'm gonna die soon on my next job! I'm incredibly weak! So give me a break! Protect me until I get married!"

"Let's start with introductions. My name is Kamado Tanjiro."

"My name is Agatsuma Zenitsu! Help me, Tanjiro!" Zenitsu begs.

It isn't until you clear your throat that Zenitsu notices your presence. "You really haven't changed much, huh?"

There's a beat of silence as both boys stare at you. It isn't until Zenitsu really listens to your sounds that he remembers who you are. "(Y/N)?! Is that really you?!"

"Hi Zenitsu. I'm glad that you're still alive." You barely have a chance to react as Zenitsu flings himself at you, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist as he sobs into your stomach.

"You two know each other?" Tanjiro questions, a bit upset at seeing the other boy touching you so casually. He doesn't remember seeing the two of you together at final selection.

Nodding, you pat the top of Zenitsu's head. "He's the boy I helped on the mountain during the week of final selection." Tanjiro looks down at Zenitsu, taking in his pathetic appearance. It makes sense that this is the boy that inconvenienced you on the mountain by making you protect him the entire week.

"I missed you so much!" Zenitsu cries, looking up at you with tears streaming down his cheeks. "It's been really scary without you there to help me! Please don't leave me again!"

"Enough with that!" Tanjiro pulls Zenitsu away from you. "Why are you such a weakling?! Didn't you become a swordsman?!"

"Don't be so mean! A woman tricked me and put me deep in debt! My trainer was an old man who took on that debt! Life became an endless hell of training! It was so bad that I wanted to die! I thought I'd die at final section but she protected me and I survived! Now every day for the rest of my life will be hell! I'm scared! Terrified!"

After Zenitsu stops crying you all begin to make your way to your mission. The two boys talk as they split a rice ball, you eating your own that you had packed. Tanjiro explains to Zenitsu about how he shouldn't upset his sparrow to which Zenitsu questions how he knew. That's when Tanjiro explains that the sparrow said he's always like this and that makes the sparrow not want to rush him off to a job. You can't help but to laugh a little when Tanjiro says the bird claimed Zenitsu snores loudly because you know it's true from your time together on the mountain.

It isn't much longer until all of you arrive at your destination. As the two boys examine the house, you stand back and use your feet to sense your surroundings. You easily sense two small children hiding in the bushes but refrain from approaching them as your bandaged eyes will likely scare them. Instead, you nudge Tanjiro and nod in their direction so he can go talk to them. As he talks to them you listen, feeling bad for them when they say a monster appeared and took their older brother leaving them unable to do anything but follow their brothers trail of blood to the house.

Just as Zenitsu mentions a strange sound coming from the house a body suddenly flies from the building landing harshly on the ground near your feet. Dropping to your knees, you carefully pull the injured man into your arms, ignoring the strong scent of blood coming from him. "I got... away..." He pants, struggling to speak through the pain. "I got out... I'm outside.... But... Am I... dying? Am I about to... die?"

You can do nothing more than hug him as he takes his final breath, passing away in your arms. Tanjiro asks the children if the man in your arms is their brother but they deny it, claiming their brother was wearing an orange kimono. Knowing that there's at least one survivor in the building, Tanjiro calls out to you and Zenitsu. "Let's go!"

Without hesitation you gently lay the mans body on the ground with the silent promise to bury him later before standing up in order to follow Tanjiro into the building. As you prepare to go inside, Tanjiro removes the box containing Nezuko and places it on the ground next to the children promising that it will protect them should anything happen. With that the three of you march into the house, ready to fight whatever demons are inside and rescue any survivors.

~~~~~~~~~~
🔆TAISHO SECRETS🔆

🔅Zenitsu didn't recognize you at first because you weren't wearing the mask you had on while on the mountain

🔅You gave the mask to Urokodaki before leaving for your first mission so he could look at it and always remember that you came back to him safely

🔅Tanjiro doesn't like how close you and Zenitsu seem

🔅Zenitsu was embarrassed that you witnessed him proposing to another woman

🔅You felt bad for the man who died in your arms, but you were glad you could at least offer him some comfort in his last moments