~ Taiga Hoshibami x Reader
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A/N: This is my first time writing a fic😳 This came from a very random burst of inspiration after I reread some of the chapters from S1 Ep16. I really have so much respect for all of my writer friends because idk how you do this so quickly. This definitely won’t be “my thing” on this account, but nevertheless, I hope you like it! Ngl, this fic is very self-indulgent. This is about my husband after all.
Tags: 1.6k-ish words, SFW, g/n reader, pre-established relationship, lots of fluff with a sprinkle of angst, canon details, S1 Ep16 spoilers, also based on his lvl 25 affinity voice line (“You're not getting away from me, kitten. You're here till death do us part, whether you like it or not.”)
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You felt a buzz from your phone and notice an incoming text message from Taiga.
“Come to my room. Hurry up.”
“Right now? Seriously???”
You see the read receipt on your screen, but he doesn’t answer. Irritated at the unprompted summoning and unwilling to risk him chasing you down somewhere else, you make the trek from the Cathedral to Sinostra. What the hell could he possibly want?
Arriving at his door, you knock a couple of times and pull on the handle.
You reluctantly step inside, turning around to quietly shut the door. Cutting through the silence, you hear his voice.
“Kitty cat… c’mere. Got a question for ya.”
“You made me come all the way here so you could ask me a question? That couldn’t have been a text?”
“Quit your yapping and just sit down.”
Still annoyed but now intrigued, you saunter over to the sofa where he’s sitting. He coaxes you, patting the spot next to him. You oblige and turn your body to face him, close enough that your legs barely touch. Even that seemingly minute contact sends shockwaves through you.
“Okay, shoot.” You raise your eyebrows at him expectantly. You never really know what’s about to come out of this guy’s mouth.
“You’re not afraid of me. Why?”
Well, that was not on your list of questions he could possibly ask you today.
“Hmm… I never really thought about that.”
Taiga is not exactly the naturally inquisitive type. You had to pause and think, not only about your answer, but also why on earth the predator would be asking his prey why they’re not scared.
“You perplex me, and I want to figure you out. Maybe the fascination overrides my fear response?”
In typical Taiga fashion, he lets out a hearty laugh, expression quickly turning smug. His tone drops, eyes half-lidded.
“Fascinated with me, huh? If you wanted to be closer, ya shoulda just said so, kitten.”
Predictably dirty-minded, you brush off his innuendo and adjust your position so that you’re no longer touching, the curiosity for answers eating at you more than the urge to flirt back.
“Why are you even asking me that in the first place?”
“What’s the problem? Can’t ask ya what you’re thinking when you’re with me?”
“If you want me to be completely honest about how I feel around you, I’ll be transparent, but just know you asked for it.”
He lifted his chin up in a swift nod, as if gesturing, “go on”.
“I wasn’t that scared of you in the beginning, but I did think you were selfish and self-serving when we met.”
Taiga laughs in your face once again. It’s clear he’s not taking you seriously. You shoot him a cautionary glare. Despite the potential consequences of your previous statement, you bravely, or foolishly, continue on.
“I may not agree with A LOT of your decisions, and you do point a gun at my head often, but for some odd reason, I still wanna be around you. Everyone else seems to misunderstand you, but I feel like I can really see you, Taiga.”
“Mhm.” Your answer comes with no hesitance.
He raises an eyebrow at your lack of uncertainty, gaze then narrowing at you in piqued interest, recognizing your candor.
“And what makes you so sure ya know anything about me, kitty?”
You move closer to him and sit across his thighs, something you did many times before on the casino floor when he demanded you be his good luck charm. Little did he know that he was also yours.
“After being on missions with you, I’ve seen how loyal you can be to the people you care about. I was wrong about you.”
He smirks in self-satisfaction. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you think highly of me, kitty cat.” He’s loving this.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don’t let it get to your head.”
A chuckle slips out of him at your comment, and he secures an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to envelope you in his warmth as you languidly lace your arms around the back of his neck.
“Taiga, you presented me with a way I could have more time to live, even offering to stay with me in the fabricated world for two and a half years…”
You break eye contact for a moment, briefly trailing off, tapping back into the surging emotions from that exact moment in the restaurant together.
Though Taiga normally played offense, he let you speak. For once, his unbothered disposition faltered. Unlike how he was with everyone else he interacted with, it was evident that he was listening intently.
“Being away from the casino, the academy, and anybody else who knows us...” You lock eyes with him once more. “All we would have is each other.”
Your eyes become glassy, tears welling up that have been stifled for far too long.
“Even though I didn’t get the chance to accept or deny your offer, that gesture is still the most unselfish thing that anyone at Darkwick has ever done for me.”
The first teardrop falls down your cheek, and then the second. As much as you wish to turn away and hide your tears, you wipe them and slide your hands down to his chest, boldly holding eye contact, ensuring him that your conviction is undeniable.
“You gave me something no one else has given me. You gave me hope. When I’m with you, I start to feel like everything is going to be okay.”
He opened this can of worms, and you have to get the words out before your courage is lost.
“I understand you’re not the type to let others get too close, but I want you to let me in.”
Before he has the chance to open his mouth in protest, you quickly cut him off.
“I’m in love with you, Taiga. Even though you might not remember my name on some days, I want to be the person that makes sure you never have to forget what being truly loved feels like.”
Taiga has always been very intuitive. Stigma or not, human or ghoul, that’s just who he is. Like you with him, he intended to unravel you. When Taiga locked eyes with you, he wasn’t just seeing you, he was seeing through you. The Sinostra captain being speechless or surprised by anything is extremely rare. But your genuinely caring words? Somehow, that managed to catch him off guard.
“How long have you felt this way?” He couldn’t resist asking.
“I don’t know exactly when it started. It was definitely brewing before the Shi San Long mission, but after that conversation in the restaurant is when the realization hit me.”
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, kitty cat.”
“I am fully aware of what I’m signing up for.”
“Knowing that, you still wanna be with me? That’s real stupid, kitty cat.”
He just needs someone to believe in him.
“You could kill me, but you wouldn’t.”
“I already tried on the first day we met, gyahaha!”
You let out a pained laugh, recalling the day you were cursed by the Kyklos.
You regain your composure and place a warm hand on his cheek, leaning closer and looking down at his lips, then back at his peridot eyes transfixed on you. Your gaze is soft, cloaked with an unmistakable sincerity and awe, a gaze that he also returns.
“I don’t care what might happen. I’m placing my bet. All in.”
The tips of your noses touch. You give Taiga a split second, just long enough for him to change his mind if he wanted to, but short enough that he won’t be able to question the integrity of your actions. The predator usually makes the first move, but he was enamored by your dauntlessness and honesty. He wanted you to go in for the kill.
You close the gap and press your lips to his, running one hand through his red hair and putting the other around the back of his neck. Taiga was never the most vocal about his feelings, aside from anger, displeasure, or hunger. If you had any doubts before about whether he reciprocated your confession, this kiss was all the confirmation you needed to quell your lingering anxieties. Though more tender than you expected, he lacked no passion. He kissed you as if the profound tragedy was already upon you, like this first kiss would be the last until he could meet you in the next timeline. Even being the enigma he is, there was no hiding the fact that he cherished you.
When you part from each other, both breathless and in a state of processing, Taiga opens his mouth to speak first.
“You're not getting away from me, kitten. You're here till death do us part, whether you like it or not.”
You smile and peck him on the lips one more time.
He’s dangerous, but you don’t care. His love is worth the gamble.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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Thank you so much for reading <3
