#kaburamaru

Shinobu: Mei-Mei? Are you okay?

Summary: Kaburamaru can’t seem to keep himself from sneaking away to your home, mortifying a very frustrated Obanai.

Obanai x F! Reader

Fluff

Warnings: None. Maybe some suggestiveness if you squint really hard. Obanai has a crush, that’s it

Art: stolen from my fav @deathmetaldreams @windingserpentslash

The halls are silent, rug-adorned floorboards absorbing the soft patter of sandals grazing against intricately woven fibers.

The air is still, peaceful in the way your home usually is. This stillness isn’t of discomfort, but of the warmth that the throws of late spring invite. Lively birds chirp happily in the distance, adding to the glow and serenity of the peaceful estate.

A man of diminutive stature glides through your home stealthily, as if the halls were committed to memory, his striped haori slicing through the heated morning air like a sharpened knife cuts through fluffy buttercream cake.

You’re still sleeping peacefully at this hour, hugging your pillow close and nuzzling a bit deeper under the covers, completely unaware of the ghostly reptile that had slithered its way into your home and under your blankets.

The shoji door slides open carefully, dual-colored eyes landing on your sleeping form, observing the slight rise and fall of your breathing, taking you in in your most vulnerable state.

Obanai Iguro shifts carefully at the entryway, heat rising to his cheeks in frustration. He knew he was here, felt him in a way only two very close companions can feel, and it was no coincidence that he seemed to always find his fiercely intelligent pet in your home.

But for Obanai, this was getting annoying.

“Kaburamaru, get over here. Now.”

The words rumble low as to avoid waking you, slightly muffled from under his bandages.

No response from the usually lively creature.

Obanai’s fists clench at his side, feeling disobeyed and embarrassed at being put in this predicament yet again by his most trusted companion.

“Kaburamaru.”

This time, the little head of the expressive white-scaled serpent peaks from the head of the bed, hovering just above your face, his little pink tongue peaking out and retracting just as quickly in a silent “what’s up?”

Iguro’s eyes widen, a vein pulsating at the side of his temple.

Kaburamaru blinks.

Your body shifts, limbs stretching awkwardly as your eyes begin to flutter in impending consciousness.

Obanai stiffens at the doorway, inwardly relieved that he made no attempt to step closer in order to obtain his stubborn friend, but still mortified at the situation nonetheless.

Your lips stretch open in a yawn as your eyes fully open to register the room, breath hitching in your chest as your sleepy mind comes to process the weight on the side of your neck and the stoic man at your door.

—silence

Obanai makes no move or gesture as to why he’s there, his mind going blank at the realization that he’s been caught in your home uninvited yet again.

This was not his usual behavior and he hated how this made him appear. If it were up to him, he’d never talk to you, never be in your presence as he despised how his mind and body seemed to have a will of its own whenever you were in even a 50-ft radius. He also hated witnessing the other Corps members around you— hated how Sanemi’s arm conveniently seemed to always wrap itself around you, hated how Muichiro clung to you like a lost puppy, hated how Mitsuri sang your name and showered you with hugs and kisses at every opportunity, hated how Gyomei gave you head pats and acknowledged you, hated how Tengen openly flirted with you and commented on your beauty, hated how Shinobu always found a reason to invite you to her estate and check on you, hated how effortlessly you laughed and blushed around Kyojuro, hated how even Giyuu—the silent, introverted creep that he was—spoke to you and hovered close.

Obanai Iguro hated how everyone could openly express their love to you when he couldn’t.

If it wasn’t obvious, he was not one who communicated fluently. He kept things curt, blunt in a way that left no room for questioning. And ever since he noticed how his fingers trembled around you, and how his heart seemed to pick up the pace when you entered a room, he decided it was best that he avoided you as much as humanly possible.

That is until Kaburamaru made it his mission to frequently invite himself in your home.

To this very moment, Obanai still hadn’t the slightest clue as to why the snake took such a liking to you and why he was so incessant on dragging his master all the way to the warm space that smelled and imbued every essence of you.

Was this some kind of crude joke?

“Oh, goodmorning—”

You mumble sleepily as you try to move to sit up, noticing the resting serpent on your shoulder.

Even in the fog of your residual slumber, your voice is music to his ears.

Obanai’s heartbeat picks up the pace.

“Hi. I came to retrieve Kaburamaru, I didn’t mean to disturb—”

“It’s no trouble at all! He seems to like it here.”

You reassure as you raise a hand to pet the friendly snake, giggling at the tickly feeling of his lithe body slithering against your skin as he wounds around you tighter in reptilian affection.

Obanai takes a step forward, his patience running dangerously thin as the discomfort of his quickening heart rate and blood flow start to settle in.

“Kaburamaru! It’s time to go now.”

The snake draws his attention from your affections to his master, giving him a slow blink and a tongue peek-a-boo to signify “I heard you the first time.”

You free an arm to push the covers to the side, standing, and gracefully padding across the room to meet Obanai at the door, unwrapping Kaburamaru and presenting him to the striking serpent pillar.

Obanai’s mind seemed to go completely blank for a moment, not registering anything after you moved the blankets and stood in a nightdress that was agonizingly small. He didn’t even know nightwear came that small.

The thin satin fabric pulled taut over your luscious body, stretching painfully over your heavy breasts and subtly wide hips. Every step you took made the fabric ride higher and higher, not even bothering to hide the soft plush of your rear anymore, leading down the mile-long path of your bare legs, skin smooth and even, unhidden by uniform socks.

Your hair was slightly tousled from sleep, but still fell beautifully around your shoulders, remnants of slumber evident in the corner of your eye and in the slight swell of your lips.

Obanai thought you were the definition of a morning goddess. He thought he was going to die.

Your head tilts slightly at his hesitation, a friendly smirk stretching your lips as a hand comes up to grab his scaly companion, fingers visibly trembling.

“Thank you.”

He says so lowly that you barely even register it.

You blink, a toothy grin gracing your face.

“Kaburamaru is always welcome, he knows that.”

Obanai gives a stiff nod of his head, choppy black locks swaying with the movement. He turns to leave, the back of his striped haori facing you as he exits the now too-small space.

“You are always welcome as well, Iguro!” you blurt, heat crawling up your neck, ears tingling in embarrassment.

His steps halt.

—silence

You shift uncomfortably as the air stills.

“You’re welcome to stay if you want. Are you hungry?”

—more silence

Kaburamaru turns to peak his head in your direction, tongue slithering out and retracting, tiny cherry-dot eyes peering at you.

Obanai turns to face you again, expression slightly softer and kinder under his mask.

“Got anything good for Kaburamaru?”

(A/N: I just learned from Google that snakes don’t blink so don’t eat me up for this one! Decided to publish this quickie instead of doing my homework XD

A birthday chu to the sweetest Love Hashira! ♡(˃͈ ˂͈ )

(The audacity to think I could draw an OK snake just 'cause I was born in the year of the snake)

image i made while waiting for my midnight hamburger helper to be ready… my magnum opus