We'll protect each other (SabiGiyuu)

3

Ok. We're going to try to get to Final Selection as fast yet as slow as possible.
Who's ready for a filler chapter! 😅

Sabito's POV
As the sun rose over the mountain, I rose from my bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. To my immediate left, Giyuu lay peacefully under his covers. I wanted to climb under them, and hold the boy close to me. I wanted to hold him, and never let go. Instead, I reached over and put my hands on his shoulder and side. I shook him gently.

"Yuu. Time to get up."

Giyuu groaned and turned onto his other side so he was facing away from me.

"Five more minutesss."

I stood up and kicked his back where I had struck him yesterday. He winced and sat up.

"Okay, okay, okay, I get it."

I pat his head and grabbed my off-white haori off the floor, sliding it on over my green and yellow geometric yukata. Giyuu threw his blankets off of him and stood up, putting on his red haori as I slipped on my sandals. He did the same, and we grabbed some onigiri off of a plate left on a small stand as we headed outside.

Now we have to climb halfway up the mountain, I thought grouchily. I looked to my side, where Giyuu was walking next to me, focused on the path ahead. I guess it won't be that bad. At least we're doing this together.

We ascended the mountain in silence, my thoughts busy with wondering what we'd have to do. At some point, Giyuu must have stopped or went a different direction, because when I turned around to comment on his unusual quietness, he wasn't there.

"Yuu?" I turned in a slow circle, peering into the trees that surrounded me. When he didn't respond, I became a bit worried, and I began to retrace our steps. I called his name again. Still no response. I searched for a few more minutes, my worry building each second I couldn't see him.

I heard a rustling in the bushes, and playful yips. I followed the sound into a cluster of large bushes. Brushing aside the leaves, I stepped into a small, sunny clearing surrounded with jasmine bushes. Giyuu was laying on his stomach a few feet away from me, staring intently at a pair of fox kits play fighting in the grass. I snuck over to him and hugged him tightly from behind. He jolted, startled.

"Oh hey, Sabito," he whispered.

"Idiot! I was worried! And now we're gonna be late!" I angry whispered into his ear and hugged him tighter.

"Leggo- you're going to break my ribs! And I was just watching the kits." He looked back at the foxes with a happy expression. "See, they're playing!"

I watched the pair jump on top of each other in a tangle of fur and tails. They rolled over and batted at each other. "They're cute." I got off of Giyuu and sat next to him on my knees.

"They kind of remind me of us." Giyuu mumbled. I looked at him, confused. "I mean, we play-fight too, and we're great friends, kind of like siblings."

(Future Mira editing: please no more Sweet Home Alabama jokes/references, I'm starting to get sick of it.)

"Yeah." We could be more, if you wanted. The larger kit swiped a paw at the smaller one and caught it on the nose, drawing a drop of blood. The kit yelped and rubbed its muzzle. It's friend crouched in front of it and licked the scratch gently, comforting the small one while it was doing so.

Giyuu's POV
I watched the older fox kit lick and calm down it's friend, and I snuck a glance at Sabito. He was watching the exchange with a weird look on his face. A small smile tugged at his mouth, but he didn't look happy. His eyes held a... wishful look to them, as if he wanted what the foxes had that he didn't. A friend? No, he had Makomo, Urokodaki-san and I. He turned his head and looked at me, our eyes locking. A gentle breeze played with our hair, and I cursed myself for staring.