A Split in The River of Time

Part 11: Figuring it out

(Sorry for my death, I have been resurrected. Sometimes even I forget Giyuu is 1 armed in this story, so I have to go back and edit some things  ;3 This chapter is a bit strange, and any criticism or anything you like, I'd love to read about it. This chapter has some of Giyuu being dense and bad at communicating his feelings, and Kocho being a bit of an emotional wreck because of well... Her emotional and mental baggage.)

The whole fight the woman was lost in thought, pondering how to approach this news in her life. She obviously couldn't get in a relationship with Giyuu, her plan for Upm2 hinged on her death, after all. There was nothing in the world capable of stopping that. If he thinks anything other than that, maybe he really is just the selfish man he's always seemed to be.

Giyuu got to thinking on how to approach such a terrible subject, how to keep his promise to Sabito and how to say all of it upfront.

I need to protect those close to me now, as they protected me in the past. He was definitely going to mess this one up, but he might as well go for it.

After a relatively simple fight in which Nezuko made a surprise entry to kick a demon's head clean off, The three (and a half) slayers idled in the surrounding wooded area as the bodies disappeared. Giyuu walked to the butterfly hashira and grabbed her sleeve, pulling her several feet away from the brother and sister duo.

From what Kanao told me during our training, This will likely not go well. But I atleast have to try.

"Kocho."

"Ara ara, Tomioka-san. Taking a woman alone away from the group? Such a pervert." She teased, even though she felt her chest pound as they came to a stop. After a deep breath, she noticed his serious demeanor and dropped the fake smile. After a very uncomfortable pause and around a minute of silence, he dropped the bomb.

"... Quit drinking the Wisteria." he said plainly.

"Excuse me?" She said, her smile perking back up on her lips. She didn't move, just smiled at him with her head tilted to the side. His muscles began to relax, now significantly more sure she wouldn't hit him.
That... went better than I expected-

He barely reacted fast enough to grab the sharp hook of her sword as it stabbed at his neck. It would've been a threat, but an injured hand was better than bleeding from his neck.

I hope it would've been a threat.
"Tomioka, I don't know what has caused this sudden feeling of confidence from you, but let me make something clear. I will get revenge on Upper Moon 2." She said, acting as if she had also not formed an attachment to the man in recent times.

"My revenge comes first, and-"

"Yes, you are willing and are planning on dying. That's the problem! That's what all the Wisteria is for, I've picked up." He responded back with an uncharacteristic amount of emotion.

"How did you even figure it out?" She asked, a vein in her forehead throbbing.

"Somebody told me." He said, carefully pushing her sword away from his neck, and then away from his chest.

"I won't let you die." As he continued his sentence he began stepping towards the short girl. He reached out his arm and wrapped her in a hug. (Mostly so she couldn't try to stab him again)

Her smile had twisted into a mild frown, the veins in her head throbbing as she felt the overwhelming urge to hit him.

"You don't get to choose whether I live or die, and you won't be there when I fight him. If you feel like you are entitled to keep me from doing what I want just because you care, you have something else coming to you, you self righteous, selfish loser!" She said in anger, attempting but failing to keep some kind of emotional composure. She threw a few small jabs into his side and stomach, but he just ignored them and kept her close enough to not stab him.