Kaiju No. 8 X Reader - Blog Posts

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Would anybody like to talk about Kaiju no.8

⠀𐔌 . ⋮ promised to me .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

ʚ imperial guard! hoshina soshiro x fem! reader ɞ

synopsis: you are presented to the Emperor of Japan in marriage to better your clan's standing and boost the Imperial family's backing. hoshina soshiro is your assigned escort, guarding you day and night yet turmoil brews in him as he comes to realize that his heart yearns for you, the bride-to-be of the Emperor.

genres: romance, a smidge of angst.

content warnings: unclear timeskips, mild descriptions of blood, mild depictions of abuse (not from soshiro), morally grey! soshiro ૮꒰ྀི⊃⸝ ⸝ ⸝⊂꒱ྀིა.

word count: 3.15k words.

author's note: ngl, this was supposed to be a more dark! soshiro fic but he turned out more grey haha ᡣ𐭩.

‎‧₊ ─ masterlist .ᐟ ༘

When the Emperor called Soshiro for an audience, he wasn't expecting his breath to be taken away.

But as Soshiro looks at you, he found it somehow hard to breathe when you entered his vision, bathed in swathes of the finest silk and rouge painting your lips oh so prettily like camellias blooming in the harsh winter.

And it was as if the words on his tongue suddenly dissolved when you had paid him a small yet sweet smile, your eyes ever so kind.

But it was your smile that seemed the most unforgettable to him.

He was hypnotized and completely enamored but he's startled from his thoughts when the Emperor then introduces you as Lady Fujiwara, his promised bride to help him solidify the Emperor’s seat and someone Soshiro is tasked with guarding.

Hoshina Soshiro, head of the Imperial Guard, knows that coveting something that does not belong to him would be a crime with the price of seppuku and his clan’s honor being tarnished. He knows better than to fall prey to his greed, he knows.

Yes. He thinks as he gazes at you. It would be treason.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Throughout the days that had passed, Soshiro, in his dedication to his Emperor and in his efforts to smother his greed, guarded you silently where ever you went.

But one sunny day in your private garden was he taken aback when you had offered him a seat at your quaint table, insisting he sit for tea.

He sighs through his nose before relenting and a small smile appears on your face as you pour him a cup of tea. “Here,” You pass him a book, to which he recognizes as Tachibana Akemi’s latest book of poetry.

“I mustn’t, my lady.” He gently holds it back to you, words firm and unyielding.

You don’t spare him another glance as you flip another page of the current book you’re reading. “I saw you eyeing it while I was reading it yesterday, Hoshina-san.” You murmur softly, a teasing lilt accompanying your words.

Soshiro’s eyes widen and as he’s about to apologize, you huff a small laugh. “Don’t apologize or I’ll be upset.” At your words does Soshiro zip his lips shut.

Your smile widens as your eyes twinkle forcing Soshiro swallows thickly, “You’re my personal escort, Hoshina-san, I think the distance between us is no longer needed, no?”

Your gaze is insistent until Soshiro relents, sighing silently before flipping to the first page and only then do you beam brightly, pushing your plate of strawberry daifuku in his direction as he thumbs the dried camellia flower you tucked between the pages to act as a bookmark.

And before he knows it, the silence between you completely dies down as you discuss the meanings of Tachibana’s poems, the ice between you breaking and is replaced with an air of comfort and ease.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

A couple of weeks had passed since you arrived from Kyoto, settling in the Imperial Palace nicely as Soshiro strode ten steps behind you, his katana strapped to his waist securely as his vermillion eyes never strayed from your form.

But the harsh thuds of arrows hitting their wooden marks rouses him from his staring as he sees you gazing at the archers in the courtyard shooting, longing and nostalgia filling your eyes.

“My lady?” Soshiro hums thoughtfully, his maroon eyes gently tracing then soft curve of your nose before dipping lower to your plush lips.

You’re startled from your reverie before your apologetic eyes fly to meet his, a shy smile adorning your embarrassed face. “My apologies, Hoshina-san. Let’s resume our walk, shall we?”

Silently nodding at your command, Soshiro can’t help but think of the longing that had flooded your gaze when you looked at the archers earlier and before he knows it, the words are tumbling from his lips, “Do you practice the ways of the bow, my lady?”

Sunlight leaking through the shoji doors paint your face beautifully, so much so that it has Soshiro at a loss of words yet it is the bright smile tugging at your lips is what causes his heart to seize momentarily.

“I do. I did,” You trail off, eyes dimming visibly. “Before I was taken here to the capital-“

Soshiro catches your eyes widen at your mistaken and he quickly understands; you, the Emperor’s chosen bride, speaking of the marriage that was arranged against your will to the Emperor’s head guard.

He smiles gently before kneeling before you, his hand encasing yours as he places a soft kiss atop your knuckles, “At ease, my lady, for I will not let any harm come to you, even if it is from the Emperor.” Soshiro promises to you, honest eyes looking up into yours that it has you visibly relaxing.

You bend down slightly before your free hand gently cups Soshiro’s face, your thumb tracing his cheekbone causing his breath to stutter. “Thank you, Hoshina-san. I’ll be in your care.”

Against his better judgement, Soshiro allows himself this moment of respite before he leans into your palm, savoring your warmth.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Later that night, when the moon is high in the night sky, Soshiro gently rasps his knuckles against your shoji doors. His keen ears pick up on your faint yet sweet, “Come in.”

Allowing himself into your chambers, his vermillion eyes flit over to see your form seated on the engawa, overlooking the garden.

“My Lady,” Soshiro murmurs quietly, willing his heart to stop beating so quickly when you look up at him with a bright smile, your eyes crinkling softly in what he hopes is happiness.

“Hoshina-san, what brings you to my chambers this late?” You ask and when Soshiro brings the arrow and quiver of arrows in hand to your attention, he revels in how your eyes sparkle with excitement.

“For you.” He sends you a cheeky grin that has your cheeks flushing beneath the moonlight.

Smiling oh so sweetly that it has Soshiro’s heart floundering, he swears you’ll give him a heart attack when your hands linger on his briefly as you gently take the bow and quiver from his hands.

And he watches entranced from his seat on the engawa when you shoot consecutive shots hitting their marks, arrows all firmly embedding their heads into the bamboo fences meters away.

“You’ve a good eye and arm, my lady.” Soshiro hums and you turn to him, a cute, mischievous grin on your face that he finds absolutely endearing.

“My tou-san tells me I’m a better archer than my nii-san but hush, don’t tell him I said that.” You tease lightly as he chuckles.

As you settle yourself back on the engawa next to him, Soshiro can’t help but see the stray strands of hair loosened from your ponytail.

Impulsively, Soshiro leans over, his fingers tucking the offending strands behind your ear and his body freezes when you turn towards him, your noses brushing as he had misjudged the distance between you.

Your eyes seemed a bit dazed at the close proximity yet Soshiro can’t help but stay rooted in place, greed unfurling at how close you are.

“This is a sweet gesture I find absolutely endearing, Hoshina-san.” You murmur, smiling sweetly that it has him swallowing thickly.

Almost drunk off the sweet scent of camellias and spiced sugar you emanatw, the words slip between his lips before he knows it. “Soshiro.”

Your smile softens, eyes overflowing with warmth that it has his heart rate spiking. “Then, I’ll be Y/n to you, Soshiro.” His name on your tongue is honeyed and cloying, and his desire to hear his name tumble from your lips more often grows. “Thank you, Soshiro.”

Gently without allowing his eyes to leave yours, he grabs your hand before bringing it up to his lips, placing a sweet kiss to your knuckles.

“Anything for you.” Soshiro whispers reverently, his heart brimming solely of you.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Days thereafter does Soshiro see an unspoken softness between you both and he isn’t blind to how his heart treacherously leaps whenever a bright and happy smile lights up your face whenever you see him.

Between accompanying you outside on walks, sipping tea beneath the cherry blossoms with a book in your hands, and late night archery competitions between you both, Soshiro unknowingly falls for you amidst haikus, arrows, and fragrant camellias.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

As he stands guard outside the shoji doors of your quarters, they push open before your attendants exit and only then does Soshiro peer into your quarters

His breath suddenly hitches as he sees you dressed in a deep, wine-red houmougi as pearls and golden laced flowers decorated your hair beautifully, your lips and cheeks tinted with rouge that it has Soshiro’s mind blanking.

Beautiful. He finds himself thinking as he holds out a hand for you to take but something feels unsettlingly off.

You settle your hand in his gracefully, your eyes not meeting his. “The Emperor requested my presence at dinner. I assume his duties to the state were fulfilled.” Your words are a quiet murmur, subdued in the way Soshiro knows that isn’t like you.

“Yes, the turf wars in the western regions have been repressed and settled.” Soshiro mutters lowly as he escorts you to the banquet hall, his hand never leaving yours.

“I see.” Your words are nothing but a noncommittal hum. And as you both arrive to the doors to the banquet hall, Soshiro is about to let go of your hand but his eyes widen as you squeeze them gently.

You’re still staring straight ahead at the doors and a beat of silence passes before your tired eyes are meeting his and Soshiro feels a twinge in his chest as he sees an undercurrent of fright in your eyes.

But before he’s able to inquire if you’re feeling okay, you abruptly let go of his hand as your features settle into a collected mien. You nod your head to the door attendant before entering.

Soshiro sees the way the Emperor’s face lights up at the sight of you but he misses how your eyes flare with disgust before dimming. He feels his heart ache and Soshiro is forcefully biting his tongue, the taste of iron startling him back to his senses.

Fool, she is not yours to covet. He chastises himself as the doors slam shut.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

When the dinner came to a close, Soshiro was there offering his hand to escort you back to your quarters yet you walked ahead as an unsettling silence settled between you.

He stares at your back, a flurry of thoughts rushing through his mind as he ponders a way to break the silence as he wishes to hear your thoughts.

Your thoughts of the book you read earlier, the change in season, or the dinner you just had with the Emperor-

I could love you more than he ever could, if I allow myself.

Soshiro’s own traitorous thoughts shock himself as his mind becomes a frenzy of a storm, guilt and greed intertwining in a confusing dance and Soshiro loses himself to the storm in his mind.

But he’s pulled out of the tempest when you gingerly cup his face, his panicked eyes staring into your worried ones.

"Soshiro?" You call softly and his heart seizes.

A chill dances down Soshiro’s spine as the realization slams into him. He’s knows, he’s aware.

Catastrophically aware.

He rips himself from your touch and bids you a quiet farewell, missing the hurt visibly flashing in your eyes.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Soshiro has been avoiding you and he knows that you know. The air between you has stilled and gone stagnant. And like the coward he is, Soshiro doesn’t even try to mend the burnt bridge between you.

Instead, unknowingly, he adds more fuel to the fire as he orders guard shift changes, rotating with officers under his command to stand by and guard you.

And only when the moon is high in the night sky, does Soshiro stand in to be your guard, away from your kind eyes and unknown to you.

Despite the distance, he still reads the reports noting what you’d done for the day, an odd feeling of longing filling his chest all the while he is ignorant of the dangers you’d faced at the hands of the Emperor while the sun brightly shone.

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Silently stalking to the guard stationed outside of your quarters, Soshiro motions for the guard shift and his officer in question nods mutely before bowing and walking away.

His wine-red eyes peer at the shoji doors that separate you both before he heaves a silent sigh. You fool. Soshiro thinks bitterly before straightening up.

But the loud crash of porcelain breaking quickly catches his attention and before he knows it, he’s drawing his katana as his other hand slams the shoji doors open.

Your startled and tear-laden eyes meet his panicked red ones and once his mind registers that there’s no immediate threat in the near vicinity and that tears are rolling down your cheeks, his heart begins to ache.

But a surge of rage begins to boil in him as his eyes narrow on the darkened bruise cuffing your wrist.

“What happened?” He mutters lowly, stalking closer and before you’re able to try to cover the offending bruise with the sleeve of your silken juban, he gently grasps your hand.

“Hoshina-san, it’s none of your concern.” You mutter weakly, face turning away from his as you attempt to weakly take your hand back from his grips.

His grip tighten only briefly before he’s grabbing your chin with his free hand, forcing your teary eyes to meet his.

"Who did this to you?" Soshiro murmurs softly, his thumb tracing the bruise.

Your eyes narrow and despite the tears glazing them, he can see how they flare with frustration. “Why do you care?” You snap harshly.

Soshiro’s red eyes flash darkly as he pulls your face close to his, your lips barely brushing. “Why do I care? Why do I care?” He laughs coldly.

“Are you a fool, Y/n?” Soshiro snarls and despite all his attempts to keep his voice level, the desperation in his tone is palpable—almost as if he was pleading. “I—“

“Finish that sentence, Soshiro, I dare you.” You scowl but Soshiro can’t bring himself to even do it.

“Which bastard hurt you?” His voice dips lower, edged dangerously with outrage as he chooses to ignore the previous conversation.

Hurt floods your eyes and he feels you weaken in his hold, your eyes fluttering to a close as tears freely roll down your cheeks. “The Emperor. He was the one to brandish that bruise on me.”

Soshiro stills, his breath catching as his blood runs cold before a heated implosion of rage swelters in him. “A fitting punishment for me attempting to put off the wedding.” You laugh weakly.

His angry eyes flit to yours yet none of the heated fury is not directed to you but that bastard he swore his allegiance to. “Why?”

You look up into his eyes deeply and Soshiro finds himself drowning in them. “Because I fell in love with you and I knew no end to desiring you.”

He swears his heart stops as he registers your words.

Inhaling shakily, you turn away and refuse to meet Soshiro’s eyes. “You have no idea how often I have wished to have you near me.” Your words a weak, broken murmur.

Soshiro can only stare at your face as you continue, “I thought of you softly from time to time. But I knew- I knew that you’d rather cut off your hand before you would ever reach for me.”

He feels dizzy from your words and before Soshiro is able to formulate a cognitive thought, a simple ‘no’ tumbles from his lips.

You shake your head, not allowing yourself the slightest bit of hope, “You swore your allegiance to the Emperor.”

Honor be damned.

Soshiro cups your face softly, forcing your eyes to meet his and his heart feels full. “It no longer matters.” He firmly murmurs, his intense carmine red eyes staring deeply into yours.

He sees your eyes gleam with hope but his heart drops to see them dim, “Regardless of me loving you, Soshiro, the wedding ceremony is tomorrow morning and if I do not marry the Emperor, I will be condemned to seppuku.”

“My loyalty lies with you.” Soshiro whispers softly, his words are a firm promise. “For you are the one I lo-.”

“Don’t, Soshiro.” You pull away from his embrace and his heart aches as you steel your gaze directed at him. “I am not so foolish to damn the man I love to death either.”

┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ。

Morning had come sooner than you had wished and soon, your attendants swarmed your quarters as they prepared you for your wedding.

Amidst the commotion, you found yourself wishing to see Soshiro once more but you shake the thought off, chastising yourself that it would be his blood on your hands if the truth were to ever reach the Emperor’s ears.

Camellia scented oil was lathered on your skin, rouge dusting your lips and cheek as various golden hair ornaments adorned your hair and before you knew it, you stood in the Shinto Shrine awaiting your future husband.

The weight of the iro-uchikake you’re wearing seems heavier in your heart as the colorful kimono is embroidered with deep-red camellias, an ironic reminder of Soshiro’s bright, vermillion eyes.

But you’re torn from your musings when the doors open and you’re expecting noble men, clan heads, and the Emperor’s cohort to witness the ceremony but you’re confused to see what you recognize as Soshiro’s own battalion of guards flood the shrine chamber.

Their dark formal kimonos all bear the Hoshina clan crest and you spare the Shinto priest an alarmed look as Soshiro’s battalion of soldiers silently stand at guard, not one of the men uttering a single word of explanation.

Your eyes snap to the doors when you hear the Shinto priest gasp and all you see is Soshiro striding towards you with an air of calmness, his ruby eyes solely focused on you.

The men around you salute at the sight of their captain and as Soshiro stalks closer, you see splatters of red painted across his cheek. Yet none of that matters as your heart treacherously thunders at the sight of him so close, almost within reach.

“I am here to take my bride, she was promised to the Emperor.” He murmurs softly as meets you at the podium, kneeling before you as he reaches for your hand, to which he places a sweetened kiss on.

Soshiro smiles against your knuckles, his red eyes flooding with blatant love and devotion and it’s all directed at you.

“I am the Emperor now.”

© 2025 𝐌𝐘𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆-𝐈𝐕. do not copy, repost, share, or translate any of my works to tiktok, instagram, and/or any other websites/platforms.