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Genya had a weakness for cute people.
He thought for a while that he had it under control, but it was like everyone was out to get him these days. He really couldn’t blame Mitsuri, who wouldn’t find her adorable? But that idiot Tanjirou kept trying to get his attention and Genya didn’t want to freeze up. Yelling at him didn’t do much to deter him, and then they’d had to fight a whole battle side by side. Thankfully, Genya hadn’t had the time to get nervous when he had (accidentally, sort of) strangled Tanjirou but now--as he lay in bed at the Butterfly Estate, with Tanjirou of all people in the bed next to his own--he was overwhelmed with embarrassment. He spent most of his time covering his burning face with the sheets, facing away from the other boy. Memories of the fight flooded into his head over and over as he laid there for days with absolutely jack shit to do as he recovered. He knew full well that he should’ve thought about how lucky he was to have survived and how thankful he should be to have such strong people to fight alongside, but all he could think about was Tanjirou willing to help him, Tanjirou being worried about him, Tanjirou saving his life and literally putting his own life on the line for Genya.
“Fuck…” He groaned, shoving his face into the pillow. If only he wasn’t so cute.
Genya was trying his best to rest and recover despite the near-constant visitors and noise, but his stir-crazy mind presented an interesting opportunity: at night there was nobody there to see him blush or stutter. So this allowed him to get accustomed to being around Tanjirou. Exposure, he supposed. He felt kind of weird that he was struggling to just look over at Tanjirou from his own bed. He hadn’t found a way to say it yet, but he kind of wanted to...stay, with him. They made a pretty good team after all. But he was no help if he couldn’t face Tanjirou without yelling at him to fuck off, so he took the chances he had at night to turn over in his bed and face the other boy. Tanjirou was much easier to be around like this; his face was peaceful as he shifted slightly with the rise and fall of his chest. His hair curled at the edges, falling softly over his cheek. Without thinking, Genya would sometimes reach out to push it back, only to stop midway and recoil as though he’d been burned. It wasn’t like Tanjirou’s hair was bothering him. Genya just wanted to see his face, unobscured in the soft moonlight from the window. His idea was actually working though, because with each passing day he found it easier to face Tanjirou. Hell, he’d actually spoken to him without yelling the other day and that alone was almost worthy of celebration. But as he got more comfortable around him, Genya often found himself unable to look away from Tanjirou. His smile was so kind and genuine Genya swore it could light up a room. He hadn't really spoken to Tanjirou much outside of battle, but it was clear that he spoke with the same upbeat energy to everyone he knew. It was kind of admirable, honestly. Genya hardly had the energy to talk to anyone, especially people he didn't know very well. And yet Tanjirou was sweet and cheerful to every one of his visitors, even that freaky swordsmith. The guy was really unsettling but the sword he'd brought for Tanjirou had literally brought tears to the boy’s eyes. Genya had tensed up upon seeing that, wishing he had the guts to even just place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Instead, he’d turned to face the other way, his hands tightening around his sheets in frustration. The tension was broken (literally) by that pig guy breaking through the window, so at least Tanjirou wasn't sad for long. That kid was really fucking loud.
Things had settled down after that and by the time evening rolled around, Genya was feeling somewhat restless. Tanjirou seemed to feel the same way, as he was actually out of bed (when he shouldn't be!) and stretching on the floor. Between their beds. Right next to Genya. He wrapped his blankets tighter around him, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.
“Hey Genya! I hope you're starting to feel better! I’m sure you heard earlier but it seems like we’ll be doing some super intense training soon, isn't that cool?” Genya made a noncommittal sound, not daring to face him. It didn't slow Tanjirou down at all.
“Inosuke seemed really excited, I wonder what the training will be like…” Then Tanjirou kneeled next to Genya’s bed, leaning onto the blankets with his elbows. Genya felt his face heat up at the mere proximity. “Ah, I feel pretty bad though that that was the first time you met Inosuke, I feel like you two could be good friends!” I fucking doubt it . But then he realized that if he wanted to travel with Tanjirou, he’d probably have to get used to his other friends. He liked Nezuko, she was just as sweet as her brother, but he really didn't know much about who else Tanjirou was with. Genya dug his nails into his palms and took a deep breath. Then he turned to face Tanjirou. Tanjirou had a small smile on his face, framed by both his hands propping up his head. Fuck.
“Could you, uh… could you tell me more about your friends?” Genya could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He really hoped that didn't sound too intrusive. But then Tanjirou’s face lit up with excitement. Genya felt he might've gone blind.
“Of course!! Okay so you met Inosuke already, he’s pretty cool and strong and he tried to fight me the first time we met but that's in the past now. Anyways I've been travelling with him and Nezuko and Zenitsu. I don't think you've met him yet but he's, uh…honestly kinda creepy sometimes? But he's smart and strong and he taught me a cool trick that I used in our last fight! Oh and then there's Kanao and Senjurou and...”
Genya let out a soft sigh of relief. Tanjirou was so caught up in his stories that Genya finally felt at ease. He sat up in his bed, bringing his knees to his chest as he listened to Tanjirou prattle on. His face didn't feel so hot anymore, it was like he was just chatting with a friend. He couldn't remember the last time he had done that.
Tanjirou’s earrings clinked as he moved around, making hand motions to accentuate his stories. Genya felt bad for zoning out but it was really distracting. It wasn't until Tanjirou went quiet that he realized he’d reached out to touch one of his earrings, his fingers lightly pushing past dark red curls to brush against the delicate metal. The look on Tanjirou’s face wasn't upset in any way, but Genya quickly pulled back. “Sorry, I don't...really know why I did that.” He barely recognized his own voice; he sounded timid, nearly ashamed. Tanjirou blinked.
“It's fine!” Then he leaned in closer for some godforsaken reason and Genya fought back the urge to bolt out of the room. Tanjirou’s voice was quiet when he spoke again. “You know, Genya, I haven't really found the right time to ask but...you're okay, right?” Now it was Genya’s turn to be surprised. Had Tanjirou not noticed that he was almost fully recovered? “I keep thinking about how you protected me…” Tanjirou continued. “I know you can regenerate or whatever but it was pretty scary to watch. I mean, I still get worried when Nezuko gets hurt, and some days I think she's stronger than me!” Genya smiled at that.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m, uh…” Genya dared to actually make eye contact with Tanjirou. There was still a hint of worry on his face, and it pushed Genya to say something he normally wouldn't have.
“I’m really glad you were there beside me.”
Tanjirou’s eyes went wide. Then he tilted his head and broke into a soft smile. “I’m happy you were there with me too, Genya.” Tanjirou suddenly took Genya’s hands into his own. “You’re important to me, you know? Even if you won’t admit it, we’re friends!”
Genya felt his heart swell with affection and his voice was nearly a whisper once he spoke. “Tanjirou…” On impulse he leaned over to Tanjirou’s kneeling form and wrapped him in an awkward but heartwarming hug. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt Tanjirou return the motion, his hands warm against Genya’s back. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to admit, but Genya was having trouble getting any words out. In truth, he was really overwhelmed by the realization that this was the first hug he’d had in years. He gripped Tanjirou a little tighter, pressing his face into the crook of the other boy's shoulder. He didn't protest as Tanjirou slowly got up from his knees and moved to sit beside Genya on his bed without removing himself from the other boy’s arms. If anything, Genya only pulled him closer.
Then Tanjirou pulled away and Genya felt his heart ache as he remembered the distance that still existed between them. It wasn't like he knew Tanjirou all that well, really. So why was Tanjirou looking at him like that? There was a look in his eyes that Genya couldn't quite place. It wasn't annoyance or discomfort; it was something softer than that. Then Tanjirou placed a hand on Genya’s chest as he leaned in and Genya stopped thinking entirely.
Tanjirou kissed him.
And something inside Genya melted. His heart absolutely ached . He pushed aside any hesitation and returned the kiss, carding his hands through Tanjirou’s hair and sighing against his lips. He could feel the warmth radiating off of Tanjirou's skin and seeping into his own. He felt like he might catch fire.
Then Tanjirou practically crawled into his lap, pressing closer into Genya's space. Tanjirou’s weight reminded Genya exactly how close they were. He felt a blush creep up his neck. Shit. His mind was finally catching up with the situation. He had a cute boy in his lap and was kissing him, but that was going to end real fast if Genya got embarrassed and stopped reciprocating. He watched as Tanjirou leaned back and took one of Genya’s hands into his own, placing a soft kiss on his palm. Genya could feel his heart hammering in his chest. But then Tanjirou let Genya’s hand cup his cheek again, and smiled sheepishly at him. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous…”
Tanjirou's sincerity was overwhelming. As if under his spell, Genya brought Tanjirou’s hand to his chest, letting him feel his anxious heartbeat. This was much easier than finding the right words to explain how he felt. A light blush dusted Tanjirou’s face as he met Genya’s eyes, giving him a look of surprise and something Genya could only describe as affection. He felt his face heat up. Tanjirou’s fingers curled into Genya’s shirt, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing against the fabric. He let out a quiet laugh, shying away from Genya's gaze. “For some reason I thought you'd be more...experienced.” Genya made a face. “I’m not that much older than you.”
The absolutely dumbfounded look on Tanjirou’s face made Genya burst out laughing. He slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself but then Tanjirou started laughing too and they both lost it. Tanjirou doubled over, pressing his forehead into Genya’s shoulder as his whole body shook with laughter. Then Genya felt Tanjirou’s arms wrap around him and he smiled, pulling the other boy closer.
“I think that was the first time I’ve heard you laugh!” Tanjirou said, his voice muffled against Genya’s shoulder. Genya didn’t know quite how to respond; he didn’t really want to tell Tanjirou that he couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed. Or the last time he felt so at ease. He bit his tongue. He wasn’t going to say any of that.
Instead, he smoothed down Tanjirou’s hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Tanjirou turned his head to shoot him a shit-eating grin. “You definitely can’t say we’re not friends anymore.” Genya groaned and playfully pushed Tanjirou over before dropping onto his back, purposefully crushing Tanjirou into the bed under his weight. He really was too cute for his own good.