It was easy to push aside his worries for the first night. After all, more often than not and despite what Inosuke thought, slaying a demon required more than just taking a sword out and slashing at it. The investigation and witness accounts themselves could take hours, then there was locating and trapping the demon enough for battle. The fight itself was often after dark or in a secluded area. It was common for factions to stay the night afterwards rather than opting to set out again so soon.
But when the next evening passes without a single boar head or hanafuda earring in sight, Zenitsu starts panicking.
He panics while washing the laundry, causing the contents of the wash basin to slosh around and utterly soak Chuntaro who was helping to collect pins. He had to promise the livid sparrow extra corn so to save his eyes from being pecked out.
He panics during dinner when Ringo stops by to check that everything is all right. Deciding to stay completely quiet was the lesser of two evils, despite the two looking at him funny. Sorry again, Gramps…! But Zenitsu would rather not start spilling made-up worst-case scenarios about how his supposed boyfriend was probably dead in a ditch with his brains sucked out and covered in mold by now.
He panics past lights-out. Evidently, that's not a good combination with sleeping. As the clock strikes twelve, Zenitsu counts that it's been almost a day and a half now and there was still no sign of Tanjirou and Inosuke.
What were those guys doing? Did they really let a low-rank mold demon get the best of them? That was more of Zenitsu's thing. Maybe they were caught off guard and tied up somewhere. Maybe there were hostages. Maybe Tanjirou, Nezuko, and Inosuke are the hostages. And how horrible would that be? The demon would start by rotting their clothes as a threat to get what it wants. Then if they were generous, move onto smaller limbs. Each hour promised another figure or toe incinerated into nothingness. It was easy to switch attention to the face next, watching their opponents' expression freeze in terror as eyes slowly had the life sucked out-
Zenitsu is shooting out of his blanket and clambering for his blade before the thought even finishes.
"I know there's still a few hours left before they promised to get here, Chuntaro! I'm going anyway!" His companion, bless his heart, hurries to pick a peach as a mid-road breakfast for them. By now, it's sunrise. He only notices when he slides the door open to have its rays blind him. This setback only lasts a single second as Zenitsu makes to sprint down the path.
"Trying to run away from your master again, hm?" Kuwajima appears out of thin air behind him.
Zenitsu screams.
"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, GRAMPS! I'm not running away, I SWEAR! It-It's just- my friends were on a mission and promised to be here by now. I can't just leave them behind!" And he is telling the truth this time. The revelation that this is one of the first times that it isn't just an excuse crosses his mind. Kuwajima raises a brow in disbelief. He sighs. Lowering himself from the rock, Zenitsu is shocked when all he feels is a gentle shove for him to move forward.
"Go then." His Gramps grins. "You better keep your head high and bring them back safe and sound."
Peeking out from behind two sleeves, Zenitsu can only manage a shaky, "yes, Gramps!"
Thankfully, he doesn't get very far. Crossing the pond at the outskirts of town and about less than an hour down the path is when he hears it: a heartbeat that sang of blue skies accompanied by a gentle harp playing between every breath. Zenitsu feels like collapsing on the spot. They were here. Tanjirou, Inosuke, and Nezuko were here, keeping their promise to the very last hour.
Zenitsu may have activated his Thunderclap and Flash in his haste to get closer to the sound. He wouldn't have known or bothered to think if he did but after a single blink, his sight was obscured by a familiar haori of checkered green. It took the fabric scratching against his nose for him to realize that he had practically tackled the other to the floor. "TANJIROU, I'M SO SORRY!"
Inosuke, who was mumbling half asleep and a few meters behind on the road, sprung up with his swords in the air. "mU-HUH?! SQUARE UP, TEMPURA DEMON…!" Only to halt when he realized it was a dream and there was nothing to worry about but a sobbing yellow blob.
Tanjirou, only just registering his arms full of his crying friend, sat up from the crater made a good few feet behind where he stood just a second ago. "H-Hey…! Zenitsu, it's okay! We're okay! Everything's fine. What's wrong?" Oh, Tanjirou… Such a kind person! Already forgiving Zenitsu despite not knowing the horrible thing he did that warranted groveling was something only he would do without batting an eye. Little did he know that it just made him want to bawl even more. "Come on, Zenitsu. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."
And that's how Zenitsu found himself explaining the culmination of his life's misery in the form of recounting what happened at the dinner table that night, out in the middle of nowhere and three pairs of shocked eyes staring down at him. He says three, because he could hear the hum of Nezuko's own curiosity echoing from inside the box. Awkward.
When he's done, it's silent. For all that is good in the world, Inosuke looks like he was forced into watching a play that he'd rather sleep than pay any attention to. Finally, agonizingly, and reprimanding, Tanjirou smacks him lightly on the head. "You should tell him the truth."
"I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU'D SAY THAT!"
"-Is what I would normally say." For the life of him, there was that sound again, that sound that Zenitsu couldn't hope to decipher playing a symphony within Tanjirou's soul. The look in ember eyes was the most unreadable that he'd ever seen them. "But I think this is really important to you." To his surprise, Tanjirou smiles, gentle again. "You're doing this for your master and grandfather, right? I think that's really kind of you, Zenitsu. Of course I'll help you out."
…Huh?
Before Zenitsu could respond or comprehend what just happened, the third member of their party speaks up. "Oi, Tantaro and Zenuski, are you done over here or what? I'm starving."
He turns his attention to Inosuke. Of course he does; it's way easier than trying to confront the utter emotion and power behind red eyes. "I'm serious here, Inosuke! You can't tell anyone that Tanjirou and I aren't actually together."
"Only if you give me your portion at dinner."
"WILL YOU DROP THAT ALREADY?!" He leans forward, meaning to continue retorting, when the slight tingle of hanafuda earrings lightly touching his cheek has Zenitsu start with the horrific realization that he was still in Tanjirou's lap. He wanted to jump away and apologize again, he really did, but is left speechless when arms circle around him instead.
He's- He's being lifted? Carried, Zenitsu instinctively clings to the body beneath him until he's lowered back onto the ground. It was stupid. It was so stupid how the moment only lasted at most five seconds, yet he could feel all of the world's sunshine trapped within the one single action. It isn't until his feet are firmly planted in the dirt that Zenitsu realizes that it was Tanjirou who held him so gently. Finally, green plaid arms let go of him.
Zenitsu tries to identify that emotion in his heart as something other than disappointment.
It doesn't last long when by the next breath, Tanjirou pulls forward once again to intertwine their fingers. The light brush of the other's thumb on his palm is what finally snaps Zenitsu out of it. "Wh-What are you doing…?!"
"Oh, I'm holding your hand." Curse you, Tanjirou! He's saying this while looking like he's simply talking about the good weather over a cup of tea. The weather was not good by the way. The sun was already so hot that Zenitsu felt like melting! "That's what couples do."
…Was he dying? What he seriously dying? Maybe Zenitsu was wrong and his life wouldn't end with a twelve-legged demon guzzling his brains out. He didn't think it was possible to kill with kindness but if anyone could find a way, it would be Tanjirou Kamado. Seeing as his now boyfriend wasn't complaining, the group continued on their trek down the path. Zenitsu could pick up pieces of conversation between Tanjiou and Inosuke but, in his panic, most of it went through one ear and out the other.
Still- were they seriously going to hold hands the entire walk back? Is that really what couples did? Zenitsu didn't know. But… it felt nice.
"Kentaro, your face again-"
"I-Inosuke, please… keep quiet!"
He was told many things by many girls, one of which insisted that it was normal that the suitor could only hold the hand of a lady after he bought a gift for her dying father. (Why her dying father would want a pearl, Zenitsu would never know.) It made sense and he didn't mind it. But how much of that applied here? What was the difference between those relationships and this one that would put Gramps' mind at ease? All Zenitsu knew was that this was different. That walking with Tanjirou, holding his hand, felt to be a gesture of a higher plane that Zenitsu's emotions escaped his body to rejoice in. It was beginning to hurt his head.
The rapid buzzing in his veins only subsides when the group hears a crash not too far away. Tanjirou, thankfully or tragically lets go of his hand in exchange for investigating the source. It's only when the haze fades from his mind that Zenitsu realizes that they just barely crossed the town border. It takes another second to realize that on the ground was a very still Ringo. "Auntie!"
Crates litter the dirt around her, split open and spilling linen and scrolls. To his utter relief, the older woman breathes a sigh. "Zenitsu-kun…? Is that you?" Despite that, she is unable to move from the shock.
Tanjirou wastes no time in rushing to her aid. Hurrying to remove Nezuko's box, he whispers so not to alert her. "Yes, he's here. You're okay, miss. What is your name? What do you remember about what happened?"
"I…" She stutters, pausing when she feels herself being lifted onto the boy's back. From her peripheral, she can gather a strange boar man and her step grandson gathering the objects back into the boxes. "I'm Ringo. I was just on my way to getting my wedding trousseau painted… on a wall screen, yes! When I happened to trip and fall… oh goodness! How long have I been here?!"
"It's still early, Ringo-san. How about your breakfast…? What did you eat?" Tanjirou presses on, unhinging his sword from his waist in order to use as a seat for her on his back. Zenitsu could only watch, using every inch of his willpower not to be utterly taken by how kind Tanjirou was. How Ringo and Tanjirou's sounds synched so easily. People with the same base tended to get along. It made it difficult when Zenitsu's own sound was so off-beat and ugly compared to everyone else's to tell who he was supposed to click with.
Their conversation eventually lulls into more peaceful chatter about cherry blossoms. By then, Inosuke has Nezuko strapped to his back as well as one of the crates underneath an arm while Zenitsu carried two. The group makes the small trek back to where they could see a peach orchard in the distance.
"Oh, please excuse me!" Ringo suddenly gasps in horror. "I never even asked for your names."
"That's all right, miss. You suffered a pretty bad fall." Tanjirou smiles up at her. "I'm Tanjirou Kamado, and our friend is Inosuke Hashibira. I'm guessing that you already know Zenitsu?"
The woman gasps, even more ashamed of herself. "Oh my…! What a handsome young man. You sure know how to pick them, Zenitsu-kun."
"A-AUNTIE…!" But she only guffaws in response. Oh no. Zenitsu takes it back. This embarrassment was not worth making Gramps happy.
When her laughter finally dies down, she speaks again. "I'm so sorry that your first impression of me has to be when I'm clawing my way on the ground. Not very lady-like, huh?"
Tanjirou is about to respond, probably with something utterly and irrevocably Tanjirou-like, when the familiar sensation of having his stomach lodged in his throat hits Zenitsu like a log. Inosuke, who was a step ahead, trips over an invisible thread and is sent nearly face-first into the dirt if he didn't reach out one arm to careen himself into a somersault a safe distance away. The world slows down when the floor suddenly gives out from under them.
No, not one of Gramps' traps…! The net that flies over only confirms it. Zenitsu wasn't sure what came over him. All he could remember was being able to see every millisecond play out before him. A blaring voice in his head screamed about how Tanjirou and Auntie were in danger. Underneath that screech was the mortifying realization that his friend couldn't use his sword, that he'd probably land in some way to minimize the impact on those around him.
So Zenitsu uses his legs, pushing both of them out of the way just in time before the ground can completely crumble. Tanjirou barely manages to land on his feet outside of the pitfall. Disoriented, he spins back around. One second, he could detect adrenaline and worry spilling off from behind him in waves. The next, the pure scent of blooming peach blossoms disappeared. It doesn't take him very long to realize what happened.
"ZENITSU…!" He lowers the older woman on the ground, ready to jump in himself until he's stopped by the dust cloud settling. The panic retreats when his eyes pick up that his friend is just fine… if tangled in a net and lying back-first at the bottom of a hole is fine.
A laugh sounds from behind. "Well done, Zenitsu! You passed!"
"I PASSED?! WHAT THE HELL, GRAMPS!" In this situation, isn't it usually Tanjirou who would be tested by the boyfriend's family? Gramps seriously had his priorities messed up, dammit! The boy in question could only stare, dumbfounded at the scene before him.
"You remembered the nature of trap number 398 and acted accordingly to save the incapacitated and elderly." At this, Kuwajima swings out a thumbs-up. "Very nice."
"You scared us half to death! And who are you calling elderly?!" Ringo was evidently upset.
"A-Err, I didn't mean it, sweetie…"
A few feet away, Inosuke sparkles from beneath his mask. "What a cool old guy…!"
After setting Ringo on a mattress to rest from her fall, Kuwajima is quick to offer tea as way of apology. Scratch that, he's quick to apologize to Tanjirou and Inosuke, leaving Zenitsu on his own to patch up his wounds. That old fart.
"You must be the famous Tanjirou I heard so much about! From what Ringo has told me, you were the sweetest and strongest young man she's ever met. " He squints, nearly causing Tanjirou to step back. Please stop being creepy, Gramps. Zenitsu feels like crying from second-hand embarrassment. "Not bad on the eyes either, huh? Now how did someone like you end up with Zen?"
This was totally unfair! Gramps was supposed to be overprotective of him, not purposely talking bad about him to convince Tanjirou to break up with him-! Ah, not that they were actually dating but still! Zenitsu is just about to call the geezer out for his bullshit when Tanjirou beats everyone to the punch. "That's an easy question, Kuwajima-san. It's because Zenitsu's amazing."
What.
Zenitsu read into it further.
Thump-thump-thump… He wasn't lying.
Tanjirou smiles, expression genuine in every definition of the word. "I'm very grateful to travel with him by my side every day."
And suddenly, that rush in Zenitsu's nerves from before returned at full force. Like he was being embraced by sunshine. It took a second for him to realize that this wasn't the first time he felt this way, especially around Tanjirou. For someone as wonderful as him to make him feel that way, maybe Zenitsu wouldn't mind traveling with him by his side every day either.
"Ugh!" Kuwajima laments. He clutches his heart. In that second, he looked to be just a regular and sweet old man. "Ever since you got back, Zenitsu, I've been a huge sap. Maybe it's just old age getting to me but I do miss having you around. It's been so quiet in the house. Now I don't have to worry about you anymore with Tanjirou here. I'm glad."
The night before, he could tell that there was still a tinge of disbelief and suspicion colouring his Gramps' sound black. He's always had a deep sadness permeating from him and Zenitsu felt no better for making it worse. But now, it lessened to a dull gray. It felt easier for Gramps to be happy. And for that, Zenitsu had no idea how he would ever thank Tanjirou. So instead, he opts for what he does best. "How about you worry about nearly giving me a concussion not even ten minutes ago, Gramps…?! Please don't ever do that again! I IMPLORE YOU!"
The old man drops the façade to yell back. "Who do you take me for, BOY?!"
"As my loving and caring Gramps who would never want to see harm done on me…?"
"HA, in your dreams-!"
And if Zenitsu doesn't notice how fondly red eyes peer at him, doesn't know that the other could pick up on his gratefulness from the soothing tide in his scent, that would be Tanjirou's little secret.
Despite the fall from earlier, Ringo is up and about a mere few hours later at the smell of food in the rice-cooker. Inosuke was the designated peach-picker, swinging from branch to branch to choose the ripest selection for the sauce. The boar child was in a good mood and Zenitsu had an aching suspicion why as lunch rolls around. All five of them are seated at the table. Sure enough, the blue pupils of a certain boar mask are regarding him expectantly as soon as food and prayers are done.
Miserably but admitting defeat, Zenitsu slides the entire portion of his eel onto the other's plate. Inosuke doesn't hesitate to dig in, not even bothering to utter a thank you, that bastard. His rate of chewing was probably not as messy as when there was just the three of them eating but still a far cry from the rest. Ringo blinks, judging the exchange. She wasn't a big fan of any young man skipping out on his meal. She's just about to ask when Tanjirou, without any pretense, plops his own eel in Zenitsu's bowl.
"Tanjirou-"
"It's fine. We're in this together, right?"
The blond gives him a look. "You idiot. It should be like this then." As if to demonstrate, he slices the meat perfectly in half before placing the portion on the left back on his friend's plate.
The woman can't help it. She coos. The two both hurry to withdraw from each other, cheeks flushed as if they were stuck in their own bubble and forgot that anyone was watching until now. "Oh goodness, you're so cute together! I can't believe I have such adorable grandchildren." Cute wasn't a word that Zenitsu was used to adults calling him. Obnoxious and annoying was more accurate. "Tell me, when is the wedding?"
Zenitsu can feel his head exploding and the blinking 'a problem has been detected and your brain has shut down' sign flashing before his eyes. At the same time, Tanjirou tilts his head, confused beyond belief. "It's in three days, isn't it?" NOOOOOO- Tanjirou, that's not what she meant, you idiot! You moron-! Please mourn over how your stupidity keeps you safe from this godforsaken level of embarrassment!
"Hey, lady…" Thankfully, Inosuke interrupts before the conversation can derail any further. He's been doing that a lot lately, unintentionally saving Zenitsu from several bad spots. He can only promise himself to appreciate his friend more. Ever the one to seek attention from grandma figures, Inosuke pips up with his mouth full. "If you think those guys are cute, I can be even cuter, right?! Anything they can do, I can do too! I'm cute, right?" Pieces of rice fly.
"Adorable." Zenitsu drawls sarcastically. Oops, there goes his promise.
"Oh, Inosuke-kun…! Of course, I can't leave you out. You are absolutely precious as well! Your skin is so fair. I'm quite jealous." The man in question laughs boisterously. "But from what I can see from your body, you're quite focused on muscle-training, am I correct? I recall that there was this one recipe that promotes growth…" The exchange from there kicks off, with Ringo blathering on about food and the latter listening intently. It's like that for a while. The clinking of cutlery accompanied their two voices in a way that made Zenitsu's heart feel warm.
Eyes glinting between mouthfuls of lunch, Kuwajima lightly coughs to bring the attention of the remaining occupants of the table back to him. "So Tanjirou. I noticed when I saw your uniform that you're a Demon Slater as well. Who was your master?"
"Urokodaki-san is my master in Water Breathing but I use Dance of the Sun God."
"You don't say…?" To both their surprise, Gramps sets down his chopsticks to regard Tanjirou seriously. "You wouldn't happen to be Tanjuro Kamado's son, would you?
Tanjirou really can't be blamed for nearly dropping his bowl. The way his breath cut off could be picked up from a mile away. "H-How do you know my father?"
"I thought I recognized those earrings." At this, the older man gestures to his left ear where the hanafuda swayed with every movement. "That's quite the legacy you're carrying, boy. It'll be an uphill battle for you but," here he hits Zenitsu's leg with his walking stick, causing him to choke on his rice, "at least you have my Zen here to bug the shit out of you every step of the way."
"GRAMPS…!" Zenitsu gasped between hits to his chest to dislodge the food.
"I must admit, I implied some pretty bad things about you when Zenitsu first told me that you were in a relationship with him." Kuwajima lowers his head in apology. "Seeing how quick he was to save you from that trap earlier today and how urgently he ran out of the house this morning, I can tell that isn't the case now. For that, I apologize. You're genuinely important to him, important enough for him to get his act together."
At hearing that, Tanjirou beams. Cheeks glowing hot, for some reason he felt way happier than he had any right to feel. "Oh, i-it's not a big deal! I understand that you'd be suspicious of me at first. It's an honour to meet a former pillar like yourself and to receive your blessing."
Zenitsu wants to die. He really does. It's like Gramps just signed his hand in marriage off to Tanjirou and Zenitsu wants to die. The world has some mercy on him for he's given a full minute to recover before that cursed hand slipped into his again. He speaks lowly so only the two of them would hear, trying to feign anger. "You monster. It took you exactly three hours to win over Gramps. It took me three years."
Tanjirou pauses from where he switched to his left hand to eat and laughs. "I didn't do it on purpose."
Auntie was wrong. The calluses on the other's palm weren't cute at all. They spoke of a burden so heavy that Zenitsu couldn't even fathom to digest, of the many lives the other had saved while disregarding his own. Yet as the creases of the other's palm fit perfectly against his own, as the table devolves back into the warmest chatter and atmosphere of love that Zenitsu's ever experienced, he couldn't help but wish that part of it wasn't fake. Maybe it was because in this moment, it didn't feel like their relationship was pretend at all.
"Thanks, Tanjirou."
The addressed hummed. There was no need to thank him, that's what Tanjirou honestly thought. With that rare scent of happiness rolling off of his companion like it was natural, like it wasn't a treasure for Tanjirou to subtly memorize, that in itself was enough of a blessing. Not able to stop himself if he even tried (he didn't), he gave Zenitsu's fingers a reassuring squeeze. When the other smiled, intertwining their fingers, it was so easy for them to fall into the habit like it was what felt the most right.
-U-U-U-U-U-
The days pass much like that; in a full house of food and friends. At one point, Nezuko left her box while the three are preparing for bed in their shared room. With her new clothes in her hands, it's easy to guess what she wanted. After changing and braiding her hair with the branch, the four of them spent the next hour rehearsing for the wedding as if Nezuko were the flower girl. It was nice and sad at the same time. Because the actual wedding was outside and during the day, she couldn't attend the real thing.
She wasn't upset about it, however. Running up to all three of her family, they were caught off guard when she suddenly increased her size just so she would be able to give a gigantic simultaneous hug to all of them. Later, Tanjirou had recounted that their parents loved to annually renew their vows. Even after his father passed, their mother still continued the tradition by his gravesite. Apparently it was one of Nezuko's favourite events, and it was great that she didn't have to miss a year.
Zenitsu was touched, sobbing. Inosuke himself set about screaming about how they were going to rehearse again, much to Nezuko's delight. It helped them prepare for walking Ringo and Gramps down the aisle too so none of them protested about the late hour.
Time flew. It felt like he simply blinked and it was suddenly the night before the wedding ceremony. Of course, it wouldn't be Gramps if he didn't overwork his student to the bone. Zenitsu swung down, his wooden sword swishing through the air as he practiced. This lasted for a whole hour before the screeching began. "You're making me work so hard on my vacation?! SO CRUEL...!" He hopes his words could reach Gramps from wherever he is inside the house. They don't.
Despite Zenitsu making a big show out of it, the biggest rock lodged into his head that refused to leave wasn't actually the training. It wasn't the crushing pressure of having his master around again to kick some sense into him.
It was Tanjirou.
He has done nothing but prove just how well he could get along with people no matter their background or premonitions. A few of the neighbors who were close to Gramps and Zenitsu had visited to wish them happiness, only to practically fall in love with the idea of Tanjirou dating him. It wasn't surprising to Zenitsu, really. He kind of pictured Tanjirou as being the sweetheart of the town he grew up in and the type of guy who gathered allies everywhere he went. Sometimes the blond wondered if any of the townsfolk found it weird that he was with a guy like Zenitsu- what was he rambling on about. Of course they did. His endeavors and failures with relationships weren't exactly a secret around these parts. He could detect that many of them were waiting until the inevitable moment when the same thing would happen with Tanjirou. He saw the way some of the younger girls their age, many of which Zenitsu used to chase after, eyed him like a snack that they couldn't have but soon would.
Try as he might to see it from their perspective, Zenitsu can't even begin to comprehend the way they thought of him. It was obvious from their sounds. But trying to picture Tanjirou as nothing but a cookie, metaphorically of course, freed by ripping apart its wrapping paper then devoured and thrown in the trash was completely unfathomable. Not- Not that Zenitsu even had the ability to do that, of course! He'd, He'd just have to make sure that whoever Tanjirou does end up with doesn't do that to him. Right- he'd make sure this mystery person loved him just as much as Tanjirou loved them back. Obviously…!
"…Tired?" The sudden second voice has Zenitsu screaming and dropping his sword. He was too caught up to notice that the very person he was thinking of magically appeared by his side. Without even knowing it, Zenitsu got lost in his thoughts. The repetitive motion allowed his mind to wander despite the soreness in his arms.
Turning to his friend like a deer caught in headlights, Zenitsu squeaks. "Y-Yes…?"
Tanjirou doesn't seem affected, only concerned. The only indication was the slight downward tilt of his mouth, uprooted by that influx of sorrow emanating from Zenitsu. "Kuwajima-san said and I quote 'aiy, let the brat turn in early this time, it'll be my gift of mercy to him since tomorrow is a big day.'"
"That's Gramps all right." Zenitsu cringes back from the bad impression, "was that really necessary, Tanjirou?"
"After the first time when you didn't believe me, I guess?" He sounds so innocent that Zenitsu can't help but hold back a laugh. And that, Tanjirou was doing a lot of that to him recently. Zenitsu didn't consider himself a very happy person. About seventy percent of his emotions were fear, sadness, anger, or some weird combination of the three. The other thirty percent was only the thrill when he was out chasing a girl. However, ever since their farce began, the other seemed to be able to draw just a simple sound of joy out of him.
Zenitsu is sure that that mystery person would be very happy as well.
He makes to grab his sword off the ground when, like a pin dropping, Tanjirou suddenly steps forward. All Zenitsu can register is two arms pulling him in. He blinks, and golden eyes find themselves buried in a layer of cloth over someone's warm chest.
And then, and then the world stops. The sound was so close now. What was once a vast sky augmented to Zenitsu's ears and became a spring- no, a summer peaking out when the seasons change. Birds chirping in the distance, the splash of a stream fully defrosted and carrying fish, and fireworks indicating the start of a festival all sent Zenitsu back to the happiest memories of his life. When he was small and things like having no power or friends didn't matter.
How could one person sound so alive? That's what Zenitsu was tempted to ask but managed to shove the urge down. The arms around his waist felt like a safe cage that he never wanted to leave. It's only when he feels a scarred forehead lightly touch his blond tuff of hair that Zenitsu even realizes what is happening. "T-Tanjirou?!"
The other shushes him, his position by his ear helpful. "Second floor, window close to the edge… we're being watched."
Sure enough, the familiar sound of Gramps could be picked up alongside the distinctive breathing pattern when one is trying to spy.
O-Oh, right.
Pretend- they're pretending.
Still, this is too much for him! If Tanjirou holds him like this, it feels like they're actually-! Like they're actually…!
"I like your family. They really care about you, Zenitsu." His thoughts are cut off by the softest of whispers. Tanjirou speaks as if he's barely making a sound. But with the other's pounding heartbeat next to Zenitsu's ears, it might as well have been yelled.
"…Do you think Gramps knows we're faking it?"
"Nah. I think he's just worried. That's what it smells like to me." Right. More like Gramps had no idea that Tanjirou had a keen nose so it appeared that he hugged Zenitsu while they were alone because he just felt like it. Zenitsu can hear the satisfaction practically radiating from Kuwajima from the little room he had left to comprehend a sound that wasn't Tanjirou's.
He should be mad. Livid that the world would let Tanjirou so close when he should've reserved it for his mystery person, but he isn't. Just for the orchestra that was his Gramps and just for the memory of being able to listen to Tanjirou so closely, he can't find it in himself to regret being held like this.
The silence between them is comfortable. So obviously Zenitsu had to ruin it by opening his big mouth. His earlier thoughts spill out of his mind like a tidal wave. "…How is it that you're so good at this anyway?"
The other seems to be barely listening, lifting one hand to run through short golden locks. The action seems to kick up a second more subtle aroma of citrus that Tanjirou didn't know he had. He felt he needed mercy from somewhere lest Zenitsu's scent gets even more enticing. "Good at what…?"
"You know what I mean; this couple stuff." Zenitsu is sure to keep his voice low even as exasperation rocks his core. He ignores the shiver that the other's fingers petting his hair cause him to feel. "Don't tell me that you have a lot of experience with girls?! Do you have someone waiting at home for you? Just how much do you know?!"
Tanjirou frowns. Ah, wait… No-! Now the summer was dulling. Why were the leaves falling? Stop! "No. I'm just copying what my dad did for my mom a lot when they were alive."
"O-Oh." Shit. Way to go, useless and dumb Zenitsu…!
"Don't apologize. You didn't know."
Zenitsu wasn't having any of that. "Oh now I have to apologize! And don't say I don't have to! I'm sorry. Th-That's so touching, Tanjirou, and here I am being a jerk."
"It's okay."
It's not okay. Not if the continuing wilting of leaves by his heart is any indication. Zenitsu rushed to think of a way to cheer him up. It was him who forced Tanjirou into talking about his family when he clearly didn't want to. It… It only makes sense that Zenitsu does the same for him, right?
So taking in a breath for courage, Zenitsu tears down his own walls. The walls who kept his worst thoughts to himself. "Gramps was the one who took me in and trained me. I used to practice here all the time." He clammed up again. This was difficult…
Tanjirou blinks, slowly comprehending the direction of conversation. It was hard for his mind to stay clear with the scent of spring so close to his soul. "Oh right. You told me about your debt when we first met."
"I-I didn't have any parents. I kept trying to get this girl to like me, but it turns out that she ran off with all of my money to be with another guy. I th-think I had it coming, though. In case you haven't noticed, I have that kind of punchable and hated personality." The blond breathed. It was the first time he ever vocalized how he really thought of himself. Somehow, his shoulders were lighter after doing so.
"Zenitsu-"
He continues anyway, to prevent the sound of Tanjirou from becoming any colder. "That's when Gramps took me in. It's so weird, but maybe having just that first person believe in me was all I needed. I started to believe in myself too." When he hears a bit of the storm clearing up, Zenitsu feels himself relax the slightest bit. With the worst of it over, he adopts a more sarcastic tone. "He probably just wanted a student to pass down his sword style. Breath of Thunder isn't a very common technique."
There's a pause then, as if the two needed time to breathe. Finally, Tanjirou speaks up. "Sounds like fun."
"Fun…?!" Here, flashing back to all of his misfortunate, Zenitsu can't help but smack the idiot a few times. No matter how awkward it is from their position, he still manages to land a few whacks while his other hand was planted firmly on Tanjirou's shoulders. "Urgh! Why the heck are you so hard-working and optimistic? It pisses me off! And the training was hell! It doesn't help that I'm weak and useless unlike you!"
Tanjirou manages to fend off the hits with his own free arm, sending him an exasperated look. "You aren't weak, Zenitsu."
"Uh huh…" He says, even though the serenade near his ears speaks of anything but insincerity.
"No, really. You've protected me so many times before. I'm not just talking about the pitfall trap. Maybe you don't remember all of it, you don't think it's a big deal, or you weren't physically there but trust me on this." Even as Zenitsu cowers, Tanjirou doesn't hesitate in looking him straight in the eye, their connection almost electric. "You're strong, one of the strongest people I know."
The familiar giddiness of being appreciated overcomes the blond then. Really, Tanjirou was a saint, maybe a dorky angel from heaven. A feeling of being genuinely happy, of having this summer play a symphony by his heart doesn't allow him to think that being anywhere else could possibly be better than where he is now. Cursed feelings-! "Th-That's too much, Tanjirou! Did you think complimenting me would cheer me up or something, you bastard?"
Wait. What feelings…?
"Ah, you cheered up." The statement does nothing but cause Zenitsu to bury his face in a neck hidden behind hanafuda earrings to hide the flush by his cheeks, but both knew that it was too late for that. "…Zenitsu?"
Oh.
"Tanjirou," the voice responds, suddenly so quiet. "What would you do if someone told you they love you?"
The other's breathing hitches. Before Zenitsu can start worrying about why, they form words.
"Depends on who… maybe tell them that I love them back."
Whoever that someone was, Zenitsu knew they would be really lucky.
.
Neither of them had noticed that Kuwajima had long stopped spying on them.