(Requested)

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Wincing at the sight of the flesh wound, I hurried over to the Stone Pillar as fast as I could. I panicked as blood spewed out of the shallow wound, not expecting for such a minor cut to deliver such a big waterfall. Feeling partially guilty that I'd been the one to hurt him, I dug into my robes, trying to find something to stop the blood rush.

"I'm so sorry, Gyomei!" I gasped, trying to ease the flow with a few bandages I produced out of my pocket, "I'm so sorry!" Hauling him by his other arm, I dragged him back to the estate in a flourish, nervously stammering about. My face was flushed in embarrassment and I was so set on bringing him back to his full health that I didn't notice his opposition to my decision. Until he finally said my name, I couldn't hear him through the jumble of words in my head.

"(Y/N)." Stopping dead in my tracks, I wheeled around, surprised at the sudden mention. I tilted my head as if to say, "Is something wrong? Did it get worse?" The ravenette gave a small sigh and smiled a bit, wiggling his arm out of my grasp. He tightened the bandages on his forearm a little more and told me that the bleeding had stopped already.

"I'm alright. We can continue to spar." Murmuring with uncertainty, I reluctantly gave in after seeing his expression -- one that regarded me sentimentally. The tips of my fingers tingled, the feeling of his strong arm in my hold lingering for mere moments before it disappeared in the breeze. Somehow, I found myself craving the sensation as we continued to train, his muscles flexing underneath the dappled sunlight that shot through the treetops -- a reminder of what I touched just minutes ago.

Feeling my face start to heat up, I forgot to mind my footing and slipped on a smooth boulder underneath my sandal. Landing flat on my back, I grunted as the wind was knocked out of me and cursed silently as Gyomei's wooden staff plunged through the spot on the ground just centimeters away from my head. 

"Are you alright?" The gentle giant offered me his hand, to which I gratefully accepted. He pulled me up and I beamed at him, thankful for his help. I noticed that I still had my fingers curled around his palm, and quickly released upon the realization. My cheeks turned five different shades of red consecutively, each brighter than the last as I turned away from the hashira.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, "I don't know what came over me." I was so sure I was being obvious with my rigid posture and rosy complexion, but it didn't quite seem to get through to Gyomei. He plucked his staff out of the ground and resumed a fighting stance. Giving a small huff, I did the same and we continued to spar until the evening came.

After the physical training came the meditation. As usual, the Stone Pillar guided me through various chants and prayers, I followed along with his movements and soon found myself in a better state of mind. My heart rate had gone down and I felt a lot less flustered than before. Happy to finally have calmed down, I stood up after the practice was finished and started to head back to the estate.

Noticing that something was wrong with Gyomei, I slowed down and glanced at the wound on his forearm. It started to bleed again, the bandage now completely soaked with fresh blood. Groaning in frustration, I clasped my hands around the hashira's and pulled him closer to me. My eyes observed the wound as I unraveled it, displeasure clouding over my usually bright irises.

Humming uncertainly, I didn't want to bother Shinobu at this time, so I resorted to a newer technique I'd been developing. 

"This might take a lot out of me, but it's sure to work," I spoke, wincing at how positive I sounded, "I think." Concern glittered in Himejima's milky eyes, his hand slowly wrapping around mine.

"Are you sure?" I nodded slowly, in the midst of focusing my energy on the cut. As I passed my hand over the mark, my palm tingled with an unfamiliar warmth. It slowly grew into a scorching burn that felt like someone had poured oil on my skin then lit it on fire. I hissed, but managed to follow through with the Breath technique.

Breath of Earth, Tenth Form: Abundant Overgrowth

My body immediately went limp as the last syllable was uttered, my nerves shutting down, eyes fluttering half-shut. Gyomei caught me, his eyebrows furrowing in worry. I couldn't lift my head, but got a peek at his now fully-healed arm, his skin magically sown back up again.

"It worked," I whispered, voice hoarse, "It worked, I'm so happy." Himejima gave me a soft smile and slipped my body into his arms, now rising to his full height from the crouching position he was initially in. Laughing airily, I appreciated the comforting heat that soothed my aching limbs, mixed with the feeling of wind blowing past us. 

"You can rest, now."

Happily knowing that I was safe in his arms, I drifted off into slumber.

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"Seriously, you haven't confessed yet?" I squawked at the sudden question, whipping my head around to face Mitsuri. She had a knowing glint in her eyes and wiggled her eyebrows at me, placing a delicate hand on her mouth.

"I bet Gyomei likes you too," she giggled teasingly, "He really doesn't do this to anyone else, you know." I waved the thought away, not even bearing the will to dwell upon it more. The pinkette laughed again at my flushed face, giving me a gentle pat on the back for comfort.

"You should do it today -- I heard a certain someone is taking a stroll in the forest." Wringing my hands together, I cast my gaze to the side, still extremely indecisive. Mitsuri was more patient with me than I was with myself, calmly waiting for my answer with shining eyes full of care. 

"I might as well, I suppose," I finally mumbled, nervously fiddling with my thumbs, "What's there to lose?" My voice grew fainter with every word, a realization dawning on me. If the confession failed, could I still face him? Could I still joke around with Gyomei and have him give me piggy-back rides every afternoon? Would I even be able to look at him the same?

Would he look at me the same?

Subconsciously starting to mutter the prayers for strength that he'd taught me early on into our relationship, my legs folded up and my spine aligned with my skull. The hymn came out smoothly, flowing like it was meant to be uttered out of my very mouth. I could feel the earth's energy gather at the bases of my feet, spreading through my body.

"What if we both get hurt?" I whispered, breaking my focus for the tiniest minute. The Love Pillar giggled and set a hand on my shoulder, a wistful smile taking over her lovely features. 

"The only emotion I think we're the most hurt by is regret, (Y/N)."

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I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it.

Marching up to the bundle of trees Gyomei was sat under, I peeked at him from behind one of the trunks, admiring his large build and calm stature. The faint melody of a shakuhachi became more defined the closer I got to him. Its whispered whistles echoed within my mind, serenity befalling my tense muscles. It helped ease my jitters down quite a bit. 

Shaking out the last of my nerves, I finally emerged from the narrow path into the clearing, where my admiree sat cross-legged. He noticed me creeping up on him and stopped playing, his arms lowering the delicate instrument. Stopping in front of him, I laughed nervously and made an attempt to wave at the Stone Pillar.

"(Y/N), what brings you here?" he asked simply, twisting his head in my direction. I hummed slightly, unsure of how to phrase things. I'd definitely become more controlled than before, but it didn't mean I'd suddenly become a literary genius. 

"Well, I have a confession to make. It's been on my mind for a while, and I think it's best to say it... now, before I miss another opportunity to." Hesitating to continue further, I tried to force words out, my throat getting more dry every passing second.

"What I mean is that- uhm, sorry." I cleared my throat, steadying the course of my heart. "You've been an amazing companion to me and have always been there to support me, even when I couldn't even help myself. Our relationship, I feel like, is as simple and uncomplicated as can be -- we're constantly training together, laughing together, and being together. 

"I don't want to ruin that simplicity by getting you involved in this mess of emotions as I constantly try to get you to take a hint. I hope that we can still continue upholding our special bond, one that I wouldn't trade even for the world. 

"Spending more time with you has made me realize that my feelings aren't those of friendship towards you, but something..." I murmured profanities under my breath, telling myself that I couldn't bear to say the last word. My lungs were on the verge of collapsing and I felt faint at the moment. The tension grew to be too much, I felt my knees buckle and my shoulders tremble, shaking fingers attempting to feel my pulse.

"Uhm," I gasped breathlessly, "Sorry, I just-" I was cut off by a pair of hands gripping my shoulders, steadying my body. Looking up pleadingly at Gyomei, I just found a blank expression cast over his features. My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach as my teeth tugged on my bottom lip. Was Mitsuri wrong?

"Were you going to say 'more?'" he asked quietly, leaning closer to my face. I hummed for confirmation and immediately saw his face bloom into a blissful smile. With a pinkish tint dusted upon Gyomei's cheeks, he wrapped his arms around my waist and hoisted me up into the air.

I yelped in surprise, exaggeratedly panicking, as the gesture was unexpected.

"Gyomei!" I shrieked, gripping his wrists tightly, "Oh my God!" He set me down just seconds later, then enveloped me into a bear-hug. I sighed and returned it with all my might, feeling his muscular frame fit mine snugly. Like my missing puzzle piece, everything seemed to click together to complete the moment. 

If heaven existed, it was in his arms.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that," he said happily, his large palms cupping my face, cradling my head in them. Tears started spouting from his eyes, waterfalls trickling down the grooves in his face. Though he couldn't see, I could imagine the sparkles of adoration that would've been present in his gaze.

"May I?" I blushed at the sentence, but didn't feel any post-confession nerves come along to haunt me.

"Yes."

With that, Gyomei closed the space between our lips and touched his to mine. I used my thumb to wipe away his tears, my four fingers curling around the shells of his ears, palms pressed against the sides of his skull.

His touch was so gentle, so kind, despite having such a hulking figure. The Stone Pillar treated me as if I were a porcelain doll, the true weight of his grip just fluttering above my waist. It amazed me how different he could be between private company versus the battlefield. 

We continued for a few minutes, feeling every ounce of shame ebb away the more our lips intermingled with each other. The moment I broke away, I immediately buried my face into the crook of his neck, flinging my arms around his shoulders.

I was so sure that he was the one.