Cold hearted (KyojuroxReader)

Chapter 73:Wisdom

     A way with words, a grand privilege- but a way in hearts, closer than anything.

     The woman held a hand under her chin as she helped herself to the bite Kyojuro offered, taking her time to appreciate the gyoza. She nodded along with him as he grinned, accepting the other half provided. The savory taste of the aged sauce tied to the slight sweetness in the fish, the flavor quickly proving victorious over her chicken variation.

     "... You were right; the tuna isn't half bad. I'm almost disappointed about my decision, now..." The Ice Pillar hummed after thanking the man, repressing her embarrassed hue towards his giving nature.

     "I thought to suggest it earlier while we were ordering, but you seemed overwhelmed." Kyojuro spared an apology, the gorgeous scenery casting a glow on the bruise above his eyebrow; a red welt, slowly taking on a painful purple. (y,n) frowned at the blemish while he snacked on the dumplings, lifting up his bangs to gaze at the gash centered in the bruise.

     "Are you sure you don't want to treat this with something? I feel awful letting you walk away with such a nasty spot..." She asked softly, her cheeks blooming with red when he took her hand to cup his face.

     "(y,n), it's alright. It's only a bruise!" The man laughed, "My father would have a field day if he saw me trying to cover this with some silly bandage." He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, shaking his head at the thought of his Shinjuro's antics and unknowingly putting her indifference to the maximum test.

     They would've sparred for longer if not for (y,n)'s 'miscalculation'. She intended on striking his shoulder with her sword's hilt, but the uh... gravitational pull of his giant eyebrows was simply too great for her to overcome.

     "You're more worried about his teasing than addressing that? I could've knocked you out..."

     "You must understand, friend, I spent an entire hour dealing with that man's nonsense." The blonde rolled his eyes as he rested his mouth on his hands. Memories of war flashed through his mind- every laugh from the retired Hashira; a distant gunshot.

     "'There's too much weight in your hips!', 'Move your hands up on the handle!', 'I sneezed, do everything all over again!'." He mocked his father's words in a deep, scratchy voice. The Ice Pillar turned away from her comrade as she forced back a smile, on the verge of a chuckle.

     "To think, this is the first time he's ever helped with my craft. I would've lost my mind years ago if I had to endure that in my adolescence." He laughed dejectedly, losing it at the sight of (y,n) suppressing her own reaction. He nodded as she faced him again, composing herself to the best ability.

     "Maybe you were right to trust your father, that sounded eerily similar to my sensei." The woman reminisced back to her days under Chikaradzuyo's care.

     "I'm sure he took after the methods she used for me... They used to be close, while they were still both Hashira. You could almost call them 'best friends'." Their hay days consisted of mischief and chaos with one another. A deadly mission was a mere game when they were paired together. They were complete opposites, yet a parallel and reminder of the friendship (y,n) once had with Murogasai.

     She repressed the itch to fidget her hands, reminded of the unfortunate fate that the two friendships met, resisting the urge to consider it a future threat as Kyojuro spoke. "I used to see them together so much when I was a boy... I always wondered what broke them apart." Kyojuro distantly thought while he leaned back on his hands, basking in the sunlight.

      "It wasn't because father changed after our mother's funeral, she still stuck around at his lowest."

     "No, his lowest was the reason why she left." His company corrected him, digesting each of his handsome features in every passing glance. She lost the worry for his bruise in the way of his eyes, how those flames doubled in the beauty of daytime. She held her gaze with Kyojuro when he gave her a confused expression, silently admiring that too.