𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 // Akaza x reader (+18)

Chapter 13 | Process 🍈

Akaza's voice trembles with fury. Cold sweat leaks from your pores.
"Did he offer you something?", he asks with gritted teeth.

You shake your head.

Akaza's behavior is eerie. You don't understand why he is in such a turmoil.
However you shove your sorrows aside as another wave of tiredness crashes over you and almost shuts your eyes when you blink the next time.

"Could you please leave my fucking house now?", you push with a grim expression and swoop slightly though already laying.
You need to rest.

Akaza smiles but it falters as quickly as it appeared. Something you've never witnessed.
"I missed the lovely voice of yours truly", he scoffs.

You want to tell him what a jerk he is but the demon is already at your opened bedroom door through which you can see the entrance door, too, wide opened. Moonlight dances along Akaza's outline as he halts.

"Tomorrow night at the pond. If you're not there I'll burn your village down", he threatens and unlike him doesn't disappear but waits. For an answer you realize.

"Leave me alone", you spat and roll to the side with your back facing Akaza. Only now do you realize that your pillow doesn't smell like you but like ... Akaza.

"I'm serious", he says without his usual firmness.
This time he disappears. The door snaps shut louder than necessary.
You're a bit confused that Akaza let go of the topic and did as you said but you're too tired to really care.

Finally alone again you turn to your other side and breathe in Akaza's smell. This really shouldn't be happening. You shouldn't be so chill around him. You shouldn't let him enter your house whenever he wants to. And you definitely shouldn't turn your back on him.
But now that you have your break no one will bother about you. The only one who could jeopardize your secrets is Mitsuri.

Your thoughts soon swirl around Akaza's warning. Of course you believe his threat. He's a demon after all. But do you really want to return to the pond? Spend your break being humiliated by an Upper Moon you're supposed to kill?

The following sleep isn't peaceful. You toss and turn like a child.
First it's too hot then too cold.
Then nightmares jerk you awake. Of Rengoku being disappointed in you, Tengen pushing you away from him, Oyakata-sama banning you from the demon slayer corps, Akaza exposing your situation and Doma tearing into your stomach.
It's horrible, terrorizing.
On top of that you fear for Akaza to return. Every time your house creaks your pulse beats higher.

The sun hasn't started rising when you give up on sleeping despite your lack of sleep in the last week.

You start into your miserable day with a cold shower to get rid of the tiredness. Then you make your way to the bakery which fortunately opens at very early hours.
With a filled tummy you start to brood over your bet. Of course you made the bet because it benefits you in multiple ways. Least of all luring two Upper Moons into the open. But you are clever enough to know that you can't even defeat one. Not in your condition.

But how can you become stronger? Should you consider Akaza's training which consists of hide and seek?

You spend the whole day training and brooding. Your feet hurt from running non stop and your muscles ache from the strain. You practice your Breath of Flames until you need to empty a bucket of water to stay hydrated.

Last but not least you catch up on some sleep. With the sun watching over you it's a lot easier somehow. No demon can shackle or attack you. That's a relief you didn't know you needed.

At the minute of sunset you grab your katana and lock your house behind you. As if it would make a difference.
Guilt washes over you as you make for the pond.

You don't even know why you're doing this. Perhaps because you want to get stronger. You need someone to tell you how to act.

***

Akaza isn't here but you don't preclude the possibility of him hiding somewhere laughing at your stupidity.

God what are you doing here?

Naturally you still don't feel comfortable around a demon. Fear clings to your bones as you wait for Akaza to appear. Part of you - a huge one - wants to flee. A voice yells in your head to run, run, run.
And you should listen to it.

But a teeny tiny part of you wants to learn. To learn about how to defeat Akaza. And what better way is there than to fight him?
Still he could kill you.
And that's why your knees buckle slightly.

"You can leave your katana at home it won't be of any use", a familiar voice mentions.

"Dream on", you snarl before turning towards the owner of the venomous voice.

Akaza leans on a tree a few feet behind you. As usual he only wears his pants and doesn't bother covering his torso. You wonder if he wants to flex with his really well trained abs or if he just doesn't have a shirt of his liking. Whatever reason it might be you would prefer not to see him half naked all the time. For multiple reasons.

"Like what you see?", Akaza suddenly asks with a greedy smile.

You put on a smile that isn't kind at all.
"You're so delusional tonight. Did you get in contact with the sun?", you respond and cross your arms.
You shouldn't have come here. It's impossible to do anything with this demon.

Akaza looks startled for a brief moment and pushes off from the tree.
Instantly you regret your sassy tongue.
The way he stares at you with those predator-like eyes reminds you of what he's capable of.
What you are to him. Food.
And what even your mentor couldn't do.

"You have a rather loose tongue tonight", he answers smugly, "Do you start liking me?"

The consideration alone makes you want to vomit. However Akaza doesn't give you the chance to say anything else.

One second he stares you down from a near distance the next he's standing directly in front of you with a gust of wind as his companion.
His fingers travel along the left side of your jawline up to your ear where he strokes strands of hair behind it. Akaza looks amazed for a second and his smile turns friendlier.

When he speaks his voice is calm, almost soothing. "Sit here and meditate. That's the way you're gonna find me."

You can't explain it but for some reason your eyes were closed and you leaned into the touch of Akaza's fingers. When they leave and Akaza with them a sudden sadnesses washes through you.
Shocked you shake your head and try to process everything that just happened. Or rather ignore it.

Meditate.
Meditate?

So his hide and seek continues.
You sigh.
At least you don't have to run through the forest.

You do as Akaza told you and sit down on the boulder reaching over the pond not thinking about Akaza's gentle touch.
Meditating is something you're familiar with though you never really enjoyed it. You cross your legs, sit upright and place your hands gently on your knees. Then you close your eyes and stop questioning why you listen to Akaza's words.
You should kill him.
A few weeks ago that's all you wanted.
And it's still.
So why do you start forgetting your revenge and your mentor?
Why do you start accepting his death?

You shake your head again and try to get rid of any thought. To get a blank mind and concentrate on your surrounding.