Chapter Text
The gentle breeze slipped through the trees, brushing past the Serpent Hashira, tugging lightly at the ends of his black hair. Leaves scattered and flew in the air, circling around the Wind Hashira-swirling into something like a small but restless tornado.
Their sparring had just ended.
Both stood around 15 shaku* apart, their chests rising and falling. The ground beneath them was scratched, due to the intense training they just did.
Sanemi panted as he dragged his left hand through his hair, grinning despite having tied in their last round. “This was a great sparring session, Iguro!”
Obanai loosen his grip on his blade before sheathing it, nodding to what Sanemi was saying. “…it indeed was a productive session.”
They settle onto the wooden porch in Sanemi estate, for the moment, neither spoke. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, rather soothing.
Sanemi reached for the water jug resting beside him, lifting it to his lips.
“…ahhh…” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Oi! Iguro! do you want some water? Or food? the summer is killing me right now.”
Obanai barely shifted” No thank you, Shinazugawa. I’m not thirsty… Nor hungry.”
Sanemi frowned slightly. “Eh? Bullshit! I haven’t seen you drink nor eat anything during the last few hours! Don’t tell me that you’re not thirsty or hungry!! because that’s crap!”
“Drop it.”
“This is none of your business. Besides…” His fingers lightly brushed the bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face. “How do you expect me to eat or drink with these on?”
Sanemi was about to say something to counter it, however he had none, his irritation drained out of him.
“…”
“…sorry, my bad…”
The word came out of his mouth quieter than he expected.
But a question resurfaced to the top of his mind. It lingered, nagging him at the back of his mind till he couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“Why… do you even have those bandages for?” He asked, scratching his neck. “Are you hiding something…”
Obanai didn’t respond, so he didn’t get an answer.
His gaze kept looking forward, but the eyes weren’t focused-his thoughts though, that was a mess. Obanai knew that he would never show his face.
Oi?
He knew what people would think, what would happen…
They would scream at the mere sight of his scars. “Get away! you’re a monster!”
Monster…
Oi! Iguro!
Monster?
A Monster is what I am…
But… what if just maybe…Sanemi…
Hey! snap out of it!
Sanemi was covered in scars, and he was proud of them, never hid it, he never did talk about it.
So… would he really…?
“-Oi! HEY!”
Obanai flinched slightly at the sudden volume of his voice.
“Finally, you’re back,” Sanemi huffed. “You were staring into space like some sort of idiot; I’ve been talking to you!”
Obanai blinked, before looking away. “My apologies… I was distracted and did not hear you…” On his shoulders, Kaburamaru shifted, turning and twisting until he was facing his friend, before hissing as if to ask if he was alright.
Obanai was a little shocked by the snake worrisome state. “Mm… thank you my friend, but I’m alright.”
Sanemi was watching the exchanged they had, it was… interesting, a snake understanding human emotions, he wanted to ask what just happen, but every time he was about to ask, something kept him back.
“Shinazugawa… I do cover something, for my own comfort…”
Sanemi came back to his senses when he heard his name.
“Um… Iguro? is it… an injury, like a scar?” Sanemi asked bluntly. “On your face, I mean.”
“…”
this was the kind of silence that both hated, waiting for the other to say something. Ultimately Obanai said something, breaking the silence.
“…I do.” He answered quietly.” It is not… something pleasant to look at… most would be disgusted…”
“Ah, well, no matter what, I bet it looks cool!” Sanemi said, trying to remove the silence.
This was not what Obanai was expecting. Out of every possible reaction- the pity, the discomfort of seeing it if not just hearing about it, the unbearable silence, this was the only one that hadn’t crossed his mind.
Despite his harsh ways, Sanemi truly had a gentle soul, like a brother who bullies their siblings for fun yet still kill a beast threatening to kill them, if he had siblings, then they would have the best brother.
“…thank you, Shinazugawa,” Obanai said softly.
Sanemi scratched his neck, suddenly awkward. “Sanemi.”
“Huh?”
“Eh- you can just call me Sanemi, no need for the formals all the time.” he muttered, face red. “Only if you want to!”
A pause washed over them…
“Thank you… Sanemi”
Sanemi eyes widen; God he loved the way his named sounded in his mouth…
The air between them felt… closer than ever…
“Caw! CAAW!”
Obanais crow swooped down, its voice breaking the break they had.
“Mission for the Serpent Hashira! A demon has been spotted up in the high mountains-caw!”
Sanemi was pretty annoyed, but what could he do, they were Hasiras and had duties to fulfil.
“I have to go now,” he said, walking away. “we’ll continue another time.”
And with that he was gone, just because he wasn’t the fastest Hashira doesn’t mean that he's not fast, Sanemi remained where he was, staring after the body that were getting further away, every shaku*.
“…sigh…damn…” he muttered slowly under his breath. “How did you manage to crawl into my heart… despite myself saying that I would never…Fucking dumbass!”
He lifted his hand up to his face, out of frustrations-and paused.
it was warm…
“you’ve got to be kidding me…” He said, letting out a short but disbelieving laugh.
“You…”
“You have me completely whipped for you.”
“Is... this truly what love feels like?”