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[groundnul]

Through the Glass (Giyuu Tomioka x GN!Reader)

Prompt: “Rengoku's such an inspiration to me (we stan a king, tbh) and Giyuu is so criminally underrated (the dancing one was so cute) and I'm always happy to see more of them. Could I request a food date with Kyoujurou or an aquarium date with Giyuu? Either format would be welcome, thanks!”

Summary: A work event-turned impromptu outing leaves you alone at an aquarium with Tomioka Giyuu, the notorious hard-ass of Kimetsu Academy who has a soft spot for you that even he has yet to discover. As these feelings rise to the surface, he is left to wonder: will he sink or swim? 

Word Count: 10.1K 

Warnings: brief mentions of insecurities, generally awkward interactions, slight miscommunication/lack of communication, children, sharks  

note: pretend like i didn’t just disappear for two years before coming in and dropping the longest one-shot i’ve ever written. kind of tried a different format with these! a mix between headcanons and a fic, really. let me know what you think!

being a fellow teacher at Kimetsu Academy, you’ve known Giyuu for a couple years now

you started teaching a little after he did, and while you operated in different departments and different parts of the school, you’ve still gotten to know him gradually through schoolwide functions, staff meetings and disciplinary proceedings

you had always considered Giyuu to be incredibly methodical, meticulous and strict – in all honesty, he’s kind of a hard-ass, but at least he’s a well-intentioned hard-ass

on the surface, he’s always on time, stringent with deadlines, and someone who, for the most part, plays by the rules

and as fate would have it, his eye for detail and deadlines put him in charge of tracking staff assignments

so you have been unlucky enough to find yourself on the wrong side of a pointed stare as you entered a room only seconds before a meeting began, and had the pleasure of being confronted by a barrage of minor corrections to paperwork 

these conversations are usually short and pretty awkward, him pointing out your shortcomings with red ink and sticky notes, but he’s never mean-spirited. just uncomfortably cold

to be entirely honest, you were convinced he didn’t care much for you – you caused lots of small problems here and there, and surely inconvenienced him more times than you can count

but still, you always greet him in the mornings and as you pass him in the hallway, and you generally try to strike up a casual one-sided conversation as you wait for meetings to start (assuming you arrive with time to spare) or after you finish correcting whatever embarrassing mistake you made

you respect that he’s only doing his job, and while his seemingly calloused demeanor does him no favors, you don’t think he has bad intentions

he’s simply doing his job a little too well, while you’re doing yours… kind of not as well

so needless to say, this is definitely your first date!! but not intentionally

initially it was supposed to be a work outing amongst a few of the staff members of Kimetsu Academy to try and Build Character and whatnot

but literally only you and giyuu showed up

you were awkwardly waiting for the others inside the aquarium on a bench together for twenty minutes

he seemed indifferent, but judging by the increasing frequency of checking his watch, you could tell Giyuu was growing restless

you tried to distract from the silence with questions

to which he responded politely but curtly (as expected)

“Have you ever been to an aquarium?” you ask Giyuu, waiting for a lull in passers-by so you wouldn’t have to shout. His head turns slightly to you, meeting your eyes for just a moment before pointing his gaze elsewhere.

“Once,” he states matter-of-factly. “When I was younger.”

You nod kind of exaggeratedly in response, murmuring “nice, nice” aimlessly with a smile. Your eyes flicker between him and the families passing by, keeping an eye out for anyone you work with.

“Did you have any favorite exhibits when you went?” you ask again after a beat of silence, trying to ignore the palpable awkwardness of the situation.

He thought for a moment, indicated by just the smallest shift in his expression.

“Not that I can remember,” he answers honestly, suddenly studying the pavement beneath his shoes. Perhaps brevity is a practiced talent. His eyes eventually shift back to his watch.

You nod again with a small “hm” of understanding, adjusting the bag in your lap a bit. He quietly unfolds a map of the aquarium beside you – where did he get that? – and starts scanning the layout. It grows quiet again, and this time you can’t help but check the time for yourself on your phone. The rest of your group is about 20 minutes late, by this point.

“I guess it’s taking everyone a while to get here,” you comment, unlocking your phone. “I’ll go ahead and text Rengoku-san to check in.”

Giyuu gives a small nod in response, and you set to typing your message. After giving it a once-over, you press send and await a response.

“Okay, done,” you say with a smile, locking your phone again. Giyuu doesn’t respond, his eyes still roaming around the unfamiliar map terrain.

Silence settles in again, and you’re left twiddling your thumbs, looking mindlessly at the rock walls surrounding you. You nearly fall into a trance as you study the winding cracks in the architecture, the sound of Giyuu’s voice startling you.

“--t about you?” he seemed to ask, eyes falling on your figure for the first time in a while. You grow warm at the sudden attention, embarrassed for zoning out.

“Hm?” you inquire as you meet his eyes, hoping he’ll repeat whatever it was. His eyes look to the wall behind you for a second before meeting yours again.

“An... aquarium,” he repeats. “Have you been to one?”

“Oh!” you laugh quietly in relief. “Yeah, I went a couple times when I was kid. With school and family, I think.”

He nods much like you did before, only much less noticeably, offering a “mm” in response. After an uncomfortably long silence, he offers up your own question to you again.

“Any… favorite exhibits?” he asked. Out of your peripheral, you could see one of his hands fiddling with his jacket cuff. He was wearing a black variation of his usual blue tracksuit. 

You thought for a moment, tilting your head to one side and then the other as you considered the question.

“Actually, I really liked seeing the dolphins!” you chuckle, remembering how you’d begged your parents to watch their hourly show. “But I’m not sure if that really even counts.”

Another polite nod was interrupted by buzzing from the phone in your hand. Turning the screen over, you see an incoming call from Rengoku Kyoujurou.

“Ah, sorry, it’s Rengoku-san,” you explain briefly before answering the call and pressing it firmly to your ear.

big mistake holding the phone so close

cue: wincing and pulling the phone away immediately because of how unintentionally loud kyoujurou is

after explaining that you and giyuu were already inside the aquarium waiting, you were kindly informed by your coworker that the outing had been moved to next weekend (something that was conveniently not mentioned to Giyuu or yourself)

he apologizes for the hiccup in communication and says he’ll get the tickets comped for you, which is nice, but you already came the whole way here

and now you’re caught thinking about just how weird it was to have this little outing planned in the first place. what were you supposed to do, bond with your coworkers over fish or something? anyway

a little annoyed but accepting that it was just a misunderstanding, you thank him and hang up

after you tell giyuu the event was moved he just sighs and looks at his watch again, kind of unsure what to do because bro really planned his entire week around this one event he doesn’t get out much okay

Another awkward silence settles over the two of you as you try to find something to say.

“So… what do you want to do?” you ask tentatively. Your question is met with one of his own.

“What do you mean?”

This time it’s your turn to anxiously fiddle with the sleeve of your shirt, searching for the least weird way to ask this.

“Well, do you still want to look around?” you reason innocently. “I know the outing was moved, but we already have the tickets and all…”

You’re met with silence and a slightly wide-eyed stare, which sends you into a panic.

“If not, t-that’s okay! I mean, I’m sure you have better things to do on a Saturday,” you rush to clarify, not wanting to accidentally guilt him into spending any more time with you than necessary. “Or if you just want to look around by yourself, that’s okay too, I just–”

“That’s fine,” he states plainly, cutting your nervous tangent short.

“I– Huh?”

A beat of silence passes at his unexpected answer.

“I said that would be fine,” he clarifies a little louder, perhaps thinking he was too quiet the first time. His expression returns to its usual withdrawn state, punctuating his sentence with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, but you don’t mind.

It still takes a moment to sink in that he actually said yes, but once it does, you’re almost embarrassed by how excited you suddenly feel. You haven’t been to an aquarium in ages.

“Really?” you ask, anticipation as toned-down as you can muster. Wouldn’t want to seem too eager for an impromptu aquarium adventure with your emotionally-distant coworker, right? “Are you sure?”

He offers a simple nod in return with a “mhm” to re-confirm his answer. You unconsciously flash him a wide smile.

“O-okay! Cool! Let me just, uh,” you throw your bag over your shoulder, fumbling to situate yourself as you stand. You exhale in preparation. “Okay. Where should we go first?”

and so begins the aquarium trek!!

now giyuu is the type to go with the flow on just about anything in these kinds of situations

he doesn’t really have any particular desire to see a certain exhibit or anything, he’s for real just along for the ride

so it IS going to feel like you’re just dragging him around sometimes, and you probably are, but he doesn’t mind. he kind of prefers it, actually?  

ironically, it’s generally his complacency that earns him a bad rap with the other teachers for his withdrawn demeanor and reluctance to jump in on group activities

while he is resistant to the idea he is widely unliked, he can still tell there is a tangible divide between himself and some of his coworkers

generally he’s reclusive. he doesn’t go out drinking with the other teachers or partake in small talk, opting to either listen in silence or leave. whether or not this is a conscious decision to exclude himself is unclear

which is why it was surprising he agreed to not only come to an aquarium on a work outing in the first place, but stay with you to explore following its rescheduling

he’s been called lots of not-very-nice things, most equating to the idea of him being snobbish or a wet blanket, and from your perspective he just seems withdrawn and kind of cold  

BUT you can tell something seems… weird. you hear a decent amount of complaining from your more vocal coworkers about him and his rules, but rationally you think he wouldn’t willingly ostracize himself in his own workplace

plus not all of your coworkers dislike him! teachers like kanae and kyoujurou get along with him just fine. granted, you’ve never seen them not get along with someone, but still  

and moreover, he’s not malicious – he’s harmless, even, bar the occasional dings to your self-esteem from his pointed criticisms. also the heavy-handed dress code violations he hands out, but that doesn’t really affect you. and! this outing is arguably only kind of work, so maybe he’s different! either way, you wanted to give him a chance. what’s the worst that could happen?

now, giyuu………. has a soft spot for you. but probably doesn’t even realize it. you are never harsh towards him, you never make backhanded comments or ignore his existence altogether. he likes you, even– he hasn’t put the pieces together that his feelings might be romantic in nature, but he can tell he finds a certain comfort in your interactions

whereas in your eyes all you do is cause him problems, in his eyes, you aren’t any more or less competent because you make mistakes

what matters to him is how you handle them. always with a smile and quick on the turnaround – the same could not be said for others he is responsible for correcting

you always listen to whatever he has to say (even if he has to say it twice just so you can hear it, sometimes) and you try to never make the same mistake twice

you’re kind and resilient, and most people seem to like you. your warmth draws people in like moths to a flame.

in any case, you seem like polar opposites

so when YOU were the one that proposed venturing through the aquarium together of your own free will, he was more than a bit taken aback

he’s never understood how to get close with people. he’s not good with words, and he’s not the most social. it’s something that largely escapes him, forces him to move in silence with small gestures that usually go unnoticed like turning your desk light off for you after you’ve left, or making sure the mug you use during lunch is always clean

and he does all of this without expecting anything in return, simply because the kindness in your eyes makes him feel fuzzy and the spirit with which you move through life leaves him in silent awe

so asking him to spend time with you… alone, in a public place… on the weekend… now officially outside of work hours? consider this man thrown for a loop

of course he’s nervous, but he’d regret it if he said no

so he agrees, and now he’s here with you. what is he supposed to do now?

all of this is swirling in his head as you take the lead just slightly in front of him

Your first stop isn’t really a stop– it’s a walk-through tunnel created to look like a broken ship. Several small inlets in the faux woodwork give way to panels of aquarium glass showing an artificial sea floor decorated with coral, mollusks and several varieties of small schooling fish. Children rush back and forth between the many lower-height glass panels, calling dibs on a certain fish or creating little games with their friends. Giyuu’s eyes track their movements cautiously as you both walk.

It was obvious this area was more for kids than adults, but there were enough glass panels at your height to get a good view of the action. Giyuu looks on similarly through his own window about a foot away, eyes scanning the sea floor seemingly indifferent as a stingray emerges from the sand, previously undetected.

Suddenly the many children from before swarm over to you both, faces pressed against the glass beneath you in wonder as they shout in excitement. One child even slips between the gap in Giyuu’s legs, head poking through the other side by his ankles for a better view. You notice immediately as Giyuu tenses at the obvious intrusion. His head minutely whips quickly from side to side, thinly masking a silent plea for help.

It took everything in you not to laugh as you back away from the glass and tug Giyuu by his sleeve away from his accidental captor, gently removing two little hands from his legs with an “excuse us” so he could make a break for it. The child seems unfazed as they move even closer to the stingray now skirting the glass. The second you were out of the pirate ship, you finally let your laughter free, bringing a hand up to cover your mouth as you let out little apologies between laughs.

“Sorry, I just–,” you start, letting out another giggle involuntarily. “That was sweet. Are you used to being around kids? Younger ones, I mean?”  

It takes him way too long to realize you just called that interaction sweet, and it takes you way too long to realize you might have just crossed some kind of unspoken workplace boundary.

“No,” he says quietly, clearing his throat. You offer an understanding “hmm,” in response, another small laugh escaping you.

“It definitely takes a while to get used to,” you comment, taking one last deep inhale to calm yourself. “Ready to keep going?”

it took a little bit for Giyuu to regain his composure following the embarrassing incident with the child

initially he thought were laughing at him, mocking him for his poor handling of the situation

it wouldn’t be the first time he was on the receiving end of something like that

but… then you said it was sweet. ??????

now, giyuu has been called cute before. being as handsome and aloof as he is, it kind of comes with the territory. that being said, he’s never really paid these comments any mind; the people they came from would soon find him disinteresting or unpalatable, opting to move onto someone hopefully more receptive to their advances

so normally he brushes it off and moves on. but coming from YOU? someone who at least kind of knows him, someone that has seen these parts of him already?

fills him with a feeling so foreign he can’t quite name it

and your laugh… he’s never heard you laugh like that before. it felt carefree, joyous. different from the polite laugh he’s heard you offer to coworkers in passing

and it’s at this moment he realizes he wants to hear you laugh like that again (preferably not at his own expense)

unfortunately this moment of realization is over almost as quickly as it began, fading as you both enter the next exhibit: sea turtles

he watches now as your eyes switch between the handful of sea turtles swimming about in their large tank, poking themselves up at brief intervals for air around the many rock structures in the water. the light is dim in the rest of the room, lit mostly by the tank itself

you make a comment about how big the turtles seem, but all he can do is silently agree as his eyes scan around the room over the other handfuls of people vacillating between areas

he notices two children from before barreling forward after one another down the hallway, lost in an intense game of tag

Blue eyes switch between your form and the approaching children. He instinctively reaches for the whistle that usually lives around his neck only to remember it was the weekend.

“Watch out,” he says to you instead, stepping towards the glass slightly himself. When he notices you seem lost in the view, he surprises himself by placing a hand on your shoulder, gently pulling you towards him.

At his touch, you seem to startle and look at him, finally noticing the rambunctious children zipping by. Your head shifts from Giyuu to look over your other shoulder, watching as the two continue on down the walkway.

“Thank you, sorry,” you laugh out softly in embarrassment, looking back to him as his hand retreats from your shoulder, wondering Why did he do that? “Guess I should be paying more attention.”

He quietly clears his throat, putting some distance back between you as he moves to examine the map he found earlier again.

“They shouldn’t be running,” he offers in response, inner-hard-ass peeking through on cue. “Where to next?”

He glances at you briefly when you don’t respond, handing you the map so you can see what’s up ahead. You thank him, taking the map in both hands as you try to get your bearings. With a furrowed brow you try to discern your current location – this is quite literally the least intuitive map you’ve ever seen. Maybe that’s why Giyuu spent so long looking at it earlier.

Sensing your confusion, he steps closer once again, left shoulder just barely brushing against you as he points to a spot on the map with his right hand. His fingers trace over two pathways, likely your next options for exhibits.

You see his lips moving, but his words are in one ear and out the other as you try not to think about how warm his hand felt earlier, or how his face seems so close to yours as he explains. And you are definitely trying hard not to notice how full his lashes are at this distance or the way his top lip dips into just the slightest cupid's bow that you really kind of want to–

You cut the thought off immediately. Thoughts about kissing a certain gym teacher during an aquarium visit are strictly forbidden from this point forward.

As you feel your face heat at the mere implication, you’re grateful for the blue-green glow of the aquarium hopefully obscuring your over-reaction to his simple gesture.

Clearing your throat, you notice him staring expectantly at you. Were his eyes always this pretty?

“Uh, t-this one looks fine,” you stutter out, cursing at your lack of composure as you point to one of the areas you vaguely think he referenced moments ago. His expression shifts the tiniest bit as his brow pulls down, seemingly in concern.

“Are you alright?” he asks, head tilting slightly to the right as he examines you. It makes your eyes go wide, heart hammering in your chest as you take a step back, suddenly overwhelmed by the proximity. The strained “mhm!” you respond with earns a brief look of subdued suspicion before he turns to lead the way.

you’re glad he turned when he did, allowing you save even a fraction of face

it wasn’t the first time he’s been physically close to you, but it was the first time you could see his face while doing so

usually it would just be him leaning over your shoulder to explain paperwork corrections, and while you may have been slightly flustered then, you were at least turned away

but this time… this time you were looking at him and he was looking at you and the confusion of suddenly wanting to feel his lips on yours mixed with the alarm you felt overtook you

and he said something about it

you find yourself wanting to bang your head into the nearest glass surface in sheer embarrassment

but if you thought he was quiet before, the next half hour is so excruciatingly silent that you start to worry

you receive no response to your utterings of wonder as you pass by different tanks, no “hmms” or nods

though he initially took the lead from the sea turtle exhibit, you’ve somehow ended up back in front. as you both slowly follow the crowd through the next few rooms of saltwater fish exhibits, he seems more intent on putting space between the two of you

the lofty silence gives you far too much time with your own thoughts. you begin to wonder if you’ve done something wrong, worried he’s not enjoying himself (you briefly wonder what it would look like if he was enjoying himself, but find yourself drawing a blank)

it wasn’t until you got to the jellyfish exhibit later that he seems to relax again

The large, cylindrical tank emits a comforting blue glow into the dark room as the two of you approach. Jellyfish dance in the center of the room, long tentacles moving in time as they swirl. Airy, ethereal music plays quietly from the speakers overhead.

A near-inaudible “wow” escapes you, subdued as if in fear of ruining the atmosphere. Your eyes are trained on the flowing tendrils of a particularly large jellyfish, its shades of red, orange and cream floating weightlessly in the water.

Giyuu approaches the tank from beside you in silence, but unlike in the sea turtle exhibit, he looks utterly entranced by the mysterious creatures before him. Sapphire eyes follow the symphony of movement, curious. His fingers trace the glass as one moves past, just beyond reach.

You find yourself unable to look away from his child-like gaze, suddenly enamored by the uncharacteristic innocence on display. It’s when his eyes meet your own that you realize you’re staring. You offer only a small smile in return, gesturing slightly to the wooden seats behind you.

“Wanna sit?” you whisper, waiting for his small nod in response before taking a seat on the right. He sits a little after you, enough room for another person between you. Time seems to move slower here. You’re not sure how long the two of you stay like that, caught in the semi-comfortable silence.

He seems much more at ease in this moment, hands folded neatly in his lap as he marvels at the sight. The stiffness in his shoulders has faded away, the harshness of his eyes tempered. Shadows from the soft light carve out his features, highlighting the outline of his brow to the sharpness of his jaw. He almost looks like a painting.

This is kind of… nice, you think to yourself. Maybe I was worried for nothing?

Several minutes pass in relative silence, but the entrance of a small gaggle of rowdy children eventually breaks the two of you from your reprieve, attention turning in tandem to watch three pairs of light-up tennis shoes stop directly in front of you. A weary mother emerges seconds later, apologizing for the intrusion and moving the children off to another side of the tank. Alas, it seems your time here is up.

“You ready?” you ask with a smile, eyebrows raised. He offers a nod again, this time with a small “hm” (progress!), moving to follow your almost hesitant steps back into the outside world.

once your tiny bubble was popped, giyuu is sent spiraling back into the reality he finds himself in

in the sea turtle exhibit, you seemed to react badly when he got close to you. you were stuttering, backing away from him, even. he wasn’t trying to pull anything–far from it, really– but it did kind of hurt

now was this misguided? most certainly. never once did it cross his mind that your reaction may have been because you enjoyed his closeness

but that didn’t stop him from trying to give you space so you didn’t have to be near him if you didn’t want to be

however

while he’s not the most astute observer when it comes to emotions, he did vaguely pick up on some of the dejected looks you were unknowingly sending his way  

and then he was even more confused because he was like?? is this not far enough??? do i have to go even farther???!? and then he’s kind of sad because he likes being near you :/

but then… he also saw saw the gentle smiles you gave him in the jellyfish exhibit, pretended not to notice your subtle glances towards him

and now, after the exhibit, you seem happier. what changed?

he’s still pretty confused but… at least you’re smiling again

the next few exhibits pass easily, him quietly agreeing with comments you make as you move forward

the flow of conversation seems to match what it was at the beginning of your visit, which is good, you think

after a brief interaction with the map again – which he just handed to you this time, not wanting to chance it – you two decided to circle back around to the other avenue you didn’t take from the turtle exhibit

a clownfish cave, stingray touch-tank (which was far too crowded and germ-ridden for either of your tastes – a fact you were briefly able to bond over) and seahorse exhibit later, the two of you are back where you ended previously outside the jellyfish

from this point it’s a one-way path through to the food court at the halfway-point in the aquarium

located between here and there, though, is a (frankly huge) walk-through aquarium tunnel

Giyuu has stopped trailing behind you at this point, more so walking beside you as you traverse the boundary between floor and glass. Your first step is cautious, almost weary that one more person in the tunnel would surely be the breaking point. But of course, the tunnel holds sturdy and you continue with slow steps into the fray of curious people.

“This is so cool,” you comment, looking to Giyuu excitedly before eyeing a large fish swimming past him. You swiftly cross behind him, taking a closer look at the sealife beyond the glass.

Small schools of fish skirt back and forth over the artificial sea floor, while larger fish varieties swim overhead, barely missing one another in their practiced movements. Crouching closer to the floor, you see a variety of starfish, coral and a pair of scuttling lobsters amid the seaweed, duking it out over something.

“Oh my gosh, they’re fighting! C’mere, they’re right here!” you say excitedly, waving Giyuu closer so he can see. He hesitantly shuffles towards the glass to your left, peering over you to view the crustaceans in question. They were indeed fighting, it seemed, as each male used its dominant  claw to smite the other. You tear your eyes away from the scene as if to make sure he’s watching, the wide smile on your face followed by a laugh.

“What do you think they’re fighting over?” you question, eyes scanning the terrain. The lobsters bobbed towards one another repeatedly, the larger of the two moving to strike shallow blows on the smaller.

“... Food?” Giyuu reasons after a few moments, uncertain if you were actually looking for an answer.

“Hmm, maybe,” you respond, nodding your head as you consider the possibility. “Who do you think’ll win?”

Your enthusiasm in eliciting responses from him is something he’s not used to–at all–but strangely enough, he doesn’t mind. The excitement in your eyes makes him nervous, though. 

“... The bigger one, probably,” he answers practically, standing to his full height again.

“Mm, makes sense,” you surmise, pupils still fixated on the dueling opponents. His eyes are drawn to your expressions as you observe the two, watching as the laugh tumbles from your lips following a particularly silly looking move from the smaller lobster. He quickly averts his gaze as you stand again.

He steps back once more towards the center of the tunnel, looking overhead. A strange peace settles over him as he watches the fish swim by, the rippling water above them creating a kaleidoscope of light on the glass below. A chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” overtakes the other visitors as a shark passes over, its presence making waves among the other sealife fleeing from its path. A brief silence passes between the two of you.

“Have you ever seen ‘The Meg’?” you suddenly ask, eyes trailing after the shark. His expression switches minutely to confusion.

“No,” he responds, not sure of what you’re talking about. Evidently you take this as permission to explain.

“Well, it’s this movie about a huge prehistoric shark terrorizing people. There’s this one part where it bites a glass tunnel while a kid is inside and leaves these giant teeth marks,” you describe, gaze finally landing on him as the shark exits your view.

The look you’re met with makes you giggle, the ever-so-slight unease in his expression seeming out of place.

“Don’t worry, it’s not real,” you respond with a laugh, patting him lightly on his shoulder in reassurance. “Well, the shark was real, but that was a long time ago.”

He only looks slightly comforted at the new information as you walk ahead a bit, dodging kids and other visitors. You miss the slight widening of his eyes at your casual touch before he’s following behind you again.

you?? touched??? him?????

he tries really hard not to think about it. tries and fails

… do you not mind if he’s close to you? you also called him over just before to show him the lobsters. and you were excited

maybe not for him, but excited nonetheless

here are his thoughts on the matter: you speak to him kindly and your touch is gentle. it’s nice and makes him feel warm inside

and he decides right now that so long as he can remain close to you, he will be content

he doesn’t know what it means, but… he he thinks he likes it

so as far as you know, your time in the tunnel continues rather uneventfully and it isn’t long until you’re exiting the other side into the food court

during which, he is internally reeling but enjoying himself nonetheless

neither of which you would know by looking at him

The two of you are led to a large, oval room with high rafters and skylights. Some areas take on a more tropical theme with cartoon fish and 3D waves poking out of the walls, while others are more riparian, fake varieties of lush vegetation climbing up pillars with cartoon frogs and lizards dotting the way.

You ponder over the options for lunch in front of you, most of which have several people waiting in queues to order. A large food court sits across from the vendors filled with families, couples and school kids alike, conversations melding together to form one giant mass of voices.

“Wanna get something to eat?” you ask over the noise, looking to him for an answer.

He nods, surveying the lines for food. You agree to separate and meet back up after you’ve got your trays.

Wandering for a bit, you eventually settle on a place called “Sukiya” and order Gyudon, a fatty beef and rice dish. Simple, but filling enough, you think. You are only halfway through the aquarium, after all.  

As you wait in line, you mill over the crowd once more, watching as toddlers make messes of themselves and friends laugh with one another. You find yourself eventually searching for your coworker amongst the crowd, using black clothing items to narrow down the search.

You’re about to give up when you suddenly catch sight of his raven hair. He’s scrolling through his phone while he waits in the line for a seafood place, black jacket tucked into the crook of his arm. The white shirt he’s wearing underneath reveals a closer look at his physique, the toned muscles of his arm tensing as he readjusts his posture.

Have I never seen him with his jacket off?

Thinking back through your interactions, you’re not sure you have. Maybe in the mornings occasionally, but usually you’re too busy rushing to your classroom to notice. As he shuffles ahead with the rest of the line, his side profile becomes more visible. It’s suddenly feeling a little stuffy in here. Much to your chagrin, you’re left with one very damning thought.

Has he always been this... hot?

Eyes wide and face growing warm, you don’t let your eyes linger too long on him in fear of somehow making eye contact across an entire food court. If someone could look inside your brain right now, they’d see the blaring alarms, red flashing lights and frenzied shouts of panic instructing Operation: Get The Hots For Your Coworker be terminated immediately. Luckily, you’re the only one privy to those thoughts. You inhale deeply, hoping to calm the wave of sudden anxiety in your chest.

Way to pick the worst possible time to come to this realization.

As you turn back to your own line, you realize you’re up next to pay. After inserting your card, you grab the small tray with your meal and turn back to face the crowd. Looking back to your cohort, you notice he’s still in line, nearing the front. You gather the resolve to search for a table, efforts fruitless as you wind through the seating area. Finally, you notice one table off in the back opening up.

The table-for-two makes for close quarters, but it will have to do. You set your tray down on the far side before noticing a trail of crumbs and leftover rice on the table. Taking a napkin from your tray, you unfold it and wipe what would be Giyuu’s area and seat before doing the same to your own. Crumpling the napkin up, you set it on the side of your tray before brushing your hands off. When you turn around, Giyuu is standing a few feet away with his own tray of food.

How long has he been standing there?

“H-hey!” you greet, standing to your full height as he approaches. “Uh, I’m gonna go wash my hands, I’ll be right back!”

You don’t wait for his response before b-lining it to the nearest restroom. You spend what one would call a reasonable amount of time in a stall, convincing yourself that even if he is hot, it’s fine and you shouldn’t make it weird. Really, it’s fine. Everything’s fine.

It was not fine. But you had already spent too long in the bathroom to just be washing your hands, and you were certain he was wondering where you were. A few more deep breaths later, you step out of the stall, wash your hands and make your way back to the table. His jacket is hanging from the back of his chair, once again showing off his white shirt and lower forearms.

Just act normal.

Giyuu looks up from his food as you approach, chewing and swallowing the bite in his mouth before putting a napkin to his lips. You smile and let out a “hey” again as you slide into your seat, setting your bag down to pull your chopsticks from their paper sheath. Removing the small lid from your bowl, you eagerly eye the tender beef slices still slightly steaming in place.

“Oooh, this looks good! “ you comment, whether to you or him is unclear. “What did you get?”

Perhaps your question caught him off guard as his eyes widened the smallest bit, body stilling at the sudden attention. He looks down to his food and then back up to you before responding.

“It’s, uh… daikon and salmon,” he states plainly, sitting a little straighter.

“Nice!” you reply, carefully taking your first bite into your mouth. The meat is beautifully cooked, the flavors subtle but just right. A small “mm” escapes you as you finish the bite. He takes this as his cue to go back to eating, his quiet demeanor seemingly content. After a minute or two, he takes a small break to sip from his glass.

“How is it? D’you like it?” you ask innocently, chopsticks paused as you await his response. He offers a small “mhm” in return as he puts his glass down.

“...How is yours?” he asks after a few beats of silence. You smile at him again.

“It’s really good, do you want to try it? Here–” you begin to search through your meat for the juiciest looking one, picking it up between chopsticks and moving to place it in his bowl before pausing. He grows still as he watches you. “Wait, are you allergic to anything?”

He’s back to that minutely-wide-eyed stare as he processes your question, shaking his head no after a moment.

“Okay, cool,” you say as you place the meat gently into an empty part of his bowl. You go back to eating, not wanting to put pressure on him. After he carefully maneuvers the strip into his mouth and chews, you pipe back up.

“Good?” you ask, patiently awaiting his reaction.

The dip of his head up and down while he swallows is enough to tell he enjoyed it.

“Good,” you say with a small laugh, returning to your own bowl. A minute or two later, you just barely catch him reaching across to your plate while you take a drink.

?!?!

Your eyes widen in shock and you lower your cup, setting it to the side gingerly to see what he did. Much to your surprise, on the left side of your bowl is now a piece of salmon with daikon.

How was he so fast??

And is he giving this to you?

“For me? Are you sure?” you ask, surprised and also concerned you may have guilted him into returning the gesture. He looks to you, answering with a simple nod in confirmation before finishing off the last few bites of his food.

“Ah, okay! Thank you!” you say as you pick up the bite of simmered salmon between your chopsticks. Popping it into your mouth, you’re pleasantly surprised at the quality and mix of flavors. Giyuu’s eyes are watching you expectantly as you chew, and you try desperately to control any form of heat rising to your face at the attention. 

“That’s really good!” you assure him with a smile, bringing up a hand to cover your mouth as you finish swallowing. He seems to relax slightly at your response with just the smallest smile on his lips.

The smile fades as quickly as it appeared as he wipes his mouth a final time with a napkin before laying it beside his now-empty bowl. You finish the last few bites of your own food in silence before following his lead.

“Are you finished?” he asks, hands gripping the side of his tray. When you say yes, he stands, moving to stack your tray, bowl and glass with his.

“Oh, that’s okay, I can do that,” you interject, hand reaching out to take it from him.

“I’ve got it,” he responds, almost gently, as he straightens and heads to the nearest dish drop-off. Watching him go, you notice the white shirt again. Looking down, you realize he forgot his jacket on the back of the chair. You grab it along with your bag and meet him outside the seating area.

“Here,” you offer, handing it over to him as you approach. Seeming a little surprised again, he takes it from you with a small “thank you” before shrugging it back on.

Welp. There goes the gun show.

You ignore your decidedly unhelpful thoughts as you peer around the room, trying to locate the exit.

“Uh…I think it’s this way?” you ask, gesturing forward and to the left toward an arched hallway bathed in green.

And with yet another small “mhm” and a nod from him, you’re off to your next stop.

Giyuu follows dutifully behind you, his face not betraying the cacophony of confusing thoughts swimming in his head

he was definitely caught off guard when you offered him a bite of your meal, but the fact you were thinking of him did make him feel happy

he was too shy to immediately give you some of his in return, but had been saving the best bite for last anyway. and he was also happy you liked it :)

he for sure thinks he would like to go eat with you again sometime if he gets the chance. it was comfortable, and he enjoyed your reactions

Maybe you could… eat lunch together someday?

But like so many facets of his life, his self restraint is ever-present here. He will refrain from “selfishness,” cherishing the experience without asking anything more from you

A winding and counterintuitive path to building intimacy if ever there were one, but he knew no better than you the feelings threatening the rock-solid walls he’s built between himself and others

But little moments like this – eating together in the food court, walking through the exhibits, making idle conversation – they are all small glimpses into something he craves so badly but lacks the words to express

Even so, he trails behind you in quiet contentment as you navigate the Mangrove and Rainforest exhibits, pointing excitedly to the various reptiles, birds or small mammals in their enclosures

As you’re reading the species description for a particularly cute snake, he takes a look ahead to see what exhibit is up next

He scans the horrendously designed map, deciphering the key as he mindlessly follows in your footsteps toward several frog varieties 

Eventually, he locates the rainforest exhibit, and looking ahead sees a rock pool with presumably more touch tanks–hard pass– and a theater

But just a step beyond that was the outdoor arena, where little cartoon dolphins and seals swam on the page

Dolphins… you liked those, right?

“(Y/N),” he calls quietly, catching your attention. You look up from the poison dart frogs with a “hm?” to see him pointing at something on the map held out to you.

“Did you want to see the water show? It should be starting soon,” he asks, finger hovering over a box reading “Stage Times.” According to the map, there was one more show today, starting in about ten minutes.

“Oh yeah! That might be fun, what do you think?” you ask nonchalantly as if you weren’t ready to break into a full sprint to make it to the arena in time.

Despite your attempt to play it cool, the sparkle in your eyes was not missed by Giyuu.

He nods once, excitement met with quiet determination. Before you know it, you’re speedwalking through the crowds of parents and children, sidestepping strollers and screaming toddlers as you make sure Giyuu is keeping up.

Before long, bright blue gates for the outdoor arena come into sight, and you let out a triumphant laugh.

“We made it!!” you say, turning too Giyuu with a wide grin. You look more excited than he’s ever seen you, and he gestures for you to move up in line as the family in front of you gains entry.

“For two?” the attendant asks, stamp at the ready. You nod eagerly, extending your arm to receive a dark blue wave on the back of your hand. Giyuu does the same, his usual deadpan stare silently watching as the dark ink stains his skin.

After gaining entry, you pass through a tall blue arch, the smell of saltwater washing over you. An expansive pool of water greets you as you walk in, spanning the edge of the outdoor arena. Looking around, you see several rows of bleachers under orange sun shades, filled to the brim with children just as excited as you.

You scope out the remaining seats, and Giyuu lets you take the lead as you choose an open spot on the second row, off to the left. You smile politely at the family behind you as you take your seats, and there’s hardly even time to settle in before the announcer comes on the loudspeaker, welcoming aquarium-goers and highlighting rules of the arena.

Soon after, a cheery voice comes over the speaker, this time from the aquarium employee running the show about 15 feet from the bleachers. She’s small in stature, dark hair pulled up in a ponytail sticking out the back of her visor.

“Hello everyone! My name is Asa, and I’ll be introducing you to some of our sea friends today!” said the speaker, her overly-excited voice rousing cheers from the children surrounding you.

You watched in glee as a line of three seals plopped up on the platform behind her, each introduced with a name and trick. You giggled along with the children as the seals waddled, barked and rolled. Eventually, the seals returned to the water, showing off swimming formations, speed and everything else such cute little creatures were capable of.

Before long, the seals had to say their goodbyes, sliding into the water with a chorus of disappointed children waving them off. But just beneath the water you could see shadows moving, your anticipation building– and just like that, it burst, with two striped dolphins leaping from beneath the still surface to say hello.

You cheered along with the children as the dolphins splashed back into the water, growing ever-closer to the bleachers with each expert movement. The dolphins swam circles around each other in the center of the arena before swimming up to the aquarium worker’s platform.

An awed smile overtook your features as the top of the dolphin’s heads popped up above the water while they were introduced, Iru and Kai. Each had two striking black lines down their sides, but Iru, the larger of the two, had a large scar over the left side of its forehead down to its beak.

“Iru here was rescued after being hurt in the wild two years ago, and she’s been with us ever since,” Asa explained, leaning down to pet her darker beak. She nudged upward toward Asa’s hand, relishing in her touch from above. “Kai was actually born at the aquarium a year and a half ago, but his baby fin here makes it hard for him to survive in the wild.”

On cue, Kai flipped to his side, showing his stunted right fin. Your heart sank a little at the thought of their pain, saddened gaze looking to Giyuu to gauge his reaction. While his attention stayed glued on the dolphins, he nodded forward to point your attention back to the front as Asa perked up and the dolphins did a spin.

“But we’re so happy to have them here with us now! Iru and Kai, why don’t you show everyone some of your favorite tricks!” Asa stood, gestures prompting each of the dolphins to swim off to the left and right for their first set of tricks.

The tricks started simple enough, leaps into the air or through hoops, but soon divers were introduced and began showing off just how much skill and intelligence Iru and Kai held.

Time passed quicker than you would have liked. The next twenty minutes of feats from the wonders of nature before you were quickly coming to a close, and you felt like it had only begun.

”Alright Iru and Kai, come on back!” Asa called, the dolphins listening in kind. The two swam right back up to the platform, ready to say their farewells.

“We had so much fun with all of you today, but Iru and Kai have to say bye now,” Asa says, sadness clearly in her voice. “Before we do that though, we have one last trick to show you!”

On cue, Iru swam off to the left by your spot in the bleachers and Kai to the right, each popping up behind the fenced area at the front. You grinned widely at the sight of Iru up close, wondering at her beauty.

“Alright, say bye-bye!” Asa shouted.

The next few moments moved in slow motion, and it was only then, as the dolphins whipped around to the side to send a tidal wave to the audience, that you noticed the glaring “SPLASH ZONE” sign plastered on the seat and wall in front of you. Maybe there was a reason these seats were empty. 

Delight shifted to fear and surprise as the water grew nearer, impending doom mere milliseconds from impact. You brought your arms to haphazardly shield your face, a shout of surprise escaping you and several of the audience members near you. Just beyond the approaching curtain of water were spray fountains from the front of the arena, shooting wildly out into the audience. Giyuu’s right arm extended in front of you in a vain attempt to shield you.

But no such luck. In less than a second, you were soaked from head to toe, sputtering as the sea water assaulted your senses.

Looking to Giyuu, you saw his hair was soggy, sticking to his face on the sides as water dripped down. As stunning as he looked dripping wet, he was in shock–a look you’ve never seen on him– and all you could do was laugh at the absurdity.

Loud guffaws escaped you as you grabbed onto Giyuu’s sleeve in front of you to steady yourself, his confused eyes meeting your joyous ones. You stayed like that for a few moments, wiping tears of laughter from your eyes as Asa bid her goodbyes to the crowd.

Your grip on his jacket loosened, replaced with two quick pats.

“Oh man, that was good,” you relent breathlessly, still giggling to yourself.

“Are you alright?” he asked in that flat tone of his, but amusement lie somewhere in his eyes. You laughed again, reassuring him as he slowly pulled his arm back to himself.

“Yeah! Just a little wet,” you snicker, wiping some of the excess water from your face. “What about you?”

He nods, mirroring your actions and sliding a few fingers through his bangs to get the wet strands out of his face. Had you been a lesser man, you would have died on the spot.

Instead you clear your throat, averting your eyes as he stands, flicking water from his jacket before handing it to you. Pointedly ignoring the taper of his waist beneath his black joggers, you reach tentatively to take it, confusion etched on your features.

“Oh, do you need me to hold it?” you ask, grasping the fabric between your fingers.

“No, you should…” He averts his eyes from you, the smallest of rosy hues appearing on his cheeks as he clears his throat. “Cover up with this.”

You look down and have the startling realization that the thin fabric of your light-colored shirt has soaked through as well, showing off everything underneath.

You could die right now. Really, you could. But instead you choose to quietly mutter an expletive, thank Giyuu for his jacket and slip it on, zipping up the front.

Dignity slightly restored but pride absolutely shattered, you turn to him.

“So, um… gift shop?” you ask, still buried beneath approximately 15 levels of shame and embarrassment. He nods, gesturing for you to lead the way, and you take the five minute walk to regain any remaining composure you can.

the next several minutes are spent in an extremely awkward silence as you look throughout the various trinkets, t-shirts and keychains

though the air inside is a bit chilly, you’re thankfully kept pretty warm by giyuu’s jacket

speaking of which, he can hardly look at you right now because of a) what happened earlier and b) the sight of you in his jacket. So he is just… trailing behind you as you shop

you excuse yourself to the restroom for a chance to get a good look at yourself, but on the way in, spot a screen with several photos on display

amid a variety of blue and orange displays are photos from the outdoor arena, capturing in full color the delight of children and parents alike

and off to the far right was a photo of you and giyuu a half second before the water hit, a sharp look of panic across his face as his arm was shooting out in front of you. next to him, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost, arms halfway shielding your face in preparation

as the photos scroll through, though, there is a second taken just a few seconds later

it’s perfect, you think

Giyuu is idly standing near the front of the store, having had more than enough time to look around in your absence. As you approach him, he notices you have on a new baby-blue crew neck shirt you picked up from the store, your previous one from before shoved haphazardly in the giftshop bag.

“Hey! Sorry for the wait,” you greet, looking far more refreshed after your visit to the restroom. “Ready to head out?”

He nods simply, choosing to walk alongside you toward the exit. Groups of parents and children move en masse toward the turnstiles, forming lines at the front. You both wait patiently in a surprisingly comfortable silence, the excitement of the day finally wearing on you.

After making it past the entry barriers and onto the sidewalk near the road, he realizes this is where you part ways. You pause in your stride, turning to him.

“Here’s your jacket back, sorry about that,” you say, extending it toward him. He takes it from you gently, tucking it over his arm.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he states matter-of-factly, but there is a certain gentleness to his tone this time, a quietness in his voice.  

A silence settles between the two of you as he contemplates how to say goodbye.

“By the way, I um…” you fumble your words as you reach into your bag, extending two small trinkets on your palm toward him. “Do you want one of these? They were making them inside.”

His brow furrows just slightly as he angles his head to look at the objects in your hand. On the right is a small photo of the two of you during the outdoor arena show, taken just after the water had splashed into the crowd. Your face is alight with laughter, and to your side, Giyuu dons a look he doesn’t quite recognize on himself. Something soft, almost, as he sees the pure joy radiating off of you, your hand clinging to his arm as delight and surprise overtake you.

Attached to the light blue frame is what appears to be a small plastic figure of Iru, the dolphin from the show. The larger and older of the two, if he remembers right. On the other keychain is the same photo framed in darker blue with a small figure of Kai, the other striped dolphin.

Did you… pick these out?

He stays quiet as he observes the small trinkets in your palm. As is so often the case, you mistake his silence for rejection, quick to backtrack.

“It’s okay if you don’t want it! I just thought they were fun,” you are quick to explain, still unsure of his reaction.

Eventually, he reaches forward, gingerly picking up the darker blue one with the Kai charm. The brief graze of his fingers on your palm sends a shiver through you as he looks thoughtfully at the keychain.

“Thank you. It’s… nice,” he says after a pause, pocketing the item in his black track pants.

“It’s no problem,” you reassure. “Thanks for, uh, hanging out today. I had a great time, all… mishaps considered.”

You huff a laugh at your own expense, knowing so badly what you want to say next but still building up the courage.

“I appreciate the invi–” “Anyway, let me know if you–”

You both pause mid-sentence, looking at each other in embarrassment at the misstep.

“You go ahead,” you say, gesturing to him.

“No, you,” he insists, shaking his head.

“Well, um, I was just going to say let me know if you want to do this again sometime or something.”

“Won’t we be coming back here with the other teachers?” he asks, clearly missing the point.

“Well, uh, I mean… it doesn’t have to be the aquarium,” you laugh nervously out of reflex, suddenly wishing you could crawl into a hole forever. “But anyway, yeah. No pressure, I just had fun and wouldn’t mind… Um. Yeah.”

Your hands gesture in the air aimlessly as you flounder. You have to pat yourself on the back for putting together probably the least helpful response known to man. Really, good work. Absolutely indecipherable.

In your sudden embarrassment, you don’t realize as Giyuu’s eyes widen just a fraction, taking in your words. 

“I… enjoyed today,” he offers after a brief and unbearably awkward silence, sounding as if he’s still processing the day himself. “We can do it again. If you want.”  

You feel your heartbeat quicken at his choppy sentiment, heart thrumming happily in your chest. The grin you send him leaves him in a similar state.

His fingers trace over the smooth plastic of the frame in his pocket as you say your goodbyes, his steps unusually slow as he watches you disappear around a corner to the nearest subway station.

Once you’re out of sight, he fishes the keychain from his pocket, swiftly affixing it to the rest of his keys before setting off on his own way home with your kind words echoing in his head. The sunset hues peeking through his bedroom window seem strangely more picturesque as he settles on the edge of his bed after returning home, thumb brushing carefully over the plastic frame of the keychain.

Much of his life has been spent watching others through the hardy walls of his own glass enclosure, witnessing as they navigate life and love and everything else. And as hard as he has tried, slamming fists and feet against the barrier, the walls have yet to give, leaving him hopeless in his efforts to reach and be reached.

But this difference between himself and others is not something he has yet come to terms with. Denial is a far easier pill to swallow. Even so, you make him feel as if the ocean between himself and others is not quite so vast–like the glass isn’t quite as thick as he was led to believe. 

Today was his first spark of hope in a long time that maybe there is more to life than his own self-imposed solitude. 

That is not to say he understands, and he will not for many months to come, exactly why you inspire such feelings of hope and longing within him–but it is not unwelcome. Not by a longshot.

a/n: hi!! this is so long. and i have no excuse for why i haven’t posted on this blog in ages. but i hope you like it!! it’s been in my drafts for so long mostly done and i finally got the urge to finish it 

[groundnul]

Uzui & Mothers-in-Law HCs

Prompt: Good afternoon! How do you imagine Uzui's relationship with his three mothers-in-law?

ABSOLUTE charmer, when he visits he’ll clean up after himself properly, help them with the dishes or anything else they need done around the house 

compliments them on anything from their hair, to their clothes or their decorations 

at first it’s out of obligation, but once he grows closer to him, it’s his way of showing appreciation; they did raise the women he married, after all! for makio’s family in particular, he uses it as a way to show respect to people who’ve helped in the war against demons 

so basically, his mother-in-laws love him, and soon enough, he loves them too 

it gets to the point that the mother-in-laws will call their daughters to check in on Uzui instead of them, asking about how he is and the next time he plans on coming over 

[groundnul]

Wingman!Kyojuro & Mitsuri x Reader HCs

Prompt: Hey there! Could I get headcanons or a scenario (whichever is easiest for you) for Kyojuro being a wingman for the reader and helping her out with her crush on Mitsuri? Thank you!

let me start off by saying that i personally believe kyojuro is the BIGGEST hopeless romantic ever, minus mitsuri

so you know the second he picks up on your feelings he is ON THAT SHIT 

he’ll confront you about it pretty directly, even if the two of you aren’t really that close. he’s good friends with mitsuri, so he’ll want to do anything he can to get the ball rolling 

you literally don’t even have to ask him. he will take it upon himself to jumpstart your romantic life 

but let’s get down to logistics. i get the feeling that kyojuro as a wingman could go one of two ways: absolutely impeccable, never before seen, showstopping-- or a personified dumpster fire 

let’s begin with the latter 

in this instance, i see kyojuro starting off his attempts at wingmanship by talking to mitsuri about you

given kyojuro’s incredibly blunt and straightforward nature, mitsuri might get confused and think that kyojuro is actually into you instead of trying to help you 

for instance: “Y/N is incredibly talented and beautiful, don’t you agree, Mitsuri?” “I commend the lucky suitor who will claim (Y/N) as their own one day. Perhaps they should make their move soon!” 

like. he’s not really lying about anything he’s saying, but that’s what confuses mitsuri even more. he’s clearly into you, right?? she just wonders why he’s suddenly so much more vocal about it

he’ll just sit there and stare at mitsuri after saying something about you, hoping she gets the hint, but really she’s just wondering why he’s staring at her. she’ll think she has food on her face or something 

so, in this instance, mitsuri would back off from her previous affections for you in hopes of not stepping on kyojuro’s toes 

in other words: the plan backfires wildly and the whole wingman kyojuro thing just turns into him straight out telling mitsuri that you’re into her and he was trying to help you 

in the end, mitsuri thinks it’s really funny and romantic, but the means of getting there is difficult at best 

BUT kyojuro as a wingman could also go really well if he were to take a more physical approach at first

he would try his best to get you two alone together so that your feelings could mutually develop and you’d confess to one another 

like he’d invite both of you to go do something and CONVENIENTLY have to cancel last minute or leave prematurely to make sure you both get some one-on-one time 

says something like “I will be LEAVING now, so you two will be ALONE for an INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME. Have fun!” 

and after a while it becomes painfully obvious to you what’s going on, but you hope mitsuri doesn’t think too much of it 

luckily for you she tends to think on the lighter side of things, never assuming someone’s intentions, but after a while even she may become suspicious 

it’s at this point kyojuro could approach mitsuri with questions like “so, what do you think of (Y/N)?”

if she answers positively, which he predicts she will, he can follow up with things like “I agree. I overheard (Y/N) saying she really admired your swordsmanship/hair/attitude the other day.” 

and if mitsuri responds positively to THAT, then kyojuro’s like alright cool i’ve got this in the bag 

finally. FINALLY he’ll say “I think you two would be good together.” 

this would mean a lot coming from anyone, but especially someone she trusts as much as kyojuro

“... do you really think so?”

“I do!” 

and that’s the story of how kyojuro rengoku invented romance

[groundnul]

requests open!

hello! i hope you are all staying safe, healthy and informed. i’m opening up requests so send any kny x reader content you’d like to see my way! i can’t guarantee that i will write every request, but i will do my best!

i have some old requests that i’m working on but i don’t know if i will finish all of them, so i’m sorry if you sent something in and haven’t seen it answered! there are just some requests i struggle with more than others but i will try to finish them. :) 

much love and well wishes to all of you! 

[groundnul]

Homesick: Rengoku Kyojuro X Reader

Prompt: Kyojuro returns from a long mission. 

Title: Homesick

Words: 1409

Warnings: None

Notes: um. hi!!! i’m so sorry it’s been like ... months. since i’ve updated this blog. i just haven’t really felt motivated to write, but this was the first thing i ever wrote for this blog and it’s just been chillin in my drafts. i hope you are all staying safe, healthy and informed! 

A cool breeze rustles the fallen leaves outside your window, hints of winter making themselves known.

As you lounge on the sofa, gentle hands brush through the ball of fur lying lazily on your chest. The soft purrs of your feline friend make your eyelids heavy. 

You were dozing off as a set of footsteps approached your front door. Three sharp knocks startled you out of your slumber, sending you straight onto the floor along with a very frightened cat. 

“(Y/n)!” you hear a cheerful Rengoku Kyojouro shout through your front door. “I heard a crash! Is everything alright?” 

You chuckled from the floor, blowing a stray piece of hair out of your face. Sitting up on your hands, you could see a curious set of fiery eyes peeking through your living room window. As your eyes meet, curiosity turns to joy, and you give him a small wave. He laughs heartily, moving out from the window towards your door again. 

Kyojurou was on a mission for the last couple of weeks in some far-off town. He promised that, upon his return, he’d make his first stop to see you. But you weren’t expecting him so soon, much less at your front door. 

Standing, you brush the non-existent dust from your knees and unlock your door. As you swing it open, you’re greeted with the sight of one smiling Flame Pillar. 

“(Y/n)!” he shouts once more, this time in excitement, as he opens his arms to bring you in for a hug. You accept his offer eagerly, practically jumping into his arms as his hands wind around your waist. Hugging tightly around his shoulders, your head nuzzles into his collar bone. He smells warm, like a summer day, or a winter fire. You missed that. You missed him. 

“Kyojurou! I’m so glad you’re back,” you giggle happily, reveling in his warmth. He pulls away slightly to get a better look at your face, and his calloused hand moves to your cheek, tilting your chin upward for a lingering, sweet kiss. 

His lips are warm and surprisingly soft. As you part again, he leans in for a quick kiss to your forehead, wrapping his arms around you fully. 

“I admire your enthusiasm!” he says jovially, pulling you closer. He inhales heavily, as if trying to take in your scent. The tightness of his grasp seems different, and as you two finally part, it feels like there’s something different in the way he looks at you. “I missed you, too, my little flame.”

You wonder what happened while he was gone, but like usual, decide against asking. It might only bring up painful memories. You’ve never really been his first point of contact after a mission, before. It’s great to see him, but you’re not sure what’s supposed to happen next. 

“Do you want to come inside?” you ask, looking at him curiously. He gives a solid nod, prompting you to grab his hand and lead him through your front door. “Sorry for the mess.” 

The few stray cups, items of clothing and cat toys strewn along the floor are a reminder of the lazy days you spent waiting for Kyojurou to return. He was quite good at filling up your free time with fun and exercise, and when he was gone, it was like a part of you was missing -- like you were homesick, almost. His return would certainly give you the motivation to get your home back in order. 

“A little mess is nothing!!” he reassures, hand tightening around yours in encouragement. “I’d be happy to help you clean up.” 

You chuckle good naturedly at his offer, shaking your head. Of course he’d offer to help you clean up a mess he had absolutely no hand in making. 

He pauses at the door to remove his shoes and haori, but quickly reattaches himself to your hand as you take him farther inside. Looking to the kitchen, living room and bedrooms, you’re unsure of where you’re supposed to be taking him, exactly. As you come to a stop at the junction of the three rooms, he brings your intertwined hands up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on yours. You smile at the gesture, a pink hue crawling up your cheeks. 

You wonder what he’s thinking. 

In this light, you can see the dark circles under his eyes more clearly, and the exhaustion weighing down his shoulders. He doesn’t look physically injured, but you can tell he’s mentally worn. His bright smile is clearly meant to distract you. It makes your heart heavy. 

You give his hand a tight squeeze before slipping your fingers out of his grip, resting your own behind his head instead in a make-shift embrace. His hands move to your hips, pressing you firmly against his front.

“What do you usually do after a mission?” you ask with a curious and concerned smile, searching his eyes for an answer. You obviously want him to rest, in his state. 

“Rest is an important part of recovery!” he says matter-of-factly, smile unwavering. “Almost equally important is a good meal!!” 

You laugh fondly at his zeal, causing a curious look to cross his face. 

“Did I say something funny?” he asks, eyebrows raising in confusion. You shake your head slightly, averting your eyes in embarrassment. You didn’t mean to make him think you were laughing at him. 

“No, no, I just... missed you, is all,” you say honestly, hands adjusting the collar of his uniform slightly as a distraction. The confusion is instantly gone from his features, replaced with a small smile of understanding. 

“So,” you start, shifting the sentimental tone to something more lively. “Which do you want to do first? Eat or sleep?” 

“That’s a great question, my dear!” he commends, amusement slipping into his eyes. “But I cannot answer it alone. Do you have a preference?”

You shake your head. 

“It’s up to you!” you insist, looking at him expectantly while you await his decision. 

“Hmm…” he ponders, fingers thrumming on your hips in thought. His slightly narrowed eyes stare into yours as he weighs his options. 

“We should rest, so long as I still get to enjoy your cooking later!” he declares, determination overtaking his features. 

You exhale a laugh as you trail your hands down his arms, capturing his much larger digits in your own. 

“Sleep it is,” you nod, walking to your bedroom door and pushing it open with your foot. A sliver of light from your bathroom illuminated your bedroom just enough to safely navigate. 

As you step inside, he slips his hand from yours to fiddle with the buttons of his collar. You travel to the drawer in your dresser you’d designated as his, pulling a set of pajamas out and holding it out to him. 

“Ah, yes! Thank you!” he says in pleasant surprise, taking the garments from your hands and nestling them in the crook of his arm as he continued his ministrations. 

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as he undressed and turned to your unmade bed to flatten out the blankets as a distraction. No matter how many times you’ve seen him like this, it never ceases to send your heart into a frenzy. When you turn back around, he’s fully dressed and taking his hair down. 

Coming around the edge of the bed, you pick up his discarded uniform and fold it neatly, stowing it in his drawer. Gentle hands wound their way around your torso once more and pulled you close, his chin now resting on your shoulder. You smile at his actions, patting his cheek affectionately as you move to pull away. 

“Alright, time to sleep,” you say in fake warning, flicking off your bathroom light and shuffling to your side of the bed. Pulling the covers back, you wait for him to do the same before crawling under. Snuggled under the blankets, you feel his comforting weight settle to your side. An arm snakes around your waist once again, pulling you to his chest under the covers. 

A gentle kiss to your neck was all you received in terms of a “goodnight” before his breathing slowed, indicating his almost immediate slumber. You stopped yourself from laughing at the abruptness and settled into his arms, raising your hand to gently stroke the arm resting over your torso. 

This was home. 

[groundnul]

black lives matter resources

This document contains a list of petitions, donation links, tips for protesting, ways to self-educate, information about contacting officials, and links to other master docs. Please share, donate, and make use of these resources.

tinyurl.com/blmforever

[groundnul]

requests closed!

hey all!! i am closing requests for a bit so i can catch up. i just started school back so things have been crazy, but i think i’m starting to get used to it again! thank y’all so much for being patient with me and for your kind words!! <3

[groundnul]

Hi there, fam! 💖 May i ask you a scenario of Kyōjurō helping a depressed y/n? Thank you ~

https://groundnul.tumblr.com/post/190138238653/the-call-modern-kyojuro-x-depressed-reader

here u are!! i had a great time writing this. it made me so giddy :0 

[groundnul]

requests open!!

i am opening up requests again! thank you all so much for your previous requests, and i hope you’re enjoying the blog so far! basically, i’ve been trying to take 10-15 requests at a time before closing the ask box, so ask away! 

note: if you’ve requested something that i haven’t posted yet (which should only be a few people), don’t worry, i haven’t forgotten you! some of them are being put off until i am 100% caught up in the manga just so i know exactly what im talking about lol :) sorry for the wait 

[groundnul]

The Call: Modern! Kyojuro X Depressed Reader

Request: Hi there, fam! 💖 May i ask you a scenario of Kyōjurō helping a depressed y/n? Thank you ~

Title: The Call 

Pairing: Kyojuro X Reader 

Words: 3580

Warnings: depression, brief mentions of suicide (the mentions of suicide are put between a set of bolded asterisks, so if you are sensitive to this type of material, you can skip that portion without missing much of the story)

Notes: this is set in the modern AU! history teacher kyojuro rocks my socks off

Summary: Reader gives fellow teacher and longtime crush Kyojuro Rengoku a late-night call. What will come of it? 

Impatient eyes stared at the clock across the room, waiting for the final bell. This day, like so many others in the past month, seemed to pass agonizingly slow. Lately, this is how time has felt for you. If you tried, you couldn’t remember what you were doing this time last week. Part of you is convinced it never even happened, like you’re just floating through a nonlinear collection of experiences independent of one another. What is a memory, anyway? 

Nevermind, that’s too deep. 

Eventually, the final school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. You reminded your homeroom students of their upcoming homework assignments and told them to travel safe and stay warm. After the last few students trickled out of your classroom, done with their cleaning duties, you closed the door and lay your head down on your desk in defeat. 

This rut you’ve been in isn’t exactly new to you, but that doesn’t make it suck any less. You’ve learned to live with your depression and manage the symptoms, but knowing how to take care of yourself and actually doing it are two very different things. 

You don’t know the last time you got a full night’s sleep, or had any time to yourself. You’ve eaten nothing but fast food for the past week because you can’t bring yourself to make a trip to the store, much less cook yourself an actual meal. Clothes are piling up around your apartment along with dirty dishes and miscellaneous school work. You know this isn’t how your life should be, but it is, and you’re too exhausted to fix it. 

It’s not like there’s anyone at home to clean up for, anyway. Clutter is your cat’s paradise, and you do well enough in your own filth that it doesn’t really matter to you right now. When you’re feeling up to it, you’ll take the time to get things in order. That time is just not right now. 

You startle at a loud knock on your door. Perking up in your seat, you smooth out your probably frizzy hair and preemptively plaster on a smile for the guest. Turning to the door, your smile becomes genuine. Tired, but genuine. 

The bright eyes of Kyojuro Rengoku peered through the small window of your door, his signature smile beaming. Ignoring the beating in your chest, you chuckle, gesturing for him to come in. He swiftly opens the door, striding over to your desk with a stack of papers in his hands.

“Hello, (L/N)-san!” he announces, holding out the papers to you. “Kocho-san asked me to drop these off.” 

“Thank you,” you say, accepting the papers from him. 

“My pleasure!” he assures, crossing his arms over his chest. “How was your day?” 

“Oh, it was good,” you say automatically, flipping through the papers. Resisting a sigh at the sheer amount of papers, you set them onto the desk, giving him your attention. “Thanks for asking. What about you?” 

“My day was great!” he exclaims, pumping a fist halfway up in enthusiasm. “My students are excited to learn more about the Muromachi period!” 

You let out a tired laugh at his show of passion, crossing one leg over the other. 

“I don’t blame them,” you say earnestly, smiling at him. “You’re very good at what you do, Rengoku-san.” 

He beams at the praise.

“Allow me to say the same about you!” he insists, his grin growing. “My students always look forward to your class.” 

Your face flushes at his praise, eyes looking anywhere but him. 

“Thank you,” you say quietly, adjusting in your seat. Is it hot in here? “That’s very kind of you to say.” 

He nods, his expression dipping into something softer. As you cover a yawn, he crosses his arms back over his chest. 

“It’s true,” he says, eyes looking over you carefully. “Have you been getting enough sleep? You seem tired.” 

Your eyes widen at his unexpected question, stilling in your seat. What are you supposed to say to that? 

“Oh, well, I- um…” you stutter out, cursing his directness. “It’s just been one of those weeks, y’know.” 

You laugh half-heartedly, intertwining your fingers in front of you. It’s not really a lie, but it’s not the whole truth, either. “But thank you for your concern.” 

He nods understandingly, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. His eyes meet yours again. 

“Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!” he offers, hands shifting down to rest on his waist. But unprovoked, his eyes light up, as if he has a brilliant idea. “Actually, let me-” 

He digs into his pocket, pulling out a small pad of sticky notes. He feels for the pen in his front pocket, stepping forward towards your desk. He sets the notepad down on the edge, leaning over to scribble down several numbers. At this proximity, you can smell the subtle hint of his cologne. 

God, he smells so good. What you wouldn’t give to- 

At the recognition of your thoughts, you feel your face grow hot again. No. Absolutely not. You can’t think like that about a fellow teacher who is right fucking-

“Here,” he says, pulling the note off the pad and handing it to you. “My phone number, in case you need anything.” 

You can tell he doesn’t have any ulterior motives, no secret reason for doing this, but it makes your whole body feel flushed nonetheless. Hesitantly, you reach forward, gingerly taking the slip of paper from his hands. 

“Thank you,” you say softly with a gentle smile. He smiles back, murmuring a soft “mhm” as he straightens back up to his full height. A silence falls over the room, and as your eyes meet again, you can’t help but notice how intimate this interaction suddenly feels. 

Averting your eyes, you clear your throat, opting to grab the stack of papers in front of you. 

“W-well, I better get-” you start awkwardly. 

“Of course, of course, I’ll leave you to it,” he says, turning to walk back to the door. On his way out, he pauses to look back at you. 

“Have a good evening, (L/N)-san,” he says happily, grabbing the door knob. 

“Thank you,” you answer almost too quickly, internally scolding yourself. “You too, Rengoku-san.”  

With one final smile he pulls the door to, exiting your room. 

Once he’s definitely out of sight, you shyly cover your very red face, elbows propped onto the desk. 

To make a long story short, you’ve been into a certain history teacher for a very long time. After teaching here for two years, you were promoted to teach in the same grade as Kyojuro. Despite only getting to actually get to know him this year, you’ve admired him from afar during faculty meetings and assemblies. He’s the life of the party, the heart of this school. His unbreakable spirit and passion for what he does makes him a wonderful teacher and role model. And somewhere, in the midst of your admiration, you fell for him. Hard. 

He, of course, hadn’t noticed. If he noticed every girl that fell for his charm and good looks, he wouldn’t have enough hours in the day -- in your opinion, at least. Maybe you’re a little biased. Even so, you’re certain that if he did know of your feelings towards him, he wouldn’t reciprocate them. A guy like him would go for an outgoing, model-wife type of girl, someone who can confidently host a cocktail party. 

You sighed, tracing over the numbers on the note with your fingers. That’s why what just happened was so shocking to you. That brief moment you shared may have been nothing out of the ordinary for him, but for you, it made you feel on fire, setting off alarms inside your soul telling you to take hold of this man and never let go. 

Perhaps you were being a little dramatic. Regardless, that’s how you felt. 

Your head was still reeling. You got his number! Were you really going to call him? You had to, right? You instantly felt anxious at the thought, unsure of what you’d even talk about. You’d have to come up with something beforehand, a list of questions or maybe a topic area of interest. You could talk about school, if nothing else. He did say call if you ever need help, after all. 

Calming your nerves, you folded up the slip of paper, sliding it securely into your bag. Once you were home, you could think more about this latest turn of events, but for now you needed to get some work done.

. . . 

The remainder of your day passed easily enough. You finished up most of the grading you needed to get done as well as some paperwork that had been piling up. The walk home was uneventful, but you did grab some takeout. You ate while you watched the news, pushing your stubborn cat away from your food. For most of the night, you were fine. You didn’t clean up any of the mess in your apartment, but you weren’t stuck in your head for once, so you took the opportunity to indulge a little and watch your favorite show. 

But eventually, it seemed the high from your interaction with Kyojuro finally dissipated, leaving you feeling just as hollow as before. Doubts swirled your mind, assuring you had no chance at winning his affections, that you were unworthy of him. You found it hard to disagree as you lay in bed, tossing and turning. It was only around 10 p.m., which was rather early for you, but you figured it would be better to try and get more rest. You body was having none of it. 

You frustratedly sat up out of bed, shoving your feet into your slippers as you made your way into the kitchen. Rummaging through the fridge, you found nothing of interest, so you just made some tea to sip on solemnly at the kitchen table. Staring at the wall across from you, you were barraged with a series of intrusive thoughts. 

*******************************************************************************************

Thoughts about bad things you’ve done in the past, the people you’ve hurt. Thoughts about the people who hurt you, used you and humiliated you. Thoughts about yourself, everything you don’t like, everything you wish were different. Your heart sunk as memory after painful memory flooded into your brain, tainting the calm atmosphere of the night with sadness and disappointment. 

Soon enough, you were crying over your cup of tea, wondering just what in the hell is wrong with your brain. Why can’t you just be happy like everyone else? Why can’t you just take pride in who you are and what you do? Why isn’t that enough? 

Will it ever be enough? Would you be better off dead? Would that be easier than enduring this-

 No, you scold yourself, not everyone is happy. Everyone has their own issues. You can’t let this temporary lapse in judgement permanently alter your life. This pain is temporary, and it will pass just as it has before. You wouldn’t be better off dead. You would leave behind the people who love you, your family, your students. You couldn’t do that to them. And shit, what if there is a chance with Kyojuro? Are you just going to throw that away? 

*******************************************************************************************

You sigh, sniffling as you wipe the stray tears from your face. Across from you on the table is your bag, left haphazardly in your exhaustion. You see the corner of the sticky note Kyojuro gave you sticking out from the interior pocket. You stare at it for a long time. 

Should you call him right now? You look at the time on your phone -- 10:33. It’s disrespectful to call someone so late. But it is a Friday, and... 

You’d like to hear his voice right now. Listen to whatever he’s willing to say. Slowly, you reach across the table, digging into your bag for the note. Pulling it out, you study the numbers again. You muster a sad smile as you examine his handwriting. It’s cute. 

Unlocking your phone, you dial in his number, holding your finger over the call button. Should you really be doing this? 

On the upside, if you call and he doesn’t pick up, you can just hang up. He won’t know it’s you that called him. On the other hand, if he does pick up… oh, fuck it. What’s the worst thing that could happen? 

In a moment of surprising boldness, you hit the call button as your phone rests on the table. Part of you is so unbelievably shocked you actually pressed the button, and the other part is running through every possible worst-case-scenario. It’s the familiar “hello?” coming through your speaker that breaks you from your shock, sending you scrambling to pick up your phone from the table. You manage to put the phone to your ear as he says a second “hello?”, this time more confused. Damnit, he must have heard your scrambling. Oh well. 

“Hello?” you say into the speaker, trying to mask your anxiousness. You clear your throat quietly, trying to eliminate the scratchiness from your earlier crying. 

“(L/N)-san?” he asks, sounding a little lost.  

“Y-yeah!” you manage in a soft, yet cheery tone. “Sorry for calling so late. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” 

You turn your head and sniffle, trying to mute the sounds of your previous sadness. You hear shuffling on the other end of the line, the sound of blankets moving. 

“No, I was just winding down for the night,” he explains, but there’s a touch of either concern or alarm in his voice. You can’t really tell which without seeing his face. “Is everything alright? You sound like you’ve been crying.” 

You chuckle humorlessly, pinching the bridge of your nose at your foolishness. Why did you think this would be a good idea, again? 

“No, no, everything’s okay,” you say dismissively, waving a hand even though he can’t see you. “It’s, um…” 

You choose your words carefully, cautious of telling him too much. 

“It’s just been a rough night, is all,” you finish honestly, sniffling again. 

“Oh,” he responds quietly. There’s a pause before he speaks again, like he’s deciding what to say. “... Do you want to talk about it? I’m happy to listen.” 

You sigh, clearing your throat again. These crying noises are probably annoying, you should stop doing that. 

“That’s okay, I just…” you trail, unsure. “Actually, I don’t really know why I called you… so this is probably kind of weird…”

Regret wells up within you. You shouldn’t have called. 

“You know what, I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have called, I should just-” you begin, frustrated with yourself for thinking this was a good idea. 

“Don’t worry,” he interrupts your rambling, cutting off your negative thoughts with the warmth of his words. “We all have nights like that.” 

A beat of silence passes. You feel yourself relax a little. 

“I’m glad you called, actually,” he admits, and you hear more shuffling on the other side of the line. It sounds like he’s in bed, judging from the slight creaking of the bed. 

“Really?” you ask in playful disbelief, fully aware of how fast your heart was starting to beat as you sipped your tea. 

“Mhm,” he says, and you can hear his smile as he speaks. “I forgot to ask for your number earlier.” 

You just about spat out the liquid in your mouth, but instead, swallowed roughly, coughing for a moment before letting out a haggard laugh. 

“What was that?” he asks curiously. 

“You just about killed me is all,” you chuckle, wiping up tea drips that did manage to escape your mouth. You cough again into your sleeve, laughing. You hear his pleasant laugh from the other side of the line, and will the blush on your cheeks to die down. 

“I’m glad I didn’t,” he says, and you can’t quite tell if he’s being genuine or playful. Maybe both. 

“Me too,” you reply with a breathy giggle, standing up from your chair to walk around your house. You were beginning to feel antsy. You wracked your brain for something to talk about, your mind eventually thinking back to earlier in the day. 

“Actually, I did have something I wanted to ask you,” you admit, dodging your cat as it ran through your legs. 

“What’s that?” he asks, sounding intrigued. 

“Earlier today, you mentioned something about the Muromachi period,” you say, hoping you didn’t sound like too much of a bore. You shouldn’t, right? This is his thing. “... Could you tell me a little bit about it? Or- or anything, really… I just… I just like hearing your voice.” 

The latter part of your sentence was so quiet that if he wasn’t listening as hard as he was, Kyojuro would have missed it. Luckily, listening was a specialty of his, and he took your compliment to heart.  

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he replies cheerily. “But if you’d like an in-depth explanation, we might need to arrange a coffee date.” 

You were quiet for so long Kyojuro worried he said something wrong, but really, your mind was just racing, your feet glued to the floor. He proposed it so casually, like it was no big deal. Did he usually do this? Either way, you were absolutely floored. 

“(Y/N)?” you heard him ask through the speaker, forcing you from your thoughts. You’re too flustered to realize he used your first name. 

“Y-yeah!” you say a little too loudly, wincing at your volume. “That sounds great.” 

“Great,” he comments confidently. “How about tomorrow around noon? We could meet at that little cafe near the school.” 

You can’t help the stupid grin on your features. 

“That sounds perfect,” you say, contemplating your next words. “But… I do have a question.” 

“Hm?” he hums attentively. 

“... Do you take out all of your fellow teachers on coffee dates?” your voice is quiet, hesitant. In truth, you’re afraid he’ll say yes, that all of this is just normal to him. You’re praying this date is what you think it is. 

“You’d be the first,” he confesses openly, sensing what you’re getting at. 

You bite your lip to contain your excitement, sealing away the tsunami of screeches building within you. 

“Good to know,” you say bashfully, letting out the breath you were holding. 

“Now, about the Muromachi period…” he begins, sounding awfully scholarly all of a sudden. You laugh at his abrupt change of topic, but listen quietly as he runs you through the story of Ashikaga Takauji’s fight against the Kenmu Restoration. Part of you thinks you should be taking notes, but the other part of you just enjoys hearing him speak. Nestling into bed, you snuggle up under the covers to the sound of his voice, occasionally asking questions. Right now, it felt like he was a friend you’d known for years. 

“Wait, so people would get punished for showing this Takauji guy in a good light?” you ask for clarification, wondering if you really heard him right.

“Mhm,” Kyojuro affirmed, surprised you were actually listening-- or, rather, still awake. “It was only in the last fifty years that we were able to appropriately evaluate Takauji’s influence in context. Before then, it was considered a form of slander against the state.” 

“Wow,” you mused, staring up to the ceiling. “That’s wild. It’s so crazy how people in power can basically rewrite history.” 

You move your phone away from you, checking the time for the first time since you laid down. 

“Wha-It’s almost one in the morning!” you tiredly exclaim, embarrassed you kept him up this long. “I’m so sorry, Rengoku-san. I wasn’t keeping track of time. I didn’t mean to keep you up so late!” 

He chuckles at your apologies, shifting in his own bed. 

“It’s fine,” he reassures you, a touch of humor still in his voice. “I enjoyed talking with you. You’re a very good listener.” 

His honest words struck a chord within you, bringing back your bashfulness from earlier. 

“Well, you’re very interesting to listen to,” you say truthfully, expression soft as you consider what to say next. “But I guess we can continue this conversation tomorrow.” 

“Right,” he says.

The silence between the two of you is comfortable, neither wanting to hang up. You’re the first to break the quiet. 

“Thank you, Rengoku-san, for everything,” you say gratefully, hoping he gets what you mean. 

“It was my pleasure,” he says warmly. “And (Y/N)--” 

You breath gets caught in your throat at the sound of your first name coming from his lips. 

“Mhm?” you inquire wordlessly, not trusting your voice at the moment. 

“You can call me Kyojuro,” he finishes, voice soft. 

Cue that giant, stupid, silly grin of yours again. 

“Okay,” you reply, hoping he can’t hear the pure joy in your tone. “Goodnight, Kyojuro. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

He chuckles, and your heart flutters in adoration and embarrassment. He could totally tell how happy that made you. 

“Goodnight, (Y/N). See you tomorrow.” 

As the call ends, you can’t help but yell out in excitement, startling your cat. With a soft apology and a laugh, your turn to put your face into your pillow, yelling and kicking your feet like a school girl. 

A date with Kyojuro Rengoku. 

Perhaps calling him was a good idea after all.

[groundnul]

Worlds Apart: Kyojuro X Reader

Title: Worlds Apart 

Pairing: Kyojuro X Reader

Words: 818

Warnings: mentions of death 

Notes: this was originally supposed to be for a request but it was kind of off prompt so uh it’s a separate thing now

Draped in silence, the night was quiet as you sat beneath the stars. The blanket underneath you acted as a barrier against the damp grass of the Earth, whose rains watered seedlings into sprouts. Warmth caressed you sweetly from the side, rescuing you from winter’s last hurrah.

Glancing to Kyojuro, something bittersweet ached in your chest. This is how things are supposed to be. He isn’t supposed to be off fighting for his life and the lives of others, risking the very fire he blessed the world with the day he was born. Life isn’t about loss; it’s about living. You just want to live, and you want him to live, too. He’s earned that, and if you could only be so lucky to spend your life by his side, you would. 

But with each mission that rolls in, each day that goes by without a word, you worry you’ve already lost him to a death he resigned himself to long ago. An honorable death, one of courage. A widowing death that rips his life straight from your hands. 

Even though he was here with you, he felt so far away. Or maybe you were far away, peering at him without the rose-colored glasses you so often fancied. Looking to his hand in yours, you didn’t melt in its comforting warmth as you used to. Maybe it was because you knew those hands would soon be gone from this world, no longer banishing the sadness deep within you. 

Your husband was going to die, and you were going to be left here, grasping for the pieces of himself he entrusted to the hearts of others. You didn’t realize you were crying until tears splashed onto your entwined hands, chilled from the night air. The attention of your lover was suddenly on you, only now noticing your quiet turmoil. 

“Darling, what’s wrong?” he asked worriedly, his voice quiet. A gentle finger tilted your chin upwards, his eyes searching your face for answers. 

Ignoring the trembling of your lips, you grasped his free hand in yours, holding it tightly. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself as you laid out what was plaguing your thoughts. 

“This… this should be perfect,” you start, averting your eyes to stare at the distant horizon. You didn’t see the look of confusion flashing over his handsome features.  “I should be s-so happy, so content to be here with you right now, but I…” 

You trailed off with a hiccup, taking your hand from his to wipe away your tears. His earnest, caring gaze prompted a sob, and you turned away slightly in an attempt at composure. 

“But I,” you continued, looking to the ground. “I can’t. Knowing -- knowing that one day I’m going to--” 

Your words were stifled with another sob. You clapped a hand over your mouth, willing breaths to slow. It didn’t work. 

“That soon you’re not going to be here,” you manage, sniffling. “That the world-- the world will take you from me. I can’t- I don’t know how-”

The fragile dam breaks, freeing the tears you already failed to hold back. As his arm wrapped around you, you clung to him tightly, burying your face in his chest. He held you tightly to him, his hand cradling your head against him. 

“Shh, shh,” he soothed, pressing a firm kiss to the top of your head. “It’s alright.” 

He knew better than to say he wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t want to lie to you, or get your hopes up. His line of work was notoriously dangerous, and many fine men and women had lost their lives doing exactly what he’s doing. He wasn’t invincible. He knew that. 

His hand rubbed up and down your back comfortingly, calming the tremors wracking your body. He hoped that maybe if he held you tight enough, close enough, he could make this awful despair flee. He knew it wouldn’t, but he’s always been a hopeful man. 

Minutes passed with hushed whispers of comfort into your ear, calming hands consoling you. When your breathing finally evened out, he didn’t pull away. He couldn’t bear to see the pain he continues to cause you. 

“I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that day never comes,” he assures, grip tightening. “Please believe in me.” 

His words are hoarse, pleading. He needs you to believe in him so he can believe in himself. 

After a moment, he feels you nod against his chest. Your arms loosen and you pull away, facing him. Your shaking hand cups his cheek, bloodshot eyes staring into his own. Leaning in for a kiss, you linger, committing to memory the feeling of his lips against yours.

As you part, he pulls you back into his arms, this time more for himself than you. Silent tears trail down his face, gleaming under the muted light of the moon. 

You could never know how scared he was of losing you.

[groundnul]

Can you do a Modern au with Shinobu being friends with the Reader who's the Culinary teacher? And if you dont mind, Reader also being with Giyuu and seeing how Shinobu reacts to their relationship. This is my first ask so sorru in advamce!! I hope you have a good day ✩

 Gym Teacher! Giyuu x Culinary! S/O & Shinobu

note: this was written with shinobu as a student! i hope that was what you meant!! 

firstly the fact that it’s canon shinobu likes learning about cooking is very cute 

so expect her to want some impromptu cooking lessons after school on days she doesn’t have a club meeting. which, it seems the rules of clubs don’t really apply to her since she’s in two clubs instead of one anyway, so maybe she gets special treatment because her sister is the biology teacher 

being in the pharmaceutical club, she’s obviously interested in how things interact on a chemical level, so she’s going to ask lots of questions about how and why certain things happen during the cooking process 

if you answer her questions seamlessly, she’ll be very impressed! she has a lot of respect for people who are openly passionate and knowledgeable about the things they like

which is precisely why she simply Does Not Vibe with the gym teacher, giyuu 

she dislikes his cold-fish disposition and aloofness, and thinks he takes himself too seriously. she also thinks the small amount of authority he has goes to his head 

but she doesn’t tell you this, of course. because she likes you! she just doesn’t like your boyfriend 

the day she realized you two were dating was devastating. not for her, of course, but for you. you poor soul 

she found out after school one day during one of her impromptu lessons, which was running a little longer than normal 

when giyuu entered the room like he normally does around this time, shinobu immediately locked eyes with him and the room grew tense 

giyuu hasn’t liked shinobu since she started at kimetsu academy her first year, when she took his gym class. she was passive aggressive and discreetly unruly 

once she “accidentally” pegged him in the back so hard with a dodgeball he choked on his whistle

she would also intentionally do things very slowly to waste his time. she would always be the last one finishing up her laps, and at the end he could tell she didn’t even break a sweat

her fake apologies are still fresh in his mind, and he’s reminded of the embarrassing dodgeball incident every time he sees her 

needless to say, they were not on good terms 

so when shinobu saw him at your door she couldn’t help herself 

“Tomioka-sama, what are you doing here?” 

the stoic man’s eyes narrowed at her disrespectful use of honorifics, glaring at her 

“It doesn’t concern you.” 

you could sense the hostility as you looked back and forth between the two, laughing awkwardly as you tried to diffuse the situation, quickly finishing up your crash course. as you began to clean the dishes, shinobu took this as her signal to leave, thanking you before walking past a very awkward giyuu lingering near the doorway

after she was gone, you had to ask giyuu what the hell that was all about

he explained, in as few words as possible, that shinobu was in his gym class two years ago. sensing he was unwilling to go into further detail, you dropped the subject, quickly cleaning and packing up your things 

shinobu lingered around the front of the school long enough to watch the two of you leave together, and to her horror, hold hands once you were decently far away from the school 

shinobu thinks he is Not a good fit for you. she thinks you deserve someone more in touch with their feelings and more outgoing. she began actively trying to set you up with the history teacher, rengoku-sensei. everyone loves him, and he loves food! you two were a match made in heaven

she hasn’t seen a ring on your finger, so it can’t be that serious, she reasons 

but weeks later, when her plans to set you up with another teacher miserably fail and she sees a shiny new ring on your finger, she finally accepts that giyuu might be around for a while 

she doesn’t like it, but she won’t tell you that. she will, however, tell giyuu that in as many ways she knows how 

“It must be difficult for you, knowing she could do so much better. How do you cope?” “A ring isn’t binding, you know.” “

giyuu says nothing to you about it, of course, because then he’d have to admit that he was getting bullied by a high schooler. he does tell you that he doesn’t really like her, though, but you say she deserves another chance because she’s a sweet girl

he seriously doubts it, but he learns to ignore shinobu’s harsh words anyway, which is what he thinks makes her eventually stop with the hostility 

but really what made shinobu stop being so mean was walking in on the two of you having a flour fight in your classroom after school one day. both of you genuinely looked so happy and carefree with one another, and shinobu was shocked to have seen the gym teacher let loose for once. laugh, even. if he was like this more often, maybe he and shinobu wouldn’t have clashed so much. she left unnoticed, slipping out of the room just as she slipped in 

it was right then and there she decided to stop harassing giyuu about your relationship. she would still harass him about other things, of course, like his serious attitude or hardass rules 

but she eventually comes to terms with the fact that the two of you make each other happy, and will be supportive of your relationship because of that

she would now ask overly-personal questions about your relationship during your after school lessons, and would find it funny when you got embarrassed 

giyuu learns to tolerate, and to some extent, even appreciate shinobu’s presence in your life, and he’ll be less cautious about popping into your classroom after school 

the three of you learn to coexist peacefully, and when shinobu has graduated and gets invited to your wedding a year later, she somehow manages to secure a microphone and give a nice speech about the journey she went on with the gym teacher and his now-wife. she gives her best wishes for your future together, and you swear you see giyuu tear up 

when you two inevitably have a kid, giyuu hesitantly agrees to let shinobu babysit for a weekend, upon your assurance it would be okay

when your daughter returns with knowledge of your husband’s embarrassing high school stories, giyuu bans shinobu from ever babysitting your child again (which doesn’t work –  your kid loves shinobu, unfortunately for him) 

[groundnul]

Hello! :) could I request headcanons about Rengoku with a pregnant s/o? Thank you so much! ♥️♥️

https://groundnul.tumblr.com/post/190130131533/kyojuro-pregnant-so-headcanons

here you go!! i... love this man with all of my heart, so this was really fun to write. :,) 

[groundnul]

Kyojuro & Pregnant S/O Headcanons

request: Hello! :) could I request headcanons about Rengoku with a pregnant s/o? Thank you so much! ♥️♥️

warnings: brief mentions of nausea, slight mention of nsfw 

okay so i think we all know that kyojuro wants kids 

like it’s never really been a question for him because he derives so much happiness from helping others around him grow. to him, children represent an amplified version of that same experience

because of this, kyojuro takes his love life very seriously. he’s naturally a pretty intense person, but now he’s looking for the mother of his future children

so when you two start getting serious (which happens decently early on in your relationship), it’s something he brings up a lot and he’s not exactly subtle about it. he’ll start by asking if you have any younger siblings, if you like kids, etc. but then he’ll just ask if you see yourself with kids in the future. he doesn’t explicitly say “will you bear my children?” but given his seriousness in choosing a partner, it’s heavily implied 

so if you say yes, he will be elated. literally bursting at the seams. if you say no, before getting disappointed he will ask why. if the answer is something like “i don’t know if i’m cut out to be a mom” or “i’ve just never really thought about it,” expect him to spend as long as it takes convincing you that having a kid is the best decision you’ll ever make 

if you say you just don’t like kids, he will Call In The Troops (read: expose you to lovely children with hearts of gold, like his brother). he will make you love kids if it’s the last thing he does

once you two are on the same page, and presumably after you’re married, that is when the Baby Making Commences 

meaning this man will be trying as much as humanly possible to impregnate you 

he will [redacted] … prepare for a wild time

so when it comes to doing pregnancy tests, he’s awfully insistent. when the results come back negative, he’s not discouraged, but motivated to try even harder next time 

but when the tests just keep coming back negative, he’s starting to lose hope. he’s looking into ways to increase fertility and conception rates, to no avail

luckily for you two, however, miracles come when they’re least expected 

it happens one day when the two of you are tending to your outdoor garden. it was the first warm day of the year, and you weren’t used to the heat yet. you ended up fainting, and after much deliberation, kyojuro called a doctor. suddenly the nausea you’d been feeling for the past week or two made more sense. 

“I believe you’re pregnant, Mrs. Rengoku.” 

when i say our boy kyojuro was Excited, i mean he was that pick you up, twirl you around, cover you in kisses kind of excited 

the first person he told, of course, was his mother. he visited her early the next morning with flowers and sat across from her grave, talking quietly about his future with you and how he wishes she could have met you 

he literally couldn’t contain himself for the next few days. he was glowing both inside and out as he told anyone and everyone of your pregnancy. soon, the whole town knew. how could they not? 

this continued for the rest of your pregnancy. anytime he went to the store to get you something, he would tell the cashier he was buying it for his beautiful, pregnant wife. he would talk to strangers about how far along you were and how you were doing, explaining your odd cravings endearingly 

he will talk to literally anyone or anything that moves about you and the baby

he is fairly involved in the decoration of the nursery, helping you make decisions about what colors you should paint the walls and what supplies you needed to buy. he was mostly there for moral support, rather than to offer opinions of his own, unless he disagreed with something -- which he rarely did. it really only happened when it came to buying something less expensive to save money. he would insist that your child “deserved the best,” and you, of course, couldn’t really argue with that 

master of baby books. he’s read every one of them he could get his hands on and committed their advice to memory 

somehow, he managed to find a onesie that says “daddy’s little flame.” you still have no idea where he got it from 

he loves talking about baby names. during dinner, he’ll just randomly toss them out. a lot of them are really, really bad, but occasionally there are some winners 

even before your belly started growing, he insisted on doing the cooking and cleaning. he doesn’t want you to lift a finger if you don’t have to

and when your belly does start growing, he treats you like porcelain. helps you in and out of bed in the morning and at night, up from the couch, a chair. anytime he can help you stand or sit he does 

he likes taking showers with you because 1) he can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t fall, and 2) he gets to feel you all over and thinks you look very beautiful 

he loves brushing your hair for you

he’ll even paint your toenails for you when you can’t reach them anymore 

he really, really loves taking care of you. it’s a way he can feel like he’s helping when the pregnancy inevitably gets difficult for you

when your mood swings kick in, he is unbelievably patient and understanding, and knows that sometimes he just needs to give you a little space

if you’re ever scared you’re not going to be a good mom, he reassures you kindly and gently how perfect you will be 

he Will Not stop touching your belly. Anytime, anywhere. casually standing in line somewhere? checking out at the grocery store? in the kitchen? boom. hand on belly. it’s like touching it gives him a boost or something 

if you two are just chilling on the couch, he’s got an arm over your shoulder and a hand on your belly. if you’re standing around in your bedroom, he’ll come up behind you and put both his arms around you with his hands resting on your belly 

his favorite thing is to put his ear to your belly and listen. he got kicked once, which you’d think would be a deterrent. not for this guy. catch him rating the strength of your baby’s kicks 

belly kisses are a given. he also sings to your belly, and before bed, he will read you and the baby a story 

he also loves rubbing lotion on your belly for you, and massaging your feet, shoulders and back when they hurt 

he just Love Belly, okay?

in short, he adores seeing you, the love of his life, pregnant with his child. it fills him with an indescribable feeling of pride and happiness 

… it also kind of turns him on. expect lots of soft, pregnant sex (THERE. I SAID IT. WE’RE ALL THINKING IT.) 

[groundnul]

hello! can i request for mathstcr!sameni x fellowtcr!reader hcs? like how they are at sch as well as outside of sch, and their dynamics and stuff. thank you ❣️

Math Teacher! Sameni X Teacher! S/O

In School: 

sanemi is the type to keep his personal life deep under wraps, so it’s likely your relationship would fly under the radar to even the most astute observers 

the only people who really know something is up between the two of you are the teachers, because they see you arrive and leave school together each day

as a teacher, sanemi is extremely strict. he expects maximum effort from his students, and if they’re not putting in the work, you’ll hear about it from halfway across the school 

his method of gaining respect from his students revolves partially around fear, but also a deep understanding of the course material

he truly knows his stuff, and his mastery of the subject makes him the go-to person (much to his discontent) for just about anybody struggling with math concepts. it naturally makes his students admire him 

his personal items are incredibly nondescript, not revealing much of anything about his personality outside of school 

if sanemi is the hardass dad of the school, you’re his nurturing counterpart 

you are warm, friendly and sweet to your students

you thoroughly utilize positive reinforcement to encourage them

your personal items, like coffee mugs or pencils, are fun and vibrant 

you are also very masterful of your subject area, but derive respect from your students in a much different way 

you aspire to be someone they can look up to as both a teacher and individual, and try to push them to do things that help them grow 

you make sure you take the time to get to know each of your students and make them feel heard and respected

you want students to know that their worth is not reflected by their grades, no matter what anyone else tells them

you and sanemi are like night and day 

in the times the two of you do see each other throughout the day, there’s nothing overtly romantic or friendly about your interactions 

to anyone spectating, it just comes across as a relatively one-sided conversation or a quick handoff of something 

but despite the lack of an obvious connection, there would be subtle hints of his, not necessarily affection, but lack of hostility towards you that could be noticed by others if they looked hard enough 

if there are school assemblies or meetings, he’ll stand or sit near you, if given the choice 

but it’s not like he’s going to implode if he doesn’t get the chance. while he is protective, he’s not clingy 

speaking of protective 

if someone’s giving you shit, student, parent, teacher or otherwise, he will personally Beat Ass (not literally, of course. but expect some mighty hostile words, looks or gestures. imagine sanemi dragging his finger across his throat behind you as you deal with a shitty parent. classic) 

this includes higher-ups, like principles or assistant principles 

if he hears them talking shit, he’s not one to hold his tongue. and ultimately, he knows what he’s saying is fact, so it’s not like they can really say he’s wrong 

he respects authority, but not blindly. if the “authority” figure of the school is unworthy of said authority, he won’t oblige them 

that is one of the few times he would relinquish a small amount of privacy in his personal life – you and your reputation are far more important 

overall, his focus throughout the day is doing his job well

Outside of School: 

after school is one of the times you two get to spend together often, usually just in each other’s company while grading papers 

by this time, there’s really no one around except the other teachers, so you two don’t have to be as standoffish 

this time is usually spent in silence, bar some frustrated outbursts from sanemi while he reviews the work of his students 

cue: aggressive scribbling 

(just imagined him with little reading glasses.    i’m gonna need a minute) 

if you’re worried about something, he’s able to tell almost immediately. he’s perceptive and intelligent, often paying attention to small details (when he feels its necessary), even when it doesn’t seem like it (this is also why he manages to buy you the best presents, but that’s a conversation for another time) 

if you don’t outright tell him what’s bothering you, he’ll straight-up ask. generally has zero tact, but that’s just because he doesn’t like beating around the bush

even though the two of you have drastically different approaches when it comes to your students, you mesh together surprisingly well 

where he’s usually loud, brash and abrasive, you’re patient, kind and compassionate – you admire his take-no-shit attitude, and (though he won’t admit it) he appreciates the different perspectives you bring into his life

his approach to problems is very head-on, and he unconsciously pushes you to deal with things you procrastinate on

he’s always doing something that betters him in some way or another, but that comes very naturally to him. doing things like exercising, cooking or studying up make him feel productive, and he refuses to be voluntarily unproductive 

if you’re not naturally inclined to do the same, he doesn’t really get it, but he’ll leave you be – unless you start complaining. then he won’t hesitate to tell you exactly what he thinks. which is kind of his specialty. honesty is something sanemi holds in high regard, and he doesn’t really view it as a negative thing, so much as getting directly to the point 

because of this, his partner needs to be someone who can take criticism, constructive or not. they also need to be able to call him out when he’s being harsh or unreasonable. if his partner is able to do this, he respects them a lot more than if they simply bottle up their own feelings 

talking things through with you gives him a more nuanced understanding of why you do the things you do, which is important to him 

And despite his constant need for self-advancement, he always, always carves out time specifically to spend with you in one way or another, and if you don’t automatically do the same thing, he’ll practically force you to. it can be something as simple as cuddling up on the couch while you watch a movie, or taking you out for the night 

the two of you are able to operate with very little verbal communication, if necessary. sanemi much prefers actions over words, so in privacy his appreciation is often shown through the things he does 

if you’re stressed, he will do things around the house so that you don’t have to worry about them 

he’ll usually cook dinner for you both, and in the mornings, you wake up to a cute little bento box with a cloth tied around it for your lunch 

in other words: yes he does the cooking, yes he does the cleaning 

in the mornings, he’s always the first up, and if he sees you lazing around in bed for too long, he won’t hesitate to wake your ass up 

if you two drive to school, he’ll give you a quick kiss goodbye in the car before you both head into school. if you walk or take the bus, he’ll kiss you before you both leave the house and just give your hand a squeeze before parting ways 

btw if u both take the bus and you just so happen to fall asleep on his shoulder, he won’t move you, but he’ll startle you awake at your spot and scold you for not getting enough sleep 

[groundnul]

Yay, I’m so happy you’re willing to do poly relationships!! Could I request a scenario/one shot where shinobu and mitsuri are in an established relationship and the reader has feelings for both of them that she thinks are unrequited but then they end up inviting her to be in a poly relationship together?

https://groundnul.tumblr.com/post/190094501558/language-of-flowers-shinobu-x-mitsuri-x-reader

here you go!! this was so much fun to write. also i am so incredibly soft for mitsuri kanroji it is unreal 

[groundnul]

Language of Flowers: Shinobu X Mitsuri X Reader

Request: Yay, I’m so happy you’re willing to do poly relationships!! Could I request a scenario/one shot where shinobu and mitsuri are in an established relationship and the reader has feelings for both of them that she thinks are unrequited but then they end up inviting her to be in a poly relationship together?

Title: Language of Flowers

Pairing: Shinobu X Mitsuri X Reader

Word Count: 3,153

Warnings: none

Notes: alternate title: tengen uzui to the rescue 

Across the courtyard, you watched as Mitsuri and Shinobu enjoyed each other’s company over a cup of tea. Shinobu had an arm extended over the table, trying to feed something to an obviously bashful and fawning Mitsuri. As Mitsuri took the bite of food offered, Shinobu drew back her hand with a sweet smile, eyes trailing Mitsuri as if to memorize everything about her. 

Turning away, a frustrated huff passed through your lips. Your feet moved on their own, taking you away from the source of your turmoil. Why did both of the people you had a crush on have to be together? Why? 

It’s not fair. It’s not like you asked to be hopelessly in love with both of them -- it just kind of happened. 

. . . 

“(Y/N)-san, come look!” Mitsuri said excitedly, crouched next to a bench in the courtyard of the Butterfly Estate. Her long braid cascaded down her haori, swaying along with her movements. Jade eyes beckoned you closer, along with a wave of her arm. 

You rushed over, unsure of what all the commotion was about. When you neared, you followed the point of her delicate fingers to the seat of the bench. On it crawled a small, furry caterpillar.

“Isn’t it cool??” she asked, looking from you to the caterpillar. Her hand rested dreamily on the crest of her cheek. You giggled at her adoration, watching her eyes light up as the insect reared its little head into the air. 

“Do you know what kind it is?” you inquired, watching her expression. You could see the visible shift on her features as she processed your question, searched her brain and found an answer. 

“Hmm…” she thought for a moment, finger tapping against her lip. Her hand outstretched animatedly as the answer came to her and she smiled determinedly. “Shinobu said it was called a maimai ga! She also said not to touch it, because you’ll get a rash.”

She warned you with the waggle of her finger, but you kept your eyes fixed on her adorable expression, chuckling at her enthusiasm. 

She must have a beautiful soul. 

. . .

While it wasn’t your first interaction with Mitsuri, it was one of the first times you had a one-on-one conversation with her, outside of the pillar meetings. You slid open the door to your guest room, slipping off your haori, sword and shoes and tossing them into the closet. You grumbled under your breath, moodily crawling under the covers of your tatami. These girls were going to make you crazy. 

Your love for Shinobu came about a different way. 

. . . 

A choked scream ripped through the air as your body was slammed against a tree, forcing the air out of your lungs. Clawed fingers wrapped themselves around your throat, threatening to crush your windpipe.

The demon before you was one of the strongest you had faced, up to this point. Your measly Kanoe ranking meant nothing in comparison to their unbridled strength and speed. And now, they were just toying with you. Seeing how long you could hold out against their torture.  

Your sword was long abandoned across the forest clearing, lodged into the trunk of a tree. Trembling hands pried at the fingers around your throat, feet thrashing as the demon scraped your body further up the tree. Your mind raced, searching for a way out of this horrible situation, but nothing came. 

As your world grew dark, you heard the demon laugh. You feared it would be the last thing you ever heard. 

But the voice of someone else rang through the clearing moments before the darkness swallowed you whole. 

“Excuse me?” the voice asked politely, eyeing the demon curiously. “What are you up to? Is this some sort of game?” 

The demon’s grip loosened in surprise, just for a moment, long enough for you to escape their grasp. You fell to the dirt in a heap, coughing and sputtering as you tried to get away. But angry fingers gripped your hair, jerking you backward. The mysterious voice was closer in an instant, somehow behind you. 

“I don’t think she wants to play with you,” the voice explained sweetly. “But I’d love to be your friend. Would you like to play with me, instead?” 

Your hair was let loose, and you seized the opportunity. Shaking legs hardly supported your weight as you dashed across the clearing to your sword, desperately tugging at the hilt. After finally pulling it free, you turned back to the scene. 

A small girl somehow towered over the slain body of the demon, now splayed on the ground. Lavender butterflies fluttered through the forest clearing, swirling upward into the sky. She sheathed a thin sword, along with something else you couldn’t quite see. Turning around, her purple eyes met yours. 

“Hello, there!” she greeted, her voice bright in the suffocating darkness of the night. “Are you alright? 

You nodded numbly, almost entranced by her features under the moonlight. She giggled, hands clapping together in front of her. Her eyes closed happily, head tilting to the side. 

“Perfect!”

. . . 

You sighed at the memory, staring up at the ceiling of your room. The night Shinobu saved you was forever etched into your brain, replaying whether you wanted it to or not. Her kindness and skill inspired you, while her beauty captivated you. 

The same could be said for Mitsuri, whose bursting love made your heart swell with adoration. Her heart of gold shined brighter than any star in the night sky, and you’d give anything to be on the receiving end of her smile. 

Groaning, you slapped your cheeks. Why did everything have to be so hard? 

Confessing was kind of out of the question. There were a million things that could go wrong, and the last thing you wanted to do was get between their relationship. If one or both of them rejected you, it would make things incredibly awkward. On the other hand, if either of them reciprocated your feelings… that’s a whole other can of worms. Shaking your head, you dismissed the idea. It’s not like you could confess to two people at once… 

Unless? 

No, no, you couldn’t do that…

Right? 

Your eyes narrowed in thought. What’s the worst thing that could happen? 

Confessing to the separately might seem shady, like you’re trying to keep someone out of the loop. If either of them like you back, it’s going to require a conversation between the three of you, regardless. So… why not kill two birds with one stone? 

Sitting up from your tatami, you shoved the blankets off and grabbed your haori. After grabbing your shoes and sword, you headed to the front of the estate, a determined look in your eyes. You spotted Sumi, Kiyo and Naho in the hall, whispering to them instructions for later. Their eager nods in response gave you confidence, their hands waving you off as you began your trek to the city. What’s a confession without flowers, anyway? 

. . . 

When you returned a few hours later, the sun had just begun to set on the horizon, sparking golden hour. Peeking around the corner, you glanced at the courtyard, searching for the familiar figures of your crushes. To your luck, it seems they both got your little message, and were seated near one another on the edge of the engawa. You gripped the two bouquets of flowers in your hand tightly, taking a deep breath. 

Don’t mess this up. 

You stepped out from the corner, slowly approaching the two from the side, the bouquets of flowers behind your back. Two sets of eyes quickly flicked to you, smiles welcoming but curious. Shinobu was the first to speak. 

“Oh, hello, (Y/N)!” she said sweetly, turning her body to face you. “It’s nice to see you. What’s going on?” 

Mitsuri’s eyes trailed over Shinobu in admiration, her finger rising to rest near her lips. You swallowed harshly, stepping out in front of the two, feet shuffling awkwardly in the dirt. 

“Well, actually,” you started nervously, eyes switching between their similarly expectant stares. “I wanted to talk with you both.” 

“Oh?” Shinobu says, eyebrows raising. “You know you could have just stopped by.” 

“When the girls came to see me, I thought maybe something was wrong,” Mitsuri explained sheepishly, a flash of concern in her eyes. “Is everything alright?” 

Your cheeks flushed at their words. You cleared your throat, biting your lip. Sending Sumi, Kiyo and Naho to fetch them upon your return was risky, but you hoped it would make the setting a little more formal for something like a confession. 

“E-everything’s fine,” you stutter, cursing your anxiousness. “I’m sorry if I worried you. There’s just… um… I’ve been meaning to tell you both something for a while now.” 

You felt your face grow even hotter as their eyes searched your face for answers. 

“What is it?” Shinobu asked innocently, feet swinging playfully off the edge of the engawa. 

“You know you can always talk to us,” Mitsuri reassured warmly, giving you her undivided attention.

You went rigid, heart thrumming in your ears. Taking a deep breath in, you bent at the waist, eyes squeezed shut. 

“I… I have liked you both for a very long time,” you explained quietly, not having the courage to even open your eyes. “So… So, I- I hope you accept this as… as a token of my affection for you both!” 

You thrust both your hands out, a bouquet in each. In the right, for Shinobu, comprised of lavender roses and white jasmine -- love at first sight and sweet love. In the left, for Mitsuri, red roses and pink camellia --  love and longing. Shinobu would understand the meaning behind hers, you’re sure, but you’re not certain if Mitsuri knows a lot about flower meanings. Maybe Shinobu would fill her in. You sigh. 

Knots twist in your stomach at the deafening silence that follows. Your fingers are trembling, you’re sure, as hands gingerly pluck the flowers from your grip, first Shinobu and then Mitsuri. Your hands drop stiffly to your side, clenching into fists. Slowly, you raise your head, the rest of your body following as you examine their expressions. 

They both look surprised, looking from one another and back to you. You feel your heart sink. 

 You knew this was a bad idea. 

“Thank you, (Y/N), they’re beautiful,” Shinobu says, enthusiasm trailing off into something entirely different. “But, Mitsuri and I … we’re already...” 

Her eyes are soft, looking at you with sympathy. You feel your whole body shaking, hands gripping roughly at the edges of your haori in an attempt to calm the sea of emotions welling within you. 

Tears prick the corners of your eyes, and you swallow thickly, trying to will them away. Your heart rate spikes, and your body wills you to do something, anything to escape the extreme stress of this situation. 

Your eyes look to Mitsuri, who is looking at you with empathetic eyes. It looks like she’s close to tears, herself. You shouldn’t have let her see you like this. 

“(Y-Y/N), I had no idea.” Mitsuri said, and you could practically feel her guilt. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something we could do-” 

You made her feel like that. 

“I-” you begin, voice cracking. “I understand. I’m sorry to have bothered you both. P-please excuse me.” 

You swiftly turn, moving quickly back towards your room. 

“W-wait, (Y/N!)” you hear Mitsuri shout, but you can’t bring yourself to turn and face her. You can’t see that look in her eyes, again. You keep walking. 

You ignore the tears streaming down your cheeks until you’re out of their sight, scrubbing harshly at them to will them away. You choke down the sob trying to escape your throat, wiping your nose with the sleeve of your haori. Distracted by your own sadness, you fail to notice the large figure turning the corner just up ahead. 

Your body collides with the much larger figure of Tengen Uzui, pushing you a few steps back. 

“Hm?” he questioned, looking down to your much smaller form. 

You haori obscured most of your face as you politely excused yourself, walking past him and down the hall to your room. His curious and concerned eyes looked from you to the end of the hallway, where Mitsuri stood helplessly. As he approached the Love Pillar, sensing her mutual sadness, paternal red irises all but demanded an explanation from the pinkette. In response, Mitsuri led Tengen and Shinobu into her own room. 

As you cried pitifully in the confines of your closet, you were oblivious to the conversation transpiring between the three pillars just a few rooms down the hall. 

.  .  . 

A few hours later, a knock on the door pulled you from your thoughts. 

You sighed, tossing your blanket off to the side. You rub your eyes, stretching out your tired muscles as you stand. Gently smoothing out your hair and straightening your clothes, you slide open the door. 

Before you stand Sumi, Kiyo and Naho, looking at you with excited eyes. Your shoulders slump with relief. 

“Hi girls,” you greet nicely, albeit tiredly. “What can I do for you?” 

“Miss (Y/N), your presence is requested in the courtyard!” they said surprisingly loud in unison, startling you. You chuckle lightly at the scare, crossing your arms and propping yourself up on the doorway. You sigh for what must be the hundredth time today, considering the implications of their words. 

“May I ask who is requesting my presence?” you ask, raising a brow at the girls. 

After exchanging a look with each other, they look back to you, shaking their heads. Damn. Well, it was worth a shot. 

“Okay, thank you,” you laugh out lifelessly. “I’ll be right there.” 

The three girls nod in response, making their way to wherever it is they go when they’re not working. Closing the door, you run your hand down your face, pinching the bridge of your nose. There were very few people who would want to see you, and you can think of two in particular. The thought makes your heart heavy. 

They probably just want to reject me formally. 

Nonetheless, you slip your shoes, sword and haori back on, splash some water on your face and slowly make your way to the courtyard. From your spot in the hallway, you see the faint glow of candles ahead, illuminating the darkness. Furrowing your brows, you continue forward. The closer you get, the more candles there seem to be, lighting a path for you into the center of the courtyard. You chuckle half-heartedly, pivoting to search for the culprit. Looking up to the engawa, you see none other than Shinobu and Mitsuri in the doorway, a bouquet of flowers in each of their hands.

Under the moonlight, Shinobu looked so much like she did the first night you met her. Mitsuri looked equally as lovely, the light of the candles giving her the golden glow of a goddess. Why did they have to be so beautiful even as they reject you? The world truly is cruel. 

Ar first glance, you thought the bouquets  were the ones you got them, and you deflated. Of course, they’re just going to give them back to you. Why else would they be here? 

But, looking closer, it’s clear the bouquets are different. Light from the candles illuminate the red tulips and white roses dotting the bouquets -- a declaration of love and a new beginning. 

Shocked, you stare at them wordlessly. Your eyes switched between their figures, gauging their intent. This couldn’t possibly be right. They called you out here to reject you, crush your hopes and dreams of ever loving either of them… right? 

As they stepped forward, you didn’t move. You hardly breathed until they were both just a few feet in front of you, eyes looking at you expectantly. 

“Thank you for coming, (Y/N),” Shinobu said, her normal smile in place. “We wanted to talk with you.” 

You forced down the giddiness bubbling up within you, opting not to get your hopes up. When you didn’t speak, Mitsuri spoke up. 

“Earlier today, when you told us your feelings, we were kind of shocked,” she explained honestly, a heavy blush adorning her features. “But after having some time to think things over… and talk with a friend… I think we have a solution!” 

“(Y/N),” Shinobu started, eyes staring straight into yours. “You’ve been very special to me since the night we met. Your kindness, strength and compassion have only grown since then.”

“I have also seen those traits in you,” Mitsuri admitted, her expression growing more animated as her passion grew. “I have grown to love them! And…after hearing your confession, I realized my feelings towards you may be more than platonic.” 

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Firstly, it’s like they rehearsed this. Was there someone holding up cue cards you couldn’t see? Secondly, their words were still bouncing around in your head. They hadn’t really sunk in yet. 

“(Y/N), do you know what polyamory is?” Shinobu cut into your thoughts candidly, eyes curious. 

To say you just about fainted was an understatement. There was no way this was real, that the two girls of your dreams are asking you about polyamory after your failed confession. Impossible. 

You nod silently, afraid of what was going to come next. 

“Lovely!” Shinobu cheered. “Then we’ve got a proposal for you.” 

Shinobu looked to Mitsuri, who nodded at her before turning back to you. 

“If it’s alright with you…” she began, trailing off in what looked like embarrassment. But as she spoke, her confidence began to show through, painting her words with excitement. “We would like to invite you into a polyamorous relationship with us!” 

Eyes wide, you stared at the two of them in pure shock. The reality of their words earlier had started to hit you, and all of a sudden, you felt like you were on top of the world. 

“This is new territory for both of us, but we’d like to give it a shot,” Shinobu said happily, smile growing. “If you are open to the possibility, of course.”

“If not, we completely under-” Mitsuri began, only to be cut off with an “oof” at the impact of your arm around her and Shinobu’s shoulders, pulling them into a hug. 

“I accept!!” you all but shouted, unable to control your excitement as you hugged them closer. 

Shinobu chuckled, followed by Mitsuri, and then you, turning your group hug into a big, laughing mess. As you finally released the two, you pulled back, accepting the bouquets from their hands and holding them close to your chest. 

Even if you didn’t have the words to tell them how excited you were for this chance to love and be loved, it was okay. 

The language of flowers was enough.