Beautiful!!!

Beautiful!!!

If we reincarnate as human beings in a world without demons, then I will definitely tell you that I love you

Taking Care of Haganezuka's Injuries - headcanons

Requested by: @zero-sugar-null

Being a swordsmith's wife is a little difficult, but being Haganezuka's s/o is a whole different story.

He not only gets angry easily but also gets hurt just as easily and of course you are the one to take care of him.

‌Any kind of bruises or cuts annoy him even more than anything else. 

Not because they hurt.... Because they interrupt his work!

"God dammit!" Loud, angry voice fill the forge as a not yet finished sword is thrown across the room. "It's not perfect. I will have to start from the beginning," Haganezuka mutters and suddenly stops at the uncomfortable feeling in his palms. After taking one look at his hands, he can tell what was wrong. He didn't even notice the cuts at first, but they indeed were there. 

So it was time to see you.

‌He is snappy when someone else is offering help.

True. Most smiths hate his guts but still he is one of them, so offering help is something normal, but Hotaru truly hates it!

"Hanganezuka? Maybe you need help?" Someone asks.

"NO! Leave me alone!” He growls in return.

Who the hell they think they are to suddenly offer him help?! Are they looking down on him? That's some kind of joke.

He doesn't need it... Not from them at least. After all he has you.

Any other attempt of helping him ends with an argument. In the end, other smiths stop even trying. 

You are the first and only person he comes to.

At this point, you are pretty used to your husband returning home with his hands hurt in one way or another. Yet it still somehow gets you off guard when in the middle of the day the door suddenly bursts open, and you see a big man in a weird mask while you simply try to enjoy your tea and a day off!

Him showing up isn’t unusual, but after years with him, you know what it means. You put away your nice, hot tea and get up to get the stuff.

‌He doesn't wince or whine. 

Hotaru is just watching you, maybe frowning once in a while, but you don’t really know because of the mask. He doesn't like how it feels when you take care of his injuries, the burning sensation isn’t his favorite, but your touch is great compensation for the moments of pain. 

It soothes the discomfort and immediately makes him feel much better.

Hotaru ALWAYS thanks you.

Each and every time you do this for him, no matter how many times and for how many years. It's a really simple, polite gesture, but it's important for him. 

He is fully aware he isn't the best pick for a husband, yet you picked him for some reason, so it would be only fair to show you how grateful he is.

"Thank you," he says after raising his mask to place a kiss on your forehead and then cheek. 

Hotaru often thanks God for the mask, because your sweet reaction makes even this angry man blush. 

‌Sometimes you scold him.

You understand his craft is important to him, but some days he takes it too far. Getting his hands all cut and bloody, you can't pat him on the head for that!

"How can you do this to yourself? Love, I admire your work and dedication, but you can't keep it up."

He scoffs at your words. "Someone has to make sure you slayers won't fight with bare hands."

"I know that and thank you for this but working so hard is stupid."

“HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!” Hotaru quickly gets defensive.

Scolding sometimes turns into heated arguments between the two of you... Ups...

LET'S REVERSE STUFF A LITTLE

You are a demon slayer, so you make sure the village as well as smiths in it are safe. What means: going against demons, what means: sometimes you get hurt.

‌ Information of you getting hurt is one of few things that pull him away from work.

Yes, he is always deep in his work, but the simple mention of you getting hurt makes him drop everything. He needs to know how bad it is? Are you alive? 

So he drops whatever he is doing (even if it means starting from the beginning again) and goes to see you.

‌If it's possible, he helps you himself. 

Haganezuka isn't a master of taking care of others. It's hard for him, but he watched you work so many times, so he follows exactly those patterns. 

He cleans your wounds and wraps them carefully, just like you do with him. 

Also get ready for a kiss on every wound you have, after all kisses make it all better, right?

‌If it's not possible, he entrusts you to a person who knows what to do.

But this process is full of yelling and threats. 

"You better take good care of her! Or I will deal with you myself! She is my wife, remember that!” 

Sometimes even other smiths must hold him in place for the safety of others.

‌He scolds you as well.

That's another thing you should get ready for. Hotaru is your worried husband, so he has a right to do so when his wife isn’t careful enough.

Right after sweet kisses, he will scold you for getting hurt.

"How could you be so stupid!,” He mutters, annoyed. "You should be more careful. You're a demon slayer, not some child with too sharp toy! Being careful should be your priority!"

"B-But..." You try to argue, but you are quickly cut off by him.

"NO BUTS, Y/N,” He snaps at you. "You need to remember about your own safety. Keep other slayers and villagers safe but remember about your own safety too!"

You just sit there and listen, nodding from time to time. It's obvious your husband is worried, and you won’t argue with that. It was understandable, you do the same when it comes to him.

--------------

In the end, you care about him deeply, and he cares about you even deeper. Each of you try to keep the other safe and provide help and/or comfort whenever it's needed. 

It's just a simple proof of how much you love each other, and neither of you is going to complain. 

Both of you love it so much, actually.

---

WHEN THE CRANES FLY┊life has not always been kind to geto suguru. despite this, he finds comfort in the mundane. in the peaceful moments he shares with his son and best friend. a cute nanny with a big heart is a somewhat new addition to that list.

content: fluff, angst, smut, female!reader x single dad!geto, named child (satoshi), child abuse mention, reader is called miss and pretty lady, reader wears glasses, reader is a foreigner and has curly hair, vaginal fingering, lowercase. word count: 11k

SENDAI CITY — SUMMER (2010)

a row of low income housing, pawn shops, and two-story motels make up the city block.

geto suguru is sitting on the too small patio of his apartment. his girlfriend, hina, sits next to him with a swollen belly. she is only a few months pregnant but her cheeks are full and her feet are already starting to swell.

“apparently my productivity was so low they had to drop me,” she murmurs, “even though i was the top earner in the last quarter.” she keeps an unlit cigarette under her left thigh – having hid it once her boyfriend stepped onto the patio. in their small one bedroom, it is hard to get any sort of privacy or peace.

“we’ll be alright,” suguru says, the gentle easiness of his voice that used to calm hina, makes her clench her fist around nothing. “i’ll get a better job and it’ll only pay more once i graduate.” he sounds so sure of himself, of them. “i can cut my hair, too. look all professional and get a good job for satoshi—”

“whatever.” she breathes.

suguru turns to look at her and he sees a… vacant look in hina’s eyes, the way she stares out into the busy city with contempt. in all the years he had known her, she'd never looked smaller. it rattles him, that look. 

“what do you mean whatever?” he reaches to place a hand on hers but she pulls away, moving her hand to lay on her lap. her skin is as cold as her demeanor. if she asked, he’d be more than willing to give her some of his warmth.

“just…whatever, suguru. do what you think is best.”

she stands up then, refusing the helping hand that he provides as she uses the chair for leverage. hina waddles her heavy body into the apartment and closes the glass door behind her. 

OUTSKIRTS OF SENDAI CITY — SPRING

the five hour train ride feels like it lasted for weeks. heavy afternoon light warms the skin of your neck as you press your temple to the window. your thoughts and heart race in tandem with the wheels rumbling beneath you, a narrow stare aimed at the passing landscape.

you hadn’t planned out your day as well as you thought, rushing to get to work this morning. your blouse was slightly wrinkled and your skirt was almost too short. even with all of that in mind, you had managed to win over your director enough to get an in–person parent interview. no way were you going to be late.

apparently, the father of the child was easy-going, but very particular about who he let into the home. it made sense seeing as you were going to be taking care of his family, but the hoops you had to jump through just to get a chance were… exhausting, to say the least. you could only hope at this point that the child liked you.

you spoke to your director on the phone for about an hour beforehand, going over your credentials and experience. one of the main requirements for this job was being able to be a full-time caretaker. a bit odd for a child that was already four and of age for schooling, but that made things smoother in your eyes. you’d be able to set a rhythm that worked for the two of you, making it easier to build a relationship.

being unfamiliar with the outskirts of sendai city means you have to rely on your phone (with the limited service it had on the ride) and landmarks described to you. the only reason you even know your stop now is because of the detailed directions provided.

the good news is, the area is gorgeous. lush, green, and full of charm as far as the rice fields allow you to see. you smile as you step out of the station; the platform is older with advertisements for a well known skincare brand and the local mini mart. your eyes glance around to find the road you were supposed to travel on and as you start the walk down to the geto residence, the slightly lifted heel of your flats dig into the fresh earth.

as you traverse the road, some of the residents stop to stare, the older they are the longer they gawk. you are obviously a foreigner and probably the first one they’ve ever seen if they’ve never left this part of the country. you try your best to ignore the prickly feeling of eyes at the back of your head and the whispers of locals wondering who you were here to see.

as you near your destination, your shoulders grow stiffer, your palms sweat against the thick strap of your satchel as it bumps your hip with each step. agitation builds up at the pit of your stomach as you push air out of your lips. suddenly, you feel worried that this geto suguru expected you to look a certain way. you’d told him you were from a different country and that japanese was your second language, but it was rare that people listened to you during those interviews — actually listened.

you stand at a very homey minka – situated in a blanket of lush trees with deep wooden accents – there’s a subtle hum of cicadas buzzing in the wilderness. it was deceivingly quaint looking if you hadn’t seen one before, but the well maintained pond and expensive bamboo slat doors tell another story.

your potential salary suddenly made a lot more sense.

you wipe your clammy palms on your pencil skirt, stepping up the stairs that just barely whine under your feet. from your place behind the door you can hear the sound of a child laughing, the deep rumble of an older man’s voice following soon after. you feel weirdly guilty as you press a finger to the doorbell and break the atmosphere, the sound resulting in a small gasp and what you can only assume are tiny feet padding against the ground.

you hear knees clicking as if someone was lifting themselves up from a crouch. your heart rate increases the closer their heavy steps get to you until — the door slides smoothly open.

oh? oh.

when you were told about geto suguru, it was a brief conversation point with your agency director. long dark hair, he said. thin brown eyes, he said. nothing out of the ordinary. just an average man in a sea of other men. what he failed to mention was just how silky that hair appeared and how warm those honey-like eyes really are. you can’t help but feel as if you were led astray.

“hello,” he greets, a smooth and low sound that admittedly sends a shiver down your spine. he’s almost smiling, albeit it is just a gentle curl of his lip. his beautiful and full hair sits atop his head in long strands that slope over his shoulders and back. without product or hair tie, his bangs fall against the sides of his face and curtain subtle eye lashes.

you want to touch it— tug and run your fingers through it.

you breathe out a reply, “hello, nice to meet you,” and lift your hand as he leans in to bow. a small laugh leaves your lips due to your nervousness. a strong hand redirects to grip your own with a squeeze and you find yourself warming under his touch.

if he seems confused or startled by your appearance, he doesn’t voice it. geto suguru’s eyes are kind but fairly blank of any intense emotion. you suppose that’s a good thing.

“satoshi is inside,” he starts, “he can take a while to get used to strangers, so don’t take it personally.”

you quickly shake your head, stray hairs tickling your cheeks thanks to your power nap on the train. “no worries, most kids are a bit hesitant at first.” it was true, especially with children who only had one parent in the picture. according to the file you received, the mother left a few years after satoshi was born.

geto leads you into his house as you toe off your flats and set them by the door. you can’t help the way your gaze flickers over his tall, seemingly strong frame. he looks comfortable with his hands lazily in his pockets. you find it unfair; no one should look so tempting in a black long-sleeve and baggy sweatpants.

“please excuse the mess,” his hand lifts to gesture to the middle of the living space, “my son really enjoys his dinosaurs.” his cheeks blush like the cherry blossoms outside as he steps back for you to have more room to look around. cute.

“i don’t mind,” you say as you brush past him, careful not to touch. “i’m sure i’ll get used to it.”

“don’t let ‘toshi hear you say that,” he chuckles from behind. you decide then that you enjoy his laugh.

biting back a too-casual comment, you look around at the interior of the house you’ll be staying in.

it’s neat, but not overly clean. like geto had said, there are many dinosaur toys in the middle of the living space and a small laundry basket in the corner. a large series of windows line one wall, an array of unopened mail on the kitchen countertop. each piece of furniture is a neutral shade, the only pop of color being the hints of boyhood sprinkled throughout the area. it is welcoming but daunting in its size.

“would you like some coffee?” the man asks, hovering a bit as he watches you take in his living space. “tea?”

you think this over, knowing the caffeine would make your anxiety spike. “tea would be nice.” you say, bowing your head slightly out of habit.

he nods and you briefly wonder if he ever stops making eye contact. “alright, get comfy and i’ll go grab that for you.” geto turns to enter the kitchen as you gingerly sit on the plush couch. your fingers play with a fraying line of stitching on your skirt, manicured nails meeting gently with each tug.

it’s barely there, but you notice a slight movement out of the corner of your eye. you don’t remember their file mentioning any pets and when you lift your head, you see a very human figure peeking from behind the wall.

strands of dark hair cover what you expect will be equally as dark eyes. you smile, raising your hand, and who you assume is satoshi immediately rushes back behind the partition. you can’t help the giggle that bubbles from your lips.

at that moment, an expensive-looking cup clinks against the coffee table, a cobalt blue tag hanging from the lip of it as the beverage darkens further with time. geto nods to you. “i hope you like black tea. though my brewing skills are mediocre at best.”

you smile a bit, “i’ll be the judge of that,” before pointing to the wall from before. “but i think we have a visitor.” you lift the cup to take a sip and it’s… weirdly sour. you have to fight back a face as you feel it stick to your tongue.

geto looks to where your finger points and a look you can only describe as fond appears on his face. he walks over to the wall, hands tucked into his pockets like before. he had such a simple energy about him, calm but still confident. if you didn’t know any better, he didn’t seem like a father at all. more like an older brother or uncle. you mentally note to check the file again for his age.

geto crouches down and from where you’re sitting it seems that his hand is caressing the top of his son’s head. he looks at him with softened eyes. “satoshi, don’t you want to say hi? i thought you wanted to meet the pretty lady from the picture?” pretty?

a small voice responds, quiet and carrying the same cadence as his father. “what if she doesn’t like me?” you feel a gentle tug at your heart. 

geto pulls his son closer, pressing his forehead to his. you can’t help but notice the way they mirror one another. “that’s not gonna happen, sweet pea. i think you’ll like her a lot and i’m sure she’ll like you.”

the young boy turns his head in your direction and you almost choke on your drink with how much he takes after his father. they have the same stoic and cat-like features, the same deep set eyes. the only difference was the mole on his cheekbone and the sun-kissed shade of his skin. satoshi appraises you warily and you take the look to mean hesitance more than fear. it shows a childlike need to be guided when you don’t know where to begin. 

you decide to take the first leap of introducing yourself. you provide your name and satoshi gives you his. there’s no point in telling him you already know it.

you slowly make way to the middle of the room where his toys are, being careful to keep your skirt under your knees. “would it be okay if i played with your friends?” your hand hovers over one of them in waiting.

that seems to be all satoshi needs to be comfortable and make his way to you. his father stays in the same spot but is standing now. you quickly realize that he’s observing you— the way you act and move. his gaze is so intense that you feel it even as you shift your sight to his son. from what you can see, he has a similar toy in his hand.

“that one is a t-rex!” he exclaims, chest puffing a little. a frown suddenly appears on his face and all you can focus on is removing it as quickly as possible. “it was my unca satoru’s favorite.”

before you can assume the worst, geto chimes in. “satoru is on a business trip. satoshi hasn’t seen him in a long while. he’ll be back on monday to help you out with a few things while i’m gone.”

you nod in understanding, glad you wouldn’t have to put your grief counseling experience to work just yet. you lift up the t-rex in your hand, observing the white scales and obviously sharpied blue eyes. “satoshi, satoru. a lot of satos in the family, huh?”

he giggles, suddenly pulled out of his sadness. “yeah! daddy says it’s a tra-tra-…” he trails off and turns to his father for guidance.

“a tradition?” you offer. his head turns back towards you as he nods earnestly. you miss the way geto has to hold back a smile.

“mhm! you’re smart, miss. just like daddy!” satoshi grabs another dinosaur, one with brown scales and pink stripes. “this one can be yours, it’s pretty like you!”

you smile and take it from him. “thank you, ‘toshi. is it alright if i call you that?”

he nods, hair bouncing around with each movement. “yeah! unca would like you a lot. he’s always giving people nicknames.”

you decide to humor him, caressing the head of your plastic counterpart. “oh yeah, like what?”

the day continues like this; you learn everything you can about the sweet boy that is geto satoshi. during your time in the home, you feel his father’s gaze forever stuck on your person as you play and receive a curated tour from the four year old. he tells you what his favorite snacks are and shows you his collection of stuffed animals. he even offers you a juice box that you graciously accept.

it goes without saying that you got the job that day. you’re not sure what geto suguru saw in you, but it is enough to secure your position. it’s (admittedly) hard transitioning from city life to the countryside; getting everything moved over is even harder. you trade in late night chicken delivery for actual chickens that act as an alarm clock in the morning. your japanese skills are put to the test when you speak to someone in the neighborhood that uses a dialect you’ve never heard before. it’s not easy by any means but you adapt quickly.

when your first day begins (at around seven am according to the chickens and your cellphone) you make sure to get situated earlier than everyone else. you pull on an oversized sweater and pants that you don’t mind getting ruined, as well as a comfy pair of fuzzy socks. as you make your way into the kitchen, you see a sticky note on the fridge with a fried egg magnet holding it in place.

it lists the typical day’s schedule:

8 AM – 9 AM prepare and eat breakfast

9 AM – 11 AM screen time

11 AM – 12 PM lunch time

12 PM – 1 PM free time

1 PM – 2 PM nap time + satoru leaves

2 PM – 4 PM math and reading workbook

4 PM – 5 PM prepare and eat dinner

5 PM – 6 PM wind down and bath time

6:30 PM EOD

you were memorizing the schedule with narrowed eyes. apparently what you considered early was right on time as you finished making a small but balanced breakfast.

despite geto’s slightly intimidating presence, he hadn’t once been unkind to you. even if he was a bit stoic and brooding, you'd only see him in the mornings and evenings anyway so you weren't too concerned. apparently, your boss occasionally worked weekends but satoshi would go to his parents or his brother, satoru, on those days.

there wasn’t a single disagreement that had come to pass as you didn’t have to worry about doing much else other than taking care of satoshi. it’s so alarmingly easy that you double check the sticky note and the file you had stored in the kitchen drawer. you quickly make sure that you have the documents of emergency contacts and allergies; pictures of trusted family members and associates that you’ve only recently gotten a chance to look at.

you pause at a photo of what you realize is a young geto and a childhood friend. they’re both wearing the same high school uniform, barreling down a hill on a bike. they look happy, youthful. eyes wide and bright at the person taking the photo.

“i was pretty adorable, wasn’t i?” an unfamiliar voice says, startling you into a jump as it cuts through the silence of the kitchen. you look up to see the two teens in the photo in the kitchen threshold. older but still just as handsome. the smile you’re given (by who you now assume is satoru) is blinding.

“you still can’t ride a bike, though,” your boss murmurs, arms reaching over his head in a stretch and showing just a hint of his stomach. he’s dressed casually today and you absentmindedly wonder if he changes at the office. it’s only then that you notice the sound of tiny feet running into the room.

“unca satoru!” geto moves aside to let his son grip onto his friend's long legs. satoru lifts satoshi up in his arms as they walk to the dining room table. they’re dressed identically with light shirts on and dark shorts. though, satoru doesn’t have a bright green dinosaur on the front of his.

“hey there, squirt. how’s my favorite nephew doing this morning?”

“i’m the only nephew you have!”

“precisely! which is why you’re my favorite. always shooting for number one, aren’t you?”

you smile at the exchange, watching as your boss begins to fix himself a cup of (presumably not sour) tea. you make note of the brand he chooses.

"this is the new nanny i told you about, satoru. try not to scare her away on the first day.” 

“hah? you try not to scare her away with your dark energy, suguru!” he sticks out a tongue in his friend’s direction, and you notice that geto already has his cup of tea halfway made. he’s quick, efficient.

you introduce yourself with your first name and satoru places satoshi in a chair, directing his attention on you now. he lifts both hands up in a wave, shades reflecting against the sunlight to tease hints of bright blue.

“nice to meet you!” satoru exclaims, “i’ll be here for a few hours to help you figure out where everything is and give you a break if ya’ need it.” he leans in to whisper, vivid blue eyes now looking at you directly. “suguru is very particular about where things go. if he ever annoys you, put a dish out of place and he’ll go a little insane.”

an annoyed tsk is heard behind you. “as dramatic as ever, huh, satoru?” he glances at you with a gentle smile, ignoring the cheeky grin satoru throws his way.

“satoshi just woke up. i got him ready for the day and i see you’ve already finished breakfast. i have to go now or i’ll be late but call me if you need anything." geto walks past you and satoru to his son, pushing back toshi’s bangs and planting a kiss on his forehead.

“promise me you’ll be good, sweet pea? if you do then i’ll promise to be back soon.” satoshi nods his head eagerly, lifting a pinky finger to link with his father’s.

“i double promise, daddy!” he exclaims, using his free hand to cross over his heart. “you can’t break a double promise.”

geto’s eyes are warm as he rubs a gentle hand on top of his son’s head.

“i wouldn’t dream of it.”

he hesitates to leave as their pinkies fall away, dark eyes meeting yours. there’s both a layer of trust and warning in his gaze. words left unsaid because they don’t have to be. i’m counting on you. take care of him. you shiver for an entirely different reason this time around.

you nod to urge him to leave. i will. don’t worry.

with one last look at his son, he finally does.

when the sound of his expensive car becomes muffled from driving down the dirt road, satoru claps his hands together suddenly. his grabs the breakfast you’d made for the three of them (nearly giving you a heart attack as he balances three plates on one arm) and makes his way to the table. “wow, (y/n). you don’t pull any punches do you?” he places all three meals on the table, gesturing for you to sit next to satoshi as he digs in.

the next few hours go by smoothly. satoru shows you where the laundry room is and helps you do a load of clothes, though he uses way too much fabric softener. satoshi talks your ear off about paw patrol, asking if you knew anything about the american puppy dog force.

the only real time things go awry is when it’s nap time and satoshi refuses to lay down. his uncle lets out a groan, leaning his lanky body halfway off the couch after his second failed attempt. geto was right, he was dramatic.

satoshi is no better, whining with his face buried in a pillow because he doesn’t want to take a nap. he wants to keep playing with you and sleep would definitely bring a temporary stop to that. his whines are muffled, little legs kicking out to release his anger in the only way he knows how.

“‘toshi, sweetheart, i’ll still be here when you wake up. i promise i won’t be going anywhere until your daddy comes home. okay?”

the four year old sniffs, turning to face you with fat tears in his eyes, staining his blushed cheeks. “promise?” he asks. you nod, lowering so that your eyes are level with his. you can hear him calming down as you cross your heart and link your pinky with his. “double promise. i hear those can’t be broken.”

“they can’t! double promises are really important.”

“but, of course! i’d never break one. now, rest. you’ve done a lot today.”

you fail to notice satoru’s gaze heavily focused on the exchange and later, when satoshi’s finally fallen asleep and you’re walking to the front door to let satoru out, he pauses at the open doorway. the afternoon light makes his white hair seem nearly translucent.

in the time you’d spent with satoru, he had never taken off his glasses, something about extreme light sensitivity. he gazes at you now with an intensity you didn’t expect through a dark barrier.

“so, what do you think?” he asks. “seems like something you can handle?”

you nod, “definitely. satoshi is great and geto-san—“ you stop yourself, not entirely sure what you planned to say there.

satoru smirks, leaning in ever so slightly. you know for sure that whatever you tell him will not stay between the two of you.

“geto-san is… what?”

you think about it for a moment, arms pulling your sweater sleeves tighter over your hands despite not feeling cold. “quiet. kind. very—“

“it’s alright, you can say boring.”

“not boring.” you interject, your own smile appearing on your face. “he’s… interesting.”

“interesting, huh? you might as well call him an exotic puppy. is it the hair? it’s always the hair.”

you don’t realize you’re frowning until your voice comes out in a slight whine. “stop twisting my words!”

“not twisting! just theorizing.”

“about what exactly?”

satoru leans away from you with a shrug. “let’s just say i’m good at reading people.” whatever that means. “personally, i think you’ll do some good here. just keep in mind that suguru can be a bit guarded. don’t take it personally.” like father like son.

“has he always been that way?” you inquire. “just from, y’know, seeing the picture of you two in the kitchen.”

satoru tilts his head to the left and then the right, as if debating what he should reveal to you. “nah, he’s always been a buzzkill… but he’s more serious now than he was back then, becoming a father and all.”

you think this over, wondering if now would be a good time to ask about the mysteriously absent mother. you knew geto suguru as an employer and not as a man. but, you couldn’t imagine someone staring into those pretty brown eyes or being on the receiving end of that gentle smile, and willingly letting him go.

“anyway,” satoru lifts his arms up into the air to stretch so the words come out a little strained, “i should get going, head of the family duties and whatnot. my folks are much less fun to be around and truth be told,” he lowers his shades so that they rest on the dip in his nose bridge. his voice light, teasing. “i actually sort of like you.”

you raise an eyebrow, watching as satoru casually turns and walks in the direction of his car with his long legs; hand lifted as a goodbye in your direction as he departs.

“i’ll take that as a compliment.” you decide.

AUTUMN

“if mina has twelve apples and her brother kai has zero, how many apples will mina need to give kai for them to have the same amount?”

you feel narrowed brown eyes focused on the side of your face – satoshi staring at you expectantly through black bangs. “see, miss?” he grumbles, “there’s no reason for her to even have that many.”

you let out a giggle, twirling the mechanical pencil between two fingers. when he’d called you over to look at his workbook, you didn’t expect him to be having an existential crisis. “toshi, what if she got extras so that she could share them with her brother?”

the four year old considers this for a moment, his fingers fiddling with the dinosaur sticker he’d stuck onto the wooden kitchen island. “well, i guess that’s okay but how would she carry that many?”

“your dad does it all the time.” you say, thinking of the afternoons when said father would walk in the house with groceries in hand.

“yeah but dad has, like, muscles and stuff, mina is literally a stick figure!” to emphasize his point, satoshi points at the printed drawing next to his math problem, a smiling stick-figured girl with two pigtails staring back at you.

“that doesn’t mean she can’t be big and strong!” you argue, a hand coming up to ruffle his dark hair. he laughs but pushes your hand away with a whine and slightly wrong version of your name. even after all these months he still struggles to pronounce it.

“you’re so silly, she’s not even real.” he giggles, leaping off of his stool to make his way to the living room. you glance over at the time on the microwave and see that it is already 6 PM. almost time for bed.

you put away satoshi’s workbook, his insistence on getting some of the work done before bed a testament to how much he wanted to please his father.

in the time you’d spent with the father-son duo, you noticed little things about the child that gave you hints as to what might have happened before you were around.

he was sweet and quite funny, but at times it felt like something he did to entertain you so that you’d never want to leave his side. when you’d watch the neighbors burn wood in their yard, he’d told you about how his mother used to make smoke like that come from her mouth; how she’d blow it in his face. according to satoshi, they’d made a game out of it. if he coughed, she'd win. she won often.

they were small instances and you’d brought them up to his father on a few occasions, but he would typically change the subject, putting up a wall when it comes to the woman you now know was named hina. the most you knew was that she was gone now and wasn’t allowed to see satoshi anymore.

you find yourself occasionally wanting to learn more but in all honesty, you didn’t need to. as long as satoshi felt safe and secure in your care, the past could remain buried for as long as he liked.

you follow satoshi to his bedroom, tucking him into his navy blue sheets. you sit down next to him, gently caressing his hair as he cuddles against his pillow. “you remember that your dad said he’d be home a little late, right?”

satoshi yawns, nodding his head. “yeah, he’s gonna be home all day tomorrow, though! we’re gonna go to the city and go to the big store.”

you laugh, running a soothing hand over his hair. “yeah, i heard. i’m a little jealous, honestly.” which wasn’t entirely a lie, you couldn’t get all of your favorite snacks from the local market.

satoshi looks down at his small fingers, tucking them under the covers further. he seems… nervous but you don’t immediately push, waiting for him to gain the courage to speak his mind. “can you go with us?”

you pause mid-stroke on his hair. “i’m not sure, sweetheart.” you’d taken the child on many walks and mini adventures on your own, but never with his father present. there was never a need. “we’ll have to ask your daddy about that—“

“daddy says yes.”

you both turn to find a familiar face in the doorway, wearing a dress shirt and slacks. his top two buttons are undone and you imagine his suit jacket is laying somewhere down the hall. you purposely ignore the sliver of skin showing beneath his collar.

satoshi leaps out of bed, climbing over you to his father, who scoops him up immediately. you wince when his heel bumps into your rib cage as he hurries across the sheets. your boss has a brief look of alarm before you lift a hand to show that you’re okay. “if it’s alright with you,” he starts, “i’d like you to accompany us tomorrow.”

you lock eyes with suguru, who you’ve only recently started addressing by his first name. his gaze is warmer than it has ever been as he holds his son close to his chest. “sure,” you respond, voice light. “i’d love to.”

WINTER

“my mother wants to keep satoshi for the night.”

you glance over at suguru from across the living room, startled slightly by his sudden presence. you had to start telling him to stop sneaking up on you like this. the sheepish look he gives makes you think he already knows.

you had met his parents quite a few times. they were welcoming. a little old fashioned as people who grew up in the countryside, but loving at heart. you remember when you first met them and they riddled you with questions about your home country and how you styled your hair. his mother even knitted you a little cap to cover your curls from the wet snow. you keep it tucked in your favorite cardigan.

“alright,” you say with a small smile, “i’m gonna finish my folding and… then i’ll head to bed.”

you continue your routine, small graphic t-shirts bending easily under your hands. you separate them next to you and make small color coded piles. it’s only when you realize that you didn’t hear suguru leave, that you look up again.

unexpectedly, he is still there. just watching. you aren’t sure if you’ll ever get used to that.

“is something wro—?“

“do you like it here?”

you pause, letting your hands rest in your lap. where was this coming from?

“if you don't, i wouldn't be upset with you. i can be… standoffish. maybe even cold, at times. satoshi has grown to care for you a lot and even though i don’t show it,” he stops himself, fidgeting slightly on his feet. “i also care for you.”

you adjust your glasses so that they rest firmly on your nose bridge. obviously your prescription must have been wrong because this was definitely not the man you’d known for almost a year.

it’s in moments like this where you remember that he is still in his mid twenties, young enough to be an uncle but not expected to be a father. he still had a lot of growing to do and he was obviously making an effort, starting with you.

at your silence, he blushes a deep pink. “i– i’ll uhm, i’ll leave you alone now.”

his retreating figure shakes you out of your dazed state. “wait!”

suguru shifts around, a surprised look on his face. you’re certain it’s the loudest you’ve ever spoken to him.

“why don’t you… help me fold? think of it as a bonding exercise. the blankets are still warm if you want to bundle up.”

he pauses but soon a smile fills his face, chuckling slightly, the tension leaves his shoulders as he starts to tug his hair up into a ponytail. “i see.”

the air in the room suddenly feels lighter.

he smiles at you. “a bonding exercise, then?” 

“yep,” your heart flutters. “yep... grab a t-shirt.”

he moves to sit next to you on the couch, easily falling into the system you’ve built. he’s good like that, gentle yet precise. you find it more endearing as the days go by.

it’s comfortable—, being with him like this. so much so that you find yourself slowing down on your folding speed. you pray that suguru doesn’t notice.

by the way it takes you both two hours to finish the task, you suspect that he does.

SPRING

it shouldn’t bother you. he can stay out as late as he wanted. he told you that he would be gone for the night and suguru was an adult man. a smart, beautiful, loving but adult man. it only made sense that he had a date tonight. it’s not like he’d stay single forever. you didn’t expect that of him.

especially not when he had looked unreasonably handsome when he left, a dark suit with his hair tied half way up behind his ears. polished and put together, not like he was at home with you; hair wild and comfy in his old pajamas.

you’re not entirely sure when it happened but there was a shift. one moment you were neutral in your feelings for geto suguru, not immune to his obvious attractiveness but not indulging in it. but here you were now, a year into your job and secretly pining after your boss.

satoru had teased you about it for days during his last visit, barely able to keep the secret from spilling over into impressionable ears. you had no doubt that satoshi would make quick work of informing his father about your little crush — you’d already learned your lesson when you’d both broken his favorite vase. the kid could not lie to save his life, but perhaps you should be somewhat grateful for that.

pushing your thoughts aside, you made your way down the hall to the kitchen. it was still late, almost two am, and you were feeling a bit uneasy.

the house is not completely dark, night-lights situated in various outlets so that satoshi can navigate to the bathroom if need be. your steps are light as you pass by his room and then his father’s.

when you enter the kitchen, you make a beeline for the fridge to find any sort of snack or drink. you see tonight’s left overs, a bundle of juice boxes, packaged tofu and a carton of eggs. with suguru going on multiple blind dates, you’d only made small meals for you and satoshi.

in the middle of your rummaging you hear the sound of the front door rattling. a key being placed inside the bamboo decorated slotting before it’s pushed to the side.

your boss makes his way in but what you expect to be clumsy drunken steps are steady; not to mention the fact that the only difference in his appearance is that his hair is fully down like usual, his top knot replaced by loose strands. when you lock eyes, you suddenly remember that you are… scantily clad. you have on a large t-shirt and boy shorts, not leaving much to the imagination when you were illuminated by the light in the fridge.

“you’re back!” in your embarrassment, you grab two items from the shelf at random and place them on the kitchen counter. “did you… have a good time?”

suguru raises a brow at your choices, easily walking to one of the bar stools. he smirks. “is this your way of asking if i slept with her? that’s a bit unprofessional, no?”

you feel your cheeks warm, words tumbling from your mouth as you push your glasses up your nose bridge. “i– you know that’s not what i meant.”

he has the audacity to laugh at you, a gentle sound from his chest that you rarely get the chance to hear. “i do, don’t worry.” suguru gazes at you with soft, tired eyes. he hesitates a bit but eventually acquiesces. “if i’m being honest, it was a disaster. she didn’t know about satoshi. i just started driving, after that.”

you watch as his shoulders sag, the way his thumb reaches up to tap the center of his forehead, a nervous habit. “i’m sorry, suguru.” you mean it, too, despite your spout of jealousy.

“don’t be,” he smiles though it doesn’t fully reach his eyes, “maybe now satoru will stop trying to set me up… how has your night been? you’re never up this late.”

you notice now that you’ve grabbed eggs and milk, deciding then to utilize the stale bread in the pantry for french toast sticks. “it’s been okay. if i’m being honest, i was feeling a bit restless. guess i’m not used to it just being ‘toshi and i at night.”

suguru nods, lifting himself up from the stool and moving beside you. you can smell the hints of his cologne as he walks closer, the gentle taps of his feet against the tile.

“i’ll make sure it doesn’t become a habit then...” he’s closer than you realized, leaning down so that his eyes are level with yours. you turn your head and your eyes meet. “you look exhausted.”

his hand rises, tentative as he gently presses his thumb to the soft skin beneath your eye. it was true that you’d been missing sleep, but you didn’t think it was so obvious. you don’t have the mental capacity to think about the implications of his touch, how close your lips are. “it’s been… a hard few nights.”

“tired of our little family already?” our.

“no,” you breathe, “never.”

the air between you in tense, heavy with the implication of your words. you feel as if you’ve just admitted to something.

suguru sighs but it isn’t out of exasperation. maybe… relief? his palm shifts until it cups your cheek. “get some sleep, okay? i’ll see you in the morning.”

as he leaves, you swear that you can still feel the warmth from his skin.

geto satoshi is almost five years old when he first asks about his mother.

his classmates ask him questions in broken language, the syllables not fully forming in their young mouths. in their own way they ask why his mom doesn’t look like him, and he has to explain to them who you really are. satoshi himself wonders why he misses a memory, reaching out for an image that’s fading everyday.

he misses the days they’d sit on the concrete patio of their first home, the icky smoke falling from her mouth and infiltrating his lungs. he’d cough and she’d laugh and he felt closer to her during those moments. sometimes his father would come home and they’d have ‘grown up conversations’ about the smoke, but his mother just started taking him to the park after that.

they’d lay in the grass and she’d giggle as he did cartwheels and flips; stare up into the sky and talk about the shapes they’d see. he was too young to notice the disapproving glare of elders, the whispers of people that noticed just how young his mother was; the heavy dark shadows under her eyes.

suguru sits satoshi down when he asks about her one too many times. he tells him a story about cranes. how when the babies get old enough, their parents stay with them for only a few months before they’re left on their own. during the months that they migrate south, they’re taught how to hunt and how to survive and if they struggle; their parents continue to provide for them until they aren’t needed anymore. in satoshi’s mind, his mother and him were happy once, cranes soaring over gentle waters. but he knows from the look in his father’s eyes that she left too soon, that when he curls into suguru’s chest he is sad over something satoshi is still too young to comprehend. it’s hard to understand loss fully when you have the type of family he does.

you are here and you are a new constant, but satoshi sometimes worries that you, too, will disappear. when he gets too old, if you decide to go back to your home country, if his dad decides they don't need you anymore. you’d leave.

geto satoshi is almost five years old the first time he realizes that good things don’t last. that his mother left because she wanted to be free not only of his father, but of him, too.

SUMMER

sometimes it feels as if birthdays are nothing but a mockery. the idea of growing and changing and living are as exciting as they are daunting. you feel that fear more than most, taste it in the vanilla cake you helped satoshi bake for his party.

it’s been an hour since the incident and you aren’t quite sure how to proceed. how could you? it happened so quickly and now you’re sitting on couch having the hardest conversation you’ve had in years.

satoru was entertaining some of the remaining young children at the party while they packed up to go home, telling stories of his adventures overseas (most of which were watered down for young ears). suguru and you were talking about something along the lines of trashy new tv shows, making small talk in the small bubble of privacy that the kitchen provided. the party had just finished winding down and you’d been washing dishes while suguru helped dry them — barely noticing when satoru and satoshi entered the room.

“—being five means you’re a man now. gotta start thinkin’ about your gut health. all that cake will kill your body, ‘toshi.”

“but you ate most of it!”

“that’s not the point.”

you giggle at their banter, glancing over your shoulder. suguru leans in to you, though it doesn’t seem to be a conscious decision — like he can’t help but be close. “i’m on satoshi’s side,” he teases his friend, “how could you be such a hypocrite, satoru?”

you close the distance and his hair tickles your shoulder, “it’s because he knows he did actually eat most of the cake.”

satoru scoffs, crossing his arms across his chest defiantly. “and to think we were finally becoming friends! you wound me, (y/n).”

“bandages are in the cupboard.”

“you’re actually ruthless.”

you snort and dry your hands with a towel, turning to find satoshi standing fairly close to you. he tugs on your t-shirt and you crouch down to his level as he rubs at his eyes. “you tired, sweet pea?”

he nods, a yawn slipping from his mouth. his next words are soft, slurred with fatigue.

“yeah, momma, being five is exhausting.” oh.

and… there it is. satoshi doesn’t even correct his mistake, leaning his forehead against your shoulder. the energy in the room dissipates, stagnant and tense. you hear satoru take in a sharp breath.

“…wait until you reach your forties,” suguru says finally, reaching down to lift his son in his arms despite him almost being too big to be lifted.

“you aren’t even in your forties,” satoru points out, easily ending the awkward silence. suguru flips him off behind satoshi’s back, leaving the kitchen while managing to avoid your gaze.

“go home!” suguru calls out, making his way down the hall. satoru rolls his eyes, placing a hand on your shoulder as he passes by. he rarely ever touches you willingly, you assume it’s in an effort to comfort you. for what, you aren’t sure.

“alright, i know when i’m not wanted.” he sighs, his shoulders sagging dramatically as you walk him out.

“drive safely,” you say, “don’t run over any mailboxes.”

“that was literally one time!”

you shut the door in his face, shaking your head as you turn back to the house. the living room has remnants of the party still present, balloons and confetti littering sections of the floor. satoshi’s words ring in your head as you make your way down the same hall.

it made sense for him to make the mistake. you were the most constant female figure in his life and it was no different from when you’d accidentally call your teacher mom in school. but, even with that knowledge, you felt a warmth at the way he called to you. a softness in the way he rested against your shoulder in search of comfort.

you pass by satoshi’s door. it’s slightly ajar, enough that you catch yourself peering in. his father is laid on the bed beside him, holding the boy to his side and caressing his hair. he leans in to press a kiss to his head, glancing up and making eye contact with you.

“hey,” he murmurs, his own gaze tired. “satoru gone?”

you nod and make your way inside the room. by the way satoshi is uncharacteristically still, you know he’s asleep. that was fast.

“yeah, in his usual dramatic fashion.” you gently ease onto the bed, leaning in to place a gentle hand on satoshi’s arm. “someone was tired.”

“mmh, was out as soon as his head hit the pillow…”

there’s a lull in the conversation, the gentle hum of the crickets outside the window, the only sound you hear.

you know suguru well, more than you realized at times. you knew now that his sour tea could be resolved with a few spoonfuls of sugar and honey, that his cold demeanor is rarely ever antagonistic, that he seems to hold back his words when he fears the response. you suddenly feel uneasy.

there was one question hanging between the two of you now: why didn’t suguru correct him? you know by his own admission (indirectly, at least) that suguru didn’t do it when you were in the other room, so why?

“why didn’t you say anything?” your tone isn’t accusatory.

“why didn’t you?” he asks back, eyes narrowing. the question surprises you but you simply shrug.

“i guess i just… didn’t know what to say. he probably didn’t even realize he said it–“

“it’s not the first time,” suguru admits. “he slips up when you aren’t around. we’ve talked about it before.”

you look up at him then, eyes wide. that, you did not know. suguru eases satoshi onto his bed, shifting so that he’s sat next to you. he sighs. “we should… talk.”

“talk about what?”

“you know what.” you do.

“i don’t.” liar.

despite this, suguru still smiles at you in the gentle way he always does. he stands, easily taking your hand from its position on your lap. “come on.” 

he leads you back into the hall, shutting the door as you both make way towards the living room. you don’t hesitate in letting him guide you, planting on the couch next to him. even though you’re no longer being led, his hand stays in yours.

“do you want some tea?” he jokes lightly, “coffee?”

“what do you want to talk about?” you redirect, pulling both hands into your lap as you try to calm your trepid heart. you can only assume that you were going to be fired, told that you’d become too attached to his son and caused this confusion.

if your pulling away worries him, suguru doesn’t voice it. he turns more to the left to face you, arm against the back of the couch and a leg pulled into him.

your own legs curl beneath you as you grab onto one of the plush throw pillows, resting your cheek on the couch cushion as you meet his gaze.

“if we do this, i’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell the agency about it. it’ll be... difficult to get work after this.”

suguru looks immediately confused, blinking once and then twice. his cheeks turn a deep pink and you hope that the couch swallows you whole. he clears his throat. “why… would i tell the agency about this? that– wouldn’t that be a bit personal?”

“in this situation, not really,” you murmur, a sad smile on your face. briefly, your eyes flicker to the kitchen entryway. you focus on the still drying dishes that you’d washed with him only a short while ago. gaze at the framed sticky note from when you first started working for him. “either way, i want you to know that i enjoyed my time here.”

suguru glances up at you, his bangs tickling his forehead.

“are you just… going to leave? do you really not want to even discuss what’s happening here?” it’s the most genuine irritation he’s ever shown towards you.

“you’re mad,” you sigh, leaning even further into the cushion so that your cheek squishes against it. “i know i crossed a boundary by getting so close to ‘toshi but i never wanted to upset you—“

“what are you– this isn’t about him. not now, anyway. he loves you and i know you love him, too. which is why i thought if we talked things through it would be better for the both of us—”

“why do we need to talk through this? you’re firing me because i made your son get too attached and we’re going our separate ways. that’s as simple as it gets!”

you lift your head to be eye level with him. the confusion on his face isn’t doing anything but upsetting you more.

“i’m… you thought i was firing you?”

now it’s your turn to be confused, your anger dissipating like warm vapor. “you– are you not?”

suguru rubs a hand down his face, chuckling into his palm. “sweetheart, i’m not firing you, i’m confessing to you. apologizing for my feelings and giving you an out if you want it.” confessing?

“i’m confused.”

“i know you are, it’s because you think too much.”

“i think i’m thinking a pretty reasonable amount right now,” your breathe, disbelief on your face as you put two and two together. “you can’t possiblly– god, want me?”

“and why is that?” he asks, leaning forward with an intensity you’re seldom on the receiving end of nowadays, his gaze narrows at the way you flinch at his proximity. “you must know i’m attracted to you. according to satoru, i am… very obvious.”

your nerves buzz, the hair on the back of your neck standing at attention.

“no, i– i never would have thought you felt… the same way.”

a deep silence settles between you and you have to look down to catch your bearings. you don’t for long, his fingertips gentle as they raise you back up to eye level. suguru doesn’t seem surprised by your admission.

“how could i not?” he says this as if it’s the only possible explanation. “do you honestly think i would be so calm about ‘toshi calling you momma if i wasn’t falling for you?”

you smile a bit, trying your best to not lean into his touch. “i didn’t tell him to start calling me that, i hope you know that.”

“i do, and i’ll talk to him about it again tomorrow, if you want.”

you nod, leaning back so that his hand no longer holds your chin. despite this, you notice that he is closer than before. you find yourself not shying away. “we did this backwards,” you whine, “we’re supposed to date first and then your son falls in love with me.”

“yeah, but you’re you. it would be hard for anyone not to fall for your charms.”

you roll your eyes, leaning back so that your body rests against the armrest. from this angle, you can see the gentle warm light that illuminates suguru’s face, your knees against your chest and covering part of his torso from view.

he is so beautiful.

“this is very unethical,” you tease, “you are my boss, after all.”

suguru sucks in a breath. “yeah, i was worried about that the most. i don’t want you to think that your job depends on us being together... your friendship isn’t a consolation prize.”

“i know that.” and you really do, “but you’re crazy if you think i suffered through your blind dating phase for nothing.”

he laughs at that, eyes glowing like warm honey. “that wasn’t my doing. besides, it was hard to focus on any other woman when i was busy pining after you.”

this makes a surge of pride soar in your chest despite you wanting to push it down. god, it felt like confessing to your crush in high school. you can’t help but to tease him a little.

“what changed?” you ask softly, a grin on your lips. “when did you know you had feelings for me?”

suguru stares at you, biting his lip and gently tugging on the soft pink flesh.

“nothing changed really,” he says, the words coming out somewhat breathless. “one day i just… knew? it’s hard putting yourself out there under normal circumstances, let alone to an employee. i knew i wanted you when i came home and realized you were a part of my family, too.”

you swear that you can see your heart eyes through his.

his cheeks are aflame, but you know your heart is under higher degrees of fire. “our little family, right?”

his lips part, a soft hitch in his breathing making you squirm against the couch. he is still staring at you with that… look. your mouth moves before you can stop it. “i’ve said it before but… you really have a staring problem,” you complain. “i could be talking about the most mundane thing and you’d still find a reason to stare at me like—“

“sweetheart,” suguru says, whispers. you perk up at the pet name, eyes focusing back on him.

“yes?”

suguru leans in to cup your jaw, hovering over your partially laid body. without hesitation, you meet him in the middle as your lips connect with a gentle sigh. you’d heard this sound plenty of times, when he’d get off of work and would finally relax on the couch, when he’d take the first sip of his favorite tea in the morning. you’d heard this sound before but it feels different, somehow sweeter when compounded with the taste of his lips.

a sense of hunger overcomes you as you pull him in closer, legs parted to make space for him between your thighs. his hair curtains you both in a dark halo and you finally, finally run your hands through the dark tresses. they’re just as soft as you expected, easily slipping through your fingers in silky waves. “so pretty,” you whisper against his lips and suguru chuckles, pulling away but only to press soft kisses against your cheek and trail down to your earlobe.

your hands sneak down from his hair to trickle under his shirt. feeling the hard planes of his muscles as they tense from keeping himself up. when you caress his skin a little too lightly, he gasps slightly against your skin. in retaliation, his teeth bite down gently on your neck. he quickly takes your lips in his again, hands gripping your thighs and lifting you upright into his lap.

“su!” you squeal, clamping a hand over your mouth to stop your sudden noise. suguru laughs into your shoulder, pulling you in again to silence your giggles. his mouth is hot and soft against yours, tongue infiltrating your mouth and tasting so sweet; frosting and cake still lingering on your tongues. his hands shift from your thighs to rest on your lower back, holding you impossibly close to his front as his palms caress your spine.

when you both pull away for air, your foreheads rest against each other as soft pants filter from your mouths.

“su?”

“hmm,” is his only response.

your hands travel from his torso to his back, tugging up his shirt up along with it to reveal his abs.

“will you… make love to me?”

his eyes shoot open to lock with yours.

“y–you can say no,” you stammer as your heart falls into your stomach, “but since we’ve been doing everything backwards anyway… what’s the harm in it?”

he lifts a hand to caress your cheek. “only if you’re okay with it.”

you smile, a soft curl of your lip. “yeah… i want you.”

he groans, burying his face in your neck. “fuck, i can’t believe this is real.”

you grip his cheeks then, eyes level with his. “baby,” you breathe, “it finally is.”

your lips connect again.

AUTUMN

you are only partially roused most mornings. to a place just beyond being fully awake and coherent enough to form a few sentences. when suguru’s knees dip into the mattress, palms propping himself up on either side of your head, the weight of him above you is what pulls you to consciousness.

the routine was always the same: you’d gently rub the sleep out of your eyes and lift your arms up towards the headboard, blearily looking up at your boyfriend as he smiled down at you. his hair would be fastened in a half-up style, bangs curving around his cheekbone and curtaining his eyes.

his dress shirt was always a crisp white and newly pressed, an undone tie hanging from his neck. his slacks hugged his strong thighs and ass in a sinful tease, your fingers twitching as you contemplated the logistics of an early morning fuck. sometimes suguru would have his shirt fully unbuttoned, exposing the slender dip of his collarbones and the hard planes of his stomach. it’s only natural that every morning, without fail, you asked him to stay.

today is no different.

your first words are heavy with sleep and sometimes too light for most people to understand, but suguru has heard your morning voice enough times now to be fluent in it. “hey,” your hands move up to grip his shoulders, your leg wrapping around his. “stay home with me.”

his eyes soften and he looks at you with an expression that makes you feel warm all over. "i can’t, baby." one of his hands grip your bare thigh, thumb caressing the soft skin. he leans in close, burying his face in your neck. like a predator luring in its prey, your grip tightens around his shoulders. you feel him smile against your skin. "but, no overtime today, so i’ll see you at six like usual. bring you something nice for being away from you for so long.”

“how rude, you know i’ll die without you.”

“then i will simply resurrect you.”

"then i’ll die. again." you grumble, turning your face to rest in his soft dark hair; missing when it was completely loose and fell all around you. suguru’s grip on your thigh loosens until he is tucking his arms under and around your waist, sighing as he relaxes in your familiar hold.

“so dramatic,” he breathes, teasing. your boyfriend looks up at you and presses a gentle kiss to your lips. “…i already miss you.”

your hand moves up to caress his hair. “i miss you, too.” you murmur. “promise you’ll be home soon?”

you couldn’t possibly miss the way his heart grows just a little. “of course.” he smiles, soft eyes locking with yours. “always.”

it’s moments like this that you feel the most connected to him, when your hands press against his cheeks and you pull his lips to yours. you can taste the morning tea on his lips, smell the gentle hints of his cologne as it sticks to your skin. it’s hard to ignore the way you ache for him, the gentle hints of arousal that bloom between your legs.

you’re both in sync with each other, the change in your breathing enough for suguru to know you’re getting worked up. he pulls away, eagerly fitting himself behind you so that your back is against his chest and you’re both on your sides.

“we don’t have a lot of time…” he murmurs, though he is already tugging down your panties.

“knowing you? we won’t need it.” his hand grips your thigh, spreading you open for him and laying your bare leg against his own. your pussy is sheen with your arousal, a soft gasp leaving your lips as you hear him suck two of his fingers into his mouth; leaning down to rub them between your folds.

“a bit mouthy for how wet you are.”

“a bit slow for someone in a rush.”

his slick digits begin to toy with your cunt, separating the folds and exploring the softness; gathering your juices and stimulating your clit. he chuckles at the way you buck into his hand. “be nice. i could always stop.”

you shake your head, spreading even wider for him if possible. “please don’t. need you, su.”

he leans in close to your ear. your juices trickle down your thighs, sticky and warm against the divets of his hand. “don’t worry, baby. you have me.”

your nerves are on fire, fingers grasping at the sheets as a stuttering gasp tumbles from your moistened lips. his nose traces at the curve of your neck, pressing teasing kisses to your skin as his fingers finally ease into your heat.

it’s at this moment that you hear the sudden clattering of dishes, the sound of the fridge being tugged open roughly and jostling the condiments in the side door. an oh crap is followed by a gasp and what you assume is the slapping of small hands against lips. (apparently if you cover your mouth soon enough the expletive would be erased.)

the two of you separate as if you were both on fire, the bedroom door shut but not entirely locked. your boyfriend clears his throat, the two of you giving each other sheepish looks. later, it says. much later.

“satoshi,” he calls out, wiping his hand on the towel at your bedside. “want daddy to come help you?”

there’s a pause before he responds. “nah, i got it!” that was definitely not true.

you gesture to the bathroom, already tugging on your panties and fixing your large t-shirt back in place. you hurriedly pull on a pair of shorts, as well. “go finish getting ready, love. i’ll help him.”

he nods then, pressing a kiss to your lips. “thank you, i’ll be quick.”

he quickly makes his way to the bathroom while you fix your appearance in the mirror, glasses taken from your bedside and placed back on your face. you make your way down the hall until you reach the kitchen, satoshi dressed in his school uniform and holding a carton of milk. “need some assistance?” you tease, watching as his shoulders sag.

“yeah…” he eventually murmurs. “can you get me a bowl, please?”

“of course, ‘toshi. just ask for help next time. i don’t want you to get hurt.”

he huffs. “i totally had it. when i get tall like daddy I’ll get stuff off the shelves for you!”

“and i don’t doubt that. now, do you have everything you need for school? supplies, books?”

“yep!” he exclaims, popping the ‘p’. sometimes you regret teaching him that word. “i got my family day project done, too. grandma helped me out.”

“oh, yeah?” you ask, hearing the distant sound of suguru speaking to someone on the phone. you feel your face get warm at the deep drawl of his voice. “and you weren’t gonna show me?”

satoshi grins, quickly pulling out a piece of cardstock from his folder. he places it on the kitchen island and presents his project to you.

it’s a drawing of three cranes, one larger than the rest and then two smaller ones following behind. the second largest looks different from the other two but that doesn’t seem to change anything about the image. In tiny scrawled letters is mom, dad, and son. the three kanji are written in dark crayon on the page.

“i know daddy said i shouldn’t call you momma but,” he starts softly, “you’re like a momma. y-you love me and care for me… grandma said that family is something you have a choice in and… i choose you.”

you feel tears building behind your eyes and satoshi quickly wraps his arms around your waist. “don’t cry!” he says hurriedly, “i didn’t mean to make you cry.”

you ease down to your knees, wrapping your arms around him and caressing his hair. it’s longer now, by his request to look more like his dad. satoru was not thrilled to find out they didn’t have matching haircuts anymore. “don’t worry ‘toshi, they’re happy tears… and you can call me whatever you like, okay?”

he nods, smiling brightly. “okay! does that mean we’re a family now?”

you laugh through your tears. “definitely. i guess we have been for a while now, haven’t we?”

it’s at this moment that suguru enters the room. “sorry it took me a minute, had a call from work– is this a… bad time?” he immediately notices the tears in your eyes, walking over and leaning down to be level with the both of you.

satoshi leans in and wipes your tears from your cheeks clumsily with his fingers. “i think momma’s crying because my project is too good!” he concludes, grabbing the paper and presenting it now to his father. 

suguru pauses at the drawing, his own eyes tearing up though he is much better at hiding it. he looks to you for guidance. his gaze asks if this is okay.

“yeah,” you whisper, answering both of your boy’s questions. you lean in and press a kiss to suguru’s cheek. he instinctively places a kiss on your temple and pulls the two of you close. there is warmth in this space, and it holds you together as your voice wavers ever so slightly.

“it’s perfect.”

note: hey there! this fic is for one of my favorite writer’s milestone collab (@shibaraki)! THEME: the little wonders, comfort in the mundane, the pinprick moments that make living worthwhile.

it’s an homage to their fic fill my little world (right up) that i highly suggest you taking the time to look at if you even slightly enjoyed what i created here! a huge ty to @kishibye for beta reading this for me! that being said, i never want to look at it again, lmao. thanks for reading.

TODOROSIE. all original work. do not plagiarize, translate, or repost. this includes feeding my work to ai apps and sites.

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KNY Incorrect quotes#53 Spicey Juice

Tiny Hashira!Y/n, to Uzui*drunk as hell after Uzui gave them spiked juice* The god of cringe thinks he knows everything but he has no idea I'm in love with Gyomei~

Uzui*criminal offensive side eye* Shut. Up.

Tiny Hashira!Y/n: Ops! Sorry! My bad.

Tiny Hashira!Y/n, to Gyomei: Uzui thinks he knows everything but he has no idea I'm in love with Gyomei!~

Gyomei: Y-you're in love with me?!

Tiny Hashira!Y/n: ...

Tiny Hashira!Y/n: Where the f*ck is Shinobu when I am talking to her?!

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𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 ☆ 𝙮𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙞 𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙞𝙠𝙪𝙣𝙞

☆ ──── 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 : this is for one my faves @stxrryemxlys congrats on graduating, so here is a grad gift for u!! even tho it lowkey became hella self indulgent fmenferj

☆ ──── 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) : long flashback?, sensual themes??

The nights that he would leave for days and sometimes even weeks at a time to tend to slaying demons would leave you irrevocably lonely. Your heart yearned for him to come back home so you would find yourself restless. In fact, so restless that you would toss and turn in your bed until you threw the covers off of your body followed by a  frustrated huff. The light of the moon was cold and unforgiving. It opposed the warmth and welcome of the sun. Your sun. His smile, his voice and the way few but tenderhearted words would fall from his lips. You wanted nothing more than to see him at that moment.

Soon you found yourself getting out of bed and slipping on your shoes. You grabbed one of  the wisteria incense that endlessly burned from your porch as you walked barefoot across the path that led to the edge of town. Thankfully there was no wind to blow out your incense, but even if it had it would burn long enough for you to get home safely. The sound of water trickling was getting louder and louder as you headed down the moonlit path. 

You smiled as you recalled the memory of meeting him for the first time here. 

You were gathering fish from the river and he had been standing at the edge watching as the scales of the colorful trout danced in the light of the sun. Your breath had caught at the sight of the handsome man in front of you. He wore his hair long in a high ponytail that lifted in the summer breeze. His maroon gaze soon on you and your heart thrummed against your chest.

“The trout here are quite vibrant. I’ve never seen anything like it.” His voice was deep and rich, though his tone was cheery and a hint of aloof. 

“Oh–yes! They are also quite tasty when you cook them just right.” You stammered nearly as hard as your heart did. “Would you care to join me in catching some?”

You glanced away from a moment feeling his intense gaze on you. Your cheeks warmed as you continued on your incessant blabbering. “I cook them quite well.”

You stole a glance and a small smile had graced his attractive visage. “I would like that a lot.”

Gutting and cooking the fish wasn’t the hard part, catching them, however, was. 

“Ah! I caught one!” Yoriichi exclaimed with a stunted look on his usually stoic face. He hadn’t felt such joy in a long time. The fish wriggled within his grasp and he showcased his first catch to you.

You clasped your hands together and beamed at him as he struggled to keep the fish in his hands. 

“Great catch!” 

Fwwp!

The trout had completely slipped out of his hand and plopped back into the river and Yoriichi’s face was unmoving. He was completely hampered by what had just occurred that he hadn’t even known how to react. 

You couldn’t help but giggle at the fleeting happiness of his first catch. His face softened at your melodious laughter and suddenly he felt embarrassed at how excited he had become over something so menial. 

“How childish of me.” He laughed, peering down at himself. 

His rolled up sleeves and hakama were completely soaked, but his resolve was strong.

“I will catch this trout.” The look of determination on his face was enough to make you stop laughing and get serious with him.

“I’ll teach you a trick to catching a fish and not having it slip from your grasp.” You said as you rolled your sleeves and cuffed your pants and padded across the running river right alongside his form.

While he had his eyes trained to kill demons, your eyes and hands had been trained to be an expert at catching fish. 

“You ready your stance and wait for the perfect moment…Gotcha!” You exclaimed in triumph as you held the fish and quickly dropped it in the bucket. 

When you peered up for a moment, you caught a glimpse of Yoriichi’s eyes that sparkled at you in curiosity and admiration. “That is truly amazing! Please teach me how to achieve this level of mastery.”

You rubbed the back of your neck as you gave him a sheepish grin. “It’s nothing special, really. Just something I was taught by the village elders.”

Yoriichi and you went back to catching fish as you continued to converse. 

“Did you not have parents growing up?” He asked. It wasn't a rude question, just something you never really spoke openly about. 

You shook your head as you watched Yoriichi raise his hand to attempt to catch a fish, but it was all in vain as he caught nothing but water. He shook the water off of his hand and you softly chuckled at his failed venture. 

“Damn.” He mumbled to himself.

“That was close. Try again.” You said. A small pause as you recollected your thoughts before answering. “No, I was an orphan for as long as I can remember. The village elders looked after me and taught me all the skills I know today. Honest work for honest pay. I’ve never traveled farther than the next town over.”

“I see.” He observed the water rippling beneath both of your ankles. “I think they did a great job raising you. You really know how to catch fish.”

You peered up at him and his smile was warm and enchanting. So young and full of life.

“I’ll show you how I cook ‘em, too.” You beamed at him.

“I didn’t know one could make trout taste so tender and flavorful.” He hummed in content as he savored every bite.

Your chin sat on your palm as you watched him take mouthfuls of rice and pieces of food stick to the sides of his mouth. It had occurred to you that this man hadn’t known how incredibly stunning he was. Not only in physical beauty, but his boyish and nonchalant attitude was charming as hell. Well, charming as hell to you. 

“Aren’t you going to eat…” His head turned to the side before blinking back several times. “I never asked for your name. How rude of me.”

“You can call me [name].” You felt warmth rush to your cheeks when he looked at you. He was so endearing without even realizing it. 

“[name], that’s an interesting name.” He seemed to be pensive for a moment as he nibbled at his trout. 

You chuckled as you waited for him to reveal his name to you. He glanced up at you confused as to why you were looking at him for some sort of answer. 

“And your name?” You giggled at him. He blinked a couple of times as he registered your words. 

“You can call me, Yoriichi.” He finally said as he placed down his bowl in front of you and bowed. “Thank you for the meal, [name].”

“Oh, no need for that. We’re practically the same age.” You waved him off. 

He peered up at you in surprise. “What is your age?”

“I’m twenty years of age.”

A ghost of a smile now on his lips. “I guess we are the same age then.”

He glanced into the crackling fire between the both of you and then to the sun that was beginning to dip below the horizon. “I should get going.”

“W-wait!” You suddenly said as you grasped on the sleeve of his haori.

 He looked from your hand that was grasping the still damp fabric to you whose eyes were big and glistening with a yearning for company. The company of a man that could possibly fulfill the void where your heart was supposed to be. 

“You should stay.” You murmured. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment as he glanced down at you. His face was unreadable as he analyzed your features and tried to read the expression on your face. Yoriichii never faced a situation like this before. You, a woman, who had taught him how to catch and cook trout in the span of a day. You, a woman, who pleaded for his company. 

Should you have had any semblance of shame? Yes, maybe. But the thought of never seeing this man ever again. A stranger who had just happened to be passing through town and never to cross paths in the near or distant future suddenly filled you with the emptiness that you were always left with scared you.

“You know, since it’s dark out and demons are out and about.” You quickly said feeling hot in the face. It was more than apparent that he was a demon slayer. From the sword that he proudly wore on his waist to the kimono that hung around his form.

“Do you know how to fend for yourself against demons?” He suddenly asked.

You thought about his words for a moment before shaking your head. 

“Then I will stay until I teach you how to.” And there was that smile again. That smile that you found yourself yearning for every day since that occurrence. 

And he kept his promise. Yoriichi would sleep a few feet away from you and wake you at dawn with the intention of honing your skills to the fullest extent. He wore you down to your bones, but his encouraging words and sincerity had pushed you to be the quick witted and instinctual warrior that he promised he would make out of you. 

He would fondly watch you as you practiced every move of his and soon he had moved on to  teaching you his breaths.

Your eyes sparkled in delight as he had showcased only a single technique and yet it mesmerized you as flames ignited from his blade and then to his form. He was literally his own sun. His techniques were a form of a fatal dance to the death and that only further entranced you. 

“It may look intimidating, but I know you can do it, [name]. After all, my work won’t be done until you master it.” His form towered over you as you peered up at him. 

If anything, he hadn’t even planned on teaching you any breathing techniques as that had been outside of the realm of what he thought you were capable of. But after watching you these past several months, mastering technique after technique he had gained a guilty indulgence toward you.

In no time, you had conquered every breath that he had laid out for you and soon you were a shining star next to your sun. Yoriichi had found himself not able to separate himself from you. He wanted only to spend all his days being in your company, hearing the sound of your laughter and the incoherent mumblings in your sleep as he tucked you into bed. Soon he had learned to cook trout almost just as good as you if not better and you were waking up to meals made by him without even having asked. 

“Yoriichi, can you head down to the market and grab some potatoes and a pound of rice? We seem to have run out already.” You called out from inside as he sharpened his blade on the porch. 

He frowned. “By myself?” 

You poked your head out the doorway. “What was that?”

“You want me to go alone?” He asked again, not feeling embarrassed by his question. 

It delighted you to see that pout on his face. “Well, I’m busy trying to clean the floors. I just think it would be more productive if you went and got food while I was here cleaning.” 

“It would be quicker if I just helped you and then we headed off together.” He was persistent as hell when it came to these sorts of things.

He was guilty of being overfond of your presence, but he welcomed it. He didn’t want to be without you and that much he knew. 

"[name], it’s too cold for you to be out here with nothing but your yukata on.” His voice suddenly filled the air and you felt your body go frigid. 

It had just occurred to you that your toes and fingers were going numb, but you hadn’t cared about that. He was finally here. Yoriichi had stood tall in front of your form and soon you had found yourself throwing your arms around his shoulders. 

His body went rigid for a moment as he had felt shocked by your unexpected intimate gesture. Your quiet sobs were muffled by the fabric of his haori and you clung onto his tightly with no thoughts of ever letting go. His scent was just as you had remembered. Woodsy and musky from his travels and scintillas of wisteria adhered to the fabric on his figure. You missed every bit of him and you couldn’t even hold yourself back from clutching onto him. 

His firm hand found the small of your back and he sighed. “Let’s get inside.”

“Carry me.” You murmured against his chest. 

He quietly obliged and soon you were lifted from the ground and you couldn’t find the courage to look at him as he carried you in his arms with ease. 

There was only one other time that he had carried you this way and that was when you had sprained your ankle in the river trying to catch a trout and you were unable to get up on your own. He never scolded you, only softly speaking to you as he tended to your injury. You whimpered in pain and he never hushed you. He simply bandaged it and stayed by your side and became almost annoyingly dotting. 

Is that what love was?

Yoriichi never liked to think too much of it. He hadn’t exactly familiarized himself with the concept of it, but then again he would simply brush off any compliments made to him by women who flock to him. He didn’t understand why. Why did he treat you like you were a wife he was coming home to and accompanied on trips to the market, racing downhills with and down the halls to see who could finish cleaning their side of the floor first with?

“Yoriichi.” Your voice was barely above a whisper. 

He peered down at you for a moment hearing the neediness in your voice. Warmth blossomed to his cheeks as he got a better look at you. Your eyes were hazy with lust and longing. Or maybe he was mistaking it for some other emotion that he couldn’t quite pinpoint in that moment. 

“Yoriichi.” A small whine emitted from your lips as half covered your eyes with your forearm. 

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he observed the way your lips glistened in the moonlight and the way your eyes fluttered up at him. 

“Yes, [name].” His voice shook to his and your surprise.

You bit your lip and he was in anticipation of your next words. “I want you.”

His heart stammered at your words. “Want me to what?”

Your hand tugged at his haori. “ I want you–and me…”

You struggled to find the right words to put together for him to get it without you having to actually say it. 

“Do you love me, [name]?” It was so sudden. Nothing that you would ever expect him to ever ask you. No, not ever in a million years had you imagined him asking you something like this.

“And if I said yes?” 

He didn’t skip a beat. “We should get married.”

You felt your heart pound against your chest at his words. “M-married?!”

A small sigh escaped his lips as he felt a tad embarrassed at his own choice of words. “If that’s alright with you. I’ve come to realize I want to stay by your side until the day I die and if there is an afterlife I want you to be there with me then as well.”

You felt your eyes well up with tears at his sweet words. Yoriichi was hardly a romantic. He never really spoke about his feelings. He was a man of the moment and honestly this proposal suited more than anything else.

“Why are you crying?” His tone was brimming with concern as he wiped your tears away. 

He gently set you down on your futon and rubbed your eyes as you sat up. 

“Because–I–I don’t know. I just feel emotional right now. I never thought you would ask me to marry you.” You whimpered as you tried catch your breath.

His expression softened as he looked at you. He wanted to take care of you until he no longer could and lay with you every night and wake up with you every morning and the only way to say all of that was to ask you just that. To marry him.

“Well, do you accept?” He asked, scooting toward your form.

“How could I not?” You sniffled. 

A rare toothy grin spread across his boyish features as he dabbed away at your tears. “Good. Because then we can do husband and wife things.”

You sat upright at his words and your sniffles came to a stop as you felt your cheeks warm. “Like what kind of husband and wife things?”

His voice was low and soft as he spoke. “Like the things you want me to do to you right now.”

His fingers brushed away the stray hairs that covered your face and felt yourself hold your breath as he did. 

“Let’s do it tomorrow.” And he wasn’t kidding either.

“Tomorrow?!” You exclaimed. “I don’t even have a dress for the ceremony let alone someone to officiate it!”

“Mmm.” He thought for a moment as he leaned against his palms. “I guess you’re right about that.” 

“How about a week from today?” 

“A week?! Yoriichi! You’re insane!” But you felt joy and laughter bubble from your throat. You couldn’t help but feel elated at the fact that he wanted to spend eternity with you.

“That should be enough, right?” He inquired, cocking his head to the side.

“I mean–I guess so.” You became pensive as you searched your mind for anyone who would be willing to sew you up a dress.

“Ah, I just remembered. An older lady from the village not too far from here said that if I ever found someone I wanted to marry, she would make them a dress at no cost.” He bumped his fist to his palm.

“And why does she owe you that?” Your curiosity was piqued.

“I saved her children from getting eaten by demons.”

“Ah, of course. Always the classic I-saved-your-children-from-flesh-eating-demons-so-I-owe-you-a-wedding-dress scenario.”

“What do you mean?” 

You shook your head and laughed. “Nothing. If she can get a dress done by the end of the week that would be…”

"That would be perfect.” He finished as he gave you a softer smile and put his calloused hand on top of yours.

His maroon gaze was intense yet playful as he gazed down at you and it made your heart nearly jump out of your chest. 

“Then I can fulfill my duties as a husband to you.”

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we got married!

request: can i request headcanons of yoriichi from demon slayer getting married to reader?

# tags: headcanon; current marriage relationship; romance; fluff; soft!yoriichi; kisses; sfw

includes: gender neutral reader ft. yoriichi tsugikuni {kny}

author’s note: sorry, anonnie, that you waited so long :( love u!

↘ Yoriichi is a traditional man who doesn’t show much emotion.

↘ You were the only person around him who got to know him enough to make dark-haired trust you fully and give you his uncertain, delicate heart.

↘ Your tenderness, intelligence, and knowledge of many things (like such as cooking, reading books, writing, growing plants or caring for animals) impressed him, and although you weren’t as physically strong as he was, nor could you use melee weapons, your strong heart and soul gave him a lot of support; physical and mental. Especially mental, in these hard times.

↘ It took a while, but one day, when you were preparing dinner for your boyfriend (vegetables with chicken and rice, as well as some tasty side dishes), moving your hips slightly to the rhythm of birdsong and sizzling meat, Yoriichi just came up to you, hugged you from behind and asked if you would be his forever.

↘ He swore to you his eternal love and faithfulness, and promised to protect you and be by your side in times of poverty, illness, and even war. Of course, you agreed without hesitation, and sealed your decision with a long, passionate kiss and long, long hug.

↘ Then you two had dinner for the first time as a full-fledged engaged couple, and indulged in some alcohol and a piece of cake you had baked the day before.

↘ Yoriichi was happy, you knew it even though he didn’t show it as always.

↘ Your wedding wasn’t spectacular; your beloved’s older brother appeared on it together with his long-term partner. Yoriichi’s parents and one friend with his wife and two-year-old child also arrived. From your side came: your two friends, their partners and children and of course your closest family (father, mother, siblings)..

↘ Nevertheless, delicious food and a dozen or so bottles of sake made the intimate event livelier and more pleasant. Everyone spent time as if there was no tomorrow.

↘ It was a successful day… The wedding night was also very successful, if you know what I mean.

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