100 years i've waited for you | giyuu x shinobu [completed]

the promise we never got to fulfill

"CAW! CAW! MUZAN KIBUTSUJI AND THE UPPER MOON KIZUKI'S ARE SPOTTED NEAR THE HEADQUARTERS! READY FOR BATTLE! CAW! CAW"

"ne tomioka."

"...yes? kochou?"

"if i die, remember to come find me in our next life."

".....but i thought you dislike-."

"i don't actually hate you."

his eyes widened. he was confused. all this time shinobu has been saying no one likes him and he was a lonely soul, yet now, she's telling him she never hated him.

"...so don't go and die on me, giyu."

"..." though shocked by shinobu's sudden calling of his first name, he didn't utter a word.

"i won't. so don't, too, kochou."

"you're so bad at talking, tomioka." her laughter echoed the night.

"but the moon is beautiful isn't it , tomioka?" shinobu smiled sadly at the dense and confused giyuu.

they made an unspoken promise to each other when shinobu suddenly pecked a small kiss on giyu's cheek.

overwhelmed by shinobu's actions, giyu continue to stand in place, while his hands caressing over the cheek shinobu kissed. while he was doing so, shinobu was already running towards the battlefield.

she looked back at him one last time and shouted.

"remember to marry me after the battle, giyuu. so let's go and win this fight." shinobu made the word 'giyuu' louder and clearer for him to hear.

she didn't have a choice. she didn't know if she was going to survived the battle, she was the weakest hashira, her death is almost inevitable. so she had to tell him and made her feelings clear. all these pent up feelings she had for him was finally spilled. while giyuu ran after her blindly, his mind was still processing the sudden exchange of information.

m-marry her?

thought giyuu was confused and lost in thought , he had one thing straight.

i dont want shinobu to die.

after reaching the reported location, the place suddenly turned into a shoji room. it was rotating around and its movements were unpredictable.

as they were standing back to back, giyuu finally gathered his thoughts and uttered a sentence.

"shinobu. don't die. if thats what you want, i will make you my wife." and he sped off to the opposite direction to take on demons.

shinobu's smiled softly upon hearing those reassuring words. she was determined. to go home in a bridal dress after that day.

but tomorrow never came. for shinobu.

             
                                ---

" CAW! SHINOBU KOCHOU! DEAD! FOUGHT UPPER MOON KIZUKI! "

tanjiro and giyuu's eyes widened in shock by the information they received. their minds thinking of the same image of shinobu, smiling gently at them.

         -----

the fight was finally over. tanjiro finally came to his senses, and muzan was finally gone. demons no longer exist and roam the surface of earth.

while a kakushi was carrying him, he felt dizzy from the blood loss. but his hearing remained sharp as he heard sniffing in the distance.

"i really love you, iguro! you always looked at me with those gentle eyes of yours! and the food you made were always the best! uwahh! if-if we get reborned as humans again, will you take me as your wife??!!"

"yes mitsuri, i will if im fine for you. i will protect you. i won't let you die again."

i will protect you. i won't let you die again.

those words continue to linger in giyuu's mind while he passed out.

consumed by the darkness afterwards. he heard from all the kakushi's that the scene was heartbreaking, and they died in each other's arms.

"kanao."

"shinobu." kanao sobbed quietly, squeezing the left side of her chest with her hand, a butterfly hair pin inside.

"can..i have..half of that?" giyuu asked. he didn't want to take away the last memory of shinobu from kanao, but he wanted a piece of memory too. a memory of his supposed bride-to-be.

sniffing, kanao tore shinobu's butterfly pin neatly, so it looks like a half-winged hairpin and not a purposely torned up one.

giyuu clenched his fist while his other palm held the blood-stained butterfly hair pin.

"apologies, tomioka, i broke our promise"

giyuu whipped him head around, trying to find the source of the voice. it sounded like shinobu. he doesn't know. he was too focused on grieving. though he never had friends, the only person whom he knew well was shinobu. he never realised how big of an impact shinobu was on his life, til the day she had her last breath.

                                       ---

"oi dense fuck. you didn't know?? shinobu liked you like crazy dude. like, everyone knew. we all thought you were just pretending to act dumb." sanemi spoke while chewing on his ohagi.

"...she always says everyone hates me.."

"HA? SHES JUST TEASING YOU MAN! though i hate you."

giyuu just sat there blankly. sanemi was contradicting himself.

"fuck sake dude you're so blind."

"you should have noticed sooner and married her. i didnt want you to be like me." sanemi's voice softened at the thought of kanae.

sanemi stood up slowly upon finishing his food.

"just find her when we get reborned again. mitsuri and iguro is gonna do that. i am gonna do that too. i will." sanemi left after his thoughtful sentence.

giyuu pulled out the half winged butterfly pin from his uniform and held it out on his palm.

i'll find you. kochou. wait for me.