Monophobia | Blind InoTan Au

The Orphaned Boy

I don't remember her

I don't know if she ever existed

I don't know if she loved me

I don't remember her face

I don't remember what love feel like

-

The city lights were almost blinding. He remembers the feeling of being unclean and smelling like sewage.

He remembers stealing a hoodie from a local kiosk.

He remembers the man who's home he stole.

And now, he remembers seeing his face.

And his beautiful eyes.

He apologized. He sounded so sincere but he didn't have to apologize. He bumped into him. Sure, he could've moved but it wasn't his fault.

Three days later he returned home, but before unlocking his apartment door he spotted some wilted flowers beneath his door.

He picked up the flowers and spotted a note. It was obvious that both items had been there for awhile, the boy just wasn't home. He couldn't read the letter.  He didn't know how to and that was really embarrassing.

So out of respect for his new neighbors, He decided to thank them.

Eh.

He took a few steps over to the door beside his own, a small pucker in lips.

He cleared his throat and knocked on the door, his face staring at the floral carpet below.

Tanjiro opened the door, an ounce of hesitance before fully pulling it wide. His fiery purple and red eyes stared blankly at the boy in front of him.

The other boy looked up. He grew quite uncomfortable with the way Tanjiro stared at him.

"Um....i'm the neighbor, over to the left..." The boy cleared his throat again and shifted his position. "My name's Inosuke Hashibira." He said.

"I'm Tanjiro....Tanjiro Kamado!" The boy replied with a large smile. He then froze and started to face the floor.

Tanjiro slowly raised his hand in front of him. "May I....um..." Tanjiro's face grew red.

Inosuke's face scrunched up as Tanjiro's hand gradually moved upward. Inosuke quickly grabbed Tanjiro's wrist as it almost slid beneath the boy's hood.

Tanjiro gulped. "I-I'm sorry...i'm only trying to get familiar with your face..." He said softly.

Inosuke let go of Tanjiro's wrist. "I....um...Thank you for the flowers." He said quietly, turning around.

"Your hand is injured." Tanjiro said, his hand on his chest with the look of innocence plastered in his gaze.

"Yeah. So what?" Inosuke grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I have bandages." Tanjiro replied. "Please just....let me help?" He said.

Inosuke sighed, he lifted one of his feet and slid on his heel to turn back around. "Whatever." He grunted, entering Tanjiro's house.

Tanjiro closed the door. "You smell like bread. Were you at a bakery before?" he asked, turning around.

Inosuke chuckled, leaning forward. "What are you, a police dog?" He asked.

"No...but I do have a good sense of smell." Tanjiro slowly shuffled forward. "I'm guessing you're....blind also?" Inosuke asked, a smirk on his face.

"......y-...yes." Tanjiro replied. "But...though I've only been here for about three....four days....I've been able to get around pretty easily!" Tanjiro's face perked up.

Inosuke felt his smirk grow. Though he didn't have anything to reply with, he felt truly happy for Tanjiro. "Wait, don't you have a sister?" Inosuke asked.

"Yes but Nezuko tends to sleep a lot. So I tend to get a bit lonely..." Tanjiro sighed before looking ahead of him.

"Could you hand me the band-aids on the counter?" Tanjiro pointed in the general direction of the counter.

Inosuke took the band-aids. "I could do it myself, you know." He chuckled.

"I know. I know but....it would make me feel useful if I at least put one on you." Tanjiro said, holding his palm out.

Inosuke slowly walked over to Tanjiro and placed a single band-aid into his palm. Tanjiro's gentle hands slid on to Inosuke's wrist and he felt Inosuke's sores on his knuckles.

Inosuke felt his face begin to heat up. He shut his mouth and stayed silent as Tanjiro gradually wrapped the band-aid around the boy's index finger.

Tanjiro smiled. "There. Finished." He laughed a bit.

Inosuke pulled away and put his hand back into his pocket. "I'll be heading back over....to my apartment." He said, holding the doorknob and looking back at Tanjiro.

"Thank you for coming." Tanjiro smiled and bowed.

Inosuke nodded and left the apartment. The boy smiled widely as he walked back to his apartment.

Tanjiro bit his lip and smiled.

The two were obviously in love now.