72
"Yeah, thanks."
You gave Shinobu a faint smile as she led you to your room. The Butterfly Mansion smelled like medicine and flowers comforting, in a weird hospital way. She told you to rest and said she’d be back with something to drink.
The moment the door slid shut behind her, you sighed and sat on the bed, stretching your arms before letting your body flop dramatically into the blankets. You didn’t even get a second to relax.
BANG.
The door burst open and in came Tanjiro, practically glowing with excitement.
"So? Did he say yes?"
His eyes sparkled with so much hope it was almost criminal. He was clearly ready to hear something that would make his day. Or maybe his week. Hell, he was probably already planning to sneak back into your bed like last time.
"Mhm… he said no,"
You said casually, looking off to the side to avoid laughing.
"H-huh? B-but!! You told me you were sure he’d say yes!"
His voice cracked, shoulders slumping as he stared down at the floor, visibly disappointed. His whole aura drooped like a flower without sunlight.
You bit your lip, guilt creeping in, but the urge to mess with him was stronger.
"Pfft—I'm joking, Tanjiro."
You got up and ruffled his hair, laughing softly.
"ALSO YOU LOOK SO CUTE WHEN YOU’RE SAD."
His head jerked up, and his cheeks immediately flushed pink.
"I—You—Wha—Y/N!! That’s not fair!! >:("
He tried to look angry but couldn’t stop the smile twitching at the corners of his lips.
You raised a brow. "Aww, did you miss me that much?"
He quickly looked away. "I was just… making sure you were okay."
"You wanted to cuddle this time, admit it."
"I—! No! Maybe!"
You dramatically gasped and fell back onto the bed.
"Scandalous behavior, Kamado Tanjiro. I thought you were a gentleman."
He groaned and flopped down beside you, covering his red face with a pillow.
"I hate you."
You turned your head toward him, smiling.
"No you don’t."
He peeked at you from under the pillow, eyes soft.
"Yeah… I don’t."
Your smile faltered for a moment, just slightly, heart doing a weird skip. He was looking at you the way he looked at Nezuko...pure and warm but with something else too. Something more.
Just then, the door creaked open again and Shinobu peeked in with two cups in hand.
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Tanjiro jumped up like the bed was on fire.
"N-not at all! Just… just checking in!"
You stayed flopped, waving lazily. "He missed me. So bad. Almost cried."
Shinobu set the drinks down with a knowing smile.
"Of course he did. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone."
The door clicked shut.
Tanjiro let out the loudest sigh of his life.
You sat up, grinning.
"So… wanna share the bed again or are you too shy now?"
He blinked at you, face deep crimson.
"...Move over."
You moved.
He climbed in.
You both faced the ceiling, close but not touching.
"...Y/N?"
"Hm?"
"I'm glad you're coming with me."
His voice was soft, almost shy, like he wasn’t sure if it was okay to say it out loud. It caught you off guard, the honesty in it, the warmth.
You turned your head, a teasing smile already forming. "Aw. Look at you being all clingy."
Tanjiro immediately groaned and shoved his face into the pillow. "That’s not what I meant."
You laughed, the sound low and tired. "Sure it isn’t."
He peeked at you from the corner of the pillow, cheeks already tinted red. "It’s not. I was just... being honest."
"And I’m being honest when I say I think it’s cute."
He groaned again, dragging the pillow further over his face like he could disappear inside it. You watched him for a moment, then flopped onto your back, arms behind your head.
"For real though," you added, staring at the ceiling, "I’m glad too."
There was a pause, comfortable and quiet. The room smelled like lavender and something faintly herbal
After a moment, Tanjiro spoke again, softer this time. "Do you think things are going to get better?"
You blinked, staring up at the beams above you. The question was so simple, but you felt the weight in it. He didn’t know the things you did. Couldn’t know. The future was supposed to be darker than this. So much worse. But he was asking you like you had an answer. Like you always did.
You turned your head toward him, smile smaller this time. "Yeah. I do."
"How can you be so sure?"
You stretched your legs, then curled slightly to face him again. "Because I’ve seen how strong you are. How strong everyone is. You’ve got this... insane ability to make people want to fight for something better. It’s not all on you, Tanjiro. But you’re the kind of person people will follow. You don’t even have to try."
He looked surprised by your answer, blinking slowly. "You really think that?"
"I know that."
He smiled then. Not the polite kind, or the forced kind. The real kind. The kind that made your stomach twist a little.
"You always say things like that," he murmured.
"Because someone has to," you whispered, suddenly too aware of how close you both were.
A silence settled between you. You didn’t move. He didn’t either.
His hand shifted slightly, just barely brushing yours under the blanket. Neither of you said anything. Neither of you pulled away.
"You’re warm.." he mumbled.
"That’s because I’m hot..???Duh??"
you said, lips twitching.
He laughed, breathless and quiet. "Your so unbelievable, ya know'? "
"And yet, here you are. Sharing a bed with me. Again."
He sighed, dramatic and tired, but you saw the tiny smile playing at the edge of his mouth. "I should be resting."
"You are resting," you said. "Next to your favorite person, no less."
He rolled his eyes, but his voice was soft when he replied. "You’re ridiculous."
"Oh shush!!You like it!!"
He didn’t answer right away.
"Yeah," he said finally, barely audible. "I do."
Suddenly,Tanjiro wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you closely and humming softly. You quickly wrapped your arms around him and held him close.
"This feels nice," he said softly.
"Yeah, it does. ‘Cause you’re doing it with me," you chuckled playfully.
He let out a quiet laugh against your shoulder, his breath warm on your skin as he melted further into your embrace. His hold tightened just a little, like he didn’t want to let go anytime soon.
"You’re really warm" he mumbled repeating what he said earlier,voice muffled into your neck.
You grinned.
Tanjiro groaned, hiding his face as his ears turned red.
"I walked right into that," he muttered.
"You really did," you whispered, smiling into his hair.
The room went quiet again, nothing but the sound of his breathing and the soft rustle of the blanket as you both settled in. His fingers gently traced small circles against your back, slow and absent, like a habit he didn’t realize he had.
He shifted slightly, the steady pressure of his fingers soothing as they moved in lazy circles on your back. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting the calm wash over you. It was the kind of quiet that felt rare safe and real.
After a few beats, his voice broke the silence, soft and low. "You ever think about what comes next? After all this..."
You opened your eyes and turned your head just enough to meet his gaze. The question hung between you, heavier than the words suggested.
"Sometimes," you admitted. "But honestly? I try not to get too far ahead. Things change so fast here."
He nodded slowly, as if agreeing more with your unspoken thought than your words. "I guess all we can do is take it one day at a time."
You smiled, feeling your fingers tighten just a bit on his back. "Exactly. And with you, I think I can do that."
He let out a breath you felt more than heard, the faintest smile curling his lips as he rested his forehead against yours.
"Good," he whispered. "Because I'm not going anywhere."
You smiled softly, your heart fluttering at the way he said that. It felt like a quiet vow, one made without words but heavy with meaning.
“I’m glad,” you said, voice barely above a whisper.
He tightened his hold just a little, fingers brushing gently over your waist.
“Me too,” he said.
For a moment, neither of you moved. The world outside the window was still, the moonlight casting soft shadows across the room. The only sounds were your breathing and the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath your hand.
You leaned your head against his chest, listening to that steady rhythm, feeling the warmth spread through you.
“Stay like this a little longer?” you asked.
He hummed in response, pulling you even closer as if to say there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
And so you stayed there, wrapped in each other’s arms. (I NOTICED Y'ALL LIKED THE KISS SO I ADDED THIS CUDDLE SESSION)
He shifted a little, still holding you close, and muttered, "You know, I never thought I’d get this comfy without an actual pillow."
You smirked. "That’s because I’m way better than a pillow."
He groaned dramatically. "Great. So now you’re my pillow and my personal heater."
"Hey, at least I’m multi-functional," you said with a grin. "Can’t say the same for you."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I’m the strong, silent type. Pillows don’t hum, you know."
You poked his ribs. "Neither do you—wait, never mind, you just made a humming noise."
He squirmed. "That was a ‘mood,’ not a hum."
"Uh-huh, sure. Next you’ll tell me you invented hums."
He laughed quietly. "Maybe I did. I’m a pioneer."
You snorted. "A humming pioneer. Only you, Tanjiro."
He nudged you gently. "Watch it, or I’ll start humming a lot more."
You raised an eyebrow. "Please do. I could use a lullaby that doesn’t involve bugs screaming."
He hummed louder then, deliberately off-key.
You groaned, burying your face in his chest. "Okay, okay, you win. You’re the best pillow ever."
He grinned. "Told you."
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