A Split in The River of Time

Part 12: Losing Control

(Mostly a Kocho section.  Trying to see into her day and how she processes events and things that are happening. Also, as the title implies... Her slowly losing control as her world changes around her.  >>:D )

This feeling is so strange. How would I even go about getting rid of it? Everything just feels so nice when we are together. Even just sitting here with him I feel so nice, despite how angry I was yesterday. I'm going to ask if he can stay longer. The woman's thoughts finally fell into place.

"Could you remain at the butterfly estate a little while longer?"
"I understand, Kocho- What?" He was extremely confused.

"What?" She said, equally confused.
"I thought..." His voice trailed off, but he decided not to continue.
"Why would I stay here?" He said instead. Her face turned a very subtle light pink in color as she looked away from the man's eyes.

"Well, Obviously so I could monitor your progression since your injury. It's very risky to just send you off on your own, since clearly you can barely function without me..." She said, her confident façade slipping as she looked at the floor.
"I would love to stay." He stammered out quickly. His eyes widened as he realized what he said, and she looked up at him with a grin spreading across her face. Her confidence mildly returned as embarrassment crawled across his face.

"I-I mean, it's fine," he reiterated.

He would love to? Her heart fluttered at this. She reassessed the situation and breathed in, remembering the boundaries she HAD to set in place.

Keep your distance. It doesn't matter how much he makes your heart jump, you two have very different goals. 

Some boundaries she SHOULD set in place. . . 

Something like that just can't be put aside for something as trivial as a relationship. 

Some boundaries that don't need to be set in place. . . 

But being  a little closer couldn't hurt either of us, could it?

"Since you aren't allowed to stay in the medical wing as you aren't injured, I could set up a guest bedroom? It shouldn't take too long to be put together." She said putting her hands on her desk and standing from her seat.
"I..." His sentence stopped.

It was an extremely dumb suggestion, and an equally dumb idea.
But since when did he get anywhere making smart choices?

"I could just stay in your room...?" He said, looking out the window at the courtyard. The woman went silent for a bit, everything in the room, maybe in the world, seeming to stand still waiting for her answer.
"Tomioka-san... I-i don't think that is very appropriate for us as coworkers for an extended period of time..."

I really do miss him in bed...

No. Distance. Her thoughts conflicted with each other, battling for dominance. She couldn't allow anything or anyone to stop her plan, but her brain didn't like the idea of being lonely anymore. Not after I felt what it meant to not be alone.

Distance. But... After the prolonged silence, and just as Tomioka got worried she might hit him again, she responded.

"But you aren't a stranger to breaking the rules of the corps are you now, Mr. Demon Girl Savior." She said, coughing and trying to return to her normal persona.

"That would be alright... I still have the futon in my room. Don't mess with anything else in my room, though." she said sternly. They were silent for a couple seconds, before a loud:
"FIGHT ME IF YOU REALLY WANT!" Inosuke yelled from down the hallway. Shinobu sighed and looked at the man while smiling gently, before walking to the door. He stood once she walked off and met her at the doorway, walking outside as she looked down the hallway at Aoi, chasing Inosuke, who was chasing a screaming Zenitsu. They both nodded at each other, still not looking each other in the eyes, before they walked off in separate directions outside of the office. Giyuu dropped his bags in Shinobu's room...

The room he would be staying in for a while...

And Shinobu stepped in front of the boar-headed boy to stop him. After solving the Inosuke problem, she emerged outside into the courtyard to see Kanao. She tossed a wooden sword to her Tsugako and Kanao nodded, the butterfly that was on her hand fluttering away.

Maybe training would help me think.

. . .

"Ah, your techniques are getting more refined Kanao." Shinobu said, as she dodged the young girl's attacks. Kanao merely nodded in response, jumping over Kocho's head and landing behind her.

She's getting faster and stronger everyday. Shinobu thought as she ducked under her students sword' swing.

I'm going to bring her on my next mission, it's been a week since we had one together. Shinobu looked at the young girl for a brief couple of seconds while she caught her breath.

"So... That young boy Tanjiro." She said with a soft smile. Kanao's eyes widened a bit and she leapt back at the older woman, attempting to interrupt her incoming teasing. The hashira dodged to the right of her tsugako's attack and continued speaking, that same grin on her face. She didn't need to tease the young girl, but she felt it was alright to as she was getting older.

"You two seem pretty close, huh?" She stabbed her wooden blade in Kanao's direction, the flower breather redirecting the stab away.
"... we are friends..." The shy girl said. Really some of the first words she had said this whole time of training. The young girl's response made Shinobu think about something fairly odd for a bit.

What are me and Giyuu? 

"Are you now?" The older girl said. Silence came between the two, Shinobu jumped backwards to gain some distance, when her tired sister lowered her sword.
"You know he and the other boys are leaving today?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
"Mhm." Kanao replied. Shinobu waved her sister over, putting her wooden sword on the rack and walking towards the mansion. Kanao did as her master did, following after her towards the mansion and then towards the kitchen where the two cooked lunch for themselves. Sumi, Kiyo and Naho walked in, begging Shinobu to make them some eggs.
"Why eggs? It's past noon. How about some lunch?" She said, hoping that she could successfully convince three little girls to re-think their choice. She could in fact not.
"We want eggs!" Kiyo said.
"Pretty pretty pleaseee!" Sumi added.
"With sprinkles and chocolate chips on top!" Naho was bouncing on her feet to see over the countertop as she asked. Kocho breathed in heavily, looking at the girls who were now giving her the puppy eyes.
"Alright. Give me a couple minutes, and go ask Aoi if she wants anything made." She said while smiling at the trio as they ran off.

I wonder if Giyuu wants anything.

"Thank you!" They said as they exited the room. Shinobu looked at her sister who was eating her food at the table in the next room over. Her view switched to her plate of food sitting beside the young girl alongside her haori and she shook her head and put the apron back on.

Hmmmm... Scrambled, Over easy, maybe an Omelet with some ham? She thought as she grabbed a couple of eggs.

(A very skillful plate of eggs made later)

"Thank you Shinobu-san!" The girls said as they reached for their forks.

"No problem girls. Now unfortunately my food is probably cold by now..." She turned to see her plate of food gone. Not just the food, the whole plate was missing.
"...Kanao?" She asked, confused. The young girl merely shook her head, indicating she was staying out of it.

Did Aoi come in and steal my food? I told the girls to ask if she wanted some.

She shook her head and walked to fetch her haori.

I need to run to the store, then maybe a bath, and later tonight I can experiment with that new poison. Despite her plan to sort out her thoughts and emotions surronding the water hashira, she had barely thought about him. Surprisingly, her mind, once racing with thoughts and questions as her joy for being close to Giyuu and her anger and lust for revenge fought for which took priority, was calm. 

("What kind of weird story are you writing, weird person on Wattpad?"
Idk man. Idk.)