Work Text:
It had been a few months now, which meant Tomioka was back on schedule for updating season two of his shockingly popular webtoon, The Blade of Sabito . Sanemi was a little less than impatient when it came to Tomioka’s work ethics, which involved a lot of long hours sitting over his tablet, skipping meals on accident and eating his fill all at once when he finally came out of his concentration bubble. Sanemi was impatient to the point that he texted Tomioka every hour with friendly reminders like “Water and stretch before I fucking stretch your bones backwards, stupid ass” and “Snack time, ponytail fucker or bakery nerd said you’re banned.”
Tomioka was just as awkward as ever with text conversations, so he always kept to drawing a crude stick figure version of himself completing the task and a simple caption saying “Doing it.” Sanemi never seemed to find the drawings as entertaining as Tanjiro did, but alongside the silly stick figure, Tomioka took the text reminders seriously, eventually getting into the habit of actually taking breaks and remembering to listen to what his body needed. The “doing it”’s became “I know”’s, shortly evolving further into “Already done.”
The work he was doing now was only to stay far enough ahead to have a cushion just in case anything happened to him, like catching a cold or having a blanket burrito type of day--he just wanted to make sure he had plenty of material to post in advance in case he needed to take a couple of days off. He learned the hard way that creating the chapter from scratch between each update was far more taxing than simply being prepared with multiple chapters ready for publishing.
And it wasn’t like he was forgetting his social life (now that he had one). Aside from texting Sanemi and Tanjiro often, them along with Genya enjoyed visiting him randomly and using his quieter home as refuge. Shinobu interrogated them with kindness to determine if they were truly Tomioka’s friends, while Tengen easily adopted the younger Genya and Tanjiro and joked around with Sanemi even though there wasn’t a clear reciprocation.
However, Tomioka hadn’t actually left his house in a couple weeks and finding himself far enough ahead for now, he made his way to Kamado . He didn’t see any of the rowdy bunch inside; it was just Sanemi in the usual booth, glaring at the wall like there was a fly insulting him. Tanjiro’s smile lifted when Tomioka came through the door, ordering a croissant and sitting right beside his boyfriend.
“I’m alive.”
“Fucking duh ,” Sanemi rolled his gaze away from the wall and settled on Tomioka. “Stupid ass, can’t even take care of yourself.”
Truthfully, Tomioka was in the habit of taking care of himself more often, but he always felt warmer when Sanemi worried about him, caring about him even though Sanemi pretended he didn’t care that much. “I try.”
Sanemi just said something about what a lie it was, and Tomioka ignored the comment for his croissant. It was still slightly warm and extra flaky, crumbling not only on his plate, but on his shirt. It didn’t bother him, always cleaning himself up after eating, but Sanemi took issue with it. “Are you a fucking child?” He unfolded a napkin and folded an edge of it into Tomioka’s shirt collar. “No, you’re an idiot because even my kid brothers eat cleaner than you.”
“Crumbs are crumbs,” he shrugged, continuing to eat.
Sanemi was suspiciously staring at him, ignoring his own hot drink that was likely lukewarm by now, expression still just as seemingly stern and chiding. Tomioka swallowed his bite, matching the stare. “Do you want another eating contest?”
“The hell?! Why…” Sanemi quietly growled more to himself. “Just so fucking messy…”
Tomioka didn’t know what was wrong with that, but then Sanemi grabbed his chin and it wasn’t about the mess at all. At first it was just a small, innocent warmth at the corner of his lips, and the warmth fully covered his own, Sanemi both confident and unsure at the same time in his kiss. It didn’t last long at all, with Sanemi sitting proper and avoiding Tomioka’s face at all costs.
His cheeks felt like they were blooming, his heart bursting to life as if he had only been viewing the world in muted shades until this moment, and his hands briefly clenched and unclenched against his thighs before he found his eager calm, turning towards Sanemi and pointing at his own lips. “Again.”
Sanemi looked at him with wider eyes. “ What ?”
Tomioka gestured to Sanemi’s lips instead. “That thing. Again.”
“You just had crumbs, okay?! Don’t make it fucking weird.”
Tomioka pressed his finger to his plate, croissant crumbs sticking to his skin before he purposely placed them on his lips. “Oops, there’s more crumbs.”
Sanemi leaned away. “Who the fuck says shit like that without emotion?” He glanced everywhere around Tomioka, hand fisted atop the table. “...you’re a fucking embarassment.” With great hesitance, he held Tomioka’s chin again, closing the distance between them, the kiss soft enough to make his nerves tingle and he couldn’t help but wrap his hand around Sanemi’s wrist. Tomioka ignored how his skin was becoming hotter and held himself back from making the moment more intense because they were still in a public space.
Sanemi pulled away as slow as possible, the buzz of his lips lingering far longer than the kiss did. Tomioka watched his blank expression with large, satisfied and curious eyes. Tomioka kind of thought Sanemi was the best boyfriend for him.
Sanemi gently knocked his head against Tomioka’s. It didn’t hurt in the least, but he still rubbed at his own forehead on instinct. “Stop being stupid and fucking eat the rest of your croissant.”
Tomioka glanced at his plate, feeling the tiniest smile tug at his lips.
Tanjiro hollered and made incoherent sounds of congratulations, obviously witnessing the entire event no matter how hard Sanemi had tried to angle it so no one else could see. “I will fucking bake you in your own oven and give your toasted, buttered corpse to Genya!!”
“Can you make me into a cookie instead?”
Tomioka turned to give Tanjiro a thumbs up. “Nice choice.”
“Okay, I’m fucking done here.” Sanemi stole the last couple bites of Tomioka’s croissant and forced him off the bench seat. “Let’s go, ponytail fucker.” Sanemi grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the door.
“Bye, Tanjiro. See you next time,” he called back.
“Bye bye, Tomioka-san! Text me later!!”
“He’s blocking your number,” Sanemi yelled as they exited the bakery.
“You’re a good boyfriend,” Tomioka confessed with a straight face.
Sanemi faltered in his steps, gripping his wrist just a little tighter, staring at the sidewalk. “Why’re you so weird? Let’s get to the bus stop without cheesy, disgusting crap like that.”
“Why the bus stop? My house is just a walk away.”
Sanemi angled his gaze towards Tomioka, eyes terrifyingly wide and mouth down in a near irritated pout. Tomioka knew he wasn’t angry, though. It was more likely that the kiss affected him, too, and he didn’t know what to do with those emotions. “ My house isn’t. Mom keeps trying to invite you for dinner again.”
“Sleep over?”
Sanemi’s muscles and expression relaxed, but his gaze was still devouring Tomioka. “You want to deal with those obnoxious kids for a whole night?”
“Sure, I’ve been around worse children.” He recalled his brief time in customer service jobs and paled. In comparison, the Shinazugawa siblings were better than even most adults. They showed patience and kindness, had manners enough to apologize when necessary and seemed to genuinely like Tomioka despite his quiet nature. Or maybe it was because of his quiet nature they liked to be around him. “Then I can sleep in your bed.”
“ Creep ! I never said you could--”
“You don’t have to, Sanemi. I know.” He loosened Sanemi’s hold on his wrist and entwined their fingers instead.
Sanemi was just as clueless seeing their hands folded together, the slightest pink hue peeking under his cheeks. “F-fine...let’s just go...stupid Giyuu…”
Tomioka’s chest burst with satisfaction and comfort, happily following Sanemi to the bus and to his family’s house.
---
Sanemi passed Tomioka off as soon as they stepped into his house. He beelined for his room, slamming the door behind him and pressing his back against the wood, both trying to figure how the fuck to calm down and how he was going to make his room look decent. His laundry was all clean, but unfolded. His bed was relatively spacious, but his blankets were all twisted up and pillows askew in their cases, headphones and charging cords snaking all over the unkempt bedding.
He worked on making his bed clean and appealing since Tomioka was probably going to just slip right under the blankets regardless of if he rejected him. Sanemi had slept on the floor before, it was all going to be fine. He was always collected, never broke down even in the face of his disgusting insult of a father. No matter how hard his fists, he never panicked or cried. When they moved and he had to help his mother believe they could make it on their own, he never once faltered. He didn’t experience nightmares and trauma from his normally stressful childhood.
But Genya had a point before the whole thing with Tomioka sorted itself. Maybe he was fucked up in other ways from it, and that was why, of all the situations and moments he had faced, this was the one that made the word panic enter his vocabulary.
Giyuu Tomioka, someone that made him lower his guard just enough, who was still unpredictable but fiercely attentive and loyal, who spoke with subtle expressions more than with uncomfortable, long-running conversations and monologues. What he said was always memorable, albeit weird and uncomfortable in its own right. And that same Giyuu Tomioka who had been to his house before would soon be in his four-walled sanctuary. Not even his family really entered his room. The most they’d do is knock and open the door to tell him something and close it right back up.
The panic shifted from his mind to his shoulders, coming out as fists against his pillows. He had sleeping habits he had wanted to keep secret into his grave, and habits in general he didn’t like to tell people. Whatever he did, however he behaved, he was used to being judged by outsiders and it made him recoil and keep every personal aspect of himself locked away.
Truly, he didn’t think he’d mind having Tomioka in here, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to trust Tomioka enough with his own habits and comforts.
---
Sanemi was abnormally quiet, observing Tomioka instead of eating his own portion of dinner. To normal people, Tomioka was maybe distant and aloof, extremely unemotional and expressionless. But his eyes narrowed and widened as he interacted with his family, words carrying weight tonal cues never could. He had figured out what each of Sanemi’s siblings liked and silently refilled their plates without prompting, even putting food on his mother’s plate. Tomioka set an ohagi on the edge of Sanemi’s plate, waiting for Sanemi to look at him before fully taking his chopsticks back. He just nodded and carried on as if it meant nothing.
There were times the guy was absolutely street stupid, but he made up for it with his observance and memory. Against him, Sanemi knew he was book and memory stupid, relying on his street smarts this entire time to protect himself and his family.
Genya had an odd look, glancing between them every once in awhile, but didn’t say anything even after dinner was over. The kids were used to doing chores, yet they had even more energy to get them done because Tomioka was helping them clear the table, and washed the dishes while they formed an assembly line of someone who rinsed, one dried, and the rest put them away. Tomioka subtly assisted them in their grammar and history homework, at a complete loss when it came to the math questions, but cheered them on with his eager glances because once homework was done, they could all switch off playing a round of Mario Kart.
Sanemi couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was the most involved Tomioka had been at his house, and he wasn’t even forcing himself to be a part of everything. He just was . And he was absolutely terrible at Mario Kart. Genya thought he was losing on purpose to make their younger siblings happier, but Tomioka was really just that awful--like he had never held a video game control in his life despite having one in his living room.
One by one, everyone felt their energy fade and well before bedtime, which Sanemi’s mother was certainly relieved with. Tomioka was sure to give each child a goodnight, either by a hug or head pat, and just a high-five for Genya. His mom lovingly grabbed both of Tomioka’s wrists, a shining smile coming over her as she professed her gratitude for several minutes, Tomioka helpless to her radiant kindness, only nodding and saying a word or two where it was appropriate.
When she freed him, Tomioka just tidied the living room a little more before meeting Sanemi near the hall. “They’re a lot, right?”
“Your mom said I could move in.”
“Hah?! There’s already too many fucking bodies in this house, what the hell --”
“It’s fun.”
Sanemi remembered that tragically white, non-existent contact list. No family, and only Tanjiro’s and his numbers as friends. Maybe he had never even had a partial family, and now Sanemi’s was large enough to make up for it. Without another comment, Sanemi led him to his room, his chest tightening the closer they got and once inside, he forgot how to breathe regularly.
He had fixed the bed, and shoved his basket of clean, unfolded clothes nearer to his closet and tried to hide most traces of personal taste. Tomioka surveyed the room, taking his time before he moved to sit on the corner of the bed. He pressed his hand into it, too, nodded and stood up.
“It’s a good bed.”
Sanemi had nothing to say to that. He just trailed his gaze after Tomioka, judging how comfortable his desk chair was, picking up his bluetooth speaker. “What do you listen to?”
Sanemi stomped over and stole the speaker from his hands, throwing it into his closet. “I don’t. Who the fuck listens to anything ?” He wanted to slap himself unconscious.
Throwing it was just as regretful because it led Tomioka right to his basket of laundry. “Are these dirty?”
“Why, gonna fucking wash them?”
He was stupid enough to pick up the basket. “Sure, I know where your washer is.”
Sanemi rushed to grab the basket from him. “They’re clean , Giyuu.”
“Okay.” He rescued the speaker from the closet and pulled Sanemi with the basket over to the bed. “I don’t like leaving laundry.”
Tomioka perched next to the basket, lifting a tee, shaking it out once with a loud snap and began to fold it. “...Giyuu, what the hell?”
“Oh, right. I forgot.” He set the perfectly folded shirt down, taking his hair tie out and twisting it into a lazy, messy bun. “Better. You can play music, too, Sanemi.”
Sanemi’s hands were fists at his sides, not sure how to read the situation. It wasn’t like Tomioka was this kind for a purpose, like seeking attention or praise, but it was unnerving how far he could go without reaching a limit, especially with his fucking hair out of the way. Sanemi knew intimately just how sensitive his neck was, but juxtaposed with his frustration at how easy it was for Tomioka just insert himself into his life this deeply, he was just confused. And not just confused.
Sanemi was lost . Was he supposed to stop Tomioka from taking care of his clothes? Was he supposed to just kneel behind him and show him gratitude against his pale, soft skin? Was he just supposed to shove the basket off the bed and hold Tomioka down and devour him in his burning confusion?
“ Why ?”
Tomioka paused his folding to glance back at Sanemi.
“Those are mine . Why the fuck are you taking care of it?”
His gentle gaze never wavered which unsettled Sanemi more. “I said I don’t like leaving laundry alone. You have a thing about my hair and crumbs, and I am the same with clothes. All you have to do is take them away, Sanemi.”
He even gave Sanemi the time, not looking away in case he had messed up. Sanemi fought with himself, mind still screaming in panic while his feet took one heavy step at a time until he was glaring down at Tomioka. He was so used to insulting someone when he was uncomfortable, but Tomioka held his gaze without fear and terror, without worry of anything happening. His guard was completely gone. Sanemi wanted to be intimidating, hold Tomioka and kiss him senseless while pretending it had no meaning for himself, but it was glaringly obvious he was already seen through, well before now.
Sanemi just leaned down, resting his forehead on Tomioka’s shoulder. “I can’t.”
He couldn’t take the clothes away. He couldn’t take advantage of Tomioka’s unconditional trust. He couldn’t stay calm and he couldn’t breathe again. He didn’t think any emotion could equal or overtake how he felt about his family, but even while being labeled Tomioka’s boyfriend, he couldn’t confess in a conventional way because he was already overwhelmed enough just processing the fonder emotions, and would probably die on the spot if he ever said the actual words.
So exactly how the hell was he a “good boyfriend” for Tomioka?
“It’s okay, Sanemi.”
Sanemi shook his head and straightened himself. He ran his hand through his hair, probably looking like a caged, wild animal. He couldn’t even manage to pace back and forth or make his way out the door to seek fresh air. The room was shrinking, lights dimming in the corners of his eyes.
Tomioka stood up and put his hands on Sanemi’s face, pressing just enough to squish his cheeks with his palms and make him focus. “You don’t have to tell me, Sanemi. I know it’s more than just the clothes. It’s okay .”
His voice actually carried inflections and his lips settled into a worried line.
“You’re not a different person just because we’re alone. Call me an idiot or ponytail shithead if it helps.” He took his hands off.
Sanemi still didn’t understand why Tomioka liked him, but he also didn’t understand why he wanted to see Tomioka more than he usually did. Without really thinking deeper, he placed his hand on the back of Tomioka’s head, pulling him in for a very strained, desperate intense kiss, their first one with open lips and clumsy tongues that made his heart race. He lost most of his sense of being when Tomioka reciprocated, a hand threading into his hair, stealing as much breath as he gave back. Sanemi trailed his fingers down to Tomioka’s neck, absently running feather touches over the hot skin. He shivered and moaned into Sanemi’s mouth, clinging to him like he was saving his life.
Sanemi was losing his momentum, risking a heart attack the more he thought about getting naked and touching anymore of Tomioka’s body. He hadn’t even really been ready for this moment, so he wouldn’t survive anything more. As if reading his mind, Tomioka loosened his hold and brought their intimacy to a controlled stop, leaning their foreheads together as he closed his eyes to catch his breath. Sanemi kept his eyes open, the situation finally reaching him as having happened in reality.
He was flustered beyond belief and before Tomioka fully opened his eyes, Sanemi hugged him tight and hid his face in the crook of his neck. Tomioka made a sound that could have been a chuckle, softly combing his fingers through Sanemi’s still crazy hair. “Mmh, you’re a great boyfriend.”
“Shut up and fold my clothes like you wanted.”
“You have to let go of me first.”
Sanemi was opposed to that, but he let Tomioka go and sat behind him on the bed, once again wrapping his arms around his waist and hooking his chin over his shoulder. “You don’t get to tell me when to let go of you.”
“I’d never tell you to let go of me for long.”
“Fuck, how do these things just come out of your mouth?”
“Maybe it’s the influence of your mouth against mine.”
“ Stop right the fuck now or you are crawling home.”
“I’ll text Tanjiro all the details on the way.”
Sanemi slapped his head. “You’re a disgusting traitor.”
“ Your disgusting traitor.”
Sanemi detached himself and laid on the bed where he couldn’t see Tomioka. “Sleep on the floor when you’re done.”
Tomioka seemed proud of himself and amused, folding the laundry with ease. The silence eventually made Sanemi’s ears ring because he was used to playing music, but it was one of those things he wanted to hide. He fiddled with his phone and eyed the speaker tossed to the side until Tomioka made a satisfied sigh with the last piece of clothing folded. “I don’t know where these go.”
Sanemi left his phone to at least put his own clothes in his dresser. He really just hated the folding part. Tomioka sifted through his pajama pants, pulling out a green and yellow plaid pair, moving to stand in front of his closet. He pointed at the items on hangers. “What’s your favorite?”
“I wear the white one mostly…wait, why ?”
Tomioka already had the hoodie over his arm. “I am not sleeping in this. You brought me here without pajamas.”
Sanemi couldn’t get another word in before Tomioka left the room to change in the bathroom. They were about the same size height wise, Sanemi only being an inch or two taller, but their shoulder widths were different, Tomioka’s being narrower. So he came back with the pants falling over the top of his feet but fine in the waist, and the hoodie was almost oversized. The sleeves fully covered his hands while the collar perfectly exposed a sliver of skin. He let his hair down for bed and shuffled closer to Sanemi.
His eyes were grossly shining. “ Warm .”
Sanemi carefully pulled the hood up, and then tugged the strings until his face disappeared. “ Suffocate .” And Sanemi left to change, too. Normally he slept in just his underwear or nothing at all, but he couldn’t do that with Tomioka laying next to him. He slipped into sweatpants and a bigger black tee.
The speaker was sitting on the nightstand and Tomioka had climbed under the blankets, doing something on his phone. “Tell that shithead Tanjiro and I’ll bury you alive myself.”
He showed his screen without hesitation. “It’s Genya. He’s making sure I didn’t break you today.”
“As if I can be broken.”
“I could put you back together.”
He said it like it would be a fun experiment for a Saturday afternoon. “It’s past your bedtime, isn’t it?”
“Not today. I go to bed when you do.”
Seriously, was he a toddler? Sanemi made sure everything else was in order before turning the overhead light off and sitting up in bed. Silence was even worse in the darkness and it wasn’t like he was going to turn his dim nightlight on, and even if he did, he was still missing pillows to hug because he had to share.
Tomioka glanced from the brightness of his phone towards Sanemi staring into the dark expanse of the room. “This isn’t how you normally sleep,” he said like a fact rather than a question. “I am an easy sleeper, please don’t make yourself uncomfortable in your own room.”
“I’m not.”
“If you need a light on, or suck your thumb in your sleep, or snore, I won’t judge. You know I’m not like that.”
Sanemi still pretended he was fine, settling further into bed with his arms crossed over his chest. He stared at the ceiling and no matter how much time passed, Tomioka never locked his phone to sleep because Sanemi was.
He probably knew Sanemi wasn’t sleeping. With a deep inhale and grumbling sigh, Sanemi reached over to power on his speaker and let the music play through it at a low volume. Immediately, he relaxed under the covers, the silence and darkness no longer obvious to his brain. Tomioka plugged his phone into the charger Sanemi set up for him and he slid it under the pillow. He rolled onto his side to face Sanemi. “Enka? It’s nice.”
Sanemi was always prepared to defend his choice of music or pretend like it wasn’t his fault at all, but Tomioka just accepted it as if it wasn’t strange that a young man who looked like a violent delinquent liked the traditional sound of enka singers. For once, he was unprepared to tell the reason behind it, but he did it anyway without analyzing why.
“It’s what mom used to listen to. It would have been easier to just get angry and upset at how helpless we were to the abuse, but even while I cleaned and bandaged her up, or made sure she ate after a long day trying to make money in secret, she hummed along to enka records and kept smiling. She could have complained, she could have told us it was time to give up...but she survived, so we did, too.”
Tomioka was silent for awhile, but he eventually sidled closer, laying his head right next to Sanemi’s shoulder. “I think it’s the other way. She survived because of her children. Without you, she would have no reason. You, especially, being there for her and showing you wouldn’t let her give up...maybe she sang along for you, and not herself.”
Sanemi turned his head to stare at Tomioka in the near darkness. “...you’re really a mystery, Tomioka.”
He didn’t tease back with a “ your mystery” or anything equally cringey. He just sighed contently, loosely hugging Sanemi’s arm. “I like you, too, Sanemi.”
Sanemi laid on his side and draped his arm over Tomioka’s waist. He leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss gently to his forehead, guiding his body further into his arms. Tomioka wiggled a bit until he found a more comfortable angle to lay, still burying his head into Sanemi’s chest.
“Will you say it again? My name.”
Sanemi debated rubbing Tomioka’s back or absently petting his hair, but he decided to hell with it and warmed Tomioka’s back. “Let’s sleep... Tomioka .”
He nuzzled and Sanemi swore he was smiling the biggest he ever had, keeping it to himself. It wasn’t long before Tomioka was mostly asleep. Sanemi had his comforting lullabies, and Tomioka was a much better cuddle buddy than his pillows, and he had a fully restless sleep because of it.
---
Tomioka wasn’t ever big on watching movies, content spending his remaining free time reading other webtoons or binging terrible shows online. But Shinobu was passionate about seeing every horror and thriller movie ever made and had a new psychological thriller to review. She almost never extended an invitation, but she had Tomioka tell his friends to join if they liked horror movies, and for some reason they all decided to show up. Even Tengen had taken the night off.
Tanjiro and Genya took over the loveseat, and Tomioka was sitting between Sanemi on the end and Tengen, Shinobu on the other side of Tengen. There was plenty of popcorn and drinks to go around and before the movie started, Sanemi was already sighing. Tomioka turned toward him. “What’s wrong?”
Sanemi tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible, but his low growling kind of countered his sad attempt at whispering. “Do you fucking do this on purpose?”
Tomioka wasn’t sure what he was doing, so there was no way he was doing it on purpose. “I’m only sitting.”
“...only a loser like you gets popcorn stuck.” He brushed his thumb near the corner of Tomioka’s lips before giving him a small kiss. “There, now stop it.”
As if he had full control over where crumbs landed. He nodded anyway, glancing to see Tengen pretend he wasn’t just watching their interaction, and Genya gave him a soft, tiny smile.
Sanemi still didn’t like people to notice that he was fond of Tomioka, but he was always up for making it known Tomioka belonged with him. Tengen was far from a threat, but Sanemi was always marking him with a glare.
They turned their attention back to the television. Tomioka folded his knees up closer to his chest, toes folding snug over the edge of the couch. It also put his popcorn bowl closer to reduce any mess, and he wiped his own mouth often just to be sure. He drifted in and out for actually processing the movie plot, not that it was particularly boring; horror and psychological thrillers never scared him or unnerved him any way. And he was more used to getting plot information in half hour to an hour intervals, whereas in a movie it came in a giant two hour chunk without a good midway point.
He accidentally closed his eyes, lightly falling to the side but not caring to keep sitting up. After a minute, he was violently jerked to the other side, Sanemi’s voice rumbling and crawling up his throat while he narrowed his gaze at Tengen.
Tomioka had leaned against Tengen without realizing or caring. “Sorry,” he mouthed at the taller man and adjusted so he could lay on Sanemi’s shoulder instead. He didn’t close his eyes again, content to stare at their entwined hands together where no one could see.
---
Sanemi mysteriously got dragged into a group activity of going to the fucking fair. He didn’t mind kids when they were his siblings because it meant he could discipline them when their mom was gone, but other children were just wild, crying, complaining, screaming viruses. No matter how hard he tried to actively avoid running into people, it always happened at crowded events, and while he was used to hearing terrified shrieks or being asked if he wanted a black eye, it still annoyed him to the point that he was ready to leave before they even walked into the fair.
It was the only one in the group with a problem. Tengen was basically just frolicking and skipping around with his three girlfriends, and Shinobu’s smile was a hint more genuine when she watched the girls enjoying themselves. It was a given that Genya and Tanjiro were stitched together, arms locked and heads leaning in just asking to be smashed into each other.
“It’s not like they’re in their own fucking bedroom. No one wants to see their lovey nerd shit.”
He was met with absolute silence. Tomioka was quiet, but he always at least hummed or grunted to signal that he was paying attention. He looked to his right, to his left, turned around without catching any clue that he even came with their group in the first place. He growled a sigh and sped walked to the happy, distracted couple.
“Where the fuck did Giyuu go?”
“You lost him already, Aniki? That’s why I said on the way over that you should hold onto him. Like, if I let Tanjiro go, he’ll find something shiny, or literally any kind of food, and wander five miles away and make me call him just to find him again.”
Tanjiro sheepishly chuckled. “It only happened twice....”
Genya sighed and massaged his temple with his fingertips. “ Anyway , I don’t know where he went. Maybe with Uzui-san? Or his girlfriends.”
He clenched his fists, tunnel vision right on the ridiculously tall, broad-shouldered man who had more than enough flare and attention than necessary. “Tengen…”
“S...Sanemi-san? Please don’t fight here. Tomioka-san wouldn’t be happy to see you beating up his roommate.”
He stomped over anyway, finding pleasure in interrupting their sunshine and rainbows conversations. “Where the hell is he, rhinestones?”
“Who?”
“You know who the fuck--frizzy as shit ponytail, barely talks, sits next to you like you’re the fucking best ? He’s stupid, obviously because I’m the best.”
Shinobu covered her mouth with her hand and Tengen openly laughed and waved his hand. “Good old, Tomioka, your boyfriend ! Can’t say I’ve seen him since I walked this way with my own girlfriends , whom I dearly love and adore. I proclaim it to the world every day!”
Even his laugh was extremely flashy and obnoxious. He readied to challenge Tengen, or fight him for mocking him in some way, but Tomioka’s steady voice was directly behind him. “Sanemi, ice cream.”
He really had wandered off to buy a stupid ice cream cone. “What the hell , Giyuu?! Do you just like to piss me off? Have you even been to a fair?”
Tomioka nodded. “One of my first jobs let me in for free.”
Sanemi felt his chest vibrating with the need to roar and yell and make a scene as if he were a parent scolding a child performing a tantrum. But he tightened his fists more, closed his eyes and closed the distance after taking a deep breath. “I’ll say this once , Giyuu. Don’t. Fucking. Wander. Got it?”
“Mmh. Sure.” He had the nerve to extend the ice cream cone towards Sanemi. “But, I got ice cream.”
“Fucking wonderful, Giyuu, I’m glad . Eat it before it melts.” Sanemi glanced away and began turning around to continue walking forward through the fairgrounds.
“No, Sanemi.”
Sanemi was ready to snap, facing Tomioka with his entire being. “ What ?”
“ Our ice cream. You eat, too.” He poised the frozen treat near Sanemi’s mouth, a complete shock that made him freeze, eyes just locked onto the light green hue that indicated it was green tea flavor. The stacked scoops were almost offensive and he had to work backwards to remind himself that this was the kind of thing normal couples did, and while they were far from normal, Tomioka still had an easier time expressing himself like this.
“... fine .” He sucked in a breath and bit off a good chunk of ice cream, swallowing it as quickly as possible, although he didn’t mind the flavor.
Tomioka nodded. “Mm. My turn.” He put the ice cream to his lips, taking the treat away and pointed to his lips. “Ice cream.”
Sanemi could hear varied hushed snorts and whispers. Tomioka was absolutely mad. He was missing some brain cells or perhaps his entire brain. “I get fucking with me at home, but here ?”
“Are you really uncomfortable? Sorry, Sanemi.” He licked the melted green off his lips, which made it approximately a million times worse for Sanemi, watching the tip of his cute pink tongue run along the softness of his lips just so he wouldn’t cause a scene in front of his friends.
But the damage had clearly already been done. Once Tomioka started something as ridiculous as coming up with an excuse to get a kiss, the scene had already happened, regardless of if Tomioka got the desired outcome or not. It wasn’t like Sanemi was opposed to a little bit of intimacy in public, but he hated to be the center of attention unless it was during a challenge and he was being cheered on to victory.
And they were stopped in the middle of a fair, a handful of people behind them that they knew, and crowds of strangers merely walking past them. Despite his issues with admitting emotions and showing affection in a gentle, warm manner, Tomioka was here. He took Sanemi’s swearing insults as normal, never pressuring for physical contact even in their homes, and only sometimes asked for a kiss.
It was just one fucking thing, and a thing Sanemi had done countless times now because it was the only form of affection Tomioka asked for. They had met because of Sanemi’s giant screw-up, but Sanemi was the one who saved his number first and kept answering the call; kept showing up to the bakery; kept wanting to see his face and just know that he was there .
Sanemi messed a hand through his hair, deciding to give in like always. “Fine, but that’s the fucking limit. Just this one.”
Tomioka stared expectantly, dark eyes shining and brimming with renewed fire. Sanemi stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned in for the kiss Tomioka wanted, a feeling between innocent and intense. If he had put his hands anywhere on Tomioka, he would have just dragged him away from all of this, but it would have made him even more transparent to everyone around them.
Tomioka barely hummed in satisfaction before returning to normal. “Good. Now, we have ice cream.”
Shinobu had glanced away from them with clear surprise, the stupid duo gave a thumbs up like usual, and Tengen had a hand on his hip, smiling in a way that was painfully tender and Sanemi finally felt like he wasn’t a threat, but he still wanted to challenge him.
“We’re not one of the attractions, so let’s go !” He yelled to the group, walking ahead holding onto a corner of Tomioka’s shirt so he couldn’t wander away again, and they wordlessly shared the ice cream cone.
It was when they wound their way towards the game booths that Tomioka’s overall presence changed, eyebrows raising less than a centimeter, steps the same pace but his legs stiffer in keeping those steps. They were almost always rigged in some way, reeling players in with colorful objects or giant plushies as prizes. It wasn’t like he was going to ask to try for those prizes, but Sanemi read his want loud and clear. He led them towards one of the booths, a ring toss game with some kind of octopus plush as the bigger prize.
“Don’t spend money on these, Sanemi.”
“I got it, Giyuu. These crapshoots are always scams, but there’s always a way to scam the scammer. And I can’t just fucking say no to a challenge, anyway.”
The rings were varied weights, barely undetectable unless you knew to feel for it. Sanemi quickly assessed how to angle his throw to keep the ring’s balance and land around the target. He had tested fair games for years to win prizes for his siblings when they had the opportunity to go, and the game booths were certainly cheaper than trying to buy those giant stuffed animals on their own--if he could win on the first or second try.
With a perfect score, he won the octopus prize. It was a nice size for Tomioka to carry, but definitely not the biggest prize around. He went to a darts booth, winning some kind of animal hat with the hand pockets, sticking it right on Tomioka’s head. Sanemi would be lying if he said it fully suited him, but he’d also be lying if he said he wasn’t hilariously adorable.
Adorable .
Sanemi coughed to himself and continued on to another booth, and another, and another, winning the most he could. By the end of it, Tomioka was struggling to hold onto five or so large stuffed animals, three of which were honestly bigger than him. Sanemi could only take one off his hands because he still had to make sure he wouldn’t just waddle away with all that giant fluff in his arms, yet it was almost impossible for him to walk.
Genya and Tanjiro were the first to come to the rescue, and Sanemi knew Genya wouldn’t keep the prizes for himself or his bakery boyfriend, so he let them carry one. Tengen easily slipped by on the other side of Tomioka, handing one to his girlfriends to look after and one for himself to carry.
Sanemi glared and threatened him with silence.
“You do remember I live in the same house as Tomioka-san? Besides, why would I want the prizes you won for him? I win my own prizes!”
“It’s fine, Sanemi. They’ll all come home with me. Even if they didn’t, I’ll have the most important one.”
In his arms was the biggest, fluffiest white puppy dog stuffed animal known to mankind. It was almost as tall as Tomioka, width comfortable enough for his arms to lazily wrap around it and carry it without strain.
“Why the fuck is that one most important? Isn’t it the first prize I won?”
Tomioka combed his fingers through the fake fur on the plush head, making it stand up in all directions. “This one looks like you.”
“A dog ? I look like a fake, sparkly eyed disgusting dog ?!”
Tomioka faced him, which meant the dog’s face was staring at him, too. “This dog is so far clean and has solid, fierce eyes. It’s you, Sanemi.”
That was the stupidest thing he had heard, and the most offensive comparison told to his face. It also didn’t help that he was obviously more of a cat guy than a dog guy, but given the right real dog, he’d be content to interact. Most of his time petting stray cats in high school led to at least one or two dogs finding their way to him.
He just let Tomioka be the idiot that he was as they continued through the rest of the fair.
---
Tomioka was in a really good place, having just finished the details on a chapter, making him at least ten or so ahead of the uploaded chapter, which he also smoothly completed. He had plenty to drink and had more of a snack day than a meal day, and it was only late afternoon but he was tired. He thought it would be fine to just lay down on the couch with his dog-Sanemi plush, scrolling his phone to read emails, text Tanjiro, and skim new stories.
However, he was perfectly comfortable, leg over the stuffed dog with his arms loosely hugging it. It had only been a few days since he last saw Sanemi, but he could only picture white, poofy hair when he saw the plushy, and remember how warm the human counterpart was.
His heartbeat. The faint vocals of enka guiding him into a deep sleep. How he always seemed at a loss for Tomioka being a messy eater, yet often ended up with a rice grain or two stuck to his face after eating ohagi. He always wanted Tomioka’s attention, yet never knew how to actually handle it when he got it. This plush couldn’t hold him back, or leave a kiss on his forehead, or say his name, but it was a nice reminder of the one who could, and with his boyfriend on his mind, he closed his eyes and napped.
---
It was sheets day, which meant everyone’s bedding needed to be changed and washed. Sanemi and Genya helped their younger siblings while teaching them tips and tricks for when they’d have to do it alone. They were about halfway done when Sanemi’s phone buzzed in his back pocket.
Once the comforter was tucked in, he looked at the message.
At the many messages. From Tengen.
He at first just clarified that he wasn’t looking to fight, but that he was going into the kitchen for lunch and discovered Tomioka in such a precious position that Sanemi would want to see.
That long, unruly black hair was still in a low ponytail, but his form was koala clinging to that damned giant dog plush. The image shot his chest with anger and fire, wanting to rip apart that dog leg by leg. He had made fun of it before, thinking it was stupid that Tomioka saw it as a form of Sanemi, but now it was far from stupid and made Sanemi want to prove the real thing was still better than any stuffed animal resembling him.
He could feel blood leave his face instead of coloring it and he couldn’t look away from that picture of his sleeping boyfriend.
Boyfriend . Could he say that now without it feeling wrong?
“Aniki? You okay?”
“Just great ,” he parroted the response without inflection.
“You sure?”
“Yup, I just...I’m going out real quick, Genya. Have dinner without me.”
“How is it gonna be quick if you already know you won’t be back for dinner?”
Sanemi tore through the house to shove a change of clothes into his backpack and didn’t bother slipping into his shoes all the way before opening the door.
“Wait, Aniki !!”
Sanemi shut the door and ran to the bus. The entire ride he could only think about being the one to hold Tomioka against his chest, to tuck him into his arms and hook their legs together, Tomioka’s hair soft and full between his fingers.
He was the stupid one for always being so hung up on how emotionally stunted he was, too afraid to open up in case it was a mistake of a relationship or took priority over his family. He was supporting the last bricks of a wall he had built, and for what?
Tomioka was already accepted into his family. He understood where Sanemi was coming from, never underestimating him and never asking for more than he could handle. He was observant, conscientious, and a genuinely kind person. Even without some wide smile or bouncing laughter he was fucking radiant. Sanemi enjoyed watching for the subtle changes in his expression, his posture, his energy, just to understand what was going through his head.
He didn’t have to laugh for Sanemi to know he was having fun. He didn’t need to smile for Sanemi to realize he was satisfied. In a way, it balanced nicely with Sanemi’s booming, crashing mess of an existence. They were both opposites in that extreme, which helped Sanemi to quiet down at times and encouraged Tomioka to be slightly more vocal.
Sanemi didn’t think he’d ever get the chance to be himself while simultaneously changing and evolving. Maybe his wrong number call had been a mistake at first, but now it did seem like more than just a coincidence.
If he hadn’t ever accidentally called Tomioka, would they still have met one day in the bakery? And would they have ever talked in the same way?
Would he still be getting off a bus right now after being sent an image of his sleepy boyfriend cuddling a fluffy fake dog to death?
It was impossible to say yes, but he could almost convince himself that would have been right.
He was ready to kick the door in, yet he turned the handle and it opened without a fight. No one else came running in to see what was going on, so he figured they were already gone by now. Sanemi stalked over to the couch and ripped the plush from Tomioka’s arms, surprised that he didn’t show signs of waking up. Sanemi slapped the side of the dog’s head and punched its nose a couple times before throwing it aside towards the hall.
That’s when Tomioka blearily woke up, slowly and tiredly blinking up at him. “S-Sanemi?”
He guided Tomioka to roll to his other side so his back was against the couch and Sanemi took his place beside him, squishing Tomioka between the couch and his chest. “Just fucking text me to come over, loser.”
Tomioka snuggled perfectly into his warmth. “It’s just a nap.”
Sanemi carefully tugged the hair tie off, running his hand through where it had been gathered together. Tomioka hummed and nuzzled against him, his arm draped over Sanemi’s waist and it seemed he was quickly lulled back to sleep.
Sanemi didn’t need to nap, but he closed his eyes anyway.
---
Tengen-Niisan, 3:07 p.m.: I only took out the trash and came back to this? Do I want to know?
Tengen-Niisan, 3:07 p.m.: [image of giant dog plush thrown to the side]
Tengen-Niisan, 3:09 p.m.: Nevermind, we all need to know.
Tengen-Niisan, 3:09 p.m.: [image of Sanemi and Tomioka cuddling and napping on the couch]
Tanjiro, 3:11 p.m.: Genya is going to /cry/
Tanjiro, 3:11 p.m.: You’re the best, Tengen-san!
Tengen-Niisan, 3:15 p.m.: They sure do fall in love fast [single tear emoji]
Tanjiro, 3:16 p.m.: Especially when Tomioka-san’s such a catch [blushing emoji]
Tengen-Niisan, 3:20 p.m.: [Laughing emojis]
-
Tanjiro, 3:25 p.m.: [Sanemi and Tomioka cuddling]
Genya, 3:27 p.m.: THAT’S why Aniki left in a rush? What kind of seductive monster is Giyuu-san?
Tanjiro, 3:28 p.m.: Apparently a cuddly seductive monster.
Tanjiro, 3:28 p.m.: Clearly the Shinazugawa type
Genya, 3:49 p.m.: Bedding day, done [green check emoji]
Genya, 3:50 p.m.: Mom’ll be home in like, ten minutes and then I will be on the first bus over.
Tanjiro, 3:54 p.m.: omg, why? Have a nice dinner with your family.
Genya, 3:55 p.m.: No, if Aniki thinks he deserves those cuddles after skipping out on house duties, I deserve cuddles for doing the actual work.
Genya, 3:55 p.m.: I’m jealous and want to see you right now.
Tanjiro, 3:57 p.m.: [Tearful eyes emoji x 5] Genyaaaaa, I love youuuu
Tanjiro, 3:57 p.m.: I’ll tell mom and dad you’re staying over.
Tanjiro, 3:57 p.m.: /Everyone/ is home btw
Genya, 3:58 p.m.: As if your siblings have never seen your parents hug and kiss
Tanjiro, 3:59 p.m.: Okay, true points. Then just be safe and I’ll see you in a bit!!
Tanjiro, 3:59 p.m.: My cutie tall bae
Genya, 4:01 p.m.: You are blocked.
Genya, 4:01 p.m.: Never say that again or I’ll forget you completely.
Tanjiro, 4:02 p.m.: I know how to find you and help you remember me [pink duo heart emoji]
Genya, 4:04 p.m.: Mom’s home. Leave in a minute.
Tanjiro, 4:06 p.m.: Yay!! Cuddle night [red heart emoji]
---
Tomioka wasn’t sure if something happened, and he wasn’t going to ask, but Sanemi was expressing himself just a bit more, at least with affection. They had taken an hour or longer nap on accident, a little lethargic needing to stand and stretch and figure out what to do for dinner. He was only in the kitchen, but Sanemi couldn’t leave him alone. He wasn’t clinging to him the entire time like Genya always seemed to with Tanjiro, but he purposely made their hands and shoulders knock into each other, sometimes even curling a hand over Tomioka’s waist.
His hair was more of a ratted nest than usual and he couldn’t exactly put it up without brushing it, but he couldn’t do that yet, and not with Sanemi slowing his whole dinner process down. He did his best, though, not really finding much in the way of ingredients, but there was somehow a lasagna in the freezer and right now, it was the easier food option. Just throw into an oven and let it bake for a given amount of time. No thinking required.
Once he had that figured out, it was like Sanemi had taken his own handcuffs off or something. He trapped Tomioka against the counter, a hand threading into his hair as he kissed him deep and needy, intense in a way Tomioka wasn’t expecting. He could only put his hands on Sanemi’s hips, tugging on his shirt to keep himself grounded as breath and heat was taken from him. This was the most forward he had been since the night in his bedroom, and it was even more vulnerable than that. Tomioka had no issues with letting him have his fill, eagerly reciprocating when he remembered he wasn’t dreaming.
Tomioka’s lips were red and a little sore from some overzealousness, Sanemi biting into his lip just enough to make it swell. He couldn’t look at Tomioka, though, resting his head against Tomioka’s temple to catch his breath. In a moment of stupidity perhaps, he dipped his fingers under Sanemi’s shirt, massaging the warm, smooth skin at his hips. Sanemi pressed against him, hands grasping the counter on either side.
“Back to the couch?”
Sanemi’s chest was thumping, head falling like it was all he could do to just keep breathing. Tomioka was had gotten decent at reading him and guessing what the problem was, but this was a reaction he hadn’t really seen before, and the couch was going to be too open to talk or take whatever this was to the next level. He took his hands off Sanemi’s hips to gently grab his wrists so he’d stop trying to break the counter.
“It’s okay, Sanemi. Let’s go.”
He still avoided Tomioka’s gaze, but let him lead him into the bedroom. He closed the door and leaned against it, giving Sanemi space and time to work through whatever he needed to.
“Shit, Giyuu, I…” He pulled at his own hair, staring wide at the floor.
Maybe it had been too much intimate contact at once that was making him almost panic and tear himself apart. Tomioka hadn’t meant for the touch on his hips to push him overboard; he was only thinking how warm Sanemi was, how close they were, remembering how often the man paraded around in loose shirts or half-zipped jackets that in some way exposed his skin and Tomioka thought it’d be fine to see how that skin felt under his fingertips.
“Sorry, Sanemi. I shouldn’t have--”
Sanemi snapped that wild gaze towards him. “ You ? What the fuck did you do wrong? I’m the one with the problem.” His hands dropped to his sides and he stood as close as he dared to Tomioka, palm against the door as he leaned in. “I push, but can’t fucking commit. I know what I’m supposed to say to you, but I end up saying go to hell. I’m not stupid, either, I know what we should be doing in here, but I can’t because I’m just a fucked up shitty person.”
He thought Tomioka was expecting something way more private and...naked. “Unless you want to, I don’t want that and I don’t expect it. I mean it when I say you’re a great boyfriend, Sanemi. You already know the names you call me don’t bother me--I can translate them. But...does it bother you that you can’t say the words?”
Sanemi stiffened.
“Maybe if you think ‘go to hell’ first, you’ll end up saying what you mean.”
Sanemi closed his eyes and swallowed, processing everything on his own terms and when he returned to himself, he wasn’t afraid to look directly at Tomioka. “You don’t want to? Wasn’t that a signal to take my shirt off?”
“No, just wanted to touch you. Not your shirt.”
“...really?”
His guard was down again, honestly shocked and curious to know if Tomioka didn’t need a physical outlet for his affection. “Yes. Stand in front of me naked and I still wouldn’t. I would ask for cuddles because it would be maximum warmth, but you’d be allowed to say no.”
Sanemi froze, not even a hint of his heart still beating. He shook out of it eventually and pushed away from the door and Tomioka, interestingly picking at the seam of his own shirt. “I…” He attempted to speak several times, getting frustrated with himself before addressing Tomioka. “Doing this your way, Giyuu.” He pointed to his hips. “Again.”
Tomioka was stuck in a place between genuine shock and amusement. He just stood there, hoping this wasn’t because of what he said or that Sanemi felt like he had to push himself. It would have made more sense if the conversation ended as it did and they simply returned to the couch until the oven timer went off for dinner.
Sanemi huffed and stripped his shirt off, throwing it onto the floor. “ Again , Giyuu.”
Tomioka took in the exposed chest and stomach, riddled with scars of varying sizes and colorations, some still raised and some looking like a thin birthmark. Sanemi was far from flawless, but Tomioka thought he was just as perfect with or without a shirt on. He was still the same, and wasn’t ever going to think of his scars as a weakness or something to be ashamed of, but he probably thought Tomioka would be a little scared or intimidated by them.
Tomioka indulged him, stepping close and fondly, gently letting his fingertips rest over his hips, absently massaging. There was more warmth radiating from him that put Tomioka at ease while holding his gaze.
“You’re great, Sanemi,” he whispered.
Sanemi pulled him in almost chest to chest and Tomioka’s arms easily wrapped around him, hands spread along his back. His skin was still hot and it was just as obvious from his back that he was fit and strong, but also showed he held onto a large amount of stress and tension.
“If you lay down, I’ll give you a massage.”
Sanemi shook his head and pressed a light kiss to Tomioka’s lips, tugging on the bottom of his shirt. “This first.”
Tomioka had never been shirtless in front of someone else before, and really never bothered to look at himself in the mirror all that much. It was strange, but he also wasn’t bothered by the thought. He nodded his head and Sanemi gave him enough room to pull it over his head and it landed atop Sanemi’s shirt.
He knew he wasn’t much to look at. Not completely ripped with a noticeable pack of abs, but he was lean and did enough to keep in shape. He was aware of a couple of scars from running into furniture or falling down when he was younger, marks from when he had chicken pox, and not much else.
Not to Sanemi, obviously. He had a faint blush peeking through, hands fighting between clenching and disappearing into his pockets, so Tomioka made matters worse by circling his arms around him with their chests almost touching. “I like this.” He combed back a chunk of hair that had fallen into Sanemi’s face.
“I like you.”
Tomioka halted every part of his body and brain to replay those words in his head. Sanemi caught up, too, swearing under his breath and trying to turn and escape to hide himself. He so clearly wanted to say what he meant sometimes, but he embarrassed himself in doing so and Tomioka figured that was just a Shinazugawa brothers trait, as well. It was wholly attractive and adorable.
Tomioka hadn’t let him run away, so he pulled him just a little closer, a smile on his face. “I like you, too.”
They exchanged another few kisses, at least two turning into makeout sessions because Sanemi kept wanting more, but eventually the nerves and embarrassment got to him and he took Tomioka up on his massage offer since it involved being able to hide his face. Tomioka was just happy to touch Sanemi more while helping him get rid of stress and hardships he had been carrying with him for his entire life. He had learned some professional tips from Shinobu and Tengen just for Sanemi.
He left a trail of kisses and hums down his back as they got lost in silence and small conversations until dinner. They sat shirtless on the couch while eating and spent the rest of the evening just wasting time, and when it came to going to sleep, Sanemi was the one to bury himself in Tomioka, likely seeking more physical comfort and support for his flustered breakthroughs. Tomioka was more than happy to hug him and keep him warm and safe through the night.
---
Kamado was closing early for the day, but the rowdy group treated the bakery like a second or third home and was able to hang out while Tanjiro and his siblings tidied up the place, his parents preparing the kitchen for the next day. Tanjiro and Tomioka seemed to be suspiciously close now and Sanemi wasn’t sure he liked it.
Especially not when they were casually and loudly discussing the habits of their boyfriends.
The cuddling type of habit. Even that word felt repulsive to say . Wasn’t there another word for it that didn’t make it sound like he was some perfectly behaved domestic pet? He didn’t mind doing what the word described, but the word itself was an embarrassment.
“Maybe it’s just in the Shinazugawa family. Hey, Genya! Do your siblings like cuddles, too?”
Genya was blushing and fidgeting, lowering his head as he slumped against the counter. “Uhhm...I mean, they’re younger, so...sometimes?”
“Sanemi moves less when I hold him. He nuzzles into me and falls asleep almost instantly.”
Sanemi slammed the table with his fist. “I will destroy you, shitty ponytail fuckhead.”
“Kiss challenge accepted. Here,” he leaned towards him to offer his lips and Sanemi just slapped them with his hand.
“Kiss your own reflection instead.”
He pushed him aside and Genya was still a flustered wreck over Tanjiro. “It’s nice, though...I know I look scary, so it’s nice to find someone who really wanted to know me. The amount of girls in high school that tried to date me just to intimidate their exes or ex-friends...people are ugly sometimes.”
Tanjiro abandoned his cleaning cloth to disgustingly smush himself against Genya. “Awwww, my tall baby’s been through so much. Now I can make any one of them jealous because only I get to love on you now,” he grinned and plastered his head on Genya’s shoulder, hugging his arm to his chest.
Sanemi yelled at him from his booth, keeping a wide, threatening gaze on the boy. “Yeah, right, shithead. It’s not love until you respect each other even after death! I don’t fucking trust you, so if I hear one word of you not taking care of my Genya, I will come after you, stupid brat.”
“ Aniki! ” Genya even stomped his foot to make a point. “I don’t say things like that to Giyuu-san.”
Tomioka walked past Genya. “You don’t need to.” They exchanged a glance and small smile before high-fiving each other.
“The fuck ?”
“Giyuu-san’s the only one weird enough to hang out with you and want to date you. Like, he’s in this for life. Honestly, Aniki, he takes better care of you than you do of him. Don’t know how he deals with you all the time.”
“Are you saying I’m not datable material, you little fucker? I will fight you, hellion. I am totally great, datable material!” He stood up and had his palms digging into the edge of the table, breath coming heavy from personal, offended rage.
Tomioka sidled next to him with the faintest smile. “You are. You’re my datable material.”
“Oh, give it a fucking break , Giyuu.”
“Even if you’re still aggressive, Aniki, you both have so much fun together.”
“You’re really so cute and perfect together! I’m glad to have been one of your cupids on this beautiful love journey!!” Tanjiro wiped a single fake tear away from his eye.
“I will fucking have all of your necks.”
Tomioka wound his hair up and tied it into a bun. “Okay, here’s my neck, Sanemi.”
He gripped Tomioka’s shoulder. “Don’t do shit like this in public, idiot!”
“Tanjiro, where’s a private space in the back?” Tomioka folded their hands together.
“No, Tomioka , no!” He undid the bun and kept the hair tie for himself.
Genya and Tanjiro’s jaws dropped but Tomioka was unfazed. He was just slightly pouting, which was also a new expression. “But...you like the bun…”
“ Later .” He whisper-growled.
“Sanemi…”
He leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips and then whispered into his ear, “Later, Tomioka.”
Tomioka clung to his shirt instead and looked to Genya and Tanjiro. “Now is later,” he quietly mumbled before talking at a normal volume. “I forgot to do some shading on a panel. I’m taking Sanemi for moral support.”
“Fucking monster , this isn’t what I meant!” But Tomioka guided him out, and just followed, not wanting to protest at all.
He glanced back just enough to see Genya fondly smiling at his back, Tanjiro rubbing his shoulder and saying something about being good.
Sanemi was relieved for the both of them that it was turning out good. In the middle of the sidewalk, Sanemi spoke again before realizing what he said.
“I really fucking love you, Giyuu.”
Tomioka was silent, only walking faster to get to his house and he didn’t even pause to realize that Tengen was sitting in the living room. He had tunnel vision and raw emotions, pushing Sanemi against the door with both their hands folded together, kissing him rough and desperate and in a way that was so unlike Tomioka. The confession must have been unexpected, likely aware that he might not ever hear those words for the rest of their lives, so he had no plan to stay calm and just nod and agree like usual.
Sanemi had mostly worked out his thing with Tengen and actually felt a little awkward to make him witness this pure lust, but he also didn’t want to stop what was happening. He put his all into reciprocating and soon, Tomioka ran out of breath and pulled away in a daze before doing his normal nodding habit. “Mmh, the best boyfriend.” He attempted to walk further into the house but stumbled around like he was hammered. Sanemi caught him and tried to stabilize his balance, giving him his hair tie back at last in case he was overheating with his hair down.
“Aww, young love,” Tengen said with a smile.
“You’re young, too, bling boy!”
That put Tengen on Tomioka’s radar and he made a direct line for him, stretching on his tiptoes and cupping his mouth his hands as if that’d stop Sanemi from hearing what he said.
“He said he loves me. He’s my best boyfriend who loves me.”
Tengen grinned and patted the shorter’s head. “You deserve it, Tomioka-san. Now, let your great, loving boyfriend take you to the bedroom.”
“Not for that, you perv!” Sanemi yelled. “Come on, stupid, we’ll lay down.” With some difficulty, he brought them to Tomioka’s room and the moment he turned away, Tomioka had put his hair into a bun again.
Sanemi sighed, admittedly more out of fondness than frustration. He just hugged Tomioka from behind and pressed his nose close to the crook of Tomioka’s neck. “I don’t know if I’ll ever say it again, but don’t make a big deal.”
“You didn’t have to say it once, so I want to treasure it.”
Sanemi smiled into Tomioka’s skin, pressing the softest kisses to the crook of his neck, trailing around to his nape and it made Tomioka hold onto him, trembling a little from the sensitivity as goosebumps rose along his arms. Sanemi lightly pulled his shirt collar down to kiss down his shoulder blades before hooking his chin on his shoulder. “Wanna lay down?”
Tomioka nodded. He took his shirt off and climbed onto the bed, eagerly waiting for Sanemi to join him. Sanemi sat up against the pillows and Tomioka half laid on him, head in the crook of his shoulder and his arm draped over his stomach, fingers absently running along his side. It was warm and comfortable, without pressure that Sanemi had to perform a certain way to be a good boyfriend and partner.
Tomioka randomly left kisses on his collarbone or leaned up to kiss his jawline, otherwise content to read on his phone while Sanemi played with his hair and touched his neck and rubbed his back.
“I love you, too, Sanemi. Thank you for being the one to accidentally call me.” He said it while looking at his phone, but it was probably just as hard for Tomioka to say it as it was for Sanemi so he couldn’t fault him.
“It’s fucking stupid to stay in contact with a stranger...but I’ll let it slide this time since it was me.”
Tomioka giggled. And then his hand holding the phone dropped to the bed, and Tomioka was laughing into Sanemi’s chest. Uncontrollably.
Sanemi softly sighed and smiled, both hands on Tomioka to feel him shaking with laughter and love.