As Giyuu ran closer to the peaks, laughing happily, Sanemi couldn't help but stare at him. His hair blowing in the wind, his face lit up with genuine happiness, Giyuu looked absolutely radiant.
Sanemi realized that he had never seen Giyuu this happy before.

Giyuu turned around to look at Sanemi, still standing, far away from him.
He laughed heartily, his eyes sparkling with joy.

"Sanemi, come see this!"
He called out, waving his hand for Sanemi to come closer.

Sanemi's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Giyuu's voice. He quickly closed the distance between them, his eyes never leaving Giyuu's face.

As he reached Giyuu, he noticed how his cheeks were flushed from the cold, and his nose was slightly red.
"Yeah?"

"Close your eyes!"
Giyuu demanded, a soft, sly smile on his lips.

Sanemi frowned but did as he said, only to feel a warm, soft kiss pressed gently against his own. It was light as a feather, warm as love, and soft like cotton.

Giyuu quickly pulled away, smiling shyly as his cheeks flushed red.

Sanemi opened his eyes, sighing softly.
"You know exactly how to make me fall for you, Giyuu..."

"Do I?"
Giyuu giggled lightly.

"Mhm..."
Sanemi hummed warmly, sitting down on the cold snow below him. Looking at him, Giyuu sat down beside him as well, all quiet.

"You were right about the view, Giyuu... It's beautiful."
Sanemi mumbled.

"...But it can never be as pretty as you. I hope you know that."

"H-Huh?"
Giyuu blushed, but didn't utter a word.

"You wanted to know why I chose you, right...?"
Sanemi broke the silence almost immediately, looking over at Giyuu. His smile was not to be seen, and he looked quite serious.

Giyuu tilted his head in curiously, his heart beating slightly faster at the intensity in Sanemi's gaze.
"Y-Yes?"

His breath hitched in his throat, his fingers curling up as he waited eagerly for Sanemi to continue.

Sanemi took a deep breath in, composing himself as he continued to look at Giyuu intensely, as if memorizing his features.

He reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind Giyuu's ear. His touch was soft, almost reverent.
"I saw someone who was always there for me, no matter what. Someone who understood me without me having to say a word."

"H-Hm?"
Giyuu hummed, unable to understand what Sanemi meant by that.

Sanemi exhaled softly, a small smile playing on his lips.
"You've been asking me what I saw in you, when there were so many choices all around me, haven't you? You asked me why I looked at you even there was a beautiful view around us, didn't you?"

Giyuu swallowed hard as he blushed, nodding slowly.

"Y-Yes, I have..."
He replied, his voice barely audible over the wind.

Sanemi sighed, ruffling Giyuu's hair.
"Giyuu, be honest. Do you think you're not worthy of being my partner?"

Giyuu gasped at the question.
"H-How did you... Find out?"

I knew it. I fucking knew it.
Sanemi face-palmed.

"You... Giyuu, you're literally perfect, in every way possible... Not only are you caring, you're extremely calm. You can handle situations so well! How can you even think that you're not worthy? It's all because of you, that I realised how nice falling in love feels like!
It's because of you, all because of you... I know my own worth, because of you... You, Giyuu... You are perfect. So don't you dare say something like that."

Giyuu swallowed hard, blushing a bit.
"I-I don't believe you... What if you're just making this up to make me happy?"

Sanemi stared at Giyuu, blank.
"You... You don't believe me?"

Giyuu shook his head.

"Then, let me show you what I see."
Sanemi said, holding Giyuu's hands in a firm grip.

"I..."

"Hm?"
Giyuu nodded, listening patiently.

"I see a man who's strong, understanding, and..."
Sanemi paused, a soft blush creeping up his cheeks.

"...and the best."
He finished, slightly embarrassed at his own words.

"Th-The best?"
Giyuu couldn't believe it, pulling his hands away from Sanemi's grip.

"You can't be serious, Sanemi. There are many! So many... and they're all better, so, so much better than me!"

Sanemi's expression grew serious, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"What... are you even saying?"

He held Giyuu's shoulder in a firm grip as the wing grew even stronger.
"...Are you even aware of what you're blabbering about?"

He checked behind Giyuu and himself.
"Better than you, huh? Who is it? I don't see anyone."

Giyuu's sighed, holding Sanemi's hand in a shaky grip.
"I'm not joking, Sanemi. I-I'm sorry... But, I just... I think that I'm... just not worthy of your time... So there is no way I'm the best."

Sanemi stayed quiet, waiting for Giyuu to continue.

"I just... I don't get how you could call me perfect, I didn't trust you at all once... Calling you a liar. Trust me, I hate myself for that. And I don't know how you still like me, knowing I was somebody no one liked. You still grew to love me-"

Sanemi interrupted.
"That's because people didn't understand you before, and neither did I when we first met. But when I found out what kind of person you were, there was no way I wouldn't have loved you. It's difficult not to pay attention to you, y'know? Literally anyone would love you, Giyuu!"

Giyuu gasped softly.
"B-But Sanemi, I-I could never give you anything back. It's almost as if I took you for granted because, It... It's always you helping me out... And I could never pay you back and-"

"Goodness... Shut up, Giyuu! Is it a relationship or an agreement of paying back!? You've given me so much already! Just you being with me is enough to brighten up my day! What else am I to ask for!? Do you still don't believe me? Why... Why don't you see yourself the way I see you!?"
Sanemi shook Giyuu's shoulders, trying to knock some sense into him.

Giyuu's breath hitched in his throat, his eyes widening. The wind blew faster, mimicking the speed of his heart rate..

"Your nervousness, your kindness, your understanding, your strength..."
Sanemi named, his voice hoarse with emotions.

"You're the best, Giyuu! The best partner and a friend, Understand!?"

Giyuu swallowed hard, unable to hold eye contact.

"Have you even tried to look at yourself the way I look at you!? You know what, I challenge you, Giyuu. Look at yourself through my eyes just once, the way I look at you. You'll easily get to know what you are to me."

Giyuu froze, his mind reeling. He had never seen Sanemi this serious, this intense. He always thought of himself as average, nothing special. But Sanemi seemed to see something else in him.

Could he really look at himself the way Sanemi does?

"Do it, Giyuu. Just for once, look at yourself the way I do."
Sanemi's voice was soft, but commanding.

His grip on Giyuu's shoulder tightened, as if to physically force Giyuu to see himself the way he had always viewed him.

"I've always loved to look at you Giyuu, so please, just look at yourself, just to know how I see you. You'll know why I love everything about you..."
Sanemi trailed off, pulling Giyuu closer.

"It's the way your little smile gets hidden behind your hair when the wind blows... It's the way you smile excitedly when you look at the things you love, just how happy you looked playing in the snow with me..."
He continued,

"...These are the things which you don't see. So you never understood me... and why I loved you this much."

Giyuu's chest tightened, his breath caught in his throat. Sanemi's words were a gentle storm, washing over him and stirring up emotions he had long suppressed.

"You've got beauty inside and out, Giyuu... I didn't call you perfect for no reason whatsoever. It's your behaviour, it's your eyes..."
He continued, his voice trembling with emotion.

"God!;How do I even begin with how your eyes make me feel? They've always reminded me of the night sky, Giyuu...  You wouldn't know that though, since you think you're not 'worthy', am I right?"
His free hand traced Giyuu's cheek, his touch incredibly gentle.

"Fucking God... I can't even think clearly because of you... And believe me, Giyuu. You made me this way, so madly in love!"

Giyuu's eyes widened, he could feel the warmth spreading in his cheeks as Sanemi described him.

He had always thought his eyes were ordinary, nothing special.
But Sanemi saw stars in them?

He swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Sanemi..."

"And it's not only your beauty I'm talking about, Giyuu... It's your heart that is filled with love, patience and kindness!
What else can I say? I don't even have any words to describe how much I fucking love you!"

Giyuu felt his heart pounding in his chest, his breathing heavy. He had never heard Sanemi talk like this, pouring out his feelings so openly.

"Sanemi..."
He whispered, his voice barely audible,

"You can't..."

"What do you mean?"
Sanemi asked, his patience wearing thin. He was tired of Giyuu not realising how special he was.

"Can't what? Can't love you? Can't see your beauty? Can't admire your kindness? Tell me, Giyuu!"

Giyuu stared at Sanemi, wide-eyed. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but his tongue seemed tied. He couldn't believe that Sanemi would ever say something like this, it was so unexpected yet so heartwarming.

"Say something, damn it!"
He urged, his voice more intense now.

"Do you hear what I'm saying? Have you ever looked at yourself through MY eyes? Because when I look at you, all I see is the most beautiful man I've ever met!"

Giyuu was unable to reply, and for the first time in his life, he realised how much he actually meant to Sanemi. His question was finally answered, and he couldn't help but feel his tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

"S-Sanemi..."
He whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"I-I never knew... I never thought..."

"Do you see it now?"
Sanemi grabbed Giyuu's face with both hands, his eyes intense and serious.

"I don't know what you think of yourself, Giyuu... but for me, you're the strongest Water Hashira... The sweetest partner, the most understanding friend, and the most responsible comrade. You're the person who makes my world stop spinning the moment you come into sight..."

Giyuu's eyes welled up with tears, overflowing now.

He had never seen Sanemi like this, so passionate, so emotional.

"Sanemi..."
He choked out, his voice muffled.
He had always thought of himself as inferior, not even worthy to be called a Hashira.

But Sanemi's perspective, it was something he never expected.

"And you're crying..."
Sanemi whispered, his thumbs wiping away Giyuu's tears.

"You're finally letting your guard down. And you know what? You're even more handsome when you cry."
He muttered, gently stroking Giyuu's back as his gaze softened.

Giyuu's face flushed bright red as he continued to weep, his tears falling freely now. He felt like he was drowning in his own emotions, Sanemi's words hitting him like a tidal wave.
He had never felt so seen, so understood. And it was all thanks to Sanemi.

Sanemi pulled Giyuu into his arms, cradling his face against his shoulder.

"I will always love you, idiot!"
He sighed heavily, his heart racing.

Giyuu wrapped his arms around Sanemi, burying his face in his shoulder as he cried uncontrollably. It was a strange feeling of openness, which he had never experienced before, and he never wanted it to end.

Sanemi's heart tightened in his chest at Giyuu's breakdown, and something inside him snapped.

He couldn't bear to see Giyuu live without him, or him being away from Giyuu.

It was as if, he felt Giyuu belonged with him. Forever. The realization hit him like a storm, and he tightened his grip, one hand moving to gently stroke Giyuu's hair.

"Promise me... promise me you won't hide anymore. Show me this side of you... always."
He demanded.

Giyuu's voice came out as a choked whisper against Sanemi's shoulder.

"I... I promise,"
He managed to say, holding onto Sanemi tighter.

The truth was, this side of him, vulnerable and open, was something he could only show to Sanemi.

Sanemi's heart soared at those words, and without thinking, he pressed a fierce, loving kiss to Giyuu's forehead.

"I'll never let you go, then. You're mine, Giyuu. My partner, my friend...

...My everything."

___________________________________________

Aw man I'm lonely :(

Husbands.

🍩🍪☕✨