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It was all gonna be okay.
That was what Sanemi had told him, the first time he woke up after the battle. After Sanemi had started to recover from literally losing half his blood, things were good. For a while. For some years, everything really was okay.
Genya actually got to know his brother. Sanemi had much softer features as the hard work of demon slaying left him, with scars healing over naturally with proper care and no strain from fighting for his life.
The Wind Estate was also rather nice, secluded into the mountains where there was always a breeze, which Genya specifically loved since his brother’s lungs started to deteriorate mere months after the final battle. They couldn’t be sure if it was because he’d punctured a lung against Upper One, or due to the cursed Demon Slayer Mark.
It was going to take away everything Genya had left.
Well, everything but his dear son.
“Muu, let’s go!” Genya coaxed, crouching down with his arms outstretched. The toddler waddled over, chubby hands swinging around to keep balance until they landed in his father’s arms. “We’re visiting Sanemi-oji-san today!”
“Oj'-cha!” Muu squealed as Genya lifted the two-year-old up.
“I packed some bento.” Muichirou held out the wrapped boxes for his husband.
“Oh, thanks.” Genya smiled, pecking Muichirou’s cheek as the seventeen year old patted their kid’s head.
“Tell him I say hi?” Muichirou requested. Genya nodded in return, as he was going to join his husband in meeting at the Kamado house the next day, where Muichirou’s weakened body wouldn’t be able to take the extra strain of heading to the Wind Estate beforehand.
With a wave, Genya watches as Muichirou’s figure shrinks as he walks away, Muu babbling along as he toddled forwards. Genya offered a small smile at the small boy as they walked towards the train station, being so physically exhausted that he felt the same as he did when the Demon Slayer Corps still existed.
There were just so many nights of barely sleeping. So many nights of sorting through the possessions of someone who wasn’t even dead yet, taking care of a young child, and remembering the past. Genya was just so, so tired.
But for Muu, he would continue onwards.
“Muu, you know what this is?” Genya kneeled next to the kid as they waited on the platform, chilly air whipping past them. Muu sneezed as Genya tugged the scarf that Nezuko had knitted the boy tighter, then wiping away some snot.
“Re–sha!” Muu giggled, pointing at the mechanical transportation.
“That’s right!” Genya praised. “And what’re you telling Sanemi-oji-san when we meet him?”
“Da-su-ki!” Muu warbled, smiling through his rosy cheeks. Genya laughed and clutched his son tighter as the train entered the station, whistle blowing loudly as the two boarded and sat down, the kid jumping around all over the place.
“See what chichi packed?” Genya smiled at the boy some time after the train started its journey. “Lunch!”
“M hungry!” Muu agreed, then opened his mouth as Genya started feeding him. Just like Koto did. Genya’s eyes softened, until the sight of the five year old’s mangled corpse replaced the memory. “Y’look weird, tou-cha.”
“Do I?” Genya snapped himself out of his mind, his heart still racing. No. That kind of sight would never harm him again. Never. “Well, I guess I just need some watermelon.”
Although the juice smeared around his face, Genya stayed still as Muu’s tiny hand fed his father a piece. Just like how Sumi used to do. Calm. Calm. That kind of thinking was for when Muichirou was sound asleep next to him, the crickets chirped in the background, and moonlight shone into their room. Those kinds of thoughts weren’t meant for when he was around his toddler.
Muu seemed to forget about it just as fast as Muichirou used to forget things, by falling asleep with his hands still sticky with watermelon. Genya gently wiped his kid’s hands, then looked out to the setting sun outside the window.
The times where demons would come out. Before, it used to mean literally. With them eradicated, it now just meant Genya. Genya and his fangs, his claws, his stomach.
Sanemi said he’d never leave him again. Just when it was perfect timing, Genya had grown up enough to not need Sanemi. Grown up enough to get married and adopt a kid, live in his own house and refer to his aniki as an uncle.
It always terrified him.
But, as he always did, Genya didn’t show it. He never showed it. Not when about to die, not against Sanemi’s ruthless looks and words, not against the possible rejection that Muichirou could hand him.
Did he even have a right to be scared?
It was all over. Yushiro was the last remaining demon, besides Genya and his inhumane fangs, claws, stomach, eyes.
How it couldn’t stop churning no matter what he did. The canines in his mouth remained sharp enough to tear through human flesh, the claws which could rip out organs from people and cause harm. His eyes were meant to see his future victims in the dark.
He couldn’t stomach anything that was too much. No matter how much the Uzui family tried to get him to eat tempura and other oily foods, he’d always end up vomiting later. Anything that was too much, would end up right out of his stomach.
It sort of made Genya never want to eat again.
Sanemi invited the two into the Wind Estate while leaning on the wall. Genya’s heart pounded in his ears, and he could taste disease in the air, with Muu sitting on the ground trying to remove his shoes. Leaning down to help before Sanemi could do it himself, Genya helped his son with the knots as Muu stood up again using both his hands, striding to Sanemi’s legs with shaky steps.
“Nemi-oji-cha!” Muu said confidently. Genya and Sanemi froze. That nickname… was last used when Genya was about to die. The previous time it had been used was the night when the rest of their family died. “Dai-su-ki!”
Sanemi’s eyes widened by the slightest fraction, and Genya couldn’t move. Muu kept giggling and toddling around, then beginning to explore the foreign estate. Sanemi turned to Genya slowly, parts of his white hair hiding his face. To Genya, it looked as if his brother hadn’t cut his hair since the final battle.
“Genya…” Sanemi murmured, eyes trained on the little boy gazing at the sword on the mantelpiece. “You’re raising a good kid. Go ahead and take in more of those lil shits.”
Genya choked on his own saliva. “Wh- what?”
A small, but fond, smile entered Sanemi’s expression, as he tucked the strand of hair behind his ear. “I like them. Have another six of them.”
“Si- six?!” Genya gaped. “It’s already a struggle with just one!”
“Look, I didn’t lose two fingers to have you only raise one successor.” Sanemi huffed, ruffling Genya’s hair. “Adopt at least four.”
“Oh my gods, aniki!” Genya laughed. He made sure to keep his mouth closed and hide it behind his mouth. “Muu is enough for me and Muichirou.”
Sanemi rolled his eyes, then coughing slightly but trying to hide it behind a chuckle. Genya slightly dragged his brother to sit down at the table, where tea had already been prepared, along with some snacks, which Muu had already indulged himself with.
“How are you?” Genya asked as they took a sip of tea. Thankfully, it was a very weak tea that Genya would think he could hold down.
“Good.” Sanemi sighed. “Another year.”
Genya slumped further. Another year.
“I’d better see another three of those things crawling around before I go,” Sanemi attempted to lighten the mood, aided by Muu’s little babbling towards the windchime, “bad joke? Alright.”
Genya’s fist tightened on his haori, fang biting into his lip. The amount of scar tissue on his mouth could rival what was scratched into his skin.
“How’s, uh, how’s the Tokitou kid?” Sanemi tried to ask an awkward moment later. “Doing with… parenthood, and The Mark.”
“He’s…” Genya searched for the right words to tell his brother. “Trying to spend as much time with Muu as possible. He… it’s becoming a struggle, but everything… it’s sorted out for when The Mark takes its toll.”
Sanemi’s fingers danced over his cup, fidgeting, as Muu ran up to him. Grabbing onto his hakama, Muu beamed and presented his uncle with three otedama. “Oh?”
“S made of y’haori!” Muu beamed. Sanemi blinked and nodded robotically. “I can play it!”
Genya smiled sadly as Muu started tossing one of the bean bags up into the air, reaching upwards to catch it before tossing it up again. “It’s from parts of your haori, and parts of Muichirou’s uniform. He loves the thing.”
“Huh.” Sanemi huffed. He wouldn’t be able to watch another child grow up. He never got to watch kids grow up. Koto, Shuuya, Sumi, Hiroshi, Teiko. Genya. Now, his nephew Muu. Fuck, Sanemi didn’t care about himself growing up and he regretted it.
“See that! See that!” Muu repeated as he clutched the ojami closer to his small body. Just as small as Koto was, Sanemi noted. “Tou-cha, show, show!”
“Alright, alright!” Genya laughed, completely carefree. Sanemi saw the glint of Genya’s canines in the light, where he took Muu’s three otedama and stood in front of the table, where Muu collapsed to the ground with his body attentive.
Sanemi’s jaw dropped slightly as his brother started flawlessly juggling the bean bags, pretending to stumble only to save the ojami from falling to the ground with his foot, giggling with his son as he kicked the ball right back into his juggling routine. “Where’d you learn to do that?!”
“Eh, for fun.” Genya chuckled as he let each otedama fall back into Muu’s lap, before sitting down again. “Himejima-san requested I try it to… blow off some steam.”
Sanemi blinked. “Is that where your green thumb comes from?”
“Bonsa!” Muu giggled attempting to juggle just like his dad.
“It’s just a hobby.” Genya muttered, cheeks dusting pink.
“Just like cooking, right?” Sanemi teased. “And sewing?”
Genya started turning more red as Sanemi tangled him into an awkwardly positioned hug across the table, where Muu dropped his toy and started joining in, to which Genya patted his son’s head.
“I’ve got your futons laid out.” Sanemi smiled gently as the brothers pulled apart. When had his brother just… grown so big? Enough to have his two year old son visit? How could his little brother, who would teeth on his arm when they were young and cause bruising, literally be nineteen already? Sanemi himself was turning twenty-five in eleven months.
Giyuu only had another number of days left. He’d requested that, after a small get-together a couple weeks ago, that none of them bother him. It… strangely pained Sanemi’s heart as the other ex-hashira waved goodbye to them, leaning on his elderly teacher for support. He didn’t know why it hurt so much. Should he even bother himself with figuring it out, when he’d never see the ex Water Hashira ever again?
The other ex Water Hashira, Urokodaki, was the only one who was going to be with Giyuu until he passed, where he would send out a letter to them all when it happened. Sanemi still had no idea what to do as November was going to creep up on them in no time, for when he was about to pass.
Never in his life would Sanemi want Genya to see him die. Genya didn’t need to watch his entire family die.
“But aniki, this is your room.” Genya pointed out.
“So? Can’t stand sleeping in the same room as me anymore?” Sanemi shoved his brother’s shoulders, climbing into his own futon.
Muu giggled as he also wiggled under the blankets of the much smaller bedding, head popping out with his purple eyes watching Genya move across the room, hesitantly sliding under the last futon.
“Oyasumi.” Sanemi murmured, waving out the candle.
“Yashumi.” Muu agreed, tossing around a bit more.
“Oyasumi.” Genya agreed, breathing as shallowly as possible, staring upwards. Night was always the worst for Genya. Muichirou had complimented Genya at night, though, saying that he looked absolutely ethereal under the moonlight. That was before the final battle. That was before Genya became a monster.
His eyes… Genya was horrified to find that his eyes turned back to an inky black and irises an unnatural yellow when the sun went down. He promised himself that nobody he loved, other than Muichirou, who he couldn’t avoid his eyes from, would ever see his eyes at night. Genya barely kept that wish as they blew out the candle just as the sun extinguished into shimmering stars.
He had no idea how long he laid there. Muu’s little body rose and fell with each breath, his father’s hand laying on his back the entire night. Wind rattled the doors and Genya could feel some cold seeping into the estate, though under the futon everything felt warm.
“Oi, Genya.” Sanemi whispered into the dark, almost making Genya wake his son up. “Go to sleep. I can feel you not sleeping.”
Genya’s confusion must’ve been evident as Sanemi continued. “I can feel your breathing, Genya, and you’re not sleeping. You need it if you’re going to the Kamado brat’s house tomorrow.”
“Sorry, aniki.” Genya apologized. “I’ll… try to keep it down.”
“Aaah?” Sanemi huffed, propping himself up onto his elbows. “That’s not what I meant. Go to sleep.”
“Right.” Genya breathed, cursing himself mentally as his voice shook.
“Genya?” Fuck. Fuck, Sanemi was leaning over. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Minimal movements from his mouth, or else the fangs would show. His brother would see that he was a real monster.
“Seriously. What is it.” Sanemi’s tone grew slightly louder. “Tokitou kid?”
“No.” Now that they were addressing it, Genya could feel his mental walls crumbling. All the lies, well-hidden smiles, everything falling around him.
“What’s up?” Genya could feel his aniki leaning over him, warmth radiating from his brother. “You okay, Gen?”
That- that did it. Genya could feel a tear escape from his eye, which had remained shut.
“Gen?” Why did Sanemi have to keep repeating that nickname? “Hey, what is it? Are you- remembering something?”
Flashes. Sanemi’s back to him, a sneer in his direction, absolute disgust. Bone-crushing glares, two fingers zooming directly at his eyes. Genya’s breath choked in his throat, making him whimper like the weakling he was.
“Gen, tell me.” Sanemi started shaking his brother’s shoulders. “Open your eyes and tell me what’s wrong, Nemi will fix it.”
More tears. Big, fat globs running down his face, as Genya refused to screw them open. His hand left Muu’s back, instead going to curl around his large frame and try to wipe away the salty water.
“Gen.” No, no, no. Sanemi took his hands off Genya’s shoulders, only to lift them to his face, framing his cheeks between his palms. Like they did when they were kids. “Open your eyes. We can talk about this.”
Genya felt like there was a weight on his chest, stopping his lungs from functioning properly. From trying to get himself to steady his inhales and exhales, his eye accidentally squinted open. Enough to see Sanemi’s face creased with worry lines.
Then, a sharp gasp. And that was all it took. Genya had ruined it. So much hiding, to keep those ugly eyes away from those he loved, ruined by breathing.
“Gen-ya…” Sanemi’s warm hands left Genya’s face, and all he could do was sob pathetically as Sanemi scrambled away from him.
“Mnnn… tou-cha? Chichi?” Muu blearily opened his eyes, struggling to open them wider as he heard crying. Crying… was bad. Tou-chan and chichi regularly did it, and would always hold each other until they stopped. Then, Muu would start crying and they’d hold him too, right in the middle.
Genya kept his face and eyes hidden from Sanemi with his hands, shrinking into the smallest he could possibly go, when a hand reached for his thigh.
Genya wanted to peek out. Genya wanted to know what was wrong with Muu. He wouldn’t curse a child who would never have to look at the horrifying things known as demons with that very look in his own father. Genya wouldn’t show those traits to Muu, ever. Not after he and Sanemi had to see it in their own father.
“Tou-cha… hug?” Muu reached his tiny arms out, trying to get his huge parent wrapped up. All Genya could do as he felt the tiny hands squirming on his jinbei was cry further. He suddenly halted in the heaving sobs as another set of arms wrapped around his demonic body, much larger and stronger than his two year old son.
“Gen…” Sanemi muttered into Genya’s hair, “I’ll always be here for you.”
Genya’s tense body started to relax the more the two stayed there, neither letting go. Even with Muu falling asleep again, he kept leaning against his dad with a hand tightly gripped against one of Genya’s flawed, clawed fingers.
Sanemi didn’t falter all night. He just kept holding Genya, until sunrise came again, and Genya could feel his night vision fade away into daylight. The windchimes jingled against the crisp January air, with a strange scratching sound at the edge of the shoji leading outside.
Sanemi refused to let go of Genya, even as the pecking insisted. With a shaky breath, Genya started to pry his brother off, only leading to Sanemi clutching onto Genya in a half-hug as he reached towards the door, pulling it open with the ends of his fingertips.
“Caww, caw! Message.” Genya instantly recognized the crow as Sorai, arguably one of the fastest crows in the entire Corps. “Message for Shinazugawa Sanemi!”
“What is it, Sorai?” Sanemi’s voice was gravelly from hours of disuse.
“Tomioka Giyuu has passed!” The crow stated. “I came as fast as possible, as soon as the news got to me! Apparently, it was just before the sun rose!”
Sanemi’s grip on Genya loosened the slightest, and Genya shimmied out the rest of the way to turn and look at his aniki’s reaction.
Sanemi looked numb. Almost in a way Genya had never seen before. With only some slight thinking, Genya remembered the other time he’d seen Sanemi so… emotionless.
When he’d killed their mother.
“I… see.” Sanemi looked down, disheveled hair blocking his face again. “Thanks for… traveling so fast.”
“Aniki…” Genya’s voice also broke.
“Eight days early, huh?” Sanemi muttered to himself. “Wanted to meet Sabito and Tsutako again so bad, huh?”
“What?” Genya leaned forward, trying to hear what was practically incoherent for anyone else.
“I’m not gonna be as much of a pussy as Giyuu.” Sanemi decided, making Muu stir awake. “I’m gonna go on my last day alive.”
Genya felt new tears replacing the salty tracks dried on his face.