#﹙ 🌸 ┋ breath of flame / rengoku kyojuro. ﹚

[loveswayed]

tag dump!

[chiharuhashibira]

What about a shorts featuring your fave Kimetsu No Yaiba teacher?

But make it Professor X Student 👀

I'm a sucker for this genre *blush*😩

So let's go and start this out babes! Imma make the Fem!Reader an 18+ tho, not comfy to write about younger/minor XD With that, she's in college and the lads are his professors. Hence, a College AU!

I'll make one shots for Kyo, Ten, Giyu, and Nemi but post it once per day 🥵 Same title will be used but different CWs~ This is because i saw this pic down there and I gulped and... OMEGED!

So here's the first part~ Rengoku version!

𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔: 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

𝐊𝐲𝐨𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐳𝐮𝐢 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐆𝐢𝐲𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐢 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Content Warnings: ProfessorXStudent/Age Gap/Suggestive/Curse Words/Matured Content/18+/Sexually Explicit

Minors DNI.

(Image is not mine, credits to the rightful owner)

🌸𝑲𝒚𝒐𝒋𝒖𝒓𝒐 𝑹𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒌𝒖🌸

You have always adored your history professor, Kyojuro Rengoku. His dazzling eyes, flame-like hair, and ideal stature just can't help but draw you in, even though you know it's wrong. He's a professor, and you're a graduating student!

But he's nice and handsome, and he takes your breath away as always.

His voice, whenever you hear it, makes you wonder how he would sound when he pins you on the bed, moaning on your—

"Y/L/N-san? What's your answer?"

"Huh?!" You stood up, looked around, and saw that everyone was already staring at you. Apparently, Kyojuro has been calling you a few times to answer his question. But, for some reason, your horny-ass brain can't remember what that question was.

"Rengoku-sensei, sorry. Uh, what was the question again?"

Kyojuro crossed his arms, with his pecs and biceps getting obvious under his white shirt.

Kyojuro crossed his arms, with his pecs and biceps getting obvious under his white shirt. You gulped as you noticed the dismay in his eyes.

"Sit down." You sat down, watching as your history professor walked past you and called Muichiro instead.

The class ended with you awkwardly listening to the discussion, trying your best to stop your intrusive thoughts. All students have left the classroom, and you were also about to go when suddenly Kyojuro, who was still sitting at his desk, called you.

"Y/L/N-san, stay."

Your eyes widened, and you felt heat crawling up to your cheeks as you realised that him telling you to stay would also mean that you'd be alone with the man who makes your heart go crazy.

You turned to look at him and closed the door behind you once again. "Yes sensei."

Kyojuro was looking at the papers passed to him earlier; he seemed busy, so even if you were standing in front of him, you remained silent. You don't want to cause any more trouble because of what happened earlier.

You watched his fingers as they slowly ran on the sheet of paper, imagining how it would feel if they ran on your body instead. You flinched as you felt it getting hot down there with how dirty your thoughts were getting with each passing second.

Your breathing became heavier, and that kicked Kyojuro out of his trance. "Oh yes. Y/L/N-san. I wonder what happened earlier. You're always on top of this class. Your quiz also proves that. Is there any problem?"

Kyojuro sometimes doesn't act just as your prof; he also acts as your mentor and friend, so his concern now doesn't surprise you at all. Your pure-hearted professor just cares for you. But you'll know that his dismay would be fueled if he knew about your unpure thoughts about him.

"Rengoku-sensei, I'm okay. I was just distracted earlier. But I promise I'll make up for it tomorrow in class!"

"Distracted because of?"

You.You wanted to say that badly, but of course you couldn't, so you just muttered that it's personal. Kyojuro didn't inquire more, but he stood up and snatched your bag from your hand. His actions shocked you and left you stunned.

"Sensei?" you asked, confused.

"I'll drive you home."

Oh yes, Kyojuro lives right next to your apartment; that's why he knows where you live. But this is the very first time that the man has offered that.

"Sensei, you don't need to."

"I'm heading home early too, so why not?"

You gulped as Kyojuro picked up his jacket and draped it over his shoulder as he used his other hand to carry your bag. All your complaints were shoved down your throat as he finally went out of the classroom.

You followed him, walking a bit slower than he was to avoid commotion. If your classmates see that you're going home with your favourite professor, they might interpret it wrongly. But then Kyojuro took you to the faculty because he needed to say goodbye to his friends.

There, all your professors asked was why you were with him. "Oh well, we're neighbours! I might as well drive her home." He said casually that he got agreement from them.

--

The drive was not too silent, apparently; Kyojuro was chatty outside the uni! He kept on talking about his little brother, saying that he's as smart as you. Yes. You're listening, but still, you can't help but feel your body get hotter at the thought of you alone with him inside his car.

You pressed your thighs together under your skirt, and Kyojuro seemed to notice this.

"Do you want to pee?"

He asked that, which made you blush furiously as you shot him a look. He doesn't know how to hold back his words, and hearing them only made you feel worse about the embarrassing thoughts you've been having.

"Uh... no sensei."

"But you have been pressing your thighs together, and you seem to be uncomfortable."

WHY ON EARTH IS HE LOOKING AT MY THIGHS? You thought as you covered your thigh with your hands. A soft chuckle escaped from his lips, and that immediately sent you tingling. "You're a weird one." He said and finally continued driving.

You watched as Kyojuro drove, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He gulped, and you witnessed how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, which definitely made you bite your lip. You can usually calm yourself around him, but not today.

Perhaps it's because earlier today, while you were about to head to university early, Kyojuro walked out of his flat, only clad in his pants. You were astounded by the sight, but you tried to compose yourself, pretending not to see him. But then your history professor called you and greeted you good morning with his deep, raspy voice, different from his loud and jolly tone in class.

And so now you're here, sitting beside him inside his car while having those dirty thoughts.

"Y/L/N-san, do I have dirt on my face?"

"No sensei. I was just—"

"Sorry to pry, but am I the reason why you were distracted at class earlier?"

You didn't know how to respond to his question, so you just decided to shut up. But being the straightforward man he is, Kyojuro chuckled and spoke up once again, with that same low tone that he used earlier.

"I'm not a narcissist, but I'll take your reaction as a yes."

"How dare you—"

His chuckles cut you off, which made you smile.

"I'm just kidding, Y/L/N-sama. You're a beautiful woman, so why would you waste your time staring at your old history professor?"

You blushed when he called you beautiful, which also made you scoff. "What? Old? You look like you're just in your early 20s."

"Eh, I'm already 29."

"Hmmm, 9-year age gap?" You accidentally blurted out what you were thinking, which made Kyojuro clear his throat. You covered your mouth and looked outside the window, wishing that the man would just let that slide.

But then, it's Kyojuro, so...

"What's with the gap?"

"Nothing."

"However, that redness on your cheek certainly says something!"

Fuck. You whispered under your breath as you shifted on your seat.

"Oh! We're here."

He suddenly said that, which lifted the tension between the both of you. You turned to look at Kyojuro and saw his smile. "So, see you tomorrow?" He said, and you just nodded.

When Kyojuro opened the car door for you, your heart skipped a beat. You swear that the moment his fingers touched yours as he handed you the bag you'd almost forgotten was inside, you were instantly engulfed in a blaze of conflicting feelings.

You gulped and thanked him once again, but then he called you which stopped you in your tracks. "Y/L/N-san, it seems like I forgot my house key at school."

"Oh? Perhaps it's just inside the car, Rengoku-sensei?"

You went back to him and opened the car door for his back seat. "I'll check for you." You said, trying to help your teacher. You leaned down, searching his backseat. Suddenly, you felt something warm on your back, which made you blush. What the hell is he doing?

You turned to look back at him and saw that your history professor had draped his jacket around your waist. "Uh... Sorry, but you're..." He said while pointing at your skirt, which made you blush and stand, holding his jacket before it fell to the floor.

You bowed down, apologising for flashing at him accidentally. Though the dirty part of you wished that he really had seen. This time, it was Kyojuro who was blushing madly as he combed his hair with his fingers.

Oh, those fingers—you would really die for it. "Rengoku-san, it's late. Perhaps you would want to uh... stay in my flat? The lobby guy was absent earlier, so we can't really get your spare key. Let's just get them early in the morning tomorrow so you can prepare for work."

"You won't mind?"

"Of course."

--

You've found yourself panting as you move yourself grinding against Kyojuro's hard cock. He was holding you by the waist, digging his nails into your skin as pleasure engulfed him.

What just happened?

Flashback:

You opened the door inside your house, letting Kyojuro in. He made sure to take off his shoes before stepping inside, but you sat on the floor and offered to take them off for him. The man was astounded at first, but he just nodded in agreement.

You took off his shoes and placed them beside yours. You stood up without any concern when you felt a thug's hand on your skirt. You looked back and saw Kyojuro's hand pulling down on your skirt, but not in a dirty way. He was red once again, making you blush as well.

"You should be careful moving while wearing a skirt, Y/L/N-san." He said. Kyojuro lets go of the fabric and hands you his jacket again. You accepted it but teased him a bit, wishing that it would ease your situation.

"Eh, you won't be interested anyway, sensei."

You saw how Kyojuro gulped and looked away, and that enticed you more. So, you decided that you'd just give him a few more teases for the night.

You didn't expect that all of your teasing, a.k.a. seduction, would affect Kyojuro so much. You had to let the man shower in the bathroom first, handing him one of the bathrobes that you are lending to your visitors.

Inside the bathroom, Kyojuro was astounded at himself. One tease, and he was hard as fuck. He looked down at his hardness and at his reflection. He knows feeling this way isn't right, but he just can't stop it. You're irresistable!

Kyojuro showered in cold water, wishing that his erection would fade. And it did.

But then, when he went out, he saw you finish your bath as well, as you used the other bathroom in your flat. You were clad in shorts and a crop top shirt without a bra, which made him rethink his life decisions.

He hasn't seen you like this, and that definitely made him hard once more. You noticed his stare at you, so you tossed him a big pyjama that caught him off-guard. It landed on Kyojuro's face.

"Sensei, you're spacing out!"

He picked up the neglected clothing and went inside the bathroom without saying anything.

Kyojuro offered to cook for you, saying that he wanted to do so because you let him stay the night. You watched how skilled he is with knives. Kyojuro looks so wonderful, even if he's concentrating.

"Why were you distracted at my class, Y/L/N-san? I'm really curious. You were never like that."

He brought up the topic once again as he finished preparing your dinner. Kyojuro placed the food on the table and sat in front of you, waiting for your answer. So he isn't going to drop this off, huh?

"There's just a cute guy that has been lingering in my mind lately."

"Oh, so you're in love?" There was a tone of dismay in his voice, and you can't fathom why. You just shrugged your shoulders. Kyojuro was silent for a while until...

"But I don't like it when you're spacing out from my class. Being in love is not an excuse."

You finished your bowl quickly, trying to evade his scolding. "You cook great, sensei!"

"Don't change the topic." He was serious, and for you, it's probably because he loves his subject so much. You're unaware that a part of Kyojuro is jealous.

Yes. Even if he denies it, he's attracted to you. It's just that; he just confirmed it now. And now that it is clear to him, he doesn't want to share. He knows it's wrong to feel this but it's hard to deny it further.

You crossed your legs and leaned in closer to him. "Hmm, what if that cute guy was you, sensei?" You joked, wishing that he could also understand your hidden meaning.

And yes, Kyojuro did, but he shrugged it off. "What are you trying to imply? I'm your distraction?"

"I was just kid—"

His breathing had changed, and that made you stop talking.

"Why are you teasing me, Y/N?" Kyojuro's question and the way he called you by your first name surprised you. "Sensei?"

"Answer me."

"I... I... I like you, sensei!"

You finally blurted out that it made you scared. You knew that you shouldn't say that to a professor, but you still did it. You were expecting a few more scoldings, but to your astonishment, a smirk crept up on his lips.

"Come here then." He said, patting his lap. You gulped and obliged, sitting on his lap and facing him.

Kyojuro stared at you intensely, his eyes oozing with lust, an expression that you had never expected to see from him.

"Y/N. I'm still a man, and if you kept on teasing me, this would happen to you."

He smashed his lips against yours for a hungry kiss. You moaned against his mouth, pressing your breast against his chest as you felt yourself get wetter.

End of Flashback

You've found yourself panting as you move yourself grinding against Kyojuro's hard cock. He was holding you by the waist, digging his nails into your skin as pleasure engulfed him.

Kyojuro pulled out for a moment to take off your clothes, almost ripping them. You moaned as he bit playfully on your now-exposed tits. "Umai, you taste so good, baby." He said this, licking your nipples as he cupped your ass and squeezed it.

You tugged on his hair and rubbed your wet, clothed cunt against his hard cock. Kyojuro wanted to feel you more, so he made you stand up and pulled your shorts down with your pants. You also helped him free his hardened cock as you marvelled at how big it was. With its girth, you felt like wanting to just spread yourself for him.

Kyojuro pulled you down on his lap once again and positioned himself at your entrance. "Do you want to continue, baby?" He said with his deep voice, making you almost cum there and then. You nodded and slowly went down, taking in his length. A moan of pleasure escaped both of your lips as you pushed yourself to go down on him, balls deep.

"Uh fuck! So tight!" Kyojuro said it made you feel more aroused. Finally, at the end of a long day, his cock is inside yours, and you crave it so desperately.

"Move for me, Y/N."

Kyojuro said, more like ordered, taking control even if he is under you. So you did; you moved up and down on his cock, slowly at first, letting him adore your sight.

Kyojuro kissed you passionately again, with his tongue exploring your mouth. He thrust with your rhythm, making you feel a growing pleasure at the pit of your stomach. While fucking your cunt, your history professor suddenly carried you and placed you on the couch.

He lifted one of your thighs and thrust deeper than before, nearly knocking you unconscious with pleasure. Kyojuro used his other hand to play with your breast, making sure it wouldn't feel neglected as he fucked you hard.

"Sensei, I'm almost there!" You almost shouted, which made Kyojuro also feel his body heating up. He kissed you, making you shut up, and the movements of his hips became slower, but his cock went deeper into your womb as he finally released his cum within you.

Kyojuro fell over your body, and you embraced him. "Sensei..." you muttered between your pants. Kyojuro finally looked up at you with his owl eyes and kissed your cheek. He pulled out and used his discarded shirt to wipe you clean.

"Sorry, I came inside you, Y/N."

"I loved it, sensei."

Kyojuro smiled at you and carried you towards your bedroom. He placed you down and sat down beside you, not caring if both of you were still naked right now.

He pulled a blanket over your body and looked away.

"Y/N, I'm sorry if I let my emotions control me. I'm older than you. I'm also your professor."

"Why? Do you regret it, Kyojuro?" You said, making him look back at you. "What if the uni knows?"

"Why would we let them know?" You said that, running your fingers along his back. Kyojuro sighed and finally laid down beside you. "I always wanted you." He muttered, caressing your cheek. You blushed.

"I also do. So please, stop feeling guilty, Kyo."

"Yes baby." He said he was pulling you into another kiss.

And there, you decided to go out, keeping this sensitive detail from the university.

--

Days later, Kyojuro called you into his classroom again. He was sitting, patting his lap, in the same position as he did the night before you first made love.

"I guess it's time for your special class, Y/N."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔!

But yeaaah! If you don't like this kind of theme, don't read XD

So there, see you on the Tengen version~ I'll try to make them hotter if you like XD It'll be up this Monday so be on the lookout!

Reblogs, Comments, and Requests are highly appreciated! Love you!

MDNI!

Ja ne~

~𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓾-𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷🌸

𝐊𝐲𝐨𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐳𝐮𝐢 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐆𝐢𝐲𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐢 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

[peachdues]

Tell Me to Stop — Part 2 (NSFW Kyojuro x F!Ice Hashira Reader) TEASER

Y’all have been so kind about Tell Me to Stop (or v horny for angry Kyojuro and like, fair), so I thought I’d share a little preview. No smut, but a very intimate/tense/slightly angsty flashback scene.

Read Part 1 here.

CW: 18+

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

(Shinobu POV)

(Flashback — 2 Months Earlier)

Dawn was still far off, but the hall of her estate was a mess.

Shinobu knew that at any moment, another group of Kakushi would be coming through the hole Rengoku had left in her wall bearing the unconscious body of the Sound Pillar, and if they did so, they’d be stumbling upon the chaotic scene that had unfolded before.

Rengoku was still on the floor, legs on either side of Y/N, who was slumped against his chest and fully exposed from the waist up.

With some satisfaction, Shinobu noted that the dark purple bruising around Y/N’s chest was clearing, a sure sign that she had chosen the correct antidote for the Flame Hashira to slam into her heart.

But her hypothermia persisted.

Rengoku, on the other hand, was beginning to breathe rather loudly, no doubt as he continued to maintain his high fever for the sake of the unmoving woman braced between his thighs.

“Rengoku,” Shinobu crouched down next to the Flame Pillar, her hand coming to a rest on his shoulder, which burned beneath her palm. “Rengoku, we need to move.”

The man lifted his head up to meet her eyes, his own glassy and unfocused. Shinobu clamped down on the swear building on her tongue — he had fever fog.

Rengoku grunted at her before his head slumped back down, chin nearly touching his chest.

Shinobu tried again. “Rengoku, we are in the open hallway of the Butterfly Mansion. Others will be arriving soon. Y/N is completed exposed.”

That seemed to get his attention. Rengoku’s head lifted, his eyes narrowed slits, but nonetheless open. He grunted in seeming acknowledgement and began to shift Y/N in his lap.

He turned the unconscious Ice Pillar so that her back rested against one arm that curled around her bare waist. His free arm slid to grip beneath her knees, shifting her into a bridal-style position to carry her.

Two of the Butterfly Mansion’s staff moved to help him stand, but Rengoku shrugged them off, surprising Shinobu as he managed to rise steadily to his feet, Y/N secured against his chest.

He looked at Shinobu expectantly and she began ushering him towards a secluded wing of the Manor, towards her private hall. Across from her personal office was a special infirmary room, walled off from the the rest of the recovery ward.

Shinobu withdrew a ring of keys from her pocket and unlocked the heavy, wooden door.

“You two can stay in here until her body temperature returns to normal,” She said, as Rengoku made his way towards the recovery bed.

Shinobu watched as Rengoku, still wearing his zori and uniform pants, ever so gently lowered himself and Y/N down on the bed, repeating his earlier positioning of her between his thighs. He propped up one leg slightly to keep the Ice Pillar from slumping over, her back pressed to his bare chest. Rengoku leaned against the head board so that Y/N’s head could rest against his clavicle, though it slumped instead towards her left shoulder.

Shinobu made to grab a blanket to throw over the two topless Hashira but stopped short as Rengoku moved again.

He seemed to realize that Y/N, while also still in her torn uniform pants and zori, was still bare from the waist up, her body positioned towards the door. He frowned, his hand coming up to graze the side of her arm. He flinched slightly, no doubt at the persistent chill that lingered on her skin, and he moved both of his large hands down over the back of hers as they lay limply on either side of her thighs, intertwining their fingers.

Awestruck, Shinobu watched as Rengoku brought Y/N’s arms up to cross them over her chest, locking them in place by covering her arms with his own, as though wrapping her in a sweet embrace. Shinobu knew that he’d done so to avoid touching her bare breasts himself, or at least to do so as minimally as possible, while still providing her cover. And, due to the breadth of Rengoku’s muscled forearms, Y/N’s sensitive area was almost entirely obscured from view.

Thanks to his fever, Rengoku had barely been clinging to consciousness himself. Once he was satisfied that Y/N was sufficiently hidden in his arms, his head dropped forward until his forehead came to a rest on her opposite shoulder, and he moved no more.

To the unassuming eye, it would have appeared as though the pair of Hashira were simply sleeping in an intimate embrace, rather than one desperately trying to anchor the other to life.

Shinobu moved to place the the blanket over the Pillars’ laps, before quietly exiting the private room.

“Seal this wing off entirely,” she murmured to Aoi, who had been waiting dutifully outside. “No one comes down here without my explicit permission.”

Aoi bowed to her before she ushered the other Kakushi out of the estranged wing. Faintly, Shinobu heard the arriving shouts of the group bearing the Sound Pillar. She took a single deep breath, steeling herself once more, before moving to check on her incoming patient.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

hope y’all are prepared to see more angry/angsty/needy Kyojuro in the next part!

[peachdues]

Tell Me to Stop — Final Teaser (Kyojuro x F! Ice Hashira Reader)

Final teaser!

As I said in an earlier post, the final part to Tell Me to Stop is hella long and I’m almost ready for editing. But I wanted to give a final teaser, as a treat — one that shows where things were between Y/N and Kyo and where they are now post-Entertainment District.

I’ve had some complaints about my characterization of Kyojuro, but I just want to remind people that this takes place in an AU where he survives Mugen — and is traumatized. That plays a big role in this story, so if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine!

CW: none really. Flashbacks are in italics.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

“Rengoku!” Y/N was startled, taking a step back in surprise at the sight of the Flame Pillar.

“Y/L/N.” The man who once reminded her of the sun nodded in greeting, his face impassive and his voice detached.

“I am happy to see you in good health.” His formality was foreign to her; he’d never used that cold, detached manner of speaking to her, not once since she’d caught him staring at her right before the commencement of Final Selection.

—————————————————————————

“Ice Pillar Y/L/N!” His sunny voice boomed, and Y/N groaned. She’d just gotten her migraine to calm down.

“Rengoku,” she nodded politely, as her comrade came to stand beside her, all smiles and warmth.

“It’s been a while, Y/L/N! I was beginning to forget how you look when you roll your eyes at me.” He laughed, and Y/N scowled.

“Perhaps I’ll pay to have my photograph taken, Rengoku. That way, you can carry a reminder with you wherever you go.”

Rengoku turned to her, an eyebrow raised in surprise at her willingness to engage with his banter so quickly. “If that’s the case, Y/N, I’d prefer to have one of you smiling. It would do well to keep me warm on those cold nights away from home.”

—————————————————————————

“I heard you were called away on another mission— some train?” Y/N asked him as they strolled through the Master’s garden following their meeting.

“Yes, we’ve unfortunately lost a number of slayers. Perhaps it’s an upper rank!” The Flame Pillar responded jovially, but he stopped in front of Y/N when he saw her frown.

“What is it?” His voice was gentle, and Y/N shook her head, focusing her eyes on the blooming wisteria saplings that had been planted.

A warm finger curled under her chin and tilted her face up until her eyes clashed with pools of golden ore. “My dear Ice Pillar, are you worried for me?” He was smirking, and his thumb lightly caressed the underside of her jaw.

Y/N gingerly removed his hand from her face, though she did not let it go right away. “You are the Flame Hashira, Rengoku. If anyone is capable of defeating an Upper Rank, it most certainly is you.”

Rengoku smiled broadly at her, his hand nearly grazing her own. “For someone whose prowess lies in ice breathing, Y/L/N, you sure know how to start fires.”

Under any other circumstance, she would have changed the subject, or not said anything at all. But Y/N couldn’t help her sudden desire to flirt back, just to see if she could knock him off his feet as he so often tried to do to her.

“Yours is the only one I’m interested in stoking, Rengoku.” She said sweetly.

She’d laughed at the Flame Pillar’s beet-red face for the rest of the day.

————————————————————————

Y/N kept her hand pressed to the throbbing wound on her lower abdomen, cursing that she could still feel the Upper Six’s sickle piercing her gut even two months later.

“You’re in pain.” It wasn’t a question.

Y/N shrugged, trying to play it off. “I suppose it’s to be expected for a while yet. At least until I recover.”

Rengoku said nothing, and the silence felt suffocating.

“Would you-“ Y/N hesitated, and inwardly she’d never felt more embarrassed or uncertain than she did then as she stood before the uncharacteristically stoic Flame Pillar. “Would you like to sit down?”

Rengoku’s face remained impassive, and he turned away from her, dismissively.

“I cannot. I came only to retrieve a salve from Kocho.” His voice was just as cold and unfamiliar as the rest of him had been.

“Rengoku, is everything all right?” She stretched out a hand to touch his shoulder but was alarmed at how quickly he flinched away from her as if her touch could burn him.

“Everything is fine, Y/L/N. I need to be on my way.” Rengoku’s voice was flat, monotone, and wholly foreign to her.

“I’m sorry for not thanking you sooner — for everything you did to help me that night.” Y/N blurted, and to her momentary relief, Rengoku froze mid-step, though he did not turn towards her. “I owe you my life.”

She did not miss the way Rengoku’s fists clenched at his side. “You owe me nothing. I would have done the same for any other comrade.” He replied, voice tight. “I must get going now. Farewell, Y/L/N.

She was so stunned that she’d not bidden him farewell back. Rather, she’d stood helplessly in her doorway, even long after the edge of his haori had disappeared around the corner of the Butterfly Mansion’s hall.

He had not looked at her once.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸