𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

Lingering Shadows

The first light of dawn shines through the thin paper windows, casting a faint glow across the room. Obanai’s eyes snapped open, his breath quick and shallow, as the remnants of the dream clung to him. He could still feel the  touch of hands on his waist, the whispered words echoing in his mind. It was disorienting, and for a moment, he couldn’t shake the unease that coiled in his chest.

Turning his head slightly, Obanai’s gaze fell upon Giyuu, who was still asleep beside him. The Water Hashira’s expression was peaceful, untroubled by the inner storm that raged within Obanai. For a fleeting second, Obanai found himself staring, his eyes tracing the relaxed lines of Giyuu’s face. The thought that Giyuu looked almost… beautiful, flitted through his mind before he harshly shoved it away, mentally chastising himself.

He threw off the covers, careful not to disturb Giyuu, and slipped quietly from the futon. The chill of the morning air shines at his skin, but it was a welcome contrast to the heat that still lingered from the dream. Obanai needed space, air,anything to clear his head.

He slid open the door, stepping out into the crisp morning.  The warm breeze hit his face, grounding him in the present, though his thoughts were still tangled.

“What the hell was that?” Obanai muttered to himself, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He had never been one to dwell on dreams, dismissing them as mere figments of his subconscious. But this… this felt different. It had been so vivid, so real, and the emotions it stirred were ones he wasn’t prepared to confront.

He leaned against the wooden railing, staring out at the distant mountains, the moon still visible in the morning sky. The scene was calm, peaceful, but inside, Obanai was anything but. The sensation of Giyuu’s touch, the whispered words that sent a shiver down his spine—it was all too much.

This wasn’t something he could just ignore, no matter how much he wanted to. But what unsettled him more was the idea that, deep down, some part of him didn’t want to ignore it. He shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the thoughts from his mind. This was a distraction—nothing more. He couldn’t afford to let something like this get under his skin.

With a final glance at the sum, Obanai straightened up and took a deep breath. The mission was his priority, and he needed to keep his focus on that. Whatever this was, whatever strange feelings the dream had awakened, he would deal with it later. For now, he would push it aside, where it couldn’t interfere with what needed to be

He turned back to the room, looking himself to face Giyuu again, determined to act as if nothing had changed. But as he quietly slid the door open and saw Giyuu still lying there, the peaceful rise and fall of his chest, Obanai couldn’t help but feel a pang of something he refused to name.

The room was filled with the soft rustle of clothing as the two Hashira prepared for the day. The silence between them was thick, weighted with the things unsaid. Obanai, already tense from his earlier thoughts, found his gaze wandering to Giyuu more often than he would have liked. He caught himself staring at the Water Hashira’s calm expression, his movements precise and unhurried.

Obanai tightened his grip on his sword, trying to banish the lingering thoughts from his mind. He had no time for this. Giyuu seemed oblivious to Obanai’s turmoil, methodically going through his morning routine with the same detached air he always carried.

They shared breakfast in silence, the only sounds being the soft clink of chopsticks and the rustle of their clothing. The tension that had built overnight remained unaddressed, and Obanai felt a growing irritation with himself. Why couldn’t he just let it go? Why did that dream continue to haunt him?

Giyuu, unaware of the inner battle Obanai was fighting, finished his meal and stood up, ready to leave. Obanai followed suit, eager to put some distance between himself and the uneasy feelings that had taken root.
----

The forest greeted them with a familiar stillness, the kind that signaled the presence of demons. The trees loomed overhead, casting long shadows on the ground as Obanai and Giyuu moved through the underbrush with practiced ease. Their target was still out there, a demon that had been eluding them for days, and they were determined to finish the hunt today.

The silence between them was broken only by the soft crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of branches as they navigated the dense foliage. Obanai’s senses were sharp, focused on the task at hand, but there was a new edge to his movements—a drive to push through the distraction that still gnawed at the back of his mind.

They took a brief rest in a secluded part of the forest, the air thick with the scent of pine and earth. Obanai leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath, his mind still racing. The fight had helped to burn off some of his frustration, but it had also brought the dream back to the forefront of his thoughts.

Giyuu stood a few feet away, his back to Obanai as he kept watch over the surrounding area. The tension between them was palpable, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. Obanai found himself watching Giyuu again, his eyes tracing the lines of the Water Hashira’s silhouette against the backdrop of the forest.

He couldn’t deny it any longer something had changed. The dream, the unsettling feelings it had stirred, the way he kept catching himself staring at Giyuu… it was all connected, but he didn’t know how to deal with it. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to.

----

Giyuu finally broke the silence, his voice low and even. “We need to adjust our approach. The demon has been anticipating our moves, but it’s making a mistake by underestimating our patience.”

Obanai blinked, pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Giyuu’s voice. The words were logical, strategic—typical of Giyuu. But there was something in his tone that caught Obanai off guard, a subtle concern that wasn’t usually there.

“Yeah,” Obanai replied, his voice gruff. “We’ll finish this today.”

As they prepared to move on, a new resolve settled over Obanai. The mission was what mattered now. Whatever strange tension existed between them, whatever unsettling thoughts the dream had brought to the surface, would have to wait. For now, he would focus on the task at hand.

But as they moved deeper into the forest, Obanai couldn’t shake the feeling that things wouldn’t go back to the way they were before. Something had shifted, and he wasn’t sure if it could be undone.