A/N: I probably should be writing another chapter for my other stories and not this, but I couldn't resist writing something for an anime I absolutely love. This short AU piece is a one-shot. However, I think I may end up writing more if I find the time to when I'm not busy with school or work. Anyhow, please do enjoy and review!

Chapter 1

It was a happy dream.

A dream where he didn't have to hide in the comfort of the dark house he had taken shelter in.

A dream where there was no gnawing pain from his stomach that kept him tormented from days on end.

And a dream where he could walk freely under the sun once again.

But this wasn't a dream.

This was a nightmare.

Zenitsu shuddered and shuffled closer to the dark corner he had taken shelter in. Getting sleep was almost near impossible now. Not without the constant gnawing pain from his stomach waking him up every few hours. It was becoming almost unbearable to ignore the hunger. Especially when the sounds he heard every day from the town nearby only made his hunger worsen.

What was once a sense of comfort now made Zenitsu become fearful of what he would do if he continued to hear those sounds.

Every breath and heartbeat made him salivate, while the sound of blood circulating made him imagine what it would taste like. Of course, he quickly shook those thoughts away every time, shameful that he would even think of such thoughts, but they always remained in the back of his head as a constant reminder of what he had become.

Zenitsu wanted to go home so badly. He wanted to see Gramps again, even if it meant seeing the look of disappointment on his face. It was pathetic, really, that he couldn't even meet up to Gramp's expectations of him. Gramps had spent all those years training him after paying off his debt. Even if he wasn't cut out to be a demon slayer, he was supposed to prove to his grandfather that all those years he spent training him wasn't useless. He had already passed the Final Selection and became a demon slayer. There was still so much more Zenitsu needed to do.

But now, he couldn't.

"Gramps," Zenitsu whispered as he brought his legs closer to his chest. "I'm sorry."

No matter how much he wanted to go home, Zenitsu knew he couldn't. It was better if he didn't make any contact with his Gramps and let him think he was dead. At least so that he didn't have to see what one of his students had become. It wasn't fair for him to see that Zenitsu had failed him. Especially, since he was the only one who had believed in Zenitsu from the very beginning.

Zenitsu felt tears form and began to fall upon his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away. Instead, he turned his head towards the only thing that was in the dark room with him. The thing he had thrown against the wall with no remorse and left.

It was his sword, a beautiful blade that did not form a solid coloration, but instead a lightning pattern that traveled up the blade. Zenitsu remembered the look on Gramp's face when he first held onto his newly formed blade after being given it from his swordsmith. It was a look that held nothing but pride. Oh, how much Zenitsu wished he could have begged to stay with Gramps after getting his sword. Because right after seeing it, his grandfather had sent him off.

Zenitsu cursed at his sword. Because of it, he had been forced to set out a lot sooner than he had wished to start his duty as a demon slayer. Not to mention the fact that his first mission didn't go as well as he wished. If anything, it seemed like he had been cursed by the gods into misfortune. Things never went right for him. And the sword laying down on the ground was now a constant reminder of that. He had always told Gramps that the demon slayer life wasn't right for him. That he could never be strong enough to achieve that kind of life. It's because he was weak that he had turned into the thing he was supposed to kill.

Zenitsu wondered why he hadn't picked up his blade. If he was being honest, he had thoughts of ending it all and slicing his neck off, but not once had he made his way to the blade. He wanted to think it was because he was weak. But if that was the case, why was he constantly ignoring the hunger that never died down every day? If he was weak, he would have long since caved into the hunger and started his rampage to taste the succulent blood that whispered into his ear from morning to dusk in a continuous cycle. No, he wanted to think it was because he was scared to die. After all, there was still so much he wanted to do.

Zenitsu had a dream to get married. He wanted to get married to a beautiful girl that wouldn't leave him like all the past girls he had attempted to build a life with. He wanted to go on dates and hold hands with a girl that was strong enough to protect him and herself, but also hear the beautiful sound she would make every time she laughed as her heart beat in unison. He wanted to hear her beautiful voice and enjoy the comfort her beating heart would bring him.

But that would never happen now. Not with Zenitsu's appearance. Any girl that sees him would surely run away now, never giving him a chance. It wasn't a life worth living if he couldn't fulfill his dream of happily marrying a girl that would love him despite all his flaws. If anything, it was better for Zenitsu to end the nightmare. He didn't want to risk hurting anyone. His kindness was one of the very things he had left.

So why? After everything, why couldn't he just take his sword and kill himself? Why was he still trying to still stay alive when it was torturing him to ignore the constant hunger while knowing that things could never be the same? He was a monster now. What good was it to continue to live if he no longer could fulfill his dream?

Zenitsu sniffled as the salty tears continued to fall. He really needed to start being positive, but it was getting harder to with every passing day. For every little thing, he found that he could dream about having, it was completely brushed aside by cruel reality. He couldn't understand why he kept fighting it. There was no need for him to dream anymore. Not when there was nothing left for him to look forward to.

Zenitsu had no idea how long he cried, but when he finally got off from the dark corner he had ushered himself to, he had found himself gazing at the small window that was in the room with him. It was dusk now, long since the last time he had gazed outside. Even though he knew he should cover the window, Zenitsu had kept himself from doing so. It bothered him. The sun could kill him now and yet here he was, still always attempting to catch a glimpse of the streaks of light that would come through. A monster like him should be afraid of what could kill him.

But the sad truth was that he wasn't.

In fact, he missed the sun. He had taken it for granted. It was painful to think that never again would he be able to feel the warm streaks of sunlight on his body every morning and be able to walk anywhere under the comfort of the light. No, all he had now was the cold darkness of the abandoned house he had taken shelter in. The closest he could get to the sun was watching it from afar from the window in the tiny room he was in. He could never let the sunlight touch him again.

And Zenitsu absolutely hated this fact.

Sighing, Zenitsu moved away from the window to walk back to his corner. Even though the night was approaching, Zenitsu knew he could never allow himself to leave the house. Even though he had the freedom to move around in the night, he did not trust himself to be around people. Not when he was so hungry.

"Maybe I should try to hunt for animals…" Zenitsu murmured to himself.

He could never eat humans, but an animal might suffice. He just hoped it could satisfy his hunger long enough for him to decide what to do next. He couldn't stay in the abandoned house forever. There was a possibility that he could be discovered by someone. He was afraid of what would happen to that person who did so. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

And he absolutely didn't want to eat a person and take their life away.

Zenitsu sighed at this thought. Yeah, he really was just too kind. For now, he would try to get some sleep. It may not help, but at least it would help him take his mind off of things. Now the only problem was to actually fall asleep. He was so restless and tired of listening to everything that made his stomach churned. He just wanted to hear something else that would give him comfort and a sense of peace.

That was when Zenitsu heard something that made his heart stop.

It was a lovely sound, so gentle that it made Zenitsu want to cry. He had heard many sounds before and the only sound that has ever made Zenitsu feel at ease belonged to Gramps. While the sound of Gramps was loud like thunder, underneath the thunderstorm was a sea of calmness that always made Zenitsu feel that he was safe. But the sound he was hearing now was nothing like that. It was so gentle and kind. All Zenitsu wanted to do was continue to listen to it.

That was until Zenitsu realized that the sound was getting closer to the house he took shelter in.

Zenitsu widened his eyes at this realization and quickly looked around for a place to hide. There was no mistake that the gentle sound belonged to a human. But no matter how kind the human sounded, he couldn't let himself be seen by them. He was afraid that he would hurt them.

He couldn't allow himself to hurt someone with such a gentle sound.

However, there was nowhere for Zenitsu to hide. The room he was in was empty with no furniture. The only thing that was a possible escape route for Zenitsu was the open window, but Zenitsu knew he couldn't do that. It was still daylight outside. If he tried to jump out, he would be burned alive.

As Zenitsu decided this, he shuddered as he heard the front door open. He whimpered once he heard footsteps began to get closer. There was no denying he was scared. He wished that he could hide, but there was nothing to cover himself with. Not even the darkness would help, given how bright his blond hair was. He would be easily seen by whoever was getting closer to him.

Creak.

Zenitsu felt his breath hitch as the door to his room opened. There was nothing he could do to escape the human. Whoever was there would surely see him standing in the middle of the floor in the open. It was too late to do anything to help conceal himself. All he could do now was hope that he had enough willpower to not hurt the person who found him, but even then Zenitsu didn't fully trust himself.

That was why Zenitsu dropped himself to his knees and buried his head to his knees.

Zenitsu was afraid that if he took one look at the stranger, he would hurt him. No, even eat him.

Zenitsu felt his stomach growl at this thought.

"No!" Zenitsu shouted at himself, terrified at the idea that a part of himself actually wanted that. He turned his attention back to the human and addressed them with terror in his voice.

"P-please go away! You shouldn't be here! I'm a demon, you know! I could eat you, so please go home!"

But the human didn't listen to him. In fact, the human began to take steps, getting closer to Zenitsu inch by inch. With each step the human took, Zenitsu felt his whole body began to tremble. Why couldn't the human just listen? Humans were supposed to be terrified of demons. Any sane human would have scrambled out of the house upon taking sight on him to escape. So why couldn't this one just do the same?

"P-Please!" Zenitsu cried out. "I am a demon! Demons eat humans! I-I could eat you! So leave, please!"

But the footsteps kept coming.

"Are you even listening?! Don't get any closer! You must have a family, right? And friends? Think about them! There's so much to live for! You can turn back and go home to them!"

Again, another footstep.

"Please!" Zenitsu begged. "You can stop! You can turn back and go home! I just…"

One last footstep.

"I don't want to hurt you!"

And then, Zenitsu felt strong warm arms wrap themselves around him, pulling him into the stranger's chest.

Zenitsu felt his body tremble at the comfort of the arms around him as the stranger's heartbeat vibrated against Zenitsu's ears. It was so soothing. He didn't want to admit it, but Zenitsu didn't want the stranger to let go of him. It wasn't that Zenitsu didn't like the contact the boy gave him. No, it was far from the truth.

Zenitsu loved it.

And that idea scared him.

"W-why?" Zenitsu breathed with tears in his eyes. "I could hurt you…"

"I don't think you will hurt me." The stranger said and Zenitsu felt the arms gently pull away from him, allowing Zenitsu to finally see who had come in.

It was a boy, around his age, with ruffled burgundy hair combed back and warm, red dark eyes that continued to stare down at him. The longer Zenitsu stared at the boy's eyes, the more Zenitsu wanted to cry even more. The boy's eyes said it all. Zenitsu didn't even have to listen to the gentle sound that came from the boy's heartbeat to confirm the unmistakable truth. The boy didn't care that Zenitsu was a demon.

He completely trusted Zenitsu.

"My name is Kamado Tanjiro. What's your name?" The boy asked with a gentle smile.

"Agatsuma Zenitsu…" Zenitsu said quietly, still stunned that Tanjiro was not at all scared of him. He shook his head in disbelief and decided to question Tanjiro.

"Tanjiro, why aren't you scared of me? I'm a demon. Demons eat humans. That's a good enough reason for any human to be scared of them."

Tanjiro tilted his head slightly but smiled brightly.

"It's because you are a kind person."

Zenitsu gave Tanjiro a deadpanned look and shook his head in annoyance. While Tanjiro was a person that made a sound so gentle that Zenitsu didn't like the idea of it leaving him, it was not hard to put it together that Tanjiro was too trusting.

Although, if Zenitsu had to admit it, he was actually happy that Tanjiro was like that.

Zenitsu felt his lips curve into a smile at this thought and looked down, only to catch the unmistakable black outfit Tanjiro was wearing. It was the same outfit given to Zenitsu to wear after he had passed the Final Selection.

It was a demon slayer uniform.

Zenitsu widened his eyes as he felt a wave of fear shook his body. Even though it was undeniable the someone with such a gentle sound wouldn't hurt him, Zenitsu felt his body move back with a tremor in his limbs. A demon slayer killed demons. HE was a demon.

Tanjiro was supposed to KILL him.

As if Tanjiro heard his thoughts, Tanjiro laughed, taking a few steps forward.

"Ah, don't worry. I know I am a demon slayer, but I won't hurt you."

Tanjiro stopped before Zenitsu and pointed to his nose. "See, my nose is very sharp. I could tell what kind of person you were the moment I walked into this house. You are kind and strong, but also…"

Tanjiro frowned and placed his hand down back to his side.

"Sad and lonely."

Zenitsu found he couldn't say anything in reply. Tanjiro was right. He was sad and lonely. And maybe much more afraid than he would ever admit. He couldn't go back to the life he once had. He was a demon now. There was no life to live for a demon.

And yet, Zenitsu wanted to continue to live. He wanted to go out and walk under the sun again and never feel the agonizing hunger that gnawed at him in an endless cycle.

No, he wanted to go out and live his life and fulfill his dreams. He wanted to make new friends and find someone that would love him. But most of all…

He wanted to see his Gramps again.

"Is that your sword?"

Zenitsu blinked, shaken out of his thoughts, finding Tanjiro pointing at his sword that was still lying on the other side of the room. The red-haired boy walked over to the sword and picked it up, bringing it over to Zenitsu with a gentle smile.

"You're a demon slayer, right? You should take better care of your sword."

Zenitsu frowned and looked slightly away from the sword that was in Tanjiro's hand.

"I don't want it…" Zenitsu muttered in a sullen tone.

"Ah? But why not?"

Zenitsu shook his head. "I-I can't stand to look at it. Because..Because of it, I…"

"It's okay." Tanjiro suddenly said with a gentle voice. "I can hold on to it for you until then."

Zenitsu widened his eyes and looked up at Tanjiro with confusion, not grasping if he heard Tanjiro correctly? Hold on it for him? What did Tanjiro mean? As in staying with him? Was Tanjiro actually suggesting that he wanted to stay with him? Oh, how much Zenitsu wanted to call Tanjiro a bluff for even suggesting that, but the longer he stared at Tanjiro's eyes, the more he began to realize Tanjiro was speaking the truth.

He actually wanted to stay with HIM, a demon of all things.

"Hey, Zenitsu, would you like to come with me? I think it would be nice to travel with another person. It's lonely just traveling by myself."

"But…" Zenitsu murmured, looking over to the box on Tanjiro's back. There was no mistake in what was in the box. It was another demon. It was making the same sound all demons made, what Zenitsu now made. So how could Tanjiro say he was lonely when he already had a companion, a demon nonetheless. It was absurd.

And yet, strangely enough, Zenitsu was happy that Tanjiro asked if he wanted to go with him. Tanjiro made him feel relaxed and at peace, as if nothing was wrong with the world around him.

But Tanjiro needed to be slapped with cruel reality.

"I-I can't…" Zenitsu said hesitantly. "I can't go out during the day."

"Oh, that's okay. I can find another box for you to stay in during the daytime."

"A box?" Zenitsu asked with a deadpan expression. No matter how absurd it sounded, he knew it was possible given how the other demon was currently in the same box on Tanjiro's back. Although, Zenitsu wondered how cramped that demon was inside the box. Also, carrying him and the other demon would probably be hard for Tanjiro. A demon slayer often went on long journeys for each mission and Zenitsu knew that if Tanjiro tried to carry him as well as the other demon with him, it would only weigh the boy down, which would make it easy for a demon to kill him.

And that was something Zenitsu didn't want.

"I can't," Zenitsu said quietly. "I don't want to weigh you down. You're already carrying another demon."

Tanjiro widened his eyes as if he just realized this, which only made Zenitsu raise his eyebrows in question. If Zenitsu had any suspicion about Tanjiro's intelligence before, he definitely didn't now. Tanjiro definitely was the type of person that didn't think about things thoroughly.

"Tanjiro," Zenitsu said solemnly. "I'm grateful that you want me to come with you, but it's impossible. I can't come with you."

Tanjiro shook his head and walked forward, taking Zenitsu's hand into his and stared straight at the other boy's eyes. Despite all odds, there was still resolve lit in Tanjiro's eyes. Zenitsu could do nothing but be mesmerized by it. He was stunned at how the boy in front of him still could not even despair when he, himself, had despaired from the very beginning since his transformation to a demon

"We'll find a way, Zenitsu," Tanjiro said gently with a smile. "So…"

"Don't give up."

Zenitsu couldn't help but smile at Tanjiro's words. How often had his Gramps told him the exact same words during every training session? The words should have been embedded in his head by now, and yet, he had forgotten. He had forgotten the gift of finding the courage to keep moving forward. His Gramps surely would be beating him up for forgetting.

"Stupid…" Zenitsu muttered to himself as he wiped away the tears that had somehow found their way to his cheeks. With hesitance, he took a deep breath and looked back up at Tanjiro.

"Are you sure you want me to come with you?"

"Of course!" Tanjiro answered brightly.

Zenitsu frowned. "But I'm super weak and hungry. I won't be of any help."

"Then I'll protect you! I promise!"

Zenitsu widened his eyes at Tanjiro's answer. That was it. There was no more denying it anymore. He WANTED to go with Tanjiro, even if it was unquestionably impossible. He wanted to go outside and experience the world, make new friends, and find someone he could love. And maybe even see his Gramps and apologize. But most of all…

He wanted to be with Tanjiro.

"Hmm… I haven't tried it yet, but maybe we can cover you in even more cloth." Tanjiro suddenly said, getting Zenitsu's attention.

"Eh?"

"Oh and we can use a mask to cover your face! I think it will work to keep the sunlight from burning you."

"Wait-" Zenitsu said, but it seemed like it was far too late. Tanjiro had his mind on a solution and it looked like he was not going to listen to Zenitsu's doubts for it. Zenitsu wasn't sure what to do at that point, but he was oddly contempt with it. It made him glad that Tanjiro wanted to do something for him even though the two had just met. Even though Tanjiro probably would never realize it, Zenitsu was grateful for him finding him.

Zenitsu was set on going with him.

"Ah, can you wait here for the night?" Tanjiro asked. "I promise I'll be back tomorrow. I have to go into the town nearby and find what we'll need."

Zenitsu wanted to say no but found that he couldn't. Instead, he simply nodded, watching as the other boy gave him another bright smile and turned to leave. Zenitsu watched him leave all the way until he disappeared beyond the rows of trees that surrounded the small house. It wasn't until Zenitsu could no longer hear the soft melody that Tanjiro's heart made that he decided to lay down and look up at the ceiling.

"He will come back," Zenitsu whispered to himself with a smile. He trusted Tanjiro. Waiting for him would be long and agonizing, but Zenitsu knew he would come back. Tanjiro would never abandon him.

And with that thought, Zenitsu smiled and closed his eyes, finally getting the rest he had long sought for without any hunger tormenting him.

Zenitsu started at the wide opened front door. Even though there was not that much sunlight outside, he was still afraid to take that step out. Scratch that, he was terrified. Yes, every part of his skin was now fully covered thanks to the extra clothing and mask Tanjirou had gotten for him, but Zenitsu had no way of knowing if it would even work. The sun could easily kill him. One step was all it would take to decide if Zentusu would be burned alive or not. It was not a choice Zenitsu was brave enough to make on his own.

"Zenitsu?"

Zenitsu blinked and turned to the kind-hearted boy that had called out to him, who was looking at him with concern. Tanjiro was still waiting for him to take a step forward.

"I-I can't." Zenitsu stuttered in fear as he began to take a step back. "What if this doesn't work?! What if the sunlight touches me?! I could be burned alive, you know! I could-!"

Before Zenitsu could even shout out another word, Tanjiro moved forward and gently grasped onto Zenitsu's hand that was wrapped in thick bandages. Zenitsu widened his eyes at the contact as Tanjiro's heartbeat echoed in his ears. The yellow-haired boy looked up at the other smiled down at him.

"I'll walk with you, okay?"

Every cell in Zenitsu's body screamed at him to say no, to say that he didn't want to do this anymore, but instead, all he could do was nod his head.

"Okay."

And with gentleness, Tanjiro guided Zenitsu out the door. After the first step Zenitsu took, he immediately shut his eyes. It was foolish, but he didn't want to see any part of himself catching on fire nor see the look Tanjiro would make if that indeed happened. He was afraid of how that would hurt Tanjiro and the lovely melody of his heartbeat.

But the longer Zenitsu shut his eyes to the world, the more he began to realize that nothing had changed to the gentle sound that belonged to Tanjiro. In fact, it seemed to have only gotten stronger with each passing second as if nothing was wrong.

That was when Zenitsu decided to open his eyes.

Finding Tanjiro standing in front of him, illuminated by the soft light of the sun.

Upon setting his sight on Tanjiro, Zenitsu felt himself gasp as he tried to choke back the tears that had managed to appear. He felt his legs suddenly begin to go weak, becoming unbelievably hard to continue to stand upright. He barely heard Tanjiro call out his name as the red-haired boy rushed forward to help him. No, what Zenitsu was focused on was the beating of his heart.

It was making a beautiful sound, which could only mean…

"I'm alive." Zenitsu breathed.

And he smiled as Tanjiro's own sound mixed in unison with his.