"Your mother is dead," Giyuu said calmly.
Sitting under the cherry blossom's shade in your mansion's courtyard, he reached over the tea table, refilling your matcha cup.
Kneeled across from him, you carefully glanced at the demon slayer as he threw his head back, taking in the oolong that he had opted for instead.
After your husband mentioned the unfortunate news several days ago, you frantically reached out to Giyuu, who apparently discovered and prepared your mother's body for a small funeral while you had gone missing.
Although your mother no longer obstructed your meetings with Giyuu, discussions with him had only grown more uncomfortable.
While you've managed to tell Giyuu about your recent kidnapper, today's chatter had often dimmed in cringe-worthy spots, leaving you staring aimlessly at the summer leaves.
Never had you felt so...weird...with the person you've been sharing secrets with since children.
Besides, there was so much more to talk about, everything from the kiss he had left you with to his most recent demon-slaying battle.
You just didn't know where to even start.
"Where did you find my mother?" you finally asked, warming your already heated hands on the sides of the teacup.
Giyuu rested his chin on his hand.
"She was dead when I found her in the kitchen. I suspect that your kidnapper had killed her."
"Douma?" you asked, to which Giyuu responded with a curt and rigid nod.
"Well, I'm glad you are alright," he sighed, running his calloused hands through his pitch-black hair and twirling the strands at the end.
Then, he pointed at you.
No, not you.
Your neck, and in particular, your hickies.
Just as the horror hit you, Giyuu was the first to comment on the visible spots.
"Looks like you've been having some fun."
One of your hands immediately clamped around the curve of your neck.
While much of the coloring had faded over the days, the purple-red markings were great gossip points for your nosy housemaids.
Anything about Lord and Lady Kibutsuji was the talk of the town.
No one could keep their eyes off Tokyo's latest and hottest couple.
Including Giyuu.
"Oh, this?" you laughed anxiously, rubbing the bruises that were etched into your delicate skin amid a miserable attempt to hide them. "I've been, uh..."
The fidgeting of your fingers stopped when your mind went blank.
What should you tell Giyuu?
That Muzan had been railing you?
That your husband—oh, which, by the way, is the demon king—was ruining you, breeding you, using you as nothing but his personal baby batter bucket so that he can dump his seed inside of you and further his species using your body?
The hickies' origin was the epitome of embarrassment for a proper young woman like you.
Even if Giyuu was a close confidant, there was no way that you could bring up intimate moments about-
"Have you been trying for a baby?"
The demon slayer's bluntness shook you from your internal monologue.
His sudden question urged you to suddenly disappear into smoke and ashes because talking about pregnancy in front of your childhood crush made you awkward as heck.
"Um, I don't know," you replied with a soft chuckle to ease your sudden tension.
The features across Giyuu's face sharpened.
Clearly, he wasn't looking to play today.
"That's a yes or no question."
You squeezed your eyes shut when you jolted at his sudden tone.
"No, I haven't," you lied.
Once you had forced the false statement between your teeth, you wished to slap yourself.
Why were you always lying?
Why couldn't you tell Giyuu, your closest friend, the truth?
As your eyes slowly flickered open again, you whispered, "Sorry."
Giyuu, downing the last of his drink, raised a brow.
While you anticipated anger raging in his eyes, you only spotted a familiar softness in the gentle ocean.
"Sorry?" he repeated innocently, placing his empty cup down. "What are you sorry for?"
After many years of Giyuu's friendship, you sought to apologize for many things.
Just one fleeting thought about your demon of a husband was the first of such items.
Sorry for always hiding the truth. Sorry for being such a worrisome person.
Oh yeah, and also sorry for sharting on you as a kid.
Collecting your mental notes together, you revealed the one concern that had been sitting in the pit of your stomach for the last two weeks.
"You like me, don't you?" you cautiously questioned, eyes scrutinizing his face for signs of affliction. "About my husband and I, doesn't the thought of us hurt you?"
The demon slayer thought a bit before he ultimately shook his head.
"I only want what's best for you, Y/N," he admitted, and you could see the faintest smile stretching across his handsome face.
While he appeared happy, you also noticed the sadness lurking underneath.
The bittersweet grin simply broke your fragile heart.
"Giyuu?" you gently called, garnering the man's attention.
The Water Pillar slowly turned his attention away from the slight ache in his chest. As his brows furrowed, you bit the inside of your cheek.
You could not lie to Giyuu anymore so, this time, you told him the truth.
"I liked you, too."
I have missed Giyuu SO MUCH.
I also finished everything in AOT, and I've been crying buckets.
next update: friday