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Chapter Text

You might be wondering why Zenitsu is living with Uzui. See the thing is he doesn't exactly know himself. Shinobu kinda kicked him out of the infirmary and then took him to Uzui's doorstep and told the Former Sound Hashira that he was going to be recuperating there for the foreseeable future. 

Now he's kneeling awkwardly on a tatami mat while Hinatsuru gives him a cup of tea. He smiles gratefully at her as he takes the hot tea. Uzui is sitting opposite Zenitsu, he hasn't taken his eyes off Zenitsu once, insistent to glare at him as long  as possible. Next to him, Makio is doing the same, both husband and wife looking as though the may be able to discern the real reason Zenitsu's here. Except there is no real reason he's here, as far as Zenitsu knows- he's been dropped off at the  Former Sound Hashira's doorstop for no apparent reason.

Yes he's injured. It's not so bad that he needed to stay in the infirmary-but apparently bad enough that he should be dumped off on someone else to care for. Well the caring bit actual is reliant on whether Uzui would kick him out or not. Knowing what the Flashy man in front of him thought of Zenitsu, the being kicked out option was more likely than not.

There was a long silence as Zenitsu sipped his tea. Nobody spoke, the only sound was of the people in the room breathing - which Zenitsu could hear quite easily to be honest so maybe it wasn't that quiet after all? But it was still tense...and awkward. At last Uzui opened his mouth to say something.

"Okay you can stay the night" He told Zenitsu " We'll decide what to do with you in the morning"

Zenitsu nodded " Thank you"

"Are you hungry?" Suma asked

Zenitsu shook his head " No"

"Okay then- we'll show you a guest room and you can settle down for the night" Hinatsuru said, " Follow me"

Zenitsu followed her out of the room and through the many hallways of the Uzui residence. The place had looked very large and bright from the outside but from the inside it seemed massive- truly a home deserving of a Flashy Hashira.  The Hallways were a little like a maze, many paths to the many rooms of the Uzui residence. It was truly a magnificent house-not that Zenitsu planned on telling Uzui that, the man had a big enough ego as it is. 'God of Festivals ' my ass.

Hinatsaru stopped in front of a red painted door. She opened it and gestured for him to go inside. The inside of the room was...surprisingly plain. There was a brown wooden floor, a standing lamps, an oak closet on the left and a futon folded up in the corner of the room. The walls were painted Green-but were surprisingly bare, no paintings or shelves or any form of wall decor.

"We know that not everyone likes Flashy things" Hinatsaru smiled, reading Zenitsu's thoughts " So our guest rooms are pretty plain"

"That's fine" Zenitsu said, "Thank you for the room" He bowed and Hinatsaru smiled again

"Good Night Zenitsu Kun" Hinatsuru said before closing the door and leaving

Zenitsu could hear the sound of her footsteps as she walked back down the hallways, and her breathing, and her heartbeat. Well there was no point just sitting here. Zenitsu began to set up the futon, ready for him to go to bed. He didn't have any spare clothes but his plain outfit was currently good enough for sleeping. He laid down on the futon and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't quite feel like switching the light off right now so it satys on. He hopes Uzui and his wives wont mind. 

He can hear them now. Four different voices downstairs discussing the topic of Zenitsu and his stay. Four different Heartbeats in one room. 

"We can't just kick him out!" He hears Suma say " That's mean!"

"Why not?" Makio counters "It's not like we invited him here"

"He needs a place to stay" Hinatsuru says " We have plenty of space, it can't harm to give him a room"

"But he's injured!" Makio protests " That mean we have to take care of him!"

"Well it can't be that bad!" Suma says "If he's not at the infirmary"

"But apparently bad enough that we've been dumped with him" Makio huffs

"Come on!" Suma says " We can give him his salve and he can apply it himself!"

"But we still have to feed him and give him a room!" Makio says

"WE HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE! AND FOOD! WE LITERALLY HAVE A FARM DOWN THE ROAD!" Suma yells, Zenitsu winces at the loudness

"BUT WHY SHOULD WE GIVE THEM TO HIM!?!?" Makios screams "IT'S NOT LIKE HE'S A FRIEND-WE'VE MET HIM WHAT?!?!? ONCE?"

"BOTH OF YOU QUIET!" Uzui cuts in. There was brief silence then "You two are hurting my ears! Any louder and Zenitsu upstairs could probably hear you."

"Sorry Tengen" Both wives chorus in unison 

"I have a suggestion " Hinatsuru says calmly 

"What is it Hinatsuru?" Uzui asks

"What if we let him stay?" She speaks " But we have him help out around the house as well? That way we don't need to kick him out- but aren't looking after a stranger for nothing?"

"I-I wouldn't mind that" Makio admits

"Then that's what we'll do" Uzui says " I'll go tell him now"

"What?" Suma says "Don't he'll be asleep!"

"He's awake-I can hear him shuffling, he's directly above us" Zenitsu freezes  "and he is indeed awake" Uzui says  

Uzui can hear him? Well that was new to Zenitsu-but not entirely unexpected. Uzui had been the Sound Hashira after all. He wondered if Uzui had to do the same things as him. Sit there and work out which sounds to filter out. Had to teach himself to filter out noise. Cried so hard as a child over a simple loud noise.

Well there was no use pondering it. Zenitsu wasn't close enough to Uzui to ask those questions nor did he particularly want to ask them either. He didn't think Uzui was aware of Zenitsu's hearing, but he didn't want to talk to Uzui and confirm it. He'd try his best to help out in the house and avoid the Ex-Hashira as much as possible. He'd be so helpful to Uzui's wives that they'd have no reason to kick him out and then once healed he'd be on his merry way and never have to see these people ever again.

With a new resolve Zenitsu curled up under the sheets with his hands over his head as he was adjusting to the new sounds of this Mansion. It was a long while before he did manage to fall asleep, but sleep was achieved in the end. All the while the Cicadas were singing and the Crickets were chirping outside. 

Chapter Text

Zenitsu woke up early, there was still faint sunlight outside that was slowly getting brighter. He had nothing to do in this guest room so decided that he would make his way outside, he'd seen a garden last night on his way here and figured he could stay there quietly and not bother anyone. There was the question of how to get outside though, this house was like a maze with it's large expanse of rooms and winding hallways.

He may not know how to find his way around, or find a door or such, but there was one thing he could always find. A heartbeat. So he listens for the steady Ba-dum Ba-dum of a pulsing heart. He finds it. Two in a single space, far to his right, slowed-so they must be sleeping. A third below him, downstairs. A fourth behind him, strong and proud. Zenitsu decides to go for the third one.

So he gets up. Folding the Futon he slept on and leaving it in a neat little pile behind him. He didn't want to be a horrible guest, especially if it mean Uzui's wives would have to clean up after him. He carefully closed the door behind him after leaving the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. With great effort he managed to make his way downstairs to the kitchen. The number of hallways and doors had confused him but he'd managed to make it there in the end by following the sound of a heartbeat.

"Good Morning!" Hinatsuru greets him 

Zenitsu bows in return "Good morning"

"You seem to be an early riser" She notes "Usually it's just me and Tengen for another few hours yet"

Zenitsu laughs awkwardly at that "Yes, It's an old habit I'm afraid. Never understood where it came from though" he rubs the back of his neck nervously with a hand "Would you happen to have my... Salve?"

"Ah yes" Hinatsuru smiles at him before bending opening a drawer and handing him a container "Here. Shinobu dropped it off."

"Thank you" Zenitsu bows again "Do you maybe have a room I can uh...duck into maybe?"

"That's not necessary" Hinatsuru says, "It's not like I've haven't seen worse than a few injuries."

"Oh uh..." Zenitsu is unsure on how to go about this, he would prefer privacy if possible

"But there is a storage room to your left that you may use" She offers, pointing at a small bamboo wood door

"Thanks!" Zenitsu bows again hastily and dashes off to remove his clothes

He returns later, still dressed in the same clothes as before but salve now applied. He hoped he did it right. No offense to Hinatsuru who'd been very courteous to him so far, or Suma who'd vouched for him to stay, but he'd rather heal as soon as possible and leave. He didn't like imposing on people's personal lives- Uzui's in particular, seeing how the man felt about him.

"There you are" Hinatsuru greets him again after he returns "Did you manage to do what you needed?"

"Yes-thank you" Zenitsu offers her a tentative smile

There's quiet for a few seconds as she turns around to grab a small tray. She turns back to him, revealing the contents as a bowl of rice and miso soup. She holds it out.

"Here" She offers him "You can eat it in the kitchen or outside if you wish"

Zenitsu bows his thanks once again before asking "Would Uzui happen to be in the garden?"

"Tengen? Yes he is, he likes to train in the mornings" Hinatsuru answers

"I think I will eat this in the kitchen then" Zenitsu decides

Tengen slashed his sword right to left. Then he repeated the motion. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again.Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. Then he repeated it again. And then he repeated it again.

He had to improve his strikes. He only had one arm now, meaning he could only use one blade. It also meant that his power had halved as he could not strike with two blades at once. He'd also lost his eye, meaning he had half the vision he had before- which was fine, he was the sound Hashira after all. It had greatly improved his precision and aim when it had come to throwing knives (Not that his aim wasn't amazing and flashy already).

"Tengen!" Hinatsuru called, breaking his focus

"Yes?" Tengen lowered his blade to go address his wife

"Come in for breakfast. You've been training for a few hours already." She asked him sweetly

"...Coming" Tengen answers, and he puts his blade on his back

He steps in through the patio door, taking care to push the curtain aside with his arm. He sees Zenitsu about to exit the room as he enters.

"Hey! Boy stop!" He calls out, making Zenitsu halt "You've finished eating haven't you?"

"Yes" Zenitsu nods

"Go clean my blades will you. If you're staying here I'll put you to work." Tengen tells him and Zenitsu looks at him like he'd rather do anything else "Now. They're in the room down the hall"

Zenitsu groans aloud but proceeds to turn down the hallway, closing the kitchen door behind him. Tengen can tell by where his heartbeat is currently coming from that he's made it to that room. Orrrrr turned into a different room to spite him. He'll check on the crybaby later. Food first.

The door opens and Zenitsu does his best to sit up. Trying his best to look as though he'd been cleaning with hard work for the past few hours. He breathes a sigh of relief when he realises that it's not Uzui. Well technically it is an Uzui but not the Uzui. 

"Hi Zenitsu!" Suma exclaims cheerfully

"Ah Hello!" Zenitsu drops the blade he was holding to wave at her and it slices his hand "Shi-" he stops himself before he can finish the swear

"Oh no!" Suma exclaims, her eyes widening in panic "You've been cut! Makio! Hinatsuru! Where do we keep the bandages! Zenitsu has a cut!"

Suma's tone makes Zenitsu begin to panic as well "I'm bleeding! Uh oh I'm bleeding!" He exclaims

Makio sticks her head through the door and is quite literally looking down on them, Zenitsu sitting on the floor and Suma crouching next to him "Can both of you crybabies shut up?!? It's not even that much blood"

"But Makio!" Suma pouts "He's bleeding!"

"And he can bleed a bit more" Makio huffs "I don't care!"

"Makiooooo" Suma complains "Don't be meannnnn"

"Here" Hinatsuru enters the room with a small basket of medical equipment, having heard the noise of the event of this room "Bandage him up with these"

"T-Thanks" Zenitsu takes the roll of bandages from the basket. His face feels hot and he's too embarrassed to meet her eyes

He quietly manages to bandage his hand. Not daring to look up at the other women standing in the room. He can feel Makio staring daggers into his back. Suma is surprisingly quiet as he takes care of his hand, and Hinatsuru is probably watching to see if he needs. Normally he would ask for help, but he feels like he shouldn't burden these women, especially since he's taking up place in their home. 

"Soooo um" Zenitsu begins awkwardly "Is there anything you want me to do?"

Suma claps her hands together "That's right! I came in here to ask if you wanted to help me with the laundry!"

Makio sighed "You don't need to ask him Suma, just make him do it. It's his side of us letting him stay here"

"Sure! " Zenitsu exclaims, eager to get out of this room he's been in for hours already "Was the deal that I work to stay here?" He feign innocence, not wanting to reveal he eavesdropped on the conversation

"Yes!" Suma clapped her hands together again "It was! How did you know Zenitsu?!?!"

"I guessed?" Zenitsu offered "Could we get started on the laundry yet?" He can feel Makio staring at him again and he wants to move out of this situation

And so during Zenitsu's first day at the Uzui's he managed to get on Suma's good side, potentially on Makio's bad side and Hinatsuru was too nice to tell. He'd managed to cut himself, clean around 50 weapons and help out with 2 full loads of laundry.

At dinner Uzui had given him a knowing smile, glancing at Zenitsu's bandaged hand. Obviously having heard the events of the day from upstairs and the garden.  Zenitsu wanted to sass him so badly during that moment but he was also too embarrassed to do so. What kind of idiot would cut himself with the blade he was cleaning while saying hi? Zenitsu was that kind of idiot.

So as Zenitsu was laying back on the same futon as the night before, he couldn't help but pray for a less embarrassing day tomorrow. Preferably one in which he wasn't a pathetic and useless idiot (Which was too much to ask he knows). He hoped he would do a better job helping tomorrow. Suma and Hinatsuru were nice to him today and he can't help but feel like he let them down a bit. Makio...he didn't mind that much but he just didn't want her to hate him. Currently those in favour of having him stay and having him leave were 2v2 and he didn't want to tip the scales unless they were in his favour.

He laid on his back, hands over his ears once more and willed himself to be less embarrassing tomorrow. And eventually he got to sleep. 

Chapter Text

The next day Zenitsu decides he's NOT going to be useless. So as soon as he's woken up and folded away his futon, he makes his way downstairs, following the sound of Hinatsuru's heartbeat. He's differentiated between the 4 heartbeats yesterday as he was in a room with 3 at once, so he knows for certain which one to follow.

"Good Morning Zenitsu" Hinatsuru greets him the same as she did yesterday "You've woken up early again"

Zenitsu laughs nervously "I suppose I have yes... would you happen to have my salve again?"

"Here" Hinatsuru offers it to him with a polite smile "The storage room is empty again" 

"Thanks" Zenitsu awkwardly bows his thanks and makes for the room to undress and reapply the salve

When he comes out she's waiting for him with a tray of breakfast. This time she presents him with a rolled omelette as well as rice and miso soup.

"Don't tell Makio and Suma" She whispers good-naturedly "We were supposed to have run out of eggs yesterday. But we had one left and that's no good for anyone except starting fights. So, for you"

Zenitsu can't help but smile at the fact he's been included in the domesticity of this moment. Being secretly given the last egg as a treat, but in secret to not start a fight. He couldn't help but feel a pang of wondering if this is what it would be like if he were to have grown up in a household with a family.

"Thank you" He says with a quirk of the lips "I'll keep it a secret"

He finishes his food with relative peace and ease. His only break from eating to ask whether Uzui was training in the garden again, to which Hinatsuru replied 'Yes he was, he does that every morning',

After eating it's him who offers this time to help out around the house, eager to be helpful and not just a useless slacker, and Hinatsuru smiles at him. He feels like a child who's pleased his mother by offering to carry a basket of food somehow, which makes no such sense because he never had a mother.

"Sure you can help" She tells him "Just go wait in the garden and I will explain when I join you in a few minutes"

And he's left to stand awkwardly in the garden as Uzui trains, hoping not to piss him off because he was standing in Uzui's own garden unarmed while Uzui had a big sharp Nichirin blades and wow he was very vulnerable hope he doesn't die by the time Hinatsuru comes back.

Zenitsu carefully cuts a sprig of wisteria from where he's precariously perched on a tree branch. Taking care not to touch any flowers except with his gloved hands.

"Is this enough?" He asks, leaning down as best as he could to show Hinatsuru his basket

"Yes" She agreed "You can come down now and we can get started"

"Okay" Zenitsu now needs to figure out how to get down from the tree-with the basket of wisteria

He has to pause for a few minutes to figure out how he's going to do this. But finally he decides on holding the basket in one hand and the branch he's sitting on with another. He should be able to swing onto a lower branch if he does it right, and since the tree is a slant he should theoretically be able to slide his way to the ground from there. Theoretically.

The first part goes okay. He manages to make it to the lower branch successfully. But then things go sideways from there. Literally. Instead of sliding DOWN he goes sliding off to the side, straight off the tree. He hits the ground. HARD, he feels like he potentially might have given him self a confushion. Confusion? His brain felt funny. He doesn't wanna open his eyes. His head hurts, something's in his mouth? He chews it on instinct before spitting it out and sitting up straight and hacking up coughs.

"Ah..." Zenitsu can hear the concern in Hinatsuru's voice "Are you okay? Zenitsu? Can you hear me?"

He gives her what he thinks is a thumbs up. Is it a thumbs up? He hasn't opened his eyes yet. Zenitsu's head feels woozy and he feels nauseous. His stomach doesn't feel quite right either. He opens his eyes to the bright morning sunshine and immediately feels worse. He leans to his right and pukes onto the ground right then and there.

He can hear Uzui laughing at him "Idiot! You swallowed Wisteria and fell from a tree?" He laughs at Zenitsu's expense

"Fuck you" Zenitsu mutters weakly, lifting his hand in Uzui's direction vaguely, not wanting to open his eyes again to check and his brain too confused to pinpoint he sound.

"He's Alive!" Uzui declares sarcastically "Though not very flashily"

He feels very embarrassed and absolutely mortified by the time Suma and Makio make their way down to the garden. Because here he is again, the idiot who managed to injure himself again. He knows he must look like shit to them; propped up against a tree, eyes closed because sunlight hurts too much right now, hands over ears because sound also feels funky right now, a big bowl of water next to him and a pool of vomit somewhere nearby that he can only smell.

"OH NO! " Suma comes running to him "Is he okay? What happened?!!?!? Is he going to die!?! Makio he can't die right!??! I don't want him to die!?!? He only got here the day before yesterday!!"

"Suma calm down" Uzui tells his wife "He's not dying, he just swallowed a bit of Wisteria"

"WISTERIA! THAT'S POISONOUS! " Suma screams 

"Owww...too loud" Zenitsu mumbles

"Suma" Hinatsuru steps in "He's only swallowed a little bit so he should live. He'll be feeling the effects of the toxin today however"

"Idiot" Makio scoffs "Why would you swallow Wisteria toxin?"

"Makio! I'm sure it was an accident!" Suma turns to Hinatsuru "It was an accident right?!!?"

"Yes it was stupid accident" Uzui interrupts "So stupid he's going to sit under that little tree all day and we wait to see if he'll recover today"

"Sorry!" Zenitsu exclaims suddenly, his ears hurting at the sound of his own voice 

"It's fine dear" He can feel Hinatsuru- he thinks? Patting his head as she says that "It was an accident- you fell"

"HE FELL?!?!?" Suma is worried again "FROM WHERE?!?! THAT TREE?!?!? ZENITSU ARE YOU OKAY?!!??"

He hopefully gives her a thumbs up.

He spends the rest of the day there, too ill to move- in case he got motion sickness and not eating anything as he felt like he couldn't stomach food. Instead he is given plenty of water and weird tasting mixture to help him recover. He couldn't stand long enough to move himself so at the end of the day Uzui had to carry him to the guest room, and if that wasn't embarrassing then he doesn't know what is.  He was sure his face would've been red with shame and he had no doubt Uzui would've looked at him with disgust- but obviously he couldn't tell because he barely opened his eyes all day.

By the end of the day he feels thoroughly embarrassed and wants to curl up in some hole and never show his face in the light of day again. And while he can't move enough to go find a hole- much less dig one- he makes due with curling up in the futon and pulling the covers tight. He'll be less useless tomorrow! He swears! 

Chapter Text

"Zenitsu? Zenitsu?!? Wake up!" He feels a hand lightly slap the side of his cheek

He slowly blinks himself awake. He sees a face he'd grown familiar with in the past two days or so leaning over him. Her big blue eyes are staring at him intently.

"Um.. Good morning.." He trails off as he realises he doesn't exactly know how to address her

"Zenitsu! You're awake!" Suma grins and hugs him "How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy" He admits "But I don't feel nauseous or dizzy"

"Good! Then does that mean you can walk?" Suma asks eagerly

Zenitsu hauls himself up and takes a few tentative steps in a circle before giving a thumbs up "I'm good to go!"

"Yay!" Suma grins "I felt bad after you got injured yesterday- especially since you're staying with us to recover and you've already got hurt twice" Zenitsu rubs the back of his neck nervously at the mention of his previous clumsiness "So I asked the others annnnd YOU CAN COME WITH ME TO THE MARKET TODAY!"

It takes Zenitsu some effort not to jump at her sudden loudness "Yay!" he offers 

"I thought you might be feeling bad and cooped up so me and Makio are taking you with us" Suma smiles at him

"Oh thank you" Zenitsu does his best to smile politely back, Makio was coming? He's pretty sure Makio isn't too fond of him, hopefully she isn't too mad about him tagging along

"Come on" Suma grabs his hand and pulls him all the way to the door, ready to yank him outside

"Hold on" Hinatsuru grabs Zenitsu's wrist to stop them leaving "Don't you think we should give Zenitsu some new clothes first? And he hasn't even gotten his shoes on Suma! Were you going to drag him outside barefoot?" She scolds Suma lightly

"Sorry Hinatsuru" Suma bows her head meekly

"Follow me Zenitsu" Hinatsuru gestures for him to follow her into the kitchen "Here" She hands him a pile of clothes "Go try these on in the storage room"

So Zenitsu goes into the storage room that had become his improvised changing room and put on the far too big set of clothing. You could tell that they were definitely Uzui's. He feels embarrassed by how big they look on his significantly smaller than Uzui's body. He's practically swallowed up by the masses of cloth. He's trying very hard not to fall over the pants that are definitely not supposed to reach his heels when he comes out- it was taking significant effort.

"Zenitsu!" Suma laughs "You look so adorable! Like a little kid trying on his dad's clothes!"

"Though in this situation wouldn't that make Tengen his dad?"  Makio points out and Zenitsu grimaces. Uzui as his dad? No thank you sir. Street Orphan was fine by him.

"Do you? Maybe have anything else?" Zenitsu asks "Because this is definitely too big for me"

"Sorry Zenitsu" Hinatsuru says "The only men's clothing we have is Tengen's"

"Oh" Zenitsu says as he realises this very well may be his only option "Do you have anything in my size?"

"Well we can offer you a dress" Makio scoffs sarcastically

"Great!" Zenitsu says brightly "I'll just wear that" He'd prefer men's clothing but also it's not a good look to go out looking very childish in extremely oversized clothes. Also he felt like Makio was challenging him-but the first reason the first reason was the important one, definitely not because this was a challenge-

"Really?" Makio raised and eyebrow and gave him a stare

"Yes" Zenitsu met her stare head on. Usually he'd be too embarrassed but today he felt surprisingly confident.

"Yay!" Suma clapped her hands together "I'll go get one of our dresses-I think yours will fit him best Makio! Because mine will be too small and Hinatsuru's will be too big."

"Wonderful" Makio says with blatant sarcasm "Stick him in one of my dresses"

"Will do!" Suma grins and dashes giddily off to go find a dress, excited to play dress-up with her new doll

So after Zenitsu gets changed into the dress they can finally set off because he has a clean set of clothes on. A red dress albeit- but still clean clothes. And actually the dress isn't that bad, it's pretty comfy actually. Not that he'd admit it to Makio of course.

Uzui comes down and laughs at him. "We should have put you in one of these dresses in the Red Lights district" He laughs "You look much better like this. Like a pretty little girl" He teases

Zenitsu goes red "Hey! It's the only thing that fits!" He protests "There was no way I could go out in your abnormally huge robes!"

"Abnormally huge?" Uzui scoffs "Don't you mean flashy?"

"No I mean huge" Zenitsu sticks to his guns. Uzui was abnormally huge!

"Well it's only huge because you are a small little boy isn't it?" Uzui mocks "Not a flashy grown man like me"

"A FLASHY GROWN MAN!" Zenitsu raises his voice just a tad bit "A FLASHY OL-"

"How about we all calm down" Hinatsuru interrupts and they both silence themselves

"I'm 16 by the way" Zenitsu adds

"Shut up" Uzui tells him

"Okay" Zenitsu says

They leave the conversation (if it can be called that) at that. Maybe spat was a better word, bickering in the least. Uzui leaves the room and goes back outside and Zenitsu puts on his shoes and goes outside to where Suma and Makio are waiting for him, so they can all set off towards the village market.

"Okay!" Suma grins once the market is in view "We have a list and a few hours to do it! Let's get moving! Flowers first because I like flowers!"

"Why do we need flowers?" Zenitsu asked, where he grew up flowers were for special ocassions or if some idiot decided that it was a good use of money for a girl who rejected him anyway (It's him-he's the idiot who did that)

"Because it's nice to have them around the house but too much of a hassle to grow ourselves" Makio explains with a bored expression "Can we get moving"

Zenitsu decides to do as she says and wordlessly follows Suma and Makio to the flower stall. They pass through the street and past quite a few stalls to get there. He feels as though all eyes are on him, he can see a few people pointing him out even. He must look ridiculous in that dress. But, it was his only actual option on clothing to wear. 

After a bit of walking they finally reach a stall filled with flowers. It's as though the rainbow itself came alive and laid itself out in the shape of flowers at this stall. Soon enough Suma immediately engages in a conversation with a woman working there, and by the looks of it Zenitsu can tell she won't be finishing it any time soon.

He end up awkwardly standing around as he waits for her to finish. He doesn't feel like interrupting, nor interacting with Makio- who was stalking behind him. A flash of movement catches his eye, a hand waving at-him? He turns to look properly. A boy is waving at him, he looks about Zenitsu's age. 

"What sort of flowers are you looking for?" He asks, directly to Zenitsu

"Oh!" Zenitsu suddenly realises "Are you talking to me?" he moves closer to the stall, enough that he could reach out and steal a flower if he wished-but he wouldn't! Zenitsu wasn't a thief!

"Who else would I be talking to?" He smirks and Zenitsu's heart flutters for less than a second. Now that he's closer he tell the boy has dimples that make little indents in his cheeks, from the few seconds of his smirk. Cute goes his brain, very cute actually-

"I don't know?" Zenitsu admits (Shut up brain shut up) "Maybe the ones actually buying? I'm just here " The black haired boy has a small heart shaped beauty mark under his eye. It contrasts against his fair skin and dark eyes

"Well I'm talking to you" He states "The boy in the red dress" 

Zenitsu goes red "Don't make fun of me" he says

"I'm not!" The boy rushes to defend himself, he shakes his head and hands in mild panick  "I'm just saying you look nice in red."

"Oh" Zenitsu can feel his face heat up slightly "Thank you"

"And here" The boy leans over to tuck his hair behind his ear and his sleeve brushes against zenitsu's ear and it tingles ever so slightly. Then slots something in that space "A beautiful flower for a beautiful boy"

If Zenitsu's face was hot before, it was now as red as a tomato and as boiling as the summer sun. He is stunned speechless. He lifts a shaky hand to his hair and pulls out a red rose. He can't even look up anymore, his face immediately looks down as he turns the flower in his fingers.

But he forces himself to look up just once. And he sees the black haired boy is also blushing, his cheeks stained a lovely rose. He has his hands over his face and is turned away from Zenitsu in embarrassment; and Zenitsu can't help but want to see more of that beautiful face covered in a pink blush

"Ahhh" The boy quietly screams "I'm so sorry I can't believe I did that  you are just really pretty and I wanted to let you know and and- ahhhhhh" he turns away and hides his whole head in his arms, his dark hair sticking up as it gets ruffled by his hands

"Zenitsu" Zenitsu says

"What?" The boy turns around to look at him again, confusion clear on his face

"I-I mean t-that's my name" Zenitsu stutters out "Zenitsu" He repeats

"I-I'm Shion" The boy says in return "Nice to meet you" He bows shyly and Zenitsu bows back with no less amount of shyness.

Shion smiles and Zenitsu's heart flutters properly this time . It goes ~DOKI DOKI~ in his chest too. He's hit on girls before but this is the first time he's ever been hit on. He feels...well he doesn't know how he feels but that's okay right?

"Zenitsu!" Suma appears next to him "I got the flowers!" She spots the rose in his hand "Aww did Shion give you a flower? That's so cute! Do you have a crush?!?!"

"SUMA" Makio yells, cutting the questioning short "Let's stop loitering and get going! We've got more than flowers on the list!"

"Fine fine" Suma huffs "No need to be mean about it" and she starts to walk away from the stall and towards Makio

Zenitsu waves at Shion (and Shion waves back) before following Suma towards where Makio is waiting with an annoyed expression on her face. He never though he'd be grateful to Makio for interrupting but he is. She saved him from answering Suma on whether or not he had a crush on the cute boy who just gave him a flower and told him he's pretty. The cute boy with fluffy black hair and a little birthmark under his eye and looked beautiful with a blush and- And okay he might...potentially...have a crush on that cute boy. POTENTIALLY

"Next is rice!" Suma announces for no particular reason "Come on Zenitsu!" She grabs his arm and yanks him to a stall a few metres down, moving so fast he is practically running to keep up with her

"Calm down Suma!" Makio yells at her "The stall isn't going anywhere is it?"

"Ta-da!" Suma presents Zenitsu with the rice and grains stall anyway, ignoring Makio's comment before turning to the man running the stall "Hi! We're here to buy rice..." She continues to chat to the owner

"Hey!" A female voice calls to him "New boy! What's your name?"

"Zenitsu" He answers without thinking, already turning to see the caller.

It's a girl. Her long glossy hair ends somewhere he cannot see, done in one loose braid that pulls the hair away from her face, revealing more of her face to the world. Her face being, made up of attractive little details; pink lips and smooth unblemished skin and big caramel eyes. She gives him a look Zenitsu isn't quite sure how to understand or reply too.

"I'm Kiko" She introduces herself "Your hair is pretty long" Kiko says, reaching out to grab a lock in her hands 

Ah that's right, Zenitsu didn't really have time to cut his hair during his hospital stay and he hasn't really had the chance to cut it at the Uzui's either. As a result his hair is pretty long actually. Nowhere as long as a girl's hair obviously but, long enough for a boy. He probably looks a bit effeminate . Probably why Uzui teased him with being a little girl actually. 

"Want me to do it for you? We can make it a date" She winks and Zenitsu's breath catches in his throat and he nearly chokes on thin air

 A hand comes round her stomach and yanks Kiko backwards so she's no longer holding Zenitsu's hair "YOU ARE 14" He says "STOP THROWING YOURSELF AT THE NEW BOY! What? The ones you have wrapped around your finger not enough for you???"

'He' being a tall young man, late teens likely. He had hair of the same glossy shade and hazel brown as Kiko's but cut off short no further than the end of his ears. Definitely a relation of some sort, however the same features on his sisiter looked feminine but on him looked masculine. That lightly bronzed skin-tone seemed as though it came from days of hard work, his eyes seemed warm and protective and his shoulders were broad and his hands were big and his arms were rippling with muscles and and and-BRAIN SHUT THE HELL UP. His brown eyes glance over Zenitsu in a flickering moment of intensity before-

"I'm Kenji" He introduces himself "Sorry about my sister" He huffs "She's just like that. She's been weird since birth. Always chasing after boys- you'd think with how many caught under her spell she'd maybe stop at some point. I hoped we got her to stop actually" he gives Kiko a pointed glare

"Come ON NII-SAN!" Kiko huffs "Admit he's cute! Look at him! L O O K!"

"Fine fine" Kenji admits "He's a LITTLE cute"

"Uh...thanks?" Zentitsu blushes slightly. Did the big buff strong guy call him cute? Probably objectively because he was small compared to Kenji and small things were almost always cute, Like baby animals, or Nezuko. He definitely didn't feel weirdly or not normally about it at all-

"Zenitsu!" Suma comes running up to him for what seems as though it will be one of many times today "Tengen's not with us so we can't carry the rice back. We might have to buy it later"

"Oh" Zenitsu says "I don't think I could help with that"

"I'll deliver the rice to the Uzui's myself" Kenji promises out of absolutely nowhere

"Really?" Suma asks

"Yes" Kenji nods, being very clear not to make eye contact with Zenitsu for some reason

"Thanks a lot!" Suma grins "I knew you were a good boy" She looks like she's about to offer him a pat on the head

"Oooooh" Kiko teases "You're going to deliver it personally are you?"

"Shut up" Kenji slaps his mouth across his sister's mouth to silence her, (also he's blushing a little bit but Zenitsu can't see that)

"Thanks a lot!" Zenitsu calls out to them as he is yet once again dragged away by an energetic and fast moving Suma

It's after completing many of the items on the list and they are left with the last two. It's been a good few hours since they came and Zenitsu feels tired. He'd never had to help shop for a household of 4- five if he included himself.

"Could you grab some cheese Zenitsu?" Suma calls to him "I'll just go grab some eggs and this will save time. Makio will stay with you okay? Bye" Suma runs off

"Oh you're a new face" A girl tells him as he approaches her stall. Her hair is rather short - a similar redish shade to Tanjiro's he notes. It's sleek and straight and cuts off sharply at her jawline, ends neat and cleanly cut. She meets his eyes and Zenitsu notes a sense of intelligence and intensity just from meeting her gaze. Sharply shaped Emerald green and lazily observing him.

"First time here" Zenitsu admits

"Thought so" She hums "I'm Yui "

" Zenitsu" He replies "Does everyone here go by their first name?"

"In a village as rural as this?" She asks rhetorically "Why bother with formalities

"Makes sense I suppose" Zenitsu said "In the city we always used family names"

"Oh you're from the city?" Her intelligent eyes show a flicker of interest

"Yes" He answers truthfully, she doesn't ask him anymore on that

"Is that your mother?" She asks him

"What? who?" Zenitsu turns back to see what she's looking at. A blonde and black haired woman leaning against the wall, arms crossed across her chest "Makio?!? No! I'm just a guest!"

"Really?" The girl leans her face on her hand, watching him"You match quite a bit" she notes amused, a pointed look to his dress

" That's just because it was the only thing in my size in their house" Zenitsu explains "I was a bit of an unexpected guest" unwanted more like "That's really it. I've got no other connections to their family"

"Here- you can have it free " She hands him a round of yellow-white cheese "This is what the Uzuis usually buy"

"Really? Why?" Zenitsu asks

"Consider it my welcome to our little countryside village" She smiles "And it's always a good thing to give out favours to pretty boys" She winks and a mischevious glint flashes in her eye

Zenitsu flushes, this is the 3rd-(wait is it 4th?, do the siblings count as 1 or 2 times?) Time someone's hit on him today ""T-thank you" He stutters out before dipping his head so he doesn't have to look her in the eyes

"Zenitsu" Makio says ominously behind him, making him jump and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end

"Ah" The girl says "Speak of the devil. I'd best get back to work. Enjoy your free cheese!" She seems hurried as she went back to working at the stall, rearranging the cheese and dairy products

"Zenitsu" Suma practically pounces on him from behind "I realised I hadn't given you any money but I'd sent you off to buy things! So I came back to pay"

"There was no need" Makio says giving Zenitsu a pointed look "Zenitsu here got a free cheese by seducing Yui"

"I Did NOT!" Zenitsu exclaims indignant "I would never do that! I'd never seduce someone just to get something!"

"Yet you still got the free cheese" Makio points out 

"I-uh" Zenitsu doesn't have an answer "She was cute?"  He offers "I didn't want to be rude and say no" Makio gives him a scathing look

"Looks like everyone is in love with Zenitsu here!" Suma laughs "I can't wait to tell Tengen and Hinatsuru!"

Zenitsu suddenly has a very clear vision of Uzui teasing him mercilessly for this fact. He'd probably call Zenitsu a little boy again. HE WAS SIXTEEN. HE WAS STILL GROWING. And anyways, Uzui was a giant- everyone was little to him. 

Uzui did laugh at him. A lot. He was practically howling with laughter when he heard an embellished version from Suma. He also made fun of Zenitsu. A lot. And also looked upon him with a vague look of pride and clapped him on the back with his single arm. Weird. Anyways, dinner passes without a hitch and Zenitsu can't help but feel pleased with the fact he managed to help Suma (and by extension Makio). He feels like a little kid in how happy he feels at being able to help. 

So all in all he had an injury-free day in which he managed to get- a free rose, free cheese and a free home-delivery for rice. He's met 4 people interested or at least flirting with him and that does boost his self esteem a bit. Maybe he didn't SEEM so un-loveable? Maybe it was after they met the real him that they disliked him.

Oh well! Zenitsu decides not to ponder on such things before bed. End the day on a good note and all that.

Chapter Text

By Day 4 at the Uzui's Zenitsu has settled into a routine. Wake up and fold the Futon, go downstairs to get his salve from Hinatsuru, eat breakfast and do whatever the Uzui's tell him too. Hinatsuru did the laundry yesterday so he's back in his own clothes today. It's surprisingly quick to settle into a routine, especially one as vague and willing to change as this one. But still it feels like a routine.

"Good morning!" Zenitsu smiles as he approaches Hinatsuru

"Good morning Zenitsu" Hinatsuru gives him a small smile back

Zenitsu hears a knocking at the door and turns round to look at it. "I think somebody's at the door" He notes

"Oh really?" Hinatsuru says "I didn't hear that- would you mind going to answer it for me?"

"Of Course" Zenitsu agrees, anything for Hinatsuru and Suma. They'd been very nice to him so far and he was always willing to help them.

He walks over to the front door, grabs the door handle and swings it open. He's greeted by the sight of Kiko and Kenji. Kenji has a big sack of rice over his shoulder, here to deliver it as promised. Kiko- Kiko actually doesn't look like she's here to do anything other than annoy her big brother really.

"Hi!" Kiko grins "We're here with your ~Personally Delivered~ Rice" She says as Kenji puts down the bag of rice by the side of the door

"Oh Thank you" Zenitsu smiles back

"Oh you're not wearing a dress?" Kiko notes

"Oh- that wasn't a full time thing" Zenitsu explains quickly "It was basically the only thing I had to wear"

"It's fine" Kiko shrugs "You still look cute out of it" she winks

"Kiko!" Kenji bemoans "Not this again. Once again I'm sorry" He apologises to Zenitsu "I told you she was weird"

"It's fine" Zenitsu is pink again, still not used to being hit on

"Though you are pretty cute" Kenji mutters, clearly not for Zenitsu's ears but because of Zenitsu's hearing he's able to hear it loud and clear. It makes him go a little redder.

Kiko, noticing this change immediately turns to look at her brother "Did you say something? Did you!?! Did Ya!?!? Did you!?!?"

Kenji picks his sister up and hauls her over his shoulder like the sack of rice he was carrying before. "We will be going now!" He announces louder than necessary "Goodbye!"

Zenitsu turns back at the sound of feet moving and sees Hinatsuru looking at him with mild amusement in her eyes. Zenitsu has no explanation or reason ready for the previous interaction.

So he just offers the word "Rice?"

"I'll call Tengen to bring it in" She nods "I won't have you carry it if you're meant to be resting"

"oh uh, thank you" Zenitsu says, slightly embarrassed that he can't be of more help

"I'm here " Uzui announces before picking up the rice and taking it inside.

Hinatsuru gestures for Zenitsu to follow her back inside, and he does- shutting the door behind him. He follows her into the kitchen and she presents him with breakfast. Uzui's also there, deciding to have breakfast now rather than later. 

"So" Uzui smirks at him and Zenitsu feels dread sink into his stomach "What was that all about?" He'd obviously heard the conversation at the door and was now poking fun at Zenitsu.

"Rice delivery" Zenitsu answered

Uzui gives him a look "Rice delivery? That's all you have to say?"

"That's all I'm going to say" Zenitsu clarifies

"Rude!" Uzui sneers "I was actually taking an interest in your silly life for once"

"Well don't" Zenitsu shrugs "It's not like you're my father or anything"

"Thank god for that" Uzui rolls his eyes

Zenitsu decides to finish the rest of his meal quietly before taking his plates to the sink. He then turns back to Hinatsuru and asks her about what he should do today.

"Well..." Hinatsuru begins "I was thinking about cleaning the house today?"

"Make him clean it top to bottom!" Uzui cuts in

"If it helps you then I don't mind" Zenitsu adds, looking at Hinatsuru 

"Okay then" Hinatsuru gives him that small smile again "Let's get to work"

By the time Suma and Makio make it downstairs they've covered quite a bit of the house. Hinatsuru dusting and wiping down taller surfaces (being taller than Zenitsu) And Zenitsu scrubbing down the floors. They make a decent team if Zenitsu does say so himself.

"Zenitsu!" Suma yells and looks as though she's about to run towards him

"Stopp!" Zenitsu runs forwards to stop her because he just cleaned the floor and he's certain it's still wet

And then he skids. And slips. On the wet floor. That he was just running on. To STOP Suma running on. That he cleaned himself. And he fell anyway. Fuck his life.

He slides forwards until he hits Hinatsuru. "Sorry!" He apologises profusely "I did not mean to do that also congratulations!"

"Congratulations?" Hinatsuru asks

"On your pregnancy?" Zenitsu says "Wait was I not supposed to know? Was it a secret? I am so sorry"

"HINATSURU YOU'RE PREGNANT?!?!?" Suma squeals "WERE YOU GOING TO SURPRISE US?!!?"

Uzi storms in "What!??" He half yells "She's not pregnant. We'd know if she's pregnant"

"Oh" Zenitsu says dumbly "I heard the baby's heartbeat though?"

"How could you hear a heartbeat?" Uzui points out "That is a very quiet sound"

"Good point" Zenitsu says, not wanting to reveal himself "I must have imagined it"

"So no baby?" Suma pouts

"I don't think so" Hinatsuru says "But we could always check with Shinobu to make sure"

"I'll call her" Uzui promises

Shinobu gets to the Uzui's with impressive speed. In less than 2 hours she is standing in a cosy room doing a medical check up on Hinatsuru. Zenitsu decides to leave as it is very awkward with him standing there. He can hear everything that's going on in there however.

"Soooo?" Suma asks eagerly

"She's pregnant" Shinobu tells her "Though very early on in the pregnancy. You've noticed it quickly"

"A baby!" Suma exclaims excitedly "You're going to have a baby Hinatsuru!"

She's the only one who has said something in response to Shinobu. Zenitsu cannot hear any other words being exchanged. But he can hear an increase in 2 of the heartbeats in the room. Uzui's and Makio's. He recognises that as unease- perhaps panic? But why would one panic over a pregnancy? Did they not want kids?

"I will be taking my leave" Shinobu says after a pause of silence, then she opens the door and walks out to the hallway where Zenitsu is remaining

"I'm taking my salve!" Zenitsu says hurriedly

"Though you haven't managed to not injure yourself" She notes, glancing down at his still banaged hand from a few days ago "What else have you managed to do?"

"Umm..." Zenitsu mumbles

"What was that?" Shinobu asks, smiling sweetly in a way that seems sinister

"I swallowed Wisteria posion" Zenitsu exclaims panickily "But I'm okay and it was only a little bit! I swear! Don't kill me!"

"If I kill you then the effort spent keeping you alive would be a waste" Shinobu says with gritted teeth, as though she wants to convince herself "And anyways...I have a feeling that you're meant to spend quite a bit of time here anyways..." And with that statement she walks out of the door, her steps echoing in Zenitsu's ears

Tengen was going to be a father. Again. It was a strange feeling. Thinking that he'd go through that again. Fatherhood. He had had it once. For a scant few years. Then it was ripped away from him. He thought he was going to have it again a few years ago, but that too, never became full. Yet here it was again. A chance, a possibility, a future.

It was funny how things came full circle, he mused to himself. He'd first lost his fatherhood in the death of a little boy called Uzui Zenitsu. A name He'd picked out with great care, it had lots of punchy syllables. Perfect for the son of a flashy god. With his black hair and his golden eyes, he was truly flashy from the start. For the little boy who had run with such energy and enthusiasm and declared himself to the world with equal measure. He'd been so utterly alive until he wasn't.

And now he'd gained his fatherhood again, and the messenger of that had been none other than another boy called Zenitsu.  This boy wasn't his son, he was far from it. He was a overdramatic and whiny boy who had become the announcer of a birth. He had been staying with them by pure coincidence and yet. In the unwilling opening of their home to one child, they'd welcomed another.

Their child. Another Child. A new child.

"Tengen?" Hinatsuru asked him, worried in her expression as she broke him from his thoughts "Are you okay?"

Tengen forces a smile onto his face "I'm fine. We should get you to sit down, you're pregnant" he gestures to the cosy armchair nearby

"I'm fine" Hinatsuru insists "Shinobu said it's a very new pregnancy"

"Still you should sit down" Makio insists this time 

"Okay" Hinatsuru accepts, taking the armchair

"Should we tell Zenitsu?" Suma asks "I mean he practically know already"

"I don't think we have to" Tengen says "If he could hear the baby's heartbeat then shouldn't he be able to hear this conversation?"

"You're right" Makio says, her face grim "He's like you. Hearing everything"

"You can come in brat!" Tengen exclaims and Zenitsu opens the door 

"Yes?" He asks innocently 

"I know you heard everything" Tengen said

"So what if I did?" Zenitsu looks him in his single eye

"Congratulations You've levelled up in chores" Tengen says sarcastically "While you're here you will be helping out with Hinatsuru's chores if not taking them over completely"

"Sure!" Zenitsu says, his face brightening "I'll be happy to help"

"Yay! Thanks Zenitsu!" Suma hugs him and Tengen can see his ears go red slightly

Well looks like starting from today- Zenitsu was his new maid. Hope that boy doesn't wreck the house- then Tengen would definitely kick him out, no sympathy there. He  also didn't care that the boy's hearing was on par with his (potentially even better as he heard the heartbeat but Tengen didn't- but Tengen wasn't willing to admit that).

"Better get to work maid " Tengen teases

Zenitsu lookslike he want's to strange Tengen with his own two hands.

Chapter Text

It isn't working. 

How could Tengen think it'd work? There were somethings one could not do, even with their best efforts. He couldn't play the shamisen. Or the Koto. He tried. He did. But somethings he just couldn't do with one arm. He couldn't even hold the shamisen properly! He had to resort to using a knee to hold it up-A knee! And he could only play chords, nothing more. It angered him greatly. How could he! A flashy God! The previous Hashira of sound! Not even be able to play an instrument he spent YEARS learning!

He threw the shamisen with force against the wall in frustration. It lands with a great crash of noise. He hears a yelp. Zenitsu was standing outside the door. He could tell the boy had clearly jumped. 

"I know you're standing outside Zenitsu" Tengen sighs

Wait. Zenitsu was outside. If he recalled correctly, there were rumours about 'a girl' who could play any song on the shamisen and Koto in the red lights district. If he was remembering correctly, wasn't that 'girl' Zenitsu?

"Zenitsu" Tengen called out to him "Come inside. Now." This wasn't a request

"Yes?" Zenitsu sticks his head through the crack of space between the door and the wall

"You can play the shamisen correct?" Tengen said

"Yes?" Zenitsu offered. Good enough

Zenitsu doesn't know how he ended up in a music room with Uzui teaching him the Shamisen but here he was. Uzui seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated at Zenitsu's attempts.

"I thought you said you could play the shamisen!" He points an accusing finger at Zenitsu

"I can!" Zenitsu defends himself "I just don't know any of this A B G F nonsense!"

"Nonsense!" Uzui yells "That's music! That's how you play music!"

"It's not how I play!" Zenitsu yells in return "I wasn't taught the shamisen with some fancy tutor was I?"

"What do you mean you weren't taught the shamisen?" Uzui narrows his eyes at Zenitsu

"I mean exactly that" Zenitsu says "I wasn't taught the shamisen. I never HAD a teacher."

"Then what was that at the red light district?" Uzui asks

"I can play the shamisen" Zenitsu says "I wasn't taught the shamisen"

"The hell does that mean?" Uzui scoffs

"You play me a tune- I can play that. You ask me to play something I've heard before- I can play that. You sing something and ask me to continue it- I can do that" Zenitsu says "But if you ask me to read that- to follow some list of random letters that don't even form words! I can't fucking do that!"

Uzui is silent. Good, Zenitsu thinks. No one wants to hear his voice. But it does do nothing to reduce the tense atmosphere in the room. Zenitsu wonders if he should leave the room. Maybe take the shamisen with him- that would probably piss off Uzui. He's just about to do it before he's stopped.

Uzui starts...singing? He sings a melody, no lyrics, a wordless rhythm. He looks directly at Zenitsu as he does, a silent command. Join in, follow me. So Zenitsu does, he plays the notes to match Uzui's voice. Follows the rhythm with his fingers so the strings vibrate with the sound. The melody carries through the room, echoing off the walls. At some point Uzui's eye closes and he stops singing. He starts listening instead.

It's like Zenitsu's hands move without him. Like his ears and his body know this song, that he's heard this before, that he's known this song. He doesn't know why. It's like a strange sense of Deja Vu for something he's never known. Like he's being possessed by something or someone who does know.

He just knows he has to finish the melody. Finish the song.

So his fingers keep moving. The strings keep vibrating. The Melody continues on.

So the notes keep ringing. The rhythm keeps echoing. The Song continues on.

So the song keeps playing. The sound still moves through the air. The Music keeps playing.

Until Zenitsu plays the final note, and it lingers

"Who taught you that melody" Uzui asks

"No one" Zenitsu answers honestly, because no one had ever taught him a song like that. No one every taught him music.

Uzui looks like he wants to say something. But his lips remain firmly closed.

"Can I use the shamisen?" Zenitsu asks. Not like he can do much with it anyways

Uzui looks as though he's about to say no. "...Fine-but don't go getting any ideas about taking it with you when you leave our house"

"I wouldn't dare!" Zenitsu exclaims "That's theft!"

"Just leave" Uzui tells him "The women probably want your help downstairs"

Zenitsu doesn't need that repeated. He carefully places the shamisen down and flees downstairs as fast as he can.

Uzui doesn't know why he feels...weird. He'd wanted to hear that lullaby again- but now that he had...it was interesting to say the least. He had wanted to play the lullaby because Hinatsuru was pregnant. It was an ode to the child, the child who would hopefully be born. He had played it for his first son, but now he could not play it for his new child.

He'd first heard that Lullaby during childhood. His mother had sang it to him in the earliest years but he remembered the sound of it dearly. The words long lost, but the sound, the melody, Tengen remembers that flawlessly. He wonders how Zenitsu came to hear of it. His mother had never told him from where she had learned that lullaby, probably from her own childhood. She'd never told him much about her childhood. Perhaps Zenitsu had come from the same place. That would explain why he seemed to know the lullaby.

Tengen would make a note to ask Zenitsu about his childhood later.

They were being very protective of Hinatsuru. They were also being very doting. Which made sense- she was carrying life inside her, she deserved to be treated like a queen. The two of them were very strict on the doing nothing for Hinatsuru. Makio in particular.

Zenitsu however was being treated just like a maid. Or maybe a house-wife? Whichever one you think fits better considering he wasn't getting paid for this. He was helping with the cleaning, the laundry and the cooking-although he was only trusted to chop vegetables (which was a good decision considering he's never been known for his good food). He was sent several times in  3 hours to check on Hinatsuru and make sure she was okay. 

"I'm fine" Hinatsuru would tell him every time as he was sent into the cosy room she now resided in the daylight hours

And then he'd be sent back to do whatever task needed doing. There was a surprising amount needed to do to keep a house running. Zenitsu had newfound respect for Housewives and those doing domestic jobs- not that he didn't respect all women as it was.

"Zenitsu!" Suma called "Can you go feed the dog?"

"Suma!" Makio smacked her on the back of the head "You idiot! The dog ran away 2 years ago!"

"Oh right" Suma said sheepishly "Never mind then. I forgot" 

Zenitsu can see Hinatsuru before him laughing and smiling an amused smile at the antics of her fellow wives. It seemed things like this were normal in this house. Zenitsu didn't know if that was how all houses were or if it was just the Uzui's. Then again, he'd never grown up in a household- but he was pretty sure most households didn't have 3 wives and a lost dog.

Chapter Text

A melody drifts through the air. A clumsy echo by unlearned hands follows soon after. Then there is a pause, a whisper of 'last note together okay?' and a loud and confident ending note is played for the room.  It's met with the sound of applause, three sets of hands clapping at the song played by two.

"Good Job Zenitsu!"

"How flashy! You've mastered the shamisen already!"

"You're amazing Zenitsu!"

"Well done"

Big strong arms come to pick him up. Warm and comforting. He giggles at being lifted so high. He gets spun around, little stubby legs dangling.

Zenitsu blinks awake, the last of the dream lingers with the last tendrils of sleep. That was a weird dream. A melody and voices of approval. It was the same melody as Uzui had him play yesterday. It almost felt like a...a memory? Only it couldn't be because Zenitsu had no such memories. He'd have known if it was. He'd never known anything but the slums until gramps took him in. He'd never been twirled around as a child or given a shamisen till a much later age. And he'd only been given that shamisen in the first place as a loophole trick so his 'big sister' could rest.

Well there was no use pondering a dream. He had tasks to do. He got out of bed and sorted his futon out per usual. He wondered if the Uzuis would let him take a shower today? It was obviously a recent renovation, Zenitsu could tell by how it looked different from the surrounding bathroom. They probably installed it after Ex-hashira Uzui lost his arm, for ease most likely. Still, Zenitsu had appreciated the installation when they let him use it.

He could tell Uzui was waiting for him outside the room. And no doubt he was waiting for Zenitsu to hurry up and join him. Probably getting more and more annoyed every second Zenitsu was out there to join him. Scratch that- he was definitely getting more annoyed. Zenitsu was tempted to stay in the guest room and not meet Uzui, just to piss off the man. Okay he should probably get going now- before Uzui came into the room himself.

"Finally" Uzui rolled his eyes as he was greeted with Zenitsu opening the door

"I'm here, I'm here" Zenitsu muttered

"Come with me" Uzui gestures with his single arm "We're going back to the music room"

Zenitsu knows he probably perked up at that. But the music room? That meant he was probably going to get the chance to play one of Uzui's instruments again. While he may hate Uzui's ~Flashy~ aesthetic, he did admit the man did know how to pick a good quality instrument.

"Oh?" Uzui notes "You're eager?"

"I am not!" Zenitsu huffs "Let's just go"

Uzui laughs at him as they make their way down the hallways of the Uzui residence. Zenitsu wants to run-just to get away from him, it's like an ominous presence at his side. But Uzui would probably chase him. Looks like he's stuck walking to the room with Uzui. He can't wait to get inside and put some distance between them.

Tengen is NOT using Zenitsu as his personal bard. He's simply making use of the boy's ability to play for his benefit. Which is getting Zenitsu to play songs for him on the Shamisen and Koto. He's being a gracious host in letting Zenitsu stay here- the least the boy can do is something for him. That thing being something Uzui USED to be able to do himself. Getting his wives to learn is out of the question, Hinatsuru is pregnant, Makio was never suited for music and Suma was too energetic and clumsy. So unfortunately that leaves Zenitsu.

So Zenitsu is being turned into Uzui's personal Bard? 

It's actually not that bad. Actually, he's just playing music for Uzui in the morning hours. Uzui's having him play this one very specific song on repeat, saying that he wants perfection. Zenitsu feels as though Uzui is his strict and overaggressive music teacher.

"OKay" Uzui says at last "That's good enough" Then he stands up and leaves

Zenitsu isn't sure what he'd meant to do now. Is he to wait? Leave? Does he have free reign to do whatever he wants in the Music room? His questions are soon answered because Uzui returns with Hinatsuru. He carefully helps her sit down on a chair that was in the room before turning back to Zenitsu.

"Play it again" Uzui tells him firmly, bordering on a command 

Zenitsu resists the urge to roll his eyes at that, Hinatsuru was here "As you wish" He actually says

He begins to play the song, he's practised this several times over under Uzui's watchful eye (wink wink-wait that would just be a blink now). It's a sweet melody it's tempo is slow and the volume is ever sloping between loud and quiet. He may have played it at least a dozen times over but now he realises why. The song-it's for Hinatsuru. Wait no, that cam out wrong. It's not for Hinatsuru. It's made for Hinatsuru.

When he finishes. He looks up and he can see tears beginning to prick at her eyes. She quickly dabs at it with her hand. Uzui is grinning at her side. Like he planned for this to happen.

"I suppose they were right about pregnancy making you more emotional" Hinatsuru smiles "Though I didn't think it would start this early."

"Cry as much as you need" Zenitsu offers her, though he's not sure why

"Thank you Tengen" Hinatsuru kisses her husband and Zenitsu looks away awkwardly as one does when older couples kiss in front of you "And thank you Zenitsu" She says once she's finished 'thanking' her husband

"No probably" Zenitsu said, still looking away in case they were to start making out again. They both looked lovey-dovey enough

Hinatsuru laughs at him softly. Chuckling quietly at his attempts to avoid eye contact.

And later that night, he dreams again of music and happy voices.

"What do you think Hinatsuru? Isn't our son so flashy"

"Yes, he plays so well doesn't he? You're really skilled Zenitsu"

"Of course he is! He's my son!"

Pleasant laughter rings through the air. One loud and showy, deep and rich. The second softer, higher pitched, more feminine.

"What's going on here?"

"Zenitsu here was playing a special song for one of his mothers"

"Oh, do I get a special song too?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" 

The little voice chorus' in glee. Then turning eagerly to look up at a face too high up and too blurry to see, as though to say, a special song- a special song please. A pat on the head, a hand ruffling his hair, making a mess out of an already messy black head of hair.

"Sure. I'll teach you another"

"Yay!" 

Chapter Text

"Come sit on my lap Zenitsu!"

Zenitsu pulls himself over her legs and into her lap with great effort.  He balances himself to the best of his ability, albeit precariously. Gentle hands come and rest around his waist, stopping him from sliding off into a clumsy heap of black haired, golden-eyed toddler on the floor.

"Come cut the cake with me!" an excited voice says

"You spoil him too much!" A harsher voice protests "And giving him a knife?!?"

"I don't! " The knife in question is ignored "And anyways! He can be spoilt a little bit! I don't see anything wrong with spoiling our son!"

"She's right! Our Flashy Son-being the Son of the great God of Festivals! Must be as spoiled as he likes! It's his birthright!" A deep bellowing voice agreed

"You're just as bad as her " a voice complains

"~Happy birthday to you~" A fourth voice joins in, placating and calm, cutting off the bickering before it develops

"Happy birthday dear stupid 丂ひﾶﾑ"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Happy birthday Mama!" a little voice joins in happily "Happy Birthday to yo-

Zenitsu wakes up the same as any morning of late. To lingering warmth from dreams that mimic memories that never was. Stupid Uzui. He'd been saying that stupid 'God of Festivals' bullshit so often Zenitsu was hearing it in his dreams. He rubs his eyes and begins to rise fully from the  domestic dreamland that his nights seem to take on recently. He folds his futon up and starts to dress himself in his outer layers; as the days got hotter he'd started sleeping in only his inner garments- if he stayed at the Uzui's any longer he would have to start sleeping naked!

He leaves the room and the folded Futon behind after he finishes. Everything is what he calls usual for the Uzui's house. The husband in the garden, practicing his sword forms as he did each morning. The pregnant wife downstairs, still the early riser- despite her fellow wives pleas for her to just rest a little more in bed and sleep in. The same fellow wives who'd forced themselves to start rising early to accompany her. He glances outside from the window in the hallway, Uzui meets his eye mid strike and Zenitsu looks away.

Downstairs beckons, and with it a daily routine Zenitsu has begun to settle into after spending what seems like far to long spent at the Uzui's but in reality is not that long at all, even so-it feels like he's been here forever.

"You're in a good mood Suma" Zenitsu notes of the woman to his right as they wash vegetables for lunch

"Oh am I?" Suma practically beams as she asks it

"Yes you stupid dumb bitch" Makio says from his left "You're practically grinning from ear to ear!"

"MAKIOOOOO" Suma pouts "That's mean you angry hag"

"HAG!?!? HAG!?!" Makio practically screams "I'm barely older than you!"

"Still older!" Suma sticks her tongue out and is met with a beansprout to the head "Ow!"

"YOU BITCH!" Makio Exclaims "I'm going to-!"

"SO SUMA" Zenitsu cuts in, wanting to avoid a food fight-particularly one with him sat in the middle of it "What was the reason behind your smiling?"

"Well it's from being in the prescense of my lovely fellow wife Makio" She teases, handing Zenitsu a spring onion  "I'm just kidding-as if! It's because my birthday is coming up soon!" She squeals excitedly 

"Oh? When is it?" If Zenitsu's around still he'll make sure to wish her, maybe even a present if he can

"July the 10th" She declares to the room for no apparent reason other than she can

"That's pretty soon" Zenitsu agrees

"I KNOW! Isn't it exciting!" She exclaimes

"It is!" Zenitsu assures her, Birthdays were usually a lot of fun

"What about you Zenitsu?" Hinatsuru asks "When's your birthday?"

Hinatsuru had long since grown tired of being forced to sit alone in that comfy room. She'd told her husband and fellow wives just as much. The four of them had disputed in hushed whispers, aware of their keen eared guest but still unaware of the fact he could hear them regardless. It had ended with Hinatsuru getting her way. But a small compromise of her announcing her location before she moved was granted to her family.

"Well I usually celebrate it with gramps on 3rd September" Zenitsu says "But as for the actual day I was born- I haven't got a clue"

"Oh?" Hinatsuru seems slightly put off "Why not? Did your parents and grandfather not note it down somewhere? It's important you know- the birth of a son"

"It's because Gramps isn't actually my Grandfather" Zenitsu admits "There's no biological link between us"

"If he isn't your grandfather then who is he?" Makio asks, brows furrowing in suspicion 

"He's just the old Swordsman who was kind enough to take in my pathetic self" Zenitsu says, smiling softly as he reflects on it. His Gramps really was the best.

"Pathetic is Right!" Uzui yells from the distance, the ever annoying pest on a house that would be so much more pleasing without him

"Shut up no one asked you!" Zenitsu yells back, 

"No one asked you either!" Uzui quipps

"Your wife did!" Zenitsu shouts "She's not nobody!"

"..." Uzui was wordless, unable to refute Zenitsu's last statement "I'll give you that-but only because you mentioned my wife!"

"Was your gramps in the Demon Slayer Corps?" Hinatsuru asked, ignoring the two bickering males

"Yep!" Zenitsu said "Jigoro Kuwajima" He raises his hand to catch the pepper Suma has thrown at him playfully "Nooooo" He fake wails "I dropped it!"

"The former Thunder Hashira?" Suma gasped in excitement, Pepper abandoned on the floor

"Yup!" Zenitsu proudly proclaimed "That's my Gramps" His gramps was the best

"THE thunder Hashira trained you?!?!" Uzui yells 

"AND?!?!" Zenitsu yells, he really didn't need Uzui's input on his pathetic-ness he got enough from Kaigaku and himself anyways

"That's an interesting piece of information Zenitsu" Hinatsuru says calmly, ignoring the two once again "When did your gramps start training you?"

"Almost as soon as he took me in" Zenitsu said "He said- if you promise to follow my order, we'll make a worthy man of you yet"

"Why you not take his surname?" Makio asked "If you were truly close enough to call him gramps" Voice begining to resemble an interrogation-just the slightest bit and Zenitsu is reminded again of the fact that she is probably trained for such things

"Well, at that point I'd been going by Agatsuma for so long that it felt weird to answer to anything else?" Zenitsu explained

"Oh you didn't want to give up your family name?" Suma asked, interest showing openly in her face

"Family name?" Zenitsu asked confused before realisation dawned "Oh no! People just started calling me that because when I was a kid I'd go round asking for a wife. Some older kid had told me something silly and I took it to heart"

"Aww that's kinda cute!" Suma said "Just imagine Makio! Baby Zenitsu going around with his big gold eyes saying 'My Wife?"

"Sounds annoying" Makio rolled her eyes

"Oh come on! It's cute!" Suma proclaimed "Just admit it! I'm right aren't I Hina? Imagine-" She widens her eyes in the image of innocence "My Wife? my wife? My Wife?"

"There may be some truth to your statement" Hinatsuru agreed diplomatically

"SEE!" Suma cheers "Hinats-" Makio has reached across Zenitsu and Stuffed a raw carrot in her mouth

"Shut up mouthy" Makio states and Zenitsu is holding back every urge to laugh at the sheer comedy of the action

"Mwavio!" Suma exclaims in horror, carrot still in her mouth "Puthew" She spits it out "Meanie!" She throws a beansprout at her and it misses completely "This is war!"

She reaches across to make a grab at Makio but Makio moves back and Suma falls short. She instead falls across and jabs herself upon Zenitsu's knee.

"Oww" She complains from where she lays half heaped on his knee "Zenitsu! How could you!?"

"Me?!?" Zenitsu gasps

"Don't blame him for your clumsiness" Makio defends Zenitsu "That was all you!"

Suma throws a pepper this time and it actually strikes true. It hits Makio squarely in the face, right in the centre of her forehead. There's a moment of intense silence, Zenitsu is holding his breath. Then there is the furious scream of-

"SUMA YOU MOTHERFUCKING SHITY-ASS BITCH!"

Makio springs upwards and Zenitsu doesn't know how to describe the current situation as anything other than pure chaos; the vegetables they just washed now flying through the air and falling to the ground, Zenitsu has to duck, just narrowly doging a bell-pepper. He picks up a carrot that's rolling on the floor and is about to throw it as Suma on pure instinct but then- what is he doing? He's a GUEST! This isn't his house, he can't just throw stuff at his hosts

"You can join in if you want" Hinatsuru smiled at Zenitsu, seeing the carrot poised to throw in his hand and the hesitation on his face "You've been here long enough that they won't mind. In fact I think I might encourage it. Now I'm leaving the room before I get hit by a wayward tomato" Hinatsuru chuckles softly "Garden!"

There's a moment before a surprisingly accurate carrot whizzes through the air and a thwack and a-

"ZENITSU HOW COULD YOU! OH THE BETRAYAL! THE BETRAYAL!"

"Hi" Hinatsuru smiles at her husband as she enters the garden "Mind if I watch?"

"Feel free to oogle as much as you want" Tengen smirks 

"Oh?" Hinatsuru laughs

"I'll even take my shirt off" Tengen winks "Just say the word"

"I'll let you know " Hinatsuru jokes

And Tengen suddenly rushes forwards and swoops her up into his arm. Hinatsuru gives a little gasp of surprise, not expecting the ground to swept away from her. Tengen laughs at her noise of surprise and spins her around and around in his arm. And Hinatsuru cannot help but laugh aloud with delight at the silly and romantic action. She smiles at her husband and he smiles back. And when he puts her down, she reaches up and pecks him right on the lips. There's a silly noise and-

They turn back around and are met with Suma making 'OoOoOoOoh' Sounds and Makio making a kissy face behind them. Zenitsu's joining in too, he's cheering and clapping and teasing along with the other two. He looks like he belongs here, in their little family. Slotted in between Makio and Suma and now being chased by Tengen round the garden.

Hinatsuru has no doubts about the fact that Tengen is playing. He could very easily catch the kid if he wanted but instead chooses to play a mild game of cat and mouse. Tengen, yelling 'YOU BRAT!' and Zenitsu quickening the pace with mild panic.It feels so very father-and-son. The whole scene feels so domestic.

And Once again Hinatsuru is hit by how quickly and how easily Zenitsu has slotted into their lives after what is two weeks but feels far longer. With the ease he gets on with Suma and his bickering with Tengen, the subtle eyerolls that are mostly concealed against Makio. His skills with the Shamisen, the same eyes as Makio, the silly sense of humour he has around Suma. The name Zenitsu. It's all very easy to imagine that he's their kid.

In another world, perhaps that would be their normal. Had their Zenitsu lived. But that's completely out of the question. Their son was well and truly dead. They'd known it for over 10 years by now. And Zenitsu would leave and return to the Corps with his friends and his gramps. But even so, just for now they can simply entertain the fantasy of having a teenage son named Zenitsu. Just...a little bit longer...just a tad.

Chapter Text

"Why can't I come?" Zenitsu pouted

"Because we're going to do grown up things" his father told him

"Why can't I come?" He repeated "I'm grown up"

"Are you as tall as me?" He asked

He cranes his neck to look at his father in full height, towering over him "No"

"Then you're not grown up" He states firmly

"Mama isn't as tall" He protests

"She's a grown up-you're not"

"Neither is Haha or Kaa-chan" Zenitsu says

"They're also grown up-and once again you're not"

"Meanie. No one is as big as papa. Papa's a giant" Zenitsu pouts "Bad papa"

"Oh come on Zenitsu. You'll be staying with your friend Shion" He tries to bargain with his son who was looking at him like -THAT

"Sion?" Wide eyes and an open mouth

"Yes Shion" he repeats-haha he found the right angle

"SION SION SION SION SION SIO-"

"Told you all it would take was Shion's name" She says watching the scene from the stairs with a smug look as she looks at her son running in circles on the spot

"LET'S G LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S G-

And Zenitsu was out on the road.  He ran out right there and then, the adults were taking far too tong. He wanted to see Sion. Sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sionsion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion-

"OW" He cries out when he stands on a sharp rock that stabs his foot

"Zenitsu you forgot your shoes" a gentle voice lectures

He cried because he could see blood and it was scary. He didn't like it. It was all red and looked the bad kind of stickey-like when you spill juice on Kaa-Chan's robes

"Haha! " He forgets his bleeding foot to go stumbling forwards into her arms "Zenitsu got hurt"

"Poor baby" She says, opening her arms to pull him into a warm hug

A knock sounds at the door.

"Someone's at the door!" Zenitsu informs Makio as she hangs the laundry in the garden

"Do I look like I have time to spare?" She says "Go answer it brat"- a favourite form of address for Zenitsu, for her at least

"As you wish" Zenitsu says, giving her a mock curtsey before he goes

He opens the door and is greeted with the sight of two people and a large basket.

"Zenitsu!" Kiko grins "Are you ready?"

"For what?" Zenitsu asks, eying the large basket

"Our date silly!" She laughs "Come on!" she moves to grab his arm but Kenji stops her 

"Kiko" he sighs "Let him agree first. Stop being so pushy"

"Fine Nii-san" She pouts at her brother before turning back to Zenitsu "Please will you go on a date with me?"

 A date?!?! A DATE?!?! A d A t E?!?!?! With a girl????? Zenitsu chill-don't be weird "Uhm..." Zenitsu turns back into the house and yells loud enough that he knows he will be heard by all it's inhabitants "If I go on a date with Kiko will you any of you object?"

"Nope!" Suma Cheers 

"Don't come back sobbing over a broken heart!" Makio can be heard saying. Gee thanks Makio

"Have fun Dear" Hinatsuru offers him 

"Don't fuck this up!" Uzui mocks "Only a once in a lifetime chance!"

"Fuck you Uzui!" Zenitsu yells for what is the upteenth time since he's arrived at the Mansion

He's met with the sounds of Uzui's deep snickering and Zenitsu has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He was in front of a pretty girl. A girl who wanted to take him out on a date no less! It actually was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Zenitsu, considering his previous luck with girls.

"I can come" Zenitsu answered her

"Come On!" She grins "Let's go!"

"So..." Zenitsu says "Why's your brother here?"

"He's chaperoning" Kiko waves her hand flippantly "He doesn't trust me or some nonsense"

"It's not nonsense" Kenji protests "It's a valid concern with you"

"Is it?" Kiko rebuts

"Yes" Kenji confirms

"Really~?" Kiko draws her lips into a pout and Zenitsu is reminded of how pretty she is.

With her soft brown hair that cascaded in waves down over her shoulders and her rich brown almond-shaped eyes and the extroverted demeanour. Zenitsu knew she was the village beauty. It was obvious she knew it, it would be impossible not to.

"You know I'm kinda sad I don't get to teach you how to do your hair" Kiko said

Zenitsu had started tying his hair up into a ponytail; it only made sense, with him now doing chores it didn't work to have hair out when it would only fall in his face and be a hassle anyway. Wet hair in your face and laundry did NOT go well together

"Well," Zenitsu said, trying his best "I could always learn new styles?"

"Great idea!" Kiko agreed, beaming and Zenitsu felt a slight flush on his cheeks- HE DID IT RIGHT!

"What do you think about my hair Zenitsu?" She asks him, deliberately swishing it as she did 

"It's very nice" Zenitsu offered her

"Nice?!? Nice?!?" Kiko exclaimed "It's more than just nice! It has pink ribbons and braids!"

"Tell her she looks goregous" Kenji chimes in with an exhausted sigh

"Y-you look gorg-geous" Zenitsu said, flush creeping up over the collar of his haori clothes as he did. He turns his head away-god wny are you so embarrassing zenitsu?

"Wow Zenitsu!" Kiko smiled again "You really think so? Isn't Zenitsu sweet Nii-san?"

"Yeah, very sweet" Kenji rolls his eyes "Nothing against you Zenitsu, You seem like a nice guy- I'm just very done with my sister"

"Uh, thanks" Zenitsu said

"We're here!" Kiko announces as she swings the basket and gestures for Zenitsu to follow her up "Isn't it a great spot?"

She'd led him to a large open field  of wheat; their feathery heads atops the tall green stalks and strecthing out for a good while. Zenitsu wonders if the owner will mind them being here. Hopefully not-Zenitsu doesn't want to piss off a farmer.

"Me and Yui were here the other day and we both agreed that it was a great spot! For dates and anything else" Kiko explains

"Oh you know Yui?" Zenitsu asks

"We live in a small village-everybody knows everybody" Kiko laughs "You're not the brightest are you"

Zenitsu flushes embarrassed and glances away again. He wasn't THAT dumb-it was just very different from the city okay?

"Yui's my best friend in fact!" Kiko exclaims "So of course I know her"

"oh really?" Zenitsu asks

"Yup" Kiko pops the p

"There are surprisingly young people here" Kenji adds "With all the new adults moving to the big city it's just us 8 teens"

"Wait-EIGHT???" Zenitsu exclaims in shock

"Yeah" Kenji shrugs "We're a limited number"

"Me, Kenji, Yui, Shion" Kiko lists " Kaito, Haru, the twins Izumi and Izuku-Oh I've just had a great idea!" Kiko exclaims "We should all hang out together sometime"

"Sure" Zenitsu agrees easily (Definitely not because Kiko fluttered her eyelashes at him definitely not)

"Oh but later!" Kiko says " For now, it's just us" She winks at him and Zenitsu's breath catches in his throat-just for a second

"Ahem" Kenji coughs into his fist

"And my brother- way to ruin the mood Nii-san" Kiko rolls her eyes and huffs "Let's go Zenitsu" She grabs his arm and drags him off again, she turns back to chuck the basket at her brother

Zenitsu winces as it hits Kenji squarely in the stomach but to his credit Kenji doesn't even react to it, just catches it and follows the pair of them into the field. He opens the basket and pulls out a checkered pique-nique blanket while the other two wait. Zenitsu feels a little guilty about not helping, considering it's his date but he's not actually contributed anything other than his presence.

"Come-sit, sit!" Kiko sits on the blanket and gestures for him to sit along side her 

 She reaches into the basket and pulls out a smaller basket, this one filled with red cherries. Her smooth hands delicately pluck one out by the tip of it's green stem...and she bites into it's red flesh. The juice perfectly coats her lips like painted rouge. She smiles wide-

She holds out aanother cherry with an outstretched arm "You want some?"

"What?" Zenitsu still slightly out of it

"Cherry? You want some?" Kiko asks again

"Sure" Zenitsu tries his best to seem casual, he reaches a hand out to take it

"Nu-uh" Kiko shakes her head and smiles slyly, "I wanna feed you"

Zenitsu feels his flush rush straight up to his hairline "Wha-Me?!?" Feed him? Isn't this too intimate for a first date? 

"Yes you-who else silly?" Kiko laughs "Now open up" Zenitsu takes a nervous inhale and-

"Kiko" Kenji's voice cuts in "Let him be"

"But Nii-saaaan" Kiko protests "He's fine with it"

"Is he?" Kenji gives Zenitsu a look "You're clearly being pushy"

"I AM NOT!" Kiko huffs "Am I Zenitsu?" She pouts and tilts her head to the side-am I?

"Nonono it's fine haha" Zenitsu laughs nervously "I'll take the cherry see" He quickly snatches the cherry out of her hand and stuffs it into his mouth "Dewicious see-Hyuck-"

And Zenitsu does the worst thing he could do right at this very moment (aka right now ). He chokes on the cherry.

This is so mortifyingly embarrassing that Zenitsu hopes he dies right now but then he'd have died to a singular cherry which is even more embarrassing and Uzui would never let him hear the end of it and gramps would be so disappointed in him and Innosuke would also never let him hear the end of it and Makio would laugh in his face and Tanjiro would look at him pityingly but he'd be dead so maybe he wouldn't have to deal with all that but-

"Pwleheheah" Zenitsu coughs out the cherry onto the grass 

"You're not dying today kid" Kenji says

His Saviour and Guardian angel.  He saved Zenitsu from dying with his big strong arms and common sense. Zenitsu thinks he can see a golden halo around his head, it could be the sun but no it's definitely a halo. Because Kenji is glowing,- wait actually nevermind it is the sun. Kiko's head pops over her brother's shoulder- she looks concerned.

"You okay Zenitsu?" She aks

"Eheh I'm good now" He assures her "Thanks Kenji"

"Sorry for the whole forcing you to eat a cherry thing" Kiko appologises "I guess I can be a bit too pushy sometimes"

"It's  really fine" Zenitsu says, "I'm just a clumsy idiot-it probably could've still happened without you-"

"Just take the appology " kenji sighs "It's rare so just take it"

"Uh..." Zenitsu nods "forgiven?"

"Yay!" Kiko perks up immediately "Let's get back to the date! No cherries this time! Nii-san you can have all the cherries. If anyone should choke it should be you-"

"Gee thanks sis" Kenji rolls his eyes

"No problem Nii" She shrugs "Anyways! Back to the date! Do you like Cherries Zenitsu?"

"Shit!" Zenitsu swore as he realised something when his skin starts to feel itchy

"You SWORE!" Kiko cackles

"I forgot I'm allergic to Cherries" Zenitsu says with a haunted look in his eyes

Kiko doubles over in laughter, her chortles and giggles melodic somehow "How do you forget that?"

'Because I was too distracted by your beauty' is on the tip of Zenitsu's tongue but instead he says "I don't know"

"Looks like the choking was god's way of keeping you in check?" Kenji quips 

"Double thanks Kenji" Zenitsu thanks him again 

Kiko is still clutching her stomach as she continues laughing

"You-*Snort* F-Forgot *Giggles* HAHA -What? Were you too distracted by my ~ beauty~ to remember?" She teases, and Zenitsu freezes because actually-

"Let's get you back to the Uzui's" Kenji says "I think you've suffered enough today" He gives Zenitsu a pointed look 

"Yeah okay maybe" Zenitsu agrees, looking away from the both of them

And let's just say Zenitsu was teased mercilessly at the Uzui's because Kiko decided it was a great idea to recount the whole story to them while Zenitsu stood between her and Kenji, head down in shame like a little kid who did something naughty. 

The only reprise he got from the teasing was Kenji giving him a pat on the back and Hinatsuru giving him an extra piece of onigiri at dinner. Uzui, Makio and even Suma were having endless fun at his benifit. Woe is me Zenitsu thought.

 

Picrew I made of this chapter but modern AU- not exactly accurate but the picrew was so cute i don't care

Chapter Text

"GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY! AWAY PLEASE!" Zenitsu screams

He stumbles away as fast as he could, his shoe falls off-

But the monster is still following him-

He keeps running-

and running-

and running-

and running-

"IT'S AFTER ME!!!" He screams and he jumps into the arms of his papa

"The-The  G o a t?" His Papa says confused

"YES! IT'S GOING TO  E A T  ME!"  Zenitsu cries

"Are you sure? Little prince is going to get eaten by the goat" He asks

"YES! SO DON'T DROP ME OKAY!" Zenitsu begs "Cause if you drop me then it's YOUR fault if I get eaten"

"I'm sure Michael Jackson won't eat you" His Papa promises

"HE WILL! HE WILL! " Zenitsu yells "AHHHHHHHHHH HE'S GOT MY SHOE!"

Zenitsu can hear the conversation from the garden. He pulls out the wet sheet and hangs it on the line.

Yui and someone else are asking for help finding a goat or something. Makio was saying no ' we don't have time to help'. Oh and volunteering him to help, he adjusts the bedsheet- What!?!?

"Yeah we'll just get Zenitsu to do it. He's like our errand boy." Makio says  "Zenitsu!" 

"I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING ERRAND BOY!" Zenitsu yelled from the distance, loud enough that Hinatsuru aditionally sticks her head round the back door leading to the garden 

"WE'RE THE ONES FEEDING YOU! BE GREATFUL CHILD OR I KICK YOU ONTO THE STREETS" Makio yelled back

"Could you please help Zenitsu?" Hinatsuru asked kindly

"As you wish" Zenitsu sighed and went outside to the doorstep, anything for Hinatsuru

"Hey" Yui said, quirking an eyebrow in amusement

Her hair has a clip in it today, dark green. It pushes her bob out of the way of her face, and reveals little cherry shaped earrings (Zenitsu cringes internally as he thinks about the last time he ate cherries)

"...hello Yui! Let's go find your goat shall we?" Zenitsu offers, feeling rather awkward standing on the doorstep

"Zenitsu huh?" A teen looks him up and down "Haru" He bows

"Nice to meet you" Zenitsu bows back

Dark hair and bright green eyes meet his and a smile graces his red lips. He's taller than Zenitsu, but only by a smidge- still close enough that Zenitsu could reach him on his toes. And his dark Hair falls over his face in a way that's- 

"Hurry up boys" Yui calls from further up the path- when did she get that far? "We've got a missing goat to find"

"Coming!" Both Zenitsu and Haru shout back in unison, they exchange a quick glance before jogging to catch up with Yui

"And you said she's NOT your mother" Yui laughs once they reach her

"She's not" Zenitsu says confused. Which one? Who? Huh?

"That sounded like a mother and rebelling son interaction" Yui points out, "Makio and you" She explains

"Well it wasn't" Zenitsu confirms "She's not my mother and never will be"

"If you say so" Yui shrugs 

"Let's go find Michael Jackson shall we?" Haru interjects

"Why is the goat named Michael Jackson?" Zenitsu asks

"You'll find out when we find him" Yui tells him

"Any hints?" Zenitsu looks at Haru

"Nope" Haru smirks "You'll find out yourself"

"Fine" Zenitsu accepts it "Why is the goat lost anyway?"

"Let's talk to MR ANIMAL WHISPERER over here" Yui gives Haru a pointed look

Haru does not look ashamed in the slightest "Not my goat is he?"

"Well I'm not the one who LOST him!" Yui gives him another pointed look

"Eh" Haru says "Is it really that important?"

"IS IT-" Yui starts fuming

"SO!" Zenitsu butts in before things can escalate "What does this goat sound like?"

"Like a goat?" Yui gives him look up and down "You do know what a goat sounds like-right?"

"Emmm" Zenitsu glances away "about that-"

"TEHEHEHHHHHEHEEEHHEHEEEEEEEEE" Haru suddenly screams and Zenitsu jumps "Like that" He said

"...Thanks...?" Zenitsu offers  

"No problem" Haru replies as though he didn't just let out a demonic sounding screech that may have shortened Zenitsu's lifespan by a year

Beside him, Yui rolls her eyes at Haru's theatrics. She somehow manages to flick her hair with a finger and turns back to Zenitsu "Know what he sounds like yet?"

"Yes" Zenitsu says "I do now. Also I can hear said goat?"

"Really?" Yui immediately perks up

"That way" Zenitsu points straight at a thick piece of forage

"Really?" Haru questions "We have to go through there"

"Like you don't go into the forest all the time" Yui tells him

"Off we go then" Haru sighs, heading off first into the green leaves

*****

Haru clutches onto Zenitsu, arms wrapped around his waist. Zenitsu swears he can feel the teen's dark hair brushed against his back, sending mild tingles down his spine.

Haru's arms around his waist are definitely doing something to him. Zenitsu decides he'll process that later.

-Goat first

"Can you guys maybe speed it up?" Yui asked "I'd rather be home before dinner"

"Can you not!" Haru snaps "We're literally dangling off a cliff here!" he turns to look at her and his hands slip down Zenitsu's body, now holding his hips

"Shit!" Zenitsu clutches at his heart "Haru if you fucking drop me I will probably die!"

"I won't drop you" Haru promises "Just get the goat"

Michael Jackson is just within reach; so Zenitsu does what Haru told him and focuses solely on the goat, his hands are just above the goat's body, one move and he can grab it. Michael Jackson however did not get the memo and decides that an itty bitty bush further down looks very appealing.  So then he moves.

"I can't reach" Zenitsu cranes his neck to look back up at Yui "Is abandoning Michael Jackson an option?"

"You dare leave my child?" Yui exclaims, hand on her heart, red hair swishing

"Nevermind then" Zenitsu sighs "I'll just go for it. YEET!"

He chucks his body forwards and grabs Michael Jackson but-

-continues going down ?!?

He FELL out of Haru's grasp!!!

Haru's left holding onto a single shoe in utter confusion and shock "I-I-I-Uh-I-" he stutters. It would be very comical in any other situation than the current one

Which was Zenitsu falling off a cliff face. He doesn't want to look down, that would probably make it worse. Michael Jackson THE UNGRATEFUL CREATURE- was giving him a stink eye. A STINK EYE-Zenitsu may as well have just sacrificed his life for nothing. He squeezes his eyes closed tightly. This is it-one big thud and it's alllll over.

Thud.

And Zenitsu's...Okay?

He slowly cracks open one eye...

" Are you kidding me?" Zenitsu exclaims in exasperation "There was a path this whole time? Why the frick did you guys dangle me off a ledge then???" 

He'd landed on his butt and it turns out that he hadn't actually fallen very far. He'd landed on a short ledge underneath the one he'd been hung off before. And right next to it-was a VERY OBVIOUS path leading UP TO WHERE THEY WERE THIS WHOLE TIME?!??!

"In my defense I didn't know that was there" Haru defends himself

"Eh" Yui shrugs

"Yui what the hell!??!" Zenitsu and Haru yell in unison

"It's all good" She says "Michael Jackson is good, nobody died. Everything's fine"

"Is it?" Haru snorts as he walks to meet Zenitsu on the path "Need a hand up?" He offers Zenitsu at a particulary steep part

Zenitsu accepts "Thank you"

His hand was firm. Strong. Warm.

And those hands were just around his waist, H I S  waist and then his hips, H I S  hips-

"OWW!" Zenitsu nearly drops Michael Jackson

BECAUSE THAT DAMN GOAT JUST BIT HIM!!!!

"I'll take him thank you very much" Yui (thankfully) takes the goat from Zenitsu

*****

"Why is the goat named Michael Jackson?" Zenitsu asks again, now that the creature has been rescued and Haru's hands have successfully helped him back up to safer ground

"Because it can do that" Yui points at the michael-jackson-leaning goat 

"TEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEEHEEHEHEHEHEHEH" Said Michael Jackson

"Ahh I see" Zenitsu realises  "When did you name him that?"

"Oh I didn't" SHe says "My ma did, he's older than us. When he was younger he used to chase us around-"

"That's enough of that" Haru cuts her off

"Oh and this guy got bitten!" Yui gestures at Haru

"YUI!" He exclaims "I was 3!"

*****

The pair of them walk him back to the Uzui's, Michael Jackson now safely held in Yui's arms- strangely silent and complacent. The whole debacle had taken the remainder of the day. With the walking and the dangling and the being pulled up and Yui's sass and Haru's demonic screech- it had been a pretty eventful day actually. Now all that was left was to put the whole thing to rest.

They deposit Zenitsu back onto the Uzui's doorstep. He notices they both face different directions now.

"Are you not leaving together?" Zenitsu asks

"I live that way" Yui points down the dirt road, towards the west

"I'm there" Haru gestures at a house with a green door that Zenitsu can see, in the opposite direction.

"Oh well Bye then" Zenitsu bows quickly and Haru does the same.

Yui just turns and leaves with a wave of her hand and the swish of her hair, goat still in her arms. 

"Oh and Zenitsu?" Yui turns to look back at him "Thanks for the help pretty boy"

Haru winks at him, his red lips curve into a smirk and turns to leave in the opposite direction. 

Zenitsu watches the two of them walk away "I-Uh-a"

"Zenitsu's back!" Suma yells as she bounds out of the house and hugs Zenitsu 

*****

"Alright Zenitsu?" Hinatsuru asked him after dinner, "You seemed a bit out of it?"

"I'm fine" He assures her "Just thinking "

He'd been wondering it for a while. In the back of his head, he had a niggling feeling that he'd seen that goat before.