Meeting Sabito again after you thought he died
Pairing: Sabito x fem!reader
Word Count: 4k
Synopsis: You were meant for each other, the most promising upbringings of the demon slayer corps. Everyone knew it, no one ever doubted you'd make it back from the final selection. But when Sabito lost his life during this cursed night, you left without ever returning. Little do you know that you are still meant for each other, that you will find your way back together...
Warnings: This is huge hurt to comfort y'all, I just had to write for him because LOOK AT HIM, this is loooong so get seated
You cry out in sheer frustration, face covered in mud like an accessory by this point.
It’s like a game to him. Over and over, he hits you with his bare hands, sweeps you off your feet, forces your frame to the ground.
“You’re still not strong enough, (y/n).”
And even though you want to hate that skilled boy, you can’t help but get lost in his lavender eyes all over again.
“Someday I will”, you press out, your lungs still refusing their service while you struggle to breathe.
“Don’t be so hard on her”, Giyu comments from behind, his eyes filled with pity.
“No”, you blurt out, your body finding its way back on your feet on its own.
“Hit me again. Let me try again.”
“I will try until I’m better than you, Sabito.”
And oh you tried.
And tried.
And tried.
But in the end, it was still him who had to save you.
You find yourself right in that cursed forest. The night air was sharp, thick with the scent of damp earth and iron. Your limbs ached, screaming with exhaustion, yet you forced yourself to move. The final selection had become a nightmare, one you weren’t sure you’d wake from. No amount of hard training could’ve prepared you for this. Not even Sabito’s relentless training.
And then, it happened.
You had barely turned when the massive hand of a demon swung toward you, claws glinting under the moonlight. Time slowed, your breath caught in your throat, and fear wrapped around your body like chains.
But you never felt the impact. You never felt death crawling up your spine.
Instead, a blur of orange and white struck with furious speed, knocking you out of harm’s way.
“Sabito-!” you gasped, the world spinning as your back hit the ground.
He stood before you, blade already stained crimson, eyes burning with something beyond fury - something like desperation. The demon roared, lunging again, but Sabito was faster. His sword carved through flesh, a deadly dance of skill and strength. For a moment, you thought he would win.
Then, a second demon emerged from the shadows.
You saw it too late.
“Sabito, behind you-!”
His eyes widened, his body twisted. But he wasn’t fast enough. The demon’s claws sank deep into his side, ripping through fabric and flesh. Blood splattered the ground. Your breath hitched.
“No—no, no, no—!”
Sabito gritted his teeth, pushing himself forward despite the wound, despite the odds. With one final, desperate strike, he beheaded the demon before collapsing to his knees.
Your body moved before you could think. You crawled to his side, hands pressing against the wound, trembling.
“Stay awake. Please, you have to stay awake-”
He smiled, just barely.
“Told you… you weren’t strong enough yet.”
“Shut up,” you choked, vision blurred by tears.
“You can’t…you can’t leave me, Sabito.”
His fingers brushed against yours, weak but warm.
“You’ll be fine… You’ll be strong, (y/n). Stronger than me. Promise me you’ll become a demon slayer, maybe even a hashira. Promise me to look after the others. Promise that you…that you won’t forget me. I…you…you were always…”
“Sabito-”
His eyelids fluttered. His breathing slowed. And then-
Darkness. The numb feeling of brisk grabbed onto your body, dragged you with it.
When you woke up, you were in the care of the Ubuyashiki estate. The pain in your body was nothing compared to the ache in your chest. The final selection, that fight…Sabito.
Sabito. He died right in front of your eyes. Was this just a dream? Nothing but a nightmare? No, it can’t be. You know the sight of empty eyes all too well to mistake it. He died. Sabito died in order to save you.
You barely registered the gentle voices around you until Giyu stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
“Sabito…?”
Your voice was hoarse, fragile.
The silence was unbearable.
Then, Giyu shook his head.
No.
Your heart shattered.
A choked sob tore from your throat. You gripped the fabric of your uniform, gasping for breath, drowning in the weight of his absence. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to scold you for being reckless. He was supposed to live.
But he was gone.
You pressed a hand against your mouth, the realization crashing over you in waves.
You loved him.
You loved him, and you never got to tell him.
And now, you never would.
Tears streamed down your face as your body trembled, the grief consuming you whole.
But even through the heartbreak, you heard his voice echo in your mind:
“You’ll be strong, (y/n). Stronger than me.”
Your lungs desperately aching for air forces your eyes open, your upper body out of your futon. Your shaky hands grab your hair, eyes scanning around the simple room.
Was it…?
“Just a dream”, you mumble to yourself.
It was just a dream. Like the countless times before, like almost every night.
You get on your wobbly feet, gazing at yourself in the mirror. Even 5 years later, his lavender eyes haunt you each and every night. That look on his face before you passed out, how he saved you from certain death so that you could live.
You never deserved this second chance, never wanted to take his life for your own. Did he regret saving you back then? Wouldn’t it be better if you died instead of him? Sabito was expected to be the following water hashira, a well-praised candidate for the highest-ranked demon slayer.
But he saved you. You, nothing but an average slayer. You, the coward who ran away from her old life in order to forget. You, who now lived in this remote area on her own. Far away from the pillars, far away from the life you used to know. All alone, with the mission to save as many lives as possible on your own.
No one will die again while trying to save you.
Rough knocking on your front door rips you out of your dreams immediately. Usually, your days are quite peaceful with people calling for your help during the night. It’s not a secret that you are a demon slayer, even though this technically isn’t a real job accepted by the country. But here in a remote village? Every single soul knows about the dangers that lie in the shelter of the night.
Your feet carry you to the front door on their own.
“(Y/N)-SAMA!”
“Please call me by my name. I’m (y/n), there is no need for that title my love”, you reply gently.
But something isn’t right. The girl with the usual so bright smile and eyes full of love now looks up at you with dread filling her orbs, her shaky hands holding onto your kimono for what feels like dear life.
Your heart drops to the floor. This is everything but a good sign.
“Tell me how I can help.”
Multiple attacks on mine workers in a forest one day march away from their village. A lot of the men work there, including her father. All of them went missing, some of their body parts were found during a search. There are no wild animals around in this area, no bears that would do something like this.
“A demon”, you mutter to yourself.
Another demon who kills innocent citizens. Other lives, forever vanished into thin air. Just like his.
“I will leave immediately.”
“Alone? But what if you get killed? What if I’ll lose you as well?”
Her little hands claw into your kimono, unwilling to let you go.
“It’s an honour to risk my life in order to safe yours. I promise I’ll do everything I can to save everyone, including myself. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
Oh, what a great liar you are. Truth is, you never know if the next mission will be your last. After all, you left training when you were 13 with your hands shaking every time you lifted your katana. You aren’t skilled at all compared to the great hashira.
And yet, it’s your destiny to carry on his will, to fight until the day you die.
Your feet move on their own. Through the lonely village, far away from the place you called home for over 5 years by now. You never moved away further than a few hours, always close in order to protect them at all costs. Those people who welcomed you in their middle when you had nowhere else to go, those people who greeted you with a gentle smile and healed your heart bit by bit. You won’t let them down, won’t let this uneasy feeling settled in your bones overtake you. After all, this is the only thing that keeps you from drowning in his loss. After all, this is what keeps you going.
You feel their presence before you’re even able to see them. That unsettling, gut-wrenching presence. There’s not only one of them. No, their foul smell follows you like the plague, seems to devour you whole.
“HELP!”
Yet, you follow the desperate cry from nearby without thinking twice. Just in time, your blade cuts through the thick neck of the demon who was about to kill the man in front of you.
You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holing, your already aching muscles begging for a break.
“Are you alright?”, you breathe out.
But before the man is even able to respond, you’re covered in blood.
His head is gone.
Your eyes widen in sheer horror, mind going blank for a moment. What was that?
“Another little slayer to kill, what a night, what a fun!”
You’re about to lose it when that creature steps out into the moonlight, its appearance so great that you feel crushed by a single gaze. That thing is stronger than anything you ever expected. Faster. More brutal. Every strike you land barely scratches its skin. And your blade, dulled by years of use, can’t keep up either. Your breath comes sharp and uneven, shaky fingers almost unable to hold onto your sword any longer.
But you promised.
You promised to fight until the end. You promised to save the father of the little girl. You can’t let Sabito’s death be useless by dying like a coward. No, you will fight until you can’t anymore, will give your best and even more.
You straighten your shoulders, put all your strength in your legs, stomach and arms. Your eyes dart towards your target. He might be fast, but he’s still rather tall and stiff. If you focus on nothing but him, you will land a hit in his calf and behead him afterwards.
This is it. The moment to prove yourself. There’s not a single doubt in your mind that you can beat that thing, that you’ll make it out alive. One hit, then another.
The sound of slicing flesh cuts through the air.
And before you can react any further, you feel it.
Claws that dig deeply straight through your stomach. Warm blood that starts pooling beneath your feet. A scorching pain, the inability to move.
Your eyes start to water, vision getting blurry.
He hit you. No, it wasn’t him.
Out of the shadows, you see them lurking. One by one, demon after demon.
It wasn’t only him. You failed to realize that it wasn’t just this one powerful demon, but whole bunch of them.
You cough up blood, the taste coating your tongue as if you licked on iron.
Is this…the end?
“Foolish little girl, did you really think someone like you is able to beat me? You, with that run-down blade? Pah, that I don’t laugh! Looks like not even the demon slayers care about your puny self.”
You are far too tired to get hurt by his rough words.
No, all you’re able to think about is him.
Is this how Sabito felt when he died? Empty, drained out, devastated? As if his whole life had no meaning? As if he missed out? Did he think about the missed opportunity to tell you about his feeling, maybe that he loved you? Did he actually like you back?
Oh, you definitely loved him. And after all those years, you still do. Maybe it is true what people say about first love, maybe you were destined to love him until the day you die.
The ringing in your ear grows louder and louder, your vision nothing but blank by now while your body collapses onto the floor. What a privilege it is, dying with nothing but him on your mind.
“(y/n), is that you? (Y/N)!”
That voice…You must be hallucinating, your brain tricking you into thinking that he’s there to meet you. If you could just open your eyes, locate where it comes from. Are you already…dead?
“Don’t give up on me, (y/n). Do you hear me? Not now. Now when I finally found you.”
Your heartbeat starts picking up, tired mind going crazy. This can’t be him. You saw the way Giyu looked at you back then, knew what he was trying to say the second he entered the room. There’s no way…
Your eyes dart open. Only a brief second before your body fails you, just a moment before everything goes dark.
But what you see is lavender.
“Am I…dead?”
A dull ache pulls you from the depths of unconsciousness. Your body feels impossibly heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the lingering haze of pain. The scent of wisteria fills your senses, soft and familiar, a stark contrast to the metallic taste of blood that last coated your lips.
Your eyelashes flutter, the blinding light forcing you to squeeze your eyes shut again before slowly adjusting to the world around you. You’re lying on a futon, the gentle rustling of fabric catching your ear as someone shifts beside you.
Then-
“(y/n).”
Your breath catches. That voice. Steady, low, but undeniably concerned.
Giyu.
Your head turns slightly, the effort far more exhausting than it should be, but it’s worth it when you see him sitting beside you. His blue eyes are darker than usual, clouded with something between worry and relief. He looks like a different person with his stern look and sharp facial features. The tension in his posture fades just a fraction when you finally meet his gaze.
“You’re awake.”
A breathy laugh escapes you, though it’s weak. Is this real or are you dreaming?
“I think so.”
His expression remains unreadable, but there’s something in the way his shoulders drop, in the way his fingers twitch slightly as if resisting the urge to reach for you.
“You almost died,” he comments bluntly, but there’s a crack in his usual monotone.
You hear it. The way his voice wavers just the slightest bit.
“Yeah… I noticed.”
His brows furrow slightly at your attempt at humor, and it’s almost endearing. A silence settles between you both before he lets out the smallest sigh.
“You were reckless. Not to mention that you vanished for more than five years without a trace, without telling anyone where you are.”
Your lips part to retort, but before you can, his hand - warm, solid, real - settles over yours. Your heart skips.
“But… you’re alive.”
A soft warmth spreads through your chest, different from the scorching pain you felt before. Your fingers twitch beneath his, and after a moment, he gives your hand a gentle squeeze.
For a while, there are no words. Just the quiet hum of the wind outside, the gentle rustling of the wisteria blossoms swaying beyond the open shoji doors. The silence is comforting, not heavy like grief, but something else. Something lighter. It makes you realize just how much you missed him. That quiet child that always hid well behind Sabito’s shoulder. The boy who never realized his full potential, who always felt like nothing. That child is now a man. And given his sight, he’s still a demon slayer, maybe even a hashira?
Then, Giyu speaks again.
“I need to tell Sabito about this.”
Your breath stills.
A bitter pang grips your heart before you can stop it, a dull ache that never truly faded even after all these years. The memories flood back: his voice, his lavender eyes, the warmth of his hand brushing against yours as life slipped from his grasp. Even after all those years, hearing his name coming out of Giyu’s mouth makes you feel like dying all over again.
Your lips tremble.
“Giyu, don’t-”
But he’s looking at you, truly looking at you. And for the first time in years, there’s something in his expression that shakes you to your core.
Because he isn’t mourning.
His eyes aren’t filled with the quiet grief that usually lingers when someone meaningful died. There’s no sadness, no finality. Instead, there’s something else. Something fragile. Something hopeful.
Your heart hammers.
Giyu’s next words shatter the world you’ve known for the past five years.
“Sabito is alive.”
The room tilts. Your breath catches, and for a moment, all you can hear is the wild pounding of your heartbeat in your ears.
“No.”
You shake your head, trying to process it, trying to make sense of what you just heard.
“That’s…That’s not possible, Giyu. I saw… He…You…”
But he’s still holding your hand. And his grip is steady, grounding. Real.
“He survived, (y/n). You never allowed me to finish my sentence back then before you ran away.”
Something inside you snaps.
Despite the pain, despite your body’s protests, you throw the blankets off and swing your legs over the futon. Giyu barely has time to react before you push yourself up - too fast, too desperate, ignoring the sharp flare of agony that nearly sends you crumbling to the ground.
“(y/n), wait—!”
But you don’t.
You simply can’t.
Your feet are already moving before logic can catch up, before you can think about the wounds, the weakness, the time you’ve lost. You stumble through the open doors, through the gardens, past the rows of blooming wisteria that blur into nothing but streaks of color in your vision.
You don’t know where you’re going.
But your heart does.
And then-
You see him.
Beneath the cascading wisteria, bathed in violet light, stands the boy who never left your dreams.
Lavender eyes meet yours.
Your breath leaves you in a shattered whisper.
“Sabito.”
His name tastes like both heartbreak and salvation on your lips.
And when he takes a step toward you, when his expression softens into something unreadable, something overwhelming, you don’t hesitate.
You run.
Your heart is screaming, pounding so hard in your chest that you think it might burst.
And then, after five long, agonizing years, after endless nights of dreams and regrets, your fingers finally brush against him.
Sabito is real. Warm. Alive.
He catches you with ease, as if he was always meant to. His arms wrap around you, steady and strong, holding you as if he’s afraid you might disappear again. Your knees buckle, but he’s already there, supporting your weight effortlessly, grounding you in a reality too surreal to be true.
"You're real," you whisper, voice trembling, hands clinging onto the fabric of his haori.
"This isn't a dream…?"
His breath hitches, and when you finally gather the courage to lift your head, you meet those familiar lavender eyes filled with something raw, something vulnerable, something that makes your chest tighten until you can hardly breathe.
"It’s me," Sabito murmurs, his voice softer than you’ve ever heard it.
"I’m here, (y/n). I’ve always been."
A sob tears from your throat. The floodgates burst, and before you can stop yourself, you bury your face against his chest, gripping onto him as if letting go would mean losing him all over again while a violent scream escapes your lips.
He doesn’t let go either. If anything, his hold tightens, as if he’s trying to make up for every second you spent apart. His fingers tangle into your hair, his other arm securing you to him like a promise.
“I thought you-”
Your voice breaks.
“I thought you died, Sabito. I thought I lost you.”
“I know.”
His breath is warm against your temple, his voice strained as if he’s barely holding himself together.
“I thought I lost you too.”
You pull back slightly, just enough to look at him properly. Your hands reach up before you can stop them, trembling fingers tracing over the curve of his jaw, the faint scar along his cheek. He leans into your touch, his eyes never leaving yours. God, he looks so handsome. Still like the boy you knew, but he definitely outgrew you.
“How…?”
Your voice is barely above a whisper.
“How are you here?”
Sabito lets out a slow, unsteady breath.
“It was close. I should have died that night. But I didn’t. Our master saved me at the last second, I barely made it into the wisteria forest.”
He shakes his head.
“By the time I woke up, you were gone. Giyu told me you disappeared. I tried to find you, but you… you just vanished. I searched everywhere for you, (y/n).”
Your heart clenches. Guilt, relief, overwhelming love, all of it crashes over you in waves, nearly knocking you off your feet again.
“I was running away,” you admit, voice small.
“I was scared. I thought I wasn’t strong enough. I thought… I thought I didn’t deserve to live when you…”
You swallow hard, forcing down another sob.
“I should have been the one to die that night.”
Sabito stiffens.
And then, before you can react, his hands are cupping your face, tilting your head up so you have no choice but to look at him. His eyes burn with something fierce, something that sends a shiver down your spine.
“Don’t you ever say that again,” he breathes, his thumbs brushing away the tears that won’t stop falling.
“You deserved to live just as much as I did. Maybe even more.”
You shake your head, lips quivering.
“But-”
“No.”
His voice is firm, but there’s a gentleness in it too, a tenderness that makes your heart ache.
“I would have saved you a thousand times over, (y/n). I don’t regret it. I never have.”
His forehead presses against yours, his breath mingling with yours in the cool night air.
“And I would do it again,” he murmurs, closing his eyes.
“Every single time. Again and again. You’re the reason I became a hashira, the reason I still keep going. I never gave up the hope to hold you like this someday.”
Your own eyes flutter shut, a fresh wave of tears spilling over. The warmth of him, the steady rhythm of his heart against yours - it’s all too much, yet somehow not enough.
You don’t know who moves first.
But suddenly, his lips are on yours.
It’s not rushed, not desperate.
But it’s everything.
It’s years of unspoken words, of longing, of quiet grief and unwavering love. It’s the feeling of home, of finally, finally being whole again.
His hands tangle in your hair, pulling you closer, deepening the kiss as if trying to make up for lost time. Your fingers grip onto his haori, afraid that if you let go, he might disappear again.
But he won’t.
He’s here.
When you finally part, your forehead rests against his, both of you breathless, eyes half-lidded with emotions too big to put into words.
“I love you,” he confesses, voice barely above a whisper. “
I have for so long, (y/n). Even when I thought I’d never get to tell you.”
A watery laugh escapes you, your fingers tracing along the fabric of his sleeve, holding onto him like a lifeline.
“I love you too. I always have.”
Sabito exhales a shaky breath, a small, relieved smile tugging at his lips.
And in that moment, under the wisteria, bathed in soft violet light, you know.
This is where you were always meant to be.
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