Let Me Down Slowly (Kamado Tanjirou x Agatsuma Zenitsu from Demon Slayer)

Part 1: I Know Those Eyes

The moon was nigh, and the silent night was only disturbed by a cricketing noise, as well as the splashing of water puddles. The scent of raindrops was still prevalent, and a raven-haired boy, outfitted with a green and black checkered haori, dashed between the trees.

'Come on, where are you?" The boy thought, trying to catch a whiff of his friend's smell. He wasn't alone, though, he was accompanied by a pitch-black crow, flying alongside him.

"Caw caw! Your next mission is where the lower moon three dwells, caw! The forest of Fuyuji!" Those words seem to echo in Tanjirou's head. Fuyuji Forest... isn't that where Zenitsu was assigned to? Why hasn't he come back- why did he need back up?

The tall teen slid to a halt when he noticed a smear of blood on a tree bark. A box placed on his back shifted, and Tanjirou glanced towards it, before focusing on the stain again.

"A demon..." He muttered. But it wasn't just any demon. It smelled familiar. Tanjirou shook his head at the thought. It can't be. Don't think of such things.

Tanjirou felt a pair of eyes glaring at him and immediately put on a fighting stance, his black katana at his hand. Nezuko kept rustling in the box, and eventually kicked the door open to reveal herself. She growled, baring her fangs and nails. But neither party advanced. They stood there, the susurrus of the bushes being the only sound that can be heard.

A loud hiss made the two siblings jerk back. The clear sky was quickly concealed by dark clouds, and thunder growled, shaking the ground.

"Tanji... Tanjirou..." A voice spoke out, almost quietly, making Tanjirou snap his head to the source of the call. Stammering and stumbling, a blonde teen paced to approach the two. His haori was ripped, and his corps uniform was soaked with blood. 'But whose blood is it?' Tanjirou wondered.

His appearance caused Nezuko to act more aggressive. Her brother kept her in control by placing his arm in front of her, halting her from going forward. He only occasionally glances to Nezuko.

"Don't do anything, Nezuko," The raven-haired boy commanded, his focus unwavering. He pointed his sword at the smaller teen, and carefully treaded the moist mud. "Zenitsu?"

Suddenly, the blonde made a sharp noise, like sucking air from his teeth. As if lightning, Zenitsu tackled Tanjirou in a millisecond, making him plummet down to the ground with a loud thud, dropping the katana in his grasp. Nezuko screeched and ran to her brother's side, only to be confused by the sight she saw.

Zenitsu lay on top of Tanjirou, his eyes red, and his teeth seemed sharper. He gripped Tanjirou's back and unintentionally tore the taller boy's haori.

When he was tackled, Tanjirou shut his eye. He was prepared to for the worst. Nezuko was too bewildered and his katana was a foot away from him. But he wasn't prepared to hear what he heard.

The boy on top of him sobbed, his tears wetting the scar-bearing teen's corps uniform. Not only that, but he seemed to have a difficult time breathing, as he breathed sparsely and sharply. Zenitsu hid his face on Tanjirou's shoulder and trembled. Feeling his fear, Tanjirou relaxed his posture and embraced the blonde, hushing him whenever he whimpered. As the sobs grow louder, Tanjirou grips him even tighter.

Nezuko stood there, awed. Eventually, she sat down near them and curled up in a ball. The menacing presence she felt before was nowhere to be found. None of them exchanged a word until the sky cleared up.

The sparrow who usually accompanied Zenitsu came a bit after the moment, chirping and squeaking. It looked a bit concerned for Zenitsu.

After calming down a bit, the smaller boy let go of Tanjirou. Exhausted, he slept in his friend's embrace. His weeps slowly turning into soft snores. The raven-haired boy sat down, putting Zenitsu's head on his lap. His face was healed of bruises, and there were no bloodstains near his mouth, either. 'That means he still hasn't drunk any human blood,' Tanjirou sighed of relief. Zenitsu's sparrow flew above them for a while, then perched itself on top of Zenitsu's chest.

Rays of sunlight could be seen piercing through the clouds. Tanjirou stood up carrying Zenitsu on his arms. He approached Nezuko and nudged her shoulders, signaling her to get in her box. She did so, but then made a worried expression. Nezuko had her own place to hide from the sunlight, but Zenitsu didn't. Tanjirou removed his haori and covered Zenitsu's body with it. Zenitsu shuffled in his arms before stopping after he hugged one of Tanjirou's arms.

"You can't be serious!" Tanjirou's black crow made a reappearance. It shot Tanjirou a judging glare, and Tanjirou returned with a scowl of his own. "Just so you know, he's a demon! You can't keep him around like a pet!"

The sparrow chirped in protest, seemingly trying to defend Zenitsu. "Yeah, yeah! Just because he hasn't had the chance to kill a human yet doesn't mean that he won't!" The crow countered. They continued their argument until dawn while Tanjirou carried Zenitsu.

Meanwhile, Tanjirou placed Nezuko's crate on his rear and walked down the slope outside the forest. He spotted a nearby abandoned shed and decided to rest there for a while. He stroked Zenitsu's forehead, red of blood. The blonde whimpered when Tanjirou touched him. The raven-haired boy decided to stop manhandling Zenitsu.

'Come to think of it, what of the lower moon three?' Tanjirou thought to himself, and the thought was answered by his crow confirming the demon's beheading.

The raven demon hunter sighed, with a blonde demon on his arms, and another demon girl on his back, he pondered about how he will approach this unexpected circumstance to the other members of the corps, specifically the pillars.

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author's note :
yes i know i yadda yadda'd lower moon three's death sorry i just can't think of a better way to settle it 😔✋
also another tanjirou/zenitsu fanfic!! what do u call this ship anyway, tanjitsu? zenirou?? whatever its name is, i just dug a deep hole for myself

edit : so i added a video to some of the chapters but trust me its just background music and has no correlation to the story whatsoever.