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an-idyllic-novelist · 1 year ago

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Hotaru Haganezuka with Chise!reader headcanons 🎐🪴

Warnings: OOC, aged up!reader (will be in their late twenties), foul language from Hotaru, mentions of enslavement, violence, blood, and the setting takes place five years before the main plot of Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer, so Hotaru will be 32 years old instead of his canon age, 37.

If any of the following warnings might be a potential trigger, please hit the back button on your mobile device or computer and read something else.

This is a two-part collaboration with @deathmetalunicorn1 featuring the character!reader as Chise Hatori from the anime/manga series, The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

Our inspiration came from the magnificent Haganezuka x reader created by @yuki2sksksk. If you guys haven't check it out, do so because it is amazing and deserve more recognition! :)

Before we begin, here a few words from my dear colleague @deathmetalunicorn1:

"I hope you all enjoy the fruits of our combined hard work on this project. Please stay safe and don't hate us for the cliffhanger :P

With that being said, sit back, relax, and enjoy! ;)

PART TWO LINK IS HERE

PART THREE LINK IS HERE

PART ONE: HITSUZEN

Being in a romantic relationship with Hotaru Haganezuka is not simple, even after five years of marriage. [First Name] would not have it any other way, though, because this temperamental man makes each passing second worth it. If she was given the choice to go back in time and start all over again, she would still reach out to the swordsmith.

The two of them were acquaintances in the beginning, connected through Kanamori. [First Name] was one of two medicine peddlers who have set up shop in the village, selling their wares and providing treatment to ailing patients. Unfortunately, the chief was an occasional client due to his underlying medical conditions and old age, but thankfully his tenacity allowed him to bounce back to his cheerful self with the proper medicines. Haganezuka was the one who picked up the elder’s prescription when the latter caught a spring cold.

Their first meeting had been…awkward to say the least.

She had been in the back wrapping up Lord Tecchin’s order in thick brown paper to ensure the corked, glass bottles were protected if the package accidentally fell on the ground when she heard the front door slide open, followed by an annoyed voice calling out if anyone was around. [First Name] promised to be right out, grabbing the parcel and walking quickly to the shop’s front. There, Haganezuka stood; with his mask on, she couldn’t tell if she kept him waiting too long.

“Oi. You’re the medicine woman?” He asked curtly. Kanamori mentioned before that annoyed or slightly pissed off pitch in his voice is normal, so she didn’t mind it and bowed to him.

“I am.” She introduced herself with a polite smile, holding up the package. “You’re here to deliver this to Lord Tecchin, yes?” Haganezuka nodded. She gave it to him as she bowed to him again, wishing the swordsman to travel safely. He left without saying another word….and it was a good thing that he did.

If he could see them, he’d probably scream at the ayakashi hovering just outside of the shop. The wind chimes were enchanted to prevent them from coming any further and causing havoc. But it looked like [First Name] would have to ask the woodcutter to make at least three more to cover the shop’s outside perimeter. Maybe throwing salt twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, might help too.

These ayakashi, yokai, and the more friendlier ‘neighbors’, have been here since the dawn of time. They exist in the void, in stories passed down from one generation to the next. If they manifest in the human world, feeding on negative emotions, it was [First Name]’s job to purify and eliminate them.

But they were drawn to her like a moth to the flame because they know…they know this medicine seller isn’t entirely human nor a demon created by Muzan. [First Name] was something else, something she didn’t want others to find out or else she’d have to move again. She was really starting to enjoy living here, at least the outside of it while her shop was located a block away from the udon stand.

Everyone was nice to her, and the kids, at least some of them, liked to learn about the herbs she collected or how to use them. The swordsmen and their spouses would always greet her, asking how her day was going or to be careful on her next trip to search for herbs in the nearby mountains. [First Name] prayed that this monotonous yet peaceful life will continue.

Haganezuka had never noticed the medicine woman until he picked up the old man’s prescription. She wasn’t unusual in appearance or demeanor; [Hair Color] tresses falling past her neck, pulled back in a low ponytail, limpid [Eye Color] orbs. Coiled around her neck on a leather cord was a polished stone necklace with a natural hole in the center of it. She wore a dark green kimono with a yellow obi sprinkled with white spots, the color of the obi matching the ginkgo leaves of her black haori. She wore the same outfit every day. Definitely not unusual unless you’re from a noble house or rich enough to have more than two sets of clothes.

That brat Kotetsu seemed to like her well enough; he’d seen him and some of the other kids help her gather herbs in exchange for sweets, but she didn’t let them go too far in the mountains, only at the foot or surrounding fields. She acted as a mentor or chaperone to them, patting their heads when they did a good job and stepping in when things got too heated between them, whether it’s about finding the correct herb or something else a kid would be willingly to fight over with a friend.

The other villagers seemed to like her too. Even Kanamori and his wife, and old man Tecchin. He’d hear snippets of their conversation with the medicine woman, like how Kanamori said these words to her:

“Good morning, [Last Name]! Are you heading to the mountains again?”

“Mm. It shouldn’t take me too long this time though. Morinozuka will be giving birth soon, so I’ll be making another patch of pain reliever when I get back. How is your wife, Kanamori? Is she feeling well today?”

“Much better, thank you!” Kanamori said. “She would like it if you’d join us for dinner this evening.”

“Oh. I don’t to impose -”

“We insist!”

“....All right. I’ll close up early once the work is finished.”

“Wonderful! See you then, [Last Name]!” Kanamori waved good-bye to the medicine woman as she turned away and headed towards the gates, a large lacquered box strapped to her back.

No, he was not spying on them from behind a building. He just happened to be passing by, nothing more than that!

Honestly, Haganezuka isn’t sure what to make of the medicine woman. She was everywhere now - at Tecchin’s estate, traveling the streets to deliver her client’s prescriptions, with the children, and outside of her shop either watering her potted plants or fiddling with the wind chimes.

He wasn’t sure when it started..when she became a distraction.

After returning to the village once he’d completed a delivery, he began to seek out the medicine woman. He wanted to know what she was doing; organizing her wares, dusting those shelves crammed with glass jars filled with fresh or dry plants? What is she eating for lunch? Does she take regular breaks from her work, or did she keep going until the sun had gone down and went home?

If she wasn’t in town or resting at home, he’d immediately assume she went to the mountains and sit outside the sweets shop, munching on mitarashi dango until he saw she’d returned safely.

And he wasn’t doing all of this because he is worried about an unmarried, young woman who practiced medicine venturing out on her own in a dangerous world teeming with flesh-eating demons. Not at all. Clearly if she can handle almost daily trips to the mountains, she can take care of herself! She doesn’t need anyone to look after her.

That’s what he’s been telling himself, so why won’t this weird feeling in his stomach go away? Maybe he was sick…that had to be it. He couldn’t afford to get sick now, he’s got work to do, dammit!

Looks like he really has no choice but to go to the medicine woman’s shop. Get herbs for whatever ailment he’s caught, and see that she is safe and sound in her establishment today. A win-win situation.

However, even after he’d acquired an herbal remedy and took it twice a day as the medicine woman instructed, that bizarre, flip-flopping in his stomach and heart did not go away. If anything, it got worse when he was around her.

He wanted to put all of the blame on her…yet was it really her fault when she hasn’t done anything wrong? Normally he didn’t give a damn what others thought about him whether they were a respected elder or a snot-nosed kid, so what made [First Name] [Last Name] an exception?

The answer to this question came to him at the sweets shop. He had just finished his work for the day and decided to treat himself with several sticks of freshly made mitarashi dango with a cup of green tea, sitting outside on a bench. When he saw the medicine woman pass by with a weary expression on her face, Haganezuka’s body moved on its own, walking towards her and offering the confectionery he was just about to eat. The exhaustion in her eyes perked up at seeing the food in his hand…then uncertainty.

Like she didn’t want to be a burden and take something from someone, even when that person is willing to do so.

That’s probably what pissed him off so much that he pushed not one but two dango sticks into her hands before stomping away. He’d hoped that would be enough to calm his thumping heart, to forget about the medicine woman so he could focus on his craft, but that soft ‘thank you’ tumbled from her mouth to his ears…damn it!

If that hadn’t been enough to piss him off and send him packing to the mountains the following day, it was when Kanamori pressed five coins in his hand, saying the money was from their mutual friend. It was the equivalent of the mitarashi dango and tea plus enough to buy an additional stick of the sticky confectionery.

What is with that woman?!?

He was familiar with the trail up to the bone-white range of craggy cliffs. He’d first pass two rocks stacked on top of each other, followed by the god of safe travels on the right side of the road. He’d briefly pray to it and leave a pretty stone as an offering before continuing the trek.

He’ll soon see the vast evergreen wilderness stretching from the northeast, the scent of pine needles tickling his nose. Within forty minutes of traversing through the muddy road and wet vegetation, he finally entered the mountain’s gaping mouth. Haganezuka inhaled a deep breath, savoring the crisp air and the mild chill in his bones, already feeling so much better than being confined in the village.

Carefully removing the straps of his traveling bag from his shoulders, Haganezuka set it down on the ground and began pulling out the tools needed to carefully mine the ores he used to forge the nichirin swords for his clients without severely damaging the mountain’s interior. Double checking that he had everything he needed, the swordsmith allowed himself to forget the affairs in the outside world and immediately went to work.

He had only removed five very gorgeous pieces of ores when he heard pebbles shifting and sliding coming from inside the cave…as he recalled, he is the only one here. He paused for a moment, reaiming still as a statue for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, resuming the task of obtaining a sixth ore. He braced himself, ready to stand up and find another spot when he heard a low growl. Thinking it was a bear that had made the noise earlier, the swordsmith braced himself for evasive maneuvers and an escape route as he shifted a leg backwards. But when he looked up…all he could see, no, feel, was warmth. A burning sensation.

Turning around, his eyes widened in horror and confusion as his gaze fell upon the largest lizard he’d ever seen in his entire life. Its obsidian scales glowed beneath the flame that began at the crown of its head to the tip of its tail. Amber orbs flashed dangerously as it stared darkly at him.

For whatever reason, this thing was pissed.

In his shock, he barely managed to dodge a swipe of its claws when it raised its right leg towards him. His clothes weren’t torn, but his mask shattered onto the ground. Haganezuka rolled away to dodge another attack, though this time those claws dug into his back and it fucking hurt.

He pushed his body upwards, scrambling to put some distance between himself and this lizard as the latter crawled towards him, snapping its jaws and the earth beneath its feet melting. He felt his heart hammer rapidly in his chest as its throat began to emit an iridescent glow, growing brighter and brighter behind its rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“Get down!”

He snapped out of his trance, his eyes widening in shock and confusion as he saw the medicine woman race towards him and the lizard. The thing turned around too, its jaws widening and ready to attack when [First Name] threw a small, circular orb with greenish liquid sloshing inside right into the creature’s mouth. It screeched, throwing its head back as thick wisps of black smoke erupted between its teeth, body swaying until it collapsed into a boneless heap on the ground, right by his feet.

Although flushed and slightly out of breath, the medicine woman looked incredibly relieved before she looked at him with a pinched brow, anxiety and concern darkening her eyes as she kneeled by his side, removing the large medicine box from her back, setting it down and began opening its drawers, pulling out bandages, herbs, scissors, and tiny glass vials.

“Thank goodness I made it in time before something happened to you, Haganezuka. Are you alright? Did the salamander bite you? Hm, doesn’t look like it. No damage to your arms or front. Let me see your back. Oh, no. Oh dear, this is not good. I’ll need to use some of this and that, and bandage you up until we get back to the village. Haganezuka, I need you to stay as still as possible for me while I apply this medicine on, all right? It’ll sting, and it might hurt, but that’s a good sign. If the salamander’s claw had dug any deeper, it would’ve been a much more serious injury.”

He couldn’t speak, his eyes darting between her and the…salamander as the confusion in his mind deepened until he couldn’t contain his frustration and yelled, “What the hell is going on here?!”

She blinked, more startled at his raised voice than annoyed or terrified before she sighed, standing up with her supplies and kneeled behind him. “That was a salamander. As you saw, it can breathe fire like the dragons from those Western fairy tales. I’ve put it to sleep with a draught, but there’s no need to worry now. It’ll be out for several hours. Though, in theory they aren’t supposed to even be here. They normally live at a higher altitude in the mountains or make their nests around volcanoes.” She glanced over at the slumbering beast. “The fact there’s one here is alarming. No one from the village will be safe until it can be safely removed….and its babies.”

“Babies?!”

“Mm. The black ones are female. The scales of their mates are much brighter and colorful…no, more ostentatious. Almost like a peacock’s feathers. Beautiful to entice a potential partner in a dance, but not at all durable. Still…the fact that it showed itself to you….it must have wanted you to see something.”

“It wanted me to see something?” He asked, releasing a low hiss as he felt a stinging, white-hot sensation spread across his back. The medicine woman quickly apologized, squeezing his shoulder briefly before resuming her treatment. “Salamanders cannot be seen by normal humans because they are creatures attuned to magic. They’re what you’d call a ‘neighbor’. As for what it wanted you to see…I don’t know.” She said, carefully lowering his shirt once the bandages were secured around the torso. Her brow furrowed in contemplation.

“She might have known you weren’t a threat, but got scared when you were getting too close to her nest. If you respect the neighbors, they will respect you in turn. There. All done. Now, we need to get you out of here. Are you able to walk all right on your own?”

He nodded, standing up immediately before he hissed in pain. “Yeah. By the way…you’re not gonna stay here with this salamander, are you?” He asked. She might have knocked it out with that potion, but he was not going to leave her in the mountain by herself. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth, and Kanamori would get pissed at him for supposedly abandoning the medicine woman when that is far from the truth.

She shook her head. “No. Believe me, I want to help the salamander and its children…but this is a job I can’t do alone. Once we get back to the village, I’ll need to inform Lord Tecchin of the situation and get in contact with a few friends.”

Hagenezuka sighed, running a hand through his bangs when he saw something glistening on the salamander’s right leg. He raised his brow. “Oi. Is that….a chain?” He said. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw [First Name]’s face tense. She walked quickly to where the creature laid on the ground, only to take a step backwards when bright, orange blood began to drip down its scaly appendage. She examined it closely, leaning forward. He watched in confusion as the shine in those [Eye Color] orbs darken. Whatever she saw, he could tell that the medicine woman was angry. This is the first time he’d ever seen her like this.

She then stood up, walking past him, collecting his tools and bags, handing them to him before grabbing her medicine box, hoisting the straps over her shoulders. “We need to go while there’s still daylight left. Salamander blood is highly toxic and as you probably saw, resembles lava. It’ll burn anything it comes in contact with.”

He scowled. He didn’t like being kept in the dark and he knew that this is neither the time nor the place to interrogate the medicine woman. He quickly guided her out of the mountain, following the trail back towards the village. To his surprise, [First Name] went into more detail about these ‘neighbors’. They could not be seen by normal humans, but those that could see them were either chosen to be seen…or selected as its next meal.

The tales about them, the ones that parents told their children to keep out of mischief, held some truth. As she had explained earlier, by respecting the neighbors, they will respect you in return. But the ones who grow in strength by feeding off of negative emotions were the most dangerous ones of all: ayakashi.

She can see and converse with these entities because she is a Sleigh Beggy. The simplest explanation of a Sleigh Beggy is a queen bee, drawing others towards her unintentionally because of the power she possessed. The wind chimes around her shop and home were wards designed to keep out the neighbors and ayakashi. If either of these supernatural entities would try to harm the villagers, it was her job to slay the latter and chase out the former.

As enlightening as this conversation is, Haganezuka only just became more confused. “Right…but what was that shackle doing on the salamander? You said it shouldn’t even be here in the first place. Don’t try to deny it, you were pissed when you saw that thing on its leg.”

He did not miss how her shoulders stiffened nor the quickened pace in her stride. Was she still angry? Or was she nervous? Instead of interrogating her further, he decided to keep his mouth shut and just wait to see if anything happened. Several minutes later, his patience paid off when she inhaled through her nose, exhaling deeply before she shakily answered him.

“That shackle…it was engraved with the crest that I recognize. That salamander was from an illegal auction house. Instead of dealing with rare antiquities or other items that might draw in a very rich nobleman…the auction house sells neighbors. From fairies in the West to mermaids from the oceans, they’ll offer anything their client’s heart desires. But these people aren’t just buying exotic pets to brag about…they’re selling them as magical ingredients for potions, and even weapons to protect their household.”

Haganezuka was torn between feeling sick to his stomach and ready to hit something, but he forced himself to calm down.”And how do you know so much about that auction house?” He asked, gritting his teeth.

She must have misunderstood his anger being directed towards her and not the despicable people would even think about selling these animals, no, neighbors, to the public so long as they could afford it, because she stopped walking. Her face paled, her eyes were wide with anxiety, and she was trembling like a leaf ready to fall off from a branch.

He took a step forward and cupped her cheek, using his thumb to tilt her chin upwards so she’d look at him straight in the eye when she answered him….if she was even ready to do that. As far as she might be concerned, they barely interacted with each other until now. When he noticed the color in her face turn magenta, he felt his own face burn with embarrassment as soon as he remembered his broken mask laid in pieces inside the mountain.

[First Name] swallowed, placing a palm over the hand that was on her face before she whispered softly. “Because…I had been there… as merchandise. I was the last item of the day, ready to be sold to the highest bidder for whoever wanted a new weapon, a new pet…or a bedside companion. I was young. Fourteen, fifteen years old. The one who bought me was my master. He rescued me, gave me a home, and taught me everything I know about the neighbors, the ayakashi, and…things about myself I still hadn’t been ready to accept. It’s thanks to him that I’ve grown to become who I am today, and the people I’ve met along the way…they’re amazing. I never knew that this world was so big, still so full of wonderful things to see and learn even when it may seem like bad karma is around every corner.”

Haganezuka felt his heart twist uncomfortably. She had been through a lot, probably just as much as the Kamado boy and his little sister…no, that wasn’t right nor fair to compare the suffering and the pains that these three have been through, separately or whatever made damned sense. He just…didn’t think that someone who smiled sincerely at others carried the responsibility to protect them from unseen forces beyond their comprehension. He hesitated for only a moment, pulling his hand away from her face to cradle the back of her head while the other palm rested on his left shoulder. He felt [First Name] stiffen at the sudden contact, then sagged against him.

She eventually pushed away, looking at him with a hesitant smile before she nervously rubbed the stone necklace. He watched as she swallowed nervously then turned away from him, trembling fingers starting to rub to the back of her neck.

“Unfortunately, despite my mentor’s immense power, this is something he could never erase. The auction house…they had a very unique tracking system. Even when the merchandise is bought, a tracking spell will be forever embedded even when the customer is satisfied. Think of it as….a fail safe if their purchase ever decided to escape and couldn’t be found by normal magical methods. No matter where I go or how far I was from him, the master would always be able to find me.”

Haganezuka frowned, opening his mouth to ask what she was talking about when the medicine woman pushed up [Hair Color] tresses, revealing an uneven, dark patch of skin shaped like a serpent eating its tail….no. Wait. This wasn’t something caused from being burned by the sun. He realized. This was created by a branding iron. The medicine woman had been marked like livestock.

As if she had lesser rights as a human simply because she had been bought by her master. This had to be the same mark she saw on the salamander’s shackle.

He didn’t know how long he couldn’t breathe or think…whatever he was feeling right now, it felt even more intense than the rage and frustration when he found out that Tanjiro had broken or lost another sword. The only way he had snapped out of it was when he felt [First Name] gently touch his forearm, looking up at him with concern.

Then for the second time today, he hugged her but it didn’t last as long this time. They had to get to the old man, and fast. That was his excuse. Haganezuka didn’t know what the fuck possessed him to act like this but damn it she’d better not breathe a word about this to Kanamori.

Not. A. Word.

[First Name] immediately informed Lord Tecchin of the situation once Haganezuka was left in the care of the elder’s doctor. She had, in so many words, explained there was an unidentified poisonous herb growing inside the mountains. Until she is able to determine its toxicity and create an antidote, it was too dangerous for the other swordsmiths to go there. If they require ores for their work, she will be more than happy to collect what they need so long as they stay in the village for three to five days.

Including Haganezuka, Lord Tecchin is the only other person aware of her true nature though this is only possible…because he had met the master so many years ago, when he had been a foolish and young apprentice. She did not know the extent of their history, only that her master saved Lord Tecchin from a fate worse than death at the hands of a shapeshifting ayakashi.

Now older and wiser, his main priority was the safety of the swordsmiths and their families. Lord Tecchin immediately sent word out to them all to remain within the village until further notice. She thanked him profusely for listening to her selfish request before departing his residence to make the necessary preparations to handle the situation. She’d asked about Haganezuka, but the tiny man reassured her that the ill-tempered swordsmith is in good hands, so there was nothing to worry about.

[First Name] checked on him early the following morning at his workshed before she left the village to meet up with the acquaintances she had contacted to safely relocate the salamander and its babies from the mountains. She did use a little of her magic to speed up his recovery once she finished applying more medicine to the lacerations on his back, and she hoped he never found out the truth about Sleigh Beggys.

The less he knew, the better it would be for both of them.

Haganezuka couldn’t believe he’d actually done it. He had gotten to the market and purchased a gift for the medicine seller with help from Kanamori’s wife. He told them it was because he felt gratitude towards her for helping him in the mountains, but that is it! Nothing more!

He inhaled a deep breath, grateful that he’d been able to find a new mask so that no one could see just how red his face was right now, standing outside of the medicine seller’s shop. He glanced down at the item in his hands. A potted plant with pale pink flowers. She should like them…right?

His grip on it tightened slightly before he stepped forward, pushing the shoji door open. He called out to her, and she heard him, yelling from the back that she’ll be right there. He heard the pitter-patter of sandals tapping against wooden floors, followed by a string of apologies as she stepped into the light, greeting him with a smile. He wouldn’t have minded so much if he hadn’t been caught off guard with how exhausted she looked; dark circles under her eyes, her fingers smeared with ink, and even the front of her pristine apron had seen better days. Is she really all right? She had kept her promise and gotten the salamander relocated to a sanctuary within three days, unless something else was troubling her?

“Sorry about that, Haganezuka. How can I help you today?” She said as if she didn’t look like shit.

He felt his eyelid begin to twitch rapidly. “What the hell is wrong with you?! When’s the last time you slept? Don’t you dare tell me that I work too much on my swords when you look like you’re about to pass out right now! That’s it! Where do you keep tea leaves in this place?!” He immediately began looking around the shop, irritation boiling in his veins as his gaze followed the verdant overgrowth of herbs to a dark wooden cabinet sitting just beneath the window. He scanned the labels on the first shelf, and to his dismay, there were just remedial plants. Nothing that can be used to boil water and make tea for the overworked medicine woman. When he looked back at her, there was a stunned look on her face. Why the fuck did she seem so surprised that someone’s actually worried about her?!

“Why aren't you sitting down yet?!”

“Haganezuka, there are no chairs to sit in here except for the back of the shop, which serves as my workstation.” [First Name] replied softly with a small smile. “I’m still studying the effects of the salamander’s blood samples that I collected, and I’m quite close to producing an antidote. I appreciate your concern, Haganezuka, and I promise I’ll make myself some tea when I go home tonight.”

He pouted behind his mask. Suppose that is fair. He’d never eat or drink in his workshed unless he sat outside on the veranda with sticks of his precious mitarashi dango, which itself was a rare moment of relaxation for him. Instead of trying to argue with her further, he just held up the pot for her to take. He felt his heart race at seeing her smile widen, stretching her small hands and taking the gift from him…

Chink.

His eyes immediately went to her wrist, where he saw the pieces of a jade bracelet crumbled onto the floor. [First Name]’s eyes widened before her complexion turned a sickly green, her hands trembling rapidly before they loosened their grip on the potted plant. It shattered immediately upon impact, soil and flowers flung in different directions as she lurched forward, hands coming to her mouth as blood spilled between her fingers. She pulled her palms away, looking up at the blood dripping from them in shock before staring at him.

“Huh?”

He watched in horror as she fell backwards and he immediately sprung towards her, barely managing to catch the medicine woman before she landed on the floor. He carefully lowered them to the ground. With one hand cradling the back of her head and the other around her waist, he shouted at her. “Oi, [Last Name], [Last Name]! [First Name]?! Answer me, dammit, this isn’t funny! [First Name]!”

Haganezuka stiffened when he received no answer from the medicine woman. Heart hammering in his ears and sweat beginning to form on his brow, he shakily inhaled a deep breath through his nose, then exhaled with his mouth. As he performed this calming method, he replayed the sound that wind chimes made in his mind for several moments until he could think clearly. He steadied himself, knees bending slowly as he lifted himself and [First Name] off of the ground. He turned, ready to bolt to Doctor Adashino’s hut but his feet stopped moving when he saw a figure blocking the shop’s entrance.

It was a boy, probably no older than fifteen summers, with lightly tanned skin and black hair with bright green eyes peeking from under sweeping bangs. He was dressed in different shades of charcoal, as if he were conjured from the darkness itself; from the yukata that draped over his broad shoulders to the socks and geta sandals on his feet. The swordsmith did not know why but there was something about this brat that rubbed him the wrong way.

“What do you want?” Haganezuka snapped, pulling the medicine woman closer to his body. The stranger didn’t seem to notice him, instead he gazed sadly at [First Name], sighing forlornly.

“You’ve done it again, haven’t you my dear?” He murmured. “You do have a way of causing chaos, even when you have the best intentions in mind for those around you. When will you become selfish and worry about yourself first?” Shaking his head, the boy turned his gaze to him, eyes glowing in the darkness of the shop. “Give me the child.”

Haganezuka felt his left eye twitch. “What?”

“I do not have time to squabble nor do I wish to waste my energy on you,” The stranger snapped, pointing at [First Name]. “She has collapsed from magical overexertion. She must be treated immediately, or her chances of survival will grow thinner. Sleigh Beggy children are not as strong as they used to be.”

A tremor of shock blitzed through his body at the stranger’s words, though thankfully it wasn’t so obvious with his mask on. “How do you know who she is?” He demanded, his mind scrambling with anxiety and memories he could barely recall in this situation, what he’d learned from the medicine woman when they walked away from the mountains that day. “You can’t be a demon. They can’t roam freely in the sunlight as apparently you’re able to, you’re not drooling at the sight of her blood, and they don’t know anything about Sleigh Beggys. Or ayakashi. They can’t be seen by others unless they want to be seen. So who are you? Are you a neighbor, some spirit that pities her? Or are you someone else?”

“Watch your tongue, boy -”

“Where did you buy her?” Haganezuka asked suddenly. The stranger went silent, raising a brow. “When and how did you find out what she is? Did she ask for her freedom or was that bought too?” The swordsmith said, firing question after question. The stranger looked at him with an expression of exasperation and annoyance, his eyes flashing yellow for only a brief moment.

“For a mere human who had survived the salamander’s wrath, you’re quite arrogant, but fine. I’ll play along.” He said. “I found out who she was from the moment she stepped onto the stage of the Fleeting Petals auction house in Kyoto’s business district, just when spring had arrived. A respectable antique shop during the day, and once a year, the only place in this country where you can find more than enough items to start a private army or create your own harem, whatever suited the customer’s desires so long as the money rolled in to pay the price. She was the evening’s final item, and I had gotten into a bidding war with two other contenders for her. An alchemist from the East, and a samurai. Both wanted a weapon, I needed an apprentice. It is through me that she knows everything about the ayakashi and medicine.” He crossed his arms. “Is that enough? Give me the child, now.”

Haganezuka ran his tongue over his bottom lip, heart quickening. There is no doubt that this is the master who had bought [First Name]’s freedom. How else would this bastard answer his questions so flawlessly, or even know where she is? The mark on her neck has magic that makes it easy for him to track her down, and it was the one thing he could not remove with all of the powers he possessed. When the shop suddenly became darker, he glanced around, and felt himself grow pale. On the wooden wall closest to him was a looming, horned shadow whose body stretched all the way to the ceiling. It stared down at him with luminous, bone-white orbs.

No. He didn’t want to give her away. He didn’t want her to go -

He yowled when the shadow suddenly peeled itself from the ceiling, grabbing the medicine woman from his arms before turning towards the master. Now cradling his apprentice close to him even when it looked absolutely bizarre for a child to carry a grown woman, bright green eyes stared at him.

“I don’t know why she has revealed her secret to you…but you must be something special. Regardless, she will return home with me. You will look after her house while we’re gone. No, I cannot tell you when she will return. This is the length of my generosity, human. Do not disappoint me.” The master and [First Name] were suddenly enveloped in billowing clouds of smoke, disappearing from Haganezuka’s sight.

It was only a moment later that the swordsmith realized there was a sudden eruption of noise coming from outside, people chattering and some distant echo of hammers slamming against metal.

The front door had been opened this whole time.

Taglist:

@saltyfruitbat

@13rurururi

@myrisan-melodies

@praisethesuuun

@sketchlove

#chise!reader #an idyllic novelist #kimetsu no yaiba #kny x female reader #kny x reader #kny headcanons #demon slayer #demon slayer headcanons #hotaru haganezuka demon slayer #hotaru haganezuka #hotaru haganezuka x reader #ancient magus bride #collaboration #collab work #mahoutsukai no yome #kny haganezuka #kny au

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an-idyllic-novelist · 1 year ago

Text

Hotaru Haganezuka with Chise!reader headcanons 🎐🪴

Warnings: OOC, aged up!reader (will be in their late twenties), foul language from Hotaru, and the setting takes place five years before the main plot of Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer, so Hotaru will be 32 years old instead of his canon age, 37.

Here it is everyone, the finale of the two part collaboration with @deathmetalunicorn1 featuring the character!reader as Chise Hatori from the anime/manga series, The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

For those who haven’t read the first part, the link will here.

Our inspiration came from the maginificent Haganezuka x reader comic created by @yuki2sksksk. Check it out guys, it is amazing!

With that being said, sit back, relax and enjoy :)

PART THREE LINK IS HERE

PART TWO : A PLACE TO RETURN TO

She was gone. Vanished without a trace in the arms of something that wasn’t human and only he knew about it. Haganezuka couldn’t breathe. He felt light-headed, the air knocked out of his lungs and the world spinning as he struggled to keep himself together. Pulling his body off of the floor, he winced when a loud crack resounded in his ear. He looked down petals, soil, and clay pieces right by his feet, a large fragment inches from slicing through the bottom of his right sandal.

Haganezuka’s chest tightened even further at the sight before…he felt something snap. He did not know how or why, but the force of whatever he was feeling made him scramble across the room, looking for something, anything to keep him grounded. Then from the corner of his eye, he saw an iron key half buried in a hydrangea plant. The key to [First Name]’s shop. Grabbing it, he briskly towards the entrance, swiveling on his heel and locking up the place before sprinting down the street.

Civilians and swordsmen alike dove to the opposite side of the road upon seeing him but he could not find himself to give a shit as he passed them all, skidding to a halt in front of the private room where he knew Tecchin would be resting until dinnertime.

He yelled, pushing the shoji door open with enough strength to knock it off of the tracks. “Old man!” Haganezuka did not even both remove his sandals as he stepped inside nor cared about the surprised and exasperated expression that Tecchin was throwing at him.

“Hotaru! What is the meaning of -” It took him three steps to be in front of the old man, and he kneeled down to Tecchin’s level as his hands clamped down on those frail shoulders that used to hold him as a child.

“She’s gone!”

“Who is gone, Hotaru?” Tecchin pressed.

“[First Name]!” Haganezuka snapped, his voice growing shaky. “She- she was taken by this brat with dark hair and green eyes. He had a horned shadow th-that grabbed her. He called [First Name] his child! A-And he said that she’d almost killed herself again.” He stared at Tecchin long and hard through his mask. “Old man, she told me you knew him as the master, and that’s what…I think that is the one who took her. I asked him questions -”

“You spoke to him?” Tecchin squeaked.

“I wasn’t going to let some stranger take her away!” Haganzeuka growled. “You, I, and everyone in this village....she’s helped us all but we know so little about her. What she told me about herself…only the one who bought her freedom would know. And that brat….he knew everything. Where he got her, How he knew what she truly was, even why he purchased her! But he took her, and said she’ll come back when she’s ready!”

Haganezuka jolted. He looked down and saw Tecchin’s trembling hands resting on top of his own. He watched the old man closely, his chest rising and falling shakily before he spoke.

“Hotaru, my dear, dear boy.” Tecchin squeezed his palms. “The medicine woman’s master…he is someone who never comes down from his mountain unless it involves two matters: purifying ayakashi, and his apprentice. If he had come to her shop and taken her as you say he did, then consider yourself fortunate that you even saw it happen, because he has the ability to stop time, if only for a few moments. He could have just done that and taken her away and you would have never realized it.” He inhaled a deep breath. “As of right now…we cannot tell anyone about what happened. Should anyone say something, [First Name] received an urgent summons to one of the cities…that there is an outbreak of an unknown disease and she will not return until it has been resolved.”

“But -”

We cannot scare the villagers about things they will not understand or accept as we have, Hotaru. You know that. We cannot waver. Not now.”

Haganezuka swallowed a sob, trying to hold back the tears prickling the corner of his eyes…but they just came out, warm and wet, slipping down his face. He didn’t even stop Tecchin from removing his mask. “She’s gone…She’s gone, and all that person told me was…to look after her home! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT WHEN SHE’S DYING?!”

Tecchin did not say anything. He just sat in the room with him, squeezing his hands until Haganezuka felt he couldn’t cry anymore. Now…now he just felt…numb. He stood up from the floor, bowing to the old man and murmuring an apology before he trudged towards the sliding door. Tecchin then called out to him. He glanced over his shoulder. “What?”

“[First Name]’s house…it is on the outskirts of the village, in the east. My servant will fetch the spare key that she’d entrusted with me so that you may use it. Tend to her shop as needed, since he is the one who had told you to take care of her home. Please wait by the stairs.”

Haganezuka blinked, then nodded before he left the room, closing the door behind him. By the time he’d made it to the entryway of the old man’s residence, there was a servant already there. He just took the key and left without saying another word. When he looked up at the sky, it was still early in the afternoon. He had time to at least look around the place before heading back to his own home before nightfall settled in.

Her home was about a quarter mile, the forest nestled right behind it. It was small with large sliding panel doors. The perfect size for an unmarried woman living on her own. Using the key Tecchin had given him, it slid into the front door and allowed him to push it to the right. Sliding his shoes off, he stepped inside, and he was immediately greeted by the pungent scent of herbs and soil. It was similar to how he’d entered her shop for the first time….but there was something else here. It felt…warm. Cozy even.

When he rounded the corner, however, he did not expect to see an enclosed courtyard in the center of the room, sunshine leaking from a square-shaped hole in the ceiling and shining down on rocks, plants, and flowers or how the hallway extended even further, leading to a corridor. Haganezuka blinked. He then exited the house, stepping outside to glance at the exterior before walking back inside. It wasn’t possible for a place like this to be tripled in size when it looked so small from the outside! Unless…

He pushed up his mask, scowling at the throbbing sensation pulsing on the side of his head. “It has to be the magic that [First Name] talked about. There’s just no other possible explanation for this…to even happen.” He sighed, and then continued to walk around the empty house. The wooden floors stretched towards the living room, where an irori stood in the middle, a kettle suspended over rotted wood and sand. There were four seating cushions around the outer area, most likely set up for any guests she might have had.

Walking past it and through the double sliding doors, Haganezuka found the kitchen with dry goods kept in wooden baskets. No doubt the water jug is outside, and probably needed to be changed out sooner than later. The ladle to scoop the water out might also require a good scrubbing too. Probably the bathroom too, unless it was an outside one. He began to make a mental list of what needed to be done and what could wait as he went from room to room. The sitting area was covered in a light layer of dust, the futons in the bedroom would need to be washed…and there was a second room connected to it? And it was an office?!

Books and journals laid on tatami mats as twin towers leaning precariously against each other, with a small desk covered in scrolls and an ink stone set on the right side with a ink brush and a zaisu. Haganezuka turned to leave and explore what other secrets were to be discovered when something flashed from the corner of his eye. He paused, and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes widened at the sight of a piece of jade, round in shape with a perfect circle in the center and tied with a leather cord. Excluding the color, it was an exact replica of the one [First Name] wore.

He stepped forward and carefully lifted it from the desk, cradling it in the center of his palm. He felt grief swelling up inside of him again, and he bit his bottom lip until he could taste his blood. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he held it up and yelped, instantly dropping the necklace and watching it fall onto the floor with a low ‘thud’. His heart raced against his chest. Something…something was in the center of the stone. He saw something.

Exhaling a shaky breath, he kneeled down and picked up the stone, looking right through it. What he saw is…well, there’s really no way he can explain it. There were tiny, female human-shaped creatures with multi-colored feathered wings and big, black eyes staring at him with smiles that had pointy teeth sticking out.

“Such a funny man wearing a funny mask!” One of them giggled, performing a small circle in the air, flapping her verdant wings. “I wonder if our sweetie knows him?” Another scoffed, one with violet tresses and wings, as she crossed her arms.

“Obviously he knows him, sister. We all know our dear child never allows no one to come into her home unless it involves an emergency with a patient. He hasn’t screamed or run from us yet, so she must have told him about us. He has earned her trust.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you someone we can trust, human?”

Haganezuka gulped, knowing at this very moment, he needed to be careful with his words or he had a feeling that these….things will do anything in their power to prevent from carrying out the job he’d been given by the one who hid in the mountains.

“[First Name]...she is someone who is important to me. This morning, she was taken away by someone like you…except he has a horned shadow and green eyes. He told me to take care of this place until she returned. Have you heard of him?” He asked.

They looked at him with expressions ranging from shock to worry to fear before they gathered together, huddling and whispering to each other in low, soft voices for a few moments until the green-haired one spoke to him again. “If what you’re saying is true, then our sweetie must have been much weaker than we had thought after she had dealt with relocating the salamander. The Horned Hermit likes to isolate himself up in those cold cliffs, so for him to come and get her….she must be very, very sick.”

“The Horned Hermit?” Haganezuka repeated.

“That’s what we call him,” One of them chirped, pulling away from the group and landing right on his shoulder. “He’s had many names over the centuries, and they are all so dull.” He looked down at her.

“And…you’re neighbors, right?”

“My, my, you are an intelligent one!” She said, beaming up at him. “Now that I think about it, you must be the human she had rescued from the salamander! That explains why you know so much about us! Our sweetie doesn’t tell us much about the humans she’s treated…but she does smile when she speaks about the one who had given her a few sticks of mitarashi dango when he didn’t have to. You must be very special if the Horned King wants you to look after her home. I hope you’ll keep us entertained until she comes back, young one~!”

All right, now he knew they were teasing him.

“So…if you’ve been visiting or staying here, then you must know where everything or anything I need to know about this house, right?”

The violet-haired one stared at him long and hard before she sighed, drifting towards one of his hands. He immediately expanded his fingers, and she sat on the edge of it with a huff. “The first rule about the neighbors is that nothing is free. We will tell you what we know…we just expect fair payment in exchange.”

Haganezuka remembered [First Name] mentioning that something cannot be made from nothing; in simpler terms, the foundation of magic revolved around give and take. To need something, a payment of equal value must be exchanged. For example, if someone asked one of these….little ones to do something for them, then they require an offering for their services. In this case, they wanted sweets. The best that the village had.

Fair enough. He thought, turning away from them. “All right, I’ll bring some back. Give me about an hour or so.” He said. They cheered loudly, the echo of their jubilation bouncing off the halls and even to the front door as Haganezuka slipped on his shoes and locked up the house.

Within the time he had promised, the swordsmith bought a lot of the best sweets in bulk and snarled at the owner when he asked why in the world he needed so many at once, stomping back to the house. He was not going to get conned by these neighbors, damn it! Too many sweets is better than bringing back too little and then he’d be broke and have no idea how to take care of [First Name]’s house!

They quickly scarfed the plates of sweets as soon as he set them down in the kitchen on plates he found near the stove, not leaving a single crumb behind. Once they had their fill, the green-haired one introduced herself and her sisters as Ariels; they are neighbors, fairies with control over the winds though they hate being addressed by the latter term because it’s such a ' dull name’. They stay here from summer to fall and travel back home when winter comes. Since they had found a child of magic in this part of the world, there was harm in being friendly with [First Name]; Like what he’d just done now, he respected and paid them with sweets.

Now they will return the favor.

Since Haganezuka had already seen the house already, they showed him where everything is; cleaning supplies, the location of the water jug, garden tools to use for the inner courtyard, etc, etc. They also showed him two rooms in the very back, locked and covered in paper seals. These were not to be opened while [First Name] was away under any circumstances, they stressed. One of them had disobeyed this rule and snuck in to see what secrets [First Name] could possibly be hiding. It ended with a cursed ink painting of a bakeneko nearly been released into the world, no doubt to seek revenge on the monk who had sealed it away, and entrusted this dangerous artifact to [First Name] due to her experience in handling such things.

That was the first and only time that they had ever seen their sweetie so incredibly angry. The culprit was punished, and no one has gone near these rooms since. The doors, however, need to be blessed once a month with a special solution to preserve the wards. They will teach him it, of course, for an extra serving of mitarashi dango.

Haganezuka felt a shudder of dread crawl down his spine. Shit. They were not teasing him. They were serious. He stiffly walked out of the corridor, swearing to never set foot in either room unless it was to perform another blessing ritual from the inside.

Although he would have been content with being a glorified housekeeper and gardener, making sure everything is nice and neat when [First Name] returned home, the Ariels regretfully (or not) informed him that those won’t be his only tasks around here. He had to spread salt outside and around the house’s perimeter, at dawn and at dusk. He’d also have to buy or make them, the Ariels, more offerings and for any other neighbor who might stop by, plus wipe down the wind chimes in the courtyard with salt water.

It’s a lot to do, they know, but these rituals were necessary. They prevented the ayakashi or any other unwanted guests from entering the house and possibly causing harm to their sweetie…and now, him. The tasks at night-time were shorter, if it made Haganezuka feel better. But it didn’t, though he grudgingly understood the importance of this daily routine.

[First Name] had to do this every day, including running her shop and traveling up the mountains? No wonder she always looked tired. He felt his face heat up from behind his mask when they all stared at him as if he were the village idiot.

“What?” He hissed.

The green-haired one shook her head. “We’re not making fun of you, dearie. Our sweetie must seem exhausted when you see her, but when we see her, she doesn’t tire out from performing these rituals….she simply uses too much magic that the human body cannot handle all at once, even if she is a Sleigh Beggy. But if you’re really curious about them, you can find everything in her office, she always keeps her books there. Now, let’s get started while there’s still daylight~!”

And that’s what happened in the coming days. Every morning and night, he went to the house to perform the rituals and make offerings to the neighbors. Yes, you heard him. He fucking made the sweets because buying them in bulk had burned through most of his extra income from two last-minute jobs. He had to lie to Kanamori's wife and say he wanted to make mitarashi dango because he was tired of buying it all of the time.

The Ariels seemed to like his offerings…and his company.

They helped with some of the chores, pointing out where stuff went and so on. After he cleaned the house, tending to the garden in the courtyard is his next job; weeding, plucking herbs carefully from the soil, preserving them in jars or carefully bundling them together with string and placing them in the storehouse. The Ariel who’d be with him always reminded him to make sure he labeled the jars so it would be easier on him and their sweetie to find whatever needed in a pinch. After the wind chimes were wiped down and the salt was spread around the house, it would be time for him to go home.

The Ariels would thank him for his hard work, and one of them would go with him as an escort just in case there was an unpleasant neighbor lurking around at night. Fortunately, nothing has happened yet.

In between handling his client’s swords, eating, and sleeping, he would read. Every time he went to the house, he would take journals from there - two of them. One about the neighbors, the ‘research pile’ and one of [First Name]’s personal diaries. He read about her earlier years with the master and the difference of legends regarding the origins on the nue and tengen, all at once. It fascinated and terrified and angered him, reading those meticulous ink strokes. She was strong and reckless, intelligent and kind, but never once had she been truly selfish when her body is so weak.

A Sleigh Beggy can absorb magic at an incredible rate, but it’s really no different from a weak heart and there’s too much blood in the body. It was no wonder, thinking back on it, why the Horned Hermit was upset when he took his apprentice away from the village. And that comment on how Sleigh Beggys aren't as strong as they used to be.

Then he found the last entry she had written, dated three days before she vanished. He felt fury boiling in his veins as he tightly gripped the diary in his hands on the eve of the last day of summer. She…she had used her magic to accelerate his healing?! Idiot! He screamed in his head. You didn’t have to do that, I was fine so why did you still-?!

But he already knew the answer. She did it because she knew she could, even if it would backfire on her one day. Haganezuka bit his lip, feeling the tears well up behind his eyes again. Shit, shit, shit! He furiously wiped them away with the back of his hand and closed the diary, succumbing to a fitful sleep that made him cranky the very next day.

As the weeks grew longer, the night-time air began to cool and the leaves fell from their branches. He kept himself as busy as he could with his work and looking after [First Name]’s home, but there is yet to be any sign of her returning home. Then one cold morning when he opened up his window to let in some fresh air, Haganezuka saw…fluffy clouds with tiny black legs and pale blue wings floating around? Huh? Glancing around his room, he quickly found one of the journals and flipped through the pages until he found an illustration of the neighbor he can see right now.

Wooly bug, not a neighbor. Closer to animals. Migrating from the West as the Ariels and other ‘neighbors’, they are not too picky about the offerings. They seem to prefer rice balls. Their bodies absorb the cold air, which allows fleece to grow. Normally populates in high numbers during the summer. Fleece can be sold as a magical item or put under a pillow to ensure good dreams. Note - they are very rarely seen by humans, so even most people with magical talent do not know they even exist and mistake the wooly bug’s fleece for the fur of a baku, which is in fact a rare and HIGHLY dangerous neighbor.

For more information on baku, refer to page 45.

That was when he heard a squeak. Looking up from the page he’d been reading, he yelped in surprise when one of the wooly bugs suddenly appeared in front of him, causing him to drop the journal. He swore, kneeling down to pick it up from the floor when the wooly bug grabbed it first, holding the notebook in its snout.

Haganezuka blinked. Then, very, very slowly, he took the journal from it. “....Thank you.” He murmured, wondering already how many rice balls should he give to it when it just pressed its soft body against his right shoulder. When he tried to push it away, the wooly bug began to squeak incessantly until he hugged it back with his spare arm.

Well…it’s definitely warm. They were going to be nice to have around with the winter approaching very quickly.

Before he realized it, the Ariels bade him good-bye after he had served them their final offerings of sweets for the day. It was time for them to return home and celebrate the coming of winter in their kingdom. They were surprised to see a wooly bug attached to him, but they knew it would be in good hands. They did advise him to shear them before they migrated home in spring, should he wish, so that healthy new fleece could grow back.

Throughout the winter, Haganezuka alternated time in his workshed and [First Name]’s home. Now he knew where everything was located and what to do, including the blessings in that damned corridor, the tasks seemed less laborious now that he’s comfortable with doing the rituals on his own without any help. He also had two fluffy companions that curled up with him as he read more of [First Name]’s research journals. He learned about all the herbs and plants that grew around the mountains and the village. In all honesty, he had no idea there were so many of them with practical uses.

When a fever broke out in the village, Haganezuka had been the only one who didn’t get sick. He offered to go out and get what the village doctor needed to treat his patients. Tecchin and the doctor were shocked that he’d not only did the task, but also acquired herbs that were extremely hard to find in winter just in case they were needed.

Haganezuka tried to brush the praise as not a big deal, but the damned old man would let it go that his precious son was growing up into a fine, young man.

Once the house and his work was finished for the day, he made time whenever he could to tend to the shop. It wasn’t easy to do so, though Kanamori and his wife were more than happy to do most of the upkeep whenever he got saddled with too much work. At the very least, when Haganezuka couldn’t tend to the potted plants and trim away their leaves or throw out any moldy herbs, he wiped down the wind chimes with salt water.

The shop still remained closed, but he and Kanamori made sure it was also clean when [First Name] returned.

There wasn’t a day when Haganezuka’s thoughts drifted towards the medicine woman. He wondered if she woke up, if she’s eating well and taking medicine, if she’s resting when she’s supposed to be doing under the Horned Hermit’s instructions and getting stronger in the mountains. He tried to be optimistic…but it was starting to get harder and harder to cling to that hope in the darkest time of the year.

Days blurred together, bleeding into weeks until the first breeze of spring arrived. The wooly bugs migrated back to the west, but two of them decided to remain by his side. He didn’t mind their company since they were…adorable, and kept out of his way when he worked. One of them loved sitting on top of his head or on his shoulder.

Haganezuka remained diligent in his work and looked after the house and the shop.

Then, one week after the New Year had been rung in…she returned.

He had been tending to the garden, trying to preserve the herbs that had barely survive the frostbite that blew through the village with the wooly bugs curled up close to him when he heard the pitter-patter of bare feet pressing against the floor….except that no one should be in the house because the wards were still active. No ayakashi should be able to get in, and he had performed the monthly blessings.

Could it have been Kanamori or Tecchin showing up unannounced to check on him again? Haganezuka growled, feeling his temper about to boil over when he looked up from his work, ready to shout at whoever was here when the words got stuck in his throat. His grip on the spade in his right hand fell onto the snow-covered dirt with a low thud.

[First Name] was standing right in front of him, smiling softly…and dressed in the worst kimono he’d ever seen on a person, feeling his right eye beginning to twitch.

It was black with golden eyes on the sleeves and a dark red obi wrapped around her waist with more golden swirls etched on the fabric. She wore billowing dark blue pants underneath it, and wooden geta sandals. Her lower legs were covered in leg bandages.

He opened his mouth to argue at her attire…then stopped himself and decided not to give a damn. He stood up and swept her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “You’re home.” He whispered shakily, carding a hand through her hair, which had gotten longer in the past year since she’s been gone, just to make sure that it isn’t a crazy dream and this is all real. Haganezuka felt his heart begin to hammer wildly against his rib cage upon feeling her quivering arms coil around his waist and whisper softly in his ear, her voice low and tired…and relieved.

“I am.”

#an idyllic novelist #chise!reader #hotaru haganezuka x reader #hotaru haganezuka demon slayer #hotaru haganezuka #fem reader #kny x reader #kny x female reader #kny headcanons #demon slayer headcanons #collab work #collaboration #kny haganezuka #kny au #demon slayer #ancient magus bride #mahoutsukai no yome

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