命より大事なもの

As she watched from the porch the rain pouring outside, (Name) thought she and the boys were lucky not to have been given any mission today. This way, she could sit comfortably inside, with a warm cup of tea, and most importantly, with Zenitsu at her side. The blond looked uneasy as the storm kept raging outside and in a whiff of affection, (Name) dragged herself closer to him, snuggling into the boy's arms until her ear was laying against his chest. The affectionate gesture was just as much a proof of love and trust as it was a way to comfort the boy. He tensed for a second as he felt her so close to him and she vaguely wondered if he was still nervous because of how new their relationship was or if he simply wouldn't ever get used to it. For the moment anyway, she could hear his heath beating rapidly in his chest and a question came to her mind.

"I wonder how it feels..." Her voice rose so suddenly in the silent room it startled him.

"WHAAA? What ? What is it ?! Dont scare me like that !! (Name) you're so cruel! Why would you do this ?! Give me a warning first!" Zenitsu all but screamed as his arms went flailing around before settling around her body for a comfort hug, tears already gathering at the corner of his eyes.

(Name) laughed lightly at his reaction, patting his back as an apology, leaning into his embrace. She didn't mean to scare him but he was so cute when he was scared she didn't even feel guilty. Instead she decided to continue with her initial trail of though.

"I was just wondering, how is it for you, with your hearing ?"

She tilted her head just enough to look at him, meeting his perplexed soft brown eyes and she understood that she needed to explain where that question came from. She laid her head on his torso once again as she kept talking.

"For me, just laying like that and hearing your heartbeat is pretty calming. But I’m so close to you and its you and we're alone. You know ? So, how is it for you, hearing everyone all the time ?"

Zenitsu did not answer immediately and for a moment (Name) thought he never would. But finally, he spoke up:

"Honestly ? It's scary. Not just because of people's heartbeat or blood flow... even though some are pretty disturbing. But the scariest things are people's words. The things I hear sometimes... they can hurt more than a blade or a demon's fangs.” He looked sad as he spoke and (Name) started regretting letting her curiosity get the best of her. Noticing her apologetic look, Zenitsu smiled brightly and continued. “But it's fine! I used to think it was some sort of curse you know, but now i'm pretty happy with this gift! Ever since I met you and the guys, I have been able to hear such sweet sounds, so soft and calming, it still amaze me sometime. Except for that weirdo with his pig head... nothing in him sounds normal and i’m not even surprised."

For  that remark and because of Zenitsu's face, (Name) finally relaxed once more, letting escape another sweet laugh. It was definitely the sweetest sound Zenitsu ever heard. Caught in the tenderness of the moment, he decided to let her know how he felt.

"You said that listening to my heartbeat makes you feel calm. First of all, thank you for that. But just so you know, that’s how I feel everyday. As long as you’re by my side, simply listening to you makes me feel so much better. I can't thank you enough for being in my life." He concluded with a blush.

(Name) felt like she was melting. She rose her head and quickly kissed the boy's lips before hiding her reddening face in his shirt. This act of shyness prevented her from seeing how flustered Zenitsu was, but she definitely could hear his heart going crazy.