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The bi-annual meeting of the nine pillars has finally ended. Kyojurou sits tall where he rests before Ubuyashiki. The Hashira have just been released, and the flame pillar is ravenous.
During the meeting, they had discussed the spider demons that had been encountered on Mount Natagumo. More than half of the Mizunoto-level slayers had been mercilessly killed. It turns Kyojurou’s stomach, to hear of how many children had fought so bravely, and yet, their lives were stolen from them at such a young age. Kyojurou knows that it comes with the job, however, it doesn’t make it any easier to digest.
Still, with the help of Giyuu and Shinobu, many would live to see another day. That is to be expected of the Insect and Water Hashira. Kochou is one of the most intelligent of the Hashira, skilled in medicine and sciences, as well as combat.
And then there is Giyuu.
Giyuu who is quiet in nature, but strong and passionate when it comes to saving lives and taking care of others. That is not lost on Kyojurou, not in the slightest bit. Giyuu’s efforts in protecting those around him are noble, even if he is quiet about how he feels.
But there is more, much, much more.
Quick looks exchanged during meetings, reddened cheeks and deep blue eyes that are known to dodge.
Kyojurou can’t help but to watch Giyuu at times, but what he did not expect, was for Giyuu to ask him this.
”Rengoku-san.”
Kyojurou stops in his tracks, his eyes widening as he turns around, coming face to face with the Water Hashira himself.
Kyojurou smiles warmly, his head tilting as the corners of his eyes crinkle in delight.
”Hello Giyuu-san! How are you?” Kyojurou asks, his heart already booming in his chest. Suddenly though, Kyojurou feels his shoulders tense, his smile falling as Giyuu looks to the ground. His face is strained, his brows deeply drawn as he looks down at his feet.
Something seems to be bothering the Water Hashira.
“Giyuu-san? Are you alright?” Kyojurou takes a few steps toward the Water Hashira, his first name feeling natural and sweet between his lips. Calling Giyuu by his last name no longer feels familiar, or right to him anymore.
It seems that this catches Giyuu by surprise, the Water Pillar looking up as his breath hitches. His cheeks become flushed with a pretty pink color, similar to that of Mitsuri’s hair. It is a nice color atop a backdrop of pale, soft skin.
Giyuu averts his eyes again.
”U-uhm. I’m fine. I need to ask you something.” Giyuu bites out hastily, his tone dark and his voice buried deep in his throat.
Kyojurou gives an affirmative sound, almost a grunt to encourage Giyuu to ask his question. He doesn’t however, and Kyojurou gives a hearty chuckle. The pink color remains on Giyuu’s cheeks.
”Okay! You can ask me whatever you like!”
Giyuu’s lips purse, a petulant look that almost makes Kyojurou want to laugh or, coo? He doesn’t know what would be most appropriate in this moment, but Kyojurou never really bothered with semantics. He was always the type to fly by the seed of his pants. It got him into trouble often, but there were no stakes here.
Being in the presence of Giyuu Tomioka was a very incredible experience. He was the only Hashira to make Kyojurou question why there was a weird fluttering in his chest, or a nervous simmering in his gut that made it hard to stand still, especially when Giyuu’s eyes were aimed at him. A deep blue sea that felt far too dangerous to swim in, but worth the risk.
“Well?” Kyojurou’s smile returns, hoping that Giyuu feels comfortable and confident enough to speak with him.
“Do you…”
“Do…”
”Do you like me?”
Kyojurou remains frozen for a second, his body rigid, his smile wide. The question replays over and over again in his head, maybe a few hundred times.
Giyuu’s eyes haze over, his lids falling almost completely over his eyes.
“I suppose you don’t then.”
”What?! No! Wait, what?!” Kyojurou stammers, a smile never leaving his lips but confusion causing his brain to malfunction.
Giyuu looks embarrassed now, a frown framing his face into a very sad look, one that makes Kyojurou panic.
”No! I was just taken aback by your question! Of course I like you Giyuu-san! May I ask why you’re curious enough to ask?”
Giyuu’s lips deepen in their pout, and this time, Kyojurou can’t help but to giggle as he takes another step forward. His mother always told him that he needed to be more aware of the space he holds between him and other people. He had a habit of invading other’s personal bubbles. He doesn’t know why, but it feels right to step even closer to Giyuu in this moment. He wants to know why Giyuu felt the need to ask him this.
What is it that is causing him to doubt.
“No. I-It’s, it’s nothing.”
”Obviously it’s not nothing Giyuu-san. You can tell me.” Kyojurou finishes with a bright smile, his chest a bit raised with pride as Giyuu becomes enveloped in his sunshine-like aura.
Giyuu can’t help but to be warmed by the other man’s attention. Kyojurou, amongst all of the other Hashira, no, scratch that. Kyojurou was the only person aside from Sabito, that could raise anyone’s spirits. No matter what they were worried or sad about, just a few encouraging words from Kyojurou Rengoku was enough to turn anyone’s day around.
Rengoku was bright eyed and optimistic, not to mention, quite, beautiful. At least, in Giyuu’s eyes. Sometimes Kyojurou could be a bit much. The man almost never seems to blink, and he is very, very loud, even in the quietest and calmest of Pillar meetings. It can be a bit unsettling to Giyuu, how the man is never not smiling, but also, he isn’t opposed to it.
Giyuu throws caution to the wind, his shoulders raised to his ears as he almost shouts at Kyojurou, his bashfulness causing his heart to seize.
”Kochou told me that no one liked me!”
How pitiful is he. He feels like a child tattling to his parent about a bothersome sibling. It’s not his fault that Shinobu has the power to slither under his skin. Giyuu is passionate about keeping his walls up. Losing the ones you love hurts more than anything, and unlike what others say, time does not heal all wounds. The best way to avoid said pain, is to not get close to anyone at all, but that’s proving easier said than done.
The other Hashira have become like a family to him, not to mention the younger ones, Tanjirou and his friends. Whenever their paths cross, especially Nezuko, who can now withstand the rays of the sun, she runs to him before burying her head in his chest, holding him close as she grabs at his hand, placing it gently upon her head so that he rubs her hair. Giyuu’s heart sparkles with fondness, the prison of his ribcage collapsing as he struggles to breathe.
Uzui forces him to come to the hot springs or asks him out for drinks, and Giyuu may pretend like he doesn’t want to go, but Tengen never needs to ask more than twice before he agrees. Sometimes, he’ll sit and talk with Gyomei, or the two meditate together when they have time off. Mitsuri and Iguro cook for him when there is down time, and now that Tanjirou has gotten Muichiro to open up a bit, the younger boy asks if Giyuu would like to train with him after meetings. Even Sanemi’s presence has become more tolerable.
And despite the fact that Shinobu knows how to grate on Giyuu’s nerves, he never turns her away, even if it is just to sit in one of the quiet rooms of the butterfly mansion, reading poetry together or talking about any of the Insect Hashira’s newest discoveries. No one has ever made him feel like this.
Not since…
But that’s neither here nor there. Kyojurou, who Giyuu rarely ever sees, if not for the Pillar meetings, is the one who’s opinion matters most in this moment. Kyojurou, who’s smile is as warm as sun beams, who’s brush with death has done nothing to extinguish the glowing fire in his heart.
Kyojurou, who’s voice seems almost like a song to Giyuu’s soul.
The Flame Hashira’s brows raise high, his lips parting in surprise even though he has no idea why. It sounds like something Shinobu would say, so there is no room for shock. Shinobu is kind, but fierce. Her tongue is sharp, and she holds nothing back. Kyojurou vaguely remembers their quarrel about Young Kamado and his sister. Giyuu has taken a liking to the boy, no matter how much he tries to deny it. Another thing about Tomioka that Kyojurou happens to like.
The man loves silently, but he loves hard.
He has literally put his life on the line to protect Nezuko and Tanjirou, despite the fact that the girl was now a demon, and he is right in doing so. Kyojurou saw her fighting on the Mugen train. She is a rightful member of the corps in his mind, but Giyuu saw that coming before anyone else.
It seems that Kyojurou’s silence is enough to put Giyuu over the edge.
”Never mind. Forget that I said anything—”
”Giyuu wait.”
Kyojurou’s body moves before his brain can react, something that is very much in the norm for him. He takes ahold of Giyuu’s hand, their fingertips doing a quick dance before Rengoku completely laces their hands together.
“Have a drink with me.”
Giyuu nearly gasps, his expression morphing into one of anger, but Kyojurou senses no hostility. Confusion maybe? Yes, perhaps, but the frown upon Tomioka’s face is still evident, maybe even startling.
”W-What?!” Giyuu exclaims, still appearing enraged, but refusing to let Kyojurou’s hand go.
Rengoku laughs heartily, his stomach threatening to ache.
“Have a drink with me. Let me prove to you, that Shinobu-san is wrong in what she said to you. That I in fact, really like you, and would like to have you join me for a drink, or two.”
Kyojurou has always been brave and valiant in his efforts, but this is something new entirely. The Flame Hashira’s stomach is doing all sorts of flips right now, his olive toned cheeks nearly lit aflame. His chest is compressed with the weight of Giyuu’s stare, the Water Pillar’s hand now lax in Kyojurou’s grasp.
Giyuu’s body relaxes, his shoulders falling, his lashes fluttering as he blinks over a dozen times.
“O-Okay.” Giyuu nearly whispers, his hand pulsing within Kyojurou’s, as if he wants to squeeze his hand tighter, but is afraid to do so.
Good thing that Kyojurou isn’t afraid.
”Great! There is a tavern not too far from here! They also have wonderful food! Come with me!”
”W-Wait, right now?” Giyuu fights the urge to dig his heels into the dirt, his body following the soaring of his heart. Kyojurou never let’s go of his hand, even when their palms get a bit sweaty.
”Yes, right now! There is much to discuss!”
Giyuu damn near chuckles, so taken aback by Kyojurou’s brash and confident nature. How easy it would be, to be envious of the Flame Pillar’s character, but in this moment, Giyuu feels nothing of the sort.
Giyuu feels… safe, with Kyojurou.
”Discuss?” Giyuu asks for clarity.
Kyojurou laughs. “Yes! Now that I’ve told you that I like you, I feel it is only fair that you and I get to know each other better! How does that sound to you?”
Giyuu thinks about it for a moment, his other hand coming to curl against his chest, his heart beating so fast that he feels almost lightheaded.
This feeling… what is it? It is akin to the way that Giyuu feels about the others, but with Kyojurou, there is a hint of a difference that he can’t quite put a finger on. Similar to the way he felt with Sabito, but somehow more evolved. More real.
Kyojurou stops, Giyuu’s body nearly colliding with his own. The Flame Pillar turns, their faces dangerously close. Kyojurou smells quite nice, like cinnamon or caramel, singed at the edges. Warm and delightful.
”So, Giyuu, what do you say?”
Giyuu smiles softly.
”I say…”
”I say that sounds… nice.”