The Sound Hashira's Apprentice // tengenuzui x reader

Chapter 10

"Look I'm pretty sure we are going the opposite direction..."

Tengen leaned forward wordlessly to flip the map I had been discerning over the last 5 minutes. I averted my eyes momentarily at the re-adjustment of the piece of paper before looking back at him once again smiling sheepishly. We were, in fact, in the right direction.

"Well whaddya know!"

"Remind me of your rank one more time."Tengen mused. 

I groaned, leaning back on the torn leather seat. It didn't help that before we had boarded this particular train, my Hashira-Sensei entrusted me firstly to find the correct route prior. Only for it to be a carriage filled with prisoners headed to jail.

Definitely not going to where we were supposed to be headed.

He was right, I was bad at directions.

I sunk lower in my seat.

Glancing at the window towards the scenery, and wearily returning it to the map, I noted that I was still quarter a days travel from the Nothern Alps. 'Twas the season where the Sun set later, so by the time we would exit out of the intended station, there would be enough buffer to arrive by twilight in the Alps. When Demon's were most active of course.

The growing lump in my throat from nerves offered a mere moment of distraction. But not long enough that Tengen's unusual behaviour had gone unnoticed since we'd left that morning. I accounted for how his hand muscles continued to tense sporadically within our silence and how he was habitually cracking his knuckles back and forth. It raised the question why exactly he was so restless. Could it be about wherever he was taking me or my first mission back as his tsugoku?

His evasive answers about where we were going only added to the mystery. It was clear that this place held great importance to him. As I absentmindedly traced circles on my thumb with my opposite hand, I continued to carefully observe his unease.

This was very odd

For a brief moment I humoured myself with the thought that Tengen might just be kidnapping me as his hostage. A laugh escaped my lips, catching him off guard and earning myself a quizzical look.

"Sorry, was just thinking..."I shrugged. I gazed up at his face, better viewing the way his jaw flexed restrictively.

I quirked at eyebrow, clearing my throat. "You don't seem okay."

Tengen sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "This is... I haven't been there for a while, it's a little overwhelming that's all."

Huh?

With an upturned frown I scanned his expression.

Well no he wasn't kidnapping me. If he would just tell me...

I cleared my throat as I mustered the courage for my next moves. I was unsure why it was my first instinct to reach out with my left hand, weariness palpable as I gingerly grasped his own. His hands were fractions larger than mine, something I could not ignore as I wrapped my fingers around his palm that was weathered and calloused from years of battling demons. I forced myself to give him a gentle smile, but my face muscles faltering betrayed me.

However Tengen didn't flinch, maintaining a straight face that at least sent a wave of relief through me as my quivering thumb lightly brushed against the back of his hand.

"I can tell this place means alot to you..."I murmured, holding onto our line of vision brazenly despite my nervous tone.

"You know I'm too curious for my own good but... anything you share with me is important. That being said if it's too much, then we... well we can just leave it. It's okay. We don't have to talk about it either. If that's what you think is best. "