Plum Season

Chapter 10

Pretending all was normal proved much more difficult than Tanjiro had anticipated. The journey was unnervingly quiet without Inosuke's commentary, and both he and Zenitsu could feel it. Tanjiro wondered what Inosuke might be up to back at the mansion. Whatever it was, he hoped he was doing well. All in all, he was just relieved he'd be safe there for the time being.

Despite his worries, Tanjiro was in oddly good spirits, driven by the giddiness of having just shared his very first kiss with his very first boyfriend. He began to daydream about what had unfolded. It had gone remarkably well, given everything, and he was still trying to grasp that his daydreams had become a reality. He wished more than anything that he could have stayed behind and indulged in his teenage desires just a little more.

   "Tanjiro?" Zenitsu chimed, breaking their silent amble. "Not to put you on the spot, but I'm dying to know how you confessed. Did you do your plum idea?"

   Tanjiro squeaked out a nervous laugh. He hadn't considered that Zenitsu might be interested in hearing about how things had gone. "Actually...I didn't confess first," he admitted, watching his feet to avoid Zenitsu's gaze.

   Zenitsu cupped his hand to his mouth to cover a gasp. "You're kidding!" When Tanjiro nodded, he piped up again, "Details. Now!"

   "Okay." Tanjiro gave in without much of a fuss. He couldn't stop thinking about it anyway, so he reasoned it might be best to get it off of his chest. "I asked him to stargaze with me," he said, looking to the side. "He walked just fine with his crutches outside; can you believe that? I mean, he's come so far! I taught him about constellations, and we talked for hours. And I told him I would miss him while we wait for him to heal. And later, he told me he'd miss me too, and then..."

   Zenitsu was already invested in the story, hanging onto Tanjiro's every word. "Then?" he probed eagerly.

   "He asked me if I could ever like a boy. And I said it would depend on who it is—"

   "You tease!" Zenitsu laughed. "I bet that scared him half to death!"

   "Well, he was pretty nervous. But I didn't want to put words in his mouth, is all. Gosh, Zenitsu—he was so sweet." Tanjiro's facial muscles were already sore from smiling so much. "He was shaking so badly...and he told me he loved me, and he called me handsome—am I really?" He pressed a couple fingertips to his jaw as he asked.

   "You are," Zenitsu chuckled, giving him a congratulatory pat on the back.  "And that was all ...kinda cute, actually. I didn't think he'd be able to do it!"

   "I know! I keep thinking about it." Tanjiro was still smiling.

   "So then what? After he told you."

   "I told him I loved him too, and we held hands, and we hugged..." He wrapped his arms around himself. "That was his first hug ever! I can't even imagine...and well, we kinda cried too because we were nervous for me to go on a mission without him...that's probably dramatic, though." He looked away a bit sheepishly.

   Zenitsu grinned. Seeing Tanjiro so happy made him increasingly proud of himself for having talked some sense into Inosuke. "No no, I get where you're coming from. I'd be freaked out too. But then what?"

   "We went to bed together...we just cuddled, though; I swear!"

   Zenitsu giggled. "I know, you guys woke me up when you came in."

   "Ugh, I was hoping we didn't. Why didn't you tell us to quiet down?"

   "You were having a date night!" he countered. "I wasn't about to butt in. Besides, the door is loud no matter what you do. It's not like it's a crime to stay up late."