Quietude

5

| Quietude - Chapter 5 - Thorns

The forger's departure had left the Pillars of Love and Flame to their devices. The topic of [Name] had not once resurfaced since the duo reached the springs. They'd decided to set the subject aside for the duration of their little trip.

Although, while they bathed (in separate springs, though not too far from one another), Kanroji had been itching to delve into further detail about that mysterious, masked [L/n] [Name]. The forger, granted his reserve, hadn't left that big an impression on her. That didn't give her much to gauge his personality and deem whether or not he was worthy of her friend. However...

She'd seen the way the boy immediately ushered Rengoku to her side when she'd called out to him. Reminiscing the fluster on Rengoku's face at that moment, Kanroji's face eased into a smile.

Ah, but... It's not my place to try and get to know him better, she reasoned, that's for Rengoku-san to do. Playing with loose strands of her hair that she'd tied in a bun, the emerald-eyed girl puffed her cheeks before pumping a fist into the air. But! I'll do my best to be the best relationship counselor ever! For Rengoku-san and Mask-kun's sake! Kanroji's resolve was unwavering as she began racking her mind for various tips and pieces of advice. She didn't want to stall, after all.

Meanwhile, Kyojuro was reveling in the warmth of the springs, which did wonders in relaxing his tense muscles. "Warm! So warm." When was the last time he'd dipped in the springs' healing waters? He couldn't tell, but he was more than grateful for Kanroji and the opportunity she'd brought with herself.

While the spring worked its magic, Kyojuro was struggling to keep his mind clear of thoughts of the smith―which was proving harder than he thought. He did say he'd stay by [Name]'s side for the whole duration of their trip ato the Village, only to go back on his claim a while later. "Hm..." The usual smile on Kyojuro's face faltered, leaving in its stead pursed lips. Then, he smacked his forehead once. Twice. Thrice.

He felt ridiculous and embarrassed to boot; he felt weak. And although there was nobody to see him lose face, he felt it'd be extremely out of character to crumble from embarrassment now. And so he kept his shame to himself, upholding his posture as he bathed in contemplative silence. He fixed his gaze on his reflection on the water, eyes wide and a growing grin on his face. He couldn't let [Name] make such a mess out of him.

Because I have to stay...strong!

***

About half an hour later, the Flame and Love Pillars decided to put an end to their little leisure trip. They walked out of the springs feeling fresh and tidy, ready to tackle their new goal with renewed gusto. And their current goal was...to safely make it back to the Pillars' quarters.

As they descended the trail leading to the Village, Kanroji and Kyojuro watched in febrile silence as the Kakushi scurried about. They both had something on their mind, something to say. The tension was palpable enough for the two of them to reduce themselves into silence. But it wasn't long before Kanroji decided to quip up. "You know, Rengoku-san...," she began, looking over at the swordsman who walked beside her. Kyojuro kept his gaze trained forward, replying with a spry, "Yes?"

The girl tilted her head, edging forward a fraction to catch the swordsman's gaze. "You know, love sows a trail of happy little things that are for you to reap," she said. Kyojuro's stare trailed to the ground for a brief instant, before rising to the sky.

As night came to fall, the blue haze of day lifted for a curtain of ink to spread across the firmament. Stars peeked from behind the thinning clouds, circling the moon in peculiarly choreographed arabesques of light. To think they'd stayed in the Village till nightfall...