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echantedtoon · 9 months ago

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Everyone Wants A Brother Like You Part 2 Inosuke

Just a heads up these chapters are gonna be short. They're not meant to be very long and this story is just for fun. Hope you all enjoy!)

The leaves and wind running around through the tree tops created a beautiful symphony for the ears. The breeze felt nice against her skin and was a relief from the warm summer sun's sunlight. Truly today would be a good day for everyone.

"Tanjiro!" A pair of red eyes looked at her as she smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Nezuko!" The boy immediately set the bowl of rice he'd been eating to the side and stood up turning to greet his sister with a bright smile on his face. "I'm fine. Although my cuts still stung from Ms. Shinobu reapplying new bandages to them."

Good. That meant he was recovering nicely from the final battle against Muzan. Until Tanjiro's injuries fully healed or at least healed enough to safely travel without worrying about harm, they'd be staying here at the Butterfly Mansion until then along with everyone else who also needed healing. But she didn't like the idea of just free loading so Nezuko often found herself helping Aoi take care of things or visiting her brother and his friends. Like today she was going to do a large basket of laundry in her hands but stopped when she noticed her brother sitting outside the door eating food and she had to stop and say hi to him but mostly she wanted to ask and make sure he was alright.

"What do you have there?," he asked gesturing at the large basket in her hands.

"Aoi's really busy so I offered to do the laundry for her!"

"How nice of you! Hey! I'll help you!"

Her brow rose. "Are you sure? Your injuries."

"I'll be careful. We haven't spent much time together anyways! Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Behind them both a figure moved about the shadows and towards the door. Sneakily a body pressed against the doorway inching closer and closer to the open doorway. Until he poked his head out and looked directly at the siblings smiling at one another.

"Hm. Well ok. But finish eating your food first. You need your strength to heal."

"Alright! I don't think Shinobu would like me just leaving out unfinished food either."

Nezuko nodded before looking behind him and pausing. Causing Tanjiro to also pause in the middle of reaching for his food again and turning behind him. Both siblings paused at seeing a literal boar head staring at them from behind the doorway half hiding. Before Tanjiro smiled happily at him.

"Hi Inosuke! Did you want to help us with the laundry?"

Instead of answering the other boy just ducked behind the door again noticing that he was caught and similar to a squirrel scurried away from the door and out of sight. Not that it phased either of the siblings already being used to Inosuke's actions by now.

"Hm. I guess not. Oh well."

Little did they know that Inosuke did not really leave or at least go too far. Instead he hid just out of sight poking his head out from behind a bed watching as Tanjiro finished his food, and then left with Nezuko towards the well on the other side of the garden. As soon as the both of them were out of sight, he crawled forward back to his previous place hidden behind the doorway and poked his head out once again. Finding the two siblings smiling and walking off all the way towards the other side of the garden. As stealthy as a mouse he snuck out, crawling across the grass and wordlessly behind a giant flower bush surrounded by butterflies as he followed the siblings.

He stayed close by the entire time peeking behind random hiding spots before scurrying to a new one as he closed in on them both before stopping behind one tree and watching patiently as the two siblings smiled away as they gathered water from the well and they got to work washing the laundry with the water Tanjiro lugged over for Nezuko and then helped her scrub down the sheets. He byed his time waiting for the perfect moment to sneak closer to them. Or more Specifically his actual target Nezuko. As she sweetly smiled at her brother laughing at something he said as they rung water from freshly cleaned sheets before placing them back into the basket soaking wet. He waited like that for minutes before they finally carried the basket over to the clothes lines to hang up, and he took that opportunity to sneak closer crawling low across the grass and then behind a few small bushes lying flat on his stomach. Poking his head out to keep track of the two hanging the sheets against the wind one after another.

"There! All done!" Nezuko beamed proudly at their handiwork hanging on the line.

"Great job! Ali's going to be so happy."

Nezuko smiled at him and looked about ready to say something-

"TAKE OUT TIME!!"

Until all at once she was suddenly not standing there. It all happened so fast. One moment Nezuko was standing there and the next his sister was sprawled out on the grass dazed and blinking as someone held her in a 'just tackled' way.

"INOSUKE!?" Tanjiro yelled out looking horrified at his friend who just tackled her to the ground. "What are you doing?!"

"HAHAHA!!" He proudly stood up proudly pointing at his shocked expression. "Lord Inosuke has obtained this brother just like every underling has!!"

"What are you talking about?" A wheeze directed his attention to the ground. "Nezuko!" In an instant he was kneeling at her side pulling her up to stand. "Are you ok?!" She shook her head but nodded much to his relief. "Oh thank goodness. What were you doing?" He turned back to his friend who still stood proud.

"Silence!" He pointed at his face. "Bow down to your superior brother!"

Both siblings just stared at him. "....What?"

"I heard from one of my underlings that I get a brother by taking out your sister!" He pointed out Nezuko who blinked. "So now you both have no choice but to accept me as your superior brother!"

Tanjiro... slowly blinked. "So.. Someone told you that I'll be your brother by taking out my sister??"

"THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID!!"

... Tanjiro facepalmed with a groan. "Inosuke, that's not what they mean by 'taking out' Nezuko."

.. Inosuke tilted his head confused. "Eh? What do you mean? Do I need to fight her or something??"

"No! No fighting! Just...*sigh*"

"I'm..confused." Nezuko said.

"ME TOO!! ARE WE BROTHERS OR NOT!?"

Tanjiro rubbed his head but eventually smiled at him. "You really want to be out brother huh? Alright then, Inosuke. You can be our brother if you want to. I don't mind. Just..No more tackling Nezuko. That's not a good thing."

"HA!! Once again the great Inosuke gains victory!"

...Nezuko blinked again. "I'm still confused."

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silver-tooth-the-panther · 9 months ago

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Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Fifteen:

A Day Of Love

Warnings: None! It's just fluff!

Word Count: 5648

Nezuko has noticed this for a long time. It had been on her mind for a while now and she wanted to help. Zenitsu has been crushing over her less and less as time went by. By the time that Tanjiro ran away and became the Demon King, Zenitsu's crushing had completely stopped.

Don't get her wrong, they still were close friends, but their relationship was more platonic than anything else. She pondered about this knowledge while she was eating her breakfast. Tanjiro made miso soup and grilled fish for everyone, which was incredibly tasty. Rengoku's constant "UMAI" echoed through the dining hall. Luckily, it didn't bother anyone. Tanjiro and Zenitsu were conversing at the head of the table with cheerful smiles.

Nezuko looked over at them. Inosuke-who was sitting next to her-was doing the same. "What's so interesting about them?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head. "I'm just thinking.." Nezuko spoke softly. "Do you really think that they're in love?" Inosuke shrugged. "I have no idea, but they have been more chatty!"

Nezuko chuckled. "Maybe I could try to ask them?" Inosuke nodded, almost aggressively. "Oh! Oh! Can I help? I've been so bored!" Nezuko smiled warmly at the boar. "Sure. I don't see why not." Inosuke punched the air. "Yes! Thanks, Tenako!"

A few hours had passed and the two decided that Nezuko would approach Tanjiro and Inosuke would go up to Zenitsu. Nezuko had complete confidence in Inosuke, which some would consider to be naive. After cleaning up, Tanjiro went to his office to look through information about the cavern on the Humanoid island. Nezuko walked up to the office door and tenderly knocked on it. "Hello? Big brother?"

She heard some shuffling behind the door before her brother opened it. "Hello, Nezuko! Do you want something?" Tanjiro's soft, warm voice was a great comfort for her. "No. I just wanted to talk. Tanjiro nodded and stepped aside. "Sure. We can do that. I'm trying to look through some books, but we can talk for a bit."

Nezuko walked in and Tanjiro shut the door behind her. The Demon King sat back down near his desk. Nezuko just sat right next to him and cuddled close. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Tanjiro asked with a tilt of his head.

"I just wanted to ask how you've been feeling. You tend to put a lot on your shoulders, so I just wanted to check up on you." Nezuko said with a bright smile. "I'm actually feeling okay today. It has been a few days since we visited the Humanoids. I guess the only thing I'm truly anxious about is when Jackyll will appear again." Tanjiro returned the grin.

"Don't worry, big brother." Nezuko wrapped an arm around him. "When he does show his face, I know we can take him." Tanjiro looked at her with a soft expression and made a rather soothing rumble sound. "Thank you." Nezuko looked up at him, trying to think of how to get to the point.

"You and Zenitsu have been rather close as of late." Nezuko could see soft, red blush appear on her brother's face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "I guess we have been talking a lot more than usual, huh?" Nezuko nodded eagerly. "He does seem to care a lot about you." Tanjiro's face only blushed more as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah..I've noticed that he's pretty much stopped obsessing over you, but the same sweet scent is still there.."

Nezuko scooted closer with a cheeky grin on her face. "Do you think he likes you instead?" Tanjiro's face was completely red at this point and he nervously laughed. "I doubt it. Not like that anyway." His voice seemed rather somber during that last sentence. Nezuko gently grabbed his hand. "Do you like him?"

Tanjiro looked down at the floor, hesitating. "I guess you could say that. Yes, I do. I don't really know why, but I think it's because he brings me back down to reality." Nezuko put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "That's really sweet!" Tanjiro nodded, but he didn't look back up at her. In confusion, Nezuko tilted her head. "Are you ashamed to love him?"

The Demon King shook his head. "No. That's not it." Nezuko was now more confused. "Then why do you seem so sad?" Soft winces came from Tanjiro. "I know that he doesn't feel the same. He loves you and I just have to accept that." Nezuko gently gripped Tanjiro's arm. "Don't say that. You never really know for sure until you ask him."

Tanjiro just remained silent. He had no idea how to even approach Zenitsu. After all, he was almost one hundred percent sure that Zenitsu would never feel the same. Nezuko could read him like a book. "I know that you have your doubts, but the worst he can do is say no." Tanjiro looked up at her. "How about this..I can help you ask him! We can make it super romantic too! Would that be okay?"

Tanjiro nodded slowly with a soft smile. "That would be great. Thank you, Nezuko." The Demon Princess nearly jumped on her brother and wrapped her arms around him. "Of course! You've done so much for me. It's only fair that I return the favor!" Tanjiro chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her as well.

Inosuke marched around the castle, looking for Zenitsu. He has no idea on how to approach him, but he usually plays things by ear anyways. Snooping around, Inosuke peaks his head around a corner to see Zenitsu sitting outside. He was watching the birds flutter by. Puffing out his chest, Inosuke matched right up behind him.

"Hey, Monitsu!" Zenitsu practically jumped out of his skin. He stumbled back, looking at the boat with both anger and surprise. "Why the hell would you just walk up behind me like that?!" Inosuke shrugged. "What's so wrong with that?" Zenitsu pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Nevermind. Just forget it. Why are you here anyway?"

"Because you and Gaupachiro have been more buddy-buddy!" A slight blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as steam arose from him. "What do you mean? We've always been friends!" The boar nodded and crossed his arms. "You know what I mean! You've been talking to him a lot more. Are you his minion or something?"

Embarrassed blush turned into pure disgust. "No! Of course I'm not his minion!" Inosuke tilted his head. "Then do ya like him then?" The blush returned to Zenitsu's face. "O-of course. He's m-my.." Zenitsu stopped himself. Inosuke leaned his head forward, trying to hear what Zenitsu was going to say.

"Do ya love him?" The boar finally broke the silence. Zenitsu opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly shut it. He knew that it would've been a lie. "So what if I do? Boys can't love other boys." A confused grunt came from Inosuke. "Why not? No one's telling ya you can't!"

Zenitsu only shook his head sadly. "You just don't get it, Inosuke." He turned to look at him. "Do you ever see any same sex couple?" The boar didn't even think about the question. "I see two boys and two girls all the time!" With a sigh, Zenitsu facepalmed. "I mean romantically.."

His voice was now shaky as he only grew more frustrated. "Do I love Tanjiro? Yes I do.. just don't know if it's really possible for us to be together." Inosuke shook his head violently. "That's just some bullshit! No one's telling ya you can't and even if they were, who cares?! It's how you feel and you aren't hurting anyone!"

Zenitsu's heart clenched when he heard Inosuke's words. He wanted to have the king. He wanted to love him. Zenitsu just had no idea on how to get there or if he should get there in the first place. "I just don't know, Inosuke..."

"Trust me. No one is going to think any less of ya." The boar cackled. "I can help us get with him if you'd like!" A drop of cold sweat ran down Zenitsu's face as his lips trembled. "I dunno.." Inosuke stomped his foot. "Aw come on! I know you wanna!" Zenitsu closed his eyes, sighed, and relented. "Fine..Just don't go blabber about it."

"Yes!" Inosuke practically jumped up and down. "Don't worry, Conjitsu! You won't regret this!" The boar ran off as he said this. Zenitsu just put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "I already am.."

Inosuke cackled as he ran through the castle. The Shabana siblings walked past him on their way to Rui's room. They just stared at the crazed boar as he ran past them. Daki looked at her brother with a furrowed brow as if asking him, "What the fuck just happened?" Gyutaro just shrugged, shook his head, and walked with his sister.

Shutting the door behind her, Nezuko stumbled out of Tanjiro's office with a big grin on her face. "Tenuko! Tenuko!" Inosuke ran to her like a bullet and skidded to a stop, nearly knocking her off her feet. Nezuko giggled as she tucked her hair back. "So, how did it go?" She tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"He does love him!" Inosuke yellsd, raising his arms. With quick thinking, Nezuko put a finger to her lips. The boar realized his mistake. "Sorry. Monitsu likes him." Nezuko's grin only grew wider. "Same with Tanjiro. He just didn't know if he liked him back." Inosuke nodded. "Yeah. Kenitsu is just worried about it being they're both boys. I don't get it."

Nezuko only shrugged. Although, she did know and understood why he was afraid. So, Nezuko didn't tell Inosuke why he was afraid. "So, do you know what our next step is?" The boar nodded aggressively. "We gotta help them and push them!" Nezuko giggled as she felt her face warm up. "Yup! Now let's get started!" Inosuke punched the air. "Yay!"

At first, Nezuko tried to get them to go on a picnic. Since their sensitive senses make it easy for them to get overstimulated, the forest would be the best option for them. It's a quiet atmosphere, beautiful to look at, and full of soft smells. So, what could be more perfect?

"I hope that this will be okay." Tanjiro mumbled to himself as he was brushing a soy sauce glaze on some potato mochi. Nezuko looked around curiously at the assortment of food. Dorayaki, fresh peaches, rice crackers, and Japanese cheesecake filled the wicker basket on the counter. "I don't think you have much to worry about. That's a lot of food." Nezuko said with awe.

Tanjiro chuckled softly. "You think so?" Nezuko turned to look at him, beaming with hope. "Absolutely! I knew that you would go above and beyond!" Soft, red blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "I just hope that he likes this." He put the mochi into a small container and placed it in the wicker basket. "I think he'll love it." Nezuko beamed at her brother. The Demon King returned the smile and picked up the wicker basket.

"Alright. I'm off!" Tanjiro waved to her as he went towards the door. Waving back, Nezuko smiled gleefully. "Good luck, big brother. With that, Tanjiro slid the door shut and walked off into the forest. After a few minutes of waiting, Nezuko-with a wide grin-opened the door and followed his trail.

A soft, fuzzy blanket covered the forest floor. Zenitsu sat down on the fluffy fabric, patiently waiting. Unbeknownst to him, Inosuke positioned himself near a large boulder in the shadowy bushes. Humming softly, Zenitsu bopped his head as he waited for his crush. Then, he heard soft footsteps heading towards them.

"Hey, Zenitsu!" Tanjiro waved his free hand while he carried the wicker basket in the other. Zenitsu raised his hand to wave back. "Hi there, Tanjiro. Whatcha got there?" Tanjiro went up to the blanket and sat down across from Zenitsu. "Oh just some food." He proceeded to unpack all the food. Each plate was placed in between the two of them. Despite Tanjiro being a half-demon, Zenitsu was the only one who was salivating.

"I hope this is alright." Tanjiro said shyly, fidgeting his hands. "This is more than alright! This is great!" Zenitsu gleefully squealed. A light blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "Thank you."

As the two teens started to dig in, Nezuko finally managed to head over to Inosuke's shadowy spot. "So..what'd I miss?" Nezuko panted as she sat down, exhausted. "Nothing really. They have been really sweet though." Inosuke shrugged. "That's good." Nezuko then turned to the sky.

"I'll be honest, Kenazo.." Inosuke started to say. Nezuko laid on against the rock and turned to look at him with curious eyes. "I don't really understand what's so different between how I feel about Gampachiro and how Monitsu feels about him. Monitsu said that I don't understand what it means and he's right..I really don't..so, what does it mean to like someone like that?"

Nezuko put her hand to her chin, thinking. This was a really difficult question to answer. "That's really hard to explain. I guess the best way I can describe it is when you feel like you found the person or people who complete you. You don't judge each other for the harmless things you do and you are inseparable. There may be a few fights, but you will always end up on the other side together and loved. That's really the best way I can describe it."

Inosuke looked at her with wonder and awe. He then looked at the forest ahead of them. Brittle leaves blew in the cold wind. Small chirps echoed through the forest as the sun shone down on them. "That does sound great.." Inosuke took the boar's head off and smiled. "I would love to have that." Nezuko's face turned pink as she saw Inosuke's giddy expression. "Don't worry. Everyone finds their match."

Tanjiro definitely took more of a liking towards the rice crackers while Zenitsu showed that he definitely had a voracious appetite. Not that Tanjiro was complaining though. "Sorry, Tanji. I didn't have lunch today." Zenitsu spoke shyly. A few crumbs laid on his face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "No need to be sorry. I made these foods with you in mind." Zenitsu smiled to himself. Then, his mind shifted to a question he had been meaning to ask him.

"Hey Tanji?" Zenitsu looked up at the Demon King with puppy eyes. "Hm?" Tanjiro purred as he nibbled on a rice cracker. "I want to ask you something." Zenitsu ducked his head, shyly. Tanjiro wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Sure! I'm all ears."

"What would you think if you saw two people of the same gender as a couple? Even married?" Zenitsu could feel his heart hurt as he asked this question. Despite Zenitsu's initial fear, Tanjiro only gave him a gentle smile. "I wouldn't think anything of it. They wouldn't be hurting anyone, so I don't see why it would be a problem."

Zenitsu could feel a breath of relief escape from him. "Yeah..they wouldn't be hurting anyone." He spoke softly, looking at the forest next to them. There he saw a gorgeous white flower. Reaching out, Zenitsu plucked the flower and inspected it. "That flower looks beautiful." Tanjiro took notice of the plant and smiled. Zenitsu grinned at the flower. An idea popped in his head.

Zenitsu scooted closer to Tanjiro and leaned towards him. "What are you doing, Zen?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Before Tanjiro could even react, Zenitsu tucked the flower on top of the Demon King's left ear. A wide, nervous smile was plastered over Tanjiro's face as Zenitsu sat back down. "There.." His voice was soft with warmth.

Tanjiro raised his hand and touched the flower, blush covering his cheeks. "Heh..Thank you, Zen." Zenitsu giggled nervously. "No problem. I just thought that it would match you pretty well." Luckily, Nezuko and Inosuke managed to see this. "Awww! Looks like things are going well!" Nezuko beamed as she watched them. Inosuke nodded in agreement. He looked to his right to see a big and shiny acorn. Picking it up, Inosuke observed the nut. Then, the boat turned to Nezuko.

"Here." Inosuke handed the acorn to her. Nezuko was a bit surprised by it, but she gladly accepted the acorn. She immediately understood that was just how he expressed affection. "Why, thank you, Inosuke." The boat nodded. "No problem!"

Shortly after that, Tanjiro and Zenitsu finished up their meal as the sun was setting. They quickly cleaned up the mess and Zenitsu even accidentally put his hand over Tanjiro's, which made both of them blush. After that, the pair started to head back home with Inosuke and Nezuko following far behind them.

"You know.." Zenitsu spoke as he walked next to Tanjiro. "Despite being a half-demon, you're not that much different from when we first met. Not like that's a bad thing." Tanjiro gave a small smile. "I do think it's a bit strange, but I'm not complaining. As long as I still get to be with you guys, I'm happy." Zenitsu could feel his heart flutter. "I do want to ask you something, though. How have you been feeling? Tell me the truth. I need to know if you're doing okay or not."

Tanjiro nodded, knowing what he was referring to. "I'm a bit stressed by all that's going on. The Humanoids were helpful, but I'm still worried about Jackyll.." Zenitsu quickly took the Demon King's hand and gently squeezed it. "Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay." Tanjiro gently smiled at Zenitsu. "You shouldn't have to carry so much weight on your shoulders, Tanjiro." Zenitsu hugged the Demon King tightly, which he gladly returned.

"It's alright, Zen. I'll be okay. I'm just glad me got to do this." Tanjiro thought for a second. "Oh! I have something I want to show you." He bent down to the ground and placed his hand on the ground. The earth shook below them, which almost made Zenitsu trip. Soil cracked underneath Tanjiro's hand and water seeped through it. The water rose into the air and floated around Tanjiro. "Watch this." Tanjiro grinned, reaching his arms out.

Water swirled and flowed around the Demon King. It danced and moved with grace and beauty. Stunning would be how Zenitsu would describe it. Droplets glistened in the fresh moonlight. It all felt so magical and soothing. The even came to a head when the water rushed towards Tanjiro's back and shaped itself into six, beautiful wings. Tanjiro clenched his left fist and the wings burst into solar flames.

Zenitsu's jaw dropped as the glowing orange flames shone upon him. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the most beautiful scene he'd ever seen. "You're..an angel." He spoke quietly. Tanjiro's face flushed at Zenitsu's compliment. "Th-thank you. I can't fly with them, but they're pretty neat. Don't you think?" Zenitsu. "I do..I really do."

The second trial was rather simple. Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu would meet up in a certain room in the Infinity Castle. Nakime had created a room where celebrations and festivities could be help. Some of the half-demons had bought or brought various items and instruments to fill the room. Both Nakime and Zenitsu brought in some biwas and kotos for the room. Kyogai brought various drums of many kinds and Giyuu bought a gorgeous grand piano and music books as a gift for the kingdom. Safe to say, there were many ways to entertain themselves.

"Oh! I can't wait!" Zenitsu was giddy with excitement. "Maybe we could see if you can play one of the instruments!" Tanjiro chuckled nervously. "I doubt it. I know I can't sing that well, so I probably won't do well with the other instruments." Zenitsu turned to look at him. "Don't syke yourself just yet, Tanji. We just need to try it." Tanjiro nodded, agreeing with him.

Nezuko and Inosuke were already in the room. Except, they were resting in the rafters. "This was actually a rather clever idea, Inosuke." Nezuko grinned as she sat on a thick piece of wood. Inosuke cackled as he climbed on the rafters. "Yeah! I've been used to climbing up on these things for years! They're great for surprising people."

The sound of the sliding door alerted them. Nezuko put a finger to her lips to tell Inosuke to be quiet. Then, Tanjiro and Zenitsu walked in. "So, what would you like to do?" Tanjiro asked the blonde. "I dunno..hmmm.." Zenitsu hummed as he scanned the room. He laid his eyes on the gorgeous grand piano. "Let's try that out!"

Both teens went over to the piano and took a seat on the piano bench. Zenitsu immediately scooted up close to Tanjiro, soaking in his warmth. "Do you know how to play this?" Zenitsu asked, looking up at Tanjiro. The Demon King just shook his head. "That's okay. I can teach ya." Zenitsu sat up and pointed at the center key. "This is the middle C note. It's the base for hand placement." He opened one of the music books on the music desk and pointed to where the C note was on the stanza. "This is the C note itself. When you see this in the stanza, you press that key."

Tanjiro did as Zenitsu said. He pressed down on the key, which released a sweet, whole note. "Good! Very good!" Zenitsu beamed at Tanjiro, who looked excited. He then taught him about the different types of basic notes and where they lie in the stanza. "Of course, that's just be basics. Would you like to try to play something?"

"I could try." Tanjiro shyly nodded. Zenitsu stood up and grabbed one of the music books. He flipped through it, trying to look for a simple song. "Aha! Found one!" Zenitsu placed the book back in front of Tanjiro. The pages spoke of a soft and gentle melody. It perfectly suited Tanjiro. "I think you'll like this one."

Tanjiro then lowered his hands down on the keyboard. The melody was slow, but it did need soft and hard presses during certain parts. The Demon King played with surprisingly good accuracy, but the one thing that surprised Zenitsu most was that Tanjiro understood when to press gently and when to press hard. The piano was a natural fit for him and he played it like a prodigy.

Zenitsu watched him with awe as he played. "Maybe I could use this to help him sing better." Zenitsu thought to himself. The music flowed through the entire room. Nezuko listened intently, even going as far as to him along with it. Even Inosuke was entranced by the heavenly melody.

Once Tanjiro was done playing, he turned to look at Zenitsu. "I hope that was okay." He smiled shyly. Zenitsu couldn't control his excitement and grinned at him. "That was amazing! Most people can't perform simple melodies until they have a few weeks of practice!" Tanjiro felt his face heat up with warmth and love. Then, Zenitsu had an idea.

He flipped through the music book and found another simple, lyricless melody. "Trying playing that. I have an idea." With no rebuttal, Tanjiro started to play the song. Tapping his finger, Zenitsu hummed along with the song until he thought of a few words.

"Don't you see what you're doing to me? I long to hold you, to sing to you, but I fear that I'm doing something wrong. Your loving sound soothes me, warms me. I want to feel your warmth. Please tell me...please tell me why I'm falling for you. Can I truly have you? If it means that you'd get scorned, then I'll keep it to myself. Yet, I know that you don't mind. So would this be a mercy or a curse?"

Zenitsu's voice meshed into the melody to create a beautiful tune. Both teens were phenomenal in their art. It even drove Nezuko to tears. While Tanjiro didn't know what Zenitsu's lyrics meant, Nezuko understood his pain perfectly. She perfectly understood the words of his song. Even Inosuke understood what Zenitsu was saying.

Soon, the melody finished. Tanjiro turned to look at Zenitsu once more. "Wow.." He spoke softly. "You have a really pretty voice, Zen." Zenitsu's face immediately turned red. "Hehe, thanks. That..means a lot to me." He looked at the music then back at Tanjiro. "Could we..play again sometime?" Tanjiro nodded energetically. "Of course! I would love that!"

Soon, Valentine's Day came and Nezuko knew that this day needed to be taken advantage of.this special day. Earlier that day, she had gone to the market and bought a bouquet of colorful roses. She had told Inosuke about her plans to make sure that he would be on board. Of course, the boar was incredibly excited and ran off to rangle Zenitsu.

"So...Big brother, I think today should be the day!" Nezuko waddled into his office with the bouquet in her arms. Tanjiro was sitting down in the center of the room. His head rested in his hands and his breathing was shaky. "I'm not sure, Nezuko. I don't know if he really loves me like that.."

Nezuko scooted up to his side and she wrapped her free arm around his. "I know you're scared, but I promise you that he does. I really do think it will work out for you two." Tanjiro nodded slowly, but still looked somber. It didn't really seem to convince him. Nezuko turned so that she was sitting in front of him. "Tanjiro, I know you're scared, but you will regret it even more if you don't speak your mind. Even if he doesn't feel the same, I know you will find someone. Do this so that you'll know if he's the right one. Remember, the worst he can do is to say no, okay?"

Tanjiro nodded, a bright smile forming on his face. "Yeah..that is the worst that can happen." He stood up, put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. "Alright..I think I'm ready!" Nezuko jumped up in excitement. "I can't wait! So..Where are you planning to do this?" Tanjiro thought for a moment. "On the pathway that goes into town. Specifically, near the large limestone under the cherry blossom tree. I'll be there at sunset." Nezuko gave him two thumbs up. "That sounds great! Really romantic too!"

She handed her brother the flowers and quickly ushered him out the door. "Now go! Sunset is in half an hour!" Tanjiro laughed. "Okay! Okay! I'm going!" The Demon King then took off, running down the dirt pathway. Blue was slowly fading from the sky, turning into a beautiful gold. Nezuko ran into the woods and chose to hide behind a bush. "Alright Inosuke..We don't have much time."

"Inosuke please.." Zenitsu huffed irritably as he shut the lid on the grand piano. His back was towards the boar and his breathing was heavy. "There's no way that he'll be willing to date me. I'm a boy, not a girl." Angry steam came from Inosuke's boar mask. "Oh come on! You don't know that!" With a snap, Zenitsu whirled around to look at him. "Yes I do! Most people aren't like this! I..I.." He turned away once more. "I just don't know what to do..."

Inosuke crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Look, I don't get why it's such a big deal. You love him. That's all that matters." No answer came from Zenitsu. Inosuke growled and stomped his feet. "Look! You don't know how he feels about you! It's not wrong to like other boys, even if others tell you it is! You'll never be happy until you say somethin'! So quit your whining and talk to him!"

Zenitsu nearly jumped out of his skin. "Inosuke.." The boar shook his head aggressively. "One chance. That's all ya got. If you waste it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Zenitsu slowly and fearfully nodded. "Are you really sure that this will work?" Inosuke raised his fist in the air. "Of course I do! You'll never know until you try it!" A small smile appeared on Zenitsu's face. "Alright. Let's see."

Matsuemon flew right into the celebration room and landed on top of Zenitsu's shoulder, much to his dismay. "Caw! Caw! Lord Tanjiro wants to see you, Zenitsu! Caw! By the boulder near the cherry blossom tree! At sunset!" Zenitsu looked at the crow with wide eyes. "What for?" The crow just fluttered his wings. "Don't know! Caw!" Then, the crow just flew away.

"You better hurry, Monitsu!" Inosuke jumped with excitement. Zenitsu nodded and headed towards the door. "Alright. See you later, Inosuke." Shutting the door behind him, Zenitsu walked with a steady pace to the outside. Inosuke waited a few minutes before leaving himself. Once he felt like enough time passed, the boat ran through the hallways of the Infinity Castle.

Inosuke leaped out of the front door and landed on the dirt road. "Aha!" He turned towards the bush and Nezuko popped her head up. "Tenako! Tenako!" He ran over towards her. "I think I helped Kenifsu!" Nezuko smiled at him warmly and pet the top of his head. "You did a great job, Inosuke!" Heat rose in Inosuke's face as she said this. "Hehehe..Thanks."

Golden colors filled the sky now as the sun was setting. Nezuko turned to look at the horizon. "We gotta go, otherwise we're going to miss it." Inosuke nodded and Nezuko took his hand, making his face turn red under the mask. Together, both of them ran off towards the path that Tanjiro took.

Out of all of them, Zenitsu was the first one to get there. This was probably because he was the fastest. There, he stood by the large boulder, waiting. Ruffles from the bushes caught his attention. "Hmm?" Zenitsu hummed to himself. Ultimately, he just ignored the sound. Behind the bush, Inosuke and Nezuko took shelter from watching eyes. Nezuko put her finger to her lips.

Then, soft footsteps could be heard sliding against the harsh soil. "Look! Look!" Inosuke whispered, pointing at Tanjiro as he was walking down the hill. Zenitsu widened his eyes as he looked upon the Demon King. The flowers were what mostly caught his attention. Was Tanjiro about to do what he thinks he's doing?

"It's about to happen!" Nezuko squealed quietly as she grabbed Inosuke's arm. A deep breath came from the king before walking down the hill. Light blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as his body tensed up. Tanjiro now stood in front of Zenitsu, flowers in hand.

"Zenitsu, I have to tell you something." Tanjiro nervously smiled as he shuffled his feet. The realization of the moment hit Zenitsu and it made him want to cry. Nezuko and Inosuke huddled together in anticipation.

"Zenitsu..Ever since I came back, you've stuck to my side. I didn't realize how much I mean to you until the night that you helped me sleep. That night..I realized something. I realized that you also mean a lot to me. In a way, we both help each other. We may fight sometimes, but we both stick together in the end.."Tanjiro sighs. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you. Not like a friend, but like a partner. I know that not many people get together with others of the same gender, but that doesn't change how I feel. I do hope that you feel the same, but I understand if you don't."

Tanjiro looked like an adorable, innocent puppy, desperately hoping that the affection would be returned. Zenitsu looked at him with teary eyes, but he managed to hold back the tears. At least for now. "Tanjiro..I DO feel the same! I know it didn't seem like it, but that was just because I was scared. I was just so worried that you would see me as a weirdo for loving you. You were right. It really is just harmless and you know what?" Zenitsu ran up to the Demon King. "Who cares what they think?! I love you and that's all that matters!"

Wrapping his free arm around Zenitsu, Tanjiro's voice started to shake and crumble. "S..so..do you..want to be my boyfriend?" With eyes full of tears, Zenitsu practically threw himself into Tanjiro's chest. "Of course I do!" Tanjiro wrapped both arms around Zenitsu-still holding onto the flowers-and swung him around, laughing.

"YES!" Nezuko and Inosuke cheered with excitement. The newly formed couple look at the look and both partners gave them a smug grin. "We knew you were here, ya know?" Zenitsu furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait! You knew we were here?!" Inosuke tilted his head. "How?" Nezuko asked. Tanjiro pointed at his nose while Zenitsu pointed at one of his ears. "Hyper-senses."

"Right.." Both Nezuko and Inosuke chuckled. Tanjiro turned back to Zenitsu and the both of them finally shared a kiss. Nezuko and Inosuke cheered for their friends. "I'm so happy for them." Nezuko said softly, turning to Inosuke. "You know, you're a great friend, Inosuke." The boar lifted up his mask and smiled warmly at her. "Thanks..You're pretty great too!"

Then, to Inosuke's surprise, Nezuko kissed him on the cheek. The boat's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "Heh, are you okay?" Nezuko asked shyly. "Y-yeah! I-I'm more than okay!" Inosuke hugged Nezuko tightly and they both laughed happily. For today was a day of love. Love of all kinds!

Author's Note: Happy, late, Valentine's Day! I'm so happy that this chapter finally came out and I hope you guys love it too! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!

#half-demon! tanjiro au #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer tanjiro #demon slayer zenitsu #demon slayer inosuke #demon slayer nezuko #tanzen #zentan #inonezu

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