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Something about the rain makes Giyuu calm. It soothes his nerves and mutes the voices in his mind. No whispering or self deprecating thoughts can be heard when the crashing of the rain drops in the ground washes everything. For once in his tiring days, weeks, months, years he can be at peace with himself. So he lets it happen.
Let the rain surround him. He lets his haori get soaked, letting the rain drip in his face.
It’s cold, figures since its dawn and the sun has yet to rise. The cold doesn't bother him, he shivers a little but it’s a comfort for him, really.
So again he lets it happen.
Another thing he loves about the rain is that the amount of demons lurking in the dark lessens. Maybe the demons hate being soaked or find it hard to find someone amidst the downpour, either way it works well for Giyuu. Less killing, more time to bask in the rain.
He goes for one more thorough walk around his region before finally calling it for the night. No demons means he can go home.
The horizon paints the hues of golden and orange mixed together. The sun slowly creeping up and giving rays of another day is starting. He sees a few farmers already in the fields tending and some people walking in the area.
He’s soaked and people are looking at him, though he pays it no mind.
He continues his walk up until he’s near the water pillar estate and the rain settles for a quiet drizzle. It’s still calming for Giyuu so for a few more minutes he lets it happen. Just for a while.
No one will judge him if his pace slowed down, every second he’s in the rain means a second away from confronting his own demons.
The only thing that poses a worry in his mind is the look of Kochou when he catches a cold. He’s sure that the insect pillar will chop his head off if she sees him again getting soaked in the rain. Much concerning to this is the look Oyakata-sama will give him when he gets sick.
Giyuu smiles to himself.
He’s alone with the rain, worries and colds along with sickness can wait or better yet don’t even come.
So again he lets it happen.
This time he closes his eyes, the tip top tip top of the rain drops accompanying him makes him walk slower than he should, peace finally settling inch by inch in him. He tilts his head up, and frees himself. Let everything in him just feel.
One moment and he’s in his own bubble, rain drops drips on him and the next thing he knows everything comes to a halt. The rain stops pouring on him, the chill he felt a while ago is replaced by a radiating warmth beside him, it’s like there’s a shield.
Giyuu finally willing himself to open his eyes, the first thing that greets him is the vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow and white.
“Hey there.” He hears a voice familiar. A voice that is always loud and booming yet right now in this moment, in the rain, it's barely above a whisper. Like the owner is afraid that something will break if he had spoken louder. A fragile atmosphere that Giyuu tried so hard to build in the middle of the calming rain.
Giyuu glances at him, and his breath almost gets caught in his lungs.
If Giyuu represent the cold water then Rengoku represents the flames of fiery.
No wonder he feels warm, Rengoku always had this heat that never fails to spread in his surroundings. Similar to an embrace it engulfs everyone. He also noticed how Rengoku is not wearing his designated cape that represents the flame pillar for generations in his back, instead the said cape is draped above them, shielding the rain from getting them soaked, for Giyuu getting him more wet than he already is.
Rengoku’s left arm serves as an anchor for the cape above and his right arm is close to Giyuu’s waist holding the other end of the cloth.
The distance between them is sparse, one wrong move and they’ll be touching.
“I hope I didn’t trespass your space Tomioka. I saw you getting soaked and I just couldn’t help myself not to cover you.” Rengoku spoke again, making Giyuu realize he had ignored his first greeting.
He clears his throat, it went dry for some reason.
“It’s fine but..” He trails off, seeing as the latter didn’t bother covering himself too. The cape is unfairly on his side, making little droplets of rain get on Rengoku’s hair and for sure his back. He’ll also get soaked at this point.
Giyuu shifts closer to Rengoku, pulling the cape along with him to at least make it enough to cover the both of them. He tried to let the cape drape more on the flame pillar’s side yet Rengoku refuses to let that happen. Giyuu thinks it’s a waste for him since he’s already drenched to the bone.
“You should cover yourself too.” He manages to say.
Rengoku nods and smiles at him. Something inside Giyuu lurches, what’s the meaning of this?
“I noticed you love the rain, I saw how peaceful your face–whole being to be precise when you let yourself get soaked. I actually had second thoughts in approaching you, kinda afraid that I’ll shatter something when I got closer to you. Though the thought that you’ll get sick because of this came stronger so I tried to cover you as discreetly as I can.”
Giyuu almost stopped in his tracks after hearing Rengoku’s rambles. He’s concerned about him?
Warmth slowly blossoms inside him. A familiar yet something new dances in his chest where his heart lies. He’s gonna be honest and admit that this feels odd and a voice inside his head is saying to run away from this. From Rengoku, from the cape, from the rain that once sheltered him with comfort.
He had the urge to just bolt away and slay demons, at least that is common for Giyuu, something he’s used to and he knows how to handle. Not this.
Though a whisper, a small nudge inside him pleads him to stay.
So again in the middle of the rain, for the third time.
He lets it happen.
“It’s fine and I’m glad you did. Thank you.” Giyuu glances up and his lips form a small smile without his knowledge.
Rengoku nearly trips in his step upon seeing the small delicate smile. Giyuu notices this and he lets out a small snicker, making the flame pillar to actually trip this time.
A blush paints Rengoku’s face and Giyuu seeing this mirrors him.
Amidst the cold rain, the pillars of water and flames are forging something that even death can’t sever. Along with the sun that finally lets itself be seen, a new beginning is starting for the two that have yet to notice. Though they let it happen.