his will to live (Sanegiyuu)

hope

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Giyuu arrived at the meeting point, his heart pounding in his chest. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a pale light over the training grounds. Sanemi was already there, his confident stance contrasting sharply with Giyuu's hesitant steps.

"Good morning, Giyuu," Sanemi greeted, his voice filled with an enthusiasm that made Giyuu's heart ache, he hoped that tomioka would at least greet him back but what can you expect from the quiet water hashira.

Giyuu sighed slightly then nodded, his eyes darting to the ground.

Sanemi stepped closer, his presence radiating warmth. "Ready for this mission?"

Giyuu only nodded again, unable to find the words. The proximity of Sanemi was overwhelming, and he fought to keep his composure.

As they set off, the silence between them was heavy, but Sanemi was determined to break through Giyuu's walls. "I've heard there are multiple demons in the area. Later at night we need to stay close."

Giyuu's mind raced. "Of course," he finally managed to say.

Their journey through the dense forest was filled with tense silence, punctuated by the sounds of nature around them. Sanemi kept glancing at Giyuu, looking for any sign of his feelings, while Giyuu struggled to keep his emotions in check.

Sanemi tried to start a conversation, desperate to bridge the gap between them. "Do you remember the first mission we went on together? You saved my life back then." (Just an imaginary moment)

Tomioka's eyes flickered with recognition, but he remained silent.

Sanemi continued, undeterred. "And all I did was yell at you and tell you that I didn't need your help.." Shinazugawa chuckled sadly at his past behavior

Giyuu's heart tightened. he wanted to respond, to let Sanemi know how he felt, but the words were stuck in his throat.

After a while, they came across a small stream. Sanemi, trying to lighten the mood, pointed at it and said, "Hey, remember that time you fell into the river because you were too busy looking at a butterfly?"

Giyuu's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he didn't know his cheeks could do that..."That was...an unfortunate distraction."

Sanemi chuckled. "Yeah, me and rengoku had to fish you out. You were soaked from head to toe and grumbling about how the butterfly had tricked you, it's crazy that the water hashira can't even swim."

Giyuu was a bit offended by that statement, but instead of arguing back he huffed and kept silent still firmly looking down his beautiful blue eyes following the path in front of him just like a puppy...which sanemi found cute but decided to not say it out loud.

They kept walking to their destination, the silence growing heavier. Sanemi's frustration was palpable, but he refused to give up. "I know it's hard for you to open up, Giyuu...But I want you to know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Giyuu's steps faltered for a moment, the sincerity in Sanemi's voice cutting through his defenses. he glanced at him, his eyes briefly meeting Shinazugawa's before quickly looking away.

Sanemi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just wish you'd let me in. I wish you'd see that I care about you, more than anything...more than I'd like to believe."

Giyuu's heart ached with the weight of his words. he knew he couldn't keep running from his feelings forever, but the fear of losing another person in his life was too strong.

As they continued their journey, the forest began to thin out, and the path ahead became clearer. Sanemi's determination to reach Giyuu never wavered, and Giyuu felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could finally face his true feelings..but for now he will stick to ignoring sanemi.

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