darling ; various anime ✔️

love? - giyuu t.

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↳ in which, she didn't get it and he didn't like it.

fluff / angst (?)

warnings : emotional damage

ib violet evergarden

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GIYUU LOOKED AT HIS TSUGUKO that sat across from him. she was super talented, but never understood human emotions. all she ever did was take orders and do them excellently.

"you may eat." he exclaimed in his usual stoic sense as he watched the girl sit stiffly in front of him before she nodded.

he never understood how times she wouldn't eat or sleep unless directed too. but never questioned it; considering he did save her life.

two demons killed her entire family and almost ate her alive as well; ripping off an arm and leg before giyuu could show up.

giyuu took pity on the girl, taking her in and training her personally so she could learn to survive.

he looked down at y/n's metal arm as she picked up her chopsticks to eat some rice. she usually wore gloves whenever they were in public, or during missions in general.

his gaze softened. if only he made it there a few minutes earlier. before he could blame himself anymore, he was knocked out of his trance by the loud ca caw! that was sounded from his confused crow.

"CAW! MISSION! GIYUU TOMIOKA!" it yelled before landing on giyuu's arm. "a family! no, maybe? yes! south! no. east!" it ranted, per usual confusing giyuu.

"a family in the west." y/n exclaimed for the crow. she had gotten used to it's weird way of explaining things, but barely.

"yes! a family in danger in the west!" it cawed, before giyuu nodded to get ready.

"i want you to stay at the butterfly estate while i'm gone." he explained after putting on his shoes and fixing his haori.

"you can go after you finish eating." he added quickly after noticing her stand to leave. she nodded quickly before sitting back down to finish eating.

———

"where is she?" giyuu asked as he walked into shinobu's office. she was having tea with mitsuri before they chuckled at the clueless man.

"ara ara, who could you be talking about?" shinobu teased, softly smiling as she tilted her head in her hand.

giyuu sighed before shaking his head, mumbling a 'nevermind' before leaving. he seriously could not deal with her right now.

walking down the hallway he stopped at the bathhouse, knocking slightly on the door before calling out y/n's name and praying she was in there.

a hum was heard before the door opened; y/n in all her glory standing in the doorway, water dripping down her s/t skin and onto the floor below her.

giyuu quickly flushed, closing his eyes and covering them with his hand before turning around. y/n tilted her head to the side, looking at her mentor in a state she's never seen him in before.

"put on some clothes first." he mumbled before she stated her usual 'right tomioka-san' and did as told.

just a few minutes later, she opened the door once more. she wasn't wearing her usual standard demon slayer corp. pants, instead a skirt like shinobu' tsugukos.

he looked at it, then at her metal leg before back at her. he thought of various ways to ask about the sudden change of appearance before settling on one, rather awkward, one.

"the skirt..?"

"shinobu-san and mitsuri-san said i'd look pretty in it." she responded, looking down at it before back at giyuu's dark blue eyes. "i'm not sure what that means though, tomioka-san."

giyuu hummed, mentally making a note to question them about it later. he thought of a simply way to put it before sighing shortly.

"it means... you look attractive; good." he stated, as she just nodded. he sighed, putting his hand on her head before lightly ruffling her hair.

"do you think i'm pretty tomioka-san?" she asked as he moved his hand. he blinked a few times before nodding.

"gorgeous."

———

"back so soon tomioka?" shinobu hummed as giyuu walked back into her office. he sighed, closing the door behind him to make sure no one would be able to hear.

"what did you do to my tsuguko?" he asked, walking over to stand in front of the two girls.

"you should really refer to y/n more as a person, tomioka. how would you feel if you were just referred to by tsuguko?" she teased again, giyuu starting to lose the little to no patience he already had.

"why don't you accept you're in love with her?" mitsuri hummed, sipping her tea as she looked at the water hashira.

"love?" giyuu asked, raising an eyebrow. "i don't like love."

"and this is why nobody likes you." shinobu snickered.

"people like me." he answered, his usual stoic tone and expression not fading.

———

"where are we going tomioka-san?" y/n asked as she followed her mentor closely. they walked through the city; food stalls and more scattered everywhere in the dark night accompanied by a full moon, many twinkling stars, and candles.

"do you like sweets?" he asked, looking at a mochi stand before walking over to it.

"i've never really had... sweets." she responded, watching him pay for a couple before handing her some.

she ate them slowly, giyuu trying to get a reaction out of her before she nodded softly after finishing.

"it's.. good?" she responded, making giyuu nod and walk off with her following. she would eat the rest of the mochi as they walked around and enjoyed the scenery.

"your arm?" giyuu stated. he noticed y/n wouldn't wear her gloves much anymore, and haori was always tied around her waist. she, as well, wore the skirt that shinobu liked.

"shinobu-san said i shouldn't hide it much. it's unique?" y/n stated, tilting her head as she flexed the metal fingers.

giyuu almost responded before she suddenly stopped; staring at a dark blue pendant that hung on a silver necklace chain.

"look, it's the color of your eyes." she hummed, pointing at it as he walked closer.

"do you like it?" he asked, picking it up before paying and putting it around her neck.

"it's pretty." she nodded as he looked at the pendent closer.

"beautiful." he corrected as she tilted her head. "it's a stronger connotation of pretty."

she opened her mouth to say something but cut herself off when she heard a little boy tell his mother he loved her.

she turned back to giyuu with a new question; one that caught him off guard.

"tomioka-san, what is love?"

giyuu sighed at the question, closing his eyes to think of a meaning before mitsuri's words played back in his head.

"it's an emotion you feel. like how a son loves his mother, or a chef loves his food." he explained slowly. "or, like how i love you."

"i'm not sure i understand tomioka-san?" she replied, tilting her head to the side as she watched small tears fall down giyuu's face.

his hand met the top of her head as he ruffled her hair lightly. he gave her a light smile as she squinted her eyes at her mentor.

"i don't understand." she repeated, hoping he'd break it down for her some more but all he did was walk away.