Work Text:
Tamayo remembered in her second year of High school. She cried at the tip of a hat for weeks. At 17 she remembered most of her life. She remembered the husband and children she lost, her rage at that man, her hand in a cure to demonism. She remembered it all.
Except for one face. A man who helped her for years, a man she saved and now she couldn’t even think of his name let alone his face!
Kie was a stubborn girl and after marrying Kamado Tanjuro that hadn’t changed in the slightest. Her husband was a small time actor, he was sickly but played his part well. Her sister had always wanted to be an artist and he pushed her to do so.
Her sister’s first entry at a gallery was a joyful thing. Holding little Rokuta on her hip while she greeted other artists Kie was beaming. Tamayo had come along to support her sister’s endeavor.
That’s where she finally remembered the man who stayed by her side so long.
A large section was full of portraits. The same woman over and over again.
A woman with her face.
She barely heard her sister ask if she was okay before she was looking around. Kie never fully understood but she believed Tamayo when she had told her. Now she just had to hope her sister would understand why she was rushing out of the building after a man she’d barely seen.
That’s why he’d looked so hurt. He didn’t know she remembered, but he knew it was her.
Tamayo caught him as he was walking to his car. He looked at her with such panic she wanted to cry. Well she was already crying, but it made her feel worse than she already did.
“Yushiro,” she barely managed to choke out his name. His entire form collapsed as he let out a sob. How she could ever forget him she had no idea. Maybe this was the universe trying to make her choose between him and the family she had once lost.
She couldn’t even feel remorse at the fact that she was choosing him.
He opened his mouth, ready to tell her what she already knew. Instead she grabbed his face and beat him to it, “I love you. I’m sorry I was gone so long.”