Fluttering Hearts Unveiled

Chapter 4

Several sounds of choking went through the air 

"Iguro-san, what's going on?" Shinobu asked, Iguro was looking constipated as his friend Kaburamaru was as well as choking him 

"Ka-bu-ram-aaru, stop that" he let out a choked crack

"Iguro-san, breathing might not be the best idea right now. Kaburamaru-kun, refrain yourself from choking Iguro-san, please" she said sweetly

The snake looked down at the heterochromic and his distressed face and went back to his original position 

"Thank you, Kocho-sama" Iguro said once his voice didn't sound like an ogre

"Kocho, Iguro" Giyuu said quietly

Iguro stared towards him and glared "Don't you know to not interrupt people, rat face?"

He didn't find the courage to make eye contact with either person "But you weren't talking? You were catching your breath?"

"And why were you eavesdropping?" Obanai pointed accusingly

"Sorry" he turned around, about to leave.

"Tomioka-san, please stay. I'd enjoy your company" Shinobu pleaded

Giyuu's heart fluttered "Okay" he stayed at her side, Shinobu was the sort of person people wouldn't raise to many hands toward

"Kocho, with all due respect, why do you want him to stay?" Iguro said cruelly

Giyuu stayed quiet, Iguro would glare if he opened his mouth anyways, but he also wanted to know the answer to why she was so compassionate towards him

Shinobu stepped towards Iguro "I believe. Those who are the hardest to love need it the most, don't you agree?" She explained

"He should put in some effort to be loved then, he doesn't deserve your 'love' either way"

"Iguro-san, a question. In your childhood, did you experience what they call 'love'?" She asked. 

She was told about the family Obanai was raised in and their rituals when she took the Demon Slayers mental health. Obanai and Giyuu were on the worse side of that test.

"No . . ."

"Tomioka-san, did you?" she looked up at Giyuu, he was a lot taller than her

"Yes . . ." he reached for the red half of his haori, then the geometrical half

"Your point, Kocho? You have to accept that some people are just too full of themselves and only act this way for attention"

Giyuu said nothing against it 

"Iguro-san, patience" she looked back at Giyuu "Did that love last forever?"

Giyuu felt tears managing to escape his eyes, he didn't want this voice to come out quavering, he just shook her head

"And why was that?" Iguro asked interrogatingly 

He didn't want to come out with 'They died', it felt wrong "I can take you to meet them"

"Please do, then" Iguro said, confident he wouldn't want to

Shinobu was more alarmed "Tomioka-san, are you sure you would want to?" All she was told was a sibling and two friends of his died to a demon and in the final selection

"Yes, let's go. It's not far from here"

One of the last things Tsutako said, was that she wanted to be buried where Giyuu's heart resided. She was buried in the Demon Slayer graveyard when Giyuu passed final selection. Sabito and Makomo, as  children who died during final selection, were buried in the same place by ritual.

"Tomioka, where are we?" they said as they walked to the garden

"You'll see, Iguro-san" Shinobu assured

"Here, the people who loved me"

Iguro blinked at the three gravestones and read them aloud "Tsutako Tomioka. Sabito, no last name found. Makomo, no last name found" he looked past them, Giyuu and Shinobu were on their knees, paying respects, Shinobu placed flowers on all three. 

"This one was my big sister, she died a day before her wedding day to a demon. She was beautiful, strong hearted, and kind" Giyuu said in front of Tsutakos grave

"So, the exact opposite of you?" Iguro said

"Iguro Obanai" Kocho glared

"Right, right, too far" he sat on his knees in front of the third grave 

"Makomo-chan was only 12 at the day of her death, some demon ripped her limbs off at final selection. She was agile, skilled, kind,  and it was hard to learn of her death" Giyuu explained

Authors note: I know some people say that Makomo didn't know of Giyuu at all and only met Sabito in heaven. But this is a fan fiction, of course I'm gonna change it. And it makes more sense if the three of them knew each other.

"And Sabito, was the strongest kid ever, he beheaded most of the demons at final selection. But he got more furious when he saw the one that killed Makomo, he cared for her a lot. But that anger turned into recklessness, and his head was ripped off"

Authors note: Yes, I ship SabiMako. No, I don't take criticism. Sabigiyuu shippers, leave me the heck alone.

"Finee, I'm sorry." Iguro said after taking that all in "This doesn't mean that we're friends though. But in all honesty, did you ever consider going to therapy after all that?"

"Hm?"

"I'm guessing you were brighter and happier before all of this, if your happiness was sapped away because of it, you can't just live your life crying yourself to sleep at night"

"I'll think about it"

Shinobu and Giyuu stood there silently "See, Iguro-san? I told you he had his reasons" Shinbou said brightly

"I guess so", Shinobu turned around and Obanai helped her to her feet They were dangerously close to each other, but they paid no mind to it.

The same couldn't be said for Giyuu though, he felt irritated. Even if he was, he showed no sign of it. Why was he feeling this way?