Today, you had just gotten back home from another mission. The air was heavy with the scent of night blossoms, your uniform still carrying faint traces of dust and blood from battle. Exhaustion weighed on your shoulders, but the sight of your estate brought a wash of comfort, home, at last. Once you made it inside the gates, however, something unexpected caught your eye.

Sitting quietly on the porch, with his legs crossed and his pale eyes reflecting the faint glow of the lanterns, was none other than Tokito Muichiro. He didn’t stir when you approached, his posture relaxed yet oddly purposeful, as though he had been rooted there for hours. His sword lay at his side, untouched, while his gaze lingered on the drifting clouds above rather than his surroundings. Still, there was no mistaking it, he was waiting for you.

It wasn’t the first time, either. Ever since your promotion to Hashira, Muichiro had developed an odd habit of appearing at your estate after your missions. He never said much about it—sometimes he didn’t say anything at all, but his presence was consistent, unwavering, like a quiet shadow. Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps it was something deeper, unspoken even to himself. For all his detached air, Muichiro never failed to notice when you returned later than expected, and he never failed to be there when you did.