It was a gloomy morning.
He can hear the thunder from a distance, thinking the rain might very well turn into a storm from the looks of unending gray clouds in the sky.
Inosuke sat on the patio of the covered training court staring out the window, his swords polished and set aside just after breakfast. His thoughts were starting to drift, a flash of something showing itself in his mind but he quickly jabbed a fist on the floorboards before the memory can materialize, the searing pain of his swelling knuckles shaking him from his stupor causing him to screech.
He breathed hard, shaking his head. Not now, he thought, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up, he didn't want to remember anything right now.
He flexed his hands to stretch the welting appendage a little, clearing his mind a little and focusing on the droplets of rain that were starting to pour from the overhang of the roof.
How annoying.
Usually he could keep his mind at bay by talking, saying absolutely anything so his thinking process won't wander elsewhere. Elsewhere unnecessary that is. But the morning atmosphere was so lazy and cold that even the knots in his body tempted him to just take things easy.
As if that would happen with someone like him.
He bent down to do a few stretching exercises that he learned from one of the Pillars, something about not pulling a muscle in training. He threw a fit back then, saying he had been going on without such useless notions which he only got a knock to the head and a bad cramp right after.
He paused when he felt a familiar presence walking towards his location and he smirked remembering the night before. He and Nezuko had spent the rest of the night just sitting across each other on the ground, with her grabbing his arms, and him, escaping them.
It entertained her enough and he thought that was a suitable apology for all the things he said to her before. Her sparkling eyes were too forgiving, but then again, he wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't. He knew she wasn't the type to bear a grudge, but just in case, he had been ready to gather acorns or weave her flower crowns if needed to.
Nezuko popped her head through the entrance with smiling eyes and Inosuke waved her over.
When she suddenly tilted her head to the side in question, he paused, watching her eyes stare curiously into his own. Ah, she's wondering about my mask.
"The stupid rain got it too drenched for me to wear if for a while, " he told her when she neared him.
She blinked twice before reaching to lightly pull at his hair and he poked the center of her mouthpiece in return, "hey, train with me." he demanded.
She only shook her head and tugged the end of his hair again, this time with enough force to send a message. So she wouldn't train with me but she's down with playing-
His eyes widened.
Nezuko was busy playing with blue tones of his hair, unaware of the thoughts that ran through his head or the mischievous smile that threatened to engulf his face.
He ruled in his expression and coughed, grabbing her attention. Reaching up to pluck up her small hands, a few strands tangling with her fingers, he grinned toothily, "want me to show you the trick again?"
When she blinked back in question, he held her hands out in front of her and twisted her wrists outward; mimicking the motions he had been doing to her the night before. Understanding what he meant she bounced on her feet and sat down eagerly on the floorboards with him smirking fiendishly at her flowery and oblivious aura the whole time as he followed suit.
He stuck his hands out and she holds his wrists, squeezing lightly. He didn't mean to use her this way, but if it took this much patience in training for such a basic move then it was like him mastering a kick a thousand times. He'd probably end up being an escape artist from all the ways he can break free from her grasp, absorbing in all the countless possibilities she'd take just to keep him in her grip.
Not so progressive, but this was better than hacking trees all by himself.
Her hands were soft, he noticed, and small on his arm, but oh were they strong. Her nails would dig in a few times in a row and he knew she didn't mean it from the way she'd grab him less fiercely in the next round as if in apology.
But apologies like that aren't going to make me better, he thought, staying motionless for a while until she held him more tightly now, as if sensing his displeasure.
They had been at it for a while when Nezuko suddenly stilled, eyes widening as she stared at him accusingly, noticing how his movements had become more fluid and fast as he flowed with her motions, maneuvering his wrists like clockwork, he had broken free from her hold while grabbing her back in a cross to stop her from moving. She fumed and pushed him away, realizing she had unknowingly been training with him under the guise of an escape trick.
He laughed at her child-like glare, "you realized that just now?" he was bent forward, sniggering at how simple she was and she leaned away from him, sulking silently until his laughter died down.
He looked up and met her pouting face with evidence of his mirth still lingering in his eyes. He tried to grab her hand but she jerked it away, whipping her head to the side crossly still upset at being tricked into something she didn't want to do in the first place.
Inosuke hummed, reaching for her again, "Com'on, Nedukon," he whined, "I'm not hurting if that's what you're worried about, see?" he flexed his hands to prove his point, "because of you, no other demon can hold me down now no matter what they do." He wasn't trying to gloat, but he wasn't lying when he said that her vice-like grip was a little of a challenge to escape from, more so when she applied more force into her hold after every time he managed to break free.
"Let's try again." He grinned, and when she looked back at him suspiciously, his smile turned wicked as he continued, "If I lose, we don't have to play games like this again."
She narrowed her eyes and he pressed, "We can make those flower things you put on your head instead."
When she still didn't answer he sighed, "C'mon! Last game if you win, I promise." sticking out his hands to her, he made the most innocent looking face he can muster, which wasn't so hard since as long as he wasn't acting like a crazy brute, he was gifted with a curse to look like an angel.
Nezuko hesitated, but like a cat she was still curious and if he said it was a game then maybe it would be fun for the both of them. She was about to reach for his hands when he suddenly raised them above his head before she can touch him, he smirked at her look of surprise.
Arms still above him he said, "First one to grab the other's neck, wins."
Her eyes widened and he cackled, "What? You know you gonna lose?" he laughed louder at her glare and she leaned forward only to have him stand swiftly, arms crossed in front of his shoulders, blocking her view to his neck. She followed after him, one of her hands grabbing his wrist only for it to twist out of that grip easily as he pushing her shoulder back with a short shove. She tried again, catching both wrists this time, but before she can do anything else, he had escaped from her grasp and ducked under her arm so smoothly it felt as if she was imagining even holding him in the first place.
He was beside her now, his hand aiming for the nape of neck when she whirled, blocking him with her elbow. Undeterred, he pushed it upwards with his free hand, the other now flying up her shoulder when she blocked it as well with her other arm. When the hand on her elbow slid up her shoulder now, she panicked, raising a leg and throwing him off with a hard kick to his chest and he skidded backwards, both of them staring at each other in surprise.
Nezuko held her neck warily when his surprise morphed into glee, the green of his eyes glinting now with renewed challenge, "oh this is going to be good." He purred, his deep voice filling the silence of the covered grounds. He crouched low now, and before the girl can react, he bolted towards her, hands crossed over his face, she took a few steps back confused until she felt his hands grab the wrists over her neck and pulled them opposite of each other until her arms were crossed over her chest, her throat bare.
He pulled her to him in a bear hug as she struggled, growling at him as she pulled her arms off his grip.
Inosuke winced when she started to buck into his ribs, she was painful, he'd give her that, but she was acting too wild in her panic, like a trapped animal, relying alone on her abilities without thinking straight.
When he squeezed her tighter, she jerked, her elbow sharply jabbing his side. That's probably going to last me a week, he thought, biting back a groan so she wouldn't suddenly do a 180 and back out. He honestly knew he could've evaded that, but he couldn't seem to think further ahead after caging her body in his arms.
When her right side broke free she raised a leg between their bodies and kicked again, the air around them thinning as he released her at the last second, minimizing the damage dealt to his ribs. He landed a few feet from her but she charged at him before he could touch the floor, her claws reaching for him but he ducked just in time, rolling away and landing on his heels. Her snarl reverberated in his ears and he only sneered back, swiveling his body before she can get to him in another launch.
Nezuko lunged at him again when he suddenly pivoted on his foot, falling on a split and bending backwards as she flew over him, her pink eyes perplexed when they met his grinning face, time slowing down between them, before noticing his hands now flying up to her neck. She squeaked and grabbed his wrists in time before her wild momentum violently pulled his body along with hers, both of them tumbling over each other until they crashed into the wall, his body ending up cushioning her from the harsh impact.
The boy's body dropped on his side next to her, bits of dust and wood flecking their faces. His eyes were closed and her own widened in worry, afraid that he was in pain; she pulled herself closer to him, fingers hastily sweeping the debris off his cheeks in an effort to see if he was alright. She was halfway from bringing attention to his shoulders when she heard him chuckle.
"Did you think we're done?"
Pink eyes flashing, the demon girl quickly whipped her hand up to his neck only for him to grab her wrist at the last moment, meeting her speed.
Flaring amethyst met a pair of amused jade eyes. Nezuko growled at him uncharacteristically and he bore his teeth in reply, his own canines peaking out his lips. She raised her other claw only to have it caged by him as well as he wrestled her down to her back until he settled above her, straddling her waist.
His knees dragged up her chest as she struggled wildly, realizing that the position had her locked in. She raised her knees trying to land kicks to his back but he bent himself low so he was hovering over her where her lower limbs can't reach, her arms forcefully held above her head so she couldn't jab the legs caging her torso in a futile attempt to escape.
Her heart started pounding when she realized how trapped she is.
Inosuke was downright cackling in her face now, smugly watching her writhe desperately under him.
"It's okay to lose sometimes, Nedukon." He twisted her wrist together until they were held by one hand, the other setting out to wander down to her neck. She felt his fingertips touch her face now and she attempted pushing it away with her cheek, trying to cover the gap towards her neck as much as possible. "Don't worry, there are more games we can play that you'll probably win at." he was goading her, trying to rile her up, and she knew it. She squirmed in his grip, bucking up her hips, her shoulder and chin trapping his fingers from traveling lower, the scuffling loosening the tie to her bamboo mouth piece.
"give in already!" he ground out, grappling for her neck as the rest of her body wriggled beneath him, getting harder and harder to hold her hands in when his fingers were so close now to his goal. He was so focused on pushing his fingers through that the grip on her wrist loosened just a little, but that was enough for her hands to squirm itself out and catch his own with her claws. He stared at her stunned when she used her other hand to grab the wrist by her cheek and pulled both his limbs to her chest, off-balanced him and forcing his bent body to bring his face down on the floorboard above her head.
"OY!" he sputtered, caught off guard when she heaved their bodies off the ground and rolled him over to his back. She held his eyes determinedly as she pulled her body up between his legs until they were hip to hip, no space between them as they both fought in each other's hold.
"Such a sore loser," he growled, wrestling his wrists from her claws only to have them captured back between their closed chests. She dragged her body higher until they were eye to eye, and Inosuke held his breath when her lips pulled back into a warning snarl. The pupils of her orbs were slit and focused under the curtain of her hair that covered them both, the mask on her mouth now dangling over her chin as it had loosened itself from their grappling, her teeth were clenched and concentrated as her long fangs peaked out at the corner of her lips. He stared at her, mind going blank for a moment, finally allowing her to plant his arms each firmly beside his head, her chest heaving against his in triumph as she held his darkening emerald stare.
She smiled, "I—"
Nezuko's eyes widened immediately when he suddenly lifted his head up to her, breath hitching at the sharp pain on her neck and she gasped, releasing his hands from the jolt that racked up her body to her spine. He took the opportunity to grab the back of her head, his other arm pulling her tight around the waist as he rolled her to her back, his teeth still buried in her skin.
The rain outside the training court fell heavier, the noise drowning the sound of a hammering heart. Inosuke drew himself up from her body then, his smile smug and cocky as he eyed the deep mark he left on her skin.
"I win."
-;-
She was mad.
He can tell by how by how she steered clear of him in the estate after that. She still had that light and innocent air surrounding her but when her eyes found his; it bristled like needles on his skin despite her calm façade. He thought back to whether he should apologize, but he knew there was nothing to apologize for, since it was part of the game.
I said 'have the neck' didn't I, or was it 'grab the neck'? ugh, I don't remember.
Although deep inside he knew he twisted the mechanics a little towards the end just so he can win,
But still, that can't be it.
He tried finding ways to confront her but she was always in the presence of the butterfly girls of the manor. It didn't matter to him whether they were alone or not, but when he attempted to grab her hand and drag her out, Aoi and the others would start throwing a fit about how rash he was at handling poor sweet Nezuko, shoving him out the room.
As if she wasn't snarling at his face like a wild animal this morning, he snorted to himself, pausing at the memory of her straddling him, her claws on his wrists as her warm breath fanned his cheeks and his mind turned blank.
Inosuke stood in the middle of the hall staring into space for who knows how long when he heard a gasp behind him, snapping him back to senses. He turned to the sound and saw a pink kimono disappearing at the corner of the hall and he grunted, walking in that direction, "Oy, Nedukon!" he called out.
Thunder rumbled again in the distance as he arrived at the turn, the heavy clouds casted a looming darkness within the manor at the impending storm. It was only the middle of the afternoon yet the skies look darker than it should be.
He sees her standing by the open deck, staring out to the horizon of trees and he approached, purposely putting weight in each step to inform her of his presence, as if she wasn't aware of him stalking her throughout the day. She only stood motionless with her back to him, watching the first drops of rain fall inconsistently for the nth time today as the gray light of the covered sun graced the side profile of her face. He can see the fading mark he left on her neck peeking out from the collar of her kimono and he stilled.
The teen watched her from the edge of the corridor, frozen and mind blank once again as he chose to bask in looking at her form from where he stood.
They remained that way for a while, with him staring at her, and her…
His eyes narrowed into slits, "hey." He started, noticing her stiffen at the sound of his voice, yet she remained unmoving despite her obvious intake of breath.
"Did you think I won't see you if you don't move?" He barked, eye twitching at her dumb idea, which was further backed up with her timidly turning to meet his dumbfounded stare. "What did you think I was an animal? Come here."
She huffed, rolling her gaze back to look out the open foyer as if it were more interesting than facing him.
"Are really ignoring me right now?" he asked darkly, direct, straight to the point and he sees her wince a little in embarrassment. She tensed when he drew closer and he narrowed his eyes at her wariness of him. She could snap his neck if she wanted to, why was she so scared? The boy was beside her now and she stayed still, her lips pursed on the bamboo mouth piece.
Inosuke bent his head until he was face to face with her, his form blocking her from the view outside.
He cocked an eyebrow when she turned away from him again, "are you mad?"
She ignored him.
"Do you want to bite me back?"
He wasn't surprised to feel Nezuko smack his face with both hands, her eyes glaring at him now. Right that was a stupid offer, he thought, his cheeks stinging. But what was he suppose to do with her avoiding him like the plague?
"Why the hell are you so mad then?"
She scoffed, and he can hear her click her tongue from under the bamboo mask, the air around her now flaring and in waves like it was trying to push him away even with the small palms still on his face. He tilted his head curiously studying her, unlike her brother who chooses every chance he can get to diffuse him, she was flowing with him, and the anger in her, although not deadly, was almost endearing considering the reason as to why.
"What is this? You're not suggesting I cheated last time did you?" half-heartedly amused when her own eyes widened incredulously as if asking how he had the guts to accuse her of accusing him. He swallowed his snigger with a cough as he covered the hands on his cheeks with his own, unconsciously taking a step closer to her.
"Even if I did, what are you gonna do about it?"
Nezuko started fuming under her breath, eyebrows set in a determined line as she slid her hands from his grip and reached up for his ears, tugging them roughly. The mood around her seemed to shift, the air now more probing into his person than pushing him away. He cocked an eyebrow, reading into her demanding glare.
"You want… a rematch?" at her firm nod, a smile crawled its way into his face, not fighting the rush of excitement that passed through his body at the thought of an upcoming challenge. Not one to waste a good opportunity to hone an ability, he racked his mind for skills he thought he can implement in this 'game' to further sharpen it. Swordplay was out of the question, although it left an interesting thought at the back of his mind.
Oh, he thought, as an idea popped into his head, why didn't I think of that before?
-;-
Shinobu entered her estate after her patrol finished in the neighboring village, the rain had finally let down, but with no signs of completely leaving seeing as the skies were still heavily gray. It was bad news that the sun stayed covered for such a time and if it weren't for the wisteria trees scattered around the property, they would've been open to a demon attack even in the middle of the day.
Speaking of demon, she thought back to the resident shadow walker living with them in the manor. It had been a while since the start the Kamado siblings' group's stay, with the Pillars finally accepting her presence in their lives as being a norm, her brother shouldering full responsibility over her, declaring that he would run to hell and back just to turn her human again. He had been going out on missions with lightning boy often now, taking mission after mission just so he can find a lead to the cure.
But recently, she had wondered why he would leave his sister with them instead of usually bringing her wherever he went. He had said they were inseparable, she pondered about the sudden change, thinking maybe Tanjirou didn't want to put his sibling in any face of danger, which was odd considering how Nezuko was usually the one who helped them out in when the situation becomes too much for them to handle.
The Insect Pillar was about to step inside the manor when she caught sight of a certain figure standing above one of the buildings within her estate.
"My, my, what a surprise this is," Shinobu said brightly, landing on the roof beside the motionless man, "I don't suppose you stopped by because you wanted to see me?" her smile eerily sweet, "ne, Giyuu?"
It wasn't actually a surprise to see the stoic man in her manor, but he'd usually stop by when the Kamado boy was present, all for training, either him alone or with the blonde boy. He rarely passed the route near her estate unless he only chose to visit if just to check on Nezuko as she was also a shared responsibility of his, his neck on the line. Or was it his stomach? She didn't think too much into it.
The Water Pillar didn't answer her, and Shinobu leaned over to see what he had been staring so intently at.
She blinked in surprise to see Inosuke, mask off and staring straight ahead, his steady breathing the only indication he was concentrating by the way he was standing so still. His hands were by his sides, loose and heavily bandaged. Was it from that night?
Although the boy chose not to wear his mask today, his silence never failed to disturb her knowing it was part of his nature to be noisy and reckless with his words and actions. But right now he was silent, and more importantly, ignoring their presence above him. She can never tell what he's thinking when he looked like that, when he looked so out of character.
He crouched suddenly, and they can hear a low cackle escaping his lips from where they stood.
His foot kicked the ground behind him, the force catching her by surprise as he bolted, the speed of which he took in catching her off guard, leaving only a cloud of dust in his wake. When his form disappeared in the thicket of trees beyond the manor, the man beside her jumped down to where the beast boy last stood, studying the ground.
Curious, Shinobu followed after him, "anything the matter?" she asked.
The Water Pillar squatted down, touching the soil when she stood closer to him, he asked, "They say he grew up in the mountains?"
The poison lady only tilted her head, smiling at his question, "I believe so, why do you ask?"
Giyuu was silent for a while before raising his head to the direction the green eyed boy flew to, fingers not leaving the icy ground, "it's nothing."
-;-
Inosuke leaped from tree to tree, his laughter filling in the silence of the forest when he landed in the middle of a small clearing, "I thought you wanted payback!" he yelled out to the trees, "So why does it look like it's another win for me?"
He waited for a while, not really expecting a reply. The forest around him was silent, the large trees looming and dark from the shadows the clouds casted above him. His finger twitched, savoring the feel of the air around him and the earthy soil on his feet. Birds and beasts all retreated at the sound of his voice. He knew because he felt them run away as soon as he landed on the ground, the vibrations they sent climbing up his feet.
He heard leaves from bushes rustle every now and then, but he knew they were nothing to worry about compared to a certain steady presence watching him from the tops of one of the trees nearby.
A tingling sensation wormed up his neck and he smirked, "I found you," his green eyes finally catching a pair of bright rose colored orbs from the shadows of the foliage.
Nezuko slowly stood from the branch she huddled at, eyes wide when he idly moved towards her location. How he found her even after giving her a 5 minute head start was beyond her and at the moment she'd rather not even ponder over it. He had suggested a game of tag, calling to be It, saying he wanted to 'spice things up a bit,' but then why does it seem like they're playing hide and seek instead?
Or more like predator and prey?
She leaped backwards, landing on a farther branch and he paused in his step for a second before resuming his solid strides, "you know you can't hide from me!" he said in a singsong voice, gaining speed now as he neared the tree she had been on, grabbing a low branch to haul himself up, climbing the length until the bough he stood on was leveled with her.
Wind passed between them, blowing the hair out of her face as she watched him cautiously, her feet ever so slowly bending and ready to bolt. The moment she saw him angle himself she rapidly whirled and bounded off the bark, just a moment before he had landed on where she had been standing moments ago, his grin bordering sadistic as the adrenaline of the chase rushed to his brain.
"Get back here, Nedukon!" he shouted after her, laughing all the while as he leaped after the girl, nearly closing the gap between them. His excitement was contagious and she was half-way close from squealing when his fingertips brushed the ends of her hair. He was so close now, she noticed, looking back to glance at him, not realizing they have traveled close to the edge of the property.
Inosuke's smile dropped as his eyes widened suddenly in alarm, causing the girl ahead of him to furrow her brows in confusion. "OY!" at the sharp sound of his voice she turned her head forward only to be met with the blinding view of purple and blues, all lined up like a heavy curtain in front of her path. The air around her suddenly thinned and Nezuko bit out a gasp as she dug her heels on a branch, the bough shaking at the unexpected force of her lopsided landing just a few feet from the towering wisteria tree. Its flowers swayed towards her, the sensation of flames materializing on her skin until she felt a rough force drag her backwards by the collar of her kimono, catching the wild green gaze of her pursuer as he pulled her towards him.
He was breathing heavily, staring cautiously at the sweeping drapes of the wisteria blossoms, one hand splayed in front of her body, as if acting as a barrier between her and the canopy of purple flowers. After a moment he quickly turned to face her, eyes scanning her body for any signs of injuries as if he knew what the tree can particularly do to her kind.
"Where does it burn?" he asked urgently, his hands now on her arms, turning them side to side checking for god knows what, "do your arms feel numb? How about your wrists" She was shaking her head to his inquiries but he ignored her, choosing to inspect her manually on his own, the expression on his face dark and unsettling, "do your eyes-"
Nezuko grasped the hands that had moved to her check her face and he stilled.
She watched him stare at her with unfocused eyes until they settled, and waiting until his breathing started to relax, she tilted her head upwards until the bamboo mask on her lips bumped his mouth, noticing the awareness coming back to him as he blinked.
The jade-eyed boy stiffened, releasing himself from her hold "Oy, Nedukon, what do you think you're—" he halted when she raised a clawed palm to his face.
He stared at it, confused, "what—" her thumb folded and his eyebrows rose.
"Hey—" her pointer folded as realization dawned on him, sprinting passed her as another finger dropped, "let's see if you can catch this!" he bellowed, loud and noisy again, bounding on the trees like an animal.
-;-
She caught him two hours later.
The two of them sat cross-legged in one of the gardens, flowers decorating their laps as their hands wove and braided through the stems, one begrudgingly tying knots together with a sulk.
Nezuko happily dropped a lacy flower crown over a dark blue head and Inosuke could only groan, muttering under his breath about how unfair it was that she only gave him 5 seconds, but then answering himself with an argument that no demon would give a human any second much less a head start.
He felt the presence of two approaching figures and turned his head to regard them boredly, "oh, the Pillars." was all he said before going back to wallowing in his defeat.
Giyuu raised an unamused brow but approached the two nonetheless, a serene looking Shinobu right behind him.
The young rose-eyed girl was on her knees and braiding the boy's soft locks, sticking flowers here and there, and the Water Pillar wondered whether the teen was aware of the image she was decorating him as or whether he just doesn't care. It was probably the latter.
The lady of the house sat beside them, plucking a stem of baby's breath from the boy's lap, "I didn't know our Inosuke was fond of flowers," she remarked, twirling the stem between her fingers, "did you, Giyuu?"
Said man narrowed his eyes, "I don't particularly care, Kochou."
Shinobu sighed, "This is why you don't have friends, Tomioka."
Before the other Pillar could reply, she turned her attention to the younger woman, "are those your favorite flowers, Nezuko?" she asked, smiling when the girl nodded brightly, offering her a red blossom from the many she placed on Inosuke's head.
"A Camellia, how sweet," She cooed, "from what I've known, it was said they meant love and red ones particularly talks of love, passion and deep desires."
Nezuko stood up, observing her handiwork with pride and clapping her hands together as if pleased. She had pulled back his hair into a braid that traveled from one ear to the other from under his neck, twisting until it formed ringlets at the back of his head held together by the stems she had inserted and tied, his bangs still in place but with the crown of red camellias enunciating the bright green of his eyes, he was a sight to behold.
Giyu wanted to cough. The boy looked so gorgeous it physically hurt.
Inosuke scowled, "are you happy now?"
The young woman nodded her head and he sighed, taking her hand and pulling her back down to a sitting position beside him.
The three of them can only blink when he in turn placed a crown of white flowers over her head. The weaving and arrangement of the leaves and blossoms so intricate that they look like snowflakes on her hair. They wondered if he was really the one who assembled it, but judging from the scattered petals on his lap and the sticking sap on his fingertips, there couldn't have been anyone else.
He smirked at her large starry eyes, "I'm amazing, eh?" to which Nezuko reached up, fondly tugging his ear in appreciation. The gesture not lost to the Hashiras as Giyuu narrowed his eyes.
"Baby's breath and primroses," Shinobu observed, undying devotion.
Inosuke raised a brow, "is that what they're called."
"is there a flower that you particularly liked, Inosuke?" the older woman asked, eyeing the teen as she watch his eyes follow Nezuko who bounced over to Giyu, showing him the snow-like wreath.
The blue haired boy scratched his cheek in thought as he leaned backwards on his free hand, staring up to the cloudy sky, "don't know what it's called though," he says offhandedly, eyes sliding back to the other girl as she now approached the Insect Pillar.
"Ah, but it exists," Shinobu smiles, "do you remembered what they looked like?" Nezuko settled herself against the butterfly woman, rose orbs fluttering close when she braided her hair. The petals of the crown were scattered on her head, the white blossoms contrasting her dark locks making her long lashes more pronounced by the pale flowers that draped the side of her face. She looked so delicate, as if she was a flower herself adorned in snow.
Inosuke only hummed as a distant memory surfaced in his mind, of shallow waters and large frosted leaves raised above a frozen lake.
He remembered small stubby fingers reaching for one of the icy bulbs as large palms closed over his, the hands soothing and warm like the sun peeking out the clouds on a bright afternoon, gentle despite the sharp claws attached to them.
"... Look at it carefully, Inosuke," a voice had whispered to him back then, a prickling in his tiny fingers, like frost disappearing into the air, "... look..."
He breathed out slowly, not noticing the cold fog that had escaped his lips as she slowly blinked awake, her rose colored eyes instantly meeting his own as if she knew he had been watching her for a while.
…And in his small hands, the flower bloomed, the opening petals beautifully bright and...
"Pink," he said, the air around them colder now as Nezuko held his emerald gaze, "they were pink."
-;-