Chapter Text
The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. It was the end of another long day of training and missions, and most of the Hashira were gathering at the courtyard for dinner—a rare moment of calm amidst their hectic lives. There was a slight chill in the air as autumn settled in, but the atmosphere among the Hashira was comfortable, filled with soft chatter and the occasional burst of laughter.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, however, was far from calm.
He stood just outside the courtyard, his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at the entrance as if it had personally offended him. His jaw was clenched, his expression caught somewhere between a snarl and a grimace, the only thing betraying his unease the way his fingers drummed impatiently against his bicep. Giyuu Tomioka stood beside him, calm as ever, though even he couldn’t help the subtle furrow of his brow.
“Are you going to tell them or not?” Sanemi snapped, his voice low but sharp.
Giyuu turned his head slightly to glance at Sanemi, his expression unreadable as always. “I thought we agreed you would tell them.”
“That was before I remembered what a pain in the ass they all are,” Sanemi growled. He shifted on his feet, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. “Why the hell did we decide to do this in the first place?”
“You were the one who said we should tell them all at once,” Giyuu reminded him, his voice calm but with a hint of dry humor.
Sanemi let out a frustrated sound that was somewhere between a groan and a growl. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind. This was a stupid idea.”
Giyuu said nothing for a moment, his gaze moving to the entrance where the rest of their friends were gathered, completely oblivious to the storm that was about to hit them. The corner of his mouth twitched—perhaps it was nervousness, or maybe it was amusement at Sanemi’s obvious discomfort. It was always hard to tell with Giyuu.
“You wanted to make an announcement,” Giyuu said quietly. “Now’s your chance.”
Sanemi scowled, running a hand through his white hair in frustration. “This is ridiculous. They don’t need to know. What difference does it make?”
“They’re our friends,” Giyuu said simply.
Sanemi snorted, but the retort he’d been about to make died on his lips. He might not have admitted it out loud, but Giyuu had a point. As much as Sanemi hated to admit it, the other Hashira had become something of a makeshift family over the years. As annoying as they were—and they were annoying—they were still his comrades. His friends. And this was… a big deal.
Still, that didn’t make it any easier.
“Fine,” Sanemi muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. “But if any of them start acting like idiots, I’m leaving.”
“Understood.”
With that, the two of them started toward the courtyard. Sanemi’s scowl deepened with each step, while Giyuu remained as stoic as ever. As they approached, the sound of conversation grew louder, and Sanemi felt his stomach twist with an unfamiliar sense of dread. This was not the kind of thing he was used to dealing with. Demons? Sure. Life-or-death battles? No problem. But announcing that he was getting married ? That was a different beast altogether.
As they entered the courtyard, all eyes turned toward them. The Hashira were seated around a long, low table, plates of food in front of them. Rengoku was in the middle of telling some boisterous story, his voice loud and full of enthusiasm, but he paused when he saw Sanemi and Giyuu approaching.
“Ah, Shinazugawa! Tomioka!” Rengoku greeted them with his usual booming voice, his face lighting up in a wide grin. “Join us! We were just talking about—”
“We need to talk to you,” Sanemi interrupted, his voice sharp. He glanced around the table, noting the curious looks on the faces of the other Hashira. Mitsuri was sitting next to Obanai, her pink and green hair tied in a loose braid, and she gave Sanemi a bright, welcoming smile. Tengen lounged on the opposite side of the table, his flashy headband glinting in the fading sunlight. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were also there, the younger slayers having been invited to join the Hashira for dinner.
Rengoku blinked at the interruption but didn’t seem fazed. “Of course, of course! What’s on your mind, Shinazugawa?”
Sanemi took a deep breath, his hands clenched at his sides. Giyuu stood beside him, silent but present, as if offering some form of quiet support. Sanemi hated how he suddenly felt so exposed, like all the air had been sucked out of the courtyard, and now everyone was just waiting for him to say something.
“I—” Sanemi’s voice caught in his throat, and he cleared it, forcing the words out before he could second-guess himself again. “We’re getting married.”
The silence that followed was immediate and deafening.
Every single person at the table seemed to freeze. Rengoku’s smile faltered for the first time in what must have been years. Mitsuri’s fork, halfway to her mouth, hovered in the air as if she couldn’t process what she’d just heard. Tengen’s grin slowly widened in a way that Sanemi did not like, while Obanai raised an eyebrow in what could only be described as disbelief.
Tanjiro, bless him, was the first to speak. “Wait… what?”
Sanemi’s eye twitched. “I said, we’re getting married. Me and Tomioka.”
Tanjiro blinked, his brow furrowing as he processed the information. “You and Tomioka? As in, the two of you?”
“Yes, us, ” Sanemi snapped, his patience wearing thin. He could already feel the beginnings of a headache forming behind his temples. “Do I need to spell it out for you?”
Tanjiro shook his head quickly, his eyes wide with surprise. “No, no, I just… wow, congratulations!”
That seemed to break the spell, because suddenly, the entire table erupted into noise.
“WHAT?!” Zenitsu practically screamed, nearly falling over in his seat. “Sanemi and Giyuu? Married?! How did that happen?!”
“You’re getting married?!” Mitsuri gasped, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She clasped her hands together in delight, practically bouncing in her seat. “That’s amazing! Oh, I’m so happy for you both!”
Tengen, on the other hand, looked like he was trying—and failing—not to burst out laughing. “ You two? Married?” He leaned back, his arms crossed over his chest, clearly amused. “Well, this is going to be interesting.”
Sanemi’s eye twitched again, and he clenched his fists, resisting the urge to punch something—or someone. “Shut it, Uzui.”
“Don’t be like that,” Tengen replied, grinning. “It’s just, I never imagined you of all people settling down. And with Tomioka, no less! You’re not exactly… compatible.”
“I’ll show you compatible, ” Sanemi muttered under his breath, but Giyuu gently placed a hand on his arm, a silent reminder to stay calm.
“I’m happy for you,” Rengoku said, his voice warm and genuine as he broke through the noise. His earlier shock had melted into his usual bright smile, and he gave them both an approving nod. “A marriage between comrades is a wonderful thing. I wish you both all the best!”
Mitsuri nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! This is so exciting! I can’t wait to help with the wedding preparations! Oh, there’s so much to do—flowers, the venue, the outfits—oh, it’s going to be so much fun! ”
Sanemi felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck. “Wait, help ? Who said anything about needing help?”
“Of course we’re going to help!” Mitsuri insisted, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement. “This is a big deal! You can’t do it all on your own.”
Tengen nodded sagely. “She’s right. A wedding is no small task. You’ll need our assistance to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“ Smoothly? ” Sanemi repeated, his voice rising an octave. “Do you honestly think anything involving the lot of you is going to go ‘smoothly’?”
Tengen just grinned. “Of course. We’re all very capable.”
“I’m going to die,” Sanemi muttered under his breath. He turned to Giyuu, his eyes pleading for backup, but Giyuu was still standing there with his usual neutral expression, as if he wasn’t fazed by the chaos unfolding around them.
“Congratulations, Shinazugawa,” Obanai said dryly, clearly unimpressed with the spectacle. “And you too, Tomioka. I guess.”
“Thanks,” Giyuu said quietly, though it was so soft that only Sanemi seemed to hear it.
Meanwhile, Inosuke was staring between Sanemi and Giyuu, his eyes wide with confusion. “Wait. You’re getting married?” he asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Giyuu. “To him? ”
“Yes,” Giyuu replied simply.
Inosuke frowned, clearly trying to process the information. “But… why?”
Sanemi’s patience finally snapped. “Why does it matter, you damn boar?!”
Inosuke just shrugged, unbothered by Sanemi’s outburst. “I don’t get it. You guys don’t even like each other.”
Sanemi opened his mouth to retort, but he froze, realizing that, well, Inosuke wasn’t entirely wrong. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he and Giyuu had… a complicated relationship. They fought. A lot. They bickered constantly, got on each other’s nerves, and had completely different personalities. But somehow, despite all of that—or maybe because of it—they had found themselves here. Together.
“We make it work,” Sanemi muttered, his voice quieter now.
Giyuu, standing beside him, gave a small nod of agreement. “Yes.”
Inosuke still looked confused, but he didn’t press further. Zenitsu, however, had recovered from his initial shock and was now eyeing them both suspiciously. “Wait a second… how long have you two even been dating? ”
Sanemi stiffened. “That’s none of your business, idiot.”
“But seriously,” Zenitsu continued, undeterred. “You guys don’t exactly scream ‘happy couple.’ I mean, I’ve never seen either of you hold hands, or even look like you’re dating. How did this even happen?”
Sanemi growled, his fists clenching at his sides. “Do you want me to break your nose?”
“Guys, let’s calm down,” Tanjiro interjected quickly, his voice full of his usual optimism. “It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been together. What’s important is that they’re happy! Right?”
“Right,” Giyuu said quietly, though his eyes flicked toward Sanemi for a moment, almost as if seeking confirmation.
Sanemi let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. This was turning into even more of a headache than he’d expected. “Look,” he said, his voice gruff but more controlled now, “we don’t owe you an explanation. We’re getting married. That’s all you need to know.”
Mitsuri beamed. “And we’re going to help you plan the most beautiful wedding ever!”
Sanemi’s eye twitched. He had a feeling this was only the beginning of what was sure to be a long, painful process.
Later that evening, after the initial chaos had subsided, Sanemi and Giyuu found themselves sitting on the edge of the courtyard, away from the others. The sky had grown darker, the stars beginning to twinkle faintly above them. A cool breeze rustled through the trees, and for a moment, there was a peaceful silence between them.
Sanemi exhaled slowly, running a hand over his face. “That was a disaster.”
Giyuu didn’t disagree. “It could have been worse.”
“Could it?” Sanemi shot him a look. “Because I’m pretty sure Mitsuri’s already planning our entire wedding. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s picking out flowers as we speak.”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” Giyuu said quietly.
Sanemi raised an eyebrow. “What, you want them all meddling in our business?”
“No,” Giyuu replied, his voice soft but steady. “But they care. And it’s… nice.”
Sanemi huffed, though he didn’t argue. He knew Giyuu was right, even if he hated to admit it. Their friends might be annoying, overbearing, and prone to causing chaos, but they did care. That much was obvious.
“Yeah, well,” Sanemi muttered, “as long as they don’t go overboard.”
Giyuu gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “I’m sure they won’t.”
Sanemi glanced at him, his expression softening just a fraction. Despite everything—the bickering, the chaos, the madness of it all—he was grateful that Giyuu was here, by his side. They might not have been the most conventional couple, but they made it work. And in the end, that was all that mattered.
“Yeah,” Sanemi said quietly, his voice rough but sincere.
For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, side by side, watching the stars above.
This might not have been how Sanemi envisioned things going, but as he glanced at Giyuu, he realized that maybe—just maybe—everything would turn out okay after all.