anything and everything, all of the time

“Have you never fallen in love? At all?!” Genya wants to snort; as if Zenitsu would ever notice anybody else's love life but his own.

“HAHAHAHAA! LOSER!”

Tanjiro calmly shoved Inosuke away from a fuming Genya, smiling brightly. “I'm sure Genya has one! And we'll be more than happy to help him confess!”

“Aren't crushes supposed to be secret-”

“Then we have to figure out who it is first!” Zenitsu hollers.

“No-”

“Is it Kocho?!”

Kanao, Tanjiro and Genya both look scandalised but Zenitsu barrels on. Aoi face palms. Inosuke steals everyone's food.

“Is it Kanrojii?!”

“Why is everyone you're listing so much older than me!”

“OKAY, OKAY! Uh…Koyuki-”

“SHE'S ENGAGED TO SOMEONE ELSE!”

“Sheesh, I got it, stop yelling! That Shabana girl?”

“Just why-”

“Maybe Genya does like someone but just doesn't realize it,” Kanao offers timidly.

“That's a good point, Kanao!” Tanjiro beams, causing Genya and Kanao to flush red but for entirely different reasons.

“How am I supposed to know if I like someone?”

“If you find them cute?”

“That seems really superficial,” Aoi says disapprovingly.

“You'll get really nervous around them, like your heart speeds up. You'll probably stare at them a lot too, and want to do lots of things for them, maybe hold open doors?” Tanjiro nods wisely.

“And they're the first person you look at to see if they're laughing at a joke,” Kanao agrees.

Genya considers. “Then none of the girls you just listed, honestly.”

“It's alright, you'll find the one for you one day. There's no rush now.”

“HAHAHA! TENYA IIDA IS GOING TO BE ALONE FOREVER! HAHAHHAA!”

“MY NAME IS GENYA!”

Truth be told Genya had lied.

It wasn't a lie exactly either. More of…an avoidance of the truth. He didn't feel that way about any girls Zenitsu had mentioned, or any of the girls at school.

But he did like someone, yes.

Or no. Definitely not. It couldn't possibly be.

“Oh, hey, Shinazugawa.” Your simple wave as you joined his side outside the classroom door was enough to get his heart pounding and slightly sweaty like he had just suffered an entire class with the gym teacher Tomioka.

“Thanks for holding the door!” You call out over your shoulder, flashing him a bright smile while entering the class and taking your seat. You immediately turn to start talking with your friends, something Genya's extreme thankfully for because then you can't see the tomato red that's painting his face as he's still stuck, frozen and speechless, by the door. Only Iguro-sensei’s cold “Do you plan to have the lesson by the door or something?” Shook him out of it.

You're so confusing, Genya thinks, averting his eyes when you catch his with a mouthed “oops” and raised eyebrows, because he wants to revel in your attention and hide in a hole from it at the same time.

It was a pleasant kind of confusion, though. The kind he wouldn't mind thinking about forever; it gave him an oddly warm, fidgety feeling inside like he had just drunk an entire thermos of hot chocolate and got marshmallows to top it off. Then he promptly slaps himself (mentally) because he shouldn't be thinking about this, that and you.

Not like it stopped him from staring at the back of your head all through class. He doesn't realize it until your friend turns their head around and makes a face at him, leaning closer to you to whisper something. Genya panics and ducks his head, burying it into his arms for a few minutes before he judges it's safe to look up.

And when he does you're smiling at him knowingly, as if the both of you knew something the rest don't. Oh good lord.

Your laughter is something Genya wishes he could make as well, when the whole class watches Iguro-sensei trying to tell Inosuke off, but the dumbass can't get the teacher’s name right at all. He finds himself laughing as well, a combination of that and because of you before it hits him.

“You'll get really nervous around them, like your heart speeds up. You'll probably stare at them a lot too, and want to do lots of things for them, maybe hold open doors?”

Oh shit. Check, check, check.

“And they're the first person you look at to see if they're laughing at a joke.”

And check?!

Shit shit shit shit shit-

Genya groans. He does like you after all.

But that's not right, it's got to be wrong.

You're a boy. Genya's not gay…at least he didn't think so…Then again he's never actually liked a girl. But he's never liked a boy either. Until you.

Forget it! You're not a crush, you're the reason why Genya is going to drive himself crazy right now! Hell, why did the idea feel so wrong but so right at the same time?

Genya rubbed his temples. If he was being honest the idea only seemed so wrong because…well, because he's just never considered that possibility before. It just hasn't really occured to him he might be attracted to the same gender. It's a new concept, yes, but…not really a terrible one. He got all red with girls yes but it wasn't because he like-liked them or thought they were cute.

Was crushing on a guy really going to be any different than a girl then? Genya groaned again. Judging by his behaviour these days…yeah, not really.

Okay, then if hypothetically he DID like you and he liked guys…how would Sanemi and his friends react? Would they still want to hang out with him? Would Sanemi still…consider him his brother? What would his mom think?

What a headache. What would…you think? It'd be pretty embarrassing to like you and you're straight, Genya thought. Then again was he even sure he was gay, even certain he had a big fat crush on you?

“Hey, you alright?” The voice startles Genya out of his thoughts. He lifts up his head and looks around, startled to see everyone's left. Shit, he hadn't even realized class was over. Idiot.

He glances to his left and nearly dies of fright.

You cock an eyebrow. “Um, seeing a ghost, Genya?”

“No!” He just about shouts, flailing his arms as he tries to stop himself from falling out of his chair. “I'm fine! Really! Sorry…just, just kinda out of it.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Yeah, let's talk about how I've just realized I might be-

“It's fine, it's nothing important.” Genya notices your fidgeting however. “What about you?”

You hesitate. You're playing with your sleeves quite nervously. It's making him paranoid.

“I'm just…there's a new arcade that just opened up.”

“Sounds fun,” Genya offers. He's got barely enough brain cells still functioning from the close proximity between you both.

“I was wondering - um, do you wanna go with me? I can buy all the tokens,” you quickly blurted out and held your breath.

“Sure.”

“N-no. Just you and me. Like on a date.” You rub the back of your neck, looking away. “No - no pressure or anything! I know you might not be into guys, you might already like a girl-"

“You're gay.”

You wince at his tone. Genya wishes he hadn't sounded so accusing. “Last I checked, yeah.”

“Sounds fun,” Genya repeats dumbly, because holy shit, you like him you like guys too he likes guys he really wants to go to the arcade with you oh thank god-

You blink. “So that's a…yes?”

“Absolutely.” Genya waves his hands frantically. “If you're still up for it! Nothing’s awkward! I - I do want to go as a date, not as friends, and, uh-"

He snaps his head away, embarrassed, but he glances back long enough to see you grinning like you've won the lottery.

"Does 2 pm work for you?"

Shit. He really does like you after all. And with the way you're smiling at him like that maybe he can deal with whatever bullshit that's going to come next.

“Hey Genya, do you want to come over this weekend?”

“Muichiro wants to go to that pizza place again.”

The Tokito twins stare at him expectantly over the usual din of the Kamaboko Squad's usual shenanigans. Now or never.

“Sorry, I'm busy.”

“With what?” Muichiro looks out off; Yuichiro frowns in surprise.

“With someone.”

The silence was so thick you could've cut it with a knife - or Zenitsu's screaming.

“WHO?”

“HAR?!”

“Is it a date?” Tanjiro managed to slap a hand over the blonde's mouth while Aoi deals with Inosuke. The twins and Kanao's mouths hang open in surprise.

Genya picked at his food. “Yeah. At the new arcade.”

“Congratulations!”

“I thought you were planning to be single forever-”

“Shut up, Mui!”

“With who?"

He says your name and again the silence is thick.

Tanjiro's eyes light up in recognition and shock. “Isn't that the new boy?”

Genya nods stiffly.

“You're…gay?” Kanao asks tentatively.

Genya nods again.

“I had no idea! I never would've guessed either.” Tanjiro shakes his head, stunned. Much to Genya's relief…he's smiling? “But good for you, Genya, I'm sure you'll enjoy the date!”

This wasn't so bad after all. It's like a weight’s been lifted off his shoulders. Now it's just how well…Sanemi will take it and his family. Probably not as easy.

“I thought it was a little weird you rejected that cute girl the other day.” Muichiro looks excited. “Now I've got a gay best friend!”

“What are you, twelve?” Yuichiro grumbles, but turns to Genya. “Have a good time then.”

“THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! DON'T SHOCK US LIKE THAT, GENYA!” Zenitsu finally squawks, clutching his heart.

“Wait, what's gay?” Inosuke's lost. “Is Genma happy or something?!”

Never mind.

“Damn, I knew you were good at shooting, but basketball too?” You wiggle your eyebrows at him, pretending to throw an imaginary ball as Genya throws an actual one through the basket easily.

“Heh, this one's just easy since it's so near.” The machine flashes lights and beeps, displaying a new highest score. “And kinda short.”

“You are pretty tall,” you agreed, counting the leftover tokens. “Hey, we still have enough for that claw machine!”

“Seriously?”

So far the date's going pretty well. Genya hadn't made a fool of himself when you showed up dressed up in that letterman jacket and excitedly tackled him yelling about how you managed to get about an entire bag's worth of tokens. You both had spent your time mostly fooling around playing air hockey, shooting games (he had a moment of crisis before sitting next to you in the cramped space), he got forced to dance with you, you claimed he cheated at the racing, he won you a figurine as an apology for accidentally smacking your hand during Whack-A-Mole. Genya was kind of regretting that now, because you were now convinced Genya had amazing luck and could continue to win you more prizes. But as Sanemi said - a million times - those things were a scam, so Genya compromised by saying if only there was tokens leftover from the basketball game.

Alas and alack, he supposed, but you were already speeding towards the claw machine.

“Come on, come on, almost there, almost there!” Your chanting is barely heard over the obnoxious arcade music but you're practically breathing down his neck.

“Okay, okay, I got it, shut up for a sec.” Genya's grip on the controls is so tight he's actually afraid he might rip out the joystick by mistake like Sanemi last time…although Sanemi had done that on purpose during his rage quit and since had been banned from that particular arcade.

“Dear Kami-sama, please, please, please-”

“SHIT.”

“NOOO! So close!” Your head's tossed back in an exaggerated groan, flipping off the stupid claw that let go just a second too early. “I could've won that Hashira figurine!”

“I was the one playing!” Genya protested.

“I got the tokens!”

“I offered to pay you back! You said no!”

You punched his shoulder playfully. “Hey, this was supposed to be my treat. You can pay for the next date.”

“Next - next what-"

“Oh jeez, your face is so red now. Let's get some fresh air; I know a good dessert store.”

Genya's down bad alright.

“Where the hell have you been?”

It's already late by the time Genya lets himself into the house. His siblings should've been asleep, his mom too, so hopefully he could…uh, break the news the next day, when he's written and planned everything out, chewed off his nails and get that support you promised him earlier.

Luck had decided to abandon him since his second attempt at the claw machine however, since now he's been caught kicking off his shoes and smiling down at his phone, at the picture you've sent him of the figurine in your shelf.

>>Maybe I'll get more from you

You wi<<

He shuts off his phone quickly. Sanemi’s sitting on the sofa, arms crossed and does not look like a happy camper. Genya tries for an innocent smile. He probably looks like he has a stroke. If Sanemi were a cop, every criminal would be cracking in less than a minute under his interrogations.

“Out with a friend. Sorry I'm late, I was talking them back home.”

“Really? Saw all your friends - Tokito twins and that Kamado kid - earlier today. Try again."

“Someone else.”

“Cut to the chase, Genya, you were out on a date, weren't you?” Sanemi barks.

Genya's shoulders slump. “Yeah. Please don't be mad, I did tell Mom.”

“You should focus on studying. Your math grades are still too low.” Sanemi's expression softens, just slightly. "Who's the lucky girl?"

“Ah.”

“I swear to god, if it's that Shabana girl-”

“It's a guy.”

A very awkward beat of silence.

“WHO?!”

Genya almost expects to be attacked when he says your name. Or mauled after Sanemi demands every detail of what went down at the arcade. Maybe thrashed while finally confessing yes, he's not straight. But not stand there while Sanemi stares at him, strangely quiet.

“You two didn't do anything suspicious?”

Nope. You'd been quite understanding when he admitted he was still kind of getting used to the newness of…all this and offered to save a kiss for next time, causing him to explode into scarlet and try to poke you with his straw. “Aniki!”

“Is this a new thing or have you been…keeping this from me?” Unbelievable. His older brother almost looks hurt by that notion.

“A new thing, I swear, I wasn't planning on keeping anything from you, I was just waiting for the right time and right thing to say and I - I didn't know how you'd react.”

“Well…” Sanemi mutters something unintelligible, eyes moving away slightly.

“Um…what?”

“I SAID, AS LONG AS YOU'RE HAPPY WITH HIM, IT'S FINE BY ME! NOW GO TO SLEEP!”

Genya couldn't stop his grin. “Really? Thank - thank you, Aniki, and okay, I will.”

“And don't do anything too intimate before you're married!”

You spat out your straw. “He said what?”

Genya takes a long sip of his latte, slipping his hand into yours. “I didn't make that up.”

“No,” You say, shaking your head. “That sounds like Shinazugawa.”

you nearly collapse into his hold, your limp body weight on him as he continues praising you, “would my prince like a massage?” he pushes his finger into your side, tickling you and chuckling when he feels you slap his hand away, “or are you just in the mood to sleep, darling?”

“just want you,”

“tell me how you want me and i’m all yours,” he whispers comfortingly, running his warm hand up and down your back.

“like this,” you answer back, kissing his collarbone and getting comfortable under his chin.

he pivots the two of you to lay down rather than sit up, easily moving your body around as if you weighed nothing. you curl into his side and he doesn’t bother suppressing the smirk on his face as you do so.

“tomorrow, you’re not going to work,” he says after a few beats of silence, “allow me to be selfish and have the whole day to spend with you,”

“can’t just do that, sy, you know that’s not how it works,” his eyebrow quirks, red eyes already watching you as you sleepily peer up at him, “can’t call out of work just cause you want me to,”

“oh, no, i don’t want you to. i need you to. and you won’t be calling out of work, if it stresses you so much, i’ll personally speak to your boss and i’m sure i can work something out. i can be very persuassive,” he jokes with his dry humor, enjoying the way you roll your eyes at him. it’s adorable, really.

“threatening them and their family is not persuassion,” you correct weakly, but he’s no longer interested in debating.

“you spend the day with me tomorrow, m’kay? not for you, but for me. i miss you,” he says into your hair, kissing the top of your head, “okay?”

you sigh, pinching his nipple lightly before agreeing, “fine,”

“must you hurt me when i am pampering you and showing you nothing but love?” he winces, grabbing your hand in his to ensure you don’t try doing it again, “it is what makes you so cute, though,”

“shut up,”

“of course, my prince,”

— sylus notices how easily you put others before you. it’s something that oftentimes annoys him, he doesn’t quite understand how you are so lackadaisical when it comes to the power you have over others. not only are you dating, practically married to, an overbearingly powerful organization leader, you on your own are quite intimidating. but instead of utilizing that leverage, you smile and brush things off as if they aren’t a big deal. and it’s a really kind, noble trait of yours that you have, but sometimes sylus wishes you’d put people in their place.

it was a snide comment, quick, quiet snide comment that sylus wouldn’t have heard if not for his superhuman hearing. and the moment he heard it, his eyes were glaring at the person and his stance was broadened.

how dare they speak to you that way?

and just as he was about to charge head first in demanding this random give you respect, your palm is already resting against his chest and stopping him, “a kinder tone would do you some good, lacky,” is all you have to say to the man’s insult before walking away, dragging sylus with you.

the sight would be funny in any other context. an angry 6-foot-something man, glaring at someone, but being unable to do anything because his boyfriend is phyiscally dragging him away. a boyfriend he could easily overpower, but chooses not to since he’s so smitten with you. and at the end of the day you’re the only person he listens to. even if it does go against his own selfish desire to put pricks in their place.

“you don’t think my want to harm those who speak against you charming? because, darling, if you were to do the same for me i’d only fall deeper in love with you,” he speaks in that way that usually woos you, but seeing as the context is him basically asking you permission to murder someone, it’s not all that charismatic of him.

“no, not when they’re nothing but nobodies,” you kiss the tip of his nose, making the corners of his mouth quirk up. “their opinion and what they say of me doesn’t matter at all.”

“you’re right it doesn’t,” he admits, but then he purses his lips, “just remember; your wish is my command. you say the word and i will be at your beck and call,” he reminds you, trying to goad you into using this power you have. the only person in the world capable of turning him into nothing but an obediant guard dog and you don’t even consider using such power.

it’s heartwarming to know how kind you are. but sylus does look forward to the day he can properly put people in their place, at your command.

— how he loves seeing you in his clothing so much more than your own. no matter what your style is or fashion preferences are, sylus makes sure to have anything and everything you would want in his closet for you to use. the only thing he needs to make sure of is that he’s worn the article of clothing before. a subtle territorial way of him always being with you, a marker on you that you are not to be trifled with.

sylus is deep in your neck as he breathes in the mixture of your cologne and his. the shirt you were wearing, a tight black turtleneck had remnents of his signature scent, which almost clashed with yours. but sylus doesn’t mind that. he’s too busy kissing at your neck to truly care.

“what brought this out of you?“ you tease, tilting your head to give him better access as you finish getting ready. there was supposed to be a small, not-terribly serious meeting that you two were attending, but with how sylus has been nipping at your neck for the past twenty minutes, you wonder if the plans will be scrapped.

after all, sylus could command whoever he wants whenever he wants.

“you are so divine,” is all he says in response to your question, “and all mine,”

“a true poet, rhyming your smooth talking words together,” you joke, but the smile dies down when you feel his sharp canine graze your skin, “sy, please, i’m in no mood to put on three pounds of concealer if you get too rough.”

“then don’t, simply let them be there. leave them alone, they deserve their time to shine, no?” trying to sweet talk his way in you letting him continue marking you. but your resolve is strong as you force him away and walk towards the room of your door.

“am i leaving with or without my boyfriend, tell me,” you challenge, leaning on the door knob and waiting for him.

he practically glides over to you, putting his hand on your waist, “you wouldn’t leave me all on my lonesome,” he says as he shuts the door to your bedroom shut, “i was just giving you some extra love since you look so handsome in my clothes, darling,”

you look at your outfit, thinking that while it is simple, it definitely is all from sylus’ closet with how elegant it is.

“hm, i should really start wearing my own clothes or else people are going to think i just go through your lost and found,” sylus chuckles at your wording, kissing the top of your head as he grabs the car keys from the hanger.

“no, you look too good in my clothing. never wear your own from now on,” the demand is a joke, obviously, but sylus does think he could die happily if he saw you in nothing but his clothes from now on.

his oversized comfortably t-shirts, his pajama shorts, his hoodies, even his blazers and formal wear he bets you’d look stupidly cute in. you feel the grip on your flesh tighten ever so slightly, but don’t know the reason why. sylus imagining you in all of his clothing is what triggered that reaction, by the way.

— flustered you can sometimes get with his petnames for you. sylus prides himself in having what some would call a sharp tongue and quick witted humor. and it only fuels his ego when he sees how his words and terms of endearment get a reaction out of you. blush visible on your ears and cheeks, shifting in body language, how shy you can possibly get in front of him and his steady gaze. he just loves to see you be so receptive to him.

“doll, can you grab me the file on my nightstand please?” sylus asks, pushing his glasses up as he looks up from his desk to yours.

“ugh, you’re so annoying,” you complain, leaving the room and comnig back seconds later with a manilla folder in your fingertips, “next time, be more organized, sy,”

“but then who would i bother to help me? surely not another handsome boy,” he teases, grin growing in size as he sees you weakly glare at him in warning, “a handsome boy who looks even more appetizing when he’s angry,”

“appetizing? don’t describe me as that,” sylus drops the folder on his desk and grabs your wrist before you can walk away from him. without warning, he tugs you in to his frame, letting your body fall on top of his sitting one.

“you’re just such a pretty boy i want to take a bite of you,” his sharp teeth are displayed behind his boyish smirk, “let me taste you, my love,”

your expression is flustered, smacking his chest to let his hold of you loosen, “don’t make it sound like such an innuendo, sylus!”

“i mean every word i say, though,” he murmurs, leaning in to capture your lips in a soft, controlled kiss, “you turn me into a terrible insatiable man,” he kisses you again, smirk never fading. the warmth of your cheeks, showing to him your flustered without him even having to look, “make me feel like i’m starving without you near,” his hands grip your neck with more strength, keeping you right where he wants you, “won’t you have pity on a poor man such as myself and indulge me?”

“i’m already plenty indulging you,” you breathe out, eyes still shut as another kiss is brought to your lips. sylus only hums in response, too greedy in the feeling of you against him that he doesn’t even want to break away from the connection.

“i can’t help myself,” is the first thing he says when he pulls away from you, wiping your saliva-ridden bottom lip with his thumb, “my lover is so, so, sooo tempting. even the breaths you take are treasures to me,” his palm is warm against your cheek as he cups your face, “let me drown in you?”

you don’t respond, hoping that you aren’t as physically warm as you feel. sylus is such a sweet talker it’s unbelievable. and his sweet, exaggerated, but true words never fail to get your heart beating even faster as well as make the anticipation swell in your stomach and chest.

the night goes on with sylus calling you all names of endearment he’s ever used on you, praising you as if you were his savior and one salvation. which to him, you truly, but it seems as if you don’t share that sentiment yet. it’s fine, though, because sylus has the rest of your lives together as time to prove how deeply and raw he feels for you.