The Blacksmith's daugther was a witch (Tomioka Giyuu x reader)

Chapter 22: Home

Previously:

"Don't just stand there, come in."

She listened and walked further into the garden with her eyes still clouded over. She hated herself for being so greedy but nothing would change the way she felt. Here, in the home of a friend, she was a stranger walking in. Here, with one of the closest people to her, she felt more alone than if she was on her own, drowning in the crashing tides of time.

Giyuu was confused at the rounin's nostalgically sad expression but he didn't want to pry. After all, it wasn't his place to do so and who knew what memories caused him to look like that. And even if he did know, it wasn't like he would comfort him. At his words Hakumei lifted his head and stepped into the premises hesitantly.

"Wait here." was all the ravenette said before disappearing in his house.

He made sure to keep the new uniform close to the door so it didn't take him much time to grab it and return outside. As he stepped out once again, he was met with an unexpected sight. Ren Hakumei, the mysterious and dangerous man that had more question marks about him than anyone else in existence, maybe except for Kibutsuji, was kneeling by the stone lantern next to his engawa. It was the one he installed into his garden after returning from the wisteria covered Witch Mountain so it could always remind him of the peaceful time he spent there. He even planted red spider lilies next to it so it would really look like her home. But it never did. The house never gained that smell of green tea and shiny lavender petals of wisterias never settled on the red blossoms under the lantern and most importantly, the gently smiling masked witch wasn't there to drag him outside and share stories of times long passed.

It was just a shell of a memory, a remainder of that place but so far from the real thing. He hated feeling this way, he never planned on getting attached to the woman but when he did, he couldn't bring himself to regret it because she made him feel safe and dare he say... happy. Her kindness was a rarity in the cruel world he lived in and the way she was suprised even at the most normal facts about the land outside of her little kingdom was endearing. And where was she now? Probably still on that mountain, singing sorrowfully like on the nights when she thought no one would hear her but he was still awake, words filled with loneliness, that only someone like her would know, leaving her soft lips. He even wrote a letter to her because the lack of her presence in his life was suddenly uncomfortable but it never reached her, the crow returning from the wisteria forest confused and still holding the paper filled with his questions on how she was and if there was any chance she could visit.

And now a strange rounin was on the ground next to the place he tried to replicate so he could at least pretend that he was back there... Hakumei's eyes were hidden from the Water Pillar but he could see his pale hand holding the crimson flower tenderly, as if it would fall apart at the slowest movement, as if it was the most beautiful and precious treasure he has ever seen. He realized that the normally sharp sences of the man have somehow lowered, as he didn't even aknowlege the presence behind him, still staring intently at the red spider lily. Giyuu couldn't bring himself to pull him out of that spellbound state harshly so he slowly walked closer and when he was just a few feet behind him, he spoke up.

"Do you like spider lilies, Hakumei?"

As the words left his mouth, the rounin let go of the flower and turned around at the speed of light, eye slightly widened. It took him a moment to process the words but when he did, he nodded hesitantly and looked back at the plants. He took out his notepad and jolted something down but before he could show it to the hashira, he halted his movements and looked to the side shyly. He looked conflicted. Finally he held up the piece of paper so the ravenette could read it.