Work Text:
The thing is, Tomioka Giyuu wasn't disliked. He knew that, despite his current partner having indicated otherwise a couple of years back at Mt Natagumo. It was Shinazugawa who didn't talk without looking like he wanted to bite his head off.
Giyuu never understood why Shinazugawa and Iguro disliked him. As far as he remembers, he never did anything to upset them.
In fact, at the Hashira meeting when the appearance of demon slayer marks was being discussed, he even praised Shinazugawa's simple-minded approach towards the issue. Yet Sanemi had got into a verbal spat with him.
Since officially getting together with Shinobu, Giyuu had wanted to befriend other Hashira. He was encouraged by both Shinobu and Tanjirou to do so.
Yet so far he had not been successful with Shinazugawa or Obanai.
Until one day he got to learn one of the ways he could befriend at least Sanemi.
Since Nezuko had conquered the sun, it was only a matter of time before Muzan would make his move. In order to be prepared and accelerate the possibility of the appearance of marks, the Hashira had come up with a training schedule.
Giyuu had been reluctant about joining the training. But Tanjirou, at the request of Kagaya and Shinobu, persuaded him to join the training by reminding him of Sabito's resolve.
He remembered that when he told Shinobu about the decision, he saw her eyes filled with tears of genuine happiness.
Shinobu was also not joining the training. In order to increase their chances of defeating Muzan, the Corps had teamed up with Tamayo, a renegade demon who had been researching an anti-Muzan drug and a drug to turn Nezuko back into a human.
It came to light that Tanjiro had already met Tamayo earlier, and she had saved them from a bunch of demons.
Shinobu had been visibly shocked but had managed to maintain a professional facade with the demon for the sake of the Corps.
So, this was one of the days when Giyuu sparred with other Hashira. Today was Sanemi's turn.
The mock battle, or so Giyuu thought, was intense.
Giyuu managed to counter every offensive strike from Sanemi with precise defence.
It ended with both swords breaking into two.
However,
"What say, you bastard, why don't we decide it with our hands next?"
Giyuu was confused.
"Don't you say you are better than us? Let us settle this with a fist fight until one of us dies."
Unbeknownst to them, Tanjirou had arrived for his training at one point and, watching the scene in front of him, he intervened.
"Please don't fight."
Suddenly, Tanjirou jumped between the two with a shout.
Giyuu was again confused to see Tanjirou acting as a shield.
"What the hell are you doing here, you prick?" Sanemi growled, "Don't you have a restraining order?"
"Restraining order? What the hell happened between the two of you?"
Giyuu wondered. But before he could say anything, Tanjirou continued.
"Is this about Ohagi?"
Sanemi didn't just stop; he froze.
"What did you say?" Sanemi's low voice would have scared anyone with a survival instinct in this moment, but bless the Kamado boy, he didn't always assume the worst.
"Usually after training, I smell the wafts of ohagi and jasmine tea from your premises; it means you like it, right?"
Before Sanemi could erupt, however, Giyuu decided to open up his mouth,
"So, Shinazugawa, you like ohagi?"
Sanemi's aura grew dangerously murderous.
"Are you both making fun of me?"
He reached for his sword, an actual one this time, but before he could rampage against the two who had just caught the murderous intent in his eyes, a soft and cheery voice interrupted.
"My, my, I see the friendship scheme is going well."
It was Shinobu, followed by Tanjiro's crow.
"Shinazugawa-san, you might want to put down that weapon. I don't appreciate raising a sword against a fellow Hashira and a junior slayer."
Giyuu had noticed Sanemi's rough edges softened around Shinobu. He remembered Sanemi had been in love with her sister Kanae since the day they met; however, she was killed by a demon.
The day had been cruel for Shinazugawa, as much as it had been for Shinobu and other residents of the Butterfly Mansion.
"Now, let us hear what everyone has to say," Shinobu's voice addressed everyone. "Shinazugawa-san, Tomioka-san just wants to befriend you; why are you being so difficult about it?"
Sanemi didn't know what irked him more: Tanjiro's intervention, Giyuu's friendship offer or Shinobu's meddling, but his voice came out way harsher than intended.
"Oh, just because now you find this pathetic man good enough to take to bed, you want to act as a mediator between us?" He jabbed an insulting finger towards Giyuu.
Shinobu's smile didn't disappear, but it faltered for a bit.
"Unlike you, I have no interest in becoming part of your pity project." He turned his accusing finger aggressively towards Shinobu. "You may fool him with your fake smiles, but I-"
Suddenly, the air temperature dropped a few notches, as the tip of Tomioka's sword lay precisely positioned against Sanemi's jugular vein.
"Shinazugawa, I don't care about your thoughts regarding me, but mind your tone when talking to Shinobu." Gone was the man who wanted to be his friend; Giyuu stood in front of Sanemi as his equal, as a comrade whom he had not been able to defeat, as a Hashira.
His eyes were set in firm warning, his mouth a thin line, his posture ready to strike if Sanemi made another move.
To say the Wind Pillar was stunned to see the stoic and rather reticent Water Pillar display such fierce protectiveness would be an understatement.
Then his eyes moved towards Kochou, who looked at him with an expression of surprise- and respect.
Suddenly, he remembered something from the past.
"Kanae, I am worried about little Kochou. You should discourage her from joining the corps."
They were together at a diner after a mission.
Kanae sighed heavily. "I am trying, Sanemi-kun. But she doesn't listen. You, more than anyone else, know how stubborn the younger siblings can be. They don't understand that we elder siblings just want to protect them."
Sanemi knew, with painful realisation. Genya, his only family left from the dreadful night that witnessed his mother-turned demon kill all his siblings, only to be killed by Sanemi in the end, had been persistent about joining the corps. Sanemi had even adopted a harsh and punishing attitude towards his brother so that it could push him away. So far, Genya hadn't budged despite his threat. He even went as far as threatening to disown him.
"But you know I am not worried." Suddenly, Kanae's tone grew that particular kind of soft and gentle that reminded him of his mother's genteel nature before everything went downhill. "Because one day, when she becomes a Hashira, she will meet someone who will be just like you."
Sanemi choked on his food.
Kanae clapped her hands. "Someone who is fiercely protective of her and those he loves, even if he is an idiot otherwise."
"Kanae!!!!" Sanemi's cheeks turned crimson as Kanae's soft laughter echoed in the space between them.
Sanemi took one more look at Giyuu's stern face and took a step back. He also lowered his sword and put it back in its sheath.
After a few moments of awkward silence between them, Sanemi cleared his throat,
"I am sorry, Kochou. It was unbecoming of me to raise my voice against you."
Shinobu sighed. At this moment, she was reminded of Kanae.
"It is all right. Please mind that we are all fighting together, not against each other."
He responded with a stiff nod and turned to leave. Before doing so, he paused near Tomioka and began in his gruff voice,
"Today's sparring session was good. Next time, let us do it at my estate. And if you want, we can train the juniors, and... share refreshments between breaks." The next part was spoken by him with such great difficulty that Shinobu stopped herself from teasing him to not ruin this fragile offering.
Giyuu was flabbergasted by this show of civility by Sanemi.
Then Sanemi turned towards Tanjiro, and his scowl returned,
"I will see you in the next session, and stay away from my brother." Tanjiro made no note of agreement with either of the thinly-veiled threats.
Giyuu turned towards Shinobu, who wanted to burst out laughing at his incredulous expression, and said,
"Did Shinazugawa just accept me as a comrade?"
At his dumbstruck tone, Shinobu could no longer hold it in and let out an unfiltered laugh.
"Yes, Tomioka-san, nothing an offer of ohagi can't fix, right?" She spoke between giggles, her eyes gleaming with adoration and genuine mirth.
Giyuu was too mesmerised watching her beautiful face display unguarded and raw emotions so clearly to offer a retort.
Three years after the war with Muzan.
As Genya and Sanemi cleaned their new estate, the younger Shinazugawa spoke as if reminded of something.
"Nemi, don't forget we have to visit the Butterfly Mansion tomorrow; Shinobu-san and Giyuu-san brought the baby back from the hospital."
Sanemi grunted. "That bastard couldn't wait; they already had one child."
"Nemi, language." Genya's scandalous voice warned him.
Sanemi turned towards his brother and laughed.
"You are not a shy maiden, Genya. The moment you find a suitable woman, I know the Shinazugawa in you would be vying for a family of seven."
If Genya could combust, he would have by now.
"Okay, okay, sorry." Sanemi turned towards the box of ohagi that had just been brought from the market.
"The bastard will like this, won't he?" He grinned at the box and took it inside his room to put it in a gift wrapper. To Iguro's amazement, Sanemi had learned how to wrap gifts properly from Mitsuri.
When he entered, he caught a glimpse of Butterfly Pin lying on top of a small shrine in his room. That Tsuyuri girl, escorted by the annoying Kamado boy, had given him this as he left the Butterfly Mansion after recovering from the war.
"Your sister landed an equally protective and idiot one, alright!" He spoke to no one, but he knew if Kanae were here, she would have laughed.