Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim all the rights to 鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba | Demon Slayer; all rights are reserved to its respective creator, Koyoharu Gotōge. This is purely a work of fiction; names, characters, businesses, events, localities, and occurrences are all extrapolated from the author's writings and imagination or utilized in a fictitious manner. As such, any direct or indirect references to actual entities, dead or alive, or events do not, in any shape or form, resemble the opinions of the author.

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"..." = Dialogue

'...' = Internal monologues

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"Kocho...?" Giyuu stared at her with perplexity.

"Good morning, Tomioka," Shinobu, who was seated seiza-style right next to him, simply smiled.

It was early morning, about ten days since Akihiro Yui had admitted the Hashiras into her makeshift hospital.

Since then, Shinobu has made a speedy recovery to the degree in which she was able to somewhat traverse the halls and corridors of the house now. Giyuu, meanwhile, still was confined to bed—still suffering from physical conditions that necessitated further convalescence.

Nevertheless, the Water Hashira—who was hitherto incapable of even staying awake—has made great progress in the department of regaining consciousness.

Thus, upon being fully cognizant that morning, Giyuu is now finally in direct contact with Shinobu—someone he has greatly yearned to meet with over the past week.

Of course, the Water Hashira was utterly at a loss for words whence his eyes met that of the Insect Hashira's.

Shinobu continued, "I didn't want to trouble Akihiro-dono, so I offered to wake you up myse—"

Giyuu immediately grabbed a hold of her, his arms enclasped her girth; he embraced tightly, not wanting to let go at all.

After watching her die twice, and thinking that it really happened in reality, all Giyuu needed was to see her again—to see her alive and well.

This is further compounded by the fact that Giyuu deduced Shinobu's intention to employ extreme measures in order to defeat Douma.

Thus, Giyuu was at a sort of crossroads; he wasn't sure what to do anymore. Should he work to 'save' Shinobu like before? But wouldn't that be going against Shinobu's will?

Would Shinobu hate him if he tried to hamper her efforts?

He didn't want that. She's the last person he'd want to lose; there would be no one else if she left him.

But, for now, he just wanted to savor the moment and appreciate how things could've gotten worse but didn't.

"T-Tomioka..." Shinobu stammers slightly.

Yet, under normal circumstances, Shinobu would have either been stuttering from embarrassment or sheepishly attacking Giyuu like some tsundere in direct response to such a daring maneuver.

But, alas, things were different now.

Beforehand, Shinobu refused to acknowledge her genuine feelings; she kept it locked up and obstinately attempted to subdue it.

She didn't want to fall for someone right as she's contriving a plan to kill herself in the near future—and, thus, effectuate a form of emotional betrayal on both herself and Giyuu.

In other words, she wanted neither to deceive him—although, she practically already was—nor to become an abstract burden to the heart, one that would impede upon her resolve to execute her insane plan.

However, with the onset of this particular mission with the Water Hashira, and the reminiscence in their past relationship and how it tremendously influenced Shinobu as an individual, the Insect Hashira slowly came to accept the reality of her emotions.

She recognized that her very departure from this world, irrespective of whether she sought to forge an intimate bond with him or not, would ultimately devastate Giyuu and lead him down a dark, painful path he will never be able to return from.

If she wanted to save him, then maybe it's time for her to reevaluate some aspects of the purpose to which she had consigned on her own accord—the goal of attaining revenge no matter the cost.

Thanks to their shared trauma of having to combat such a powerful adversary, escape from the innumerable dreamscapes they found themselves in, and the harrowing experience of helplessly watching each other die, Shinobu was finally able to ascertain her stance towards her partner—this strange man she found attractive.

She came to the realization that she was hopelessly in love with him.

She loved him for who he is, and what he's done for her sake.

Despite his seemingly apathetic countenance, the Water Hashira was kind and caring towards her; he helped her out during pivotal, watershed moments in her life—a form of assistance that is indispensable to the highest order.

He was humble and never ostentatiously touted his achievements or moral superiority for praise.

His bluntness and honesty, though sometimes provoking the ire of some people at times, also made for a commendable attribute—one that Shinobu can derive her trust in Giyuu from.

He was sympathetic and understanding since they share a lot in common when it comes to loss and grief—being orphans who both lost their dear sisters at a relatively young age.

Whatever it is, and there are a plethora of reasons that one could virtually write an entire dissertation on, Kocho Shinobu harbored sincere, fervent romantic feelings for Tomioka Giyuu.

She has finally acknowledged at least that much.

On a side note, one benefit of Shinobu visiting Giyuu that night is that she won't act flustered in an impulse—since she already had her time with him.

Hence, why she isn't as perturbed as she would usually be in a similar situation.

"You're... okay..." Giyuu said instinctively, all the worries in the world were pouring out of him simultaneously.

"Ara? Were you worried about me, Tomioka?" Shinobu teased.

"Of course I was..." he murmured.

Shinobu was very flattered by that statement alone, "Well, I could say the same for you."

"Are you sure you can..." Giyuu tried to find the right words.

"Can what?" Shinobu asked.

"Be here...?"

Shinobu raised an eyebrow, "Are you asking if I'm well-rested enough to be entertaining you now?"

"Well... that's one way to put it," Giyuu replied.

"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't even bother coming here in the first place!" Shinobu lied—she would've exploited any opportunity to see Giyuu again, as she had already done a few nights ago.

"So, you're fully recovered?"

"Unfortunately, I am not. But I can walk now!" she exclaimed, her facade coming back to life after a brief period of dormancy.

Giyuu sighed, "I'm glad..."

"And you?" she presses.

"Me?"

"Why, of course, Tomioka. Who else would I be referring to?" she chaffs.

"Oh... I'm doing... fine..." he says as if he's deliberating over his choice of words.

"It would be wise for you to not lie, Tomioka," she closes upon his ear and whispers, "Otherwise, I might get mad."

Giyuu quivered at the sudden gesticulation; the Insect Hashira's voice inflection exuded a more seductive tone in lieu of the typical exasperated attitude.

That alone took the Water Hashira completely off guard and left him defenseless against the subsequent array of sensations he felt.

Shinobu was more aggressive than usual.

It didn't help that Giyuu had already established that his partner—whether he liked it or not—had an alluring physical appearance that captivated his eyes more often than not.

Basically, he has found her pretty—a first in his lifetime.

Combine that with the fact that Shinobu was accoutered in an informal set of clothing—though, she still had her haori on—that was more revealing than the conservative Demon Slayer Corps attire (Albeit, Mitsuri is exempt from such a standard, but that has never concerned Giyuu), and you simply get a man who's just realizing that he's been traveling and fighting alongside a very extraordinary woman.

And by extraordinary, he is referring to how unbelievably good-looking she is.

In the end, the Water Pillar was confused, surprised, and aroused all at the same time—the last one probably irked him the most, considering how fastidiously he upholds decorum and a disciplined state of mind.

'That was odd... I keep forgetting she's eightee— Wait, that's not the problem! Such shameful thoughts! I need to maintain discipline!' Giyuu contemplates.

"Ah... right..." he was at a loss of words, his countenance clearly expressing a form of puzzlement.

Shinobu couldn't help but scrutinize his face with amusement. Giyuu's facial expressions have always been relegated to a bland, deadpan lineament that espoused no emotions whatsoever.

So, whenever he releases even the slightest of alterations to that standardized expression, Shinobu relishes in witnessing such a development.

Maybe that's why she teases him so that she can get a reaction out of the otherwise stoic man.

Just as Giyuu was enchanted by her, Shinobu likewise found him to be handsome—even with his straight face. This, like Giyuu, is also a first for her—never had she looked at any other man this way, especially in a romantic sense.

It's probably only recently that she subconsciously acknowledged that as well.

'I guess I've always been looking at that face,' she smiles at the thought.

One must wonder how fortuitous it is for these two, after all these years, to find their first instinctual infatuation within each other. They are both good-looking and have respectable niches, so it's very surprising to know that they have little experience when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex.

The reason is simply that neither had the time nor the forethought to engage in such trivial matters when they're off saving humans from man-eating demons. And also because, as a byproduct of their troubled past, the two rarely look towards the future—they still are the young children who watched their loved ones die in front of them. That just happens to the reality of their situation.

That is, of course, until now. Things have changed after what they've been through.

"Oh my, did you like that, Tomioka?" she says.

"Uh..." Giyuu didn't know how to respond.

Shinobu adored that reaction, "I can do more in the near future if you like."

Giyuu was essentially frozen, "... Huh?"

'He really is an airhead at times,' she notes.

"Well, it's good to be talking with you again, Tomioka. But I must be off now. I have to help Akihiro-dono with some chores," she comments as she stands straight.

In actuality, Shinobu was making a tactical retreat in order to prevent Giyuu from observing her embarrassed state; her interactions with a man with whom she had just admitted to being in love still have the potential to disclose her timid side.

But, before Shinobu could further extricate herself from the premises, Giyuu grasped her wrist.

Shinobu was taken aback by this development, but remained comported nonetheless, "Tomioka? What seems to be the matter?"

"Uh..." Giyuu wasn't exactly sure why he undertook that maneuver either.

"Tomioka...?" Shinobu was anxious to leave, she could feel her head starting to spin.

"I would like it..." he began, letting go of his grip.

"Like what...?"

"If you continue doing that... Whatever it is you did back there..." he finished, not knowing how or why he said that.

Shinobu just stared at him and vice versa.

Giyuu was afraid he might've made an incredible misstep of epic proportions.

Meanwhile, Shinobu was left utterly confounded and unable to process what Giyuu had relayed to her—his request for her to be more 'aggressive'.

"I-I'll be off t-then," she briskly ambulated away from Giyuu.

She then made her way out of the room and into the hallway.

As soon as she shut the shoji door, though, she reclined against the wall and rested her hands against her back—a gesture of bashful discomposure.

She was beet red.

'Why did he have to hug me like that?! Why did he randomly grab my hand?! That just makes me fall for him more and more!' she internally laments.

Giyuu, on the other hand, slapped his face: 'I'm an idiot. She's gonna start hating me for that. When did I become this weak-minded? I've been acting irrationally lately. This is ridiculous. My mind has become very much corrupted. How did such perversions invade my thoughts anyway??'

As evident by their exchange and subsequent brooding, the absence of experience when it comes to relationships can lead to conditions conducive to awkward conversations or situations.

The beauty and innocence of young love, as one would say.

..

..

Convalescence at the Akihiro residence was surely a time of rejuvenation and recuperation for the Hashiras, no doubt about it.

It has been nearly two weeks since Giyuu and Shinobu had defeated Osore and retreated from the confines of that eerie sewers.

In that short respite, the two were more or less fully recovered—though they still required assistance and minor medical attention every now and then.

But now comes one of the most important aspects of a mission: Its aftermath.

Specifically, the Hashiras are bound by regulation to compile and manufacture a final report on the status or progression of the expedition.

As many modern militaries have acknowledged over the years, information is key when fighting a war. And, in a war against Muzan Kibutsuji and his demonic accomplices, information about the disposition and abilities of each and every demon is vital in formulating a stratagem for a future engagement against the enemy.

In other words, information is a weapon of war. And the Hashiras are tasked with fully exploiting that facet of warfare.

Nevertheless, filing a report may be the most vexing aspect of the aftermath of a major battle.

Right as a slayer has fought a ferocious and dangerous skirmish with the enemy, they are to somehow settle themselves and forge a paper based on a string of logical axioms while desperately attempting to remember everything they can possibly garner from their encounter with a demon.

For some rambunctious slayers, however, this may as well be harder than the mission itself.

Thankfully, Giyuu and Shinobu are neither rambunctious nor do they particularly loathe these duties.

Depending on the severity of the mission, a report could comprise just one page to an entire dissertation.

"How are we supposed to describe its appearance..." Shinobu questioned as held the pencil midair, unable to inscribe the paper with her handwriting.

"Do you have any ideas, Tomioka?" she confers.

Giyuu just sat there, absent-minded, "........ Hm?"

The two were perched onto the ground, seiza-style, adjacent to a vertically small, round table situated at the circumcenter.

There were copious stacks of blank paper and other materials strewn onto the surface.

"I never knew you were the type to slack off," Shinobu goaded.

"But I'm no—"

"In any case," Shinobu casually interrupts, "we still have to determine whether or not it has connections with Kibutsuji Muzan."

"What do you mean?" Giyuu was puzzled; it's generally assumed that every demon has a connection with Muzan—with him being able to control and produce demons.

"Ah, well, I happened to learn something," Shinobu replied.

Giyuu tilted his head in confusion.

'He probably won't believe me... I'll try anyway,' Shinobu goes ahead with telling him.

"While I was asleep, I happened to be sent off in another dreamscape—much like the one I was in after the explosion incident. This time, however, I came into contact with an individual by the name of Osore," she explains.

'So she was also presented with similar visions...' Giyuu considered the possibility that such dreams are actually the artificial fabrication of some outside force.

But he was also intrigued by how Shinobu's vision seemingly involved only meeting some stranger and nothing else—that claim is wrong, though, as Shinobu has merely failed to mention her other dreamscapes as of now.

"Osore?" he asked.

"That's the name of the demon we fought," she clarifies.

"What?" said Giyuu.

'It must've been that demon who contrived those visions then...' he concluded.

"It sounds atrociously absurd, yes. But, it did happen. I can guarantee you that much," Shinobu asserts.

"Okay. Did you learn anything?" Giyuu inquires.

"Plenty," Shinobu replied candidly.

"And what makes you postulate that Kibutsuji Muzan may play no role in this? Its superhuman strength is comparable to that of an Upper Moon, which is a feat that a demon can only attain through the consumption of Kibutsuji's blood," Giyuu reiterates the existing knowledge on the subject.

"But there's no evidence to corroborate that claim," Shinobu counters. "Besides, I have reason to cast doubt upon Kibutsuji's involvement in this case."

"Are these based on your dreams?" he presses.

"Yes."

"Can such visions truly carry merit in terms of reliability and credibility?" Giyuu asked, even though he himself is wholeheartedly trustful of HIS dreamscapes.

Giyuu was simply looking for someone to validate his dependence on these visions for his prognostications. In other words, he wants to verify whether someone else—one who has undergone a similar situation—has the same capacity as him to adduce such abnormal visions.

"Of course," Shinobu answers. "Though... it's hard to explain why."

That alone was a sufficient rationale for Giyuu.

"I understand, I believe you," he says.

Shinobu widens her eyes and then looks curiously at him.

"Did you... have those dreams as well...?" she queries.

"... Indeed," Giyuu said almost hesitantly.

"What were they?"

Giyuu was obviously not going to answer that.

"What did this 'Osore' tell you? Anything to contradict the presumption of Kibutsuji's complicity?" He changes the subject.

Shinobu took notice of this sudden shift but decided to not inquire any further.

Instead, she recalled the words of the child during his final moments.

..

"We're all supposed to be dead. But Father somehow revived us all and said that we were going to revive mother as well."

..

"He said that it was his Father who turned him and his siblings into demons, there was no mention of Kibutsuji Muzan," she says.

Giyuu's face furrowed, "If that is to be the case, then we're dealing with something beyond our capabilities."

"Indeed. But what's worse, there's an entire family of demons down there," she expounds.

Giyuu is reminded of Mount Natagumo, "Like the spider family?"

"Almost. This one's the real deal," she corrects.

"Any information on specifications?" he requests for a more detailed delineation.

"Yeah..." Shinobu remembers the boy's words.

..

"So, you have a family of demons?"

"Yeah... I'm the youngest. I have two older sisters and one elder brother—who's also the oldest child. And then there's my father, but I don't see him a lot."

..

"There are five in total. Two sons, two daughters, and one father. The one we killed, Osore, is the youngest son," she explicates.

"There are more like Osore?" Giyuu couldn't imagine there being another, much less four more, down there—just one was enough to nearly get them both killed.

"Yeah. It appears they've been hiding all this time; the Corps never took notice of this group," Shinobu notes.

"That begs the question, though, why haven't they come out beforehand? Why now?" Giyuu poses a thought-provoking question.

"I don't know..." Shinobu replies.

"I think it's best if we immediately notify Oyakata-sama of this. Reinforcements may be necessary," Giyuu propounds.

"Agreed. This is likely something we cannot ignore. We were, after all, badly injured despite being Hashiras," Shinobu concurred.

"Although, it's odd that a demon would know how to set up an explosive artifice," Giyuu alludes to the trap they activated back in the early stages of the mission.

"It's possible they may be rich with knowledge," Shinobu suggests.

"Then they are the smartest demons we've faced thus far," Giyuu poses an interesting notion.

"Hm... Maybe..." Shinobu ponders.

"Whatever may be the case," Giyuu begins, "we can be certain of one thing."

Shinobu looks at him.

"This mission is not yet over."

*Swing*

The door swung open and Akihiro Yui walked in.

"I've brought lunch," she says in a lively manner as she delivers the pots and plates over to the table.

"Thank you, Akihiro-dono," Shinobu gives her gratitude.

Giyuu clears space on the table for the meal.

"No need for the '-dono', I'm not some land proprietor or anything," Yui jokes.

"Then, Akihiro-san," Shinobu addresses.

"Much better," Yui smiles.

"Kocho, could you pass that pile of paper," Giyuu points to the stack on her right.

"Sure," Shinobu complies.

"Oh, Tomioka," she adds.

"Yes?"

"Be sure to add the address on the back of the envelope," she informs.

"Ok."

Yui, meanwhile, watched both with levity.

She makes note of an observation.

"Oh-ho? No honorifics?" Yui smirks.

"Huh?" Both Giyuu and Shinobu simultaneously let out.

"You address each other by last names, but without the honorifics. Did something spicy happen?" she nudged Shinobu's shoulder with glee.

"..." they were silent.

"Wait, don't tell me neither of you realized this??" Yui was amazed at how neither was reacting to this.

Neither of the Hashiras fully realized when, why, or how they started addressing each other without the honorifics.

It just seemed natural, so they subconsciously didn't question it.

Such a deviation from cultural norms represented an aberration that was indicative of how close they've become over the past few weeks or so.

What's more, the manner in which they spoke to each other was less formal and more colloquial—it was less rigid and more expressive. This was another demonstration of their recently intimate relationship.

But alas, neither Shinobu nor Giyuu were consciously aware of these subtle changes to their behaviors and interactions.

With Yui's single remark, however, it all came crashing down upon them like an ocean wave.

Shinobu was blushing madly, "W-Wait! I can explain!"

Giyuu, on the other hand, was waging an internal war, 'How did I not notice this before?! I've been disrespectful to Kocho—I mean, Kocho-san—this whole time! Kocho—I mean, Kocho-san—probably hates me even more now! Why can't I get Kocho's—Dammit! I mean, Kocho's. Shit! Not again!'

"Tehehe, I see you two are quite close," Yui giggles.

"I-It's not like that!" Shinobu tries to clear the misunderstandings, but even she is au courant with how informal their relationship has become.

"It's not? Why are you acting like that it's a bad thing at all? It's great that you two are getting to know each other better!" she winks.

Shinobu identified the innuendo Yui was elucidating, "W-What?! N-No! Not at all!"

"K-Kocho..." Giyuu called out, his cheeks unintentionally casting a faint, but a palpable shade of pink—another first for him, at least in front of someone other than his sister.

"T-Tomioka..." Shinobu was as red as a tomato.

"I don't mind... if we continue to address each other like this... But I will include the honorific if it doesn't make you comfortable..." he almost whispered.

It was a bit surreal for Giyuu. One minute, he was castigating himself for being callous towards the Insect Hashira. The next, he took a complete reversal of his previous stance and was now supplicating Shinobu to maintain the status quo.

Again, he wasn't sure why he was doing it, but a part of him wanted things to be informal between him and Shinobu. Maybe he longed for the days when he had someone to casually converse with. Maybe there were indeed cracks in his desire for self-punishment and self-isolation.

Maybe he really wanted someone to talk to.

Nevertheless, Shinobu's very presence was starting to make him feel things he had never experienced before. And, as a result of those sensations, he was bewitched by her.

Was he doing this on his own accord? Or by his instincts?

Probably both.

Shinobu, concurrently, also carried the same desire for an informal association with the Water Hashira.

She did, after all, already establish that she was in love with him. Who wouldn't want to be closer and more casual with their romantic partner?

So, she gave her genuine response to Giyuu's surprisingly bold suggestion.

"I don't mind either... Tomioka..." she said sheepishly.

They weren't looking directly at each other, but a glimmer of happiness had grown within the other; they were satisfied with the contemporary arrangement and, henceforth, did not wish to make any drastic alterations to it.

'I'm beginning to clearly understand why I'm in love with him...' Shinobu's affection for him grows by the minute.

'I suppose I'm happy that she accepted...' Giyuu internally sighs in relief.

'Ah... Young love...' Yui mused.

Feelings were strong and capricious, but steadfast nonetheless.

At the moment, Shinobu has already accepted the reality of the situation but doesn't have immediate plans to pursue her desires any further.

Giyuu hasn't yet realized anything, but he is starting to notice things—changes in both his and Shinobu's behaviors along with the new perception of the Insect Pillar that has been concocted in the cognitive processes.

In other words, there has been an irrefutable amount of change, but still not enough to create a watershed moment for the two.

As long as duty supersedes personal desires, the exigency of the mission supersedes the pleasure of the present, and the past persists in their minds but not the future, then little progress will be made.

Time will tell whether any opportunities will be available and employed for that purpose.

First love, isn't that right?