Anything -- Shinazugawa Sanemi and Genya

Anything

(listen to anything on repeat plsplsplsplsplsplsplsplsplsplspslplsplsplsplsplsplspls)

(Btw if noone read the bio, its like a different universe where Sanemi didn;t try to poke Genyas eyes out loalalalala)

He stared down at the ground, fidgeting the tip of his thumb's nail as his heart pounded with great speed. Over the time, the sound of him exhaling would start to become much more audible as he sighed occasionally between his respiration.

If anyone would pass him by, they would only imagine the Wind Hashira in deep thoughts, as his anxious face was plastered all over his face like paint. Sanemi took another sharp breath before standing up from the position. His eyes closed, yet his brows would twitch slightly as he brought up a similar thought.

He was rationalising his behaviours. As most of his intentional behaviour towards his little brother was cruel and undeniably a hectic, he always had an excuse for it. He may have done it to provoke him to 'leave the Demon Slayer Corps to protect him', 'make Genya forget about him and live a life without worries,' but his beliefs only began to shatter and he could only falter.

How long has it been since the word 'family' meant being loved unconditionally despite all that has happened? To stand by each other and support one another in times of despair and uncertainty? Surely Sanemi himself regretted everything.

Sanemi grabbed his nirichin and walked off, towards his estate as he had to educate the Demon Slayer Corps in preparation of defeating Kibutsuji Muzan. That includes, Kamado, Agatsuma and...

Genya.

Oh, his eyes swelled. He didn't know how he could face his own brother, but he didn't have a choice. As Sanemi entered the training room, his eyes made quick glances around the room, constantly repeating in the same motion in case he had missed Genya.

Sanemi gulped in his absence, but never did a glimpse of his real emotions spilled. The 'Wind Hashira' act rudely interrupted the room's whispering noises. "Listen up. If any of you fail, best wish you never lived,"  he shouted, a small vein popping on his forehead as he glared at all of them, but only wishing the boy he cared deeply for would not notice or looked away at that exact moment of his crude behaviour.

"Someone step up. M' bouta show y'all how it's done,"  and in that moment, a boy raised his hand. Well...., that boy's not short, so his arm would extend high, standing out from the rest (if any even did raise theirs..). Sanemi's breath hitched, watching Genya come forth with a face that says 'watch me make you proud'. And he was indeed so proud.

"Pfft, really? The best y'all can send out is some petty boy?"  He noticed many were confused at the insult since Genya is rather taller and muscular than the rest but he said nothing more. "Shinazugawa-san, thank you for having me..!" 

In what reality would I not want you to come forth and talk to me? In what reality would I not want you to be brave enough to talk to your brother? In what reality would I want you to fake your identity and not admit to everyone in the room that you are my brother? Sanemi would snap out of his thoughts as a few moments passed by. Others would have a sympathetic expression as Genya's gratitude was left
unanswered to.

Genya seemed to have brushed it off, but it made Sanemi felt uneasy. It made him feel like because of these small unattended moments, it is what deepens the hole between them, making it impossible for both to jump forth or back to each other. Making it harder for any of them to open up about the truth.

After the training, Sanemi walked off, sweaty and exhausted, he dragged his worned out legs towards his chamber before a familiar voice was heard from behind. Sanemi only continued to walk as Genya's voice began to grow desperate.

"But, I even ate demons so I could fight,"

Sanemi turned around, stunned. Flabbergasted even. He gawked at Genya. How dumb could he be? Sanemi came closer, disappearing  in a blink before reappearing again. Instead of two fingers trying to poke the poor child's eyeballs out, his arms extended, wide open and catching Genya in an embrace.

It was awkward. Tooooooooootally awkward. But strangely comforting. Everything Genya had to go through just to crawl from rank to rank to get to his brother. How come everyone else get to have Sanemi when Genya couldn't even take a small portion of his brother, nor could he even share it with anyone who had a piece of him. It was frustrating for Genya, and he could only feel his chest tightening.

His heart squeezed as he tugged onto Sanemi's uniform, yanking it down slightly as he gave him an aggressive hug. How he missed his brother. How he longed for his one last family. How he knew that was the only moment he could taste the cake he had always wanted. Like a little boy in a bakery, looking at the glassed display. On the top of the shelf, a delicious and beautiful cake he would look up to because he was too short to tiptoe.

How he would see others take parts of the cake and walk away from the bakery. Yet he remained there with the coins in his hands, fidgeting and counting them one by one even though he knew it would never be enough to afford it. How he would tear up and throw a tantrum at the unjust treatment. But on one random day, the baker decided it was time he gave Genya a small portion of that cake he dreamt for years.

Genya could only feel the soothing hand that patted on his back. One that swayed up and down like it usually did when he was a child. When he had to go to sleep despite the tardiness of his mother, so his older brother had to be there to raise him.

And it that moment, they didn't utter a word. Nor did anyone interrupted them in fear of breaking the bubble the young boy was in as he happily looked at the sample given to him, too afraid to eat it in fear of forever losing it.