Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Team Bonding, They Said

The night began innocently enough with the regular Hashira meeting, which had ended earlier than expected. Tengen had been celebrating his third (or was it fourth now?) anniversary to one of his wives, and had bottles of sake to celebrate. 

Upon learning this, the Love Hashira suggested they all have fun and drink while “bonding” with a casual game of Truth or Dare.

“C’mon! One night of fun won’t hurt! We never hang out like friends!” Mitsuri whined, clutching a bottle of sake like it was the last hope for humanity.

“Friends?” Sanemi grunted, opening his own bottle. “You mean a bunch of people who can kill each other with one swing?”

“Exactly!” she said cheerfully.

Obanai sighed. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Which means we’re doing it,” Tengen declared dramatically. “Flashy bonding time begins now!”

“While this would lead to amazing blackmail material, we have a mission tomorrow.” Muichiro said as he headed out, with Gyomei. Gyomei bowed his head and said, “Please don’t get arrested.”

As the two were walking off and waving off Mitsuri’s pleas, Giyu sat in the corner, expression unreadable. Shinobu was beside him, wearing her usual too-sweet smile that hid her real feelings.

“Are you going to play, Tomioka?” she asked in a casual tone.

“…No,” he said immediately.

“Ah, too bad,” she replied. “Then I suppose I’ll have to tell everyone about that one time—”

“I’ll play.”

Everyone else turned to look at them.

Mitsuri gasped. “Wait—you both agreed?!”

Tengen threw an arm around Giyu’s shoulder. “Look at that! Tomioka has finally come out of his shell and wants to learn how to have fun.”

Sanemi snorted sake out of his nose laughing. “This is gonna be good.”

The Rules

Each Hashira was given their own bottle of sake and a cup. They used a spare bottle to spin and whoever it landed on would need to answer the simple question of Truth or Dare?

If the person chose Truth, they would need to answer a question from one person in the group. If they chose Dare, they would need to fulfill a request. There were no limits to the questions or dares that would be asked and it was all fair game. 

Mitsuri explained cheerfully while refilling cups: “If you refuse or can’t fulfill a dare, you take a shot. Or if you skip a truth or lie, you take a shot! Simple!”

Whoever got drunk the fastest or finished their whole bottle of sake was the loser. Not that Mitsuri was expecting anyone to care about winning or losing. 

“Why do I feel like I’m about to regret living?” murmured Obanai.

“Because you probably will,” Sanemi replied.

Since it was Mitsuri’s idea, she started the first round. 

“Alright!” Mitsuri spun an empty sake bottle in the center. It whirled, clinking across the tatami mat before stopping and pointing directly at Rengoku.

Rengoku’s eyes blazed with enthusiasm. “EXCELLENT! ASK AWAY!”

Tengen grinned wickedly. “Truth or dare, Flame Boy?”

“DARE!”

“I dare you… to confess an embarrassing moment!”

“HA! EASY!” Rengoku puffed up his chest and declared to the night sky, “I ONCE ACCIDENTALLY BURNT MY OWN EYEBROWS OFF WHILE ATTACKING A DEMON WITH MY FLAME! THE DEMON WAS SO STUNNED AT MY STUPID MISTAKE AND WEIRD LOOK, IT TRIPPED OVER ITSELF LAUGHING RIGHT ON MY SWORD!”

“PFFT—” Mitsuri spit sake everywhere.

Even Giyu smirked.

Shinobu chuckled softly behind her hand. “How very fitting.”

This time, Rengoku spun the bottle, where it landed on Shinobu.

Obanai narrowed his eyes. “Truth or dare, Kocho?”

She smiled angelically. “Truth.”

“Are you bullying Tomioka for fun or is it actually because you like him?”

The entire room went silent at the blunt question.

Giyu froze and stared at Shinobu, waiting for her response.

Shinobu took a delicate sip of sake, eyes glinting with a smirk on her face. “Why, Obanai… what makes you think I can’t do both?”

Everyone howled while Sanemi fell backwards. Mitsuri fanned herself and squealed, “Awwww! That means she does!”

Shinobu simply smiled and said, “Next.”

Giyu turned red, pretending to examine the bare floor, with his heart pounding. Is this really happening? 

Before he could even process what she had said, Shinobu spun the bottle and in a sick twist of fate, it chose Giyu.

“Truth or dare?” Mitsuri asked, voice filled with sugar and mischief.

“…Truth,” Giyu grunted. 

Tengen grinned. “Coward’s choice! Fine, tell us: who in this room do you think is the most beautiful?”

Everyone leaned in, awaiting his answer. 

Giyu hesitated and he coughed. “Shinobu.”

Sanemi choked on his drink, Mitsuri shrieked, and Rengoku yelled, “ADMIRABLE TASTE!”

Shinobu blinked, clearly not expecting him to actually say it. Her smile wavered. “…My, that’s unexpected.”

“Was that a confession or just bad timing?” Tengen teased.

“…Both,” Giyu muttered.

Everyone screamed while Sanemi spilled the rest of his bottle on himself.

Mitsuri immediately declared, “They’re sitting next to each other for the rest of the night!”

Shinobu sighed but didn’t move. “I suppose I can live with that.”

Giyu looked like he wanted to vanish into mist.

As the night went on, the sake bottles emptied and the dares got increasingly ridiculous.

Rengoku arm-wrestling Giyu, Obanai singing off key while dancing, Sanemi forced to give Shinobu a piggyback ride, Tengen fake proposing to everyone, and Mitsuri having to juggle the sake cups. 

Amidst the laughter and chaos, a quiet, undeniable truth lingered between Giyu and Shinobu, like the gentle glow of a candle in a dark room.

Shinobu felt it settle over her, soft and persistent, and try as she might, she couldn’t hide the smile that bloomed across her face.

They had both meant it. 

Chapter Text

The night was officially out of control.

Someone, probably Tengen, had switched the mild sake with something way stronger.
Now even Obanai was starting to chuckle maniacally, Rengoku was doing push-ups while yelling affirmations, and Mitsuri had decided Sanemi’s scar was “cute in a scary kind of way.”

Shinobu, meanwhile, was quietly keeping score of who would most likely regret this in the morning. Spoiler: it was everyone.

Mitsuri spun the bottle again and it pointed straight at Sanemi.

“Truth or dare!” she cheered.

“Dare, obviously,” he said, flexing.

Mitsuri grinned. “Okay, I dare you… to compliment everyone in the room!”

Sanemi blinked. “The hell kinda dare is that?”

“Do it or drink~” she sing-songed.

He groaned. “Fine!”

He turned to each of them with the expression of a man with a gun to his head.

“Rengoku… you are loud as fuck, but it’s ok because I know you’re probably going deaf.”

Rengoku gave him a thumbs up and smiled. “COMPLIMENT ACCEPTED!” 

“Tengen… you act really cool for someone who married one of their cousins.”

Tengen laughed and replied, “Makio is a distant cousin! So it doesn’t count.” 

Sanemi sighed. “Obanai… your color coordination with your snake is impressive.”

“Thanks,” Obanai said flatly.

He turned to Shinobu. “You scare the crap outta me and I'm scared you'll poison my food someday, but… I guess you’re smart.”

Shinobu nodded her head and giggled. 

“Mitsuri…your hair is so bright. I can spot you…even at night. That's useful.” 

Mitsuri blushed and twirled a lock of her hair. “How sweet!” 

Finally, he looked at Giyu. “…I still hate you.”

Giyu scowled back at him.

“Compliment,” Mitsuri reminded.

Sanemi glared. “…You’re quiet. That’s… good. Keeps you from saying dumb things.”

Giyu sighed and muttered, "Ok."

"There! I'm done!" Sanemi declared. 

Everyone applauded like he’d delivered news of Muzan finally being defeated.

Sanemi took a long drink out of sheer embarrassment.

Sanemi spun the bottle, which landed on Obanai. 

“Truth or dare?” Rengoku asked, eyes shining.

“Dare, obviously. Truths are for chickens.” Obanai boasted. 

Rengoku clapped. “I DARE YOU TO WEAR MITSURI’S HAIR RIBBONS!”

“WHAT—” Mitsuri squealed. “He’d look adorable!”

Obanai’s face flushed, either from the alcohol or something else, but at Mitsuri’s reaction, he replied, “Done.”

Ten seconds later, the Snake Hashira was covered in pink ribbons like a doll.
“I look cuter than ALL of you!” he announced, posing dramatically. He was so far gone. 

Mitsuri flailed her arms wildly and yelled, “Aaahhh you should always wear those!”

Obanai felt pleased at her happy smile and said, “I’ll remember for the next mission.”

Sanemi buried his face in his hands. “I’m leaving.”

“Nope!” Tengen said, blocking the door. “Nobody escapes the bonding circle!”

Obanai spun the bottle, which now pointed to Tengen. 

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare!”

“I dare you,” Obanai said, “to tell all three of your wives that you’ve found a new wife to replace them, who you met at the red light district.”

The room collectively gasped.

Tengen stared at him in disbelief. “You are pure evil.”

“Do it,” he said, chuckling.

He sighed and called over his crow, Nijimaru. He scribbled the letter quickly and sent it for delivery. The Hashiras waited in anticipation for the response and they didn’t have to wait very long, as a few minutes later, his kasugai crow came back screeching loudly and flapping its wings frantically.

The crow dropped three letters on the floor, to which Tengen hesitantly picked up, as if they were filled with wisteria.

He winced, opening one letter while scanning the contents in a quick read.
After a few beats of silence, he looked up at them. “They said they want to talk.”

The Hashiras stared back at him. “Good luck.”

The bottle spun again and to his dismay, stopped in front of Giyu.

He froze and silently cursed at his bad luck. The group collectively leaned in like predators around prey.

“Truth or dare?” Shinobu asked, her tone far too innocent.

“Truth,” he said immediately.

“Boooring!” Mitsuri whined. “He’s done ‘truth’ twice! Let’s change the rules so that you can’t keep doing the same thing again.”

“Agreed,” said Tengen. “You’ve exhausted your quota. I declare dare!”

Giyu blinked. “That’s not how…”

“Majority vote!” Rengoku shouted. “DARE IT IS!”

“Democracy,” Sanemi snorted. “Beautiful.”

Shinobu folded her hands under her chin. “Oh my… then what shall we dare our dear Tomioka to do?”

The Hashiras whispered like a group of demons plotting. 

Finally, Mitsuri gasped. “I know! I dare Giyu to kiss Shinobu!”

The entire group erupted in chaos.

Rengoku yelled, “A BOLD MOVE!”
Tengen yelled, “DOES HE KNOW WHAT A KISS IS?!”
Sanemi yelled, “ABSOLUTELY NOT, MY EYES!”
Obanai quietly muttered, “Finally.”

Shinobu froze mid-sip of sake. “…What?”

Giyu’s face went blank. “I’m not doing that.”

“Then drink!” Tengen boomed.

But Mitsuri pouted, “Nooo, he can’t skip! The rules say if you skip twice, you do double!”

Giyu sighed. “…Double?”

“Yep,” Shinobu said, smirking. “Meaning… two kisses.”

“Wait…what..”

Before anyone could react, Shinobu leaned forward and kissed him first, quick and teasing, with the faintest brush of lips.

The Hashiras were loud enough to be heard in the next neighborhood. 

Rengoku shouted, “PASSIONATE YET RESTRAINED!”
Tengen threw ribbons into the air while Sanemi and Obanai could only stare blankly.
Mitsuri squealed and clapped so hard she almost broke the cups.

Giyu blinked, stunned. “That counts, right?”

Shinobu smirked, eyes glinting like moonlight. “Oh no, Tomioka. That was just one.”

Before his brain could even catch up on what was happening, she kissed him again, slower this time and going deeper into each other’s mouths.

The chaos around them turned to stunned silence.

When she finally pulled back, she whispered into his ear, “Your turn next time.”

The others were too busy cheering, laughing, or being drunk to notice that Giyu hadn’t moved in a full minute after. He could have become a statue decoration in the garden. 

Somewhere in the background, Tengen was already planning “Round Two: The Hangover Edition.”

And Shinobu?
She just poured herself another cup of sake, lips curved in a private, satisfied smile.

It wasn’t long before the group reached their limit, completely destroying Tengen's alcohol collection.

After a few hours, the Hashiras were completely knocked out, sleeping in whatever position and place they could find.

Morning sunlight crept through the shoji doors, illuminating a battlefield of empty sake bottles and shame.

Rengoku was asleep upside down on a chair. Tengen had ended up in a tree. Mitsuri was drooling and talking about food in her nap. Obanai was snoring on a futon with Mitsuri’s ribbons still in his hair. Sanemi was using Obanai’s snake as a pillow.

And Giyu…
Giyu was sitting perfectly upright in the corner, wide awake, staring blankly into the void.

Shinobu had passed out a few feet away and only now woke up, with the rising sun. They locked eyes and she gave him a quick smile, looking infuriatingly fresh and composed. As if this woman hadn’t just turned his entire emotional world upside down last night.

Giyu only stared back at her, still processing the events of last night. 

“Ugh, my head feels like a demon’s playing taiko drums in it,” Sanemi groaned, clutching his skull.

Rengoku bolted upright. “GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS!”

Everyone groaned in unison.

“Lower your volume,” Obanai muttered from under a blanket.

“NO NEED! A NEW DAY HAS RISEN! GLORIOUS, ISN’T IT?”

Tengen cracked one eye open. “Someone tell the rooster to shut up.”

Shinobu only smiled faintly. “I see we all survived.”

“Barely,” Sanemi muttered. “Who let us drink that much?”

“You did,” Mitsuri said cheerfully, brushing her hair. “Also, you tried to challenge a tree to fight!”

Sanemi’s expression went blank. “I what?”

“It lost,” Tengen added helpfully.

Rengoku clapped his hands. “NOW THEN! LET US DISCUSS THE TRUE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING!”

Everyone turned.

“THE KISS!” he declared triumphantly.

Giyu froze mid-breath.

Shinobu simply smiled.

Sanemi blinked. “Wait, what kiss?”

“Oh no,” Mitsuri gasped. “You don’t remember?”

Tengen grinned like a demon. “Oh, he remembers now.”

Sanemi turned to Giyu, then Shinobu, then back. “You’re joking.”

Obanai finally lifted his head. “Nope. Happened. Twice.”

“Twice?”

Rengoku pounded the table. “A SPECTACLE OF PASSION! A TESTAMENT TO LOVE AND DARE!”

Giyu muttered quietly, “I’m quitting the Corps.”

Shinobu tilted her head sweetly. “You’re overreacting, Tomioka. It was only part of the game.”

“Part of the game?” Tengen snorted. “Kocho, you practically stunned the man. He didn’t blink for five minutes.”

Mitsuri sighed dreamily. “But it was so romantic! The quiet one and the teasing one! I ship it!”

Sanemi crossed his arms. “Disgusting. I’m getting breakfast.”

“You’re just jealous,” Mitsuri teased.

“Of what?”

“…..That Tomioka wasn’t dared to kiss you!”

“DAMN RIGHT, AND LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY!”

Giyu quietly stood, desperate to vanish before someone pulled out a scroll and made “The Kiss Incident” official in the history records.

But Rengoku blocked the door.

“NOT SO FAST, FRIEND!” he boomed. “YOU HAVE YET TO EXPRESS YOUR TRUE FEELINGS!”

Giyu blinked. “…What?”

Tengen grinned. “Yeah, yeah, we all saw the confession and the kiss. Now we want the sequel.”

“Sequel?” Giyu asked warily.

“Round Two!” Mitsuri said. “We’re having another Truth or Dare tonight!”

Shinobu nearly choked on her own spit. “Pardon?”

Tengen winked. “I call it: Truth or Dare: Hangover Edition.”

Sanemi groaned. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Yes,” Mitsuri chirped. “You’re coming. Everyone is!”

Shinobu sighed. “My, my. It seems our bonding is far from over.”

Giyu muttered under his breath, “I’m never drinking again.”

“Aw, don’t say that,” she said sweetly, leaning close enough for him to tense up again. “You were quite honest when you were tipsy.”

Giyu could feel his face heating up with her being so close. 

“…I said you were beautiful,” he murmured.

“And you were right,” she whispered, then stood and walked away like nothing had happened.

The entire room froze. Tengen’s jaw dropped. Mitsuri squealed into her hands. Rengoku’s eyes practically sparkled.

“FLAMBOYANT POWER MOVE!” Tengen yelled.

Sanemi groaned into his cup. “If they start making out before breakfast, I’m jumping out the window.”

Obanai sighed. “I’ll open it for you.”