Chapter Text
It's been six years since Uta has passed. Six years in which Yoriichi lived in the same house he found his beloved wife brutally murdered. Since then, he's never been the same. He's never been someone to be cheery or social but after Uta's death, he got even more cool and distant towards people. His demon slayer peers hoped it would get better, that the grief and the pain somewhen would fade and Yoriichi would find back to himself one day. But so far, that never happened.
"Maybe you should get married again, Yoriichi."
The burgundy-haired man doesn't reply to his friend's remark but only stares deeper into his teacup.
"What he's trying to say is that we're worried about you, Yoriichi. You're all alone in that house. No one to look after you." another demon slayer quickly adds.
"I am fine. You don't need to worry but I appreciate your concern." Yoriichi stiffly replies.
"For now, but what when you grow old? When your body doesn't work as it used to? We have children to look after us when this happens. But you?" Yoriichi's friend tries to argue.
"We're not saying you should replace Uta. No one could. We're saying you shouldn't live alone. A wife would be the simplest solution to that."
"I am fine," Yoriichi repeats, shifting in his seat. He clearly feels uncomfortable in this conversation. When his friends asked him to join him for a cup of tea, he did not think that this was their intention.
"Look, we know a nice woman who lives a village over from here. You should take a look at her, get to know her."
Yoriichi scrunches his eyebrow. He doesn't like how the other man talks about this woman as if she's a puppy up for sale. "I don't need to get to know anybody.", he argues.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, but here's the thing: y/n lives alone in a cottage in the woods with her six-year-old son. She's a healer who provides the nearby villages and slayers with ointments and other medicines. Her living situation is common knowledge around here and it keeps on happening that men try to bother her in her own home. She is in need of a husband who keeps the unwanted attention away." his other friend explains.
"Also she's like really hot.", the first slayer adds grinning.
"In that case, I'm sure she'll find another man who is willing to help her out.", Yoriichi answers.
"True, but these men have certain expectations in return. Like you, y/n lost her family a while ago. She isn't trying to start a new one, she just wants to live her life in peace. Doesn't that sound familiar to you?" Yoriichi leans back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"It would be a marriage of convenience. You'd keep her peace, she takes care of you in return. And since there's already an heir, you'd both be taken care of in old age.", his friend points out.
"And no need for another child if that's not what you want.", the other man adds. Yoriichi stares into his tea and thinks about what the men said.
"We get you're not convinced about this but you could just meet up with her and see how it goes. What's the harm in one meeting?" Yoriichi takes his cup and finishes his tea in one gulp.
"One meeting and after that I don't want to hear anything about this anymore.", he concludes.
*~*~*~*~*
They've set up the meeting at her house. On a sunny spring day, one of the slayers takes him to the cottage in the woods. The cottage lies about half an hour on foot from the nearby village. Very far off for a woman living alone, Yoriichi thinks. The cottage is not like he expected it to look. He expected a Japanese-style wooden house with slide doors. But the house looks like anything he's ever seen before. Western style, he assumes.
They are a few feet away from the house when its door suddenly opens. A young woman leaves the house. She wears a traditional kimono but doesn't wear any shoes. Her hair is also not in an updo as most women wear it but it falls loosely around her head. As they walk up to her, Yoriichi feels uncomfortably under her watchful gaze.
"(Y/n), it's good to see you. Thank you for inviting us. This is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the man I've told you about.", his fellow demon slayer greets the woman.
Yoriichi bows politely to the woman in front of him. Her unreadable facial expression doesn't change but she bows too and says: "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've prepared tea for us."
(Y/n) leads the two slayers into her home where she set up a table with tea and some biscuits. Yoriichi looks around her home as they sit down. The main room of the cottage includes a kitchen and a table. There are multiple shelves on the wall that are filled with different-sized bottles which include colorful liquids and dried herbs. A cord is strung across the room to which bundles of different plants are attached to. Probably to dry them before she works them into her medicine, Yoriichi thinks.
(Y/n) notices his glance and explains: "I grow these herbs in my garden in the back.".
"They smell nice.", Yoriichi notes. At that, (y/n) smiles softly for the first time since they've arrived.
*~*~*~*~*
"So, what do you think of (y/n), Yoriichi?" his friend asks. Yoriichi stares at the path in front of him.
"She's not unpleasant.", he concludes.
"Well, I hoped for better feedback but I suppose it's a start. Do you want to meet her again?", his friend laughs.
Yoriichi hesitates for a moment.
"I don't know yet.", he tells them and his friend nods.
"You don't have to know yet but I am glad you're giving this a chance.", he tells Yoriichi. They continue their way home in silence.
*~*~*~*~*
It's been a long night. The demons he hunted weren't hard to deal with but it was a long walk back home. Yoriichi enters his home which lies in dead silence. For a moment he stands in the doorway listening for movement inside the house. He doesn't hear anything. For the first time in a long while, he's not sure if that is a good thing. He walks into his bedroom and leans his sword against the wall. He prepares to go to sleep but once he's inside his futon, sleep doesn't want to find him.
His thoughts slip back to his friends and (y/n). (Y/n) is a kind woman, he concludes. During their tea, his friend led most of their conversation. (Y/n) answered all questions, even asked some of her own but never tried to push the conversation further. While his friend talked a lot about marriage, (y/n) not once used the word herself. Taking it slow, Yoriichi thinks and turns to his side. The pale moonlight falls onto his sword.
She is looking for a man who can protect her, he thinks. I've failed to protect Uta. How could I possibly protect her? It's best to point this out to her before she actually sees me as a potential marriage candidate. This was his last thought before he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
*~*~*~*~*
The path to (y/n)'s cottage is small and overgrown with weeds but Yoriichi unmistakenly recognizes it. Walking the path alone without his friends has something peaceful. He's so far out from civilization, the only noises he hears are some songbirds and the rustling of leaves in the soft spring breeze. Soon, a sweet, heavy smell fills the air indicating that the cottage is close. (Y/n) must be baking bread, Yoriichi thinks. He steps onto the meadow on which (y/n)'s cottage stands. A young boy with bright blond hair stands in front of the cottage with a ball in his hand. This must be her son, Yoriichi notes to himself. Last time, (y/n) was alone in the cottage. She sent her son off to play with the boys from the village. The boy watches Yoriichi closely as he makes his way to the cottage. The boy must come after his father, Yoriichi thinks. He shares no facial features with his mother at all.
"Hello, boy. Is your mother around? I need to speak with her.", Yoriichi calls out to the boy. The boy only looks up to him with big, round eyes. Yoriichi notices how he grips his ball just a little bit tighter. Yoriichi shifts uncomfortably on his feet.
"Is she inside? It smells like she's baking bread.", the burgundy-haired man asks again, his eyes fixed on the boy.
"This is (y/s/n). He doesn't speak.", he hears (y/n) say. He looks up and sees the woman standing in the door frame to her cottage.
"I see.", Yoriichi says. "I've come to speak with you. Is that alright with you?", he asks her.
"Of course. Please, come in.", (y/n) says giving him a small smile. (Y/n) leads him inside and points towards the table they sat at last time.
"Sit. I make tea for us." Yoriichi nods and takes a seat. The boy followed them inside but he hides behind the doorframe to the living area. (Y/n) starts making tea and silence falls over the three of them. Yoriichi isn't sure whether it's a comfortable or uncomfortable silence. He feels awkward about what he has to say.
"Would you like some bread with jam? The bread is fresh out of the oven.", (y/n) asks. Yoriichi looks up and meets her gaze as she is turned to him with her upper body. "Sure, it already smells great.", he says. Suddenly the boy enters the room and hugs his mother's legs. "Do you also want some jam, (y/s/n)?", she asks him. The boy nods. (Y/n) strokes over the boy's head and the boy smiles, hugging her legs tighter. When he lets go of her, (y/n) walks back to the table with a tray.
"Please, help yourself.", she says. The boy still stands awkwardly in the kitchen. She turns around and says: "You don't want to sit with us? That's alright. You can take your bread outside if you want to." The boy nods and walks to the table. (Y/n) hands him a piece of bread and he leaves through the backdoor.
"So, you've come to talk to me?", (y/n) attempts to start a conversation with the man in front of her. Yoriichi shifts awkwardly in his seat. "Yes," he begins, "I assume you're aware that my friends introduced me to you for a reason."
"Of course," she answers, "After all, I asked him if he knows any kind men who are looking for a wife." Yoriichi nods. "Well, I am sorry to disappoint but I am not really looking for a wife." (Y/n) leans back into her seat. "So he told me. But I am sure he also told you I am not looking for a real husband either.", she tells him.
"Yes," Yoriichi replies, "he explained your situation. However, I am not sure if I am fit for what you're looking for. I can't protect you."
There's a sharp spark in (y/n)'s eyes. "I'm not sure I can follow." (y/n) says. "I've never said I wanted a husband for protection. I simply need a man in my household. In today's world, a woman living alone apparently is an open invitation for some people. A man simply living with her is enough to keep the unwanted company away."
Yoriichi nods staring at the bread in front of him. It looks delicious. (Y/n) sighs. "My fiancée passed seven years ago, together with my sisters. At the end, I was only able to protect myself. I guess, I don't really need anyone's protection when it comes to a physical fight. So don't worry about this.", (y/n) concludes.
"If we were to wed," Yoriichi tries to argue, "It would still be my responsibility to protect you." (Y/n) looks at him. "This wouldn't be a normal marriage, so normal rules and expectations wouldn't apply. When you can't fulfill your duty to protect me, I don't have to fulfill other wifely duties. It'd be fair and there are things I don't want to do with you anyway." Yoriichi gets what she's hinting at. "I wouldn't have asked that of you anyways," he points out, "I am not looking for someone to replace my deceased wife." He feels slightly insulted by her implications. (Y/n) nods. "Apologies. I didn't mean to assume things but it was important to me to get this out of the way first.", she explains. "Also, I don't want to replace my fiancée as well", she adds quickly.
"So what you're looking for is...", Yoriichi pauses. "... is a simple arrangement. But your friend surely told you about this. It's not a secret I am simply looking for a marriage out of convenience." she ends his sentence. Yoriichi nods again but remains silent. (Y/n) sighs once again. "If this doesn't work for you, I take no offense. It's why we met up before making a decision.", she softly says.
Yorrichi remains silent for another minute. "Where would we live?", he asks her. "I would prefer to stay here but I am ready to accommodate." He's glad she says this. He wouldn't want her to sleep where Uta has slept. And maybe, he's tired of looking at the spot where Uta has died.
"What about (y/s/n)?", he asks further. "You're welcome to take part in his life but you don't have any responsibilities. I only expect you to show him respect and kindness.", she answers. He nods again. "You would continue your work as a healer?" "Yes, and you can come and go as your work requires you to.", she replies. "And you take care of the household?", he asks. "Yes, I will. I might need some help when it comes to repairs around the house or heavy lifting." "That's alright. I can help with anything you need. What else?", he continues. "Money.", she answers, "By law, after the marriage everything that's mine is yours and the other way around. Do you want to keep it like this or do you want to keep it separate?" Yoriichi shrugs and says: "It would make sense to put everything into one pot when it comes to bigger repairs or purchases. But I'm fine with both." (Y/n) nods. "I agree, as long as we both get a say in where we spend money. I don't want a man who wants to have financial control over the household." Yoriichi straightens in his seat a bit. He gets where this is coming from. It's not easy being a woman these days. "Don't worry. With your business, you probably understand more about money things than me. I'd even be okay with you having control over things.", he concludes. (Y/n) looks content. "So, we have a deal?", she asks. Yoriichi ponders the question for a moment before answering.
"Yes, we have a deal."