The Touch of Darkness (Giyuuxoc reader)

Awkward Hashira

As the blazing crimson crawled up on my face, a surge of tension gripped me, compelling me to dash to my appointed room. With a trembling hand, I slammed the door shut, seeking solace within the confines of the wooden walls.

My heart raced, my mind replaying the whole event, the weight of anticipation heavy upon me. Thoughts of what Tomioka san might be thinking about me right now consumed my every breath. Lost in my anxious musings, I began to spin the towel over my body, attempting to distract myself from the mounting unease.

Just then, an unassuming knock disrupted the silence, causing my heart to skip a beat. Carefully, I opened the door, peering through the crack, half-expecting to see Sanemi san. But to my surprise, it was Tomioka san himself. "T-Tomioka san?" I gasped, my voice barely a whisper, as his stoic gaze bore into me.

He stood before me, now dressed in special garments that covered his entire torso, emanating an aura of authority and control. His hair, loose and damp from the steam, added to the intensity of the moment. The tension between us was palpable, as if hanging in the air, waiting to be acknowledged.

"May I come in?" Giyuu asked, his voice laced with doubts, his usual stoic face staring back at me. I gulped, feeling the weight of the awkwardness in the air.

His expression was unreadable, leaving me unsure of how to respond. He appeared so rigid, like a statue carved from stone.

"Uh-huh, yeah," I stammered, my voice betraying my nervousness as I opened the door, completely oblivious to the fact that I was clad in just a towel. Tomioka didn't seem to mind, his enthusiasm undeterred.

"Are you following me, Tsukumo-san?" he asked, surprising me with his words. Of all the things he could have said, that was the one thing I didn't expect. "N-no, what are you talking about?" I defensively replied.

"Then what was that?" He asked, looking down, as if he was tired already.

"Did it occur to you that I might have just been there when you entered? I was just respecting your boundaries!" I explained with my usual spunk, as to not seem nervous, which I was.

It wasn't something so usual for Tomioka to initiate a conversation like this. "Oh," he sighed, finally understanding what it was about.

"I-I didn't see you though, there was steam, a-and it covered your-" he stopped abruptly, realizing he wasn't making any sense. I gasped, as I understood what he was talking about. The situation grew increasingly awkward as the realization sank in.

"You're just making things more awkward!" I exclaimed once more, wide-eyed. The guy doesn't talk to anyone, therefore it was inevitable that he didn't know how to communicate properly with others. But it's possible he was attempting to make amends with me.

I sighed and rubbed my brow. "It's okay, Tomioka san, it was just a misunderstanding," I explained, trying to lighten the mood.

"I hope you understand I'm not trying to get with you or anything," I added with a side eye. This has to be most awkward conversation in the face of history.

"I- I didn't say you were," he faltered, his cerulean blue eyes fixed on mine.

"No, but you hinted at it," I protested further. It's possible that I was just as terrible at talking as he was.

"It doesn't matter anymore, I'm glad we got this all out. Let's just not be... that awkward, okay?" I asked, a little hopeful, grumbling like a crazy.

"Okay," was all he said before leaving my room, leaving me with my towel and the most sweat I'd ever sweated from nervousness. I breathed deeply, thankful that the conversation was over.

We had to get to the entertainment district before it became dark. I gathered my bags and proceeded to the departure place. Sanemi and Tomioka arrived much earlier than predicted. Sanemi gazed at me with an unpleasant stillness, which was unusual given his habit of blabbering. I knew it had something to do with our previous event. I smirked, knowing that I had successfully silenced him.

As soon as I showed up, Tomioka began walking, looking stunning in his mismatched Haori. His black hair was nicely pulled back, and a sword was fastened to his side. Was I praising him in any way? I mean, he's not an awful looking guy. I rolled my eyes and told myself to stop talking. Most silent people are always yelling inside their heads, it made me wonder the same about Tomioka san.

This was the most severely trapped out section of the forest. Because more people reside in these regions of the woods, hunters frequently place traps here the most. As a result, we had to be especially cautious not to sprint in particular sections.

Sanemi san kept stealing glances at me. He was unusually quiet, which bothered me.

"Are you all right, Shinazugawa san?" "Cat got your tongue?" I smirked at him. It must have hurt that I didn't get to do anything to him in return. There's nothing fun to do this time. Perhaps Tomioka interrupting us was the finest thing that could have happened.

I heard something come loose as Sanemi gazed at me, his mouth clenched extremely tight. As an arrow shot squarely on Sanemi's right arm, Tomioka and I both stared at the same time.

"Shit" Tomioka and I ran toward Sanemi as he thudded to the ground. "It's nearing a fatal point, he'd need medical attention as soon as possible." Arrows were difficult to mend with concentration breathing, and getting it out would bleed more.

"We need to go to Takayama village right now, he'll need some Shiso," I stated to Tomioka, a worried expression on my face.

"Oi, I'll just slow you down, I've got this," Sanemi said.

"No, we'll get there as soon as we can." But this is a lethal shot, and you can't fight like this." I responded, my voice firm. Tomioka and I took Sanemi to Takayama village's infirmary, where there were numerous medicinal herbs available. As Sanemi lay on the bed, I dismissed the staff.

I dashed to the herb section, grabbed the pink Shiso, and applied it to the wound while pulling the arrow out. I was correct; it had nearly hit a vital area, as it began to bleed profusely.

"It's my fault isn't it?" I muttered as he observed me at work.

"Not your fault that, my attention was on you" Sanemi replied.

"Look, I'm sorry- we were way out of line," I remarked, getting very close to him.

"Way out of line, still fun, at least you're tolerable now," Sanemi scoffed. I was relieved he didn't take it too seriously. The amount of tension appeared to ease.

The wound wouldn't stop bleeding, and Shiso wasn't working its magic. The arrow, like the wound, was heavily rusted. There was one more thing to do before I stitched it up.

"This may seem out of place, but don't question me, Sanemi san." As I cut myself and flowed my blood into the wound, I sighed. I couldn't tell anyone about many forbidden secrets that I had, and this was one of them.

"W-what exactly are you doing?" He inquired, perplexed.

"No questions. This will heal perfectly. You should return to Ubuyashiki manor and ask Oyakata sama to put his trust in Tomioka and myself". I knew Oyakata sama wasn't concerned that we wouldn't be able to manage it, he was concerned that Muzan might know who I was.

"O-okay," he said, his mouth open. I lowered my face and smiled sincerely as I kissed him on the forehead. As I was about to go, he grabbed my arm and said, "Thank you Hime chan," while beaming warmly at me.

I guess I did leave a charm on someone. I walked out swinging my hips, happy.

_____________________________________
This was the most awkward thing I've ever written. They all need to get a fkn grip.💀