OMG I finally finished this fic! I posting this quickly BUT BUT a few things I MUST ABSOLUTELY SAY:

- I DON'T KNOW FROM WHERE THE INSPIRATION TO WRITE THIS CAME, I was just writing and this thing just kept getting longer and longer, and at some I was just really surprise by how long it was becoming QwQ
- How to make the fics longer? Include the Kamado children. That's my only explanation as for the moment.
- It's my longest one shot so far QwQ

I don't really have time to reread it throughoutly, so if there are any mistakes or what not, I'll correct them later (I'm not totally satisfied with the summary grumble-grumble ùwú)

PLEASE ENJOY!


Day 5: Family

.
. . .

"We'll stay there for some time. A few days, maybe a few weeks, while things calm down here. Don't worry, they—the Kamado family—can be trusted. I've known them all my life."

.

When she opened her eyes, it took Shinobu a moment to remember where she was. She wasn't in her apartment with her sisters. She wasn't in Himejima's shop either. A face suddenly appeared in front of her, waking her up for good.

"You're awake, miss!" a girl whose name she didn't know exclaimed.

Shinobu was so astounded she couldn't answer immediately.

"Ah, Hanako!" a woman's voice came from the corridor. The mother—Kie, if she remembered correctly—called her daughter back. "You don't go waking up the guests like that."

"I'm sorry," Hanako apologised and returned with her mother.

"I'm really sorry for that," Kie's face appeared from the door. "You can take your time getting up, don't worry."

"Uhm, wait," despite her confusion, Shinobu was still certain of one thing: she didn't come her alone. The futon beside hers was empty. "Where is Tomioka-san?..."

"Ah, he's with the boys collecting some firewood. He has been up since a couple of hours now," Kie answered with a smile, before closing the door.

Shinobu looked outside the window: outside, the sun promised a nice day despite already being early autumn. She sighed. She woke up so suddenly that her body didn't have time to grace her with the usual morning headache, so she decided to simply get up immediately.

.

"Uhm, do you need any help, Kamado-san?" Shinobu asked shyly when she arrived at the kitchen.

"Oh, no, breakfast is almost ready. Don't worry and take a seat. Also, you can just call me Kie. We are all Kamado in this household!" she said with a smile.

"Okay, Kie-san."

The woman nodded in approval and continued cooking. With nothing to do, Shinobu simply did as she was told and took a seat at low table in the living room. While waiting, she curiously looked around. The house wasn't big—it was barely big enough for a family of seven, plus a couple of guests—but it was cosy. The walls were decorated with family photographs and children's drawings. There was a small altar with the photography of a man who seemed to be kind and affable. Giyū had told her before coming that the father of the family died a couple of years ago.

"It's time for breakfast!" Hanako arrived with several rice bowls, followed by one of her younger brothers who was holding chopsticks. The youngest one was attentively observing his mother's movements from behind her, gripping her apron.

"We are here!" at the same time, several persons entered the house almost in a blast.

One of them was Tanjirō, Kie's oldest son, followed close behind by a younger boy whose name Shinobu didn't know yet. This child looked more like their mother: he had a mole on his cheek, just like her. And behind them was Giyū, as expressive as always.

"Ah, nee-chan is finally up!" Hanako exclaimed the moment an older girl arrived. She was still in her pyjamas and rubbing her eyes, as if she had just woken up.

Kie emerged from the kitchen, still smiling.

"Everybody is here?" she asked, and the children answered loudly. "The food is ready!"

They were a bit cramped, but somehow, everybody got a seat. The younger siblings wanted to seat besides Giyū, and so he and Shinobu ended up seating apart. Kie sat on her right with her youngest son in her arms, while the still sleeping girl took a seat on her left. They said their thanks and started eating.

Shinobu quickly noticed how the younger siblings were curiously looking at her. Well, she couldn't blame them. They had arrived in the middle of the night, when they were already sleeping, almost unexpected. To them, it was as if they had just appeared from nowhere.

"Did they sleep here?" one of the younger boys asked with rice smeared on his face.

"Yes, they will be staying with us for some time," Kie answered while giving him a cloth to clean his face.

"Miss, miss, what is your name?" the older boy asked with interest.

Oh, right. She hadn't introduced herself to them yet, not even when they had crashed their place last night.

She smiled as she answered. "I'm Kochō Shinobu. Nice to meet you all."

The children's faces brightened. How nice! How pretty! They whispered among themselves. Shinobu couldn't help but giggle softly at their reactions.

"I'm Takeo!" the boy with a mole introduced himself. He was sitting between Giyū and the sleeping girl.

"I'm Hanako!" Hanako exclaimed next, sitting between Giyū's other side and the younger boy who introduced himself next.

"I'm Shigeru!" he said, still with food in his mouth, prompting his mother to scold him lightly.

"I guess you already know, but we didn't have the chance to introduce ourselves properly last night. I'm Kamado Tanjirō, and I'm the oldest son. Nice to meet you!" Tanjirō bowed politely and Shinobu bowed back. "The girl sitting beside you is my younger sister, Nezuko," he also introduced the sleeping girl, who was now lazily munching on some carrot. "She's always like that in the morning, sorry," he added with a sheepish smile.

"It's okay, don't worry," Shinobu said reassuringly. She was also tempted to add she behaved just the same in the morning, but that would be too much information to share.

"And this little one is Rokuta," Kie finished to present the youngest child.

"I'm fow year old!" the child exclaimed, making the whole table chuckle.

They continued eating, yet for some reason the children were still eyeing her with interest. Until it was Shigeru who dropped the unexpected question.

"Are you Giyū-nii's girlfriend?"

Giyū, who hadn't said a word during the whole meal, suddenly choked and started coughing. Shinobu just froze in place, a polite smile plastered on her face.

"Shigeru! You don't go asking people things like that!" Kie scolded her child again.

"But they look like a couple," Takeo said.

Shinobu's expression didn't move an inch. Inwardly, she was mortified.

"We're not… a couple," Giyū finally said once his coughing subdued; Hanako had handed him a cup of water and he thanked her wordlessly. "Kochō is just my colleague."

… Why were the children pouting in disappointment?

Fortunately, Tanjirō was there to bring some peace back at the table.

"Let's finish breakfast, shall we? There's a lot to do today too!"

Somehow, if it was their older brother, the children would gladly listen. Breakfast continued with merry chatter and no more embarrassing questions. Yet Shinobu didn't dare to look at Giyū in the eyes for the rest of the morning.

.

They arrived late last night. In the middle of the forest, in the mountains, only the moon and the stars provided some light. When Shinobu stepped out of the car, she shivered: it was cold outside, so cold. Giyū was already knocking at the door, quickly and quietly at the same time. A woman opened the door a few seconds later. The first thing Shinobu noticed were her eyes: they were kind, warm and gentle. Just like Kanae's.

"Auntie Kie…" Giyū's voice took her out of her contemplation. He was trying to say something, perhaps to explain things, but Kie didn't let him continue.

"It's okay. Urokodaki-san already told me you were coming. Enter, quick! Don't stay outside. Nights are getting colder these days."

And so, they quickly followed her inside, like little ducklings following their mother. Shinobu almost felt like a child again, and yet, it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. The woman looked at her curiously when she entered, and then kindly smiled at her.

"I'm Kamado Kie. Nice to meet you. I hope you'll have a nice stay," she bowed lightly.

"Oh, uhm!" Shinobu stumbled a bit with her words before bowing back. "I'm Kochō Shinobu. Thank you for having us. And sorry for arriving like this…" but Kie was already dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

"It's okay. It's really no problem at all. Tanjirō," she then called and a young boy arrived. Like his mother's, his eyes were kind too. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, mum," Tanjirō answered, and then he looked at them. "I'll sleep with my younger brother, so you can take my room. I already prepared futons for you."

"Thanks," Giyū said. "And sorry."

"It's okay! It's not a problem, we can always find a way to manage things. Also, it's nice seeing you again, Giyū-san," he answered with a bright smile and Shinobu saw how Giyū's lips curled upwards, just a tiny bit. "Ah, but you must be tired. It's late and it must have been a long ride to get here."

"It's also very cold tonight. Give them more blankets if they need it," his mother said.

"I would like that, thank you," Shinobu confirmed.

Tanjirō nodded and after settling them in his bedroom, he went to fetch a few more blankets. His room was neat and tidy, with a small low table at the corner as a desk. There were some schoolbooks and several pictures of his siblings. It was the first thing she noticed when they entered.

He had taken away his own futon to his brother's bedroom, and put two futons instead. They still smelled like have been put away for a long time, but they were clean. Tanjirō arrived a few moments later with a couple of blankets and bid them goodnight.

Only then did she allow herself to exhale slowly, calmly. The stress and adrenaline left her system, leaving her exhausted. She knew it already, that running away from police and rivals would be part of her routine in this life of thievery. Yet it still made her worry, it still made her chest ache with uncertainty. They were getting closer, too close for comfort, until Himejima urged them to run away and hide for the time being. For how long, they didn't know. Himejima was supposed to call them once things had calmed down. Giyū knew a place, and with just one change of clothes, they left in the early morning for a destination unknown to her. She didn't even have time to say goodbye to her sisters, she could only leave them a note saying she won't come back home for a while and asking them not to worry.

Sometimes, she just felt she was such a crappy sister to them. Sometimes, she would think she could have done better, even if there wasn't really anything she could have changed.

She turned her heard to the side. Even in the darkness, she could still tell that Giyū wasn't sleeping yet. He blinked from time to time and she could see his chest rise and fall slowly by the rhythm of his breathing. It didn't take him long to notice her staring at him, and looked back at her, as if asking what was going on. Her gaze returned to the ceiling, yet she still answered his unspoken question.

"Nothing. I'm just… a bit worried," she whispered.

He didn't answer right away. She still felt his gaze on her.

"Is it about your sisters?" he finally asked in a soft murmur. "Himejima-san will keep an eye on them."

Don't worry was left unsaid, yet still conveyed all the same in his voice. Shinobu knew already, and she trusted Himejima of course. Yet that heavy feeling still remained in her chest.

"I know," she said. "But this kind of situation always makes me worry."

She closed her eyes. No words were exchanged after that. In the middle of the darkness, she felt a hand taking hers. This hand was bigger than hers and it was warm. This hand squeezed hers gently, protectively. Everything will be alright, it seemed to say.

She felt asleep shortly after that, the unsettling feeling gradually fading away.

.

After breakfast, Shinobu was decided on helping the family around the house. She couldn't bear doing nothing while this family had kindly offered its house for them to hide and was doing everything to make them feel comfortable.

"Can I help you with anything?" she finally asked the girls, who were holding baskets full of recently washed cloths.

"We're going to hang the laundry outside. The weather is still good, so we're making the most of it. You can help us if you want," Nezuko agreed with a smile. Shinobu had noticed that after breakfast and a change of clothes, Nezuko was actually a very responsible and kind girl. She reminded her of her own sisters, and it warmed and tightened her heart at the same time.

Outside, the weather was indeed good. The sun shone brightly in the sky and there were no clouds hanging out. Shinobu followed the girls, cheerfully talking about everything and nothing. She learnt that Hanako never went to the city and she wanted to know everything about it. Nezuko went once on a school trip, and told her how impressed she was at the time.

The topics came one after another, the laundry was done.

"Oooh, so many sisters! And you don't have any brothers at all?" Hanako asked in awe when Shinobu told them she had sisters.

"No, only sisters," she smiled.

"A house with only girls! That's cool! I'd like to live in a house like that!" the girl exclaimed, but then, her expression quickly became less excited. "Though, I would miss my brothers. Especially onii-chan."

Shinobu tilted her head, curious. "I've seen that you depend a lot on Tanjirō-kun."

"Yes, that's true!" Nezuko confirmed. "Ever since dad died, everybody looks up to him. He's the eldest son, so it's natural that he feels responsible for us all," she added with a softer tone. "But fortunately, he was never alone and neither we were! There has always been people like Giyū-san and Urokodaki-san to help us! They helped us a lot, so we want to help back as much as we can too," she said with a smile.

Shinobu looked back at her in surprise. Considering Giyū's quiet and reserved nature, she would never have thought he could have such strong bonds with other people. Yet at the same time, it made sense to her. And she knew it, because his care extended to her even beyond the ties of simple colleagues.

Seems like you're actually liked quite a lot, Tomioka-san. The thought made her smile softly.

The morning went by peacefully. Giyū and Shinobu spent it helping around the house. The Kamado family was a numerous one after all; there was always something to do and even more so with two guests around. The mother was kind, the older siblings were friendly, the younger siblings were cheerfully boisterous. They lived a simple life almost entirely cut off from the world, and yet, they had no problems taking them in. In fact, they did it with such a kind disposition it seemed natural for them. And it felt right, she realised, as if she was always meant to meet them in this life, with Giyū beside her.

Lunchtime was even more lively than breakfast, but fortunately, the children didn't ask more embarrassing questions. Instead, they kept telling funny anecdotes about Giyū from when he was still living in the village. Shinobu memorised all of them to have something to tease him for whenever she would get bored. Hanako, particularly, had taken a liking to her, this time she wanted to sit beside her, so they could talk more about the city.

After lunch, Nezuko and Hanako brought Shinobu a little far from the house, on top of a big rock from where they could see the entire valley. The air got caught in her lungs. The landscape was beautiful, magnificent, breathtaking. She could see the surrounding mountains, the forest, the river crossing the tiny-looking village far away.

I'd like to bring Kanao, Aoi, and little ones here, so they can see too this great view, she thought. And nee-san too…

The sound of engine approaching made her suddenly wary. A truck was climbing up the mountain, getting closer and closer to the house. Did they find them already? Was it time for them to run away again? But Hanako's reaction made her calm down almost immediately.

"It's Urokodaki-san's truck! Urokodaki-san is coming! Mum!" and as soon as she said that, she quickly ran inside the house to inform her mother.

"Urokodaki-san comes from time to time to bring us stuff from the village," Nezuko explained to Shinobu. "He usually leaves quickly, but he might stay for dinner since Giyū-san is here. I'm sure he'd like to see him again. Ah, can you look for him? I'm not sure where he might be, but I think he's with onii-chan."

Shinobu's heart started to beat furiously in her ribcage, but she didn't let it slip through her expression. She must get over what happened in the morning. No, she still wasn't ready to face her feelings, but it didn't mean she couldn't act normally around him. Right?

"Okay," she simply nodded and started looking around.

The house might not be big, but the clearing was big and the forest around it was immense. She thought it would take time to look for them in the forest, until she heard Tanjirō's voice coming from somewhere behind the house. They were repairing some old furniture and talking at the same time. Or more like, Tanjirō was doing all the talking while Giyū just nodded from time to time. She couldn't listen clearly to what he was saying until she got closer, still from an angle where they couldn't see her.

"If I ask, will you tell me?" Tanjirō changed the topic of conversation, and the seriousness in his tone made her stop behind the wall. "About Shinobu-san."

She froze. She had sensed that the boy was perceptive, but she didn't expect him to directly ask Giyū about whatever was going between them.

(Because there was indeed something going on between them. It was just that… neither of them had acted upon it yet.)

"You really care a lot about Shinobu-san," he continued, apparently used to Giyū's silence.

How she wished to see Giyū's reaction, yet she couldn't. Although, at the same time, she was sure he didn't react at all.

"She's my partner," he simply responded.

"Well, yes," the boy conceded, yet she could tell by the sound of his voice that he wasn't totally convinced. "But I can smell it. You care about her a lot more than just a partner."

An odd silence settled in. It wasn't uncomfortable. It wasn't oppressive either. It was just… quiet. Tranquil. Until Giyū spoke again.

"… She's a friend."

"She must be a pretty important friend then. And pretty close too."

"Yeah."

And the conversation ended there. She sensed that Tanjirō got the answer he was looking for and was satisfied with it, but she wasn't sure if she was satisfied with it.

They were friends, yes. He was an important friend too. A close friend. Sometimes she wondered if they could be something else. Something more than friends. He had gifted her his sister's ring, something very valuable for him.

Perhaps she should dare and tell him her feelings someday.

In the end, she just quietly left her spot behind the wall. While returning to the front of the house, Shigeru ran past her, exclaiming "Onii-chan! Giyū-nii! Urokodaki-san is here!"

Urokodaki was an old man who was still healthy enough to drive his truck and work around the village. But perhaps his most distinctive trait was the red tengu mask he wore on all occasions. Shigeru quickly came back with Tanjirō and Giyū following close behind him. Neither had noticed Shinobu eavesdropping. Nezuko and Takeo were already helping to unload the truck when they arrived.

"Hello, Urokodaki-san!" Tanjirō beamed. "You came earlier than usual."

"It's because I have some pending business," the old man answered, and without saying anything else, he walked directly towards Giyū.

"Sensei…" the young man seemed surprised to see his old master (although… should he?) but couldn't say anything else as a fist landed on his head, making all the witnesses gasp in surprise.

"You brat! What did you do now to het into such troubles?" he scolded him.

He seemed very serious, almost angry, especially because of his mask. Yet Shinobu could still discern the underlying worry, the fatherly pride and affection the old man had for Giyū. Giyū himself didn't recoil from the man's fist, as if knowing he wasn't that serious to begin with. He just seemed surprised. And so, Shinobu couldn't avoid to laugh, even though she tried to stop herself. The old man looked at her curiously while Giyū shot her a mildly annoyed look.

"You must be Kochō Shinobu," the man said once he realised who she was. He bowed politely and Shinobu returned the gesture. "I'm Urokodaki Sakonji, Giyū's guardian."

"I'm an adult…" he weakly tried to protest, but shut up with just a glance from Urokodaki. He pouted, ever so slightly and it was so hard not to keep laughing. Oh goodness, she was going to tease him so hard after this, she knew it and she knew that he knew it already, just by the barely hidden desperate gaze he had on his eyes.

"I hope he's not giving you much trouble. He has a tendency to get into problems, even if he doesn't mean to," Urokodaki continued as if Giyū wasn't just beside him.

"No, not at all," Shinobu answered smiling, unable to suppress the mirth in her voice. Although this time she decided to cut him some slack. "He actually helps me a lot. Sometimes, I wouldn't have known what to do if he wasn't with me. I'm glad we work together."

Urokodaki hummed at her answer, but she wasn't listening to him anymore. She had noticed the way Giyū was looking at her. It was… odd, but not unpleasant. Deep purple locked with deep blue, and they silently held a conversation devoid of words, full of intent. Shinobu was sure, if he kept looking at her like that, she would eventually be able to float in the air, just like Kanao's soap bubbles.

"Woah! Urokodaki-san brought salmon!" Takeo's excited voice came from the back of the truck, cutting their silent connexion. Shinobu felt her cheeks warming up and she quickly looked away, and Giyū did the same.

"We still have a lot of fresh vegetables, we can make a feast tonight!" Tanjirō added, coming while holding a crate full of potatoes. "Urokodaki-san, will you stay for dinner?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"Perfect! Mum!" the boy exclaimed as he went inside.

"Shinobu-san, is there any food you like?" Nezuko asked her. "We still have some radishes left, so we're making salmon with radish for Giyū-san," and Giyū's eyes immediately lit up.

"Uhm. I like Ginger tsukudani," she answered.

"I also brought ginger," Urokodaki said.

"Yes, I found it!" Takeo waved a bag full of ginger from the truck.

"Nice! We actually never made it before, but I think mum has the recipe somewhere," Nezuko clapped her hands in delight.

"Wait, I can help too!" Shinobu quickly exclaimed.

Everybody helped with dinner preparations. They were even more cramped at the table, however they still managed to sit all together for dinner. They all happily dug in their plates. The ginger tsukudani was delicious; Shinobu had made it with Kie's help and for a split of a second, she saw her as her mother too. It was hard to not react to Giyū's smile when he ate his salmon with radish. Urokodaki actually never took off his mask. The children were still loud, but less than during the day. Bedtime was slowly approaching, and although they wanted to stay up a little longer, it only took Tanjirō's gentle nudging to send them to bed. Nezuko excused herself too: she simply loved sleeping. Kie served some tea before leaving with an already sleeping Rokuta in her arms.

The atmosphere around the table became serious, severe. It was Urokodaki who pulled out the main subject of their discussion.

"How long will you stay here?" he asked gravely.

"We don't know," Giyū answered with a sigh, eyes locked on his cup of tea. He still hadn't touched it yet. "Until Himejima-san call us back."

"I see."

The silence dragged, oppressive. Not even the sweet taste of tea could lighten it.

"Maybe you should start to consider stopping," the old man suddenly said. "Maybe you should reconsider your objective."

Even if that suggestion wasn't intended for her, it still made Shinobu's chest tighten painfully. Him? Stop? She had never considered that possibility before. He had never clearly stated his motives to her, she only had a vague idea of his goals. And it wasn't because of lack of insistence from her, not at all. He simply talked very little about himself. She knew very things about him, and sometimes, it would just infuriate her.

Giyū didn't answer right away, but Tanjirō agreed with him.

"He's right, Giyū-san. If it becomes even more dangerous, you should really reconsider it. You already did everything you could do. You can still come back here and have a normal life."

She could tell they we're not talking for the mere sake of saying something. They we're worried about him as family.

Giyū took at sip of tea before answering.

"Not yet," he finally said. "There are still things to be done."

Urokodaki sighed in acceptance of his defeat, Tanjirō simply nodded in understanding, both of them as if they were expecting this response, but ultimately, neither of them tried to convince him further. Shinobu's pain suddenly subdued.

"And you?" Urokodaki asked her unexpectedly. "What will you do?"

Shinobu stared for a few moments, unsure about how to answer. If it were for her and sisters' peace of mind, then maybe yes, she should stop. But she also did this for them, to support them. Kanao and Aoi were still in high school, and the little ones will soon start middle school next year. And Kanae. There was still no cure for her. She was still in the hospital, just watching the days passing by. Shinobu couldn't stop yet. Like Giyū, there were still things she had to do.

"I'm not stopping either," she finally said with resolve. "There are still things I have to achieve."

The eyes of the tengu mask looked right into hers, as if they could bore into her very soul. Yet she didn't waver. Upon seeing the extent and seriousness of her determination, Urokodaki silently nodded, respectful of her decision.

.

Staring at the ceiling, Shinobu found it hard to sleep. Thoughts kept swirling in her head, making her unable to close her eyes. She had to let them out somehow. She looked at her side. Despite the darkness, she could still discern Giyū's figure laying down next to her.

"Tomioka-san," she whispered. "Are you sleeping?"

She heard some movement and then saw a pair of blue eyes looking at her. It was his way to say "no". She bit her lip, unsure to what to say first, until she decided to settled for a topic, she felt, she deserved to have some answers.

"Will you finally tell me your true motives?"

The eyes stopped looking at her. He was staring at the ceiling instead, still feeling her gaze piercing holes into his head.

"I'm looking for my sister," he finally answered. His voice was so soft it didn't even break the silence. "Our parents died when we were still young, so she went to the city to find work so she could support both of us. She would call home every day, but one day she stopped calling. I wanted to look for her, but I didn't have the resources. So, I started pickpocketing. Then, I committed burglaries. I would pick up any clues I would find along the way. And then, I met Himejima-san. And you."

He looked at her again once he finished his story. She could see in them the small, almost hidden glint of hope. Everything he had done was for his sister.

They were quite alike, weren't they?

She let out a half-amused sigh.

"In the end, everything we do is for our families, uh?" she closed her eyes and opened them again. "Say, that ring. Your sister's ring. Why did you give it to me? It was certainly something very precious to you."

A deep breath. Eyes returning to the ceiling.

"You are… too important to just receive something gotten during a robbery," he finally said in a whisper.

(Again. Her heart skipped a beat. Finally, he told her straight how important she was to him. She suspected it was thanks to Tanjirō's prodding. She should thank him someday.)

She breathed slowly, trying to calm down her fast-beating heart. It did little to help her.

"… thank you," she said after a long time. "We're working together for almost four years now and you just said it now, though. You really should speak up more, you know?" she added teasingly.

(She had no doubt about his honesty. But sometimes, she just wished he could open up more to her.)

No answer came. Silence settled in, but she didn't mind. This silence was peaceful again.

"If we stop these activities…, will you come back here?" she asked instead.

"I think so. It's the most simple and logical decision."

"Mmmh," she nodded, considering his answer. "That's nice. To have a place where you can return and people who will receive you with open arms no matter what."

"I'm sure they'll also gladly receive you if you ask them," he said. She looked at him surprised. "With your sisters too."

"… I don't doubt that."

She felt warm, and not only because of the blankets. And somehow, the filters in her brain stopped working.

"But actually, I'd like to stay by your side a while longer…"

Deaf silence. He didn't answer and she slowly realised what she had just said. She almost jumped out of her futon.

"I-I mean! I-its… This partnership! Yes! I don't want it to end yet! I'd like to keep working together!" she exclaimed

"Uhm, Kochō…" she heard some movement until he stopped. "Your voice…" and she realised she was also being loud.

"Ah!" she gasped, and then quickly covered her mouth with her hands. "Sorry…"

Mortified, Shinobu pathetically buried herself under the covers. Stupid Tomioka-san, aaah! She cursed him inwardly without really meaning it. She had already noticed over the years how her walls would slowly crumble whenever she was around him, until they were completely gone, and yet she always managed to keep it to herself, to not let show anything that might be happening in her heart. And eventually, tonight it slipped.

In the almost pitch-black room and too busy trying to hide herself from nobody, Shinobu didn't see Giyū's soft smile. It was small, yet hopeful. Perhaps naïve, but sincere. Innocent, even.

"I also still want to work with you," he said in a soft murmur, and the sound of his voice made her stop moving. "It's nice spending time with you. I trust you."

Shyly, she took a peek from under the covers and saw blue eyes looking at her. They glistened with kindness, admiration, even care. Time came to a stop as they looked into each other's eyes. She had forgotten how many times it happened during the day. But only now she felt at peace while doing so.

(Ah, this was bad. Over time, she had become attached to this man. And everyday she was reminded how much she cared for him.)

"Then, let's promise to keep working together even if we stop doing this," she said, and even she was surprise by how confident her own voice sounded. She extended her hand. "Unless you're already tired of me, Tomioka-san," she added, teasing him lightly.

She heard a sigh, but she knew he wasn't actually annoyed.

"I would never get tired of you, Kochō," he said and she was glad he couldn't see her reddening cheeks in the darkness.

He took her hand in his and they shook hands, like they did when they started their partnership. His hand was warm and his grip was firm, reassuring. It felt like the renewal of a promise still kept. A promise that, perhaps, they will still keep for a long time.

Shinobu finally felt relief. There were certainly still things to sort out and the future certainly had its fair share of uncertainties and unexpected events for them. But for now, she felt at ease in this tiny heaven hidden from the world, a place she knew she had the right to be in.

.

Himejima called one day. It was safe for them to return.

Farewells were actually very hard. The children didn't want them to go, and only relented after a lot of explanations from Kie and Tanjirō. They were almost ready to go. Kie even gave them bento boxes: the trip back would be long, and she insisted they needed something to eat along the way. They both accepted them gratefully.

"Will you come back, Shinobu-san?" Hanako asked with teary eyes.

"Please, come back! Pretty please!" Shigeru exclaimed.

"Com'back!" Rokuta cried too.

"Giyū-nii, you have to bring Shinobu-san back!" Takeo urged him.

"Uhm…" Giyū seemed at lost at such request.

"Come on, that's not for him to decide," Nezuko chuckled and the children pouted in chagrin.

"They'll really miss you, Shinobu-san," Tanjirō said, and then added with a small sad smile. "Well, I think we'll all miss you, both of you."

Shinobu couldn't help but laugh softly. Maybe, in other circumstances, she would have indeed stayed here for longer. But they had to go, and they couldn't delay their departure much more. She crouched at the children's eyelevel and gave them her biggest smile ever.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we'll see each other again. I really like this place, so I'd like to come back here someday," she said and their faces brightened again. "Maybe I'll come with my sisters."

"That would be wonderful!" Kie nodded. "Maybe it will be a bit crowded inside the house… Ah, but don't worry! We'll manage somehow," she said smiling.

It was time to go. As Giyū and Shinobu got into the car, the family wished them a safe trip. But before they could definitively leave, Kie quickly approached Shinobu's window, motioning her to open it and she did with a puzzled expression.

"You know you are always welcome here," Kie said with kindness. "If you ever need help, don't hesitate to come back with us. We will always gladly take you in."

Shinobu couldn't answer right away, touched by the woman's kindness. She suddenly felt like crying and jumping and hugging her at the same time. But she had managed to hold back her tears in front of the children, it wasn't the moment to let them freely fall now. So, instead she smiled with sincerity, trying to control at least that tremor in her voice of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you, Kie-san,"

The family waved them goodbye as they descended the mountain, and Shinobu waved back at them until they couldn't see them anymore. They soon left the village, following the river. She watched the scenery go by in silence. They could barely hear the radio broadcasting the morning news.

"I miss them already," she finally said after a moment, and Giyū simply hummed back in agreement.

It fell quiet between them and for the remainder of their trip back. It was melancholic, and yet infinitely comforting at the same time.

. . .
.


~A few notes about this fic:~
■ This is a continuation of Reasons to celebrate together from last year's week. It is set in the same AU.
■ Yes, Shinobu will eventually come again to visit with her sisters, and that's how Tanjirou and Kanao met adsadsdadasd
■ In case it wasn't clear enough, this fic is set in modern setting. The Kamado family has access to electricity and running water, but they still use firewood for heating.

I'm honestly very tempted to make a full-ass AU out of this idea, but I doubt I'll write more fics for it, so I'll certainly make notes I'll post on Tumblr ssdsadadada

I think this time I'm really demanding for comments asdasdfad (?) Ok ok no, but honestly I'm really excited and proud of this fic, I didn't think I would be able to pull such a long piece for GiyuShino week, if you're excited like me, I'd just really like you to share that excitement with me, that would be really nice QwQ

Anyway, I really hope you liked this fic uwu Keep enjoying GiyuShino week and see you soon! nwn