#sanegiyuu fluff

[xxlady-lunaxx]

aaaaa sanegiyuuuu 😞

imagine after the war, giyuu opening the door when he got a knock at 3am, bleary-eyed and tired, seeing sanemi standing there soaked to the bone. giyuu like wha are you okay come in ARE YOU CRYING- OH NO- and comforting him, getting tea and hurrying to get a towel and blanket, throwing logs and a couple matches into the fire place. sanemi exhausted and resting his head on the kotatsu(/table) as giyuu drapes a blanket over him and almost spilling tea everywhere in his haste. asking him what was wrong, hugs and cuddles. sanemi starting off mumbling incomprehensibly about genya and then saying iguro (?? giyuu couldn’t understand) and how they all left him alone and how he should’ve protected shinobu for kanae and how gyomei and sanemi used to be close-ish, at least they were friends, and then sanemi lapsing into a blubbering mess, falling asleep in giyuu’s arms with fresh salty tracks trailing down his cheeks. giyuu waking up later at noon with a note of apology and some salmon daikon<3

idk i dont see enough sanemi angst and i love him just collapsing w/ emotional exhaustion and going to giyuu for support 😞 i love them help

[applepie-enthusiast]

Imagine in an au where Giyuu had more time to try and do his "ohagi in my sleeve" stunt to be friends with Sanemi.

Giyuu will most definitely do it any opportunity he can, which is not too many chances anyway.

Whenever he passes by Sanemi, he would try and offer Sanemi an ohagi.

First time it happened, Sanemi seemed visibly shocked, but the latter's expression immediately became sour, irritation reflecting in his face.

"What the fuck are you trying to do?!"

"Ohagi." Giyuu replied, the treat in his hand still being offered, but Sanemi turned the other way instead.

A few more tries and attempts at making friends with Sanemi occured, but to no avail.

The last time it happened, Sanemi was having a rough day after encountering that Kamado kid and Genya.

In happenstance, when he turned to a corner, he saw Giyuu, offering him another ohagi.

In an outburst of emotions, he gritted his teeth and violently swatted the ohagi out of Giyuu's hand, an action that visibly surprised Giyuu, and he realized the consequences of his actions a moment after when Giyuu wordlessly picked it up after being frozen for a few seconds. Giyuu nurtured it in his hand, holding it tenderly before he turned his back against Sanemi.

And then Giyuu walked away.

"Tomio—"

"It's alright, Shinazugawa. I apologize." And then he was gone.

Sanemi couldn't stop about that event even if forced himself to.

Tomioka's shocked face, and the day his expression relaxed into resignation, his shoulder slumped, and the slow way he picked up the treat.

More than giving up on giving Sanemi that treat,

It seemed Tomioka gave up on something else.

And it was because of him.

Thinking about it, Sanemi realised that out of all the others that Tomioka could possibly befriend, Tomioka chose him.

Sanemi wanted to apologize in whatever way he could, even if not through words like "sorry." He would just talk to Tomioka.

But then infinity castle happened.

Imagine right after the battle. Sanemi took time to recover and reconnected with everyone.

Everyone except Giyuu.

Because he found out Giyuu was in a coma.

He wouldn't wake up, and oh, how Sanemi sat by his side on multiple days, and one day,

Sanemi reached out and held Giyuu's unmoving hand, and smiled.

Through his broken voice, he whispered,

"Tomioka, wake up. I'll accept the ohagi you want to give now. Just... just wake up..."

[lillbiff]

💙 +🤍

[ryoko-san]

More post chapter 204 giyuu (slight sanegiyuu btw) because honestly??? It's so satisfying to see him finally getting a new life ❤️

And i have this little headcanon that after ch. 204, giyuu smiles a lot more and kinda likes teasing sanemi

[rainbowfey]

17 Only One Bed

@flufftober

A sharp thud made Giyuu‘s head shoot up. He glanced at his companion just in time to see a stone flying through the air, bouncing off a tree along their path. Giyuu made a mental note of it and set his internal counter to six. This was the sixth stone Sanemi had kicked away in frustration, either because he could not contain his anger or because he wanted to show Giyuu just how pissed off he was. Either way, Giyuu did the same thing he had done the past five times which was, well, nothing. He had not shown any reaction yet and he was also not about to start now. If Sanemi felt better mauling some innocent rocks, Giyuu was not about to stop him.

Realistically, Giyuu was also not sure if there even was anything he could do to brighten Sanemi’s mood – except for dropping dead, of course, relieving Sanemi of their joint mission. But while his back did hurt a bit from their last training session, he felt pretty lively otherwise, making his sudden death rather unlikely. Looking back, he should have known that Oyakata-sama would not leave it at mere training to strengthen their teamwork skills. Now that he thought about it, those sessions did feel like they had been a build-up to this point. And here they were, going on a mission together that for sure did not require two Hashira at once.

Seven, Giyuu thought absentmindedly when another stone flew past him, this time dangerously close to his legs. He half expected the next stone to hit his calves but surprisingly, Sanemi refrained from this rather direct approach of letting off steam. Instead, he just grumbled something to himself that Giyuu neither could nor cared to hear. Ignoring Sanemi, he turned his attention back on the path that had led them through a thick forest for the better part of the day. Mighty trees and the occasional rock lined the trail they walked along and wherever Giyuu looked, he could only see green and brown. Usually, he would have liked the serene calm of the forest but right now, he had three reasons to find it slightly intimidating.

The first reason was Sanemi and his brooding aura that seemed to radiate aggression. Of course, that was usually not a problem but after a few hours of it, Giyuu wished that Sanemi would lighten up a bit as it was starting to get on his nerves. The second problem was high above and presented itself in form of dark grey storm clouds on the horizon. And sure enough, they were walking right towards them. The third problem however was less of a nuisance and more of a potential threat – with every step they walked, nightfall came closer and there was no sign of civilization in sight. And with the night, the demons came which would make for a rather dangerous situation, should they still be left vulnerable in the forest when the time for it came.

So, Giyuu stared ahead, hoping to see a light shimmer through the tree stems and thickets. To his relief, Sanemi had fallen silent for a while now and if he did not listen to Sanemi’s footsteps behind him, he could even pretend to feel calm. He sighed to himself and shook his head. He had hoped that training with Sanemi would bring them closer or at least get Sanemi to stop hating him. But so far, Giyuu could not see any progress in that regard. The only thing that had started to change was the fact that they now knew more about the other’s skills and power than before. And Giyuu had to admit that Sanemi was indeed very powerful, even more than he had expected. And from time to time, when they had exhausted themselves, Giyuu had even sensed Sanemi letting down his guard a bit. But before he had the chance to say something, Sanemi always snapped out of it, foiling each attempt to get him to open up.

A cold sensation jolted Giyuu from his thoughts and he looked down at his hand. A tiny bead of water rested on his palm before running down his finger. Giyuu looked up and grimaced when he realized that the storm clouds had rapidly come closer, now looming over their heads menacingly. And as if the clouds had noticed his disdain, another droplet of rain hit him, this time running down the back of his neck. Giyuu flinched and pulled the collar of his definitely not rainproof haori up.

“If that isn’t great,” he heard Sanemi grumbling behind him. Apparently, he had noticed the harbingers of a mighty downpour as well.

Giyuu silently agreed with him. If they did not find shelter soon, they would be soaked to their bones in no time, judging by the color of the storm clouds. And there was no end to them as far as the eye could see. Even worse, the storm clouds had brought an icy wind with them that now howled through the trees. Their soft rustling quickly turned into a violent shaking and more than once, Giyuu had to dodge small branches ripped from the trees. He shielded his face with his arm and shuddered when another droplet of water hit his hand, this time even bigger than the first one.

For almost an hour, they fought their way through the increasingly inhospitable weather. Even though it had not started pouring yet, enough raindrops had fallen down to make Giyuu’s haori feel damp. He did not even want to imagine how Sanemi had to feel, considering that his uniform revealed his bare chest. Giyuu would not have wanted to change with him and he shuddered at the thought.

“What’s that?” Sanemi suddenly shouted, making Giyuu flinch. He turned around and found himself face to face with Sanemi who looked rather pale in his scant uniform. His eyes however had taken on a concentrated look as he pointed in a direction somewhere to their right. Giyuu followed his gaze and gasped when he spotted what Sanemi had seen.

Further into the forest, still quite a bit away from their path, Giyuu could make out a golden glow between the trees. He took a deep breath and hope arose in his chest when he squinted, staring intently at the light. After a moment, he was fairly certain that he could make out the distinct shapes of window, illuminated by a warm, welcoming light.

“Maybe it’s an inn,” he said a bit more excitedly than he wanted. The prospect of a warm bed instead of a tent somewhere in the depths of the forest was alluring and even more so since the rain started coming down harder now. The sky had almost entirely turned black as if it had gotten night already.

“We’re gonna find out,” Sanemi said curtly and without waiting for Giyuu’s reply, he dove into the forest, leaving the path and heading for the faint light in the distance.

Giyuu cursed to himself and quickly followed Sanemi who did not seem to care whether Giyuu could keep up or not. With the patter of the rain increasing by the minute, Sanemi quickened his pace until he was almost running. Giyuu made an effort not to fall behind but more than once, he had to jump over a fallen tree or catch his balance after his foot grazed a root. When he finally stumbled out of the forest and onto a road that he had not seen before, Sanemi had already reached the building nestled into the forest edge. Giyuu heaved a sigh of relief when he instantly spotted a wooden sign over the door that clearly revealed this house to be an inn.

While Sanemi ripped the door open and walked in, letting the door close behind him, Giyuu curiously glanced to the side of the house. A surprisingly big stable sat right next to the inn and if he listened closely, he could hear soft snorts from the stable. A vague inkling echoed through his mind but the icy cold rain convinced him not to ponder on it and he quickly jumped to the door, catching it just in time before it fell shut behind Sanemi.

Giyuu squeezed through the narrow opening – and bumped into something damp. When Sanemi turned around and glared at him, Giyuu just shrugged. After all, he could not have expected Sanemi to stand right behind the door. But now that he was inside as well, he could see the reason why. The inn was jam-packed with people, most of them looking as wet as Giyuu felt. The chatter was deafening and Giyuu thought to himself that it looked like everyone on the street had had the same idea as Sanemi and him, seeking shelter from the rain. He could see a man who appeared to be the innkeeper behind a wooden counter, his face looking slightly strained. It seemed like the innkeeper had not expected this press of people either.

It took another five minutes until the innkeeper had tended to the line that had formed behind his counter. When Sanemi and Giyuu finally got to the front of the line, Giyuu’s clothes had started drying and he was more than grateful for the fire crackling in the giant fireplace at the other end of the generous public room. The innkeeper looked at them and even though he seemed stressed, he gave them a smile. Before he could say something, Sanemi curtly asked, “Do you have any open rooms? We want to stay for one night.”

The innkeeper’s smile faltered for a moment before he looked down at an old leatherbound book in front of him he had been scribbling into. “Unfortunately, there’s only one open room left,” he said after a moment, shrugging helplessly. “It’s big enough for two people to sleep in though.”

Even from where he stood, Giyuu could see Sanemi’s expression darken and he quickly shoved past him, ignoring Sanemi’s growl. “We’ll take it,” he said to the innkeeper and was rewarded with another smile and a key.

“Right up the stairs and to the left, at the end of the hallway. If you’d like to have dinner first, you can try and find a place to sit in the public room,” the innkeeper said before turning to the next guest.

Giyuu took the key and looked at Sanemi who rolled his eyes. Giyuu took that as a yes to dinner and headed for the public room. And to his surprise, they were actually able to find a spot close to the fireplace.

“That was surprisingly good,” Giyuu said, more to himself, when they had finished eating. He shot Sanemi a glance before he innocently added, “A shame though that they don’t have ohagi here.”

Sanemi’s head shot up and if looks could kill, Giyuu would have dropped dead at that very instant. He chuckled to himself and ignored Sanemi glaring at him. The hearty meal had brightened his mood and the warmth of the fireplace next to them had made up for the cold wind they had braved on their way to the inn.

With a content sigh, Giyuu got up and plucked the key to their room from his pocket. “Up the stairs, to the left, at the end of the hallway,” he repeated to himself what the innkeeper had told them.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that Sanemi also got to his feet and followed him, his face still grumpy at Giyuu’s playful remark. Sanemi stomped a bit more than he had to while following Giyuu up the stairs and Giyuu grinned to himself. Even though he did not want to risk an open confrontation with Sanemi, he had slowly taken a liking to teasing him when the chance presented itself. Sanemi was wonderfully easy to wind up and even though Giyuu would not admit it to anyone else, there was something adorable about Sanemi’s efforts to keep calm when Giyuu teased him. Of course, the thrill of the risk to get hit over the head with any object in Sanemi’s vicinity also played into it but so far, Giyuu had been rather good at not carrying it too far.

With a pep in his step, he walked along the dark hallway, searching for their room. To his dismay, the warmth of the fireplace quickly dissipated the further they got and it did not seem like the innkeeper had any other means of keeping the upper floor of the building warm. Hopefully it would be different in the rooms. After all, the rain was now pattering against the windows so hard that it sounded like it was trying to break them. And however good the window sills were isolated, there always were some small cracks that allowed the icy air from outside to seep in.

“There it is,” Giyuu muttered when he reached the end of the hallway and found himself at a door with a number matching the one edged into their key. When he fumbled the key into the lock, he was overly aware of Sanemi’s presence behind him and somehow, it made his hands a bit shaky. But after a moment, the lock finally clicked and the door to a dark little room swung open.

Giyuu took a step into the room and closed the door behind him and Sanemi, locking it again. Then, he turned around and noticed instantly that this room did not possess a fireplace. In fact, the room felt even a bit colder than the hallway and Giyuu sighed when he looked to the big window to his right. He could already feel the cold seeping through the very visible cracks. However, at least they did not have to sleep outside in this weather.

Only after a moment, Giyuu noticed that something was wrong with Sanemi. Curious, he looked at him. Sanemi was standing frozen in place, not moving a single muscle as he stared into the room with widened eyes. Confused, Giyuu followed his gaze. Next to the window sat a small dresser and a few steps away stood a wooden table with two chairs. And behind it was the source of Sanemi’s weird behavior. Giyuu blinked a few times as he stared at back half of the room. The innkeeper had been right when he had said the room was big enough for two people. But what he had failed to mention was that there was only one bed.

Certainly, the bed was big enough for two people to sleep in, even if not very comfortably as the bed was rather narrow for two grown men. But even from just looking at it, Giyuu knew that it would be almost inevitable that they would at some point touch each other if they both slept in that bed.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in his throat and he bit his lip while turning back to Sanemi whose face had taken on a sickly pale color. A vein twitched on his forehead and it looked like he was forcefully holding himself back to not entirely lose his composure. Giyuu bit his tongue, holding in his laughter. If he poked the bear right now, the narrow bed would not be a problem anymore as there would not be two people alive having to share it any longer. Instead, he waited silently for Sanemi to say something.

And when Sanemi finally did, his voice sounded strained. “No way in fucking hell,” he squeezed out. “I’d rather sleep on the ground.”

Giyuu shrugged and grinned at him. “Be my guest,” he said. “I’m not going to blow my chance to sleep in a warm, cozy bed.”

He gave the window a pointed look and Sanemi shuddered involuntarily when he followed Giyuu’s gaze. The rain was now hammering against the window, almost drowning out the howling of the storm. For a moment, Sanemi looked unsure but then he squared his shoulders and glared at Giyuu. “Suit yourself,” he hissed before he stomped over to the bed, grabbing one pillow and blanket each.

Giyuu watched amusedly how Sanemi made a makeshift bed on the floor beneath window. Then, he walked past him and to the bed. He quickly slipped out of his clothes and snuggled into the second blanket. When he had made himself comfortable, he glanced over to Sanemi who lay on the floor, a miserable expression on his face. Giyuu could only imagine how cold and uncomfortable the floorboards were as Sanemi could not both lay on the blanket and cover his body with it at the same time.

“Are you sure you want to sleep down there?” Giyuu asked carefully after a moment and instantly, Sanemi’s expression turned sour. “That does seem awfully uncomfortable.”

“Shut up,” Sanemi snapped back and turned away, facing the window.

For a long while, the room was silent except for the storm slamming against the window. A faint howling echoed through the hallway beyond their room and while Giyuu had it warm and cozy, he somehow could not fully relax. Whenever he closed his eyes, his thoughts wandered back to Sanemi on the ground. And when he finally admitted to himself that he could not fall asleep like that, he sighed and opened his eyes again. He glanced down at Sanemi but it had gotten dark enough that he could not make out details anymore. For all he knew, Sanemi maybe was already sleeping.

Giyuu shook his head and stared at the window, listening to the sounds of the rain. He was not sure why he cared about Sanemi’s comfort this much. After all, Sanemi had not said a kind word to him since they had started training together. However, a small voice whispered in his mind, Sanemi had also refrained from getting too angry at Giyuu while before their training, he had regularly exploded at him. Maybe this was a sign that Sanemi did start to respect Giyuu in his own way, he thought to himself. But then again, it was Sanemi, a walking bundle of rage who did not seem to like anyone except for one or two people.

A small anomaly in the sounds around him caught Giyuu’s attention and he listened closely. Through the rain outside, he could hear a faint noise that almost sounded like chattering teeth. Confused, he held his breath and focused on the sound. It took him a moment to realize that it came from the ground and when he understood, all tiredness left him. He heaved a deep sigh and struggled against his resolve to let Sanemi do his own thing. But the air around him was indeed very cold, even when snuggled into a warm bed. And with another sigh, he made a decision.

“Sanemi?” Giyuu asked. He waited for a moment. Sanemi did not answer but the chattering of teeth stopped abruptly. Giyuu rolled his eyes. “Sanemi, this is ridiculous.”

Giyuu waited and when he thought Sanemi would not answer, he heard him grumbling, “You are ridiculous.”

Giyuu could not help but laugh at that childish response. “Ya, real mature of you,” he replied before turning earnest again. “For real, Sanemi, you’re going to freeze to death if you sleep down there.”

“None of your business, Tomioka,” Sanemi snapped at him but his voice had lost its usual energy. Instead, he sounded strained and tired and suddenly, Giyuu felt a pang of sympathy. And slowly he realized that he did not want Sanemi to suffer.

“What can I say to convince you that you don’t have to sleep on the ground?” he asked solemnly.

For a moment, Sanemi stayed silent and when he replied, his voice did not sound as convincing as he probably wanted it to. “Nothing.”

Giyuu softly shook his head. “Look, there’s nothing to it. The floor is cold and the bed is warm. There’s no reason for you to suffer, there’s enough space for the two of us.” He paused, then he quietly added, “And if that helps, I promise to never speak about it again after tonight.”

After he had closed his mouth again, the room was engulfed in silence and his heart sank with each moment that passed. If this did not work, he had no idea what else to say to convince Sanemi to give up his resistance. But Sanemi stayed silent.

And when Giyuu was about to give up and try to sleep, he heard a quiet shuffling behind the bed. He held his breath and listened closely. When he saw a silhouette moving in the dark, he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to sleep already. Maybe that would make it easier for Sanemi. His heart started beating faster when he heard slow, hesitating footsteps coming closer. And after a small eternity, the bed creaked quietly when Sanemi laid down next to Giyuu, wrapping himself in his blanket. While moving, he accidentally touched Giyuu’s arm and instantly flinched. Giyuu did not dare to move a muscle and his heart skipped a beat when Sanemi moved again. But instead of getting up and leaving the bed again, he only shifted into a more comfortable position. And after a moment, he heard Sanemi sigh in relief as the warmth of the bed engulfed him.

“Not a single word about it, Tomioka,” Sanemi said out of nowhere and Giyuu winced in surprise.

“My lips are sealed,” he replied earnestly.

And after a while of silence, he felt Sanemi stir next to him. “Good,” Sanemi said and his voice had lost its edge, now sounding more relaxed, sending a warm shiver down Giyuu’s spine.

And while Giyuu listened to Sanemi’s breathing calming down and getting slower as he fell asleep, he lay awake, painfully aware of Sanemi lying next to him. And while the rain outside turned into a soft pattering, he asked himself why his heart started aching at five words, echoing through his mind.

So close, yet so far.

[tomiokas-lunchbox]

Hands

At 8 years old, Giyuu never thought much about his hands. They were meant to pick up, carry and grab things with. His big sister Tsutako would pull him alongside her by the hand. He thought his hands were small and nothing special.

At age 10, he met a boy named Sanemi. Sanemi also had two hands of course. Giyuu would watch Sanemi carry one of his younger siblings named Genya around with them. How he would use them to dig around for rhinoceros beetles. How Sanemi would use them to skip small flat rocks across the surface of a nearby lake. Giyuu never thought much of Sanemi's hands. Hands that had the same functions as his own, and the same tiny dimples along the knuckles.

But the first time they both reach for the perfect pebble near the lakeshore, their hands lightly brush against each other's. Giyuu can't help but feel the tiny sparks of that accidental touch.

Years later at age 17, Sanemi reaches for Giyuu's hand to intertwine the two as they walk to a nearby soba noodle shop. Giyuu's in awe of how a simple touch, can give him so much warmth and comfort.

At age 27, Giyuu stands opposite the love of his life while reciting his vows. He carefully slides a solid gold band on Sanemi's left ring finger. Now when he looks down at Sanemi's hands, he doesn't just see a boy that used to dig for rhinoceros beetles, or skip pebbles across a lake. Instead, all those years later, Giyuu sees his forever in those hands.

[fyodorsfavoriteanimewifu]

Your Eyes Remind Me of a Sad Flower On A Dewy Day

💧 Giyuu POV 💧

(Sanegiyuu!!)

(Little TW for implied depression!!)

Rest. 

No matter how much I got, I was still fatigued. Life felt like such a blur, I couldn’t remember anything from the day before. I couldn’t remember what time I fell asleep, what time I woke up, when was the last time I’d bathed, when was the last time I ate something, or drank water. 

I was laying in my futon, facing away from the shut door. My hair was a mess, free from its usual ponytail. I didn’t know what was bothering me, everything just felt atrocious to live through. Especially when you had to see innocent people get murdered in front of your eyes, every single mission. 

I could hear the birds chirping outside, as I took a chasmic breath. I turned onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. What time was it again? I couldn’t remember. I hadn’t moved from my bedroom in the past few days, I couldn’t at all think of the exact amount. 

My weary eyes just stared up at the ceiling, so much so that I didn’t notice the shadow standing at the door, before, it slid open. Sunlight poured into the room, the golden-white beams hitting me like a load of rocks. I winced a bit, covering my eyes with my arm. 

“Tomioka”, I heard a gruff voice say. I looked towards the door, before I laid my eyes upon the tall figure of Sanemi. What on earth was he doing here? “I’m not in the mood for sparing today”, I mumbled, turning over again, so I was facing away from him. 

“That… ugh, that’s not what I’m here for”, Sanemi scoffed, before I heard the small patter of footsteps stride towards me. “I just wanted to bring something for you”. The phrase shocked me, giving me enough energy to sit up in my futon, before I noticed what Sanemi was holding in his hand, a bowl. 

“What’s that?”, I asked, the smell was recognizable, before, it clicked. “Salmon daikon, I just… I just thought you might enjoy some”, Sanemi’s words weren’t as aggressive, not at all, his tone was more like a blank slate, yet, it held an idyllic and gentle ring to it. 

I felt surprised when Sanemi placed the bowl on the ground, before he sat down next to me. “Oh… uhm, thank you”, I thanked him, before I brought the bowl into my lap. There was a pair of chopsticks in the bowl, that I picked up, the smooth wood was a nostalgic feeling against my finger tips. 

I lifted a piece of salmon from the bowl, and into my mouth, savouring the slightly sweet flavour. “Mhm… it’s good…”, I said, looking over at Sanemi, who was watching me intently. “Yeah, I’d imagine it is” “do you want a bite?”, I asked, picking up another piece of the salmon. 

Sanemi paused, eyeing the salmon. “Yeah, sure”, Sanemi said, before I lifted the piece of salmon to his mouth. “Aye! Don’t feed it to me! I’m not a child!” “Just eat it”. Sanemi scoffed, seeming to swallow his pride, before he opened his mouth. I fed him the piece of salmon, feeling my heart flutter as I did so. 

Sanemi chewed the salmon, seeing how my eyes were on me. “Why’re looking at me?”, Sanemi called me out, making me feel a bit surprised. “Oh, I just wanted to see if you also liked the salmon”. He seemed to buy my excuse. 

Sanemi’s pale purple eyes were on me, as we watched me eat. “You look happy”, Sanemi commented, almost airily. “I am, that’s why”, I mumbled, as I continued to eat the daikon. For maybe the first time, I felt genuinely happy in Sanemi’s presence. I looked over at Sanemi, seeing as his cheeks bloomed with a faint pink colour. 

“You want another bite?”, I asked him, feeling softer next to him. “No thanks, I made it for you, not me”, Sanemi said, before he processed what he had spoken. “You… made this for me?”, I repeated, feeling my heart pound. A warmth spread throughout my body, one I haven’t felt before. 

“Yeah, I did, I was just… a bit worried”, Sanemi admitted with a gentle expression. I gripped the chopsticks, feeling my cheeks grow hot as I pursed my lips. “I appreciate that”, I let him know, before I felt my lips curl into a small smile. 

I heard Sanemi’s breath hitch, before his hand came up to my hair. “You should take a nap, you look tired”, Sanemi spoke, as I sighed from contentment when he ran his fingers through my messily, raven locks, almost combing them out. 

“I will, don’t worry”, I said, before Sanemi pulled his hand away, and standing up from the floor. “I need to go, Kocho said she wants to see me”, Sanemi informed me, before… he smiled, almost awkwardly. “Take care of yourself, m’kay?”, he said, before walking out my door, leaving it open, to let some sunlight into the room. 

“Yeah…”, my whisper was delayed, before I looked down at the bowl of salmon daikon. I felt a tear slip down my cheek, not one of sadness, but a rare feeling of happiness. Sanemi cared, and he expressed it, this is what falling in love feels like, isn’t it?

And that night, Sanemi came back, to find Giyu fast asleep, he looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. The bowl that was once filled with salmon daikon was now empty, which made Sanemi feel his stomach flip. And he just couldn’t help himself, Sanemi pressed his index and middle finger to his lips, before he touched those fingers to Giyu’s cheek. One day, he’d be able to kiss Giyu, but for now, that would do, right? 

A/N: Whos gonna be my Sanemi? I genuinely love this ship, they're so cute AHHHHHHH, anyways, I hope you enjoyed!! <3

[sweetwolf05]

Wolf Sanemi Shinazugawa

Based on all people shared ONE brain cell ON Sanemi Shinazugawa as a werewolf on SaneGiyuu server (plus you need to be 16 and older to be there.)

[shusoki]

Loving each other through a field of flowers

“Do you know how to make flower crowns, Giyuu?” Teiko asks, plucking another flower from the grass below.

“No, I never learned,” Giyuu answers with a small smile. “Could you show me?”

Sanemi watches the scene from the side, sitting down in the grass next to his boyfriend, who is sitting right next to Sanemi’s little sister, and now apparently making flower crowns together.

[giggly-squiggily]

okay okay wait i have some non-angsty hashira hcs too <3

okay so we know it's canon that sanemi can read but he can't write and given tengen's upbringing there's no way he can't write so when he finds out i bet he uses it against sanemi, he'll tickle him and when sanemi tells him to back off he'll be like "idk what you mean, can you spell that out for me :)"

So MEAN! 😭 Call me sadistic, but I love it lols! I've gotcha covered, Rey! :D

CW: Swearing

“Gah! What the actual- TENGEN!” Sanemi whirled, glaring daggers as the grinning ex-shinobi, arms pressed tightly into his sides.

“Hey Grump-zugawa! Got a question for ya-” He reached out poking Sanemi again and again. “Is it true you don’t know how to write? Like- you read really well, but you can’t write letters?”

“F-Fuhuhuck off, you oversized rock!” Sanemi snarled, stumbling back as he tried fighting off the hands prodding at him. His face burned, both from the tickles and his weakness brought up. “Geheheht the hell oohoohoff me!”

“Can I get that in writing?” Tengen winked, grabbing Sanemi’s fist before it could collide with his face. “Okay, mean- I get it. Still, I didn’t just come over here to bully you.” His free hand shot down, wiggling along the Wind Hashira’s exposed side. “Okay, maybe I did a little.”

“Geahahhahhahaha! T-Tehehehengen, I’ll fuhuhuhuhcking muhuhuuhurder yohuhuhuhou!” Sanemi shot up with a cackle, torn between yanking himself away and throwing another fist into the bigger man’s direction. For now, he had settled on trying to yank the offending hand away from his ribs. “Bahahhahahack ohohohohoohff!”

“Nah, this is too fun. Anyway- I genuinely came over about it. See- I grew up required to write, and I’m fairly good at it.” Tengen changed gears, clawing five fingers along Sanemi’s belly and making him double over with a squeal. “I can teach you how to write!”

“I dohohohoohn’t neehehehehehd yohohohohohur hehehehehelp!”

“They all say that- but in the end, my students are master writers. Here- first lesson’s free! T…I…” He poked out the shapes along Sanemi’s skin, giggling between letters himself at the way the pale haired man doubled over. “Hold still, I’m teaching you to spell! C…K…”

“TEHEHEHEHNGEHEHHEEHEN!” Sanemi cried, unable to fight back the laughter any longer. Figuring he was screwed either way, he reeled his leg back and kicked upward. Tengen’s instincts kicked in as he jumped back, releasing the other. Sanemi was free!

For five seconds. Then his back hit the ground and Tengen was looming over him with a new glint in his eyes.

“Wow, and I thought I was mean! Did you really just try to kick me in the chin?” His hands were back along Sanemi’s torso, making the other swear and scream. “Fine, let’s work on another word. S…O…R…R…Y… Can you spell that one for me?”

“TEHEHEHEHENGEHEHEHHEHEHEN, SCREHEHEHEHEHW YOUHUHUHUHHU!” Sanemi howled, feet kicking as he flailed about. “FIHIIHIHINE I’LL LEEHHEHET YOU TEHEHEHHEACH MEHEHEHEHEHE!”

“See? Was that so hard?” Tengen grinned, releasing him but stayed hovering. “Really- I do want to teach you, Shinazugawa. I think it’d be nice for both of us.”

“Heheh…hehe..hohow so?” Sanemi groaned out, too tired to do more than push his bangs out of his face.

“I feel accomplished as a teacher, and you get to send love letters to Tomioka!” Tengen grinned, laughing when Sanemi went beet red.

It wasn’t long before their positions were reversed, Sanemi’s fingers flying over Tengen’s armpits and the big oaf cackling for mercy.

Send me a headcanon and character(s) and I'll write a short 300-500 word dabble for it!

[tanjir0se]

Love Me Mercilessly Ch 21–The Ocean

Giyuu awakens.

The thrilling kind of conclusion to my months-long Sanegiyuu fugue state! Full chapter up NOW on AO3 and of course a sneak peek below!

“Genya—!” Tanjiro whispered fiercely, wiggling against Genya’s arms around him. “Genya, wake up!” Genya groaned and peeked one eye open.

“Huh?”

“I think Giyuu-san is awake!” Tanjiro said, wiggling harder. Genya unraveled his arms from around him and picked his head up to listen to the muffled voices of their brothers. Tanjiro was already throwing his legs over the side of the cot.

“Um, Tanjiro, I think maybe—”

“Giyuu-san!” Tanjiro practically tripped over himself on his way out of the adjacent room and back to the foyer. Genya threw off his blankets and followed. Both stopped dead once they made it to the doorway.

Sanemi had pulled back and looked into Giyuu’s face, still holding on tightly to both sides of it.

“He’s okay. Everybody’s okay.” Sanemi whispered. He could feel the eyes of the meager few Kakushi on them, could feel the boys at their backs. He didn’t care. His previous plan of patiently listening to what it was Giyuu had had to say, like he should have known would happen to all his plans from here on out, was no match for the pain, the bliss of seeing Giyuu’s beautiful blue eyes open and alive again.

Giyuu blinked and tried to sit up, recalling Sanemi leaning down over him at the battlefield, drawing him up into his lap. Now, Sanemi’s eyes were wide, tearful, wild, as beautiful as they were then. Giyuu opened his mouth. In case I die, I need to tell you…

READ THE FULL CHAPTER NOW AND CRY WITH ME !!!!!!!

[xxlady-lunaxx]

(DOMESTIC) SANEGIYUU HEADCANONS

Sanemi is ALWAYS the one cooking

I’m sorry but I can only see Giyuu fucking up scrambled eggs or something. Sanemi cooks (or bakes) like a professional

Giyuu having a bedhead (he’s adorable) and Sanemi waking him up by either:

throwing a pillow on his face

running his hands through his hair and a “good morning, shithead”

One or the other, no in betweens

Sanemi usually does the chores like laundry, cooking, etc (malewife<33)

Giyuu can do things if given clear instructions tho

Hmm showering together just as a habit

If either of them were mad at the other (or they js fought) before bed, they’ll probably distance themself on the futon

When they wake up they’re always cuddling though

ouugh yes they share a bed

(it was so awkward at first like “ok… i’ll have this side” but then they got comfy and steal each other’s pillows (so romantic smh))

Sanemi definitely holds a longer grudge

Giyuu gets upset if he gets ignore too long, though, and Sanemi eventually caves

Why do I feel like Sanemi would just take pictures or videos of Giyuu randomly

When he’s asleep, when he’s just woken up, when he’s eating, doesn’t matter

Because Sanemi’s in charge of meals usually, Giyuu only gets salmon daikon once a week (which is already a lot as is, but he begs Sanemi for it so…)

Sanemi used to braid/put up his siblings hair a lot and when the two are cuddling, sometimes he makes little braids in Giyuu’s hair, or pulls it up in a high ponytail (often Giyuu wakes up with braids and his hair gets a lil wavy when he takes it out later)

Giyuu’s the baby in the relationship you cant change my mind. He’s the little spoon; he’s being carried because he’s tired; he’s given breakfast in bed.

Sanemi honestly doesn’t mind (he’s used to this) but likes teasing Giyuu about it

Giyuu has a bow of Tsutako’s (he stole a spare) and wears it to formal places always. (job interview? bow. prom? bow. work? bow.)

Sometimes Giyuu helps Sanemi hang up the laundry but they somehow end up hugging always (Giyuu goes on the other side of the clothing line and ThEIr lEgS juST mOVed By THemSElf)

On weekends, when there’s nothing to do, Sanemi will just scroll through his phone and Giyuu watching TV

Giyuu can NEVER not fall asleep during a movie though. depends on the day but he’ll either fall asleep 20 mins in or half way through

Sanemi doesn’t really watch movies and just slowly turns down the volume then off to not startle him awake

I can see Sanemi just volunteering to babysit for their friends (for free<3) and just having a box full of children’s toys for when they come over

Giyuu once overfed a baby to near sickness (“I thought her grabby hands were for more :(“ - “YOU IDIOT, SHE WAS TRYING TO PUSH AWAY THE BOTTLE!!”) and was thereafter forbidden to care for the children (unless they were older than, like, 12)

After a stressful day at work, Giyuu likes flopping down on the couch and having Sanemi run his hands through his hair and hum a bit, maybe small talk

I think Giyuu is actually an open book and horrible at hiding his emotions (like canonically as a child he was like that, only the deaths changed him sooo) whilst Sanemi is better at hiding things

But like after years of living with Sanemi/js being with him, Giyuu has been able to see small telltales

When he’s lying, Sanemi’s eyes flick every so slightly away (so subtly that only a few have caught it before), when he’s upset, he’s a little clingier or his voice is calmer (though many people interpret it as tiredness), when he’s angry but trying to stay calm he’ll probably have a lot of clenched fists (his hand opening and closing x100) but behind his back haha

Why can I see them both as dry texters tho.

Giyuu tries to sound more upbeat by adding emojis/emoticons but overall it’s basically just “Ok 😁👍❤️😋😚✨🎆🎉🎊🎏🍩🔥” // 😭 yeah he doesn’t have a lot of people to text…

I can also see Sanemi being a little old fashioned in a way, idk… He knows perfectly fine how to use a phone and shit but for some time mostly sent letters (except for casual/small talk ofc)

ok that’s it i can’t think of anything else anymore!!

[applepie-enthusiast]

very few sanemi vs sabito ideas for that AU part 2 (part 1)

in that particular joint mission that sanemi and giyuu were in, that sabito willingly crashed into, sabito finds ways to piss off sanemi (while loving giyuu genuinely)

one great example is when the three of them are all sitting together and giyuu eats messily, with rice all over his lips and cheeks, sabito would smile fondly and whisper, "geez, you're helpless, giyuu" as he grabs a cloth and gently wipes the crumbs off giyuu's face

sanemi, not wanting to lose, looks at giyuu straight in the eye and says, "stop eating so messily, dumbass! a kid eats better than you!", with it sounding harsher than intended.

"it's his endearing trait! a real man should acknowledge everyone's eccentricity!" sabito exclaims, comically hugs giyuu closer, much to sanemi's annoyance while giyuu just wants to eat his soba

during the mentioned times when pillars would eat outside, with giyuu always eating messily, and sabito doing the same silly thing, sanemi has had enough of it (not to mention he's drunk as fuck, they all are) and that time he lost control, in front of others, he reached out to giyuu across the table, leaned over the food, and lapped his tongue on giyuu's cheeks in a futile attempt to remove the stupid crumbs off his face

sanemi, flustered yet had an irritated yet surprisingly sincere expression, whispered to giyuu, "stop being messy, stupid..."

suffice to say everyone was shocked. shinobu had a hand close to her lips as she said, "oh my..."

tengen whistled amusedly,

rengoku exclaims how "young love is beautiful",

mitsuri covers mui's eyes but mui is already asleep after eating a lot of food (and obv not drinking), while she herself is blushing too hard, gasping in excitement

obanai glares at giyuu who's confused as fuck why obanai is mad at him

gyomei pets a stray cat that wandered beside their table

sabito wasn't amused but he didn't let it slide, especially when he saw the faintest blush on giyuu's cheeks

sabito slammed his hand on the table with enough force to have everyone's attention on him

"men shouldn't do scandalous things like that to the person they like!" he exclaims, "you're a pillar, for god's sake!"

now, giyuu's attention is focused on sabito, seemingly now confused to know that sabito implied that sanemi likes him.

"hey! hey! what if we vote on who we want tomioka-san to end up with?" mitsuri, clearly drunk, intervenes with her cheerful smile and raised hand, getting everyone's attention

and then everyone voted, in their drunken haze,

Team sanemi: obanai, tengen

Team sabito: mitsuri, rengoku

gyomei opted out of it saying 'they should figure it out by themselves...'

mui is asleep

shinobu said she'll be Team Tomioka bc she actually sincerely enjoys giyuus company here and thinks he "shouldn't be alone even in voting" so instead she came up with having sanemi and sabito be on separate dates with giyuu so giyuu can decide who to date

it was decided that the three of them would be free from their pillar duties for a total of one (1) night, oyakata-sama allowed it (he's a wingman stop me), sabito on the first half of the night and sanemi on the second half

sabito's strategy involved taking giyuu on a date on places he and giyuu hanged out on when they were kids

he knew everything giyuu liked and wanted, including his favorite restaurant, favorite food, favorite scenery to watch, and even how giyuu secretly liked festivals, especially the fireworks scheduled late at night. but sabito knew his allotted time with giyuu ends soon before sanemi's turn and he wouldn't make it in time to watch it with giyuu so instead he takes giyuu to the mountains to view his favorite scenery

the mountains were dark but just below them are pretty light illuminating the entire festivals that had giyuu had his eyes sparkle at the beauty of it all. sabito just gazed at giyuu lovingly, and before he knew it, he reached for giyuu's hand and entwined their fingers together. giyuu finally looked at where their hands connect and was about to look up to ask sabito why but sabito slowly leaned down, and kissed him on the lips. giyuu didn't pull away, his eyes widened but soon he relaxes into the kiss and closes his eyes. it was brief but it felt longer for sabito, who's heart is beating so loudly and so fast, he hoped giyuu was feeling the same.

when they pulled away, sabito confessed, "giyuu, i love you."

giyuu opened his lips, closed them, and then smiled, "i love you too, sabito."

unbeknownst to them, sanemi was already close because it's his time already to be with giyuu. but instead he saw them kiss and he heard giyuu reciprocate. his heart felt like it was torn to shreds. Not being able to take it anymore, he started averting his gaze from them and walked away silently.

but he wasn't able to hear giyuu's continuation. "But sabito... I hope you understand I'm still figuring out what I feel." Sabito understood, and kissed giyuu's forehead instead, and said that it's okay, he can wait. meanwhile it was sanemi's time. sabito reassured giyuu that sanemi would arrive soon. so he left, not knowing sanemi had no further plans of showing up.

meanwhile, giyuu stood patiently, not even flinching or straying away from his spot, but just wandered what sanemi is doing and why he is taking so long. and then the loud bang of the fireworks, along its series of beautiful lights filled up the sky.

"what a noisy thing that is." giyuu intuitively and quickly looked for the source of the unfamiliar voice, and saw a demon smiling wickedly at him, he had red hair, and what seemed like tattoos all over his body. but what was prominent on him was his unusual eyes, with "Upper Moon Three" etched in them.

"you're a pillar, aren't you?" giyuu's hand itches for his nichirin sword, but it wasn't with him.

back to sanemi, who was busy staring at the stalls everywhere, until he saw sabito running at him full-speed. sanemi was about to ignore him, but sabito had that angry, yet almost very terrified expression on his face whilst he shouted, "SHINAZUGAWA!!! WHY DID YOU LEAVE GIYUU ALONE?! HE WAS WAITING!!!"

sanemi's eyes widened when he heard the tell tale shattering of his heart, he didn't have time to react to sabito's fist hitting his face, but all he could think of was giyuu.

To be continued.

[thefinalhashira-angrysag]

Since ao3 and tumblr wants to be a pain and making it hard to post the link 😀 check out my Giyuu birthday fic ‘Something Different’ on ao3 😊

[falseparadise-222]

I need more sanegiyuu head canons please fuel my obsession.

[rainbowfey]

Day 2: "Left. Other left!" @flufftober

Several thoughts raced through Sanemi‘s head, all of them competing for his attention, when he hastened towards the Ubuyashiki Estate. Of course, the most pressing question was why he had been summoned by Oyakata-sama. The Kasugai crow had refused to give him any explanation for this sudden invitation and even though Sanemi had threatened to catch it and cook it under the grill, the crow had kept its beak shut. Thus, he had no idea what to expect and this circumstance was something that he deeply disliked. While it was always a pleasure to speak to Oyakata-sama, he did not usually invite any of the Hashira outside of their regular meetings without a good and often grave reason. Sanemi’s heart started beating faster when ideas started flooding his mind, one more menacing than the other.

Sanemi quickened his pace and turned the last corner – and froze at the sight that unfolded in front of him. He did indeed see Oyakata-sama who was already looking into his direction as if he had sensed Sanemi arriving, a warm smile on his face. Next to him kneeled two of his children, their pale faces calm as always as they both followed their father’s gaze. And in front of them stood another person who had not yet noticed Sanemi. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the dark hair flowing down on a haori that was split into two parts, one half being red and the other having a very distinct pattern that Sanemi would have recognized everywhere.

“Shit,” Sanemi muttered before he could stop himself. This already odd invitation had now taken a rather dreadful turn and he was not sure anymore whether he really wanted to attend the meeting. But since Oyakata-sama had already spotted him, he had no other choice than approaching them, teeth gritted.

As if he had felt Sanemi’s gaze burning holes into his haori, Giyuu turned around. As always, his face did not show much of a reaction but Sanemi noticed his eyebrows slightly furrowing. Apparently, Giyuu had not been informed about his presence either which was somewhat reassuring. For a moment, they exchanged an unenthused look. Then, Sanemi turned towards Oyakata-sama and his children and bowed deeply, his eyes fixed at the ground.

“Welcome, Sanemi. Thank you for coming,” Oyakata-sama said, his voice soft as always. “Now that you have arrived, we can speak about the matter at hand.”

Sanemi looked up and noticed that Giyuu was still standing around as if this did not pertain to him, his gaze wandering over the trees and paths surrounding this part of the estate. If it were not for Oyakata-sama’s presence, Sanemi would have hit Giyuu over the head for this disrespect towards their master. While it was still tempting, he did not move a muscle though. For the moment, he had to leave it at a nasty look – and if he was lucky, the chance to go through with it would present itself at a later point. “Yes, Oyakata-sama,” he said as calmly as possible, listening carefully.

Oyakata-sama smiled at him before his face turned earnest. “As you are aware, both of you are Hashira and therefore two of the strongest demon slayers. However, it has been brought to my attention that both of you still have potential to grow in your respective areas.”

Sanemi tilted his head and looked at his master pensively. It took him a moment to filter out the meaning behind those elegant words and his heart sank when he realized that he had just been told in a very kind way that at least one of his skills was lacking. He shot Giyuu an angry look when he noticed Giyuu glancing at him with what looked like a slightly amused gaze.

“I’m not sure I understand,” he said hesitatingly and this time, he was fairly sure that he saw amusement sparkling in Giyuu’s eyes. It was only for Oyakata-sama’s calm presence that he did not jump up and grab Giyuu by the collar of his ridiculous haori. While Sanemi was not shy of confrontations, there was one person in the world he never wanted to disappoint – and he was pretty sure that Oyakata-sama would indeed be very disappointed in him, should he lose his temper this easily.

As if he had read his mind, Oyakata-sama nodded to him, an encouraging smile on his lips. “I apologize, I should have explained it better. While both of you are impressive fighters, both in your respective breathing styles as well as in your strong minds, it has come to my attention that you both struggle working with a partner.”

Sanemi paused and stared at Oyakata-sama. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Giyuu had also turned to look at their master, a slightly uneasy expression on his pale face. Oyakata-sama smiled at them. For a moment, Sanemi absentmindedly thought that his master had to be the only person in the world who was able to both smile at someone and give them a stern look at the same time.

“Giyuu, you have to learn how to communicate your plan to others, especially when working as a team,” Oyakata-sama continued. “And you, Sanemi, have to learn how to trust others instead of only relying on yourself. And since both of your struggles stem from the same root, you will be working together to outgrow them and become even stronger.”

For a moment, everything was silent. Sanemi felt his blood rush through his body when the meaning of what Oyakata-sama had just said sank in. And while he still struggled for words, he heard Giyuu quietly say what was on his mind as well. “Oh no.”

Nichika – or Hinaki, as Sanemi could not tell the Ubuyashiki daughters apart – smiled at them and bowed after she had finished explaining the instructions. She turned to leave, followed by Hinaki – or maybe Nichika, who knew. Sanemi watched them leave the training ground close by the Ubuyashiki residence, his mouth still slightly agape. It took him quite a bit of willpower to turn around and face Giyuu who stood a few steps behind him, leaning against one of the many wooden dummies they were supposed to use for their training. Of course, Giyuu was once again too pretentious to reveal any big emotion but even from where he stood, Sanemi saw his eyelid twitching. And for once, Sanemi could relate to him.

For a while, they both kept quiet, lost in their own bewilderment at what had been asked of them. Sanemi contemplated leaving, simply sneaking away from the training ground. He was sure he would be able to do so without being seen but since he was well aware that his master’s mental abilities well exceeded those of his eyes, he knew that this plan was doomed before he could even try. Oyakata-sama would know, in one way or the other, and while he would maybe not intervene, he would be direly disappointed in Sanemi’s actions - and however much disdain he felt at the idea of training with Giyuu, Sanemi was not willing to disappoint the one person who had never disappointed him.

Thus, he gritted his teeth and turned to Giyuu who stared at the cloudy sky as if it was about to reveal an out of this situation to him. “Well,” Sanemi growled. “Since we have not much of a choice, we might as well get it over with.”

For a moment, Giyuu did not react and Sanemi was about to say something rather unkind at this ignorance, when Giyuu finally nodded reluctantly. “Yes,” he muttered, avoiding Sanemi’s gaze. “So … are you going to bend down or do I have to jump?”

Sanemi felt his own blood rush through his ears and he dug his fingernails deep into his palms, desperately trying to cope with the absurdity of the situation. It took him all his willpower to keep breathing calmly instead of exploding when he begrudgingly crouched down. He heard slow footsteps behind him and clenched his jaws when he felt Giyuu coming closer. His whole body tensed up when Giyuu came to a halt behind him. And then, he felt cold fingers hesitantly touching his shoulders before grabbing ahold of them and even though he tried his best to suppress it, Sanemi flinched at the touch. He felt Giyuu freeze and for a moment, they were engulfed by silence as both Sanemi and Giyuu held their breath at the same time.

Then, Sanemi closed his eyes and sighed, conquering his repulsion. The quicker they started, the quicker it would be over. And with a swift movement, he reached back and heaved Giyuu onto his shoulders, almost overhearing the surprised yelp coming from behind him. “Great,” he spat out. “What now?”

For a moment, he was met with stunned silence. Apparently, Giyuu had not expected this sudden ascent and it took him a second to adapt to the situation. “Well,” he said slowly. “Before we start, we have to … uh, put on the blindfold.”

With his jaw, Sanemi also almost dropped Giyuu. He noticed just in time that he had let go of him and quickly grabbed his legs, cutting Giyuu’s startled cry short. “The what?” he bellowed, desperately hoping that he had misheard Giyuu’s words.

But only a second later, his hopes were shattered when Giyuu repeated himself, this time dangling a dark piece of cloth in front of Sanemi’s face as if to prove his words. “The blindfold. You’ll have to put it on. Nichika explained it to us.”

Dumbstruck, Sanemi stared at the blindfold softly swaying before his eyes, moving in an almost hypnotic rhythm. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare and while his brain still tried to process this new development, he heard himself weakly say, “I can’t put it on with no hands free though.”

And without hesitation, Giyuu replied, “Then I’ll do it for you.”

Sanemi froze when he felt Giyuu’s hands grazing his face as he quickly slipped the blindfold over his eyes. For a split second, Sanemi contemplated ripping the blindfold away and strangling Giyuu with it but even in this humiliating situation, he saw Oyakata-sama’s smile before his inner eye. And with clenched teeth, he let it wash over himself. When the dark cloth almost entirely drowned out any light, Giyuu finally retracted his hands. It was only then that Sanemi realized that he had held his breath throughout the whole ordeal and when he now gasped for air, he felt Giyuu shift uncomfortably on his shoulders as he leaned forward.

“Everything alright?” Giyuu asked, his voice sounding strangely timid. And instead of snapping at him, Sanemi left it at an exasperated sigh and nodded.

“Let’s get it over and done with,” he groaned, blinking rapidly as one of his eyelashes got stuck on the fabric. He felt Giyuu’s weight on his shoulders and even though Giyuu was not particularly heavy, it felt like he had shouldered nothing less than a boulder. For all he knew, this was at least a one-off occasion and this thought gave him the strength to tighten his grip when he felt Giyuu drawing his katana. As one of the Ubuyashiki daughters had explained to them, they would have to work together, Sanemi being the legs and muscle while Giyuu bore the katana and acted as the mind behind their strategy.

“Uh, let’s get moving then,” Giyuu said, sounding a bit unsure. He shifted his weight a bit and Sanemi clenched his teeth again, trying not to snap at him that he was no horse that had to be steered with the legs.

“Where?” he growled instead. “I can’t exactly see, if you haven’t noticed.”

Giyuu paused before he muttered, “Sure. Hm, turn to the right. There are a few dummies up ahead.”

And begrudgingly, Sanemi followed suit. The next hour – which did feel like an eternity – consisted mostly of Giyuu giving him increasingly precise commands where to go while Sanemi slowly got used to supporting Giyuu’s weight while he brandished his sword. And while his insides where still burning with anger at this training method, he did come to appreciate the satisfying thump when Giyuu’s katana hit another of the wooden dummies.

However, Sanemi was well aware that in the speed they were moving right now, an enemy would have enough time to gather a whole army before they even got to him. And thus, he spoke up after a while, cursing silently at himself for having to make this suggestion. “We should move quicker if we want this to be a real training.”

A moment of silence followed and he heard Giyuu’s soft breath before he finally replied, “Are you sure you are, uh, strong enough for that? I mean, you’ve been carrying me around for a while now.”

This caught Sanemi entirely by surprise and for a moment, he was at a loss of words as rage started bubbling up in his throat. He tightened his grip around Giyuu’s legs until his nails had to dig into his skin and he smiled grimly at the sharp breath drawn above his head. “I’ll show you just how to strong I am,” he murmured, more to himself.

Giyuu did not react to his threatening tone but Sanemi could feel him move into a more secure position, seemingly expecting Sanemi to burst into motion at any moment. And then, he did.

In the blink of an eye, Sanemi charged forward. Giyuu let out a small yelp and clung to his shoulders as they flew across the training ground. “Right,” Giyuu screamed, apparently just in time as his katana hit something hard way quicker than it had before.

But Sanemi did not let this knock him off course and he continued to sprint, led only by Giyuu’s hasty directions. Over and over, he heard the impact of Giyuu’s katana and when his muscles started burning and both of their breaths came ragged, he released all of his anger in another mighty burst of energy. They whirled across the training ground, drafts of air and the fierce impacts blurring into each other. Giyuu’s voice came quicker as he tried to keep up with Sanemi’s speed, his commands sounding more rushed by the minute which made Sanemi grin to himself.

“Left,” Giyuu gasped out and Sanemi instantly followed suit. Giyuu’s body tensed up as he screamed, “Other left!”

And before Sanemi had the time to react, something akin to a brick wall materialized in front of him and with an earthshattering thump, they collided. He yelped in surprise and pain as he staggered backwards, letting go of Giyuu who fell from his shoulders with a cry. Giyuu landed hard on the ground with a loud groan and Sanemi, still blinded by the dark fabric, stumbled over him, toppling over. Before he could reach out to catch himself, he landed on something rather soft which evoked another groan, this time slightly muffled. And when Sanemi ripped the blindfold off his face, he noticed that the squishy something he had landed on was Giyuu who stared up at him with his eyes wide as saucers.

Sanemi quickly struggled to his feet, hastily moving a few steps away from both Giyuu and the unexpected barrier which turned out to be less of a brick wall and more of an especially broad wooden dummy that now – if one looked closely – had the silhouette of a weird, humpbacked figure imprinted into its frontside.

Sanemi turned back to Giyuu, glaring at him, already opening his mouth to give him a piece of his mind when he suddenly heard a soft hem somewhere behind them. Giyuu’s gaze fell on something behind Sanemi and with a start, he turned around. His heart sank when he found himself face to face with Oyakata-sama, accompanied by his daughters. A slightly amused smile formed on his master’s face when he looked at first him, then Giyuu.

“As I can tell, this training was a good idea. I am glad that you are taking this very seriously, my children. And since you have both proven that you still have a ways to go, you will continue this training until you work in perfect harmony.” For a moment, everything fell silent. Like in trance, Sanemi turned his head and when his gaze met Giyuu’s blue eyes, he knew that this was only just the start to a few particularly unpleasant weeks. And the worst of it all: he would only break free if he and Giyuu actually managed to work as a team.