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"Tanjiroooou!" Zenitsu called after him in a breathless manner. "Can you hold on a second?"
Tanjirou slowed to a stop and turned to face the blond. He waited patiently as his friend recovered the pattern of total concentration constant.
"Sorry..." Zenitsu explained between heaving breaths. "I messed up the pattern... and couldn't get it back. Okay. I'm good now."
Tanjirou nodded with a smile. However, his brow furrowed slightly as he noticed the sweat on his face. It's wasn't particularly warm that day. The cool breeze played with his delicate earrings as it passed by.
"Perhaps he was just strained by the sudden breathing change. It hurts pretty bad when I mess up," Tanjirou thought to himself. "I hope he's okay."
"Oi!" Inosuke called from ahead. "Why are you guys so slow! At least give me a challenge when we race to the mission!"
Zenitsu straitened and jogged past Tanjirou grumpily. "We were never racing! I don't understand your boundless energy..."
"He seems okay. Good." Tanjirou followed after.
When they approached their destination, they slowed to a walk.
"I think we should ask around right off." Tanjirou suggested as they stepped into the large town. "There wasn't many details in the directive. Maybe the locals will know more."
"Why can't we just look for it, huh?" Inosuke questioned unbothered by the strange looks that the townsfolk were giving him.
Zenitsu took a sip of water and cleared his throat. "The town is way too big for that. We should narrow down the search area, right?" He tucked the bottle away.
Tanjirou nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. We can ask where the approximate place that people go missing is."
"Should we really take Inosuke when asking questions though?" the blond mentioned with a grimace. "He might end up scaring everyone we talk to."
Tanjirou hummed. "How bout you go to the rooftops and get an overview, Inosuke?"
"Hah! Fine. I didn't want to talk to people anyway. There's too many..." Inosuke whispered the last sentence under his breath before leaping up to a roof. The tile clacked under his feet as he landed. He spared a small glance at his friends before turning to leave.
"Meet us in the center at sunset okay?" The redhead called after him. The younger boy grunted in reply and disappeared.
Tanjirou gestured for his yellow friend to follow him and continued walking through the town. "Come on, Zenitsu. Let's go."
***
Zenitsu tugged at his tall collar in discomfort. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he dragged in another heavy breath. He grumbled quietly so only he could hear.
"It's so hot... I don't get how Tanjirou doesn't even look fazed by it at all." He watched silently as the boy in question chatted with a man and his wife.
He couldn't understand what they were saying. He could hear their voices and words clearly by all means, yet their meanings just wouldn't register in his mind. He sighed and shook his head to clear the mental fog.
"Thank you very much, sir, ma'am!" Tanjirou bowed. His earrings fluttered in the breeze.
"Are you certain that you won't be needing a place to stay?" The man asked glancing between the two boys. He crossed his arms.
"Yes, sir. We'll be fine!" Tanjirou replied cheerfully. "We work at night."
The woman frowned worriedly. "Do be careful." She turned to Zenitsu. "Are you sure you're alright? You look pale."
Zenitsu blinked at her, the gears slowly turning in his brain. He flushed as heat rose from his neck to his face. "A-ah. Yes, ma'am..."
Seemingly satisfied, the couple bowed and thanked them and wished them luck.
The sun was creeping lower in the sky so the two slayers journeyed to the center. All the while, Zenitsu felt the weight Tanjirou's eyes on him. He impatiently wished that the guy would spit out whatever it was he wanted to say. It did not help his nerves to know that he was being watched. He kept his own gaze forward.
"Are you really okay, Zenitsu?" He heard the soft tones of his friend's voice inquire.
Zenitsu slouched forward letting his arms dangle lazily at his sides. "Eh. I'm just tired, Tanjirou." He stated simply and honestly because that's all he felt. "Seriously, where does Inosuke get all his energy? This is all his fault."
Tanjirou hummed next to him, his sound still unsure. "We can rest a little bit before we challenge the demon. Let's focus on meeting with Inosuke."
Zenitsu nodded and straightened his posture. A frown settled on his lips. He couldn't hold his friends back. He was just a little tired.
***
Inosuke's serrated blades arched towards the demon's neck from both directions. The only thing his blades cut through was air as the monster turned into a black cloud.
"Damn! It's too fast!" He growled in frustration before stealing a glance at his friends.
Tanjirou stabbed his katana forward defensively creating a wall of rippling water. "I don't think brute force is going to work on this demon! We have to think of another way-" The demon grinned as he phased effortlessly through his defensive strike and landed a punch to his chest. Tanjirou cried out as he was slammed against the wall of the dark warehouse.
"Tanjirou!" Zenitsu screeched in worry. His eyes flicked forward frantically, scanning the black corners and the shadows behind the abandoned crates. "I hate this! I hate this!"
"Get it together, both of ya!" Inosuke sprinted in front of the older boys with his crazed boar eyes gleaming. "Let's hit 'em at the same time! He won't see it coming!"
"He will if you yell it out like that!" The blond whisper-screamed.
Tanjirou climbed to his feet slowly. "It's worth a try right?" He bit out with strained smile.
"You guys are crazy..." his yellow friend whimpered as he reluctantly set his stance.
They had been at this for hours already. Tanjirou could tell easily that this was only a mid level demon because none of its offensive attacks dealt much damage. That being said the demon was highly elusive. Every time they got close to cutting his neck he always turned to smoke and became solid again when he was out of danger.
"That's the reason he is not a low level." Tanjirou grimaced as he struck low in a sweeping arc. "Demons don't get tired. Humans on the other hand..."
A resounding boom exploded over his head just after the demons legs faded from view. He rolled to change his velocity before leaping to his feet and glancing around.
The demon stood there in the center of the three boys glancing at his hand with wide eyes. Red dripped from his fingers after he pressed them against his neck again to be sure. The demon's pupils shrank in rage. Whirling around, he pointed with an arm shaking in fury.
"You!" He bellowed at Zenitsu. Inky black gas rolled off of his form growing thicker and heavier. "How dare you touch me! You filthy rat!"
"Tanjirou?" Zenitsu locked eyes with the redhead. His pale expression pleaded for protection and his katana quivered in his grip.
Tanjirou sprinted toward his friend as the abyss descended upon them.
"Witness the eternal darkness!" The demon roared. "Demon art: Shroud of Night!"
"Zenitsu! Inosuke!" Tanjirou called out as black flooded his sight.
"I can't see!" He panicked as he clutched his blade like a lifeline. "Don't panic! Breathe, Tanjirou... and trust your other senses."
He sucked in a measured breath and then doubled over with a resounding cough.
"The smoke! It's too thick! If I use total concentration constant, I will inhale too much smoke for it to work!"
He straightened himself and stepped forward. "Focus your senses. If sight and smell don't work, then listen, be vigilant with your spacial awareness and depend upon your instincts."
"Damn this smoke! I can't see!"
"Once I find you slayers, you're dead meat! Your techniques are useless!"
"The demon can't see through his own blood demon art." Tanjirou noted. "I think both the demon and Inosuke are to my left side. Zenitsu should have been in front of me, but I turned around a few times while I panicked."
Tanjirou strained his ears to catch any sign of his friend.
"Where are you, Zenitsu? Help me find you!"
Faint coughs touched his right ear. Tanjirou turned that direction and walked carefully through the blanket of smoke with his left hand outstretched.
Gradually, the coughing grew clearer as he moved forward. In his walk, Tanjirou tapped something with his foot. Crouching down and sheathing his katana, he felt around him. His hand brushed against soft fabric. The fabric shakily rose and fell in time with tight wheezing breaths.
"Zenitsu? He collapsed!" Tanjirou realized as he flipped the other boy over onto his back. More pitiful coughs shook the boy's body at the movement. Worried further, the redhead pulls his friend to his chest. Zenitsu's cheek brushes his neck as he holds him close. Tanjirou freezes. The blond's skin was burning to the touch.
"You're burning up! It's no wonder you were so exhausted and overheated all day! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Tamago!" Inosuke's voice bellowed in his ears with no remorse. "What's happening now? Can't you fight?"
"He's able to breathe with his boar mask on!" Tanjirou noticed immediately. "He must've used his sense of touch to find us, which, in a way, means he can see!"
Tanjirou raised a hand to his throat, his mouth and then covered his eyes.
"You can't see? Me neither and I'm still fighting! I can talk too and use my breathing technique!" Inosuke babbled confirming that he could somewhat understand what Tanjirou was trying to convey.
Tanjirou gestured again, but this time at Zenitsu and then himself. After that, he gently wrapped his hand around his neck and stuck out his tongue.
"Please work..." The boy prayed.
"Ahh... I getcha. You really can't breathe here, huh?" He crouched in front of the older boys carefully. "Well then! Allow me, the king of the mountain, to take care of this!"
At the noise, Zenitsu stirred in Tanjirou's arms and coughed weakly once more.
Inosuke hesitated a moment before touching the redhead's shoulder. "I should get ya out of here first huh," he huffed. "Get up. I'll guide you, but I need my hands free."
After adjusting the blond in his arms, Tanjirou rose to his feet. He heard Inosuke grunt in approval and followed the sound of his low mumbling.
A minute later Inosuke spoke up louder, "We're almost there, come on!"
Tanjirou picked up his pace at the words and narrowly missed a swipe from the smoke demon.
"There you are!" The demon cackled swiping at him again.
The weight of the box on Tanjirou's back lessened as his little sister leapt out with a growl. Nezuko held her ground between the monster and her brother as he retreated. She activated her demon art and the whole room was set ablaze with pink flame, swallowing up the black smoke in an explosion.
Nezuko stumbled, blinking away the blindness in her eyes from the sudden flash of light.
The smoke demon shrieked as he was engulfed by pink flames. He wailed and nearly clawed at his face to relieve the pain and blindness.
Inosuke slammed open the warehouse door and ushered Tanjirou outside. "Go! Go! Get out!"
As quickly as he could, Tanjirou acquiesced. Pushing his legs to run with what little strength he had left, he stumbled and fell into the open, his body twisting so that Zenitsu wouldn't be crushed. Lying safely on the grass outside, Tanjirou's chest heaved to fill his lungs with untainted air.
Concerned ruby colored eyes examined the face of the boy next to him.
Zenitsu's orange-tipped bangs stuck to his forehead dampened by sweat. Splashes of a feverish pink across his cheeks stood out starkly against the pallor of the rest of his face. Shallow breaths barely dragged past slightly parted lips.
Scrambling to sit up and better check over his friend, he called out, "Hey! Wake up!" He leaned Zenitsu against himself for the latter's ease of breath. "Wake up, Zenitsu." He called again with a gentle shake of the shoulder. "I know you can hear me."
Finally he received a response, when the boy in his arms lurched forward violently with a painful sounding cough.
He peered at the redhead through half-lidded eyes. "Tanjirou? What happened? The demon?" He rasped.
"Nezuko and Inosuke are handling it since they can withstand its power." Tanjirou reported in a soft voice. "We're safe where we are right now so just breathe, alright?"
The blond merely squeezed his eyes shut again and nodded. A tiny groan fell from his lips. His entire body ached, especially his legs and head. He felt incredibly uncomfortable, cold, sweaty, sticky and generally gross, but most of all he was exhausted. Bone tired. He suppressed a whine behind clenched teeth. He was pathetic enough as he was. He was sure Tanjirou would agree.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Zenitsu blinked and glanced at the boy supporting him with confusion. "Huh?" He uttered with eloquence. As he waited for an explanation, he noticed how Tanjirou's brows pinched together like when he's pensive or concerned.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were unwell?" Tanjirou clarified. "We could have let you rest at that nice couple's house while we took care of the demon problem."
Unwell? He wasn't unwell, just tired. Whenever he felt like this before he was always told to suck it up and stop being lazy. He would rest when the work was done. This was what being extremely tired felt like. It takes quite a while to go away and sometimes he felt like he brushed against death, but he's only being dramatic.
With throbbing muscles in his arms he pushed himself up to sit by himself.
Immediately, Tanjirou placed a steadying hand on his chest. "What are you doing? You shouldn't exert yourself right now."
"I'm fine, Tanjirou." He reassured as he shook off the dizziness fogging his brain.
Tanjirou blinked at him. "Do you really believe that? Don't you feel awful right now?"
Zenitsu hesitated. "Yes... but does that matter?"
The younger boy's mouth gaped in horror. "You have a fever! Don't you know how dangerous that can be?"
"A fever..." he repeated to himself. "Dangerous?"
"Yes, it's dangerous," Tanjirou adjusted his grip to properly meet his friend's gaze. His ruby eyes shown with concern and fear. "Zenitsu, don't you understand? If I didn't find out myself, you could have died!"
Zenitsu froze, his eyes widening in shock.
"So why?" As Tanjirou continued, he felt water rise in his eyes and his jaw clench. "Why didn't you say something?!"
Zenitsu stared at the younger boy for a long moment. "Tanjirou, I—" He lurched forward with a string of coughs.
"Ah! I'm sorry!" With a gasp, Tanjirou frantically apologized and lifted the blond in his arms as he climbed to his feet. "There's no time for this right now. I'm getting you help, but we're definitely talking about this later." He sprinted back to the area of town where the couple resided.
Once they reached the door of the couple's home, Tanjirou set Zenitsu down opting instead to throw his arm over his shoulder to help share his weight. He knocked on the door with his newly acquired free hand.
"Excuse me!" Tanjirou called out. "I'm sorry to bother you at this hour Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura, but we need your help!" He heard rapid footsteps inside as he felt his friend lean more and more heavily against him. "Hold on, Zenitsu. You're gonna be okay."
Light poured onto the two boys on the porch. "You two! Are you alright?" Said the backlit gentleman.
"Please, sir! You have to help him!" Tanjirou pleaded and shifted the blond closer towards the doorway. "He's very sick and he has a fever! I- Just please?"
The man hesitated no longer and gathered the older boy in his arms headed inside. "Honey!" He called for his wife. "Please get out the spare futons! Those two boys have returned!"
Tanjirou watched as Mrs. Nakamura hurriedly did so, her long dark hair flowing in her wake. Her husband laid the blond down and left to get some water and cloth while she tucked the boy in.
She tsked and shook her head when she felt his forehead, "Oh, I just knew something was wrong with him the moment I first saw him." She sat back and placed a gentle hand against her stomach. "Maybe it's the mother in me..."
Tanjirou glanced away in guilt. "I should have paid more attention to him. Usually he would complain about what's bothering him, but I... He shouldn't have to for me to know that he's unwell."
"You're not to blame for this." The woman told him with a soft expression. "I asked him if he was okay before and he told me that he was. He probably didn't want anyone to know or was trying to persevere through it. I don't know that, but I know that it's not your fault."
"She's right you know." Mr. Nakamura chimed in as he returned with a bowl of cold water and some towels.
Mrs. Nakamura took a cloth, wet it and placed it on Zenitsu's head. At the cool sensation he shivered, his pinched brows twitched and he softly whined in his subconscious.
The lady glanced back to Tanjirou once more. "I'm not sure how much we can do to help. We're not doctors..."
"No it's alright." Tanjirou hurriedly explained, "There's people coming in the morning who can help." Suddenly aware of the time of night, he apologized, "I'm really sorry for having woken you up at such an early time-"
"Don't worry about it." Mr. Nakamura insisted. "We already offered our home for you to stay and ever since the demon problem started, we haven't been able to get much sleep anymore. I can't imagine having to raise my child here with a monster roaming around in the night."
"My other friend and my sister are handling it as we speak. They're strong. So there's no need to worry about them." Tanjrou promised. "After tonight, you will be able to sleep peacefully."
Mrs. Nakamura's eyes sparkled with hope. "Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" She quietly cheered. In her hands, she offered him a damp towel. "Here. To clean your face and to help with your bruises. Don't think we didn't notice your injuries as well."
The boy gaped at her for a brief moment. Grief and loss seized him. Her kind actions reminded him terribly of his mother and her gentle care. Graciously, he took the rag from her and lowered his gaze. "Thank you, ma'am. Thank you both for your generosity." He managed without choking.
"There's no need..." She assured him. "We wanted to help you."
"It's the least we could do," her husband agreed. "It's an honor to be able to. You are freeing us from a life of terror."
"Even so... I'd like to thank you. Please accept it. If nothing else, just my words." Tanjirou pleaded with them. He knew if his sister were here that she would scold him for his stubbornness and his bleeding heart, but he just couldn't help it. The couple smiled at him in sympathy, seeming to have decided to let him win.
"Oh, alright then. We tried our best, dear." The woman slipped a joke to her lover causing him to chuckle. She turned her attention back to the fevered teen next to her. Feeling the cloth and finding it warm, she switched it out for a fresh one. "Is there anything else you boys need? Something to eat, perhaps?"
He shook his head. "No ma'am. At least not at the moment, but thank you." He considered her as she nodded and continued to keep an eye on Zenitsu's condition. He spoke up a second later, "You should probably go rest, right? Even if you can't sleep. And with the baby and all, you shouldn't be around my friend for too long. We wouldn't want you to get sick."
"You have a good point there," the husband and father to be noted and helped his wife to her feet even as she frowned. "Go get some rest, love. I'll make sure these young men have what they need."
She sighed and lingered at the door for a moment. "I suppose I should. I wish you well and a good night's rest too." She left for their room.
Mr. Nakamura left the room as well to return with cups of water. "For you to drink," he explained simply. "And for your friend when he wakes up. He'll need it." He simply smiled and nodded in reply when Tanjirou thanked him again.
The room grew silent save for the occasional dripping of water and the shifting of fabric. It gave Tanjirou plenty of space to think. Too much space. As he sat quietly on his borrowed futon, he replayed the conversation he'd had with his sick friend earlier in his head.
"I'm fine, Tanjirou."
"Do you really believe that? Don't you feel awful right now?"
"Yes... but does that matter?"
He couldn't believe what Zenitsu had said then and he still didn't believe it now. Of course he wasn't fine or they wouldn't be here, but what did he mean when he asked if it mattered? Why did he act so confused? Did he really believe it himself that he was fine? Is that why he didn't complain? Was Tanjirou a bad friend for not noticing anyway?
"Tanjirou." The sound of a weak voice roused him from his deep thought. He shuffled his way closer to the blond and the gentleman tending to him sat back.
"I'm here," he softly responded to the call. A calloused hand rested on the elder boy's shoulder. Golden eye's blinked open and wandered about the room before settling on his face.
"Why're you sad?" Zenitsu mumbled. "I can hear you."
"I know," Tanjirou replied with a somber smile. "I'm sad cause my friend is sick."
"Are they gonna be okay?" His friend was decidedly out of it because of the fever.
"Mhm. He'll be just fine." Tanjirou assured him before offering him a cup of water.
Like before, Zenitsu pushed himself into a sitting position. Much to the red head and the kind man's distress. He took the cup with shaking hands and quickly drained it.
After he had him hand the cup back, Tanjirou coaxed him into lying back down. He grabbed the rag from where it had fallen off of Zenitsu's forehead and replaced it.
"How are you feeling, Zenitsu?" Tanjirou inquired, hoping for an honest answer.
The blond raised a hand to his forehead feeling the damp cloth. He let it flop back down. "Ugh, tired."
Dark brows pinched together. Tanjirou frowned. "Is that all?"
Zenitsu's eyes fluttered closed and his body shuddered. "Achey. Cold." He muttered. "Jus' tired. 'm fine."
"Why do you say that?" Tanjirou asked under his breath, mostly to himself. He didn't intend for the other boy to hear it, but of course he did.
"Told me it was nothing. Said I was overreacting an' being lazy. Wasn' trying to. I wasn't..."
Ruby eyes alit with alarm once again. "Who told you that?"
"Wasn't you..." Zenitsu stated, picking up on his friend's unvoiced concerns even in this state. "'s some other people I knew bef're."
Calloused hands curled into tight fists as Tanjirou felt a swell of rage and hurt on his friend's behalf. He took a deep breath and spoke softly. "I don't think so. You're not being lazy. You're in pain... And you deserve to be taken care of."
Zenitsu didn't respond to his words this time. His face was slack with sleep, the flush of fever still present, and his mouth hung open a bit.
A shaky breath left Tanjirou's lips. It felt as if someone had dropped a heavy weight on his chest. "How can such awful people exist? To think you could get sick to this point and not think to take care of yourself because someone scolded you for it. How dare they... I could've lost you if I hadn't found out. Did you believe that I would think badly of you if you told me how you felt? Is that why you didn't?" He choked on the lump building in his throat. "This won't happen again. You can tell me when you're not feeling well. I promise."
A hand gently gripped Tanjirou's shoulder. He looked up to see Mr. Nakamura's grim expression. The man had witnessed the conversation, yet politely remained silent, only now providing some comfort. "How 'bout you rest a bit," he suggested. "I'll keep watch."
Tanjirou nodded and tucked himself into the other spare futon. After he shut his eyes, morning seemed to rush to meet him. When he opened them again, a warm glow filtered through the windows of the house. Surprisingly, he found his little sister curled up into his side and Inosuke, mask off, quietly squatting next to their host. The man was still sat by Zenitsu's side just as he said he would be.
He must've felt Tanjirou's eyes on him because he glanced at him a moment later. "His fever broke sometime after you fell asleep," Mr. Nakamura reported cheerfully. "And those people you mentioned before came by with some medicine."
"Neko and I slayed the demon too!" Inosuke declared, thankfully at a more acceptable volume for the hour.
"That's great!" Tanjirou cheered as he ushered a sleepy Nezuko into her box. "Great job, everyone!"
While Inosuke tried not to show how happy he was about receiving praise from the older boy, Zenitsu stirred. The other two hovered over the blond as he blinked awake with clearer eyes.
"Hey," Tanjirou greeted him with a gentle smile full of relief. "Good morning!"
After having jumped at the sight of the two younger boys looming over him, Zenitsu rasped out a tiny, "Morning... Why're you in my face?"
Inosuke scoffed with an irritating finger pointed in between the blond's golden eyes, "'Cause you're stupid. That's why."
"I am not!" Zenitsu cried and shot up in indignation. He felt the pillow beneath his head once more after his vision turned to static and he flopped backward into the bedding. He blinked rapidly to regain his sight.
He could hear the subtle tones of worry behind the exasperation in Tanjirou's voice as he scolded them, "You need to take it easy, Zenitsu. You only just got better. Inosuke, don't antagonize him, please."
Inosuke scratched his head. "An... Anta-go... That word. What's that?"
"Antagonize," the older boy repeated slowly. "It pretty much means that you purposefully be mean or argue with someone to get them to bite back. Don't do that."
Crossing his arms, the king of the mountain grumbled. "Fine. But I still think he's dumb for not reporting to his boss that he was sick."
"I'm right here. And calling me dumb isn't much better." Zenitsu muttered from his place on the floor.
Choosing to push past the beginnings of an argument, Tanjirou continued,"Although, if what Inosuke was trying to say was that it wasn't very smart of you to hide that you're were sick, he kinda has a point."
He raised a hand to hush Zenitsu as the older boy began to question whose side he was on. "I need you to listen carefully. You're already great at that, but this is important. Okay?"
Sensing the room, Mr. Nakamura excused himself to go help his wife.
Zenitsu glanced from Tanjirou to Inosuke and shared a questioning gaze to which the other shrugged. However, the beastly boy seemed intrigued by Tanjirou's earnestness. The blond nodded at Tanjirou.
Tanjirou inhaled deeply and released. Staring intently into golden eyes, he pressed a hand to his heart and declared, "You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. And you never have to push yourself to the brink of death to do so. I promise that you can always come to me if you're not feeling well or are in need of help. I will never judge you for that."
Ruby red eyes sparkled with emotion as he spoke with purpose. "It doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you lazy. It doesn't make you a burden. It makes you human! I need you to understand that you're worthy being cared for!"
When his friend simply stared at him in shocked silence with tears rolling down his cheeks, something inside Tanjirou broke. He lunged forward and gathered his friend into his arms. Compassion and empathy overflowed inside him, manifesting in the form of trembling tears and a cry choked with sorrow. "You're worth it! I swear you're worth it! Believe me... I beg you!"
Zenitsu finally leaned into the embrace, burying his face into Tanjirou's shoulder. His silent tears grew into heavy sobs to match his friend. "I believe you."
Meanwhile, Inosuke, who was frighteningly out of his depth, sat back and watched them. To his confusion, his vision became blurred and he felt moisture on his face. It was a strange sensation. It worried him a bit.
"Tontaro..." He claimed the two other boys' attention with a wavering voice.
"Huh?" Tanjirou sniffled.
"I think I'm sick."
The other two shared a glance and a little laugh.
"Lucky for you, Inosuke, there's an easy way to get better!" Zenitsu told him and opened up space between him and Tanjirou.
Tanjirou caught on quickly and nodded. "That's right! Come here."
Inosuke did as he was told and scooted up to them and was enveloped in a hug sandwich. It did the trick sure enough. The wild boy enjoyed it up until the moment the warm fuzzies became too much for him to handle when he made his swift escape.
The four teenagers rested up in the kind family's home until Zenitsu was given leave to travel.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Tanjirou and Zenitsu bowed to their hosts in gratitude.
"It was our pleasure!" Mr. Nakamura proclaimed.
"Yes!" His wife agreed waving at them as they departed. "Please come visit us soon! I'd love for you to meet our child!"
"I'm sure we will!" Tanjirou assured her with an enthusiastic wave back.
As they passed the borders of the town, Tanjirou watched his companions carefully for any sign of illness or injury. He watched as Inosuke marched ahead with excitement in every step. His eyes lingered on Zenitsu walking beside him, taking it easy. He sighed. He would have to be vigilant this time lest someone end up dangerously sick again.
"Tanjirou?"
"Hm?"
"You've been staring. It's kind of creepy."
"Sorry… I zoned out." Tanjirou blinked back to the present. All images of the boy before him lying fevered on the floor fled to the back of his mind.
"Is something bothering you?" Zenitsu asked with honest concern.
"No, it's nothing." Tanjirou tried to brush the question and smiled in reassurance.
Golden eyes narrowed at him. "I can tell you're lying. Stop looking for ways to blame yourself."
Tanjirou's cheeks puffed out as he huffed in defeat. "Fine... I'll try." He paused before asking, "Do you really believe that you're worth caring for? Cause if you don't, I'm just gonna keep telling you that you are until you do."
Zenitsu's gaze turned soft and thoughtful. "I think I do... but even when I was staying at my Gramps's estate I had a hard time believing that. I would train until I was dead tired and then he would take care of me, but I always felt like a failure to myself because I couldn't go further. And when I was younger and on my own I was called lazy whenever I couldn't do work because I didn't have the strength to stand. It made me feel weak and like a disappointment because I hit my limit before I was expected to."
He glanced at Tanjirou's face and was surprised to find an expression of utter rage. "Just who do those people think they are..." he quietly growled. "I sure would like to give them a piece of my mind."
Totally unrelated, but a spark seemed to fly from the hard surface of Tanjirou's forehead.
Zenitsu paled. He laughed nervously. "I doubt we'll come across them at all. Besides, I don't even remember their names."
Tanjirou's form deflated in disappointment.
"Anyway, my point was..." Zenitsu continued. "That even though I might not fully believe it yet, I have friends, family that will make sure I get there. So don't worry about me too much."
Tanjirou finally cracked a smile. "Alright then."
"Hey! The mission bird is back! It's about time!" Inosuke cheered before sprinting off into the distance with excitement.
Tanjirou and Zenitsu shared a look of concern and exasperation before running after him.
"Inosuke! Wait up! We don't know where we're going!"
"Slow down, you brutish boar-head! Did you forget that I'm supposed to be taking it easy?!"