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You and Kyoujurou sit next to each other on the same medical cot, both being stared down by an increasingly exasperated Shinobu. If you look close enough, you think you might even see the veins in her temples throb. It's not the first time you've seen her visibly annoyed, but it's the first time you've been on the receiving end, and fuck if it isn't a little scary. Kyoujurou's expression is still schooled into his normal resting smile, which means maybe, just maybe, she doesn't intend to kill you.
"So let me get this straight," she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You two just stumbled upon a lower moon in the countryside while traveling here for the meeting."
"Indeed!" Kyoujurou replies eagerly while you slump down like a scolded child.
It's a little more complicated than that, Kyoujurou knows it. Shinobu knows it. He's keeping it vague for your benefit. You're keeping quiet until spoken to. If you're fortunate, she'll drop it.
"Then, when you fought them, they used a blood demon art that looked like…powder? A red powder. That you both ended up inhaling copious amounts before defeating the demon and passing out for an unknown amount of time."
"Yes," you whisper when you notice she's looking at you this time for a response. Doesn't mean you make eye contact, though. The patterns in the floor grain are particularly interesting right now.
"But when you two woke up, you didn't notice any side effects. Just residual staining on your clothes and a light cough. So you thought nothing of it, made the rest of the journey without thinking to send a crow to let me know, and now you're both in my clinic almost a day later, hoping nothing is wrong?"
"When you put it like that-" you stutter, but are cut off by Kyoujurou.
"Correct! You seem to have a very firm grasp of the timeline, Kochou! Thank you for going over it again with us to confirm. Do you believe we are fit enough to attend the meeting?"
From anyone else, it might have sounded sarcastic. From the Flame Hashira, it's said with genuine appreciation and praise. The fact doesn't go over Shinobu's head, but when she closes her eyes and smiles at him, you can feel the murderous intent rolling off of her in waves. Your chances of seeing old age are dwindling by the minute, and it isn't because of your occupation as a demon slayer. Or perhaps it is, considering that's how you ended up sitting next to the same man who's about to get you killed.
She turns away from both of you. You assume it's to calm herself before one of you ends up smacked upside the head for saying something stupid. Most likely Kyoujurou.
"Nothing about either of you seems off beyond a slightly elevated temperature. Rengoku, you always run warm, so I'm not immediately concerned. You, however," she looks at you over her shoulder, "will notify me immediately if you notice any other symptoms, no matter the severity, no matter if you think they are related or not. Do you understand?"
Kyoujurou turns to look at you as well, nodding in agreement with Shinobu and making you fold under both of their gazes.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Now, both of you will return to the Butterfly Mansion the second the pillars meeting is over. We'll provide you both with a room for the next three days. No complaints. We don't know if the effects of this powder have been neutralized by the demon's death or if it has any residual manifestations to worry about. If an emergency occurs, you need to be here where we can provide immediate medical attention."
The way she says 'manifestations' makes you queasy. It's already gross enough that you inhaled some foreign substance made up of, presumably, demon blood. Now she's over here talking like the two of you are ticking time bombs or infested with an unknown disease. Maybe you'll spontaneously combust at the meeting. Maybe you'll spend a perfectly boring three days at the Butterfly Mansion wishing you'd spontaneously combust anyway for a break in the monotony. The possibilities are endless.
Kyoujurou takes her words as permission to leave and hops off the cot, jostling you back to attention. All three of you need to attend the meeting, so it only makes sense to walk there together. This way, Shinobu can keep a closer eye on both of you, too. You even see her pack some medicine into a hip satchel before covering it with her haori.
Maybe if you're lucky, one of them will be a sedative so you can stop freaking out about this whole situation.
Walking to Ubuyashiki Mansion isn't particularly tiring, which is probably why Shinobu allows it. It's in the center of the compound, surrounded by several other buildings, including the Butterfly Mansion. The journey still takes time, and it's mostly spent in awkward silence. Kyoujurou stands in the middle of you and Shinobu, seeming fully content with your upcoming medical confinement. You're just happy you aren't being poked and prodded with needles as of current.
"So how did you two manage to stumble into each other, anyhow?" Shinobu asks casually. "Seems unlikely to be happenstance in such a large area of the country."
You're not sure if she's pressing you thanks to something you said to her earlier in confidence or genuine curiosity, but you know she's not an idiot. She's going to pry the info from you one way or another.
"I had sent word to Rengoku because there was a demon in the area I was trailing. It was heading towards his jurisdiction, so I had my crow go ahead of me to see if he could cut them off," you explain, looking past Kyoujurou to make sure Shinobu can see your pleading expression and understand how much you don't want to talk about it. Or risk being found out. "That's all."
When she'd been assessing you both earlier today on arrival, you'd had to explain that your elevated heart rate when discussing Kyoujurou's involvement (who was conveniently shirtless across the room after his check-up) was not in fact due to the demon blood art. No, it was due to your ridiculous puppy crush on the Flame Hashira. Fuck you for having secrets, you suppose.
"Indeed! And a good thing you did, otherwise who knows what could have happened. The fight may have lasted long enough for the demon's strange blood art to kick in," he adds cheerfully.
"Right…" Shinobu says with a knowing smile. "Good thing you had him at your side. Smart thinking."
"Agreed!" Kyoujurou laughs, the silent conversation between the two women on either side of him going right over his head.
You groan and keep walking.
The three of you are almost to your destination when, by chance, your shoulder grazes against Kyoujurou's. It's less than half a second of contact, through clothes no less, but when it happens you feel as though you've been burned. Not metaphorically, either. Warmth sears at the point of contact and floods through your arm. It isn't painful per se, but peculiar for sure. Akin to if you had left your arm out in the sun for a couple hours.
You think you're hallucinating for a moment until Kyoujurou's head whips sideways to look at you, then at his own arm. No way he would have had such a reaction to a casual bump. The two of you have sparred together a thousand times; close contact is nothing strange, even in this setting. Besides, this didn't even count as close contact.
You're about to say something when Kyoujurou looks out of the corner of his eye towards where Shinobu walks next to him. You pick up on him loud and clear.
Do the two of you want to delay the meeting because of this? If he feels the same as you, then you both know there's no real discomfort from the sensation. The fact that his smile has fallen lets you know he's heavily debating the conundrum. Perhaps it's better to wait until after. You'll have three days to handle it from there, and you won't have to miss out on undoubtedly critical information.
So you shrug your opposite shoulder and shake your head ever so slightly.
He lets out a soft sigh and nods, though he still looks a bit unsure of the decision. It's easy to tell that his smile doesn't reach his eyes. You know he's always been a staunch by-the-books sort of man, and the two of you are technically directly disobeying Shinobu's orders as your temporary guardian and caregiver. It's ill-advised. Neither of you particularly wants to be dragged back to the mansion quite yet, though. Especially over something as minor as this.
After all, it's just one meeting.
Unsurprisingly, the three of you are last to arrive and take your places. Kyoujurou gives you one more indiscernible parting glance before breaking away. You take your seat at the end of the line of Hashira, the newest to the prolific group and furthest from the tenured members. Kyoujurou and Shinobu sit somewhere off to your right, where you forget all about them for the time being. Out of sight, out of mind.
Mitsuri is your direct companion. The two of you chat for a few minutes. The discussion is pleasant, light. It's good that it is, because you find yourself having trouble focusing only a few minutes into her telling you about one of her cats.
It's not that you don't want to be engaged in the conversation, but you've quickly begun to feel off. Honestly, since you brushed arms with Kyoujurou on the way over, it's like that same sensation has traveled from your arm to the rest of your body. The most prominent place it resides is in your abdomen, a coiling heat that makes you want to double over whilst the rest of you feels as though you're nursing a mild sunburn.
How does it not hurt if it's having this effect on you? Pain isn't the right descriptor. Ache feels more apt. Your body aches.
When Ubuyashiki steps out, it's easy to drop to your knees and bow. The motion is one you already want to do, praying for relief from the building pressure of something strange inside you. Nobody seems to notice your plight. You intend to keep it that way as long as possible. Though you know you'll pay for it in the long run, you tune out the Master's words and focus strictly on your breathing. So much for attending to get that 'critical information'.
It isn't for several minutes of white noise before you have the good sense to look to your right, seeking out the Flame Hashira. You regret it immediately.
He's sweating and his lips are parted. It's obvious that he's about as well off as you, focusing on the simple in and out of filling his lungs to quell the burn in his body. His hands are balled into fists that sit atop his thighs. When your eyes track upward, you make direct eye contact with him. He's being more subtle than you, who has partially turned your head. Only his eyes move, and they widen ever so slightly when he sees you.
Fuck. If he's reacting like that, then you must look awful.
You need to get him in private. You need to talk to him. You need to figure out what is happening. Maybe you should stop and mention this to Shinobu? She said to tell her immediately if anything strange happens that worries you.
But you don't want to talk to Shinobu right now. You just want to talk to him. You need to pull him away. Just to talk. Just talk. Alone. Nothing more.
Maybe…maybe a little more?
Alarm courses through you. Why are your thoughts becoming so frenzied? Where's your self control?
When you pry your eyes away from Kyoujurou, the feeling eases. Looking at the loose stones that make up the courtyard ground don't fan the flames surging just beneath your skin. If you can just keep your head down for the remainder of the meeting, you can handle it long enough to speak to Shinobu. She has medicine. She'll fix this. Then you'll be able to clear your mind.
Kyoujurou clears his throat. None of the other Hashira or Ubuyashiki pay him any mind, but hearing him makes you look up again. It happens before you even register you're doing it. You want to look at him.
His head is tilted toward you now to let you know he was explicitly trying to get your attention. He still isn't outright turned toward you, but you catch his eye, then he looks to the side gate. Then he looks back at you. Then the gate. It doesn't take a genius to realize what he is asking you. He must want to talk as well.
You nod curtly and then look away and take a deep breath.
He clears his throat again.
When you look back up, his brow is furrowed. If you didn't know any better, you might think he was confused by his own actions.
He shakes his head, obviously displeased about something you've done. But all you've done is look away?
You keep your eyes on him, now. A minute or two passes, and he doesn't clear his throat again. His posture relaxes as well. His own gaze doesn't leave your person for a second.
So he just wants you to look at him?
Your heart pounds in your chest. Looking at him is dangerous enough when you're feeling in full control of your mental faculties. Doing so now, while you are feeling unwell, is causing an unforeseen reaction. An embarrassing reaction. A reaction you would normally save for the middle of the night in the privacy of your own bed.
Arousal pools in your stomach. The first spark of what you instinctively know is about to get rapidly worse. It's not foreign to you, especially not with Kyoujurou around, but this is ridiculous. You drink him in like a pervert, unable to stop yourself. A bead of sweat trails down the side of his neck, and you wonder what it'd be like to taste the salt on his skin. He stretches his fingers out from the fists they have been in for several minutes, and you watch the way they flex, wanting them in your mouth. Or better yet, your-
The other Hashira stand. Your attention snaps away from Kyoujurou to look at the building where Ubuyashiki is currently being assisted back inside. In your peripherals, you can see everyone clamoring around to greet each other, taking advantage of the rare occasion that all of you are in one place to catch up. The logical part of you wishes to join them, but you can barely manage to get yourself up on shaky legs before a warm arm is wrapped around your waist and guiding you away.
"Rengoku?" You ask hazily as the two of you sidestep through the gate.
When you look up at him, he's staring straight forward. If someone were to accost the two of you, he looks as though they'd fall on his blade before he'd acquiesce to idle chatter.
Kyoujurou makes sure the gate clicks behind you and then leads the two of you a few yards further to avoid being within earshot of anyone while speaking. Only Tengen may be able to catch your conversation if he were truly trying, but most everyone is preoccupied enough to not notice your immediate absence.
There's a small ramada here, surrounded by dangling wisteria. It's usually dedicated to resting between trainings for the lower rank demon slayers, but now it's a sanctuary for the two of you to find some tenuous privacy. It should remain that way for some time. Training always pauses one days the pillars meet. It's safer for Ubuyashiki and the secrets you share.
"Something is going on," he says in a strained voice as he turns to you.
His arm around your waist doesn't move. The other one comes to join it and pull you close. If you were of sound mind, you would question his actions. Instead, you melt into them and bridge the last few inches separating your bodies.
"I know. It started out like a fever. I'm so warm, Kyoujurou. Feel like I'm about to burst into flames. Then…during the meeting I…"
You trail off and look away, focusing anywhere else. You can't bring yourself to say it. What if he isn't the same way? Maybe it's different because you already have feelings for him. Maybe it feeds on that. You'd rather burn to ash than ruin your good standing with him.
"Look at me. Please," he requests.
You do.
"I want to kiss you," he says plainly, bringing a hand up to capture your chin between his thumb and index finger. He tilts your head back. "Do you want to kiss me?"
"What if it's just the demon blood art? What if you regret this?"
He looks at you with such genuine heartbreak from your questions that it makes you want to look away again.
"Am I here with Kochou?"
"No…"
"Kanroji?"
"Well, no-"
"Think about Uzui for a moment."
That makes you splutter.
"What?!"
"Trust me."
So…you do. You try to just think about him. Tengen, your peer. The Sound Hashira. His arms. His muscles. The way his outfit hugs his body. His hands around his dual blade hilts and his lithe fingers…
What is wrong with you? You've never been interested in Tengen a day in your life. He's objectively attractive, sure, but never in a way you've wanted to do the things racing through your mind.
You know you're blushing when Kyoujurou chuckles.
"It's definitely the blood demon art! But I can still choose who I want. And who I want is you. It wasn't the other women who I couldn't keep my eyes off. It wasn't the other women I was fantasizing about pushing against the wall of the mansion and taking right in front of the-"
You kiss him for your own sanity, and he returns it in kind. There's no gentle lead up or coaxing. No. Your lips part immediately and his tongue presses into your mouth, hot and wet and desperate to taste you. The two of you explore every noise you can elicit from the other with a lick here, a bite there. The sounds are downright pornographic. Neither of you is willing to break away for more than a few hurried gasps of air before connecting again.
It's not enough. It's nowhere near enough. You're moaning and writhing against him, and the kisses are phenomenal, and you never want to leave, but you need his cock. You need him inside you like you need air in your lungs. Being this close only makes it so much worse.
"Underwear off. Keep your skirt on. We'll be quick," he commands, taking control of the situation.
You look around and then back at him nervously. He just grins in response.
"It's going to be okay. I promise. I'll make it feel all better. Then we'll find Shinobu after."
Soothed by his reassurances, you nod. It's an easy task, shimmying out of your panties. The uniform provided to you is similar to Mitsuri's, albeit a little less risque, at your insistence to its creator. Even so, it's not enough to stop Kyoujurou from getting where he needs to go and where your body craves him.
You kick them to the side, not having noticed that Kyoujurou was busy with his own task while you were preoccupied. He leans down enough to cup your ass in both his hands and hoist you up into his arms. Instead of worrying yourself with the finer details, you simply toss your arms over his shoulders and kiss him again. It earns you a pleased hum in response, his now bare cock having been freed and standing at attention to rest on your lower stomach in wait.
For better leverage, he pushes your back up against one of the pillars of the ramada.
He breaks away from the kiss just long enough to check in with you.
"Are you able to take me? We can slow down if you need me to prepare you!"
His eyes are hazy with lust, his self-restraint dangling from a string. The fact that he even takes the time to ask and offer only makes you hotter. You're sure he can slide right in without issue, and when you whisper a soft, "Fuck me, Kyoujurou," he does just that.
The head of his cock enters you slowly. Once he's sure there's no resistance, all bets are off. He bottoms out, making you scream.
You know in the back of your mind that you should be quiet. Anyone can hear you. There's no doubt that Tengen of all people is now fully aware of where you are and what you're getting up to. You'd be surprised if Shinobu isn't already looking for you two and now honing in on your location.
The funny thing is just how little you find it in yourself to care. How can you? The man you've been pining after for months is fucking you like it's the last thing he'll ever do in this lifetime or the next. The demon's ridiculous blood art makes you feel like your brain is scrambled, your body aches everywhere except between your legs, and there's the carnal need to have him cum inside you that should alarm you, but simply doesn't.
"Talk to me," Kyoujurou grunts out between thrusts, "stay with me. You still doing okay?"
You wonder if he's handling this poison better thanks to his breathing style. Heat like this is nothing new to him, is it? You've never been so hot in your life. It's hard to think much less talk.
"I'm okay. Don't stop," you hiccup, "okay? I don't want you to ever stop."
He shudders and presses a gentle kiss to your neck. The juxtaposition between such a gentle act compared to the brutal pace he sets makes your heart pound.
Your fingers tangle into the haori on his back as emotions intermingle with pleasure, threatening to overwhelm you again. You want this so bad, but this isn't the way you would choose if you had your way. You want him to want you like a lover, not need you like a balm to soothe a burn.
"I'm sorry," you sob, head falling forward into his shoulder and forcing him to stop kissing you.
His pace slows but doesn't stop. You're grateful. You don't think you can handle him stopping. You might go insane.
"Sorry?"
"For putting you in this position. I," the way your voice disappears for a moment into a moan when he hits the sweet spot inside you is ridiculous, "should have handled the demon on my own. I got excited when I saw where it was going. I got excited to see you, and I got sloppy."
The confession lifts a weight off your shoulders that has been holding you down the entire day. You'd planned on apologizing this evening. Preferably over tea. Certainly not with him inside of you, inching you closer and closer to climax with each slam of his hips.
"You were excited to see me," he says in a pleased rumble, speeding up again and making you scramble to hang on. "Good."
"That's all you have to say?" You whine, clenching around him as he hits that spot again. And again. And again. "Just 'good'?"
"If this blood demon art doesn't kill us-"
Oh no.
Pleasure begins to pulse through your entire body, each movement like a rush of ecstasy.
"-and you're truly interested in me-"
It feels too good. You can't-
"-would you like to go to dinner with me?"
You cum. You fucking cum as he's asking you out on a date. You can't stop it from happening. The tip of his cock slides against you just right, and the friction from being pushed so close together rubs against your clit just enough.
You cum so hard you see stars. You cum so hard that you bite down on his shoulder, and it makes him growl like a goddamn animal and press you against the pillar even harder.
It's no surprise that he finishes just as quickly as you. Your orgasm drags him over the edge, whether he wants it to or not, and his cock twitches with each release as he buries himself as deep as he can when he spills. He hides his own face in your opposite shoulder, taking ragged gasps of air in an attempt to catch his breath.
Both of you ride the peak of your pleasure for far longer than can be considered normal. Rengoku cums so much that you can feel it leak out of you around him, some of it ending up on the ground. It shouldn't be a turn on, but it is, and for a moment you're worried that the sex has done nothing to aid your predicament.
After a few more minutes of winding down, the two of you let out a joint sigh of relief. The arousal isn't completely gone, but the carnal need has simmered down exponentially. At least enough where you think it's possible to get back to the Butterfly Mansion without having to make another detour. You hope.
"So," Kyoujurou pulls back first, letting you down gently and wrapping his arms around you while you regain feeling in your legs, "was that a yes? I couldn't hear you over the pretty noises you make when you cum. You're quite loud."
You groan and smack his chest half-heartedly.
"I enjoyed it, did I not?" He asks, looking genuinely confused.
"Yes. Okay? I want to have dinner with you once this all blows over and we've finished…whatever this is," you beckon vaguely between both of you in reference to the knowledge you will be fucking at least one more time before the symptoms fully go away. A fact that you aren't particularly upset about but still feels bizarre to acknowledge.
"And if I say I never want this to be finished if it means we get to continue…whatever this is?"
He begins to lean in for a kiss, but freezes when the response to his question comes from someone who isn't you.
"Then you'll be out of luck. I need to take blood samples from both of you a soon as you're decent so I can ascertain if your…performance…accomplished anything," Shinobu's voice travels through the blanket of hanging wisteria hiding you from sight, "then you two can decide to participate in whatever activities you like once you've been examined and treated."
He smiles down at you before replying.
"Understood, Kochou. Can you please provide us with a joint room in the mansion? I believe we may need one."
"Already done. It'll also be a private one. Away from prying eyes and innocent ears while we monitor your condition."
You wish the ground would swallow you whole.
"I look forward to it," he laughs as he steals one more kiss.