Nezuko sat by herself on the patio at the Butterfly Mansion just as the sun was rising. Her eyes were wide with anticipation; she hadn't seen a sunrise in more than two years, not since she was turned into a demon that would crumble into dust.
And she still was a demon, but a miracle had happened. She had conquered the sunlight! Technically, this was not her first sunrise since becoming a demon - that went to the day everyone found out she had conquered it. But at the time, Tanjirou was desperately trying to save her from the sun. Now, she embraced it.
Her brother watched from a distance inside the mansion the patient Nezuko looking up into the sky. Light was coming up over the horizon, shining its brilliant rays. Nezuko reached her hands toward the sky and felt no burning sensation. It was a beautiful sight.
"Tanjirou!" a voice shrieked. Zenitsu had woken up.
"Zenitsu, good mor-" suddenly, Zenitsu fell to the lowest bowing position, on his knees, his face to the ground. "...eh?"
"Tanjirou..." Zenitsu began. "N-Now that Nezuko can go outside... c-can I... c-c-can I...?"
The yellow mop head trembled, not even able to get his words out. He breathed, relying on Total Concentration to try and muster up the courage to ask permission. "TANJIROU, MAY I TAKE NEZUKO ON AN OUTING?!"
Tanjirou cringed, not at what was being asked, but at the sheer volume pounding his eardrums. "Ngh... Zenitsu, people are still sleeping-"
"HYAAAAAH!"
Out of nowhere, Inosuke headbutted Zenitsu. Tanjirou winced at the sight and sighed. "See? You woke Inosuke up!"
Huffing, Inosuke marched back to bed, feeling satisfied.
"Nn..." rubbing the back of his head, Zenitsu remained diligent. As if he wasn't in agonizing pain right now, he sat up - eyes determined - and asked again (like a sane person this time). "Tanjirou, may I please show Nezuko-chan around the town?"
Tanjirou took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment.
"I promise to keep her safe, oh please, Tanjirou!"
"I have no problem with you taking her out..." Tanjirou said, Zenitsu's hopes hyped. "But..." that nearly deflated him as Tanjirou opened his eyes. "...that depends if Nezuko wants to."
"Eh?"
"You have to ask Nezuko if she wants to go out with you."
Zenitsu turned his head to find Nezuko happily enjoying herself in the morning light, a couple of butterflies entertaining her. Then he turned back to Tanjirou and nodded. "I'll ask her."
Standing up, he quietly took a seat beside Nezuko who was currently occupied by the two butterflies fluttering around her.
"Nezuko-chan ~"
"Mm!" Nezuko winced in startlement.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry! I, uh..." Zenitsu was trying to compose himself, but the redness in his face showed he wasn't doing a very good job of it. "S-So... the sunrise... are you happy to finally be able to see the sun?"
"Mmph..."
Zenitsu noticed she still had her bamboo muzzle on. But she could talk now, right? Barely, but talk.
He reached out for her mouth, then hesitated when Nezuko pulled back a little. Still, he was determined, and gently pulled her bamboo muzzle off - allowing it to dangle beneath her chin. "Nezuko-chan... how do you like sunrises?"
"I-I like..." she managed to say.
"Do you enjoy being in the sunlight?"
"S-Sunlight..." a smile formed. "...is warm. I...like it."
Her voice was like music to his ears, more pleasant than an array of instruments. "Then..." he swallowed. "W-Would you..."
Nezuko tilted her head, confused why the yellow mop head was red and shaking.
"I-I could show you nice places... now that the sun isn't dangerous..." he choked out. "Nezuko-chan... would you like to come with me... to the town?"
Eyes wide, Nezuko blinked. She cradled her dangling muzzle, about to put it back in, but Zenitsu quickly stopped her. "Nononono, you don't need that!"
"B-But..." she struggled to say. "I... scare people."
Zenitsu took both her hands. "Nezuko-chan isn't scary!"
Nezuko looked a bit skeptical, but then allowed her muzzle to fall beneath her chin.
Seeing her face, her full face, Zenitsu was nearly put into a trance. What was she so self-conscious about, he wondered? Was it her fangs? Half the time, Zenitsu forgot she was a demon, despite being deathly afraid of them. He hardly noticed her fangs, her nails, or the shape of her pupils.
Suddenly, the pain from Inosuke's headbutt came back with avengence, making Zenitsu moan in pain as he placed both his hands on the back of his head. "Ow... stupid boar... ngh..."
Seeing him in pain, Nezuko reached out her hand and started to rub the back of his head. Zenitsu's face instantly went tomato red and he fell backward, causing Nezuko to wince back.
She tried shaking him awake, but to no avail.
With his hand wrapped around hers, Zenitsu (once he awoke from his headbutt / Nezuko petting induced coma) took his beloved Nezuko to the town. It wasn't very bustling, but it was daytime. Her mouth hung open in awe, making no sound. Despite having gained her speech function back, she hardly could say a lot of words, and when she did it was a struggle, so she kept talking to a minimum.
Tugging at Zenitsu's hand, she would point this way and that way, and Zenitsu let her drag him along. She truly had a childlike nature. Was she always like this or was this a result of her condition? Even so, Zenitsu enjoyed the way her eyes sparkled at everything.
Though it was painful when she looked at food. Familiar things, normal things, she looked at almost with a hunger yet absent desire. She was a demon, she didn't eat. Not anymore. The only thing that could make her salivate is the smell of human blood, yet she managed to turn her head to it. A sadness was in her eyes looking at ramen bowls, sweet buns, and all sorts of delights. It pained Zenitsu to watch. He mentally made a note of that - to treat her to dinner when she's human again. He truly believed Tanjirou could do it.
After exploring the town, they found themselves in a quiet place with trees and a rushing river. A silly thought came into Zenitsu's mind - that dream he had on the Mugen Train when he and his friends were under the influence of Lower Moon 1. He was brought back to reality when they reached a split - the other side was separated by the rushing spring. There were rocks, however, one could step on.
"You want to check out what's on the other side?" Zenitsu offered.
She simply nodded.
It wouldn't be like his dream, though. Nezuko went ahead and gracefully skipped across, her long hair flowing with the wind. Zenitsu had to catch himself, shake himself from the trance such a mesmerising sight seduced him in. She waved happily once she was across and he gladly followed after her, smitten as he glided across (though nearly slipped into the river when his feet landed at the very edge of the other side).
"Chuu chuu chuu!" a wild Chuntaro appeared.
Zenitsu whined, falling on the ground - assuming he was being assigned a mission. "Chuntaro... not now! Can't you see I'm-ow!"
His sparrow pecked at him, indicating the reason for its presence was not related to demon slaying.
The little sparrow flew over to Nezuko and decided to perch on her shoulder. Curious, Nezuko put her index finger out and gently pet the bird atop its head. Chuntaro seemed to enjoy it and Nezuko giggled a bit.
Well, he couldn't really shoo his little friend away at this point, Nezuko was happy with Chuntaro's presence. As long as he didn't need to drop everything to go on a mission (his head still ached from Inosuke's headbutt anyway).
The tops of the trees grew thicker. Only sparse scatters of light illuminated the ground. It wasn't dark in the forest, but it was certainly dim.
Zenitsu suddenly came to a stop, which caused Nezuko to tilt her head.
"I hear water..." he said. It was a different sound from the river they crossed over. Running ahead, Zenitsu pulled Nezuko alongside him and they reached a hidden away pool with a waterfall.
Nezuko's eyes widened with amazement. The smell of the water was fresh and clean, the foliage was dark and green, and splashes of colors vividly stood out amongst the scattered flowers that were tucked away in various spots.
The two approached, hand in hand, the pool and looked down. Zenitsu could hardly contain his excitement seeing Nezuko stand beside his reflection - it all felt so unreal if not for the physical proof produced from the warmth of her hand.
"Chuu! Chuu chuu!" Chuntaro chirped, trying to get Zenitsu's attention. The little sparrow seemed to want to direct his attention elsewhere.
Turning the direction Chuntaro chirped, he saw a curved piece of wood that came off of a tree. It was big enough to fit the both of them in and seemed strong enough to carry them afloat. It was like a little boat produced by nature.
"Nezuko, would you like to go on a boat ride with me?" Zenitsu offered, his face bright.
She smiled, causing her fangs to be visible, nodding.
Smitten, Zenitsu swept her off her feet - much to the demon girl's surprise - and gently set her inside the makeshift boat. He pushed it into the water, quickly crawling (more like falling) into it himself as it floated to the center of the pool. The sound of the waterfall was steady, and they could feel a gently mist.
"U-Um... N-Nezuko-chan... I'm really happy you agreed to come with me..." he said, face turning a burning red color. He couldn't even look at her, but his face was smitten nonetheless - making him look silly.
Nezuko tried to say something, but struggled. It made her sad she couldn't say what she really felt. The sound her heart made did not go unnoticed by the Thunder Breather, and he took both her hands. "It's OK, Nezuko-chan... I can hear you."
A slight rosy color painted her cheeks. Her heart thumped, again not going unnoticed by her demon slaying companion. To sit on this boat with a boy that was trained to kill someone like her, whom ironically, was terrified of someone like her. Yet there was no fear, no hatred, just a goofy smile and a flailing mess half the time - but at this moment, his eyes were serious and his hands gentle. It made her heart flutter - a fluttering which she hasn't felt since the mysterious boy guarded her box when Tanjirou had to leave it behind for a bit.
Silence swept over. Zenitsu, despite his loud nature, said nothing. The only sound came from the wind rustling through the leaves and the waterfall crashing into the gentle pool their little "boat" glided across.
"N-Nezuko-chan... umm..." Zenitsu once again turned away from her face, but without that silly smitten look he'd always worn before. His hand still gripped hers steadily, managing not to shake anxiously. His grip slipped only a little, gripping her sharp yet gentle fingers. He mustered the courage to look at her again, a mixed expression on his face. Nezuko wasn't sure what to make of it.
He gulped, like he wanted to seize this moment, but his nerves got the better of him. Nezuko blinked, observing as Zenitsu seemed to be arguing within himself if whatever he was thinking was a good idea. Finally, he sighed - whether out of defeat or determination, she did not know. The two simply stared for an agonizing amount of minutes, which was probably more painful for Chuntaro to observe then these two.
"Nezuko-chan...I..." he leaned in a bit closer. Nezuko wasn't sure whether she wanted to pull away or stay in place. His eyes shut, Nezuko's did in turn. Their lips nearly brushed when Zenitsu chickened out and pulled back, nearly causing the boat to capsize yet it managed to stay afloat.
"Nn..." Nezuko made a small startled noise. She placed two of her fingers upon her lips and looked away, a little sad.
Zenitsu didn't like that sad look. Did he cause it somehow? He saw how the tips of her fingers tapped at her mouth. Her fangs were small, but visible, her nails were sharp but short. 'Oh... she must think... '
"Nezuko-chan..." the tone of his voice changed, it caught Nezuko by surprise. It matched the seriousness in his eyes, a look she was not used to him having, but sincere as can be. "I don't care that you're a demon. I believe Tanjirou can make you human, but even if he fails, I still like you."
"Heh...!"
"I-I hope you can like me too..." his courage was beginning to wane. "I-I'm not the best swordsman, I fall asleep in the face of danger, I somehow survive all these insane missions I'm forced to go on... b-but if it's for you, I can do it!"
Tears slowly streaked down her cheeks as Zenitsu confessed all this. Zenitsu used his thumb to wipe the tears away.
"Z-Z... Ze... nitsu...san..." she struggled through her tears.
"Nezuko-chan..." without realizing it, Zenitsu cradled her cheek and began to draw closer. Their eyes shut, their lips met. Chuntaro cheeped.
A pause.
When they pulled apart, they paused. Faces blank, eyes wide. Then they shifted position in the boat as to not look at each other, cheeks as rosy as a person about to faint from heat exhaustion.
Chuntaro sighed, at least in a bird sort of way, a mix of relief and secondhand embarrassment.
"Goodnight, Nezuko." Tanjirou said to his sister, pulling the covers over her.
"G-Goodnight... O-Oniichan..." she said, smiling.
Patting his sister's head warmly, he left the room and approached Zenitsu in the hallway. "Thank you for taking Nezuko out today. She seems really happy."
"You can count on me!" he gave a thumbs up. "I can take her out again!"
"Zenitsu... we have a mission tomorrow."
That felt like a kick in the stomach.
As he spazzed out in the hallway (getting yet another headbutt from Inosuke to pipe down), Nezuko drifted off into sleep soundly - with dreams of flower petals kisses.