THE FIRST TIME RUI saw how much pain kanna was in from the lack of marechi blood truly reminded him of how true her words rang at that one summer festival.

though it was a regular occurrence for the upper moons, particularly one, two, and three, rui couldn't help but feel displeased at his lack of success in finding the blue spider lily for the lady of this fortress.

although six years have passed, and rui searched every night for it, he would return empty-handed with a present frown on his face.

yet kanna never seemed to blame him for his failure. in fact, she always comforted rui, which was almost odd considering it should've been the other way around.

after rui's battle with ubume a few years back, muzan did indeed recognize his talent and potential. hence, he granted rui special permission to stay by kanna's side, as long as he continued to flourish in strength.

"lady kanna, your conditions seemed to have worsened this time round", akaza stated.

     rui was only allow a quick peek before he was swindled away by dōma, who had taken rui with him on his search for a marechi human per kanna's request.

kanna didn't want rui to witness her pain, despite him begging to stay by her side.

"it was bound to happen", kanna coughed, as she attempted to slip out of her futon much to akaza's dismay.

     "lady kanna, you won't recover from moving around while your body's still at its weakest", the upper moon cautioned.

     "laying in bed only weakens my spirit", kanna rebutted.

akaza kept quiet as he watched kanna maneuver towards her table, where various threads were sprawled out across the wooden surface in an organized manner.

     propped up on the center of the table was a frame-like structure, stretching the ebony-black fabric across all sides to create a smooth platform for kanna to weave over and under.

     akaza didn't understand where the urgency stemmed from, for kanna had decades to waste on such a project.

yet he didn't seem to mind either, for it gave him an opportunity to relax a bit.

     the two demons didn't need to converse much like dōma did with kanna.

     akaza could sit beside the woman and simply watch her sew for hours. had she not been paler than usual with sweat staining her forehead and neck, he probably would've been more at ease.

     the upper moon intently stared at the design kanna was embroidering onto the black fabric, not able to make anything out of it yet.

     "what're you making?", akaza questioned.

     "secret", kanna weakly smiled.

     akaza raised a brow and scoffed. however, he couldn't help but notice some thin strands of hair sticking to the nape of kanna's neck and the side of her jawline.

     it was bothersome, so much so, that akaza was prompted to relieve the woman of such discomfort by bundling her hair up.

     "may you grab the silver hairpin on my vanity please?", kanna asked, seemingly to have read the upper moon's mind.

     akaza complied, twirling the lily hairpin that muzan had gifted kanna years ago between his pointer finger and thumb.

     "well? won't you help me put it on? I thought that was the reason you were burning your eyes into my skull", the demoness teased.

"I-I wasn't!", upper moon three defensively denied.

"then my apologies for being overly presumptuous", kanna sighed, stopping her sewing midway as she turned around to face the upper moon.

"it's...fine...", akaza mumbled, taking a seat behind the woman this time, as he hesitantly gathered all of the woman's hair.

almost as if it were natural for him, akaza leisurely combed back kanna's hair and skillfully twisted it into a low bun. he secured his work using the lily hairpin, which did indeed bring some relief to the woman's flushed neck.

though kanna wasn't even trying to tempt him, the back of akaza's hand was inclined to press against the nape of the demoness's neck.

kanna flinched upon the sudden coldness, to which akaza was quick to retreat to the opposite side of the table.

in an instant, the door to kanna's room had slid open, revealing none other then the demon king himself.

the air immediately tensed for akaza. kanna had a way with allowing them to lower their guards around her, whilst muzan was the complete opposite — suffocating them to the point that they feel as if they're not worthy of breathing in his gracious presence.

"have you been alive for so long that you've forgotten the basics on how to care for an ill person?", muzan chastised.

     "my apolo—"

     "please don't blame him, my lord. it was I that wished to sit up and sew", kanna explained.

     muzan's eyes narrowed at the upper moon before dismissing him from his sight. akaza instantly complied, as he closed the door behind him after giving kanna one last glance.

it left almost a bitter taste in his mouth, yet he could not figure out what it was that elicited such a response.

     "you too should know better", muzan reprimanded, as he took a seat beside the fatigued woman.

     "staying in bed for days drains me even quicker", the demoness reasoned.

     muzan acknowledged the woman's response with a quiet hum before noticing a little demon missing.

     "where's he? he rarely ever leaves your side".

     "rui's out hunting with dōma. I didn't wish for him to witness me like this", kanna frowned, placing her hand against her chest as she attempted to hold back a cough.

     muzan handed kanna a handkerchief, to which the woman had graciously accepted and incidentally tainted it with some blood.

     "I don't recall your condition being this bad", the demon king frowned, as he watched kanna dab away the blood that had slipped through the corners of her mouth.

     muzan tossed the dirty fabric onto the table, as he observed kanna physically for any other symptoms.

"have you been consuming their flesh?"

when the demon king was met with silence, a bubbling fury seemed to rise in him.

"kanna".

"I cannot force myself to devour it, my lord. it's unappetizing", kanna stated.

"does your insolent mind wish to send me into rage? I spent years creating concoctions that could aid your health, yet you yourself, do nothing productive in increasing your longevity!"

"I appreciate your efforts, my lord. I really do. however, human flesh is not easy for me to stomach", the demoness frowned.

"you will cease to exist if you keep this up", muzan warned.

"that's alright...I've lived a few centuries too long anyways", kanna humored, to which she suspected that the demon king did not appreciate her little joke.

"be truthful with me", he stated, for he hasn't been able to read kanna's mind since their unfortunate encounter with yoriichi.

"how much longer does this body of yours have?"

     "perhaps another half decade or so, my lord. give or take".

     an evident disappointment sprawled across muzan's face, leaving kanna no choice but to tug on the hem of his suit.

"muzan-sama, may I at least be enveloped in your embrace as you continue to berate me for my unsound choices?"

     "do whatever you please, since that's clearly how you like to live", muzan bitterly uttered.

     kanna flashed the man a feeble smile before crawling into his lap, leaning her side against his comforting chest so that her hair stayed in a neat bun.

     her face pressed against his shoulder, as her hand rhythmically patted the demon progenitor's chest.

"being so angry all the time doesn't strengthen your own health, my lord".

"if you all weren't so incompetent, perhaps I wouldn't be so furious all the time", muzan retorted, his arms eventually snaking around the woman's body.

"despite being so, you still keep us around", kanna lightly chuckled, as she felt muzan lean the side of his jawline against the top of her head.

"it makes finding the blue spider lily easier. nothing more, nothing less".

"speaking of which...what does my lord plan on doing once he finds it?"

     kanna never bothered asking, for regardless of what muzan chose to do afterwards, she already had an ending planned out for them. however, her curiosity stemmed from their incomparable closeness, prompting her to take a gamble with her question.

     "I'll disband the twelve kizuki, and live my life like I've always wanted to".

"and how does my lord wish to live?"

that question stumped muzan for a bit, for the demon king was always so focused on reaching his goal that he never gave much thought on what came after it.

perhaps it was his way not getting ahead of himself, but all he knew was that he'd wish to live normally amongst the other humans.

he didn't necessarily crave world domination nor the idea of becoming a ruler.

he supposed that if he had conquered the sun, the very first thing he'd do would be to bathe in the sun's precious rays. he'd do all his daily activities and take a stroll through the gardens under the sun. he'd shop and loiter around stalls under the sun to ease his boredom. he'd harvest and grow new plants under the sun to further his knowledge in a scientific manner.

but most importantly, he'd do all that under the sun, with someone he could spend the rest of eternity with.

and the thought of being a father and husband, like all the other humans, weaved across his mind briefly before dispersing into nothingness.

"to live normally", was muzan's answer.

he didn't need to explain himself any further, for kanna knew exactly what he meant. she's been with him long enough to know, and she planned on being with him for as long as she lived.

"then I wish nothing more for my lord to find the blue spider lily", kanna whispered, "may you find a wife to your liking and bare healthy children that can play in the fields with you".

     "you speak as if you will not stay beside me", muzan commented.

     kanna lifted her head so that she could make out whether muzan was being serious or not.

     "I assumed that my lord would wish to cut all ties with the rest of us, for we do not serve any more purpose after finding the blue spider lily".

     "I said I'd disband the twelve kizuki. you are not a part of them, are you?", muzan quizzed.

     "neither is nakime. is my lord implying that he'll have two wiv—"

muzan squished the woman's face, promptly stopping her from speaking any further.

"you're becoming so bold, kanna. did I say I'd take you as my wife?"

his gaze wasn't threatening. it was almost teasing in a sense.

kanna wiggled her face out of muzan's hand, as she slightly turned her head away from the man.

"so you're implying that I shall watch as you breed another woman and make a home with her? that's not very courteous of you, my lord", the demoness pouted.

a mellifluous laugh seeped into the room, to which kanna hadn't heard this sound in a very, very long time. 

     the demoness turned her head back towards muzan, who displayed a seemingly genuine smile.

     "you never fail to keep me entertained, kanna. perhaps that's why I've kept someone as frail as you around for so long".

     kanna pushed past the insult that laid beneath the compliment. it was true. it was honest.

     muzan's words did not hold a single ounce of deception. now if he had only complimented the woman, kanna would've known that it was a lie, for muzan's way of praising someone was always laced with a touch of salt.

     it wasn't his style to be completely sweet.

     "I fear that the day my lord finds his blue spider lily, he'll be bored of me. as then, I will not be useful anymore".

     muzan's hand slipped towards the nape of the woman's neck, supporting kanna's head as he leaned close to her ear. the side of his face pressed against hers, as she could feel the warmness of muzan's breath tickling the lobe of her ear.

     "bored or not, you are to stay beside me til the end of time. even if I am to wed another after another, you are to be with me, as you've promised yourself to me. do you still remember the night that you begged me to turn you into a demon?"

     kanna let out a hum so quiet it was nearly inaudible.

     "good. always remember that, kanna. because you were the one that begged to be by my side, and that's exactly what you'll be doing for all of eternity".

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

     AUTHOR'S NOTE: this is my personal opinion, but i feel like muzan isn't the type to promise to marry someone b/c he's not that sweet 💀 however, i do feel like he'd recognize who he'd keep by his side instead,,

     when i wrote that he said that he'd wed another after another, i think that just shows that he's a narcissist and won't admit to only wanting kanna even though that may be how he truly feels. he's the type of guy to sell himself at a high value even in love b/c he internally fears attachment/abandonment.

     sorry for the long rant 😩 i'd love to hear all of y'all's interpretations though !! 😊🩷