Just a cold
Summary: Shinobu caught a cold. Tanjirou took it on himself to take care of her.
Notes: Nothing really happens. Just a mostly vague, fluffy idea. Seriously, there should be more with these two. Hope they aren't too ooc.
The Butterfly Estate was quiet in the night. Tanjirou had just finished his nightly meditation and was returning to his bed when he heard it.
It was a sneeze.
Tanjiro blinked at the sound. Then he heard it again.
Worried, he followed the sound to a familiar room.
He knocked.
"Shinobu-san? Can I enter?" he called.
"Come in." came the muffled reply.
Tanjirou slid the door open and poked his head inside.
"What can I do for you, Tanjirou-kun?" she smiled.
"Um, I was wondering…" he nose twitched.
"Yes?"
"Did Shinobu-san catch a cold?"
"No, but thanchoo!"
There was a moment of awkward silence. Tanjirou was starring with a mix of surprise and concern. Shinobu was refusing to look at him.
"I'll be right back, Shinobu-san." he said quickly.
"No, wait, you don't have to–!" she started, only to sigh in defeat when she found him gone, "Seriously."
Tanjirou had dashed for the kitchen and had started on making tea and soup.
Ten minutes later, he had a tray ready and was making his way back to Shinobu's room, where he had left her working.
"Sorry to make you wait." he said softly.
He set the tray carefully down beside her.
"You didn't have to, Tanjirou-kun. I'd've been perfectly fi-achoo!"
Tanjiro gave her a small smile.
"I am sure. But I thought, Shinobu-san could use the break."
"Thank you." she accepted the tray.
As she started on the soup, he carefully gathered her papers, put them in order so she could easily find where she had stopped, and put them on the side.
Then he sat with her to keep her company.
She asked after his training and they talked until she had finished.
He took the tray with the empty cup and bowl.
"I'll be back in a moment." he said.
Shinobu blinked after him, confused.
"Shinobu-san should really go to bed." Tanjirou said, as he returned, "I was hoping Shinobu-san would have gone to rest by now."
"You said you'd be back, Tanjirou-kun. I assumed you wanted to talk…?"
"Eh? Ah, no. I'm sorry. I might have gotten carried away a little." he said, smiling sheepishly, as a light blush crept up his cheeks, "It's something I did when one of my siblings got a cold."
Shinobu looked away.
"I'm sorry if I made Shinobu-san sad." he said quietly.
"No. Just wistful." she replied, "But now I am a little curious; what did you usually do, Tanjirou-kun?"
"Then, Shinobu-san has to go lay down. It is rather late, after all." Tanjirou smiled.
Following his suggestion, Shinobu went to lay down, only to have Tanjrou get hold of her cover before she could reach for it.
Realisation dawned on her.
"Are you going to tuck me in, Tanjirou-kun?"
"It's something I did for my siblings…" he repeated, looking away, blushing.
Shinobu smiled and let him tuck her in. She watched as he carefully brought the cover up to her chin and made sure she was warm.
Then, to her surprise, he ran his fingers through her hair and leaned down to press his lips on her forehead.
"Get well soon." he said softly.
"With you taking so good care of me, I can't see how I could stay sick." she smiled up at Tanjirou's blushing face, "Thank you, Tanjirou-kun. Good night."
"Good night, Shinobu-san. Sweet dreams." he smiled softly and left.
He made his way to his bed, in the recovery ward, and laid down staring at the ceiling, calming his poor heart.
At the same time, Shinobu raised her hand on her forehead, at the spot Tanjirou had kissed. It had been a while since someone had done that.
With a content sigh – and wasn't that a surprise? – Shinobu closed her eyes.
It became their small routine for the next four days; Tanjirou would bring her tea and soup and then tuck her in and kiss her forehead goodnight. He made sure he stopped by before he did his nightly meditation, too, since he staid up on the roof for a couple of hours after the end of the day.
No one commented on how Shinobu had taken a brief break and lessened her workload, or that Tanjirou regularly brought her tea throughout the day. If anything, Aoi and the girls seemed relieved.
On the fifth day, Shinobu was feeling much better.
Still, Tanjirou hovered, asking once or twice if she needed anything.
Shinobu promised that if she needed help, she'd ask and that he should return to his training.
She found him on the roof that night, the first he didn't stop by before comming up for his meditation.
Seeing as the breeze was slightly more cool than usual, Shinobu had brought his haori.
She stood beside him, still unnoticed by the young Slayer, and with her usual smile placed his garment on top of his shoulders, startling him.
"We don't want you to catch a cold now, do we?" she asked him, sitting beside him.
"Ah, Shinobu-san! Are you feeling better?" he asked, "Thank you for this." he added, tagging at the checkered sleeves.
"You're welcome. I had a really good nurse tending to me." she replied.
Tanjirou smiled sheepishly.
"I'm used to taking care of my siblings when they got sick, or helping my mum if more than one was down with a cold." he said, looking up at the sky, "I…I miss that, taking care of them. So, thank you for letting me take care of you, Shinobu-san."
"Thank you for taking care of me." she countered, "Aoi-chan is going to ask you how you managed to get me to actually rest and let myself recover without making any fuss."
"That's why Aoi-san looked so relieved?"
"You noticed?" she asked. At his nod she continued, "Doctors make the worst patients." she explained.
"Ah." he understood, "I don't think I'd be able to give Aoi-san any sort of helpful answer, though. Because I did act a little as a 'big brother' to Shinobu-san and Shinobu-san allowed me to do so."
"Depends."
"On what?"
"How often I catch a cold and you are willing to play nurse." Shinobu smiled.
"Eh?"
"Aoi-chan is probably going to be requesting your invaluable assistance, if the case arises in the future." she said, amused.
"Well, if I can be of help…" he said softly.
"Thank you, Tanjirou-kun." Shinobu said, letting her hand rest for a second on his back, "Don't take too long out here tonight."
And then, before he could react, she was gone.
Tanjirou looked up. He drew in a deep breath and then got up. He stretched his legs and then jumbed down, making his way back to the ward.
He thought it wouldn't hurt to end early tonight.
Just as the doctor suggested.
Tanjirou laid down, never really noticing the small smile on his lips.