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

Chapter 27 | Realization 🍈

It doesn't take you very long to lose the conflict clouding your head.

Soon you're back, next to Akaza as if you never left.
The demon stirrs and turns to his back which leaves you with the possibility to rest your head atop his chest.

You're so close to him. Too close.
But your whole body is forcing you to stay like this. As if Akaza's body and yours were magnets.

Still he does not wake but your heart is beating too fast to find sleep. You feel an ache in your hands, in your mouth to feel Akaza's body. As you lay your head on Akaza's chest, the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing lulls you into a strange sense of calm. His warmth seeps into you, but the thrumming of your heart betrays the storm inside. You feel a pull, a need that can't be explained—your hands trembling, aching to trace the lines of his body, to lose yourself in the dangerous closeness between you two.

Suddenly, Akaza stirs beneath you, his muscles tensing ever so slightly. His eyes flutter open, and in an instant, his arm loops around your waist, pulling you even closer, trapping you against him. The force is gentle but unyielding, as if he’s drawing you in, unwilling to let you go. His voice, low and almost a whisper, reaches your ears.

“You’re so fragile,” he murmurs, his breath warm against your hair. “So soft”

A second later he is asleep again. You're not entirely sure if he ever really woke up.

Your pulse quickens, but his grip remains firm.

The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath you and his scent fill your senses, and despite your racing thoughts, sleep begins to creep up on you again.
Akaza's presence, dangerous as it is, feels almost soothing in that moment. Slowly, your eyelids grow heavy, and before long, you drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

You wake to the cool air of nightfall, the space beside you empty. For a moment, you think Akaza is gone, but then you see him, standing at the entrace of the cave, his back to you. Moonlight glints off his pale skin, and the silence between you stretches, thick and heavy with tension.

“I knew you were a fool,” Akaza says without turning around, his voice sharp in the quiet night. “Trusting me this way… It was reckless.”
He pauses, and you can feel the weight of his words, like a knife hanging between you.

“If anyone saw us, I’d have to kill you.” His tone darkens, a chilling edge creeping into it. “And so would you. You’d have no choice. There’s no place for you in a world where demons and humans are this close.”

His words strike you like a slap, but you can’t look away from him. His back is still turned, his posture rigid, as if he’s fighting something within himself. There's a long silence, broken only by the sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

Finally, Akaza’s voice cuts through the tension, colder than before.
"Don't forget why we're here," he says, the softness from earlier replaced by something harsher. "We’re only working together because I agreed to train you. Nothing more."
He still doesn’t turn around, his stance unyielding, as if drawing a line between you.

Your chest tightens, but you listen, frozen in place.

“We are not friends, nor allies," he continues, each word laced with finality. "I’m your trainer, and you are my student. That's it."
His voice lowers, but the edge remains. "You would be a fool to think otherwise. You should have learned that by now."

The weight of his words settles in, and you feel your pulse hammering in your ears, but you can’t ignore the truth of what he’s saying. The closeness you felt, the way his presence calmed you for just a moment—it was all an illusion.

“I expect you to learn from this mistake,” Akaza says, his tone sharp as a blade. "Do not see me as anything but what I am—your superior, your enemy. The second you forget that, you will die."

His words hang in the air, cold and absolute, and this time when the wind blows, it sends a chill down your spine. There's no room for argument. Akaza isn't just reminding you of your place—he's reinforcing the distance between you, a gap that should never have been crossed in the first place.

You bite your lip, the ache in your chest growing. It’s painful, but you know he's right. In this world, there's no room for anything beyond survival, no room for the blurred lines that have formed between you.

As his words sink in, you feel the weight of reality pressing down harder. The truth of the situation strikes you like a physical blow—how close you were. Akaza’s back is still turned, his posture relaxed now, unaware of the storm brewing inside you. You could have ended him in that moment. With him half-asleep and his guard down, it wouldn't have been honorable, but it would have been the perfect opportunity.

For so long, you had trained for this. All of your pain, all of your loss—the death of your master burned inside you like an unquenchable fire. Akaza was the one responsible. This was the moment you had waited for. And yet, instead of finishing it, you chose to lay beside him. To trust him. To let your guard down and rest in the arms of your enemy.

Your hands tremble with the weight of the realization. You could have avenged your master, completed the very task you set out to do, but instead, you let yourself fall into this dangerous, forbidden comfort. You chose to cuddle with the demon who took everything from you.

Why? Why did you hesitate? Why did you allow this twisted closeness to form?

Your heart pounds in your chest, conflicted between rage and confusion. You glance at Akaza’s broad back, the muscles tense but unguarded, as though he knows you won’t make a move now. And the worst part? He's right.

He trusted that you would make the wrong choice, and you did. You allowed the magnetic pull between you to cloud your judgment, allowed the momentary peace of his presence to eclipse your desire for revenge.

You grit your teeth, hands clenching at your sides as the bitter truth settles in. It wasn’t weakness—it was something worse. Something you couldn’t afford. Your instincts screamed for justice, but your body...your heart betrayed you.

There will never be a better opportunity than this. You know that now. But even with the truth staring you in the face, you made your choice. You couldn't take his life, not then—not when it was within reach.

And now you're not sure if you will ever be able to take it.