Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zenitsu quickly heaved all of his ingredients onto the kitchen counter. He only had two hours to make the potion, cook the food, put it in a bento, and clean the kitchen before Gramps came home.

It seemed impossible, partly because he’s never made a potion on his own and also because he’s never really… cooked anything either… But he had to do it tonight! He’s at the peak of his magical power and he’s actually alone in the house!!

He couldn’t help but cringe as he loudly banged the frying pan on the stove. “Flour, water, eggs, vegetables,” his golden eyes checked every ingredient, “secret ingredients for potion… what else, what else… Oh! Oil!” He quickly walked to the other side of the kitchen where gramps kept the oil and lugged it back to the stove. “Jeez! This is a huge container! I should tell Gramps that frying so much food is bad for his heart!” Zenitsu whined as his arms started to wobble from carrying the container.

Quickly he started heating up the oil, since that would take the longest. Everything else was prepped, the vegetables were already cut, the rice was done, he just needed to add the potion to the batter and dip the vegetables then voila! He’d be home free.

Tempura and rice for one pig headed idiot!

It turns out, he really can get whatever he wanted by crying and begging for three hours straight.

Zenitsu Agatsuma was a witch, well really a witch in training. Mitsuri Kanroji was his master, a beautiful witch who saw his magical potential and immediately took him in, teaching him everything and anything she could. She really was amazing, so thoughtful and caring! She taught him everything from controlling his powers, to casting spells, and even to incantations. It had only been a year since he started seriously applying himself to his studies, but he was eager to learn this one potion. A potion that will solve all of his problems…

A love potion.

Well, if he does this right hopefully it will be a love potion…

Zenitsu frowned at the thought of him accidentally turning Inosuke into a boar or something.

He really didn’t want to hurt Inosuke, and he feels terrible doing this to his (I guess you would say) friend. But, at the same time… A man can only handle so much tackling and rough housing before he snaps! Seriously, his skin instinctively gets bruised just by looking at the blue haired boy approaching him!

“It’s just going to be a prank… you know, getting him back for always abusing me… it’ll only last for a couple days…” Zenitsu reassured himself as he popped open the oils and containers of dried flower petals. “Kuroyuri oil for the base, the foundation of the duality of love, a blessing and a curse.” The deep red liquid gathered in the bottom of the bowl. “Sunflower petals, so the light may touch our b-blooming l-love… and may it n-never set.” Zenitsu couldn’t help but stutter over the cheesy words. God, how embarrassing! “Crushed up carnations, to add beauty and sweetness to our love. Pink for blushing cheeks, and red for passion.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the power flowing within him. The tingle of magic danced around him before it flowed into the bowl, churning the ingredients together.

“Oh! And a little bit of hibiscus for gentle love. Emphasis on gentle.” Zenitsu spoke directly to the potion, as if it could hear him. “Brightest in the sky, Venus grant me my wish, let my love vivify, uhh... something-something... into this dish!!!” There was a gentle wind that flowed through the kitchen and breezed past his cheeks. Slowly, he opened his eyes to study the potion, which had turned bright pink in color.

“Huh.” The blond muttered to himself. “Well, I guess that’s it…” Right well, now comes the terrifying part: frying things in hot oil.

Zenitsu smirked to himself as he sat down on the roof. Everyone was already in their usual seats, even Inosuke was right there beside Tanjirou, pestering him for food. Inosuke’s green eyes crinkled with delight as he watched Zenitsu take out his bento box.

“Monitsu! What are we eating for lunch!?” He asked as he abandoned Tanjirou and scouted closer to the blond. “I smell something especially good today.” A wolfish grin spread on his lips.

“You’re hanging around Tanjirou too much.” Zenitsu put on his signature frown as he turned away slightly from Inosuke. It was all a part of his plan, if he gave Inosuke the tempura, Inosuke wouldn’t want it. But if he fights against Inosuke, Inosuke would want to eat it even more. “Stop sniffing me already!” He squeaked when Inosuke shoved his face in front of Zenitsu’s.

“Gimme food!” Inosuke ordered.

“No!” Zenitsu yelled back at his face. The blue haired boy let out a growl and tried to swipe Zenitsu’s bento, but he was too quick. “I made it by myself, so I should eat it by myself! You always eat my food, let me eat it just this one.” As predicted, Inosuke’s attempts to grab the container became more serious.

“Inosuke…” Tanjirou warned.

Seeing that Inosuke’s attention was now on the redhead, Zenitsu decided it was a good time to open the bento. Like a dog, Inosuke’s head snapped to look at where the sound came from.

“IS THAT TEMPURA!” Insouke excitedly shouted.

“Ow! You screamed right in my ear!” Zenitsu shrieked.

“Gimme!” Inosuke threw his whole body on Zenitsu, who squawked and held out his bento so the contents didn’t go flying onto the ground. Clearly, Zenitsu had no chance of beating Inosuke, who was far more physically superior to him. “Come on, Chuuitsu.” The idiot sang as he laid completely on Zenitsu.

“Ah! Your face! Your face is way too close!” A blush burned his cheeks as he looked away from Inosuke’s mirth filled expression.

“Ha!” The green-eyed boy proclaimed as he snatched the bento away from Zenitsu’s hand. Just as suddenly as he tackled Zenitsu, he pulled away and sat down next to the boy. Zenitsu sat up on his elbows as he eyed the boy practically drooling away at his lunch.

Suddenly, his gut started to twist.

The feeling of regret started to flood his brain. No, this was too cruel of a prank, even if Inosuke deserves it!

“Inosuke! Stop! You can’t!” He yelled as he threw himself on the boy.

“Hah?!” Inosuke quickly placed the bento to the side as he fell backwards on his back. “You wanna fight?! Finally! I’ll show you just how strong and amazing I am, Monitsu!” Zenitsu felt Inosuke’s arms wrap around his shoulders and his legs tangle in his own, effectively stopping him from moving. Somehow, Inosuke rolled them over so that he was on top of Zenitsu.

“Get off! Inosuke I’m trying--” He was cut off when the boy slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Shhh! You just sit there and let Inosuke have his prize!” His golden eyes widened in horror as Inosuke reached over to pick up the bento and immediately shoved his face inside, eating the contents without chopsticks.

“Mfffm!!” Zenitsu groaned in frustration as he tried to wiggle free. Inosuke’s legs tightened their hold on his body and Zenitsu just gave up. Well, he did try after all. Once he stopped struggling, Inosuke sat back on his legs, which were on either side of Zenitsu still, allowing the blond boy to sit up slowly and watch him with nervous eyes.

“That was delicious! Maybe you should make food for me all the time!” Inosuke grinned as he handed Zenitsu the completely empty bento box. Zenitsu said nothing as he continued to stare at Inosuke, waiting for any sign that the potion was working.

Inosuke moved his hand away from Zenitsu’s mouth, but froze before he could get off of the smaller boy.

“I-Inosuke…?” Zenitsu felt tears in his eyes. Green eyes continued to stare at Zenitsu, who began shifting uncomfortably. “Inosuke? You alright? You’re starting to freak me out…” He muttered. Inosuke just sat there in front of Zenitsu, looking at his flushed face.

Suddenly, a burp escaped Inosuke’s lips.

“Ah, that was good!” Like a reset button, the idiot was back to normal. Zenitsu frowned as he waved the horrible smell away from his face. “I’m tired! Minion! Lay down!”

“Excuse me?”

A rough hand pushed Zenitsu down by his chest.

“Ooof!!” Before he could stop him, Inosuke dropped his complete weight on him, effectively pinning him to the ground. “Inosuke, please don’t! Last time you did this I couldn’t feel my arms!” There was no use trying to beg for him to stop, once Inosuke made up his mind, no one could change it. Inosuke grunted and rested his heavy head on Zenitsu’s chest before literally falling asleep right then and there. “Can someone please help me?” He called to his friends.

“Aw, but if we wake him up he’ll be cranky.” Tanjirou laughed softly. “Besides, I think it’s cute!”

“My arms are going numb.”

“Just suck it up Zenitsu! He does this all the time, I’m surprised you're not used to it!” Aoi smirked. He would be used to it, but…

Zenitsu tilted his head down to stare at Inosuke’s peaceful face. It’s so out of place on a muscled boy like Inosuke, but he really couldn’t imagine it on anyone else. They way his green eyes gleam with delight and excitement, the way his pink lips crook upwards in a cheeky grin, even the delicate hair around his face--

Wait, what is he talking about???

It’s INOSUKE!

“...Zenitsu…” The sigh that escapes Inosuke’s (said) pink lips is just barely loud enough for him to hear.

“I want to die…” Zenitsu groaned.

To say that Zenitsu was freaking out was an understatement.

In reality, he was this close to jumping out of a window and running over to Mitsuri’s apartment and begging her please, please fix this!

Somehow, Zenitsu messed up the love potion.

He didn’t know exactly, which is terrifying, because now he has no idea what his potion is going to do to Inosuke.

All he knows is, it was supposed to be a love potion, as in make Inosuke fall in love with Zenitsu. But…

But Inosuke is acting completely the same!

Zenitsu can’t help but stare secretly at the boy next to him. Inosuke was too busy competing against Tanjirou on who could do the most push ups, obviously Zenitsu knew to step out of this game before it even started. Zenitsu sighed as he quickly brought his thumb nail into his mouth, chewing it in frustration.

Not only was a mixture of worry, anxiety, and annoyance flowing throughout him, but there was also a huge part of… disappointment. He was really looking forward to Inosuke being nice to him. Don’t get him wrong, it’s not like Inosuke is a horrible person (like Kaigaku), but it would just be nice to see a softer side to him. Zenitsu would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about how Inosuke is the perfect person to cuddle with -- if he was soft enough.

He would also be lying if he didn’t think the way Inosuke’s eyes shine when he sees tempura.

Was it really too much to ask that Inosuke look at Zenitsu like that?

“Monitsu!! You aren’t looking! I’m totally beating Kentarou!!” Inosuke’s annoyed voice snapped him out of his daydream. His golden eyes flicked to Inosuke’s bulking arms, wow he was really building up some muscle. Why does Inosuke refuse to wear a shirt during PE? Seriously, does Mr Tomioka not care???! It’s indecent, it’s not proper, it’s distract-- “You’re not looking dandelion!!” The blue haired boy let out a huff as he jumped up from doing push ups.

Zenitsu’s eyes snapped away from his arms to focus on Inosuke’s flush face.

Come on he even looks cute when he’s sweating!

“...S… Sorry…” He muttered and tore his gaze to look at his shoes. The sound of frustration swelled in Inosuke’s heartbeat as he stepped up to stand right in front of him. Rough hands suddenly grabbed the blond’s chin and forced him to look into grassy green eyes. Zenitsu immediately stilled and let his face be handled. Even though Inosuke’s hands were rough, Zenitsu can’t help but melt at the physical contract.

“You’re my minion, you have to do whatever I say, whenever I say, got it??!”

Zenitsu nodded pathetically as he held eye contact with the beast.

“Guys?” Tanjirou’s earrings chimed.

“Monjirou! Tell Monitsu how strong I am! And how amazing I am!!”

“Oh, he probably already knows!” Tanjirou beamed. “We’re best friends! We all support and take care of each other!”

That’s right, they’re supposed to take care of each other, not, not make them drink love potions. Well, failed love potions. Bitterness and regret tugged on his heart and before he even realized it, tears began to gather in his eyes. He let out a loud sniff and couldn’t stop the tears from overflowing.

“T-tenitsu…?” Inosuke’s voice went soft, too soft. A soft voice, with soft lips, and soft eyes…

“AHHH I gotta go!!” Zenitsu yelled loudly and bolted towards the bathrooms.

“Hey!!!” Inosuke shouted. There was a shuffle of footsteps but they died down behind Zenitsu.

“Inosuke maybe you should leave him alone for now.” Thank god for Tanjirou’s eldest brother instincts. Zenitsu kept his head down as he ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Once he made sure he was alone, he whipped out his phone and dialed the familiar number.

“Oh, hello Zenitsu! I hope you’re having a wonderful day--”

“Waaahhh!!! I suck at love AND being a witch!!! The potion didn’t work at all!!” He quickly interrupted Mitsuri and sobbed loudly over the phone.

“Potion?” She asked. Then, she let out a scandalized gasp. “You didn’t make my love potion, did you?! Zenitsu, please tell me you diluted it, it’s very strong.” Zenitsu let out a mixture of a screech and sob. “Okay, okay, calm down. What happened? I hope you didn’t turn him into a boar by mistake…”

“Nothing happened! Absolutely nothing! It had no effect! I did every step correctly and focused my magic into the potion… It was completely flawless! You would’ve been so proud…” He wouldn’t help but whine pathetically.

“Nothing happened? Hmm, how strange. I could consult my books if you’d like--”

“Please! I don’t want to hurt Inosuke! I actually really like him!” There was a snort on the other side. “Wait, is that Obanai! Mitsuri, please tell me I’m not on speaker, he already thinks I’m crazy--”

“Have you guys considered that maybe Hashibira already likes you and therefore there is no change in his personality?” The rough voice echoed dramatically in the bathroom and slapped Zenitsu in the face. “Why are you looking at me like that? He obviously likes him. I can see it in the way he stares at blondie.” Mitsuri’s high pitched squeal nearly caused Zenitsu to get brain damage, or maybe it was that fact that--

“Ahhh!! Zenitsu’s getting a boyfriend!!! I’m so happy!!! Oh I can’t wait!!!” Another gasp escaped Mitsuri’s lips. “Double date!! Double date!!!” Suddenly, Zenitsu picked up Inosuke’s thundering heartbeat from behind the bathroom door. He quickly fumbled with his phone and hung up with Mitsuri.

“I-I-Inosuke!” Zenitsu stuttered as the boy practically threw open the bathroom door. “D-don’t you ever knock! What if I was doing something private!”

“Private? We’re friends! You’re not allowed to hide anything from me!” Inosuke smirked as he threw his arm around Zenitsu’s shoulders. Zenitsu could only blush as he stared into Inosuke’s confident face. “Why ya keep looking at the Great Inosuke like that!?”

“S-sorry!” Zenitsu blush harder and squeak out in surprise. Inosuke leaned in closer to his face, studying the boy’s expression. Zenitsu’s eyes blinked owlishly.

Inosuke seriously couldn’t like him, right?

What was the point of all the tackling?

“Look how strong I am, Monitsu!!”

What was the point of all the grabbing?

“You’re so soft, Chuuitsu! Look at my scars! I’m not scared of anything!”

What about stealing his lunch everyday?

“Hah! Your food is so good! Cook for me some more!”

Zenitsu’s jaw dropped at the realization that this was Inosuke’s way of flirting.

“Inosuke… have you been… have… flirting with me?” He muttered in disbelief.

“What’s that? That sounds familiar!”

“Have you been trying to prove to me that you’re strong?”

“Hah? Of course! I’m the strongest! The strong protect the weak, like Rengoku Sensei always says! Finally! Monitsu, you get it! That’s why I’m going to be by your side! No matter what!”

“I-Inosuke…!” Zenitsu sobbed as he threw his arms around him. “You’re amazing!!” The sound of contentment and happiness thundered from Inosuke’s chest.

“Of course I am!” The boy boasted. “You know, you’re pretty amazing too, Zenitsu.”

“Eh?! My name! My name!” Zenitsu’s honey eyes widened comically. “You said my name!”

“I did? Oh I did!” Inosuke cheered. “Where’s my prize! Are you proud of me! Tell me how proud you are of me!”

“I’m very proud! But I don’t have any food…” Zenitsu frowned.

“The great Inosuke accepts kisses.”

“EH?!”

Chapter Text

“Stop trying to eat Chuntaro!!” Zenitsu screeched loudly and yanked Inosuke back by his wrist.

“Raahh!! I’m trying to hunt for us!!” The boy growled as he raised his chipped swords in the air. “Stop stopping me! I gotta provide for you, my mate!!” Inosuke jumped at Chuntaro once more, but this time the bird flew higher in the air and chirped angrily at both Zenitsu and Inosuke.

“Please shut up.” Zenitsu’s face was redder than Tanjirou’s hair. “I told you to never use the word mate. It’s boyfriend. We’re boyfriends.” He emphasized. “And Inosuke, I already know you’re a good boyfriend.” He couldn’t help but nudge the boy softly.

“‘Good’? Inosuke’s the Greatest! He’s king of the mountain and every animal knew to fear him when he roared! Rrrr--”

“Shhhhh!!!” Zenitsu hissed as he covered his ears, trying to protect his hearing from Inosuke’s roar. Inosuke’s disappointed pout was simply too cute, and he could only roll his golden eyes. “Fine.” Inosuke perked up before letting out a loud roar. Zenitsu shook his head and couldn’t help but let a dopey smile spread on his lips. “But here, if you’re so hungry, I packed you some extra snacks.” Having known Inosuke for a while, Zenitsu knew the boy would get hungry and need several snacks between lunch and dinner.

“That’s why you're my favorite minion!” The blue haired boy proclaimed as he took the pork bun from Zenitsu.

“Yeah, yeah.” There was a moment of silence between them. Well, it wasn’t really silent as Inosuke is a loud eater, but beside the obnoxious chewing, it was quiet. They had been walking for quite some time, going towards a village by the ocean. It would take them a little less than two days, but Zenitsu decided to take a detour to actually hang around the beach.

Not surprising, but apparently feral-forest-boy Inosuke has never seen the ocean.

Well, neither has Tanjirou, but Zenitsu was going on a mission with Inosuke and this was also a way to spend some quality time together! Not that he hated Tanjirou, or any other demon slayers, but hearing the butterfly girls squeal everytime he and Inosuke just held hands was embarrassing. It doesn’t help that Inosuke isn’t bothered by attention and will continue to show aggressive displays of affection.

Still, Zenitsu secretly loves how open Inosuke is with his feelings. He may have trouble expressing them with words, but the blue haired boy had this magic touch that would make Zenitsu melt with affection.

Inosuke always knows how to stop Zenitsu’s crying episodes.

Well, sometimes he would start them, but Inosuke could always make him smile. Whether it be by hugging him or being stupid, Inosuke would distract and pull Zenitsu away from his terrifying thoughts.

“I’m bored!” Inosuke’s groan snapped Zenitsu out of his daydream.

“We’re almost there, I can barely hear the waves. We could stop here if you want. It’s almost night time and the beach is waaay better to see in the day.” Zenitsu sighed. He was deciding on who should make the fire when he heard an unfamiliar and strange sound come from Inosuke.

His honey eyes widened as he turned to see Inosuke shivering.

Huh, that’s something he’s never seen before.

Inosuke was oddly silent too, his hands loosely folded over his chest in an attempt to cover his bare torso. Hopefully now he would take Zenitsu seriously when he tells him to wear a shirt! Seriously! What would he do if they got assigned a mission up north and it started snowing!

Zenitsu smirked and was about to make fun of him, but Inosuke let out an even harder shiver. The smirk was immediately replaced with a frown. He should’ve known that being this close to the ocean would cause a cold sea breeze to flow in at night! Well, once they get the fire started, that should help, but still, he might be cold at night.

“Inosuke, here.” Zenitsu shucked off his triangle patterned haori and offered it to the boy. Inosuke stood there, simply staring at the soft fabric in his outstretched hand. “Come on, you’re shirtless and it’s only going to get colder at night..!” Inosuke’s heartbeat spiked with anger. Oh right, he almost forgot about Inosuke’s stupid pride. “Oh, you know, it’s just… this haori is so heavy, and I’m so weak and tired! I just need… a strong man to help me… by wearing this haori… ” Still, Inosuke just continued to stand there. Zenitsu sighed.

“You’re really going to make me do it, huh?” Without waiting for his response, the blond placed his haori on Inosuke’s shoulders. “There, it’ll keep you warm. Now go look for firewood!” He quickly shoved the boar-headed boy away in embarrassment.

“I’ll collect so much fire wood you’ll bow down at my feet!!!” Inosuke unfroze and quickly charged into the trees. “Comin’ through!!” He could hear Inosuke’s shout echo in the night.

“Shut up!! You better not attract any animals!!” Zenitsu screamed. He could hear Inosuke cackle in response, but he didn’t push the subject. Zenitsu pulled out their dinner rations and began clearing a place for them to sleep.

Unlike most nights on a mission, Zenitsu was actually looking forward to sleeping.

First of all, he was tired. He’s pretty sure his muscles would turn into jelly if they continued walking. But, he was looking forward to tomorrow, which is the rarest feeling in the world.

Zenitsu blushed as he thought of how Inosuke’s green eyes would shine in excitement tomorrow. And all because Zenitsu is going to show him the ocean!!

“Ahh haha…” Zenitsu giggled sheepishly as the thought of Inosuke’s cute face. “What do you say, Chuntaro? Wouldn’t it be nice to relax on the beach?” The bird chirped as it flew and landed on his shoulder. “Well of course we would do the mission! It’s just, seeing the beach is a bigger priority! I could die on the mission, you know!” Chuntaro pecked at his choppy blond hair in annoyance. “H-hey! You’re so cruel you know! I should let Inosuke eat you-- Oooof!!”

“Arrggh! I almost caught it that time!!” Inosuke’s brick wall of a chest collided with Zenitsu’s back, making him fall forward. Chuntaro peeped and flew on a tree branch, practically taunting the feral boy. “Zenitsu!! Command your pest to fly into my hand! I deserve a reward for collecting wood!”

“Chuntaro doesn’t like me enough to actually follow my orders…” Zenitsu muttered into the dirt, which he was lying face first in. “I told you to stop trying to catch him!! You always catch me instead!!!” He motioned to the fact that Inosuke was sitting on top of his back.

“Hmmph! But that’s a good thing! Now I can hold you close!”

“I-Inosuke! You’ll kill me! You’re actually going to kill me!!” Zenitsu stuttered as he covered his face. The boy simply laughed before rolling Zenitsu over on his back and pulling his hands away from his face. Seeing Inosuke wearing his haori only made him blush harder. Seriously! Why does every color compliment Inosuke so well?!! That’s unfair!! “W-w-will you get off me?! Someone’s gotta start the fire!!!”

“I bring fire! You make food!” Inosuke smirked as he rolled off the boy. Zenitsu sat up and watched his haori flutter behind Inosuke.

“Be careful! Don’t reach over the flame or else my haori will be ruined and I’ll never forgive you! Gramps told me to take good care of that!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

After setting up the fire and eating dinner, the two boys decided to fall asleep early to prepare for the next day. Hopefully, they won’t be too tired to enjoy the beach. Inosuke took off his boar head and stared deeply at Zenitsu, almost as if he was conflicted about something. The blond could practically see the gears and wheels turning in his head as he looked down at the haori then back to Zenitsu.

“I’m not cold.” Zenitsu piped up. “You can keep it for tonight, you’ll be cold with just pants.”

Green eyes blinked at him, dumbfounded.

“Whatta ‘bout you?” Inosuke’s voice was uncharacteristically soft.

“I’m fine. The uniform is actually really comfortable, if you ever bothered wearing it.” Before he could say anything else, Zenitsu laid down on his back, staring up at the stars above them. “Goodnight, Inosuke… Try not to snore, will you.” There was no sound and no movements as Inosuke was still sitting upright by the fire.

Zenitsu was really about to fall asleep when the sound of footsteps came closer, before he felt Inosuke lay down right beside him. The blue haired boy said nothing as he scooped Zenitsu up in his arms and pulled him close to his chest. “You’re lucky you have such a caring mate, Zenitsu! I will share my warmth!”

“Boyfriend… it’s boyfriend…” He muttered into Inosuke’s chest.

“Woooahhhh!! Woaaahhh!!! Look at that!!” Inosuke cheered as he yanked Zenitsu by his wrist towards the beach. “This is some weird dirt!” He exclaimed as he stomped on the sand.

“It’s called sand…” Zenitsu muttered as he nearly tripped. “Hey, hey, calm down! It’s not going to go anywhere!”

“Come on, come on! You think I could fight it! I’ll fight it for you!!” Hot air flew from the boar’s nostrils in determination. Suddenly, the boar’s head was off his face and forgotten on the beach.

“No, no! No fighting! Beaches are for relaxing!” The blond sighed, but it was too late. Inosuke was running at full speed towards the water. “Hey!! Give me my haori!! You can’t get it wet!!” Immediately, he skidded to a stop and turned around to run up excitedly towards him.

His heart nearly exploded when he saw Inosuke’s bright and enthusiastic smile, completely focused on Zenitsu. His heartbeat was so loud it was rivalring the sound of the waves, so he guesses in a way Inosuke won his fight against the ocean.

Inosuke quickly shucked off the haori and threw it at Zenitsu’s face before charging back towards the ocean.

Zenitsu could only smirk as he watched the blue haired boy kick the waves violently.

“Come on, Zenitsu! Come here! I’m fighting for you!! Watch me!”

“I’m coming!” The blond giggled as he took off his uniform and neatly folded it.

Zenitsu didn’t know how long they swam in the ocean, but it was long enough for Chuntaro to get mad enough to fly off somewhere. Time seemed to pass by slowly but sweetly. The only sounds that mattered was the crash of the ocean and the sounds of their laughter mixing with each other. That sound would lull Zenitsu to sleep for days now. The image of Inosuke’s wet hair framing his face would be in his dreams. Not to mention the way the light that reflected from the ocean dances in Inosuke’s green eyes.

Zenitsu’s cheeks actually began to hurt because of how much he was smiling.

“Oh no, it seems like Inosuke disappeared. Where ever could he be?” Zenitsu tensed as he looked around in the water. Of course the feral boy’s favorite game would be to swim under the water before he would jump out of the water like a shark and tackle his boyfriend.

“I’m right here!” Inosuke’s arms wrapped around Zenitsu’s waist as they both landed in the water. “I caught you! I caught you!”

“Yes, you did.” He rolled his golden eyes in fake annoyance. In reality, he loved Inosuke’s enthusiastic personality, but if he gave him an inch, he would take a mile.

Inosuke’s grin widened as he splashed Zenitsu in the face.

It was then Zenitsu’s face began to sting. Oh, oh wait… That horrible stinging is familiar…

Why is it so familiar?

The corners of his lips tugged downwards at the realization.

“Eh??!” He looked at his now red shoulder. “Gah!! Inosuke! Why didn’t you tell me!?” He whined as he looked at his other, just as red shoulder.

“Tell ya what?” The voice gurgled.

“First of all, don’t drink that! Wait, please tell me you haven’t been drinking the water this whole time?!” Zenitsu snapped.

“Pffft! No, too salty!” Inosuke grumpled as golden eyes narrowed slightly, unconvinced.

“I’m going to trust you, but only because I have to go stand in the shade.” He could feel Inosuke’s eyes on him as he trudged out of the water.

“Hey! Where ya going! The great Inosuke isn’t done with you!”

“You stay in the water, if you want, just… don’t drown or anything.”

“It’s not as fun without you…” The voice was soft, just loud enough for Zenitsu to hear over the sound of waves. Even though he would love to stay longer, he desperately needs to find some shade to cool his irritated skin. The sand was warm against his feet, not warm enough to make him uncomfortable, but still.

Seriously, what kind of weather is it where it’s hot in the day time but cold at night??

He scanned the beach for some shade, but there wasn’t any close by, it looks like he’ll have to go into the forest. Vaguely, he realized he wouldn’t be comfortable to put on his demon slayer uniform on.

He guessed he’ll just wear his loose and smooth haori over his shoulders and let his face continue to burn.

“I gotta go back in the forest and find some shade! You should’ve told me I was getting a sunburn!” Zenitsu groaned as his shoulders fell.

“‘Sunburn’?” Inosuke tilted his head as he followed Zenitsu a couple feet behind. “What’s that?”

“Sunburn? It’s like when your skin gets red and then flaky when you’re in the sun for too long. I always get it in my face because…” It was then that Zenitsu realized Inosuke had tanned a fair amount.

Of course, being from the mountain his skin was used to the harsh sun.

He also realized that Inosuke looked even more attractive with his sun kissed complexion.

“Ugh, you probably don’t get sunburned… lucky. See my skin is sensitive so I need to have protection from the sun or else this,” he pointed at his red cheeks and nose, “will happen.”

“Ha! Weak skin!! Not like Inosukes! Thick and strong like a beast!” Zenitsu rolled his eyes before turning back to the forest. “Hey! But if you had protection… you could stay longer…?”

“Yeah, there’s no shade close by. Besides, I should try to find Chuntaro--”

“I will protect you!”

“Huh? From what? The sun? How?”

“Shut up for a second!!” Inosuke was silent as he scanned the beach, looking for anything to help him on his mission. His heartbeat quickened slightly before he reached over and pulled Zenitsu by the wrist in a specific direction.

“I-Inosuke! Where are we going!” He was ignored.

Just as suddenly as he pulled Zenitsu, he stopped and bent down to pick up his boar’s head. Quickly, Inosuke turned to face Zenitsu and plopped the head on his shoulders, covering his face from the sun.

“There! I protect you! Like you did last night!”

Zenitsu wasn’t entirely sure if he was going to swoon or die from heat stroke.

“Th...Thanks…” His voice was muffled from within the mask.

Chapter Text

Inosuke grumbled as the dandelion continued to cry for what seemed like hours. Usually, weeds are annoying, but this one takes the pig by the tail! His green eyes narrowed when he noticed Monjirou laughing softly at the blond and trying his best to comfort him. For some reason, he didn’t like it. It felt wrong, but in a different way.

Usually, when Gonpachirou would comfort Zenitsu, Inosuke thought it was a mistake, the weak should learn to be strong!! But lately, he’s more pissed off at the fact that being nice and comforting the blond came so easy to him. Whenever The Great Inosuke tries to be soft, Zenitsu would just start crying more!

“Wow! Zenitsu! Your hair is so soft!” Tanpitsu gushed as he patted the dandelion. Inosuke couldn’t help but growl underneath his breath.

“I have soft hair!! My hair is the softest!!” The boar boy jumped up from his seat and stomped over to the duo before he plopped down in front of them. His hand shot out to grab Zenitsu’s and place it on top of his head.

“Inosuke! Your hair is all tangled! Don’t you comb it?” Zenitsu huffed as he softly yanked the blue hair.

“That’s what makes it so soft!” He proudly proclaimed.

“Next time you take a bath remind me to comb your hair…” Zenitsu mumbled as he cautiously detangled a lock of Inosuke’s hair. Inosuke, on the other hand, didn’t understand why his skin prickled at the sensation and thought of Zenitsu running his hands through his hair. “I should introduce you guys to lotion too, your skin is so dry.”

“My skin isn’t dry, it's rough! Because I’m strong!” He smirked proudly.

“Yeah, yeah…” Zenitsu rolled his eyes.

“Hey, hey! Inosuke! Feel Zenitsu’s hair!!” Kentarou exclaimed. Inosuke raised a brow, annoyed that he was still running his hands through it. Inosuke quickly knocked his hand against the redhead’s callused ones, staking his claim on the golden strains. He couldn’t help but perk up in surprise as his hands carded through Zenitsu’s hair.

It was soft, seriously soft.

The softest thing he ever felt. It was softer than any feathers, petals, and grass in the forest. And it’s softer than the weird floor they sleep on.

Immediately, Inosuke’s fingers curled to feel the strands in depth. Slowly, he carded his hands through the golden locks, mesmerized by the way it shined and shimmered in the sunlight.

“...Benitsu…” He couldn’t help but whisper in amazement. The only thing Inosuke could think of doing was to continue to stroke Zenitsu’s hair.

“Awww, guys, come on!! You know I can’t handle compliments!” The radiance that surrounded Zenitsu nearly blinded Inosuke. He’s so bright, his eyes, his hair, his laughter… How does he do that?! It’s like his lightning attacks. When Inosuke first saw them, he could feel the air around him shimmer with energy. Before he knew it, that energy had danced on his skin and gave him goosebumps. He still gets a thrill of excitement when he thinks back to the first time they fought side by side.

Inosuke would do anything to see Zenitsu like that again…

His green orbs widened and his muscles clenched at the familiar buzz of adrenaline.

“Raahh!!!! Fight me!!! Onitsu!!!”

“E-eh??” Before he could protest, Inosuke’s arms shoved under his armpits and dragged him away. “H-hey!! You piglet!!! P-put me b-back!!” The blond thrashed wildly in Inosuke’s grip, which only made him tighten his hold on the boy.

“Fight me!! Fight me!!” Inosuke huffed, feeling a blush warming up his face.

“Ahh!! Someone help me!! He’s gonna kill me!! Save me Tanjirooouuu!!!” In an attempt to buy time, Zenitsu tried to dig his heels into the ground.

“Shut up!!!” Inosuke growled. With a sudden burst of strength (definitely not jealousy, or whatever Aoi always tells him!!), the blue haired boy shifted to wrap his arms around Zenitsu’s torso and lift his kicking feet in the air.

“How on earth are you this strong?!!?” Zenitsu screeched and immediately tensed up in the air.

“Waaaahh!! Inosuke!! That’s amazing!!!” Tanjirou gushed, completely forgetting about Zenitsu’s earlier pleas. “You truly have grown and gotten so strong!”

“The Great Inosuke can do anything! So don’t try anything, Genjirou!” Inosuke puffed out his chest in pride and stood still, allowing the redhead to see him in all his glory.

“Um? Hello down there, please put me down?!” Zenitsu yelled when no one made a move to help him or let him go. Inosuke ignored him and kicked down the door to the garden, marching out with Zenitsu in his grasp. Zenitsu’s lips tugged in a frown as he sighed dramatically and accepted his fate. “Inosuke, please put me down! How come whenever I want you to carry me you never do!” He huffed in frustration.

“You never ask me!! You always as Monjirou!!”

“Wait, Inosuke are you… No, you can’t be-- Waah!!” Zenitsu yelped as he was unceremoniously dropped onto the grass.

“In coming!!” The war cry was the only warning Inosuke gave before he leaped into the air and tried to do an elbow drop on the blond. Thankfully, his lightning fast reflexes kicked in, and Zenitsu rolled out of the way, letting the boar boy crash into the ground. Before Inosuke could recover, Zenitsu jumped onto his feet, completely frazzled.

“Wait, wait, wait!!” He quickly raised up his hands and tried to placate Inosuke. “Inosuke, Inosuke, come on, let’s think about this! You’re a smart guy!” Inosuke’s shoulder went slack at the compliment. That was another thing Inosuke didn’t understand, whenever the blond spoke soft words to him, a feeling bubbled up in his stomach.

It felt like an unique mixture of an upset stomach and the excitement he gets before a fight.

“Shut up and fight me!!” He wouldn’t let Zenitsu distract him any longer.

“Fine!! You want to fight!!” Zenitsu snapped and Inosuke nodded eagerly, a smile stretching onto his lips. “Alright! But don’t come crying to me when you get hurt!!”

“I won’t get hurt! I will prove to you that I am superior!! I’ll even allow you to strike first!!” Inosuke unwrapped his swords quickly and threw the used fabric somewhere behind him.

“Prepare yourself, Inosuke Hashibira!!” He couldn’t help but shiver when his name rolled off of Zenitsu’s tongue. Inosuke bent his knees and began to cackle. It was then that Zenitsu slowly but dramatically pulled his haori behind him to show Inosuke his sword.

Yes yes yes!!!

Suddenly, Zenitsu turned around and bolted in the opposite direction, away from Inosuke.

“Hah?” Inosuke grunted in confusion. Was this a part of his attack? Did he need some distance to charge up his speed?

“Waaaahhh!!! Aoi!! Help meeeee!!!” Zenitsu wailed as he continued to run away, presumably towards the feisty blue eyed girl.

“Hey!!! Monitsu!!! Get back here!!” Inosuke howled as he dug his swords into the ground before he broke out into a full on sprint to catch the shiny haired boy.

Inosuke watched in amazement as Zenitsu’s speed began to increase, his sunset haori billowing behind him.

One of Inosuke’s favorite things to do is to chase Zenitsu.

First of all, it was much funner than to just race him and Tanjirou. It reminded Inosuke of the thrill of living in the forest, chasing and catching fireflies, holding them in his hands in amazement. He also liked the idea of running after Zenitsu. It pushed him farther beyond his regular limits, because he had the goal right in front of him.

Whenever he chases Zenitsu, he doesn’t realize how tired he is. Usually, after running for so long, his legs would start to wobble in protest from over exertion. But when he’s chasing the boy, it’s like he’s getting more energy. The thought of finally wrapping his arms around the boy is the last push he needs.

A few feet ahead, Zenitsu stumbled over his feet and nearly trips.

Inosuke grinned wolfishly as he kicked himself from the ground, finally closing the distance between them. Zenitsu must know that Inosuke is about to strike, because he perks up and looks over his shoulder. Just in time to see a blob of blue on his back.

“Gotcha!!!!” He collided with Zenitsu’s back, causing them both to roll on the ground.

Zenitsu scrambled to get up, but his legs were too weak so he flipped himself over on his back and tried to kick Inosuke away. “Y-you idiot!!” He choked out between sobs. Inosuke grabbed one of Zenitsu’s legs and pulled him closer. Once the boy was underneath his body Inosuke yelled out a cheer in victory.

“I caught you!! I caught you!!” He taunted. Inosuke raised up his hands and was about to attack Zenitsu, but the blond quickly intertwined his fingers with Inosuke’s. The blue haired boy growled and pushed down on Zenitsu’s hands, which pushed back against his own. “After testing my endurance you want to test my strength?! I will beat you, Sonitsu!” Inosuke proclaimed and pushed down harder against Zenitsu’s palms.

“Please stop!! Inosuke!!” Zentisu cried as his nails dug into the back of Inosuke’s hands. Inosuke’s blunt nails began to do the same to his hands, but not really on purpose. He was getting too excited from winning that he didn’t know how to contain his emotions. “F-Fine! You win!! You win!! I’m your minion, alright!!!” Zenitsu quickly yelled out as Inosuke pinned his hands above him.

Immediately, Inosuke’s stomach did a weird flip.

It was then, when Zenitsu’s hands went slack against Inosuke’s, that Inosuke could truly appreciate how soft his hands were. Softer than Tenjirou’s, and maybe even softer than Shinobu’s.

… huh …

Inosuke’s hands moved on their own and repeatedly squeezed Zenitsu’s soft hands against his rough dirty ones. It felt right, to have those soft fingers intertwined with his own, to feel the electricity surging from Zenitsu’s skin to his own. His green eyes were drawn to their hands, trying to memorize every detail of the pale skin meeting his darker one. Slowly, his eyes trailed down to Zenitsu’s wrist, where more soft skin peaked out from the sleeves of his haori and uniform.

Everything about Zenitsu was soft.

His personality, his skin, his hair, his eyes…

Inosuke’s eyes then focused on his face. Zenitsu’s eyes were screwed shut in anticipation and he turned his head away from Inosuke’s. Inosuke couldn’t help but relax when he saw curves of his eyebrows, his nose, his cheeks, his lips… Everything was so soft, so… Zenitsu.

Before he could realize it, he had leaned in slightly, trying to look at the smaller details of his face.

Once he felt Zenitsu’s breath on his skin his green eyes widened.

Oh, there was that feeling again. But this time, it traveled up and swelled around his heart.

A gasp escaped from Zenitsu’s (soft) lips as his golden eyes flashed at Inosuke’s face, then to his chest, then back to his face.

“Inosuke, you…” The words were lodged in his throat. And he can’t help but smirk at the fact that even his words were soft.

Inosuke stared into those golden eyes, letting the weird but very pleasant feeling overcome his senses. It had to come from Zenitsu, because he feels the telltale shocks of lightning coming from where their skin meets. Inosuke titled his head slightly, watching the beautiful color develop on Zenitsu’s cheeks as he fights to maintain eye contact with him. Vaguely he realizes that Zenitsu’s curled his fingers tighter around Inosuke, and Inosuke does the same.

“Inosuke…” Zenitsu tried again. The blue haired boy slowly closes the distance between them, his bangs touching Zenitu’s forehead softly. The air buzzed around them more intensely as Zenitsu tilted his chin up and placed his lips shyly against Inosuke’s.

After a second of blanking out, Inosuke immediately jerked his head away to blink at Zenitsu’s owlishly. Zenitsu only pouted and watched Inosuke’s two brain cells bounce off each other and experience a thought.

Inosuke grinned as egearly tried to return the gesture, but only succeeded in knocking their foreheads together.

“Ow!!!” Zenitsu yelped and pushed Inosuke off of him. “That hurt idiot!!” Inosuke quickly rolled onto his feet some ways away from the blond, watching Zenitsu cautiously. Feeling green eyes on him, Zenitsu looked up at Inosukes face. The tension was almost unbearable. He didn’t know if Zenitsu would run or not, either way he was prepared to tackle the boy again. “Idiot…” Zenitsu muttered under his breath before a smile broke on his lips. “God… you’re such an idiot!!!”

“Hah?”

Zenitsu’s laugh was soft, but it would soon grow louder.

“What’s so funny?!” Inosuke huffed.

“Inosuke you’re an idiot!!” Zenitsu sat up and continued to laugh.

“Take that back!!!” He roared, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hide his blush from the blond. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing… Inosuke huffed in anger before throwing himself at Zenitsu. Instead of shrieking or trying to run away, like he usually does, Zenitsu just kept laughing. “Hey!!!” Inosuke pouted.

Then, Zenitsu looked at him with those carmel eyes, and Inosuke found out he couldn’t be mad at him anymore.

Inosuke moved to kiss him once more, but he miscalculated the distance again and ended up smashing his nose into Zenitsu’s eye.

“H-hey! Knock it off!! Y-you you can’t just try to kiss me like that!!! At least try to be romantic!!”

“Let me try again!!!”

“I-Inosuke!!!” The sound was like a clap of thunder, and it gave him goosebumps.

Chapter Text

“Gramps can we please get this?” Zenitsu gave his best puppy dog face as he held up the tub of ice cream.

“Put that away, Zenitsu. You know you don’t deserve it, not until you enter in that kendo tournament.” The old man didn’t even look up from the shopping list.

“Why make me go shopping with you if I can’t even get what I want…” The blond muttered as he glared at his grandfather. Slowly, he moved to place the ice cream in the basket but--

“Put it back.” A groan escaped his lips and he rolled his eyes and put the sugary dessert back. “And we’re doing this because we’re bonding, as a family.”

“Kaigaku hasn’t even looked up from his phone this whole time!” Zenitsu gestured to the taller black haired boy. He looked up from his phone to sneer at Zenitsu.

It was a regular Wednesday evening when his Grandfather came home (from who knows where) and announced that he was going to the store. Usually Zenitsu wouldn’t care and would continue to text his friends between frantically studying and finishing his assignments, but Gramps swooped into his room and yanked him from the back of his shirt and dragged him out of the room. It wasn’t until he saw a very pissed off Kaigaku that Zenitsu realized Gramps was serious.

“Shut up, Blondie. My friend’s keep texting me so that’s why I’m on my phone. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that though…”

“Wow, I didn’t know Gyutaro and Daki had you on such a short leash...” Zenitsu folded his arms across his chest. Kaigaku’s angry eyes bored into Zenitsu so hard that Zenitsu swore he would evaporate under his gaze. Ah, that’s right, he would definitely get his revenge during their training tonight. Curse Inosuke for rubbing off his confrontational attitude on him!!!

“Boys.” Gramps warned as he continued to look at the frozen food aisle. They each muttered apologies under their breaths but continued to glare at each other behind their grandfather’s back. They had moved onto the fresh vegetable aisle when Zenitsu’s ears involuntarily perked up. There was a familiar roar of a heartbeat, but just for a split second. He furrowed his eyebrows and tried to concentrate on the sound, but it slipped away from him.

Usually, he would hear Inosuke a long time before he could see him, because his heartbeat was so loud and insistent. It doesn’t blip in and out of existence like the softer Kanao’s might. He shook his head, it couldn’t have been Inosuke, he would’ve heard the heartbeat grow louder. For some reason, the pig brained idiot could easily track down Zenitsu in a crowd, it was like he had a six sense or something!!

Even in a big crowd, Inosuke would always zero in on Zenitsu and make his way over to him, proclaiming that he found him again (even though Zenitsu wasn’t hiding from him).

A mixture of disappointment and relief washed over Zenitsu. He was sad that it wasn’t actually Inosuke. Even though they spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons together, Zenitsu misses him. Things were actually going pretty well between them. The whole boyfriend thing wasn’t so hard to do! Even if it was Inosuke…

But he was also slightly terrified of Gramps finding out. Not that he was ashamed of Inosuke!! It’s just… he really wants Gramps and Inosuke to get along. They were the two most important people in his life… And well, Inosuke can be very in-your-face demanding and loud boy… And well, Gramps was an in-your-face demanding loud old man… Maybe… they would get along too well…

He could see it now, Gramps laughing has Inosuke wacks Zenitsu over the head with a wooden sword all for the sake of hellish ‘training’--

“Zenitsu?” The blond boy jumped at his name, but also at that familiar voice.

“M-M-Ms Hashibira!!” He quickly spun around to face the woman behind him. The woman’s look of surprise morphed into happiness as she saw his face. God, it was so unfair how pretty she was… But all Zenitsu could focus on was the way Insouke’s face was staring back at him. Her green eyes were kinder than Inosuke’s, but he was still a spitting image of her.

“Ah, please, Zenitsu! I’ve told you to call me Kotoha!” Her pink lips stretched in a sheepish smile.

“What the hell…?” Kaigaku’s disbelief smacked Zenitsu in the face.

“Zenitsu? It’s rude not to introduce us.” His grandfather’s voice teetered between shock and anger.

“R-right! Um, Ms Hashibira, this is my grandfather, Jigoro Kuwajima and my brother, Kaigaku. Gramps, this is my… friend’s mother, Kotoha Hashibira.” He couldn’t hear himself speak over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. The woman smiled beautifully at the two men.

“It’s so nice to meet you!! I’ve heard so much about your little family, it warms my heart! To think that this is how I’d meet little Zenitsu’s family, ah I’m so happy! You must come over for dinner some time! Zenitsu loves my steamed buns!!”

“Well I hope my grandson hasn’t caused you too much trouble.” Zenitsu ignored the way his grandfather was glaring at him.

“Oh no! He’s been so sweet and he’s a great help around the house! Truly, he helps my sweet little Ino with math!” Zenitsu felt like crying when he heard the way her heart sings when she mentioned Inosuke. She was so sweet and caring, anyone would think it was the opposite of how Inosuke was, but Zenitsu knew different. He could hear the echoes of Kotoha’s caring heartbeat ring in Inosuke’s. Even if the feral boy didn’t want to be labeled as ‘soft’, Zenitsu knew how he truly felt.

“Ino? You’ve been sneaking off to see a girl?!” Kaigaku whispered to Zenitsu, still in shock at the whole situation. “How could a baby like you be friends with a girl? How could anyone even stand the sight of you for more than a second?” The second part was whispered to himself. “Is this an episode of the twilight zone?”

“What?! No!!” Zenitsu fumed. “It’s not sneaking! I’ve been tutoring Inos--”

“Gramp is gonna kill you. Finally… I can actually sleep through the night without waking up from you crying your eyes out.” Zenitsu frowned at the sound of peace emanating from Kaigaku. He was about to argue with Kaigaku, when he froze at a realization.

Every chance he gets, Inosuke always spends time with his mom.

That means… Inosuke’s…

“Ah! Ms. Hashibira? Please don’t tell me that Ino--”

“Pig assault!!!!”

“Gahhh!!” He had been so focused on his own heartbeat that he completely forgot to look out for Inosuke’s! Zenitsu yelped when the familiar forehead collided with his upper back. He would’ve fallen forward onto his face, but Inosuke’s muscular arms quickly wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close to his chest. “I-Inosuke!!!” He could feel the blush on his cheeks as he glanced at Gramps then at Kaigaku.

“Gotcha! You’re mine, Benitsu!!” Zenitsu quickly ripped himself away from the blue haired boy and twirled around to face him with an angry expression. That plan immediately failed when he saw how cute Inosuke looked with his peppa pig tshirt. Seriously!! A guy should never look that cute!!! And it only gets worse when Zenitsu sees the way his green eyes shine with pride and happiness. “Did ya see that Mom?”

“Of course! You caught him, sweetie!” Kotoha cheered. “You know what, I was just about to invite Zenitsu and his family over for dinner.” She turned away from Inosuke to focus on the blond and his grandfather. “What do you guys say? I really want to get to know you, Kuwajima. You’ve raised such an amazing boy, I couldn’t be happier!”

“Huh.” Gramps spoke skeptically as he focused his harsh gaze on the blond. “I don’t want to trouble you, Ms Hashibira--”

“No trouble at all!! I always make sure to make a lot of food so the boys can have some later if they get hungry!”

“Have you been begging for food like a dog?!” His grandfather hissed at him.

“What?! No!! Of course not!!” He rushed out, but the white haired man didn’t seem convinced.

“Well, we’d love to come over for dinner. Thank you for having us.”

“Well, I can’t.” Kaigaku piped up as he folded his arms. “You know, busy with classes and stuff…”

“‘And stuff’??”

Inosuke simply glared at Kaigaku, like he was a predator about to catch his prey in his jaws. Suddenly, Zenitsu was terrified that Inosuke would actually try to bite Kaigaku right there in the store. Oh no, that would be a horrible first impression on Gramps! Sure Zenitsu would be happy at first, but he wouldn’t visit Inosuke in jail!!!

“Good! I don’t want you coming over.” Inosuke smirked like a shark. “But now that I know your face you better watch out, weakling!”

“Inosuke, shut up!!” Zenitsu hissed as he tried to cover the boy’s mouth.

“You’re not allowed to make Zenitsu sad anymore!! I know what you look like AND where you live!!!”

“Wow! Seems like the boys are getting along just well!” Kotoha smiled. “You know, ever since Inosuke met Zenitsu, he’s been so happy and lively, it’s… heartwarming that they have each other.” She watched as Inosuke swiped at Kaigaku, but he was pulled backwards by the blond. “I’m sure you noticed a change in Zenitsu as well, hopefully for the better.” She added sheepishly.

“As a matter of fact… I have.” Kuwajima didn’t make any attempt to hide the surprise in his voice. Zenitsu could feel their eyes train on him specifically as he held Inosuke back. He glanced up to meet his Grandfather’s warm brown eyes. “He’s been more confident, in his own way I suppose. But he does seem happier, especially after his study sessions with Inosuke…” Zenitsu could only listen in horror as his Grandfather began putting the pieces together.

“H-hold on, Inosuke! If I let you go, do you promise not to hit Kaigaku?” He was torn between holding the wild boy back and trying to change the conversation between his Grandfather and Inosuke’s mom.

“Yes, now let me go so I can bite him!!!” Once again, Inosuke began to struggle in his grasp.

“Zenitsu your boyfriend is fucking weird.” Even though Kaigaku tried to say it with a hint of disgust, Zenitsu heard an echo of intimidation to his voice. He couldn’t stop the feeling of pride curling in his chest, Inosuke would easily beat him up!

“Inosuke seems happier after going out with Zenitsu too…” It was too much, Inosuke’s thundering heartbeat, Kotoha’s kind words, even Gramps surprise intake of breath. He was really going to die, wasn’t he?

Oh please don’t be mad Gramps! I swear I was going to tell you!!

He was already thinking of excuses and begging for forgiveness.

“Wouldn’t it be fun if they could have a sleepover one night?”

Oh god.

For weeks now, Inosuke had been badgering Zenitsu to spend the night at his house. He said something about staying up all night, watching scary movies, and eating a lot of tempura. While none of these really spoke to Zenitsu as ‘fun’ activities, being with Inosuke would definitely make up for it. However, everytime Inosuke forcefully asked him, Zenitsu would remind him that his Grandfather would literally drag him back home if he went past his curfew.

It didn’t matter where he was, somehow his grandfather would swoop in and take him home. If Zenitsu was extra cursed, he would wake up to Gramps ordering him to run more laps.

“Inosuke did you tell your mom you wanted me to spend the night at your house?” Zenitsu turned Inosuke so that the boy was facing him.

“Yeah?” Inosuke’s voice was rough and scratchy from practically growling at Kaigaku.

“W-why?!”

“I want to spend time with you??” A blush burned his cheeks once more at Inosuke’s words. “Monitsu, are you alright? You’re being stupid.”

“I’M being stupid? I told you Gramps would never let me spend the night! His worst fear is me having fun!”

“Yeah, but I asked my Mom and she said that when grown ups talk to each other, they are more likely to agree with plans!” Inosuke grinned wildly.

“Zenitsu!”

“Y-Yes Gramps!” The boy quickly pulled away from Inosuke and turned to face his grandfather.

“Ms Hashibira invited you to spend the night one day.”

“O-Oh, really? I-I would love too.” He bowed his head politely. “If that’s alright with you, Gramps.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why you can’t go… Ms Hashibira, we would also love to be over for dinner some day. Just let us know when, and we’ll be there.”

“Wonderful!” She clasped her hands. “How about Friday?”

“We can do Friday, it will have to be later because Zenitsu has Kendo practice in the afternoon.”

“That’s fine!” She quickly rushed out. “Zenitsu, if you want, you’re more than welcome to spend the night Friday. I’m just so excited! Won’t this be so fun? We’ll be like a little family! I could even invite Hisa too!”

“Mom can I learn Kendo too?!” Inosuke was suddenly by her side, tugging at her sleeve excitedly.

“Well, sure! I’ll sign you up for classes, I’ll just have to take another shift to pay--”

“Please, Ms Hashibira, I’ll teach Inosuke some techniques, free of charge.” Kuwajima quickly offered.

“Ah, thank you Kuwajima, but I would feel terrible if I didn’t pay you back…” She frowned slightly.

“Then, cooking for my brat will be enough payment. You said he likes the steamed buns right?”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you so much!”

“Ah, It’s no problem. Besides, Zenitsu will work harder now that he has someone to practice with.” Zenitsu stood up straight when he felt a glare burn his back.

“Well, we should get going then, I’m making Inosuke tempura for tonight.” Zenitsu rolled his eyes before they landed on Inosuke who gave him a thumbs up. He let himself laugh softly at his boyfriend’s actions before shyly waving to him.

“Text me!!” Inosuke ordered.

“Okay, okay!” Zenitsu smiled. He watched them walk away before he sighed loudly. Even though he was worried and anxious earlier, just seeing Inosuke replaced that feeling with a peaceful feeling. Now that he was gone, Inouke left him with a warm feeling.

“He’s a strong boy… I like him.” The sentence was like a blessing to his ears.

“I… I like him too…” Zenitsu blushed.

Chapter Text

Boom!

Inosuke shot up at the sound of thunder echoing throughout the forest. His muscles were tense as he watched around him, waiting for any sign of a predator. There weren't any. There weren’t any clouds either… But he was sure that was the sound of thunder. Slowly, he sat back down and took another bite of meat. Hey, he just spent the whole day hunting and he was going to enjoy this!!

It was then that he noticed the hair on his arms standing upright. His skin tickled with a dull buzz, and even the air around him felt… charged. Just like before a lighting storm. Inosuke squinted as he looked at the night sky once more, but there were still no clouds!!! The only thing in the sky was the twinkling stars.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the sky, before it dragged across the sky of the forest. Yellows, oranges, and shades of whites mixed together as they formed a long tail in the sky, before disappearing in the tree line.

“Hah?” Inosuke grunted, amazed but thoroughly confused.

Crash!

Instantly, he forgot about his dinner and bolted towards the source of vibrations in the forest.

“Finally!!! Something to do!!!” He yelled and jumped over a log.

He could feel his heart drum with excitement as he maneuvered the terrain of the forest. For a while now he’s been bored. With his loyal minion, Monjirou, being busy mining coal, or whatever he does, Inosuke has been bored out of his mind. Hopefully, wherever crashed into his forest would be strong enough to keep him entertained!!!

He quickly skidded to a halt when he came into a clearing of trees.

His green eyes landed on an unconscious boy in the center.

He was covered by a loose white yukata. But Inosuke was more focused on the way his hair shimmered like gold under the moonlight. He released the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he slowly made his way down the side of the shallow crater. Still, the boy didn’t stir.

“Hey… you dead or what?” Inosuke growled as he nudged the boy with his foot. “Hey!! I’m talking to you!!!” Inosuke yelled when there was no response. He squatted down to inspect the boy’s face. He couldn’t help but push his blond bangs away from his face.

“Huh… what…” The boy’s voice was soft and drowsy. Inosuke watched as his honey eyes blinked open and shined with the same twinkle as the stars. Slowly, he looked at Inosuke’s foot, then up his leg, before his eyes settled on Inosuke’s face. “What!?!?” The boy squeaked out before he managed to kick Inosuke in the face.

“Raahh!!!” Inosuke roared as he grabbed his ankle before he could retract it, and yanked the boy roughly.

“Waaahhh!!! Let me go!!! M-monster!!” The boy cried out as he was dragged closer.

“If you want to fight, you should’ve said so!!!” Inosuke dropped his foot and reached for the swords on his back.

“No, no!! I do not want to fight!!! I will die!!!” The blond shook his head frantically as he scrambled to get up. “I said I don’t want to fight!!! Put your swords away!!! Idiot!!!” Inosuke huffed and reached forward to yank him up by the fabric of his clothes.

“‘Idiot’?! You were the one lying in the dirt!” Inosuke shouted in his face.

“Dirt?” The boy looked down at his hands, noticing how brown they were. Quickly, he tugged on his clothes and noticed how dirty they were too. “Gah!! Look at me!! I’m all dirty! You!” He pointed at Inosuke. “You better repent!! It’s rude to tackle someone!! Look, this fabric was godly white and you soiled it with your grubby hands!”

“You’re weird.” Inosuke muttered as he released the boy.

“I’m weird? You’re the one staring at me while I was unconscious!!!” He opened his mouth to continue, but no words came out. Inosuke titled his head, waiting for the boy to continue. Instead, his honey eyes lifted to look at the stars above them. “Whatever!! I-I gotta go…” He muttered and tried to dust the dirt off of him.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Inosuke followed him into the woods. “I thought we were going to fight! Your kick caught me off guard! It’s only fair that I return the favor.

“I don’t want to fight you! Quit reaching for your swords already!! And I’m going to find some shelter, I guess… Somewhere where I can’t see the STUPID stars!!!” He yelled angrily.

“What are you blind? They’re pretty.” Inosuke snorted.

“Yeah, pretty mean…” He muttered under his breath. “Which way to the closest city?”

“What’s a city?” Inosuke grunted.

“What do you mean ‘what’s a city’??” His tone was nothing short of incredulous. “A place where a lot of people live? How do you not know what a city is???”

“There’s nothing like that around here.” Inosuke smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “The closest person to us is Gonpachirou and his family. But they’re three days away.”

“Three days?” The boy’s mouth dropped. “What do you mean?? No one else lives closer??? You’re here, alone, in the forest?”

“Yeah.”

“I hate you, Kaigaku…” The boy whispered under his breath as he leaned against a tree.

“Inosuke.”

“What?”

“My name’s Inosuke.”

“Oh! I’m Zenitsu Agatsuma.” The blond boy turned around and bowed slightly. “Inosuke, you can’t seriously live here by yourself… Don’t you get… lonely…?” He added softly.

“Lonely…?” Inosuke repeated, his voice growing soft. So soft that Zenitsu wondered if this was the same boy. “Hey, you fell from the sky!!!!” He quickly changed the subject with his accusatory tone. A tired sigh escaped Zenitsu’s lips.

“It’s a long story…”

“We have all night. It’s too dangerous to try and go to Danjirou’s at night.”

“Dangerous!!? How dangerous? Oh no, I’m too young to die!! … Wait, who’s Danjirou? I thought we were going to Gonpachirou?” Zenitsu furrowed his eyebrows. Inosuke growled in anger which made Zenitsu squeak. “Fine!! Fine!! You beast! Learn some manners! But if you’re going to help me, I guess I owe you an explanation.” It was strange how egear the blue haired boy was to help him. Maybe he was lonely after all? “Yes, I did fall from the sky, but more specifically I’m kinda like the god of a specific star.” There was a pause as Zenitsu was half expecting Inosuke to go: ‘woooww’ or ‘really a god!?’, but he was met with silence. “Um, hello? I said I’m kinda like a god?”

“Wait, so that means I won against a god?! Heh, I wouldn’t expect less for myself!” The idiot smirked and stood up straighter with pride.

“Woah, woah, woah!! We didn’t fight! And you didn’t win!!”

“So let’s settle this now--”

“Ahhh!! No!!!” He quickly rushed out. “Well, I guess I’m not one anymore. I left the heavens and fell down to earth…” Shame emanated throughout his body. “It’s very dramatic when a star falls, but it’s so all the heavens know what happened, or who landed on earth…”

“Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t want to leave!! I had to run away before I got kicked out… My older brother, Kaigaku, was planning to kick me out. I knew he hated me, but I never thought he would’ve done it… I thought he was just being cruel by saying I was too ugly to stay, but I guess he was warning me in a twisted way… ”

“That’s stupid.” Inouke grunted.

“I know!” He sobbed out. “And I know it’s stupid to cry like a baby! But--”

“No they’re stupid.” Inosuke stopped walking and focused his green eyes solely on Zenitsu. “You’re pretty. Your hair is brighter and all of the stars combined.” Inosuke raised an eyebrow when the golden boy choked loudly and quickly covered his red face. “What? Did you eat something funny on your way down? Why do you look like that?”

“Shut up, okay!! You’re too blunt!! Please tell me that not all humans are like you! I don’t think I’ll be able to live like this…”

“I dunno. The only other humans I know are Monjirou and Muzuko.” Inosuke paused. “And I’m definitely better than them! I can catch a fish with my bare hands!” The blond boy let out a loud groan. “Come on!! I’ll show you my cave!!! We can sleep there for the night! Then in the morning we can hunt!”

“I’m going to die here.”

“Huh?” The redhead tilted his head. “Inosuke’s brought a friend?” His tone was full of surprise but also happiness.

“Monjirou!!!” Inosuke shouted as he rushed over, pulling Zenitsu along with him by the hand. “Look, I brought a star!”

“Wooooww!! I’ve never met a star before! That’s like an actor, right?”

“Hah? You’re an actor too!?” The green eyed boy turned in excitement. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I’m not one!!” Zenitsu hissed and tugged on his hand. “My name is Zenitsu, by the way.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Oh, I’m Tanjirou!” He introduced himself. Tanjirou must have seen his look of confusion as he laughed airily. “Yeah Inosuke calls me everything except Tanjirou. He’s not good with names.” Zenitsu nodded his head, completely understanding him. “How did you meet Inosuke? You must have traveled far. Inosuke’s a week away from any major streets… And I haven’t seen you in my village…?”

Gods, he really did land in the middle of nowhere!

“I guess you could say that.” Zenitsu muttered, displeasure spilling from his lips.

“He fell for me! That’s what he said! He fell hard!” Inosuke's smile grew wider.

“Why’d you say it like that!!! That’s a completely different thing you… You…!!”

“Wait, you’re a fallen star!!” Tanjirou blurted out. Zenitsu raised an eyebrow, visually impressed that he connected the dots. “My mom used to tell me stories about them!!! My favorite was one about a star who fell for a farmer. He took her as a bride and they got married at sunset! Uniting our two words together forever!”

“Hah?” Inosuke perked up.

“They bring good luck!!”

“Really? You guys think so?” Zenitsu blushed. “Ahahaaaa, you’re so nice! All my life I’ve been told I’m nothing but bad company--”

“That’s not true!!! When I’m around you my heart roars!!” The blond’s jaw dropped open as his golden eyes shined. It looked like the light around him brightened dramatically. “Come on Gonjirou! Aren’t you going to feed us!! We came all the way down from the mountain!!” Inosuke turned away from the star to grin at the redhead.

“Okay! I’ll ask Nezuko to make something extra after we’re done with chores! Ah, I’m sorry you had to walk all this way! My mom told us that it’s important to cherish stars, because at any moment when will float back up to the sky!”

“Any moment?” Inosuke repeated.

“Well, I mean I guess that’s true… But I wouldn’t really worry about me. I think I could even help with cooking…” Zenitsu shrugged.

“Well, follow me! We have a small house, but you’re welcome to stay if you want.” Tanjirou offered. “It’s a little more comfortable than Inosuke’s cave!”

“Nu-uh!!! Zenitsu’s mine!!” Inosuke scooped up Zenitsu in his arms, holding him like a bride. “I will cherish you! Your feet won’t touch the ground as long as you’re with the great Inosuke!!” Suddenly, Inosuke bolted in a direction he hoped Tanjirou’s house was in.

“Waahhh!! I-Inosuke!!” Zenitsu cried out in surprise as he wrapped his arms around his muscular shoulders.

“Don’t scare Nezuko on your way in!!!” Tanjirou called after them. Inosuke tried not to focus on the fact that Zenitsu was shoving his face into his chest, in an attempt to hide his blush.

“You know I can walk, right? I walked all the way here…” Zenitsu muttered miserably.

If Inosuke heard him, he ignored him. Instead, Zenitsu's attention was drawn to a small wooden house. The door slid open and a girl with long cascading hair stepped out and with an empty wooden pail.

“Oh! Hello Inosuke!!” She greeted and smiled brightly. Zenitsu’s jaw dropped. “Woaaahh! Who do you have there! He’s pretty!!” She ran up to them. The blond couldn’t help but blush under her pink gaze. Her eyes inspected every aspect of him, like she had never seen anything like it before.

Never in his life has he been called pretty… Pretty ugly, yes… But never just… pretty.

“This is my star!” Inosuke proclaimed proudly.

“I’m Nezuko!” The girl giggled. “It’s so weird to see Inosuke so friendly with someone! Usually he hates seeing new people! One time we took him into the village and he tried to fight everyone in a restaurant… He thought if he won he got more food… We’re still not allowed in…” She finished.

“Oh! I’m Zenitsu.” He introduced himself. “I know what you mean. The first thing he said to me was to fight him.”

“Yeah! And I won! So now he has to stay with me!”

“Oh…” She couldn’t hide the confusion in her voice.

“That’s not at all how that happened.” Zenitsu frowned. “I want to be with Inosuke-- Ack! Wait!! Wait! Not like that!! Well, I guess like that but not like that.” He emphasized. “I mean he’s got a very cute but thoroughly confusing face but… Well his face isn’t the only thing that matters he’s also got some muscles… Wait, no. But it’s not like that--”

“Monitsu wants to learn how to cook for me.” Inosuke interrupted him.

“Oh?” Nezuko raised a brow. “You’re living together? It must be serious.”

“Mmhmm!” Inosuke nodded.

“Shut up already!!” Zenitsu yelled at him.

Chapter Text

“Whatcha doing, Nunao?” Crumbs flew out of Inosuke’s mouth. He didn’t stop eating as he watched the quiet girl in the kitchen. Usually, it’s Aoi who cooks and scolds Inosuke when he starts eating all the ingredients. But, when he snuck in for a snack, he was surprised to see her cooking something with… Plum seaweed?

“Oh, Inosuke! I thought you were hanging around Tanjirou and Zenitsu?” Kanao smiled warmly.

“Plum seaweed? Isn’t that Monjirou’s favorite?” The butterfly girl turned away from Inosuke in an attempt to hide her blush.

“Yeah, I’m making him some snacks for his mission today. Zenitsu told me that Tanjirou’s been sad lately, so I’m trying to cheer him up.” She added.

“Why?” Inosuke grunted.

“It’s something nice to do for your friends.” Kanao smiled as she formed the rice into balls. “I’m sure Zenitsu would love it if you cooked something for him…” She joked under her breath. Inosuke couldn’t help but stop chewing at her words. She must have noticed it because she turned back around to face Inosuke with a bemused expression. “Isn’t he going on a mission with Tanjirou? You can use some of this rice, I’ll have some left over.”

“Why should I do that, huh!? Monitsu is leaving me for Kentaro of all people! He’s not fun and strong like I am!!!” Inosuke crossed his arms. Kanao’s lips spreaded in a pleasant smile, much to the blue haired boy’s annoyance. Why was she giving him that look!! She always gives it to him when he talks about Zenitsu too!!! He never should have told her that his chest rumbles when he’s with the blond.

“Inosuke, you know we can’t choose our missions. I’m sure if they could they would’ve invited you to join them.” Her small hands began gently placing the rice balls in a basket. “Since you can’t go along with them, then give Zenitsu something to remember you by. Even Tanjirou hasn’t made anything specifically for Zenitsu. So you’d be a better friend--”

“Aha!! Let’s do it!!” Inosuke yelled in excitement. “I’ll show Tentitsu that I’m the right choice!”

“Wash your hands first. Here, what do you think Zenitsu would like seaweed or--”

“Salmon! Zenitsu really digs salmon!!” There was a loud splash in the sink and Kanao hoped Inosuke didn’t dunk his hands into the dirty pot that was meant to be washed. “Hey!! Tsunao! Would it be more amazing if I caught the salmon with my bare hands--”

“Inosuke we wouldn’t have time for that!” Kanao quickly rushed out. “I’m sure Shinobu has some salmon! If not then Tomioka definitely does.”

“Let’s steal!!”

“No one is stealing anything!” Aoi suddenly appeared in the kitchen, putting some dirty dishes in the sink. “Honestly, Inosuke! What do I tell you about stealing food?”

“Don’t get caught!”

“We have salmon right here…” The blue eyed girl gave up the fight, already knowing it’s useless. “Why salmon though? I thought you liked tempura?” She asked as he disappeared into another room before bringing out the fish.

“It’s for Chuuitsu!!” Inosuke grinned proudly as he snatched the fish from her. “I’m showing him that I provide food as well as protection!” Aoi raised an eyebrow and shot Kanao a disbelieving look, the other girl nodded her head. “What now?!” His green eyes stared between the two girls as he just held the fish in his hand, unsure what happens next.

“I’ll get some bentos…” The smaller girl sighed as she went to the storage room.

“Here, we’ll cook the salmon and then portion it out for three meals, maybe I can cut up some vegetables too.”

“No vegetables.” Inosuke grimaced. “Only meat and rice. Zenboku gets the best ingredients.”

“But the vegetables will help fill him up. You wouldn’t want him to get hungry during his mission, right? Now let’s cut up the fish.” Kanao quickly pulled out a cutting board and motioned for him to place the fish there. Inosuke grunted in consideration before he followed her actions. “You just need to cook the salmon and the vegetables.”

“Why can’t he eat it raw?!”

“No cause then it would spoil.” Kanao sighed as she began heating up the pan. “Don’t you want it to be tasty?”

“Anything I make is tasty!” Inosuke smirked. “Hey, I’m making his food!” He growled as Kanao tried to cut the fish. “I want Monitsu to think of me, and only me!!”

Kanao blushed and let him take the knife away.

“Breath of the beast--”

“Wait, Inosuke, not like that!!”

All in all, Inosuke thought it was a success!!! This cooking thing is waaay easier than hunting! When they’re older, he’ll allow Zenitsu to do all the cooking while he goes out to hunt. He could see it now, his little golden acorn welcoming him home from a long mission or hunt. Zenitsu waiting for him in front of their house before they make their way inside. Inosuke’s chest rumbled at the thought of a warm meal prepared by Zenitsu waiting for him.

But before that could happen, he must prove himself to him!!

Zenitsu already knows how strong he is, but ‘caring’ was an area that Inosuke didn’t really have much experience in. Thankfully, his other trusted minion, Tanao is showing him what to do! She even told him that stacking the bentos and wrapping it in cloth make it look even more amazing!!!

“Hurry!!! Hurryy!! Nuaho!!” Inosuke jumped frantically.

“You know she would get done faster if you helped her!!” Aoi yelled as she wiped down the cutting board.

“The Great Inosuke makes messes! Not cleans them!!!” Inosuke huffed. Cautiously, he juggled the bento boxes on top of his boar’s head, trying to entertain himself while he waited for the quiet girl. He should just give it to Zenitsu without her!! She’s taking too long, what if he leaves with an empty stomach? Inosuke of all people knows how draining it is to start a mission on an empty stomach.

“I’m almost done.” She responded as she dried the pan. Suddenly, she twirled around to pick up the wooden container where she stored Tanjirou’s rice balls. Kanao picked it up and motioned for Inosuke to follow her, which he did after he laughed loudly. When he started to run, he quickly took the bentos off his head and held them close to his chest. After all, it was precious cargo!

“Cheese stick better bow before my feet!!! It’s not everyday the king of the mountain does this!!!” Inosuke growled.

“I’m sure he will.” Kanao quickly responded. “Shinobu says that food tastes better when someone makes it for you! I’m sure Zenitsu will be over the moon!”

“He can jump really far!” Inosuke agreed, completely missing the figure of speech. As a shortcut, they ran through the garden towards the front gate of the butterfly estate.

“Hey, Inosuke…” Kanao began. “Maybe you should think of taking off that boar’s head when you give him the bentos…”

“Why?” He raised an eyebrow.

“So that way he could see your face. You know, help him remember it when he’s eating his food.” The thought of the blond thinking about him made him pause for a moment. Zenitsu always acted differently when he didn’t have it on. The air around him felt charged in a way. Inosuke was so busy lost in his thoughts of the blond boy that he didn’t realize they reached Monjirou and Zenitsu before Kanao skidded to a halt.

“Hi guys! Have you come to see us off?” The redhead smiled as he titled his head. Zenitsu looked up from the ground and turned to gaze at Inosuke. The feral boy immediately froze, caught in the caramel gaze of his eyes.

“Yes, I made you some onigiri, Tanjirou.” Kanao smiled as she presented him with the wooden box.

“Waaahh!! Thank you, Kanao!” He beamed as he took the box. “Look Zenitsu!” The blond boy pouted and crossed his arms, glaring at the hanafuda earring’d boy.

“I see it, Tanjirou.”

“Genitsu!!” Inosuke roared.

“AAhhh!!! Don’t yell, you scared me!!” Zenitsu flinched and moved closer to Tanjirou. Inosuke said nothing as he tore off his mask and threw it on the ground. Zenitsu blinked before blushing as he saw Inosuke staring at him with such an intense expression. Inosuke continued to be silent as he took another step forward. On instinct, Zenitsu took a step backwards towards Tanjirou. “I-I-Inosuke!! Y-you’re scaring me! Is it because we’re leaving? I told you I wanted you to come with us!! That way you could protect me!!” He rushed out.

“Here!!” Inosuke thrusted the bento boxes in front of Zenitsu.

The blond boy blinked in confusion, before his eyes settled on the present in front of him.

“Take it!!” Inosuke added with another thrust forward.

“You… you made this? For me?” The voice was soft and borderline breathless.

“I did!!” Inosuke yelled when he was taking too long. The blue haired boy closed the distance between them and snatched Zenitsu’s hand before placing the bentos in it. “You better eat it all! The Great Inosuke will know if you do not!!” He watched as Zenitsu curl his hands around the stack of bentos.

Shyly, Zenitsu tore his gaze away from Inosuke and carassed the bentos gently, like it was a small kitten.

“Th-thanks…” He muttered as the tips of his ears turned red, making them peek out from the choppy blond locks.

Inosuke could help but smirk proudly. He was the only one who could make the Zenitsu look like that!

“Alright, I guess we’re off!!” The redhead broke the silence and pulled Zenitsu along.

“Have a safe trip!” Kanao waved.

“Come back alive!!!” Inosuke cheered.

It was a fast mission, only a week had passed since they left and they were already coming back. Inosuke grinned as he jumped down from the tree. Finally!! Something to do!! Even though they were gone for a week, Inosuke had yet to be assigned to another mission. Now, he’s hoping that he doesn’t get assigned one until Zenitsu gets back.

Even though he was a crybaby and didn’t fight him, Inosuke can’t help but miss his company.

“Koi!!! Is Bokitsu here?!” Inosuke yelled at the girl, who was walking by with some laundry.

“For the last time, no!” She rolled her eyes. “Just wait by the front gate!”

“The Great Inosuke doesn’t wait for anyone!!!” The blue haired boy crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree.

“Well what if you hide and wait for him to pass by the front gate, then you could tackle him and win the game… or whatever…” The last words were muttered under her breath, not loud enough for the boar boy to hear. He perked up at the thought. Everyone knew that being sneaky was a useful skill for hunting! Maybe Zenitsu will be in awe of him if he can catch him off guard!

“Faithful minion! You have helped me once again!!!” Inosuke proclaimed before he pushed himself off the tree and ran towards the front gate.

Inosuke skidded to stop right in front of the gate, that way Zenitsu and Gonpachirou would have to cross him first. He looked around, trying to find a place to hide, but there weren’t any on the ground. He looked at the tree line that bordered the Butterfly Estate and the Water Estate. Without thinking too much, he started to climb a tree and wait atop a branch.

He couldn’t help but snicker as his plan was coming together.

Inosuke began to wonder if he should have his mask on or not. Muanao always told him not to, so that way Zenitsu could see his face, which he doesn’t understand at all. Why look at his face? What’s so great about it? Zenitsu should only look at his muscles!! Something that he gained and trained for everyday!

He decided to leave his mask on.

He sat there on the tree for a couple minutes, thinking about how Zenitsu would look when he surprised him. Will his eyes go wide like a deer? Will his voice go shrill? Will his heart boom in his chest? Inosuke couldn’t help but laugh in anticipation and excitement.

He better stop thinking about him or else he will get too giddy!!

Inosuke’s muscles tensed when he felt a thunderstorm walking down the path towards the butterfly estate.

“Heh.” Inosuke bent his knees, preparing for the attack.

“Ah, it’s so glad to be back!” He watched as the redhead came into his field of view. “I can’t believe it rained for three days straight! That’s so weird for summer!”

“I can.” Zenitsu mumbled. “Did you hear how loud the thunder was?!! It was if the gods were going to strike me again!! Then my hair would fall off!!” A soft laugh chimed at his loud wine. Suddenly, Zenitsu stopped in the middle of the path. He could see a confused expression spread on his face. Then, the blond began looking around wildly, his boy tensed up almost uncomfortably. “I-Inosuke I know you’re there!” He yelled out. “I can hear you!!”

“Hah!! No you can’t!!” Inosuke growled as he jumped down from the tree in anger.

“Well, now I can see you!!” Zenitsu pointed out.

“Oh! Hi Inosuke!” Tanjirou greeted.

“Raahhh!!” The blue haired boy roared in frustration before he ran to pig assault the golden boy.

“Ahhh!! Wait wait!!!” In a flash, he was behind Tanjirou. “I have something for you!! Pleasedon’tkillmeI’mtryingtobenice!!!” He rushed out.

Inosuke dug his heels into the ground to stop himself from pig assaulting the two of them.

“S-since you gave me food, I just thought…” A blush burned his cheeks. “I just thought I’d give you something in return…” Zenitsu turned away from Inosuke and took off the bag that was slung over his shoulder. His hand disappeared inside the bag before he pulled it out.

The scent of something sweet intensified in the air as he pulled out the pink and yellow ball.

It was like nothing Inosuke had ever seen before… But… I did smell familiar.

“What is it?”

“It’s a peach.” Zenitsu responded as his blush deepened. “I uh, I didn’t think you had one before, but these are the best things to eat!! They’re sweet and refreshing! I used to eat them all the time with my Gramps! Well, without him knowing… But… But he had a whole bunch of peaches so it wasn’t like he’d miss one or two… Anyway!! Here!!” He finally stopped his rambling and gripped Inosuke hand before placing the peach in his palm.

‘Eat’, huh?

Quickly, Inosuke took off his mask and opened his mouth up widely and tried to fit the whole peach in.

“Are you an idiot!!! You’ll choke on the pit!!” Zenitsu screeched as he snatched the peach away.

“Hey! It’s mine!” Inosuke growled.

“You know what, I’ll prepare it for you! Just wait, okay? I can cut up the rest and we can eat them all by the koi pond.”

“...Okay…” The thought of Zenitsu spending time with him made him quiet.

“Just… The mask stays off the whole time, got it?”

Now, the thought of Zenitsu wanted to see his face makes him giddy. Inosuke decided that, if he wants Zenitsu to see his muscles, he’ll just have to tackle him again.

Chapter Text

When Zenitsu first came to the Butterfly Estate with Tanjirou, he was in heaven. Well, besides his new miniature size and the horrible medicine he was taking, everything was great… What they didn’t tell them was that the Butterfly Estate was simply brimming with beautiful, soft, and caring girls.

Seriously! Every nurse, every caretaker, every cook was a cute girl!! With shiny hair and dazzling eyes that drove him crazy, he’s surprised he could even sleep.

And they all were paying attention to him every minute of the day!!!

Well, sure it’s because he’s a patient, but Zenitsu likes to kid himself by thinking it’s because they actually care for him!

But… Out of all the girls there, there’s really only one he can’t get out of his mind.

He first saw her when he was eating with Tanjirou on his bed. They had barely started to recover from their injuries and decided to celebrate by sneaking some steamed buns into the room. Tanjirou was talking to Nezuko and Zenitsu was listening in, until a loud and confident heartbeat started thundering from outside.

Zenitsu’s eyes wandered over to the open window, where by chance, the most beautiful girl he had ever saw walked past. From his angle, he could only see her neck up, so he could look for her by using her uniform, but…

Her blue hair framed her delicate face perfectly, and even her sharp green eyes seemed to fit her face. She had on a light scowl on her face, but she was beautiful.

Zenitsu’s jaw dropped open as his eyes bulged out.

“A goddess…” He whispered to himself in awe.

Her slow motion walk would haunt him for the rest of his life. Even though she had long passed by, the after image of her floated in his head. Zenitsu gulped down his forgotten food and swore that he would find her.

It’s been forever since he saw his angel, and like a weary traveler, he’s dying to see her again. Well, that’s an exaggeration… It’s really only been two days. But two days is a long time! Especially when it came to the Butterfly Estate, two days was long. Usually, the girls rotate their jobs, some do laundry, some cook, some take care of patients, and then a day later they switch.

Zenitsu sighed as he shuffled miserably down the hallway. He looked up to see Aoi walking in front of him to a bedroom. He couldn’t help but smirk.

“Aoi!” Zenitsu sang as he stepped into the room, raising his hands in the air. .

“Oh, god, what is it now?!” She rolled her eyes as she placed the white bedsheets on top of the bed.

“Aoi! You look lovely today!” He gushed.

“Just get on with it! I’m busy unlike you.” She didn’t look up from fixing the bed. Immediately, he moved to fix the sheets on the other side of the bed. She raised one of her eyebrows but didn’t object.

“Ugh, fine!” Zenitsu frowned. “Who is the green eyed goddess you have hiding here?”

“‘Green eyed goddess’?” Disgust was practically dripping off her voice. His golden eyes flashed with annoyance but he held his tongue. He was trying to get on her good side after all.

“I was trying to be romantic, okay? But seriously, who’s the beautiful girl who has the delicate face and glowing skin? She walked by our room yesterday!” Aoi’s eyes raised in thought.

“Zenitsu… We don’t have anyone like that here…” She was deep in thought. What was worse, was that her heartbeat showed she wasn’t lying. Did she really not know who she was? Aoi knows everyone!! “Yesterday, you said?” She paused. “Did you hallucinate??? You don’t have a fever, right?”

Did he hallucinate?

“No and no!! I’m pretty sure Tanjirou saw her!!” He rushed out.

“Koi!”

They both snapped their attention to the boy in the doorway.

“Shinobu said that Kamaboku Gonpachirou and the other one are going to start training.” Zenitsu’s eyes widened when he saw the beautiful face. The hair was even shinier than he remembered it to be!! His eyes trailed down to inspect her lips, her soft and plush pink lips. Zenitsu gulped. But, his attention was drawn to her open shirt--

Wait, this girl just has her shirt open?!

Wait… This girl… Is a guy.

His eyes snapped back up to her-- his green eyes, which were directly focused on him.

“Oh my god… Oh my god…” He choked out. The blue haired boy raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at him, his eyes dragging all over his smaller form.

“Oh my god!” Aoi snorted out before she bent over in full blown laughter.

“Hah?” Like a spell, the boys were torn away from each other and looked at the girl. “What’s so funny! What’s so funny!!” He stomped his feet as a pout grew on his lips.

Cute, he is so cute!!

Zenitsu’s jaw dropped open at the realization.

“I-I-I… I’m love…” He muttered incoherently. “I’m gonna faint…” The room started to sway and turn on its side.

“Inosuke, I think we got another patient heading for Shinobu.” Aoi smirked.

Ahhh, the god’s name is Inosuke!

Zenitsu snapped out of his daze when Inosuke smirked widely and took a step closer to him. Out of instinct, Zenitsu took a step backwards. This caused Inosuke to smile even wider before he closed the distance between them. The blond opened his mouth, but his tongue was useless. Wordlessly, he bent down and lifted Zenitsu on his shoulder, like a sack of rice.

He nearly died at the feeling of the firm muscles underneath him.

He’s so strong!!

It’s been a couple days since Zenitsu was introduced to Inosuke, and well Inosuke carried him off like some kind of warrior god taking his bride--

Well, this is getting off track very quickly!

Zenitsu shook his head and rested his chin on his palm, watching the blue haired boy arrange the furniture. His muscles flexed as he lifted the heavy chairs above his head, like they weighed nothing.

But back to what he was trying to say!!

It’s been a couple days since he saw Inosuke, and he’s only proposed to him five times!!!

What’s even better is that Inosuke didn’t say no!! He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t explicitly say no!!!

“Inosuke!!” Zenitsu sang as he got up from the bed and shyly made his way over to the taller and broad shoulder boy.

“Oh, Chuuitsu.” Inosuke turned away from Aoi to look at the blond.

“It’s Zenitsu! But you can call me whatever you want!” He gushed.

“Okay ‘whatever you want’.” The green eyed boy spoke.

He’s so dumb and cute!!

“I got you something!” He dug into his pocket and presented him with a folded note.

“I can’t read.” He huffed, but took the note anyway.

“Is he bothering you, Inosuke?” Aoi stepped in, shooting Zenitsu a hard look. Zenitsu gasped, exaggerating his offense.

“No, I like cheesestick! He’s funny!”

“Funny in like a cute way, right?” Zenitsu sounded hopeful, but his happiness was shattered when Inosuke just ignored him and opened up the note. “Since you can’t read I drew you some pictures! See that one's me!! And that one’s you!! Those are some hearts and a lot of flowers!!” Ever since the second day of knowing him, Zenitsu had been writing Inosuke little love notes. Just small letters, here and there, sneaking them to him every chance he got.

It wasn’t until the blue haired boy angrily declared that he couldn’t read or write that Zenitsu decided to change up his plan of action.

He wasn’t an artist per se, but he was definitely better than Tanjirou!

Back in the real world, Inosuke stared intently at the note, his heart echoing with interest as his gaze was still on the paper.

“What’s this?” The boy gruffed out as he pointed at one of the many flowers that decorated the paper.

“Those? Those are peach blossoms! My Gramps had a whole bunch of peach trees. I used to sneak off and eat them all the time!”

“Peaches?” He raised a brow and Zenitsu blinked.

“Don’t worry!! I will travel across Japan to get you peaches! Just wait for me my lo-- ACK!!!” Roughly, he was pulled backwards from his hair. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” He cried out as he stumbled backwards. Through his teary eyes he looked to see that Aoi was the one who grabbed him. He gulped loudly at the sight of her displeased expression. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!!” He didn’t know why he should be the one apologizing, but when it comes to Aoi, he knew better. “I said I’m sorry!!” He screamed.

“You will travel across Japan, but not for a silly reason like peaches!! Now hurry up and get dressed! You’ve been cleared from bedrest and already have a mission!! Quit skulking around here and bother Inosuke!!”

“Waaahh! How cold!! I could die out there and never see you guys again and this is the goodbye you would leave me with?!” He screamed. “B-Besides!! Inosuke isn’t bothered by me!!”

“Hah?” The blue haired boy looked up from a steamed bun, which he somehow found and was now eating. Wait, that was his steamed bun!!! The one Tanjirou gave him!!

“Inosuke!! What did Shinobu tell you about eating other people’s food?” Aoi put her hands on his hips. “Plus, you don’t know what kind of germs Zenitsu has.” She made a face of disgust. Zenitsu’s eyes bulged out of his head before they narrowed to glare at the shorter girl.

“Aren’t you going to wish me luck, Inosuke?” He turned away from the girl and batted his eyelashes at the green eyed boy. “I could die out there, you know!”

“Eh, no you won’t.” He responded with a hint of disinterest. “‘Cause then I’d be mad at you.”

That shut up Zenitsu.

Immediately, his eyes glistened with tears.

“Waaahh!! You do care!!! I promise I will come back alive just so I can see your face!!” He threw his arms around the boy.

“Are you trying to fight!!” Inosuke roared as he shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and wrapped his arms around the other boy, before slamming him into the ground.

Zenitsu was practically dragging his feet back to the Butterfly Estate. Not only was it a long and torturous mission, but he almost died!! Three times!!

And all he got for his troubles was a lousy shamisen!!

Well, to be honestly, it’s not lousy. It’s actually well crafted and taken care of. If he sold it, he could easily have some spare change to buy something pretty for Inosuke. But… But he couldn’t bring himself to sell it. It reminded him of his Gramps, who had one in the corner of the room.

“Welcome back, Zenitsu!!” Kiyo, Naho, and Sumi cheered as he moved to sit on the bed for his check up. “Do you have any injuries? Besides normal cuts and bruises?” One of the girls asked, noticing his lack of bandages.

“Not physically…” He muttered bitterly. The girls said nothing except look between themselves. “Ah, I need something to cheer me up!! Where’s Inosuke? Can I see him?” He tiredly gushed.

“Hey what’s this!” Naho quickly changed the subject and pointed at the instrument on his back.

“Oh, this?” He asked and brought it into his lap. “It’s a shamisen… I got it as a gift, I guess…” He ran his fingers down the neck of the instrument. Before he could stop himself, he strummed a simple cord.

“Woooow!!” Sumi gushed as she took a step closer to him.

“Do you know how to play?” Kiyo tilted her head.

“Umm… yes…?”

“Oh!! Why don’t you play something for us!!!” The three of them cheered again. Usually, Zenitsu would rather die than play an instrument, but all the attention from the cute girls was wearing down his social anxiety. He opened his mouth to protest, but the girls kept cheering him on. Eventually, he gave up.

Zenitsu sighed and began strumming the instrument. He hadn’t learned any specific songs, but if he just focuses inward, sometimes the notes will just play out. So, Zenitsu closed his eyes and began to think of Inosuke. The way his blue hair framed his face, the way his green eyes flashed under his bands, like a predator stalking his prey. Vaguely, he heard more footsteps approach and the girls’ heartbeat spike in surprise.

He thought of the way Inosuke smiled-- no, grinned. Usually, when people smirked, it infuriated him. But with Inosuke, that crooked expression seemed to fit him well. It was a mixture of smugness, pride, excitement, and curiosity.

Zenitsu began switching up the tempo, focusing on a rhythm he knew all too well…

A heartbeat.

The heartbeat of a wild boy with a cute face that drove Zenitsu mad.

He doesn’t know if Inosuke’s in the room or not, and he’s too scared to open his eyes and see everyone watching him… But…

But if he is watching, Zenitsu hopes that this song will tell Inosuke how he feels.

He poured his heart into his words, his actions, his letters… Now it’s time to do the same with his song. He hoped at least someone would tell Inosuke how awesome he was. Zenitsu continued to pick up the tempo, trying to imitate Inosuke’s heartbeat when he challenges Tanjirou or him to a fight, or when he gets food, the sound of excitement.

He could tell that his fingers were practically flying along the instrument, and right as he was reaching the peak of the song, a hand shot out to stop him.

Zenitsu blinked and looked up to see a very flustered Inosuke.

“Wha….?” He was at a loss for words. There was something different about his heartbeat, it was louder, but it held a tempo he couldn’t recognize… At least when it came to Inosuke. He heard it when Tanjirou and Nezuko were together, when Shinobu looked at all the Butterfly girls, when the Serpent Pillar looked at Mitsuri…

Oh.

Zenitsu blushed, his eyes going wide as he focused on Inosuke’s. On instinct, his fingers gripped the shamisen.

Inosuke eyes glinted dangerously.

“This one’s mine!!!” The blue haired boy proudly pronounced to everyone in the room.

“Huh?” He heard Tanjirou ask. Inosuke huffed and turned away from Zenitsu, glaring at everyone else in the room, like they were intruding on them.

“I said this one’s mine!!!” He yelled louder. “And I’m going to pig assault anyone who’s got a problem with it!!”

“Ehh???” Zenitsu’s jaw dropped.

“Good luck!!” Shinobu cheered.

“They’ll both need it…” Aoi scoffed, but her lips were pulled upwards in a smile.