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If it hadn’t been for the Kakushi holding him up, Tanjirou would have collapsed in relief at the sound of Zenitsu’s dramatic shrieks bellowing out of the room they were about to enter. Before they turned the corner, he mentally prepared himself for what sight may await him; Zenitsu was screaming so horribly that he must have been severely injured. He was not sure his heart could take the sight of his friend bloodied and battered after leaving him at the bottom of the mountain just a few nights ago. It was bad enough that he’d had to leave Inosuke behind and still was unsure where the boar-masked boy was, but he’d heard a few of the Kakushi whispering amongst themselves at headquarters that some crybaby blonde boy had been brought in close to death the day before and was kicking up a fuss at the Butterfly Mansion.
He hadn’t had much time to worry about it between then and now, but the fear came slamming back into his gut like a punch when he heard the sound of Zenitsu hollering. Near death they’d said, but he was alive, at least. Perhaps scarred, like the Hashira who had been so determined to kill Nezuko, or missing limbs or an eye. He would never be able to forgive himself for leaving Zenitsu all alone that night.
“It’s so groooooooss!” Zenitsu wept as the Kakushi entered what appeared to be a small hospital ward, where the blonde boy was sitting up in bed wearing oversized silk pajamas. Tanjirou relaxed happily, ignoring the Kakushi who grumbled and shifted him higher on his back, at the sight of the boy completely intact, personality and all. The only thing that seemed odd was how the sleeves of his pajamas billowed out past his hands, flopping around emptily as he waved away a cup that was being passed to him by a dark-haired girl with two pink butterfly clips in her hair. Surely Shinobu had the resources to provide Zenitsu with clothing that fit him.
“Please don’t make me drink it again, I can’t, it’s disgusting, I’ll die,” Zenitsu continued to moan dramatically, too busy ducking the girls attempts to shove the cup in his face to notice that Tanjirou had arrived.
“Zenitsu,” He breathed, barely above a whisper, but it seemed like the blonde’s otherworldly hearing was unaffected as he gasped and turned quickly to face him.
“Tanjirou!” He cried, beginning to weep in earnest now and reaching his arms out toward him. If Tanjirou could have moved, he would have gone straight to his side. “Thank god! I thought you died.”
“I’m alright,” Tanjirou laughed, trying not to flush when the eyes of everyone in the room turned toward him. “I’m glad you’re alright. Have you seen Inosuke?”
“Huh?” Zenitsu asked dazedly, the brief pause in his waterworks allowing a string of snot to drip down his lips, “he’s right next to me.” Sure enough, Inosuke was lying in the bed beside him, his boar mask on and arms stationary at his sides. He didn’t move after being acknowledged. Tanjirou frowned worriedly.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s being dramatic,” Zenitsu sighed, rubbing his runny nose with a too-long sleeve. The girl with the medicine and the pigtailed girl who’d led them to the room both looked like they were about to strangle Zenitsu for his hypocrisy, which the boy didn’t seem to notice. “He’s lost his voice I think.”
“Sorry,” Inosuke croaked, finally, sounding like he’d swallowed gravel, “I was weak.” Even Zenitsu frowned at this. Before either of them could speak again, the girl with pigtails gripped a handful of Zenitsu’s hair and yanked his head back, pouring the cup of medicine down his throat when he gasped.
“You all can catch up later when I don’t have to be here to hear it! Shut up and get some rest,” She growled. Zenitsu whimpered and laid back down, all the fight gone from him as he turned a bit green at the taste of his medicine. Though Tanjirou wanted to stay up and get more answers from Inosuke and Zenitsu about what had happened in his absence, as soon as the Kakushi laid him in the bed beside them the events of the past two days finally caught up with him, and he was out cold.
“Tanji?” A voice whispered in the quiet room, pulling him from his dreamless slumber. “Are you awake?”
“Zenitsu?” He mumbled, opening the eye that wasn’t smashed into the pillow beneath him to search in the dark. Zenitsu’s golden hair glowed in the moonlight. He was sitting up in his bed, Inosuke between them with only the slow, even movement of his chest indicating he was still asleep. “What’s wrong?”
“Can I sleep in your bed?” Tanjirou’s heart skipped a beat, and he hoped Zenitsu didn’t hear it.
“Of course,” He replied, lifting the covers up to invite him in. Zenitsu scurried over, carefully tiptoeing around Inosuke’s bed and snuggling under the lifted blanket. Tanjirou wrapped his arms around Zenitsu’s skinny ribs and pulled him close, barely holding himself back from burying his nose in the warm junction of the blonde’s neck to inhale his sweet scent. He’d missed him so much, though they had only been apart for less than three days. It felt like forever. Zenitsu’s hands were trapped between them, clutched to his own chest, but he didn’t move them, instead hooking his chin over Tanjirou’s shoulders and sighing contently.
They laid there quietly for a long time, the only sounds in the room being the quiet wheezes that replaced Inosuke’s usual snores and the soft, pleased little hums Zenitsu would let out when Tanjirou would run a hand comfortingly down his spine. Then, Zenitsu shifted to wrap his own arms around Tanjirou and the burgundy haired boy jumped so hard that he nearly fell off the other side of the bed. “Your arms!” He gasped.
Zenitsu wrenched backward in shame and Tanjirou could see his honey brown eyes fill with tears before he rolled over and curled in on himself. “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to gross you out. My arms are…. they shrunk because of the spider poison. It’s taking longer for them to go back to normal than I thought,” He explained miserably. “I’m disgusting. I won’t touch you again.”
“No!” Tanjirou shouted, startling himself and Zenitsu. He tugged the blonde’s shoulder until he turned back around, brushing away the fat tears that dripped down his cheeks. “It’s not gross, I was just surprised, that’s all. Please, it’s-” He insisted, trailing his hand down one of Zenitsu’s shortened arms to grip his hand. It had always been a bit smaller than his own, but now it tucked into his palm almost completely. It was actually rather “Cute.”
“Really?” Zenitsu asked, looking up at Tanjirou with his big, watery eyes that sparkled like starlight.
“Honestly,” Tanjirou replied, “It reminds me of Nezuko.” He thought of his sister shrinking herself down in size to fit into his backpack.
“You think I’m as cute as Nezuko?!” Though that hadn’t really been what Tanjirou was saying, he surprisingly didn’t feel the need to deny it. Zenitsu was cute, though in a different way than Nezuko. Nezuko was beautiful like a blossoming garden, and she reminded him of being rocked to sleep by his mother when he’d have nightmares as a child. Zenitsu was different. He was pretty in a way that took his breath away sometimes, when the sunlight would catch in his hair or he would turn to flash him one of his bright grins. Zenitsu made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, like his heart might jump out of his chest.
“I think you’re very pretty,” He said. Zenitsu turned so red that Tanjirou could see it even in the blue-dark of the room. He ducked his head to hide his face under his hair, but Tanjirou could see a small smile on his lips.
“You’re pretty too, Tanjirou,” He replied, peeking up at him though his lashes and wisps of blonde hair.
“You’re both ugly and annoying,” Inosuke grumbled, causing Zenitsu to slam his head hard into Tanjirou’s chin when he jumped in shock. “I’m sleeping, be quiet.”
“Sorry, Inosuke,” Tanjirou chuckled, rubbing his chin with one hand while the other slipped back around Zenitsu to keep him from crawling out of the bed in embarrassment. Zenitsu hid his face in the crook of Tanjirou’s shoulder, his flushed skin warm and soft. Tanjirou couldn’t help but press a kiss to the top of his head. When everyone was nearly asleep, Inosuke’s rough voice rasped out one more time.
“For the record, I’m the prettiest.”
No one argued with him.