Chapter Text
The photo above is what I imagined he would look like. All credits to the drawing go to the original artist!
-
You never knew what to expect coming into work. Working alongside Kocho-san and other girls of the butterfly mansion, you have seen many different ailments in your time. Especially since you took over while the insect hashira was on missions, you’ve had to solely deal with them yourself.
This included the wide variety of people that waltzed through the butterfly garden. You’ve had silent slayers like Tomioka-san, who showed little signs of pain from injuries on his missions, or loud ones like Shinazugawa-san, who was more annoyed by being forced to slow down from slaying demons.
Your favorite by far was the flame hashira - Rengoku-sama. You couldn’t deny that your initial crush turned into something more as he seemed to come more and more. It was strange as he didn’t seem like the type to come in for small lacerations from missions, completely able to patch himself up or by his younger brother he was extremely fond of.
It was especially since after the first few times being cared for by you, did he barge in and ask for your aide. You obliged as you enjoyed his company, but you couldn’t help but wonder what changed his mind from brushing aside small injuries to showing up for a simple abrasion on his knee.
The other girls would giggle and tease you over his supposed “fondness” of you. You didn’t believe he would be making such excuses just to see you, as it was a waste of time. You were nothing more than a health care worker for the demon slayer corps - easily replaced by someone just as capable as you.
You didn’t have the strength to become a demon slayer. Fear and trauma from the same demons that destroyed your family were enough to keep you on the sidelines, willing to aid those that had the courage to. You were nothing more than a wimp when you looked in the mirror.
Someone as smart as he was could see that. You chopped his visits to him being pestered by the younger Rengoku-san. From how the young boy sounds, you wouldn’t be surprised if the older brother would visit to ease his anxious mind.
It made things easier, as it had become harder and harder to see the boisterous man smile at you recently. The pain in your chest was sometimes unbearable. The last couple of visits, you have cut your small talk short as you would clean him up and tell him you were way too busy to sit for a cup of tea. Blatant lies - but ones you felt you needed to make.
If you could just be there to aid the people that make a difference, then you would full-heartedly. Being around him was the equivalent of apricating at the cusp of dawn, instilling a sense of energy and serenity to those around him. He was the promised glimmer of hope that shined upon the world - one that beamed as he protected humanity from the creatures of the night.
And, it’s your job to keep that smile going… no matter how much it hurt to be a bystander.
You sighed audibly as a result of the melancholic thoughts. Nonetheless, you continued on with your duty. To pull out the IV of a demon slayer lying on the clinic bed, you wiped down the surrounding skin with an alcohol-soaked gauze to weaken the adhesive and gently pulled out the IV. Placing a folded dry gauze over the insertion site, you hummed absentmindedly taping it in place.
“Are you alright, [Last]-san?” Shio-san asked, curling his arm a little. He was a hinoe-ranked slayer that you’ve seen come in here and there. The dark-haired man was a breath of water user, as many were.
“Yes, thank you for asking,” You gave a polite smile, to which he returned eagerly.
“[Last]-san, I-”
“[LAST]-SAN! [LAST]-SAN!”
You both jumped up from the sudden yelling outside the butterfly mansion. It sounded like Kamado Tanjiro, the young demon slayer with the demon sister. Quickly, you threw the used IV in the garbage on the wall along with your gloves. Pouring a tiny bit of the aloe vera-alcohol solution Kocho-san made, you scrambled to the shoji doors leading to the engawa.
“Rengoku-san, wait!”
Your eyes widened as your blood ran cold. It was your worst nightmare. You loathed the day you would wake up to that the man - that bright sun - would be gravely injured, or dead. You prayed he was safe and breathing as you grasped the side and slid the door open roughly.
A ball of fur launched in your face, causing you to stumble onto the floor. You landed on your bottom, screaming into the belly of the furry creature on your face. It jumped down as you clawed at it, squinching your shoulders and heaving. The hair in your nose caused you to sneeze loudly to the side.
Rubbing your nose with your white haori sleeve, you peered up to see an oddly familiar-colored cat beside you. It swished its tail from side to side as it tilted its head at you. You leaned back, glimpsing at the young demon slayer for answers.
“I apologize for him, [Last]-san!” The burgundy-haired boy announced. You noticed he was holding a familiar set of clothing, specifically, the haori folded carefully at the top. It was Rengoku-san’s demon slayer uniform.
Before your mind went to the worst possible scenarios, you remembered he was speaking to the man who captured your heart just moments ago. A furry head rubbed against you, causing you to gaze down at the golden cat.
If you had to make Rengoku-sama into a cat, this would be exactly what you imagined he would look like. It was a brightly colored Maine Coon - sporting a large mane similar to Rengoku-san’s hair. It had the same red hair covering its feet and tips of its mane. The eyes and eyebrows were exactly the same - staring intensely into yours eagerly as it paused its head rubs to rest its head on your arm.
“Is this?-”
“Yup,” The thunder-breathing slayer finished for you, staring blankly at the cat nudging you repeatedly.
“Can I fight him now?!?”
“No!” Kamado-san snapped at Inosuke, seemingly annoyed. If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t the first time he’s asked that question.
As the water-breathing slayer scolded the feral boy behind, Agatsuma-san stepped up to you and explained the situation.
Apparently, they were out on a mission and a mage-like demon casted a transformation spell at him. Before the blood demon art could hit the yellow-haired boy, the hashira jumped in front and took the blow. Before their eyes, he turned into a cat.
“-And Tanjiro quickly killed it and we ran here as fast as we could!” The scared boy yelled out. You knew Kocho-san was on a mission, so you were left with the authority over this.
“May I, Rengoku-sama?”
He perked up at his name and paced a few steps back and forth, allowing you to stare at him before he saw a butterfly and chased after it.
“Though he seems fairly himself, it seems like his cat instincts are tending to override.”
“Yeah, he was like that when we were getting him here…” Agatsuma-san rubbed his shoulder and trailed off, “I’m sorry…I should’ve...”
His low tone made you stand up from the engawa and give him a hug. Even though you were the same age as Rengoku-sama, the three boys in front of you towered over your shorter frame.
After a few moments, you heard a loud “meow”. Rengoku-sama swayed his tail from side to side, looking back and forth at the two of you.
“Thank you, [Last]-chan,” The boy smiled sheepishly.
“No problem, that feeling is never something anyone should drown in alone,” You murmured under your breath with a frown. You knew the feeling all too well. The cat twisted his head in curiosity at your words.
You knew the boy was feeling better once his demeanor changed. It was like many boys that walked through the door. You weren’t blind to the small crushes some of the slayers had on you.
“So ~" A flirtatious grin snuffed any sadness out he had previously as he ogled, "When do you want to- OW! OKAY-OKAY, I’M SORRY!” You jumped back to see Rengoku-san standing between the both of you, hissing at the boy, who was beginning his hundredth marriage proposal to you, with a clawed paw up.
You knelt down and patted the hashira/s head to calm him down, which made him quickly forget about the boy’s existence not even a second later. You gently picked the large cat up, holding him tight against you. You tensed after realizing this was Rengoku-sama you were holding on your chest but continued your ministrations that made him purr loudly.
“I’ll keep him with us until Kochi-san arrives tonight... In the meantime, come in for some tea and lunch. I still have to make my rounds so you will need to watch over him later,” You offered, eyeing the cat that perked up at the mention of food. The two behind the yellow-haired boy stopped arguing, dropping their fists and filing in through the door behind you.
You felt him rumble against you, leaning his large head on your shoulder. He nibbled at your [color] hair, shoving his face in your locks and sniffing with his cute little nose. You felt your cheeks heat, not making eye contact with the triplets of the mansion as you asked them to prepare some lunch.
Time flies and you have just given your last round of medications to your patients for the night. After lunch, the young boys kept their word and watched Rengoku-sama, who seemed to escape them a few times and stalk you silently. You wouldn’t realize he was there until you heard Tanjiro tempting him with a piece of salmon, trying his best to be respectful and not scold the feline as it still was his superior.
You weren’t sure why he was so attached and eager to be near you. He wasn’t particularly like that as a human - so maybe it’s a cat thing? No, he didn’t seem as fond of the boys...
You hit your fist on the palm of your hand as you conjured up an answer. It must be because you’re the first woman he saw after his transformation. Pets tended to prefer humans of the opposite sex, finding ones of the same a threat.
You sauntered in the hallway over to the clinic office to collect your things, mulling over the strange discovery. You had a small house close by - maybe a 15-minute walk from the butterfly mansion. It was on the cusp of the local village, allowing some space from people but close enough to easily buy groceries and not have your feet aching.
This job is enough to make my body sore for days on end...
You reached the room to see Shinobu sharing very few words with her apprentice, settling her bag down, and turning to you with her wisteria-like eyes.
“Good evening, [Last]-chan~” She chimed quietly, mindful of the clinic filled with patients. There were a few brutal attacks a week ago that have left your place filled. Thankfully, you both were able to discharge most slayers with no problem. Only a few that needed some therapy or some more careful observation stayed.
You greeted both of the butterfly women, which you matched. You adorned mint green butterfly pins. As you solely worked at the butterfly mansion as one of two head practitioners, you didn’t need to wear the headpiece. You wanted to style the uniform a little more, matching your spring green belt on the kakushi uniform with the pins in your hair.
“Come, I have something to show you, though-” You gave her a sheepish smile as you picked up your bag, “I don’t know how much you’re going to enjoy it.”
Her eyebrow raise made you quietly voice out, “Just follow me.”
On the way to the large room that the boys were currently staying in, you gave a generalized rundown of the situation. Any specific details were left for the boys to fill the gap as they witnessed it. The insect hashira was dumbfounded. She hadn’t seen a transformation like this outside of the spider demon incident. Her tsugoku silently trailed behind the both of you with her hands behind her back.
You opened the door to the boy sipping on some tea and treats the triplets brought them recently. You wanted to reward them for watching Rengoku-sama, though you know they all would do anything for the older brother figure. You made a mental note to make them some matcha manjū , a dessert your family used to make, the next day.
You saw Hashibira-san snickering and feeding the feline a piece of mochi right when Kamado-san turned to greet the both of you. You giggled a little as Rengoku-sama greedily munched on it.
What a glutton~
“Ara ara~” Kocho-san mused, tilting her head as she got everyone’s attention, “Rengoku-san!”
The flame hashira turned to the other pillar, waltzing up and plopping in front of you both despite her grimace. You heard from Tomioka-san that she wasn’t fond of animals - as she refused to get a pet for the butterfly mansion. You thought having a puppy or kitten would help the morale of the healing demon slayers, whilst being mindful of allergies of course.
He looked up at you and meowed loudly, seemingly grinning with his large fangs poking out. You gave a little wave as Kocho-san inspected him, requesting for him to turn a few times.
“He felt completely like a normal Maine Coon when I held him…”
“I wonder when this will go away,” The insect hashira rubbed on her chin, peering down with a hum.
You proposed a few medicinal compounds used for the prior situation as possible treatments. However, with more thought, you both agreed to wait and see if it goes away on its own.
“I think that would be our best course of action for now… Continue to monitor him and maybe take some labs that can give us any answers. We may just need some time to let the transformation wear off,” You delineated the basics of your care plan, gazing at the other medical provider for her insight.
“Wow, you’re so smart too~” Agatsuma-san cooed quietly to himself, fawning over your professionalism.
“I couldn’t agree more,” The woman threw you a playful wink, shifting close to you to continue, “So he will be staying with you?”
“Me?” You tilted your head, unfazed by the close proximity of the pillar. You were so used to it at this point that it never fazed you anymore.
“Look at him,” She gulped and stepped back to see the feline amble to your feet. Rengoku-sama rubbed his body on your legs a couple of times before pawing at your thighs on his hind heels. Your head tilted as everyone stared at his blatant affection.
“Plus, you know me by now… [Last]-san,” Kocho-san smiled as she threw an unreadable look at the flower-breathing tsugoku, who gave a curt nod in return.
The insect hashira clasped her hands and presumed, “My dear Kanao and Tanjiro-kun will escort you both to your home. For now, I will visit tomorrow morning with some vials to draw blood and any other tests that need to be done. Now get some rest, everyone.”
You felt his wet nose nuzzle your leg, peering up at you with his glittering eyes. You gave a small smile and jumped when you felt a hand on your shoulder.
“I can take your bag, [Last]-san,” Kamado-san smiled gently.
You shook your head, “I’ll be okay. I don’t want you to have to do that for me, Kamado-san.”
“You can call me Tanjiro!” The boy announced, quickly being hushed by the insect hashira. You bit your lip and looked down at your feet, noticing Rengoku-sama had scurried over to the feminine-featured boy for another treat.
Your eyes widened at the comment, attempting to refrain from frowning.
Do you really deserve to?
“Yes, we’ve known each other for a while now. You are always so formal with us! You can ease up a bit, you know.”
“Same here.”
“I’d love to hear you say my name, [Last]-chan~”
They are demon slayers, risking your lives to save the helpless... They should be respected to the highest degree. Especially you, of all people… to call them by their given name? You imagined calling Rengoku-sama, the one you held the highest respect for, by his first name.
Your pessimistic emotions stirred in the pit of your stomach as you failed to answer everyone who piped in for a few moments.
“I…" You stopped, the attention on you making your steady hands tremble. You needed to answer. They were waiting. Shaking your head, you dolefully mumbled under your breath, “If you would prefer me to.”
Now stopping what they were doing, silence was your only response. You wanted to crawl in a pit after being put on the spot. You have always kept that side of you. your reasonings for using formalities as strictly as you do, under lock and key. It hid away how you felt about yourself. From the sweet smiles and giggles, you have kept it up pretty well. You weren't the only one either, your gaze catching that of the anger-filled woman beside you.
You didn’t dare to look directly at Rengoku-sama, who was burning a hole into the side of your face. From the corner of your eye, you gulped at the unnaturally somber look he gave you despite having a piece of salmon loosely dangling from his jaw.
The growing awkward tension made you feel caved in, especially when the young Kamado sniffed the air and widened his eyes. You supposed your sadness coated the air with a gray fog.
Clearing your throat, you gave him a small smile, “You guys are right, I apologize! It is getting really late! Tanjiro-kun, you can carry Rengoku-sama for me.”
You pivoted and stepped towards the shoji doors before they could respond to your own, leaving them open for the slayers to follow. After a few moments, Kanao and Tanjiro were quickly scurrying to catch up with your quick pace. You giggled at the sight of Rengoku-sama standing on Tanjiro’s head as if he was leading the way.
Soon you were waving the young kids goodbye, noticing the blush forming on the girl’s face. Ever since Tanjiro helped her out of her shell a bit, she has taken a liking for him. You grinned as you watched him chuckle. They were going to be together, you just knew it...
A loud meow echoed from the doorway, Rengoku-sama stretching his furry limbs. Even as a human, his eyes glowed brightly in the night. Many others were creeped out by the abnormal sight, rumoring that he looked more like a demon than some demons do.
But you...You couldn’t help but feel like a moth, drawn in by those ethereal, fiery eyes that pierced your soul.
The feline gave a yawn as you stepped in, passing him and settling your bags beside the door. You returned one as well, reaching your arms to the sky and removing your haori. You shrugged your boots on and slid your slippers on.
“So, I only have one room… and one futon since I live alone and don’t often have visitors,” You trailed off, not bothering to light a lantern as you dragged your feet to your room. You grabbed a clean nighttime yukata and undergarments as he trailed in slowly.
“And I don’t think it’s reasonable for someone like you to sleep on a pillow. So, you will take my futon,” You stated as he jumped on the futon, tilting his head quizzically. You paused from his odd look, seemingly furrowing his forked eyebrows.
“Don’t worry, I cleaned it this morning. I wouldn’t let you sleep in dirty linen,” You scratched your cheek as your eyes drifted off.
You held him so highly that you would be willing to clean it that night again to appease him. Although he was in cat form, this was still Rengoku Kyojuro - the flame hashira of the demon slayer corps. It will be uncomfortable for you, but this man deserves the world and more.
Much more than you deserved, if you were to be honest.
Your teeth clenched as you started out the door, whispering out softly, “Let me know if you need anything, Rengoku-sama.”
What you didn’t expect was the sudden clamp of his jaw on your sleeve. He was hanging off, ignoring how his body swayed and glaring at you. You settled down on your knees so he wouldn’t tear your uniform. The annoyed cat readjusted his hold, tugging you to your futon.
“Rengoku-sama-”
He yowled through the fabric, the high-pitched noise echoing in the small room before he grasped more of your sleeve in his mouth. He was careful not to knick your skin.
“Stop being stubborn, please,” You grabbed the extra skin of his neck and attempted to pull him off, “You are one of our pillars! I will not allow you to sleep on the floor.”
The damn cat refused, of course, shaking his head and letting out a growl. You blankly stared at him. Why he was so insistent on your sleeping on the futon.
Your ingrained respect for him surpassed the urge to give him what he desired. Two can play this game, you supposed.
You moved your hand to the back of his ears, rubbing the softer locks of his mane. His eyes rolled back and started purring loudly instantly, slacking his jaw at the sensation. You smirked coyly and yanked him off after a few moments, tossing his small form onto the futon.
It’s not every day that just anyone can one-up the infamous flame hashira.
“I’ll be in the living room!” You blurted out while you scrambled up, grabbing your clothing and rushing to the door. You heard him hiss and felt a sudden surge of heat in the room.
Next thing you know you were thrown onto the futon - the sound of your uniform pants tearing from the harsh force. You landed on your back, the impact winding you slightly.
You blinked, shocked that the bristled cat at the edge of your futon was capable of tossing you. His tail twitched straight up in the air, holding your shocked stare. The heat seemed to pick up, your torn uniform slightly sticking to your skin from your body’s will to cool your skin.
“You were able to tap into your strength…” You stated the obvious out loud, hearing him trill in response.
Rengoku-sama jumped onto your stomach, leaning in to touch your nose with his. His eyes glinted with a warning, pawing at your stomach. He meowed, peering down at the futon below you.
“Fine...Fine…” You grumbled, sitting up so the feline could step down. He licked your nose and hopped down, causing you to gasp. Dismissing the action, you grabbed the torn fabric, frowning as he simply rested his head on the covers and purred.
This little -…
“I’ll... I'll go clean myself up...and...come back,” You muttered, giving him a pointed look as you got up and sauntered to the door.
Once you finished preparing for bed, you were surprised your legs hadn't given out. The past week had been exhausting. This past day was the last work day for this week.
The cat was at the edge of the futon, licking his tufts of fur. His ears perked as you stepped in, pausing his grooming to gaze at your tired form. His poofy tail thumped and quivered as you set your dirty clothes in your woven linen basket in the corner of the room.
He let out a trill once you finally shrugged into bed, plopping himself beside your feet and kneading the fabric under him. The little bread maker was purring loudly, gazing as you blushed.
Never did you think if you ever shared a bed with him, it would be in this way.
-
Sunlight flowed through the shoji walls, making you squinch your eyes from the light. Your nose tickled with something soft, making you wiggle your nose and sneeze-squeaked. You peaked through your lids, golden fur taking up most of your sight.
Rengoku-sama was right next to your face, grooming your [hair color] locks. You could hear his purring reverberating through the futon. You wondered how you didn’t wake up from the loud sound itself.
He nuzzled your hair, sniffing despite the strands tickling his nose. Your cheeks heated at the way his whiskers fluttered when he wrinkled his cute little nose. He was so adorable as a cat as well~! He didn’t seem to notice you were awake as his eyes were peacefully closed.
“Good morning,” You whispered, causing him to jump up. He got spooked like a cat, erecting his tail and bristling for a second. He calmed down after a moment, responding with a small meow.
Within the next hour, you found yourself in the company of the three young slayers and Shinobu-san. They frowned seeing him still in feline form.
The insect hashira wanted you to take his blood since she didn’t seem to want to be close to him at all. He obliged and stayed still, especially after Shinobu-san made a sly comment about you hand-feeding him in return. You couldn’t contain the redness forming on your cheeks, attempting to snuff it and ignore his fervent eyes as you prepared his neck to draw blood.
“He seems to be greatly swayed in terms of emotions,” You mumbled as you closed the last small vial, placing it carefully in the holder for Shinobu-san to take back with her.
“More than you initially thought?”
“Yes,” You answered, giving the cat a simple head pat before you pointed to Inosuke-kun holding a small piece of fish. The boy seemed to greatly enjoy feeding the hashira, making numerous comments about making sure his ‘subordinates’ were fed.
But, everyone here knew he wanted to play a part in helping Rengoku-sama, as the child looked up to him greatly.
“Examples?”
“Well for starters, he’s been very playful and curious. He’s easily distracted by the smallest things as cats tend to be. Although he expresses human-like expressions, he mostly displays cat body language.” You explained about the events last night in detail, her eyebrows raising at his aggression over you sleeping on the floor, “-I think his hormones are off as well. And-”
“His… hormones?” Shinobu-san perked at your last comment.
“Mhmm,” You hummed quietly and whispered, “He is overly emotional. Last night he got angry and tossed me onto my futon as if I weighed nothing! He’s still capable of using his typical strength!”
“Onto your futon? [First]-chan, I know you two are in love but I wouldn’t expect-”
“NO -” You blurted loudly, holding up your trembling hands as you squeaked at the insinuation, “It-It wasn’t like that at all! Nor does he...you know…”
Shinobu-san raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Then explain why Rengoku-san is clinging to you so desperately? The damn cat can’t seem to take his eyes off you for a second, not like that’s much different to how he normally is.”
Frowning now, you hissed out, “I don’t know why you guys keep assuming such things. He would never think of me that way. We are mere acquaintances-” You sneaked a peek at him pawing at the piece of yellowtail that dangled from Inosuke-kun’s fingers and whispered.
“My, my ~" She started with a tease, lowering her head as her tone did the same, "You both are so blind it’s not even funny at this point,” The insect hashira quibbled plainly and tilted her head, “From the behaviors he’s been displaying, he isn’t overly affectionate just because he’s a cat now, you know.”
She stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, giving you a stern look, “His feelings are being amplified by the transformation and hormones. You are more than intelligent enough to realize this, yet ~... You can’t see the obvious and face it. Rather, you won't let yourself ~”
You followed her as she walked to the door. The pillar put her hand on the door and let out a deep sigh, turning to you with a saddened gaze, “You are more than just your work. Why do you put down anything that -”
“Please… don’t,” You mumbled, pleading with her with the grave look in your eyes. You still had the boys to make sweets to take back for their aid. You would never want them to see you in that light, especially Rengoku-sama.
He would think of you as weaker than he already does. Maybe he pays close attention to you because he doesn’t think-
“Fine,” She muttered with a glare, snapping you out of your thoughts. She slid her boots on quickly, and opened the door, “This conversation isn’t over, [First]-chan." AS if to punish you for closing up like a clam, the hashira smirked a little as her head tilted towards you. Purple eyes glimmered with a taunt, accessorized by those specks of annoyance she hid herself, "And by the way, you are off for a week or until he transforms back!”
The fastest hashira vanished before your eyes. What a hypocrite! Telling you off for something she does too? Please.
You closed the door silently, turning back to see a tense Zenitsu-kun. He was staring at you, offering you a shy smile with his thick eyebrows furrowed in concern.
You noticed Tanjiro was also peering at you from the corner of his eye, copying the expression the thunder-breathing slayer wore.
“Alright, boys!” You piped up, ignoring the pain in your chest. You got the other two’s attention as you stepped into your kitchen, pulling out your bag of matcha powder before continuing, “Ready for some sweets?”
As you promised, you worked to make them some fresh, traditional pastries. The recipe for this manjū variant was passed down from your family. It was one of your favorites! They insisted on practicing breathing techniques.
It was funny seeing him, a fluffy cat, plopped in front of three growing boys meditating in your living room, nodding and directing them with his paw and tail. Afterward, you gave them your karuta card deck - to which you quickly regretted pulling it out by how competitive they got. Even as a cat, Rengoku-sama was yowling and slapping his paw on your living room table.
By lunch, you made the sweets and a ton of onigiri for the hungry boys. Of course, you left out some fish for Rengoku-sama, shooting a glare at Inosuke-kun trying to give him rice and other foods. You didn’t want him to feed him too much table food as you didn’t know if the feline’s stomach could handle a lot.
They were walking out the door with their bellies full, carrying a basket of sweets to drop off at the butterfly mansion. Despite your body screaming at you, you enjoyed making the dozens and dozens of treats.
It was a fun first day. Even as a cat, his presence was warming and welcoming. Since you've been cooking all day, you settled for tamako gohan for dinner. You sat down on the cushion in front of your table, settling the comfort food in front of you.
Rengoku-san was already munching on a piece of salmon. Even with his smaller form, he was insatiable - eating way more than any cat should. He purred as he nibbled, standing on his hind legs to reach the plate of the table.
You leaned your head against your hand, lazily stirring the raw egg into the rice. You dressed up the steaming dish with soy sauce, sesame seeds, and cut-up pieces of nori. You hummed as you popped a mound into your mouth. You didn’t notice his eyes fixed on your tongue that darted out, licking your lips of the yolk.
He made a strange noise - like a mix between a trill and growl. You perked as he stopped eating, staring down at his fish for a moment before continuing to munch on a chunk. You ignored it as you were still unfamiliar with his feline vocals.
You realized then you were with him… in your own living room. After these past couple of years, you didn’t expect him to be here with you. It wasn’t like you saw each other outside of the clinic. Even so, it felt so natural. His presence beside you all day didn’t faze you till now - even waking up beside him.
Well, he is a cat. This will all change once he transforms back…
A few days pass and you were dying to go back to work. It helped you busy your mind that didn’t seem to settle from thoughts you didn’t want to face.
Like how much you enjoyed him with you, and seeing him happy as well. Or how he has taken a liking to laying on your lap and beside you - waking you up snuggled against your body. You loved the way he would groom your hair and nuzzle you every chance he got, making you want to squeal at his adorableness.
You never wanted the contact to end. Rather, you wanted him to be human. He has plagued your dreams - his human form replacing his current transformation. Instead of grooming you with his tongue, he was kissing your body, and grabbing onto every inch and crevice like he was memorizing you.
Well, sometimes he would use his tongue and-
You slapped your face to help calm the fluster, ignoring the basket that swayed aggressively from the motion. Rengoku-sama meowed beside you, ambling with his brows furrowed. You apologized, holding the woven carrier in front of you.
You fixed your butterfly pins, feeling off recently for not having them on. Although Shinobu-san said you didn’t need to come into work, you wanted to check on the results of her findings… and possibly throw yourself into work to take your mind off the obvious.
The undeniable fact that Rengoku-sama would soon be leaving you.
Despite your internal efforts to steel yourself from getting attached to his constant presence currently in your life, you were failing… completely. If anything, you were falling. No, more like somersaulting off a mountain that makes Mount Everest look like a mere pebble.
You went straight to Shinobu-san’s office. There wasn’t much to discuss, as she found nothing abnormal in terms of cat statistics. She got a second opinion from a vet as she isn’t too well versed outside human anatomy and physiology - pulling most of her information from feline medical research books she recently picked up.
“So I guess we will be waiting it out,” You mumbled as you headed to the main hall with most of your patients.
“We should recheck in a day or two to see if any numbers change significantly?”
“Better to do it than not,” You confirmed as you slid the door open, fixing your white haori and postulated, “It could give us a sign on it wearing off if any numbers change to fit normal human ranges?”
“That is a possibility,” Shinobu-san contemplated behind you, staying a few feet away from the feline at your feet.
“May I check my patients before I head out?” You asked. To your dismay, the clinic didn’t have any new admissions. Well, you were glad no one was getting injured… but you wished to busy yourself.
Everyone was stable as you passed by, asking how they were feeling and quickly discussing your care plan. You ignored Rengoku-sama’s eyes on you as he focused on the sidelines, careful to not get caught under your feet. You passed by your last seen patient - the man you took the IV out of prior to this flame-pillar-turned-cat situation.
He smiled upon seeing you. You caught the way his cheeks reddened, eyes darting to the insect hashira beside you. You weren’t surprised as many demon slayers had a crush on the beautiful woman!
“[Last]-sama, I’m glad to see you!” He grinned, tilting his head and closing his eyes fondly.
“As do I, Shio-san” You bowed while you greeted him, and gazed at his body, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m able to leave today, so I’m doing really good.”
“Pain has gone down? No more migraines?”
You both discussed his prior and current medical complications briefly, discussing any medications you would be sending home with him.
“I would you to rest for one more week - of course, I’ll inform Oyakata-sama of my decision so you won’t be called for any missions… and I would like you to come in around two weeks from today for a follow-up,” You rested a hand on Shio-san’s shoulder from the side of his bed, giving him a comforting smile.
You were glad to see any improvements with your patients. The field you have devoted your life to could be pretty dark from the recurrent untreatable diseases and unavoidable decline in health.
“Yes ma’am,” Your patient grinned, swinging his legs over to dangle on his bed.
“I wanted to ask a question before you left,” He grasped onto your hand, pulling you close to the bedside. Your breath quickened for the wrong reasons. A demonic hand reaching for you flashed in your mind, making you freeze in fear. You have gotten better with people grabbing and reaching for you, but there are times that dismiss any efforts of healing and moving forward from such a traumatic experience.
“Oh, dear…” You heard Shinobu-san murmur darkly into her hand as Shio-san took a deep breath.
“Will you- Oh what a fluffy cat!”
Rengoku-san had jumped onto the bed, thumping his tail slowly with his ears perked. His head hung low with his eyes trained on your patient who shook his head and faced back to you. His body language disturbed you, but didn’t seem to faze the distracted slayer.
“Could you let -”
“Will you allow me to court you?” Shio-san cupped both of your hands in his as he interrupted you, rubbing your hand eagerly. He was oblivious to your growing fright and continued, “You are so -”
A sudden heat wave made the air almost sizzle. Your patient yelped before he could finish his ramble about you, letting go of his grasp from the feline’s sudden mouth latched onto his arm. Shinobu-san grabbed ahold of the cat’s torso as he dug his claws into the poor man, who raised his hand to wack him off.
You instinctively reached your arm out, taking the blow before it could land on Rengoku-sama. You yelped as this demon slayer was much stronger than you, sending you back onto the ground.
The hairs on his back stood up as the flame hashira went feral, clawing at the air and growling. His hisses had the other surrounding patients jumping up to see the blood trickling down Shio-san’s arms.
“Ren- Cat! Calm the fuck down!” Shinobu-san’s veins popped out of her head as she managed to pull him off, stomping out of the room. You gritted your teeth from the pain, already seeing the bruising forming on your arms.
“I’m so-”
“It’s okay, I apologize for my cat - he can be pretty…” Your eyes widened as you stared at Rengoku-sama’s work on the poor man’s arm. Why would he do that? The man was just asking to court you...
Not looking in deeper, you bit your lip and focused on your duties. You grabbed a basin and soap, murmuring that you would take care of it.
After cleaning and tentatively patching Shio-san up, you walked out to the office to witness Shinobu-san still scolding the cat, who didn’t seem to care too much as he was trying to fit his large body into a box on the other side of the room.
“Let me clean him up at home,” You muttered. You narrowed in on him sauntering to you, rubbing against you as if he hadn’t just attacked a man ten minutes ago. You could see some dried blood on his muzzle.
“Please do,” Shinobu-san grumbled, her nose flaring as you motioned for him to follow, “I’m going to kick his ass once he turns back.” You heard her mumble “possessive asshole” as she slammed the main shoji doors shut behind the two of you.
It was as silent on the way home as it was when you took a wipe to his face in your bathing room. Mostly on your end, as he didn’t seem to care what happened. It made you angrier, as he nuzzled into the wipe you held.
“Are you really that far gone?” You questioned softly, brushing away some of the last specks of dried blood. He simply meowed and licked his freshly cleaned paw.
“Why would you do something like that,” You clenched the used wipe in your hand, standing up to toss it to the side.
He let out a trill, racing to your bedroom, and hopped onto the ivory futon. His out-of-character reaction made you frown. He really was acting like a cat - the aloofness of his actions as if there was nothing wrong with attacking the man.
However, you wanted nothing more than to lay down and nap at the moment. So naturally, you slipped in and let him snuggle against the curve of your back.
“What are you doing to me?...” You whispered as you felt sleep lull you into another dream that you shouldn’t be having.
Almost a week has passed since he transformed into a cat… and you were internally screaming nonstop. You haven’t gone back to the butterfly mansion since the incident. You have been alone in your thoughts and it was not healthy.
The only time you had relief was when his little brother finally visited with Kanroji-san. You finally got to meet the boy, who seemed to already know about you. As much as the eye-catching woman made you feel like the plainest Jane in the universe, she was an absolute sweetheart.
While you were delighted being around him all the time, he was a constant reminder of what would never happen. The more you craved his presence, the more it hurt. It was a double-edged sword that you secretly enjoyed.
Every night you would wake up flustered from the obscene dreams of the flame hashira. If he wasn’t sleeping beside you, you would’ve been able to relieve yourself of these feelings. You contemplated buying another futon or borrowing one from his place so you could have your room to yourself. Yet, you haven’t brought yourself to give up letting him sleep beside you.
You have all the time in the world to jack off, but physically cuddling with him? That’s a totally different story, even as a cat.
You decided you would just take advantage of the opportunity. Once he turns back into a human, he won’t be the blatantly affectionate love ball that he was currently. You frowned as you rubbed his head, listening to him rumbling on your lap. The first time he tried to curl up on your pudgy thighs, you almost punted the fur ball across the room out of sheer embarrassment.
But, after a few days, you have gotten so used to his clinginess that it would be weird if he wasn’t touching you in some sort of way. The feline had no shame either. By the glint in his eyes, it was like he craved making you squirm.
You were humming a tune from your childhood as you sowed your partially torn uniform. You sent a request for another uniform already… but since you planned on throwing yourself completely into work after this ordeal, you needed all the clean clothing you could get.
You finished the piece, setting it down on the table. You were careful enough to not wake him, as he looked to be deep in sleep. You noticed the last couple of days he has been drowsier than usual, falling asleep multiple times a day scooched against your side or on top of you.
Maybe it was a sign he was going to change back soon? You smiled pensively, not registering the tears streaming down your face till they were dropping onto his head. His ears fluttered as the droplets hit, raising his head to meet your reddened eyes.
You sniffled and wiped your eyes on the sleeve of your yukata, giving him a dejected grin. He noticed your teeth clenched, narrowing his bright eyes at your failed attempt to cover your emotions. Rengoku-san jumped up in your lap and pawed right under your collarbones.
His face was close to yours, seemingly searching your eyes as you leaned back a little. You attempted to control your sniffling, glancing to the side so you wouldn’t meet his prying eyes. He mewled out, nuzzling the dampened cheek that faced him. He used his head to wipe the moisture, licking your skin a couple of times before switching back to his rubs.
You felt so warm - as if you were being embraced by the sun itself. After this, you don’t know how you were going to handle him being gone. You started sobbing more, digging your hand into your yukata to refrain from reaching to him. You didn’t want to feed it, but the voice in the back of your mind urged you to just give in.
You don’t deserve this... but the voice fed your selfish desires like tending a flame… who said you couldn’t be selfish here and there? Even if it wasn’t right of you to break down in front of one of the most esteemed members of the demon slayer corp, you felt your control completely slipping.
Fuck it.
You wrapped your arms around him ardently and proceeded to bawl your eyes out. You shoved your face into his mane, letting your heart out. You let your tears and cries express your pain, not speaking a word as he let you release the pent-up emotions on his body.
After twenty minutes you were left on the floor, sniffling weakly as your lips continued to tremble. You hoped when he was able to speak again, he would never bring it up. Slightly regretting it, you lifted away to see him pull you back with a strand of hair stuck in his claws.
You did find a sense of relief - a huge one. Although you didn’t confess your worries, it felt nice to let it out. With mixed emotions, you watched as he leaned back and meowed at you. There had been a few times he had tried to speak. Seeing as it had failed every time, he was left pointing or answering ‘yes and no’ questions.
“Are you asking me why I’m crying,” You mumbled, trying to calm your quivering lips. He simply nodded in return and meowed a few more times.
“I would prefer not to say,” You sat up and wrapped your arms around your curled-up legs. He stepped in front of you and meowed a few more times, lowering his head a little.
“Rengoku-sama-”
He sharply yowled, giving you a pointed stare before meowing a whole rant. You just blinked at him as he released a deep breath and hissed, prompting to walk over to your table and smack his head on it.
“I’m sorry,” You put your head on your knees and continued, “It must be frustrating not being able to speak.”
Rengoku-sama stopped banging his head on the table, turning his leaned head to slowly nod. He didn’t seem pleased with you, but didn’t attempt to pry further. You yawned and looked out to see that the sun had already set. Maybe it was more than twenty minutes…
He mewled and tugged your sleeve gently, ushering you in the direction of your room. You followed the golden cat in, tucking into the futon. You were too exhausted to change your yukata. Besides, the plain yukatas you wore were basically the same as the nighttime ones.
You fell asleep quickly after, only to wake up from yet another one of your erotic dream. This time, you just started crying again. It was almost torture at this point. Despite him laying on your chest, it wasn’t hard to breathe.
He must’ve climbed there right after you fell asleep, as his head was tucked between your breasts. Unlike last time, he didn’t respond as he seemed to be completely out.
“I just wish this could…be...permanent,” You trailed off, rubbing behind his ears and uttering, “I…love...”
You couldn’t finish your sentence, the mental exhaustion weighing heavily on you, letting you sink into the darkness, as you whispered, “- love you.”
You couldn’t help but mewl into his ear as he plunged himself inside you. Rengoku-san seemed to lean back to bask in the sight of you trembling beneath him.
“Cum-cum for me baby, come on~” He cooed into his ear, his grunts cutting through his words as he snapped his hips.
“I shouldn’t-” You whimpered as you threw your head back, “I don’t-”
“What did I just tell you?” He snapped as he grabbed your face roughly, grinding into you relentlessly. You couldn’t contain the whimpers and moans that escaped your lips.
“I love you so fucking much yet-” The flame hashira snarled, roughly grasping your hip and pull you against him, “-you continue to deny me.”
You felt your juices rush past his buried, throbbing cock, seeping into the tatami flooring below you as he grabbed your neck and jutted his hip into you.
With an eyebrow raised, he tilted his head with a simper and purred, “Not for long~”
You gasped as your eyes flung open. Why was it hard to breathe in just now? You felt your drenched pussy dribble from the intense dream, reflexively making you try to close your thighs… but there was something firm stopping it?
You noticed the dawn lights peering into the room, slightly illuminating the humanoid form directly above you. He transformed back! You were flooded with mixed emotions, shaking him awake.
He would be able to continue his journey of saving others as you... Well, support him on the sidelines. Bittersweet tears weld in your eyes as you shook him, wanting him to see he was back to normal.
Rengoku-sama blinked a few times, sitting up from his head in your breasts. You didn’t care as you hugged him, cheering internally as he continued to wake up.
“[First]-san,” He groaned out, gripping tighter on your shoulders. You winced from the sudden sharp points digging into your skin through your yukata.
Your heart stopped when you felt a swish on her upper leg. Despite the close proximity, you reached you to see the cat tail swinging gently on the ground beside. He yawned, showing off the pearly set of fangs that glinted in the first light of the day.
“Rengoku-sama-”
“Kyojuro,” He muttered sharply, narrowing his glowing eyes and demanding roughly, “Call me Kyojuro.”
He didn’t make a move to get off you, making your heart rush as you realized he was completely naked… between your legs. His muscles flexed as he raised his head, peering around the room with his tail erected. It subsided as he realized where he was from when he was completely a cat.
He closed his eyes and sniffed the air, slowly opening his fervid orbs and leaning into your flustered face. His cat ears perked up, resting his nose against yours and murmuring, “What... What is that delicious smell? ~”