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Tanjirou and Kagaya were talking again. The pillars were all tensing up, cautious and careful.
Someone, not one of the demons they knew, was in the same sedan they arrived in. Eventually, they stopped talking in hushed whispers and Tanjirou straightened up.
"Today, we recruited another member to the Yoriichi Demon Slaying Corps. Please be respectful of him, he's only just woken up."
"How do we know he's safe?" Shinobu asked, glancing at the rattling sedan.
"He hasn't eaten a single human since he's been turned. It's been several years since then, he's been fine. He fell asleep for those years and hasn't woken up."
He glanced at all of them, looking into their eyes. His lingered at Giyuu for a long time.
"Please don't make any rash decisions."
The sedan opened and someone stepped into the space Kagaya was sitting at.
Slowly, they stood up at full height and turned around.
Giyuu choked on his spit and staggered.
There were cries of alarm for Giyuu and some cries of confusion.
"Hello, 'yuu." He said briskly.
His violet eyes bored holes into the Water Pillar.
Tanjirou glanced at him and then looked at Giyuu carefully.
"H-H-How...?!" Giyuu shouted, looking slightly frenzied. "How are you alive?!"
The man smiled but didn't answer.
"This is flamboyant and all but who are you? It isn't very flamboyant to keep us in the dark." Tengen said, looking slightly miffed.
"I am Sabito. I am one of the disciples of Urokodaki-San." He said, and they all noticed the sword by his side.
Giyuu began to tremble and said, "B-But how——"
"Man up!" Sabito roared. Giyuu snapped up like a ruler. "Be a real man and stand tall! What the hell happened to you while I was gone?!"
Tanjirou calmed him down quickly with a hand on his head. "Sabito, calm down."
Sabito stared sternly at Giyuu and many of the pillars were bewildered by this development. Only Muichirou was not but that was because he wasn't even looking at them.
Kagaya spoke up. "Sabito was the only 'true' swordsman that passed the test some years ago. He defeated every demon on the mountain except one, and had saved everyone but himself."
They all looked at him in slight awe and even Giyuu was a mixture of smug pride but also guilty shame.
Sabito frowned and said, "I didn't do much. I was turned into a demon before I died. Unfortunately, I wouldn't wake up and was left in the dirt for some time."
He paused and elaborated, "Tanjirou-San found me."
Tanjirou bowed his head, humbly saying, "I had help. We all found you."
Sabito stared at all of them and Kagaya finally let them go with a soft, "Just make sure that you pay him the same respect as the others. He is now a part of our alliance."
Mitsuri immediately went up to him and asked, "Do you like cuddling?"
"Cuddling?" He asked with a slight weirded out grimace.
She nodded excitedly. "The other demons like it a lot too! Do you?"
"It's... okay, I guess." He said, glancing several times at Giyuu, who didn't look at him.
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"Holy shit, I love cuddling."
Sabito held onto Rui, who was making some designs. On his back was Nezuko and she was cooing at Rui happily.
"Rui, Rui, make something else!" She asked as Tanjirou came close and said, "You guys, Giyuu-San is coming!"
"Giyuu-San?"
"Giyuu-San!"
"Yay! How far?"
"Tomioka-San better get here quick!"
"Giyuu-San~~~!!"
Sabito laughed. "You guys like him a lot, huh."
"Yep!" Rui chirped inside of his arms. "He once fought with us. He's super strong!"
"Yeah! He's really cool! He gave me advice." Tanjirou said.
"How'd he give you advice?" Sabito asked.
Tanjirou smiled as Nezuko said, "All of us fought with him once! Tamayo respects him a lot because of his moves. Yushirou... is Yushirou."
"Well screw you. Be grateful, fuckface. We didn't have to dig you out for him." Yushirou snapped, bundling them up with blankets as Tanjirou laughed and playfully pinched his cheek.
Sabito laughed again. After he calmed down, he smiled softly. "I'm glad he has people around him to enjoy his company."
Tamayo chuckled as she hugged Nezuko to herself. "Now he has another. There's no need to be so anxious about him, Sabito-Kun."
"I guess," Sabito said.
The sliding door opened and Giyuu said, "Sabito, I have to talk to you——"
He was pulled into the cuddle pile and forced into Sabito's arms. Rui was clutched into Tanjirou's chest but didn't seem to mind, only smirking at him behind Giyuu's back.
Sabito flushed red as Giyuu stammered. Behind Sabito's back, Tamayo gave him an encouraging thumbs up and Nezuko smirked smugly.
Akaza made a motion of 'go on' and Sabito said, "What did you want to talk about?"
"N-Not with them here!"
"Ooh," Nezuko stage-whispered. "He doesn't want us here~."
"So bold," Rui played along.
Tanjirou smothered his laugh as Akaza said, "Maybe we should leave so they can have their... talk."
He said 'talk' like it was an inside joke and smirked at Giyuu, wiggling his eyebrows.
Sabito laughed breathlessly as Giyuu flushed harder and they all finally left, teasing them with 'Use protection!', 'Kids these days, so eager.' and 'Giyuu-San, don't be so bold next time, you'll make us all embarrassed!'
Rui was blissfully unaware of the last innuendos.
Giyuu covered his face as Sabito stroked his hair gently. "If you're confused, I'll tell you what happened to me and you'll tell me what happened to you."
Giyuu nodded slowly. "Okay."
Sabito touched his cheek before he said, "It all started when I found you and told you to go back so I could fight the hand demon——"
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Outside of the door, all of the other demons were asleep, only Rui was awake, seated in a half upright Akaza. He listened to the mumbles and mutterings inside the room as he leaned against Akaza.
All six of them were sleeping in the hallway like a roadblock.
Eventually, he put away the string and cuddled close under Akaza's arms.
He gained another member of family.
With a happy smile, he closed his eyes and well asleep.