Demonslayer X Male Reader Oneshots Hantengu x Reader

Thanks @MeowsclesSimp for the request!
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I was no stranger to hallucinations and delusions. When I found another demon similar to me in seeing things and always looking over their shoulder, I was ecstatic for someone who understood this feeling. Hantengu wasn’t who I thought he would be though. Unlike me, he was driven by fear and paranoia. Something always seemed to be chasing him according to his mind. My hallucinations were far kinder. I suppose I was lucky that way but it still sucked that Hantengu suffered from it. It shouldn’t have come to anyone’s surprise that I started to dedicate my time to him.

I gently knocked on Hantengu’s door, the bag I carried accidentally brushing against the wood. I cussed under my breath as I heard a familiar whimper from within the room that told me I had already made a mistake. Just the brushing against the door would be enough for him to think some sort of hellhound might be after him even if the thought was ridiculous to anyone else.

“It’s just me Hantengu! I heard you’ve been having really bad episodes so I wanted to stop by and help,” I called through the door, putting my ear up to it to try and hear what he was doing. There was some anxious scrabbling from the other side that sounded suspiciously like he was trying to crawl under his bed without any luck. I let out a sigh, reigning in my patience as I touched the doorknob. Normally, I would never barge into his room for fear of making his episode worse but it seems that he really needed someone this time.

“It’s going to be alright,” I gently stated as I opened the door carefully, poking my head in. Ducking quickly, a vase shattered right where my head had been a mere second before. Porcelain rained onto my hair and clothes as I glared at Hantengu who let out a scream, kicking at his blankets as he tried to cover himself up in fear. I rolled my eyes but managed to keep my cool, stalking closer before ripping off the blanket. That was obviously not the right move as he started wailing.

“Don’t kill me! I’m innocent! I haven’t done anything wrong! Just make it quick, stop torturing me!” he screamed out through his tears. I winced, taking a step back as he frantically trembled in his bed. I decided to take a different route to this situation, digging through my bag and turning my back to him as he sobbed into his pillow, whimpering to himself every now and again.

I pulled out candles and lanterns from my bag, getting to work on making this a comfort space rather than the dark, paranoia cave it was now. It wasn’t helpful that someone like Hantengu was stuck in this place where even I could see the figures standing in the dark corners just waiting to strike. A shiver rolled down my spine but I brushed it off, lighting the candles one by one and placing them in each terrifying corner and crevice.

Minutes passed by with Hantengu still cradling himself under the protection of his blanket. He was still crying and begging for mercy, occasionally gasping as if something had touched him. I felt pity well up in my chest as I strung another lantern up from the ceiling. They were small and dangled like stars. It brought a warm smile to my face and I could only hope that it would make Hantengu feel better as well. There was only one way to find out anyways.

Carefully and slowly walking to the bed, I sat down by the shivering lump and placed my hand on the edge of the blanket. I watched the bump stiffen, his cries growing louder and his pleading becoming more desperate. I sighed before ripping off the blanket, Hantengu being exposed. He let out a scream, his hands wrapping around his head as if afraid of being beheaded. I gingerly shook his shoulder, rubbing his horn slowly till he calmed down enough to look around. The moment he did, his whole demeanor shifted.

“What…is this?” he sniffled in a whisper, sitting up a bit straighter as his red eyes widened. He swiveled his head around, taking in the various candles and lanterns that gently lit up his once dark room. I couldn’t help but smile as he carefully crawled out of his bed and spun around to look at every corner of his room. When he turned his stare to me, it was like he could actually see me for who I was and not a nightmare that plagued him. “Why?” he breathed out, tilting his head slightly as his tears paused their flowing.

“Because I know what you’re going through and I want to keep you happy,” I whispered, patting the spot beside me. He eagerly perked up, something I’ve rarely seen before he clambered by my side. He stretched his legs out, no longer afraid of a monster peeking out to grab him, his head resting in my lap. My hands gently went back to tracing his horns as he deeply inhaled before sighing.

“They aren’t going to find me here, are they?” he whispered, his tears calmly trailing down his permanently agitated face. I smiled warmly at him, shaking my head. He visibly calmed down, only a couple more minutes passing by until he had passed out, not a single whimper coming from him.