Tale of the Flower Hashira

5. Lingering Promise

"Hello!"

You jumped at the voice and opened your eyes. The flame hashira stood over you holding out his hand to help you up. You had been resting underneath a tree at the Master's estate, waiting for the meeting of hashira to begin. The news of a young demon slayer and his demon sister had stirred up a lot of drama.

"The master will be here soon. Are you planning on coming or will you just sit in the dirt the whole time?" Kyojiro smiled widely, still holding out his hand.

You took it gingerly and got to your feet. "I happen to like the dirt."

This made him laugh loudly and you followed him to the masters house where the other hashira were already gathering. You hesitated behind Kyojiro, unsure if you should stand next to him in line or not. Before you could decide, he reached out and tugged on your sleeve, pulling you gently to stand between him and Muchiro Tokito.

____

The meeting became absolutely maddening. The poor Kamado boy who was already beaten to a pulp was forced to the ground while his demon sister was being stabbed through her box by your own elder brother. Sanemi dragged her box into the shade of the master's porch and kicked the box open to reveal the tiny demon girl.

"Brother, don't do this." you said calmly.

Sanemi whipped his head towards you. "She's a demon y/n! All demons are the same, there is only one thing they want." He slashed a cut across his arm and held the dripping wound out, taunting the girl.

"SANEMI!" You shouted harshly. "STOP THIS!"

Every hashira turned to you in shock. never even once had you raised your voice above a quiet monotone. The master only smiled slightly at your outburst. With a quick stride, you leaped up onto the shaded porch of the master's house. You bowed quickly to Kayaga.

"Forgive me, master." You said in your usual quiet tone before stalking over to your elder brother. A swift uppercut to the jaw sent him flying back against the wall. "I AGREE SHE SHOULD BE TESTED BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH. Stop thinking with your sword, oniichan, and consider the fact that she might be useful to us."

"DAMN, she's flashier than I thought. I like this new one!" Tengen Uzui grinned wildly at the new developments.

You suddenly felt self conscious and felt the need to return to your spot. But before you left, you looked down at the small demon who was huffing angrily in her box. You nodded to her, bowed to the master again, and took your place at Kyojiro's side. Sanemi gave you a quick glare before returning to his own spot.

_____

The rest of the meeting was a blur and you kept your head down for the rest of it. All the while, being very conscious of Kyojiro stealing glances at you throughout the meeting.

You expected to be reprimanded for your behavior, but no word of it came from the master. The Hashira all broke ranks and headed in different directions, off to their separate estates. You immediately left in the direction of the home you shared with your brothers, knowing you'd probably end up in a shouting match with Sanemi once you walked in the door.

"Will you come join me for dinner?"

You nearly jumped out of your skin for the second time that day.

"Only if you want to of course." Kyojiro added.

You looked up at the flame haired man, his smiling red eyes piercing you. "I want to."

_____

Rain began to patter on the roof as you entered the little restaurant. It only had a few customers, so you and Kyojiro found a quiet spot in the corner of the cozy building. You ordered one of your favorite dishes while the flame hashira proceeded to order everything on the menu. Kyojiro ate every bite while yelling "TASTY!" at the top of his lungs. When he finished, he looked at you, deadly serious.

"I was never one to hide my feelings, so I've decided to tell you without any delay." He shoved the last bit of chicken into his mouth before continuing. You waited tensely, unsure of what he was going to say. He swallowed and then looked you directly in your remaining eye, his own fiery ones nearly glowing with anticipation. "I quite like you, y/n. I'd like to start building a relationship with you. I wanted to make my intentions clear from the start. Plus Tengen was saying some nonsense about having you be his fourth wife, which would really annoy me. But he can't try anything if I'm already with you."

You sat there, mouth parted in surprise, unable to say a single sensible word.

"If you need time to think about it then I shall wait for your answer, no matter how long it takes."

____

"Y/n, you promised me."

____

"Y/n?" Kyojiro asked.

"Can I think about it?" You tripped over your words as you got to your feet.

"Of course." He followed your example and went to pay for the meal.

You rushed to the door and walked out into the gray evening. Rain began pouring down in heavy sheets. Your hair and clothes were already getting soaked. Suddenly you felt something drape over your head.

"I'll walk you home." Kyojiro said, holding his flame patterned haori over your head.

You stood there, dumbfounded, looking up at the flame hashira who was protecting you from a little rainfall.

"Well? Are we going?"

"Alright..."

You walked beside each other, not making any real conversation. His hand brushed against yours. It was such a beautiful hand, calloused and strong from years of wielding a sword. Yet it was so gentle all the same. Your hand brushed up against it again and you slipped your hand into his. His hands were so warm, like there was really a fire burning inside him.

He gave you a questioning look, but laced his fingers with yours. "Is this a yes?"

You walked a bit farther, letting the question stand. You were already in view of the estate that you and your brothers shared. His thumb traced the back of your hand.

____

"Y/n, you promised... You'd stay here forever with me."

____

"Y-yes."

He stopped in his tracks, pulling you to a halt with him. The rain continued to soak the haori that was draped over you.

"Do you feel the same?" He asked, much quieter than usual. He pushed a wet lock of hair out of your face. "Because I like you very much."

You tried to meet his piercing red eyes but could barely hold eye contact for more than a second. Heart beating furiously all the while, you heard the words tumble out of your mouth before you realized you had even said them. "I like you, Kyojiro."

"May I?" He cupped your scarred cheek in one hand and wiped a droplet of rain from your face.

You nodded, unable to say any real word of assent. Kyojiro leaned in slowly and kissed you. All you could sense was how warm and soft it felt, surrounded by the cold rain. He drew back, a smile coming to his lips.

"Y/n, come inside, now." Sanemi snapped.

You instantly staggered back and away from Kyojiro and saw your brother several yards away at the gate to your home. He fixed Kyojiro with a glare, it was obvious he wasn't angry, but an unusual wareyness had overcome him. Sanemi jerked his head to the side, motioning for you to get back to the house. Quickly, you handed Kyojiro his haori and rushed into the estate, sparing one last blushing glance towards your flame hashira. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello, tis I, the author of this tale. I hope you're enjoying it so far. As I have stated in the description of this fic, this is gonna be Kyojiro x y/n, Tengen x Y/n, and Douma x y/n. It will be complicated.

I'd love to know what you readers are thinking so far, so feel free to comment and such.