Cw: mentions of past injuries
"You're the reason everyone thinks the hashira are scary," You plop yourself into Sanemi's lap, leaning your head back onto his shoulder. He 'attempts' to shove you off of him- if he really wanted you off, he'd have tried harder- but gives in when you smile against his neck, huffing and pretending to be annoyed as he wraps his arms around your form.
"I'm not scary. You aren't scared of me," He mumbles, resting his chin on your shoulder.
"You are scary, Sanemi. I'm not scared of you anymore."
He jabs you in the side, clicking his tongue. "Hey, what do you mean 'anymore?' What's up with that?"
You squirm away from his rough fingers, nuzzling your nose into the crook of his neck. A devilish grin splits your lips open when he shivers and grips your sides, and you turn your head away, humming.
"What do you mean? The first time I met you, You screamed at me for making a minor mistake and called me an idiot. You come off strong."
"Did you just sit in my lap to tease me? Because if that's the case I don't want anything to do with you right now."
"Not just to tease, although you need to be nicer to people in the lower ranks-"
"You aren't even part of the corps anymore, why're you lecturing me-"
"-But you have been gone for a month and since you've been back you've done nothing but train. I want some of your attention before you have to leave again."
"Could be any day. I don't want to get rusty."
"You? Rusty? I doubt it. You're all muscle and hard work and energy. Come on. Please? I promise I'll leave you alone after."
"I don't want you to leave me alone," He grumbles, and you can feel his skin heat up. "I like your company too, you know."
"Then prove it, Sanemi. Take me on a walk or come cuddle with me or something."
He hums, squeezing your waist. "A walk sounds kinda nice."
"Hey, just because you're cute doesn't mean I'll give you everything you want," He squeezes you again, turning to kiss your cheek. You laugh, tilting your head to catch him on the lips before he can pull away, relishing in the way he sputters and turns red.
You peel yourself away from him, turning to face him once you brush your clothes out. He watches you from the corner of his eye, chewing on the inside of his cheek.
"Sanemi, you're blushing," You step closer to him and cup his cheek in your hand, grinning widely. His face flushes even more, and he stands quickly, shoving his hands into his uniform pockets.
"Keep teasing me. See where it gets you."
You smile, letting your hand fall to your side. He takes a few steps, stopping when he's ahead.
"Make sure you stay close to me, alright?"
"I will," You trail behind him when he starts walking again, losing yourself in his presence and the changing environment. The wisteria flowers fade out to regular maple trees, which begin to thin when you can hear running water- you assume a small stream is nearby.
You're startled out of your stupor when Sanemi grabs your hand, turning to look at him blankly.
"Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Huh? No, sorry, Sanemi. I kinda got lost in the view."
He huffs and clicks his tongue, dragging you closer to his body.
"What was the point in asking me to do this if you aren't even going to listen to me when I start a conversation, babe?"
"I exist to get on your nerves," You respond lightly, squeezing his hand. A muscle in his face twitches.
"I said if we make it back home on time, we can make some udon and watch the sunset on the roof. I know you don't get to see many after your injury and I thought maybe it'd be nice to do that together."
You open your mouth to respond, but find yourself at a loss for words. Sanemi is rough around the edges, coated in a thick protective shell, and is standoffish at best, so it always, always blows you away when he comes up with nice gestures for the sweetest reasons.
He watches you anxiously, waiting for your response, and when you toss your arms around his neck and smatter his face in kisses and thank yous, his heart stutters against his sternum. He peels you off of him and holds you at arm's length, his cheeks and ears a bright red.
“You’re too slow, so I guess I can carry you on my back on the way home,” He mumbles, giving your shoulders a squeeze. You hide your smile behind your hand as he turns around and crouches, and wrap your arms around his shoulders and cross your legs around his middle. He stands with ease and takes off, and you can do nothing but cling tight until you’re home minutes later. Really, you had nothing to worry about missing in his eagerness to please.
You toy with the bag of dried wisteria around your neck as you watch the sky turn into a spectacular mix of deep reds, blues, oranges, and pinks. Sanemi, instead, is watching you, not saying a word, but absolutely lost in how beautiful you are in the evening lights.
He can’t get enough of your smile.
“I’m glad you’re retired,” He says suddenly, bringing you back to the moment. You look over at him with wide eyes. “Really. I know that being a corps member was important to you, but…” He pauses, searching for the right words. It takes him a while to find them ,but when he does, he takes a deep breath and meets your eyes, reaching over to cup your cheek in his hand. “Having you safe at home is infinitely more important. To me, at least.”
His hand is warm against your cheek, and you don’t realize that you have tears building up and spilling out of your eyes until his brow furrows and he uses his thumb to brush them away. When you had been injured, it took grueling months of therapy and treatment and medicine to get you to a point where you could manage on your own. The sight of your nichirin sword mounted on the wall always fills you with frustration and sadness that you can’t wield it anymore. And watching Sanemi go, each time, hurts deep down, because you should be going right along with him.
But he’s been with you for every step, since the first one you took when you could stand again, always understanding, always supporting and pushing you to grow, to recover, and to adapt. He’s been your pillar as well, an essential part of your recovery, your life, and your heart.
Your hand comes up to cover his, and you smile, scooting closer to him so you can rest your head on his shoulder. His arm tightens around you, and no more words are shared as you turn back towards the dimming sky, safe and home in each other's arms.
2087
germansingergirl
areudirty
dededos
annaxmalina
