&& goldtones. inde. sel. priv. Lounge AU for Zenitsu Agatusma sideblog to thunderbreathe. composed by alcohol. on this blog we delve into the thought of how zenitsu would be growing up to become a singer in a local lounge. there will be study's of growing up in a foster home, later being adopted by his foster father. a study in going through bullying for your sexual orientation and how it messes with your psyche. a study in how you make it through those hard times and figure out what you want to do with your life is make people smile with your music.
this blog is also going to be single ship--and zenitsu is a taken man by @burudouka 's inosuke, there will be no other ships for him.
zenitsu is 25 and a lounge singer (obviously) and has been working at a lounge called Peach Pit since he was around 23
his best friend is a bartender named Emi, and she's honestly the reason that zenitsu and inosuke even started talking in the first place. zenitsu doesn't know what he would do without her in his life.
lives in an apartment near Peach Pit with a tabby/maine coon mix named aya (it's honestly how he found Peach Pit, he was just walking around and saw that they were looking for singers and boom ! job!)
has an ex (no name yet--whoops) who has caused a lot of his insecurities and how he will hide himself away from the world at times
also has a stalker who's name is anshin, and boy will he come into play more down the road.
he is gay in this AU, and the first one who he came out to was jigoro(who first fostered him and later adopted him when he was in middle school when his parents couldn't take care of him anymore thanks to them living a party life and gave him up)
jigoro is also a rather famous jockey in his youth, he taught zenitsu how to ride horses and he loves it, but his heart was always on music. going out for the musicals at school, being part of glee club growing up, singing is his passion and will always be!
more---nsfw/mentions of self harm below the cut
when he met inosuke he's still a virgin. his ex had cheated on him because of this and how he wouldn't 'put out'
growing up he was bullied by his classmates for being gay, to the point where he has cut himself. and after he was cheated on he went back to it, though by the time he met inosuke he has been 2 years "sober" from it. ever since he started working at Peach Pit he has finally found where he belongs.
his ex called his scars ugly, told him that he needs to hide them from the world, make sure that he always looked upkept because who would want to look at someone who wasn't beautiful? (we hate a man honestly)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Waltz? Tango?? Zenitsu meant ballroom dancing? Inosuke can barely keep up with the second whiplash that that knowledge hits him with. Sure, it seemed more in line with Zenitsu's character, but it was so, so much further outside of Inosuke's comfort zone. He's many things, but a dancer is not one of them. So the thought of such an early date being something like that sends him into something that feels like fight or flight. But how's he supposed to say no? He wants to keep seeing Zenitsu so badly. And the other man was obviously passionate about it.
Would it sound like he was turning down going out on another date in general? Or what if it makes it seem like he's not open to doing the things Zenitsu likes? They've had a good first few dates, but what if he declines and Zenitsu decides they're not a good match because of it? He can't say no, he definitely can't say no. But, oh gosh, does he really really want to.
All of those thoughts happen inside his head in less than a second, all culminating with an attempt to get himself back on track.
Calm down, Inosuke. Play it cool. He closes his eyes to take a deep breath, and once it's done there's a warm smile on his face. At least Zenitsu had given him an in to a compliment.
"I don't doubt that at all. I've seen what you can do on the stage." His hand ends up reaching out to run a finger along Zenitsu's arm. Is that a bit much? Probably. But the side of him that's out right now is the type to do it.
zenitsu noticed the deep breath, the way that he closed his eyes when he did it, only to come back with a smile on his face. the singer had thought that he said the wrong thing for a moment there, maybe asking to go dancing like that after a couple dates was too soon, but he couldn't help himself from asking when he saw the statues.
he was about to take the suggestion back, say that it was fine if he didn't want to go dancing, that they could do something else next time--however the moment that hashi spoke, the way that his finger ran along his arm like that--zenitsu went a little stiff.
the thoughts of his talk with emi went through his mind, how he should wait to tell him about his experience in the bedroom until they were able to find a time to be in his apartment, away from other people..and he would still adhere to that. but the way that hashi spoke about seeing what he could do on stage, the touch he had received on his arm--he worried that his offer was taken the wrong way.
so, what's a guy like him to do other than over explain things?
"mmhm, i've been in musical theater so dancing comes pretty easy for me, then again, i've been dancing and singing since i was in high school so you pick up quite a few things along the way," his words might be coming out of his mouth a little too quickly for his liking, but the nerves in his body were working against him right now.
Tanjiro can't help but beam, glancing around the shop as if taking in the sheer number of people. His eyes shimmered in joy a bit, just...really glad everyone liked the recipes! He could support his family back home now too, which meant...everything.
"Thank you so much!" He nodded in gratefulness, by now expertly heating up the milk. Nice and frothy, perfect temperature with a swan on the top. It didn't matter to him if it was covered by a lid almost instantly, but it brought him joy. "Here you are...! Oh!" A hand reached, slipping a voucher into the bag too. "These are for opening week customers, to get something down the line! It applies for one pastry or one drink!" Nodding to his right, sugar sachets and napkins (suspiciously looking akin to a particular checkered haori pattern...) in a stand. "Extra sugar, creamer and napkins are right there if you need it."
"I forgot to introduce myself! Sorry, I'm Tanjiro!" He slid all the items to the other with a bright smile. "I haven't had much chance to explore the neighbourhood yet, heh...but it's really nice to meet you!"
seeing the way that the other was beaming like that, zenitsu couldn't help but offer him a smile in return.
"don't mention it," he voiced as he took the bag and drink that was offered, making sure to give the man a generous tip in the tip jar as well. he wanted to make sure he knew that he was appreciated. seeing the slip being put into his bag, zenitsu listened to what it entailed. "i'll definitely be back here then." maybe next time he'd bring his boyfriend with him. for now he would look at the cute little checkered napkins and take a few of them just in case.
"tanjiro, huh? well, if you ever need to come and relax to some good music after closing down the shop, the peach pit is always open, i can also show you around the neighborhood at some point if you want, i've been living here for quiet a few years, i know everywhere there is to go."
When Zenitsu mentions preferring 'the real thing,' it takes him a second to catch up with what that means, but the wink helps make it more clear. A light blush crosses his face, and he's glad when Zenitsu moves onto the next sculpture instead of dwelling on the subject too long. But that calmness is short-lived.
"Dancing??" The suggestion throws him way off his center. They'd come to this museum because Zenitsu had mentioned wanting something quieter and more lowkey, so to jump straight to something like 'going out dancing' feels like quite the shift. In Inosuke's mind, such a phrase means going out to clubs or bars with loud music, floors sticky with spilled booze, and enough people to probably be in violation of one or two fire code regulations. If he'd had to place a bet on what their next date might be, that one would be nowhere on the list.
Suddenly his nerves start building up, a sensation he can feel deep in the pit of his stomach. He's not even really sure why. He oughta be glad that Zenitsu is already talking about a 'next time' at all! But something about the way the recommendation made his head spin has left him in a weird state.
"Maybe, uh.... maybe a later time?" He says, doing his best to hide how bad he feels for saying it, but still bracing himself for the response he gets.
he would watch hashi for a moment after he said he wanted to go dancing with him, seeing the confused look on his face, seeing the nervousness that he was exhibiting. maybe he should have been more clear on what kind of dancing he was thinking about.
hearing hashi said at a later time, zenitsu knew that there was some things being misinterpreted but he would still nod his head at the answer.
"i guess a later time would be good, not everyone knows how to waltz or tango," he had assumed that hashi would have guessed the dancing he had been talking about by just the way the statues had been created, but for now he would give the other a smile nonetheless. "though, if you'd want, i could always teach you a few things. i'm pretty light on my feet after all."
when he heard those words come out of inosuke's mouth moments before he leaned in for a passionate kiss, zenitsu's heart thumped in his chest as he wrapped his arms around the other's neck, pulling him in closer to feel his body pressed against his own.
being called his love, there was a blush that was painted upon his cheeks all the way to his ears as he hummed through the kiss.
"i'm only yours~" he voiced breathlessly through the kiss they shared. "nobody elses~"
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
When Zenitsu looks between him and the statue, he feels his heart flutter inside his chest. He can't be certain that Zenitsu's actually directly comparing him to the carving, but the thought of that being a possibility has him fighting off a blush. He sure wishes he could read the other man's mind in that moment.
The question Zenitsu ends up asking brings him out of those thoughts. Probably for the best. He might have turned into some kind of blushing mess.
"I can't imagine anybody wanting to stand completely still for that long." It would be his assumption that carving a human body out of rock would take much, much longer than a painting, so surely people weren't having to actively model for it. "So I guess a picture? Or maybe the person freehanded it?" He tilts his head to look at the marble body, studying it for a minute. "Whatever they did, they had good references. The musculature looks pretty accurate, actually." He recalls some of the paintings they'd seen earlier where it had been pretty clear the artists were not anatomy experts. He hadn't said anything, mostly because he knows it's art so it doesn't really matter anyways. But, in this instance, it seems relevant to comment on the physical accuracy.
zenitsu thought for a moment of hashi’s comment, the way that the muscles looked realistic to the taller, he did want to know just how built he was under those clothes. he’s only ever seen him dressed with longer sleeves..
no, stop thinking like that, he thought to himself as he shook his head to get out of that thought process. for now he would look back at hashi with a smile upon his face.
“it really is nice, but, i’d rather have the real thing,” he voiced with a wink as he was making his way over to the next statue of two people in a dancing pose. the thoughts going through his head were softer this time. it was clear that this artist had more muse for those who were being active. the thoughts of going dancing with hashi were taking over as he looked the artwork over.
“you think next time we could go out dancing?” he would question, very sure with himself that he wanted to keep seeing this man.
Walking through the hallways of the museum, hand in Zenitsu's hand, he feels so normal. He's still got the early-relationship rush running through him, so it is more a sense of 'normal' in regards to feeling like a regular person. It's been a long time since he's had an outing like this where he is able to behave in whatever way feels most natural instead of how he thinks he should be acting. And seeing the other museum visitors, also walking around and just living their lives, makes him feel like he's a part of normal society.
He spends a little while looking at the recycled metal sculpture that Zenitsu pauses to talk about. He nods along to what Zenitsu was saying, then asks, "How long do you think it takes to collect all the right stuff to make a thing like this? I wonder if the artist knows somebody who works in some kinda factory." He's at least pretty sure there must be some source other than just plain scavenging. Having spent more time than the average person in junkyards, he happens to be pretty sure it'd take a real long time to gather all the things required to make a thing like this.
zenitsu would lean forward to read the information, just to see if there was some sort of thank you to those who contributed to making the piece, but when there wasn't any, zenitsu leaned back up and shrugged his shoulders.
"i dunno, but it had to have taken the person a while to get everything, even if it wasn't from a junkyard, i'm sure collecting the parts would have taken some time. not only that, but making them all look the same color and given them a rusted look..a lot was put into this," he said with a smile forming on his face. he was thoroughly enjoying himself, the urge to touch the art was growing though, wanting to feel the art itself to see what the artist felt putting it together.
so, instead of letting his impulse take over, knowing touching was against the rules, he started to walk to the next piece of art that was offered. there would be a few statues that were carved out of marble, something zenitsu knew took even more time and effort to sculpt out. he would tilt his head slightly at the statue of a man who had more of a buffed figure and then back to hashi and back to the statue.
"you think that people actually modeled for this sort of thing? or do you think the artist actually went off of a picture?"
The way Zenitsu takes his arm and brings him along makes him feel warm despite the temperature of the air around them. It's almost overwhelming, the effect Zenitsu seems to have on him. He'd felt it from the very second he first heard an unknown voice while wandering around in a back alley, and he feels it now. As over-the-top an idea it may be for so early in their time knowing one another, it truly feels like a kind of destiny that they are together right now. There's simply no other way Inosuke can think of it.
He thanks Zenitsu for the ticket and tucks the stub away somewhere safe to keep as a token to remember this date by. Of course, there's always the gift shop later, too, but he still likes that it would be something easy to carry around on him.
"I think paintings first makes sense. Work our way over to the sculptures so we're saving the best for last?" Obviously, he has no real basis for assuming the sculptures will be the 'best' thing, but he had seen some pretty raving reviews about them while looking into the museum during the lead up to this date. He hadn't wanted to seem too out of touch with the arts, so he'd done a little bit of preparation work. He already knows the layout of the building more or less by heart.
It's an enjoyable experience, walking around with Zenitsu, chatting a bit and being able to see him in lighting that isn't lounge-dim or just a lantern. He can make out so much more of his features here, and the way the brighter museum lights catch his hair is enough to threaten becoming a distraction from the other works of art in the rooms. Still, Inosuke makes sure to stop and read some of the informational placards as they go through, as well as offering thoughts on the pieces they go by. He thinks he's doing an alright job balancing personal chatter, art-relevant chatter, and some quiet moments to just enjoy art while in each other's presence.
excitement roamed through his heart as the two of them went on the day looking at different paintings, sure zeniitsu had been here a few times before, he could easily point out his favorite works to hashi as they walked about, but this trip was different, this trip was one that he got to spend it with someone else, someone that he was starting to get even more close to.
there was some eager pulling upon hashi's hands to lead him along through the crowd of people, though with it being a weekday afternoon, it wasn't as full as if they chose to come on a saturday, but still it had a good amount of guests. he would catch a glimpse of hashi reading the information of the paintings that he had said were his favorites and there would be a surprised look upon his face because of it.
the words he spoke to emi on that night still rang true in his mind.
this man really did care about him, sure it was just him reading the placards, but there was something about him taking the time to understand why those paintings were his favorite that made zenitsu happy.
spending enough time in the main exhibits, zenitsu thought it would be a good time to take a stroll towards the sculptures. so, taking hold of hashi's hand, he would lead him through the hallways and enter the rooms where there would be a good amount of statues, but not only that, there would even be some artworks that were made of metals and other things you would find in a junkyard.
"it's something else when people can find stuff like this and turn it into art," he said as he walked over to one of the garbage arts that had nuts and bolts created into a vase, metal rebar was sticking out of said vase, being used for stems of the flowers, and for the actual petals? well, they were melted circular saws.
"I don't... think you should read things online if you want to be sleeping after. Don't they say screens before bedtime is a bad idea?" He feels a little bad for saying that right after being the one to bring up reading in the first place. Plus, he doesn't actually know much about that area of things; it's just something he's heard in passing somewhere. (As a side note, he also has absolutely no idea what a 'fanfic site' is, but doesn't think it really matters to the present conversation.)
Inosuke goes a bit quiet with Zenitsu's final comment, only speaking up after trying to figure out what to say. "I... can't really help with that one."
Shaking off the sinking-heart feeling trying to grow inside him, he shifts gears, "Maybe, um, maybe I could guide you in a breathing thing.. if you'd want." He sounds a little nervous, or flustered, or maybe both, over the idea. Something about the thought of breathing together over the phone is... well, he's not sure what it is. But the idea did make his heart skip a beat.
"i don't think there's much of a difference between reading things on my phone and things on an actual page." he would say as he smiled over the phone, the thought of inosuke worrying about him was something that warmed his heart however.
he would feel a little bad that inosuke answered the way that he did to his comment on having him over instead, it wasn't suppose to be taken in a sad way--
"oh i know, i was just--saying that having you here would be better, sorry, i didn't mean to bring the mood down because of it." he said feeling like utter garbage because of his choice of words. he hated phone calls sometimes, with inosuke not being able to see the look on his face when he did say that--ugh.
but then things took a bit of a turn. there was more of a blush on zenitsu's face when inosuke mentioned helping him breath right in order to calm his mind---funny how just mentioning it was doing the exact opposite. hearing inosuke's breathing over the phone---
he still had to answer him!
"oh! um..are you sure?" he wasn't sure where inosuke was right now, but if he was offering to do this for him, then that must mean that he was at least somewhere more private away from people who could listen into the conversation.
Inosuke makes a point to be in the vicinity of the museum extra early, spending the morning in that part of town for breakfast and a little walk around, never straying more than a handful of blocks from the front doors of the museum. It might be a little excessive, but after being late to their first date, he won't take any chances with this second one.
When he gets the text from Zenitsu indicating that he'll be arriving soon, Inosuke turns back and goes to sit on the front steps, eyes scanning every person and vehicle that passes as he looks out for a specific head of blond hair. His mind and heart are racing at the idea of spending the afternoon with the singer. He finds himself wondering what sort of outfit he'll show up in, how his hair will be styled, what new things will be learned about him while they take in the art displays. Their first few interactions all felt a bit dreamlike, but now it's starting to sink in that it's all really real. Whether that's because it's daytime or because they've seen each other enough now, he isn't sure.
Once he finally sees the face he's been waiting for, he stands up and walks a few paces to make the difference between them smaller. His heart really does feel lighter the closer together they get, and he's pretty sure it's no coincidence. "Hey there. You look great." He speaks once they're close enough, suddenly becoming way too aware of his hands. Should he go for a hug? A bow? A reach for his hand? A kiss on the cheek? He spends so long debating that he ends up standing completely still, doing nothing until Zenitsu makes the first move.
as he gets out of the car, zenitsu pays for the tab and a good tip as well before glancing up at the museum. there was a smile on his face as he pulled the jacket that he had on tighter around him. the wind today was a bit more chilly than he had thought--glad that he had something warm on.
when he turned his head slightly, he saw hashi walking towards him and his face brightened up even more as he rushed the rest of the way over to him. not wanting to waste any time getting to spend time with the other man.
at the comment that hashi gave, there was a soft blush on his face. he didn't think that he dressed too fancy for this, but knowing that the other man thought that he looked great even so--oh the butterflies were back in his stomach. though, seeing the way that he looked nervous, zenitsu would take the first plunge and wrap his arm around the other's.
"you look great too! i've been so looking forward to spending more time with you," he was already starting to lead the other into the building, his heart pounding in his chest as they were once more so close to one another.
once inside the building, zenitsu paid for the both of them, saying that hashi had went out of his way to get those chairs and blanket before, this was going to be his treat today, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"alright, so, did you want to look at paintings first, or would you want to go to the newest sculpture exhibit and see what they have to offer?"
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
She wants to offer to drive him to his door, since she's driving anyways today and it really isn't far to go, but Zenitsu already declares he can do it himself. She figures since he's not falling over or slurring his speech too badly, he'll probably be okay. But with it being so soon after discussing how the stalker has been more bold recently, it does leave a slightly bad taste in her mouth.
"Seeya later, Zen." She waves back as he heads out the door, then goes back to finishing up the last of the cleaning for the night.
--------------------
For Inosuke, the next few days feel like centuries, especially in the moments he isn't actively fighting or practicing or training. Although, some of the times he should be focusing on work, he catches himself still thinking about Zenitsu anyways. It's hard not to when the butterflies from their very first conversation haven't gone on a single break since that night.
He finds himself being extra cautious of taking any blows to the face during his matches, not wanting to show up with an obvious bruise or a busted lip. This extra guarding of his face results in a few more bruises on his arms than usual, but those are easy to cover up with sleeves in the chillier weather.
A few of his friends pick up on a slight change in his demeanor, one even asks during a group outing if it's because he's seeing somebody special. All he does in response is give a mysterious-sounding non-answer and a little grin that would allow the group to assume whatever they want about any potential/hypothetical 'someone he's seeing'. As much as he'd like to be more descriptive, he finds it hard to come right out and say he's started dating a man. Not to a whole group, and also not this early on— not when he doesn't know how long this thing he has will go on for yet.
During their time apart, Inosuke tries to find a balance in how much he is texting Zenitsu. He feels like at this point, a text every single morning might be too much, but he'd respond to any messages he gets from the other man. The times they do text, he's sure he's always got a bigger smile on his face than his usual one. Once it reaches a couple days out from their planned meetup, he is sure to send a text to confirm, adding on a little mention of being really excited for it.
When the day of the date finally comes, he does find himself sending out the good morning text, probably much earlier in the day than Zenitsu would likely be awake, but how could he possibly stop himself?
A. Zenitsu: Hey, good morning! ☀️ I will see you soon~!
going on day to day knowing that soon he would be going out on another date with hashi, he was starting to think on how slow the days were going. sure he would get texts from him every once in a while, tell him how his days and nights were going, there would be some snickers from coworkers on just how lit up he got when the texts came in, but wanting to be around hashi again was starting to take over his mind.
luckily the day finally came that the two of them had planned on going for a date. he knew that he couldn't sleep in as long as he normally does since it was going to be an afternoon date rather than one at night--but hearing the text tone go off as early as he did, he was stirring in his bed.
"nnnng..." he would sound out as he lifted an arm up to take hold of his phone and bring it to his face. though, seeing that the text was from hashi, his body quickly started to wake up even more as he gave a smile at the little sun emoji that the man sent.
{txt hashi}: good morning to you as well, can't wait to see you again~
if hashi gave the little tilde at the end of his text, then it should be fine that zenitsu did as well, right? he would be getting up out of bed to start to get ready for the day, deciding what clothes to wear, settling for something more casual this time around.
"wish me luck, aya~" he would give his cat a scratch under her chin as he started to make his way out of the apartment door after feeding her.
there would be a pep in his step as he hummed to himself, grabbing himself a cab to get to the museum. he pulled out his phone and sent hashi yet another text.
{txt hashi}: be there soon, hopefully your morning has been well!
The outburst startles him. As the avalanche of words comes flowing out of Zenitsu, all he can do is sit in stunned silence. He doesn't think he's ever seen his boyfriend like this before. The way his voice raises. All that anger. All for the sake of someone like him. It's hard not to be both touched and saddened by it at the same time.
He'd never thought the burdens of his career should be anyone's but his to bear. So having someone around who wants to share them is something new for him. And that makes it hard to accept properly, even if he probably should. This isn't what Zenitsu signed up for. He should be happy and smiling and laughing, not upset and shouting while sitting barely a meter from where his boyfriend was almost just kissed right in front of his eyes. It's all wrong. It all feels so wrong.
So the longer Zenitsu talks, the smaller and smaller Inosuke starts to feel. That thought that he ought to just disappear comes back as he sits and listens. Unable to do or say anything.
He hears the cup giving way to Zenitsu's grip before he actually glances down to see it. Thank goodness there wasn't any hot liquid inside it. There's enough guilt inside Inosuke already without him also being the reason Zenitsu gets physically hurt or burned.
he hadn't meant to say those words with such anger, but when inosuke looked at him like that, saying his name in such a defeated manner, he had a feeling that he went too far. glancing down at the cup that he had destroyed, he gave a breath, letting go of the cup as he flexed his fingers.
"sorry..i just.." his other hand rose up to brush through his hair to help calm himself down. "i want to be that person that you can lean on when things like that happen, i might not be able to fight as well as you do, but i want to at least be there for you when you need someone. i might get upset over it all, but it's not at you..it's at the people who treat you like that. it pisses me off that people see you like that, and don't see that you're a person who has thoughts and feelings of your own."
his eyes then trailed their way to look over at inosuke, there was a sad smile upon his features, but a smile none the less.
"so don't for a moment think that i'm not here in this with you, alright?"
"Well, then tell him sooner. But try and stay matter-of-fact about it. How he responds is likely gonna depend on how you present it. If you're openly panicky about it, he's more likely to see it as something he should be particularly concerned about too, or even a red flag. But if you leave it at 'hey this is a thing you should probably know about,' then it's less likely to be taken in a bad way. That's... what I think, at least."
She does have to tilt her head and address another thing Zenitsu said during all of that. "You might not want to assume he'd be fine in a confrontation like that, though. Not everybody who goes to the gym is a self-defense expert. Heck, Miyo works out daily, but the last thing I'd want is her running into the wrong kind of person out there." She tries not to sound too critical of Zenitsu while she says that, being understanding of what he'd meant by it. "I'm sure his build is a pretty good deterrent, but it's by no means a guarantee of anything."
he would nod along with what she told him. it made sense to tell him in a cool and collective manner, he didn't want to scare him off because of his stalker, and hearing that his assumption was a wrong one to have, he was just glad that he could be open about all of this stuff with her. she was always someone he could go to for advice, and this would definitely be one of those times.
"got it, don't be a nervous wreck when telling him, and don't assume things about him," he could easily blame it on the three shots of alcohol for where his mind went with that assumption, but at least he knew now that it wasn't a good one to have.
he would glance at his phone for a moment, turning it over to see the time and it was getting pretty late, he still had to get home and feed aya before the shots really took effect.
"i should...probably get home. aya's going to be upset with me if i don't feed her soon." he laughed quietly to himself as he was pushing himself off the stool, a little wobbly but he could still make it home. "and don't worry, i'll be alright getting home," he pulled out his pepper spray and his emergency alarm on his keychain. "i'll be sure to text you when i do get home so you know i'm safe."
he then stopped for a moment to give her a smile.
"thanks for chatting with me, i needed it." and with that, he gave her a wave and walked out the door into the chill of the night, it was a welcomed change with the heat he felt on his cheeks.
On a non-match night, he would have been asleep already at this hour, but tonight was not a non-match night. He'd been in the ring until about ten minutes ago, and had found himself wanting to call up his boyfriend, despite knowing it was a bit late even by Zenitsu-standards. Thankfully, the call was picked up and it didn't sound like it had woken the other man up or anything like that. Though Zenitsu did seem a bit distraught over not being properly tired for the hour of night.
"I'll usually try stretching and breathing exercises for me, but if you don't know any, they can be kinda difficult to really do in a way that'll actually help." He offers the idea, not sure how helpful it is. In all honesty, his own restless nights tend to just be suffered through, but he doesn't want that for Zenitsu.
"Or sometimes it's best to give yourself a half hour to an hour to stop actually trying to sleep. Do something like reading that requires minimal effort while still being distracting enough to let you wind down from whatever's keeping you up. And then try to go to sleep again after that."
"i'll have to look up the best types of breathing exercises to get some sleep, as for reading materials..i don't have many books around my apartment that i haven't already read." he could easily grab one of the lord of the rings books and read one for the upteenth time in his life. "maybe i should just go onto some fanfic site and look up something just to read..i dunno what yet, but it does sound like the best course of action."
he would stop moving around the apartment when he got back to his bedroom and sat down on the bed as he moved to sit up against the headboard. aya would jump up to join him, curling up at his side as he gave her some pets.
zenitsu would turn the phone to the other ear.
"though, having someone warm to help me sleep would be even better than just something." he gave a bit of a smirk over the phone, he knew that inosuke wouldn't be able to make it over tonight, but he still had to say something to let him know he was thinking about having him sleep next to him.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Watching Zenitsu, she wonders if maybe she shouldn't have offered the third shot. She doesn't want Zenitsu getting too anxious over things, after all. That was never the best way to plan for the future.
"Well, the third date thing's more about deciding if you want to call yourselves boyfriends than it is about going to bed together. And if he didn't try anything with you inviting him to your place immediately, I can't imagine he's going to expect anything at an art museum. Those aren't exactly known for being sexually-charged locations." Even if there are some nude sculptures or paintings, it's still a museum. "I think you'll be okay. But you can always text me if you need an excuse to get out of somewhere. And always have a few made up reasons to leave in your back pocket for if you ever feel uncomfortable."
She pauses for a moment, stretching out after having been leaning over the bar for too long. Once she feels realigned, she speaks again, "as for bringing up the fact you have a stalker... that one's a little harder. If you think that guy might be a danger to Hashi, or might use Hashi to try and get to you, then it would be good to make his existence known sooner rather than later. But at the same time... it would be a lot to take in so early...." Her eyes lift away from Zenitsu to stare into space for a while in thought. "Hmm. What do you think you'd want, if the situation was reversed? If somebody you started dating had some nutcase obsessed with them? Would you rather know and be prepared for it, or do you think it'd scare you away from dating them?"
zenitsu knew that she had a point there, the third date was more for if they wanted to be in a relationship or not, but it still loomed over his head as to what being in a relationship would entail. of course he wanted more kisses like the ones that he had last night, but more than that right now was clearly off the table for the singer.
he however did laugh a little at her comment about the art museum.
"i'm not talking about doing it in the museum, i'm talking about after and if hashi would be thinking about being more..but you're right, if anything i have you to lean on if he gets a bit much," he would give her a wink. "i dunno what i'd do without you."
however, when she brought up anshin and how tricky it would be to bring up that whole situation, he gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
"i don't know what i would want, i know that i would like to know what i was getting into if my partner had some crazy person stalking them, but would it be a bit much to learn? yeah, probably, which is why i would want to know sooner rather than later in case i don't think i'd be able to handle that." he would once again lean forward, forehead resting on the bar. "but he says that he goes to the gym, and he's clearly strong enough to take on anshin if that ever happens, so i'm not too worried about that..i also don't want him to find out about him before i can actually sit him down and explain what's going on.."
“How about something warm? It will help you sleep.”
it was one of those nights that he had stayed up a little too late practicing his violin, his fingers were a little numb from the strings. but if he wanted to keep his skills in pristine shape, he would deal with the pain.
though it wasn't until inosuke called him that he stopped playing, putting the instrument down for the time being and picked up his phone. he was glad that he got to hear his voice, it had been a few days since the two of them talked, so this was nice.
when inosuke asked him how his night had been, and zenitsu answered truthfully on how he hadn't been able to sleep very well and for that he'd been practicing playing--inosuke's advice had made zenitsu chuckle quietly over the phone.
"i've tried chamomile tea and it doesn't really do much for me, not the biggest fan of milk by itself so warming some up is out of the question," he was pacing his apartment while he talked to inosuke, aya following him around as he did so. "any other suggestions? i'll try anything right about now."
