#kyojuro x black reader

Pairing: Rengoku x black!fem origincal character or reader

Summary:Kyojuro finds himself face to face with a young woman from his younger years. Things have changed for the both of them.

Warnings: mentions of bullying, long chapter

Note: i saw this fanart of kyoand this idea immediately had to be done lmao

“estaré pagando. gracias señor.” (i’ll pay for that. thank you, sir.)

a strapping voice at her side insisted her bill, to her immediate disquiet. it had taken enough of a toll on her anxieties to travel abroad on her own– much less to have ventured out this late to eat out by herself in a foreign country. could she even remember the number for spanish police? the last thing in the living world she wished to do was to wind up beholden to some strange male who felt obligated to her for the price of a tapas plate. 

“oh no, no tienes que–” (oh no, you don’t have to)

he could only grin when her panicked face turned to his for her stammering’s sake. but when her alarmed insistence slowed to a halt and left her lips parted, it rendered her the portrait of a gobsmacked schoolgirl– moon-eyed and all. then, he could do nothing but smirk. 

“kyojuro?”

“the world gets smaller by the day,” he hummed, less than subtle in drinking in her features. he made the mental note then and there to tell her how stunningly they had developed since he saw her last… once he could convince her to some place more private than where they sat barside. “i see you’ve gained some prowess with your tongue, tahiry.”

her brows flew up to him, but she thanked grace above for him not being aware of the heated blood that sent across her nose and cheeks. “i wh–…?”

“your spanish,” he answered–with the nerve to sound innocent, as though there was nothing suggestive at all about his slant on the compliment. “you’re fluent?”

“no, i’m learning still,” she ignored the pounding of her heart to answer him. tahiry quickly reached to her wine glass for cover, choosing to make her next few comments with it as a partial shield, “you sound like you are, though.”

“more or less…” he said with utter disinterest in himself. but his eyes darted to her obscured mouth as he slipped onto the stool beside her, watching as she sipped her red, and persuaded to lick his own lips upon seeing her swallow it down, “but do i dare ask about your japanese..?”

his brow quirked, painting an air of cool expectancy. the beat was short between them, then erupted in cackles when neither could hold the facade any longer. albeit, kyō did with a shake of his head, “shameful..! even under my months of heartfelt tutelage!”

“iknow that ain’t what you’ve been calling that all this time,” she barely squeezed out through her laughter. it made his smile even more pleased.

“why not?!”

she was glad he could make her crack up this badly, at least it gave her an excuse for the blazing warmth under her skin. she figured it was the least she could do to feign maintenance of her cool, despite the molten sex on legs this boy had grown to be. how in hell had he become this fine..? the dilemma sat heavily in her mind even now. tahiry’d never have thought this to be the same kyojuro she’d met 16 years prior.

at the time, her tiny mind hadn’t understood what possessed the international children that had shown up to the summer camp she’d been enrolled in, much less how a young japanese boy had ended up on the roster. but there he wound up, along with three english girls, one german boy, twins from australia, and one child who was from south africa. 

she could recall clear as day. the first weeks had not been easy on him, though he coasted through them as if they were. his particular accent of the lot, the volume and abruptness of his speaking, the wildly unnatural colors of his hair and eyes… they were just the breeding ground that 10 year old, mean-spirited intentions needed to last until the summer’s end. oddly enough, though, he didn’t seem to mind any of it. he even smiled and laughed along, tugging his hair and poking at his stark brows as he joined in the ribbing. he took it all in stride as if it were playful, familial teasing being given in love, as opposed to the cruel mockery and vitriol of childhood bullies it actually was. it upset tahiry, and when the third day came of their endless picking, she took it upon herself to snatch him away from those snickers and jeers of the others that he remained so oblivious to. and from the morning that she had slapped her tiny hand over his and pulled him from the group of their peers, they quickly blossomed into summer-long best friends. 

many times they would be sequestered to themselves amidst their daily activities, if not completely shut in to the boys’ or girls’ bunk rooms, leaving the rest to their fun as they gabbed to themselves making their own.

“i like your hair, rengy, i think it’s pretty. it look like how fire does!”

“thank you very much!” he grinned, and nearly shouted, sitting patiently while she practiced cornrowing with his feathery mane. his accent was very strong still, and was so adorable it made her want to squish his cheeks and squeeze him. “you do not like the other children?”

“n-mm." 

"why don’t you?” he turned to face her, interrupting the flow of her fingers and making his braid unravel where she was made to stop.

“cos all them some stupidasses,” she answered fussily, growing a tiny frown that kyojuro poked softly away. 

“ok,” he relented when her mouth uncurled,  “but i wish you were their friend!" 

"how come you like them? they all mean!” she asked. the hurt in her eyes pained him, he shifted more until he could play with her face, squishing the apples of her cheeks upward until she smiled, and gave her a close-eyed one himself at his completed work.

“i like to be friends!” he answered honestly. but soon after, a quizzical disposition fell over him. “do you only like me?" 

he was surprised to feel her face grow warm, but happy when he was given a thoughtful nod as an answer. suddenly, he could not decide if that was a better outcome than the one he’d hoped for with their campmates, and a dusty rose tint fanned across his cheeks.

"what are you doing here?”

his grin was so gorgeous. the warm lighting of the place wouldn’t show her mercy, either. the stone facing of the walls, the candles sparsely placed along the bar were all romantic enough, but in their traditional beauty, they also made his eyes positively crystallize. so on top of his adonis-grade bronze skin, she was also left melting under glowing amber and ruby staring directly into her. god, it felt like he could read her mind if he felt like it. and she knew damned well there wasn’t a thought left in there–only steamy scenes playing out, with him starring on top of her.

“me? well,” he scrunched the corner of his nose, facially shrugging, “i’m sitting in a little tapas bar and wondering why this beautiful woman is doing her best to hide her face from me.”

that said face burned with heat of a supernova now, but aside from a knowing glint coming to his eyes, kyōjurō made no notion of awareness to it. instead, he raised a brow once she quipped that ’he wasn’t funny’. 

to which he swiftly countered, “was there a joke?”

“i meant what are you doing in spain..!” she nearly whined.

“oh, in spain,” he nodded, holding his chin and displaying a pensive air “…and the first answer still isn’t what you’re looking for or–?" 

when a small fist came to his shoulder, he broke, chuckling as he rubbed the not-so-sore spot she left, "okay! i was invited.” he answered. seeing the brightened intrigue on her face made him backtrack as much as he could, “well, some friends and me.”

“mnn, pleasure trip, hunh..?" 

"well, i didn’t say that exactly,” he smirked, “even my pleasure mixes with business these days.”
 
with that response he was blessed with the most attractive pop of a thoughtful little ‘o’ on those plump lips. "really?“

he was doing splendidly at sparking her curiosity. leave it to him to be as sexy as he was and have the aid of mystery shrouding his suave demeanor. 

"all the time.”

“what do you do?” she asked, settling in with how interested he’d made her off so little given.

he laughed to himself, softly, and to her confusion. but he turned a bit away from her, as if he couldn’t help himself. “well to be honest, i'm sort’ve in a partial retirement right now,” he answered before wordlessly beckoning the bartender for his own drink, “but i’ve been thinking of a more permanent one lately.”

tahiry gawked at him, waiting quite expectantly for a punchline, “at twenty six?”

“i work hard!” he fussed, still being playful even though her shock was genuine.

“nhmm,” she rolled her eyes, but was helpless to the smile he drew from her lips, “and your friends are cool with that? where are they?" 

the heart-stopping grin he gave once she’d lowered her glass had her averting her eyes all together. she was wondering if she would make it out of here without needing to stop by the ladies room just to squeal.

"there’s no telling with half of them,” he scoffed out a laugh, but he looked fondly doing so as he thought on them. it made her want to know more, but he had other intentions. “but i would much rather hear about you. you came all the way across the atlantic to get here, what brings you?”

it went on this way for the remaining six weeks. they were glued at the hip, with kyojuro giving meager lessons in Japanese– words for certain foods and a few flowers, some birds here and basic body parts that he never minded her butchering. 

"tahiry-chan, look..! remember this one?" 

he’d pointed in excitement toward a beehive, his free hand constantly gripped hers as she constantly kept them at risk of being left behind on morning hikes.
"ma…rabichi..?”

“yes, close! maruhanabachi!”

she’d huffed at him, cementing herself in place. when he turned to her, his soft confusion spoke on his face, answered with her mournful pouting.

“that’s not closeee..! i got it wrong!”

kyō only smiled, closing their small distance and poking her cheek again, “you didn’t! you’re trying, that means you are learning well!”

their meals were always spent together, isolated to their own table some days–away from the others all together under the shade and on the docks on others, and hers shared with kyō more often than not. 

“…tahiry-chan, what’s the matter?”

“i don’t like green grapes.”

“i do, i’ll eat them for you!”

“…why do you take your pickles off?”

“nm. they’re slimy.”

“i don’t mind, i’ll eat yours!”

“…rengy, i don’t like cucumber sandwiches.”

“that’s okay, i’ll eat it! …but what will you eat..?”

“i don’t know.”

“you can have my pear! and we can share my carrot sticks!”

he was surprised, and often thrilled at her being such a finicky eater, as long as she still got enough to eat for lunch. if she hadn’t, kyo would ask for extra fruit, and bring snacks to her bunk to hide in her pillow for when her tummy rumbled at night.

whenever bugs flew around and landed on tahiry, kyōjurō gladly chased after her as she screamed, to try and remove them from her clothes and hair. and when she inevitably cried each time the ordeal ended, he would sit with her and wrap her in his hugs, being silly when hugs wouldn’t work, until his laughter would pull a smile from her.

the nights came with their heads poking out of their group cabins, the two waving and giving poor whispers of 'goodnight’s across the way long after their peers tucked themselves in, or sitting in the doorways when sleep was hard to come by. 

and when the time came, both wrapped each other in a snug embrace neither wanted to release once they were to return home.

“you have to go all the way back to across the ocean..?”

“yes, that’s where I live!”

she hid into their hug, making him squeeze tighter, “i’ll miss you…”

“i’ll miss you, too, tahiry-chan! don’t cry, please! come back for me so we can be friends again! promise to keep liking me still! i promise i won’t be a stupidass!" 

just before she stammered over an answer, the bartender caught his attention. she nearly sighed in relief when he had to remove his eyes from her– it felt like she was released back into the world after being consumed into a bubble that was just him and her… where nothing else existed. certainly not to him. 

but she would rather tell any lie on earth than give her actual reasoning for being an ocean away from home. the memories were flashing back into her mind, against her will, just from trying to avoid the matter. the screaming and crying, the defensive tones and arguments, excuses and blame throwing, the phonecalls made in distress, the haphazard packing and screeching of tires,

she snapped out of her stress daze when she heard him hum, blinking and looking up to see him testing the aroma and legs of his wine, appearing dead serious with the frown laying on his brow. it was sexy as hell, if not… mildly terrifying. she started to wonder if he was here on some vineyard business of his. or if he was a wine collector in his free time, since he was in a pre-retirement. she barely knew different names of the stuff–she’d only asked for a sweet red when she came in. what sort of embarrassment was she in for if he switched the conversation to vintages and brands? she wasn’t even sure what a zinfandel was yet.

"do i look like a rich snob? not like 'internet company’ rich, i’m trying to go for a more 'first-class on the titanic’ feel. old money.”

tahiry was certain she attracted some looks with how loud she clicked her tongue at him, even as her smile betrayed the annoyance she wanted to show.
“are you serious?”

"don’t hold back just because we know each other, i can take criticism.”

“you are a mess!” she cackled, lifting the back of her hand to lightly cover her nose scrunching. it was a divine sight to kyō, her laughing. especially now, when he could catch sight of her neck. it was even lovlier when she threw her head back in humor like she did now. and his appreciation was so evident that even those sat furthest from them could see in how smittenly he looked at her.

“i’ll practice more for you then,” he winked to her before sampling. she was surprised to see his nose wrinkle, looking far less than pleased. “hm. i’ve only ever really liked cheap sugary wines, to be honest.”

“right? me too, i thought it would be way more grape juice-y when i asked for red. this tastes like… acid and dirt." 

he was caught by surprise hearing her agree, lifting his generous brows and seeing her give the same look of disappointment to her own glass.

"i don’t think i’m a wine fan at all,” she admitted after another unappealing sip, “i just got it to fit the aesthetic. it’s spain, i wanted to look romantic." 

"you could’ve told me that before i tried to impress you!” he chuckled. it made her feel a blush again. luckily, though, instead of making her crush grow even more, he reverted the subject back from where they’d strayed. “so? what made you come to spain..? now that i know you didn’t come for wine tasting.”

“i just needed the change of scenery,” she gave the truth as broadly as possible.

he had been absent for the next year, which left her to a summer which stretch into an eternity, empty and heartbroken in his absence. but once he returned to camp, now twelve and in mid-growth spurt, the attitudes of everyone around mysteriously changed. suddenly, the sparkling eyes and vivid hair that were such a staple of comedy were now something to swoon over for the girls. and with his newly acquired height, kyō had sprouted into quite the athlete in the meantime as well. with just the gap of two school years, he had become one of the most popular boys on the grounds the next time she’d seen him, and it made her resentment toward the others burn with hellfire. 

that summer, unfortunately, made out to be tahiry’s turn to be singled out. and she most certainly was. every trait of her physicality was now a field day to everyone there. her brown skin, the unflattering blemishes left by puberty at her chin and jaw and chest, the fullness of her lips, the shape of her nose, even her changed figure all were in the spotlight to have her verbally dragged at any given moment. 

her natural instinct told her to, of course, retract from all connections to spotlight, so as to not find herself open to target. and kyojuro was in the dead center of it. she had hidden herself away in the bunks before he could even lay eyes on her with how much attention stampeded over him. 

but he did look. like a boy possessed, he searched everywhere for her. eagerly, with a smile the sun could envy, kyō spent the latter half of the morning sprinting to every spot they had shared two years ago, ones he memorized in the tortured summer he’d spent alone in his broken promise, checking tree stumps and the docks, the rear of the mess hall, underneath the dark staircases of unused cabins. she was nowhere to be found at any of them. the hope of seeing her again had built up for an entire two years, crushed once already by shinjuro keeping him from returning the summer before in favor of a strictly athletics program. only with the aid of his mother’s persuasion was he allowed to return. 
and his sole reason for doing so had not. 

kyōjurō fell into line for heaving a sigh, his grin sorrowful and defeated but in tact. his large, lion like eyes were nearly emptied of the hope he cradled to himself from the moment he’d marked his calendar at home. 

“tahiry!”

his head whipped to either side for him when he heard her name called for roll. and his pulse thudded too deeply when there was no answer to be heard.

“she’s here,” a snide comment came from the bunch. both the counselor and kyōjurō turned to the boy with the same urgent expectancy, but the kid shrugged, irritated that more was required from him than that, “well, she is!" 

kyō was off in a bolt. there did happen to be a place he hadn’t checked, possibly out of his learned modesty. it hadn’t even crossed his mind.

it definitely didn’t stop him anymore– with his newfound hope, he made a beeline to the girl’s cabin without a care to give over propriety.

and he had her in a bear hug, clear off the ground when he found her kicking the last of her things under her bed. "you are here! you’re here, you’re here! tahiry-channnnnn!”

“kyōjurō!” his name flew from her in an unflattering squeal, using the last of her breath as he crushed the rest from her.

“yes! you remember!” gleefully he answered with his newly deeper voice, nuzzling into the valley between her shoulder blades, “i was worried, i thought you hadn’t come! i looked everywhere!" 

her face was aflame with embarrassment, particularly when he began to swing her to and fro. thankfully he only had a limited time to do so before his objective found a shift.

"come with me, you’re missing headcount!" 

"put me down, kyō, i’m too heavy!” she strained to him. his face blanked, showing genuine bewilderment, but his sunny grin came back in full swing without a fight.

“what? no you aren’t, i can carry you easy! come on!" 

he hauled her down from the steps of the girls’ cabin, the clearest portrait of a toddler with a pissy cat, and the remaining way to the awaiting group, snatching all their attention by telling that he’d found tahiry-chan. her discomfort flew over his head, then.

it didn’t as the weeks went by.