Chapter Text
It’s minutes before their opening time when the first customer steps in.
He’d left the door unlocked after he swept the sidewalk out front clean, but the sign remained reading closed even after Tanjirou returned inside to tidy up their bakery one final time. He’s making sure the flower arrangement Nezuko got at the start of the week is still presentable, picking out wilting petals and yellowing leaves when the bell above the door chimes.
“Just a moment!” He tosses the petals in the nearest trash bin and rushes back to the main room with the simple glass vase in hand, depositing it on the counter beside the cash register.
The customer is still standing by the door, though Tanjirou is too busy fetching his apron from under the counter and throwing it on haphazardly to take a good look at them. He breathes in deep after it’s properly tied behind his back, pauses when he catches the scent of cologne laced with the smell of fresh bread permeating the air, and lets it sit in his lungs as he finally looks up.
Just past the threshold is possibly the most beautiful man Tanjirou has ever seen in his life.
Air comes out in a rush, his mouth going slack and falling open. Perhaps it’s a good thing he didn’t look at them before or else he would have tripped and broken the vase, or worse. The scent alone is enough to make him all tingly, and coupled with the sight, it makes his heart beat just a little bit faster.
The customer is distracted rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, exposing muscled forearms to Tanjirou’s curious gaze, so it gives him the perfect opportunity to observe this stranger. Wild golden hair tied up in a half ponytail, sharp jawline, broad shoulders, an equally broad chest that stretches the white fabric of the button up. Tanjirou has seen pretty people before, but this man is on another level.
A flush spreads through his body when his eyes sink lower to toned thighs and a certain volume in fitted dress pants. He resists the urge to fan his heating face, blood concentrating in his cheeks. He’ll lie to himself for a while, pretending this warmth comes from the ovens in the kitchen.
The man suddenly looks up. Tanjirou jumps, snapping his gaze back up to his face and away from certain areas. The smile the stranger gives him is nearly blinding, eyes just as gorgeous as the rest of him. “I hope it’s alright that I’m here before your opening time?”
“It’s fine!” Tanjirou exclaims loudly, waving his hands about in front of him, then clamps his mouth shut to clear his throat discreetly. Quieter, he asks, “Can I help you?”
He strides up to the counter, hands casually tucked in the pockets of his pants, golden stare roaming over the fresh goods in the display counter. “It’s the first time I come here. What do you recommend?”
Tanjirou is momentarily distracted by how much bigger he is from up close. “Um, do you prefer savory or sweet?”
“I’ll eat anything!” His voice booms inside the little bakery, clearly excited at the prospect of food. Tanjirou jerks backwards slightly, surprised by his energy this early in the morning, but supposes that is to be expected from a man who looks like the embodiment of a flame.
He licks his lips, looking down at their products, unsure where to start. “Well, the croissants are very popular. I like to cut the plain ones in half and toast them up with some butter. They go really well with chocolate chip scones, and cappuccino if you like it? The garlic and butter pinwheels are pretty good too, and we also have chicken curry pockets that are new on the menu. If you’d like something more traditional, we have matcha cake rolls, chocolate hanjuku and fresh anpan.”
The man nods along to every word, golden eyes shining brighter with every item listed. “Yes! I’ll have that!”
Tanjirou pauses, frozen under his fiery stare. “...Which one?”
“All of them, of course!”
…Right. Yes. Of course. Tanjirou is sure that maintaining that much muscle certainly requires a lot more food than a regular person would normally eat. “Alright! Why don’t you have a seat while I get your order?”
The customer goes to one of the tables close to the windows and sits to watch the street while Tanjirou loads plates on a tray with the display items he mentioned. Nezuko joins him in the bakery, long hair pulled back in a simple braid, and starts on the toasted, buttered croissant while Tanjirou delivers most of the order. The man watches with rapid attention as the plates are set in front of him, and Tanjirou excuses himself to prepare the cappuccino, leaving their sole customer to his food.
Nezuko sets the croissant halves down on the frying pan, the butter sizzling and melting upon contact with the hot surface. It always smells divine here, and she giggles when Tanjirou gives an exaggerated sniff as he fetches a cup and saucer from the shelf. “Didn’t you eat already?”
He bumps into her side, nudging her ribs with his elbow while he prepares the cappuccino. “Like you’re not always eating a couple of daifuku from every batch.”
She rolls her eyes good-naturedly and parts her mouth to reply, lifting one of the halves of flaky bread with a pair of tongs to set it on a plate.
“Delicious!”
Nezuko flinches in fright, pulling her arm back quick enough that the sliced croissant slips from the tongs and falls to the floor. Tanjirou doesn’t fare much better, jolting in surprise and sloshing hot milk over the rim of the jug, spilling it on his hand and leaving it burning red and pulsing.
The mess of food and drink is forgotten as Nezuko quickly grabs him by the wrist and shoves his hand under running tap water. “You have a history of getting burned,” she mumbles, and he shrugs helplessly, offering her a tiny smile.
Satisfied that the burn is under control, they look at the customer from over their shoulder. He’s eating everything with gusto, exclaiming praises after every bite. He barely stops to breathe at all, and jumps from savory to sweet and back to savory without much thought.
Nezuko gives Tanjirou a bemused, slightly concerned look and takes over the task of preparing the drink while he keeps his hand under the water. She delivers the cappuccino and freshly toasted croissant, then shoos Tanjirou to the back of the shop to get his hand properly treated once the pain turns into a dull throb.
By the time he comes back, the customer is gone.
Tanjirou thinks of the new customer for a few days before he eventually leaves his mind. Between all the chores in the bakery and at home that require his attention, not to mention other things like running errands for his mother, spending time with his siblings and meeting up with his friends, he doesn’t have much free time to daydream about someone he spoke to for only about five minutes.
The stranger is forgotten when he makes sure that Rokuta and Shigeru leave for school in time, when he sits and tries to help Hanako with her history homework, and when he and Nezuko see Takeo off on a train a week later, bound to his university dormitories in another city.
It’s going to be weird having one less person in the house now. He supposes other people would be grateful that their home wouldn’t be as cramped anymore, but they have always been such a tight knit family, even more so after their father passed away.
Nezuko holds and squeezes his hand on the way back to the bakery. It’s getting dark now, but they know their mother is still in the kitchen, whipping up as many batches of dough as possible. She’ll be out of town to visit Takeo in his new home to help him settle down, and though Nezuko assured her that they could handle it on their own, that still didn’t stop Kie from trying to lighten the load.
Surprisingly, Kie isn’t in the kitchen when they arrive, but rather in the main room of the bakery, laughing behind her hand at the antics of a customer that lingers past closing time. A familiar customer, that is; Tanjirou could recognize these shoulders anywhere.
“Nezuko, Tanjirou!” She waves them over, smiling wide. The same man from last week is too busy digging through a slice of cotton cheesecake to pay attention to them. “How did it go? Was Takeo too nervous?”
Tanjirou thinks of the way his brother’s eyes welled up with tears and how he also felt the urge to cry. It’s Nezuko who answers, “It went well, mom. He’ll be happy to see you in a few days.”
“That’s good to hear.” Kie nods in relief and pushes away from the counter, running a hand over her apron dusted with flour. “If you’ll excuse me, Kyoujurou-kun, I’ll be returning to the kitchen now that my children are here.”
The customer, Kyoujurou, hastily swallows the bite of his dessert and beams a megawatt smile at her. “Yes, of course! Thank you for keeping me company, Kie-san!”
Kie goes, beckoning Nezuko to follow along and help in preparing more batches of the dough. Left alone with the customer, Tanjirou puts his apron on once more while Kyoujurou polishes off his plate and slides it forward on the counter.
“Can I have one more, please?” He asks, lifting a finger as though to stress the quantity. Tanjirou looks at the last slice on display and almost laughs; there had been four slices when they left.
Kyoujurou eats standing by the counter, legs crossed at the ankles and elbow propped on the granite while he digs into the sweet treat. He appears to really, really enjoy it, though this time he isn’t spouting compliments after every bite. His delight brightens his eyes and his face, lighting some of the shadows under his eyes. Now that Tanjirou gets a closer look, he does seem more tired than the last time.
He sets the fork down on the empty plate once he’s done. By then Tanjirou has finished scrubbing the leftover dishes in the sink and setting them aside to dry, going over a tentative plan for next week. Though their younger siblings can cook, maybe he and Nezuko can prepare some food and freeze it for the days when they’re too tired or busy to prepare anything.
“You have the best menu in this city! I’m surprised I didn’t come across this place before. Are you new here?”
Tanjirou is mildly proud that he didn’t startle as badly as he did the last time. He’s already learned that Kyoujurou appears to be a naturally loud and excitable person, so he knows to expect it. He just doesn’t know when to expect it.
He turns around to regard the man, wiping his hands dry on a kitchen towel. “We’ve been here for some years, but our customers are mostly locals since we’re far from the busier districts.”
“Mm! I’ll make sure to put in a good word within my circle of friends! They need to try some of these treats, and you deserve the recognition!”
Bashful, Tanjirou rubs the nape of his neck. “Thank you! My mom traveled to some places in her youth and learned many recipes from old friends that visited different cities or countries. She really likes to cook!”
“There’s nothing better than a mother’s cooking! My mother didn’t know as many recipes as yours, but I remember her meals fondly.” He shakes his head, smiling. “Ah, I’m sorry, I don’t think I introduced myself before. You can call me Kyoujurou!”
“Kamado Tanjirou,” he replies with a shallow bow, glad to finally get the chance to be properly introduced to this charming man. “Nice to meet you, Kyoujurou-san.”
Kyoujurou laughs, straightening up and pulling out his wallet from his pocket. “No need to be so formal!” He fishes out a couple of bills and offers them to Tanjirou, grinning. “Keep the change. As thanks for the pick-me-up after the long day I had!”
Tanjirou looks down at the bills, eyes nearly bugging out of his head. It’s way too much for four slices of cheesecake! Or for everything that they had on display throughout the day!
“Till next time, Tanjirou!” Kyoujurou waves over his shoulder and swiftly leaves before he can say anything about the money.
Just like Nezuko had assured, they don't have many issues running the bakery by themselves during their mother's absence. The frozen dough she left helps, and if needed they whip up more batches with ease. They grew up in kitchens, back in their hometown, and then here when their father required better care and they moved to the big city; they know their way around them.
Shigeru and Rokuta help in the bakery if it's too busy, which they notice there has been an increase in traffic lately. Tanjirou wonders if it was Kyoujurou’s doing, if he really told his circle of friends about the bakery, but he’s not about to ask these new customers about it.
Hanako cooks their meals while her other siblings tend to the family business, and does some cleaning to keep the house tidy. On the days when school club hours stretch for too long and the hours at the bakery run late, the frozen meals they prepared come in handy.
Kie calls them every day. On the third, she gives them a tour of Takeo's dorm room, fully unpacked and furnished. His roommate is set to arrive the following week, and Takeo can barely contain his excitement and nerves.
The next parents-teacher meeting for Rokuta's class happens when Kie is out of town. It's not unusual for Tanjirou or Nezuko to attend them in her stead, so he offers to go after they close the bakery early that evening, letting Nezuko have a night off to rest. The look she gives him says that she knows what he's doing, and he fully expects her to pull something similar in the future.
It's a long walk to the school, but Tanjirou enjoys every step of it, thinking back to when he'd just moved to this city and was enrolled there, the friends he'd made and the troubles he got into. Tanjirou was never a problem child, but getting into trouble is a byproduct of being friends with Inosuke and Zenitsu even to this day.
Despite all the shenanigans that surrounded him in this school, Tanjirou was and still is well liked by his former teachers. For someone who often found himself in the principal's office, he never understood why everyone so easily dismissed his exploits with a ruffle to his hair and a laugh.
He spends way longer than he should making small talk to most of the faculty, telling them about his and Nezuko's college graduation, Takeo going off to university on his own, and how they're supporting the family business.
It's way past dinner time when Tanjirou finally leaves the school building and starts back home. He walks the familiar route half paying attention to his surroundings, weaving through people while going over the report in his mind.
Rokuta's report card isn't bad by any means. Most of his grades are above average, though he still needs help with math. Try as he might, Tanjirou isn't the best option to help him with it. Hanako is better at it and helps when she can, busy as she is studying for entrance exams. They might need to look up a tutor to correct this.
Inosuke might know a good tutor to recommend, or maybe his guardian if Tanjirou contacts her. His friend needed extra help in all areas back when they were in high school, so he's confident that they can find a suitable tutor for Rokuta.
On the other hand, his science and geography grades are excellent. Tanjiro might take him out for ice cream next time he has some free time, and he's sure their mother will make a special dinner to celebrate.
"Tanjirou!"
The call of his name catches him off guard. Tanjirou whirls to the left and comes face to face with Kyoujurou, who’s half leaning out of the window of a sleek black car that slowly rolls along the curb to match Tanjirou's strides.
Mortified, his cheeks blaze with red when he notices all the people looking their way, and then realizes how Kyoujurou must have called him multiple times. He just can’t seem to stop embarrassing himself in front of him. "Sorry! Sorry, I was distracted."
"That I noticed!" Kyoujurou chuckles, and both Tanjirou and the car slow to a stop. He watches Kyoujurou lean back inside the vehicle, the lone occupier of the backseat. Although the man was very well dressed the two times they met, Tanjirou hadn't expected him to be so well off that he had a personal driver. "What are you doing out late by yourself?"
Shrugging, Tanjirou slips his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "The parents-teacher conference ran late. Er, kind of. I was just heading home."
Kyoujurou hums in thought. "That won’t do. Come in!"
Tanjirou widens his eyes in surprise. "Huh?"
"Come in! It's dangerous to walk by yourself at night! How will I sleep later if I don't know that you made it home safely? Might as well see to it with my own eyes!"
Kyoujurou scoots back on the seat after opening the door from the inside. Tanjirou hesitates; Kyoujurou isn't exactly a stranger anymore, but still Tanjirou doesn't know if he can be fully trusted. He was lectured enough times in his childhood about the dangers of accepting candies from strangers or getting into their cars. What if he's kidnapped and sold to some brothel in a red light district far away where he'll have to pass off as a girl? He's tried making his voice higher before for a school play and it's terrible.
The people littering the sides of the street are still staring at them, though, so he quickly makes up his mind. Tanjirou hurriedly slips onto the leather seat, shutting the door soundly behind him. Kyoujurou signals the driver to move on and watches Tanjirou fumble with the seat belt, coordination lost now that he’s surrounded by Kyoujurou’s scent. He feels lightheaded in seconds.
To keep his mind off the way Kyoujurou smells so deliciously, Tanjirou says the first thing that he can think of. “You know, you could've just gotten my number and texted me to know if I arrived safely.”
"Excellent idea!" Kyoujurou whips his phone out and hands it over. "I'm glad you offered! I wasn't quite sure how to ask you for it, you know."
Tanjirou grits his teeth and fights back the urge to facepalm, cursing his own stupidity. He’s fated to make a fool of himself near Kyoujurou whenever possible, it seems.
But that’s not important! What matters is the fact that Kyoujurou wants his number. Tanjirou inputs his information, trying to appear as cool and nonchalant about it as possible under Kyoujurou’s intent gaze. He's gorgeous. Beautiful. Handsome. Tanjirou would love to be his center of attention on any other day, but right now in this closed space it's kind of overwhelming.
Kyoujurou pockets the phone, promising to send him a text later on so Tanjirou can have his contact as well. "Parents-teacher conference, huh? Is your mom busy tonight?"
"My younger brother Takeo recently moved out and she's making sure he's settling down." Tanjirou smiles slightly. "Me and Nezuko have been helping her with these things since our father died, so it's part of the routine by now."
"I'm sorry to hear it," Kyoujurou says. "Losing a loved one is always hard, but I'm glad your family has caring people such as you and your sister to look after them."
"Oh, it’s nothing. We're the eldest, so it's our duty. Besides, our father passed away over a decade ago. We've learned how to live with it." He fiddles with the hanafuda earrings his dad left for him, a gift that was passed down from generation to generation. Tanjirou doubts they're of much monetary value, but they're the most important things he owns.
Kyoujurou smiles; it's small and softens his features, though he's still aglow. "You know, I have a little brother, too. Soon he’ll return to the dorms for his third year in university, as much as I'd like to keep him here where it's safe. I guess it's in our nature to look out for them. Our duty, as you said."
Both of them have different backgrounds and obligations, but they have some things in common. Both are the eldest sons, both carry the responsibility of looking out and caring for the younger ones, both understand the feeling of loss, having lost someone so close and so dear.
Soon, they're outside the bakery. Tanjirou thanks them for the ride, and the car only pulls away once he's safely inside his home. Nezuko is in the living room waiting for him, killing time by organizing the box where they keep recipe cards, and wordlessly lifts a yellowed paper for him to inspect.
It's their grandmother's recipe for oyakodon. Rokuta's favorite, too. Tanjirou grins, setting the card on top of the others so Nezuko can close the box. Of course she'd know they’re due to a celebration.
A text from an unregistered number reaches him moments after. Arrived safely! it reads, and Tanjirou smiles to himself, saving the contact under Kyoujurou-san.
Kie returns from her trip, thanks Nezuko and Tanjirou for taking care of everything in her absence, and makes her mother's oyakodon recipe to celebrate Rokuta's progress in school.
Takeo complains that he isn't there to eat it, and Kie promises to cook for him and his roommate the next time she visits. It's just a couple of days until they're set to arrive, and then a few more until classes begin; Tanjirou can almost feel his brother buzzing even with all this distance between them.
Other than that, their routine resumes as usual. Bakery, friends, housekeeping, and so forth. Tanjirou is kept busy at all times of the day, seven days of the week.
[Kyoujurou-san: have fun, Tanjirou!]
Or well, as usual as it was before Tanjirou found himself texting one of their customers.
At first, he tried not to think much of it to avoid any possible heartbreak. Sure, Kyoujurou explicitly said he wanted his number, but it could be because he wanted a friend, or maybe he just wanted a way of knowing the menu of the day, or any other reason, really. Tanjirou didn't want to presume that Kyoujurou fancied him in some way.
Though he did stare stupidly at the single message he received for a few days, either alone in his room or in the lulls between customers, Tanjirou didn't text him again other than the I'm glad he'd sent as an immediate reply. Kyoujurou didn't send anything either, so Tanjirou accepted that Kyoujurou possibly wasn’t in the mood to talk to him.
Until a couple of days ago when Kyoujurou reached out to him first, apologizing for the silence and mentioning he'd been busy with work and some personal matters. He assured Tanjirou everything was resolved and he was fine, and then proceeded to text him all day long, every day since.
Tanjirou rarely gets as many texts at once as he does with him. Zenitsu comes close when he's anxious or excited about something, but Kyoujurou still wins by a landslide. And Tanjirou doesn't mind. At all.
They trade pictures of food - lots of it. Kyoujurou eats all the time, and Tanjirou shows him every fresh good that comes out of the oven. When he's too busy to pay visits, Kyoujurou sends his driver to pick up his orders, and always pays and tips generously. Tanjirou makes sure to slip Morita, the driver, something to eat as well, and they form a tentative friendship.
Even now that he's out with his friends, Tanjirou feels the itch to check for new texts. He can't help it, it's fun to talk to Kyoujurou and his excitement is contagious. He makes Tanjirou smile and laugh with so little effort, and he feels kind of dumb knowing that a man as hot as Kyoujurou is spending his time texting him.
To hell with not getting his hopes up. All this can't be about just the bakery goods, can it? He has to be into Tanjirou too!
Tanjirou ignores that urge and goes about his business. The mall isn't a big one, but Shigeru's birthday is coming up and the perfect gift for him can be found somewhere in the shop brimming with art supplies. He definitely took after Nezuko, who has a better eye for art than Tanjirou does. She helped him by giving pointers on which brands to buy, and bought tickets for an art exhibition this weekend for Shigeru as her birthday gift.
Art supplies are expensive, but Tanjirou is more than happy to pay for them. Their family is stable now, but there was a moment in time when money was tight and he was scrambling to find part-time jobs as a young teen to help with the income. Shigeru has always liked art, and back then all they could provide was plain printer paper and cheap colored pencils.
The gift is wrapped up nicely in a bag, and now that his errand is done, Tanjirou can enjoy the rest of his rare afternoon off with his friends. Inosuke dragged Zentisu on ahead to the game store, too impatient to stick around while Tanjirou looked through too many options of sketchbooks and watercolors, shouting over his shoulder that he should run and catch up once he was finished.
That's what he'd intended to do, at least until he passed by a store and got lured inside with the hope of finding the new collector’s edition of a manga he really likes.
Tanjirou squeezes through the cramped shop, side-stepping murmuring teens and sneaking between too-close shelves to find what he's looking for. At the back of the shop, he finds his prized manga neatly lined on the shelf and rises to the tips of his toes, stretching his arm as far as it will go.
He's too short. The growth spurt of his late teen years made his height shoot up an extra inch or two, but he still inherited his mother's short stature. He's the eldest, he's supposed to be taller. More people are supposed to like this manga so it will have its own stand and won't be stored so far up in the shelves anymore, damnit!
A hand grabs the copy he's reaching for. Tanjirou follows it down an arm clad in a fancy suit jacket and up to a very familiar face. Kyoujurou grins playfully and holds out the collector’s volume, standing in front of him so casually like they didn’t just meet in the most unlikely of places.
Tanjirou takes it, turning the manga around in his hands, though his eyes remain focused on Kyoujurou. "Are you following me?"
Kyoujurou's laugh bursts loudly out of his mouth. It reverberates inside the store, making Tanjirou squirm as the sound rolls down his spine in waves. He's more pleased than he is embarrassed or worried at the attention they might have attracted.
"In a way? But not like that, trust me!" Kyoujurou smiles, more amused than offended. "I was in the area after dealing with some business and saw you entering the store. Thought I could surprise you, that's all."
He is surprised, alright. "I see. I hope I'm not getting you out of your way?"
"Not at all! I needed a little break, and seeing you actually lifted my spirits!" Tanjirou hopes Kyoujurou can't see on his face how good that makes him feel. Or should he wish that Kyoujurou could, so then he'd do something about it? "Would you mind hanging out with me for a bit? I could go for something sweet right now."
"Sure!" He instantly agrees, and then remembers that he was supposed to meet with his friends after purchasing Rokuta’s gift. Right. Zenitsu will understand if he texts him saying the line is too long, though his hands shake all the while. He hates lying, even through text. "Where to?"
"How about ice cream? Or would you rather have gelato? Bubble tea? All three?" Kyoujurou leads the way out of the store, his size making people step aside and part the way naturally. He slaps a bill on top of the counter and gestures to the collector’s edition Tanjirou is carrying, all without stopping. "It doesn't feel right to take you to eat confectionaries from another place."
Rather than make Tanjirou hurry to catch up, Kyoujurou slows his stride to match his instead once they’re outside. It's a small gesture that makes his chest flutter. "You know you're allowed to eat in other places, right?"
"I know, but do I want to?" He flashes Tanjirou a cheeky grin, and he's so gone, gone, gone for this man.
The gelato place is right across from the game store where Zenitsu and Inosuke are waiting for him. Tanjirou can only hope that Inosuke is keeping the both of them busy while they admire the latest hack and slash game that he likes, otherwise Tanjirou will never hear the end of it if he’s caught.
Kyoujurou offers to pay - insists on it, really - and Tanjirou picks a gianduja flavor that Kyoujurou swears by, while he picks another flavor with a name Tanjirou hadn't heard of before.
The shop offers a seating area with little round tables for two. Though small and tucked in a corner of the mall, everything about it is fancy and costly, from the design of the chairs to the price of their portions. Tanjirou picked the smallest one, unwilling to make Kyoujurou spend more money on him than necessary, while his companion went for the biggest size available.
It’s expensive, but worth the money. Tanjirou tastes milk chocolate and hazelnut on his tongue, the consistency thicker and smoother compared to the ice cream he usually buys. It's delicious and he wants to dig into it with as much enthusiasm as Kyoujurou.
Kyoujurou tips his bowl forward, offering Tanjirou some of his portion. He suggested that they could share if they picked different flavors, and Tanjirou tried not to blush too much, thinking of when he was just a kid back in his hometown and the concept of an indirect kiss was a thing. He knows that’s a silly idea, but still. Sharing food doesn’t mean anything.
Tanjirou scoops some gelato from Kyoujurou's bowl with his own spoon and lets it sit on his tongue. Amarena, if he recalls correctly according to the server, is a cream based gelato with thick cherry syrup swirled throughout. The base itself is delicate and subtle, and the cherry syrup is just on the right edge between sweet and sour. All in all, it's a delightful combination and he stares at it in wonder, filing the name away and wondering where they can try to incorporate something like this in their menu.
"Good?" Kyoujurou asks, beaming when Tanjirou nods and returns to his share of gianduja gelato, scooping more with his spoon. "Can I have some of yours?"
He doesn't think much of it, pushing his bowl closer. It's very likely that Kyoujurou has already tried every flavor this shop has to offer, but they did agree on sharing portions.
Except, Kyoujurou doesn't eat it with his own spoon. Rather, he curls his fingers around Tanjirou's wrist and brings his hand closer to his face. His touch alone is enough to fry Tanjirou's brain, and then Kyoujurou opens his mouth and closes his lips around the spoon, maintaining eye contact throughout. Tanjirou's heart stops and his soul ascends.
"Delicious," he declares lowly, licking his lips without breaking eye contact. Finally, Tanjirou's last working brain cell jumps ship.
Kyoujurou turns back to his treat and resumes eating it like he just didn't give Tanjirou the most sinful bedroom eyes in existence over gelato bowls. He sits there only half aware of his surroundings while Kyoujurou finishes off his portion, his own steadily melting until it's snatched away by the man sitting in front of him.
That thing about this not meaning anything? Yeah. Yeah, he was wrong.
"Thank you for the company," Kyoujurou says once they're standing outside the shop. Tanjirou isn't more coherent than he was ten minutes ago. He doesn't know how he even walked out without bumping into anything. "I had fun with you! We should do this more often!"
Tanjirou nods dumbly and watches Kyoujurou wave and walk away. He stands there with his brother's gift hanging from the loose curl of his fingers, heat stirring low in his belly and spreading through every limb. Unfair. It's so unfair.
Someone clears their throat behind him. Slowly, he turns around and comes face to face with Zenitsu, whose arms are crossed while his foot taps the floor in the typical pose of a vexed parent.
"Long line, huh?" He asks dryly, and his tone sobers Tanjirou up some. "You're just as terrible a liar through texts as you are face to face!"
Tanjirou suppresses a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. Oh crap.
Of all the people who could be giving him a disapproving stare right now, Zenitsu is the last one. Even Inosuke has more rights, but he's more interested in eating all of the fries from Tanjirou's plate and laughing like he's being sneaky about it than he is interested in paying attention to the conversation.
Which is fine, actually. Why are they even talking about this? Tanjirou knows he was an ass for ditching his friends for a little while to hang out with his crush, but this hardly needs an intervention, as Zenitsu likes to call it.
If anything, Zenitsu is the one who needs an intervention. The roles here are reversed!
"He’s older." Zenitsu still has his arms folded across his chest. He's aiming for serious and intimidating, but he just looks like a dork.
"You make it sound like we're in high school and I'm dating a man twice my age," Tanjirou retorts, instantly regretting it when Zenitsu snaps his fingers and points at him.
"Aha! So you admit you're dating!"
"No! We're not!" Yet? He wishes they were. They would be if he had anything to say about it.
Zenitsu leans back against his chair and only uncrosses his arms to bat away Inosuke's hand. All of Tanjirou's fries are gone. "Hmm, your face isn't contorting and doing weird things on its own, so you're not lying."
Tanjirou sags his shoulders in defeat. Why are they talking about this? If he were to mention every time Zenitsu got sidetracked because of his crushes, the conversation would never end. "He's a new customer, and a regular by now. My mom's met him. He's funny and nice and he likes our food, and he smells really, really good."
He leaves out the part where Kyoujurou drove him home once, or that they text daily. That would open a can of worms he doesn't want to deal with right now.
Zenitsu looks like he wants to reply, but his attention is pulled away again. "Stop eating my fries!" He slaps Inosuke's hand hard this time and gets shoved away for his efforts to protect his food.
"You've been yappin' since we got here! If you're not gonna eat it, then I will!"
Tanjirou sighs quietly to himself as both his friends start pushing and shoving at each other. It sufficiently distracts Zenitsu that he doesn't mention Kyoujurou again; that, or whatever he sees in Tanjirou's face makes him drop the topic.
His phone buzzes in his pocket, but he ignores it for the moment and picks his burger up instead. He’ll excuse himself to the restroom once he’s done to make sure it’s not Nezuko or his mother or one of his siblings bringing up something urgent or important, but he really, really hopes it’s just Kyoujurou saying once again that he liked spending some time with Tanjirou.
(It is.)