"Tengen, are you sure that was a good idea?" "Absolutely! Do you really think the man who has three wives and has managed to keep them all happy for years wouldn't know a thing or two about romance?" Giyuu stayed silent as he sat in Tengen's living room as they shared some tea. "Have you had any of your wives threaten to kill you and nearly succeed? Twice?" Giyuu looked to the man with a dull expression which caused Tengen to lose some of his confidence. "Well no... But! You're still alive! If Hasinaw actually wanted to kill you I don't doubt she would've, hell we saw what she did to Shinazugawa. I don't doubt after the meeting he had to go to Kocho's estate just to have his head examined." Giyuu sighed as he remembered the two impacts Shinazugawa took from Yae's revolver. "As much as I worry for what trouble Yae may get in for that, I would be lying if I didn't believe it wasn't... Satisfying."
Tengen perked up and smiled as he grew curious. "Am I sensing animosity towards him Giyuu?" Giyuu wasn't quite sure how to explain and looked for the best words. "I do not hate Shinazugawa, even if he does hate me. However ever since I saw the bruises he left on Yae's neck when he ambushed her, I will not deny I held it against him. Iguro's disregarding of her also annoyed me, immediately disregarding her value all because she was not Hashira with us that night." He smiled as he remembered how quick she was to assert her own strength against Iguro and not to be assumed she was lesser. "As I said I don't hate them, but to see them recieve something akin to punishment for their attitudes is satisfying." Tengen laughed as he finished his cup. "Maybe you should use more of that silver tongue of yours to give your own jabs back to them. If you think it's deserved it might be fun."
Giyuu grunted softly as it was considerable, but wouldn't help with making things between them all. "Do you still think you'll go to Hell Tengen?" Tengen was caught off guard as he didn't realize Giyuu had known him for so long by now that he use to say it out loud in his presence. Tengen let out a cough to clear his throat as he looked to his friend. "Honestly? Yes. I only ever stopped saying it out loud to make my wives happy, I still feel that guilt of what happened with my family. Are you asking because you think you deserve Hell for what happened with her?" Giyuu nodded as he thought maybe it was a good idea to make a joke. "Whichever of us dies first, reserves the spot for the other?" Giyuu poured himself a fresh cup and held it in the air to toast. Tengen broke out into a laughter but mirrored the action. "If the demons don't kill us, maybe the women in our lives will for talking like this." A sharp clank could be heard as the two men shared a moment of camaraderie.
The two men heard the front door open as their moment of male bonding ended. "We're home gentlemen!" "Hasinaw-chan really is able to cook, those pancakes were actually quite lovely." "Tomioka-sama, you have visitors." Giyuu raised his brow as he stood up from his seat and walked to greet the women and his supposed visitors. "I would hope Yae was a polite... Host?" Giyuu asked as he saw the women, and found all energy left his body as he saw them. "Torakkā? Yotogi?" Giyuu was hesitant to move forward as he saw the crow and dog he'd spent months and years knowing that attacked him the day before in front of him. Yotogi flapped her wings and took flight which caused Giyuu to throw his arms in front of his face to protect himself. He was pleasantly surprised to feel he wasn't being attacked, but instead felt his head being used as a nest. "Huh?" "We are sorry Giyuu."
Giyuu slowly raised his hands over his head and grabbed Yotogi, happy that his fingers weren't attacked by her beak as well. He held Yotogi in his hands before him as he slowly rubbed his thumb against her head. "Sorry?" "Yes, we are sorry for attacking you when you came home. We saw Yae was hurt, she cried when she screamed your name, we just wanted her to be safe. We attacked you because we thought you would hurt her again, even if you're family. We are sorry." She rubbed her head against Giyuu's thumb before sitting back down on his head, finding his hair comfortable. "Torakkā?" Giyuu watched as she slowly walked up to him and began to lick the hand she bit the day before. "You're both forgiven, you two only wanted to keep Yae safe. You did good." Giyuu began to give Torakkā scratches at the base of her tail and under her chin and she quickly fell to the floor like she always had.
"You also have a letter from Yae." This caused Giyuu to stop his movements much to the dismay of Torakkā. "... A letter?" Giyuu asked cautiously as Yotogi jumped onto Torakkā's side. Giyuu finally saw that it was attached to Yotogi's leg and slowly took it, however not reading it yet. The anxiety and questions this letter caused left Giyuu feeling a weight had laid in his stomach. "Does anyone here know what is inside this letter?" The animals shook their heads much to his dismay, and even the Uzui's seemed to not have any answers. His head hung in weariness as he slowly undid the folds, his eyes closed as he opened it. Even with the letter in front of him and ready to be read he was still scared as to what he was about to read. "Tengen, I'll secure my spot first." The women were left confused as Giyuu slowly opened his eyes and read the letter.
"Giyuu, Makio told me everything about what you thought. Not just in what was written while you were drunk, but how you see and value yourself. I want you back in one weeks time and we are having a long conversation about EVERYTHING. Not just the confession, not just how we feel, I do in fact mean everything. This is not for debate. You left your haori from Tsutako and Sabito with me, and so I leave Torakkā with you. Prized possession for prized possession to help comfort each other while we're separated. I know you're beating yourself up. You better take care of yourself, because I'm not allowing only one of us to do so while we wait to see each other again. I'm safe, and I shouldn't need to ask you to do the same. If you don't come back home on your own I will drag you home myself. The next time you say you love me better be in person. I love you too dummy. Your Sunshine, Yae."
Giyuu read the letter over and over, more specifically, the last line. She still loved him, even after what he'd done. She wanted him back home. He knew this letter was written and thought out only by her, it was as straightforward as how she spoke. Giyuu felt every worry and weight on his shoulders suddenly be lifted off and he fell onto his back. "Tomioka-sama?!" "Is the letter that bad?!" "Oh dear... And the visit went so well." They all started to hear a small laugh, one coming from the man they had just seen fall over. He was smiling wide and clear as his laugh only grew in energy. "What a woman." Hinatsuru grabbed the note and quickly skimmed through it, covering her mouth with her fingers as she let out a giggle. "It seems you really do have a good woman by your side Tomioka-sama." Giyuu rested his arm over his eyes as Yotogi sat on his chest and Torakkā laid next to him. "Tengen? I think I may have found Heaven instead."
Giyuu had found himself in a good mood now as he learned Yae still cared for him and waited for his return. "Torakkā, Yae says you will be staying with me until we return home. I left her my haori, and she leaves you with me. I hope no one here minds that?" Suma was the first to agree with the idea as she could continue to spoil the dog. "Yotogi, I will be returning a note to Yae so I will have you deliver it to her when you leave." The young crow bowed as as her wings fluttered. "Your words are trusted Giyuu." Giyuu finally stood up as he placed Yotogi back into his hair. "I will make dinner for everyone, I feel... Good." Giyuu began to walk to the kitchen without hesitation. Hinatsuru gasped slightly as she tried to stop him. "Tomioka-sama you're our guest though, please we-" Makio placed a hand on Hinatsuru's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Hasinaw already made us a pretty good breakfast, and she said before we left HE'S the better cook. Do you really want to miss out on being the one cooked for again?" Hinatsuru only needed a moment before following Giyuu with a smile. "Allow me to show you what we have available for you to use."
Yae was making dinner for Shinobu and Mitsuri as they seemed eager to stay after being told just what was happening with Giyuu. Shinobu seemed exceptionally annoyed with learning how much value he placed on others and forgetting himself. Yae assumed it had to be partly from how Shinobu couldn't decapitate demons, but decided to not prod into private affairs. Mitsuri seemed heartbroken but had an understanding look to her from what Yae could read. She smiled with a wicked intent as she realized Giyuu had multiple people he was going to have to deal with for his negative views of himself. "Yeah this is gonna be fun." She laughed as she came back from the kitchen bringing the sukiyaki to the center of the table. "So then Yae, what are you planning to do once Giyuu comes back?" Shinobu asked as she watched Yae return to the kitchen to grab more food.
"Yell at him for being dumb, remind him just how much value he gives this world, we talk about our feelings, kiss him and call him mine, remind him to never undermind himself again or I will show him I'm as capable to anger as I am to love." Yae answered simply as she placed down some gyoza and finally took her seat. Mitsuri smiled quickly at her friend rather than the food. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see this finally happening!" She squealed as she started to kick her feet. Mitsuri quickly felt a dumpling stuffed into her mouth and focused on eating instead. "I can already tell you were about to ask about a wedding." Yae groaned even if her face was still painted with blush. Mitsuri stopped eating as she looked confused. "How did you know?" "Because you did that the first time you ate his cooking!" Shinobu shook her head with a smile as she enjoyed the hot pot. Even if she couldn't have her ginger she wasn't going to deny Yae was a good cook.
"What are you going to do though really? It's obvious you're still hurting from his omission, but now you're eager to bring him home and act like you're past things. We're your friends so even if you may not like it, we care about you and need to ask these things." Shinobu explained as she ate some beef and cabbage. Yae took in a deep breath before putting her thoughts to words. "You're right. I am still upset about it. But now I'm also upset about how this loveable idiot gave me everything, helped me become strong, and so much more, thinks he himself wasn't good enough for anything he's accomplished. I can't do anything about what he didn't tell us or my father because it's in the past, but his issues are in the present and I can at least do something about that. If he can learn to feel that way, he can learn to unfeel it." She ate some of her food before continuing. "It isn't going to be clean or pretty. It's going to be raw and unfiltered, but he'll know I'm being as honest as I can be. Knowing him, that's the only thing he'll want from me." Yae smiled to herself as she now just needed to wait a week to see him again.
Shinobu hummed and nodded her head and grabbed a dumpling. "I don't know what I'll do, too many ideas to think of. But this week will give me the time to think of something." Both Yae and Mitsuri could feel the evil aura radiating off their friend and almost felt scared for what she was going to do compared to them. Mitsuri sighed as still thought of how she wasn't the only Hashira who had issues of self worth. "I can't believe Tomioka-san has to deal with problems of self worth too..." She laid back on the floor and was happy she was at least in a better place, but now worried how long it would take to help Tomioka-san. "Care to enlighten us on that?" "Are you alright Mitsuri?" She sat back up to see her friends, Shinobu showed mild concern and Yae's eye was actively twitching with impatience.
Mitsuri realized she said that outloud and knew she wasn't going to escape this with Yae around. She accepted her fate and used the food to comfort herself. "My first marriage proposal went horribly wrong all because of my hair, my appetite, and my strength. The man said I was lucky to find a wild animal that would take me as a wife. After that I dyed my hair back to its natural color and I stopped eating as much. I pretended to be a normal girl. I managed to get another marriage proposal, but because I had to fake who I was none of it felt right. I didn't love myself for who I was so I questioned if I would even be able to love them. I ran away and joined the Corps, and you two know the rest." Mitsuri sat in silence as she tried to guage the reactions of her two friends. They all sat in silence as Mitsuri only got more worried.
"Hey Shinobu?" "Yes Yae?" "I think now may actually be an amazing time to go hunting." "That sounds like a splendid idea, your guns are in Giyuu's room." Yae stood up and slowly walked to his room, grabbing her Webley and crosscut ammunition and Winchester with the plate shot. As she came back to the room, she could see Mitsuri holding back Shinobu by holding her off the ground. "I know exactly what you're trying to do you two! I promise everything is fine now!" Yae only continued to the door. "No no no we're going hunting. We're out to hunt some giant filthy stupid idiotic man sized rat!" Yae opened the front door and was about to step out, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Yotogi flying right at her. "Lady Yae, letter from Giyuu!" Yae gasped and grabbed her crow before running back inside.
"Murder later, Giyuu wrote back!" "I knew you were going to- wait a letter back from him?" Mitsuri put Shinobu down before apologizing and sitting back to the table. The girls all sat at the table as Yotogi stood in the middle. "Did you and Torakkā apologize?" The bird awkwardly nodded. "He forgave us because he understood we were trying to defend you." Yae sighed as she rubbed her thumb down the crow's back. "Of course he did. Is that the letter?" Yotogi nodded as she rubbed her head against Yae's thumb. "He wrote it on the back side of your original letter." Yae took the letter and began to breathe in and out in nervousness. "Any ideas on what he wrote girls?" Shinobu peered at Yae as she returned to her food. "We have all learned how this man is able to speak Yae. It could quite literally be anything." Mitsuri was too excited to learn what the note had to focus on food. "Just open the letter so we can know!" Yae let out one last deep breath and unfolded the note and flipped it to his side.
"Yae, I agree to come back within a week and to whatever we may talk about. I wish for it to be only us when we speak, as it is our issues and not other's. No outside help, humans or animals, only us. Torakkā and Yotogi have been behaved and apologized, there is now only one woman in my life I need to help make happy again. I promise I will take care of myself, the Uzui's have been good hosts and rather insightful. I will be safe, and I am glad to hear you are as well. I promise when we talk you will only hear the truth from me, you deserve nothing less. As you request for me to not say it until we meet again, I will call you my Sunshine once more. You are my home, and I am thankful to be able to return to you. Your Heart of the Ocean, Giyuu."
Yae was curled into a ball with her knees brought to her face as she read the note. She was thankful as her knees were the only thing to hide her smile that threatened to split her face. He called her his sunshine again, and he agreed to not say he loved her again until she was able to hear it. He only could've written this while he was sober and he was finally able to say what he wanted to. She giggled softly as she fell to the side, letting go of the letter as she held onto her legs. Shinobu took hold of the note and read through it as was as surprised as ever reading what he had to say. "I'm still convinced you have some sort of magic Yae. I was never able to get him to speak anywhere close to this in the eight years I knew him." Mitsuri took the note and read through it over and over and soon stared back to Yae. "Do you understand now why I continued to push things?" Yae even when laying on her side nodded and completely hid her face in her knees. "Wait a second..." Yae sat back up and snatched the note back from Mitsuri's hands and sat back up.
"He called himself my Heart of the Ocean... Did this man just give himself to me?" She reread that sentence over and over as did the other two. "Mitsuri I don't think Giyuu will have to be the one to propose, Yae may just claim they're getting married one day." Shinobu nonchalantly said as she stared in newfound awe. "She won't even need to ask if they can have babies, she'll just demand them of him. I for one cannot wait to be an auntie." Mitsuri crossed her arms and nodded enthusiastically. Yae continued to process what she read and realized something. "I called him that the day I came home from a mission and found him drunk... Are you telling me the one thing he accidentally remembered after alcohol was the pet name I made him?" Mitsuri perked up as she saw Yae's face became as red as the right side of Tomioka-san's haori. "Suddenly I don't think you're going to last the week you told him to wait."
Yae was physically shaking as she had to wrap her arms around her legs to stop herself from moving. "I swear if he isn't being teased as badly as this I am killing you two." Yae glared at her friends as she hid behind her knees again. Shinobu shrugged as she decided to help put away the dishes. "You were the one that fell in love first and it was your mistake to need us to help you figure it out. I'd believe we're entitled to tease you at least until you two become official. Besides, remember he's staying with the Uzui's, if he hasn't been getting teased already then it's by divine intervention." Mitsuri nodded once again as she kept her serious but enthusiastic expression.
"We're just being supporting friends. Besides this is amazing, there aren't many times you can find love in this kind of work. Uzui-san already had his wives before he joined the Corps, you just need to enjoy this while you can." "I swear if you try to live vicariously through our relationship you're banned from visiting." As Mitsuri was about to argue that she would never, Yae had shoved another dumpling into her mouth. Mitsuri begrudgingly accepted being silenced for now, her friend was lucky she was a good cook.
The week had gone by both faster and slower than anyone involved had anticipated. With the reunion being looked forward to by both Giyuu and Yae, it caused excitement and worry between the two. It came to the final night of Giyuu staying at the Uzui household and everything was packed. Torakkā had been a good source of support, but she was not the one that was going to have the conversation. Tengen and his wives had been kind to him, helped him to find things more enjoyable. They all seemed hopeful things would work out between him and Yae, he was hopeful as well obviously, but a small voice in his mind continued to worry for the worst. He was actually thankful for how loud Tengen was for it often drowned out the other voice.
"So what's your flashy plan when you see her again?" "Greet her, send Torakkā and Yotogi into a separate room for us to be alone, we talk about everything we need to, ask for divine aid." Makio slapped his back as she stared him down. "Her letter explicitly had in it that she still loved you. You're going to be fine." Hinatsuru took a more gentle approach and padded his shoulder. "When we visited her she went from hesitant to ready to bring you back and even called you her man in the process. She wouldn't call you that unless she didn't want you. Once you're finally back home you'll stop worrying." Suma sat on the floor with Torakkā as she tried to savor the time with the dog while she could. "Ah young love, so amazing." "... Suma you're only a year older than me." Giyuu sighed as he began to make his way to the door and return home, whistling for Torakkā much to the dismay of Suma.
Tengen placed a hand on his new friend's shoulder and offered a smile. "You know no matter what's gonna happen she's gonna care about you. Even if you two have us and Kocho and Kanroji, you two have each other first and foremost. Don't think, don't hesitate, just say whatever feels right." Giyuu sighed as he smiled towards Tengen. "You're a good person Tengen, maybe if things turn out good we can change the meeting place." Giyuu placed a hand on the man's shoulder and gave a nod of acknowledgment at his words. With that final exchange, Giyuu and Torakkā left the Sound Estate for good to return to his own home. With Tengen being almost stunned by what he was called, his wives were the ones to vocalize their thoughts first. "Do you girls think Tomioka-sama is going to use that silver tongue of his?" "I keep telling you people it's the willingly quiet ones you watch out for." "Makio you're loud and we still watch out for you though."
Yae stood in front of the estate as Shinobu and Mitsuri were leaving, slightly confused as why Yae was already outside. "I'm making sure I'm the first thing he sees when he's back, I already have a plan that will not allow either of us to run away or escape from it no matter how awkward it gets." Yae said with full confidence. Shinobu and Mitsuri hugged her goodbye and decided to part with some final words and encouragement. "Yae, being friends with both you and Giyuu, I must be honest. If things somehow go bad even after all this positivity, I don't know if I'll be able to take a side." Shinobu said almost feeling guilty. "I've known him since we were children, but you've become a great friend as well, so I just don't know if I would be able to bring myself to choose between you two if something happened." Yae smiled at Shinobu and hugged her, wanting to remove any worry. "That's just you being logical and reasonable like usual. I wouldn't ask you to take a side."
Mitsuri threw her arms around Yae with cheerful hope. "Don't worry Yae, no matter what you know I'm on your side. But I just know you and Tomioka-san are going to work out!" Yae patted her friends on the back and looked up to the evening sky. "Yeah... He already said he doesn't mind whatever we are, I am nervous about this but I think I'm just done being afraid. We have our talk and we see whatever happens, I don't think either of us will be too upset at the results. Plus if we do work out it means I no longer have to deal with Mitsuri's teasings so I have that to look forward to." The girls separated as Yae remained standed and Shinobu and Mitsuri walked away. "Do we trust that Giyuu is going to live to the end of the night?" "Live? Yes. Uninjured is entirely questionable." Yae could still hear her friends as they guessed and argued what the outcome would be. She would've been offended at it if she also didn't agree with them.
As even turned to night, she unfortunately couldn't see the moon. Whether it simply hid from her behind the clouds or was waning away to become new, she didn't have the answer. Her eyes adjusted as she looked to the lake in front of their home and wondered just when he would arrive. She knew of where the Sound Estate was thanks to Hinatsuru, but she underestimated just how far the travel could be. She would wait for him though, he agreed to return within the deadline and today was the last day. He had to be home soon. She walked to the edge of the water and sat on a boulder, reminiscent of when she began her extreme conditions training. "You taught me how to survive. Extreme situations, demons, everything you could think. Even taught me how to survive a broken heart, now it's my turn to teach you how to live." She wasn't sure how long she sat there, only knowing it didn't take much time to hear the weighted steps on the gravel path nearby. She stood on top of the boulder and saw him, holding Torakkā in his arms as his eyes were on her.
"She got tired after a while, sat down until she looked at me to carry her." Giyuu finally placed her down as Yae jumped off the boulder and silently walked up to them. Her eyes never left his even when Torakkā showed excitement to see her again. Her hand absent-mindedly rubbed her partner's head. "Torakkā, go inside girl. Giyuu and I are going to have a private talk." Torakkā worringly looked up to them both and Giyuu was the first to respond to her whimpers. "It'll be alright girl, we're all together again." They both heard her let out a low growl and walked to the front door, slipping in through the crack of it being open. Giyuu and Yae continued to just stand on the path in complete silence. Giyuu could see even in this dark with no light to really make her eyes shine, they still had the same strength and warmth as ever. Yae saw that his eyes still had this glow to them, their deep color only gave them a different kind of shine. Giyuu was the first one to try and speak.
"Yae... I... I'm so-" "Let's go for a swim. Drop the bag, come on." Yae turned away from him and walked back to the lake as if it was the only thing on her mind. Giyuu was dumbfounded as he spent a week mentally preparing to see her again and their conversation, all for her to try and ask for a swim. "Yae now isn't the-" "Shut up and get in the water, it'll be worth it. The cold shock like this really helps you get going, helps you feel awake, alert, alive." Giyuu sighed as he dropped his back and followed after her. The two stripped out of their clothing down to their undergarments and Giyuu watched Yae step into it with no hesitation. He could see her back from where he stood, her muscles were defined but she still looked graceful. He shook his head and followed her into the water.
Just as Yae requested, the two simply just swam, getting comfortable in the waters. He never really swam in the lake did he? He mostly just viewed it as scenery, a peaceful location to sit back and admire. This wasn't awful, just awkward given their situation. "Giyuu. Follow me." He heard Yae speak as she swam off to the side with a rock wall. He followed after her until she finally stopped, against the wall and turned to face him. He was tired of the anxiety of the situation and pushed the subject. "Yae, we really need to talk about everything. Why stall it out with us having a nightly swim?" "Because I wanted to get us into a position neither could run away from." He was confused what she meant until she finally acted. Yae had grabbed his hand and pulled him against her and turned them around, leaving his back to be the one against the wall. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and used her free hand to hold him even closer, their faces inches away. All Giyuu could do was continue to kick his feet as he now had to keep both of them afloat. "Alright Giyuu, let's talk."
Giyuu lost a moment of control over himself as he saw how close she was and the suddenness of it. He couldn't find the strength to say anything and simply nodded. "What is the story behind those siblings?" Yae looked to him as she refused to break eye contact. She was nervous of pushing too hard against him but she was tired of being afraid or hesitating any longer. She was getting everything out, she warned him just as much in the letter. "Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado. I found them during a mission over two years ago, I was late to arrive and their family were already slaughtered. She was among the bodies and Tanjiro said she was forcibly turned, and when he was taking her to get help was when she attacked him. I nearly killed her when he begged for her to live. I rendered him unconscious after he fought for her life. Something inside of her snapped out of a demon's instinct to kill and eat and instead she defended him. It was as Shinobu said, she never harmed anyone yet even if she tried to attack him. She was innocent and so she was spared." Giyuu spoke concise and clearly for her just as he explained their story at the trial.
Yae nodded along, remembering the first time he told the story. "So you knew a demon could be more than just a monster, and yet my father still died. I know I talked about how he ran away from killing me, how we both heard him speak. He was in there, could it have been possible he would've been like her if there was the chance?" She asked once again just as she did a week ago. "Yae, you yourself didn't give him a chance. I remember how Shinobu and I talked about doing it for you, but you wanted to kill him because he was your father. You saw it as giving him peace and taking justice for who he killed. If he could only come back to clarity after consuming the blood of someone, how many bodies would justify keeping him alive? He killed those people you lived with, he killed Taro, he nearly killed you. Even if he gained back humanity, would he want to live with the amount of blood on his hands?" Yae simply nodded her head as she remembered, she told herself Taro's death steeled her resolve to try and put her father down.
"Do you feel guilty for hiding them after what happened with him? What happened with me and when I learned of everything?" "Yes. Because I found Nezuko before she could hurt anyone, but I only found your father after he was already allowed to kill. I remember your screams from that night and the weeks you had nightmares. I genuinely believe now if he had failed to kill anyone by the time we arrived he could've had the chance. Instead I had to kill your father and live with it as I knew demons could be more. But I would do it again if it meant you would live. Hate me as much as you like, I am guilty that I had to cut down the last of your family but I will never feel guilt about saving you." Giyuu used his free hand to push himself up just enough be able to look down to her, his eyes hardening with determination. "I'm sorry that he killed those people, I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner, I'm sorry I had to kill him, but I am not sorry I did it to protect you."
Yae knew he was being honest with every word he spoke. He never told a lie, even when the truth wasn't what people wanted to hear. She rested her head on his shoulder and simply got comfortable. The sudden movement caused him to flinch, but he soon settled in the comfort it gave him. "I'm going to ask you something and depending on how you answer, depends on how I tell you just what I feel from it. Understanding me?" She whispered against his neck as answered back just as softly. "Why don't you think you're worthy of your life?" Giyuu closed his eyes as his head leaned softly against hers. "Sabito was worthy of becoming a Hashira just from his actions of Final Selection alone. He was always the better fighter, the better student, better at everything. For the longest time I thought I should've been the one to die in that forest. I always felt I was living in the shadow of the life he was meant to live. He would've been the better Hashira and the failure I was shouldn't have lived past that week."
Giyuu felt the sting of the slap of Yae's hand across his cheek, the cold water only making it more prominent. She held onto his face with both hands as she looked up to him in almost a pained anger. Her voice was still only a whisper even with her burning fury. "Don't you fucking talk like that again do you hear me? Tsutako wouldn't want to hear it, Sabito wouldn't want to hear it, and I certainly don't want to hear it." She wrapped her legs tighter around him as her voice began to shake. "Because if you think you were meant to die then that means these last eight years of everything you did were a mistake never meant to happen. Every demon you killed, every person you saved, every good thing you did including everything you've done for me was a mistake in your eyes." She took his face into his hands and held him to make sure he couldn't look away. "I am not going to let you undermind everything you've done because in case you forgot you're MY everything."
"I may have forced you to take me into your life, but you still took care of me and gave me everything even when I didn't ask you to. Clothes, gifts, you did everything to make sure I had a life again. Quite literally without you I would be dead so my life has been yours since the very beginning. The year and months we have spent together has been the best time of my life and I will not let you think of it as something that shouldn't have happened!" Yae sniffled as she felt the tears begin to flow. "I don't care how much I love you I will not let you think of yourself as second class. I will yell and scream as much as I need to for you to understand your worth because I need you to see yourself just how I see you."
Giyuu managed to wrap his arms around her and sat against the rock wall and held her closely, his arms held tight around the curve of her back. "I stopped thinking that way after you made me promise to live. You reminded me of an old conversation I had with Sabito. I told him I wished I had died instead of my sister, she was meant to have her wedding the day after she died and I felt guilty for me needing to be saved at the cost of her future. He slapped me and told me to never disrespect her memory again. He told me because she thought I was worthy enough to lose out on her future I was never allowed to die, otherwise it would sully the sacrifice she made. Ever since you reminded me of that conversation I've wanted to live, and I wanted you to be part it. I however continued to think I wasn't worthy, because everyone else just seemed so much better. People who invented original breathing styles, prodigies, you, who lived with such intense emotion. From the very beginning you showed your heart on your sleeve, and all I could do was just be happy to be a witness to it all."
"I didn't feel I was worthy of the other Hashira, and certainly not of you. Your cheer in infectous, your warmth is addicting, I was a man that everyone called cold so to stand by you was for us to be of two worlds. A cold lonely ocean being granted the ability to feel the warmth of the sun, but never able to touch it." He now rested his head on her shoulder. "Especially after what happened to your father with what I knew, I never wanted to hope for anything more because I knew it would lead to disaster." She huffed as she began to shake him softly so she didn't hurt him against the rocks. "Too bad for you I fell in love anyways. How couldn't I after I really looked at everything?" She smiled at him wide as he finally asked the questions. "What makes you want to be with me romantically?"
"You're already my best friend, you're my home, and as much I refused to say it I loved the attention you gave me. I was glad to be spoiled by you and I want to spoil you back with all the love you've shown me given back. And no matter what you try to say I will always think you're worthy." Giyuu swallowed a bit as he let out a nervous laugh. "And you thought I had a way with words." The two locked eyes as their faces almost gravitated to each other. "So, am I yours finally?" "Silly Giyuu, you were already mine. I was just waiting for the moment to take you." The two closed their eyes as their lips finally made contact. The two almost felt relief that it happened, Yae even in the cold waters thought she was melting, Giyuu only tensed up more even as things felt as right as they ever felt. They would pull away only for a brief moment to breathe before their lips continued to smash against each other. As they continued on they only held onto each other tighter as their bodies were as close ss could be.
Yae finally broke the kiss completely hiding in his neck before giggling. "That was so much better than the last one..." Giyuu sighed in relief as he kissed her cheek down her neck and across her shoulder. "It really was... Hey Yae?" "Hm?" Giyuu could feel the words stuck in his throat before he remembered the advice Tengen gave him before leaving. "I love you." Yae's head shot up and she held his face over more, now instead focusing on his mouth rather than his eyes. "Say it again." "I love you." She smiled wider as she nodded for him to keep going. "I love you." Giyuu repeated himself yet spoke softer this time. Yae giggled more as she nodded more. "I love you." He whispered against her lips as more he was the one smiling. "I am yours... And I want you to be mine..." Yae kissed him repeatedly as she was understood what he meant by being addicted to someone. "Where's that feathery talk at?" Giyuu blushed as lips were just against her ears now. "Early man once thought the sun rested at the center of our universe, I want you to be at the center of mine." It was only now that Yae felt a shiver run down her spine as she grinned almost hungry. "Fuck... I'm making you pay for having me wait so long..." "You're a huntress aren't you? You have your prey before you, why wait any longer?"