A/N: Not much to say other than I hope that everyone had a great start of the new year. My initial plan last month was to post two short chapters, but they ended up rolling into one long chapter of 17 pages. I wish I can update faster, but I want to continue writing chapters that I am satisfied with. Since school has begun for me, I am going to stick with updating with at least one chapter every month. That way, I can have enough time to write and edit. With all that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Somnolent Sushi Roll: Certainly an aspect of himself that's never going to change.

tollo666: Thank you! And I guess I don't mind just as long as you give credit.

Morskijez: Thank you! I didn't want to change things too much but still make enough small changes to canon. And yep, Shoichi is a good kid. More so here since he knows Zenitsu is a demon, but still doesn't abandon him. And poor Tanjiro. Seeing Zenitsu hurt, while knowing what the other has gone through will definitely make the sun child angry.

Chapter 6

Since he was young, Zenitsu always knew he could hear exceptionally well.

And that 'special gift' used to scare him. He couldn't count the many times his younger self would lay wide awake at night terrified of the noisy world around him. Any normal human wouldn't be able to hear the way all living things breathed as well as the pounding of their heartbeats. It just wasn't possible. In fact, no normal human should be able to listen to conversations asleep. But Zenitsu could. He could hear all the things that were impossible to hear with his abnormal ears. Without meaning to, he had spent most of his childhood listening to the sounds of all the things he came across in his daily life.

And as he grew up, he came to learn that all living things had a distinct sound that belonged to them. Whether a person was bad or good at heart, they all had a sound that reflected their personality and inner self. Even Zenitsu had a sound of his own. Although he could never make up his mind about what his own sound was supposed to sound like, it was definitely always changing.

Sometimes, it would pitter-patter like rain on a warm summer's day or other times, it would make claps of thunder on days of brewing storms.

Yes, his sound certainly could never pick a tune to stick with.

But after he had turned to a demon, it seemed like his ever-changing sound had finally picked a tune.

Only it wasn't what he had expected.

Every demon had an ugly sound. That was an undeniable fact he came to learn on his own. The first time he had discovered what a demon's heartbeat sounded like, his ears had throbbed from the experience. Of course, his ears became more adjusted to listening to a demon's heartbeat over time, but there were still occasions in which his ears would sting in pain. He later began to understand after the Final Selection that the more malicious a demon was, the more the sound roughly shifted in tempo, becoming extremely painful to listen to. Zenitsu tried to listen for that distinct sound in his own tune, but there was never anything to pick up with his ears.

His sound had become eerily silent.

And it completely baffled Zenitsu. Nezuko was a demon and yet her sound was all the more present. Her sound mimicked a stream, the kind that was ever-changing in each current it took. There were times when the stream was tranquil and at peace and there were times when Zenitsu felt like the stream could turn into an angry tsunami. However, that anger was never directed at any that Nezuko looked at with love and fondness. It was always directed at the demons that wanted to hurt him, Tanjiro, and anyone else that Nezuko felt she needed to protect. Even though her heart still vibrated in that familiar pitch of a demon's heartbeat, it never bothered Zenitsu the slightest. Strangely, her sound, like Tanjiro's, made him feel at ease. Her heartbeat was certainly anything but silent like his own.

Which made Zenitsu suspect that the reason he probably couldn't hear his own sound any longer had to do something with himself.

Of course, he never brought up to anyone, especially Tanjiro. Gramps was the only person who had actually listened to him concerning the sounds he could hear. It took a while for him to even tell Gramps what he could do. The world was very loud and as a child, Zenitsu realized he could never find a moment of peace. Gramps was the only one who came to understand this. Thinking about it, Zenitsu actually never wanted to open up to anyone about his abnormal gift, let alone Gramps, but Gramps was a stubborn old man. He didn't know when exactly Gramps had suspected his sharp hearing, but after one very loud training session, the old man continued to nag him senseless until he confessed everything about his ears. But strangely, unlike what Zenitsu had initially feared, Gramps wasn't afraid of him.

No, Gramps had readily accepted it.

There was a time when Zenitsu had told someone about his abnormal gift, but it had only led to misfortune for him. Before he had met Gramps, there were many girls Zenitsu tried to date. There was one, in particular, he felt he could trust. The way she looked at him gave him butterflies and she seemed so kind. Even though her sound sometimes shifted in a tempo that spoke of lies and deceit, Zenitsu still wanted to believe he had found the one. She was the first girl that didn't look at him initially with disgust after their first meeting together. After a week of presenting her gifts, Zenitsu decided to open up and tell the girl about his hearing ability, but instead of accepting him like he thought she would do, she merely scoffed at him and threw the drink he had given to her to his face, drenching him in its sticky substance. To make matters worse, she had told everyone about his creepy gift in the small village he lived in, making everyone he knew to look at him with disdain.

That day, Zenitsu realized two things.

One- his hearing was more of a curse than a blessing.

And two- he could never tell anyone that he was different. Ever.

Still, Tanjiro had proven that he different from the deceiving people he had met from his past. He had barely met Tanjiro, and Zenitsu already wanted to place all his trust in the red-haired boy. The only person who had Zenitsu's complete trust was Gramps. And that took a while to happen. It took weeks before Zenitsu had the courage to tell Gramps everything about his hearing ability. There was a chance that Tanjiro would be the same as Gramps and accept him for what he could do. But the little voice in the back of Zenitsu's head still whispered that he had no idea how Tanjiro would look at him if he came to understand Zenitsu's hearing ability. Zenitsu was frightened at the idea of the red-haired boy looking at him with narrowed eyes full of disdain for the unknown.

The simple truth was that Zenitsu didn't want Tanjiro to look at him with fear.

"Zenitsu-san!"

Ah, that was Shoichi again. The young boy had been attempting to help him up for several minutes now. Somehow, they had made it outside the creepy house. The two had been sent out the second-story window and crashed to the ground below after the room they had been standing in flipped. According to Shoichi, Zenitsu had shielded him from the impact, which explained why the back of his head was throbbing. Shoichi even said he was bleeding, the back of his hood being stained with red. There wasn't anything Zenitsu could do about his wound. But to appease the boy, he allowed Shoichi to help him up from the ground. He didn't need to tell Shoichi that the wound will soon heal on its own.

But Zenitsu didn't want to accept that he had saved Shoichi. Shoichi was adamant that Zenitsu had saved him from hitting the ground, but Zenitsu knew better. He was useless at helping people. He couldn't even save Shoichi from the demon earlier. What did Shoichi see in him to make him think that he had saved the young boy?

Was it pity?

"Ah, Nezuko-chan!" Zenitsu exclaimed, forgetting every negative thought for a moment.

He hastily turned away from Shoichi to the side, relief instantly washing over him at the sight of the box that still stood where it had been left by Tanjiro. Thankfully Nezuko was still safe inside. Nothing had changed to her sound. It was still beating in that familiar tempo of a flowing stream. Zenitsu was all the more grateful that no one had injured Nezuko while she had been left alone.

"Nezuko-chan?" Shoichi's voice piped up from Zenitsu's side.

Zenitsu flinched and quickly came up with the first excuse he could come up with his aching head.

"Uh, that's just what I call Tanjiro's box! Yeah! I named it Nezuko-chan for good luck."

Shoichi narrowed his eyes, making Zenitsu yelp once more. Of course, a lie like that wouldn't be believed by a boy as intelligent and strong like Shoichi, but Zenitsu had to try. However, judging from the boy's disbelief in his excuse, it seemed like Shoichi was going to try to get the truth out of him.

Which he was sure would have happened if it had not been for the crash of two doors being flung from their hinges behind them.

The two turned, watching as a pig-masked boy stomped onto the top of the fallen doors, laughing with an insufferable thick voice. Instantly, Zenitsu recognized the boy. Not from his features (although how could one forget a pig-masked person), but strikingly from the sound of his heartbeat. He recognized the sound from the Final Selection. The pig-masked boy had a sound that only a wild animal would make, always roaring to make others see its strength. No human should have a sound like the boy in front of him.

Well, no normal human for that matter.

"T-the fifth person that qualified…" Zenitsu shakily murmured to himself. "W-what's he doing here?"

Or better yet, why was he so hot-headed now of all times when clearly, the demons inside the house were gone.

And as if he heard him, the pig-masked boy stopped his incessant roaring and let his gaze fall onto Zenitsu, the eyes of his pig mask coldly staring right back. Zenitsu felt something twist inside him as fear coursed through his limbs. Something about the way the pig-masked boy's sound was pounding now did not sit right with Zenitsu.

It was as if the other suddenly had the idea to skewer him with his blades.

Widening his eyes at hearing the pig-masked boy's inner voice, Zenitsu wasted no time to move. As the violent boy charged forward, Zenitsu pushed Shoichi to the side and stumbled back, barely missing the sharp two blades from slicing his neck. He fell back with a hiss as his head injury sent a shock of pain through his body. Despite wanting to ease the pain, Zenitsu forced himself to get back up. The pig-masked boy in front of him would show no mercy for his prey. He would continue to attack until his swords met their target.

And yet, the pig-masked boy suddenly froze, his head turning over to the box that still stood on the side.

Zenitsu realized with horror that the pig-masked boy now had his focus on Nezuko.

"NO!" Zenitsu cried as the pig-mask dashed over to the box. With strength he didn't know he had left, Zenitsu flung himself over to the box, placing himself in front of it, his arms outstretched as he glared at the other.

"I won't let you hurt Nezuko-chan!"

The pig-masked boy froze with confusion apparent in his chaotic sound, but his hands never made the effort to lower his blades. "Hey, hey, a demon that can talk back. Move aside. I want to skewer the demon in the box first. I can tell it's strong. I want to FIGHT it."

Zenitsu shook his head, gritting his teeth. He was not going to let this person harm Nezuko. Not when he was the only one there that could protect her. Tanjiro would never forgive him if he allowed Nezuko to get hurt under his watch.

"I WON'T LET YOU!" Zenitsu seethed, his eyes narrowing in defiance. "Nezuko-chan is Tanjiro's precious family! You can't hurt her! She's all that he has left! If you want to hurt her, you have to go through me!"

The pig-masked boy stared at him for a few seconds before he erupted in a loud haughty laugh. "You sure like to talk impressive for a demon. Fine, I accept your challenge! But you're just a coward that's afraid to pull his own blade!"

And before Zenitsu could even react, he felt something sharp sink into his shoulder, twisting as it sunk deeper and deeper. Zenitsu thought he heard someone scream in the background, but everything was too much muffled to distinguish who the voice belonged to. All his ears could focus on was the sound of his muscles and nerves being gouged. It was just so loud. Zenitsu had no idea how long it lasted, but when the sword finally stopped moving, Zenitsu readily welcomed the silence that came after. And yet, the silence did not last too long. It was quickly replaced with the sound of the sword being jerked back and pulled away from his body without any warning. Zenitsu felt his eyes fall onto the sight of the now bloody blade as the smell of blood entered his nostrils from underneath his mask. In the distance, he realized that someone was screaming again, loud and agonized with pain. He initially thought it was Shoichi, but it was only until the screaming stopped did he realize that his throat was now painfully dry and sore.

Oh, had he been the one screaming?

Zenitsu wanted to ease the pain that was now erupting from his shoulder, but he ignored the selfish desire. Instead, he turned towards the box behind him and cradled it to his chest as the pig-masked boy's foot met his head, sending him sprawling to the ground. Again, Zenitsu screamed as the tip of one of the pig-masked boy's blades penetrated his body, this time tearing into his leg. The pain was too much and it made Zenitsu want to faint. But stubbornly, he forced himself to keep his eyes open and tightened his hold on Nezuko's box. Somehow, from all the ringing in his ears, he managed to pick up the sound of Nezuko scratching loudly from inside her box, barely keeping her anger in control. It was obvious that Nezuko wanted to come out and protect him.

'Please no, Nezuko-chan' Zenitsu thought as dark spots began to cloud his vision after another kick had been delivered to the back of his already injured head (it was a wonder his mask had not come off yet). 'You can't come out. You can't. I'm fine. I'm fine really.'

'I have to protect you.'

"Third Fang: Rip and Devour."

Zenitsu widened his eyes with terror at those words. Although it was not a breath style he had heard of, Zenitsu knew what those words meant. Whatever would come next would most likely be the finishing blow. It was odd now that the pig-masked decided to finally kill him after beating him insensibly. Perhaps something had held the ruthless boy back from abruptly beheading him. Whatever the case, Zenitsu knew he was going to die now and he was terrified. Not because he was going to die in a gruesome way, but of the fact he would be leaving Tanjiro, Nezuko and Gramps behind. Zenitsu knew he was going to have to die eventually. Being a demon slayer guaranteed an early death while being a demon guaranteed a death sentence. How ironic that before all this mess started, he was so frightened of the idea of dying when now, he was more afraid of leaving the people that had cared for him behind. He really was weak. What a better way to deal with a weak demon like him than to just end him. It made perfect sense.

After all, like what the pig-masked demon slayer said- he was a coward.

"STOP!"

Zenitsu felt his body stiffened at the familiar sound of gentle bells ringing as they exited the old wooden house behind him. What followed was the deafening sound of the pig-masked boy being punched in the chest and being sent back with the sound of ribs cracking. Zenitsu grimaced from the abrupt sound, his body trembling as the pig-masked boy crashed into a tree trunk in the distance. Although the pig-masked boy had severely injured him, Zenitsu wished he didn't have to hear the other become injured. Cracked ribs had to hurt.

"Zenitsu!"

And suddenly, Zenitsu felt warm hands slowly help him up from the ground. Zenitsu didn't have to see who the hands belonged to know who had helped him. He knew from the gentle sound of the owner's hands.

Tanjiro had saved him.

"Tanjiro, you-" Zenitsu started to say, but the pounding from his head forced himself to stop speaking, sending his head forward in dizziness. Everything was still blurry and he could barely see Tanjiro's face from his spotty vision. But he still could hear Tanjiro. And there were so many emotions being carried in his sound. Tanjiro was concerned, sad, even feeling guilt, but most of all…

He was furious.

Zenitsu didn't think he would ever see Tanjiro angry again. Not after the red-haired boy had left him and Nezuko at the udon stand back in Asakusa to chase the demon that had murdered his family. Since that incident, he still always remained kind and patient to everyone he met. It was still an entirely new thing to see from Tanjiro.

And Zenitsu was hoping that Tanjiro would calm down soon. He couldn't handle seeing the kindhearted boy in such an emotional state again.

"Aren't you a member of the demon hunters?!" He heard Tanjiro yell furiously at the pig-masked boy that was still surprisingly down from the punch to his gut. "Zenitsu is a member as well! It's taboo for members to hurt each other with their swords!"

"And you're enjoying yourself while others are in pain- while you almost killed Zenitsu?! You really are despicable!"

"Cough… cough… hahaha… guhahaha… Is that so? But isn't he a demon? I didn't know demons were members now…" The pig-masked boy lifted his head and flipped himself up from the ground with his legs as he threw his swords to the side. "But if that's how it is, then let's just duel with our bare hands!"

Zenitsu felt his body flinch at those words, but it seemed that Tanjiro's anger was beginning to dissipate, quickly being replaced with confusion and concern. It was clear that the pig-masked boy was reckless and unbelievably clueless in the rules that they as demon slayers had to follow, but still, some rules were being ignored by Tanjiro himself. Zenitsu and Nezuko were both demons. Despite Zenitsu being a demon hunter (could he even still call himself that now), he still was a demon. The pig-masked boy had every right to kill him and Nezuko, so Tanjiro had to at least consider that the other was just following rules.

Even if it still seemed wrong.

After one very short battle that ended with a head bash from Tanjiro's hard forehead, Tanjiro immediately rushed back to Zenitsu's side leaving the no longer pig-masked boy behind unconscious on the ground. Zenitsu found himself rather annoyed by Tanjiro's endless worrying. The red-headed boy helped the children cover his wounds with some cloth, never stopping to worry about his own injuries. Zenitsu was irritated by this. When Tanjiro suggest for him to take a vial of blood from the supply Tamayo face to them, he outrightly refused. Even though his wounds stung with each movement he made, they still were healing (although slowly). He didn't want to consume the blood in front of the children, especially Shoichi. It was not something he was brave enough to do. It took some time, but Tanjiro reluctantly allowed him to not eat the blood, but there was a promise from him that Zenitsu would have to take it later (Not that Zenitsu couldn't disagree, he was starting to get hungry).

Once he could gather his strength to stand upright without falling over from the pain, Zenitsu followed Tanjiro inside the house to help him bury the deceased. It was devastating to see how many unfortunate victims were in the wooden house. Zenitsu couldn't stomach the idea that there were probably more that had met their demise of being eaten whole and thus, would never have a proper burial. It was sad to think of. Each victim he saw made him want to rush back outside and forget. And yet despite that desire, Zenitsu still tried to help Tanjiro complete the task.

It wasn't until they officially buried the first victim that the pig boy finally woke up.

Zenitsu immediately cowered behind Tanjiro once the boy rushed forward to them to fight once more. Zenitsu was of course still scared, but he had to admit that it seemed like the pig boy that had attacked them was not as frightening anymore. Sure, his sound still had that tune of a headstrong animal, but it was more mellow now as if it had been tamed.

"What are you guys doing?!" The pig boy called out, his eyes wandering over to the grave by Tanjiro and Zenitsu.

"Burying the dead of course," Tanjiro answered simply, setting a stone on the grave before turning back to the other.

"My name is Kamado Tanjiro and this is Agatsuma Zenitsu."

Tanjiro gestured to Zenitsu with a nod and turned back to Inosuke. "You should help us bury the dead as well. There are still a bunch of people that were killed in the house."

Inosuke narrowed in his eyes and raised his fist in irritation. "Huh?! It's pointless to bury the remains of living organisms! Who would even think to do that! I'm not helping you! How about you fight me instead?! I, Hashibira Inosuke, will defeat your wide forehead!"

Zenitsu stared at Inosuke incredulously, beginning to realize that this pig-masked boy had also brain problems besides anger problems.

"Is that so?" Tanjiro replied with actual concern in his voice. "Is it because your wounds still hurt? That must be why you're unwilling to help, right?"

"It's okay," Tanjiro continued with a wave of his hand, ignoring Inosuke's shocked expression. "Everybody has different levels of pain tolerance. Burying people is a really tiring job. But Zenitsu and these kids are all very capable to dig holes, so it's okay. You can just rest until then."

Zenitsu turned his sight to Tanjiro, not being able to comprehend if the red-haired boy was really intelligent or really oblivious. Whatever the case, his words did make Inosuke angry enough to want to prove that he could complete the task. The loud boy even boasted that he could make just as many holes as Tanjiro and Zenitsu, not even giving them the two the chance to answer and scurrying off to start digging the next grave.

And with that, their task of burning the dead went even faster. By the next hour, the dead were all successfully buried and given a proper prayer for their safe passage to the afterlife.

Their mission was finally over.

Not wanting to let the children go home by themselves, Tanjiro and the two other boys accompanied them down the mountain path. The sky had begun to turn a lovely hue of red and orange just as they reached the path in which the children would take to their home. Before they could start their trek, Tanjiro's crow decided to spit out an incense bag from its mouth that smelled of wisteria for Kiyoshi, Teruko and Shoichi's older brother, who (from what Tanjiro had told Zenitsu) had rare blood that demons wanted to feast upon. Zenitsu almost had to take a step back from the older brother at the scent of the incense bag. It was well known to a demon slayer that demons feared wisteria for their ability to repel them. Although his nose was not as strong as Tanjiro's nose, Zenitsu had to admit the smell of the wisteria was repulsive to him. If there was any doubt if the incense bag would work, Zenitsu knew now that there was no need to worry. The incense bag would definitely protect Kiyoshi.

"Zenitsu-san."

Zenitsu blinked and turned, finding Shoichi in front of him, no longer at his brother's side. The young boy took a step forward and took Zenitsu's hand into his.

"Thank you for helping me. I know you say you've said repeatedly that you're weak and a coward, but you're strong Zenitsu-san. You protected me and I won't ever forget that."

Zenitsu gaped at Shoichi in shock. How could Shoichi say those words, even going as far as in complimenting him for the strength he didn't have? He fainted in terror at the sight of a demon. Besides, Shoichi had been the one that had protected him. The kind younger boy had acted far braver than him. Shoichi had to be taking pity on him. Yes, that was it. That was the only logical conclusion Zenitsu could come up with.

And yet, Shoichi's words oddly made Zenitsu feel warm inside.

Zenitsu watched in silence as Shoichi released his hand and moved back to his brother's side, waving goodbye with his siblings. Zenitsu felt his heart tinged at the sight of Shoichi leaving. It had been nice being protected by the young boy. Sure, Tanjiro and Nezuko were there by his side now, but Shoichi had protected him just as well as the two siblings. Zenitsu found himself wishing that the young boy could come with him. Shoichi had proven that he was just as strong and caring as Tanjiro and Nezuko. The more people that could protect Zenitsu, the more Zenitsu would feel at ease. There was only so much Zenitsu could handle on his own before crumbling under his overwhelming fear of dying and leaving those that cared for him behind.

After all, a demon like him was doomed to die in the end.

Eventually, the trio of demon hunters continued their trek through the forest, following Tanjiro's crow to their next destination. The crow did not say anything where exactly they would be heading, but Zenitsu suspected it would not take too long to get there. He just hoped it wasn't another demon's nest. Besides the idea that he wouldn't be able to handle taking on more demons in his emotional state, there was also the matter of his two companions' physical health. Both Tanjiro and Inosuke were far too injured to fight another demon. And although Zenitsu wasn't as injured as them, he was exhausted. His wounds had already healed, but it took much of his energy. It was getting harder to walk upright with each step he took.

"Don't think of me as somebody you can relate to. I don't have any parents or siblings." Zenitsu heard Inosuke loudly proclaimed, now with his pig mask back on his head hiding his feminine complexion. "See, my only hobby is matching my strength against other creatures!"

Zenitsu rolled his eyes at Inosuke's boasting of his strength. Tanjiro had asked Inosuke about how he had become a demon slayer and the pig boy had explained to the pair what he recklessly did. Once he learned about the Final Selection and the existence of demons from a poor unfortunate demon hunter that had happened to stumble along his path, the pig-headed boy decided to charge right to the Final Selection to enter the exam and pass it. Zenitsu found himself wondering why Inosuke would even want to fight demons. He wasn't like Tanjiro who became a demon slayer to cure his sister and he definitely wasn't like him, who got roped into the mess because of his Gramps. No, Inosuke simply decided to hunt demons for the pure joy of fighting. What kind of demon hunter was he?

"I will definitely catch you off guard and defeat you Kamaboku Banchiro!" Inosuke continued to boast, laughing boisterously at the idea.

"Who are you talking to?" Zenitsu piped up, having enough of the pig boy's bragging. He took a step away from Tanjiro's back before the other could say anything in reply. "His name is Tanjiro!"

Inosuke turned to him and Zenitsu felt his breath hitch, expecting the wild pig-headed boy to attack him again for interrupting, but instead, the boy guffawed as he took a step forward and pointed to him with his index finger. "I'll fight you too Monitsu! A demon like you will be a worthy opponent for me!"

"Inosuke," Tanjiro gently replied. "Zenitsu is one of us, a demon hunter. You shouldn't fight him."

"Besides," Tanjiro continued, never taking a step away from Zenitsu. "You should apologize to Zenitsu for hurting him. If you do that, we can spar later together."

Inosuke seemed to consider Tanjiro's words (for once) and turned to Zenitsu.

"Fine! I apologize Monitsu!"

"It's Zenitsu!" Zenitsu corrected, but he decided to accept the not-so sincere apology. It was probably the only apology he would get from the hot-headed boy.

By sunset, the trio finally arrived at their destination: a house with the crest of wisteria painted on the door. According to Tanjiro's crow, the crest belonged to a family that rescues the lives of demon hunters. The family would serve any demon hunter and ask nothing in return. The house in front of them happened to belong to an old lady with white hair tied in a bun. After Tanjiro's crow commanded to the trio to stay and rest to heal from their injuries, the old lady opened the door and welcomed them in, moving much too fast for a normal old woman. Zenitsu couldn't help but call the old lady a monster for this, which Tanjiro was quick to scold him for. Zenitsu knew he was rude, but how were Tanjiro and Inosuke oblivious to the old lady's ability to instantly appear when she was needed? The old lady was scary.

The trio was assessed thoroughly by a doctor the old lady had called over and were given a report of the injuries they had acquired. Zenitsu didn't have any physical injuries, but the doctor noted that he was exhausted and needed rest. Meanwhile, Tanjiro sustained three broken ribs and a sprained ankle while Inosuke had four broken ribs and a throbbing bump on his forehead (most likely from Tanjiro's forehead bash). The doctor ordered the three to rest with no strenuous activities for the duration of the time they would be staying. Zenitsu didn't complain. He was all the more happy to finally be able to relax and not worry about fighting another demon.

The old lady had given them yukata to change to and showed them to a room where dinner was waiting for them. Inosuke immediately tried to fling to the food, but Tanjiro was quick to grab his arm and hold him back until they all could properly thank the old lady. After changing out of their uniforms (and in Zenitsu's case- taking off all of his extra clothing, except his mask), the trio set themselves at the small table where their dinner sat.

Dinner was chaotic. Inosuke ate like a barbarian, stuffing his face with food as if he had never eaten a proper meal in weeks. He ate with his hands, never sparing a look at the eating utensils that had been set out for him. The hot-headed boy even stole food from Tanjiro's own plate with a smug grin, taunting the other to fight him for the food. Of course, Tanjiro didn't mind and would offer more food to Inosuke, which Zenitsu responded to by giving his food to Tanjiro. He had felt guilty that the old monster lady had made food for him that he couldn't eat, but given how Tanjiro was willing to let Inosuke eat his own food, it had worked out in the end. Zenitsu was not going to let the red-haired boy go hungry. He was going to make sure Tanjiro ate his fill.

After consuming the food, the boys were led to another room by the old lady where three futon had been set out for them. Inosuke wasted no time to choose the futon he wanted to sleep on, even taunting Tanjiro yet again to fight him. Zenitsu stared down at the pig boy in annoyance for this. It seemed like Inosuke had completely forgotten about Nezuko. And while the knowledge that he was a demon had been discussed to the pig boy by Tanjiro, it seemed like Inosuke no longer cared. All he wanted to do now was continuously taunt Tanjiro. Whatever the case, Zenitsu was just glad that Inosuke was no longer interested in hurting him or Nezuko.

"Zenitsu, here."

Zenitsu diverted his attention from Inosuke to his right, seeing Tanjiro holding out a tiny vial of blood to him. Zenitsu stared at the vial of blood with disdain and sighed, taking it from Tanjiro.

"Geez, Tanjiro. I wasn't going to forget. It just didn't feel right taking this in front of you and Inosuke while you guys were eating."

Tanjiro lifted his lips into a serene smile, the sound of bells ringing thoughtfully by Zenitsu's ears. "Thank you Zenitsu, but you don't have to worry. Inosuke and I won't mind. Just please don't force yourself to not eat. Tamayo-san said that it would be dangerous if you put yourself in that situation again."

'I know that already Tanjiro!'

But Zenitsu kept that thought to himself and poured the red liquid into his mouth, swallowing it all with one gulp. While it was disgusting to think about the knowledge he was consuming an actual person's blood, he was even disgusted with the idea that his body relished the taste of it. The small amount he ate made his body instantly become satisfied with delight.

And Zenitsu hated himself for this.

"Are you okay?" Zenitsu heard Tanjiro ask by him in concern.

Zenitsu shook his head and opened his mouth to address the other, but the sharp creak of a box being opened made him stop. He turned along with Tanjiro to the source of the sound, watching as Nezuko silently shuffled out of the wooden box that Tanjiro had left in the side of the room. Once she had grown to her actual size, Nezuko walked forward to the pair and wrapped her arms around the yellow-haired boy, pulling him into her embrace.

"Ah, Nezuko-chan!" Zenitsu cried, failing to stop the blush from creeping to his cheeks. "You don't need to hug me! I'm totally fine! My injuries have already healed and see, Tanjiro just made me eat some blood! So you don't have to worry about me! I'm okay!"

Nezuko hummed, but she never made the effort to release Zenitsu from her hold. If anything, it seemed like she had pulled him tighter to her chest.

"Zenitsu, thank you for protecting Nezuko." Zenitsu heard Tanjiro quietly say with all the gratitude resounding from his voice.

"Of course I would," Zenitsu murmured, letting his sight wander over to the red-haired boy as Nezuko released him. "Nezuko-can is precious to you. I couldn't let her get hurt. You said it yourself remember? She's more important than your own life."

Zenitsu paused and suddenly narrowed his eyes, raising a finger at Tanjiro's chest. "Speaking of which, your life is just as important as Nezuko-chan, so don't say that again! The next time you say that I'll make sure you regret it!"

Tanjiro widened his eyes and laughed, his voice playing gentle notes of gratitude and delight. Zenitsu huffed in irritation, not bothering to scold Tanjiro for his laughter. He disliked how Tanjiro had reacted to his words when he was trying to be serious. He really didn't want Tanjiro to think that his life wasn't necessary, not after everything Tanjiro had done for Nezuko. It just wasn't fair. If anyone had a right to say that their life wasn't important, it would definitely be him. At least that was what Zenitsu concluded.

Even their newest companion's life was just as important to Zenitsu.

Actually, speaking of their newest companion…

Zenitsu turned towards the only other occupant in the room and could only gape at what he saw.

Inosuke had completely fallen asleep.

"What?!" Zenitsu exclaimed, dumbfounded at how Inosuke had fallen asleep through everything. Was Inosuke blessed with ears that were not cursed like his?

"How is he asleep?! How did he fall asleep while we were talking?!"

Tanjiro chuckled in amusement. "I think Inosuke must have been tired from all of today's fighting." He paused and turned to Nezuko, who hummed in reply. He nodded at her and looked back at Zenitsu. "In fact, I think we should go to sleep too."

"Fine…" Zenitsu muttered, his cheeks puffing in defeat. "But I'm not done talking to you about what you said. I'm going to make sure you understand that you can't say that kind of words."

Tanjiro smiled so bright and soft that Zenitsu honestly almost forgot why he was supposed to be annoyed. It frustrated Zenitsu. How could Tanjiro smile when he was trying to scold him? And the fact that his smile could wash away any anger and irritation in the blink of an eye and replace it with giddiness and a sense of ease? How was he supposed to stay angry at Tanjiro now when the red-headed boy made him want to forgive him? If only Zenitsu could gain the skill to ignore the bright smiles and remained fixated on his anger.

Deciding that his scolding would just have to be put aside for another day, Zenitsu followed Tanjiro and Nezuko to bed, settling in his futon. He began to listen to the sounds around him, slowly closing his eyes at the melodic tune his ears picked up the most. There was only sound Zenitsu could never get tired of listening to and it was the lovely sound of bells ringing softly right next to him.

Zenitsu cursed his ears, but for the moment, he decided they were a blessing.

A blessing that would quickly be disregarded by the next morning.

Omake

Zenitsu stared at the wide-open door that led to outside with longing in his gaze. Tanjiro and Inosuke were currently outside going through simple exercises (well more like Tanjiro trying to stop Inosuke from doing anything strenuous). Tanjiro had initially wanted to close the door for Zenitsu, but the yellow-haired boy had declined. While he couldn't go outside without having to cover every part of his body, he still wanted to gaze at the scenery lit by the warm sun above. It was different to look at than at night when everything was far too dimmed to make out in the pure darkness.

"Mmph!"

Zenitsu snapped out of his thoughts with a yelp and turned, his eyes falling to the source of the voice that called out to him. He half expected to find the old monster lady ready to ask if he needed anything else, but instead, he found Nezuko standing in front of him gripping a blanket in her hands, her pink eyes as clear and kind as ever. She took a step forward and sat down next to him, beginning to wrap the blanket over Zenitsu's shoulders.

Zenitsu could feel the heat travel from his cheeks to the tips of his ears as he tried to desperately stop Nezuko, but she ignored every word, stopping only when she finished cocooning him in the thick blanket.

"Nezuko-chan…" Zenitsu huffed in defeat. "You didn't have to do this for me…."

Nezuko shook her head and pointed to the wide-open door. Even though she couldn't speak, Zenitsu knew what she wanted to convey.

You're too close to outdoors. Please cover yourself.

"Thank you, Nezuko-chan…" Zenitsu murmured with fondness. He paused as a thought suddenly made its way to his head and turned to her with a hesitant smile.

"Do you want to share this blanket with me?"

Nezuko stared back in silence for several seconds before nodding her head in reply. Zenitsu allowed himself to move closer to Nezuko as he wrapped the blanket around her too, covering them both in its warmth and protection. The two sat together in silence, only staring at the scenery in front of them as they listened to Inosuke taunt Tanjiro some more. It was calming. Being close to Nezuko's sound made Zenitsu feel at ease. It was nice knowing that both of the Kamado siblings had that kind of effect on him.

Still, that didn't stop him from asking the question that had been bothering him for so long.

"Nezuko-chan, do you miss it?"

Nezuko turned to Zenitsu in surprise, her eyes flashing with worry and confusion. Knowing that she wouldn't reply, Zenitsu continued.

"I know Tanjiro says he's going to cure us, but what if there's a chance that we'll be stuck like this? What if we won't ever get the chance to go outside again and feel the sun? I-I miss it…"

Zenitsu narrowed his eyes, feeling nothing but hate for himself. "And I just feel so useless. All I do is wait for someone to do something. I haven't contributed anything to finding the cure for us. I want to be able to help, but I'm just so weak. Even if I could help, I know I'll get in the way. I always do..."

Zenitsu trailed off, frustrated with his words. He blinked, fighting back the tears that threatened to break through.

"I'm just so pathetic, Nezuko-chan. Being here makes me feel like I'm not so useless. We're not fighting other demons or collecting blood for the cure. We'll just here recovering- doing nothing. And I hate myself for being happy that we're here. I'm only useful when we're doing nothing."

Zenitsu gritted his teeth, wanting to do nothing more but go back to the comfort of a futon and fall to slumber. At least in his dreams, his weakness didn't haunt him. He was just as strong as he wanted to be- what everyone counted on him to be.

Zenitsu felt Nezuko's warm arms wrap around him, one hand reaching up to push Zenitsu's face into her shoulder. Zenitsu stiffened, wanting nothing but to tell Nezuko to let him go in fear of being so close to her. Normally any close proximity to Nezuko would have made him gush in excitement and clutch his chest in adoration, but this time, the sound of her heartbeat made him go silent and still. Her heartbeat was not as gentle as Tanjiro's and it certainly had the unpleasant tune of a demon's heartbeat (although just barely), but it was still just as nice to listen to. The sound of its flowing stream lured him in, offering its comfort and protection. How could he deny its warmth?

"Thank you…" Zenitsu mumbled breathlessly. All he wanted to do was focus on Nezuko's uplifting sound. He suddenly widened his eyes when he heard a single thought that echoed from Nezuko's sound.

You're not useless, Zenitsu.

Zenitsu sniffled feeling the tears gathering in the corner from his eyes, but he made no movement to wipe them away. He still hated that he felt so worthless to the only ones he could call his friends, but for Nezuko's sake, he would forgive himself for the moment. No one had ever listened to him as she and Tanjiro had. He didn't know if even that was what friends usually did since he never had a friend to call his own in a long time. The two had done nothing but readily offer him their kindness, never expecting anything in return. And while Zenitsu knew he had been given more than what he deserved from the pair of siblings, he wished he was strong enough to repay for what they have done for him.

"Nezuko-chan…" Zenitsu murmured quietly as he gazed back outside, his ears still focusing on the stream steadily flowing peacefully next to him.

"Let's go outside together one day, okay?"

And Zenitsu could not help the smile that found its way to his face at the sight of Nezuko's eyes beaming with delight at his comment. He didn't know when the cure would be made, but no matter what, Zenitsu wanted to help Nezuko feel the sun on her skin again. If anyone deserved that chance, it was her.

After all, he didn't deserve the sun anyway...

A/N: Before I give the date for the next update, there is one thing I would like to address and it's about Inosuke's actions in this chapter. It is noted by Zenitsu that Inosuke could have clearly killed him first instead of giving him a harsh beating. Now, why would he do that? Inosuke is brash and hotheaded, but he is tactical as shown later in the manga. Seeing the uniform Zenitsu was wearing as well as his sword made Inosuke confused, but interested. He didn't outrightly kill Zenitsu for the pure sake of his curiosity of Zenitsu's affiliation with the Demon Slayer Corps and to see if Zenitsu would pull out his blade to fight back. Of course, he got tired of waiting. Anyhow, the next update will be in February with the start of the long-awaited Natagumo Mountain Arc. As always, thanks for reading!