Chapter Text
Giyuu looked up at the ceiling. There was a bug bouncing off of the corner, trying to get back to the window.
Kyojuro was slurping back his third bowl of soup by now; he didn't know how Kyo could eat at a time like this, he felt like they were about to go into battle.
It was still early when they left. Clouds blocked the sun, but the air still felt heavy and oppressive.
They walked in silence most of the way to the masters estate. The roads were quiet apart from the buzz of insects and birds, it felt like hearing the world breathe.
As the path began to approach the estate, they stopped, far enough away to not be seen and still secluded. They took each others hands, taking a moment together before whatever was to come. Giyuu pressed his head against Kyojuro’s.
"Nothing anyone can do is going to get between us." Kyojuro said.
Giyuu pulled him closer.
"I've got you, ok?"
They stood together for a while, enjoying the quiet.
The couple entered the estate together. They walked through the courtyard and into the house. They entered the meeting room to see several hashira already seated, including Shanizagawa. He looked at them as they entered, and seemed for a moment as if he was about to say something, but he held his tongue. The couple sat in their usual places.
Giyuu was next to Gyomei Himejima, the stone hashira and the longest serving of the current hashira. Because of his experience, as well as his spirituality and deeply caring nature, mr Himejima had become something of a mentor to many corps members, including the other hashira.
"Is everything okay, mr Tomioka?" Himejima asked in a low voice, not disturbing the room.
Giyuu tried to act like everything was fine, but he could tell that it didn't convince mr Himejima, who wore a deeply concerned expression and continued to fidget with his prayer beads in the way he did when he was worried or in thought.
After all of the hashira had arrived, the master came to the front of the room and the meeting proceeded.
After the the master left back to his personal quarters Giyuu and Kyojuro stayed where they were. The hashira began to leave, talking among themselves as they did. This went on for a few minutes at least, but Shanizagawa stayed seated the whole time, his eyes boring into Giyuu. Mr Himejima had clearly sensed something was wrong, because he also remained seated.
Shinobu did get up, but she only went far enough to sit under the awning, where she began taking notes on the meeting, or at least pretending to.
Other than the four of them, the room was now empty and quiet.
Shanizagawa got up.
"What’s the matter?" Gyomei asked him, before he could go anywhere.
"Nothing," he muttered back.
"I don't think that that’s true. It seems as though you’re upset about something."
"I'm not," he said. It wasn’t convincing; he couldn’t even bring himself to look back at Gyomei.
"Then why don't you leave us both be," Kyojuro growled back.
Giyuu was surprised that he was being so confrontational, but they were in this together now. He placed his hand on top of Kyojuro’s and took a deep breath.
"He's upset about me and Kyo being together," he said flatly, his eyes straight ahead.
Shanizagawa’s jaw dropped.
Mr Himejima raised an eyebrow.
Shinobu had stopped writing altogether.
"... Together?" Mr Himejima inquired.
"Yes. He saw us kissing before the meeting yesterday and he hasn’t left us alone since. He thinks its wrong," Giyuu was shaking slightly, and beginning to sweat, but his voice didn’t falter.
Gyomei thought for a moment.
"Shanizagawa?"
Shanizagawa hesitated for a moment.
"I... We shouldn’t have to work with them! Its not fair on any of us."
Gyomei seemed to think for a moment.
"This shouldn’t affect your duties, mr Shanizagawa. I don’t want you to keep causing trouble."
Shanizagawa’s face sunk,
"My Himejima you cant be serious!"
Shinobu turned to them.
"Mr Shanizagawa, do you think of yourself as some sort of model hashira?" She laughed.
He turned to her,
"You fucking snake! Do you really think that you can.."
"Enough!" Gyomei did not shout, but his voice was low and serious. Shanizagawa stopped talking immediately. "I thought even you would be above subjecting your fellow corps members to such abuse. Forget whatever you saw. Leave us."
"I..."
"Now."
He got up and left without saying another word.
"You too, please, Shinobu," he added softly.
She bowed slightly and left as well.
Giyuu and Kyojuro looked at each other. That had all happened so fast. Giyuu still hadn’t moved his hand.
It felt eerily quiet now.
After a moment, Gyomei spoke again.
"I do think I need to talk to you two about this," he said gently.
"Listen, mr Himejima..." Kyojuro started, unsure how he would finish.
"I'm not asking anything of you," Gyomei assured, "But I would advise you both to think about your place in the corps. And please be careful," He paused for a moment, as if he was finished, before continuing, almost under his breath, "Please take care of one another."
He too got up and left, leaving the couple alone again.
They sat in silence together and, as they did, rain began to fall outside. It started light, but it was soon pouring, drumming on the roof above them and clearing the summer air.
Kyojuro and Giyuu walked home through the rain, hand in hand, letting it soak them through. They were going to be alright.
Some time later, on a cool autumn afternoon, Kyojuro and Senjuro were cooking.
Giyuu was in the living room with Shinobu and Mitsuri.
Kyojuro had told Mitsuri about him and Giyuu soon after the business that summer. The couple knew that their problems probably weren’t over, but she was important to him and he wanted to share this part of his life with her.
They could hear the brothers laughing about something all the way from the kitchen. Today those problems seemed distant.
It was good to have people who they didn’t have to hide from.