Broken Wings- Shinobu x Fem. Reader

"We need to talk."

Things hadn't been quite the same since that day in the village. Tanjiro could tell Shinobu wasn't purposefully trying to make it awkward and uncomfortable, yet they were both holding back. Shinobu was emotionally or mentally prepared for what they may encounter these next few days. As for Tanjiro he was more concerned with Shinobu's wellbeing than whether or not they found Y/n or discovered the massive mystery that seemed to engulf her legacy.

A branch snapped in the distance, Tanjiro jumped, lost in focus. He shook his head letting out a soft laugh, they had been walking for a little over a few days and to say he was running low on sleep was an understatement.

"Stay focused." Shinobu snapped.

Tanjiro sighed as he stopped dead in his tracks, causing Shinobu to turn around when she didn't hear his footsteps following hers.

"This isn't fair... this isn't fair to me Shinobu, you cannot keep ignoring me and then treating me like a dog. I can't be your friend when it's most beneficial for you."

Tanjiro didn't know what came about him at the moment to speak to her like that. But it was driving him insane, one day they went laughing and being friends, then the next like she wanted him dead. It was mental torture.

"You're ridiculing me on what is and isn't fair?"

It was mean. Everything about what Shinobu said was mean, she said it like salt in a wound, and she meant it too. She wanted it to be mean. Tanjiro shook his head, reaching out, "Shinobu you know that's what I meant, I understand you're hurting but you can't continue to hurt the ones who care about you."

There was a look of horror and disgust that danced across Shinobu's face as she comprehended what Tanjiro was saying.

"Look Tanjiro, I understand you want what's best for the world. Truly. I get it. It's honorable and noble. But I'm not like that. None of the hashira are, or pretty much any of the other demon slayers. We're all guilty and selfish. My first priority isn't the general public. It never has been. I only became a hashira to keep my sister safe, and Y/n close. But it's ironic isn't it. I wasn't able to keep either of them safe and close by, was I?"

She rummaged through her bag searching for something, Tanjiro stood there, still in utter shock of the words that seemed to flow out of Shinobu's mouth so effortlessly. She pulled out a map, marked with notes, and symbols all up and down the sides.

"About a night's more, and we'll be there."

Tanjiro didn't understand what exactly they were looking for, they already made contact with Y/n, or what was thought to have been her, where were they even going?

Shinobu was packing up and getting ready to start moving again when Tanjiro stopped her right in her tracks. "We need to talk."

Shinobu looked Tanjiro in the eyes. "About?" she questioned, for someone so small she sure was intimidating.

"What are you going to do when you find Y/n. Like seriously."

She grunted in disbelief, "I thought we talk-"

"Seriously. We did talk about this, like, days ago. Situation has changed, Shinobu. This isn't about Y/n anymore is it? It's about you now. What are you going to do?"

"You speak to me like a child."

Tanjiro was tired of the games, for his safety and Shinobu's he had to know that plan. "It would be childish to go and face a demon, who may or may not have no reclusion of you, and hope for sunshine and rainbows. The mission was to find Y/n, we found her. Not in the state we wanted, but we found her. We could turn around. Say we found nothing. I won't tell. She could live out the rest of her days wherever she is out here. Away from us, away from you Shinobu." He put his hands on her shoulders, "Do this for yourself. Let's go."

"If we leave then what happens?" Shinobu pushed Tanjiro's hands off her shoulders, "We leave her for the other hashira to deal with. Someone who could care less about her and the life she once lived. She saved lives, and hell, she was damn good at it too."

Tanjiro sighed, "But she wasn't good enough was she? Look at the state she's in. Maybe it's best to leave her out here."

"Like hell Tanjiro, you don't give up that easily on someone you love. I've been waiting for her every single fucking day. I live for her memories and the radiance that she would give off. How I react will solely depend on her. If she's aggressive I'll deal with her, however she's not stupid. She may be a demon, yet her intelligence will continue to grow. If it didn't she would have been dead long ago. Not to mention, she decided to show herself to us, after all we're many, many miles away from the village we encountered her in."

Shinobu took a deep breath in, "I don't care if you choose to not follow. However I am not responsible for your safety anymore regardless of the path you choose. You can turn around, no hard feelings. Or you can come with me and finish what was started many years ago when we first set her off."

Tanjiro rolled his neck, cracked his knuckles, and smiled. "Let's do it then." He offered his fist forward, unsure if Shinobu would know what to do with it. Shinobu winked, and gave him a fist pump. They found a new form of confidence towards Y/n, love. The sun was now set below the tree line, and the temperature seemed to drop, they would be right at Y/n's door sooner than they would realize it.

"Not good, dammit.", these would be the first words Y/n had muttered in months as she raced through the snowy trees. Eventually she reached a large white mansion, she crashed through the door, barreling inside, ending up on the floor right in front of the stairs. She looked up at a tall man, with silvery gold hair, and rainbow eyes. He smirked, "Trust me I heard all right, this'll be fun." He caressed Y/n's face, "Won't it, my love? Oh, and next time, just open the door. Crashing through always makes a serious entrance. You're not the only one who lives here." He laughed as he stepped right over Y/n, into another room that contained multiple different couches with demons relaxed all over them. Y/n sat up, her back to the stair, and her head facing the ceiling.

"What the hell is going on with my luck."