🐍 @amaiai : Leans in and plants a great big smooch on his cheek.
everything that is kanroji mitsuri is etched in iguro obanai’s mind : the exact amount of food she eats and her favourites , the energetic way she writes her letters as if she were standing there and telling the story herself , how each and every seeming inexplicable thing could mean everything to her and would set her heart aflame with excitement — yes , the serpent hashira would like to believe he knew his fellow comrade well . . . but the sensation of soft lips pressed against his bandaged cheeks 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 .
even this , he could not anticipate . after all , how could he prepare for something that he never thought would happen in his lifetime ?
𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 . an 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 .
he has to mentally reprimand himself not to get his hopes up when kanroji is unfailingly kind to everyone . certainly , she could do this with 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 . . . though the mere thought of that would undoubtedly send his mind spiraling much later , wondering who he 𝚑𝚢𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 for being on the receiving end of such a priceless gift .
what does occur to him is the possibility that she could have felt what lay beneath painstakingly meticulous wrapping , of a past that he could not escape : cruelty that would never leave him , not until the day he died . was she disgusted when her lips did not meet the softness and smoothness of a obscured cheek but instead the harsh bumps and ridges of scars that failed to heal cleanly ( for he had struggled as they held him down ) ?
even so , he could not deny it . the kiss made him . . . happy .
