Chapter Text

Prologue:

“Tasty! … Tasty! … Tasty! … TASTY!!”

As Tengen neared the Butterfly Mansion, that’s all he could hear; the enthusiastic and proud “Tasty” repeatedly coming from his Best Buddy who was happily eating breakfast. 

It was roughly noon and the Sound Hashira had just gotten up when he received a message via Rengoku’s crow, asking whether or not he wanted to join Rengoku for a meal by Shinobu’s mansion. He agreed --of course-- and happily made his way there, where he found his buddy happily munching on some sort of sweet potato dish, with plenty of food in front of him on a pretty garden table.

Rengoku was sitting in a beautiful garden full of butterflies and flowers, facing away from the mansion itself and enjoying the scenery around him as he ate. After a little while of sitting and waiting, the Flame Hashira felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked over at who had touched him, and his smile brightened.

“Uzui!” He exclaimed with joy. “Thank you for meeting with me!”

“Anything for you, Best Buddy. Why so early, though?” Uzui replied with a yawn, then sat down on the opposite end of the table.

“I was informed that there is a mission I must go on in a couple hours, and I was wondering if you would like to join me!” Rengoku said with enthusiasm, then moved a plate of food closer to his buddy as if he wanted him to join in.

“Well..” Uzui thought for a moment as he picked up some chopsticks and began eating as well. “Do I have to.?” He eventually questioned, sounding a bit awkward.

Rengoku shook his head with a smile. “No, not at all! The Master has not ordered you to do this. I was simply asking for old times’ sake. …. Tasty! ”

“Honestly, if it were up to me, I would, but .. tonight is my wedding anniversary with Suma. If I miss it or forget about it, her and the others will kill me, and you know that.” Tengen explained, then waved his chopsticks around dramatically as he finished off some rice in his mouth. “Listen, whatever this mission is, I know you can handle it. Other than Himejima, you’re the strongest person here. You’ve got this.” He added on, then gave his buddy a big smile.

Rengoku hummed with amusement at the compliment and briefly pointed a chopstick at Uzui. “I wasn’t particularly worried about that. I simply wanted my friend to come along; but I understand fully that Suma would murder you if you didn’t give her attention on your anniversary, so I do not mind going alone. Plus, I won’t be completely alone! I have that kid with the demon girl joining me.” 

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“I am positive! If the roles were reversed and I was wanting to spend time with my non-existent wife, you would do the same for me!” Rengoku explained happily, then took another bite of his food. “Tasty!”

“Alright, well.. I can at least be with you while we enjoy the food you brought.”

“TASTY!”

“ Tasty!”

As the day passed on, Rengoku left for his mission and Uzui went home to set up everything for the perfect date night. He cleaned his home, set up flowers, prepared to make food, and made sure to clean the bed and make the pillows all fluffy.

As night fell, the Flame Hashira boarded the Mugen Train, meeting the young Demon Slayers who were meant to accompany him; meanwhile Tengen brought his wives home and immediately began to spoil them.

…

As Midnight came upon them, the Sound Hashira feasted with his wives, making sure that Suma was served the best of the best. He and the others made sure to give her all the attention as well.

The Mugen Train had come alive and all the passengers were under threat of being eaten, all while the Demon Slayers fought their way to the front of the train, aiming to sever the demon train’s head. Rengoku protected the passengers of the rear five cars, and Zenitsu protected the others as Tanjiro and Inosuke fought the main threat.

A few more hours had passed.. Uzui lovingly kissed and caressed his wives’ necks and breasts, letting out soft and quiet moans as they all subconsciously fought for his attention; groping and kissing every little soft spot in return for his gestures. His heart melted as he heard Suma whine, slowly lowering herself onto him. He let out a breath of longing and hummed as he kissed her passionately..

Within the dark of the night, the train had crashed. Zenitsu and Inosuke rushed to help the passengers, meanwhile Tanjiro lay on the ground, trying desperately to control his breathing. Rengoku stood by, guiding him through the process, but when all was said and done, the air shifted and another demon had appeared.. one with a number 3 in his eye. Rengoku readied himself for battle, but would remain unprepared for what was to come.

Another hour went by; Tengen and his wives had laid contently together in the warm refreshing waters of a bath, and were now on their way to bed.. but the sound of a crow stopped them. It had landed on Uzui’s windowsill and begun to squawk at him loudly, but it wasn’t his crow, it was Kyojuro’s. “Uzui! Uzui! The Flame Hashira needs your aid! Kyojuro needs your aid!” Uzui’s eyes widened and his heart sank to the floor..

…

Blood dripped from Rengoku’s eye onto the ground as he began to pant with exhaustion. He stood still, but the cold metal of his blade rattled quietly as his hands began to gently tremble. The Demon “Akaza” stood opposite of him, staring at him with disappointment.

“Don’t tell me it’s over. I won’t have you die on me, Kyojuro .” Akaza said coldly, watching as Rengoku closed his good eye and attempted to catch his breath, despite his damaged lung. 

Silence plagued the air as the two forces stood; however, the younger slayers couldn't easily tell what was happening. Were they at a standstill?

A moment or so went by before the demon began to taunt Kyojuro, “Don’t you see that fighting in that frail human body will never compare to mine? Those impressive attacks you’ve inflicted on me have already healed completely. You , however.. your wounds are practically irreparable. If you were a demon, you’d heal in the blink of an eye, and those wounds would be mere scratches. In the end, a human can never surpass a demon.” but even after all his ramblings, the Hashira never replied. 

Another wave of silence overtook them, and Rengoku finally looked at Akaza with acceptance within his eye. The demon began to smile, but it quickly fell to shock as the Hashira clenched his sword and steadied his breaths. 

The look wasn’t referring to the offer, but to his fate.. He was prepared to take the demon down with him as he stanced himself for one final attack.

…

Uzui had thrown on his clothes and abandoned his wives, running as fast as he could while following his Best Buddy’s crow. He didn’t know what to think, but he couldn’t help but feel a rising level of panic in his heart. 

“I should’ve gone with him! I should've gone with him!” He repeated in his mind, pushing himself to run faster than he ever had before.

…

Finally.. at daybreak.. He could see the train.

Chapter One:

A Dying Flame

The smell of smoke and blood filled the chilly spring air as the morning dawned; the sun rising over the horizon. The derailed Mugen Train laid destroyed by its tracks and hundreds of injured passengers all stood by, asking themselves “What happened??” while searching for their loved ones among the wreckage. In a nearby field sat the Flame Hashira, injured beyond repair with three other Demon Slayers, crying and mourning his defeat.

“MISTER RENGOKU IS THE TRUE VICTOR!!” A certain red-headed boy screamed into the woods, letting out his frustrations as the Upper Rank Demon fled the scene, running away like a coward.

…

“Don’t work yourself up like that. You would reopen your wound, and that would be very bad.” Rengoku said softly to the boy as he watched him sob, kneeling to the ground in defeat with the sounds of his loud cries filling the air. Rengoku’s body began to tremble from pain, although he kept his smile, even if it was a tired one. “You dying, Young Kamado, would truly spell my defeat..” With that, Kamado finally looked back at the Hashira and decided to approach him, despair still deep within his quieting cries.

Footsteps could be heard in the distance, and they were approaching with great speed. It couldn’t be a Demon, due to the sunlight now shining all around; this fact was comforting to the slayers, but they were still confused by what could possibly be running at them so ferociously.

 The sound of the steps slowed their pace as a crow and a certain flashy man came into view from behind a nearby tree-line. He had his cleavers drawn and a wary look on his face. As he came further into view, he looked around at the carnage and eventually faced the upset slayers. He saw the boys all looking frightened and worried, and he noticed his Best Buddy sitting. The angle at which he saw the Hashira was from the back and a little to the side. His immediate assumption was that his Buddy was simply tired, and he began to approach him. 

“Hey, Rengoku.! You alright over there?” Tengen questioned with concern as he began to slowly approach, wanting to get information. “What the hell happened?” He added, trying to sound as calm as possible despite his inner panic.

The Flame Hashira had been struggling to keep his eye open, and was clearly fighting his agony. He hadn’t even noticed his Best Buddy’s arrival until he spoke. He let out a quiet huff before turning just enough to look back at his Best Buddy with a weary expression, a quiet wince escaping his bloody lips. 

Uzui’s eyes widened and his heart fell to the ground upon seeing his friend. He froze.. And it seemed as if, with a single look, he instantly understood what was happening.. 

Rengoku.. was dying..

Tengen’s eyes portrayed a look of horror and guilt as he dropped his cleavers and sprinted to his Buddy, practically shoving Tanjiro out of the way as he went to the Hashira’s front.

“Kyojuro!” He called out as he sat down, then pulled Rengoku in for a hug after getting close enough. 

Despite his attempt at being gentle, the embrace still forced a quiet and pained wince to escape Rengoku’s throat, followed by some discomforted breaths.

Rengoku rested his chin on his buddy’s shoulder and leaned his head against Tengen’s, slowly bringing up his shaky arms to loosely hug him in return. “Uzui.. Why are you...?” Rengoku muttered, his voice trailing off a bit.

“Your crow led me here.. It said you needed help.. but I guess I was too late..” Tengen replied in a soft and sorrowful tone, then nuzzled the side of Rengoku’s head. “H-How did this happen.? Just a day or two ago we were sparring and joking around.. What happened…?” He muttered, sounding genuinely upset and almost frightened.

“I fought an Upper Rank Demon.. by.. myself..” Rengoku explained quietly, then gripped the back of Uzui’s shirt in his shaky hands.

“By yourself?” Uzui repeated, sounding baffled before he turned to look at Kamado and the others. “WHY DIDN’T YOU HELP HIM?!” He shouted, sounding angry while holding his Buddy tighter. “What were you all doing while my Best Buddy fought for his life?! For ALL of your lives! Wh--”

“Uzui..”Kyojuro interrupted, then let out a shaky breath. He had seen how those words affected the boys, and all they could do was helplessly cry. “This isn’t their fault.. Do not blame them..”

“Why didn’t I just come with you…? You.. asked me to.. Why didn’t I..?” Tengen muttered to himself as he buried his face into the crook of Rengoku’s neck. 

He could hear it.. Rengoku’s heart was slowing.. his breaths were weakened and strained; likely partially because of a collapsed or punctured lung. His voice sounded so firm, yet so weary underneath. Uzui never could've imagined that one single decision.. a decision to not go on a seemingly simple mission.. would seal his Best Buddy’s fate.

They were so happy the day prior.. They were having so much fun talking.. Everything was normal.. Why did it have to change so suddenly?

…  

As Uzui sat and grieved silently, Rengoku let out a huff and glanced around the battlefield. He noticed Zenitsu and Inosuke standing around, looking shocked, sad, and frightened, so he spoke to them as well. 

“Come here, lads.. Let us speak, one last time.” 

“Best Buddy, please don’t say that.. You’re going to be alright.! I promise!” Uzui shouted sorrowfully into Rengoku’s ear, tears forming in his eyes that were already threatening to escape him. 

Rengoku moved his head away slightly as his buddy shouted, but didn’t lean away fully. “Uzui..” Instead, he briefly nuzzled Tengen’s neck. “Just listen to me, please..” He requested softly, desperation seeping into his mostly calm and tired voice.

“Okay..” Tengen replied reluctantly, gripping his buddy’s cape slightly tighter out of worry. “What a way to reunite..” He muttered to himself.

“Mr. Rengoku, can’t you heal with some sort of breathing technique?” Tanjiro asked sadly as he sat up and repositioned to sit next to Uzui, despite being upset by what he had previously said to him.

“No... Very soon.. I’ll be dead. But before that happens, I need you to hear me out...” Rengoku replied, then held onto Tengen a bit tighter. “Senjuro; please tell him to follow his heart, and walk down the path he feels is right… And tell my father.. that I want him to look after himself..”

“Kyojuro..” Uzui muttered to himself sounding upset, meanwhile the boys all finally began to realize the severity of the situation and their sobs intensified. 

Inosuke couldn’t help but tremble, Zenitsu silently sobbed, and Tanjiro looked almost the same as when his family had been killed. Rengoku’s eyelids seemed to flutter with every breath he took, revealing just how hard he was fighting to stay awake. 

“And lastly, It’s about your sister, Young Kamado..” He continued to say, but couldn’t help flinching and letting out a pained breath as the severed arm within his pierced stomach began to burn away into nothing. 

As Rengoku continued his speech, Tengen could feel that something had happened to him and carefully leaned away; letting Rengoku’s shaking arms slip to the ground as he was sat up to sit on his own. Tengen saw the large gaping hole in Kyojuro’s belly and a couple tears finally began to escape him as he looked back at the boys. 

“Someone give me your haori.” He requested, though it was kinda quiet, not wanting to interrupt his buddy. He also held out his hand for someone to do as he asked. 

The boys didn’t really seem to listen nor hear him, so he sighed and looked at Rengoku again. “Sorry, Best Buddy..” He muttered, then carefully took Rengoku’s cape off of him and bundled it up into a ball. He then placed it on the large wound, hoping to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t really doing much. 

Rengoku understood what Uzui was trying to do, and saw his growing distress. This led him to putting his hand on the bunched up cape and lightly pressing it to the wound, although he didn’t have much strength. He winced quietly as he did this but continued speaking anyway. Tengen took this as his opportunity to let go of the fabric and circle around to Rengoku’s back. He did practically the same thing, quietly demanding for a haori again, although this time, Zenitsu gave up his, and let Uzui have it. He did as before and bundled it into a ball and pressed it against the opening. 

He wasn’t by any means convinced that this would work, but he felt as if he had to try. 

He then quietly called Zenitsu over and made him hold his haori to the wound instead as he went back to Rengoku’s front and continued holding his cape for him, so he could rest his shaky and tired arm.

“If you are feeling disheartened.. that you are somehow not enough.. Set your heart ablaze. Dry your eyes and look ahead.. You may feel like digging your heels in, but the flow of time waits for no one. It won’t patiently stand by as you grieve... Don’t feel bad that I’m going to die… As a Hashira, It’s natural that I protect you all… The young buds must all be able to bloom.. any other Hashira would’ve done the same as I…” As Rengoku spoke, his voice was reassuring and firm, yet also so frail and pained. He kept his smile through it all, but it became increasingly more and more obvious that he was struggling to hide his anguish. His body began to tremble more and he began to slouch forward. He let out a pained huff and gently took hold of Tengen’s hands after attempting to clutch his wound, even though his buddy’s hands were still trying to prevent him from bleeding. 

“Young Kamado.. Young Boar.. Boy of Yellow.. Y-You must continue to grow.. and eventually.. you will lend your aid by becoming the next Hashiras. I believe.. in each.. and every.. one of you…” His voice began to trail off a bit, and his eyes finally began to close as he weakened, but he forced himself awake one last time, so he could lean forward and hug Tengen once more. 

As most of his weight pressed onto his buddy, and as his weak arms embraced him, Uzui did his best to keep hold of the cape with one hand and embrace his friend with the other, his tears intensifying. As he held Rengoku, he expected nothing more than for him to die right then and there, but he heard him speak up again. 

“Tengen Uzui..” Rengoku spoke quietly, then used what little strength he had left to reposition himself, now side sitting and bringing himself as close as possible to Tengen. He sat somewhat between his legs and continued to rest his weary head on his shoulder with his arms wrapped weakly around him. “Tengen, you.. you’ve been a wonderful Best Buddy… You were pretty much always.. b-by my side when I needed you, even if you didn’t really know th..that I needed you... You always helped me, even at my lowest... I hope.. I’ve been able.. to do the same..”

“Kyojuro, enough, please. You know that’s not true.. I-I wasn’t here for you this time! J-just save your breath and h-hang on to me.” Tengen replied sadly through his tears that were beginning to intensify with each and every word his Best Buddy spoke.

“L-Listen.. Please, Tengen.. It is.. al..right. I p..promise…” Rengoku mumbled as his eyes began to close once again. “Best Buddy… I.. love you…. Thank.. you…. for… . . .” 

And with that, his consciousness finally left him, despite it seeming as if he had more to say.

Tengen couldn’t help but whimper quietly in return as he gently began to nudge and shake the Flame Hashira, hoping he would wake up, but nothing happened. “I love you too, Best Buddy..” He cried quietly as he felt his buddy’s arms slip away. “I’m sorry, Kyojuro..” He added on, repositioning Rengoku’s head to be at his chest, and trying his best to hold Zenitsu’s haori at his back using his leg. Uzui carefully held onto Rengoku’s head, feeling his wet --almost sticky-- bloody, hair weaving between his fingers. He held his Buddy as close as possible and nuzzled the top of his head with sorrowful sobs dampening his head even further. “I’m sorry.. I’m sorry, Kyojuro- I’m so sorry.!” Uzui cried, probably harder than he ever had in front of anyone before.. He felt so horrible.. It felt as if it were all his fault.. He should’ve gone with him like he asked..

“Please.. Please, if there’s a God.. let my Best Buddy live.! Please.. Please, God.. H-He didn’t deserve this..!” With every word, Uzui’s sobs became sadder, and his guilt kept growing and growing and growing.. If only.. If only he had agreed, none of this would’ve happened..

Rengoku.. the man Uzui loved and cared about as his best friend, a brother --perhaps something else-- died because of him.

Uzui was usually a very nonchalant man, brushing off tragedy like it was almost nothing. But this.. this was different.. this was so so different.. and he couldn’t properly express why. All he could do was cry and let out his pain. Pain from this moment, and pain from past experiences. He let it all out at once and sat there crying with the others until the Kakushis arrived to take Rengoku away.

Upon arrival, the Kakushis took Rengoku’s unconscious body from Tengen and examined it thoroughly. The other Demon Slayers were heartbroken still by his death as well.. Uzui at least was trying to calm back down as they examined him, but just as he finally managed to calm his breaths, the Kakushis discovered something..

 “He’s still alive!” One of them shouted, feeling a very faint pulse coming from the Flame Hashira’s neck and chest. “Hurry, get him to Ms. Shinobu, NOW!”

And after that, everyone was sent back to the Butterfly Mansion for medical evaluation, where they did their absolute very best to save Mr. Rengoku and help the others…

Chapter Text

Chapter Two:

Recovery

A little over three months had passed since the incident with the train. Rengoku laid unconscious within the Butterfly Mansion for all that time, still breathing, his heart still beating, he just wouldn’t wake up. Shinobu had done her best to patch up what injuries he had sustained, but a few things within him were just irreparable . She suspected that his injuries, paired with the horrendous amount of blood he had previously lost, were the causes of his long slumber. It was difficult to keep him alive as he slept, but his friends were determined to keep him alive and were all anxiously waiting to see him wake up again. 

Tengen had been in Rengoku’s recovery room all throughout the day. He stayed there and spoke sweet nothings at him while playing with his fluffy hair, just hoping that he would wake up soon. He was currently returning to Rengoku’s room after having previously left to get some lunch, when he saw something odd. He had just entered his recovery room and was standing in the doorway, when he noticed that his buddy’s head was turned partially to the side, facing away from him. He hadn’t done this and the Flame Hashira hadn’t really moved much at all ever since he arrived, so Tengen found it peculiar. He approached soon after realizing, then decided to gently move a few strands of Kyojuro’s hair out of the way of his bandaged eye. After doing this, the Flame Hashira slowly turned his weary head to face Uzui. His right eye was open and looked as sleepy as it could possibly look. He smiled tiredly after looking at his Best Buddy, and he even tried to lift his arms for a hug. 

“Rengoku!” Tengen nearly shouted with joy before instantly hugging the other. “You’re finally awake! Thank God! How are you feeling?” He added on excitedly, pulling away from the hug so he could look down at him properly.

“Exhausted..” Rengoku replied, his smile becoming wider despite his weary look.

“Well, don’t go back to sleep now . You’ve done enough of that, trust me .”

“How long was I out for.?”

“Almost three and a half months! At one point, Sanemi considered just killing you to put you out of your misery, but the rest of us stopped him. I’m so fucking glad we did! Look at you, you’re finally awake!”

Rengoku let out an amused exhale at his Buddy’s response and decided to rest his weakened arms on his belly. Thankfully, the wound was healed enough for him to touch it, but it still ached ever so slightly. “What happened to the young lads we were with?” He asked quietly after a moment or so.

“Oh yeah, them. They’re fine now. They’ve even been going on missions. They’re gonna be so excited to see you; they won’t shut up about you sometimes.” Tengen then leaned close to Rengoku and gave his forehead a light peck, smiling brightly afterwards.”I know I’m excited to see you!”

Rengoku rolled his eye playfully in response to the gesture, letting out an amused huff. “Save your kisses for your wives, Uzui. They will appreciate them much much more.” 

“Aw, c’mon! You deserve kisses too.”

“I appreciate them as well, but my point still stands.” Rengoku replied before attempting to sit up, but he only really managed to lift his head and shoulders a few inches off of the bed before a sharp agonizing pain shot through his body. He winced somewhat loudly and instantly laid back down, letting out a pained and shaky breath.

“Hey! Don’t strain yourself, Buddy. You still have to rest..” Tengen urged, his smile fading slightly.

“Ah-- I can feel that now.” Rengoku replied, pain still lacing his tone as he attempted to get comfortable again.

“Are you alright?”

“I am fine, I just was not expecting it to hit me all at once.”

“Should I get Shinobu?”

“Most likely. I did just come out of a coma. A doctor should probably check on me either way.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back, Best Buddy.” With a reassuring smile, Tengen patted his Buddy’s head and left the room in search of Shinobu. Rengoku simply let out a huff and closed his eye. He was still very tired, and with the pain he now felt, he wanted to sleep even more. He nearly dozed off while waiting, but the sound of the door opening again woke him up and made him look over towards whoever had entered. He smiled sleepily as he laid eyes on Shinobu and Tengen, but he kept his gaze on Shinobu. 

“Good evening, Rengoku.” Shinobu greeted, receiving a tired hum in return, followed by the classic “Hello.” except much quieter than usual. “How are you feeling?” The Insect Hashira asked, grabbing a stethoscope off of a nearby table as she approached Rengoku.

“I felt fine until I tried to sit up. After I attempted that, everything started aching really bad..” Rengoku explained while sounding a bit groggy, exhausted, and uncomfortable. 

“Well, you may have to sit up anyway. Do you want Uzui to help you?” Shinobu asked in return.

Rengoku nodded before glancing at Tengen who immediately did as told and carefully lifted his buddy’s head and torso to where he could sit up properly. Once he was up, Rengoku felt fine to stay like that on his own, so Tengen let go of him and instead sat on the edge of the bed, curiously watching Shinobu do her inspection. 

“Alright, lets start out with the normal things first.” Shinobu said as she put on her stethoscope and began listening to Rengoku’s heart.

“If you wanna know how his heart sounds, you can ask me. I can hear it from here.” Tengen commented, repositioning slightly as if he were bored. “He sounds fine to me.”

“Are you a medical professional, Uzui?” Shinobu replied sarcastically.

“No, but--”

“Then hush , and let me do what I need to do.”

Rengoku smiled and let out an amused exhale at their banter, doing his best to stay calm so her tests could be done properly. 

As the simple checkup tests went on, Rengoku seemed fine throughout all of it, and with that, they moved on to the real issues.

“So, Rengoku..” Shinobu started to say as she carefully removed the bandages from Rengouk’s face. “You lost a few things during your last fight. One of which was your eye.” She then began gently poking around his left eye examining it intently.

“Ah, well.. I’m sure I can get used to it. It doesn’t hurt me in the slightest.” Rengoku replied optimistically, looking at Shinobu curiously. “I can’t even feel whatever you’re doing, so I think I’ll be alright.”

“I think your eye is as healed as it’s going to get, but be careful and try not to poke it too hard in any way, alright?”

“Understood.”

“Now, the real problem area is right here.” The Insect Hashira explained, carefully placing her hand on Rengoku’s stomach area and lightly pressing in multiple places. “Tell me if any of this hurts, okay?”

Rengoku hummed as confirmation and felt normal and unaffected by her touches. He could feel them this time, but no pain was present.. at least, not until she pressed the wound Akaza’s arm had given him. He grunted quietly and grabbed Shinobu’s hand, making her stop. 

“It certainly hurts there.” He winced.

“That’s where you were impaled, so I’m not surprised. It was difficult to close that wound, and because of that, it’s probably going to hurt for a long time.” Shinobu explained, then moved her hand to his right side and pressed there. “No aches or pains here?”

“Not at all. I can feel you touching me, it just doesn’t hurt. Should it?”

“No, I’m just making sure it all healed correctly. You had a few broken ribs and I had to remove one at the bottom of your rib cage, but it shouldn’t affect you in the long run. It was so badly shattered that there was no fixing it. You may look a bit strange under your shirt now, but that’s about all that did to you.”

“ Ah , I see..” Rengoku replied, sounding a bit awkward and as if he didn’t truly know how to respond to that information. He also couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like. He didn’t think for a second that he looked completely deformed and mutilated, but curiosity and his imagination weren’t really on his side at the moment.

“Speaking of under your shirt , now I have to make sure your surgical wounds aren’t infected in any way.” 

Shinobu unbuttoned his shirt and carefully removed it, followed by his bandages. Tengen couldn’t help but look away during this, knowing that the sight of his buddy's wounds would only make him sad. Uzui doing this caused Rengoku to look down at himself and form a look of both shock and disgust. His wound was scarred and stitched and overall an unsettling sight. Paired with the disgusting wound, Rengoku’s body had slimmed down quite a bit and it was surprising to say the least how skinny he had become. Shinobu checked the exit wound on Rengoku’s back first, followed by his ribs and the main stomach wound. They looked fine, but probably needed to be cleaned anyway. 

“Uzui, make yourself useful for once and go get some warm water and a couple rags.”

Tengen simply rolled his eyes and got up, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll be back, Best Buddy.” then left to get the requested items. 

“Rengoku, the final thing you lost was your stomach.. and with that, you've lost a lot of weight too. It's not enough to be too concerned, but if you had lost much more, it would be. From what I can tell, you’ve lost roughly fifty pounds; give or take.” Shinobu explained after Uzui had vanished. 

The Flame Hashira gave her a confused and shocked look, his eye being a bit wide. This reaction in turn made her decide to explain.

“The angle at which that demon had impaled you made it to where your stomach was instantly destroyed, a few other organs were punctured, but your spine remained untouched. Just a hair to the left and you would be paralyzed. It’s a miracle that you survived that at all..”

“A-am I going to be able to live normally like that?” Rengoku questioned, sounding worried. 

“You’ll certainly have to make some adjustments, and I’m not positive that you’ll ever be able to fight again, but as long as you don’t strain yourself too much for a while, you’ll survive just fine.”

Rengoku felt his heart pang upon hearing her words, and it seemed that a certain light within his eye began to dim. “I.. can’t fight anymore.?” 

“Well not until your body heals, regains its muscle, and gets used to the fact that your stomach’s gone; but even then, it’s not a guarantee.”

“Ah..” Rengoku muttered then glanced away from Shinobu, not really wanting to look at her anymore. “Well.. If I do have to retire, can I still help out somehow? I don’t want to completely leave the corps.. I like it here..” He asked in a disappointed tone, feeling genuinely upset at the idea of retiring so young. 

Shinobu put on a soft smile in return before gently cupping Rengoku’s cheek, hoping he would look at her, which he did. “As long as the Master is alright with it, of course you can still help. You could cook for everyone or help brighten an injured person’s day. You could help the younger slayers train by giving them pointers and criticism. You could train your brother to replace you. You could even do something as simple as helping Aoi and the girls with laundry. You wouldn’t have to leave forever just because you can't fight anymore."

As Rengoku listened, his heart felt lighter and happier, and he couldn’t help but smile softly as she finished speaking. He gently took hold of her hand and removed it from his face, and just held onto it briefly as he spoke. “Thank you, Kocho. That was very kind of you to say. I appreciate your reassurance, and I thank you for taking care of me for so long.” He then let go of her hand and watched as she leaned away from him, setting her things down at the foot of the bed.

“I’m just doing my job as a doctor, so don’t thank me for keeping you alive; we all wanted you to live. But you’re welcome for making you feel better. You’re a very sweet guy who’s always making us feel better, so we should return the favor every now and then.”

Rengoku hummed happily then heard the door open, so he looked over and saw Uzui.

“Shinobu, quit flirting with my Best Buddy.” Tengen said, only 75% joking.

“I’m not , first off.” Shinobu replied with annoyance in her tone.

“Then what was that?”

“Am I not allowed to be nice, Uzui?”

“No, you’re always a huge bitch to me .”

“Because you’re annoying and won’t ever shut up about how great you are or how much you love your wives. Rengoku’s nice, so I’m being nice. Simple as that.” Shinobu scolded.

“No, you definitely have a crush on him.” 

“Tengen, If anyone has a crush on Rengoku, it’s you . And no , I don’t.”

Tengen looked away in return, seemingly a bit embarrassed and decided to slightly change the subject. “You’re right, you have a crush on Giyuu.”

“No one likes Giyuu.”

“I like Giyuu..” Rengoku butted in.

“Not like that, Rengoku.” Shinobu replied, sounding sick of everyone’s shit.

“Oh. Oh? ” Rengoku said with confusion.

“ Anyways.. Uzui give me the stuff I asked you for.” Shinobu demanded.

“Alright, fine.” And with that, Tengen gave her the water and towels so she could start gently cleaning Rengoku’s injuries. She began with his eye, and worked her way down.

The warm water and soft touches with the towels were soothing to Rengoku, allowing him to close his good eye and let out a content sigh, sitting merrily yet tiredly. 

As Shinobu continued to tend to the Flame Hashira, Tengen stared at his buddy’s wounds; something he previously didn’t want to do. It was disheartening to see and made Uzui wonder if Rengoku would be alright at all. Sure, he was alive, but if it turned out that he couldn’t eat hardly anything anymore, he may end up dying anyway. The idea of watching his Best Buddy die a second time made his heart pang with sorrow and forced his expression into a sad look. He then decided it would be a better idea to look away from his buddy and take a deep breath to help calm his thoughts. He knew that it was possible to eat without a stomach and Rengoku would probably be fine in the end, but that didn’t stop him from thinking the worst. That’s just what people do.

Uzui sat back and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes towards the nearest window. Shinobu noticed his movements and looked over at him. It was clear to her that he was uncomfortable in some way, but considering everything and not wanting to argue with him more, she didn’t say anything and continued what she was doing. As Tengen sat, watching the window, he saw some crows fly by, one after another, a minute or so in between most of them. He could soon hear faint talking from down the hall, and assumed that the other Hashiras had been informed of Rengoku’s awakening. He let out a sigh and looked over at the door, preparing himself for chaos.

A moment or so went by of Tengen staring at the door before it opened, but just enough for a certain pink haired woman to poke her head through. 

“Hello.!” She greeted with excitement, although she was clearly trying to be quiet. Despite her attempts, Rengoku had heard her and looked over with a smile.

“Hello!” He greeted warmly.

Mitsuri gasped and looked back towards the hall and smiled brightly. “Obi, look! He’s awake!” And with that, Mitsuri opened the door fully and behind it stood Obanai, carrying a small box. He looked happy upon seeing the Flame Hashira and immediately approached his bedside with Mitsuri following. 

“How are you feeling.?” He asked, glancing at all of Rengoku’s wounds.

“I feel fine at the moment, just a little tired and achy.” The Flame Hashira explained, then gave Iguro a pat on the head. “Thank you for worrying about me!”

“Of course..” He muttered in return, seemingly a bit embarrassed.

“Obi and I were just finishing up our lunch when we were informed, and we thought you’d be hungry after being asleep for so long, so we brought you some of our extra food! We hope you like it!!” Mitsuri said enthusiastically, then gestured to the little box Iguro was now holding out for him. 

“Oh! Why, thank you! That’s very thoughtful.” Rengoku replied happily, then took the box and opened it. Inside were some onigiri with extra seaweed set off to the side. Rengoku’s smile only brightened after seeing the food and he immediately took a big bite from one of the onigiri. Tengen looked over at him again out of worry and Shinobu grabbed his arm to get his attention. 

“Hold on, Rengoku--” She started to say, watching as he basically froze with his expression turning to confusion. “Eat slowly, alright? It’s good that you already have an appetite, but take very small bites and eat slowly. If you don’t, you’ll make yourself very sick.. You may feel sick anyway, but it shouldn’t be as bad if you do as I ask, alright?”

Rengoku nodded in return and ate the onigiri a lot slower than before and made sure to chew it more thoroughly. He only ate one, just in case, and had Tengen set the others aside on his end table. “Thank you for the food, you two. It was very tasty.” He said merrily, his smile returning. 

“Sorry you can’t have all of it.. But I’m glad you’re doing better!” Mitsuri replied, then sat down on a nearby chair. 

“I wish you a fast recovery.. Just please, don’t push yourself until then. Alright? Can’t have my brother dying on me.” Iguro added, sitting by Shinobu as he secretly waited for her to leave so he could hug Rengoku. 

Considering how close he had gotten, Shinobu could already tell what he wanted and did her best to wrap up what she was doing without completely rushing. She made sure to dry off Rengoku’s wounds thoroughly and bandaged them back up before finally leaving his side and allowing him to put his shirt back on. He didn’t bother buttoning it though, and settled for having his bandaged wounds showing.

After Rengoku had made himself comfortable, Obanai moved closer to him and hugged him gently, but firm enough to keep him in place. Rengoku enjoyed the gesture and returned the embrace, eventually feeling Kaburamaru poke at his face and flick his little tongue on his cheek. Rengoku smiled contently and turned his head to face the snake. He then gave his tiny head a little peck and smiled brightly after Kaburamaru booped him back with his nose. Rengoku let out an amused exhale and rested his chin on Obanai’s head, enjoying every little second that he and his adopted brother were locked in each other’s warm embrace.

The hug lasted a couple minutes, but eventually, Obanai leaned away and glanced at his snake, just to have something to look at. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while..” He commented quietly, just barely loud enough for Rengoku to hear. 

The comment simply made Rengoku smile brighter.

After this, all the other Hashiras came to visit, one by one. They all crowded the room for a while, but Rengoku enjoyed seeing them all. Even Sanemi. 

Shinobu simply acted as the peace keeper, making sure no one overwhelmed Rengoku by any means.

Tengen eventually joined in on the banter and started to enjoy himself.

Sanemi and Obanai mostly kept to themselves but said something every now and then.

Mitsuri happily engaged in and started most of the conversations.

Gyomei went along with the conversations but spoke occasional words of wisdom and hope to the Flame Hashira.

Muichiro curled up next to Rengoku and took a nap.

And last but not least, Giyuu sat with Rengoku and enjoyed listening to the sound of his enthusiastic voice again, even if it was loud.

For a few hours the Hashiras all talked and bonded with one another, but after Rengoku started to show signs of greater fatigue, Shinobu kicked almost everyone out and had them go their separate ways. She tried to kick Uzui out too, but he was far too stubborn. Shinobu understood that --besides Rengoku himself-- Tengen had been impacted the most by what had happened to the Flame Hashira, and allowed him and Rengoku to be alone once more. 

After finally getting Rengoku into a comfortable resting position and putting some water by his bed, Shinobu turned off the lights and left the two Hashiras alone, allowing them some privacy as Rengoku tried to sleep. 

A peaceful silence filled the room for a little while; and nothing else seemed to be interesting to Uzui but the soft gentle sounds of Rengoku’s breaths, and Tengen relished every moment. His breaths sounded so normal, so steady, and yet, it was all the sound Hashira wanted to listen to. He remained in his chair, leaning against the windowsill and propping his head up with his hand. He stared into space, zoning out completely as his mind began to wander. He looked at Rengoku with subtle relief in his small smile, but there was still this underlying guilt within his eyes. He wanted so badly for his Best Buddy to instantly be better now that he had woken up, but he knew that was basically impossible. As he listened intently to Rengoku’s vitals, he was snapped out of his trance by a quiet and very tired question, asked by his Best Buddy who lay there half-asleep.

“How was your anniversary?”

Rengoku’s voice was so soft and tired, he almost sounded out of it, or loopy, but Uzui could tell that it was a genuine question. He hesitated to answer, not really knowing what to say.

“It went well..” He eventually replied, the answer sounding sad and almost empty.

“I’m sorry if I ruined it.” Rengoku mumbled in response, still sounding half-asleep. 

Tengen sighed quietly, then hesitantly reached out to his buddy, pulling his shirt closed and placing his hand on his chest. He didn’t really have a reason, he just wanted to. “It’s alright, Rengoku.. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

The corners of Rengoku’s lips curved into a small smile, followed by him letting out a quiet huff through his nose. “From what I remember, you were there when I needed you. So don’t beat yourself up about this.”

“Well, I wasn’t there when it mattered . You almost died just because I wanted to stay home and be with my wives. Isn’t that a horrible excuse? You asked me to come along, I knew that what you were doing was dangerous.. and I chose pleasure over my duty. Doesn’t that upset you a little bit ?” Uzui asked with a mild sense of frustration in his voice.

Rengoku hesitated to answer, but after a brief moment of silence, he gently took hold of the hand on his chest and spoke. “When you put it like that , it is hard to excuse; at least, as far as corps rules go. But please know that I am not upset with you. It’s my fault as much as it is yours for letting you go. What’s done is done and you cannot change that.” Rengoku spoke softly and sweetly, and he eventually turned his head and opened his good eye, looking at the guilty Sound Hashira. “The best thing you can do now is move on and understand that you cannot change the past by worrying about it. It’s like I said to Young Kamado and his friends.. Time won’t patiently stand by as you grieve.”

Tengen let out a saddened huff and gripped his friend’s hand tighter. “I know that, Rengoku.. but I still need you to know that I’m sorry. I should’ve put my duty first.”

Rengoku let out a soft sigh in response and smiled a little wider, although due to his sleepy state, it looked a little forced. “It is alright, Uzui. I completely forgive you, if that is what you’re asking for. I’m just happy that you were there holding me at the end. I would’ve died comfortably.”

“Rengoku, I could see it, I could hear it; you were in so much pain. There’s no way that would’ve been a peaceful death..”

“There’s a difference between being peaceful and comfortable. I wasn’t dying alone, and I had comfort knowing that. You being by my side was the best thing you could’ve done in that moment, and I’m happy you did it. I love you, Best Buddy, and I thank you for being with me ‘till what we thought was my end.”

After listening to his buddy, Tengen took on a look of slight surprise and he leaned a bit closer as a result, now propping himself up with his arm on some of the pillows. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

Rengoku hummed with curiosity, then tilted his head to better look at Uzui.

“When I thought you were dying, you said ‘Best Buddy, I love you. Thank you for..’ and never finished what you were going to say..”

“Ah, well..” Rengoku started to say, sounding a bit awkward or embarrassed. “If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t even remember telling you that. I remember speaking to Kamado and his friends, then lying down on you, but I don’t remember speaking with you.”

“Ah…” Tengen replied with disappointment.

“But that probably is what I wanted to say. Thank you for being here with me.” 

Tengen nodded in understanding and watched as his buddy began to close his eye and position both of his hands on his belly, allowing them to rest there. 

“You should go back to your wives soon.” Rengoku muttered then let out a quiet yawn. “Watching me sleep can’t be that interesting.”

Tengen let out an amused exhale and began to gently and slowly massage the middle of his buddy’s chest with his fingers as a show of affection. “Yeah, I know. It’s almost time for dinner anyways… I’ll leave once you fall asleep, okay?"

Rengoku nodded and hummed in response as confirmation then repositioned ever so slightly to be more comfortable. “Goodnight, Best Buddy.” He mumbled happily.

“Goodnight, Rengoku.” Tengen replied softly.

As silence overtook the room once more, Uzui continued to gently and slowly massage his Best Buddy’s chest, knowing that he loved physical affection of almost any kind. He sat and did this until Rengoku’s breaths and heart had slowed, signaling to him that he had finally fallen asleep. Uzui stopped what he was doing for a moment or so, and stared at the peaceful expression on his buddy’s face, his own expression displaying a subtle sense of longing and worry. After a few short minutes, Uzui sighed to himself, then gently cupped his buddy’s cheek while pressing his forehead against the top of Rengoku’s head. “Sweet dreams, Kyojuro..” He whispered, then kissed his buddy’s head before finally leaving and going home.