author’s note. suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper short update and i know it's crumbs bc im totally breadcrumbing you rn but i will post soon. im just trying to rehash this whole story and make it make sense you feel me, anyways enjoy the little bone i threw ur way if you want to be included in my taglist for this story lmk!
chapters » one two three four five six seven eight ten eleven twelve
『♡』 chapter thirteen: nothing but crumbs
It had felt like months since you had seen Yoriichi. In reality it had been only a few days since he had departed. Nothing like a good ole cry sesh to really help you regulate your emotions. Contact between the both of you was choppy. Signal where he was at wasn't so great, so he would call you when he could but it seemed to break up quite a lot. That is until he purchased satellite phones for the both of you to communicate through. That had helped put your minds at ease knowing that one another were still alive.
The sound of Yoriichi's sigh made your stomach churn.
"What?"
"I miss you. A lot. I feel like I've broken my promise to you already."
"I miss you, too, but don't say that."
Yoriichi paces around his room. The sound of floorboard creaking beneath him is heard through the phone.
"Stop that."
"Sorry. Habit."
You laugh. "Just sit down. You're making me antsy here."
The line was quiet for a moment. You could tell he was drowning in his own thoughts. "So, how's the team coming along?"
Yoriichi cleared his throat. "It's a little harder than I thought. Ex-Hanafuda are a hana-ful."
You chuckled. "You're corny."
"I know." You could hear the smile in his voice. It made you hold onto the phone even closer as if it would provide any type of proximity to him.
"It's taking a little bit of convinving is all, but I'll be back home before next week. I promise."
You sighed. Yoriichi felt his heart twist with guilt. Partially for leaving you behind and partially for lying.
"Okay."
"You're never out of my sight, you know?" He peered down at the CCTV had installed in your room.
You glanced up at and raised a brow. He smiled as he watched you lay back against his bed and wave. "Yeah, it's kinda creepy to be honest."
"Well, this is the only way I felt comfortable leaving you." He said as he flitted through the other cameras, getting a look around the permitter of your room.
"It's still creepy."
He chuckled as he balanced his phone between his shoulder and skipped back to you. Your eyes drooping and your breathing getting slower. He could tell you were starting to drift off to sleep.
"No doubt. You should sleep. I know it's late over there."
"Wouldn't you know?" You counter rather quickly. "Sorry."
He chuckled at your swiftness. "Sleep."
"'Kay. Night. Miss you." You murmured as you half-heartedly blew a kiss to the camera with closed eyes.
"Good night. Miss you more."
And with that he watched as you hung up the phone and snuggled into his bedsheets wearing the last set of pajamas he had worn before he left. He frowned. Yoriichi's heart ached for you.
"Boss, are we heading out to meet the folks yet?" A head popped out from behind the door.
"Yeah, I'll be there, Haganezuka." His eyes never leaving the screen as he observed the way your chest rose and fell, fast asleep as cute as could be.
"Yoriichi."
He clicked his tongue. "Alright."
He put the monitor down and checked the app on his phone to make sure it was still connected to his home set up. He knew that Koshi was there along with more security guarding you at all times, but he couldn't help but feel worried. He sighed as he padded out the room and began to make his way to the front door.
"So slow. We don't have all day."
Yoriichi ignores Haganezuka as he put on his shoes and meticulously tied his shoe, taking his sweet time. This had only vexed his fellow clan member.
"Are you trying to get on my nerves?"
Yoriichi peeped up at him with a mischevious smile. "Maybe."
The man glanced down at him intently. "Brat."
"Tell me what's on the agenda today."
Haganezuka sighed as he pulled out his small notepad with a small schedule he had written out for the day. Reading out what he had set up for the day as Yoriichi had laced up his boots.
"...and obviously the most important part, meeting with [name's] parents."
Yoriichi's lips formed into a thin line at the mentioning of meeting [name's] parents behind your back. It wasn't like he didn't want to tell you but it would make things less emotional if they had kept you out out of it.
"Don't look so glum. I'm sure her dad will hate you."
"Is that suppose to cheer me up?" Yoriichi sat up to brush of his jeans.
Haganezuka beamed at him. "Nope."
Yoriichi sighed as he opened the door letting the light flood in. A new kind of resolve had coursed through him. He was the one who got you into this mess after all. It was now his turn to make it all worth your while.
☆ ──── 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 : this is for one my faves @stxrryemxlys congrats on graduating, so here is a grad gift for u!! even tho it lowkey became hella self indulgent fmenferj
☆ ──── 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) : long flashback?, sensual themes??
The nights that he would leave for days and sometimes even weeks at a time to tend to slaying demons would leave you irrevocably lonely. Your heart yearned for him to come back home so you would find yourself restless. In fact, so restless that you would toss and turn in your bed until you threw the covers off of your body followed by a frustrated huff. The light of the moon was cold and unforgiving. It opposed the warmth and welcome of the sun. Your sun. His smile, his voice and the way few but tenderhearted words would fall from his lips. You wanted nothing more than to see him at that moment.
Soon you found yourself getting out of bed and slipping on your shoes. You grabbed one of the wisteria incense that endlessly burned from your porch as you walked barefoot across the path that led to the edge of town. Thankfully there was no wind to blow out your incense, but even if it had it would burn long enough for you to get home safely. The sound of water trickling was getting louder and louder as you headed down the moonlit path.
You smiled as you recalled the memory of meeting him for the first time here.
You were gathering fish from the river and he had been standing at the edge watching as the scales of the colorful trout danced in the light of the sun. Your breath had caught at the sight of the handsome man in front of you. He wore his hair long in a high ponytail that lifted in the summer breeze. His maroon gaze soon on you and your heart thrummed against your chest.
“The trout here are quite vibrant. I’ve never seen anything like it.” His voice was deep and rich, though his tone was cheery and a hint of aloof.
“Oh–yes! They are also quite tasty when you cook them just right.” You stammered nearly as hard as your heart did. “Would you care to join me in catching some?”
You glanced away from a moment feeling his intense gaze on you. Your cheeks warmed as you continued on your incessant blabbering. “I cook them quite well.”
You stole a glance and a small smile had graced his attractive visage. “I would like that a lot.”
Gutting and cooking the fish wasn’t the hard part, catching them, however, was.
“Ah! I caught one!” Yoriichi exclaimed with a stunted look on his usually stoic face. He hadn’t felt such joy in a long time. The fish wriggled within his grasp and he showcased his first catch to you.
You clasped your hands together and beamed at him as he struggled to keep the fish in his hands.
“Great catch!”
Fwwp!
The trout had completely slipped out of his hand and plopped back into the river and Yoriichi’s face was unmoving. He was completely hampered by what had just occurred that he hadn’t even known how to react.
You couldn’t help but giggle at the fleeting happiness of his first catch. His face softened at your melodious laughter and suddenly he felt embarrassed at how excited he had become over something so menial.
“How childish of me.” He laughed, peering down at himself.
His rolled up sleeves and hakama were completely soaked, but his resolve was strong.
“I will catch this trout.” The look of determination on his face was enough to make you stop laughing and get serious with him.
“I’ll teach you a trick to catching a fish and not having it slip from your grasp.” You said as you rolled your sleeves and cuffed your pants and padded across the running river right alongside his form.
While he had his eyes trained to kill demons, your eyes and hands had been trained to be an expert at catching fish.
“You ready your stance and wait for the perfect moment…Gotcha!” You exclaimed in triumph as you held the fish and quickly dropped it in the bucket.
When you peered up for a moment, you caught a glimpse of Yoriichi’s eyes that sparkled at you in curiosity and admiration. “That is truly amazing! Please teach me how to achieve this level of mastery.”
You rubbed the back of your neck as you gave him a sheepish grin. “It’s nothing special, really. Just something I was taught by the village elders.”
Yoriichi and you went back to catching fish as you continued to converse.
“Did you not have parents growing up?” He asked. It wasn't a rude question, just something you never really spoke openly about.
You shook your head as you watched Yoriichi raise his hand to attempt to catch a fish, but it was all in vain as he caught nothing but water. He shook the water off of his hand and you softly chuckled at his failed venture.
“Damn.” He mumbled to himself.
“That was close. Try again.” You said. A small pause as you recollected your thoughts before answering. “No, I was an orphan for as long as I can remember. The village elders looked after me and taught me all the skills I know today. Honest work for honest pay. I’ve never traveled farther than the next town over.”
“I see.” He observed the water rippling beneath both of your ankles. “I think they did a great job raising you. You really know how to catch fish.”
You peered up at him and his smile was warm and enchanting. So young and full of life.
“I’ll show you how I cook ‘em, too.” You beamed at him.
“I didn’t know one could make trout taste so tender and flavorful.” He hummed in content as he savored every bite.
Your chin sat on your palm as you watched him take mouthfuls of rice and pieces of food stick to the sides of his mouth. It had occurred to you that this man hadn’t known how incredibly stunning he was. Not only in physical beauty, but his boyish and nonchalant attitude was charming as hell. Well, charming as hell to you.
“Aren’t you going to eat…” His head turned to the side before blinking back several times. “I never asked for your name. How rude of me.”
“You can call me [name].” You felt warmth rush to your cheeks when he looked at you. He was so endearing without even realizing it.
“[name], that’s an interesting name.” He seemed to be pensive for a moment as he nibbled at his trout.
You chuckled as you waited for him to reveal his name to you. He glanced up at you confused as to why you were looking at him for some sort of answer.
“And your name?” You giggled at him. He blinked a couple of times as he registered your words.
“You can call me, Yoriichi.” He finally said as he placed down his bowl in front of you and bowed. “Thank you for the meal, [name].”
“Oh, no need for that. We’re practically the same age.” You waved him off.
He peered up at you in surprise. “What is your age?”
“I’m twenty years of age.”
A ghost of a smile now on his lips. “I guess we are the same age then.”
He glanced into the crackling fire between the both of you and then to the sun that was beginning to dip below the horizon. “I should get going.”
“W-wait!” You suddenly said as you grasped on the sleeve of his haori.
He looked from your hand that was grasping the still damp fabric to you whose eyes were big and glistening with a yearning for company. The company of a man that could possibly fulfill the void where your heart was supposed to be.
“You should stay.” You murmured.
He didn’t say anything for a moment as he glanced down at you. His face was unreadable as he analyzed your features and tried to read the expression on your face. Yoriichii never faced a situation like this before. You, a woman, who had taught him how to catch and cook trout in the span of a day. You, a woman, who pleaded for his company.
Should you have had any semblance of shame? Yes, maybe. But the thought of never seeing this man ever again. A stranger who had just happened to be passing through town and never to cross paths in the near or distant future suddenly filled you with the emptiness that you were always left with scared you.
“You know, since it’s dark out and demons are out and about.” You quickly said feeling hot in the face. It was more than apparent that he was a demon slayer. From the sword that he proudly wore on his waist to the kimono that hung around his form.
“Do you know how to fend for yourself against demons?” He suddenly asked.
You thought about his words for a moment before shaking your head.
“Then I will stay until I teach you how to.” And there was that smile again. That smile that you found yourself yearning for every day since that occurrence.
And he kept his promise. Yoriichi would sleep a few feet away from you and wake you at dawn with the intention of honing your skills to the fullest extent. He wore you down to your bones, but his encouraging words and sincerity had pushed you to be the quick witted and instinctual warrior that he promised he would make out of you.
He would fondly watch you as you practiced every move of his and soon he had moved on to teaching you his breaths.
Your eyes sparkled in delight as he had showcased only a single technique and yet it mesmerized you as flames ignited from his blade and then to his form. He was literally his own sun. His techniques were a form of a fatal dance to the death and that only further entranced you.
“It may look intimidating, but I know you can do it, [name]. After all, my work won’t be done until you master it.” His form towered over you as you peered up at him.
If anything, he hadn’t even planned on teaching you any breathing techniques as that had been outside of the realm of what he thought you were capable of. But after watching you these past several months, mastering technique after technique he had gained a guilty indulgence toward you.
In no time, you had conquered every breath that he had laid out for you and soon you were a shining star next to your sun. Yoriichi had found himself not able to separate himself from you. He wanted only to spend all his days being in your company, hearing the sound of your laughter and the incoherent mumblings in your sleep as he tucked you into bed. Soon he had learned to cook trout almost just as good as you if not better and you were waking up to meals made by him without even having asked.
“Yoriichi, can you head down to the market and grab some potatoes and a pound of rice? We seem to have run out already.” You called out from inside as he sharpened his blade on the porch.
He frowned. “By myself?”
You poked your head out the doorway. “What was that?”
“You want me to go alone?” He asked again, not feeling embarrassed by his question.
It delighted you to see that pout on his face. “Well, I’m busy trying to clean the floors. I just think it would be more productive if you went and got food while I was here cleaning.”
“It would be quicker if I just helped you and then we headed off together.” He was persistent as hell when it came to these sorts of things.
He was guilty of being overfond of your presence, but he welcomed it. He didn’t want to be without you and that much he knew.
"[name], it’s too cold for you to be out here with nothing but your yukata on.” His voice suddenly filled the air and you felt your body go frigid.
It had just occurred to you that your toes and fingers were going numb, but you hadn’t cared about that. He was finally here. Yoriichi had stood tall in front of your form and soon you had found yourself throwing your arms around his shoulders.
His body went rigid for a moment as he had felt shocked by your unexpected intimate gesture. Your quiet sobs were muffled by the fabric of his haori and you clung onto his tightly with no thoughts of ever letting go. His scent was just as you had remembered. Woodsy and musky from his travels and scintillas of wisteria adhered to the fabric on his figure. You missed every bit of him and you couldn’t even hold yourself back from clutching onto him.
His firm hand found the small of your back and he sighed. “Let’s get inside.”
“Carry me.” You murmured against his chest.
He quietly obliged and soon you were lifted from the ground and you couldn’t find the courage to look at him as he carried you in his arms with ease.
There was only one other time that he had carried you this way and that was when you had sprained your ankle in the river trying to catch a trout and you were unable to get up on your own. He never scolded you, only softly speaking to you as he tended to your injury. You whimpered in pain and he never hushed you. He simply bandaged it and stayed by your side and became almost annoyingly dotting.
Is that what love was?
Yoriichi never liked to think too much of it. He hadn’t exactly familiarized himself with the concept of it, but then again he would simply brush off any compliments made to him by women who flock to him. He didn’t understand why. Why did he treat you like you were a wife he was coming home to and accompanied on trips to the market, racing downhills with and down the halls to see who could finish cleaning their side of the floor first with?
“Yoriichi.” Your voice was barely above a whisper.
He peered down at you for a moment hearing the neediness in your voice. Warmth blossomed to his cheeks as he got a better look at you. Your eyes were hazy with lust and longing. Or maybe he was mistaking it for some other emotion that he couldn’t quite pinpoint in that moment.
“Yoriichi.” A small whine emitted from your lips as half covered your eyes with your forearm.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he observed the way your lips glistened in the moonlight and the way your eyes fluttered up at him.
“Yes, [name].” His voice shook to his and your surprise.
You bit your lip and he was in anticipation of your next words. “I want you.”
His heart stammered at your words. “Want me to what?”
Your hand tugged at his haori. “ I want you–and me…”
You struggled to find the right words to put together for him to get it without you having to actually say it.
“Do you love me, [name]?” It was so sudden. Nothing that you would ever expect him to ever ask you. No, not ever in a million years had you imagined him asking you something like this.
“And if I said yes?”
He didn’t skip a beat. “We should get married.”
You felt your heart pound against your chest at his words. “M-married?!”
A small sigh escaped his lips as he felt a tad embarrassed at his own choice of words. “If that’s alright with you. I’ve come to realize I want to stay by your side until the day I die and if there is an afterlife I want you to be there with me then as well.”
You felt your eyes well up with tears at his sweet words. Yoriichi was hardly a romantic. He never really spoke about his feelings. He was a man of the moment and honestly this proposal suited more than anything else.
“Why are you crying?” His tone was brimming with concern as he wiped your tears away.
He gently set you down on your futon and rubbed your eyes as you sat up.
“Because–I–I don’t know. I just feel emotional right now. I never thought you would ask me to marry you.” You whimpered as you tried catch your breath.
His expression softened as he looked at you. He wanted to take care of you until he no longer could and lay with you every night and wake up with you every morning and the only way to say all of that was to ask you just that. To marry him.
“Well, do you accept?” He asked, scooting toward your form.
“How could I not?” You sniffled.
A rare toothy grin spread across his boyish features as he dabbed away at your tears. “Good. Because then we can do husband and wife things.”
You sat upright at his words and your sniffles came to a stop as you felt your cheeks warm. “Like what kind of husband and wife things?”
His voice was low and soft as he spoke. “Like the things you want me to do to you right now.”
His fingers brushed away the stray hairs that covered your face and felt yourself hold your breath as he did.
“Let’s do it tomorrow.” And he wasn’t kidding either.
“Tomorrow?!” You exclaimed. “I don’t even have a dress for the ceremony let alone someone to officiate it!”
“Mmm.” He thought for a moment as he leaned against his palms. “I guess you’re right about that.”
“How about a week from today?”
“A week?! Yoriichi! You’re insane!” But you felt joy and laughter bubble from your throat. You couldn’t help but feel elated at the fact that he wanted to spend eternity with you.
“That should be enough, right?” He inquired, cocking his head to the side.
“I mean–I guess so.” You became pensive as you searched your mind for anyone who would be willing to sew you up a dress.
“Ah, I just remembered. An older lady from the village not too far from here said that if I ever found someone I wanted to marry, she would make them a dress at no cost.” He bumped his fist to his palm.
“And why does she owe you that?” Your curiosity was piqued.
“I saved her children from getting eaten by demons.”
“Ah, of course. Always the classic I-saved-your-children-from-flesh-eating-demons-so-I-owe-you-a-wedding-dress scenario.”
“What do you mean?”
You shook your head and laughed. “Nothing. If she can get a dress done by the end of the week that would be…”
"That would be perfect.” He finished as he gave you a softer smile and put his calloused hand on top of yours.
His maroon gaze was intense yet playful as he gazed down at you and it made your heart nearly jump out of your chest.
“Then I can fulfill my duties as a husband to you.”
If I may ask, could I request where tengen is interested in a fellow pillar (fem if you can) reader? Like he's wants her to be his fourth wife (or just his in general if you don't want to do his wives totally respect that I'm fine with either one!). The only problem is she's kind of sassy and has an attitude but can get really flustered easily ( so basically a tsundere). If you're not interested in it totally understand and hope you have an amazing day! :)
✧ warnings. none
✧ author's note. even though i love his wives, i chose not to include them because i think tengen is realistically only interested in the three he already has. also i'm made her a tsuguko under him :)
The sun had not yet risen as you sat on one of the rocks of the training grounds you were suppose to meet your sensei at. You pulled out your pocket watch.
6:03AM
The sun would soon rise in just a few moments. It was your most cherished part of the day. True, sunsets were beautiful on their own, but sunrises had another kind of beauty to them. There was something about the peaceful solitude of it. Not very many people were up before the sun decided to peak out beyond the horizon.
"You look like you could use some company." The voice made you peer up at them. "Specifically a flashy kind of guy like me."
His face was shining with the sun as it finally made an appearance. It reflected onto his pale skin and ruby eyes that shone like gems. You began to grumble something incoherently to yourself as you tried to keep your composure.
He looked down at your fists that were balling up your haori. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yes. Are we going to begin?" You replied with a blank look on your face.
"Well, actually I was hoping we could have something to eat."
"Uzui-san..." You began getting annoyed with his usual nonchalant behavior.
"Don't worry. I packed up something. And how many times do I have to tell you. Just call me Tengen." He reached into his bag and pulled out a clothed bento box and unwrapped it handing one to you.
You were shocked to see that he had offered you breakfast and even more shocked when you opened it up. He had prepared you some some rice with yakitori and steamed sweet potatoes and some pickled ginger.
"Oh, and here is some miso soup." He handed you a small thermostat and you simply sat there staring at the food.
He noticed your hesitance as he dug into his own food. "What's wrong? Do you not like any of the things I prepared."
You shook your head. His eyes widened. "Y-you don't like it?"
"No, I do." You spoke softly as you began to shove large amounts of food in your mouth to avoid anymore questions.
"Wow, the sunrise sure is beautiful." He sighed as the sun's rays kissed at the wisteria trees.
As he peered over at you he noticed that you were no longer eating and instead wiping your mouth as you set down the thermostat.
"You're already done?!" He was absolutely shocked at your speed.
Had you really been that hungry?
You involuntarily burped in response which caused him to stare at you before bursting out into a fit of laughter. Your cheeks felt like they were burning as he clutched at his stomach, but he then noticed your embarassment.
"Oh, don't feel embarassed, [name]-kun." He teased giving your shoulder a squeeze.
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
It was a very sudden question. You never really asked him questions. You only followed his orders and made sure not to make a fool out of yourself in front of the others. You quickly became a favorite among your peers and the Hashira; more importantly Oyakata-sama and his family.
He gulped down the rest of his food before he shut the bento box and set it to the side.
"Because I'm trying to get you to warm up to me."
"But why?"
He thought long and hard before he answered not knowing how you would respond to what he was about to suggest. You had been Tengen's Tsukguko for some years now. He had originally thought that you were just another boring, unflashy demon slayer who withheld mediocre breaths, but you had proven him wrong time and time after again after many one-on-one sparing matches. You were quick if not quicker than him.
Your skills were honed to perfection and your breaths were much like his own if not flashier. To him your original outfit was boring, but after he had given you a bit of a make over, completely transforming your haori, the way you did your hair and makeup and even the way you carried yourself. You glowed like the star you were.
He didn't view you as a project though. He only helped you slowly come out of your shell and find things that complemented you the most and honestly, even though you always maintained a resting bitch face he could tell you were much happier now. He had the pleasure of treating you after long missions with dinners and treats.
He couldn't forget about the time he had you try dango for the first time. That was the first time you had ever smiled and it made his heart melt. Or the time that you had broken your ribcage and he wasn't there to aid you, but when he did come searching for you all the kakushi had informed him that you were only calling for him.
Of course, he had to go see you either way, but knowing that you were calling for him, and only him. It made his heart swell as he rushed back to go see you. You were high off the drugs, but you completely crumbled up and began to weep the moment he entered your room. You could only sob out his name over and over again as you clung to his body and stained his uniform.
He remembered that like it was yesterday and from then on his feelings only grew for you. Certainly he had no idea how to bring up that he wanted you along side him for the rest of his life. He watched you grow into the beautiful woman you were today and honestly, you were thankful for having him by your side. It was hard to ignore the feelings that were blossoming between you two, but you shoved the emotional side of yourself deep, deep down. Obviously, that was not healthy, but you had lost enough people in your lifetime that you couldn't even think of yourself being with another person and sharing all your secrets and innermost thoughts and fears.
If anything, though, Tengen would definitely be your first choice if not your only, but he didn't need to know all that.
"Because, I love you and I want to spent the rest of my life with you. Or am I asking for too much?"
There he finally said it. It was out there and all you had to do was give him your answer.
"You're so fucking annoying, Tengen." You grit your teeth as you fisted at your haori. "Seriously, who do you think you even are asking me something like that?"
He opened his mouth to say something, but he was at a loss for words. You had never spoken to him in such an angry tone.
"Exactly, you don't think. You don't think at all." You shook your head as you felt your face becoming hot and your lip quiver knowing you were about to cry any moment.
Tengen suddenly got up feeling angry and passionate. "And that's where you're wrong, [name]. I have loved you for years coming now and I know you know that we have something between us. I want to protect you and love you as my wife."
"Then prove it." You practically spat peering up at his towering figure with tears brimming at your eyes. His figure became blurry as he held out the ring he had been saving for some time now and got down on one knee.
"[name]..." He began as he looked at your beautiful eyes as he wiped your eyes away with such tenderness. "Please accept this ring and become my wife. It would make me happiest man to spend the rest of my life with you."
You parted your lips to speak as Tengen searched your eyes for an answer, but you felt so...so bashful under his intense ruby gaze. "Stop, looking at me like that!"
He laughed as you hid your face with your hands and pried them away as he lifted your chin to look at him. "Look at you like what? Like I love you? Because I do."
Your lips quivered as the tears finally spilled down your cheeks. "How can you love someone like me. I only bring tragedy to your life."
You began to weep and Tengen immediately wrapped his arms around you. "That's not even true [name]. You've helped me become the man I am today. You've encouraged me to go above and beyond and find meaning to my life. I just want to cherish you in the best way I can possibly think of which is you being my flamboyant partner in crime. Would you do me the honor of that?"
"Do you..." You sniffled wiping your eyes. "Do you mean that?"
He chuckled as he moved the hair out of your face as he gave you a tender look. "Of course, I mean that. I love you, [name]."
"Then yes. I will marry you, [Tengen]." You said softly not able to hold back the smile that threatened to split at your lips. "I...I love you,too."
Tengen nearly jumped for joy, but then remembered that he had to slip the ring onto your finger and then proceeded to lift you from the ground and spin you around. You laughed as you clung to him and he finally paused for a moment as he gazed down at you and captured your lips with his own. He had never felt so happy in his life.
hiiii, can i request yoriichi hcs of him falling in love again but with a demon slayer this time, please? since he died of old age it makes me sad to think he spent all that time alone 😭💔
+author's note. if i'm being honest i don't really see yoriichi falling in love again, i imagine he's far too immersed in killing muzan and eradicating every demon off the planet so uhhhh there's that mfkwmfkwefwkfmwk, also im probably gonna make a part two cuz its pretty long so THIS ISNT AS ROMANTIC AS U MAY THINK SORRY I JUST CANT SEE IT HAPPENING SO QUICKLY THIS MAN NEEDS SOMEONE PATIENT DON'T B MAD AT ME ANON also its barely even hc's anymore bye jaodvjskv
+warning(s). mentionings of violence, nudity oh and it's super angsty oh yeahhh
yoriichi would definitely not be looking for anything even remotely romantic you know, uh since his first love and first child was slaughtered? poor guy can't imagine him ever getting over that
the first meeting most likely would occur while he was scouting the region he was assigned to
and it would be somewhere at a crossroads leading into the woods and he would immediately pick up on the shift in the atmosphere
he knew there was a demon around, but as always he kept his cool and didn't stop walking in the direction he was heading towards as if to lure them out
but the demon had other plans as he would pick on an oblivious woman who was enjoying her time in the natural hot springs
little did the demon know she was always prepared so as soon as the demon tried to prey on her, yoriichi rushed towards it but she already sliced it's neck off at an inhuman speed
if yoriichi hadn't had such a practiced eye he would've missed how you pulled out the hidden blade from the water and aim and swung flawlessly at the beast
"b-but how?!" the beast would be paralyzed slowly disintegrating as he watched you emerge out of the water completely naked
"because you're just a beast who's blinded by bloodlust, and i am a human who slays the beast to end this vicious cycle." she replied fixing her hair pin on the top her head that held her hair back as she stood over them. their eyes shaking as their dismembered body quaked even as they disappeared into the winter gust.
yoriichi's eyes were wide. not by the sight of her unveiled body, but at how clean her cut was. she must've been a finely tuned demon slayer.
"do you always wait on beasts as an oblivious damsel?" his voice smooth as ice cutting into the frigid air. he showed no signs of any shock that he may have had earlier.
yoriichi never got cold either as he had the sun running through his veins day and night.
he looked away from her bare form to the snow covered trees. their frosted breaths mingling with the air.
"it's a favorite past time of mine." she replied as she sunk back into the warm water. "you're free to join me."
yoriichi had no interest in joining her in the hot springs, but he did have an interest in being in the hot springs.
he actually had gone this way to get to there because he wanted to be able to relax and it had been his secret for a small time coming now, but alas it is no longer a secret since another mysterious woman has claimed it for her own. at least she was making use of herself with it.
"i only came here for the hot springs." he replied in an even tone as he peeled off his haori and kimono. she turned her head away as he unclothed himself as if she were any modest herself.
she only turned to face him again when she saw in her perpherial that his lower half was sunken into the steaming water.
his hair was unraveled laying against his broad back, shoulders and chest and he closed his eyes as he completely submerged himself. the only thing above the water was his head and his hair was floating above the surface.
she watched in awe as she's never seen a man of his stature before. demon slayers were usually so young and fragile and falling into preemptive deaths.
intrusive thoughts began to linger as she watched him but he paid her no mind.
not that he thought she was a woman of the night and demon slayer by day, but it had only been some years since his wife and unborn had been slaughtered by a demon so romance wasn't at the top of his list
still, though. even being bare with another woman in the same body of water made him feel somewhat guilty
he pushed down the feeling. "are you going to keep gawking at me?"
she felt taken back by his sudden brashness, though it wasn't brash to yoriichi. that's just how he spoke. blunt and straight forward.
her face feeling warmer as she struggled to speak. was it the hot spring getting to her? "that-that wasn't my intention."
he stayed silent for a moment letting the warmth of the water reaching his aching joints. "don't waste your time on me. i am simply a man of no worth, just a vessel put on this earth who's objective is to make up for mistake of not eradicating muzan."
her interest piqued at the name. "muzan you say?"
"yes, he is the father of demons."
"i'm aware. you've met him before?"
yoriichi remained silent. anger bubbling within him remembering the last meeting he had with that vile creature. he should've cut him down where he stood forever, but alas Kami had something different in mind.
"long ago. i almost landed a fatal blow, but it was not enough." yoriichi wanted nothing more than to submerge his head under the water, but he had his duty as a demon slayer.
"y-you're yoriichi tsugikuni?!" she stammered. she felt starstruck just now. it's not like they had posters of him to know who he was, but she could tell from the moment she felt his energy materialize that he was of a high caliber. dare she say even higher than her.
she didn't realize that he form swayed towards him in excitement and envy, until he inched back. "oh, forgive me."
she suddenly felt naked and crestfallen.
"no need to apologize." he murmured as he closed his eyes.
she felt almost mortified and revolted by her shameless behavior. she had heard the news about his wife and unborn being massacred some few years ago and now being in front of the man himself and letting him see her in all her naked glory.
"i should leave." she suddenly said trying her best to cover herself as she got out of the water and reached for her hakama and kimono.
"so, you're aware." definitely not even a question. he knew that she knew by her abrupt chagrin expression.
she froze in her tracks and let out a shaky breath as she fixed her kimono. "you may say that you are a man of no worth, but to me you are a man of honor. i feel, dare i say, ashamed of my actions towards a man of your caliber and hardships. i cannot in good conscious stay here with a widowed man in grief over his dead unborn child and wife."
maybe, he misjudged her.
"there's no need for that. it was a long time ago."
it infuriated her how emotionless he was being. "and so was muzan and yet the fire in your eyes burns with an intensity when you speak about him. i suggest you do your part in mourning your family a little longer."
yoriichi was a patient man. much more patient than the average man, the average human.
"i mourned the death of my wife and child for ten days. i never moved for any sustenance. do i think that's enough? no. nothing could ever measure the amount of mourning i could do for them. i have a duty to protect the helpless as do you, demon slayer."
she clamped her mouth shut. God, she was truly making a fool out of herself. "i--"
"there's nothing more you can say. what's done is done. life is ever moving."
everything stood motionless as the snow began to fall. yoriichi's prestigious figure and [name's] form stood there unmoving.
if he hadn't honed his skills beyond human limits, he wouldn't have heard the ever so slight change in the atmosphere which was her leaving. and another thing. it was a feeling of sorrow.
"she felt sorry for me... forgive me, uta." he whispered to himself. a tear emanated from the corner of his eye and slipped under his chin and into the water. he watched as it rippled and then it was gone.
just as uta was a ripple in his life and now she was no longer. shame, he only felt shame as he closed his eyes and then brought himself to face the sky.
he convinced himself that it was nothing.
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT ANON i feel almost bad that i didn't give u the love dovey mushy thing u wanted I JUST WANTED TO B REALISTIC ITLL GET BETTER ILL MAKE AN APOLOGY PART TWO OKAY PLS DONT B MAD AT ME KOVKDSCFMS
What do you think? Headcanons of what it would be like to be in a relationship with Michikatsu, how he would treat you, how his way of showing affection would be and things like that. Although it was just a random idea ^^ it is your decision to do it, if not, it's fine (sorry for the bad English) and I also wanted to ask you how you are
+author's note. i just wanna preface with I WILL NOT ACCEPT NSFW. REQUESTS i will write it at my own accord so do not ask me or i will air you out GOT IT (; ･`д･´) and yes coloring done by me (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)✧ but anyways enjoy this nsfw. under da cut so minors dni i guess lol
because he is a intj, he will find it hard, more so impossible in his head, to find someone in the dating scene.
intj's are actually known to be the most emotionless personality types so uh go figure lol
that being said, being in a relationship can be tough for him because he finds it hard to connect and communicate his feelings
as tough as it may get dealing with him and his many moods and stoicism, you push through his walls and help him get in touch with his feelings which he thanks you endlessly for
when he loves, he loves very hard and will expect you to return it and usually you will oblige
he will get irked with you when you no longer want to kiss him or hug him because it'll make him feel like you are no longer attracted to him which is obviously incorrect??
if you're with him, you most likely share the same values and ethics
he respects you deeply and he feels the most happiest when you two just sit together with a cup of tea and talk about your innermost thoughts like the intellectuals you are
if a problem ever arises he will want to solve it immediately, like seriously this man is on it
it will frustrate him endlessly if you don't want to though
like if you're being hella stubborn or you don't feel like he deserves forgiveness immediately he will go crazy
until he's just sitting in the living room staring at the wall wondering when you're going to stop being in your mood and forgive him
and when you do he is estatic, but he tries to hide it at first ignoring you but when you snuggle up against him he can't fight it any longer
you're in his arms with many apology kisses and cuddles because he can never get enough of you
michikatsu shows his affection through helping you achieve your goals whether it's something as simply as cooking dinner to bigger projects that you have in mind like creating that koi fish pond in your front yard for the longest time
he simply just enjoys being next to you and basking in your presence no matter what you're doing
usually it is in silence with little questions or comments like "i'm going to make some tea would you like some, love?" or "i'm going to start dinner, do you want anything in particular?"
even when you're having your moody bad days, he is patient and kind with you allowing you your space and to come to him whenever you feel ready which you are extremely thankful for
michikatsu likes to do a lot of the same things you do
so when he finds you painting in your studio, he is also ready with an easel, brushes and canvas
you think he looks so cute with his paint stained apron that was too tight for him because it was yours and this man is like 6'3 LIKE DAMN BOI WHO MADE U THAT TALL
like i said man's is an intellectual, so the same way he does the same mundane shit with you he expects you to be there with him
which will usually just include him reading books + making incredibly detailed footnotes, soapcarving and tending to his millions of plants (he loves venus fly traps and cacti)
loves dancing with you to classic music and if you have two left feet he makes fun of you for it endlessly
makes you listen to him playing instruments like he's giving you your own private concerts which you enjoy because he plays beautifully
nsfw. minors dni. :
what type of contraceptive does michikatsu prefer? his personality (JK LMFAOOOOOOOOO DKSNFSNCC)
michikatsu values all of your time and effort in and outside of the bedroom, because luckily for you he isn't the type to see sex as a means to an end
before he used to look at it as something purely logical. what are the health benefits? when's the next time imma nut off?
with you, he views sex as a spiritually engaging experience and he is quite the giver
so in other words, it's all about you in that moment as if it already isn't
he is at your beacon and call, finding what drives you crazy and doing it until you're out of breath begging for him to let you catch it
he truly feels connected to you because otherwise sex will just feel like a chore to him but with you he's all in
paying attention to every moan and the way your muscles tense knowing that he's doing a good job
for him psychological seduction does him wonders, so when you're verbalizing your inner most darkest fantasies in explicit detail he is very turned on and more than willing to oblige to your needs
much to your surprise, he is very into experimenting because he harbors some kinks that he doesn't know how to vocalize
as you two become more comfortable with exploring each other's bodies, his kinks become more prominent from bondage to paddles this mAn KinDa KinKy
he may or may not be into asphxiation
of course you have a safe word in place every time (can you take a wild guess?)
in his words, "the kinkier the couple, the happier they are"
in contrast, he can be very vanilla missionary position and all BUT HIS EYE CONTACT IS IMPECCABLE
it makes you super squirmy under his intense gaze, but other times its mesmerizing and makes you feel even more passionate
you completely melt under him with every slow and linguid thrust as you moan in pleasure and what usually drives you over the edge is when he simply says "i know."
he will always hold off until you're done, so whether it'd be one or five orgasms his stamina is so insane that he can wait
enjoys nipple play mostly because of the way you exhale when he's rubbing and sucking on them til their sore and you have to push him off but it's too late because he knows he already left a little bruise
loves marking you up because to him you're the canvas and he's the painter who's making a masterpiece with his lips and fingers
eats you out til no tomorrow
like seriously he will edge you til you're so close to orgasm only for him to stop which turns you into a begging panting mess
will watch you writhe under him with a mischevious grin and then continue until you can't take it anymore
Nah I get ya, that's understandable, so uhhh, I guess you can make the judgement based off of this?
So the idea I had in mind was
Kyojuro's S/O being turned into a demon, but they don't want to eat people, maybe even surviving something else instead (like idk, bamboo, tree bark, just anything besides humans tbh)
Is that teetering on the edge of too self-indulgent or am I cool?
[. . . Whatever it takes I will make you human again, I promise it . . .]
+warnings. angsty af, mentioning of violence and blood
+author’s note. personally i think kyoujurou wouldn't put up with this and he would ask to kill his s/o out of mercy, like he wouldn't want them to go to hell or whatever the place that demons end up going to. like he would want to have them meet in the afterlife? so i can see him trying to find a cure for them as tanjiro does for nezuko currently, here it goes !! as context, this will be set as post mugen train arc and kyoujurou somehow survives. if you can recall just before his death he accepts nezuko so in this he will be a retired demon slayer. so his will to kill his s/o is not as much as it would be if he were still an active demon slayer. also this shit took my fucking whole being to post this bc it was being a bitch and PLS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT ASK ME FOR A PART TWO THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH I CAN MENTALLY HANDLE
Kyoujurou was not one to have mercy or sympathy for demons. That was until one faithful day.
Kyoujurou had come home from the city as he was visiting the rest of the Hashira. He was retired after he had miraculously survived his fatal wounds. His missing eye was now covered with an eyepatch, so he had no choice but to retire. Kyoujurou was expecting you to greet him with your using beautiful beaming face, but instead he had found you writhing on ground.
"D-don't come near me!!" You shrieked in fetal position convulsing.
Kyoujurou's worse nightmare had come true as he clutched onto the sheathe of his sword not knowing what to do. Oh, how cruel life could be. Tears pricked at his eyes as he struggled to search for the words he wanted to say, but nothing was coming out.
"[name], please don't tell me..." His voice trailed off as his eyes widened in shock and horror. You finally met his gaze.
Your once beautiful [e/c] human hues were now a perverse version of them. Pupils slitted like a cat and they were a luminescent purple and orange. Your claws were practically ripped from your skin and your teeth were now elongated into fangs that were now meant for shredding human skin.
Your breathing was raged as tears stream down your face. "K-kill me."
Kyoujurou's shaking hand gripped onto his sword, but he could not find himself to raise it from its place and slice your head clean. You were the love of his life after all.
I can fix this.
He shut his eyes tightly as he grit his teeth. "I can't."
He stepped forward and opened his eyes to meet yours once again and you backed away against the tatami floor. "Who did this to you?"
You watched as he crouched down to you level and reached out to cup your cheek but you turned away. "It was...It was..."
You tried to recall your memory, but it was in fragments. It appeared in small flashbacks as you recollected the man in your head. He was an uppermoon. His long hair in a high ponytail and two scars on his forehead and neck and how could you forget the six eyes he possessed.
But that's all you could remember before you blacked out and then woke up in agonizing pain, and then falling back into unconsciousness over and over and over again.
"It was an upper moon...Koku-kokushibo...?" You said breathlessly recalling a short lived flashback of him speaking but the only words you could make out was his name. It was like it was a warning...
You gasped. "We need to leave. Now."
He searched your face for an answer. "Why? What's happened? Did you remember something?"
"This was...this was suppose to be a warning to the demon slayer corps...Just kill me, Kyoujurou. I cannot bear this any longer." You twisted in agony.
"No, I cannot allow that." He shook his head as he wept. He took another step forward to your body. He noticed that you were not healing and that made him gulped dryly. "Tamayo. Let us go see her. I recall Tanjiro talking about her whereabouts. She can, she can fix you."
"Kyoujurou..." You cried out holding on to his arm in pain as the tears trickling down your face. "I cannot live like this. This vile creature that's threathening to come out of me."
Kyoujurou wanted to scream. "I cannot let you die, [name]!"
And with that he quickly sent out a crow to Tamayo warning her of what the situation was. He wrapped you up in a blanket and cloth and attached you to his back and then he was off. He never looked back at the home you used to share. Life was ever moving.
By the time he had arrived to Tamayo's secret estate, she was already prepared for his arrival and rushed him inside to begin the procedure.
"Why isn't she healing?" Tamayo gasped looking down at you as he laid you down on the operating table.
"I don't know! Can you fix her?" Kyoujurou panted as he looked down at you and then her.
Tamayo nodded with full resolve. "I will do my best."
Time past by agnozingly slow as Kyoujurou sat there with clammy palms begging to anything and everything that you would come out okay. Yushiro sat there only staring at him in silence as Tamayo liked to work alone.
"Do you know
who did this to her?" Yushiro asked as he watched Kyoujurou praying to what ever was up there.
"I'm, I'm not sure. She said he was an upper moon, he went by the name...Koku...Kokushibo." Kyoujurou's voice was unusually quiet as he spoke.
Yushiro froze for a moment at the name. He didn't want to let Kyoujurou be aware so he changed the subject quickly.
"She's going to be okay." Yushiro licked his finger and flipped the next page of novel.
Kyoujurou's fiery eyes were now on him. "How can you be so sure."
That irritated Yushiro as Tamayo-san was the best at what she did, so how dare he insult her?!
But this was a dire situation in which the former demon slayer's significant other was involved, so he calmed down. "Because Tamayo-san is the best. She would never let your precious [name] die on her table. She couldn't live with herself knowing she did that to her. She is precious to her as well. Just like that other demon child."
"Nezuko." Kyoujurou recalled her name. "Tanjiro's sister, yes she's quite the child."
"Yes, well, while I think she's nothing special, Tamayo-san adores her. She's working on a cure."
"A cure?" Kyoujurou was on the edge of his seat hearing about this. He had never heard of a cure for demons.
"Yes, Tanjiro is gathering blood samples of the upper moons to bring back to Tamayo-san so she can find a cure for Nezuko. I'm sure she's going to put [name] on the same roster, so please try not to worry." He replied nonchalantly.
Kyoujurou almost felt relieved hearing this news, but before he could reply Tamayo had come out of her operating room. "She's awake and I stopped the bleeding. She's regenerating, but it's slow. I was able to reverse her curse, and I gave her something for the pain. Just try to speak quietly to her."
She stopped Kyoujurou midway with a gentle hand to his chest. He winced a little at her cold touch. Although, he was accepting of Nezuko, he wasn't used to being around demons that wouldn't rip your head off and feast upon it the moment they had an opportunity.
She noticed this and slowly put her hand to her side. "She's in critical condition, so please do not try to make her remember anything that occured earlier today when she turned. Turning is...pure anguish mentally, physically and emotionally. Be gentle."
Although, Tamayo's words were painfully obvious it did help reinforce anything that Kyoujurou may want tp say when he wanted to be by your side. Millions of thoughts were racing through his head and he wanted nothing more than tear of this Kokushibo's head right off.
Unbeknownest to Kyoujurou, Yushiro had whispered that name to Tamayo and she froze in place. Froze in complete disbelief that he had gone that far as to send a message to the demon slayers.
"My love." Kyoujurou whispered as he approached your crumpled body. Your eyes that he was not used to shifted to him and he gulped at the sight of you. He smiled at you regardless as he touched your face.
You sighed at his warm hand meeting your skin. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." Kyoujurou soothed as he took a seat beside you. "I cannot lie, my love, it is killing me to see you like this."
"I know." You took his hand in your own and he had to force himself not to flinch at your touch. Your fingernails were razor sharp and yet they only grazed at your skin. "I remember what happened now."
"Please, do not talk of this just yet. You must rest."
She squeezed his hand gently and Kyoujurou could not believe how you were not hurting him one bit. Tamayo and Yushiro noticed this immediately and a smile was now upon her gentle face.
"But--" You began, but Kyoujurou only shook his head.
"But, nothing. Rest and we will speak of this tomorrow." Kyoujurou wasn't one to tell you what to do, but this time--this time he really needed you to listen to him.
"Okay." You croaked out and nodded.
He smiled tenderly at you.
"You can carry her to her room. We will need her to stay here a few days to monitor her progress and see how she heals. You are free to stay with her." Tamayo spoke in a gentle tone to
him. "It's down this hallway on the second door to the left."
And with one swift movement, Kyoujurou was carrying you off to your temporary room and slid the door open with his foot and entered. It was a relatively nice tatami room with a large and comfortable looking futon. He laid you ever so gently onto it.
"Thank you, Kyo." You murmured still feeling like you were in a daze. "Whatever pain medication Tamayo-san gave to me is really making me feel woozy." You held your hand to your head. Kyoujurou softly chuckled at you.
Your same mannerisms, your same soft voice and gentle touch. It was as if nothing changed.
"[name]." He held your hand suddenly ans squeezed it. "Whatever it takes I will make you human again, I promise it."
He had tears running down his smooth visage and it was enough for you to bring out the waterworks. You only nodded not trusting your voice. He immediately enveloped you into his arms. His scent overwhelming delicious and sweet, but for some reason no matter how good he smelled to you you held no urge to devour him. You only felt sleep overcome you.
"I love you, Kyo." You whispered into the darkness as you felt yourself go limp. Subconsciousness was beginning to take over as you felt your eyes droop. You felt wetness against ythe nape of your neck and you sighed.
"I love you too, [name]. Just wait a little longer..."
Was the last thing you heard before you drifted to sleep.
+author’s note. this is for all my kinky, coily + curly haired girlies, your hair is beautiful so i wanted to dedicate this cute little kyo fic to u (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ also i would like to mention that author is of age, and in her twenties and the surprise guest professor is a very young professor at the age range of approx 25-28
+summary. reader has naturally curly hair that she straightens everyday when arriving to class. one day she is running late and is she unable to wear her typical hairdo, but decides f it and wears her beautiful natural curls that are dampened from the quick shower she took that morning (and yes she has a little time to rake some product thru her hair). her peers are quite astounded by her newfound hairstyle . . .
The quite melody of birds chirping awoke you from your sound slumber. Your eyes fluttered open and you stretched your form and unlocked your phone.
9:15 AM
Your body practically jolted out of bed. "Shit! I am so fucking late!!" You shrieked as you bolted to the shower.
You had never woken up this late for school before. Usually, you would be up at least two hours before class since you had curly hair that you maintained pretty daily. Not that you washed your hair everyday, but today was wash day and you had literally no time to straighten it in the usual fashion. You cursed yourself for sleeping through your five alarms.
Class started at 9:30 and you should've already been in front of the classroom waiting for your professor to begin his lesson, but instead your dumbass was still in the shower trying to co wash your hair.
You groped around the counter beside your shower to try to find your phone and you checked the time again. Class was going to start in another ten minutes.
"Goddammit!"
You were beyond frustrated with yourself at this point. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath as the water hit your face.
Calm down.
You had never been late to class once, and you always kept up with all your assignments and tests and you participated in class. If anything, you would be fine knowing that you were in good terms all around, so being late one class surely would not put a damper in your spotless record.
As you finished up your shower, you began to dry your hair off with your microfiber towel and quickly raked your hair with curling cream and gel to hold them in place for the day. You didnt have time to dry your hair off completely, but thankfully it was warm out today considering it was mid spring.
Throwing on a cute outfit in an attempt to divert attention away from your hair's current state, you sped walked out the door and headed to campus. Thankfully, you were within walking distance since you lived on the outskirts of your university and class was just a five minute walk.
You finally approached your classroom and took another deep breath before opening the door and entering.
"So, I see that we're missing [surname]-san, so let's wait about five minutes before starting cl--"
"Good morning, sensei. Sorry I'm late." You bowed ashamed.
Simultaneous gasps and hushed voices filled the room as you approached your seat. You tried to avoid contact with everyone as you put your bag down and slid into your chair.
It hopeless trying to pretend like you weren't the center of attention when you so obviously were.
Your professor cleared his throat feeling a little embarrassed that he was unbeknowst to you, gawking at your transformation for too long. "Good morning, [surname]-san. It's nice to see you're finally arrived. We were wondering where our star student was."
Everyone's eyes were all trained on you as you sat there trying not to get too flustered. Most of the looks from the girls in your class were envious that the handsome Michikatsu was giving you his time of day. Going far as even waiting on you, when he never bothered to do that with any other student.
"Y-yes, I woke up a little late. My apologies. It won't happen again." You bowed your head slightly.
Michikatsu only laughed gestured his hand up and down as if to brush away your apology and unnecessary head bowing. "No need for apologies. We're all glad to see you here."
His face went back to his usual stone like expression. "Now, let us get back to chapter five of..."
You zoned your sensei out as you felt your hands shaking as you pulled out your notes. You began to rummage through your bag for a pen, but to no avail.
"Need a pen?" You heard a familiar voice to your right whisper to you. You rotated your head to look at the fiery headed male who for some reason looked more agitated then usual. If you weren't mistaken, his cheeks were a little rosier than you remembered. He was holding out a pen in your direction and you blinked a couple of times before shyly smiling.
"Oh my gosh, thank you. I must've left my pencil case at home." You whispered back taking it from him.
Your fingers brushed for a moment and the smile that was practically tattooed onto his face faltered a little.
"Oh, sorry." You gave him an apologetic smile.
"That's quite alright!" He murmured a little too loud. Luckily, the professor didn't stop his lesson. Only side-eying Kyoujurou as he spoke and then returned his full attention back to his lecture.
You cleared your throat and went back to scribbling notes, but noticed that a lot of attention was still on you.
"Psst, [surname]-san." You heard a voice from behind you.
You turned around to see a girl who's blush on her face matched her hair. "Your hair is soooo pretty! Everyone is talking about it. We had no idea you had naturally curly hair."
"Yeah, you look hot." The flamboyant male adjacent to her interjected as he snapped at his gum.
"Pretty sure, sensei thinks so, too." Your classmate Shinobu spoke softly as she cupped the side of her mouth to avoid making too much noise and disabling any lip readers.
Michikatsu was a pretty well known one.
You immediately stiffened at the comment and muttered a "thank you" before turning around back to the lecture.
You hadn't noticed up until now that your classmate to your immediate right was a lot more rigid and quiet than usual. It wasn't that he seemed to be focused on writing notes, he was actually pausing in between notes as if his thoughts were far away from the lesson.
As much as you had tried not to, you had a pretty soft spot for Kyoujurou. You didn't want to have a crush, considering that you always put your studies first and didn't exactly have time for relationships. But from time to time, you found yourself maybe daydreaming about him and his cute smile and upbeat attitude.
You tapped on his elbow, and he perked up to look at you. "Are you okay?"
You watched as his adam's apple bobbed up and down before giving you his signature smile, and still it was a little off. "Of course. Why do you ask?"
You felt yourself getting a little embarrassed that you asked him that. You were overthinking. "O-oh, never mind, I guess. You just seem a little upset by something. But maybe I'm just overanalyzing."
He turned his body a little more towards you as he smiled more brightly now. "I am a little troubled by something, but I think I'll get over it. Thank you for asking, [surname]-san."
His generally warm and vibrant poise was still exuding as he spoke. Guess you weren't so off.
"Of course."
You felt your voice shake a little as you spoke. You sighed as you ran a hand through your curls. It wasn't that you felt self conscious about your hair, you just didn't want others to judge your hair pattern. It became exhausting living in Japan and being under constant scrunity by your peers, teachers and even strangers at times. It was just easier to straighten your hair, but after today's hair reveal you thought otherwise. Maybe, you could go back to your natural hair again.
You peeked over at Kyoujurou once more and he seemed to be his normal self again as he focused on class again. Every other moment in class was someone complimenting your hair. Every one but him. But Kyoujurou.
Stupid.
Why do you even care? You needed to focus on your studies, not another man. You shook your head as you got back to your notes.
As class went on, you felt like your professor was stealing looks at you as you all worked through out the period. Maybe you were getting a little delusional. He was probably just worried about you since you were late today which has never happened at all.
"I know World Religions is a gen ed credit, but please, this time, try not to make a mockery out of yourselves this next exam. You are all capable of passing with at the very least a B." Michikatsu announced as he passed out study exam packets.
He smiled at you as he handed you your exam and you murmured a "thank you, Tsugikuni sensei". You were oblivious to all the envious stares that were burring holes into your head. They didn't know whether they wanted to be you or Michikatsu.
You flipped through the three page packet and analyzed all the categories he had put into each page. It seemed simple enough.
"Hey, [surname]-san. " You heard Mitsuri's voice whisper to you. You turned around to meet her cute grin.
"What's up?"
"Do you wanna join our study group? I know you usually study alone, but we kinda need a little help if that's not too much of a bother?" She asked with doe eyes that made your heart melt into a mini puddle. It was very hard to reject her offer when she looked that endearing.
"We'll even buy you lunch!" Shinobu joined in.
"Oh, okay. Sounds good." You smiled back and nodded at them.
As you exchanged numbers, class was beginning to wrap up and you collected your things as you headed out the door with your new study group.
"Rengoku-san, hurry up! You're being such a slowpoke today!" Mitsuri playfully whined at him.
"Alright, alright. I'm going as fast as I can." Kyoujurou laughed in response to her little tantrum.
You giggled as you watched them bicker and felt a little pang of jealousy. Mitsuri and Kyoujurou had always been so close and it made you a just a little tiny green monster when you saw them interact. It was always so cute and it made you almost want to be her.
"Ara, ara. Do you have a crush on, Rengoku-san, [name]-kun?" Shinobu's voice seemed to come out of nowhere from behind you. It shook you to your core.
"Uh, n-no?" It came out like more of a question than an answer. You felt exposed.
"You know, I couldn't help but notice how jealous Rengoku-san got when Michikatsu sensei was giving you all that attention. I mean, you've always been his favorite. It's so obvious."
Shinobu had one sly look on her face as she spoke. It almost made you a little annoyed at how quick she was with almost everything.
"I don't think..."
"They're fighting over your attention?" Shinobu finished your sentence. You dryly gulped and shook your head at how utterly ridiculous that all sounded.
"We should get going, if you all want to pass." You changed the subject as you fiddled with a curl.
Shinobu's smile never faded but she seemed to go along with it. "Of course. Renguko-san, Mitsuri, Uzui. Let's go!"
The three of them trudged along side you as you made your way to the cafeteria to get lunch, but Michikatsu stopped you.
"[name], a moment?" He didn't look up from his papers.
You looked at your study group and they raised their eyebrows at you. Kyoujurou did not look impressed.
"Of course, sensei. I'll be right behind you guys."
They waved to you and began to make their way out and then it was just the two of you. He gestured to the chair adjacent to him.
"Please, sit."
"Okay." You slid into the plastic seat and waited for him to strike up whatever conversation he had in mind.
"Is everything alright, [surname]-san?" He asked, still not glancing up. He was still so intimidating when he wasn't looking at you.
"Yes, why do you ask?" You fidgeted with the sleeves of your shirt and fixed your strap on your bag.
He put his pen down and peered down at you with his intense maroon gaze. "I wanted to know if you were okay, [name]. Can I call you, [name]?"
You froze in place as he observed your reaction. His words were saying one thing, but the way he was eying you was another. Tension was beginning to be palpable as ever as every second passed.
"Um, of course, sensei. And yes, I am okay. Like I said before, I woke up later than I had intended." You finally said.
He smiled at you. It was not a friendly smile. It was alluring and mischievious. It was enough to send your heart into acceleration.
"Well, let me know if I can be of any help, [name]. His hand was now over yours. it felt calloused against the smooth top of your hand. "You know, with any of the material or...anything else you might need."
You suddenly felt hot. "Of course. Thank you, sensei."
You gave him a warm smile as you gazed up at him finally meeting his eyes. His hand was no longer on top of yours and the intense gaze he was once giving you was completely gone. If was showing any interest in you earlier, then there was no evidence.
"Well, I have papers to grade. You have my number if you need anything." And just like that it appeared again. You bowed and said nothing else as you hurried out of the classroom.
What the hell just happened?
But you had no time to think because you felt yourself knock into something firm and sturdy.
"Fuck, I am so sorry." You scrambled to apologize, but you looked up to see none other than Kyoujurou staring down at you with a worried look.
"Is everything alright?"
You straightened up your posture. "Of course. Sensei was just checking on me."
His eyes narrowed at the panicked look on your face but decided to leave it at that. "I see."
"[name]-kun! Get over here we got your lunch!" Shinobu called out to you.
"Yeah, your food is getting cold, guy. I'm about to steal your yakitori if you don't hurry up and eat it!" Tengen added as he pretended to snatch up Kyoujurou's skewer, but he was quick to intercept him.
"No way. This is mine! I've been waiting all day for it." He said as he nibbled down on it and you sat beside him.
"Thanks for the food." You smiled at everyone.
"No problem!" Mitsuri cheered. "Did Tsugikuni sensei need something from you."
You hesitated to answer the question as you picked up your chopsticks to dig into the steamed rice. "No, he just wanted to know if I was okay."
Kyoujurou remained silent as the others gave each other a knowing look.
"Whatever you say." Tengen mused as he dug into his lunch.
You felt too embarrassed to counter anthing they said at that point, but the subject quickly changed to Mitsuri's new found crush and you laughed at how Shinobu and Tengen's faces contorted as she explained that he carried a snake around. Kyoujurou and you only laughed as he watched the pair try to talk Mitsuri out of it, but she was already far too deep.
Admittedly, you felt relieved. At least you had Kyoujurou to yourself. As lunch passed, Tengen, Shinobu and Mitsuri had to dismiss themselves to their next classes while you and Kyoujurou were already done for the day and stayed behind.
"Meet us at the library by 4!" Shinobu waved to you both before pacing to her next class. You both agreed and waved back to her and you bit your lip in anticipation.
"The yakitori today is delicious today, isn't it?" He inquired as he took a large bite of his third chicken skewer. You smiled at his as he enjoyed his food.
"It is, actually."
He fell silent for a moment as he chewed on his food before turning to you and giving you a softer smile. "Your hair looks beautiful today, [surname]-san. I wish you wore your hair naturally more often. It gives you a more striking glow."
You stopped mid chew to stare at him. It was amazing how breathtaking he was, but even more so when he was giving you all his attention and smiling like that. To you, and only you.
You touched your curls. "Thank you...Kyoujurou. Can I call you that?"
His eyes widened at his first name being uttered by you. The way his name rolled off your tongue was impeccable. A dash of crimson littered his cheeks.
"O-of course. Can I call you, [name] then?" He hesitantly asked.
You nodded and beamed at him. Your smile was so brilliant to him. "Good. I'm glad you're here with me [name]."
All of a sudden you forgot about your sensei and what had happened between the both of you. Kyoujurou was the only guy that really made your heart melt.
