Pairing : Agatsuma Zenitsu/fem!Kamado Tanjirou

Fandom : Kimetsu no Yaiba

Disclaimer : I do not own Kimetsu no Yaiba characters. They are still and will so on rightfully belong to Koyoharu Gotouge.

My vocabularies are still short and English is not my main language, so do enjoy my bad writing.

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Tanjirou was walking with a blanket around her shoulder, calmly enjoying the autumn. The slightly cold air brushed her rosy cheeks, sending fresh breath into her still-feel-numb nose. Not a moment later, Nezuko called over her shoulder, voice dripping in worry. Tanjirou, a little distracted, only then turned towards her after the third call. She saw Nezuko walked towards her, a basket of dry blanket on her hands.

"Onee-chan, why are you out in this cold season? You haven't recovered yet from your last mission. Please go back to your room." she said worriedly as she came within her space. Tanjirou, being aloof she is, only waved her hands to calm down the fussing sister.

"No, it's fine. I'm okay. I just want to enjoy the weather, Nezuko. Today it smells nice and I just want to take a fresh breath around!" Tanjirou smiled cheerfully, although the sudden burst of energy made her dizzy in respon. Nezuko frowned, noticing the way Tanjirou sway a little. This girl...

"Okay... Just, please don't wander too far. And don't stay too long. You still have to rest, okay... You fainted a lot yesterday so I..." Nezuko's word hung and Tanjirou can smell her distress... and frustration. She smiled gently and pat her sister's head.

"No worries. The poison has weared and your onee-chan is okay now! She even feels energized today so everything's gonna be alright!" Tanjirou brightened and Nezuko can't help but smile despite the sadness that bit at the end of it.

"Fine... Do as you wish. You're too stubborn to be warded by me anyway. I'll just go to the kitchen and prepare you some porridge and soup... Just, don't go to far okay." Nezuko squeezed Tanjirou's hand and only let go when Tanjirou gave her an assuring nod before she turned and left to the kitchen.

Tanjirou turned and stare at the trees filled with colorful color, mostly orange. Some of them were already looked dead as all of its leaves fell and covered the ground made it like a sea of reddish-orange carpet. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

It smelled so nice. It smelled like autumn and fresh season. The smell calmed her down instantly and she felt like her heart swayed and warmed. The scent is like a comfortable blanket surrounding her. It smelled so familiar, like...

Tanjirou opened her eyes and without any cause she turned her head...

And saw Zenitsu by the entrance gate.

The boy, no. The man looked the same as the last time they met, just with longer hair that tied into a long ponytail. He was taller now... and broader too. And there's something hard on the edge of his expression. Zenitsu looked refined and somehow, calmer.

"Zen-" Tanjirou called on breathlessly on the sudden arrival of his closest friend, but before she was able to continue the dizziness prick on her again and she felt her body swayed to the left. Though Tanjirou was far from meeting the ground as she was immediately enveloped in a warm hug.

Zenitsu seemed so far away but he is also so fast. In no second the man already at Tanjirou's side to catch her fall.

The scent of Zenitsu, if it already smelled strong taken from the distance, now in this proximity, smelled even stronger that it made Tanjirou dizzy and spechless. But before she was able to regain back her composure Zenitsu already straighten her up.

"Careful... You could have kissed the ground there." He said, voice more deeper than Tanjirou could remember.

Tanjirou only blinked. At close sight, Tanjirou can see that Zenitsu had grown a lot since the last time she saw him. How many days had it been? Ah, no. It was not days anymore in this matter. It had been two years. And Zenitsu looked like he had been through many things for him to be looked so refined and calmer as right now. And they used to have the same height but now Zenitsu seemed to have surpassed her, a lot. Talk about boys growth spurt.

Tanjirou opened her mouth as her eyes sparkled in happiness, ready to welcome him but as Zenitsu finished straighten Tanjirou's blanket so it covered her fully, the man only pat her shoulder once then walked away.

"Eh?" Tanjirou could only eh-ed as she saw Zenitsu calmly walked away like nothing was happening. She haven't even greeted him for God's sake!

"Zenitsu???" Tanjirou called on him, a little unsure of what the heck is happened. Zenitsu only looked at her over his shoulder.

"Let me rest for a few days in your estate. No worries, it's not gonna be that long." he waved, making Tanjirou bewildered.

"What... But..." She stuttered, confused and at loss of what to say. The image of a crying Zenitsu while clinging desperately to her in the past flashed in her eyes. And zenitsu had gone.

For some reason, Tanjirou felt like Zenitsu was different. He seemed colder now.

It was morning again. Zenitsu was sitting at the terrace facing the garden, looking at the bright, morning sky in silence. He could hear a familiar of certain someone's feet padded slowly towards his place, hear the sound of the wooden door opening. And Zenitsu only turned his head when that someone finally called on his name.

"Morning Zenitsu!" Tanjirou says, a little bit cheerfully. Her complexion looking healthier than yesterday and the smile she delivered was so bright it could blind anyone within radiance.

Tanjirou was donned in a simple kimono that has the pattern of dandelions. The long, spiky hair that was letting loose yesterday now tied into a high ponytail with a sunflower decoration to pin it. On her hands were a tray filled with some dishes that honestly smelled so wonderful for Zenitsu's hungry stomach.

"I was looking for you since yesterday's meeting but couldn't find you anywhere. Where have you been?" Tanjirou steadily lowered herself and kneeled. The long sleeves were fluttering as she slowly put the tray down between them. Zenitsu was silent for a second and ready to open his mouth when Tanjirou waved him off.

"It's okay, though. Here, I brought you breakfast. You're hungry right?" Tanjirou smiled gently, holding her fingertip beside her nose. Oh, she and her smell ability.

Zenitsu sighed. He said nothing and took the bowl, brimmed with hot broth and filled with vegetables and fried salmon that smelled so wonderful in his nose. He took a sip and sighed in contentment. It was delicious.

They were silent for some amount of time as Zenitsu kept eating and Tanjirou watching him with a gentle expression on her face. Honestly, Zenitsu was pretty much aware and on high alert with Tanjirou's eyes on him. But he ignored it. He tried to.

"Inosuke also visited me two weeks ago. He only stayed for three days before going on his adventure again." She suddenly said, and the topic of their other friend made Zenitsu pause.

Tanjirou closed her eyes. "To think about it, we hardly meet each other for a long time now, while Inosuke always makes sure to visit me at least three months once but you..."

Zenitsu can't help but tensed as Tanjirou trailed off. He can hear the lids opened slowly and stayed in a half-lidded gaze. "It's been two years since we last saw each other." He can hear the pang inside that tone.

Zenitsu lowered his bowl and placed it back on the tray, making Tanjirou perked. "Ah. Why are you putting it back? You haven't finished even half of it. Did the food taste that bad?" He can hear the worry clear in her tone but Zenitsu only straightened his gaze on her.

"I heard you're sick, so I come back to check on you. But looks like you're fine now." He said a matter of factly. Tanjirou seemed surprised and stared at him in bewilderment for a moment before she laughed. A tinge of blush on her cheeks.

"Ah, so that's the reason why you come back? Because you heard that I was ill?"

That made Zenitsu's guard fallen and he was now the one getting embarrassed. "N-no! I just want to check on you and also it's already been a long time and I just...!" He tried to reason but hearing Tanjirou's beautiful laugh made him stop. He stared.

The touch of sunshine on her figure made Tanjirou glow. She looked so beautiful.

"Okay, okay, I understand." Tanjirou brushed off the tears gathered on the corner of her eyes. Her smiles still stay on her face.

"Just, please don't ignore me like yesterday okay? I was ready to greet you but you're just off like that! You... Worry me you know. I thought you forgot about me..." Tanjirou trailed off in a whisper and Zenitsu gulped, feeling his chest hurt seeing Tanjirou looked sad like that.

He looked down and took the bowl again, brought it up on his lips and took a big sip. He felt his eyes sting.

"This is so delicious! Did you cook it yourself?" Zenitsu's voice suddenly took a note higher, surprised Tanjirou. She blushed brightly. And Zenitsu's heart warmed at the sight.

"Well... I was just helping Nezuko. It's not that great..." She stuttered and it looked so cute.

Zenitsu took a deep breath and pushed the tray aside and suddenly lie his head down on Tanjirou's lap, again, surprised her.

"Let me stay like this for a while." He said and closed his eyes, didn't budge even when Tanjirou was awkwardly shuffling.

"O-okay." Tanjirou let her shoulder relax and lowered her hands on top of Zenitsu's yellow hair. The strand got into her fingers and it felt so soft.

"I'm not forgetting you." Zenitsu suddenly said, disturbing the calm atmosphere. Tanjirou hardly blinked.

"How could I forget about you Tanjirou. You always appear in every dream I have to the point of I started to get hallucinations and I need to make sure you're not following me and then I heard you get attacked and hurt badly and I couldn't just..."

Hearing the confession so directly said on he face, Tanjirou held her breath. "Wha-what is that supposed to mean?"

Zenitsu opened his eyes then and stared up straight to her eyes. Tanjirou looked so close and beautiful. He touched his friend's face and suddenly he was back to his old self, crying.

"Ne, Tanjirou. I think my stomach will be dependant on you now. I want you to cook for me every day start from now, please?" He wailed. Water stark clear on his eyes. Tanjirou's eyes widened before she smiled so sweetly Zenitsu felt breathless.

"Sure."

Little did Tanjirou know that Zenitsu was actually confessing to her. Or could we say it as, proposing ( ω )