Work Text:
Watching the Mist Hashira berate everyone from the doorway, Tanjiro gets a sudden feeling of déjà vu. The cold tone is slightly lessened from what he remembers, and Tokito is definitely being careful not to harm anyone beyond a few bruises, but it must be disheartening for many.
Then Tokito sees him from the corner of his eye, and turns towards him, expression melting like snow under the sun’s rays to expose a beautiful smile. “Tanjiro!”
“Hello, Tokito-kun!” he greets with a strange sense of foreboding. Still, he shoves it aside as Tokito comes over to chat with him, completely ignoring the demon slayers still laid out on the ground.
To be honest, it’s not like he minds Tokito being like this around him; he just isn’t sure what he did to deserve it. After the battle, Tokito said that Tanjiro helped him regain his lost memories, but Tanjiro is sure that eventually, Tokito could have managed to do that on his own. It's not like Tanjiro did anything himself, thus the personality swap is a bit… disorienting.
He hears through the grapevine that Tokito is more relaxed around the other Hashiras, so it’s not just Tanjiro that he drops the cold act for, but even still, Tanjiro gets the feeling that he’s being treated… differently.
It starts on his second day when they’ve stopped for lunch. After Tokito announces that it’s time to eat, the atmosphere in the room noticeably turns relieved as shoulders drop with exhaustion. They start to shuffle out of the building and Tanjiro moves to follow but a firm hand grabs his wrist.
“Tanjiro!” Tokito says pleasantly. “Let’s have lunch together!”
“Oh, okay!” Tanjiro agrees easily, following as Tokito leads him away from the others. He gets taken into a spare room where there are already two trays filled with food waiting for them.
“Dig in!” Tokito gestures to the food eagerly, and Tanjiro smiles a little hesitantly as he kneels. Still, the meal is pleasant. They catch each other up on what they’ve been up to since they separated at the Swordsmith’s village.
It’s not until after the food is cleared away, and they’re just sitting there chatting for a few extra minutes that Tanjiro smells it.
He blames it on the fact that before this, the food had been distracting him with its scent, and it’s very mild anyways. Tanjiro barely picks up on it as it is, but once he does, it’s hard to ignore.
It’s the scent of a crush, a sweet scent like flowers just about to blossom in the spring. He’s smelt it many times, it clings to people when they're around the person they like. Though he used to get it directed at himself when he lived back home and some girls giggled whenever he came down from the mountain, it’s been years since someone has had a crush on him.
He’d almost think there’s been a mistake but sitting alone in a room with only one other person in it makes the subject of the scent and the crush a little, uh, easy to figure out.
Sweat starts trickling down his back as pressure mounts. Should he say something?? No… that would be rude, wouldn’t it? Tanjiro isn’t mistaken but maybe Tokito wouldn’t like it to be addressed so openly? Maybe it’ll pass quickly. He won’t mention it, he decides.
He’s so consumed by his nervousness and thoughts that he hasn’t been listening to the conversation. An overly concerned “Tanjiro? What’s wrong?” makes him jump in place.
“Nothing!!” he squeaks. “Nothing at all!”
Tokito’s brow is wrinkled, and the sweet scent gets overtaken by worry. Luckily, at the same time, both hear Tokito’s terrible crow start announcing that lunch is over, and they turn towards the sound from just outside the door.
Tanjiro makes it to his feet first. He holds out a hand for Tokito. “Looks like our break is over! Thank you, Tokito-kun, it was delicious.”
Immediately, Tokito’s smile is back in place as he accepts Tanjiro’s hand and lets the sun breather pull him to his feet. “Of course! I would offer to have dinner together as well, but I eat late.”
“That’s okay!” Tanjiro says quickly, waving his hands around. “I wouldn’t want to impose on your time!!”
Tokito laughs. Tanjiro feels his jaw drop. “You never do! I enjoy spending time with you. Eat with me tomorrow, okay?”
“O-okay!” Tanjiro agrees, perhaps a little louder than he needs to be. He opens the door and nearly rips it off the track. Tokito passes him, giggling slightly, and the sweet scent is back, trailing after him.
Tanjiro feels like he might start coughing up blood from the shock of it all.
He most definitely does not lean after Tokito’s form as he walks away, nose straining to capture one more lungful of that delicious smell; that would be entirely inappropriate, and he didn’t do it, okay!? Just thinking about it doesn’t count!
After a day and night of soul-searching, Tanjiro has determined not to bring it up. Tokito is young (they’re both young really) and being demon slayers means they have other things on their minds. It’s not exactly the best time to announce that you like someone.
“Tanjiro,” Tokito starts the next day at lunch, his eyes crinkling up with warmth. Tanjiro sips his tea, cocking an eyebrow in silent question. “I like you,” he finishes, straight and to the point.
Instantly, there's a shower of spit and green tea as he coughs violently. He ends up apologizing profusely for the mess, but Tokito just laughs again, waving him off. “It’s alright, that was probably bad timing.” He leans forward, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “You knew, didn’t you? That I liked you. Your nose." He gestures to his own as if to demonstrate.
It’s not a question, not really. Tanjiro nods all the same. Tokito’s smile widens. “I thought so! So, what’s your answer?”
“Ah! Well!” Tanjiro finds himself unbelievably flustered. Tokito watches him, radiating calm and kindness. “I’m… a bit surprised.”
Tokito tilts his head. “Oh? But I thought you could smell it. Why are you surprised?”
“I didn’t” —Tanjiro looks around, trying to organize his racing thoughts, and avoid looking at Tokito directly— “realize you would say something! I thought you would, er…”
“Never bring it up?”
Cheeks feeling like they’re hot enough to burn, Tanjiro nods, meeting Tokito’s eyes at last. They’re beautiful, like pieces of frosted blue sea glass. Tanjiro had only seen one before, and he had held it up to the light in amazement at how the sun shown through it, creating a shade of blue he’d never known existed before.
Until he’d met Tokito, the boy with sea glass for eyes.
Tokito leans forward enough to hold out his palms towards Tanjiro. After a few seconds, Tanjiro cautiously places his own hands into them, hoping this is what he wants. Tokito’s fingers wrap around his hands, squeezing.
“I decided I don’t want to regret the things I do or the things I didn’t do. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, I wanted to tell you either way. Besides, with your nose, it’s not like it’s a secret.”
“Aha,” Tanjiro laughs weakly. One hand flexes as he almost goes to rub the back of his head on reflex but Tokito’s grip tightens, not letting him go.
“It’s okay,” Tokito says, not unkindly. His scent has warped to be just a little disappointed, but it still smells strongly of flowers. “Will it still be okay to have lunches together?”
“Of course!!” Tanjiro agrees.
Tokito seems relieved at that before changing the subject, and they talk throughout the rest of the break.
Except that at some point Tokito flips one of his palms over and traces Tanjiro’s calluses with something like amazement in his eyes, his touch so light, Tanjiro can barely feel it.
When he goes to bed that night, he can still feel the ghost of Tokito’s touch on his palm.
They keep having lunches together. Tokito doesn’t touch him again—Tanjiro finds himself missing it—but he still smiles at Tanjiro like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen.
Once he gets Tokito’s approval to move on, and they meet one last time for lunch, Tanjiro wants to say something regarding Tokito’s confession. It doesn’t feel right to just move forward without giving him some sort of reply, not when they might not meet again for who knows how long.
He stands, trying to think of what to say, opening the shoji bringing more light into the room as if to clear out his thoughts.
“Tanjiro,” Tokito starts, sounding serious, and Tanjiro turns to him with surprise. “Let's defeat Kibutsuji together for sure.” His scent is honest, nothing but the truth. He truly believes that Tanjiro will defeat Muzan, and that they can do it together.
It’s amazing to see how many have come to believe in him. He won’t let them down. He nods once in agreement.
Then there’s nothing else he can do but quickly cross the room and kneel in front of Tokito. He watches those sea glass eyes widen but before he can say anything, Tanjiro presses their lips together.
Teeth click as he misjudges the distance in his haste and nerves, making them both separate with a hiss. Tanjiro feels dizzy and wants to lie down and pretend he doesn’t exist. That wasn’t smooth at all!!
Hands grab him by the front of his shirt and reel him back in. Warm lips press against his own, softer than before and it’s easy enough to melt into it. Tanjiro wraps his hands around Tokito’s wrists, desperate for something to cling onto as they trade kisses back and forth, Tokito’s scent so close it feels like it’s clogging up his brain.
They pull apart slowly, as if neither of them quite want it to end, but they need to. Tanjiro’s eyes flutter open, and he’s unsure of when he closed them.
The sight of Tokito’s smile almost knocks him clean out. “That was my first kiss,” the Mist Hashira announces, entirely without shame. Tanjiro feels all the blood rush to his face so fast he feels faint. Tokito gets to his feet, tugging Tanjiro with him by his shirt that his hands are still gripped onto. “Was that your answer then?”
Dumbly, Tanjiro can only nod. He feels like he’s tongue-tied more often than not around Tokito which isn’t quite fair.
“I’m glad!” Tokito gushes. “Now, it’s time for you to go.” He gets onto his tiptoes (his tiptoes!!! Tanjiro’s mind screams at him) to press another fast kiss to his lips. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again!”
“M-me too, Tokito-kun!” he manages to force out as Tokito spins him and pushes him towards the open door.
“Write to me,” Tokito says as Tanjiro wobbles his way through the entrance.
“I will!” Tanjiro promises, trying to find his footing. He looks over his shoulder to find Tokito standing in the doorway, a secret little smile on his face. Tokito gives him a wave.
Straightening up, Tanjiro forces his knees to lock and he gives a wave back before hurrying away.
Nothing really has changed, just something… new, being added on top of everything else. Tanjiro doesn’t find that he minds. If anything, he’s excited to see where it’ll lead.
They have dangerous jobs and there’s no changing that, not until Muzan is defeated, but that’s the nice thing about Tokito, he muses; the Hashira definitely understands that.
Brushing his fingers against his lips, Tanjiro finds that he really is looking forward to the next time he gets to see Tokito and watch the way he smiles, just for him.