Do It For Him

Is There Something I Can't Do?

    No one is coming to save you.

    Get up.

   Zenitsu gasps. He's covered in sweat, and he's so hot. His fever is rising by the second. How could things go wrong so quickly? He doesn't understand. His head is blank, and his body aches with every movement. Zenitsu looks up. The two large men are standing in front of him. They're looking down at him, like he's a pitiful creature. He can't move, he can't feel, he can't hear. The ringing in his ears is the only sound that invades his brain. He wants to scream, he wants to run, he wants anyone to save him.

Was he not good enough?

❦

Days earlier...

    "Zenitsu!" He turned around and Tanjiro was holding hands with Tomioka. He smiled."It's Uzui-sama's birthday!" Zenitsu's eyes widened.

    "Really? I had... I had no idea." He looked down, tears welling up in his eyes. Tanjiro rushed over and wiped his tear stained cheeks.

    "Hey, hey, it's okay! You're new, not everyone knows! It's okay!" Zenitsu exhaled.

    "Okay—Okay! What can I do!" His eyes looked like they had sparkles in them. Tanjiro laughed.

    "Tomioka-san, I need your help!" He ran over to him and hugged him. Zenitsu saw him smile. It was gentle, almost like the same one Uzui gave him. Tanjiro turned around, again. He grabbed Zenitsu's hand, and dragged him into the room with a bunch of tools. Like sharp knives. Zenitsu flinched back.

    "We won't kill you," Tanjiro laughed. He pulled out a bunch of jewels, wood, fabrics, and other things. Like they were doing arts and crafts. Zenitsu snorted, but Tanjiro looked  serious. Zenitsu shut up. He looked to Zenitsu.

    "Make something for him!" Zenitsu blinked.

    "Huh?! I have no experience making something! I'm useless for this kind of thing!" Tanjiro shook his head. Zenitsu looked at him in horror. What if he messes up? What if he makes Uzui disappointed, or angry? What if he-

    "Zenitsu." He snapped his eyes up. "Don't think about it too hard. It's best when it comes from the heart." Zenitsu sighed.

    "I... I can't. What if I make him angry?" Zenitsu held his arm, and felt his throat sting. Tanjiro shook his head, again. He grabbed Zenitsu's hands.

    "He likes you! Even if he's appalled by it, he'll still like it... in a way!" Zenitsu's cheeks flushed. He bit his lip and looked at the items on the table. He got an idea. What if he makes him something for his desk. As flashy, and bright that man is, he doesn't have a lot of anything on his desk. But what should he make? It has to be something good, something flashy, but also tasteful. He growls at himself.

    "We'll let you think. We're going to be over there. We need to write out reports." Zenitsu nodded. He turned to look at the table. He had so many ideas. But were any of them good enough? He has his ears pierced, could he make some earrings? Maybe a ring? He doesn't know. He slaps both his cheeks. He's already been sitting there for at least ten minutes. Uzui's birthday doesn't last for more than one day. It has to be perfect, though. He spots a ball of sterling silver. He stares at it. So many ideas pop in his head.

  He picks up the sterling silver ball and observes it. He can make it into a bracelet. He asks Tomioka if he can use it, and he said that anything on that table, he can use. And then a bunch more ideas come to his head. He sketches out the design. Zenitsu shows them and they both think it's a good idea. But as a second, better idea, some earrings.