Random KNY one shots [REQUESTS CLOSED]

Silent comfort | {ShinoGiyuu}

Theme: Hurt/comfort?? 

Note: music!!! >:3 i haven't been adding music to my oneshots but i had that song stuck in my head while writing this, and it fit, so i HAD to add it.

I started this in january to a req i forgot to screenshot, so idk what the req was.. only that it was the person tagged's req??

Tags: @ImaginationsPortal

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Shinobu sat in a panicked state, her back pressed against the wall of her room, her hand to her chest. Her breathing was heavy and she blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears from forming in her eyes.

Calm down, calm down, calm down.

It was like a mantra as she repeated it over and over in her head. 

Nightmares are for children. Calm. Down.

That was a lie. But the worse she felt about it, the more she would will herself to stop having them.

Calm down, you can't let this keep happening, calm down.

It had happened time and time again. Sometimes, she was afraid to sleep. To dream. She would stay awake, staring at the curtains barely containing the midday sunlight from seeping through. 

Count to ten, she would tell herself. She wished she wasn't so childish. So idiotic. Why was she like this? She only had so much time to rest, why was she wasting it on panicking? God, how incompetent was she? 

She vaguely registered the click of a door opening, footsteps. 

She let out a shaky breath, her bangs slipping over her eyes. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she sat there, curled up. She felt constricted, her ribcage closing around her heart, her lungs, and then-

A steady hand on her upper arm brought her to a lilting sense of reality. She blinked up at whoever it was. At first, their face glazed from her gaze and she didn't recognize them. But she caught the green and yellow hexgonal pattern printed upon fabric that brushed her leg as the hand moved up to her shoulder, tightening comfortingly. 

She blinked again, tears she was holding back blurring her vision. 

"T...Tomioka-San?" she mumbled, biting her lip to keep her emotions from spilling over. Why was he here?

"Kocho...," Giyuu murmured. He had knelt down in front of her, eyebrows creased in worry. It was the most emotion she had seen on his face before and it startled her. She forgot herself for a moment, until she felt a drop sliding down her cheek. 

She mentally cursed herself, waiting for the inevitable nag from Giyuu to pull herself together. Only it didn't come. Instead, his hand rested upon her jaw, thumb grazing her cheek. She held her breath, slowly raising her gaze to meet his.

Giyuu's eyes were intent, the blue dark from the lack of light. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. His hand still rested on the side of her face, drawing circles on her cheek. 

"I... What're you...?" Her question trailed off, unsure where it was going. What was he doing here? What was he doing?

"You told me to come for a check-up. Aoi directed me here when I arrived," he said simply, gaze searching her face for an answer to his own un-asked question.

"I'm... sorry," Shinobu said, letting out a breath. She had forgotten about that. She was being stupid, now. Humiliating herself in front of him, making him comfort her.

"For?"

Her eyes flit down, not wanting to see his expression. It would be blank, no doubt. Uncaring. Or would it be mocking? Thinly-veiled disgust? She couldn't blame him. She was a Hashira, for god's sake. Yet here she was, crying over a stupid nightmare. Pathetic, that's hat she was.

"No... Nothing. Give me a minute, we can get to your check-up now," she mumbled, sucking in a shaky breath, trying to pull herself together.

There was movement, though she didn't know exactly what. Then Giyuu was sitting next to her, side by side. He took her hand, which had rested previously on her knee, cradling it. 

"Tomi... What?" she said, surprised. This wasn't the response she had expected.

She glanced at him, but he had drawn his knees up like she had, hands holding the one of hers tenderly. He entwined his hand with hers, clasping it gently.

She watched him, his face slack but soothing. She didn't understand. Why was he being so kind to her?

"You don't have to talk," he said quietly, noticing her staring at him. 

"Your... check-up?" she said meekly. 

He shook his head and said nothing more, his thumb circling on the back of her hand. It sparked a memory in Shinobu's mind, bringing her tears to the near edge.

Kanae, hugging her after their parents died. Kanae, telling her it would be alright before Final Selection. Kanae, holding her hand like this, comforting her after she had gotten injured. Kanae, her quite presence as her life slowly faded. 

Shinobu looked down, resting her forehead on her knees. Her breath was harsh again and she fought the urge to cry. She had embarrassed herself enough in front of Giyuu. 

Yet Giyuu seemed to notice this, lifting her hand so she turned her attention to him, pursing her lips together to contain herself. 

"You... don't have to hold back," he murmured. "It's okay."

And somehow, those words brought her to her limit, tears quivering as they slowly slipped down, creating crevices in the thinly layered make up she had put on earlier. 

Giyuu nodded then changed their positions carefully, scooting closer and drawing her onto his lap so she was curled up in his arms. He rubbed her back, resting his head against hers.

"It's okay," he repeated. "It's okay." 

She nodded to his words, silent sobs breaking through. And suddenly it wasn't because of her nightmares anymore. She didn't know what it was. But she felt safe there, for a moment. For once, after so long, she felt that he wasn't lying. The words didn't seem like an empty promise right now. 

His thumb, though hardened from the years of fighting, wiped her tears away so tenderly. She leaned her face into his palm, her eyes fluttering close. He led her through breathing, helping her calm herself. 

He breathed in carefully and she copied him, her breath stuttering with a hiccup. He rubbed her back, leading her through breathing out. In and out, in and out. 

She leaned against his body, his arms wrapping around her. 

"Thank you," she murmured. 

He didn't answer, instead placing his lips carefully on her forehead. It felt... right. She didn't know how, it just did. So she let him, let him hug her, let him comfort her. Let herself enjoy it, eyes closed.

"You should rest," he said softly.

She didn't protest, feeling somehow both emotionally and physically exhausted. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought she heard him say something, though she couldn't be certain of it.

"It'll be fine," he whispered. "I love you."

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« Word count: 1144 » 

By far my favorite oneshot i have written recently :333