𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

"You Dont Mean That"

The forest was unnervingly quiet as Giyuu and Obanai approached the clearing where the demon was hiding. There was no sound of animals, no breeze just a stillness that made everything feel wrong. The tension between them wasn't just about the mission ahead. There was something deeper, something unspoken that had been building for too long.

Giyuu gripped his sword tighter as they moved forward. His eyes kept drifting to Obanai, walking just a few steps ahead of him. His chest felt tight, a strange feeling swirling inside him. For weeks, he'd tried to push it down, to ignore how often his mind wandered to Obanai, how every word and glance between them seemed to mean more than it should.

Obanai, on the other hand, was struggling to focus on the task. His mind kept getting pulled back to Giyuu. Why did he care so much? Why did his heart race whenever Giyuu was near? It was frustrating, and he hated how easily distracted he was. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about the Water Hashira.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees. The demon appeared a large, hulking figure with glowing red eyes and sharp claws. There was no more time to think. They had to act.

Both of them moved in sync, their swords flashing as they attacked. They fought as if they were one, their strikes quick and precise. But Obanai's mind wasn't completely in the battle. He was too aware of Giyuu, too aware of how close he was, of how their movements mirrored each other.

It was distracting. Too distracting.

Obanai and Giyuu moved as one, their blades cutting through the air with precision. The demon was fast, its claws swiping dangerously close as it lunged at them. They dodged, countering with swift strikes, their movements synchronized by years of battle experience. But the unspoken tension between them clouded their focus, making each strike feel heavier than it should have.

Obanai's heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in short gasps. Every time he glanced at Giyuu, his pulse quickened
In one careless moment, Obanai let his guard down. The demon's claws slashed across his tearing through his clothes and cutting into his skin. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth as pain shot through him. Blood started to seep through his uniform, but he forced himself to keep standing, his heart pounding with more than just pain.

Giyuu noticed right away. His focus shifted from the demon to Obanai, worry flashing across his usually calm face. But they couldn't stop now. They had to finish the fight.

With a final surge of energy, they took down the demon, their blades cutting through its body until it fell. The battle was over, but the tension between them only grew heavier.

---
After the fight, Obanai stood there, his hand pressed against his bleeding side. He barely registered that the demon was gone, too lost in his own thoughts. His mind kept replaying the moment he got hurt, the embarrassment of losing focus, of feeling weak.

Giyuu walked up to him, his eyes scanning Obanai's wound. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice calm but concerned.

Obanai flinched at the question, his face flushed with both pain and humiliation. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions anger at himself for getting hurt, and anger at Giyuu for... caring?

Obanai's jaw tightened. He didn't want to look at Giyuu. "Why do you care?" he muttered, frustration boiling inside him. "It's not like you've ever cared before."

Giyuu blinked, taken aback by the venom in Obanai's words. "Of course, I care," he replied, his voice steady but tinged with confusion. "You're my comrade-"

"Comrade?" Obanai scoffed, finally turning to face him, his eyes flashing with anger. "You've never acted like you care about anyone but yourself, Tomioka."