A Flower That Blooms in the Rain

Chapter 3

With Uzui's disastrous attempts at bringing Tomioka here having other unaccounted-for side effects, Himejima takes matters into his own hands and reaches out a helping one. 

A/N: WARNING: Vomiting, blood, and descriptions of a corpse or a dismembered one.

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Like too many nightmares, it began with his sister.

They never strayed that far from the event at how, never exaggerated how it played out, if anything it was more a flashback than a nightmare, but reliving it in full and instead of flashes was the scariest part of it.

The night started out with him asleep to the sounds of the old heater running on its last leg, it was loud, coughing and wheezing every second but it never did disturb him too much. He liked the noise, it was comforting in its own right he could never go to sleep without it. He's dragged from whatever pointless and long-forgotten dream he was already having by the soft but urgent tone of his sister coaxing him awake. Her expression was a rueful one, the corner of her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

"Wha... What's up?..." He thinks he rubs his eyes as he looks up at her, confused, it was so late at night. 

"What do you say we play a game?" Giyuu stared up at her, tilting his head to the side yet she offered no explanation but quietly dragged him along and brought him to a nearby oish-ire, sliding the clothes aside and carefully slotting him in there, then shielding him with the clothes on the hanger. He blinked at her confused but said nothing. She kneeled behind him, gripping his hands, he didn't notice at the time but they were shaking.

"Right here in this oshi-ire, I need you to stay very quiet and stay very still till someone from the village comes to find you." He cocked his head to the side, hanging on to her every word. "Like hide and seek?" She nodded curtly, briefly glancing back before looking back at him and clapping her hands together. "Exactly like that! Oh, this'll be so much fun."

She smiled at him, eyes briefly fluttering closed as the unshed tears dripped from her eyes. She wiped them away with her slender fingers, letting out a- at the time he hadn't realized it- hollow laugh, peering down at him through her eyelashes. "They're because I'm happy, I can hardly believe that I'll be married tomorrow." He hugged her but she pushed him away and started to- hurriedly- take off her haori and wrap it around him, sliding the ring off her finger and giving it to him with haste. 

His tiny hands clutched the ring to his chest, her haori weighing him down. "You keep it," She insisted when he pushed it back in her hands. "so they'll have the incentive to find you, plus, practice for being the ring bearer." He nodded at her watching as she looked back and with haste she pulled him into a tight hug, her voice trembling.

"I love you so much Giyuu, I'm so glad I got to spend my life as your sister." He hugged her back, feeling tears stream down his cheek. "I love you too Tsu-Tsu," She sniffled and pulled away patting his shoulder and gently maneuvering him farther into the oshi-ire, she leaned forward and kiss his forehead gently. 

"Don't move from that spot okay? And stay very quiet." He nodded at her and his sister smiled, smiling with a smile that was as bright as the sun. "I love you Yuu-san,"

"I love you too Tsu-nee," Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she quietly closed the door until all he could see was darkness, complete and pure darkness. 

Giyuu pressed himself further into the corner, not being able to help the whimper that slipped from his lips. He mentally degraded himself for making a single noise and clapped a hand over his mouth. After that, the silence dragged on and it felt like a lifetime until there was another noise.