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Inosuke felt like he was going to suffocate if that tie was any tighter, but no matter how many times he raised a hand to pull on it, his elder sister slapped it away so she could continue to adjust it. He was sure that she was trying to kill him at this rate, forcing him into a tightly fit suit jacket and polished shoes, trying to get him to play along in their little family formal evening even though he would really rather be anywhere else but here.
For example, an actual party for people his age. With Halloween costumes, spiked punch bowls, groups smoking in the back, and cute boys with deep red hair waiting for him to show up because he fucking promised .
God damn it.
“Remind me again why I have to do this?” He hissed, as Shinobu flattened out the collar of his blazer and adjusted the butterfly clip on the tie itself.
“Because this is a very important evening for our parents.” Her purple eyes were sharp as she looked at him, resting her hands on his arms and holding him still before he decided to run away or take the tie off again. “We are to present ourselves as a Family and not cause them any trouble. They need this investment, Inosuke.” She jabbed her finger against the clip on his tie after that and added, “Don’t lose this. Mom spent a lot on it.”
Well, sure , he knew that but what did that have to do with him ? What did that have to do with any of them? He may have been their son, but he wasn’t actually their child. He was just a boy they’d adopted once upon a time, in order to add to their collection of orphaned kids living under the same roof. He was also the only male in the house besides their Father, and while he’d grown to be fond of the Kocho’s and the Family they’d given him, he was not born into this world to be rich and posh, nor was he raised to have perfect manners and the patience to sit through a formal dinner with a stranger that had a silver spoon shoved so far up their ass that they couldn’t even begin to imagine what life could been like for a measly boy like Inosuke Hashibira before he was taken in.
Anyway. He was unbelievably irritated. It was the weekend of Halloween–at the strike of midnight, the day would be upon them–and he was technically supposed to be at a freshman college party living it up and talking to his crush from his dumb statistics class. Who, by the way, had been the very one to invite him, so of course he was expecting to see him there. At least, he was hoping that he was. It was mentioned briefly after the lecture by a couple other students, and the young man with the fire-like scar on his forehead mentioned he was interested in going too. When Inosuke said he wanted to go, cherry eyes were drawn to him and he smiled in such a way that it made his heart thump loudly in his ears. He told him, “then I guess I’ll see you there” and something about the way he looked at him, how he rolled his bottom lip beneath the other before turning away, told him everything. That what he really meant was that he wanted to see him there. That he looked forward to it.
How could he not, honestly? The two of them had been looking at each other from across the room long enough now to lead him to believe there was something happening between them. He thought that it was finally his time to make his first move, that he could actually get his number and ask him out on a date but as soon as he’d started looking through their old storage for a costume to wear to the party, Shinobu dragged him out by the arm to rain on his parade with the terrible news that the stupid dinner that they’d been talking about all month was tonight .
Of all nights!
Was this what older adults did with their lives on the night before Halloween? Plan dinners with billionaire investors in order to get their funding to build a new wing at their hospital? If growing up meant that he’d have to attend fancy dinners all the time while wearing an annoying tie and suit and keep his hair pulled back in a too-tight ponytail, then he’d rather not grow up at all. In fact, he sort of wished he could backtrack into his childhood, to a time where the Kocho’s kept a bit of distance from him so that they wouldn't overwhelm him. Back then, he was able to roam free and do as he pleased, but now, Shinobu did nothing but dote on him and keep his behavior in check with her watchful eyes and irresistible and clever incentives.
This night, however, there was no such reward being offered as she stepped away to leave his bedroom. Though he knew how important this was to her and her sister, to make sure their siblings behaved while their Parents spoke to the investor in the other room, so escape was no option. He couldn’t just leave . He’d surely be hunted down right on the spot.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time, to check for any messages from his friend, Zenitsu, who’d been scouting the party for him the past hour in his absence.
Nothing.
“Come out to the lounge.” Shinobu beckoned him, as she stepped out the door, and as soon as she was out of sight, Inosuke loosened the tie. He followed out the door with a grumble, stepping out into the dim hallway and glancing down in the direction of the triplets’ room. Well, they were just about as related to each other as they were to anyone else in this family, but because they were all a similar age and liked all the same things, it was just what they called them. They came in a pack, no separating them would ever be considered, even now, as they shuffled out of the room one after the other with their hair straightened or curled, and matching dinner dresses for the occasion.
Kanao had been helping them get ready, ushering them forward and following them down the hall to the lounge. Her gown was longer than Shinobu’s but still gave room for her feet to move as she walked by, though not without pausing before him to reach over and fix his tie on the way first.
Inosuke rolled his eyes as she did so, without even speaking a word, and as she continued onward, he followed too. Of course, as soon as she wasn’t looking, he pulled the tie down again to give his neck some breathing room.
The Kochos were already entertaining their guests in the lounge while a record of classical music hummed throughout the house; he could hear them chatting from the other side of the closed sliding doors that faced the rest of the room. With his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, he stood idly in the space between the kitchen and Family room, with his leg bouncing as he observed the doors, then the windows, and then the black screen of the television he wished he could at least turn on while they waited.
“Inosuke,” Kanae was suddenly there, fixing his tie and tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear. “Can you do me a favor and make sure the girls are ready with you to greet our guests?”
She was the eldest of them all, so it was only natural that she would be worrying the most about making sure everything was just right. She wanted her parents to succeed, after all, since this new Hospital wing meant very good things for them. New equipment, more space, more places to help those who were sick or hurt. Inosuke hated that he had to be here, but he couldn’t say no to her when she looked at him like that, especially knowing what was at stake. But ...
He looked at his phone as she fast-walked back over to the kitchen, saying something to Shinobu and their other sister, Aoi with a hushed voice.
“He’s here.” Was the first message he saw from his friend, and his blood pressure skyrocketed.
God damn it.
Inosuke loosened his tie.
Then, he rounded up all of the girls, bringing them over to stand by the couch of their family room, with not a single hair out of place and their dresses neatly pressed and wrinkle free. Kanao stood at the end beside him, tucking her hair behind her ear since she’d worn it all down for once and he was relieved that she hadn’t bothered to fix the wretched fabric that was supposed to be choking him at that very moment.
Well, she didn't have to, since Shinobu had come over to do it instead.
He grit his teeth and growled in frustration but the older woman wasn’t phased. Instead, she raised her hands to rest her palms over his ears and squeeze his skull with a subtle pressure. “Calm down.” She said, and he begrudgingly released his fist’s tension and relaxed his shoulders. “You just gotta survive through dinner, then you can go do whatever you want.”
She said this like it would be easy . He never managed to sit still through a dinner before so why would they ever expect him to do so now ?
“Right this way...” Their Parents came out of the room with their guest, drinks in hand and a sophisticated likeness in the way they proceeded over toward the dining room, crossing by their stiff line up, like they were to be judged for picking. The girls all introduced themselves just fine, like this was normal, but Inosuke felt his frustration bubble up on instinct as the man reached a hand out to take his and shake it. He managed to play along for now, but could not find it within himself to speak casually in return. He merely grunted and slid his hand against his pants once he had it back.
Kanao elbowed him as he did that, but she said nothing more before they all went to sit at the table.
Conversations over the meal were unbearable to listen to. All of it was business and money and a plethora of large words he couldn’t quite understand. Inosuke thought that at least he could distract himself with food–since Kanae and Aoi were both very good with their hands in the kitchen–but to his dismay, they’d gotten out their fancy dishware that evening. With the bowl upon plate upon plate, and the multiple spoons and forks and his brain hurt just looking at it all. Not to mention, the small portions of western styled food they’d made to impress their guest only made him feel worse.
Normally, dinner with the Family was his favorite part of the day but this night in particular was just getting on his nerves
He reached a hand up to loosen his tie so he could at least swallow his damn food.
All of his sisters eyed him as he did so, as he then stabbed into his food with his usual graceless finesse, stuffing a piece too large to chew into his mouth and glaring daggers toward the other side of the room.
The investor fell quiet for a moment to watch him but he didn’t shy away. He was hungry .
Fortunately for the Kochos, he didn’t appear to be too perturbed by his behavior, and simply carried on their conversation as if he hadn’t missed a beat. Inosuke took that as his cue to finish up and finally get the hell out of there. Shinobu did say that he only had to survive through dinner, after all, and he wasn’t going to be staying for dessert. There’d be enough of that at the party anyway, and he was starting to lose his patience more and more every time he checked his phone to see an update from Zenitsu.
It was finally the last straw when a message came through to inform him that his crush had mentioned that he’d be leaving the party soon.
Inosuke scooped up the rest of his meal, until he could hardly fit anymore, then grabbed his glass of water to down it all in one go. He slammed the cup on the table, surprising everyone, then stood to step away from his chair. “Thanks for dinner. I’m going now.”
“ Inosuke .” Aoi hissed at him as he circled around the table, though nothing she or her swaying pigtails could do would stop him now. He was going to that god damn party, if it was the last thing he did. “Sit back do—” She paused, however, as their Mother placed a hand over her own where it rested on the table and so, she relaxed in her seat and let him go without a fuss.
“Nice to meet’cha.” He attempted one last time to make a somewhat decent impression for their Family’s guest, as he nodded his head and waved, and then he turned to head out the front door and straight to the party. There was no time to change–he didn’t have a costume picked out anyway–so he just went in the suit. It was definitely a little more than annoying to wear, but there were more important matters at hand. Like replying to his best friend in order to convince him to try and stall the object of his affections from leaving the party. Actually getting to the party too, which wasn’t all that far away, and being hosted in the apartment of a classmate of his that he never talked to. It was easy to tell which one it was once he got there, since there were many costume-clad people to follow up to the front door.
And once he reached it, he swung the door fully open without hesitating, panting, out of breath and scanning the faces and masks that all mingled before him.
Crap. Was he wearing a costume? Would he recognize him?
“Oh, there you are.” Zenitsu was by his side almost immediately, dressed in a black and yellow striped turtleneck and dark slacks. Inosuke eyed him up and down, then pointedly looked at the headband atop his hair and the little black wisps sticking straight up off of it.
“What the hell are you supposed to be?” He blurted out, over the loud voices of the other partygoers and his friend immediately frowned at him.
“A bee.”
Inosuke huffed out a short but amused laugh. “You look stupid.”
“Sh-Shut up! You look stupid–” Though he stopped and leaned back a fraction, as if he’d just realized what he was wearing. "Actually ...you look sort of nice. What happened to you?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Inosuke faced him and pushed him back and away from the doorway so other students could get through. “Where’s Tanjirou?”
Zenitsu raised a hand to point above their heads and Inosuke’s green eyes flickered up to see what he was sure was mold forming on the ceiling above this person’s entryway. “He’s on the roof.” The blond then said, and when he appeared alarmed as he looked at him again, he quickly added, “There’s more party up there. They got a barbeque and a mini bar too. I talked to him like you asked, convinced him to go out there to get some air in case he was just feeling stuffy.”
“Thank you.”
Zenitsu’s face scrunched up into itself, as if he were disturbed by his behavior. “Dressed nice and thanking me? Have you been possessed ?”
“Shut up.” Inosuke turned away from him and immediately exited the room without a second glance. He pushed through the people that got in his way, through fake wings and swatting back horns that would no doubt stab him in the eye if he weren't careful. He stomped up the roof stairs, skipping two at a time with his nimble feet, then finally reaching the door to exit onto the roof, only to have it open just before he got there and his nose to nearly collide with that of the very person he’d come here to see.
“Oh.” Tanjirou jumped back in surprise, wearing an old fashioned dark green yukata and a single fake horn emitting from the scar on his forehead.
Inosuke felt his weight shift, and decided in order to hide his pathetic misstep, to lean an arm on the threshold and bring himself a little closer.
“ Hey .”
“Hi.” His classmate smiled at him almost immediately, though his red eyes were quick to move away from his gaze and up and down his body. Inosuke was normally quite confident in himself, but this was the first time that he felt a little embarrassed for his appearance. He’d showed up to a costume party wearing a suit and tie, after all, when he could have shown up as literally anything else. Plus, it was the guy he liked judging him now, making his palms feel a little sweaty and his teeth biting nervously at the bottom of his lip “Let me guess...some sort of secret agent?”
Huh.
Inosuke looked down at himself, as if he’d completely forgotten what he’d worn, and then he stood back and reached up to uselessly flap the jacket away from the white shirt he wore underneath. “Ah...no.” He admitted, even though saying he was a secret agent would have probably been a lot easier to say when explaining himself to people. But, because he liked him, he wanted to be honest. It wasn’t that big of a deal, anyway, and it would explain why he was late at the very least. “I got stuck having this lame fancy dinner at home. Wanted me to dress nice so...I didn’t have time to change.”
Tanjirou’s lips formed an ‘Oh’ and then he wore a rather peculiar expression, pursing his lips and doing a once over of his body again. "Well...you look handsome, either way." And oh, that wasn't what he expected to hear. It was quite daring of the usual polite and kept to himself Tanjirou Kamado, wasn't it? Who talked to everyone in class and was a friendly face but never made any sort of comment like that . Although, he did sort of flirt with him on occasion when they were supposed to focus on actual academic things, or at least he thought so up until now. Perhaps that assumption was correct...and he was about to respond with his own comment on his looks when suddenly, there were people shoving through to get past them, pushing them together in the stairwell and up against the wall. Inosuke’s heart sped up seeing the other man’s cheeks flush a dark crimson as he turned his nose away from his face–brushing against his cheek ever so slightly– and when they stepped away, he noticed the other’s finger begin twirling one of the earrings he always wore. “Uhm. D-Do you want to go sit and talk somewhere that isn’t so...” He nodded toward the people coming up and down the steps and Inosuke immediately agreed to leave. As much as he liked the feeling of the other man getting pressed up against him, it didn’t feel right to keep him here. He didn’t look all that comfortable either, which was made a little more clear to him as Tanjirou led him back out onto the roof and over to the ledge where less people lingered.
“What uh...what are you supposed to be, by the way?”
Tanjirou sat against the ledge and then reached up to touch the pad of his finger to the tip of the horn. “A demon.” He then said, “Though I didn’t have very much to work with. My Sister wanted to do it too. She’s somewhere around here.”
Inosuke sat beside him, with his hands resting in his lap and his big green eyes at attention. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”
The red-head nodded and turned a little where he sat so he could face him better. “I have two...and three brothers.”
And here he thought he was the only one around here with a big family. Although...he was sure when Tanjirou meant he had brothers and sisters, he was probably talking about relatives of the same blood. When taking that into account, the other man definitely had him beat when it came to big families.
“I have...seven sisters.” He decided to say, because why not ? They were meant to be getting to know each other...and it wasn't like he was embarrassed to say.
“Whoa!” His expression lit up in surprise, though not without cracking a large, toothy smile. It made Inosuke’s chest feel warm, and he hadn’t even had a single drop of liquor from the bar. Honestly, he probably wouldn't. Just being in the other man's presence was enough for him to feel lightheaded and bubbly. Like he would see fuzzy lights any second now and want to melt and relish in his sweet presence until he needed to be walked home with an arm around his shoulder. “I thought my family was big. That must be quite the household..”
Inosuke shrugged. “We’re all adopted though, cept for the oldest two.”
“Hm, but they're still your sisters.” Tanjirou mumbled this and then scooted himself a little closer. Their knees bumped and Inosuke was instantly hyper aware of the point of contact between them. How, even though they’d touched, the other man didn’t move away. Just kept close, legs touching, big red eyes gazing at him and handsome lips pulled sideways in an effortlessly alluring way. “You love them?”
“Oh...yeah. Loads.”
“That’s good. Are you one of the oldest, or...?”
“Sort of in the middle.”
“Ah, I see. I’m the eldest of my siblings, so I’ve never gotten to experience what it was like to have an older brother or sister...”
“It’s not that special, they just boss you around a lot.”
“Hm, but I’m sure it must be nice to know you can rely on them?”
“O-Oh...yeah...”
Was this a strange conversation to be having with the person he liked on the rooftop of a Halloween party? He wasn’t sure. Because, It didn’t necessarily make him uncomfortable to have Tanjirou engage so enthusiastically about the subject of his family. He just didn’t expect it.
Though it was kind of cute how interested he’d become in him and his Family, asking all sorts of questions about the girls and what they were like, often sharing stories of his own siblings and even going on about how he thought that they would surely get along if they happened to meet.
Call him crazy but hearing that made Inosuke really excited. Like there was an actual chance to be had here with Tanjirou. That the two of them could actually be more than just a couple of classmates who looked at each other from across the room or spoke one sentence a week in each other’s presence before finding other things to occupy themselves with.
They were talking up there for so long that the night had completely escaped them. They were only focused on each other, so much so that the people around them nearly disappeared and the music that vibrated through the floor beneath their feet became an afterthought that barely echoed in the back of their minds. It was just them, Inosuke and Tanjirou, talking and talking and talking....until a buzzing in his pocket distracted him, pulling his gaze down to look at the screen as he pulled his phone out.
Zenitsu, asking about where was and about four missed calls by the time he noticed.
And if he was reading the clock right, it was past midnight as well.
“Ah.” He lifted his head, feeling his stomach do a flip as Tanjirou leaned in a little closer. “Happy Halloween.”
The red-head hummed. “Yeah. Happy Halloween.” His hands came forward then and Inosuke sat up straight curiously as he proceeded to straighten up his tie and fix the lopsided butterfly clip that he’d almost forgotten about. Despite the other man performing what he would have normally thought as an annoying gesture, Inosuke allowed him to do it and even carry on to press his palms against his collar and smooth out the fabric that had no doubt stood up around his neck. “There...that’s better.” He spoke with a quirk in his smile, his dark cherry eyes staring between his fingers where they rested against the jeweled butterfly pin on his tie.
Inosuke’s chest burned. “I...hate ties.”
“Then take it off.” Tanjirou was hardly phased, laughing lightly at his confession. “I only fixed it because it looked about ready to fall off.” He finally let his hands retreat from where they were placed over the clip, over his chest and his pounding heart that he was sure he felt. “It’d be a shame if that broke or got lost...”
The clip he meant.
Inosuke rolled his eyes slightly and raised his hand up to grab onto his tie. Though he paused before tearing it from his neck and instead decided to take the clip off to put it in his jacket pocket. “There.” He then said, and Tanjirou smiled at him again. A soft smile–one he wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen before–and he felt his face turn hot at their sudden close proximity. “Uh–” He got to his feet, a hand instinctively coming up to run through his hair, but because it had been tied back, he only served to loosen it up and pull some strands out from the band. “D-Do you want some desserts?”
Tanjirou blinked at him owlishly but otherwise nodded. “Sure,”
“Okay! I’ll be back!”
He spun at the heel and charged the party head first in order to find something sweet for them both to eat or at least, share . He had the feeling that things were going really well, that Tanjirou may actually really like him and that both excited and terrified him. He’d been the idiot that wanted to make this night work though, promising himself that if he managed to meet up with him at the party and stick it out long enough to let the red-head know who he really was, then he’d ask him out on a date. A real date that wasn’t just a vague ‘I’ll see you there’ or surrounded by a crowd of people they didn’t really know.
Honestly, he’d prefer that they went somewhere they could be alone for their first date. This party was starting to get on his nerves...
“Oh, Inosuke!” Zenitsu found him again, as he was staring down the table of snacks with a decision having to be made. Cupcakes...or brownies...or the entire bowl of candy. That would certainly be a triumphant steal... “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
“What for?” He asked, somewhat annoyed.
“Well y’see–” The blond nudged him a bit on the arm and then pointed to the right. Inosuke looked to where he was gesturing to and noticed a young woman standing nearby, with pink colored eyes and long dark brown hair. She waved slightly when they looked, with what appeared to be painted vines along her pale skin and a horn that looked rather familiar on her forehead. “I met this girl tonight and she wants to go home but she says her brother is busy so I suggested I’d walk her home and she agreed and—”
“Get to the point.” Inosuke decided to grab the entire platter of cupcakes, since everyone else seemed to be distracted with dancing or drinking anyway. “You need my permission or something?”
“Oh, no , I ...” Zenitsu stuttered. “W-Well, I just didn’t want you to get mad if I left...”
“Go,” Inosuke commanded, as he turned back in the direction of the door. “I’m fine. More than fine. Get outta’ here.” With that, he was off again without looking back, leading himself back upstairs and over to where Tanjirou now stood by the edge of the rooftop. “Here.” He held the tray out, surprising the red-head and his burgundy gaze flickered over each cake with delightful interest before he finally selected one he liked. Inosuke, too, grabbed one he thought would be good; it was chocolate flavored with green frosting made to look like toxic waste. It was sort of funny.
“...do you have to go home, soon?” Tanjirou asked him, a little while after they’d finished eating. By that time, he realized why he was wondering; nearly half the partygoers had gone back home. The space on the rooftop was almost completely abandoned, the grill now closed and turned off and only a few drunk stragglers sitting around their small, makeshift bar.
“Uh, not really.” Inosuke didn’t have a curfew, even though the Kocho’s did like to have them all at home at least before midnight. Seeing as it was nearly half past that at this point, it was either he gets in trouble once he comes home, or he just gets another lecture he can hardly keep up the energy to listen to. So...there was no use rushing now. “...do you?”
Tanjirou folded the wrapper of his cupcake into a small square, then set it down on the tray that Inosuke had brought up for them to choose from. “Yeah, it’s pretty late and my youngest siblings can imagine the craziest things when worried about me.”
Inosuke stood up quickly, getting an idea from a certain blond friend of his. “Can I walk you home, then?” This way, he could have more time to gather up the courage to finally ask him for that date.
Tanjirou appeared genuinely surprised, almost so much that he’d forgotten how to speak, opening his mouth and closing it again before glancing away bashfully. “W-Well...Sure...if you really want to.”
Yeah. He wanted to.
Tanjirou was just about a half an inch taller than him, he realized, as they both left the party saying little to no goodbyes to anyone left behind. They walked side by side along the road, into the nearby neighborhood, consisting of tall walls and sharp corners and just about no one to bother them now. They were quiet for the most part, but it was comfortable. They’d done a lot of talking at the party, after all, so he was sure the other wanted to rest his voice a bit. Though, despite this comfortable silence between them, Inosuke’s mind was reeling. One thing after the other, scenarios planning out in his mind, telling him to do that , but then do this , but then actually say something that was soft and cheesy and that would totally blow the red-head’s mind out of that big forehead of his.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed Tanjirou shiver as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Inosuke instinctively tore off his blazer. “Here.” He offered it to him, but instead of letting him take it, he stepped behind him to place it over his shoulders. “I kinda sweated in it though...sorry.”
That didn’t seem to bother him, as he used his fingers to pull the jacket and its warmth a little closer. “That’s alright.” He then said, and the gentle expression in his eyes and smile made Inosuke feel like he was the luckiest guy in the world. In that moment, he’d been able to witness something so soft from such a handsome and kind person because of something he did. This wasn’t class anymore. There were no other outside sources of serotonin to make Tanjirou light up in glee. It was him. Just him and his ingenious move to cover him with his suit jacket. His nerves all buzzed in thrill as they walked, jumpstarting his heart and screaming at him to make his move.
“Uh, Tanjirou.” He decided that now was probably as good a time as ever, while they were alone and just the two of them, with both the formal dinner and the halloween party far behind them. Now, the only thing for them was the future. What it had in store for them and if the red-head was even going to let him be a part of it in the first place. “I gotta’ ask. Can I uh...Can I have y—”
“This is mine.” Tanjirou came to a stop in front of one of the houses, one with a small gate and a plaque that said Kamado over the mail slot. It was a small house, a lot smaller than his, but it still looked nice. Quaint. Like it raised them all just fine and its walls had absorbed plenty of good memories and happiness throughout the years. He was close to moving past the gate, but, before Inosuke could get too discouraged, he held out a hand between them and said, “Can I see your phone?”
“Huh.”
He chuckled. “You want my number, right?”
Oh.
Inosuke scrambled, digging a hand into his pocket and tearing the small device from its confines so he could unlock the screen and place it calmly in his palm. Now blushing furiously at his own actions and probably the other male's enthusiasm as well, the red-head quickly typed in his information so it could be saved and used later on in the future. Before handing the phone back to him, however, he looked up fleetly under his lashes, before shifting on his feet to turn around, press his back against his chest and hold the phone up with the camera turned on.
Oh.
Inosuke fidgeted awkwardly, but found within himself an actual smile, as the happiness from this whole situation began to blossom throughout his body, making it feel warm even without his jacket to shield him from the cold autumn night.
“There,” Tanjirou handed him the phone back. “You’ll see that whenever we talk.”
“I want to keep seeing you .” Inosuke blurted and the both of them looked at each other in surprise for another moment before swiftly breaking eye contact. Tanjirou’s cheeks were still a little red, though they were a bit brighter now that he’d gone and said that. Feeling embarrassed for his words would get him nowhere closer to what he wanted though, so he did not let those emotions control him. “I wish I had showed up to the party sooner. Sorry...I was really excited to spend time with you.”
“...you were?”
Inosuke nodded, bringing himself a bit closer but keeping his hands to himself no matter how strong an urge he had to reach out and hold his.
“Yeah. So...I want to keep seeing you.”
“Like as in...dates?” Tanjirou asked him, coming closer to him in return, nearly closing up the distance that stood between them. Making him sort of nervous now. “Because if that’s the case, then I guess I have no choice but to accept.” He raised his hands then, letting them hang off his wrists loosely as he cooed at him in an eerie but cheesy ghost like charm.. “Buuut~....it comes at a price .”
Huh.
Inosuke fluttered his long lashes at him and slapped both of his palms on his pockets. “I didn’t bring a wallet.”
The red-head burst into laughter, sounding sweet like Halloween candy and warm like the touch of his hand that now held onto his. He almost didn't register it, but when he finally did, his vision quickly darted down to find their fingers closed together and a thumb gently caressing at his knuckle. “No, silly, I didn’t mean money,” Tanjirou then said, before leaning forward more and, to his surprise, placing his lips right at the corner of his mouth, kissing mostly the skin of his cheek, but a little of the supple pink flesh there too and then suddenly there were fireworks blaring at the back of his skull and all he could think about was what it could be like to fully kiss him.
“I’ve been wanting to do that.” His classmate explained as he pulled away, then stepped back even further to get behind the gate, as if he were suddenly embarrassed and wanting to run away inside to hide. It made the butterflies in his stomach go wild, watching Tanjirou with his suit jacket over his shoulders and blushing like mad because of him . “Goodnight then...and text me. I’ll save your number.”
“...okay.” Inosuke waved...and he kept waving until Tanjirou found his way inside and eventually disappeared within the threshold. He stood there for a little while longer, until he felt it was a good time to make his way back home too, and he couldn't help the excited hop in his step as he tread forward through the night and all the way back to the Kocho estate.
Despite how frustrating the night had started out to be, he was very happy to think about just how fulfilling it had managed to become. He made it to the party, got to hang out with his crush, got his number, even got an almost kiss from him, and now he was basically guaranteed a date in the future. How he’d managed to get lucky was beyond him; he would have figured with the way he was acting at dinner, karma would have come to bite him in the ass. It was almost strange that it hadn’t.
But then again...
As he reached up to loosen the tie one last time, he realized that the butterfly clip was missing and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.
He had put it in his jacket pocket. The same jacket pocket that was attached to his blazer, which was now thrown over Tanjirou’s shoulders to keep him warm. While it was a relief to know that it would definitely be safe within the gentle man’s possession...considering that Shinobu had warned him not to lose it...she was probably going to tear him a new one once he returned home. Especially after he’d stormed out on their dinner while their Guest was still present.
He wondered if that had ruined their chances at all. So much so that he was beginning to feel a little worried....so it was the first thing he asked about the next morning.
Thankfully ...their investor liked them enough to offer funding and would be coming by one more time to speak with their parents alone. It was great news, almost good enough to get Shinobu to completely forget about his behavior from the night before, but alas, the time finally came that she’d ask for the clip and he had no choice but to sit back and be lectured on his irresponsibility but with half a mind completely elsewhere. Sitting on the rooftop with hands on his tie, red eyes staring back at him.
Inosuke quirked a smile.
Yeah. It was worth it.