Opposites - Inosuke x Zenitsu

6. Big mistake

Inosuke's POV:

Zenitsu started sobbing now. "Zen-Zenitsu?" I asked cautiously. Had I done something? But Zenitsu didn't look up. On the contrary, he buried his face in his hands. I wasn't very good at dealing with actions or words, to be honest. Truth be told, I wasn't even good at dealing with myself. I didn't know what to do, feel, or think. My mind was completely blank, and my heart was pounding heavily in my chest.

But the longer I looked at Zenitsu crying, the sadder I became myself. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: 'I don't want to see Zenitsu cry!' Why was I thinking something like that?! Since when am I so... sentimental? And since when do I know such a difficult word like 'sentimental'? Either I'm slowly turning into a softie... or maybe I am... Oh well! I can think about everything and everyone later! What should I do now? I mean, Zenitsu cries like every 10 seconds, but this crying was somehow... different. He seemed deeply sad about something I had no idea about. I could even feel his sadness!

Without knowing what I was doing right, I took a quick step towards Zenitsu and hugged him. This was the first time for me to independently hug someone. I had no clue if what I was doing was right or if I was making things worse, but it somehow felt... right.

One of my arms wrapped around Zenitsu's waist, and my other hand gently stroked his hair. I was a bit taller than him, so I rested my head on top of his. I didn't want to mess things up or potentially make it worse, but as I said, it just felt right. And, it actually worked!

Zenitsu's sobbing became quieter, and he eventually wrapped his arms around my upper body. After a few minutes, Zenitsu finally stopped crying. "I-Inosuke?" he asked with a trembling voice. He loosened his grip, and I did the same. Maybe he would tell me now why he had been crying.

Zenitsu's POV:

Without knowing the real reason, I had to start crying. No, no, Zenitsu! Don't be such a crybaby! Although, I'd be really surprised if my crying even matters to Inosuke. I cry like every few seconds over every little thing, and Inosuke probably doesn't take me seriously right now. Even though this time it was really serious.

Yeah. Inosuke did absolutely nothing. I buried my face in my palms when I realized that my pathetic, scared self probably deserved it. But suddenly, Inosuke took a quick step towards me and just hugged me. I was so surprised by his actions that I momentarily fell silent.

Inosuke was so warm and soft. He wrapped one arm around my waist, and with his other hand, he gently stroked my hair. In that moment, I was just so damn glad he was there for me. Above all, I never expected him to react like this!

He eventually rested his head on mine, and I felt his hot breath on my slightly damp neck. I hugged him back with trembling arms as I gradually calmed down. I pressed my tear-streaked face against Inosuke's warm chest.

My head was right at the level of his wildly pounding heart. Just from his heartbeat, I grew calmer and calmer. But even after calming down, I still wanted to stay in this wonderful embrace for a little longer. I really should enjoy this. Not only was this most likely the first time Inosuke ever hugged someone like this, but I also got to be the one he hugged!

He seemed a bit tense, and I could hear him breathing heavily and trembling, but I didn't mind. "I-Inosuke?" I finally asked with a trembling voice. Slowly, we separated from each other. Inosuke was closely following every one of my movements with a serious expression.

He definitely needed to know why I suddenly started crying. With a disturbed breath and uncontrolled shivering, I finally confessed why I had suddenly broken down in just a second; "I-Inosuke..." I started, my voice faltering towards the end.

I could sense his uncertainty through his loudly pounding heart and his though quiet but fast breathing. I felt sorry that he was in such an uncomfortable situation because of me, and I felt guilty.

I wanted to break into tears again and return to Inosuke's comforting embrace, the person I thought I despised. Just 24 hours ago, I thought Inosuke was a dumb asshole and the last person on the planet I wanted to have anything to do with. Could it be that I fell in love with him during the battle because he protected me?

Or had Inosuke always been more than just an idiotic friend to me? I think I've actually had feelings for him for a while, but I just never understood it. I was so foolish. We always used to insult each other, and now? And now, I stand here, having kissed him just a few seconds ago!

But that was the problem, and I really wanted Inosuke to know why I had this kind of breakdown. After blinking away my tears for a few seconds, I began speaking again. "Inosuke... I'm sorry... I think... that was... a... a big mistake..."