Chapter Text
It has been a few days since everything was over. Both the former Water and Wind pillars were now conscious, and even were able to walk around.
It was a miracle that even both of them could survive with the amount of blood loss and injuries they sustained, but now, if fate gave them a while to live peacefully, then the two won't be dumb enough to reject it.
Giyuu and Sanemi had somehow managed to open up to each other about their pasts; Giyuu had confided into Sanemi about Tsutako and Sabito, (all the while trying to calm Sanemi down who got enraged on his behalf at the villagers and relatives that labelled Giyuu to be insane and didn't believe his claim about a demon attack).
After Giyuu was done, Sanemi also slowly narrated the story of his family and his guilt of pushing away Genya, the only family he had left.
Giyuu had heard from Tanjiro about the estranged relationship between the Shinazugawa brothers, though he had not anticipated the extent of how bad it actually became.
Giyuu himself might not have been the oldest sibling like Sanemi, but losing a sibling regardless was hard and he knew that very well.
Like this, they had managed to clear up most misunderstandings, both slowly, over the course of their recovery which lasted for a few weeks.
Sanemi was relieved that the perception that he had held of Giyuu was just a misunderstanding after all, and he never really hated him anyway.
After the final hashira meeting and the official disbandment of the Corps, Giyuu had arrived back into the Butterfly mansion earlier to get his routine check up done by Aoi. When he was done, he walked into one of the empty rooms and asked for a pair of scissors from one of the girls, who handed him one over without question.
He sat in front of a mirror, wrapping a cloth around him first, then picked up the scissors with his left hand. Then, as he was about to bring up the scissors to his hair, a voice interrupted him.
"What are you doing?" the familiar voice of Sanemi asked from the entrance of the room, making Giyuu halt his movements.
Giyuu turned to face the man at the entrance, ".. Was trying to cut my hair."
"You know damn well you aren't used to working with your left hand. Does it kill you to ask for help?" the man huffed in response, rolling his eyes and walking closer to him.
"Well.. I didn't want to disturb the others with this trivial issue."
"And do I not exist?" Sanemi deadpanned, taking the scissors from Giyuu's hand.
"I just didn't consider you'd like to help." Giyuu admitted.
"Then start considering it from now on," Sanemi replied, "How short do you want it to be?"
"Around your length," Giyuu answered.
"Are you sure?" Sanemi raised an eyebrow, "I mean, you did spend effort growing it out for so long."
"Yeah," Giyuu nodded, "I.. need it."
Sanemi shrugged and slowly started trimming off his hair, with gentleness that Giyuu was initially unused to, but now for the past few days, both he and Sanemi had seemed to mellow out quite a bit, so he didn't question it.
There was silence between them until Sanemi sighed and went, "Hey.. Tomioka. I'm sorry."
"What for?" Giyuu asked, raising an eyebrow.
"For not trying to understand you better for all this time."
A pause between them, then Giyuu smiled a little. Seeing his smile in the reflection, Sanemi somehow found his heart doing a weird jump thing, but he dismissed it.
"It's alright.. I mean, it's not like I was being open about myself either. I don't blame any of you for thinking that I was being an egoistic jerk."
Giyuu continued, ".. If not for Tanjiro himself reminding me of Sabito's will.. I probably would've still remained annoying and closed off, wallowing in self pity."
Sanemi let out a snort at that, "That Kamado brat is useful for something, I guess. Doesn't mean he's any less annoying though."
Giyuu's smile remained constant, "I didn't find it funny back then.. But the image of you with a nosebleed because you got headbutted by a teenager during their trial was something."
"We don't talk about that," Sanemi mock glared at him, "Now shut up unless you want me messing your hair up."
"Alright, alright," Giyuu chuckled, and Sanemi's stomach did the weird thing again. Damn it.
After a few more moments, with some final snips, Sanemi put the scissors aside, "There, all done."
Giyuu observed himself in the mirror, getting used to his new look, and then he nodded.
"Thank you, Shinazugawa," he smiled again, "I like it."
".. You're welcome," he replied, turning his face away from Giyuu's smile to calm his heart down.
Sanemi now headed towards the door, considering his job done. But before he did, he slightly turned his head around to look at Giyuu.
"By the way," he started, ".. You look good when you smile. Try doing that more. It's a much better change than your brooding self from always."
Giyuu's eyes widened, then softened immediately.
"Okay. But if you promise to do the same too." he replied a little cheekily, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Y-yeah, whatever," Sanemi cursed at himself for stuttering, and also to hide the warmth rising in his cheeks, "Don't keep too many expectations though."
"Nothing wrong with keeping some hope regardless." Giyuu replied lightly, then staring out the window of the room into the distance.
Sanemi just stared at his form wordlessly, then slowly walked out of the room.
Perhaps.. Both of them could get used to this.