Chapter Text
When he returned from his mission it was late, closer to the next morning than the one previous. He never liked being near people of any kind, only tolerating those closest to him, so this solitude was more than fine with him. People were too loud, too noisy, and too cruel, he always preferred to be on his own, in the background. He’d rather have everyone but the two he loved most disappear.
Since it was so late he wasn’t expecting anyone to be up to greet him, maybe some men getting an early start to the work day, but nothing more. What he didn’t expect, however, was the strong scent of blood and smoke, that when he finally reached the edge of town there would be nothing but gore and carnage. People he hadn’t given the time to really get to know but had grown accustomed to seeing in his day to day life laid about covered in so much blood, their bodies long frozen over with death's cold grip; the houses surrounding the middle of town were in flames, almost completely destroyed. Looking up from the horrors in front of him, he spotted a huge, billowing cloud of smoke far in the distance. Right where the one place he could have ever called home was, right where the two people he could have ever really considered family lived.
As panic set in, he broke out into a dead sprint, praying to the gods above that they were alive, that for once could they please just let this small piece of happiness survive.
A small sound of glass breaking could be heard deep in his heart as, once again, his fragile box of happiness was mercilessly cracked.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was early, too early in fact. It’s early enough for no one else in the world to be up, only the hidden ghosts of the past there to send him off. The sun was still sleeping herself, yet to bless the lands with her pleasant warmth. He picked this time to get up for a reason, he didn’t want anybody to send him off, didn’t want to be hugged, nor the tearful “have a safe trip” from the people he begrudgingly cared about. However, when you lived with not one but two people with stupidly acute hearing it was near impossible to sneak out. The telltale sounds of small feet quickly approaching, the light but loud stomping on the wooden floors an indication that someone had noticed his missing heartbeat. The one he least wanted to know…
He had just finished putting his sandals on, standing up straight and proud, about to make his quick escape when something light, lighter than it ever should be, no matter how much he or Master made him eat, rammed right into his back.
“NII-CHAN DON’T GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'' screamed Zenitsu, clinging to Kaigaku’s middle with his arms, his shorter legs wrapped around the older teen's own like some kind of koala, babyface already a mess of snot and tears as he cried hard enough that his body shook. This was the last thing he needed, an overly distressed omega clinging to him. He sighed aggressively, taking deep breaths and even using the counting method the blond taught him to calm down, but as the wails continued to grow in volume it was all for naught.
“Let go of me, you dumbass!” Kaigaku yelled back, grabbing the back of the omega’s sleepwear, trying to pull him off. But Zenitsu held on; whenever he was distressed he gained this tremendous strength.
“Why couldn’t he use this while training?” pondered Kaigaku as he stared at the trembling kid in his grasp.
“No! No nononononono!! I refuse!! I REFUSE!!!” The omega cried out, wiping his snot all over Kaigaku’s pants like the nasty ass child that he was.
“Wh-what if you get lost and never find your way back???? What if you get really hurt!!! Or lose a limb!!! WHAT IF YOU DIE!!!!! I DON’T WANT THAT!!! YOU CAN'T DIE NII-CHAN, PLEASE DON’T GOOO!!!”. His screams pittered into a pathetic whine as he gripped on even tighter, the scent of fear palpable on the alpha’s tongue. Kaigaku’s turquoise eyes softened just slightly but then he remembered the snot soaking into his pants and he went right back to glaring at him.
“I’m not gonna die, stupid! Unlike you I know what I’m doing and I know how to do it well! And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'Nii-chan'?”. The alpha sighed, irritated at having to deal with such a high-strung and easily stressed omega so early in the goddamn morning, even though it was his fault that this was even happening. Surely if he had just waited until they were all awake the elder of the house would have lessened the omega’s panicking, making this whole process easier to handle.
The pair were too engrossed with their back and forth to notice the old man who had made his way over to the genkan, whose eyebrow was twitching at the display before him. That was, until they both felt his wrath in the form of a swift and hard hit to the head with the top of his wooden cane. The omega let go of Kaigaku to grab his head and roll around the floor screaming in pain.
“Shut up! Do you know what time it is?!” Jigoro scolded as he lowered his cane. Huffing, he knelt down and pat the sniffling omega’s head. “Zenitsu, you know I wouldn’t be sending him off if I wasn’t positive that he was ready.” Kaigaku smirked as he watched Zenitsu get scolded but it quickly faded once his Master looked at him. “And you! What do you think you’re doing? Leaving before we can even say goodbye? No manners I swear…” He pointed his cane at the young alpha. “And your brother has every right to be worried, even if his method of showing it is a little... much, it’s only natural considering what you’re leaving for.” He motioned for Kaigaku to bend down, and patted his head once he did. Kaigaku blushed and let out a deep scowled, he wasn’t a child who needed their head patted dammit! It didn't matter how he actually lived for those moments, how he was loving the attention and didn't bother to move or stop the elder from doing it. He’d honestly rather die than let them know he loved them and the affection they willingly gave to him.
“You’re lucky we heard you sneaking out! Otherwise you would have missed out on the surprise Zenitsu made ya!” The omega in question shot up from his spot on the floor, quickly nodding his head at Jigoro’s words.
“Right!!” Zenitsu reached into his yukata and pulled out a small charm, its fabric the same warm sunset gradient that Jigoro had forced upon him, an opposite to the cold storm gradient he was assigned.
“It’s for good luck! I made it myself with some help from Jii-chan…” he blushed, lightly holding it out to Kaigaku. “Jii-chan and I scented it too, sooo if you ever get lonely or something you can, ya know…” he trailed off, waiting for his senior to take it, big honey-golden eyes looking hopeful, a small, shy smile on his lips.
Kaigaku stared at the offending object, an uncomfortably warm feeling filling his chest, his eyes stinging the tiniest bit. When was the last time someone had done something like that for him? Never? The only thing remotely close was the time his mother left him the choker he’d been wearing since he learned to tie a knot. Right before she left him all alone in a world that clearly didn’t want him.
He’d been staring for too long- Zenitsu’s arm dropped a bit, his smile faltering, the scent of disappointment and sadness pouring off of him in waves, choking the alpha. Before the omega could retract it, Kaigaku snatched it from his petite, pale hands; causing the blond to flinch at the suddenness.
“Thanks…” he whispered, turning his head to the side in a futile attempt of hide the blush adoring most of his face. The smile that bloomed on Zenitsu’s sweet, freckled face was blinding regardless; ecstatic that his brother didn’t hate his little gift. They’d really grown close that past year. Their first time meeting each other had ended with Kaigaku telling him very matter-of-factly that he hated Zenitsu’s guts, that he’d never be anything and that he should just go anywhere else. Zenitsu knew all this already, was growing numb to those words, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t hurt. A sharp knife stabbed into his heart each time someone muttered them at him.
He wasn't entirely sure what changed it, maybe one too many hits from his Master, or maybe it was because of Zenitsu's nature. As an omega, he was born to be comforting- his scent sweet and homely, hands warm and soft, voice full of unconditional affection and love; things that were surprisingly rare, especially in an orphan's life. Or maybe it was just fate. One night after another day of many failed attempts to learn the first form, Kaigaku found himself huddled in the blond’s thin arms, held like he was someone worth it, spilling his guts out to the omega and the kind moon who was watching them through the open window. Zenitsu had every right to laugh at him, an alpha with insecurities willing to cry about them, an alpha who laughed at him and his own shortcoming, who had hit him and made fun of him on any and every occasion. But he didn't. No, instead he sat there with Kaigaku, cuddling him and chasing his fears away. He didn't look at the alpha with pity or sick amusement, his golden honey eyes only filled with understanding. Once Kaigaku was done, instead of calling him weak and pathetic he just smiled sweetly at him and thanked him for being honest and for trusting him enough to talk about such deep insecurities. After that night, they learned to get along, almost like a family. Kaigaku no longer took his frustrations out by bullying Zenitsu, instead trying to open up more in the comforts of their shared room late into the night and allowing Zenitsu do the same, petting his blond locks as he cried when things became too much and his emotions overflowed.
He wasn't sure what possessed him to do any of the things he did that fateful night, but if he was thrown back in time he would do it again. If it meant he would get to see Zenitsu’s face break out into a big cheerful grin, overjoyed that his big brother accepted his gift. To have him leaped into his arms, pulling him into a tight hug as he giggled weirdly. He wouldn't want to change this for anything in the world. Things weren't perfect, and they never will be. Kaigaku was still a young alpha with anger issues, he still has his slip ups and will continue to accidentally hurt Zenitsu. But unlike before he'll apologize later when he’s calmed down, try to make up and better himself.
“Alright, alright that’s enough! You better get going before you’re late!” Jigoro interfered. Zenitsu reluctantly let go as the elder pushed Kaigaku out with his cane. The alpha nodded his head and turned around to leave, but hesitated, bringing the charm up to his nose and taking a small sniff. Zenitsu’s candied peach and tangy citrus scent mixed with Jigoro’s strong pine and fresh rain permeated the entire charm. A sob lodged in his throat at the thought of them caring so much for him.
He quickly tied the charm to the hilt of the sword he had borrowed for the final selection. With one final nod he stepped through the door, making it part way down the path before he heard his name again. Looking back at the sight before him almost made him cry for the umpthenth time today, but as a prideful alpha he held these emotions in to deal with later.
“Be safe Nii-chan! Don’t forget, we're waiting for you to come back!” Zenitsu yelled, waving his arm excitedly. “AND DON’T DIE OR I'LL CRY!!” he added on. Jigoro stood silently next to him, looking proud.
“You’ll cry either way…”
With that last thought, he turned back around and continued down the path ahead of him.
~~~~~~~~~~
It took him about a week and a half to reach Fujikasane Mountain on foot, the grounds already full of people his age or a bit older. Most were practicing their forms while others chatted among themselves. Kaigaku didn’t even take a second to look at any of them, from what Master had told him most of these kids wouldn’t be making it back anyway. He situated himself near the back, away from everyone else, and looked at the many wisteria trees surrounding them. The soft, lavender color calming his nerves as he grabbed one of the lower branches to inspect the delicate flowers more closely.
“I should bring some back to Zenitsu, he likes dumb shit like flowers.” he thought, plucking some of them off idly, dropping the now bruised petals to the ground.
He had plucked most of the branch bare when everyone suddenly stopped talking. They all moved to stand straight, facing the front where the entrance to the demon-filled forest was. He couldn’t see much from the back, but he heard the gentle, almost dreamlike voices of two young girls.
“Greetings everyone, thank you all for joining tonight’s final selection.” started one of the voices. “This mountain is filled with many demons brought back by demon slaying swordsmen. They are unable to leave.” Standing on the tips of his toes he could see them slightly, the one with black hair just finishing her talk.
“This is because halfway up the mountain wisteria blooms all year-round.” The one with white hair finished looking up towards the many trees around them, her movement slow, as if she was trapped in molasses. Kaigaku squinted his eyes to try and get a better look, not wanting to move closer to the rest of them. The twins up front were dressed in the same fancy black and white kimono, the patterns too far and too small for him to really see but he could tell they were expensive. They were also holding the same lantern, and had the same flower pin in their hair. Everything besides their hair color was the exact same. It was a little creepy if he was being honest with himself.
“However,” the black-haired one continued, “From here on out there won’t be any more wisteria to protect you. For seven nights straight you must survive to pass the final selection.” The girls‘ eyes swept the area, taking a good look at everyone but they seemed to linger on Kaigaku, staring into him and picking him apart, challenging him, calling him weak. He braved a glare back at them but the contact didn’t last long as they both bowed deeply.
“Now, let the final selection begin!” They said in sync, stepping aside to let the slayers through. It didn’t take long for every potential slayer (or meal) to run into the dark, forbidding forest ahead. He followed suit. Once past the gate, he ran in the direction the least of them took; he was not going to have some loser drag him down.
~~~~~~~~~~
The first half was uneventful- well, as uneventful as a mountain full of demons could be. Kaigaku spent his days sleeping or gathering water and whatever food he could while the nights consisted of tense movements and brutal fights. Brutal for the others, he assumed, as most of the demons he’d encountered couldn’t stand against his speed; one second they were ready to attack, the next their head was a few feet away from their body, their minds too slow to enact a proper counter move. He didn't even have to use his forms that much, thats how weak these demons were, child's play really.
It was around the fifth night that he ran into some trouble- or more like trouble ran into him. He stopped at a nearby tree, leaning against its rough bark to catch his breath. How many fucking demons were there? He had killed way more than he was expecting. The latest one got a few good hits on him too, as fatigue got to him, slowing him down. His left ankle was sprained from landing on it wrong and his nose was bleeding from one too many hits to the face. He was gonna have a black eye for sure.
He relaxed slightly, just enough to catch his breath and soothe his burning lungs, but still remained vigilant; another demon could pop up at any time. He looked up into the sky, trying to find the moon, to see how much longer he had to wait until sunrise so he could pass the fuck out already, but where he stood was too dense, the foliage concealing the beautiful night sky. He took one more deep breath then pushed himself off of the tree. He had to get moving, too dangerous to stick to one spot, especially while bleeding. Just as he took his first step, he heard screaming and frantic footsteps rushing right towards him.
Fuck.
Two other participants ran towards him with a few weak demons not far behind. He should just sneak away while he could, this was not his problem! He was about to when his conscience, which sounded eerily like Zenitsu’s high pitched whine, told him he needed to stay, needed to help them. He could also feel a phantom pain on the top of his head, where his Master would smack him with his cane for leaving them alone to die. Sighing in heavy aggravation, he turned back, stepping out right in front of them, grabbing the hilt of his sword. Taking a deep breath, he got into form- right foot in the front, left in the back, bending his right knee lightly, bending himself forward at the waist. He felt the slight, welcomed tingle from the electricity rushing through his body, manifesting around his hands and sword and waited for the two weaklings to run past him.
Breath of Thunder Third Form: Thunder Swarm
Using his good foot he pushed himself forward, once the tips of his toes were all that was left on the ground he twisted himself into a fast, counter-clockwise spin. When he was in between the three demons running his way, he pulled his sword out, using the momentum of the spin to cut the left one’s head clean off while slicing the right one’s arm off and body slamming into the third, grazing its chest with the swarm of lighting surrounding him. Landing on the ground, Kaigaku flipped himself off of the third, gritting his teeth as he landed on his bad foot a few feet away.
He held his sword in front of him, waiting for one of the others to attack first, he couldn’t make too many unnecessary movements, couldn’t make his sprain worse or use up the energy he desperately needed. The demon whose arm he had sliced off (and that had grown back) attacked first, dashing over to him, arms low, going for a slash to his stomach. The alpha raised his sword up, left elbow high, holding the hilt to the sky while the blade ran diagonally across his face. He stared the oncoming demon down and waited until the last second for his own attack.
Breath of Thunder Fifth Form: Heat Lightning
Kaigaku quickly dodged to the left, his arms straightening out to keep the blade in the demon's path. Using the demon’s momentum against it, he twisted his own body at the waist, slicing forward as the demon continued running where Kaigaku used to be, effectively helping slice its own head off. Two down, one to go. He whipped his blade down, cleaning the demon blood off of it. Turning his head to the last demon, he was surprised and very suspicious as to why it hadn’t yet attacked. They would have had a better chance if they both went at him. However, when he looked in the direction where the demon had been, he saw nothing but empty space. Where the fuck did it go?
Sweat dripped down Kaigaku’s brow. He was already close to his limit and his last attack making the air around him humid and heavy didn’t help at all. He stayed where he was, focusing on his hearing- it wasn’t anywhere near as good as Zenitsu’s or Master’s, but it was better than most thanks to his training. He listened closely, his eyes closed. Everything had a sound, and nothing was ever silent. Taking small breaths he willed himself to quiet down and just listen.
Above him he could hear the leaves rustle in the wind, but the ones directly above him were moving more so. That’s where the bastard was, huh? He looked right and then left, making it seem as if he was still looking for the missing demon. He gave a light shrug and acted like he was going to leave, putting his sword back into its sheath. Just as he had made his first step, he could hear the demon jump down, thinking he’d caught Kaigaku off guard. Grabbing his sword hilt again, he prepared himself.
Breath of Thunder Sixth Form: Rumble-
“BREATH OF WATER FIRST FORM: WATER SURFACE SLASH!!” came a deep voice from behind. Some alpha with a pink mullet, a fox mask, and an ugly ass green and yellow yukata came barreling through, effortlessly killing the demon above Kaigaku. Some of the water from his attack hit Kaigaku in the face, its cool temperature welcoming to his overheated skin, but he couldn’t appreciate it due to the sheer disbelief and anger rising up in his chest. He violently twisted himself to fully face the bastard, wanting to have a few choice words with the fox boy. But he left as quickly as he came, leaving Kaigaku with an overwhelming feeling of irritation. That fucking bastard!
“I DIDN’T NEED YOUR HELP, PINKIE!” he yelled in the direction the teen had left in. if he wasn’t pissed before about having to deal with some other kids’ mess he was fucking beyond angry now. How dare that fox fucker think he could show up all “heroic” and shit, stealing Kaigaku’s kill. He swore if he ever saw the pink-haired bitch again he was gonna throw hands. Huffing, he put his blade away and made his way in the other direction. He was too tired for this shit.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was finally over- seven days of complete hell done. Kaigaku wanted nothing more than to sleep for a month, but he had a week-and-a-half trip back home ahead of him. He slowly made his way back to the clearing surrounded by wisteria. Upon reaching it, his turquoise eyes widened in surprise; it seemed like everyone had survived. The clearing was just as full as it was the first day. Which was bullshit- he had seen firsthand how weak some of those slayers were, had to rescue some even! It didn’t take long for the two girls from before to show up again and congratulate everyone on surviving.
“It seems this time we only had one death. Good job everyone, you’ll all be great slayers.” said the black haired one, bowing to them. Only one? Who, who was it that bit the dust? Kaigaku looked around, trying to see if he could tell who hadn’t made it, but he didn’t bother memorizing any of them beforehand, so he had no idea. He was going to look around a bit more before the white-haired twin began her talk. She spoke about payment for uniforms and measurement, all things Kaigaku didn’t really care about. He just wanted to grab his special alloy and get his stupid crow and finally go home. Master had already told him most of what he needed to know anyway. So he tuned them out, trying once more to figure out who the unlucky one that had perished was.
“From now on, a Kasugaigarasu will be following you.” she said before clapping. A huge murder of crows flew down, landing on their respective slayers. What landed on Kaigaku, though, was not a crow, no. Instead, it was a small blue jay, standing straight and proud on his shoulder. Of course, of course he wasn’t good enough for a crow, of course he had to get a small fucking bird, of course he had to be different from everyone else. He growled at it lowly trying to scare it off only for it to glare back at him letting out a sharp cry of its own.
“These will be used for communication, for sending letters to other slayers, reports to the Master and for receiving new missions.” she continued, face blank. “Now, if you look over here, we have the alloy for your new personal Nichirin Blade, these blades will protect you and others, as it's the only weapon able to kill a demon.” she pointed to the side where a table was laid, a heap of black alloy placed on top of it. Everyone made their way over to it, trying to figure out which alloy would be best for them. Kaigaku didn’t care, he roughly pushed his way through and grabbed the first one he saw, handing it over to the girls so they could hand it to whoever smiths them. With that, he was fucking done. He got what he needed and was done with this shit. Without a word to his fellow slayers, he left the way he came, only a small thought lingering in the back of his mind.
Where the fuck was Pinkie?
~~~~~~~~~~
He felt like he was actually dying. His ankle had to be close to broken at this point, as he had not taken any time to properly dress the wound. His breathing was labored and he felt lightheaded. He was sure Master would yell at him for not taking care of himself, but he’d deal with that when it came. His eyelids felt heavy and he had to actively fight them to stay open. How much longer until he was back home? He was about to give in, to fall onto the dirt for a quick nap when he saw the outskirts of town on the horizon.
“Thank fuck…” he thought, feeling more awake and quickening his pace just a bit. He ignored the townsfolk who greeting him and asking him if he was okay, eyes focused on the hut on the edge of town and its huge orchard of peach trees. Where his family was, waiting for his return. His ankle screamed at him to slow down, to stop and rest, but he wouldn’t listen, not when the one thing he was thinking about this entire time was right within his sight.
Zenitsu was carrying a basket full of laundry, but abruptly stopped and turned, looking right at Kaigaku. The alpha took a stance, feet grounded and arms open, preparing for the now-sprinting blond making his way over, the basket he was holding now laid forgotten on the ground. The impact made them skid a couple feet back, but Kaigaku kept standing upright, against all odds.
“NII-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU’RE ALIVE!!! YOU MADE IT BACK, I’M SO HAPPY!!!” The omega screamed once he was in Kaigaku arms, his face a horrid mess of snot and tears. Wrapping his arms around Kaigaku’s neck and his legs around his waist, he held on tight, crying harder. The alpha hugged him back, burying his nose into Zenitsu’s neck and taking a whiff, candied peaches invading his senses. The charm he was given lost most of their scents the third day during the final selection, so sniffing it right from the source overpowered his senses a bit. He pushed his head forward until they were neck to neck, scenting the omega and being scented back. It’s not something he usually does, but he'd allowed himself this sign of affection.
The brothers were too wrapped up in each other to notice their Master making his way towards them until he patted Kaigaku on the back. Changing his attention to his Master, he was greeted with a big and proud grin.
“Welcome back, my boy! I knew you could do it!” his grin got even wider at Kaigaku’s blush. “You look like shit though, let’s get ya inside.” He jerked his head towards the house, leaving before either boy could reply. Making sure Zenitsu was sacured he followed doing his best not towince each time he put pressure on his bad foot.
Once inside he removed his sandals, and pulled off Zenitsu’s, knowing the omega wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. That was, until Master yelled at him.
“Zenitsu! Let go of the damn boy, he’s injured and exhausted! Why don’t you make him something to eat? I’m sure he ain’t had an actual meal in a long time.” He gently chopped the back of the blond’s head. Zenitsu reluctantly let go and got down, wiping his face with his sleeve and sniffling disgustingly. Once his face was close to clean, he looked at Kaigaku determinedly.
“I’ll make you the best meal of your life, just watch!!” he fixed his long sleeves so they weren’t in his way as he made his way over to the cooking supplies. Kaigaku snorted at his behavior but didn’t comment on it, more than happy to let the omega spoil him. its honestly the least he desrevd for all the bullshit he delt with.
“Why don’t you wash up and change while Zenitsu is cooking?” Jigoro suggested- well more like demanded. Kaigaku nodded and excused himself to the washroom. He took a long time in there, scrubbing away weeks’ worth of sweat and grime and whatever else he was covered in, taking care around his wounds, as they were still tender. He forwent a soak for the time being, afraid he’d fall asleep, and made his way to his shared room to get dressed in his sleepwear.
Returning the the big living space he was greeted with the mouthwatering smell of deliciously prepared food, his stomach letting out a loud growl.
“Come sit, boy.” Jigoro patted the spot next to him. Kaigaku took the seat and reached for the food in front of him, but his wrist was swiftly slapped. “Not yet, let me treat your wounds first.” His Master scolded, patting his lap. “Bring me that ankle, I saw ya limping the entire time you were walking.” The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes as he lay his swollen ankle on his Master’s lap, wincing slightly. He heard Zenitsu gasp dramatically.
“Why didn’t you say anything?! I wouldn’t have made you carry me if I knew! Stupid alpha!!” Zenitsu scolded, hitting his shoulder.
“Oh please, like you would listen to me anyway! You were too busy crying like a baby to pay attention to my injuries.” He spat back with no real heat, knocking the fist hitting him away. Zenitsu just huffed angrily, pouting at his older brother.
“I so would listen! It’s my specialty ya know!” he retorted, crossing his arms and turning away from the others. His little tantrum wouldn’t last, however, as he quickly turned back to take a peek at what Jigoro was doing, cringing slightly when he caught a glimpse at the very swollen ankle. “Is it broken?” he asked timidly, worry shading his features.
“Nah, it’s just sprained badly and overused, why didn’t you wrap it yourself, you idiot? You’re lucky it didn’t break, do I have to whack some common sense into ya?” he wrapped it a little too tightly, but Kaigaku chose not to say anything about it.
“I was a little busy you know, with all those demons running amuck there wasn’t much time for me to wrap it.” he answered, knowing if he didn’t he would get smacked. He heard his Master let out a small “tsk” before feeling his fist collide with the top of his head.
“Moron! You could have done it during the day, or before your trip back! If you’re gonna make excuses at least make them believable!” He yelled, hitting the young alpha once again, for good measure. He finished the last of the wrap, tying it tightly. “Any more serious injuries you’re trying to hide?” he asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Kaigaku shook his head.
“No, my ankle got the worst of it.” He replied. Seemingly satisfied, Jigoro let him take his leg back. “Can I eat now, or do you have more you wanna yell about?” he asked, annoyed. He was starving to death over here; the last thing he ate were some measly tree nuts.
“No, we can talk more tomorrow, I can hear how exhausted you are.” He pointed to the still steaming food. “Eat to your heart’s content, boy, you deserve it!” Jigoro grinned at him, with that over with, he dug in. It was probably the best meal he ever had in his life, and he wasted no time shoving as much as he could into his mouth. Without even looking, he knew Zenitsu had a huge smile plastered on his face, glad that Kaigaku was enjoying the food he made.
As he ate, Kaigaku relaxed, letting his guard down, and just lettting himself exist. Zenitsu’s rambled on about what he did while Kaigaku was gone or about any new gossip in town he overheard. As he listened, he thought back to the time when, whenever Zenitsu even dared to open his mouth, he would yell at the omega to shut up or glare at him till he did. He thought about how he would close himself off to these little moments of peace. About how cold and guarded he had been around these two, they had been nothing more than a teacher and a nuisance to him, people he would deal with until he could leave and then never think of again. And yet, they’d somehow wormed themselves into his heart, making a home in there to stay for as long as Kaigaku was alive. For once, he felt actual happiness. He allowed himself a small smile as he continued to eat, half-listening to the actual words coming out of Zenitsu’s mouth, mostly just enjoying the sound of his slightly raspy voice.