Pretty Flame (Rengoku Kyojuro x Reader oneshot(s))

Domestic Flame

Kyojuro hardly admits aloud to this fantasy of his, but he occasionally dreams of having a love like his parents shared with each other.

When he was younger, it was obvious that they were perfect for each other. His father was a strong, providing husband to his beautiful mother who was a traditional stay-at-home wife. His father was a working man fighting on the frontlines against demons, while his mother stayed home taking care of himself and his little brother.

Although, on the outside, it seemed that his father was the "man of the house" who ran the inner workings of the house's dynamics and rules. But in truth, it was his mother. She was an even stronger woman than his father was a strong man. She instilled into the family's hearts how to behave and how to conduct their own lifestyles.

It was her who sent his father out to the frontlines with his head held high and proud to protect.

In his father's absence, he listened to his mother tell stories about her love for her husband, a dreamy look in her stern eyes. She cared for the house in her husband's absence, and awaited for the day her husband returned to her embrace.

And that was what he yearned for most. To have that same moment he witnessed in his youth. He wanted a love that transcended time and beat strongly even in times of absence. He wanted to feel what his parents felt when they reunited after days apart. He wanted to feel how much love burned in their hearts as they embraced tightly, holding each other in a hug so full of warmth and love.

In the present, returning home to that type of love was nearly only a dream.

His relationship with you was not like his mother's and father's domestic lifestyle. And although it wasn't what he grew up to envision as his future, he had no problems with it.

He knew he would return home to an empty house as you worked hard at your family's restaurant. He knew you aren't a stay-at-home wife like his mother or like the other neighboring households. You are a working woman, a strong woman who carried your family's business upon your shoulders with your head held high and the brightest smile.

And instead of coming home to you, he would drop off his travel bag at the house and rush to your family's restaurant. He would greet your father and mother with his booming voice, unable to contain his excitement at seeing you after all that time apart. You would stop everything to quickly greet him with a kiss and return to work. And he would gladly tie on an apron and help you.

So when he came home after a successful mission, he was more than surprised to see your shoes at the front door and your slippers missing. His heart beat with a new excitement as he tries not to fall while taking off his shoes and forgetting his slippers. He could feel his breath catch in his throat as he ran through the house, following the sound of you in the kitchen.

Your back was to him when he slammed his shoulder into the kitchen. You wore an apron and your hair tied back into a bun that had unraveled in the midst of your work. Your sleeves were tied back, serving a glimpse from behind of your working arms.

You cut calmly into several vegetables, pushing piles into a woven tray set beside your cutting board. It reminded him of the days you were in the kitchen at your family's restaurant, covering for your father. You once taught him the recipe of your father's famous dish, lightly clasping your hands over his to puppet the perfect cuts for the ingredients.

But at this moment, his heart soared at the thought of finally getting the one moment he yearned for in love. A bond strong enough to withstand the distance, a love to always return to.

He swallowed nervously.

Forgetting to greet you out loud, he absentmindedly hugs you from behind. His calloused hands reach around your torso, one hand raising to clutch your shoulder and the other your hip. He buried his face into the crook of your shoulder, inhaling your scent that faded from his memories the longer you were apart. He hugged you tightly, despite his beating heart that he swears would erupt from his chest.