rainbowfey

[rainbowfey]

WRITE IT ANYWAY!!! EVEN IF YOU DONT THINK YOURE GOOD ENOUGH!!! WRITE!!! IT!!!! ANYWAY!!!!!!!

[rainbowfey]

31 Make a Wish

This was quite the ride. Thanks for everything @flufftober. And now to one last SaneGiyu OS!

When Tengen started handing out notes with dishes, Sanemi made his first attempt to flee. In hindsight, that was a rather dense idea as it only resulted in Tengen casually grabbing him by the collar and pulling him right back to the group. The second attempt was thwarted by a pointed look Shinobu shot him that made him stop mid-motion. Anyone else Sanemi did not really care about but Tengen and Shinobu were the two people he did not want to cross in this specific situation. Shinobu because she had something about her that held power over him. And Tengen because the self-proclaimed god of festivals took festive matters deathly serious, making it a great risk to not adhere to his orders in this matter. And even though Sanemi was strong, Tengen was a tad bit stronger and probably able to pin him down if fueled by his festive rage. And thus, Sanemi accepted his fate with a sigh and shook his head when Shinobu asked if anyone had any questions.

While the crowd dispersed, Sanemi looked down at the note in his hand and grimaced. At least he did not have to help with any other preparations. Spending the next morning in the kitchen to prepare his assigned dish was annoying enough. For all that mattered, it was not a very complicated dish and even one that Sanemi had made a few times before. But combined with the very clear message that anyone who did not show up or did not wear a costume would be burned at the stake, this did sour Sanemi’s mood quite a bit. A shiver ran down his spine when he remembered the leopard onesie Shinobu had made him wear for a Halloween party a few years ago. At least this year he had known in advance – or rather, learnt from his mistakes – and had had enough time to figure out his costume by himself. Even though he was no fan of dressing up, this was still better than having to wear whatever Shinobu found for him.

Sanemi looked up when he heard loud laughter. He saw Tengen picking both Kyoujurou and Mitsuri up and whirling them around, almost mowing down Obanai and Shinobu in the process. Both of them barely dodged the human missiles and Sanemi decided that now was the right time to take a break. Suspiciously glancing at Tengen, he quickly moved to the closest one of the leaf doors. With one last look over his shoulder, he slipped through the door, closing it behind him quietly. He waited for a moment, half expecting Tengen to barge through the door at any moment, but nothing happened. Sanemi sighed in relief and looked up. He grimaced when he realized his mistake. Instead of making it through the entrance, he now found himself on one of the many balconies of the butterfly mansion. This one was overlooking its garden and a quick glance told him that jumping was a decision he would direly regret. And thus, he had no other choice than to stay on the balcony and wait this out.

Slowly, Sanemi meandered across the balcony and leaned against its balustrade. The stone felt cold under his fingers and somehow, this was a comforting contrast to the hustling and bustling inside the butterfly mansion. He took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp night air. Autumn had granted them a few red and golden weeks but by now, most leaves had fallen, turning into brown leaf piles that crumbled under the weight of a person walking over them. And while Sanemi did enjoy the winter with its crystal-clear air and the chance of snow, seeing autumn go made him feel a bit wistful. He stared down at the garden bathed in darkness, surprised that he was even capable of having this feeling. He was not usually the type to ponder over things he could not change and sadness and melancholia were emotions he only knew from a distance. And yet, he was standing alone in the dark, lifting his face to the starry sky above, strange feelings dancing in his heart.

A soft creaking sound jolted him from his thoughts and he turned around in time to see the leaf door opening a second time. And just like he had before, a person slipped through the opening, apparently not wanting to be seen either. Sanemi squinted and in the moment where the person turned to close the door, light flowed over their face, illuminating familiar features. Sanemi watched silently as Giyuu turned around, facing the balcony. He was well aware that Giyuu was not able to see him until his eyes had adjusted to the night and for a split second, he contemplated slinking away into the darkness. But apparently, this night made him mellow and instead of fleeing, he just waited for Giyuu to notice him.

When he did, Giyuu froze in place, his blue eyes widening. “I …,” he stammered, “I, uh, sorry. I didn’t think someone was here.”

He made a move to leave the balcony but Sanemi heaved a deep sigh and gestured vaguely to the balustrade. “It’s fine,” he murmured. “Balcony’s big enough for both of us.”

Giyuu’s eyes went wide as saucers and he opened his mouth and closed it again, apparently thunderstruck that Sanemi had not yelled at him for once, that he had not even said something unkind. Careful as if he did not trust the situation, Giyuu walked closer and leaned against the balustrade, keeping a safe distance from Sanemi.

For a while, they both kept silent. Sanemi turned back towards the garden and let his gaze wander over the dark silhouettes only slightly resembling the trees and bushes they were during the day. When it felt like he had stared at each blade of grass at least once, he lifted his gaze and stared at the sky. Not a single cloud veiled the thousands of stars piercing through the black of the night. And somehow, this sight made Sanemi feel calm for once. Next to him, he heard Giyuu’s quiet, steady breathing and he absentmindedly asked himself when he had started tolerating Giyuu’s presence. Only a few months ago, even the sight of Giyuu’s face had made him aggressive. But right here and now, it almost felt right that Giyuu was standing next to him, silently looking up to the stars.

A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and Sanemi looked up just in time to see a shooting star trailing over the night sky, glowing even more than the stars around it, leaving a faint, shimmering afterglow.

“Make a wish,” Sanemi muttered to himself. Next to him, Giyuu moved and when Sanemi looked up, he met Giyuu’s gaze.

A strange expression lay in Giyuu’s eyes when he looked at Sanemi. His mouth moved silently and for only a moment, he looked very vulnerable. His eyes took on an almost longing expression that made Sanemi’s skin tingle. But when he tried to make sense of it, Giyuu’s face quickly turned back to his usual blank expression and he turned away. But even then, Sanemi could make out the hint of red on Giyuu’s cheeks. And somewhere in the back of his mind, a small voice whispered that he knew exactly what Giyuu wished for.

Giyuu quickly turned away, cursing himself when he felt his cheeks blush. He fought off the urge to slam his head against the balustrade and instead stared into the dark without seeing what lay before his eyes. The shooting star had caught him off guard and when he had heard Sanemi’s soft whisper, he had turned around and looked at him almost without noticing. The wish echoing through his mind and heart had pulled his gaze to Sanemi as if by magic and when their eyes had met, Giyuu’s legs had almost given in. Now that he looked away again, his heartbeat slowly calmed down, even though he could feel Sanemi’s eyes still resting on him. One warm shiver after the other ran down his spine and Giyuu desperately asked himself when exactly his body had started reacting like this to Sanemi’s very presence.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Sanemi did not look at him anymore and a storm of relief and woe surged through him. For a moment, his hand trembled as if it was about to reach out for Sanemi and Giyuu quickly clenched it to a fist. He shook his head and took a step back, his heart fluttering in his chest. He had to leave before he did something he would regret later.

“I’ll be going,” he murmured and when Sanemi looked up, another hot shiver ran down his back. “See you at the party.”

And before Sanemi even had the chance to say something, Giyuu whirled around and fled the balcony and his lingering feelings. He slipped through the leaf door, hoping that the door falling shut would also shut out the strange feelings possessing his body and mind. But when he hastened through the now empty hall of the butterfly mansion, he felt his heart still thundering in his chest. He quickened his pace, scared that he would turn around and go back if he did not force himself to keep going. Timid as a hare, he fled the butterfly mansion and only slowed down when it had disappeared behind the horizon.

But while he could leave the mansion behind, he could not escape his own mind and when he came home, slipped out of his haori and crawled into bed, Sanemi was with him for every step. And when Giyuu finally closed his eyes in a last, desperate attempt to get Sanemi out of his mind, Sanemi’s face was all he saw when he slowly drifted into a restless slumber.

The next day greeted Giyuu with golden sunshine and a lot of work. He was one of the unlucky ones who had to prepare a rather complicated dish as Shinobu knew that he could cook fairly well. And thus, he spent the biggest part of the day in the kitchen which at least took his mind off the past evening. When he finally got done preparing the food, he barely had enough to slip into his costume before he had to head for the butterfly mansion.

It did feel rather weird to walk along the street dressed in a long black coat and with an even paler face than usual, thanks to the powder he had used for ghoulish white skin. And on top of that, he carried a stack of boxes in his arms that held the food he had prepared. When the butterfly mansion finally came in sight, he heaved a sigh of relief and the prospect of attending a Halloween party suddenly seemed less terrifying than having to see one more traveler stare at him with widened eyes while he walked by.

Somehow, he managed to knock at the door and not let the boxes fall down in the process. He waited for a moment – and flinched when a huge moth opened the door. He stared at the giant thing entirely bewildered before he noticed Shinobu’s head between the enormous wings.

“What – what are you?” Giyuu gasped, taking a step back.

Shinobu danced closer and took half of the containers he was carrying, grinning at him. “Moth woman, of course,” she said and gracefully whirled around so that he could see her costume from all sides.

And while Giyuu felt the overwhelming urge to flee, he forced himself to nod, trying to look impressed rather than horrified. “That’s quite … formidable,” he squeezed out and winced when Shinobu grabbed his wrist, pulling him through the door.

“I know,” Shinobu replied with a smile when she closed the door behind him and dragged him across the entrance hall that was decorated with red candles and an unsettling amount of spider webs.

Before Giyuu even had the chance to process her costume, she had already dragged him to the biggest hall in the mansion that had once been the main infirmary and now served as a ballroom. Shinobu motioned for him to follow her, quite an impressive endeavor as she still held Giyuu’s wrist with one hand and half of his boxes with the other, and together they walked along the wall to rows of tables that were covered in every food imaginable.

Relieved, Giyuu followed Shinobu’s example and added his dishes to the feast, grateful to finally be able to set the boxes down. He carefully arranged them and nodded to himself, satisfied with his work. When he turned to face Shinobu, she smiled at him and said, “Thank you. And now enjoy the party.”

And with that, the giant moth fluttered away, quickly swallowed by a crowd of more or less terrifying creatures. Giyuu stayed at the table for a moment, letting his gaze wander over the people. There seemed to be even more than he had known about beforehand and he absentmindedly asked himself how Shinobu even knew this many people. But then, he remembered how closely she worked together with the Kakushi and suddenly, it made sense. And this was also an explanation as to why most partygoers were not only wearing costumes but also masks covering their faces. Even on their days off, the Kakushi seemed intent on veiling their faces and thus, Giyuu could see a rather stunning variety of masks and even full-on heads that made for a bizarre collection of creatures.

Giyuu spent the first two hours giving his best to forget that he was not fond of crowds, parties, or people in general. He moved through the crowd, stopping whenever someone started speaking to him which happened surprisingly often. He got complimented on his vampire costume pretty often, though he was not sure it was a good thing that everyone said it worked very well with his appearance and personality. At some point, Giyuu made the mistake to run into Tengen, dressed as … something.

“Tomioka, you look just like yourself,” Tengen thundered and patted Giyuu’s back rather violently.

Giyuu quickly dodged his hand and looked at the half-mask covering Tengen’s face. The mask was embellished with jewels and looked as flashy as one would expect from anything Tengen wore. It did work well with the kimono with intricate patterns Tengen wore, a long black cape finalizing the outfit, very similar to the one Giyuu was wearing. “Thanks, I guess,” Giyuu said and when Tengen grinned at him, he asked, “and what are you?”

“The phantom of the opera, of course,” Tengen gloated and elegantly spun around, his coat swirling and sparkling, revealing the myriads of black pearls sewn into it.

“Ah, of course, very flashy indeed,” Giyuu replied and nodded earnestly which seemed to satisfy Tengen. And while Tengen dove back into the crowd, Giyuu asked himself what on earth a phantom of an opera would even be.

After that, Giyuu slowly started to feel exhausted. Once, his heart almost stopped when he saw a shinigami that fortunately turned out to be no other than Gyoumei - though the thought of Gyoumei coming for his soul was rather unsettling as well. After that, seeing Obanai wrapped in bandages from head to toe, only leaving out his eyes, and Mitsuri as a ghost bride in a beautiful white dress and veil and with a hauntingly pale face accompanying the Obanai mummy, did not even seem that scary anymore. Giyuu steered clear of them, even though these two probably were one of the safer options in this ballroom. At least, Mitsuri did the talking for Giyuu while Obanai usually did not say anything at all which was an improvement to Tengen and Shinobu expecting Giyuu to actually engage in conversation.

With a sigh, Giyuu found himself a quiet, dark spot in a corner next to the buffet. He even found a chair he could slump down on and he quickly noticed that watching the others from afar was a good compromise for him. And maybe, if he found the energy, he would even seek out Kyoujurou later as he had not seen his costume yet. But for now, sitting in a corner recharging seemed like the best option. He glanced over at the buffet, trying to decide whether he should get something to eat. His stomach rumbled quietly but he did not have it in him to get up just yet.

A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked up, wincing when he noticed someone standing only two steps away, looking at him. His gaze wandered over a brown fur cape and a fluffy tail peeking out from it. Above that, a well-defined upper body was barely covered by a shirt that looked like powerful claws had tried to rip it to pieces. Something about the sight felt vaguely familiar and when Giyuu looked up, he spotted two small pointy ears over white hair. And when the penny finally dropped, Giyuu’s eyes widened.

“Sanemi?” he gasped and, before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “Your ears are so cute!”

When he realized that he had said this out loud, his hand flew to his mouth and he quickly hunched up his shoulders, expecting Sanemi to punch him off his chair at any moment now. But when nothing happened, Giyuu looked up and saw Sanemi staring at him with a very strange expression on his face. A muscle in his cheek twitched and for once, Giyuu was not sure whether Sanemi was about to scream or laugh. “Sorry,” he hastily said, “I … uh, well.”

Sanemi pulled a face, apparently unsure of how to handle the situation. Then, he reluctantly said, “Thanks,” and after a small pause, “Your costume looks pretty good, too.”

Giyuu’s ears started ringing and he quickly got up from the chair, taking a step back. Something was wrong with Sanemi and it was not just the fact that he had turned into a werewolf for the night. His behavior was unsettling enough that Giyuu barely noticed how hot he looked in his costume. Barely. He violently shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought, and instead started looking for a way to escape. If Sanemi said something nice and especially to Giyuu, that could mean nothing short of the world being about to end in a very sudden and gruesome way.

“I’m not gonna bite you,” Sanemi said, apparently noticing Giyuu’s turmoil. “Biting is more of your domain tonight anyways, isn’t it?”

Giyuu froze and his skin started feeling hot when images of his mouth on Sanemi’s neck flashed through his mind. He desperately tried to clear his mind, but to no avail. His heart started beating faster and he nervously looked around, trying to find an excuse to get away before he slipped up. And of course, this was exactly the moment his stomach chose to produce a loud rumbling sound.

And just like that, the corners of Sanemi’s mouth started to lift. “Hungry?” he asked. “Not for blood, I hope.”

“If it’s yours, I’d take it,” Giyuu said before he could put a leash to his thoughts. His cheeks instantly felt hot and he grimaced, trying to suppress the urge to slam his head against the wall.

Sanemi looked at him for a moment before he started to grin, sending one hot shiver after the other over Giyuu’s back. “I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or a threat, but I’ll take it either way.”

Giyuu stared at him thunderstruck and when Sanemi did not look away, his legs started to feel shaky. Mesmerized by Sanemi’s gaze, he looked into his dark eyes helplessly. And when he saw the pensive expression in them, it felt like the world was spinning around him.

For a moment, they both stayed quiet. But when another loud rumble from Giyuu’s stomach tore the silence apart, startling them both, Sanemi started moving. Before Giyuu could react, he walked over to the buffet and bent down, searching through a bag under the table. When his cape moved a bit to the side, Giyuu could not help but stare at his muscular back that was conveniently visible through the tears in his shirt. When Sanemi got back up, he held a small box in his hands. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate and the uncertainty in his eyes made Giyuu’s heart melt. But then, Sanemi straightened his shoulders and came back.

When he had reached Giyuu, he looked down at the box in his hands. His mouth opened and closed again and Giyuu held his breath, anxiously awaiting what would happen next. He could almost see the storm of thoughts warring in Sanemi’s mind. And then, Sanemi gave up, sighed, and took the lid off the box.

It took Giyuu quite some effort to tear his look from Sanemi’s face. But when he finally did, he looked down at the box in Sanemi’s hands. For a moment, he could not make sense of what he was seeing. He blankly stared down at the perfectly round rice cakes that were evenly covered in a beautiful dark red bean paste. For a moment, the world turned still. And when the puzzle pieces finally fell into place, Giyuu’s body trembled under the impact.

“Are those ohagi?” he asked, his voice giving in when he saw the vulnerable expression on Sanemi’s face.

“They are,” Sanemi said quietly. He paused and then, a timid smile appeared on his face. “Would you like to share them with me?”

And when the last word had left his mouth, Giyuu’s legs gave in. He sank down on the chair, all strength leaving his body. Again and again, the shooting star they had seen last night flashed through his mind, its afterglow brighter and brighter until it darkened the world, leaving only Sanemi’s face behind. The unspoken words of the wish Giyuu held in his heart echoed through his mind and when he looked up at Sanemi, he asked himself whether he was stuck in a bizarre, impossible, heartbreakingly beautiful dream.

“How did you know?” he whispered, his heart hammering in his chest.

And when Sanemi looked down at him, his smile turned warmer, sending Giyuu’s heart tumbling into a future that now seemed tangible. “A shooting star told me.”

[rainbowfey]

30 "Forever?"

@flufftober

Her soft smile turned into a pained grimace as she desperately reached out for him. Tanjirou sprinted towards her, trying to grab her hand but before he could even come close, she faded away, vanishing into the abyssal void that had devoured everyone he loved. And while her eyes grew dim as the darkness engulfed her, he screamed his lungs out, crying her name.

With a start, Tanjirou shot up, his heart thundering in his chest. He clutched his throat, struggling for air while the anguish suffocating him only slowly faded. While he stared into the dark, he focused his attention on his breathing, desperately trying to calm down. The nightmare still held him fiercely in its claws and he blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears blurring his vision.

Breathe in, breathe out. In, out.

And while the pain raging within him only very reluctantly subsided, he clung onto his breathing for dear life. And with each deep breath, he took another step back to reality, leaving the realm of his nightmares behind. Finally, he could breathe freely again, though his chest still felt tight.

Strained, he sank down again but the very moment his head touched the pillow, his heart started racing again and he shot up once more. Tanjirou violently shook his head but he instinctively knew that he would not find peace in his dreams, should he try to fall asleep again now. And the thought of Nezuko vanishing into the darkness once more was haunting enough that he decided to stay awake rather than going back to sleep.

Careful not to wake up anybody else, he slipped out of his futon. His bare feet hardly made any sound as he walked across the room, drawn to the silver moonlight glistening behind the windows like a drowning person to land. As quietly as possible, he opened the door and slipped through the crack.

The night beyond the windows greeted him with its cold embrace and even though his thin pajama barely protected him from the cold, Tanjirou closed the door behind him and walked onto the terrace laying behind the room. For a moment he stood still, marveling at the garden unfolding before him. The moonlight bathed it in its silver glow, blurring the harsh contours of the fountain and the trees lining the garden until everything looked almost soft. Tanjirou smiled faintly at the sight and took a deep breath, relishing the cold air anchoring him in reality. He was alive, Nezuko was alive, and she and three of the other most important people in his life were right behind that door in his back, sleeping peacefully.

Tanjirou heaved a deep sigh and let himself sink down, leaning against the wall separating the room from the terrace. His fingers and feet started feeling cold but he was not yet ready to return to the darkness awaiting him behind the door. Instead, his gaze rested on the silver garden. A soft breeze rustled through leaves and grass and somewhere far away, he even heard the croaking of a frog, followed by a small splashing sound as it jumped into the pond that lay in the heart of the garden.

Oh, to be this small and innocent, Tanjirou thought to himself. He sighed and closed his eyes, the back of his head resting against the wall. His nightmares had started a few weeks ago, occurring only once every few nights. If he was not mistaken, it had started with a fight where for a split second he had thought he had lost Nezuko. Only a moment later, she struck down their foe with a fierce blow but that one second was enough to shake Tanjirou to his core. Since then, the nightmares had gotten more frequent until he dreamt the same horrible dream every single night. And every night, he awoke with a silent scream, tears in his eyes and a fire raging in his chest that nothing but time and calm could soothe. The first few times he had compulsively checked on Nezuko and everyone he held dear, desperately trying to convince himself that they were alright, that this was only in his head. Now, he had gotten used to the nightmare to a point where he at least knew from his awakening on that this was not real.

Another soft croaking pulled Tanjirou from his thoughts and he opened one eye, trying to spot the frog now rustling somewhere in the grass. On a night like this, it was easier to shatter the remnants of his nightmare as the world seemed peaceful and still. Tanjirou opened his other eye and looked up at the sky. The moon hung low, a bit bigger than usual and even though the night was the realm of the demons, Tanjirou felt safe under this all-seeing moon. A myriad of stars sparkled high above him, slivers of hope in an eternal dark. Only a few clouds veiled the sky, thin and weak, not able to drown out the serene moonlight. Tanjirou weakly smiled to himself and closed his eyes again, hoping that he would now find rest. The cold tugged at his skin but the mesmerizing moon kept him in a trance.

“Tanjirou?” a soft voice asked and Tanjirou looked up.

Without a sound, the door had slid open. A pale face looked around the garden and when its gaze fell on Tanjirou, its beautiful cyan eyes widened. Before Tanjirou could say anything, Muichiro quickly vanished back into the darkness of the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Tanjirou sighed when surreal dream images floated back into his mind. Before Nezuko had vanished, the darkness had swallowed Muichiro. His eyes widened, a pleading look on his face, he had reached out for Tanjirou. Tanjirou had desperately tried to reach him, fighting against the force holding him back, and when their fingers had touched, just when he thought he could save Muichiro, the darkness had slung its tendrils around him, pulling him away. And when his hand had slipped out of Tanjirou’s grip, Tanjirou felt a piece of his soul going with him.

Muichiro’s last scream still echoed through Tanjirou’s mind and his chest tightened again. His nails dug into his palms as he struggled to breathe, desperately fighting against the overwhelming sense of loss. He stared into the dark garden, frantically searching for something he could hold on to as the darkness reached for him.

And then, he heard quiet footsteps. The door closed and then, somebody walked towards him. Tanjirou closed his eyes, struggling for composure. He did not want Muichiro to see him like this but the lump in his throat only grew, suffocating him. He gasped for air and his vision grew blurry. He barely noticed how Muichiro knelt down before him, gently placing his hands on Tanjirou’s shoulders.

“Tanjirou, listen to me,” Muichiro said firmly. “You need to breathe, now. Look at me!”

Fighting for air, Tanjirou looked up and met Muichiro’s gaze. It was full of concern and Tanjirou’s eyes started burning. The moon seemed to dim, darkness creeping closer from the edges of his vision.

“Tanjirou, breathe,” Muichiro pleaded, his voice trembling ever so slightly. “We’ll do it together. Breathe in, breathe out.”

At first, Tanjirou’s lungs rebelled against it but when he focused on Muichiro’s face, the panic slowly subsided. Together, they took long, deep breaths. At first, Tanjirou felt like the air around him was too thin but when he kept following Muichiro’s lead, his racing heart started to slow down and he finally felt air filling his lungs once again.

“You’re doing great,” Muichiro said and gently squeezed Tanjirou’s shoulder. “Keep breathing, it will all be alright.”

Tanjirou nodded and kept focusing on his breathing. The pressure in his chest lessened and he felt the darkness retreating, releasing its icy grip around him. Muichiro’s face still looked deathly pale but he smiled at Tanjirou encouragingly. While Tanjirou focused on the mesmerizing cyan of Muichiro’s eyes, Muichiro looked down. When he saw Tanjirou clawing at his own hands, his eyes widened. He let go of Tanjirou’s shoulders and carefully grabbed his hands. Gently, he pried Tanjirou’s fingers open and slipped his own hands in Tanjirou’s, preventing him from digging his nails even further into his skin.

“I’m here, Tanjirou,” he said calmly. “You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

And when Tanjirou looked at him, Muichiro’s eyes full of concern and affection, he broke. He closed his eyes, desperately trying to hold back the tears that started burning behind his eyelids. He grabbed Muichiro’s hands, holding on to him, his warmth a glowing light in an eternal darkness. His body started trembling and he heard Muichiro say something, but the words did not reach him. He rocked back and forth, trying to free himself from the storm of memories thundering against the borders of his mind. And then, he felt two arms wrapping around him, pulling him close. Tanjirou threw himself into the embrace and buried his face in Muichiro’s chest, feeling his heart beat against his cheek.

“It’s okay, Tanjirou. I’m here,” Muichiro whispered. “I’ll always be here.”

And Tanjirou held onto him for dear life, afraid that if he let go of him, Muichiro would vanish into the darkness. “Forever?” he asked, his voice shaking.

Muichiro pulled him even closer, his warmth engulfing Tanjirou. “Forever.”

The word filled the air around them, silver as the moon, endless like the stars. A word, only one word, and yet a promise greater than the world itself. And in this moment, Tanjirou knew that Muichiro would keep this promise, even if it meant that he would let world would burn for him.

The storm raging within him stilled and suddenly, he heard the croaking in the distance again. The world started to fill with colors and sounds again. The soft breeze rustled through the trees, water bickered and the frog croaked once more. And even closer, he heard Muichiro’s heartbeat and felt his chest moving softly with each breath.

And slowly, Tanjirou started to relax. His tears dried up and the tension left his body. He breathed in and felt the crisp air of a late autumn night filling his lungs. Muichiro’s familiar scent tickled his nose and Tanjirou sighed contentedly, still burying his face in Muichiro’s chest.

“You’re freezing,” Muichiro muttered and for a moment, Tanjirou felt him moving. Then, Muichiro draped a blanket around them both, shielding them against the cold. “That’s better.”

For a while, they sat in silence, Muichiro’s arms wrapped around Tanjirou and the blanket wrapped around them both. Slowly, Tanjirou’s hands and feet started to warm up. And after a while, he finally let go of Muichiro and looked up to him. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I needed that.”

Muichiro smiled at him softly. “Would you like to tell me what’s been on your mind?”

Tanjirou hesitated but then he nodded. He had managed to keep his nightmares and panic attacks from everyone for weeks now, this was the first time he had not been able to hide them any longer. And somehow, that took a weight off his mind. “I’ve been having nightmares,” he started, carefully searching for the right words. “They’ve been getting worse. At first, it was only once in a while but now, I dream the same thing every night.”

Muichiro moved a bit to the side so that he could look at Tanjirou. However, he did not break the connection between them, their legs touching even now. “What is the dream about?”

Tanjirou hesitated. For a moment, he was scared that the panic would return should he talk about it. But then, he saw the warmth in Muichiro’s eyes and knew that he was safe either way. “At first, I am alone,” he said slowly. “There’s nothing around me, just a wide, dim space. But then, people appear around me. In the beginning, they don’t have faces but then I blink and they turn into everyone I love. They’re all smiling at me.”

He paused, struggling for words. Muichiro reached for his hand and gently intertwined his fingers with Tanjirou’s. Grateful, Tanjirou held on to him when he reluctantly continued, images from his nightmare flashing before his eyes. “They surround me and I feel at peace. But then, darkness closes in on us. One by one, they are taken from me, the darkness swallows them up. I can see their fear. I hear their screams when they beg me to save them.”

Tanjirou shuddered and stared at the ground. His voice trembled when he said, “I’m trying, I’m trying so hard. But every time I get close, they get ripped away and vanish. They disappear into the darkness and I know they will never come back.”

Muichiro softly brushed his thumb over Tanjirou’s hand and listened silently. Tanjirou took a deep breath and quietly said, “I can’t save them. I lose everyone I love. I can see their pain when they are swallowed by the darkness.” He paused and looked up, his heart aching when he looked at Muichiro. “I’m reaching out for you and I’m almost there, I can even touch you. And for a moment I think I can save you but then you are taken from me.”

For a moment, they both fell silent. Muichiro’s grip around his hand tightened and when Tanjirou looked at him, Muichiro’s face had taken on a determined expression. “I will never let that happen,” he said, a blue fire burning in his eyes. “I will never let go of you.”

And for the first time this night, Tanjirou felt safe. He leaned against Muichiro, his head resting on his shoulder. “I know,” he said softly. “And I love you for that.”

The words left his mouth, dancing through the air. What has been spoken cannot be taken back. And while the silver moon smiled down at them, Muichiro whispered, “I love you too.”

[rainbowfey]

29 "I've got you."

@flufftober

The Kasugai crow curiously peered at the piece of paper Kyoujurou unfolded, tilting its small head while watching him. Kyoujurou grinned at his crow and held the paper out to it. “Wanna read it out to me?” he asked and laughed when his crow shot him a look that could only be described as indignant.

His crow cawed at him, apparently not considering his joke worth an actual reply. And while still grinning to himself, Kyoujurou looked back at the letter the crow had brought him. While that was not unusual in itself, Kyoujurou was used to his crow telling him who the sender was. This letter though was decidedly mysterious as even his crow did not know who had sent it to him. Apparently, it had been brought to him by another crow who had only told him that the letter was urgent and had to reach Kyoujurou as quickly as possible.

Curious, Kyoujurou held the letter close to his face, squinting while he tried to make out the scrawny letters sprawled over the paper. Somehow, the handwriting seemed rather familiar but he could not place it. Instead, he focused on the short message scribbled onto the paper.

“Kyoujurou,” he read out loud, smiling to himself when his crow hopped onto his shoulder, peeking at the letter, “my time has come. If you want to see me one last time, meet me where we used to watch the sunset. I shall be waiting.”

Kyoujurou paused and exchanged a confused glance with his crow. “That does seem rather dramatic,” he murmured. “And it’s not signed. What do you think who sent the letter?”

His crow moved its wings as if it tried to shrug. “An idiot,” it cawed and tilted its head, looking at Kyoujurou with an amused sparkle in its dark eyes. “Your idiot.”

Kyoujurou stared at his crow speechlessly for a moment which evoked a croaky laugh. “You mean … Tengen?” he asked, just to be sure, and his crow nodded decidedly.

Kyoujurou thought about it for a moment, torn between protesting and laughing. While a bit mean-spirited, the suspicion was indeed spot on. And now that he thought about it, the ominous remark about watching the sunset also fit his crow’s guess as he vividly remembered many nights of him and Tengen watching the sunset from the roof of Tengen’s house.

“Well, to Tengen’s mansion then,” he said with a grin and his crow rolled its eyes. “You don’t have to accompany me, Kaname. We’ll meet up later.”

And when he smiled at his crow, it nestled up to his cheek and cawed softly before carefully pushing off his shoulder and soaring into the sky. Kyoujurou watched his companion fly away with a smile before he turned the other direction and started on the path leading him to Tengen’s home. While walking, he took another good look at the letter and involuntarily asked himself whether this was just another one of Tengen’s jokes or whether he was actually being serious for once. And somehow, this thought unsettled him just enough to quicken his pace until he raced along the street, blowing up dust.

Less than an hour later, Kyoujurou finally reached Tengen’s mansion that was equally as flashy as Tengen himself was. Even though he was fairly certain that the letter was just one of Tengen’s many theatrics he could not shake off the urge to see for himself, just to make sure that Tengen was alright after all. When he knocked at the door, he was surprised to notice that his heart was beating a bit faster than he would expect, even after a sprint like this. He glanced down at his hands and paused when he saw them trembling slightly. Confused, he clenched them to fists and then slowly relaxed them again but they still felt a bit shaky.

This endeavor distracted him enough that he only realized after a moment that nobody had answered the door. Kyoujurou furled his brows and knocked again, this time more firmly. “Tengen?” he called out. “It’s me, open up.”

But the mansion stayed silent. Kyoujurou held his breath when his heart started beating even faster. He looked down at his chest skeptically, unsure of what to make of it. He knocked again, this time with so much force that the door shook in its hinges. But again, nobody came to the door. Absentmindedly, Kyoujurou pulled the letter from his pocket and read it again, wondering whether he had misread where to meet Tengen. A small voice in his mind whispered that he might have even been mistaken in his assumption of who wrote the letter, but Kyoujurou pushed it aside. “Meet me where we used to watch the sunset,” he muttered to himself, helplessly staring at the letter.

When the words did not change, he sighed and looked up at the sky that was now slowly turning a beautiful shade of red as the sun sank down to the horizon. And when Kyoujurou looked at the sun, his head shot up. Where they watched the sunset, that could only mean one thing. At first, he had simply thought of Tengen’s mansion but now that he thought about it, they had always made themselves comfortable on the roof deck of the house when watching the sunset.

Kyoujurou shot the door a pensive look before he shrugged and turned around, leaving it behind. He walked along the wall lining the property to a point where he could easily climb it. When he was on top of the wall, he balanced on it and walked back to the house, climbing up its side with slow and steady movements. In less than five minutes, he had made it to the roof and carefully walked over it to the other side of the house where the roof deck faced the backside of the mansion, overlooking the garden and the lake that lay behind it.

From where he stood, he could not view the deck and thus, he laid down, back facing the garden, and carefully lowered his body from the roof down until his feet touched the deck. And when he had found safe footing, he let go of the roof and safely landed on the deck.

“Ah, fair friend,” a voice behind him said weakly. “You’ve made it in time.”

Kyoujurou turned around – and flinched when he saw Tengen laying on a cot, his hand hanging down to the floor. While Kyoujurou still stared at him entirely bewildered, Tengen slowly sat up, his face twisting with exhaustion. “I am glad that I can see your beautiful face one last time.”

Kyoujurou stood frozen in place, staring at Tengen who now smiled at him feebly, reaching out for him with a trembling hand. “What … what are you talking about?” Kyoujurou heard himself ask.

Tengen sighed heavily and shot him a deeply sorrowful smile. “You’ll have to be brave, my friend. Promise me that you’ll be brave.”

Kyoujurou waited but when Tengen looked at him, seemingly expecting an answer, he nodded. “I promise,” Kyoujurou said, a strange shiver running down his spine.

Tengen nodded weakly. “Good, good. It pains me to say it but … my time has come. I am standing on death’s doorstep and I wanted to see your beloved face one last time before I greet death as my friend and guardian.”

“You … what?” Kyoujurou asked. His ears started ringing when he stared at Tengen’s pale face, desperately trying to make sense of what Tengen was saying.

Tengen’s eyes were full of sorrow when he nodded gravely. Slowly, he hoisted himself up and shakily got up, his legs trembling under his weight. Kyoujurou watched speechlessly as Tengen slowly stumbled towards him.

And then, Tengen’s legs gave in and he fell forward. In a flash, Kyoujurou dove towards him and caught him just in time. “I’ve got you,” he gasped, wrapping his arms around Tengen.

Kneeling on the ground, he held Tengen in his arms who now looked up to him and slowly reached out, cupping Kyoujurou’s cheek with his hand. “My beloved,” he whispered, “I always knew I’d like to die in your arms.”

For a moment, they stared at each other and Kyoujurou’s heart raced in his chest, confused by how his body reacted to Tengen’s warmth and by the entirely bizarre situation. And then, he snapped out of it and glared at Tengen, fury bubbling in his chest. “Cut the crap out,” he hissed and abruptly got up, pulling Tengen up with him.

While Tengen hung over him like a sack of potatoes, Kyoujurou dragged him back to the cot and rather ungently made him sit back down. He let go of him and Tengen immediately started slumping down and Kyoujurou quickly grabbed his wrists, stabilizing him. When he was sure Tengen would not just flop to the side again, he knelt down before him and stared at him. “Now tell me, what is wrong with you?”

Tengen heaved a deep sigh, blinking slowly. When he spoke, his voice dragged as if every word cost him all of his remaining strength. “My body is turning against me,” he squeezed out. “The air itself is trying to suffocate me.”

Kyoujurou stared at him for a moment before he pointedly drew a deep breath. “I don’t feel it,” he said, furrowing an eyebrow.

Tengen weakly shook his head and wrung his hands. “There’s a fire raging within me and it will consume me at any moment now. I might only have mere minutes left.”

Kyoujurou tilted his head. “Good thing I’m the Flame Hashira,” he said. “I know a thing or two about fire.”

And while Tengen looked at him, a plaintive expression on his face, Kyoujurou reached for him and gently felt his forehead. He nodded to himself when Tengen’s skin felt hot under his fingers. “Not quite fire,” he explained, “but rather a light fever I’d say.”

Tengen groaned and his shoulders sank down. “I knew it,” he proclaimed rather dramatically, “the fever is eating me alive until there’s nothing left of me than ashes. Please bury me under my favorite tree, will you?”

Kyoujurou gave him a stern look. “You don’t have a favorite tree, Tengen,” he replied while taking a closer look. Now that he had an idea what to watch out for, he quickly noticed that the skin around Tengen’s nose seemed irritated. And when he glanced at the cot, he could see a box of tissues conveniently hidden under it.

As if to confirm his suspicion, Tengen grabbed his throat and made a choking sound. “I can’t breathe,” he gasped and producing a rattling breath.

Kyoujurou softly sighed and nodded. “I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on,” he muttered, more to himself than anything.

But Tengen leaned closer and grabbed his wrists, looking at him with his eyes wide as saucers. “Will you stand with me as I fight my last battle?” he asked insistently, his eyes fixed on Kyoujurou.

Kyoujurou tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up in his throat. Now that he had convinced himself that Tengen was in fact not dying but rather suffering from this renowned and mysterious illness called man flu, his heartbeat quickly calmed down. He smiled to himself and shook his head.

“You will not?” Tengen asked shell-shocked, clutching his chest. And when Kyoujurou looked up, he saw that the hurt in Tengen’s eyes was genuine this time.

Kyoujurou quickly reached for Tengen and gently squeezed his hand. “I will always stand with you,” he said softly before straightening his shoulders. “But for this battle, I have an even better idea.”

For a moment, a tender smile appeared on Tengen’s lips, his face softening before he suddenly seemed to remember that he was deathly ill and therefore had to look as ailing as possible. “What is it?” he breathed, his eyes dramatically wide.

Kyoujurou grinned and held his other hand out to Tengen. And when Tengen placed his hand in Kyoujurou’s, he pulled him up and said, “If you follow me, I’ll show you.”

Together, they left the roof deck and walked down to the living room. Or rather, Kyoujurou walked and dragged Tengen with him who seemed rather content clinging to Kyoujurou like a particularly giant sack of potatoes. When they finally reached the living room, Kyoujurou was out of breath and he was glad that he could place Tengen on the sofa where he laid down with a dramatic groan.

“I’ll be right back,” Kyoujurou said and turned to leave when Tengen abruptly grabbed his wrist.

He turned back and found Tengen looking at him with wide eyes. “If I die while you’re gone,” Tengen asked, “will you remember me fondly?”

For a moment, Kyoujurou was torn between explaining to Tengen that he would not die and slapping him. But then he realized that this was a game two could play. And while laughing internally, he forced a wistful expression to his face. With grand pathos, he grabbed a blanket from the pile next to the sofa and carefully tucked Tengen in. Then, he leaned closer and gave Tengen a soft kiss on the forehead. “I could never forget you, my love,” he whispered, blinking rapidly as if he had to fight back tears. And while Tengen still stared at him thunderstruck, Kyoujurou clutched his heart and ran out of the living room, weeping loudly.

Only when he had closed the door behind him, did he allow himself to burst into laughter. Tengen’s face was priceless. He had very obviously not expected Kyoujurou to turn the tables and surprisingly, the whole game was way more fun if he tried to one-up Tengen in it. However, even with all of Tengen’s theatrics, it did seem like he had caught quite the cold. Not life-threatening, of course, but a bit uncomfortable nonetheless. And since Kyoujurou did not have any other plans, he might as well do Tengen the favor and nurse him back to health. And while still chuckling to himself, Kyoujurou searched through the kitchen, satisfied with what he found.

Half an hour later, Kyoujurou headed back to the living room, balancing a tray in his hands. When he opened the door, he caught Tengen humming to himself before he quickly put on his face of suffering, dramatically sniffling into a tissue. “My body gives up on me,” he greeted Kyoujurou and put his hand on his forehead, slightly leaning back. “Death is near, I can feel it.”

“I will fight him off,” Kyoujurou said reassuringly and set the tray down on the coffee table next to the sofa. “You’re safe with me, dearest.”

Tengen seemed torn between another melodramatic remark and his curiosity as he peeked at the tray. Kyoujurou sat down next to Tengen and carefully handed him a cup. “This hot lemon will expel the demons possessing your body,” he explained and saw a hint of approval in Tengen’s eyes. “And this will soothe the fire eating you up from the inside.”

And with those words, he gently placed a wet towel on Tengen’s forehead. Tengen’s soft sigh made him smile to himself and when Tengen took a first sip of the drink, his pained expression quickly gave way to a content one. “Drink up, buttercup,” Kyoujurou said and ruffled Tengen’s hair which almost made Tengen snort into his cup. “And in an hour, my very special ‘defeat death’ soup will be ready.”

Tengen’s head shot up and when he spoke, he completely forgot to sound strained. “You’re making soup for me? For real?”

Kyoujurou nodded and smiled. “I can’t let my love succumb to death after all, can I?”

Tengen thought about it for a moment and when he looked at Kyoujurou, his eyes were full of warmth. “No, I suppose you can’t,” he said and slowly, a grin formed on his face. “But I think death will take me any moment now, if I don’t get another kiss.”

Kyoujurou shook his head and laughed when he took the cup out of Tengen’s hand and set it back down on the coffee table. “Then let’s make sure that death doesn’t get you,” he said with a grin and leaned in to give Tengen another forehead kiss.

When he was so close that he could feel Tengen’s warmth on his skin, a mischievous smile appeared on Tengen’s face. And before he knew what was happening, Tengen moved up a bit, purposefully moving his forehead out of reach. And when their lips touched, Kyoujurou felt two arms wrap around him, pulling him close, that certainly did not feel weakened by a deathly sickness.

[rainbowfey]

28 Written but never sent

@flufftober

For a few weeks now, Shinobu had felt like something was missing but she could not put her finger on what exactly was off. It was in the middle of treating her last patient for the day that she suddenly realized what it was. Her head shot up and the patient winced in surprise, looking up at her with big eyes. “Is something wrong?” he asked, sounding a bit scared.

Shinobu quickly turned her focus back on what she was doing and gave him a reassuring smile. “No, don’t worry,” she said calmly. “Your wound is healing really well, you’ll be better in no time.”

That seemed to soothe the demon slayer’s concerns and he relaxed again, allowing Shinobu to finish her examination without further hiccups. And when she was done, he even bowed as far as that was possible when laying in bed, making her smile again.

Shinobu took off her scrubs and threw them away while leaving the room. She looked along the hallway, hoping to see Aoi scurrying around but unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. With a feeling of urgency, Shinobu quickly searched the rooms until she finally found Aoi in the room where they stored the medicine for their patients. She sighed in relief when she spotted Aoi in a corner, preparing healing herbs.

“Aoi,” she said a bit more loudly that she had planned on, making Aoi jump. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just … I have to leave for a while. Do you think you and the girls can handle the patients on your own for one or two days?”

Aoi carefully set down the herbs and gave Shinobu a worried look while nodding. “Of course. Are you okay, Shinobu? Did something happen?”

Shinobu paused. She had not thought that her behavior was unusual enough to catch Aoi’s attention. She was about to put her off when she saw the genuine concern in Aoi’s eyes, making her change her mind. “I … I don’t know,” she said slowly, trying to make sense of her inner turmoil, “I have to check on someone. I just want to make sure they’re okay.”

For a moment, it looked like Aoi wanted to ask her who she was talking about. But then she just nodded and gently said, “Take your time. We’ll be fine for a few days, it’s been rather slow anyways.”

Shinobu smiled at her gratefully, her mind calming a bit. With Aoi in charge, she knew that she could safely leave for a few days which took an edge off her uncertainty. At least, this way she did not have to worry about her patients.

When she had said goodbye to Aoi, she quickly hurried to her room and packed a few things, just enough so that she would not have any trouble staying away for a few days. Then, she hurried towards the entrance hall of the butterfly mansion, hoping that nobody would try to flag her down on her way out. And to her luck, she managed to dodge everyone else, making it to the door and out of the mansion without engaging in any conversation.

Outside, Shinobu turned left without hesitation, her feet leading her along the path already even before she had set her mind on it. Now that she was on her way, she finally had the time to think about her realization and notice her feelings at it swirling through her body. For weeks, she had felt increasingly off, asking herself late at night what caused this feeling of unease. And when she had looked at the claw mark on the injured demon slayer’s arm, she had remembered the last time she had treated a wound like this. And when the image of a familiar face had popped up in her mind, all the puzzle pieces had fallen into place.

“Giyuu,” Shinobu muttered to herself, her feet flying along the path. While Giyuu certainly did not show up at the butterfly mansion very regularly, he never let more than one or two weeks pass before visiting Shinobu again, usually with a more than flimsy excuse for doing so. But for more than a month, he had not come to the butterfly mansion. And while at first, Shinobu had not even noticed his absence, her unease had grown with each passing week without any sign of him. And when she had seen the wound that looked uncannily like Giyuu’s wound she had treated three months ago, the realization of his absence had come upon on her, shaking her to her core.

Shinobu quickened her pace until she was almost running. While she could not explain to herself why she felt this urgency, something deep within her unrelentingly pushed her to Giyuu’s mansion, hoping that she would find him there. He probably had very mundane reasons for not showing his face at the butterfly mansion for quite some time. But somewhere in a dark corner of Shinobu’s mind, a small voice whispered, ‘What if something happened to him?’. And even though Shinobu did not want to admit that thought to herself, she increased her speed until it almost felt like she was flying.

When Giyuu’s mansion appeared on the horizon, Shinobu’s heart started fluttering even more. She had thought she would calm down as soon as she reached it, but the opposite happened when she hastened towards the door. When she reached it, she had to take a moment to regain her composure before she knocked three times. And when she heard steps coming closer and the door slowly started to open, her heart sank in relief.

“Kochou-san,” a woman said, her eyes widening in surprise. “We did not expect you today. How can I help you?”

Shinobu’s shoulders sank down when she forced herself to smile at the young Kakushi. Her thoughts had been so fixed on Giyuu that she had not anticipated an attendant to answer the door. “I’d like to speak with Tomioka-san,” she said politely.

The Kakushi’s eyes took on a sympathetic expression when she bowed. “I am sorry, but Tomioka-sama is not here currently. Would you like to come in and wait for him?”

Shinobu nodded and followed the attendant as she led her into the mansion, offering Shinobu something to drink and eat while she waited. Shinobu politely declined as she was sure that she was not able to stomach anything right now. At least the attendant did not seem overly concerned about Giyuu and if he had gotten hurt or was missing, the Kakushi surely would have told her about it.

When she left the room, Shinobu sank down on a chair, her heart still beating faster than it should have. While her heartbeat slowly calmed down, she looked around and noticed that the room seemed to be an office of sorts which she had not expected. She could not imagine Giyuu sitting at a desk doing paperwork. Then, however, her gaze fell on the rows upon rows of bookshelves lining the walls and a smile formed on her face. Giyuu spending whole days holed up in here reading was a thought that did seem very fitting. And since she loved books as well, she felt their presence slowly calming her down until she did not feel like she would explode at any moment anymore.

After a while, Shinobu could not sit still any longer. Instead, she got up and started exploring Giyuu’s bookshelves, curiously reading the titles and once in a while even gently pulling a book out of the shelf and flicking through its pages. When she had worked her way to the other side of the room, her gaze fell on the desk standing only a few steps away. Her eyes lit up when she saw another pile of books towering on the desk. Shinobu hesitated for a moment and silently asked herself whether Giyuu would mind her taking a closer look at those books. And even though she was not entirely sure, she could not pass up on the chance of finding out which books Giyuu currently liked the most.

Feeling like a sneaky rogue, Shinobu slid into the chair and curiously started looking at the first book. One by one, she examined the books until she reached the last one in the pile. Mesmerized by its beautiful binding and the golden letters glistening on its back, Shinobu carefully pulled the book closer. And while she touched it, her hand grazed something uneven.

Curious, Shinobu turned the book to the side and noticed one page that seemed to stick out further than the other ones. Before she could stop herself, she opened the book, intending to fix the page. But when she found it, she realized that it was not a page slightly torn but rather a piece of paper that was covered in an elegant handwriting. Intrigued by the beautifully written letters, Shinobu looked at the first line – and froze when she read the words ‘Dear Shinobu’.

When Shinobu reached the door, she heard the attendant behind her, calling out to her. And even though she knew it would seem impolite, Shinobu did not stop and quickly shouted back, “Thank you for your effort. I’ll be on my way now.”

And before the attendant had the chance to say anything else, Shinobu left the mansion and headed for the forest. Now that she knew where she had to go, her heart started beating faster again, fluttering at the thought of what she had read and what expected her at the clearing she was heading for. She had not even known of this secret place that was special to him and even though she knew the letter had not been meant for her eyes to see, she was grateful that it had given her an idea of where to find Giyuu.

It took her some effort to find the narrow path to the clearing and she had to slow down in order to not miss it which made her body tense up with impatience. When she finally spotted it between two particularly massive trees, she sighed in relief and hastily followed the path leading her into the heart of the forest. Her teeth gritted, she made her way through bushes and thickets and just when she thought this trail would never end, she reached the clearing.

Shinobu slowed down and suddenly, the fire burning in her chest driving her forward turned into a single, tiny flicker. Her hands felt cold when she reluctantly stepped out of the forest and onto the clearing. Her gaze fixed on the silhouette sitting at the other end of the clearing, their hands absentmindedly plucking blades of grass to pieces, she slowly walked closer.

And when Shinobu had almost reached him, she plucked up her courage and softly asked, “Giyuu?”

Giyuu’s head shot up and his eyes went wide as saucers as he quickly struggled to his feet. “Shinobu?” he gasped. “How did you … what are you doing here?”

Shinobu felt her cheeks starting to blush when she looked down at the ground, trying to find the right words. Her heart still ached when she thought about what Giyuu had written in this letter that he had never sent to her. Her shoulders sank down and without being able to stop herself from doing so, she quietly said, “I am sorry.”

For a moment, silence engulfed them. She swallowed hard and forced herself to look up, only to be met with a bewildered, almost scared look out of blue eyes. “What for?” Giyuu asked.

Shinobu sighed and straightened her shoulders. “I would like to apologize for what I said to you. For the jokes I made. I didn’t realize that I hurt you with them.”

Giyuu’s face grew pale and when he took a step back, Shinobu’s heart fluttered in her chest. “I never wanted you to think you were be a bother,” she quickly said and fought against the lump forming in her throat. “And I would be very sad if you stopped coming by every now and then.”

Giyuu blinked rapidly and for a moment, it almost looked like his legs would give in. “How do you know …?” he asked weakly.

And with the feeling of jumping off a cliff, Shinobu braced herself and said, “I found the letter.”

Giyuu’s face went white as a sheet and Shinobu noticed his hands starting to tremble. “You weren’t supposed to see that,” he squeezed out. “I shouldn’t have written it, I should’ve just thrown it away.”

Shinobu quickly shook her head and took a step towards him. She reached for him but when she saw the anguish in his eyes, she paused and her hand sank down again. “I’m so sorry, Giyuu,” she said. “I didn’t mean to snoop. But when I read it, I just had to find you and tell you …”

Her voice trailed off and she struggled for words. Giyuu stood frozen in place, looking at her with wide eyes. And when Shinobu met his gaze, her heart ached and she took a deep breath. With two quick steps, she closed the distance between them and gently reached for Giyuu’s hand. He winced and stared down at their hands but he did not pull away. Instead, his face took on such a vulnerable expression that Shinobu’s heart melted.

And suddenly, she had the courage to say what was on her mind. “And tell you,” she continued, her voice quivering ever so slightly, “that every time I see you, the world seems lighter and more vibrant. That your smile means the world to me and that I don’t want to go without it … and without you.”

The forest turned still when Giyuu looked at her. Shinobu held her breath, bracing herself for him pulling back, her chest tightening at the thought. And then she felt Giyuu’s hand slowly closing around hers. Careful, almost timid, he intertwined his fingers with hers, never averting his gaze.

And when he spoke, his voice was so soft that she almost did not hear him. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Shinobu smiled and came even closer, looking up at him. “It means exactly what you think it does,” she whispered when she closed the distance between them.

And the last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Giyuu’s face softening, a tender smile forming on his lips. Then, all she felt was his warmth and his arm gently wrapping around her.

[rainbowfey]

27 Rainy Day

@flufftober

The weather had been stable for the longest part of his mission but now, it finally gave in to the temptation of soaking Giyuu to his bones. He glanced up at the sky when the clouds opened and sent a downpour like no other after him. He quickly jumped under a particularly wide tree, silently cursing to himself. The sky had turned dark grey a few hours ago, sure, but Giyuu had truly hoped he would make it back to his mansion in time before the downpour came.

Very obviously, he had been mistaken. And now he was stuck under a tree with a crown thick enough to veil the sky but apparently not thick enough to shield him from the rain. When the first raindrop ran down the collar of his haori, Giyuu shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. Of course, this was not his first time getting caught in the rain but this one was particularly icy and since Giyuu had already fulfilled his mission, he was not keen on keeping on walking at all costs. In fact, he was rather displeased at the prospect of having to grit his teeth and bear the rain for another few hours until he finally reached his home.

With a sigh, Giyuu nestled closer to the trunk of the tree, hoping that the leaves would protect him from the worst of it. It was not even noon yet but the rain clouds covering the sky sucked up so much of the daylight that the world was bathed into a grey twilight. While he now indeed felt less raindrops hitting his head and shoulders, it was a rather uncomfortable position to sit in and Giyuu glanced around, trying to spot a better shelter. His eyes wandered over the trees and thickets lining the path and while he did spot an even more massive tree up ahead, its crown had already lost most of its leaves that now made for impressive piles around the foot of the tree. For a moment, Giyuu asked himself whether he should crawl into one of those piles of leaves but then he grimaced at the thought of what else might be scuttling through the leaves. He averted his gaze, suppressing a shudder, and instead looked at the path leading deeper into the forest. It was one of many paths leading back in the direction of the Ubuyashiki headquarters and Giyuu’s home but this path, Giyuu rarely ever travelled. And thus, he jolted up and hit his head on the tree trunk behind him, when he suddenly remembered something about this path.

“Ouch,” he yelped, rubbing the back of his head, distracted for a moment before he remembered his realization. “The house with the wisteria crest!”

Giyuu did not frequent it often as he usually did not travel through that region but if he remembered correctly, it was not far from where he was right now. And he was fairly sure it would provide better shelter than the tree he was hugging right now.

With this newfound resolve, Giyuu got up and pulled his haori over his head. Now, he probably looked hunchbacked and the haori was not rainproof either, but the warm cloth gave him a sense of security when he braced himself for his sprint through the rain. For the last time, he peered at the sky but the front of grey clouds stretched as far as his eye could see in every single direction. And since it did not seem like there would be a break in the rain any time soon, Giyuu took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the path ahead.

Then, he broke into a sprint. He dashed through the rain, leaving the tree that had offered him at least some shelter behind quickly. The ground was covered in puddles, slowly but surely turning the path into a muddy bog and more than once, Giyuu felt the mud trying to swallow his shoe. Each time, he tugged at it and his foot came free with a squelch. He did not dare to look down as he could vividly imagine how his legs now looked. Instead, he sprinted through the ever green and brown trees, shielding his face from the rain with one arm. Within no time, his sleeve was soaking wet and the icy cold of the rain made him shiver. But he kept running since if he stopped now, he probably would freeze solid before he could decide to get moving again.

The path seemed endless and Giyuu’s legs started feeling heavier with each step. His skin felt cold and his haori was drenched, water slowly dripping down from it, sending shivers down Giyuu’s spine. His breath came ragged and he absentmindedly asked himself how a downpour could be more intimidating than any demon he had ever met. And finally, when he already contemplated just laying down somewhere and accepting his fate turning into a Giyuu-shaped puddle, he saw a light through the dim twilight of the forest.

He heaved a sigh of relief that came out more like an ‘eugh’ and headed for the silhouette of a house standing out against the darkening forest. He had given up on shielding his face in the meantime and thus, he stumbled more than he walked when he made his way to the house. He squinted, water running from his wet hair down his forehead and into his eyes. And while his legs started feeling like they would give in at any moment now, he finally walked the last ten steps to the house, nearly collapsing on the doorstep.

It took Giyuu all of his remaining willpower to knock at the door, once, twice, three times before his hand fell down. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath again. And when he heard footsteps from behind the door, he almost sank down to the ground in relief.

The door opened and an elderly woman popped her head out of it. She looked around and when her gaze fell on Giyuu, her eyes widened. “Oh, you poor thing,” she gasped and quickly took a step back, holding the door open for him. “Come on in, dear, quickly now.”

And with an overwhelming sense of relief, Giyuu followed her into the house. She quickly closed the door behind him and eyed him visibly concerned. A soft dripping sound caught his attention and when Giyuu looked down, he saw water and mud dripping from his clothes to the ground. He grimaced and bowed apologetically which only led to another cascade of drops sullying the ground.

“I’m very sorry,” he muttered timidly, staring at the puddle forming around his feet helplessly.

But the old woman only laughed and shook her head. “It’s fine, dear,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ll take care of it. But now, let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

She motioned for him to follow her and Giyuu reluctantly walked along the short hallway she led him through, leaving a muddy trail on the floor tiles. The further they walked, the warmer the air grew and Giyuu sighed contently when the rain’s icy grip around his bones finally faded. The elderly woman stopped at a door and smiled at him. “Take a bath, dear, and when you’re done, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

Giyuu looked at her speechlessly, desperately trying to find the right words to express the gratitude filling his mind and heart at her kindness. “Thank you,” he whispered and when she smiled at him gently and shooed him into the bath, he finally felt warm again.

It took him longer than expected to feel clean again. Though it had taken Giyuu quite some effort, he had finally slipped out of his haori and reluctantly set it down with his other dirty clothes where the old woman had told him to. Then, he found himself slinking into the hot water of the bath and at the same moment, his hesitation was forgotten. The heat had warmed his body to the bones and when his teeth stopped chattering, he finally felt human again. Washing his hair had proven more of a challenge as he had somehow managed to decorate it with both mud and twigs on his way to the house with the wisteria crest. But finally, even this hurdle was overcome and his hair now flew freely down his back, not tied in the usual ponytail for once. When he got down bathing, he walked back to the anteroom, only to find a change of fresh, clean clothes waiting for him. Thankful, he slipped into them and a few minutes later he found himself trailing after a young man leading him to another room.

“Hisa-san told me to take you to our other guest,” the young man chattered happily while walking through one of the endless hallways.

Giyuu listened to him only with a half-ear as he was busy studying the paintings scattered along the walls. The most interesting ones of them showed who he thought to be the ancestors of the young man and the elderly lady called Hisa. Some of them were portraits but other seemed to show the history of the family with the wisteria crest. Giyuu only reluctantly tore his gaze off a giant painting showing a demon slayer protecting a frightened family from several demons when the young man came to a stop and gestured towards a door to their left.

“In there,” the young man said with a smile. “The food will be ready soon, we’ll bring it to you once it’s done.”

Giyuu bowed and thanked him. When the young man walked off, he opened the door, asking himself what the man had said while he was marveling at the paintings. If he was not mistaken, he had said something about another visitor. And while Giyuu still processed that thought, the door slid open and revealed a large, beautiful room facing the garden. On the other side, the door to a terrace was opened and sitting on the floor, staring out into the rain was …

“Obanai?” Giyuu gasped when he noticed the white snake wrapping around the man’s shoulders.

While the man did not move a muscle, the snake turned its small head around and hissed softly when it looked at Giyuu. Giyuu returned the gaze out of its ruby eyes, frozen in place. The words of the young man now finally sunk in and his legs almost gave in when he realized that Obanai had to be the other visitor the man had mentioned. And still, Giyuu did not entirely believe his eyes when he stared at Obanai’s back. He had never seen Obanai without his haori with black and white stripes, small but fierce and never relenting in his unwavering vigilance. And now, Obanai was dressed in the same white, fluffy clothes that Giyuu was wearing, making him look younger than he was.

Giyuu hesitated and uncomfortably shifted his weight from one leg to the other, unsure of what to do now. He had never been alone with Obanai before, at least not for longer than a few minutes. And he could not even remember if he had ever had a real conversation with him. He nervously glanced at the door behind him and contemplated whether he could just up and leave but he quickly realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he left, Obanai would surely consider this an offense. But if he stayed, he did not know what expected him, should he try and talk to Obanai. And since Hisa expected him to be in this room, it was not a good idea to just leave without telling anyone.

Giyuu swallowed hard when he made his decision. He felt Kaburamaru’s gaze still on him when he straightened his shoulders and slowly walked closer. Obanai was sitting on the floor facing the garden and, plucking up his courage, Giyuu slowly sat down next to him, keeping a safe distance between them. Instead of looking at Obanai, he chose to stare out into the rain as well.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Giyuu said after a while when the silence grew unbearable. “Were you also caught off guard by the downpour?”

Obanai did not answer and after he had waited for at least a minute, Giyuu glanced at Obanai. He had turned his head away from Giyuu, his black hair falling into his face, veiling it from Giyuu’s view. But what really caught Giyuu’s attention was how tense his body looked. It almost seemed like Obanai was frozen in place, his whole body tensed up as if he was expecting Giyuu to jump at him at any moment now. Giyuu gulped and regretted his decision to stay, but now it was too late to get up and leave again. Helplessly, he looked at Kaburamaru whose red eyes looked almost concerned.

The snake looked up at Giyuu and then at Obanai before he softly hissed and nudged Obanai’s shoulder. And when Giyuu listened closely, he could hear the faintest sigh before Obanai quietly replied, “Yes.”

Giyuu hunched up his shoulders, unsure of what to do now. He turned back to the garden and silently watched the endless rain flowing over the trees and stones of the garden. The ever-calm pattering of the rain slowly got to him and he felt his shoulders relax. And when even the last bit of tension had left his body, he quietly asked, “Is everything alright?”

For a moment, Obanai stayed silent but then he heaved a deep sigh, his face still turned away. „Why would you care, Tomioka?” he asked, his harsh voice cutting through the silence between them.

Giyuu winced. He had not come to know Obanai as an overly friendly person but this seemed unnecessarily hostile, even for him. He slowly backed away, bringing more distance between them. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Kaburamaru hissed quietly and gave him a look that Giyuu could not quite place. For a moment, it seemed like Kaburamaru was pleading with him to show patience. And when Giyuu hesitated, unsure of whether to get up and leave or remain sitting, Kaburamaru lifted his head to Obanai’s cheek and gave him a fierce nudge. “Ouch,” Obanai said under his breath. “What do you want, Kaburamaru?”

The snake hissed, this time sounding more insistent. His red eyes seemed to burn holes in Obanai’s cheek. And after a moment, Obanai sighed again, his shoulders sinking down.

“Fine,” he murmured, more to himself. And then he said a bit more loudly, “Sorry. That was unkind of me.”

Giyuu froze, staring at him. The whole situation had been strange enough from the start but now it had taken on another kind of weird and he was not sure what to make of it. While wracking his brain for something to say, Obanai seemed to make a decision. His shoulders straightened and he took a deep breath. And then, he turned around.

The first thing Giyuu noticed was the pained look in Obanai’s eyes when he met his gaze. And while he still wondered about that, Giyuu realized why Obanai’s face looked so different. Where the lower half of his face was usually covered in a bandage, Giyuu was now met with a sight he had never seen before.

“There,” Obanai said bitterly. “And now you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

Giyuu’s heart fluttered in his chest as he helplessly stared at Obanai. He could hear the hurt in his voice, sensed that Obanai was provoking him because sometimes, offense was the best defense. And yet, all he could see was his face. This pale, slender face, the big, uneven eyes and the prominent scar around his mouth that Giyuu had never seen before. And the vulnerability in his eyes, the tension in his face and the way he pressed his lips together.

And suddenly, Giyuu saw another face before his inner eye. A different boy, on a different day, but the same vulnerable mix of anger and fear when he showed Giyuu his scar, awaiting a reaction that would hurt him. But Giyuu had never seen anything but kindness and beauty in Sabito’s face. His scar had always been a part of him and therefore, it was no flaw but rather another part of the person Giyuu cherished. And when Giyuu now looked at Obanai, he saw the same fear of rejection and disgust in his eyes that he had seen in Sabito’s face all those years ago.

“It’s good to see you,” Giyuu finally said quietly, holding Obanai’s gaze. And to his surprise, he realized that he meant what he said. For the first time, he had the feeling of seeing the real Obanai, the one that hid himself away behind his bandages and his coldness.

Obanai’s eyes widened and the shock on his face reminded Giyuu of Sabito’s reaction when he had cupped his face with his hand, gently stroking his scar. His heart felt warm at the memory and when he now looked at Obanai, he felt the same warmth spreading through his body.

“I …” Obanai stuttered, for the first time ever seeming unsure of what to do next. “Aren’t you … disgusted?”

Giyuu stared at him in disbelief. “Why would I be?” he asked and Obanai winced.

Kaburamaru gently touched Obanai’s cheek and when he looked back at Giyuu, it almost seemed like the snake was smiling at him. And when Giyuu did not look away, Obanai’s expression changed. His face softened and when his shoulders sank down, the tension leaving his body, Giyuu’s heart felt lighter.

“Thank you,” Obanai said quietly after what felt like an eternity. “I needed to hear this.”

And when Giyuu carefully smiled at him, the corners of Obanai’s mouth moved. Only slightly, of course, but noticeably enough to see the hint of a smile on his face. And for the first time ever, Giyuu felt like maybe there was the chance for a bond between them after all.

[rainbowfey]

26 "I can't find it."

@flufftober

From the moment he had opened his eyes, Sanemi had known that this would be a shit day. Of course, that came as no big surprise since most of his days had been like this for a while now. But he still had not given up hope that one day he would wake up without the stinging and tugging in his temple. For the first half of the day, he had just shoved the feeling aside, focusing on everything but his throbbing temple. He had even ignored the fact that the bags under his eyes had deepened again, even though this was usually enough to make him angry.

And so far, his strategy had worked fairly well. He had made it through the morning and noon by channeling all his frustration in his training, beating up any demon slayer who was insane enough to show up to his training. And he had to admit to himself that violence was a solution after all, even though Shinobu always preached that it was not – unless demons were involved, of course. Strangely enough, the times where Sanemi spent the whole night awake chasing demons were those where he usually woke up feeling fine the next day. But since the demons had not shown their hideous faces in a few weeks now, he had started feeling progressively worse.

Sanemi grimaced when a pang of pain shot through his temple. He gritted his teeth and put all of his rage in a devastating blow, splitting the wooden training dummy clean in half with a satisfying thud. From the corner of his eye, he saw the last two demon slayers quickly take a few steps back and turn to flee as soon as their abrupt retreat did not seem impolite anymore. Sanemi grinned to himself grimly and gave the dummy halves a good kick. On days like this one, others seemed to fear him even more and while that was indeed satisfying, it was not worth the pain.

With an exasperated sigh, Sanemi walked to the well in the middle of the training ground. The cool water would bring him relief, even if it was only short-lived. When he was at the well, he bent down and reached for the water, only to freeze mid-movement when he saw his own reflection staring back at him. Relentlessly clear, the water showed his pale face and as if to scorn him, he could even see how bloodshot his eyes looked. With a growl, Sanemi punched the water surface. That was only effective in the sense that the splashing water did cool him down a bit but on the other hand, he now felt like a child unable to control its emotions. And on top, his reflection now showed him looking like a wet dog, his hair hanging down in his face.

Sanemi closed his eyes for a moment and desperately tried to convince himself that punching water and thereby splashing around like a puppy in a puddle would not make him feel better. If he resorted to violence again, it should probably be turned against a more worthy opponent. And while it took him quite some effort, he managed to swallow his anger. With gritted teeth, he leaned over his disheveled looking reflection and cupped his hands together, dipping them into the water. He scooped up a handful and brought his hands to his mouth. He drank a sip and focused his attention on the cold water running down his throat. When he had quenched his thirst, he washed his face with the remaining water and sighed quietly when the water drove the feverish feeling away. He pressed his hands against his temples and relished their cold cooling the fire burning in his head.

And when he felt slightly better, he left the well and walked back to his mansion, leaving the destroyed dummy behind carelessly. That was a task for when he did not feel like his head would explode at any moment. Even though the cold water had helped, he knew that when the pain returned, it would only be worse. And before that happened, he would do what he had promised himself not to do.

Thinking back to a few months ago, Sanemi entered the mansion and headed for his room. Without any warning, Shinobu had shown up to his mansion, her expression as earnest as always, a small bag in her hand. When Sanemi had asked her about it, she had given him this faint smile that sometimes made his hair stand on end. She had shot his temple a pointed look, almost as if she could see the pain raging within his head. ‘For your migraines,’ she had said, startling Sanemi to a point where he did not know how to react. For years, he had been entirely sure that he had not let anything on, that no one knew of his problem. And then, Shinobu had just shown up and acted like she never had had a doubt about it. And when she had handed him the bag, she had told him that she had tried her hand on a medicine that might just work with his type of headache. For months, Sanemi had refused to try it and Shinobu had never asked him about it again. But one day when the pain had gotten so unbearable that he could not even see clearly anymore, he had tried the medicine. And to his surprise, it had worked. Not without side effects, though, and since then Sanemi had saved the rest of the medicine for only the worst days.

Days like this one. While he rummaged through the drawers of his dresser, his temple started throbbing again, the pain slowly spreading through his head to the other side and even into his jaw. He blinked aggressively when his vision started blurring and to his relief, the world became clearer again. His hands rifled through clothes and supplies that he did not even know he had. Nausea started to form in his stomach and he swallowed hard, trying to suppress his discomfort. He just had to find the medicine and it would get better.

Except, the small pouch containing the medicine was nowhere to be found. At first, Sanemi did not give it too much thought as he did not remember clearly where he had put it the last time. But when he searched one drawer after the other, only to turn up nothing remotely close to the medicine, he started to get frustrated again. With a start, he slammed the last drawer shut again and spun around, gauging which dresser or wardrobe he could have put it in instead.

One by one, Sanemi worked his way through the two narrow wardrobes containing his uniforms and casual clothes but he could not find the pouch anywhere. With each door he closed again, the pain in his head grew until it felt like someone was hammering against his eye from the inside of his head. For a moment, he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to drown the pain out.

And just when he felt like he could continue his search, he heard a knock at the door. The sound echoed through his head and he winced, fighting off the urge to press his hands on his ears. He decided to ignore whoever was at the door and instead walked to the next room which had two dressers as well. He turned to the first one and opened the lowest drawer, only to be met with the sight of neatly folded towels. He huffed and threw it shut again, opening the next one.

“Shinazugawa-san?”

Sanemi flinched and whirled around, only to freeze at the sight of familiar blue eyes looking at him. They widened when he faced his visitor and when he saw the concern on Giyuu’s face, his stomach started bubbling with rage again. But since going for Giyuu’s throat did bear the considerable risk of Sanemi’s head exploding, he wordlessly turned back to the drawer and rummaged through the bed sheets inside.

“What are you doing?” Giyuu asked and Sanemi absentmindedly thought to himself that with all his flaws, Giyuu at least did not have a booming voice like Tengen did. For once, his quiet voice was a relief to Sanemi.

“I’m searching for something, obviously,” he snapped back, without so much as looking at Giyuu.

Giyuu stayed silent for a moment, then he asked, “What’s the matter?”

Sanemi stopped and took a deep breath. His rage made his head throb with pain and he desperately tried to calm down, to no avail. “I can’t find it,” he growled, throwing the drawer shut, only to flinch at the thud when it closed.

“I can tell,” Giyuu said quietly and to Sanemi’s surprise, there was no mockery in his voice. “But that’s not what I meant.”

Sanemi sighed and turned around, crossing his arms. Giyuu’s face blurred before his eyes when his vision got hazy again. “What do you want, Tomioka?” he asked exasperated, hoping that this would make Giyuu leave him alone.

Giyuu tilted his head and looked at him before he asked, “Are you okay, Sanemi?”

Sanemi closed his eyes and clenched his teeth when another wave of pain surged through his head. “No,” he squeezed out before thinking it through. “Not that it’s any of your business, though.”

“Can I help?” Giyuu asked so quietly that Sanemi almost did not hear him.

Surprised, he opened his eyes, ready to snap at Giyuu for mocking him but when he saw his face, he bit his lip. Giyuu looked back at him with big eyes, his expression strangely vulnerable. And for once, Sanemi’s anger subsided, leaving only exhaustion.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, leaning against the dresser. His body started feeling heavy as if something had grabbed him by the ankles, pulling him down into the ground. He closed his eyes again and pressed his hands against his temples, desperately hoping to ease the stinging pain.

“Okay,” Giyuu said quietly, “how about you go lay down and I’ll find whatever you’ve been looking for?”

Sanemi opened one eye and shot a glance at him. Giyuu returned his look earnestly and while his face seemed calm, Sanemi noticed that he was nervously wringing his hands. It almost seemed like Giyuu was scared that he would reject his offer. And while Sanemi did not want to accept help, laying down did seem very alluring. And before he could stop himself, he slowly nodded.

Giyuu’s eyes lit up and the slightest hint of a smile formed on his lips before he quickly put on an unfazed expression again. He moved to the side when Sanemi came closer. And when Sanemi walked past Giyuu and through the door, he could almost feel Giyuu’s presence physically. While he walked to his room, he heard Giyuu trailing close behind him, his soft footsteps mirroring Sanemi’s.

When he reached his room, Sanemi hesitated and asked himself what he was doing. He was not one to need or want help and certainly not from someone like Giyuu. But then, he looked at Giyuu and the blue of his eyes reminded him of the cool water soothing his pain. And with a sigh, Sanemi decided to let this happen to him. While he sat down on his futon, he saw Giyuu looking around in his room curiously. Then, Giyuu walked over to the window and pulled the black curtains close, bathing the room in darkness.

“What should I look for?” Giyuu asked softly while walking back to the door of the room, his silhouette blocking out the light from the hallway.

Sanemi sighed and described the pouch to him, leaving out the detail that there was medicine inside. When he was done, Giyuu nodded and slowly closed the door behind himself, careful not to create any unnecessary noise. Sanemi stared at the door for a moment before he gave in and laid down on his futon, closing his eyes, gratefully embracing the darkness that now engulfed him. While his temples still throbbed, the absence of light took an edge off the pain and for the first time today, Sanemi felt like he could breathe again.

His heartbeat had finally calmed down when he heard the door quietly opening and closing again. Soft footsteps came closer and Sanemi opened one eye. In the twilight of the room, he could barely make out Giyuu’s pale face who now knelt down next to him.

“I found it,” he said quietly and handed Sanemi a glass of water. “You should drink this.”

Sanemi sat up and reluctantly accepted the glass. When he took a sip, his eyes widened as the familiar bitter taste of the medicine filled his mouth. “You …?” he muttered, staring at Giyuu.

Giyuu smiled at him and something about his smile made Sanemi’s skin tingle. “You’ll feel better soon,” Giyuu said softly. “And in the meantime, this might also help.”

And with a feeling like he was standing beside himself, watching the scene from above, Sanemi laid back down and allowed Giyuu to gently place a wet towel on his forehead. He sighed involuntarily when the cold towel touched his skin, relieving his pain. His body started feeling heavy again but this time Sanemi embraced it and closed his eyes, allowing his body to sink into a healing slumber.

And when he felt his conscience drifting away, Sanemi murmured, “Thank you, Giyuu.”

[rainbowfey]

25 Haunted House

@flufftober

When they finally reached the house, Amane sighed in relief. While Kagaya was stoic and calm as ever, the kids had gotten increasingly excited and since there were five of them, Amane’s ears were now ringing from the hours of unrelenting questioning and enthusiastic chattering about how great the new house would be. And of course, the kids had turned to her with every single question, even though Kagaya would probably have been better prepared to answer them. At least they had already moved all of their furniture into the house already while the kids had been with a distant relative for a while. While all five of them were kind and helpful children indeed, Amane had not wanted them to run around and wreak havoc, maybe even hurting themselves while at it.

“Isn’t the house beautiful?” Kagaya asked with a smile and wrapped his arm around Amane’s waist. His warmth calmed her down and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Kanata said and tilted her little head, staring at the grey front of the house. “It looks kind of … old, don’t you think?”

That made Amane laugh and she ruffled her youngest daughter’s hair. “That’s because it is, dear,” she said with a smile. “This house has been here for centuries. At least that’s what they say about it.”

Kuina pulled a face and nodded to herself. “I can tell,” she murmured, clearly unimpressed with what lay before them. “And we bought this monstrosity because …?”

Kagaya smiled at her and gently wrapped his other arm around her. “Your mother and I got a really good deal on it, sweetheart. It’s very rare for a mansion like this to sell for such a humble price.”

Kuina looked up at her father, raising an eyebrow. “Well, then I just hope there is no disturbing reason for the low price.”

The following weeks were rather turbulent but all in all, Amane was relieved to see that her children settled in fairly well. While especially her youngest two daughters still did not seem very impressed with the house, all five of them had grown to love the enormous backyard and the potential for adventure it offered to them. While Kiriya had taken to reading at the pond almost every single day, Hinaki and Nichika had grown fond of playing with their ball for hours on end. And even her two littlest fusspots had started going on adventures in the forest that lay behind the mansion.

But even with this peace, Amane could not help but notice how little time the children spent inside. She had asked Kagaya about that but he had been very nonchalant about it, assuring her that this was only due to it being autumn where it was still warm enough to play outside for hours every day. And while it did not seem to bother him at all, Amane could not shake off the unnerving feeling that something was wrong.

“Kiriya,” she said when he passed by her, his current book in his hand. “Can you stay for a moment?”

Her son looked at her in surprise but then nodded with a smile. “Sure, how can I help you?”

Amane smiled to herself at his formal tone and for a moment, he looked just like her husband when he had been a child. While her daughters all looked a lot like her, Kiriya was the one child that took after Kagaya. “Tell me, do you feel comfortable in here? I know the house is still very new for all of us, but do you and your sisters like it here?”

Kiriya froze and stayed silent for a moment, making that adorable face he always showed when he was frantically contemplating how to veil the truth without lying. “Uh,” Kiriya stuttered which was rather unlike him. “The house is quite … impressive.”

Amane put her hands on her hips and smiled at him. “Come on, Kiriya, what are you really thinking?”

Her son sighed and his shoulders sank down in defeat when he sat down next to her. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “The mansion is a bit … weird. It’s almost like it has a life of its own.”

Amane paused and furled her brows. She had expected Kiriya to tell her that the children would have rather stayed at their old place or that they had not gotten used to the mansion with its long hallways and dark corners yet. This answer, however, she had not expected. “Why does it feel like that to you?” she asked carefully.

Kiriya stared at the book in his hands for a moment, then he shrugged. “Just some strange stuff that’s been happening,” he said. “Doors opening but nobody is behind them, things falling to the ground, and Kanata once said she heard someone whistling when everyone else was asleep.”

A shiver ran down Amane’s spine. “Why has none of you told me about that?”

Kiriya looked at her with big eyes. “Hinaki said it was probably just the wind as the mansion doesn’t seem to be isolated very well. I thought that was it, so I didn’t think it was necessary to make you worry about it.”

Amane sighed and pulled him into a hug. “That’s kind of you, but please tell me if it happens again, alright?”

And with a grin, Kiriya freed himself from her embrace. “Will do, I promise,” he said with a smile before he grabbed his book and headed for the pond for another reading session.

“Kagaya, I’ve heard it too, I’m sure,” Amane said, gently pushing Kanata and Kuina back into their room. “Don’t worry,” she said to her daughters, “your father and I will check it out. Stay in here and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Be careful,” Kuina whispered while clutching her sister’s hand when Kanata carefully closed the door to their room.

Amane looked up just in time to see Kagaya doing the same with Hinaki’s and Nichika’s room. They had both checked all of the children’s rooms, making sure there was nothing there, when Kiriya had alerted them to the footsteps in the hallway. While he had said that he and his sisters had heard them a few times already, this was the first time that Amane had heard them too. Her skin felt cold when she exchanged a glance with Kagaya who seemed as calm as always.

“Don’t worry, love,” he said and reached for her hand. “I’m sure it’s just the house settling.”

And once again, Amane wished that she had the same composure as her husband. Her heart was fluttering in her chest when she listened closely, trying to make out any sound that did not belong in the house. Now that all five children were in their rooms, Kiriya staying with his older sisters until they had made sure there was no one in the house, Amane felt at least slightly reassured.

“Let’s walk down this hallway first,” she said and Kagaya nodded.

Together, they walked along the narrow hallway, their feet making soft noises on the red carpet veiling the floorboards. While walking, Amane glanced at the horrible portrait of a young pale man with black hair that had been part of the mansion when they first bought it. She had felt creeped out by his hollow eyes since they moved in but somehow, she had not gotten around to removing it from the wall yet. And the one time she had asked Kagaya about it, he had suggested leaving it up in honor of the portrayed ancestor of the last owner of the mansion.

They made their way along the hallway, carefully checking each corner and every room for an intruder but as Kagaya had expected, they did not find any trace of someone other than their family being in the mansion. “Let’s check downstairs and the attic as well,” Amane said, even though she did not feel comfortable climbing up to the attic at night.

Kagaya looked at her and for a moment, she feared that he would insist that everything was fine. But then, a gentle smile appeared on his face and he squeezed her hand. “I’d do anything to make you and the kids feel better,” he said warmly. “How about I check on the attic while you make sure that nothing is amiss downstairs?”

Amane nodded, grateful that she was spared of climbing up to the attic in the dark. She watched Kagaya vanishing into the darkness before she descended down the stairs, listening intently. But all she heard was Kagaya’s familiar footsteps fading out, and her own breath that sounded unsettlingly loud in the silent mansion.

Amane slowly made her way around the downstairs and with each room she found empty and untouched, a bit of her tension left her body. She felt more tired than nervous when she reached last room and stepped into the kitchen that had been another room ages ago. She let her gaze wander over the counters and took notice of the empty glass standing at the edge of the kitchen isle. With a sigh, she walked over and was just about to reach for the glass – when it suddenly moved out of nowhere and fell over the edge, breaking with an earthshattering sound.

And for a split second, Amane heard a malicious chuckle in her back. But when she whirled around, the kitchen behind her was empty and as peaceful as it always was. Empty, except for the myriads of shards on the ground, glistening mysteriously in the moonlight.

Amane glanced over her shoulder, making sure that none of the children was listening. Then, she turned back to Kagaya and gave him a pointed look. “I really think we should leave,” she said urgently. “This is not safe.”

Kagaya avoided her gaze and instead kneeled down, carefully picking up the glass shards from the floor. When he was done, he got up again and finally looked at Amane, a pensive expression on his face. “My love, I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with the house,” he said carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. “So far we haven’t seen anything indicating that there’s something else amiss than a few leaky windows.”

Amane took a deep breath and shook her head. She had already thought that Kagaya would react like this and in some way, she even understood his position. Even though the price had been startingly low, they had still invested a lot of money in this mansion, hoping to make it their familial estate that would one day go to their children and later their grandchildren. It would be lunacy to jump the gun and leave just because the mansion had a few quirks.

“But …” she said hesitatingly. Now that they talked about it in broad daylight, her experience from last night did indeed seem less terrifying. She had not even seen anything except for the glass mysteriously falling down. But Kagaya was right, that could have been due to a sudden draft or maybe the table was slightly uneven where the glass had stood.

Kagaya smiled at her tenderly and set the dustpan with the shards aside. He sighed and said, “Maybe the house’s backstory is why it feels a bit unnerving to you. But I’m sure we’ll be just fine, we just have to give it some time.”

Amane looked at him askingly. “The backstory?” she asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Did something happen to the previous owner?”

Kagaya laughed and raised his hands. “No, he’s perfectly fine,” he said with a grin. “I was talking about the man who built the mansion and lived here, many centuries ago. The young man from the portrait in the hallway upstairs.”

Amane shuddered and nodded. She indeed remembered the portrait fairly well as it always gave her shivers whenever she looked at the pale face looking down on her. “What about him?” she asked, slightly curious.

Kagaya’s smile vanished and he subconsciously lowered his voice when he said, “The previous owner’s family has passed down his story for generations. He was a sickly man, weak from fighting against the demons raging in his mind and body. One day, he asked a faith healer for help, but the healer turned out to be a charlatan. He promised the ancestor that his potion would make his body heal, that it would even prolong his life, allowing him to live for an eternity.”

Amane raised an eyebrow. “And he believed that?”

Kagaya smiled wistfully. “The ancestor had been sick for almost his whole life. I don’t think there’s anything he would not have been willing to believe if it meant getting his life back. And thus, he drank the potion, hoping it would release him from the nightmare his life was.”

Amane held her breath and the image of the pale man with dark hair danced in her mind, when she asked, “What happened to him?”

Kagaya sighed. “He died. Not instantly, apparently, but the potion weakened his already frail body and he eventually succumbed to his sickness. And since then, the family says, his spirit has never left the mansion where he was promised the chance of a second life.”

“Mom?”

Amane flinched when she was jolted awake, eyes wide as she stared at her daughter kneeling next to her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, before she smiled at Kuina. “What’s the matter, dear?” she asked quietly, hoping not to wake up Kagaya sleeping next to her.

Kanata, who sat next to her sister, crawled closer. “We’ve seen him,” she whispered.

Amane’s hair stood on end when she shot up. “Seen who?” she asked sharply, pulling her daughters closer to her.

“The young man,” Kuina said quietly, her eyes widened. “The one from the portrait.”

Amane’s heart stopped and she stared at her daughter for a moment, thoughts racing through her mind. Then, she clenched her fists and nodded. “Kanata, Kuina, you stay with your father. I’ll go check on your siblings.”

Her daughters both nodded and when Amane got up, they crawled under her blanket, clinging to each other. Amane smiled at them softly and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I promise.”

She carefully closed the door behind her and hurried to the other room, her heart hammering in her chest. Only when she saw Hinaki, Nichika and Kiriya sleeping peacefully in their beds, she calmed down again. Hinaki opened one eye and yawned softly. “What’s going on, mom?” she asked quietly and Amane walked over and gently ruffled her hair.

“Hinaki, please do me a favor,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “When I leave your room, lock the door behind me and keep it locked until either your father or I tell you to open it. Will you do that for me?”

Her heart ached when Hinaki stared at her with big eyes, but then her eldest daughter nodded, a determined expression on her face. “You can count on me,” she said and slipped out of bed, following Amane to the door.

And when Amane left the room, she heard the reassuring click of the lock behind her. She nodded to herself and took a deep breath, staring down the long, dark hallway. Kagaya listened to reason and reason said there was nothing wrong with the house. Amane’s gut instinct however told her that there was something lurking in the shadows. And if they could not leave the mansion, she would sure as hell not allow anyone or anything to harm her family.

“I’m coming for you,” she said through her teeth, glaring at the portrait of the ancestor a few steps away. And when she looked at the young man, it almost felt like he was staring back at her.

Slowly, Amane made her way through the mansion, searching the upstairs first. And while she could feel a dark presence, it did not seem close at the moment. She even took a look at the attic and to her relief, the presence was weaker there. When she walked downstairs, however, she felt the air getting colder and she knew, she was on the right track. She followed the cold, empty feeling that grew with each step she took towards the kitchen that had once been the infirmary of the ancestor. And when she had gotten to the kitchen, she felt the presence reaching for her heart with its icy claws.

“You are here,” Amane said, looking around in the empty kitchen. “I can feel you.”

For a moment, everything stayed quiet but then, a door of a kitchen cabinet slowly opened, creaking loudly. Amane nodded grimly. “I knew it. What do you want?”

The door creaked again and then, she heard faint footsteps coming closer. It took her every last bit of her courage to stand still. She raised her chin, determined not to back down even a single step. And when the footsteps reached her, she felt a cold breeze grazing her skin.

“I … can … show … you,” a voice whispered right next to her ear.

And when Amane felt an icy hand grip the back of her neck, she closed her eyes. Images flashed through her mind and her body started shaking when endless despair and agony drove their claws into her soul. She saw the garden behind the window that looked way older. She looked down at her pale, frail hands and when she looked up, she saw an old man offering a potion in a clay bowl to her. Hope surged through her body when she drank it. And then, a fire started burning in her, agonizing, never-ending, slowly turning her body to ashes until there was nothing left of her. Nothing but a faint echo of the man she could have been.

“You can come downstairs,” Amane called out and she carefully checked one last time that the box was hidden behind her back. “Quiet now,” she whispered to the box and the rustling from inside stopped immediately.

Not a moment too late as now, she heard several sets of footsteps running down the stairs. Kanata was the first to pop her head in the kitchen, followed quickly by Kiriya and Kuina. And one by one, her elder daughters and finally Kagaya also walked into the kitchen. Six faces looked at her curiously and even Kagaya seemed entirely clueless as to what surprise she had prepared for them.

Kiriya was the first to speak up.  He looked at her, his small face full of anticipation. “You said you had a surprise for us?”

Amane smiled at him and nodded. “I do. As you know, I have promised to take care of our little mansion problem. And I’ve found the perfect solution to it.”

Kanata’s eyes widened and she whispered something to her sister excitedly. Kagaya smiled at Amane, raising one eyebrow. After the night where he had woken up to his youngest two daughters clinging to him, telling him a wild story about a pale man wandering through the hallways, it had taken Amane quite a bit of convincing until he had agreed to let her handle the situation all on her own. Amane returned his smile with a grin and took a step to the side, revealing the box behind her.

“You know, rumor has it that certain creatures are very good at protecting a house from evil spirits,” she said and smiled when five sets of eyes went wide as saucers. “And therefore … meet the new protector of our home!”

And with a grand gesture, she opened the box and carefully lifted a black kitten out of it, holding it in her arms. “Meet Kibutsuji Meowzan, head of the home for now and always.”

And when the kitten lifted its head and meowed proudly, her kids erupted in excited screams and stormed towards her, gently taking the kitten from her arms. Smiling, Amane watched them gush over the kitten and its perfectly black, silky fur and its beautiful eyes that almost looked plum red in the right lighting.

“I see you’ve decided to honor the owner’s ancestor with the name,” Kagaya said while he tenderly wrapped an arm around her. “I didn’t think you’d want any connection to the past of the mansion.”

And when Amane leaned in, resting her head against his chest, she quietly said, “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

[rainbowfey]

24 Comfort Food

@flufftober

Tanjirou stared at the three giant sweet potatoes and they stared back at him. If he had not known it better, he would have said they grinned at him maliciously, well aware of his uncertainty. Pensively, he scratched his head and asked himself whether he was up to the task. While he had indeed gotten even better at cooking than he had been before, the sheer mass of the sweet potatoes posed a formidable challenge. And this mess was purely due to his inability to say no. Had he had a bit more of a spine, the vendor at the market would not have been able to convince him to buy three sweet potatoes that were big enough to feed a whole family. And even worse, at a time where Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke all were not near, leaving Tanjirou all alone with his potato fiends. And if one thing was for sure, then that he would not be able to eat this much sweet potato, no matter how much he loved it.

With a sigh, he leaned against the counter behind him, bringing some distance between himself and the sweet potatoes. Now that he had left the haze of the market behind, he did not even know what had gotten into him to make this kind of purchase. Tanjirou heaved another sigh and shook his head. Wasting the sweet potatoes was no option and thus, he might as well start on this right now. For a moment, he closed his eyes and tried to remember his favorite recipes including sweet potatoes but somehow, none of them called to him today.

Out of nowhere, the image of a bright grin and mesmerizing green eyes popped up in his mind and Tanjirou smiled to himself when he thought of what Inosuke would request. A while ago, they had talked about their favorite foods and the conversation had very quickly turned into a heated discussion whether tempura or roasted sweet potatoes were the superior food.

A wave of new energy surged through his body when an idea shot through Tanjirou’s mind. At the time, Inosuke and he had not been able to agree on what food was the better comfort food – but maybe, they did not have to choose. In the back of Tanjirou’s mind a faint memory stirred and after a moment of intense brooding, his face lit up.

“Satsumaimo tempura,” Tanjirou muttered and nodded to himself. That was indeed an intriguing idea. After all, he had not tried his hand on this dish before and since he had nothing else to do, he was up for the challenge.

And, he thought to himself with a soft smile, he could surprise Inosuke with it when he came back from his mission. If Tanjirou used this opportunity to practice, he would surely have gotten the hang of it when his time to shine came. And when he shot another look at the sweet potatoes, it almost seemed like they were smiling back at him.

With a grin, Tanjirou grabbed the apron Nezuko had gifted him for his last birthday and got to work. Luckily, he had gathered enough firewood over the past few days and it was even dry enough so that it did not take very long to lit a cooking fire. While the fire grew, happily crackling as it munched on the dry wood, Tanjirou turned to preparing the sweet potatoes and the tempura batter. He sat down next to the fireplace and grabbed the first sweet potato, surprised by how heavy it was. With calm, quick movements he peeled all three of them, his breathing flowing with the almost meditative movements. Then, he sliced the potatoes, careful not to cut himself. Somehow, he was very good at peeling potatoes but managed to slice right into his fingers whenever he tried to cut the potatoes afterwards. But this time, he and his fingers all came out of the battle unscathed and ready for the next step. While the potato slices sat in a water bath, he quickly prepared the tempura batter. Since tempura was the one comfort food Inosuke could not live without, Tanjirou had gotten pretty used to making it and thus, the batter was ready in no time. He set it aside and went on to the more complicated step.

It took a while until Tanjirou had set everything up and then it took another ten or fifteen minutes until the oil in the pot over the fire was hot enough to start frying the tempura. Entirely focused on his task, he dipped each potato slice into the batter and then started frying them in small batches. It took him two batches until he had finally figured out how long to fry the tempura for and when he had finally gotten the hang of it, they turned out golden and perfectly crisp.

A sudden bang jolted him from his thoughts and Tanjirou almost burned his hand as he accidentally reached for the tempura with his fingers, pulling his hand back just in time before it touched the sizzling oil. Startled, he looked up, trying to find the source of the banging sounds that now came closer.

“Gonpachiro, are you in here?” someone hollered through the hallway and Tanjirou’s heart stopped.

“I- Inosuke?” he murmured to himself, suppressing the urge to rub his eyes. He listened closely and when the house stayed silent, his heart sank. He had been mistaken, Inosuke was still on his mission and would not return for another day or two. And while Tanjirou did miss Zenitsu and especially Nezuko, he felt Inosuke’s absence almost physically. So much so that he apparently now started to daydream about him.

With a sigh, Tanjirou shook his head and turned his attention back on the tempura. He was almost done with the third batch and so far, these looked the most gorgeous. And when looking at them, he suddenly wished for Inosuke to be here, sitting next to him, eagerly awaiting to try Tanjirou’s newest creation. In that case, he would not even have to offer the tempura to the other villagers, hoping that they would take them, as Inosuke was perfectly capable of eating the whole mountain of them in some sitting.

“That smells amazing,” a voice said so close to his ear that Tanjirou screamed, flinching so violently that he toppled over, the ground approaching rapidly.

And just before he landed on the floor, a strong arm wrapped around him, breaking his fall. “Whoa,” Inosuke said when he pulled Tanjirou up and set him back on his feet. “What’s up with you, Kentaro?”

Tanjirou’s heart still hammered in his chest when he stared at an Inosuke that he definitely did not hallucinate. “Inosuke, you’re here!” he gasped. “But I thought … aren’t you supposed to be on a mission?”

Inosuke put his hands on his hips and Tanjirou knew from his pose that he was grinning at him from under his mask. “Those demons were weak,” he gloated. “Was no big deal, they didn’t put up a real fight.”

Tanjirou eyed him skeptically, noticing several scratches and claw marks on Inosuke’s arms and chest. “Not much of a fight, huh?” Tanjirou muttered. “I can tell.”

Inosuke nodded emphatically, taking no notice of Tanjirou’s sarcasm. Instead, he lifted the boar’s head off his own and set it aside on the counter, sniffing the air curiously. “What’s that?” he asked and pointed at the tempura that Tanjirou had completely forgotten about.

Tanjirou whirled around and cursed to himself when he realized that he had left the tempura in the oil for too long. He quickly took them out of the oil but the damage had already been done and his shoulders sank down when he stared at the tempura that had been perfectly golden and crisp and now looked more like soggy brown dumplings. “They’re supposed to be Satsumaimo tempura,” he said with a sigh. “But I screwed this batch up.”

Inosuke tilted his head and stared at the sad batch before his eyes lit up. “Did you say tempura?” he asked excitedly, reaching for one of them.

 Tanjirou quickly grabbed his wrist. “Inosuke, don’t,” he said hastily. “Those are overcooked, you shouldn’t eat them.” Inosuke stared down at his wrist before he shrugged and grabbed one of the tempura with his other hand. “Nonsense,” he said and chomped down on the dark brown tempura.

Tanjirou flinched when he heard the wet sound it made and his eyes went wide as saucers. “Inosuke, they’re hot! You’re going to burn your mouth!”

Tanjirou’s heart stopped when Inosuke started trembling violently, grasping his throat – only to turn around and grin at Tanjirou with his mouth full of tempura. “Gotcha,” he said and elegantly dodged Tanjirou’s fist when he tried to punch his shoulder. “It’s not even that hot, Monjiro, don’t be a drag.”

“Inosuke, I just took them out of hot oil,” Tanjirou protested. To no avail, as Inosuke stuffed another piece into his mouth and chewed with a content expression on his face.

“Bit slimy,” Inosuke said with his mouth full before he swallowed. “What’s the purple mush in there?”

Tanjirou shot him an indignant look and quickly pulled the plate away before Inosuke could grab another piece of tempura. “Inosuke, out of my kitchen,” he said and gestured towards the door. “You’re throwing me off. Go and set the table, will you? And when you’re done, I’ll show you what those tempura are actually supposed to taste like.”

Inosuke pulled a face at him and danced out of the kitchen, grabbing two plates and some chopsticks on his way out. And when he had finally left, Tanjirou heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to the oil. His hands still trembled when he carefully prepared the next batch. Inosuke had something about him that made Tanjirou’s heart flutter and his legs give in and both were not necessarily helpful when handling sizzling hot oil. But then again, he would not have it any other way, he thought and smiled when he heard Inosuke humming to himself while preparing the table.

A while later, Tanjirou set down a plate with perfectly golden, crisp tempura in front of Inosuke and smiled at him proudly. “They turned out great,” he said excitedly. “I hope you’ll like them.”

Inosuke licked his lips and reached for the first piece when he suddenly stopped mid-movement and looked up at Tanjirou. His green eyes narrowed when he eyed him pensively. Tanjirou’s skin started to tingle and he nervously returned the look. “Everything alright?” he asked when the silence went on for too long.

“You’re small,” Inosuke said slowly, still staring at Tanjirou who looked back at him helplessly, wondering what Inosuke was on about. “You do eat a lot, but not this much.”

Tanjirou shrugged, captivated by Inosuke’s gaze. He shifted on his seat nervously and asked himself what on earth could be important enough to stop Inosuke from immediately devouring his favorite food. “True,” he said eventually and Inosuke nodded as if he had just confirmed an intriguing theory.

Inosuke leaned closer, completely ignoring the tempura, his gaze fixed on Tanjirou. “Nobody’s here and you didn’t know I’d return so soon,” he said in a tone that made Tanjirou fear the worst. “So … why did you cook so much food?”

Tanjirou stared at him, awaiting the grand reveal. But when Inosuke sat back, he slowly realized that this had been Inosuke’s question all along. And when he thought about his reason for it, his cheeks started to blush. “I, uh, had a lot of sweet potatoes,” he said weakly.

Inosuke raised an eyebrow. “And you had to cook them all at once and all in the same way?”

“Uh, no,” Tanjirou replied before he could think it through and he winced when Inosuke grinned triumphantly.

“Well, then why did you do that, Tontaro?” Inosuke asked inquisitively, his tone allowing no further excuses.

Tanjirou sighed and looked down at the golden tempura that still steamed on their plate. While he was slightly unnerved by Inosuke’s behavior, he could not come up with a different explanation and so, he plucked up his courage. “I … I wanted to see whether I’d get the hang of this dish before you return,” he said quietly, looking at the ground. “And then I wanted to surprise you with perfect Satsumaimo tempura.”

For a moment, Inosuke stayed silent. Then, he asked, “And why this kind of tempura?”

Tanjirou shrugged helplessly. “Sweet potatoes are my comfort food and you love tempura, so I thought this would be the perfect dish for us to eat together.”

“You’re soft as cotton,” Inosuke said quietly and Tanjirou looked up in surprise. Inosuke’s cheeks turned red and he quickly bellowed, “Sometimes I ask myself how you even survive out there.”

Tanjirou stared at him for a moment, his thoughts turned into small cotton clouds, as he asked himself whether this weird statement had been a compliment in disguise. And when he saw the blush on Inosuke’s cheeks, a smile formed on his face. “Thanks, Inosuke,” he said and grinned to himself when Inosuke quickly averted his gaze and stared at the tempura.

“Then let’s see whether your cooking is any good,” Inosuke said a little too loud to sound nonchalant and grabbed one of the golden tempura.

And while watching Inosuke devouring the tempura, his face lighting up at the taste, Tanjirou silently thanked the vendor for selling him three monstrous sweet potatoes.

[rainbowfey]

23 Stormy Night

@flufftober

When the last customer had finally left the bookshop, Akaza sank down on the chair behind the counter and stared at the ceiling for a moment. While the bookshop did not get many customers in general and was more often than not frequented by young people using the library offer the owner had made them, this particular customer had been a pain in the ass. Instead of quietly searching for whatever he wanted like any normal person did, this man had forced Akaza to answer elaborate questions on at least a dozen books, most of which Akaza had not yet read himself and probably would not read in the near future. But of course, the customer had not been satisfied with this and had tried to strike up several conversations about Akaza’s presumed lack of education.

By the seven hells, sometimes Akaza really hated working with customers. And in the end, it was only the storm brewing outside that had saved him from this insufferable customer. Earlier this day, the village had been warned that a storm would hit in the late evening but Akaza had not taken the warning seriously. It would not have been the first time for someone to cause a panic about a supposed catastrophe, only for it to never happen. But while dodging the annoying customer’s questions, Akaza had looked at the window from time and time and with each of his glances, the weather had gotten more inhospitable. It had started with a massive front of grey clouds forming on the horizon, the air over the mountains in the distance looking hazy as the downpour had started far away. Then, nothing had happened for a while and Akaza had seen his assumption confirmed that it was yet another false alarm. But when the sun had set about an hour ago, the mass of clouds had turned almost black, looming over the horizon like a giant preparing to smash the village. And with the night, the wind had come. At first, Akaza had even enjoyed the rustling of the trees and the falling leaves chasing each other through the air. But within minutes, the gentle breeze had turned into something more unsettling. And when the customer had looked up, following Akaza’s gaze, his eyes widened at the trees now swaying dangerously.

“I should get going,” he had said and turned to leave, of course without buying any of the books he had questioned Akaza about. And with a soft dingle of the bell over the door, the costumer had vanished into the night, leaving Akaza all by himself.

Akaza yawned and stretched his back when he slowly struggled to his feet and shot a look at the clock. He had taken the owner of the bookshop up on his job offer only a few months ago and today marked the third day the owner had asked him to work the bookshop alone while he was lying in bed sick. Since Akaza had gotten to know him fairly well, he had immediately agreed to help him out. After all, the job was not necessarily exhausting and it even gave him the chance to read whenever no costumer was there which was admittedly most of the time.

“One hour left,” Akaza muttered to himself, still looking at the clock. A thud caught his attention and he turned to the window just in time to see a branch fall to the ground. The wind had picked up even more in the meantime and instead of only leaves, it was now twigs and even small branches flying through the air. And for a split second, Akaza asked himself whether he should close the bookshop early and head home before it got too dangerous outside. But then, he just shrugged and turned back to the counter. What harm could a bit of wind do after all?

With one last glance at the window, Akaza went behind the counter and sat back down. He grabbed the book he had chosen for this night and flipped through the first few pages he had already read. While he was no fan of romance at all, the main character of this book was weirdly intriguing to him and he found himself to enjoy him being a ray of sunshine, always cheerful and positive. So, basically the opposite of Akaza himself.

He had barely made it thirty pages in when suddenly, the door to the bookshop flung open and a gust of icy wind spilled a person into the shop. Akaza quickly put his finger on the page he was at when the breeze made the pages rustle. Confused, he looked up and met the gaze of two golden eyes peering at him from below a hood pulled deep into the face.

“Gee, great, you’re still open,” the person gasped and Akaza perked up at the familiar voice. He squinted, trying to make out the face in the dim twilight but before he even had the chance to see something, the figure stepped closer and pulled the hood back, revealing red and yellow hair and a face that Akaza recognized instantly.

“Kyoujurou?” he asked before he could stop himself. “What are you doing here?”

Kyoujurou paused mid-movement and stared at him confused before his face lit up. “Akaza, it’s you! I thought you were Takahashi-san for a moment.”

Akaza furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. While he did like the owner of the bookshop, Takahashi-san, a lot, he asked himself how anyone could confuse them. After all, Takahashi-san was about five decades older than Akaza was – and for all his flaws, Akaza did not think he looked quite like a seventy-year-old yet. A bit disgruntled, he watched Kyoujurou shake like a dog, his hair flying through the air, slinging raindrops in every direction. Now that Akaza looked at him more closely, it looked like Kyoujurou had fallen into a lake fully dressed. His jacket and pants were soaked and a few pieces of leaves and twigs had gotten stuck in his long hair and his clothes.

“What happened to you?” Akaza asked curiously. “You look like you had a run-in with a rainforest.”

Kyoujurou lifted his head and glanced at him askingly before he looked down at his wet clothes. He laughed jauntily and nodded. “Yeah, something like that,” he grinned. “But for real, haven’t you noticed the, uh, full-blown storm outside?”

Akaza raised an eyebrow. “Rain and a bit of wind don’t constitute for a real storm, you know?” he said, giving the window a pointed look.

Kyoujurou grinned and waved him closer. “Take a look for yourself then,” he said and gestured towards the door.

With a dramatic sigh, Akaza carefully closed his book and walked over to Kyoujurou intentionally nonchalant. While Kyoujurou moved a bit away from the door with an amused expression on his face, Akaza rolled his eyes and opened the door with a start.

The storm came over him like a beast unleashed from its cage. Wind hit his face so hard that he staggered backwards, holding onto the door to not topple over. And with the wind came the rain, protruding his shirt like an army of icy needles. With a yelp, he quickly slammed the door shut and whirled around, staring at Kyoujurou with wide eyes.

Kyoujurou chuckled and shrugged. “Told you so,” he said and peeled himself out of his wet jacket, placing it on a coat hanger behind the door. “I barely made it here alive, it’s been crazy outside.”

Akaza watched him speechlessly, fumbling at his now half wet shirt. A shiver ran down his spine when he heard the storm raging outside, the rain whipping against the window and door. He gulped when he realized that he had been mistaken. He should have closed shop immediately when the last customer left, he should have headed home before the storm hit. Now, there was barely any chance to make it home unscathed, especially since he had quite the walk to get there.

That made him think about Kyoujurou again and he looked up, eying him. “Why on earth are you here and not home?” he asked and to his surprise, a sheepish smile appeared on Kyoujurou’s face.

His cheeks that were still red from the cold blushed even more when he pulled a book wrapped in a plastic bag from his jacket. “I’m overdue on this book I’ve borrowed,” Kyoujurou admitted slightly abashed. “I wanted to return it before Takahashi-san gets mad at me.”

Akaza stared at him, then at the book in his hand. He felt laughter bubbling up in his throat when he thought about what the owner of the bookshop would say, if he was here right now. He could vividly imagine Takahashi-san waggling his finger at Kyoujurou, gently reprimanding him for getting himself in danger just to return a book. “He’d probably scold you while making a cup of tea for you,” he said with a grin.

Kyoujurou’s eyes widened and he sighed longingly. “I would kill for a nice, hot cup of tea right now!”

Akaza laughed and took a step back, raising his hands. “No need for murder. I can make you a cup of tea without anyone having to die for it.”

Kyoujurou looked at him, his face full of hope. “For real?” he asked. “I’d love you for that, that would be amazing!”

Akaza’s face started feeling hot and he quickly nodded and turned away. “Take a seat,” he said and gestured towards the reading nook in the heart of the bookshop. “I’ll be right back.”

And while he walked to the backroom of the store, he saw from the corner of his eye how Kyoujurou walked over to the nook and snuggled up in one of the soft armchairs, his face slowly returning to a normal color. Somehow, this sight made Akaza feel calm and while he prepared tea for them both, he almost forgot about the storm trapping them in the bookshop.

When he came back out, carefully balancing two cups, Kyoujurou had picked up the book Akaza had been reading, curiously flicking through the pages. When Akaza came closer, he looked up and his face lit up at the sight of the tea. Almost reverently, he accepted the cup Akaza handed him. When he looked up at Akaza, he was beaming.

“You’re my savior,” Kyoujurou said fervently and took a sip of his tea, his eyes closing with pleasure. “This is divine!”

Akaza smiled to himself when he took a seat across from Kyoujurou. He glanced at the window and suddenly, he was glad that the reading nook was nestled into the back half of the shop. The wind howling in the night beyond the window sounded menacing and from time to time, the raindrops hit the glass so hard that it started shaking. “I guess we won’t be leaving any time soon,” Akaza said with a sigh and sent a mental apology to Takahashi-san. “At least we’re safe here.”

Kyoujurou leaned closer and looked at him, concern written all over his face. “Do you think Takahashi-san will mind us waiting out the storm in here?”

With his wide eyes and the slightly open mouth, he looked adorable and Akaza had to suppress a smile. “Don’t worry,” he instead said reassuringly. “He’d give us a beating if we didn’t use the bookshop to stay safe. And believe me, you don’t want to feel his wrath.”

They exchanged a glance. Kyoujurou was the first to laugh out loud and Akaza followed suit only a moment later. The mental image of the sweet, old man chasing after them with a broom or a particularly heavy book was indeed funny and Akaza did not doubt in the slightest that Takahashi-san would actually do this, should they get themselves into danger willingly.

“So, what do we do until the storm passes?” Kyoujurou asked and his eyes glistened with excitement. Without noticing, his fingers drummed on the book Akaza had been reading. “You know what works really well with a stormy night, hot tea and loads of books?”

Akaza smiled at his enthusiasm and shook his head. “No, but I suppose you’ll tell me in no time.”

Kyoujurou beamed at him and jumped to his feet, miraculously without spilling any tea. “We’ll do a readathon!”

Akaza tilted his head, thinking about whether he had heard of that before, but nothing came to mind. “A readathon?” he repeated, looking at Kyoujurou askingly.

Kyoujurou nodded emphatically, his eyes lighting up. He set the cup of tea down on the side table between the armchairs and walked over to Akaza. He dropped the book in his lap and pointed at it excitedly. “We’ll spend the whole night reading as many books as we can!” he said, beaming at Akaza. He spun around elegantly, gesturing at the rows of bookshelves around them. “We have everything we could wish for! We have a cozy spot to read in, hot tea and an almost infinite number of books we haven’t read yet. It’s perfect!”

Akaza mulled over the idea and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Kyoujurou was right, this was indeed the perfect moment for it – they even had the ambience of the rain and storm outside, making for a particularly cozy atmosphere. Since he was a kid, Akaza had wanted to stay up all night and read but in the past few years, he had not had the chance to do it anymore. And now, Kyoujurou stood before him, shooting him this irresistible smile, holding his hand out to him.

Akaza took his hand and shook it, his legs turning to jelly when Kyoujurou smiled at him as bright as a million stars. “Deal,” Akaza said, his voice trembling. “Let’s make the best of this!”

And Kyoujurou squeezed his hand, his warmth making Akaza’s skin tingle. “I don’t think it can get any more perfect than it already is,” Kyoujurou said and when he looked down at their hands, Akaza knew that he was not only talking about books anymore.

[rainbowfey]

22 "Wait, you love me?" - "I always have."

@flufftober

When Sanemi’s mansion appeared at the end of the street, Genya slowed down until he had stopped walking. The familiar pressure in his chest grew bigger and for a moment, he struggled to breathe. He had not been back to Sanemi’s estate since an incident where Sanemi had clearly shown him that he did not wish to speak to him. Ever since, Genya had not seen Sanemi even once and for weeks, he had dreaded the moment where they would meet again. Thus, it had come as a rather shocking surprise when his Kasugai crow had told him that his next mission would lead him to Sanemi’s mansion. For a while, he had contemplated relaying the message through his crow that he would not follow this particular order. But then, he had gathered all his courage and decided to go through with it. After all, Sanemi was still his brother even though he could not stand Genya and probably never had since they had been children.

Genya took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders before he started moving again. However, he could not bring himself to walk quickly and thus, he meandered along the street, stretching it as much as he could. But even the longest path had to end at some point and sooner than he liked, he arrived at the gate in the fence surrounding the mansion. The gate was closed and instantly, the hope that it would be locked stirred in his guts, giving him a good excuse to leave without further investigation. Almost smiling at that prospect, he reached for the handle.

The gate swung open without a hitch. Genya stared at the definitely unlocked and now open gate and cursed silently as his hope was shattered. He grimaced and uncomfortably shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He looked up to the sky, hoping to see his Kasugai crow come for him to tell him that he could leave again but except for a few fluffy clouds, there was nothing in sight. Miserably, he looked down at the package in his hand. The order had said very specifically that he was to deliver it to Sanemi personally, so he was not even able to just set it down somewhere and make a run for it.

Genya sighed and clutched the package when taking the first step through the gate. Even though the package was the very reason as to why he even was in this situation, it was also the only thing he could hold onto right now. His legs felt shaky when he walked further onto the estate, leaving the gate behind. Each step took him farther away from the street leading back to safety, his only refuge. He nervously glanced around and listened intently for any sign of Sanemi but the estate lay eerily quiet before him. He gulped when he realized that this would only prolong this situation and suddenly, he almost hoped to hear Sanemi’s aggressive snarl somewhere close as this was his only way to get out of here quickly. But since everything stayed silent, he did not have much of a choice than to walk to the front door of the mansion and knock, hoping that he would leave the estate in one piece later on.

When Genya had reached the door, he hesitantly lifted his hand and carefully knocked at the wooden door. Only once, then he quickly took a step back, fearing the worst. His heart started beating faster when he heard footsteps behind the door and almost without noticing, he pressed the package against his chest as if he could hide behind it. When the door opened, he took a deep breath and his chest felt like it would explode at any moment now. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

“Genya-kun! What a surprise to see you here,” a voice exclaimed that sounded way warmer than Sanemi was even able to.

Both relieved and disappointed at the same time, Genya opened his eyes again and met the gaze of an attendant. It was a woman, wearing the typical uniform that showed her to be a Kakushi. While her mouth was covered with the usual Kakushi mask, her brown eyes smiled at him warmly and a faint memory stirred in Genya’s mind. If he was not mistaken, he had seen her before. Maybe she was even the attendant who had ushered him out after his last confrontation with Sanemi, treating his wounds and taking care that he got away without being seen. He remembered her kindness and when he now looked at her, he felt the lump in his throat lightening a bit.

“I am here to deliver a package to … Shinazugawa-san,” he said hesitantly. “I have to hand it over personally.”

The attendant nodded and looked at the package in his hands curiously. “Of course,” she said in her friendly voice. “Shinazugawa-sama is not here at the moment but I’m sure he will return in a few hours. How about you come in and wait here?”

Genya flinched and quickly shook his head. He did not dare to imagine how Sanemi would react if he got back to his mansion just to find his detested brother sitting in his living room. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he mumbled.

But the attendant did not seem to take notice of his reluctance. Instead, she held the door open for him and motioned for him to come in. When he hesitated, her gaze softened and she calmly said, “How about you wait in the garden? Would that be a compromise?”

And to his surprise, Genya found that this indeed sounded a lot less intimidating. Slowly, he nodded and her eyes lit up. “Follow me then,” she said enthusiastically and waved him closer.

The path to the garden led them through a part of the mansion and even though his heart still thundered in his chest, Genya curiously looked around, taking in the sight. As he had expected, Sanemi did not seem to be in favor of decorations or knick-knacks but to his surprise, there were quite a few plants that did look well taken care of. Of course, that could also be due to the diligent attendant but Genya was surprised that Sanemi tolerated plants in his personal space. Even more since some of them were very obviously flowers. Somehow, that did not fit into Genya’s image of his brother as flowers seemed gentle and soft while Sanemi was as hard as stone.

When they reached the garden, the attendant gestured to a spot where he could sit down. A wooden porch sat between the house and its garden and since the porch was still under the roof, Genya would be shielded from any wind and rain there. Not that that would be necessary as today the weather was particularly mellow, almost as if it wanted to soothe Genya. With a grateful nod, he sat down and braced himself for a long wait.

It took a while for his heartbeat to finally calm down. The neat garden did help calm his nerves and after a while, he almost forgot his fear of the confrontation in his wake. At one point, the attendant popped her head out of the door and asked him whether he would like to eat or drink something. He politely declined and she disappeared, only to come back with a cup of tea anyways. She handed it to him, giving him a friendly wink. “Good for the nerves,” she said under her breath and Genya could not help but smile back at her nervously.

The time flew by and before he knew what had happened, the sun set on the horizon. With the fading light, Genya’s nervosity came back and he fiddled around the now empty cup. For a moment, he hoped that Sanemi would not return this evening but if that was the case, the attendant surely would have let him know. So, he started counting the minutes, growing more uneasy with each moment that passed. But everything stayed silent.

When Genya finally heard voices in the house behind him, he flinched violently and hastily grabbed the package he had set down next to him. His heart hammered in his chest and when he heard heavy footsteps coming closer, his stomach tightened and he felt like he was about to throw up at any moment now. He desperately pressed a hand against his mouth and swallowed hard when he heard the door behind him opening.

The footsteps came to a halt and Genya did not dare to turn around. Only when he realized that Sanemi would certainly consider this behavior disrespectful did he force his body to move. He quickly got to his feet, staring at the ground intently as he bowed deeply.

“I am here to deliver a package,” he said quietly, hoping that his voice would tremble less than his body did. When Sanemi did not reply, Genya held the package out with both hands, still lowering his head.

The seconds of silence seemed to blur into a small eternity while all he heard was his blood rushing through his ears and quiet, steady breathing a few steps away. Then, the silence was shattered by the sound of the door sliding open again.

“I have prepared dinner for you, Shinazugawa-sama,” the attendant said in her friendly tone and Genya froze. “Since it’s too late for young Genya to walk back through the forest alone, I have prepared a portion for him too.”

Genya managed to suppress his gasp just in time before it could leave his mouth. He wanted to scream and run away but his body did not react at all, leaving him frozen in place. Bile made its way up his throat and he desperately pressed his lips together.

When Sanemi did not say a word, the attendant walked towards Genya. From the corner of his eye, he saw her setting a tray down on a narrow table, positioning the dishes neatly before she looked up and smiled again. “You should have your meal while it’s still warm.”

That was what tipped the scales and suddenly, Genya’s voice worked again. “I … I should get going,” he stammered, shooting her a pleading look.

“Nonsense,” she said firmly. “And now come here and take a seat.”

Her tone did not allow for any protest and with a sense of impending doom, Genya cautiously set down the package on the porch and followed her order, sitting down, his gaze still fixed at the ground.

“You too, Shinazugawa-sama,” the attendant said politely but insistently. And to his bewilderment, Genya heard footsteps coming closer slowly. The floorboards of the porch creaked when Sanemi sat down. The attendant beamed at him and nodded. “Good. And now enjoy your meal.”

And with those words, she bowed politely and retreated back into the mansion, leaving them alone. Genya’s ears were ringing and he struggled for breath. Everything in him wanted to get up and run away but he knew that would be a grave mistake. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’ll just get going now.”

“No.”

The word came out of nowhere and hung in the air between them, growing until it almost suffocated Genya. His hair stood on end when he hesitantly asked, “N- no?”

Sanemi heaved a deep sigh and his voice sounded exasperated when he repeated, “No. She’s right, you can’t leave now. It’s not safe.”

“I’ll be fine,” Genya stammered, instinctively backing away. “I can handle it.”

Sanemi huffed and Genya froze at the familiar sound. “Yeah, I’ve seen how you handle things,” he said, his voice full of disdain. “You are going to stay here for the night. But tomorrow morning by sunrise, I want you gone.”

“Yes, Sir,” Genya muttered, feeling entirely miserable. His whole body tensed up when he felt Sanemi moving next to him, but Sanemi just pulled the table a bit closer.

“Eat,” Sanemi said curtly and pointed at the tray which held two portions of each dish.

Genya looked down at his hands that were still trembling. He knew that if he reached for one of the bowls now, Sanemi would notice it. But if he did not follow Sanemi’s order, he was risking even more. And thus, he plucked up his courage and cautiously took one of the bowls, praying that he would not drop it. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sanemi looking at his hands but he stayed silent. Instead, he slowly started eating, not paying Genya any further attention.

With a weird mixture of relief and fear, Genya looked down at his bowl and the lump in his throat grew. While his stomach did feel hollow, he was fairly sure that he would not manage to eat even a single bite without having to throw up. His heart started pounding faster again while he pleaded with his body to not give up on him.

When he realized that Sanemi was looking at him, his heart stopped. “What are you so afraid of?” Sanemi asked harshly and Genya flinched.

He did not know what to say as Sanemi would probably not take too kindly to him revealing the truth. Hastily, he wracked his brain for a possible explanation but nothing came to mind and the bowl he stared at helplessly also did not reveal any magical solution.

“I’m not going to harm you,” Sanemi said after a while and Genya winced when he realized how accurately Sanemi had read his mind.

“But you tried to last time,” Genya blurted out and pressed his hand on his mouth when he realized what he had said. The urge to flee grew until it was almost overwhelming but he stayed frozen in place, the bowl trembling in his other hand.

For a moment, Sanemi stayed quiet. Then, he nodded. “I did,” he said curtly. “But I’m not going to try again.”

Genya paused and asked himself whether he had heard the words right. He set his bowl down, careful not to break it. And when he spoke, the word came without him thinking about it. “Why?”

Sanemi stayed silent for so long that Genya started to think he would not reply at all. But when he also set his bowl aside and spoke up, his voice sounded strangely tired. “Because I realized that it’s too late. You have chosen your path and I am not able to change that anymore.”

Images flashed before Genya’s inner eye. He still saw Sanemi’s face in his nightmares, pale with rage as he stormed towards Genya, two fingers outstretched, aiming for his eyes. The tone of Sanemi’s voice now did not want to fit in with those memories and Genya’s mind started swimming. When he had told Sanemi that he had started eating demons, he had expected a reaction. Maybe surprise, bewilderment even, probably also a bit of anger. But he had not expected Sanemi attacking him like that. How in the world could anyone ever expect something like that, even from a person that hated them?

After the incident, Genya had thought about it every single night, lying awake and staring into the dark. At first, he had thought Sanemi had wanted to kill him. However, there would have been more than enough more convenient ways to do so. And after long and hard thinking, Genya had come to the conclusion that Sanemi had went specifically for his eyes because he wanted to blind him. But why he had tried that had escaped Genya. Until now.

“You wanted me injured so badly that I can’t be a demon slayer anymore,” he said slowly when the realization sunk in. His heart stopped and for the first time, he looked up and met Sanemi’s gaze. The look out of his dark eyes paralyzed Genya and he held his breath, waiting for a reaction.

Sanemi looked at him, his face entirely blank. But then, he sighed and shrugged. “It did not work,” he said, his face still unmoving.

Genya stared at him, trying to grasp what could have led Sanemi to this attempt. “I … why did you want to do that to me?” he asked quietly, his heartbeat slowing down until it felt like his heart would stop beating at any moment. If this was the moment of truth, he had to use his chance to find out once and for all.

Sanemi stayed silent for a while. His gaze wandered over the dark garden and for once, he seemed almost calm, unsettlingly so. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded strained, sending a shiver down Genya’s spine. “I can’t watch my brother go down that path.”

Genya’s head shot up and he stared at Sanemi with wide eyes. In his ears, faint memories of Sanemi’s voice rang when he hissed at him that they were not family. “You said you didn’t have a brother,” Genya said, casting his caution to the wind. “What changed?”

Sanemi sighed and when he looked back at Genya, his face darkened. “Nothing,” he said curtly. “After tomorrow, I don’t want to see you again.”

And even though Genya was not surprised at these words, his heart ached when he looked at his older brother, his pale face so familiar and so foreign at the same time. When he blinked, he saw a younger, happier face for a moment and the pain in his chest grew until it took his breath away. He could still see a younger Sanemi smiling at him, ruffling his hair. But then he blinked another time and the world turned dark again. The fair features turned into rough, hard ones, no hint of that kind smile left. The lump in Genya’s throat grew until it suffocated him. “Why, Sanemi?” he asked and his voice broke.

Sanemi closed his eyes and for a moment, Genya could see the pain in his features as he grimaced. When he opened his eyes again, he straightened his shoulders and stared into the night. “You don’t want to see a person you love seal their own fate,” Sanemi said. And when he turned back and looked at Genya, his voice sounded cold. “I’m not going to stand by and watch you die. If you want things to be this way, you’re on your own.”

And while Genya heard his voice, four words echoed in his mind. ‘A person you love’. The world shattered around him when he looked at his brother. “Wait,” he whispered, his vision blurring, the world washing away until Sanemi’s face was all he could see. “You love me?”

And when Sanemi looked at him, Genya could see the anguish in his eyes. “I always have,” Sanemi said hoarsely, his gaze burning into Genya’s eyes. “And that’s exactly why I can’t watch you go down.”

Genya’s face felt cold when a single tear ran down his cheek. And when he looked at Sanemi, he felt small again, like the child that had sought shelter in his brother’s arms when it got scared. “I’m sorry, aniki,” he squeezed out and quickly wiped the tear away. “I’m so sorry.”

Genya looked down, desperately trying to regain his composure as more and more tears blurred his vision, running down his cheeks uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to find something to hold onto as the pain ripped him to pieces. When he heard a movement next to him, he flinched and hunched up his shoulders, trying to shield his head.

And then, a hand touched his back. Hesitantly at first, then firmer as it grabbed his shoulder and slowly pulled him closer. And when he felt an arm wrapping around his shoulder, he broke. Pushing his fear aside, he threw himself at his brother, clinging to him as if he was his lifeline. Sanemi froze under his touch, his body growing stiff. But then, he heaved a deep sigh and softened, pulling Genya into an embrace. “We’ll make it through this together, Genya-kun.”

And for the first time in years, Genya felt safe again.

[rainbowfey]

21 Bonfire

@flufftober

„Are you gonna help or are you just going to stand around uselessly, Tomioka?” Sanemi bellowed as he walked past Giyuu, a stack of wood in his arms.

Giyuu shrugged. “I’d rather just stand around,” he said in a low voice, not loud enough for Sanemi to hear. But to his dismay, someone else did hear him.

“Lighten up,” Tengen said, raising an eyebrow as he gave Giyuu a stern look. “It’s a bonfire, not an execution. It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”

Giyuu nodded and thought to himself that an execution at least did not sound as boring as a bonfire did. But since he did not want to risk a discussion about the flashiness of a big fire with Tengen, he reluctantly followed him which earned him an approving nod.

A few minutes later, Giyuu was also packed with heaps of dry branches and twigs. He could barely see over the enormous pile in his arms and almost ran into Kyoujurou who frolicked past him, visibly excited for the bonfire.

“Oh, you’re going to be at the bonfire as well? That’s great,” Kyoujurou said cheerfully and patted him on the back before he went on his merry way, not taking notice of Giyuu’s weak smile.

And again, Giyuu asked himself what the other Hashira found exciting about a giant fire. But now that he thought about it, it probably did not come as a big surprise that the Flame Hashira and the self-proclaimed god of festivals would like a bonfire. Then again, Sanemi did not seem like the type to happily dance around a fire at all and even he was helping prepare it without any complaint. With a sigh, Giyuu braced himself for hours of gathering and piling up wood.

To his luck, he was relieved after about one hour when someone out of nowhere grabbed his wrist and pulled him through an open door. Staggering, Giyuu followed the silhouette through the twilight of a hallway, barely able to maintain his balance. Only when they reached the kitchen, the person finally let go of him and turned around, their green eyes widened.

“Giyuu, I need your help,” Mitsuri said pleadingly and Giyuu stared at her slightly overwhelmed. “I’m supposed to take care of the feast together with Obanai but then Sanemi came in and took him and now I don’t know what to do! I can’t do it alone and if I mess up, everyone will be so disappointed and hungry and –“

Desperate, Giyuu raised his hand, trying to get a word in. “Mitsuri, hold on. I’ll help you.”

“For real?” she said and slowly, she started beaming. “Giyuu, you are the very best!”

And while Giyuu still asked himself what could have been grave enough to get Obanai to leave Mitsuri alone, Mitsuri pulled him towards a kitchen isle where a mountain of ingredients loomed over an assortment of pots and pans. The stack was higher than Giyuu’s head and he instantly started regretting his offer. But then, he remembered the despair in Mitsuri’s eyes and with a sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and reached for the first ingredient.

Another two hours later, every muscle in Giyuu’s body had started hurting and he was covered in flour from head to toes. His arms ached more than they did after every single training session and now he had a vague idea what had kept Obanai from returning to the kitchen. Exasperated, he looked down at the last dish he had assembled. At least it looked nice as Mitsuri had brought him loads of flowers to decorate the dishes with.

Now, he heard her coming closer and only a moment later, she peered over his shoulder. “Aww, Giyuu, that’s so pretty,” she squealed in delight and patted his back with surprising force.

“Thanks,” he muttered, too tired to protest. “What now?”

Mitsuri glanced around the kitchen pensively and after a moment, a satisfied smile formed on her face. “I think we’re finally done. We should go and get help to carry all of this outside.” She paused and looked at Giyuu. “You know what? I’ll do it alone. How about you go upstairs and freshen up before we start the bonfire?”

Even though she had said it in very kind words, Giyuu had a vague inkling of what he must have looked like if even Mitsuri spoke up about it. However, her idea was intriguing as it presented the chance to get some time to himself before he would inevitably be forced to come outside again.

“Sounds good,” he replied and when Mitsuri shooed him away with a smile, he took the shortest route back to his assigned room in the headquarters mansion.

When Giyuu finally closed the door of his room behind him, he sighed in relief. While he did enjoy spending time with the other Hashira from time to time, he was not a fan of big groups or bonfires. Or any festive activities, for that matter. Or people in general.

With that thought, he took off his flour-dusted clothes and briefly washed his arms, neck, and face in the bath corner of his room. Then, he slipped into a fresh change of clothes with the exception of his haori. He gave it a critical look and dusted it off before deciding that this would have to do. He glanced at his door but since no one had knocked on it yet, his grace period seemed to be not over yet even though the sun had started to set. With a quick look to his window, Giyuu turned a light on and grabbed the book he was currently reading, settling down on his futon. And in no time, he had lost himself in a rather enticing adventure story about young people attending an institution called ‘university’.

When a sharp knock snapped him out of his thoughts, Giyuu already could not make out some of the letters anymore as it had gotten dark and his small lamp did not radiate enough light to read properly. With a deep sigh, he carefully set the book back down in its designated spot, ignoring the second and third knock on his door.

“Tomioka, are you in there?” a voice boomed through the door and Giyuu winced. While he had not held much hope that the others would forget about him, he had not expected Tengen to be the one showing up to force him outside.

“No, I’m not,” he replied halfheartedly and grimaced when Tengen laughed out loud.

“Very funny,” Tengen shouted back, indeed sounding amused. “Are you gonna open your door or do I have to break it down?”

“Break it down and do what next?” Giyuu asked while walking towards the door reluctantly.

Tengen thought about it for a moment before he loudly exclaimed, “Pick you up and carry you downstairs. You choose, Giyuu. Do you want to attend the bonfire the easy or the hard way?”

Of course, that was not necessarily a pleasant choice and thus, Giyuu opened his door while muttering to himself, “That would be called kidnapping, you know.”

Tengen grinned at him. “I’m not above that if it means you crawl out of your room for once, Tomioka,” he said and patted Giyuu on the shoulder so forcefully that Giyuu’s legs almost gave in. “So, do you want me to carry you like the princess you are?”

The worst part about this was that Giyuu knew that Tengen was being absolutely serious about this and if he asked for it, Tengen would indeed carry him to the bonfire in his arms. And since that was a fate that had to be avoided at all costs, Giyuu closed his door behind him and started walking. When Tengen reached for him, he quickly dodged his hand and quickened his pace.

“I’ll be fine, thanks,” he said hastily and fled the hallway, Tengen’s roaring laughter following him.

Tengen caught up to him when he reached the leaf door leading outside. Together, they left the mansion, shattering Giyuu’s hope of slipping away somewhere on the way to the bonfire. Now, he had no choice but to walk towards the backside of the mansion since Tengen was the faster one of them and would catch him in no time, should he try to escape. He glanced over his shoulder and found this conclusion mirrored in Tengen’s face as he shot him a rather malicious grin and nonchalantly closed the distance between them. Giyuu gulped and suddenly, the bonfire did seem like the better option after all.

Even before they had turned the corner, Giyuu could already see the dancing shadows and smell the scent of fire in the air. While Tengen behind him mumbled something excitedly, Giyuu took a deep breath and braced himself. Then, they walked around the building and were met with the sight of a sheer enormous fire crackling in a big ring of stones, sending flickering lights over the faces hovering around it. Along the outer wall of the mansion, the other Hashira had lined up tables that now were filled with all the dishes he and Mitsuri had made. Looking at them, he felt a hint of pride whenever he recognized a flower that he had positioned.

“You guys did a great job,” Tengen said behind him and patted his back again. “And now go and have a good time!”

And with that, Tengen gave Giyuu a gentle push, shoving him towards the bonfire while he walked over to Kyoujurou and Mitsuri. Giyuu stumbled forward and when he caught his balance again, he paused and looked around. Around the fire, the others had placed a variety of chairs and blankets, making for a rather unique setup. Apart from the Hashira, there were also many Kakushi and the Ubuyashiki kids bustling about. Behind the fire, he could even see the girls from the butterfly mansion playing with two of the Ubuyashiki daughters. Everywhere he looked, he saw cheerful faces, and the air was full of laughter and happy chattering.

All in all, it was horrible. While Giyuu did take pleasure in the fact that everyone seemed happy, he would have preferred them to be happy in a different place than he was. But since the bonfire did not appear to magically fly away to another location any time soon, Giyuu decided that it was on him to relocate himself. When he had made this resolve, the next step was to get away unseen. Cautiously, he glanced over to Tengen who was now engrossed in conversation with Mitsuri and Kyoujurou, happily chatting away and striking a flashy pose from time to time, each pose rewarded with Mitsuri’s applause.

Giyuu watched the spectacle half mesmerized, half amused for a while before he snapped out of it and started looking for a way out again. The path back to the front of the mansion was blocked by Tengen and when Giyuu looked left, he saw a group of people that he also wanted to avoid. Of course, he did not think that Obanai and Muichiro would care much about him leaving but it was possible that Sanemi would stop him just for the hell of it. So, this option was also ruled out. But if he managed to casually walk past them and to the back of the fire, the wood behind the mansion would be alluringly close. And if he found a moment where no one paid attention to him, he could maybe slip behind a tree and vanish into the night.

With this plan in mind, Giyuu straightened his shoulders and nonchalantly meandered around the fire. When he passed the group, Sanemi looked up and shot him a stern look that made Giyuu’s skin crawl. Nervously, he smiled at Sanemi which turned Sanemi’s expression into an entirely bewildered one in an instant. Giyuu cursed silently and quickly looked away, feeling Sanemi’s gaze burning on the back of his neck.

He made his way through a crowd of people until he had reached the other side of the bonfire. When he was finally there, his skin felt warm from the heat of the fire and he was fairly sure that tomorrow, his haori would smell like it had been caught in a smoke house. With a sigh, he looked up again – and to his delight, the path to the forest was clear of any people. After a quick glance in Tengen’s and Sanemi’s directions, making sure they were not directly looking at him, Giyuu took a few steps towards the forest edge. But when he was halfway there, he noticed a silhouette sitting in the shadows and he froze.

“Are you trying to sneak away, Tomioka?” a familiar voice asked and Giyuu’s heart sank.

“Uh, no,” he replied and wrecked his brain for another plausible explanation as to why he was turning his back on the bonfire and walking towards the dark forest.

But before he had an idea, he heard a faint laugh from the shadows. “Don’t even try, it’s pointless. Tengen has his eyes everywhere.”

Giyuu’s head shot up and he squinted, trying to make out her face in the dark. “Wait a minute,” he said slowly. “Did you try to sneak off too, Shinobu?”

For a moment, she stayed silent but then he heard a soft sigh. “Maybe,” Shinobu said, sounding both amused and resigned. “Either way, Tengen won’t let you leave, I promise.”

Giyuu took a few steps towards her and when he turned his back to the crackling fire, his eyes adjusted to the dark and he could make out Shinobu’s pale face. She sat in the grass, facing towards the bonfire, a strange expression on her face. “Have you ever been thrown over Tengen’s shoulder?” she asked after a while and when Giyuu shook his head carefully, she grimaced. “Yeah, I can’t recommend that either. So, if you don’t want to make that experience, you better sit down with me and wait it out.”

Judging by the painful tone in her voice, Shinobu indeed knew what she was talking about and Giyuu felt laughter bubbling up in his throat at the mental imagine of Tengen slinging Shinobu over his shoulder. He bit his lip and let himself sink down into the grass next to her. For a while, they both stayed silent until he asked, “So, you’re not a fan of bonfires either?”

Shinobu shook her head violently and glared at the fire. “Not at all. I don’t know how anyone could like this.”

Giyuu nodded in agreement and followed her gaze. “You’re entirely right,” he said, relieved to have found someone who shared his sentiment. “It all just seems so stupid, right? You pile up a mountain of wood only to set it on fire all at once. That doesn’t even make sense! It’s such a waste of resources.”

He noticed Shinobu looking up and he took it as a sign to continue. “Like, what are you even going to do with a fire like this? Dance around it like a bunch of witches and make a fool out of yourself? Heck, it’s even too big for stick bread, you’re just going to burn yourself.”

Only when he had finished his sentence, he noticed that Shinobu pressed a hand on her mouth, her cheeks blushing as she started giggling. “You’re really one of a kind, Giyuu,” she squeezed out between bouts of laughter.

Giyuu stared at her confused and asked himself what exactly about his rant had been funny enough to start giggling like a maniac. “Well, if that’s not your reason,” he said after a while, “then what is?”

Shinobu’s face took on an adorable expression somewhere between amusement and anger when she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “All those lives, Giyuu,” she said after a while, her voice quivering. “All of them lost and for what?”

That was a bit too fast for Giyuu and he stared at her, trying to make sense of the lost lives she was talking about. “Do you mean the … the trees we cut down?” he asked after a while, glancing at the mountain of burning wood in the center of the bonfire.

But when Shinobu huffed, he quickly looked back at her. “No, silly,” she said, now serious. “I’m talking about the moths, of course! All those poor insects who fly directly into the fire just to be burnt alive!”

And at this moment, Giyuu lost his calm and burst out laughing. He held his sides as he cackled, his laughter worsening whenever he looked at Shinobu who stared at him with both confusion and a bit of indignation.

“What’s so funny about that?” she asked, furrowing her brows.

And for once, Giyuu forgot about his dislike for people and reached for her hand. “I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “For the moths and for laughing. But if anyone is one of kind here, it has to be you, Shinobu.”

For a moment, she glared at him but then her features softened and she intertwined her fingers with his. “Well,” she said with a resigned grin, “at least I don’t have to suffer through it alone anymore.”

[rainbowfey]

20 Paw

@flufftober

Tamayo looked up when she heard quick steps racing over the floorboards overhead. It sounded like Yushiro was frantically searching something and for a moment, a hint of concern stirred in her chest. While Yushiro could be rather hot-headed, he normally put great effort into being calm around her. For him to be this agitated within her vicinity was indeed rather unusual. Judging by the sounds of it, Yushiro was opening and closing doors to rooms and closets, searching through drawers and slamming them shut when he apparently did not find whatever he was searching for. It was only a matter of time until he had finished his search upstairs and Tamayo did not doubt that he would continue it down in the basement as well.

She carefully set the glass flask she was holding aside, securing it in a wooden rack before she took off her gloves. When she was sure that nothing was amiss or falsely placed, she turned the attention from her experiment back to the door of her laboratory. And before she could decide whether to go check on Yushiro herself, she already heard his steps quickly coming down the stairs. Only a moment later, she heard a knock at the door and Yushiro popped his head in.

His eyes widened when he saw Tamayo already looking at him and his face went pale. “I am sorry, Tamayo-sama,” he blurted out. “I hope I haven’t disturbed you in your work.”

Tamayo smiled at him and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Yushiro. Please tell me, what are you looking for?”

Yushiro’s face fell and a concerned expression appeared on his face that made Tamayo’s hair stand on end. “Have you seen Chachamaru anywhere?” he asked, the hope in his voice barely concealed.

Tamayo shook her head and when his shoulders sunk down, his worry started spreading to her. “I haven’t seen him for two or three days at least,” Tamayo said pensively and when the realization sunk in, her chest tightened. It was not unusual for Chachamaru to stay away for some time, after all, he was a rather independent cat. But three days were a lot of time, even for him.

Yushiro’s face got even paler and he stared at the ground. “Three days,” he muttered. “I hope he’s okay.”

Tamayo took a deep breath and forced a smile to her face. “I am sure he is just fine and will return very soon.”

But when Yushiro looked up and met her eyes, her optimism faltered. “What if he has gotten hurt?” Yushiro asked anxiously. “Or even worse, what if something attacked him?”

And while Tamayo wanted to reassure him, she could not help wondering whether Yushiro was right.

The monster came out of nowhere. One moment, Chachamaru strolled along the street happily, then he had to run for his life while a giant, black bundle of fur chased after him, its maw gaping wide open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Chachamaru’s heart fluttered like a bird in a cage as he desperately sprinted towards a hollow log, barely making it in time before the teeth closed behind him with a sickening snap. Panting, he nestled up to the wood, anxiously listening to the barking and growling that echoed through the log. And just when he thought he was finally safe, the wood broke with an earthshattering crack and the world turned into a cloud of teeth and splinters of wood.

Chachamaru yowled when he felt a sharp pain in his paw but he did not have the time to examine it as his log now was being pulped by the deathly teeth. With a desperate jump, he made it out just in time before the log over his head gave in. Without looking back, Chachamaru ran for the forest, his paw throbbing whenever it touched the ground.

And then, he finally reached the tree line and dove into the shadows. When he had crawled into a thicket, now protected by a wall of thorns, he dared to pause and look back. His heart still hammering against his ribcage, he peered through a hole in the thicket. For a moment, he saw nothing but then the beast came into view. It ran up and down, frantically sniffing the ground. Over and over, it looked in Chachamaru’s direction and growled. But whenever the monster tried to come closer, its snout grazed the thorns which made it jump back with a whimper.

For a while, the beast made many more attempts to get to Chachamaru but when it finally realized that he was safe in his castle of thorns, it growled angrily one last time and then trotted away, its tail hanging down. And when it had vanished behind a hill, Chachamaru’s muscles relaxed and his breath started calming down again. He stayed in his hideout for another while until the sun started sinking down on the horizon before he dared to crawl out of the thicket.

When Chachamaru had made it out of the forest, he stood on all four paws again – and yowled quietly when the pain in his paw returned with all its might. He eyed his paw and carefully licked it but the pain only grew worse. If he got home, his family would help him but he was far away and his paw did not feel like it would carry him the whole path. And thus, Chachamaru limped back into the forest and towards a house where he would find a friend.

The wind around him rustled through the leaves mysteriously and Gyoumei smiled to himself when he heard them dancing over the ground. One leaf grazed his hand and he carefully grabbed it, brushing over the dry, brittle surface with his thumb. With a soft crackling, the leaf fell apart and when he opened his hand again, he felt the wind collecting the tiny pieces from his palm, taking them with him. With a content sigh, he turned his attention back inwards and let the noises around him fade away until he did not consciously hear them anymore.

“Namu amida butsu,“ he muttered to himself, letting his tears stream down his cheeks freely. The pressure in his chest lightened and his breathing gently followed the flow of his words as he repeated his prayer over and over again. The storm of emotions in his body slowly settled down and when his chest felt free, he knew that he had found his calm again.

For a long while, he remained sat, silently praying and letting the constant stream of sensations flow over him. From time to time, a mental imagine formed in his mind and he turned his attention to it briefly, accepting it, before he let it go again. A gentle breeze ran through his hair and once, he even felt a single rain drop wetting his hand.

When he was about to turn his attention inward again, he heard a faint noise that did not fit into the soundscape around him. Curious, he interrupted his chanting and tilted his head, listening intently. Between the soft rush of the wind and the tumbling leaves, he heard a weak rustling somewhere behind him. And if he was not mistaken, it slowly came closer with each moment.

Gyoumei sat up and waited patiently for his unexpected visitor to reveal himself. Judging by the footsteps, it was not one of the other Hashira, most likely not even a human at all. He listened intently, intrigued by the strange rhythm of the faint footsteps. Usually, he was rather good at guessing who was approaching but this pattern of sounds left him clueless.

Curious, he turned into the direction of the footsteps and listened to them coming closer. At first, his small visitor seemed a bit hesitant but when Gyoumei gently reached out, offering his hand to whoever walked towards him, the irregular footsteps quickened a bit. And only a moment later, he felt something warm and soft cautiously touching his hand. Now that his visitor had approached, he could hear the quiet breathing of a small creature and he smiled to himself.

“Hello, little friend,” he said softly, hoping not to scare the animal away.

This time, the touch against his hand was more firm. He felt a tiny head pressing against his palm, followed by a purring that made his heart melt. While he harbored a lot of love for many animals, cats held a very special place in his heart and among the cats he knew there was one whose purr he would have recognized anywhere.

“Chachamaru, it’s you,” he said with a smile and was rewarded with another nudge and even louder purring. “How kind of you to visit me, dear friend.”

Gyoumei held perfectly still when he felt Chachamaru climbing into his lap. When he had settled down, his purring stopped and he meowed pitifully. He shifted slightly and Gyoumei carefully reached down, holding his hand out. As if Chachamaru had understood, he put his paw on Gyoumei’s palm, meowing with a sense of urgency.

Gyoumei paused for a moment and thought it through. Chachamaru had never behaved like this before and his meowing sounded slightly strained as if he was either tired or in pain. And judging by how tentatively he had placed his paw in Gyoumei’s hand, it was likely that he had hurt himself.

“I’ll check your paw for any injuries, if you don’t mind,” Gyoumei explained gently and waited for Chachamaru to reply with an affirming meow before he carefully lifted Chachamaru’s paw. Very gently, he ran his fingers over the paw and focused on Chachamaru’s reaction to the touch. When he reached the middle of the paw, Chachamaru yowled and only a second later, Gyoumei felt something hard and sharp under his finger that certainly did not belong in a paw.

“I think I found the problem,” Gyoumei said calmly. He thought about it for a moment. It felt like a rather big splinter had gotten stuck in Chachamaru’s paw and apparently, he had not been able to remove it himself. Gyoumei’s heart stung at the thought of Chachamaru limping towards his place, hoping to receive help. But since he could not tell how deep the splinter had been driven into the paw, he did not want to risk just pulling it out.

“Chachamaru, I would like to help you,” Gyoumei said quietly and he felt Chachamaru’s gaze on him. “I would like to remove the splinter from your paw but we will have to do it inside where I have a medical kit to treat the wound. Is it okay if I carry you inside and take care of your paw?”

Of course, Gyoumei was aware that Chachamaru was not able to communicate in the way humans did. However, he had found that cats were highly intelligent and receptive to not only the emotions but also intentions of people. And thus, he hoped that Chachamaru would understand that he wanted to help him.

Chachamaru meowed again and snuggled up against Gyoumei which he took as agreement. Slowly and very careful not to startle Chachamaru, he got up and walked towards his mansion. Since injuries were always a risk during training sessions, he had at least three medical kits scattered throughout his mansion and over the years, he had found that treating wounds on humans and animals usually was not all that different.

With Chachamaru in his arms, he picked up the closest medical kit from a dresser in the entrance hall. Then, he found an open spot and carefully sat down. When Chachamaru had snuggled into his lap again, Gyoumei opened the medical kit and spread out the utensils in front of him.

“I will remove the splinter now,” he said and to his surprise, Chachamaru put his paw on his palm without any hesitation. He only once yowled quietly when Gyoumei touched the splinter but then he held absolutely still. Gyoumei closed his eyes and focused on his hands. Almost without noticing, he started reciting his prayer in a soothing tone while he delicately removed the splinter from Chachamaru’s paw, careful not to cause the cat any unnecessary pain.

When he finally held the splinter in his hand, he sighed in relief when Chachamaru meowed softly, this time sounding way less distressed than before. Gyoumei set the splinter aside and reached for a healing ointment that was part of the medical kit and usually used to prevent infection. He gently applied the ointment to the wound and then carefully put a clean piece of cloth around it to protect the wound.

“You did great, Chachamaru,” he said and smiled when the cat nudged his chest, meowing proudly. “Your paw will be better very soon. Just don’t put pressure on the wound too quickly.”

When Chachamaru started purring again, nestled into his lap, Gyoumei thought to himself that Chachamaru probably would not use his paw for a few hours. And with a soft laugh, Gyoumei started petting Chachamaru gently while he started reciting the Nenbutsu again, this time focusing entirely on the cat in his lap.

[rainbowfey]

19 Yarn

@flufftober

The tip of his tongue stuck out when he stared at the bulky square in his hands, fully concentrated. While he had started on this big project quite some time ago, Kyoujurou still at times struggled with the amount of tension he needed to maintain in the yarn. Sometimes, he wound it too tightly around his fingers, making the stitches too small. Other times, he did it too loosely and the stitches turned out larger than he had wanted them to. This had caused some of his work to look rather uneven and asymmetrical and it had taken him a while to figure it out. However, he had slowly but surely gotten the hang of it and now it did not even take him as long anymore to finish his smaller projects. This one was the last one he was working on and it was almost done. A few more hours and then he would finally have reached the part of binding off so that the stitches would not unravel.

While his fingers kept moving in the almost meditative rhythm he had grown to love, Kyoujurou’s thoughts drifted off. The idea had first come to him during the last winter and as soon as he was sure he wanted to do it, he had gathered his courage and gone to Mitsuri to ask her for help. He had known for a while now that Mitsuri was a wiz at knitting as she had often done it in between their training sessions to relax and find her calm after a particularly strenuous exercise. And while Kyoujurou had always duly admired the results of her work, he had never actually tried knitting himself. And thus, Mitsuri had been properly surprised when he had asked her to teach him her craft. To his luck, Mitsuri had agreed enthusiastically, delighted at the prospect of being his mentor for once, and she had thrown herself into teaching him with great zeal.

Kyoujurou smiled to himself at the memory. Of course, Mitsuri had wanted to know why he suddenly wanted to learn how to knit but he had cloaked himself in secrecy. After all, he did not want to spoil the surprise he had planned. It had been tricky enough to sneak loads of yarn into his room without any of the other Hashira noticing it but, in the end, he had managed to keep his secret and Mitsuri had not told anyone a single word about his newfound interest for knitting either.

Kyoujurou squinted and focused when he came to the last two stitches. With all the concentration he could muster, he lifted one stitch over the other and when only one of them remained, he carefully tied it off, securing it. When it was done, he sighed in relief and gently set the needles down, admiring the knitted piece in his lap. His heart started to flutter when he imagined the expression on his friend’s face when he gave it to him. But this had to wait for a bit as he did not want to get ahead of himself, not after all this time he had secretly worked towards his grand moment.

To no surprise, it took Kyoujurou all of his willpower to keep to himself until the unofficial Hashira meet-up later at night. He had spent the rest of his afternoon anxiously checking all of his finished knitted pieces, making sure that he had not missed any mistakes or unraveling seams. At one point, he almost had a heart attack when he could not find a specific piece and he had almost turned his whole room upside down before he found it inside a matching bigger piece. Pressing his hand on his chest, he sank down on his chair and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. It was rather unlike him to be this nervous about something but after all, Kyoujurou had never done anything alike before. And actually going through with this was somehow more intimidating than any demon could ever be.

He glanced nervously at his clock and jumped when he saw the time. Hastily, he got up and gently placed all of the knitted pieces into a big bag so that he could carry them all at once without risking to lose one on the way. After counting them at least three times to make sure he had not forgotten anything, he reluctantly left his room and closed the door behind him. The hallway seemed longer and darker than usual and for a moment, he contemplated just forgetting about his plan. But then, he shook his head and straightened his shoulders. He was the Flame Hashira and he would not let something small like his uncertainty about the other Hashiras’ like or dislike for knitted pieces deter him from his plan.

With this newfound resolve, Kyoujurou walked along the hallway and close to the end of it, he even found his usual smile. He instantly felt more like himself again and when he left the building and entered the garden, he even had a small pep in his step. His composure only faltered for a moment when he heard voices somewhere up ahead but he quickly regained his confidence and walked towards where he heard the voices, trying to ignore the fact that his hands had started trembling.

“How long do we have to wait here?” someone grumbled and Kyoujurou distinctly recognized Sanemi’s voice.

While he walked along a decorative hedge that shielded him from their view, he heard Shinobu softly say, “For as long as Kyoujurou needs to get here. It’s only been a few minutes, Sanemi.”

Kyoujurou’s heart started beating faster when he heard other voices agreeing with her. It seemed like the other Hashira had taken his ask seriously and had gathered in the garden, curiously awaiting the reason for this meeting. He involuntarily shivered, only partially due to the cold wind howling through the garden. Buying time, he looked up at the sky and absentmindedly thought to himself that at least it was not raining today. With how cold it had gotten this week, he would not even have been all too surprised about snow, even though it was still the middle of autumn.

A voice jolted him from his thoughts. “Sure, but by now he could show up already. It’s getting cold.”

“Well, then maybe you should stop wearing a belly tee in autumn,” Giyuu replied and this time, Kyoujurou could definitely identify that aggressive huff Sanemi made when he was about to go for someone’s throat.

And that tipped the scales. Kyoujurou took a deep breath and turned the corner just in time to draw the others’ attention to himself before Sanemi could bite Giyuu’s head off.

“There you are,” Shinobu greeted him with a smile that barely veiled her relief at his well-timed appearance.

“Kyoujurou,” Mitsuri called out, beaming at him and before she almost tackled him with her hug, he could see Obanai and Muichiro behind her looking at him with expressions that were their versions of a smile. So, basically a slightly less unimpressed face than usual but by now he knew both of them well enough to see the shimmer of pleasure in their eyes.

When Mitsuri finally released him from her hug and pulled him closer to the others, he was greeted by Gyoumei who bowed his head with the hint of a smile on his face. Giyuu moved his head in what looked like a nod and Sanemi – whose face was still red with anger – at least seemed to calm down a bit when seeing him. When he had returned their greetings, Kyoujurou looked around and he felt a sting somewhere deep in his chest when he did not see the one face he had been looking forward to the most.

“Where is Tengen?” he asked and looked at Mitsuri askingly.

But it was Gyoumei who replied to him. “He is supposed to return from his mission today. He will surely be here soon, otherwise his Kasugai crow would have told us about it.”

Kyoujurou nodded and tried to push away the disappointment forming a lump in his throat. Instead, he smiled at the Hashira gathering around him. “Thanks for coming here,” he said, trying to sound as cheerful as he usually did. “I have something for you.”

This was obviously not what they had expected as they all stared back at him in various degrees of curiosity. And when Kyoujurou met Mitsuri’s gaze, she looked at his bag pensively before her face suddenly lit up. Her eyes widened and she looked at him askingly, an excited smile forming on her face. “Is it what I think it is?” she asked elatedly which garnered her quite a few confused looks from the other Hashira.

Kyoujurou could not help but grin at her. “Maybe,” he said before he turned back to the Hashira and braced himself, gripping the strap of his bag as if it was his lifeline. He took a deep breath and decided to focus on Gyoumei while speaking. “So, last winter I have asked Mitsuri to teach me something. Since then, I’ve been continuing it on my own and I have been working on something for you guys.”

He paused and suddenly, he felt insecure about it again. But when he looked up and saw Gyoumei’s kind smile, he plucked up his courage and opened his bag. He reached into the bag and said, “It’s been getting cold and since I don’t want you to freeze, I made you a little something.”

And then, with a feeling of the ground vanishing beneath his feet, he pulled out the first knitted beanie. His eyes fixed on Gyoumei, he walked towards him and carefully put the hat into his hand. Gyoumei’s eyes widened as he gently brushed his fingers over the hat. For a moment, he looked slightly confused but then his face lit up. “Is that a hat?” he asked, his voice somewhere between incredulous and delighted.

“It is,” Kyoujurou said and smiled when Gyoumei immediately slipped the green beanie over his head.

“Aww,” Shinobu said and Mitsuri squealed in delight. “It looks great on you, Gyoumei.”

And when a proud smile formed on Gyoumei’s face, Kyoujurou felt a warm feeling rising in his chest. Now more confident, he turned around to the other Hashira. “Ready for yours?” he asked and Mitsuri nodded emphatically.

One after the other, Kyoujurou walked up to the Hashira and pulled a gift from his bag. He handed Mitsuri, Muichiro and Shinobu scarves in their favorite colors and even Muichiro lit up at the sight. In less than a minute, all three of them had snuggled up in the scarves, content expressions on their faces. When Kyoujurou reached Giyuu, Giyuu looked back at him with big eyes, almost as if he had not expected to receive a gift. And when Kyoujurou handed him a blue beanie, Giyuu gave him a timid smile and bowed his head.

Smiling, Kyoujurou walked to Obanai and eyed him and Kaburamaru for a moment before grabbing another beanie from his bag. Obanai watched him curiously as he reached into the beanie and pulled a second, tiny beanie from it. “Those are for you,” Kyoujurou said and handed Obanai a big white beanie and the tiny black one. “We don’t want Kaburamaru freezing, right?”

And while Kaburamaru hissed excitedly, Obanai’s face softened. “Thank you,” he said in a voice so warm that Kyoujurou almost did not recognize it. Then, Obanai gently put the tiny beanie on Kaburamaru’s head and Kyoujurou had to laugh as he had never seen a snake prouder than Kaburamaru in this moment, his tongue flicking happily.

And while the other Hashira gathered around Obanai, admiring Kaburamaru and his tiny hat, Kyoujurou turned to the last person. Sanemi stared at him and took a step back, shaking his head. But before he could say anything, Kyoujurou took a quick step towards him and pressed another scarf into his hand. “I know you don’t need it,” he said quietly. “But it’ll keep you warm during missions.” “I don’t freeze,” Sanemi murmured, averting his eyes. But when Kyoujurou looked down, he saw that Sanemi held the scarf in both hands, protectively pressing it against his chest.

When the other Hashira had finally finished thanking him and one by one vanished into the night, all snuggled up in their scarves and beanies, Kyoujurou stayed back. He slowly meandered along the garden, enjoying the serene atmosphere. His back and his heart both felt lighter and he smiled at the memory of how Sanemi had wrapped the scarf around his neck when he thought nobody was looking. Kyoujurou shuddered when a stiff breeze chased along the garden, making his haori rustle softly. With a sigh, he finally admitted to himself it was time to go back inside and he reluctantly turned around, heading towards the mansion.

“I’m a bit late, I’m afraid,” a voice sounded from behind him.

Kyoujurou whirled around so fast that he almost lost his balance, his eyes wide when he spotted the silhouette leaned against one of the garden walls. “Tengen!”

Tengen grinned at him and pushed himself off the wall, walking towards him. When he had almost reached Kyoujurou, his face grew serious. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you wanted me to.”

Kyoujurou quickly shook his head, his heart beating faster in his chest. “You’re here now,” he said with a smile. “That’s all that matters.”

Tengen’s face softened for a moment, sending a warm shiver down Kyoujurou’s spine. Then, as if he had noticed it, Tengen quickly flashed his usual grin again. “So, I heard you wanted to show me something?”

Kyoujurou nodded and suddenly, he felt nervous again. His palms felt sweaty when he reached for his bag and felt for the last knitted piece. He took a deep breath and pulled it out. It was bigger than the other pieces he had knitted and it felt warm on his skin when he almost shyly handed it to Tengen. “It’s gotten cold and your vest doesn’t seem that warm,” he bubbled, avoiding Tengen’s gaze. “I made this for you so you wouldn’t freeze.”

He stared intently at the ground when Tengen unfolded the knitted cardigan. The garden was silent for a moment and when Kyoujurou looked up, he saw a strange expression on Tengen’s face. “You made this for me?” he asked quietly.

Kyoujurou nodded, his heart fluttering. “I wasn’t sure about the size though, so maybe try it on,” he mumbled.

Tengen nodded and carefully unbuttoned the cardigan. He slipped into it – and Kyoujurou froze when he saw that the cardigan was at least three sizes too big. His heart sank and he felt the lump in his throat returning. His disappointment stung so much that his chest felt tight. Unable to meet Tengen’s eyes, he looked to the ground, for once not able to find anything positive to say. “It doesn’t fit,” he muttered, his heart aching. It had taken him so much time to knit the cardigan and he had even decorated it with a pattern he knew Tengen would like. And now, at his grand reveal, he had to find out that his gift did not even fit.

“Hm,” Tengen said after a moment pensively. “It does seem a bit big.”

Kyoujurou nodded, his shoulders hanging down. He swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. But suddenly, he felt two warm hands around his wrists. Surprised, he looked up – and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Tengen’s face hovering right in front of his. Tengen smiled at him, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “Well, I don’t mind that at all,” he said and started to grin. “After all, I wouldn’t be able to do this if it was any smaller.”

And before Kyoujurou knew what happened, Tengen pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him. With an almost evil grin, he quickly closed the buttons of the cardigan behind Kyoujurou’s back, trapping him in the embrace. Kyoujurou looked up to him with big eyes, his heart hammering in his chest. He felt Tengen’s warmth against his body and slowly, his cheeks started feeling hot.

Tengen smiled down at him before resting his chin on Kyoujurou’s head, pulling him even closer. His whole body trembled when Tengen relaxed, sighing contently. “You know,” Tengen said thoughtfully. “This is an amazing gift indeed. And I’m pretty sure it’ll keep us both warm.”

And even though he still felt entirely bamboozled, Kyoujurou chuckled. “As long as you don’t mind me being trapped in here,” he said, muffled by Tengen’s chest.

Tengen laughed and tightened his grip around Kyoujurou until it felt like they shared one body. And with a grin, he murmured into Kyoujurou’s hair, “That’s the best part about it.”

[rainbowfey]

18 Bewitched

@flufftober

Sanemi’s eyes narrowed when he let his gaze wander over his surroundings. His eyes were barely able to pierce the mist that swirled over the ground, growing thicker by the minute. The trees of the forest edge loomed over him, the mysterious rustling of their leaves in the wind covering up any sounds his opponent made. When he saw a movement in the corner of his eye, Sanemi whirled around, wielding his katana. But behind him was nothing than the empty training ground and the vague feeling of being watched.

And just when Sanemi’s muscles relaxed again, he heard a faint sound behind him. He turned around just in time to see a dark silhouette charging at him and he barely managed to block the devastating strike with his katana.

“That was a good one,” he gasped as they parted again, their katanas shimmering silvern in the moonlight. “I almost got you,” Obanai said with a satisfied grin tugging at the bandage over his mouth and while Sanemi did agree with that assessment, he just shrugged and assumed his fighting position again.

“But you didn’t. Do better next time,” he taunted Obanai, his gaze fixed on Obanai’s eyes, cautiously awaiting the moment his friend would move again. And when Obanai’s teal eye took on a determined expression, Sanemi braced himself.  

Obanai came at him like a storm, his katana weaving silver patterns into the night as he unleashed one attack after the other on Sanemi. Step by step, he forced Sanemi to retreat back into the shadow of the building at the edge of the training ground, cornering him with his relentless attacks. And with one last fierce blow, Obanai managed to knock Sanemi’s katana aside. He pointed the tip at Sanemi’s heart, a provocative smile forming underneath his bandage.

For a moment, they both fell silent and Sanemi stared down at Obanai’s katana. His breath came ragged and he felt his heart thundering in his chest. When he looked up, Obanai still stared at him, a strange expression in his eyes that made Sanemi’s skin tingle. He was so close that Sanemi could almost feel the warmth of his breath on his skin. “I win,” Obanai said, staring right into his soul before he elegantly drew back, removing his katana from Sanemi’s chest.

And only when Obanai had taken a step back, Sanemi could breathe again. He felt Obanai’s gaze on him when he let himself sink down against the wall, rubbing his eyes. “You did amazing,” he admitted after a second in a rare moment of honest admiration.

While he was undoubtedly the stronger one of them, Obanai’s swordsmanship was impressive. He had gone back and forth, feinting attacks and vanishing back into the mist, tiring Sanemi out. And when he had Sanemi where he wanted him, he had unleashed all of his force and dexterity in a flurry of blows, costing Sanemi the win of this nightly training session.

Obanai’s eyes widened at the unexpected compliment and for a moment, he seemed unsure of what to say or do. But then, he sat down next to Sanemi, leaning against the wall. “I wish Muichiro and Kaburamaru could have seen that,” he said, more to himself.

Sanemi nodded silently. Usually, Obanai had his snake Kaburamaru with him wherever he went but for the past few days, he had left Kaburamaru with Shinobu and Mitsuri as they were working on a new, even more potent poison together. For all Sanemi knew, Kaburamaru had convinced Obanai to let him help Shinobu – even though he was not entirely sure how a snake could have communicated such an elaborate wish. Muichiro on the other hand had not given them any explanation as to why he had not attended their nightly training sessions for two nights in a row now. However, Sanemi was not overly worried about him as Muichiro was more than able to take care of himself. And somehow, Sanemi enjoyed Obanai focusing entirely on him, even though he did not want to admit that to himself.

When he looked up, he caught Obanai’s gaze resting on him and this strange feeling started stirring in his stomach again. Uncomfortable, he shifted into a different position. The faces of Shinobu and Mitsuri still danced before his inner eye and thinking of Mitsuri’s smile, especially when she looked at Obanai, stung. Sanemi tried to shrug the thought off but it only grew bigger until it felt like it was stuck somewhere in his throat, forming a lump.

And before he could stop himself, he blurted out. “So, did you finally ask her out?”

Obanai tilted his head and shot him a weird look. “Ask who out?” he asked but behind his calm tone, Sanemi sensed something else. Something that felt like a hint of discontent.

“Mitsuri, of course,” Sanemi replied, averting his gaze. He stared down at his hands and noticed that he had clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He quickly relaxed his hands, hoping that Obanai had not seen it. “Everybody’s been talking about how you like her for a while now.”

Obanai kept quiet for a moment before he calmly said, “Is that so?”

Sanemi could picture Obanai’s face softening at the thought of Mitsuri and for some reason, he absolutely did not want to see that. Something in his chest tightened and he knew that if he saw Obanai smile now, he would not be okay with it. So, he stared at the ground intently, already regretting that he had even asked in the first place.

For a while, they both stayed quiet and Sanemi started to hope that Obanai would not ask him again. But when Obanai spoke up, Sanemi’s heart sank. “Well, what do you think?”

Sanemi tried to keep breathing calmly while he wrecked his brain for an inconspicuous answer. But before he could stop himself, he curtly replied, “It’s pretty obvious that you like her.”

And when Obanai did not answer immediately, he bitterly added, “So why don’t you ask her out already? Or are you too much of a coward to do so?”

The words had barely left his mouth when he already regretted it. He had intended for it to sound mocking, a bit playful even, but the way he had said it sounded nothing less than snarky. However, he could not take it back now and thus, he gritted his teeth and waited for an answer, half expecting Obanai to just get up and leave.

But Obanai stayed still, not moving a muscle. Eerily still, even, and a shiver ran down Sanemi’s spine when he suddenly asked himself whether his words had hurt Obanai’s feelings. Sure, he was not above teasing his friends now and then but he had not intended being hurtful.

“I am not,” Obanai said after a while, his voice sounding composed. And after another moment of silence, he added, “If I wanted to ask her out, I’d already have.”

With a feeling like he was going off the deep end, Sanemi heard himself ask, “Then what keeps you from doing it?”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Obanai shaking his head, his brows furrowed. “You’re not listening, Sanemi,” Obanai said, this time sounding slightly irked.

The lump in Sanemi’s throat grew but without being able to do anything against it, he turned around and stared at Obanai defiantly. “How about you explain yourself then instead of beating around the bush?”

And now, he could definitely see the anger on Obanai’s face as he crossed his arms, glaring at Sanemi. “I’m the one beating around the bush?” he asked irately. “Have you looked into a mirror recently, Sanemi?”

For a moment, Sanemi was at a loss of words, astounded by Obanai’s reaction. He had expected him to be annoyed and maybe even slightly pissed off. But what he had not seen coming was the unveiled anger in Obanai’s eyes. But the only way out he could see was charging right ahead and thus, he snarled, “I don’t know why I should. I’m not the one having trouble with his feelings here.”

Obanai stared at him for a moment before he started laughing. It was not a friendly laugh though and rather a bitter one that made Sanemi hold his breath. Obanai opened his mouth, ready to fire back, but then he closed his mouth again and curtly shook his head. He stood up in a rough motion and looked down at Sanemi, his expression somewhere between anger and something that looked suspiciously like compassion. “If you won’t open your eyes, I can’t be the one to do it for you,” he said quietly and turned to leave.

And all at once, Sanemi’s rage vanished and left only the ever-growing lump in his throat behind that now seemed to spread to his chest. He reached for Obanai but before he could touch him, he quickly pulled his hand back. He watched silently as Obanai slowly walked away, his chest tightening.

And then, Obanai stopped. The world turned still and Sanemi held his breath when he saw Obanai clenching his fists. Suddenly, Obanai whirled around and glared at him. “You know what?” he hissed. “No. I’m not letting you get off that easily, Shinazugawa. If you want to talk about feelings, fine, then we’ll talk about fucking feelings. And you will not hide behind your oh so snarky humor anymore.”

With quick, angry steps he walked back to Sanemi, towering over him, his features twisted with rage. “And now tell me, Shinazugawa. What the fuck is your problem?”

Sanemi stared at him speechlessly. He had never seen Obanai this furious before and the sight of his whole body tensing up made his heart flutter. Angrily, he shook the thought off and came to his feet as well, planting himself in front of Obanai. But to his surprise, Obanai did not back off. If anything, he came even closer, so close that Sanemi could almost feel the heat of his skin. “My problem?” Sanemi snapped. “The only one I see that has a problem is you.”

Obanai laughed tauntingly. “You’re so stubborn that you’ve become blind for yourself,” he hissed. “You want to know why I didn’t ask Mitsuri out? Well, how about you rather think about why you get so mad at the thought of me doing so?”

Sanemi staggered one step back, his heart thundering in his chest as a wave of emotions surged through his body, one stronger than the other. He gritted his teeth and glared at Obanai who stared back at him grimly, his fists clenched. “I –“ Sanemi stuttered, a million thoughts at once racing through his head.

“Yes?” Obanai drilled into him, taking a step towards him menacingly. “Speak your mind, Sanemi.”

And with a sudden pop, Sanemi’s rage exploded into a myriad of red splinters, bubbling up his throat. “Because I don’t want to see you with anyone else,” he growled before he could stop himself.

Obanai came even closer and when Sanemi took another step back, he felt the wall behind his back, trapping him between the house and Obanai who advanced on him with no mercy. “And why is that?” Obanai pressed on.

With no way out, the wall in his back, Sanemi felt trapped and his ears started ringing. But in all of this haze, Obanai’s face was all he could see. “Because I want you for myself,” he hissed.

The world around them fell silent and Sanemi froze when he realized what he had just said. His face went pale and he stared at Obanai paralyzed. And for the first time in forever, he felt fear reaching for him with its icy claws.

Obanai’s face did not show any reaction. He looked back at Sanemi for a while before he slowly nodded. “There we have it. You finally said it.”

Sanemi’s heart hammered in his chest and for once, he did not know what to say or do. He just stared at Obanai helplessly, desperately wishing that he had never said anything. Petrified, he watched as Obanai tilted his head, looking at him as if he was searching for something in his face. Then, he lifted his hands to his face and very slowly, he unwrapped the bandage covering his mouth, not breaking eye contact with Sanemi even once.

Terrified and mesmerized, Sanemi watched the bandage slowly coming off, revealing a large scar around Obanai’s mouth. Sanemi’s heart tightened and he looked at the scar. It shimmered softly in the moonlight and as if in a trance, Sanemi slowly raised his hand and gently traced his thumb over the scar. “You are beautiful,” he whispered.

Obanai looked up at him, a vulnerable expression on his face that made Sanemi’s heart sting. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Obanai asked quietly, holding completely still while Sanemi tenderly ran his finger over the scar.

“Because I knew you didn’t feel the same way about me,” Sanemi said, not able to meet Obanai’s eyes. His hand fell down as if he had lost all strength and suddenly, he felt empty. “And I didn’t want to lose my friend.”

Obanai came even closer, pinning him against the wall. He reached out for him and after a moment of hesitation, he put two fingers under Sanemi’s chin, forcing him to look up. Sanemi felt Obanai’s warmth against his body and he struggled to breathe.

“Who said I don’t feel the same way about you?” Obanai asked softly and Sanemi looked up, his eyes widening.

“But I thought …,” he muttered, unable to believe his ears.

Obanai smiled and shook his head. “I know what you thought, and I’ve told you before. You don’t listen, Sanemi.”

Sanemi’s heart skipped a beat and a warm shiver ran down his spine when he tried to make sense of Obanai’s words. “Are you trying to say …?” he asked, his voice fading out when he did not dare to ask the question.

And when Obanai’s face softened, Sanemi’s legs almost gave in. “If you won’t listen, then maybe I’ll just have to show you,” Obanai whispered, leaning in. And when Sanemi felt Obanai’s lips on his, his heart stopped. But while his mind was still paralyzed, his body reacted almost instinctively, pulling Obanai closer. And when he felt Obanai’s heartbeat against his chest, the mist in his mind finally started lifting, revealing what he had hidden from himself all this time. What he wanted, what he really wanted, he now held in his arms. And this time, Sanemi would not let go of him again.

[rainbowfey]

17 Only One Bed

@flufftober

A sharp thud made Giyuu‘s head shoot up. He glanced at his companion just in time to see a stone flying through the air, bouncing off a tree along their path. Giyuu made a mental note of it and set his internal counter to six. This was the sixth stone Sanemi had kicked away in frustration, either because he could not contain his anger or because he wanted to show Giyuu just how pissed off he was. Either way, Giyuu did the same thing he had done the past five times which was, well, nothing. He had not shown any reaction yet and he was also not about to start now. If Sanemi felt better mauling some innocent rocks, Giyuu was not about to stop him.

Realistically, Giyuu was also not sure if there even was anything he could do to brighten Sanemi’s mood – except for dropping dead, of course, relieving Sanemi of their joint mission. But while his back did hurt a bit from their last training session, he felt pretty lively otherwise, making his sudden death rather unlikely. Looking back, he should have known that Oyakata-sama would not leave it at mere training to strengthen their teamwork skills. Now that he thought about it, those sessions did feel like they had been a build-up to this point. And here they were, going on a mission together that for sure did not require two Hashira at once.

Seven, Giyuu thought absentmindedly when another stone flew past him, this time dangerously close to his legs. He half expected the next stone to hit his calves but surprisingly, Sanemi refrained from this rather direct approach of letting off steam. Instead, he just grumbled something to himself that Giyuu neither could nor cared to hear. Ignoring Sanemi, he turned his attention back on the path that had led them through a thick forest for the better part of the day. Mighty trees and the occasional rock lined the trail they walked along and wherever Giyuu looked, he could only see green and brown. Usually, he would have liked the serene calm of the forest but right now, he had three reasons to find it slightly intimidating.

The first reason was Sanemi and his brooding aura that seemed to radiate aggression. Of course, that was usually not a problem but after a few hours of it, Giyuu wished that Sanemi would lighten up a bit as it was starting to get on his nerves. The second problem was high above and presented itself in form of dark grey storm clouds on the horizon. And sure enough, they were walking right towards them. The third problem however was less of a nuisance and more of a potential threat – with every step they walked, nightfall came closer and there was no sign of civilization in sight. And with the night, the demons came which would make for a rather dangerous situation, should they still be left vulnerable in the forest when the time for it came.

So, Giyuu stared ahead, hoping to see a light shimmer through the tree stems and thickets. To his relief, Sanemi had fallen silent for a while now and if he did not listen to Sanemi’s footsteps behind him, he could even pretend to feel calm. He sighed to himself and shook his head. He had hoped that training with Sanemi would bring them closer or at least get Sanemi to stop hating him. But so far, Giyuu could not see any progress in that regard. The only thing that had started to change was the fact that they now knew more about the other’s skills and power than before. And Giyuu had to admit that Sanemi was indeed very powerful, even more than he had expected. And from time to time, when they had exhausted themselves, Giyuu had even sensed Sanemi letting down his guard a bit. But before he had the chance to say something, Sanemi always snapped out of it, foiling each attempt to get him to open up.

A cold sensation jolted Giyuu from his thoughts and he looked down at his hand. A tiny bead of water rested on his palm before running down his finger. Giyuu looked up and grimaced when he realized that the storm clouds had rapidly come closer, now looming over their heads menacingly. And as if the clouds had noticed his disdain, another droplet of rain hit him, this time running down the back of his neck. Giyuu flinched and pulled the collar of his definitely not rainproof haori up.

“If that isn’t great,” he heard Sanemi grumbling behind him. Apparently, he had noticed the harbingers of a mighty downpour as well.

Giyuu silently agreed with him. If they did not find shelter soon, they would be soaked to their bones in no time, judging by the color of the storm clouds. And there was no end to them as far as the eye could see. Even worse, the storm clouds had brought an icy wind with them that now howled through the trees. Their soft rustling quickly turned into a violent shaking and more than once, Giyuu had to dodge small branches ripped from the trees. He shielded his face with his arm and shuddered when another droplet of water hit his hand, this time even bigger than the first one.

For almost an hour, they fought their way through the increasingly inhospitable weather. Even though it had not started pouring yet, enough raindrops had fallen down to make Giyuu’s haori feel damp. He did not even want to imagine how Sanemi had to feel, considering that his uniform revealed his bare chest. Giyuu would not have wanted to change with him and he shuddered at the thought.

“What’s that?” Sanemi suddenly shouted, making Giyuu flinch. He turned around and found himself face to face with Sanemi who looked rather pale in his scant uniform. His eyes however had taken on a concentrated look as he pointed in a direction somewhere to their right. Giyuu followed his gaze and gasped when he spotted what Sanemi had seen.

Further into the forest, still quite a bit away from their path, Giyuu could make out a golden glow between the trees. He took a deep breath and hope arose in his chest when he squinted, staring intently at the light. After a moment, he was fairly certain that he could make out the distinct shapes of window, illuminated by a warm, welcoming light.

“Maybe it’s an inn,” he said a bit more excitedly than he wanted. The prospect of a warm bed instead of a tent somewhere in the depths of the forest was alluring and even more so since the rain started coming down harder now. The sky had almost entirely turned black as if it had gotten night already.

“We’re gonna find out,” Sanemi said curtly and without waiting for Giyuu’s reply, he dove into the forest, leaving the path and heading for the faint light in the distance.

Giyuu cursed to himself and quickly followed Sanemi who did not seem to care whether Giyuu could keep up or not. With the patter of the rain increasing by the minute, Sanemi quickened his pace until he was almost running. Giyuu made an effort not to fall behind but more than once, he had to jump over a fallen tree or catch his balance after his foot grazed a root. When he finally stumbled out of the forest and onto a road that he had not seen before, Sanemi had already reached the building nestled into the forest edge. Giyuu heaved a sigh of relief when he instantly spotted a wooden sign over the door that clearly revealed this house to be an inn.

While Sanemi ripped the door open and walked in, letting the door close behind him, Giyuu curiously glanced to the side of the house. A surprisingly big stable sat right next to the inn and if he listened closely, he could hear soft snorts from the stable. A vague inkling echoed through his mind but the icy cold rain convinced him not to ponder on it and he quickly jumped to the door, catching it just in time before it fell shut behind Sanemi.

Giyuu squeezed through the narrow opening – and bumped into something damp. When Sanemi turned around and glared at him, Giyuu just shrugged. After all, he could not have expected Sanemi to stand right behind the door. But now that he was inside as well, he could see the reason why. The inn was jam-packed with people, most of them looking as wet as Giyuu felt. The chatter was deafening and Giyuu thought to himself that it looked like everyone on the street had had the same idea as Sanemi and him, seeking shelter from the rain. He could see a man who appeared to be the innkeeper behind a wooden counter, his face looking slightly strained. It seemed like the innkeeper had not expected this press of people either.

It took another five minutes until the innkeeper had tended to the line that had formed behind his counter. When Sanemi and Giyuu finally got to the front of the line, Giyuu’s clothes had started drying and he was more than grateful for the fire crackling in the giant fireplace at the other end of the generous public room. The innkeeper looked at them and even though he seemed stressed, he gave them a smile. Before he could say something, Sanemi curtly asked, “Do you have any open rooms? We want to stay for one night.”

The innkeeper’s smile faltered for a moment before he looked down at an old leatherbound book in front of him he had been scribbling into. “Unfortunately, there’s only one open room left,” he said after a moment, shrugging helplessly. “It’s big enough for two people to sleep in though.”

Even from where he stood, Giyuu could see Sanemi’s expression darken and he quickly shoved past him, ignoring Sanemi’s growl. “We’ll take it,” he said to the innkeeper and was rewarded with another smile and a key.

“Right up the stairs and to the left, at the end of the hallway. If you’d like to have dinner first, you can try and find a place to sit in the public room,” the innkeeper said before turning to the next guest.

Giyuu took the key and looked at Sanemi who rolled his eyes. Giyuu took that as a yes to dinner and headed for the public room. And to his surprise, they were actually able to find a spot close to the fireplace.

“That was surprisingly good,” Giyuu said, more to himself, when they had finished eating. He shot Sanemi a glance before he innocently added, “A shame though that they don’t have ohagi here.”

Sanemi’s head shot up and if looks could kill, Giyuu would have dropped dead at that very instant. He chuckled to himself and ignored Sanemi glaring at him. The hearty meal had brightened his mood and the warmth of the fireplace next to them had made up for the cold wind they had braved on their way to the inn.

With a content sigh, Giyuu got up and plucked the key to their room from his pocket. “Up the stairs, to the left, at the end of the hallway,” he repeated to himself what the innkeeper had told them.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that Sanemi also got to his feet and followed him, his face still grumpy at Giyuu’s playful remark. Sanemi stomped a bit more than he had to while following Giyuu up the stairs and Giyuu grinned to himself. Even though he did not want to risk an open confrontation with Sanemi, he had slowly taken a liking to teasing him when the chance presented itself. Sanemi was wonderfully easy to wind up and even though Giyuu would not admit it to anyone else, there was something adorable about Sanemi’s efforts to keep calm when Giyuu teased him. Of course, the thrill of the risk to get hit over the head with any object in Sanemi’s vicinity also played into it but so far, Giyuu had been rather good at not carrying it too far.

With a pep in his step, he walked along the dark hallway, searching for their room. To his dismay, the warmth of the fireplace quickly dissipated the further they got and it did not seem like the innkeeper had any other means of keeping the upper floor of the building warm. Hopefully it would be different in the rooms. After all, the rain was now pattering against the windows so hard that it sounded like it was trying to break them. And however good the window sills were isolated, there always were some small cracks that allowed the icy air from outside to seep in.

“There it is,” Giyuu muttered when he reached the end of the hallway and found himself at a door with a number matching the one edged into their key. When he fumbled the key into the lock, he was overly aware of Sanemi’s presence behind him and somehow, it made his hands a bit shaky. But after a moment, the lock finally clicked and the door to a dark little room swung open.

Giyuu took a step into the room and closed the door behind him and Sanemi, locking it again. Then, he turned around and noticed instantly that this room did not possess a fireplace. In fact, the room felt even a bit colder than the hallway and Giyuu sighed when he looked to the big window to his right. He could already feel the cold seeping through the very visible cracks. However, at least they did not have to sleep outside in this weather.

Only after a moment, Giyuu noticed that something was wrong with Sanemi. Curious, he looked at him. Sanemi was standing frozen in place, not moving a single muscle as he stared into the room with widened eyes. Confused, Giyuu followed his gaze. Next to the window sat a small dresser and a few steps away stood a wooden table with two chairs. And behind it was the source of Sanemi’s weird behavior. Giyuu blinked a few times as he stared at back half of the room. The innkeeper had been right when he had said the room was big enough for two people. But what he had failed to mention was that there was only one bed.

Certainly, the bed was big enough for two people to sleep in, even if not very comfortably as the bed was rather narrow for two grown men. But even from just looking at it, Giyuu knew that it would be almost inevitable that they would at some point touch each other if they both slept in that bed.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in his throat and he bit his lip while turning back to Sanemi whose face had taken on a sickly pale color. A vein twitched on his forehead and it looked like he was forcefully holding himself back to not entirely lose his composure. Giyuu bit his tongue, holding in his laughter. If he poked the bear right now, the narrow bed would not be a problem anymore as there would not be two people alive having to share it any longer. Instead, he waited silently for Sanemi to say something.

And when Sanemi finally did, his voice sounded strained. “No way in fucking hell,” he squeezed out. “I’d rather sleep on the ground.”

Giyuu shrugged and grinned at him. “Be my guest,” he said. “I’m not going to blow my chance to sleep in a warm, cozy bed.”

He gave the window a pointed look and Sanemi shuddered involuntarily when he followed Giyuu’s gaze. The rain was now hammering against the window, almost drowning out the howling of the storm. For a moment, Sanemi looked unsure but then he squared his shoulders and glared at Giyuu. “Suit yourself,” he hissed before he stomped over to the bed, grabbing one pillow and blanket each.

Giyuu watched amusedly how Sanemi made a makeshift bed on the floor beneath window. Then, he walked past him and to the bed. He quickly slipped out of his clothes and snuggled into the second blanket. When he had made himself comfortable, he glanced over to Sanemi who lay on the floor, a miserable expression on his face. Giyuu could only imagine how cold and uncomfortable the floorboards were as Sanemi could not both lay on the blanket and cover his body with it at the same time.

“Are you sure you want to sleep down there?” Giyuu asked carefully after a moment and instantly, Sanemi’s expression turned sour. “That does seem awfully uncomfortable.”

“Shut up,” Sanemi snapped back and turned away, facing the window.

For a long while, the room was silent except for the storm slamming against the window. A faint howling echoed through the hallway beyond their room and while Giyuu had it warm and cozy, he somehow could not fully relax. Whenever he closed his eyes, his thoughts wandered back to Sanemi on the ground. And when he finally admitted to himself that he could not fall asleep like that, he sighed and opened his eyes again. He glanced down at Sanemi but it had gotten dark enough that he could not make out details anymore. For all he knew, Sanemi maybe was already sleeping.

Giyuu shook his head and stared at the window, listening to the sounds of the rain. He was not sure why he cared about Sanemi’s comfort this much. After all, Sanemi had not said a kind word to him since they had started training together. However, a small voice whispered in his mind, Sanemi had also refrained from getting too angry at Giyuu while before their training, he had regularly exploded at him. Maybe this was a sign that Sanemi did start to respect Giyuu in his own way, he thought to himself. But then again, it was Sanemi, a walking bundle of rage who did not seem to like anyone except for one or two people.

A small anomaly in the sounds around him caught Giyuu’s attention and he listened closely. Through the rain outside, he could hear a faint noise that almost sounded like chattering teeth. Confused, he held his breath and focused on the sound. It took him a moment to realize that it came from the ground and when he understood, all tiredness left him. He heaved a deep sigh and struggled against his resolve to let Sanemi do his own thing. But the air around him was indeed very cold, even when snuggled into a warm bed. And with another sigh, he made a decision.

“Sanemi?” Giyuu asked. He waited for a moment. Sanemi did not answer but the chattering of teeth stopped abruptly. Giyuu rolled his eyes. “Sanemi, this is ridiculous.”

Giyuu waited and when he thought Sanemi would not answer, he heard him grumbling, “You are ridiculous.”

Giyuu could not help but laugh at that childish response. “Ya, real mature of you,” he replied before turning earnest again. “For real, Sanemi, you’re going to freeze to death if you sleep down there.”

“None of your business, Tomioka,” Sanemi snapped at him but his voice had lost its usual energy. Instead, he sounded strained and tired and suddenly, Giyuu felt a pang of sympathy. And slowly he realized that he did not want Sanemi to suffer.

“What can I say to convince you that you don’t have to sleep on the ground?” he asked solemnly.

For a moment, Sanemi stayed silent and when he replied, his voice did not sound as convincing as he probably wanted it to. “Nothing.”

Giyuu softly shook his head. “Look, there’s nothing to it. The floor is cold and the bed is warm. There’s no reason for you to suffer, there’s enough space for the two of us.” He paused, then he quietly added, “And if that helps, I promise to never speak about it again after tonight.”

After he had closed his mouth again, the room was engulfed in silence and his heart sank with each moment that passed. If this did not work, he had no idea what else to say to convince Sanemi to give up his resistance. But Sanemi stayed silent.

And when Giyuu was about to give up and try to sleep, he heard a quiet shuffling behind the bed. He held his breath and listened closely. When he saw a silhouette moving in the dark, he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to sleep already. Maybe that would make it easier for Sanemi. His heart started beating faster when he heard slow, hesitating footsteps coming closer. And after a small eternity, the bed creaked quietly when Sanemi laid down next to Giyuu, wrapping himself in his blanket. While moving, he accidentally touched Giyuu’s arm and instantly flinched. Giyuu did not dare to move a muscle and his heart skipped a beat when Sanemi moved again. But instead of getting up and leaving the bed again, he only shifted into a more comfortable position. And after a moment, he heard Sanemi sigh in relief as the warmth of the bed engulfed him.

“Not a single word about it, Tomioka,” Sanemi said out of nowhere and Giyuu winced in surprise.

“My lips are sealed,” he replied earnestly.

And after a while of silence, he felt Sanemi stir next to him. “Good,” Sanemi said and his voice had lost its edge, now sounding more relaxed, sending a warm shiver down Giyuu’s spine.

And while Giyuu listened to Sanemi’s breathing calming down and getting slower as he fell asleep, he lay awake, painfully aware of Sanemi lying next to him. And while the rain outside turned into a soft pattering, he asked himself why his heart started aching at five words, echoing through his mind.

So close, yet so far.

[rainbowfey]

16 Yes, No, Maybe

@flufftober

Mitsuri paced from the door to the window, peeking out, then back to the door. Thoughts whirled through her head as she nervously bit her lip, wrestling her urge to backtrack. When she heard a soft knock at her door, she almost jumped out of her skin and quickly ran over, ripping the door open.

“Shinobu,” she called out, her voice trembling with relief. “You’re here! I’m so glad to see you, come in.”

And before Shinobu could even greet her, Mitsuri pulled her through the door, closing it behind her. She scurried along the hallway, her heart racing. “Would you like something to eat? Something to drink maybe? How about –“ she bubbled.

“Mitsuri, hold on,” Shinobu interrupted her with a soft laugh. “Can I at least take off my shoes first?”

Mitsuri stopped dead in her tracks and looked down. And indeed, she had dragged Shinobu along the hallway without even giving her the chance to slip out of her shoes. Blushing, she quickly let go of Shinobu’s wrist and nodded. Shinobu smiled at her and took off her shoes, diligently placing them on the shoe rack. Then, she walked back to Mitsuri and looked at her expectantly.

Mitsuri took a deep breath and led her to the living room, calmer this time. She motioned for Shinobu to sit down and while she did, Mitsuri dove into the kitchen and grabbed the plate of Sakura mochi she had prepared. She carefully placed them in front of Shinobu before she ran off again to get two glasses of water. When everything was served, she finally settled down too, sitting across from Shinobu who looked at her curiously.

“You seem nervous,” Shinobu said, tilting her head. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Mitsuri replied quickly before correcting herself. “Well, no. I mean, I don’t know.”

Shinobu’s face took on a concerned expression and she reached for Mitsuri, gently grabbing her hand. “What’s the matter, Mitsuri?” she asked.

Mitsuri looked down at their hands and sighed deeply. Suddenly, she felt a bit embarrassed by the whole situation. Shinobu was a healer and regularly handled badly injured demon slayers, sometimes even fighting for their lives. And here Mitsuri was, stressing about something that had not even happened yet and that certainly was not of any significance. Well, except to her, of course.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s not that important.”

Shinobu gently squeezed her hand. “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me too. Please tell me what’s on your mind.”

Mitsuri looked up and a wave of gratitude surged through her body. For quite some time, she had admired Shinobu from a distance, always wishing to get to know her better but their individual duties as Hashira had not given them the chance to do so. But one year ago, Shinobu had surprisingly invited Mitsuri to dinner and since then, they had grown so close that she could not imagine a life without Shinobu as her friend anymore. She smiled at Shinobu and her heart melted when Shinobu returned her smile.

“Thank you,” Mitsuri said softly. She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. “So, I need your advice on … a situation.”

Shinobu glanced at her curiously before suddenly, a small grin appeared on her face. “Could it be that this situation is wearing … I don’t know, maybe a haori with black and white stripes? Maybe even a bandage covering, hm, half of their face?”

Mitsuri instantly blushed and her face felt hot when Shinobu laughed to herself. “Uh, maybe,” Mitsuri said, avoiding Shinobu’s gaze. Even though she had not yet officially told Shinobu about her feelings, she had the vague inkling that Shinobu might have known even earlier than she had. After all, this was not the first remark about Obanai that Shinobu made to her.

“So, let’s just say you’re right,” Mitsuri hesitantly continued, “and let’s assume that I have decided to … ask someone out on a date. How would I go about that?” Shinobu’s eyes widened and her face lit up. Her voice lost all of the tender teasing when she leaned closer. “For real, Mitsuri? You’re finally going to ask Obanai on a date? That’s wonderful!”

Mitsuri stared at the ground and her shoulders sank down. “I thought about it,” she quietly admitted. “But I don’t know whether I should do it. What if he says no?”

For a moment, the room fell silent and when she reluctantly looked up, she saw an entirely bewildered expression on Shinobu’s face. “Are you kidding me?” she asked. “Mitsuri, this man has fallen so hard for you. Why on earth would he say no?”

Mitsuri blushed and nervously wrung her hands. “Maybe he doesn’t like me that way,” she said quietly. “I just don’t think I’m brave enough to go up to him and ask him.”

Shinobu eyed her pensively before she suddenly nodded. “Well, then you’re just not going to do that.”

Mitsuri looked up in surprise. That was not the reaction she had expected, especially not from Shinobu. But then, it started to make sense. Shinobu wanted to spare her heart and that was why her advice was to not ask him out and –

“Mitsuri,” Shinobu said softly. “I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t ask him out. But you don’t have to do it face to face if you’re not ready for that yet. I have an idea what you could do instead!”

A weight fell off Mitsuri’s heart and when she leaned in curiously, Shinobu’s eyes took on a mischievous sparkle.

Mitsuri gathered all of her courage, took a deep breath and then carefully peered around the corner of the building. She sighed in relief when she saw at least a dozen demon slayers training with their katana while a slender silhouette watched them attentively. To her luck, Obanai was sitting on the edge of the well in the middle of the open space, facing away from her. The only chance he would spot her was if he noticed her from the corner of his eye. But since he was entirely focused on his trainees, this did not seem likely to her. When she was sure he had not noticed her, she turned her attention to Kaburamaru who had loosely wrapped his body around Obanai’s shoulders as usual. She cursed silently. Of course, this came as no surprise but she had hoped to catch one of the rare moments where the snake was slithering around on the ground alone.

Mitsuri straightened her shoulders and came up with a plan. She waited for a moment until the sounds of the training demon slayers grew louder, then she whistled softly. And as she had hoped, Kaburamaru’s small head turned around, searching for the source of the sound, while Obanai still watched the demon slayers. Kaburamaru’s tongue flicked as he gathered the scents from the air around him – and suddenly, his head shot up and he met her gaze with his red eyes.

Mitsuri smiled at Kaburamaru and made a small gesture with her hand, hoping that the snake would understand, before she quickly dove back into the shadow of the building shielding her from Obanai’s view, should he turn around. She sat down against the wall, her heart beating rapidly in her chest while she waited for Kaburamaru or Obanai to show up.

It took less than a minute before she heard a soft rustling. Curiously, she looked down only to see a small head peeking around the corner. “Kaburamaru!” she said excitedly and the snake flicked its tongue happily before slithering towards her.

Mitsuri held her hand out and Kaburamaru wrapped around her arm as if hugging her. When he had found a comfortable position, he looked up at her curiously, his eyes shining like rubies. While Mitsuri did not have the same bond with him that Obanai had, she knew enough about Kaburamaru to know that he was perfectly able to understand her. And for the most part, she had also learned to interpret his behavior so that it sometimes felt like they could actually talk to each other.

“I need your help, Kaburamaru,” she said quietly and the snake tilted its head, listening attentively. “I’d like to … uh, I want to ask Obanai something but I can’t do it in person.”

Kaburamaru hissed softly and she blushed before reluctantly saying, “I’d like to ask him on a date.”

At those words, Kaburamaru perked up, hissing excitedly. He nudged her with his small head and she had to laugh at his enthusiasm. “I guess that means I have your approval,” she said with a smile and Kaburamaru moved his head in a small but firm nod. “But I’m not brave enough to ask him in person. Shinobu had an idea and I’d like to do it that way. Do you think you could deliver Obanai a note from me?”

While asking, she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket that she had curled up into a little scroll. Kaburamaru eyed it curiously and then nodded again. He gave her a soft nudge before slithering down to the ground again, looking at her expectantly. She chuckled and carefully placed the scroll on his back so that it looked like a tiny backpack. She pulled a thin pink ribbon from her pocket and gently tied the scroll to Kaburamaru’s back while he held perfectly still, watching her attentively. When she was done, she leaned down and looked at him slightly worried. “Is this okay or is it too heavy? I can take it off if you’re not comfortable!”

Kaburamaru tilted his head as if to say ‘I’m stronger than you think’ and dodged her hand when she already reached for the ribbon. His hiss sounded amused when he touched her hand with his head tenderly. Then, he slithered away quickly as if he did not want to give her the chance to change her mind. And when she watched the tip of his tail vanish between the blades of grass around the corner, her heart started beating faster again. Now, she did not have the chance to backtrack anymore. Now, it all lied with Kaburamaru as her small messenger.

Mitsuri’s palms started feeling sweaty when she crept closer to the corner again, fighting her urge to whirl around and run away so that she did not have to see Obanai’s reaction to her message. But then again, she wanted nothing more than to see his face when he read the note and this desire was even stronger. Her heart thundering in her chest, she peered around the corner again just in time to see Kaburamaru reaching the well.

Obanai turned around just a little bit and she could see the surprise in his eyes when he noticed the scroll on Kaburamaru’s back. He held his hand out and gently picked Kaburamaru up. When he had carefully untied the ribbon and taken the message, he placed Kaburamaru on his shoulder again where the snake snuggled up against his cheek, looking down at the paper in Obanai’s hand curiously. Mitsuri saw the bandage covering Obanai’s mouth moving but over the noises of the training demon slayers she could not make out what he was saying.

Mitsuri’s breath came shallow when she watched with wide eyes how Obanai slowly unfolded the scroll, a concentrated expression on his face. His eyes flickered from one side to the other when he read the words she and Shinobu had agreed on. And then, his expression hardened and he furled his brows. Mitsuri’s heart sank when she saw him shaking his head curtly before pulling a pencil from his pocket, scribbling something onto the paper. Even from where she stood, she could see his eyes darkening and his face looked unnaturally stiff when he rolled the paper up again and handed it to Kaburamaru.

Mitsuri sank against the wall, her blood rushing in her ears. Her hands started trembling when she realized the full extent of the situation. Shinobu had been wrong, they had erred, Obanai did not like her like that at all. In fact, his expression had looked more like the opposite. And now, Mitsuri had revealed to him what she felt, making herself vulnerable and complicating any joint missions that might come.

Her heart sunk when she heard the soft rustling announcing Kaburamaru’s return. She closed her eyes and reluctantly knelt down. When she opened her eyes again, Kaburamaru looked at her from his ruby eyes and for once, she was glad that he could not show her the pity he probably felt. Her chest tightened when she reached for the paper he now held in his small mouth. Her hands shaking, she slowly unfolded the paper but stopped halfway through when her question appeared.

‘Would you like to go on a date with me?’

The sight of her neat yet excited handwriting made her heart sting and while she knew which of the three squares he had ticked, she did not want to see it black on white. While discussing the plan with Shinobu, Mitsuri had hoped that Obanai would at least choose ‘Maybe’ if he did not instantly tick the square that said ‘Yes’. But only in the darkest corner of her mind had she imagined how she would feel, should he choose ‘No’. And now she knew that it stung even worse than she had anticipated.

A soft nudge made Mitsuri look up. Kaburamaru was still with her, touching her hand with his head, hissing quietly. She sighed and nodded silently before taking a deep breath and unfolding the rest of the paper. She looked up at the sky for a while and then, when she felt ready, she looked down at the paper.

Two squares were empty. The third had a thick cross in its middle and beside it, Obanai had scribbled down a few words. Mitsuri stared down at the paper for a moment before the words started to make sense.

‘Yes’, the box said. And next to it was written, in an elegant handwriting, ‘I’d love to’.

Mitsuri’s head shot up – and she met the gaze out of two eyes, one of them yellow, the other of a beautiful teal color, that looked directly at her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the bandage moving as Obanai grinned at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes. And then, he winked at her and nodded.

Yes, I’d love to go on a date with you.