riptide | kyojuro rengoku

III | stranger

YOU BRACED YOURSELF, "N-No, I'm not." The stranger's warm fingers inched towards your face and you flinched back, lifting your fruit knife in defense. You had no idea what this man was capable of and you were too scared to ask. For three years, you hadn't interacted with a single soul, and all of a sudden, someone had shown up at your doorstep.

How he had even gotten here was a feat in itself considering the house was practically glued to the cliffside. You could hear the stranger tentatively take a step forward before deciding to take a step back. "Sorry, I-I'm just desperate. I'm searching for my brother and. . . I know he's still alive somewhere. We lost him one of the ship expeditions back here."

You swallowed harshly, "And you came here hoping that your old Ocean Seer was here?" You took another step back, but the stranger didn't seem to move an inch. You paused, still holding the fruit knife pathetically in front of you in some effort of self-defense. "Kagaya," He chuckled softly. "We knew his name."

"And you still ostracized him."

"It's written in our history, yes. I was little when it happened though, so I don't remember very much. Sorry," His voice seemingly took on a much more cheery tone as he took a step forward. There was a gust of warm air following his motion and you hesitantly stepped toward him. "I'm Rengoku Kyojuro."

There was something welcoming about his presence, briefly reminding you of the warmth that Amane and the previous crewmates had given you. "L/n Y/n," You mumbled under your breath, raising your hand and flinching when his calloused fingers met yours. You could feel him staring at you as if trying to confirm what you were.

"What happened to Kagaya?"

"I'm not telling you."

Kyojuro licked his lips thoughtfully, lifting his hand that held yours to his face. Your breath hitched at his gesture, your heart speeding up ever so slightly. You ran your fingers across his face, giggling like a child when you felt his thick eyebrows and long lashes. Inching your hand down to his chin, you could feel the remnants of his smile too.

Kyojuro looked down at you, "I won't tell the village about you before you get too scared. I just want to find my brother; I promise when we do, I'll return you here and I won't say a word." You still held the fruit knife by your side, feeling as he let go of your hand slowly, allowing you to retract it to your torso.

You felt for the man's sleeve, pulling him inside gently before closing the door, using your free hand to trace the table's rim until you felt the edge of your bed. Kyojuro opted to sit on the pillow on the other side of the table, his eyes flitting to you awkwardly. "How did you lose your brother in the middle of a ship expedition?"

"The storm," You could hear Kyojuro sharply inhale and he chuckled lowly, his clothes shuffling as he curled into himself. "I should've kept a better eye on him." Your heart twisted in your chest from his words and you swallowed, knowing the feeling all too well. Tears pooled in your eyes and you quickly raised your hands to your face, wiping them away.

Kyojuro's eyes flitted to your hands, "Don't cry!" There was a cheery tone in his voice and you laughed softly. You didn't have to look at him to know that there was a big grin on his face. That's the energy he exuded; he seemed to be optimistic and supportive, childishly sweet and friendly to all of his friends.

You sniffled, smiling softly. "Sorry. Just reminded me of some things, that's all." Kyojuro didn't push but he obviously seemed curious, the shuffling sound of him leaning forward ringing out. However, you weren't going to give him the satisfaction, rising to your feet. "So, you promise you'll return me here once we find your brother?"

There was silence at first before he laughed and reassured you. "I nodded at first," He joked at his own mistake, his attention darting to the fruit on the table briefly. You stepped forward, your hand reaching for his. The Rengoku followed your hands, letting you trace up to his shoulder, his neck, and finally his face.

Your fingers settled on a pulse against his temple, "You promise? Do you even have a boat?"

You could feel his face twitch, your hand tracing down to his lips as they shaped a smile. It felt sincere and judging from the way his own hand pulled against yours gently, he cared for you. Rengoku Kyojuro was a genuine person. "I promise. Everything's all set up and we're leaving on the shore; I'll carry you there myself."

You paused, brows furrowing. "Why in the world would you have to carry me?"

Your hand dropped from his and his figure shifted as he tilted his head at you. Still, though, he couldn't blame you for being clueless. "The sand there is burning hot; it's the land of the Fire God after all! Normal village citizens can't go there since they can't bear the heat. I'm the Fire God's Pillar this generation, so I can just fine."

You pursed your lips, unsure if you should mention how you had hardly been bothered by the heat. Nonetheless, Amane and Kagaya had been able to get to you with ease all those years ago. How was that possible? You didn't bother keeping his words in your mind, nodding silently at him. "Alright, let me just. . . pack my things."

You scurried away from him and he smiled at your retreating figure, watching as you attempted to maneuver through your small house in search of your belongings. Kyojuro sighed, peering outside the window before sneakily stealing a mango, pressing his finger against the softness of it.

"Senjuro," He heaved a sigh, unaware that you were hearing his words clear as day as your heart twisted in your chest once more. "You'll be safe, I swear."