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The winter this year brought more snow than normal in Japan. Genya was so excited, he loved the snow! It was such a peaceful and serene weather phenomena. Soft flakes fluttering from a cloudy sky, a blanket of quiet surrounding the tranquil Stone Estate.
Gyomei decided to invite the rest of the Hashira over for a rare day of rest and host a dinner. Breaks were becoming fewer and farther between across the Corps with Muzan ramping up his mission of trying to find the Blue Spider Lily.
Both Master and Apprentice spent most of the day preparing the Estate for visitors, cleaning up living areas (even though it wasn’t necessarily messy to begin with), preparing food, and making sure all the Estate cats were put away in their respective rooms and away from the company. Slowly everyone started trickling in through the front gates. Starting with Tomioka and Shinobu–the Insect Hashira bringing her tsuguko Kanao along, followed shortly by Tanjirou and Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.
Tengen and his wives were next, then Rengoku, Obanai, and Mitsuri all arrived together. Muichirou was next. The last to arrive, not to anyone's surprise, was Sanemi. The Wind Hashira had the worst sense of timing unless he was on a mission. But the moment he stepped through the front door and slipped off his zori sandals to leave by everyone else’s along with his sword, Genya was bounding over to him like an excited puppy.
“Welcome, Aniki!” Genya exclaimed, leaping into Sanemi’s arms to give him a hug. The older Shinazugawa grunted at the extra weight against him but expertly balanced the wrapped bundle in his hand while giving Genya a hug in return with one arm.
“Careful, Gen. You almost made me drop this,” Sanemi grumbled, but Genya could tell he wasn’t actually upset with him.
Both brother’s made their way back to the sitting room where everyone was gathered, adding the plate of ohagi Sanemi brought to the center table where there were plenty of appetizers for everyone.
The evening was going splendidly, all things considered. Mitsuri and Rengoku were the ones taking care of most of the food, being assisted by Tengen’s wives and Nezuko who was trying her best to help where she could. Everyone mingled and chatted, taking the rare moment of respite from constant fighting and missions to heart. Inosuke was the one who was getting restless, to no one's surprise. Having been banned from the kitchen for constantly trying to snack on the food but he was bored with just talking .
“Hey, Tenma. I wanna fight. You look weak enough right now, let's go outside and fight,” Inosuke taunted the younger Shinazugawa as he poked the mohawk-haired teen from where he sat next to his brother, just relaxing while Sanemi had a conversation with Obanai.
“My name is Genya! Not Tenma! Get it right you boar-headed oaf!” Genya growled rolling his eyes at his fellow slayer. “And please. I could beat you in a fight anyday.”
“Oh yeah?! Well then let's go and I'll prove you wrong!” The beast breather puffed up his chest and shoved Genya’s shoulder to rile him up more.
Tanjirou, ever the peacemaker, tried jumping in to resolve the growing tension between the two young teens. “Guys we don’t need to fight! We’re supposed to be relaxing today!”
“Quiet Gonpachiro! As your leader I don't need to listen to you!” Inosuke grunted, not even sparing him a glance. “I have a weakling to beat here.”
Hashibira shoved Zenitsu, who whined at the rough treatment that he didn’t deserve, out of the way as he barreled to the back sliding door. He barely remembered quick enough to grab his sandals and lace them on before throwing the door open and launching himself out into the soft powdery snow. Tanjirou followed him, still trying to hopelessly persuade Inosuke to come back inside. Zenitsu trailed right after Tanjirou, holding onto the back of his haori and whining about being dragged into the cold. Muichirou decided to join them, figuring they would be more entertaining than the adults talking inside.
Genya who had grumbled and moved to slip on his boots was halted in his movements by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up in surprise to find Sanemi standing over him and frowning.
“I know you’re not about to go out into that weather just wearing what you are right now.”
“Um..yes? This uniform and yukata are made for the winter specifically, Aniki. I won’t get cold,” Genya frowned.
Sanemi just stared hard at him for a second before turning on his heel and calling for the Stone Hashira. “Himejima! You have something more warm for Genya to go out in the snow with? He needs more than just his uniform!”
Genya groaned and hid his face in his hands. “Aniki!! Stoooop, I don’t need any of that stuff!”
The large Stone Pillar paused in his conversation with Shinobu and Tengen to turn at the sound of his name being called. He excused himself for a second before making his way to where Sanemi was rifling through the entryway table looking for a pair of gloves.
“Master Himejima! Tell him I don’t need any of this!” Genya whined in embarrassment where he was already bundled in a cloak and a scarf.
Gyomei chuckled at his apprentice’s situation. But Sanemi was smart in bundling the teen up more. With his weaker lungs and tendency for catching an illness easier than most, Genya needed warmer layers than most. “The gloves are in the other drawer, Shinazugawa. As for you Genya, you know what Kochou told you about being out in this kind of weather for a prolonged period of time.”
Sanemi found the pair of wool gloves with a triumphant noise. He closed the drawer and shoved them into Genya’s chest with a warning that if he took any of that off he would be forced to deal with Shinobu and the consequences of his actions. Genya shuddered at that. He didn’t want to face the wrath of Shinobu-san so he swallowed his pride and put on the gloves, marching outside.
Inosuke burst out laughing at the bundled up form of Genya, doubling over and slapping his knee. Zenitsu snorted and tried to hide as Genya glared at both of them. Tanjirou just looked at him in sympathy while Muichirou just smirked subtly.
“Shut up! Stop laughing!” Genya growled.
When Inosuke just laughed harder and pointed at him, Genya reached down and rolled up the snow into a perfect sphere, swinging his arm back and launching it at Inosuke. The boar-masked teen’s laugh was cut off as he fell back from the force of the snowball hitting him in the head.
“HEY! You’re gonna pay for that!” Insouke shouted, making his own snowball and launching it at Genya.
Genya gasped and ducked, the snowball sailing over his head and just barely missing him. But unfortunately for everyone, it didn’t miss the person it hit next.
“Genya, come here. You forgot-” Sanemi’s sentence was cut off as he was hit square in the face with the powdery snowball. The wool cap that had been held in his hand falling forgotten as everyone froze in shock and slight fear.
“Oh, Insouke you are so dead. Shinazugawa-san is going to
kill
you!” Tanjirou gasped.
“I don’t care! That old man can’t do anything to the great Lord Inosuke!”
“You brat! You are going to regret that!” Sanemi snarled, vein popping out in his forehead as he scooped up snow and began chasing after Hashibira.
Inosuke cackled and ran away yelling taunts while throwing his own snowball’s occasionally. The other teens watching laughed and joined in, and soon a full on snowball fight erupted. Laughs rang out as snowflakes fluttered down, landing on lashes and heads full of hair. To most people it would probably seem a little ridiculous that a twenty-one year old was goofing off with a bunch of younger teenagers but when Tengen and Rengoku came out and joined Sanemi, managing to wrangle Obanai in as well, soon there was two teams fighting against each other and enjoying themselves.
And for only a day, worries and stresses melted away like snow does in warm spring sun, all the members of the Corp feeling at ease in everyone’s company.