𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

The Weight Of Silence

The forest was dense with the soft sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls, but to Obanai, it felt like the world had narrowed down to the sound of his own breath and Giyuu’s. Each quiet exhale from the Water Hashira seemed to echo in his mind, pulling his focus away from the path ahead. He tried to steady himself, but his heart refused to slow down.

With every step they took deeper into the woods, the tension between them only grew heavier. It was unbearable now, pressing down on them like the weight of a thousand unsaid words. Obanai’s thoughts were a mess, circling the same tormenting conclusion: He was in love with Giyuu, and there was no running from it anymore.

But he couldn’t say it. Not now. Not here.

Beside him, Giyuu was battling his own turmoil. He could feel Obanai’s presence like a magnetic pull, drawing him closer despite his best efforts to stay focused on the mission. His thoughts, once clear and disciplined, were now a whirlwind of confusion. Every stolen glance at Obanai, every brush of their arms as they moved through the trees, set his nerves alight.

Why now? Why had these feelings chosen to surface in the midst of a mission? It was dangerous. Distractions could cost them everything, and yet, ignoring the growing tension between them felt like a different kind of risk one that would leave scars neither of them could heal from.

---

They stopped near a stream, taking a moment to rest before continuing their patrol. The sun was dipping lower in the sky, castg long shadows through the trees. Obanai crouch near the water, letting the cool air fill his lungs as he tried o push down the frantic beating of his heart.

But when he glanced up, Giyuu was watching him.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and Obanai felt his breath catch. Giyuu quickly looked away, but the damage was already done. The weight of that single glance hung between them, charged with everything they weren’t saying.

Obanai’s hands tightened into fists. He couldn’t go on like this. Every moment spent beside Giyuu was torture, and the more he tried to suppress it, the worse it became. But confessing his feelings now, in the middle of a mission, wasn’t an option either. He couldn’t afford the distraction—not when their lives were at stake.

And yet, wasn’t that the real danger? That this tension, this unspoken longing, would cloud his mind in battle and get one of them killed?

---

The mission resumed, but their movements were slower, more deliberate. Every step they took together felt like they were on the edge of something—something neither of them could face just yet.

Giyuu walked ahead, his posture tense, his grip on his sword tighter than it needed to be. Obanai followed closely behind, his gaze flicking to Giyuu’s back more often than he’d like. It was maddening, the way every movement, every gesture, seemed to draw his attention now.

It wasn’t just the mission that had his pulse racing—it was Giyuu. The way he moved with such quiet grace, the way his dark hair caught the last rays of sunlight as they passed through the trees… It was unbearable, and Obanai hated himself for how much he craved this closeness.

But it was the small, unintentional touches that were driving him to the brink. A brush of the arm, their hands nearly colliding as they adjusted their weapons… each time, a shock of warmth surged through him, making his heart race faster than it ever had in the heat of battle.

He couldn’t ignore it anymore. His body betrayed him at every turn, reacting to Giyuu in ways he had never anticipated.

---

As they moved deeper into the forest, a sudden sound broke the silencethe crack of a branch snapping in the distance. Both hashira  froze, instinct kicking in. They were no longer alone.

Obanai’s mind immediately shifted back to the mission, his pulse steadying as the familiar rush of battle flooded through him. He could feel Giyuu beside him, their usual synchronization kicking in as they prepared for what was to come.

A demon emerged from the shadows, snarling, its eyes glinting with malice. But it wasn’t just one. A second demon followed, their twisted forms blending into the darkening forest.

Giyuu and Obanai exchanged a brief glance, a silent understanding passing between them. They moved as one, their blades flashing in the fading light.

Each strike was precise, every movement in perfect harmony as they danced around their enemies. But the demons were relentless, and soon the battle became a blur of swift strikes and dodged blows.

Despite the chaos around them, Obanai’s focus kept wavering, drawn to Giyuu’s every movement. His heart pounded, not from fear or exertion, but from the proximity of the man fighting beside him. Every time Giyuu’s blade connected with a demon, Obanai felt a surge of pride and something deeper, something he wasn’t ready to name,but knew what it was...love.

Giyuu, too, was struggling. His usual calm was fractured, each swing of his sword accompanied by the awareness of Obanai’s presence. It was maddening, how every step they took in battle only seemed to pull them closer together, the tension between them growing thicker with each passing moment.

---

When the demon fell, silence descended once more, but it wasn’t the kind of silence that brought relief. Obanai’s chest heaved with the effort of the fight and something more. His eyes found Giyuu’s, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade.

They stood there, swords lowered, the air between them charged with everything left unsaid.

Obanai opened his mouth, his breath shaky, as though on the verge of saying something, anything, to break the unbearable silence. But the words stuck in his throat. His hand brushed against Giyuu’s again as they moved to sheathe their swords, and this time, neither of them pulled away.

The touch lingered, and Obanai’s heart stuttered in his chest. The heat that rose between them was undeniable now, burning through every wall he had carefully built around his heart. He could feel Giyuu’s warmth, the faint tremble in his hand that betrayed the calm facade he always wore.

“Iguro…” Giyuu’s voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper, but it was enough to send a shockwave through him.

Obanai swallowed hard, the weight of his feelings pressing down on him, threatening to spill over. But he couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

“We should… keep moving,its not the only denon roaming arojnd here,” he muttered, his voice strained.

Giyuu hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching Obanai’s face as if looking for something, some sign of what lay beneath the surface. But then he nodded, stepping back, the moment passing between them like a fleeting shadow.

They continued on, but the tension between them only deepened with every step, every breath. Neither of them said a word, but they both knew that if they didn’t confront these feelings soon, they would be consumed by them.

---

As night fell, they found a small clearing to rest in. The air was cool, but Obanai’s skin still burned from the heat of the day from the weight of Giyuu’s presence beside him.

He sat down, leaning against a tree, his mind a chaotic storm of emotions. Giyuu settled a few feet away, the distance between them both a comfort and a torment. The silence stretched on, and Obanai knew they couldn’t keep avoiding it forever.

But for now, the words remained unsaid, buried beneath the weight of everything they weren’t ready to face.

And as the stars began to appear in the sky above, they sat together in silence, hearts heavy with the knowledge that sooner or later, something would have to give.