Kyojuro Rengoku Ice Heart And Flame Soul

An Accident with Giyu ~ { Life With Rika and Kyojuro }

In the month since Kyojuro's injury, you would never have guessed he was hurt at all, much less broken his arm. Kyojuro was in the yard with me at the Rengoku home, training. I just kicked off his hand in the air and his bokken dropped.

"Great work! You've improved!" Kyo shouted.

I charged at him and tackled him to the ground. I landed on top of him and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"I think we can do better than that." He said, pulling me close for a deeper kiss.

"Rika! Go to the estate of the Water Hashira! Your presence is requested." Korin flew into the yard and flapped her wings.

"Thanks Korin!" I jumped up and put my bokken away, and walked to the edge of the yard.

"Wait, do you want me to accompany you?" Kyo asked.

"That's okay. I don't want to waste your time." I said.

I barely heard his low voice. "It wouldn't be a waste of time."

I turned back to him and he was watching me, longing in his eyes. I walked back to him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry that I've been so busy these past two weeks, but I just got back and I miss you. I would like to spend more time with you. I could accompany you to Tomioka's residence and again walk you back later in the evening when you leave. I'd be happy to." He said.

"Kyo, darling, you don't need to. Senjuro has missed you and you should stay with him. I'll see you this evening, my love." I kissed him and he seemed upset.

"Senjuro won't be back home until this evening. He's gone out for dinner ingredients."

"Then take this time for you to relax, Kyo. You deserve a good rest. You work so hard."

"I guess so."

I kissed him one more time, and he seemed to pout. I laughed. "Kyo, darling, I'll be back soon, and then we can enjoy dinner! I might even steal a few kisses from you. I love you, Kyo." I turned away and walked out of the yard.

I ran the entire way, following Korin to Giyu's house. When I got there, I wasn't surprised to see that the house was just as large as the Rengokus' estate. I approached the yard and heard thwacking coming from around the back. I walked that way and found Giyu dancing around a bamboo stalk, then he gracefully sliced it.

"That was beautiful." I said. I was in awe.

"So are you." He said.

"What?" Did Giyu just call me beautiful? I turned away from him and didn't know how to respond.

"Relax, I'm referring to your breathing style." He said with a very slight smirk.

"Oh." I said.

"How are things with you and Rengoku?"

"Great, we're happy." I said.

"And I assume you are choosing not to become my Tsuguko?"

"Um, well, I... I like Kyojuro. I mean, I enjoy training with Kyojuro, and..." I didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry about it. I get it." He said. "Rengoku is your lover, and you don't want to leave his side, I understand. But I have a question."

I bit my lip. "What is it?"

"What happens if you and Rengoku don't last? You've then given up something that could have gotten you to where you want to go."

"Then I pay for the consequences of my choice." I said.

"So be it. This is the only time I make the offer."

"So be it." I repeated.

"If you were my lover, I would have tried to talk you into accepting the offer, if another Hashira made one. Why wouldn't Rengoku?"

My face turned red. "Well, Kyojuro didn't talk me into it, but he tell me to consider and choose with my heart. He said he wanted me to make the decision that would ultimately make me happy."

"He probably said that, assuming you would choose the path of the Tsuguko." He said.

"I think so too. But that's not what I really wanted."

"Even if you aren't my Tsuguko, I am still willing to train with you."

Giyu crouched, holding his bokken out to the side. He was going to strike at me. I didn't know his fighting style as well as Kyo's, so I didn't know what he was going to do next. I looked around the yard to find another bokken, but couldn't find one.

"You don't have a weapon. Now what?" Giyu asked.

He ran at me, and I rolled to the ground, attempting to trip him. He jumped and avoided my strike. I looked around the yard for anything I could use, but there was nothing available.

"The porch! Can you make it in time?" He said.

I looked behind him at the porch. A bokken! He charged forward, and I darted around him. I jumped in the air, and he did too. I misjudged his trajectory and crashed right into him midair.

"Shit." He said.

He pulled his bokken back, narrowly avoiding hitting me hard in the face with it. He let go of the bokken and put his arms around me and twisting in the air so that he was under me as we fell. He landed hard on the ground. I landed on top of him, my right elbow right into his stomach, and my left fist in his face. I quickly moved my elbow and climbed over him to examine his face. The warm wind blew his hair across his face and I moved it out of the way.

"I'm sorry! I'm not used to doing this with you, so I don't know all your movements. Your eye might end up bruised."

I put my hand on his cheek and leaned forward to look closer. It seemed I hit him twice. My eyes went back his, and it looked like it was swelling by the one that my fist connected with.

"Oh, Giyu." I groaned.

"I'm going to have to interrupt this." A voice said from the edge of the yard.

I gasped, knowing that voice. I turned and jumped up and away from Giyu. My face turned red as I stood there, looking at the ground. I remained silent because I knew exactly what this looked like.