As the trio entered the town, their noses were flooded with an assortment of smells, especially that of mouthwatering street foods. A yakitori vendor beckoned to them, calling out "free samples!"

This was music to Inosuke's ears, momentarily allowing him to put aside his uneasiness in crowds. Without so much as a forethought, he was on the run, darting between passersby. The blood drained from the vendor's face as he sprinted directly towards his stand.

    "Inosuke, you're scaring people!" Tanjiro reminded him. "Take off your mask!"

    Skidding to a halt, Inosuke eagerly snatched the toothpick from the vendor, stashing the speared slice of chicken away in his mouth. Chewing contentedly, he took off his mask and rested it against his hip. The vendor seemed shocked yet relieved to see the pretty face that emerged from beneath it.

    This only made things more confusing for Tanjiro as he and Zenitsu caught up to the scene. It seems like everyone's impressed by his face, he thought. Maybe I don't even like him. He probably just happens to be a really attractive person and I'm only questioning myself because he's my friend and I care about him. But as he watched the flow of Inosuke's hair in a passing breath of wind, he was on the fence again.

    The vendor handed samples to Tanjiro and Zenitsu. With his back turned, Inosuke took the opportunity to swipe another from the stand.

   "Thank you, sir!" Tanjiro beamed, doing his best to ignore Inosuke's overstep. "Sorry our friend startled you; he was really excited to try your food."

   Zenitsu popped his sample into his mouth with a satisfied grin.

    "That's alright, boy," the vendor chuckled. He reverted his gaze to Inosuke, who was blissfully unaware of his intent—gnawing on his second toothpick like a chicken bone. "He's a real looker, ain't he? I see why he's got the mask."

   Tanjiro was unsettled by the older man's comment, especially given the way he looked Inosuke up and down—almost like a predator at its prey. He hastily returned his uneaten sample to the vendor's hand. "Thanks, but I'll pass." Palms to Inosuke's shoulder blades, he began to push him along the road. "Come on, let's go."

    "Hey!" he protested loudly, toothpick falling from his lips, "I want you to buy me more of that for lunch!"

    Zenitsu flicked his empty toothpick to the ground. "Inosuke, that guy thinks you're total eye candy." He grabbed hold of his wrist—met with angry writhing—and helped Tanjiro usher him away. "It was pretty creepy. We'll eat something else."

   "But he has good food!" Inosuke argued, still struggling to break away from his friends. "I want a plate!"

   "I know, but I promise we'll find something just as good," Tanjiro reassured him. "From someone nicer."

   "Hmph." Inosuke didn't see the big deal. Sure, the vendor had looked at him a little oddly, but most people did. And what wasn't nice about a guy with free chicken?

   As they escorted him along, he noticed he couldn't have cared less about Zenitsu's grip, aside from the annoyance it caused. But Tanjiro's hand had made its way to the small of his back, and his body hairs stood on end because of it.

    Observing Tanjiro's face for a moment, he saw that his expression had contorted into a pensive scowl. His protectiveness was both endearing and humiliating. Inosuke could surely take care of himself! But at the same time, he couldn't ignore the security he felt knowing Tanjiro was looking out for him, too. Even from a threat he couldn't understand.

Inosuke might have known his way around the wild, but he still hadn't learned how to safely navigate through civilization. This arrangement was beneficial, he supposed. I can watch his back in the woods, and he can watch mine out here.

    Suddenly, Tanjiro's face lit up. "Oh, hey!" He pointed ahead. "That traveling vendor sells the best udon; I had it once with Nezuko. You guys wanna try some?" He looked to his friends with sparkling eyes.

    "Definitely!" Zenitsu chimed. "If he's not creepy, I'm in!"

    "I'll eat whatever," Inosuke agreed, absorbed in Tanjiro's eager visage. Seeing him happy never failed to lift his spirits, and he knew the sooner he filled his belly, the sooner he would forget the yakitori he was missing out on.

    The boys approached the stand with Tanjiro in the lead. "Three bowls of udon, please!" he ordered, reaching into his pocket for payment. "I ate here once before and it was amazing! I wanted my friends to try!" The two other boys stood quietly behind him like ducklings following their mother.

    "Sure!" said the vendor, "Glad to have you back. I put my heart and soul into my cooking! Will that be all?" He began spooning broth into bowls.

    "Ah, could I fill my water flask here as well?"

    "Afraid not, but there's a fountain down that way." He pointed in the direction they should have been heading in.

    "Oh, thank you!" Tanjiro counted out some coins in his open palm, referencing the prices on the menu hanging from the back of the stand's awning.

    Soon enough, all three bowls were brimming with noodles, each topped with nori, chopped green onions, and an egg. The boys began to salivate as the ambrosial scent wafted to their noses. One by one, the vendor handed them to Tanjiro, who politely passed them on to his friends first.

"Thank you so much!" he handed his money to the vendor before finding a nearby bench to eat on. Zenitsu sat to one side of him; Inosuke at the other.

    Tanjiro and Zenitsu began to eat their udon right away, quietly savoring the melding of flavors. Rather than digging in, Inosuke peered intensely into his bowl, clearly thinking something over.

    Tanjiro began to worry he had been too proactive. Perhaps he should have overlooked the first vendor's behavior and bought him yakitori after all. "Inosuke? If you'd rather eat something else, I can—"

    Before he could finish his sentence, Inosuke stood and set his bowl down in place of himself, then bounded off into the meadow beyond the buildings. Tanjiro and Zenitsu locked eyes in mutual perplexity.

    "What's his deal?" Zenitsu wondered aloud as they watched glimpses of him, far in the distance and mostly obscured by the architecture, marching around in the tall grass and reaching down occasionally.

Tanjiro didn't answer. He was just as stumped trying to figure out his motive.

    Soon enough, Inosuke had returned, hands balled into loose fists. He didn't bother to explain himself. His friends looked at each other again, then at him. He unfurled his fingers over his udon, giving way to a medley of dead crickets and grasshoppers.

    Baffled, Tanjiro blinked a few times.

Zenitsu felt his soul leave his body. "Are you kidding me?" he screeched in horror, gripping his bowl as if afraid his meal would meet the same fate. "How did you even find all those dead bugs so fast? Aren't they rotting?"

    "I just killed them, you meathead!" Inosuke used his spoon to mix them into his udon, keenly grinning.

    Tanjiro was unsure of the appropriate reaction to what he'd just witnessed. He calmly thought it over, blowing on a spoonful of broth. Well, even though that was pretty weird, I guess there's nothing morally wrong with it. We all have our tastes.

    The udon vendor was appalled by the scene. "How dare you ruin prizewinning udon with those dirty insects!"

    "I am not! They add the perfect crunch!" Inosuke countered, crushing a cricket between his teeth. "You should try it yourself!"

    The vendor winced harshly at the sound. Zenitsu leaned over the side of the bench, ready to hurl.

    "Besides," He pridefully flexed his muscles, "You think I got this strong off'a noodles? I've been eating these suckers for years!" He laughed.

    Tanjiro stole a peek before he got ahold of himself. Stop looking at him like that! he scolded, shamefully keeping his eyes on his meal. You're acting no better than the yakitori man!

   When Inosuke took another sizable bite of udon, the others could hear the insects' exoskeletons grating against his teeth.

   Zenitsu cringed so viscerally he thought he might pull a muscle. "Tanjiro, please! You have to stop him!" he begged, tugging at his checkered haori with desperation. "He only listens to you!"

    Tanjiro gulped down a mouthful of udon. "I can't say I find it...appetizing, but you have to remember he grew up eating them. They're probably good to him!"

    "Stop enabling him! That can't possibly be good for him, anyway!" Zenitsu nearly started to cry when he heard another repugnant crunch from Inosuke's direction.

    "I mean, they are edible, so..?" Tanjiro smiled sheepishly.

    Zenitsu lowered his voice. "Friends don't let friends eat bugs! This is what love does to you. They start eating bugs and you just—you just let them! Listen to yourself!" He waved his arms around as he spoke, bowl teetering in his lap.

    Inosuke was pleasantly oblivious to the conversation as he scarfed down his udon with glee.

   "He's nearly done," Tanjiro sighed. "I know it's odd, but just let him finish it."

    "You are too far in, my friend." Zenitsu shook his head, then sipped some broth from his bowl, doing his best to ignore Inosuke's gnashing.

    After they had finished their meal, Tanjiro stacked up their bowls and brought them back to the food stand. "Please excuse my friend. I had no idea he would do that to your udon."

    "I don't even want them back knowing those bugs were in one of them!" The vendor held his hands up in front of his face. "I can't possibly serve food like that!"

    Tanjiro felt awful, having rendered three perfectly good udon bowls unusable for the vendor. They were handmade pottery pieces, and nice ones at that. "How can I make it up to you?" he asked, a bit nervously.

    The man sighed. "You could buy some more udon, and don't add anything this time! If your friend wants more seasonings I have them here." He gestured to his workspace.

    Tanjiro's hunger was satisfied, but his empathy overtook his judgment and he agreed. Once they'd been prepared, he brought two more bowls back to the bench, walking carefully so as not to spill any broth. "Either of you want to share this with me? No bugs allowed, though."

    "Boooo," Inosuke jeered. "Gimme." He took a bowl from Tanjiro and began to slurp the broth.

    "Zenitsu?" Tanjiro offered the other bowl in his direction.

    "No thanks, I'm all set." He stood and stretched, letting the sunshine warm his face.

    Tanjiro looked down at his bowl. It was noticeably larger than the first. Well, here goes nothing, he told his reflection.

——————

With their flask refilled, the boys were back on the trail. Tanjiro's heart seemed to pound both from the heat and his overindulgence; his belly sticking out much farther than usual. Rubbing it to soothe himself as nausea crept near, he wished he could lay down for a recovery nap.

    Zenitsu and Inosuke appeared to feel fine, walking just as briskly as they had when the day began. Tanjiro's last intention was to slow them down, but despite his best efforts, he could hardly keep up. Yet, soon enough, the last town disappeared behind them.

    "That udon was awesome!" Inosuke declared, patting his stomach.

    "Yeah, maybe without the bugs!" Zenitsu cried.

    "You should try one someday." He smirked and gently punched Zenitsu's shoulder. "You can fry 'em, you know! And dip 'em in sauce!"

    "What an offer," Zenitsu gagged, slapping Inosuke's arm away. "I think I'll pass."

    "That's why your muscles are so small!" Inosuke taunted, relentlessly pinching Zenitsu's arms until he shrieked.

    The two continued their banter as Tanjiro only lost speed. I have to keep up... He choked down some stomach acid. But I feel so sick... He drank some water from his flask, but it only made things worse. It wasn't long before he stumbled off the path to vomit in the surrounding field.

    Hearing his retching, Zenitsu and Inosuke turned around, both startled by how far he had fallen behind. Once he had nothing left to cough up, Tanjiro trudged back to the trail, a cold sweat engulfing the back of his neck. He felt absolutely humiliated, sensing the others' eyes on him.

    "You okay?" Zenitsu called out, cupping a hand to his mouth to amplify his voice.

    All at once, Nezuko felt much heavier than usual. Tanjiro lethargically fell to his knees. The blazing sun had finally gotten to him. This can't get any worse, he thought as the impact shot through his thighs.

    Inosuke was already barreling towards him to help, with Zenitsu in tow.

    Though unsure of what to say, Inosuke helped Tanjiro slide his arms through the box straps so he could take it off. He cautiously set it on the ground, worried the door would swing open if he were to move too hastily.

    "What happened? You eat too much?" Zenitsu coaxed, rubbing Tanjiro's upper back. Noticing the gesture, Inosuke became rather jealous, but kept it to himself as he knew logically it was only meant to comfort him.

Tanjiro nodded, squinting so hard with distress that his eyes were nearly closed. "We need to keep walking," he groaned, "But I feel terrible."

    "Drink some more water," Zenitsu encouraged him.

    "But I just threw up...we share that." He grimaced.

    "Um..." his hand froze in place at Tanjiro's back. "Pour it, I guess."

    Tanjiro nodded and took his flask out again. He poured some water into his mouth a bit sloppily, though most of it made it down.

    Inosuke piped up. "I know! If Kotatsu can carry your box, I can carry you on my back!"

    Zenitsu looked at him with a raised eyebrow. It was unusual for Inosuke to offer up assistance unprovoked. And he was almost positive he was calling him the wrong name on purpose at this point.

    "It's the least I can do for my underling!" Inosuke deflected.

    Tanjiro felt uneasy. He couldn't believe he might have to get so close to Inosuke in such a sickly state. He tried to think of an excuse. "I can't make you do that, Zenitsu..."

    Zenitsu puffed his chest out. "I would be honored to carry Nezuko! I know she'll be light as a feather!" He had no trouble securing her box on his back. "See?" He trotted a tight circle for good measure. "I'll be just fine!"

    So much for that. Tanjiro looked up at Inosuke, who promptly crouched before him.

   "I got it from here."

    "I'll be so heavy, though," Tanjiro hesitated.

    "You sayin' I'm that weak?" Inosuke scoffed. "Get on, already!" He was secretly looking forward to carrying Tanjiro, even though it would make for a more difficult walk. The thought of the muscle he'd gain kept him adamant.

    "Okay." Tanjiro awkwardly positioned himself on Inosuke's back.

Inosuke stood, hoisting him up farther for an easier grip. Tanjiro yelped and wrapped his arms around his shoulders for balance. Wanting so badly to impress him, Inosuke set off with big strides.

    "See?" he beamed, "We won't waste any time!"

    "Thanks, Inosuke," he whispered, resting his chin in the crook of his neck. Inosuke hurried along, hoping to tire out the butterflies in his stomach. He was sure if he exerted himself enough, he wouldn't be able to feel them.

    "Hey now, we don't need to walk that fast!" Zenitsu shouted after them, jogging to stay in their vicinity.

——————

    The sun hung low in the sky as the boys made it to their rest stop for the night.

   Though he'd never admit it aloud, Inosuke was indeed sore from the couple hours of carting his friend around. Tanjiro had insisted he was feeling much better after one, but Inosuke was too stubborn to accept his word.

   Even with getting a break from his usual duty of carrying Nezuko, Tanjiro's back ached terribly, and he couldn't wait to lay down.

Zenitsu's bangs clung to his forehead with sweat. He had never carried Nezuko's box for as long as he had today.

   As soon as the first inn was spotted, the group shuffled inside. They were far too worn out for price comparisons. Tanjiro paid for a room for the night, which they found shortly after.

When the door shut behind them, Inosuke threw himself facedown on the tatami.

   Zenitsu set down Nezuko's box and plopped next to it, resting his arm and head atop it.

   Tanjiro lay between his friends, sighing as his back decompressed so nicely it felt as if he was sinking into the floor. "What a day," he groaned, after they had relaxed for a long, quiet moment.

    A few knocks resonated from inside Nezuko's box.

   Zenitsu unlatched the door, breaking its seal. "You can come out now," he assured her. "We're in our room. The sun's setting, anyway."

    Nezuko's catlike pupil peered through the opening to examine the scene before the door swung out on its hinges. She crawled along the floor, pointed nails tapping against the tatami, and seated herself between him and Tanjiro.

Zenitsu's heart glowed at the sight of her. "You're so pretty, Nezuko," he sighed with an openmouthed smile.

    You're so sweaty, she thought, shocked by the state of his hair. Even so, she rested her head on his shoulder in thanks. Zenitsu planted a kiss on the top of her head.

    "Gross," Inosuke joked, forcing a gagging noise. He hadn't stopped poking fun at them since they made things official the month before.

    "You're just jealous because I have a beautiful girlfriend and you don't," Zenitsu said, nose upturned.

    "Why would I want a—" he seemed to choke on his words, then went quiet.

    Zenitsu bit his lip in discomfort, looking down at his lap.

   Tanjiro counted himself lucky to be lying on his back rather than facing the others. He decided to let his eyes fall shut for good measure. The more unbothered he came across, the better.

   Nezuko offered a sympathetic smile in Inosuke's direction, doing her best to ease the tension. He cleared his throat.

    "I'd say it's time for a bath; what do we think?" Zenitsu piped up, voice cracking.

    Well-settled in his place, Tanjiro answered, "You guys can go first."

    "But they're communal," he clarified, "There was a sign out front. You can come with—"

    Tanjiro lifted his head to glare at him, eyes intense as molten iron. I cannot take a bath with Inosuke right now.

    Zenitsu coughed. "Oh, yeah! I forgot you were sick today. You wanna lay down for a while, right?"

    "Yeah, I do, thanks." That was close. "I'll go after you guys."

    Inosuke was glad they weren't going to bathe together. With how odd he felt around Tanjiro lately, he could use a moment to himself.

    "Let's go, then!" Zenitsu stood and stretched before making his way to the door.

   Inosuke set his mask on the floor and he and Nezuko followed suit.

   "Okay, Nezuko, let's find how to get to the ladies' side for you first..." Zenitsu's voice trailed off as they walked down the hall, finally silenced by the door swinging shut behind them.

    Tanjiro released the breath he'd been unknowingly holding. He's definitely into guys. Or maybe he's just not into demons? Would that even matter to him? Nezuko really is beautiful...and the two of