#be able to talk to oyakata unless someone's vouching for him. he already had a run-in with sanemi that went better than

[nerosdayinanime]

One in a million

"TANJIRO!" screamed at the top of his lungs, the dark haired boy whipped around to look at him.

"YOU HAVE TO!-" cut off against his will as he watched the world fly sideways- Tanjiro's horrified eyes meeting his through the spray of blood. The indescribable feeling of the top half of his head hitting the dirt and rubble below- broken registering of his body following suit, collapsing to the ground. The world blurred with red and fading screams, input to cells that don't have the capacity to decipher.

Fade to nothing.

He shot up with a choked gasp, phantom memories of his head sliced in half by that fucking monster- Green. Grass. Dirt, twigs, bugs- sound. The quiet rustle of the leaves- shifting fabric and- something behind him.

"Giyuu?" questioned so softly, with so much reverence. He whipped around- pink hair and wisteria eyes staring into his.

He breathed, "Sabito-" time slowed as he couldn't throw himself into the other's arms fast enough, mutual need to hold eachother tight so the dream wouldn't fade and take him with it. Giyuu breathed, mind reeling from the too-sudden shift of everything-

so, it shut off.

He breathed.

He felt the chest against his rise and fall in tune with the breath puffing against his neck, as they sat, on their knees, holding eachother so tightly it made his arms ache. The phantom tang of blood stuck in his nose, drowned out by the subtle scent of mint and grass, the feel of hair tickling his nose as he breathed.

The world's too-bright colors and too-sharp definition dimmed and faded to something that didn't melt his eyes, he shifted and dropped his head to sabito's shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" rasped quietly into his hair, hands fisted in the back of his haori relaxing to run in soothing circles along his back.

His throat felt raw, "I could ask the same of you."

A short huff, "Well.. it was slow this time. Always the worst."

He hummed in agreement as Sabito continued, "Fought Akaza, at the Mugen Train. I had an idea that didn't work out… Rengoku and the kids were fine but- …not like i can do anything more for them now." He could feel the regret dripping from his words, trailing quieter until he was the only person who could've heard.

He wracked his brain for a quick glimpse at the carnage before he woke- remembering brought dread as he realized what he'd done.

"I doomed them." thought leaving his lips without his permission, "Tanjiro didn't learn from akaza!- I didn't- wasn't thinking!- tried to tell him!" he rushed, stumbling over his own tongue as he shook.

Sabito pulled back, "Hey!- hey, hey." pushing giyuu back to hold his face. "Breathe.. let it slide over. Stop trying to stand. You can rest now." Giyuu stared into his firm gaze, letting Sabito's voice be the loudest thing in his own head. Rough palms cupping his cheeks, the warmth that emanates from them, the thrum of blood where its supposed to be. He stared as the regret and guilt and self-hatred rushed over him like an avalanche, crashing with fury uncontained before it ebbed to aching desolation, surrendered to simply pool around him. Years, and years, and years, and years of it flooding his little clearing, saturating the earth, dirt long turned to mud at the bottom of a lifeless stagnant pond. He floats, among the debris stirred from the latest break of the dam. Flipped from floating face down, breathing the mucky water, drowning in his own failure- instead a tender hold keeping his head above the surface.

He breathes.

Hot tears track down his face, gently wiped away with the pad of a thumb, soothing nothings muttered between their foreheads pressed together. It hurts, so so much, the warmth and wet forming clouds before his very eyes. Hes so relieved, so distraught, so confused. Sabito doesn't let go of him, and he knows he wont until the water's settled again, until he can stand on his own again.