Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Light Spice

Plot: After a nightmare, Giyuu calms his boyfriend down

Manga Spoilers

TW: mention of past abuse and homophobia

Scars

Damn! This one's a bit of a tough one. I have to finish it off quickly. Obanai thought to himself as the demon he was flighting lashed out again. He swiftly dodged and went to strike, hoping to take its head off.

However, the demon ducked and shot a claw straight upwards. Obanai gasped in shock as he felt the claw catch his bandages, ripping them clean off. He faltered, stumbling back, a hand covering his face as he felt himself starting to tremble with fear. The one thing he hoped to hide for good was now out in the open.

His scars.

They were long and jagged from being sliced open. The blood spilled was fed to the demon his family worshipped. The memory of that painful incident flashed through his mind. He looked over at the pillar who was accompanying him for this mission.

"O-Obanai?" Giyuu stuttered, a horrified look on his face. "You- you look-"

"I know ... I know I look heinous ... this is why I tried to hide it from everyone ... from you," Obanai replied, starting to choke on a small sob.

"Rightfully so," Giyuu scowled. "I can't bring myself to be with someone like you. I hope that demon finishes you off." With that, the water pillar walked off.

Obanai felt himself starting to cry harder. But he couldn't say he blamed Giyuu. Why would someone as pretty as Giyuu want to be with someone as ugly as him?

A sick chuckle rang out from behind him. Obanai slowly turned to see that the demon he was fighting was transforming. His eyes widened in horror when he recognized the demon's new form.

It was the very same demon that had made his childhood a living hell. The reason he had these scars in the first place.

"Of course he left you!" she sneered. "A pair of men dating? Those types of relationships aren't meant to last. It's just unnatural!"

"You're wrong," Obanai growled. "I just found the wrong one, that's all."

"And you never will," the snake demon chuckled. "Look how big you've gotten, Obanai. Just the right size I've been waiting for!"

Obanai felt himself freeze up with fear as the demon grabbed him. He couldn't believe it. He had escaped, hoping to avoid this fate. And now here he was, about to die by this demon's fangs anyway! He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the sharp pain of her teeth.

CRUNCH!

Obanai's eyes snapped open and he sat up, breathing heavily. That crunch ... was that my spine crunching?! Am I dead?!

Wildly, he looked around. But he didn't see anything that resembled the afterlife.

I'm at the Water Estate ... it was just a dream ... just a really horrible nightmare. Obanai told himself as he started to calm down. He looked next to him.

Laying beside him was Giyuu, who was sleeping.

God ... he looks so peaceful sleeping like this. So calm and at ease ... he deserves it. Obanai thought fondly as he watched Giyuu sleep. He seems to be really deep in it ...

A thought struck Obanai's mind. Throughout the time he and Giyuu were dating ... never once had Obanai kissed his boyfriend. He had always been hesitant to take his bandages off. He wasn't sure how Giyuu would react. Obanai firmly believes that Giyuu would think it was weird and freaky. Maybe he'd even break up with him. After all, that's what happened in the dream. It seemed so real. Maybe it was foreshadowing something of sorts?

Still ... Obanai really wanted to kiss Giyuu. And since he was asleep, now might be his chance.

Hesitantly, Obanai removed the bandages from his face, revealing the long, jagged scars he has had since childhood. He stared at Giyuu's sleeping figure for a few moments longer. Carefully and slowly, Obanai reached a hand out and gently brushed the hair out of Giyuu's face, revealing his forehead a bit.

Obanai swallowed nervously. This was it. His chance. Hesitantly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Giyuu's forehead. He closed his eyes a little at the soft feeling of Giyuu's skin against his lips. After a moment, he pulled away and pulled his bandages back up and over his face. Giyuu remained asleep, but a light blush sprawled across his face.

Obanai smiled at the sight. But that smile vanished as Giyuu slowly blinked his eyes open. The half-awake pillar looked up at Obanai.

"How long were you staring at me?" Giyuu asked.

"Only a few moments," Obanai responded, trying to hide his nervousness. But his heart was still pounding so hard, he was sure Giyuu could hear it.

"You okay? You seem a little out of it," Giyuu asked. His normally expressionless face showed a bit of concern.

"I-I'm fine," Obanai responded, looking away a bit.

Giyuu sat up to face his boyfriend. He looked around a bit. "Hey, um ... it's still dark in here. Why are you up?"

"Nightmare," Obanai blandly replied.

"Want to talk about it?"

Obanai stiffened a little. Should he?

Giyuu wrapped his arms around the smaller pillar and pulled him into a hug. Obanai hugged back as the events of the dream continued to play in his mind. His eyes welled with tears a bit, but he didn't mind. He knew it was safe to get emotional like this around Giyuu. He didn't want to let that stupid nightmare make him think less of his boyfriend.

"You won't ... ever leave me ... right?" Obanai asked.

"Of course not," Giyuu said sternly, but gently. "Was that what your nightmare was about?"

"... Yeah."

"Why did I leave you in the dream?"

Obanai took a moment to think about how to phrase this. "My bandages fell off ... and you saw how I look. You got freaked out and left me to die by the demon that ... did this to me."

Giyuu squeezed his boyfriend tighter. "I don't really care about looks. It's not what I look for in a partner. I love you for who you are on the inside. I know it sounds cliche, but it's true."

"Thanks, Gi," Obanai murmured.

The two sat in silence a bit more as they held each other. Then Giyuu spoke up again. "You know ... I had a dream you kissed my forehead. It was really cute."

Obanai turned bright red at this. "O-Oh, really?

"Yeah. That dream also felt pretty real," Giyuu said.

"... that's because it did happen," Obanai whispered softly.

Giyuu's eyes widened as his face turned red. "You ... actually kissed me?"

Obanai feebly nodded. He stared at the floor, embarrassed. "I ... did it to try to reassure myself. I wanted to do it, but I had always been afraid to show you how I truly look."

"I understand. Take all the time you need to gain your confidence. Just remember I won't judge."

"I know you won't. That's why ..." Obanai pause to look up at Giyuu. "That's why I'm feeling confident enough to show you."

"Really? Are you sure?" Giyuu asked.

Obanai nodded again. "I'm sure. I think it would help me with that nightmare. Knowing how you'd truly react."

"Understood."

Obanai slowly lifted his hands and hooked his finger tips to the top of the bandages. Slowly, he pulled them down.

It was dark in the room, but Giyuu was still able to make out the scars in the moonlight that filtered through the window. He was also able to see that Obanai's eyes were filled with a mix of hope and nervousness. Giyuu slowly reached a hand out and gently ran a thumb over one of the scars. The flesh felt a little bumpy and tough. A complete contrast to Obanai's smooth, soft skin. It felt neat. "Oba ... you're beautiful."

Obanai's face turned red and he averted his eyes. "You're just saying that to help assure me, aren't you? I know you won't judge me for my scars. But there's no way they make me look beautiful."

Giyuu cupped his face and made eye contact with him again. "I would never lie to you. They're a part of you. That makes them beautiful."

Obanai's blush deepened. What did I do to deserve him?

Without thinking, the Serpent Pillar leaned forward. Giyuu noticed what he was going for and leaned in as well. Giyuu had frequently kissed Obanai where his lips are through the bandages.

But they had never fully connected their lips before.

The fact they were about to caused the two's heart rates to speed up.

They continued to lean in until their mouths connected in a passionate kiss. The two hummed into the kiss, enjoying the feeling. Obanai wrapped his arms around Giyuu's neck, climbing into his lap and straddling it. Giyuu helped keep him steady by wrapping his arms around his waist. The kiss gradually got heated. Especially when Giyuu gently nipped Obanai's bottom lip. Obanai gasped in surprise, which allowed Giyuu to push his tongue in. Obanai felt his blush deepen and he kiss back, intertwining his tongue with Giyuu's.

Holy shit ... if I had known this is what taking my bandages off would lead to, I would have done this a long time ago. Obanai thought to himself as he pressed himself against his lover, wrapping his legs around Giyuu's waist.

Giyuu responded to this by leaning forward, gently pushing Obanai to the floor and on his back with Giyuu on top. He broke the kiss only to start planting small ones on Obanai's scars, jawline, and neck. Obanai gasped in shock before letting out tiny moans. He wrapped his arms around Giyuu's torso, gripping his back. "Gi ... Giyuu~" he whimpered.

"Mmm~" Giyuu hummed in response before moving his lips right to Obanai's sweet spot.

The smaller male let out a small yelp. "G-Gi! Right there!" he panted.

Giyuu smirked a little and continued to kiss the spot, gently sucking and licking at it. Obanai softly moaned and tightened his grip on Giyuu's back.

Eventually Giyuu pulled away and admired the mark he had left. Obanai stared up at his boyfriend, a small smile on his face as he panted a little.

"Feeling better, darling?" Giyuu asked.

Obanai nodded. "Much. Thank you, love."

"No problem, Oba," Giyuu replied, snuggling up to Obanai. "No problem at all."