~3rd Person POV~ 

By the time of her 20th birthday, Mizuki was determined to put an end to these hallucinations. Clearly, they were getting rather out of hand. It wasn't right, and it certainly wasn't healthy. However, if she truly was hallucinating, Mizuki's imagination had done little to no justice to the beauty of the man she grew up with.

Even still, regardless of how wild her imagination got in the past, she was a grown woman now and had enough sense to know that imaginary Tengen should not have been able to touch anything in the real world. So, she could only watch in stunned silence as he knelt in front of her, reached his hand out, and picked up her sword from where it clattered to the ground moments prior. He examined it in the dim moonlight, and just as quickly as he knelt, he stood, flipped the sword so the blade was aimed at his person, and offered it back to its owner.

He only offered her a quaint smile. "You know, you should never drop your weapon. What if I was a demon?" he chided, "You don't intend to fight empty-handed do you?"

Mizuki barely had enough strength to take the blade from him with her shaking hands and nearly dropped it again from how sweaty her palms were becoming. Although her hallucinations had granted her the strange perception of hearing his voice when it was not there, the sound of his voice then was nothing compared to what she was hearing now. It was so close there was no mistaking it. He was not just a figment of her imagination anymore. No, he was real again.

Now, Mizuki wasn't the only one to be surprised here. Uzui was shocked as well, if not more so than Mizuki. And for all the right reasons.

He was not, however, surprised by the fact that the girl was there. No. The information about the possibility of that occurrence was already provided to him. In fact, he was expecting to run into her sooner or later. That didn't mean he was any more prepared to speak to her though.

Uzui, had been strongly overwhelmed by the heterochromia girl's behavior upon seeing him. Never before had he seen her so paralyzed by his presence. And the fact had sent him nearly over the moon with joy for he had dreaded a bad reaction upon the time of their reunion. Seeing that he could have such an effect on the usually confident girl gave him the confidence to keep talking. However, he decided to give her time to gather herself first.

When she finally was able to pull herself from her stupor, Mizuki squared her shoulders and put the blade back in its sheath, "You know I don't need one."

He chuckled.

Oh, what an enthralling sound of nature that had become, for the sound of his laughter was still sending shivers down her spine and brought her incomprehensible joy. His smile made her smile and his laughter made her want to laugh. When he wasn't laughing, she did not like to think aboutF. A sad and serious Tengen was unusual, strange, and devoid of all the joy he deserved to have in his life. And even though she had not realized when that happened or how Tengen's joy became hers, she had decided it did not matter the when or the how, she simply knew it made her happy and she wanted more.

His laughter was a reminder that he was truly alive. That their efforts to survive had not been for nothing. And it wasn't to say that Mizuki's family did not bring her joy. She loved her family and cherished every moment she had with them. Especially having the experiences to learn that time is of the essence and every passing second with your family must be taken advantage of to laugh and love...but never take it for granted. Lossing her parents had been a sheer reminder of that.

Her time with Uzui was no different. It was time she was not to waste, but as to not lose him in the sense that he could walk away out of disinterest or fear. Because losing him, someone that she had grown so close to, would also break her heart in ways that would not have been possible if she had never met him at all.

"I see you're still as adorably bold and strong as ever." Then, he looked down, letting out a sigh, "I've missed that."

Mizuki was still hooked on her high of finally meeting her old friend that she had completely missed the second half of his statement. Partially it was also her denial of the fact that he could have possibly missed her, and she barely wanted to go into why she doubted him. So, she settled on a different question.

"How did you—" she paused to lower her gaze when it had reached too high for her comfort, "How did you know I'd be here?"

Uzui frowned, but he was thankful for the question. It had given him time to think and recuperate. "Well...I did, but I didn't. I knew you'd be here at headquarters. But I didn't know you'd be out taking a midnight walk."

There was something similar to laughter in his tone. But Mizuki was so distracted with trying to identify the difference between fantasy and reality that she couldn't see what he was really saying. But one thing had registered.

"Y-you...You were the hashira that was missing from today's meeting?"

Mizuki was astonished, and when he nodded his reply, she nearly fell over. Of all the things that she imagined him doing in his future when they parted, becoming the best of the best was not one of them. It was not that she didn't think he was capable of being a hashira. She believed that Kagaya had made no mistakes and each Demon Slayer was picked out with caution. And she knew of his skill and potential. Having trained with him every day gave her that knowledge. Even still, she was stunned to silence yet at the same time she was proud of him. Happy for his ability to get to where he did.

"You knew I was supposed to be here today?" Mizuki questioned.

"Of course! I'd be kind of ridiculous if I didn't don't you think? As a hashira, I am expected to attend meetings such as the one I missed today. Sadly, I couldn't put off my mission till later even I tried. So I settled for being fashionably late." Mizuki had nearly missed the brief wink he gave her before he would continue his story, "But I'm sure one of the others will fill me in on any missed information if Oyakata cannot do so himself."

Mizuki shifted her weight over from one foot to the other, "Did he not tell you why he requested my siblings and my own presence here?"

He shrugged, "It was quite a bummer. But I would have figured he wouldn't, given all that is known about you. The reason is pretty obvious don't you think? With abilities and sword skills as flamboyant as your own, it would be a shame if there were no one to acknowledge it."

Then, suddenly Mizuki chuckled to herself. Tengen's smile didn't fade from his features, but he was curious what the girl had been thinking. Mizuki only shook her head.

"When I said you'd have your whole life to figure out who you are and what you want to do with yourself you really took that and ran with it didn't you? I mean, you're a hashira now... That's amazing."

Tengen only shrugged again, "What can I say? For someone like you, it was pretty good advice."

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you've always been one to cause trouble you know? Gather unwanted attention," he replied and nearly chuckled when she rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, I do not cause trouble..." she grumbled, "...Intentionally."

"Riiight, because trouble finds you  hm?" Tengen mused bending over to look at her better in the light, "As if that's any better."

It had been so long since she had seen his face that she almost didn't want to look at it so up close. Mizuki sharply turned her face away from his closeness and rolled her eyes, "Says the one who bedazzled their demon slayer uniform."

"It's not bedazzled." Tengen snipped, "Its ornamental gems from my family clan."

"Mhmm...The same clan that would have worked you until you dropped dead and still hunts me and my siblings down to this day with a strong desire to put my head on a stick. Very sentimental."

Tengen was silent for a moment, and for a second. Mizuki worried that she said something that she shouldn't have. But he shocked her when he chuckled. 

"You're lucky I like you," he muttered.

"Just saying the truth."

Tengen nodded. His gaze dropped to the ground beneath him as he lowered his voice to a whisper, "They've been that much of a problem huh? My family?"

Mizuki looked up at him. Her lips curve into a wry smile, "Just a bit...But we managed." 

"Well, it seems like you and your siblings have caused some drama since we last saw each other. Getting a personal call back from the master is a big thing, you know? Have you been good?"

"What do you mean?" Mizuki frowned.

"You know, haven't pissed off the other hashira?"

Mizuki cringed at this, "I tried not to, but you know Ryuichi, he'll bark at and bite anything that pisses him off...And it seems that they still need some time accepting the whole...demonic transformation thing."

"That would make sense..." Tengen replied shaking his head. "Strangely enough I doubt that Ryuichi's attitude will ever get him killed. I'm sure I'll get a kick out of watching him and sanemi clash. What a flamboyant show that would be hm?"

Mizuki frowned and crossed her arms watching Tengen, "Let me guess, Sanemi is the white-haired one? With all the scars?"

"That's him." then Tengen frowned, "Although I could be wrong. They might just get along well. Since they are similar in a lot of ways. They frighten the demons just as much as Muzan does."

Mizuki chuckled and shook her head, "That is true... But I shouldn't talk. I'm causing trouble just being out here right now."

"I bet you are." he hummed. 

Mizuki shook her head and sighed completely focusing her gaze on the ground. They were silent for a while and Mizuki did not know what to say to him. Uzui himself had spent the last few minutes staring at the girl as though she was a beautiful mirage, and spewed whatever nonsensical answers to her questions had come to mind. Of course, he wanted to give her as many solid answers as possible, and he felt that he had succeeded in that. However, his attention remained constantly on the girl standing in front of him. And he took in every single detail that had either changed, grown, or remained the same about her. As he scanned her form, the movement of her hands caught his eye.

"I see...So you've kept it all those years."

Mizuki furrowed her brow, "Kept what?"

Uzui frowned and took a step closer, "Don't play dumb Mizuki. You know what I'm talking about."

Mizuki followed Tengen's gaze. But when her eyes stopped on the small box in her hands, she instinctively moved to conceal it from Tengen's gaze with her body, but it was to no avail. He had seen it and closed the space between them faster than she could blink. She tripped on something in her attempt to widen the space between them, but Tengen had seen that too. He dropped to one knee and took her hands in his own to steady her shaking form before she could move away from his reach.

And he held her there.

"Tell me..." he started, with almost no detectable strain or exhaustion in his tone, "Have you opened it since that day?"

Mizuki could only shake her head, but she had told the truth. Since the day he left it in her pillow that night seven years ago, she had not opened it.

"Excellent...I've counted on that being the case." He had not looked away from her until now. The brief freedom from his gaze allowed her to look up when he spoke again, "Do you remember what is written on the inside?"

Mizuki was far from trusting her voice again. She swallowed hard and restrained herself to a simple nod.

Tengen then released one of her arms from his grasp and extended it to her, palm up, "Give it to me."

The girl frowned. Why would he want it back? She was obviously given the box for a reason. Right? So, why now should she give it back? Did it not belong to her? Uzui saw the confusion written on her face and he fixed her with a look that said there was no way she could have been this clueless. Because the answer was obvious, however, there was a crucial point she was missing. Yes, the ring was most certainly hers.

But not quite just yet.

"You know you can't propose to yourself, right?"

Mizuki made a sound similar to a strangled squeak. How could she have missed that key detail?! The box in her hands should have been a constant reminder that that was always his end goal. Yet she completely glanced over it! Mizuki found herself growing frustrated. How could he propose to her now?! This was completely uncalled for. She had to force the butterflies that developed in her to dissipate instantly and any kind of joy or excitement had to be forced down to the point of being indetectable. This was incredibly wrong on so many levels! How could he propose to her?! Some girl he met years ago behind the backs of his three wives?!

The thought made her lightheaded and dizzy to the point of nausea. She stood abruptly and stumbled backward. In her dizziness, she hadn't even realized that Uzui had lessened his grip on her to actually allow her to stand.

"No...y-you can't..." she stumbled backward, "You can't...W-What about your wives? This is wrong...You can't do this to me. Do you have any idea what kind of position you put me in by asking me to marry you?! Y-You can't do this Tengen." Uzui watched her cautiously. He noticed her instability and refused to be so far from her that he couldn't break her fall should she trip again.

"Mizuki I—"

"No, Tengen!" she took another step back.

"No..."

Uzui was dumbstruck. The last time he had felt this frustrated was during the moments before they parted. And it felt that with every step she took back, she was slipping further and further away from him. And he refused to feel that kind of pain all over again. Not if he had anything to do about it.

Tengen stepped towards her in quick, long strides. She was loving and liberating, but she was infuriating when she was like this and he just wanted to drag her back down to earth and ground her with him forever. That way she could never leave. Tengen reached out and took hold of her wrist, spun her around, and halted all her movement. His arm kept a stronghold on her back and was like an iron brace to keep her steady and pressed right against his body. She could feel his chest rising and falling, the warmth of his body radiating off him and covering her. The beat of his heart was rapid but slowed when he realized she was no longer trying to run. Mizuki looked up.

It was only then that she actually looked directly at his face. And she found herself paralyzed by the features she observed in the dim moonlight. The light had truly glanced off his porcelain skin and made it glitter, she had doubted he saw a similar image when looking at her. He was beautiful. There was nothing that would change her mind about that fact. Not even when he had dried blood smeared on his face. The face, which was seemingly perfect, even when small blood clotted lacerations streaked its planes. She found herself getting lost in observing the small cuts and bruises that broke his perfect skin and she, without thinking, traced these areas gently with her fingertips. She had felt him shudder at the touch and she quickly brought her eyes back to his own. She trailed her hand up to his arm and slowly she reached his face. Her small hand ghosted over his cheek casting a shadow over his face.

The feel of his hand on her own that ghosted over his face was what broke her from her trance, and she lowered her hand.

"You're injured," she whispered.

"But looking at you and feeling your touch has eased my pain. Why did you stop?"

Mizuki blushed and looked away, "You should return home. I cannot imagine how worried your wives must be."

Tengen felt another wave of frustration. He put his hand on her cheek and forced her attention back to him. He was tired of her bringing up "his wives" all the time and quite frankly he was wondering when she'd stop. He figured having been apart might make her think less about them. But it seems to have had the opposite effect. So when Mizuki started to open her mouth to continue, he pressed his palm against the small of her back, pulled her form even closer, and tightened his grip on her body.

The space between their lips was so small. She could hardly breathe.

"Shut up...Please..."

Mizuki could only stare at him in shock as her mind had drawn a blank. Her focus was reduced to keeping the distance between their lips; any more movement and their lips would have touched. Her only option was to let him continue.

"I will be forever sorry that we had to part the way we did." Mizuki looked up and watched as the expression on his face became pained."If there were any other way to have done it, I would have taken it. But there was no other choice but to run away. I had to leave. We had to be apart. It was the only way to keep the targets off our backs even if it was just for a few years. So when I found out you became a demon slayer with your siblings and Kagaya had requested your presence at Headquarters I was overjoyed. I had never been so happy in my life." His words were debilitating but Mizuki found herself on cloud 9 as she listened in silence,

"I wanted to surprise you since I wasn't going to be able to come to the meeting earlier. And strangely enough, I wasn't sure If I would know what to say when I met you again. I wasn't even sure if you'd care." Then he laughed. It was a soft lighthearted sound, a complete contrast from the tone in his voice, "Never in my life did I think I could feel that way. Concern for how someone might receive me? To hell with what they see! I make it clear the kind of offense it is to see anything other than divine greatness when they see me...Yet here I was, dreading the possibility of running into some girl's beloved family as I was sure that they'd tell you of my return."

"But instead," he paused and caressed her cheek with his thumb, making soft gentle strokes along her skin. The soothing gestures he made with his hands on her body made her want to melt in his arms and stay there forever, and he was willing to do that all day if he could. After all, this was the first time he had ever gotten the chance to hold her this close. No interference, no hesitation. He was lucky she didn't have the presence of mind to push him away. Although knowing her, he wouldn't be too shocked if she did,

"You were waiting for me right when I came back. And even if you didn't mean to, you've made this process a whole lot easier for me."

"Your presence is enough to shock me every time, Tengen. Whether I get a heads-up or not. Besides, even though this wasn't planned, I have always been waiting for you. From