Sabito sat, cross legged under a maple tree and was lost in thought. He couldn't remember much of his life before Tomioka, and he couldn't think of a life without Tomioka. Everyday, he'd train with him. Everyday, he'd eat with him. Every night, they would lay side by side and sleep blissfully in the same room, huddled close together, even when it wasn't cold.
It was obvious that they were close; they were all the other had, why wouldn't they be close? Other than Urokodaki, they were utterly alone. Separate them, and they became hollow and bored, not willing to do much of anything.
Maybe it was just because they grew up together. Urokodaki had told them stories and given them books of many close friends who did much of what Tomioka and Sabito did together. But it just seemed like their relationship was more applicable to the lovers that he would read about than the friends.
Sabito stared upwards into the glistening light bouncing off of the shiny leaves, still basking in the summer sun. In the fall, they would brown and crumble. But now, now they were very, very alive.
He side and twisted his body to pull his legs up, holding them together with calloused hands clutching themselves about the wrists. Sabito wondered what Tomioka was doing. Was he celebrating his survival in the Final Selection? Was he choosing his ore? Or was he off alone somewhere, crying and hiding his face?
Sabito wished desperately that he could live. That he could breathe again. But he'd been killed. That was the truth of it all. He knew what he was getting into the first moment that Urokodaki had explained the rules of the Final Selection. He had known when he sword broke. He had known what was happening as he smiled sadly to Tomioka before getting crushed.
He held onto himself tighter. Would Tomioka do great things? Surely. He was incredible. He could do anything if he put himself in the right mindset. But without Sabito...? Would he ever be happy again?
Sabito hoped so, as he closed his teary eyes.
You deserve to be happy, Giyuu.
