SANEMI WAS THE FIRST TO FIND AKIHIKO?10/10 angst,I will cry listening to Atlantis now
omg that song. i mostly listen to the covers of it but it's so so good and so so sanehiko and now i have to think about it alllll the time!!!
š
(sanehiko angst under the cut!)
"An Upper Moon!"
Sanemi runs.
"Upper Two!"
He runs like his life depends on it.
"A Kinoe is facing Upper Two!"
Please don't let it be -
"Higuchi Akihiko is facing Upper Two!"
It isn't his life that depends on it, but he fucking runs anyway.
His crow is left in the lurch as he runs and runs, his breathing speeding up. It isn't from the exertion; he's a Hashira.
Akihiko has always had the worst luck. The absolute worst. He always jokes that his luck has always been balanced, but that's a load of bullshit. He has bad luck and sometimes - sometimes it isn't his fault.
Sometimes, it just is.
But there's no way his luck is this bad.
Akihiko knows about the Twelve Kizuki. How could he not? Masachika died because of Lower One.
Akihiko isn't the vengeful type. He isn't Sanemi. (He's a better man than Sanemi.) He has sisters and parents waiting for him at home. He won't die. He can't.
He just can't.
Sanemi comes across the bodies first.
There are piles and piles of them. They're all Demon Slayers, and he doesn't know their names. He isn't the kind of person to remember the names and faces of all the people he meets. He isn't Akihiko, isn't Kanae-san. He sees their faces and doesn't know their names.
But he knows blood.
He knows battle.
A battle had raged here.
He can see it from the way the dirt road is gouged and scuffed. Akihiko fought fiercely - has always been a fierce fighter, for a Breath of Water user.
Dread sinks into Sanemi's bones.
He can't hear him.
He can't hear Akihiko.
Akihiko has a funny way of breathing. Sometimes, before he speaks, he wastes a moment or two to take a deliberate breath. He does it often around Sanemi, especially when he knows he's nearby.
There's no way Akihiko didn't know he was on the way - to yell at him for his stupidity if nothing else.
Sanemi doesn't pray. He doesn't believe in gods or Buddha or whatever divinity people think exist. He knows they don't exist. If they did, his life wouldn't be like this.
The shattered katana in front of his feet makes his feet slow.
It's blue, like that bastard Tomioka, but it's green as well - like Masachika's was.
It's fine. Katanas can break, but they can also be reforged. They have an entire village for that.
Blood stains the dirt as the sun slowly touches the horizon. The world loses some of its greyness.
It gains red instead.
The dirt is wet and dark where it should e dry and light.
It's fine. Akihiko is a Kinoe, and he's nearly mastered Total Concentration: Constant. He's no marechi, but there's no way he bled out.
The bloodied haori is what makes Sanemi come to a stop.
Sanemi stares.
That - That's Akihiko's haori. The dark blue haori with seigaiha print. That's Akihiko's haori.
That's... Akihiko's haori.
He's so touchy about it. It's the one other trait he shares with Tomioka that passes Sanemi off. A haori is just a haori; it's just a bunch of fabric stitched together.
Clothes can be mended. They can be torn and ripped apart because there's always another you can buy. What's a haori to a Hashira, a Kinoe?
The stupid haori has stains the colour of reddish rust.
The bloodied haori.
Sanemi doesn't fall to his knees, but he does kneel before the tattered garment.
He doesn't touch it. Why would he? It's just a stupid haori.
(That's Akihiko's stupid haori.)
He doesn't know what to do. Akihiko wasn't there when Masachika died.
Sanemi wasn't there when Akihiko died.
It tears open the still-bleeding wound in his heart, filling his lungs with pain and rage.
Even holding Akihiko's broken body would be better than being left with nothing but the shattered remains of his katana and a bloodied piece of cloth. He had at least been allowed to do that to Masachika.
All he can assume is that Akihiko has been eaten by the oni that killed him.
And that. That pisses him off more than he can handle. How dare that oni kill and eat Akihiko. How dare Akihiko die before he became a Hashira. (How dare Akihiko leave him alone.)
Sanemi doesn't notice it when his hand reaches out to fist in all that is left of Akihiko. His head bows and tears stream down his cheeks, unbidden. They are borne of rage, he tells himself, not grief.
Never grief.
The memory strikes him suddenly, like an arrow to the heart.
The last time they met, the summer heat had been sticky and humid on Sanemi's skin. It didn't really bother him, but it caused Akihiko to shed both his haori and his gakuran jacket. Sanemi had lounged in the shade of a low tree while he watched Akihiko go through his katas. His blade reflected the late afternoon sunlight, and Sanemi found himself distracted.
Akihiko's white shirt was completely soaked through, revealing the taut planes of muscles as they tensed and relaxed. Sanemi only realised he was staring when Akihiko met his gaze, eyebrow quirking in a silent question.
It was a mess. Akihiko always left his hair too long, the dark ink strands curling slightly at the tips. Sweat dripped from his hair, making the fabric at his shoulders almost translucent.
Why didn't he keep his hair short?
Oh, right. Akihiko said that the only one who could cut his hair right was one of his younger sisters. The punk had so many of them that Sanemi had no idea who he was talking about. It could've been any of them.
Akihiko's expression twisted into a scowl. "Look who's talking!"
(Even in this memory, Sanemi thinks there's something off about it. Maybe it's the way he remembers the shade of Akihiko's eyes, or the exact curl of his eyes. Everything is a little blurry, like there's a mist falling over his eyes.)
Akihiko stalks over. Onis don't scare Sanemi, so Akihiko doesn't even register as a threat. Sanemi's favourite annoyance throws himself next to Sanemi, radiating heat that is almost unbearable in the humid weather.
"Your hair is an absolute rat's nest," Akihiko complains, shooting Sanemi an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye. "I'm surprised your crow hasn't tried to nest in there yet."
"Shut your fucking mouth. At least I don't look like a mountain man."
To drive home his point, Sanemi roughly ruffles Akihiko's hair. The strands are rough to the touch, but silkier than they look. He's shocked enough by the feel of it that he freezes for a moment.
Then, he shoves Akihiko away.
Of course, Akihiko being Akihiko, he immediately bobbles back up to press his shoulder against Sanemi's right after. He shakes his head like a wet dog, showering Sanemi in his sweat.
Sanemi yells while Akihiko laughs.
"You're disgusting," Sanemi barks.
Akihiko leans closer, still shaking his head like a wild animal. Sanemi tries to shove him away again, but he doesn't mind the closeness or the heat.
He doesn't mind a lot of things when it comes to Akihiko.
Then Akihiko reaches up to run his fingers through Sanemi's hair. The action is surprisingly gentle, stunning Sanemi into silence before he can snap at him.
"What the hell? Your hair's so soft," Akihiko complains, nose wrinkling. It's adorable. "You actually take care of it?"
Why're you so surprised? Sanemi almost says, but his tongue is frozen stiff.
When did he start letting Akihiko in close? He was determined to push everyone away after Masachoka died, but Akihiko is stubborn. He never let that happen, and now his emotions are too big.
Akihiko blinks. His eyelashes are dark against the curve of his cheekbone. "Sanemi?"
With a jolt, Sanemi realises that he has his fingers skimming Akihiko's jaw. Akihiko doesn't look disgusted - just confused.
He even tilts his head in that endearing way. It's almost puppy-like.
Akihiko pauses. It's so deliberate that Sanemi can't ignore it this time. Akihiko shifts so he's a little closer; close enough that Sanemi can feel the measured way he inhales.
"Hey," Akihiko says in a strangely gentle voice, "can I be honest with you?"
Sanemi hums noncommittally. He's afraid worried that if he tried to speak, it would come out weird.
Akihiko brushes his thumb against Sanemi's cheek. It's fond and searingly hot and makes his throat feel tight.
"Sanemi. You're annoyingly pretty. Can I...?" Akihiko cuts himself off. Determination hardens his features. It makes Sanemi wonder if that's what onis see when Akihiko deals the final blow. "I'm going to kiss you."
Before the words can make sense, Akihiko is surging forward. His lips press to Sanemi's - firm and wanting.
Sanemi doesn't know what to do. His hands hover awkwardly over Akihiko's back, and his lips are frozen stiff. It feels warm and confusing and direct.
It feels... nice.
Akihiko starts to lean backwards, but this time it's Sanemi that presses his lips to Akihiko's. He's chasing that warm, confusing feeling, and he doesn't think Akihiko will mind.
Akihiko releases that stuttering, deliberate breath to his nose and melts into Sanemi. Sanemi's hands finally rest on Akihiko's back - coaxing him just a little closer.
There aren't many things that scare Sanemi, but there's a taste on the back of his throat that is similar to fear. It isn't enough to make him pull away, but he thinks about it anyway.
The sun has shifted in the sky when Akihiko finally leans back.
Sanemi is a master of Total Concentration: Constant, so he isn't breathless. He isn't breathless, but there isn't enough oxygen in his lungs. His chest feels compressed and weird.
Akihiko runs his fingers over his pinkened lips. "Okay... I'm glad you didn't punch me for that."
Sanemi's chest still feels tight, so all he can offer is a grunt. He isn't quite sure what happened, but he doesn't hate it.
Akihiko's cheeks are flushed. He's clearly embarrassed, but he doesn't shy away from Sanemi's intense gaze.
Akihiko chuckles. "Look, I know this isn't ideal. You're a Hashira and I'm barely a Kinoe, but..." His blue gaze wanders away; it feels like a loss. "But I want to make this work somehow."
"... Okay."
Sanemi isn't sure what that means, but making it work doesn't sound terrible.
It even sounds nice.
The way Akihiko's expression lights up reminds Sanemi of the first time he ever saw fireworks. It was before his mother was turned into a man-eating oni, when the Shinazugawa brothers were the Shinazugawa siblings, and the world hadn't become shades of grey in the night. It's breathtaking and beautiful and Sanemi wishes it would stay forever.
"My family would like you," Akihiko chirps, finally allowing some space between them. "But Ayame might be annoyed. I'm her favourite Niichan!"
"You're her only niichan, idiot."
And maybe... maybe if things went well, Genya would be okay too.
Sanemi blinks back to waking consciousness.
Akihiko's haori is pressed to his chest, staining it red. There's blood everywhere.
There's a chasm yawning open in Sanemi's chest. It's too big for him - feels like his body will crack apart.
"Sanemi-kun!" Kanae-san gasps. "What happened?"
Sanemi can't speak. His throat is too tight and his lungs have been crushed by the weight of the air.
He can't say it.
He can't.
If he does, then it makes it true.
(Whether he says it or not, Akihiko is still dead.)
The Akihiko stans are being so well fed!!(ty so much),what was Yohahiko's relationship with the Upper Moons and Muzan?I'm especially curious abt him and Douma(i just now realized he must have seen Kanae get killed,brb gonna cry)
thank u for stanning akihiko in the first place! the reason u guys are fed is bc i too am being fed. mutual feeding (not kinky)
Yohakihiko's relationships with the Upper Moons
Gyuutarou and Daki:
- yoha always found them disgusting. he doesn't understand why they would merge together like that. they've always been stronger than him together, even if he's pretty much on par with daki in terms of strength. still, wherever daki goes, gyuutarou is sure to follow, and yoha is no match for gyuutarou
- they share a sibling-like relationship on a very loose sense. they share a sire in that douma was the one to turn them into onis (even if yoha had forgotten how exactly that had happened)
- they're siblings who hate each other. yoha detests the idea of siblings; they make his skin crawl and he was never happier than when the combined upper six fell to those ridiculous demon slayers
- but it sure pissed yoha off to learn that gyuutarou and daki had been the first to make ayame bleed
- he's never forgiven them for that
- gyuutarou tolerates yoha bc douma does, but that's about it. he won't greet yoha when they pass each other, and they don't have much contact anyway
- except that time gyuutarou cut yoha for calling them disgusting
- daki adores yoha, but in a really annoying way. she enjoys the fact that she's technically his aneki, and she rubs it in his face any time she can. she stole his mask once and ever since she saw his pretty boy face, she was obsessed. she likes pretty things, after all
Gyokko:
- yoha doesn't care much for gyokko, and upper five feels the same for yoha
- they tend to ignore each other
- yoha does bear a grudge against gyokko for gifting his precious douma-sama that ugly vase. he hates all things to do with art. where possible, he tears it apart with his bare hands
Hantengu:
- yoha scares hantengu, oddly enough. there's something about the way yoha carries himself that makes hantengu's senses grow wary
- probably the fact that even though yoha forgot he was akihiko, he still carries himself like a demon slayer
Akaza:
- akaza cares very little for anyone who respects douma, so he's extremely apathetic about yoha
- this irks yoha to no end. especially since he sees akaza as his mortal nemesis. he doesn't like the way akaza commands douma's attention in the brief moments they meet. he especially hates the way douma-sama always tells him to play nice with akaza-dono
- yoha is still outwardly respectful of akaza, but he's plotted to overthrow akaza from the seat of upper three for the longest time
- it's thanks to akaza that yoha developed his obsession over ayame. it started with wanting to see the demon slayer that was so unremarkable but managed to gain the ire of akaza, but then he took one look at her and decided she was interesting beyond the rage she invoked in akaza
Douma:
- obviously yoha's relationship with douma is screwed up
- he's yoha's sire after all
- yoha thinks douma is fond of him because he was the one who decided he was worthy of becoming an oni
- douma doesn't feel such emotions. he acts like he's fond of yoha, but he's just fascinated by the particular way yoha broke because of his torture. he pokes and prods to see how he can make yoha worse, all under the guise of being a loving sire
- their relationship is seriously messed up. i don't even know how to go into the details
- douma rarely lets yoha out of his sight. (he needs to break yoha every day to feel some form of enjoyment.) he does loan out yoha to do muzan's bidding every now and then
- after all, no one can torture as well as the king of demons
Kokushibou:
- yoha's reaction to kokushibou is utterly fascinating
- he detests upper one with every fibre of his being. it's a revulsion that is written into his very dna, clinging to his skin and carved into his bones
- of course, yoha isn't stupid. he knows he's no match for upper one - he can't even fend off gyuutarou. he does his best to never look at kokushibou should their paths cross
- kokushibou feels nothing for yoha. i'm not sure he ever registered his presence. yoha might as well have been a speck of dust to kokushibou
- after all, for a demon-slayer-turned-oni, he's very dull. he doesn't even remember being a demon slayer
Muzan:
- ah. this is... it's hard to tell.
- yoha is an interesting experiment to muzan. nothing more, nothing less. a demon slayer who successfully turned into an oni but is useless otherwise. his power is unremarkable, and his ambitions are far too big for his body. his mind is in tatters and yet he still marches on
- muzan's decision to bring yoha along with him to okutama was nothing more than a whim. he was curious about how he might react away from douma's influence, but he brought kamado tanjirou and that girl he drags along into his life
- an unsuitable replacement for akaza. that's all yoha ever is to muzan
- of course, if it wasn't for muzan, ayame and yoha wouldn't have met again. he really shouldn't have fed yoha's obsession of ayame. it only ever made things worse for himself
- hindsight is twenty-twenty, eh?
and as for kanae...
- yoha was there was kanae was killed
- or maybe it's better to say that yoha is the reason kanae was killed
- kanae could have survived the fight with upper two. after losing a friend, after seeing the way sanemi retreats into himself after akihiko's death she trains harder than ever
- "i don't want sanemi-san to lose another friend" is what she tells herself, but the truth is that she fears what sanemi will become without her. she kept sanemi afloat after akihiko died, even when she knew it was dangerous to grow too close
- she loved sanemi, the way she loved akihiko. she could never choose. she just never expected fate itself to choose for her
- but obviously when she hears news of upper two on a rampage once more, she cannot stand idly by
- akihiko gave his life to stop upper two once. if kanae can kill him, then maybe she can redeem herself. (she had been to slow to come to akihiko's rescue. the sight of sanemi clutching akihiko's bloodied haori will forever remain ingrained in her brain)
- so she trained hard and could fight upper two to a standstill. she would even survive
- and then akihiko shows up and kanae is thrown off-guard
- then she was stabbed, cold freezing her lungs and causing her body to shut down
"see what becomes of demon slayers?" upper two tittered as akihiko's monstrous gaze landed on her.
utterly blank.
"pathetic," says the oni wearing akihiko's face, and kanae finds herself mourning akihiko all over again
- as shinobu holds her close and tears fill her eyes, she's struck with the cold realisation that, even in the afterlife, she won't meet akihiko
oh no..... had a thought about the au where tanjirou is giyuu and ayame is sabito.........
tanjirou and ayame face the hand oni, but they're both so unprepared for it. tanjirou's rib is broken, his forearm is probably fractured and he's been limping since they managed their escape. it's almost too dark for ayame to see where they're hiding in the cave, but she can feel the terrible tremors of the hand oni as it hunts for them.
the terrified expression on tanjirou's face is what makes her decision for her.
the hand oni said "sweet little fox".
maybe if he sees the fox mask and cloud jinbei and nothing else, then they might have a chance.
or, well, tanjirou might have a chance. urokodaki-san would be sad if he didn't return. urokodaki-san doesn't have anyone anymore.
ayame tears the jinbei off tanjirou's shoulders, replacing it with her kimono while he's still disoriented. she pulls it loose around her, then snatches the mask off his head.
"what - ayame, what - ?"
"stay here," she says quietly, her expression hidden behind the mask urokodaki-san carved for him. "i'll lead the oni away. don't make any noise, then make your way down to the wisteria trees as soon as the coast is clear."
"the mask - "
"tanjirou." her voice is solemn. "whatever happens... tell my shishou i was always grateful for everything."
she disappears from the cave before tanjirou can demand answers.
murata finds tanjirou and helps him through final selection. there is only one casualty for final selection that year.
kamado tanjirou is the water hashira, and he wears a dark blue seigaiha haori, the pattern dyed red. he's the water hashira, so no one wonders why he wears seigaiha. the charcoal half of his haori is hard to explain, but no one will ask.
when sabito is faced with the boulder, a girl in a fox mask appears before him. she holds himself the way a master swordsman does, and her strikes are swift and merciless. she knocks him out in ten seconds and doesn't bother to wait for him to wake up.
he begrudgingly admits that the way she moves is beautiful.
another girl, also with a fox mask, but with the mask resting against the side of his head, is the one who greets him when his eyes open.
"sorry about ayame-san," she says with a rueful chuckle. "she isn't very patient."
ayame-san, sabito learns early on, doesn't speak much if she can help it. she doesn't linger, even if sometimes he feels like he's being watched when he's alone. she continues to use a bokken while he wields a live sword, but it doesn't matter; she is always the one who deals out the first strike. often the last one as well.
"ayame-san doesn't want to show off too much," hikari says as she braids a flower crown. "she's a bit different from the rest of us, that's all. she doesn't stay for urokodaki-san after all."
"then who does she stay for?" asks sabito.
hikari's smile is secretive as she rests the daisy crown in her dark hair. "one of these days, you should ask her, sabito. you might be the only person she answers."
three months later, ayame stands before him with a steel katana at her hip. she draws it slowly - almost reverently. sabito notices that the curve of it is slightly different; it's steeper, the kissaki almost menacing.
"so," she says in a measured voice, "after six months, you can finally face me as a swordsman. makomo-san did well training you."
"you had just as much to do with it, ayame-san," hikari calls out from the side.
sabito snarls. it pulls the scar on his cheek, making him look more dangerous.
"today is the day i win," he declares, unsheathing his own blade.
ayame tilts her head. he wonders if her lips follow the same downward curl of her mask, or if she smirks at him like he always imagined she has.
"then you'd better hit me with everything you have, sabito."
time slows around him. his nose twitches, picking up a strange scent. it's metallic and sharp, like a freshly polished katana. it winds through the air, and he finds his blade following its arc.
for the first time since they met, his blade reaches ayame first.
there is a moment of stillness.
sabito can't believe his katana sliced downward first. her arms are still raised, and she doesn't move as her sleeves fall downwards, exposing the kumihimo cords she has wound around her left wrist.
the fox mask splits in half - sliced vertically in a perfect line. when the wood falls to her shoulders, sabito is shocked to meet shockingly blue eyes.
ayame's lips are parted in surprise. as he watches, her lips curl into a small smile. the slightest twitch of the corners of her lips is both happy and sad.
"sabito..." she murmurs.
sabito can never catch ayame's scent. for the first time, there's a hint of charcoal and something floral lingering in the air, muted by the scent of a summertime rain.
"you did great. remember what you just did, ne?" her voice lowers. "win, okay, sabito? beat that guy too."
sabito glances at hikari in disbelief. she smiles at him encouragingly.
"ayame," he hears himself say, "who do you stay for?"
surprise flits across her features.
"hey," she chuckles sadly, "next time you see tanjirou, be sure to say hi to him. he's so gloomy nowadays."
sabito glances at hikari, but she's disappeared. when he turns back to ayame, she's gone too.
the only thing left in the clearing was the boulder, sliced in half. exactly the same way he had sliced ayame's mask.
Emergency Request Fulfilled: can I have a pick me up fanfic???
idk how this works um heres a character:
SANEMI but yeah whenever u have free timeĀ
ty
āGet up.ā
āRude.ā
Rolling his eyes, Sanemi sighs loudly, blinking at the glaring sunlight reflecting off his deskās lamp, tidy stacks of paperwork on either side, and a forgotten mug of coffee to his right.
āItās almost noon.ā
āAnd how much work have you gotten done?ā you fire back, snuggling deeper into the mattress, exaggerating your contented yawn with a poorly concealed giggle.
āIf youāre trying to sound cute,ā he grumbles, āThen itās working,ā rough facade fading as he pictures you curled up in bed, sunshine cradling your cheeks, āIām about halfway through, but going to pause for lunch soon.ā
āNever thought youād be one for a desk job,ā you hum amusedly, voice muffled by the fluff of your pillow, āLet alone one involving math.ā
āAccountant,ā he huffs, āIām an accountant,ā fully lounging in his swivel chair now, focus completely derailed, āAnd sometimes I work in bed.ā
āMm, I like when you do that,ā you grin, āYou know Iām proud of you.ā
āI know,ā he mutters, āIām your ticket to sleeping in, after all.ā
You gasp with mock indignation, even as you tuck the comforter tighter around yourself, āI have my own job and ambitions and stuff,ā pouting, āBut unlike you, Iāve designed my day to accommodate my preferred sleep schedule.ā
āAre you getting up?ā he nudges again, āBecause Iām ready for lunch, but Iām not hanging up until I know youāre functioning.ā
āIām functioning,ā you retort, āHow else would I be talking to you?ā
Wish I was there to cook you breakfast he scowls Then you wouldnāt be so hangry, āGet. Up.ā
āNope!ā
He can hear your smug smile through the phone, envious of the occasional rustle of the comforter, brow furrowing at the soft memory of kissing you GoodbyeĀ earlier in the morning.
āIf you get up, then Iāll bring you brunch.ā
Your squeal of excitement makes his moment of weakness entirely worth it, already eyeing his remaining work and his briefcase I guess itāll fit, knowing he wonāt be returning to the office.
āYou promise?ā
āI promise,ā he nods into the phone, āBut no distracting me later. I still have work to finish.ā
He grimaces as you cackle gleefully, his fate sealed, all too aware of how little work heās bound to get done, warmth pooling in his chest at the thought of coming home to you.
āI love you, get here safely,ā you singsong, feet touching the floor, āI miss yoouuu.ā
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
dailybridgerton
gummygunk
blakekathryn
2087
pixelskylines
izzy806
