Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first time Tanjirou wanted to kiss Tomioka was their first meeting outside of school.

“Welcome!”

Tanjirou greeted when he heard someone walking through the entrance. He made quick yet cautious work of closing the glass so he didn’t disturb the careful arrangement of cinnamon rolls. It was getting late, so visiting customers were dwindling and Tanjirou usually had the chance to tidy up the display cases before the bakery closed. This had been the first customer to walk in for a while; which was a stark contrast to their morning and after work rush.

“How can I h—“

He forgot how to breathe for a second because the customer that just walked in the door was none other than his gym teacher. The need to behave and show respect was so ingrained into him that his back straightened and his arms fell to his sides. Tomioka Giyuu was infamously strict and everyone was afraid of him, which is an astounding reputation for such a young teacher to have. There were consequences if anyone arrived to his class thirty seconds late.

“Tomioka-sensei!” The seventeen-year-old squawked.

The man looked up from the display glass a little stunned, most likely not expecting to be addressed like that in such a place. After all, he was in a district far from the school and it was nearing 8pm. It was a very unlikely scenario where he’d run into one of his students, and to encounter that student working behind a counter. School policy was strict against students having part-time jobs, but Tanjirou and Nezuko had special permission from the school-board, as it was a family business and the two students were technically never formally hired in the first place.

“Sorry, sorry… I didn’t mean to startle you, I just wasn’t expecting to see you here. Welcome to my family’s bakery!” The cheerful sixteen-year-old quickly regained his composure; a skill he learned working in customer service.

Tomioka usually had an iron-clad and unwavering stare, but right now, his eyes looked a little unfocused, like his head was in clouds. In fact, he looked downright lost. Tanjirou felt compelled to fill the increasingly awkward silence.

“Um, is there—“

“Ah, you.”

Tanjirou halted, slightly offended.

“Yes? It’s me.”

“You really never take those earrings off, do you?” Tomioka asked. Despite the scrutiny, Tanjirou responded with a hefty laugh. Tomioka has scolded Tanjirou multiple times for wearing earrings during gym, then often punished the repeated offence by making him pack up the gym equipment after class. No, he never wrote him a note either, because according to Tomioka, students needed to learn time management— and somehow do extra tasks after class while still arriving to their next one on time. No mercy. Tanjirou took the punishment in stride though… most of the time. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.

“They’re very precious to me! I got them as a gift from my dad, who got them as a gift from my grandfather. I always wear them, so I always forgot to take them off in the locker room,” Tanjirou grinned unapologetically.

Tomioka looked unshaken by the information, perhaps even listless, but Tanjirou wasn’t deterred by it. He learned that Tomioka saying nothing was actually a good thing. It meant no one was going to get in trouble.

“They’re dangerous to keep on when you’re active. If it gets snagged by any equipment, it could rip your ear in half. That’s beside the point that it violates the dress code.”

Tomioka then resumed looking through the assortment of baked goods, particularly drawn to the cakes, leaving Tanjirou to realize that there was a mild tone of concern in Tomioka’s voice. How nice and unexpected.

“I’ll try to be better at remembering then!” He smiled, fully knowing he’d still forgot.

“What can I get for you? Do you like cakes? Cookies? We have melonpan and custard tarts if you’re looking for something less sweet,” Tanjirou shuffled across the polished floor to stand in front of his unexpected customer.

“A blueberry cheesecake and chocolate cake,” Tomioka pointed down to the row of colourful cakes.

“Of course! Would you like something to drink with it?”

“Two Jasmine teas.”

“Coming right up! Are you taking these to go or would you like to stay?”

Tomioka told him he wanted to stay, so Tanjirou offered for him to sit at a table and he’ll bring the food over when it was prepared. He ordered two drinks and two desserts, which had to mean that he was meeting someone here. Most likely a friend, or…

Come to think of it, it was very likely for someone as attractive and successful as Tomioka to be married. He probably had a beautiful wife, or at least a fiancé. Someone he met during his university days and then got married once they graduated. Plus, he was out around the time most couples would go out for weekday dates.

He couldn’t remember if he’s ever seen Tomioka wearing a wedding ring— but then again, he was always active for his job, so even if he had one, he probably kept it somewhere safe.

No more than thirty seconds later, a young woman with beautiful long hair walked in, bundled in a scarf, an overcoat, and fashionable boots. Her face lit up when she spotted Tomioka and immediately went to give him a hug.

Yup. Definitely his wife. Tanjiro smiled as he arranged the plate of desserts and tea, sliding dessert forks on top of crisp white Serviettes.

“Thank you for waiting. Your husband already ordered you something special,” Tanjirou greeted the woman kindly as he placed the cakes on the table.

“My husband?” she blinked her stunning blue eyes multiple times, clearly surprised.

Huh, actually, her eyes looked almost identical to…

“She’s my older sister,” Tomioka deadpanned.

Tanjirou blushed with hot, mortifying embarrassment. It was a very good thing that the hot drinks were already placed on the table, otherwise Tanjirou would have probably added to his embarrassment by spilling it over one of them. He didn’t need any additional reason to want to sink through the floor and disappear.

“I’m so sorry!” He stuttered.

“Oh! No, no— I’m sorry too, I was so surprised. For a moment I was thinking, wow, that’s amazing, how did he know I was married?” she giggled.

So, not only did Tomioka have an older sister, he had an older sister that was married, which meant that he also had a brother-in-law.

“A-Ah, wow, I’m so embarrassed! I’m sorry again, please excuse me,” he gave a very quick bow and retreated to the back as quickly as possible. It felt like steam was coming out of his ears and he needed to a moment to collect his composure.

“Tanjirou? Is everything okay?”

His father caught sight of him and expressed his concern. Tanjirou waved his hands dismissively, not wanting to interrupt him while he was busy. Tanjirou was the only one working on the floor tonight, which was usually more than enough while the bakery had a sparingly small amount of customers.

“Yes, everything is fine! I just… sort of embarrassed myself in front of one of my teachers.”

“One of your teachers is here?”

That piqued Nezuko’s attention.

“Which one?” Nezuko scampered up to the door and creaked it open to peek into the café area.

“Don’t! He might see you looking!”

“Oh, it’s Tomioka-sensei! Ah—“ she quickly darted her head back in, “…he saw me.”

Tanjirou smacked a hand to his face and groaned. Their father laughed.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Go back out there with your head high. He can’t think less of you for being a hard worker,” he patted Tanjirou’s head reassuringly, urging his son to press on in the gentlest way possible. Tanjirou groaned and did just that. Nezuko followed him out onto the floor, taking the order the newest costumer while Tanjirou went to clean up a table that was just abandoned.

He couldn’t help but listen in on some parts of Tomioka’s conversation with his sister. Apparently she lived close by here with her husband, which was why Tomioka was visiting this district. Tomioka would ask her questions about her health. She asked him questions about his job. It was all small talk.

Apparently she’s been trying to set him up with one of her friends too, which meant that Tomioka was single. That was shocking. Tanjirou surely thought that one of the most attractive teachers at the school must have at least been dating someone. Maybe he was a herbivore man: a man who felt extremely timid about asking women out, or even had no interest in dating them.

Or… maybe he wasn’t attracted to women at all. Maybe he was only into men.

“Young man, may I please bother you for an extra napkin?” A short and sweet old woman at the next table requested, diverting Tanjirou’s attention away from the intrigue he suddenly had about his teacher’s sexuality.

“Yes, of course! I’ll be right back,” Tanjirou gave her a beaming smile.

Upon returning with her napkin, she pulled Tanjirou into a casual conversation about her cat, to which Tanjirou easily chatted back, discussing how he thought there was an unfair superstition about black cats. That conversation somehow led to talking about the sports, as she asked him what activities he did at school; a prompt after discovering Tanjirou’s age.

Some seniors in this area would often come into the bakery looking for company, most of them knowing his parents or being close friend’s of theirs. Some of them lived alone because their spouses have passed away, and they missed their children, who were sometimes too busy to come visit them. Tanjirou wanted them to feel at home here, to have a place where they felt like they had friends. It made him happy to see them smiling. They would linger, sometimes order a second or third cup of tea to give them a chance to strike up a conversation with Tanjirou or Nezuko. They were the most loyal patrons and often the nicest people to chat with.

“You’re going to make a very good husband one day, young man. A very good one, indeed,” the old woman complimented.

Tanjirou grinned at the extremely flattering compliment, but felt embarrassed at her open sincerity. “No, no, I’m really not that special,” he replied humbly as he let out a warm, airy laughter, “I’ll be right back with your tea.”

He placed her used teacup onto the tray before lifting it up. In the midst of turning, Tanjirou caught sight of Tomioka staring directly at him. It left Tanjirou stunned for a moment. Tomioka was the one that diverted his eyes away first, returning his attention to his sister.

In the moments between bringing the old lady her tea and tidying the café space, Tanjirou had a chance to take in the image of his teacher in casual clothes. He was more dressed up than Tanjirou was used to seeing him. In contrast to the track pants and fleece he wore on the job, Tomioka was wearing a spring trench coat and a burgundy scarf over a black shirt. It looked very flattering on him. His raven-black hair was tied up higher than usual, giving more chances for strays to escape the ponytail and frame his handsome face.

Tanjirou felt weird that he found it astonishing how ordinary he looked. Tomioka wasn’t his teacher here, he was just another person looking for some downtime.

He was just an ordinary person doing their best to make time for work and family.

Tanjirou found himself smiling at the image. Tomioka was much less intimidating and, dare he say, softer like this.

———

When closing time neared, customers slowly filtered out. Most of the cleaning was done and now the family just had to do preparations for the next day. Tanjirou and Nezuko would sometimes have time to do their homework in the intermediary period between closing time and the family heading home together. As much as the siblings were eager to help their parents, it wasn’t going to get them out of their duties to keep up with school, so the two of them were seated on the bar stools with their textbooks open.

Tomioka asked Tanjirou when the bakery was closing a while ago, shortly after his sister left, then explained that he was going to stay until then to finish some paperwork. That was Tomioka’s excuse, but Tanjirou couldn’t help wondering if the teacher was secretly lonely. If he was lingering in a café to do work, maybe it was because there was no one— not even a pet— waiting for him at home.

Maybe Tanjirou should go talk to him.

“Tanjirou! There’s some leftover melonpan for you today,” announced his mother from the back.

“Thank you!” He tore his eyes away from the teacher and went to claim his reward.

Today, they had too many pastries that didn’t get sold, and when that happened, Tanjirou and Nezuko would be allowed to take them home. Nezuko’s favorite was always the baguette bread. Tanjirou’s was the melonpan. More often than not, they collected more baked goods than they could possibly eat, so they’d take it to school the next morning and distribute it them to their friends.

It was when Tanjirou accepted the little bag of green and pink sweet bread that he got a brilliant idea. He was could give some to Tomioka! That might make him happy.

The teenager’s eyes twinkled as he quickly darted from the kitchen, but the expression fell to an instant frown upon witnessing the sight of an empty café. Tomioka was gone.

He couldn’t have been more than a couple blocks ahead of him though.

“I’ll be right back!” He announced and ran straight out into the cool night air, without a jacket no less.

The bakery was on the corner of an intersection, which meant that Tomioka could have gone in any direction. The most likely route was down the main road heading to the train station: the same one he and Nezuko walked every day to travel to school. Tanjirou trusted his instinct and chose that route.

His gamble paid off. When Tanjirou rounded the familiar corner, he spotted Tomioka’s back less than a block ahead of him, closing in on the entrance to the station. Tanjirou sprinted forward even faster, sneakers pounding against the pavement as his breathing got faster, filling his lungs with the oxygen his muscles craved to compensate for the teenager’s sudden actions.

“Tomioka-sensei!!” He boldly shouted. The man immediately stopped and turned around. For the second time that night, Tomioka looked stunned at the sound of Tanjirou calling his name.

He was panting by the time he finally caught up with Tomioka. With a gulp to quench his throat, Tanjirou mustered up the courage to extend his arms out, offering the colourful gift that was situated in both his palms.

“Here. We had some of these left over today and I really wanted to give them to you. As an apology for embarrassing your sister… and because you just… looked lonely when she left.”

Tomioka wore an expression that Tanjirou couldn’t quite name. In hindsight, Tanjirou realized that he probably looked ridiculous: running for several blocks, frantically shouting out his name, and stopping him just to give him some melonpan. He at least hoped it might be endearing in some way.

Tanjirou’s innocent burgundy-brown eyes gazed up in hope.

Then, Tanjirou saw a sight that made his heart do a flip in his chest. Tomioka smiled. It was faint, but genuine enough to reach his eyes. It was a very kind smile, one that suited his gorgeous face under the golden glow of the streetlight. An aura of serenity engulfed the pair when Tomioka cupped his hands under Tanjirou’s, safely taking the gift as if it was something precious and delicate.

“Thank you.”

Tanjirou sucked in a breath of air. It felt like the Earth stopped turning. His eyes were transfixed, unable to blink or look away from that alluring spark of warmth in Tomioka’s eyes.

A tender warmth enveloped Tanjirou’s heart; a feeling so similar to the fleeting warmth of Tomioka’s hands underneath his.

This was…

…this was the kind of moment in movies and dramas where one person chanced an innocent kiss.

No kiss came, of course, but Tanjirou was shocked at himself that the thought even crossed his mind. Tanjirou’s feet were rooted at the entrance to the station even after Tomioka was out of sight, unable to tear himself from his heart’s bliss and back to reality yet.

Oh god, he was developing a crush on his gym teacher, wasn’t he?

———

The second time Tanjirou wanted to kiss Tomioka was because of persistence.

Tanjirou liked to spend time with Rengoku during lunch. Inosuke and Zenitsu often accompanied him too. The history teacher was far from bothered by it, on the contrary. Rengoku never turned a student away and always welcomed them to come chat with him, which meant that he spent less time in the teacher’s lounge and more time in the classrooms. He was very passionate about history and he was very good at teaching it, mainly because his coursework was very interactive.

He loved acting out famous battles and would often split the class up into groups to mock diplomatic meetings, with each group being assigned a certain state or city with a list of motivations. Whenever they read about philosophers or ancient literature, he’d ask for volunteers to take on specific roles so they could do an impromptu reenactment, which often caused an abundance of tear-inducing laughter. His classes were so much fun and everyone did well.

History was the one class where he found academic common ground with all his friends. Inosuke and Tanjirou liked sports the best, Zenitsu liked art and literature, Kanao was very good at math, and while Genya was determined to be good at math, his strongest subject was actually science. It was the one class they all looked forward to and had equal motivation to study hard for it. It was actually because of Rengoku that Zenitsu was passionate about applying for a philosophy degree at university.

“Do you know anything about Tomioka-sensei?” Tanjirou asked halfway into his lunch with Rengoku.

It was perhaps because he’s gotten to know Rengoku so well that the teenager longed to have that same connection with Tomioka. It’s been several weeks since that moment Tanjirou gave him his melonpan, and since then, Tomioka continued acting as strict and aloof as ever. It made that one glorious moment of seeing his smile feel like a dream.

It’s been weeks since Tanjirou started stealing glances at the man. Weeks of smiling like an idiot every time he saw Tomioka tucking hair behind his ear— or zip down his training jacket when he got too hot. Any time Tanjirou managed to speak more than two words to him, Tomioka would give him the cold shoulder. It was so hard to talk to him, so Tanjirou began to do more outlandish things in attempts to get the handsome teacher’s attention, like breaking the rules of the game or purposely messing up a pass. Every time the teacher called out his name, Tanjirou counted it as a small victory. It was kind of stupid, very reckless, and impossibly childish. Still, every time Tomioka would scold him, Tanjirou whipped up a bright smile and promised to do better next time, happy that Tomioka was even looking at him.

“A little, but not too much! Most jokes go over his head. He’s not very talkative. He also rubs some staff the wrong way. Sometimes he comes to get hot pot with us, but most of the time, he keeps to himself. Some of the teachers disagree with his ‘Spartan’ way of teaching too.”

That made Tanjirou’s heart sink. Was Tomioka lonely at work too?

“I don’t understand. He’s not a bad person, maybe he just…” Tanjirou fretted, feeling something urgent bubbling up inside him; the need to fix things and mend broken hearts, but he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“You’re right, he’s not. It’s unprofessional for me to say anything more about him, at least what I know about his personal life.”

As the history teacher commented on how delicious his lunch was, Tanjirou’s thoughts continued to trouble him.

“Why do you ask?”

Tanjirou hummed thoughtfully as he bit into one of his cherry tomatoes.

“I guess it’s just… weird. I see different sides of him that don’t match up with how my friends describe him. When my sister twisted her ankle last week and couldn’t stand up, he carried her off the field and then made sure one of her friends took her to the nurse’s office. Nezuko said that he even stopped by after that class to make sure she was okay.”

He cared about his students and he was a nice person. Just because people didn’t see it happening, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t true. The fact that some people might have the wrong impression of Tomioka troubled him, but Tanjirou was at loss for how to fix it.

“You have good intuition. I’m very impressed. Hmm…” Rengoku let out a long sigh to allow his thoughts time to process a vague, yet somewhat helpful statement about his mysterious co-worker.

“Some might perceive him a certain way because he doesn’t let himself open up to people. He seems to put up a wall to stop himself from letting people in. At least, that’s my theory. If you want to get to know him, you’re going to have to climb that wall.”

“Ah…” Tanjirou responded heavily. Rengoku let out a short, exhaling laugh when he noticed Tanjirou’s glum expression.

“Don’t look so sad. Think of it this way… remember what I said about persistence in the last class?”

“Yeah?”

“And how success is linked to persistence?”

Tanjirou’s head perked up, eyes focusing with resolve because he connected the dots in his head. Their history lesson about philosophers recited in his head like video footage: multiple failures, success only had to happen once for a eureka moment to happen, and the greatest successes in history didn’t happen because of strokes of luck, but because of perseverance and being unafraid of failure.

“They don’t let failure stop them!” Tanjirou exclaimed with a sudden burst of energy. Rengoku mirrored that mood with a pump of his fist.

“That’s right!”

He couldn’t give up. If he wanted to be closer to Tomioka, if he wanted to see that smile again, he had to keep pushing.

—

“Tomioka-sensei!”

The teacher visibly flinched when Tanjirou ambushed him outside his office, almost making him drop his folders. He didn’t even spare Tanjirou a glance before speed-walking to the door. Tanjirou trailed behind him like a waddling duckling.

“Guess what! I joined the archery club! I was surprised when they told me that you wouldn’t be attending any of the meetings. Do you think you might want to—

“I don’t.”

“I’ve heard you’re good at it though, maybe you could still give it a try?”

Tanjirou’s question went unanswered as Tomioka peddled away down the bike path.

—

“Tomioka-sensei!” Tanjirou tried to catch up to him after class.

“The bell is going to ring soon. You need to change.”

“But—“

The bell rang and Tomioka was already leaving the gym.

—

“Tomioka-sen—

“I’m busy.”

—

“Hey, Giyuu-sensei?”

Maybe addressing him less formally would work.

“Students don’t call teachers by their given name. Go to class.”

—

“Giyuu-sensei! Did you see that serve?! It was my best one ever!”

“Get your face off the volleyball net.”

—

“So, Giyuu-sensei, what kind of food do you like? I’m pretty good at cooking, so I can bring it to school for you one day!”

—

“At least give me a hint. You seem like a dango guy. Do you like dango?”

—

“On second thought, you probably like rice dishes best.”

—

“Or red-bean mochi! We make those at our bakery every spring. Sometimes in the shape of seals!”

—

Giyuu finally reached his limit after a solid ten days of Tanjirou chasing him.

—

“I like salmon.”

Oh.

Tanjirou’s eyes lit up like the fireworks at New Years.

“I’ll make a bento with salmon! And then bring it first thing in the morning!”

Giyuu scoffed with disbelief. He turned his head away before Tanjirou could catch the expression on his face. His tone gave away hint of fondness though.

“It’ll be easier if we go out to eat it.”

In the privacy of the spring sunset and vacant parking lot, Giyuu finally accepted his student’s advancements and gave an invitation into his private life. Wow. Wow.

This moment felt like his ultimate victory. Ever. Everything else dulled in comparison. Good grades? Top of the kendo club? Pshhh.

Tanjirou never wanted to reach out to someone’s hand more; to yank it back and kiss their face in sheer joy. He wanted to kiss Giyuu just to thank him for giving him a chance.

“I can’t wait!” Tanjirou smiled a triumphant, brilliant smile.

———

The third time Tanjirou wanted to kiss Giyuu was because he was saved by him.

“Earth to Monjirou!”

Tanjirou yelped when he was slapped upside the head, effectively (not to mention violently) snapping him out of his daydream.

“What the hell’s the matter with you? You’re acting really weird,” Inosuke frowned from atop Tanjirou’s desk.

“Weird? How?”

“Staring off into space, mostly. I’ve been talking shit about you for the last five minutes.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

“Tanjirou’s probably thinking about something scandalous… like his crush,” Zenitsu smirked. Tanjirou was instantly mortified.

“No I’m not! I’m totally not. I’m just— thinking about math.”

Zenitsu’s face twisted from amusement to offended in less than a second.

“Oh my god, you are!! I was just kidding, but you’re making that dumb face you make when you can’t lie about something! No, you’re not allowed to have a crush!”

“What?! Why not? —ah, that is, even if I did have a crush— which I don’t! I don’t!” Tanjirou tried to lie his way out of suspicion in vain. There was absolutely no way that his friends— or anyone in the school— could ever know about his blossoming feelings for a certain teacher. It was far from proper and it could get him and Giyuu into a lot of trouble. As much as the boy wanted to express his feelings— because they’ve been fogging his mind to the point of being unable to concentrate in classes— it was best that he ignored them.

It was getting so hard to keep everything bottled up though. Tanjirou went out to eat salmon daikon with Giyuu about a month ago, and since then, Tanjirou’s feelings evolved from schoolboy crush to lovesick idiot.

He got to see him smiling again the moment their delicious food came steaming hot, but it wasn’t the same soft smile he saw outside the station: it was a goofy one.

The man was actually very sweet and kind underneath that cold exterior. He opened up a little since then, but only when they were off school property. Tanjirou learned that Giyuu had some lifelong insecurities that made him feel inadequate; that he was never doing enough. He also felt as if it wasn’t worth investing in friendships anymore, since friends often went their separate ways in life. Tanjirou tried his best to reassure him that it was worse to close himself off, and although it felt like his words didn’t fully reach him, Giyuu looked somewhat flattered that Tanjirou was trying.

He also learned little endearing things about Giyuu as well. When Giyuu zoned out, he had the cutest vacant glaze over his eyes. Giyuu’s hair was sharp enough to pierce through skin (heh, like little daggers), so he always had it tied back. He learned that Giyuu took responsibility to pay for everything when they were out. He even escorted Tanjirou to his train, not leaving the platform until the train took off.

Since that day, Tanjirou has been bringing Giyuu little gifts from his bakery, mostly sneaking it to him between classes or before school started. Unfortunately, it seemed like Giyuu’s rare smiles only happened outside of school. Although, Tanjirou was okay with that. It meant that the smiles and softer tones were only meant for him.

Giyuu had a very sexy voice when he was being gentle.

“Because you’re not allowed to have a girlfriend before me, that’s why! I will literally jump off the roof of the school if that happens!”

“Maybe if you stopped asking Nezuko to marry you…” Tanjirou sneered, expressing that protective streak only an older brother could understand. Zenitsu has been hitting on his little sister for as long as they’ve been friends.

“That was hilarious when Tomioka clocked you earlier for peeping on the girls. You totally deserved it,” Inosuke laughed. Tanjirou knew that Inosuke felt a sadistic kind of joy whenever he saw Zenitsu in pain.

“Ugh, he’s the devil! I’m so scared of him, I swear, I’m going to look out my window one morning and he’s just going to be there ready to deck me for like— brushing my teeth wrong!” Zenitsu quivered.

“He isn’t that bad,” Tanjirou pouted.

“Yeah, he’s pretty awesome,” Inosuke agreed.

Tanjirou shimmied his shoulders at the warm fluttery feeling in his stomach. Yeah, Giyuu was great. Handsome. Strong. Hard-working. Kind…

“Tanjirou—

The boy snapped out of his thoughts when Inosuke invasively nudged him. The fact that Inosuke said his actual name was what alarmed him the most. It meant that something was wrong. He nodded his head into the direction of the door. Nezuko was there.

And she was crying.

Tanjirou shot up from his chair instantaneously, forgetting his lunch and his friends as he rushed towards her.

“Nezuko! What’s wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?” Tanjirou worried, looking his little sister from head to toe. He noticed that her eyes were furrowed in anger, but they were also filled with tears— tears of overwhelming frustration.

“N-No. I’m not hurt… just…” she sniffled pitifully, ripping Tanjirou’s heart in half. Seeing Nezuko cry was the absolute worst. It was so bad that Tanjirou would rather strap himself down to train tracks and let a bullet train mash his body up into tiny pieces than hear her cry. The pain echoing in her gasps for air were heart-wrenching.

“What? Was is it? What happened?” Once Tanjirou was certain she wasn’t physically hurt, he wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug, stroking her hair to soothe her. By now, Zenitsu and Inosuke joined them. Zenitsu looked so troubled that unshed tears were filling his eyes.

“It’s so frustrating…” she hiccuped, “Shinazugawa-sensei was being so mean to one of my friends. She turned in her homework yesterday, but I guess it got lost… or something… because Shinazugawa-sensei started getting mad, accusing her of calling him a liar. I had to say something… that he wasn’t treating her fairly… but then he threatened to suspend me if I didn’t stop talking.”

Tanjirou’s blood boiled. Shinazugawa. He’s already gotten in trouble with their math teacher in the past. Frankly, it wasn’t hard for anyone to get in trouble with that teacher, but Tanjirou had a nasty habit of talking back to him if he didn’t agree with something he did. This happened often. Too often. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that he lashed out at Nezuko too, because he knew that she was his sister.

“…it’s just not fair. He shouldn’t be like that! Teachers shouldn’t be like that! He shouldn’t bully his students like that!” Nezuko clutched her brother’s uniform as she cried out her feelings. He held her tight, letting her cry it out until her sniffling became minimal and the only evidence of her cries were puffy eyes and shaky hands. He didn’t tell her exactly what was going through his head, because he was already planning to confront the math teacher.

—

Tanjirou hadn’t expected to get so riled up that he’d threaten to punch the guy, be really wanted to punch Shinazugawa. So he threatened to do it. Tanjirou had a very thin brain-to-mouth filter.

That threat landed him in the Principal’s office.

Tanjirou sat in the waiting room with his ankles crossed and his head held in relative shame— shame for getting in trouble and disappointing his parents rather than threatening the teacher. Seriously. No one messed with his little sister. He could never feel guilty about standing up for her.

Still, this could mean very bad news for his school life. He could be suspended. He could even be expelled. No parent ever wanted to get a phone call hearing that their child was in trouble with the school. Tanjirou and Nezuko’s parents worked long hours every single day just to afford a good place for the family to live, and a little extra for their university, so Tanjirou wasn’t ready to see the heart-breaking disappointment on their faces.

Stupid. That was so stupid of him. Why did he do that?

Shinazugawa was standing on the opposite side of the room. Tanjirou made sure to claim the seat furthest from him. They were both waiting for the Principal to deliberate his decision.

The door to the office opening out of nowhere caught Tanjirou’s attention.

He inhaled a sharp gasp of air and his back straightened.

It was Giyuu.

Judging by his surprised gaze when he and Tanjirou locked eyes, Giyuu wasn’t expecting to find Tanjirou in here.

“What are you in for this time? Suspending another student?” Shinazugawa joked.

Tanjirou carefully analyzed Giyuu’s expression without saying a word. He wasn’t sure whether it was a rumour or fact that Giyuu often tried to suspend students he considered incompetent. Based off his current tensions with his math teacher though, Tanjirou was all in favour of taking Giyuu’s side just out of spite.

“Uzui told me to come here. Said he overheard something I should know about.”

“Overheard what? Your little pet stormed into my class saying he was going to throw hands. What did that bastard think I’d do?!”

Tanjirou flinched at the nickname. He didn’t like the way venom dripped from the word. It made his connection with Giyuu seem shameful. He didn’t like it at all.

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear the conversation. I’m just here because he told me to be here,” Giyuu explained with mildly annoyed exasperation, as if irritated that he needed to explain the obvious. It was kind of funny.

“This is none of your goddamn business, Tomioka! You can’t just think—

Shinazugawa stopped the instant Principal Ubuyashiki entered the room. Tanjirou was shocked. To think that there was someone that could make the unhinged teacher emote such a stark level of respect was astounding.

“Good afternoon, Tomioka. What can I do for you?”

“He’s eavesdropping,” Shinazugawa sneered.

“I want to advocate for Kamado.”

What? Tanjirou looked at Giyuu in disbelief. He couldn’t believe his ears. He was defending him against another teacher? Against one of his colleagues?

“My. What chivalry.”

“No, it’s out of line!”

“Please,” the principal held up his hand to stop Shinazugawa’s outburst. Once the man was silent, he turned to Tanjirou. The teen felt nervous under the gaze.

“Kamado-kun, you threatened a teacher. Even if it might be for noble reasons, I have to do something to punish you. I cannot allow students at this school to act in such a way.”

Tanjirou felt sick to his stomach. Here it comes. Expulsion. Fear flashed in his eyes and his blood turned cold. He mentally prepared for the worst.

“I’ll take responsibility for him.”

Tanjirou snapped his head up to Giyuu with something fearful, yet something hopeful in his eyes. He didn’t know what Giyuu meant, but the man was trying to defend him. The room fell silent, which meant that Tanjirou wasn’t the only one shocked to hear the words out of Giyuu’s mouth.

“I’ll take responsibility for him,” he repeated with the same calm, yet determined façade. Shinazugawa looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

“I’ll attend to him each week with disciplinary actions. If he goes out of line again, I’ll take responsibility and resign from my job.”

“Wait—“ Tanjirou protested and jostled in his chair.

“Are you out of your mind?” Shinazugawa scrutinized. Tanjirou couldn’t believe that he actually agreed.

“Come now, Tomioka. Putting your job on the line for one student is exceptionally noble, but it will be completely unnecessary,” Ubuyashiki reassured with an airy tone. Tanjirou had never seen the Principal up close before, but there was something very soothing about his aura.

“But to avoid any suffering, I think I will accept your declaration to watch over Kamado-kun.”

Tanjirou tried to blink back the tears flooding his eyes a second too late, so the action forced them to fall. Giyuu just risked his job for him, even when Tanjirou was clearly the one that broke the rules. He was the one that insulted a teacher. He was the one that threatened to beat the crap out of him if he made his little sister cry again. Tanjirou was the delinquent, and yet, Giyuu was still protecting him.

“With all due respect, Principal, this is a complete violating student-teacher etiquette! He’s picking favourites— and that’s completely unprofessional,” the math teacher rebutted venomously.

“Says the unprofessional one who bullies students,” Giyuu bit.

“Oh— you really want to go there you fucking hypocrite?!”

“That will be enough. My decision has been made. Now please, both of you return to your duties. And Kamado-kun, my boy,” the principal with the exceptionally soothing aura spoke with a hint of caution, perhaps even a shred of a warning in his tone, snapping Tanjirou’s attention to him.

“Yes?”

“Do refrain from threatening your teachers. They only have your best interests at heart.”

Tanjirou felt incredibly humbled to be shown such mercy, so he bowed his head low. “Yes, sir.”

All three of them then left the Principal’s office in silence. The math teacher was too agitated to act reasonably around either of them, so he disappeared up the nearest staircase. Tanjirou figured he wasn’t very good at expressing himself— unless that emotion was anger. Oh well, good riddance.

That left Tanjirou trailing silently after Giyuu down the empty hallway. The air felt crushingly heavy between them. He felt a lot of things at that moment: guilt, gratitude, apprehension, and even affection. Gratitude felt like the easiest one to start with.

“Thank you. I don’t… even know how to properly thank you.” Tanjirou muttered meekly, overwhelmed. He was already head-over-heels for Giyuu, so he didn’t know how to process this. Giyuu wasn’t reacting yet, so he couldn’t tell if the man was mad at him.

What did all of this mean? Did it mean anything at all?

When Giyuu stopped suddenly and turned around, Tanjirou flinched.

“You can thank me by listening to every word I say from now on. Without question,” Giyuu started with his usual disciplinary intimidation, making Tanjirou freeze.

“If I tell you to stay after school and clean up, you will. If I say to study harder, you will. If I tell you to sit on the bench and tend to your damn bloody nose, you will,” Giyuu commanded. He was probably referring to that one time when Tanjirou refused to take a break even when his face was gushing blood. He’d been stubborn because his team was one point away from winning the game. He got in a lot of trouble that day for not listening.

“You don’t follow the rules. If you want to graduate, you need to do it properly and do what your teachers tell you. On another note, you need to learn that you earn respect from people in this world by not showing your weaknesses. Shinazugawa bested you today because you couldn’t control yourself and you reacted blindly. So, if you want to thank me properly, do so by being a better student.”

Tanjirou felt tears returning to his eyes. Giyuu was scolding him, but Tanjirou knew that his words came from meaningful intent. Giyuu was worried about him; he was trying to help him. It was a kind of tough love that cut through Tanjirou’s unbreakable, youthful optimism that deluded him into thinking he was invincible. He wasn’t. He had to be smarter about decisions he made and today was an example of why that was important. Giyuu just spared him the agony of seeing the disappointment in Nezuko’s and his parent’s eyes.

Tanjirou was extremely grateful for that guidance. More than anything, Tanjirou was so relieved that he was still allowed to attend this school despite what he did; and that relief spilled over his grinning cheeks in the form of tears. Sniffles echoed in the hall as he tried to wipe away tears with his sleeve.

“Here,” Giyuu offered Tanjirou a tissue from the little package he stored in his jacket, “Don’t wipe it on your uniform.”

“Thanks,” he whimpered through wet sinuses. Tanjirou graciously took the tissue to wipe his eyes and leaking nose.

He then looked up at his teacher in awe, eyes sparkling in wonder as if the man was the most amazing person in the entire world. What would happen if Tanjirou tried to kiss him right now? They were in an empty hallway, and if Tanjirou felt any more bold, he might have tried his luck. He wanted to so badly.

Nothing was going to stop Tanjirou from hugging him though. He shuffled forward and surprised Giyuu by wrapping his arms around the teacher’s torso and laying his cheek against the nape of his neck. It felt like this was the only way to show the depths of his gratitude.

“Really. Thank you so much,” he repeated, using the tissue to wipe the wet spots of his face as he continued to sniffle, “I’ll be the absolute best student you’ve ever had.”

Instead of a kiss, Giyuu patted the boy’s messy burgundy-brown hair with a hint of a fond smile.

———

The forth time Tanjirou wanted to kiss Giyuu was during summer vacation.

The last few days of July this year were hot, and the familiar sound of cicadas echoed distantly in the humid air. Students were already away at summer camps, visiting family, or working summer jobs. Tanjirou loved summer the most. He loved the heat and long summer days, where sunshine was constant from the moment he woke up until his family settled down for the night. Many disliked the heat, and many had to worry about heat stroke, but Tanjirou seemed to thrive in it; almost like it energized him. His time in the sun was always evident on his darkened skin whenever he returned to school in September.

Tanjirou spent the spring and summer semesters (the last two of the school year) completing his punishment for bad-mouthing a teacher; and Giyuu didn’t hesitate to make Tanjirou sweat. He was practically doing everything: cleaning the equipment, setting up track and field stuff, untangling nets, and even re-threading the torn baseball gloves. It meant that he had very little time to spend with his friends anymore, because shortly after completing those tasks, he had to rush over to the bakery. Evenings after his shift was spent solely on homework.

Although, it hadn’t been all that bad, in fact, Tanjirou quite enjoyed it. The hard work was rewarding and he got to spend more time with Giyuu. A lot more time. At least two extra hours a day, starting first thing in the morning and staying and hour after school, which meant that he got to start and end his school days with the gym teacher, and it wasn’t long before being at his side felt like the new normal.

Which meant that Tanjirou had a very hard time adjusting when school was let out. He felt like there a gaping hole in his chest, making the eighteen-year-old feel uncharacteristically down. Sometimes an entire hour would go by before Tanjirou realized that he’d been staring at the ceiling the entire time. Being without that routine was hitting him hard.

No, being without Tomioka Giyuu was what was hitting him hard. There was a painful ache in his heart every time Tanjirou thought about how long he had to wait to see him again.

Giyuu worked him hard, but he always made sure he was drinking enough water and eating properly. He’d pet his head if he did something outstanding. He’d even let him finish early if he worked hard enough.

Giyuu fulfilled his promise to the Principal by diligently watching over him. The shriek of Giyuu’s whistle would stop him from running headfirst into a post. A sharp voice calling out his name would make him realize that his tennis parter was seconds away from colliding face first into him. Once, Giyuu even physically yanked him away from tumbling into a group of unsuspecting girls when his footing on the stairs slipped.

Rather than stifling or suffocating, Tanjirou felt comfort in it. He liked being close to him, close enough that he could smell lingering traces of a masculine body soap or shampoo.

Additionally, there was a proud, if not possessive, kind of satisfaction for being the only one getting away with calling him Giyuu-sensei. The moment anyone else tried, they got a nasty scolding— or a basketball to the head. Yet Tanjirou could holler it from across the gymnasium and Giyuu wouldn’t bat an eyelash.

Yes, Tanjirou enjoyed that a lot. He was hoping that by some grace of fate, he may continue to be at Giyuu’s side again next year; his senior year.

He liked being able to chat about the little things with him, like what kind of chocolate he liked (it was dark chocolate), or the kinds of pets he liked (it was cats, he was too awkward with dogs), or even what he liked to do at the end of the day (which was just more work or reading). They only talked like that when they were alone though.

His insufferable longing ultimately resulted in asking Giyuu to meet him for lunch.

Tanjirou:
Be there in five minutes! (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

Tanjirou sent the text to Giyuu the moment he got off the train. It was Tanjirou’s idea to meet for lunch and it was Giyuu’s idea to get hiyashi chuka in a district between them.

If Tanjirou scrolled up just a little bit on the message thread he had with Giyuu (which he often did), he could still see the birthday greeting the man sent him on July 14. He smiled a smitten smile every time he saw it. He and his gym teacher exchanged numbers months ago, back when Tanjirou needed to meet Giyuu during the early morning hours and needed someone to open the door for him.

He could still remember the moment he heard the chime on his phone and the dopamine rush that followed when he saw Giyuu’s name on the screen.

—

“What? What happened?”

Tanjirou ignored Zenitus’s question in favour of rolling across the floor a fit of giddiness.

Inosuke swiftly swiped the phone out of his hand to investigate. Nezuko and Zenitsu eagerly peered over his shoulder to look at the source of Tanjirou’s sudden burst of happiness. Empty plates littered with cake crumbs were scattered across Tanjirou’s room and their game of Smash Bros was put on pause the moment Tanjirou screamed.

“Oh… you have it bad,” Zenitsu tutted wistfully.

“Do not,” Tanjirou muttered through his hands.

“You really do.”

“Do noooot,” he denied.

“You’re blushing,” Nezuko pointed.

“Am not!” He covered his face with both his hands. His voice raised an octave.

He totally was though. He could feel how hot his face was.

—

Yes, he really did have it bad. He had it really… really bad. Tanjirou eventually had to confront his friends about his feelings, but they told him that they already suspected it. He also had to wrestle the phone out of Inosuke’s hands before he typed back something embarrassing and/or slutty.

It was a simple happy birthday greeting, nothing more and nothing less, but it had been the most cherished message he received that day. It was the fact that Giyuu somehow remembered, and that he cared enough to send a birthday greeting that made it so special to him.

—

“Is he into guys?”

“I… don’t actually know.”

“You probably SHOULD know! You know, before you start falling in love with him! It’ll break your heart if he rejects you and tells you that he’s only into women!” Zenitsu insisted.

“I think I agree with him, Onii-chan. You should be careful. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Nezuko’s concern was both heart-warming and devastating. He knew they were right.

“On that note, what kind are you into?” Zenitsu asked.

“Like…”

“As in, do you like dicks or do you like vagina?” Inosuke clarified, brutally.

“He could like both,” Nezuko suggested, but it didn’t really help.

“Stop! Oh my god, please stop, I don’t actually know.”

“How can you not know?”

“I don’t know! I just don’t. I mean, I think I like girls. I kind of like boys… maybe. Giyuu-sensei is the only guy I’ve been attracted to though. I’m pretty sure I still like girls… but maybe that’s just me being in denial… I just seriously don’t know,” Tanjirou pouted, shrinking into a ball.

“I think Muichirou-kun likes you.”

“He does?”

“It’s damn obvious. He practically hates Tomioka because he’s so jealous of him.”

Ah. That explained a lot.

“At least Muichirou is the same age as you. Well, a year younger, but still…”

—

His friends had a point though. This wasn’t something he should get so invested in. Not only was Giyuu a teacher, but he was a teacher who was very likely to reject his feelings because it was scandalous to do otherwise. He knew this, he knew it was bad to let his feelings to grow, but it just… felt too good. Something in his gut told him that he shouldn’t let go of it. Being with Giyuu made him happy and Tanjirou desperately wanted it to be that simple.

Tanjirou spotted Giyuu waiting for him at the entrance to the train station. He called out right away and jogged towards him. Giyuu was wearing a white, airy short-sleeved button-up that was partially tucked into slate-grey jeans. His hair was in a high ponytail rather than the messier low-pony he usually wore. Tanjirou felt so casual in comparison, with his jean Bermuda shorts, sneakers, and an oversized text-print shirt. God, that chunky watch on Giyuu’s wrist shouldn’t be that sexy. Nor should the fact that he left the top button of his shirt open. Giyuu was hot. He was so… so hot.

“It’s been a while!” Tanjirou greeted brightly, bouncing with excitement.

“It has,” Giyuu responded softly, seemingly delighted to see him.

It wasn’t a date, but Tanjirou felt nerves as if he was on one.

“So, Giyuu-sen…” Tanjirou stopped himself. Sensei didn’t seem right when they weren’t in school.

“…san?” the teenager asked sheepishly. Giyuu’s expression was relatively vacant as he processed the slip-up.

“I guess that makes more sense for now.”

“Yay! Giyuu-san!!” Tanjirou burst, making Giyuu flinch in surprise. He was practically bouncing up and down like someone just told him it was his birthday. It was still a formal suffix, but it felt like the gap between them kept shrinking, like they were getting closer.

God, he’s really, truly missed Giyuu so much.

Tanjirou had no problem filling the silence with small talk as they walked. After all, there was so much to update him on: the bakery, his friends, his hobbies, the status on his summer homework, the little bird that accidentally flew in through his window, the beetle he accidentally stepped on that morning…

Giyuu seemed to be okay with it though. His demeanour was calm. He was never a talkative guy to begin with and it felt like he was more comfortable with listening to people. Outside of his position of authority, Tanjirou learned that Giyuu was as docile as a house cat.

Tanjirou also learned that Giyuu wasn’t fond of spicy food. When they were sitting at the ramen shop side by side, Tanjirou got excited to see spicy shrimp and chilies being offered in one of their bowls. Giyuu ordered the generic and rather plain one. Upon further prodding, Giyuu confessed his aversion to anything that lit his tongue on fire. Tanjirou already knew that Giyuu’s favourite foods were often savoury. He liked the minced pork buns from the bakery the most. Tanjirou could tell even if Giyuu never outright told him, because his face lit up just a little more when Tanjirou brought a small bag of them first thing in the morning. He always ate them as he watched Tanjirou do running drill tests.

“Look! Look at this tapioka ice cream they have!” Tanjirou excitedly turned the menu to show Giyuu the picture of the soft, bright purple and pink ice cream decorated with tapioka pearls and whipped cream.

“Do you want to get it?” Giyuu asked.

Tanjirou retreated back in his seat with a shy smile. He did want it, but Giyuu was already paying for his lunch, so he felt guilty asking for more.

“I don’t mind getting it for you.”

“Really? Is it okay?”

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t mind if I didn’t mean it.”

Tanjirou beamed, incidentally clutching the menu to his chest. He ordered it right away and it came to their table shortly.

It only took one spoonful for Tanjirou to make his happy noises.

“It’s so good!” Tanjirou cooed.

Giyuu tilted his head with a soft look in his eyes. Tanjirou noticed, and it gave him an idea.

“Here, try it!”

Tanjirou scooped up a generous amount and stretched his hand out. Giyuu blinked and stared.

“Uh oh, come on! It’s going to drip!”

With Tanjirou’s urging, Giyuu leaned forward and closed his mouth over the spoon.

Tanjirou watched, for one glorious second, the sight of Giyuu puckering his lips over Tanjirou’s used spoon. Once his mouth was off, his jaw worked to chew the gummy pearls. The only confirmation he gave that it was tasty was a nod of his head, and then a very short good.

Mm. Yes. Very good. Tanjirou eagerly scooped up his next bite. A tingle of satisfaction went down his spine when the underside of the spoon descended onto his tongue; the spoon that was just in Giyuu’s mouth two seconds ago. They just had an indirect kiss. Tanjirou grinned and let the spoon linger in his mouth for a couple seconds.

When he noticed Giyuu watching him intently, Tanjirou shrugged, pretending to be oblivious.

Lunch went by too quickly, so Tanjirou vouched to go for a walk in the park. They even found a small lemonade shop on their trek along the river. Giyuu paid for those drinks too, but this time, Tanjirou didn’t protest.

They found a nearby bench to sit at and enjoy their chilled drinks, right under the shade of some towering trees. Tanjirou slowly realized that he didn’t have to fill every single moment with conversation, but instead, could just peacefully exist next to someone and enjoy their company.

It felt nice that way. Giyuu seemed to like it too. It was tranquil; the soft gushing sound of water and rustling of summer leaves. Tanjirou let himself enjoy it, sipping his chilled drink and kicking his feet back and forth.

This felt like a date.

Tanjirou eventually snuck a side-eyed glance up at the older man. When Giyuu looked back, Tanjirou shyly smiled and turned his head forward. Something inside his chest was making him feel squirmy and little anxious, enough to make him nibble the tip of his straw.

They were alone and far away from anyone who recognized them, in such a serene place too— it felt like this was the right moment to initiate something. He chanced another quick look at the man, wondering how to make the most of this moment. He needed to do something.

He worked up the courage to lean his head against Giyuu’s shoulder. The next few seconds ticked by very slowly as Tanjirou anticipated some sort of reaction. Giyuu said nothing though. He didn’t even move. Tanjirou took that as a good sign.

That was good— from Giyuu, it was definitely good. Tanjirou shuffled a little closer and gave that shoulder a little nuzzle. That seemed to be Giyuu’s breaking point, because he then, very tentatively, tilted his head to rest against Tanjirou’s.

Tanjirou’s heart felt so full. He could have easily stayed there for hours, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the light tickle of Giyuu’s hair against his forehead. Giyuu’s head was a very comfortable weight against his temple. The smell of his skin was so soothing.

This was so perfect.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that for, but when Tanjirou’s eyes fluttered open, the ice in his drink was half melted and there was a ring on condensation on the wooden bench.

Giyuu must have lifted his head right as Tanjirou was nodding off to sleep. He knew that it couldn’t last forever, but still— it felt like it ended too soon. He wanted to sink into Giyuu’s warmth and drift off to sleep. He wanted to wrap his arms around the man and breathe in his scent forever. He wanted to know what his heartbeat sounded like and how it felt thumping against his ear.

He was falling for Giyuu. He was falling fast.

“We should head back,” Giyuu spoke softly.

“I don’t want to,” Tanjirou quickly replied.

“We have to eventually…”

“No.”

“Tanjirou…”

“Please, not yet,” Tanjirou pleaded desperately. His hand came up to clutch Giyuu’s sleeve— because he needed him. He loved him.

It felt like he’s waited forever to have this and now that he had it, it was being taken away from him. How much longer would he have to wait to be this close to Giyuu again? How many more times would he have to restrain himself from reaching out? They were safely alone here, where Tanjirou didn’t have to resist touching him. For the first time, he could actually reach out and touch Giyuu without feeling shame.

“Please?”

Giyuu looked conflicted. Tanjirou knew he didn’t want to leave either. The look in the man’s ocean-blue eyes flickered, as if ripples were getting bigger in the pool of his self-restraint.

“Okay,” he caved. Tanjirou smiled with relief and plopped his head back onto Giyuu’s shoulder.

“Is there anything else you wanted to do?” Giyuu asked.

“I’m not sure. I just didn’t want to leave you yet.”

“Mm.”

Tanjirou thought about it in silence though. Giyuu wasn’t a very conversational person, so they should do something that didn’t involve a lot of talking. A thought then came to him, making him jerk his head back up.

“We could go see a movie!”

—

“It was good!”

“It was?”

“Weren’t you excited when the demon came out of no where and the samurai was all like: WOOSH! It was so unexpected because I thought the demon was dead! But then it regrew his head and was all like: yare yare!!” Tanjirou enthusiastically re-enacted the scene.

“I didn’t think it was dead.”

“Wha— Really?! I was so sure it died!”

“No. The camera never showed it dying, and usually that’s a cinematographic tactic to leave you in suspense. Besides, there was too much time left in the movie for the conflict to be resolved,” Giyuu explained, hooking his thumb against one of his belt loops, walking at a comfortable pace beside his adrenaline-pumped companion.

“Another demon could have come up though! Or his sister could have been working for that one overlord the entire time!”

“I suppose,” Giyuu shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

“You must like more mystery-type films. Or maybe horror,” Tanjirou snuck his hand into the nook of Giyuu’s bent elbow.

“Mm… more like romance.”

“You like romance movies?!”

“Yes?” Giyuu turned his head, looking at the shocked boy inquisitively.

“You don’t seem like the type to like romantic stuff. I never would have thought that.”

“They’re nice. Horror is predictable. Mysteries are interesting, but there’s something to romance that’s different. I like the idea of finding someone that you’re meant to be with, even though that idea doesn’t exist in reality. It’s nice to go into a world where such a thing is possible.”

“You mean like soulmates?”

“Yeah, that sort of thing.”

Tanjirou’s face heated up and his gaze darted down to their feet. Giyuu was secretly a romantic person. He liked romance films and he liked watching films about soulmates finding each other. He already knew that Giyuu, deep down, was a soft-hearted person, but this was almost too much for Tanjirou’s lovesick heart to handle.

“It’s too bad that we don’t have red strings tying us to a destined person in real life,” Tanjirou pondered, readjusting his fingers against Giyuu’s arm, gripping it a little tighter.

“In a way, it’s probably good that there isn’t. Having the ability to choose your partner is better.”

“I think I like that better too. But maybe in a world where you have a destined partner, you will choose them anyway, because you’re meant to choose them. But then… is that really free will? Or are we just destined to follow a certain destiny, and you only think that you have free will? But then that’s not free will. But it is.” Tanjirou hurt himself in confusion. It was obvious from his furrowed eyebrows that he lost track of his thoughts. Giyuu scoffed out a soft laugh.

“You’re making it confusing.”

“Yeah… I don’t remember what I was trying to say,” Tanjirou pouted.

“Whether choosing your partner is a good thing, or whether we’re all secretly destined to meet our partners,” Giyuu reminded.

“Right! Yeah, I think I like choosing. Whether it’s secretly destiny or not, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as it feels like I made the decision on my own.”

“I agree.”

They walked comfortably close as they discussed the movie.

Throughout the lulls in the action when they were sitting in the theatre, Tanjirou would lay his head back onto Giyuu’s shoulder. There was even a time when Giyuu laid his hand on top of Tanjirou’s, holding it against the armrest. Tanjirou went a step further and turned palm up to intertwine their fingers. He liked that Giyuu’s hands were bigger than his.

“Ah—“

The moment they reached the exit, the pair simultaneously realized that it was raining. Heavily. Like the sky suddenly released a floodgate from the heavens. No more than half a second after a blinding flash of light, an earth-shaking crackling and booming of thunder tore its way through the sky. Tanjirou flinched into Giyuu’s side. The offending sound thrashed against his eardrums.

“What the hell? It was so sunny when we came inside!” Tanjirou whined.

“I don’t have an umbrella,” Giyuu stated.

“Neither do I.”

The pair stood there in silence, equally lost for what to do next. It became dastardly obvious that they’d just have to tough it out and head to the train station in the rain, which was about a ten-minute walk away.

“Well,” Tanjirou let go of Giyuu’s arm and stepped up to the door. “Let’s do this.”

He’d get wet, but there were worse things in life. Just as his hand descended on the door handle, Tanjirou got an idea. Giyuu was already sceptical. He knew that look; the look Tanjirou had whenever he was about to do something stupid. He knew it very well.

“What are you—

“We should make it a race! Then we’ll get there faster!”

“That’s a stupid idea.”

“It’s a great idea!”

“No, it’s not! It—”

“Okay, ready…”

“Tanjirou!”

“Go!”

Tanjirou launched himself out the door and into the pouring rain before Giyuu could stop him. Huge droplets pelted his body and puddles splashed up his legs. Within seconds, Tanjirou was absolutely soaked.

“Holy shit! Cold!!” He let out an invigorated shout.

Upon clearing the parking lot at lightning speed, Tanjirou glanced over his shoulder to see if Giyuu was behind him.

Giyuu was literally right behind him, giving Tanjirou a fright and making him elate a delighted scream.
He stumbled in his next few steps, allowing for Giyuu to get a hold of his wrist, but Tanjirou managed to yank it free. He then sprinted faster, trying to gain some distance over Giyuu. It was unlikely he would win but the teenager was nothing if not determined to try.

His vision was so clouded and hazy from the rain assaulting his face. He could barely see, yet the overflowing adrenaline of his youthful body pushed him forward, making him fly over obstacles in his way. It was probably a downright miracle that his shoes didn’t slip on the bike rack he launched himself over.

Giyuu, the one with superior fitness, soon caught up to the agile boy and grabbed his arm this time, expertly wrangling him back. Tanjirou yelped and tried to wriggle himself free.

“Cheating!”

“Come here, you maniac!”

“Nooo! Cheating!!”

Giyuu wrestled the flailing teen into his wet arms and forced him backward, making Tanjirou kick his legs up in the air, shouting and giggling madly as if they were play fighting. Giyuu managed to wrangle him off the main sidewalk, stopping under the shelter the small building’s patio roof provided.

“You could have slipped and cracked your head on the pavement! The ground is very slippery when it rains, you idiot! I might have had to rush you to the hospital!” Giyuu lectured, but Tanjirou’s giggle-fit was still in full swing.

“But I have Giyuu-san to catch me before I get hurt!”

“Are you even listening to me?” Giyuu barked.

“I am, I am! But it was fun! I like it when you chase me.”

“You little—” Giyuu sighed with exasperation, “God, what am I going to do with you?”

Tanjiou couldn’t stop the next words from out of his mouth even if he tried.

“Keeping me in your arms would be nice.”

A heavy silence then fell over them, thick with all the things that have so-far gone unspoken between them. Giyuu slowly released his vice-grip around him, but Tanjirou didn’t move away, keeping his back flush against that strong chest. Tanjirou’s hands laid on the larger ones holding his sides, fingertips brushing against Giyuu’s knuckles. Giyuu’s hands were firm and thick; a result that came from years of pushing himself in sport. Tanjirou was stricken by the difference in their size, and the realization sank hot in his belly.

Tanjirou bit his lip and slowly turned around. He nearly gasped at the sight before him. Giyuu was soaked. His white shirt was now translucent, clinging to his broad shoulders and his chest— his muscled, outstanding chest. Each of his pecs were outlined like the shirt didn’t even exist anymore. Raven-black hair was wet and clinging to Giyuu’s masculine face. Tanjirou was so close that he could feel the exhales of Giyuu’s hot, panting breath against his forehead. The rain was cold and Giyuu felt so warm.

Tanjirou lifted his hands up to Giyuu’s chest. The touch was enough to make Giyuu’s breath stutter. Desire-hazed burgundy eyes grazed up the man’s broad neck, along his jaw, and up into Giyuu’s contrasting blue eyes. He was stunning. Gorgeous. An amazing specimen of a man that was tugging at his heart and sparking pangs of pure, unadulterated want inside him.

Both their lips were parted because of their panting breaths. Oh god, he wanted to kiss him so badly— and it was as obvious as day that Giyuu did too.

Giyuu tilted his head, then inched down.

Giyuu was going to kiss him.

But then something very unexpected happened.

Reality washed over Tanjirou; cold and dreadful.

Giyuu could lose his job.

He could be fired— and all because Tanjirou kept tempting him. Tanjirou might be suspended, but then head back to school eventually, then go on to pursue a career. Giyuu wouldn’t recover though. It would be Giyuu that would suffer the consequences, not Tanjirou. His reputation, his career, everything he worked hard for in life could be stripped from him if someone got the wrong idea— if they decided that Giyuu was taking advantage of him.

Tanjirou gasped in panic and whipped his hand up to intercept Giyuu’s lips, stopping him halfway and making Giyuu freeze.

Pain flickered in those eyes.

“I’m sorry… I thought…” Giyuu retracted immediately.

Tanjirou hurt him.

Hot tears of guilt flooded Tanjirou’s eyes. Gut-wrenching sadness tore his heart into pieces because this wasn’t fair.

Tanjirou wanted nothing more than to lean into those lips and bask in the heat of his mouth, to finally know how good it felt to cling to the man and drown in their shared desire. He wanted Giyuu’s moans, his touch, his deep, husky voice whispering his name as he trembled, ached, salivated for so much more.

Tanjiou sucked in a raspy breath and let out a sudden sob. His arms flew around Giyuu’s torso and he buried his face into that broad chest.

“No! No, it’s not what you think!” Tanjirou started miserably.

“I like you so much. I want to be near you all the time… and today as been a dream come true… but just as you were about to kiss me, I couldn’t stop thinking about how you could lose your job because of me. If anyone found out, they could tell the school and— I’d be devastated if that ever happened to you. I couldn’t handle it. I can’t do that to you. I don’t ever want to hurt you,” Tanjirou whimpered, then let out more pitiful sobs.

“I like you so much though. I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long… but I’m not allowed to want it.”

It hurt so bad. It was only when Giyuu had reciprocated those feelings that the gravity of reality crushed him. It wasn’t just a fantasy anymore; they could really get in trouble. He shook his head against Giyuu’s chest because his heart yearned for that fantasy.

“I don’t know what to do,” he whimpered, this time with a devastatingly higher, helpless pitch in his voice.

“Tanjirou…” Giyuu spoke gravely, wrapping the crying boy into a hug to comfort him. One hand came up to his hair, cradling his head against his chest.

“I’m sorry I’m so selfish,” Tanjirou cried.

“No. I’m the one that’s selfish. I’ve been trying to keep you all to myself for months. I…”

Tanjirou sniffled, unable to stop, which allowed Giyuu more time to collect his thoughts.

“If you have any feelings for me, it’s because I led you on.”

“That’s not true! You didn’t lead me on, I’ve felt this way for a long time!”

“Tanjirou,” Giyuu’s voice was stern, almost condescendingly so, “I’m the one that should know better. I knew exactly what you were doing, but I encouraged it. I should have kept pushing you away, but I was too weak and I gave in. You feel that way because I wasn’t strong enough to resist you… if I had pushed you away, you could have moved on.”

Tanjirou sucked in a sharp breath. No, that wasn’t right at all.

“Don’t say that. Don’t… what I feel is mine. It’s not because of manipulation, they’re my feelings. I feel them because you’re incredible. And you’ve always looked out for me. And Nezuko. You care about people and yet you hide behind this wall and I wanted so badly to climb over it. I realized how I felt the first time we went out to eat… when you smiled and even laughed with me. But even before I realized how I felt— the first time you visited the bakery! I stayed at the station even after you left, just watching you walk away. I didn’t have a reason to rush out to you, but it just… felt like I needed to, like I needed to see you happy.”

Tanjirou sniffled some more, then tried to wipe away his tears. Giyuu helped by swiping his thumb under one of his puffy eyes. Giyuu contemplated that for a moment before replying.

“That time at the bakery… I felt something too. I denied it at the time, but I couldn’t stop looking at you. You were like the sun. You were so warm and bright… drawing everyone to you and making them happy.”

Tanjirou’s eyes glistened with hope. “Really?”

“Yes,” Giyuu tilted his head, tenderly stroking away some stray tears gathering at Tanjirou’s jaw.

“It was actually my birthday that night. That’s why I was meeting with my sister. And then, without even knowing that, you gave me melonpan as a gift. It made me happy.”

Tanjirou’s tear-swollen eyes jerked wide open. “It was your birthday?! I would have had mom and dad bring out a cake for you!!”

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Your birthday is a huge deal! I would have given you something better, not some day-old melonpan!! Next year I’m making you a cake! Jeez, Giyuu-san, you should let people take care of you more!” Tanjirou loudly protested, hitting Giyuu’s chest with his fists and grossly sniffling up his own snot.

He coughed when it clogged his throat. Giyuu took a step back.

“Sorry…” he muttered, “But.. isn’t it a good thing that we both felt something that night? It’s proof that you didn’t coerce me into anything.”

Giyuu’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m still your teacher. I might have slipped up just now, but that doesn’t make it any less taboo. Neither of us should be doing this.”

Tanjirou hung his head. Yes, he already knew that. He’s known that for a long time. Hearing Giyuu say it didn’t make it any easier though. It hurt to face that reality head-on.

“Still… I can’t take these feelings back. They’re strong. I can’t just turn them off.” Tanjirou said sadly. Giyuu made a noise in agreement.

There was one tiny ray of hope still in Tanjirou’s heart though.

“…what if I wasn’t in school anymore though?” Tanjirou suggested. The moment the words left his mouth though, Giyuu’s face twisted with a mixture of emotions. Tanjirou realized his mistake and he panicked to correct himself.

“A-As in when I graduate! Not drop out of school, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Giyuu’s sudden concern melted away, relieved. Good.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… when I graduate… this wouldn’t be taboo anymore. So, what if…” Tanjirou trailed off and looked up hopefully.

Giyuu’s eyes flickered away, conflicted.

“I’m not as incredible as you think I am. You’re always look at me with sparkling eyes, like I’m something amazing… but I only got a job at the school because my closest friend suddenly had to move away and couldn’t fill the position. There’s really little that I can do for you once you leave school, especially if you go off to university. There are things that you do that amaze me, and I know that you’re going to surpass me one day. If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting… then you don’t deserve to waste your time waiting for someone like me.”

Tanjirou felt something puff up in his chest; an unsettling mixture between frustration and protectiveness. Giyuu was talking really badly about himself and Tanjirou didn’t like it.

He reached up and grabbed Giyuu’s stupidly handsome face with both hands, squishing his cheeks so tight it made the man’s lips puff out like a fish. Tanjirou had the absolute biggest, angriest pout as he stared the teacher right in the eyes.

“Stop talking about yourself like that! You’re not allowed to anymore! I like you because you’re strong and hard working! And you’re very compassionate and caring! You’re extremely good-looking and I can’t stop drooling over you in class! You have the most beautiful smile in the world! You’re only harsh because you want your students to learn self-discipline and be healthy! You’re a good, wonderful person that deserves the job he has and I can’t believe my stupid luck that I’m your student and not your equal! Otherwise I’d date you so hard!”

Giyuu gawked at him in astonishment. He was speechless. It probably would have been hilarious had it not been for the heavy emotional weight between them.

“O-Okay…” Giyuu, who usually had the composure to rival an old sage, stuttered like he had no centre of gravity anymore.

“That’s right!” Tanjirou nodded sternly. Silence fell between them. Tanjirou let go of Giyuu’s face.

And then laughter finally bubbled up inside of him, making him snort, then giggle. Despite the emotional whiplash, Giyuu was soon smiling too.

“You know, in a show, this would be the moment the rain stops and the sun shines through the clouds,” Tanjirou commented, changing the subject to allow them a buffer between heavy emotion and normality. It was still raining has heavy as before.

“Life isn’t like anime.”

“Sometimes I wish it could be. If it was a little more predictable, I’d probably cry a lot less. This was the second time I’ve cried on your shoulder.”

“No, you’d still cry. You’re soft.”

“You know what though, you’re soft too! In your own way.”

Giyuu let out a defeated sigh. “Maybe.”

“It’s okay. It’s one of the reasons I like you so much.”

“So you’ve said.”

Tanjirou and Giyuu exchanged soft, if not shy smiles. The mood was much lighter between them now. If anything, it felt like they were closer than ever before. An agreement was reached that nothing could come of this, at least not for now, but it didn’t make Tanjirou sad. If anything, he felt elated, like there was something amazing waiting for him in the future.

“So… when I graduate, if you’d do me the honour of waiting for me, would you like to go out with me?” Tanjirou laid his hands on Giyuu’s chest. Giyuu slid his palm up Tanjirou’s arm.

“Of course.”

———

The fifth time Tanjirou wanted to kiss Giyuu was on Valentine’s Day of his senior year. It was the same day that Giyuu technically didn’t kiss Tanjirou.

The day before that though, Tanjirou split open his eyebrow.

“You’re going to have a very nasty swelling above your eye for a little while. Unfortunately, you’re not going to have a sightly face this Valentine’s Day. I do hope you don’t scare away any girls,” Shinobu commented with a deceptively sweet tone.

She was currently applying an antibacterial gel to the gash across Tanjirou’s eyebrow. Tanjirou’s class had been playing basketball. He and another student jumped for the ball at the exact same time when it rebounded off the net. It was going straight for the other team and Tanjirou saw a chance to intercept it, but instead of intercepting it, Tanjirou’s head collided with another player. For the most part, Tanjirou had been fine (which was astounding, considering the other student blacked out for a minute), and only walked away with a bloody forehead. Maybe he just had a rock hard skull.

He felt really bad. He hadn’t meant to injure his classmate. Sometimes he just got very competitive. Giyuu hadn’t ruled it to be Tanjirou’s fault, just an accident; ones that happen often in sports.

He could remember hearing Giyuu over him, shouting for someone to hand him something useful to stop the bleeding with. What Tanjirou hadn’t seen, in his head-throbbing, dizzy spell of blood dribbling down his face, was how Giyuu apparently dropped his binder and dashed across the gymnasium to the accident. Everyone was shocked. No one had seen Giyuu panic like that before, and seeing him in that state put everyone else on edge too. Genya was the one that told him those details as he helped Tanjirou stumble into the nurse’s office.

“Nah, no one would have wanted to confess to me anyway! There are more popular boys at the school.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Perhaps you need to pay more attention. Some hearts are often too shy and scared to show their feelings, but if given the right moment, they would. Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to do that.”

“No, come on, no! There’s no way!” Tanjirou blushed. Shinobu had to be exaggerating.

Shinobu graduated about two years ago and had promising credentials to be a future pharmacist. Of all the places she could have gone to intern, she decided to apply here: her old high school. Everyone suspected that it was because her little sister, Kanao, was attending the school and Shinobu wanted to be closer to her. It was very sweet.

Kanao always mentions how lovely it was to have Shinobu still at the school, even though she wasn’t attending the flower arrangement club anymore.

“Well, I guess you’ll find out soon,” Shinobu knowingly replied. She disposed of the bloody Q-tips and reached for some bandages.

“What kind of people do you give Valentine chocolates to?” Tanjirou asked curiously. Shinobu was an outstanding student and a beautiful, talented woman. She must have impeccable taste. Any man would be absolutely lucky to have her affection.

“Hmm, that’s a good question. I mostly give out friendly chocolates to my friends, and then a few obligation chocolates. It’s very rare that I give out any romantic chocolates,” she explained. She was always so gentle on the outside, but Shinobu had a sharp tongue and a wickedly mischievous personality.

Romantic chocolates. What might it be like to give some of those to Giyuu? He knew that some students did give romantic chocolates to Giyuu. Tanjirou would have been lying if he said that it didn’t make him a little bit jealous.

“Um… did you… ever give out chocolates to teachers before?” Tanjirou shyly darted his eyes away. He could feel her eyes on him. Her careful fingers paused in their application of the gauze to his forehead.

“Yes. Once.”

“Really? Who?”

“I’m not telling you that, you silly boy,” Shinobu teased. Who could it have been? He supposed that was very private, but still, Tanjirou was so curious to know. They could perhaps even bond over it.

“Wow. You must have liked this teacher a lot if you gave them chocolates.”

“No. The exact opposite.”

“Huh?” Okay, now Tanjirou was even more confused. Why would Shinobu give chocolates to someone she didn’t like? Wouldn’t that give them the wrong idea? Tanjirou fretted through his confusion, pouting his lips out.

“I was in my second year and didn’t know any better. My tastes have changed since then.”

“Ah… sorry.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Tanjirou-kun. Although it’s very sweet of you. I can see your brain hurting from here,” she eased her free hand to the top of his head, giving it a gentle pat. Tanjirou grinned. He really liked Shinobu.

“You and Tomioka-san seem to be very close.”

Tanjirou’s breath suddenly caught in his throat. He tried desperately not to show his shock. It’s fine, it was just an innocent observation she was making— at least, that’s what he tried to tell himself.

“Ah, well yeah! He’s my favorite teacher!”

It wasn’t a lie, so he could easily speak the words. Tanjirou really had to be careful because he was a terrible liar. If anyone directly asked him if he had feelings for Giyuu, he would have an extremely hard time making up a lie, and it would most certainly not convince anyone.

That’s why Tanjirou resolved to tell half-truths. As long as there was something truthful in the sentence, it came out naturally.

“Odd choice for your favourite,” Shinobu sighed.

“Not at all! He’s a fantastic teacher! Physical health is very important, you know. It makes a person happier and live longer!” Tanjirou explained with the kind of energy someone didn’t usually have after receiving a head injury.

“Yes, I suppose it does,” she chuckled lightly.

“You get along with most people though, Tanjirou-kun. What I meant to say was that Tomioka-san seems to have taken a keen liking to you. Practically everyone at the school has noticed.”

Tanjirou’s heart skipped a beat as he smiled. He realized that it was probably better not to say anything to that. He already knew that Giyuu liked him, and having confidence in knowing that brought Tanjirou to a level of euphoria that could only be properly expressed when he was alone in his room and he could squeeze his pillow. It still felt nice to hear someone else say it though.

They’ve started texting each other a lot more since that day at the cinema. It was usually in the evenings when Tanjirou was doing his homework, but occasionally he had a moment to reply in the bakery as well. Sometimes he’d send Giyuu pictures of their proud baked goods, or selfies of himself and Nezuko. Giyuu would only send pictures if Tanjirou begged him to, and when he did, it was always a hilariously bad selfie or a picture of his tea. Tanjirou considered himself lucky if he got a picture of Giyuu’s foot or his hand in the shot.

Most nights ended with a shared goodnight. Once in a blue moon, when Tanjirou was home alone, he was even able to call Giyuu and hear his voice. Those nights were the most precious to him.

“All done!” Shinobu affirmed after securing the bandage around Tanjirou’s head, tight enough to keep the gauze in place.

“You were very lucky that you didn’t need stitches. You should be able to complete the rest of your classes today as long as you don’t strain yourself too hard.”

“That’s good to know. Thanks for fixing me up.”

“Now, before you go to bed tonight, you’ll need to take the gauze off and put some more disinfectant on the wound. Make sure to use a sterile Q-tip, okay? Then put these over it,” she instructed, handing Tanjirou some thick, sticky bandages, “The bleeding should stop by tomorrow, so you won’t need to wrap up your head anymore.”

“Okay, thanks!”

Shinobu then proceeding to discard all the bloody tissues and sterilize the work bench.

“I think you have friends waiting for you outside,” she spoke knowingly.

Tanjirou curiously peeked around the corner, then lit up when he saw Genya still waiting for him. He was also joined by Zenitsu.

“Hi, Shinobu-senpai!” Zenitsu waved with a euphoric smile. Shinobu smiled sweetly and waved back to him.

“Please take care of Tanjirou-kun, okay? He still seems terrible at avoiding danger.”

“We can’t promise that,” Genya scoffed. Right, like Genya was one to talk about getting beat up.

“Okay, I will! I promise!” Zenitsu grinned.

“And Tanjirou-kun?”

“Yes?”

Shinobu gave a more genuine smile this time. “Take care of Tomioka-san.”

Tanjirou blinked, unsure about the intention behind her wish.

“Because he needs all the friends that he can get.”

Ouch.

—

Tanjirou had to quickly change back into his uniform, so after excusing himself from his two friends, he ran back to the locker room. It was instinct to check his phone when he pulled it out of his bag, but it was unexpected to see a text from Giyuu in the middle of a school day.

Giyuu:
Everything okay?

Tanjirou really needed to rush to class, but he absolutely couldn’t resist opening the chat and replying back. Naughty teacher, texting him during school. Tanjirou snickered to himself as he typed his message.

Tanjirou:
I’m okay! All bandaged up now. Thanks for worrying <3
Shinobu-senpai told me that I’m going to be an unsightly Valentine though (;△;)

The bell chimed halfway through his last text, so the moment it sent, he shoved his phone into his bag and scampered down the hallway. He didn’t see the text Giyuu sent back until school was finished.

Giyuu:
It’s impossible for you to be unsightly.

—

Maybe Shinobu had some sort of premonition powers, or maybe Tanjirou really was as dense as people said, because when Valentine’s Day came, Tanjirou had received Valentine chocolates from ten— ten different girls before his first class.

And his swollen, bruised face didn’t deter any of them.

The upperclassman was seriously running out of space in his bag to carry all his gifts.

“What the hell is this?!”

Tanjirou was used to outbursts from Zenitsu, so he instead of flinching, he looked up at the blond with a bright smile.

“Good morning!”

“Don’t you good morning me! What is all this? This Valentine chocolate mountain? Home room hasn’t even started yet and you have—

Zenitsu paused his melodramatic speech to count all the bags and boxes of chocolates.

“Eleven! Eleven chocolates from eleven girls!!”

“Oh, eleven? I must have miscounted, I thought there was ten.”

Inosuke took that opportune moment to snatch up a box and tear into it, practically scarfing the chocolate down. “Now it’s ten.”

“Hey, give that back! Someone made that with love and care!”

It was a rare occasion that Inosuke was able to rile Tanjirou up anymore, so he revelled in the outrage, smirking wider and holding the box out of his reach, playing an impromptu and mildly annoying game of keep-away.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, Valentine boy?”

“You can have my lunch later, just give that back! They’re gifts!” Tanjirou pressed.

“All of it?”

“Yes!”

“Okay,” Inosuke snuck one more chocolate into his mouth before handing the half-depleted box back.

As the minor fiasco simmered down, Kanao slid into a desk near the group, greeting them with a quick good morning. “Tanjirou, you really don’t get how popular you are among girls, do you?”

“That’s what Shinobu-senpai told me as well,” he frowned, “What do you mean?”

She smiled a knowing smile, “You’re great at sports. You win almost every game you play. You’re an amazing athlete and you’re a very hard worker, and you’re even president of the kendo club now too, so girls love to watch you and cheer you on. You’re practically the only one at the school that can keep up with Tomioka-sensei’s expectations. But, what’s even better is that you’re very nice and you smile a lot. You’re happy all the time and you encourage people. People watch you and they’re inspired by you to do their best. There are many girls that could only dream of having you as their boyfriend.”

Tanjirou was floored. Bashfulness surfaced first, making him smile sheepishly and avert his gaze. There was once a time in their first year when Tanjirou would have killed to hear her say those words. That was back when he had a crush on her, and it turned out to be one-sided. Kanao told him that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Even if there was no romantic relationship to be had though, she told Tanjirou that she very much wanted to be his friend. So, they’ve been friends ever since.

They’ve had to clarify that they weren’t dating many times, since a lot of students found their closeness suspicious. After all, how could the two most attractive athletes in school, who were regularly seen hanging out together, not be dating?

“There are plenty of guys just like me! But, thank you Kanao, I’m really happy that you think so highly of me,” Tanjirou beamed happily smile.

Kanao smiled back. She then decided that was a good moment to give Tanjirou and her other friends their chocolates. Tanjirou told her he would happily return the favour on White Day.

“Everyone take your seats,” Giyuu announced, walking into homeroom. Like obedient soldiers, everyone stopped talking and went to their assigned desks immediately. When the minute hand ticked one notch after the hour, and when Giyuu finished writing a couple of bulletins on the whiteboard, he turned around to begin the announcements.

“I’ve been advised to remind everyone that despite—“

He stopped dead silent and raked his eyes over Tanjirou’s desk. Tanjirou bristled under the scrutinizing stare.

“Kamado, you need to properly store your chocolate before your first class. You cannot carry them around.”

A chill ran down his spine.

“Yes, sir!”

Tanjirou, blushing in embarrassment, tried his best to conceal as many chocolates as he could, shoving them in his school bag or slipping them inside his desk. He was a little dumbfounded at the tone Giyuu used, and it gave Tanjirou the cold realization that he hasn’t heard it in a long time. He found himself worrying.

What could be bothering him?

—

“U-Um, Kamado-senpai?”

Tanjirou stopped and turned. His eyes lit up with recognition.

“Oh, you’re the one who hosted the maid café at the festival last year!” He smiled, which only made the girl blush even more.

“Y-You remembered?”

“Of course! The costumes were very cute. And the cakes were delicious!” Tanjirou complimented easily, although he felt guilty that he couldn’t remember her name.

“Thank you! Really, thank you so much!” She said, invigorated, “Um, well you see… the reason I wanted to talk to you was because…”

Tanjirou waited patiently. He could clearly see that she was hiding something behind her back, which was probably chocolate.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while now…”

He geared himself up for the confession. He’s had two girls confess to him by now. He felt so guilty turning down their feelings, but it was only fair that they knew his heart belonged to someone else.

And that exact someone appeared a few feet away like an apparition.

“G-Giyuu-sensei!” He jumped, startled, which frightened the girl as well.

“Kamado, follow me.”

Tanjirou worriedly glanced between Giyuu and the girl that was about to confess, unknowing what to do. He couldn’t say no to a teacher, but it wasn’t right to leave her right when she was about to say something important.

“Uh— but,”

“Now.”

His heartbeat spiked at the demand. Any shred of hesitancy evaporated and he followed, promising the girl to catch up with her later.

Something has been wrong with Giyuu all day. Usually Giyuu was very good at telling Tanjirou when he messed up or did something inadequate, so it was very unusual to see so much pent up frustration in the man. Even more so when he demanded things of him without a reason.

He followed his teacher in silence, all the way to the privacy of Giyuu’s office, which was a room adjacent to the gymnasium.

“What’s wrong?” Tanjirou worriedly asked, sliding his school bag off his shoulder and placing it on the chair opposite of Giyuu’s. He was quite familiar with Giyuu’s office by now. He’s been in here many times. Since Tanjirou was the president of the kendo club now, he often met with Giyuu to complete paper work and discuss events. He needed the gym teacher’s approval for many of their activities. Then, more often than not, Tanjirou would take the chance to deliver a snack and chatter about trivial things. His familiarity in the office was well known among other teachers as well. When any of them would occasionally drop by, it was no surprised for them to see Tanjirou in there, occupying a little corner of Giyuu’s desk.

It still surprised Tanjirou to see how much taller he’s gotten in his senior year. When he started his first year, the top of his head was at the same level as Giyuu’s shoulder, and now, as puberty slowed down, Giyuu only had a few centimetres left in height over Tanjirou.

Giyuu paced around his desk, shoving his fingers into his hair to comb through his bangs. “I’m… not sure.”

“You’re not sure?” Tanjirou parroted, then approached him, “Is it me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, well… yes, but no. You did, but it’s not your fault.”

“Huh? How’s that possible?” Tanjirou’s voice got a bit louder, worry and confusion pooling together in one big anxious mixture.

Giyuu looked frustrated, not with Tanjirou, but with himself. “It’s… today. And seeing so many students confess to you.”

Tanjirou didn’t understand for a moment, but then suddenly it hit him. Ah. Yes, he supposed that Giyuu would feel upset about that. Even lonely.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t prepare any chocolate for you. I wasn’t sure if I should, since we’re keeping this a secret. And since I’m a boy, it would be pretty weird if I gave out chocolates today.”

Giyuu stopped his pacing completely.

“But I can go make something at the bakery later today! And then I’ll bring it tomorrow to school and then—

“Stop, stop.”

Tanjirou did. He stopped mid-sentence and looked at Giyuu expectedly.

“It’s not that you didn’t give me chocolate, I don’t really care that much for the occasion. But have you… responded to anyone’s feelings?”

Giyuu crossed his arms and leaned his weight against the windowsill. Tanjirou’s confusion didn’t exactly dissipate yet. It felt like he was still missing something, like Giyuu hadn’t voiced all his thoughts.

“No, of course not. I don’t feel that way about anyone but you. That hasn’t changed since summer.”

Strange. There had been a time when Tanjirou couldn’t say those words without blushing, but how he said them confidently. That confidence came from understanding his heart, and listening to it when it whispered things to him.

“Still. When I imagine you with someone else…” Giyuu visibly coiled, tightening his fingers into his arm as his lip turned up. Distaste. Discomfort.

Suddenly, Tanjirou realized what was bothering Giyuu. It was so obvious now and Tanjirou couldn’t believe he didn’t understand it sooner.

“You’re jealous.”

Giyuu clicked his tongue and ripped his gaze away, focusing on something out the window.

Tanjirou felt something very primal and hot stir up inside of him, bringing up fantasies so lustful, only his dreams could conjure them up. Dreams of being pinned to this exact desk, of having Giyuu’s body over him, hearing the man’s deep, husky voice in his ear— just because Giyuu got jealous of another man flirting with him.

“Are you jealous of your own students, Giyuu-san? That they might take my attention away from you?” He purred, sliding himself to sit on Giyuu’s desk.

“Shut up,” Giyuu warned.

Tanjirou knew he was playing with fire, but he kept pressing.

“I know you love having me all to yourself…”

“Tanjirou…” Another warning, stricter this time.

“The kiss I give you is going to feel so good when I graduate. Only two and a half months away now. My first kiss…”

For a second, it looked like Giyuu was about to steal that first kiss right then and there, because the man surged forward and snatched Tanjirou’s shoulders with an intense gaze. Instead, his mouth went straight for the base of Tanjirou’s neck. Tanjirou gasped sharply when teeth sank against sensitive skin. Goosebumps rose at the back of his neck.

Giyuu sucked hard and Tanjirou trembled. His hands shook. A painful tingling sensation started at the base of his neck and snaked its way up to Tanjirou’s jaw. He could feel his own pulse throbbing between Giyuu’s possessive teeth. That hot, dominant mouth was rooting him in place and filling his gut with aching pleasure, enough for Tanjirou to let out a trembling moan, because it was like Giyuu suddenly possessed his body. It was like he was commanding him to stay still and take.

Judging by Giyuu’s husky moan, he was only encouraged by the reaction. He gathered another breath to suck some more, this time harder. Tanjirou absolutely lost it. He let out the highest, neediest noise from the back of his throat as he gripped Giyuu’s shirt like it was his lifeline. He melted, pliant in Giyuu’s hold.

Giyuu was trying to mark him.

The hands that tightly gripped Tanjirou’s shoulders was a testament to Giyuu’s restraint, because Tanjirou knew they wanted to wander over his body. Oh, and how Tanjirou wanted them to. Warm, thick hands; under his shirt, grabbing his hips…

“Don’t you dare tease me like that. You have no idea how much I want to make you mine.”

A pang of want quaked in the pit of his stomach. It was supposed to be a warning, but every inch of Tanjirou’s body begged him to push more, to push the man past his limit and make him keep going. Bottled-up lust turned gorgeous sapphire eyes darker, eyelids heavier— showing signs of a beast lingering just below the surface and threatening to burst out at any second.

He shivered when gentle lips kissed at the place that was just bitten, as if whispering a silent apology. He didn’t silence his whiny exhale. Giyuu then began readjusting Tanjirou’s uniform collar and tie, trying to cover it up as much as possible.

“O-Okay…” He stuttered. Tanjirou was an absolute wreck. That was single most erotic thing he’s ever experienced. His face felt feverishly hot. He reached a hand up to cover the spot Giyuu kissed: a spot that was still tingling. He could feel the damp welts that Giyuu’s teeth left behind.

Tanjirou had a hot realization that the spot would bruise soon, and then he’d be able to see it in the mirror— a sign of Giyuu’s irrepressible desire to have him. He couldn’t wait to see it.

“Sorry, I lost control. I’ll write you up a note for your next class.”

Giyuu went to do that while Tanjirou struggled to reel back from the intoxicating sensation, taking a few deep breaths in and out. He just got a taste of the unrestrained, horny side of Giyuu, and it burst out because Tanjirou’s teasing was his weakness. Just how much was this man holding back from him?

Tanjirou’s voice was shaky when he finally spoke again. “Does… that count as a kiss?”

“No. That wasn’t a kiss.”

Right. Not a kiss. It was just Giyuu giving him the most passionate hickie in history and a boner. Good god, this man was going to be the death of Tanjirou.

—

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. I have a note.”

Uzui Tengen paused his demonstration on three-point perspectives to see Tanjirou arriving to his class ten minutes late.

“You have a note…” Uzui snatched it up in his hand and flipped it open. He scanned the general message, which asked for Tanjirou to be excused, and when he saw who signed it, the art teacher snorted with amusement.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen Tomioka write someone a note. Very unexpected,” he folded it back up and flicked it into the general direction of his desk, uncaring about where it landed, “Take your seat and pay attention, then.”

Tanjirou couldn’t pay attention at all though. His mind was in the clouds, dreaming of the day he could kiss the living daylights out of Tomioka Giyuu.

———

The first time Tanjirou kissed Giyuu was on graduation day.

“Tanjirou, did you forget to make a bento today?” His mother called from the kitchen. She must have noticed that Tanjirou’s bento box was still tucked away in the cupboard.

“No, it’s alright! I’m planning on getting lunch with my friends after the ceremony!” He shouted from the entry way as he slipped on his shoes.

“Come on, Nezuko, we need to get going!” He called out to his sister.

“Are you sure you don’t need one? I can bring you something from the bakery when I pick up your father!”

“No, really, it’s okay! But thank you!” He tapped his foot impatiently. Where was she?

“Nezukooooo, let’s go!” He whined. He was eager to get to school.

She finally made a muffling sound to respond. Seconds later, Nezuko scampered out of the kitchen with half a baguette hanging from her mouth.

“There you are.”

She huffed a sound of displeasure as she slipped on her shoes, as if telling him to stop rushing her.

“You’re the one who insisted to come in early with me,” Tanjirou crossed his arms, immune to his little sister’s pout. Her breakfast was held secure between her teeth while she secured her school bag over her shoulders. Since it was the last day of school, there was little they actually needed to bring, so it was lighter than usual. Tanjirou’s was essentially empty minus his wallet, train pass, and his phone.

“We’re off mom! See you at the ceremony!” Tanjirou bid his mother goodbye as the siblings left. The bakery was closed this morning because his parents wanted to attend his graduation, but his father still went in early to do some prep work. It was very rare when both his parents could synchronize time away from the shop.

“I’m so jealous that you get to leave before me. Can I come meet up with you later? Will you still be out?” Nezuko asked as they walked to the train station together, just like they did every morning. Her baguette was now being held in her hand.

“Of course! Just text me when you’re done, okay?” Tanjirou agreed. He made plans to meet up with his friends for a celebratory lunch and karaoke. Nezuko wouldn’t be stuck at school for long, just long enough to receive her summer homework from the teachers.

“You were awake super early today. Are you excited?” she observed.

“Definitely!”

Oh, he was excited all right. Yes, it was graduation day, but most importantly…

“I’d think that you’d be sad. You’re not going to be able to see Tomioka-sensei everyday from now on.”

“Well… uh…” Right. How did he tell his little sister that he was planning on dating their gym teacher from now on? As he tried to find a way to say it without really saying it, his cheeks started turning red.

“What?” Nezuko inquired.

“…”

Nezuko’s expression slowly morphed, staring at her brother sceptically.

“Onii-chan, you’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do… are you?”

Tanjirou gave a timid smile.

“Are you?”

“Well…”

“You are! You’re going to confess?!”

“…actually he already knows.”

Nezuko froze, completely flabbergasted, obviously not expecting that answer.

“Huh?! Since when? What? What? When did this happen? Does he feel the same?” Nezuko was just an inch shy of making a scene, bouncing around her brother and demanding answers. Tanjirou made a soft noise of embarrassment, but there were hints of an irrepressible smile. Instead of answering, he brought a hand up to touch his neck. There was no turning back now.

“…yes.”

She nearly screamed, but choked it down in favour of not making a scene.

She blushed as the scandalous news sank in. He could understand why. Students who were dating often kept their relationships a secret. When people found out about those kinds of relationships, it was dramatic. This was a whole other level compared to that. Nezuko had just been told that her older brother was involved with a teacher. A teacher.

Because Tanjirou’s life was everything but ordinary. He was daring, reckless, challenged people of authority, wore earrings to school, and yet, worked so hard that he often came home with cuts and bruises. His final act as an upperclassmen was definitely going to make history at this school, but he had a sneaking suspicion that people already see it coming.

“For real?! He’s… you two are… oh my god! Oh my god, this is huge!!”

“Nezuko, please don’t tell anyone until the end of the day. It’s been a secret for a while now, even from you, because I couldn’t risk getting him in trouble. He’s already done so much for me.”

Nezuko looked liked she didn’t know how to respond.

“Of course I get it, and I won’t tell anyone… but you could have told me!”

“I’m sorry, but I really couldn’t! I’m not saying that you’d betray that secret, but sometimes information spreads without someone meaning to tell it.”

Nezuko, as well as his closest friends, constantly tease him about how close he was to Giyuu, and how obvious it was that he had feelings for him. If Nezuko knew for sure that there was something going on between them, one of their friends may have accidentally overhead them, and then someone eavesdropping on their friends could have heard it, and then like a plague, rumours would quickly spread to school staff.

“Okay, fine, but how long? When did you tell him? Tell me, tell me!” she insisted, tugging at her brother’s sleeve while expertly weaving between people at the station.

“I’ll tell you all about it later, I promise! It wont be a secret for much longer,” he hastily tried to simmer down his sister’s energy. There were students in this area that took the train to school with them, so Tanjirou didn’t want them overhearing. She stopped pursuing the subject with an impatient groan and they were left standing on the train side by side in silence. They both knew that there were a hundred questions that Nezuko wanted to ask with a burning passion.

Despite the moment of bashfulness, Tanjirou’s excitement about today never faltered. He practically woke up every hour the previous night because he was so hyped up. He’s been waiting for this day for months, and now it was finally here. He couldn’t wait for the ceremony was over so he could rush to find Giyuu. None of the teachers were doing classes in the morning because of the graduation ceremony, and they needed to see their senior students off, like birds who were finally fleeing the nest and into the big, scary world of adulthood.

That meant that Giyuu would be completely free for Tanjirou to ambush.

—

Sitting still in his chair in the middle of the gymnasium was absolute agony. Tanjirou’s stomach was in knots and his hands kept fidgeting with his pants. There were even times his foot started bouncing on its own, and it wasn’t until the girl next to him side-eyed him that he realized he was doing it. She probably just thought he was nervous. Many students were; heading up on stage in front of the entire grade, with all their families and all their teachers watching.

He felt a little guilty for wanting to leave so quickly, after all, his parents and sister were eager to see him walking across the stage and receive his diploma. He had to be patient for them. Giyuu would still be here at school when that was done. He just had to take deep breaths and stay calm.

At least when they stood up to sing the graduation song, that anxious energy drained from his stomach as if gravity had pulled it out through his feet. He felt himself smiling a little as he sang, feeling proud of this moment.

He was a little sad to leave school. He’d be leaving behind the comforting familiarity of its routine, and seeing his friends everyday, but there were many more things he had to look forward to in the future.

The moment Tanjirou ascended the stairs to the stage, it felt like he was on top of the world, like he was untouchable. It felt so empowering. He bowed low to the principal, then graciously accepted the thick, black casing that had the school’s emblem on it. Inside was his diploma.

It felt like he was touching something sacred.

Wow. This was it. This was proof that a chapter in his life was at its end. He was putting grade school behind him.

There was once a time when he nearly screwed this up. This moment could have easily been out of his reach, but then Giyuu saved him; and now Tanjirou was able to graduate with all his friends.

To his surprise, Tanjirou suddenly needed to blink back tears threatening to gather in his eyes. He didn’t expect to get this emotional.

He didn’t have the chance to catch any familiar faces in the audience, and he didn’t have the chance to linger on stage either, as the next student was ascending the stage. A milestone in his life was over in a matter of seconds. The moment was gone like an ember flickering out into a gust of wind. It was surreal and a little funny to think that he waited twelve years of his life for that.

As he followed the path back to his chair, just like they rehearsed days before, Tanjirou caught sight of a hand waving to him. He grinned brightly, recognizing his family in the crowd of parents boarding the gymnasium. His dad was between Nezuko and his mom, who was capturing all of his movements on video. He waved back enthusiastically.

He sat back down in his seat feeling lighter than before.

—

“Tanjirou! Come take pictures with us!”

Tanjirou sprinted by his friends without a second glance.

“Wh—

“Sorry, I have to go do something first!”

“Where are you going?” Kanao curiously ran after him, who was followed by Inosuke, who was followed by Zenitsu, who was followed by Genya, and arguably a couple more students who’s interests were also piqued by the sudden dramatic dash of their classmates down the hall.

“I just need to find someone! Don’t worry, I’ll come find you guys later!” He waved to his friends over his shoulder, then resumed weaving in and out of the crowds of students taking selfies or talking with their parents. He apologized the few times he nearly bulldozed an unsuspecting student over. He didn’t mean to, but he was in a hurry.

Where was he?

Tanjirou kept peaking in and out of the classrooms, keeping his eyes keen for the one and only person that he desperately needed to see right now. Shit, he wasn’t on this floor at all.

Tanjirou skid to a halt when he hit a dead end at the end of the hallway, then turned a very swift 180 degrees that made him collide with Kanao.

“Sorry!” He stilled her with both hands on her shoulders, then darted passed her.

“Why the hell are you running?! What could you possibly need to do so badly?” Genya called out after him. Tanjirou didn’t answer and the rest of his friends didn’t inquire anything, but instead, continued to follow him. Genya groaned and did the same.

Tanjirou practically flew down the stairs with impressive agility and speed, leaping over half of the steps and hurdling over the railing. As more students saw the star athlete, the golden boy, the famously kind-hearted guy and unintentionally biggest heartbreaker of the entire school, speed down the halls like he was running from a demon, the more he gained an audience. Several tried to follow. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Shinazugawa barking at students not to run in the halls, but Tanjirou was above giving that guy his obedience anymore. Genya could talk to him.

Where was Giyuu?

He had to be here. He had to be. Tanjirou didn’t wait all this time with bottled up feelings just to leave the school forever without confronting him.

As he raced around one corner, he ran into Rengoku by accident, causing the both of them to lose their breath and stumble.

“Whoa, whoa! Slow down there, my boy! What’s the big rush?” The enthusiastic teacher asked with a chuckle, trying to still his star pupil.

“Sorry!”

“No problem. You eager to leave as soon as you can?”

“No! Yes! Um—

“So what’s g—

“I’m really sorry to interrupt you, but do you do know where Giyuu-sensei is?”

Rengoku was taken aback by the strong determination and the persistent question, even more so when he noticed that Tanjirou’s friends looked breathless just from trying to keep up with him.

“Ah!” He pointed his finger up, suddenly remembering, “I think in the courtyard! He goes there to eat lunch sometimes. Why do you need to—

And just like that, Tanjirou bolted.

“Sorry, Rengoku-sensei! We don’t know what’s going on either!” Zenitsu quickly explained, as if that gave any context at all.

Tanjirou couldn’t count the amount of times he’s imagined this one moment. He’s played it out so many times in his head, picturing a vast amount of different scenarios that never seemed perfect enough. He couldn’t remember which plan he decided was better than the others, because eventually, they all bled together into a conglomeration of heady desperation where Tanjirou just threw himself at Giyuu. There was even a time when Tanjirou thought about giving Giyuu his second pin, but he quickly decided that was too old-fashion.

Tanjirou slammed into the door leading to the courtyard. He stumbled outside the moment the hinges gave way to his weight and the door flew open.

Giyuu turned around when he heard the sound.

The man was typing on his phone, but the moment he saw Tanjirou, it disappeared into his pant pocket. Realization of what this moment meant, of what Tanjirou could possibly want to see him for, was the catalyst to the anticipation flashing across Giyuu’s eyes.

Tanjirou was overwhelmed by the beating of his own heart. This was it; this was the moment. He surged forward with a blinding smile, not keen on waiting a second longer.

Giyuu looked alarmed as his now ex-student launched himself into the air, so his arms instinctively reached out to catch him.

And caught him, he did.

The impact knocked the wind out of the teacher’s lungs and threw him off balance. Arms looped around Giyuu’s neck and legs wrapped around his torso.

Lips immediately found each other. It was sloppy. Their teeth clacked against each other.

Giyuu was too damn preoccupied by Tanjirou’s eager lips to properly regain his balance, so he collapsed backwards into the flowerbed.

An explosion of flower petals burst into the air from the impact.

Tanjirou could tell that Giyuu was about to say something, but Tanjirou was quick to kiss him again, properly this time; deeper.

Tanjirou’s hands held Giyuu’s face as their lips finally, finally melted into each other. Giyuu’s scent, his warmth, and the surprising softness of his lips— it was all so intoxicating and wonderful. A happy, purring moan riveted in the back of Tanjirou’s throat. Giyuu eagerly parted his lips and pushed his tongue up against Tanjirou’s top lip. Tanjirou giggled breathlessly.

His inexperienced lips moved in an awkward way, desperately trying to seek more of that high that he’s been craving for years, but not exactly knowing how. Giyuu nipped at Tanjirou’s lip sharply, making them stop their motions, then he demonstrated a better way. Languid parting of lips, sucking, a slick slide of his tongue; less desperate and more sensual. Even when they kissed, Giyuu was trying to teach him. Tanjirou shivered and stroked his hands over the man’s chest.

It was Giyuu that pulled back first, ending the kiss with an audible smooch between their lips. Tanjirou’s heart was racing. He bit his wet lip in anticipation. He wanted more. He wanted so much more. He never wanted to stop kissing him.

“Oh my god!”

“Did they just kiss?!”

“Are they alright?”

“Tanjirou just kissed him!!”

“They kissed!!”

“What the fuck?!”

“I knew it!!”

“Is Tomioka-sensei dead?”

“Are they seriously making-out in the flowerbed?!”

Tanjirou jerked back when his ears decided to relay sounds of the outside world to his brain again. He suddenly remembered that his friends had been running after him. Apparently others had followed too. There was a sizeable crowd hovering by the door. Many were approaching the scene and whipping their phones out.

Giyuu was blushing like crazy. No one had seen Giyuu blush.

Tanjirou was straddling Giyuu’s hips and his hands were on his shoulders. His lips were wet and his face was flushed. There was no denying that he just kissed the hell out of the school’s gym teacher. No one was that stupid.

And he didn’t want to deny it either. No more hiding.

“I’m not a student anymore!” He proclaimed loud and proud to the entire school. He might as well have just shouted: you definitely saw that and there’s nothing you can do about it!

Just when Giyuu looked like he was regaining his centre of gravity again, even sitting up, Tanjirou stole his breath away in one more deep, passionate lip-lock, causing everyone to scream in wild frenzy, the highest screams coming from a pair of girls who were excited by the wildly romantic display. Most others were blushing or reeling back in shock. Tanjirou’s friends were mostly just shouting profanities at him.

“Thank you for everything, Giyuu-sensei!” Tanjirou winked, then hopped off the teacher and sprinted away like a bouncing rabbit before he could get scolded for violating at least five school rules. Giyuu was left with tiny yellow petals in his messy hair, his ass and arms covered in soil, and a wildly pattering heart. It was the most debauched state the school had ever seen him in.

When Shinazugawa, Rengoku, and Uzui caught up with all the commotion, Tanjirou and his friends were already halfway down the street, never to be seen at the school again.

“What the hell happened to you?” Shinazugawa snorted with amusement.

“It looks like you got mauled by raccoons!” Rengoku laughed.

Giyuu brushed leaves and bits of dirt off his clothes, but before he could answer, the witnesses to the event beat him to it.

“Tanjirou happened!”

“Tanjirou-kun just kissed Tomioka-sensei!!”

“It’s true, he did!”

“Everyone saw it.”

Uzui smirked and wrapped his monstrously large arm around Giyuu’s shoulders.

“Is that so? Tomioka got swept off his feet?”

“No, I got knocked off my feet,” he correct, somehow managing to slip back into his usual deadpanned tone.

“The brat actually kissed you?” Shinazugawa cringed. Giyuu shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, look at that! He liked it! A passionate kiss at the end of the school year straight from the lips of young student in love! You can’t tell me you weren’t invigorated by that, you sly fox!” Uzui teased, roughing him up a little more with his hands. Giyuu quickly grew tired of it and wriggled out of his arms like a displeased cat.

“Gross,” Shinazugawa groaned. He reached for his pack of cigarettes and slid one out of the box.

“Kamado-kun sure is a fiery spirit, isn’t he? I’m going to miss him!” Rengoku voiced.

Giyuu didn’t say anything as he continued to pluck bits of dirt and flowers from his hair. He’d miss seeing him every day too, but this wasn’t the end. Far from it.

—

“You son of a bitch!!” Inosuke cackled and jumped on Tanjirou’s back the moment he caught up with him.

“You just did that! You— seriously… just fucking did that!” Zenitsu wheezed when he caught up too. His fitness level barely held a candle to his two athletic friends.

“I did!” Tanjirou grinned, agreeing.

“You have balls! Fucking balls of steel!” Inosuke smirked. Tanjirou laughed as Inosuke ruffled his hair and Zenitsu pinched his face. The trio had found themselves at the park that was across the street from the school’s main gate.

“Nope! Just normal balls!” Tanjirou eventually crumbled under the weight of his friend, then started to wrestle him in the grass.

“If I wrestle you into submission, I’ll have bigger balls than you!”

“Nu uh!”

“You’re going to ruin your uniform!” Zenitsu tutted.

“Not like I need it anymore!” Tanjirou tried to laugh, but then found his face squished into Inosuke’s armpit.

“Eww! Stop!”

“Beg for mercy!”

“No!!”

At that point, Kanao and Genya caught up with the trio.

“Yeah but we were still going to take pictures! And then go for lunch! You two are animals!” Zenitsu huffed.

Inosuke let out an obnoxiously loud pig snort, making Tanjirou burst with laughter. Kanao already had her phone out to capture the two in the moment, then turned her camera to Zenitsu. He noticed and posed.

“One of my friends has a video of you kissing Tomioka-sensei,” Kanao talked indirectly to Tanjirou as she snapped a few pictures of Zenitsu.

“Can she send it to me?!” Tanjirou asked excitedly. He had Inosuke on his back with his legs around his head.

“Oh my god!”

“Yes, of course,” she replied, turning the camera to Genya, who had just voiced his bafflement at Tanjirou’s response.

“You guys are acting like this isn’t a big deal,” Zenitsu complained.

It only took a couple more tousles before Tanjirou and Inosuke ran out of motivation to keep wrestling, so they came to a mutual draw. Tanjirou panted and sat upright on the grass.

“It is a big deal, I’m just not a student there anymore. Even if someone doesn’t like it, they can’t blame Giyuu-san for it, because I was the one that instigated it. They could just play it off as a spontaneous thing some reckless student did. Plus, I wouldn’t have done it if I knew that Giyuu-san didn’t want the same thing.”

He smiled and made two peace signs when Kanao leaned down to take a selfie with him.

“But it’s not a spontaneous thing, is it? You really care about him,” she wistfully commented. A small pause preceded a defeated sigh from Tanjirou. He knew he had to come clean to his friends about what actually happened between Giyuu and him over the past two years.

“Okay, it’s a long story. I’m hungry though, so let’s go for lunch, then I’ll explain.”

—

Tanjirou told the story from beginning to end.

“So you’re telling me… that you’re actually going to be dating that devil-incarnate?”

“Oh my god, stop calling him that!” Tanjirou protested.

“Not all of us were the gym teacher’s pet, you fucking weirdo,” Genya added, making Tanjirou inhale so indignantly and pout so hard that he might as well have been mimicking an angry hamster.

“Not all of us are willing to break our bones to seduce Tomioka-sensei,” Zenitsu said.

“I didn’t!—

“You guys are being mean,” Kanao interrupted.

“You could have at least went after a cool teacher! Like… like—

“Oooo, do you have a crush on a teacher too?” Inosuke pried, obnoxiously leaning onto Zenitsu’s shoulder.

“No!!”

“Doubt.”

“I don’t!”

“Press X to doubt.”

Even Kanao started laughing with everyone else.

“How dare all of you, in front of my Nezuko.”

“She’s not yours,” Tanjirou reminded. The statement was routine at this point.

Nezuko gave a light-hearted chuckle. She had joined them for lunch after she got all her homework. Zenitsu lit up like a Christmas tree the moment he saw her walk in, but deflated the second she sat next to her brother instead of him.

“Speaking of which! Nezuko-chan, do you want something to eat? Something to drink?” The blond boy asked with a smile.

“No thank you. You’re very sweet to ask though,” she smiled back. Zenitsu didn’t seem deterred at all, not as long as he got a reaction like that from her. Zenitsu had been outlandish with his feelings for Tanjirou’s little sister, but Nezuko hadn’t given Zenitsu an answer yet. She would sometimes get overwhelmed, maybe even tell him to calm down, but she never rejected him— at least not yet.

Tanjirou knew how she truly felt. She was allured by him, and liked that he was so nice to her, but she wasn’t ready to accept his feelings yet. Zenitsu was a lot and she needed time to get used to him. Tanjirou insisted that she listen to her feelings and not feel pressured into doing anything she didn’t want. Best friend or not, Tanjirou was going to protect his little sister the moment any man becomes a threat to her.

Besides, everyone knew that Zenitsu was never going to give up on her anyway. He’d keep trying with the same vigour every single day until she said yes. Or told him to go die in a hole.

“I want something,” Inosuke piped up.

“You deserve nothing,” Zenitsu turned up his lip.

“I deserve food!”

“You deserve a punch in the face.”

“I will piss on everything you love.”

“Why?!”

Tanjirou laughed as the conversation quickly diverged away from his affair. It gave him the chance to take another bite of yakitori and check his phone. There as a message from Giyuu.

Giyuu:
Only if I can kiss you without half the school watching this time.

Tanjirou bit his lip over his wicked grin. They’d been texting for the past half-hour. They were discussing where to meet for a date; a real one this time. The meet-ups they’ve had before had been under a guise of denial and pretending. Tanjirou suggested going for ice cream after the dinner date that Giyuu suggested, to which Giyuu sent that text as a response.

Nezuko wordlessly rested her head against his shoulder. For a moment, Tanjirou worried that she was trying to be nosy, but her eyes never diverted to his phone. Her focus remained on their friends. Tanjirou appreciated that she could read him so well, knowing when to pry, and when to subtly remind him that she was here to support him. He had an amazing sister.

Tanjirou:
I thought you’d never ask ( ˊᵕˋ )♡

Giyuu:
You didn’t?

Tanjirou snorted shortly. Giyuu was really cute sometimes.

Tanjirou:
It’s just a figure of speech. It means that I’d love it.

Giyuu:
Then just say that to begin with.

Wow.

Tanjirou:
Yes, sensei <3

Judging by how many times the three dots appeared and disappeared, Giyuu didn’t know how to flirt back. After about ten minutes, Tanjirou finally got a message that had nothing to do with the topic.

Giyuu:
Get home safe. Text me when you do.

Tanjirou:
I will!! <3

—

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, the dirt broke my fall. My clothes just got dirty.”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

“You’re not sorry.”

“Yes, I am! …well, not really,” Tanjirou giggled.

“Why were you hiding in the courtyard anyway? I looked all over for you and you weren’t anywhere to be seen!”

“I thought you’d want to spend more time with your friends and family. Plus, it’s always so chaotic during graduation. I don’t like being inside,” Giyuu explained. Tanjirou could hear the sound of shuffling and a soft exhale over the phone, like he just sat down on his couch.

Would he be able to see Giyuu’s place soon? He’d love to sit cozy next to him as they watched a show. And then kiss. And hug. And kiss some more.

“Ah, no. Well, my parents had to go back to the bakery and open it up for the afternoon. They took the morning off to come see me. I was really happy to see them there. And they closed up early today as well. We had cake to celebrate! It was so nice. I love whenever mom and dad get to spend time more time with us.”

“That’s good.”

“Yup!”

“Still, even if your parents weren’t there, I figured you’d want to spend some time with your friends,” Giyuu started, “…but you just… ran out of the gym and came searching for me the moment your parents left?”

“That’s right!” Tanjirou chirped. It was clear that the teen didn’t see an issue with that. Giyuu huffed out a breath of air.

“You really are something else.”

The fondness in Giyuu’s voice was soft. It gave Tanjirou butterflies.

“So are you! I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

“Probably in a ditch somewhere. Dead.”

Tanjirou sputtered a laugh through his lips. “Uh oh, so what am I going to do without you watching over me from now on?”

“Learn how to control yourself?”

“Mmm, I think I like being in your care more.”

“You’re not a child, you need to learn how to—

“I know, I know! I was just joking.”

Silence filled the phone conversation. Tanjirou grinned.

“Giyuu-san?” Tanjirou asked as he rolled over onto his stomach, hugging his pillow underneath his chin, “Do you think you’re going to find a new favourite students now that I’m not there?”

There was a slight pause. The noise Giyuu made wasn’t a exactly a sigh. It echoed a solemn loneliness, yet a hint of tender emotion.

“No. No one could ever replace you.”

Tanjirou flopped his face into his pillow, grinning like an idiot.

“…Tanjirou?”

“I want to kiss you right now. Really badly,” Tanjiro admitted.

Tanjirou could practically hear Giyuu’s smile over the phone. “Me too.”

“We have a date this Friday,” Tanjirou reminded.

“Mhmm. At the park for a picnic.”

“Yup!” The same park they had their non-date. They’d been talking about how much they wanted to go back there while the cherry blossom trees were blooming.

“Tanjirou?”

“Mhmm?”

“…”

The sound of shuffling came over the phone, so Tanjirou waited. When Giyuu needed to collect his thoughts, Tanjirou would patiently let him.

“Anything you want or don’t want to do, you can tell me. I don’t want to hurt you. Or make you think that you need to do anything… just because I’m older.”

It took Tanjirou a moment to realize what Giyuu meant, and when he did, he felt warmth flowing through his body like a rushing river. He hugged his pillow tighter.

“No… I don’t think that. Anything I do, I’ll do it because I want to.”

“Are you sure?”

“I promise,” Tanjirou said sweetly and honestly.

It was an indirect confession, of sorts. Tanjirou was too embarrassed to put it into words yet. Perhaps he’d be able to when the time came.

“Remember that time in your office? When you… bit me?” Tanjirou laughed a bit, because the way he phrased it sounded funny.

“…yeah?” Giyuu’s tone was cautious.

“I was… really turned on by it…” Tanjirou admitted, timidly. He was unsure how to properly flirt about sexier stuff, since he’s never done it before.

“Ah…”

The simple word held about ten different emotions in it. It was like he wanted to say more, but didn’t know how. It was like he was happy to hear the news, but didn’t want to say how much. It was like he was holding back— really holding back.

“Do you like knowing that?” He asked, prying for more.

There was a heady pause.

“…very much, Tanjirou. Very much so. You have no idea,” he replied huskily, pleased.

Tanjirou lost his breath a little and squirmed on his bed. He really needed to stop this before it progressed into something he didn’t want Giyuu hearing over the phone.

“That’s good. Uh, so, I think I should go to bed. Before I get too excited…” He laughed.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Hehe… well, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Of course. Whenever you want.”

“Okay. Goodnight,”

“Goodnight, Sleep well.”

And that was the end of the call. Once again, Tanjirou was able to fall asleep with big smile on his face, because Giyuu was the last person he talked to, and it was his voice that echoed in his head as he drifted off.

He dreamt of that date they were going to have, of laying his head in Giyuu’s lap underneath the fluttering cherry blossom petals. He dreamt of having Giyuu’s fingers softly stroking his hair.

He dreamt of a future where he could be by Giyuu’s side forever.