His Little Flame - Kyojuro Rengoku x Reader

Recovery

You watched as your friend, Kyojuro Rengoku, entered the dining area. You smiled warmly at him, glad to see he would be joining you. You swallowed, realizing that he was only in a kimono, and one that showed off more of his chest and legs than you had ever seen before. That made the breath catch in your throat, and you quickly averted your eyes, trying to hide your blush. 

"Hello, Y/N!" Kyojuro said, stopping in the doorway. He gave you a bright smile - you could tell it in his voice. That damned smile. 

"H-Hi Kyojuro!" You force yourself to look at him as he entered and sat across the table from you. You hoped the blush on your cheeks was gone. You offer him a small wave. 

"How goes your recovery?" He inquires, gesturing to the new scars that littered your forehead and cheeks. You had almost forgot entirely about your injuries the moment he walked in the room. 

You had been 'admitted' to the Butterfly Estate immediately following your last demon encounter. The girl you were attempting to save was screaming so loud you couldn't hear the demon approach until it had managed to land a couple devastating attacks. Thankfully, you were nearing the end of your treatment. While it was a great place to spend time and the people were wonderful, the three months you had been cooped up in the estate had begun to suffocate you, and you looked forward to experiencing the outside world again. 

You smile, reaching up to run your fingers over the fresh scars. "Oh!" You exclaim, remembering their existence. You blush, realizing this was the first time he had seen you with them. You very glad he didn't seem fazed in the slightest at them. "Almost over," you chuckle, happy. You look at the far wall behind him, almost longingly. "I can't wait to be out of the estate again." You sigh. 

Kyojuro nodded, his trademark smile never leaving his face. Instead, he let out a short laugh. "I'm sure. You must have been in here for quite some time. I haven't seen you for at least a few months. How much of that time have you spent here?" He asked. Before giving you a chance to respond, his face seemed to darken and he suddenly asked a much, much more serious question. 

Dropping his voice lower and quieter, he dipped his head. "The bastard demon that did that to you is dead, correct?" He asked, never breaking eye contact. It seems as if his eyes burned with anticipation for your answer. 

You wasted no time in responding. "Yes, the demon is dead." You answer quickly. You laugh lightheartedly, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm not that bad at demon slaying!" You smile warmly. "T-thank you. I've been here for a little over three months by this point. And it's . .  ." You pause. "It's very nice to see you, Kyojuro." You say, blushing lightly when you realized how that might come across. 

You watched as his expression brightened to his signature smile, but his cheeks flushed. You were internally kicking your ass. You had done so well over the years, hiding your steadily worsening feelings for him. You couldn't just bare everything at this point. Not after how important your friendship was to you.  

"It's great to see you too, Y/N!" He laughs heartily. "I'm happy to be able to have dinner with you. I was hoping to get there eventually," he winks, and you suddenly feel like someone lit a campfire on each of your cheeks. 

Your mouth drops open slightly. "What?" Your brain was short-circuiting - you couldn't think of anything else to say. 

His opens too, but he doesn't say anything. It's like he said the last part without thinking. His mouth opens and closes several times before, thankfully, the food was being carried in. Kyojuro enthusiastically thanked the workers, and fell awkwardly silent as soon as the door closed behind them. 

You stared at Kyojuro, waiting for an answer. He simply stared at the table for what felt like hours. Finally, you realized that, maybe he just didn't hear you? 

"K-kyojuro?" You ask. "W-what-" 

"I have been meaning to ask you on a date for years," he says quickly, his eyes trained solely on yours now. He visibly swallows. "I . . . I apologize for not doing so sooner . .  . or properly." He adds. 

You continue to stare, then remember to close your mouth. You blink several times before you realize it was your turn to speak. 

His eyes raise to yours, and you immediately look to the table. "Do you mean . . ." you bite your lip, hoping you weren't going too far. "Like a date?" 

You raise your eyes back to his, meeting his fiery gaze. You attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy, reaching to grab the cup that had been placed in front of you by the workers. 

"Yes," Kyojuro responds quietly. You nearly choke on the water you were sipping. "I have wanted to ask you on a date for a while." He smiles sadly. "I . . I never wanted to lose what we have," he gestured to the both of you. "I wanted to be more, but if that wasn't an option I was content with just friends." 

You take a second to digest what he said. "I felt the same," you admit, smiling ear-to-ear. His entire face perked up. 

"Really?!" He exclaimed, sitting up straighter and grabbing the water in front of him. 

You nod as he sips the water. "I was too afraid to say anything." You chuckle. "Glad you did." 

His cheeks tinge red. "Yeah," he chuckles as well. "It certainly wasn't intentional, but I'm glad my mistake resulted in . . ." He stopped for a beat, then cocked his head to the side. "Would you be my girlfriend?" He asked suddenly (and awkwardly), taking you by surprise. 

"So forward," you roll your eyes playfully. "Yes, I would love that." You admit. 

He stretches out his hand across the table, and you slowly move yours to rest in his. You stared into his eyes. Suddenly, he laughs, throwing his head back lightly. 

"I can't believe it took me three years to gather the courage to ask you that!" He laughs, then smiles warmly. He puts his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand and looking at you. 

You laugh alongside him, allowing yourself to relax. He was still your best friend, after all. You smirk. "I know, right!" You wink. "Imagine being that much of a pussy," you laugh wholeheartedly. 

Kyojuro's face turns to shock for a brief second - he was never one for cursing - then to laughing as well. The two of you sat and ate, sharing fond memories, joking and laughing for the rest of the night. You realized later that it was the best dinner you had ever had.