Return To Me (Sanemi Shinazugawa x Reader)
After reading the manga I just had to. He’s not a terrible person, he’s just been through some terrible things.
⚠️: extremely light angst, mostly fluff, soft aggression, manga spoilers
Heavy raindrops pelted the roof of your home, causing a chill to set in the air. The wind howled mercilessly, shaking the walls and making everything louder. A fire had already been lit, but for some reason it didn’t seem to help. You sat beside it, blanket wrapped snugly around your shoulders. You wished this storm would end so you could finally get warm.
Letting out a sigh, you laid down on the floor. The ceiling was awfully entertaining considering the circumstances.
A hard knocking was heard from the door, even with the wind and rain drowning everything else. You frowned, getting up to answer it. Why would anyone be out in this weather? Sliding open the door, the visitor standing in the rain.
“Sanemi? What are you- get in here!” You shrieked, grabbing his arm and dragging him inside. He groaned, bumping his head on the door as he entered. “Calm down!” He snapped, but made no move to actually complain about the incident or how the warmth of your hands eased his mind.
“What were you doing out there in the rain? You’re dancing with death!” You scolded, sitting him by the fire. You quickly grabbed a towel, throwing it at his head. You began drying him off, annoyed by his silence. “Hello?”
“Yeah.” He grumbled, glancing away. Was that anxiety lacing his tone?
“I wanted to make sure you were safe. Demons take weather like this to their advantage.” He explained, though he grew more irritated as you tossed his head around in the towel. He swatted your hands away, pulling the towel down to rest around his shoulders.
“There hasn’t been anyone but you,” you replied, lifting the edge of the towel to wipe some droplets from his face. Some of them had found shelter on his lashes, resulting in a starlight effect in his eyes. His lilac hues scanned your face, contemplating if he should scold you for staring. He decided against it, finding comfort in the fact you were so close.
The wind pillar said nothing after that, watching you closely as you dried his face. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this; your gentle touch and soft tone lit a fire under his skin. He could feel the heat in his face, growing annoyed by the unwelcome feeling. “You’re too close,” he murmured.
You pulled you hand away, moving to take a step back. “Ah! My apologies, I didn’t mean to-“ but he grabbed your wrist and pulled you back to where you had been. “I didn’t say it was an issue,” he sighed, glancing away. You could see the blush painting his face. It was so endearing to know the big tough Wind Hashira was flustered by something so simple. “Are you cold?” You softly asked, brushing his drying bangs from his face. He let out a soft grunt as his response, still a bit too flustered to speak.
You couldn’t hide the smile that played on your lips, so you stepped away for a moment. The ivory haired man frowned as you moved away, but he didn’t argue. You returned a few moments later with a blanket, wrapping it snugly around his shoulders and pulling it together in the front. He seemed surprised, eyes widening slightly at the hospitable gesture before looking back up at you. “Come by the fire,” you instructed.
The scarred man followed you, resting by the fire while you took a seat beside him. Taking back the towel, you began drying the back oh his hair and neck. He closed his eyes, enjoying the comforting rhythm or the towel against his head. “I really wish you’d come stay at my estate. It would be easier to keep you safe there.”
You were surprised by his wish. You had been to his estate a few times, but he was always fussing at Genya or the Tsugoku he was forced to take on.
You had half the mind to tell him he worries too much, but you decided against it. His past defended his worries without a doubt. He had lost everything dear to him because of demons, so why shouldn’t he worry?
That smile found its way back to your lips. “Would that put your mind at ease?” You asked quietly. Sanemi turned his head to you, staring at you for a long moment. His eyes softened and he nodded. “It would.”
The Shinazugawa Estate was a quiet place tucked away near the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. There were many paths and privacy fences leading to all the different buildings of the estate. Most of the time Sanemi was in the dojo, yelling and tormenting his poor tsugukos. You always made sure to give them some extra snacks to make up for how rude Sanemi was to them.
You knew he had a temper and was tough on just about everyone, yet you were surprised. You hadn’t ever seen him in action, so you were constantly scolding him for how aggressive he was with his students. He never argued back at you. The students would sometimes chuckle at the way he seems to soften up when you start ordering him around; not that it’s often.
Tonight was just like any other night. You were sitting outside the shoji, watching the moon. It was a bit hard to enjoy any peace though. You could hear the sounds of students training in some of the open spaces and buildings nearby. There was symphony of laughter, leading you to suspect Sanemi wasn’t currently the trainer.
A gentle rapping came from your door, so you turned to see who the culprit was. The Wind Pillar slid it open, walking into your room. He closed the door and strode to your side, sitting down with a heavy sigh through his nose. “Long day?” You asked, turning your body to face him.
Sanemi nodded, lifting his arm in offering. You smiled and scooted closer, nestling your body in the dip of his side. The ivory haired man wrapped his arm around you, rubbing circles into your upper arm with his thumb. “Those recruits don’t know what they’re getting themselves into,” he grumbled, brows knitted together. “They’ll get themselves killed out there.”
“That’s why you’re training them, ‘Nemi,” you replied, looking up at him with affection in your eyes. “You can help them hone their skills. You’re a Hashira!”
He stared at you for a moment, then glanced towards where all the laughter echoed. “They’ll never get better if they cONTINUE GOOFING OFF!” He bellowed, resulting in silence from the dojo. You giggled anxiously, rubbing your ear.
The pillar frowned and gently pulled your hand away, kissing your ear. “Sorry.” He sighed deeply, pressing his face against your hair. You giggled a bit more, wrapping your arms around his neck. “It’s alright. Just try to go a bit easier on them, they won’t progress if they’re too scared to move!” You said, pulling back to cup his face.
His own contorted in disapproval, but that faded quickly. “They should be scared!” He huffed, looking away. There was a hint of worry in his eyes, which made you fall silent.
The Wind Hashira was an extremely temperamental and rude man. He was horrible towards Genya and his students, but you could tell he was more worried than anything. Worry fueled his anger, which resulted in harder training and harsher punishments. He didn’t want to see these students fall to the hands of a demon. He was hard because he knew it was the only way to get them to understand how dire the situation was.
There was a long silence. The only sounds were the breeze tussling in the trees and crickets singing their nightly melodies.
The hashira turned to look at you, eyes wide.
You both fell silent again, then he stood up. The man took a step forward off the porch, then turned and grasped your hands. “I’ll return; and when I do you will be my wife.” He declared, lavender eyes narrowed towards yours.
You felt your heart flutter and tears spring to your eyes. Marriage had been a topic for a while now, but the upcoming battle had taken away time from the subject.
“I will be your wife.” You echoed lovingly. The man lifted his hands from yours and held your face, planting a gentle kiss to your lips.
