Caught By Flames (Kyojuro Rengoku x Reader)

36 : Bonding + Announcement

Kyojuro led you and your father to a restuarant he deemed worthy of praise. It was his favorite since they had the best sweet potatoes around. You didn't mind though, so your father didn't either. He just wanted to spend more time with his daughter after having been away for years. Kyojuro, on the other hand, wanted to make sure he didn't try anything funny while simultaneously getting to know the man.

The three of you spoke about various things like adventures and happy times. Your father laughed at Kyojuro's eating habit of repeating tasty while you only smiled and continued eating. It was strange for you, having someone else to spend your time with. The only people you've really devoted yourself to were pillars of the corps and the Rengoku family and that's who you spent your free time with. They were your family.

But now, you have your father who seems like a genuine man, someone who wouldn't do a thing to harm someone else. It was hard to believe he was the reason your mother and brother were killed...

Kyojuro noticed you got quiet and nudged your leg with his and gave you a small, affectionate smile. "Something troubling you, dear?" He questioned with his chin on his hands.

You immediately felt the heat fill your cheeks as you threw your hands around, embarrassed. "N-not at all, Kyojuro!" He chuckled and turned his attention back to your father.

"If I may rudely ask, what exactly did you do to (Y/N)'s family?" You kicked Kyojuro with a frown but looked over and saw a small smile on your father's wrinkled features.

With a low hum, he answered, "Well, that's an easy question. I told Muzan where to find them and he had my wife and son killed by a demon while I was away. When I returned, they were already buried while (Y/N) was missing. Muzan was waiting for me, and trapped me in his infinity castle place."

Kyojuro glanced at you to see your reaction then faced your father once more. "Thank you for answering. I know it must be hard living with that." You noticed Kyojuro didn't sound like himself and smiled brightly.

"Hey, let's bury this topic! It isn't doing anything for us anymore, might as well put it behind us! How about some dessert?" You got up and went to get some before either could reject, leaving their sight.

You turned a corner and bent down, clutching your uniform as tears fell from your eyes. After the fight with upper moon six, you've missed your family more than ever and with your father here, it only made it harder on you. You could recall clearly when you had said they were irrelevant to you during your final selection, but it wasn't true anymore. They made you you. If not for them, you wouldn't be who you are now which hurt more than anyone could know.

Small sobs left your throat as you opened your eyes and saw the tear stained dirt. Knowing they would get worried, you quickly wiped the tears and ran off to get some dessert.

"Is she always like that?" Your father questioned right after you left.

Kyojuro leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, an act of intimidation. "No." Was all he replied.

"Did something upset her then?!" He quietly yelled, Kyojuro only shaking his head.

"This may sound harsh, but I want you to know I don't trust you. If you even think about hurting Snowball, I won't hesitate to kick you out of our lives forever. I wouldn't recommend betraying the trust she's put in you, or you'llanswer to me." Kyojuro responded with cold eyes glaring at the stiff man.

Your father stuck his hands up in surrender, "She's precious to me, I would never do such a thing to my baby girl! I'm really glad she has someone who will openly threaten her own father for her sake!" Kyojuro's glare only got harsher as he 'hmph'ed and looked away.

The silence between them was awkward until you showed back up with yours and Kyojuro's favorite dessert, a random one for your father since you didn't know his favorite. "So uh, nice... weather we're having, huh?" You said awkwardly, trying to diffuse the suffocating tension between the two.

At the sound of your voice, Kyojuro immediately perked up with a bright smile painting his features as he took the delicious looking sweets. "You know me too well, Snowball!" He chuckled and began eating while you slide the random sweet to your father, beginning to eat yours while trying to keep attention on it and not the two boys around you.

"(Y/N), were you crying, sweetheart?" Your father worriedly asked, forcing your eyes to face him while keeping an uninterested and bored expression.

"Of course not. Why would I have any reason to cry?" You replied dryly as you kept most your focus on your dessert. Kyojuro then looked over at you and gave his famous smile.

"He's just worried, (Y/N)! No need to sound so distant!" He chuckled with a wide grin. You fathers your father glare at him slightly, causing your brow to raise slightly.

You shrugged it off, though, "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound that way!"

Once you all were done with your sweets, the three of you started to head back to the Butterfly Estate. Kyojuro and your father seemed to be off on a rocky start, and you tried to fix it, but both of them claimed they were perfectly fine with it so you couldn't do much. You felt as though they were, in the future, going to make you choose one of them over the other.

As of right then, you didn't think you'd be able to choose one over the other...

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.
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Kyojuro held you hand as though it were the most important thing as you bid your father goodnight, even though he slept in the room across from yours in the mansion. Once the door closed he pulled you close to him, holding you with extreme tenderness, yet his grasp was firm.

"K-Kyojuro- where's this coming from?" You asked as you looked up to him, seeing his sun like features washed over with a sudden sadness. "Oh my-! Did something happen?! My father didn't say anything did he-?"

Kyojuro smiled and shook his head, "Nothing of the sort. On the contrary, I did happen to warn him if he betrayed you." You could tell just by his tone he thought you would be mad at him for doing that, but it warmed your heart instead. "I don't want to lose you, (Y/N). Not now, not ever..."

You wrapped your arms around him, one of the resting on top of his head, lightly stroking his soft and golden hair. "You won't, Kyojuro. I'm yours for eternity, nothing can change that. Not even my father." You smiled and pulled yourself closer to him, linking lips.

He chuckled after he pulled away, "Likewise, my love." He kissed your forehead and pulled you towards your shared bed gently.

A/N / ANNOUNCMENT:

Hello, lovely readers!! I'm surprised you've made it this far, I didn't think my fanfic was that good... but I come baring bad news, and I say this with a sad heart, but the series will be on hold for about 2 weeks. I'm visiting family, and I haven't seen them in 3 or more years so I'll be spending time with them and won't have much left to spare to upload new chapters...

However, I do want to thank you all for reading this story and voting/commenting! You have no clue how happy it makes me to hear at least some of you enjoy it... and honestly, that's why I feel so bad for putting it on hiatus...

I hope when I return, you will continue to read and enjoy my fanfic!

See you all when I come back!! ❤❤ Stay safe, and take care!!

P.S. hope you enjoyed this short chapter... I wanted to make it longer but got to lazy.