#i've been thinking about serpent tsuguko ayame a lot these days

[minteayoongimakesmewoozi]

thinking about serpent tsuguko!ayame and how incredibly touch-starved she is, but also touch-avoidant

zenitsu is constantly throwing himself at her and she can't help but freeze and shudder, pulling away even as he pulls her closer. he eventually learns to stop the instinctive flinch to tug at her haori and cower behind her, although he still tends to use her as a human shield where possible. he just makes sure they don't touch, which means she makes both a relieved and a disappointed sound and he's pulling at his hair trying to fix it

inosuke notices the way she flinches out of the way when he goes in for a headbutt. at first, he thought it was just a show of strength! he's stronger than her after all! then he sees her in action in mount natagumo and realises that she isn't weak at all; she just doesn't like being touched. he knows what that's like, so he's always protectively hovering right outside her personal bubble, wary of anyone who tries to touch her without permission. (he hates the crawly feeling of panic that he can feel from her.)

tanjirou is the only person who can touch her without receiving a hiss or a flinch in response. he's familiar in a way that other people aren't. he knew her before everything, his touch warm and comforting. he can grab her hand without her slapping him away, and kuromaru doesn't even hiss when they bump against each other. this does mean he's twice as protective when they're in a crowd, always lingering close enough to headbutt or throw someone that gets close to her. on occasion, she might even seek out his touch - the deliberate brush of her knuckles against his, maybe her fingers curling into his haori sleeve for a half second before she's walking away, the most hesitant brush of her shoulder against his. the first time she takes his hand and the scent of happiness and suzuran fills the air and overpowers the cloying scent of fear, his heart stutters and soars in his chest