Work Text:
Petals flew down from the sakura tree Sanemi was standing under. He stared silently at the grave ahead.
‘Tomioka Giyuu.’
It read.
Sanemi was finally turning 25. Tomorrow would be the last day Sanemi lives.
He would like to think that his life has been fulfilling. He has done his best this lifetime. Though there were some regrets.
Being unable to save his family.
Being unable to save Masachika.
Being unable to protect Genya.
Being unable to protect the other Hashiras. (he was protected instead)
And not marrying Giyuu.
And oh, that had to be one of Sanemi’s biggest regrets.
“Sanemi…” Giyuu croaked out as tears dripped onto his face.
Sanemi was crying.
“Giyuu! Y-you can't die now! You're only 25!” Sanemi exclaimed, holding tightly onto Giyuu's remaining arm.
“Sanemi…you already…knew that.” Giyuu smiled painfully.
He looked beautiful.
And Sanemi was heartbroken.
It was like the world was against him.
He couldn't save anyone.
Not his family, Genya, Masachika, the other pillars, Ubuyashiki, and now Giyuu.
He wished that the universe wouldn't take him away. Not his Giyuu. But no one ever listened.
“Giyuu..No, y-you can't, you can't leave me too!” Sanemi begged. But begging never worked.
“I love you! I love you Giyuu, don’t go! Please...don't go...”
Giyuu's eyes widened. Then he smiled.
He smiled.
“Sanemi…in another life, let's…get married. Promise me, okay?”
In another life, because there wasn't a chance in this one.
Sanemi's heart dropped.
All this time, Giyuu had liked him back? When he fretted about his feelings being unrequited, Giyuu had liked him back?
You mean, Sanemi could have already married Giyuu long ago?
“G-Giyuu! I promise! We will! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” Sanemi repeated over and over again.
Maybe the more he begged, the more the world would hear him, and the higher the chance that Giyuu would survive.
And then he heard it.
“I…I love you too.”
Sanemi felt a hand brush at his cheek for a split second.
Then he heard a ‘thump’.
Giyuu had died that day.
Right after confessing to Sanemi.
Right after promising a married universe with him.
Sanemi woke up the next day. The next day, which was supposed to be his 25th birthday.
So by right, he should be at the Water Hashira's house, waiting to be buried with his Giyuu.
So tell him, why was he waking up in his own estate?
And that was not even the weirdest part.
Someone tell him why he has all of fingers right now.
Sanemi concluded he was back in the past.
Why? He had a few simple pieces of evidence.
One, he had all of his fingers.
Two, he was wearing his demon slayer uniform.
Three, Sorai, his Kasugai crow, has just announced an emergency meeting.
To the Master's estate.
Sanemi felt his stomach churn, nauseously taking in the sight of the Master’s house again.
The last time he was here, the place had already blown up.
He trudged into the manor slowly. He would have to face all of the Hashiras alive again, wouldn't he?
Could he really do this?
He had just spent a few years mourning most Hashiras, and a few months mourning his Giyuu.
Could he really do this?
He forced himself to calm down as much as possible. Taking in the wooden box that a Kakushi was holding, he instantly realised.
This was the meeting where the Hashiras, other than Giyuu and Shinobu, had first met Tanjiro and Nezuko.
The same two kids who helped tremendously to defeat Muzan.
The same two kids who loved and were loved by Giyuu.
He gulped. He could already feel his eyes tearing up when he registered the hushed voices of the Master.
After all, the meeting had already kickstarted without him. He had walked slowly, hoping to buy as much time as possible.
He blinked rapidly, willing the tears to go away.
Since when did he cry so easily?
Giyuu has really softened him.
Maybe that was what love does to someone.
He took the wooden box Nezuko resided in away from the Kakushi and walked towards the courtyard.
The voices got louder and louder.
And then he saw them.
Sanemi felt his heart drop.
Sanemi's silent approach did not go unnoticed by the Hashiras, especially not by Tengen and the Master.
The two glanced at his direction, one looking curious and confused, the other smiling, gentler, so much gentler this time.
Sanemi's eyes glazed over the kneeling slayers.
Tengen, Mitsuri, Rengoku, Obanai, Tanjiro, Shinobu, Gyoumei, Muichiro.
Standing further away was Giyuu.
Giyuu.
Giyuu.
Giyuu.
His tears came back full force.
His hands started shaking and Sanemi fought back the urge to pounce and bowed his head down, clenching his jaw.
The meeting immediately went silent as they registered Sanemi's appearance.
No one had ever seen him like this.
The shaking hands. The head down. The clenched jaw. The tight grip on Nezuko's box’s strap.
Oh. He was so angry, wasn't he?
Tanjiro, assuming the worst, slowly started trying to get up and away from Obanai. Protect Nezuko! He had to protect her!
Everyone watched with bated breaths as Sanemi walked slowly towards them, head still down.
It was the first time anyone had ever seen Sanemi this…calm? Angry?
They didn’t know which was correct.
Soon, Sanemi stepped in front of Tanjiro.
Tanjiro bit his lips, body shaking from the looming shadow of the Wind Hashira.
Everyone watched warily, all well aware of Sanemi's temper.
And yet, they were all surprised when Sanemi gently set down the demon girl's home, even making sure to keep it upright.
Who was this and where was their Sanemi?
Never in a million years would he ever do that…right?
Everyone gawked at him, then turned to the Master who was smiling serenely, maybe even proudly, at Sanemi.
Even Giyuu was confused.
And then Sanemi spoke.
“Oyakata-sama.” The words tasted foreign in his mouth.
It had been so long.
Everyone practically gasped at the softness in Sanemi's voice. Not only that, but it was shaky.
Not the ‘I'm so mad so I'm going to kill you so hard’ kind of shaky, but the ‘I'm so sad so I'm gonna cry so fucking hard’ kind of shaky.
Now, they were considering the possibility that this was a demon instead.
Then Sanemi continued.
“Forgive me for interrupting.” He paused. “And for what I'm about to do next.”
Oh no.
This calm version of Sanemi was so unknown to everyone that some practically sprang up to unsheathe their blades.
They all assumed Giyuu would have already been dead after Sanemi spoke.
They didn’t want a dead pillar, so they would have to stop the fight before it got too bad.
And it seemed like Sanemi was full of surprises today.
One moment he was standing in front of Tanjiro, the next he was hugging Giyuu.
Sanemi sniffed. And sniffed again.
His hands pulled his Giyuu closer to his body, resting his head on Giyuu's shoulder.
This Giyuu still had two arms. This Giyuu still had long hair. This Giyuu was still alive.
And he just...could not hold back anymore.
Everyone froze. Sanemi…was hugging GIYUU?! The one man Sanemi hated and had insulted countless times?
WHAT?!
Tengen's jaw fell open as he deciphered the mumbles coming from Sanemi.
“G-Giyuu…….Stay…..I- you…”
They were still hugging. They were still hugging?!
And the worst part? Giyuu fucking started hugging him back?!
What the actual FUCK?!
The two held each other tightly, whispers echoing as both started to cry.
And that was not a small hug either.
That was the kind of hug that was therapeutic.
Everyone hadn't moved an inch. No one had remarked a single thing yet.
Even Kyojuro stopped smiling, in exchange for a very huge ‘O’ shape as a mouth.
After what felt like hours (it was a few minutes only), the two finally pulled apart.
The fact the hug had lasted so long was insane, out of worldly, impossible.
Since when did the cold ice and the strong wind get along well with one another?
They were clearly still in their own world, even after the hug.
Sanemi quickly wiped away his tears with his haori. After he was done, he saw Giyuu still hunched over slightly, shaking as he cried.
Sanemi's heart broke. He reached out and hugged him tightly, before letting go after a few seconds.
He started to wipe Giyuu's tears with his own haori.
His own fucking haori.
WHAT???
Then Giyuu giggled.
Fucking giggled.
WHAT!?!
Everyone gawked watched as the two started to slowly calm themselves down, before turning to face the others.
“Oh. Right, that must have been weird…” Giyuu whispered to Sanemi.
Sanemi snorted before sighing fondly, gazing at his Giyuu lovingly.
When Sanemi had crashed into Giyuu's arms, he hadn’t been sure if this Giyuu would be the same Giyuu he married.
The same Giyuu who died from the mark.
But did it really matter?
“You what?-” Sanemi whipped around.
“Ah- well, I think I had always l- , uhm- admired you.” Giyuu repeated.
Like he didn’t just blow Sanemi’s brains off.
“You admired me?! Even when I was still-” He cut himself off.
Both knew how Sanemi had been like in the past.
Giyuu nodded slowly, as heat crept into his neck and ears.
Sanemi, now knowing Giyuu a little better, would have smirked at the blushing ears, if he himself wasn't just as red!
Clearly Giyuu hadn't really wanted to admit how infatuated he had been with Sanemi's rough temperament.
“What the-”
So technically, Giyuu should still admire him now right? It had only been a one-sided hate with Sanemi.
Giyuu had even wanted to be friends with him at first.
Though this version's Giyuu would definitely be concerned. Hopefully he wouldn’t push Sanemi off.
“...Sanemi…” Soft and quiet.
Testing.
Giyuu was testing to see if this was the same Sanemi as his Sanemi.
Sanemi hugged him tighter because oh fuck- this was the same Giyuu. This was his Giyuu.
His.
He would have loved any version of Giyuu but to have his own one back, fuck- he was crying again.
Giyuu took the tighter hug as an answer and without a care for the other Hashiras, he started to hug him back just as tightly.
This was the person he had confessed to. Just before he had died.
This was the person he loved.
He had always liked Sanemi's aggressive nature, but the one he became after the war was the one Giyuu fell head over heels for.
It was the one that had sealed the deal.
He couldn't be any happier right now.
“S-Sanemi..”
“Fuck- Giyuu I'm so-”
“Sanemi..”
“Giyuu, ‘m so glad…”
“Sanemi..”
“You just gonna say my name?”
Giyuu chuckled, chest rising slightly as he bit back the urge to freely laugh.
He didn’t want to give the others a full on heart attack now.
This was already as weird as it is.
“Giyuu, let's marry soon. I promise.”
“Sanemi…you- I- oh my god..” He stuttered and he felt a small nod against his neck.
Sanemi smirked.
Giyuu was still so easy to fluster.
Finally breaking the hug, Sanemi got to enjoy the look on his now flustered Giyuu.
And heck, he may just be as flustered.
His Giyuu had just agreed to marry him later!
Sanemi had almost died again.
After minimal teasing, Giyuu promised to accept and still let Sanemi do a fancy and exaggerated proposal in the future.
Sanemi learnt that Giyuu had also been transported (?) here, just like how he had come here.
Right after they both died at 25.
How does that even make sense honestly?
But either way, they would not be wasting this opportunity.
Sanemi easily helped Giyuu to wipe his tears and smiled softly when Giyuu started to giggle.
He didn’t even notice he was using his own haori to wipe them.
Finally, the two took a deep breath, staring into each other’s eyes.
They nodded, whatever happens next, they were in it together.
They will work to better the future in this meeting and in the next, until the war starts and ends again.
Glancing at everyone's terrified and confused faces, Sanemi, however, immediately bursted out laughing.
This shocked everyone (again) because since when did Sanemi laugh so happily?!
Usually he would laugh and then beat someone up right after.
Sanemi had enough of crying, he already cried way too fucking much during that hug.
Giyuu stared, endeared by Sanemi's easy laughter, meanwhile everyone else was completely horrified.
Save for the Master. He knew something didn't he?
Giyuu then smacked Sanemi's arm to get his attention. “Sanemi, stop laughing for a second.”
Everyone immediately started preparing for Giyuu's funeral. Giyuu would not be surviving Sanemi's wrath.
But for some reason, Sanemi only rolled his eyes and smiled. He smiled.
“Alright, what the actual fuck is going on.” That was Obanai.
There was a small “Language Obanai.” that came from the Master.
Shit, that must have been so disorientating to see your best friend, who you bonded with while hating on this one guy, hugging and crying on said person.
Sucks to be Obanai.
The two sighed and turned to the Master.
The Master smiled back.
“Welcome back, Sanemi and Giyuu.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“So you two are from the future?!” Tengen exclaimed.
Giyuu nodded.
“But what the heck was that hug!?” Obanai chided.
“Shut it, snake. I had to watch him die in front of me, I deserved that hug, alright.” Sanemi snickered.
Giyuu smacked his head lightly. “Don't be rude to Iguro, Sanemi.”
Everyone gawked seeing Sanemi sigh and cross his arms at that. Not even an insult back?
Obanai knew that look. That was the ‘I'll do anything for you because I love you’ kind of look.
He knew because he had it himself.
But what the fuck. Why does SANEMI have it?
And towards GIYUU?!
“Tomioka-san, I would like to ask something…” Tanjiro gulped at the sudden attention on him.
Giyuu nodded.
“Are you two lovers?” Tanjiro blurted out, making everyone freeze.
“WHAT?!”
“I- I just keep smelling a sweet love scent coming from you two!” Tanjiro murmured to save himself.
Sanemi sighed. Cats out of the bag. Might as well explain.
Safe to say, that was the least peaceful Hashira meeting ever.
(“YOU TRAITOR!”)