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It was on the way back from the restroom that Inosuke noticed the lone figure of Tanjirou sitting on the deck, arms propped behind him as he gazed up at the night sky with an inscrutable look on his face.
Curious, Inosuke stared for a bit before averting his gaze to the bright stars littering the dark expanse of sky, looking for what could have possibly garnered Tanjirou’s attention.
“Ah, Inosuke. You’re still up?”
Startled, Inosuke’s head whipped down to face Tanjirou, whose head had turned to look at him.
It rattled him that the other had been able to look at him without alerting his senses, just like the lady from the wisteria house had done that one time. Inosuke had no qualms with calling Tanjirou out for being creepy, and he would have, if it weren’t for the look on his face. Eyes disconcertedly distant and mouth pulled into a wan smile, he seemed almost...vulnerable.
It was a foreign expression on his face, at least to Inosuke who had grown used to the innate kindness and warmth that leaked from every pore of the other boy’s body (like honey from a honeycomb).
So instead he sat down next to Tanjirou, giving nothing more than an affirmative grunt before stubbornly turning his head to stare out at the sky like he had seen Tanjirou doing before.
After being raised by boars for a majority of his life, Inosuke wasn’t very good at social cues, not like any of his peers were. He was brash and loud, never one to sit still for longer than absolutely necessary due to all the pent up energy lingering beneath his skin, but even he was able to recognize when someone needed company.
(Or so he hoped. When Tanjirou didn’t say anything else, simply turned back to the sky like it held all the answers to the world’s secrets, Inosuke felt like he had done the right thing. After much time had passed since they lapsed into silence, he spared a glance at the other from the corner of his eye. Tanjirou seemed less tense than he seemed originally, gaze less distant and more just a weary tired. Inosuke's body relaxed at the observation, relieved).
(And when some time later he felt the additional weight of a head leaning against his shoulder, he knew he had done the right thing. Reluctant to move just yet, Inosuke contented himself with the warm feeling budding in his chest, limbs alight with the knowledge he had chosen correctly).
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The next day the two didn’t speak of the strange occurrence, simply going about their day as they usually would: Inosuke the assertive loudmouth that he was and Tanjirou his usual vibrant, hardworking self.
The two didn’t speak of it and yet, when one stumbled upon the other during another sleepless night, they would keep each other company until the sun rose before going their separate ways. If Zenitsu knew of this new development, he never pointed it out or asked any questions, simply embracing it as a new norm.
It got to the point they almost instinctively knew which night would be one of those nights, and on those occasions they would find themselves gravitating towards the other during the day as well.
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It was on one such night that, looking up at the freckled night sky, Inosuke's thoughts began to wander. They strayed to a boy with eyes the color of rubies, gentle embers smoldering with the underlying determination to set things right, to prevent more tragedies from befalling on innocent souls. A boy with hair the color of molten rock, lightly curled locks brushing against smooth skin.
He thinks of soft facial features illuminated by the moon, cheeks lovingly traced by the stars overhead and hanafuda earrings dangling like swaying gems in the refreshing night air.
It’s weird- the feeling in his chest. His heart is strangely tight, aching to do something as a warmth spreads from the center of his body down to his toes, blossoming outwards like the petals of a lily.
There is a specific word for how he feels about Tanjirou, Inosuke knows, but for all that he thinks it doesn’t come to mind. He supposes it doesn’t matter all that much, since labeling the emotion would hardly change a thing.
Tanjirou makes Inosuke feel more human than beast on the worst of days, treating him like he would treat anyone else rather than tiptoeing around him as if he were an animal to be wary of. It’s something to ground himself to.
And as much as people seem to believe he doesn’t think before he acts, he does. He has tough skin, sure, but it wouldn’t have been possible to survive in the mountains for so long if he didn’t have a bit of a brain to him. Inosuke just prefers to confront opponents head on, swords swinging because that's how he understands. One can garner a lot from the fighting style of another- the intent behind each swing, how their body and mind work in conjunction with the other.
It’s how he’s able to get a reading on everyone he meets, whether they be friend or foe. He categorizes them into specific groups in his mind based off of their strengths and weaknesses, virtues and beliefs. It’s a system that works well for him, even if sometimes he does pick off a little more than he can chew. As unorthodox of a method it is to other people, he doesn’t think he would change it for the world (especially not when he’s finally found people who accept him for who he is, eccentricities and quirks included).
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It’s on another sleepless night that he finds himself laying in Tanjirou’s lap, small sparks racing down his back as calloused hands stroke the hair on his head tenderly. It’s comforting, he thinks. Being here with Tanjirou in the dark of night, sometimes talking, sometimes just letting the silence envelope them as everyone else sleeps on in their designated rooms in the Butterfly Estate. With the stars still twinkling overhead, moon casting a veil of light on their surroundings, it’s like their own little pocket of space in the world.
It’s as Inosuke looks out at swaying grass, koi pond rippling gently with the slight breeze in the air that he comes to a realization: he loves Tanjirou.
Loves the boy whose lilting voice reminds him of chiming bells, whose scent is reminiscent of the early morning campfires they’ll sometimes have while out on a job. The boy who is as reflective as he is warm, sturdy as he is soft, and fierce as he is merciful.
He thinks of all their interactions up until now, the easy way they’re able to move around each other and the brief touches they’ll sometimes share, and thinks.
Maybe...maybe he isn’t the only one that feels this way.
But that’s an inquiry for another day because right now in the tranquil quiet, body buzzing in contentment, Inosuke is more than okay with staying right where he is. Nuzzling a bit further into Tanjirou’s lap, he puts a pause to his thoughts and loses himself in the gentle euphoria of just existing as he is.
Even if the other doesn’t feel the same way, he’s sure they can make it work. Afterall, it would be a shame to lose nights like this when they both seem to need them desperately.