Shades of Amber

18. One dance

*Credits to the artist for this picture

Two months had gone by. They were overall the best Zenitsu had experienced. Well, to be honest, each passing day was now his new favorite. They were now officially boyfriends and soon-to-be husbands.

Everything about Tanjiro made it better for the blond, and he very silently wondered what would have happened if he had been separated from the burgundy-haired male. How sad could he have been? Would he have survived?

But now, as the moon showed its brightest features, it was not the time for those types of questions. Instead, the reminiscence of every single beautiful time they had spent together overflowed his mind. He fell in a daze, musing about these memories, comfortably wrapped up in Tanjiro's arms inside the King-sized bed. 

Tanjiro's soft hands wandered through his dandelion locks, soothing him ever so slightly. He smiled. He couldn't help it. How could he?

Tanjiro was close against him, their legs tangled together,  bathing in the moonlight which had made its way through the velvet curtains. Everything was... perfect. 

But then, it happened again. His mind started to stray away from the cuteness of the situation, replacing it with... other thoughts.

Tanjiro's left hand, which had been describing circles on his stomach up until now, had only been relaxing him. But now, instead, the blond was now realizing how dangerously close it was from his crotch. 

'W-what if it went... a little bit lower...'

Zenitsu fought with all his might to send this thought away. However, it became increasingly harder, as this simple feeling now shifted to an unbearably evident desire. Tanjiro's breath was delicately sending soft breezes against his left ear, only making Zenitsu's state of dizziness be strengthened.

The blond knew he wanted more. Somehow, he hoped this thought traveled through Tanjiro's mind as well. Even if it was just from time to time, or once or twice for all it mattered. He just wished that this feeling of desire and longing was mutual.

But he knew they couldn't go further. "Why?", you may ask. Well, the answer is the one that had been the one to everything so far: 

Tradition. 

They were now both seventeen but still not married, which meant that they couldn't have sexual intercourse. As much as he desired it, Zenitsu knew how important tradition was for his partner. He would have to be patient.

But Tanjiros proximity didn't help. It made the blond recall what had happened two days ago. Oh boy, how much he needed that memory to go away! He blushed, though he was not sure if it was because of his state of arousal or the memory. He started to remember the event while lifting the cover to his nose...

Zenitsu was peacefully reading underneath a peach tree in the orchard, the same where Nezuko and he had spent some time the first day at the castle. He enjoyed the warmth of the day, the wind softly lifting some strands of his hair. But this peacefulness was soon... interrupted.

"Zenitsu!"

The latter jumped, nearly having a heart attack. Yes, this family still found a way to scare the hell out of him even months after. He looked up, trying to catch his breath, to be met with the Queen's gaze.

"Sorry for scaring you! she chuckled. I've been looking for you all over the castle, but I figured out you'd be either here or in the library. I guess I was right.

- N-no problem! answered Zenitsu, still trying to regulate his heartbeat after having been brutally taken away from his reading. 

- So, resumed Kie, I have something for you."