Something There - Akaza x Reader

Deep Within the Cedar Woods

When her eyes closed, she told herself she wouldn't open them again until she absolutely had to.

The last thing she gazed upon was the image of the irori's flames brightly and fondly bidding her farewell hazily through the opaque sliding door of Akaza's cabin. That's the image she wanted to rest with in her mind while she was held taut to this peculiar demon's chest, wrapped up in his surprisingly comforting warmth. She assumed it wouldn't matter whether she paid attention to where they were going or not. He didn't make her stir nor bothered her to open her eyes, so she took advantage and simply allowed herself to sink into that familiar warmth his body was able to mimic so well.

With her eyes closed, she could tell herself she was somewhere else. She was was wrapped up in the arms of her friends, laughing and smiling to the stories they told on one of their scarce breaks between missions. The scary reality they lived in didn't exist during times like those. Their world, their lives, their bubbles; all that existed was just good times and cheesy jokes. Smiles were everywhere, bright eyes gazing towards the cloudless sky, fantasizing about what they would all be doing once the world was a place everyone would be safe to live in without fear nor apprehension. What they themselves would be and where they would be in the future didn't matter. What mattered was that they swore they'd stick together until the end and watch the world they lived in change for the better, hand-in-hand and in each other's arms.

The light sway she felt as Akaza walked between trees and through the forest reminded her of what it felt like to be rocked back on her heels when one of them would rush to her, arms wide, before jumping at her in a huge hug. The force of the affectionate display would always make her stumble on her feet, nearly fall back on herself as well, but it never failed to get her to beam a smile from ear-to-ear even in the darkest of times – and boy, was a hug like that needed in the aftermath of the scariest of battles. It always helped to remind her that they were still alive. That there was still hope. For that moment in time, the scariest part was over and they could simply admire the oncoming sunrise together as the resilient trio they used to be.

What she wouldn't give for a hug like that right now.

While Akaza's warmth came close to their own, the purposefully measured strength in his thoughtful grasp didn't compare. Sometimes, the way her friends would hug her left her breathless. They would squeeze the air right out of her, but even if it hurt a little sometimes, the loving pressure was something she always craved from them. They'd laugh at her whenever she'd dramatically gasp for breath and whine about their ridiculous strength, but the glint in their eyes would never fail to bring a smile of her own back to her lips.

The light blowing of the breeze brought different scents to her, reminding her of many places the three had been to together on their travels during their work as Demon Slayers. It brought swirling memories to her mind of what the two of them smelled like whenever she nuzzled her head into the crook of their necks, scents she couldn't properly describe in words, personal to them as people.

The best she could do was describe them as the scents of Botan and Keisuke.

How long will it be before I forget what they smell like? What it felt like to hug and be hugged by them? How long before I forget the sound of their voices? Their laughter? Will the image of them fade away too? Will I forget what their smiles looked like? How bright their eyes would become whenever we were just having fun together? How long will it be before they're just distant memories and blurry faces tied to stories I'm the only one left to tell?

Her brow furrowed deeply at the thoughts which quickly began to hit her, interrupting her blissful state of pretend. She curled up further in Akaza's arms, ducking her head closer to his chest to shield her face away from the blowing winds which threatened to take her precious memories away with it.