#ASKJFSDKLFSDF IM NOT GOOD AT THIS STYLE IM SOS SORRY IF U THINK ITS BAD

[hqrbinger]

i'll never smile again.

request; So… here’s my brain rot; Kazuha x Oiran!reader Maybe it’s just a place Kazuha just happens to stubble into while making his escape/hiding (crash into room lol) , that someone who has enough connections & wealth to aid him in leaving Inazuma Maybe she knows “Tomo” the relationship can be either platonic or romantic A bittersweet to fluff if they able to meet again ? Or maybe angst if the said Oiran was found out that she aid a wanted criminals thus face consequences ? It’s up to you -nemophila summary; as the oiran of a house in inazuma's very own red light district, you use the small power you have to aid a man in need. no matter the price. pairing; kaedehara kazuha x afab!oiran!reader warnings; sfw, angst, death, no beta notes; this has to be one of the best ideas i have ever been graced with for sure, thank you so much for letting me write this for you aaaAAHHHH I HOPE U LIKE IT IM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT <333 man this got o long with so much unnecessary middle bits so i had to cut so much out </3 sorry abt the angst too but when given the choice i will always go with angst my beloved

brought to you by half i'll never smile again and half sinking from the omori soundtrack

song; i'll never smile again- tommy dorsey

your hand stilled as the snap of splintering of wood shattered the peaceful atmosphere, half-mixed tea dripping from the chasen in your hand. you blinked a few times, your widened eyes locked within the plum stare of a young man who seemed to be just as surprised as you were.

the boy, who was currently upside-down across the room in a small pile of debris from your now-broken window screen, simply stared at you as if he expected you to scold him.

"are you alright?" your gentle question was certainly not expected, as the samurai's (as you assumed from his attire) face flushed a pretty pink before he scrambled to his feet, bowing deeply.

"my lady, i-"

you couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his disheveled appearance, interrupting him.

"there's no need for apologies. why don't you come sit, i have a few questions to ask."

you turned back towards the tea you had been preparing as he hesitantly made his way over, sitting cross-legged at the other end of the table.

"forgive me if i'm wrong," you mused, pouring the tea into his cup, "but you must be one of tomo's friends, correct?"

the look on his face was enough to give you your answer.

you had known tomo a long time. you had initially met thanks to a friend of his who had purchased time with you on his behalf to get him to "relax", but the two of you ended up talking for hours instead.

luckily, as a rather popular and high-standing tayu, you were allowed to be picky. you rarely engaged in anything besides making public appearances in the oiran parades, sadō, and ikebana, but that didn't mean your time was any less expensive.

but tomo always seemed to have the money, or the wit, to steal a bit of it. he would show up frequently, telling you tales of his travels, stories of his friends, bringing in news about the war and dramatic rumours about a legendary traveler.

until one day, his visits stopped abruptly.

tales of the wanderer with an electro vision receiving the blow of the muso no hitotachi had told you what you needed to know.

however, thanks to tomo's stories, you were able to recognize kazuha right away. he told you that tomo had mentioned the oiran house as a means of safety and asylum, and you were happy to help him on tomo's behalf.

so, kazuha's intermittent appearances began. his semi-weekly visits turned weekly, turned twice a week, turned daily, and suddenly you were standing over him, chastising him lightly for being careless before insisting he just stay in the house until you could find a way for him to get out of the country.

"i can't keep making up excuses for the shogunate army showing up at our doorstep!" you would scold him, the image of you pouting with your finger pointing at him making him flush just a bit. nevertheless, kazuha continued to refuse up until you threatened to swat him with one of your 8-inch geta.

oirans, however popular and famous, did not have easy lives. you were one of the luckier ones, managing to gain your status of tayu, allowing you a taste of extra freedom- but your debts continued to loom over you like a caged monster just waiting to swallow you whole. in light of his hesitance to overstay his welcome, you assumed that kazuha was aware of this fact.

but despite your shortcomings, you were determined to help him. if for nothing else, you would do it for tomo.

what you didn't expect was for the samurai to... grow on you a bit. he was polite and charming, well-mannered and sweet. archons, he would even write you haikus on quiet, starry nights. with all the hours you spent with one another, it was no surprise that you began to fall for him.

your occupation did not allow you to take a lover, so you instead tried to focus on finding a way for kazuha to escape inazuma. thankfully, after some flirting and promises on your part, a boat was promised and a date was set.

you didn't want to admit it, but the thought of him leaving inazuma- leaving you- behind, left a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. you weren't used to such feelings of fondness, the twisting and pulling of your heartstrings foreign. you felt almost shameful, finding yourself nearly unable to withstand sudden urges to grab his hand or touch his shoulder. you were so preoccupied with figuring out your own troubling emotions you completely missed his rather obvious return of affections.

it wasn't until the night before kazuha's escape that he pulled you aside, holding both your hands, his eyes glued to the floor. you were confused but completely flustered, your mind scrambling for anything to focus on besides the way his thumbs gently smoothed over your knuckles. he looked as if he was struggling to find words as his equally reddened face stared down at yours, your heartbeat roaring so loud you swore he could hear it. after several moments of blaring silence, four words you would never forget fell out-of-breath from his pink lips.

"can i kiss you?"

a soft breeze blew lazily through the electro-charged air as you were lead up the steps before the grand statue of the omnipresent god, the soon-to-be stormy weather feeling sickeningly fitting for the occaision of the day.

it didn't take long after kazuha's successful escape for the shogunate to track you down. you had been taken into custody for assisting a wanted criminal and in turn opposing the vision hunt decree, which was technically treason towards the shogun, resulting in an execution. you had managed to dodge that fate for nearly a year, but it seemed the shogun was tired of waiting.

you spared a glance towards the gathering crowd. sure enough, the face you wanted to see the least stared up at you, eyes wide, expression one of horror and regret.

you weren't sure why he had returned to inazuma, but you knew it must be for a good reason. perhaps during your imprisonment the resistance had finally made it's move.

despite your impending fate, you couldn't help but feel happy. happy to see the man you loved one, final time, knowing that he had lived past his escape.

so, you smiled. a wide, genuine smile, hoping your lover would understand what you were trying to convey.

you didn't regret what you did. you would do it again, and again, and again, and again if it meant he would feel happy for just another moment more.

kneeling before the shogun, her face as stone cold as ever, you continued to smile, recalling the feel of his fingertips and the soft brush of his lips.

and as your archon raised her sword, you recalled the very last haiku he left with you.

"as bright as a star you, dear, shine brilliantly the night sky is yours."

"i love you, kazuha."