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Chapter Text

The battle wasnt supposed to be as hard as it was, atleast not for a Hashira. That what Giyuu thought when he got completely banged up by a lower rank demon, it wasnt even one of the Twelve Kizuki yet it managed to land a few devastating blows to the Water Hashira..

——— POV: 💧

Tomioka finally got to the location where they estimated the demon to be. It was deep in the woods where nobody seemed to go, surprising that a demon was here - so far away from people, yet the demon would have a good hideout here. The only people who really came here were teenagers that were rebelling against their parents.

The snow was even heavier here than in the village, covering almost every surface with the soft white blanket of nature. Icicles could be seen on the entrance of a near cave, I guess thats where the teenagers would go, as Giyuu could smell the blood from in that cave all the way to him.

Despite his instincts and the fact that the demon would probably be lurking somewhere because it was as dark as it could be, he went into the cave, looking for the source of the blood. As he walked towards it he noticed it as soon as he was just a few steps from the cave. There were many bodies - or atleast remains of them - on top of eachother. Multiple chunks of the bodies were ripped out, either by claws or teeth. The rest of the bodies that havent been eaten were slightly burned. The demon could possibly have a fire-related blood demon art, he’d have to be on the lookout for that.

Giyuu looked up, the caves ceiling was covered in ice that slowly dripped down. As he looked at the bodies again, he suddenly heard a crack behind him. As he turned his body as fast as he could the demon behind him already tore his claws through him. A giant gash on his chest that flowed with blood. He grunted in pain before unsheathhing his katana, gripping it tightly. He swung his blade at the demon, cutting one of its arms off but the demon regenerated withing the few seconds. The creature swung itself at Giyuu again, using its blood demon art to create a small fire in its claws. The fire managed to burn Giyuus chest wound, damaging it even more than it was before. He was fucked.. so fucked.. Giyuu thought to himself.

—— small timeskip

The battle roared on for another 10 minutes or so, nobody tracked the time but Giyuu finally landed the final blow and cut the demons head off with a single slash. He moved away from the demon before taking a deep, shaky breath. His arm had a small wound too and his lower leg was burned slightly. It was gonna be hard but he had to find help.

Giyuu managed to make it a kilometer or so further before passing out on the cold snow. Blood started pulling around him and his body was starting to develop hypothermia. Was this death..?

——— POV: 🍃

For fucks sake, what did this maniac get himself into? Its been a goddamn hour since the hashiea meeting where they called Sanemu to find him and he still hasnt managed to! Fuckass Tomioka.. atleast his crow couldve sent a message, though I doubt that stupid old crow could be able to so anything.

Hed been wandering for a long time now before finally finding footsteps with blood near them. Well, seems he may have found what he was lookinh for. He ran after the trail of blood, hoping he’d find Tomiok. In this case he did find him, but not in the state he wanted to find him in. Immediately, as he saw him, he rushed to his side and dropped down next to him. He put a hand on his neck, checking his pulse but almost withdrawing from the ice-cold touch. The pulse was there, but way too weak, not minding the state his body was in. A deep gash on his chest and on his arm, too close to that were burns along with a big burn that left a hole on his lower leg.

“Tsk, fucking Tomioka..” he said, but still felt worried for his comrad. Gently but wasting no time, he picked his limp body into his arms and began running with him back to his mansion. It was way closer than the Butterfly Mansion and besides, he wasnt sure Tomioka would even survive more than half an hour in this temperature. It was freezing and his body clearly had signs of potentially severe hypothermia.

—— timeskip again :>

Finally, after a bit of a time he made it back to his mansion. As soon as he got inside, he placed the Water Hashira onto a futon in his guest room and went for some bandages and disinfection.

After he got that, the Wind Pillar carefully disinfected his wounds and burns and bandaged them up with as much precision as he could. When he was bandaging, he realized how grave his injuries were, even more than hed seen back in the woods. How long was Tomioka even out therebon the cold icy ground? Ugh, the thought of something eating him in the meantime made Shinazugawas stomach churn.

He took off Tomiokas clothes, leaving him in only his underwear, revealing a rather skinny body.. too skinny but he had other things to worry about at this moment. He put fresh, warm clothes on Giyuus body in an attempt to try and heat him up. There was no wat he’d be able to get him to Shinobu now as there was a snow storm forming. It could be even too dangerous for Sorai to fly over to the Butterfly Mansion and even then, how would Shinobu get here? He’d have to wait till the snow storm passes and wait till Tomioka wakes up, how much time that would take, he doesnt know.

All he knows is that his body is in desperate need of warmth and comfort, and Sanemi was there to provide it..

Chapter Text

It had been 2 days since the Wind Hashira took the Water Hashira into his estate to help his healing journey after he got himself wrecked at his most recent mission. The weather hadn’t gotten any better and the outside was still covered in heavy snow, too much to walk.

——— POV: 🍃

Sanemi took the right action and told Shinobu about Giyuu’s condition as there was no way he could help him alone. But as he couldn’t walk there due to the heavy snow - let alone carry an unconscious Giyuu on his back - he decided to sent Sorai to the Butterfly Mansion with a letter requesting instructions on how to deal with his condition.

He got a letter back soon after. The letter was long with proper instructions on how to treat him when he is unconsicous and when he wakes up. He read these instructions intensely, intending on making no mess up. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use the unconscious instructions as much and that he would wake up soon. Damn it, why was he hoping he’d wake up soon? He doesn’t want to see his annoying face, right? That look when he’s telling everyone how he’s ‘different from them’ pisses him off way too much than it should.

Sanemi heads to Giyuu’s room- well, the guest room where Giyuu was staying. He comes with a tray full of stuff like bandages, herbal creams and some heated stones to hopefully heat him up atleast a bit. He hasn’t gotten too much warmer than when he found him but there was progress. Everything he had perfectly prepared but as soon as he steps into the guest room he sees the supposedly unconscious man struggling to sit up.

“Fuck, Tomioka, dont move too fast, your injuries are still healing..” Sanemi said as he as-quick-as-possible walked towards Giyuu’s futon and kneeled down besides him, helping him sit up. He noticed Giyuu clutching his chest - right where the wound was. Before Tomiokas fingers could touch the bandage, he swung his hand out the way.

“Dont touch it, it could make it worse.” he said roughly. Giyuu moved his hands out the way and looked up at him, his deep blue eyes meeting Sanemi’s purple ones. How can eyes be such a beautiful blue and at the same time so empty and dead, he thought to himself.

——— POV: 3rd person

Giyuu’s gaze soon met the floor as Sanemi began unwrapping hid bandages. It stung a little but Giyuu didnt complain, he just hoped Sanemi wasn’t mad about having to take care of him.

After applying some herbal treatment and wrapping back the bandages onto Giyuu, Sanemi sat beside him. Sanemi noticed how Giyuu seemed to be lost in thought. “Hey, snap out of it, idiot.” Sanemi said, snapping a finger near his face but not too close to frighten him. “Oh, sorry,” Giyuu said, flinching at the snapping of fingers near his face. Sanemi sighed, “I know this is like a weird question coming from me but, uh-.. Have you bern eating enough? You’re literally as skinny as a stick and that isn’t fucking healthy for a hashira.” Sanemi sighed again, watching as Giyuu’s eyes widened slightly at the mention. “I- uh.. I have been eating.. fine.” the raven-haired said, hesitation clear in his voice throughout his words. He was abrubtly interrupted by Sanemi, “We both know thats fucking bullshit, you haven’t been eating properly and thats a fact.” he said, his fist banged into the ground in anger, “Tell me the truth now.” Giyuu’s gaze went to the floor again, Sanemi sighed and was about to pick himself up to leave but he heard the other male begin talking again, “I- uhm.. I have been trying to eat properly, but everytime I try to eat a full meal i end up throwing it up..” there was a certain sadness and hint of guilt in his voice that made the white-haired male’s heart drop in guilt from yelling at him earlier. “Look, I know it’s hard to admit, but you need serious help with this. Ask Kocho, shes a doctor, she must know about these things. Just please, get help with it.” Sanemi said as he stood up and slowly walked away from the room. Giyuu simply nodded as he walked away, leaving him alone in the room.

Seeing Giyuu so vulnerable made Sanemi feel more like the big brother he was to his other siblings despite him himself being older. Shaking that thought away, he went into the kitchen to get some warm tea to hopefully help Giyuu warm up. It was a simple camomile tea but hopefully it would atleasy make a difference internally.

As Sanemi poured the boiling water into a cup, he came to the realization how much Giyuu was struggling. As sad as Sanemi himself was, Giyuu had taken it to another level. He never thought somebody would be struggling that badly and be a hashira as well. It was honestly impressing how Giyuu managed to slay demons effortlesly while being underweight and deppresing at the bad level.

———

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sry guys but idk if ill be continuing this since im pretty mentally fucked rn SORRYYY

i love yall and hope ill manage to finish this some day :pp