Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tanjirou stared at the bandages on his body. The battle against the Lowermoon 5 had made him understand how far his strength compared to Muzan's was.

The sound of wind chimes from the inn window distracted him. He was drawn to stand and open the window wider, enjoying the cool night breeze blowing against his face.

Nezuko had been asleep for two days. This worried Tanjirou to death, hoping this sleep wouldn't be as long as the last. Nezuko's last long sleep lasted two years. Tanjirou was worried because his sister hadn't woken up, and it was killing him little by little.

The inn door slid open slowly. Tanjirou didn't need to turn to know who had arrived. Giyuu had been carrying the same scent of sadness and anger for the past two days.

"I brought food," Giyuu announced himself.

The younger man flashed a smile, closed the window, and sat down.

It wasn't anything fancy. They didn't even have chabudai for dinner, just spooning grains of rice and swallowing them like sand.

Perhaps Tanjirou could sense someone's emotions as easily as turning the palm of his hand. But he still had no idea what Giyuu was really thinking.

Honestly, Giyuu didn't even know much about the Kamados. But in their two encounters, Giyuu had twice shown all the kindness Tanjirou knew he needed.

The same was true for Tanjirou. The young teenager clearly knew nothing about the Hashira—the former Hashira.

At the very least, Giyuu had been loyal to the corps since meeting Tanjirou at the foot of the mountain that day. But Giyuu didn't even blink when he decided to throw everything away for himself and Nezuko.

Feeling a little guilty was an understatement of Tanjirou's feelings at the moment.

The floor lamp in the small inn room flickered because of the fire inside. Tanjirou tried to see Giyuu's face and focused on his dinner when he noticed Giyuu's usual blank stare.

The sound of Nezuko's breathing as she lay on the futon was the only thing keeping Tanjirou awake at the moment.

"What... what happens after this?" Tanjirou muttered. Apologizing for pushing Giyuu into this situation wouldn't be appropriate right now. It would only make him sound like he was questioning Giyuu's judgment, and that was the last thing Tanjirou wanted.

Giyuu finished his meal quickly. Tanjirou hadn't even finished half of it. "Mingle in. My warning at the meeting might not have gone unheeded by the hashira."

The younger grimaced at that. He hadn't smelled a lie when Giyuu had clearly stated he would kill anyone who dared lay a finger on Nezuko. And now, he didn't smell any remorse either. Giyuu wasn't joking about it.

"Should we write a letter to Urokodaki-san?" Tanjirou muttered, staring at his food.

Giyuu paused, exhaled slowly, and then stood up, going behind the curtain to change. "She'll be fine," he said, almost whispering.

Tanjirou clenched his jaw, deciding to focus on finishing his meal and laying out the futon for himself and Giyuu.

"If you haven't thought about where we should go, I have a suggestion," Tanjirou said when Giyuu returned from washing his face, already dressed in a comfortable yukata.

Giyuu neatly folded his haori, storing it in the pile of demon slayer uniforms. "I'm listening," he replied curtly.

Tanjirou considered for a moment, but remembering that Giyuu was the only one who had defended Nezuko, he dismissed any negative possibilities.

"There's a hidden house in Asakusa. Where the two demons hid from Muzan." Tanjirou began to recount his experience finding Tamayo and Yushiro. He didn't miss Giyuu's scent, which sharpened at the mention of Muzan. Tanjirou had to reassure Giyuu that he was okay.

"Wash your feet and go to sleep. Whether Nezuko wakes up or not, we'll leave tomorrow." Giyuu's words cut him off, making Tanjirou want to cry again at how easily Giyuu trusted him.

He nodded, standing up, wiping his eyes. He couldn't cry. Not when his situation wasn't stable.

Chapter Text

Nezuko woke up. It was a pleasant surprise in the morning, finding the girl tucked into the gap between Giyuu and Tanjirou's futons, hugging their arms and simply staring up at the ceiling of the inn room like a photosynthesizing plant.

Giyuu guessed he'd find Tanjirou crying happily when he woke up. But Tanjirou still needed more sleep. He was still small, and hurt. So Giyuu left her, getting ready after patting the top of Nezuko's head once.

Seeing Tanjirou and Nezuko always reminded him of himself and Tsutako. Protecting them was just Giyuu's selfishness. Like protecting the childish part of himself that hoped his and Tsutako's relationship would last forever.

He stared at his neatly folded, half-assed haori. The rational part of his brain told him he should leave it; the color was too flashy and memorable. But the other part of his brain yelled at him for daring to think that way about the only thing keeping Tsutako and Sabito alive.

Giyuu had fed his selfishness enough. So he made up his mind and forgoed the haori from his wardrobe. He ended up wearing a simple dark gray yukata and a plain dark blue haori. He went to buy breakfast.

He found a morning atmosphere he rarely experienced. Being a demon hunter meant being active at night and resting during the day. Usually, Giyuu was too tired to pay attention to what other people did in the morning.

Giyuu returned to his inn room carrying the food package, looking at Nezuko, who was nearly crushed by Tanjirou's embrace. It was amusing to see her cry after two days of holding back. Although deep down, Giyuu knew the tears weren't meant to express his true feelings.

"Finish it. I'm going out for a bit." Giyuu didn't need Tanjirou's answer to leave after handing Tanjirou the breakfast package.

Giyuu had no appetite. But skipping meals in front of Tanjirou was unkind. So he took his time wandering around the inn.

It felt a little strange to wander around without his nichirin at his waist. Even when he slept, Giyuu was used to having his katana close by.

Giyuu let out a long sigh. He was somewhat grateful that not many of the room's residents had yet ventured out into the hallways and gardens.

He didn't need to worry about being recognized; after all, when he was still a demon hunter, he rarely went on joint missions. Not many people knew his face.

But just in case, perhaps he should take Tanjiro and Nezuko to buy some kind of uchikatsugi hat. Giyuu didn't care whether it was for women or not. He only cared about keeping Nezuko hidden for now.

And Tanjirou's nichirin. It would be difficult to find a new one now. His only option was to steal from an active demon hunter. Giyuu would think about it after he arrived in Asakusa. But remembering the possibility that Muzan lived nearby didn't make him any more reassured.

If he encountered a demon hunter on the way, that would be his only option.

Giyuu returned to the room after the sun had fully risen. He saw Tanjirou changing his bandages.

"Sorry for taking so long, I'll help you," Giyuu muttered.

Tanjirou only hummed in response, letting Giyuu bandage the wound that had been medicated.

"If I remember correctly, there should be a train station nearby." Giyuu packed up the medicine, letting Tanjiro get dressed.

"Train?" Tanjirou tilted his head.

Ah, Giyuu had almost forgotten that this boy had lived in the mountains most of his life. "You'll see him later. Let's go."

Chapter Text

Tanjirou was stunned. No, that wasn't quite the right statement. Tanjirou looked like a country bumpkin.

Giyuu had to restrain himself from dragging him along. Even though he himself had barely used trains, he knew what they were. Damn, this discussion made him look foolish.

The only reason Giyuu chose this route was because Tanjirou wasn't fully recovered. It would be inconvenient to carry Tanjirou while carrying Nezuko's box. It would attract attention.

Throughout the journey, all Giyuu wanted was to sleep. But he couldn't help but think that there might be demon hunters nearby. The former hashira kept his grip on Nezuko's box while watching Tanjirou stare out the window with awe.

Very good.

The rest of the trip to Asakusa wasn't difficult. Tanjirou couldn't stop talking, making Giyuu feel like he was wasting his time worrying about him.

Giyuu had explained how concentrated breathing works to speed up recovery. Tanjirou understood it well, even though he still had trouble maintaining his breathing while sleeping.

"Tomioka-san, if I may warn you, don't take Yushiro's words too personally when we get there. He's a bit... unique," Tanjirou said as they paused for dinner.

Giyuu knew better than to prepare for the exorcism Tanjirou had spoken of.

But contrary to what Giyuu had expected, the host of the hidden mansion graciously invited him in.

"I told you, didn't I? I sent a letter using Chachamaru to announce our arrival?" Tanjirou whispered.

Giyuu, if memory serves, had never heard Tanjirou say that before. But he said nothing, accepting the tea offered.

Tamayo, surprisingly, immediately reminded Giyuu of Shinobu. Their skin was the same paleness and their eyes held the same blank, angry light.

Perhaps this was thanks to Tanjirou's comparison before they arrived. Tanjirou had said that when he met Shinobu at Natagumo that day, he was immediately reminded of Tamayo. Both of their smiles held a deep anger.

Seeing Tamayo, Giyuu immediately understood.

"I've heard the gist of it from Tanjirou's letter," the demoness said, letting Nezuko lie on her lap and gently stroking her hair. "It seems history keeps repeating itself, doesn't it?" she said softly.

Giyuu didn't know what her last sentence meant, but he didn't need to ask for Tamayo to continue.

Yushiro, just like Tanjirou described him, continued to glare at Giyuu like he was a germ that needed to be exterminated. His obsession with Tamayo was rather cute. He dragged Tanjirou away to see his wounds.

"I guess the corps never learn from the past, huh?" She stared at her own cup of tea, which she clearly couldn't drink and had only poured into it to make Giyuu feel better.

Giyuu wasn't stupid. He understood Tamayo's meaning clearly. "You mean the corps also saved demons back then?" he guessed cautiously.

Tamayo smiled softly. "A man from the corps," she corrected. "The strongest person I've ever met. Have you ever heard of him?"

Giyuu shook his head stiffly.

"Of course," Tamayo hummed. "That man could corner Muzan easily back then. A samurai who just wanted to live a quiet life."

At the end of his sentence, Giyuu could hear Tanjirou's screams of pain from the next room and Yushiro's scolding that Tanjirou was too weak.

Tamayo should have heard that too, but she feigned ignorance, continuing to stroke Nezuko's hair.

"His name was Tsugikuni Yoriichi, if that helps," Tamayo continued.

Giyuu frowned. With all his knowledge, he had surely read that name in a book in the Water Estate. A legacy of the Water Hashira from the ages.

"The first user of breathing," Giyuu confirmed.

Tamayo nodded lightly. "Glad someone knows about that. His entire record was erased from the corps when he pardoned me back then."

Giyuu swallowed. He should have realized that sooner. "Erased," Giyuu repeated. Damn, as a first-time breath user, Yoriichi didn't have many records to read.

Tamayo nodded. "The Corps expelled him."

Ah, Giyuu knew where this was going.