Gifts and roses..-*

Chapter 24 -

Sanemi scowled at the pot in front of him, the wooden spoon scraping noisily against the bottom as he stirred his meal with far more force than necessary, his vexation with himself growing. The fire crackled quietly beneath it, the heat licking at the edges of the food.

Why had he bolted like that? What in the hell had he been thinking?

The second he left Giyuu's estate, regret started violently clawing at him, sharp and persistent. He had wanted to hear what Giyuu had to say. In fact, he'd been desperate for it. But instead, he'd run off, practically throwing away the best chance he had to figure out where they stood.

His grip on the spoon tightened, the wood biting into his palm. He could still see Giyuu's face in his mind- those wide eyes, that slack jaw. The man had looked completely shocked, as if the idea of Sanemi apologizing was too absurd to comprehend.

Sure, he'd never apologized like that before. It wasn't exactly his style. But was he really so harsh that Giyuu had to look at him like he'd just sprouted a second head? Sanemi grimaced, well... in all fairness he couldn't blame him- his own tongue had barely been able to form the words.

His eyes flicked to the food simmering away, but his thoughts remained tangled. "The next time I see him is going to be hell", he mumbled with a frustrated sigh. The awkwardness was going to stick to them like wet clothes, clinging uncomfortably, and it was all his fault for bolting before Giyuu could get a word in.

Sanemi jabbed at the pot again, his stirring harsh and erratic. If he had just stuck around- waited a few more seconds, for crying out loud- maybe he wouldn't be sitting here now, stewing in his own uncertainty.

He cursed under his breath. Now he was tormented, grasping at what Giyuu could be thinking.

He could feel his frustration simmering, but no amount of stirring was going to fix this mess. He threw down the spoon, leaning against the counter, eyes narrowing in irritation.

Maybe... if he could find an excuse to talk to him again... he could sort things out.

-

Several days had passed since Sanemi's unexpected visit, but the memory of their encounter lingered in Giyuu's mind as if it were only yesterday. He was exhausted. He had been sent to assist a group of new recruits - kids, really- who had barely survived an encounter with a family of demons. Though he wasn't tired from the mission. They hadn't been particularly dangerous, not by any stretch, their blood demon art crude and unrefined, easy enough for him to handle. In truth, he was drained from processing this change in Sanemi. And he was more than ready to get home.

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon as Giyuu neared his estate. Normally, the sight of his home- a place of solitude and refuge- was a welcome relief. But tonight, something out of place tugged at his attention.

His eyes caught on a small splash of red tied to the railing of his front gate.

He slowed his steps, exhaustion momentarily forgotten as his gaze narrowed on the object. It was a cloth, worn and frayed at the edges. The knot holding it in place was haphazard, as though it had been tied in haste or by someone unpractised. Giyuu's heart lurched in his chest, the sight of it unmistakable.

A strange tension built in the air around him, his pulse quickening as he approached the gate with cautious steps. His mind raced, caught between disbelief and an uneasy curiosity. The last time he had seen one of these cloths was... back when he left them for Sanemi. But what did this mean? Why was it here, of all places?

Was this... Sanemi's doing?

His fingers brushed the rough fabric as he reached out to retrieve the poorly knotted cloth from the gate, his hands trembling ever so slightly despite his efforts to keep steady.