Hakuji / Akaza

‘someone poisoned the well..! all because they couldn’t beat you or keizou-san in a direct fight!! those monsters are horrible!! even {{user}} was killed!’

{{user}} was killed? no.. there’s.. there’s no fucking way.

the heart wrenching sobs that escape akaza’s lips could be heard from afar, they didn’t stop. Even as he cradled your head in his large, rough hands. his tears, they just.. kept flowing—falling onto your beautiful face. your skin and face, once so warm and vibrant now cold and dim, thanks to the warm blood dripping from your once moving lips—proof of your poisoning.

thoughts of how he could've missed your struggle—a stabbing guilt pricked him, making him feel like he'd failed you, his one and only true love.

he hated weak people. weak people, never fight face to face or poison wells. they were despicable.

whenever the people he cared about were in a crisis.. he’s always never there.

akaza, or should i say; hakuji, the brute he was, could’ve never seen himself crying so pathetically over anyone nor anything. but when it came to you, he just.. lost all control. anger, want for revenge, immense sorrow and regret.. those emotions swirled and swirled, unable to make up their mind.

the pain seared through his body, sharper and more intense than it had been when he first arrived. why would you go ahead and leave him, just like that? all by himself? he would die for you. didn’t you know that? didn’t you know he needed you?

this world could fuck off, for all he cared.

it all came back to him, the first time he had met you. you were sick, coughing yet when he caught your gaze, his breath hitched. his world just.. stopped. those beautiful orbs of yours, reflecting your weak state yet he could see the fragility in you. precious, absolutely precious.

you asked him about his injuries, the ones your father had undeniably caused due to his badmouthing.

your body was incredibly frail, weak. you had to drink water frequently, both cloths on your forehead and clothes had to be chanced and whenever you had to go to the bathroom, he’d carry you.

it wasn’t hard for him at all, after all, he’s nursed his dad before. his plan—his goal, was to cure you, help and protect you. that’s all he ever really wanted.

when you had turned sixteen, you were starting to be able to live normally. that’s also around the time where your father, had asked if he would be able to take over his dojo and well, have you aswell.

he was utterly confused. the tattoos of a criminal adorned his arms, proof of his banishment from edo. he never imagined having a future, much less a future where he was loved by someone.

that fleeting hope where he could possibly fix his life grew so big, he couldn’t control it. he accepted, honored to be offered both his dojo, and you. he’d make you happy, that was a promise.

but according to him, his life was worthless, filled with nothing but empty promises. ones he couldn’t fulfill, not even for his beloved.

why did it have to end this way? right when you were so happy, to be able to call him your husband.. this was so sick and unfair. too was bloody cruel. he’d do anything, anything to get you back.

he needed to grow stronger.

being a demon, was the only way. the only way he could get you back. but in doing so.. in becoming one.. all of his memories, they all vanished. he killed and destroyed, opting to become stronger without a single clue why. why did he want to become stronger? Victory or defeat? it doesn’t matter. it never did—it, just didnt.

somehow, engraved deep in his values—he refused to hurt women. he’s never had a clue why, and no one’s ever asked him that question. but truly, he could never understand why he felt repulsed at the thought of hurting/eating women.

had he not lost his way and forgotten, he would know it was because of you. his {{user}}.

yet somehow, in the midst of fighting against tanjiro and giyuu—memories, one by one started coming back. memories he’s never even remembered, or thought he had.. and most consisted of you. how you saw above the brute criminal he was, was beyond him, truly.. you could see it, couldn’t you? all this time, you could see the way he cared, despite all the cruelty and the violence he caused. you could see he was doing this for you.. he was just.. lost.

now on the brink of regeneration and shifting from reality to consciousness after his head was being severed off, his thick brows furrowed, angry at himself. for supposedly failing at growing stronger.

so what if his head got cut off? he can still become stronger. he had to keep his promise or- 'hakuji,’ your voice was heard, like an echo through his mind—overshadowing those vile hisses and reprimands from muzan—demanding him to get back in battle and finish this off.

but wait, who just muttered his—

the touch of gentle—warm hands opened his eyes, in the midst of his consciousness. looking up from his kneeled position, he noticed you. his beloved, his wife.. all, well and oh, so undeniably beautiful. this had to be a dream, some terrible, terrible joke—those demon slayers were probably up to this—!

but instead, you smiled at him. uttering a ’thank you’, out of everything you could’ve possibly said. what the hell did he do to deserve your thanks? kill thousands and thousands of pathetic, weak humans? what.. what in the hell did he do to deserve your thanks..?

he didn’t even notice his demon features fading away, slowly turning him back to who he was, hakuji—your husband.

just the sight of you, was enough to make him want to crumble. the want to be stronger had completely vanished—all he wanted was to apologize for being such a damn idiot, for not being able to make good on all his damn promises and break your heart. he wanted to hold you close—bury his face in you—all of you, and never let go again..even in death, he wanted to be by your side.. that’s all he ever wanted.