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“Tanjirou, I need to ask you a favor.” Takeo stands as straight as he can, to emphasize how much taller he’s grown recently. At thirteen years old, he’s almost as tall as Nezuko now, who is fifteen. He disregards the fact that Nezuko happens to be a rather short fifteen year old, and instead focuses on the fact that he’s just about the size of one, which means he’s much more mature than other thirteen year olds. The old ladies at the supermarket always tell his mother that he’s growing up into a handsome young man, and the teachers at the middle school praise him for being so responsible. Therefore, despite the four years between them, he can’t pinpoint much else about what makes a difference between him and Tanjirou, except for the fact that Tanjirou can drive. A skill he will need to exploit if his plan is going to work.
Tanjirou blinks up at him, hunched over his schoolwork at the kotatsu. At the sight of Takeo’s determined stance, he grins. “Yes, Takeo? I’d be happy to help you,” he says kindly. Takeo bristles a little at his saccharine tone; now is not the time for his elder brother to be fawning over him! This is a serious matter!
“There’s someone I want to ask to the festival,” he says firmly, “and I need you to drive us.”
Tanjirou’s face lights up. “Oh! That’s a great idea, Takeo! Is it someone from school? Do I know them?” he asks excitedly. This is what Takeo had feared. If Tanjirou finds out who it is he plans on asking to the festival, he’ll only get in the way. That being said, lying was not in Kamado blood, and much like his older brother, Takeo can’t lie to save his life. He can, however, leave out key details.
“No, they don’t go to my school,” he says breezily, “But uh, you do know them…” Tanjirou furrows his brow, clearly racking his brain for any thirteen year olds he might know who don’t attend the local middle school. “Well, anyway, will you do it? I’m not going to ask unless there’s someone to take us,” he insists, lest Tanjirou connect the dots too quickly.
“Of course I will! Why don’t you ask them to go this Saturday, alright?” Tanjirou assures him. “I’m sure whoever it is will be happy to go with you.”
“Hope so!” Takeo chirps, dashing off to his room before Tanjirou can ask any more questions.
Senjurou watches him warily across the lunch table. “Tanjirou seriously agreed to take you?” he asks, disbelief clear in his tone and expression.
“Well yeah, why wouldn’t he?” Takeo asks through a mouthful of his lunch, carefully packed by Tanjirou that morning.
“Because Zenitsu is his—”
“Best friend! I know,” Takeo interrupts grumpily. No one ever shut up about it. It was bad enough getting their friendship constantly rubbed in his face at home, he didn’t need it at school too, and from his own best friend, no less. Zenitsu, with his pretty smile, and his pretty hair, and his pretty voice, who never talks down to Takeo or treats him like a baby, who helps him with his math homework because he’s so smart, and always includes him and his siblings when he and Tanjirou do fun things together. Zenitsu, who he’s going to take to the spring festival and win the heart of once and for all!
“Well, actually he’s more like…” Senjurou trails off, watching Takeo’s face carefully. “Nevermind,” he sighs, “I guess if Tanjirou agreed then he doesn’t mind.”
“Ahaha, the thing is, I kind of didn’t tell Tanjirou I was going to ask Zenitsu,” he mumbles. Senjurou gives him a look that wouldn’t be out of place on a middle aged mother of eight children; pure exasperation.
“And why do you think you felt like you had to keep that a secret?” the blonde presses, obviously trying to hint at an answer that is apparently obvious to him. Takeo shrugs. Tanjirou is not a selfish or possessive person, he freely gives up anything his siblings ask for, whether it be one of his things or some of his free time. However, he’s always hogging Zenitsu, keeping him locked away in his room when he comes to visit and distracting him every time Takeo wants to make conversation. It would be fine though, because Takeo would be a generous boyfriend, and allow Tanjirou to spend time with Zenitsu whenever he wanted.
“Um, he probably thinks I’m too young for Zenitsu! But that’s fine, because I’ll grow up,” Takeo says blithely. “And anyway, he’ll find out tonight because I’m going to ask Zenitsu when he’s over for Thursday dinner.” Senjurou looks like he’s got a lot more to say, but shrugs, finally digging into his own bento. There is a note from his older brother taped to the inside of the top, and Takeo can see little flames and stars scribbled on it, which makes him smile. He and Senjurou are both lucky to have such great older brothers.
As expected, Takeo is barely able to stutter out a greeting to Zenitsu that afternoon before Tanjirou is dragging him up to his room and closing the door. The only time Tanjirou’s door is ever closed, besides when he’s sleeping, is when Zenitsu is over. Takeo sneaks into the hallway to try and eavesdrop (which he wouldn’t normally do! He’s just trying to feel out the vibes before he pops his big question) but Tanjirou is playing his music unusually loud, and he can’t hear anything over it. Resigned, he heads to the kitchen to help his mother prepare dinner, putting a little extra love into Zenitsu’s serving.
Tanjirou takes the seat next to Zenitsu at the dinner table, but Takeo manages to nab the seat directly across from him, which he thinks is even better, because he can look at him all he wants. Zenitsu looks lovely as usual, his hair a little grown out and brushing lightly against the bottom of his jaw as he turns his head to speak to his parents and siblings. Hanako snorts next to him when he drops a chunk of meat into his lap because he’s too busy staring at Zenitsu’s radiant smile.
“Zenitsu!” Takeo shouts suddenly, unable to contain himself any longer. He feels himself flushing as everyone’s eyes turn toward him curiously, including Zenitsu’s. “U-um, are you busy this Saturday?” he asks, voice cracking a little from his nerves.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Zenitsu says, surprised at the question, “Do you need help with math, Takeo? I can come over and tutor you, if you’d like.” He smiles, and Takeo’s heart feels like it’s going to beat out of his chest.
“N-no, I- wanted to ask if you’d come to the Spring Festival with me on Saturday!” he blurts. Water sprays into Tanjirou’s face as he coughs into the cup he was taking a sip out of. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his mother covering her mouth and turning to face his father, who is also looking pointedly away. Nezuko stuffs a large roll between her teeth and bites down hard on it.
“With...you?” Zenitsu asks, blinking at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. Nezuko excuses herself to the bathroom, her shoulders shaking. He can hear his parents making an odd squeaking sound, like plastic being rubbed together. Tanjirou’s face is expressionless, which is better than it being angry.
“Yes! Tanjirou said he can drive us!” Zenitsu’s eyes flicker to his right, and Tanjirou opens and closes his mouth a couple times.
“Did he?”
“Y-you don’t have to,” Takeo adds quickly, flushing and staring down at the table, “I just thought I’d ask.”
“I’d love to go with you, Takeo,” Zenitsu says, and Takeo’s head whips up to see his kind smile, “I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun.” The rest of dinner passes with little drama, though Tanjirou and Zenitsu keep exchanging looks with each other that Takeo can’t quite decipher. He figures that they have their own secret best friend language, like him and Senjurou, or his parents, and lets it slide.
After dinner, Takeo wants to offer to walk Zenitsu home, but his mother corrals him into the kitchen, leaving Tanjirou and Zenitsu to leave on their own. “Do you think...Tanjirou’s mad at me?” Takeo asks his mother as they wash the dishes. His mother lets out a sigh that sort of sounds like a laugh.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” she assures him.
Tanjirou takes longer than usual to return home after walking Zenitsu. The blonde only lives at the end of the opposite street, a trip that takes less than five minutes. Takeo waits anxiously in his room, listening at the door for Tanjirou’s footsteps. It’s not until almost half an hour after he’d left that Takeo hears him rustling around in his room. He tiptoes over and knocks gently on the doorframe, the door slightly ajar.
“Come in,” Tanjirou says. Takeo walks in hesitantly, but Tanjirou is sitting on the edge of his bed with his usual smile, a slight pink tint to his cheeks the only thing standing out. Takeo wonders if it’s from agitation and gulps.
“Are you upset?”
“No. I’m just a little surprised, that’s all,” Tanjirou answers easily. He pats an empty spot next to him and Takeo sits, leaning against him. “I didn’t realize Zenitsu was the one you wanted to ask to the Festival.” He doesn’t say anything else, but Takeo can sense his questioning tone.
“I like Zenitsu,” he whispers. He doesn’t look at his brother, but he feels his arm come up and hug him around his shoulders.
“I see. What do you like about him?” Takeo thinks that’s kind of a stupid question. He likes everything about Zenitsu.
“Well, he’s pretty. And he’s nice, like you, but he doesn’t even have to be because he’s not my brother. And he never gets frustrated with me when I can’t understand a math problem. And I like when he sings, and when he plays violin, and even when he cries or yells!” By the end of his speech, Takeo’s voice was raised passionately. He settles, embarrassed, and glances up at Tanjirou from the corner of his eye. Tanjirou is gazing off into the distance, like he’s remembering something, a smile on his lips.
“Yeah. I like that too,” he says, almost to himself. Damn, his suspicions were right. Tanjirou does like Zenitsu! Well, he’s not going to give up that easily. He jumps off the bed and gives his brother his best look of determination.
“I look forward to Saturday!” he says. What he means is may the best man win!
Saturday rolls around much quicker than he’d anticipated, and all too soon Zenitsu is standing in the driveway in a beautiful, deep golden yukata, matching daffodils pinned in his hair. Takeo can’t even look at him, staring at his sandals while the blonde chats with his parents. Tanjirou is watching him with a smirk. His brother betrays him by making him sit in the back seat while he’s up front with Zenitsu. He glowers out the window at the neighborhood passing by in a blur, sitting up when he realizes they’re going in the wrong direction.
“Hey! The festival is the other way,” Takeo complains. Tanjirou meets his eye in the rearview mirror. “I invited someone too, we’re just going to pick them up first,” he explains. What the- Takeo thinks, you’ll never win Zenitsu’s heart by taking someone else to the festival! Had his brother given up already? He wonders why that makes him so angry.
To his surprise, they pull up outside the Rengoku’s house, and Senjurou comes down the drive to get into the backseat. That’s playing dirty, Tanjirou! You invited my best friend?! Takeo wants to snap at him, but he’s taken aback by how nice Senjurou looks in his white and orange yukata, his hair tied up in its usual ponytail with an intricately beaded, blood red hair tie. Senjurou’s cheeks are a little pink as he sits quietly, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap.
“Senjurou! You look really nice,” he says brightly. Senjurou smiles, tucking a lock of wild blonde hair behind his ear.
“So do you,” he murmurs. Takeo is too busy talking with Senjurou to notice Zenitsu’s fingers intertwining with Tanjirou’s across the gap in the front seat.
The festival is lots of fun. There’s all kinds of delicious foods and games with cool prizes to win. Takeo wins a goldfish and gives it to Senjurou, since he’s already got an aquarium at home and Zenitsu says he’s got his hands full with Chuntaro. Zenitsu holds his hand for a little bit and Takeo feels like his face is going to melt off from how red he gets. When he sees Tanjirou talking to Senjurou, his chest feels tight and prickly, but he tries to ignore it and focus on Zenitsu, who looks so lovely under the festival lights.
Just before the firework show Takeo insists that they go on the ferris wheel. It’s the perfect romantic spot, and Zenitsu will definitely be impressed.
“Um, I don’t really like heights,” Senjurou says quietly, blinking up at the ferris wheel as people rise up, up, up, into the night sky.
“That’s okay, Senjurou, you and I can wait here while Takeo and Zenitsu ride it,” Tanjirou suggests. Takeo watches as Senjurou smiles sweetly at his older brother and shakes his head.
“I think it’ll be alright if I’m with you, Tanjirou,” he says. Takeo’s stomach starts to hurt, and he wonders if maybe he’s scared of heights too.
Zentisu and Takeo step into a cab first, so he can’t see Senjurou or Tanjirou in the one below them. As they climb to the top of the wheel, he keeps wondering if Senjurou is scared, and if Tanjirou is comforting him, maybe holding his hand, or worse, hugging him.
“The summer festivals are more fun, but the spring festival is the prettiest,” Zenitsu comments, cutting through Takeo’s silence.
“Zenitsu, can I tell you something?” Takeo asks. He feels more nervous than when he was going to ask him to the festival. Zenitsu nods and takes his hand again. “I think...I think I might like someone else. I’m really sorry.” He can feel Zenitsu shaking beside him and he looks up in horror, thinking the older boy is crying, but he’s just laughing, a bright and beautiful sound.
“Thank you for telling me, Takeo,” he says after he’s calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye and still giggling. “You’re such a sweet boy. Whoever it is is very lucky.” Then he leans in and kisses Takeo’s cheek. Takeo doesn’t breathe again until they’ve stepped off the ferris wheel.
“Senjurou! Are you alright?” He rushes up to the other boy once he steps off the ferris wheel a few moments later. He looks a little pale and weak in the knees, but he gives Takeo a radiant smile and nods. “Let’s go find a good place to watch the fireworks, you can sit and rest for a while.” The two of them race off, leaving Tanjirou and Zenitsu behind.
“You weren’t actually jealous of your thirteen year old brother, were you?” Zenitsu asks, stroking his fingers through Tanjirou’s hair. Tanjirou adjusts him more comfortably in his lap and watches his face glow under the bursting colors of the fireworks behind him. He shrugs sheepishly, pulling Zenitsu down for a kiss.
“ I wanted to bring you to the festival, he just beat me to it,” he mumbles, a little petulantly. Zenitsu laughs and kisses him three times in quick succession, like he can’t get enough of his mouth.
“You’re so silly,” he says fondly. “It was sweet, like going on a date with a little version of you.” Tanjirou wrinkles his nose, but Zenitsu’s soft fingers smooth out the skin and brush along his cheekbones. “That was a good idea, bringing Senjurou along.”
“To be honest, it was partly just to get back at him,” Tanjirou admits. Zenitsu just smiles and rests his head against Tanjirou’s chest to watch the fireworks.
“It’ll be a good story for him to tell at our wedding,” Zenitsu says. Tanjirou takes his left hand and kisses the ring finger, a promise.