𝖍𝖝𝖍 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘

Reader tells Nobunaga that he's pretty with his hair down

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author: LazyPerfectionist (on ao3)

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Poring over the bubbling pot of chicken soup you were making, you contemplated the merits of egg noodles versus angel hair as your pasta of choice. You finally decided on the egg noodles, then tasted the soup for flavor. In just a few minutes, your adorable, needy boyfriend would be treated to the magic of your life-saving home remedy.

You heard a loud sneeze from the other room followed by a miserable groan.

"Nobu~, I'm almost done!" You called out. His groan got louder and you smiled.

Despite the fact that he usually volleyed between a calm demeanor and hotheadedness, he had been relatively soft and needy in the past couple of days owing to the common cold. What had started with a scratchy throat and a mild headache had turned into high fever, a relentless cough, sneezes and an endless need for tissues, which you provided him with affection. Now he lay sprawled on your couch, moaning and groaning like it were the end of the world.

"What if I'm dying, ____? Have you considered that?!"

You rolled your eyes, calling back out at him as you stirred. "Your fever has already gotten better!" The last time you checked was six hours ago, and he had been defervescing to your joy. Now all he needed was tender love and care, which you were all too happy to provide.

Despite Nobunaga's harsh and crabby exterior, you had gotten to see the soft parts of him; the way he always remembered your favorite shows, and never came to see you without your favorite snack of a nice gift, and knew exactly when to give you a hug. You also knew he'd fight anyone who hurt you, or worse, and sometimes had to edit some of your workplace vents just because you knew he'd go overboard if he thought you were too upset.

The noodles had finally softened to your liking and you scooped out a heaping bowl of soup for him, carrying it out to the living room where he continued to cough and sneeze. Having felt too under the weather, he had skimped a little bit on the self-care today, and his long, straight hair hung over his unshaven face, shielding him from the cruel, cruel world.

"I can cut down a thousand men and this is what will defeat me... pathetic," he sighed dramatically. You set down the tray on the coffee table then poked him on the shoulder.

"Stop being dramatic, you big baby," you teased, squatting before him so that you were at eye level. "But also sit up so you can have some of my Life-Saving Elixir, okay?"

He gave you a dreary look and you gave him another playful shove.

"I'm serious!" You insisted. "This concoction has never failed anyone in my family my entire life."

"That's a total of 3 people," he remarked, but sat up, placing his hands on his knees as he did so.

"Do you want me to feed you, little Nobu-bu?" You teased, puffing out your cheeks as you pinched his already red nose.

He gave you an awful scowl, but you could tell the answer was yes. He was scary to everyone else, but with you, he did want to retain a warm exterior, even if it meant that sometimes you treated him like a baby at times like this. This was the side of him he wouldn't let any of his found family know about, keeping it between you two. He liked the fact that he could be soft with you and that you didn't reproach him for his dealings outside of these four walls. Coming to you from time to time was respite from the violence and hardship of his usual life, something sacred.

You fed him the first two spoonfuls, then possibly embarrassed, he decided to pull the tray on his lap, and took the spoon from your hand to eat with gusto. You smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, adjusting the hair in his face so that it was tucked behind his ear, then continued to tease your fingers through his hair.

"Hey Nobu~"

He chewed and swallowed before responding, "Yeah?"

"You look so pretty like this, like an angry little flower. Will you keep your hair down more often for me?"

He scoffed and looked away, but you could still see a faint blush form on his cheeks.

"Only once in a while."