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echantedtoon · 5 months

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Monster Bride Part 6 Kokushibo

Warnings: Kokushibo is in pretty rough shape with bad wounds and some blood loss, mentioned blood, Kokushibo murders a rival later, mentioned killing/attempted murder, Y/n gets kidnapped for a forced marriage, Y/n gets cut when someone tries to attack Kokushibo, Kokushibo breaks someone's hand, etc.

Just a reminder Kokushibo is a Omukade Yokai centaur creature and looks a lot like the links below.

www.tumblr.com/rottencoreflesh101/724273568035274752/some-monster-au-doodles-i-did-at-work-im-also?source=share

www.tumblr.com/rottencoreflesh101/724423204823826432/work-doodles-more-of-my-monster-au-i-think-i?source=share

Hantengu Bros are next.)

Quietly you stepped closer as and closer and CLOSER to the bush silently. Slowly behind the henhouse you went and stopped right in front of the bush. The wind blew swaying it's branches creepily and looked like thrashing arms. You grabbed a handful and silently and slowly pulled them back.

And you froze at what you saw-

The winds howled as the darkness crept across the skies. The darkness behind the bush shielded your form from the moonlight which cascaded down between the trees and clouds in the sky. The shadows danced and branches creaked as the wind blew them about. Like arms beckoning you closer to grab you away in their rough grip. Drag you into the shadows never to be seen again. You cracked an opening in the branches and looked out. The darkened sky looked out over the entire area. Tree branches swayed and night fell upon the ground. However you froze as your eyes met a sickening sight.

R E D.

The coldness of the air bit down hard on your skin, like painful bee stings pricking your skin. The terror far greater than seeing a thousand wolves sunk in. A hand flew to cover your mouth as a foul urge to vomit rose and a sickening copper smell filtered through the air.

RED!!

That was the color painted everywhere on the ground displayed before you. And there...lying face down slumped over was a man's body. A canvas for the color. Your eyes shrank in terror and your ears gained a ringing sound all on their own drowning out any noise.

A DEAD BODY.

In your backyard and lying right in front of your face. How-...Where did it come from?! Who was this!? Where did it come from?! You wretched yourself away from the bush in shock and leaned over slightly. The urge to vomit riding as you did everything you could to keep it down. The bush branches snapping back into place hiding the sight from you. Automatically you gave a few coughs and gulped down air in an attempt to calm yourself head spinning. There was a dead man on your property! Oh gods! What if someone thought you were responsible for this!? You could be tried for murders-

Wait...

How did you know he was actually dead?

That one thought made you freeze in your tracks instantly. That's right...How did you know for certain that he was dead? You just merely saw him covered in blood with a gash on his back. Your head turned back to the bush. He...he could've been hurt and tried reaching your house for help. What if he was laying there suffering?! That thought perked you back up into going back to the bush and cautiously reaching out to slightly pull the branches again. The body was still there unmoving. It...sure LOOKED dead but you couldn't tell in the dark. If he was still alive..you had to help him. You couldn't just leave someone to bleed out. The unmoving form still remained unmoving even as you noisily pushed through the bush and stood right next to the head....It was definitely a man. You could tell by how Large the body was and how muscular the exposed skin was. In the limited moonlight you were able to make out long hair and bangs that mostly covered his face and he laid in a position that suggested that he'd collapsed by himself. But the question still remained...Was he still alive?

You hesitated again ...but slowly you reached over to the face laying on its side and touched the long bangs covering his eyes. It was .. surprisingly soft and silky to the touch and you slowly pulled it away from the face to examine it. The right side of a man's face greeted you. You nearly jumped back at what you saw. His right eye was closed obviously either unconscious or dead, and read streaks ran down his face in water dripping patterns from a cut on his forehead. However...that wasn't the strangest bit. There was an odd flame looking birthmark on his neck and part of his right cheek. Odd. You'd never seen a birthmark like that before. However you didn't pay it much mind. Your hand instead went to almost touch his lips and flinched back feeling a weak warm breath blow across your fingertips. You reeled back in shock, hand to your chest, and jumping

HE WAS ALIVE!!

Hands grabbed his right shoulder and HEAVED. Barely moving an inch, but slowly the body turned, and with a thud whoever he was collapsed onto his back. A shocked gasp escaped from your throat upon purple eyes seeing his front body. Oh gods...So much blood. His body was practically DRENCHED in the red color! And you found out why. Mr. Unknown had the front of his shirt ripped to pieces to where it was barely hanging on over his shoulders. A large gash across his front from his left shoulder and ending just above his right hip was exposed to you. Definitely bigger than the gash along his back. And there was a third smaller gash along his right collar bone ending near his bicep. There was so much blood..How was he even still alive!? You also saw he had more of those flame like birthmarks on the upper left corner of his face. How odd. You reached out to touch it- But froze as a strong hand snatched you hand.

A pair of eyes opened up and gazed up at the blurry figure above him. Not making any sense of the blurry, spinning vision. Until the eyes rolled up into the back of his head and the last thing he saw was a glimpse of purple.

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

Warm.

Everything was warm once feeling returned to his body. Which was odd. He was lying on the cold hard ground last he remembered. Logic was of course the first thing to return to him. His thinking was always faster than his reflexes. Then the feeling of his body settled in. Warmth...but incredible aching, throbbing soreness. It throbbed and panged his body. Hmm..So he wasn't dead after all. It was too painful to be heaven and not painful enough to be hell, and too annoying to be purgatory. So he was Still alive but had passed out for a short while. An acceptable fate. Now...where was he?

Eyes slowly opened themselves up to the world blinking rapidly at the light and his vision blurred until he could see...A one roomed house? It was mostly empty. A coffee table square in the middle, a picture frame or two holding a painting of someone on the walls, a basket in the corner, a shelf full of dishes and other small items, a fireplace with a fire currently going, and a few other bland things. Nothing that really stood out as anything important to him. But who lived here? Why was he inside? How did he get here? And who touched him?

His question was answered when the door opened and the figure of a woman in a blue kimono walked in. The smell of wood drew his attention to the logs she was carrying. Silently he watched as she slid the sliding door back closed with a foot before continuing on to the fireplace and proceeding to feed the fire the wood. He laid there silently staring at her legs as she worked, feeling too weak to look up just yet and not wanting to give himself away just yet. The sounds of a metal poker scraping against the fire appeared for a little while before it too went away and the legs turned to face him. They didn't move again for a long moment before he felt a hand touch his blanketed shoulder- Faster than either expected his left hand shot up to tightly grip a much smaller wrist and squeezed down just enough to get the other body to freeze.

"Who are you and where am I?"

His eyes turned upwards slowly tilting his head...and he gave pause at the shocked face staring at him. The soft features looking as if sculpted by an angel. Soft, warm, and very beautiful. Definitely a woman. You stared at him in shock at how fast the man moved despite the fact that he was still extremely hurt and had blood loss. Whoever he was, he was extremely trained if he could react this fast. You jumped as he lightly squeezed your wrist. It didn't hurt, not at all, but you couldn't move. This man was obviously serious. So taking a breath..you exhaled slowly to calm yourself.

"Calm yourself," you spoke holding up your free hand despite his face already being an odd calm, "Relax back. You might reopen your wounds-"

"Answer me."

"My name is Y/n. Y/n Tamayo. This is my home. I found you unconscious outside last night and brought you in here."

You heard him him eyes looking you up and down.. before he slowly let go of your wrist and lowered his arm back down but paused when he saw the white wrapped around his palm and held his hand out to look at the bandages wrapped around it. Before his eyes slowly looked down at his now uncovered torso and saw even more bandages snuggly wrapped around his entire upper body, over his right shoulder, and part of his upper right arm. A hand reached up to feel his head and again found more bandages wrapped around his forehead. The throbbing soreness he's been feeling eminated from most of the bandaged spots. And a deep inhale made him aware of some kind of ointment or herbal treatment under them.

"...You have treated my wounds."

You nodded finally smiling at him. "I did. My mother's a doctor so I know a few medical treatments."

"My sword. Where is it?"

"It's by the table. You were passed out so I didn't know what to do with it otherwise." He looked back to you. "Your shirt was also ruined but I managed to save your other clothes. They're washed and drying outside so you should be able to get them back soon."

"I see ..Again he looked back to his body. "What of the state of my injuries?"

"You have a few large gashes across your back, chest, and shoulder here," you gestured to his torso. "But they're not deep at all and should heal rather quickly. You have a few cuts also but they're even smaller and should heal faster." You then frowned. "However I am worried about how much blood you managed to lose. There was so much. I honestly thought you were dead when I first saw you."

"I'll live," he said simply before sighing through his nose. "Is there anyone else that lives here?"

You shook your head. "No. Just me-"

"Where does that door there lead?" He pointed out the Smaller sliding door near the shelf.

"Oh. That leads into my bathroom." You blinked before looking at him. "My house isn't that-"

You blinked at the man who was sitting up. ...The man was .. sitting up. The man was sitting up despite his blood loss- He sighed through his nose before pulling the blanket to drap around his shoulders and slowly struggled to stand up. Your jaw dropped in disbelief as he was able to stand up and turned keeping the blanket draped over himself. Eventually you shook you head and snapped after him.

"Hey! W-Wait a minute!" He stopped when you grabbed the blanket around him and tugged back. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"To bathe." He turned his head back to you. "Please bring me my clothes." He then tugged the blanket out of your hands and continued on his way. Grabbing a towel from the shelf and entering your bathroom.

You stood there stunned for a very long time opening and closing your mouth like a fish before you looked at the empty futon and then back to the door as the faint sounds of running water started up. ....HOW WAS HE ABLE TO STAND AND WALK RIGHT NOW?! HE SHOUDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO SIT UP!! But there he was. You were absolutely stunned to say the least, but did as he asked and got the clothes you cleaned from the line. You ended up just quickly shoving them inside closing your eyes and slamming the door back shut to give him respect of privacy. He still took his sweet time however and the next time he opened the door he was fully clothed minus a shirt. Steam escaped from the room behind him as he approached your sitting form at the table but he didn't even acknowledge you. Just reaching out to grab the sword off the table. He stood there examining the sheath of the blade with a calm face... before he paused. His eyes went wide as his arm flew to clutch his stomach as a wave of pain and dizzing nausea came over him. He stumbled two steps to the right before something grabbed onto him barely able to lift him up.

"I TOLD you! You're body's too weak to stand yet. C'mon. Come lay back down." You some how managed to hold up his heavy body just enough to make it back to the futon and help him sit down but he refused to lay down no matter how hard you pushed him to lay back so you gave up and just looked at him breathing heavily. "There. Now don't try that again. You need to recover."

His hair was down now completely cascading down his back and slightly wet covering most of his back but he still turned to you peeking through his hair. "It seems...so. I must take some time to recover."

"I also need you to remove your coat." He raised a brow at you. "To replace the bandages you removed. It'd be better if I treated them properly."

He remained silent but placed the sword on his lap and reached up to silently remove his black and purple checkered coat. You blinked but quickly looked away with red rising to your cheeks. Right! You'd better get those bandages. You were surprised at how silent and calm he was. Not once did he flinch or make a hurt face when you retreated his injuries. Only silently raising his arms and moving his hair when you wrapped new clean bandages around his torso red faced. He was...very physically fit. When you were finished he just silently pulled the coat back over his shoulders.

"You should be fine now but you should rest." He hummed in response. ".... What's your name?"

"Why do you need to know?"

You rose a brow. "Well considering I found a stranger bleeding near my home and treated him without asking for payment in return I think a name would be the least you could give me."

"I owe nothing."

"Maybe not but it would be polite. I can't keep calling you Mr. Stranger."

There was silence again before he said one word. "Kokushibo."

You blinked before smiling. "Well it's nice to meet you, Mr. Kokushibo. Would you tell me what you were doing outside my home?''

He hummed again cracking an eye open at you. "Nosey aren't you?"

"Concerned is more like it. You'd be too if you found a bloodied man outside your home." You then glanced at the sword on his lap. It was a long katana most likely. "...Are you a samurai?"

A large hand clasped around the sword in an instant. ".... I am a warrior." He settled on saying carefully after studying your face for a long moment. "I was engaged in battle before coming here."

Your brow rose. "Combat in the middle of the woods?"

"I prefer traveling without trouble following. The forest provides a peaceful cover. However I miscalculated an ambush. I will not make the same mistake."

Who attacked him? Other samurai? You've seen these men a few times while in town but never spoke to one until now. "....But do I have to worry about trouble coming here?"

"...No. I have already assured that I wouldn't be dealing with them again."

You decided not to delve further into that. Wasn't your business anyways. At least you didn't have to worry about trouble showing up on your doorstep. You slowly closed the box containing your medical kit. "I'll have to buy some more supplies in town. ...Are you hungry? A full stomach would help you feel better."

He hummed again. " You're cooking beef stew in the fireplace." He nodded. "I will take it."

"And water." He again looked at you. "You lost a lot of blood. You need fluids and get rehydrated fast or else something bad might happen." You stood up and turned away from him. "I'd rather not have my guest collapsing on me again." Walking over to the shelf, you placed the box back. "You can stay here until you recover, but I think it might be a good idea if I had my mother come look at you-"

"NO." You turned around blinking at him as he narrowed his eyes at you. "I won't have anyone else seeing me or knowing I am here. I will stay until I am well enough to walk within a week but until then no one else will know I'm here."

The intensity of the state he was giving you reminded you of a wolf staring at a rabbit. ..And you suddenly had a thought that perhaps you had better stay out of whatever business this man had. So you nodded and he relaxed back but still stared at you. Watching as you set about getting him a plate stuffed full of rice and beef and whatever else you decided to give him.

"Thank you." He said plainly before just grabbing a pair of chopsticks to start eating.

"I hope you don't mind such a meager meal. I don't have exactly have access to top meat."

"This will be enough for now but I will need more later to fuel my body's regeneration rate." He said before just silently putting a chunk of the food in his mouth... before pausing before just looking at the food.

You noticed that and tilted your head. "Is something wrong? It's too hot isn't it?"

He was slow to respond. "No... It's quite good. I rarely have home cooked foods." Mostly he feasted on prey he caught these last few decades and home cooked meals like this were rare these days.

You smiled at him. "Thank you. If you're still hungry later then you're welcome to take more of if you can't move just ask me and I'll get you more." A jug full of water and a cup was placed next to him. "Here's some water. Drink some. I'm going to clean up the mess you made of my bathroom. Next time don't leave your old bandages next to the tub."

"My apologies."

He did not say anything else as you left to clean up the bathroom and dispose of the old slightly bloodied bandages he had wrapped around himself. Collecting the dishes he set aside once he was finished with it. He stayed like that for the rest of the day, just silently sitting there and looking like he was in deep meditation. You didn't disturb him still feeling strange from the intense look he gave you earlier. However you did comply with him when he asked for more food before retiring to the futon you set up. Not wanting to disturb him, you just pulled out a spare set of blankets from the shelf and curled up near the front door just in case you needed to jump out for whatever reason. However you woke up the next morning in surprise to find the man sound asleep still.

Seeing as you still had a quiet morning to yourself, you quietly made your way out to start your chores which wasn't too long a job but you thought that the man would've been awake now. You were surprised to see that he wasn't. Instead he remained there in the same position you saw him in when you first got up. Long hair splayed all around him. But what caught your attention towards him was the twitching of his eyelids. He looked incredibly bothered by something. So when a hand touched his forehead, his eyes snapped open immediately to look at you.

"You're running a fever...It doesn't feel too high thankfully. I have some fever medicine in my kit. I'll give you some and you should feel fine later."

He merely hummed before closing his eyes back shut. "Do what you must."

You smiled and made to move..but paused. Removing your hand you stared at his bare forehead in confusion. ".... That's strange. Didn't you have a cut on your forehead?"

"You're mistaken." He didn't bother opening his eyes.

You stared at him before opening your mouth. That's not true. You DID treat a cut on his forehead but again you decided not to bother fighting him and again treat him with a herbal tea infused with the medicine. He opened his eyes and would've sat up to take the drink from you, but blinked as all of a sudden a hand pushed itself under his head and lifted him with extreme gentleness he'd never felt before. As if he was cracked glass and at any moment could shatter. Something warm and herbal smelling wafted over his lips as you cradled his head and held the cup to his lips.

"Here. Drink."

The eyes stared up at yours and how soft your features were... before they glanced at the cup, and slowly opened his mouth. It was enough for you to tilt the cup for him to drink taking great care to not spill any on him. Making sure to also give him breaks between gulps to allow him to breath until it was empty. He'll also need something solid in his stomach. Good thing you still had leftovers from dinner last night. He didn't make any moves to stop you from cradling his head and feeding him until he seemed to be full enough and you gently encouraged him to sit back up. You needed to treat his wounds again. He seemed to struggle to sit up by himself so you had to push him up into a sitting position before you could again treat him. He just remained silent and compliant throughout the entire process until he was laying back down and a cool wet towel was being pressed against his forehead.

"There you go. You should feel better soon. Is there anything else you want?"

"No. This should suffice."

You smiled at him again. "Well you should be well for now. I'll come back later and get you some more water after I finish cleaning the house. For now rest."

He looked at you closely. "You're doing your duties even while caring for someone else fully?"

"Well ..Yes. You're my guest, and I should be a good host but I shouldn't neglect my chores either."

"Hm. The markings of a devoted housewife." He nodded. "Your husband must be very pleased with a woman like you."

You paused blinking.. before slowly looking at him with a look. "I'm not married." His eyes looked back to you. "I'm not engaged either. I clean my home and provide for my own person."

His brow rose higher than before. "A woman living alone and running a farm by herself?" The eyes scanned you up and down. That was unheard of. "With how young and beautiful you are? A woman by your age is usually married or engaged to be married soon. It's unheard of to hear that you're not."

You paused. Before your face lit up a light pink at his words but despite that you shook your head with a frown. "No. I like living by myself and providing for just me. It's simpler and more peaceful."

"You do not want to be married? Or starting a family?"

You gave a thoughtful look. "Well..I think it would be nice to settle down eventually, but it shouldn't be forced. Marriage is supposed to be about love for one another, not just what I look like."

"You haven't gotten any suitors?"

You shook your head picking up a bucket. "No. I have but most of the ones I've gotten have always been pushy or only wanted to marry me because they thought I was pretty or for some other selfish reason. Living a bit far from town helps but sometimes someone still has the audacity to come down here and try their luck. Some more pushy than others. A lot of the time they don't like hearing no."

Kokushibo silently seemed to be giving a thoughtful, considerate look to what you had to say. "I see."

He said nothing else as his eyes closed once again and you left to fetch a pail of water from your well. If he wanted to rest then you wouldn't disturb him. Only rolling up your sleeves/bottom of your kimono before starting to scrub the floors. He remained still as you worked even as you moved furniture and pushed him and the futon over at one point to clean under him. He merely perked an eye open, before immediately closing it again unbothered by anything. Made no difference to you. You just continued to go about your business dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc. You again changed the towel on his forehead and fed him more later in the day but it wasn't anything special. However come the third morning he was there you started to think maybe this man wasn't human. You had woken up as usual and gotten up but froze when you found the back door open and he was just sitting there already helping himself to what must've been the last of the large pot of stew and rice you made. How the heck was he able to eat so much? He noticed you before you could even say something.

"Apologies for devouring your food. If I wish to regenerate fully faster, I need more sustenance to sustain the energy my body uses to generate the healing process. But rest assured this only means I won't be a bother for you sooner."

You blinked looking at where he had been resting the day before then at him opening your mouth.. before just closing it. "It's..not a problem. You must be really hungry. I'll cook you a few eggs."

He only tilted his head slightly as you silently went over to make his bed, without complaining about it to him, before exciting the home to begin your chores. A woman who didn't complain about things he did and just offered him more food without a second thought. The markings of a good woman who'd take good care of her husband and the home when he was away. However she seemed very stubborn minded about remaining single. She'd most likely die alone. He'd just finished the food you'd given him and you took his plate away with a smile when a knocking noise from the front door caught your attention. Kokushibo merely cracked an eye open from his meditative state. Neither of you moved and then the knocking came back again but louder.

"Who could that be?," you mumbled putting the plates to the side.

"A man." From the presence he sensed and by the smell, it was a male around the same age as you and from the smell of animals, he was either a hunter or was wearing some kind of animal pelts.

You hesitated looking at him both wondering how he knew that and a bit concerned. He said he didn't want anyone to know that he was here, but he didn't make any moves to hide or move out of sight...You supposed it would just be ok to answer the door, you just had to make sure to not accidentally show Kokushibo was there. So with a sigh you steeled yourself with a smile and walked on over to the front door, just sliding it open enough to peek your head out... before you blinked and your face frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Kokushibo's head perked up at the heavy distaste in your tone.

"I came to see the love of my life.~ Isn't it obvious?~ I missed you so much.~", came a gruff but young male's voice he'd never heard before.

Behind the door you placed a hand on your hip. "You're not allowed back in town. You were banned after you almost killed that elder a year ago."

"It was an honest mistake-"

"You got drunk and picked a fight with that poor old man for no reason! On top of that you dishonored your family and that was on top of the pile of horrible things you've done!"

"You don't live in town. This is a decent ways from that place, so I'm not breaking any laws." Kokushibo's head turned to the side and rose a brow seeing a hand caress the side of your head through the doorway. "I missed you.~"

SLAP!

The hand was harshly slapped away from your face. "GET OFF MY PROPERTY!!" You bellowed out at him in a tone that surprised Kokushibo could come from such a soft lady. ''I don't know who you think you are but you're not welcome here! You're NEVER welcome here! You disgust me to no end! Now get off my property! I don't want to see you again!"

There was an instant reaction to your words. One of which being that you were shoved back harshly. Enough to send you stumbling back and falling to the floor as the sliding door slammed open and someone stepped inside. The someone was a man about her age maybe a year or two older with a few scars and clothing made from animal skins. Ah. That explained the smell of animals. He walked in initially with a smirk on his face but paused upon seeing the face of another man staring back at him calmly and silently. You shook your head scooting back from the new man entering your home and glared at him. The two men silently stared at one another before finally the first one sneered in anger and pointed at Kokushibo.

"Who the hell are you?!", he demanded.

"Who I am is not important for you to know," he responded back calmly only making the newcomer angrier.

"What?! Did you get married or something while I was gone?!" He snapped to you in question.

"So what if I did?!"

"SO YOU GOT MARRIED!?"

"Again that's none of your business! I don't owe you any explanation on what goes on in my life! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!"

The man didn't. Instead he snarled at Kokushibo who took his sweet time standing up and turning to face him. His calm expression beyond repair making him even more so.

"I believe she had asked you to leave this house," he spoke more calmly half lidded eyes staring at him. You looked up at him. Holy crap...he was a lot taller than he looked.

"Tch. And what right do you have to it?," he asked silently sizing the samurai up.

"None. I am nothing but a mere guest to this household however you are not. Now you had best be on your way. I would find it improper for you to stay any longer."

Perhaps it was the previous blood loss that had dulled his senses or the fact he didn't take this man as a threat (and to be perfectly honest he wasn't a threat at all) but when a hand shot out he stiffened awaiting the blow- However it-...Never came?

The smell of blood filled his nose after a body flew up and something metallic and shiny slashed across your face. A cut formed on your cheek. Pain exploded as you yelled out stumbling back until you collided with a body. Kokushibo blinked as you fell against him easily catching you in one strong arm as you gritted your teeth and clutched your cheek as a cut bled out on. Kokushibo slowly blinked as you felt tests start to stream down your face. Kokushibo slowly let his eyes grow wide before looking at the man who also seemed surprised as he held up a dagger.

"Leave him alone!," you bellowed out at the other man, "He's hurt enough! Just leave us alone! GET OUT! GET OUT!! GET OUT!!"

Well..that escalated rather quickly. He stared at the woman starting to cry in his arms then back to the man holding the knife. Her body was slowly slid until she was gently placed on the floor. Purple eyes blinked as he easily stepped over and placed himself between her and the other man.

"You have been told to leave. If you don't wish bodily harm upon you, you'll honor the request."

The other man stared at him before daring to growl. "Who's gonna make me? You?"

"Obviously. Normally I wouldn't care of what business or purpose you have with her, but you attacked my hostess. I can't simply let that slide."

"I'm not going to let a woman order me around like a weakling. And I'm sure as hell not going to let you get between me and my business!"

An arm was raised up high and the dagger was raised only to be swiped down- And grabbed by a large fist faster than either could comprehend. Shocked eyes stared into the calm face framed by burgundy hair.

CRACK-

Your body curled up on itself as a man's shriek echoed throughout the home. Pain wailing through his hand and up his arm shooting off like fireworks. The knife fell to the ground with a clatter by their feet as Kokushibo effortlessly and calmly crushed the man's hand. It was all a quick blur. His hand swiping from the hand to his neck, grabbing him by the throat and lifting up. You watched shocked as Kokushibo was able to effortlessly lift up the dangling man like he was nothing and walk him to the open front door struggling and wheezing for air grabbing at the calloused hand clamped around his throat. Until the samurai stopped just in the doorway.

"A man's place is to protect and provide for the woman he devotes his life to. Your proclamations of love are as empty as your threats. You are neither a man nor a worthy lover. It's only because I'm being courteous to my hostess that you live. She just cleaned last night and I'd hate to make a mess and ruin all her hard work. But make no mistakes. Should our paths cross again for whatever reason..." The calm eyes narrowed as the grip increased. "I will be the last thing you see before death claims you."

The man's body dropped like a ragdoll with a thud and a large gasp left his mouth followed by a current of coughs as sweet oxygen filled his lungs. He simply watched him wriggle and struggle like the pathetic worm he was before he was able to scowl and struggle himself away. He stood there until he was no longer in sight and then some before closing the door in front of him. Silence resumed for a long moment.

"...That was incredibly stupid of you." You blinked as he turned to look at you. "I didn't ask you to defend me and if you do it again I'll be sure it's the last time you do."

You ...just blinked. Staring at him as tears continued to roll down your cheeks before you scowled. "I-"

"Should be the one protected," he stated bluntly, "It's a man's job to protect the women not the other way around. You've already done me a great deed by feeding me, giving me shelter, and treating my wounds without a thing in return. I owe your safety at least in return." You said nothing as he walked on over to the shelf and grabbed the box you kept your medical supplies in. "Now treat the wound. It will be better if you did."

You wiped at your face before nodding. "F-Fine. But remove your coat so I can care for your wounds in return.''

"There is no need. They will be fully healed by tomorrow anyways."

That wasn't true. The gashes on him weren't deep but they'd take a long time to heal fully. "Even still, it'd be better to treat the wounds until they heal fully and I said I'd take care of you until you healed fully."

He regarded you for a long moment. "A woman who insists on treating others before herself...You would be an ideal wife if the right man wished to court you." You deadpanned at him. "Nevertheless I agree but treat your cheek first."

You didn't argue against that or when he suddenly pressed a cloth to your face to wipe off the tears and blood from your cut. Your eyes just widened as a hand tilted your head up to look at him and he continued working...a redness spreading across your face much to his inner amusement.

"Who was that man?" His voice made you jump.

"W-What?"

"He seemed to know you. Was he a past lover?"

You scowled in his hold. "He wishes. No. Not even remotely."

He hummed. "He seems to think otherwise."

"His family owns a successful fur trading business in town. Because of that he's very spoiled. He thinks he can get away with anything but last year he was exiled from town because he almost killed a man after he got drunk."

"What is his business with you?"

"Nothing. His parents tried to convince mine to make an arranged marriage between us as children and I guess since I've told him no he can't seem to get over it. But I'm afraid he might make good on that loophole." He hummed wiping around your cut. "Technically I don't live in town. It's an hour away down the path. So if he comes back here then he wouldn't be breaking the law.''

"If he returns, he does." You blinked as he seriously spoke. "I warned him. If he so chooses to not listen to that warning then he'll face the consequences of his own actions. I never go back on my word."

You blinked at him before pulling away red faced. "Y-You didn't have to do that."

"I did what my role entails." The rustling of clothing had you look over and freeze as his purple and black checkered coat dropped to his feet and exposed his torso to you. "Now you may treat me like you wanted." Your eyes stared at his toned chest- "It's rude to stare."

Jumping you scrambled grabbing your medical kit as he just calmly raised an arm to allow you to quickly pull away the old bandages and trying (and failing-) to not stare at his torso and his scars-...Wait. The bandages fell away from his skin and you froze staring at his wounds. Except..they weren't wounds. They weren't even scars! They were just light markings that looked extremely faded to the point that they were barely present. You just...stared at them.

Wounds don't heal that fast.

Staring silently you slowly looked up at his eyes. "Is something the matter?"

You opened and closed your mouth but quickly shook your head no. "N-No! You're healing up quite nicely! You were right when you said you'd be better in a week!" You offered a smile. "After this I'll make you some more food and drink. Do you like tea?"

"That's fine....You mentioned that you had no lover?"

You shook your head busing yourself by just removing his old bandages trying not to think too much about the mysterious scars. He... probably just had a rare healing rate. Or the wounds weren't as serious as you thought at first

"No. Most men only wanted me for my looks or my parents money. My father paints and my mother is a good doctor. They make a good living but I'd rather make my own way."

"Would you ever accept a courtship?"

"Well...Yes. I might if the man wasn't interested in my looks or money. Like you for example. You don't seem to care much about those things. If someone as unmaterialistic as you proposed to me or if I asked I would hope he said yes.Uh...N-No offense."

"None taken." He raised his arm higher looking over you carefully before closing his eyes with a hum. "Like me?"

"Y-Yes. But that's rare to happen-"

"I accept."

You paused holding up a clean roll of bandages. "...What?"

"I accept your proposal." He looked back to you. "But I will court you properly first, Wife."

The roll of bandages dropped to the floor

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

Kokushibo did not leave when he stayed an entire week.

His proclamation of Courting you caught you so off guard that for the longest moment you were just...well dumbfounded. Acting on autopilot being too stunned to speak just finishing bandaging him and cleaning up the small mess Nori left behind. Kokushibo took the dagger Nori left, but you had no idea what he did with it. He only returned to what he had been doing before Nori showed up, which was meditate for the rest of the day until it was finally nighttime. Kokushibo insisted on you taking back your futon and you still bring in shock just laid down staring at the ceiling until you fell asleep. You awoke the next morning to once again finding Kokushibo silently meditating in the corner helping himself to what must've been a full jug of water. Yesterday's events shot through your mind and you shot up sitting up immediately.

"I see you're awake," he stared plainly, "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep in the entire morning. I'm quite hungry."

You snapped to him with a frown. "You said you were courting me yesterday!"

"Yes."

"YOU SAID YOU WERE COURTING ME YESTERDAY!," You shouted realization finally slapping you fully awake.

"Yes."

You pointed at him. "Why?!"

"You are a well woman and I have yet to be treated like this even before I met you." He drank some more. "And you asked me for my hand in marriage."

"No I didn't!"

"Didn't you?" His eyes opened slightly to look at you. "You wanted a husband like me and said if I were to ask you or you were to ask me you'd either accept or hoped that I would accept. And I have. However I intend to go about this properly. I'll court you for a while before out wedding."

Your jaw dropped as your eyes practically bugged out of your skull. "I-..."

Oh gods. You HAD asked him hadn't you!? You got yourself engaged to a stranger who had just showed up on your doorstep four days ago! Now he was looking at you expectantly waiting for you to cook for him again! This isn't what you imagined what your eventually engagement would be like! You didn't even know him! You had to break this off now!

"I-It wasn't my intention to!" You quickly said making him turn a brow, "I was only using yu as an example of what I'd like in a husband-"

"And here I am. That problem is solved."

"We don't even know each other that well!"

"That's what the courting process is for. We will know one another in time."

"I-I don't want to be engaged right now-"

"Then you shouldn't have asked me unintentionally or not. I have already accepted. I might change my mind later and break this arrangement but for now I am content with what I see."

"I don't like people who just want to court me for selfish reasons."

"None of my reasons for accepting your proposal were selfish. I accepted because I am content with how you have treated me with kindness and how you go about your daily life. I do not care about money or any property you have. Your beauty is a factor I like but it's not a main reason. Now if you're done giving me reasons to say no I'd like you to cook for me."

"B-B-But our lifestyles contradict each other!," you said in a last ditch effort to convince him otherwise. "I-Im not willing to move away from my parents home and I worked too hard on this farm to abandon it! You'll be traveling around far and wide -"

"And I'll have a home and wife to return to whenever I may need her. I have no interest in making you leave with me whenever I go. That would be inconvenient for us both. My work will be kept separated from home. Now will you be cooking me a meal?"

You deflated only looking at him before sighing and moving to get him the food he asked for. If he was still recovering from the blood loss then he shouldn't push himself until he was fully recovered. He mentioned it would take him a week to recover right? Today was the fourth day so he'll only be here for another three days at most. Maybe he'd forget about you once he left. But for now you'd keep your promise and care for him. It was the least you could do after he drove Nori away. Hopefully that would keep him away too...

Oh how wrong you were about that.

You ended up serving him more eggs and fruit from your back orchard. He didn't seem to mind however and thanked you before taking it. Leaving you to just go about your chores until retiring that night. The next two days were relatively the same. He'd meditate or watch as you went about your own chores or ask you to cook for him which you obliged. You also checked over his injuries only to find they had healed to the point that there wasn't even any scars left behind. You'd never seen anything like in on another man. Even your father had small scars from burning himself on a stove or cutting himself on a widdling tool. Perhaps he was born with fast metabolism that fueled his body's healing? Would be why he ate so much. You didn't bring it up. You did however try to convince him anyways you could to convince him to call off this engagement but he refused every turn. You were feeling relief on the seventh day. It'd be his last day here before he left apparently and you wouldn't stop him. However you weren't expecting him to ask you for a brush for his hair. Huh... come to think of it his hair had been worn down outside of the ponytail he had when you found it.

"I'll fix your hair for you if you'd like me to," you offered which caught him off guard as he blinked at you in light surprise, "I can style hair a little bit. My mother showed me how to, so I can put your hair back up if you want."

Kokushibo just slowly blinked again before closing his eyes with an exhale through his nose. "Do as you wish."

You smiled in return at him and went to fetch your brush. He didn't move but did lightly open his eyes when he heard you return and grab a strand of his long soft hair. It was soft to the touch and you took gently care in pulling apart the small knots you felt before even pulling the brush through. He found the treatment acceptable so allowed it to continue. There was silence for a long time as you worked until you spoke again.

"You have beautiful hair... You're a very handsome man."

You were surprised when a chuckle escaped from him and even offered you a small smile. "Being bold are we?"

"I-Im only being polite!"

"Don't be fooled. I'm happy my future wife has attraction for me." Your face went red again. "But any flirtations will have to wait longer. I'll be leaving tonight." You blinked at him. "I'll have to return to my Master and inform him on where I've been before he becomes displeased with my absence. I'll return within two weeks time before the eclipse is here."

Master? So he was a samurai for a warlord? Or some kind of noble perhaps? You didn't remember there being any near here. He was from far away wasn't he? However if he was going to be away for a while then you'd be able to have time to yourself again at least for a little while. So you only smiled and nodded.

"Are you strong enough to travel?"

"And defend myself. I owe you my thanks for my body's recovery."

"You did the healing yourself so there's no need to thank me. But I won't let you go on an empty stomach. I'll make you look presentable and cool you a large meal before you go. Can't have you hungry."

"What a doting wife I have."

"Don't push your luck."

That's how his last day with you ended. With you tying his hair back how you first found him and making sure he ate well. It was sundown when he stepped out your door and turned back to you. You handed him a small cloth bag with some fruit from your orchard for his travels and he bowed to you before surprising you when he caressed your lightly injured cheek.

"Don't forget me. I will return for you soon."

Your face lit up a red as he smiled before turning again and beginning to walk away. Not down the path to town though but through the woods. You watched as he left silently and just disappeared into the night.

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

The moon shined red as blood tonight as shadows moved.

Quiet night. Unholy night of beasts. Feasting their sights upon the stray women who dare stay out at night when the full moon rises, lighting the pathway for the beasts to claim their prey. Gnashing teeth, snarling fangs waiting to take a bite into innocent flesh where the terrible claws miss. Waiting to snatch you away down into their dark abyss never to return. He was none what so ever concerned about traveling alone tonight. He had better places to be and anyone who dared be foolish enough to tangle with him would never be heard from again. One look at him would deter most creatures away. But his business was not with them.

He was here for the woman.

The woman of purple eyes and far beauty. He never went back on his word and he had indeed returned to the home seeking companionship. However from the first sight of the house he could tell something about tonight was aniss.

Something wasn't right.

The darkness both swallowed him up and closed off the ways both in front and behind him making each end of the pathway difficult to see with the already limited vision he had. Heightened senses were one thing he had been thankful to have retained from years of harsh training to his body and mind. Closing off all senses to be more enlightened to one's world in a different light. Each echo of his footfalls ringing in his mind as the airways of his body forced himself to absorb more oxygen out of the air and each heart beat thudding against his ribcage. Throbbing sensation reaching from his head to his feet with every passing second he was surrounded by the buzzing swarm of danger. Enlightened by the stings of fear. Danger. Dread. Doom. Like many wasps penetrating his most basic human emotions and swelling them up to the point of combusting dangerously all over the peeping, teasing darkness. The soft silk touch of his yakata met his hand. It was hard to move...Hard to will it to move running along the soft fabric to something more smooth and hard. Both basic instinct wasps forcing him to do something so familiar to combat the combustible feelings. To grab at which to protect him and cut it away like a sickeningly sweet cake of misery and despair. Instincts wailing to protect himself from dangers he had yet to see. Had yet to reveal themselves to him. Hopefully to be chased away by the sounds of the silver blade being unsheathed and held out into the darkness to cut it's tainting self down a notch. That his willpower will always prevail over it. Each door slowly passing a tainting gateway. Each with a promise of safety behind it and perhaps even it had occupants inside using it. taking up it's offering of safety from the darkness now dead asleep highly unaware of the sword wielding warrier just roaming outside arm outstretched and staring down the one that dared teased him the most with it's fake promise of protection.

And that promise he would soon come to learn was broken and not even promise to one individual soon enough. As sweat formed on his skin in an attempt to cool it from the harsh tainting from the moment he was face to face with the door that broke it's sacred promise. At first glance to one in the dark it was as taunting as all the others he had just passed, but if one took time to see it's true mockery and failure hidden by the teasing darkness they would've seen it. The remnants of a beast. Looking as though it had clawed and kicked it's way at the door's sacred locks to be allowed entry inside the room beyond it. In it's wake leaving the door in misery and ruins. A slight opening between itself and the wall where one could look into the room beyond it and see nothing but more darkness laughing back at you.

It begged for him to open it further, to peek further into the darkness beyond the door that should have protected the occupant inside. The apartment was still, quite, far too quite for his liking. The broken splintered door only left so little to memory, and with cautious pushed aside Goemon shoved the door open to reveal the horror to his eyes. His eyes widened: there where obvious signs of struggle, evident by the turned over coffee table and the furniture pieces that lay toppled on their side as though someone had carelessly kicked it over in its rampage. Goemon treaded carefully inside the apartment, his shoe crunching on the remains of a picture frame that had been knocked over, its broken shiny cover a perfect match of the doorway half hanging from its hinges - the cover to what lay beyond broken to bits. Someone clearly had been here and there was very obvious signs of a struggle.

And SHE was gone.

Taken by something or chased out he wasn't sure. But the entire small home was wrecked. Then he smelt it. A familiar smell of a human male and animal pelts. It sent a rigid feeling through his veins before an intensify in calm, silent rage. A rage so intense that he felt nothing but calm. Well now...if someone wished to see his wrath so be it. But let it not be said he didn't warn him.

"LET GO OF ME!!" The rage and desperation in your struggling was all for nothing as you were continually dragged against your will towards the destination of your kidnapper's choosing. You didn't know what was worse. The sting of the ropes forced around your arms forcing your arms to your body, or the too big white kimono that was forced over your head. A tacky excuse for a wedding kimono. "HELP!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!"

"SHUT. UP." A man's voice hissed near your ear and painfully pulled your body uncomfortably close to his face as Nori hissed. "No one's gonna help you. They're too scared of getting carried away by invisible monsters." You winced as he gave a hasher tug. "And no one will suspect a thing. They'll just think you got carried off by a bad monster and forget all about you. And by the time anyone else thinks otherwise we'll be long gone." He chuckled next to your head making you lean forward away from him. ''Won't we, My Little Wife? I just need to get refuge at the temple and have one of the monks bless our union."

You hissed leaning away from his rotten breath. You had to get help! Where was everyone!? No one even peeked their eyes out to see your yelling through the windows. Your screams and cries of help echoing out through the night and going unanswered. You were being kidnapped and no one was going to help you! Nori laughed again behind you and you gritted your teeth before leaning forward more and with all of the strength in your jaw, you bit down onto his bandaged broken hand. Nori's reaction was instant. He. SHRIEKED. He shrieked in pain in ways you've never heard a man scream before but you continued to bite down when he started flailing. Taking the opportunity to catch him off guard, your head snapped back releasing his hand to collided the back of your head with his nose painfully. Your head throbbed immediately after but it worked. He let go.

You RAN.

your legs moved your body in a speed you've never thought was possible back up the road where you were dragged from. Your heart pounded in your throat. The back of your head throbbed from where it made contact with Nori. And behind you you heard his hellish screaming. Your footsteps echoed throughout the empty silent streets giving away your position as you continued to run- Until something slammed into your back hard enough to send you flying forward and landing painfully onto your face.

"You stupid girl!" He snarled above your struggling form trying to get yourself up without your arms to lift you. "I swear when I get done with you you'll be nothing but a-"

"A what?"

Nori snapped up to the voice and you froze from the intensity behind it but relieved that at least SOMEONE else was here to possibly help you. Nori's face contorted into one of absolute horror at the sight before him. His scream cut off by a hand wrapped around his throat before lifting him up as you continued to struggle. Eventually your head lifted up and you froze at the sight of a hundred miniature legs and you followed them up until they connected to a segmented body..It's shiny outer shell shined I the red moonlight but you could see anymore than that due to your position. Nori was raised until he was staring in horror. His face reflected in six eyes shiny from the moonlight.

"I warned you." A gutteral hissing sound left his throat the jaw unhinged and two mandables pushed themselves out from the maw.

Nori shrieked.

Your eyes clenched shut hearing his scream end with a sickening crack sound and then there was a loud thud of something else behind you. You froze not daring to move. Until something was suddenly raked down your back and you were suddenly freed from the ropes. But that doesn't mean you were out of danger yet as something Snatched you up by the back of the kimono and pulled up into two arms and carried up by hundreds of those mini legs until you were twisted into held up bridal style as something turned and you snapped your head up...only to feel absolute utter horror as not one but three pairs of sinister eyes stared at you from above. Your mouth fell open as the man... Creature??? Walked away

carrying you bridal style in it's arms.

"Oh my gods... Kokushibo."

The six eyes stared at you in acknowledgement to your words before he spoke.

"I told you. I make it a point to always keep my word, and I intend to keep my word on keeping you."

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hazbinextgeneration · 1 year

Text

Demon Bride Ch11 Interluding

(WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS!!! EVERYONE in this story is in their early 20s-30s! This story will contain mentions of past abuse and death! I'll be keeping it as SFW. Some backstories have been slightly altered for this particular story, and some characters cannonically dead or harmed is alive and well. I own nothing.

Credit to @flanelltees for the designs I based the demons off to look more demon-like with tails and pointed ears.

This story will be sfw, but there will be some blood, implied death, fighting, some gore mentioned, and a few other things that will be made aware by warnings. Pay attention to warnings at the top of any chapters just under the summery please.)

Once in the mountain villages it was a custom that once a year on the night of the new year's first moon, an unlucky young lady would be selected and left for the demons to become one of the unlucky few who married such a husband. In exchange for this offering the demons would protect the villages and leave the humans in peace. Until one day a powerful warrior drove the demons away freeing the humans of them. Now 2,000 years later, it's become a tradition that once a year, a new young lady would be picked and wait for her future husband to retrieve her from a shrine in the mountains. And now the lucky tradition would fall upon Y/n L/n. It would be her own turn to take on the tradition and not have to worry about demons. After all that part of the old tradition was just fake, made up by paranoid ancestors. Everyone knew demons didn't exist.

...Right?

(WARNINGS!!!: Mentioning of death in this chapter. )

First Part Here:

https://at.tumblr.com/hazbinextgeneration/demon-bride-ch-1-thus-it-begins/dibtpmvn5d42

Last Part Here:

https://www.tumblr.com/hazbinextgeneration/714219793892458496/demon-bride-ch10-all-in-a-name-p3?source=share

Next Part Here:

to be added

(UPDATE And WARNINGS: For this fic demons can walk in sunlight, although some are nocturnal, and some are actually very sensitive to sunlight, tho not enough to where it'll k.o. them....Except for one demon. Let's see if anyone can guess who that particular demon is. Mentioning of death in this chapter.)

The lonely home sitting in the middle of poverty was woefully empty. Painfully even as the years had passed down. It hadn't been lived in since the fateful day it was built by painful hands by the first builder whom passed away shortly after. Leaving it woefully empty and looming in the town until the fateful hands of one man.

One man whom shall meet a dire and grim fate.

The man was one many would rather not bother. Angry. Kept to himself. And very much not one to be bothered. Many in the village said he was cursed. Others say he was just born with anger. Others just simply thought he'd rather be left alone. Until one day the man met a young woman from the village and fell deeply in love with her. A piece of him he needed and married when she accepted. The man's life turned to one of anger to happiness...

To eventual sorrow.

The man's wife fell ill one day expecting their first born child. No money in this poverty would be enough to get them through this. So the angry man turned from one of anger to one of desperation. And a desperate man was a dangerous man. And a dangerous man would do dangerous things for the ones he loved. The man robbed for his family. Killed for his family. For a medicine they would not need.

In the end the man was put to death for his crimes. Leaving his wife and child behind.

The man's child would grow to follow in his father's sorrowful footsteps. Living in that empty home with the sorrowful mother, until he found his own piece of his missing heart with his own wife, and soon after they too expected their own child. But not everything was as bright as they would like it to be. When his wife fell ill not soon after their child was born. A powerful illness that no cheap medicine would fix. But the son was smarter than his own father. Bargaining with a richer family for money for medicine with the promise to pay them back one day.

Unfortunately misfortune would still follow. Even with the stronger medicines paid for, the wife would give in to her illness, leaving the world behind. Her husband followed her into the afterlife soon after gaining the sickness his wife gained. Leaving the world behind along with their child with the sorrowful mother. Nothing left but pain and misfortune in that lonely house in poverty, raising her grandchild to the best of her old ways. A looming debt demanding to be paid back one way or another less fate drag them down the same unfortunate hole the rest of the family followed.

In turn warnings were giving from on generation to one other. To not seek the same things the previous generations had done.

"Remember, Y/n. You mustn't ever allow yourself to worry about anyone else until you're stable in life. Do not marry. Do not worry about anyone else including myself. Do not worry about anyone else until you are in a place stable enough to do so. Do I make myself clear?"

" But Grandmother, I already take care of you."

"That's because I am old and brittle, but I don't want you to. I'm not in death's grasp yet. You must work hard to pay back what you must fix before you let yourself worry about anyone else. And you must pay it back in a honest and fair way. Do not attempt to cheat your way out, and don't do anything dishonorable to fix it either! It will only bring misfortune and back luck to you as it did your parents."

"And Grandfather?"

"DO NOT MENTION HIM!! DO NOT EVEN SPEAK HIS NAME!! HE STARTED ALL THIS MISFORTUNE IN OUR LIVES AND IT WILL END WITH YOU!! I SHALL NOT HAVE HIM OR HIS NAME AROUND ANYMORE!! HIS FAMILY NAME WILL BE FORGOTTEN AND NEVER SPOKEN AGAIN!!"

"Grandmother...I do not even know our family name. How will I know how to not say it if I don't even know what our family name is?"

"Hmph. It's better that you never know it and have it die with me. ....But just so you know to avoid it in the future, I will tell you it once. Just once. Only this one time. Just so you can avoid it in the future in case someone comes looking for you. But only if you promise to never use that disgraceful name!"

"I promise, Grandmother."

"Alright then. Are family's name is...Or should I say was-"

Ta....ma.....yo-

"Wake up! Miss Y/n, wake up!'' You were jostled awake by a pair of hands shaking you awake and was met with the slightly annoyed face of Eri who frowned at you.

"W-What-" You blinked a bit dazed up at the she-demon who rolled her eyes. "W-What happened? *yawn*"

"I'm finished looking over my lords, so I was sent by Lord Kyogai to assist you again but when I arrived you were fast asleep." A third hand pointed to the bucket of water your leg still sat in. "The water's gone warm, so I'll have to fetch more cold water. Please lift your leg so I can get rid of this."

"Huh?..O-Oh. S-Sorry. I must've fallen asleep waiting for someone to come back.*yyyawwwnn* H-How is everyone?"

"Lord Kaigaku is completely fine. Not a single bruise. And Lord Kyogai will be completely healed by the end of today, so you should not worry about either of them, Mistress." You didn't respond at first just tiredly staring at nothing in particular, making her raise a brow at you. "Miss Y/n? Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry again. Y-Yes. I'm alright. Just had a strange dream."

"What was it about?"

"Just-....an old memory of my grandmother when I was younger."...You shook your head before looking back to her. "But it was just a dream. I'll be fine. Where's Kyogai?"

Taking it as you were too tired right now, Eri went ahead and used two of her hands to carefully lift your numb leg, wincing a bit at the faint pain throbbing from under it. "Oh. Well it sounds like a nice dream then. Sometimes I dream of the times I've spent with my fiancé. Lord Kyogai is overseeing Lord Kaigaku's stay with us at the moment. It'd be best to not bother him at this time however. He seems very irritated at the sudden arrival of Lower Moon Two."

"Oh. I take it that they don't get along well?"

"On the contrary! Lords Kaigaku and Kyogai get along better than most of the other Lords do with each other. Mostly because Lord Kaigaku's often in this area. It's because of that, Lord Kyogai was generous enough to allow him shelter here as well. He is the second most often lord we see around here."

" Oh...So they're not related to each other?"

Eri blinked, bucket in her hands. "I- ..No. Not that I know of. Why do you assume that?"

"Well they have similar features. Like their hair and eyes. And they both have those strange stripe markings on their faces."

She shook her head. "They may share some similarities, but I assure you they're indeed not family. Otherwise Lord Kyogai would've treated him with more kindness." She then turned to the door. "It's getting late in the day. So I'll bring you some dinner before you sleep. You'll be needing the nourishment for your recovery."

"Thanks, Eri." Oh. So that's why you must've been so tired and fell asleep just now. "I mean it. You're very kind to me."

She smiled. "Well you've been a good patient. Can't say I can complain. I'll be back soon. Please wait here one moment."

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

There was a warmth as steam rose from the pool of lukewarm water. The rich scent of bath salts and flowers floated around his body calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles, although it did not detour his bitterness at the situation he found himself in.

"Stupid humans."

The tiles of the bath room were cooler than the water, almost cold as he sat upon them out and away from the fifthteen foot pool of water. It was a contrast to the wooden walls around the room, painted trees and other nature scenery. heh. Kyogai always was weak for the arts including paintings he guessed. He wouldn't complain about how he wanted to decorate his home, but he did think it was highly unneeded, especially just for a bath. For now he'd allow himself to relax (somewhat-) and rethink over the situation at hand.

He had found the human. That's Good. The human was hurt. That's Bad. The human wouldn't be able to escape him again. That's good. The human was still in here where she didn't belong. That was bad. But he could still right the wrong. That's good.

But now the only question was how he was going to do that. He would already be in trouble regardless. He knew that Kyogai was a perfectionist which was both his strength and downfall. No doubt he would've probably already told one of the higher ups about his mess up, and depending on who it was, his punishment would vary. He wasn't afraid of course because even if Kyogai told one of the Upper Moons, only two out of the six of them would actually give him a harsh punishment and everyone knew it.

Gyutaro and Daki could careless, same with Upper Moons Five, Four, and Two. No. It was Upper Moons Three and One that he was worried about. If it was Akaza, then he could expect a long lecture and forced manual labor until he couldn't feel his fingers anymore, and Akaza would stand right there behind him making sure he did it, and if he didn't, then Akaza would kick his legs from under him and make him do it all over again. He hated Akaza for that. If it was Kokushibo-...A shiver went down his spine. His sensai wouldn't allow him to rest until he thought he worked hard enough and would put him under the most intense training of his life. Kokushibo wasn't known for his kindness if he messed up during forced training. Last time it happened, he could barely feel any of his limbs and slept almost a week straight. And if it was the Master-

Kaigaku stopped. Looking long distantly horrified off at nothing before shivering harder and shaking his head.

He'd rather not think about that right now. He doubted the Master would know, otherwise he would've been punished immediately. The Master doesn't take these things lightly at all. But he could lighten whatever punishment he would get if he fixed it. He'd been thinking on how exactly he'd go about doing that as well. In his mind he had one of two options. The first one was to simply just dump her where she came from. Right outside the Eastern tree line. She can go right back to wherever she came from and he'd be done with her. It'd be the simplest solution really considering she couldn't fight back, but that had a problem with that first plan. Like it or not, she really was unable to walk according to the earful he got from Kyogai's healer scolding him (lightly) for picking up the human when she was obviously hurt and still healing from her dreadful encounter. So if she was kicked back out, she couldn't walk and would most likely get hurt worse or possibly die. He'd be in bigger trouble if he caused a death and news got out, especially to other humans. It'd drive away fresh blood from their lands if humans were afraid they'd be killed. Then how would they get their supply if the humans were too scared to even come near the Master's lands? Even with Douma's wide spread charm bringing them in, it'd be incredibly difficult if they were driven away by fear. So this incident shouldn't get out of hand anymore than it already was. So now he had two options. Either he waited for whoever this 'doctor' Kyogai summoned to heal her and she actually healed to kick her out AND have the possibility of her detouring others from coming by telling them her story...Or...

Or there was the obvious choice.

Douma could easily take her off his hands. Yes. It was a mighty fine solution if he did say so himself. Douma adored surrounding himself in humans. He saw them the same way a human saw a puppy, as pets to entertain himself with. He would be happy to take the human on his hands and add her to his cult. It wasn't the worst option for the human. There was food, water, shelter, and plenty of chores to do to keep her entertained. And Douma would charm her eventually sooner or later. He did that with every human who took refuge in one of the many settlements he runs. He was ....scarily good at running them and taking care of humans. He hated to admit it, but Upper Moon Two was good at what he did. It was why his jobs were so important and why the Master gave him that comfy position despite the fact that he also hated Douma's presence. It wasn't exactly a well known secret at this point that the Master thought of Douma. And he himself disliked Douma as much as the next person, but-...

The human couldn't be let free. Too much was at stake for him. He already realized that by now. The safest bet for everyone would be to deliver her to Douma as soon as she was ready to travel despite what Kyogai thought. He never was a very patient person however, so it would be a challenge. But in the meantime he would worry about doing his job to avoid anymore trouble. At the moment he was busying himself cleaning off his sword. It would need to be cleaned of all that blood and grime from the last two days and then carefully polished to keep it in pristine condition. The cloth he used was gently but firmly glided along the blade showing his reflection as he frowned at it.

"Disgusting pigs."

BUM! BUM! BUM!

He paused. But not because of the sounds of the drums that echoed through the halls, but because of the sudden looming presence behind him, and the reflection of the other demon in his sword's blade. He gave one look to the red and blue eyes narrowed back in the reflection before continuing to clean the long blade without a care in the world.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to wonder when we were going to talk."

"I had some work that needed to be finished. You're sorry ass could wait." Kyogai scoffed behind him and crossed his arms. "And you have the audacity to walk in here without a notice again. I think I was being more than generous for not kicking you out once I caught wind of you! You should be out doing your job instead of stalking a helpless woman! In fact, you shouldn't have let her come in here to begin with! If you had just scared her out none of this would have happened in the first place!"

"You don't think I know that by now!", Kaigaku spat shooting him back an equally dirty look. "I've already heard that twice from you! And I plan on fixing it once she's able to travel! And what are you talking to me about audacity!? I could've been in nude and you barged on in on me!"

"It's MY house. I can go where I please! For your information, you don't need to be bothered with her anymore. I'm going to be taking her off your hands and making sure nothing else goes wrong. So as soon as you recover, get out of my house and do your dam job!!"

"She's mine anyways you know!! She gave me her dow-"

"IT WASN'T A DOWRY!!," he taller demon yelled at him, leaning over to point a hand at his face, "Didn't you hear her explain that!? She came in here by accident and she thought you wanted to be repaid! That's NOT a dowry because she wasn't even sent here as a sacrifice! So stop trying to claim something that's not!"

He scoffed. "And I suppose you know the laws around that?"

"I'm. The. Record Keeper!! I write all the laws as well as all the records and important files the Master sends me! Do you really think I don't know the laws that I wrote down myself!?" Kaigaku shut up and Kyogai hummed with a nod. "That's what I thought, and this is also why I'm taking over care for her."

"AND YOU THINK I CAN'T HANDLE A HUMAN!?"

"Considering that under your 'care', she was both chased down and harmed? YES! And you can't deny she's safer here than if she was traveling with you."

"And what's your plan on taking care of her I wonder?"

"I'm going to stay here until she recovers, and until mating season is over. I'll escort her personally to the edge of the forest. She should be safe after that."

"That sounds like a stupid plan! What if she tells others of what happened!?"

"Where she comes from humans don't even believe we actually exist." That caught Kaigaku by surprise because he blinked. "It would seem humans on the eastern side of the mountain haven't heard from us in so long that they stopped believing in our existence all together. ...Hmm. I should inform my findings to the Master. It would be good to inform him of this."

"Oh yes. And how are you supposed to explain to him how you know that when no one's allowed on that side of the mountain!? You couldn't tell him without getting in trouble for revealing you were harboring a human from that sound of the mountain in your home."

At this Kyogai stared directly at him. "The Master has already been informed of her."

Silence.

He was expecting that of Kaigaku. Because instantly the younger demon's face dropped to a blank stare as he just stared at Kyogai who now smiled lightly. The silence was so thick he could cut it with a knife until he spoke again.

"...You didn't dare-"

"I did."

"When?''

"Two days ago. I needed the Master's permission for Enmu to come here-''

"ENMU!?" AAAAAnndd that horrified look was back. "THE PERVERT WHO STREAKED NUDE ON THE TRAIN ONCE!?"

Kyogai cringed instantly but nodded. "Yes. I do not like it anymore than you or anyone else involved, but he is the only one I know who actually knows human medical treatments. He's agreed to come here and look her over. The Master's already given his permission."

That horrified look never left Kaigaku as he continued to stare at him. Totally. Petrified. Horrified. Chilled to the bone.

"...W-When-"

"He'll be arriving five days from today. Until then I'm having Eri look after her and keeping Miss Y/n safe in here."

"...Y/n?"

"That's her name. Maybe you should use it. It'd be rude to call her 'Human' while she stays with us."

.....His eyes glazed over in terror for a moment. "...I'm so dead."

"Not really. I never told them it was your fault she was here. Only that a lost human ended up hurt on my doorsteps. So you shouldn't be in any harm's way....But consider this going forward, Kaigaku." Kaigaku's flinched and his eyes widened as Kyogai leaned over until their faces were inches apart. A hardened snarl on his features. "If you do anything to jeapordize the safety of anyone here including Y/n because of your stubborn pride, then I will not hesitate to tell the Master exactly why she was harmed in the first place. So I suggest you think about what you do next very carefully. Do I make myself clear to you?"

Kaigaku. Gulped.

"Good boy."

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agent-love-101 · 9 months

Note

Hiiiiiii! I saw that you wrote for Kyogai, and IMMEDIATELY dashed over here XD (I love the drum boi with all of my hearrrrrt)

Could I request nsfw headcanons with Kyogai? You’re choice on what kind of headcanons, so feel free to go nuts! Lol

Thank youuuuuuuuu!

Kyogai General Nsfw Headcanons

an: AAAAAAAAAAA I AM SO EXCITED OVER THIS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D GET A KYOGAI RELATED ASK! I love him too!! he is my most favorite character!! hopefully these are good!! if this gets good traction I might make more headcanons, cause I do have a decent amount of drafts hehe!!

Nsfw below!!

I feel in his life as a human he never engaged in any kind of sexual activity. I think he was too focused on his dreams (good for him)

now as a demon, he can't help but get frustrated over the fact he never did such.

masturbation is a bit difficult for him, due to those incredibly strong and rather lengthy fingernails he has trouble filing down or cutting. the best he can do is caress the tip of his cock with his thumb, or grind against objects. and there isn't a lot of objects in his home to grind against.

not to mention the lack of privacy...damn insects intruding. and don't even get me started on the two loitering demons.

so for the most part, he fantasizes heavily, drafting out smutty stories in his head.

when he finally has the opportunity to indulge in his fantasies, he is over the moon.

and he's incredibly loyal to you too. whatever self-gratification he was doing, he stops once he engages in such activities with you.

of course this ultimately makes him more needy.

he tends to refrain from being vulgar, choosing to be more poetic with his words.

I think he has an oral fixation. whatever you have down there, he wants to taste it.

if you climax early, he takes it as a huge compliment. he doesn't even mind if he has to finish himself off (only with your permission of course)

speaking of climaxing early, an easy way to make him cum early is if you praise him heavily and touch him tenderly.

if you offer to give him a handjob or a blowjob, he is putty in your hands. he melts into your touch. groaning and growling, which would be scary if he wasn't trembling with pleasure.

#nsft #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer #kyogai #kyogai x reader #headcanons #ag's asks

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lavenderdrxp · 4 months

Text

So, our y/n tamayo from 'Demon bride' is ready!!

This is my interpretation of what she looks like!

And y'all please do check out 'Demon bride' series it's a 12 kizuki x reader fic written by @echantedtoon and it is reallyyyyyyy good! One of the best fics I've ever read!

So please do check it out!

#demon bride #anime #demon slayer #art #kokushibo x reader #kny michikatsu #michikatsu tsugikuni #kokushibou #kny akaza #akaza x reader #kyogai #douma #kny douma #daki #gyutaro #kaigaku #art style #demon slayer art

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kizukiapologist · 2 months

Text

The Appeal of Broken Things

Summary: Kyogai finds his solitary existence disrupted by a mysterious visitor who leaves behind heartfelt gifts and whispered words that echo through his ancient halls. Now he must decide between gaining back his rank or mulling the possibility of opening up to someone for the first time in centuries.

A/N: I thought it'd be fucking cute if Kyogai exchanged letters with a human, with his emotions spiraling into chaos as he starts developing feelings. Hence, this piece was born! Inspired by a human!Kyogai character sheet!!

WARNINGS: 18+ ❦ Eventual smut ❦ sick!reader ❦ artistic couple dynamic ❦ Dark romance ❦ Canon typical violence ❦ minor original characters because reader needs friends ❦ Part 1/3 ❦ AO3

III

The scent of human flesh fills his lungs. Someone has trespassed on his property yet again. Kyogai takes a deep breath. Well, at least this time it's not a total waste: it's a marechi. The blood scent becomes stronger as the drum demon moves through the hall. Sweet bordering on cloying, far too strong. Such a quality ought to be equivalent to devouring more than a hundred, no, even two hundred humans' worth.

When he steps into the room, he catches a glimpse of the marechi running away from his house through the sliding door she left ajar. Kyogai is about to jump after her when he notices the bunch of papers on the floor.

His sharp, demonic eyes scrutinize them: it is one of his stories. Shocked, Kyogai realizes there's a small note alongside it, written with paper from his desk and old ink. He picks it up, holding it carefully between black, pointy nails.

“Your story lightened my night like the fireflies at the river, glowing on my way home. Thank you."

That is enough to freeze him in place. When was the last time someone said something nearly kind about his writing? Perhaps more than two lifetimes. He stands there, staring at the note in astonishment for an instant before setting his sight on the forest, where he can still see her silhouette running in the distance.

Only half a heartbeat. That's all he needs to engulf her. However, for some reason beyond his comprehension, Kyogai lets her go. He looks at the little note again and rereads it. What- what did she mean by that?

It isn't until two weeks later that the same scent hits his nose. It comes again from the old writing room. Kyogai arrives in a drumbeat. The human hasn't entered his house, but he can see her silhouette through the thin paper of the sliding door as she opens it, casting a string of sunlight across the dark room. Kyogai holds his breath. Unsure of what to do, he remains as still as he can, bent in the darkest corner.

Falteringly, she sneaks a box wrapped in a handkerchief and places it on the floor. It has a red rose attached to it by a knot on the top. Her hand trembles slightly as she quickly pulls away. She moves afar, slower this time, staggering over the grass for what he can hear. Was she wounded? Kyogai cocks his head, senses attuned. Nothing smelled like spilled blood. Marechi blood—a fortune's worth.

His gaze descends upon the box, curiosity piqued, yet, he can only stare at it. Could this be a trap from Demon Slayers? It's a more likely possibility than a stranger simply being kind to someone they've never met.

Your story lightened my night like the fireflies at the river.

With a knot in his stomach, he motions forward. His sharp nails undo the top knot. Before opening the box, Kyogai contemplates the red rose between his fingers as if it’s something that shouldn’t exist there, and a sense inside him warns that such a delicate thing should never be meant for someone like him.

The bento box contains a few rice balls, wrapped in thick, green leaves and a few papers with beautiful illustrations of– Kyogai’s breath runs short: It’s his tale. These are illustrations from a story he wrote back in his human days. There’s a note attached to them.

“Your story inspired me to draw again! I hadn’t read something so touching in a while. I loved every bit of it. If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, could I read more of your work?

If your answer is yes, please put the story inside this box and leave it in front of the lateral door that I so rudely invaded that rainy day, and today. A friend of mine is a lumberjack by profession and works in the area. He will pass on our messages, since due to a certain physical condition it is difficult for me to go myself so often.

I say goodbye for now, grateful and waiting for your thoughtful response.”

The letter ends with a signature of her name, and Kyogai's breath runs so short he nearly chokes. A tickle takes over his chest. This is beyond absurd, he knows it and still- still his blood swirls in his stomach like it hasn’t done in centuries.

III

The drum demon has read the letter so many times that he unintentionally learned it by heart. His whole body flutters when a male human walks around the area, looking for a box that's never been there, not even once, and yet, he doesn't stop coming around. She must insist, Kyogai supposes. She must press for the man to keep returning, yearning as much as he does. But fear spreads through his veins faster than fondness, and he worries she'll hate the next thing she reads.

Kyogai notices miserably how much this short interaction means to him, to the extent that he's doing everything within his power to keep it from crumbling. Pathetic. Just as Muzan thinks of him. Just as his editor thought of him. Just as he is: disappointing, and unworthy.

His nails dig into his palms as he stands in his writing room, drawing blood. With a final glance at the dying rose over the desk, Kyogai calls himself back to reality. He ought to stop wasting time on this. He needs to be stronger. Wasn't his wish to once again belong to the demonic moon corps? Hurry, hurry, hurry. He needs to devour this Marechi the next time she comes around. This dream of writing is trash.

Your story inspired me to draw again!

Trash?

I hadn’t read something so touching in a while.

No.

The editor was mistaken, it wasn’t trash; at least not to her. The following morning, he watches from a safe spot in the dark halls of his house as the lumberjack takes the box with two stories for her.

III

"I liked your illustrations. The colors are accurate," you read.

The box rests on the futon beside you, open, with wild flowers peeking out on top of a bunch of handwritten papers.

“Wow, truly a writer worthy of admiration,” your friend Ren retorts, scoffing.

You gape, furrowing your brows, offended. “Shut up, he must be nervous.”

Ren gives you a teasing glance. “Right. Because you know him from reading his tales.”

"Of course! That's how I knew you were a rough, big-headed twink. The wood you bring has splintered edges. It's called deducing," you tell him, grinning. “Besides, you assured me that you would pass by without disturbing him, didn't you, Ren?”

“I did.”

You pull out the flowers before taking a deep breath of them, enjoying the aroma. “Mmm, see? No reason why he would be upset.”

“So nervous it is. Awkward maybe?” he adds, gazing at the small bouquet carefully put together.

You smile. “Yeah, that too.”

III

Kyogai contains the urge to throw himself into the side room as soon as the lumberjack's scent becomes present. The sun casts his shadow over the door as he approaches to place the box in front of it. Then, steps back, shielded by the morning rays as he runs back towards the forest. As soon as his scent dissipates slightly, Kyogai slides the door to retrieve the box, uncaring about the sun scorching his hands.

This time the illustrations are larger. Equally beautiful, delicate, and harmonious. The paper still retains some hints of her sweet fragrance. Sadly, the note accompanying them this time is a bit less extensive:

"My illustrations are only accurate because you do a great job of storytelling. I loved both stories, as much as the flowers. Thank you very much for trusting me to share your writings. The two drawings I sent try to summarize the story to provide a general idea of what they’re about. Do you like them? If so, it would be an honor if you decide to include them at the time of their publication.

I hope to hear from you soon, with affection,"

With affection, she wrote right before her name. With affection. For him? Kyogai’s stomach jumped. Demons don't have a beating heart, yet, he could swear his fluttered a beat. His writing has finally been recognized! Excited about that, and dizzy on the bits of her scent on the paper, he writes back.

III

"I wouldn't think of publishing them. I tried before, but they weren't well received. My editor said they lacked beauty and fragility. Time after time. I believed it for a while, so I preferred to stop trying... at least until now. I think you may have brought me hope.

P.S. I am glad you liked the flowers."

“Well, that’s something.” Ren says after you finish reading.

“Yes, something nice! And he sent more, look!”

You hold them in front of his face. He barely has a chance to take a look before you drive them to your nose, with a foolish smile on your face. “Oh, Ren, I want to meet him! Do you think it’s right for me to invite him over? Is it too soon? Do you think he’ll think I’m too daring?”

Ren laughed shortly, whole-heartedly. “Hey, take it easy. You don’t even know his name yet. Besides, your feet… they've been aching these days haven't they?”

Your gaze falls. “I’ve been feeling better. And I can ask his name on the next exchange of messages.” you retort.

Ren grimaces, “I don’t know… you’ve refused to consider all your mother’s suggestions on other prospects, and suddenly you want to give the first step for a man you’ve never seen?”

You take a deep breath, head falling back as you attempt to speak your mind correctly.

“I thought I was young enough to live a life of my own first. But now I’m already too old to be unmarried, and I haven’t received any proposals, not even for a date in a whole year. No one wants an old, malfunctioning woman as a wife,” you muttered.

Ren winced, struggling to phrase something comforting.

“I might not find a good prospect before my youth fades. I’m becoming a burden to my parents… but now, I have found someone who likes my art, and hasn’t said it's unfitting or nonsense, not even once. And he has sent flowers, twice!” You reach for his hand, tenderly taking it between yours. “Please support me on this.”

He squeezes your hand back, sighing. “We should buy a present for him. I shall deliver it along with your next letter. Some writing aid, maybe?”

You smile from ear to ear. “You’re my best friend, Ren! Thank you!”

III

It’s almost sunset when Kyogai smells the lumberjack at his door. This time, instead of leaving the box outside, he knocks. Kyogai tenses. He doesn’t respond. The human knocks again. Under different circumstances, the drum demon would not have hesitated to kill him for daring to disturb his home, for invading his territory. However, this time, Kyogai only listens.

"Sir, are you home?"

He remains silent. The human smells a little like her. That, for some reason, irritates him.

"I'll leave this here, with your permission."

Once the human leaves, he retrieves the box. Upon opening it, he finds a fairly large inkwell, as well as a new brush. He examines it with delicious surprise before opening the letter.

"Clearly, that editor lacked good judgment! I mustn't take the credit, however. It's not my opinion what makes you worthy, but yourself alone. Perhaps with time you'll gather the confidence to try again. I think it would be an excellent idea! Hope this little present is of help.

By the way, you know my name, but I don't know yours. I would love for you to tell me in person, if requesting such a thing isn’t unacceptable in your eyes. Would you like to come for tea tomorrow?

affectionately,"

Below her name was the detailed address of the house. His insides twisted and turned, devouring one another.

III

"The box is here," Ren's voice reaches you suddenly, hurried and agitated. "I didn't go get it, but it's here!"

He reaches where you are cutting vegetables, almost slipping. Behind him, his wife enters, with one hand on her belly and the other holding Teruco, their youngest of three children, soon to be four.

"Auntie, auntie," Ren's two children affectionately chirp. They come in right behind their mother. "Is it true you're going to get engaged soon?"

You can't evade the blush that quickly rises to your face. You look at your friend with a wry smile.

"I'm sorry, the word got out," he says, shrugging.

You look at the little ones with a smile. "If all goes well, maybe so. But keep it a secret, I don't want to scare him off before he even has a chance to come."

They exchange an amused glance.

"Now go play, and don't get into trouble. Your mother has enough with the baby on the way," you turn to her, "Hello, Saya. You didn't have to walk all the way here, I could have passed by your home."

"Don't be silly, we had to know the truth. You know how Ren is with gossip," she says, sitting down with her husband's help.

The man grimaces. They both laugh. Little Truco runs to catch up with her brothers.

"So, will you see him for the first time today?" Saya asks, once seated and comfortable.

"I hope so. I sent an invitation but-"

"You already have a response, or at least you should," says your friend, who pulls the box from inside his Yukata. "That's what I was trying to tell you. It was at the door! He must have brought it this time."

Your heart skips a beat. If he only sent the box, it couldn't be good. You take it with both hands before sitting down. The wood feels damp, and upon removing the lid, there are no flowers inside. Oh no. Maybe he saw you through the window and got discouraged. A lump forms in your throat, anticipating rejection.

After a deep breath, you read aloud:

"You are too kind. Although I appreciate the invitation, and I would like to attend, I will not be able to do so. I also suffer from a physical condition. It is a rare and not very pleasant disease to look at. Additionally, tea hurts me, as do some other foods. However, I would like to keep in touch, if that's okay with you.

Warm regards, Kyogai."

Your sigh is so heavy it's hard to let it out. An uncomfortable silence falls over the table.

"Why don't you go see him?" Saya probes. "They say love can blossom at first sight."

"Yes, it's true! I can lend you my horse."

"I don't know... Would it be proper to go without a chaperone? I don't know many people here to confide in, and I can't ask it of you, not with the baby's birth so near. Besides, what if he doesn't want to see me? I don't want to make him uncomfortable."

Ren looks away. His wife reaches out across the table to grasp your hand.

"Go. The chaperone thing doesn't matter. He'll probably prefer it that way. Besides, you can trust that we'll protect your reputation if anyone tries to start any negative rumors."

You squeeze her hand back. Your eyes well up. "Thank you."

III

"I don't think I could find you unpleasant even if I tried. I think you understand me well, and I think I can come to understand you too. I'll come to visit you soon. We can talk about whatever comes to mind! I'm very excited to meet you,

affectionately,"

There is a rose in the box again. He takes it as gently as he can. It has been a long time since Kyogai ceased being a human, but have women always been this bold? It doesn’t matter. The only remarkable thing here is that she seems determined to force her way into his world.

A decision needs to be made. Killing her would suffice to stop whatever nonsense this small affair has been. If a couple of letters not longer than a page can be called that. Letting her in... letting her in would mean that he’s a weak demon. Unworthy of the rank Muzan ripped him off, and he’ll have to hide from her sight, and be careful she doesn’t wander around too much. And surely she’ll ask for more of his work to read, and Kyogai doesn’t have anything interesting stored anymore.

Letting her in would mean she’d surely come around once, twice, and thrice again. Her scent would float around, brushing his nose with that exquisite fragrance of hers. And she’ll say something gentle and encouraging. And maybe, they’ll read to one another some of the books he hasn’t touched in decades. And perhaps, the drum house would become a bit warmer. And-

He stops. Shaking his head as he clenches his jaw. Shit, shit, shit. He shouldn’t want such a thing so bad.

#kny #kny kyogai #kny headcanons #kny fanfic #kny x reader #twelve kizuki #twelve demon moons #demon slayer #demon moons #kimetsu no yaiba #kny demon moons #12 kizuki #demon x human #kyogai #drum demon #tanjiro kamado #zenitsu agatsuma

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lovelyyandereaddictionpoint · 2 years

Note

For Exsotica au

Mind if I have part two of the upper moons this time with the lower moon?

Sure Babe

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Exotica | Staying with the Lower Moons

I’m only going to do the three we actually get see doing more than just beg for their lives

Now cannononically none of these guys would have ever met Exotica considering time space and by the fact that Muzan thinks the 12 kizuki are literal filth compared to you but let's set that aside

For you to be in the care of the lowermoons let’s say Muzan is continuing with this pass-you-along routine so you’re not getting attached to anyone but in this specific instance your on your way to the fortress

Let's say that for reasons you can’t just be teleported into the infinity fortress so they’ve gotta take you the long way round:

Rui

Let’s say you're placed with him because he’s a favorite of Muzan’s. Immediately he makes something up to fit his delusion of the family. So he’ll say you’re a guest that's staying for a few weeks and pass you around to be babysat by ‘his family.’ Any scrape extra speck of dirt incurs his wrath. 7x as bad as he usually is. Everyone’s on edge and everyone is far too scared to even blame you. Noticing the tightening of his regime you come in clutch with your smooth talking motherly persona.

“Rui, may I speak to you please?”

You said it into the night air sitting on the web made for you. You knew he could hear you even the weakest demons had a large range for this ability.

“What do you want?”

The statement was said with malice and you concluded he was in the middle of punishing his subordinates. You knew he couldn’t hurt you so you continued.

“What is upsetting you, Rui?”

“Why do you keep saying my name like that?! And WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU ANYTHING?!”

Coming closer to you hoping to intimidate you by getting in your face. You remained calm which was much easier when you had your headdress’ curtain blocking the view.

“Come.” You opened your arms “Come here Rui. Tell me about it.”

Your voice was level. Calm. In absolute opposition to his seemingly rising anger. And like a hesitant foster kitten he comes around. Rationalizing his inability to lose he settles. Hesitant but relenting he plops into your folded lap partly expecting you to treat him like some common pet. Instead you wrapped your arms to hold him, letting your hanging sleeves drape around him like a blanket.

“So what has made you so upset?”

From then on there were some obvious changes. Talking and rocking him through his anger everyone begins to revere you.

At first he was more than happy to reinstate you as the new mother, aiming his hand against spider mother’s throat to which you frantically said ‘no!’ You proposed another title: Meemaw. It throws him off long enough for you to come up with something that fits in with his delusion.

“A family friend that’s really close to the family?”

It takes him a while to accept it but he does. And for the rest of your stay he’s a happy boy. So is the family. Everyone benefits from your advice and just your shoulder to cry on. It's only when some poor demon slayers come upon you while you’re telling a story to the ugly spider minions. Reporting immediately to That Man you are on to the next guard.

Kyogai

How perfect! A demon with the power to change rooms whenever needed? And the subject he’s guarding is a weak fragile human? It just works.

Kyogai keeps you far away from him, practically disgusted at the fact your blood was not one of a Marechi. He ignores you other than the mandatory meals and baths he has to facilitate. It isn’t until you-a snoopy human comes across his writing. He immediately moves to tap his tsuzumi drums but he stops when he hears you let out an interested gasp as you search for the next page.

He’s...confused. Do you actually like his work? Now he’s flattered and with the temperament of an anime school girl with a crush he will not approach you.

For the most part you feel like you live alone as everything you need is supplied quickly without interaction or conflict. He dare not embarass himself! Not until he eats more marechi will he feel good enough to even be seen by you. Unfortunately you are whisked away before he can achieve it. And when he inevitably does begin to fade away he’ll think of Tanjiro but he’ll also think of you.

Enmu

Now this makes a lot of sense. Maybe you are proposing the idea of a vacation; eventually traveling back to Muzan and him relenting to let you on the Mugen Train. Placing a lot of his trust in his subordinate’s endeavour he allows you to be on the train.

You’ll probably get your own cart and Enmu won’t introduce himself until you're the most vulnerable. Probably with food still being chewed in your mouth he pops up right next to you.

“Hi there (Y/n)-sama!”

You won’t react considering as Exotica you have people (Daki) hanging on you invasively all the time. He’ll frown, annoyed he didn’t see your annoyed or scared expression. You keep your poise with him because you know how much of a wild card he was. And he is silently getting more annoyed.

He’ll quite aggressively send you to sleep enjoying your dream of your old world. He’s intrigued by this development and will be even more surprised when you eventually break out of it. Thinking you’ll have to deal with a more unhinged Rui instead you’re met with the exact opposite.

“Hah~truly divine~you are perfect for him~!”

Prostrated at the foot of the custom-built bed he begins squirming. You naturally inch away only for him to crawl closer to you dragging his cheek along the leg you tried to keep him away with. Moving under the cloth of your yukata you push at his head as he gets closer to your crotch. Immediately he springs up cutting through the natural slit of your outfit to hold your hands. His face is revealed to have an obsessive blush overwhelming his face as he really began drooling as his tongue lolled out of his mouth moving inhumanely to lick your hand.

By your saving grace some wandering passenger stepped inside, gasping at the display before calling out to Enmu. You could barely keep your calm persona as the demon that was previously creeping on you to change immediately. Veins popping, aquamarine eyes shrinking and his fangs showing he turned and proceeded to tear the man apart. Not bothering to eat him claiming 'it’d ruin his grand meal' as he adjusted his suit.

You didn’t complain when Daki and Gyutarou had you back in their arms saying,”You’ll never leave us again, (Y/n)!!!” “Right, promise us you won’t leave!” “Yes it was simply awful without you!It was like torture for us.”

You’re right. it is torture.

#yandere x reader #yandere demon slayer #yandere kny #yandere kimetsu no yaiba #yandere demon slayer x exotica #exotica reader #poc reader #yandere harem #yandere enmu #yandere kyogai #yandere rui

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eveofwriting · 2 years

Note

hello!! i ADORE your yandere enmu post 🥺 i’d like to request kyogai yandere headcanons if you write for him?

[E-Excuse me? Are you a different human being? I will certainly write this, even though I’m not sure if I just requested this on a browser for myself, but yet again, I’m self-deprecative, I would never write that I adore my own content, especially with something I forgot I wrote within the span of a day. Sure, I was happy when I finished it, but also I log off the website for like a month and do not recall being back in the past six days because I’ve been really fucking busy. They came out a bit short but if you want a scenario or continuation of these, just ask!]

Yandere Kyogai General Headcanons

★ I don’t think Kyogai’s personality would change much if his darling was a human or slayer.

★ Not just anybody could catch his attention. A rude person who has no respect for someone’s hard work would never be attractive to him. Maybe a slayer who was careful not to step on his pages, like Tanjiro, or someone who verbally or physically showed a passion for an art form or activity, especially writing.

★ Kyogai is a soft yandere, sure, he can break and lash out at times, but VERY VERY RARELY would he hurt you, in any case it would always be by accident or under what he would call “special circumstances.” (Aka escaping or trying to kill him. You’d end up with broken wrists or ankles REAL fast.)

★ He always makes sure to give you words of affirmation as he knows how he at this point after meeting you, under no circumstance could live without you.

★ He is also delusional. He believes- no he KNOWS you both are meant to be together.

★ You were so kind to him, so respectful!

★ Even if you deny these accusations of love, he knows you’re just shy, or even just playing hard to get.

★ Also, good luck escaping the Tsuzumi mansion.

★ It’s possible, but certainly not easy.

★ On a separate note, Kyogai would definitely try to get stronger for you.

★ He already had desperately wanted to return back to his spot as lower rank 6, but now he had a purpose other than that.

★ Not only to protect his pride, but to protect you.

★ What if a more skilled demon smelt you and wandered into his home? He couldn’t have that!

★ You weren’t a meal, you were his lover! He’d rather lose every inch of his own pride than for someone besides him to lay a hand on you in any way.

★ It’s safe to say he would quickly regain his appetite for humans, not holding back on eating them anymore.

★ He’d go out hunting instead of waiting for humans to surround or enter Tsuzumi mansion.

★ He would take you with him, of course. He couldn’t have you running off or getting attacked while he wasn’t there to shield you.

★ No matter how large or small you are, no matter how strong or weak, he’ll always see you as fragile and in need of protection.

★ Honestly, he’s one of the yanderes I would prefer having if I had to choose.

#yandere demon slayer #yandere kyogai #yandere demon #yandere kimetsu no yaiba #yandere kny #yandere kny x reader #yandere male #kyogai

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petitelepus · 2 months

Text

Old Friends, New Lovers? Part 1

MODERN!HAGANEZUKA HOTARU X FEM!READER

Summary: You and Haganezuka go way back. You were childhood friends and these days you are both teachers at Kimetsu Academy. The only thing is that you have the worst luck when it comes to finding love and Haganezuka is starting to get enough about it. Things happen and you finally end up together. Now it should be smooth sailing from here on forth, right? A lighthearted story about you and Haganezuka banging here and there and other sweet stuff like that.

Warnings: Cursing, Drinking, Smoking, Vomit

A/N: Modern!AU, Female Reader, Teacher Reader, Teacher Haganezuka, From Friends To Lovers, Tengen Uzui, Kyojuro Rengoku, Goto, Gyomei Himejima, Kanae Kocho, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Kyogai

PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4

It was Friday and the students were already on their way home to spend their weekend away from school. That left teachers to fill in last-minute reports and grade essays, projects, and exams. The teachers were mostly minding their own business when you suddenly slammed the door to the teacher's office open and then shut behind you.

"I AM PISSED!" You exclaimed out loud and your colleagues turned to look at you as you frowned, "Who is going out drinking with me today?!"

The teachers glanced at each other and hands rose one by one. You huffed and nodded, "Great! I'm gonna-!" You were about to say when suddenly the office door slid open and a student peeked inside, "Miss, I need your signature on my paper…"

"Ah-!" You put on a kind smile and nodded as you followed the student out of the office, "Of course, lead the way."

As you left to aid the student, the teachers shared glances with each other.

"What was that about?" Goto asked and many sighed.

"I guess she got dumped again." Tengen thought out loud and Gyomei frowned sadly, "Again?"

"Wasn't she just recently seeing someone?" Kyogai asked and Sanemi nodded, "Yeah. Looks like this one didn't work out for her either."

"She has been this way ever since elementary school." Haganezuka grunted, "She would always chase after boys or girls she liked and then end up heartbroken when they wouldn't return her feelings. Same thing in college."

"Oh right, you guys are childhood friends, right?" Kanae asked and the masked teacher scoffed, "She's a pain in the ass, that's what she is."

"Yeah, you've known her the longest!" Tengen laughed, "Maybe the two of you should date-!"

The art teacher didn't get to finish his sentence when the office's door slid open and you entered the room. To your colleagues' confusion, instead of complaining or shouting, you burrowed yourself into paperwork.

"Are you alright, young lady?" Kyojuro asked and you growled, never taking your eyes off the papers before you, "Yeah, just gotta get these done and I can clock myself out and then go and try to forget this douchebag ex…!"

The teachers glanced at each other but then focused on their own work. The only one who kept looking at you was Haganezuka, but even he focused back on his work before anyone could notice.

Later that night you and your colleagues had gathered in your favorite restaurant slash bar to enjoy good food and drinks. The night was going well, despite it being your way to take out some steam.

"I hate that bastard!" You exclaimed as you chugged your drink, "I gave him two months of my life and he goes and starts seeing his coworker!?"

"Again?" Tengen asked, "What happened to that woman you were seeing just a while ago?"

"Oh, don't get me started!" You shouted, but it was too late, "She said I was nice, but she wasn't looking for something long-term! Apparently, I was just her rebound after she had a nasty breakup!"

"Sounds like you have poor luck when it comes to men or women." Obanai grumbled and you nodded, the alcohol making your mood whimsical and sad all of a sudden, "What am I doing wrong? I'm nice, I have a good job and I'm pretty!"

You pouted as you looked at your colleagues sadly, "I am pretty, right?"

"You're very beautiful." Kanae nodded with a small smile, "But you know, you don't need to be dating someone all the time? You can be single for a moment if you want?"

"You don't get it Kanae… I'm already 36, and I'm not getting any younger!" You cried out, "It's time for me to find love, settle down, maybe pop out a kid or two, and just…"

"Just?"

"I don't know…" You murmured sadly as you drank the rest of your drink in one go and then got up, "I'm going out for a second. I need to get some fresh air."

Your colleagues nodded and didn't pay any mind to you as you got up and stepped outside for a moment. It was already dark, but you didn't mind it. You dug out a cigarette pack from your jacket's pocket, grabbed one, and placed it between your lips before lighting it. You knew that cigarettes were a horrible habit, but you had to blow off some steam or in this case smoke.

"Why the fuck am I this way?" You grumbled quietly by yourself as you blew out some smoke.

"Because you are an idiot, that's why." Came a familiar voice and you turned and saw a familiar Hyottoko mask looking in your direction.

"Haganezuka?" You frowned as your childhood friend settled next to you, content to just watch you smoke. You frowned, "What are you doing here?"

"You always smoke after a breakup." He replied, ignoring your question. You grunted and took a drag of your smoke, "It's a bad habit of mine. Always has been."

"Oh yeah? I remember that you started to smoke to impress a guy." Haganezuka reminded you and you frowned as you remembered that crush who didn't even know you existed. You still remember how you had left him a love letter, but another girl had taken credit for it. Those two were probably married and had kids by now.

"Don't remind me…" You crumbled, suddenly getting a bad taste in your mouth and it wasn't just the cancer stick. You decided that you didn't want it anymore. You groaned as you dropped the cigarette and stepped on it with your shoe.

"Fuck it, I'm-" You were saying when you suddenly felt your balance shift and you almost tripped on your own feet. You would have hit the ground if it wasn't for Haganezuka quickly catching you.

"Alright, I think you've had enough!" The man snapped and you groaned as you felt alcohol really hit you. Talk about a sneak attack.

"I'm taking you home." Haganezuka said and you groaned as you tried to stand up on your own, "Just give me a second, I gotta go and pay my tab and-!"

"It's already taken care of." The man said and you looked at him in awe, "You paid my bill?"

"You better pay me back." He grunted and you rolled your eyes, "I will, I will."

The two of you left and as you were walking, you found yourself leaning against Haganezuka's side, enjoying his body's warmth and how stable he felt.

"You're a good friend, you know that?" You thought out loud as you looked at your friend who just grunted. You hummed as you smiled, "You always have been. Even when we were kids, you would always look after me."

"That's because you were a huge crybaby."

"Still… You always took me into your games and such."

"Because you would cry if I didn't include you."

"Ah, memories," You chuckled, "Where did I go wrong?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

"So cruel…!" You whined, and Haganezuka groaned, his patience wearing thin, "Fine! You want to know what's wrong? You fall in love far too easily and with assholes and idiots out of all people!"

"Mean..!" You pouted, "When did my dating become your business?"

"It becomes my business when you always end up with a broken heart!" The man snapped and you were tempted to snap right back at him but you looked as saw that you were already by your apartment building. Haganezuka took you to the front door and you told him the code that the door needed to open.

Once inside, the two of you took an elevator to your floor and walked to your front door. You dug out your keys from your pocket and inserted them into the lock and with a click, your front door opened.

"Thank you for taking me- Whoa, what are you-?" You were interrupted as Haganezuka followed you inside your apartment.

"I need to use the toilet." He grunted as he took his shoes off and you sighed, "First door on the right, you know it."

The man nodded as he went to use your toilet slash bathroom and you made your way to your small kitchen. You glanced at the clock on the wall and noted that it wasn't as late as you had thought. You peeked at your fridge and you were pleased to see a half bottle of vodka and many bottles of Cola.

You heard the toilet being flushed and you peeked to see Haganezuka step out of your toilet.

"Hey, if you don't have anything better to do then would you like to stay and help me finish this bottle?" You asked as you showed your vodka bottle to your friend.

"Why the fuck do you have a bottle of vodka in your fridge?" He asked, and you pouted, "Are you gonna drink it with me or shall I finish it myself?"

"…Fine!" Haganezuka grunted as he walked to your living room and you joined him on your couch with two glasses, a bottle of Cola, and vodka. You poured your glasses full and handed him his vodka-Cola.

"Bottoms up!" You clinked your glass against his and took a long sip of your drink. Haganezuka groaned as he took off his mask and placed it on your coffee table before taking a sip himself.

You immediately looked at him and smiled at the sight of the handsome face he hid behind that funny mask of his. "You're really handsome, you knew that?"

"I don't care." He grunted and you chuckled, "Shame. You would make someone really happy."

Your friend grunted something under his breath and you took your chance to take a sip of your drink.

"I want to ask you something." Haganezuka looked at you with those pretty orange eyes of his, "And I want you to be honest with me. No bullshit or such!"

You hummed thoughtfully, wondering what he wanted to ask, before nodding, "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you never chase after me?"

You blinked, taken aback by his question. It was not a question you expected him out of all people ask.

"You are my friend-!"

"I said no bullshit," He snapped and you frowned, "I didn't-!"

"Tell me the truth or I'll squeeze it out of you!"

"But I… Fine!" You pouted stubbornly as you averted your gaze from him, "Because you were my only friend and I didn't want to chase you away like I chased everyone else I liked…"

You blushed as you realized just how pathetic you sounded… And you blushed even worse when you realized that you just told your friend how you liked him.

"Idiot." Haganezuka grunted as he took a sip of the drink in his hand, "As if you could ever chase me away."

"W- what was that?" You couldn't understand what you heard. Did Haganezuka like you?

"What do you think?" He shot right back at you and you froze, "I… I don't know?"

"Let me explain it to you so that even you can understand…!" Haganezuka growled as he looked at you, "Do you have any idea how annoying it is to listen to you talk about finding someone to love when I am right here!?"

You blinked, confused and the alcohol in your systems didn't help you at all. Nope, if anything, it made things harder for you to read and understand.

"What do you want?" You asked and Haganezuka frowned as he took your drinks and placed them on the table. You were about to repeat your question, but he grabbed your face and kissed you without any warning.

You felt your eyes widen, but slowly you let them close and you found yourself kissing him back. It was a very simple kiss, but for some reason, it filled your stomach with butterflies unlike any other kiss ever did.

Slowly and reluctantly, Haganezuka pulled away from the kiss and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"I want to be your lover." The man said and you stared at him with your eyes wide.

Those butterflies..! They were coming back, and-!

"Hrk!" You slammed a hand over your mouth and bolted, running straight to the toilet and letting it all out. Haganezuka flinched as he heard you hurl and he decided that you had enough to drink. So while you were getting rid of everything in your stomach, he took your drinks and bottle of vodka and poured them all into the kitchen sink.

He heard you flush the toilet and walked into the bathroom to see you hugging your toilet seat like your life depended on it.

"Had enough?" Haganezuka asked, not resisting a chance to tease you. You groaned weakly before your body convulsed and you dry-heaved, but nothing came out.

"I'm…" You gagged, "I'm never drinking again…!"

"Alright, come here you drunk," Haganezuka helped you up on your feet and took you to your bedroom.

"Hotaru…" You whined and whimpered as he tucked you under the blanket and as soon as your head hit the pillow, you fell asleep. Haganezuka stared at you for a second before he grunted and left your bedroom, opting to sleep on your couch so he could make sure that you remembered this night tomorrow.

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nichirinpen · 9 months

Text

Flame in his Heart

Rengoku x Reader

Part 5 (Part 4 here)

Synopsis- An arranged marriage, a horrible father-in-law and a husband who seemed content ignoring you. Can you weather the larger storm brewing? Will Kyojuro ever open up to you?

Content Warnings: AFAB reader descriptions, slow burn, mentions of alcoholism (not the reader), strangers to friends to lovers, dark themes

~Minors DNI~

A doll.

A statue.

Both of those described you perfectly.

Seated at your vanity you stared at the stranger reflected back. A strong sense of deja vu churned in your veins. This scene, this anxiety, it was a never ending cycle. The reflection shifted in the mirror, a flash of exhaustion crossing her face before you were quick to fix it.

Your hair and makeup were done immaculately, applied by your shaking hand. Susamaru had watched silently, her offer to help being shooed away with an impatient gesture.

Despite the trembling you couldn’t seem to stop, you were able to put together an acceptable look. You were sick to your stomach with anxiety, something makeup couldn’t quite cover.

Inhaling sharply you watched your reflection do the same. The red fabric of your new gown shifted with you. It fit like a glove, almost like a second skin. You had half hoped it would have shrunk overnight, giving you a pale excuse to not attend your own party. But no, the red fabric clung to your skin gently. It draped you as perfectly as it had in the dressing room, the color so vibrant against the drab furniture of your room it almost hurt to look at. For just a moment the beauty of the dress dulled and you found yourself resembling a fresh scab. A fresh wound.

The open wound in Shinjuro’s side.

You shifted uncomfortably, brushing at the soft sleeves of the dress as if that would brush off the thought. The stranger in the mirror looked exhausted again as you met her eyes. Exhausted but perfect, you thought bitterly. Your reflection shimmered as you stood, light reflecting off the many jewelry pieces you had adorned. Gold glittered like small stars around your throat and wrists. The many baubles felt heavy and cold against your skin, a pressing reminder of the weight of your position. Of the weight the night carried. You tapped one nail against your left earring, watching the small golden flower sway slightly. It was tempting to sit back down and spend more time trying on earrings, the plush stool calling to you with promises of more delays.

But no.

There was nothing left for you to do but face your responsibilities. A sense of impending doom had hung over you the past 24 hours, building with each passing moment. Teetering between wanting to cry and needing to vomit had been your morning. You felt slightly numb now, the anxiety having reached a crescendo.

With a sigh you turned from the mirror, clenching and unclenching your fists as you stared at the wooden doors of your room. Beyond it was a lavishly decorated hallway, glittering lights and ruby drapery adorning the tall walls. Susamaru had left after your refusal of her help, no doubt helping with the final preparations.

On the first floor the event set up had nearly finished, all the decorations in place. Ms. Gloria and her staff had done a good job. Even with the snide attitude thrown at you and your staff. They had pulled various furniture pieces from a basement you didn’t even know existed. Estate rooms transformed into a ballroom and multiple dining areas. The staff no doubt stood in their positions now, waiting for the first guests to arrive. You had seen the truck bringing in additional staff, all of them looking tired and miserable. They had shuffled into the estate as if they each carried the world on their shoulders. You supposed they might, especially if they were Muzan’s employees.

Pleasant smells of cooking filled the entire estate. Final meal preparations most likely being directed by Kyogai. The large man had seen through your attempts to stall for time this morning, sternly but kindly ushering you from the kitchen.

You knew Genya was outside, waiting for cars to valet for the guests. The boy had been cramming toast in his face as he hurriedly explained his duties for the night. You had only half listened, watching crumbs spray across the kitchen counter. Like you, he had been ushered from the kitchen, Enmu muttering something about ‘barbaric car boy.’ He had run to the garage to take his station, the boy seeming excited rather than nervous.

Everything was perfect and in its place.

Except it wasn’t.

The other guest of honor, your husband, was still nowhere to be found. Your attempts to call and text remained unanswered. The small timestamp of ‘sent’ unchanging. Your last call to him had been to ask for one of the guest rooms, a week ago. It was concerning and added to your intense anxiety. It had been nearly 2 months since you had last seen the man. At this point you didn’t care if he didn’t show, you just wanted Kyojuro to be ok. You wanted him to be alive.

Shaking off the thought, you smoothed the fabric of the dress. Your hands were warm, your heart beginning to thunder. Pulse resonating in your mind you swayed slightly, nausea welling up in your throat.

“Even if I’m alone. I’ll be ok.” The words rang hollow. The truth was you were terrified. Dealing with Shinjuro was hard enough even with your husband’s silent support. Dealing with him truly alone was a nightmare in the making.

With another heavy sigh, you quickly exited your room, making your way quickly to the main hall. With Kyojuro nowhere to be found, it was up to you to greet everyone as they arrived.

Alone.

Which would bring whispers and speculation. Events like this also typically had some form of media person sneak in. This would be your punishment it seemed. An anniversary party all alone. Having the shame and ridicule of upper class socialites and media schmucks rain down. You could honestly care less how Shinjuro’s friends perceived you. But you were human. And words, as much as you didn’t want them to, hurt. The nasty barbed comments and tittering laughs had a special way of wearing down your soul.

There was a small comfort with Senjuro attending. But in the early morning the boy had tearfully advised he would not show. He was terrified of his father and the small amount of confidence he had built had shattered. Teary eyed and panicked, he had broken down, sobbing on the main staircase. You had led the shaking boy back to his room, assuring him you would be fine. All the while fighting the strong urge to cry as your loneliness grew.

You nearly tripped, the action pulling you from the pit of self pity that was welling in your stomach. Clinging to the banister for a moment, you inhaled slowly, trying to squash the panic that was trying so hard to take over. Just get through the night. Without vomiting. That’s all you had to do. A few hours and you could crash in bed and let the anxiety take over. Until then, you were a perfect doll. Slipping on the next step, you gripped the banister white knuckled, trying to calm your breathing. With each jump of your heart rate, you seemed to get less coordinated and more clumsy. Gritting your teeth, you made it down three more steps without stumbling. Focusing on your breathing, you inhaled steadily, trying to calm the intense beating of your heart. You nodded at Kyogai as he hurried past you down the stairs. The butler looked stressed, a streak of flour smudged under one eye. The large man merely nodded at you as he caught your eye, expression pinched and angry.

The staff that had been brought in was apparently not helpful. You made a small mental note to check in with each of your staff. This event and this night was asking for a lot from each of them. Even Rui was helping despite your immense protests. Kyogai had quietly pulled you aside, gently explaining that if Rui was perceived as absent, his debt would only grow. It sickened you to no end, the small flame of anger perhaps the only thing keeping you from completely giving into anxiety.

You paused as Enmu scurried past you, the small man muttering angrily under his breath. His inky hair dusted with flour. His back, you realized as he darted down a side hall, also had a healthy amount of flour smeared on it. He was quickly followed by Nezuko, the small girl pausing to bow towards you before scurrying off. You grimaced at the trail of flour that trailed after the group, stepping around it as delicately as you could. The flour was quick to be cleaned, to your relief. Rui was close behind, pushing a vacuum nearly the same size as the boy. All three of them looked sweaty and stressed, making you wonder just what was happening in the kitchen.

You dodged an unfamiliar woman stumbling across the main hall, her arms ladened with plates. The plates were on the verge of falling, the porcelain making a horrible grating noise as she teetered towards the kitchen. You tensed as she swayed, one foot lifting briefly before she righted herself. Once out of sight, the sound of a breaking plate echoed through the main entrance. You winced, sighing heavily as you trudged over to the main door.

Susamaru was there, adjusting a plush chair she had no doubt dragged from the parlor. You smiled at her tiredly, gratefully taking a seat. In truth you were tired, limbs shaking from the mix of anxiety and adrenaline coursing through your veins.

“Sorry about earlier.” You murmured, giving Susamaru an apologetic smile. The woman shrugged, waving away the apology. She looked uncomfortable in her event uniform, the tight black dress straining to cover the woman’s impressive muscles. She tugged at the stiff white collar around her throat, grimacing as she spoke.

“Today is so fucked. Don’t worry about it.”

You laughed at her response and nodded. Susamaru had a way of stating just what was on your mind. You both watched quietly as another one of the nameless temporary staff stumbled across the main hall. A small splat resounded as the tray holding small sweets tipped. The girl looked at the mess, then you, then the mess. She seemed at a loss for what to do next. Susamaru let out a huff of annoyance, leaning against the chair as she shook her head.

“Kyogai is going to pop a blood vessel.” She muttered, the two of you watching the man rush into the room. He snapped something at the girl, quickly cleaning the mess before rushing back down the back hall, girl in tow.

You glanced at Susamaru, the other woman rolling her eyes as a wail of frustration echoed back down the hall. “Enmu probably got another face full of flour.”

Chuckling you shook your head, making a note to ask her why there was so much flour being thrown in the kitchen. Your laughter died as you settled into the chair, eyes locked on the large front doors that would soon open.

It was fucked.

Less than 30 minutes until go time and still no Kyojuro. You would look like a fool, there would no doubt be some shitty tabloid spreading rumors of a broken marriage. It wasn’t far off from the truth. You and Kyojuro hadn’t had the time to grow close. But you had agreed to take on Shinjuro, together.

You flinched as one of the large doors opened slightly, a pale man slipping through. He was quick to shut the door, but before it closed you could see people milling around outside. Their eyes snapped to the crack in the door before it closed, sharp gazes like wolves before a hunt. It made your heart plummet straight into the floor. Pressing your hands against your stomach, you tried to calm your breathing. In just a few moments you had to appear perfect.

The man who had entered glanced about for a moment before approaching you, extending one scarred hand. His presence was intimidating, the dark clothing making him look more like a ghost than a man. There was an odd familiarity to him however, something you couldn’t quite place. Taking his hand tentatively, you winced at the crushing grip as he shook your hand briefly.

“Mrs. Rengoku. I am Sanemi Shinazugawa, head of security.”

You nodded at that as you took your hand back, shaking it slightly to get the feeling back in your fingers. The introduction made sense. Genya and his brother shared the same wild gaze. Though with Sanemi it was as if the man were reading your soul. You squirmed slightly under his intense gaze, unsure of how to respond.

Avoiding his eyes, you took in his outfit. A pitch black suit that was definitely hiding some form of weaponry. The ebony fabric shimmered slightly as he moved restlessly, the man seeming on edge. You watched as he tapped his label, the small green pin that sat there beeping quietly in response. The little device reminded you of Genya’s garage full of machinery and you suddenly remembered what the boy had said about Sanemi.

“Outside is secured, I have men stationed at all entrances.” His gaze finally shifted, snapping to follow one of the temporary staff as they jogged past.

“If you’re here, does that mean Kyojuro is as well?” You blurted the question, hands clenching and unclenching as you stared up at him. Sanemi raised a pale eyebrow, the scars on his face rippling slightly as an emotion too quick for you to catch flitted across his face.

“I’m not sure ma’am.” The security guard looked uncomfortable, scarred hand coming up to smooth his unruly white hair.

“We parted ways about a week ago so I could prepare my men for this event.”

You nodded stiffly, your heart back in your throat. Just what was Shinjuro planning? Sure a security detail was at nearly every event, but you had never actually seen them before. And to have the head of his son’s security detail leave his side? It had your heart in your throat, mind buzzing with horrible possibilities.

“Why is there such a big fuss for security?” This question came from Susamaru, the woman leaning against your chair as she shot a look at Sanemi. The weight of her against your shoulder was comforting. A solid reminder that you had an ally in the house.

“We had blundering idiots delay the freaking pastry chef and rip open a bag of flour to just be sure. Whatever the fuck that means.” The woman huffed, rolling her eyes as she spoke. You raised an eyebrow, twisting to look at her. That explained why half your staff looked like they stepped into a flour tornado.

“I’m just following orders.” Sanemi huffed, looking peeved at the questioning. You nodded at his words, deciding not to press the man further. He no doubt had knowledge of the whole Rengoku family that no one else did. But you knew whatever answers Sanemi might have would only give you more questions and anxiety.

“I’ll be nearby all night Mrs. Rengoku.” He paused, running one hand over his face. The man looked exhausted all of a sudden, wild eyes a bit dulled.

“If you need me, give me a signal.” He motioned aimlessly with his hands, “Tug on your right ear or something. I’ll be watching.”

Sanemi turned before you could answer, black suit shimmering slightly under the light thrown by the glittering chandelier. The opulent light made him look even paler, the man somehow easily existing as a shade among the living. You shivered at the thought, fingernails digging into your palms as you pushed away dark thoughts that threatened to spill over into your conscious.

Sanemi turned back suddenly, glancing about before moving in close with two swift steps. You leaned back slightly, alarmed slightly by his quick actions. His wild eyes searched your face for a moment before he spoke quietly.

“Thank you. For being kind to Genya.”

And with that he was suddenly gone. You blinked at the empty space he had occupied, slightly stunned out of your anxious state. Glancing over your shoulder you shared a look with Susamaru, the woman having heard his comment as well. Sanemi was a tad odd, but despite his rough appearance you could see the same gentleness that Genya had shown.

They were both a bit like big dogs.

“It’s 5:59.” Susamaru tapped your shoulder gently, the woman throwing you a pitying look as you stood shakily. Time for the mass of people you didn’t know to swarm in. Breathing in deeply, you smoothed your dress down again.

“Ok.” You nodded once, taking a step forward and positioning yourself squarely at the center of the main entrance. The large doors stood like silent guardians, their ornate carved surface the only thing keeping you from facing the night. Kyogai and Enmu nodded as they approached the doors. You nodded back curtly, bile rising in your throat as you swiftly waved towards the doors. Both of them now flour free, tugged the massive doors and bowed all in one swift motion. As the doors swung open they quickly vanished as the crowd of unfamiliar faces surged in.

“Darling!” A woman you had never seen before swept in, her yellow skirts practically engulfing you as she hugged you. The scent of lilac burned your nostrils, making you dizzy as you stood in her embrace. Patting her back awkwardly you offered up a shaky smile, mind reeling as you tried and failed to remember if you knew her name. It didn’t seem to matter, the woman swept past you in a yellow flurry as soon as the hug ended. The next hand was already offered, the elderly man mumbling something inaudibly before shuffling away.

For an hour you stood at the front doors, face aching and stiff with the smile you struggled to maintain. The cold night air swirled in after each guest, chilling you to the bone as you stiffly shook hands. A sea of fake smiles were thrown your way, their owners looking at you with poorly hidden pity. It practically filled the air, one woman going as far as to murmur her condolences. You took it in stride, instead focusing on the colors that passed by. Green dress, a blue suit, brown suit, then a pink dress followed closely by a mauve suit. The men and women who passed were all weighed down with fine silks and jewelry that glittered like insect wings in the main parlor light. That would have made it simpler, a party filled with glitter beetles was preferable to, whatever this was.

Pity party extravaganza and public shaming session all in one.

You inhaled sharply, pushing the thought from your mind. One hand pressed against your stomach, you nodded at another guest. You hoped you didn’t look as sick as you felt.

A media liaison scurried in, the small man quick to step around one irritated woman to get in front of you. Showing you a badge that meant nothing, he shot you a smirk before taking a picture. You flinched at the bright flash of light, blinking rapidly to clear your vision. The man shot you a larger smirk, reaching out with a small microphone.

“So where is Mr. Rengoku tonight? Couldn’t be bothered to show?” The man’s voice was like grease in your ears. You physically recoiled, a smile slipping into a look of disgust.

“Excuse me?” You sputtered, taking a step back to avoid the microphone he jabbed towards your face. The man seemed oblivious to your discomfort or didn’t care. Most likely the latter, as he took another step forward, jabbing the device forward again.

Susamaru, blessedly, had remained plastered to your side. Tucked just a step behind you, the other woman stepped forward, swatting the man’s hand away. The man squeaked, fumbling as he nearly dropped the device.

“Mrs. Rengoku has GUESTS to attend to. MOVE IT.” Susamaru’s voice was harsh, her tone leaving no room for argument. You watched, gratefully, as the greasy little man scurried off, muttering under his breath.

With him gone the stream of guests continued, slowly thinning as each hour progressed. It was less suffocating now, the night air on full blast. You shivered, shaking your head at Susamaru’s offering of a shawl.

Finally the last guest entered and for a moment your heart leapt at the sight of golden fiery hair. But it quickly plummeted at the man’s stubbled face already red from drinking. Your face, stiff from smiling, nearly fell at the sight of your father-in-law. Or rather it was the sight of JUST him. Kyojuro was nowhere to be seen. You braced yourself for his ridicule, knowing full well he had taken in the fact that you were not wearing the dress he had provided. His fiery eyes swept over your form, one thick eyebrow twitching. It was the only indication of his ire. The man swayed, his slate gray suit slightly askew. He pawed at one pocket, tucking a small flask away.

“Hello Daughter-in-law.” Shinjuro slurred, stumbling slightly as he crossed the threshold. You murmured a welcome, taking the man by the elbow as one of his loafered feet slid on the polish floor. As much as you hated the man, you weren’t about to let the media sink their teeth into anything that could be used to slander your image. As Kyogai closed the door, you caught a glimpse of camera flashes, the media milling outside no doubt on their way to figure out how to get close to the estate windows. You made a mental note to ask Sanemi later how the little greasy man from earlier had made it in.

“I have a surprise for you.” Shinjuro murmured, his wet breath tickling your ear as you walked. You suppressed a shudder, trying not to show your disgust. The man stunk of liquor, nearly his full weight pressing against you as the two of you stumbled from the main entrance.

“You.” He burped, “You will be so pleased. It's JUST what you deserve.”

Humming in response, you tugged him forward into the event hall. You didn’t have the time nor the energy to ponder what the hidden threat was. Just had to get through tonight and smile through the humiliation.

Shinjuro’s foot slipped and you let out a small gasp of shock as the two of you teetered, nearly falling. Luckily Enmu had appeared out of nowhere, the smaller man barely hiding his disgust as he took Shinjuro’s other arm. You nodded a thank you at the man, the two of you managing to pull Shinjuro towards the heart of the event.

“Where is Kyojuro?” You asked quietly. The question had been timed perfectly as you drew closer to the other guests. At your side, Shinjuro tensed, the man shooting an intense glare at you. All traces of the drunken fool from just moments before disappeared and for a moment you were staring at a very sober and seething Shinjuro. His expression calmed quickly however, a smirk sliding across his face. You did not like the smirk. It was an expression you had never seen from the man and it carried a deep sense of just being wrong. Something was just wrong.

“That’s my surprise.” Shinjuro hiccuped, peeling away from you with a snort. You watched, feeling small and helpless. The older man weaved through the crowd, his stumbling steps drawing the attention of those around him. They were his guests however and as such, his drunken stupor was treated as it always was. Tittering laughs and indulgent smiles filled the air around the man. He was in his element, red face plastered with a shit eating grin.

“I can put laxatives in his drink.”

You whipped your head around to stare at Enmu in surprise. The small man was wiping the shoulder Shinjuro had been leaning on with a scowl. As if he had been tainted in some way.

“Do you want to clean up a drunk man’s diarrhea in a crowd of pissed off rich people?”

Enmu hummed and sighed, “I suppose you’re right.” He shrugged and scurried off. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes. As much as you loved them, you had to wonder just where Muzan had found the current members of your staff. All of them seemed to have an odd eagerness for revenge, regardless of the recipient. Though you couldn’t blame them, being around Shinjuro’s crowd was enough to drive you mad as well.

You watched the man in question weave through the crowd. He already had a brandy in one hand and a gin in the other. The liquid sloshed about, getting more on him and other guests then in his mouth. Given how he looked earlier, you wonder just how much of the drunken fool was an act. The look in his eyes earlier was too clear, the distaste and disgust too strong. Shinjuro glanced over, catching your eye as he leaned against a chuckling woman. He smirked again, raising one of the glasses he held towards you before tossing it back. Again the feeling of something being very wrong filled you. It was suffocating, filling your throat like bile.

You tugged at your right ear.

“What do you need?” Sanemi was like a shadow, sidling up to you without sound. He kept his voice low, the man just barely out of sight in the corner of your vision. You kept your eyes on Shinjuro, trying to keep your voice as steady as you could.

The panic within your stomach was all consuming, an acidic wash that chewed away at you with each passing moment. It was all you could do to not let it take over. Your hands shook as you took a breath and you pressed them together, trying to maintain your perfect image.

“Please find my husband.” Your voice cracked slightly on the last word. Sanemi was silent for a moment, then sighed quietly and left.

Shinjuro wouldn’t hurt his son. It was something that made no logical sense. And yet, you found yourself terrified that something happened to him. Shinjuro liked being in control and the two of you had shifted that dynamic for just a few moments.

You winced, releasing your fists that you didn’t realize had clenched. Angry red crescents were pressed into your palms, the flesh aching. Deep breath in and then out. You were a guest of honor and currently the only one in attendance. Spending the night in a corner fretting would do nothing for you but tarnish your image.

When did it become so important? You wandered to a nearby waiter, snagging a champagne glass from his tray. Why do I even care?

The drink was like ash in your mouth, tasteless bubbles that slid down your throat like water. You sipped it all the same, slowly drifting from one cluster of guests to the next. Faces blurred together, their radiant smiles and judging eyes all the same in your mind. They offered congratulations and barbed words that didn’t quite hide the fact that ALL of them were aware of Kyojuro’s absence. It was like an odd social wound, the space where his loud personality normally occupied now a deafening silence. Just a few months ago you wouldn’t have missed it. Maybe you would have even welcomed it. But now, you felt entirely alone, surrounded by a crowd of insincerity.

You allowed yourself to stand alone for a moment. Taking a small hors d’oeuvre offered by Nezuko with a sad smile. As you ate the small odd treat you again scanned the room, once again failing to find Kyojuro. Tugging on your ear again did nothing, Sanemi still on his search no doubt. You were alone in a sea of drunken, laughing fools.

The red and yellow decorations that had felt like a victory now felt as though you were literally in hell. The flaming banners and gaudy streamers were a burning reminder of the yellow and red that was missing.

A hand slipped into yours and you flinched. Looking to your right you were surprised to see Senjuro. The boy’s eyes were red and puffy from crying. He gave you a watery smile, tightening his grip for just a moment in a reassuring squeeze.

“What are you doing here?” You whispered, shifting so you stood in front of him. Darting a look over your shoulder, you confirmed that Shinjuro hadn’t seen him. The older man was busy laughing it up with another set of guests. The lot of them looking like a pack of overdressed hyenas.

“Sanemi asked about my brother and I realized you were all alone down here.” He spoke in hushed tones, waving his free hand at the gaudy decorations. “Kyojuro wouldn’t want this. He would never have left you alone.”

You nodded slowly, the worry in your stomach twisting sharply. Senjuro seemed just as worried as you were. His hand was clammy in yours, shaking slightly in your grip. The boy looked nice despite his down mood, the suit he wore was a warm orange. Combined with his hair, Senjuro looked a bit like an autumn leaf.

“Your father will see you.” Pausing you bit your bottom lip, glancing over your shoulder again, “He’s in an odd mood.”

You weren’t sure how best to describe the way Shinjuro was acting. All you knew was he was up to something. Senjuro squeezed your hand again, his watery smile shaking at the corners.

“I’ll be ok.” The teen did not sound ok. But you couldn’t shield him the whole night, it was only a matter of minutes before some guest brought the whole room's attention to him.

“Alright.” You let out a sigh, “Just please, stick close.”

You were worried about leaving the boy alone for too long. He was so timid and fragile, like a little golden mouse.

Senjuro nodded at you, taking a deep breath and stepping around you.

Almost immediately his presence was noted. A woman, one you were fairly certain offered you condolences, let out a surprised laugh.

“Oh I thought Kyojuro had finally arrived!” She tittered, sweeping over in a flurry of blue skirts. Senjuro offered a small greeting, apparently knowing who the woman was. He had gone slightly pale, face looking slightly panicked as other guests closed in. You stayed one step behind him, craning your neck to look over their shoulders. Shinjuro had gone a deep red, his eyes locked on his younger son. You winced as the glass in his hand shattered, the man unflinching as Kyogai quickly attempted to clean the mess.

Shinjuro was furious. His gaze flicked from Senjuro to you, sending a chill through you. He looked murderous, blood dripping from his fingers onto the shining marble floor. Shinjuro turned from you, pushing through the cluster around him. Not the reaction you expected at all and based on the look of pure fear Senjuro shot you, not what he expected either.

You offered a faint smile to the one tittering woman who took your arm and nodded at whatever it was she was chattering about. The room felt like it was spinning, the air too thick to breathe. For just a moment you thought you might pass out. But the fear passed, almost as quickly as it had come.

Another hour passed, then two with Shinjuro blatantly avoiding his youngest son. The teen looked torn between relief and absolute dejection. You did your best to stay near him, listening quietly to the mind numbing conversations about internships. Senjuro was apparently a prime target for the more business minded in the room. A Rengoku seemed to be a prize, the boy stuffing multiple business cards into his suit pocket. He looked miserable and your heart ached for him, not knowing how to pull the conversation in a different direction. If you even could, each time you added to the conversation, a ripple of pity moved through the crowd. It pissed you off immensely, the simpering sad smiles and limp pats to your arm. They were treating you like a kicked dog.

To your relief, Kyogai soon reappeared, ringing a small silver bell sharply. The high noise cut through the buzz of conversation, halting the entire room.

“Dinner is served.” The large man announced tersely, bowing at the waist before walking into the next room.

Slowly, the guests trickled into the dinning room. They moved as the upper crust of society always did, slowly at their own pace. The group around you detached themselves with murmurs of interest as smells began wafting in. Your stomach grumbled slightly, reminding you of the fact that you had not eaten anything yet today. Taking Senjuro’s hand, you followed slowly, nodding to Kyogai as you passed him. The tall man offered a small smile, motioning towards your table.

Per Ms. Gloria’s plan, rather than long banquet tables, smaller tables were set up. A more ‘intimate’ setting it had been pitched as. But now that the night was actually here, you could tell it was part of Shinjuro’s plan. The main table, decorated in gold and crimson with a gaudy ‘1’ was empty. It held two chairs, meant for you and Kyojuro to sit and be the literal center of the event.

You sat, looking out at the many tables that had been set up. People sat in clusters of 5, all filled except for yours. You sat alone, feeling as though the entire room was watching. Because they were, small glances here and there thrown over shoulders. The room was a buzz with conversation, all of it no doubt leading back to the fact that you were very much alone.

“Uh. Can I sit here?” Senjuro quietly motioned to the empty seat next to you. For a moment you merely stared at him, mind going blank as your anxiety swelled. Then you nodded, the action clearing your head slightly.

“Yes. Please.” You smiled at the teen, trying not to let your voice quiver. It wasn’t until this moment that you had been forced to face the truth. That despite the months of being ignored, the months of being a doll. You had grown fond of Kyojuro. A fondness that had grown the night he had held you as you wept. You loved Kyojuro Rengoku and his absence on this night was a knife in your heart. It shouldn’t have hurt you. You shouldn’t let it hurt you. And yet here you were, fighting back tears as your small brother-in-law awkwardly patted your thigh under the table.

You watched quietly as food was served. Like the decorations, everything was impressive. Gleaming plates held food that looked straight out of a magazine. Each dish had been crafted with care and for a moment it overshadowed your anxiety. You were proud of your staff and the effort they had put in.

Even if it was all for nothing.

You pushed your food about, taking small bites here and there as you scanned the room. Shinjuro had reappeared, only two tables away. Ruddy faced and suit rumbled, he was laughing, the barking noise carrying above the hum of conversation. You flinched with each new swell of laughter, the noise feeling like a pointed attack.

“I wish he would shut up.” You looked at Senjuro in surprise, the small teen shrugging angrily at his plate. He too was pushing his food about, the fancy noodles that had been served almost a paste on his plate.

“He’s the reason Kyojuro isn’t here.” Senjuro huffed, motioning towards his father, “He’s punishing the both of you and for what? His ego?”

You weren’t sure how to answer that. Senjuro was right, the teen was a lot more observant than you had given him credit for. You shuddered slightly at the realization, the poor kid did have to live with Shinjuro at one point.

You ate almost nothing. Each dish was whisked away and replaced until finally dessert was brought out. You swallowed a grimace as Kyogai and Enmu pushed out a large cart. It was ladened with a large cake, the bright pastry reminiscent of your wedding cake. A sour memory and one you would have loved to remedy by cutting a new one with Kyojuro.

You settled for letting Kyogai cut and distribute the cake, shaking your head at his offerance of the knife. Shinjuro frowned at that, finally showing one of his normal reactions. It almost made you relax, waiting for the howling and screaming. But he paused, settling back into his chair with narrowed eyes. Again the sensation of something being wrong overwhelmed you.

The cake was sweet. A simple buttercream icing and fresh strawberries making for a delicious treat. It was an odd little high point in the evening. You allowed yourself this moment, enjoying the small slice as slowly as you could. Senjuro seemed to agree, the boy flashing you a genuine smile for the first time that night, a smudge of icing on his nose. You laughed behind one hand, motioning at him with a napkin. He flushed, taking it and quickly wiping his nose.

“I’m glad we at least have this cake.” You chuckled, taking the final bite and savoring the last of the sweetness as it lingered on your tongue. It was much too fleeting, but that was the way of things in the Rengoku household.

“Ladies! And Gentlemen.”

You jerked your gaze up, heart skipping a beat as Shinjuro spoke. The man was standing, one glass raised high in your direction. His crimson eyes locked onto you, the man’s smirk had transformed into something much crueler.

“Before we get back to the excellent liquor and conversation. First a Toast!”

You sat stone still, the cake now a lump in your stomach. It was as if he had known to wait until after the single enjoyable moment of the night. Shinjuro was a devil in his own right. Spinning a web of pain for his own amusement.

Beneath the table, Senjuro took your hand, the boy shaking again. The both of you watched quietly, waiting for the hammer to finally fall.

“Daughter-in-law.” Shinjuro hiccuped, jerking the glass upwards again. The drink inside sloshed about, a few droplets splattering the marble in front of him. He paid no mind, only slipping slightly as he took a step towards you.

“I know you have been alone. So alone.” He jeered, swaying on the spot. You grit your teeth, willing your face to remain impassive. Showing weakness now would just add on to whatever punishment he was about to dole out.

Somewhere to your right, you faintly registered a bright flash. The media rat that had been let in no doubt trying to capture this ‘heartwarming’ moment. Senjuro’s grip tightened, the boy letting out a low breath through his nose.

“So how do I fix this? My poor daughter-in-law?” It was a rhetorical question. Shinjuro had no need for whatever answer you could drum up. Not that you had one, your mind was blank, a high pitch whine resonating in your ears.

“A baby.” Shinjuro giggled, almost maniacally. You blinked, brow furrowing as you took in what he said. A baby? What in the hell was he talking about? You weren’t pregnant, you hadn’t even had sex with Kyojuro yet. And adoption wasn’t something you had ever discussed. Although, if you thought about it, Genya and Senjuro had become adopted kids in a way. More in a little brother sense.

“And.” Shinjuro burped, the noise wet and disgusting. You noted several ladies wrinkle their noses, unable to keep up their usual facade.

“I know my poor son is uninterested in you…..” He paused, motioning vaguely at you, “Your body.”

You physicalled recoiled, head jerking back as if you had been hit. Again, it shouldn’t have hurt you. But his words cut deep. You felt your cheeks grow warm, flushing in a mixture of embarrassment and shame. A low murmur rippled through the guests, many of them sharing confused looks. But all of them looked on avidly, eyes glittering as they took in the spectacle. You blinked rapidly, trying not to let the tears that danced in the corner of your eyes fall.

Shinjuro words were cutting deep, much deeper than you thought they would. You had seen this coming. Or at least a version of it. Insults, being degraded. You could handle this.

“So.” Shinjuro threw up jazz hands, the rest of his drink sloshing right onto the floor. “Happy Anniversary dear. I’ve sent you a surrogate.”

You blinked, mouth parting slightly in shock. A Surrogate? That wasn’t something you had EVER expected the man to say. And it pulled you from the well of hurt bubbling in your chest.

“Rather. I sent Kyojuro the surrogate.” Shinjuro chuckled, his face somehow a deeper red, “I suspect that’s why he’s not here.”

You felt all of the blood drain from your face as a burning rage surged through your chest. The edges of your vision blurred slightly and all you could see was Shinjuro and his smug face.

This was it. This was his surprise.

For a moment you considered leaping across the table and decking the man. But a soft yelp from Senjuro snapped you from that thought. You realized quickly that you had gripped his hand too tight, letting go as you stood.

“Thank you Shinjuro. Always the thoughtful Father-in-law” The words were like lead, barely making it from your throat as you shot him a faint smile. His smirk faltered slightly, the man glancing at the media rat who had scurried up, then back at you.

Ah.

That was his true plan. Have you break down and catch it all on film. You smiled, motioning with one hand. Nezuko sidled up, the nearest staff member to catch your gesture.

“Nezuko, be a dear and escort….” You squinted at the greasy man, finally noting his name tag, “Escort Mr. Gyokko outside.”

Nezuko saluted you with gusto, taking the man’s arm and hurrying from the room. She must’ve had an iron grip, the man wincing and whining as he was dragged from the room. You shifted your attention to Shinjuro, inhaling deeply as you tried to think of the best way to handle him. The drunk swayed brow furrowed as he opened and closed his mouth, words failing him.

Blessedly, it seemed he would take care of himself. The man had turned a sickly color, one hand pressed to his mouth as he glared at you. Turning slightly, you motioned to Enmu, the small man giving you a look of pure annoyance as he shuffled over.

“I think Mr. Rengoku needs some water and maybe some time alone in a parlor.”

Enmu nodded, draping one of Shinjuro’s arm over his shoulder. The drunken man let out a noise of irritation, gritting his teeth as he spit at you.

Stepping back out of spitting range, you gently smoothed your dress. Giving him what you hoped was a regal and not at all anxious look, you sighed again.

“Shinjuro, perhaps your little outbursts would work better if you weren’t absolutely hammered.”

The man actually flinched, his nostrils flaring as he swelled to his full height. Beside him, Enmu let out a squawk, trying and failing to remove the man’s arm from him. Your father-in-law had a death grip on the smaller man’s shoulder, free hand pointing jerkily in your direction.

“YOU BITCH!! I AM! YOU ARE! YOU!” Shinjuro sputtered, his face going pale. You watched as he stuttered, unable to form a sentence. Taking another step, you turned not watching him as you walked away. The man let out a lame howl and then retched. You winced as Enmu let out an indignant howl.

Just lovely. Putting on your best smile, you ushered out the few people who had stayed to gawk. Assuring them that Shinjuro was fine and that the festivities should continue.

You drifted through the crowd, touching your right ear from time to time. But Sanemi had yet to appear. Senjuro appeared more relaxed with his father out of commission, the boy actually seeming to have some fun.

The night progressed on, nearing midnight. You had sequestered yourself in one of the few armchairs left in the room. The plush fabric cocooned you and kept you grounded. Your foot tapped lightly against the cold floor, your ruby heel pinching at your toes uncomfortably. Susamaru had been by a few times, the woman passing you drinks and small nibbles of food. You were grateful for it, eyes locked on Shinjuro as he stumbled about.

He had reappeared like a ghoul. The man was at ease, way too at ease. There was no anger. You hoped that it was because he had vomited up all of his nastiness, but you knew that wasn’t the case.

He was cheerful and calm. It was incredibly unsettling. He was aware you were watching him as well, the old drunk flashing you that smirk every now and then. It made your skin crawl. He seemed to think he had won.

And, perhaps he had. Kyojuro had no reason to be loyal to you.

The truth of the matter was despite being married for a year, you had no idea who the other person was. Perfect strangers in a marriage of convenience. He had no reason to deny his father’s gift. As twisted as it was.

You wanted to vomit.

“His flight was delayed.” You nearly jumped out of your skin as Sanemi spoke in your ear. The man stood just behind your chair, leaning over to speak. You caught his eye, expression questioning at his sudden and strange answer. Sanemi was drenched you realized, his pale hair plastered to his face. It was only his head and shoulders that were wet, like someone had thrown water in his face. The man looked miserable, not acknowledging your look of concern.

“He’s just arriving now.” Sanemi nodded towards the main hall. Your heart leapt as you jolted upright, waving of Susamaru as she sidled up to you. Skirt clenched in your right hand, you hurried as quickly as you could to the main hall. Senjuro must’ve seen your wild lurch forward, the boy suddenly at your side, his eyes wide and worried. He grabbed your elbow, allowing you to tug him through the crowd.

Shoving through the crowd, you muttered apologies as you stepped on feet and dress hems. The less than polite movements got you a few raised eyebrows and muttered insults. You ignored them, eyes locked on the hall to the main entrance. Shinjuro was one you passed, the old man laughing quietly as you passed. You ignored the man, only wincing as Senjuro’s grip tightened for a moment as you both practically slid into the main entrance. The large doors were already open and you felt your heart leap as a familiar head of fiery hair came into view. He was alive!

Kyojuro looked tired. His hair was slightly frazzled, not up in a partial ponytail as it usually was. Strands of hair were slicked to his forehead, sweaty brow gleaming slightly in the bright light. The light gray suit he wore was just as much of a mess. It was stained across one pant leg and the right sleeve had a tear. Kyojuro’s chest was also mostly exposed, the buttons sloppily undone nearly to his navel, the white fabric stained a splotchy red. It was as if he had been in the suit for hours. You noted that one of his black dress shoes was untied, the tangled laces dragging lamely behind him.

He looked terrible.

You rushed over, unable to keep yourself composed. It worried you to see him so out of it. Reaching out you gently touched his face, wincing at the intense heat rolling off his skin.

Kyojuro looked down at you, his pupils were large. Too large given the amount of light in the main hall. You frowned as he swayed, merely blinking at you. He also had bags under his eyes, almost looking like full on bruises they were so dark.

Was he….You leaned in close, taking his left hand in yours. Kyojuro’s skin was clammy and as you slid your fingers under the cuff of his shirt, you could feel his pulse going a mile a minute. He blinked slowly, his free hand clumsily patting you on the shoulder as he offered a shaking smile. You stared up at him, mind racing as you took in a line of sweat trailing down his temple. His chest was also dewy, toned muscles shining with a layer of sweat.

“ ‘Mmmmm home.” His words were slurred, falling from his lips like clumps of wool. You felt the blood drain from your face as you put it all together. Behind you Senjuro let out a small gasp, the hand on your elbow lifting as he reached out to help his swaying brother.

Kyojuro was drugged. The thought shot through your mind like a knife. Twisting into your brain and freezing you on the spot.

“Um, exCUSE me.” A shrill voice pulled your attention from your husband. Beside him was Kana, the assistant smirking as she draped herself around his right arm. Kyojuro grunted, trying and failing to pull himself from her grip. The shift in weight made him sway harder, the man pulling his hand from yours to press it tightly across his mouth. Senjuro let out another indignant noise, the teen stepping forward with a furrowed brow. He looked furious, cheeks dusted red as he glared at Kana.

“Ro ro and I were in the middle of something.” She shot you a smug look, glee practically dancing across her face. Kana shimmied her rear like an odd duck, the woman apparently unable to physically contain her smug happiness. Her dress was uncomfortably close to letting her breasts spill out, the small silver straps sliding down her arms as she chortled.

“Good for you.” You motioned behind you, knowing without looking that any number of your staff was behind you. It was Susamaru who stepped forward, the woman intentionally flexing as she did so. A part of you died a little inside as the seams of her sleeves just popped, the woman’s muscles finally free.

“Escort Kyojuro upstairs. Please” You stepped slightly to the side, holding in your urge to scream and spit at the currently whining Kana. There was a crowd gathering, not so subtly watching the scene as they pretended to leave. You were slightly grateful, having most of them gathered on the lawn would make it easier to usher the rest out. But a crowd was not something you wanted when confronting Kana.

From the corner of your eye, you noted Shinjuro, the man smirking into his glass. This was his cherry on top, a scene. Part of you wanted to entertain him, grab Kana by the hair and lug her down the front stairs. If your face wouldn’t end up on a tabloid you might have seriously considered it. But the sight of Gyokko was a reminder that everything would end up as a headline if you weren’t careful. If you and Kyojuro were going to have any chance to dismantle the old drunk’s empire, you needed to have allies. You needed to have a stellar reputation.

When did it become a silent race to destroy the other? You wondered bitterly. Turning just so, you got the old man out of your line of sight. He had started it. With the rules and nastiness. You thought, glancing over at Senjuro. Up until a week ago you had no idea the boy existed. It was a sick and twisted world you had been swept into. If they wanted you to play by their rules, then you would use them to drag Shinjuro down.

“Stooooop!” Kana wailed as Susamaru wrestled her off of Kyojuro. The head maid looked outright disgusted, her dark gaze meeting yours. She had caught on to Kyojuro’s odd state as well.

“Should I call a physician?” Her question was loud and pointed. You nodded, turning and locking eyes with a red faced Shinjuro. His own composure was slipping and for just a moment, he looked concerned. You tore your gaze from him, choosing instead to throw Kana your most regal glare.

Susamaru exited, Kyojuro nearly being carried by the woman upstairs. Senjuro followed behind her, the boy fretting quietly over his brother. You waited until they had made it successfully up a flight, then tugged your right ear. Sanemi appeared, slightly less wet. He openly glared at Kana, the corner of his lip curling.

“Hold her.” You turned, not waiting to watch as he stepped forward. She was whining again, high voice like a knife in your head. Ignoring it to the best of your ability, you clapped once, the sharp sound ringing across the main hall. The murmur that had broken out stopped, the sea of strangers watching you avidly. It was as if for just a moment you were surrounded by well dressed wolves. Their gazes locked on you, watching for the first sign of weakness.

“Apologies.” You forced a sad smile, hoping it was somewhat believable. The rage in our stomach was building at such a fast pace that it was all you could do to not throttle Shinjuro and Kana. Pressing your hands against your stomach, you allowed yourself a glance up the stairs, confirming that Kyojuro had made it up to the third floor.

“The festivities must end early I’m afraid. Thank you all for coming.” You paused as a murmur of shock and irritation rippled through the gathering. Bowing at the waist, you gave it a moment before straightening. “My husband is unwell and I must attend to him.”

That seemed to spur on at least those who had sympathized with you. They drifted from the estate at their leisure, the whisperings behind cupped hands like the hissing of snakes. The rest were ushered out by Kyogai and Nezuko, the duo incredibly efficient at herding drunk socialites.

When the estate doors were finally shut you almost cried from the intense sense of relief. Shinjuro had unfortunately stayed, the man sitting on the bottom step as he watched you. His eyes were sharp again, the drunken stupor shaken off as if it were nothing.

You decided to ignore him, turning back to Kana. She was squirming in Sanemi’s hold, the man looking incredibly vexed as he held on to one arm.

“I WAS THE GIFT!” She screeched, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. You ignored the statement and the odd pang of jealousy it caused, stepping closer to the woman. She wriggled angrily, stomping her feet like a child and shrieking wordlessly.

“You are Kyojuro’s assistant Kana.” You reached out with one finger, sliding the strap of her dress back onto her shoulder. She actually snapped at you, teeth clacking together with a horrid noise as she bit the air in your direction.

“NO!”

Sanemi looked about ready to snap, the pale man huffing as he held her at arm's length. You waited as she shrieked again, feeling oddly calm. The rage had fizzled out, something about her child like behavior had watered down your anger.

Glancing over your shoulder, you noted that Shinjuro was still staring, focused not on you but rather on Kana. For once his look of outrage was not focused on you. It was odd and again you felt as though something was wrong.

“I told you to leave us be!” Kana hissed at Sanemi. The man rolled his eyes, his grip on her upper arm unyielding.

“Mr. Rengoku’s safety is my only concern.” Sanemi huffed, his wild eyes sliding to you.

“Kana, did you drug Kyojuro?” There was no point in beating around the bush. The woman was clearly pissed off and slightly tipsy. Her face flushed red at the question, one strand of hair falling infront of her eyes.

“I’m the surrogate.” She sniffed, flicking her head back in an odd show of pride. Her hair slid back into her face, ruining whatever air she was putting on.

You had figured as much given her behavior and the conniving nature of your father-in-law. The few times you’d met her, the woman practically spent her days drooling over Kyojuro.

“Answer my question Kana.” You snapped, finally allowing anger to bleed into your voice. She looked slightly stunned at your tone, scowling in response.

“I know him better than you.” She lifted her chin, jutting it out defiantly. As true as that might be, it didn’t matter. Of course she knew him better, she worked with him. She had definitely spent more time with Kyojuro than you. The thought brought back the unwanted feeling of jealousy. Squashing it, you shifted, allowing a scowl to settle on your face.

“Kana. I will call the police.” You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. It was something you had toyed with time and time again after each of Shinjuro’s little wild outbursts. He had law enforcement in his wallet, something that went without saying. Kana, however, did not have the same luxury. Your words seemed to strike a nerve with the woman, her eyes rolling wildly in irritation.

“You’re just mad I’m hotter than you.” Kana quipped, giving you a ‘I got you’ look. It almost made you laugh. Almost. Your rage was swelling again, hand clenching into tight fists at your side.

“Who gave you the drug?” You shifted tactics, knowing full well she would never admit to the act. Kana might be smart enough to not admit to a crime, but not smart enough to get any sort of illicit substance on her own. At least not for cheap, the other woman alway dressed in designer wear. You had seen her type in college, paying triple the price for small amounts of weed.

Kana huffed, trying and failing again to wriggle her arm away from Sanemi. You waited, knowing full well it was Shinjuro who had orchestrated the entire ordeal.

The other woman squirmed under your intense gaze, her face going slightly pale as she avoided looking at you. Would she give up her employer? Sure Kyojuro was technically her boss, but as it stood, Shinjuro owned the company. What he said goes, even if it was stupid and dangerous.

Kana mumbled something, her voice too low for you to catch. Sanemi caught it however, eyes going wide as his look of disgust deepened.

“WHAT did you say?” He snarled, shaking her roughly. Kana hiccuped tearfully, trying again to peel the man’s hand off her arm. You took a step forward, placing your hand on Sanemi’s, nodding at him to let her go. He did so, the woman rubbing at the red handprint as she stumbled back.

“I said. Mr. Muzan gave it to me.” She shrugged lamely, not looking up from the floor. “To help Ro Ro be more open to me.”

You swallowed the wave of disgust that washed over you. The admission had stunned you into a partial silence. How could you handle this?

Muzan, from the very little you knew about him, was dangerous. He seemed to view people as products to do his bidding. Would the word of one tipsy assistant do anything against his social standing?

Of Course not. Kana would take the fall. You actually felt a smidge of pity for the other woman. Caught like you in the web of games spun by nasty men who had no regards for your lives. That feeling was fleeting however, as Kana seemed to suffer from foot in mouth disease.

“It seemed easier than my plan to get him drunk.”

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head at her words. “Sanemi, call the police.”

Kana shrieked at this, apologies and protests bubbling up behind more tears. She flopped to the floor as Sanemi grabbed for her. You watched aghast, as she kicked at him, scooting backwards on the floor like a crab. Her words devolved into wordless noises of outrage as Sanemi pulled her from the floor.

“NO!” She howled as he lugged her towards the front doors, feet scrambling to gain purchase on the floor. Her face had turned a deep shade of red, teeth bared like a wild animal as she twisted in his grasp.

“Restraining order?” Sanemi grunted, wincing as the top of her head collided with his chin. You nodded wordlessly, stepping back as he tugged the main doors open.

The reporters were still there of course. Gyokko front and center with his camera as Sanemi stepped outside. As the door swung shut, you could see microphones being shoved in Kana’s face, no doubt asking for a comment. Something you knew she would happily give.

Turning away from the doors, you made your way to the stairs, climbing up past Shinjuro before pausing. He was still sitting, silent and oddly sober on the first step. At your movements stopping, he looked up at you, face tired.

“I hope this was worth it.” You watched for a moment as something new crawled across his face. It was a look akin to regret and shame, twisting his face and somehow, making him look younger. Shinjuro bowed his head, one shaking hand coming up to press against his eyes. You turned, not wanting to give him any more of your time and ascended the stairs.

Each step towards your room felt like a step through molasses. It took entirely too long for you to make it to the ornate doors that you had not wanted to leave earlier in the day. Susamaru stood guard outside, her ripped sleeves half heartedly tucked in the waistband of her apron.

“He’s resting.” She jerked her head at the door, face grim. “I’ve seen that shit before. At Muzan’s clubs.”

You waited as she paused, the other woman’s face contorting slightly before she reigned in the emotion that she had been battling. She had never really gone into the work she had been doing before the estate. But whatever memory had swam to the surface was clearly a bitter one.

“It messes with your mind, destroys boundaries and your sense of time.” She shook her head, taking a deep breath as she stepped away from the door. “He just has to ride it out. There’s nothing we can give him to counteract it.”

Your heart squeezed at that, sinking to the pit of your stomach as you placed your hand on the doorknob.

“Nothing the physician can do?” You watched her face twist slightly at the question. She knew more than she was letting on.

“What is it?” Your voice was soft and uncertain. The pit in your stomach seemed to deepen at Susamaru’s look of pure empathy, the emotion so out of place on her. You weren’t sure you actually wanted to know what it was.

“He calls it Blood Art, a nasty little red pill.” She shook her head in disgust, “Whatever it is, his chemist is the only one who can make it.”

“Will Kyojuro be ok?” You placed a hand against your stomach, trying to battle the intense wave of worry and disgust that swelled in your throat. Susamaru shrugged, her expression becoming grim.

“Usually yes. The physician seemed to think so” Her eyes didn’t quite meet yours, the strong woman suddenly looking small and uncertain. “But, there have been some who have died from large doses of it.”

Your heart dropped through the floor and you swayed for a moment before regaining your balance. There was no telling how much of the drug Kana has given him. And you highly doubted the dirty looks Sanemi was no doubt throwing her currently would drag it out.

Way to kill your eldest son Shinjuro. You thought bitterly, nodding once to Susamaru’s request to retire for the day.

Entering your bedroom, you were surprised to see Senjuro. The boy had fallen asleep in one of the armchairs after dragging it in front of the door. He jolted awake, hastily standing with raised fist. You moved in surprise, nearly getting clipped on the chin as the boy clumsily jabbed the air. He blinked once, then let out a gasp, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Oh! I’m s-s-so sorry!” He stuttered, stumbling back a step. You gave the boy a tired smile, patting his shoulder to reassure him.

“Luckily your sleepy right hook is just a tad slower than me.”

He chuckled at your response, offering you a small smile. It vanished as a low groan emanated from the bed. You froze, throwing a worried look towards the shadows that lingered there. Kyojuro was a lump under the covers, only a small clump of golden hair visible.

“He has a fever.” Senjuro whispered, his hand slipping into yours. His worried glance didn’t leave the bed, but he seemed wary of drawing closer. “The doctor said it should pass.”

You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, unsure of how to respond. Questions danced in your mind, all of them falling short before reaching your lips. It wasn’t as if the boy would have any more answers than you did.

“Why don’t you go rest. Today has been … a lot.”

Senjuro’s lips pulled down in a frown, the boy hesitating as he stared at Kyojuro's still form. Squeezing his hand again, you offered a gentle smile.

“I’ll be with him all night.”

Senjuro stood still for a minute, chewing at his bottom lip. You could practically see the thoughts racing behind his eyes. Sighing, he finally nodded, hand slipping from yours as he moved towards the door.

“Alright.” Senjuro paused as he reached the door, one hand hovering just above the handle. “Just get me if...” The boy swallowed thickly, words seeming stuck in his throat. “If he’s not ok.”

You nodded once, trying not to think of the unspoken meaning behind his words. Senjuro took one last glance at his brother before slipping from the room.

As he left, you felt yourself finally crumple. The resolve and decorum that had kept you barely together shattered and you fell to the floor. One hand pressed to your mouth, you tried to swallow your cries as tears slid down your cheeks.

This is too much. You thought tearfully. The mind games, the punishments. He had gone as far as to harm his own son. And all through other people so at the end of the day, the blood wasn’t on his hands. It was sickening.

The carpet was soft against your forehead, absorbing each silent tear as you shook. You clutched it with one hand, fingers digging into the fibers in a desperate attempt to ground yourself. A mix of anxiety and depression swirled in your chest, threatening to swallow you. Underneath the heavy weight of the depression, a deep burning anger skulked. It slid through your veins like a poison, burning in your chest and escaping out through your hot tears.

A low groan twisting through the air made you freeze. Quickly jumping to your feet, you brushed the tears from your cheeks as you hurried to the bed.

Kyojuro was still under the blankets, face just barely visible under his tangled hair. You brushed it from his face, wincing at how hot his skin was. Sweat beaded on his skin, sliding slowly down his forehead and onto his golden lashes.

Should I try to cool him down? You bit your lip, gently swiping a sweat droplet away. Susamaru had said he just needed to ride it out. But still, having that high of a temperature could be dangerous.

You flinched as Kyojuro opened his eyes, blinking blearily up at you. In the dimness of the room you wondered if he could tell who you were.

“Wife.” His voice was slow and raspy, one hand wriggling from beneath the blanket. He poked you firmly on your right cheek, finger sliding down your neck until his hand lay to rest upon your collar bone. You shuddered at the sensation. Kyojuro’s hand was large, thumb pressing lightly against the hollow of your throat as he smiled up at you. His gaze didn’t quite meet yours, the man having trouble keeping his eyes open. Kyojuro’s skin was much too warm against yours, like he held a sun in the palm of his hand.

“Husband.” You murmured back, trying your best to smile. “Do you want water? A bath? Food?”

He shifted, shaking his head lazily to each question as he squirmed to get the covers off his chest. Kyojuro seemed uncomfortable but too out of it to do anything.

“Need sleep.” He slurred, the last word slightly mangled as he pressed his face into the pillow. You took a step back as his hand finally slipped from you. Perhaps Kyogai could help you wrangle him into the bath. Even in the dim light of the room, the beads of sweat that slid across his skin were incredibly apparent. You hoped it meant he was sweating out whatever the drug was.

Turning towards the doors, you let out a gasp as you were roughly yanked backwards.

Faster than you had seen, Kyojuro had sat up. The man swayed from his seated position, a large hand wrapped firmly around your wrist.

“Stay.” He rasped, blinking blearily up at you, “Please don’t leave me alone.”

You felt your lips part slightly in shock, mind suddenly blank as you stared into his flame colored eyes. The request felt strangely intimate for some reason. You quickly shook that thought from your mind, cheeks flushing slightly in shame. The man was drugged and was barely aware of where he was. If he was lucid, would he have ever made a request like that? Perhaps.

“Alright.” You smiled, gently peeling his hand from your wrist. “Let me change.”

Kyojuro nodded, flopping back onto the pillows. You turned, quickly making your way to the bathroom and stripping. Fancy dress was quickly tossed into a hamper as you hurriedly wiped your makeup off. You were worried that if you took too long, Kyojuro would attempt to get up and find you. With how unsteady he was, he was liable to fall and crack his head open. You shuddered at the thought, tossing your undergarments on top of the dress.

Susamaru in her infinite wisdom had left you a nightgown and underwear on the bathroom counter. You quickly threw both garments on, allowing yourself one glance in the mirror before rushing back into the bedroom.

You had been right. Kyojuro had one foot planted on the floor, the other being pulled clumsily from the sheets. He was grumbling, thick fingers pawing uselessly at the silk sheet he was tangled in.

“Lie down.” You sighed, swiftly, pulling his leg free and shoving it back under the blankets. Kyojuro was sticky with sweat and you grimaced slightly as you helped him swing his other leg back into bed. There was no point in trying to change the sheets, he was sweating as if he were in a sauna. Fresh sheets would just become sullied in a matter of minutes.

“Stay.” Kyojuro was giving you a look that you could only describe as ‘Puppy dog’. Despite being taller than you and built like an MMA fighter, he was managing to make himself look so small and pitiful as you hurried around to your side of the bed.

“I am.” You murmured, slipping beneath the covers and shifting to face him. Kyojuro looked oddly thrilled, the man squirming closer to you with a smile. You flinched as he slid one hand over your waist, tugging you closer. Under the blankets the heat was more akin to two burning suns. Just being this close to him had you breaking out in a sweat.

Should I get the physician again? You wondered, trying and failing to peel his grip from your waist. The man was using his strength to his advantage whether he realized it or not. Kyojuro’s burning hand was firm on your hip, the thin fabric of your nightgown doing little to fend off the heat.

“You mad?” Kyojuro mumbled, thick eyebrows pinched with worry as he watched you. Blinking you shook your head, a small frown making its way onto your face.

You were mad, furious beyond words. But not with him. Kyojuro had done nothing but simply exist as part of his father’s fucked up plan. You clenched your fist under the covers, trying not to give in to the rage. That would be for later, when Kyojuro was better. Until then, your plans to destroy the head of the Rengoku family could wait.

“Hmmmm, liar.” You nearly jumped out of your skin as Kyojuro moved closer. The man was oddly fast for being so inebriated, his lips pressing against your forehead as he slipped his arm around you. His lips were dry and warm against your forehead. Each sloppy kiss burning against your skin. Golden strands of hair brushed gently against your face, the deep crimson ends tickling your nose. His hair smelled like a mix of old firewood and bergamot, an odd combination that somehow worked for him.

“Kyojuro.” You tried to push him away, heart pounding in your throat. He was drugged, he had no grasp on what he was doing. You didn’t want him to wake up with regrets or hurt.

“Wife.” His response was to grab your ass, the man chuckling to himself as you yelped. Face burning you squirmed, failing to peel yourself from his iron grip. Your field of vision was entirely just his chest. The span of smooth flesh, burning against your flushed face as you pushed against the hard plane of his pecs in vain. Kyojuro nuzzled the top of your head, the hand not occupied with your ass cheek, sliding up to deftly pinch your breast.

You yelped again, smacking at the offending hand. The man was either oblivious or purposefully ignoring your attempts to stop his wandering hands.

“Kyojuro, behave!”

It wasn’t that you were opposed to him touching you. Kyojuro was incredibly attractive. You had won the husband jackpot in many regards with him, especially when it came to looks. But you weren’t ready for intimacy. Not yet and especially not while he was drugged.

You could count the amount of times you had done anything romantic with him on one hand. And all of them had been at the behest of “keeping up appearances”. The most intimate thing the two of you had done was the naked crying two months ago. An accidental occurrence that you were secretly worried was the reason behind his absence.

You relaxed as Kyojuro sighed, the man sliding his hands back to your waist. The loose hug was nice and you decided that it would be fine.

“Go to sleep Kyo.” You smoothed his hair away from his face, offering up a tired smile. Kyojuro nodded, his eyes half lidded as he nestled back into the soft pillows. He was quick to fall asleep, the heavy lines that had been creasing his face smoothing as he relaxed. The bruised skin under his eyes was still strong, giving him an almost dead appearance in sleep.

With his grip loosened, you slowly peeled his hands from your waist. He shifted slightly and you froze, waiting for a moment before slipping from the bed.

Padding back into the bathroom, you grabbed the long hair scissors that had never gotten any use. They reflected the low light of the bathroom up at you as you stared down at them. It wasn’t much but it would have to do.

Flicking off the light you made your way past the bed and to the chair Senjuro had moved. He was a smart kid, had the same idea as you it seemed. Settling in you draped the blanket over your legs, carefully holding the scissors in your lap.

The plush armchair was soft against your back, a feeling that normally would have lulled you to sleep. But not this time, not tonight.

You shifted slightly, allowing a glance back at the bed to confirm your husband still slept peacefully. His golden hair spilled over one pillow, chest moving slowly as he softly snored.

Good.

Settling back in the chair, you kept your eyes locked on the large doors that lead to the hall. Tonight you would keep watch. Keep watch and plan. Shinjuro was going to pay, he had crossed a line you had never thought he was capable of. For too long everyone had just rolled with the punches.

You would punch back.

Part 6 (pending)

#rengoku kyojuro #rengoku x reader #reader insert #rengoku x y/n #kny x reader #kny fanfic #kny x y/n #yall get this before ao3

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