Work Text:
Giyuu was laying in a beautiful meadow, located near the master’s home; and was where Giyuu would often head after hashira meetings.
Especially meetings where everyone found out about the boy and his demon sister giyuu let live, and where everyone yells about killing them and have him face the repercussions.
It was all figured out though, Nezuko proved her resilience, Tanjiro was able to remain a corp member, and Giyuu swore that if Nezuko ate a human he would commit Seppuku.
Yeah…
The grass around Giyyed swayed slowly, brushing and poking his skin; the wind pushed the smell of pollen and earth into his nose. He sighed, focusing on the sound of grass brushing together, of wind blowing through the greenery, of birds chirping quietly, and the steps of someone slowly approaching him.
Giyuu quickly sat upright, almost yelling when he saw Shinazugawa standing a few feet away from him.
Shinazugawa’s hands were balled into firsts and held stiffly at his sides, his eyes were wide and angry, his face tight and red. His mouth twisted into a scowl.
At first Giyuu was worried that the other man would try to fight him, but Shinazugawa huffed and spun around, quickly storming off, muttering something under his breath.
‘I wonder what that’s about.’
Giyuu sighed looking up at the sky, which was a beautiful melt of colors as the sun lowered past the horizon.
***
It was dark when Giyuu arrived at his estate.
Even now the words his estate tasted bitter in his mouth. The large home didn’t feel like a home, with its barren and empty, cold walls.
He shouldn’t have this estate, it should belong Sabito or a different water breather with more potential.
Nevertheless, this was his only place of residence, so he continued to stay there; instead leaving the walls and rooms empty, making sure no trace of the ‘false water pillar’ was left behind.
A caw and a slow flap of wings brought Giyuu’s attention to the sky, His crow —Kanzaburo was winging towards him.
Giyuu stuck his arm out, allowing the elderly crow to land on his arm and scratching the top of his head affectionately.
Kanzaburo ruffled his wings, cawing out a new mission for Giyuu.
“Giyuu Tomioka… you’re called to a mission alongside Sanemi… Shinazugawa… Demon sightings around Mount Yūrei no mori…”
Giyuu frowned, a mission with Shinazugawa would probably be far from preferred; but giyuu didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter.
And so The water pillar gathered a few supplies and headed out to the location Kanzaburo had given him.
The old crow flying slowly above him.
***
The moon was high in the sky when giyuu made it to the base of the Mount Yūrei no mori.
The giant mountain was covered in a looming forest, that evoked many rumors and stories about restless souls and yokais prowling the mountain; killing whoever tried to enter and trapping their souls there forever.
Giyuu was a skeptical person when it came to folk tales; but he still shivered thinking about his soul being trapped on a mountain.
A crunch of wood made Giyuu’s turn around, where he saw Sanemi standing there frowning.
“Hello Shinazugawa.” Giyuu’s voice was clear in the quiet night and sanemi squirmed slightly.
“Yeah yeah, hello to you too. Now let’s just get this done.” Sanemi pushed ahead of giyuu, who watched him walk ahead and sighed, slowly walking after him.
***
The two had been walking for an hour when they finally found something.
The body of a woman discarded against a tree, her head and a few of her limbs brutally torn off; the rest off her body left to rest in a puddle of her own blood.
Giyuu scanned the area around them as Sanemi buried the woman’s corpse putting her to rest.
The demon had to be nearby, just which direction it had gone was what giyuu was trying to figure out.
“Tomioka look out!” Sanemi’s voice tore across the quiet night, shocking Giyuu— who whipped around jumping away from a flying spit of fire, which splayed across the ground and snuffed out.
The attack came from a large figure that was now running top speed towards the two slayers.
The thing looked like a man that had been brutally beaten. His once nice haori and kimono was now shredded and soaked in blood; it also appeared to have burn marks on it. It growled at them and stuck its hands out, its palms slowly glowing brighter and brighter until red hot fire shot out at the pillars; who managed to dodge the attack.
At least they knew where the demon was now.
Giyuu landed swiftly, twisting around and unsheathing his sword, gracefully planting his feet and launching himself forward; swiping an attack and cutting off the demons hands. preventing it from another fire attack.
Giyuu landed next to Sanemi who was now alert, his sword drawn and pointed towards the demon, who was shrieking in anger.
Giyuu rushed forward, trying to get behind the demon and slash its neck; but it whipped around and forcefully kicked giyuu, slamming him into a tree and forcing all the air out of his lungs.
Giyuu hit the ground coughing, trying to draw in deep breaths while Sanemi kept the demon’s attention away from Giyuu.
Once giyuu recovered he could see that Sanemi was doing some good damage to the demon. It was missing an arm —which it was slowly regenerating, and its attacks were slow and sluggish; which was thanks to the gash across sanemi’s arm, crimson mariachi blood spilling from the wound and seeping into the dirt of the forest floor.
Giyuu crouched low, taking in a deep breath and launching himself forward, twisting his body and cleanly slashing its neck; the demon’s head thudded against the ground, immediately beginning to disintegrate.
As he landed and sheathed his sword, Giyuu blew out a breath, the pressure in his chest dissipating; they had won. They were safe for another night.
Now to deal with the other situation.
He reached into a sleek pocket —in which he had concealed some bandages and other medical necessities and stepped forward, kneeling beside sanemi, who was sitting down panting and inspecting the slash on his arm.
Giyuu tsked as he took Sanemi’s arm and carefully wrapped it with bandages, blood and sweat seeping into the cloth.
“We could have gone without you slashing your arm.” Giyuu’s voice was edged with worry, despite his attempt to fill it with dissatisfaction and frustration.
Sanemi gawked before snapping back, “what the fuck, we wouldn’t have won this fight if I hadn’t. Are you that upset that I helped? You slashed the demon’s neck tomioka, get the fuck over yourself and accept you can’t do all of this on your own.”
shock sizzled through Giyuu. What was he talking about? Giyuu wasn’t even remotely upset that Sanemi had helped him win the fight, it was their duty.
“What? No, you shouldn’t be slashing your arm at the smallest sign of danger! You’re acting hastily! What if you make a mistake? The corps can’t afford to loose a hashira as strong as you!”
His words seemed to freeze sanemi, he just sat there for a second before yelling back.
“Like your one the talk!”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Giyuu felt his frustration fizzle out into confusion; When had he put himself in danger other than the usual demon slaying?
“The hashira meeting Tomioka.”
The words didn’t seem to sink it as Giyuu just sat there confused as sanemi sighed and shook his head.
“Saying that if that demon girl eats a human you’ll… why that, why not something else.”
Oh.
Sanemi was staring down at the ground, his voice quiet —quieter than giyuu had ever heard it.
“You say the corps can’t afford to loose a members strong as me, but you forget your own rank. You’re a hashira tomioka.
I- the corps can’t loose someone as important as you.”
Even as the words left Sanemi’s mouth Giyuu couldn’t believe it.
Sanemi, the man Giyuu thought hated him with every fiber of his being, was upset that giyuu swore to commit seppuku.
Giyuu, the man that had taken the spot of hashira from someone much more deserving.
Giyuu, the man who had let most everyone he ever cared about die.
Someone cared for him. Someone he hadn’t expected.
And all giyuu could do was sit back, his mind trying to process everything.
Sanemi sighed and looked up, giving giyuu a moment of quiet.
Which didn’t last long.
Giyuu sensed it before he heard it, the scream from Sanemi to get down and the rough force of him pushing giyuu into the dirt as knife flew over their heads.
Infront of them another demon stood.
This one looked like a woman, her black hair was wild and unkempt falling around her body in a long tangled mess.
In her hand were knives, a few of which seemed to be coming out of her flesh.
Giyuu shivered feeling her burning gaze boring into his skin.
Nevertheless, him and sanemi needed to take care of this demon; Preferably without unnecessary slashing of arms.
Giyuu sucked in a breath of air before shooting forward, attempting a cut at the demons neck; who shrieked and spun around almost stabbing a knife into the his side.
Thankfully giyuu ducked out of the way, hitting the ground and quickly scrambling out of the way; dirt crunching between his teeth.
The demon wasn’t given a moment to react before sanemi was behind her; flinging her away from giyuu, almost taking her head in the process.
The water breath was back up in a flash, backing sanemi’s attacks and keep the demon off of his companion; Sanemi defending Giyuu aswell.
In no time the demon was significantly weaker, limping from a missing leg that was slowly regenerating, dripping blood everywhere.
Giyuu glanced at Sanemi whose breathing was labored; he wouldn’t be able to make the final cut.
So it was up to Giyuu.
Summoning the little strength he had left, Giyuu pressed his foot flat against the ground, the muscles in his legs tensing before pushing him self forward; his sword imbedding itself into The demon’s neck —who screamed and tried to claw at Giyuu’s face.
Yes! It was almost over.
Then Giyuu heard Sanemi scream something and he felt the world heave away from him, the wind rushing past his ears; and suddenly him and demon were up the air, the sun beginning to break the horizon.
‘What the… what happened.’
The demon growled swiping at Giyuu’s eye making them twist in the air, reminding him of the situation.
Pushing forward, Giyuu’s sword sliced through the demons neck, her body and head falling away and hitting the ground in a cloud of dust; she was gone and now she could rest.
Giyuu felt his stomach lurch as he suddenly plummeted; his hair whipping past his face, the air stabbing his cheeks like tiny daggers, and the forest floor coming towards him.
And as he fell he felt… at peace. He had served long enough. Maybe his death wouldn’t be an all-honored one, dying in battle. No, instead his bones would shatter as he hit the ground; sure it wasn’t preferred, but giyuu was a warrior who would die when his time came.
And the time was now.
Giyuu thought about the kamado’s, about the other hashira, about sabito, about Tsutako, about Shinazugawa.
Some he had been too late to save, others he was leaving before he could make that mistake again.
Giyuu closed his eyes, waiting to hit the ground, praying for a quick, merciful death.
Then he felt someone grab him and pull him down, feeling the world heave and spin as Giyuu rolled down the mountain (don’t worry they’re not too high up) suddenly stopping as he landed on somthing soft, a sweet aroma clouding his senses.
Giyuu coughed—it felt like his mouth was coated with dirt. his face was caked in materials from the forest floor, blood and sweat mixing together and running down his forehead, Yes he was injured but he was alive.
Thanks to… Sanemi; who was laying down next to him groaning and rubbing his bandaged arm.
The sun was rising in the sky when Giyuu finally realized that the sweet smell surrounding the two pillars was from flowers, and that they were laying in a large meadow; Giyuu could feel sanemi’s arm pressed against his, their hands brushing together.
Sanemi had saved him, because he wanted giyuu to live.
Giyuu thought about what Sanemi had admitted earlier and smiled.
“Shinazugawa…”
Sanemi groaned next to giyuu but shifted slighty to look at giyuu.
“What tomioka?”
Giyuu moved his hand, interlacing his and sanemi’s fingers; rubbing Sanemi’s scarred hand with his thumb.
“Thank you.”
Giyuu felt Sanemi freeze, before he shifted closer to the former, squeezing his hand.
“You’re welcome Tomioka.”
And as they lay there, hand interlocked, shoulders pressed together, Giyuu felt for once in a long time that maybe.
for now.
everything would be ok