Sorry for the LONG delay on this one! I wrote the first chapter while I was unemployed and then became employed and started school.. I'm just now finally able to sit down and think out this chapter.

Thank you everyone for the kudos on my last chapter! It means a lot to know that people enjoyed my work :')

I have a ton of KNY ideas in my mind but we will see how long it takes for me to get them out there. Thanks for coming along on the journey of this story!

Enjoy!


"I'm sorry, Tomioka-San. They didn't make it."

He had slept for a week after everything ended, and a little while after waking up, Goto had quietly comforted him after delivering the news.

Kanroji. Iguro. Himejima.

They had all passed due to their injuries after Muzan was defeated.

Giyu cried like he had never cried before. His comrades, his brothers, sisters; so many of them were gone.

Kocho. Tokito. Genya. The list seemed to go on and on.

The victory came with a high price.

"Tanjiro," he winced as he tried to get up, "how is he?"

He feared the worst. Tanjiro wasn't in the room. His body went through the most of anyone, and who knows what happened over the last week. "Please, tell me he's alright," Giyu was practically begging.

Goto's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said quietly, "he is still unconscious, but alive. That is to be expected- wait, don't you get up!"

The now former pillar was rolling himself out of his bed, much to the annoyance of Goto. "Please, let me go see him," he whispered, grimacing from the pain he felt all over his body.

"Tomioka-san," the Kakushi tried to sound kind but spoke with more authority than he thought he was capable of. "Your injuries are severe, and you are in no shape to get up. Please, lie back down."

Giyu would normally fight back in this situation, but Goto's harsh tone and the pain he felt was enough to have him staring at the ceiling once again. "Please," he whispered, "his friends are alright, too?"

Another smile, this one was more joyful, as Goto said, "yes, they are fine. They are all awake and doing great. They all were severely injured, but most of them will be healed in no time. Kanao is learning to manage with limited eyesight." He paused, giving a little chuckle. "After they all woke up, they've barely left Tanjiro's side. What a close group of friends they are."

They were alright.

Somehow, they managed to not lose anyone after Tanjiro's transformation. Giyu silently thanked the gods that the younger slayers all survived. Not only did they have so much of their life ahead of them, they were the ones capable of helping heal Tanjiro's emotional and physical wounds.

"So," he said quietly, feeling his eyes flutter shut, "they all are going to be okay."

Goto smiled. "Yes, Tomioka-san. And as soon as you are in shape to get up, you can go and visit them."

An overwhelming sense of relief came over the blue eyed swordsman, for the first time in what felt like ages. He wanted to see Tanjiro, and apologize to his friends; but, he was so tired. He imagined the smiles on their faces, which brought a smile to his face. Then, he allowed darkness to overtake him again, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


Two Days Later

The pain was a lot better. Giyu had been cleared to visit Tanjiro, and he was slowly on his way. Aoi helped support his right side, as she guided him through the hallways of the butterfly estate. The floor cooled his bare feet as he tried to calm his racing heart beat. He didn't know much, but he knew Tanjiro was still unconscious, and that he wasn't expected to wake up any time soon.

"Right here," Aoi said, pointing to the door to his room. She gave an exhausted smile as she whispered, "please try and keep Inosuke and Zenitsu quiet."

The door opened, and Giyu was instantly greeted by a rather wild bunch. Zenitsu sat in the corner, sobbing, while Inosuke shouted at him to be a man. "I'm telling you Monitsu, that medicine doesn't taste that bad! You gotta take it, dummy!" Giyu chuckled at the interaction. Inosuke was being himself, but actually showing a bit of kindness to Zenitsu. Nezuko was seated at the bed, but was staring at the two in the corner begging them to quiet down. Kanao was attempting to give Zenitsu his medicine, which apparently set off this whole debacle.

The squad was not exactly a pretty sight. While they all seemed to be energetic and on the road to recovery, Giyu couldn't help but notice the bandages all over their bodies. He lost count of how many limbs, eyes, heads and chests were wrapped in the white fabric. They were all so young, and put so much on the line. He felt relief wash over him, realizing that they would all be okay with just a few scars.

"Zenitsu! Inosuke!" Aoi shouted, following Giyu in due to the commotion. "If you're gonna make so much noise, take it outside!" She then proceeded to grab both of them by the ear and dragged them out.

A smile broke on Giyu's face as he watched it unfold, extremely surprised by her strength. Nezuko and Kanao both relaxed their faces before turning their attention to the black haired man who joined them.

"Giyu-san," Nezuko said brightly as she enveloped him in a hug. It was warm, and Giyu couldn't help but close his eyes as he embraced the young Kamado. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she released him and pulled up a chair for him.

"Better," he sighed as he sat down. "Just a little sore."

Nezuko smiled as she offered her hand to help him into the chair. "I'm so glad," she whispered, "thank you so much for everything."

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and Giyu couldn't help but feel tears sting the corners of his eyes as well. It was the most sincere and kind thank you that he had ever heard. "No, Nezuko, thank you." He patted her on the head, knowing that Tanjiro did that very gesture quite often. "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there for that."

"I can say the same about you. Thank you for helping both of us for so long."

Giyu simply nodded before shifting his attention to the sleeping figure on the bed. Tanjiro looked terribly pale; his cheeks were somewhat sunken in and the expression on his face was that of someone in discomfort. The right side of his head, including his eye, was tightly bandaged, while his regenerated left arm was completely wrapped in coverings. He looked so small, and so helpless. Giyu's heart sank.

But he was alive.

He placed his hand on Tanjiro's chest and sighed, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest signaling the life inside him.

"He's not breathing, and there's no pulse. Tanjiro."

As the memory of the Kakushi announcing Tanjiro's assumed death filled his brain, he closed his eyes and sighed, wishing he could forget that experience. He doubted he ever would.

A shuffle broke Giyu from his trance, as Kanao made her way to the door. "I'll leave you two with him for now." A small smile formed on her face, causing her un-bandaged right eye to close for just a moment. She gave them a small wave, and with that, left the three of them alone.

Nezuko and Giyu sat in comfortable silence, staring at the soft rise and fall of Tanjiro's chest, occasionally reaching to feel his forehead or, in Nezuko's case, gently grab his right hand.

They didn't know how much time had passed, nor did they exactly care. Both felt as though conversation wasn't exactly needed in a situation like this; they were both just basking in the relief of their brother being alive and in front of them.

This was broken when Tanjiro let out a small sigh and his head shifted. Both Nezuko and Giyu stared at him, not knowing if he was waking up, or experiencing pain.

"Onii-chan," Nezuko said quietly, grabbing his hand tighter. Her voice was small but laced with hope. "Onii-chan, I'm here."

He must have just been dreaming, because he didn't move any more. Nezuko's face fell a little at the realization that he was not coming back to them, at least, yet.

Another few moments of silence, but this time, Nezuko kept looking up to the blue eyed man, obviously thinking of words to say, but not exactly sure how to get them out.

Finally, she spoke. "Giyu-san," she said, her voice carrying more volume now, "can you tell me about his adventures with you?"

Giyu's eyes moved from the sleeping Kamado to the newly human Kamado. He must have looked slightly confused, because as soon as he looked at her, she giggled softly. "I've gained a lot of my memories back from when I was a demon," she explained, understanding that Giyu didn't really have an idea of what the last few years were like for her. "But, they all came back in a blur. I'm trying to piece together many of them, but I'm not sure I can. I remember faces, and I remember my brother was always there, smiling at me, protecting me. However, it seems whenever I try to think of memories with you, there aren't any. I see a lot of other faces, hear a lot of voices, and I know those people aren't with us any more. I can't hear their stories, or thank them for helping us in our journey. But you're here.. So I wanted to know.. What he was like while he fought demons… I'm sorry if that's too much information, but quite honestly," she paused, catching her breath. It had been years since she had spoken this much. "I'm scared he won't be the same when he wakes up. So I want to remember him the way he was when it was just the two of us. It seems like you were very close with him."

Giyu felt sadness rush over his shoulders. He had been worried about the same thing. Tanjiro nearly killed everyone near to him. Was he ever going to forgive himself? Who was going to tell him about the additional losses? The black haired man knew that Mitsuri was especially close to the Kamado siblings. It was hard enough telling Nezuko, who had small memories of her. But what was it going to be like for Tanjiro once he woke up and they had to remind him of everything that happened? Giyu shuddered at the thought.

How much worse this situation was for Nezuko… it was almost more than he could bear. He suddenly felt guilty, like he didn't have a right to be sad that he almost lost Tanjiro, because Nezuko was going through something much worse. How hard was it for her, to know that he had spent the last 3 years putting his body through hell and his life on the line for her? And she couldn't even remember most of what had happened?

"I'm sorry if that was too much information-"

"No," Giyuu interrupted her apology, hanging his head a little lower. "I should be apologizing. I haven't even tried to see things from your perspective yet."

"Giyu-san!" Nezuko said, her voice still rising, both of her hands raised in front of her, "that's not what I mean! I mean, it's weird, and I'm scared still. I just want to hear the stories, it might help with my memories. And maybe I'll remember him like that, in case he's… different after all of this."

A sad smile stretched on Giyu's face. Nezuko was just like her older brother. Her gestures, her voice, her eyes, her sheepish smile when she didn't really know what to do; everything about her reminded him of Tanjiro. He was thankful he got to see her as a human.

"Well," he started, "we met under not great circumstances."


"You did what now?"

The room was much more lively, but in a way that even had Aoi smiling alongside Inosuke, Zenitsu, Kanao and Goto. The space had slowly filled more and more as Giyu carefully recounted all of the time he had spent with Tanjiro, going all the way back to the beginning. While the others knew the stories of Rui, the Hashira Meeting, Giyu's persistence while Tanjiro was recovering after the Entertainment District, and more, this was the first time any of them had heard about the battle against Akaza.

"I stood right in front of him," Giyu said, chest sticking out as if he were reliving the moment, "and told him that if he wanted to kill Tanjiro, he would have to kill me first!"

Giyu didn't think he would ever relive this battle so passionately, as it only happened a little over a week ago, and it was painful and difficult. But the sparkling eyes of all who listened brought a wave of happiness his heart had never experienced before. He felt like he could tell the group his deepest, darkest secrets, and they would receive it well.

"That's scary!" Zenitsu was screeching, "you're crazy!"

Nezuko's eyes shined brightly as she smiled up at the man. "I didn't know you protected him like that," she said with joy in her voice, "thank you so much for looking after my big brother!"

I didn't protect him, though.

Giyu shook his head, his thoughts taking an extreme negative dive that he wished wouldn't happen. He could live in this moment forever, if he could. The only thing that could make it better, was seeing the bright smile flash across the face of the still sleeping boy in the bed. His smile continued to fade as he slumped back down, his eyes trailing off to the messy red hair, growing longer as the group had decided not to cut his untamable hair until he woke up.


4 Days ago

"What if he wants to let it grow out, now? Didn't he have long hair once, Nezuko?"

Zenitsu was standing over Tanjiro, making far too much noise as Aoi had pulled out some hair shears. She was attempting to cut his hair so it wouldn't get too tangled, just as she did after the Entertainment District.

"Quiet, would you?" Aoi said, rolling her eyes and making the motion to start to kick him out. "Ever since you woke up, you have been uncontrollable! There are many people here who need rest, including Tanjiro! Please, be quiet!"

Zenitsu's eyes dropped, he clearly felt guilty. He was the first of all the surviving slayers to wake up, and quite frankly, he didn't like it. He thought he would enjoy some time with Nezuko, but he also knew to give her some distance because of everything she had gone through over the past few days. He needed to remain calm around her.

But for some reason, Aoi wanting to cut Tanjiro's hair was what set him off. And he didn't know why.

"He did like keeping it long like our father," Nezuko agreed with Zenitsu, although speaking a lot quieter. "Now that he isn't fighting anymore, maybe he would like to grow it out again."

Zenitsu didn't know why, but an overwhelming joy swept over him. Partially because he was still getting used to the beauty that was Nezuko as a human, but the other thing he couldn't quite put his finger on…

"Oh, that's right," his voice in his head said as he put the pieces together. "The last conversation you had with Tanjiro before you got that letter and the battle started. He had mentioned wanting to grow his hair out once the days of fighting were over."

As if Aoi read his mind, she backed off, letting out an exasperated sigh and putting the scissors down. She handed the brush to Zenitsu.

"If we aren't cutting his hair, I don't want to be in charge of brushing it out. You two figure it out."


9 Days Later

Nezuko was leaving her brother's side for nearly the first time today. She of course, from time to time would leave to get some fresh air, help make dinner, or get some water. But, she spent nearly all day sitting next to Tanjiro. She had even gotten the help of some Kakushi to bring a makeshift bed for her to sleep in next to him.

But today, she was in better spirits. Giyu-san had visited her and told her all the stories he could think of. They laughed, cried, and talked.. A lot. She had multiple interactions with Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao as well, and her spirits were getting lifted. She felt less guilty knowing that he had surrounded himself with so many great people while she was a demon. This all led to Aoi inviting her to walk into town today to do some errands.

It was nearly time to leave, and she sat alone in his room for the first time in what felt like forever. She was thankful to have so many people around, helping her remember the last few years. Having so much company while Tanjiro slept kept her spirits high and kept her from letting her mind wander down the road of what her brother would be like once he woke up.

She stared down at her brother, noticing some color was returning to his face; his cheeks were still quite sunken in and his expression was not exactly completely at peace.

Maybe he's reliving the battle.

She closed her eyes and grabbed his unwrapped hand. Rubbing her soft fingers on his callouses, cuts and bumps, she brought his hand to her face and silently prayed that he would come back to them soon. That he would be okay.

"Onii-chan," she whispered, "I'm leaving for a few hours, but I promise I'll be back. I'll never abandon you. I swear."

"Nezuko, let go! I'll never abandon you! I'll clear the rubble! Nezuko, please! You're going to cut your fingers!"

A memory as clear as day flooded her memories as she heard her brother's voice plead.

What is this memory? Oh.. that's right. I was trying to help him fight some demons. Was it my Blood Demon Art?

"You neve abandoned me. I will return that favor no matter what."

With that, she lightly placed his arm back down on the bed, felt his forehead, then made her way to the door to leave.

A small gasp of surprise as she opened the door at the same time Kanao was attempting to on the other side. "Oh! I'm sorry Nezuko! I can come back.."

"Its okay," Nezuko interrupted. "I was just leaving. Aoi and I are going to get some fresh air and do some shopping."

The purple eyed girl raised her eyebrows. "I see," she said, placing her hand on her chin. "I guess I can keep him company while you're gone."

Nezuko smiled. Kanao might not know it yet (and her brother was so helplessly clueless with girls and their feelings), but she knew there was something going on between the two of them. She knew it the moment Kanao ran after him, weaponless, risking her life to bring him back to them. Ever since then, the two of them had grown quite close, and every story that Kanao told Nezuko was laced with excitement and… love.

She enveloped Kanao into a hug. "Yes please," she said, "I will feel a lot better knowing you're keeping him company. I'm sure more will come before I get back, but you deserve some time with him alone."

"I…"

"Just talk to him," Nezuko kept talking, knowing that Kanao might not exactly know what she meant, "hearing familiar voices is supposed to help someone in a coma. I'm sure he loves the sound of your voice."

With that, Nezuko waved and closed the door behind her, smiling.

I hope you are my sister some day.


1 Week Later

"Dammit, Tanjiro," Inosuke uttered under his breath, aggressively walking towards the hospital room where his best friend still slept. It had been almost a month, and he was still sleeping.

"His injuries, lost limbs, and lost eye all regenerated when he was a demon," Aoi's concerned voice echoed in his mind, "but his arm is weak, and I can't tell if his right eye works. I won't know until he wakes up."

The memory of his conversation with Aoi the day prior plagued him. It had been nearly a month since the final battle, and that damned red head was still sleeping away. Causing everyone to worry. That retired Hashira, The God of Festivals, and his wives were visiting almost daily. The Wind Hashira had checked in, even. Hell, even some man with a goblin mask was spending more and more time in his room, talking to him! Everyone just wanted Tanjiro back!

If you don't wake up soon, I'll…

"Inosuke, I always feel so safe around you. Thank you."

Tears threatened his eyes, memories of his best friend still plaguing him through dreams and memories. He just wanted him back.

Please, can't he come back?

"I don't know what to do," Aoi's voice once again echoed in his mind, "he should be fine. He's healed, for the most part. He has been since the start. God, I wish Shinobu was still here. I'm in over my head. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do.."

Aoi had vented to the boar-headed boy the day before. To be honest, he didn't exactly know what to do or say. Whenever Aoi was around, he had this weird weird sensation in his stomach, and he lost a lot of his confidence. She was scary, but there was something else… some other foreign feeling.

He shook his head. He would worry about that later. Right now, he has a job to do. And that job was to wake up his friend. It worked last time, so maybe it will work now, right?

His muscles were getting tired and he longed for some activity. So, he scaled the wall.

"Rustle…Rustle…Rustle," he said under his breath, making his way to the ceiling to stare down at his friend. A strange sense of deja vu overcame him, and for some reason, he felt like crying again..

Stop it, idiot. Lord Inosuke doesn't cry!

But he couldn't help it. As he stared down at Tanjiro, he felt an overwhelming feeling of pain. He missed him, it felt like it had been years since he got to talk to him, eat with him, hear his voice..

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Oi, Tanjiro! Come on! Wake up!" He shouted, not caring if the whole house would hear him. "You survived, and now it's time for you to come back to us! You're making everyone sad! Wake up, Tanjiro! Wake up!"

His yelling erupted into sobbing, as Tanjiro didn't move, didn't even flinch. How still he was, how skinny he was, Inosuke hated it. What the hell was going on?

If you healed all of your injuries when you got turned, why are you still sleeping?

"Tanjiro! Please! Wake up!"

His loudness had alerted those nearby, causing Goto, Aoi, and Giyu all to arrive in a flash, staring at the now sobbing teenagers on the ceiling.

"Inosuke, come down from there," Aoi screeched, pushing through her own emotions. Everyone was hitting a breaking point. "This isn't going to help!"

"But it helped last time! He woke up the next day! I'm not leaving!"

"Oi, Aoi," the calm voice of the former Water Hashira spoke loudly, "let him stay there. Maybe it does help."

"But it won't! Nothing will, it's useless! I'm useless! He won't wake up and it's my fault!"

Goto and Giyu instantly ran to the blue eyed girl, hugging her tightly as her emotions also bubbled over.

"You're not useless," another voice said rather calmly. Inosuke had already jumped down. "He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for your care! He's just tired, I'm sure!"

More crying.

"Dammit, Tanjiro," the Kakushi spoke up, noticing the tears threatening his eyes, as well as Giyu as they watched Aoi and Inosuke break down. "Look at this mess! Just wake up won't you?"


5 Days Later

Giyu couldn't believe his ears. He was walking faster than he had since the final battle, ignoring the raging pain in his head with the sudden movement. But he had one thought on his mind.

"Tanjiro woke up!"

The shout was loud enough for everyone to hear. He didn't know Nezuko had the ability to shout something so loudly.

Many footsteps were heard, coming from all over the butterfly mansion. It seemed time was stopping for everyone, as they all rushed to see the former sun breather.

"STOP!" Aoi yelled, as nearly 10 people were now outside of the closed door. "I am NOT letting you all in at once. We don't know how he is going to be, mentally. Please stay in your rooms until I give you the all clear."

"Oh come on, we are his best friends!" Zenitsu sighed.

Aoi shook her head. "He needs time with his sister. I know you want to see him, but we need to evaluate him and also let him continue to rest. Please be patient."

She turned her head to Giyu, "he is asking for you. Please stay here, and I'll see if he's ready to talk to you."

"Hey," Inosuke growled, "that's not fair!"

"I WILL LET YOU IN AS SOON AS I CAN," the level of Aoi's voice caught everyone off guard, "but please, we need to not overwhelm him. He's tired, weak, and mentally drained. Go back to your rooms."

With that, the boys shrinked back to their rooms timidly. When Aoi spoke like that, they knew to give up.

"I'm sorry, Giyu-san," she said, slightly hanging her head. "But I think you're the best one to talk to him about… what happened. If you're ready for that."

Giyu nodded, knowing what she meant. He figured he would be the one to have this talk. "Are you sure he needs that now?"

She nodded. "Nezuko, Kanao and I were with him when he woke up. The first thing he said was 'was anyone hurt?'. He knows what happened, but I don't know the extent of his memories. The faster we have this conversation, the faster he can move on from it, I think."

There was a pause of silence between the two of them, before Aoi sighed. "I'm only guessing at this stuff. I don't exactly know how to treat this, I'm just making stuff up at this point."

Giyu placed a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring grip. "You're going great. I think you're right."

Aoi smiled. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll go see if they're ready for you."

An eerie silence filled the hallway Giyu stood in, and he was… shaking.

It's up to you. You're the one who has to talk to him. If he's never the same, it's your fault.

Stop it. Stop blaming yourself.

Urokodaki told him over and over again that he did good. That Tanjiro was gonna be okay. But Giyu was still having a hard time accepting that.

The door opened. "You can come in," was all that Aoi said.

Deep breath.

Why am I nervous?

Why am I shaking?

He didn't have time to think through those answers. He was crossing the threshold into the room, like he had done so many times in the last month. And before he could think, he was met with a shining red eye.

It was so familiar, so kind, and brought so much peace. But Giyu could also see the pain, the fear, and the tears that sat stagnant at the bottom. Tanjiro only had one eye visible, but Giyu felt as though the boy was staring into his soul.

Tanjiro didn't say anything, he just looked at Giyu, and the blue eyed man wondered if Tanjiro wasn't comprehending his surroundings just yet.

Giyu tore his eyes away and to the similarly shaped pink ones next to him. Nezuko had a relieved but fearful look on her face, holding her brother's hand tightly. Giyu suddenly felt as though he was interrupting something precious, and wanted nothing more than to walk out. He wanted to escape.

No. Don't run away. Tanjiro needs you. Tanjiro needs you to be strong.

"Giyu….san," the red-eyed boy whispered, his voice rough from non-use. "I'm happy… you're here."

Suddenly, all of the nerves, the desire to run, all of it.. Melted away. The sound of that boy's voice was like music dancing in Giyu's ears. A voice that, for the last month, he feared he would never hear again.

Nezuko smiled at Giyu, tears still in her eyes, the feeling of seeing her brother away and alive for the first time since she became a human still fresh in her face. She stood up, once again running to Giyu for a hug. "He's awake," she whispered for only the former Hashira to hear. "Thank the gods he's finally awake."

Giyu took a deep breath. Patting her on the head, he soothed her the best he could. They embraced for only a moment, before Nezuko motioned for Giyu to sit down in the chair.

Giyu did just that, his eyes carefully following Tanjiro's. Tanjiro watched his every move, but stayed silent. Giyu didn't know what to think about it.

"I'll leave you two alone for a little while," Nezuko said, breaking the silence in the room. "Onii-chan, I'll be back with some food in a little while."

"Thank…you," he forced out, clearly still struggling to talk. Nezuko gave her brother's hand one more squeeze, which he returned, before leaving the room and letting the two former swordsmen sit in silence.

Giyu didn't even know where to start. Usually, Tanjiro would do the talking if the two were alone. But, he knew this was a conversation that needed to be had.

"Tanjiro," he whispered, now grabbing the boy's arm, tears brimming in his eyes. "I'm so sorry.."

"Giyu-san," Tanjiro tried to interrupt, his voice growing stronger the more he spoke, "Giyu-san," he said again, trying to keep Giyu from crying.

"I couldn't protect you," Giyu said, his head held low. "If I had done a better job, I'm sure things would be better. I'm so… so sorry."

Tanjiro moved his head slowly towards Giyu, the tears still sitting in his eye but not releasing. "No… thank you.. Nezuko told me… about what you did… thank you."

What did I do?

Giyu shook his head. "I," he began, not sure if he could get the words out. "I didn't really do anything. Nezuko did far more than me. If it weren't for her-"

"I'd be a monster right now."

A chill went down Giyu's spine as he kept his head held low, unable to look into Tanjiro's eye. It was the first sentence that Tanjiro was able to get out without breaking to breathe, and his voice was getting stronger. Giyu cursed under his breath that that was the first sentence he would be able to say confidently since waking up.

"I'm sorry." Tanjiro's quiet words caused Giyu to look back up to his face. "I hurt you. I hurt… Nezuko. I hurt… everyone. I was a… monster," the tears that had been gathered in his uncovered eye finally began to spill over his cheek. "I couldn't control… myself like Nezuko. Why couldn't I? Why?"

Tanjiro ripped his good arm from Giyu's grasp as he covered his face, openly sobbing as his memories flooded him. The black haired man didn't really know what to do, or say. He wasn't sure if Tanjiro would have any memories of being turned into a demon, but it was clear he did.

If you could have stopped Muzan from swallowing him, he wouldn't be in this situation.

Stop it.

If you had only taken his place, he wouldn't have to deal with these memories.

I can't. I couldn't.

If you had died there instead, he would have been able to recover without being turned into a demon.

"He's not breathing, and there's no pulse. Tanjiro."

"Tanjiro has turned into a demon! We must kill him before he kills anyone!"

Time passed. Neither former slayer knew how much, but it must have been quite some time.

"Tanjiro," Giyu finally chose to break the silence between them, "It wasn't your fault. Muzan took advantage of you. It's my fault. I should have kept you from getting swallowed."

"I'm the one who almost killed everyone-"

"But you didn't kill anyone-"

"But I hurt them! Nezuko and Kanao have wounds… from me."

Giyu sighed. This was exactly what everyone was worried about. Tanjiro was already the type of person to think of everyone but himself, so of course he wouldn't be able to forgive himself when he hurt the people he loved.

"Tanjiro," Giyu said, not really knowing where to take the conversation, "do you.."

He trailed off which made Tanjiro raise his eyebrows and look back in his direction.

"What do you remember?"

Giyu wasn't sure if this was the best way to go about it. But, he was willing to try. Maybe if he understood what Tanjiro knew, he could help him understand that it wasn't his fault.

Tanjiro didn't say anything for a moment. He stared at the ceiling, the tears still streaking down his cheek.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Giyu could tell he made the wrong decision. It was too soon to be asking that. Tanjiro needed time to process.

Idiot. You're making it worse.

He stood up to leave, but Tanjiro grabbed his arm. "No, I," the younger boy said timidly. "I think I need to talk about it with you. That's why I asked for Aoi to let you come in...you're the person I want to talk with."

Giyu sat back down, nodding his head as if to allow Tanjiro to speak.

Tanjiro took a deep breath. "I remember just enough to know that I hurt everyone."

The statement felt final, and Giyu worried that was all he was going to say. He stayed silent for a moment, hoping that he would open up more.

To his relief, the red headed boy did. "I remember.. Muzan. We had him pinned, but I took a hit." He lightly touched his wrapped arm, signifying the memory of it getting blown off. "You came to help keep him down. I… knew I was going to die."

Giyu closed his eyes.

"I wanted to die fighting, so after he swallowed me, I kept fighting. I made my sword bright red. The next thing I knew…"

Another long pause while Tanjiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I was looking at you. But I was so.. So angry. I wanted to kill everyone. I was hungry. Blood smelled good. It smelled really good. Everyone kept running to me. But I just wanted to kill them. The only thought in my brain was to kill everyone."

More sobs openly erupted from his throat, making him pause for a bit of time. Giyu didn't speak, he just held on to him. He wanted Tanjiro to know he wasn't mad. He didn't blame him. But actions sometimes spoke louder than words.

"It was consuming me. I wanted to stop, to just sit down and cry, but I was so tired. I was so hungry.. I just wanted…"

Another sob escaped his mouth, causing Giyu to wince. He was already regretting the choice to have Tanjiro do this.

"I felt like I couldn't control myself. I was watching from somewhere dark, while my body moved. But.. Nezuko was hugging me. She was talking to me. She was human. But I was biting her, I was hurting her! I couldn't stop myself! I hated everyone and everything!" Tanjiro was now breathing heavily, seemingly struggling to take a deep breath, and Giyu was starting to get worried.

"Tanjiro, you don't have to do this right now-"

"No, Giyu-san," he said, putting his good hand on his chest to try and calm himself. "I need to do this. I need to get it out so Nezuko doesn't see me like this. I can't… face her. Not until I can hear what you saw."

"Nezuko doesn't blame you-"

"But I'm the one who hurt her-"

"You were under Muzan's control-"

"But he was dead. I acted on my own free will."

This would have never happened if you had stopped Muzan from swallowing him.

Tanjiro was able to get a deep breath in. "She was talking to me. She was apologizing. She was begging for me to come back. I could tell it was her. I could tell she was human. But I was so angry. And her blood smelled so good."

"But you didn't eat her."

"But I wanted to."

"You controlled yourself."

"I was saved by Kanao. I was so close. She ran towards me, and suddenly, I had some control. But I was somewhere dark, and Muzan was telling me I had killed them all. He was begging for me to stay, but I…just wanted to go home. I just wanted to sleep. I just wanted to hug my sister.

"That's all I remember."

Tanjiro once again stared at the ceiling. His tears had dried, but it seemed he could no longer look Giyu in the face.

"Tanjiro," Giyu started, hoping that he was going in the right direction, "I think you weren't able to control yourself because of how much blood you must have gotten from Muzan."

Tanjiro didn't respond, just continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Since he gave you blood because he was dying, I think he gave you all of his blood. And considering that, you fought against it valiantly."

Another tear slipped from Tanjiro's eye.

"We couldn't do anything. There are two reasons no one died: because Nezuko arrived at the right time, and because you were fighting it. I could tell."

Silence still remained from the boy in the bed.

"You didn't want to kill anyone. Muzan gave you so much blood that it literally wasn't you. It was Muzan in your body."

"But I still could remember-"

"But you tried to stop yourself. You still wanted to hug her. I think what you did was more admirable than what any of us did. You really fought against it."

Giyu was now gripping onto Tanjiro's arm. He leaned in closer to the boy, trying to convey his forgiveness. "You did what you could to fight against it, and in the end, no one died. And that's because you fought against it. It might have been hard, but you did. And we could all sense it."

"Nezuko and Kanao have wounds from me-"

"Yes they do. And they don't care. All they care about is that you're here with us now. And that you're human."

Tanjiro kept opening his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Giyu was now smiling; although he didn't know why. "Tanjiro, I'm not exactly the best person to admire. I still haven't forgiven myself for… anything. But I've never met someone with as much drive and kindness as you. I.. thought I had lost you for good. And if you hadn't been turned into a demon, you wouldn't be with us. So.. I'm choosing to focus on the fact that you're here. And I know Nezuko is so, so thankful that you are here. Nezuko and Kanao see their scars as the extremely small price to pay for having you here, alive, and human. Those scars will show the valiant fight everyone put in to have you here with us."

"I.." Tanjiro trailed off, his eyes now looking back over to Giyu. "Thank you, Giyu-san."

"Now I want you to stop with the unforgiveness, okay? You have a second chance at life.. You should live it with your friends and sister."

Giyu stood up from his chair, feeling like the conversation had turned out better than he imagined. "You need to rest." His hand squeezed Tanjiro's shoulder. "I'll always be around. I know this conversation isn't going to fix anything, but I want you to understand that we all forgive you, and I mean it. We will do whatever it takes for you to understand that. If I have to come in here every day and hammer it into your hard head, I will."

A chuckle escaped both their mouths. "Thank you, Giyu-san."

He began to walk out to let Tanjiro get some rest. "Giyu-san?"

"Hai."

"Will you get Nezuko, Kanao, Zenitsu, and Inosuke for me? I just want to be with them. I.. don't want to be alone anymore."

"Of course."

He smiled once more before closing the door behind him.

Every day, I'll help you pick up the pieces. Every day, I'll help you take one step towards recovery. Every day, I will make sure you and your friends are happy. I promise.


Well this turned out a lot longer than expected, but I couldn't help but just keep going.. I hope I portrayed the characters well. I just love the dynamic between s o many characters, but Giyu and Tanjiro is up there as one of my favorites. Giyu is the big brother he always needed and Tanjiro is the source of light that Giyu always wanted.

I have tons more angsty KNY stories planned! We will see if I can get them out in a timely manner ?

Your comments, kudos, reviews, etc are greatly appreciated!