Original Universe: After Kanae's Death
deceased!Kanae x mourning!Sanemi
After two years, left alone following Kanae's death, Sanemi finds himself longing for the only woman he ever loved, a woman of kind stature and a big smile. Unable to let go, he reminisces over the first (and last) time he ever found love.
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On his left hand, Sanemi twisted a golden ring that he had worn for several years.
"Sanemi?" Kagaya murmured, catching the Wind Hashira's attention. The band represented he had fallen for; a simple flower design carved into the golden accessory, courtesy of Haganezuka.
"Yes, Ubuyashiki-san." he bowed before him, groveling at his master's feet. Ubuyashiki dismissed his guilty expression with the wave of his hand, instead choosing to comfort him.
"Do not worry, my child." Ubuyashiki smiled reassuringly, "it is hard on all of us."
Sanemi froze as the band suddenly became tighter around his finger. He felt his hand curl into a fist.
Of course it was hard on all of them.
How selfish was he?
He looked at the other Hashira, who looked at him in confusion, not understanding the mental bond that he and Ubuyashiki had developed over time.
A memory suddenly flashed before his mind, after Masachika's death, when he had lashed out at Ubuyashiki for not caring about the hundreds of deaths that had occurred within the Demon Slayer Corps.
The only one who had not been angry with him... was her.
Her eyes were worried, confused, and most of all, kind. They looked at him in the way that he had only ever felt of his mother.
Concern.
Love.
And he clung to that. Everyone else, even his own brother, looked at him with contempt. His subordinates, his allies, his comrades, they all looked at him like if he wasn't a human, he'd be a bloodthirsty, killing demon.
He shuddered at the thoughts he knew everyone had of him.
"Take more care of yourself!" Kanae scolded, "I know that the demons are inhumanely fast, but that doesn't give you an excuse to hurt yourself!" she wrapped gauze around his arm, before pulling out a small container. A familiar scent filled his nose.
"Here," she smiled, all strictness disappearing from her face, "for the road."
His brain snapped him back to the present.
"The meeting was dismissed two minutes ago, Sanemi." Ubuyashiki looked at him with a kind smile.
"Ah- oh." Sanemi looked around, finding everyone gone but Shinobu, who still knelt before Ubuyashiki respectfully, "I apologize for my lack of presence at the meeting."
"No worries," Ubuyashiki replied reassuringly.
Sanemi left the garden, but not before hearing Shinobu speak up.
"Oyakata-sama, I am worried about Sanemi." she looked off into the distance, watching her sister's acquaintance drift farther and farther away, in the direction of the Butterfly Mansion.
"He took Kanae's death hard, Shinobu," Ubuyashiki explained, "it is hard for all of us."
"But he..." Shinobu insisted, before brushing away the subject, "please do not worry, Ubuyashiki-sama, I will look after him." she smiled and bowed before her master, before heading off in the same direction.
