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There was snow falling outside.
It wasn’t heavy though- just a light dusting floating slowly down in the cool air of morning. It was early, enough for just a few stars to remain faintly in the sky above, twinkling faintly among the ever changing colors above. The deep blues and purples of the night had already mostly faded away, making way for the warm oranges and pink of morning that the sun brought with it as it began to rise out over the horizon at the break of the dawn.
It was winter in the land of Wano, and the rays coming off of the sun reflected off of the ice and snow that had already fallen and formed late into the night, covering the ground and foliage around with frost that sparkled slightly in the light. It added a faint feeling of magic to the morning- the kind that you couldn’t even begin to explain- only experience for yourself or with whoever you might be with in the silence of the morning, enjoying it as wholly as you could before it faded away silently as day overtook it.
The dawn was perhaps Denjiro’s favorite time of day.
It was an entirely peaceful time. Not only in the sense that very few souls were even awake at this hour, no, but that did contribute. Where he currently resided, it wasn’t all too far from the hustle and bustle of the city of the Flower Capital, but it was far enough that the sounds of it couldn’t be heard in the slightest. Leaving only the sounds of the local wildlife, and later on, nearby villagers and farmworkers working contently the only noises in this corner of the country.
It was also peaceful, because Denjiro hadn’t gotten to experience such quiet bliss in such a long time.
He remembered back to years ago, a lifetime away when he was just a thief and conman, roaming the country and not staying in one place for very long. That usually meant he spent his nights camped outside somewhere, up a tree along the thick branches lying quietly as he watched the sunset, or on the ground spread out in a field as he gazed up at the stars sparkling gently above him before he drifted off to sleep that night.
He exhaled slowly, his breath in plumes against the chill of the air around him.
It had been a quiet time then, especially when contrasted to back before, when he was even younger. The early days when he was just a kid hustling shady adults on the streets- an orphan with no house or home to go back to in a physical sense, for the longest time.
The only places he had ever called home back then, was either anywhere Kin’emon was- or later, Oden castle itself.
Those… had been some wonderfully happy years.
Throughout everything that had happened thereafter- the anger and the grief that changed his appearance unrecognizably, but not the kindness in his heart- the fighting, the deals made with the men he hated more than anything else in the world, the grovelling and false cruelty… all of it. Throughout everything he had gone through over the decades to where he had been recently, he had thought of nothing but those years that he held so dearly even in the moments he had been experiencing them. Through every frustration, every doubt about the future that was coming, every bad day that tried to doubt the need to even see what the next would be like-
He closed his eyes slowly, holding them tightly shut for just a moment, before letting them open again to gaze at the sunrise in front of him, taking a deep breath as he did.
He wasn’t going to think about the hurt for today.
Today felt like it wanted to be a happy day. He would let it.
The sun had risen even higher, bathing the landscape surrounding him with the warm light of dawn. Some of the birds with nests nearby finally awakening and filling the morning air with the sounds of their sweet singing,and Denjiro was half tempted to hum along with them, to a song he couldn’t possibly know, when he heard gentle movement happening from behind him.
Listening carefully to it instead of the bird song, he heard faint movement from inside the house- the sounds of someone stepping lightly towards the door that led out to the balcony he was standing on- before the door slid quietly and someone stepped out behind him.
“You’re awake quite early.”
He smiled to himself, small and content as he closed his eyes gently for just a moment. Oh, how happy that voice had made him feel over all these years.
“I could say the very same to you too, little princess.”
He opened his eyes slowly when he felt her move across the balcony and over next to him, leaning on the railing as he was as she laughed softly and looked up at him with eyes still dusted with sleep, bedhead still leaving her hair in loose tangles around her head. She reached out a hand and swept a finger affectionately down his arm warmly.
“Can’t sleep, I take it?”
He turned to look down at her- the little girl he’d protected every moment he’d known her, and raised as his own after she had stumbled into his care after everything that happened so long ago. The fact of the latter showed- the little mischievous gleam she always had in her eyes, not just that of her father’s, but because of all the mostly harmless tricks he had taught her over the years.
His expression matched her own sweet and soft one, as he let out a content sigh.
“Mmm… I slept wonderfully last night, actually.”
“Oh, so you’re wide awake then?”
“It would seem so.” He chuckled, turning his head back up to face the sunrise before him. He breathed in before he spoke softly again.
“I am a bit thankful, really. It means I get to enjoy such a gorgeous view for a while.”
There was a peaceful silence between them then, as he watched the sky slowly cool from the warm hues it had carried seemingly moments ago, changing slowly into the blue it would remain for the rest of the day until evening, so long as a storm didn’t roll in unexpectedly. He didn’t expect one to, though. Not with the lack of signs that nodded towards a storm, and how vivid the sky was turning out to be for the day.
Though, as Hiyori turned to watch with him, it occurred to him that he hadn’t yet asked her what she was doing up so early herself. A question appropriate for the girl he knew who would always sleep in if given the chance to in the past.
He glanced down at her.
“Would you be awake for the same reason?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “No, I was just awake, and thought I would get to the laundry for the day before everyone else woke up so they wouldn’t have to worry about it. You know how Kin gets when it comes to chores.”
Denjiro rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, but of course. The man either had to do everything all by himself as rapidly as he can before he burns out, or make everyone work together the very moment they’re awake to get everything done. Quite a wonderful way to be woken in the morning, I might add.”
They smiled at each other at that, breaking down into quietly held back giggles before turning to look out towards the sunrise again. The memory of Kin’emon running around the house with a broom, bonking each vassal with the brush end until they woke up, screeching about the list of chores they had for the morning and exactly how long each should take if they all worked together playing over in their minds. The memory was distant, especially for Hiyori, having been so young when such events occurred, but it still felt like happiness when thought back on. How could they not giggle- the intense expressions Kin’emon was always wearing, and the yelling from Kawamatsu as his hat got knocked off by Kin’emon brandishing the broom like a sword…
It had felt like happiness, to say the least.
When Hiyori looked up at Denjiro silently again, all she could see painted across his face was an expression she could only describe as quiet bliss, not just from the memory of their family being such a lovable mess, but from the dawn in front of him. Something so simple as a sunrise- happening every single day without fail as long as you looked for it- had placed that expression upon his face. She blinked, before smiling just a little bit wider to herself.
She’d only seen him so happy, so content and relaxed, when she was just a small child.
Denjiro’s eyes flickered down to meet hers a moment later, and she failed to look away quickly enough for him to not notice her staring up at him. He just let out a soft hum, a warm sound against the bite of the air around them, as he reached a hand over to flick a finger gently down her nose before sitting back from the railing.
“Come on then, my lady. Let’s get going back inside before you catch a cold.”
She pouted- puffing out her cheeks at the latter remark. “I’m fine for a while longer, you know.”
Nevertheless, she followed him at his side as he laughed and reached down to give her hair a gentle ruffle, surely adding a few extra tangles to her bed head that she probably wouldn’t even notice.
“Sure you are, but I don’t want Kawamatsu getting on my case if you end up with the sniffles later on, my lady.”
She crossed her arms over her chest with a fake little ‘hmph’, but didn’t stop following next to him for even a second. They stepped back towards the inside of the house, and away from the balcony as Denjiro cast one more little glance over his shoulder to the remains of the sunrise behind him.
It truly was one of a kind, changing and disappearing slowly as the sun rose higher and brought with it the dawn. By now he could begin to hear the faint movements of the nearby villages and houses stirring to life as the people within them began to awaken and begin their days. From the livestock and animals calling out to be fed by their owners, to the faint squeaking of garden gates and wagon wheels as people began to work or prepare breakfast. All their little sounds were filling the air.
Yes, the dawn itself was fleeting. But with it, it brought opportunity. Chances to spend with the ones you loved, doing the things you loved even if just for a little while. To share laughter and smiles just existing next to someone who you held so closely to your heart, like he was so lucky to be able to even throughout all these years.
He smiled to himself as he stepped tenderly back inside, a moment behind Hiyori.
For once… he actually couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would look like.