I can't stop myself, this is def now a Tan/Kyo.

Pairing: Rengoku Kyoujurou/Kamado Tanjiro

Rating: T

Demon Slayer belongs to Koyoharu Gotouge.

It's been three weeks since Tanjirou had thrown himself between Rengoku and an Upper Moon. Since Tanjirou judged his life as less than his own, it's been three weeks since Tanjirou had nearly died. It's been three weeks since he arrived at the Butterfly Estate, hours past the sunrise and with a bleeding boy in his arms. It's been three weeks since Shinobu pieced Tanjirou's chest back together, stitch by stitch, it's been three weeks since Shinobu offered Rengoku to put Tanjirou to sleep.

A peaceful death, she said.

It's been three weeks since Rengoku refused, knowing that Tanjirou would live if only to see his sister's humanity restored to her.

So Rengoku Kyoujurou found himself to be a frequent visitor to the Butterfly Estate even after he himself was discharged with naught more than an eyepatch over his now useless eye. He found himself watching over the progress of Hashibira Inosuke and Agatsuma Zenitsu and waiting for the young boy with the beautiful smile to wake up.

He would carry Nezuko's box around with him, shouldering the burden that Tanjirou had carried with a smile on his face. When the sun went down he would let the demon girl out, who would grab at her brother's limp hand and lean her head into. Her bright pink eyes filling with tears each time she failed to rouse her brother into a waking state. She would fall asleep at her brother's side, and when morning came Rengoku would wake her and herd her into her box as the sun began to stream through the windows of Tanjirou's room.

Rengoku would smile and carry on with his day, even though he was the last to sleep and the first to wake. He trained before all others, and then would train further when both Zenitsu and Inosuke were ready. Despite not knowing their breathing styles, Rengoku forced repetition and strength into their bones. Boys that were barely capable of destroying large jugs with their breaths, could now do it effortlessly. Boys that could barely run for more than three hours could run the entire day, when prompted by a smiling Rengoku chasing them with Nezuko's box with him.

Boys that faced a Lower Demon Moon and barely survived, could now go off on missions without Rengoku supervising them and come back unscathed.

Though Rengoku would merely smile when Inosuke would drag a screaming and crying Zenitsu off to kill demons even when the other boy begged him to let him go.

All the while Kamado Tanjirou was sleeping, the equipment surrounding him kept him alive.

Rengoku thought often of the boy with fire in his soul, who threw himself between a Hashira and his foe without a thought. He thought on the Hinokami Kagura that Tanjirou asked about, and asked his father about it. Only to get screamed at by Rengoku Shinjurou.

"Worthless! You can't even kill a demon without getting help from others! What a waste! Leave!" instincts and practice made it easy for Rengoku to dodge the bottle of sake his father threw at him. "Damn kid, should have just died if he thought you were worth saving!"

Rengoku Kyoujurou stood in the doorway of his father's room, his back facing his once caring father.

"Kamado-kun is a good boy, if he thought I was worth saving then I will believe in it."

He closed the door on his father, who never heard his son talk back to him and gawked at his son's back, before walking out of the Rengoku Estate. Senjurou wished him goodbye, which Rengoku returned, and the normally happily oblivious Hashira was stone faced as he began his way back to the Butterfly Estate.

Now Rengoku sighed, when Tanjirou was better he would bring him by the Rengoku Estate so he could look up that dance of his. When Tanjirou was better maybe he could introduce him to Senjurou.

The thought brought a smile to his face, his soon to be Tsuguko would no doubt be a good friend to his dear brother. Maybe if Senjurou was amenable to the idea he could meet Nezuko as well. The little demon grew on him since the train incident. She had fought tooth and nail to keep the passengers safe, and was so adorable whenever she toddled up to him in her tiny form.

He would take to carrying her around outside her box whenever he could, and Rengoku would smile and rub her head whenever she got sad when Tanjirou wouldn't wake up. Rengoku was a poor substitute for her actual brother, but his presence did make her happy to an extent. She would hum and fiddle with his hair when sitting upon his shoulders.

Her bright pink eyes bored into his soul every time he caught her gaze, so innocent and trusting.

Whenever Hashira meetings were called he brought Nezuko with him, uncaring of the hate that Obanai and Shinazugawa would spew at him. His old student Kanroji seemed to love when Nezuko was around and would make the little demon happy when she would braid her hair like the Love Hashira's. Tomioka would nod at the demon, but did not interact much with her and the others for the most part didn't care. If Oyakata-sama was okay with Nezuko being around then they would allow it.

And these meetings were called often since the appearance of Upper Moon Three.

Rengoku would sit there and be forced to go through that terrible night over and over again for the other Hashiras. Recounting the difference in power and strength between him and the now dead Upper Moon was something that Rengoku did not like to dwell on. He did his best to keep his training regimen strict, and ever increasing his workout. Doing his best to refine his skills and polish his techniques, but sometimes if felt like it wasn't enough.

There were days were he would close his eyes and see that precious boy in between him and a demon. He could see it perfectly in his mind's eye, how Tanjirou's head flopped backwards to stare at Rengoku as he bled out with Upper Moon Three's arm deep in his chest.

Rengoku bore every burden on his shoulders since that night, not even realizing he was drowning from the weight of it all.

It was like someone breathed life back into his veins when a kakushi alerted him of Tanjirou waking up during the fourth week of Tanjirou's recovery.

His one good eye went wide with disbelief and Rengoku stood there shocked until little Nezuko tugged on his haori sleeve impatiently.

"Thank you for alerting me!" Rengoku boomed as he scooped Nezuko up and made his way to Tanjirou's room. "Come young one! Your brother has awaken and will be glad to see you no doubt!"

Nezuko hummed in agreement as Rengoku settled her on his right shoulder, she swung her legs lightly and hummed happily as the Hashira and demon pair made their way across the Butterfly Estate. "Worry not young Nezuko! I am sure he is ready to go! A month or so a physical training with the young Butterfly girls will have him back on his feet in no time!"

The demon smiled behind her muzzle as they crossed the estate to Tanjirou's room.

Now, Rengoku may be oblivious to certain things but he knew something was wrong when he stepped into the Kamado boy's room. It felt more lively when Tanjirou was sleeping, now it felt like a cold wind has settled in. He looked into Tanjirou's eyes and frowned, the once bright ruby eyes were dull. He could see a spark in them when Rengoku had opened the door with Nezuko on his shoulder, but other than that the boy sat there.

"Kamado-kun! You're awake now my boy!" Rengoku boomed as Nezuko jumped from her perch directly onto Tanjirou's bed.

A small smile flitted across Tanjirou's bandaged face, "Rengoku-san... Nezuko..."

"Your sister has been nothing short of a delight! It is like having a small Senjurou around again!" he laughed as he claimed a spot next to Tanjirou's bed. "I have kept a close eye on her and your friends while you have been recovering!"

Tanjirou slumped further into his pillows as Nezuko snuggled into his side, he hissed in pain as his sister bumped around his chest but he smiled down at her. "It's okay Nezuko..." he reassured her when she looked upset at hurting him further. Though when he looked back at Rengoku, his eyes brightened for a small second. "Am I...really alive? Am I awake?" he asked.

Rengoku nodded, "You are! You have been recovering in the Butterfly Estate for the better part of four weeks!"

The younger slayer hummed and tucked his head down, "I see... Rengo-"

"Kyoujurou!"

Tanjirou tilted his head, "Huh?"

"You can call me Kyoujurou! After all you saved my life!" Kyoujurou smiled.

Tanjirou tried to return the smile but it didn't reach his eyes, "Ok, Kyoujurou-san..."

The Flame Hashira settled into the chair next to Tanjirou's bed, "Is there something wrong my boy?"

The young slayer merely sat there for a second as he smoothed down the hair on Nezuko's head, he bit his lip and he made the most awful face. One that let Kyoujurou know that there was something that Tanjirou didn't want to say. "You can tell me anything Tanjirou, I promise nothing you say will make me think less of you."

Kamado Tanjirou's eyes were dull, "Did you know that there were kakushi watching over me the entire time?"

Kyoujurou nodded, "Yes, they were there to alert me when you woke up."

"I thought I was back in that demon's blood art, and when I woke up I-I" Tanjirou trailed off.

All of the sudden Kyoujurou knew what Tanjirou was talking about, he remembered how Tanjirou mentioned that when he was impaled on Akaza's arm. "You tried to kill yourself again," Kyoujurou finished for him. And Tanjirou nodded as he looked away in shame.

The Hashira noticed how Tanjirou's Nichirin blade was missing from the room and all of the equipment that had been moved closer to the wall and way from Tanjirou's immediate range.

Kyoujurou moved forward and grabbed Tanjirou's chin to force him to look into his eye, he saw how Tanjirou's gaze flitted over to the simple eyepatch he wore and he got him to look at his good eye. "No, you have nothing to be ashamed about," he nearly growled at the eldest Kamado.

"But I-"

"Slayers greater than you and weaker than you have all been affected by some degree by a demon's Blood Demon Art. Some have also died by their own hand due to the affect of a Blood Demon Art, and the Lower Moon you faced excelled in destroying a person's mind. You faced his powers time and time again and came out each time after dying in those dreams, and he had ruined your perception of what is reality and what isn't. If you need someone to watch over you until the day comes that you can wake up and realize you are not in a dream, then I will gladly do it."

Tanjirou startled, and tried to deny him but Kyoujurou shook his head, "I won't hear otherwise my boy, it is the least I could do for you."

"I-I, I'm just tired of thinking I'm in that dream again. That demon used my family against me over and over," Tanjirou admitted as he held onto Nezuko tighter.

Kyoujurou nodded, "Demons will do whatever it takes to kill their prey."

But he looked at Nezuko and smiled, "But you were right about Nezuko-chan here, that entire night she fought with us and kept all 200 passengers safe. She would never do anything to harm a human."

Tanjirou's smile seemed more sincere as he rubbed the top of Nezuko's hair in brotherly pride. Kyoujurou stood up and smiled brightly down at Tanjirou, "Alright! When you're ready for it we will begin training immediately!"

"Ehhhh!"

The Flame Hashira beamed, "Of course! I promised to take you and your friends on as my Tsugukos! The boar boy and the yellow boy both have done well so far, though the breath of thunder user is too scared to go on missions alone." He said as an after thought, but shook his head of them, and looked back to Tanjirou.

"When you feel better we will go to the Rengoku Estate together!" Kyoujurou exclaimed.

Tanjirou nearly gaped, "To-together?"

"Of course my boy! I told you I would be there for you as you got better and I am not one to break a promise!" Kyoujurou winked at him and Tanjirou blushed profusely.

Tanjirou smiled and Nezuko hummed in agreement, "I would like that Kyoujurou!"

Rengoku Kyoujurou smiled and the weight on his back lifted tremendously. It felt like he could breathe again, and at hearing this precious boy say his name so sweetly he felt his heart beat rapidly. His eye was wide as he took in Tanjirou, that defeated look in his tsuguko's eye was replaced with a burning determination that Kyoujurou identified with.

Its the same determination he had when he decided he was going to be a Hashira.

He straightened with a laugh, "Set your heart ablaze Tanjirou! We start immediately!"

Y'all want more or is this enough for now? I've been moving for the last two weeks and didn't know which box had my laptop charger so I have only been able to use my phone.

Ragehappy Mavin Fan