Unforgiving World (Tanjiro x OC)

Chapter 28

From here on out, I'll be nearing the end of this book, sadly enough. I will begin with my own original arc and then I'll take off with my ending. As sad as I feel like it is to end this book, I feel like I've hit all the best spots here and I've found a lot more about my own writing style. Amaya, just like Kira, will forever have a close spot to my heart and I'm actually thinking of making a few one-shots with both Amaya and Kira involved... Thoughts about that are appreciated! :)

Have fun reading my own arc! I call it 'Cursed Forest Arc'. Speaks for itself, right? ;)

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Soft breathing was heard in the bright yet shadowed room. The heat of the sun was comforting, yet not too hot. It was the perfect way to slowly begin to wake up. Tanjiro's head rose and fell with each breath Amaya took, his eyes slowly fluttering open as his eyelashes tried to get rid of the sleep still in them. Wow. He felt so warm. It made him want to cuddle even closer to whatever - or rather whoever - was beneath him.

A sleepy smile grew on his face as he registered his position, letting his thoughts control his actions and cuddling closer to the warmth he craved. He looked up ever so slightly, watching Amaya's careless face as she continued her slumber, her arms lightly wrapped around his form, yet even with their soft hold it still felt protective. Tanjiro's own arms were bound tightly around Amaya's own waist, his head on her chest so he could listen to her calm heartbeat.

Their legs were intertwined, and Tanjiro honestly couldn't feel happier at that moment. It was the first time in a while where he had a decent nights sleep and he knew it was because of Amaya. The night before, after their argument and confession, Tanjiro had broken down crying because he felt so horrible for treating Amaya the way he did. He couldn't stop his tears it seemed, his voice only uttering consistent apologies while Amaya tried to shush him.

He felt so horrible after they had talked calmly, wondering why in the hell he'd been behaving so distant and cold towards the love of his life. Was it because he was afraid of scaring her away? Or himself? He did not know and that only made him feel worse. But like the strong woman she is, Amaya had slapped her hands on his wet cheeks, forcing his crying to come to a halt as he was shocked into listening to her.

"Don't cry over a simple mistake. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for those", is what she'd said with a stern yet calm frown, and Tanjiro had felt like his burden had been carried off his shoulders. Amaya had taken the burden off and placed it away all by herself, and Tanjiro's love for her could only grow to impossible lengths. She'd guided him to the Star Mansion after that, the boy following quietly while he let out an occasional sniffle, his hand refusing to leave hers.

When they got to the mansion, they were supposed to separate, but Tanjiro was persistent with his choices. He wanted to stay with her, so after a lot of bargaining, he managed to convince her, the girl grumbling about him having a 'hard-ass head'. It made him feel lighter, the way they could still joke with each other and the way Amaya was still unapologetically herself, even after their sappy love confessions. He appreciated it, because that was the Amaya he'd fallen for in the first place.

At first, they didn't really know how to engage in any physical contact without pushing it too far, their hazed minds had calmed down a bunch after their moment. But surprisingly, Amaya was the first to initiate it, or rather suggest to it. She'd asked if he was okay, to which he answered 'Yes, but it's kind of cold here'. Amaya had sighed before patting her hand on her chest, making shy eye-contact as her cheeks burned.

She offered for him to lay on her chest in hopes of giving him warmth, and Tanjiro would be an 'absolute dumbass' - like she would say - if he refused such an offer. So, simply said, he took this opportunity without any second thoughts and it only took him a few minutes to fall asleep. Amaya's hand had been rubbing across his back while the fingers of her other hand were scratching his scalp. He felt blessed, so it was only a given that he'd fall asleep so fast.