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Well they had done it. They had defeated Muzan but what had it cost? Giyu, Sanemi and Shinobu, the only Hashiras alive.
It was night, right now they all were back at the butterfly estate healing both mentally and physically. Kanao, because she had healed early, was taking care of everyone's injuries along with the other girls at the estate.
Shinobu had the worst injuries, she was almost eaten by that heartless monster though now there was no need to dwell on that.
She woke up. The first thing she noticed was that someone was missing. Who was it? Giyu of course. He was never the one to just silently sit still and let his injuries be taken care of. Now the best thing to do was to leave him be, to go back to sleep but of course there was that one part of her heart that cared for the emotionless Hashira and so she found herself getting up.
It was even quieter outside than inside. Giyu has always loved silence more but this silence was suffocating. There was no Sanemi threatening to kill him, no muichiro being a cute kid, no Obanai threatening to kill anyone who touched his snake, no Mitsuri being awkwardly funny, no Zenitsu crying because he was scared.
Everyone was suffering. He might not show it but he loved it, that noise was the kind that made him feel close to home but yet again life had taken his home away.
Like she suspected, Giyu was outside, near a lake, standing like he was deciding something. She really couldn't tell what was going in that mind of his right now which kinda felt wierd, she always did understand him, with a smile plastered on her face she spoke.
“Your injuries are not yet healed Tomioka San, shouldn't you go back to bed?” Shinobu said standing beside him.
“Neither are yours, if I am right yours are worse shouldn't you be on the bed?” Ah a question for a question.
“Well no point of laying on the bed if one can't sleep, what are you doing outside?” she said. Giyu didn't reply, instead he just looked at the water.
“Tomioka San?”
“What?” Shinobu tried her best to not frown. “I asked, why are you outside, Tomioka San.”
“To take a break.”
“A break from what?” again she didn't get a reply and she resisted the urge to kick him.
Giyu looked at her, his eyes were so…. dead. It shook shinobu, sure it wasn't anything unusual for his eyes to not have light in them but this? this was different.
“Tomioka San answer me, a break from what?”
“I am tired.” His voice seemed dead.
“Yes, which is why we should go back.” Why can she just go back alone? Why was her brain refusing to go back saying something is wrong.
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don't, your wounds are gonna re-open if you let it be.”
“Let them.” Shinobu couldn't help show her confusion.
“What?”
“I said let them.” of course he wouldn't bother with an explanation.
“Tomioka San we have a mouth so we can speak properly, three or four words won't tell me what you mean.” She lied, she always knew what he meant but right now she was confused.
Giyu signed. “I am fine, no need to fix them if they re-open.”
“Yes, if being ‘fine’ in your dictionary is having half of your bones broken and half of your body having stitches then you, indeed, are fine.” she said in her usual smooth voice. “-But in my dictionary that is not fine so let's go back.”
“What's the point?” Shinobu again gave him a confused look. Can this guy be straight for once.
“I am gonna die at the age of twenty-five so what's the point?” suddenly Shinobu felt a lump in her throat.
“ So let it be and-” he paused for a bit, deciding if he should say the next words or not. “-And if it is cruel why not end it ourselves”
At that Shinobu panicked. Great! So now he too was gonna leave her.
“You. Are. Not. Doing. That.” she said she still had a smile on her face but she felt it was not gonna last soon.
“Why not?”
She laughed, a dry laugh. “ Why not!? Well why do you think!? I barely survived and you, you wanna die!?”
“Yes, I do” of course, he never got the hint did he?
“Why do you wanna die?” She tried to sound calm but failed.
“I-I am just.. tired”
“And? Are you really gonna give me that as a reason?” Her voice was filled with anger which she didn't feel the need to filter
“No, it's not a good reason but-”
“But what-!?” Her voice was now getting louder. “Are you just gonna quit!? Go away like everyone else? Leave me to deal with this? I survived, so now I am left to pick up the pieces?”
“I won't-”
“Yes, yes you will! You will leave me alone to deal with this! For all of you dead people it's easy isn't it, you don't think do you!?
Giyu frowned. “what does that mean?”
“That means exactly what you think.” Her smile had completely disappeared replaced by so much anger.
“Oh, so you are blaming them for fighting? You think no one knew the consequences? No one thought they would die?” Now he was starting to get angry as well.
“Oh well we did know didn't we and yet we didn't bother to save them?” Giyu looked shocked at her words. And started to regret those words as soon as they came out. She knew how much Giyu blames himself for the death of his friends, this will be no different and yet she chose to hit the nail in the coffin.
They all were hurt, they needed a way to vent, he knew that but it hurt. Especially since it came from her. Out of everyone she knew about sabito and how he died the most, how much he blames himself, she had seen his episodes but she was also right wasn't she?
“Did you just come here to scold me? To remind me of what I have lost? To remind me that I couldn't do what I needed to?” His voice had dyed down but so had her anger.
“Tomioka San, I didn't-” oh she was seriously regretting this. “-I didn't meant what I said, I- I-”
“You are right.” he said. Shinobu looked at him with confusion. “I couldn't save them, It's my fault isn't it?” His face was still lacking emotions but she could tell, she could tell how hurt he was, how much he wanted her to take her words back.
She had spent so much time convincing Giyu that it wasn't his fault. He couldn't safe them and it wasn't his fault and now she had wasted her efforts.
“I don't expect to be forgiven.” Giyu said.
“Tomioka San-It wasn't your fault.”
“I don't believe that... Shinobu... Sorry for being a pain.” Giyu turned his face away to look at the water again and Shinobu felt her heart sink. She couldn't do this. Yes, he was annoying, infact more than annoying but she couldn't, she couldn't lose another one.
“Tomioka San-I-I can't do this- Tomioka San please, I can't deal with someone else gone-”
“Shinobu, why do you even care?” He suddenly snaped. Shinobu had been the one to care the most. He really couldn't comprehend why she had done all that and it really is a good question to her.
Why does she care? Why hasn't she gone back? Why is she still caring? After all she has always given and never received anything in return. Why? Because she is in love with this stupid depression idiot.
Before she knew it tears were starting to come out. She couldn't stop them no matter how hard she tried. She always found a way to compose herself, to stop the river from flowing but now? Now she couldn't hold it in. Years of anger and pain flowing right out.
“Shinobu?” Shinobu wasn't the one to cry, actually no one had ever ever heard or seen her cry and one can say you can't describe the look on Giyu's face when he turned around. It was a mix of shock and…guilt?
“Shinobu?” His voice was no longer dead, instead it was filled with worry. Well so it took her to cry for him to show emotions? Ah she could also not be the one to complain as it took her sister's death, most of her friend's deaths and the person who has heart wanting to commit suicide for her to actually cry.
For the first time Giyu stepped away from the edge and crouched in front of Shinobu. “What's wrong?” The audacity to actually ask something like that!? Now she would have punched him but right now she couldn't even think about that. She was thinking about how was she gonna convince him to not die.
“I-I am sorry- I didn't mean to-I really didn't- please please don't-” she said in-between sobs.
“What are you sorry for?” Giyu was also panicking. He had never seen or dealt with a crying Shinobu.
“I didn't- didn't mean to make you feel-” she was still crying it was all coming out without her consent. “-Worse, sorry.”
“Sh-shiobu calm down.” Giyu tried to help but what could he do? It was Shinobu who calmed everyone down.
“Please-please don't leave- I can't.”
“Shinobu calm down, I am not going anywhere” He could die when she has calmed down, right now making sure she doesn't follow after him was the priority.
“I care, I care too much Tomioka San-” Her crying had calmed down a bit but tears were still coming out. “I- for some reason I love you-” andddd that will be blamed on the fact she was not feeling well.
Giyu stared at her confusion, very evident on his face. He backed up a bit which made her mad.
“You are not thinking straight.” she has stopped crying now only the dried up tears remained on her cheeks.
“My brain is working well, thank you very much.”
Giyu continued to stare at her in utter disbelief. Well better than a no.
“I do love you, I have no idea what's the reason Tomioka San.” She slowly got close to Giyu who definitely observed her getting closer but didn't back away. That's a good sign.
Soon their knees were in contact with one another. She reached out to pull him in but stopped as he backed away.
“You are making a mistake.”
“What makes you say that.”
“I have unlocked my mark” he says beneath his breath.
Oh
Oh
"I am gonna die at the age of twenty-five so what's the point?" That's what he said didn't he? Oh he is an idiot to think she cares about her life one bit.
“Then I would rather spend my days with you while you are alive, Tomioka San.” Giyu gave her a surprised look to which she chuckled.
“What is it that hard to believe?”
“It has always seemed that you hate me.” Giyu said.
“It's good that you are dense as a brick.”
She reached out her hand again to pull him and this time he didn't back away as she put her lips on his. It always feels great to get what you want. They pulled away to breathe.
“Does that mean you accept my feelings?”
Giyu just smiles, a genuine smile and Shinobu is gonna enjoy until life let's her and she won't let anyone other than herself see.