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He draws his sword, feet already sprinting by the time the demon can glance up at him from her hungry focus on a screaming, crying village woman. He jumps, haori billowing around his form as he angles his blade just right-
The demon blinks, then drops the fearful woman to the snowy ground below. Clawed hands sprung out, she snarls, "Blood demon art: Spinning-"
But it's too late. The blade slices through her neck and her head is flung through the winter air, landing in the thick snow with a pathetic finale just as his feet land with a resounding thud.
Giyuu stands, sheathing his sword, then turns around to see his completed work. The furious demon shrieks, eyes on him with a look of pure vengeance. There is no vengeance, however. She's dead; well, she will be any second now. Giyuu takes a few calculating steps toward the decapitated head, uncaring of the fact that his right foot lands on the end of her long, stringy black hair.
The demon doesn't protest, doesn't speak at all. Even as her face begins breaking down, disintegrating into a wispy black ash that flutters away with the brisk air, she says nothing. This is how Giyuu prefers a mission; fast, precise, quiet. It's when only her eyes are left, that he sees them brim with tears, threatening to fall loose. Just as her eyes disintegrate, two teardrops slip, dripping into the sparkling snow as she disappears for good.
Giyuu tilts his head silently, inspecting the darkened patch of snow stained by the demon's momentary lapse in emotion. The two dark circles of snow wettened by her tears might have made Giyuu sympathize. But in this line of work, having emotion only leads to chaos and devastation; the moment you let your guard down, another innocent is killed, and lives are destroyed.
With his resolve heightening, Giyuu steps on the tear-streaked snow, twisting the toes of his shoe around and then kicking forward until the patch of snow is somewhere far from him. He sighs, dusts his hands off. Another demon eradicated, another mission complete.
"That was my kill, Tomioka!"
The voice that seems to be laced with a perpetual frustration breaks through Giyuu's cloud of pondering, stabbing through it uninvitingly with a remark as sharp as the blade on their swords.
Giyuu doesn't reply, he hardly ever does. He walks ahead even though he knows it's only a matter of seconds before the man stomping up behind him will be in his face demanding a reply.
Like clockwork, he's forced to halt - "Hey! I'm talking to you, Tomioka. I didn't need your help."
Giyuu raises a brow, the only sign that he's listened to and heard what was just spoken to him. "This is a duo mission, Shinazugawa."
As if just physically slapped, Sanemi rears back, in disbelief that Giyuu had a countering comment - as reasonable as it was.
"I can handle it myself," Sanemi grits through a clenched jaw, eyes wild like a rabid dog.
Giyuu steps around him, approaches the relieved woman who still lays on the ground in disbelief. "That demon almost killed this woman. You should have been faster if you wanted to take care of this so bad."
Giyuu hasn't worked with Sanemi often. He hardly works with any of his fellow hashira - he prefers hunting and killing alone. It's how he operates best, withdrawn and isolated in his own thoughts where no one can interrupt. The less interaction with anyone, the better. However, it seems as if life had different plans for him when two days ago, Kanzaburo flew to his estate, alerting him of a new mission. Rumors of a group of demons spotted on the outskirts of a village near Fujikasane Mountain, targeting young women specifically.
Unlike majority of his missions, this was to be a duo mission - and his partner was none other than Shinazugawa Sanemi. The loud-mouthed, aggressive, short-tempered hashira. This couldn't have been a more mismatched pair of hashira to team up for a mission - night and day in human form.
The one saving grace to this ordeal was the fact that the two days it took the two of them to trudge to the village, Sanemi didn't talk to him. And Giyuu made no attempt to alter that. So, in a strange way - it was almost like he was working alone. Well, it would have been if he ignored the heavy set of footsteps ahead of him for two days straight, as well as the random outbursts from Sanemi where he snapped some nonsense about not needing anyone with him.
Once they arrived at the village, they split up straight away, gathering intel from local townspeople, specifically family members of the missing women. They were able to determine these women went missing between the hours of 10pm and 12am, though it couldn't be determined where they were possibly being abducted from. However, by speaking to the distraught family, Giyuu and Sanemi were able to place a common location all the missing women frequented - a local bar in the village.
The following night, the two hashira entered the bar to observe and examine, watching and waiting for suspicious activity. It wasn't long before Giyuu felt a sinister presence in the air, and it seemed that Sanemi noticed it too - so Sanemi stayed inside to keep watch while Giyuu patrolled from a safe distance outside.
As the evening hours ticked by, the bar started to clear out and the village began to dwindle in population, gradually morphing from fast and lively to quiet and sleepy. Then, the sound of shattering glass from inside the bar filled the near silent air - so sudden that Giyuu felt his shoulders flinch. Gripping his sword, he ran towards the bar, wincing at the sound of an ear-splitting scream that shook him to his core.
Once inside, he finds the bar in a state of complete disarray; tables knocked over, empty beer glasses strewn in sharpened pieces around the floor, and the familiar scent of blood curled through his nostrils cruelly. The blood belonged to Sanemi, who was behind the bar slicing off the head of a demon - who had been blending into the environment as a bartender. He had a gash on the back of his head, most likely caused by a swipe from the demon's elongated blackened claws. Blood poured from the gash, dripping onto the floor with a steady trickle.
A young woman laid discarded to the side, hands shaking as she screamed; the killed demon's head had just landed near her legs. Giyuu began approaching her, but stopped at Sanemi's shout, "Two more demons escaped out the back with two women. Hurry up and go after them, Tomioka!"
Giyuu nodded but paused at the sight of the open wound on Sanemi's head again. "Your head," he murmured while gesturing at the back of his own head as if Sanemi really required a visual demonstration.
"I'm fine, now go," Sanemi bellowed vehemently as another demon appeared from a backroom.
Giyuu ran out the back door, the sounds of Sanemi's swinging sword and heavy grunts drowning out with each step further he took. The demons must have not gotten very far, as the sound of a new shrill scream rang out a short distance away. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he followed the sound of the scream until he reached an ominous cave located deep in the woods. Right at the entrance of the cave was a male demon with skin as white as the snow and sharp teeth protruding out of his mouth angrily as he cackled with delight at the woman's fear.
Giyuu wasted no time, using his assassin-like silent steps to jump and surprise the demon from above. With a precision that has been practiced and perfected over the years, he brought his sword down in a near-perfect slice. These demons were weak, which must be why they figured they'd find strength in numbers; grouping up together to terrorize the small village.
Cowards.
One more demon. Giyuu made brief eye contact with the frightful woman who stared at him in a mix of shock and awe. He nodded once, then broke away to locate the last demon. He could come back to check on this woman shortly. For now, he had one more important task at hand.
Now, with all four demons defeated, it's a mission complete. Yet, Sanemi still finds something to badger Giyuu about as he turns to follow the water hashira. "I was on my way," he glowers. "You saw me defeating those demons back at the bar!"
"Yes, you took care of two and I took care of two. 50/50," Giyuu remarks coolly, voice breezy with indifference. "You told me to go after these two, did you not?"
"Stop acting smart, Tomioka-"
"Are you alright?" Giyuu asks the woman who has finally sat up, neck straining in different directions, unsure if she's truly safe just yet. Giyuu understands; once you've had an encounter with a demon, it's difficult to live the rest of your life without the aching urge to watch your back, to keep your guard up, to sleep with one eye open.
The young woman is joined by the first woman Giyuu saved, the two of them embracing with choked sobs echoing off both of their lips. Giyuu gives them a moment, taking his eyes off of them and turning to face Sanemi, who stands a few feet back, arms crossed while staring off to the side somewhere. It's clear he prefers not to converse with the victims, finding joy in slaughtering demons before departing once he knows the area is clear of the threat; no words exchanged.
Giyuu prefers this as well, but these women were riding a very dangerous wave between life and death, nearly meeting a much too early demise. He feels responsible to at least check and see if their sanity is intact, as sane as one can be after such an experience.
"Shinazugawa," Giyuu calls.
The blink-and-you-miss-it flicker of a glance in his direction signals that Sanemi is listening, even if he stubbornly refuses to elicit a verbal response. "If it's the report you're worried about, you can report that you killed all four demons. I can vouch; it really doesn't bother-"
"Enough, Tomioka," Sanemi sighs. "What's done is done. I just...there was no reason in this being a duo mission. Both of us could have handled this mission just fine on our own. Does Ubuyashiki think we're too weak or something?" He speaks the word 'weak' with pure disdain, spitting the word out like it's poison itself.
Giyuu blinks. "We need to follow Master's orders," he says blankly.
Sanemi bristles, lips curling in a sneer while he glares at Giyuu. "I know that!" he snarls. He gives a firm shake of his head as he stares up at the cloudless sky. "Why do I even bother trying to talk to you? You're impossible to have a conversation with," he mutters softly to himself. Giyuu hears every word.
That's not the first time he's had such an accusation thrown at him. In fact, he's gotten quite used to the slights and remarks made about his lack of conversational skills, typically by Shinobu. But he knows all the hashira think the same of him, even if they weren't to come right out and say it to his face.
The thing is, Giyuu thrives the best when he's alone. He's fared better that way for years. The thought of conversing is more terrifying than it is normal, in his eyes. So, yes - maybe he has purposely gone out of his way to avoid conversation with his colleagues. However, he didn't realize this was such an antagonistic trait, something that made him be viewed in such a negative light. The times where a conversation is needed, he tries. He really does. It's reminders like these though, that even when he tries, he just can't seem to make things right.
An apology locked on the tip of his tongue, he parts his lips - but a soft tap on his shoulder forces him to swivel his head around. The two women stare up at him through their lashes, glancing at each other before smiling at him. "Um, thank you. For saving us. That was really brave," the shorter of the two women praises, cheeks tinged a dusty pink.
"You're welcome," Giyuu responds. "My...partner and I have eradicated the demons in the area. You're safe to return home now."
The women steer their curious eyes up and over Giyuu's shoulder where they find an uninterested Sanemi, who doesn't bother returning the sentiment that the women are hoping for.
"Thank you," the taller woman speaks up for both Giyuu and Sanemi to hear. Giyuu nods and Sanemi offers a small grunt in reply - at least it's something.
A flaring silence that becomes sticky with discomfort forces Giyuu to move. He turns around, looking over his shoulder one more time at the two women with two departing words, "Stay safe."
Sanemi is already walking ahead, so Giyuu reluctantly follows. His eyes fall on the word Kill inked permanently on the back of the wind hashira's uniform. Sanemi's head is sloped down, eyes on the snow. His wound has stopped bleeding, and it appears as if he wrapped some kind of white gauze around the back of his head. Giyuu wonders what's on his mind - is he really that bothered by how this mission has played out? Giyuu doesn't understand, it was clean, simple, and split right down the middle between the two of them. It couldn't have ended more successfully than this. Does he hate to share the spotlight that much? Does he hate Giyuu that much-
"Wait! Both of you!"
Giyuu stops, and so does Sanemi. They both turn around to find the two women breathlessly jogging to catch up with them. Their eyes shine bright under the moonlight with a newfound fervor, "We were wondering, if maybe, um. You two would like to join us, perhaps? Back at our place?"
Giyuu arches a brow, unable to determine what exactly their intentions are. "What for?"
The two women giggle, glance at each again before taking a step closer to him. The shorter woman places a light hand on his shoulder, brings her face closer to his until her mouth is only inches from his ear. "So that we can properly thank you," she whispers.
Oh, so that's what their intentions are.
He turns swiftly on his heel, shrugging her hand off his shoulder. He walks past Sanemi who brings a fist up to his face and stifles a laugh. "No, thanks."
The two women are left scoffing behind the two departing hashira - they shouldn't be too upset, though. Their lives were just saved by those very same men, after all.
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"Watching you get hit on is not something I'd expect to see. Was pretty funny, though."
Giyuu sighs. He and Sanemi had been walking for roughly two hours following their mission. As the night stretched, the air only plummeted and soon enough, each inhale of breath stung his lungs, pierced his heart, and weakened his stability. He and Sanemi hadn't spoken a word to each other in this duration, but this time, instead of the reasoning being that they just didn't want to speak, it was because the cold was so teeth-chatteringly painful that they couldn't get a word out even if they wanted to.
Peripherally, Giyuu could see that Sanemi wasn't holding up much better than he was; if the constant shivering alone was anything to go by. He wanted to stop somewhere for the night, but the idea of prompting Sanemi with the suggestion would only serve for yet another reprimanding of some sort, he was sure of it. Now, though? By the looks of it, he had a feeling the wind hashira may be coming up with a similar solution.
He decided he'd wait for his colleague to bring it up, though. However, he wasn't expecting that the first words to be spoken between them in two hours would be about those women they saved.
"They weren't....hitting on me."
Sanemi cups his mouth with his hands, expels a short breath into them and then rubs them together frantically. They were passing through another village, but the roads were blanketed in a thick white glimmering snow, and there was hardly a sign of human civilization in this weather. Sanemi chuckles, and Giyuu observes the cloud of winter air puffing from his mouth as a result.
"Two women ask you to go back to their place with them and you don't think they were implying something sexual? Don't be ridiculous."
Giyuu rolls his eyes, but finds himself copying his colleague's actions, cupping his own mouth with his hands to breathe into them. Sanemi watches him, then reaches forward, wrapping both of his hands around Giyuu's and pushing them closer together. "You're leaving a gap between your hands when you breathe into them. Keep them pressed together if you want to warm them."
Giyuu's eyes drop down on the two pairs of hands close to his own mouth. However, he does as Sanemi says; breathes into his hands when he's sure there's no gap. The warm air that fans into his cupped hands does a significantly better job than what he tried before. It's then that he realizes Sanemi's hands still cover his own, so his gaze flickers over to meet those violet eyes and he nods. Sanemi removes his hands from Giyuu's and they continue trudging on.
As he rubs his icy hands together, he glances over at Sanemi, "They were hitting on you too, you know. Not just me."
Sanemi clicks his tongue. "I wouldn't have sex with someone whose life I just saved. Rubs me the wrong way."
Giyuu's brows raise, surprised by the bold admission. "I agree," he murmurs quietly. It's odd. This may be the most he and Sanemi have ever said to each other. And while it's maybe not the first topic he'd want to discuss with him, it's a start.
A new wave of snowflakes begin to flutter down on them, dotting Giyuu's midnight hair with streaks of white. He wraps his arms around himself as Sanemi curses softly to his side.
"You agree," Sanemi voices in the quiet air. "Who knew you had it in you? To agree with one of your colleagues?"
The budding resentment in his tone wanes what little camaraderie they had going for a moment. Giyuu presses his lips in a tight line, a twinge of anger pooling in his chest. He doesn't like it when assumptions are made about himself, directly to his face; as if someone who doesn't speak to him at all can tell him the type of person he is.
"You don't know me, Shinazugawa," he berates. He walks ahead a few steps, just to avoid being by the wind hashira's side. Ignoring the wobble in his chin from the biting chill, "Besides, you never fail to remind me how much you loathe my presence. Why would you even care about the opinion of someone you hate?"
"Oh, don't give me that-" Sanemi accelerates his pace to match Giyuu's again. The snow crunches under his frustrated steps, "Don't turn this around on me. We both know that from the start, you've hardly given anyone the time of day. I'm sorry you find us so far beneath you," he rants, sarcasm seeping from the edge of his raspy voice.
Giyuu's eyes squeeze shut and his steps slow, so he rubs at a temple to weaken the rising tide of frustration that stabs directly into his skull. It's freezing, and it's late, and now Sanemi is scolding him. A trio of events that do nothing but debilitate his patience, feeling as it begins deteriorating rapidly.
"Shinazugawa, can we - put this argument on hold? At least until the morning? I don't think we'll fare much longer in this cold. There should be an inn nearby."
The wind hashira looks about ready to argue back, not quite finished with the conversation yet. But then a rush of wind blows through, and it hurts, so Sanemi dips his head in what can be perceived as a nod. "Fine."
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"As if the night couldn't get any worse, we have to share a bed now too?"
Giyuu and Sanemi had gotten checked into an inn for the night, originally opting for a room with two beds. But every room with two was booked; in fact, every room but the room they received was booked. The incoming winter storm had many traveling visitors staying at the inn overnight as it passed through.
Giyuu accepted the room; the snow was only falling harder outside, and neither were sure when the next inn would appear. Sanemi was forced to swallow his pride and accept as well. From the second the room was paid for, and they received the key, Giyuu hadn't had a moment's peace from Sanemi's grumbling and whining.
He sits on the edge of the bed, removing his shoes, sword, and haori in swift motions. The warmth in the room satiates him completely, a sense of tranquility falling over him that can't even be ruined by his fuming colleague. He leans his weight back on his hands, letting his head roll back as his eyes shut. He curls his toes in and out, each curl bringing more feeling back into the numbing bones.
"Just let me sit here for a few more minutes and then you can take the bed if you want," he breathes. Eyes still shut, he rolls his neck in a steady circle, relishing in the tired crack his bones give. His fingers grip the soft comforter, and the bottom half of his body sinks further into the mattress. He wishes he could lay in the bed too, but if taking the floor will rid both men of another possible quarrel, he'll handle it.
A soft groan interrupts his calming respite. The mattress dips next to him, and he cracks an eye open to see Sanemi bending over to remove his own shoes. "God, Tomioka," he gripes. "We can share the bed, for God's sake. Just - stay on your side. No hogging the blanket."
Giyuu fights a blossoming grin that tries curling his lips upwards - in that moment, Sanemi sounded like such an innocent child. It reminds him of a time he used to tell Tsutako something similar when he'd share a bed with her. Back when he was a carefree adolescent, back when life was easy. So long ago.
His lips must twitch up anyway, because Sanemi is snapping, "What do you find so funny about this, Tomioka?"
"I find you funny," he replies simply. He sighs in content as his weight drops back and he lays on his back, legs dangling off the end of the bed. His fingers weave together over his stomach, and he mindlessly kicks a leg forward and back to its own rhythm. He stares up at the ceiling, zoning out completely until Sanemi's voice brings him back down to Earth.
"Don't fall asleep yet, Tomioka," he snaps. "Scoot all the way up to the pillows or else you'll wake up in the morning with a sore back."
Giyuu covers his mouth with a much warmer hand as a yawn fights its way to the surface, but he nods. "I will in a few minutes."
Sanemi grunts and it makes Giyuu grin again, amused that even through the gruff exterior, the wind hashira has these moments where a caring side peaks through from somewhere deep inside. While his tone never changes, permanently laced with something hardened, he helped Giyuu warm his own hands in a more pragmatic way, and he warned Giyuu of the potentiality of back pain. He's funny in that way.
Then, the bed dips again, and Sanemi is on his back as well, directly next to Giyuu.
Giyuu can feel their thighs graze against each other's at the end of the bed. He isn't sure why - but he leans his thigh into the touch. Sanemi's ever so slightly presses closer in return.
Without moving his head, his eyes travel sideways until he can kinda see Sanemi mirroring his position; eyes locked up, fingers weaved together on his chiseled, scarred abs. Giyuu's eyes move lower, trailing down his thick forearms that flex in the position they rest in. He roams over those strong hands, pronounced veins and protruding knuckles jolting something low in Giyuu's belly.
As his eyes continue traveling, they land on his left thigh, which angles outwards to lean against his own right thigh. Then his eyes navigate back up just several inches. It's only when they land on the soft bulge that presents itself in between Sanemi's thighs that he rips his eyes away, face flushing in embarrassment.
He suppresses a sigh. Lying next to someone like Sanemi, feeling their shared body heat radiating off of each other, it brings a collage of thoughts to the front of his mind; thoughts that he's done a decent job keeping at bay for some time.
And that is that he finds something quite alluring about his foul-mouthed colleague. At first, he just assumed it was a sense of admiration; in awe of the fearless way Sanemi lived his life. The way he lived aggressively with no regrets, no time to stop and recollect, a tumultuous storm in the form of a man.
But as time passed, the glances he found himself shooting towards the angry man when he wasn't looking his way, the double takes he did when Sanemi stretched his arms a certain way that showed off his rugged physique just right...Giyuu came to realize it may be more than simple acclaim for a fellow hashira.
But with his lack of social skills and Sanemi's lack of....well, cordiality...it would only be a recipe for disaster if Giyuu ever willingly and intentionally approached him. So, for years he's kept his distance, watching from afar but never giving in to his own desires. Whatever those desires may be, he's not sure.
He swallows, the gulp loud enough to be heard in the soundless room. He raises a hand, softly pulling at the collar of his corps uniform. Sanemi doesn't react, doesn't move, doesn’t say a word. Giyuu can't be sure the wind hashira hasn't fallen asleep himself right after admonishing Giyuu on said position.
Too nervous to turn his face, he vocalizes quietly, "Shinazugawa."
"Hm," Sanemi verbalizes in return, an immediate reply.
Okay, still awake.
Now, Giyuu isn't sure what to say. His tongue peaks out and he licks at his drying upper lip before biting down softly on the bottom, running his tongue over the wear marks of anxiety present there. He wrings his hands together, trying to find a semblance of self-comfort.
"Uh. About what you said earlier-"
"Forget I said anything, Tomioka," Sanemi sighs tiredly, and Giyuu can see it's at this moment that the wind hashira's left hand has flopped to his side on the bed. His fingers lay only inches from the lower half of Giyuu's torso. "We said we wouldn't argue anymore, right? Let's just - lay here and enjoy the warmth."
Giyuu nods but then remembers Sanemi isn't looking at him, so he makes a low sound in his throat, and he hopes it was tinted in approval. Silence befalls them again and it's nice - but...
But he wants to explain himself, explain something that will lessen this...weird fued they seem to have. He dips his right ear ever so slightly down toward the cushioned mattress below, just for a second. And wow - Sanemi's face is close. From this close up, Giyuu is able to observe those battle scars that line and mark his face in a permanent reminder of what he's faced through his life. The strife that he and the Demon Slayer corps face on a daily basis. From this close, the scars look smooth, a flat plain of artwork decorating the ridges and curves of his angular face.
But what comes as the biggest surprise, is that right here in the confines of this small inn room, Sanemi looks so...serene. His eyes lack the usual indignation that prominently shines through his expression on the average day. His mouth is slack, his usual sneer replaced by a smooth sweep of soft lips that part from each other just an inch. His jaw is relaxed, no adamant tension locking it in place. Without all the fury and rage he carries with him every day, he looks..pretty. Beautiful, even. Tufts of his fluffy hair fan around him wildly.
Giyuu presses his ear down further so he can get a full look. There's a flutter in his chest, because it dawns on him - is this side of Sanemi a side that only...he is seeing? Is he the only one granted the privilege of unlocking this version of the wind hashira? Does Sanemi show anyone else this side? Does he let this side come out at all?
Giyuu lays there, watching Sanemi. And Sanemi keeps his cat-like eyes on the ceiling, watching everything and nothing at the same time - eyes filmed over with something Giyuu can't quite place.
Then, Sanemi dips the left side of his head and violet eyes meet blue eyes.
"It's not true, you know," Giyuu finds himself relaying in the stillness of that dim room. "I don't - think I'm better than you or anything. I think that, um. I think you're honorable, Shinazugawa."
Sanemi searches his face for a prolonged moment, eyeballs darting back and forth, scrutinizing for any detection of untruth in the water hashira's expression. Then, he turns to face the ceiling again and Giyuu wonders if he's made a mistake, confessing something like that. But then he ponders, coming to the conclusion that Sanemi would be upfront with him if he didn't like what he had to say. He always is.
"Giyuu."
It's the first time his given name has rolled off the tongue of the wind hashira. He quite likes the way it sounds, enjoys the simplicity in which it was enunciated, as if Sanemi has comfortably acclimated to a smooth transition between them; from formal to casual.
"Yes?"
He has not yet removed his eyes from Sanemi's face. So, he naturally catches the way the wind hashira's throat bobs softly as he swallows before his next words.
"Why didn't you entertain those women?"
The question is laced with something uncertain, yet heavy with intrigue. The gruffness in his voice is shadowed by something accusatory, as if he is coaxing Giyuu to admit something. Maybe it's something only he knows, or maybe it's something they both know. Maybe it's something they aren't sure of at all.
"I didn't want to."
Sanemi's head bobs a single time, chest rising so slowly, before he exhales his next question into the thickening air, "And what is it you want?"
Despite having just drawn in an extensive amount of air, the breathlessness in his question causes Giyuu's stomach to flip. They aren't touching, they aren't even looking directly at each other. But somehow, lying on that bed next to Sanemi, while watching his honeyed chest rise and fall with a growing anticipation, Giyuu releases the restraints, his inhibitions.
"You," he whispers.
This is what it takes for the dam to break between the two of them. Like an animal once dormant, Sanemi flips onto his left side and hovers the upper half of his body above Giyuu's. This is a new sight, a new angle for Giyuu. His white hair sticks up in a multitude of directions, prickly at the ends. But it's the way he raises his right hand and presses it open-palmed to Giyuu's cheek that leaves his head spinning. The calloused fingers press in, cradling his face, thumb brushing lightly over his cheekbone.
They stay like this for a moment, Sanemi practically petting his face while Giyuu lays pliant underneath his wandering gaze. Then, Sanemi lowers his face, until his lips just barely brush against Giyuu's, testing. One peck, two pecks, then he pulls back to stare at Giyuu again, so gentle and caring with his moves. So different from the raging storm of a hashira out on the battlefield.
"Shina-"
"Don't. Don't ruin this...with your - ugh. Look, just. Do you want me to stop?"
Giyuu shakes his head in response. "No."
"You really want this?" Sanemi croaks, vocal crack betraying his facade of confidence.
Giyuu wraps a hand up and back, around Sanemi's nape, fingers weaving through the feathery hair there. "Yes," he replies before lifting his head to crash their lips together.
Sanemi seems to finally come to life, hand moving from Giyuu's cheek to his chin, gripping it roughly as their lips move with a lustful fervor. The wind hashira uses the bruising grip on his chin to pull down, forcing Giyuu's mouth open before he licks inside greedily. This elicits a pathetic whine from Giyuu's throat, free hand rushing up to clutch desperately at Sanemi's collar. Sanemi's tongue maps out its own destination in Giyuu's mouth, swiping over the back of teeth, up the roof of his mouth, finishing its trek with a stinging bite at his bottom lip. He drags out the reddening bottom lip with a devastatingly slow pull of his teeth, then licks over the broken skin with one more quick swipe of his tongue.
After one more bruising kiss that's all teeth and tongue, there's a filthy wet smack as their lips part and Sanemi's hands land on Giyuu's hips, pushing up. "Get to the top of the bed," he demands, and the low, hoarse voice he uses makes Giyuu comply, no questions asked.
He scrambles up until his back presses against the thick white pillows at the top. He watches as Sanemi lifts himself up off the bed, standing at the foot while unbuttoning the top of his uniform, animalistic gaze locked on Giyuu.
Once free of his top, Sanemi is on the bed again, crawling towards Giyuu until their lips connect again. Giyuu wastes no time in running his hands everywhere he can on Sanemi's bare skin; up over his broad shoulders, around the flexing muscles on his back, rounding to the front to ghost over his abs, before gripping his fleshy pecs and squeezing. Sanemi breaks the kiss to move down Giyuu's jaw, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses that set his skin on fire. Giyuu's head drops back as he chokes on a moan, and Sanemi's eager lips attach to the hollow of his throat, lapping over it with a warning swipe before biting down.
Giyuu jolts at the sting, and his saliva-slicked lips part to let out a string of incomprehensible noises. Sanemi keeps his lips attached to some part of his skin at all times, even as he fervently unbuttons Giyuu's uniform top. Giyuu helps him, sitting up to shrug it off and toss it somewhere off to the side.
"Lay back," Sanemi says and the second Giyuu does, he lets out a surprised Uh! at the feeling of Sanemi's lips attaching to one of his nipples. Sanemi licks around it before plucking it between his teeth and giving it a soft nibble. Giyuu's hands weave through Sanemi's hair and yank, urging him to give his abandoned nipple the same attention. Sanemi gives in with a groan, and Giyuu makes a mental note that the wind hashira seems to especially respond well to hair pulling.
"Shina- I need more. Please," Giyuu musters out brokenly.
Sanemi races forward, attaching their lips in a kiss that has Giyuu licking his way into his mouth with a rampant speed. Sanemi's saliva coats the corners of his lips and as he breaks the kiss to move down Giyuu's body, the water hashira licks over his own mouth hungrily, unable to get enough of the delicious taste of their mingling saliva.
Sanemi leaves a trail of kisses down his chest, his abdomen, even licks a circle around his belly button, praising his body in a way that leaves him blushing furiously at the rapt attention. He lowers himself even more, mouth hovering over Giyuu's still clothed cock. One look at it is all Sanemi needs to know Giyuu is hard, head of his cock bulging up at the seam of his thick black uniform pants.
Sanemi opens his mouth and sucks at the head of Giyuu's cock though the pants, tongue swirling in a circle. Giyuu's hips buck up and he slaps a hand over his mouth to swallow back a shout.
Sanemi halts - "Take your hand off your mouth and look at me, Giyuu."
Giyuu shakes his head frantically because if he watches Sanemi drag his lips over the head of his cock, he'll come. And it is much, much too early for that. Sanemi snakes a hand up, forcefully wrenching Giyuu's hand off his mouth and onto the bed. He laces their fingers together on the mattress and presses down to get his message across.
"Look at me."
Giyuu whimpers, absolutely enthralled by the control in Sanemi's voice. He finally concedes, angling his head down. He gasps at the sight of Sanemi's darkened eyes staring back up at him, eyeing him hungrily like he's a meal to be devoured. He almost loses it when Sanemi grins up at him, positively feral. There's a wet circle on the front of his pants and Giyuu's hips jump again at the desperate need for more.
Sanemi gives one more light suck to the pants before he unbuttons them and yanks everything down in one pull, past Giyuu's ass, thighs, calves. Once shucked off his feet, Sanemi raises one of his meaty hands and wraps it around Giyuu's length.
"Shit," Giyuu cries out, fighting to keep his eyes open on Sanemi's moving hand. He uses his thumb to collect the pre-cum leaking from the slit of Giyuu's aggravated cock, spreading it up and down his length with each tight stroke. Then, he raises his mouth to hover over the head as his jaw works to collect a coat of saliva. With a sinful noise, he spits directly onto the head and with no other warning besides the widening of his mouth, he swallows Giyuu down whole.
"Fuck- Sa-nem-i, fuck."
He couldn’t stop the noises of pleasure spilling from his throat even if he wanted to, because Sanemi's tight mouth gliding up and down his dick sends his toes curling, gathering the blanket up between each digit. The sight of Sanemi's head bobbing up and down at a steady rhythm is enough to force a loud moan ripping out from his chest, ricocheting off the four walls closing them in. Sanemi slides his mouth up until only the head is between his lips. His tongue swirls over the red crown, eyes shut as if he's in pure bliss having his dirty way with Giyuu's cock.
Giyuu isn't sure what to do with his hands but he knows exactly what he wants to feel, so with timid fingers, he reaches down, down, down, until they find Sanemi's hair. He pushes his head down, just a little. Just to see if he's allowed to. He groans in pleasure as Sanemi's mouth lowers just a tad. So, he tries again, this time guiding his head further down, all the way until Sanemi's nose is pressed up against his skin. And that's when he feels it; the back of Sanemi's throat. He shudders, hips twitching up off the bed at the tight cavern of Sanemi's hot throat. Sanemi gags, but is able to come back quick, hands gripping Giyuu's hips to urge them up. This time, when his hips buck and his dick kisses the back of Sanemi's throat again, Sanemi swallows, throat constricting around his wet head perfectly.
"Sanemi, I'm gonna - I won't last-"
With a wet pop, Sanemi is off Giyuu's dick. He crawls up again and Giyuu meets him halfway, roughly grabbing Sanemi's face between his hands to lick into his mouth eagerly. Sanemi lets him have his way, keeping his mouth open wide as Giyuu tastes himself on his tongue.
Giyuu pinches Sanemi's nipples between his fingers, massaging them gently, soaking in the way a low guttural noise is forced from the wind hashira's throat. Then, their mouths separate and Giyuu just now notices that Sanemi is still wearing his pants.
With a newfound hunger, he puts his hands on Sanemi's biceps and shoves him down, throwing a leg over his lap at the same time to trap him. Positions switched, Giyuu looks down at Sanemi with a half-lidded gaze. Even though his naked ass is pressed against Sanemi's clothed dick, it hardly diminishes the heat that rushes south with each drag of his hole against the straining bulge in Sanemi's pants.
Sanemi's breath hitches and he's reaching his hands up to Giyuu's waist to guide him. However, with a grip on each of Sanemi's wrists, he stops his eager motions. He lowers Sanemi's hands and places them on his own pale upper thighs.
"Let me take care of you," Giyuu exhales as he leans forward and collects Sanemi's lips in a messy, desperate kiss. His next moan is swallowed by Sanemi's tongue after he feels his dick twitch against his hole. He quickly sits up again, only moving again when Sanemi nods. With his hands placed atop Sanemi's, he moves his hips in a slow circle, reveling in the slow grind of Sanemi's bulge against him.
"Fuck. So beautiful, Giyuu. You feel so good on me," Sanemi praises, voice wobbly and thick.
Giyuu's eyes slip shut and his head falls back, letting out a series of breathy Oh's, as he rolls his hips forward and back, riding the high at his own pace. A soft thud confirms that Sanemi has dropped his head back against the wooden headboard of the bed, mouth hanging open as he watches Giyuu ride him.
Sanemi's hands grip the flesh of his thighs tightly, sure to bruise them. The thought of waking up in the morning with evidence of tonight's activities on his body causes Giyuu's cock to twitch; Sanemi catches this, so he rips a hand from Giyuu's thigh and gives him a few fast pumps. Giyuu falters on his bulge, letting Sanemi get carried away with his eager strokes for a minute. When a familiar heat begins to pool, he forces Sanemi's hand off of him again, returning it to his thigh.
He reaches down underneath him, unbuttoning Sanemi's pants, lifting himself up for a second as he pulls at the waistband. Sanemi aids, lifting his hips up just a hair so they can lower his pants and underwear together. Pushed only halfway down his thighs, Giyuu is satisfied enough. He lowers his hips down on Sanemi again and they gasp in unison at the feeling of bare skin against bare skin. Giyuu can feel Sanemi's leaking head trickling up against his hole, as it just barely catches on the rim. He lowers a hand and wraps his long fingers around Sanemi's erect cock. A few practice pumps have Sanemi cursing with a choked gasp underneath him.
"We don't- I don't have any lube or-" Sanemi begins to admit.
"It's fine," Giyuu sighs as he holds onto Sanemi's cock and lines them up until the head is just at the entrance of his hole. "I want you bare inside me."
The admission causes Sanemi's chest to rumble under his loud groan, hips bucking off the bed in a desperate attempt to hurry things up.
Not wanting to waste another second, Giyuu tightens his grip around the base of Sanemi's cock, lowers himself just a few inches as Sanemi's thick head slides up into his ass. Giyuu winces, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth. Sanemi's fingers graze over his waist softly as he waits patiently for Giyuu to adjust to the new feeling inside of him.
Once he feels secure enough to continue, he inches himself down more and more, becoming hooked on the feeling of fullness inside him. Sanemi is so big, that Giyuu can feel him in his stomach once their hips are pressed against each other.
"Mm," Giyuu utters as he slowly lifts his hips and then drops them again, Sanemi's length disappearing into the heat of his hole.
"Please, Giyuu. Please. I need you to - fuck, move."
Encouraged by Sanemi's spurs, he drags his hips up and drops them down over and over again, gradually building in rhythm and speed as they both grow more accustomed to each other's bodies.
"My god, Giyuu. You look so good on my dick - you take it so well. You're so fuckin beautiful," Sanemi rambles breathlessly, staring up at Giyuu through his lashes.
The force of Giyuu bouncing on Sanemi's dick causes the bed to creak in protest underneath them and the weight of his thighs slapping down atop Sanemi's with each drop echoes a loud smack in the humid room, air moist and thick with their sweat and breaths.
Giyuu's hands finds Sanemi's. He presses one of the wind hashira's hands over his own heart, lets him feel how hard it's thumping for him. With Sanemi's other hand, he guides it behind his own body, letting it grip one of his ass cheeks. Sanemi gives in happily, kneading the flesh in between his fingers and squeezing.
"Please, Giyuu. You have to let me m-move," Sanemi stutters out, skin glistening with a coat of sweat. "Please."
While Giyuu wanted Sanemi to be taken care of completely by him, he figures he's made him wait long enough. So, with a particularly loud smack of their skin meeting, Giyuu gives a shaky nod.
And then Sanemi is wrenching his hands from Giyuu's heart and ass, to his hips, crushing them in a bruising grip as he pummels up into him with a rapid speed.
Giyuu doubles over as he gasps on nothing but hot air, because now with Sanemi meeting each of his grinds halfway, his cock reaches that much further up, hitting his sweet spot and making him see stars.
He leans forward, gripping the headboard in front of him as he lets Sanemi absolutely wreck him. His movements stutter as he cries out long and low. He is elated at the way Sanemi is just as rough and aggressive in bed as he is in his daily life. This is the man Giyuu has grown infatuated with over the last few years. This unapologetic, irate, infuriating man. They should be too opposite to work, should steer clear of one another. Yet, somehow, their differences aren't so different after all. Giyuu feels he can be the calm in Sanemi's life when he's in need of it, while Sanemi can be the liberation in Giyuu's life. They can teach each other, learn from each other, grow alongside each other.
"I'm so- uh, uh, I'm close-"
Sanemi doesn't slow down, doesn't give either of them a break; plunging his hips up and down in an unbelievable speed as Giyuu falls apart above him. Giyuu covers Sanemi's hands on his waist with his own, somehow finding the time to blush when Sanemi reaches a thumb up to lovingly caress one of his fingers.
In a low, gravelly voice, Sanemi murmurs, "Come on, Giyuu. Come all over me."
Giyuu gasps as his incoming orgasm races up and up, so with a firm grip, he steadies his flopping cock and begins jerking it in time with each snap of Sanemi's hips. Then, a jolting tension washes over him, and his entire body clenches hard as his orgasm rips through him unforgivingly.
In a hauntingly piercing moan that he wasn't aware he could even produce, he paints Sanemi's stomach and chest in streaks of white as he shakes and shivers. He can feel his hole pulsing and clenching in fast increments of time, riding the wave of his incredible climax until he's sensitive to the touch. However, Sanemi is still fucking up into his overstimulated hole, but the stutter in his pace tells Giyuu he's close.
So, he leans forward, presses his lips against Sanemi's and whispers, "Use me, Sanemi. Fuck me."
A high-pitched whine shoots out of Sanemi's mouth as a reply, so Giyuu swallows it with his eager tongue that licks between his teeth fervently. Sanemi's hips falter, and he thrusts once, twice, three more times-
Then, a deafening groan claws its way out of his throat as he releases inside of Giyuu. His nails dig into Giyuu's waist, and he drags them down, hard enough that there will be scratch marks in the morning. His hips jump twice more and his cock twitches from its spot lodged inside of Giyuu.
Their gasping breaths synchronize with each other as they finally float back down from their drugged high.
Giyuu glances down to find Sanemi staring up at him with a look so intense that it makes him want to hide his face in embarrassment, despite the fact that he's currently still naked with Sanemi's cock buried balls deep inside of him.
"Fuck," Sanemi finally breaks the silence between them. "That was - that-"
"That was amazing," Giyuu whispers shyly, turning his face away to avert Sanemi's gaze. That calloused hand on his cheek urges his face forward, until their eyes meet again.
"Don't get all shy on me now," Sanemi snaps with no real heat, lips tugging at the ends in a smile. "Yes. It was amazing. Really amazing."
Giyuu returns the affectionate expression, eyes softening under Sanemi's sweet attention on him.
He begins to shift, raising himself up with the guidance of Sanemi's hands until he's free of his cock. He shivers at the feeling of cold air that wafts around his sensitive hole once the heat of Sanemi's cock is gone.
With no strength left in his legs to stand and get cleaned up, he collapses down on the bed next to Sanemi. He grins happily as Sanemi pulls him into a gentle embrace against him. Sanemi remains on his back as Giyuu lays on his side facing the wind hashira, head tucked tiredly into his arm.
Sanemi's blinks become syrupy slow, and his breathing begins steadying as exhaustion washes over him. Before the wind hashira can be lulled completely, Giyuu muses aloud,
"It's my birthday today."
"Hm?" Sanemi mumbles as his eyes slip shut.
"I don't really celebrate anymore, but - I just, um. Thought you might want to know."
Sanemi makes a throaty sound, but as his breaths even out, Giyuu figures it was most likely just a soft snore.
Oh well.
His eyes lower, and his breath hitches at the sight of his own drying cum coating Sanemi's naked chest and stomach. With the urge to please Sanemi, he tries sitting up to head to the bathroom for a rag. However, he only makes it a few inches when Sanemi's grip on him tightens, turning his head until his nose nuzzles Giyuu's wild hair that sits in disarray. Sanemi breathes in the scent of Giyuu's hair deeply, mumbling a low stay, before he falls fast asleep.
As his own blinks become heavier, Giyuu lays his head back down on Sanemi's arm. As he stares at the sleeping form of Sanemi, he feels like maybe tonight was a birthday gift, maybe that snowstorm was a birthday gift, maybe the mission they were sent on was a birthday gift.
Whatever it was, fate or circumstance, it led them to this very bed where they'll sleep curled up next to each other. Whatever tomorrow brings, they'll deal with it when the time comes. For now, they have this bed. Lashes fanning against his cheeks, Giyuu falls asleep to the calming lullaby of Sanemi's slow breaths next to him.
------------------------------------------------------
The following morning, Giyuu wakes with a start. For a second, he forgets where he is, but then as those familiar inn walls come into focus, he remembers everything.
Realizing he's underneath the thick white wool blanket, confusion spots his mind; he could have sworn he fell asleep on top of the blanket, in Sanemi's warm embrace. Did Sanemi cover him up sometime?
He sits up, scratching at his knotted hair as he yawns deeply. Something he notices right away is the dull pain coming from his backside, as well as the stinging sensation that travels down his neck, chest, abdomen, courtesy of Sanemi's ardent teeth. Memories from the night before come flooding in, and Giyuu's fingers come up to touch his lips, softly exhaling as he remembers the way Sanemi's lips and tongue felt against them.
Speaking of the wind hashira, there’s a very noticeable lack of warmth by his side; he glances down to see Sanemi's side empty. The bathroom door in their room is wide open, so the only other option is that Sanemi left. Worry swirls in his mind, followed by heavy dread. Did Sanemi regret their night together? Did he up and leave just so he didn't have to face Giyuu? Will he hate Giyuu even more now? Are they back on no-talking terms? Was the sex really that bad for him?
The wooden door creaks open and Giyuu jumps, gasps in surprise when a fully clothed Sanemi shuffles in. Sanemi shuts the door behind him, a small smile gracing his features as they make eye contact.
"Sanemi."
Sanemi sits on the bed next to him, snorting softly as he reaches a hand out to pat Giyuu on the head. "Your hair looks like a nest."
Giyuu's hands fly up to his head, and he flushes as he urgently pats at his hair to try taming the thick, unruly strands.
Sanemi breaks into a hearty laugh as he reaches up to cover both of Giyuu's hands with only one of his. "No, it looks cute."
Giyuu's cheeks warm at the compliment, still not used to such generous comments on his appearance. "Um, thanks."
Sanemi hums, dropping his hand from Giyuu's head to plop on the mattress between them. Then, Sanemi stops smiling and his eyes shine as he stares at Giyuu.
"Can I kiss you?" he asks earnestly.
Giyuu stutters out his next breath, hands dropping from his hair, into his lap lamely. He wonders if this is all an elaborate prank, if the rug will be pulled out from under him any minute now. However, observing that soft look in Sanemi's eye, that warmth etched on his face - Giyuu knows. He's genuine.
So, he gives two hesitant nods, and then Sanemi is leaning forward. Their lips meet softly, just as they did the previous night. Sanemi kisses him with such care, cradling his jaw gently. It's an innocent, closed-mouthed press of the lips, yet it still doesn't fail to give him a sweet tingling sensation that makes him smile into the kiss.
Sanemi pulls away and when Giyuu tries chasing his lips for more, he hears the distinct sound of paper rustling. He cracks his eyes open to see Sanemi holding a small paper bag up.
Giyuu stares at it questioningly. "What's that?"
Sanemi doesn't respond, instead holding it out for Giyuu to take. "Open it."
With a wary brow raise, Giyuu accepts the bag. He crosses his legs as he presses the bag into his lap over the blanket. He takes a quiet peek inside, and both of his brows shoot up, disappearing behind his thick fringe. Because, in the bag -
Is a cupcake.
He reaches a hand in, pulls the dessert out. "A cupcake? Why?"
It’s a vanilla cupcake, and as Giyuu lifts it up to his nose, a sweet buttercream scent curls through his nostrils.
Sanemi huffs, shaking his head as if disappointed at the fact that Giyuu had to ask. "Because it's your birthday."
Giyuu's lips part in surprise, eyes widening in disbelief. "You heard that?"
Sanemi nods, reaches a finger forward to dab at the swirled buttercream frosting topping the cupcake, then rubs it across Giyuu's nose, effectively smearing it along the pale bridge.
Giyuu feels his insides squeeze as his eyes prick with the hint of emotion. Because here he is, celebrating his birthday for the first time in years, with Shinazugawa Sanemi. The reality makes him giddy with joy, and he giggles as Sanemi leans forward to kiss the frosting off his nose.
"Happy birthday, Giyuu."