Not gonna lie, I forgot that this was supposed to go up yesterday
Parks98: On the bright side, Akaza finally realized what a supreme being is. Bright side for us, not really for him.
M2R: That's Kyojuro for ya!
Guts and Toes: Yeah sorry. I normally aim for 2k per chapter for this story, but sometimes a 1k one will slip through.
HaungBaiLian: [deep inhale] Buddy. Read the Authors Notes.
trexboy164: Kyojuro really is just one big golden retriever
cned14: It's the website.
BravoSix1311: Thanks. The chapters are normally 2k words, though sometimes 1k chapters will happen.
Irish. lee: I hope your exam and thesis went well! This pandemic makes me forget what day it is half the time, so I understand the feeling of not getting papers done. Anyways, remember to wash your hands as well!
The arrival of Kyojuro and Musashi, along with the boys, at the Butterfly Estate caused quite the stir. Kocho had instantly ordered that Aoi and the girls check over Tanjirou, Hashibara, and Agatsuma (Inosuke and Zenitsu were their first names, he learned, and he had forgotten that Zenitsu was one of the boys who passed with the others in the last Final Selection) while she dragged Kyojuro and the unconscious Musashi away to check on them.
Musashi's injuries had been less severe than his, though Kocho estimated that she'd be asleep for a while. She had suffered a few cracked bones in her arm when she blocked a punch that came from the side, but aside from that most of her injuries were bruises and small cuts and gashes. Kyojuro, on the other hand, had sustained much more dangerous injuries. His ribs had certainly been cracked, one had been broken, and he also had smaller gashes and bruises. But Kocho admitted that she couldn't do anything for his left eye. It had to be removed.
To say that he had been calm about it would have been a lie— he had been upset. It was natural, but then he calmed when he remembered that he wouldn't need to retire from being a Pillar. Just adjust how he fought. Musashi had very little trouble fighting with one eye, he could learn.
Kocho had seemed satisfied with his conclusion before she went back to tending to the gashes he had sustained.
The process to remove his eye would be a while later— when Kocho had everything ready, but he could wait. The injury had been cleaned up, it just wasn't very smart to leave the eye as it was.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to Musashi, who was laying in the bed next to him after Aoi and the girl's brought her back from cleaning the blood off of her face. Her hair had been washed clean of blood as well and left down, and of course, Kocho had asked him about why he was staring at the other woman with, in her words, a stupid look on his face.
"You asked her to marry you after you finished off Akaza?" Kocho asked, frowning as she stared at him like he had grown an extra head. He nodded, humming with a smile.
"Mhm! I think she took it well!"
"She passed out before responding, so I don't think that counts," Kocho pointed out with a sigh, shaking her head. "Honestly, you're hopeless."
He just laughed a bit before his gaze softened and he looked down at his bandaged hands. "Maybe," he said, "But! To be fair, I feel like the more observant Pillars already knew!"
"You mean myself and… just me," she said flatly. "Maybe Himejima?"
Kyojuro tilted his head, humming. "Yeah, I guess so! Maybe Tengen?"
"I think he'd be more focused on Musashi," Kocho responded flatly before she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "When she wakes you, you'll have to tell her what you meant by asking her to marry you, you know," she told him. Kyojuro tilted his head, blinking.
"But I meant what I said!"
She gave him a look before sighing. "That may be so, but!" she started, flicking his forehead. "You can't just start a relationship that way if you really do care about Musashi! She might not be ready to get married, yet, remember? She told us both that she doesn't think she'd be a good wife at all. You'll have to ease her into that prospect— that is, if she recuperates your feelings at all."
The Flame Pillar listened silently while the smaller woman spoke, putting his chin in his hand as he thought. "Hmm, I suppose you're right!" he said with a nod. "Then I'll just have to talk to her when she wakes up!"
Kocho hummed a bit but stood. "That's right," she told him with a smile. "But for now, you need rest."
He huffed a bit but settled back in agreement. He knew the Insect Pillar was right, after all. The only reason he had been awake thus far was because he knew he had to carry Musashi back to the Butterfly Estate. He turned, gazing at the sleeping woman as Kocho's footsteps faded away in the hall.
Now he just had to figure out how he was going to word his feelings.
(x)
Musashi slept like the dead over the following days. Kyojuro wasn't that worried, though, he knew it was bound to happen.
What he hadn't expected, however, was for not only Senjuro but his father to burst into the Butterfly Estate. Senjuro was frantic and literally leaping at him when the other two Rengokus found the eldest son sitting on the engawa watching Tanjirou, Inosuke, and Zenitsu train. His father stopped short of the two brothers, face still stony, but relief present in his eyes. It was nice to finally see him worried for once.
Word about the fight against Akaza had gone around fast and by the fifth day, Kyojuro had been visited by almost all of the Pillars that had been in the nearby area. Kanroji, Iguro, Tomioka, and Kocho of course (she didn't have a choice), not to mention Oyakata-sama had dropped by the Estate himself to congratulate Kyojuro on a job well done. Uzui and Himejima had both sent crows, and Muichirou most likely had forgotten as soon as he had heard. Shinazugawa never sent word, but that was just how he was. There was a decision that there would not be a sudden Pillar meeting, as they all were in the middle of various things— not to mention that Kocho didn't want either of her patients moving that much as of yet.
The Master had later instructed him via crow to rest for the next few weeks as well and assured him that he could keep his Pillar Status. Until he got used to fighting with only one eye like Musashi was, Oyakata-sama suggested that he stick with the Dimension Hopping woman for the time being. Kyojuro had agreed with a smile before his attention was drawn back to Tanjirou trying to help Senjuro with some of his swordsmanship.
He was quite happy that the boy got along well with his brother, who hadn't left the Butterfly Estate out of worry. Kocho told him that his father had been lurking about inside for a while, stumbling across Nezuko in a sunlight-safe room watching a fishbowl. Apparently that's where the Elder Rengoku was still, watching fish swim with a demon.
It was almost comical if he thought about it, but he chose not to do so for too long.
By the seventh day, Kocho had told him that most of his wounds were healed, though his ribs would be tender still. His left eye, having since been removed, would still have to have more time to heal, but in the meantime, the Flame Pillar found himself helping Tanjirou hand his friends with their recovery training. He was still unsure about the boy's unique way of breathing— sure, he had Breath of Water down-pat, save Tomioka's signature Lull, but the boy also wanted to work on his Dance of the Fire God.
It certainly was interesting, though he had no idea how to help him aside from teaching him Flame Breathing. Senjuro was happily going along with what the other boy was doing, his younger brother already knew the basics to Breath of Flames, and Kyojuro wondered if Senjuro was another special case like Musashi.
Her blades never changed color, instead they channeled her own raw, almost Servant-like (he still couldn't fully grasp the idea of people from the past coming back to fight battles, but he supposed it wasn't the weirdest thing he had heard) energy into flames that didn't burn when touched. Musashi had simply shrugged when she had been asked about it.
Speaking of, Kyojuro was certain that Musashi would have fun training Inosuke— since the boy also used two swords when he fought. He was certain that she could help the wild boy refine some of his abilities to become even more deadly! That would be interesting!
Zenitsu was another thing entirely, though. He wasn't sure where to start with the boy, as he hadn't studied Breath of Lightning before and the boy only had one Style from what he knew. The main issue would be getting him to get over his fear of demons. Yes, demons were terrifying in certain aspects, and many demon slayers did fear them, but it was important to not let that fear control one's self!
He nodded to himself as he sat on the engawa again, watching the boys train.
"It's weird to nod to yourself, you know," a voice said from behind him and he startled, quickly turning and he lit up. Musashi stood there, her arms crossed and her eyepatch in place. Her hair was still loose and, like him, she dressed in a simple, white robe instead of Kocho's usual hospital garments.
"Musashi!"
"Good morning to you too," she hummed, sitting down next to him. "Kocho said you lost your eye?"
He nodded, shifting a bit closer to her as he did. "Yep! Oyakata-sama said that he wants me teaming up with you for a while before I can go on solo missions again."
"Now we're a team of two eyes instead of three," she hummed, "Well, technically, we're still three, by my right eye is only good for sensing if something has been cursed or not and for tactics." She leaned back on her hands, watching the four boys. "Kocho says you're training them?"
"For a bit," he said, nodding. "They're going to be fantastic slayers if I can do anything about it!"
"Just don't torment them, I've seen how you trained others," she snorted and he barked out a laugh. The woman smiled a bit, lightly nudging his shoulder. "That Kamado boy, though, he'll have you beat one day, I bet."
"I'd like to see that!"
Both Pillars started to laugh again, leaning against one another. It took a moment before the two calmed, watching as Inosuke and Zenitsu wrestled over something or another while Tanjirou and Senjuro watched with looks somewhere between exasperation, amusement, and helplessness. Musashi sighed softly, eye closing as she leaned against his side. The two were silent for a while, simply relaxing in each other's presence. The bewilderment that they had both gotten out of there alive was still lingering,
"I'm not going to marry you, Kyojuro," she said softly, making him tense up a bit. "Not yet, at least."
He blinked, glancing down at her. "'Yet'? That means—"
She nodded, humming as she glanced up at him. "Yet," she reaffirmed, settling closer to him. "Despite how long I've been here, I'm still unsure about if I will stay here." She sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "And besides, I told you and Shinobu before, I'd be an awful wife."
He hummed, feeling warmth flood his body. She returned his affection, and she was willing to— one day, provided she was still here— be his wife. He was happy, so happy that he wanted to shout it from the rooftop of the Butterfly Estate, but he refrained.
"That's alright! I can wait!" He assured her, leaning down and resting his head on hers. She hummed, closing her eye.
"Just so you know, I saw your old man trying to teach Nezuko how to play cards in a dark room," she added suddenly and he snorted, biting back a grin.
"Oh?"
She nodded. "Honestly, I didn't think he'd even be here. Shinobu said he's been here, though, so about time I say."
Kyojuro laughed at that, shaking his head. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect him to be here either..." he paused, silent for a moment. "Musashi, your blades didn't change color, right?"
"Nope," she hummed, "Pissed Haganezuka off."
"I remember the shouting match!" He laughed before he reached over, brushing his fingers over hers. "Senjuro's sword didn't change color either…"
"You want me to train him?" She asked after a moment and he nodded slowly. She hummed before she nodded. "Alright."
Kyojuro brightened, lifting his head and looking down at the woman. "Really?" he asked, his hand grasping hers and squeezing it tightly. Her cheeks darkened and she coughed, hiding her face a bit as she looked away.
He felt his heart clench.
Musashi, he knew, was easily flustered outside of battle and outside of friendly jests.
He leaned closer to her with a grin. "You'll do it?"
"Of course," she huffed, cheeks still pink as she lightly pushed him. "But only if Senjuro wants it too."
He settled back, nodding happily at that. "Yes!" he hummed, still holding her hand in his. "I'll ask tomorrow!"
"Sure thing, Kyo," she said, glancing back to Tanjirou and his friends as the three boys attempted to explain something to Senjuro. Kyojuro smiled a bit, glancing down at Musashi's hand in his.
Her skin and hands were very soft for a trained swordswoman, but tiny, pale scars showed experience and hard work. Her hands were small compared to his, fingers long and slender, and he wondered what kind of beauty she would have been if her father hadn't thrown her out. It wasn't that she wasn't beautiful as she was— she was breathtaking, especially in the heat of battle— but he wondered if her attitude would have been prim and proper, or if she would have still been a strong-willed fighter.
Her comments about not being a good wife were lost on him. He hardly cared about it. He knew that Musashi would never be one to perform traditional duties, and if she was still nervous about suddenly vanishing, she most likely wouldn't be into the idea of children.
But he wanted to believe that she was here, with him, to stay. That whatever higher power that brought her had decided that this was where she belonged.
He glanced at the woman's face again, watching as her eye crinkled a bit as she smiled, watching as Zenitsu and Inosuke got into another brawl.
Kyojuro knew that the future was unpredictable, but he just hoped that it would be in his favor, if only for a little bit.
And then very little romance will ever be seen again because I'm very bad at this. Kidding, but only sorta. Romance, in my experience, is sorta... closer friendship? With lots of love, awww. Anyways, next chapter we get some fun family interaction.