#dkt

Tanjiro had always been easy to like. Even from the beginning, when he'd worried about Inosuke all the time. It was annoying, of course. But there was a small tug in his heart. Something that told him that this boy was different. And different in a good way. Tanjiro was constantly there for him, caring, worrying, it was just so.. comforting. A warmth that Inosuke liked. It was a soothing one. Sometimes it even gave him a feeling of nostolgia, although he was unsure why given that he'd been raised by boars who weren't exactly like this. 

Inosuke often found himself thinking about Tanjiro—something he hated catching himself doing, and always ended up being really flushed around Tanjiro for the next hour before he managed to keep himself collected again and back to his normal, chaotic self.

The two—or rather, the three, but Inosuke often favored Tanjiro over Zenitsu—grew closer over time and eventually a relationship sprouted from the roots of their friendship. The more time they spent with each other, the more time they made new memories with one another, the more the bud bloomed into a flower. And by then they started dating. It wasn't clear, at first, just.. a suggestion. An unspoken one. 

Small things; holding hands while they walked, sharing snacks, going on mindless walks together, etc. Eventually the flower buds pricked out more and they started doing bigger things. Hugs here and then, stolen kisses between missions. They were at first, just on the cheek. It had started when they'd been joking around and Tanjiro had taken Zenitsu's hand and kissed it, much to the blond's surprise. Eventually it became something normal to do. Take one's hand, or cheek, and kiss it. Just.. touches of affection. Not a lot, right? Just a joke? But it turned into more. More as in.. on the neck, collarbone, lips.. 

That's when it became abundantly clear that they liked each other. That's when the unspoken relationship came to be. They had something different. A secret they kept but none had ever said aloud. Sometimes, their conversations nearly led to the subject, moving dangerously close. But it was always turned away at the last minute and it was left untouched. The flower continued blooming as time went on. Eventually, Tanjiro decided to just straight up ask. 

One day, after a mission, the three had been walking home—home was just an abandoned house they had found and fixed up to liveable conditions—and they were talking. Tanjiro went off to the side to rest a little, put Nezuko down. While Inosuke and Zenitsu argued a little on the road, waiting for Tanjiro to catch his breath, the sweet boy was looking for some flowers. When he came back, he was adjusting Nezuko's box—as far as the other two could see. But then he pulled out the flowers and give them to Inosuke and Zenitsu. Inosuke had taken his in wonder; they were a bundle of blue forget-me-nots, beautifully intertwined with each other. He'd seen them all over the mountains where he'd lived and was very familiar with them. But for some reason, for some reason these were special. They were special because they came from Tanjiro. Then the young and wild boy looked up and his eyes met Tanjiro's, right before the other's eyes met Zenitsu's. Then Tanjiro uttered the words that are now engraved in Inosuke's mind, the words he would never forget and forever cherish. "Inosuke, Zenitsu, would you two.. be my boyfriends?" 

Tanjiro had said more. Went on with a rant—a cute one at that, Inosuke always loves listening to Tanjiro when he went on, rambling about whatever was on his mind. He found it adorable in some ways, although when anyone else did it he found it extremely annoying and boring—something about how it was okay if they didn't want to, it was okay if they said no, how he'd been thinking about this for a while, and so on and so forth. Inosuke heard none of it however, just staring at Tanjiro and how lovely he looked in the sunlight. Then Inosuke's eyes locked with Zenitsu's and they both grinned. Tanjiro was then smothered in a hug and the rest of his words were stopped in his throat as the other two embraced him, accepting the flowers and the question. They both loved him with all their hearts and wouldn't, even if it saved them their lives, have said no.

And so it went on. A tree now. Big and beautiful. Blooming flowers coating the branches. They spent a lot of time together. This time their relationship wasn't quite as secret as before. Their hugs in public were much longer, more prominent. 'Secret' whispered conversations were held more often. Hands clutching each other's hands were seen whenever they were together. And soon, the brief kisses hidden from the view of others became something none of the trio cared for the world to know about. Nezuko had been delighted at the three's revelation, how they'd gotten together, all of it. She loved how it made them all seem closer, as well, how they felt more like family with every minute.

But of course, good things always come to an end. 

Inosuke found himself in a difficult position. Tanjiro or himself. Tanjiro or himself. Tanjiro or himself. Tanjiro was a demon. Stronger than Muzan. He had to move. Cut the head. Weaken him. Just move!! Cut his head off. Now! Move! Why.. why can't he? Is it because.. because he was his boyfriend? Because they were more now? Because he didn't want to lose all he had? All he'd gained? All the love.. the happiness.. everything.. everything he fought for.. gone? No.. he couldn't.. he couldn't do this.. no.. please.. don't.. don't make him make such a terrible decision.. True.. Tanjiro was a demon now, he could regenerate.. but Inosuke would never forgive himself if he hurt Tanjiro. No. He couldn't. He.. just.. couldn't.. And he felt himself pulling away. Moving out of harms way. But Tanjiro was faster, pinning him down. He heard somebody call to him. The Hashira. The Half and Half Haori Hashira.. What was he saying..? 

"CUT OFF HIS HEAD, HASHIBIRA!!"

No.. no.. he.. it was too hard.. Then he let out a strangled cry as Tanjiro went for his neck.

"I'm sorry.. I can't..!" he whispered.

{Word Count: 1153}