#vampire kaji x reader

[pernesophe]

Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader

Chapter 1: The Witch and the Vampire

WC: 6490. Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4 (links will be added as they are finished)

MDNI. TW for this post: fluff, angst, biting, blood drinking, past character deaths mentioned (Multi-part story, so TW for the whole series are fluff, angst, smut, character death(s)).

Synopsis: Set after an apocalyptic war where reader was born and raised in Furin centuries after the fall of society. Her town is the last patch of green in an otherwise barren world. Nobody knows what caused the war, just that a group of young heroes who were called "Bofurin" fought to save the town. Though records say there were no survivors, it is rumored one Bofurin managed to survive, and is still somehow alive all these years later. (This chapter is more to set the scene for the story).

Song: Playlist Post Kaji's Scent: Based on Brother Night by Apoteker Tepe Reader's Scent: Based on Basilica by Milano

Death is defined in many ways:

1. the action or act of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.

2.the state of being dead.

3.the permanent ending of vital processes in a cell or tissue.

In this story a lot of people live, but a lot more die… and yet, with the definition of death provided and the knowledge that it occurs in the following story, it remains to be a fairly unknown concept. So, before beginning this story, I pose to you three questions:

What occurs after death?

Where does one go when they die?

Does existence persist?

“Y/N! Make sure you get more mint and rosemary while you’re out there. We’re gonna need to dry a ton for this winter - I can feel illness coming with the cold,” Kiyoko called out as you stepped through the door. With a cheerful wave and nod, you pulled the rickety wooden door of the hut shut and headed towards the edge of town.

The little town you had grown up in was a little damaged from the war, but what was left of the buildings made for a good home. It also didn’t hurt that the green overgrowth on the buildings and over the former streets were edible. Despite the barren grounds on the edge of the town, your little spot of green housed and fed the sizable community. Many elders credited the witches for coming out of hiding a few centuries prior and warding the town against the threats beyond the verdant foliage, but thanks to Kiyoko you were reminded often that your town has a different group to thank.

As you approached the abandoned building on the edge of town - rectangular with a tree sprouting out of the roof, and a high wall around the edge of the property that still had colorful drawings etched into the stone - you were reminded of the stories of Bofurin. The war had ended long before you were born, so you had no idea what caused the fall of society or why the world was how it was now. What Kiyoko did tell you was that your little community only survived because of Bofurin, a group of young men who defended the town during the height of the war. Unfortunately, none survived through the end.

Despite the lack of survivors, one woman - Kotoha Tachibana - carried on their story and the good they did. That’s why your little village still held a vigil every year on the day the last Bofurin died. A young man with locks split down the middle like the half moon, and dual toned eyes - one slate gray and the other amber. Sakura Haruka was his name, and it was rumored that Kotoha was inconsolable for months after his death. Proven by the fact that she wore black in mourning for the rest of her days. Even though it was recorded that Kotoha celebrated in the vigil as well, she also insisted that there was still one Bofurin remaining until her last breath. His name was never recorded, but it’s rumored that he still lived in the abandoned building on the edge of town.

Surveying the structure riddled with green overgrowth, you thought you caught a glimpse of a shadow pass by one of the dusty windows backlit by the setting sun. But you just chuckled and shook your head before pushing onward. Though a witch, even you had to draw a line at some myths and superstitions.

Ambling through the doorway devoid of any door, making your way up the stairs - stepping over roots as you climbed. Once on the third floor, a quiet cough drew your attention down the hall to your left. Immediately the hair on the back of your neck stood on end. This building had always been eerily silent until now.

“He-hello…?” you called out quietly. Hoping, praying, that no one responded.

A soft melodic voice, timid in nature, pricked Kaji’s ears towards the long forgotten sound of another person. Silently, he moved to the door of the classroom he’d decided to make home centuries ago. Peering out around a thick vine, he saw you. A mousy girl clad in knitted black tights, a red-orange floral patchwork tunic, and a marigold-yellow cardigan. A leather cord looped around your neck with a black stone pendant wrapped in copper wire hung low on your chest. Old, worn leather boots laced up to your ankles with gray wool socks peeking out the tops. A large, aged sack, the same worn brown as your boots, was slung over your shoulder. Notes of resinous camphor, fresh greens and incense clung to your clothes and hair. Just from your clothes and scent Kaji could tell you were a witch, and deduced you were probably coming to collect herbs from Umemiya’s garden. 

Releasing a soft sigh, the remaining Bofurin sadly smiled to himself knowing the old leader would have loved that his garden was still helping the town. Stepping back into the classroom, Kaji silently waited for you to pass on. The sun would be setting soon, and no one in town has stayed or come to visit the school at night in a long time. Not since Kotoha’s last visit. Resting the back of his head against the wall of the classroom, he sadly reminisced over his last remaining friend and just how long it had been since he’d spoken to anyone. 100 years? 150…? 200 years seemed too high, he concluded. 

“U-um,” a quiet murmur from the doorway tore Kaji from his rumination as his eyes snapped to yours. He hadn’t even heard you approaching - how could he be so careless? Silently he kicked himself before your gentle voice filled the room once more, “He-hello!”

This time you forced a bit more cheer into your tone and offered the silent stranger a smile. The man before you had medium-length blonde hair, cerulean irises, and a severe expression on his face. From the looks of the room, you could tell he’d been living here a while - alone. A bedroll was spread out in the corner with a standing lamp next to it, but other than that it seemed to be what the elders had described as a ‘classroom’. 

Even though his face was intimidating, with fists clenched by his sides, his eyes reflected a deep sorrow that tore at your heart. Eyeing his pale skin, incredibly aged clothes that you immediately recognized to be a Furin Uniform, along with the aroma of vaporous amber and rich marigolds you realized that he couldn’t be human. Not anymore at least.

“I’m Y/N,” offering softly as you took a slight step forward to not block the door, “what’s your name?” Inquiring hopefully as you tossed him another reassuring smile. The closer you drew, the more intense your scent became as creamy balsamic and crisp wood reminiscent of pencils enveloped his senses. Suddenly, he was struck with the memory of being in class with his friends just before heading out for patrol, when everyone was still… alive.

Overcome with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, Kaji moved towards you with widened eyes and fangs poking out over his lips. Taking a slight step back, your heart hammered in your chest as you shook your head lightly and extended your hand to keep him back. In an instant he was sinking his fangs into your neck while gripping your upper arms bruisingly. Hints of rich, peppery smoke drifted from his jacket and tickled your nose while all you could do was squeak and tremble in his powerful hold. 

Kaji’s mind filled with the old days in Furin - patrol, Pothos, Kusumi and Enomoto - as the thick, warm liquid flowed over his tongue, soothing his parched throat. Now closer than before, he caught a comforting aroma of pure sweet-wood and velvety leather clinging to your skin. Then, an old yet familiar flavor cascaded over his taste buds that brought tears to his eyes. Peach Chupa Chups. All at once, he released your throat before collapsing - dragging you to the floor with him - his body violently racked with sobs. 

Stunned into silence, you sat there for several minutes as he clung to you with his face buried in your neck, shaking. Ever so slowly, you pulled your arms out of his hold and looped them around his neck - one hand gripping the back of his head gently while the other rubbed his shoulder blade. Softly, you hummed an old lullaby that Kiyoko would sing to the children during the dead of winter. Kaji instantly recognized the melody that had carried through the snow covered streets to the old abandoned school many winters in a row now. Gradually he quieted until he was just clinging to you like a life preserve, his face still buried in the crook of your neck where the comforting scent of creamy peach chupa chups flooded his senses.

“Ar-are you okay?” Whispering softly as you slowly released your hold around him. Gingerly, he pulled away from your neck to look you in the eye, his expression wrought with remorse. Parting his lips to respond, but a notch swiftly formed in his brow as nothing but squeaky air came out. Blinking rapidly at his perturbed expression that slipped into one of defeat, then you tilted your head and swept your hair away from your neck.

“Here,” urging softly as you leaned closer to him, but Kaji just stared back in disbelief. “You’re parched and can’t speak…” clarifying your reasoning as you leaned even closer, but he just shook his head lightly instead. “It’s okay - I’m a witch - I know a blood replenishing spell,” assuring him as you brought your neck inches away from his face. 

Kaji looked torn as his cerulean irises flicked from the blood still staining your neck, to your trusting gaze, and then back again. At this distance, your sweet-wood incense and crisply herbaceous essence was inescapable. Swallowing thickly, Kaji gently cupped your cheek so you could rest your head in his palm as he wrapped his other arm around your waist and pulled you into his lap. Drawing his mouth to the crook of your neck as he parted his lips, then he sank his teeth into your sensitive flesh before latching on once more.

The second your blood touched his tongue, Kaji’s grip on you tightened as he groaned against your neck greedily. Flavors he hasn’t tasted in God knows how long spilled over his taste buds. Fresh rosemary and sharp thyme clung to the red liquid first, quickly followed by delicate dairy like he’d find in sweet pastries from the Cactus Bakery. Then smoked, earthy cinnamon flooded his mouth the same as the liquor he’d drank with his friends at the start of the war. Finally, that old addicting flavor of Peach Chupa Chups swirled across his wet muscle as tears pricked his eyes. Kaji could feel his cheeks warming from your blood as he clung tighter to your smaller form and grunted deliriously into your neck.

At first you felt completely okay, but then as Kaji swallowed more of your blood the room began to spin. Your head felt heavy as you leaned fully into the palm of his hand. Heat pricked at you and sweat dewed across your skin as nausea pulled uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. The edges of your vision grew dark and fuzzy before you realized he wasn’t stopping.

“Hm, um-” your slurred speech finally broke him out of his trance as he felt the light tapping of your hand against his forearm. Immediately he detached from your throat and leaned back to see your incredibly pale face and half lidded eyes, a thin sheen of sweat covered your forehead. Your labored breathing caused your chest to rise and fall shallowly while a slight shivering overtook your body.

“N-no!” Kaji emitted a terrified gasp, while repositioning your shivering form so you were cradled in his lap as your head lolled against his chest. “Hey,” murmuring desperately as he began tapping your cheek lightly with his fingertips, “don’t pass out. Please don’t pass out,” he pleaded softly as your eyelids fluttered shut and then gradually cracked open again.

“Th-the spell! Hey, you need to do the spell,” his voice grew louder with urgency as he shook you gently. The sound of your weak heartbeat thundered in his ears tauntingly while primal fear stabbed through his own.

Blinking slowly, you nodded and reached up to grab the stone pendant around your neck. To Kaji’s relief, you brought it to your lips and whispered a foreign word he had never heard before, and then the color started returning to your face as the bite wound on your neck slowly closed. 

Humming softly, you tried to sit up but your face scrunched from still feeling light headed. Kaji gingerly helped you sit up, though he bore most of your weight on his chest, and looped an arm around your back to keep you upright. Ever so gently he cupped your cheek and tilted your head so he could look at your face clearly.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” He asked quietly, cerulean irises swimming in guilt and remorse.

“Uh, mhm,” intoning just loud enough for his perceptive ears to catch it. Blinking slowly, vision slowly focused on his face as you tossed him a weak smile. “I’m okay… Wh-who are you by the way?” You inquired again, eyes flicking to the worn Furin button on the collar of his uniform. A pregnant pause passed as he seemed to be debating whether he should answer you or not.

“Kaji.” He finally responded. Instantly, your eyebrows shot up as you not so subtly waited for the rest of his name. Instead he just stared at you, stubbornly silent.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Kaji,” offering kindly and sitting up a bit more as the light headedness subsided. Despite bearing your own weight, he kept his arm securely around your back as he continued staring at you apprehensively. Tilting your head in question and peering at him, then you chirped out a cheery, “are you feeling better?”

“You taste like peach Chupa Chups,” he blurted out immediately as a notch formed in his brow at his own admission. Then his expression turned accusatory before he asked, “did you do that on purpose? Can witches do that?”

“Uh-um,” chuckling nervously as a crease formed in your brow as well. Slowly you shook your head as the mounting confusion showed clearly on your face. “N-no, we can’t… um, what are Peach Chupa Chups?” Inquiring with a curious titter as Kaji just blinked at you, completely perplexed. Silence filled the room for several tense moments - him regarding you suspiciously and you staring back obliviously - before his cracked voice broke it.

“They’re these… suckers,” his fingers twitched in your tunic at the word, but when you just looked confused he corrected himself. “Candies that I used to eat… all of the time,” he spoke slowly as tears collected along his lash line. Intaking a hissing breath, he then looked to the floor - trying to blink away his tears.

“Oh… I’m so sorry,” whispering softly as you searched for the proper words. Honestly, you couldn’t relate to having something all of the time like that, or what it would feel like to lose it. But it was evident that Kaji was deeply affected, so you gently placed your hand on his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

“Is there anything I can do?” You asked tentatively, and Kaji just looked at you with a mirthless twitch of his lips.

“Unless you can summon a millenia-old candy, then no, I don’t think so,” he said with a defeated sigh. Then he added with genuine gratitude reflecting in his eyes, “thank you though.”

“No problem,” whispering as you stared at his melancholic expression. Desperately you wanted to ask him if he was the last Bofurin, about the war, and everyone who fought to save your little town. But the look on his face told you it was better to leave it be.

Wordlessly the two of you sat like that in the darkening classroom for several minutes. You studied the fabled individual curled around you, and Kaji subtly inhaled your ambery oud-musk that enveloped him - knowing that you would be going soon. As dusk set upon the world outside, that moment finally arrived as you twitched in his arms and moved to speak. Kaji sadly met your gaze and awaited your goodbye.

“I-I have to go…” murmuring softly, your own heart breaking from his sorrowful nod. “But, um, would it be okay if I came back tomorrow?” Querying cautiously as you clasped your hands in your lap, twirling your thumbs nervously. Instantly, his whole demeanor brightened with surprise as he began bobbing his head without any hesitation.

Rising to your feet, a relieved smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you uttered a quiet goodbye and made your way to the doorway. Kaji just stared at you, a little dumbfounded, but with longing filled eyes. At the door, you turned back with a reassuring look as you promised you would be back first thing tomorrow evening. Silently, he nodded as you disappeared through the doorway, and then he listened to your quiet footsteps until you exited the building. 

The walk home was a little brisk with the coming autumn, but not cold enough to make you shiver. As you stepped over twisted roots and ducked under thick vines draped between abandoned buildings, you pondered what you could do for the lonely soul in that classroom. So deep in your rumination that when you walked through the wooden door of the hut you didn’t even hear Kiyoko speaking.

“Y/N? Did you get more mint and rosemary?” She asked again, regarding you with a worried expression from where she stood in front of the wood stove. Blinking slowly as you processed her words, and then you realized you hadn’t gone to the garden at all.

Guiltily admitting that you didn’t get them or any herbs while hanging your head, but Kiyoko didn’t chide you and simply asked what happened. She brewed a calming tea and sat on the floor with you at the short wooden table that dated back to before the war. There, over a cup of lilac-chamomile tea, you told her about your encounter with Kaji as you begged her not to tell anyone else throughout the entire tale.

At first she was too stunned to respond, but eventually agreed and urged you to tell her everything. So you told her as much as you could, even though you and Kaji hadn’t shared many words. Once finished, you made sure to convey to her that he wasn’t dangerous and seemed remorseful to have bitten you. Luckily, Kiyoko believed you so, taking a chance, you asked if she knew anything about “blood preserves”. A perplexed look crossed her face until you clarified that you meant “candies” - using the word Kaji mentioned before - hoping she’d recognize it.

Nodding slowly, she told you she might and went to find her grimoire. The room was quiet except for the flipping of pages, pausing at points to read more thoroughly, and then flipping once more. Several minutes passed like this until she stopped on a page with a tap of her finger and a triumphant aha! Returning to the table, she handed you the page with a prideful smile.

Gratefully, you thanked her and then asked if she knew of any elders who had pictures or writings from before the war. Kiyoko cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips before directing you to ask Mr. Sato, since he inherited everything from his ancestors who owned a popular store in Furin before the war. Again, you thanked her genuinely and promised that you would get the herbs tomorrow evening. You also told her that you wouldn’t be returning until the morning after and to not worry or send anyone looking for you. Apprehensive, she asked if you were sure, but you just smiled and nodded confidently in response.

After that, the conversation turned to town affairs. Mostly about the uptick in the birth rate and overall population, which was a major boon for the town, but also the fact that resources weren’t keeping up with growth. Kiyoko mentioned that the elders were becoming worried about what that would mean for future generations. Unfortunately you didn’t have any words to quell her stress, so you just gently took her hand and squeezed it. The two of you let the quiet consume the small hut before turning in for the night.

First thing the next morning you went straight to Mr. Sato and asked about anything he had from before the war. Surprised, but giddy to show anyone his memorabilia, he dragged you to the lower level of the old building he lived in to show you boxes upon boxes of magazines. After about 30 minutes of his excited babbling, he finally let you loose on the boxes and told you to let him know if you needed any help. It took you another 45 minutes of gingerly flipping through the aged pages until you came upon a printed word that you recognized. 

“Candies” was printed small in the bottom right hand corner of the page. In the center was a blown up picture of an oval, green candy on a stick. Printed at the top of the page, above the picture, were a sequence of letters that if you sounded out were similar to the word Kaji said. “Suckers.” 

The design seemed simple enough for you to replicate, so after that you sought out a few of the town’s children and asked them to help you find sticks. More importantly, ones that you could put food on, so not poisonous or toxic. Excited by the mystery of the task, they all pitched and then happily whittled their findings into long, smooth, uniform sticks. 

With all the materials gathered, you prepared to extract the final ingredient. Blood. More specifically, yours. Kiyoko was kind enough to help you collect enough to make about 30 suckers, and once they were set in their molds you not so patiently waited for them to dry. Multiple times Kiyoko shooed you out of the kitchen, and finally the hut altogether, and told you not to come back until the sun had set. As you ambled away from the hut she chided you about being so antsy that you were stressing her out.

So to pass the time and repay the kid’s hard work, you played a few games of hide and seek as well as sharks and minnows with them. As the sun began to dip behind rubbled buildings, casting long shadows from the vines over the streets, you promised to make them some treats soon while returning to the hut. Even though it was growing late in the year, you suspected there may be some late yields of berries that you could make suckers from as well. 

Kiyoko met you at the door of the hut with the suckers already wrapped up and your overnight bag in her hand. With a laugh she told you that she couldn’t let your antsiness back into the hut, lest she’d catch your stress for the rest of the night. Gratefully, you thanked her with a chuckle of your own and took both items before she shooed you off with a bright smile.

Frigid weather grew ever nearer as you approached the abandoned school. A harsh wind tore through your cardigan despite wrapping it tightly around yourself to brace against the swiftly approaching autumn. Though the mild season seemed to turn to winter quicker and quicker with each passing year. Soon you would have to break out the large Furin jacket that had been passed down to you from Kiyoko - she said it belonged to one of the Kings. Hiragi Toma.

Making your way through the doorway and up the gnarled, rooted stairs, you wondered how Kaji would feel about the town putting so many items from Bofurin to use. Halting at the top on the third floor, once again the building was eerily silent but this time you knew where to search for the fabled resident. 

Except when you stepped into the doorway of the classroom, you found it to be devoid of any sign of Kaji. The bedroll now gone, the small duffel bag strewn to the side replaced with papers shifting from a wayward breeze. Your heart wrenched as your eyes confirmed that all signs of Kaji had been swept away, though you weren’t sure why but you felt a lump forming in your throat and tears collecting along your lash line over someone you’d just met.

Hanging your head with a sorrowful sigh as you stepped backwards out of the classroom, but then a loud gasp escaped you as your back hit something incredibly hard and unmoving. Swiftly turning on your heel with raised fists to face the offending obstruction, but you were instead met with a pair of familiar cerulean irises.

“Kaji!” Crying out immediately as a wide smile spread across your face, the sound of your hammering heart echoed in his ears. He stared back in shock, mostly due to your expression that was mixed with excitement and… relief. “I thought you had left. Where’d all of your stuff go?” You asked with a worried tilt of your head, and again Kaji just blinked at your genuine concern.

“Uh,” his voice sounded a little hoarse before he cleared it with a cough behind his fist. “Winter’s coming, and the direction of the sun starts changing day by day, so I have to move a lot throughout autumn and spring to be safe.” He explained, and your gaze followed his gesture to one classroom over before coming back to his still regarding you with a mix of solace and disbelief. 

Nodding slowly as you took in all of the windows in the hallway, and the large ones in the classroom. For a moment you wondered why he wouldn’t just cover them, but as your gaze returned to his worn Furin jacket it dawned on you that it was probably familiar to him this way. Awkwardly, Kaji averted his gaze to the end of the hall with another cough behind his fist, which reminded you of the suckers. Quickly patting the pockets of your cardigan and tunic, drawing Kaji’s attention back to you with interest, and then you suddenly produced the wrapped bundle with a triumphant aha! Beaming brightly as you thrusted the wrapped package into his hands, but Kaji just stared at them for a moment before looking at you, completely perplexed.

“Open it!” You urged him with a laugh. Blinking slowly, then turned his attention back to the cloth in his hands as he slowly unwrapped it to reveal a slew of blood red candies on beige, whittled sticks. 

Suckers. 

All he could do was stare at them for a long, long moment. Then, ardently, he took one of the sticks between his thumb and index finger before bringing the candy to his lips and stuck it between his teeth. Iron was the first thing he tasted, then something freshly herbaceous, and finally creamy Peach Chupa Chup flooded his mouth. 

You observed the sucker pass his lips closely as his eyes fell shut, and then his brow creased in recognition before smoothing out completely with an expression of unbridled satisfaction. When his eyes cracked open to meet your gaze again, they were misty and filled with deep, nostalgic longing. Tentatively, you threw him a tiny smile - hoping that you did something right by him, instead of making him sadder. Instantly, he stifled a sob - trying to swallow it down - as he was reminded of all the times the townspeople offered him food and sweets with a grateful smile. 

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Exclaiming as you shifted your weight from foot to foot, having no idea how to comfort him. His face crumpled as he just shook his head at you and choked on his words. After several seconds of the hall being filled with echoing chokes and sniffles, you swallowed thickly and stepped forward. 

Kaji stilled as he felt your arms wrap around his torso and squeeze him tightly. Words were never something that came easily to you in these situations, but you had some experience with the town’s children. Whenever they would cry and couldn’t speak about it, you’d just hug them as tight as you could until they were able to speak again. So that’s what you did - hugged Kaji with all of your strength while rubbing his back comfortingly while softly humming the same tune from the day before. With each intake of breath, your lungs were filled with his essence of wood smoke, copal incense, and bitter marigolds.

Eventually the trembling from his sobs subsided and he was stuck standing in your embrace, utterly stunned. Peering down, he had to stifle a laugh at your scrunched face pressed against his chest to counter the melodic lullaby you were humming into his jacket; accentuated by you clinging onto him with all your might. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around you as well, the lullaby stopping short in your throat, as he buried his nose into the top of your head while crushing you into his chest.

“Thank you for the suckers,” susurrating into your hair as his eyelids fell shut. Several minutes passed of you remaining perfectly still while Kaji held you close, breath puffing into your hair rhythmically.

To him you smelled like any other witch that has wandered through: cedar soaked in cypriol oil, clouded in labdanum incense - reminiscent of the old candlelit rituals that would be held by the stone walls of the school. But underneath he kept catching whiffs of creamy, sweet peaches - the aroma that drew him to you and filled his mind with dreams of the old days. The aroma that kept weaving visions of you into those same dreams with a sense of comforting nostalgia he didn’t quite understand. 

Eventually, you felt your legs going to sleep from standing for so long, so you peered up at him cautiously. Kaji jumped slightly as your hair shifted against his nose, and when he cracked his eyes he was met with yours just inches away. From here he could feel the warmth of your breath fanning against his neck and jaw. Swallowing thickly, the sucker clinked against his teeth, as he gradually released you though he didn’t step away - your body heat still radiated through the gray sweatshirt to his skin underneath.

“Um,” murmuring as you shifted your weight awkwardly under his unblinking stare. “I hope it’s okay - I brought an overnight bag,” declaring as you held up the burlap sack, “to stay the night…” you quietly trailed off as Kaji’s eyes widened to an impossible degree. 

Before you could tell him that it was okay if not, or that you could even sleep in a different classroom, he nodded his head stiffly. Grinning wide, you started to ask him where you should put your stuff, but he grabbed your hand tightly and led you to the classroom he gestured at earlier. To your surprise, he didn’t let go until you were settled across from him on his bedroll, and when he finally did his eyes stayed glued to your hand for a moment before meeting your sympathetic gaze. Everything about him - from his eyes, to his expression and demeanor, to the clothes he wore and the place he resided - screamed loneliness. 

“Did you bring anything to sleep on?” He finally spoke, gaze drifting to your bag that couldn’t possibly hold a bedroll, then back to your bright red face.

“Well, um, kind of…” you laughed out sheepishly. “But I don’t really sleep on a bedroll at home - me and Kiyoko sleep on some old rugs that have lasted. So I just brought one that would fit,” explaining quickly as you opened the sac to reveal a printed mat that would maybe fit about half of your body. Kaji just stared at it incredulously for a moment before shooting you a deadpan look.

“You can take my spot,” he stated with a nod to the bedding the two of you were currently sitting on. Your mouth fell open as a hot, prickly sensation crawled over your body.

“Absolutely not! I can’t take your bed.” Arguing with a vehement shake of your head, before you continued seriously, “I sleep on the floor all the time anyway, so I’m used to it, and I just showed up without any real invitation. It would be rude of me to take it,” finishing your point with a decisive nod of your head. The corner of Kaji’s mouth twitched at your change in tone and the determined notch in your brow.

“Then we’ll share it,” Kaji conceded, despite the subtle twitch of his lips, his expression had returned to deadpan at this point. Before you could argue any further, he smoothly added, “you did show up without any real invitation. It would be rude of you not to take the sleeping arrangements offered.” 

All protests died on your tongue as you slowly closed your mouth and relented with a small nod. Though there was barely any change in his expression, you did catch a triumphant gleam in his cerulean eyes and your heart swelled at the tiny change in his affect. The two of you sat there quietly as the dusk turned dark while the classroom became shadowy. Eventually it was difficult to see Kaji at all, and when you heard a bang from the roof you jumped with a high pitched squeak.

Click, click, click. Suddenly the room was bathed in soft yellow light from a lamp in the corner where Kaji now stood. Breathing a sigh of relief, you watched as he settled on the bedding once more - your expression worried and questioning.

“Animals,” he explained after a moment - finally catching on to your silent inquiry. Instantly your eyes lit up with intrigue. It’s been years since any animals other than humans have been recorded in town. Honestly, it was assumed most died out centuries ago. “I guess you all don’t really get the chance to see them - most turned nocturnal a few hundred years after the war. Just generally safer for them I guess,” he elaborated, satiating your intrigue. 

“How big?” Leaning forward, bringing notes of sweet herbs and warm incense to his nose, as your eyes widened with excitement. Kaji smiled softly at you, relishing in the genuine human connection he’s missed for… God knows how long at this point. Then, he went on to tell you that it was mostly small animals: birds, rodents, some insects that have survived, and on occasion larger animals (mostly in the winter): deer, coyotes, the occasional bear. The latter, he explained that he’d scare them away from the paths that lead to town, but still let them eat what they needed.

You listened intently, eyebrows shooting up at the mention of bears, and your entire face lit up when he mentioned seeing a butterfly only a few summers back. Seeing Kaji being so open, you took the opportunity to ask about the old town, and he was gracious enough to share. 

He told you about how the town was kind of dangerous back in the day, because of turf wars between people, and how that led to the creation of Bofurin. You observed his face light up and eyes become distant as he regaled the times he had with his friends, even naming and telling you about some of them. Most you already knew from the records - Umemiya, Hiragi, Enomoto, Kusumi - but it was different hearing about them first hand. When he told you about how the townspeople used to depend on them, and celebrated them for protecting the town by giving them treats, you started to understand his reaction from before.

Eventually, as Kaji’s stories petered out, he finally asked what he’s been most worried about. How is the town doing now?

Throwing him a kind smile, you told him everything you could. First you told him about the elders, most of whom were designated to keep and care for the items passed down from Bofurin members. Though he looked happy about it, you still didn’t mention the piece you inherited - Hiragi Toma’s Furin jacket. Next, you mentioned how things were scarce sometimes, but for the most part you all managed, and how the population has actually been growing as of late. He seemed overjoyed by that fact, so you were careful when sharing some of Kiyoko’s fears about resources not keeping up with the new growth. 

Kaji looked perturbed over this and asked why you all couldn’t make more - assuming that the greenery was due to the witches’ magic. With a sad shrug you explained that magic couldn’t fix everything, and that the greenery was a bit of its own miracle that the witches couldn’t really take credit for. At your admission Kaji seemed confused, but also maybe a little happy that it wasn’t the witches’ doing. Though you didn’t ask him outright, after a quiet moment he shared that the original garden was Umemiya’s that was started at least half a century ago at this point. He didn’t know how or why it took over the town, but he was glad that it did because he knew Umemiya would be really happy about it still helping the town. 

“That makes me really happy too,” murmuring earnestly, which earned you a surprised glance from Kaji. “I’m really grateful to you, and the rest of Bofurin. None of us would be here if you all hadn’t fought for us,” you said genuinely with a firm nod. Kaji simpered despite his gruff demeanor before nodding as well, then the bright white moon caught his eye through the window. He hadn’t noticed how high it was in the sky until now.

“Did you sleep at all before coming here?” He asked as his gaze cut sharply to yours. Again, you sheepishly laughed and shook your head. Kaji rolled his eyes at you before moving to pull back the blanket.

“It’s already 3am - go to sleep,” he instructed, his tone slightly admonishing but lacked any true malice. Tittering softly, you crawled up the bedroll and slipped under the blanket. Kaji laid the blanket over you, and then began to settle on top of the bedding next to you.

“What are you doing?” Demanding as you sat up, untucking the blanket completely, Kaji just blinked at you before gesturing at the bed.

“Going to sleep. Like you should be doing,” he admonished you, but his cerulean irises couldn’t hide the amusement from the look of disbelief plastered on your face.

“You said we would share,” arguing petulantly which did elicit a chuckle from Kaji - he didn’t realize you had so much personality. “This isn’t sharing.” Defending your point as you tugged gently on the blanket that was over you and under Kaji for emphasis.

“Do witches not care about their virtue in this century?” Kaji posed with an arched brow. To his credit, he was able to maintain a cool facade as your face turned three shades redder while your mouth opened and closed like a guppy.

“That’s not it!” You snapped, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. Kaji stifled a titter at your reaction - it reminded him of Kotoha or Tsubaki. Then your shoulders drooped slightly as you threw him an earnest look before tentatively adding, “it’s just getting close to winter… I thought you’d be cold.”

Kaji was taken aback by your genuine nature, and was unable to hide the surprise on his face - brows raised, wide eyes, lips slightly parted from speechlessness. Quietly he relented with a curt nod as he climbed under the blanket, immediately you tucked yourself into his side, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face into his chest. Kaji laid there for a moment before hesitantly wrapping his arms around you as well, pulling you into his embrace. 

Notes of piney-amber incense and earth-smoked musk enveloped your dreams as sleep swiftly claimed you. Kaji laid there silently as your breathing slowed within a few minutes, hot breath puffing into his sweatshirt and warming his chest. That crisp, pencil-like wood scent, accompanied by sweet cinnamon clung to you and filled the space with your soft exhalations. An indescribable amount of time had passed since the last time he had felt such warmth, and even though it had been comfortingly shared between friends, it had also been short lived. But this was different - it felt inexhaustible and safe. 

When Kaji finally drifted off to sleep, his dreams were set in old Furin - patrolling with his friends, but oddly enough he kept catching glimpses of you. Never directly, just a swish of your tunic as you turned a corner, or a flick of your hair through the window of Pothos but when he looked you were gone. Near the end he was certain you were there, somewhere in town, as he desperately trailed after your scent through the streets and down alleyways. He woke before he could find you in his dreams, but his body sagged with relief the moment he found you still sleeping soundly in his arms.

Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4 (links will be added as they are finished)

Master List (I have no rights to these characters, the works they come from, or the art/screenshots/manga panels used in this post. Screenshots taken from pinterest or google, so if you know the creator please lmk! Divider is from @sweetmelodygraphics )

Tag List: None so far, but lmk if you would like to be added for this series or my other Wind Breaker Works!

[hayatoseyepatch]

𝓜𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼:

⤜♡→ Please teach me, WBmulti x Reader (SMUT) (Haruka Sakura, Jo Togame, Kyotaro Sugishita, Hajime Umemiya, Akihiko Nirei, Hayato Suo)

⤜♡→ Anywhere but the bed, WBmulti x Reader (SMUT) (Jo Togame, Toma Hiragi, Hajime Umemiya, & Haruka Sakura)

⤜♡→ Getting Kinky, WBmulti x Reader (SMUT) (Toma Hiragi, Ren Kaji, Haruka Sakura, Hayato Suo, & Yamato Endo)

⤜♡→ Smitten, WBmulti x Reader (SMUT) (Akihiko Nirei, Yamato Endo, & Haruka Sakura feat. Chika Takiishi & Hayato Suo)

⤜♡→ Three Words, WBmulti x Reader (FLUFF) (Hajime Umemiya, Tasuku Tsubakino, Haruka Sakura, & Hayato Suo)

⤜♡→ Poppin' Bottles, WBmulti x Reader (FLUFF) (Jo Togame, Hajime Umemiya, Ren Kaji, Haruka Sakura, Hayato Suo,& Toma Hiragi)

𝓗𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓽𝓸 𝓢𝓾𝓸:

⤜♡→ Hayato Suo NSFW Headcannons  (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Shibari/Bondage, Suo x Reader (SMUT)

𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓾𝓴𝓪 𝓢𝓪𝓴𝓾𝓻𝓪:

⤜♡→ Voyeurism, Sakura x Reader x Endo (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Wolf!Sakura x Bunny!Reader (SMUT)

𝓨𝓪𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓸 𝓔𝓷𝓭𝓸:

⤜♡→ ToxicExBoyfriend!Endo x Reader (ANGST)

⤜♡→ Jealous!Endo x Reader (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Endo x Reader X Chika (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Incubus!Endo x Reader (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Voyeurism, Sakura x Reader x Endo (SMUT)

𝓗𝓪𝓳𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓤𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓲𝔂𝓪:

⤜♡→ Hajime Umemiya NSFW Headcannons (SMUT)

⤜♡→ A Birthday Confession, Umemiya x Reader (FLUFF)

⤜♡→ Vampire!Umemiya x Reader (SMUT)

𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓴𝓪:

⤜♡→ Endo x Reader X Chika (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Stalker!ChikaxReader (SMUT)

𝓚𝓪𝓳𝓲 𝓡𝓮𝓷:

⤜♡→ Lick me like a lollipop, Kaji x Reader (SMUT)

𝓜𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼:

⤜♡→ Missing You, KN8 Multi x Reader (SMUT) (Soshiro Hoshina & Narumi Gen)

𝓢𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓸 𝓗𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓪:

⤜♡→ Alkaline, Hoshina x Reader (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Thigh Riding, Hoshina x Reader (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Spit Roasting, Soshiro x Reader x Soichiro (SMUT)

⤜♡→ Keeping Warm, Hoshina x Reader (SMUT)

𝓝𝓪𝓻𝓾𝓶𝓲 𝓖𝓮𝓷:

⤜♡→ Exhibitionism/Filming, Narumi x Reader ft. Hoshina (SMUT)

𝓗𝓲𝓫𝓲𝓷𝓸 𝓚𝓪𝓯𝓴𝓪:

⤜♡→ Monster Fucking, Kafka x Reader (SMUT)

𝓢𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓸 𝓗𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓪:

⤜♡→ Spit Roasting, Soshiro x Reader x Soichiro (SMUT)

𝓢𝔂𝓵𝓾𝓼:

⤜♡→ Forced Proximity, Sylus x Reader (SMUT)

𝓛𝓾𝓴𝓮 & 𝓚𝓲𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓷:

⤜♡→ Sensory Deprivation, Luke x Reader x Kieran (SMUT)

𝓩𝓪𝔂𝓷𝓮:

⤜♡→ Pussy Inspection, Zayne X Reader (SMUT)

𝓣𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓸 𝓚𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓼𝓾:

⤜♡→ Mask Kink/Hunter & Prey, Karasu x Reader (SMUT)

𝓜𝓮𝓰𝓾𝓻𝓾 𝓑𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓪:

⤜♡→ Stalking/Knife Play, Bachira x Reader (SMUT)

Dividers by saradika-graphics.

[the-masked-ram]

Fics for Gaza

Here I am taking the plunge. I'm a small blog but fast writer even when it comes to my slower times. So might as well put it to good use.

Planning on joining this fundraiser run by @ficsforgaza and help make everyone happy with some content in the process. Here is my plan of action for my wip and donation costs.

To participate- please make a donation to a vetted fundraiser and send a screenshot/proof of your donation to me in a DM. PLEASE MAKES SURE TO CENSOR ALL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. (internet safety and all that jazz). In the message also let me know what fic you are donating to and I will adjust expected word counts. These screenshots are merely for keeping things as honest as possible and will be shared with @ficsforgaza

-I obviously will not be taking the money myself. Please send it to one of the vetted fundraisers mentioned in the link below.

$5.00 per 800 words or a full drabble series installment

Link to vetted places to donate here! More fundraisers here!

As soon as 50% of any of the fics are sponsored I will automatically start on them.

Drabble series-

Sweet and Sour- Ren Kaji x Fem Reader Drabble Series

Your the new girl in the city. You are tough, sassy, but don't know a lick about the gangs, and if your honest you couldn't care less. But something about Ren Kaji catches your eye. He may snap and bark like a feral dog, but you can see through it and he knows it too. Slowly, you become his sanctuary even though you are the one person he's most afraid won't accept him. And he thought he was past all that. (NSFW)

5.00 for full installment

Read Part One here!

False Immunity- Hiei x Fem Reader Drabble Series

Where Hiei learns the ins and out of human courtship. (NSFW)

Find Part One-Six on my masterlist here! 5.00 for full installment

Multichap Fics-

Flawed Hope- Astarion x OC (BG3)

Brit was a paralegal, someone who had a normal life and enjoyed what she did for the most part. Yet, the only true excitement she felt lately was when she played Baldur's Gate Three. A simple video game brought her more joy than her friends or fleeting romances. One night as depression crushes her she wishes to live one day in BG3. Her wish is granted, however the world of BG3 needs her far longer than her wish had originally intended. And the worst part? She does not get along with her favorite vampire in the slightest. (NSFW)

Read the first four chaps here! WC: 1961/4000

Falling for Frogs- Sebastian x Fem Reader (SDV)

You are game developer about to make their debut into the market. The world you are about to venture into isn't exactly friendly to those of the feminine persuasion and as such you have flown under the radar using a masculine alias online. After a complete mental break down at a very important convention in Zuzu you realize you need to get away from the city for a bit so you can finish your game. Your best friend who runs a farm in Stardew Valley invites you to come stay with her. However as you stay there and get to know the locals, you realize the cute boy you saw at the con is her neighbor. What's even worse is he remembers you and just to add salt to the wound, he's one of your Kickstarters. (NSFW) WC: 309/3000

Read the first three chaps here!

The Unseen and Those Forgotten- Dabi x Fem Reader (BNHA)

The age of the Greek gods is long past. Dabi is one of the few left, his name in the ancient days had been Hades. Now he skulks among the humans, as a deity at half strength. With the old gods dying, the new ones have taken control of the humans’ feeble minds. There is a storm on the horizon though, quite literally, the end of days is nipping at mortality’s heels and the key to unlocking Kronos’s resting place, the only creature strong enough to put a stop to the apocalypse, is you. Sadly you have no idea what part you will play, after all, you are just an office worker who has an affinity for plants.... WC: 0/2000

Find the first three chaps on my masterlist here!

The Hellebore Rift- Hayato Suo x Fem Reader (Wind Breaker)

The town of Makochi has changed and so have all the gangs within it. Gone are the days of allies and rival schools. Gone are the days of delinquents battling for top spots and coming home with happy smiles from good fist fights. Now the world has been ripped apart by rifts that tear the very dimensions in two, spewing forth gigantic blood-thirsty monsters. It has forced the gangs to protect only their parts of town from everyone. Even the civilians, even those they once called friends. With those rifts and monsters, humans were gifted with powers, yet everything good always comes with a fall out. You are one of those few, blessed with the ability to Guide, to save those Espers from the toxicity that their own powers created within themselves when they protect their parts of town. You live in a small section Makochi outside any of the gangs control with a scant few Espers to call your own… or well you did until the day Hayato Suo found you. WC 313/2000

(Chapter one just started)

Oneshots-

Dog Park with Megumi (no title yet)- You don't have dogs but you find yourself at the dog park everyday because you can't have pets. That's where you meet Megumi Fushiguro (NSFW)WC: 0/15000

A Bouquet of Deadly Thorns- Hanahaki Soulmate Gojo x Fem Reader

The world now is riddled with the phenomenon known as soulmates. You don't know yours but before you can even think about finding them, you must get rid of your growing feelings for Satoru Gojo, the only problem is they've grown suffocating and you've started coughing up blood and flower petals. (NSFW) WC: 3098/8000

Tetsuro Kuroo bar night (no title yet)- The first night you meet Kuroo he was celebrating with his friends who'd just won their volley ball game. You were drinking away your sorrows yet again from another shitty date. Fate had a funny way of making you forget things when he gets dared to make a move on you. (NSFW) WC: 0/10,000

My name in your mouth- Professional Poker Player!Suo Hayato x CardShark Fem!Reader Suo Hayato is well known in the gambling circuit, he strikes fear in all his opponents. Terrified that they will lose all the winnings and perhaps even worse to him. You however are a dark horse, a rising star lurking in the shadows among the tables, and you have the arrogance to back it up. You take Suo on and surprise him in more ways then one. But he's desperate to wrest back control from you and the rising sexual tension between the two of you gives him the perfect excuse. (NSFW) WC: 0/7000

Single Drabbles- 5.00 for a full drabble

Jo Togame festival day (sfw) - Link

Jo Togame the baths (NSFW) - Link

Nobara/fem! reader (jjk) (NSFW) shopping day, in the dressing room

Himuro tatsuya/male! reader (knb) (NSFW) pining, street ball rivals

Seishiro Nagi/gn!reader (blue lock) (SPICEY (not full nsfw)) comfort, lazy day, reuniting after long distance for a while

Sebastain/fem! reader (SDV) (nsfw) phone sex

Astarion/male!reader (BG3) (NSFW) dry humping, semi public sex Suo Hayato/fem!reader (wind breaker)(NSFW) overstimulation

[pernesophe]

Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader

Chapter 2: Will They, or Won't They?

WC: ~13699. Ch 1 , Ch 3, Ch 4 (links will be added as they are finished)

MDNI. TW for this post: fluff, angst, smut: cunnilingus, fingering, vaginal penetration, biting, blood drinking, past character deaths mentioned (Multi-part story, so TW for the whole series are fluff, angst, smut, character death(s)). Both characters are 21+ presenting, but several centuries old.

Synopsis: Resources have grown scarce and reader needs Kaji's help, oh and they're having shared dreams now.

Songs: Playlist Post Kaji's Scent: Based on Brother Night by Apoteker Tepe Reader's Scent: Based on Basilica by Milano

It’s been a week since you woke up to Kaji’s cerulean irises staring back at you. And every morning since you’ve awakened in the hut enveloped by labdanum incense instead of his comforting copal scent. Most nights your dreams have been set in the town centuries before, filled with faces you could only recognize from aged photos, though you weren’t able to interact with anyone. It was like you were a ghost, but sometimes you would catch Kaji’s eye and it seemed like he’d be looking for you, but then his gaze would become unfocused as if he was staring straight through you. Even when you called, yelled, or stood directly in front of him waving your arms - he couldn’t see you. Sighing heavily, you rolled onto your back in frustration to see Kiyoko standing in the darkened corner of the hut, toiling away in front of the wood stove.

“Kiyoko?” murmuring faintly as you sat up and peered at her from the mat. Her body was rigid with stress, the ends of her raven locks brushing her wrists, as she poured over her grimoire. No, not hers… her mother’s maybe? She didn’t respond, apparently your voice was unheard in the wake of her stress. Eyeing the aged book in her hands, you slowly rose to your feet and joined her by the woodstove. Fear prickled over your skin - she only pulled out her mother’s grimoire when something was really bad.

“Kiyoko, what’s wrong?” You whispered while laying your hand on her shoulder. With a jump, she turned to meet your worried look with tears in her eyes.

“Three of the children have fallen ill. High fevers that we just can’t seem to break. I-it’s something they caught from going outside the barrier…” she spoke quickly as her trembling fingers continued thumbing over the pages in desperation. “Y/N…. I don’t think they’re going to make it…” she whispered in a cracked voice as she tearily met your gaze.

“What do we need?” Demanding urgently, already piecing together that it was the lack of resources that led to this situation. Kiyoko shook her head slowly, turning back to the stove barely emitting any heat at this point.

“Witch hazel, but we haven’t seen any in two years…” she whispered in defeat. Squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, she glanced at you in question as you gave her a reassuring nod.

“I’ll find us some,” you promised as Kiyoko shook her head lightly. But she didn’t voice her protests as you turned on your heel and marched out of the hut.

Immediately, an early winter wind smacked you across the cheek. Though mild enough that if there were witch hazel, then it was still harvestable. Shoving your hands deep in your pockets, you beelined directly to the school on the edge of town as dusk began to shift into dark.

Surprisingly, as the abandoned building came into view, a familiar figure stood in the entryway expectantly. Jogging the rest of the distance, waving to him urgently, Kaji moved out of the doorway as darkness finally set in. The two of you met in the courtyard in front of the school.

“Y/N, why are you here so late?” Querying as he peered around you searching for signs of a threat.

“Witch hazel,” blurting out before you could find the words to explain. Kaji’s head tilted slightly as you gulped down some air and steadied your voice. “Three children are really sick, and we need witch hazel to make a remedy for them,” you explained quickly. Kaji blinked, but shook his head after a moment.

“I never heard Umemiya mention planting witch hazel, and if you haven’t seen it at the school, then…” he trailed off slowly as he threw you a sympathetic look.

“Not from the garden, um, can you show me where the animals eat?” Inquiring quickly as you took a step closer. Kaji was a little taken aback, blinking rapidly at your request, but then he nodded slowly - seeing what you were getting at. Relief showed on your face at his response as you quickly followed up with, “Can you show me places where deer, squirrels o-or rabbits usually eat?” 

Bobbing his head more confidently, Kaji took your hand and led you past the school towards the very edges of the town. There, large trees edged the barrier covered in vines with splatterings of shrubbery at the base of them. The closer the two of you approached, the more scurrying and chittering you heard from animals. Jumping at the loud snap from the brush to your left. Instantly, you grabbed Kaji’s arm and pressed into his side, breath stopping short in your throat, heart hammering against your ribs.

“Deer,” Kaji whispered into your ear, fluttering your hair against your cheek. Whipping your head around, you were met with his amused gaze and the slight smirk twerking the corner of his mouth. Warmth spread from where you held his forearm out through his chest - it’d been so long since someone had latched onto him for protection.

Without letting go of his sleeve, you turn to peer into the brush - trying with all your might to catch a glimpse of the timid mammal. Kaji watched you struggle until he gently grabbed your shoulders and turned you in the direction of the deer so your back was flush to his chest. Taking your chin in one hand so you were looking in the right area, and then he slowly brought his pointer finger beside your right eye so your gaze could follow it to the exact spot.

“In front of the big tree, nibbling on that yellowish shrub,” he whispered into your left ear, rich amber and resinous smoke clung to his breath as it fluttered your hair again. 

Vision focusing on the yellow shrub, and then the animal you’ve only seen in old, worn photos before. Magnificent and beautiful - it’s fur the color of smoothed bark, short and sleek, accentuated by a white, flicking tail. Gradually, as it lifted its head in the moonlight, you saw a pair of giant, pointed antlers. Time seemed to still, the air punched completely out of your lungs as its giant, soulful black eyes met your own… and then time continued clicking onward. 

With a twitch of its ears and a turn of its head, the ethereal creature dashed out of sight - kicking off a chorus of thundering hooves and rustling leaves. An entire family of deer came crashing through the undergrowth, hopping and veering through the vines and shrubs as you and Kaji just stood there. Other than him wrapping his arms around you securely, the two of you remained utterly still until the last deer disappeared between the trees.

Kaji felt your hammering heart through your back as it thrummed against his chest. Notes of velvety leather and creamy spices wafted from your pulse point and enveloped him with your spiking heart rate. Involuntarily, he brought his nose to the top of your head and inhaled your scent greedily, almost forgetting why the two of you were here in the first place.

“Kaji!” Your gasp tore him out of his revere, immediately releasing his hold around you with a jump. Turning to him with the brightest grin, you grabbed the front of his sweatshirt excitedly, “it’s witch hazel!” Whispering like it was a secret shared between just you two as you pointed to the bush the deer had been grazing on.

Not wasting another second, both of you quickly began gathering several branches that were still alive and held many uneaten leaves. On the way back to the school, you thanked Kaji profusely for his help, while he trailed next to you and listened to your genuine words. Though your heart had calmed considerably, your intoxicatingly sweet, camphorous aroma enveloped him fully - even clinging to the fabric of his coat.

At the walls of the school, you asked if he wanted to come to town with you - making sure to mention that they would all be thrilled to meet him. Even more so knowing that he helped you find the witch hazel. Kaji’s face turned serious though as he urged you not to mention him to anyone in town. A little taken aback, but you nodded in agreement anyway. Before departing, you made sure to thank him again and promised to be by soon with more suckers. His serious expression smoothed out some from the mention of the candies - he even pulled one out, stuck it in his mouth before waving and returning to the school.

The moon was high in the sky by the time you returned to the hut with the witch hazel in hand, Kiyoko was looking worse for wear by the time you strolled through the door. In her fist she gripped a horn shaped bone, and from where you stood you could smell the rosemary, thyme, rue and fennel crushed in the bowl before her. Without any real treatment all she was able to do in the meantime was make a remedy that would banish pain. Immediately her entire demeanor brightened the moment she spied the familiar foliage in your hand. 

“Y/N, how?” She started to ask, but you swiftly shook your head and thrust the branches into her hands. Because now wasn’t the time to explain - it was time to get to work. 

“Later,” you assured her as you pulled the giant steel pot down from a high shelf and set it on the stove. “I’ll start making the oil. How about you take the last of the pain treatment over to the infirmary. When you come back, we’ll start making the candles.” Instructing her calmly while she bobbed her head, relieved tears collecting at her lash line, as she hurried through the rickety door.

With steady hands you debarked the witch hazel and chopped it into smaller pieces before tossing them into the pot. Then, you crushed 5 sprigs of lavender and a handful of peppermint together until they were finely ground before tossing them into the pot as well. Ducking under a makeshift cupboard, you retrieved a large metal can sealed tight. Using a flat head and your fist, you popped the lid to reveal a light cream colored oil that smelled of almonds. 

Pouring a liberal amount over the herb mixture, then you retrieved more fire wood and tossed the splintered pieces into the stove before stoking the embers. Flames burst and quickly engulfed the wood before you shut the tiny metal door and secured the latch. Not long after the oiled herbs began to bubble and simmer, filling the hut with an overwhelming herbaceous scent. A few moments later, Kiyoko came bursting through the door to find the purification oil almost finished.

“Just in time,” you sighed with a relieved smile thrown in her direction, “I need your help.” Without question, Kiyoko joined you in front of the stove, where she took your hand. 

This is the part of being a witch that was never quite explained, but somehow you just knew what to do. See, with all the ingredients and instructions listed in your grimoire, there were never any incantations. Honestly, you couldn’t even name the language that you spoke to make things fizzle or spark with life. When you were young, Kiyoko explained that’s how it worked for most witches - they understood what things to mix together, but it was an unforeseen force that seemed to channel magic through you. None of you knew if it was a deity, the universe, or your ancestors - but when the time came to perform a spell it always seemed that words just flowed from you. Like snow melting and trickling down a mountainside, that overtime feeds into a river. 

And now, just like so many times before, you and Kiyoko stood hand in hand as foreign words that you two couldn’t translate if you tried, trickled over the oil. Quiet mutterings, that if you listened closely sounded like nothing more than intentional humming, spurred the oil to pop and bubble with iridescent colors the creamy oil hadn’t possessed just seconds ago. Blues, greens, purples, then pinks swirled and arched out of the oil as if they were taking on a life of their own. Finally, as your words tapered off, the bubbling subsided until the oil was smooth but retained a golden incandescent glow about it.

“It’s ready,” you sighed, and Kiyoko took a deep, steadying breath. It was normal for a spell like that to take more out of her than it did you. “How about you sit and rest - prepare the salt mixture if you can. I’ll take the oil to the infirmary and have them start the purification baths for them,” you directed her mildly while eyeing her pale face. Kiyoko nodded slowly, tiredly, as she took a seat at the table.

Bottling the oil, you then made your way out of the hut and through the darkened streets to the tiny, doorless structure. Relieved faces greeted you when you entered the dimly lit hut - Mr. Sato was the first to thank you for finding the witch hazel. His grandson laid in the makeshift bed next to him, flushed skin dampened with sweat, and labored breathing filling the room. Quietly you smiled and nodded, but a part of you felt immensely guilty that you couldn’t tell him that it wasn’t you. It was Kaji.

After you ensured they were set with the oil and baths, you returned to your hut where Kiyoko seemed to have finally caught her breath. The salt mixture was already done and gathered at the table before her, so she followed you to the wood stove to start the healing spell. 

First, the two of you gathered all of the wax you could find, since you would need six candles total. Melting all of the wax down, Kiyoko then helped you pour it into a mold to create one white candle. With the rest of the wax, you added ground lavender, cedarwood, clove, witch hazel, peppermint, bergamot, and then let it simmer until the lavender bled into the wax turning it a pale shade of blue.

Again, Kiyoko joined hands with you before the giant pot and spoke the foreign language that flowed from your teeth like honey over the thick liquid. Though this time it was much shorter, as the mixture bubbled and popped until the ingredients disappeared completely, and a deeper shade of blue rose up from the middle and spread throughout the pot.

Once thoroughly mixed, the two of you poured the wax into five other candle molds and placed them on the worktable by the stove to cool. After a short break, and the wax having set, the two of you went about demolding the candles. On the white candle you carved a protection sigil, and then on the five blue candles you carved one sigil on each to represent Spirit, Earth, Air, Water and Fire.

Finally, with everything prepared, the two of you made your way back to the infirmary. The purification ritual finished up as the two of you walked through the doorway, so without any hesitation, you began setting up the healing ritual. The three children were moved to beds in the center of the room - positioned in a circle so their heads would all be laid in the middle of the room. Then, you set the protection candle in the center, and the five blue candles in a circle around the children. Kiyoko poured the salt mixture around the blue candles to close the children into a protective ring.

Taking your place at the Spirit candle inside the salt circle, Kiyoko at the Earth candle, then three young apprenticed witches took their places at the Air, Water and Fire candles. All of you joined hands before a striking sound hummed from your throat - igniting the white candle with a tiny orange flame. Then, you emitted a slightly lower hum that ignited the Spirit candle, then Kiyoko copied your sound to ignite the Earth candle - the apprenticed witches followed suit, igniting the Air, Water and Fire candles in that order.

Once the last candle was lit, a muted humming carried up from the salt on the floor as traces of smoke-like red, yellow and orange wisped just above the salt in an endless circle. Then, a soft white aura began shining from the blue candles, bringing with it the comforting aroma of baked bread, lavender, and white tea.

The candles burned slowly, since it was a Five Day healing spell, but luckily Kiyoko and the other witches were able to switch out with other members of the coven to keep the ritual in motion. Unfortunately, since it was a spell from your grimoire, you had to be present to oversee the entire ritual. The night turned into day as the Air candle witch stepped out to be replaced by another apprentice, as you remained standing at your post with dark circles forming under your eyes. Unblinking, you observed the children’s flushed, damp skin and labored breathing gradually return to normal, until on the fifth and final day they were just peacefully sleeping. Finally, their fevers had broken.

The other members of the coven promised to take care of cleanup the moment the candles winked out before shooing you out of the infirmary towards your hut. Bleary eyed, you stumbled through the rickety door - not even hearing Kiyoko offering you something to eat - before flopping down on the mat. Sleep swallowed you whole, quickly and greedily, leaving you quartered in its abyss for two and a half days.

If only your dreams had been blank and restful, but instead it felt like a timeless limbo where you were chasing after Kaji endlessly. Every time you got close, or he seemed to actually see you, the dreamscape would change and you’d be in a completely different part of Old Furin - chasing after Kaji once more. The more frustrated you became, the scarier the environment would become. When you were close to screaming over the fact that nobody - least of all the person you wanted to most - could see you, the environment shifted to where you were surrounded by a group of thugs. Only they could see you… and touch you. 

At this point, you couldn’t even focus on finding Kaji as you sprinted away from your attackers, but when you did run directly into him - sobbing with relief - the dream shifted to still Old Furin, but midwar. The buildings were rubbled, and the scent of blood filled the air, when suddenly something you could only describe as a monster lurched out of an alleyway. All you could do was stare in horror as this hulking creature covered in wiry hair, dried blood, and slobber dripping from its fangs set its sights on you. Tossing the severed arm out of its clawed hand before it lunged forward, but as its claws slashed down at you, a black streak collided into its side. With one quick movement, its heart was torn out of its chest and held in the hand of… Kaji.

Blonde hair soaked in blood at the ends, as well as the crimson liquid painting his clothes and hands. Fear closed your throat as your heart hammered away in your chest, and then his ashen glare zeroed in on your trembling form. A deep scowl pulled at his face as he hopped down off the monster’s chest, and then he strode towards you with purpose. Before you could find out how the dream would have ended, a deafening crash made you shoot up straight on the mat.

Gulping down air, you peered around to see you were back in the hut, and then turning around you saw Kiyoko standing at the woodstove - stunned - and the giant metal pot laying at her feet.

“I’m so sorry,” whispering guiltily as she bent down and grabbed the pot, “no amount of magic can fix my butter fingers.” She chuckled weakly, surveying you with a concerned expression - the panic apparent in your stiff body. 

“Ho-how long have I been asleep?” Croaking in a hushed tone, a lump formed in your throat from the continuous nightmares.

“About two and a half days,” she answered in a delicate tone as she placed the pot on the stove and crossed the room to sit on the mat with you. “Y/N, are you okay? You look terrified…” she murmured while lightly squeezing your shoulder. Stifling a sob, you nodded stubbornly without meeting her concerned stare. Two and a half days…? 

“Uh-ahem,” clearing your throat and blinking away your tears, you met her gaze with a barely reassuring smile. “I’m okay. I-I just need to go see Kaji,” you mumbled while rising to your feet. Kiyoko stared at you in shock and started to get to her feet as well.

“You’ve barely recovered, you need to stay here and sleep Y/N.” Taking on a parental tone as she crossed her arms and gave you a pointed stare. Releasing a muted sigh, you gingerly reached out and grasped her arm lightly.

“And I will, Kaji will make sure that I do, but I really need to see him Kiyoko. I don’t think I’ll feel better until I do,” whispering earnestly as tears began pricking your eyes again. After a long, tense moment her shoulders drooped with a relenting nod, and she bid you goodnight while making you promise to come back in no later than two days time.

Nodding in agreement, you rushed out of the hut letting Kiyoko shut the door behind you, before sprinting through the darkening streets towards the abandoned building. Icy wind tore through your clothes, numbing your fingers and ears. Halfway there, embarrassment reared its ugly head as you wondered why this was so important to you - they were just bad dreams anyway. And yet, the lump in your throat grew as tears streamed down your cheeks while the desperate urge to see your newfound friend only strengthened with each thundering footfall.

As the walls of the school came into view, you somehow increased your speed as the blistering cold whipped through your core. The moment you saw the doorless entryway aching sobs tumbled from your mouth as your vision blurred, and the second you crossed the threshold your toe caught on the lip sending you flying forward. 

But before you crashed into anything, something incredibly hard, immovable, and smelling comfortingly like smokey copal caught hold of you, surrounding you in a tight embrace. Lacking any hesitation whatsoever, you grabbed the familiar gray sweatshirt in your fists before crumpling completely against him. Without question, Kaji gingerly scooped you into his arms before carrying you up the gnarled, rooted stairs to his classroom.

Silently, he situated you in his bedroll just the way the two of you were before - laying on your sides, facing each other, your face buried in his chest and his nose pressed into your hair, your arms wrapped around each other. Kaji didn’t ask for any explanation, letting you fall deeper into his smoked balsam and spiced-musk scent until a peaceful slumber took you. All the while, he sunk deeper into your sweet-wood and creamy labdanum aroma that had plagued his mind for almost seven whole days. He couldn’t admit it to you, but on the second night after you came for the witch hazel he crept through the shadows into town just to catch a glimpse of you. 

His fears only subsided when he heard members of your coven whispering about the insane ritual you were performing, and more astonishingly - the fact that it was working. After that, he listened intently to hear any voices carrying news of the ritual to the school. That’s how he found out that once it was finished, you had returned to your hut and collapsed into a deep sleep. He even heard when you woke up, and your stifled sobs the whole way to him, which was how he was there in time to catch you.

That night, instead of nightmares of chasing or being chased, you dreamt of a flowery meadow filled with people wearing black Furin jackets. Still, you couldn’t interact with them since they couldn’t see you, and most were too far away to see their faces. And yet, for some reason in this place, with these people, you felt inexplicably safe. 

It felt like you were asleep for days, when you came to it was from Kaji tenderly stroking your hair. Cerulean irises peered down at you curiously, but you barely registered his expression as you buried your nose back in his sweatshirt before emitting a tired groan. Nuzzling closer, you inhaled his comforting, spiced smoke aroma as his chest vibrated with an amused chuckle.

“Morning sleepyhead,” he rumbled softly as he gently poked your cheek until you tilted your head back to blearily peek up at him. “Your sleep cycle is ruined by the way - it’s almost sunset.” He added, a teasing lilt in his tone, accentuated by a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“How long have I been asleep…?” You mumbled groggily, eyes barely cracked, fatigue still weighing heavily on your eyelids.

“Since last night, or maybe this morning?” His gaze flicked towards the ceiling momentarily, “it was around 2am when you showed up,” he finally concluded when he peered back down at you. 

Releasing a sigh of relief, you rolled onto your back so your head rested on the pillow while Kaji’s arm still rested across your waist. Luckily, Kiyoko wouldn’t come looking for you until tomorrow evening. “Uh, so…” he continued awkwardly while you glanced at him curiously.

“What happened?” He tentatively implored you to explain, voice low and overtly soothing, his countenance reflected deep concern. Suddenly, memories of the previous night struck you like lightning.

“Oh, um…” mumbling as heat crawled over your cheeks. “I’m sorry - it’s kind of stupid… I think I was just in a not a great place after being awake for so long,” You admitted quietly. A feeble attempt to avoid the real reason why you were so distraught last night. 

Kaji just stared at you intently, his pearl-gray eyes narrowing as he waited for you to elaborate. When you didn’t he sat up abruptly and crossed his legs before resting his palms on his knees, and then fixed you with an expectant look. Leaning on your forearm, your torso rose off the bedding as well, as you peered up at him dubiously.

“I don’t think you reacted like that because you were tired,” he spoke bluntly - not beating around the bush, and refusing to let it go. Then he added with an air of authority, “so, let’s talk about it.” Sucking in a deep breath and then exhaling it slowly, you quietly relented, and sat up fully - crossing your legs like him before folding your hands in your lap.

“O-okay,” murmuring shyly as you focused on your twirling thumbs, “it was just a bad dream really.” Was all you offered at first, but Kaji just stared at you until he eventually spun his hand in the air to wordlessly say ‘out with it’.

“Well, I crashed after the healing ritual, and I was asleep for like two and a half days…” you began softly but your voice swiftly tapered off, swallowing thickly, you met his gaze before continuing. “But it felt like I was asleep for weeks, and the whole time I was running around Old Furin. Trying to find you…” your admission carried past your lips on a cracked and warbled voice, bringing with it tears that welled up at your lash line. “And I did, find you, but you couldn’t see me. No matter what I did, or said - you just couldn’t see me at all.” Your lips began to tremble throughout the rest of your confession. 

“I kept getting frustrated, which kept making the dream scarier… like eventually I was able to get you to see me, and then the entire dream changed… a few times I ended up in some really bad situations,” you cut yourself off before anything more spilled out. Kaji noticed that you were withholding something right away, but he was far more preoccupied with the similarities between your dream and his of late. A perturbed scowl set into Kaji’s features which spurred a hot, prickly sensation to sweep over your entire body - fearing you may have said too much. 

“I’m sorry if that was weird of me, when Kiyoko told me it had been days I got really emotional about it,” you sighed in shame, focusing on the floor again. “I just wanted to see you after that…” admitting so faintly his keen ears barely picked up your melancholic tone. Suddenly, Kaji’s strong arms scooped you off the bedding, pulling you into his lap, and crushed you in a tight embrace.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he whispered comfortingly into your hair, “you can always come find me when you feel like that,” he added simply. Blinking rapidly, you peered into his serene gaze as one slippery tear slid down your cheek.

“Th-thank you,” you sniffled as you shot him a genuine smile and dried the rest of your tears on the knitted sleeves of your cardigan.

“Ac-actually,” he began quietly, “I’ve been having dreams like that too.” He admitted, a notch forming in his brow from his own embarrassment. When you tilted your head in question, he elaborated, “I’ve been having dreams of Old Furin, except you’re there - I know you are, because I can smell you… but I can’t find you. Every time I think I’ve caught a glimpse of you - you just disappear.” He revealed with a heavy sigh, the stress of his dreams etched into his features. Instantly, your eyebrows shot up at his words, since you’d never had this happen before.

“I’ll ask Kiyoko about it,” you declared in a promising tone with a firm nod, but the notch in Kaji’s brow deepened as he threw you a perplexed look.

“Why would you do that? It’s just a dream,” he inquired with a forced, nonchalant shrug - truly hoping that this wasn’t some magic, witchy thing. But, much to his chagrin, you quickly shook your head gravely at him.

“One dream is just that - a dream - but a shared dream is usually significant somehow,” you insisted with a knowledgeable look in your eyes. Much to his credit, Kaji didn’t let his own apprehension show on his face.

“Well, let me know what you find out,” he responded with a simple nod. You threw him a reassuring smile, but Kaji decided to change the subject altogether. “So, do you not own a jacket?” He inquired, eyeing your breathable cardigan and the rest of your thin clothes before arching his brow at your sheepish expression.

“Uh, yeah, I do…” you started delicately, peering down at your lap where you were nervously twirling your thumbs again. Kaji patiently waited until you spoke again - refusing to even peek up at him when you did, “a lot of the town inherited things that belonged to their ancestors… But most of Bofurin didn’t have descendents, so we inherited those too.” 

Hesitating as your timid voice stopped short, then you released a shaky breath before meeting his gaze again. For once, you cursed his deadpan manner, because you couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Finally, you relented as the words passed your lips to hang in the air, “I-I inherited Hiragi Toma’s Furin Jacket…”

Kaji’s eyebrows shot up, eyes widened in shock as he straightened, obviously taken aback by the information. A beat passed before his shoulders gradually relaxed as he blinked slowly, processing your words at an ardent pace. Then, a small, serene smile pulled at the corners of his mouth before he gave you an approving nod.

“You should wear it next time,” he suggested decisively, and when you seemed taken aback as well, he added with a chuckle, “I’m glad it’s being put to use. Honestly I don’t think Hiragi would’ve minded a cute girl wearing his jacket.” 

Immediately a vibrant red bloomed over your cheeks and burned the tips of your ears as you sputtered over your words. Kaji observed your flustered reaction appreciatively, which turned adoring when you conceded with a bashful nod and mumbled, “Thank you, I will.”

Heated silence filled the room as you shyly smoothed down your tunic over your thighs while Kaji eyed your delicate features from your long lashes to your plump lips. Subconsciously he tightened his hold around you, pulling you snugly to his chest as your warm, woody, sweet-cream fragrance enveloped him completely. 

To his delight, you decided to stay another night since Kiyoko wouldn’t expect you home until tomorrow. As the two of you laid together, drifting off to sleep, Kaji started to dread you looking into his dreams. Mostly due to the fact that last night his dreamscape changed, to one he’d never experienced before. His night was filled with salacious visions of you and him. As the abyss of slumber took hold, he found himself half hoping it was a one off thing while the other half hoped it would happen again tonight.

As darkness veiled his eyes, strolling through his subconscious, he maneuvered through silky smoke that smelled just like you. Velvety musk and resinous amber perfumed the air, drawing him deeper into the fog towards a soft light radiating in the distance. As he neared the light, the smoke cleared bit by bit to reveal a mossy forest floor dappled in warm sunlight. 

Kaji stopped at the edge of a line of balsam trees dripping in mossy vines and lichen. A mere 50 feet away stood a magnificent aged tree with wide leaves that plumed sporadically from the top, casting dappled shade across the clearing. The bark was smooth, light mocha, with lines from damage and age. Gnarled roots cut through the mossy floor at its base, tapering out the closer they got to the edge of the clearing.

At its base stood you, wearing a thin, cream colored, cotton tunic that cinched at your waist and plunged low at the neck line. Wide straps cinched at the tops of your shoulders, and though it came to about your midcalf, the sides had slits that stopped near the top of your thighs. Your feet were bare, and other than your signature pendant, you weren’t adorned in anything else. All he could do was stare at you, awestruck, as your intoxicating scent drew him nearer.

Then, you noticed him, with a curious tilt of your head and a welcoming grin you beckoned him closer. Hesitantly Kaji shook his head at you, gesturing to the large circles of light blocking his way to you, but you just simpered at him reassuringly.

“It’s okay, you won’t burn when you’re with me,” promising smoothly while holding your hand out to him, palm facing the leaves of the tree above. He stared at you dubiously for several moments before inhaling deeply, shoulders stiffening, and walking towards you - passing under a beam of pure sunlight. To his surprise, Kaji didn’t smoke or burn, instead he just felt the comforting warmth of the sun, something he hasn’t experienced since becoming a vampire - not even in his dreams until now.

Though he could have crossed the clearing faster, he stalled under the beams of light outstretching his hand occasionally to really feel the sunshine. Patiently you waited for him until he stood before you, his wide palm sliding over yours gingerly as cerulean irises met yours in awe and confusion. Sliding your hand along his palm to his wrist, you wrapped your fingers around him before flashing him a mischievous smirk and tugging him towards you. 

Eliciting a shocked gasp, Kaji scrambled not to fall as your back pressed flush against the bark of the tree and you grabbed his jacket in your other hand - pulling him even closer. All he could do was brace his free hand against the trunk above your head while the other grasped your waist - bracing you against the tree so you both didn’t trip and topple over the roots. The moment the two of you were stable, he shot you an unbridled glare, but you just giggled up at him spurring a swirling heat to pull in his lower abdomen as his mouth ran dry. 

“This is what you wanted, right?” Leaning closer, you whispered teasingly - inches away from his lips - as your rich leather and sweetly herbaceous aroma stoked that heat in his belly. The corner of your mouth twitched into a triumphant smirk when he averted his gaze, fingers twitching in your tunic against your waist, as you heard him gulp loudly. 

“Are you really… Y/N?” He asked dubiously as he slowly peered at you again, a deep furrow in his brow. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, but then you simpered up at him tenderly.

“This is a dream, but what is a dream other than our fears and desires played out?” Answering his question with a question while a mirthful look crossed your face at his perplexed expression. “I am a version of her that you wish to meet I suppose, but you aren’t ready for that yet, so here I am,” you finally explained with a playful cock of your head.

“So, then, this is okay?” He uttered quickly, a nervous hitch in his voice as leaned a little closer to you as well. Blinking quickly before an approving smile tugged at your mouth as you nodded up at him.

“Yes - though I am a part of your dream - I still have the ability to say no if I wanted to, but I just don’t want to,” you tittered placidly which only grew louder as Kaji’s eyes fell shut and his entire body sagged with relief. Gingerly, you released his wrist and ghosted your hand up his forearm, over his bicep, until you cupped his cheek. His eyelids snapped open to meet yours as you drew his lips to yours, ever so softly your lips brushed against his.

A quiet whine escaped Kaji as his arm snaked around your back, pulling you flush to his chest while he moved to slot his lips with yours. Rosemary and thyme clung to your breath, with hints of peach that spurred him to deepen the kiss hungrily as you carded your fingers through his hair and fisted your other hand in the front of his jacket.

Groaning into your mouth as your fingers tugged lightly on his hair while his hand above your head moved to squeeze your plush breast through the thin tunic. Gently he pinched and rolled your pert nipple through between his fingers, eliciting a salacious gasp from you. Impatiently, he cascaded his palm down your waist and over your hips until his fingertips reached the slit in your tunic. 

Then he dipped his hand under the fabric to find nothing but smooth skin underneath, with a shocked grunt his eyelids shot open as his hand moved between your thighs to feel your comfortingly hot, wet core. Parting from the kiss, he peered down at your satisfied smile as his fingertips brushed over your glistening folds while you spread your thighs to give him better access. 

Studying your expression silently as his touches finally swiped through your folds to your clit, causing you to mewl and buck your hips into his hand. Kaji’s gaze was intense as his digits slid back to press against the ring of muscle at your entrance. Ardently, he pushed one finger through and nestled it deep within your velvety walls, as your head keened back against the trunk in delight. 

At first, he experimentally twitched his fingers - just feeling you - as your grip in his hair and jacket tightened. Pulling your bottom lip between your teeth, you shot him a pleading look as he gradually began pumping his finger. Faint whines tumbled from your lips as his strokes became more purposeful until you turned needy.

“Please Ren, I need more,” you moaned beggingly as you arched your back into him even more. All at once Kaji stopped his movements, hand stilling with the pad of his finger just barely grazing that spongy spot you so desperately wanted him to reach.

“How do you know my name?” He demanded suspiciously, eyes narrowing, but not letting you go. A soft sigh escaped your lips as you leaned back against the tree - of course he wasn’t going to make this easy.

“Well you know your name don’t you?” You posed calmly, to which his brows furrowed, so you sighed before continuing. “This is your dream, your subconscious, so if you know your name - so do I. The more important question is - do you want me to know your name?” Inquiring with an arch of your brow. Stunned, Kaji just stood there staring at you for several minutes.

“I-I don’t know,” he finally murmured with a slight shake of his head as he glanced at the mossy roots below. After a moment, you released his hair to cup his cheek again, his expression was incredibly vulnerable when his gaze met yours again.

“It’s okay - that’s why we’re here too,” you assured him delicately before pulling him closer to slot your lips with his once more. Instantly Kaji was submerged in your taste as he intertwined his tongue with yours, his ministrations continuing until a second digit slid through your entrance. Finally his fingertips prodded and pressed against that spongy spot that made your vision go white as he drank down your wanton cries greedily. As you felt yourself teetering closer to the edge, Kaji parted from you and fixed you with a heated look.

“Say my name,” he directed in an authoritative tone, causing your core to clench around his fingers. But the second the first ‘Ka-’ rolled off your tongue he cut you off, “No. My name.” He corrected with a firm nod.

“Re-Ren-ah!” His name stuttered through your teeth as his thumb pressed tight circles into your clit. His name mingled with needy whines tumbled from your lips as he pushed you closer and closer to your climax. With a press of his fingers and a final swirl of his thumb, you fell over the pleasurable edge into an euphoric abyss below. Clinging to him like a life line as your walls clamped down on his digits and your thighs trembled, knees wobbling and giving way only for Kaji to tighten his hold around your waist - bracing you securely to his chest. 

As you came down, he studied your fucked out expression with intrigue until you cracked your eyes open to meet his. Slowly he slipped his fingers out of your dripping cunt, eliciting a low whine from you. Then, he ever so gently pressed his lips to your forehead as he drew his arm back - placing both hands on your waist to steady you. Simpering up at him adoringly, you leaned up on your tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before pulling away and releasing him completely.

“It’s time to wake up now,” susurrating as smoke surged across the mossy floor to swirl around the base of the tree. Kaji felt torn from your words as the smoke began to rise up between the two of you. “Don’t look so sad - Y/N will be there when you wake up,” you promised him sweetly as the smoke overtook the clearing entirely.

Sleep cleared from his mind and was replaced by the sound of your steady heartbeat and your warm breath puffing into his sweatshirt. Blearily cracking his eyes open, Kaji peered down to find you still buried in his chest with your arms tightly wound around his torso. One of his arms was tightly wrapped under your waist with his hand pressed flat between your shoulder blades so you were flush to his chest. His other hand was securely wrapped around your upper thigh which was slung over his hip, your pelvis was pressed snugly against the hardened bulge in his jeans. 

The moment he realized how he was holding you, Kaji instantly released you and scooted back, gingerly laying your thigh over your other. Despite the sudden movement, your face - which was now resting on your bent arm - was still peaceful with sleep. After the two of you were resituated, he pulled the blanket up to your shoulder before laying his head on his bent arm too as he observed you slumbering. Velvety, sweetened cedar and resinous incense puffed against his lips which each breathy snore that passed yours. Though his keen nose picked on something different about your scent this time… Maybe it was headier? 

With a quiet whine, you pulled him out of his thoughts as your eyelids fluttered until the whites peaked through at him. Immediately, your brows furrowed as unintelligible mumbles and whines tumbled out of you. Kaji’s brows shot up in question before eliciting an amused chuckle when you sleepily reached out and grabbed his sweatshirt, then scooted yourself forward until your nose was buried in his copal redolence once again. 

Slinging an arm over you, he laid his palm flush to your lower back before gently rubbing his thumb against your hip through the tunic. You continued to sleep for another 30 minutes as Kaji replayed his dream while catching whiffs of this new component of your scent that made his mouth water. When you finally did wake, he was surprised to see an embarrassed look cross your face the moment your eyes met his, accompanied by a deep blush blooming over your cheeks.

“Go-good morning!” Chirping out before he could quiz you about your reaction, swiftly you sat up and smoothed down your tunic. Kaji sat up as well, cocking his head at your sudden shy demeanor.

“Good morning,” he replied calmly, but when you didn’t meet his eye right away he asked, “did you have the same dream last night?” 

Whipping your head to gape him, your expression shocked and incredibly ashamed, as you chewed on your words. Kaji couldn’t help but chuckle at your wide eyes and burning ears - he didn’t know what your dream was, but he knew it certainly involved him by your poorly masked humiliation. So, he clarified his inquiry, “was it the same dream where you were looking for me?”

Blinking rapidly, your tongue felt heavy in your mouth as you replayed your dream from last night: It was set in Old Furin. Kaji was there. Except he could see you from the start. It started with you in an alleyway on a sunny afternoon, where three guys were holding you up, but before any of them could touch you, Kaji showed up and beat them. He recognized you when he turned to face you, and was remarkably still a vampire by the look of his fangs - even if the timeline didn’t quite match up.

All of that would be fine to divulge, but the next part… the part where he said he was so glad you were alright and then kissed you. And all of the following scenes where he barely got you back into his house before taking you against the front door. You especially couldn’t tell him about the part where you were cumming around his twitching cocking while babbling how much you love him into the crook of his neck. Kaji was still staring at you expectantly, though his expression had become a little concerned.

“Uh, no, I didn’t. It was entirely different,” you admitted with a small chuckle, and before Kaji could ask anything more you swiftly inquired, “What about you? Same dream?” 

Stunned silence filled the room as he stared at you for a lengthy beat, and then he just shook his head and shrugged.

“Mine too - completely different,” he conceded. Both of you stared at each other for another moment before breaking eye contact - you peering to your left and Kaji to his right. Neither of you voiced any more questions about the other’s dream. The rest of the morning was spent asking each other about the time you two spent apart. Kaji told you about his day to day at school - which hasn’t changed much over the years; while you told him a little about the healing spell. He looked incredibly relieved when you assured him that the spell worked, and that the children made a full recovery.

As midmorning set in, Kaji told you to head back to town so you can get something to eat. You agreed, though it was hard to hide your disappointment when he told you not to come back for a few days - that you needed to rest. Pursing your lips stubbornly at his request, but eventually you nodded along to that as well before he escorted you through the shadowy hallways to the darkened entryway where he bid you goodbye.

Once you returned to the hut Kiyoko kept you under house arrest for about a week while you finished recovering. You were only allowed light duties, which unfortunately gave your thoughts ample room to run. The dream from that night stayed in the corner of your mind’s eye, popping to the forefront at any given moment and sending you into an embarrassing spiral as you remembered what Kaji smelled, tasted, and felt like. Of course it didn’t help that whenever you laid down for sleep, you were immediately met with a new, salacious dream filled with Kaji. Every night it seemed he became more ravenous, which probably should have frightened you as his kisses and touches started feeling more real, harder, and… hungrier. Truly though, you would be lying if you said you weren’t excited to see what your next dream would bring with each passing night.

On the seventh night, when you were plunged in a pleasurable dreamscape filled with Kaji’s lips peppering kisses along your bare torso, you were awoken by a thundering crash as light flashed through the crack in the door. Shooting straight up in bed, you saw Kiyoko sitting up as well before exchanging a terrified look with you. It wasn’t often storms rolled over the town, but when they did they caused a terrifying amount of damage. The two of you drew closer and hunkered down through the worst of it.

With each passing day, that headier scent from before grew stronger, carrying on the cross winds from your hair all the way to Kaji in the school. You were active in the days, so that’s when it was strongest - while he was asleep. With that new element added, his dreams became shrouded in a thicker smoke - smelling of labdanum incense and your heady, creamy musk. Each night passed with him falling deeper and deeper into your scent, your taste, your touch…

And yet, what he wanted most - to taste that fragrant peach nestled between your thighs - escaped him every night. For example, tonight, when he emerged from the smoky treeline, he was met with a dappled shore that was edged by a smooth, clear lake. From its very depths emerged you dripping in water, your cotton tunic clinging to your breasts, hips and thighs as you slicked your wet locks back out of your face. 

Flashing him a bright smile, you sauntered right up to him until you stood before him with his hands laid securely on your hips. Sliding his hands up along your waist until he cupped under your breasts, his appreciative gaze drank in your dewy skin as they traveled down to your pert nipples. Then he snaked his arms around your back, ghosting his palms over your plump behind before grabbing the backs of your thighs and hoisting you up to straddle his hips. Draping your arms around his neck, you simpered down at him as you carded your fingers through his hair and then slotted your lips between his, intertwining your tongue with his soon after. Laying you down on the grassy sand under the trees, he slid one arm under the arch of your back holding you flush to him, while his other hand gripped your thigh bruisingly as he ground his bulge against your hot core.

As the thunder rolled away into the distance, you thought of all the snapping and thudding you heard throughout the night. There was no doubt many vines had been torn away from structures - especially near the edge of the barrier. Opening the door to look at the now clear sky, you see the top of the moon was dipping behind the trees - day would be breaking soon. Without a second thought, you shouted a quick word to Kiyoko before tearing out of the hut in just your boots, tunic and knitted leggings towards the school. Terror clutched at your chest while you desperately hoped you could outrun the rising sun.

Kaji parted from your lips before ghosting them down the valley of your breasts, torso, to your parted legs. Saliva collected along his lower lip as he pushed your tunic up the tops of your plush thighs to reveal your thrumming core. Your heady, creamy musk invaded his senses, drawing him closer until his nose brushed your clit, causing your back to arch off the ground as he inhaled your aroma deeply. Dipping nearer to finally taste you, the tip of his tongue almost brushing your eager cunt, when an urgent voice tore him from the dreamscape completely.

Luckily, you had reached the classroom just before the first rays of light started to stretch over the town, including the formerly vined structure on the edge of the barrier. A disturbing amount of light was creeping into the hallways and over the gnarled steps that led to the floor he slept on. Poking your head in room after room until you saw a bedroll with a man shaped lump under the blanket - the window above Kaji’s head was bare of any greenery with a clear view of the trees that the sun usually rose over. Dropping to your knees by his sleeping form, you grabbed his shoulder and shook him violently.

“Kaij wake up!” Shouting desperately as you worriedly scanned the still darkened trees in the distance. Snapping awake, eyes alert but carrying confusion from the sudden transference of subconscious to conscious, he regarded you with a perplexed expression as a deep crease set in his brow. “The sun is rising! You need to move! Now!” Continuing your shrill instructions as you tugged him roughly to his feet.

Now at his full height, Kaji saw the window was devoid of any vines, as the first rays of light painted the tops of the trees, slowly creeping over the windowsill. Blinking rapidly as the gears in his head spun at hyper speed, and then - on instinct - he turned and dragged you across the room. It happened so fast you barely registered that he had pulled you into the closet with him and shut the door securely just as daybreak began to illuminate the space.

As the room outside lightened with each passing second, streaks of light entered from under the doorway - striking Kaji’s ankles. Smoke puffed up from the floor as he winced and threw himself against the wall to avoid morning rays. As more light crept under the doorway, you swiftly kicked off your boots before removing your knitted leggings and stuffing them under the door until no more direct sunlight could get in. Though dim, it was now just light enough to see Kaji pressed against the wall, an intense look etched into his face.

He felt himself teetering on delirium as aromatic earthen resins, sweet-wood, and the indescribable heady scent lifted off your skin to mingle with wisps of smoke - permeating the small space. Noticing his stiff demeanor, and the way he was staring you down as if you were a threat, you took a slight step forward. A concerned notch in your brow as you started to speak, but Kaji shook his head at you vigorously - holding one arm outstretched to keep you on the other side of the closet.

“Stay over there,” he growled through gritted teeth, causing you to jump back against the wall. Kaji has never spoken to you like this before. Instantly your pulse spiked while you attempted to ascertain whether you were in danger. As your heart hammered away against your chest, blood growing hot with fear, your scent only grew stronger making Kaji’s mouth water.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” You murmured timidly, following his direction to stay on your side of the tiny closet. When you saw the drool collecting along his bottom lip, you wrongly assumed that he was just parched, so you cautiously swept your hair away from your neck. Peering up at him reassuringly, offering your throat as you gently asked, “are you thirsty?”

“That’s not it,” he groaned desperately, flattening himself even more against the wall, eyes slamming shut only to be met with visions of you from his dream moments prior. Only then did he recognize that heady aroma - the one he’s been fantasizing about tasting… Suddenly his eyelids snapped open before he declared firmly, “you need to leave. Now.” 

Utterly stunned, you watched in horror as he pushed off the wall and reached for the door handle. Honestly, you weren’t even thinking as you launched yourself across the tiny closet, grabbing the door handle before bracing your shoulder against it. Reflexively, Kaji glared daggers down at you as an intimidating hiss escaped between his teeth.

”Kaji you can’t! If you go in the sun you’ll die!” The desperate shout echoed in the small space as you stood your ground between him and the door. Time seemed to still as Kaji stared at you - locked in a silent debate with himself.

I should step back. Or just push her out of the way and run out. I can use my jacket as cover - I’d just get a little burnt. Step back. You need to step back. Move away from her before…

The debate still seemed to be taking place as Kaji reached forward, grabbing you by your arms, notes of smoky leather, creamy spices and your sweet, heady musk drew his lips closer to yours as he pressed your back against the door. Tiny, quick breaths fluttered past your trembling lips - in and out, in and out - spiking your pulse even higher so your heart sounded like hummingbird wings beating in his ears. At the last second you screwed your eyes shut, preparing yourself for his sharp fangs to puncture your throat, but then your breath hitched as you felt something smooth and warm pressed against your lips. 

Hints of ripe apples, peppered musk, and rich, balsam smoke tickled your nose as Kaji’s hand slid up your arms to cup your face as he leaned more into the kiss. At first he moved his lips ardently against yours, soft satisfied breaths puffed through his nose, as he parted your lips with his and slid his tongue against yours. Sweet thyme and creamy peaches burst over his taste buds as he groaned deliriously into your mouth.

Your mind went completely blank other than the feeling of Kaji’s lips on yours, and his hands as they moved to snake around your torso. One hand stopped at your hips to grip it bruisingly, pulling you flush against him, while the other curled around your ribs to hold you in place. All you could do was fist your hands in the sleeves of his jacket as Kaji kissed you hungrily. Releasing a muffled gasp when he wedged his leg between yours so the top of his thigh pressed into your core delightfully. Pathetic whines bubbled from deep within before cascading out of you as you grinded down on him, while Kaji drank down your pleasurable little noises with vigor.

His jeans soon became damp with your arousal, as that sweet, heady scent emanating from between your thighs only grew to the point of overwhelming his senses. Suddenly he released you, leaving you staring up at him bewildered before he dropped to his knees in front of you. Wordlessly he slipped his hands under your tunic and slid the thin cotton undergarment down your legs. Then, he grabbed the back of your thigh before propping your knee on his shoulder, your back completely flush with the door now. 

Hooking his other thumb under your tunic, and sweeping it to the side as he wrapped his fingers around your hip to hold it and you in place. Your bare, thrumming cunt fully on display. Swiftly, your entire body stiffened from embarrassment. Kaji peered up to see a bright red blush crawling over your face, but he looked almost unfazed - your intoxicating aroma dividing his attention. Before you could even form a protest, he spoke.

“I’ve been having dreams about you - this,” smoky-pale irises flicking to your core then back to your timid gaze, his voice was calmer now, but still held an edge as if he was barely in control of himself. 

“I haven’t tasted you in any of them, and I feel like if I don’t soon I’ll go insane. Your scent has been haunting me…” his tone strained slightly as his eyes turned more bestial from pure desire. “Y/N,” a quiet whimper tumbled from your lips at your name rolling off his tongue, “can I taste you? Please.” Desperation stained his words as his grip on your hip tightened while the muscles in his arms twitched with anticipation, pinning you to the door.

With an almost imperceptible nod of your head, Kaji’s eyelids fluttered shut as he pressed his nose directly to your clit while releasing a pleased groan. Another gasp escaped you, but the sound of him inhaling you deeply followed by an ardent exhale drowned it out as his breath fanned over your glistening folds. Gingerly, he swiped the tip of his tongue through your lips to your sensitive clit, and then pressed a warm, appreciative kiss to you before plunging his wet muscle directly into your core. Instantly, you carded your fingers into his hair for some stability, which only spurred his urgent ministrations.

Wanton mewls bounced off the walls of the small closet as Kaji mercilessly coaxed you to your climax. His grip on your thigh sure to leave a purple mark by tomorrow as he simultaneously pulled you closer and pressed you against the door with his other hand stayed tethered to your hip. Grunting greedily into your core as his tongue teased more of your sweet arousal over his taste buds. Just as your vision began going white around the edges, that taut feeling in your core threatening to snap, Kaji suddenly pulled back as you whined desperately for him not to. His hands didn’t leave you as he wordlessly set the trembling leg propped over his shoulder on the floor before they slid up your thighs to settle on your hips as he rose to his full height, towering over you with a torn expression.

“I want… more,” speaking bluntly as he squeezed your hips, cerulean irises traveling down the expanse of your form before shooting you a pleading look. “Is that okay?” He requested cautiously, his entire body stiffened in restraint as he awaited your response.

“Mhm th-that’s okay,” you whispered to him, heart already pitter pattering in anticipation for what’s to come next as you gripped his jacket tighter in your fists. Searching your face a moment longer for any signs of displeasure, and when he found none, Kaji gingerly released your hips before unbuttoning his jeans. You watched with overt intrigue as his hard length was revealed. Veined, girthy, with thick veins traveling from the base to the wide mushroom tip, a drop of precum collected at the tip.

Though beyond that you barely had time to really take him in, since a moment later he bent down to hook his arm under your knee before straightening - lifting and spreading your legs at the same time. Luckily your back was still pressed to the door for stability as he lined the head of his cock up to your dripping entrance. Before going any further, his gaze cut from where the two of you were about to join, to yours - his smoky eyes reflected a silent request that you swiftly answered with another bob of your head.

Gradually he pushed past that ring of muscle that gave way to your fluttering, velvety walls. Kaji snaked his other arm around to grip your plump behind as he slowly bottomed out, a low groan tumbling from his mouth as he sheathed himself fully in your hot, wet cunt. Curious silvery gaze observed your expression while you grew accustomed to his size as the notch in your brow slowly smoothed out. When you seemed to have relaxed, he ardently canted his hips back, making sure you felt every inch of him before pushing in at the same pace - your head keened back against the door as you released a stilted whine.

His eyes fell half lidded as his pace picked up marginally - letting you get comfortable with his size and pace before ticking it up, bit by bit. Before long, Kaji’s hard cock pistoned into your greedy cunt as your arousal leaked down yours and his thighs. Lewd, squelching plat plat plats echoed off the walls of the small closet as he tightened his grip around you.

“Ka-Kaji,” you whined into his chest desperately. Tenderly, he knocked his chin into your forehead so you would peer up at him. A smirk tugged at his lips from how fucked out you already looked before he grew serious.

“Ren.” He stated calmly, his brutal pace not slowing for a moment as your brow creased while whimpering moans tumbled from you. That taut feeling in your core threatened to snap as your gummy walls clenched around him.

“My name is Kaji Ren, please call me Ren,” he clarified gently as he pulled you up on your tiptoe by his hand on your behind, eliciting a gasp from you. While your other thigh was still firmly hooked over his strong forearm. 

“Re-ren,” you stuttered out as his hips canted forward more so his tip repeatedly hit that spongy spot that brought euphoric tears to your eyes. “Ren- oh God,” moaning out pathetically as you dropped your forehead into his chest while your core began pulsing sporadically around his twitching cock. Kaji squeezed your ass tighter to keep you immobile, making his thrusts harder and deeper.

“Fu-” a guttural groan escaped your lips as you fisted Kaji’s desperately. Pleasurable electricity synapsed through your core, down your trembling thighs to your curling toes, and up to the very tip of your nose. Teetering on the very edge, your eyes rolled back as your knee began to buckle, but Kaji just held you tighter - not letting you slip an inch. 

Holding you flush to his chest, he took a step forward to press you against the door, gaining better leverage. Gracefully, he hooked his other arm under your thigh so he had you in a mating press against the aged wood. The coarse hair at the base of his cock rubbed and tickled your clit spurring your velvety walls to spasm around him as your vision went white. Salacious ah ah ah’s filled the tiny space as Kaji fucked you relentlessly against the door.

As your climax neared, your heart rate spiked causing your veins to burn with pleasure as your addicting fragrance swirled around Kaji and clouded his mind with hedonistic bliss. Just as that taut feeling snapped, releasing a gush of your arousal down Kaji’s thighs and a surge of euphoric shivers through your entire body, you wantonly cried out Kaji’s name as your head fell back against the door - revealing your throat. 

Your pulse point drew Kaji’s attention instantly as he continued thrusting with abandon, chasing his own release. That musky aroma mixed with creamy peaches took on a new depth as your core clamped down around his twitching cock before pulsing repeatedly, driving him closer to his climax as he brought his lips to your throat. Too caught up in your own pleasure, you barely felt the prick of his fangs as Kaji latched onto your throat, tasting your new flavor. Instead of instinctually draining you dry, Kaji sipped your vermillion ichor slowly. As if he were tasting wine, he let your blood slip over his tongue as peachy-milk and spiced-amber filled his senses. Notes of intense, smoky earth created a full-bodied flavor that caused his hips to stutter.

Drinking your blood was entirely different this time around, because this time he really wasn’t thirsty. But he was craving this. Still in the throes of your release, you didn’t even feel his mouth detach from your throat as his grip on your thighs tightened, and his pelvis met yours with a delicious roughness until he stilled completely. Your redolence and flavor clouded his mind to the point that his climax practically came as a shock - he collapsed against you into the door, heaving air as his cock twitched wildly. Then, his hot release painted your eager walls, filling you, as he groaned low and deep into the crook of your neck.

After a few moments, Kaji pushed off the door - you still securely in his arms - as he slipped out of you. Releasing a quiet whine, you lifted your head off his chest to peer up at him, to find his gaze already trained on you. Ever so delicately, he set your feet on the ground but kept his hands on your hips and waist to keep you steady as you leaned back against the door. A pregnant pause passed as the two of you silently stared at each other, until you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around his neck as you simpered up at him. Then, you pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, but before you could pull away Kaji wrapped one strong arm around your back before grabbing the back of your head with his other hand.

Pressing more into the kiss, he moved his lips against yours - deepening the kiss as he slid his tongue along yours. Ripe apples, spiced musk, and the subtle hint of iron flooded your taste buds as you eagerly kissed him back, pressing your body to flush to his once more. Just as your hands started to creep lower down his chest to his abdomen, Kaji parted from the kiss with an amused chuckle.

“Your stamina is admirable, but I think we could both use a break,” he remarked pridefully, his voice and face exuded warmth as he let you go so he could remove his jacket. Tilting your head to the side curiously as he laid it out flat on the floor, and then he took a seat before grabbing your hand and pulling you down beside him. With a satisfied sigh, he leaned back until he was flat on his back and then pulled you down next to him so he could hold you close. As the smoke finally dissipated, vaporous copal, rich marigolds and velvety, herbaceous sweet-wood mingled with both of your soft breaths to fill the silence.

Laying with your head on Kaji’s chest while tucked into his side, one of his arms wrapped around your back and over your waist. It’s been about half an hour since either of you spoke, and while he seemed perfectly content with the silence, you just couldn’t shake your dream from a week prior. The one where you were in Old Furin, during the war, and Kaji had saved you from some kind of… monster. Though, he seemed to pick up on your nerves - catching a glimpse of you chewing on your bottom lip out of the corner of his eye.

“What’s up?” He inquired with an arched brow, shifting his head to the side so he could look at you directly. You stiffened under his stare as you sheepishly averted your eyes to the other side of the room. When he just continued staring at you, waiting for you to speak, finally you relented while meeting his gaze timidly again.

“Um, well,” you began slowly as a notch formed in your brow, “I was wondering about the war? More so, what happened?” You posed cautiously, and immediately regretted your words as a deep crease formed in Kaji’s brow while his face grew hard and distant. 

“I-I’m sorry! I really shouldn’t have asked…” blurting out, stumbling over yourself to apologize for crossing the line, but then Kaji just shook his head at you before sitting up with his back resting against the wall behind him. You sat up as well to be eye level with him, and he kept his arm securely looped around your waist so you were tucked flush against his side still. A pregnant pause passed before he spoke again.

“Does the town know… anything about what happened?” He finally cross-questioned, his voice carrying poorly hidden disbelief. Blinking rapidly, you give a slight nod, but then your brow creased deeply too. 

“Some, I think, um,” you murmured, completely unsure of your response or how he would take it. Though his gaze was still intense, Kaji didn’t push you and waited patiently for you to elaborate. 

So, you told him what you knew. First, you mentioned that all of this you learned from Kiyoko who showed you some older records from before the witches really took over the town. Before you could go any further with your story, Kaji suddenly asked if Kiyoko was your mom, leaving you a little taken aback. Your town was small, and everyone knew each other, so everybody knew about you and your mom.

“Um, no, she isn’t,” your voice grew small as you divulged how you came into her care. “Kiyoko told me that my mom came to town over three centuries ago, but when I was about seven, I guess, she just disappeared,” shrugging your shoulders lightly as you focused on a loose thread around his collar. “It was during a time when things were pretty scarce, Kiyoko said there was a string of bad winters that left us struggling, so since she lived by herself she was the one who took me in.” You finished your explanation with a tiny nod before meeting his gaze again. Though now his hard eyes had softened to become sympathetic.

“I’m sorry,” he offered gently, his expression bore a deeper understanding for your situation than anyone you’ve known before - other than Kiyoko. Throwing him a small smile you just shook your head lightly as you offered a quiet, ‘it’s okay’. 

After a melancholic moment, you continued your story - explaining that the town knows about the war, but not what caused it or who we were fighting. Next you brought up that everyone praises Bofurin - though not as much as you would hope - for fighting and protecting the town. Though you were sure he was already aware due to his keen sense of hearing, you also mentioned the vigil held every year in their honor. Kaji listened intently, eyes twinkling with amusement when you jovially explained how big of an event the vigil was every year. Finally, you mentioned how the records got it wrong - the last Bofurin was recorded to be Sakura Haruka - which is why the vigil is held on the anniversary of his death. Kaji cocked his head curiously before asking how you knew the records were wrong.

“Kotoha Tachibana, she’s kind of a hero to us in her own way,” you replied with a muted simper, which instantly dropped when you saw Kaji’s eyes grow misty from the mention of her name. In a cracked voice he urged you to tell him more, and though you felt a pang of jealousy stab through your heart from his reaction - you obliged his request. Slowly you elaborated that Kotoha’s efforts to record what happened during the war is why the town knows anything about them today, or where to find the items they left for future generations - informational sheets, pamphlets and diagrams of a lot of the items, and appliances from Old Furin.

“She’s actually the reason I found you,” finally you admitted the truth of how you suspected he was there. He blinked in surprise, and tilted his head, wordlessly imploring you for an explanation. “According to the records wh-when Sakura…” you trailed off, and after a beat both Kaji and you nodded sadly - already knowing what happened to him. 

“Well she was distraught, for… the rest of her life I think, and even though she celebrated during the vigil, she also insisted to her dying breath that there was still one Bofurin left,” you confessed in a subdued tone while observing his expression like a hawk. A shameful part of your heart wondered if he had ever been with Kotoha how he had just been with you.

“She was the last person I had,” he finally spoke as stray tears rolled down his cheeks. “Kotoha was a really good friend - she never let me be alone. I-I’m glad she’s such a big part of your history… she really, really deserved the recognition,” he whispered softly as he cleared his bleary vision. As his were wiped away, slippery tears collected along your lash line while stifling your sniffles.

“I’m so-sorry,” blurting out the moment Kaji’s bewildered gaze met watery eyed one, “I’m just really, really grateful for her,” explaining as you quickly tried drying your own tears in embarrassment. 

Suddenly your face was pressed into his copal scented jacket as one of his wide palms gripped the back of your head while the other rubbed your back comfortingly. Then he tenderly whispered into your hair, “me too.” 

Another several minutes passed before Kaji seemed ready to tell you what he knew. Though he tried to be matter of fact, he just didn’t have much to go on. By Kaji’s account, pandemonium just happened one day out of the blue. It was like hell opened up, and by the looks of the land outside of your little green village that was true. Suddenly, creatures that were fabled and feared were on earth and tearing humanity apart. 

Kaji still wasn’t sure of everything that happened, just that the numbers of his friends dwindled rapidly until there were just the strongest fighters left. Some members from other teams who made it into Furin fought with them as well, but not many made it to them in the first place. He did say that the deaths were more difficult as the number of fighters lessened - it just left more and more for the rest of them to do. Though you spied a hue of loneliness in his eyes the same as when you first met him while he spoke.

When he spoke about Hiragi, Umemiya, Sako, Kusumi and Enomoto - he wouldn’t speak of their deaths, and that you respected. It just seemed too hard for him to even think about. He revealed that he was the last one, and instead of killing him some kind of vampire chose to “recognize” him by turning Kaji into one as well. Though he despised his new existence, he decided that he could protect the town like that, so he did. 

First thing he did was take out the vampire who turned him, all of his followers, and then spent the following decades prowling the outskirts and keeping any wayward beasts at bay. For years and years that’s all he did, until the witches felt safe enough to come out of hiding. They warded the town against any and all threats, so Kaji receded to the school to keep watch and protect it from the edge of the barrier. 

After fighting for so long, and losing so many, he really just wanted to be alone. He expressed that he was content with watching society rebuild, even if it didn’t need him anymore. The only person who was able to catch sight of him, let alone visit him in all that time, was Kotoha. Anyone else who came to the school, he would hide away from them. Well, until you, that is.

“I’m so sorry Ren,” you whispered before leaning your face into his chest. Kaji blinked down at you in surprise before wrapping his arms tightly around you and sliding down so you both were lying flat again.

“It’s alright,” he affirmed gently as he rolled onto his side and pressed his nose into the top of your head. “Will you stay with me tonight?” He inquired, warm breath puffing into your locks.

Before you could nod or give any kind of verbal response, Kaji had already fallen asleep with you still in his crushing embrace. Smiling into his jacket, you snuggled closer before drifting off to sleep yourself - hopeful and excited of what this new development could mean for you and him. As the shadowy abyss rose up to submerge you into the subconscious, you half expected another salacious dream between you and Kaji. But as the shadows cleared, the scene revealed before you was of a ritual. 

In a grassy clearing stood a stone altar table, the sun was in its last leg of setting behind the trees. Atop the table sat a salt circle with a creamy white candle in the center. Around the top of the candle sat a dark, metallic ring that seemed to be dripping… blood down the candle. As you grew closer, you saw two vials of red liquid with a red tipped athame sat in front of them within the circle. To the edge of the table, you spied your grimoire. Drawing nearer, you peered over the leather book to see your handwriting written on the pages, but it was a spell you’ve never seen before. Scrawled across the top of the page read:

Daylight Ring

Master List (I have no rights to these characters, the works they come from. The photo / header was created by me, so please don't repost / reuse without credit. Divider is from @sweetmelodygraphics )

Tag List (lmk if you want to be added): @nymphsdomain

[pernesophe]

Currently researching spell books, looking up old timey measurements and creating my own spell page to go into the header of the next chapter in my Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader series

It's probably a little overboard, but I'm really enjoying it, so I hope y'all do too!

[pernesophe]

Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader Playlists

I curated playlists for the chapters as I've been outlining them. This is my first time doing something like this, so if it's confusing at all then I do apologize! All the songs titles that are Bold and Italic were listened to while outlining / writing. Any song titles that are just italic were added for the length of the chapter, since everyone reads at their own pace. As always, if this component takes away from your reading experience, then please do not apply!

Chapter Playlists and Links below (will be updated as the story is finished):

Chapter 1: The Witch and the Vampire

Spotify Playlist

In a Week by Hozier - Prelude Song (song story is partially based on)

Chapter Intro - Rose Divider

Son of Nyx by Hozier

Unknown / Nth by Hozier

Abstract by Hozier

Green Divider - End of Story

Between Two Lungs by Florence and the Machine

Swimming by Florence and the Machine

All This and Heaven Too by Florence and the Machine

Falling by Florence and the Machine

Chapter 2: Will They, or Won't They?

Spotify Playlist

Chapter Intro - Multi-Feather Divider

Hartebeest by Yaeklore

Neath the Grove is a Heart by Yaeklore

Harpy Hare by Yaeklore

Headson by Kazy Lambist (30sec+) - more for a palette cleanser into the next scene

Multi-Feather Divider - Sun Divider

Electric by Alina Baraz - from dream scenes, through the storm

Fantasy by Alina Baraz, Galimatias

Show Me by Alina Baraz, Galimatias

Make You Feel by Alina Baraz, Galimatias

Sun Divider - End of Chapter

Instant Need by FKJ

Lying Together by FKJ (French Kiwi Juice)

Ylang Ylang by FKJ, ((( O ))) - End of Chapter wrap up (play 2x if it ends early)

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

[pernesophe]

Not doing kinktober because I am honestly too new to know if I'm doing it right, or if there's like a vetted event that I need to be a part of to do that.

BUT

I am working on some spooky themed shorts, and what I am learning about myself is that I cannot write a one night stand to save my life!

They will fall in love, they will care for each other and against all odds they will be happy for the rest of their fictional lives, or so help me God!

[pernesophe]

Wind Breaker Master List

General Trigger Warnings are available in this post, but in depth ones are listed out on each individual post. Please look them over on the actual post before you start reading.

I would like to be clear that I have only watched the anime, and anything I know past that is through spoilers. If anything is “wrong” then I apologize - I am simply doing this for my own entertainment. Of course if you do read and enjoy my work, then thank you and I appreciate it!

🔥smut ☁️fluff 🔪angst

Sakura Haruka

Weather Contact ☁️ Halloween Inspired “Flufftober” Hybrid Halloween - Sakura Haruka (MDNI) 🔪🔥☁️

Umemiya Hajime

Voice Actor Umemiya x Roommate Reader (wip) 🔪🔥☁️

Nirei Akihiko

Best Friend Nirei Akihiko "Helps" Reader Out MDNI 🔥☁️

Suo Hayato

Sakura's Twin Sister x Suo Hayato (wip) 🔪☁️🔥

Sugishita Kyotaro

Sugishita "talks you through it" Kyotaro (wip) ☁️🔥

Ren Kaji

Kaji x Reader who likes being talked to like that MDNI characters 18+ 🔪☁️🔥 Kaji x Kiryu Little Sister MDNI (suggestive) 🔪☁️ Soft Dom Kaji x Reader (wip) 🔪🔥☁️

Choji Tomiyama

Caught in the Rain by the Shishitoren Captain MDNI 🔥☁️

Jo Togame

Arranged Marriage: "Teach Me" MDNI (This is 100% inspired by that one scene in Grey's Anatomy where Lexie keeps telling Sloane "teach me") 🔥☁️

Ren Kaji

Kaji x Timid Reader Three Part Series and One Shots 🔪☁️… 🔥(some)

Halloween Inspired Post Apocalyptic AU - Kaji Ren (MDNI) 🔪☁️🔥 Chapter 1: The Witch and the Vampire (MDNI) 🔪☁️ Chapter 2: Will They, or Won't They? (MDNI) 🔪☁️🔥 Chapter 3: Chapter 4:

Multiple Characters

Wind Breaker Boys x Touch Starved Reader Master List 🔪🔥☁️

Banners from @sweetmelodygraphics

[pernesophe]

Chapter two and a playlist post will be coming out tomorrow!! 🫶🏻

Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader

Chapter 1: The Witch and the Vampire

WC: 6490. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (links will be added as they are finished)

MDNI. TW for this post: fluff, angst, biting, blood drinking, past character deaths mentioned (Multi-part story, so TW for the whole series are fluff, angst, smut, character death(s)).

Synopsis: Set after an apocalyptic war where reader was born and raised in Furin centuries after the fall of society. Her town is the last patch of green in an otherwise barren world. Nobody knows what caused the war, just that a group of young heroes who were called "Bofurin" fought to save the town. Though records say there were no survivors, it is rumored one Bofurin managed to survive, and is still somehow alive all these years later. (This chapter is more to set the scene for the story).

Song: In a Week by Hozier

Kaji's Scent: Based on Brother Night by Apoteker Tepe

Reader's Scent: Based on Basilica by Milano

Death is defined in many ways:

1. the action or act of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.

2.the state of being dead.

3.the permanent ending of vital processes in a cell or tissue.

In this story a lot of people live, but a lot more die… and yet, with the definition of death provided and the knowledge that it occurs in the following story, it remains to be a fairly unknown concept. So, before beginning this story, I pose to you three questions:

What occurs after death?

Where does one go when they die?

Does existence persist?

“Y/N! Make sure you get more mint and rosemary while you’re out there. We’re gonna need to dry a ton for this winter - I can feel illness coming with the cold,” Kiyoko called out as you stepped through the door. With a cheerful wave and nod, you pulled the rickety wooden door of the hut shut and headed towards the edge of town.

The little town you had grown up in was a little damaged from the war, but what was left of the buildings made for a good home. It also didn’t hurt that the green overgrowth on the buildings and over the former streets were edible. Despite the barren grounds on the edge of the town, your little spot of green housed and fed the sizable community. Many elders credited the witches for coming out of hiding a few centuries prior and warding the town against the threats beyond the verdant foliage, but thanks to Kiyoko you were reminded often that your town has a different group to thank.

As you approached the abandoned building on the edge of town - rectangular with a tree sprouting out of the roof, and a high wall around the edge of the property that still had colorful drawings etched into the stone - you were reminded of the stories of Bofurin. The war had ended long before you were born, so you had no idea what caused the fall of society or why the world was how it was now. What Kiyoko did tell you was that your little community only survived because of Bofurin, a group of young men who defended the town during the height of the war. Unfortunately, none survived through the end.

Despite the lack of survivors, one woman - Kotoha Tachibana - carried on their story and the good they did. That’s why your little village still held a vigil every year on the day the last Bofurin died. A young man with locks split down the middle like the half moon, and dual toned eyes - one slate gray and the other amber. Sakura Haruka was his name, and it was rumored that Kotoha was inconsolable for months after his death. Proven by the fact that she wore black in mourning for the rest of her days. Even though it was recorded that Kotoha celebrated in the vigil as well, she also insisted that there was still one Bofurin remaining until her last breath. His name was never recorded, but it’s rumored that he still lived in the abandoned building on the edge of town.

Surveying the structure riddled with green overgrowth, you thought you caught a glimpse of a shadow pass by one of the dusty windows backlit by the setting sun. But you just chuckled and shook your head before pushing onward. Though a witch, even you had to draw a line at some myths and superstitions.

Ambling through the doorway devoid of any door, making your way up the stairs - stepping over roots as you climbed. Once on the third floor, a quiet cough drew your attention down the hall to your left. Immediately the hair on the back of your neck stood on end. This building had always been eerily silent until now.

“He-hello…?” you called out quietly. Hoping, praying, that no one responded.

A soft melodic voice, timid in nature, pricked Kaji’s ears towards the long forgotten sound of another person. Silently, he moved to the door of the classroom he’d decided to make home centuries ago. Peering out around a thick vine, he saw you. A mousy girl clad in knitted black tights, a red-orange floral patchwork tunic, and a marigold-yellow cardigan. A leather cord looped around your neck with a black stone pendant wrapped in copper wire hung low on your chest. Old, worn leather boots laced up to your ankles with gray wool socks peeking out the tops. A large, aged sack, the same worn brown as your boots, was slung over your shoulder. Notes of resinous camphor, fresh greens and incense clung to your clothes and hair. Just from your clothes and scent Kaji could tell you were a witch, and deduced you were probably coming to collect herbs from Umemiya’s garden. 

Releasing a soft sigh, the remaining Bofurin sadly smiled to himself knowing the old leader would have loved that his garden was still helping the town. Stepping back into the classroom, Kaji silently waited for you to pass on. The sun would be setting soon, and no one in town has stayed or come to visit the school at night in a long time. Not since Kotoha’s last visit. Resting the back of his head against the wall of the classroom, he sadly reminisced over his last remaining friend and just how long it had been since he’d spoken to anyone. 100 years? 150…? 200 years seemed too high, he concluded. 

“U-um,” a quiet murmur from the doorway tore Kaji from his rumination as his eyes snapped to yours. He hadn’t even heard you approaching - how could he be so careless? Silently he kicked himself before your gentle voice filled the room once more, “He-hello!”

This time you forced a bit more cheer into your tone and offered the silent stranger a smile. The man before you had medium-length blonde hair, cerulean irises, and a severe expression on his face. From the looks of the room, you could tell he’d been living here a while - alone. A bedroll was spread out in the corner with a standing lamp next to it, but other than that it seemed to be what the elders had described as a ‘classroom’. 

Even though his face was intimidating, with fists clenched by his sides, his eyes reflected a deep sorrow that tore at your heart. Eyeing his pale skin, incredibly aged clothes that you immediately recognized to be a Furin Uniform, along with the aroma of vaporous amber and rich marigolds you realized that he couldn’t be human. Not anymore at least.

“I’m Y/N,” offering softly as you took a slight step forward to not block the door, “what’s your name?” Inquiring hopefully as you tossed him another reassuring smile. The closer you drew, the more intense your scent became as creamy balsamic and crisp wood reminiscent of pencils enveloped his senses. Suddenly, he was struck with the memory of being in class with his friends just before heading out for patrol, when everyone was still… alive.

Overcome with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, Kaji moved towards you with widened eyes and fangs poking out over his lips. Taking a slight step back, your heart hammered in your chest as you shook your head lightly and extended your hand to keep him back. In an instant he was sinking his fangs into your neck while gripping your upper arms bruisingly. Hints of rich, peppery smoke drifted from his jacket and tickled your nose while all you could do was squeak and tremble in his powerful hold. 

Kaji’s mind filled with the old days in Furin - patrol, Pothos, Kusumi and Enomoto - as the thick, warm liquid flowed over his tongue, soothing his parched throat. Now closer than before, he caught a comforting aroma of pure sweet-wood and velvety leather clinging to your skin. Then, an old yet familiar flavor cascaded over his taste buds that brought tears to his eyes. Peach Chupa Chups. All at once, he released your throat before collapsing - dragging you to the floor with him - his body violently racked with sobs. 

Stunned into silence, you sat there for several minutes as he clung to you with his face buried in your neck, shaking. Ever so slowly, you pulled your arms out of his hold and looped them around his neck - one hand gripping the back of his head gently while the other rubbed his shoulder blade. Softly, you hummed an old lullaby that Kiyoko would sing to the children during the dead of winter. Kaji instantly recognized the melody that had carried through the snow covered streets to the old abandoned school many winters in a row now. Gradually he quieted until he was just clinging to you like a life preserve, his face still buried in the crook of your neck where the comforting scent of creamy peach chupa chups flooded his senses.

“Ar-are you okay?” Whispering softly as you slowly released your hold around him. Gingerly, he pulled away from your neck to look you in the eye, his expression wrought with remorse. Parting his lips to respond, but a notch swiftly formed in his brow as nothing but squeaky air came out. Blinking rapidly at his perturbed expression that slipped into one of defeat, then you tilted your head and swept your hair away from your neck.

“Here,” urging softly as you leaned closer to him, but Kaji just stared back in disbelief. “You’re parched and can’t speak…” clarifying your reasoning as you leaned even closer, but he just shook his head lightly instead. “It’s okay - I’m a witch - I know a blood replenishing spell,” assuring him as you brought your neck inches away from his face. 

Kaji looked torn as his cerulean irises flicked from the blood still staining your neck, to your trusting gaze, and then back again. At this distance, your sweet-wood incense and crisply herbaceous essence was inescapable. Swallowing thickly, Kaji gently cupped your cheek so you could rest your head in his palm as he wrapped his other arm around your waist and pulled you into his lap. Drawing his mouth to the crook of your neck as he parted his lips, then he sank his teeth into your sensitive flesh before latching on once more.

The second your blood touched his tongue, Kaji’s grip on you tightened as he groaned against your neck greedily. Flavors he hasn’t tasted in God knows how long spilled over his taste buds. Fresh rosemary and sharp thyme clung to the red liquid first, quickly followed by delicate dairy like he’d find in sweet pastries from the Cactus Bakery. Then smoked, earthy cinnamon flooded his mouth the same as the liquor he’d drank with his friends at the start of the war. Finally, that old addicting flavor of Peach Chupa Chups swirled across his wet muscle as tears pricked his eyes. Kaji could feel his cheeks warming from your blood as he clung tighter to your smaller form and grunted deliriously into your neck.

At first you felt completely okay, but then as Kaji swallowed more of your blood the room began to spin. Your head felt heavy as you leaned fully into the palm of his hand. Heat pricked at you and sweat dewed across your skin as nausea pulled uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. The edges of your vision grew dark and fuzzy before you realized he wasn’t stopping.

“Hm, um-” your slurred speech finally broke him out of his trance as he felt the light tapping of your hand against his forearm. Immediately he detached from your throat and leaned back to see your incredibly pale face and half lidded eyes, a thin sheen of sweat covered your forehead. Your labored breathing caused your chest to rise and fall shallowly while a slight shivering overtook your body.

“N-no!” Kaji emitted a terrified gasp, while repositioning your shivering form so you were cradled in his lap as your head lolled against his chest. “Hey,” murmuring desperately as he began tapping your cheek lightly with his fingertips, “don’t pass out. Please don’t pass out,” he pleaded softly as your eyelids fluttered shut and then gradually cracked open again.

“Th-the spell! Hey, you need to do the spell,” his voice grew louder with urgency as he shook you gently. The sound of your weak heartbeat thundered in his ears tauntingly while primal fear stabbed through his own.

Blinking slowly, you nodded and reached up to grab the stone pendant around your neck. To Kaji’s relief, you brought it to your lips and whispered a foreign word he had never heard before, and then the color started returning to your face as the bite wound on your neck slowly closed. 

Humming softly, you tried to sit up but your face scrunched from still feeling light headed. Kaji gingerly helped you sit up, though he bore most of your weight on his chest, and looped an arm around your back to keep you upright. Ever so gently he cupped your cheek and tilted your head so he could look at your face clearly.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” He asked quietly, cerulean irises swimming in guilt and remorse.

“Uh, mhm,” intoning just loud enough for his perceptive ears to catch it. Blinking slowly, vision slowly focused on his face as you tossed him a weak smile. “I’m okay… Wh-who are you by the way?” You inquired again, eyes flicking to the worn Furin button on the collar of his uniform. A pregnant pause passed as he seemed to be debating whether he should answer you or not.

“Kaji.” He finally responded. Instantly, your eyebrows shot up as you not so subtly waited for the rest of his name. Instead he just stared at you, stubbornly silent.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Kaji,” offering kindly and sitting up a bit more as the light headedness subsided. Despite bearing your own weight, he kept his arm securely around your back as he continued staring at you apprehensively. Tilting your head in question and peering at him, then you chirped out a cheery, “are you feeling better?”

“You taste like peach Chupa Chups,” he blurted out immediately as a notch formed in his brow at his own admission. Then his expression turned accusatory before he asked, “did you do that on purpose? Can witches do that?”

“Uh-um,” chuckling nervously as a crease formed in your brow as well. Slowly you shook your head as the mounting confusion showed clearly on your face. “N-no, we can’t… um, what are Peach Chupa Chups?” Inquiring with a curious titter as Kaji just blinked at you, completely perplexed. Silence filled the room for several tense moments - him regarding you suspiciously and you staring back obliviously - before his cracked voice broke it.

“They’re these… suckers,” his fingers twitched in your tunic at the word, but when you just looked confused he corrected himself. “Candies that I used to eat… all of the time,” he spoke slowly as tears collected along his lash line. Intaking a hissing breath, he then looked to the floor - trying to blink away his tears.

“Oh… I’m so sorry,” whispering softly as you searched for the proper words. Honestly, you couldn’t relate to having something all of the time like that, or what it would feel like to lose it. But it was evident that Kaji was deeply affected, so you gently placed your hand on his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

“Is there anything I can do?” You asked tentatively, and Kaji just looked at you with a mirthless twitch of his lips.

“Unless you can summon a millenia-old candy, then no, I don’t think so,” he said with a defeated sigh. Then he added with genuine gratitude reflecting in his eyes, “thank you though.”

“No problem,” whispering as you stared at his melancholic expression. Desperately you wanted to ask him if he was the last Bofurin, about the war, and everyone who fought to save your little town. But the look on his face told you it was better to leave it be.

Wordlessly the two of you sat like that in the darkening classroom for several minutes. You studied the fabled individual curled around you, and Kaji subtly inhaled your ambery oud-musk that enveloped him - knowing that you would be going soon. As dusk set upon the world outside, that moment finally arrived as you twitched in his arms and moved to speak. Kaji sadly met your gaze and awaited your goodbye.

“I-I have to go…” murmuring softly, your own heart breaking from his sorrowful nod. “But, um, would it be okay if I came back tomorrow?” Querying cautiously as you clasped your hands in your lap, twirling your thumbs nervously. Instantly, his whole demeanor brightened with surprise as he began bobbing his head without any hesitation.

Rising to your feet, a relieved smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you uttered a quiet goodbye and made your way to the doorway. Kaji just stared at you, a little dumbfounded, but with longing filled eyes. At the door, you turned back with a reassuring look as you promised you would be back first thing tomorrow evening. Silently, he nodded as you disappeared through the doorway, and then he listened to your quiet footsteps until you exited the building. 

The walk home was a little brisk with the coming autumn, but not cold enough to make you shiver. As you stepped over twisted roots and ducked under thick vines draped between abandoned buildings, you pondered what you could do for the lonely soul in that classroom. So deep in your rumination that when you walked through the wooden door of the hut you didn’t even hear Kiyoko speaking.

“Y/N? Did you get more mint and rosemary?” She asked again, regarding you with a worried expression from where she stood in front of the wood stove. Blinking slowly as you processed her words, and then you realized you hadn’t gone to the garden at all.

Guiltily admitting that you didn’t get them or any herbs while hanging your head, but Kiyoko didn’t chide you and simply asked what happened. She brewed a calming tea and sat on the floor with you at the short wooden table that dated back to before the war. There, over a cup of lilac-chamomile tea, you told her about your encounter with Kaji as you begged her not to tell anyone else throughout the entire tale.

At first she was too stunned to respond, but eventually agreed and urged you to tell her everything. So you told her as much as you could, even though you and Kaji hadn’t shared many words. Once finished, you made sure to convey to her that he wasn’t dangerous and seemed remorseful to have bitten you. Luckily, Kiyoko believed you so, taking a chance, you asked if she knew anything about “blood preserves”. A perplexed look crossed her face until you clarified that you meant “candies” - using the word Kaji mentioned before - hoping she’d recognize it.

Nodding slowly, she told you she might and went to find her grimoire. The room was quiet except for the flipping of pages, pausing at points to read more thoroughly, and then flipping once more. Several minutes passed like this until she stopped on a page with a tap of her finger and a triumphant aha! Returning to the table, she handed you the page with a prideful smile.

Gratefully, you thanked her and then asked if she knew of any elders who had pictures or writings from before the war. Kiyoko cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips before directing you to ask Mr. Sato, since he inherited everything from his ancestors who owned a popular store in Furin before the war. Again, you thanked her genuinely and promised that you would get the herbs tomorrow evening. You also told her that you wouldn’t be returning until the morning after and to not worry or send anyone looking for you. Apprehensive, she asked if you were sure, but you just smiled and nodded confidently in response.

After that, the conversation turned to town affairs. Mostly about the uptick in the birth rate and overall population, which was a major boon for the town, but also the fact that resources weren’t keeping up with growth. Kiyoko mentioned that the elders were becoming worried about what that would mean for future generations. Unfortunately you didn’t have any words to quell her stress, so you just gently took her hand and squeezed it. The two of you let the quiet consume the small hut before turning in for the night.

First thing the next morning you went straight to Mr. Sato and asked about anything he had from before the war. Surprised, but giddy to show anyone his memorabilia, he dragged you to the lower level of the old building he lived in to show you boxes upon boxes of magazines. After about 30 minutes of his excited babbling, he finally let you loose on the boxes and told you to let him know if you needed any help. It took you another 45 minutes of gingerly flipping through the aged pages until you came upon a printed word that you recognized. 

“Candies” was printed small in the bottom right hand corner of the page. In the center was a blown up picture of an oval, green candy on a stick. Printed at the top of the page, above the picture, were a sequence of letters that if you sounded out were similar to the word Kaji said. “Suckers.” 

The design seemed simple enough for you to replicate, so after that you sought out a few of the town’s children and asked them to help you find sticks. More importantly, ones that you could put food on, so not poisonous or toxic. Excited by the mystery of the task, they all pitched and then happily whittled their findings into long, smooth, uniform sticks. 

With all the materials gathered, you prepared to extract the final ingredient. Blood. More specifically, yours. Kiyoko was kind enough to help you collect enough to make about 30 suckers, and once they were set in their molds you not so patiently waited for them to dry. Multiple times Kiyoko shooed you out of the kitchen, and finally the hut altogether, and told you not to come back until the sun had set. As you ambled away from the hut she chided you about being so antsy that you were stressing her out.

So to pass the time and repay the kid’s hard work, you played a few games of hide and seek as well as sharks and minnows with them. As the sun began to dip behind rubbled buildings, casting long shadows from the vines over the streets, you promised to make them some treats soon while returning to the hut. Even though it was growing late in the year, you suspected there may be some late yields of berries that you could make suckers from as well. 

Kiyoko met you at the door of the hut with the suckers already wrapped up and your overnight bag in her hand. With a laugh she told you that she couldn’t let your antsiness back into the hut, lest she’d catch your stress for the rest of the night. Gratefully, you thanked her with a chuckle of your own and took both items before she shooed you off with a bright smile.

Frigid weather grew ever nearer as you approached the abandoned school. A harsh wind tore through your cardigan despite wrapping it tightly around yourself to brace against the swiftly approaching autumn. Though the mild season seemed to turn to winter quicker and quicker with each passing year. Soon you would have to break out the large Furin jacket that had been passed down to you from Kiyoko - she said it belonged to one of the Kings. Hiragi Toma.

Making your way through the doorway and up the gnarled, rooted stairs, you wondered how Kaji would feel about the town putting so many items from Bofurin to use. Halting at the top on the third floor, once again the building was eerily silent but this time you knew where to search for the fabled resident. 

Except when you stepped into the doorway of the classroom, you found it to be devoid of any sign of Kaji. The bedroll now gone, the small duffel bag strewn to the side replaced with papers shifting from a wayward breeze. Your heart wrenched as your eyes confirmed that all signs of Kaji had been swept away, though you weren’t sure why but you felt a lump forming in your throat and tears collecting along your lash line over someone you’d just met.

Hanging your head with a sorrowful sigh as you stepped backwards out of the classroom, but then a loud gasp escaped you as your back hit something incredibly hard and unmoving. Swiftly turning on your heel with raised fists to face the offending obstruction, but you were instead met with a pair of familiar cerulean irises.

“Kaji!” Crying out immediately as a wide smile spread across your face, the sound of your hammering heart echoed in his ears. He stared back in shock, mostly due to your expression that was mixed with excitement and… relief. “I thought you had left. Where’d all of your stuff go?” You asked with a worried tilt of your head, and again Kaji just blinked at your genuine concern.

“Uh,” his voice sounded a little hoarse before he cleared it with a cough behind his fist. “Winter’s coming, and the direction of the sun starts changing day by day, so I have to move a lot throughout autumn and spring to be safe.” He explained, and your gaze followed his gesture to one classroom over before coming back to his still regarding you with a mix of solace and disbelief. 

Nodding slowly as you took in all of the windows in the hallway, and the large ones in the classroom. For a moment you wondered why he wouldn’t just cover them, but as your gaze returned to his worn Furin jacket it dawned on you that it was probably familiar to him this way. Awkwardly, Kaji averted his gaze to the end of the hall with another cough behind his fist, which reminded you of the suckers. Quickly patting the pockets of your cardigan and tunic, drawing Kaji’s attention back to you with interest, and then you suddenly produced the wrapped bundle with a triumphant aha! Beaming brightly as you thrusted the wrapped package into his hands, but Kaji just stared at them for a moment before looking at you, completely perplexed.

“Open it!” You urged him with a laugh. Blinking slowly, then turned his attention back to the cloth in his hands as he slowly unwrapped it to reveal a slew of blood red candies on beige, whittled sticks. 

Suckers. 

All he could do was stare at them for a long, long moment. Then, ardently, he took one of the sticks between his thumb and index finger before bringing the candy to his lips and stuck it between his teeth. Iron was the first thing he tasted, then something freshly herbaceous, and finally creamy Peach Chupa Chup flooded his mouth. 

You observed the sucker pass his lips closely as his eyes fell shut, and then his brow creased in recognition before smoothing out completely with an expression of unbridled satisfaction. When his eyes cracked open to meet your gaze again, they were misty and filled with deep, nostalgic longing. Tentatively, you threw him a tiny smile - hoping that you did something right by him, instead of making him sadder. Instantly, he stifled a sob - trying to swallow it down - as he was reminded of all the times the townspeople offered him food and sweets with a grateful smile. 

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Exclaiming as you shifted your weight from foot to foot, having no idea how to comfort him. His face crumpled as he just shook his head at you and choked on his words. After several seconds of the hall being filled with echoing chokes and sniffles, you swallowed thickly and stepped forward. 

Kaji stilled as he felt your arms wrap around his torso and squeeze him tightly. Words were never something that came easily to you in these situations, but you had some experience with the town’s children. Whenever they would cry and couldn’t speak about it, you’d just hug them as tight as you could until they were able to speak again. So that’s what you did - hugged Kaji with all of your strength while rubbing his back comfortingly while softly humming the same tune from the day before. With each intake of breath, your lungs were filled with his essence of wood smoke, copal incense, and bitter marigolds.

Eventually the trembling from his sobs subsided and he was stuck standing in your embrace, utterly stunned. Peering down, he had to stifle a laugh at your scrunched face pressed against his chest to counter the melodic lullaby you were humming into his jacket; accentuated by you clinging onto him with all your might. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around you as well, the lullaby stopping short in your throat, as he buried his nose into the top of your head while crushing you into his chest.

“Thank you for the suckers,” susurrating into your hair as his eyelids fell shut. Several minutes passed of you remaining perfectly still while Kaji held you close, breath puffing into your hair rhythmically.

To him you smelled like any other witch that has wandered through: cedar soaked in cypriol oil, clouded in labdanum incense - reminiscent of the old candlelit rituals that would be held by the stone walls of the school. But underneath he kept catching whiffs of creamy, sweet peaches - the aroma that drew him to you and filled his mind with dreams of the old days. The aroma that kept weaving visions of you into those same dreams with a sense of comforting nostalgia he didn’t quite understand. 

Eventually, you felt your legs going to sleep from standing for so long, so you peered up at him cautiously. Kaji jumped slightly as your hair shifted against his nose, and when he cracked his eyes he was met with yours just inches away. From here he could feel the warmth of your breath fanning against his neck and jaw. Swallowing thickly, the sucker clinked against his teeth, as he gradually released you though he didn’t step away - your body heat still radiated through the gray sweatshirt to his skin underneath.

“Um,” murmuring as you shifted your weight awkwardly under his unblinking stare. “I hope it’s okay - I brought an overnight bag,” declaring as you held up the burlap sack, “to stay the night…” you quietly trailed off as Kaji’s eyes widened to an impossible degree. 

Before you could tell him that it was okay if not, or that you could even sleep in a different classroom, he nodded his head stiffly. Grinning wide, you started to ask him where you should put your stuff, but he grabbed your hand tightly and led you to the classroom he gestured at earlier. To your surprise, he didn’t let go until you were settled across from him on his bedroll, and when he finally did his eyes stayed glued to your hand for a moment before meeting your sympathetic gaze. Everything about him - from his eyes, to his expression and demeanor, to the clothes he wore and the place he resided - screamed loneliness. 

“Did you bring anything to sleep on?” He finally spoke, gaze drifting to your bag that couldn’t possibly hold a bedroll, then back to your bright red face.

“Well, um, kind of…” you laughed out sheepishly. “But I don’t really sleep on a bedroll at home - me and Kiyoko sleep on some old rugs that have lasted. So I just brought one that would fit,” explaining quickly as you opened the sac to reveal a printed mat that would maybe fit about half of your body. Kaji just stared at it incredulously for a moment before shooting you a deadpan look.

“You can take my spot,” he stated with a nod to the bedding the two of you were currently sitting on. Your mouth fell open as a hot, prickly sensation crawled over your body.

“Absolutely not! I can’t take your bed.” Arguing with a vehement shake of your head, before you continued seriously, “I sleep on the floor all the time anyway, so I’m used to it, and I just showed up without any real invitation. It would be rude of me to take it,” finishing your point with a decisive nod of your head. The corner of Kaji’s mouth twitched at your change in tone and the determined notch in your brow.

“Then we’ll share it,” Kaji conceded, despite the subtle twitch of his lips, his expression had returned to deadpan at this point. Before you could argue any further, he smoothly added, “you did show up without any real invitation. It would be rude of you not to take the sleeping arrangements offered.” 

All protests died on your tongue as you slowly closed your mouth and relented with a small nod. Though there was barely any change in his expression, you did catch a triumphant gleam in his cerulean eyes and your heart swelled at the tiny change in his affect. The two of you sat there quietly as the dusk turned dark while the classroom became shadowy. Eventually it was difficult to see Kaji at all, and when you heard a bang from the roof you jumped with a high pitched squeak.

Click, click, click. Suddenly the room was bathed in soft yellow light from a lamp in the corner where Kaji now stood. Breathing a sigh of relief, you watched as he settled on the bedding once more - your expression worried and questioning.

“Animals,” he explained after a moment - finally catching on to your silent inquiry. Instantly your eyes lit up with intrigue. It’s been years since any animals other than humans have been recorded in town. Honestly, it was assumed most died out centuries ago. “I guess you all don’t really get the chance to see them - most turned nocturnal a few hundred years after the war. Just generally safer for them I guess,” he elaborated, satiating your intrigue. 

“How big?” Leaning forward, bringing notes of sweet herbs and warm incense to his nose, as your eyes widened with excitement. Kaji smiled softly at you, relishing in the genuine human connection he’s missed for… God knows how long at this point. Then, he went on to tell you that it was mostly small animals: birds, rodents, some insects that have survived, and on occasion larger animals (mostly in the winter): deer, coyotes, the occasional bear. The latter, he explained that he’d scare them away from the paths that lead to town, but still let them eat what they needed.

You listened intently, eyebrows shooting up at the mention of bears, and your entire face lit up when he mentioned seeing a butterfly only a few summers back. Seeing Kaji being so open, you took the opportunity to ask about the old town, and he was gracious enough to share. 

He told you about how the town was kind of dangerous back in the day, because of turf wars between people, and how that led to the creation of Bofurin. You observed his face light up and eyes become distant as he regaled the times he had with his friends, even naming and telling you about some of them. Most you already knew from the records - Umemiya, Hiragi, Enomoto, Kusumi - but it was different hearing about them first hand. When he told you about how the townspeople used to depend on them, and celebrated them for protecting the town by giving them treats, you started to understand his reaction from before.

Eventually, as Kaji’s stories petered out, he finally asked what he’s been most worried about. How is the town doing now?

Throwing him a kind smile, you told him everything you could. First you told him about the elders, most of whom were designated to keep and care for the items passed down from Bofurin members. Though he looked happy about it, you still didn’t mention the piece you inherited - Hiragi Toma’s Furin jacket. Next, you mentioned how things were scarce sometimes, but for the most part you all managed, and how the population has actually been growing as of late. He seemed overjoyed by that fact, so you were careful when sharing some of Kiyoko’s fears about resources not keeping up with the new growth. 

Kaji looked perturbed over this and asked why you all couldn’t make more - assuming that the greenery was due to the witches’ magic. With a sad shrug you explained that magic couldn’t fix everything, and that the greenery was a bit of its own miracle that the witches couldn’t really take credit for. At your admission Kaji seemed confused, but also maybe a little happy that it wasn’t the witches’ doing. Though you didn’t ask him outright, after a quiet moment he shared that the original garden was Umemiya’s that was started at least half a century ago at this point. He didn’t know how or why it took over the town, but he was glad that it did because he knew Umemiya would be really happy about it still helping the town. 

“That makes me really happy too,” murmuring earnestly, which earned you a surprised glance from Kaji. “I’m really grateful to you, and the rest of Bofurin. None of us would be here if you all hadn’t fought for us,” you said genuinely with a firm nod. Kaji simpered despite his gruff demeanor before nodding as well, then the bright white moon caught his eye through the window. He hadn’t noticed how high it was in the sky until now.

“Did you sleep at all before coming here?” He asked as his gaze cut sharply to yours. Again, you sheepishly laughed and shook your head. Kaji rolled his eyes at you before moving to pull back the blanket.

“It’s already 3am - go to sleep,” he instructed, his tone slightly admonishing but lacked any true malice. Tittering softly, you crawled up the bedroll and slipped under the blanket. Kaji laid the blanket over you, and then began to settle on top of the bedding next to you.

“What are you doing?” Demanding as you sat up, untucking the blanket completely, Kaji just blinked at you before gesturing at the bed.

“Going to sleep. Like you should be doing,” he admonished you, but his cerulean irises couldn’t hide the amusement from the look of disbelief plastered on your face.

“You said we would share,” arguing petulantly which did elicit a chuckle from Kaji - he didn’t realize you had so much personality. “This isn’t sharing.” Defending your point as you tugged gently on the blanket that was over you and under Kaji for emphasis.

“Do witches not care about their virtue in this century?” Kaji posed with an arched brow. To his credit, he was able to maintain a cool facade as your face turned three shades redder while your mouth opened and closed like a guppy.

“That’s not it!” You snapped, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. Kaji stifled a titter at your reaction - it reminded him of Kotoha or Tsubaki. Then your shoulders drooped slightly as you threw him an earnest look before tentatively adding, “it’s just getting close to winter… I thought you’d be cold.”

Kaji was taken aback by your genuine nature, and was unable to hide the surprise on his face - brows raised, wide eyes, lips slightly parted from speechlessness. Quietly he relented with a curt nod as he climbed under the blanket, immediately you tucked yourself into his side, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face into his chest. Kaji laid there for a moment before hesitantly wrapping his arms around you as well, pulling you into his embrace. 

Notes of piney-amber incense and earth-smoked musk enveloped your dreams as sleep swiftly claimed you. Kaji laid there silently as your breathing slowed within a few minutes, hot breath puffing into his sweatshirt and warming his chest. That crisp, pencil-like wood scent, accompanied by sweet cinnamon clung to you and filled the space with your soft exhalations. An indescribable amount of time had passed since the last time he had felt such warmth, and even though it had been comfortingly shared between friends, it had also been short lived. But this was different - it felt inexhaustible and safe. 

When Kaji finally drifted off to sleep, his dreams were set in old Furin - patrolling with his friends, but oddly enough he kept catching glimpses of you. Never directly, just a swish of your tunic as you turned a corner, or a flick of your hair through the window of Pothos but when he looked you were gone. Near the end he was certain you were there, somewhere in town, as he desperately trailed after your scent through the streets and down alleyways. He woke before he could find you in his dreams, but his body sagged with relief the moment he found you still sleeping soundly in his arms.

Master List (I have no rights to these characters, the works they come from, or the art/screenshots/manga panels used in this post. Screenshots taken from pinterest or google, so if you know the creator please lmk! Divider is from @sweetmelodygraphics )

Tag List: None so far, but lmk if you would like to be added for this series or my other Wind Breaker Works!

[pernesophe]

I’ve been working on the spell page for like a day and half and it’s finally finished! I also crashed pretty hard the past few days, so this chapter is a little behind - sorry!!

I researched open practices only (mostly originating from the Appalachian region of the US), and then took several components to make my own thing. If I made a mistake at any point and took something from a closed practice, please let me know so I can remove that.

While my story is fictional I realize the practices I’m using as inspiration are not, and I do not intend to offend anyone. So if I have in any way, please let me know so I can try to rectify that.

Now the main reason for this post - I’m too excited not to share the photo, and there isn’t much that spoils what happens in the chapter. If you would like to be surprised, then just know below the cut is one of the photos that I’m considering using in the header for chapter 2.

Currently researching spell books, looking up old timey measurements and creating my own spell page to go into the header of the next chapter in my Post Apocalyptic AU Kaji x Reader series

It's probably a little overboard, but I'm really enjoying it, so I hope y'all do too!

[pernesophe]

Thank you to whoever voted!! I’m gonna try to have Kaji’s fic out by Monday. Also it’s angsty and sad, but has a happy ending so I hope that’s okay!

Not doing kinktober because I am honestly too new to know if I'm doing it right, or if there's like a vetted event that I need to be a part of to do that.

BUT

I am working on some spooky themed shorts, and what I am learning about myself is that I cannot write a one night stand to save my life!

They will fall in love, they will care for each other and against all odds they will be happy for the rest of their fictional lives, or so help me God!