𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

Unspoken Feelings

Giyuus Pov:

The night after their return was unsettlingly quiet, the kind of silence that left Giyuu feeling restless. He lays his futuon replaying the events of the past few days in his mind, especially the way Obanai had been acting. Something had changed between them, and Giyuu could no longer ignore it.

For as long as he could remember, Giyuu had liked Obanai. But he had always kept those feelings buried deep inside, hidden behind a cold expression. It wasn’t that he wanted to be distant, but he felt it was the only way to protect himself. Everyone he had ever cared about had been taken from him, and the idea of losing Obanai too was unbearable. So Giyuu decided to keep his feelings to himself, watching from afar and never allowing anyone to see the emotions he kept hidden.

It hurt more than he would ever admit when Obanai insulted him. Each harsh word felt like a small stab to his heart. But what hurt even more was seeing the way Obanai looked at Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, with such admiration. That look was everything Giyuu had ever wanted for himself, and seeing it directed at someone else made him feel a sharp sting of jealousy. He couldn’t help but wish that, just once, Obanai would look at him that way.

But the idea of confessing his feelings was impossible for Giyuu. He had lost too much already, and the thought of adding Obanai to the list of people he had loved and lost was too painful. So, he continued to bury his feelings, locking them away where they couldn’t hurt anyone, especially not Obanai.

This was why Giyuu had always acted cold around Obanai. It was his way of protecting them both from the pain that could come from unspoken feelings. But lately, he had started to notice small changes in Obanai’s behavior,little things that no one else might pick up on, but Giyuu did.

He noticed how Obanai’s touches seemed to linger just a bit longer, how his gaze would sometimes soften before hardening again. These small moments, these  expressions, were slowly breaking through the walls Giyuu had built around his heart. He could feel a warmth growing inside him, a warmth that was getting harder to ignore.

As he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, Giyuu couldn’t help but think about how much he had fallen for Obanai. Every insult, every cold glance,it all seemed uninportant compared to the strength of his feelings. He was head over heels for Obanai, and that scared him. It scared him because he knew that admitting it, even to himself, would change everything.

Giyuu thought back to the days they had spent traveling back. He couldn’t stop thinking about how tense and uncomfortable Obanai had been in the village, and how grateful he had sounded when Giyuu stepped in to help. It was a small moment, but it was one that Giyuu held onto tightly. In that brief exchange, he had seen a side of Obanai that he wasn’t sure anyone else had seen, and it only made his feelings more complicated.

The irony wasn’t lost on Giyuu. He had spent so long trying to protect himself from pain, only to realize that the pain was already there, buried deep inside his heart. And the worst part was, he didn’t regret it. Loving Obanai, even from a distance, was a pain he was willing to endure, because it meant that he still had something worth feeling.

Giyuu sighed and turned over in bed, but sleep wouldn’t come. The more he tried to quiet his thoughts, the louder they became. How could he keep going like this? How long could he pretend that his feelings didn’t exist?

But then, as if in response to his own thoughts, a familiar coldness settled over himya reminder of everything he stood to lose. Giyuu knew he couldn’t afford to let his emotions take over. He had to keep his distance, for both their sakes. If that meant continuing to act cold and indifferent, then that’s what he would do. It was better than the alternativbetter than risking everything he cared about.

Still, as the night dragged on, Giyuu couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. What if things were different? What if he had the courage to tell Obanai how he really felt? But those were dangerous thoughts, and Giyuu quickly pushed them away, focusing instead on the task ahead. They were almost home, and there was still work to be done.

And yet, as he closed his eyes, trying once again to fall asleep, the warmth in his chest lingered, refusing to be ignored. It was a warmth that both comforted and frightened him, and one he knew he couldn’t escape, no matter how hard he tried.

For now, Giyuu would keep his distance, continue to protect his heart, and hope that it would be enough to keep the pain aside. . But deep down, he knew that the warmth was only growing stronger, and it was only a matter of time before it consumed him completely.