IheartDonnaBeneviento

Anyways.. My beautiful, glorious queen Shinobu

Kocho Shinobu x reader. (With solitary bi best friend Giyu)

Shinobu was a one of a kind lady. Strong, determined, and most importantly confident in her abilities to carry out a mission. Admiration towards her was an understatement, to say the least. Who in their right mind could confidently say they had a huge crush on the one woman who seemed to give no turn towards love? Not to mention the very obvious fact you both share the same gender..

She was your best friend, always ready to put you above her and care for you, but in actuality, she put anyone above herself. That was the kind of woman she was. A reason you fell in love with her. Watching her tend to patients on the daily with no rest put an ache in your heart. You hoped for nothing more than to make sure she had enough rest, with a hopefully decreasing number of patients on her plate

Snapping you out of your thoughts, a somewhat trickle of a whisper sounded right behind your ear,

“And what might you be doing here, Y/N?”

Jumping at the sound, you quickly spun around at her voice to lock eyes with the Insect hashira, Shinobu Kocho. Her smile was radiant, albeit looking strained and somewhat.. restless? You would guess. You spent a good amount of time gaping your mouth, trying to form a sentence. For some reason, the words just didn’t form. You could probably guess why. In your trance, Shinobu raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. At this, you knew you had to at least make up a lie to avoid embarrassment

“I was… looking for the girls. I promised them a game of hide and seek when I was done with my chores.”

A lie, of course, but a sufficient one.

“I see.. I suppose you decided to look for the girls in my private study because they would definitely be here, right?” She said in a somewhat teasing tone

Damn it.

She gestured you to follow along with her. With your hands still fidgeting each other, you trailed behind.

Walking towards your unknown destination was nerve wracking, for some reason. You felt nervous in a way you didn’t think you could be.

“Im guessing the girls weren’t in your study?” An attempt at small talk, you blurted out without thinking.

Shinobu lets out a small breath at this, in something you guessed to be a sound of amusement.

“The girls were there, I just decided to bring you the other way.” She counters, the same amount of tease in her voice. Maybe even a little toned up.

It was always comfortable with her. She never made you feel like you were being too much or a klutz. Her playful banter with you never ran out, and you’re always grateful when she pretends to not notice your eyes drifting elsewhere when you hold a conversation, or how you most definitely get nervous around her, or when you…

Laughter break you out of your thoughts, and you almost bump into the very woman you were just fantasizing about when she comes to a halt. The girls. Without even calling to them, the trio quickly noticed you and Shinobu, skipping their little legs over to where you both stood. You could tell from their faces they were excited to see you two. The triplets quickly tackled Shinobu by the leg in a bear hug, eliciting a little giggle out of her. This one laugh, seemed genuine, causing you to smile at the sight. Invading your mind, the thought of her having a family in the future put you at ease. Maybe, just maybe.. You’d be there too.

Right after the wrestle hug with the girls, they ran over to you too, hugging you and chattering about something you couldn’t make up with all of them talking at the same time. At this, Shinobu chimes in,

“Y/N was looking for you girls. Something about a promised game of hide and seek?”

The girls all beamed at this, bless their little souls. Though the girls did have a confused look on their faces too. Something that seemed like a look of “what promised game?” But before they could question it, you ushered them to the courtyard with your nerves still booming out of your body.

You could see the way her lips curled into a subtle smirk in the corner of your eye. Gods, you wished you could just dig yourself a grave right now. Thankfully, she thought against saying a word, saving your poor heart from a series of more awkward interactions on your part.

You were always the seeker in this game, not that you were complaining, it’s just.. You could feel her eyes staring into the back of your head each time you counted to ten. Each. And every. Single. Time. Maybe you were imagining things, because when you looked up, she seemed to be preoccupied with the work she brought along with her. At some point during the game, Shinobu left without saying a word. It made you just a tiny bit upset, but who would possibly want to watch the same game of hide and seek over and over again?

During a break from hide and seek, you spotted a familiar silhouette in the distance, eventually accompanied by a group of boys talking rather loudly. It was the kamaboko squad.. with the Water Hashira? Paying no mind to it, you offered a quick bow to the hashira, and greeted the three boys bantering near him. Zenitsu was the first one to answer, with his usual greeting of, “Y/NNNNN, we’ve missed youuu!” Followed by a polite greeting from Tanjiro and Inosuke arguing about something you didn’t bother to care about.

You were grateful they stopped by, Hide and seek is surprisingly exhausting. And thankfully, the girls dragged the Kamaboko squad along to play together. While being dragged, you could hear Inosuke declaring he would be the winner of this ‘competition’ and nobody else could ever beat him. Of course, you giggled at their interactions. They were honestly very sweet boys.

After a moment of silence, you realized the Water Hashira was still standing awkwardly behind you. He was just.. standing. At this, you realized the girls didn’t ask him to join the game. You giggled a bit out loud, forming into a sound of a snicker. He looked much like a sad puppy, but it was hard to tell with his monotone expression. You came to the conclusion that the lack of an invitation might have bothered him, as funny as it sounds.

“Um.. So..” you started. “Would you be inclined to play a board game I just got? It wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of fun. I mean, the kids did all just run off.”

He pondered for a moment, but eventually nodded at your offer. You were happy, Shinobu brought it home one day and gifted it to you. Unfortunately, the board game was too advanced for the little girls, Shinobu always cancelled due to her packed schedule, Aoi just didn’t want to play, and kanao.. Well, you’re not quite sure. Each time you asked, she just gave a sweet smile, a smile similar to Shinobu.

You sat him down at the same place Shinobu was earlier, and ran to retrieve the game in your room. During your sprint, you ran into someone. And if your luck couldn’t get any worse, it was the one lady your heart couldn’t help but stutter at the sight of. You crashed straight into her, and due to your very poor balanced, almost tumbled down as well. Bracing yourself for the fall, you slowly peaked your eyes open just to come to the realization that fall never came. Instead, you were wrapped one arm on the waist, and the other on the back of your shoulder. A protective hug. Despite being the physically most weakest Hashira, Shinobu seemed to be pretty damn strong. Or maybe just strong enough to catch you in her arms and hold both your weights from crashing on the floor. No time to think about that, with the position you both were in. Your eyes locked, and you could see a hint of shock and amusement in her eyes. If whatever interaction you had earlier was embarrassing, this one is definitely multiple steps above that. To say your heart stuttered, skipped a beat, and sped up, was a lie. The fact would be you died and resurrected all at the same time.

The eye contact was overwhelming.

“Hi….” You managed to muster out. Red was definitely spreading all across your cheeks. How awkward could you be?

“Hello, Y/N. You seem to be in a hurry.” She stated matter of factly, arms still wrapped around you.

Your hands were resting on the area of her heart to her collarbone, she seemed unbothered by this whole situation. Prompting to giggling instead. On the other hand, your heart shot out of your chest and you could barely look her straight in the eye. Wiggling out of her tight hold, you mustered the best apology you could, and continued your race. Right before she stopped you once more.

“How would you feel to have a stroll together this evening? Just us?” She had said with a kind smile.

Those words caused you to fall into a frenzy. You could tell your face got hotter. You tried to raise your voice to a talking volume, but the words still came out like a whisper. You’re so bad at this, Y/N. You thought against your better judgment and just offered a split nod, right before sprinting back to whatever it is you were running for.

“Be careful not to run into anyone else, Y/N!”

Only this time, you sped up due to the embarrassment.

Reaching your room, which was opposite of Shinobus study, you retrieved the game and made your way back to the water hashira. In all seriousness, you both weren’t all that close. If anything, the two of you only had a senior junior relationship. In other words, just coworkers. Perhaps a new friendship could mold between the two of you. With that, you resume your descent back to the place you left the Hashira.

Clutching your game closer to yourself, your mind drifts back to the quick run in you just had with Shinobu. The way her delicate hands held you as though you were as fragile as a leaf, yet firm enough to give you that sense of security you so desperately needed. Who would of thought you felt so utterly touch starved? It felt so surreal to be held so firmly, flush against her body. Your warmths dancing and colliding with one another. You could practically still feel her hands caressing you. Roaming her hands across your body in an attempt to make sure you were unharmed. Did she just.. ask you on a date? The thought of it flustered you to a very high extent, causing your cheeks to burn in heat. In your trance, you eventually arrived to your destination. The Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyuu, still awkwardly standing there, despite you offering him to sit down. At your presence, he slightly perks up to take a glimpse at the board game you had chosen.

Monopoly. (Just roll with it, idk board games lol)

“Have you played this before? I haven’t. Shino brought it back for me the other day. She had mentioned a villager gave it to her as a thank you gift.” You started at light conversation, gesturing to him to take a seat across you.

He was lost in thought for a moment, much to your confusion, “Shino..? Ah. You mean Kocho?” Right. First names.

You offered a small nod to his question, just enough for him to see it. While setting up the game, you could see the water Hashira slightly restless. Mouth gaping here and there, almost as if he was trying to conjure up a question. Or, maybe he’s just an odd ball. The latter seems reasonable.

“Are you two close?” He suddenly asked, causing your movements to halt for a moment.

Thinking your reply through, you prompted for a quick answer. One that couldn’t really reveal much of your relationship with her. Not that it’s a weird thing, you just weren’t very sure what your relationship was, “You could say that.”

The rules of the game seemed a bit confusing at first. But with time, you picked up. And so did the hashira sitting across you. It was surprisingly fun, collecting money and earning properties. You didn’t expect it to be anything short of boring, so this was a pleasant surprise. In the middle of your giggles during the game with the hashira, you blurted out,

“Truthfully, Im not sure what Shinobu and I are anymore.” You immediately clamp your mount shut. Gosh, what were you saying? Perhaps you thought he could be a listening ear. I mean, he hardly talked during the game, And it doesn’t seem like he actively pursues to be involved in conversation. He doesn’t seem to mind your random blurt, instead, He encouraged you to continue talking with a nod.

“Im sorry if this comes off as weird, but I am very aware of the fact I have been crushing on her since god knows how long.” You said while multitasking throwing the dice on the monopoly board.

“Its just.. Im sure she knows I like her too..? I suppose? It’s not like I have been the most incredible person at hiding it.”

For the next hour or so, you ramble to Tomioka about your crush on the insect hashira. He was a good listener, nodding and assuring you he was still listening intently even after all the time you were talking. Eventually, the monopoly game was long forgotten in your conversation. You were grateful he listened, you really needed this. In the blink of an eye, it was evening, though you and the hashira were still stuck in conversation. It must have been half the day by now, how did you not notice? During your talk, you totally forgot about your promise to meet Shinobu. This evening. From the corner of your eye, you could see someone walking towards the two of you, but you didn’t pay it any mind as you thought it would be just another passerby.

“Mr. Tomioka, Y/N, What a pleasant surprise!” That voice. You recognized it immediately. You whipped your head around, locking eyes with the very person you were just ranting about. Had she heard you? What would she think of it? God, you hoped she didn’t hear you.

“This conversation must be very entertaining seeing as you have forgotten our promise, Y/N.” She tuts towards you. The air felt thicker after she had said that. You felt guilty, and was just about to apologize, right before—

“Mr. Tomioka, I would suggest you get off my property before nightfall.” It sounded more like a threat than a suggestion. He had nodded to this, gathering his belongings and helping you clear out the board.

Just as he was about to leave, you gave him a quick side hug and told him how you enjoyed today, suggesting to do it some other time as well. Before he could answer, you felt your own haori being yanked gently by firm hands. It was gentle, yes, but strong enough to cause you to stumble backwards. You had fallen back, straight into the very arms of none other than Shinobu Kocho. She replied for you,

“You wouldn’t like that very much, Would you, Mr. Tomioka? Seeing as you have no friends, I would understand why Y/N was being so considerate!” Was this.. Shinobu? You always knew she loved to tease, but this seemed a bit more tense. It sounded almost mocking. You quickly swatted a playful hand on her chest, telling her it was rude to treat guest this way. At that, her mouth shaped into an o shape, quickly back to plastering on her fake smile. You do admit though, it seems more.. fake today? It’s mostly always a facade, but right now felt more obvious. You waved a goodbye to the Water Hashira, raising your voice enough to tell him to ignore Shinobu and come over whenever he was free of missions. In this moment, you honestly forgot you were still pulled back into Shinobu. At this proximity, with your back against her front, you could smell the whiff of wisteria moving past you. It smelt so addictive. If you could, you would stay in this position forever. Which brings you to your next thought, why has she not released you yet?

“Um.. Are we going to stay like this?” You said timidly, barely above a whisper.

Shinobu didn’t reply just yet, instead, she rested her chin in the crook of your neck, tilting her head slightly outwards to ensure she made eye contact with you.

“You don’t want to..?” Her voice. Gods, her voice. You felt your body heat up immediately and your face go pink. Was she doing this on purpose? You yelped away, trying to jump out of her hold. She didn’t seem to give you a chance though, holding you in place to make sure you didn’t move an inch. At some point during this intimate moment, she had given your neck a kiss. Not even a quick kiss, pretending it was barely there kiss, it was a kiss kiss. If you were red before this, you’re a tomato now. The sensation of her lips on you felt.. so good. The only thing you could think about was what other places her lips could roam off to. You gasped at her, seemingly out of breath from just a little kiss. This has never happened before. Hell, you both hardly even hugged in private! Yet here you were, flush against each other, in the OPEN! You must be dreaming.

She spun you around to face her, keeping her arms firm on your waist. Your eyes could barely look at hers, preoccupying itself by looking at anything but her. She must of gotten tired of it, as she had let go a side of your waist to use her free hand on you. Guiding your chin to look her directly in the eyes. You swear you’re going to pass out, right here, right now. Thankfully, you have a trained doctor right in front of you, staring straight into your soul, who also conveniently seems to be the reason of the blood rushing to your head.

“You forgot our walk. For Tomioka, of all people. Im upset.” Her own purple hues still boring straight into your own irises, maintaining intense eye contact with you. You genuinely couldn’t even form a sentence, being so close to her. Burying your head in the space between her shoulder and neck, you take a deep breath in. Clearly unable to think straight. Literally. Shinobu must of loosened up a bit, as she partly let you go, while still keeping a hold on your waist. It seemed so.. possessive. Almost as if she was jealous? No, that couldn’t possibly be it. You both barely even had an established relationship going on.

She brought you into her estate, moving right past your room to enter her own. You heard a click after entering inside, an indication she had locked the door behind her. What for? Surely she wasn’t going to do anything—

With that, she pushed you against a wall, trailing kisses all over your neck. Purple bruises being littered here and there. You couldn’t fight back the moan you had in your throat, clamping your hand tight against your mouth. Shinobu hums at this, pulling your hands away, tightly holding them against the wall. All while resuming her attack on your neck. What in gods name was going on? You pushed her slightly, mouth agape, still gasping for air. Despite mustering up all your strength to nudge her away to make room for you to speak, she was still extremely close to you.

“Wh— What is this? Are you just messing with me again?” You had asked, eyes locked onto Shinobu.

“Not at all, Y/N. I believe I am about to kiss you, if you would let me?” Breath hot against you, she had said. Did she just say.. kiss? You? What!?

“You— You can’t just casually say you want to kiss me..!? We’re not even dating..?! Hell, are we even friends?” Your voice was high pitched and squeaky, it was clear you were a nervous wreck.

“If that’s what you’d like, then please let me be your girlfriend. Please.” Her emotions were so raw. They were real. You couldn’t believe the words that had just penetrated your ears. Girlfriends? She likes girls!? With all the courage you had, you hugged her and gave her a kiss. It was sloppy, seeing as you have never kissed before. But it tasted sweet, comforting, even. Her hands trailed down back to your waist, while you cupped her face in your palms. Pulling apart after a long minute, the eye contact never breaks.