Pairings: Nobunaga x Reader
Comments: Eeeeep guess what dayyy it is??? lolol! Eeeek so excited! Whooop Whooop! //dances around ❤❤Hehehe its our sweet lil minekooos bdayyyyy! Happy birthday cutie! ❤ Hope you have the best day ever!!!! 😳🥺! 🥺😳❤🌈
.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:
They say when the stars align, time ceases to exist all together, and for the briefest of moments, it is as if the universe is smiling down and all is right in the world.
Or so it felt when he first spotted you wandering the marketplace of Echigo.
A strange face in the familial crowd. You stood out; of course, you did. With bold, bodacious movements, completely and utterly unbefitting of a woman of your stature. The precious mysterious Princess, who, seemed to have been conjured up from the dust of the stars above.
None was known of your background or origins other than the ridiculous claims Kenshin made about you being his sister. Emphasis on ridiculous. However, as far-fetched as the claims were, not even the slithering Mitsuhide could dig up any information regarding your identity. At the end of the day, Princess, or no, you were most certainly becoming the object of his curiosity.
“Could I have three bags, please,” you politely asked the dark-haired stranger dressed from head to toe in gold, red and black with smiling eyes. Crouching down with muddied hem, you breezily examine the colourful confectionaries on the delicate bamboo mat.
“No,” the simple word befell Nobunaga’s lips as he met you gaze with a cocky grin. His eyes flickered with amusement while the lines of your face shifted rapidly between thoughts. What did he mean no? You gazed around sheepishly just to confirm you were indeed in the marketplace. Far be it from the first time you had mistaken a man’s identity; however, in your defence, when you had thrown a coin in the stranger’s cup of tea, he certainly looked like he had seen better days. Still, you never lived down the embarrassment as Yukimura laughed all the way back to the castle and continued to laugh into the evening, retelling the story of you mistaking an esteemed warrior for a simple beggar.
“W-what,” you finally repeated, expression setting on that of a fish out of water.
He only smirked in response with glimmering eyes of mischief. Under the intense gaze, you started feeling awkward at best, and before you could question him again, he crinkled open a bag of sugar candies and poured them straight down his throat in one sweeping motion.
“These are not for sale,” he spoke after munching and crunching down, lazing back on the mat as if he owned the world.
“However, if you are so adamant on a bag, come, join me for a game of GO.”
Shocked. You were absolutely shocked at the audacity of this merchant.
“What is your name,” you finally inquired with brows sinking further into a frown. You had known men of this time to be slightly arrogant, but this man took the cake. His ego lacked nothing as he continued nonchalantly.
“Beat me at a game fireball, and I’ll tell you,”
He was intolerable, and you had half a mind of running back to the castle to snitch on the man; no doubt if Kenshin caught wind, he would be marching over without a second thought. You could just see it, the God of war making the man before you eat his words, but then again, you were no fragile lass, and somewhere along the lines of annoyance and curiosity, the sparks of competitive flames were lit within you.
“Fine, then.” Came the huffed murmur as you plonked yourself down on the dust and sand, readying yourself with a crack of the fingers. Nothing like anger and frustration to hype the senses and sharpen the mind so you could efficiently school this man and teach him a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
You started off with all the confidence of an average, mediocre male of the modern world, grinning and clicking your pieces down with ease- but soon, the harsh realities of life hit. Confidence alone would not help you against him. Move after move, game after game, he stole your pieces. Dealing you with a crushing defeat.
“I demand a rematch,” you grunted out after the tenth loss just as the sun was starting to kiss the horizon.
“Foolish woman, you cannot defeat me” he smirked at you from across the board.
“I can and I will!” You continued with eyes narrowed to slips of determination. You had long since forgotten the true purpose of your visit to the market, and it wasn’t until the castle bell rang that you remembered. “Shit,” you muttered under your breath, looking back towards the road home; you knew there’d be hell to pay if you weren’t back before dark. You had one job, buy candy and sake for the banquet, and now it was too late to get either.
“Then tomorrow,” Nobunaga stole your attention, leisurely rising to his feet and offering you a hand up. You gazed at the offered hand for a good few seconds before brushing it aside to help yourself up. You were, after all, a strong, independent woman; while you hated to admit it, the sting of defeat and loss was still fresh.
“You’re upset about your loss?” Came his voice with hints of amusement and cashmere eyes
“I haven’t lost anything! I’ll be back tomorrow; just you wait!” Those were the last words uttered to the man as you raced back home, without even sparing a glance back
From that moment onwards, day after day, you returned to the merchant and day after day, you were dealt a crushing defeat. What started as a desire to deflate the man’s ego morphed into a deep fondness. You had found out his name was Nobu and that he loved sugar. You also learned that he was ticklish and far sharper than anyone you had ever met. Through fleeting glances stolen during the endless games and stories told after every loss, you found your heart soared to the heavens whenever he was near.
However, no matter how high the heart flies, not even it can escape the laws of gravity, as what goes up must come down. And sure as the rotation of the sun and stars, time must once again tick forward. You were warned not to fall in love, and yet it felt as though nothing could stop it from happening.
“I will never love another as I have loved you, fireball,” Nobunaga whispered as he held your hand steadfast, leaving you with a forehead kiss as storm and rain gathered around you.
“Please,” you pleaded with eyes squeezed shut. You prayed, and prayed, and prayed, hoping, bargaining, wailing that you would be allowed to remain in the arms of the one whom you loved the most in the world.
“We shall meet again, in the next life, ” and as those words were spoken, the consolations shifted, and time ticked forward once more.
And just like that, you were ripped from the world, a snuffed-out candle returned to your original time.
Your beady eyes watched the flickering of the single red and white striped candle nestled in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Another year, another wrinkle and another wish to remain unanswered.
The tub was empty before your kettle even had time to finish boiling, and as such, you were on a quest to buy another. After all, it was your birthday, and calories never count on such days.
The endless streets were ghostly, and the evening breeze held a gentle hum. “We meet again, fireball,” the winds seemed to whistle, and you were sure you had lost your mind.
If not for the familiar silhouette waiting beneath the lonesome streetlamp, you might have missed the night sky above and the stars coming back into alignment.
