House Of Memories;; Tanjiro x Reader [Fluffy Angst]

House Of Memories

    Serene. That's the only word that comes to mind as you look out over the lake. A gentle breeze rolls over the water, creating ripples that glide outward in smooth circles. Birds start to flutter from tree to tree, still sluggish this early in the day. Their melodic song reaches your ears and you can't help but relax further into the pink blanket laid out for you.

Allowing your eyes to close, you indulge in the morning sun. It caresses your skin from beyond the brilliant ocean-blue sky. It's neither too hot nor too cold; the weather is perfect for a picnic.

Red turns to black behind the thin veil of your eyelids. Darkness shrouds you as a shadow hovers over you. With the sun's rays blocked, the heat that once prickled your skin dissipates and your face starts to cool. When the obstruction doesn't move, a small smile tickles the edge of your lips. It's Tanjiro (who else could it be?) and instead of enjoying the ambience, he's watching you.

"Do I have something on my face?" you tease, peeking up at him.

"No. You just look really peaceful."

"It's this place – it's beautiful."

"It is," he agrees as he glances at the lake. "But..."

Heavy silence follows. There's a tranquillity to be had but he won't allow himself to indulge in it, not fully. Burgundy eyes scan over the dull waves, swallowing up every tiny detail while somehow remaining oblivious to what's happening right here and now.

With a quirk of your brow, you tilt your head until it rests against his knee. You observe him unfettered. It's a rare opportunity, especially from such an angle. His dark locks sway in the wind, and there's worry etched deep within his features. Every passing minute propels him further away from you. He's miles away already, his gaze distant and glazed, and you worry where his thoughts might take him.

There's many hardships in the world and Tanjiro has experienced an unfair share of them. Most people would crumble under the pressure he's faced, or succumb to the desolation, losing themselves to paralysing nightmares and the endless fear that seeks to consume them. He's strong though, and he perseveres despite it all – or perhaps because of it. Even so, in these singular moments where it's just the two of you, when he doesn't have to pretend to be okay, you see the cracks in his shell.

"But?"

Tanjiro drops his eyes to you before placing his calloused hand atop your head. He remains still for quite some time before humming a gentle tune similar to the one the birds are singing high above you in their jade strongholds. Massaging your scalp with the tips of his fingers, his lips fall open several times only to close soon after. You don't press him further, instead waiting for him to find the words on his own, to open up to you at his own pace. A man of conviction, it doesn't take long before his voice carries on the breeze.

"I just wish you could be this happy all the time. That I–" he pauses and the expression he wears is one of resigned sorrow. "It doesn't matter, right? If you only think of the future, you'll forget to live in the present."

"It matters to me."

His nails caress the edge of your face as he brushes away your stray hairs. With eyes for no other, you commit his image to memory – every scratch, scar, blemish – life is too fleeting not to. You trace his birthmark and he mirrors the action on your skin. Warmth surges through every point of contact, lingering in your pores long after his fingers move on.

"I want to make you happy all the time."

"You already do."

"It's not the same." He shakes his head, his eyes boring down into yours. Anxiety clouds the fire that once blazed there, smothering it with a blanket of smoke. "You need stability, and to feel safe."

"I already do."

"Imagine if we had a house right here on this lake. We could come out here everyday and be happy, just like we are now. That's something permanent. That's the kind of happiness you have always. But I can't give that to you."

"I don't need it."

"You deserve it."

"I don't want it. I just want you, whatever you can afford me. Being here with you now is enough for me."

"I'm worried that one day the peace you've found here will cease and the hell that follows will be my doing."

"There's an end to everything." Pulling yourself up into a seated position, you lean into his space. Water laps against the shore as your lips meet his in a chaste kiss. It's brief but it conveys what you mean to express. "I'm happy here with you. Right here, right now. Are you?"

He smiles with the radiance of the sun as his knuckles graze your cheek. "Of course I am."

"If we live in the present, in the now, and we catch what should be fleeting and keep it close to us, then all that happiness will be ours forever."

"Do you really think it's possible?"

"If we carry this moment with us, it'll endure." With a heavy exhale, he pulls you into an embrace. His shoulders relax the longer he holds you, the tension seeping away as time slows around you. The sun shines a little brighter and the birds sing a little clearer as you continue, "Stay with me in a house built from memories, Tanjiro. Even after we both turn to dust, stay right here with me on this lake."

His voice is a whisper against your skin. "Always."