"You're so cute!" You say, still holding Senjuro.
Senjuro chuckled, clearly enjoying your affection as he sat on the engawa, nestled between you and his brother. The sound of his laughter was like music to your ears, a melody that resonated deep within your heart. His eyes sparkled with mirth, reflecting the pure happiness that radiated from him.
"Am I cute too, my love?" Kyojuro asked, giving you puppy dog eyes. His expression was so endearing that you couldn't help but smile at him. His innocent question tugged at your heartstrings, making you realize just how much you loved this man.
However, you only stared at him blankly before returning your attention back to the mini-Rengoku. Yes, Kyojuro is cute. Actually, cute isn't the right word to describe him at the moment. He's more in the "hot" category. Senjuro is a child, so he's the cute one as you continue to hug him.
"Hmm, it would've seem you've stolen my sweet Flame's heart, Otōto?" Kyojuro teased, rustling Senjuro's hair.
Senjuro blushed and gave a bashful smile. "Sorry, Oniichan, I didn't mean to. But you were right about what you said about (Name)-chan!"
You perked at this, "oh? And what exactly did Oniichan say about me?" Your curiosity piqued, eager to know what Kyojuro's been telling Senjuro behind your back.
"That you were kind and pretty like a thousand wisteria trees!" Senjuro replied.
You blushed slightly before glancing over at your fiance, raising a questionable brow, "seriously? A thousand wisteria trees?"
Kyojuro gave you an sheepish look while playfully rolling his eyes, "well, to me you are!" He says.
You sighed then smiled, "your big brother is a hopeless romantic, Senjuro! A big sack of cheese!" You say.
Your unusual comment made the young flame-haired boy laugh, for he'd never heard that phase before.
"Well, I'm most certainly a proud sack of cheese!" Kyojuro boasted comically.
"And that makes you, my lovely cracker!" He added.
"Oh, you did not just call me a flat, dry piece of baked bread!" You replied, making a pouty face.
"Yes, and together.. WE'RE DELICIOUS!" Kyojuro exclaims with passion, his eyes comically twinkling like stars.
His dumb remark made you blush in embarrassment as you growled before clenching a fist.
"YOU'RE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK FOR A SECOND WE'RE CALLING OUR RELATIONSHIP CHEESE AND CRACKERS!"
"CHEESE AND CRACKERS, THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF DELICIOUSNESS!"
"YOU'RE IN DENILE, WE'RE NOT CHEESE AND CRACKERS!"
"UMAI!" Kyojuro exclaimed, cheerfully.
"Shut up!"
Senjuro giggled, seeing you two bricker playfully. The two of you were so perfect together! There was no doubt in his mind that the two of you were meant to be. Never in his life, had he seen his big brother so smitten. As he watched the two of you interact, he couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart at the sight of such genuine happiness. It was clear to him that you brought out the best in his brother, and he was grateful to have you in his family.
Kyojuro truly was in love!
Senjuro then looked towards the window only to catch a glimpse of a tall shadow figure peeking though the curtain.
The younger Rengoku's expression soon turned wary as he then glanced towards Kyojuro.
"Oniichan?"
Both Kyojuro and you immediately stopped your playful bickering as the flame Hashira looked at his younger brother.
"Hm, what is it Senjuro?" He questioned.
"Are you going to introduced (Name)-chan to Otōsan?" The younger Rengoku asked, nervously.
Your eyes widen slightly at the realization that you had completely forgotten about Kyojuro's father, Shinjuro Rengoku. Although Kyojuro had already briefed you about his father, the idea of meeting him still managed to stir up a sense of apprehension within you. You were well aware that he had resorted to alcoholism as a coping mechanism following the death of his wife and Kyojuro's mother, Ruka.
Honestly, you couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the elderly Rengoku.
As if sensing your nervousness, Kyojuro let out a soft sigh before casting a reassuring glance in your direction, "There's no need to worry, my love! I'll be right there beside you," he reassured you with a gentle smile.
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You followed closely behind Kyojuro, holding his hand as you both entered the living room. You instantly glanced over the coffee table and were surprised to see a tall man resembling Kyojuro laying on the floor. He had the same flame-colored hair like Kyojuro and Senjuro and wore a red kimono.
Now you finally see where Kyojuro gets his looks from! It would seem that you were wrong about Kyojuro's hair not being natural.
"Father!" Kyojuro says as he sat down on the floor in seiza and you followed suit, still clinging to his arm.
"Hm?" The tall man grumbled.
"I like you to meet, (Name)! My fiancee and you're future daughter-in-law." Kyojuro replies and you watched as the man slowly sat up, scratching his messy head of hair, before turning to face you and Kyojuro.
You nearly gasped seeing how identical his appearance looked compared to his sons! With the same fork-shape eyebrows and gold with red eyes. It was truly remarkable how strong the family resemblance was, with every feature mirroring each other in such a striking manner.
Shinjuro slowly shifted his gaze towards you, his sharp half-lidded red and golden eyes locking onto your (e/c) ones. As you met his intense stare, you couldn't help but feel a shiver run down your spine, the unspoken tension between the two of you palpable in the air.
"So, you're the girl who's going to be my daughter-in-law?" The head of the Rengoku household asked.
His baritone voice was rough but calm; there wasn't any hint of slurring in his words, implying that he'd must've not been drinking as of late, much to Kyojuro's absolute delight! Prior to leaving, Kyojuro had told his father that if he were to bring you home, he wanted Shinjuro-sama to be sober and not make a fool of himself or be disrespectful towards you.
And after a few curses and angry grunts from the man, Shinjuro eventually obliged.
"Yes Sir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." You say, bowing in respect. "I am (Last Name) (Name)." You introduced yourself.
"Rengoku Shinjuro." He introduces himself in return, "Kyojuro has told me a lot about you." He says, looking you over.
He had to admit, you were quite pretty.
"How did this knucklehead ever land a catch like you?"
You blushed, feeling a rush of warmth creeping up your cheeks. "Oh, um..well, he just asked!" you stammered, trying to downplay the situation. Even though it wasn't a total lie, you couldn't help feeling a bit flustered by the unexpected question.
"So, I hear you're known as the Yuki-onna? Funny, since you don't look a ghost!" Shinjuro says.
"Yes, I get that a lot."
"You got ice powers, right? Then show me." The man asked and slid a cup filled with what you assumed was sake towards you.
You could feel the weight of his expectations as he gazed at you, eagerly awaiting a demonstration of your abilities.
You briefly glanced at Kyojuro, who'd only nodded his head at you. "It's okay, my love."
Feeling at ease, you calmly picked up the cup. You've frozen alcoholic beverages before, like beer and wine, so sake was no exception. Your icy curse was definitely more powerful than any freezer inside a domestic refrigerator. With a sense of determination, you focused on harnessing the power within you, feeling the icy energy building up inside.
All three of them watched in awe as you calmly blew on it, a sudden chill filled the air, causing frost to form on the surface of the liquid.
Shinjuro's eyes widened in amazement as he witnessed the manifestation of your unique gift. Once finished, you showed that the liquid in the cup was completely frozen into ice.
"Wow, that's amazing!☆" Senjuro complimented.
"Well done, my love!♡" Kyojuro praised.
"Hmph, impressive. It's like some kind of ice breathing technique! Y'know, if Kyojuro were to train you, then perhaps you can become a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. However, I advise you don't get involved." Shinjuro tells you sternly.
Though his remark wasn't meant to be taken seriously, your eyes couldn't help but widen. Never had you thought of becoming a demon slayer along with your lover. 'Was that even a possibility?!' You inwardly pondered and glanced at Kyojuro.
You noticed how he had his fists tightly clenching onto his pants as you then looked up to see him...frowning.
Was he perhaps displeased?
"Can you cook?"
You almost didn't hear Shinjuro-sama as you immediately snapped out of your thoughts.
"Yes Sir!"
"Good to know." Shinjuro nodded and then glanced towards his son, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Son... if you somehow screw this up, I'm disowning you and throwing you out onto streets. She's too good to pass up, so you better keep her!" He says.
Kyojuro, in return, gave his father a serious, yet passionate look.
"I will, Otōsan!"
Shinjuro nodded again then glanced back at you,
"Welcome to the Rengoku family, daughter-in-law!"