Original au.
Genya is 16 and Muichiro is 14.

🎋☁️🎋☁️🎋

It was a late afternoon, Genya was walking away from the villa of the wind; he and his brother had just quarreled and Sanemi kicked him out.
Now he was heading to the butterfly mansion, where all his friends, Inosuke, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Kanao and Aoi were, so he would probably be welcome.

As he walked kicking the stones that were in the way, he heard noises coming from behind one of the demon slayers' abodes.

Driven by curiosity, the boy approached and looked through a bamboo hedge: there were two hashira training by fighting each other, using the bokuto.

One of them was the snake pillar, Iguro Obanai, a cold man, who only had human feelings for Oyakata-sama and Mitsiri Kanroji, the love pillar.

The other knew him: he was Muichiro Tokito, the mist hashira, a 14 year old boy.
Genya thought about how much work he would have to go through to become a hashira a few months after first wielding the katana.

Genya watched in awe as the two fought, their movements so fluid, their katana strikes so perfect.

This lasted for about a quarter of an hour, until both hashira's bokuto split at the same time.
Then the two stopped and said something Genya couldn't hear, then they walked away.

Tokito walked towards the bamboo hedge and when he saw him he stood still for a moment, then smiled at him.
<<Hi Genya! I haven't seen you for a while>> he greeted him, approaching, throwing away the broken bokuto.

<<Hello...>> Genya was surprised that Tokito remembered his name. He had met him for the first time at the ___________ and he didn't seem interested in him at all.

<<Did you watch the training?>> asked the younger one, opening the bottle he had brought with him and taking a sip of water.
<<Yes...you are so amazing...I can't even imagine how hard you had to work to become a hashira in such a short time>>
Tokito smiled, but then his expression changed slightly to a darker one.
<<Yes... it wasn't easy.>> he admitted.
<<Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?>> Genya asked worried.
<<Oh, no! Nothing, really>> Muichiro said, smiling again.

The boy took the elastic he had on his wrist and put it in his mouth, to collect his hair in a high ponytail.
Genya blushed slightly looking at him...

But why was he doing that?! Why had he suddenly started to feel embarrassed?

<<You okay?>>

Muichiro was a boy… so why was Genya feeling like that when he was with girls nearby?
Could he...
No...

<<Genya...?>>
<<Ehh?!>> Genya roused himself all of a sudden.
<<You didn't answer me anymore...>> Tokito looked at him confused.
<<Forgive me, Tokito sama!!>> he exclaimed, bowing his head several times, very embarrassed.

Tokito burst out laughing, a light laugh, like a child.
<<It's fine! But don't call me Tokito...use my name>> he said smiling.
<<... Muichiro?>>
<<Yes!>>
It was strange for Genya to pronounce the name of the pillar, he had never done it before.

<<Uhm, sorry but... Do you know how to reach the butterfly mansion?>> Genya asked.
Muichiro stopped smiling and didn't bother to hide the disappointed expression that appeared on his face.

<<Oh... actually I don't remember>> he admitted in a flat voice.
<<Okay, don't worry>>
<<Why do you ask?>>
<<Because my brother and I had a argument before andiamo he won't let me sleep in the wind mansion tonight. So I thought of going there...>>

<<Uhm…>>
Muichiro looked away.
<<If you want... you can sleep at the mist mansion tonight...>>
Genya was surprised by that proposal and blushed again.

<<Sure... if it's okay with you...>> he muttered.
<<Yes... c'mon, let's go>>

At the mist mansion

The mist mansion was a little smaller than the wind mansion.
Genya looked around until Muichiro asked him: <<Is it okay for you if we sleep in the same room?>>
<<Sure!>>

Genya had realized that, despite having known each other for a very short time, they both had feelings for each other.

<<Here is another futon, arrange it as well, never as if you were in your room. If you don't mind, I'm taking a shower now, if you want later you can too>>
<<Thanks a lot To- that is, Muichiro>>
The two smiled at each other, then hurried to turn away.

🎋☁️🎋☁️🎋

Evening fell and darkness also fell in Muichiro and Genya's room.
The two had continued to talk, about random things, until they agreed that it was better to try to sleep, so Muichiro blew on the lit lantern and the flame went out.

An hour passed without Genya being able to sleep.
He wondered if Muichiro was still awake too, but as far as he knew he slept a lot, so he was probably asleep.

Suddenly, however, Muichiro began to turn over in bed. Genya thought he was dreaming or something, but then he started sobbing.
Genya sat up: Muichiro... was he having a nightmare?

Was he supposed to wake him up?

Before he could do anything though, Muichiro also sat up breathing heavily.
<<Hey!!>>
Genya got up and joined him, kneeling beside him.
Only now did he realize that Muichiro was crying.

<<I'm... I'm s-sorry...>> sobbed rubbing his eyes. <<I didn't want to wake you up!>>

<<Everything is fine... Muichiro!>>
Without thinking, Genya grabbed the youngest and wrapped him in a hug.
He hugged him back, holding on to him as he continued to cry.
<<Shh, it's all right... I'm here>> He whispered stroking his head gently.
<<T-Thank you...>> Muichiro's sobs slowly became quieter.

<<What happened?>> Genya asked him.
<<Nothing important>> Muichiro replied in a low voice.
<<What? You were crying, surely it was important!>>

<<It's not, really!>>
<<Okay... but if you want to talk about it I'm here>>
Muichiro looked up at him and couldn't hold back more tears from sliding down his cheeks.
<<It's that ... I just recently remembered my life before joining the demon slayer corp ... and it was so hard!>> he confessed between sobs.

Genya had stopped caring that he was in love with him, right now he just wanted to make him feel better.
<<Why? What happened?>> he asked, making him lay down on the futon and lying down next to him.

The boy gulped.
<<I... I lived with my family in a forest of ginkgo trees... but then my mother fell ill, a pneumonia generated in tuberculosis. And my father, looking for medicinal herbs for her, went out during a storm... but he fell off a cliff and died... they both died and my brother and I were left alone>>

Muichiro stopped talking. Genya turned to him and brushed a strand of hair from his tear-soaked face.
<<Did you have a brother...?>>
<<Yes... yes, his name was Yuichiro. He was killed by a demon two years after our parents' death.>> Muichiro explained in a low voice.

There was a moment of silence.
Genya didn't even think for a second to say "I'm sorry", because such a phrase could only get on the nerves and not console at all. He knew it.

<<And in these nights>> Muichiro continued to whisper <<Very often I have nightmares in which I see him again, I see my big brother... I see his death>>

Genya held Muichiro close to him and began to gently massage the back of his neck, like Sanemi used to do.
In fact, this seemed to relax Muichiro, who stopped sobbing completely.
<<Muichiro, I understand you... even my childhood was hard>>

Genya told him the story of his life, how their father beat him, his brothers and his mother, how after his death he and Sanemi had to take care of everyone in the house.
And how his older brother had to kill his mother because she became a demon. To protect him.

Muichiro listened to everything with his big blue eyes wide open. when Genya finished speaking, he took his hand from under the covers.
<<We both had a horrible past ... but now we are here>> he commented, smiling weakly.

<<Yes...>> Genya didn't know what else to say. Without thinking too much, he kissed his cheek.
<<Uhm, Genya...>> Muichiro moved closer to him.
<<It's nice to talk to you, you know? I was very pleased. But... would you like...>> Muichiro stopped speaking, too insecure to continue.
Then Genya did it.

<<Do you want to be my boyfriend?>>

A/N
Chapter requested by SaltyNoraDemon
I hope it didn't suck at all :( 💕
The next chapter will be made by a request from Old_Geezer101

Maybe I'll update a little more in the next few days... because I have to prepare for the end of year exams 😭😭
Excuse me!! I will commit!!

Byee❤️