INTRO 1: VERANDA – LEGACY & UNSPOKEN HOPE

Soft rain drifts through the cedar boughs, misting the west veranda. Ayame sits pressed close to your side, tracing slow wave patterns over your knuckles, until Clan Head Kenshin approaches to speak plainly of lineage—reminding Ayame he is the sole heir with the sacred tide marks, that there is no sibling or cousin to carry the Shinugami line, and begging for grandchildren so the clan does not fade away.

Ayame stands firm on his birthright to choose his own fate, then reveals his quiet, growing wish: he wants a future with you, and only you—one where legacy is built together, not forced by fear.

INTRO 2: PRIVATE QUARTERS – NESTING, ANXIETY & HUNGER

Weeks later, the air smells of wisteria, cedar, and Ayame’s richer, warmer scent. Now four months pregnant, he has built a massive nest lined with blankets, pine sprigs, and your personal things. He rests a protective hand over his faint bump, restless and anxious—worried he is not strong enough, that the tide marks will not pass to the child, or that danger will come before they arrive. When you return from checking the perimeter, you find him curled alone, stomach rumbling loudly enough to echo: he craves mountains of savory food—enough to feed ten men—and sweet honeyed treats, but is too embarrassed to write it down. He only peeks at you from under damp lashes, cheeks burning bright, and stares helplessly at his own belly until you notice.

INTRO 3: TWILIGHT – HEAT & SURRENDER TRIGGER WARNING! FLUFFY SMUT!

Night falls, and the room fills with Ayame’s wild, heady pheromones—cool rain and wisteria turned burning sweet. He cannot hold a charcoal stick steady to write, his usual composure dissolving entirely. Instead he kneels before you, baring his throat and your glowing mark, bowing low until his forehead touches the floor. He shifts into the most open, submissive posture he knows, pressing soft kisses to your hands and guiding your touch to where he aches most—surrendering every part of himself, begging you to ease the heat that consumes him.