Akio stretched his limbs, his body sprawled across the roof of his home. He bathed in the moonlight, the pale light warming his core. It was a quiet evening. Most of the villagers had gone to bed already, having locked their doors and lit their outdoor lanterns. He breathed deeply, the remaining wounds on his legs healing, the skin tightening as it repaired itself. His last hunt had left him covered in open wounds, his body unable to heal properly as he traveled back to his village. The crazy bastards had hatchets for hands and they both really knew how to use them.
"Aki!" A girl's high-pitched voice echoed through the village and a smirk touched Akio's lips. Rieko. She had a bright and curious soul. Akio caught sight of her head of short, auburn hair bobbing down the path to their home. Reiko stopped next to the cherry blossom tree to look up at Akio. "I'm so glad you're home! You had me worried!"
"Heya Rieko. I was only gone for a week or so. It wasn't that long." Akio huffed, swinging his body so he was sitting up on the roof. Rieko narrowed her gaze, her hands secured at her hips. Akio rolled his eyes, dropping off the roof. He landed next to Rieko and extended his hand up to ruffle her waves of hair. Rieko giggled, standing on her toes to move her head just out of Akio's reach.
"Don't try to distract me. You were supposed to send Mushi to let me know when the hunt was over and you were returning." Rieko puffed her cheeks out, her hands busily flattening her hair. Akio sighed before whistling. A small cat with deep brown fur stepped out of the shadows, its blue eyes focused on him.
"Mushi, I told you to let Rieko know I was coming home." Akio bent down to scratch Mushi's head. Mushi narrowed his gaze at him, sitting just out of reach. "Mushi, come here." He wiggled his fingers and the cat turned his head away from him, eyes shutting. "Fine, fine. I forgot okay? I just wanted to get home." Akio grumbled. Mushi glanced back at him and flicked his head before circling his legs and vanishing back into the shadows. "Stupid cat, couldn't even cover for me." He sighed.
"Don't blame Mushi for your forgetfulness." Rieko stepped forward and flicked Akio on the forehead.
"Yeah, whatever." Akio turned away from her and wandered towards the door, kicking it open with his foot. "Whatcha want for dinner?" Rieko's eyes sparkled as she hurried to follow Akio into the home. All was forgiven at the mention of food. She ran into the kitchen, pulling a block of tofu and eggs from the cabinet.
"Tofu scramble please!" She beamed, holding up the items. Akio chuckled, nodding his head before grabbing all the necessary sauces and spices from the cabinets. He grabbed a few peppers and onions as well. It seemed like the villagers had restocked the pantry for them. They adored Rieko and were always stepping in to ensure she had what she needed while Akio was away. It did make leaving a lot easier and he would gift them with spice and tea blends that he created himself. They thought he was a traveling merchant, so it only made sense to gift them with the products he supposedly sold. A sigh escaped his lips as he pressed on the tofu. He had sliced it down the center before piling plates and pots on it.
"Go wash up. Dinner won't take very long." Akio huffed and Rieko nodded before vanishing further into the home. "Wait, Rieko! Is Yushiro stopping by tonight?" He called over his shoulder. He would have to have tea ready for him and Lady Tamayo if that was the case.
"He came by yesterday and threw a fit, like usual, whenever you aren't here." Rieko shouted back and Akio cursed under his breath. He turned as footsteps echoed down the hallway. Rieko leaned against the door frame. "You also missed Nezuko. She and the others stopped by a few days ago."
"Why does everyone always show up when I'm gone?" Akio groaned, throwing his forehead against the counter.
"Either they have really good timing or really bad timing. Probably really good timing, at least for Yushiro." Rieko teased, sticking her tongue out.
"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that." Akio grumbled, his pointer finger taking the shape of a small kitchen knife. He pointed the knife at Rieko. "What did Nezuko and her rag-tag team of idiots need?"
"Nothing. They just stopped by to see us on their way to their next mission. I made them a cake while they were here. They were mourning the loss of a dear friend." Rieko frowned and Akio stepped away from the counter.
"Which friend?"
"He was the Flame Hashira."
"Rengoku…" A frown touched Akio's lips and he turned back towards the counter. "Tanjiro always spoke highly of Rengoku in his letters. I feel very sorry for him." He sighed before whistling softly. He heard Mushi's meow behind him and he wandered over to the pantry. "I was saving these for his birthday, but I think they all need them now." He pulled a bag of hard candies, taffies, and hair bows from the small closet. He knelt down and secured the bag in the pouch on Mushi's back. "Please take this to Tanjiro and Nezuko, Mushi." He scratched behind his right ear and he nodded, rubbing around his legs in a circle before vanishing out of sight.
"Losing a friend is always difficult. Hearing the news just made me even more grateful for you." Rieko smiled and Akio returned her smile. Rieko was the same age as Ayaka would have been and Akio wanted to protect her from the horrors of the world. When Akio was lost and wounded, Rieko took him in without hesitation. The girl was raised by her grandparents before they passed. After that, the village took her in and supported her. Though she was grateful at the time, she couldn't help feeling lonely. Akio thought back to the day they met. He had been crawling across the rock and dirt roads of the village. His blood saturated the pathways as he searched desperately for a hiding spot. The sun was poking its way through the clouds and he was going to scorch if he didn't find shelter. Rieko had spotted him from the garden in her front yard. She didn't hesitate, sprinting out to haul Akio into her home. She helped Akio bathe and bandaged his wounds to the best of her ability. She even made Akio the worst ramen Akio had ever smelt or seen. They've been living like siblings ever since that day. "I'm going to go wash up now." With that, Rieko hurried back down the hallway. Akio wandered back over to the counter, using his finger to chop up the pressed tofu and the vegetables. He tossed the eggs and tofu in the frying pan after lighting the stove, scrambling the mess of proteins together. He tossed in Rieko's favorite sauces and spices before adding the vegetables. It made no sense to Akio, but Rieko always preferred that the vegetables had crunch to them still. Once the food was done, he tossed some into a bowl with chopsticks for Rieko before throwing the rest into a container to cool. Akio sat across from Rieko's usual seat and placed his head against the table. With Rengoku gone, the Demon Slayer Corps was left with eight pillars. Akio was going to have to leave for more hunting trips to make up for the loss. He sighed. He didn't particularly like the Hashira, seeing as any one of them would kill him on sight, but they were still good people. They were humanity's only hope against the demon race. Too many humans had fallen already. "Oh, Yushiro also said that the lower ranks of the demons' top twelve have been dismantled. So that was good news! I think." Rieko popped back into the kitchen and smiled before shoveling the tofu scramble into her mouth.
"The lower six of the Twelve Kizuki have been dismantled? How? I know Tanjiro's group worked with Rengoku to finish off Enmu, while the Water Hashira finished off Rui. What about the others?"
"I dunno. You'd have to ask 're lucky I followed as much as I did. I'm only aware of this world because of you." Rieko huffed between mouthfuls.
"I know. I'm sorry I dragged you into it." Akio hung his head, his pale blue hair falling over his shoulders and covering his face.
"I'm not sorry. You're my best friend and my big brother, Akio. I know Yushiro put a protection and concealment spell over the house. You've never dragged any of your hunts to this village either, so there's not much I am concerned about." She shrugged, tofu stuck to her cheek. "I also never would have met Inosuke without you, so there's that too." She tried to hide her rosy cheeks behind her hair, but her hair was too short. Akio tensed, his body sitting up straight to meet Rieko's gaze. She had never mentioned Inosuke individually before. Why now?
"What about Inosuke?" Akio narrowed his gaze, his fingernails digging into the wooden table. Inosuke was a walking disaster. He was immature, reckless, and hard-headed. Did Rieko have a crush on him? She needed someone who would keep her safe, not endanger her.
"He's just really cute. When he was here, he brought me cinnamon candies because he remembered they were my favorite. He might have eaten half the bag, but it's the thought that counts." Her voice was soft, gaze distant.
"He wears a boar head! You haven't even seen his face." Akio countered and Rieko shook her head.
"He took that silly head off when he was here. Akio, you should've seen him. He is gorgeous and he has nicer hair than I do! He only wears that boar head because of how he was raised."
"Oh yes, because nice hair and looks are all that matter." Akio rolled his eyes.
"It's not like I have a chance with him anyway. He's a demon slayer. I'm just some village girl who lives with a demon." Rieko's shoulders slumped and Akio cursed internally. Forget Inosuke. Rieko needed to learn her worth.
"That idiot would be the luckiest boy in the world to have you. You're not just some village girl. You were able to sense something was off about me the day we met. You stabbed me with a steak knife and smacked me across the face with a burning hot frying pan the second you saw that I healed all of my wounds within a few hours. There's nothing normal about you. You're a fighter and that's all a demon slayer or anyone could ask for in a partner." Akio stood up, pressing his palms down and leaning on the edge of the table.
"Yeahhhhh…I'm still sorry about that." Rieko smiled sheepishly and Akio laughed.
"I'm not. If I could train you myself, I'd help you become a demon slayer. You quickly picked up everything I taught you and you've mastered working with Mushi."
"So, you think Inosuke would be interested in me? Do I have a chance?" Her eyes were wide with hope, her cheeks tinted pink.
"He doesn't deserve YOU, Rieko!" Akio growled and Rieko rolled her eyes.
"You don't know him like I do. Thanks for dinner. I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight." Rieko huffed, placing her dishes in the sink before wandering out of sight, down the hallway. Akio sighed, slumping down into his chair and pressing his forehead against the table. Rieko and Inosuke? Just the thought of them disgusted him. Inosuke was talented, but he would constantly put her at risk. He wasn't skilled enough to protect her and keep her separate from the demon world. Not that Akio was doing a great job at that, but Rieko deserved to have a normal life with a normal family. Just as Akio got up to clean up the mess Rieko left behind, he caught sight of a cat tail in the hallway, heading down towards Rieko's room.
"Mushi." Akio called out and a soft meow echoed down the hallway. He poked his head into the kitchen and sat in front of Akio. Akio knelt down and reached into the pouch on his back. A note was tucked into the pouch along with a handful of cinnamon candies. The page was covered in chicken scratch, the writing hardly legible to Akio. He could just make out that it was addressed to Rieko and signed by Inosuke. Akio dropped the paper before he could rip it up in his hands. He tucked it back into the pouch and narrowed his gaze at Mushi. "You traitor." He huffed before scooping him up into his arms. Mushi protested, wiggling in his grasp, but he held on tighter. He kicked Rieko's door open, the wood slamming against the wall. Rieko startled, anger clear on her face. "Mushi is not your messenger pigeon. Stop using him to deliver love letters." Akio growled and Rieko's eyes widened.
"Messenger pigeon? Love letters? What are you talking about?" She hopped out of bed and reached into the pocket on Mushi's vest. She smiled at the cinnamon candies before scanning over the letter. A bright smile took shape on her face and she twirled before falling onto her bed.
"THAT. That's what I'm talking about."
"This isn't something that happens normally. You sent Mushi to the group earlier to send them candies. Inosuke probably received it and then gave Mushi this to bring to me. Only Nezuko and Tanjiro can summon Mushi anyway. Inosuke can't, remember? You didn't trust him or Zenitsu." Rieko puffed her cheeks out, clutching the letter close to her. Well, she had a point. "You really should give Inosuke a chance. Everyone in that group is unique and wonderful in their own way. Don't be biased just because Nezuko is a demon and Tanjiro saved her."
"Okay. Thanks for that call-out. I'm going to bed." Akio grumbled, placing Mushi on the ground after kissing the top of his head. Mushi blinked at both of them before slipping into the shadows.
"You don't even sleep. Please don't stomp off and sulk Akio. I can't help who I have a crush on. All I ask is that you give Inosuke a chance. Nezuko and the others trust him and fight by his side, so he can't be that bad." Rieko sat up, her gaze pleading.
"I'm going to go lay in the moonlight. Some of my wounds haven't closed yet. I'm not mad at you Rieko. I just worry. You're the most important person to me." Akio spoke softly before pulling the door shut behind him. He retreated outside, locking the door and hopping up onto the roof. He sprawled back out, soaking in the moonlight. He would have to clean the kitchen up at some point, but it didn't have to be right at that moment.
