Timeskip Kyojuro My Beloved Teehee

Timeskip Kyojuro my beloved Teehee

I FOUND IT

the exact same way

cw: 1.3k wc, female reader, modern au, exes to lovers, you and sanemi are beating around the bush like two idiots meant to be. dedicated to @erexart and inspired by her art, which is gorgeous always y'all should really check her out right now!!!!

Despite his hard edges and rough exterior, Sanemi is pretty easily convinced to let people penetrate his well guarded castle of self preservation. You see, the thing is he likes watching them try. It’s amusing.

It’s less amusing when they succeed and Sanemi isn’t even sure he can pinpoint the exact moment when his walls ended up melting like butter left in the sun.

What was your moment? You’re not sure yourself. The relationship began backed by mutual attraction and balanced by exhausting banter. Sanemi became your lover before he had the chance of being your friend and that’s probably part of the reason why it didn’t work out in the end.

Still, you’ve been good for each other: he was caring, attentive, sweet in his own special way. Even at the very beginning, the sharpest of his endeavors was never enough to keep you at distance. Sanemi was abrupt, insolent, often unpleasant to be around, but he was never impolite. He never once pressured you into doing something you weren’t sure about, always respected your boundaries. He made you fall for him without you even noticing and it must’ve been the same for him, it must’ve meant something that the pile of his clothes in your drawers kept increasing in volume, it must’ve meant something that he’d wake up early on sundays to fix you your favorite breakfast. He must’ve loved you as much as you loved him.

Still, he understood why you had to part ways. Sanemi isn’t stupid and neither are you, the cracks in the golden facade of the relationship were getting too deep to ignore. Each time he’d come home late from a work dinner or a night out with his friends, your jealousy and insecurities would make you aggressive, petty. It felt like Sanemi had less and less time for you and when you were together, all you did was fight. About dishes, your friends, his friends, socks left on the floor, what you chose to wear, what he’d forget to pick up at the grocery store. It was a necessary but not at all pretty separation. It hurt, as the love was still there but the awareness of having to let the other find someone else, someone better, was there just as much.

It worked out, for a while. Barely. You were still friends and texted from time to time but still gave each other the space needed to find yourselves once more, with different people. You welcomed other guys in your life, in your bed and routine, forced them to fit into the shape of the one man you were still in love with. The longest frequentation lasted three months and it was still not quite the match.

Sanemi dated less than you but he did so just as intensely, going as far as moving in with a woman he was desperate to love. He missed you but welcomed the feeling of being ready to put down his walls for someone else, allowed who was once a stranger to carve out a space for herself in his life. Kanae packed her bags a year later, leaving him with a heavy heart and tired eyes: the infatuation had burned itself out like a candle placed in a jar, always destined to self-extinguish.

As months passed, you thought of each other less and less. He’d still like your instagram posts and you’d always chuckle at his stories but the need to text him or obsessively ruminate on the past had weakened over time. You thought deeper feelings had faded along with mutual attraction, leaving room for nothing more than sincere affection for someone who could always be a dear friend. That was until you met again at Iguro’s wedding.

Sanemi looked dashing in his suit and couldn’t keep his eyes off you throughout the entire evening, the casual conversation about each other’s latest updates not nearly enough to satiate his desire of you. There was newfound charm in your ways, the vibration to his pitch now gracious. Both so unsure, cautious, yet smiling and swaying in each other’s arms for a dance turned ten, for Mitsuri and Iguro and everyone else to see. Tengen’s knowing smirk would’ve been nothing short of infuriating if it wasn’t for how you suddenly felt whole again, after so long.

“I want to see you again” he said as you sipped champagne from the flute in your hand, warmth exploding in your chest.

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea” you replied, honest, despite fingers itching to feel his uneven skin once more. Sanemi offered a smile and a slight shrug of the shoulders.

“I just want to see you, that’s all. I promise”.

How could you say no to just being in each other’s lives once more?

And so, saw each other you did. You’re friends now, finally free to go out to grab coffee and sometimes one another’s hand, happy to share lunch and watch movies and wake up early to grab breakfast in that one special sidewalk cafe just outside of town. Friends who are so comfortable with each other and never mention anything about other people you may or may not be seeing. Friends who are maybe still just as desperately smitten but terrified of overstepping, rushing, resuming the building process of a castle destined to crumble once more.

Nevertheless, you can’t really help yourself when you see them. Hues of red, pink and white capture your attention and prompt you to stop in the middle of the sidewalk when the silliest, old memory strikes your brain.

The shop owner is a delight, so kind and skilled, the final product looks gorgeous in its simplicity and probably even slightly larger than what you had initially asked for, at the same price. You hum a song to youself and there’s a skip in your step as you walk home, where you know he’s waiting, courtesy of the spare key you never really wanted back.

Sanemi is sprawled on your couch, still no sign of the dinner he swore he was totally going to get together. The sight makes your eyes soften and, as you kick off your shoes, you can’t help but remember all the times you’d been on top of him on that very same couch, napping and then kissing and talking and never wanting to get up again. You never really got the same sleep ever since breaking up, the peacefulness and sense of security that came from being in his arms, where you thought you’d always be. Oh, well.

“Sanemi, I’m home!”.

He’s suddenly woken up by your high pitched singsong and something soft being not so gently placed on his face.

“Christ” he groans “can’t you find different ways to wake me up, woman?”.

You grin, mischievous, plop down next to him.

“Wouldn’t be as fun”.

He’s too startled to reply with one of his usual quips, the bouquet of colorful camellias unusually warm against his palm.

“What the hell are these?” he murmurs, actual harshness nowhere to be found.

“Remember when you said you never received flowers, like, ever? I saw them and thought they were really pretty and, I don’t know. I remembered”

Sanemi clutches the bouquet a little tighter and the kraft paper wrinkles in his hold.

“That’s stupid. Men don’t need flowers” it’s almost a whisper and you don’t have the chance to take offense, because he gently brings the camellias to his face and takes a deep breath. You smile.

“Everyone deserves flowers. You like them?”

“No” he’s quick to reply, voice muffled, face still buried in colorful shades “they’re ugly. I hate them”

Sanemi finally glances in your direction at the sound of your silvery laugh, crimson on the cheeks conveniently camouflaged within ruby red flowers.

“The same way you hate me?” you tease, daring. He’s more than ready to welcome the challenge. Has been for a while, honestly.

“Yeah, actually” he mutters, eyes glistening with emotion “the exact same way I hate you”

Poor engie

Original

requested by erexart