A Choice.

☀︎ Dreams And Nightmares ☾

The moonlight dances in the sky as the stars shine. A gentle breeze softly caresses the red-headed boy's face.Suddenly, he jolted upright, his heart racing, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. His eyes, wide with fear, darted around the dimly lit room, haunted by the remnants of his nightmares that clung to the edges of his consciousness like shadows.. Ever since The Flame Pillars death, he has been plagued by trauma, stress, and exhaustion, tormented by the belief that it was all his fault. His nightmares are growing progressively worse each day. He felt sick.

 He got out of bed, feeling suffocated and in desperate need of fresh air. The boy stepped outside, his gaze fixed upon the stars, a frown engraved upon his face as he wondered what his family would think of him in the situation he was in right now.

 At this moment, Genya Shinazugawa returned from his mission, making his way towards the Butterfly Mansion to have his wounds treated.While strolling through the garden, he noticed a boy lost in his thoughts, his gaze fixed upon the bright stars above. He stared deep into the boy for awhile, mesmerized by the enchanting sight of his blazing red hair, ruffled and long, swaying gracefully in the gentle breeze. His deep-red eyes, equivalent to the sun, were warm, gentle, and utterly breathtaking to even look at. Genya's face flushed A deep crimson red upon seeing him, but something felt wrong. The boy, typically radiant with a constant smile, now wore a troubled frown, likely due to the recent loss of the Flame Pillar. 

Insisted to make the boy feel happier, Genya approached the red-haired boy. "Kon'nichiwa Tanjiro." Genya says calmly. Tanjiro jumped in surprise, not realising Genya's presence until he spoke. "Ah- Kon'nichiwa Genya. Gomen I didn't see you there," Tanjiro says in a tired voice. "Tanjiro, what the fuck has been going on with you lately.You've been acting weird as hell." Genya says in a little bit of a harsh tone wishing he hadn't worded what he said like that"Oh?" Tanjiro said, trying to conceal his sadness behind a forced smile that faltered almost instantly."And why would that be, Genya?"  The taller boy sighed, settling down beside him.

 "You've seemed kinda down lately... but, you know, just curious. Not like I actually care or anything..." At that moment, Genya wished he had kept quiet. Of course, he cared deeply. He loved Tanjiro. He adored him. He had never felt the way he felt towards Tanjiro with anyone else. Fortunately, Tanjiro didn't catch the last part of Genya's words, but soon he broke down in tears and sorrow. "It's all my fault... Gomen, Gomenasai... I should have done something... now Rengoku-san is dead. I feel so useless... Gomen. I should've just died that day..." Tanjiro began to sob before Genya abruptly shouted at him. "DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN, IDIOT! YOU ARE NOT USELESS. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT THAT HAPPENED, SO SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Just as Tanjiro was about to respond, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him - Genya was hugging him. "Don't you dare try to die, idiot..." As all this happened, Tanjiro felt his face flush intensely. What was this feeling? Warmth spread through him, and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He had never felt so... so special. His heart suddenly beat faster, a rush of happiness flooding through him, but it was different somehow. As he pondered, he couldn't help but wonder what he truly felt toward Genya? 

As Genya walked with Tanjiro across the garden, the weight of their intertwined hands felt both foreign and oddly comforting. Tanjiro's steps began to falter, his weariness was evident in the heaviness of his eyelids. With a soft sigh, he succumbed to sleep, his head resting gently behind Genya's shoulder. Genya then picked him up and carried him like a baby. Genya continued their journey to Tanjiro's room. Each step felt like a delicate dance, as if he was carrying something precious and fragile. The moonlight cast gentle shadows across their path.

Upon reaching Tanjiro's room, Genya gently laid him down on the bed, tucking the blankets around him with utmost tenderness. As he stood back and observed Tanjiro's peaceful slumber, a rush of emotions overwhelmed him. He couldn't shake the feeling of awe at having been so close to Tanjiro, of being entrusted with his care in such an intimate way.Sitting at the edge of the bed, Genya found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Tanjiro's sleeping face. The soft rise and fall of his chest, the faint sound of his breathing-each detail seemed to draw Genya in further, stirring something deep within him.In that quiet moment, with the only sound being the gentle rustle of leaves outside, Genya couldn't deny the warmth that flooded his heart. Tanjiro's hands, now limp in sleep, felt impossibly soft against his own. It was then that a thought, unbidden yet undeniable, crossed his mind: "I want him to be mine for eternity." 

After a while of just staring at Tanjiro snoozing away, Genya started feeling the tiredness creeping up on him, like a cozy blanket wrapping him up. The stuff that happened tonight kept replaying in his head, especially the time he spent with Tanjiro- it was like each moment was etching itself deeper into his brain. So, with a satisfied sigh, Genya slouched back in the nearby chair, enjoying the moonlight streaming in through the window. Tanjiro's steady breathing filled up the room, like a soothing melody, easing Genya's mind. As he closed his eyes, the image of Tanjiro's calm face lingered in his mind, soft and peaceful in the moonlight. There was a warmth in his heart, a feeling of connection that go beyond words. Despite the chaos of the world outside, in this room everything felt so peaceful.. so right and with thoughts of Tanjiro gently guiding his dreams, Genya drifted off into a peaceful slumber. " I will somehow make you mine one day. "