Chapter Text
Zenitsu had told him Inosuke was in the forest north of Wisteria House. Tanjiro had been walking in that direction for about five minutes now, trying to follow the faint scent he knew belonged to Inosuke.
He felt Inosuke before he saw him.
"Monjiro!" Inosuke exclaimed loudly as he affectionately tackled him in a way only he could.
Tanjiro fell gracelessly on the forest floorwith an 'oof', Inosuke going with him as he tightly held onto him in his somewhat aggressive rendition of a hug. It was slightly painful, given the force of it, but Tanjiro didn't care. He couldn't help but smileas he embraced him back with the same amount of enthusiasm. And maybe, in a world where Tanjiro was readyto admit it, he felt something akin to butterflies in his stomach.
"Inosuke!" Tanjiro laughed back, unable to keep the smile off his face, even as he spoke. "It's good to see you again!" He felt Inosuke's hold tighten, and Tanjiro tucked his face into the crook of his neck."Have you been doing okay?"
"Of course I'm fine! I'm the King of the Mountain!" Inosuke abruptly sat up to look him in the eyes – well, as close as he could get to doing so with the boar hide, anyways. "You're the one who's dying!" There was a slight crack in Inosuke's voice on the last word, like he had struggled to say it out loud. Tanjiro heard an emotion in Inosuke's voice he couldn't place but hoped he wouldn't hear again, for just the sound of it made his heart ache.
Inosuke pulled Tanjiro forwards, forcing him to sit up as he inspected him, eyes and hands roaming for signs of injury even though his ailment had been purely internal. "Are you sick? Do I need to punch the sickness out of you? Cause I will."
Inosuke seemed about to follow through with the promise, but Tanjiro laughed and clasped Inosuke's hands, stopping his impromptu inspection and possible beating. He forced Inosuke's gaze to fall back into Tanjiro's eyes. "I'm fine, Inosuke. I promise." He held one of Inosuke's hands to his face, placing it on his cheek so he could feel his completely average temperature. "I'm not boiling anymore, see? The doctor cured me."
Tanjiro offered Inosuke a reassuring smile as the demon let the words sink in. Eventually, he let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing. Hepaused for a moment, as if caught between doing two things, but ultimately took his hand off Tanjiro's face and stood up, offering Tanjiro a hand to help him up. Tanjiro gladly accepted and briefly hesitated before letting his handgo when he got back on his feet.
Now standing, Inosuke giddily shifted on his feet. "So, you're back to normal, right?" He asked eagerly. "Race you to the creek!"
Inosuke tried to take off and get a head start, but Tanjiro managed to grab his arm before he did, smiling at Inosuke's enthusiasm. "Wh- hey!" Inosuke called out. "No cheating!"
Tanjiro laughed. "I'm not cheating, Inosuke," he said. "I'm just trying to keep you from running off to where I can't follow. I can't run."
Inosuke stopped trying tofree himself of Tanjiro's hold and paused. "Whaddaya mean? Sure you can, you're cured now."
Confident he wouldn't run off, Tanjiro let go of his arm. "Mostly, but I'm still recovering. I can't do anything too physically demanding. We're gonna need to find something calmer to do."
"So no running?"
Tanjiro shook his head. "Afraid not."
Inosuke's shoulders sagged a bit, bummed he couldn't make Tanjiro eat dust in another race.
Tanjiro was about to suggest they go for a stroll instead when the chirping of crickets was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched sound, similar to cat's meow. Confused, he looked down the source of the sound, a small, furry animal making its way towards them.
"What's that?" Tanjiro asked, not quite being able to make it out in the dark. Inosuke glanceddown at the animal as it neared his feet.
"It's a raccoon dog," Inosuke informed. "I've been sharing a den with a family of them."
This only confused Tanjiro more. "A what?"
"A den. Y'know, the holes some animals live in."
"No- I know what a den is. What's a raccoon dog?"
Inosuke bent down and picked up the animal. "This." Inosuke held it out in front of him for Tanjiro to see.
The animal was roughly the size of a small dog, its legs short. Now able to get a better look at it, Tanjiro noticed that theanimal's small headwas a sort of mix between a dog and a fox, the fur around its eyes and legs black while the rest was either a brown or off-white color. He couldn't tell whether the animal had a very thick coat or if it was just really well fed. It was vaguely familiar, he thought it was a probably a tanuki, but he'd never heard anyone refer to it as a 'raccoon dog'.
He glanced away from the - incredibly docile, not bothered in the slightest at being held off the ground – animal and back to Inosuke. "I can see how it looks like a dog," Tanjiro said, "but what's a raccoon?"
Inosuke shrugged. "Dunno," he replied, putting the animal down, "it's just what it's called." Tanjiro had expected the animal to run off, free of Inosuke's hold, but it stuck right by him, sitting comfortably at his feet.
Inosukewatched Tanjiro as he looked down at the animal with curiosity before he perked up with an idea. "There's cubs in the den," Inosuke said eagerly. "Wanna see?"
Tanjiro didn't even get to respond before Inosuke grabbed his hand and started dragging him through the forest, the raccoon dog (tanuki?)following close behind. Tanjiro allowed himself to be dragged along - the answer would've been yes anyways. He found he'd been having a hard time to saying no to Inosuke for anything lately, and he certainly wouldn't have said no to seeing baby animals – even if the handholding along the way made his cheeks warm.
They eventually reached a large tree that Tanjiro noticed had a small hole underneath one of itsexposed roots. From it, he heard more of that meowing sound that apparently belonged to raccoon dogs.
Inosuke kneeled down in front of it and motioned for Tanjiro to do the same. Tanjiro peeked inside and, although it was dark, he could just barely make out the form of the small creatures. They meowed as they curiously stepped closer to the mouth of the burrow to get a better look at the people observing them.
Tanjiro smiled as the first one stepped into the moonlight. Its frizzy puppy fur sticking out this way and that."They're adorable," he said, letting the little creature sniff his hand. They must've been a few weeks old, small but able to walk and open their eyes just fine.
Inosuke didn't say anything for a bit, nothing but the meowing of curious raccoon dogs as they approached them filling the silence. Tanjiroturned to see what had caught Inosuke's attention and their eyes immediately locked. Inosuke's cheeks flushed slightly and he turned his gaze back to the pups like he had been caught red-handed doing something he wasn't supposed to.
"I knew you'd love them," Inosuke tried to say pridefully, but Tanjiro could still hear some bashfulness in his tone. Tanjiro's own heart was still recovering from the beat it had skipped.
Inosuke gently plucked one of the pups off the floor and held it next to Tanjiro's face. "This one kinda looks like you," he teased.
Tanjiro's lips quirked. "Does it?"
Inosuke compared them for a moment before nodding firmly. "Identical."
Tanjiro snorted as he carefully took the pup from Inosuke's hands and inspected it more closely. The little pup looked back at him with beady eyes, and when Tanjiro tilted his head to the side, she did the same. Tanjiro didn't really understand where Inosuke saw the resemblance between him and the pup, but to be compared to something this adorable must be a compliment. She meowed softly.
Next to him, Inosuke grinned. "See? Even she agrees."
Tanjiro chuckled. "Can't argue with that."
He tore his gaze from the adorable creature in his hands to Inosuke, who had the rest of the raccoon dog family climbing all over him, demanding attention. "Looks like they quite like you," he teased back.
"Of course they do. Animals love me. Although, these ones maybe a little too much." He tried to pry the cubs off his person, but they'd just climb right back, insisting on invading as much of his space as possible. One in particular had its claws digging into his pants, so when he tried to move it, the pants stretched out with it.
Tanjiro laughed at the sight. "Well, at least there's no getting lonely with them."
Inosuke scoffed, giving up on freeing himself of the cubs and instead absentmindedly scratching the head of the adult raccoon dog that rested against his left side.
Tanjiro set down the pup he had in his hands, ready to watch her dash towards Inosuke like the rest of them, but instead she climbed up onto his lap and made herself comfortable. His heart warmed and he gently scratched the top of her head, loving how she would extend her tiny head upwards towards his fingers for more.
"They kind of remind me of the kogitsuneza constellation," Tanjiro commented.
"Which one's that?" Inosuke asked.
Tanjiro laid down on the forest floor, motioning for Inosuke to do the same next to him. Their bodiesextended in opposite directions; their heads directly next to each other to make it so they were closer to looking at everything from the same angle. Fortunately, there weren't many large trees nearby so they were able to get a rather clear view of the sky.
Tanjiro pointed up at a group of stars. "Kogitsuneza is that constellation right there," he explained. "It's the little fox constellation. These guys kind of look like little foxes, in a way."
It took a few minutes for Inosuke to see the constellation, and when he did, he lifted up one of the pups, comparing it to the cluster of stars. Even lying down, Inosuke had the raccoon dogs climbing all over him, Tanjiro content with his singular pup that was nestled comfortably on his stomach.
"You're nuts," Inosuke said after assessing the pup and the stars. "It's just a squiggly line. It looks nothing like a raccoon dog. Or a fox"
Tanjiro's smile widened. "I guess you've got a point. The people who named these constellations had quite the imagination."
Inosuke scoffed. "More like they were insane."
Tanjiro laughed and playfullyshoved Inosuke's shoulder.
They continued to banter playfully as Tanjiro pointed out more of the summer constellations. Inosuke made a game of judging which ones actually looked like their name, one which Tanjiro was happy to participate in. Most of the time, the consensus was that it looked nothing like its name, so they would begin to pitch ideas as to what it should be called based on what it actually looked like. It mostly consisted of Tanjiro trying to convince Inosuke in seeing anything other than a 'squiggly line'.
As they got deeper into the night, Tanjiro's weakened body began demanding sleep. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open and was constantly yawning. The warmth the little raccoon dog pup on his stomach radiated certainly didn't help. At one point, he even dozed off.
"Hey," Inosuke chided, poking Tanjiro in the face. "No falling asleep."
Tanjiro struggled to open his eyes; unaware he had fallen asleep. He yawned and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, gently moving the pup that had been on him the entire night. "I think I should head back," he said.
Inosuke hastilysat up and turned to him. "But you only just got here!" He protested. "The moon's not even at its peak!"
Tanjiro stood up, stretching his legs, Inosuke quickly following suit. "I know, but I'm tired.The doctor said that rest is vital for my recovery, so I should really head back and get some sleep."
Inosuke grasped at an excuse for Tanjiro to stay with him as long as possible. "Well then you can rest here! In the den with the pups." He picked up the one that had been with Tanjiro. "This one really liked you! She'll miss you." The pup meowed. "See?" He shoved it into Tanjiro's hold, who gently put her down on the ground. "I'll look after you! Nothing'll bother you."
Tanjiro couldn't help but feel awful for turning him down. He hated knowing he was the reason Inosuke's grin disappeared from his face.If he could, he would stay with Inosuke for the rest of time, but doing so would put too much at risk. "I can't," he said with some difficulty. "There's medicine I need to take and physical therapy I need to attend. Even if I just stay the night, it could raise suspicion as to why a weakened slayer would leave in the middle of the night. They could come looking for you."
"They'll never find me! And if they do, no one can kill the great Inosuke."
"I just don't want anyone getting hurt. I don't want you getting hurt," he confessed. Inosuke didn't respond, he just looked down at the floor with his fist clenched at his sides. Tanjiro could smell his conflicting emotions; hurt and concern.
Tanjiro's heart ached at seeing him so upset. Hetook a step closer to Inosukeand slightly ducked his head, forcing Inosuke to look at him. "I promise I'll come back tomorrow," he promised, having every intention of keeping it. "And when I get better, I'll stay for longer. But I can only get better if I get proper rest and medication."
Inosuke huffed. "Fine," he muttered.
Tanjiro offered him a small smile and stepped back. He thought for a moment before extending his hand towards him, taking a risk. "Walk me back?" Tanjiroasked somewhat timidly.
Inosuke silently looked down at Tanjiro's hand. A moment passed between them and Tanjiro's confidence faltered. He was about to take his hand back, embarrassed, but Inosuke grabbed it just before he did. Tanjiro's heart fluttered and he beamed at Inosuke, whose face then went pink.
They walked back to the Wisteria House in silence, hands interlocked between them. They didn't say anything, but Tanjiro didn't think he could've said much anyways with the way his heart pounded with giddiness. Maybe, one could argue,it was possible that Tanjiro's feelings for the demon were beginning to extend beyond those of simple friendship. Maybe, and just maybe, his heart was trying to tell him something his head refused to acknowledge. These were all hypotheticals, of course. It was probably nothing.
When they reached the Wisteria House minutes later, Tanjiro turned to Inosuke. They had avoided the main entrance and were currently standing in front of the window of Tanjiro and Zenitsu's room. Tanjiro still hadn't let go of Inosuke's hand. "Thank you for walking me back," Tanjiro kindly thanked.
"Are you sure you can't stay in the den with me?" Inosuke asked, ignoring what he had said.
Tanjiro sighed and tightened his hold on Inosuke's hand. "I'm sure." Inosuke pouted in the adorable way that always warmed Tanjiro's heart ever so slightly no matter the situation. "I'll come to see you tomorrow."
"You better."
Tanjiro smiled and let go of Inosuke's hand. He hesitated for a moment, not sure if what he was about to do would be well received.He decided to take another risk. He leaned forward and hugged Inosuke tightly. Inosuke wasted little to no time in returning the embrace, which made warmth spread throughout Tanjiro. "I'll miss you," Tanjiro confessed softly into Inosuke's hair.
Tanjiro could've sworn he felt Inosuke's heart pound rapidly against his chest. Inosuke's hold tightened and he muttered something Tanjiro couldn't quite hear, but just knowing he said something back was answer enough for him.
"Are you gonna come in or do you plan on being melodramatic all night?" Zenitsu asked from the window, manifesting in front of them. He looked like he'd been woken up, and wasn't very pleased about it.
Tanjiro blushed and separated from Inosuke. He sheepishly waved him goodbye and, with Zenitsu's help, climbed through the window.
Inside the room, Tanjiro and Zenitsu settled into their futons. Tanjiro wished Zenitsu good night, the other boy mumbling the same to him. They both fell asleep almost as soon as their heads touched the pillows, but while Zenitsu slipped into a dreamless slumber, Tanjiro dreamt of beautiful moonlit nights and emerald eyes.