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It was a loud day at the butterfly estate, with many being healed and 3 chaotic young slayers, things are hectic for the residents. Giyu was currently there, mainly to visit Shinobu but didn't plan on lingering. Shinobu had other plans for him though, with all the stress she was facing, tormenting Giyu would surely bring her mood up.
The two hashira walked past the rehabilitation training room, to bare witness to the wild trio running around and barely getting anything done with some other slayers roped into their nonsense. Aoi was failing to control them and Kanao was no help as she was too busy staring wistfully at Tanjiro. The insect hashira would typically be angry at this behavior but this was her chance to rope Giyu into a situation he hates.
She walked into the room with her trademark smile, with a hold on Giyu's haori behind her back to ensure he doesn't leave this awkward situation. She then spoke in a gentle but firm voice "Everyone, settle down now. It's obvious you're not using your time wisely and are causing your trainers stress." Like clockwork, all the slayers settled down at her slightly threatening voice, even Inosuke.
She walked further into the room and observed the trainees doing the exercises incorrectly. Normally she'd just correct them and move on but it was Tomioka torture time. "It appears you are all struggling with these exercises, how about the water hashira and I demonstrate them to you all proper." Giyu did not agree to this and he knew exactly what she was doing "I didn't say I wanted to-" Shinobu flashed him a dazzling smile and said "Now Tomioka, would you please kindly get in your position so the trainees can observe?". Giyu couldn't say no and just prepared.
Giyu truly enjoyed Shinobu's company, she's not his lover for nothing, but moments like these are what he hates. Now he sits doing something he doesn't want to because she can't help but be annoying sometimes. They sat in front of the table of the cup game. Ready to show the trainees, who were eagerly watching because seeing a hashira do stuff up close is rare. She looked over to the trainees and calmly explained the game once again. Giyu thought for a moment, if she wanted to see him uncomfortable with this many people staring at him, he might as well make this as least fun for her as possible.
Shinobu prepped herself to do a demonstration, "Now when i go to grab the cup, Tomioka-san will block my hand and throw the water on me if I fail to catch his hand. Really simple." Shinobu put her hand around a cup to pick it up and Giyu promptly blocked her hand. She turned to the trainees and spoke "See? Really simple, in an ac-" she was cut off by the sensation of smelly water hitting her head.
All the trainees gasped around her, she slowly turned her head back to face her soon to be deceased lover with veins popping out of her head, but with a smile nonetheless. Giyu simply said "You told me to throw the water when you did it." he said plainly, but Shinobu can pick up the faint bit of teasing in his voice. She simply nodded "Alright trainees, pay attention closely as we shall really play now."
Giyu was mildly amused at her reaction but felt kind-of bad. He thought to let her have this first round so they're both wet. They began and he went for a water first, but Shinobu caught his hand at fast speeds. He prepared to feel the water hit his face but was instead met with a hard thunk to the side of his head . The trainees were now even more mortified at what was transpiring in front of them.
"Oh! The cup slipped out of my hand, I'm so sorry Tomioka-san!". It was painfully obvious to even the trainees she was lying. Tanjiro could smell the anger and amusement coming off of her but said nothing out of partial fear and intrigue. Giyu just brushed his hair back and stared her in the eye "Accidents happen, let's keep going" his unwavering stare was a direct challenge to Shinobu, and she wasn't gonna back down from a disliked loner.
The most intense cup game match any of the trainees ever seen began in front of them. The blinding speed of the hashiras was a marvel to watch, even Tanjiro and Kanao's matches were never this intense. Eventually Giyu got the advantage and Shinobu messed up, and he promptly threw the water on her, harder than last time to cause mist to fly around her head.
The veins on Shinobu's face were only getting larger as another round started, she started to try even harder because she wasn't about to lose like this. Eventually Giyu's hand slipped and she grabbed another cup, fully planning to throw it at his head again. The cup left her hand but Giyu narrowly dodged it. The cup careened at an observing trainee but Giyu leapt forward to catch it before it can hit anyone.
"I think we should conclude the cup game" Giyu said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Shinobu reeled in her competitiveness and anger, realizing it she probably would end up hitting Giyu with something far worse than a cup if they continued. The veins in her head slowly disappeared as she faced the trainees again "I hoped you enjoyed the demonstration. Now onto the chasing game."
Aoi walked over to Shinobu slightly concerned while the trainees were moving to give the hashira more space "Shinobu-sama...are you ok?" Shinobu just flashed her a bright smile "I'm perfectly fine Aoi, I just got a bit too competitive with Tomioka-san. Don't worry about me!". Aoi still looked concerned until her attention was drawn by Inosuke who was now trying to attack a trainee who called his mask dumb and was being restrained by Tanjiro, she quickly ran over to calm him down while Shinobu looked over to Giyu who now walked up to her.
He handed her a towel to help dry her hair "Here." is all he said before he walked off. Shinobu just sighed at her idiot lover and dried her hair. Her anger wasn't completely gone but it was no big deal. Her anger at him was rarely much compared to her general anger. Just to hope he doesn't piss her off again during the chase...
Shinobu brightly faced the trainees "Now! Being fast is important when facing demons, you never know when one may try to run away from you. Being able to catch them with your body is needed if you need to get a good cut in. Me and Tomioka-san shall demonstrate again. Then you all will cycle in and out of being the runner and chaser. The goal is simply to grab any part of your opponent's body to prevent them from getting away. I will be the runner, Tomioka the chaser. Observe closely"
Giyu walked past her to get into his position and subtly whispered "This didn't go well for you last time you tried to run from me" referencing their Natagumo incident. Shinobu had to use all her focus to prevent another vein from appearing in her head, at this point he's practically asking for his next batch of salmon daikon to be poisoned. She swallowed her sheer desire to kick Giyu and prepared herself.
Aoi declared them off and in practically an instant they both became hard to see, all the trainees could do is watch as the 2 hashira flashed around the room. Even the higher trained slayers could barely see them. Shinobu used her smaller size to her advantage and would occasionally push off his shoulders to slow him down and get more distance. Giyu caught on though, and as she jumped over him to bounce on his shoulders he shifted causing her to lose her balance. With this Giyu took a chance to get behind Shinobu and wrap his arms around her shoulders, preventing her from moving her arms.
The trainees stared in amazement as their display ended while Zenitsu seethed in jealousy at him being able to touch a girl and not get hit. Shinobu turned her head and smiled "Well-done Tomioka, you used my own strategy against me. I can almost say I'm proud". Giyu just huffed at her words and lifted her so her feet were no longer on the ground and walked over to the side.
Shinobu was shocked at his boldness, as the trainees gave them weird looks, now very confused about their weirdly tense yet...close relationship. Despite typically liking being in his arms this wasn't the time or place for that, "Tomioka, if you would like to share my quarters again in the near future, I recommend you release me" she said in a mildly threatening voice. Giyu promptly released her and she went back to directing the trainees like she wasn't just extremely close to the water hashira for a weirdly long amount of time.
The trainees cycled through the games in a very organized and effective way now, Zenitsu dominated whenever he went against a girl (besides Kanao) and Inosuke would have to get restrained after almost every match he lost. It was quite the sight, as Shinobu watched in a decent mood despite it all. The man of the hour she totally hadn't been ignoring tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him with a thin smile before he spoke "We should talk" is all he said before walking out the room to the quiet hallways.
Shinobu did everything in her power to not sigh at the man she chose to get intimate with before she went outside to talk with whatever he wanted. Giyu had his arms crossed and stared at her with his classic blank dumb face "You're angry at me". Shinobu held in an laugh "Oh really? I am? I wasn't aware at all, thanks for informing me, dear. Any other acute observations for me?". Her words filled with pure passive aggressive flare and Giyu just sighed, "It's because of what occurred during the exercises." Shinobu this time let out a giggle "Oh wow very observant!".
For the amount of time they've been in a relationship this never got easier, deciphering her passive aggressive fits were impossible to him. So he simply reached for a wet strand of her hair and brushed it back. Shinobu's face reddened "Showing me affection won't do much to quell my anger you know, especially since we're in public and anyone can be watching us." Giyu sighed and put his hand down "Sorry for throwing that water on you so hard, I was trying to make it less fun for you because I knew you enjoy seeing me uncomfortable around so many trainees looking at me." Shinobu was speechless, he rarely speaks this many words at once.
At her lack of response Giyu deflated a bit "Since you're still angry, I'll leave I don't want you to hate me." Giyu turned to exit before Shinobu grabbed his haori sleeve "Oh Giyu...you do realize you'd have to do a lot worse than throw some water on me to make me hate you. I was aware of what you were trying to do earlier, I just got angry because I can't help it. We're okay I don't want you to leave."
Giyu sighed in relief, maybe one day he would figure out how to better read her emotions, before he could speak though Shinobu smirked "BUT I do expect you to actually take me out proper to make up to me. I want to do more than you just coming over to check on me or make love. A proper date!" Giyu nodded in a slightly confused manner, he's gonna have to ask somebody what do woman like to do on dates.
Giyu, feeling a bit happier now, tried to lean in to kiss her forehead. But was promptly met with a hand that stopped him "Don't be mistaken, I'm still angry with you so i don't want a kiss right now. Let's go back in and watch these trainees, maybe you can actually give them some advice and tips instead of just staring?" she said in a joking manner. She took his hand and walked back into the room, with so much going on no one noticed the two hashira holding hands.
The room was in orderly chaos, Tanjiro and Kanao were locked into the cup game, Zenitsu was currently getting stomped on by all the girls he beat in the chase game, and Inosuke was in a 6-way wrestling match with other slayers. Shinobu looked over to a group of slayers that kept looking at Giyu. "Those trainees over there are water-breathing practitioners, they keep looking at you, should go over there and give them advice or pointers." Giyu was unsure, he was no teacher like Urukodaki, he couldn't help. "But-" "I said go Tomioka." she said in her threatening voice.
Giyu listened and slowly walked over to the slayers. Shinobu just smiled passively and went on to check on the injured residents elsewhere. A productive albeit annoying day.
After Giyu advised the young water breathers best he could, he was approached by a blonde ball of energy in Zenitsu. He gave him a dirty look and spoke "You...tell me...tell me how you managed to get with someone like Shinobu-sama!" Giyu wasn't amused by this "Me and Kocho are not in a romantic relationship". Zenitsu wasn't having it "DON'T LIE TO ME! I heard all the little comments and conversations y'all had, I know you're together! How did you do it? Is it because you're a hashira? Do I need to do that too?! TELL ME! TELL MEEEE!" if the room hadn't already been so loud he would've drawn a crowd. Giyu just stared at him in complete boredom "Become less annoying and maybe they won't hit you." he walked off after that. Zenitsu was about to keep yelling at him until he was crashed into by a guy Inosuke threw across the room.
Giyu decided he had enough of interacting with people for the day and was about to leave, but it didn't feel right to leave with Shinobu still so angered with him. So he had a simple idea that he needed to work fast on. He dashed out the butterfly estate into the closest market. Giyu asked the worker if they can make ginger soaked in soy sauce, Shinobu's favorite food. After moments that felt like forever they finally gave him the food and he ran back to the butterfly estate holding the food carefully.
He peeped back into her office and she wasn't there. He really didn't want to linger because she'd force him to talk to more trainees so he left it on her desk and wrote a note saying "From Giyu" (as if it wasn't obvious) and left the estate.
Shinobu was exhausted after today, from the chaotic trainees to Giyu being a legendary idiot who she still loved despite it all the insect hashira had no energy. She walked into her office to put some things away and was met by a bento with a note besides it. She genuinely smiled and spoke fondly "Oh Giyu...my unlikable airhead"