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Most things Senjuro does, he does with his older brother in mind. He keeps the house clean so Kyojuro doesn’t have any obligation to help with chores. He keeps the fridge stocked so he can prepare a warm, welcome back meal with Kyojuro’s favorite foods. He learns how to treat minor injuries in case the other returns without stopping at the Butterfly Mansion first. Senjuro even occasionally practices the breathing and sword techniques he was taught, regardless of his lack of swordsmanship, so as not to waste his brother’s efforts. It may come into use one day, he reminds himself.
Pillars are busy, Senjuro knows—he knows from the letters Kyojuro writes to him, and from the scarce visits. That’s why he doesn’t want his brother to have more things to worry about, and is willing to fill in for his father. That’s also why when he hears that Kyojuro will be staying home for a few weeks to recover from injuries he obtained during one of his missions, Senjuro can’t help but feel excited.
Of course, while he wishes it was under better circumstances, a selfish part of him is glad that he’s finally taking some time off. Nonetheless, he’s always happy to see his brother. Days tend to blur together without him; Senjuro has a fixed routine he rarely breaks. In a way, it keeps him sane.
Despite everything their father said about him, Kyojuro’s the strongest and the most incredible swordsman Senjuro knows. Not once has he failed during a mission, nor has he failed as a hashira. The Breath of Flames doesn’t have to amount to the first breath his father agonizes over—it saves countless lives, purges evil, and therefore, is worth something. Senjuro may not be able to use breaths, but as long as he’s useful, he thinks he’ll be worth something, too.
Senjuro is greeted by Kyojuro’s crow before he sees him. It lands on his shoulder expectantly, and it’s second nature to pull out a handful of its favorite nuts. It brushes against his cheek and coos appreciatively.
Kyojuro appears moments later, his arm wrapped in a cast and likely adorning several other bandages hidden beneath layers of clothing. His brother wears a fond look as he watches the exchange between his crow and Senjuro, and in turn, Senjuro drinks in the sight of his brother, feeling the familiar wave of relief that he’s alive, breathing, and safe.
As if reading his mind, Kyojuro smiles something brilliant. “I’m home!”
Senjuro rushes to his brother’s side, ignoring the crow’s surprised squawk, and embraces him, mindful of his injuries. Kyojuro’s uninjured hand falls over his back as he lowers himself to Senjuro’s level. It feels like coming home.
“Welcome back, aniue!”
Kyojuro’s a bit of a weird person, by other people’s standards. Of course, Senjuro doesn’t think so, it’s just how his brother is and he loves him for it, but nearly two weeks go by and he begins to take note of a few things.
Senjuro knows he takes it upon himself to make sure the house is spotless to give Kyojuro as little work as possible when he’s supposed to be resting. Still, he has to wonder how his older brother became to be such an untidy person as he eyes the ever-increasing pile of letters on Kyojuro’s desk.
That in itself isn’t strange. A wave always comes in when Kyojuro takes some time off. Kyojuro’s a well-liked pillar, after all, there’s sure to be plenty of people worried about him and wishing him a quick recovery. It’s honestly amazing how quickly the Kasugai crows can deliver messages—Senjuro makes sure to spoil Kyojuro’s crow rotten because frankly, it deserves it.
What’s strange is his brother’s reaction to cleaning up.
“Doesn’t it get messy?” Senjuro asks. “I can take care of it for you if you’d like.”
“Ah, no need!” Kyojuro assures him a little too quickly. “I don’t want to lose these—though maybe you’re right. I should store them somewhere safe.”
That piques his curiosity. “Who are they from?”
“Oyakata-sama, the pillars, other corps members I’ve worked with, you know,” Kyojuro smiles unwaveringly. “Nobody else.”
His brother has never been a good liar.
As Kyojuro promised, the next morning, his desk is clear save for a few select that have been rolled up neatly, the paper slightly wrinkled and worn-out from being reread several times. Senjuro isn’t the type to go through others’ things without them knowing, especially not his brother’s, but it’s tempting. Maybe they’re from Mitsuri or Tanjiro.
When he asks Kyojuro’s crow about it, though, it doesn't answer. It only waits patiently to be fed, and after Senjuro complies, it flies off to deliver another letter shortly after bringing one back.
And that’s another thing: more than once, Senjuro has spotted Kyojuro staying up well into the night to write. Normally, after he replies to everyone’s get-well wishes, they stop altogether until he returns back to work. He never writes around Senjuro, either. It takes a while for Senjuro to realize that they’re all coming from—and are specifically for—one person.
Senjuro can’t help but rack through the possibilities on who it is, who it could and might be. A few, in particular, make his face turn a shade of red, and at this point, he’s too embarrassed to confront his brother on it.
He knows he’s making it a bigger deal than it really is, but can anyone blame him? Pillars are busy. Senjuro often wonders if they have time to meet new people, get to know someone and maybe consider creating something more (Mitsuri laments on wanting to get married quite often, but there’s never a good opportunity to think about getting a spouse). Plus, it’s his aniue.
There’s also the fact that Kyojuro’s keeping it from him. It’s not like he has to tell Senjuro everything, Senjuro doesn’t expect him to, but Kyojuro never actively hides anything, either.
Senjuro hates to admit it, but it’s conflicting.
Kyojuro’s sitting on the porch, his gaze directed upwards to the sky, most likely waiting for his crow to return. Senjuro stands in the kitchen, a tray of snacks ready, but hesitates. He isn’t sure why, but he decides to wait and watch his older brother for a moment.
It only takes a minute for Kyojuro’s crow to arrive with the letter in tow. Senjuro doesn’t miss the way his brother brightens and wastes no time once he confirms it’s from the person. To an untrained eye, Kyojuro’s expression gives away nothing, smiles fixed in place and eyes seemingly looking at everything and nothing—but Senjuro sees it all.
Kyojuro presses his forehead into the paper after he finishes, unmoving. If Senjuro looks close enough, he can see the redness of his brother’s ears.
Any doubts he has melt away in an instant. He can’t help but smile as he approaches. “Aniue.”
Kyojuro jolts in place, quickly rolling the letter and tucking it into his haori. “Senjuro! I didn’t hear you coming!”
“Are you feeling okay? Your face looks a bit red.”
“I’m fine!” Kyojuro says too loudly to convince anyone. “What do you have there? It smells delicious!”
“Sweet potatoes,” Senjuro laughs, easily accepting the change of subject. “Eat as much as you’d like.”
Yeah, this is okay. This is a new side of his brother that he’s never seen before, and Senjuro knows Kyojuro will tell him when he’s ready. All long as his big brother is happy, that’s all Senjuro needs to know.
Once every month, Mitsuri meets with Iguro for lunch. It was his idea after she tells him how lonely she’s been since becoming a pillar, and how she wishes there were more chances to spend time with everyone. It’s a wonderful arrangement, and she’s grateful that Iguro’s willing to do something so kind for her—he’s just so lovely!
Unfortunately, there are times when their schedules don’t allow them to meet. Mitsuri tries not to let herself feel down too much; Iguro promised her in his letter that they’ll make up for it like they always do, whether that be meeting two times instead of one or spending the rest of the day together walking through town. That makes her happy.
Still, now she has all this time on her hands and was really looking forward to their meeting this week—so she extends the invitation to Rengoku and prays he accepts.
Much to her joy, he does.
They meet up at a small, hole-in-the-wall cuisine of her choice. He’s already there when she arrives, easy to spot and waiting patiently. Rengoku is as diligent as always!
“Rengoku-saaan!” Mitsuri calls out for him, waving. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Likewise!” Rengoku beams. Oh, it’s been so long since she last saw him, it’s a relief to know he’s been doing well. She can’t help but squeeze tightly when they hug, momentarily forgetting about his injuries until he pats her back, laughing when she stammers out apology after apology.
They sit at a booth side by side and immediately begin to order a heap of food, leaving the waiter dumbfounded. Most restaurant owners already know what to expect when Misturi walks through the door since she and Iguro have been to each place at least once and word spreads quite fast. Iguro’s stomach isn’t as nearly as big as hers though, and while she eats with Rengoku every so often, nobody is prepared for the both of them combined.
It used to make her embarrassed, but Iguro has never judged her once! He’s such a sweet person, Mitsuri often wonders why people are scared of him.
“I come here a lot with Iguro-san,” Mitsuri tells him when Rengoku asks if the food is good. “It’s delicious! They have really good tempura, I think you’ll like it a lot.”
“Sounds like you two spend a lot of time together!” Rengoku chirps. “Is he treating you well?”
Mitsuri feels a blush form on her cheeks, and she nods enthusiastically. She cups her cheeks as she gushes, “Mhm! He’s always looking out for me, ahh, it makes me feel all warm inside! Kaburamaru’s really nice to me, too. I used to think snakes were kind of scary, but he’s truly adorable.”
“That’s good to hear!” Rengoku says. “If you have any trouble or concerns, let me know! I’ll take care of them for you right away!”
(Kanroji Mitsuri may be the Love Pillar, but she’s more or less oblivious to the threat underlying Rengoku’s tone.)
“Eh? Why would I need to?” Mitsuri laughs, albeit confused she appreciates the offer. “Oh! Rengoku-san, I should invite you again next time! I want to ask Shinobu-chan, but she’s always so busy.”
The first set of bowls arrive minutes later, the waiter assuring them that more is on the way. They exchange bits of conversation between bites—how Rengoku’s recovery is going, if Senjuro is doing okay, the most recent demon Mitsuri killed (it had told her it fell in love with her and she was so surprised that if it weren’t for muscle memory, she would’ve dropped her sword), Rengoku proclaiming “ tasty! ” every other time he swallows and Mitsuri echoing happily—and Mitsuri can’t stop smiling.
The last she saw Rengoku, he was heavily injured and therefore had to take some time off. It’s expected that her fellow pillars are bound to get hurt, but it still comes as a surprise. It makes her heart ache, but seeing him laughing and smiling is comforting. It’s good to know that Rengoku’s spirit hasn’t changed. She misses him a lot.
Something about him seems slightly different, too. If she wasn’t looking closely, she might’ve not noticed at all. It’s not a bad difference, he’s the same Rengoku he’s always been, but it’s something. Mitsuri can’t place a finger on it. She wonders why that is. Did something good happen? It really has been too long, she’s out of the loop!
There’s a tower of empty bowls and plates pushed to the side when Rengoku’s crow arrives, carrying a letter. Rengoku scratches its chin as thanks and it flies off.
“Who is it from?” Mitsuri asks as Rengoku reads. She leans over curiously, managing to catch only a few words:
I saw a flower today. It reminded me of you. I’ll give it to you next time; I bet it’ll blend right in with your head.
“Flowers, how cute!” Mitsuri offhandedly comments through a mouthful of rice, smiling. “I suppose there are a lot of red and orange flowers that are similar to your hair, right, Rengoku-san? That’s so sweet of them to think about you.”
When Rengoku doesn’t respond right away, she looks up. What she sees makes all of her thoughts screech to a halt.
“Rengoku-san…” She begins, excitement bleeding into her voice. She knows she’s jumping to conclusions, but she can hardly think about that when her former master’s face is steadily turning into a slight shade of red. “Did you, perhaps, meet someone?”
Instead of answering, Rengoku slams his share of the bill onto the table and stands up, causing several people around them (and Mitsuri) to jump. “Thank you for inviting me to lunch, Kanroji! I will be taking my leave now!”
“Wh—Wait!” Mitsuri laughs, scrambling to pay her share and run after him. Since when did Rengoku walk so fast? “You don’t have to be embarrassed! I think it’s wonderful!”
“You’re right! Flowers are indeed wonderful!”
“Yes, but you know that isn’t what I’m talking about!”
“The letter isn’t anything of importance, so there’s nothing to talk about!”
Oh, Mitsuri isn’t so sure about that.
The Butterfly Mansion has become akin to a second home for Tanjiro. He ends up here often enough that it feels appropriate to say that. It makes him feel human, a warm break in between demon slaying and edging the bridge between life and death. He never feels as if he’s overstaying his welcome, and always leaves as a stronger version of himself. The Butterfly Mansion is a treasured place, and he’s sure Inosuke, Zenitsu, and several other corps members feel the same way.
This time, however, he isn’t visiting because he needs to. He just caught word that Rengoku’s having his final check-up with Shinobu, and Tanjiro’s hoping to catch the Flame Pillar before he has to leave for his next mission. Since the Mugen Train incident, he can’t help but worry, even though Rengoku is leagues more capable than he is.
The Butterfly Mansion smells like a mixture of herbs and warm food when he arrives. It makes him instinctively relax. Tanjiro briefly wonders if he’ll get to see Kanao, when three voices call out his name in unison.
“Tanjiro-san!”
“Ah! Sumi-chan! Kiyo-chan! Naho-chan!” Tanjiro smiles brightly as they hurry to greet him. “Do you know where I can find Rengoku-san?”
“Rengoku-sama should be finished with Shinobu-sama shortly,” Sumi tells him, “I’m sure it’ll only be a few minutes!”
So he doesn’t have to wait long. He internally recites the things he wants to say. Tanjiro nods to her in thanks.
Naho tugs on the sleeve of his haori. “Tanjiro-san, did you hear about Rengoku-sama’s secret relationship?”
Tanjiro’s mind promptly blanks at that. “Eh?”
“We heard it from the Love Pillar,” Kiyo explains, “though, she told us not to tell anyone.”
“Then we shouldn’t be discussing it out in the open like this!” Tanjiro exclaims, mortified and a little flustered. He frantically looks up and down the hallway, praying Rengoku doesn’t just so happen to be around the corner.
He’d smell him for sure if he was, but Tanjiro prays anyway.
“But we want to know!” They whine.
Tanjiro hesitates. He kind of wants to know, too.
Still, things like that are usually kept private (unless you’re Zenitsu). He shouldn’t intrude on other people’s private lives
“It’s not any of our business,” Tanjiro says firmly. “If Rengoku-san doesn’t want people knowing, then we should respect that.”
The three shuffle among themselves as if embarrassed and mumble in agreement. Sumi directs him to Shinobu’s office, where Rengoku most likely is. Tanjiro thanks her, and as he makes his way down the hallway, his thoughts begin to wander.
Surely, it’s normal for pillars to date? Uzui has three wives. He knows Iguro and Kanroji like each other if the Snake Pillar’s attitude towards him wasn’t convincing enough along with his scent. Not to mention most of them are adults, and probably a lot better at managing their time. Tanjiro can only wish—between missions and training, the only times he’s able to relax is when he’s too injured to fight. Even then, he’s always rushing to get better since he can’t afford to stay in bed for too long. Hashiras don’t get taken out of commission as often as he does, so he supposes they do have a bit of leeway.
Shinobu’s office is empty when Tanjiro arrives. Fortunately, Rengoku’s scent is still fresh, and he’s easily able to follow it out into the courtyard, where the pillar stands observing the butterflies. Much to Tanjiro’s relief, the other looks good as new.
“Young Kamado!” Rengoku greets when Tanjiro steps outside. “Are you here to see Kocho as well?”
“Ah, no, actually,” Tanjiro says, “I’m here to see you. I heard about your injury.”
“Is that so?” Rengoku laughs. “You can rest easy now! As a hashira, I shouldn’t be making my juniors worry, so I apologize for that.”
Before Tanjiro can refute, Rengoku’s crow appears and lands on his shoulder. “West!” It says, “He’s waiting for you west!”
Tanjiro tilts his head at the wording. “Someone’s waiting?”
“Yes! I am meeting up with an acquaintance of mine,” Rengoku tells him excitedly, taking Tanjiro by slight surprise. “We’re both very busy, so it’s been a while!”
Despite himself, Naho’s words immediately pop into mind. He flushes. “I—I see.”
Almost guilty, Tanjiro averts his gaze from Rengoku’s face. Instead, a slight glint catches his attention, and he notices that Rengoku’s crow now wears pink, beaded bracelets around each foot. He knows some kasugai crows like to wear accessories related to their masters, but nothing about it screams Rengoku or fire . Something about it is strikingly familiar, though. Tanjiro can’t recall where he’s seen it before.
Rengoku seems to notice his staring, and strokes the animal’s neck with a fond smile on his face. “The bracelets were a gift from said acquaintance since my crow’s been working diligently to deliver our messages. He took a liking to them, I suppose.”
“West!” It caws.
At that moment, Tanjiro realizes that Rengoku carries a certain scent. It smells flowery, similar to the smell that Zenitsu has whenever Nezuko is around. It smells like—
“Love…” he whispers.
“Hm? What was that?”
“Rengoku-san,” Tanjiro says instead of answering, “I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but I heard that you were seeing someone romantically. I feel I shouldn’t keep this information from you.”
Rengoku stills, like he is contemplating something, then smiles. “I see. Thank you for telling me, young Kamado!”
He doesn’t confirm or deny anything. Just acceptance.
When Rengoku leaves, Tanjiro hopes that he finds happiness, and whoever he is with, finds it, too.
Kyojuro trails after his crow, reveling in the fresh, crisp air and renewed strength in his limbs. Staying at home for anything longer than a few days makes him restless regardless of how weak his body is. One can only imagine how staying at home for a few weeks felt like for him.
Night comes slowly but falls fairly quickly. He’s led to a discrete area near a cliff, where his crow tells him to wait and takes off. Kyojuro sits on a fallen log, closes his eyes, and breathes.
He can hardly describe the feeling that sits in his chest. It makes him jittery with anticipation, the only reason why he’s able to sit still right now is because of the breathing technique etched into his body. However, anyone keen enough would be able to notice the nervousness that comes off him in waves. It reminds him of when he first began these secret meetings.
Barely any time passes before there’s a familiar yet dangerous presence behind him. Kyojuro doesn’t have to turn around to know who it is—it is the very person who's been plaguing his thoughts, after all.
Anyone else would’ve reached for their sword or fled in the other direction. Maybe they would rather take their chances and jump off the cliff. Kyojuro does none of these things, for he can’t remember the last time his first instinct was to draw his blade or get into a fighting stance. What his fellow pillars would say, he pointedly does not think about.
Instead, he opens his eyes. “Akaza.”
“Kyojuro!” Instantly, arms fall over his shoulders and Akaza rubs their cheeks together, similar to how a cat would. The thought makes Kyojuro laugh. “You made me wait forever. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought you went up and died on me.”
“Nonsense. If you don’t end up killing me, then I doubt anything else will.”
Akaza laughs, his hands slipping away as he takes a seat. They settle side by side, arms barely brushing. The slight contact makes his skin tingle. Every time Akaza touches him, Kyojuro’s reminded of how touch starved he is.
They fall into a familiar routine of exchanging stories of what happened during their time apart. Kyojuro drinks in the sight of the demon before him, taking in the way his eyelashes flutter when he blinks. Akaza’s just as expressive as his hands are, which moves in broad gestures as he speaks. It’s endearing to watch; almost just as mesmerizing as his martial arts technique, which has been fine-tuned to its utmost potential.
Just a handful of months ago, Kyojuro never would've imagined himself sitting casually with an Upper Moon and having a chat. Now, he can’t imagine his life without it.
“Apparently, I haven’t been as discreet as I thought about our messages to each other,” Kyojuro tells him, “as some come to believe that I am romantically involved with someone.”
“Oh?” Akaza leans in, eyes glimmering. “Are the rumors true, Rengoku-san ?”
“Of course not. I’m better than that.”
Akaza throws his head back and laughs again. “Hurt! I’m hurt, Kyojuro. Even after I brought you flowers, too.”
Kyojuro straightens as he briefly recalls the letter he received while he was out at lunch with Kanroji. “You brought them?”
Akaza nods, and seemingly pulls out a flower from his vest. As previously stated, it looks nearly identical to Kyojuro’s hair, like sunlight that’s been dipped in red. “I would have prepared a bouquet for you, but it would’ve gotten destroyed on the way here,” Akaza says almost regretfully. “I really wanted to give you something nice, too.”
“This is nice,” Kyojuro insists. It’s the truth: the flower is beautiful. He’s never seen anything like it before. He wonders how far Akaza had to travel in Japan to find this. “Thank you. I just wish I brought a book with me so I could preserve it.”
“Or, you could just,” Akaza gently inserts the flower into his hair and nestles it behind his ear so it stays in place, “wear it, like this.”
For a moment, Kyojuro’s stunned. He feels Akaza’s cool fingers against his cheek and the weight of the flower in his hair, and he feels seconds away from bursting.
Akaza sits back with a satisfied smile on his face as he observes his work. “Just as I thought. It blends right in.”
“You’re ridiculous,” is all Kyojuro can say before he grabs the back of Akaza’s neck and pulls him into a kiss.
He likes to tease Akaza about being clingy, but the reality is, Kyojuro is just as guilty. The past few weeks have been absolute torture, not because he was stuck in his room, but because he missed Akaza so desperately he wasn’t even aware he could miss someone to that degree. He missed his mother when she passed, but after the grief came acceptance; he missed the person his father used to be, but he still believes that one day he’ll find himself again. It’s different to long for someone you already have. Kyojuro thinks that if Akaza were with him for that duration of time, healing would’ve been much easier.
At least, it seems that Akaza missed him just as much if the way he kisses back is any indication to go by.
“Next time you leave for that long, I’m gonna come for you,” Akaza says when they separate. “I don’t care if you’re surrounded by pillars. I’d gladly fight them all.”
Kyojuro can’t fight back a smile. “You will do no such thing.”
“Just try me.”
Before Kyojuro can respond to that, Akaza pulls him into another kiss. Kyojuro gives in.
Akaza leaves before dawn breaks, claiming that he still has to report to Muzan, leaving Kyojuro with the phantom feeling of someone next to him. He remains in that spot until sunlight bleeds through the mountains, wishing that one day, Akaza will be able to stay and watch the sunrise with him.