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The Infinity Castle had nearly taken everything from them.
Somehow, impossibly, all of them had survived.
And afterward, things were different.
They had always been comrades, but there had been a certain distance between them. Even among the Hashira, everyone had their own walls. Their own habits. Their own things they refused to discuss.
Now, those walls had started coming down.
They had almost lost each other.
None of them wanted to waste time pretending they didn't care anymore.
That was how they had ended up spending so much time together.
That was also how Sanemi had slowly stopped hiding.
It wasn't something he'd announced.
There hadn't been some grand conversation where he admitted that he regressed or asked everyone to take care of him.
It had happened gradually.
The first few times, he'd still disappeared whenever he felt himself becoming small.
Then he'd started staying near Obanai.
Then he'd stopped making excuses when Obanai offered to carry him.
Eventually, he'd reached the point where he could sit in the middle of a room full of Hashira, curled against Obanai's side, without seeming particularly bothered that everyone knew.
Today was one of those days.
Sanemi sat beside Obanai on the floor of the Butterfly Mansion.
His knees were pulled close to his chest, and his head rested against Obanai's shoulder.
He was quiet.
Very quiet.
There was no tension in his shoulders, though.
That was what mattered.
Obanai knew Sanemi well enough to recognize the difference.
This wasn't the silence of someone angry.
It wasn't the silence of someone trying to keep everyone away.
Sanemi was simply comfortable.
Obanai's hand rested lightly against the back of Sanemi's head.
Every so often, his fingers moved through Sanemi's hair.
Sanemi leaned into it without hesitation.
Mitsuri sat nearby, watching with an enormous smile.
She had been talking with Shinobu a few minutes earlier, but now she was mostly content to sit and enjoy the sight.
"You look really comfortable, Sanemi," she said.
Sanemi cracked one eye open.
"Yeah."
It was barely more than a mumble.
Mitsuri smiled.
"Good."
She didn't touch him.
She knew better than to crowd him when he was like this.
Instead, she quietly returned to what she'd been doing, leaving Sanemi to his peaceful little corner.
Across the room, Rengoku was sitting with Tengen.
Tengen had regressed too.
He was leaning comfortably against Rengoku's chest, one hand loosely holding onto the Flame Hashira's haori.
Rengoku had an arm around him.
Neither of them seemed embarrassed.
Giyuu sat near Gyomei, equally quiet.
And Muichiro had wandered in not long ago and was now sitting beside Gyomei.
He wasn't quite as openly affectionate as the others, but he seemed content to stay close.
The room was calm.
Nobody was demanding anything from anyone.
Sanemi liked that.
He especially liked that nobody was watching him too closely.
He didn't have to explain why he was small.
He didn't have to pretend he wasn't.
He could simply sit there.
Obanai shifted slightly.
Sanemi immediately leaned closer.
"You want to move?" Obanai asked quietly.
Sanemi shook his head.
"Stay."
Obanai nodded.
"All right."
Sanemi settled again.
A few minutes passed.
Then Sanemi's fingers caught lightly on Obanai's sleeve.
Obanai glanced down.
"Something wrong?"
Sanemi shook his head.
His fingers tightened around the fabric.
"Just..."
He paused.
"Here."
Obanai understood.
"I'm here."
Sanemi relaxed.
There was no teasing.
No embarrassment.
Just a quiet acknowledgment that sometimes Sanemi needed to hear it.
Muichiro looked over from where he sat with Gyomei.
His expression was soft.
He stood and slowly walked over.
Sanemi watched him approach.
Muichiro stopped in front of him.
For a moment, neither said anything.
Then Muichiro reached toward Sanemi.
Sanemi blinked.
"You wanna sit here?"
Muichiro nodded.
Sanemi shifted over.
Obanai adjusted his position so there was enough room.
Muichiro carefully sat beside Sanemi.
Sanemi looked at him for a moment.
Then he held out his hand.
Muichiro took it.
Their fingers loosely intertwined.
Sanemi's expression softened.
"There."
Muichiro leaned slightly against his shoulder.
Sanemi didn't complain.
Instead, he rested his cheek briefly against the top of Muichiro's head.
Obanai watched them.
"Comfortable?"
Sanemi nodded.
Muichiro nodded too.
"Good."
That was all.
A few moments later, Mitsuri quietly came over.
"Can I sit with you?"
Sanemi looked at her.
Then nodded.
Mitsuri sat on Sanemi's other side.
She didn't try to hold him or touch Muichiro.
She simply stayed nearby.
Sanemi seemed to appreciate that.
He had spent so long thinking that being cared for meant being watched.
It didn't.
Sometimes it was just having people nearby.
People who knew when to touch him and when not to.
People who didn't make him explain every little thing.
People who let him be quiet.
He leaned against Obanai again.
His hand remained loosely connected with Muichiro's.
Mitsuri sat beside him.
It was almost overwhelming.
Not because it was too much.
Because it was so different from what Sanemi had been used to.
He could remember when he would've fled the moment someone noticed.
Now he was sitting in the middle of the room.
And nobody thought it was strange.
Sanemi's eyes slowly closed.
Obanai noticed.
"You tired?"
Sanemi shook his head.
"Just comfy."
A tiny smile appeared on Obanai's face.
"Then stay."
Sanemi did.
For several minutes, nothing happened.
And that was exactly what made it nice.
Then Tengen suddenly spoke from across the room.
"You know, Shinazugawa, you've gotten remarkably peaceful."
Sanemi opened one eye.
"Shut up."
Tengen grinned.
"There he is."
Rengoku laughed.
Sanemi's mouth twitched.
He wasn't actually angry.
Everyone knew it.
Tengen knew it too.
"You're enjoying yourself," Tengen said.
Sanemi huffed.
"...Maybe."
That earned several fond smiles.
Muichiro squeezed Sanemi's hand.
Sanemi looked down.
Then he squeezed back.
It was such a small gesture.
But somehow it made his chest feel warm.
He didn't have to say anything.
Neither did Muichiro.
They could simply understand each other.
Eventually, Sanemi shifted.
Obanai immediately noticed.
"Want up?"
Sanemi hesitated for only a second.
Then nodded.
Obanai held out his arms.
Sanemi moved into them.
Obanai lifted him carefully and settled him against his chest.
Sanemi curled up almost immediately.
His arms loosely wrapped around Obanai's shoulders.
His face disappeared against Obanai's haori.
Mitsuri smiled.
"That's adorable."
Sanemi made a tiny grumbling noise.
Mitsuri laughed softly.
"Sorry."
Sanemi peeked out.
"You can say it."
Mitsuri blinked.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"You can."
Mitsuri's smile became impossibly bright.
"You're adorable."
Sanemi hid his face again.
Obanai's shoulders shook with quiet laughter.
"Don't laugh."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
"I was."
Sanemi grumbled.
But he didn't ask to be put down.
That was the important part.
He stayed.
He let Obanai carry him.
He let Mitsuri smile at him.
He let Shinobu occasionally glance over.
He let Gyomei sit nearby with Muichiro.
He let Giyuu remain quietly beside them.
He let Tengen and Rengoku joke softly in the background.
Nobody was making fun of him.
Nobody was treating him like he was strange.
They were simply taking care of him.
And Sanemi was finally allowing himself to enjoy it.
After a while, Muichiro came closer again.
He reached up toward Obanai.
Sanemi looked at him.
"You want Obanai too?"
Muichiro nodded.
Sanemi glanced at Obanai.
Obanai sighed fondly.
"All right."
He shifted Muichiro carefully into his other arm.
Now Sanemi was tucked against one side of him and Muichiro against the other.
Muichiro rested his head against Obanai's shoulder.
Sanemi stared at him.
"...You stole my spot."
Muichiro blinked.
Then quietly leaned closer to Sanemi.
Sanemi's expression softened.
"Fine."
He reached over and gently touched Muichiro's hair.
"Can share."
Muichiro nodded.
Obanai looked down at both of them.
"This is going to become a habit."
Sanemi mumbled, "Good."
Obanai paused.
Sanemi seemed to realize what he'd said.
He didn't take it back.
Instead, he snuggled a little closer.
"Good."
Obanai's expression softened.
"Yeah."
The room gradually returned to its comfortable quiet.
Sanemi didn't feel the need to hide anymore.
He could be small.
He could ask to be held.
He could stay close to Obanai.
He could let Mitsuri fuss over him.
He could hold Muichiro's hand.
He could accept Giyuu's quiet company and Gyomei's gentle presence.
He could listen to Tengen and Rengoku laughing.
And nobody expected him to become someone else.
He was simply Sanemi.
Sometimes loud.
Sometimes angry.
Sometimes difficult.
Sometimes strong.
And sometimes very, very small.
All of those versions of him were still him.
And after everything they'd survived, his friends had decided they were going to love every version.
Sanemi closed his eyes.
Obanai's hand moved slowly through his hair.
Muichiro remained tucked safely beside him.
Sanemi's fingers curled gently into Obanai's haori.
He was surrounded by people who knew him.
People who stayed.
And for once, Sanemi didn't feel like he had to earn that.
He could simply be cared for.
So he was.