Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"you could always move back home."

zenitsu sneered at his friend who seemingly held no concern for his current situation. moving back home was the last thing zenitsu wanted to do. 

"are you crazy?" zenitsu deadpanned. "i am not moving back home just to be back where i started. gramps gave me the opportunity to study here, and i plan on staying."

inosuke scoffed. "well you won't be staying long if you can't get your money in order."

zenitsu groaned, throwing his head over the back of his seat. inosuke was right. if he didn't find a way to pay rent fast, he was gonna be out of there. asking gramps for some money was definitely out of the question. the man had already done enough. 

"what did kanao say?" inosuke asked, sipping on his iced americano. "i thought she tried to get you a spot in the bookstore." 

"she did," zenitsu whined. "but little did i know that sitting in a quiet shop full of books all day tends to make one tired. i was asleep the majority of my first shift." 

"what about murata? he works at the pet shop down the street right?"

"tried there too," the blonde mumbled, doodling in his notebook with a pen he found. "didn't land a job, but i did find out that i'm allergic to cats. went home with puffy eyes and a runny nose but of course no job."

inosuke nodded silently, taking a sip of his drink once again. "you really have some shitty luck. sucks that i can't help ya out. y'know i would."

"well..oh! did you ask aoi about the garden shop she works at? i can totally keep the flowers from dying!" zenitsu beamed, shooting a hopeful glance towards his best friend.

inosuke shook his head. "she said they don't make enough to take on anyone else. she wished she could since she could definitely use the help. the management at that place sucks ass." 

zenitsu wilted. he was really out of options. he had been wracking his brain all morning and it was kinda starting to hurt. that, coupled with inosuke's constant slurping was really adding up to produce an uncomfortable headache. 

"dude, is the coffee really that good?" zenitsu asked, raising his head to send a glare inosuke's way. "you literally brought two to class this morning. the campus' coffee shop isn't even that great." 

"this isn't from the campus coffee shop asshole," inosuke snarled, twirling his straw around in his cup. 

"then where is it from? that's the only place to get iced coffee on campus."

"i got it from that dude in class 1-a," inosuke stated rather matter-of-factly. glancing over, he could see the blank expression his friend was giving him.

"you know! the boy from class 1-a! red hair, all smiles 24/7! i don't- i don't fucking know his name, moron!" inosuke snapped impatiently. "it's like...kamaboko gonpachiro or something. i don't know! the boy with the fat ass scar on his head!" 

inosuke seethed as a lightbulb finally seemed to go off in zenitsu's head. he's heard about the boy since the school year started, but never really made an effort to interact with him since they were in different classes. 

"he owns a coffee shop?" zenitsu queried. "it must be a family shop or something."

"no, he sells them out of his apartment," inosuke mumbled. "every morning and every afternoon. he has all kinds of stuff on his menu. i think he even has sandwiches. i need to get around to getting one of those..."

as inosuke trailed off into what he wanted for lunch, zenitsu remained deep in thought. a high schooler running a home cafe out of his own apartment? he must really need cash if he's going to those lengths. but then again, zenitsu needed cash himself...

"i'm gonna ask him for a job."

inosuke side-eyed his blonde friend for a moment before laughing. "dude, what could you possibly do for him? he's got the cooking part down." 

"i-i don't know!" zenitsu flushed, rising from his seat as the bell rang. "but it won't hurt to try! who knows, this guy might be loaded! working for someone is better than working for no one." 

the boy with blue tips simply rolled his eyes as they made their way out of the classroom. "whatever. try your luck i guess. see ya at lunch later, 'kay?" 

"okay," zenitsu mumbled, watching as his friend disappeared into the crowded hall.

♡

"so how's your plan going?" inosuke questioned through a mouthful of rice. "you bagged a job yet?"

zenitsu grimaced, nudging a napkin towards the messy eater. "no, i haven't even seen him today. it's just my luck that i don't have any classes with him." 

inosuke nodded wordlessly as he continued to scarf down his food like a starved dog. it was honestly beyond zenitsu's comprehension how the male didn't choke on every meal he's ever consumed. then again, zenitsu didn't really understand a lot of the things inosuke did; how he managed to get a girlfriend being one of them. the blonde has to admit that his pride was hurt a little the day inosuke came to him with the news. it is a little discouraging to know your best friend got cuffed before you did. but finding a lifelong partner was the least of zenitsu's worries at the moment. he thought asking the redhead for a job would be the hard part, but apparently catching up to him would be even harder!

then again, what would he even say when he did manage to track him down? 'hi, can i have a job?' isn't really the best way to introduce yourself to someone at your school. he had no idea what kind of a person this guy was! all he knew was that he smiled...like a lot. the other students adored him, and from what he's heard, the boy is a member of the school's student council. not that zenitsu would know anything about that considering he dropped out of the election after one day. getting people to like you is hard work when you're a nobody!

waiting patiently for inosuke to finish his lunch, zenitsu bided his time by scrolling on his phone. well, he was more or less scoring the internet for any information on the guy he would soon be sucking up to. zenitsu was never big on using social media, so he didn't follow many people. searching for this kid was gonna be one hell of a job when he didn't even know his name.

as curious eyes scanned through page after page, zenitsu finally ended up on kanao's page. it was private, but luckily he had requested to follow her during his one shift at the library, to which she accepted. as he scrolled through her followers, his eyes landed on a girl with big red eyes and a small smile. clicking on her page, he realized she was younger than him, meaning she most likely had nothing to do with his search. as he went to click away, his gaze drifted to one of her older images. it seemed to be an old christmas photo with several children and a woman. none of the kids seemed familiar except for the oldest. he was taller than the rest with red eyes just like the girl. their faces actually looked really similar, the only difference being the large scar decorating his forehead. 

zenitsu almost choked on his tea, quickly tapping to see if the girl bothered to tag her brother. by the grace of god, she did! staring at the boy's page, zenitsu was finally witnessing the fruits of his labor! analyzing the redhead's posts, zenitsu learned that the boy's name was tanjiro kamado. zenitsu sneered, realizing that the name inosuke had given him was nowhere near close to being accurate. continuing his "research," zenitsu also discovered that tanjiro was 16; only one year younger than him.

much to the blonde's dismay, tanjiro didn't seem to post much about his home cafe. there was the occasional food picture here or there, but most of them seemed to just be happy memories with his friends. he did seem quite easy to approach, so walking up to him shouldn't be that hard after all! zenitsu cheered to himself before heading to close the app. but...wait...should he follow him? zenitsu thought over it for a moment before deciding against it. it would look just a little creepy to follow him and suddenly talk to him in the hallways. 

inosuke cleared his throat, startling the boy in front of him. "come on. i'll be damned if i'm tardy again because of you." 

zenitsu stared judgmentally for a moment, watching as his friend made his way out of the cafeteria. 

"you're the reason we're always late, you asshat!"

♡

zenitsu tapped his foot, anxiously waiting for the period to end. this was it. school was almost over and his plan would be set in motion. he had been replaying every possible outcome repeatedly in his head. it was either get hired or get rejected. very simple. 

as the bell rang, zenitsu all but bolted out of the room. he knew inosuke would most likely be walking aoi home, so he didn't bother to wait on him. he was on a life or death mission here! the blonde tore through the hallways, trying to make it to the front gates before everyone else. this way, he could simply stop tanjiro on his way out. brilliant, right?

upon reaching the gate, zenitsu quickly whipped out his phone. it would seem really weird for him to just be standing there desperately searching for someone he's never met. as he scrolled aimlessly on his phone, he soon realized that the flood of students was dying down, and he hadn't caught a single glimpse of red hair. but he could be patient. it gave him more time to rehearse his lines anyway!

so he waited...and waited...and continued to wait until he got bored. he was definitely lying when it came to patience. tired and discouraged, zenitsu decided to swing by the grocery store before heading back to his apartment. he was out of instant coffee and really needed to restock. 

now, zenitsu would be lying if he said he didn't love grocery shopping. it had to be one of his pastimes. scanning the aisles for different brands could be really comforting, and he saw it as less of a chore and more of a fun activity. the only problem was...well...it's hard to shop when you have no money.

zenitsu's nerves soothed as the familiar chime of the store doors greeted him. much to his surprise, the store seemed to be relatively empty. most people would swing by after school and work, so he assumed most people must have already made their trips here.

waltzing over to the coffee aisle, zenitsu scanned the shelves for his current fixation. he usually drinks a simple vanilla mix; nothing too special. but about a month ago, he decided to try a new cappuccino mix he saw adorning the shelves, and it's been his craze ever since. 

ah, he gleamed, grabbing the familiar can from the top shelf. as much as he loved the stuff, he had to admit it didn't last long. one can of the powder only lasted him about a week and a half. it was partially his fault for using more than the recommended amount, but hey, strong coffee is good coffee. deciding that he didn't want to repeat the same cycle in a week, he decided to go ahead and buy two cans. he figured he had enough to pay for it. each can was about $4, so he should have enough in his wallet. 

as the cashier scanned his items, zenitsu let his eyes wander around. standing at the register while checking out had to be one of the most awkward experiences on the planet, and zenitsu was not a fan. focusing on the large "50% Produce Sale!" sign plastered on the front window, zenitsu failed to acknowledge the person joining the line behind him. 

"your total is $10.54. will that be cash or credit?" the cashier beamed, causing zenitsu to blush. 

"u-uh, cash! yeah, cash..." he muttered, trying his best to recover as he began digging through his wallet. "umm, dammit," he hissed, pulling out all the cash he carried with him. he could've sworn he had a $10 bill with him, but judging by the $5 bill and three ones he grasped in his hand, he was clearly wrong. 

"oh, umm...i don't seem to have enough," he mumbled, staring at his funds. "i'll just get one of the-"

"i'll pay for it!"

oh, great. the last thing zenitsu wanted was someone pitying him for being poor. preparing to reassure the generous stranger, zenitsu turned around; face twisted with a forced smile. "no, it's alright i-"

not only was zenitsu greeted with a $10 bill in his face, but the person kindly smiling back at him was an even bigger surprise. 

flushed tan skin, deep red eyes, and to seal the deal, a large scar resting on his forehead. zenitsu choked on his spit. 

"you!"

tanjiro tilted his head, his face riddled with confusion. "...me?"

as zenitsu tried to form a coherent sentence like most humans would do, tanjiro simply gave the cashier an apologetic smile before paying for both of their groceries and nudging zenitsu out of the grocery store. once the cool night air hit him, the blonde's common sense finally seemed to return. 

"OH MY GOD!" he exclaimed, causing the redhead to jump back in surprise. "i am so so sorry! i swear i'll pay you back tomorrow!" 

as zenitsu bowed, tanjiro stared down at him with an unreadable expression. "it's alright. i don't mind helping out someone in need," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "...you can stand back up now-"

"right!" zenitsu shouted, shooting up. "i know this is a random request, but if you could let me work for you, it would be most appreciated!"

tanjiro stood silent for a moment, processing the blonde's words. "work...for me?" he asked.

"oh u-umm..." zentisu faltered. dammit, he was losing confidence! "well, that wasn't really a good way to ask. let me try again!"

"no need," tanjiro hummed, looking out towards the sun which had begun to set. "it's getting dark. we should both head home. we can talk about this later. you're from class 1-b, correct?"

"correct!" zenitsu chirped, causing tanjiro to chuckle. 

"alright then, i'll come get you tomorrow after school. i don't think i have a student council meeting, so i'll meet you by the gate, okay?" 

zenitsu could only nod, mouth agape as the boy walked away with his groceries. tanjiro talked to him. tanjiro was going to talk to him tomorrow too!

well...mission accomplished?

Chapter Text

"dude, are you good?"

inosuke glared at zenitsu who hadn't stopped fidgeting since he arrived that morning.

“oh, i’m more than good,” zenitsu huffed. “in just a few hours, i will be walking off this campus a rich man.”

inosuke tilted his head, causing his bangs to fall across his eyes. “what? are you gonna rob coach uzui or something?”

“wha-? no!” zenitsu exclaimed. he shifted in his desk before leaning forward, stopping inches away from his best friend’s face. “i scored a meeting with that pretty boy from class 1-a you told me about.”

inosuke snorted as he took a sip from his usual morning coffee. “poor guy. you must’ve chased him down in the street.”

“i did not!” zenitsu leaned back into his seat with a pout. “we just happened to run into each other in the grocery store. he may or may not have had to pay for my items...but i bagged an interview with him nonetheless!”

“an interview?”

“well...it’s less of an interview and more of me just begging him for a job,” zenitsu shrugged, listening to the warning bell ring throughout the building. “regardless of how we met, the results are gonna be the same. i’ll be rolling in dough by the end of this week. just you wait.”

inosuke only nodded quietly as the rest of their classmates filed into the room before the tardy bell. “whatever you say, dude.”

♡

zenitsu dashed out of the classroom, mentally noting the quick “good luck!” that inosuke had shouted on his way out. he was honestly gonna need every ounce of luck he could get. tanjiro seemed nice enough, but any employer would be wary of hiring an anxious high school student without an ounce of work experience in his body.

standing beside the gate, zenitsu rehearsed his greeting in his head: good evening, kamado. no no, that’s too formal....hey there, tanjiro! ugh, no! that’s too casual. we’re not even in the same class! it’s nice to see you again, tanjiro. oh my god, no! what is this? our second date? i don’t even-

“hi there!”

zenitsu’s knees weakened at the cheerful voice resting only feet from him. whipping around, he was, of course, greeted by the owner of said charming voice.

there stood tanjiro in all of his weird sweet glory. though worn by the school day’s events, he still carried a smile so genuine that it would put the happiest person on earth to shame. how long had he been standing there?!

“i hope you weren’t waiting too long,” tanjiro apologized as a tired expression plagued his features, wiping his sweet smile away in the process. zenitsu was almost sad to see it go.

“oh, no! i haven’t been here long at all!” zenitsu assured him. tanjiro nodded, that damned smile returning to its rightful place upon his lips.

“that’s good. i wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression!...well, second impression,” tanjiro giggled. “shall we get going then?”

zenitsu, attempting to recover from the weird feeling invading his abdomen, stumbled over his own thoughts.

“y-yes!”

♡

the walk itself was relatively quiet besides the few light yawns that tanjiro tried his best to muffle. the first couple of yawns had been easy to dismiss, but the blonde grew concerned as the obvious display of fatigue persisted.

“hey, umm...if you’re tired then we don’t have to do this today. we can just talk about it some other time,” zenitsu offered. the last thing he wanted to do was keep anybody from their rest. tanjiro probably needed it a lot more than he needed this weird makeshift interview. plus, rescheduling was no problem for him. it’s not like he participated in school activities anyway.

tanjiro shifted his gaze to the blonde before offering him a tired smile. “no, but that’s very sweet of you to offer. i’ll just make something to pick me up when we get back to my place.”

zenitsu nodded silently as they continued to walk; the phrase tanjiro nonchalantly muttered bouncing around in his head.

‘that’s very sweet of you...’

as the blonde let the sentence simmer in his chest, he soon realized that the two of them had reached tanjiro’s front door. when had they even climbed the stairs? he really needed to stop getting distracted.

tanjiro’s chuckle drew zenitsu from his thoughts as he moved to unlock the door.

“that’s weird. i have people in here all the time, yet i never really have any real visitors,” he muttered, swiftly unlocking the door before resting his hand upon the doorknob. “i guess i’m kind of nervous.”

zenitsu resisted the urge to deadpan. why the hell would tanjiro be nervous? he’s the one who should be nervous. no matter the red head’s decision, he was still going to be making money when zenitsu left whether he hired him or not. but he kept his thoughts to himself as tanjiro pushed open the door to reveal his apartment.

being hit with the scent of coffee beans and baked goods with such ferocity is not something zenitsu was prepared to experience. the scent was just so...thick. god knows how tanjiro managed to live in the smell. then again, the boy probably had to eat, sleep, and breathe the aroma anyway.

“welcome to my...place? eh, i wouldn’t call it home...” tanjiro muttered, setting his schoolbag down by the entryway. zenitsu followed, hesitantly setting his own bag down beside tanjiro’s.

the redhead stretched before placing his hands on his hips with a sigh. “you can grab a seat on the couch while i go make us something to drink. an afternoon coffee sounds good right about now, yeah?”

tanjiro wandered off towards the kitchen, leaving zenitsu to his own devices. meandering his way to the living room, zenitsu finally took in how large tanjiro’s apartment was. in his own apartment, the kitchen was attached to the living room with a small bathroom and one bedroom. but this apartment was much bigger than his. each room was separated and honestly resembled a one-story house. to think tanjiro’s apartment building was right across from his!

taking a seat on the couch, zenitsu bided his time by nervously picking at his fingers. it had been a habit picked up in elementary when faced with awkward situations that kinda just stuck with him. his nails were pretty well kept, so he more or less just traced the ridges of his fingers for however long was necessary. it was a pretty efficient way to calm his nerves if he had to admit.

but then again, shouldn’t he be practicing what he was going to say? what kind of questions was tanjiro going to ask? did he need a resume? he surely didn’t have one. oh god, what if inosuke was right? what if tanjiro did need him to cook and make drinks? zenitsu was an absolute disaster in the kitchen!

“sorry that took so long! i didn’t know what you’d like, but you like instant cappuccinos right?” tanjiro rambled, setting down a steaming cup on the coffee table in front of zenitsu. “i figured you might enjoy this. it’s a real cappuccino....like....an actual one.”

zenitsu was at a loss for words. tanjiro remembered? granted, it was just yesterday that the boy had mercifully bought the instant poison for him, but he didn’t expect him to remember such a small detail. zenitsu almost felt touched.

after muttering a short thanks, zenitsu took a small sip from the steaming mug.

this was nothing like the instant kind.

honestly, if he dropped dead right there, he would’ve died a happy man. never in his life had he tasted something so...comforting. the drink was warm and sweet with a thick layer of milk foam topping it off. how long had tanjiro been making drinks exactly?

“oh my god.”

“is that a good or bad ‘oh my god,’” tanjiro snickered, taking a seat beside zenitsu.

“i don’t think i can ever go back to the powdered stuff. this is- you’re way too good at this,” zenitsu rasped, taking another sip. “i can see you making a living off of selling nothing but cappuccinos. if i had the cash, you’d probably be experiencing six-figure growth from me alone.”

tanjiro turned to the side, attempting to muffle the few chuckles he allowed to escape. zenitsu glanced over, smiling at the thought of being able to make the other laugh, even if it was technically at his expense. an awkward laugh forced its way out of his own lips and didn’t die down until tanjiro ran out of breath.

“i-i’m sorry,” tanjiro huffed, pushing his hair out of his face. “you’re pretty funny. i can’t believe we’ve never talked before now.”

“yeah...thanks,” zenitsu muttered, too busy focusing on the constellation of tears decorating tanjiro’s lashes. “i don’t know many of the students in class 1-a. not really a people person, ya know?”

“i get that,” tanjiro nodded as he picked up his own cup. “i’m trying to get better at knowing the faces around me. it’s my duty as student council treasurer and class 1-a’s representative, after all.”

“damn, you do a lot,” zenitsu blurted out before he could catch himself. and well, he wasn’t exactly wrong. tanjiro was involved in a lot of stuff. an overachiever if the blonde had ever seen one. zenitsu couldn’t even fathom how he ran a home cafe on top of all that. hell, did he even have time for this interview?

tanjiro only laughed as he rose from his seat, trotting off to the kitchen once again. “that’s true! it keeps me busy, but it keeps me entertained. never a dull moment in this apartment. and...”

the redhead trailed off as he returned with an ipad clutched in his hands. “...it’ll be even more interesting if i have a helper to keep me company!”

zenitsu watched as tanjiro flopped back down onto the couch; opening the ipad to what appeared to be a document app. with the way things were headed, it really did seem like zenitsu was about to be facing a real professional interview. damn it.

“so, zenitsu,” tanjiro muttered, flipping to an empty document. “i’m gonna be completely honest with you...”

fuck, it’s starting.

“i have absolutely no clue how this interview’s supposed to go.”

zenitsu blinked twice. he...didn’t have anything planned? no questions prepped? no papers to be signed? nothing??

“oh...you don’t?”

“no. i- ugh. i kinda just planned on letting you tell me why you wanted to work for me and then we’d just go from there,” tanjiro chuckled. “not to be rude, and please don’t take this the wrong way! but is it...a money issue?”

now, zenitsu’s found himself stumped and dumbfounded in many situations. hell, his best friend is probably the eighth wonder of the world. but this. this moment has him absolutely gobsmacked.

how? how could this redhead that he’s never met already read him like a damn kiddie book? it couldn’t have been based on that coffee incident yesterday, right? people were short on cash all the time. that didn’t mean they were broke! (even though he very much was.)

tanjiro, in a moment of regret, began frantically waving his hands in front of him apologetically. “i-i’m sorry! that was way out of line of me. it’s frankly none of my business and-”

“no, you’re right.”

tanjiro seemed to calm as zenitsu gently pushed his distressed hands back down while offering him a slight smile.

“i do need money. i’m struggling to pay rent on my apartment even though it’s in one of the cheapest buildings close to campus. i haven’t been able to land a job so far, and i only have enough to probably make it one more month here before i have to...go back...”

tanjiro tilted his head. “...home?”

zenitsu huffed out what sounded like a discouraged laugh. “yeah...home. i’ve lived with my gramps and older brother up until i moved here. it was always hell in that house. the old man had been paying for me to live here if i just stayed in school. simple enough, right? but last year my brother, kaigaku, started demanding money to fund his music career. nothing would be wrong with that if he didn’t suck absolute ass.”

tanjiro once again turned his head, muffling his rapid giggles the best he could. yeah, getting tanjiro to laugh was definitely one of zenitsu’s new favorite things.

“anyway,” zenitsu puffed. “it didn’t seem fair for both of us to be mooching out of gramp’s pockets, so like 6 months ago i decided to support myself. i really thought i’d have a job by now but here we are. pretty pathetic, right?”

the redhead’s expression was unreadable, but it didn’t seem like one of pity so zenitsu considered it a win. the last thing he needed was this guy giving him handouts over his sob story.

“i have siblings back at home too.”

were they really about to share life stories right now? this was supposed to be a job interview, not therapy.

zenitsu cocked his eyebrow but urged tanjiro to continue.

“five of them to be exact. i moved here a couple years ago with an older cousin so my parents wouldn’t have six mouths to feed. my cousin ended up moving out when he graduated however, but he continues to pay for the apartment. i started the whole cafe thing to pay him back, but he insists on doing this for me. i send some of my earnings back home to my parents so my siblings can have a little extra money, but other than that i keep the rest.”

zenitsu nodded, mulling over his next few decisions. taking money away from this guy’s siblings would definitely be a dick move, but it was either that or go home. so sadly, some kids were about to be out of some pocket change. but hey, they’re helping to fund the world’s next above-average citizen!

tanjiro seemed to be deep in thought as well. probably because zenitsu was sitting here threatening his finances. as much as he needed it, he really really couldn’t take from this guy. tanjiro was a sweetie, and the fact that he was even considering giving zenitsu was enough to make the blonde’s heart twist. he couldn’t do this.

“i...think i may have made a mistake. thank you for your time, but i really can’t ta-”

“oh hush, i’ve already hired you.”

again, zenitsu blinked twice. tanjiro had somehow managed to put him at a loss for words twice in the past fifteen minutes. a new record if anyone was bothering to count.

“wha-”

“i’ve already hired you in my head,” tanjiro giggled. “in all honesty, i had every intention to hire you since last night. i just wanted to have this interview to get to know you. i really didn’t want to be spending hours a day with a total douche who just wanted money to buy who knows what.”

thank the gods zenitsu was actually a broke student and not someone who blows their checks on beer or something. it was slightly infuriating to know he had spilled his entire heart onto tanjiro’s living room table when it wasn’t necessary, but he’ll let it slide for now. he had a job! and that was the ultimate goal all along, right?

“i-...thank you so much! i don’t care how much you pay me! any check is good enough for me! i’ll make it work, i swear!” zenitsu beamed, shaking tanjiro by his shoulders. “oh but thank you, thank you tanjiro! god, i could kiss you!”

zenitsu didn’t fail to miss the way the redhead’s cheeks turned rosy, but he decided to save both of them the embarrassment and not mention it. it was for the greater good. after awkwardly releasing his shoulders, zenitsu was delighted to see tanjiro smile; not a trace of unease on his face.

“you’re more than welcome, zenitsu,” tanjiro soothed, patting the blonde on the shoulder. “now we just need to figure out what exactly you’ll be doing for me.”

“oh...about that,” zenitsu muttered, settling in his seat. “i’m not really...the best...in the kitchen.”

tanjiro hummed, looking back towards his own kitchen. “are we talking ‘eggs and toast’ type of bad or ‘pop tarts and tv dinners’ kinda bad?”

“i set off the fire alarm boiling water once.”

“good god.”

both boys burst into a fit of laughter for...what was this, the third time today? either zenitsu was way funnier than he thought or tanjiro’s sense of humor was that of a parrot.

“okay, stay far from my kitchen,” tanjiro teased. “hmm....you could help with packing i suppose. i usually fold boxes as i go along, but you can help with that! that doesn’t seem like a very fulfilling task though...”

as tanjiro delved into thought once again, zenitsu let his mind wander. what was something zenitsu could do? the knowledge he had so desperately retained from his business fundamentals class was obviously failing him at the moment. tanjiro didn’t really seem like he was big on the advertisement scene. zenitsu could probably help with that. more people from outside the school zone would bring in more customers and possibly more regulars. ugh, but people don’t wanna drive from halfway across the city to get a sandwich. they’d probably want someone to deliver it, and tanjiro definitely couldn’t run the shop and deliver. it sure would be convenient if...wait-

“delivery!”

“what?” tanjiro looked up, yanked from his thoughts by zenitsu’s sudden outburst.

“i-i take business classes. i’m really good when it comes to marketing, so i could definitely help with that. if we get your name out, more people from all over yokohama will be wanting to buy from you! and those people aren’t gonna wanna drive, so i can deliver it to them! we’d have to make a plan and set rules and distance boundaries of course because i can’t be biking all over the country, but we can make it work. oh, and we can work on-”

though reluctant to interrupt zenitsu’s excited rambles (which was honestly quite adorable), tanjiro held up his hand, bringing his list of ideas to a halt.

“i think those are all great ideas. write them down for me, and we can discuss them all saturday morning, m’kay?” tanjiro offered, rising from his seat.

zenitsu opened his mouth to speak but closed it momentarily. did tanjiro not like his ideas? god, had he already fucked this up?

“hey, you’re overthinking. i like your ideas zenitsu, but it’s getting late.”

mentally adding a tally to his “how many times has tanjiro shocked me today?” scoreboard, zenitsu simply nodded before deepening his gesture into a bow. tanjiro chuckled, gently grabbing the back of zenitsu’s shirt and pulling him upwards.

“no need for that anymore. we're friendly enough to ditch the formalities, yeah?”

Chapter Text

“so…whaddya think?”

inosuke tilted his head, examining the sketch zenitsu slid onto his desk. this had been the third design passed to him this morning, and each one had only a slight change differentiating them.

“they all look the same really…”

zenitsu scoffed, pulling the designs back onto his desk and checking them over. of course, they didn’t look the same to him. he’s spent the past two nights working on a concept for tanjiro’s business but nothing was sticking!

every slogan seemed either too cheesy or too convoluted. no title seemed to fit the red head’s bubbly personality without drowning out the purpose of the business in the first place. worst of all, he had absolutely no art designs!

this, of all things, should have been the easiest to accomplish. a home cafe; an environment riddled with different sweets, drinks, and aesthetically pleasing goodies. yet zenitsu could not think of a single item to fully encapsulate the feeling he needed it to give off.

coffee was the standard. mostly bland in the presentation department but firm in the flavor aspect. so strong in fact that it was almost overbearing. tanjiro was never that. tanjiro offers the comfort of coffee without all the extra harshness piled on top. something gentler would work.

cake was next. depending on the type, it could absolutely dominate in the looks department, not to mention that it was sickeningly sweet. too sweet, to be honest. despite his syrupy nature, tanjiro wasn’t as soft as cake. he wasn’t fragile and easy to destroy.

next up on the drawing board were cookies. another basic treat. sugary yet subtle in a way that wasn’t domineering. it was just the right amount of charm and taste to be perfect for his needs! but tanjiro wasn’t basic or subtle. he was loud. he was different. he wasn’t a cookie. he was more than that. he was…

“hey! monitsu!”

zenitsu cringed at the nickname, but the shock of the call was enough to bring him back down to earth. inosuke stared at him, having grown bored of watching zenitsu drift off into his own world of fretting over minor decisions. how long had he been staring at these sketches again?

“i think you’re thinking way too hard about this, man,” inosuke lectured, twirling his straw around in his coffee. “if you’re stressing yourself out this early in the game, imagine how fast you’d crack under the pressure of delivering.”

zenitsu watched the ice spiral in the dark liquid, his grip on the papers loosening as he allowed himself to come back to the present.

“i’m no genius, despite my own self-image,” inosuke continued. “but simply asking tanjiro seems like the easiest way to do this.”

zenitsu sucked in a breath, his brain immediately scrambling for excuses. “this is something tanjiro asked me to do. backtracking and asking him to do it himself wouldn’t do anything but make me look incapable of a task as simple as coming up with a logo. this is something gifted kids do in middle school!”

the blonde flinched at the immediate sneer his friend sent his way before his face calmed into something more like a mother tolerating their child.

“you’re not asking him to do it all for you. you’re asking for his opinion. you’re asking for help. there’s a difference, and even i know that.”

inosuke faced forward in his desk, preparing himself for a nap as soon as the tardy bell rang.

“just ask him, dude. from all that you’ve told me, i’m sure he’d be more than happy to give you some ideas. just ask.”

the final bell rang signaling the beginning of class. inosuke yawned. zenitsu wilted.

♡

zenitsu wiped the sweat from his brow. as calming as it was, stress cleaning was really beginning to take a toll on his energy.

going down his mental checklist once again, he deflated at the thought of having nothing left to distract himself. the counters had been scrubbed clean, all the dishes were done, the bathroom was deep cleaned and reeked of bleach, the floors had been swept and mopped twice, and what little furniture he owned had been polished to perfection.

surely there was something else to do, right? certainly he wasn’t left alone with his thoughts until 6:00.

tanjiro returned home on tuesdays and thursdays at 6:00. student council meetings tended to drag on, which usually meant he didn’t take any afternoon orders on these days. on one hand, this worked in zenitsu’s favor. the longer tanjiro was gone, the more time zenitsu had to delay the inevitable. but on the other hand, it only left him with an equal amount of time to worry **about it too.

the all too familiar feeling of dread began to stir in zenitsu’s stomach once again. glancing at his watch, a sound resembling a whine left his throat involuntarily.

5:35.

okay, that’s fine. it’s only 25 minutes. who couldn’t sit still in their own apartment for 25 minutes? especially when there was nothing to do. he should be relaxing! wasting time until his meet up with tanjiro later.

but he could also be working on the design. he could be working on a title, a slogan, the artwork, anything! he could be working on this project. this project he offered to complete. he could be working on creating something that's worthy of tanjiro’s approval. he could be working on at least not showing up empty-handed, avoiding the disappointed frown tanjiro would let fall upon his lips for a fraction of a second before quickly flashing a smile and claiming it’s alright, he tried his best. that definitely wasn’t the outcome he wanted. disappointing tanjiro seemed like enough to kill him, which meant that he should be working.

but he couldn’t. he just…couldn’t. he had no ideas. he had no plan. he had no excuse. he had nothing. so that was it. that’s what he would bring to tanjiro’s doorstep today. absolutely nothing.

oh, but how would tanjiro react? sweet forgiving tanjiro. what will he say? what expression will he make? will he do that weird tired smile that adults do when they have to swallow a scream for the sake of their child? zenitsu always hated that expression, no matter who it came from. it meant the same thing every time. it meant he let someone down.

or would he simply grin and offer his assistance like inosuke said? truly the best outcome possible, but a fantasy all the same. since when was inosuke ever right about anything?

zenitsu wrapped his arms around his stomach as the hour hand fell over onto the six, signaling tanjiro’s scheduled arrival with a chime.

there was no more time to worry. there was no more time to work.

it was time to get it over with.

♡

“would you like a muffin?”

zenitsu glanced over to where tanjiro was standing holding a dessert box in his hands.

“we had a couple left over from the meeting today! i usually bring a different snack every time we have one, and i always have some left over,” tanjiro grinned, placing the box down in front of zenitsu. “there’s different flavors, so just pick what you like.”

zenitsu leaned forward to peer at the baked goods in front of him. for these to have been made this morning, they still looked extremely fresh. there were only a couple dark colored muffins, seemingly chocolate, while there were plenty of bran muffins left. understandable. nobody likes bran muffins. there also seemed to be raisin, banana nut, pumpkin, apple cinnamon, and…

“blueberry.”

tanjiro hummed, reaching out and grabbing an apple cinnamon muffin for himself. “you like blueberry?”

“mhmm,” zenitsu replied, grabbing the only blueberry muffin left in the box. “love them, actually. i haven’t had one in a while. store-bought muffins get old fast.”

tanjiro chuckled, choosing to take a bite from his muffin instead of offering a proper response. zenitsu appreciated that. it gave him a few more seconds. just a little bit more time to think and get himself together-

“so…what did you come up with for our business?”

zenitsu’s heart dropped; tanjiro’s muffled words through a mouthful of bread doing nothing to ease his nerves.

our.

that’s what he said, right?

our business.

if it’s ours, then why couldn’t i do this one thing, tanjiro? do you really want to share something with me?

“i…”

zenitsu stalled. the sweat on his brow was starting to cool into an uncomfortable stickiness. his grip on his muffin tightened, crushing the treat just a bit. god, why was he wasting his time?

but tanjiro was patient. his chewing slowed, but he never rushed him. how…sweet. he was too sweet.

“i don’t…i couldn’t…”

please don’t hate me. for the love of god, please let inosuke be right for once.

“i couldn’t think of anything…” zenitsu admitted, finally letting his internal guilt swallow him whole. it was almost relieving, really. the weight on his shoulders shifted down to drag him straight through the floor.

“i tried. i did! i had so many ideas, but none of them were good enough!” he exclaimed, turning to face tanjiro. the distress plaguing his face shocked the redhead, but he allowed him to continue without interruption.

“none of them felt right! they were either too cheesy or too strong or too sweet or too…too much!” zenitsu waved his muffin around dramatically before huffing and flopping back onto the couch. “none of them felt like…you.”

the silence that enveloped them was…weird, to say the least. it almost felt like zenitsu had cried his heart out, but without the tears and snot. oh god, tanjiro was being so quiet. was he mad? did he hate him? was inosuke wrong? though that fact would be extremely satisfying if this were a different situation, but now was not the time! it would be nice if tanjiro would say something, anything! a “you’re fired” would honestly do just fine by zenitsu’s standards.

but that never came, nor did any harsh words.

instead, it was something zenitsu wanted.

something he craved.

something he loved.

tanjiro laughed.

zenitsu rubbed his eyes, allowing the younger boy’s laughter to sing to his heart. by all means, tanjiro could’ve been laughing at him. he could’ve found zenitsu’s stupidity downright pathetic. so pitiful in fact that he simply had to laugh. but that was alright. a laugh from tanjiro was a treat. one that was always welcomed.

tanjiro leaned forward a bit, bringing himself closer to zenitsu’s flushed face. his smile was gorgeous, and there wasn’t a glint of spite behind those amber eyes.

“you don’t think i’m too much?” tanjiro queried, leaning his head to the side like a curious puppy. he was so close now. he kind of smelled like strawberries.

yes, you’re too sweet.

“no,” zenitsu breathed, searching for the right answer in tanjiro’s eyes. “but you’re more than enough.”

tanjiro hummed, hovering his own hand above zenitsu’s in a silent request for permission. zenitsu warily obliged, allowing the redhead to grasp his hand fully.

“i think you’re thinking about this way too hard,” tanjiro advised. “we’re just getting started. there’s no need to rush into it expecting everything to be perfect. i don’t really know much about this business stuff either, but i’m always here to offer some insight if you think it’d be helpful. we’re working together on this, remember?”

zenitsu nodded, though his movements were stiff. he really needed to relax. tanjiro clearly wanted him to do so. zenitsu took a deep breath before nodding again, the tension in his muscles easing away. you know, tanjiro’s hand was really warm…

“don’t force it. you’re really smart zenitsu,” tanjiro continued. “just relax. it’ll come to you in time.”

zenitsu nodded again, losing himself in tanjiro’s warmth. so lost in his own head that he didn’t even realize he was speaking.

“i think you like strawberries.”

zenitsu honestly didn’t believe tanjiro’s smile could get any wider. he whined as the redhead leaned closer, his white teeth almost blinding now.

wait, why were his eyes hooded?

when did he get so close?

no…no they weren’t about to-

zenitsu clenched his eyes shut, preparing for a moment that he thought was coming way too soon. once he opened his eyes though, he was greeted with a happily chewing tanjiro and a large bite of his blueberry muffin missing.

tanjiro swallowed, licking his lips before laughing once again. god, would that ever get old?

“i like blueberries too.”

Chapter Text

”oh my god, one like! tanjirou, we’ve got one like!”

“that’s nice, zenitsu,” tanjirou mused, offering the blonde a kind smile as he dug around through his school bag. “now, help me hang this up please.”

zenitsu quickly shoved his phone into his pocket before scrambling over to tanjirou’s side.

“i’ll hold the flyer up while you pin it, okay?”

“of course!”

being taller than the redhead, zenitsu thought it would be easy to reach over the other boy and pin the flyer they made to the bulletin board. obviously, he overestimated his height. he struggled to even get one pin in!

it most certainly didn’t help that they were in such close proximity to each other. he didn’t even wanna imagine tanjirou’s thoughts as he leaned over his shoulder once again to put the second pin in. having his chest pressed against the other’s forearm was enough to almost send him into cardiac arrest. almost.

“wait, zenitsu! shouldn’t we pin all corners down so it doesn’t flap in the wind?” tanjirou asked, quickly leaning down to grab his things in order to keep up with a quickly retreating zenitsu.

“nope. two’s definitely enough. let’s get back to the apartment before someone places an order.”

“but it’s thursday…”

“come on!”

♡

“thank you so much for stopping by! have a great day!”

zenitsu sulked as he watched tanjirou bid kanao, his last regular of the day, goodbye. the wide-eyed girl didn’t say anything in return. not that she said much anyway. she simply nodded before grabbing her drink, a jasmine green milk tea with tapioca, and making her way out the door.

even though the girl’s quiet demeanor could be disturbing at times, that was far from the reason for his current state of distress. zenitsu stretched further onto the counter, holding his phone out in front of him.

“we’ve only had regulars for the past two days! i was so sure our ads would’ve brought in some new customers by now.”

“it’s fine zenitsu. we’ve had a busy day nonetheless!” tanjirou assured, grabbing a washcloth to begin cleaning up the kitchen. “plus, we got to do some new things. wasn’t learning to make lunchbox cakes fun? and genya hasn’t stopped by in a while. i’m glad i got to see him today!”

learning to make those little cakes was only fun for tanjirou, and zenitsu didn’t think genya was very glad to see him.

but of course it was like tanjirou to look for the good side of things. of course it was also like him to hum a silly tune as he wiped off the counters, making sure to wipe as close as he could around zenitsu without actually touching him with the dirty cloth. he was too sweet. too pure for his own good.

now zenitsu would be exactly back where he started. he would be back to staring at the drawing board, trying to recall any information from his one year in marketing that would help him come up with a good ad. maybe even a great ad! the greatest ad that anyone on this side of yokohama has ever seen. yes, and then he would apologize to tanjirou. a detailed apology explaining how he overestimated his abilities and wasted his time and now he’s very very very sorry and-

“excuse me.”

zenitsu whipped around on his stool, eyes latching onto the person standing in the doorway. a guy with short black hair; he looked a few years older than himself but was a tad shorter than him. his only interesting feature were these weird black lines surrounding his wrists. were those tattoos? zenitsu doesn’t think he’s ever seen this guy before.

and if he’s never seen him, that means he’s new.

a new customer.

“is this where the..” the stranger squinted down at his phone. “…’home cafe’ is?”

zenitsu glanced over at tanjirou, noticing the slightest bit of shock dance across his features before quickly returning to his normal welcoming demeanor.

“yes, this is the place!” tanjirou beamed, placing the washcloth back onto the sink and wiping his hands on his apron. “how can we help you mr.-….?”

“hakuji. and i’m just here for my friend,” the guy, now dubbed hakuji, said as he stepped into the apartment. “she saw this place online and totally geeked.”

zenitsu felt his heart swell just a few sizes at the mention of their online ad. were things finally going his way? were the gods of marketing and advertisements finally looking down on him?

“oh, i’m so glad to hear that! is she not with you?” tanjirou wondered aloud, looking back to the doorway to see absolutely no one at all.

“no. she’s…” hakuji took a deep sigh as he massaged his temples. “she can’t really leave the house too often. she’s…sick.”

zenitsu shifted in his seat. the frustration in hakuji’s voice sounded like he’s had to tell that to way more people than he would’ve liked.

“i understand. did she want anything specific? we don’t really have a definitive menu yet,” tanjirou rubbed the back of his neck. “would she like a drink of any kind?”

“she likes sweets. cute cookies, cakes, muffins. she’s been really into those macaron things lately? i don’t know,” hakuji sighed again. zenitsu noted that he seems to do that a lot.

“oh…” tanjirou mumbled as he glanced around the kitchen. “i kind of bake my sweets for the day in the morning. i’ve sold all of my pastries for the day. if you’re okay with waiting, i’m sure i could whip something up for her!”

zenitsu watched in utter despair as hakuji glanced down at his phone before shaking his head.

“no, that’s fine. i’ll just get a taro milk tea if that’s okay.”

“taro milk tea, coming right up!” tanjirou chimed, though zenitsu didn’t miss the slight lilt of disappointment in his voice. it sucked, really. he didn’t even consider people coming in when they were wrapping up for the day. they finally got a new customer and they weren’t even prepared.

sighing to himself, zenitsu decided that it would be best to continue with the cleaning while tanjirou finished up this guy’s drink. the sooner the kitchen was clean, the sooner he could head home and sob into his pillow.

hopping off the stool and heading over to the far counter, zenitsu picked up one of the little cakes tanjirou worked on today. it was a simple thing; a round cake with multicolored sprinkles and the words “happy days!” written on top. it was cute and nicely done for tanjirou’s second try. he only made two today, and the two of them had already devoured his first attempt.

“what’s that?”

zenitsu looked up, noticing hakuji staring at the cake in his hands. tanjirou looked too but quickly returned his focus to the drink that was currently being mixed. traitor.

“it’s a lunchbox cake,” zenitsu stated, a bit unsure of himself for some reason. “it’s just…a cake so small it can fit into a lunch box, y’know?”

“let me see it.”

zenitsu stared, apparently for longer than necessary since hakuji felt the need to beckon him with his hand. the blonde shuffled forward, gently placing the cake on the counter in front of hakuji.

“this is perfect…i want it,” the boy stated as he pulled out his wallet, startling both of the boys.

“i’m sorry, what?” zenitsu asked, just to make sure he heard him right. grandpa did say he tended to act like he was deafer than…well…the deaf.

“i want to buy it,” hakuji clarified as if they hadn’t understood him the first time. “how much for it?”

“i-…ummm,” zenitsu faltered, quickly looking to tanjirou for help. he had never helped with pricing up to this point. he didn’t even know what tanjirou’s prices were yet!

“free.”

now it was hakuji’s turn to be shocked; along with zenitsu too of course.

“what?!”

“you can’t be serious.”

“yeah! you can’t be serious, right?!”

tanjirou, now finished with hakuji’s milk tea, walked over to the two of them. placing the drink down, he quickly grabbed a small paper carryout container and placed the small cake into it.

“i’m more than serious right now,” tanjirou said as he grabbed a ribbon from somewhere and began wrapping it around the cake container. “just pay for your drink, and you can take the cake for free.”

once he was done wrapping the ribbon into a cute little bow, he pushed both the cake and the drink toward hakuji. “that’ll be $5, please.”

eyes still widened, hakuji pulled a $5 bill out of his wallet before handing it to tanjirou with the slightest whisper of “thank you” to accompany it.

“you’re more than welcome. i hope you both enjoy,” tanjirou smiled before wrapping his arm around zenitsu, making the blonde squeak. “we hope to see you again mr. hakuji!”

hakuji stalled as he reached the door before turning around, a grin finding its way to his lips for the first time since he got there.

“akaza,” he said. “my friends call me akaza.”

and with that, akaza left.

Chapter Text

“i’ve got this.”

“yes, you’ve definitely got this!”

“i’m brave.”

“yes…?”

“…strong.”

“unh huh…keep going!”

“and i….”

“yesss…?!”

“I TOTALLY CAN’T DO THIS!”

tanjirou watched zenitsu wail as he dramatically flailed down to the floor. The simple order for green tea mochi had been placed earlier that day, but the two of them had spent the past hour just trying to get zenitsu encouraged enough to deliver it.

“this is our first delivery order, tanjirou,” zenitsu whined, clutching at nothing as he sprawled further onto the floor. “i have to get this right! our livelihoods depend on it!”

“well, i don’t know about all that,” tanjirou chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

zenitsu wilted under tanjirou’s surely judgmental gaze. this was what he signed up for, wasn’t it? helping tanjirou out by expanding his little cafe with delivery orders? but they had gone so long without a single delivery order that zenitsu had honestly forgotten that was the plan.

but now here he was, faced with the absolutely heinous task of delivering green tea mochi to a studio in south yokohama. it was only about a 30 minute bike ride from tanjirou’s apartment, but the journey still seemed so treacherous. what if he dropped the food? what if he got hit by a bus? what if he ran into some random burglar with a really specific niche for robbing people for their green tea mochi? this world was an evil, evil place.

“zenitsu…”

the blonde peaked from behind his hands only to see tanjirou squatting down in front of him, offering him the same kind smile that zenitsu had the pleasure of seeing every day now.

“i know you’re a bit nervous, but you’ve got this,” tanjirou started, inclining zenitsu to sit up and pull his knees to his chest. “the first step is always the hardest, but this is what we’ve been working towards, right? you’re finally getting to fulfill the idea that you came up with for us.”

zenitsu sniffed, his anxieties withering a bit as tanjirou scooted closer to him. despite it being the middle of the warm season, zenitsu swore he could feel a gentle, comforting heat radiating from the red head.

“you’ve continued to impress both me and yourself during our three weeks together. despite your own personal fears, i have never once doubted you.”

tanjirou grinned, wrapping his arms around his…friend? yeah, he guesses he can say that now. tanjirou was his friend.

zenitsu whined, melting into the comfortable embrace. it was a bit pathetic, really. how could such a simple gesture like this ease his nerves so…well…easily?

tanjirou pulled back, guiding the other boy’s head to look up at him. “even now, there is not a single ounce of doubt in my body. you can do this, zenitsu. you can still continue to impress me.”

a part of zenitsu didn’t believe him. he wanted to accept his cowardice and run home to his precious tear-stained pillow. he wanted to scream, cry, run. he wanted to run away, and forget that he was ever foolish enough to try to do this. he knew that he was useless. he knew that in the end, he never could’ve helped tanjirou. he was nothing but a leech; only there because of tanjirou's kindness and pity. that was the truth, wasn’t it?

but another part of him wanted to do this. the part of him that had grown to yearn for the sickeningly sweet smell of tanjirou’s apartment. the part of him that hadn’t touched his dear instant cappuccino mix since tasting tanjirou’s homemade version. the part of him that made his stomach feel weird every time that tanjirou laughed, or smiled, or even just looked at him with those warm amber eyes that made him feel like being beside the red head was right where he belonged.

no, he couldn’t let his anxieties control him this time. he needed to do this. for tanjirou.

zenitsu finally stood, grimacing at all of his inner voices screaming at him to just run away. tanjirou followed suit before walking over to the kitchen counter to grab the green tea mochi; already packaged in a white box with a neat green ribbon and a sticker with the cafe's information on it.

now back at zenitsu's side, tanjirou placed his free hand on the blonde's shoulder. “i've already sent you a text with the address,” tanjirou informed, gently handing the box over to zenitsu. “if you need anything, just give me a call, okay?”

for once, zenitsu wasn’t shaking. he didn’t feel the need to perform his usual dramatics. he was ready.

♡

the irritating sound of passing traffic clouded zenitsu’s mind as he stared down at the address tanjirou kindly provided for him. the gps read that he was about 7 minutes away now, but zenitsu had to admit that he was losing his determination fast.

he was sweaty, tired, and just about fed up. he didn’t ride his bike too often since he shamefully didn’t get out that much. his legs ached, and the world around him was entirely too busy. like seriously? where did all these people have to be at 5 o’clock on a friday evening?

but much to his surprise (and a little bit to his dismay), zenitsu had already made it this far. turning back now would honestly just be stupid, and that was more of inosuke’s walk of life. so he steeled his nerves, and begrudgingly hopped back onto his bike.

the ride the rest of the way to the studio was actually relatively pleasant if you don’t count a few angry pedestrians (courtesy of the crushed toes zenitsu provided) and the bird that decided to collide with the side of the blonde’s head. very pleasant indeed.

zenitsu slowed to a stop in front of a quaint, grey building. the presumed art studio was quite small compared to the shops surrounding it. it seemed well kept though, with various plotted plants surrounding the exterior.

zenitsu hopped off his bike, and took a deep breath. the hardest part was over. he somehow survived the totally dangerous journey here, and now all he had to do was drop the food off and get the money. easy, right?

but what if something goes wrong? is he supposed to wait and let them taste the food before departing? what if they don’t like it and throw it back in his face? zenitsu had nearly forgotten that social interactions were not his strong suit.

no, all of those thoughts were ridiculous. this order was for green tea mochi. nobody who loves green tea mochi so much as to have it delivered to their house would be an entity of evil.

although with great caution, zenitsu still made his way towards the front door. after placing a gentle knock on the door, zenitsu waited…and waited…and waited some more. seriously? after all he had been through, now zenitsu had to deal with an issue he hadn’t even thought of. no one came to the door.

zenitsu nervously glanced around before knocking on the door again, harder this time. he didn’t want to appear rude or impatient, but he knew that he was definitely at least one of those things. despite several knocks and zenitsu’s more than forced patience though, no one ever answered the door.

the blonde sighed, moving to turn and leave when a blur of white and orange appeared in his face. with a sound that was totally not a scream, zenitsu stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance. this was it. this was the inevitable danger that he had been waiting on. a monster, a burglar, a ghost, he didn’t care. it was here to get him. a part of him hoped tanjirou wouldn’t feel guilty for sending zenitsu on this mission when he was obviously petrified of the dangers he knew would take him.

after several seconds of nothing though, he was a bit surprised to realize that he wasn’t attacked. zenitsu slowly cracked open his eyes and was extremely relieved to see a calico cat sitting inside the window next to the door. the cat pawed twice at the window before opening it’s mouth in what zenitsu assumed was a meow. zenitsu huffed before bending down to be eye level with the cat in the window.

“uh..hi there! i’m guessing you’re not the owner of this studio, right?”

had he gone crazy? the stresses in his everyday life had obviously gotten too severe, and now he was talking to cats. great.

the cat, however, seemed to acknowledge zenitsu at least a little bit. it let out another silent meow before turning in a circle, sitting, and licking it’s foot. very talkative, this one was.

“well, maybe your owner’s coming back soon. i’m gonna just leave this here for them, okay?” zenitsu informed the feline, who he was sure understood every word. well, probably. it was a cat after all. zenitsu bent further down to place the box of mochi on the doorstep when he was stopped by the sudden movement in the window.

peering back up, the cat was now rapidly pawing at the window; subtle squeaks reaching zenitsu’s ears from the pads of the cat’s feet rubbing the glass.

“what’s wrong? you don’t want me to sit the food on the ground?” zenitsu queried. the cat continued to paw, though it was slower now. “i guess that is pretty gross. i’ll find somewhere else to sit it. gee, your owner must be pretty lucky to have a smart cat like you. i bet you could help tanjirou out in the cafe more than i ca-”

it wasn't until the cat attempted to meow once more that zenitsu noticed it. the cat wasn’t looking at him, but past him.

zenitsu quickly whipped around to be met with a glare that made his heart clock out for the day and head back home without him. it was hard to believe that a glare that mean belonged to a boy who seemed to be around his age, if not a bit older. his face was pale, and his head was topped with mint hair that trailed into black tips. however, it was admittedly hard to focus on anything else besides the sharp lavender eyes boring into him, complimented with a scowl that could make grown men cower. finally, zenitsu had found the true danger.

“can i help you?” the boy asked, clear annoyance laced all over his tone. zenitsu knew he couldn’t fumble over his words and waste time with this kid unless he wanted to lose a limb.

“i- uhh…i’m here with a delivery from tanjirou’s home cafe! ah, are you…” zenitsu glanced down at the box still held in his trembling hands. “…yushiro?”

“yes, that’s me. i apologize for keeping you waiting, even though you are late.” yushiro grumbled. “stay here, let me go get your money.”

zenitsu nodded, holding out the box which yushiro promptly ignored with a sneer as he slipped past him into the house. the blonde stood dumbfounded on the doorstep, regretting every life decision that had led him here. did he do something wrong? why was this guy such an…ass! granted, in some ironic way, green tea mochi seemed to suit this kid perfectly.

yushiro returned promptly with a $10 bill in his hand. “never give the customer the food before they show obvious signs of payment, kid. what if i had just taken the food and run off with it? you’d be left standing here with lost profits and a dumber look on your face than you already have.”

zenitsu opened his mouth to retort, but quickly wilted. yushiro was technically right. his order of doing things did lower the chance of someone just taking the food without paying. zenitsu hadn’t even thought of that! he was too worried about straight up movie style criminals as opposed to dine-and-dashers. despite his harsh delivery, yushiro did seem to be trying to offer some helpful advice!

“ohh, uhh..yeah! i guess that makes sense!” zenitsu admitted bashfully, rubbing the back on his neck. “well, here’s your order of green tea mo-”

“that’s enough. here,” yushiro interrupted, quickly taking the box from zenitsu and handing him the money. “you can go now.”

zenitsu scoffed to himself before offering a quick bow and turning to leave. from behind him, he could hear the sound of the box gently opening followed with what he swears was a soft huff of satisfaction. at least that’s what he was going to tell himself. he was banking on that tiny bit of pride to get him all the way home.

♡

the ride back to tanjirou’s apartment wasn’t bad at all. the evening traffic rush had calmed down, and the heated air had finally begun to cool. it was relaxing almost. zenitsu glided leisurely through the streets, recounting the evening’s events. despite his aching knees, slightly wounded pride, and a bruise on the side of his head from that bird earlier, zenitsu was elated. he had done it! he made the delivery all on his own! had he met one of the weirdest people in yokohoma? also yes, but yushiro seemed satisfied, which means this was another step forward in tanjirou’s success.

huh, when did he start thinking that way? in the beginning, zenitsu was only concerned about making money for his rent. the cafe seemed to be doing just fine before he started helping tanjirou out anyway. but now, zenitsu’s only concern seemed to be…tanjirou. seeing him happy, seeing his business grow, seeing him get everything he deserves and more. zenitsu cared about these things, and wanted to do all he could to help his friend out. when did his priorities change?

oh well, zenitsu decided he would self reflect later as he pulled back up to tanjirou’s apartment. walking up the steps to the door, zenitsu could barely contain his excitement. he had done it! tanjirou would surely be proud of him! he hadn’t yet decided if he was going to tell the red head about his odd interaction with the mint haired evil that called himself yushiro, but he decided it would add flavor to the story. tanjirou would want to know all about it of course!

as he opened the door to his friend’s apartment, several smells hit him all at once. this wasn’t out of the norm; tanjirou’s place was usually packed with various sweet fragrances. it was a cafe, after all. but there was something different mixed in this time. it was subtle compared to the overpowering scent of coffee, but zenitsu could pick it up. a fruity scent; too strong to be apple or blueberry, but too gentle to be orange or strawberry. it was light, airy, and very much welcome after the afternoon he just had.

zenitsu walked further into the apartment to find tanjirou leaning on the kitchen counter staring at a plate of mochi. it looked similar to the mochi he just delivered to that demon child, but this mochi was a slight pinkish color. the expression on tanjirou’s face was one of concern. he hadn’t turned to look at zenitsu yet though. had he not noticed him enter the apartment?

zenitsu cleared his throat, causing tanjirou to jump and whip his head towards the blonde.

“oh! you’re back!” tanjirou huffed out with a laugh, immediately perking up. the red head ran over to zenitsu, throwing his hands onto the older boy’s shoulders and almost knocking him off balance. “how was your delivery? i want to hear all about it!”

zenitsu flushed, grinning bashfully at the joyful face staring back at him. “uhh, it…actually wasn’t that bad,” he stammered, glancing over to the plate of mochi still resting on the counter. “umm, what’s that? did you have another order come in?”

tanjirou looked over to the counter behind him, and it seemed like it was now his turn to be flustered.

“oh umm, i wanted to make you something for when you got back. it was your first delivery after all, and you were so nervous…” tanjirou muttered. “it’s just some peach mochi, nothing special. it’s pretty hot outside and peaches are in season right now and…and…i wanted to make it for you. to let you know that i was proud of you. you’ve been doing so well, zenitsu, and you’ve been growing everyday. i just want you to know that i really do appreciate you and your help.”

both boys stood awkwardly, not really knowing who should say what, if anything at all. zenitsu had never had someone do something this nice for him besides his gramps. tanjirou made these…for him. how was he supposed to react in this moment? a simple thank you didn’t seem like enough. but it seemed like if he didn’t respond soon, tanjirou was going to turn into a bumbling mess as well, and then neither of them would get anywhere. c’mon zenitsu, react normally for once in your life.

“ohh uhh…”

“sorry if you don’t like it.”

“no, umm. thank you! i don’t know what to say?”

“i don’t even know if you like peaches. gosh, i can make something else.”

“no! i mean, i’ll eat it...”

“you don’t have to! i can just make you your usual cappuccino and then we can talk about your-…why are you crying?”

crying? zenitsu hadn’t even noticed. now that he was paying attention, he could feel the gross warmth of fresh tears flowing down his cheeks. why was he crying? this wasn’t the right reaction at all! now tanjirou would think that he hates it for sure!

“i just…i’ve never had someone think about me like this before. that’s just so nice of you. i…” zenitsu breathed, confused slightly by the ache in his stomach. “i really appreciate it tanjirou. thank you. really.”

tanjirou stood silently for a moment. zenitsu really wished the other boy would move, until he did. tanjirou moved closer to him, gingerly blotting the tears off of his face with the back of his hand. he didn’t comment on the sudden display of emotions again. he just smiled. that damned smile. it was so…special. zenitsu sometimes wondered what his life would have been like if he had never met that smile. he’s sure it would’ve been a lot more dull. a lot more…dark.

“let’s go in the living room,” tanjirou offered, grabbing the plate of mochi with one hand and zenitsu’s hand with the other before guiding him out of the kitchen. “we can talk all about your delivery over some mochi. i’m sure you have a lot to tell me.”

“yeah,” zenitsu sniffed, wiping at his face with his shirt. “a whole lot.”

Chapter Text

“inosuke, i think….i think there’s something wrong with me…”

“took you long enough,” inosuke responded, never looking up from his phone. zenitsu sat next to him, head in his hands as he pondered over the last 2 months. choosing to ignore his friend’s quip, he continued airing out his problems.

“i don’t know. working with tanjirou has been great. amazing, even! everything has been going so good…” zenitsu wondered aloud, not sure if inosuke was listening or not. he didn’t have his usual iced americano today, and he seemed oddly focused on his phone. he wasn’t known for being very fond of the device, so zenitsu had no clue what was he was doing.

“but lately, i’ve been feeling…weird. weirder than normal at least. at first, i thought it was just my usual nerves. i know it’s not beyond me to feel uncomfortable in certain situations but i don’t think this is that.”

inosuke, surprisingly, hummed in recognition; though he continued to swipe furiously on his phone.

“it’s only when i’m around tanjirou, y’know? i feel icky almost. but not in a bad way!” zenitsu scrambled, trying his best to describe the new emotions that had begun to trouble his poor mind. “for god’s sake, i cried in front of him the other day! all he did was tell me he was proud of me. am i that starved for attention? inosuke, i keep you around for your brutal honesty about these things.”

“it’s not my fault that you become a blubbering mess from simple interactions…” inosuke mumbled. “maybe you’re still just nervous around him. new people and places do that to ya.”

“no, inosuke. whenever i’m around him, it feels like i’m going to die,” zenitsu sulked, throwing his face into his hands to really get his point across. “and i don’t want to die. i’m too young. too beautiful…”

a moment of silence passed before zenitsu looked up from his hands to see inosuke staring at him with a (rather jarring, in zenitsu’s humble opinion) deadpan expression. this was the first time inosuke had looked up from his phone the whole conversation, and this was the look he gives him? a little rude, zenitsu thought.

“uh…”

“does tanjirou sell taiyaki?”

zenitsu stared, dumbfounded. he had just poured out his insecurities to his dear friend, and he asks him…about food? zenitsu had half a mind to get angry, but then again, this was inosuke they were talking about. it was his fault in the first place trying to discuss topics like this with him of all people. their friendship has never really been the comforting or productive type. why were they friends again?

“umm, no. he doesn’t,” zenitsu sighed in defeat, moving to get his schoolwork out of his bag right as the bell rang. over his shoulder, he could hear inosuke mutter something about that being a shame.

♡

“y’know, today hasn’t been that busy at all. i wonder what everyone’s up to this evening?” tanjirou spoke, leaning his hip against the counter as he wiped his hands.

“uhh, i think there was some kind of event or something going on downtown, but i don’t really remember what it was,” zenitsu answered, sitting up from the couch to look over the back of it at tanjirou. “i figured we’d be here, so i didn’t pay much attention to the flyers.”

“ah, you could’ve went if you wanted to, zenitsu!” tanjirou responded, placing the washcloth onto the counter before folding his arms across his chest. “don’t ever worry about this ‘job’ getting in the way of your social life! i would’ve been fine.”

“no, it’s okay,” zenitsu squirmed. “going out in public isn’t really my thing. i wouldn’t have gone unless-”

zenitsu’s poor choice of words was thankfully cut off by the door to tanjirou’s apartment swinging open with way too much force. but instead of being taken aback like he was, tanjirou just chuckled softly.

“good evening, inosuke.”

the blonde whipped his head away from tanjirou to see his other friend step through the door. it was a rarity for zenitsu to see inosuke outside of school. they didn’t really hang out too much, and zenitsu refused to ever go back to inosuke’s place. he didn’t know that rats could get that large, but he unfortunately knows now.

“you didn’t come by for your usual this morning. i thought something might’ve happened,” tanjirou stated as he moved behind the counter. “and you never come by in the evenings either, so this is a nice surprise.”

“yeah…” inosuke grumbled in response. his gaze never slipped over to zenitsu, and a part of him was grateful for that. despite his best efforts, his look of disgust that formed whenever his classmate did something slightly stupid was hard to hide. impossible, even. “sorry for popping in like this, but i’m just really craving some taiyaki, y’know?”

zenitsu scoffed. he was sure inosuke heard him this morning when he said that tanjirou didn’t make those. there’s no way he was unable to retain that information in a twelve hour timeframe. and why was this so important that he just had to come by after class for it? zenitsu has definitely had it before. it’s good, but it’s not great.

“taiyaki? oh, i’m sorry but i don’t make those,” tanjirou said. “can i get you anything else? i still have some muffins and sweet buns. i can even make you a sandwich if you’re in for something savory.”

“nah, no thanks,” inosuke shrugged. “i just really want that taiyaki. it’s probably all i’ve ever wanted in life.”

“oh, well i-”

“i told you earlier that he doesn’t make those, inosuke,” zenitsu added, walking up to his friend to make sure he wasn’t losing his mind. there’s no way he’s this adamant about getting a snack. he’s seen a hangry inosuke before, and this wasn’t anywhere near that.

“huh? zenitsu i reallyyyy want some taiyaki. i’m gonna die if i don’t get it,” inosuke whined, which was a sound zenitsu’s never heard before. to anyone else, inosuke seemed desperate. but to zenitsu, someone who truly knows the art of overreacting, his dramatics seemed more like just bad acting.

“isn’t there a festival or something going on tonight? can’t you just go there and get-”

“oh! you mean the night market? that’s a great idea, monitsu!” inosuke grinned. “how about you and monjirou run down there and grab me about 2 of them. i’ll watch this place while y’all are gone.”

“huh?” zenitsu stammered. had inosuke truly lost his mind? he’s done a lot of things for the boy throughout their friendship, but he’s never just downright been ruled off as an errand boy. “inosuke, you’re the one who wants it. go get it yourself! what do you take me as? your nanny?”

“how about it, ponjirou?” inosuke asked, completely ignoring his friend blabbering behind him. “everyone’s shopping at the market tonight anyway. would be a shame for you two to miss out on it.”

“hey, are you deaf? i’m talking to you!” zenitsu exasperated, marching up and getting in inosuke’s face. “you don’t just get to come in here and tell me where to go! and insisting that tanjirou do your bidding too? oh, you’ve lost it for real this ti-”

“well…” tanjirou started. zenitsu whipped around, waiting for tanjirou’s sensible refusal. “i guess a quick trip down there won’t hurt.”

inosuke grinned while zenitsu’s jaw had may as well hit the carpet. was he serious? someone’s got to be the reasonable one around here, and right now, tanjirou seemed to be slipping.

“but tanjirou, we can’t just leave the cafe,” zenitsu sputtered, moving closer to the red head to talk some sense into him. “and plus, inosuke can go get it himself! i know he looks scary, but he wont actually hit you…”

tanjirou chuckled as he placed a hand on zenitsu’s shoulder. “i know, zenitsu. but he has a point. the cafe isn’t busy tonight anyway, and we’ll only be there for an hour or two. it’s fine. unless you don’t want to go?”

zenitsu, who had been staring at tanjiou’s hand this whole time, tumbled out of his momentary trance to glance back and forth between his two friends. inosuke offered zenitsu nothing but a threatening thumbs up with his other hand rubbing circles into his stomach while tanjirou, as sweet as he always was, offered zenitsu a warm smile and hopeful eyes. god, he made every decision so easy.

“uhh, yeah. yeah! we can go,” zenitsu blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“great! just let me grab my bag from my room,” tanjirou clapped before leaving zenitsu and inosuke alone. zenitsu, now out of his lovestruck stupor, could finally direct his anger towards the right person. before inosuke could react, zenitsu was in his face again; clutching the front of his shirt in a vice grip.

“look here, inosuke. i don’t know what you’re up to, but this better not backfire on me,” zenitsu seethed, narrowing his eyes as inosuke laughed in his face.

“cool it, zenitsu. a man can’t be hungry anymore?” responded with a shit-eating grin. before zenitsu could retort, tanjirou re-entered the room. zenitsu quickly dropped his friend’s shirt before giving a tanjirou a smile like nothing happened.

“okay, i’m ready now!” tanjirou beamed.

“perfect!” inosuke moved fast, shuffling the two out of the door to the apartment. zenitsu’s glad he didn’t need to grab anything, because he certainly wouldn’t have gotten the chance. “i’ve totally got this place under control until you two get back. anybody who wants anything is getting a muffin. don’t know how much stuff costs, so everything’s gonna be upcharged by 50%. sound good? great! alright, have fun you two!”

before either of them could object, the door to tanjirou’s place was slammed shut.

♡

zenitsu scowled, wincing at the fireworks going off in the field the next street over. before their arrival, zenitsu was already well aware that being out in public wasn’t his strong suit. what he didn’t know, however, was that a crowded night market was a different beast entirely.

too many people, too many smells, too much noise. he really didn’t understand how his classmates were such a fan of these events. and tanjirou being the social butterfly that he was wasn’t making things better. zenitsu was one more “oh my gosh, tanjirou! it’s so nice to see you!” away from dunking his head in a pot of grease alongside all the fried goodies.

but it wasn’t all bad. after grabbing inosuke’s precious taiyaki, as well as a very prolonged conversation with the fiery headed man at the taiyaki stand, tanjirou and him had grabbed some snacks of their own before settling down to rest at a sweets stand on the outskirts of the market. tanjirou said something about the pink and green haired girl running the stand being an alumni from their school, but zenitsu wasn’t really listening. he was just happy to finally have a moment away from the bustling crowd. he sniffled, just now noticing how cool the night air had gotten.

tanjirou apparently noticed too; rubbing his own hands together to warm them as he leaned down to get a better look at zenitsu’s face.

“your nose is red.”

“huh?” zenitsu glanced up, instinctively rubbing the back of his hand across his nose. “oh, yeah. sorry about that. always happens when i get a little cold.”

“hmm. i think it’s cute,” tanjirou stated, glancing around the market for something. “kind of makes you look like a bunny. stay here.”

as much as zenitsu wanted to hear more about his apparently cute, bunny-like features, tanjirou had already stood and disappeared into the crowd. that was fine, though. zenitsu finally had a moment to just think. the day had started rather slowly, yet his evening had moved so quickly. why were things so weird all of a sudden? inosuke’s odd behavior. zenitsu’s own incapabilty of functioning properly. tanjirou’s devastatingly sweet words and acts of kindness. a part of him wished that all of this would just stop. it was too many thoughts; too many new emotions for his poor brain to handle. if he thought about it too long, thought about tanjirou too long, then his thoughts would drift into something more…wrong.

but was it wrong though? it didn’t feel like it. whatever he was feeling was laced with a hint of dread, sure. but the overall feeling was warm. it was comforting. it was good. tanjirou was good. good for who? him? he hoped so.

zenitsu had never been a lady’s man. of course a pretty girl has caught his attention now and then. that was just a part of being a boy, right? but tanjirou wasn’t a pretty girl. and zenitsu didn’t just want to ogle at him. he wanted to be with him, maybe even for a long time. just being around the red head had brought so many new feelings into zenitsu’s life, and he loved it. the way he laughed, the way his kindness spread to others like a plague. zenitsu wasn’t the type to hold onto things. nothing had sentimental value to him. he cared deeply for few people, and that was alright with him. but tanjirou, no; he couldn’t let this thing go.

as zenitsu watched tanjirou emerge from the distant crowd; walking towards him with two steaming cups in his hands, zenitsu thought that maybe, for once in his life, he should be honest with himself.

he loved tanjirou kamado, and that was okay.

was this the time and place to have this revelation? probably not. or maybe it was? zenitsu didn’t have to tell him now. patience, luckily, was one of the many things zenitsu had learned from tanjirou throughout their time together. he was aware of his own feelings, and he would deal with them later.

tanjirou sat down with a relieved huff before handing zenitsu one of the warm cups.

“it’s oolong tea,” tanjirou smiled. “i don’t think anyone is serving cappuccinos out here, so that was the best i could do. sorry about that.”

“ah, it’s okay,” zenitsu sniffed, taking the cup and letting it warm his hands. the seasons had started changing by now, and winter would be in japan pretty soon. “i don’t think i would’ve enjoyed a cappuccino that wasn’t yours anyway. you’ve got me hooked.”

“you think so?” tanjirou chuckled before taking a sip of his own tea. “it’s almost time for us to switch to the winter menu at the cafe. it’ll be a lot cozier in there. warm drinks, holiday themed treats, a festive environment. i think you’ll really like it.”

“yeah?” zenitsu asked, imagining tanjirou’s apartment in the winter time. he could almost see it; cuddled up on tanjirou’s couch surrounded by a warmth he’s never known. letting the sweet smell of gingerbread and hot chocolate lull him into a deep, comforting sleep. oh god…

“yeah…” tanjirou echoed, taking another sip of his tea. the two sat in silence for a moment; zenitsu drowning in his new found revelation, and tanjirou thinking about, well, whatever someone like tanjirou thinks about. zenitsu wondered for a moment if tanjirou ever felt like this. unsure…scared…it didn’t seem like it. he couldn’t help but be envious of how relaxed tanjirou always seemed to be around him. well actually, how tanjirou seemed to be so relaxed in any given moment. he always talked and moved as if he was the only person in the world with the ability to perceive himself. no shame, no insecurities, just himself. zenitsu wondered if tanjirou ever thought about him when he wasn’t there. thoughts of the red head followed zenitsu everywhere he went. to school, to the grocery store, even to bed. a part of him hoped that he haunted tanjirou’s thoughts as he did his own.

“how long…” zenitsu started, subconsciously tightening the grip on his flimsy paper cup. “how long are we going to keep doing this?”

“the market?” tanjirou tilted his head. “we can head back now if you’d like. we’ve gotten everything we needed.”

zenitsu sighed, rising from his seat as tanjirou followed. “no, i mean-…how long can i keep working for you? surely, one day, you’ll want to stop. we’re in grade 11 now. will you want to keep doing thing next year? what about after that? i…i’m just curious, you know?”

zenitsu was shaking now, but the cool air gave him a very convenient excuse.

tanjirou only stared for a moment, probably trying to process such a random and weighted question, before giving zenitsu exactly what he wanted. a smile. not one of pity. not one of exasperation. but a different one. zenitsu wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

“i haven’t really thought about that yet,” tanjirou admitted; taking his place in front of zenitsu to lead them out of the market. fireworks continued to go off behind them, but zenitsu didn’t care to watch.

“i’m sure one day i’ll have to leave the cafe behind to explore my adulthood. we’ve gotta get real jobs one day and whatnot. it’s just a side job formed from a hobby right now, but maybe i’ll open my own, real cafe one day, yknow?” tanjirou huffed out a laugh before stopping to look back at zenitsu. “as far as me and you, though? well, i’ve really enjoyed having you in my life zenitsu. i don’t think that’s going to end anytime soon.”

zenitsu smiled softly to himself, moving to catch up with his friend.

“i hope you’re right.”

tanjirou laughed this time as he slung an arm over the still shivering zenitsu.

“when have i ever been wrong?”

♡

upon returning to tanjirou’s apartment, the pair found inosuke lazily draped over tanjirou’s counter next to a rather thick stack of cash.

“uhh…” zenitsu stated, stopping at the door to remove his jacket and shoes. “did some customers come by?”

“hmm? oh yeah,” inosuke responded, slipping his phone in his pocket before handing tanjirou the cash. “the girls from the gardening club swung by. said something about club activities ending late. they bought out all your stock. not a muffin or cookie left. don’t worry, i managed to nab a bite of one of aoi’s cookies before they left. i’ll take that as payment. plus maybe a free americano in the morning?”

inosuke glanced hopefully at tanjirou, who was too busy staring dumbfounded at the money in his hands.

“this is 23,000 yen…inosuke, what i had leftover was worth way less than that!” tanjirou cried.

“right? not bad for a first time salesman, eh monjirou?” inosuke quipped, playfully elbowing tanjirou in the side. “i need to borrow your delivery boy for just a sec though if you don’t mind.”

tanjirou just tiredly shook his head as inosuke hurriedly led zenitsu back out into the cold.

“ugh, what gives?” zenitsu whined, standing barefoot on the cold concrete. “you couldn’t have at least let me grab my jacket?”

“quit your bellyaching. i’ll only be a second,” inosuke grumbled as he closed the door behind them. once it latched, inosuke turned back to his friend. “so, how’d it go?”

“how’d what go?”

“are you really that dense?” inosuke spat. “your date with tanjirou, idiot!”

“da-date?!” zenitsu sputtered back. “that wasn’t a date! that was just us being forced to trek out into the cold for your stupid snack. here you go by the way…”

zenitsu reached in the bag that luckily wasn’t trapped in the apartment like his precious jacket and shoes. inosuke, rather ungratefully might zenitsu add, snatched the taiyaki from zenitsu’s hand.

“my god, and you people like to call me the stupid one…” inosuke rolled his eyes. “i only sent you on that mission for you to get some alone time with mr. sunshine and lollipops in there. you think i wanted to spend my evening alone in some random guys apartment?”

zenitsu paused his seething for a moment to take in what inosuke had just said.

“you did all this…” zenitsu started, glancing down at the taiyaki in inosuke’s hand. “…for me?”

“ugh, don’t go getting sentimental on me. it won’t happen again,” inosuke snorted. “you were drowning in your own mind, dude. everyone in the world can see that this kid has you tripping over your own feet. it’s about time you realize it too.”

“i…yeah. you’re right, inosuke,” zenitsu relented, grimacing a bit at those words leaving his own mouth. “and i did realize it tonight, thanks to you.”

“pshhh, whatever. it’s what i’m here for i guess. since we’re friends and all that,” inosuke mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “you just needed a push. i think you’ve got it from here. see you in the morning, monitsu.”

zenitsu watched as inosuke coughed awkwardly into his arm before turning to leave. huffing a sigh to himself as his friend quickly destroyed his taiyaki in two bites, never breaking his stride, zenitsu remembered exactly why inosuke was his friend.