Chapter Text
Where the sparrows fly.
(1)
White linen sheets encircled him like swans, feathers ruffled between his fingers. Raven hair spread out across a pillow as soft as a cloud- perhaps the black swan in this scenario?
"Wake up, will ya'?" A voice said, a short chuckled the moment after, then a hand reaching down and throwing of the blanket like a cape. "C'mon Giyuu. You can't sleep forever."
Ryosuke stood over Giyuu, yukata's robes decorated with golden flowers and leaping, vibrant colours against a spread of black. "Aiko bought you an expensive robe with the money her family sent you. Don't skip out!"
"Did you have to do that?..." Giyuu groaned, lazily opening his eyes and giving his friend an exasperated look.
"Yes. Yes I did. She bought this for me too, so I think we ought to thank her."
Lifting himself up with his remaining arm, Giyuu let out a long sigh. "What's the pattern?"
"See for yourself," Ryosuke said with a grin, handing him a box. "Customized for your little mishap."
Giyuu gave him a look.
"Wow. Little mishap my-"
"Language!"
"You didn't even know what I was going to say! I literally got my arm violently torn off. How does that classify as a 'little mishap,' you absolute fool-"
"Giyuu! You better be trying it on, it wasn't cheap!" Aiko called.
He put his face in his... hand.
"Your fiancé has you wrapped all around her finger." He muttered.
Before they could argue anymore, Ryosuke just lightly shoved Giyuu back on to the bed and walked out. "That's it. You're changing in this rotten infirmary now." Giyuu smiled and pushed himself up again. "Oh please. I've been stuck here three months, wouldn't be the first time."
The yukata itself was his signature pattern- or at least, what he had taken to wearing. Rushing streams of blue and white, with a perfectly cut and sewn space for his missing left arm, which was nice. He had been forced to tie a huge, clumsy knot that everyone teased him endlessly for. He was getting tired of water to be honest, it had consumed his life for years, but nothing else really caught his eye. So in the end, flowing lines it was.
He pulled it on, tying the sash with a sort of odd method that only a one-armed person could come up with. In short, it looked stupid but the end result was decent.
Giyuu felt a little fancy- and stuffy, to be honest. It reminded him of when he infiltrated the S.M.G, pretending to be the successor his uncle always wanted. It turned out that Akihiko, his secretary of sorts, (around Junpei's age) was actually the current head of the entire organization. Squad 142 had come in handy, though, and Junpei- or rather, Fukumori, had managed to shut down every base they could find in a day. It took a few more months of investigating doctors and wisteria houses before those rotten men were rooted out for good.
Akihiko, on the other hand, had attempted to kill Giyuu on a mountain top with a sort of new bomb from out of Japan. At the last second, he escaped with his life and Akihiko was... Well, blown to bits.
He didn't feel the least bit guilty. Honestly, the man's own foolishness had led to his death anyways.
Being 19 was the weirdest year of his life. Apart from his time in the asylum. And then the entire war with demons ended, and it seemed most of the darkness in the world from Kibutsuji had been erased. There were still families to help and people to save, but the burden was eased.
Giyuu walked out of the room and was met with gasps- some most definitely exaggerated, and a bright smile from Aiko. "It looks wonderful."
Aoi, from the back, gave him a smirk. "Never in a million years would I have guessed you to wear a water pattern. Never." She said, the sarcasm dripping through her words.
They stared at each other for a moment. Then, they laughed and Aoi gave him a light punch in his right shoulder and went on her way. He really needed to thank her again. After Kochou's death (and many kakushis) in the final battle, she was named one of the head doctors and pulled her weight saving both him and Shinazugawa while the others worked on surviving slayers.
Ryosuke suddenly jumped up on Giyuu from behind, his long hair whipping Giyuu in the face, who yelped. "Again, did you have to do that?!" He yelled, a sort of morphed horror on his face. Ryosuke just gave him a grin.
"Well, Aiko, should I cut my hair? Would your dad have any problem with that?"
The blonde shrugged. "I honestly think he hates you either way, so if I'm being honest, don't cut it. I like it and you've been growing it out for years. It would be a waste if you chopped it all off."
"But what if he thinks I'm a woman?"
"Ryosuke. He is not going to think that at all, you look nothing like a woman."
"Yes, you're just being an imbecile." Giyuu added.
Ryosuke glared at him. "I'm going to fix my makeup,"
Giyuu sighed, and looked at Aiko. "Honestly, he wears more makeup than you."
"That he does. I like a little red lipstick and that's about it, but he wears some of his old kabuki makeup despite him leaving that circus ages ago."
She smiled, and waved over to the door which opened to the garden.
The two walked together, her white dress fluttering in the wind. The old one she used to wear was far more plain, but her parents had sent this one along with the money. A soft white it was, with a green bow and matching lacy trim. When Giyuu had just turned 20, around the time he met Tanjiro, Aiko and Kochou had grown quite close. She had ordered a pair of strong and rather modern braces made of cloth and mechanical parts for Aiko. Her legs were much better now, but she still claimed they helped to this day.
She let out a long breath, leaning her head against Giyuu's shoulder since he was taller, and hooking her arm around his. "Hey! That's my only arm, Aiko."
"That is Aiko neesan to you. I am years older than you, a little respect wouldn't hurt."
"And I am a war veteran. Some respect wouldn't hurt me either."
She pushed him, and burst out laughing when he fell flat on his back. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I- I never-" She continued wheezing, now doubled over and giving him a shaky hand. "Oh my stomach hurts, I haven't laughed like that in a while!"
Giyuu gave her a wry smile. "Glad to know my misery gives you some joy."
Once she had helped him up, they walked back to the house.
"Time to start packing, I suppose." She said, giving him a last glance. "Indeed. Adventure awaits." Giyuu replied.
Where the sparrows fly (1 - complete)