Stone Cold | Tanjirou Kamado (old version)

28. Those that have to see you burn and those you leave behind

"Tanjirou," someone whispered against his cheek, so close her breath crashed there, warm and comforting breath he had missed.

The soft touch of something cold playing with his hair made Tanjirou wake up, if only slightly.

"Tanjirou, wake up." The cold hand slid to his chin, with such softness he knew it could only come from one person.

Aya smiled at him, kneeling before his bed with a hand caressing his cheek just like she had done after Rui had died back then, on Natagumo mountain.

The dark brown that had once been pits, just like the blue of Tomioka's endless oceans, wasn't there anymore. Instead, small embers of determination came back strongly and made the mountain flourish. Spring, Tanjirou thought, was beautiful, Aya, who carried it with her, more so.

"I'm back home."

A loud crash echoed throughout the nursery when Tanjirou threw himself at her and hugged her, both falling back and crashing against the floor.

Wisteria, that was what he smelt when burying his nose in the gap between her neck and her shoulder. No resentment or fear or anger, there was not even a pinch of hate, neither for her nor for other people. And he was so happy about that.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Tanjirou muttered against her uniform. Aya's arms wrapped around him, embracing, comforting. "You disappeared so suddenly that I couldn't-"

Aya squeezed just a bit tighter, one of her hands playing with his curls.

"I'm sorry," she said, without offering an excuse or blaming someone else. "It was a sudden mission, you were sleeping and it was early, I didn't want to wake you up."

"I wouldn't have cared if you woke me up," Tanjirou muttered, the dark red of Aya's haori the only thing he saw. It felt good to be there, so close to Aya and her cold that dissipated the warmth that was sometimes asphyxiating. He didn't think he wanted to get away from her any time soon. "I just wanted you to tell me, it wouldn't have mattered that-"

"Tanjirou," Aya suddenly cut him off. She laid both elbows on the floor and leaned back, still with him on her lap. "I'm not leaving."

He had to blink for the words to truly sink in as hers.

"You're not?"

Aya shook her head, smiling, the red ribbon moving along with her.

"I'm not going anywhere. I don't have to train with shishou even if I'm a tsuguko. I sent him a crow rejecting his offer just a while ago."

"So you're... not leaving." Tanjirou repeated under his breath, leaning back overwhelmed.

She sighed with a joy few times seen on her. Aya didn't stop smiling, and Tanjirou could only smell the vanilla characteristic of her wisteria that bloomed along with her kindness.

Aya slowly got closer to him and held his hand. Tanjirou stepped back so she didn't see his blush.

"Do you want me to tell you something?"

She got even closer, whispering with a childish enthusiasm as if it was a secret a little girl told her friend convinced that it was the most precious thing in the world, and trusting him enough to tell.

"I'm gonna stay here, with you and the others. I'll send a letter to aniki, I'll apologize to Zenitsu the moment he wakes up and I'll talk to my parents. I'll make everything go back to how it used to be, because I love my family, I love aniki, I love shishou, I love them more than anything, more so than being a pillar." Tanjirou wasn't able to remember the moment Aya had gotten so close, enough so for their noses to touch, nor when she laid a hand on his cheek or when he wrapped his arms around her again. "And I love you too, Tanjirou."