Random Kny One Shots [Requests Closed] Smile | {TanKana}

Theme: Angst

Note: Kinda manga spoilers, but idk because it’s sort of reversed roles sooo

And I changed some things so don’t question it if what happened doesn’t add up to the canon events 😭

Tags: @JustBaraa12

– Requested

×××

Muzan had finally died, the sun burning him to dust. Kanao collapsed onto the ground, her adrenaline finally fading. Somewhere in the process of the fight, she had lost an arm. The only reason she hadn’t passed out from the pain—and bloodloss—was the thought that urged her forward, the fact that they were so close and she wanted to live to see Muzan die. To see the man that had brought fury and sorrow and pain to so many people die. She wanted to be a part of the reason of his death. She had to fight till the end.

And then it was the end. 

Several Kakushi were immediately by her side. She could see others starting to tend to the different demon slayers scattered about, helping as many as they could.

And then she saw him there. Tanjiro. 

He was alright. He was laughing, crying, his arms wrapped around Nezuko whom appeared to be human now. Zenitsu was whining about something beside him, a Kakushi holding him up.

Kanao felt her body sag with relief.

One of the Kakushi beside her put a hand to her neck.

“Her pulse is fading,” Kanao heard someone say. It was faint, as if their voice was fading away.

She blinked wearily.

Tanjiro was alright. She could let herself go now. 

She glanced up, one last time, and she smiled. Tanjiro was smiling, talking. He seemed exhausted, but it was over now. He could relax.

Kanao’s eyes fluttered close and she heard faint shouting before everything seemed to fade away, leaving her in a numb state of emptiness. And then she was gone.

×××

Tanjiro nodded to whatever Zenitsu was complaining about, patting him. “You’ll be alright, Zenitsu. If you want, I’m sure the Kakushi could offer you a sedative? They’ll bring you to the Butterfly Estate and care for you,” he said. “They can tend to you while you are asleep, for the most part, I’m sure.”

Zenitsu shook his head defiantly. “Nooo, I’m going to stay awake. Besides, Nezuko-chan is finally human again, she’s so pretty,” he said, giving Nezuko a lopsided smile.

“Right…” Tanjiro murmured. 

“HAH, IT’S JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE WEAK!! I CAN HANDLE A LOOOTTT OF PAIN!” Inosuke declared loudly.

Zenitsu flinched, trying to cover his ears. “Shut up, you idiot!!! You’re going to break my ears,” Zenitsu whined. 

Nezuko patted him and he instantly cheered up.

Tanjiro looked around, his eyes skimming over all of the people around them. Many had died, no doubt a lot of the Hashira as well. He didn’t know how many, of the people he knew, had died, and how many were alive. But he was searching for someone specifically, unable to find her. His nose wasn’t in the best working condition, and he felt light-headed, so that might’ve been the problem.

“Who’re you looking for?” Zenitsu asked, noticing this.

“Ehm… Kanao,” Tanjiro said, turning back to the others.

“Oh. One minute,” Zenitsu said, closing his eyes and concentrating.

Nezuko helped Tanjiro turn, his arm wrapped around her shoulder and hers around his waist.

Zenitsu tapped Tanjiro’s shoulder and the siblings turned back.

“Yes?” 

Zenitsu glanced down. “Uhm… I think I found her.”

“You did?” Tanjiro asked, smiling curiously. 

“Yeah. She’s…” His voice faltered and he opted to just point in the direction.

Tanjiro and Nezuko turned to see Kanao slumped down, several Kakushi surrounding her.

“What… what happened, is she injured badly…?” Tanjiro asked uncertainly.

Zenitsu shook his head. “I don’t… I might be mistaken, since I’m not in the best condition, but… I don’t hear a pulse from her,” he mumbled. 

Fear suddenly took over Tanjiro’s expression and he moved away from Nezuko, stumbling towards Kanao.

Nezuko tried helping him move but he refused her outstretched arms, finding the strength to move to the girl he had wished, of almost all people, to have lived.

He knelt in front of Kanao, a shaky hand reaching out to press against her neck, trying to find a pulse.

One of the Kakushi beside her shook his head, blinking furiously. 

“She didn’t survive. Her pulse stopped a couple minutes ago,” he informed him.

Kanao had on a faint smile pulling at her lips. As if she had died upon seeing something that contented her. 

Tanjiro’s body shook and Nezuko came by his side, holding his hands to steady him.

“No…” Tanjiro mumbled. “Not Kanao… Not Kanao, too…”

Inosuke and Zenitsu had arrived next to them at one point and Zenitsu placed a hand on Tanjiro’s shoulder, the four of them grieving in their own way.

Inosuke looked down at the pale body of Kanao’s, a frown pulling at his lips. “But… she helped me kill Douma…! She was okay!” he insisted. 

Zenitsu shook his head. “It was probably from… from Muzan,” he said quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Tanjiro was whispering, tears pricking his eyes. “I’m sorry, Kanao.”

“Don’t be sorry…” Nezuko said to him. “You did nothing wrong.”

Although she fought tears herself, she embraced her brother, trying to comfort him.

Tanijro leaned against her, a strangled sob escaping his throat. “I didn’t want her to die, too,” he mumbled. “Not her, not her… I… wanted to protect her. But… but I failed.”

Nezuko shook her head. “She got to see everything until the end. The Kakushi told me a little about what had been happening… They said that you had saved her life earlier, when Muzan had almost killed everyone else. That you had come back and saved her before she could be killed straight-away. You didn’t fail her,” she whispered. “She’s smiling, you see? She… died happy.”

Tanjiro shook his head again, as if it would stop the truth from being reality. “I wanted her to live happy,” he mumbled. “To be happy.”

“She was happy,” Nezuko whispered. “Don’t you remember any time she was smiling?”

Images of Kanao flashed through Tanjiro’s mind. Yes, he could remember. But it made it harder for him and he tried to push the memories away. But they continued flooding back to him, pouring into his mind like the tears that stained his cheeks. 

He looked up, shakily, and he could see, though blurry from his tears, the ghost of the smile Kanao wore. 

She had been happy. She had died, but had been happy.

Tanjiro remembered, vaguely, telling Kanao once that her smile was beautiful. That she should smile more.

She had smiled at the end. She had kept her promise to smile.

He took her hand—it was cold, and pale—into his own. She had managed to smile, though so much had happened in the last few hours, she had managed. And so, although it came out more forced, Tanjiro attempted a smile, tears sliding down his face like a waterfall. 

Kanao had told Tanjiro, the day he had encouraged her to smile, that his always seemed to light up his whole face. Seemed to make everyone around him happy.

It was most likely his imagination, but Tanjiro could’ve sworn Kanao’s smile seemed to brighten slightly from where she sat, her life drained away, but her sweet smile still upon her lips.

« Word count: 1178 » 

ermmm

how did i finish this in, like, 23 minutes.

HELP ME WHAT THE FUCK 😭

there’s probably a lot of spelling/grammar mistakes bc of that… but whatever- anywaysss…

okay i ship this now, it’s too cute 🫠 (cries)