It didn't take long for Mitsuri to arrive back home, and when she did, she insisted on going out for breakfast, which your stomach was definitely not against.

She also invited Shinobu, which was a nice change of company, you hadn't seen her a lot recently and it was refreshing sometimes to hang out with just her and Mitsuri without the chaos that the others brought in.

You were leaning against the kitchen counter, mindlessly scrolling on your phone, waiting for Mitsuri to finish showering, when you heard a soft knock at the door.

You made your way over to it, opening it with ease and was met with a set purple eyes.

"Hi y/n!!' she smiled softly, inviting herself in.

You greeted her back, welcoming Shinobu in a soft hug.

"You look stressed dear whats on your mind?" shinobu stated, a slight look of concern painting her face.

You sighed. "Oh god, I don't even know where to start..."

❥︎

Five long minutes later, after catching up with Shinobu, Mitsuri emerged from her bedroom in one of her signature looks.

"Shall we head out then?" she suggested, flashing you a smile.

You nodded and Mitsuri recommended a new pancake place to try that was only a 10 minute drive from the dorms.

As you arrived at the place and went inside, you took notice of the man behind the counter.

He sounded slightly flustered as he tried flipping multiple pancakes at once. His face was concealed by a wooden mask and he had very long black hair.

"He looks oddly familiar..." Mitsuri said, as you all watched the man continue to violently make pancakes, occasionally swearing in the process.

The place wasn't exceptionally busy and the atmosphere was light, which was ideal.

After sliding into one of the booths and ordering your pancakes, Mitsuri started up the conversation she'd been waiting for leading you to recap what had happened last night.

"Are you guys friends?" Mitsuri asked.

"I don't really know..." you answered truthfully.

"Well I don't think Giyuu's the type of person to let just anyone sleep over so you must mean something to him," Shinobu chimed in.

"I guess...but all things considered I find it hard to imagine us being anything more than just acquaintances or project partners," you leaned back.

"Maybe this was his way of showing that he doesn't hate you anymore? Giyuu's not always the most verbal and talkative person," Shinobu suggested.

"Oh Y/n! Maybe you should ask him to hang out, outside of the project! You know to help improve things between you!" the pink haired girl suggested before taking another bite of her 4th pancake.

"I don't know babes our communication skills aren't great and we don't have much in common..."

"Y/n this man literally took you too his house and let you stay the night because you had a migraine, I think he cares for you more than you realise..."

You knew deep down Shinobu was right, but he made you nervous and you couldn't understand why.

❥︎

The only class you had that day was at around 2:30, meaning you spent the rest of the morning catching up with work you had been too tired to complete previously.

You hadn't seen Giyuu at all that day, which made you somewhat sad, you actually missed his stoic yet gentle presence.

Fortunately, the universe was on your side and as you were walking across campus, you heard your name being called.

"L/n!" he called out, running to catch up with you.

"Hi Tomioka," you smiled, clutching the sketchbook that was in your arms.

"I wanted to check how you were doing," he said, walking alongside you.

"Better," you began "thanks for the medication, and for letting me sleep over,"

You could've sworn the tips of his ears turned pink as you said the last bit.

"Of course, anytime," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you doing anything right now?" he spoke again,

"Not really, why?"

"I have a free afternoon, and was wondering if you wanted to work on our portfolio,"

You thought about it for a split second.

"Sure, but can we swing by my dorm first, carrying this around is a nightmare," you exhaled, tightening. your grip on the book in your hand

He accompanied you to your dorm, leaning against the doorframe, as you quickly went to your room and threw the sketchbook on your bed.

You popped in your bathroom to freshen up a little before meeting Giyuu outside once more.

"Are we walking or...?"

"I'll drive us," he stated.

"Where are we even going?" you asked, a soft chuckle leaving your lips.

"It's a surprise," he said as the corner of his mouth curved up ever so slightly.

You kept up alongside him until you approached a black Mercedes, which you rightfully assumed was Giyuu's car. He opened the door for you, allowing you to slide into the passenger seat before running back to the other side.

The drive was peaceful, despite the small talk that filled the car. It was October now, meaning the air was slightly colder but Giyuu's car was warm and welcoming, allowing you to sit back and relax.

Giyuu pulled up outside a buildinh that looked like just another ordinary cafe.

You raised an eyebrow as Giyuu unlocked the car doors.

"When you said it was a surprise I thought it would be someplace super exciting,"

"Hot cookie dough isn't exciting?

Your eyes widened and you walked towards the entrance. "I take back what I said,"

You pushed open the door and was immediately greeted with the smell of chocolate and other sweet desserts.

"Get whatever you want L/n it's on me," he called out to you as you admired the shelves of brownies.

"I don't mind paying Tomioka you've done enough for me recently,"

He came up behind you, close enough that his knuckles almost brushed against yours.

"Don't worry about that L/n, just get what you want,"

In order to not drain Giyuu's bank account, you settled for one of their smallest cookie dough deserts.

He guided you towards a table as you waited, which gave you a chance to actually talk about the project.

"So..." you started.

He leaned back against the cushioned seat, which you took as a signal to keep talking.

"I did a couple of shots of myself and Mitsuri about a week ago, they aren't perfect now but I figured once we touched them up a little they'll look half decent..."

"Okay," he said, scanning the features of your face.

His short response startled you a little, and you weren't too sure what to say.

"That's it...?" your arms sat in front of you, hands overlapping eachother.

"I actually brought you here so you could get a break away from your classes..." he finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" You asked, slightly puzzled.

"I don't think spending 12 hours in a painting studio is very healthy. Plus, ever since we were kids, you've always had the habit of overworking yourself until you literally collapse."

He was not wrong.

You were a perfectionist and had a habit of putting an immense amount of pressure on yourself, rotting away in the art department until you were physically sick.

Which is why, in a way, you were sort of grateful that Giyuu had dragged you off campus. You had a long and busy evening ahead of you.

Being out gave you a chance to clear your head, and not think about the piles of work you wanted to complete.

And as you continued talking, the conversation you'd had this morning with Mitsuri and Shinobu replayed in your mind.

Perhaps, Giyuu does cares for you more than you realise.

✰

a/n: guys omg look character and plot development 😻 y'all are not ready for whats gonna happen next 🙊