Pecks and whispers…
shugen x reader
tw: none just short fluff | w/c: 1.7k | an: First time ever writing for Shugen, so forgive my obvious awkwardness… (╥‸╥) I just need to step into my comfort zone! | for anon <3
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
It is no secret that the second highest ranked asaemon is… emotional.
Extremely emotional. Though his feelings never interfere with his performance, the strongly feeling man can still slice heads from criminals, or even distant innocent ties.
Without hesitation.
Yet here he is now.
Hidden behind a large stone some distance from the asaemon compound’s training yard. His head rests in your lap, arms wrapped tightly around your waist as quiet sniffs are muffled by the fabric of your clothing and the soft hum of nature. Birds chirp, leaves shift in the breeze.
“Shugen…” you speak first, breaking the silence. One hand plays gently with his hair while the other rubs slow circles on his back. A small smile tugs at your lips. “It’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t question your ability,” he mutters, arms tightening around you for a brief moment.
“You’re shaking, and you’re soaking my robes. People might get the wrong impression if they see us like this, and with that area soaked.”
Your words seem to land on him. His body freezes as he finally lifts his head, tilting it to meet your gentle, smiling gaze.
His onyx eyes glisten like the night ocean reflecting moonlight, strands of raven hair cling to tear streaked cheeks. Sunlight highlights the sharp angles of his face, as if he is a living petal unfolding in beauty.
If anyone sees him like this…
“To let you go without being there… it’s difficult,” he admits.
The man pauses, brows twitching as if racing through countless thoughts. For a rare moment in his life, he isn’t an executioner. He is simply human. Fear, care, love. They all collide at once in this quiet instant.
“Shugen…”
“Many comrades have lost their lives at Shinsenkyō,” he continues, voice low but steady. “What I feel is not doubt, nor is it to diminish your hard work. It is… my selfishness. My selfishness in wanting to keep you away from all danger.”
His words linger in the air like stars suspended over a restless life.
Trees and bushes seem to breathe with the wind, a soft, soothing sigh threading through the distant clashing of swords and the muted groans of ambition from the training yard.
Shifting on your folded legs, your hands slide along his sides to the back of his arms, coaxing him to sit up. Shugen doesn’t resist, his eyes refuse to leave your face. Fighting back the urge in flutter as you cup his cheeks and gently pull him closer. Thumps wipe away his tears.
“I can be very selfish,” you murmur, letting your gaze flicker down to his lips before returning to his dark eyes, “even when I pour myself entirely into my sword.”
“Yes but—“
“Never would I allow myself to lose,” you continue, voice firm yet soft, “not through foolishness, not through misfortune. And I expect you to understand that better than anyone else because…”
Shugen’s eyes widen in realization. His adam’s apple bobs in a gulp as his lips part to speak.
“I will come back, no matter the cost. Waiting home… is someone far more worthy than anything else in this world.”
The words hang heavy, the same words he mutters every time he leaves on missions that don’t include you. Moments when uncertainty and longing outweigh every cloud above or sound around.
A small, tender smile curves your lips.
Is there any other feeling as strong as love?
Leaning in, you press a soft peck to his, and at last, he finally lets his eyes flutter shut. The lines of worry etched across his face begin to ease, melting slowly with each heartbeat.
Every part of you intertwines. Hair brushes hair, hands cling to arms, lips meet lips. While the world blurs into a soft golden haze, a lone butterfly drifts quietly as a fleeting witness to your closeness.
You drown in each other, each soft gasp and heartbeat amplifying the connection, until the need to breathe reminds you both that even these moments, as infinite as they feel, exist within the bounds of reality.
“Guess you’ve got a knack for kissing, huh?” you tease, voice dripping with humor and just enough mischief.
Shugen lets out a soft scoff, followed by a chuckle, and presses his head against your shoulder. He inhales deeply, taking in your warmth and scent like it is a balm for his soul.
“Of course I do,” he says, voice low, almost smug.
“Don’t let Jikka-domo hear you admit that,” you warn.
A low, amused growl escapes him, you feel his smile press into your neck. The sensation makes you squirm, unable to resist the overwhelming tickle.
“Still too sensitive,” he murmurs, lips brushing your skin as he shifts, laughter threatening to break through.
“Careful,” you tease back, letting your fingers linger, “because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want us to get caught.”
His head lifts slightly, eyes meeting yours, the faintest glint of mischief appearing on that usually stoic face.
“It doesn’t appeal as … bothersome,” he says softly, gaze drifting downward, “I would pay the price of my contribution.”
You raise an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Oh? And what prize might that be?”
Shugen’s hand reaches for yours, capturing it gently. He lifts it, pressing the back of your palm to his lips in a soft, reverent kiss.
“Perhaps… it would open new opportunities for us,” he murmurs, looking to the side. Voice low, softly yet deeply intimate.
Tilting your head, you follow his gaze. A green butterfly perches delicately on the stone nearby, wings flickering in the sunlight. The sight makes your heart flutter, matching the quiet racing of your chest.
Shugen’s eyes flick back to you, a faint blush warming his cheeks. His jaw is sharp, the angles softened by the curve of his lips as he whispers, almost shyly,
“Marriage…”
You blink, stunned, letting the word hang between you.
“And… maybe children,” he adds, a soft laugh brushing through the statement, like it is half a dream, half a promise.
Your fingers tighten slightly in his, and you feel the weight of the moment settle between you.
Light, but full of life. Full of possibility, and heartbeats echoing in tandem. The wind stirs, the butterfly lifts into the air, and the world around you seems to pause, waiting to witness the quiet, daring confession of two hearts daring to imagine a future together.
“Shugen…” you mutter, breath catching in your throat, cheeks burning as you cup your face. “You can’t just say something like that!”
He tilts his head, a mischievous glint in his onyx eyes. “Would you not be delighted by such a thought?” His tone is teasing, yet genuine, and you can’t help but glance at the grass beneath you. Even the blades seem frozen, as if the world itself has paused in shock.
“That’s—I… I didn’t say that,” you stammer, heart hammering against your ribs.
“So you would be pl—”
Before he can finish, you lunge forward, hands flying to cover his mouth. The sudden movement sends both of you tumbling backward. Completely forgetting how the hill slopes beneath you.
Gravity wanting to remind you pulls you harshly, before landing in a groan. Uncomfortably sprawled, your body presses lightly against his. One hand lands near his head while the other clamps over his lips, muffling any protest he might voice.
“You can be very mean, you know that, Shugen-domo?” you breathe, fighting to keep your tone steady despite the fluttering panic in your chest. Shifting slightly, moving your hand from his mouth and balancing your weight on both hands, careful not to crush him.
Or yourself.
Mentally.
Shugen’s initial surprise softens almost immediately into a quiet, teasing smile. Hands slide up to your waist, warm and deliberate, while his gaze lingers briefly downward before snapping back to yours. Shameless, even in these moments.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, each word deliberate, almost reverent. His hair, tousled by the wind, catches the sunlight, strands brushing your cheek. Around you, the world seems suspended. Leaves flutter, the distant murmur of the river, a lone butterfly traces the sunlight above the stone.
As if your body blocks the reality of your life, replacing it with soothing things.
“Such cruelty,” he murmurs, pressing a soft hand against your waist. “Binding me to a romance and leaving me… like this.”
You blink, huffing, a small smile tugging at your lips. “I’m no runaway bride.”
“Bride,” he echoes, a playful lilt in the word, dark eyes gleaming with quiet affection.
Leaning a little closer, you let your foreheads touch. “You’re impossible,”
“And yet,” he breathes, eyes moving your one eye to the other, “I cannot imagine anyone else in my place.”
A hush falls around you, flowers bending as if to listen. Rustling leaves, distant river, heartbeats align, rapid and warm, as you linger in that suspended space. Stuck between teasing and confession, laughter and something far deeper.
Just like that, every worry from moments ago dissolves, vanishing like mist over a freshly washed painting.
Maybe it’s these moments that you cherish so hard. That the possibility of it ending has you broken before the day even comes.
Before you can speak, a familiar, little girl’s voice cuts through the backyard.
Sagiri.
Both of your heads snap up in shock. You topple slightly into him, wincing as your body hits his. Shugen remains perfectly unfazed, smiling small somehow both exasperated and endearing.
Of course.
“She can’t see us…” you mutter, voice low.
“Roll down and circle through the back path?” he suggests, the tiny hint of humor in his tone betraying his usual seriousness.
You nod, grateful for his calm.
Shifting off him, you roll carefully down the gentle slope, grass brushing against your arms. Shugen follows, chuckling softly in quiet whispers that mingle with the rustle of leaves.
Once at the bottom, you both scramble upright, brushing off stray blades of grass. Hands find each other, fingers interlacing with a natural ease, and together you slip into the promise of the forest beyond the compound. Once again, using the familiar escape route you rely on whenever getting caught here seems inevitable.
The shadows of the trees stretch long and welcoming, leaves brushing your shoulders as you run. You duck under low hanging branches, and Shugen’s laughter.
A rare sound.
“You know,” you whisper, smiling, “this is starting to feel like a secret mission just for us.”
The forest seems alive with possibility, each step, each glance, each breath weaving a memory that is yours alone.
“We’ll have plenty more.”
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
Rushed ending :p … more coming soon <3