Collared (Uzuzen) (Uzui Tengen x Agatsuma Zenitsu)

Chapter 1

Summary: Bird demon Zenitsu under the care of the retired sound pillar.

Tengen felt an uncomfortable tingle in his left arm. He peaked outside the window, annoyed at the dark clouds just beginning to gather. Go figure, late to their own party. As the weather changed, the former-hashira would feel throbbing pain and itchiness where now only a stub was left of his left hand. He was used to it, mostly putting the pain in the back of his mind, but it sure soured his mood the fact that this storm was forming very slowly, takings its damn time. At this rate, Tengen was sure the mild itchiness would last until the next day.

He would have to keep himself busy. If only his gorgeous wives wouldn't be running errands outside, his mood would have improved considerably. Tengen would have to settle for the best next thing it seemed. He grinned while turning his maroon eyes to scan the room for his prize.

Under the heavy blanket of his futon, completely covered, laid his naughty pet who was surely sleeping peacefully. He usually rested during the daylight hours for obvious reasons.

Tengen covered the window to darken the room and settled back to where he was standing at the low table.

"Oi, brat! Come here!"

As expected, he saw the lump moving under the blanket, accompanied by annoyed little growls. The cover was lifted only slightly, so his pet could meet his gaze. His honey eyes were faintly glowing in the dark and were showing so much resentment that Tengen figured he woke him up from a sweet dream. All the better.

"Come on, I even made it dark in here just for you. Show some gratitude, will you? Come out to play."

The brat only hesitated a few moments and made a show out of covering himself back in the blanket. And people were calling Tengen a drama queen, geez. As his pet was shuffling to find a better position, Tengen looked idly at his low table.

He was sitting too comfortable at that moment to go teach his pet some manners. He would let it go for now. His eyes scanned the objects in front of him. How to entertain himself? A cup with a boring medicinal tea, a plate with tangerines that were giving a faint pleasant aroma, and finally a shogi board. Tengen studied the shogi pieces left in the same formation as last night, a sign that his lovely wives would continue their match when they got to relax in the evening. A devilish grin spread across Tengen's face and an idea sprung in his mind. He could take Suma and Hinatsuru's scolding if it meant he got to annoy his favorite pet.

The brat had a very fine hearing even for a demon. As soon as the shogi piece light 'tap' sound graced the board, the lump on the futon moved startled. Yes, a fine plan indeed. He continued to move the pieces on the board, trying to make as much noise as possible without disturbing the current game too much. He didn't want to die young after all.

It only took a few minutes for the brat to show his pretty blond head from under the blanket. Another few taps on the board and his pet threw the cover exasperated in the corner.

Tengen smirked as he took in his lithe form. Beautiful golden locks were framing his honey-colored eyes, usually filled with tears, but throwing daggers at him at that very moment. His long hair was a mess from sleeping, and the image of this sweet little thing stomping up to his table made the former hashira laugh.

A heavy collar sat on his neck, to keep the demon in his place. It was Shinobu's latest creation, and it was infused with Wisteria poison. After lots of trials and errors, she had discovered the perfect amount that would weaken the demons exposed to it enough to cancel their inhumane strength, but not kill them. One more secret weapon that slayers had against the ongoing fight with Muzan.

If he kept his gaze locked on his upper body, he could pass as a normal boy, almost. Golden feathers would peak from his back, and as soon as Tengen tilted his head, he could see the pair of wings properly. They were neatly folded on his back, only barely showing a little above his shoulders, almost like a feathery cloak. It was hard to outfit him with those pesky things, only loose haori fitting him comfortably. So for this reason, in the house, he mostly walked bare-chested.

But as Tengen lowered his gaze, the boy's humanity started to vanish. The long loose black pants that he was wearing at that moment were covering the inhumane legs, which from knees downwards, resembled those of birds, ending in four strong talons. His hands too, while human-looking, had sharp claws that could do great damage if he so wished.

Tengen often stared at his pet, wondering if his beautiful looks were gifts from his demon transformation. After all, this brat was indeed human at some point. Did he have this flamboyant golden hair and big brown eyes then too? Has he ever compared himself to his old memories when seeing his reflection in a mirror? Tengen couldn't tell. This kid's past was a mystery to him, and he couldn't tell the hashira anything because demons lost their memories at the transformation.

Tengen smirked at the annoyed blond who sat down opposite to him at the low table.

" Zenitsu, you brat, took you long enough. Now help me pass this boring time. "