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Giyuu loved the two pretty green butterflies on either side of her hair. Any body who sticks with him till the end seem to die. Giyuu always felt like he shouldn't live. Beautiful souls like Tsutako and Sabito were the kind of souls which deserved to live. not HIM. It shouldn't be a boy who had to depend on his sister for survival. It shouldn't be the boy who had be the saved in a selection which made him who he was today.
But Kanae made him feel like he deserved to live. The butterfly mansion had unofficially adopted him. They made him feel like everything was going to be okay.
Shinobu was like a sister to him, they'd bicker over silly stuff but at the end they always had each other's backs no matter what. And Kanae? They woman he'd been yearning for months? he just hoped she would look at him the way he looked at her.
Being judged by Shinazugawa is not for the weak. his colored eyes were always shaped into a glare whenever they landed on him. it didn't feel nice , as Giyuu was given a mission from the Master. But oh well.
As Giyuu was walking to his mansion after the grueling mission, he noticed a figure standing in front of the gate. long hair...butterfly clips...Oh sweet heavens....
KANAE IS INFRONT OF MY DOORSTEP?!?!
You are ONE lucky lad Giyuu!
Giyuu tried to keep his cool-broody-mysterious-guy facade and said in a embarrassingly high-pitched voice "Kanae! wow, what a pleasant surprise"
"Oh! Tomioka! I bought you a little something!" Kanae says in that soft voice of hers and Giyuu couldn't help but blush....thank heavens it's dark now.
She was holding something wrapped in a Cherry Blossom leaf and a ceramic tea pot.
Giyuu nodded, lamely, and opened the gate for her , and then the shoji door for her.
They sat across from eachother on the Tatami, as Giyuu bought two teacups. one for him, and one for her. Kanae poured the tea in the cups and offered him a sakura mochi.
It was EXCELLENT.
"I thought you'd be tired after a mission so I bought you mochi and tea Tomioka-san!" Kanae said in that soft, peaceful , heavenly-
Giyuu , NO.
sometimes Giyuu didn't like it when she called him "Tomioka-san" despite years of friendship. and sometimes it made him feel down because if she still called by his last name....maybe she didn't feel the same way about him.
"I think we've known each other long enough to drop the '-san' Kocho." Giyuu said before he could stop himself as he took a sip of his tea.
Kanae's breath hitched as he said that...
"Tomioka..." she mumbled as if testing how the name felt on her lips...
"'Giyuu is better though..." He said , the tip of his ears turned pink...he looked away as he said that...and Kanae was shocked...she never thought he felt the same way about her as she did about him...
"In that case...you should call me 'Kanae' then, Giyuu" his breath hitched as she said that...it did things to him...he felt himself getting warmer.
"As you wish, Kanae" he murmured, in his deep voice....and Kanae felt butterflies in her stomach. He never called her with her name and now that he is calling her with her name...
She felt nice...
He felt like he was worthy of love when he was around her...
and Tomioka Giyuu letting a person call him by his name? was a BIG deal. And Kanae felt special...
Kanae felt her cheeks burn out of sheer shyness...and it was all because one man.
As time passed, it was time for Kanae to leave... she exited as Giyuu opned the shoji door for her.
"See you tomorrow Kanae...Have a goodnight"
Giyuu said with a small smile but geniune eyes that spoke volumes and that did it for Kanae.
She couldn't keep pretending she didn't love him anymore. Every little touch, every smile, every laugh, every small gesture he did for her...it spoke volumes and Kanae was DONE pretending.
She tip-toed, cupped his face in her hands, which were soft and warm on his cheeks, and she planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Giyuu was still processing the fact that her hands were on his cheeks and when she kissed him? his eyes went wide. he blushed furiously. He'd dreamt of this but now that it was really happening he didn't know what to do.
and he kissed her back with equal softness.
he cupped her waist and pulled her closer until they were chest-to-chest
the kiss felt magical. They poured their love, longing and desire into it.
Kanae slid her hands to cup his neck as she kissed him to pull him closer. She felt like she was floating, she felt like she was in clouds...`
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Giyuu was all smiley-faced the next morning in the Hashira meeting. and everyone noticed and thought they were dreaming. Because Giyuu Tomioka never smiled. Even if he successfully completed in slaying a demon. and now he was, and everyone wondered why.
Giyuu and kanae shared secret looks and smiles in the Hashira meeting. Every time Giyuu smiled, or looked at her for that matter, she giggled and blushed and they both earned weird looks for Uzui, Himejima and Shinazugawa until the realization dawned upon the three. Uzui smiled to himself as he realized what was going on between them (he was rooting for them because it was painfully obvious how much they were into eachother)
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Kanae and Giyuu were madly in love. Like hopelessly in love. They'd sit under the Sakura in the butterfly estate, hold hands, and talk for hours...sometimes they'd share kisses. Giyuu would make a flower crown for her and place it on her head...and admire how the pink flowers contrasted her pin-black waves. After grueling missions, Kanae and Giyuu would spend the night cuddling in Giyuu's mansion. Kanae would prepare Bento boxes for Giyuu whenever he felt down or when he left for missions. Shinobu found out, when she found Kanae placing one of her butterfly pins on Giyuu's hair. Becuase she NEVER did that. Shinobu had smiled to herself...she knew her sister deserved this.
A new Hashira had joined- Iguro Obanai- snake Hashira apparently and he immedietly was at odds with Giyuu and became a great friend of Shinazugawa. Obanai had gotten the reputation for 'the shortest Hashira' and because of that Shinobu and him had become great friends. Because of insecurities. and they both had eyes on two certain people in the Rengoku Estate. The eldest son of the Flame Hashira and his Tsuguko. The two would watch them train and Shinobu would look the flame-haired boy with such intensity and Iguro when he was looking at the Sakura mochi girl? the same intensity.
Kanae noticed and smiled to herself and teased them about it, Iguro would grumble and Shinobu would blush.
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Kanae was returning home from a grueling mission, it was hard but she managed. It was already pretty late and Shinobu and her adopted little girls must be waiting. It was quite creepy. She was nearing the mansion when it suddenly became very...cold. That was odd. It was summer now and usually it wasn't THIS cold at night. It was freezing, She looked down and she froze. There was snow. It was summer then where did the snow come from? This is insanely weird. She then heard a KLINK of metal behind her and she turned around. And of course...It was a demon. But not just ANY demon...an Uppermoon...
The demon had snow white hair and rainbow eyes (what-?). Kanae's hand went to her Katana's hilt and she was in a fighting stance, ready for any ttack he was going to throw at her.
He had a pair of sharp fans for a weapon and he chuckled...a dark, maniacal chuckle which sounded carefree.
"Well a Hashira hm? I've never tasted a Flower Hashira before..." The demon said in a playful voice but it was creepy...very creepy...
Kanae grumbled. This demon was getting on her nerves. She decided to strike.
"Flower breathing, first form, Unknowing."
She aimed for his neck first, but the demon was fast, the demon grazed her upper arm causing it to start bleeding.
"Not so strong huh?" The demon said, mocking.
"Perhaps...but I'm still standing" Kanae said fiercely. She wasn't going to give up anytime soon.
But Kanae was in a fight she was bound to loose. How much ever she fought, it wasn't working. The demon was too strong.
Dawn broke. the first rays of sunlight fell on the ground and demon looked distraught. She decided to do one last blow, her last chance in defeating this demon, but the demon slashed her torso.
"There's no need to struggle now Flower Hashira." He said mockingly and ran away into the woods,
BLOODY COWARD.
Kanae had no energy left now. Her torso was slashed , she had a broken limb...or two...her thoughts felt foggy...She groaned as she tried to stand, she failed.
She felt like she was dying. She was. She thought of Giyuu. Her lover.
She couldn't even say 'I love you' one last time to him. She felt remorse, guilt. She had promised him that she'd never leave. That she'd walk beside everyday, her hand in his.
She heard footsteps, fast ones, as if someone was running towards her.
It was Shinobu. Her lovely, fiery sister.
IF she died she would have to take care of the girls...and the estate...but Kanae didn't doubt her. Shinobu was smart. unlike her , Shinobu would think before doing anything. She wasn't easily fooled. Shinobu was capable.
When Shinobu finally reached her, her expression turned into that of worry and dread.
"no,no,no,no" Shinobu mumbled repeatedly.
Kanae felt Shinobu's hand under her head. Kanae could feel herself dying. She couldn't breathe properly, her heart was slowing...
"Don't bother" she mumbled
"But sister- I can't let you die, I can't-" Shinobu's voice cracked as she said that
"Sh... It's okay.." Kanae mumbled in a soft voice, despite death drawing her towards it.
Kanae coughed and Shinobu's expression twisted into woe
Kanae cupped Shinobu's face in her hands, Kanae could feel her lungs start to fail, heart beat slower, and her thoughts getting a bit blurry
"Shinobu...." Kanae started, grunted, "Leave the Demon Hunters." she said
"I know you're working hard, I really do, BUt maybe, just maybe you're better off..." She continued
"I just want you to obtain happiness, live until your old and maybe have a family of your own..." Kanae said, even though it hurt to speak
"That's all I wish for" Kanae ended. It was getting harder to stay awake, her throat felt like it was contracting, she could hear Shinobu's screams telling her that she'd kill the demon, her tears fell on her cheek.
Kanae could still feel the guilt. Guilt of leaving Shinobu and Kanao. But worst of all? She regretted leaving Giyuu...she had yearned for him...things were growing stronger between them as time went by.
He even mentioned getting married. To her.
she thought of him one last time.
His raven-black hair and eyes like the starry night.
She wished she could see him again.
oh Giyuu...
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Giyuu felt his knees give away as he heard the words he dreaded to hear, leave Shinobu's lips
"Kanae's gone..." Shinobu said, between sobs, as her voice cracked.
Giyuu hugged her. Shinobu buried her face into him chest and sobbed.
Giyuu didn't feel anything. The world felt like it had been halted to a stop. He just couldn't digest the news.
Kanae. HIS Kanae. Had been killed by a demon.
Kanae had promised she wouldn't leave him, Yet she did. She held his hand, threaded her fingers into his and told him everything would be okay.
The realization that he'd never be able to hold her in his arms, kiss her soft lips, have her kiss his cheeks, have her beside him under the Sakura tree wearing a flower crown, They'd never have the future they planned for each other anymore. They could never share sweet little moments of vulnerability anymore, they could never laugh together anymore.
They couldn't be together anymore.
And the thought hurt his heart more than any poison ever could.
She didn't deserve it. She was a beautiful soul. She had a sublime heart. Why did everyone he loved die? Why did she have to die?
The world was unjust to people who were beautiful on the inside.
Is being a decent human being in this world a crime?
Giyuu Tomioka, in that moment, had decided the world was cruel.