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The night had settled over the Butterfly Estate, its garden wrapped in the pale glow of moonlight, the gravel paths silvered by the light. Shinobu had insisted that Giyuu stay.
They had returned from their mission only an hour earlier, both of them still smelling of steel and dust and demon blood. Yet, instead of retreating to their separate quarters as they normally would, Shinobu had appeared with a bottle of sake. Now they sat side by side, between them rested a small ceramic bottle of sake and two cups that had already been refilled several times, though neither of them was terribly concerned with counting.
Shinobu tipped the bottle once more, pouring clear liquid into Giyuu’s cup before filling her own. The scent of rice wine drifted upward as she placed the bottle back down between them.
“You fought well today,” she said cheerfully, lifting her cup.
Giyuu accepted his own with a small nod before raising it to his lips. The alcohol burned a little as it went down, but the warmth that followed was pleasant enough to loosen the tight exhaustion in his shoulders. Next to him, Shinobu leaned back on one hand and let her gaze wander toward the garden.
Eventually, she turned her head toward him.
“Tomioka-san,” she said, the corner of her mouth curved upward in a small, mischievous smile. “Tell me a secret.”
Giyuu frowned. “A secret?”
“One you never tell anyone.”
Giyuu stared at her for a moment. “But that’s a secret for a reason.”
Shinobu laughed softly at that, amused. “Oh, Tomioka-san. You are no fun at all.”
The woman shifted closer until their shoulders brushed lightly together, and leaned sideways until her head rested comfortably against his shoulder – as if she had done it many times before.
“Don’t worry,” she continued, her voice quieter now that she was leaning against him. “I am a very heavy drinker. I will forget everything tomorrow morning.”
Giyuu remained still for a long moment, staring out into the dark garden. The alcohol had already softened the restraint he normally maintained around his thoughts; even worse, the warmth of Shinobu’s presence against him made it twice as hard to hold those thoughts back.
And so he spoke.
“I like you, Kochou.”
Shinobu lifted her head at that.
“In fact, I have liked you for a long time.”
For once, Giyuu did not stop himself to consider what might happen afterward. If she refused him, he would accept it.
But to his surprise, Shinobu did not laugh at him; instead, she only turned toward him, her violet, curious eyes studying his face. The teasing brightness in them had softened, and she leaned forward until her lips brushed against his. Her hand rose to rest lightly against his chest.
Giyuu’s arm slid around her waist as the warmth of her breath mingled with his. When their mouths parted for a brief moment, she leaned into him again almost immediately, capturing his lower lip in a possessive kiss that lasted so long even the sounds of the garden seemed to fade away entirely. Only then did she part to settle against his shoulder again, her shoulders shaking with a giggle.
After a moment, Giyuu spoke up, his arm remaining around her waist as he looked down at her.
“Your turn, Kochou. Tell me a secret you never tell anyone.”
Shinobu laughed. “Well, I suppose that is fair.”
She tilted her head upward. “I have injected wisteria into my vein for the past year.”
Giyuu went completely still at that.
“When Upper Moon Two shows up,” she continued calmly, as if discussing the weather, “I will allow him to eat me so that he will be poisoned and die.”
Shinobu watched his stunned expression for a moment; then, she giggled softly and leaned upward to kiss him again, as if she just couldn’t help herself. Her fingers lifted to cradle his tense jaw the way a mother did to a little child.
“Don’t look so sad, Tomioka-san,” she murmured against his warm lips. “You will forget it all tomorrow morning anyway, won’t you?”
Giyuu closed his eyes in pain. “Yes,” he said. “I will forget.”
Shinobu was reviewing some medical notes in her private quarters when the sudden flutter of wings interrupted her peaceful morning. Her crow, En, landed on the window frame a second later.
“Emergency meeting! Emergency meeting! Emergency meeting!” it cried aloud.
Shinobu did not waste time untying the letter and read the message: just as she expected, the final battle had officially begun. She folded the letter and moved toward the door, sliding it open as she stepped into the hallway –
Only to find Giyuu already standing outside.
“Tomioka-san?” she began in surprise. “I was just about to go —”
His hand rose to cup her face as he kissed her. Shinobu froze for a second in astonishment (what on earth is happening?), but she responded nonetheless, her hand catching his sleeve while the other rested on his sweaty nape. Their mouths met again and again, hot and desperate.
His forehead rested lightly against hers.
“I have thought about it, Kochou,” he said. “I really, really wanted to respect your decision.”
Shinobu frowned in confusion. “What are you even talking about—”
“But then I realized something,” he continued. “I love you too much to let you go.
“And so, you will stay here until it is all over, Kochou.”
Before she could react, he stepped backward and slid the door shut. A lock clicked outside.
Shinobu immediately reached for the handle, but it would not move no matter how hard she tried. By the time she frantically checked the windows and the other doors, each of them had already been secured from the outside.
Giyuu was already running toward the Ubuyashiki estate, the morning air rushing past him as the final battle waited ahead.
I’m sorry, Kochou. I know you will never forgive me. But please wait for me.
Giyuu tightened his grip on his sword as he ran faster.
No matter what it took, he would kill every demon that stood in his way. And when the war was finally over—
he would return to her.