Chapter Text
Chapter one
Anxiety was swirling in the pit of his stomach, oppressive and heavy like steel.
Giyuu busied himself with gently but firmly tying the bamboo muzzle around the young demon's mouth to keep her sharp fangs covered, hoping it would work as a sort of deterrent for her before she could devour him.
He tried to keep his hands from shaking as he fought desperately against the anxiety that was trying to overwhelm him.
His mind was racing, bouncing between his own uncertainties and doubts and the odd flicker of hope that swelled inside of him like a balloon the longer he was in the presence of the demon.
He exhaled shakily before the gentle milky scent of a young, newly presented alpha that mixed with the heavier more sour scent that came with demons and the grief-tinged sunshine smell of the omega boy brought his eyes inevitably back down to the siblings that had curled around each other protectively even in sleep and immediately, he knew.
He knew he needed to send them to Urokodaki-Sensei to keep them safe and to train the boy to become a Slayer. It was the least he deserved. If the boy’s resolve to keep his sister safe was nurtured, Giyuu had no doubt the young omega would make a fine Demon Slayer.
Glancing around, he found the thin, threadbare haori that the demon girl must’ve been wearing if the blood on it was anything to go by just to the left of their little group, and he carefully tugged the little girl’s arms into the holes and pulled the haori over to keep her as warm as he could in the snow storm, even though he logically knew demons didn’t feel the cold like humans did.
But, seeing her protect her brother so fiercely made him worry that there were other things unusual about her. And, he found himself not wanting her to get cold.
Giyuu settled himself against a tree just in front of the two passed out kids, keeping track of their gentle breaths to make sure they were okay and breathing fine. He kept his gaze on them as the omega’s eyelids were beginning to twitch so he knew it wouldn’t be long before he awoke.
Before he awoke to a reality that was sure to cleave his heart in two.
“Kid,” Giyuu called once he noticed how his breathing had picked up, making sure to keep his voice markedly less threatening than he had done when he’d first encountered the pair. He watched the kid grab at the haori around his sister tightly and timidly sniff at the air, trying to familiarize himself with Giyuu’s scent.
The kid sat up and pulled the young demon close to his chest, his eyes wide and gaze piercing.
Giyuu subtly sniffed, wincing as the omega’s scent bounced between grief, dread, resolution and anger.
He sighed softly, sympathy for the pair welling up inside of him.
“You need to take your sister and head to Mount Sagiri and find an old man called Urokodaki. You can tell him that Giyuu Tomioka sent you both.” He explained, preparing himself to leave.
There was nothing else he could do for them. He’d already done enough damage by not being fast enough to save the demon girl from her fate, or the rest of their kin.
The kid’s eyes watered and Giyuu was shocked to see a genuine smile being sent in his direction.
“Thank you, Mister Tomioka for sparing my sister. And me.” The kid kept his voice low as he propped his chin on top of the girl's head. “I’m Tanjiro Kamado and this is my little sister, Nezuko.”
Giyuu tilted his head forwards in greeting, finding himself settling back onto his heels instead rushing off like he’d wanted to. It was odd. He found himself wanting to talk more with the boy who smelled like sunshine and coal.
He watched Nezuko twitch in Tanjiro’s grip and he felt his breath hitch unintentionally, waiting to see what her first reaction would be to waking up that close to flesh and blood.
“Oh, Nezuko,” Tanjiro murmured, looking immediately to his sister, his scent souring with guilt. “I’m so sorry.”
Giyuu was entirely transfixed as he watched Nezuko hum softly and nuzzle against Tanjiro’s chest before she’d even opened her eyes.
She turned her bright pink eyes towards him and began studying him inquisitively and Giyuu met her gaze head on, not bothering to hide his amazement and his own curiosity. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before she murmured softly behind the bamboo, clearly she’d deemed that he was no longer a threat and instead she turned to tilt her head up to see Tanjiro and she absolutely beamed, her little fangs showing behind the bamboo muzzle.
The fact that she hasn’t immediately bitten through the muzzle to kill him or Tanjiro told him everything he needed to know and only strengthened his resolve to save her.
Tanjiro laughed softly and shook his head. “You’ve got no idea what’s going on right now do you?”
Nezuko mumbled unintelligibly behind the bamboo, her wide eyes studying Tanjiro with a ferocity that made Giyuu think she was almost trying to memorize him as she gently traced his features, clearly being extra careful of her sharp nails so that she didn’t hurt him.
He wondered briefly for a moment what the little demon girl was thinking.
“Hey, uh, Tanjiro?” Giyuu leaned towards the pair without thinking but made sure he was keeping his distance until he was invited closer.
He waited patiently for Tanjiro to look at him and he even managed a slight smile at Nezuko as her eyes also found him again.
“I - I know it’s just you two now. Would you like me to help you bury your family?”
It was the least he could do for these two kids who had been turned into orphans and one into a demon all because he hadn’t been quick enough.
The young omega’s scent spiked with grief, and Giyuu watched as his lip trembled slightly before he exhaled roughly and seemed to pull himself together, his resolve seemingly helped by Nezuko’s concerned whimper as she desperately tried to scent him, the movement clumsy and unpracticed now that she was a demon.
Something long forgotten and buried deep within his soul where he’d pushed all of his omega instincts fluttered to life at the sight and smell of Tanjiro’s grief, but he ignored it resolutely not wanting to analyze it too deeply.
He couldn’t analyze it. Not there.
Tanjiro inhaled sharply, the scent of his grief mellowing out just enough to not overwhelm them all.
“Nezuko and I would really appreciate the help, Mister Tomioka.” Tanjiro accepted, smiling gratefully. “But would you mind just watching Nezuko for me first? I don’t want her to see the aftermath. Not if she doesn’t remember it.”
Both omega’s turned to look at the demon who was happily playing with Tanjiro’s fingers without a care in the world now that Tanjiro’s scent wasn’t as thick, humming to herself a tune that only she could hear.
“Ah, Kid,” Giyuu grimaced slightly, guilt, surprise and something soft and warm that he couldn’t quite name, all swirling in his chest almost uncomfortably. “You don’t have to be the one to do that. Let me help.”
Tanjiro nodded firmly. “I know. But I want to. It’s the least I can do for not being with them.”
Giyuu wanted to reassure him that none of this was his fault, but he knew first hand that those words would mean nothing to him. That nothing anybody said or did would stop that feeling of guilt from staying with him for the rest of his life.
“I’ll watch her.” He confirmed before he could even think about it fully. “I’ll watch her around the back of the house so that I’m nearby if you need any help. But, and I know it won’t make a difference, it’s not your fault that you weren’t with them. This is something that nobody could’ve predicted and the fact that you would choose to be with them knowing the most likely outcome shows the sort of person you are and you should be proud of that.”
Honestly, Giyuu almost felt out of breath. That was probably the most he’d spoken in one go to somebody since Final Selection.
Tanjiro smiled softly before offering his back to Nezuko so they could start making their way back up the mountain. “Thank you, Mister Tomioka. I do appreciate it, and I’ll think about what you said.”
And that was how Giyuu found himself watching Nezuko play in the snow like it was her first time ever seeing it. And Giyuu wondered, if she didn’t remember much from before she turned then it was new to her. This version of her, anyway.
He found that he was somewhat content to watch her, his mind split between teaching Nezuko how to draw in the snow and worrying for Tanjiro who was busy tidying up the massacre in his home and burying his family members.
It was nice to just sit and do something so mindless as drawing in the snow, if he allowed himself to ignore the circumstances that had brought him here. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something so trivial.
Nezuko’s head suddenly popped up, and a look of overwhelming sadness swept over her face, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears. Giyuu stood up to go to her without realizing what he was doing, his instincts wanting him to soothe the hurting child but she ignored him and instead walked past him to go around the front of the house and he was helpless to do anything but follow her.
The size of the body under the sheet that Tanjiro was carrying out of the house made it immediately clear to Giyuu that it was his mothers body, and suddenly he wondered if Nezuko had recognised her mothers scent, even as it began to fade as each hour passed since her death.
“Nezuko,” Tanjiro murmured, his scent spiking with worry as Nezuko tentatively crept forwards, tears trickling down her cheeks and hushed sobs muffled by her bamboo.
Nezuko gently took hold of the end of her mother’s feet, leaning her head down towards her for a moment before standing up and locking eyes with Tanjiro and grunting quietly, trying to tell him something.
“You… you want to help?” Giyuu quizzed softly, slowly walking towards the kids, heart aching and guilt weighing on him at the sight of the five freshly dug graves and the tear tracks that painted the Kamado siblings cheeks.
Nezuko hummed, nodding once.
Tanjiro exhaled shakily before nodding. “Okay. Okay.”
Giyuu stepped forwards and braced his hands underneath the body without asking, his own scent of sadness and guilt swelling to mix with the pups.
It had been a long time since he’d loosened his tight hold on his secondary gender as much as he had done since meeting the Kamado’s, but he couldn’t find it within himself to be annoyed and instead he followed what his omega wanted.
He held the woman carefully as Tanjiro manoeuvred himself to the top of her body, his hands gently slipping under her shoulders.
“Okay. Let’s do this.” Tanjiro sighed, beginning their awkward shuffling towards the final grave he’d dug.
Giyuu was silent as he followed Tanjiro’s lead, keeping his eye on Nezuko as she kept rubbing her face into her mother’s covered legs and sniffling.
They worked together to gently lay the woman down inside the dug grave, and as they did, Giyuu wanted nothing more than to just turn back time and be better. Faster.
“It’s not your fault, either, Giyuu.” Tanjiro spoke softly leading their little group into gently pushing the dirt over his mothers body. “You said so yourself. It’s unpredictable and if you would still choose to be here knowing the possible outcome, then you are a good person.” He reiterated Giyuu’s own words back to him with a heartbreakingly soft smile on his face.
Giyuu realized that his scent had soured with his own guilt and felt his cheeks flush. He genuinely couldn’t remember the last time anybody had managed to pick up on his emotions through his scent because he normally had such a tight grip on his omega.
“I…” Giyuu paused, his eyes following Nezuko and Tanjiro’s movements as they used their hands to bury their mother because the shovel had broken after Tanjiro had dug the final grave.
He knew he would always feel guilty for not being able to prevent this tragedy. But, nonetheless, Tanjiro’s words made his chest warm slightly with an unfamiliar emotion that he couldn’t even begin to name.
“Thank you.” He decided to say, his words soft and low. “But, I’m still sorry.”
Tanjiro nodded, sparing him a quick look of understanding. “I know. Thank you.”
They continued their work in silence, the only sound around them was the blustery winds that carried the snowstorm over the mountain.
“I do have to leave,” Giyuu said once they’d finished praying over the graves of the Kamado family. “I have another mission before I have to report to the Master. But, please write when you get to Urokodaki-Sensei, he will be able to help you send it to me. And don’t forget to keep Nezuko out of direct sunlight, okay?”
He couldn’t deny that he wanted to be kept in the loop with how Tanjiro’s training would go and how Nezuko continued to behave.
Something that he’d kept under lock and key had awoken and he didn’t have the energy to figure out what it was right away so instead, he just gave in for once and listened to his omega who was fretting over the young kids being alone.
“Of course, Giyuu.” Tanjiro had stopped calling him Mister Tomioka as soon as they buried his mother together, and hearing his name being used so familiarly like that made his heart twinge with long forgotten feelings. It wasn’t wholly unpleasant. “Thank you, again.”
Giyuu gave them both a half smile and a wave before he was on his way, his mind once again racing as he went over everything that had happened. He knew he needed to send a letter off to Ubuyashki to explain his side of the events before word otherwise reached him, and he needed to send a letter asking his Sensei to keep him updated on Tanjiro’s progress.
And, maybe apologize to his Sensei for having been so distant since Final Selection only to send a child and a demon his way.
Either way, Giyuu mused on his rush to his next mission, Tanjiro and Nezuko both had a lot of work to do and something inside him tweaked excitedly at the prospect of their success.
And, he truly couldn’t wait to see it all.