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“Giyuu?” Tanjiro called.
Giyuu snapped back into his current surroundings and looked at Tanjiro with his distant, blue gaze. His brows furrowed with frustration.
“She’s leaving?” He asks softly, with an edge of disbelief.
“For six months. She’s called on a special assignment far up North.” Tanjiro explained.
Giyuu looked despairingly into his lap. He looks like he’s shrinking. “Why?”
“There is reported activity of an unusually strong demon up there. Ubuyashiki asked her to guard the small village there. They think it could be one of the twelve kizuki.”
“Without any help?” His fists balled up with anger. “Why would they put her in harm's way without any backup?”
“She’s quite strong, Giyuu,” Tanjiro said with a sympathetic smile. “I can see you’re feeling protective about her, though.”
Giyuu flinched at the comment.
Tanjiro caught a faint whiff of something quite familiar. He could smell it on Zenitsu all the time, or back then, his parents. It wasn’t hard to miss. “Forgive me for overstepping if I am, but do you have romantic feelings for her?”
His breath hitched, and he looked at Tanjiro, dumbfounded.
He lowered his head down again, stupidly. “I don’t know what romantic feelings are.”
Tanjiro stifled a laugh. “Maybe you are unaware of them.”
He doesn’t reply to the comment. “I don’t want her to leave for that long.”
Tanjiro hummed to himself. “How about you tell her how you feel… before you go. Just in case.”
He looked at Tanjiro again, but with fear. “In case of what?”
“Ah!” Tanjiro suddenly appeared anxious. “I mean—she’ll make it back, of course!”
He abruptly stood up from where he was seated next to Tanjiro, and turned to run away towards your estate.
“Giyuu! Where are you going?!”
“To tell her how I feel before she leaves!"
Tanjiro watched him from a distance, hoping that he would hear the story from Giyuu later.
Giyuu rushes over to you, planting his feet firmly in front of you. He had wild, widened eyes looking in your direction.
“Giyuu?” You ask, feeling a rise of genuine concern and fear.
“...I like you!” He shouts. “I thought you should know… er—Tanjiro said I should…”
Giyuu fell silent. Once he immediately felt the weight of his words, he completely froze. Silent. With a stunned expression planted on his still face, unwavering eyes filled with fear and terror, yet burning with what could be referred to as yearning.
“What?” You ask with disbelief. You would have never imagined this kind of event would occur from him, of all people. It was so out of character. You’ve seen him shout in battle before. You’ve seen his looks of fear. But nothing like this. You didn’t even think he was in the right headspace to romance a person.
You decide to backtrack. “Tanjiro said…?”
Giyuu’s body begins trembling. His expression is still unchanging, but now, his eyes are glistening. With tears.
His lips shut tight out of nervousness, and you can now immediately guess what he’s about to do. His body stiffens, and his legs look like they’re prepared to—
“Excuse me… sorry.” He says, with a cold and distant tone. Before you could get in another word, he disappears into thin air. A Hashira's kind of speed. You didn’t doubt you could find him, but you wondered if he needed the space.
You attempt to process the events that just occurred. The man you loved, who was as dense and cold as a block of ice, actually harbored feelings for you?
You knew you were leaving soon. There’d be no way you could leave things like that. You had to find him.
Your first guess was his estate. You ran over there, as fast as you could, and knocked on a random Shoji. No response. You decided to walk around, calling for his name.
You stumble upon to see one of the Shoji slightly ajar. To prepare yourself, you inhale and exhale deeply, then open it up.
There, you see Giyuu completely engulfed inside his futon. The only thing you could see was a bundle of his black hair.
“Giyuu?” You ask softly.
He gets up from his futon and looks at you with astonishment. He stands up slowly and walks over to you.
“You should be leaving now, right?” He asks, brows furrowing. “You shouldn’t be late.”
You give him an irritated look. “I don’t even leave until tomorrow morning. Stop avoiding me.”
He restrains himself from fleeing again and looks down at you, his eyes heavy.
“What do you wish to say?” He says, anxiously.
“About what you said at my estate…” His body tenses, and you grab him by the shoulders with tenderness. He lets out a sharp gasp.
“Don’t leave…” You start. “Just listen. I share your feelings.”
His eyes widen in shock. He doesn’t even move a muscle, just continues to look at you.
“I just wish you didn’t leave the way you did. What if I had to leave that soon, and you wanted to leave things like that?” You sigh.
His lips twitch. “I said those things to you because you were leaving… and I didn’t want you to leave without knowing that I…”
Your hands tighten on him. “I know, but just please don’t do that next time.”
He gives you a small nod, and a beat of silence begins between the two of you. He feels your warm touch against his shoulders, his eyes lingering on how your hands grip his haori.
With the will of his own mind battling the fear in his chest, ever so hesitantly, he returns your gesture by holding onto your shoulders too.
“Giyuu?” You say, a blush rising on your cheeks.
“Is this what lovers do?” He asks timidly.
“Lovers?” You echo back, laughing nervously. “Are we?”
“Aren’t we? Now that we know we share… feelings.” His voice trails off with uncertainty.
“You want to be?” You ask with a hope rising in your chest.
He averts his gaze from you, slowly taking you in for a hug. He buries your head into his chest, his arms holding your back incredibly carefully.
“Yes, please.” He mumbles.
“Oh, my.” You mutter into his chest, returning the hug by wrapping your arms around him.
“I don’t want you to leave.”
You sigh wistfully. “I don’t exactly wish to leave for so long either.”
“You’ll be back…”
“I will, I promise.” You say, tightening the hug. He tilts his head lower to bury his face in the crook of your neck.
“Promise.” You repeat to him, feeling his lips against your skin grow into a smile.