Agni x reader, Agni x oc. Female s/o. Mostly head-canons and reader-insert.
The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.
You certainly spend some time thinking and wondering about Agni’s birthday before making up your mind. You observe him, ask some questions here and there… You clearly do not wish to pressure him, to look imposing in any way. You know there are cultural differences, and you must respect his customs… You also have the strong feeling he welcomes you in his life, and he is happy to experience different things with you.
It has been almost a year since you found him in the library that evening, at the Phantomhive’s manor. He was alone checking up some books before Soma’s lesson the next morning, and you had been ruminating a work problem, a letter that Ciel had entrusted you to write.
The circumstances in which you two interacted for the first time and how long it took you to feel attracted to each other do not matter now. But that night in the library, Agni gave you an idea for your letter without realizing it, and you decided to reward him with an experience, a walk to the gardens to witness something special in the middle of the night. He considered consulting first with the prince whether to exit the manor into the gardens that late at night, alone with you, but after seeing prince Soma sleeping soundly, Agni decided not to disturb him and accompany you.
You gently and mysteriously escorted him through. After a while, he asked with his calmed deep voice: “It is good that you know the way, my Lady. I have never been to the gardens at night. Do you come here often, after dark?” As the night breeze played with your hair, and the moon light produced a rather refreshing effect on your skin, you replied: "I do. The gardens at night give me a comfort I can hardly find elsewhere. This way, please." You said entering a small greenery tunnel and accessing the forest.
Agni was curious as to why the gardens at night brought you comfort, since he enjoyed so much the explosion of colors in daylight. He asked, so that he could better appreciate the same sights. Agni followed you carefully, matching your pace despite his very long legs, so that he would not be ahead or behind you. "I guess... It is the quietness? It is quiet to all my senses. I am a bit oversensitive and... daytime, though endearing, sometimes overwhelms me." You said thoughtfully as you two passed by a creek.
Agni understood how the quietness could allow us to appreciate the many other senses that were not usually focused on due to the noise of the day. And he could see how daytime could be overwhelming for someone who was sensitive.
You then accessed a clearing and a group of bushes with tiny tubular flowers that looked almost like small stars and had a fresh sweet perfume. The Night Blooming Jasmine or Lady of the Night were open in the evening and would close the next morning. “Tonight, they flourish for you, Agni. Thank you for joining me and indulging me." You said taking a sit on a rock as stylishly as you could.
Agni sits down next to you, and looks at the beautiful flowers, admiring their color and shape and thinking about how wonderful they were. “We call them Raat Rani in India, Queen of the Night. I had not seen this happen since I was a kid. It would have been a shame to miss them. It is a very special gift. Thank you so much.” He said in a low voice.
"I thank you also for trusting me." You replied. "This manor is beautiful and dangerous. Thank you for not thinking I was trying to lure you into a trap or something. We first met rather recently, after all."
“Trust is a mutual agreement.” He said with a smile. “You have been kind to me and my prince. It is true that the manor can be dangerous, especially at night, and I hope that we are not attacked. But no, I feel I can trust your favor. It is beautiful here.”
"Beauty can be dangerous, but not necessarily." You said protecting yourself from the mild night cold. "You and your master are lucky to have each other."
“I do feel very blessed to be my prince's trusted khansama and friend. I was very lucky to have met him, and it still does not feel quite real to me. You are correct, we are indeed very lucky.”
The night was still blissful, but darker. A firefly took refuge on your shoulder. The sky turned into a sea of black and blue with shining sparks.
Agni felt truly fortunate to have been able to come out and see all this with you, and the night only grew more peaceful for him. He hoped the firefly would stay there for a long time, it was very beautiful and fitting to him that it had chosen to land where it had.
“Did you find your partner, Agni? Or you feel you are still looking for them?” You asked looking at the firefly.
He looked saddened for a moment, and it took him some time to answer “It… it appears I still want some forgotten things. Some very old dreams still haunt me, for better and for worse.”
You took Agni's left hand and placed the firefly in it softly. You caressed his hand carefully.
“You are so kind to me. I do not deserve these things. You are giving me too much. There are many better people you could be giving all this kindness and care, but... I must say it is quite nice to be so cared for. There is something so very calming about you…” He said a bit shakily with his rich voice.
You made sure to thank him as well for his compassion and kindness. And then you came closer to him and kissed his lips.
He was slightly taken aback at your gesture and did not immediately return it, though he did not pull back his head or try to repel it. You could almost feel the tension and the struggle in him.
After a moment, he gently placed his hand against your face, slowly bringing you closer as the kiss grew more passionate.
He suddenly woke up some hours later. A firefly glinted by his window and a soft perfume of minty jasmine was lingering... He had a joyful demeanor, but the kind of happiness you had brought to him scared him. That was the night of his birthday.
The next day, your silky high-pitched voice made him turn around in the middle of a corridor. You approached him radiantly and as you walked next to him, you told him Ciel needed to come to France with you for a while, to La Province, where you currently live. You extended the invitation to Agni and Prince Soma, to stay there for a season or two with you. You spoke gently but clearly, your eyes showing an inner glow.
Agni's eyes widened slightly as you spoke, and he stared at you for a moment, looking quite shocked by your proposition. After a moment, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"This is a surprise. To think such an offer would be extended to us... well, we are humbled by it, that's for sure."
He smiled at you warmly. "I shall speak to my prince, and we shall see what he thinks. If he agrees to it, then I shall gladly come with him."
Many aspects of his destiny were connected to that of his prince. You knew that. You had planned to snatch both Agni and his prince away from the dangers of the underworld, to provide Agni with help and support in the task of assuring the achievement of Soma’s best potential.
You came closer to him and promised to make them feel as comfortable and safe as possible. You also asked him playfully and enticingly if he or the prince spoke a bit of French.
Agni flushed somewhat as you came closer and spoke like this. But he tried his best to stay composed and maintain his professionalism, and he replied without losing his warm and kind attitude.
"I do know some basic words and phrases of French, but my knowledge is a bit lacking, I must admit. I shall try to improve and learn more before we come - if we come," He added, looking at you with a grin. "And my prince is a very quick learner, he will no doubt pick up the language in no time."
You smiled visibly pleased and told him you lived in a small castle near a medieval city, that there was much nature around, but people had cosmopolitan tastes as well. You could possibly find some of his spices in the big market, and some others you could import, to a certain extent. You knew cooking was a huge topic for him. You raised your hand softly to his cheek and dared to caress him.
After some hesitation, Agni leaned into your touch, allowing himself to relax and take it all in. He looked at you with a fond expression.
"Your home sounds beautiful. My prince is quite a lucky person to have a lady who is so kind, and thoughtful on his side... Not to mention so charming," He added, slightly blushing as he spoke the last part. "And, yes, I do love to cook for my prince. I take it that you also enjoy good cuisine and fine food?"
You smiled affectionately to him and explained you did. However, some experiences in your life had made your meals more and more plant based with time. You added a bit sheepishly that you were not actually used to hot-spicy food.
He smiled at you, and his expression remained warm and genuine. He explained there were many plant-based options in Indian cuisine, that Brahmins in Bengal were mostly vegetarian and sometimes ate fish, that there was a wide variety of flavors, and many dishes could easily be made for those who preferred a softer seasoning. “We are very adaptable, and we can always adjust to suit your tastes," He replied in a friendly and knowledgeable fashion. "Now, is there anything else I could be helpful to you, my lady? I am always happy to be of service.”
That was a little too tempting to hear. You looked around and subtly stretched up all you could to reach his ear and graze it with your lips. "I much look forward to being of service to you," You whispered, and then looked at him intently.
Agni blushed and blinked a bit nervously, but he remained calm and composed, and he spoke with a warm and kind demeanor as always.
"As do I. There is no doubt that it will be a wonderful experience to come to France with you. I shall be forever grateful for this opportunity."
He looked at you and smiled. "I look forward to showing you around Bengal someday and introducing you to our culture as well."
Your eyes sparked genuinely since you could not be more excited. You found his culture very interesting and had already started to learn Hindi.
"I shall be sure to tell my prince of your beautiful invitation. And I do not doubt that he shall take it seriously, as we both very much appreciate kindness and generosity.” He smiled at you warmly. "Now, is there anything else I can help you with, my lady?"
"There is much you can help me with, dear Agni. But that will have to wait." You replied gently while you walked away towards Ciel, who was requesting your attention at that moment.
Agni watched you with an adoring expression as you walked away, and he could not help but feel a bit of sadness as you left. But at the same time, he knew he had to behave professionally, and so he bowed his head respectfully and gave you a friendly smile, before turning to return to work.
You had first addressed him as Monsieur Agni. He had politely and swiftly insisted on dispensing with the title, since he preferred you called him simply Agni. He had insisted, however, on always calling you “my lady”, despite your friendly disposition to be treated less formally. It would be a long time before he finally whispered your name some months later between the sheets and at a rather heated moment.
It has been a year since that, and it was Agni’s birthday again.
Even when Prince Soma could change his mind any time soon, the Black Perigord forests had watched him grow fond of the colors, the light, the people, the subjects he was studying… You did your best to surround him every now and then with artists, scientists, and philosophers from different countries who visited your place. He even made good friends with your son, who was a bit older than the prince. You thought they could be a good influence on each other.
Of course, sometimes people talked about the solitary widow who looked far too young for her age, who often locked herself away in her forest where hunting was banned, and had now the company of a foreigner from the far East. Those things did not disturb your mind if Agni and your family had not been disturbed. He was thriving, though. He had made everybody in your small castle like him and be pleased to work with him. And despite his past, his life was growing a bit more and more balanced now.
The morning of his birthday, among the quiet stony walls of your chateau, Agni accepts -despite those many years when his birthday was just another day of work- and lights some lamps. He prays and meditates early. He thanks Kali, his star Dhanishtha, and his mother. He then goes along with you and Soma distributing food and presents in Sarlat-la-Canéda. You accept enjoying daylight with him this time. You two go alone and visit the forest in the afternoon. Your hand in his larger one, you walk calmly taking in the splendor. In the evening, you feast with him, Soma and your other loved ones.
A quiet simple life you hope will last for many years to come.
I apologize for any mistake because English is not my first language and I had not written fanfiction in a very long time.
Everything for this lovely fictional man on his birthday. August 24th 2023.
