Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“CAW CAW THE WATER HASHIRA TO HEAD NORTH FOR A JOINT MISSION.”

The elderly crow landed on a small windowsill in the water hashira’s estate. The meditating Giyu took the small piece of paper between Kanzaburo’s weathered claws.

Greetings Tomioka, please head north to investigate the disappearances of several couples. Previous slayers weren't able to identify the demon responsible therefore you and Kocho will investigate to provide closure for the families of the victims. Best regards, Ubuyashiki.

Giyu put aside the note and jotted down a quick reply to his master. After handing the letter to Kanzaburo, he headed out for another mission.

/////

“Goodness Tomioka, it's rude to leave a lady waiting this long, the sun's almost set.” Shinobu was standing against a tree overlooking the town they're investigating. Giyu chose to ignore his partner’s antics, they had more pressing matters to handle. Without a proper response, as usual, Giyu walked past her and headed to town for clues.

“Gee Tomioka, nice to meet you too.” Shinobu couldn't hide her mild frustration but Giyu’s taciturn behavior is much too familiar to the insect hashira. Regardless, she continued to talk to the brick wall on the off chance it mumbles something back.

“Well how was your day so far?” Shinobu’s signature smile and bug eyes radiated a shining aura, contrasted by the water hashira’s frigid stare.

“...”

“My day was great. I woke up early enough to cook the girls some breakfast. Aoi was so surprised to see me in the kitchen that early.”

“...”

“She always works so hard when I'm away so I wanted to do something nice for her. I was a bit rusty so I may have burned the eggs.” Shinobu laughed to herself. Giyu was showing small signs of cracking at her undying persistence to get him to talk.

“Oh and all the patients seem to be doing fine. A couple of them came in injured but they weren't anything too bad, just a couple of bruises and contusions.”

“...”

Giyu’s continued silence weighed on her patience. A blood vessel on Shinobu’s forehead enlarged as she spoke. “Gosh, I wonder how we’ll find the demon, right Tomioka?” Irony dripped from every word she said.

Unlike before, the mention of their mission caught his attention. “We can ask the townspeople.” Giyu’s response seemed to tick her off more than if he stayed silent. “So now you grace me with your words, oh great water hashira.”

Giyu wanted to correct her about how he wasn’t a real hashira but stayed quiet like always. “Why do you only want to talk about the mission? Do you hate small talk that bad? No wonder you're disliked by everyone, Tomioka.”

Giyu turned to his considerably shorter partner. “I'm not disliked. Besides, my daily life is boring. I don't see the purpose of sharing it.” The duo entered the small town. Their unusual appearance caught the attention of passerbys and their small argument looked like a lovers quarrel, much to their amusement. One of the older ladies in town greeted them.

“Hello there strangers, you two don't seem to be from around here.” The lady looked at the two, her age showing on the wrinkles painting her face.

“Greetings miss, you're right, we just arrived here. We're actually… investigators and we heard of some strange disappearances around here. Would you know where to look?”

Upon hearing their motives, the woman’s face dropped. “Ahh I see, we had some others come in earlier but they weren't able to help. They seem to all happen near the small shrine in the forest just east of here.”

“Oh, thank you Miss. We'll be heading out then.” As the two turned to leave the woman gave them some parting words. “Do be careful. It seems like the disappearances only happen to young couples like you two.”

“Thanks for the warning. We’ll be back by sunrise at the latest.” Shinobu waved to the lady as the two departed. The sun all but set as the two entered the forest. Giyu turned his head. “Are you not going to correct her?”

“What is this? Tomioka initiating a conversation! I see you're taking my advice to heart.”

“...”

“Also she seems like a nice lady. I don't want to embarrass her about the wrong assumption. And besides it seems like the demons are only attracted to couples, so it's good that we look like one anyways.”

“... but.”

“Relax Tomioka, I wouldn't want to date someone as uncommunicative as you. And you probably wouldn't date a weakling like me. Or would you? I wonder what your type is, Tomioka.” Shinobu squinted her eyes and analyzed her partner.

Giyu met her gaze. “You aren't weak.” Shinobu was caught off guard by his response.

“Oh wow I appreciate your kind words but I don't need your pity. I know my limits so that's why I resort to poison to kill. It gets the job done.”

“That's why you aren't weak.”

Shinobu was surprised to see his response again. “I don't quite follow Tomioka. I told you that I resorted to poison because I'm too weak to cut a demon’s neck.”

“Despite that, you're a hashira.” Giyu looked at her earnestly.

Shinobu laughed. “Oh I see. You thought I was sulking about not belonging with the other hashira. Come on, do I look like a kid?” Giyu felt personally attacked.

“It was just some light hearted self deprecation Tomioka. I should know you wouldn't pick up on that, considering your… unsociable nature.” Shinobu’s laughs loudened as they approached the shrine.

As they neared their destination, the faint silhouette of two beings came into view. The two hashira immediately stopped in their tracks and readied their blades. Despite the darkness that surrounded them, they were not mistaken in their judgement. Those were the demons they were hunting.

Before they could act, a strange pink haze drew into the battlefield, obscuring the demon's silhouettes. Giyu took a breath in and noted the rosy smell of the mist. Before long, the two demons ran towards them at breakneck speed. The hashiras instinctively dodged the attacks and kept their backs together in the dense haze.

One of the demons laughed, its low voice indicating it was male. “Sweety, it seems like I'm having trouble getting our dinner ready.” Another voice, sounding more feminine, responded. “Oh honey, it's ok. You're trying our best. Come here.”

What followed could best be described as two moist pieces of meat repeatedly smacking together with animalistic ferocity. Shinobu turned her head to whisper to her partner. “Are they… making out?”

Before Giyu could answer, not like he would have, the demons resumed their attacks. However, this time they were used to the demon's agility and attacked. Giyu found his target as his nichirin blade cut through the flesh of the male demon's neck. A bloodcurdling scream followed.

Turning around, the female demon held the head of its partner as it slowly disintegrated. The severed head, with the few seconds it had left, spoke weakly. “Kiss me dear… one more time.” Without hesitation, the female demon shoved its face against his and ferociously made out with it in front of the bewildered hashira. As the lips disintegrated, the female turned to face the hashira.

“You fuckers. YOU DARE MURDER MY MAN. I CURSE YOU BOTH FOR THE REST OF YOUR SORRY LIVES.” The haze around them condensed into clouds. They could barely breathe and for some unknown reason, felt a sharp pain in their hearts. The female demon used their vulnerability to leap at Giyu. However before she could tear into his flesh, the hashira merely sidestepped her and sent her flying into the primed blade of Shinobu. The wisteria poison worked immediately as the demon turned into a puddle of sludge at her feet. Its final cries of pains morphing into unintelligible gurgles.

“Eww… I used too much poison and now my shoes are dirty.”

“...”

“Well that was certainly something, wasn't it Tomioka. We should probably head back to the village to tell them the good news.”

Like always, Giyu didn't respond. He simply nodded and the pair walked back silently. It didn't help that the strange encounter wasn't conducive to conversation. Eventually they reached the village at the dead of night and noticed the old lady was still near the outskirts of the city. Shinobu approached her.

“Oh I'm so glad to see you two are okay. Were you able to solve the case?”

“Yes miss. It seemed like the disappearances were due to a mother bear nesting nearby. It seemed like the couples came too close to the cubs so the bear attacked. We were able to scare it away so the shrine should be safe from now on.”

The old lady took Shinobu’s hand in hers. “Oh thank you so much, young one. I'm sure it was scary dealing with that with just the two of you. If you need, you can sleep here for the night. My family owns an inn.”

Shinobu graciously obliged and followed the lady. Since they never corrected the lady earlier, the two hashira got to share a couples room with a single futon.

“I'll sleep on the floor.” Giyu didn't wait for a response before dropping down on the hard wood floor.

“Oh my Tomioka, you are truly a gentleman, and here I thought you'd take advantage of this situation to have your way with me… although I am a bit disappointed you didn't even consider it.” Shinobu’s signature smile morphed into a sly grin as she tried to get a rise out of Giyu. The brick wall cracked a little.

“Kocho. Sleep.” Giyu meant to sound stern but his rising blush didn't help. Shinobu was satisfied with that reaction. Deciding to spare the water hashira from additional teasing, she obliged and fell asleep.

/////

Typically, people usually rise at daybreak from the calls of a rooster or the sounds of the birds overhead. Giyu didn't expect to be awoken by Shinobu ferociously shaking his shoulders and a dull pain in his heart.

“TOMIOKA WAKE UP THIS INSTANCE MY HEART IS GOING TO FUCKING EXPLODE!” Shinobu was hyperventilating above the semi conscious man.

“Kocho, why are you yelling? Is everything ok?” Giyu immediately got up to find the insect hashira kneeling beside him. After some deep breaths, she was able to express herself coherently.

“Tomioka. I think that demon… cursed us. My heart feels like it's going to explode.” Upon hearing her words, Giyu noticed his own coronary twinge.

“My heart is hurting a bit too. It doesn't seem too bad, are you sure you aren't overreacting?”

“Overreacting?! It's not overreacting when YOUR HEART FEELS LIKE ARGH…” Shinobu clenched her haori. She fell deathly silent.

“Kocho? Are you alright…” Before Giyu could get a proper response. The insect hashira lashed out and grabbed him by his uniform's collar. The sheer force sent him tumbling backwards onto the floor with Shinobu’s quaint figure towering him. Before he could protest, the woman closed the distance. His words were muffled by the sensation of a foreign being entering his mouth. Her lips crashed against his as her tongue probed what lay ahead.

Giyu tried to react but his movements were sluggish from waking up recently and it proved difficult to grasp Shinobu’s inhumanly flexible frame. Her mouth continued to ravage his mouth. Her eyes were closed in satisfaction while his were wide open in shock. After what felt like an eternity, but was actually a couple seconds, Shinobu relented while Giyu was finally able to overpower her and push her back. It was an awkward silence.

“Kocho… what the hell.”

“Tomi… Tomioka. I don't know why I did that… my mind was acting on its own.”

“You just…”

“I know… I don't know what happened ok, I was just… wait. My heart feels normal.” Shinobu clutched her chest to check if her heart was still there. Speaking of heart problems, Giyu noticed his own dull pain was no longer present.

“Me too.”

Shinobu fell into deep thought. “Wait so. I kissed you and the heart pain went away. But why? How?”

“You said the demon cursed us? How can they do that if they're dead?”

“Before we killed that female demon, she said something about cursing us. And if I remember right, the strange haze changed color and hurt to breathe. It's possible this is caused by inhaling it. That might explain why the pain was concentrated in the chest.”

Shinobu paced around the small room, formulating a possible solution to this strange disease. Her expertise as a doctor helped her narrow down the causes. “And it seems like kissing you alleviated the pain. The act of kissing a loved one releases endorphins which can ease pain. But it couldn't possibly stop all of the pain I was feeling.”

“Wait. What do you mean by kissing a loved one?” Giyu’s blush returned from last night. Shinobu was too busy thinking to catch what he was trying to say.

“Tomioka, I just explained, kissing a loved one can help ease pain…” Shinobu finally caught what she was implying by that statement. “Wait wait wait, that's not what I meant… well no that is what I meant but not like us specifically. Like in general.” She stumbled on her words trying to forget her accidental slip of tongue.

“But… our pain did go away…”

Shinobu’s mind started to panic. Not only did she kiss a man against his will, she also inadvertently confessed to that same man. “Well… the kiss doesn't need to be from a loved one to release endorphins, it could also be from someone who you deem physically attractive.” Shinobu’s chatty mouth spoke that last sentence before she could process what she was saying.

Giyu’s blush deepened. “You… you think I'm physically attractive.” He rubbed under his nose to hide a rare smirk. Never did Shinobu hate her mouth as much as she did that day. It wasn't like she could even speak out of this situation, considering she didn't necessarily disagree with that statement. Too bad her mouth tried anyway.

“Well objectively speaking… you are quite… good looking but that's besides the point. There's something else that helped with the pain. And if it's actually a curse, it's going to strike again sooner than later so it's imperative to find out what it is.”

She tried her best to ignore her admission by looking anywhere else but Giyu. It wasn't going to help her get to the bottom of this issue. But a strange occurrence forced her to look at the man. A laugh. Yes you heard that right, a laugh from Giyu. The Giyu who couldn't hold a conversation let alone an expression other than his blank stare. The same Giyu who was as dynamic as water… in a cave long undisturbed by human interaction. She couldn't help but feel confused, and a little intrigued, by this exceedingly rare sight.

“Tomi… oka?”

Giyu’s chuckles quieted down. “Sorry. This situation seems utterly absurd. You just seem so flustered by your words Kocho.” The man finally stood up from his compromising position, a hint of embarrassment apparent in his flushed features. His arm reached to scratch the back of his unkempt hair. “I suppose you’ll take me with you to make sure this isn’t a reoccurring issue.”

Shinobu couldn’t help notice the subtle undertones in his statement. “Of course Tomioka, I suppose we’re both in this together. Just… don’t speak of this to anyone.”

“...”

Shinobu laughed. “Who am I kidding? Of course you wouldn’t speak to anyone anyways.”

Chapter Text

After thanking the innkeeper, the two hashira left for the butterfly mansion. Shinobu noticed the awkward look the lady gave them after leaving. It was obvious that she may have heard the commotion in the morning. Guess their little secret wasn’t much of a secret anymore. 

Throughout their journey back, Shinobu’s mind worked to solve their little predicament. Half way through she noticed her heart was starting to ache once again. That all but confirmed that the curse wasn’t a one off thing and is likely chronic. When asked about his heart troubles, Giyu stated that he could barely sense the pain at the moment but it certainly felt out of place. “Argh, that’s not fair! How come I have to deal with all this pain while you’re just shrugging it off.”

“... maybe you breathed in more of the poison.”

“Good observation Tomioka. You seem awfully chatty today, where is my real Tomioka and what did you do to him?” Shinobu poked at his side, much to his annoyance.

“You seem awfully cheery for someone with a heart problem.”

“Oh relax Tomioka, I’m just messing with you. I like that you’re actually talking a bit more today. Maybe people might start liking you now.”

“...”

“Anyways, we both were in the pink haze so it couldn’t be that much of a difference. Maybe since I’m so much smaller than you, the concentration in my bloodstream is much higher, just like how other poisons work. But I’ve developed a tolerance to many poisons before, so this one must be different.”

Their mostly one-sided conversation back to the mansion seemed to raise more questions than answers. It was looking like Shinobu would need her advanced instruments to examine the root cause behind their troubles. Thankfully for her, she had a great test subject volunteer to do experiments on.

/////

As the two hashira approached the mansion, it was already well into the afternoon. As they rounded the gates, it was Shinobu’s helper, Aoi, who noticed them first. “Greetings Lady Shinobu… and the water hashira?”

“Hello Aoi, Tomioka and I are just coming back from our joint mission. It seems he got himself poisoned by the demon we were fighting, how embarrassing.” Shinobu laughed. Giyu was not amused. “And I’ll have to perform some tests on him to make sure he’s alright. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

Shinobu left for her quarters with Giyu in tow. Aoi thought it was best not to question why she was taking another hashira to her personal quarters and continued to sweep the floor. As they approached her room, Giyu raised an important question. “Why are we going to your room?”

“Oh relax Tomioka. I just have all my specialized equipment. And I want some privacy for this experiment.”

Soon the two entered her room far into the mansion. It was decently big and relatively well kept together. As Giyu looked around, he noticed a small futon in the corner. There was a table next to it with several drawers and a bookshelf full of several medical textbooks. On the other end was a large table with several notes strewn about haphazardly.

He couldn’t help but notice a fishtank with a goldfish swimming in it. Shinobu grabbed one of the stools under the desk and instructed him to sit there for the time being. As Giyu sat down, he observed her rummage  through the various drawers below the other desk. Soon she emerged with a small needle, a notebook, and a couple vials of mysterious solutions. Giyu was used to drawing blood for checkups so he instinctively readied his arm.

“Thank you Tomioka, just hold still, I need quite a lot of blood for the experiment.” As instructed, Giyu held eerily still as she drew a full syringe of his life essence. For the next couple minutes she focused her efforts on the experiments. She adorned some reading glasses to take notes better and Giyu couldn’t help but stare at her through the whole ordeal. To him, she looked so cute sophisticated during the whole process.

After some time, she would find a breakthrough. After putting some of the blood in a small glass dish, she sprinkled some wisteria powder over it. It was a small reaction but the blood sputtered as the powder disintegrated into the plasma.

“Interesting. I was wondering if this was the case, but it seems like the poison isn’t poison at all. It’s leftover blood demon art. No wonder it reacts with wisteria.”

Upon hearing her thesis, Giyu couldn’t help but feel a little paranoid. “That’s impossible. If we had demon blood in us… that means…”

Shinobu shook her head. “The concentration is too low to fully transform us. Thank god. But it seems like it’s still trying to do so and our body is fighting back. That must be the reason for the heart pain.”

“So if we take wisteria will it go away?”

“What no! Didn’t you just see what it did to our blood. It would hurt even more!” Shinobu realized to herself why the demon blood was disproportionately impacting her. She had worked with wisteria more than most. Occasionally she may have ingested some which could have been reacting with the demon blood inside her at the moment. She started to panic a bit.

“Ok, ok, so since we can’t do that… we need to find something else.” Her eyes flittered about Giyu’s facial features. “Tomioka. Close your eyes.”

Giyu shook his head in confusion but obliged. He didn’t know what to expect but he could feel a presence approaching his face. It stopped right before crashing into him. After a bit of hesitation it bridged the gap and quickly retreated. It was sudden but Giyu couldn’t mistake the sensation he felt on his lips. His eyes creaked open.

“Kocho? Did you just…”

“Give me your other arm.” Before he could even get a response, she grabbed a fresh needle and probed his other arm. She was quick to repeat the wisteria experiment to find that the reaction was slightly less volatile. The difference was barely perceptible, but to a professional like Shinobu, she could feel the difference. Her face flushed at her realization. The solution was… kissing. It was hardly scientific and more tests would need to be conducted, but despite that, all the other observations pointed to that assessment.

“I think… if I kiss you, it helps with the curse…”

“Yeah, didn’t we already say that at the inn.”

“No no no, I thought it helped with the pain, and it might have, but the endorphins couldn’t possibly overpower all that pain by themselves…”

“Ok?”

“It must be something else… what else is associated with kissing?” It was more of a question to herself. She combed through her vast medical knowledge for the answer. She would soon find out. “Oxytocin.”

The medically inept Giyu couldn’t quite understand her shock. “Oxy what?”

“Give me your arm.”

“You already drew so much blood, I don’t think I can…”

But Shinobu wasn’t asking for blood, she grabbed his hand in hers and held still. They both stood still, their heartbeats quickly accelerating to new speeds. Despite their rapidly beating hearts, the pain they felt was subsiding. It was slow but they could feel it get better by the second. In their state Giyu couldn’t help rub his thumb over the back of her dainty hand. She released her grip.

“Tomioka kiss me again. Now.” Although it sounded like a lustrous remark, it was more of a demand than anything. Regardless, Giyu felt apprehensive about it.

“Kocho. What are you saying? I can’t just…”

Shinobu didn’t wait for his consent. She grabbed his head in her hands and jerked it towards her. It wasn’t as ravenous as the incident in the morning but it was far from modest. Her lips forced him backwards while her tongue reluctantly licked them. She didn’t dare go further, lest she feel even more embarrassed than what she feels right now. However, they noticed how the diminishing pain in their chest vanished as they indulged in each other.

“Lady Shinobu, dinners read…”

Aoi walked into the compromising scene with an innocent smile. Too bad it quickly mutated into an amalgamation of horror, shock, disgust, and everything in between. “I’m… I'm sorry, Lady Shinobu… I’ll get going.” Shinobu couldn’t even formulate a response before the girl ran off down the hall yelling apologies in her wake.

“Fuck…”

“Kocho what the hell was that!”

“This is all your fault.”

“Sorry I… wait what the hell do you mean it’s my fault?!”

“I don’t know, ok! I just needed someone to be mad at right now.” She lightly punched her companion, both of them doing their best impression of a tomato with how flushed their faces got. “I should probably explain this whole ordeal to Aoi. I’ll… get going. Stay here. We can discuss this… situation in a bit. I need to organize my thoughts.” She left as soon as possible, leaving the man she just forcibly kissed in her room.

Chapter Text

Shinobu left Giyu alone in her room with only his thoughts accompanying him. Well he wasn’t all alone in the room. He still had Fugu with him, the goldfish Shinobu kept as a pet. He splayed his arms around the fishtank and looked at the small fish within. They both looked at each other for a while. Eventually he sighed.

“Fugu… I’m sorry for what you saw.” Giyu must have been going crazy. He was genuinely talking to a fish. “What the hell was she even talking about half the time. She said something about an ox's toxin or something and started kissing me, can you believe that.” 

The fish let out some air bubbles in response. “Exactly, that’s what I’m saying!” Yep, he was definitely going insane. “How could she just… play with my heart like that? I get she loves teasing me or whatever but this is a bridge too far, even for me.” Fugu swam to the left. “Yeah, it might be to help with the research or whatever… but it's hard to do that with someone as… nice to look at as her!”

Fugu swam back to the right and noticed something in the doorway, however Giyu was too busy ranting to pay attention to the fish. “Argh! Am I the weird one? Is it weird to think kissing your colleague out of the blue is weird? I don’t want to treat her like that!” As Giyu finished his statement, he finally followed what was catching the fish's attention. As his eyes gradually looked to his right, his heart stopped.

“Tomioka… was I interrupting here, or…”

“...”

“So you’d rather talk to a fish than another human. It’s no wonder that you’re disliked by everyone.” Shinobu rolled her eyes.

“I’m not dis… liked by people.” Giyu had trouble talking under her stern gaze. “How much did you hear?”

“I’ve been here since you started talking to my fish.” Giyu knew he was screwed. She heard everything. Giyu sat in silence, reflecting on how screwed he was. He knew from first hand experience that an angry Shinobu could not be dealt with easily. But she wasn’t angry, rather she had a miffed look on her face. She grabbed a chair to sit down in front of the quiet man. “So is that what you think of me?”

“What?”

“That I’m doing this to tease you or something? You know… it’s just as embarrassing to me as it is to you, right?” Shinobu frowned. Giyu swallowed.

“Sorry.”

“Haah, It’s ok. I guess we both didn’t consider each other’s feelings this whole time. You were just a convenient person to test my hypotheses on but I should have asked if you were ok with it. Sorry about that. But hey, now we know oxytocin is the cure.”

There was that mysterious word again. Giyu wanted to know what that was. “What is that oxytocin thing?”

“Oh right, I never explained. It’s a hormone. Specifically the pleasure hormone and it basically helps bonding and… other stuff.” Shinobu averted her eyes for that last statement. “It seems to counteract the demon blood somehow.”

“Ok so kissing releases this stuff. Is there a way to release more? We can’t just keep kissing people. We’re professionals.”

Shinobu was caught off guard by his sudden inquisitiveness. His innocent eyes, full of a genuine sense of wanting to know, would be tarnished by the true answer to that question. “Erm, yes but it's something I hope we don’t have to resort to. I don’t think you want to know”

“Kocho. I’d do anything to solve this issue.” His gaze was earnest.

Shinobu was knocked breathless by his statement. She couldn’t believe what he was unwittingly insinuating, but decided to quell his curiosity. “Well physical touch like hugging, or cuddling with someone can release that.” She quieted to a whisper and leaned closer. “More intimate acts like kissing can release more.”

“Anything even better, or is this the best we can do?”

She shook her head. “Oxytocin is the pleasure hormone… so pleasurable activities typically release it.”

“Yeah you already said that.” Giyu was as dense as osmium. Shinobu couldn’t believe he wasn’t picking up on the hints. Growing increasingly frustrated, she decided to pull out the big guns.

“Tomioka…” She put her hand half way up his rested leg. He flinched slightly. Her fingers strolled upwards as she spoke. “If you need to… pleasuring yourself can release tons…” She stared into the deep blue irises before leaning in even closer to his ear. “Or… if you want the best option… pleasuring others."

Giyu stumbled backwards as her hands reached their desired, rapidly growing, target. The stool was too small to keep balance as he stumbled onto the wooden floor underneath. Shinobu averted her gaze, blushing at her own actions. “I told you. You wouldn't want to know.”

“Wait… I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s ok. I told you already, we won’t have to resort to that… hopefully.” Shinobu chuckled, although it was more out of awkwardness than humor. They couldn’t help the strange feeling permeating around the room. It was hard for them to look at each other.

“Tha… thanks for the help Kocho. I’ll be heading home now. I hope you find someone to help you…” Giyu didn’t wait for a response, he simply got up and left, leaving a troubled Shinobu to herself. As he exited the mansion, he noticed the strange look Aoi gave him as he walked past. “Perv…” Giyu didn’t see her for long but he made out that one word. He muttered under his breath. “What the hell did she say to that kid?”

/////

Shinobu was left cleaning up the remnants of her little experiment. She wanted to ask Giyu to stay for dinner but knew his unsociable demeanor would have just found an excuse to go home anyways. It didn’t help that the curse was affecting her heart again. It was a small twinge but she didn’t want it to build up too much so she left to find a hugging recipient at dinner.

It didn’t take her long to find one. Kanao was the only one left at the dinner table since she took so long with a certain water hashira. Shinobu didn’t waste time sliding next to her little sister to engulf her in her embrace. Her slender arms wrapped around her sister’s frame, right under her arms. Kanao was hardly perturbed by her sister’s strange behavior. She continued to eat her meal as if nothing’s changed.

“Oh Kanao, my sweet little sister. Why would I need a man when I already have you.” Shinobu deepened her embrace hoping to relieve the pain in her heart, only it didn’t go away. Confused, she alternated her hugging pattern, the left side, the back, the right side, hell she even sat in her little sisters lap for a frontal hug. Only, nothing did the trick. Increasingly frustrated by the lack of pain alleviation, Shinobu stopped her hugs. It didn’t make sense, she loved Kanao and she certainly felt pleasurable hugging her sentient teddy bear of a sister.

“Argh, a hug isn’t working… Kanao, dear, can you give your sister a nice kiss? I’m feeling… down right now.” Kanao flipped her usual coin. Heads. She leaned forward and gave a chaste kiss on her sister’s forehead. A bit of the soup she was eating stained the impact area. Shinobu rubbed her forehead clean. “If it was tails would you not have kissed me Kanao.” Shinobu pouted with exaggeration.

“No Shinobu nee-san, I would have kissed you on the cheek.” Her statement was so pure, it couldn’t help but melt her heart. Shinobu went in for another round of bear hugs.

“Oh my Kanao is the sweetest girl I know. I love you~”

“I love you too Shinobu nee-san.”

Shinobu couldn’t help but genuinely smile at the small showcase of sisterly love. Kanao was always such a closed up individual growing up so it was nice that she had the capacity to express some love every now and then. She was happy, and there was certainly oxytocin thrown about in there, but she still had one big problem. Her heart was still hurting, and it didn’t make sense, since she was sure that it would subside by now. A thought crossed her mind but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to accept it. “Damn it, Tomioka…”

She awkwardly untangled herself from her younger sister's embrace and sprinted outside. She found Aoi sweeping outside and immediately ran her way.

“Hello Lady Shinobu, what seems to be the problem?”

“When did Tomioka leave?”

Aoi’s mood soured upon hearing his name. “Lady Shinobu, his whereabouts are none of your concern, especially after what he did to you today.”

Shinobu couldn't help but laugh at her misunderstanding. She would have to clear it up in due time, but for now she would keep it as a joke for herself.

“Forget that for now, I didn't administer the proper medicine for his illness, I need him back now.”

“He went west 4 minutes ago.”

Shinobu didn't respond. She bolted towards the direction Aoi pointed towards. She ran towards the setting sun and in due time she saw his silhouette in the distance. She quietly closed the distance. Once she was within a hundred feet of him, he instinctively turned around.

“Kocho. What are you…”

Before he could finish, she lunged forwards into his chest and conjoined their lips once more. The setting sun perfectly enveloped their combined figures. Shinobu could feel her chest pain easing once again, proving one thing. She needed him specifically.

Once they parted their bodies for the umpteenth time that day, Giyu was first to respond. “Kocho, what the hell are you..” 

Once again, Giyu was interrupted by her touch to his lips. This time with a slender finger. “Haah. We are so fucked…”

“What?”

“Tomioka. I need… you.”

Chapter Text

The first person they talked to about this whole ordeal was Ubuyashiki-sama. The sickly man, like he always is with his disciples, was kind and understanding, although there was a faint sense of amusement in the grizzled leader. “Kocho, Tomioka, I realize that extenuating circumstances will force you to stay close for the foreseeable future. Kocho, I believe you will find a cure soon, but we can use this as a positive team building experience in the meantime. Until everything is fixed, you two shall be performing your duties in tandem, although I hope you take my advice to relax for now.”

Shinobu responded first. “We thank you Ubuyashiki-sama, however we won't burden our fellow Hashira with our incompetence.”

Giyu added on. “We are still able to perform our duties adequately. We don't require rest.”

“My children, you are too stubborn but I shall respect your decision. However, please consider your safety and wellbeing first. I can not bear to send injured soldiers to the warfront.”

Giyu stood up to face his master. “We are in great shape, Ubuyashiki-sama. We shall go now.”

Shinobu joined her colleague. “Farewell, Master.”

“Take care, my children.”

/////

As they left the Ubuyashiki Estate, the two hashira couldn't avoid the awkwardness between each other. For the foreseeable future, they would practically be conjoined at the hip. They agreed that the Butterfly Estate would be their base of operations, but haven't said anything to its other inhabitants.

Giyu looked forward as they walked side by side. He purposely slowed his steps to not leave his companion behind. His mind was full of strange thoughts he never had to experience as a Hashira. “Kocho.” 

“What, Tomioka?” Shinobu looked up at his towering frame. She was intrigued by his rare conversation starter.

“I… nevermind.”

Shinobu was unamused. “I appreciate you trying to communicate more, but you kind of have to finish your thought for me to understand.” 

Giyu was reluctant to answer. Maybe the Giyu of old would have stayed silent, but he wanted to change his taciturn ways, especially if he had to deal with Shinobu for a long time. “Do I… look scary…”

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. “Scary? How?”

“Umm… am I scary to kids… I know you have some in your mansion…”

Shinobu lit up upon realizing what was concerning her partner during their walk. She laughed a bit, and mockingly cooed. “Aww, the great Giyu is worried he looks scary to kids. How cute!” Shinobu repeatedly poked his side with a sly grin plastered over her face. Giyu immediately regretted trying to open up.

“You don't look scary Tomioka. You're just awkward.” Shinobu tried to reassure him, with minimal success. Giyu still looked concerned over his outward appearance. It was a cute subversion of his usual cold, uncaring demeanor. “Tomioka… lean down for a bit.”

Giyu stopped in his tracks and did as instructed. Before he could react, the insect hashira landed a quick peck on his cheek, which quickly turned a pinkish tint.

“Ko… Kocho…”

“I… my heart was hurting!” Shinobu turned away from his judging gaze. A small pout accompanied her rapidly flushing face. She continued down the path, leaving a starstruck Giyu in her wake. The water hashira’s mind could best be described as his specialty: water. It was chaotic and couldn't hold still. However it slowly coalesced into a singular thought. God, Shinobu is so cute, daring today.

/////

They made it back to the mansion as the sun reached its highest point in the sky. Once again, the first person they saw was Aoi, tending to the flowers near the entrance. Her mood brightened seeing the Lady of the house return, and immediately soured when she gazed at her companion.

“Greetings Lady Shinobu.”

“Aoi, gather the other girls for lunch. We have… a special guest with us.”

The young apprentice did as instructed, although Giyu could catch the scorn thrown his way from her. Looks like his job fitting in wouldn't be easy. 

“Well Tomioka, I suppose we should head in for lunch.”

Giyu nodded and the pair headed to the dining room, ready to introduce the others to their new housemate. Giyu had been here several times, and despite Shinobu’s best efforts to keep him for a meal, he would just scamper away. So when he stepped in the quaint dining room with a small oval table in the center, he was reminded of better times. Times where he shared a meal with his family…

“Hello? Earth to Tomioka?” Shinobu saved her small hands in front of the dazed hashira. Giyu immediately snapped out of whatever trance he was in beforehand and sat on the floor in front of the table. Shinobu sat beside him and looked up at her acquaintance. “Sooo… how is it…”

“Huh… oh, it's nice.” Giyu was still caught up in the homey feel of the room. Feelings he suppressed for years were rapidly resurfacing, and he didn't know what to do with them.

“Something on your mind?” Shinobu poked the other hashira’s side.

“...”

“Come on… you can tell me what's happening up there.” She ruffled his unkempt, flowing hair.

“It… reminds me of my family… We used to eat food around a table like this.” Giyu looked down at his twiddling hands.

“Oh. How does that make you feel?” Shinobu laid her hand on his shoulder and leaned in to hear him. Her eyes looked expectant to learn something about her reclusive colleague’s life.

“I… don't know.”

As the two shared the quiet moment together, the door suddenly opened with the other inhabitants bursting into the room carrying their lunch. All of a sudden, the two hashira were acutely aware of their close proximity. They immediately separated from each other at imperceptible speeds. Shinobu welcomed the girls into the room.

“Well, looks like everyone is here with the food, I suppose we can finally eat, but first I would like to introduce our guest, Tomioka!” Shinobu pointed both her arms at the man next to her, as if she unveiled a great painting. She tried her best to subdue the rising blush in her face from almost being caught in a compromising position with said man.

“...”

Shinobu elbowed Giyu.

“Hello.”

The 5 girls looked at him, expecting more, but he simply sat there not saying anything. Shinobu, who was getting more second hand embarrassment, decided it was best to speak in his regard. “Tomioka will be staying here for the foreseeable future. It seems he has a rare case of… poisoning. I'll tend to him in my office and none of you should enter… for his sake of course.”

Aoi averted her eyes as Shinobu looked at her specifically. 

/////

It was a quiet lunch. Giyu of course didn’t speak at all. The three younger girls were too intimidated by his appearance to spark a conversation. Kanao, much like Giyu, didn’t care for conversation at all. However the final girl, Aoi, threw wary glances his way. Giyu noticed, but decided to not comment on it. Too bad Shinobu did it herself.

“Aoi, do you have something on your mind? You seem to be staring at Tomioka.”

The girl almost choked on the noodles she was chewing on. “Lady Shinobu… I… can I speak to him in private…”

“Uhh sure? Tomioka, would you mind.”

“Huh.” Giyu was too preoccupied with a small spider crawling on the wall at the opposite side of the room. Shinobu scrunched her eyebrows. “Just go.”

Giyu didn’t know what was happening but decided to follow Aoi outside the dining room. She was awkwardly fidgeting with her fingers but wore a stern gaze otherwise. She looked up at him and pointed to his figure. “Look… I don’t know what business you have with Lady Shinobu, but I won’t allow you to defile her!”

“... what.”

“When I saw… that… I was confused, but then Lady Shinobu said you needed a kiss to be cured, which made me concerned. What kind of poisoning gets cured by a kiss, that’s absurd! You’re clearly using her good will to take advantage and desecrate her sanctity! Even if you’re a hashira, I won’t stand for this!”

“...”

Of all times to be uncommunicative, now would not be the best time, but Giyu couldn’t comprehend how to tackle this situation. Thankfully for him, a familiar laugh snapped him out of his thoughts. Behind him, Shinobu stood with her arms crossed and her arm covering her wide grin. Aoi looked petrified.

“Lady Shinobu… I’m sorry…”

“Oh relax Aoi, it seems like there’s a misunderstanding here. So basically…”

/////

“...and that’s why you saw us… kissing."

“I’m so sorry Master Tomioka.” Aoi had a massive blush on her embarrassed face. She feared she was too disrespectful to her senior, but no punishment came. Giyu simply told her to not worry about it, although he couldn’t hide the small frown on his face. Aoi left to join the rest of the girls while the two hashira stayed back.

“Off to a great start, ehh Tomioka.” Shinobu nudged her acquaintance in the side. Although the situation was certainly strange, she couldn’t help but find it a little humorous.

“...” Giyu was not as pleased.

/////

The day would draw to a close. Despite the eventful introduction, Giyu found that his life in the butterfly mansion wasn’t too dissimilar to his own home. He mostly kept to himself like always, although he never shied away from trying to help the girls with housework. Or at least tried to. It seems like walking up to them and not saying anything wasn’t the best way to communicate that he was there to help. But it’s the thought that counts, right?

However, his biggest concerns were just surfacing as night approached. Shinobu instructed him to come to her office for their regular “checkup”, which, if the last time was anything to go by, would not be regular in the slightest. However, he steeled his nerves and walked to their personal “operating” room.

The setting sun casted shadows onto her office door, and he could hear someone shuffling about inside. Giyu didn't know what to make of his rapidly accelerating heart rate. He felt anxious, but wasn't stressed. It was a strange feeling. Without wasting more time waiting for the inevitable, Giyu knocked on her office door. It didn't take long for her response.

“Come in, Tomioka.”

Giyu did as instructed. He saw Shinobu rummaging through a small cupboard.

“Tomioka, sit there and close your eyes.”

Giyu was slightly concerned about what she had in mind, but didn't ask any questions. He sits down in the oh-so familiar stool. Soon enough, the rummaging stopped and Shinobu approached him. His heightened senses as a hashira let him distinguish the fabric sounds in her arms. He instinctively extended his arms to take whatever it was. As his fingers touched the fabric, he felt its velvety softness. He finally opened his eyes.

“What is this?”

“A night robe, I don't know if you had one or not.”

“Oh… thanks.” Giyu didn't know what to think of it. He’d always slept with his uniform on, only taking off his haori. As he looked up at Shinobu, he could see her staring expectantly.

“Well are you gonna put it on?”

“Oh. I suppose.”

“Alright tell me when you're done.” Shinobu left the room, leaving him alone once again. And for another time, he wasn't truly alone, with Fugu still swimming in its fish tank. He started to strip, but stopped abruptly. Before continuing, he placed a book in front of the fish tank to shield it from his bare figure. Then he finally changed into the robes, although he was still confused why Shinobu gifted it to him in the first place.

“Tomioka, are you done?”

“Yes.”

Shinobu’s small frame emerged from the door. “Sooo… you like it.”

Giyu nodded.

“Alright great, now get on the bed, we will be performing another experiment.”

Giyu sighed. Hopefully this one isn't as strange as the previous one. Although he was still confused about the robes. He sat down on the firm padding of the futon.

“Okay great, now lay down and face away from me. Don't move.” Giyu grew more worried as the experiment went on. He dutifully followed the orders, but his senses were on high alert for any tomfoolery. As he observed the wall, he could hear Shinobu fiddling with fabric yet again. Then the candlelight, which was substituting the light of the setting sun, was blown out.

“Kocho. The light.”

“Hmm… oh we won't need it for this experiment.”

Giyu felt the mattress compressing behind him as Shinobu joined him. Giyu swallowed. She pressed against his back and wrapped her arm around his body.

“Kocho, what are you doing?”

“Cuddling.”

“How long are we doing this?”

“Until we wake up, duh.”

“Oh, ok.”

“...”

“wait… WHAT!”

Chapter Text

“Kocho, this is absurd.”

“Relax, Tomioka, it’s simply to negate the risk of another… incident like last time we woke up.”

“We? That was you who initiated.”

“Blah blah blah, the details don't matter. This is necessary to prevent it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.”

“... Fine.”

Giyu still had his own worries about her audacious proposal. He was historically a very light sleeper, and any slight disturbance could wake him up from his slumber. As a hashira, this proved essential to wake up in time for action, but having another living, breathing human glued to his back isn't the best situation for him to get some quality shut-eye.

“Well then. Good night Tomioka.”

That was the last thing she said before succumbing to her drowsiness. Unlike him, she fell asleep with no troubles. She didn't snore, let alone move, almost like her corporeal form ceased to exist. But Giyu knew she was there. Her arms were still wrapped around his torso. They were gentle and soft. Close enough to share warmth but far enough to maintain their professionalism.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Giyu didn't know how much time passed, all he knew was that it was passing, and he was just as restless as he was at the start. Shinobu, on the other hand, was resting a little too well. Giyu craned his head to make sure she was still breathing. She was, but it was eerily quiet.

Something else caught his attention. Her face, deep in slumber, adorned a quaint smile. She was showered in the emerging light of the moon, and Giyu caught his breath. She looked so…

“Beautiful”

Giyu panicked internally as his accidental admission stirred up the resting lady. He quickly turned the other way and hoped she would calm down. He heard some strangle mumbles coming from her side. Soon her arms retracted from his body and Giyu was finally released from her grasp. He took a moment to sit up and assess his situation.

Shinobu was currently facing away from him, curled up in a small cocoon and still mumbling something under her breath. The words were unintelligible but Giyu noticed the slight edge to them. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the occasional night terror himself. The dangerous nature of their work, and the emotional burden each and everyone carries can affect even the strongest of slayers.

The mumbling eventually stopped and Shinobu went back to her quiet slumber. Giyu let out a small sigh. The moon was fully out, and so too were the demons, however Ubuyashiki-sama insisted they stay put for today, despite their pleas for action. He wanted to be out there, but would never go against his word.  Despite his slight frustration, he needed to make the most out of his situation and finally get some well needed rest. He laid down on his back, but sleep still evaded him.

“... Giyu…”

He shot up once again. The mumbling from Shinobu slowly transformed into a faint repetition of his name.

“Giyu… Giyu…”

“Kocho, are you awake.”

Giyu’s hand slowly approached the sleeping lady, however her instincts came into action and soon enough, the half conscious Shinobu woke up to find her on top of a shocked Giyu she inadvertently suplexed in her sleep.

“Tomioka what are you…” Her drowsy state kept her mind from fully processing the current situation.

“...”

After a small yawn, Shinobu was finally aware of their compromising situation. She jumped off her companion's chest with a sudden yelp and held the blanket over her body. Her entire lower face flushed and her mind raced. Her thoughts were far more scandalous than what happened in reality.

“Kocho…” Giyu tried to reach out but retracted his arm back.

Despite the embarrassing situation she found herself in, the female hashira kept her cool. “Tomioka. Let's just talk like adults. What happened?”

Giyu tried to diffuse the situation. “Well I was trying to feel you…”

“What…” Shinobu grasped her blanket even harder and slowly slid further. Her cheeks lit up, even in the apparent darkness of the night.

“Err sorry… not like that.” Giyu really needed to work on his communication skills. 

“Then what was it like then?” Shinobu looked incensed.

“You… were sleeptalking. You seemed distressed. I was checking if you were alright.”

“What was I saying?”

“Not important…” Giyu’s response was a little too quick.

Shinobu eyed down her increasingly suspicious colleague. “Tomioka. What did I say?”

He relented. Hiding it from her would just make it harder. “You… were saying ‘Giyu’ over and over again.”

Shinobu froze. When she was abruptly awoken, she knew she had been dreaming of something beforehand. However, try as she may, she just couldn’t remember what. It just felt like something precious was falling out of her hands. She tried to claw it back but it just kept disappearing. Was it really Giyu? It couldn’t be! What is this damned curse doing to my thoughts? 

“... Ha ha. It was because like, it's uhh, a fun name to say ha ha… probably. Gosh, this demon curse sure is something right Giy… Tomioka! I meant, Tomioka.” Shinobu couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. Her actions were too embarrassing to face. Maybe Giyu shouldn’t have disclosed that information.

“Kocho. Are you okay?” 

“Huh? Yeah my heart’s just fine, haha…” Shinobu still tried her best to observe anything but Giyu’s stern face.

“Good. I can't sleep like this. I'll take my leave” 

The water hashira knew his presence was no longer necessary. Like most other things, he believed his actions just made everything worse for those around him. To cut his losses, he got up and headed out, for Shinobu’s sake of course.

“Giyu wait!” She grabbed his night gown.

“I mean Tomioka…” She smiled nervously. She didn't know why he was leaving but she needed him there in case the curse worsened. But she felt wrong forcing Giyu into becoming her oversized teddy bear. Instead, to make it up to him, she would become the teddy bear.

“You can do it now… my body's ready.”

Oh poor Shinobu, she knew that came out incredibly wrong, and Giyu’s reaction didn't help her case.

“Tomioka… I didn't mean…”

But the man didn't wait. He grabbed her and pinned her to the bedframe. Wait, was he actually doing this? Holy crap! Shinobu's mind was slowly melting.

But instead of… well we all know what… Giyu laid down next to her and tucked himself into his own blanket. He grumbled something under his breath.

“Tomioka? I didn't mean it like that. Please don't be mad.” Shinobu pouted.

“I'm not… mad, just let me sleep.” Giyu said sternly and turned his back to her.

“If you want to sleep, you can use me.”

Giyu shot up once again.

“I'm going.” His ears were beet red. 

“No! Like you can cuddle me! Geez you sure have a dirty mind Tomioka.”

“How do you know what I was thinking of?”

Guilty!

“Just cuddle me dammit!” Shinobu grabbed the man and pressed him onto the bed. She then crawled up next to him and forcefully put his arms around her stomach. She crossed her arms and pouted.

“Was that so hard Tomioka? Geez.”

Shinobu expected him to retract his arm after her little outburst but surprisingly he didn't. Instead he pulled her closer to his broad chest and held her tight. She was having regrets from teasing him so much tonight. Her entire body was burning up as his hand slowly caressed her.

“Tomioka…”

“What happened to calling me Giyu?”

“You… don't mind?”

“Of course not. We don't have to be so formal all the time.”

Shinobu was surprised by his forwardness. “Oh. Ok Giyu. You can call me Shinobu too… if you want.”

“That wouldn't be professional.” Shinobu could hear a small chuckle behind her.

“Ok Tomioka… fuck you too.”

“Please don't.”

She elbowed him in response. He momentarily released his grasp to tend to his wound. 

“When the hell did you get so witty. This isn't the Giyu I know!” Shinobu laughed.

“What do you mean? I was always funny.” Giyu deadpanned. Shinobu laughed again. In response he engulfed her in his arms once again.

“You are my teddy bear, you can't laugh at me.”

“Ok… master.” Shinonu bit her bottom lip and snuggled closer to him.

Giyu immediately pushed her an arm's lengths away. “Please never do that again.”

Shinobu couldn't hold in her laughter, and even Giyu joined in a bit.

“Ok we should probably sleep. Ubiyashiki-sama gave us this time to rest, not mess around.”

Giyu silently agreed. Shinobu made her way under his arms once again and pressed her back against his chest. Before they fell asleep, Giyu landed a small peck on her nape.

“Giyu?”

“My heart hurt a bit.”

“Oh. Ok.” Liar.

/////

Aoi was cleaning the hallways of the Butterfly Mansion. She woke up hours ago at daybreak, so she tended to the house chores in her free time. However, she noticed her master still hasn't awoken from her slumber. She paid no mind to it, since her master needed as much rest as she could get but her breakfast would become cold if she didn't wake up soon.

To make sure everything was alright she went to her room and knocked on the door.

“Lady Shinobu, are you awake?”

No response.

Aoi didn't wait. She opened the door to make sure her master was alright. When she looked inside the bedroom she saw her sleeping soundly. Then she noticed the man behind her, and what more, he was holding her in his massive arms. She quickly stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Aoi was not the same after that day.

Chapter Text

“I need your help Mitsuri.”

It has been a week since the fateful demon encounter, and Shinobu was no closer to a cure than when she began. Every book she read couldn’t reasonably explain their predicament. However, they made it work for the most part, but Giyu kept pestering her for a cure and it was seriously getting on her nerves. However she could understand his insistence, whether it was the sudden tachycardia or simply not being able to look him in the eyes without her mind wandering to incredibly unprofessional thoughts, it was taking a toll on her body as well. Getting increasingly desperate for an answer, she went to someone well versed in coronary complications, her good friend and colleague, the Love Hashira, who so happens to be slurping up an entire bowl of noodles in front of her.

“Waw sews do be da pwobem.”

“Mitsuri, please talk after you finish eating.”

She gulped down the last of her meal. “Excuse me. Anyways, Shinobu, it's been so long!” She reached out to hug her friend, who happily obliged.

“Yeah. I am dealing with a big problem right now, and I want your insight on it.”

Mitsuri’s eyes lit up. Shinobu rarely talked about her worries, so it piqued her interest. “Of course! What is it about?”

“Well… uhh… a patient of mine, they got this condition where they need to kiss someone or they get excruciating pain in their heart.” 

Her head reflexively jerked backwards, her eyelids rapidly flickering as she tried to process what her friend told her. “Whoh… how did it start?”

“He killed a demon, and it seems like it cursed him…” The insect hashira reached backwards to scratch her hair. Shinobu hoped her friend didn’t think she was going crazy.

However Mitsuri looked as worried as her. “Oh no… then how is he doing?”

“Oh yeah he is doing fine. He has this girl who… kisses him occasionally so he doesn't die haha…”

Mitsuri raised her palm to her mouth. A rosy blush colored her cheeks. “Oh my! Are they dating or…”

“No! Not a chance!” Shinobu instantly stood up, before awkwardly sitting back after the other restaurant goers threw her strange glances.

Mitsuri raised her eyebrow. Something felt off about her friend’s vehement denial.

“Err… I mean… not important, what do you think is the solution? I tried everything.”

“Um, I don't know… but if I had to guess, it’s got to be a true love's kiss. It's so cute, isn't it Shinobu!” As always, the love hashira went aloof as soon as anything romantic was mentioned.

“Noooo… Surely there is another way… right?” Shinobu hoped there was another way, because she can’t accept the one proposed.

“C’mon girl, it's like the most cliche thing you could think of, like seriously, who wouldn't think that first?”

Certainly not those two…

“Well ok, but what if this boy doesn't have anyone he… likes.” 

“What about the girl…”

“No.”

“I wasn't finished…”

“No chance. It's impossible. He’s so dense, there's no way he could like her…”

Mitsuri pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Err… Shinobu… you okay? You seem really invested in this patient.”

“As a doctor, I shall treat all my patients with utmost care! Besides, I'm sure there's another way. Anyways thanks for the lunch Mitsuri, I'll be heading out!” Shinobu tries her best to suppress her rising blush before her friend suspects her. Although her strange behavior likely tipped her off already.

Before she left, Mitsuri gave her some parting words. “Wait, Shinobu!”

“W…what?”

“Haha… nothing, have fun with him.”

“...”

/////

Shinobu couldn't focus. Mitsuri’s words rang in her mind the whole day and now it was showing in her night out patrolling. Occasionally her leg would almost slip off a branch, or she would nearly run into a tree, whatever was eating at her conscience was clearly inhibiting her duties as a Hashira. It was so uncharacteristic of her that even the stoic Giyu would comment on it.

“Shinobu.”

“What Giyu.”

“You seem different.”

Shinobu rolled her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You seem distracted. Is your heart ok?” Giyu had an uncharacteristically worried expression plastered over his face.

“Yeah, yeah it's fine. I was just… caught up on something I heard.”

Giyu got his answer. But his mind urged him to ask for more.

“What is it?”

“Umm it's just…”

Giyu cut her off. “Demons to the north, you talk on the way, I'll deal with them.”

The hashira’s followed the faint sounds of their prey with each other side-to-side.

“Anyways, I was talking to Mitsuri about the curse, to get a new perspective l guess.”

“She would know about the heart.”

“Exactly! But her insight was… not helpful.”

They approached a clearing in the forest and spotted two demons surrounding a large animal carcass. Before the demons noticed the new onlookers, Giyu’s nichirin blade adeptly sliced off the head of one of the demons. The other instinctively pounced at the man before it too felt a jabbing pain in its neck. Poison ejected out of the tip of Shininu’s katana, into the bloodstream of its unfortunate victim. The demon's cries quickly devolved into guttural gurgles as it disintegrated.

“What did she say?”

Shinobu blushed at the memory of her conversation. “Oh nothing. Just that… you need some special kiss or something.”

Shinobu’s blabbering distracted her from a rapidly approaching force behind her. A demon which had his inside the carcass emerged and pounced at the woman. She noticed too late and braced for impact, however it never came. The head of the demon harmlessly fell to her feet as Giyu’s figure towered over its corpse, shielding her from its dropping body with his broad arm.

“Special kiss?” Giyu raised his eyebrow.

“Y… yeah.” His silhouette sent shivers down her spine.

“Like a true love’s kis…”

“Haha you're soooo funny Giyu! Come on, are you like 12 or something? There's no way you actually believe in that!”

She elbowed him in the back and turned away to hide her wobbly smile.

“I was just… nevermind.”

Giyu scratched his head in confusion. He didn't know why his words made her so defensive, so naturally he retreated back into his shell and stopped talking.

/////

The night was long, they all were when any slip up could lead to their deaths. However, the awkward atmosphere between the two hashira made it feel like an eternity. As the sun rose, the pair collectively sighed.

“How are you feeling Giyu?”

“There’s a faint pain.” He pointed to his sternum.

“Fine.”

She grabbed his Haori and stood up on her tippie toes. A light peck was all she could afford to give after an exhausting shift.

“That's for saving me back there.”

“Ok.”

She elbowed him once again. “Be a little more grateful, will you?

He grabbed her and knelt down. He immediately closed the distance between their lips and was far more indulgent than her comparatively chaste peck.

“If you did that, I would be more grateful.”

Her eyes widened. Has he always been this bold? “Wow Giyu, I didn't know you loved french kisses so much!”

“It… eases the pain more.” Now it was his turn to avoid eye contact.

“Aww, then what about this?”

Shinobu suddenly engulfed him in a hug and started giggling. Giyu held deathly still.

“Shinobu.”

“What, getting cold feet already?”

She continued her attack unbeknownst to the new presence behind her.

“Oh my…”

The voice was new, but felt familiar. Shinobu immediately pushed him away and slowly turned around.

“I apologize for interrupting you two, pretend like I wasn’t even here.”

“No, no, you aren’t interrupting anything.” Why does this always happen to meeeee…

“It’s good to see you youngins are still doing good. And thanks again for saving the shrine.” It was the same old lady who lent them a hotel room back then.

“Oh my, you’re the kind lady from a week ago. I’m sorry to have not recognized you.”

“It’s alright sweety, I was just passing by and happened to stumble upon you. Anyways I’ll take my leave.”

As the old lady turned to leave, Shinobu ushered her to not go. She seemed to be carrying a large bucket full of water which the younger lady graciously took off her and gave to her partner to carry, who silently obliged. They followed behind the elder back to her village.

She turned to Giyu and bowed down. “Thank you kind sir.” Then she turned to Shinobu. “You’re a lucky girl to be courting him, he’s quite the looker.”

Both of the hashira’s got embarrassed from her endearing statement. It seems like she still remembers their little lie about being a couple. Although it shouldn’t be too hard to let it slide once again.

“Umm, actually I’m not her boyfriend.” Giyu, of course, couldn’t read the mood.

The elder raised her weathered hands to her shocked face. “Oh. I’m terribly sorry! Forgive me.” She immediately bent over to apologize for her overbearing assumption. Shinobu felt terrible that such a sweet old lady had to apologize to her, so naturally she stared daggers in the side of Giyu’s skull.

“No no, you don’t need to apologize! What he meant to say was that… he’s my… husband… right G i y u.” She emphasized his name with a gritted smile.

“Huh… what do you mean… Ow…” Shinobu elbowed him once again. It seems to be a favorite in her arsenal.

The elder rose up and took her hands. “Is this true? Congratulations! I suppose you did go to the shrine after all.”

“T.. thanks…” Shinobu couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for lying to her, but the truth was rather disappointing. “And forgive him, he can be quite dense.”

“Oh no worries, my husband was quite similar when he was your age. Trust me, they’ll only get worse.”

The elder laughed heartily and Shinobu awkwardly joined in. 

They continued to follow behind the woman silently. Soon the outskirts of the forest opened to a massive clearing with the village from a week prior. Giyu kept carrying the bucket of water but the persistent pokes to his side caught his attention.

“What.” He kept a hushed voice to not disturb the elder.

Shinobu whispered back to her partner. “I just realized, if our troubles started here, we can ask the townspeople if they know of a cure.” 

“Why would they know?”

“Who knows? Maybe the shrine is special? Maybe they have a folktale? It can’t hurt to ask around.”

“...fine.”

/////

“Thank you for helping me, I am indebted to you once again! If you need a room for the night, I’ll make sure to reserve the quieter one.”

Shinobu internally cringed when the memories of last week resurfaced. “N… no thanks, we’ll likely leave soon.”

“Whatever suits you. However, you’re free to stay if you need to.” The elder winked at the two and disappeared into her hotel, leaving the awkward couple to themselves.

“I don’t see why you can’t just tell her the truth.”

“I can’t! She’s such an adorable grandma.”

“Lying to the elderly is bad.”

“Pff, whatever. And why do you care? Is me being your wife so bad?” Shinobu pouted.

Giyu diverted his eyes. “No.”

“Oh my, so you enjoy being my fake-husband so much, Giyu.” A mischievous smile befell the insect hashira.

“...”

She poked his broad chest. “What? Do you like the idea that much…”

“Well, if I had the option of marrying you or dying, I’d probably choose you.”

Shinobu paused. Her smile immediately dropped. “What. Seriously. You’d ‘probably choose me’ over dying?”

“Yeah?” He was beginning to sweat from their proximity.

She took a step backwards and crossed her arms. “Ugh, whatever. You search the west side of town, I’ll go east.”

Giyu was left alone to his utterly confused thoughts. Had he done something wrong? Why was she so mad at him?

It was meant to be a compliment…

The slightly dejected man headed west.

Chapter Text

Fuck. I messed up didn't I… Giyu was wandering aimlessly through the streets of the quaint town. Not too many were out and about, but the few that were looked at the strange man with intrigue.

What was I supposed to be doing again? No screw that, I need to mend things with Shinobu! 

She was still haunting his thoughts, and he knew it wouldn't be easy to resolve it. He looked around the town, searching for someone who could help the young man on his mission. During his time wandering about the small town, the chatter within the town pub caught his attention. Giyu wasn't a heavy drinker, alcohol dulls the precision needed to be a hashira, but maybe just for today a little booze could set his uneasy mind to rest.

As he walked through the doors of the establishment, the pungent smell hit him like a truck. The chatter was sparse but loud. It seemed only a few patrons were present this early in the day. As he approached the front desk, the man behind the counter called out to him.

“Greetings lad, you seem new around here, what would you like?”

Giyu sat down at the counter. “Something light.”

“Alright. To what occasion am I serving?”

“I… want to ease my mind.”

“Well try something harder then, lad. Unless you’re lighter than you look.”

“No, I still need to see her…” Giyu’s eyes widened. He didn't mean to say that out loud.

“Ah, trouble with the missus. Well if you need advice, this old chap is quite experienced with the ladies.” The bartender handed him a light beer and the hashira handed a silver coin in return.

“Hey don't listen to that old man, he complains about his wife every night.” Another voice shot out from a table of 4 men behind the hashira. Laughter rang out from the pub.

“Ay, that whiskey sure loosened your lips.” The owner joined in on the laughter.

“Erm… you said you could help?” Giyu looked like a fish out of water surrounded by such boisterous people.

 “Ah, yes. As a married man for 30 years now, it's never gonna get any better, lad, so just learn to deal with it.”

Giyu could have sworn he heard that from somewhere else.

“But… we aren't together yet…”

“Ahh, just a young man in love, I see.”

“...” Giyu didn't correct him. Or was the old man right in his statement? He didn't know. 

“Well if you need some tips in charming her, I can provide. I used to be quite the ladykiller back in the day.” The bartender erupted in a hearty laughter.

“Oh.” Giyu wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

“Well you got the looks, kid, so that's probably not the problem.”

“Thanks.” He felt strangely reassured from the compliment. 

“Well then what do you think’s the problem, chap?”

“Am I… am I a hassle to talk with?”

“I dunno, just met you.”

“Oh.” Giyu sat there in silence.

The bartender chuckled to himself. “... I see… you got the looks but not the conversation skills.”

“... Yeah.”

“I used to be like you. Always had a hard time talking to others. Felt like… my presence was a burden to all those around me, so I just thought it was best to be isolated myself.”

As the old man rambled, Giyu couldn't help but relate to his story. He reflected on his actions. He too felt like he was a burden on those he held close. His sister Tsutako died to protect him, and so too did his precious friend Sabito. Now he was troubling Shinobu with the curse nonsense. Why must I always trouble those who I hold dearest… dearest… Shinobu my dearest?

“I think I love her…” Giyu rested his head on the bartender's table as he stated his confession with the same monotone delivery.

“Think? So you didn't love her before this?”

“I… enjoyed her presence, but I tried to push her away. However she was annoyingly persistent, like a mosquito… heh mosquito.” Giyu chuckled slightly. His cheeks were especially flush and a small pool of drool threatened to stain the table beneath his head.

“Tapped out already lad? You are a lot lighter than you look.”

“No I am not.” His words began to slur as lifted his head once again.

The bartender laughed. “Anyways, you said you love this girl, what's stopping you.”

“I'm scared she might not reciprocate, but I don't know. She sends me mixed signals, and I'm scared I'm misunderstanding her kindness for something more. I want to know what she's thinking, so I can resolve these feelings.” Uncharacteristically, Giyu spouted his fair share of words. He was definitely intoxicated.

“To be honest, lad, we never know what goes on in others' minds, but I think that's the beauty of it. You have to let each other in on each other's thoughts, take away the mental walls that separate us, to truly trust one another.”

“...I have to let her… in my brain?”

“You can… see it like that I suppose. My wife always complained how quiet I was in our relationship. Any problems we had, I just said nothing. But then I talked about it, and I swear on my partially failing liver that it felt so much better.”

“... Your liver is…”

“Just joking, I quit a while back on the missus orders, although bartending pays the bills so I couldn't truly escape.”

“Oh.”

“Ehh, basically just talk to her, communication and all that.”

“But she does all the talking… I just… stand there like an idiot.”

“Ah, just like me and my wife back then. Don't worry lad, communication is like clearing a dam. It's hard at first, but once the first words leak out, the rest flows out easily.”

Giyu nodded. It did feel hard to talk to her again, but he needed to, for his own peace of mind. The two men looked on in silence. The slow pour of another beverage soothed his mind.

“On the house. Good luck chap.”

Giyu placed a gold coin on the counter.

“For the advice. Thanks.”

The hashira drank the whole shot in one go and headed out, slightly wobbly. Behind him, he could hear the laughter of the bartender.

“Thanks lad, I can finally buy my wife something nice.”

Giyu left the bar to find her.

/////

Shinobu knew that expecting anything from Giyu was a fickle effort, but why did it hurt so much? She didn't know why she pushed him for an answer. She could say it was just another tease, if she was lying to herself. She knew, deep in her heart, a serious thought of consideration from him would make her heart flutter. But nope, it was Giyu Tomioka, the ever so stoic water hashira.

Shinobu shook her head. Why should I care about him? It's not like that bothers me. We're just… acquaintances. Nothing less, nothing more. She internally grumbled and went off to take her mind off that foolish man.

In her quest to forget about him, she asked around for anything related to the demons at the shrine. Most of the residents didn't know much more than young couples disappearing for a while until it stopped when they swung around. However, she did hear of interesting folk tales surrounding the shrine from a group of kids playing outside. Apparently there was once a monk who tended to the altar mysteriously disappearing years ago. After his disappearance, the sounds of a lady crying could be heard at night coming from the forest for weeks. No matter who went into the forest to investigate the sound, nobody found the girl.

Although it was hardly a first hand account, she hoped that by piecing together the information she got with whatever Giyu mustered up, they could locate the source of their curse and not have to be stuck to Giyu for the rest of her life.

She shook her head. The mention of his name in her mind irritated her. She still didn't want to see him. Thankfully with her agility and friendly demeanor, she got all the information she needed quite quickly and had some free time on her hands to take her mind off him. Additionally it seems like she wouldn't be talking to him for a while anyways since his unsociable nature probably made it difficult for him to gain any information in the first place.

Heh. He probably only talked to, like, one person.

As she rounded the corner, excited to have some genuine alone time, she couldn't be more caught off guard by what she saw. Giyu, yes that Tomioka Giyu, was currently talking to a stranger not even a few houses down the road. She immediately ducked behind the wall and pinched her forehead in annoyance.

What is he doing here? I clearly told him to go west. He can't even follow basic instructions, ugh. Whatever, I am not talking to him now!

Shinobu walked the other way to avoid her colleague and finally enjoyed her peaceful day out. However, no matter where she went in town, she kept seeing Giyu close by. At the cafe, the small fountain in the center of the plaza, the back alleys, wherever she was, he was not far behind. She thought she was going crazy, it almost seemed like he was following her, but why would he be doing that.

Ugh can he just screw off for a little bit. I just want to be alone.

She was a little slow in hiding behind a house as they made eye contact. Almost immediately his eyes widened and he started walking after her. Naturally, Shinobu ran the other way so as not to have to deal with the man. As she ran, she peered behind her to gauge if her pursuer was still after her. Not only was he behind, he too was full sprinting after her.

Naturally, Shinobu quickened her pace to avoid her increasingly stubborn follower. She ducked under low hanging clotheslines, jumped over muddy puddles, started climbing the walls of the alleyways, and yet, he was still after her, clumsily. She laughed at his larger frame struggling to get through the obstacles.

As she continued to run, she felt lighter and could feel her heartbeat flutter. Was it the impromptu cardio? Was it the memories of playing tag as a kid? Was it because of the adorably clumsy man behind her? Or was it… oh wait no, it's just that damned curse again.

She immediately stopped and clutched the cloth above her sternum. She started breathing heavily from the small chase. Soon enough, an equally exhausted Giyu met her in the small alleyway. She looked at him with a mixture of disdain and remorse. His expression was softer than she expected.

“What is it now? Why are you chasing me?”

“Are you okay? Your heart…” He pointed to her clutched hand.

“I was, until you chased me around town like a madman.”

“I… sorry.”

“Well, why were you chasing me then? Don't just say nothing after all that.”

“I'm… sorry.”

“For what?” Shinobu feigned ignorance, but she knew what he was talking about. Although she was pleasantly surprised that Giyu took the initiative to apologize.

“Causing you all this trouble. I'm truly sorry.” Shinobu noticed the slight slur in his speech.

“Yeah whatever…”

“No. I have more to say.”

“Ok?” His sudden interest in communication certainly piqued her interest.

“Remember that one time you caught me talking to your fish.”

Shinobu scrunched her eyebrows. “Yeah? And? Where are you going with this?”

“I have a hard time talking to… people.”

“Oh really Tomioka, who could have guessed.”

“Shinobu. I know my… uncommunicative nature affected you the most, so I want to get this off my chest. To atone for all the grievances I caused you.” Giyu fell to his knees as a sign of atonement.

She was caught off guard by his sudden genuflection. “Geez, Giyu. It wasn't that bad… just a little annoying.”

“No, you deserve more, so I want to say this.” He looked up at his confused colleague.

“Say what.”

“I like you.”

“Uhh ok? I like you too?”

“No I like-like you.”

“You like-like me?”

“Yes I like-like you Kocho Shinobu.”

“... Like-like. Like… love?”

Giyu looked off to the side, furiously blushing at his childish confession. Shinobu quickly joined him when she inadvertently realized what she implied what he was saying. And judging from his reaction, it wasn't far off.

“I know I've been keeping you away from me, but it wasn't because I disliked your presence. I like it, I really do, but in our circumstances, it felt like I was cheating you out of a normal relationship.”

“...”

“But I realized, in pushing you away, I hurt you more. I… I'm truly sorry, and I know it's selfish of me to say this to you now, but I want you to know why I acted the way I was, at least.” 

“...”

“You don't owe me your forgiveness, but I at least hope this doesn't cause a rift in our friendship. I truly treasure the time we spend together.”

“...”

“Shi… nobu?”

He waved his hand in front of the uncharacteristically quiet Shinobu. She barely reacted. In a panic, he pressed his head on her chest. Thankfully her heart was still beating and she was breathing, but she still didn't mutter a word. She started to rapidly blink and then slowly fell into his arms.

/////

They say one’s mind space is the manifestation of their true self. Shinobu’s mind space was quite simple, a small cherry blossom tree adorning a bees nest in a vast field of green and butterflies feeding on the flowers strewn about. Next to the tree was a small campfire with several figures sitting around it. Upon closer inspection, they all resembled her, although their expressions were vastly different, along with their outfits.

“Looks like she’s retreating back here again. Prepare everyone.”

“It's just some guy, why should she care this much about it.”

“Just some guy? He's my precious Giyu!”

“Your Giyu? He’s all of ours too, you know.”

“Yeah and he’s acting like a little bitch!”

“Hey! That's mean…”

“Everyone quiet, the lady has arrived.”

She acquiesced in front of the group. She stood up and looked absolutely flabbergasted from her predicament. “He… he… loves me?”