When Snow Falls | Tanjiro x Kanao | {Completed}

Chapter 2 - Regrets

A thump sounded as Tanjiro set down his tankard. His time in the Air Pilots had made him far too fond of his drink. He really needed to put his drinking habits to rest. It was becoming a problem and it wasn't exactly smiled upon in normal society.

But not this evening. Beer was his best friend this evening. He looked over at his best friend, who's golden blonde hair was hanging around his face as he flirted with the girl next to him. She battered her eyelashes and kept putting her hands to her hips, drawing attention to her exposed midriff and legs.

Taking another sip of his drink, Tanjiro stared around the bar. He'd only been back for a week and Zenitsu had already managed to convince him to go out with him. He said it was just for a drink, but Tanjiro had the strange suspicion it was because Zenitsu wanted him to flirt with girls.

But no one in this room was really catching his eye. There was a black haired girl dancing with a solider on the dance floor who'd caught his attention, but that was only because he'd thought she was someone else.

He frowned. Two years ago today, he'd been standing in the first soft snowfall and had told her he couldn't be with her. He sighed. He'd thought it had been for the best, but had it? Tanjiro wondered how she was. If she was happy. If she'd moved on.

Somehow, the latter thought always made his blood boil. But what else could he expect? He had been the one to push her away. Not the other way around.

He had no right to her now.

"Tan," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Tanjiro turned to his friend. Zenitsu was turning away from the woman as she walked away. He picked up his tankard and took a sip. The gold lapels of his brown coat glinted in the lamplight as his hand checked the pistol and sword at his side.

"Yeah?"

"Thought I should tell you, Inosuke's coming and he's bringing his fiancee," Zenitsu said, off-handedly as he winked at a passing girl.

Tanjiro almost spat out his drink. What?

"Inosuke's coming with his...fiancee?" Tanjiro blurted.

Zenitsu gave him a puzzled look.

"...yeah? What about it?"

"Urr, is it...um...Aoi?" Tanjiro asked, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. The heat rising to his face wasn't helping.

Zenitsu still looked confused.

"Yeah. I know, I was surprised it worked too. Hey girl! Looking good!" He called out to another woman. She rolled her eyes at him and kept walking. Zenitsu continued as though this didn't bother him. "I mean, their personalities are nothing alike-" Zenitsu suddenly stopped talking and narrowed his eyes at Tanjiro. "You seem a lil too eager and shocked."

Tanjiro gripped his cup and pulled at his own crisp Warrior Pilot coat. He adjusted it slightly, making sure it covered his arms. As he also checked his weapons, he said, in a casual tone that sounded way too forced, even to his own ears,

"What makes you think that?"

He swished his beer around and took a nonchalant sip. He was really just avoiding Zenitsu's eyes.

He heard his best friend groan.

"You have to get over her, dude," Zenitsu said, exasperated, "it's been two years. She's probably got a boyfriend - heck, she might even be married or somethin'. And you left her for the Air Pilots, bro. She ain't comin' back."

Trying to avoid the sinking feeling in his stomach, Tanjiro exhaled sadly. Just thinking about it made him miserable. But he knew he had done right not to marry her. Especially because of what he was now. Tanjiro pulled his left glove down and avoided making eye contact with anyone.