Icy Flames- Rengoku Kyojuro-Demon Slayer/ Kimetsu no Yaiba

25

I should have been making my way back to Hokkaido by now given my mission was at Mt. Yotei

But here I was, still near headquarters sitting beside Tengen while sipping oyuwari- the drink of the winter. This was my favorite drink with sweet potato shochu...when the proof is brought down and the water brought out some of the flavors, and slows down your drinking just a tad-astringent but not neutral.

Astringent...the taste of slight bitterness or acidic substance...bitterness...is that what I felt when Rengoku confessed his feelings to Mitsuri.

I quickly shook my head to and fro to get those moments out of my head but. I took the clay cup up to my lips and sipped it. The liquid burned as it slid down my throat, and I grimaced, my amber eyes vividly bright. I set the glass back down on the counter.

"I didn't think I would see the day you have a crush."

I turned my attention towards his wine-colored eyes that forced you to detour from your journey for a day.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about." I stuttered while chugging the rest of my drink. The embarrassment made heat creep up to my cheeks.

"You do know what I am talking about," he said, "When you look at Kyojuro, you can't help but feel warm inside and tingling sensations in your stomach."

My eyes were shocked at how he was able to pinpoint how I felt. It was truly thought, every time I did look at him...my heart would pound and my thoughts would be racing. It felt as if my heart was stuck in my throat.

"Then you felt as if your world came crashing down when you saw him with Mitsuri..." Uzui explained, "It is something we aren't immune to regardless of our training...you see Y/N they are called feelings."

This realization hit me hard the other day as I struggled to handle the return of some unfamiliar feelings – emotions.

But this defied what I learned...I was told that emotions are physical states while feelings are mental associations and reactions to emotions. What my thoughts on Rengoku the effect bringing about these feelings...but these seemed to be deeper than what I assumed.

"Without our superiors, you are allowed to experience them."

"I don't want to experience this..." I muttered looking down at the substance in my cup begrudgingly staring at the cup in my hand, "I want to repress it... it brings about unwelcomed feelings that I do not like. So, tell me how I can push it down, bury it, pretend it isn't there?"

"Unflamboyant."

I only narrowed my eyes towards him and tsked when he let out a theatrical chuckle. Was this entertaining for him?

"H-Hey isn't that the new Hashira?!"

"Wait isn't she Kuraokami!"

"They weren't lying when they say she was a beauty!" some men chuckled.

"Her skin looks lovely--bet you it is smoother than alabaster."

I shifted my eyes from Uzui to the side to see some men were looking towards me with their poorly concealed lust eyes. One of them looked at my bared thighs up and down while licking his lips.

"Disgusting..." I thought to myself.

The man soon set down his glass of wine and smirked, staring into my eyes for a while. I only glowered at him until I felt a very large muscular arm wrapped around your waist pulling you close to the person as his hand rested on my hip. I glanced up to see Uzui glancing down at me causing me to quirk an eyebrow at his action. Was he drunk that he thought I was one of his wives?!

"Play along...we are Hashiras not demons," Uzui muttered.

"I don't discriminate,"

He only brought his hand around to settle under my chin, "Play along."

"What the hell-"

"You really are beautiful, Kuraokami-sama."

I turned my head towards the voice to see it was that man. A man with slicked-back hair greeted me. I slightly scooted away and awkwardly smiled at him not to be rude but to press myself closer to Tengen. Our bodies pressed together, basically asphyxiating him with my scent.

"I would like to buy you one drink," He said and flashed me a flirty smile and a meaningful wink, making me want to puke.

"Oi...you mind not flirting with my wife in front of me!" Tengen said dismissively at the man as the man's face turn into a scowl and soon looked up at him.

"W-Wife!!"

"What! Stop lying! Kuraokami-sama isn't married!" The guy shouted towards Tengen.

"You dare question a god?" Tengen growled pulling me even tighter into his grasp.

"I-I don't believe this guy!" I thought with sheer panic on my face, "They are both creepy! But I guess I will have to simmer this down since Tengen said I can't kill him."

I placed my hand on Tengen's muscular pec and looked up at him with warm eyes, "Tengen-sama, let's go...there's no time to fool around."

His red eyes gleamed watching me pretend to act submissive.

"Kuraokami-sama...if I may-"

"Tengen sama-let's go home..." I whined with a faint blush on my face while playfully biting the side of my lip in a teasing way causing Tengen to quirk a brow, "I'm b-burning up."

The only burning up I was feeling was from drinking the hot water in the drink that aided in releasing the flavors in the spirit, adding intensity to the drink, and the result is a deliciously warm libation.

Setting down his sake, he took my chin in his thumb and forefinger, turning my head to one side, and smirked, "What my wife wants she gets."

And it was that day I was unknown in this town and this town alone as Tengen, Uzui's fourth wife...this was going to make things a bit difficult from now on.