gradual | ayato kirishima

Affection Series

Tokyo Ghoul | Ayato Kirishima

Language + Mentions of Abuse from Aogiri + Ayato Warning

There were a lot of words you would use to describe Kirishima Ayato. Stubborn. Asshole. A bit of a Tsundere. But, he was a sweetheart - even if he hated displaying it. He would often insult you when you told him how you knew he actually was, but you brushed it off. He could be warm and affectionate. If he made you upset, he tried to get you not to be mad at him. Ayato was covered by a hard shell of his own design, the hatred of humans and the blood lust that always followed him on his hunts being the most known shell. He was easily angered and quick to lash out at another, friend or foe. But to those who could get past that stubborn and thick shell, which was currently only you, he was afraid. Ayato protected himself by keeping people at arm length, snapping at those around him as a way to deter them from trying to come close.

It was lonely.

And then there was you.

You had not joined the Aogiri by your own accord - you were shoved into it by rough hands that would strike you if you dared to disobey. You were a prisoner, a young ghoul shoved before Ayato when your previous guardian decided they could not deal with you anymore. It showed on your body. Scars and bruises littered your skin, a cut that was only beginning to heal underneath your eye. You stood with your chin high and your eyes staring right at the other when you were presented to him. Perhaps he could get you to be obedient - if he couldn't.. well. You'd be a meal. There was a part of Ayato that admired that determination and defiance in your eyes, that look that told him you would not obey him even if it cost you your life. He did not treat you any differently because of it.

If anything, the two of you were on neutral terms. You did not yell at him, and he only raised his voice or a hand if you got something very wrong. Still your wounds healed quickly, and you started noticing changes in his behavior. Less and less he would kick you across the room. Less and less he would give you that harsh glare that you would wonder if he was trying to kill you without raising a hand or a kagune. There was no official proposal, or official request - it just.. started. Your relationship kind of just began. With his help behind the scenes, you moved from prisoner to official member and made your way up the ranks. Ayato was your superior and was there as your supervisor of sorts, to keep you on your toes and make sure you knew the tricks of the trade. He was the only one you would not snap at if ordered around.

Ayato would take your hand instead of wrist when taking you somewhere, his insults only being a few steps down than the usual colorful language he would spew at others. He became less stubborn when you had to patch him up, only muttering how he didn't need your help and how he could do it himself. Even as tough skinned as you had become during time a prisoner, you still would kiss his bandages when he was fully patched up. His cheeks would blossom with scarlet hues under your touch and his muscles would tense, but no longer pull away. When you had been cold with the sweat on your skin during your nightly hunts, he'd throw his coat over you, muttering something about how you were an idiot for not bringing a jacket. The adrenaline kept you warm, both of you knew it, but you couldn't deny the goosebumps that betrayed whatever left your mouth.

Your behavior only confirmed your relationship to him and the others. Each peck you gave was no longer saved for bandages, but for anything he did for you. Wrapping you up after a mission from Aogiri. Giving you his coat. Bringing you coffee should he go out on a run - each was rewarded with a kiss. The terrors that kept you awake at night were eventually revealed to the Kirishima, and you finding refuge in his arms or surrounded by his scent. He'd often find you curled up in his bed with the blankets pulled up to your nose when he had returned from a long mission. You no longer pushed him away if he wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin settling on your shoulder as he watched you do everything from doing your laundry to helping train new members. Still you'd flush under the feeling of his lips brushing against the shell of your ear down to your shoulder, but you'd just lean into his touch instead of smacking him.

"I love you, Ayato." Hearing those words for the first time made his heart jump into his throat, shock coming across the features that seemed to hold nothing but a scowl. When they had first fallen from your lips, he had frozen like a deer in the headlights. People grew amazed because the great Ayato "Black Rabbit" Kirishima had never, ever looked so shocked and flustered in his life. You could not help but smile, feeling your own cheeks burn as you heard him tell you,

"I love you too."

"..you're an idiot if you think otherwise, [Name]."