"She's with them! If we let her go they're gonna come after us and then we'll all be dead!"

"For the las't time..!"

You continued to determinedly keep your nose within the book you randomly pulled off of the shelf, ignoring every little bit that came from the argument just next door.

The room was peaceful and quiet excluding the silently vibrating guard sitting by the door, once in a while, you'd steal a glance at them, only to accidentally make eye contact and cause the dude to choke on his own throat.

Katakuri's family were very much against the idea of letting you go, nonetheless alive and thriving.. well, as much as you could be with the pace your wounds were recovering at.

You've already forgotten how long they've been at it.. hours, probably? Despite the patriarch's unwavering disposition, the rest weren't willing to let the matter go- which was surprising considering how intimidating he was for the living.

Things didn't look like they were going to change anytime soon until the ghoul finally put his foot down.

"Enough! I am not comfromizing on this! She is my..!" Just as your attention was wholly captured, the words died in his mouth and faded before they even took form, unintentionally planting a seed of apprehension within you.

His what..? How was he going to finish that statement?

You'd never know, as nobody dared oppose him after that outburst, nor did anyone else question that single out-of-place statement.

Later, Katakuri came back in a huff, wordlessly dragging you off into a lush bedroom that you had the sneaking suspicion belonged to his late mother.. if you had any doubts that she was dead before, they were long gone now, as you'd doubt the woman would allow you to go anywhere near her sanctuary.

'Thank you for treating my wounds..'

"You should be thanking Vrulee, she did the rehairing.."

For a brief moment, neither of you had anything to say, and the Charlotte focused mostly on the short casts encircling your wrists with narrowed eyes.

'W'ill that.. heal?"

You pouted at the reminder, wringing your arms gently in a moment of nothing but an empty head, only mildly aware that instead of the usual visions of chains and blood, you could only think of how considerate the other ghoul was being.

'I can only hope, I've never gotten this damaged before..'

With how much it stung to even write that out, you knew for the next few days you'd have to rely on your speech again.

Nonetheless, the statement didn't seem all that reassuring, as Katakuri's mood only soured from then on.

"I see.. tommoraw I'll have the letter ready, so please enjoe your stay for the night"

With a single step taken for the door, the patriarch had a waver of hesitation before turning back to you.

His eyes flitted across you to and fro, as if checking you over or searching for something, you stared back with patience, taking that small moment to soak in his own appearance before startling back into reality when he stretched a hand out.

Your eyes met, and catching something firm inside, you automatically clasped his hand in yours, just mildly appreciating the shared strength you held each other with- which in hindsight should have really put you in unease if anything.

"Sleep well.. you're safe here.."

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You couldn't remember what caused it, but a few hours into the late night, you jolted awake in your sleep, not from fear or in the sense of some dark force approaching but- in reaction to something that you weren't able to place.

For some reason it felt as if someone called you awake but, there was no recollection of having heard a voice.. and even then, the feeling of being unconsciously sent for was permeating your thoughts.

Without any incentive to do so, you crawled out from the soft valleys that were the late Charlotte matriarch's bed and marched right up to the door.

After promptly throwing it open, you gave the hall to your left a quick glance to find Katakuri sitting there in a hunch.

The said ghoul startled at your appearance, "(Y/n).. what are you doing awake?"

You fiddled with the hem of your nightgown, left at a complete lost as to how to sound reasonable while explaining, 'hey an invisible voice that was there but not there kinda guided me outside how about that?'

In the end, you decided to just go out with it, "a hoise h'old meh toh.."

The patriarch rose to an upright position, eyebrows raised not in skeptics, but in an earnest intrigue, "you heard.. oh"

Oh..? He didn't seem to be concerned or surprised, not even hesitant.. it was almost like, he was expectant of this?

"'O you n'o wha this is?" You slumped against the wall beside him, immediately curious as the larger being paused in a search for words.

"I think I know what'chu mean.. it feels kinda n'uted right? Like you can't really feel it unless its.. there"

Your eyes broadened in amazement, "d'ats it! d'ats it! H'at's how it feels!" You began to jump up and down on your butt, almost giddy in your reassurance that you weren't just imagining things.

Katakuri, enjoying your antics- and maybe sharing the same sentiment, smirked affectionately before scuffing your head in a short pet and dragging you into his side, "yes.. I felt the same thing when I went to save you.."

The ghoul then turned to you with a penetrating look, staring right through you in a tone in which his words were firm as stone, "I heard you callin' me.. to c'ave you"

You.. were calling to him..?

"H'en.. 'ere you calling to me ju' now too?"

Katakruri furrowed his brows, unsure, "I don't know.. what did it sound like?"

Instead of answering right away, you took the moment to concentrate hard on the pull, only partially aware that you were scrunching your face up in the process- much to the amusement of your companion if the breathy chuckle deemed as much.

"It feel l'ike.. you.. 'onely.." just as you opened your eyes to peer at him in awe, the breathy chuckle was lost, and a frozen expression took root in the ghoul's features.

He turned to the floor with a hard look, contemplative and almost bitter in nature, yet you could only feel a wave of sadness emit from his slouched figure.

Katakuri scratched the back of his neck with a sigh, "yeah.. I guess I was.. lonely.." the words were small and uttered in weak puffs, a timid admission that almost seemed forbidden to acknowledge out here in the open.

"Neah-.." you opened your mouth to prod at the issue, only to think better of it and say nothing of it.

The Charlotte didn't seem to mind your silence, "its not your f'ault.." his eyes shook with an unspoken melancholy, "they were always distant.. or, m'aybe I was, either way it didn't get any worse than it always has been.. it's just more o'vious now"

Without being needed to be told, you leaned up and wrapped your fellow ghoul in a hug, one that he half returned with his free arm and used to hold you tight.

The two of you spent a while like that, huddled close for comfort, whispering garbled bleats that neither of you could quite understand- however, there was a bright and warm meaning exchanged behind every sound, each one leaving you content.

"Ish l'aeee.. w'e shou'd see'h"

Katakuri groaned in agreement, but made no move to get up.

"Don't wanna go 'vack.." was the only explanation given.

You hummed, no longer completely awake as your cold body began to build up heat alongside Katakuri's, "ooome, shhleep wiih mee.."

It wasn't long after saying those words that you promptly passed out in his arms, not being able to hear whatever he said in response- if he said anything in response, you were completely dead to the world until day hit the next morning.

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"You drool in your shleep.."

Bolting up in alarm at the observation, you immediately raised your hands to your maw and wrinkled your nose in disgust to find that- yes, you were in fact drooling in your sleep, if your saliva caked chin was anything to go by.

"Sowwy.." stubbornly trying to wipe it away with your wrists, you gave Katakuri a side glance, slouching in relief to find him free of the slick.

At least none of it got on him, that would have been humiliating.

"You're getting yourself dirty.. here" Katakuri then proceeded to spoon you into his lap, and with the corner of the blanket, began to wipe away the offending spittle with small flicks of the wrist.

You didn't know if he was conscious of the intimacy in the act, or just oblivious to such customs- or maybe now that the two of you were dead, he couldn't feel the weight of such things anymore, either way, a soft rolling heat bundled in your stomach.

With how large and full he felt against your back, he felt like.. Kidd.

There was the abrupt reminder of who exactly you were lying with, the same man who- weeks ago, was on the same side that killed your stupid himbo redhead.

Instead of the usual rage and loss, the wash of emotions that filled you only made you confused and sickly.

It was so easy to hate before, to pin the blame on something far out of your reach and understanding.. but now that you've spent this time with Katakuri, actually sat down and talked with him, got saved by him even.

What came with it was the knowledge that he didn't deserve any of that from you, and the one who did was already dead, by his hand no less.

"What's wrong?"

You were startled out of your stupor by a firm hand to the shoulder, weighty and firm as it was, it made you squeak sharply from the throat, only adding to your embarrassment.

Crowing dumbly in response, you looked over your shoulder and stared the other in the eyes with a blank look.

"I could f'eel you gettin' ufset, what's wrong?"

Instead of answering, you distracted yourself by grabbing ahold of his wrist with your teeth, and began gently nibbling upon it like a baby with its teether- even despite his soft protests, you kept firm to his appendage with a single-mindedness that put you at ease.

Katakuri seemed off put by your change in behavior at first, but after getting used to the feeling of canines prodding against his fragile bone, it was apparent that he was ticklish.

And that became an entirely separate issue.

"Okay! Okay! H'lease stop! It tickles! It tickles- ahhh!"

By the time he started to shriek like a bloody animal you lost your composure and burst into a bundle of laughter, consequentially releasing the captive and allowing him to shy away from you.

Katakuri just huffed to himself, unimpressed with your mischievousness- or maybe just how much you got off to his reactions, "iff you're done causing a ruckus, I'm gonna go write that letter now.. and you should get ready to leave.."

Yesterday, that reminder might've put you in a rut of hesitation.

It would be hard to face everyone again after failing them.. again, and to be honest it was getting really frustrating how easily others were getting to you.. but now.

Watching as Katakuri left the room without another word, you smiled as a plethora of emotions flitted through your subconscious, none originating from yourself- but still warmly met with a steadying understanding.

You felt.. stronger, somehow, like things were going to be different for real from now on.